Chapter 11: A Crime that Nobody Saw

Everything was as Sercia said.

Although Theodore and Selphius looked through all sorts of newspaper companies, they couldn’t find a single person who knew anything about a reporter named ‘Ash’.

And the extras completely disappeared from the Capital the following day, as if it had never existed or been gossiped about.

Nobody mentioned the extras nor did they make sarcastic remarks to me.

I could feel firsthand the power of the Lapileon family.

“I’ve talked with every newspaper company to not write any more articles or extras about you, so something like this won’t be happening again.”

You talked with them? Are you sure you ‘talked’…?

“I’m ashamed that you were hurt like this because of the Lapileon family.”

“It’s fine. And I don’t think I was hurt. If anything, I like it.”

“You like it?”

“Through this incident, everyone will clearly know that I’m a person of the Lapileon family.”

As I timidly laughed, Theodore gazed at me. Then, instead of talking, he offered me the pudding that had been set in front of him.

“Eat it.”

All of a sudden?

“Theodore, you’re not going to eat?”

“I don’t like it.”

“…Even though you devoured two of them yesterday?”

“My taste buds changed today. Eat.”

So suddenly? W-Well, if you say so…

“T-Thanks. I’ll eat it well.”

Nodding briefly, Theodore chewed on the crumbly baguette and stared at Selphi.

“Selphi.”

Selphius, who flinched in surprise, gripped the pudding in front of him, alert.

“This is my pudding.”

“Not the pudding… Are you going to continue to stay in the Capital like this?”

At Theodore’s question, Selphius dawned a shocked expression as if he’d been struck by lightning and put down his dessert spoon.

“…Are you going to chase me away again?”

Crumpling his face, Selphius looked down at the pudding in his hands. He passed it to Theodore and asked, “If I give you this, will you not chase me away?”

“No.”

Pushing Selphius’ pudding away with his hand, Theodore raised an eyebrow crookedly.

“It’s not about the pudding… If you’re going to stay in the Capital, we’ll have to register you for the Academy.”

“The Academy?”

As if he couldn’t believe what he was listening to, Selphius pinched his own cheek.

“Ouch… This isn’t a dream?”

“You kept talking about how you wanted to go to the Academy, so that’s what I thought, but I guess not. Then I’ll get you a tutor…”

“No, no! No!”

Shouting loudly, Selphius stood up from his seat. The child’s face was full of excitement and thrill. As if he couldn’t believe it on Theodore’s words alone, Selphius stared at me.

“A-Am I really going to attend the Academy? Really?”

Seeing him like that, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Yeah. You really are.”

“Wow!”

At times like this, he really seems like a kid.

“But… Why so suddenly? Your Excellency the Grand Duke always opposed me attending the Academy.”

“To be honest, I still think like that. Selphi, if you make a single mistake by being careless, our whole family could meet disaster.”

With a displeased expression, Theodore laid out his grievances.

“Before, you almost killed the Grand Duchess.”

“T-That was a mistake.”

“And once, you couldn’t control your emotions while arguing and bled at the entrance of the residence. This happened twice.”

“Th-That!”

Selphius was at a loss for words. He, who had been happy, suddenly lost his spirit and his shoulders drooped downwards.

“Since we’re sending him to the Academy, let’s send him on a good note… Selphi, the reason we’re letting you stay in the Capital isn’t to create a new prison for you to stay in.”

Locking Selphius up in the Capital residence was no different from the countryside.

“….But.”

Selphius slumped back into his chair.

“What’ll happen if I hurt someone like His Excellency the Grand Duke said?”

“Yeah? Then Selphi, are you going to live the rest of your life without other people? Do you want to go off to some distant island where no one’s around?”

Selphius shook his head as he stabbed the salad in front of him with a fork.

“Selphi, you didn’t hang around others in the countryside until now. That’s why you need to learn how to live among everybody else from now on.”

“…”

“Are you going to live alone for your entire life because you’re cursed?”

Theodore, who had gotten angry while dissenting about sending Selphi to the academy, had eventually given way because of this question.

Since, regardless, we need to live together.

“Furthermore, you’re the heir who will continue this household. That’s why you, more than anyone else, need to learn how to endure and be careful.

I lightly tapped Selphius’ shoulder, who looked listless.

“And in the rare case that an issue occurs and you bleed, it’s fine as long as they don’t consume it. Normal people don’t see blood and want to consume it.”

“…Really?”

“Instead, promise me to always carry a handkerchief and styptic medicine with you. Also promise that in the case you ever bleed from an injury, to immediately apply the styptic medicine and wrap it with the handkerchief before coming back.”

*TL/N: Styptic medicine is medicine that stops bleeding.

With a much brighter face, Selphius nodded his head passionately. Theodore, who was listening to the conversation with his arms crossed, massaged his forehead.

“You heard her, Selphi? Be thankful to the Grand Duchess. She’s the one who actively pushed for you to attend the academy.

Theodore’s gaze, which was aimed towards me, was hot rather than stinging.

“…I’ll really be careful. I’ll be good! I won’t run, and instead, walk very lightly!”

Ignoring Theodore’s hot gaze, I looked towards Selphius’ plate, which was still far from empty.

“Hurry and eat your breakfast for now.”

And don’t avoid the vegetables.

I put the vegetables that Selphius had pushed to the edges of his plate onto a fork. With pained sounds, Selphius began a staring contest with the vegetables.

“Did you decide which academy Selphi will be attending?”

“Noble families usually attend Delfanil Academy, so it’d probably be best to send him there.”

“So did you attend that academy as well?”

At my words, Theodore stopped what he was saying and closed his mouth. His face was filled with affliction.

“I didn’t attend an academy.”

“Huh? Then…”

Suddenly, I thought of the past abuse Sercia had told me about. She said she’d lived in a storage room with no light.

‘Oh yeah, Sercia said she was abused by her mother when she was young. Then did Theo too…?’

Seeing his face crumpling from recalling an unpleasant childhood memory, I quickly changed the subject.

“Oh yeah, I’m meeting the lawyer you introduced me to today.”

The conflicted expression on Theodore’s face disappeared. After a moment of silence, he stared at me before briefly repeating.

“That’s good.”

“So… I’m planning on going to the lawyer’s office today.”

“Going? Why?”

Selphius furrowed his eyebrows, as if he couldn’t understand at all.

“If you need something from them, just tell them to come. Why would Your Highness the Grand Duchess go personally?”

I would’ve never guessed that reply. …You high-ranked, powerful heir.

It was obvious he couldn’t understand. After all, others came to him his entire life, so he never had to move somewhere himself for work.

“I wanted to go out with you to the office, Selphi…”

At my words, Selphius’ eyes widened.

“With me?”

“Yup. I wanted to drop you off at the academy you’ll be attending so you could explore it beforehand. And I was planning on visiting once I finished my conversation with the lawyer.”

It almost seemed like there was a tail wagging behind Selphius’ back.

“Now that I think about it, sometimes it’s a good idea to visit people too. Check that the carriage’s wheels are in good condition while we’re at it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. And since it’s dangerous to go out alone, I’ll go with you.”

Him being so easy to read was cute to death.

“Then hurry and eat without leaving any leftovers.”

Once I pointed at the plentiful vegetables left on his plate with my eyes, Selphius’ lips resolutely protruded before lifting his fork.

“If it’s too much, you don’t need to take care of Selphi. I can take him to the academy…”

“You’re busy preparing for the festival. It’s a festival happening in the Capital hosted by the Imperial family, so there must be a lot you need to prepare for.”

Theodore didn’t reply. That silence was an answer in itself.

“It’s fine, I feel reassured if I go out with Selphi.”

Although we were a contract couple to an extent, I could do this much.

After I smiled widely, Theodore tightened his lips into a straight line, before handing a baguette to me.

“Why a baguette….?”

“Eat it.”

“But isn’t this your breakfast?”

“I don’t eat baguettes.”

Weren’t you happily eating a baguette earlier?

Pushing his own baguette and pudding to me, Theodore silently only ate salad.

* * *

“Your Highness the Grand Duchess, this is so difficult. I’m not sure what it means.”

As soon as we left the lawyer office, Rebecca grabbed her head, shaking it.

“To be honest, same.”

I get that I’m competent, but law terminology is just too difficult.

The part that I did understand was simple. There are three circumstances in which my step-mother and Reina can sue me for being ineligible for the inheritance.

The first was falsifying the will, the second was if I’d used the will as a means to blackmail someone, and the third was if I’d murdered my father.

Although  all three circumstances were not true, I had no way of telling what the others would sue me for, so it was better to be safe than sorry by preparing beforehand.

“Rebecca, please check on my family often. If something’s strange, tell me.”

“Yes, don’t worry. I’ll make sure to do that!”

Looking at Rebecca burning with passion, I awkwardly laughed.

Rebecca had said that after one amasses a big fortune, even if you were on good terms with your family, your relationship with them could go astray. To Rebecca, whose family’s wealth had declined rapidly, it seemed like she had experienced that before.

“Now we’re going to meet Young Master Selphius, right?”

“Yup.”

“Then, should we go see His Excellency the Grand Duke’s statue before we go to Young Master Selphius?”

“Statue?”

There was a statue of Theodore here?

Seeing my widened eyes, Rebecca looked at me with an incredulous expression.

“You didn’t know? Since this festival is celebrating His Excellency the Grand Duke and His Majesty the Emperor, two statues were built in the plaza!”

“I-I see.”

“Did His Excellency the Grand Duke not mention it?”

There’s no way we would talk to each other about something like that.

“M-Maybe I did hear about it…”

“His Excellency the Grand Duke will be sad! You’re still newlyweds!”

Slyly laughing at me, Rebecca pulled my arm.

“This way, Your Highness!”

I have to act like I am Grand Duchess Lapileon to others, so… I should go see it, shouldn’t I?

Following Rebecca, I walked towards the plaza. Luckily, it wasn’t far off from the lawyer’s office.

When I got there, there were floods of people in the plaza, and everyone was concentrated in one place.

“Everyone must have come to see His Excellency the Grand Duke’s statue since he’s such a cool person!”

To say that’s the reason, isn’t everyone’s reaction strange? And there are far too many people…

I can’t even see the erected statue.

Sensing the strange atmosphere, I made my way through the people. My footsteps stopped at the middle of the plaza, where the statue should have been standing.

“What is this…”

My face hardened to stone. Rebecca, who was following behind me with a smile, quickly changed to an expression of shock, before shouting.

“W-Who dares to do this to His Excellency the Grand Duke’s statue…?!”

Shattered pieces of Theodore’s statue littered the ground. It was wrecked to a point that you wouldn’t be able to make out who it was. It was obvious someone had destroyed it on purpose.

…Is this the work of the person who wrote the extra about me?

Staring at the fragments underneath my feet, I told Rebecca,

“Rebecca, call a worker right now and tell them to get rid of this mess.”

“Ah… I got it!”

“And call the guard as well.”

“Yes, yes!”

Rebecca was quick-witted. Without hesitating at my firm commands, she started running.

Those who had gathered to see the broken statue glanced at me and slowly started to leave.

Just you wait. If I catch you…

Shortly after, the guard that Rebecca had called came running.

“G-Greetings to Your Highness the Grand Duchess!”

“Since His Excellency the Grand Duke’s statue is broken, make sure nobody can come near here.”

Seeing Theodore’s broken statue on the ground, the guard was so surprised he choked.

“I-It definitely wasn’t like this when I was patrolling in the morning…!”

Then someone must’ve broken it later in the day.

‘In such a large plaza, a place where masses of people pass through, they were able to break the statue without anyone knowing?’

Feeling a strange sense of disharmony, I tilted my head.

Regardless of what the situation was, I had to dig further in what happened during that time frame.

“You must find and arrest the criminal who broke the statue of His Excellency the Grand Duke.”

“Yes!”

With a loud reply, the guard quickly set up a barricade so that no one would be able to enter the plaza.

After watching him do that, I returned to the carriage and headed off to the academy, where Selphius was waiting for me.

* * *

“Children often lose their sense of time and forget appointments when having fun.”

What am I doing here?

“If you wait a little bit longer, they’ll run out excitedly.”

“I heard they can start living in dorms starting from grade seven, right? Once they do, things might become more lax.”

“My daughter hates dorms, so I don’t think I’m going to send her to one.”

I definitely only came to pick Selphius up.

“I never thought that I would meet Grand Duchess Lapileon here. I heard rumors that the Young Lord had come to the capital… Will he be attending Delfanil Academy?”

“Oh my, then he and my child can become friends.”

“I heard you received an incredible inheritance, as expected!”

Why isn’t Selphius coming to the place we promised to meet at…

“Everyone, calm down.  Look at her, poor Grand Duchess Lapileon is trembling because she’s overwhelmed.”

“Oh, you’re right… As expected, Her Highness Princess Dahlia is so thoughtful.”

…and why is Princess Dahlia here instead?!

Surrounded by several noble wives, I saw Dahlia who was smiling more delicately than usual.

As soon as we made eye contact, Dahlia covered her mouth with a fan before kindly smiling.

“It seems you’re wondering why I’m here.”

“N-No, not particularly…”

“The young princess goes to this academy, and I promised to come pick her up today.”

Young princess… She must be talking about the Seventh Princess, who Theodore married in my previous life.

Ugh, I just had to get stuck between these wives waiting to pick up their young children…!

“There was something I’ve been wanting to give to you, Grand Duchess Lapileon, so things worked out.”

But I want to reject it though?

Although Dahlia’s voice was kind, her eyes were full of poison.

As if she had been waiting for this day, she gave me something for everyone to see.

“…This is?”

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“An invitation.”

“Pardon?”

Seeing that I wasn’t accepting it, Dahlia pushed it into my hand, smiling.

“I wanted to invite you to the Palace.”