Chapter Eight: Is There Something You Don’t Like?

 

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Reina’s face reddened from humiliation.

Right as a silence fell over the living room, my stepmother cleared her throat.

“Don’t paint me as the villain, Pershati. I didn’t come to fight with you.”

“If bringing up someone’s ex while they’re happily enjoying their honeymoon isn’t an attempt to start a fight, then what is it?”

“You got married so suddenly. It’s just regrettable we weren’t able to proceed with the proper formalities, since we were so surprised at the news of your marriage.”

“Formalities?”

“That’s right.”

“What are the formalities that you, Mother, should have proceeded with at my wedding?”

As I narrowed my eyes, my stepmother, seemingly embarrassed, fanned herself while avoiding my gaze.

“Ahem. Did you know that when a bride is married, she’s supposed to be given a dowry?”

“What? What, gold?”

“Since you’re being taken away from your family, they should express their sincerity for who raised you up until now. But what’s this?”

She clicked her tongue, her anger seeming to grow as she spoke.

“This is no different than being looked down on.”

“They’re looking down on me?”

My stepmother, thinking I was agreeing with her, put down her fan and gently took hold of my hand.

“I felt like you were being looked down on and it made me unhappy.”

“What makes me even unhappier is you holding my hand right now.”

I spoke in a displeased tone and withdrew my hand coldly. Even in such a tense atmosphere, like thin ice, my stepmother was insistent.

“Pershati, why don’t you understand where I’m coming from? You don’t know how lonely and empty the estate is now that I’ve lost my eldest daughter. I still visit your bedroom sometimes.”

“So to fill that emptiness, you came to receive a dowry?”

“That’s because it feels like the Lapileon family is looking down on you…”

“Are you doing business with me as an asset?”

I hit the bullseye. Both of their faces instantly paled.

“S-Sister! Why do you say it like that?”

“It seems like you don’t have enough money. Is your wealth in decline, Mother?”

“We were only thinking of you…!”

“That’s right! We were just worried you were being ignored!”

I became tired watching them conjure up excuses like rapid-fire. Letting them be for entertainment would end here.

“In my opinion, the ones looking down on me are you two.”

“What?”

“It seems like you don’t know who the Grand Duchess of the Empire is?”

Their shoulders flinched.

“You forget who you sit across from, your chins raised so high you don’t know they point to the sky. I’ll ask you once more. Who are the ones looking down on me?

At my question, their chins lowered.

That’s right. This is the reason I offered Grand Duke Lapileon a contract marriage.

Seeing them rendered speechless, I felt refreshed.

“Go back, Mother. This is the last time I will meet with and listen to you while staying polite.”

“Pershati! We’re your family! How could you do this?”

My stepmother raised her voice while speaking in an anguished voice. Reina, as if to show her sadness, took out her handkerchief and dabbed away her tears.

“Your sad act won’t work on me, so stop.”

“Pershati!”

“Would you like to return to your residence with dignity? Or would you like to be dragged out by the guards?”

My stepmother clenched both of her fists tightly. After her mask of pretending to be a kind and pitiful mother was taken away, all that was left was a face filled with loathing and contempt towards me.

“Sister, what about Sir Siph? He is just too pitiful. Can’t you at least let him take the Imperial knights’ evaluation exam? He’s still someone who was by your side when you were having a difficult time. Shouldn’t you do one last thing for him?”

“Reina.”

“I heard that the judge for the evaluation was His Royal Highness the Grand Duke! Then, Sister, can’t you request it? Hm?”

She’s still pushing for her lover.

She must think that if Siph becomes an Imperial knight, then something will change. But that can’t happen.

“Reina.”

“Yes, Sister.”

“Go and tell Siph.”

“Huh? What should I tell him? Just tell me!”

Reina’s face brightened instantly.

What an idiot. Did you think I would simply let myself be taken advantage of?

“Tell him to live quietly without making a fuss if he doesn’t want to lose the rest of what he has.”

At that, there was no more conversation.

“You’ll come to regret what happened today. Just you wait.”

“Let’s wait and see who regrets it more.”

“Do you think it’s over just because you received the inheritance?”

I scrunched up my face, as though I had drunk bitter medicine.

I had expected them to find another way to try for the inheritance, since they couldn’t get me to marry Siph. It was just as I thought.

“Why are you bringing up my inheritance?”

“You know that if you’re ineligible for succession, you need to cough up the full value of the inheritance, including what you’ve used, right?”

They must have really been trying to use their brains.

“Just you wait.”

They got up abruptly, seeming to know that I wouldn’t go along with anything else they said.

Without even a knock, the door suddenly burst open.

“‘Just you wait.’ What I heard just now… was that directed toward the Grand Duchess?”

Selphius, tilting his head arrogantly, walked over with a tap on my shoulder. At his sudden appearance, my stepmother and Reina bowed their heads with dumbfounded expressions.

“I never imagined that I would ever witness someone telling the Grand Duchess to ‘just wait and see’ in my lifetime.”

“Y-You must have misheard.”

“…You?”

Selphius’s face, which had just been smiling, hardened as fast as a plaster cast. Selphius, who had spent his entire life growing up as the arrogant Young Master of the Grand Duchy, could not be looked down on.

“You speak informally.”

Selphius growled coldly. His demeanor was completely different to when he spoke with me.

“You’re doing great, Selphi.”

I drank my tea calmly, as if a mere onlooker of the situation.

“I-I was not thinking…”

My stepmother eventually surrendered in a voice as small as a worm wiggling by.  Selphius walked to my side with his short legs and spoke flatly.

“You should not be apologizing to me, but to the Grand Duchess herself.”

Ahh, he received such impeccable training on family etiquette. I don’t even have to do anything.

“You’re not apologizing?”

Selphius’ domineering tone pressured an apology. They were in the Lapileon estate, and the two people in front of them were the Lapileon Young Master and the Lapileon Grand Duchess.

They lowered their heads slowly.

“I-I’m sorry, Your Royal Highness.”

“Saying such a thing to the Grand Duchess. You should be thankful. The sole reason you are being left alone is the Grand Duchess’ kindness.”

“…Yes.”

“Your Royal Highness, shall we send them on their way?”

Selphius continued his role solidly until the end. As soon as he indicated with his head that he was asking me, he waved his hand dismissively in a gesture which said ‘go away quickly’.

After the two of them had departed, Selphius and I left the drawing room feeling refreshed.

“By the way, your family is really something else.”

“Did you hear everything from the start?”

“Vaguely. I have pretty sharp ears. If they come again, please call for me. I’ll make it so that they can’t even show up.”

It felt like I had made a reliable ally. I smiled and nodded.

“Should I ask the kitchen to make a chiffon cake so we can share it?”

At my question, Selphius stopped walking. No matter how good his acting was, a child was still a child. His stateliness from earlier disappeared, and it looked like hearts were dripping from his eyes.

“Where is Theodore? Let’s call him and eat together.”

“His Royal Highness is away visiting the Imperial palace.”

“The palace? Why?”

“Some time ago, there was a celebration congratulating our victory in the war. As a result, there will soon be a festival celebrating the Crown Prince and the Grand Duke.”

“Ah…”

“His Majesty called for him, saying there were things to discuss before the festival.”

It was said that Theodore was a huge factor in winning the war because of the curse. If he wiped even a drop of his blood on his sword, those with even a slight scratch would all die.

“A victory festival…Theodore probably doesn’t even want one.”

All the rumors about him enjoying war, blood, and killing were all lies. At least, that was the way I saw it.

Because of the curse of his blood, he has no choice but to utilize it. Because his entire body was a weapon.

Next to me, Selphius furrowed his brow as if remembering something unpleasant. He spoke after fixing his expression.

“In the countryside where I was living, many children lost their parents to the war. So I don’t like war.”

“…”

“If the nation has become this powerful, then they should stop now. Why does the Emperor have such greed…”

“Selphi.”

I quickly stopped Selphius, who was about to say something against the Emperor, and glanced around.

There were guards on duty in the surroundings, as well as maids and servants working.

If news that a grievance was expressed about the Emperor in the Grand Duchy, there was a chance that rumors of treason would spread. It was best to be careful.

“I understand how you feel.”

With a bitter smile, I patted Selphius’ head. Although Selphius mumbled ‘stop it, why are you petting me?’ with a bright red face, he didn’t avoid my hand.

“Let’s eat cake together. Selphi.”

* * *

As soon as night fell, Theodore came back with a tired countenance. He approached with a dark expression and inquired after me.

“The butler informed me that your family visited.”

“They did.”

“Are you alright? There weren’t any issues?”

It seemed like Theodore asked me without much thought, but having someone genuinely worry about me was a new experience. It was a curious feeling.

After nodding reluctantly, I quickly changed the subject.

“I heard from Selphi — the capital is going to hold a celebratory festival for you soon?”

“It’s completely unnecessary.”

As I thought, he didn’t like it. Although it seemed that he hated it more than I expected.

“Do you not like war? Or do you not like attention?”

“I don’t like either.”

Seeing how he answered without even the slightest bit of hesitation, it looked like he really meant it.

According to the rumors, Theodore was a “bloodthirsty warrior” who enjoyed war, blood, and killing, but…

There wasn’t a single thing true about the rumors.

“Do you happen to know anything about the rumors about you?

“What are they like?”

“They say you love war, blood, and killing. I heard that you were a barbarian who didn’t even pay attention to your only heir after sending him off to a remote residence.”

And I also heard he didn’t complete his first wedding night, but let’s not tell him that.

Even at my straightforward words, Theodore’s expression was unchanging. He was calm as if listening to a story about someone else.

“Then, did you believe them?”

“Why don’t you correct the rumors?”

“What?”

“It’s like someone is deliberately speaking ill of you. If life was based on rumor alone, you would be the worst person in the world.”

That’s right. Unless someone was purposely spreading rumors, they shouldn’t have been this harsh.

“I don’t care about the gaze of the world, so it doesn’t bother me.”

“Even if you’re being cursed at like a devil?”

“That’s right. And frankly, they aren’t wrong.”

Theodore’s lips curled into a self-mocking smile. With his gaze lowered and a stony, expressionless face, Theodore mumbled quietly:

“How could there be anyone worse than a man whose body possesses lethal poison?”

I scowled at Theodore’s self-loathing. I even had the sneaking suspicion that maybe the horrible rumors came from Theodore himself.

I didn’t bring it up to create such a heavy atmosphere!

In an effort to lighten the mood, I raised the pitch of my voice playfully.

“I think you might have to care now.”

“Why is that?”

“You’re married to me now. Since you’ve become my reliable support, if you get caught up in weird rumors, then I’ll be in a bad situation too.”

Theodore didn’t have an answer. No, more accurately, I don’t think he knew how to respond.

“Ah, right. I heard you went to the Imperial palace. Did you meet Princess Dahlia?”

As soon as I finished my question, a murderous look crossed Theodore’s face.

My goodness, what’s the matter?

His expression was so cold it felt like he really could kill someone.

“That princess…”

“…”

“She’s definitely insane.”

“What? Did something happen?”

My concern rose unintentionally because he spit out his words so angrily it seemed he had been holding them back behind his serious face.

Did she do something weird again?

My uneasy worry became a reality.

“She wrote a pledge in her own blood.”

“…What?”

Did I hear wrong? What? She wrote what?

My mouth hung open out of shock.

She really is one of those ultra-rare crazy bitches.

“J-Just what did she write?”

“That part is a bit weird.”

“What?”

“She did write something, but it was in a language no one could recognize.”

Theodore scowled as he remembered what had happened.

“It looked like an ancient script. On top of that, they said she wrote secretly every night.”

“She wrote a pledge in her own blood every night?”

Goosebumps formed all along my arms. Something definitely went wrong while she was recovering.

Because of her disease, Dahlia did not receive proper education. She never went to an academy. Due to her difficulty with outsiders, she didn’t even have a common tutor.

And yet she wrote a blood pledge in an ancient text?

There were many strange details. But the shocking news didn’t end there.

“When she burned the blood pledge, she said she needed to burn it with my hair and approached me with a knife.”

At Theodore’s words, I stood up abruptly.

“W-Were you hurt?”

“You think I wouldn’t be able to block that? She approached me from behind, so I just pushed her away. His Majesty couldn’t even say anything.”

She’s even crazier than I had thought.

I remembered Dahlia’s murderous gaze boring into me from the day I left the temple.

I should definitely avoid her.

“Enough. Let’s stop talking about that. I don’t even want to think about it again. More importantly, here.”

Theodore shuddered, then took something out and handed it to me.

“I almost forgot.”

“What is this?”

“Tomorrow’s article… No, to state it more accurately, the newspaper that was almost released tomorrow. It won’t be released anymore, though.”

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“What?”

I unfolded the newspaper Theodore handed me.

At the very top was news about Princess Dahlia. My eye was immediately drawn to the article written just below it.

[Grand Duchess ‘Pershati Lapileon’! Abandoned a Commoner and Reached for Power!]