Chapter 48
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If her guess was right, and this game was pushing Edith as the protagonist and she had no choice but to be manipulated, their changed selves might not turn out to be that dark.
“Edith, there was blood on you earlier. Did something happen?”
Perhaps misunderstanding Edith’s quietness as something else while she was focused, Serenity spoke to her with concern.
Looking at Serenity, Edith felt fortunate to be in a better situation thanks to those two than in the original where Serenity was the heroine.
Still, by bearing this fate herself, the other woman wouldn’t have to suffer anymore. The uneasy feeling that had been plaguing her seemed to lift, leaving her with a sense of relief.
“Don’t worry, Serenity. It couldn’t be helped. It is what it is.”
‘This situation…’
Swallowing her words, Edith shook her head. But Serenity, despite her vague answer, suddenly looked deeply touched and linked arms with her.
“So you’re calling me by my name now? I’m so happy, Edith!”
Perhaps because her feelings toward the other woman had changed, the name had slipped out naturally. Edith felt awkward at her joyful reaction to simply being called by name, but she didn’t shake off the linked arm.
* * *
Entering the Great Hall, the same location as the banquet hall where she’d first met them last spring, everyone’s gaze fell upon her, the winner.
Back then, the indistinct Edith who had gone to a corner because no one looked at her now stood in the center, receiving everyone’s attention.
The situation was the complete opposite of before, and it felt strangely déjà vu.
As if he’d been waiting, Mikael approached Edith and Serenity.
“My lady, you promised to spare me some time for a conversation earlier. You haven’t forgotten, have you?”
Now that she knew his true identity, his gentlemanly behavior and angelic smile sent shivers down her spine.
She didn’t know what about her had piqued his interest or why he had hidden his identity to approach her, but she grew cautious in her actions, wondering how to prevent his favorability from rising any further.
“I was unaware until now that you were the Young Duke of Blackford. I apologize for my improprieties. I would be grateful for your understanding.”
“Hahaha! You really always think the opposite of what I expect, my lady. It seems my not revealing myself sooner has truly wounded your feelings.”
Seeing Edith rigidly adhering to etiquette and drawing a line, Mikael laughed, seemingly delighted, with the biggest laugh she’d seen from him yet.
It was the moment the image of the cruel Young Duke crumbled in the hearts of many young ladies.
Edith’s expression simply stiffened with fear that Mikael’s favorability might rise because of his words, but he misinterpreted her look and shrugged his shoulders.
Other nobles seemed to want to approach the spot where the Hunt’s winner, the Saintess, and the Young Duke were gathered, hesitating on the periphery.
And through them, Viscount Moulton pushed his large body forward.
“My pride and joy, my daughter Edith! How proud this father is of you!”
The Viscount’s behavior, trying to show off by using Edith, was so shameless her expression crumpled for a moment.
Her head was already aching, and now the Viscount was trying to make her thoughts even more tangled. Just as she was about to retort, she felt a tug on her dress, as if someone was trying to stop her.
But unlike before, he couldn’t silence her now.
“Huh? Since when have you been so proud of me, Father?”
“W-What did you say?”
“After ignoring me all this time… My goodness, are you just picking up fallen crumbs now?”
At Edith’s sharp retort and the aggressive words he was hearing for the first time in his life, the Viscount seemed unable to suppress his true nature. His face turned a blotchy red and purple as he began shouting, forgetting their surroundings.
“You get a little attention from those around you, and now you’re getting too big for your boots!”
“Viscount, isn’t that a bit harsh a thing to say to your own daughter?”
As if put off by language rougher than expected from a father, Mikael shot back sharply.
“Oh, Young Duke, no, it’s not like that. My daughter is just so dull-witted that I have to speak like this for her to understand.”
“Hah!”
The Viscount, instead of backing down, acted as if he were the victim, flustered before the Young Duke. As she’d always sensed, just like with Kaidros, the Viscount was a classic bully to the weak and a coward to the strong.
Astounded by the sight, Edith turned her head and let out a bitter laugh.
“Dull-witted… The Lady Moulton I’ve seen must be a different person. Still, that’s no way to speak to a daughter who should be celebrated today.”
“Viscount Moulton, if you are truly Lady Moulton’s father, shouldn’t you refrain from such words?”
Cornered and suddenly being blamed, the Viscount wore a bewildered expression. Then, he started pointing at Edith, as if telling her to fix this situation somehow.
“I haven’t said anything until now… but your words and actions are truly exhausting, Father…”
Taking this chance to get back at the Viscount, Edith covered her face with her hand as if wounded.
“Edith! Are you alright?”
“Serenity, Your Grace, I’m sorry. May I step away for a moment?”
Sneaking a peek between her fingers at the Viscount’s dumbfounded expression amidst their comforting words, she laughed inwardly. Having resolved to act shamelessly, Edith used this as an excuse to escape the banquet hall.
‘Serves you right.’
Listening to the voices of the two berating the Viscount as she walked away, Edith thought it was fortunate she could also avoid the Young Duke’s company. She walked with light steps down the corridor outside the banquet hall.
‘Out of the frying pan…’
Unfortunately, as the saying goes, over the mountain lies another mountain. From afar, the Crown Prince and Carlton were walking toward her.
“My lady, I was just on my way to find you.”
“A glimpse of the little sun…”
He waved his hand as if pleased to see her. Edith flinched at the sight of the Crown Prince, who had been showing an unnervingly persistent interest in her since the Hunt.
“Could you spare me a moment? It’s not quite the place for a talk here. We’d better go to my office.”
At his words, Carlton looked at Edith, his eyes pleading with her not to go.
Knowing his intention from the previous warning, Edith thought of the earring and gave him a look that said it was okay.
“Carlton, return to the banquet hall.”
“Your Highness, perhaps I should accompany you, just in case.”
To Carlton, who tried to follow, the Crown Prince withdrew his gentle expression and warned in a low voice.
“I don’t give second chances. Are you refusing my order?”
Second. The indirect reference to the events in the dungeon made Carlton bow his head in resignation.
“My apologies… Then, I shall take my leave.”
Watching Carlton pass by with a gaze full of worry, Edith, not relaxing her guard, followed the Crown Prince.
* * *
Upon entering the Crown Prince’s office, he gestured for Edith to sit on the sofa, then sat across from her. Looking down at her with his arrogant posture, he got straight to the point.
“My lady, do you remember the secret of your house I inquired about last time?”
“Yes. But I told you I didn’t know.”
“No, that’s been resolved. But as a member of that house, you shouldn’t be ignorant, should you?”
His suspicious demeanor made warning lights flash in her head, screaming that she shouldn’t listen to any more.
“Why did the imperial family grant such vast wealth to Viscount Moulton?… I’ve been curious. Thanks to your visit to the temple, I found out.”
So, that day’s events had reached his ears through the knight. Due to extreme tension, Edith’s heart began to pound.
“Digging into it, I found there was an entity behind the imperial family that ordered the wealth to be paid to the Viscount.”
As if challenging her to guess, he paused and looked at her.
“Behind the imperial family…?”
Her reaction, completely unexpected, made the Crown Prince lean forward cautiously, as if about to reveal a great secret.
“In truth, it was the Temple that ordered the wealth to be paid to the Viscount. What do you think? Interesting, isn’t it?”
“The Temple…? Frankly, I can’t believe it. Why would the Temple bother?”
As if he’d been waiting for her to bite, the Crown Prince’s smile deepened with mischief.
“What if it was because of you?”
“Huh?”
“Have you ever considered, my lady, that you might have a secret hidden even from yourself?”
‘The Temple? Edith’s secret…?’
The warning lights flashing in her head screamed that she shouldn’t try to learn any more truth. They blazed on fully, ringing out dangerously.
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