The Price of Saving a Vicious Beast - Chapter 24

Oh my… Adelaide covered her mouth with both hands in shock.

Elise, clearly pleased that she had finally coaxed out the words she wanted to hear from Roem, smiled triumphantly.

“I’ll let that pass this once. But after we’re married, you’ll have to say it much more often, alright? I know without hearing it, but I still want to hear it.”

“Alright. Just let me off for today. Adelaide looks like her eyes are about to pop out.”

Elise’s gaze shifted toward Adelaide.

Their eyes met—and following Elise’s bright smile, Adelaide found herself smiling as well without realizing it.

* * *

“So? Now that you’ve met her in person, what do you think?”

“Honestly, I can’t understand it at all. Not you, and not your parents either.”

The tip of Elise’s nose had turned red from the chilly air. Sniffling softly, she pulled her shawl tighter around herself.

“To be honest, before coming today, I only believed about half of what you told me. I mean, I figured she wouldn’t be some monster like the rumors say. But for someone to have never been allowed outside until now—”

“I know. It’s only natural to think something must be wrong.”

“Roem.”

Elise stopped walking. She looked at Roem with a serious look.

“Why are you leaving Adelaide like that? You know what people are saying about Count Eport’s daughter.”

From the beginning, it had made no sense.

Banning someone from going outside just because of a lack of refinement? If that were truly the standard, Elise could name at least ten people who should be kicked out of the capital immediately.

In reality, very few people around Elise actually believed the rumors about Adelaide lacking proper upbringing.

But the sudden rise of House Eport had drawn envy and resentment and all of that had piled up into scandal surrounding Adelaide.

And yet, those rumors would disappear the moment she simply showed her face.

Just like today.

The young lady Elise had met, Lady Eport, was kind, gentle, and beautiful. There wasn’t a single thing about her that resembled the rumors circulating in the capital.

Elise simply couldn’t understand. Not her future in-laws. And not Roem, the man she was about to marry.

Under her openly critical gaze, Roem let out a deep sigh.

“Of course I’ve brought it up to my parents. Many times. Everyone knows Adelaide can’t go on like this. But…”

“But what?”

Elise pressed him, urging him to continue.

“…It seems my parents have their own difficulties. They won’t tell me the full story either, so I can’t be certain, but… it feels like there was some kind of deal involved when Adelaide was adopted.”

At the time, he had been too young to realize it. But looking back now, the very fact that Adelaide’s adoption had been approved was strange.

The noble council, which had conducted a sudden evaluation of her upbringing, had clearly intended to reject the Eport family’s request. And yet, only days later, approval had been granted without any explanation.

That kind of reversal could never happen without someone’s influence. Which meant—there had been someone behind it.

But who?

Contrary to what people believed, Roem had never been the Crown Prince’s playmate.

And yet for the past six years, the Crown Prince had not only failed to correct that false impression. He had gone out of his way to favor House Eport, granting them power again and again.

His father had expanded his influence within the noble council with imperial backing. And Roem himself had been placed firmly on the path to success simply because he was believed to be connected to the Crown Prince.

At this point, there were few houses in the empire that could rival theirs. If Adelaide’s situation had been tied to the noble council, it would have been resolved long ago.

But it hadn’t been. No, more precisely, there hadn’t even been any intention of resolving it.

Which left only one answer.

The Crown Prince. Killian Nachtman. There was no doubt that he was involved.

“No matter what, this is too much. This is far too cruel to Adelaide. Not being allowed to leave the house? She hasn’t committed some unforgivable crime. How is that any different from house arrest?”

It was the kind of reaction only someone who didn’t know the full truth could have. Roem could only give a faint, helpless smile at Elise’s indignant words.