《Please Be A Traitor》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 I¡¯m the fianc¨¦e of a prospective traitor I think my fianc¨¦ will be executed in eight years. For treason. It doesn¡¯t mean that he will lose his job or his position, but he will be beheaded, literally. And I¡¯m still not sure if I¡¯m going to share the same fate or not. She thought while recalling the lines that she had read in a novel in her previous life. ¡°Ha¡­.¡± She could not even remember how many times she had sighed. ¡®What does this mean? Have I reincarnated as the fianc¨¦e of a traitor?¡¯ Her fianc¨¦ was not politically appointed regardless of his intention. She loved him so much that she even went on a hunger strike for getting engaged. After getting engaged last month, she was very happy. It was until this morning. She did not know that her fianc¨¦, Karpel, would grow up to be a traitor and would have a miserable ending at the hands of the Crown Prince. The only child of the former Emperor, Karpel. He was an unfortunate prince who survived the sight of his uncle, the current Emperor, killing his father. Everyone knew that all he wanted was the death of the Emperor. Everyone thought that one day Karpel would pull up a sword at the Emperor. Perhaps, the Emperor thought so too. There was only her, who thought if she filled Karpel¡¯s heart with love, he would abandon his ill will and remain by her side as the Duke of Krenberia. Because she believed that he loved her too. ¡®What. The. Hell.¡¯ ¡®A love spell can never change him when his father was murdered in front of his eyes.¡¯ She recalled the lines as much as she could. But she caught something more ridiculous. She remembered her past life. ¡®A delusion? No way.¡¯ Those memories that were living and breathing so vividly in her mind were by no means a delusion. To her, life was now like a walking dream. But looking at herself in the mirror right now, it could not have been a dream of a pretty girl. She looked the same, be it yesterday or last year. Yes, if she was dead, she could be reincarnated. ¡®I understand that, but why do I suddenly remember my past life?¡¯ She could not decipher it no matter how much she thought about it. Why did she have to remember now? She was not reincarnated in a new world, but she was reincarnated in a novel that she read in her previous life. The only daughter of the Duke of Krenberia, Nyla Krenberia. The marriage partner of the soon-to-be traitor, Karpel Ivelox. She was born as Nyla and had lived happily as an ordinary aristocrat until now. Of course, it was not without any misfortunes. Her mother closed her eyes because of her illness before she could even witness Nyla turning two. So, the only person who was left to her was her father, who raised her dearly. He was not just a Duke, but the noblest man in the empire, except the former Emperor. As she was treated preciously, she lived peacefully all her life. She never felt sad. It was true that she was the happiest person alive. For example, if she did not like the side dishes in a meal¡­..she could flip over her plate and throw her fork. ¡®Ah, why did I do that?¡¯ It was mandatory for her to listen to a story before she went to bed. ¡®Why didn¡¯t anyone stop me?¡¯ ¡®No, I know.¡¯ ¡®No one could scold me. But why?¡¯ When she used to complain about her food, her father always sided with her and said, ¡°The cook is the one who made it taste bad.¡± No matter at what age a daughter lost her mother, it was always a bit harsh. The nickname ¡®Ina¡¯ for her current name, Nyla, was three million times as embarrassing as it was for her previous life. ¡®This is crazy.¡¯ Was God so mean that she was reminded of her past life? Or this might be his ¡®curse¡¯ to her because He was embarrassed for her death in her previous life! At least in her previous life, she was a rational person who used to be proud of whatever work she did herself. She knew how food was precious when she was poor and when she had to live alone. She even used to fall sick from overworking herself. She was not thirteen years old. It was not her birthday or any other important day, and it had nothing to do with the date of her death in her previous life. The memory just came into her mind when she was enjoying tea time in the garden with her cute peers! ¡®What the hell? What did I remember now? If I had to remember, I should have remembered it from the moment I was born.¡¯ If God had made her remember before, she could have avoided the mines. But now, she was engaged to a potential traitor! Or, He could have just let her die happily without any regrets of making the wrong choice. Why did He have to strike her like this? The whole nation knew that her fianc¨¦ was bound to commit treason. If the current Emperor was the enemy of her father, why was she risking her life? Did God think that she would not understand because she was a thirteen-year-old child? She did not even use to care about her surroundings when she was blinded by love. ¡®Love, love! What¡¯s that?¡¯ She might have really loved Karpel. Maybe she wanted to cage a baby eagle, who had the blood of the Imperial Family, that fell from the nest by making him hers? That is why she treated Karpel with love and care. She believed he loved her, but he did not even want to make eye contact with her. The Duke of Krenberia accepted him, who had been abandoned and alone in the Imperial Palace. But he could not love anyone. The situation was so depressing that he could not express himself, and his cold attitude was probably not his true nature. A bang was heard in the next door. ¡°¡­..Ugh¡± Followed by a sore voice. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Karpel hated spending time with people. However, she still dragged him around. He denied every time she asked him to escort her. Thinking that he wasn¡¯t being honest, she just told him to follow her. The reason why Karpel hated being in crowded places was that he wanted to avoid the toxic glances of the people who usually thought he was the enemy of the Emperor. The nobles were afraid to be entangled with him, who was hated by the Emperor. Moreover, it was very dangerous for Karpel himself to go to such a place. Inaila didn¡¯t know until now that he was also threatened with his life. At the New Year¡¯s banquet that was held earlier this year, she had seen Karpel fleeing to the garden to avoid people, and then killing the assassin. ¡®He¡¯s insane.¡¯ It was the first time she saw a person die. It was not in a drama, but a person getting stabbed to death right in front of his eyes. The murderer was the 16-year-old Karpel. The droplets of blood that had been splattered over those beautiful moonlit blue flowers. The golden eyes of Karpel staring coldly down at the assassin in the dark. Inaila¡¯s hands became soaked in cold sweat. She crouched down, closing her eyes. Her body, trembling with fear. She was the one who forced him to attend the event along with her. Such a huge nuisance. If she hadn¡¯t forced him, he wouldn¡¯t have killed someone whose aim was to kill Karpel himself. But she didn¡¯t even have the guts to apologize to him. She had been dragging him around with her ever since they were engaged. In fact, Karpel was very strong. She was just so offended that there was someone who tried to kill her fianc¨¦. It was only natural that her fianc¨¦ was strong enough to kill off an assassin like a fly. However, that was not normal. She thought if Karpel could marry her as soon as possible, he would be able to avoid such dangerous situations like that. I¡¯m Inaila Krenberia. The Duke of Krenberia is my father. So, if Karpel becomes the successor of Krenberia, the Emperor will not be able to hurt him. And finally, she had an engagement ceremony last month. She still vividly remembered Karpel¡¯s face, which had been stiff throughout the event. He didn¡¯t even make eye contact with her. ¡®Why was I so stupid all this time?¡¯ How horrible would Karpel feel when a stupid little girl from a family who was like an enemy to him insisted to be engaged with him? ¡®If I was Karpel, I would have killed such a thoughtless girl and buried her deep under the ground.¡¯ In fact, Karpel¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t seem to be that caring whenever she was around. ¡®Maybe he thinks about burying me 10 times a day?¡¯ Above all, the fianc¨¦ of Karpel Ivelox did not even appear in the main part of the novel. She had been reincarnated as a side character in a novel. She soon realized that she was ignorant about her future until now. ¡°SIGH¡± ¡ªKnock Knock She heard a knock again after she sighed heavily. ¡°Eeek!¡± She gasped in surprise. Holding the quilt, she turned her head towards the door. ¡°Hey.¡± She heard a familiar voice. It was Karpel. She jumped up reflexively. Her eyes wandering around the room, looking for a place to hide into. ¡®Today is going to be my funeral! I shouldn¡¯t have thought about him that way!¡¯ Not being able to find a place to hide, she thought about pretending to be asleep for a while. But then, she immediately revoked it. ¡®I¡¯d be more vulnerable if I pretend to sleep!¡¯ ¡®No!¡¯ So, she concluded that it would be better to scream if ever she felt threatened by him. Gulping down her dry saliva, she trimmed her clothes and brushed her hair. She carefully opened the door to find Karpel standing there. ¡®Karpel¡­..¡¯ She was scared. Her mind went blank as soon as she faced him. It was just Karpel. The Karpel, whom she was so desperate to be engaged to. She was so stubborn. Karpel was in his casual attire with a long robe over his pajamas. He was the perfect example of an Italian model in a fashion magazine. His posture was even more elegant. She looked up to face him. A half-shaded handsome face in the dark hallway looked down at her. Her heart pounded the moment she encountered those golden eyes of his. Karpel was so tall that she thought he was the one who might have grown up, considering that she still seemed short. The boy was probably going to be transformed into a young adult soon, given the impression that he was getting sharper day by day. Even now, he seemed to have enough masculine charm. The golden eyes were still staring at the stature of the girl coldly. But to her, it seemed as though there was probably a caring heart behind that sharp attitude of his. But she hated it. She just didn¡¯t want to believe. Her heart ached. It was when she was 10 years old that she started to bug him. There were a lot of things to consider when this boy suddenly changed his attitude. It might have been then. Either when her grandfather helped the present Emperor to kill his father, or when he was locked up in the Krenberian prison, which broke his wings. She liked Karpel back then too. She was young, but she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Karpel began to distance himself from her while she insisted on being with him. Since she was stubborn, she even begged him for affection. She thought Karpel couldn¡¯t have hated her. She believed that he would come to love her family even though her grandfather was his enemy. If she did well from now on, wouldn¡¯t she be able to win his heart? Karpel was still a 16-year-old child. If one could tame him well, he¡­.. Sixteen. The word woke her up. ¡®Ina, are you crazy?¡¯ Karpel was still a boy. Just a child! Age was also a crazy idea. She grabbed her brush tightly. Thinking rationally, she realized that he had no choice but to hate her. Even though she remembered her past life, her heart could not keep up with the truth. But she also couldn¡¯t behave like she used to. All she could understand now was that his way of thinking was scary and unfamiliar to her. Aiming for taking away the life of a person. There could also be a possibility of her being killed if he ever came to know that she was the granddaughter of his enemy. The feeling that her Karpel could not do that and the fact that he was already a murderer at such an early age was quite complicated to her. His cold golden eyes caused her to wail inwardly. Was it not true that it was a very frank and blatant glance? Simply put, he didn¡¯t like her. A heart that is so full of hatred. How could she have thought that he was being disingenuous? She was now sure that his eyes might have emanated the same coldness towards the assassin before he killed him. She was wondering how he has the ability to kill someone so swiftly. After watching him like that, she had run towards her room. She believed that he would not kill her since she was the princess of Krenberia. The attitude she had shown tens of thousands of times towards him flowed to her like a thunderbolt. He was really brave to be ignorant towards her, who was already annoying to him. Scary. He was really scary. No matter how much she loved him, he was a young wounded beast driven to the edge of a cliff. A predator, who is old enough to bear fangs and claws. Maybe he thinks that killing her right now would do him no harm? There was a dead end scarier than each last way she tried to progress in. She did not want to remember how she had been pretending to be pretty and a bother in front of him. ¡®Why are you here? Isn¡¯t this the first time you¡¯ve come to see me at this hour? Did the bear get so annoyed when I was thinking about him in the middle of the night that he wanted to beat me up? I could easily defend myself in my previous life, but now I¡¯m just a 13-year-old weak girl.¡¯ She thought she was getting older at her convenience, but it was her memory. Anyway, she was only 13 now. It was not courteous to visit like this at night, even if they were engaged. Even under the Imperial Law, minors were strictly forbidden to act like this. If he did something disrespectful, he would be imprisoned for another 7 years! She shuddered as he looked up at his cold eyes and swallowed a dry lump, unable to say anything. Karpel narrowed his eyelids. ¡°What else do you need?¡± The moment his words fell, there was a slight flicker in his eyes. He only showed contempt to a foolish woman who only knew to gratify her greed by sleeping in a tranquil home. She was stunned. It seemed unfair. She was not stupid. She really worked hard in her previous life. But Inaila was dumb and stupid. Still, it was unfair. Getting not a single response from her, Karpel reached out to her. But, she stepped back instantly. He gently raised his hand and grabbed the doorknob that she was holding. She was afraid that he would push in, but he grabbed the doorknob and closed the door. He replied in a low threatening voice before closing the door. ¡°Stop being so annoying and go to sleep.¡± Thud. The door is closed. Her feet were stuck to one place for a long time. It took her a little while to realize what he had just said. And, it took another few minutes to understand the meaning of his words. Karpel¡¯s room was right next to hers. The sound of her thoughts must have been annoying. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 [Shabel, White Snowflake] That was the worst novel that she had ever read. She got angry each time she turned a page. The female lead, Shabel, always acted innocent even though she wasn¡¯t. But the male lead knew that she was wise. After she was bullied by a wicked woman, she was found crying in the Imperial garden. The Prince, the male lead who was very righteous and kind, soothed her. Shabel said that she didn¡¯t want to be bullied by other princesses and wanted to be the Crown Princess. In response to her request, the Crown Prince agreed. ¡®Urgh! Why did he accept her? I need to know!¡¯ But, what if Inaila was much wiser than Shabel? Shabel, who gained power by seducing the Crown Prince, caused the groundless slander of those women who wanted to look good in front of the Prince. It was even rumored among the women that she managed her beauty by draining out the blood of young children. The Crown Prince, who always had complimented her beauty, used to send her treats. However, Shabel was thirteen and the Crown Prince was twenty-one. Was he out of his mind? Since Inaila reincarnated, it took her 13 years to remember all her memories from her previous life. She remembered reading the novel to its end as she was curious about how the story would end. Eventually, the villain died, and the main characters ended up living happily. It¡¯s so pointless. What¡¯s really fortunate was that the Crown Prince only supported Shabel until she became an adult. Now, that novel became the world in which she was born as its character. She had wondered if the glimpses of her previous life were an illusion, or if only the factors in this world coincidentally matched with those in the novel she read. It would¡¯ve been better if it were an illusion, but the background was 100% identical. The male lead of the novel was the Crown Prince, Radiov. The relationship between the family of Krenberia and the Imperial family was still the same as Karpel. The novel wasn¡¯t going on the way she thought it would. Besides that, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from reading it. Karpel was bound by revenge all his life and he eventually died without gaining anything. But the main characters had a happy ending. That alone was what annoyed her. However, the incident that happened on New Year¡¯s Day was not the cause of his treason. Even before Karpel committed treason, there was another incident that occurred on this land. It sounded like a sweet romantic novel of Shabel from the title alone, but it was never like that. It was understandable to introduce events such as the invasion of different tribes and drought to highlight the male protagonist. However, a series of incidents occurred such as the destruction of the territory, the trust of the Holy Spirit, and the invasion by a tribe, which honestly had nothing to do with the main characters. The Crown Prince solved everything easily except for the cases that had no business with him. But it was after the death of many people. And among them was the land on where she was living now, Krenberia. By the time Karpel committed treason, Krenberia¡¯s territory was absorbed by the Imperial family, and her family was ruined to the point where the name of her family was completely forgotten. She didn¡¯t really know what happened to Inaila Krenberia. The character didn¡¯t even appear in the novel in the first place. Maybe if she kept pushing Karpel, it would really result in the destruction of her family. ¡®I can¡¯t let that happen, at any cost.¡¯ Well, she would have to think of a better way. Since she had read the ways on how the male lead solved the cases, she knew it all by heart. She still remembered all of the schemes of the main characters vividly. Crown Prince Radiov may have been destined to be the main character of the novel. But the main character in this life was only her. And it would be her choice that would shape her story. While thinking about ways to solve this and that, she thought it would be easier for her to solve the problems if Karpel¡¯s cooperation was present. ¡®But will he really help me when he hates me so much?¡¯ It seemed as though he¡¯d accept the deal if she offered the terms that he wanted. As she was thinking about it, it was already early in the morning. When her maid came in to wake her up, her face was boiling hot. ¡®I¡¯ve been using my brain too much for 13 years¡­..¡¯ She heard the maid calling her father, the Duke, and the mansion fell again into a state of ruckus. She was a golden treasure in the eyes of the Duke of Krenberia. Her father immediately ran to her room, keeping his work aside. He was acting as if she was dead. ¡°Oh, my beautiful bell. My little darling¡­..¡± Her limbs crouched at his words, which kept ringing in her mind. Tightly holding her hand, he slowly unfolded her fingers before locking his hand with hers. ¡°If you¡¯re in pain, hold your papa¡¯s hand, Ina. Or your little nails would hurt you.¡± ¡®Stop it¡­.papa¡­.¡¯ She had always heard him talk to her like that, but now, she was embarrassed. It wasn¡¯t just because she was sick but because of his mentality. Her father, who was now holding her hand, was not much older than how she was aged in her previous life. However, she had a lot of beautiful memories of being loved and acting cute. It was a beautiful memory of a little girl who ate her father¡¯s brain and even got everything she had wanted. ¡®¡­..I think I¡¯m gonna lose it.¡¯ When she frowned as she felt her hair becoming sticky, her father¡¯s face became tearful. ¡°My sweet darling, are you in pain? I called the physician. Hang in there, darling.¡± ¡®He seems so worried about me.¡¯ Although her father¡¯s overprotective nature was embarrassing, she felt very sorry for falling sick and hurting his feelings. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, papa. My heart aches when I see papa in tears.¡± He looked up at her and it seemed like he was glaring at her. ¡®What? What is it?¡¯ Looking at her father in a daze, she noticed a thick stream of water flowing down from his eyes as if a faucet had been turned on. She was so surprised that she almost jumped out of her bed. ¡°P-Papa?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your papa! My darling! It¡¯s papa¡¯s fault, it¡¯s your papa¡¯s fault!¡± Suddenly, he enveloped her into a hug. ¡°N-No. Papa, how can it be¡­¡­¡± ¡°Again! It¡¯s your papa again! You must be angry, my bell! My sweet darling!¡± ¡®He must have lost his mind.¡¯ She knew her father treated her specially, but what she didn¡¯t know was that it would be this bad. She couldn¡¯t believe he cried because of his 13-year-old daughter. Even if so, she couldn¡¯t leave him as he meant the world to her. She reached out her small hand and started patting him on his back. ¡°P-Papa, it¡¯s just a fever. Please calm down.¡± He eyed her suspiciously. Thinking of anything else that possibly might have gone wrong, she realized she had never talked with him this calmly. She was 13, but she always talked and acted like she was only 3 in front of her father. Until yesterday, she was acting as if nothing had happened, but she couldn¡¯t do it now even when she tried to. The problem was that the memories of her previous life came to her mind yesterday, which never happened ever since she was born. Those memories, which she thought weren¡¯t hers, didn¡¯t become clear until yesterday. But she didn¡¯t want to make him feel suspicious just because she was awkward. ¡®Okay¡­get a hold of yourself.¡¯ ¡°Please don¡¯t cry, papa. Please stop for me, okay?¡± He was crying. But saying that he was screaming to his heart content would be exaggerating. Only then did he stop crying. It was so shameful for her to think about how she could make him act like this. ¡°Are you sure, my darling?¡± Tears welled up in his blue eyes as she hesitated. ¡°Uh! Papa, stop it!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. This is what my darling says.¡± ¡®Ah¡­..Shall I quit showing filial piety?¡¯ ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 4 Chapter 4 As soon as the old priest arrived, her father sweet-talked him to treat her nicely for a moment. She was so stressed out by the scuffle in front of her that her condition seemed to have worsened. The priest also had no power to deny her father, who was among the highest nobles of the Empire. ¡°Then let¡¯s take a look at the princess¡¯ condition.¡± He managed to clear up the mess so that he could move on to cure her. She sighed and glanced up at her father. With his mouth shut and arms folded, his blue eyes glared at the priest as if he was still unreliable. Her father looked like a perfect statue when he was standing that way. The moment he shifted his gaze towards her, she closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. The priest glanced up at her father, surprised. Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t mistaken. Her father gritted his teeth as he saw the priest put his hand on her forehead. Then she felt a cooling sensation from his palm, just like from the windshield of a Mercedes Benz. The cool sensation hovered in front of her forehead. It might be sacred. So, this was a world where magic existed. Things that couldn¡¯t be comprehended by her past life¡¯s values had come to tend her. She could feel energy being absorbed into her body. It was a refreshing feeling one would experience if they drank pure natural water drawn from a hundred meters below the earth¡¯s surface. Eventually, her temperature and throbbing pain reduced. The priest, who had just finished his treatment, looked at her curiously. ¡°The princess is¡­..¡± ¡°Is there something wrong with Ina?¡± Her father approached them. Somehow, she felt stabbed. It was difficult to erase the memory of her previous life, which stated that Ina was possessed by evil spirits. ¡®What should I do? I should have written it down!¡¯ She gazed up at the priest nervously. He shook his head at her father and said, ¡°I think she was mentally shocked for some reason. Since she doesn¡¯t have the ability to cope with it, I ask her to take a good rest for the rest of the day.¡± ¡°A mental shock?¡± Her father¡¯s gaze turned sharp at her. Unable to interpret his eyes, she stared at him nervously. ¡°My darling, you should have informed me about the child who is responsible for making you feel miserable at tea time. I will not allow her to attend the Imperial Banquet, so you need not worry.¡± ¡°Oh¡­what do you mean, papa? Who do you mean?¡± ¡°The child who has been rude to you will never be invited to the palace, so be at ease, my darling.¡± It seemed as if her father was always naive to his own daughter¡¯s dreadful table manners. However, she felt as though what he said just now wasn¡¯t a compliment for her. At the thought, her hands began to tremble. She was the example of a top beauty in the Empire. She was unlike any other Korean idols and actors, whom teenage girls used to fancy. Usually, the servants had to please her every time and were excluded from the society if they disobeyed her. A 13-year-old child who ruled her palace with the support of her father. Even if it was just children hanging out, her father rewarded the ones who were in her favor and penalized those who went against her. During the tea time yesterday, she dismissed the children when she recalled about her previous life and became absent-minded. She couldn¡¯t believe her father held them responsible. ¡°W-Wa-Wait, papa. You don¡¯t have to do that! It was my own choice¡­..!¡± ¡°No, my darling. They dared to make you sick. I will not allow them to reach the capital. So don¡¯t be sad anymore, dear.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not true, father¡­.¡± Noticing his blue eyes turn greasy, she hurriedly changed her words. ¡°Papa, I¡¯m really fine. Please don¡¯t banish them from the invitation. For me, papa?¡± ¡°I see. My little strawberry¡¯s heart is so beautiful.¡± As she watched her father smiling, Ina laughed awkwardly. The priest standing next to them was surprised. Even though he knew that the Duke was obsessed with his own daughter, it seemed quite shocking to see it in person. ¡®But, what would he have done to forbid the children from attending the palace banquet?¡¯ Gazing at her father, it seemed to her that he was like a fanatic who firmly believed his daughter. ¡®In that case, I¡¯ll have to grow up to be a better person.¡¯ *** The mansion had been as silent as a haunted house for the last few days. It was because of Ina, the decent girl. She pretended to be gentle in front of her father and Karpel, hiding all her temper. Whenever Karpel didn¡¯t respond to her, she used to command the maids to change her clothes and put makeup on her, and if it didn¡¯t satisfy her, she would request for new maids. But now, it was like her routine had changed. She sat in her room, scribbling on a paper. As still as a bomb that was yet to explode. Was there any need for everyone to hold their breath as if they were walking on a minefield? ¡®But the other day¡­..¡¯ She once saw a servant looking into her books quietly. It gave her goosebumps. ¡®I have to be careful. Breathe, Ina, breathe.¡¯ She wrote down the plot and the events of the novel chronologically. It might cause someone to be suspicious about her sudden change in behavior of her opening books every morning. But taking notes on each case was a necessity. She still remembered the incidents that were mentioned in the novel, . Not only the incident, but also the background of the place, culture, and everything else came to her mind. Though there were some things that were in the novel and things that she had learned in her life, she was pretty confused when she read it. But now that it made sense with the reality here, she noted down everything she knew. She then realized. ¡®It¡¯s the writer¡¯s fault.¡¯ ¡®Does he think it¡¯s a good thing to make the reader frustrated?¡¯ Two years from now, the Krenberian territory would be invaded by a heterogeneous tribe. She noted it down and sighed. ¡°What are you doing, my little strawberry?¡± ¡°Fa¡ª papa.¡± At first, his face was getting serious but as soon as she called him ¡®papa¡¯, it returned to its normal color. ¡®This is getting more difficult than I thought.¡¯ ¡°Are you still not feeling well, dear?¡± ¡°No, papa. Don¡¯t you have to go to the palace today?¡± Now was usually time for him to attend to the necessities in the palace. ¡°My darling, I heard you canceled your tea time again. So, I came here because I was worried about your health.¡± Unable to say anything, she blankly stared at his worried face. It must have been Miss Mo who informed him. ¡°Ha, that¡¯s because I have something else to do, papa.¡± ¡°Yes, you do look busy. What is this?¡± Among the things she wrote down, there were not only future events but also graffitis. She even made sure to write it in Korean so that nobody would be able to read it. Watching her father picking up one of her graffitis, she rushed to retrieve it. ¡°I-It¡¯s a design of embroidery. It¡¯s a failed one!¡± She couldn¡¯t bear her anguish and frustration. As she hurried to hide her notes, her father gazed at her with astonished eyes and smiled brightly. ¡°My dear, I¡¯m surprised you had this talent.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 5 Chapter 5 ¡°¡­..Huh?¡± She lost her words upon getting a surprising remark from her father. ¡®My talent?¡¯ She was stuttering, unable to say anything while her father stroked her head. ¡°Be at ease while playing, sweetheart. Papa has to go to the palace. I¡¯ll have to find a way to save your talent.¡± ¡°N-No! You don¡¯t have to¡­..!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dear. It was foolish of your papa to not have known of this beautiful talent of yours.¡± Saying so, he smiled and left her. She didn¡¯t know what he was trying to do, but the worst case would be a handkerchief embroidered with a graffiti of hers, sold under her name. ¡°¡­..¡± She would hate it, but it¡¯d all be useless if they all die. In fact, even if the problems were large in scale, she wanted to find a clue to solve them. But the biggest problem was the treason that Karpel would lead to. The way the Crown Prince had declared Karpel¡¯s rebellion in the novel was with simple, but cruel words. Killed. Lack of filial piety, the death penalty, and the beheading. ¡°No, not happening.¡± She shuddered. In her previous life, these words were out of touch with her reality, but it was creepy to think that the kid, who would be wronged in a few years, used the room next to hers. She was trying to follow the male lead¡¯s way of solving the problem, but she couldn¡¯t. She had to find another way. ¡®How could he do such a terrible thing when we were all trying to live peacefully?¡¯ She rummaged through the notes and took out the things related to Karpel. It was arranged chronologically. On top of the note, it read ¡°Preparation of Karpel¡¯s treason¡±. At this moment, it was the 256th year of the Ivelox Empire. But 10 years before the treason, Karpel already had a duel with the Crown Prince, which wasn¡¯t included in the novel. ¡®Huh.¡¯ If he was to commit treason at the age of 24, then 10 years ago, when he was 14, he was completely ready. It was 2 years ago since he was 16 now. ¡®Why the hell did he wait for 10 years?¡¯ Or maybe he was just exaggerating like a villain. But 12 years ago, the duel actually lasted for 10 minutes. ¡®Then why did the author not care to mention it in the first place? Was he crazy?¡¯ But if she blamed the lines of the novel to find the probabilities, it would be like she had never tried to do anything in the first place. ¡®But why couldn¡¯t he take over the throne?¡¯ There must have been some reason. The reason why he had to wait 10 years for it. ¡®Was the author waiting for Karpel to become an adult?¡¯ However, it would be better to catch him off guard because he was minor. ¡®¡­..What a jerk. I want to see this author¡¯s face.¡¯ As soon as she turned the page over, the notes were focused on the time when Karpel was thinking in a villainous manner. 5 years from now, 263rd year under the Imperial family. She read it to its bottom and found out what was going on in the Krenberian family. ¨C Disappearance of the Duke of Krenberia The withdrawal of the Duke meant that neither her father nor she could be honored. ¡®How did this happen to us¡­..¡¯ It was most likely that they died. It was only 5 years from now when she would turn 18. Would she die before becoming an adult in this life? Goosebumps rose on her hand as she stared at the notes. The complete disappearance of the Duke and the rebel movement led by Karpel occurred in the same year. Karpel took over the Krenberian castle by force and used it as a base for rebels before the Krenberian territory was handed over to the Imperial family. The existence of her family seemed to affect Karpel¡¯s military presence. ¡®Am I a life-threatening obstacle for Karpel? So is this how Krenberia is going to get faded from our history?¡¯ The novel was based on the story of Shabel and the Crown Prince, so there was no need for the author to mention those parts that didn¡¯t really affect the two of them. She wondered why Karpel took over Krenberia first. There were so many things. It might be that the rebels had to cross Krenberia to get to the palace from where they were now. Or, they wanted to gather as many knights as possible. So, they needed the means to cover up. ¡®Is he engaged with me just because he wants Krenberia?¡¯ But as she thought about it, she recalled Karpel avoiding her eyes at the engagement. If he hated me so much, he could have refused it right away. But he never said anything, until her father, who was worried about his daughter starving herself, finally allowed her to be engaged to him. Maybe he had to bury his fianc¨¦e in the backyard to easily take over Krenberia. If he did that to her and her father, her aunt might¡¯ve also been killed since she was also present at that time. Her aunt couldn¡¯t succeed her father or herself because she was married into the royal family. But if anything happened to them, Krenberia¡¯s heir would not be her uncouth fianc¨¦e, but her aunt. She shook her head. If Karpel needed the power of Krenberia, there was bound to be another way. The Duke of Krenberia was obsessed with his daughter. And not too long ago, she got engaged with Karpel. So, it would have been an easier way for Karpel to coax her father¡¯s cooperation by pretending to like her. But if it wasn¡¯t for her father scolding her, she would have given the key to the safe to Karpel without his knowledge. Not long ago, she was blinded by love. Now, of course, he wouldn¡¯t want to help Karpel. If Karpel had something that needed her help, he wouldn¡¯t have to turn over the whole family. ¡®Of course, he just wants to avenge his father by killing the current Emperor, right?¡¯ She had been reborn, and this was a new beginning. Wouldn¡¯t it be the same if the dead Emperor was reincarnated into a satisfying environment? Or he could fall into heaven or hell, there was no way for her to be able to confirm it though. ¡®I¡¯ll have to convince Karpel and tell him I¡¯ll help him with everything I can.¡¯ But Karpel¡¯s hateful eyes floated in front of her. ¡®But I¡¯m scared too.¡¯ She placed her face over the paper notes. ¡®How can I avoid his scary eyes?¡¯ First of all, she would have to get close to him. If he was anything like her father, it would have been so easy to make him say, ¡°Wow, Ina, you¡¯re so good.¡± But, the chances of her being killed by Karpel would increase if she ever acted cute in front of him. ¡®But hasn¡¯t he been deceived all these years? Is it okay for him to keep dragging it around like some kind of¡­¡­ornament? Should I ask him myself?¡¯ She jumped up and walked to the field where Karpel was supposed to be found. The employees greeted her when they saw her galloping gallantly. She avoided a time bomb as she restrained herself from bowing back to them. She had been so obsessed with Karpel for over a decade that she knew exactly what he was doing at this time. He was very sincere. He spent every day in the library because he wasn¡¯t allowed to have a teacher. From what she read in the novel, Karpel used to learn everything from the information sent by the aristocrats who supported him. It was an open space from where a lot of employees passed by for the management, but no one was allowed in. But it wasn¡¯t the reason that she always went to the field. It was because the library was boring. And she wasn¡¯t the type to read a book in her previous life. She only used to read the novels from online whenever she was free from work. After running for quite some time, the field came to her view. No matter how noble a lady was, her capability was weak. She thought her lungs were going to shrink as if she had run a 200 meters race track. When she arrived, she saw Karpel practicing with his sword, without his shirt on and was sweating. He, with his sweat sparkling under the sun, looked as hot as an idol in a music concert. ¡®This is a crime!¡¯ She raised her hands and slapped her cheeks. At that sound, Karpel turned hesitantly around. When their eyes met, she screamed in amazement to hide the sudden excitement of her heart. ¡°Kyaa! So gross!¡± ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Why did she have to say that? A cool breeze swept through the gap between them. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 *** She ran away from the spot in unbearable embarrassment. ¡®I must be crazy!¡¯ Her cheeks were burning. She was just going to ask Karpel to help her. She didn¡¯t mean to act in that way. Eventually, when she had calmed down, it reminded her of the scar that she saw on his back. The wound that finally healed and changed into a scar. It was terribly big. It stretched from his right shoulder to the left region of his waist, which made it seem as though a parasite was stuck on him. It was also mentioned somewhere in the novel how it came to be. However, reading it in a novel and perceiving it, in reality, were completely different. The scar was made by the emperor. On the same day, his father, the former Emperor, was killed. At that time, he was just 4 years old. It was the 9-year-old Crown Prince who stopped the current emperor from stabbing little Karpel in the heart to get rid of a child struggling with pain and crawling on the floor. The emperor, who even killed his own brother, spared the son of the former Emperor at the request of the Crown Prince. Karpel was the only one who escaped the emperor¡¯s play. The Crown Prince thought his father left him to be his rival, who could be his own plaything. That¡¯s what the novel had said, but in reality, there were more people who wanted him for their different strategies. She was told that the Empress and his mother had spent quite a lot of their effort into saving Karpel. A wound that Karpel had received at only the age of 4. The fact that such scars remain in a world of magical priests meant that they had not been treated properly. It was no use in treating it now. No matter how sacred he was, he couldn¡¯t get rid of the wounds that were more than a decade old. The scars that were left on his small mind and heart were much bigger. And they were even more difficult to treat. To stop Karpel¡¯s rebellion, she would have to do something. ¡®How can he, who was so wounded, be entrusted to Krenberia who would behave in his own way and push his greed?¡¯ Even if she loved him, she had always ignored his opinion, pushed her own opinion, and summoned her father if it didn¡¯t go on her way. It was when she was 1-year-old that Karpel was entrusted to the Krenberian family. In those days, she used to feel the same as him who had just lost her mother, and thus, he always used to stick to her side. But unlike him, she had a loving father. Perhaps, it was when he was 5 that he realized it and began to distance himself from her. So, she purposely created situations where Karpel had no choice but to stay with her. As he was a guest in Krenberia, she was bound to be his escort. Karpel always had to follow her every time to avoid tarnishing the name of Krenberia. The problem was that he was almost treated as a ghost in the society. The nobles avoided themselves getting entangled with him for they feared the emperor¡¯s wrath and hate towards Karpel. So, they avoided meeting his eyes, let alone talk to him. The only person with whom he could talk was Inaila. So, she always used to stand within the crowd selfishly, feeling satisfied with the situation in which he could only talk to her. It was as if she owned him. ¡®For that reason, how deep is his hatred for me now? How crazy I must have been!¡¯ She only used to choose the situations that were very disrespectful to him. But today, she blew the opportunity to make it up for him. She bumped her head on her desk as she thought of Karpel¡¯s bewildered face. ¡®No, there¡¯s nothing to be scared of. I shouldn¡¯t be afraid. I will help him.¡¯ Jumping up from her seat, she looked upon her reflection in her mirror. Her face, full of confidence. The image of an innocent looking girl, with holy silver hair and blue eyes like her father¡¯s. So different from Karpel¡¯s sad face. The face was so beautiful that she wondered if it had caused her to lose all of her luck since her birth and her family to die soon. It was the face of a small girl who seemed like she didn¡¯t even lose her baby fat. Even her first menstruation only began last fall. Vividly, she remembered begging her father to allow her to be engaged since she had become a woman. It was the day when her dad had fainted, but when he woke up, he held her crying peacefully. He was furious to the point that he could kill Karpel. ¡®Sigh¡­it was a mess.¡¯ Meanwhile, Karpel had stayed silent, looking down at the scene coldly. She had thought the silence was implicit in the same cause and that he wanted to be engaged to me. ¡°¡­..Should I break the engagement?¡± ¡®Wouldn¡¯t he be happier then?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know what the result will be, but at least if that¡¯s what he wants, would he start talking to me again?¡¯ If she pushed him away, he¡¯d be free from her. ¡®Then would he be my friend again?¡¯ Karpel was only 16. God had given her no concept when she was born but gave her a beautiful appearance, so she might be able to appease. If she appealed her charm in impossibly innocent and seductive ways, ¡®There¡¯s no way I¡¯d be able to do that.¡¯ She looked at herself blushing. She was pouting as she was thinking about it. She blinked. ¡®I do look cute.¡¯ She winked. ¡®Oh my! It might actually work!¡¯ She slowly approached the mirror, clinging to it. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so pretty.¡± She swept down the back of her hand along the mirror. As she gazed at the mirror again, she saw a maid standing behind her. She was surprised, her heart beating at a fast pace. She put her hand on her chest. ¡®Thank god, it wasn¡¯t Karpel.¡¯ She knew that he would have killed her if she had gotten this worse in front of him. *** Karpel skipped his dinner because he wasn¡¯t feeling well. The Duke seemed to be in a good mood. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s start, sweetheart. The rice would taste much better today.¡± ¡®Huh? Karpel wouldn¡¯t be eating? Was that so shocking that he had to avoid me?¡¯ ¡°Taste it with the herb salt, my dear.¡± She dipped the lamb stick with black olives in sour cream and put it in her mouth. ¡®It¡¯s good¡­.Shall I try some rice then?¡¯ ¡°How did you find such a marvelous way of eating steamed monkfish, my star?¡± The Duke kept copying her methods as if he liked it. Feeling unpleasant, she dipped it in the herb salt. ¡®Ah, it would¡¯ve been better if I tasted it with soybean paste, garlic, and pepper.¡¯ But she had no appetite. She was craving spicy food. Besides that, the most common beverage in her country was ginger tea. It always caused her mind to get electrified whenever she drank it. Immersed in her thoughts, she forgot to reply back to his question. Her father put the fork down and spoke in a serious manner. ¡°Ina, do you like him so much?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Only after her name was called did she hear him. ¡°Mattise, bring Lord Karpel here.¡± He ordered his butler. ¡®Why are you calling him when he said he wouldn¡¯t have dinner today? What if he thinks I called for him?¡¯ She looked back at her father to realize that he meant it. ¡°No, Mattise, wait! Papa, it¡¯s not like that. I was just thinking about a dish that I could eat!¡± She hurriedly blurted out as Mattise stepped forward. Her father¡¯s eyes widened at her words. ¡°Dear, why didn¡¯t you just tell me sooner? So, what is it that you want to eat?¡± ¡°Capsaicin¡­.¡± [TL/N: Capsaicin = The substance in chilies that gives them their hot taste.] The Duke¡¯s eyes turned to look at the butler. Of course, the butler wasn¡¯t familiar with it. ¡°I¡¯ll see to it, my Lord.¡± ¡°Where have you tried it, my bubbles? Was it delicious?¡± She smiled shyly. She couldn¡¯t just tell him about her previous life. And every time she heard the word ¡°bubbles¡±, it felt like she was being confirmed of the source of her origin. It reminded her of those days when she roamed around, completely clueless. ¡®Rotten. I¡¯m a rotten child.¡¯ She held her hands tightly and said eagerly as she thought she might get a mental breakdown if she kept listening to that word. ¡°Papa, can you just call me Ina?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, pumpkin? You don¡¯t want me to call you?¡± ¡®The same goes for ¡°pumpkin¡± as well.¡¯ Yes, she knew that it was his way of showing his love for her. ¡°I like the name that Papa gave me¡­..¡± The Duke groaned, grabbing his chest as if he was having a heart attack. ¡®You¡¯re overreacting.¡¯ She thought cynically, but when he continued shaking for more than a minute, she jumped up in surprise. ¡®What is the average lifespan in this world? Does he have a vascular disease because he always eats meat?¡¯ As she approached him, he embraced her into a hug. ¡°Ina! Do you really like the name your papa gave you?¡± ¡®Ah, you tricked me!¡¯ ¡°And yes, yes, papa loves calling you Ina too!¡± ¡®Don¡¯t say that.¡¯ She tried to get out of his arms when he was rubbing his cheeks along her forehead, but he didn¡¯t budge. As her father tried to kiss on her cheek, she got startled and covered his mouth. His blue eyes were starting to fill with sorrow again. ¡®You! Why are you trying to kiss your grown-up daughter? Am I still an infant?¡¯ She lowered her hands instead of throwing a fit. She looked up at him and stared at him with starry eyes, pretending to act cutely. ¡°Papa, it¡¯s embarrassing¡­¡­.¡± As the Duke smiled and nodded, she slipped out of his arms. ¡®Stay calm, father.¡¯ She left her father, who seemed satisfied, and went to find her fianc¨¦e who had skipped dinner. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Her father was an easy target but certainly not her fianc¨¦e. ¡®How can he not have an appetite after training so hard? If he¡¯s 16, he is old enough to chew on food like tteokbokki.¡¯ Or it might be that he was really disgusted to see her face. ¡®Can I melt his iron heart with my cuteness?¡¯ She put her palms on her cheeks and blinked with her starry eyes as she met the eyes of the maid in front of her. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! My Lady! Please forgive me!¡± The maid fell down before Inaila, her face very pale. ¡®I guess not.¡¯ Maybe she was only cute in the eyes of her father. ¡®I know I¡¯m not cute, but why are you suddenly scared?¡¯ Yes, she was advancing to complete a non-violent mission. Or was she not? She anxiously lifted her eyes at the maid. The maid was staring down at the floor before her, seemingly terrified. Inaila walked and squatted down in front of her and asked. ¡°Did His Grace have his dinner?¡± ¡°P-Pardon?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t he have his dinner?¡± ¡°Ah, n-no, My Lady. His Highness said he wasn¡¯t feeling well.¡± ¡°Is he in his room?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, His Highness went to his room after his training.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you~¡± The maid, who was about 20, was so pretty that Inaila couldn¡¯t stop herself from patting her head before she got up. ¡®Now, let¡¯s go take a tour of the kitchen!¡¯ *** Karpel always liked dishes with cinnamon. But Inaila was allergic to cinnamon powder. And it would be very shameful if she sneezed in front of a prince. So, the chief chef had to avoid preparing any dishes that needed it. It was natural for Karpel to feel disheartened. If Karpel had liked the dishes, he definitely would have asked for the dessert. But he never did. She didn¡¯t think about this before. ¡®I¡¯m so¡­I¡¯m so pathetic.¡¯ But her heart that loved Karpel was sincere, even if it was obsessive. Although she was only 13, it was really drawing the path to the future of them living happily ever after. However, the problem was that her foolish self believed her happiness was his happiness. Since he had skipped dinner, it would be really nice if she brought him something that he liked and then console him and ask him for his help. ¡®Do they have cinnamon cookies or something? It¡¯ll be fine even if it doesn¡¯t contain any syrup.¡¯ Cinnamon cookies reminded her of the yakgwa with honey and ginger juice in it. Though it¡¯s origin was different, it tasted the same as cinnamon. Cookies that were baked in the oven were very delicious. Now that she thought about it, she was already craving to eat a lot of fried yakgwa. Karpel liked anything with cinnamon in it, so it would fit perfectly. When she went to the kitchen and explained the recipe to the chef, he seemed reluctant. ¡°My Lady, if you fry the dough for a short time, it wouldn¡¯t taste good. On top of that, it will be sticky. It will be unfit to eat.¡± The chef began to fluster, thinking it would be himself who¡¯d be in trouble if he prepared such inedible cookies. As far as she remembered, Chef Lee was the fifth replacement. It wasn¡¯t because the food didn¡¯t suit her taste, but because she wanted to marry Karpel. It seemed that the chef was choosing his words very carefully since he was already aware of that fact. She felt terribly guilty. It felt even worse as a restaurant worker in her former life. ¡®I¡¯m so sorry, but if I have to stop the inevitable death of my family, I¡¯d have to make yakgwa, right?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll make him the cinnamon cookies if he wants! I¡¯ll pour as much syrup as he wants!¡¯ She pushed the chef out of the kitchen. ¡®If you won¡¯t make it, I¡¯ll make it myself! I have to!¡¯ In her previous life, she was a cook. She didn¡¯t have a degree or certificate, but she had learned it while working as an assistant to a chef in a small restaurant for quite some time. Since she had started working for three years, she had to go shopping every week with the chef. She was also taught to prepare kimchi and pickled vegetables. It was from that time that she learned how to cook Yori, a side dish offered in restaurants. In addition to galbi, the main dish, she had also learned how to make Korean sweets for desserts and fruit syrup. It had been a while since the retirement of Chief Joo, who was the chef of the restaurant and the person who taught her how to cook. She was pretty confident in her skills. A lot of preparations needed to be done in the case of Yakgwa, but it didn¡¯t require that much of ingredients. And she could easily afford whatever she needed. Of course, her past life and current life were different by a trillion gold. Even if she was born in a different world and lived here for 13 years, she perfectly remembered the procedure. Everyone gasped when she rolled up the sleeves of her dress. However, the batter needed to be fried after adding the spices and eggplants. The splashing of hot oil was the most dangerous thing. She heard the loud voice of her father calling out to her. ¡°Ina, my princess! If you don¡¯t like the food, I¡¯ll change the chef myself! Why are you¡­¡­¡± She cut off her father¡¯s words, holding the ladle over the stove with both hands and tilting her head in a cute manner. ¡°Papa, I want to make the dessert for you myself.¡± As soon as he fell into the trap of her sparkling eyes, he nodded like a robot. It might have gotten messy if she told him she was actually making them for Karpel. She regretted dragging the chef out of the room. So, she had to call for the errand boy, who was doing chores in the kitchen and explained the ingredients. The other staff of the kitchen gathered around and watched her with bewildered eyes. Of course, Karpel was nowhere to be seen. For once, she thought her father would send a group of knights to get rid of the oil pot if it splashed hot oil on her. She was bothered by the murmurs of the people around her. ¡®Please get the hell out of here before I lose my mind.¡¯ She grinned despite her inner thoughts. ¡°I feel so embarrassed at everyone¡¯s gaze that I want to die by putting my face inside a hot pot. I¡¯ll call you if I need any help, so could you please wait somewhere else?¡± ¡°What if you cut your hand, Ina?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let it happen, I promise, papa.¡± She began pushing her father. Honestly, he was the most annoying. He acted like even kneading the dough would harm her. ¡°Papa, do you not believe your Ina?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡­..¡± ¡°Do you not want to taste my recipe?¡± Thanks to her charms, the Duke was eventually driven out of the kitchen. He was no match for her anyway. Only the errand boy stood idly by her side, who secretly kept reading her countenance. She picked up a bowl of ginger, which was still covered with soil, that was collected in the midst of the turmoil. ¡°Shall we squeeze out the juice then?¡± The boy¡¯s complexion turned white as he saw her putting them in the juice box. ¡°Miss, it might be strong, please allow me to squeeze it¡­..¡± ¡°Of course, thank you. Please wash the dirt, peel it, and grind it. But first, wash up your hands.¡± The young man¡¯s chest puffed out at her unusual behavior and hurried to do his job as she grumbled, ¡°What? Will you just stand around? How will you serve me if you just stare at me like that?¡± They rarely ate any fried food, so she was worried if there would be any oil for frying. As she was looking around the huge kitchen, her eyes fell on a cabinet full of bottles of different oils. Luckily, she found a bottle of soybean oil among them. As soon as she opened the cap, the savory salty scent of it reached her nostrils. But she couldn¡¯t find any bottled honey with which she could make the syrup. However, fermenting grain could produce a product that tasted mostly like honey. She thought she could make it taste similar to what she used to eat in her previous life. She was surprised when she saw the boy, who was squeezing the ginger, come up to her with a bowl in his hand. He was going to put it in the yakgwa, but she stopped him. ¡°Aiya, are you not paying attention? Put some oil in it first!¡± ¡°I-I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°Are you a twit or what?¡± For a moment, it felt like she had returned to her hometown where she had grown up in vain. It felt like she had returned to her previous life. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 She prepared the syrup. She poured certain amounts of flour and kneaded it into a dough with her own hands. Then, she fried the round-shaped pieces in soybean oil before dipping them in a bowl filled with syrup. Eventually, their appearance changed into that of a 500 won cookie. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss?¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°To¡­Tom.¡± ¡°Totom?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s Tom, Miss!¡± ¡°Oh, try this.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He was surprised when she threw something cold into his mouth in a way that made it seem as if she was putting a bug into it. ¡®Well, it¡¯s the first time that I used ginger and cinnamon together, so I can¡¯t even imagine how the taste will be.¡¯ ¡®Should I try one?¡¯ The taste of the flour, which came directly from the hand of the maker, was strong. It was then followed and harmonized with the sweetness that spread a little while later. The aroma and stimulating flavor of the ginger juice and cinnamon, which were mouth-watering, was nothing but perfect. ¡°De-Delicious!¡± Tom excitedly blurted out as she was chewing on one yakgwa. ¡®Well, of course, it is. I am the one who made it.¡¯ Tom was gawking at the plate full of yakgwa cookies as if he wanted more. She asked him to leave while she wrapped a few of them inside a box and attached it with a decorative ribbon and a couple of flowers. There was already a specific drawer in the kitchen that contained all of the decorative items, so she didn¡¯t need to search for anything. Then, she took a bottle of a beverage before placing all of them on a beautifully decorated tray. She was a bit disappointed because she had to make the cookies with a round cookie frame instead of the exact flower frame. When she was finally finished, she peeked out of the main room and saw her father sitting on a chair beside the tea table, seemingly waiting for her. Everyone was surprised when they saw her. They gathered right in front of the kitchen in a position that she couldn¡¯t see. She heard someone scolding and slapping Tom in the back. ¡®Did I cause Tom to fall into trouble?¡¯ But Tom stammered right away. ¡°Hey, back off Mister!¡± was what he said. Well, it was over now. She smiled, but every employee stared at her with a mark of astonishment plastered on their faces. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be like that. Those were for papa. But, all of you can also have them whenever you¡¯re having a hard time working.¡± When she walked into the kitchen, leaving her father shaking with emotion, she saw Tom standing in a tight posture with his mouth sealed up. It seemed like he was afraid of revealing it to all the servants that he ate it. In a way, it also made her feel guilty for having a bite secretly. His face gradually turned white as she stared at him. He wanted to pretend but it seemed like his mouth moved involuntary. After looking at him for a long time, she realized that he was still trying to keep the sweetness of the cookie inside his mouth. ¡°Chew up what¡¯s in your mouth.¡± He carefully chewed with a puzzled look. ¡°Is it that delicious?¡± ¡°S-Syrup.¡± ¡°Syrup?¡± ¡°Did you make the syrup?¡± At that moment, she came to know that all of the taste of the yakgwa was because of the syrup she made. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s my specialty, boy.¡± She laughed and walked out with the tray she prepared for Karpel. One of the maids took the tray from her hand and held it for her. Her father was watching her with a proud expression on his face, while the other employees curiously stared at her. ¡°Papa, are you not going to taste them?¡± ¡°How can I? I don¡¯t want to waste these precious items.¡± ¡°Is that so? Oh, then others can taste them. I¡¯ve prepared a lot of them.¡± The fragrance of the fried cookies was savory enough to drive everyone towards the kitchen like a flock of hungry ants. ¡®Haa, I hope everyone gets a bite.¡¯ ¡°Get out of the way! They¡¯re all mine!¡± As her father screamed like a child, everyone was surprised. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little too much to eat it all by yourself, papa?¡± She asked as she poked out her head. The Duke contemplated for a moment before reaching out his hand with a determined look. The butler wiped his hand with a wet towel. He picked up a cookie, carefully sniffing on the scent, and nodded as if he were presenting a yakgwa with careful hand gestures. He took a bite and chewed it until his face hardened. ¡®Does he hate cinnamon?¡¯ She didn¡¯t think he was picky about anything. ¡®No, is it too sweet?¡¯ She would be disappointed if the food from her home country didn¡¯t suit his taste. Her father chewed it slowly before turning to her. ¡°Ina, my daughter, I can¡¯t believe you had this gift.¡± Technically, she only achieved this talent from her previous life. But, of course, in her father¡¯s eyes, it was a new talent she had suddenly shown. ¡°It wasn¡¯t difficult.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing. Butler, prepare to wrap it all and cast a conservation spell on it.¡± Upon hearing his words, Ina was at a loss of words. ¡®So he really is going to eat it all alone.¡¯ ¡°P-Papa, that¡¯d be too much for you to eat it all alone.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dear. I will be fine.¡± ¡°Or are you not going to eat anything else I make?¡± ¡°I can handle it as well.¡± As he spoke firmly, the curiosity of the young people got stronger. Tom seemed even more excited as he muttered something ¡°really delicious¡± in the corner. ¡®I¡¯m glad you liked it, but papa is being too eccentric.¡¯ As the Duke glanced at her, she slowly avoided his eyes as if pretending she was stabbed at her heart. ¡°T-Then, all of you can have a taste of Ina¡¯s skills.¡± He spoke out. ¡°Really, papa?¡± As her eyes sparkled at him, he coughed in vain. He then glanced at a pile of syrup with tearful eyes before he sighed. ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t break my daughter¡¯s heart like this now, can I?¡± ¡®So, why did I have to wait for your permission when I was the one who made it?¡¯ But she smiled at him, praising him as she saw his blank face. ¡°Papa is so great. I want to grow up into someone like him.¡± After she wished her father good night, she was about to depart to her room but stopped as she heard a few murmurs among the maids along the hallway. As she peeked inside the kitchen, she saw people carefully enjoying the first bite of their pieces. And everyone was speechless. It was as if all of them were the judges of some cooking program on television. She was so embarrassed that she turned around. It wasn¡¯t until then that she could hear them murmuring, ¡°This is.¡± ¡°out of this.¡± ¡°world¡­.¡± ¡°Definitely!¡± ¡®As a matter of fact, it is!¡¯ It made her feel proud of her skills. ¡®But, today¡¯s actual highlight would be Karpel¡¯s reaction.¡¯ She headed towards Karpel¡¯s room at a trotting pace. Upon arriving in the hallway, she took over the tray from the maids. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll hold it. Go and have a taste of my cookies.¡± The maid, who was hesitant, bowed her head before walking away towards the kitchen. She realized she had no hands left to knock on his door. Just when she was thinking about whether she should use her feet, the edge of the tray, or her head to knock, the door opened by itself. It was Karpel. A nice scent filled up her nostrils. She thought he must have just taken a bath. As soon as their eyes met, she politely laid down her eyes. She wanted to talk to him for quite some time, but his eyes seemed fiercer than usual, perhaps because of what she did earlier in the morning. At the same time, she was so drowsy that she wanted to throw away the tray and run to her bed immediately. ¡®No! Focus, Inaila, focus! If you don¡¯t do this, your family is going to die! You will die!¡¯ Her heart began to race as she shouted out vigorously inside her mind, her fingers tightly clutching on the tray. ¡°Your Highness!¡± Chapter 9 Chapter 9 ¡°What?¡± Karpel asked curtly. As if he was almost ready to fight with her. However, he didn¡¯t bat an eye, perhaps because he was just depressed. But it didn¡¯t hurt her. She was also used to him addressing her as ¡®you¡¯. Ever since her first birthday, she had been treating Karpel with all her heart and soul. She didn¡¯t want him to see her as a child but as a woman. She thought if she spoke gracefully like a lady, he might welcome her. As time went on, she became determined to reach her goal. But simply acting like a lady wouldn¡¯t change one¡¯s attitude. As a result, his hate towards her began to dig its claws. Brooding over her memories, she recalled her heart being stabbed the moment she noticed him doing aegyo during her seventh birthday. ¡®What the hell?! Why am I thinking about that?! Focus, Inaila!¡¯ ¡°I made something for you, Your Highness!¡± ¡°You made¡­¡­?¡± He asked, glancing upon the tray she was holding. ¡°Would His Highness like to¡­..have some?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°I want to talk about something..¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Her courage gradually crumpled under his deep silent stare. But it wasn¡¯t long until he stepped out of his room to let her in. She carefully walked into the room and placed the tray on the table. The silence was heavier than she thought it would. As she faced Karpel, his temple crumbled. The fact that he was standing without closing the door stated that he was waiting for her to leave. ¡°I heard¡­¡­His Highness didn¡¯t have his dinner yet, so I made something that I know you like. Please try it.¡± ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡®What did I do?¡¯ ¡°How could you just barge into my room like that?¡± ¡®You told me to come in, didn¡¯t you?¡¯ Embarrassed by the situation, her cheeks turned red. She knew that he didn¡¯t like her sole existence by the look he was giving her. She felt like this would perhaps be her last memory in this life of hers. ¡®Haa¡­I guess it was a failure today. Anyway, it was worth being wary of doing strange things that this girl had never done before.¡¯ She lifted up the tray with a despairing heart. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry. His Highness must be tired¡ª¡± Karpel suddenly threw a question, cutting off her words and pointing at the tray. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ ¡°That I have something that His Highness likes¡ª¡± ¡°You do?¡± ¡°Yes, and I wanted His Highness to¡ª¡± ¡°Cinnamon.¡± Inaila zipped her lips as all of her words were being cut off. A heavy silence followed. She spoke up first. ¡°Me too. I like the taste of the spice.¡± Even though she sneezed on the cinnamon powder, her past self loved it very much. Suddenly, Karpel¡¯s features softened. His face seemed a little redolent. She was taken aback by the sudden change of his features, but at least it seemed like he was going to have them. ¡®Good! Now, I only need to talk to him.¡¯ Karpel sighed as she put the tray back down. He left the door slightly open. He sat on the sofa and beckoned her to the other side of the sofa. ¡°Sit down there.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She sat down on the soft cushion before lifting the bottle and filling up the glasses. As she lifted up her glass to toast, Karpel looked puzzled. ¡®No toast? Okay.¡¯ She lowered the glass awkwardly. Staring up at her, Karpel picked up a yakgwa. ¡°What I wanted to say was¡­¡­.¡± As she spoke, Karpel put the whole cookie inside his mouth. His eyes widened as he continued chewing on it. As expected, the taste was unfamiliar to him. The syrup was plain and sticky like caramel, while the cookie was perfectly soft like a cake. It could be similar to a Madeleine, but it was fried with oil and dipped in syrup. She was worried about the taste, but she saw him engulfing another one. The corners of his lips slightly rose up. ¡®Wait, is he smiling?¡¯ She had never seen him smile since the Emperor visited the Krenberian mansion. And soon, Karpel put another one inside his mouth. The third one, perhaps. ¡®Did you even chew on the last one?¡¯ Startled, she grabbed his hand. ¡°Eat slowly, Your Highness!¡± He glanced at her. ¡°Or you¡¯ll get indigestion.¡± As his emotionless eyes dropped down to her hand, she quickly pulled back. It made her recall that these hands of hers were the ones that always forced him to escort her. These always used to hug him even if he strongly refused her. ¡®No, I shouldn¡¯t¡­¡­.force him anymore.¡¯ Karpel must have been trying so desperately. Not to die in the hands of the Emperor. To kill the Emperor with his own sword. And all she had done in the midst of his efforts was to disregard his opinions. She held back a sigh. Kaprel picked up the next one and chewed on it. It seemed to have suited his taste. He gulped down what was in his mouth before glancing at her. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± He unexpectedly complimented her. She muttered, dazing at him. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll make sure to prepare it for you another day¡­¡­¡± His eyes shifted to the round-shaped yakgwa cookies. ¡°You made these?¡± ¡°Yes¡­..¡± She felt nostalgic as she kept staring at his soft features. She felt like she was talking to the old Karpel, who was so kind to her. She met him only when she knew how to babble. She wasn¡¯t even two when she lost her mother¡¯s touch. She didn¡¯t even know what honorifics were. Karpel was the one who taught her words and writing. It was when she was almost left unattended in the mansion of Krenberia. It took a very long time for the Duke to overcome the grief of losing his wife. He spent most of the time in his room, and Inaila was left alone like Karpel. It was Karpel who took care of her. They used to rely on each other every second. It was when she was six years old that the Duke came to his senses. He began to value her dearly. From then on, her father began to have her back. And gradually, Karpel distanced himself from her. She kept obsessing over him, while he kept losing his expression and finally became indifferent as he is now. A period of seven years. It wasn¡¯t even possible for adults to change their personalities so quickly. And within that period of time, she kept on forcing him to love her. She believed she would be eventually successful in changing his heart. ¡®If someone had forced me like that, I would have wanted to kill them as well.¡¯ So now that he sat beside her without being displeased with her presence, it felt like a miracle. Inaila picked up one of the cookies and slowly chewed on it, her eyes on Karpel, who kept eating at his pace. There was no mark of hostility on his face. His golden orbs were sparkling like a magic lamp. As those orbs noticed her stare, she hurriedly shifted her eyes. He muttered in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind. I¡¯m in a good mood today, so I won¡¯t listen to you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in such a good mood¡­.¡± ¡®That you don¡¯t want to ruin it by talking to me?¡¯ Karpel raised his eyebrow at her in such a way that he knew everything that was going on inside her mind. She quickly shifted her eyes. She thought of talking about breaking their engagement, just as what Karpel would like. She sighed. ¡®I guess it won¡¯t be happening today.¡¯ But, at some corner of her heart, she did not want to bring it up, thinking about witnessing the soft side of him. ¡°Well then, shall I leave now?¡± ¡°Do as you please.¡± ¡®¡­¡­What do you mean?¡¯ Did he want her to stay or leave? The interpretation of the face of this adolescent boy was very difficult. ¡®You want me to leave?¡¯ Her chest felt stuffy, so she lifted up her glass and drank all of the liquid in one gulp. But the moment she swallowed it, she realized something was wrong. Her head started spinning. ¡°Wha¡ª?¡± ¡°Ina!¡± Surprised, Karpel jumped up and clasped her hands, therefore stopping her from taking another sip. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡­what are you¡­..¡± He grabbed the glass and drank a drop that remained. ¡°Poison!¡­..N-No, is this¡­..alcohol?¡± She was struck dumb at his bewildering voice. Chapter 10 - 2. Accumulating the dark history Chapter 10 2. Accumulating the dark history Inaila opened her eyes in the morning and gazed at the ceiling of her room, which was still twirling. ¡®Anyway, I¡¯m already 13.¡¯ It was nothing wrong to have a taste of an alcoholic drink along with a yakgwa. She had taken it along with the cookies because she thought it would be a nice combination. ¡®I forgot that minors were not allowed to drink alcohol.¡¯ ¡°My Lady, is everything all right? The chef has prepared a special cheese bread for Lady to get rid of her hangover!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t need it¡­¡­¡± She felt a little lightheaded, but a headache grasped her head as soon as she heard the word ¡®cheese bread¡¯. ¡°¡­¡­I want to have soybean paste stew with dried radish leaves.¡± ¡°Pardon? But t-that is g-garbage¡­¡± Inaila sighed as the maid frightfully stuttered out. ¡®Ah, let¡¯s not talk about it.¡¯ She turned around, burying herself deeper under the quilt. It seemed like the last day was the most tiring day. Beating the dough and slicing the vegetables with these short hands of hers. They made her muscles cramp. As some of the maids hurried to inform the Duke that she had woken up, two of them gathered their strength to ask her. ¡°My Lady, the cookies you made were very delicious. When did you learn that?¡± ¡°Yes, I agree. The chef spent the whole night trying to prepare it, but he couldn¡¯t make anything similar to it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s called yakgwa. It is usually presented in the wedding ceremonies in my coun¡ª¡± Her words were cut off by a sudden noise in the room next to hers. It wouldn¡¯t be a thief because the maids were all calm. ¡®Huh? Why is he still in his room at this hour?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°His Highness is grounded in his room, Miss.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°For what else, Miss? He gave you a drink. Thus, the Duke had given an order to lock him up in his room.¡± ¡°But I was the one who brought that drink, wasn¡¯t I ?¡± ¡°The Duke said it was wrong for His Highness to let My Lady drink the liquor. Even Tom, who let My Lady carry the drink, was punished. However, the chef has taken him to his room and is trying to figure out your secret recipe.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.I see.¡± ¡®I guess he¡¯s training in his room.¡¯ She was remorseful. She didn¡¯t know that having just a sip of alcohol would cause such consequences. She still had the memory of her previous life when she emptied a whole bottle of sogokju (A traditional drink in Korea) with the chef, and when she gulped down on a couple of cups of makgeolli (A Korean alcoholic beverage). [TL/N: Sogokju ¨C A traditional liquor in Korea. Makgeolli ¨C A Korean alcoholic beverage.] Of course, both sogokju and makgeolli have high alcohol content. Therefore, on the next day, she had to boil radish leaves and dried pollack with soybean paste to drive off her headache. It was wasteful to throw away the radish leaves that were snipped off when making kkakdugi. They were very helpful in removing her fatigue when she chewed on them. [TL/N: Kkakdugi ¨C A Korean dish made from diced radish.] ¡®Neither I nor the boss was this helpless.¡¯ ¡°Miss, excuse me, but¡­¡± ¡®Hmm, I wonder why they¡¯re so chatty today. Is it the effect of the syrup I made?¡¯ ¡°Didn¡¯t you take it to offer a drink to Lord Karpel? If not, why did you drink it? But, I am indeed rueful¡­¡­¡± The maid looked at her pitifully. ¡°¡­..that nothing happened. Thanks to Tom, the Duke went after you as soon as he was informed about the drink.¡± Inaila was quite confused. ¡®What are you talking about? Why would you feel sorry that nothing happened? Should Ibe in the coffin now?¡¯ However, she could read the expression that was plastered on their faces. It was clearly pointing to something that should have happened between a man and a woman. ¡°Do you not know that I¡¯m only 13?¡± ¡°Oh, of course, Miss.¡± ¡®Wait¡­¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re all grown up at 13, Miss.¡± Another maid chimed in as Inaila kept staring at them with a puzzled look. ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ ¡°Besides, Our Lady is already engaged and is under a lot of protection¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on here, Ina?¡± Her father stood at the door, holding the doorknob. As he snarled at the maids with a red face, the maids pursed their lips. ¡°Yes, try to teach her about awful things, and I might fire you from your jobs.¡± The maids quickly shook their heads, their faces slowly losing their complexion. She honestly didn¡¯t agree with what the maids tried to say, but there was only one thing she understood. Her father was acting so overprotective that it put the maids at the risk of losing their jobs for only expressing their opinions on a love affair. ¡°It was Ina¡¯s fault, papa. And from now on, she promises to never have a single drink with His Highness anymore.¡± For a second, she thought a light grin had appeared on his face. The next thing she knew she was being hugged by her father with a proud look on his face. ¡°Yes, yes, my Ina is very smart! Don¡¯t do that ever again, or you might get into trouble, dear!¡± She was sorry for creating such a situation for Karpel. But she thought the simple cookies might be able to melt away the resentment he had accumulated towards her. In particular, it could be thought of as a bribe. ¡®I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be in any trouble if I stay careful at every step.¡¯ But still, she nodded at her father¡¯s statement. She stupidly kept nodding at him as he kept asking about her promise. ¡°But I don¡¯t think His Highness did anything wrong, papa. Can¡¯t you please relax?¡± ¡°Yes, but I wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­¡­P-Papa~¡± ¡°It was the fault of His Highness, Ina.¡± She tried to melt him by making her eyes sparkle, but he was strangely determined. ¡®What! How? Did you lose your brain somewhere?¡¯ Anxious, she slowly raised her head innocently, preparing to dig up more information from him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, papa?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The Duke carefully laid her on her bed. ¡°Papa has to attend to his duties, sweetheart.¡± And then he ran away. ¡®What did Karpel do?¡¯ There was nothing he could do to a girl who fell down after drinking. ¡°Ah, come on, what wrong did His Highness do?¡± When she curiously asked the maids, they shook their heads. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know, Miss.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady was smiling and clinging to him, but he didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°Huh? What? What did I do?¡± ¡®I do remember losing my consciousness after drinking it. What did I do?¡¯ ¡°Oh my, Miss. You don¡¯t remember?¡± Somehow, cold chills passed through her spine. ¡®So, it was me.¡¯ ¡°I, uh, I was smiling and c-clinging?¡± ¡°Yes, Miss, you even skipped on the honorifics.¡± ¡°H-How?¡± ¡°Oh, you kept on telling him to hug you, Miss.¡± The maids glanced at her as if they were looking at a clingy and pushy girl. ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?! That was just a hug!¡± She screamed, standing up on her feet. She ran out of her room and clung to the door of the next room. ¡°Your Highness! That was just a misunderstanding!¡± She shouted as she knocked on the door. However, no answer came from the room. ¡°Please forgive me about yesterday, Your Highness! I apologize for my rude behavior! It¡¯s all my fault!¡± Every servant in the hallway turned her heads as if to pretend they had seen nothing, but her face was clearly flushed red. The room was as silent as a graveyard. She kept on knocking on his door and calling him, but she had to return back to her room because it seemed like a nuisance to keep doing that. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Karpel¡¯s guilty of holding her, who was technically drunk and clinging to him. After having a serious conversation with the maids, she seemed to have said all sorts of things. ¡°Karpel, do you not like Ina anymore?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do well from now on.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to be together forever now.¡± ¡®What a shameless nature I have!¡¯ They said she did not just pass out after uttering a word or two. Rather, she kept hugging him until she fell asleep. She did not remember a single thing. ¡®How can a 13-year-old girl have such a bouncy brain?!¡¯ It seemed like her father, the Duke, had seen her whining, ¡°Why don¡¯t you hug me now? Please embrace me like you did in the past, Karpel.¡± to Karpel, while Karpel was just blankly staring at her. It was clear that since Karpel took care of her once, he did not dare to push her away. But, now, she knew he hated her. ¡®Were you afraid of my father finding out about your intentions? Is that why you couldn¡¯t push me away?¡¯ Karpel never confronted the Duke even when he was locked inside his own room for a whole week. Meanwhile, Inaila did her best to improve her image to him but it didn¡¯t work out as she wanted. ¡®Perhaps, I¡¯m meant to be despised by Karpel.¡¯ Since she was filled with guilt, she didn¡¯t leave her room except when she went to have her meals with her father. Also, she never heard a sound even when a servant came to deliver a meal in Karpel¡¯s room. It was really strange that there was no clatter of the tableware and sound of the dragging of the tray or opening and closing of the window. Even the servant who was responsible did not utter a single word. Anyway, she was worried, so she called the servant who was responsible for the delivery of Karpel¡¯s meals. ¡°You, I need to talk to you for a second.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Young Miss?¡± ¡°Uh¡­..what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Stein.¡± He had worked at the Krenberian mansion for more than 10 years. She frowned. That name felt very familiar, she thought. It was strange because she never had to remember the names of every servant of the mansion. Furthermore, a lot of servants were replaced by the Duke to calm the tantrums of her old self. ¡°So, Stein¡­..Did His Highness have his meal?¡± ¡°Yes, he has. So please rest assured, Miss.¡± He answered with a smile, but it felt strange. ¡®How can a boy eat that much when he hasn¡¯t even spent half a day on the training ground?¡¯ The name of the servant was also disturbing her. ¡°I see. Thank you for letting me know, Stein.¡± ¡°No problem, Young Miss.¡± As soon as he left after bowing to her, she put down her lunch and drove away all the maids from her room. Then, she crawled under the dressing table. In there, a secret space could be found. She was very bothered by the silence in Karpel¡¯s room. ¡®This is not a prank, is it?¡¯ She had seen too many people among the nobles who treated him as a ghost, so she was worried that there might be such an atmosphere among the employees as well. In this mansion, the Duke was the law and he hated Karpel. In addition, there were various underground waterways designed as secret passageways to escape the mansion. The passageways were also provided with spacious ventilations. She remembered finding those passages with Karpel when she was young. Some places were restricted for children to venture in though. She crawled inside a small space of 50 centimeters wide. As she reached out her hand, it touched the ceiling. Right now, it was a narrow space, unlike her memory. Finding a passage that leads to his room was the next step. She wanted to see if he was eating properly. She cautiously crawled through the narrow passage. Her inflated dress swooped past the wall of the ventilator, which made a low hissing sound. ¡®It¡¯s so dark in here¡­¡­¡¯ The passage was dotted with tiny star-like lights. It felt like hours for her to find a small crack in the wall. She peeped into a crevice and closed her other eye. However, she could only figure out a little through that small crack. ¡®¡­¡­Ah.¡¯ Suddenly, she recalled why the servant¡¯s name sounded familiar to her. It was the name of an aide who had served the traitor Karpel Ivelox since his childhood in the Krenberian mansion. Later, he helped Karpel in binding the male lead in the novel. The male lead asked Stein to cooperate in persuading Karpel to give up treason, but Stein committed suicide so as not to hinder him. And now, he said he was eating well even when the room was empty. ¡®Perhaps, he has run off to some faraway place.¡¯ With that said, she thought it would be better for him to like there rather than in the Krenberian mansion, which was full of enemies, including her. Stein was just making an alibi so that nobody would suspect Karpel¡¯s absence. ¡®You don¡¯t have to worry about me though.¡¯ After returning to her room, she dusted off her clothes. Suddenly, she felt heartbroken to be left just like that. It felt difficult to shake off that longing feeling carved on her heart. ¡®Ugh! I still haven¡¯t come to my senses!¡¯ Her only repentance was that she might have gotten obsessed over him when they had spent plenty of time together during their childhood. And so, there was no improvement. She shook off her thoughts about him and scurried through her notebook, while she ate her lunch. She turned the page to the biggest case she had to solve. The invasion of a heterogeneous tribe that was supposed to take place in the next year. The minor incidents before the invasion were related to the meeting of the main characters, but they had nothing to do with her. ¡®The invasion was probably due to the interracial peace disagreement.¡¯ The agreement was formed during the reign of the former Emperor. However, due to the murder of the Emperor, all diplomatic officials were replaced. It was quite difficult for ethnic groups to follow the agreement because the current Emperor had no intention of keeping his brother¡¯s legacy intact. Unfortunately, the territory adjacent to the invading country was the Dukedom of Krenberia. The problem arose because of the lack of food. The tribes living in the alpine region were always suffering from food shortages. In addition, the mountainous regions of the empire had food shortages, too. Thus, the former Emperor invited a heterogeneous scholar to conduct a research on improving the variety of crops and ordered his people to send food every year until the study was completed. However, it had been more than a decade since his death, and since the tribes were quite furious with the sudden change, they began to invade parts of Krenberia. In the novel, the male lead¡¯s solution to this rising hatred was simple. To strike another deal. ¡®Yes! That¡¯s it! We could do that.¡¯ Krenberia was a rich territory and was no less than a kingdom. It would be perfect if she could make an agreement in the name of Krenberia, she thought. ¡®If we succeed in improving the breeds in Krenberia, we could sell the seeds.¡¯ It would also pose no harm to her family. But of course, improving the quality of crops was not an easy process. ¡®How much food do they need?¡¯ What¡¯s the nation¡¯s size? What about the amount of grains required per person? It was evident that there was too little information. At such thoughts, she threw the notebook on her desk and opened her bedside cabinet. There was a book decorated with a pretty leathery cover over it. It contained theology and classical literature, which she chose not to study and learn just because she wasn¡¯t interested in it. ¡®So, first, I need to gather information on the heterogeneous state of the Krenberian Territory.¡¯ Chapter 12 Chapter 12 She made her way to the library. This place was usually visited by Karpel. The room was lined with a few bookcases that had conservation magic poured over them, which made the calm essence of new books linger in all corners. It was the first time that she felt so relaxed while looking around the library. Most of the books were based on theology, while some of the others contained classical literature, history, and essays and poems written by the family of Krenberia. She felt sleepy just by scurrying through those titles. ¡®I don¡¯t even want romantic novels. How can there be no folktales or myths?¡¯ Theological or classical literature was not written in the Imperial language. The theological sciences were written in the neologism of the now-defunct Holy Kingdom, while the classical literature used the early Imperial language. So, in her past life, they were like Chinese characters. She frowned as she looked at an encyclopedia whose title was unreadable for her. Her eyes searched through the index to see if it could point out any information about the species. It said that the human species had different names for other intelligent creatures. Since she was a little confused, she reread the brief explanation a couple more times. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know this?¡± Suppressing the desire to throw away the book, she put it back in its original place. ¡°Phew.¡± It would be better if she could at least do that one thing she had been wanting to do. Since she had a lot of time before the sun kissed the horizon, she thought of visiting the bookstore. She called in her maid of honor to prepare for the necessities. ¡°Before the meal, I¡¯d like to¡­..¡± She was going to ask the maid, but something told her she¡¯d be accompanied by guards and maids in her ride if she were to continue with what she wanted to say. ¡°I¡¯ll go to bed. I¡¯m feeling very tired after reading. Wake me up around dinner time. I¡¯ll inform my father when he gets home.¡± ¡°Yes, understood, miss.¡± After changing into comfortable clothes, she lied down on her bed. Just after the maid closed the curtains around her bed and walked out of the room, she got up and locked the door quietly. ¡®It¡¯s been a long time since I went through that secret passage, hasn¡¯t it?¡¯ The shopping district in the capital city was safe enough for young aristocrats to wander alone. Many royal knights walk past the place when they join or return from their duty, and there were quite a few aristocrats who visited that place with knights accompanying them to show off their wealth and power. Even if it was safe for her to wander off alone, her father would surely question the employees. So, it was better to just sneak out of the palace. She stealthily opened the safe behind a decorative frame. Most of the things there were junk and were related to her memories with Karpel, but it also had a few expensive magical items. Apparently, those magical items were not noticeable, and most of them were used in case of emergencies. A necklace she used to wear was enchanted to change its color. It was passed down to the heirs of the Krenberia from the very first. The head of the house had to wear it whenever he stepped out of the house. These magical items were moved to her room by her father when he stopped grieving for his wife. Of course, there were many dangerous kinds of magical items that would flame or freeze the person who would touch her. She did not want to imagine the situation if she wore it in a crowded place. Finally, she picked up a ring case. She opened it and found a beautiful platinum ring with amber jewels sitting on the velvety soft cushion. It reminded her of when she ordered a pair of couple rings, which were kind of a location tracker, on the occasion of Karpel¡¯s birthday. Only the beholder of the ring who¡¯d enchant ¡°begin¡± could see the light flashing up from a direction where his or her opponent would be. But, clearly, Karpel didn¡¯t wear the other pair, so no matter how many times she shouted ¡°begin¡±, there was no light that flashed up in front of her. She remembered feeling very empty at being ignored repeatedly. She had tested it for about two months before dumping it in the safe. After all, it wasn¡¯t something she could wear alone. Perhaps, Karpel was sneaking away from the castle. He wouldn¡¯t think of even wearing it since it was a location tracker. She shook her head. After putting away the ring, she picked up a healing ring before turning to her engagement ring on her hand. Even though it was just with an engagement ring, she had promised to stay beside Karpel for the rest of her life, she thought. When she took it out, not only her fingers, but also her heart felt empty. So, to drive away that feeling, she put on the location ring. ¡®Well, this is also a couple ring.¡¯ She closed the safe with a rough thud. When she changed into a dark, ordinary dress and wrapped herself in a robe, she was a little worried if she could cross through such a narrow passage with such a high volume dress. As she crawled under the dressing table, she finally emerged into the underground passage entrance. Fortunately, the passage was empty. She began walking through the passage. It was said that this was a waterway that used to supply water to the city even before the empire was established. Karpel had told her when they were kids. ¡®He¡¯s clever.¡¯ Now that the place was dried magically, it was like a deserted narrow cave. The way the glow moss gleamed softly and illuminated the path made her recall the hours she spent walking through these tunnels with Karpel. The old city was now much smaller than the capital. Most of the tunnels underground were either blocked or were only left with small holes on where water used to pass through. ¡®I think it was a square where I went with Karpel. I remember seeing many people up there.¡¯ She was walking absent-mindedly when it suddenly occurred to her that she was all alone in a dark place. She cautiously glanced behind. The moss¡¯s gleaming light illuminated the path only a meter after her, but she couldn¡¯t lie that she didn¡¯t get the feeling that someone was standing beyond that point, dissolved in the darkness. Cold shivers ran down her little body. ¡®I¡¯m scared.¡¯ After she stared at nothingness for quite a while, she started walking again and turned her head back to the direction she was headed. This time, her pace was faster than before. She was terrified as she stepped on the moss and made a crunching sound. She felt as if something was going to crawl out of it. Not only the floor, but also the dark ceiling, where the moss¡¯s light could not reach, seemed scary. She let her eyes roll around her surroundings before she took each step. ¡®I should¡¯ve brought the lighting stone.¡¯ She repented. She hurried down the path, determined to finish the walk. From what she felt, the path slowly changed into stairs, but she couldn¡¯t see them. The moment she increased her speed, her right foot slipped on the smooth surface of the moss. ¡°Ah!¡± Her hands quickly touched the floor, safeguarding herself from receiving any serious injuries. Wet moss was smeared on her hand. She stretched out her arms, taking support of the floor before lifting up her hips. The pain along her inner thighs and wrists was so high that she thought it might have been better to just let herself fall down. Gathering up her legs together, her trembling palms gave force on the floor and lifted herself up. As she looked at the path before her, she found a staircase. If she had fallen two steps ahead, she would have hit her head on the stairs. A thought that she survived luckily made a smile appear on her horror-stricken face. ¡°Thank goodness.¡± She climbed up the not-so-short stairs and emerged out into a well. It was only about a meter deep, so she had no difficulties in stepping on the broken stones along its walls to climb it. Eventually, she crawled out of the hole. When she turned back to take a look, she thought there would be no person who could suspect there was an underground passage behind the small hole. Leaving the well behind, she came out of the bushes to find a central square of downtown. ¡®This is not the square that contained the fountain I used to visit, is it?¡¯ Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Most of the stores the place presented before her were hamburger stores, those that put and sold ham and pickles on bread. The square was buzzing with spectators watching over the musician playing on his flute and the painter engrossed in his painting while they munched on their hamburger crumbles. There were many young kids who seemed to have come out to play, and the ladies in elegant dresses were trying their best not to get bored. ¡®It doesn¡¯t look that dangerous¡­¡­Where should I go first?¡¯ She was practically clueless about where the bookstore was. But, she didn¡¯t want to return without reaping anything. However, if you read novels, kidnapping or human trafficking would have happened around these places. The main character would be followed by a string of men who would help her, but eventually, the men would take her in at the end of the day. Sadly, she didn¡¯t know how she could get out of danger if it got to her. As she thought, she recalled Shabelle getting in trouble in such a busy town when she met Karpel. ¡®Did she come to the capital yet?¡¯ Shabelle was a commoner who lived in the countryside along with her single mother. But in fact, her mother was the priceless daughter of a noble family in the capital. She falls in love with Shabelle¡¯s father, a young butler, and escapes her father¡¯s opposition. He loved his daughter very much, but he was heartbroken and thus, he couldn¡¯t forgive her. But when his daughter and son-in-law dies in a foreign country, he regrets not blessing her daughter and calls his granddaughter, Shabelle, to the capital. Shabelle leaves her home to visit the mall without an escort and gets lost. It was Karpel who helped the wandering female lead. Of course, Shabelle had a cold impression, but she had good looks and a kind heart to cover it. ¡°Shabelle, you bad girl.¡± The words sprang up without her realizing it. She wasn¡¯t a bad girl, who seemed to have a crush on the boy that helped her. Inaila knew it, but she heard a loud, angry grunt coming out of her. Later in the novel, Shabelle changes her target to the Crown Prince, Radiov, after receiving his help. ¡®Karpel is much more handsome than Radiov.¡¯ But how could she transfer her heart¡¯s destination so fast? ¡®Okay, calm down, Inaila.¡¯ She took a deep breath, trying to compose her growing anger. ¡®Should I ask someone about the bookstore?¡¯ She glanced sideways at the fruit store right next to the alley. The shopkeeper was leaning against his chair and biting on his pipe. She couldn¡¯t figure out whether his eyes were small or closed. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t wake him up if he¡¯s sleeping.¡¯ Since there were so many people, she moved a little further in the square, squeezing herself through the crowd. She expected to find the bookstore herself, but it didn¡¯t seem to be there. If this was the place where Karpel sneaked out often, she could meet Shabelle here. She thought for a moment. ¡®She¡¯s not good with directions. Hmm, this is the opposite side of the aristocratic mall.¡¯ She wanted to reach the street beside the mall, but she was confused when she emerged out somewhere else through the underground passage. ¡°Excuse me. Could you please show me the way to the bookstore?¡± She asked a person walking past her with a bag of bread in his hand. For some reason, he looked like a native of this region. ¡°Go to the alley behind that grocery shop.¡± He hurried away before the hooligan in a robe ¨C she ¨C could ask him more or thank him. The grocery shop was standing across the square, a distance away that she could cover herself. She studied the structure from its head to toe and watched the people working inside the store as she approached it. They seemed to be steaming bread with meat inside it. It looked delicious, but she backed away when she noticed the bad smell of the meat before she even arrived in front of the store. ¡®It smells like bad meat. Can I eat it?¡¯ She gave up tasting street food and went straight to the alleyway. She didn¡¯t want to stop at the store before the alley that looked like a hardware store from afar, but when she couldn¡¯t stop herself from peeking in through the milky glass, she spotted something that looked like an orgel or dreamcatcher. The room seemed to feel magical, accompanied by the music that was playing. The amulet displayed on the table looked mythical. In fact, there were a lot of things that seemed interesting, but she shook her head, which made her come out of her daze when she was finished looking at the inside of the shop. Then, she made her way to the alley. She walked for a while, but she couldn¡¯t find the store she was looking for, so she stopped. There was no building that looked like a store, just a single alleyway. A very old, low building, with two or three households, stood before her. It felt ominous to look at the dark and deserted alley. Momentarily, she felt a larger shadow covering her shadow. ¡®Isn¡¯t this ridiculous?¡¯ So, does this mean she is going to be swindled out by a large man and fall in danger like what happens in a novel? She didn¡¯t dare to show her face by lifting her robe. ¡®Robes aren¡¯t high-end, right?¡¯ There was one in ten people in the square who wore this kind of a robe. She might have even seen a dozen of them. She didn¡¯t even know why he tried to lure her to this side. But, there was no time for her to think now. The person behind her was much taller, so she could elbow-hit his stomach. Since the distance was close, he¡¯d be surprised if she pushed him all of a sudden. Then, she planned to jump out of the alleyway. If the opponent caught her hem, she¡¯d hit his jaw with her head. She twirled around to hit him, but it wasn¡¯t just the opponent who was surprised. ¡°Ha? Karpel?¡± Karpel wrapped his arms around her when she rushed to hit him. But unfortunately, she had already hit his abdomen. ¡°Kya¡­..!¡± ¡°Ack!¡± His chest was so hard that it hurt her shoulders. But, he was more startled at how surprising her attack was. ¡°I¡­I¡­I¡­I¡¯m so sorry!¡± She unintentionally raised her head, denting a second attack at him. Karpel looked down at her as she raised her head to see if he was fine, but her head hit his chin. ¡°Oh! Sorry!¡± She pulled out her recovery magic ring, slipping it in his finger, and spoke urgently. ¡°Heal, heal!¡± Of course, nothing happened because the magic could only be activated if the wearer said it. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­I¡¯m fine.¡± Karpel grunted, taking his arms off her and grabbed her wrist, urging her to stop. ¡°Uh, but¡­¡­.¡± He clenched his teeth, pulling out the ring and putting it back in her palm. A firm expression seemed to admire her strength. The way her head impelled, in particular. Her own shoulders were a little fatigued, but his jaw didn¡¯t hurt at all. ¡°Uh, I thought some stranger wanted to block the way¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yeah, well done.¡± She thought he was being sarcastic, but he seemed to be sincerely praising her. Embarrassed, she mumbled an apology to him. ¡°Why is Karpel here¡­..¡± Karpel, who heard her, frowned as he rubbed his palate and chin with his palm. She murmured hastily. ¡°Perhaps¡­.¡± It was natural for him to sneak out here and prepare for a rebellion than her, who sneaked out to search for the bookstore. However, she kept that to herself. Judging from the fact that his wrinkled forehead was not getting unfolded, it seemed like he felt more pain at her attacks in comparison to what she said. He somehow looked fine enough to eradicate real scoundrels if they were to appear. ¡°Why are you going to the bookstore?¡± She quickly came to her senses at his question, but she didn¡¯t know how she could answer him. It was too complicated to tell him about her failure of finding information about a race in the Ducal library. Instead, she directed a question to him. ¡°How did His Highness¡­¡­?¡± Her voice trailed off as he pointed towards the alley with his chin. ¡°Or do you know anyone who lives here?¡± She couldn¡¯t understand the context of the conversation. ¡®Why? Can¡¯t I look for a bookstore if I don¡¯t know anyone here?¡¯ When she just stared at him, he pointed at the entrance of the semi-basement house next to her. There was a staircase leading down to the entrance. It was so steep that she thought she¡¯d have to cautiously place her feet if she had to walk down it. A sign hung at the entrance. The door plate on it read ¡®Books¡¯. ¡®So, it was a bookstore. He didn¡¯t lure me to a dead end.¡¯ When she looked around, she found the bookstore to be the only store in this alley. So, it was natural for Karpel to know her destination. ¡®It seems as if I¡¯ve read too much fiction to have the absurdity of getting into an accident.¡¯ ¡°There¡¯s only one bookstore in this alley.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Karpel seemed to have familiarized himself with this place. As she entered the door he opened for her, she was met with towering bookshelves containing used books before her. She was wondering if there was anyone when she spotted a lady wearing a monocle in the corner, scribbling something on a worn-out book. The lady took a moment to glance at them and went on with what she was doing. Her eyes roamed around the shelves, searching for the book she wanted. It had to be a book about creatures. Some species looked similar to humans such as elves, but others looked like animals walking on two feet or even spirits that could not be seen by human eyes. And as her fingers were skimming through a shelf, her eyes spotted a familiar word, so she went back to it. [Elsium, a popular country on the east of Krenberia.] Her blue eyes rolled along the content list until they spotted, [Forest Elf.] It was then that she realized. It was not many non-human tribes that were going to invade them, but only one of the tribes, the Forest Elves. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 It wasn¡¯t even mentioned that much in the novel she read. ¡®E-L-F. So, it was real.¡¯ Before she even gained the memories of her previous life, she was so indulged in Karpel that she never had the time to get interested in the subject. ¡®Are they like the actors dressed up in movies?¡¯ After putting the book back inside the shelf, she tried to search for a book about the forest elves. Or about Elsium, their country. The books were organized under the title of the Imperial language, but it was difficult to find the particular one through all of those variations of colored covers. She thought of going through the book about the ¡®Political Situation of Neighboring Countries¡¯ later after organizing her weekly schedules. But there was nothing about Elsium. She snooped for a while, and when she had no gain, she remembered about her fiance¡¯s presence. Karpel was looking over at her rummaging through the shelves while standing in a corner with his arms crossed. As he frowned when their eyes met, she lowered her eyes politely. ¡®Why are you here? Are you here to search for a book like ¡°How to Drive a Rebellion Effectively¡±. Wait, no, there can¡¯t be a book like that. Or are you here to meet the rebels?¡¯ She glanced at the door, wondering if she should return quickly. But soon, Karpel was beside her. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± ¡°Some information about Elsium.¡± Karpel looked at her, collecting his eyebrows. She only thought he hated her. But now, the way he was looking at her said she didn¡¯t even deserve his hate. He frowned, as if trying to find her reason to search for something about Elsium here of all places. ¡®Is that so strange?¡¯ ¡°All the books about Elsium are in the library of the mansion.¡± ¡°Really¡­¡­.?¡± She had seen it earlier, but it wasn¡¯t there. To be exact, there was no information about that ¡®binary race¡¯. However, to think it could not just be one country that was bordering the Krenberian territories. ¡®I should¡¯ve looked for a geography book.¡¯ It was extremely embarrassing to think how pathetic it was to come out all the way here when everything was already within the mansion¡¯s walls. ¡°I¡­I went there, but I didn¡¯t see it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go and look for it again. Y-You can return to your business.¡± She laughed bitterly and bowed to him without even stealing a glimpse at him. ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± She quickly dashed towards the door but Karpel stopped her. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Let me escort you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Karpel went silent, so she was aghast. Why would she go when the person who lived next to her room asked her to go with him? ¡°I thought you¡¯d pretend not to see me. We¡¯re accomplices anyway, right? And, I can¡¯t tell my father about this.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Karpel, who took the lead as he said so, began walking to the opposite way of the secret passage she came from. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To the carriage.¡± ¡°Did you bring a carriage?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll borrow it.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t His Highness sneak out through the waterways like I did?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Then why¡ª¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were sneaking out of there, too.¡± He said it as if she had been sneaking out of the mansion habitually to wander around. ¡°¡­¡­This is the first time?¡± ¡°F*ck. The Duke of Krenberia will never let you go again.¡± She thought he was going to let her father know that she secretly sneaked out. ¡®If Father finds out about this, he¡¯ll block all the entrances to my room¡¯s secret passage.¡¯ ¡°This is my first time.¡± She insisted on her innocence. She noticed him patting his jaw where she hit him earlier. She remembered him getting surprised at her technique. But she couldn¡¯t explain since it was something she learnt in her previous life. Well, she wouldn¡¯t even believe it if she was in his position. ¡°I would never sneak out again, Your Highness.¡± She pleaded, but no response came back. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be better if you find all the secret passages blocked.¡± ¡®And since you are the leader of that rebellion, it wouldn¡¯t be good if you were tied up, would it?¡¯ She hated the rebellion, but she had to build up her strength because the current Emperor wasn¡¯t trustworthy of them. Krenberia was also in a state that needed to be strengthened, but there weren¡¯t many forces which could help the Dukedom. ¡°I won¡¯t sneak out again. I swear it on my ring.¡± Karpel sighed, glancing at the ring on her hand. It was the one that tracked the location of the other partner. ¡°Fine.¡± He agreed, turning to the hidden entrance to the waterway, with Inaila following him. He easily slipped into the narrow hole before holding out a hand to her for support. He took the lead as they walked in the dark path. Somehow, she now felt safer than when she came out alone. She speculated that he must have gone through this path countless times. ¡®And this is the way he meets Shabelle in the novel, right?¡¯ ¡°Your Highness, have you ever helped a lost person in the square before?¡± She asked in case he had already met her. ¡°¡­¡­.Let¡¯s just get you home.¡± But it sounded more like an excuse to avert her question. That much she knew about him. ¡®Why are you making excuses when you did something good? It¡¯s suspicious.¡¯ Did he fall in love at first sight while helping her? ¡®That¡­ That can¡¯t be true, right? In the novel, Karpel only meets Shabelle at the beginning and doesn¡¯t show up anymore!¡¯ Absolutely not. In the novel, Karpel was portrayed only as the incarnation of revenge. She once confessed it to him, but she only received a dim look in return. The only thing that ever mattered to him was getting revenge. ¡®Yeah, it can¡¯t be like that.¡¯ He wouldn¡¯t fall for Shabelle when he was already seeing a beautiful girl like Inaila every day. It was natural for Shabelle to fall in love with Karpel, but the opposite could never be true. Though he always had a fierce look sitting on his face, he was very handsome even without a camera filter. She was staring at his back for quite some time when Karpel whirled around suddenly, studying her from head to toe. ¡°Uh?¡± ¡®I didn¡¯t say anything. Or did it hurt when I was staring at you too much?¡¯ She pretended to look elsewhere, turning her head slightly, wondering what was behind her. It was too dark to make out anything. Karpel said. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other since that day.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Puzzled, she turned her head to face him. A slight blush crept up on his cheeks. ¡°Nothing.¡± He moved back to continue his steps forward, but this time he was taking short paces. Arriving at the entrance to her room, he opened the door and pushed her in before warning her. ¡°Don¡¯t drink ever again.¡± As if he had been thinking about it. ¡°Ever again? Never in the future? Not even as an adult?¡± She thought it¡¯d be fine if she drank as a grown-up, but he shook his head. ¡°No, you¡¯ve made some mistakes that day¡­¡­.¡± When she slowly stepped back in protest and tried to enter the passageway, Karpel grabbed her ankle and pushed her forward into the room. ¡°Do not drink.¡± And then, he silently closed the door. It was not her fault to be banned from drinking after acting cutely and asking her fiance to hug her. ¡®This is unfair.¡¯ Chapter 15 - A Place To Meet In Chapter 15 ¨C A Place To Meet In Stein delivered all the books she needed the next morning. The books on Elsium, the Forest Elves, and reports recorded by Krenberia¡¯s ambassadors. ¡®The diplomatic records! Why didn¡¯t I think of them before?¡¯ She once read the books Karpel brought, but they were all very boring. It took her almost two days to give a rough read through a book. There were many unidentifiable words and some annotated foreign words. She had a disturbing idea that she might have to learn the Elves¡¯ language to sit at the negotiating table. Karpel¡¯s probation period ended before she could finish the book. She went to meet him, but he was nowhere to be found for a whole week. Hide-and-seek? Of course, Karpel was hiding and she was the tagger. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡­.?¡± She carefully opened the door of the library with her foot while holding a bunch of books in her hands. Today, she was determined to ask Stein about Karpel¡¯s whereabouts. But there was no one in the library. ¡®I missed him again.¡¯ There was also a tagger chasing her for a week. It was the chef. To learn the secret recipe of her dish. She had already told him about the recipe, but it didn¡¯t match hers. So, she thought of putting something secretly in the dough or the filling. He kept asking her to tell the exact proportions of the ingredients she used because the recipe was ambiguous, but that wasn¡¯t important. Instead, all he had to do was to do the correct thing at the correct time. What was she supposed to do when he was that clueless? It seemed the chef wanted to watch her preparing the dish, but she was too busy searching for Karpel. ¡®Did I write something weird on the note?¡¯ She was grateful to Karpel for telling her about the books, so she mentioned having their engagement broken indirectly. On the contrary, he might have misunderstood it as if she wanted the wedding to be held soon. But if they had to reconsider their engagement, should they be talking when they¡¯re both relaxed? She thought he would meet her today, but she didn¡¯t see a hair of his at all. No matter how large the mansion was, they still lived in one building and in the same hallway, but she did not know how he could avoid her this thoroughly for ¨C a ¨C week. It didn¡¯t even look like he was sneaking out of the castle again. She lied down on the long sofa on one side of the library. ¡®What should I do now¡­¡­.?¡¯ As her skin touched the cushion of the seat, it felt warm. She sprang up and swept her fingers on the region. It felt like someone was sitting there before she entered the library. She had noticed that all the doors and windows were tight shut when she came in. Within a confined place, the missing person she was looking for was sitting there. ¡®Really?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t see him but she knew he was still inside the library. The bookshelves looked like they were never touched, and it was a perfect place for a hideout. There were five places to hide from someone who¡¯d walk in the path to the sofa. In three of them, the person had to duck. It wouldn¡¯t be possible that Karpel would curl up, being one of royalty. There were two others where he could gracefully hide while standing upright. One was near the entrance and the other was close to the sofa. ¡®Right there!¡¯ She stood up, approaching the bookshelf nearby with a smile of victory. Lowering herself on her heels, she turned to look in behind the shelf. ¡°Found you¡­..!¡± She shouted but there was no one. The space next to the shelf wasn¡¯t as wide as she thought. ¡°Oh¡­.¡± Defeated, she walked to the edge of the carpet but got her feet caught on the fabric foolishly. She began to lose her balance. She quickly tried to correct her posture by thrusting on her feet, but unlike what she thought, her small body failed on carrying out any commands from the brain. ¡°Aaaaaa¡­¡­¡­¡± She tried to whirl around to avoid the impact on her face, but something fell right next to her, grabbing her waist. Then, she heard Karpel¡¯s voice after a frustrated groan escaped him. ¡°¡­¡­..Seriously.¡± Turning her head around, she looked up at Karpel with his arm snaked around her waist. His face was full of disgust. ¡®Did you just fall from a higher place?¡¯ She was more concerned about where he jumped off than her own situation. When she looked up, there was a space right on top of a wooden pillar. ¡°¡­¡­.Your Highness, did you hide up there every time I came to see you in the library?¡± Karpel was silent. ¡®So he was there.¡¯ ¡°Please speak to me, Your Highness.¡± ¡°I have nothing to say.¡± He stood up straight, releasing her. When she grabbed his wrist in case he was trying to slip away again, he looked down at her hand. She didn¡¯t grab his sleeve or vest because she was afraid of him getting rid of his clothes before getting away. He would not be able to escape even after cutting her throat. ¡°Since His Highness hates me, is he really fine with the engagement?¡± At her words, he looked up at her without even blinking for once. Now, she wanted to run away from him. Suddenly, she thought there was something she overlooked. He couldn¡¯t break her neck, but he could chop off her wrist. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Frightened, as she lowered her eyes, Karpel drew out a deep sigh. ¡°When did I say that I hated you?¡± ¡®You just looked like you wanted to kill me out of hatred.¡¯ Karpel muttered to himself. ¡°It¡¯s not my opinion that matters.¡± Curious, she looked up at him but found him staring down at her. ¡®Your Highness, your expression just now made it seem like you hated me.¡¯ She felt that Karpel was somehow very ashamed as his cheeks were slightly red for a short while. ¡®Is this really happening?¡¯ Why would he feel ashamed of showing his usual face to her? ¡®I must have seen it wrong.¡¯ She was definitely going to say something else, but she held it in. She expected him to say, ¡°Did you finally get the idea that I hate you?¡±, but he did not. ¡®It¡¯s not like he¡¯s shy, but he¡¯s definitely embarrassed at saying something he didn¡¯t want to say to her.¡¯ She didn¡¯t understand why the ferocious Karpel was embarrassed for that reason, but other than that, there was no way to interpret what she just saw. *** Before she recalled her past memories, she wanted to look like a fairy lady in front of Karpel. So, she practiced her language and actions. Maintaining her beauty was a very demanding task. In order to not miss the latest fashion trends, it was very difficult to keep listening to fashion news from the social circle and to snatch away new jewelry from the hands of other wealthy ladies. For today, the dress line, jewelry, and makeup along with the impression that would add to the atmosphere had to be completed in harmony. She had done everything to catch a man without learning. She would¡¯ve gone to a medical school if she had to study hard. She was having a headache for not being able to understand what the diplomatic report said. She had to think through for a few days before she realized the words in the reports were outside of the dictionary, but they were pronounced in the Imperial language. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 16 Chapter 16 The Evelox Empire had three languages. ¡®This seems crazy difficult.¡¯ The three consist of the most commonly used imperial language, the sacred words used by nobles and deities, and runes used by wizards. The runic language is not used in normal conversations but instead in incantations and spell casting, but since wizards mostly use runic language for the creation of commercial magic items, daily life is inconvenient for them if they don¡¯t know it. Nobles use a mixture of imperial and sacred words, which are formed like Chinese characters, so they have to memorize the whole word. [E/N: it¡¯s not a phonetic language like english that uses an alphabet basically] In the past, I used to study the sacred words used in basic noble etiquette, but I didn¡¯t want to witness each of my teachers showing off. So instead I acted cute in front of my father, and convinced him that I didn¡¯t want to study. So he fired all my live-in teachers. ¡®Is it really okay for a Duke household¡¯s education to be like this?¡¯ Anyway, it was good to realize it was a sacred language, but the real problem is the next step. Based on the pronunciation, there can be at least five to six sacred words that could be a match and possibly more than twenty meanings for each of those words. So teaching myself was impossible. I stormed into my father¡¯s study. ¡°Papa, I want to study. Please hire a teacher.¡± I said it quite suddenly, and my father froze. After a while, my father approached me with a pale face, grabbed me by the shoulders, and said with a serious expression. ¡°I-Ina. You¡¯re still too young to learn that.¡± ¡®What are you talking about? Is there an age limit to learning an alphabet?¡¯ I have never heard of an age limit even though there is a limit on how far one¡¯s academic status can fall. ¡°It¡¯s not too late to learn as an adult. There¡¯s no rush for you to learn it and you don¡¯t need to have it memorized forever.¡± I was worried about the reason why the Duke of Krenberia¡¯s child education policy was like this. I was seven or eight years old when I started to act cute because I didn¡¯t want to study. At that point, I had time to mess around. But now I¡¯m thirteen years old. There were also families who left small businesses to their successors when they turned ten years old. Even now that I¡¯m engaged, I procrastinated and still didn¡¯t realize that it is the time to study in a bridal class or whatever, but it isn¡¯t that important because I only need the knowledge from that class temporarily. There wasn¡¯t a single time when I couldn¡¯t get what I wanted, so I begged. I tugged my father¡¯s sleeve and tilted my head, pretending to be cute. ¡°But the books in the library are too difficult. I don¡¯t know what the terms are in the diplomatic records.¡± My father pressed his lips tightly to try and not fall into my temptation, but his eyes widened in surprise when he heard me. ¡°You want to learn something else, not how to make children?¡± ¡°Children?¡± I didn¡¯t know why he thought I would be curious about how to make a child, so I looked at my father blankly, and he turned red and covered his mouth. And then I remembered the events from the other night. The night that I was drunk. There was nothing to say. Even if he was acting so serious, after misunderstanding the situation, watching his little daughter running into her fianc¨¦¡¯s room to cling onto him with alcohol while being drunk herself. ¡®Why is he still thinking about it when it¡¯s already been a full day since? I¡¯m 13 years old. Is he out of his mind?¡¯ My father shook his head in surprise at how I looked at him. ¡°Yes, I meant you are my child. My sweet¡­¡± I hurriedly covered my father¡¯s mouth, who was in the process of calling me a strange nickname. ¡°Papa.¡± My father squeezed my hand and removed it from his mouth. ¡°Yes, Papa forgot. What do you want to learn? The terms used in diplomacy are a mixture of many foreign languages.¡± ¡°Can I learn Elf?¡± ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t need to look for a teacher, I¡¯ll find one.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I was going to say thank you after answering, but I found my father looking at me with a sad face. So I hugged my father¡¯s neck and kissed him on the cheek as a thank you. ¡°Thank you, Papa. Papa¡¯s the best!¡± ¡°The best?¡± Father blankly mulled over the descriptor, repeated it for emphasis, and smiled triumphantly. ¡°Yes, my daughter. I¡¯m the best, aren¡¯t I?¡± My father seemed a bit pathetic trying to steal more compliments, but I smiled and even gave him a thumbs up. ¡°The best, the best.¡± Dad looked at my cheerful face and taped his lips as if he wanted to say something. Eventually, after hesitating, he didn¡¯t say anything, instead he nodded his head, stroking my hair. For some reason, I thought what my father was trying to say, ¡°It¡¯s not Karpel, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m the best.¡± * * * Rumors seemed to be circulating, saying that I had been acting strange. It was not a rumor in the mansion, but among the little ladies I used to surround myself with. Letters containing phrases such as, ¡°Are you sick, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I miss you,¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried,¡± and so on arrived every day. Unlike before, I don¡¯t have time to thoughtlessly play princess with them, and as a matter of fact, I don¡¯t want to. But I felt like I had to show my presence everywhere. The servants were nervous at first, but they seemed to focus more on their chores since I wasn¡¯t being picky. Previously, my everyday schedule was set that I would wake up at the end of noon, and pick what jewelry and dress I should present to Karpel right away. But recently, I have been waking up at the crack of dawn, getting dressed, and starting my routine. In my previous life, I had to work in the kitchen all day, so stamina was important. I also had to have a means of protecting my body because I was alone without anyone to share my life with and help me. Exercise slowly became one of my hobbies later. Perhaps because I remembered my memories of those times, I was itching to move around even though I was used to staying still because I wasn¡¯t active in this life. I couldn¡¯t exercise too much because I was still weak, but I would walk around the central garden to the greenhouse for about two hours at dawn. Neither father nor Karpel asked me why my attitude toward exercise had changed. There was no significant change in how I treated my father, and I treated Karpel like how I had treated him when he was a child before the age of ten, so he seemed to have no sense of discomfort. Karpel seemed to go to the training grounds even earlier than I did. Since the training grounds were past the central garden, it seemed the servants chose to watch Karpel even if they saw me wandering around the garden. Karpel hasn¡¯t avoided me since our encounter in the library. But during dinner, he would glance at me as if he had something to say to me. When I looked at him, he had already looked away, but whenever I felt his gaze from the side, I could tell he looked displeased. The chef kept making cinnamon bread for dessert as if to issue a challenge towards me who wasn¡¯t offering any help. It wasn¡¯t the same as my recipe, mostly because it seems like he used a different oil and fried it in his own way, but everything was still delicious. Karpel liked it, too. It was obvious that Karpel, who always ate dessert, anticipated it every day. Karpel was munching on his dessert with a pleasant expression, it was very cute. As I watched him happily, our eyes met. My eyes twinkled as pretty as stars, but he quickly looked away from them. I guess I didn¡¯t look attractive while chewing my food and my cheeks turned a little red. ¡®I guess you¡¯re upset at watching me eating.¡¯ I saw my father eating comfortably. When I made eye contact he was looking at me with a sad expression. He seemed to be holding a grudge against me for saying he was the best and then not prioritizing him over Karpel. ¡®Hmm¡­ Children shall become independent from their parents when they grow up. But how do I get my father to be independent from me?¡¯ * * * I was worried about which social events I should participate in so that I could promote the health of Inaila Krenberia. I need to choose events wisely so they can help prevent negative rumors from spreading. I was no longer interested in the operas and poetry recitals that I could go to with the young ladies, and my father had to go to big events, a ball and a banquet. I wanted to avoid the events where I had to go with my father as much as possible because people were likely to assume that my father¡¯s presence would influence my behavior at the banquet hall. I¡¯m so ashamed of myself¡­ Also, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because I tried to attend before the engagement, but it wasn¡¯t acceptable to attend a social event without a fianc¨¦. If Karpel says no, I¡¯ll have no choice but to go alone, but it was polite to ask if he could escort me. So, there weren¡¯t many suitable places to go with Karpel. It¡¯s meaningless to go to a place where fewer people gather, and if there are too many people, Karpel will be uncomfortable. After much thought, I decided to attend Rose Garden, a flower showing party that takes place on Countess Wizen¡¯s property. The person who held the flower show once was the empress and the royal family could participate, but the atmosphere was light as the young nobles mainly participated. In my room, I replied to the letters from the young ladies, and said I¡¯d meet them at Rose Garden. And now all I had left to do was ask Karpel to come with me. After my morning walk, I waited for Karpel in the library. I didn¡¯t plan to meet with him, and I didn¡¯t know when he would come, so I searched through the Elf dictionary while waiting. The dictionary was written by the Forest Elves. The problem is that I can¡¯t read it. While flipping through it I found the word ¡°spicy¡± and was really excited to figure out what plant it was referencing, it seemed to be describing something like a ¡°green onion¡± or something similar to ginger. I thought I could find something similar to a pepper by looking for a taste that is not just spicy but ¡°a burning sensation in the mouth.¡± The history of using chili peppers for food is short, and they first described it as ¡°used in torture.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll look in a book about torture methods.¡¯ I went around the library until I found a book. ¡®Galbi ¡­¡­ I want to eat spicy Galbi ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯ [T/N: Galbi, galbi-gui, or grilled ribs is a type of grilled dish in Korean cuisine.] Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Swallowing the drool pooling in my mouth, I searched through the books again. There were only a few books in the easy-to-understand imperial language and many more in foreign languages. I can¡¯t find it. But I don¡¯t think I should ask anyone for help to find something used commonly in torture. They¡¯ll question my humanity. While looking for a word that means ¡°pain,¡± I frowned, trying to read the long definition in Elf. It read, ¡°Prediction of the Weather and Yield of the Day Through the Flow of Mana in the Body.¡± In short, it seemed to mean that it would rain tomorrow if the joints hurt. ¡®Is that right? I¡¯m sure it is.¡¯ I snooped around and went to return the book I was holding. Come to think of it, I think it¡¯s been a while, but I haven¡¯t heard from Karpel. While mulling that over I looked up while pulling out the book right next to me. Suddenly a person was standing right there. I was belatedly surprised because at first, I couldn¡¯t tell if the Karpel standing in front of me was real or a figment of my imagination. Karpel looked just as surprised as I was. ¡°I was going to call your name.¡± ¡°Oh, y-yeah? Did you just get here?¡± I just asked because I was embarrassed by his unexpected appearance, but Karpel didn¡¯t answer. Instead, my eyes widened at the book I was holding. I looked at what I was holding. The title was written quite simply in four letters of the ancient language. The cover was red colored leather. ¡®What kind of analysis book is this?¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to embarrass myself by taking the time to read the description on the back and appear uneducated, so I put the book back and got up. But when he surprised me earlier, Karpel¡¯s eyes were filled with shock, so I wondered what that was about. ¡®Is the book about the history of treason? No, it¡¯s just an analysis.¡¯ Somehow I felt awkward and followed Karpel to the sofa. As I did that, I suddenly became very curious about the title of the book that I was holding earlier. ¡®Shall I ask him?¡¯ I shook my head. I thought it would be better to look it up in the dictionary. The ancient language is derived from characters that depict the twelve constellations. At first glance, the first letter seemed to mean soil and bones. The books were arranged alphabetically, based on their first syllable, in the imperial language. So the first syllable was likely to be the same as the book next to it. I was lost in thought and clapped my hands at the words that flashed up in my mind. ¡°Positions!¡± Karpel was too surprised to respond to my outburst. ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Karpel¡¯s face was burning red. Suddenly, I couldn¡¯t figure out what was wrong with him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Karpel breathed a very, very heavy sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking anymore. What were you planning to do with that book?¡± ¡°What?¡± I stared at Karpel in a puzzled manner while he observed me persistently, as if trying to read my thoughts. Karpel, who had stared at me for a long time, exclaimed as if he had just realized something, and his face turned even redder. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I think I¡¯ve misunderstood.¡± ¡°What did you misunderstand?¡± I sat next to him and he backed away from me. We weren¡¯t even sitting close together. The space was too small for a person, but if a dog had wanted to sit between us it would have been possible. As I looked at him, Karpel tried to change the subject. ¡°Do you have business with me today?¡± ¡°Yes. What did you misunderstand, Karpel?¡± Misunderstandings grow when left to pile up. There was no guarantee that he would not misunderstand something again today. He hardly answered, so I thought of what Karpel had said earlier. ¡°Positions? What do you want me to do with that?¡± ¡°No, I misunderstood.¡± I thought studying the ancient language would help me. But seeing him misunderstand, I didn¡¯t think it was the case. Come to think of it, he looked a little strange when I was holding the book. Perhaps he meant there is something he wants to know about the book itself, not the word. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with the positions book?¡¯ I was thinking about what the book was, but I thought about the title once more and finally figured it out while almost exclaiming out loud. It was not an analysis of proper posture when sitting or standing, but rather some kind of kamasutra*. [T/N: An erotic book that contains descriptive instructions and pictures of several different positions of intercourse, including positions involving standing, sitting, lying, handstands, bridges, kneeling, and many other forms a body can take.] ¡°Karpel. Did you see the book?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®He saw it. He saw it.¡¯ I squinted my eyes. ¡°What position did you think I was going to do with you?¡± He shut his mouth and turned his head as if he needed to cleanse his ears. He seemed very embarrassed. It seemed he was very embarrassed seeing he was not shooting hate rays with his eyes today. But it took me a while. We¡¯re engaged, and we can do something because of it, so of course one may think of it in another way. Karpel is 16 years old, so he¡¯s at an age where he¡¯s interested in that. Of course, I was the one who was in trouble, but Karpel also looked genuinely in trouble. It made me feel a little subtle. Saying that he didn¡¯t know what I was thinking there meant that he had no intention of doing anything with me. It¡¯s not because we¡¯re young, but we don¡¯t have any thoughts about it at all. The 16-year-old boy has no intention of doing that with his fianc¨¦e. I nodded nervously. ¡°I¡¯m glad the misunderstanding has been resolved. I don¡¯t intend on doing that either.¡± He looked at me with a look of embarrassment. I acted like I didn¡¯t know what positions were because I didn¡¯t wanna get any deeper into it. So I turned around. ¡°Would you rather go to Rose Garden, Karpel?¡± ¡°¡­Why would I go there.¡± Karpel said coldly. I knew he¡¯d say that if I asked for his opinion. In the past, I used to say, ¡°Please go.¡± That¡¯s how I used to force him. Of course, Karpel hated escorting me to places where there were many nobles. We were uncomfortable. I¡¯ll stop taking Karpel by force from now on. The place where Karpel mainly attends is probably a secret place where nobles gather to participate in the rebellion. It appears once or twice in the novel, and I remembered that the nobles¡¯ names seemed as if they had been decided after sitting in a cafe and looking at the menu. I couldn¡¯t remember them now, but I would if I saw them. Anyway, there will be a lot of old men who will play with me when I go, but I came to my senses since I can¡¯t force myself to drag Karpel, who doesn¡¯t want to be with me, to such a place. ¡°I was thinking of going on a date, but if you don¡¯t want to, I¡¯ll go alone.¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t say no.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Are you saying you¡¯re going or not? Elf is also difficult, but I feel sorry for myself, who has to interpret Karpel as well. Please tell me in the end you¡¯re going. * * * I¡¯ve been making a fuss since morning. I¡¯m sure there would only be children at Rose Garden, but I was excited to leave this place. My father, who stopped by my room before going to work at the palace, seemed to hate that I was going out with Karpel, but he couldn¡¯t say anything to his excited daughter. I skipped my morning walk, but Karpel steadfastly went out to train. While he was out, I stormed into his room and chose what he would wear today. Even if my fianc¨¦ and I live in the same house, the maids were frightened to see me searching his wardrobe without his knowledge. But without my father, there was no one in this house to stop me. Karpel had everything in his closet, but nothing caught my eye. I chose a suit that was the same color as the dress I would wear, and I also chose the necktie color and a brooch. There weren¡¯t many types of what Karpel had, so I thought I had to change what I chose. There would be no dress code today. Wherever I went, I had a matching dress code with my close friends. Even now that I remembered my past life, playing with my friends in matching dress codes felt fun. There was a big age difference, but we were friends anyway. I had no friends in my previous life because I was so busy living. There was a chef who I could call a friend, but she was like a teacher who taught me how to live alone and cook before being a friend. I was a young woman who began to take responsibility for life on her own, and the chef died saying that her life was satisfactory. We lived in different times, so I wouldn¡¯t be disappointed even if I didn¡¯t have any friends. While I was thinking of fixing my hair, it seemed that Karpel had returned. Since I couldn¡¯t move, I only listened to the room next door. I thought he would come in teary-eyed if he found out that I had searched his closet however I wanted, but it was quiet. I had just finished doing my hair and became free. At the same time, my makeup was complete by preparing my skin with lotion and a pinky fruit oil on my lips. When I stepped out, I saw a Karpel standing in the clothes I had chosen. It seemed that I had some good taste. His everyday clothing is nice, but this went very well without missing anything. ¡°Wow! You look nice!¡± As soon as I saw him, I admired him and Karpel laughed. It was not a clear expression, but a real smile raised both corners of his mouth. ¡°You look lovely today as well.¡± He even compliments me for some reason. He seemed to be in a good mood today. I bowed politely in embarrassment. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± Then I smiled, and Karpel reached out to me. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Karpel¡¯s hand was much larger than I thought it would be. I looked up at Karpel. In my previous life, I didn¡¯t have a growth spurt until I was 15. Maybe I¡¯m a little taller now, but I probably won¡¯t grow much more. I¡¯ll become a woman instead and develop in other ways. But Karpel was likely to get bigger and taller. Perhaps because he trains frequently, his shoulders are quite wide and he¡¯d even developed some muscles already. ¡®Wait! Wait! I¡¯d be crazy if I viewed Karpel as masculine.¡¯ She shook her head to fix her confused mind. ¡®Karpel is sixteen. A child. A young one at that.¡¯ He is 16 years old, but he suffered so much that the atmosphere around him made him seem as old as 26. It¡¯s not that his face looks old, but his atmosphere is mature. 26 is not that much of an age difference from me in my previous life. ¡®Ah, so what? What would I do?¡¯ The title Positions from that red book in the library was floating in my mind. Come to think of it, I was very curious about the contents of that book. Even when we got on the carriage, I was still in my own thoughts, so Karpel looked at me and spoke. ¡°What did you forget in the garden?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I heard you go to the garden every morning.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been taking walks because I¡¯m too weak.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ a walk.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°No reason.¡± And Karpel, who turned his head to the carriage window, seemed disappointed. * * * The name of the event is Rose Garden, but there were not many rose bushes at the venue. It is not the season when roses bloom a lot, but it was heavily decorated with flower baskets. Despite the name being slightly unsuitable, the elegant baskets of flowers were all colorful and gorgeous. My followers found me and approached me while I was admiring the flowers instead of interacting with people. ¡°Miss Inaila, I missed you!¡± ¡°Miss Inaila.¡± I greeted the crowd of children. It was cute to listen to them chat while they called my name. ¡°Miss Inaila, why are you here alone? Please invite us to the estate again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯d have gone if you invited me.¡± ¡®What do you mean I came alone?¡¯ I was looking for Karpel, who escorted me to this place just before, but he¡¯s nowhere to be seen. I didn¡¯t even know when he left, so I laughed it out. ¡°Oh, hehe.¡± I scanned the whole area, only intending to find Karpel, but the ladies seemed to believe that I came alone for another reason. ¡°Miss Inaila, won¡¯t you invite me Krenberia now?¡± ¡°Miss Inaila, you were acting very strange that day, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That day?¡± ¡°Lady Float joined Miss Inaila¡¯s tea time without an invitation.¡± ¡°Miss Inaila, you¡¯re afraid Lady Float is here, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡®Who¡¯s that?¡¯ ¡°If Lady Float had a conscience, she wouldn¡¯t be able to show her face here. She¡¯s done such disrespect to Miss Inaila.¡± ¡°The duke forbade her from entering the mansion because of the rudeness of Lady Float.¡± Something terrible must have happened because the ladies were making a huge fuss about tea time, but I was thinking about the incident the day before so I can¡¯t recall what happened. Listening to the story, it seemed that father did not forbid everyone who came that day from entering the estate, but only Lady Float, a person of interest, was prohibited. ¡°I told my father not to do that.¡± ¡°Miss Inaila is very merciful!¡± Lady Float praised me with beautiful words that sounded like poetry recitals. Compliments saying that I am pretty, kind, beautiful, wise, and so many more began to fuel Inaila¡¯s compliment battle, and they didn¡¯t really sound like genuine compliments. It sounded like a clich¨¦ conversation about how nice the weather was. ¡®What the hell happened that day?¡¯ It certainly seemed like something very upsetting happened. I also can¡¯t clearly remember the person that came to tea time without an invitation. To be exact, I didn¡¯t invite her, but she came by someone else¡¯s invitation. ¡®Didn¡¯t you say you got an invitation from Karpel?¡¯ I wondered if Karpel invited a girl to his fiancee¡¯s tea time, but my eyes met with a girl who was coming toward us. I realized at that moment. Shabelle. Her cloudy blonde hair, which was close to an ivory color, was neat rather than flashy, and her green eyes looked as bright as newly sprouted seedlings. It was Shabelle. The original heroine, Shabelle. It was Shabelle who came to my tea time without an invitation. To be exact, she went to see Karpel, not to attend my gathering, but Shabelle, who visited the estate under the excuse of attending my tea party, was guided by the servants to the garden where I held it. I wondered why Lady Float, who had never heard of my family name, came to my tea time. In the underground waterway, Karpel said he had helped a lost girl. That girl was Shabelle. In the novel, Shabelle, who was helped by Karpel, wants to repay the favor, so she asked where he lives. That was the day when the crown prince called Karpel out on a rare official outing. He said he lived in the Krenberian mansion because he didn¡¯t have to hide his identity. Normally, she would not be able to set foot in the duke¡¯s mansion, but in the novel, Shabelle¡¯s visit was on the day I held tea time in Krenberia, so she attended my tea party along with some other young ladies. And so I recalled Shabelle who came to my tea time. As in the novel, she confidently told me that she thought that Karpel and I had a brother-and-sister relationship and that she came to see Karpel. At that time, I can clearly remember the cold silence that had fallen in the garden. My followers did not like Shabelle, who proudly declared that she was interested in my man. After being personally attacked, the ladies asked for her to prove whether there was evidence of an invitation from Karpel, or whether Karpel had truly gotten an invitation from the royal family or he was just avoiding her, the ladies managed to impede Shabelle who turned away timidly with a flushed face. Shabelle somehow fell down in a seemingly unnatural way. I reached out my hand to her and Shabelle grasped my hand tightly. It was that moment. During that interaction, the memories of my past life appeared in my mind. My hand was hot, and the memories from my other life came to my mind in a short moment, like a lightning bolt. The shock made me push away Shabelle who was holding my hand. I clearly remembered everything that day. ¡®Oh, my God! Am I a wicked woman?¡¯ I¡¯m certain, there was a wicked woman in the novel who harassed the heroine, Shabelle. She was bullied by the wicked woman and got help from the crown prince. The wicked woman was a duchess. However, I was the only lady in the duke¡¯s family. So I¡¯m a villain. But now I¡¯ve realized it. I¡¯m the one who torments the crown prince behind his back! In the novel, I only appeared as a vaguely described princess, so I never imagined it would be me. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t appear in the novel! The setting of a wicked woman being a duchess without a name was so common in those novels, so I didn¡¯t think much of it. The memories of my previous life did not come to me suddenly for no reason. It was because I was in contact with the female heroine that they did. ¡®No!¡¯ I was surprised that the ruined novel hit me with another surprise like this again. I was going to apologize to Shabelle for that day, but my followers shuddered when they saw her standing before me. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s Lady Float!¡± ¡°Why did she appear in Miss Inalia¡¯s sight?¡± I let my cute followers gossip, who pretend that they were trying to whisper. Soon, I beckoned softly to shush them. But while the ladies were distracted and looking at me, Shabelle turned around, took a small dropper from her pocket, and dropped a drop of liquid into her eyes. ¡®What?¡¯ While I was confused, Shabelle put the eye drops back into her pocket and knelt down in front of me. ¡°Princess! Forgive me! I truly didn¡¯t know that he was your man!¡± A drop of water trickled down from Shabelle¡¯s big eyes. As if proving that it wasn¡¯t real tears, there were no other tears that flowed down except for that one drop. ¡®¡­What is this? Didn¡¯t she just put water in her eyes?¡¯ Chapter 19 Chapter 19 It was very strange. I tried to lift Shabelle up. ¡°Come on, stand up Young Lady Float.¡± ¡°Princess, are you forgiving me?¡± ¡°I was the only one who did an impolite thing that day. I¡¯m sorry, Young Lady Float.¡± Shabelle¡¯s eyes widened at my words. My apology didn¡¯t seem to give her any satisfaction, instead, it looked like she felt fear. Originally, Shabelle was such a simple minded character. She was so naive that she seemed like an idiot. So I thought that if I apologized, she would accept it right away, but I furrowed my eyebrows as it didn¡¯t go the way I intended. And then she asked me again and again. ¡°Princess, are you apologizing for accusing me of being disrespectful on that day?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Are you not?¡± ¡°N-No, that¡¯s right¡­¡± In fact, I rolled around on the floor and contemplated not apologizing, but listening to her words, I should have apologized sooner because I was the reason why many persecuted Shabelle. But I was embarrassed because I didn¡¯t think Shabelle would speak so sharply. While I hesitated, my followers began to criticize Shabelle again. ¡°Young Lady Float. How much more disrespect will you show to Miss Inalia?¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Inalia was so shocked she became bedridden! But you think you deserve to complain. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to show my face because of the embarrassment.¡± The sight of the ladies talking nonsense to the future empress Shabelle made my expression darken slightly. I waved my hand again and asked them to be quiet. ¡°Everyone, I don¡¯t believe Young Lady Float meant to be disrespectful. Young Lady Float, I¡¯m truly sorry. All this happened because everyone adores me so much.¡± ¡°Princess, should I understand that those young ladies persecute me because they adore you?¡± ¡®I don¡¯t think so, but what can I do about the hidden nuances of noble speech?¡¯ It¡¯s normal to twist your words when you¡¯re nobility, but openly questioning a person using their own words is foul play. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to force them to do something. I meant to apologize for them because I was partially responsible for them doing it.¡± Shabelle frowned and murmured at my words. ¡°Why won¡¯t the princess get mad at me when I talk back to her?¡± It sounded like a quarrel, but Shabelle seemed very suspicious about my attitude. If I had been the same as before, I would have already turned this situation around. I was getting anxious now. The heroine is too smart. Shabelle was not a character who pointed out subtle things one by one. ¡°I¡¯m the one who did the worst to you. How can I get angry at you? I¡¯m sure I accidentally stained your dress that day, so I would like to give you a new dress as a present.¡± ¡°If you are talking about a mistake, do you mean when you spilled a drink on my hand and knocked me onto the floor?¡± Shabelle wasn¡¯t just mildly arguing with me, she was fighting. ¡®Why the hell is Shabelle fighting me?¡¯ I looked at Shabelle because I didn¡¯t know what to say, and she looked nervous when I didn¡¯t respond. Even my followers kept saying oh my, indicating that Shabelle¡¯s attitude was absurd. I couldn¡¯t believe it even when I watched her, who didn¡¯t have a strong backing, fighting against me. Shabelle, with whatever the hell she actually wants, is now starting to blame me. ¡°Princess, that harassment was intended for all to see. I wasn¡¯t going to attend at first, but you drove me to the point where I should¡¯ve attended without an invitation¡­?¡± Shabelle was cut off. A man suddenly cut in between me and Shabelle. ¡°Sorry for the intrusion, ladies.¡± He had an elegant speech pattern and a soft voice. The man looked back at me slowly, asking for patience out of courtesy. The crown prince. The male lead of the original novel. Although I worked hard on socializing as a duke¡¯s daughter, this was basically a practice social event where young children gathered. This type of social event is filled with lower level aristocrats and it is a good environment for me to build up my followers. So I have rarely met Crown Prince Radiov, since we had quite an age difference. I see him at the royal banquet a couple of times a year. I invited him to my engagement ceremony as a courtesy, but that day the crown prince went as an envoy to the neighboring kingdom and was not in the empire, and my engagement was congratulated by the empress instead. Today was my first time seeing him since I greeted him last time at the New Year¡¯s banquet. Why are you here? As I was confused, I slowly became horrified as Shabelle and the crown prince glanced at me. Shabelle is twelve years old. The crown prince is twenty years old. What¡¯s worse is that the two will start flirting in only a few months. What I realized was something I didn¡¯t even think of when I was reading the novel. ¡®The crown prince is not sane.¡¯ When I looked at the crown prince with contempt, this man began to appease Shabelle. ¡°Young Lady, I know your wounds are deep, but the princess seems to truly feel sorry, so why don¡¯t you give her a chance to heal your wounds?¡± Shabelle replied so submissively that it seemed as though she wasn¡¯t the one who had just said something so sharp to me only moments ago. ¡°Yes, I will.¡± The prince smiled softly at her response and looked back at me. ¡°Young Lady Krenberia.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness?¡± ¡°Would you give me a moment?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The twenty-year-old prince looked rather young for his age, but his status was still scary. In fact, the image of the emperor behind him was scarier than the actual crown prince. I tried placing my hand on the one the crown prince held out to me, but someone grabbed my hand first. I was startled and pulled back my hand. But someone grabbed it back as soon as I let go. This time, I wasn¡¯t surprised because I already knew who it was by then. It was Karpel who caught my hand. He spoke dryly, looking at the prince with a rigid face that did not show any emotions. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. I think we should get going.¡± I looked at my hand being held tightly, and the prince was completely unmoved by the sudden appearance of Karpel. ¡°Is that so? Then I¡¯ll see you next time.¡± At the crown prince¡¯s words, Karpel pulled me away in a hurry, and so I followed him. It wasn¡¯t possible for me to prepare a suitable explanation, so I bid goodbye to the prince by lifting only the hem of my salposhi dress. The crown prince looked at us with a smile. ¡®Why did the crown prince come to a children¡¯s gathering? Perv¡­ Is he here to watch the children?¡¯ I became wary of the crown prince because I thought he might be looking at the children with impure eyes. I kept staring at Radiov and Karpel held onto my shoulder. Karpel, who is three years older than me, moved in front of me and completely blocked my vision. I was trying to observe this ¡°new¡± male lead, but instead, I ended up looking at Karpel, who had a face full of resentment. And when I saw his face, I could only look ahead quietly. Karpel¡¯s face was horribly distorted. Crown Prince Radiov. To me, he was only the male lead of the novel, but to Karpel, he¡¯s the son of an enemy. I felt sorry. It was because he had to drag me out of there and I had made him face his enemy¡¯s son. As I walked calmly toward the carriage, Karpel, who was pushing me as if to hurry, slightly matched my pace. As I walked slowly, my surroundings began to catch my eye. If we move in a hurry like this, I was afraid we might attract a lot of attention, but everyone was focused on what they were talking about as if we were invisible. But it was not just one or two of them, it was all of them. Besides, they were still children who struggled to hide their inner thoughts. So since I could see that Karpel and I were wary of where to move. I clutched at Karpel¡¯s sleeve, who was standing beside me. I shouldn¡¯t have come. Next time I¡¯ll just invite a couple of the ladies to the mansion. I climbed into the carriage with the help of Karpel. I just got here and now we¡¯re already on the way back to the mansion. I glanced at Karpel¡¯s stiff face and spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Karpel paused. He slowly opened his mouth, then shut it as he was about to say something. I fiddled with my hair and made excuses for no reason. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that His Highness, the crown prince, would be there.¡± Karpel looked sideways at me and sighed. It was like he pitied me. Damn. He doesn¡¯t seem to like anything I do. [e/n: Seems like someone is getting kinda jealous. ~Hey guys, sorry about the unexpected break, the TL had some stuff going on. Thank you for your patience, and we should have releases probably every week from now on~] Chapter 20 Chapter 20 4. Let it be for just a little while Prince Karpel lost his mother when he was born. Nonetheless, he grew up to become very intelligent and was beloved by his father, the late Emperor. It happened just one day after his fourth birthday. It was just an ordinary day. Karpel had his lunch, read his fairy tales, and had his nap. It might have been time for him to wake up since he was picked up by his escort knight. He couldn¡¯t go back to sleep, so he just blinked and leaned into the arms of the warm knight who had always protected him. After looking around, he saw that they were heading towards the audience chamber. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Sir Just? Did His Majesty call for me?¡± ¡°I shall stay with you as you say farewell to your father on his final journey, Your Highness.¡± Karpel was confused. He didn¡¯t hear any news that the Emperor was going out anywhere. And he didn¡¯t understand why the knight Sir Just needed to be there with him. However, the knight¡¯s face looked so gleeful that Karpel just smiled as well. Something good must have happened. That¡¯s all he thought. As they entered the audience chamber, what caught Karpel¡¯s eye were the red insignias decorating the room. Several knights entered the room as well. The crimson sword was splendid. [e/n: I think the crimson sword is on the insignias] It seemed like they were there for a ceremony. The room was heady with the intoxicating feeling of success one gets after achieving a great feat. Everyone was elated. In front of the Imperial throne and the knights was a large man donned in full armor, standing proudly. Normally, it should have been Karpel¡¯s father who was supposed to be standing in front of the throne. And yet, it was his cousin, Radiev, who stood next to that man. ¡°Brother?¡± [e/n: Not his actual brother just to clarify, that¡¯s just what he calls his cousin] After hearing Karpel¡¯s voice, everyone in the room trained their eyes on the boy. Karpel looked at the armored man, thinking it was his father, so he could ask why Radiev was here. But it wasn¡¯t his father. ¡°Uncle?¡± It was his uncle who was as strong and firm as a steadfast rock. Karpel suddenly felt chills when he saw his uncle smirking down at him. His uncle pulled out a sword, then descended from the podium. As he moved away, Karpel saw a man incapacitated on the floor with his head being pressed to the ground underfoot, held down by several knights as if he was a hunted animal. Then, his uncle called out. ¡°Older brother.¡± He used his gauntlet to poke at the man¡¯s forehead. Only then did Karpel realize that it was his father that his uncle was sneering at. His uncle¡¯s crooked lips opened. ¡°All you have in your head is pastry cream that¡¯s too sweet and too soft. How saccharine and harmonious must you view the world.¡± Karpel couldn¡¯t understand what was transpiring in front of him. His father was the compassionate Emperor who sat on that magnificent throne, always smiling down on Karpel benevolently. He should never have been the subject of such insults. His uncle continued his speech coated in sarcasm. ¡°Power is a means to attain more, and yet you won¡¯t do what you want even when you actually hold it in your hands.¡± ¡°Verseda. What you¡¯re trying to get your hands on is just short-lived wealth and glory.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see. It may be short, but I¡¯ll enjoy it longer than you.¡± His uncle lifted his sword. Karpel stared blankly into his father¡¯s eyes. They were filled with sorrow for his son. Soon, the heavy metal blade swung down in an arc and hit the floor. A round object rolled down the red carpet. Karpel couldn¡¯t understand what had just happened. He simply watched without having the power to look away. At that time, the knights all cheered. ¡°Long live Emperor Verseda!¡± ¡°Honor and glory to His Majesty the Emperor!¡± The cheers roared throughout the room as Karpel was thrown at the feet of his uncle. He hit his knee hard on the floor, but he did not feel any pain. He raised his body using his stiff arms, and as he lifted his face, he saw a sword dripping with dark red liquid lingering right in front of him. Karpel looked at his uncle who was smiling pleasantly. He was horrified. Since he was small, when the person in front of him was smiling he thought he should also be happy, but right now Karpel felt terrible and nauseous. He couldn¡¯t understand. Nothing felt real. Then, his uncle spoke with an appeasing tone. ¡°Karpel, it must be scary to watch your father go away all alone. Why don¡¯t you follow him?¡± The crimson sword swung high once more, this time to take Karpel¡¯s life. ¡°S-sir Just¡­¡± Karpel called out to his escort knight. He was the one who had always held his hand whenever he felt scared. But then he remembered, Sir Just was the one who threw him in front of his uncle. He couldn¡¯t move. Then suddenly, he heard a voice filled with fear. ¡°Karpel, run!¡± It was his cousin, Radiev. Upon hearing his exclamation, Karpel went on his knees and quickly crawled away. But then, since this child¡¯s movements were hardly agile. Soon, a blade had cut through Karpel¡¯s back with great force. He fell to the floor at once. He tried to lift himself up with his arms, but a severe pain thundered through his body, feeling as though he was being torn in half. He couldn¡¯t even groan. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Sir Just with a remorseful expression. ¡°It would have been better to have died immediately, Your Highness.¡± Karpel¡¯s vision gradually grew hazy due to the immense pain he felt. His uncle¡¯s woeful voice echoed throughout the room again. ¡°Radiev, witness carefully the results of your own actions.¡± The new emperor, Verseda Crute Ibelox, drew his sword. * * * Prince Karpel, who survived only because of the Emperor¡¯s decree, was entrusted to the Krenberia family. The Krenberia Dukedom was the home of Marian Krenberia Ibelox, the current reigning Empress who rose to the throne after the new ruler, Emperor Verseda Crute Ibelox, had been crowned. The Empress¡¯s father, the former Duke of Krenberia, made the greatest contribution to Emperor Verseda¡¯s ascension. From the Emperor¡¯s perspective, he deemed that the Duke would be the best person to handle potential seeds of discord. The former Duke Krenberia wanted to kill Karpel because he would be a hindrance to Radiev, his grandchild, in the future. However, Citrine Roselle Krenberia, Inaila¡¯s mother and wife of the Young Duke of Krenberia, offered to take charge of Karpel. Empress Marian supported her. On the other hand, the Duke would not agree until the very end. That was, until he passed away after collapsing suddenly at a grand conference that was held after the new Emperor¡¯s ascension. Thereafter, the Dukedom was succeeded by his son, Flaut Nath Krenberia, who was so thoroughly whipped by his wife. Not only was Karpel heavily injured, but his mental state took a great hit as well. He couldn¡¯t come to his senses for nearly two months. It was Citrine who took such good care of Karpel. Citrine felt sorry for the child while he was being treated by a pharmacist. They couldn¡¯t call a doctor for him due to the Emperor¡¯s interference. As she stroked his head, Citrine whispered tearfully. ¡°Your Highness, please don¡¯t despair at the tragedy that befell you. You have to overcome this pain and grow stronger.¡± She would have been condemned as a conspirator if anyone had heard her. But the Duchess didn¡¯t want to see her friend¡¯s son die in vain. Citrine was Karpel¡¯s godmother. As Karpel struggled through this nightmare, she showered him with tender encouragement and sincere love so that he wouldn¡¯t feel his mother¡¯s absence. However, the constant torment of the laughs of the knights who stood by watching his father¡¯s beheading and the pain left from their betrayal was extremely haunting. He was constantly tormented by the memories of the night when those knights stood by doing nothing but laughing and cheering as his uncle beheaded his father. He didn¡¯t know how to overcome this pain. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Over some time, Karpel recovered to some extent, but the still child couldn¡¯t feel anything. It felt as if he was being suffocated by darkness. So he didn¡¯t do anything. He didn¡¯t go out for walks, even if the weather was good. Even if it was well past meal time, nobody came after a while. It was almost like he couldn¡¯t feel anything, but he still felt hunger pangs. As he waited absentmindedly all day, he eventually stood up and left the detached building where he resided. As soon as he stepped out to the garden, he saw that the main building was surrounded by white chrysanthemums. The Krenberian mansion had a blanket of silence over it, as if there was something suppressing it. The Duchess of Krenberia, Citrine Roselle, had passed away. Only then did Karpel realize that he hadn¡¯t seen her since he came to. She was the one who told him to be strong. To Karpel, Citrine was like his own mother. With his father dying at the hands of his own uncle, with those knights laughing at him, with his nanny who he never saw again, now . . . even the person he saw as his second mother had left him. There really was no one left at his side anymore. The Duke of Krenberia, on the other hand, was overcome by grief. After losing his beloved wife, he lost all sense and let go of everything. The number of days when no one came to visit him started to increase. It was rare to see employees coming and going to the main building, let alone the detached mansion, considering the lacking manpower of the estate. There were days when he starved. He didn¡¯t have the power to appease his hunger. Karpel was only a child who didn¡¯t know what to do to remedy this. He left the detached building without any thought and wandered through the garden. The garden had already become a jungle where weeds grew taller than humans. There amidst the unruly foliage was a pond. The first thing that Karpel thought about when he saw that pond was his father¡¯s head, deformed and shrivelled brown, the image overlapping more than half the water. The wound he received that day stung. If he hadn¡¯t avoided it, Karpel would have died on the spot. He didn¡¯t know why he was still alive now. He would die eventually anyway. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to just drown here? As he was lost in thought, a yellow flower suddenly hit him in the face. Surprised, he turned his head and saw a child younger than him covered in dirt and leaves, swinging dandelion flowers at him. ¡°Snack!¡± Her hair was a mess and her nightgown was ruined. And it didn¡¯t look like she was wearing any shoes. This child, who looked a little over a year old, still couldn¡¯t walk straight, so her knees were dirtier than her feet. Karpel knew who this child was. She was Citrine¡¯s daughter, Inaila Krenberia. He couldn¡¯t understand why Citrine¡¯s treasure was out here rolling around in the mud. The estate was quiet. There weren¡¯t any signs of people looking for the child at all. And she was right beside a pond. It was dangerous to leave a child unattended like this. ¡°Young Lady Krenberia¡­¡± The child was too young to even be called a lady. Back then, his peers that came to celebrate his birthday were all children over ten years old. These young nobles had learned some manners and were cultured enough to know not to make any mistakes in front of the Imperial family. Inaila pushed the dandelion flowers to Karpel, trying to feed it to him. Since he avoided her, in the end, she sat down. Then she put the flowers into her own mouth. ¡°Snack!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t eat this.¡± Instead of answering, Inaila leaned forward and hugged him, reaching for the flower that sprang up from the ground next to him. She bit it with her only four teeth, two on the top and two on the bottom. Karpel panicked and made her spit out the flowers, stealing them away from her so she wouldn¡¯t eat them. Still, the child¡¯s mouth was full of flower petals. Then she proceeded to blow them straight to his face. She giggled loudly, never seeming to stop. He joined her eventually, laughing as well. ¡°Yeah, you did great.¡± As he calmed down, Karpel removed the cravat he was wearing and wiped Inaila¡¯s face and her clothes with it. It wasn¡¯t clear if she liked his touch, but Inaila beamed regardless. ¡°Mama!¡± This was a bit different from what she said before. { TL/N: Snack is ¡®mamma¡¯, which sounds very close to ¡®mama¡¯. } The child who called out like this suddenly seemed very small. As soon as Karpel realized what Inaila was trying to say, it felt like his insides were being squeezed. The child hugged Karpel¡¯s neck tightly. ¡°Mama¡­¡± Tears fell like two rivers down from Karpel¡¯s eyes as Karpel hugged her back. Gone. This mother¡¯s child was gone. Just like his father. Karpel¡¯s heart shattered. It was incredibly painful and scary. They were gone and had left them behind. Karpel¡¯s father must have thought that Karpel wouldn¡¯t have been able to survive either. The eyes of a father filled with sorrow expressed his regret for dying together with his son. But Karpel didn¡¯t die with him, so his father might be resenting him from his grave. Karpel didn¡¯t think he should continue living. But he was too afraid to die. With her short arm and little hand, Inaila patted him on the shoulder to comfort him. The four-year-old hugged her in return, at which Inaila squealed in surprise, but she also hugged him back tightly and buried her face in his arms. Karpel cried for a long time, with a small source of warmth wrapped in his embrace. A small hand patted him until his sobs became quieter. The warm embrace that he received, the scent of wild grass, and the fresh air that he breathed. These all made him feel alive again. Karpel didn¡¯t want to die. He wanted to live more. He wanted to feel more of this warmth. * * * When the Duchess passed away, it was like the Duke of Krenberia became crippled. Since there were a few people who were still managing the Duchy, it managed to survive, but without the Duke¡¯s supervision, the mansion was in a state of disarray. The butler maintained it somehow, but he wasn¡¯t enough to control all the employees that changed all the time because the owner wasn¡¯t present. Inaila¡¯s nanny ran away with some of the Duke¡¯s money amidst the mansion¡¯s crisis. Fortunately, Inaila was a gentle baby who was doted on by the employees of the estate who gave her food from time to time. When the butler found Inaila playing alone in the kitchen one day, he punished all the maids at once. He tried to get a nanny for her right away, but it wasn¡¯t easy. Competent people shied away from the Ducal estate where the former emperor¡¯s son stayed. And even if people were hired, they would immediately quit because the mansion¡¯s atmosphere was terrible. The day Karpel met Inaila was the same day Inaila¡¯s new nanny had just quit. Nobody even realized that there was no one watching the child. At a curious age, Inaila woke up and wandered out of her room. She escaped the mansion through a window that had been opened to let fresh air in. From then on, Karpel stayed in the main building and took care of Inaila. Truthfully, outsiders needed to get permission from the Duke before they¡¯re allowed to stay at the main building, but the Duke was in no condition to handle such matters. And the butler had no authority to stop the prince. Fortunately, the two children weren¡¯t completely left unattended. The former emperor¡¯s supporters sent spies to the Krenberia estate throughout the chaos of the manpower shortage. They were the ones who started taking care of Karpel. It would have been obvious if these people went all the way to the annex, but since Karpel moved to the main building, they could take care of him more easily. Karpel didn¡¯t starve anymore, and he was taught various types of disciplines and swordsmanship. He gradually developed his strength. However, it wasn¡¯t easy. Since the staff changed so frequently, it was difficult to adjust to the ever changing attitudes and styles of the different people. When he asked if he could learn from one teacher only, everyone looked at him with cold eyes. He couldn¡¯t even ask why they reacted that way because he felt that they were condemning him for his stupidity. Even so, Karpel held on because of the child who smiled at him like the sun. Inaila was the light that always reminded him that he was not alone. * * * On the day Karpel turned ten, the Emperor, his uncle, came to the Krenberian mansion. It just so happened that Karpel had been pampering Inaila that time, cutting her bread for her. The Emperor burst into laughter when he saw this, saying that Karpel was no better than a servant. He presented a bloody box, saying that he came to celebrate the birth of an Imperial family member. Karpel hurried to cover Inaila¡¯s eyes when the Emperor opened the lid. Inside was the Krenberian knight who taught him how to wield a sword. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 There was only a severed head in there. The knight had been alive up until this morning. The Emperor gave a sadistic smile to Karpel. ¡°Isn¡¯t it quite valuable?¡± Karpel realized that the Emperor was grinning at what he called ¡°it¡±. He was referring to Inaila who was in his arms. ¡°Is it still precious when its grandfather killed your father and made you like this? Is it still precious even when its aunt is gasping for pleasure every night in my arms?¡± How unbelievable it was, the Emperor implied, that Karpel still held Inaila dear to him even though her relatives were the Emperor¡¯s wife and father-in-law who gave him the throne. ¡°Then keep an eye on ¡®it¡¯.¡± With the final word, the Emperor left. The Duke of Krenberia hurriedly came to Inaila¡¯s side when he heard that the Emperor had visited. The Duke, who looked like an unkempt animal as it had been a long time since he had last shaved his beard, took Inaila from Karpel¡¯s arms immediately, noticing that she looked exactly like her mother. The little warmth that supported Karpel disappeared, and so his heart cooled. Frightened by the pressure exerted upon her by the Emperor, Inaila fell asleep only after she sobbed for a long time in the Duke¡¯s arms. Meanwhile, the servants disposed of the gifts that the Emperor had brought with him. Karpel looked at Inaila, who grabbed her father¡¯s collar tightly and buried herself into his arms, entirely protected now. The Duke, who gazed at his sleeping daughter¡¯s face, mulled over the Emperor¡¯s visit and the ¡®gift¡¯ he left for Karpel. The boy looked stricken. After finally coming to his senses, the Duke sincerely begged the boy, who was only ten years old. ¡°Your Highness. Please, please abandon my child. Do you know why the staff at the estate change so frequently? It¡¯s because all those employees that cross the threshold of Krenberia and take care of Your Highness will die by the hands of His Majesty. Your attention is poison to everyone.¡± Only then did Karpel realize that his caretakers often changed because they had all died. Karpel had been bothered by this for a long time, wondering why his teachers had to change so often. That¡¯s why he asked if he could have just one teacher. How stupid he must have looked to the people he asked. They were all taking care of Karpel with their lives at risk. If he lived quietly, he thought he¡¯d be allowed to live longer. He had fun while learning, but he never intended to use his knowledge for anything. From the very start, he knew that there was nothing left for him in the future but death, but the light that he held in his arms was so bright that he forgot about it for a bit. Karpel was only ten years old at this time. Still, he knew that if he stayed like this, he would lose the light that was more precious to him than his life. He didn¡¯t want her to disappear. Inaila was already Karpel¡¯s treasure. Karpel felt alive for the first time when he held that warmth in his arms. He couldn¡¯t kill Inaila. And so, Karpel began to distance himself from her. * * * The moment Duke Krenberia snapped out of his reverie, he started giving more time and affection to his daughter. Like bubbles being blown by the spring wind, he was careful not to break any as they fluttered away. Inaila basked in her father¡¯s sudden care. Compared to the small amount of affection the Prince could give her, considering his limited resources as an exiled royal, Duke Krenberia, who poured everything he could into her care as he slowly regained his influence over the Duchy could give her more. Inaila loved her life as the precious young lady of a ducal family. It was all splendid, enjoyable, and fun. However, a month before Inaila fell in love with her life as an aristocrat, Karpel came to her attention. Karpel¡¯s presence was breathtaking. Feeling that Karpel always kept his distance, she began to actively chase after him. In his own way, it made him desperate. He treated her coldly and usually didn¡¯t even respond to her at all. But there was something that neither the Duke nor Karpel knew. Karpel was everything to Inaila, just as Inaila was everything to Karpel. So no matter how coldly he treated her, Inaila would never give up on him. Karpel tried to numb his heart even more. He would ignore her, go even as far as scaring her away. The deeper her affection, then the greater the sense of betrayal would be once she changed her mind about him. And as Inaila would reminisce about these experiences, her hatred for him would surely grow. However, years later, Inaila still looked at Karpel with loving eyes. That¡¯s why he relented to the engagement. Both Karpel and the Duke were weak to Inaila¡¯s will. It was all the same. They could have just ignored the little girl¡¯s whining, and yet it was impossible for them. No matter who looked at it, the engagement was ridiculous. Inaila was the only young lady of the Krenberian Duchy, and her mother was a royal hailing from the Kingdom of Roselle. She was one such young lady who could have wedded a renowned prince from another country. But when the Duke allowed her engagement to Karpel, Inaila smiled the brightest. Her source of happiness would always be Karpel. Throughout the engagement, however, Karpel would only see the nightmare that the Emperor showed him: Inaila with the Emperor¡¯s sword through her neck. He had to stop it. He needed to halt the engagement. But he couldn¡¯t do anything. The engagement ceremony was done right away. Inaila quickly went through with the engagement after getting permission from her father for fear of him changing his mind. Karpel continued to treat her harshly, eventually distancing himself even further, all the while despising himself for having tainted Inaila¡¯s bright future. Prince Radiev, who had been in another country for some time, was surprised to hear about his cousin¡¯s engagement when he returned. ¡°Karpel. An engagement with her is not the right way to protect Inaila.¡± Though the Crown Prince didn¡¯t want to rebuke his cousin, even without his concerns Karpel already knew this fact quite well. ¡°My mother is worried about the Krenberia family.¡± Recently, the movements of the Krenberian retainers were suspicious. Karpel already came upon that intel. He had accumulated some power to go against the Imperial family. They were people who didn¡¯t approve of the tyranny of the current Emperor, and there were quite a lot of them. Karpel¡¯s informants voiced their concerns about the atmosphere between the nobles, and so the unusual air within the Krenberia Duchy was also quickly noticed. After Karpel and Inaila¡¯s engagement, Krenberia had been divided between the Duchess of Krenberia and the Empress. It was because the engagement led some nobles to believe that the Duke was actively supporting Karpel for the throne. As expected, their engagement brought about many complications. Karpel himself wanted to grasp the opportunity to be with her for the rest of his life, but he knew that it wasn¡¯t right. The Duke then inevitably came to Karpel and asked him to accept the engagement because Inaila had collapsed after she protested by fasting. Karpel regretted being shaken. But he couldn¡¯t do anything about it now. He justified his acceptance to himself by reasoning that the engagement was processed too fast, and that the division within the Duchy was inevitable¡­ He knew he was being a coward. Karpel and Radiev ended their meeting there and wandered the streets. He was regretting his actions and blaming himself for everything as he passed by the main street. Absent-mindedly, he almost went directly to where their rebel stronghold was. On his way back towards the Krenberian estate, he ran into a young lady, who seemed to have taken the wrong path. Looking about the same age as Inaila and wearing well-made clothes, it was clear that she wasn¡¯t a commoner. If that was all he noticed, then he would have ignored her. But the moment he met eyes with her, her relieved, bright smile immediately overlapped with Inaila¡¯s. He only gave directions to the girl who asked for directions. She said she was grateful for his help and asked where he lived because she wanted to repay him. The clothes he wore were equally as fine as hers, but she didn¡¯t seem to realize that the young man before her was Karpel Ivelox. Still, Karpel was the only young man who was living at the Krenberian estate, so he thought he¡¯d be caught right away if he told the truth. But the young lady insisted. In the end, she didn¡¯t put two and two together, never realizing the connection between Karpel and the Krenberia household. As his thoughts were overtaken by his yearning for Inaila, he stopped and left the young lady. He wished it ended there. The girl came to the Krenberia estate in search of Karpel. Coincidentally, that young lady barged in upon the tea party that Inaila was holding, and so she was let in by the servants by mistake. There must have been quite a commotion there. In front of Inaila, the girl proudly stated that she came here for Karpel, and so incurring the ire of all the noble children there. The young lady had asked for forgiveness from Inaila, but she was eventually dragged out of the mansion by the maids. It was Karpel¡¯s job to escort Inaila during her tea parties, even if it was only inside the estate. But then the party ended suddenly, so Karpel had to escort her back, leaving the book he had been reading at the library. As soon as Inaila faced him, her expression was cold. She would normally smile at him as if she were a flower in full bloom. Normally, she would have said something about the event she had just come from. But now, she said not a word as he escorted her back to her room. Karpel was about to ask what had happened, but he immediately stopped himself. He wasn¡¯t allowed to be interested in her, even the slightest bit. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 After taking Inaila to her room, Karpel headed towards his secret aide, Stein, to find out more about the incident. Still, Inaila¡¯s behavior eluded Karpel. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve misunderstood my relationship with that girl.¡¯ In his room next to Inaila¡¯s, Karpel listened intently to the voices next door. As his affinity with the sword increased, so did his senses sharpen. He could even go so far as to hear Inaila¡¯s hands doing her embroidery in her room. At those times he would also hear her sigh time and again. She sighed so much that Karpel was worried all the strength in her small physique would run out, her breath running short due to her frustration. After an hour, two hours¡ªat midnight, when the pensive sounds from next door finally quieted, Karpel got up from his bed. If there was a misunderstanding, he wanted to at least alleviate the headache that it must be causing her. Karpel wanted to straighten it out, but he couldn¡¯t just knock on her door¡ª ¡°AAHHH!¡± Suddenly, he heard a loud noise from inside. He was so lost in thought that he didn¡¯t notice what had made her scream like that. She¡¯d stopped sighing, but this time¡­ He couldn¡¯t hear her breathing. In his worry, he eventually called out to her. ¡°Hey.¡± This time, he heard the sound of rushing and busy moving inside the room. Maybe she was still flustered, or putting on a shawl right now. After a while, the door opened. And for a moment¡­ Karpel was breathless. Dressed in a white nightgown, she was like a silver blossom under the moonlight. Pretty and cute. She was the warm light that touched him when he was hurt. As he thought about how beautiful she was, it felt as if his heart was about to jump out of his chest. The little girl who once ate dandelions by the pond grew up so well. Karpel realized again that he shouldn¡¯t do anything at all during the night. Trying to suppress his wildly beating heart so that he could finally ask her what was worrying her, his eyes met with Inaila¡¯s chilly blue gaze. It was a clear line. Inaila had her guard up around him. It wasn¡¯t the kind of vigilance against a man who came to a woman¡¯s door at night. It was as if she were a victim standing before a predator, quivering in fear of being eaten up. Why? All of a sudden? Karpel¡¯s throat felt tight. It was all so sudden. Inaila, who had stood by him and smiled so sweetly up until the tea party was nowhere to be found. Now, it looked as if she wanted to run far, far away from him. Inaila¡¯s attitude now matched his wishes. For her own good, it was right that she should stay away from Karpel. But at that moment, Karpel realized. He never really wanted her to distance herself from him. It was the first time Inaila rejected him. As she continued to show a coldness that was foreign to him, and continued to distance herself from him just as he wanted, it felt as though his insides were being burned at her rejection. It was cowardly and selfish. When it was Karpel who first stayed away from her, he never thought that this must have been how Inaila felt. Rather than comforting her about her worries, he ran away the moment he saw her, just adding to the animosity. After that night, he never heard her sigh anymore, perhaps because she didn¡¯t care about him now. However, what he heard instead was the sound of her covering her mouth, and tossing and turning all night long. He regretted his actions. * * * After that day Inaila had been terribly sick, she suddenly became quiet. Not only that, but she also hadn¡¯t been out of her room for days. During dinnertime, the Duke, Carpel and Inaila would dine together, so they would still see each other¡¯s faces. But she would only answer the Duke when he brought something up, then continued being silent. The Duke, who treated Karpel as if he was air, even looked to him for help now that he was at a loss. But Karpel didn¡¯t know what to do either. It wasn¡¯t because of the young nobles who came to the tea party, and it wasn¡¯t like Inaila¡¯s attitude towards the Duke had changed significantly. It was only towards Karpel that she had changed. It was painful. Karpel had been trying to stop Inaila from following him around for such a long time. But now that it became like this, he felt exceedingly empty. It was like he lost a huge part of his heart just because Inaila didn¡¯t look at him lovingly anymore. Karpel¡¯s daily life was nothing but an everlasting dusk without Inaila. Time passed meaninglessly with him just going back and forth between the library, the training grounds, and meetings where he would receive reports from Stein. He would swing his sword mechanically, lost in thought. It was dangerous that he was being this careless, since he was supposed to be hiding his swordsmanship from the outside world. Even in the Duke¡¯s mansion, there were a lot of eyes watching him. Spies from the Emperor could be anywhere, even amongst the people who helped Karpel. It was easy to foresee that Karpel would be the first person who would possibly spearhead a coup. The Emperor didn¡¯t believe that Karpel would stay silent forever. Even so, he still shouldn¡¯t show off all his abilities. He had to maintain a seemingly average level of abilities so that suspicion wouldn¡¯t be thrown at him. If he could show that his achievements were nothing much, then his opponents would surely be off their guard. His dream of attaining ordinary happiness was shattered at the young age of ten. The Emperor would crush all sources of Karpel¡¯s happiness, no matter what he did. He looked around him, trying to see if there was anyone hiding nearby. Karpel swung his sword again, until he had warmed up. Then, the signs of an approaching energy entered his senses. If he hadn¡¯t noticed, then he would have been caught. At the level he was training at now, it wasn¡¯t even enough to call it a warm up. It was something akin to a leisurely stroll. No matter how hot the sun¡¯s rays were, because of his incredible physique, Karpel did not sweat even an ounce. Karpel poured water over his body, and proceeded to pretend to train with his sword. After which, he suddenly heard the sharp clack of a slap. He turned towards the sound. It was Inaila. After passing over the age of ten, she had told him that she wanted to be treated like a lady. A lady who did not stalk or chase men. Whenever she wanted to see him, she would just send a letter telling him to come see her. It was the first time in three years that she visited the training grounds herself. As soon as his eyes met with Inaila¡¯s widened gaze, she shouted. ¡°Ah! I¡¯m so scared!¡± Karpel was at a loss for words. He had no idea what she was talking about. When she was younger, she also talked about strange things, but nowadays she rarely did that. ¡®Scared? Do you want me to disappear because you¡¯re scared of me?¡¯ But it was Inaila who came up to him. And even though she came here on her own two feet, her face immediately flushed red. Karpel almost burst into laughter. But instead, he stared at her, tightening his lips into a hard line. Inaila turned around and ran away, at which Karpel frowned as he watched her figure scuttling away. He couldn¡¯t figure out how it was possible for Inaila to be so cute no matter what she did. ¡®What are you so afraid of?¡¯ It was bothering him. He was about to chase after her, but at once, he felt something wrong as he looked down. He wasn¡¯t wearing a shirt. Karpel flinched and covered his chest right then. It wasn¡¯t that he was ashamed, just embarrassed. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me you got scared of my body.¡¯ Then his eyes turned to frost. Inaila saw the scar on his back. Everyone knew that Karpel almost died after receiving such severe wounds after the Emperor struck him with his sword, but Inaila might not have known that a hideous scar would remain. He never really minded it. Whenever Karpel would wake up from a nightmare, Inaila¡¯s peaceful breathing from the next room would comfort him. He could shake off his nightmares just with the thought that Inaila was alive and breathing. He never revealed this to Inaila, that he was really ok with it even if she stuck to him all the time. Karpel hesitated before making up his mind, chasing after Inaila after putting his shirt back on. And as he arrived in front of her room, he was about to knock on the door. But at that moment, he heard her murmur. ¡°Should I just break off the engagement?¡± [e/n: I¡¯m glad we finally got to see his side, the misunderstandings hurt my heart tho¡­ Hopefully, they resolve it all soon.] Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Karpel paused. The hand that he raised to knock on the door slowly lowered, then he turned around. He felt lightheaded. He couldn¡¯t form any cohesive thoughts. He just wanted to run away from this place. As he walked away in a hurry, he bumped into a maid along the hallway. Without even noticing that the maid flinched and retreated in surprise, Karpel kept walking. Karpel left the building. It would soon be dinnertime, so the butler who saw him walking away called out to him. ¡°Your Highness, where would you like to eat dinner?¡± At that question, Karpel came back to his senses. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t care.¡± He was so frustrated that he couldn¡¯t form a proper response. When the butler left him alone, Karpel stood blankly for a moment before he went to the training grounds. He had nowhere else to go. A broken engagement. Why would she say that all of a sudden? But the reason didn¡¯t matter anyway. She finally came to this conclusion. This was a good thing. However, what continued to echo in his blank mind was a constant ¡°Why?¡± Lost in his thoughts, he couldn¡¯t find an answer. With a sword in his hand, he stood motionlessly in the middle of the training grounds, then he turned his gaze to where Inaila had been standing before. Her face flashed in his mind, this lovely girl whose eyes widened in surprise when he met her gaze. Why did she come here? What was the meaning of her visit? Why did it lead to breaking off the engagement? Karpel slowly raised his hand and reached behind him to touch his back. A scar that grew larger the same way he grew taller over time. He knew it didn¡¯t look good. It must have been horrifying to look at. After realizing this, reality came crashing down on Karpel. He stared blankly at his sword. Before he knew it, light from the torches in the training grounds flickered and was reflected on his sword. ¡®What if I stab my uncle with this sword and kill Radiev? Then, can I be with you?¡¯ Karpel smirked as he pictured the future in his head. Even if he did not avenge his father by killing his uncle, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stand next to Inaila. If he took the path of revenge, Inaila would never accept him. He couldn¡¯t imagine just how many people¡¯s blood would stain his hands once his revenge was complete. Would anyone be able to accept him like that? ¡­It¡¯s late at night right now. He needed to go back to his room. Karpel sheathed his sword and went back to the mansion. As he entered the mansion and was about to climb the stairs, he saw Inaila in the dining room. She had her hands on her cheeks as she stared at a servant in front of her, tilting her head to the side. As soon as the servant made eye contact with Inaila, a blush appeared on the servant¡¯s nape. But then the servant, and the others around him, suddenly felt Karpel¡¯s sharp gaze. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Milady! I-I committed a sin worthy of death!¡± All the servants¡¯ frightened expressions were directed at Karpel. Inaila felt that it was strange, so she turned her gaze to where the others were looking. But Karpel sneaked up the stairs to avoid her gaze. Perhaps she didn¡¯t see him, but she was silent for a moment before speaking to the servant who dropped to the ground to bow his head. ¡°Did His Highness Karpel eat dinner already?¡± As he was climbing the stairs, he stopped and went down one step, thinking that maybe she sought out the servant to ask about him. Was she worried that he didn¡¯t show up for dinner? If that¡¯s the case, then he wanted her to tell him personally. He was still her fianc¨¦. He wanted to see her face even a little more, considering now that she was trying to forget him. At that moment, he wanted to face her. ¡°Should I just break off the engagement?¡± But then, what he heard earlier rang loudly in his head. Inalia would soon say that directly to Karpel. Karpel was frozen in place. He wasn¡¯t ready to hear it yet. Karpel shook his head at Inaila¡¯s question to the servant, hoping that the servant wouldn¡¯t say that he was there. ¡°He said he didn¡¯t want to eat, Milady.¡± Karpel cradled his forehead. That wasn¡¯t it. Anyway, the servant¡¯s complexion was starting to darken and his confidence was crumbling. Inaila asked carefully. ¡°Is he in his room now?¡± The servant glanced at Karpel, but Inaila didn¡¯t notice. Karpel glared at the servant, but soon started climbing back up the stairs. He could still hear Inaila¡¯s voice as she thanked the servant who replied that Karpel had returned to his room after his training. At that moment, Karpel felt that something was amiss, so he glanced back. Inaila was patting the servant¡¯s head with her small hands. ¡®What is it?¡¯ The employees were thankful when Inaila¡¯s business with them was finally over, and the servants that remained there desperately tried to avoid Karpel¡¯s cold eyes. They were terrified of the prince, who continued to look at the spot where Inaila had been standing. Karpel wondered why Inaila touched that servant. He had just started working at the mansion. He wasn¡¯t a spy sent by anyone. He was just an ordinary servant. And he wasn¡¯t a servant who worked closely by Inaila¡¯s side. He was someone who did menial chores around the mansion, just following the directions of his superior. His face wasn¡¯t special, and his physique was lacking. And he evidently seemed weak and timid. Karpel stood his ground, his eyes focused on the trembling servant. Surprised to see this, the butler ran to the servant¡¯s side. ¡°Your Highness, it hasn¡¯t been long since Vit had been employed, so he is still lacking in many ways. Please have mercy on him¡­¡± ¡°Keep him out of my sight.¡± Karpel spoke coldly and returned to his room. It was dishonorable on his part, but he couldn¡¯t stand it. As soon as Inaila touched that man¡¯s head, several realizations came rushing in his mind. Inaila would have nothing to do with Karpel any longer once the engagement was broken, then she would move on and love and marry someone else. Someone other than him. Could he watch when this would happen in the future? He wasn¡¯t confident. Just a moment ago, he almost slit that servant¡¯s throat just because Inaila had touched him. Karpel had killed not only assassins who attacked him with the intention to take his life, but also spies and mercenaries. Therefore, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal to kill a thief who dared to covet his most precious treasure. But¡­ she wasn¡¯t a treasure that he could hold on to. ¡®That¡¯s why it should be alright. I¡¯ll have to leave anyway.¡¯ He went to his bathroom and bathed while repeatedly saying it was okay, and that he was going to leave anyway. He tried to wash away his negative thoughts. He was about to lose control earlier, but now he was fine again. If today was like this, then tomorrow will be better than today. Karpel quietly leaned back on the wall separating his and Inaila¡¯s room and searched for her presence. But the room was empty. It had been a while since he washed up, and it¡¯s late at night. ¡®Ina¡­?¡¯ Inaila always went to bed early. She said she wanted to grow up fast and become a woman who could stand tall and proud next to him. Children grow up fast if they sleep a lot. Recently, she was going to bed later in the evening because it seemed like she was writing something down, but now wasn¡¯t the time for her to wander around the mansion. ¡®What is she doing?¡¯ When he was about to go out and look for her, grabbing the doorknob, he heard her voice. ¡°I¡¯ll hold it now. Go ahead and eat.¡± ¡°Yes, Milady. I¡¯ll get going.¡± With a faint rustling sound, Karpel heard retreating footsteps, and only signs of Inaila being outside his room remained. She wasn¡¯t going back to her room. She just stood in front of his door. He waited for a while, but he didn¡¯t hear a knock. It was too late in the evening for a visit to someone else¡¯s quarters, even if it was one¡¯s fianc¨¦. As Karpel waited, he realized that Inaila had taken something from the maid who left. ¡®Maybe her hands were full? What is she carrying?¡¯ Karpel couldn¡¯t resist his curiosity and opened the door. As soon as he did, the fragrant scent of cinnamon flowed through the air. It was a scent that he hadn¡¯t been able to smell for a long time. Inaila, who raised her foot slightly, seemingly in the middle of doing something, put it back down nicely. On the tray in her hands were a bottle, two glasses, and a plate of cookies. The blue eyes that met with Karpel¡¯s gaze instantly went down. She looked very frightened. Karpel felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. There was another time that they faced each other at night with a door between them. ¡®Are you feeling scared of my wound again today¡­?¡¯ Even before this, Karpel realized that Inaila had started to fear him. Inaila must have found out something about Karpel. That must be why she was avoiding him and thinking about calling off the engagement. ¡®What did she notice?¡¯ Going through the waterways under the mansion to go to the rebel forces? Poison mixed with food? Killing assassins that sometimes appeared through his window? While Karpel was agonizing, Inaila, who had a tight grip over the tray in her hands, suddenly shouted. ¡°Karpel!¡± Chapter 25 Chapter 25 ¡°What is it?¡± Even when he was surprised by her sudden shout, he replied back with an even tone. Looking like she was trying not to be scared of him, Inaila stared at him with her blue eyes wide open. ¡°I made something for us. Let¡¯s eat!¡± ¡°You made this¡­?¡± Karpel thought he misheard her. But apparently, she really made it. Certainly, the cookies on the tray she was holding were made without any decorations. But even so, they were simple, yet shaped prettily. Inaila hesitated. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to¡­ eat some?¡± As Inaila gazed up at him with puppy eyes, Karpel was speechless. To eat, she says. Karpel was willing to accept anything as long as those eyes looked at him in that way, even if it was poison. ¡°I have something to say¡­¡± The fact that she wasn¡¯t speaking to him formally* anymore made it feel like they were back in the old days. { tl/n: Inaila¡¯s speaking informally now in Korean, as people do with close friends or family. } Before she turned ten years old. It was a lot like this when she was with him back then. So he unconsciously stepped aside to let her in. Karpel came to his senses only after the scent of cinnamon entered his nose when she turned gracefully with the tray still in her hands to enter. The skirt of her dress floated momentarily and then fluttered back down as she reached a sitting area. And just like the skirt, Karpel¡¯s mind had also been floating and just barely returned to its normal place. ¡°Karpel¡­ I made this because you didn¡¯t eat dinner yet, so I made something you¡¯ll like. Try it.¡± Karpel was in trouble. Inaila was no longer six years old. His mind was spiraling because in his room late at night was his fianc¨¦e, who, by the way, he didn¡¯t know if she¡¯d still be his fianc¨¦e for much longer, after finding out that she wanted to call off the engagement. ¡°Why are you acting this way?¡± Inaila became flustered by the blunt question, but even so, it was something he couldn¡¯t overlook. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Sorry, you must be tired¡­¡± Karpel could suddenly see drooping puppy ears on Inaila. She turned sullenly with her tray, but Karpel¡¯s eyes followed the cookies. ¡°What are those?¡± ¡°These are Karpel¡¯s favorites¡­¡± This was the girl who was agonizing over breaking up their engagement just a few hours ago. But here she was with Karpel¡¯s favorite cinnamon dessert that she doesn¡¯t like very much. When Stein, who secretly assisted Karpel since he was young, brought him a cake with cinnamon sprinkled on top of it, Inaila would secretly scrape the icing off the top of her slice and feed it all to Karpel. Inaila, who didn¡¯t want to eat the cinnamon, gave it all to Karpel, but she was still very cute. Right now, she was saying that she brought these because Karpel has always liked cinnamon desserts, but she looked terribly nervous about giving them to him. It had been such a long time ago, so he thought that she¡¯d forgotten all about it. And Inaila had already decided to break up with him, but why did she come here to bring him his favorite cinnamon cookies? ¡°You made it?¡± ¡°I also wanted to eat it¡­¡± ¡°Cinnamon.¡± Inaila hated cinnamon. As if caught off guard, Inaila closed her lips. A clouded look of frustration graced her features. ¡°I like it too.¡± The hushed voice was like a sweet confession to him. For a moment, he thought that the confession uttered by her was directed at him. But then Karpel came back to his senses when his gaze met with hers. Inaila set down the tray on the table, then rubbed her wrist as if her arm had started to hurt. ¡®I should¡¯ve accepted it.¡¯ He thought it would be fine since she was holding it well enough. If it was heavy, then she should have ordered someone else to carry it for her, so she shouldn¡¯t have brought it herself. Was it because she wanted to talk to him alone? It would be the first time he¡¯d taste Inaila¡¯s cooking. She had never even peeled fruit before. An unpeeled fruit would only be a decoration for a dish anyways. However, the cookies on the tray were all consistent in shape, size, color and thickness, as if it wasn¡¯t her first time making something like this. Why did she come to his room saying that she liked cinnamon even when she clearly didn¡¯t, and to top it off, she made this? There was only one possibility. Poison. Who could it be? Someone must have instructed her to do it. Who would benefit from his death? Was it his Uncle? His cousin? Or someone from Inaila¡¯s family? It could be anyone. Karpel¡¯s presence alone posed a threat to Krenberia. It had gotten worse when he got engaged to Inaila. Duke Krenberia was controlling information so that Inaila wouldn¡¯t know, but someone might have said something about the dire situation and asked her to poison him. Even with that in mind, Karpel offered Inaila a seat. ¡°Sit there.¡± Inaila sat opposite him on the sofa, leaving the door open and fearing his reaction to her sudden ambush. Inaila filled the glasses gracefully. It was a drink that had a unique scent, smelling exactly like medicinal liquor. ¡®Is there poison in this drink?¡¯ Inaila handed him a glass. Karpel felt strange as she looked expectantly at him. Whenever he increased his influence or if there happened to be good results at the guild, he would sometimes accept the drinks given to him during the drinking parties of the rebel group. But here, Karpel didn¡¯t accept the glass Inaila offered to him, so she put it back down on the table. Karpel looked at the glass for a moment, then picked up a cookie. Maybe it¡¯s because he skipped dinner, but he¡¯d been trying to control his craving for the cookies ever since the delicious scent wafted through the air earlier. He picked one up and realized that it was warm and a bit sticky. Karpel couldn¡¯t resist the temptation and put it in his mouth. It was a cookie that he had never seen before, but since flour was its main ingredient, no matter how strong the scent of cinnamon or lemon was, he would be able to detect what kind of poison was in it. He chewed carefully. ¡°What I wanted to say was¡­¡± He was about to ask why she did this. If Inaila intended to feed him these cookies and kill him, since he had already put it in his mouth, he thought he¡¯d at least ask about her intentions. But Karpel couldn¡¯t say anything more. The chewy texture and the hint of ginger and cinnamon spreading in his mouth was very harmonious, and as he tasted the elegant mix of sweet and savory, it was like art exploding on his tongue. The more he chewed, the more savory it became. It was a taste you could call ¡®happiness.¡¯ But what about the poison? Maybe it was a kind of drug that he¡¯d never encountered before. Karpel ate more. He didn¡¯t even realize that he had almost finished them all. He just thought that it would be okay to die¡ªif he felt this happy. But Inaila stopped him and held his hand. ¡°Karpel, eat slowly!¡± She scolded him with her brows raised, but Karpel just stared at her pretty blue eyes that were filled with worry. If it was poisoned food, the end result would be the same whether he ate them quickly or slowly. ¡°You¡¯ll have a stomach ache.¡± What Inaila said was confusing. What would be the difference between eating and dying from indigestion, or just dying outright? Karpel looked at his hand that was still being held in her grasp. Her small hand held his very tightly. Following his gaze, Inaila retracted her hand right away. ¡®I¡¯m in trouble.¡¯ Obediently, Karpel ate slowly just as she ordered. Then, Inaila looked at him with proud eyes. ¡®Perhaps¡­ you really made these?¡¯ Inaila was good at everything. Still, he didn¡¯t know she could make cookies. Besides, this was a dessert that he¡¯d never seen before. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± Karpel gave an honest compliment. To her surprise, Inaila blushed. ¡°I¡¯ll make you some more next time¡­¡± The way she smiled made him realize how foolish he was for thinking that she¡¯d poison him. But still, he fell into a state of confusion. He didn¡¯t know what she was thinking at all. She was cold to him for a few days, but now she was here with something she made herself. And she was talking to him in a friendly manner just like when they were young. ¡®Ina started using honorifics because she wanted to be engaged with him. Because she wanted to look mature in front of me.¡¯ To put it simply, she must have given up. It seemed like this was the case. So these cookies must be a token of apology. ¡®I¡¯m sorry. Let¡¯s break up.¡¯ That kind of meaning. Karpel previously thought that he¡¯d try to hear out whatever she wanted to say today. If she asked him to die, he wouldn¡¯t die from this, but he¡¯d disappear from her sight forever. Karpel was already resistant to most poisons, so it would be difficult for him to die through that method. But if she was going to ask him to break up with her, then it didn¡¯t have to be today. ¡°I¡¯m in a good mood today, so I won¡¯t listen to what you¡¯re going to say.¡± Chapter 26 Chapter 26 That was all that Karpel said. Feeling the warmth rising to her face, she hesitated, but then gulped down the drink in her hand. What was that drink? It had the scent of medicinal liquor, but¡­ Karpel was also about to drink, but Inaila stumbled forward all of a sudden. ¡°Uuuwwaaah?¡± ¡°Ina!¡± Karpel caught Inaila in his arms as she fell over the table. It felt like his heart was about to drop to the floor. As expected, there was something in the drink. Inaila turned to Karpel, who had a very pale face. ¡°Karrrrr¡­ ahhh¡­¡± ¡°Poison!¡± It occurred to him belatedly that the drink might have poison, so Karpel hurriedly took the cup in her hand and brought it to his lips to taste what poison she had just ingested. But the faint smell of the drink was of medicine that wasn¡¯t the dangerous kind. It was similar to the scent of mature grain. The tip of his tongue was tingling with a bitter taste. However, it wasn¡¯t poison. ¡°¡­This¡­¡­¡± It was a taste he knew. ¡°Liquor?¡± Karpel stared back at the drooping lady in his arms, bewildered. Then, he tightly shut his eyes and furrowed his brows. He adjusted her position in his arms so she could be more comfortable, but her eyes opened a little because of his movements. Karpel froze as though he were caught doing something wrong. Gradually, some focus returned to the blank blue eyes. Then, pale cheeks began to turn red as if he himself had become drunk. ¡°Karpel¡­ give me a hug¡­¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Inaila reached out to him and began to cling to him. He tried to stop her by holding onto her wrists. ¡°Inaila.¡± At the mention of her name, her eyes opened wide, then she laughed. She wrapped her arms over his neck and whispered sweetly. ¡°Karpel, I like you.¡± Instantly, Karpel could feel her warmth. All the thoughts that threw him in conflict disappeared from his mind. Only the warmth that Inaila gave him filled his heart. She was his treasure that he forcibly removed from his own reach for fear of her being broken. But there was never a time that he forgot her warmth. In his arms, Karpel embraced his treasure dearly. ¡°Huh? Karpel?¡± At Karpel¡¯s strange reaction, Inaila pulled away, and Karpel quickly returned to reality when he saw her heavily flushed face. He hurriedly removed his arms from her waist and grabbed Inaila¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Snap out of it.¡± Inaila looked Karpel, her bright eyes that were full of curiosity. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Inaila adjusted herself on Karpel¡¯s lap in a more comfortable position. She moved naturally, as if she really belonged there. ¡°Inaila.¡± ¡°Karpel, you don¡¯t like Ina anymore?¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°Why are you so cold to me now?¡± Inaila used both hands to hold Karpel¡¯s face over his cheeks, looking at him squarely face to face and with her voice full of disappointment. What did she mean by him being cold¡­ It¡¯s been years since Karpel started keeping his distance from her. ¡°I¡¯ll be good from now on. Please don¡¯t hate me.¡± Inaila wrapped her arms over him again, tears in her eyes. Karpel gritted his teeth. He didn¡¯t hate her. It wasn¡¯t her fault. He just wanted her to be safe and happy. If he was confident enough to keep her safe in his arms, then he would never let go. But Inaila¡¯s happiness couldn¡¯t be guaranteed if she stayed by his side. ¡°Get off.¡± His cold tone startled the warmth in his arms. Inaila shook her head and raised her upper body a little, then placed a hand on Karpel¡¯s cheek. ¡°Ina is¡­ Karpel¡¯s fianc¨¦e.¡± ¡°Inaila.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be together forever.¡± ¡°Get off.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so stubborn¡­ I know Karpel loves Ina.¡± He looked up to stare at her, at which she smiled. ¡°I¡¯m all grown up now, Karpel.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karpel was speechless. He couldn¡¯t figure out what this kid was talking about. Inaila grinned, thinking it funny that Karpel was frozen in his seat, then she hugged him again. ¡°Hold* me, Karpel. I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± As Karpel was about to reply, the door swung open. And he met the clear blue eyes of the Duke of Krenberia. He was a statesman through and through. The Duke¡¯s stare was so intense that goosebumps rose up Karpel¡¯s spine. ¡°Karpel¡­ What are you looking at? Focus on me. Don¡¯t you want to see how much I¡¯ve grown up?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hm? Hold me. Why don¡¯t you hold me anymore? Hold me like you used to¡­¡± The Duke¡¯s eyebrows rose up high. ¡°Like you used to?¡± It was a ferocious voice filled with wrath. Inaila was young now. But she was even younger back then. Karpel didn¡¯t know what was going on in the Duke¡¯s head, but Karpel had only one thing to say. ¡°I¡¯ve never done that.¡± ¡°Why would you lie like that? I¡¯m just a bit busy these days¡­ You¡¯re sulking because I didn¡¯t spend time with you, right? Hm?¡± Inaila whined and further snuggled up to Karpel. ¡°I like Karpel because you¡¯re warm. Warm me up more¡­¡± ¡°My child.¡± The Duke strode forward and snatched Inaila from Karpel¡¯s arms, then he immediately smelled the alcohol. And his eyes zeroed in on the empty glass in Karpel¡¯s hand. At that¡­ Karpel sighed at the glass. Meanwhile, Inaila was struggling in the Duke¡¯s arms as if she wanted to return in Karpel¡¯s embrace again. Even so, it was just a child¡¯s defiance. She was such a small and gentle child. The Duke wanted to grab that young prince by the collar and interrogate him immediately. But, his rational side stopped him. He would only be called a brute if he did that. He wasn¡¯t like that. After several seconds of reflection, the Duke managed to stay calm. ¡°Your Highness. Did you make her drink that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karpel didn¡¯t do it, but he couldn¡¯t utter any excuses. The scent emanating from the bottle was clearly the smell of alcohol, but at first he thought it wasn¡¯t liquor because there¡¯s no way she would bring any. ¡°What intentions did you have with getting my child drunk?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯s been a while since Karpel felt warm again, so he still felt happy even from the lingering feeling. It felt like he tasted water after years of searching for an oasis in the desert. Karpel sighed and cradled his forehead with one hand. As the Duke saw this, he stared at the bottle, then back at Karpel. ¡°What you¡¯re saying¡­ tell me it¡¯s true. Otherwise, I¡¯ll kill you right here, Your Highness.¡± Inaila, on the other hand, was now sleeping in the Duke¡¯s arms, but she started to stir, so the Duke motioned to leave the room with her. But a stray thought passed through the Duke¡¯s mind. That little boy was just as young as Inaila. He looked quite like a young man these days, but until last year, he still looked like a child. Until children have come of age, they were usually taught by their family or learned by watching their peers. But Karpel had neither family nor friends. He was only accepted at the Krenberia Duchy because there was no one else who would take him in. ¡°But what is it that you never did, Your Highness? Don¡¯t tell me you really thought of holding a child?¡± At those words, Karpel couldn¡¯t say anything. All of Karpel¡¯s exposed skin became bright red. His hands, his face, even his ears, and the back of his neck burned as if a fire was lit under his skin. ¡°¡­I think it¡¯s better for you to take a week to cool your head in your room, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The Duke left the room after hearing his answer. All the employees ceased their chatter at once. Soon, Karpel heard the Duke laying Inaila down on her bed in the next room. He stayed beside her for a long time, patting the sleeping Inaila before leaving. Karpel didn¡¯t really see Inaila as a woman. It wasn¡¯t because she was still young. It¡¯s that she was precious. She was more precious than anything in the whole world. Karpel had plans to kill the Emperor. If he succeeded, he¡¯d be a monster. But if he failed, he would be dead. There was no such thing as a future where he could show his love for Inaila wholeheartedly and make her his wife. He couldn¡¯t even be sure if he¡¯d still be alive when Inaila comes of age. So he never imagined a future with the grown-up Inaila. But when the Duke asked like that, delusions swirled through his mind. He felt like a piece of trash. Even if he didn¡¯t actively think about it, he kept imagining Inaila as an adult. Holding her in his arms¡­ Kissing her¡­ ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He really needed to cool his head. In his hands right now was a cookie that Inaila had baked for him. Inaila had always been like a mischievous fairy whose intentions were never transparent. But today especially, Karpel didn¡¯t know what the hell she was trying to do. Snacks she made herself. Even liquor? And even more so¡­ the drunk Inaila was fatally cute. Karpel picked up another cookie, his face terribly flushed. It was sweet and chewy. The cookie was delicious. ¡ª tl/n: * the word used here could also mean hug or embrace, but it has the double meaning of ¡®hold¡¯ which is¡­ y¡¯know¡­ *wink, wink* Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Karpel ran away from home. In the mansion, it was only his secret aide, Stein, who knew that he did. Karpel ran away from the Krenberia estate and lay on the sofa inside a room at the top floor of a hotel on main street. On the surface, Count Nitreu owned the hotel, but Karpel was the true owner. He lay on the sofa for a long time despite the documents on the table in front of him, which was brimming with papers that there wasn¡¯t any room left on its surface. But Karpel pressed down on his throbbing forehead without giving them a look. While recalling her warmth that night, Karpel held out somehow. However, as soon as Inaila woke up the next day, saying that the cookie¡¯s name was Yakgwa and that it was a dessert used as a marriage offering¡­ He couldn¡¯t stay still in his room and rushed out. In the early days of the Empire, there was a custom of bringing food and liquor from the wedding ceremony to a shrine on the first night. So the Yakgwa and liquor that Inaila brought to him couldn¡¯t be seen with pure intentions. Inaila couldn¡¯t remember what happened that night and she told Karpel that she didn¡¯t mean any of it, but the more she denied it, the more Karpel thought about it. ¡®I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s happening anymore. I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Karpel was sure she didn¡¯t know what the Yakgwa and liquor implied, but there were times that he thought maybe she did, and so he felt a sense of shame. Instead of cooling his head in that room as the Duke said, he seemed to be burning just knowing who it was staying next door. So he ran away. Stein, who had to cover for Karpel¡¯s absence from the mansion, would suffer for this, but Karpel desperately needed time alone. But now that he was alone, he felt uneasy about being away from Inaila. It occurred to him that the handmade Yakgwa might perhaps be the last gift he¡¯d receive from her, and she was now talking to the Duke about breaking off their engagement. Every time he had that thought, he got nervous. He thought he¡¯d go back to the mansion that second to see what Inaila was doing. That¡¯s why he¡¯d been standing up and sitting down again and again for more than a dozen times. ¡°Milord!¡± It was Count Nitreu, who was managing the hotel. The young Count of the Nitreu family was usually astute and calculating, but now he was frazzled with confusion. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Lady Krenberia has entered the underground waterways!¡± Immediately, Krenberia jumped up from his seat, put on a hooded robe and went down to the underground waterways through a secret passage. The wide waterways in the southern part of the capital were now used as the main transport channels of the uprising. It was largely thanks to this underground space that gathering forces and recruiting the radical group members became easier even as Karpel himself was shackled to the Krenberia estate. He once went out of the mansion with Inaila through the waterways, but he didn¡¯t think that she¡¯d still remember it. The watchmen guarding the waterways were hidden in the shadows. They wouldn¡¯t hurt the Krenberia Duchy¡¯s forbidden jade, but she wouldn¡¯t be welcomed by the radical group either. The former Duke of Krenberia, Inaila¡¯s grandfather, contributed the most to elevating the current Emperor to the throne, while the current Empress was from the Krenberia family as well. So he didn¡¯t know. Karpel had been cold to Inaila for a long time. It was only a few close aides, including Stein, who knew that he truly treasured her. He didn¡¯t know if she would be safe here. ¡®Why the hell is she in the waterways¡­¡¯ Karpel hastily rushed towards the direction of the Krenberia estate, and everyone who saw him in the shadows bowed as he passed. When he arrived at the estate, Inaila had already gone in a different direction. The watchmen pointed him towards the way she went. As he went there, Karpel soon saw her small figure before his eyes. And two watchmen were creeping up behind her. Inaila continued to walk diligently, not knowing who was following her. The waterways had the warehouses and conference rooms of the rebels. Most of the entrances had been extended to allow more areas for them to move, designed to make them more difficult to find. However, if she discovered one accidentally, Inaila could be in danger. ¡®I have to take her back. I need to let the Duke know that she travelled through the underground waterways.¡¯ That would make it impossible for Karpel to continue using the waterways, but it was better than exposing Inaila to more dangers. Karpel signaled for the watchmen to return, and as they went back, Karpel approached Inaila. She was moving carefully, stepping along the illuminated parts in the dark. Since that path looked bright, she walked on it, but there were more places where there was no light because it didn¡¯t reach either end of the waterways. Inaila walked carefully, but then stopped and looked behind her¡ªonly to see Karpel, who was about to call her. At least, he tried to, but when he was caught there, Karpel didn¡¯t know what to say. Inaila, flustered and frozen in place, stared at him with a scared face, then shuddered and began to hurry away. ¡®She ignored me¡­?¡¯ Karpel realized that a hood was over his head, so he flipped it over to clear up his vision. The gray robe was camouflaged in the dark, so as Inaila stood on the illuminated spot, she wouldn¡¯t be able to see him. Karpel chased after Inaila. His body moved on its own without hesitation, as though it was natural to him. It looked like Inaila sneaked out often. It didn¡¯t seem like this was her first time going out like this. Being confined in the Krenberia mansion as he did, Karpel would only receive a limited number of reports. If Inaila had gone out and returned without causing any troubles, that incident would have been left out in the final sorting of the reports that would reach him. ¡®I have to tell Stein to report everything about Inaila to me.¡¯ He had to catch up to Inaila now and send her back, but now he was hesitating. ¡®Where is she going? Is it downtown?¡¯ But when she was nearing the exit, she slipped. ¡°Ah!¡± With his heart pounding like crazy, Karpel reached out. There was a staircase in front of her. She outstretched her hands to catch her own fall, and this happened before Karpel could catch her. Her reflexes were good. Then, straightening up her limbs and slowly pulling her hands off the floor, she stood up. Karpel also retracted his arms and stepped away again from her side. She stood up straight and shook her hands as though nothing had happened. Until now, even as she was right by the stairs leading to the exit, Karpel couldn¡¯t help but smile. Walking alone in the dark must have been scary for her. And she was so cute that Karpel pressed down on his lips to keep from bursting out in laughter. Now out of the underground, Inaila stood tall at the entrance of the alley, looking at the square for a long time. The owner of the fruit stand widened his eyes as he glanced at Inaila, then made eye contact with Karpel and nodded as a greeting. He¡¯s the one who watches the waterway entrance during the day. Looking back at the square, it seemed like her goal was to go out freely. Karpel decided to send her back to the mansion, but the moment he was about to speak, Inaila muttered. ¡°Shabelle, that nasty girl.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karpel was startled. He knew who she had mentioned. Shabelle Float. Karpel once met her along the streets and dropped her off at home. There might be a misunderstanding with his relationship with Shabelle. But that sounded unreasonable. Shabelle was a little over twelve years old. Inaila was only one year apart from Shabelle, so Karpel didn¡¯t know if the little girl looked like a lady to anyone else, but to Karpel, she looked small and too young. ¡®I¡¯m not such a piece of trash.¡¯ No matter how far off the assumptions were, he never wanted to be misunderstood with having any relations with such a child. While Karpel hesitated, Inaila stopped a passerby and asked where the bookstore was. Then, one by one she looked around the food stalls and stores. ¡®You don¡¯t want to eat that, do you?¡¯ Karpel felt nervous. The stores here weren¡¯t exactly sanitary. He wouldn¡¯t allow any of that cheap food reach Inaila¡¯s lips. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t buy any street food and headed straight to the bookstore. Karpel was relieved. After staring at the meat patty being grilled at the stalls, of which he wasn¡¯t even sure from what animal it came from, he continued to follow Inaila. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 ¡®Why are you looking for a bookstore?¡¯ In order to be a better lady for Karpel, who was doing his best to keep his distance, Inaila once declared that she would stop using most of her time reading. Originally, Inaila liked to study. That¡¯s why Karpel thought that her stubborn streak about reading wouldn¡¯t last long. However, ever since she declared that when she was eight years old, five years had passed. She would still read poetry to fit in with the other young ladies of high society, but other than that, she hadn¡¯t touched any history or academic books. And there were more books at the library in the Krenberia estate than in this bookstore here. ¡®Are you just looking for a bookstore, or do you want to study again?¡¯ As Karpel looked around the stalls, he wasn¡¯t sure if Inaila had successfully entered the bookstore alley. He set out and looked for the bookstore himself. Even though it was in a secluded direction, he found it easily. Quietly opening the bookstore door, the owner bowed towards Karpel in greeting. This bookstore was also one of the strongholds of the rebellion, and in here, there was a secret entrance to the waterways. The bookstore owner was the watchman guarding this particular entrance. Looking carefully inside while trying not to meet Inaila¡¯s eyes directly, he paused for a moment. Inaila wasn¡¯t inside the bookstore. ¡°Didn¡¯t a Krenberia come?¡± The watchman stared blankly for a moment, the sudden question startling him, then belatedly replied. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t see anyone.¡± There was cold sweat running down Karpel¡¯s back. He was light-headed and it seemed like his vision was blurring. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have taken my eyes off you!¡¯ Karpel rushed out of the bookstore and returned to the square. He was caught off guard because he focused more on her destination. He didn¡¯t know where she disappeared all of a sudden. There wasn¡¯t anyone in the alley, so Inaila might have gone back because she couldn¡¯t find the bookstore. Karpel didn¡¯t waste any time. ¡®Just where did you go? Who did you follow? Or are you watching the public performance?¡¯ Karpel scoured the square and skimmed through all the faces of the people there. He couldn¡¯t find Inaila anywhere. He was getting nervous. ¡®I should¡¯ve just dragged her back right away. Did I think she¡¯d be safe just because I¡¯m watching her?! She disappeared just like that!¡¯ Karpel grabbed the pendant hanging on his neck. The fingertips that held onto it were as cold as ice. Whenever he left the mansion, he would always wear it. And hanging on the necklace wasn¡¯t actually a pendant, but a ring. ¡­The ring that Inaila gave him as a gift. He didn¡¯t want to get caught by Inaila, so he couldn¡¯t wear it the right way, but he always held it dear. He took off the blue jeweled ring from the necklace and wore it on his finger. There was definitely a tracking spell embedded in it. One ring would be able to find the other. She should be wearing the ring, but just in case, Karpel brought the ring close to his lips and uttered the word that would prompt the spell to start. ¡°Ina.¡± That was the starting incantation. Blue orbs floated from the ring. Fortunately, Inaila was wearing it right now. ¡®I hope you¡¯re safe. Why the hell didn¡¯t I do a better job watching you?!¡¯ Soon, the blue lights circled around Karpel, then came to a halt. She was inside the general store. And at that moment, Inaila exited that store. ¡°¡­¡± Karpel relaxed as soon as he saw her carefree appearance, then he stared blankly at her back as she went to the alley without even seeing him. It was only a few minutes since she disappeared from his sight, so it was natural that she could have entered a nearby store. But he was so flustered that he couldn¡¯t think straight. He really didn¡¯t think it through because all that was on his mind was to find her right away. He didn¡¯t even ask any of the undercover watchmen who were watching over this side of the town. In hindsight, he acted foolishly. And it was ridiculous that his first impulse was to use the ring. He sighed and followed Inaila. Then, she stopped in place and stood still. It didn¡¯t look like she found the bookstore located at a semi-basement yet. ¡®After you find what you need, I¡¯ll take you back right away. Come to think of it¡­ You¡¯re wearing the ring, too, Ina¡­¡¯ At the same moment, Inaila turned around and jumped at him. He thought she¡¯d be on uneven footing as she turned around, so he prepared to catch her. But even her posture was astounding. Instinct told him to avoid her, but it was Inaila who was rushing into his arms. Karpel ignored those instincts and opened his arms to embrace her. However, before he could feel her warmth¡­ he was suffocated by a stinging pain on his chest. ¡°Ack¡­!¡± He let his guard down because Inaila was smaller than him, so it shouldn¡¯t hurt even if she bumped into him. But it was such a strong blow that if it were any other person on the receiving end other than Karpel, she would have been able to knock them out. She hit him so squarely that he even leaned over in pain. And he had no chance to escape when she prepared to headbutt him. All he could do was clench his teeth as he anticipated the blow to his jaw. When she hit his jaw, it was strong enough that his ears were ringing. ¡®What is this¡­¡¯ It was ridiculous. Even Inaila looked very surprised because she never expected the other person to be Karpel. She raised her hand and instantly put her ring on him, calling the incantation on her ring for a recovery spell. ¡®Ina¡­ maybe you have a talent for hand-to-hand combat?¡¯ It hurt quite a bit, but not to the point of him needing any healing magic. He took off the ring and returned it to her. The magic ring shrank to fit her finger as soon as he put it on her. ¡°Uh, I thought some robber wanted to block my way¡­¡± As Nadia hesitated and made excuses, Karpel briefly held her hands. It was the same pleasant warmth. The ring on Inaila¡¯s finger was the same color as his eyes. ¡°Yeah, you did a good job.¡± Inaila blushed at his compliment. Her pretty hands were still in his own hands. ¡®Even if you¡¯re talented, I can¡¯t let your hands be stained with blood.¡¯ When he first beat his swordsmanship teacher in a spar, he was so proud because he¡¯d be able to protect Inaila with his strength. But by using a sword, protecting someone would also mean killing the opponents. No matter how much you just stayed on the defense, the guilt of hurting another living being was terrible. He would rather not teach her if it meant she had to go through that pain. Karpel let go of Inaila¡¯s hand. As the warmth faded away, all that was left was a hollow feeling. When he woke up from his reverie and came back to his senses, he realized that his solar plexus and chin hurt a lot. ¡®But I wonder if I should really teach you how to fight¡­¡¯ She never learned formally, but she was able to deal this much damage. It would definitely help if she learned properly. * * * Karpel and Inaila went back through the waterways that day, and the next day, he sent the reference materials she was looking for. As she became interested in studying for the first time in a long while, he wanted to help her as much as he could. Karpel had read most of the books in the library, so it wasn¡¯t difficult to sort out the titles and have the books delivered to her room. After receiving the books from Stein, Karpel received a note that she sent through the aide. ¡¸ Thank you for the reference materials. I¡¯ve been thinking about our engagement these days. Let¡¯s talk when your probation is over, Karpel. ¡¹ The contents of Inaila¡¯s sleek handwriting did not change no matter how many times he read it. He helped her earnestly, but her response was that of a farewell. He was hurt and disappointed. He tried to convince himself that he at least had until the end of his probation period, but it was hard for him to stay calm. So he¡¯d been avoiding her for a week since then. He could hardly focus on his training or his studies. He leaned back on the couch at the library and looked down at the book in his hand. He had been rereading the same page for almost two weeks. When he tried reading, he would immediately lament and agonize over Inaila¡¯s recent behavior. Even if he tried to read the words with great concentration, his mind just couldn¡¯t process them. ¡°Huu¡­¡± At the same time as Karpel sighed, he heard the door to the library opening. But he was so distracted that he wasn¡¯t alert. He would normally hide himself or escape through a window, but today, he climbed onto a ceiling beam. Below him in the library, he could see Inaila peeking through the door and looking inside. ¡°Karpel¡­?¡± She came in and closed the door behind her, then looked around. Her eyebrows were scrunched as though she was annoyed. When Karpel didn¡¯t appear in front of her, she clenched her fist and trembled, shuffling over to the couch and lying flat over there. Then, in one fluid motion, she punched the cushions of the couch. ¡°¡­¡± She had a small hand, but when Karpel saw her clenching her fist and hitting the cushion squarely, he couldn¡¯t say that it was nothing after seeing the strength behind her punch. ¡®Smart and also talented in hand-to-hand combat¡­ Is there a limit to Inaila¡¯s competence?¡¯ Chapter 29 Chapter 29 While he was lost in thought, Inaila stood up from the sofa and looked around the library again. Then, he began to sneak up on him, smiling up at where Karpel was exactly at this moment. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me¡­ You noticed my presence?¡¯ Inaila crept closer and raised her hand, then shouted loudly. ¡°There¡­!¡± Karpel was startled. But Inaila stopped exactly below him, looking at the space between the columns next to the bookshelf, where there was nothing in particular. The space wasn¡¯t big enough for anyone to hide. ¡®¡­No, maybe it¡¯s not that.¡± Inaila raised her hand up, but gently lowered it back down. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± She stomped on the carpet with an irritated face. Karpel jumped in surprise, thinking that she was about to fall over. He behind her and held her by the waist to steady her. He managed to catch her. ¡°I keep telling you¡­¡± Please. Just be more careful. Inaila suddenly stopped striving to be a prudent lady and started causing trouble here and there. She turned around and faced him as though she was a pancake that was flipped over while she was still within his arms. Inspecting the ceiling, she looked at Karpel with suspicious eyes. ¡°You hid up there every time I came to the library?¡± He was caught. Without having to question him further, his silence was enough of an answer. Then, Inaila spoke seriously. ¡°Karpel, we need to talk.¡± ¡°I have nothing to say.¡± Karpel raised Inaila to her feet, but perhaps worried that he might run away, she grabbed his cravat. The small fist was full of energy with the way she gripped it. ¡°Karpel hates me anyway. Are you sure you don¡¯t mind being engaged with me?¡± Hate¡­? Who hated whom? Him towards Inaila? Karpel had never once hated Inaila. Inaila knew that, since she always said ¡®You actually love me,¡¯ even though he was being so cold to her. ¡®Perhaps¡­ Do you want me to say I like you, that¡¯s why you¡¯re baiting me with breaking off the engagement?¡¯ But Inaila had no intentions of breaking it off from the beginning¡­? Thinking that way, Karpel felt like the question that had been plaguing his mind finally found an answer. Even during the day she got drunk, it was clear that she still yearned to feel affection from him. He didn¡¯t know what drove her to this point, but he could guess a few things. Now, Inaila¡¯s shoulders trembled when he let go of her hand, which he had carefully held, as though she was afraid of him. She was so scared, but she was still standing in front of him. It was what she wanted to hear¡­ But it was something that he couldn¡¯t say. If he dared to say it, that would be like asking to walk hand in hand with her towards hell. Karpel hesitated, then sighed. ¡°When did I ever say I hated you?¡± That was all he was allowed to say. Inaila stared at Karpel with a discontented look on her face, like she couldn¡¯t believe her ears. ¡®I guess it wasn¡¯t enough.¡¯ ¡°My opinion doesn¡¯t matter anyway.¡± Ever since they were younger, the most important thing had been Inaila¡¯s opinion after all. Her eyes widened as she looked at Karpel. Her clear eyes, like drops of the blue sky, captivated him completely. The eyes that looked at him were so beautiful and lovely that they seemed to permeate deep into his heart. Deep down, he felt like he might go down the road of imagining a future with her even though the threat of the Emperor was still looming near. Karpel avoided her eyes. ¡°If you understand, then I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± And so he rushed out of the library. He never got to see the look of bewilderment on Inaila¡¯s face as he left. Ever since they met in the library, Inaila no longer sought out Karpel. It was awkward and depressing at the same time whenever he saw her wandering around the mansion, but if he thought about the current situation, he had to admit that this was better for them both. It didn¡¯t seem like she was pushing for breaking off the engagement anymore. Instead, she was preoccupied with having tea parties with her friends or going to balls. It was only in the evening that she could run into Karpel. He was always out during the day. Every day, a cinnamon dessert was served during dinner even as he did his best to avoid Inaila. It seemed that Ina had ordered the chef to do this for him. He should have thanked her, but he rarely showed himself, so there was never an opportunity. And Karpel heard more news about Inaila¡¯s recent changes in demeanor. Stein, Karpel¡¯s secret aide, slipped a small memo to him between today¡¯s report. ¡°Did you perhaps have a pleasant date at the training grounds?¡± ¡°What are you¡­¡± ¡°Every morning, the Lady goes to the training grounds even though there¡¯s no one there around that time.¡± He never saw it. Originally, Inaila never interfered with Karpel¡¯s training or studies. Even when he had to go out for business, he still set aside five hours for himself every day. She could have been watching him train from afar all this time. The next day, Karpel went to the training grounds with anticipation. However, not a single strand of her hair could be seen, let alone any real signs of Inaila¡¯s presence¡ªeven as the sun rose high in the middle of the sky at noon. ¡®Does Ina know how to hide her presence?¡¯ Karpel wanted to ask Inaila as they sat together at the dinner table, but he didn¡¯t know how to go about it. Did she really have to hide just to watch him? Something didn¡¯t seem right. He was going to order Stein to follow Inaila, but he would be in trouble if she happened to find out. But the next day, Karpel couldn¡¯t find Inaila anywhere. After waiting, he decided to go to the garden and look for her himself. Just at the right moment, he saw Inaila leave the building. He hid his presence and casually followed Inaila as she crossed the garden and headed towards the greenhouse. She didn¡¯t head towards the training grounds at all. At a leisurely pace, she circled the greenhouse a few times, then went back into the building. ¡°Should I trace my steps?¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± What was it? What did she lose? Wondering about this, Karpel went to the library after eating lunch. There was someone inside, so he quietly opened the door as he entered. And the person inside was Inaila. Sitting on the sofa, she held an elf dictionary and a botanical map. She was so focused on her task, she didn¡¯t notice Karpel. She stared intently at the bookshelf for a long time, then jumped to her feet to approach that bookshelf. His gaze followed her around for a long time, gulping down as he tried to guess what she was looking for. Then, she picked out a book and stared at it. It was a book describing how elves foresaw the weather through mana. Their method had an eighty percent accuracy. Karpel came closer to her with the intention of explaining the content¡¯s summary if she needed it. However, Inaila looked at the book for a long time, as if she was wondering whether to read it or not. Karpel stared at Inaila for a long time because she was being so cute. He grabbed her small hand while he was lost in thought. She had been placing the book back in its place in the bookshelf, then she looked behind her to see Karpel. Their eyes met. When her blue eyes, which looked up and down as though she couldn¡¯t believe he was there, met his eyes, Inaila jumped. Karpel was surprised, too. He was flustered, so he made an excuse. ¡°I was about to call your name.¡± ¡°R-Really? Did you just get here?¡± It was a weak excuse. He did come a while ago, but it was closer to an hour since he got here. He couldn¡¯t bear to lie to Inaila as she waited for an answer, so he averted his eyes instead. Then, he saw the red book in her hand. It was a book called ¡®Physical Analysis¡¯ that Karpel thought at first was a martial arts book. The preface of the book mentioned that it was recommended to middle-aged couples who would like to return to their honeymoon period. ¡®You¡¯re not trying to read that, are you?¡¯ Inaila stared at his embarrassed expression, then soon lost interest in the book and put it back on the shelf. Karpel went back towards the sofa in case she wanted to have some privacy while reading it. But Inaila, who followed him like a chick, suddenly clapped once. ¡°Positions!¡± Karpel looked behind him, flabbergasted. Inaila smiled as though she had been enlightened. She seemed to have finally figured out why he was embarrassed earlier. Surprised by her outburst, he apologized, but still had a flustered expression on his face. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Karpel could feel himself freezing up because Inaila¡¯s expression clearly didn¡¯t know what exactly was wrong with ¡®positions¡¯. Did she really not know? But when she was drunk last time, she kept acting provocatively. And in turn, Karpel kept thinking about that night, too. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking anymore. What were you planning to do with that book?¡± There was no use studying that right now anyway. Inaila still needed to grow up first. Before a wedding could take place, she would need to have a coming of age ceremony first, and that wasn¡¯t until at least five more years. ¡°What?¡± Inaila asked curiously. Those clear, unassuming blue eyes somehow seemed cruel to Karpel, who tried to endure the nagging feeling that he was being played with. It wasn¡¯t long before Karpel realized that she truly didn¡¯t know. ¡°No, sorry. I misunderstood.¡± Karpel sat on the sofa while avoiding Inaila¡¯s eyes. ¡°What did you misunderstand?¡± Inaila sat next to him, but he scooted away a little from her. He was being unnecessarily on edge. Karpel changed the subject. ¡°I guess you have something to do here today?¡± ¡°Yeah. But Karpel, what did you misunderstand? The positions? What position do you want me to do?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± She had no problem saying such a thing with an innocent face, so she really seemed like she had no idea about marital relations. That¡¯s why he felt more like trash the moment he misunderstood her here. ¡°Have you read this book, Karpel?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What position did you think I was going to do with Karpel?¡± ¡®¡­Are you sure you don¡¯t know?¡¯ He wanted to ask. Karpel turned away from Inaila, flustered and embarrassed. His face was burning. He was sure that he was bright red even without looking at his reflection¡ªall he wanted to do was run away from this place. Inaila looked at him and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m glad the misunderstanding has been resolved. I don¡¯t intend on doing that either.¡± Startled, Karpel looked back at Inaila. He couldn¡¯t tell if she really meant it or if she was just saying it while pretending to know what it meant. Finally letting go of the topic as Karpel was being thrown into turmoil, Inaila brought up something else. ¡°Would you rather go to the Rose Garden, Karpel?¡± ¡°¡­Why would I go there.¡± Upon hearing his response, Inaila had a helpless smile as though she was expecting him to answer this way. ¡°I was thinking of going on a date, but if you don¡¯t want to, I¡¯ll go alone.¡± Inaila rose from her seat as though all her business here had been dealt with. Karpel was taken aback by how Inaila didn¡¯t even give him a chance to answer, as if knowing that he would reject her right away. And what did she mean by date? Not to escort her there, but a date? It was always nice to go anywhere with Inaila, but he wanted to go even more because of what she said. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t say no.¡± He answered reluctantly, and as he did, he thought that Inaila seemed to be getting better at dealing with him. Karpel went to the Rose Garden with Inaila. The moment he saw her wearing a dress with colors that matched what he was wearing, his heart swelled. Unlike Karpel, who looked gloomy because of his dark hair, Inaila looked like the epitome of holiness and purity. That¡¯s why whenever they stood side by side, it was natural that his gloomy atmosphere would look worse because of the glaring comparison between him and Inaila. However, something in him was fluttering just seeing how they were wearing matching clothes. Inaila also had a good sense of style. His eyes were always following her, seeing how everything she wore suited her. Karpel thought, ¡®There¡¯s really nothing Inaila can¡¯t do.¡¯ When it came to praising Inaila, Karpel was even more enthusiastic than the Duke of Krenberia. Whatever she did, she was always dazzling to him. As soon as they arrived at the Rose Garden, Karpel left Inaila¡¯s side. It had been a while since she hung out with her friends, so he didn¡¯t want to ruin the atmosphere. When he¡¯s with Inaila, all the young ladies would¡­ Well, their guards were always up when he was around. That¡¯s why as soon as they arrived, he avoided them. After settling in a place where there weren¡¯t many people, he looked at Inaila, who quickly engaged in talking with her peers. Those who found him alone in that corner just turned their heads as though they hadn¡¯t seen anything. But someone approached him soon enough. It was strange. Everyone was trying to save themselves from being associated with a traitor. They thought that even just talking with him would stigmatize them. Karpel turned his gaze towards the approaching person and quickly understood why there was no hesitation. It was Radiev, his cousin and the Crown Prince. This place was a gathering of young adults around the age of Inaila. Karpel was already on the older side despite being just sixteen years old, but Radiev was already twenty. ¡°Brother.¡± It wasn¡¯t a good place to meet. They were always on edge whenever they would face each other. After Karpel called him ¡®brother¡¯, Radiev smiled. ¡°You¡¯re here, too, Karpel.¡± Karpel frowned. It sounded unusual how he said ¡®too¡¯, as if he was just a mere tag-along. And around Karpel, Radiev was acting awkward. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not like you would have come here alone. That child still holds you dear.¡± ¡°What business do you have with the young lady of Krenberia?¡± ¡°She¡¯s already thirteen years old. How long will you keep her in a cage? You know that it shouldn¡¯t be kept from her anymore.¡± ¡°Half of Your Highness¡¯ blood may be from Krenberia, but it is the Duke who¡¯s in charge of the family. The Duke will let her know when it¡¯s time.¡± Radiev turned his gaze and looked at Inaila, who was smiling as she was surrounded by girls her age. It was a forced smile. ¡°Do you think the Duke will be able to raise that child as his successor after being so stubborn about getting engaged with you?¡± Karpel couldn¡¯t say anything because he had the same thoughts. However, it wasn¡¯t like Inaila was being raised by anyone to live up to expectations. She was growing on her own. As soon as he saw the reference materials that Inaila was looking up, he realized it. Elysium, the kingdom of the forest elves, with whom Karpel¡¯s uncle deliberately broke the treaty and intentionally provoked. Forest elves were a belligerent race. If the Empire remained silent like this, they would surely invade the borders. And the first to be affected was the Krenberia territory. Ever since the current Emperor ascended to the throne by force, he had limited the number of soldiers guarding the borders. In addition to that, Karpel¡¯s engagement to Inaila strained the relationship with the vassals, that¡¯s why even the fief itself was in danger. No one told her about the current situation, but Inaila was taking an interest in Elysium. Karpel stared back at the Crown Prince, who was looking down at him. ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of Your Highness¡¯ involvement.¡± Inaila was not a mere bird to be protected in his arms. He hoped that he could keep her all to himself, but that was wrong. And it was the same for the prince in front of him. His cousin was also playing by the hands of his uncle. Radiev was afraid of his father, that¡¯s why he just did as he¡¯s told. He was merely a puppet being manipulated by the Emperor. Nevertheless, only a few nobles knew about this. Most of the nobles supported the gentle Crown Prince Radiev. They feared the Emperor¡¯s tyranny, that¡¯s why they were holding out until Radiev could ascend to the throne. For that reason, Karpel was being rejected by the nobles. No one wanted the next ruler to be someone who would take the crown by force again. However, Radiev¡¯s movements were only within the scope of what the Emperor allowed. Even his image was manufactured by the Emperor because a compassionate, fair countenance was useful to him. ¡°You need to leave her side. That¡¯s all I came here to say.¡± Radiev passed by Karpel. And Karpel couldn¡¯t say anything in return. In the first place, the reason why Karpel couldn¡¯t stay by Inaila¡¯s side was because of him. But if he was truly doing all this for Inaila, he shouldn¡¯t stay ambiguous. By being engaged to her, he managed to overturn the Duchy of Krenberia. He would leave her side so her friends wouldn¡¯t be uncomfortable. But was that enough? These were just shallow acts that made him feel complacent. Karpel glanced at Inaila. He didn¡¯t see it happen because he was preoccupied with Radiev, but it seemed as though the atmosphere over there had turned strange. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Standing in front of Inaila was Shabelle Float. It looked as if they were fighting. ¡®¡­What¡¯s this? The atmosphere¡¯s strange.¡¯ There was no way that someone like Shabelle Float could measure up to Inaila, the young lady of the Krenberia Duchy. It seemed like Inaila was appeasing Shabelle, but Shabelle made her voice louder, enough that even Karpel could hear her from this distance. ¡°Princess, that harassment was intended for all to see. I wasn¡¯t going to attend at first, but you drove me to the point where it seems like I should¡¯ve attended without an invitation¡­?¡± ¡®What is he doing?¡¯ Radiev suddenly came up and blocked Shabelle. He was one step ahead of Karpel, who also started to rush forward. But now, Karpel stood in place. Radiev spoke with a gentle expression. ¡°Young Lady, I know your wounds are deep, but the Princess seems to truly feel sorry. Why don¡¯t you give her a chance to heal your wounds?¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do that.¡± At once, Shabelle answered calmly. Karpel didn¡¯t think he had it in him to do something like that. He didn¡¯t know and didn¡¯t want to know how to be kind to people. He even forgot how to laugh. Radiev, who was smiling, reached out to Inaila. She met his gaze, as if in a trance, and reached out her hand. Karpel was the only one allowed to hold that hand¡ªhe swooped in and grabbed her hand first. Inaila was shocked and tried to shake his hold off, but he grabbed it again. This time, when she saw who it was, she stopped struggling. After seeing her acceptance of him, Karpel returned to his senses. He turned to Radiev. ¡°I apologize, Brother, but we have to return now.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then, I¡¯ll see you next time.¡± In order to leave the premises, permission from the one who had the highest status had to be asked. If Radiev stopped them because he wanted to talk to Inaila more, then Karpel wouldn¡¯t be able to take her away from there. The Crown Prince promised to see us next time, so Karpel quickly took Inaila away. How dreadful. Inaila kept looking back as if she was curious about what Radiev was about to say. But Karpel turned her away with a hand over her shoulder so that she couldn¡¯t go back. Radiev was right. Radiev was the one who could find an answer to resolve the problems within the Krenberia family. If he were to receive more information, he would definitely help Inaila make the best choice. Raidev was much more friendly and more gentle than Karpel, who had exerted more effort into distancing himself from Inaila. Radiev would be a better mediator for the family. But Karpel didn¡¯t want to hand over that role to Radiev. He led her to the carriage without saying a word, but he felt her taking ahold of his collar. This could be a sign that it was okay. He plucked his courage and looked at Inaila. He was being ostracized here, but it was cute to see her stare fiercely at the people around them who stayed away. While his hand was still on her shoulder, her soft, shiny hair cascaded gently over it. His light was working so hard to protect him. He wanted this moment to last forever. Karpel didn¡¯t know when this light would end, so wouldn¡¯t it be alright if he could stay next to Inaila a little longer? He had such selfish thoughts. Let it be¡­ for just a little while. 5. Snow flower man Karpel, the second male lead, was too difficult of an opponent. In the original, Karpel was the final boss. Even Radiev, who solved everything through pacifist means with the male lead buff, had no choice but to defeat Karpel through brute force. I would be lucky to barely survive myself. But how could a novice like me capture Karpel¡¯s heart? For some reason, the chef hatched up a plan to seduce through the means of food. What I can do the best is cooking, but the Krenberian young lady cannot cook. I¡¯ll have to be allowed into the kitchen first so that I can do whatever I want. Just by going there, the employees flocked around like bees while saying, ¡®You can¡¯t do this and that,¡¯ so there was nothing much I could do there. They kept saying that a person of my stature shouldn¡¯t be concerned with cooking. They just preferred the chef who served Karpel¡¯s favorite dessert every day. After I saw Karpel run into Radiev, I felt guilty and depressed. Obviously, I didn¡¯t want to bother Karpel, so I chose the first place I thought of to refresh myself. But I met Radiev and eventually did the worst thing I¡¯ve ever done. These days, whatever I do, I always end up saying sorry to Karpel. ¡®Should I target Shabelle instead rather than Karpel?¡¯ Oh! Aren¡¯t I a genius? If I coax Shabelle into asking Radiev for his cooperation, it¡¯ll be easy to solve the problems that would come in the future. Shabelle might be more challenging than I expect though, probably upset because she was humiliated during that tea party. But since she¡¯s only twelve years old, wouldn¡¯t she be an easier target than Karpel? In addition, it¡¯ll be nice to keep the Crown Prince away. I can keep an eye on Shabell so that the prince wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to her until she¡¯s all grown up! I should put this plan to action right away! I came out of my room. Then, the first person I saw as soon as I stepped out was Stein, Karpel¡¯s aide. ¡°Stein!¡± He was coming out of Karpel¡¯s room right now, surprised by my cheerful voice. ¡°Huh? Ah, my apologies. What can I do for you, Milady?¡± Why did he meet Karpel just now? Ah, maybe he received an order from him. Stein was a man who had a calm and quiet demeanor and he usually stayed on the sidelines. The atmosphere he had around him made it seem like he was very reliable, just by looking at him. It looked like every problem will be solved quickly and precisely if he¡¯s the one put to work. I think he¡¯s a little younger than my father. Karpel and my father had such striking features that everyone else just fades in comparison, but even the villain¡¯s right-hand man had a handsome face. Oh, I want a handsome assistant, too. ¡°Milady?¡± ¡°I want to¡­¡± Taken aback, Stein faltered. I wanted to have him, but I couldn¡¯t take what was Karpel¡¯s. Pretending that I didn¡¯t say that just now, I went straight to business. ¡°Send a letter to Lady Float and get her measurements, then place an order for a dress from Pretty Frill Boutique. Make it so that the design is from last spring¡¯s catalogue with a primrose concept. From the shoes to the bonnet, it has to be a full set. I¡¯ll write her a letter as well, so send it along with the dress. And one more thing¡ªplease find out the performance schedule of the play, ¡®The Young Master¡¯s Hidden Flower¡¯.¡± After shooting out rapid-fire instructions like that, I realized that this was something that shouldn¡¯t be said to just any servant. ¡°¡­Well, please tell the butler.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Stein hesitated. Since it wasn¡¯t his job, he seemed to be pretending that it¡¯s hard to remember or that he couldn¡¯t do it. It was impossible to remember and convey all of those instructions. Whenever I requested stuff from my maids, too, they always missed one or two things. But as far as I knew, Stein was a competent man. There¡¯s a reason why he could continue working as Karpel¡¯s secret aide here at the Krenberia estate. I wanted to say, ¡®You¡¯re Karpel¡¯s right hand! I know this is a piece of cake for you!¡¯ But of course, this wasn¡¯t something I could say, so I just repeated my earlier words. ¡°Just call the butler. Ah, no, never mind. I¡¯ll just find him myself and tell him.¡± But this seemed to have hurt his pride. Stein¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, then he spoke clearly. ¡°I shall order a dress with a primrose concept, along with a bonnet and a pair of shoes to match, at Pretty Frill Boutique for Lady Shabelle Float, and this shall be sent with an enclosed letter from Milady once the set has been completed. In addition, I shall ask the butler that you would like to know the schedule for the play, ¡®The Young Master¡¯s Hidden Flower¡¯.¡± Seeing him say all that with his back straightened, I clapped enthusiastically. ¡°Wow! That¡¯s amazing, Stein! How could you memorize all that? You¡¯re amazing!¡± Compliments could make even whales dance, so empty words still had some use to them. But as he heard my admiration, Stein looked puzzled. Ah, I made a mistake. I should¡¯ve just let it go. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll leave it to you!¡± After saying that, I quickly escaped and returned to the room. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 I started a background investigation on Shabelle. Shabelle liked sweets, and in particular, her favorite was fresh fruit tart. The Barony of Float was said to be a poor territory, so the Baron barely maintained a mansion in the capital. And the cook at their mansion wasn¡¯t very good at making desserts. That¡¯s why Shabelle seemed to be diligently going to events and banquets, only to eat the food there. Dresses took time to make, so I first sent a letter to Shabelle along with five kinds of tarts¡ªstrawberry, melon, blueberry, peaches and orange. They were made by the Krenberia estate¡¯s chef. And I didn¡¯t miss an opportunity that I got with the help of Radiev. At the Rose Garden, Radiev told me to stop picking a fight with Shabelle and give her a chance to ¡®heal¡¯ her ¡®wounds¡¯, and Shabelle agreed. That was much of the contents of my letter. There were a lot of greetings and formalities in accordance with aristocratic etiquette, so the letter itself was two pages long. But to summarize the contents¡ª It¡¯s a precious opportunity given by His Highness the Crown Prince, so I¡¯m going to do my best to help and heal your wounds. Please look forward to it. In other words, Shabelle told Radiev that she¡¯d give me a chance. If I refused, I wrote that it would be tantamount to disobeying an Imperial order. But when the letter was sent, what came back was a reply from Baron Float, Shabelle¡¯s grandfather. The Baron seemed to have panicked when he saw that a letter came from a Ducal Princess with the mention of the Crown Prince. Shabelle¡¯s wounds were healed with the tarts I sent, he said, and thanked me for caring. ¡®¡­How come an adult is targeting me? To make it easier?¡¯ I sighed as I thought of Shabelle. My purpose wasn¡¯t to heal her wounds, but to attack. I planned to write a reply addressed to Shabelle again despite the correspondence coming from the Baron, but come to think of it, it¡¯s a little strange. It wasn¡¯t good etiquette for a man to reply directly to a young lady. It would be fine if I was an adult, but I was only a year older than Shabelle. I read the Baron¡¯s reply again. After the greeting, I noticed his first sentence. ¡¸ My granddaughter is lacking knowledge, so I will be answering for her. ¡¹ When I first read it, I skimmed over it and didn¡¯t think to read between the lines, but¡­ ¡°Shabelle¡­ doesn¡¯t know the holy language.¡± The holy language was used by aristocrats. I¡¯m not fluent myself, but I knew how to read the words, enough to recite poems or read theater programs, and other necessary words for children my age needed for tea parties. Since everyone¡¯s still young, if they didn¡¯t know the holy language well, a family scribe could help or ghostwrite the letter. But I wrote my letter myself. That¡¯s how I could practice the language more, and it¡¯s always better to send handwritten letters. The language is used for invitations anyway. Ten or twenty invitations were being written and sent, so wasn¡¯t it weirder not to be able to use it? The Float family wouldn¡¯t have enough correspondences with other families to hire a scribe, so perhaps Baron Float, the head of the household himself, had sent the reply. Because the head of the family couldn¡¯t possibly ghostwrite his own granddaughter¡¯s letter. ¡®Shabelle, no matter how hard it is, shouldn¡¯t you know the Imperial language?¡¯ The Baron politely expressed his gratitude instead, and the letter to be sent to Shabelle would be in the Imperial language. But if I only wrote in the Imperial language, I would just embarrass myself as the young lady of the Krenberia family. So, I wrote down a conventional greeting in the holy language. I talked about the weather and other pleasantries. How do you do, something like that. { t/n: ^ that was written as english words written in hangul. } ¡®But if the person who¡¯s to become the Crown Princess of the country can¡¯t read that¡­ Will the country be okay¡­?¡¯ In the novel, I didn¡¯t mind anything since I was an outsider, but now I¡¯m worried if Shabelle would eventually become the national mother of the country when she¡¯s this way. Time passed, and the dress was completed. I sent a letter asking Shabelle if we could meet together and have fun on a day when she wasn¡¯t busy. Of course, I also repeatedly wrote that there¡¯s no pressure to accept my invitation. Wouldn¡¯t she hate me more if I did though? Somehow, since she¡¯s the female lead of the original, I feel like I became the male lead who¡¯s seducing her with all the things money could buy. I don¡¯t know if Shabelle really could understand the Imperial language, but a direct letter came back. Just like I did, she wrote down the conventional greetings in the holy language. ¡°But¡­ Um, how do I read this?¡± ¡¸ The sprring whether is nice. Howw do yew do? ¡¹ The letters were written in cursive, but they weren¡¯t accurately written. ¡®The spring weather is nice¡­? Ahh, this is really hard.¡¯ It took a long time for me to decode the Imperial language here because of the terrible handwriting. But unexpectedly, the letter was full of pretty words. She said that it was really touching that she could try Krenberia¡¯s tarts. She really wanted to see the play, but it¡¯s a shame that her father said no. She¡¯s still glad that she was invited. She also liked the dress so much that she looked forward to this day. ¡­I was confused because the letter was so full of affection, that it¡¯s like we¡¯ve become best friends. I looked at the signature at the end several times. I was wondering if I sent the dress to the wrong noble lady. But no matter how many times I read it again, it was still Shabelle Float. Not Sherbet or Lavelle, but Shabelle. Her handwriting was terrible. Today¡¯s the day I decided to watch a theater performance with Shabelle. I didn¡¯t have enough time because I had a plan, but I couldn¡¯t miss my morning walk. It¡¯s said that my Elven language teacher will visit tomorrow morning, so I thought I needed to get myself used to waking up early. Since I didn¡¯t have much time, I went out for a walk for only thirty minutes, then started preparing for the outing. To make Shabelle stand out, I chose a turquoise dress with little decoration. Still, my silver hair was so pretty that it shone on its own with just a pin on it. I know it¡¯s my own face, but I think I¡¯ll fall in love with myself just by looking at this face. ¡®But not Karpel.¡¯ This beauty won¡¯t work no matter what, and it won¡¯t touch his heart. ¡®Of course, it¡¯s hard to attack.¡¯ It¡¯s hard because I already have this hair. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if I hid it? After preparing, I set off for the Float mansion two hours earlier than promised. The maids who dressed me up were also brought along. In the novel, I read that Shabelle dressed herself as her mother taught her. In fact, Shabelle presented herself so prettily and neatly that I wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell that she didn¡¯t have a maid. But I didn¡¯t want Shabelle to prepare all by herself again today. I had to make sure that after-sales service would be given. Stein followed me there. He naturally accompanied me because it was Stein who reported directly to the butler about anything related to Shabelle, and the butler entrusted him with this. I was worried that I was taking away Karpel¡¯s aide from his side, so I told Stein not to follow me, but he seemed to want to come because the butler told him so. I eventually just brought him along. The Baron¡¯s mansion was a two-storey detached building. They had carriages and gardens, but I could see everything in just one glance. ¡®The Float family is very poor.¡¯ Of course, there were also nobles who were poorer than them, to the point that the madams of the household would sew clothes themselves. Still, even if this noble family had a low rank, after I reincarnated, I never thought it would be to this extent since their family had a mansion in the capital, a home in their territory, and a villa. Baron Float came to meet me at the front of the mansion, startled by me arriving ahead of schedule. ¡°Lady Krenberia, welcome.¡± ¡°Thank you for welcoming me, Baron Float. I am Inaila of Krenberia.¡± When I greeted him gracefully, Baron smiled warmly in return. All the excuses he must have prepared about Shabelle not ready yet seemed to have flown out of his head. ¡°I really wanted to dress up Lady Float, so I brought some maids from Krenberia. I hope I¡¯m not being a bother. Baron, is this alright?¡± ¡°No, please. Shabelle would be happy, too.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve allowed it, Baron, I¡¯ll take responsibility and make Shabelle happy today!¡± ¡°Shabelle¡¯s room is on the left side of the second floor. I hope you both have a great time.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I nodded towards the maids. As expected, women¡¯s preparations should begin with pleasant words. The maids began to move busily as though this was the Krenberia mansion, getting to work right away and boiling bath water the usual way. I climbed up to the second floor. Shabelle, who was trying to style her hair with waves by braiding it, stuck her head out of her door wearing only a chemise. ¡°Who¡¯s¡­? Ah! Princess?¡± { t/n: a duke¡¯s daughter is also called ¡®princess¡¯. } Chapter 33 Chapter 33 As soon as she saw my face, she called my title without honorifics. How much had she been chewing me up in her mind that she automatically called me that way? Even if I cursed at the Crown Prince in my head a lot, it wasn¡¯t something I would say to his face. ¡°Ah, ah no, Princess*? It¡¯s not time for us to meet yet¡­¡± { t/n: It can¡¯t be translated in English well, but this time, Shabelle calls Ina ¡®Princess¡¯ with honorifics. } ¡°Ohoho.¡± Have you never read a novel? The female protagonist¡¯s friend would usually make an appearance to advice**¡ªno, to set the stage for the female protagonist. { t/n: The word advise could also be translated as ¡®torture¡¯ } ¡°I¡¯ll make sure this will be a fantastic day for you, Young Lady!¡± ¡°Pardon? No, it¡¯s fine¡­ uwahh!¡± ¡°Lady Float, let¡¯s start with a massage.¡± ¡°Huh? Why, why are you doing this? Kyaah!¡± The maids dragged Shabelle away into her room, peeled off her clothes and covered her in towels. Then, they brought out a jar enchanted by magic to start the steam massage. I watched contentedly as Shabelle was being massaged. ¡°Kyaak! Where are you touching¡­! Ack!¡± ¡°Fufu.¡± You¡¯ve never experienced this before, right? This is nothing once you get used to it. ¡°Sa¡­ save me¡­!¡± I popped into Shabelle¡¯s mouth a piece of pave chocolate. At that, she closed her mouth with a delighted look on her face, savoring the chocolate as it melted on her tongue. ¡°Is it good?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°One more?¡± Shabelle nodded, and I popped one more into her mouth. ¡°May I call you Shabelle?¡± Shabelle hesitated, but I just smiled and added. ¡°You mentioned last time that the tarts were delicious, so I brought some apple tarts, green grape tarts, and chocolate banana tarts today.¡± ¡°Chocolate banana?¡± ¡°Shabelle?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Is it fine if I call you that way?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Why are you talking informally? I was startled by her casualness, but I kept my smile up and offered another chocolate. ¡°You look happy, Shabelle. Eat one more.¡± She ate well like a baby bird. While Shabelle was being prettied up, I kept feeding her snacks. Shabelle¡¯s transformation was finished just in time for the promised time. She was already cute, but now her hair was in an adorable braided half-up hairstyle tied with green ribbons, and the rest of her hair cascaded down in curls. I told the maids not to tighten the corset because we were going to eat snacks while watching the play, and we¡¯ll also eat dinner. Why should a twelve-year-old wear a corset anyway? Now, with her in the yellow dress I chose for her, she had a cute, fluffy chick-like impression. Shabelle looked at her reflection in the mirror with astonishment. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Whenever she grabbed the hem of her yellow dress and twirled around, the fabric fluttered gracefully. She was so cute. I almost understood the Crown Prince for a second. Ah, no. I was thinking like a mom, but the Crown Prince wasn¡¯t thinking like a dad. I don¡¯t understand him! The shoes fit perfectly on her as well. The luxurious shoes made of soft leather looked comfortable as she walked. ¡°Shabelle, you¡¯re so pretty.¡± But when I praised her, Shabelle¡¯s expression hardened. And then as soon as she turned away from the mirror and looked at me, her lips curled up into a smile. ¡°Isn¡¯t the Princess prettier?¡± That¡¯s because I was still the villain who had everything except for a good personality. But was I the only one who had a terrible personality? Why aren¡¯t your eyes smiling? I can tell your smile is fake. You have to curl up your eyes, too. Then, I smiled broadly as if to demonstrate. ¡°Thank you for the compliment. I¡¯m glad to see that you¡¯ve become prettier. Shall we go now? Let¡¯s go to the theater hall and drink tea while eating the tarts.¡± Shabelle lost her hold on the fake smile and looked back at me blankly, then she calmly replied. ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± ¡°Fufu, you can speak comfortably.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll do that.¡± At her fast answer as though she¡¯d just been waiting for me to say that, I was speechless. But she seemed to be waiting for my reaction. There was a look of anticipation on her face like she¡¯s waiting for me to slap her on the cheek at least. I don¡¯t even understand why she¡¯s expecting it. Is she a perv who likes to get hit? It¡¯s been like this since the last time we met. With a natural smile on my face, I held Shabelle¡¯s hand. ¡°Then, shall we go?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± I led her outside, said goodbye to Baron Float, then got on the carriage. Shabelle kept looking closely at the cushions and windows inside the carriage, perhaps fascinated by the luxurious decorations. ¡°Princess, is this also real?¡± Shabelle tapped the metal ring affixed on the curtain. She said ¡®Princess¡¯ with honorifics, but her speech pattern was casual. It was giving me a headache. She was cute because she was like a little chick poking her beak here and there, but others would probably think she¡¯s out of her mind. Radiev was also one insane guy, so he might think that Shabelle acting this way was cute. Even so, it was making me nervous. I was trying to get the future Crown Princess on the Duchy¡¯s side, but if the Crown Prince turns a blind eye to her, then it¡¯ll be all for nothing. ¡°If you¡¯re asking if it¡¯s gold, I don¡¯t know either. Shabelle, don¡¯t you think ¡®Princess¡¯ is too stiff? How about calling me ¡®Sister¡¯?¡± In terms of mental age, I¡¯d be more comfortable if she called me ¡®Aunt¡¯, but since my body was only thirteen years old, ¡®Sister¡¯ would be more apt. I¡¯m a year older. While she was briefly lost in thought, she smiled and nodded. I wonder what she¡¯s thinking to have smiled comfortably this time. ¡°Okay, Sister. I wanted to call you that, too, so I¡¯m glad you allowed me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy I gained a cute younger sister, too. I heard you really wanted to see the play today, Shabelle.¡± ¡°Yes, I really want to see it!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t Baron Float let you?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m still young.¡± As she said this, she sighed in agony. ¡°I¡¯ve lived this long, but I can¡¯t even say anything about it¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ I guess.¡± Hasn¡¯t she only lived twelve years? ¡°Come to think of it, how do you know the holy language so well?¡± I recalled the crooked handwriting in the letter Shabelle sent to me. I almost slipped and broke the pleasant smile on my face, but I succeeded in keeping it on my lips. ¡°You¡¯re good at it too, Shabelle.¡± ¡°Hehe, I learned a bit from my grandfather. I think I wrote this reply really well, too.¡± Well¡­ I¡¯m a bit worried about the fate of this country. What should we do here¡­? ¡°Have you seen ¡®The Young Master¡¯s Hidden Flower¡¯ before, Sister?¡± ¡°Yes. I watched it once last year.¡± ¡°Did you see that scene? Where the Young Master kissed the knight Bell when he got hurt, and this healed him?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the highlight of the play.¡± I was so enraptured by it last year, hoping to achieve such a passionate love with Karpel. But when I think about it now, it was so ridiculously cheesy. Shabelle became more excited, and she babbled more as she thought about the male and female leads of the play during that scene. I only roughly responded to her, then we finally arrived at the theater hall. Stein opened the carriage door, and I reached out to the hand he offered to help me down. As I stepped onto the ground, I heard a lot of young people my age cheer and come closer to us. ¡°Princess Krenberia!¡± ¡°Looks like you came alone!¡± It wasn¡¯t Karpel who helped me down the carriage, so everyone assumed I was here alone. But when Shabelle got off the carriage, the cheerful mood halted. It seemed like there¡¯s really a female lead atmosphere around her to make this happen. ¡®As expected, when the female lead gets dressed up, the natural beauty of the villainess can¡¯t measure up.¡¯ I was convinced of this as I rearranged the cute bonnet on Shabelle¡¯s head. But the buzzing sound from the people around us took a different turn. They were likely whispering, ¡®Who¡¯s this? For her to be doting upon Shabelle, is she really the same Ducal Princess?¡¯ Well, I¡¯d never been to this place alone with someone who wasn¡¯t Karpel. I reached out to Shabelle. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± ¡°Yes, Sister.¡± Even as so many people were watching, Shabelle answered bravely with a casual manner of speech. It looked like her confidence was soaring. Through a separate entrance and not the general entrance, we went to a private balcony seating on the third floor leading to the VIP seats. When we sat on the sofa, Stein prepared some tea at the side and placed the tarts we brought from home on the table. ¡°Wow! Krenberia¡¯s tarts! Thank you so much, Sister! It¡¯s really so much better than the tarts from the Montblanc bakery where my grandfather once bought tarts from!¡± ¡°Go ahead, you can eat them all.¡± ¡°Wow! Really?¡± Shabelle was so excited that she just went ahead and took a big bite of the green grape tart. While dressing her up earlier, I had already fed her a lot of chocolates and macarons, so I was surprised that another tart went in so quickly. I looked down at the stage where the performance would happen. Even if our seats were on the third floor, the balcony seat was in a semi-circular shape right in front of the stage, so we had a clear view of the entire stage. ¡°I thought we wouldn¡¯t be able to see other balconies here, but we can see everything. I can even see the expressions of the people in the other balconies.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit nerve-wracking?¡± ¡°Who knows¡­¡± What did she mean by that? The brightest place in the theater right now was the stage, but because of that, there¡¯s no problem drinking tea or talking to each other here. But at the same time, Shabelle and I were also seen by other people everywhere else. My eyes felt a bit prickly. I used to enjoy this, but it was a little cumbersome now. Whenever I was here with Karpel, people were too afraid to look at me. Now that I wasn¡¯t with him here, it¡¯s awkward to have so many gazes pointed at me. Shabelle continued to chatter, I answered here and there as a good conversation partner. When tart crumbs were left on the corner of her lips, I wiped them off with a handkerchief¡ªthen I suddenly felt a strong gaze as if someone was glaring in my direction. I turned around to see just who it was. ¡®What the?¡¯ It felt like it came from the balcony seats three spaces to the right on the second floor, but there was no one there. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s not from there?¡¯ Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Even while I was lost in thought, Shabelle was busy chattering inside the theater. ¡°This is so worth seeing even if I¡¯ve been born again. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ll get to see it!¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re happy.¡± I roughly answered her and glanced down at the strange balcony again. As expected, it was still empty. Shabelle was bouncing on her seat in excitement. ¡°I think it¡¯s starting.¡± The curtains of the central stage opened, and all the lights except for those directed at the stage were turned off. The play began. ¡®The Young Master¡¯s Hidden Flower¡¯ was a love story between Sir Bell, a female escort knight who¡¯s pretending to be a man, and Edward, a noble young master. The young master trusts his escort knight who was devoted to him. The knight loves her master, but when there was a banquet held to find a spouse for him, she couldn¡¯t resist but attend the ball in a dress. The young master instantly falls in love with his knight at first sight and takes her to the garden. Since they were seen to be without an escort knight, Edward¡¯s half-brother attempted to kill him to take over the family. Bell tried to stop him and got struck on the hand with a blade, and when the assassination attempt failed, people ran there as they heard the commotion. Since Bell always wore gloves, Edward didn¡¯t even know that his escort knight¡¯s palm was hurt. They parted ways at the party, and Edward fell ill. Towards Edward, Sir Bell apologized to Edward for deceiving him and hiding that she was a woman, and she showed him her scar. Surprised by Bell¡¯s confession, Edward apologized as well for now recognizing her. He kissed Bell¡¯s wound, and proposed to marry him. Bell accepted the proposal. With the two of them smiling, it hinted at a happy future ahead of them. That¡¯s about it, but with Shabelle watching so intensely throughout the play, I muttered curiously. ¡°Shabelle¡­?¡± Looking closely though, Shabelle¡¯s expression was cold. On the stage, Bell had a dress on and blocked the sword heading for Edward with her hand. ¡°Does she have iron gloves? Why block a sword with your bare hands?¡± You¡¯re right, but why are you so angry about it?¡± ¡°You need to get hit on your chest or back!¡± As she said this, I watched the scene where Bell threw herself in the way of the sword. It did look a little weird. But isn¡¯t it natural to reach out first with your hand when you want to block something? In other parts of the audience, bursting into tears, gasping at Bell¡¯s injury, but here we have Shabelle who looked to be on the verge of throwing a teacup towards the stage. The knight was muttering something, but it seemed that she was telling Edward not to worry because it was just a wound on her palm. ¡­But if your palm gets cut to the point that your nerves get damaged, wouldn¡¯t you be able to use it anymore? The cooking teacher I had in my previous life had three fingers on his left hand that had gotten numb. I heard that he got hurt when he got injured by a kitchen knife while he was practicing to cook when he was younger. His hand was generally fine, but for precise movements, he couldn¡¯t use his middle, ring and pinky fingers properly, like they¡¯ve lost strength. Well, Shabelle herself hasn¡¯t read ¡´ Shabelle, the White Snowflower ¡µ after all. Compared to that novel, which was a total flop, this lowbrow play was a masterpiece. Shabelle continued to huff and puff and I thought that she could be heard even by other people. So I had no choice but to speak to Shabelle affectionately. ¡°Shabelle, do you feel sick?¡± ¡°N-No.¡± Shabelle was flustered and she covered her mouth, laughing. However, her eyebrows were still furrowed. Then, she took out a handkerchief and wiped her lips. She seemed to be covering her mouth because she thought that her laughter wasn¡¯t enough to cover it up. After that, Shabelle didn¡¯t say anything else and only looked at the stage coldly. It was the finale where a kiss scene would happen, something that Shabelle seemed to be anticipating. Edward kissed the back of Bell¡¯s hand. The pamphlet showed that miracles could happen with the power of love, which eventually should heal Bell¡¯s wounds. Bell looked at her normal hand with a surprised look on her face, and Edward held out a ring to her. Applause and cheers erupted as Bell said yes. I glanced at Shabelle again, who was looking down at the stage with a scowl. Then, when we barely made eye contact, she once again had a smile on her face. But even with a broad smile, she seemed to still be dissatisfied. ¡°Sister.¡± As Shabelle called me, she leaned over to my side and asked quietly. ¡°I feel like it¡¯s over, but when will they kiss?¡± The highlight of the play was the scene with Edward kissing Bell¡¯s wound. I didn¡¯t know what Shabelle wanted after I heard her say that Bell should have been struck at the chest instead. This was a play that children came to watch as well, so there¡¯s no way such a provocative scene would be shown. They didn¡¯t even use fake blood when Bell hurt her hand because they were afraid that the children would be frightened. She just acted hurt. To answer her question, I pulled Shabelle¡¯s hand and brought it to my lips. ¡°That¡¯s the kiss.¡± Shabelle stared blankly at her palm. She looked very conflicted. Perhaps even dejected and angry. Like someone in movie trailers and advertisements. At that moment, I felt another stabbing gaze. I looked over at Stein, who was standing on one side calmly waiting for orders. I stood up. Stein looked at me with questioning eyes, and with one hand, I gestured for Stein to stay there. The actors were taking a bow on the stage. ¡°Shabelle, wait here for a second. Shabelle looked at me, her gloomy expression suddenly lighting up. ¡®I just told you to wait, but why do you look so glad?¡¯ Anyway, I brushed away the question in my mind, hurried out the balcony, and went downstairs. Everyone in their respective balconies was cheering for the actors. The balcony I went to was on the second floor. It was where I could feel the stinging gaze. I didn¡¯t think it was from someone dangerous though. Because I¡¯m already so used to that gaze. The separate room was empty, and the curtain call was already halfway done. There was also a curtain drawn at one side of the balcony room, where tea was to be prepared. As soon as I entered, I reached into that curtain and grabbed it tightly. I felt something as I grabbed it with one hand, surprised. And when the curtains were pushed to the side, a familiar pair of golden irises were staring down at me. ¡°Karpel.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Karpel¡¯s face was all flushed, his eyes wide with astonishment. It made me anxious. And I slowly¡­ lowered my eyes and saw what it was that I touched. It¡¯s a belt. Fortunately, it¡¯s just his belt. I let go of it and retracted my hand to my chest. In the first place, it wasn¡¯t that I was flustered because I touched a belt, but the feeling also of my hand almost touching something that I shouldn¡¯t have touched. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were here? Why are you here? You came here secretly?¡± Karpel frowned, then nodded once. Maybe this was a secret meeting for the rebels, but I seemed to have intervened for no reason. ¡°Okay then¡­ I¡¯ll be having dinner with Lady Float tonight. Karpel, don¡¯t stay out too late.¡± Karpel stared at me without answering. I don¡¯t know what he wants to do. I looked up at him, then around us because I felt that it had gotten noisy upstairs. I could see the other separate balconies through the curtain. In terms of angle, it was hard to see, but I spotted Shabelle, who I left alone, being surrounded by young ladies of a similar age. The people who gathered there weren¡¯t any of my followers, so the atmosphere was good. However, it was clear that Shabelle was being questioned about when and how she became close to me. She might even be receiving requests asking to be introduced to me or to be invited to teatime. I waved slightly at Karpel, who was still staring, as I tried to leave, but my hand was caught. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Come home before 7 o¡¯clock.¡± It was 6 o¡¯clock right now. For that to happen, I¡¯d have to rush to the restaurant, inhale the food and go straight home without dropping off Shabelle. No, even if I did that I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to come hope at 7 o¡¯clock. ¡°¡­8 o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°Half past seven. No later than that¡ª¡± I poked Karpel on the stomach, which shocked him into stopping mid-sentence. ¡°8 o¡¯clock. I don¡¯t want to eat in a rush.¡± ¡°Alright. Make sure to be home by 8 o¡¯clock.¡± Only then did he let go of my hand. I glanced back at him once, then went back upstairs. What¡¯s he saying? Wasn¡¯t it him who¡¯s the one going out in the middle of the night for meetings with the rebels? Was it because he¡¯s afraid that I¡¯d meet him on the streets while he was out? But we already met here, too. When I arrived back, I saw a crowd around Shabelle. Inside, I heard Shabelle¡¯s chattering. ¡°Yes, yes. Young Lord Nable Esprey. I¡¯ll definitely tell Sister about you, yes, yes.¡± ¡°Will you invite me to your tea parties?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Oh, Lady Float! I really want to go to Princess Krenberia¡¯s tea party!¡± ¡°Of course.¡± As I heard her speaking, I was left speechless. ¡®Just what is she doing right now?¡¯ ¡ª Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Shabelle didn¡¯t even know I had come and was accepting all the requests that were pouring in. Shabelle was so willingly to say yes that she suddenly had an expression on her face that said, ¡®oh, this wasn¡¯t right,¡¯ to all of those who asked. They flocked to Shabelle for a reason, and they didn¡¯t even ask for my permission. Because my personality is hard to handle. To discriminate against those who were not my people, I chose and carried the ones I called my followers. Because I was such a terrible person. I really liked it to acknowledge people between those on my side and those on the other side. When Stein noticed me approaching, he glanced pitifully at Shabelle. His expression looked like he firmly believed that I would help the child. Shabelle is also incredible. I couldn¡¯t believe the people had made a move on her, Karpel¡¯s sasaeng fan¡¯s aide. I clapped my hands because everyone kept asking Shabelle things as if they didn¡¯t want to lose out on the opportunity, even though they realized it was odd. It was only then that those people became conscious of my presence. ¡°Will you please stop bothering Shabelle? You don¡¯t want to know what I¡¯m going to do if someone tries to take advantage of a weak-willed Shabelle who can¡¯t say no, do you?¡± I drew in my eyes and merely raised one corner of my mouth. My eyes are delicate, but because I have blue eyes, they radiate a rather frigid aura when I open them this way. It felt like a blast of chilly air was blowing inside at the same time. ¡°Oh, I-I didn¡¯t mean to bother Lady Float¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about the speaker¡¯s intention, but how the listener was feeling, right? Don¡¯t you think so too, Shabelle? Shabelle was staring at me with a stupid expression on her face. It was as though she was murmuring something like ¡°didn¡¯t you go back?¡± I couldn¡¯t figure out what she was talking about, though. ¡°Shabelle must be irritated that she is so reluctant and unable to speak like that. What should I do about this?¡± Shabelle, who had been surprised and had come to her senses, immediately shook her head furiously. ¡°Sister, no! Shabelle was not annoyed in the slightest!¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Everyone is kind, especially¡­ especially¡­¡± Shabelle threw a glance around and raised her hand to point to one person. ¡°Lord Espree stated that he¡¯d always wished to meet you, sister!¡± Espree? When I heard a name which was somehow similar to espresso, a rather warm-looking boy with soft light brown hair in Crema hue and dark black eyes bowed his head to me in humiliation. ¡®Wasn¡¯t he Karpel¡¯s spy who, at the age of 15, won first place in an autumn martial arts competition and became a knight of Radiov?¡¯ I remembered him because his name was similar to espresso. In addition, although he was the winner of this year¡¯s martial arts competition, as far as I know, no one has become a knight in their teens yet. So that means that Lord Espree had not yet been knighted. It must have been embarrassing for him to be addressed as Lord Espree when he wasn¡¯t yet a knight. It was something he could do if he wanted to glorify in a social circle, but not in front of me, a Duke¡¯s daughter. ¡°Nice to meet you. Sir Espree.¡± ¡°It is an honour to meet you. Princess. Lady Float crowns my face with gold.¡± ¡°Because of your outstanding attitude and courtesy, Shabelle must have mistook you for one. Sir Espree appears to me to be the same way. Sir, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get your knighthood soon.¡± ¡°Thank you for having a good impression on me.¡± Shabelle was looking at me with strange gazes as if there was something that made her disasstified again. Why are you staring at me like that now that I¡¯m defending you? ¡°Shabelle, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯d invite everyone here to the tea party, did you?¡± ¡°I invited all the people here. Can¡¯t I do that, Sister?¡± Shabelle looked at me with expectation. She didn¡¯t seem to think her request would be granted, though. The eyes that looked straight into my eyes were not as innocent as a 12-year-old child. ¡°Do you believe that¡¯s possible, Shabelle?¡± ¡°Is that not possible?¡± Shabelle gazed at me with tears and anguish in her eyes. Everyone was cautiously looking at Shabelle. ¡°No!¡± When I put it straight, Shabelle wasn¡¯t disappointed, but rather relieved. And yet she still stared straight at me. She looks as if she wants me to be upset at her. ¡®Strange.¡¯ She shouldn¡¯t have stated that she would invite others to the tea party if she knew the physiology of aristocracy. For that, Shabelle has already been humiliated by me once. Shabelle was acting as though I had no choice but to blame her at the time. Now I could sense that Shabelle wants me to treat her harshly. Nevertheless I couldn¡¯t figure out why. I drew my arms around my chest and stared down at Shabelle. ¡°Shabelle Float.¡± ¡°Yes. Sister¡­¡± She bowed her head and put her hands together politely. She had a sad expression on her face, as if she was about to cry, yet a calm demeanor, as if she knew I¡¯d be angry. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had a tea party. However, if you like, I¡¯ll host a tea party for you, and you can invite the people you said you¡¯d invite. It¡¯s difficult to hold one if the time is tight, so next Saturday is fine.¡± Shabelle¡¯s face turned pale blue. Shabelle seemed oblivious to the fact that I would overlook her behavior in this situation. She couldn¡¯t remember who she was going to invite, to the point where she couldn¡¯t even remember who she was going to invite. Shabelle¡¯s terrified gaze flashed all over the place. What was worse was that Shabelle didn¡¯t know how to write her invitation properly. ¡®Does Shabelle¡¯s behavior represent the original story¡¯s coercion? In order for her to convert me into a wicked woman?¡¯ Otherwise, Shabelle couldn¡¯t have acted weird as if she wanted to be hated by me. I smiled and greeted those who gave Shabelle a glance. ¡°Everyone, it¡¯s already late, so please excuse us.¡± ¡°Yes, I wish you a pleasant evening. Princess.¡± ¡°Enjoy your meal, Princess.¡± Among the people who offered me greetings, I reached out to Shabelle. ¡°Come on, Shabelle, let¡¯s go.¡± * * * * * The restaurant we were going to was a fine dining restaurant. It was run by a former emperor¡¯s imperial chef. Making a reservation was tough because he didn¡¯t take reservations from everyone. I¡¯m not sure, but being a previous emperor¡¯s chef, I¡¯m guessing Karpel¡¯s influence would expand here as well. Even after entering a fancy restaurant, Shabelle, who was about to drop dead with her mouth closed like before, ate hard when the food started to come out and glanced at me. ¡°How do you feel about Sir Espree, Sister?¡± What is it this time? I put down the meat cutter and turned to face Shabelle. ¡°Even though he¡¯s your fianc¨¦e, Karpel is a person with no future, Sister.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but close my mouth that was about to open. Shabelle¡¯s expression was determined as if she were ready to die. Looking at her expression, she looked like a person who jumped into the enemy camp alone with a time bomb all over her body. Of course. If I hadn¡¯t remembered my previous life, I¡¯d be burying Shabelle in the garden right away. For me, Inaila Krenberia, Karpel was mine among mines. I¡¯m not sure if Shabelle was truly buried in the social circles only for visiting Krenberia¡¯s mansion to see Karpel. ¡®I¡¯m wondering if her behaviour is influenced by the original story¡¯s forced action. Is Shabelle going to keep acting like that till we get into a conflict?¡¯ The first step was never easy, but to say that it is a forced action of the original story? It felt like my eyes were getting gloomy. Whatever the case may be, I believed it would be more effective to simply assist Karpel by force and establish him to the position of emperor. ¡®No, if the original story actually forces a happy ending for both Radiov and Shabelle, it¡¯s all for completely useless.¡¯ Shabelle spoke again, this time with a worried expression on her face, because I didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Sister, the former emperor has already died, so¡­¡± When a huge palm slammed into the side of my plate, Shabelle abruptly stopped speaking. I looked to my side and saw Stein standing there. ¡®Ah, that¡¯s right. He¡¯s also here.¡¯ ¡°You must be cautious in what you say. Lady Float.¡± I¡¯m curious what he¡¯d do if he overheard some others talking nonsense about his master. ¡°Stein.¡± ¡°Please forgive me, My Lady.¡± Stein stepped back and bowed to me. Shabelle looked at Stein with a surprised expression on her face and a teary expression on her face. She didn¡¯t even pretend to cry this time, she actually wanted to cry. ¡®How could you possibly be crying right now? Since you¡¯re the main character, you¡¯re guaranteed to have a happy ending.¡¯ For myself, I have no idea what will happen in two years. I let out a sigh. ¡°Shabelle.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°This time, your reply was totally incorrect. Keep practicing until you can properly write your invitations.¡± ¡°Sister, I¡­ It¡¯s¡­¡± I stopped in my conversation with Shabelle, who hesitated. ¡°Stein.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡± ¡°Do you recall all of the people Shabelle said she¡¯d invite?¡± Stein didn¡¯t respond, but it was clear that he was aware of that fact. ¡°Can you tell me how many there are?¡± ¡°There are a total of 12 people.¡± ¡°Not as many as I think¡­¡­ No, how many men are there?¡± ¡°There are a total of 26 people.¡± Only girls had previously been invited to my tea party, so it appeared that he had left out the men. ¡°Make a list. Because it¡¯s necessary if Shabelle can properly write the invitation. ¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Yes.¡± It was an extremely obnoxious voice. But he didn¡¯t say he didn¡¯t want to do it, so it¡¯s safe to assume he¡¯ll do a good job¡­ right? I turned my attention to Shabelle. ¡°Shabelle, please complete 26 pages without writing the invitation¡¯s name and send them to me tomorrow. I¡¯m going to guide you to rewrite what¡¯s incorrect, so do so and send it to me. My tea party starts at 2:00 p.m. So you can write that you¡¯re hosting a tea party next Saturday at 2 p.m. at Krenberia Mansion. It¡¯s customary to send it at least a week ahead of time, so you must complete all 26 copies by Friday.¡± Shabel was sad, but she appeared to be heartened by the fact that the invitation she had forgotten about had been resolved. Then she started to devour the food with enthusiasm once more. Chapter 36 But I¡¯ve completely lost my appetite. Karpel is going to die. It felt like a prophecy when I heard it from Shabelle, the female protagonist. No matter what I do, I will never be able to change the future. ¡°Shabelle.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Shabelle looked at me after putting meat in her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m going to die if I keep doing this, right?¡± Shabelle then instantly froze. Her face became very pale, as if she could see into my future. Ugh- she took the steak she was eating and spit it out into a napkin. The inside of the steak was barely cooked, so you could still taste the meat¡¯s flavor despite how flagrantly it was grilled and slathered with sweet sauce. With a pallid face, Shabelle drank water. I whispered to myself as if I were conversing with myself. ¡°Will I be able to continue to live if I break up with His Majesty Karpel?¡± ¡°Sister¡­¡± Shabelle paused for a moment, speechless. Her attitude felt weird at the time. She always informed me that I shouldn¡¯t be with Karpel. She stated that Karpel has no future, so if I remain with him, I will have no future. When I inquired if I¡¯d be able to live if I broke up with Karpel, she remained silent and merely stared at me with a stern gaze. As other times she says, I would be completely safe without Karpel. ¡°Did you finish your meal?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah.¡± ¡°All right, then, let¡¯s go back.¡± Shabelle was deafeningly quiet the entire time we were on our way back. She acted as if she was genuinely feeling guilty for me. Shabelle was dropped off to the Float¡¯s mansion. Baron Float stepped forward to welcome her. ¡°Thank you for bringing Shabelle home with you. Lady Krenberia.¡± ¡°I simply did what needed to be done. Baron Float. I wanted to entertain you, Shabelle, but it was ruined. Take a good rest because it must have been hard.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Baron Float sharply called Shabelle while she was hesitating, and she then greeted me with courtesy. ¡°Thank you for your time today. Princess.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m leaving.¡± Shabelle clutched my skirt as I climbed back into the carriage. ¡°Shabelle?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sister, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What have you got to be sorry for, just go in and rest.¡± I went into the carriage when I noticed Shabelle putting my clothing away. When I arrived at the mansion and tried to get off the carriage, Karpel was reaching out. I got off while holding that hand. It seems like he had been waiting and running outside with a long jacket when he heard the carriage coming. His expression was also ferocious. I didn¡¯t hear the bell ring at 8 o¡¯clock, so I¡¯m guessing I¡¯m still on time. ¡°Am I late?¡± I lifted my eyes to him and asked. Karpel shook his head. Deng Deng- And the time was announced by the ringing of the bell. It was 8 o¡¯clock. Karpel led me to my room¡¯s front door. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s appropriate for him to accompany me because his room is directly next to mine, but I¡¯m accustomed Karpel escorting me in this manner. ¡°Good night, Karpel.¡± Karpel looked at me and furrowed his brows as I welcomed him. He then returned to his room. Why didn¡¯t he accept my greetings? I went into my room as well. The maids helped me wash up by removing my dress. What Shabelle said stuck in my mind after all the maids had gone out and I was alone after getting ready to sleep. ¡°His Majesty Karpel is going to die.¡± I understand. I remembered the scene where Radiov killed Karpel as I closed my eyes. I was taken aback and opened my eyes wide. I became restless. I was worried that no matter what I tried, nothing would work out. Like my complicated thoughts, I tossed and turned, holding and letting go of the blanket. Then I gave a shake of my head. I¡¯m not going to die straight soon, but I¡¯m going to die. I didn¡¯t even know there was a chance for me to live. I¡¯m starting to feel like a trampled worm. So I¡¯m going to wiggle as much as possible. (T/N: from idiom ???? ??? ???? ¨C even worms are wriggling when they stepped on means We should not look down on others, no matter how useless they are.) If I struggled to live and it didn¡¯t work, I wanted to protect at least one thing. ¡°Karpel, I¡¯ll protect you.¡± I said that and stared blankly at the darkness. When I recall my previous life, I learned about me, my family¡¯s, and my father¡¯s demise. But even before then, I had a feeling Karpel¡¯s safety was in jeopardy. So, in order to protect him, I attempted to keep him and make him mine in some way. I reasoned that hiding him in Krenberia¡¯s shadow would be safe. Since I was a child, the most important thing for me has been that. To protect Karpel. I was perplexed by what I heard from Shabelle the day before, so I went for a lengthier morning stroll than usual. Walking, on the other hand, made it easy for me to become lost in thinking. I wanted an exercise to help me focus more. I was roaming around the flower garden aimlessly because I couldn¡¯t conduct strength training in a dress, but when I turned around for the third time, a person who hadn¡¯t been there before stood tall among the flower trees. He was a very tall person. Like willow leaves, his long green hair that reached the ground was silky and gorgeous. It was a color that didn¡¯t appear like a human, but it blended in perfectly with the flowering tree. He was dressed simply in a white suit with a birch-colored robe slung across his arm. ¡®Who is he?¡¯ When I came to a halt, the man who had been staring at the flower turned around. His green hair swayed in the breeze. His eyes were the same shade of green as his hair. Because I couldn¡¯t see his pupils, his eyes resembled a cherry. His complexion was white and his lips were pallid. He had the appearance of a spirit rather than a human. His form was thin, and I had no idea what gender he was, but he looked stunning regardless of gender. The other person smiled warmly at me, forgetting that I was being nasty, while I stared at him feverishly. And he approached me to greet me. ¡°Hello, Krenberia¡¯s little angel.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I was waiting for the greeting to conclude until I heard the last word, and it gave me goosebumps. ¡®Angel? Who is the angel?¡¯ The person in front of me tilted his head slightly because I didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Angel?¡± ¡°Inaila is my name. I¡¯m not an angel!¡± The person in front of me gave me a friendly grin and said. ¡°My name is Salik, and I¡¯m from Elysium.¡± ¡°Elysium?¡± Two years later, a forest elf country invades Krenberian territory. Despite the fact that the invasion occurred two years later, the empire must have harbored a great deal of resentment. Salik¡¯s expression, on the other hand, was devoid of hatred. ¡®What is the purpose of the forest elf¡¯s visit? Is there any elf left in the empire? Did he come here specifically to speak with Father about something?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t take my eyes away from the sight of 3D images that seemed to emerge out of nowhere. I moved my gaze to Salik¡¯s ear. On the top of his long-eared ears, which seemed to be about a span, there were fluffy hairs the same color as his hair. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t notice it at first. Because it resembled rabbit ears, the pointed line was adorable. I thought it would be soft if I touched it. His ears moved as I glanced at it. ¡°Is it amazing?¡± I nodded my head. Salik knelt and came out to eye level with me. ¡°Do you want to touch it?¡± Ears? I want to touch it, but the person who comes across me is so beautiful that I feel like touching it would be a crime. Simply by focusing my sight on him, it appeared that the identical symbol would be attached. But, since he allowed it, I reasoned that it would be acceptable at least once. Because his ears kept pricking up and he seemed apprehensive, I raised my hand and asked. ¡°Does it count as a greeting if I touch an elf¡¯s ears?¡± ¡°No. It entails requesting a marriage proposal.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°We only frighten our skin when we¡¯re with our companions. To ask for touch is to ask to spend the rest of our lives together.¡± ¡°But why do you want me to touch it¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just asking if you want to touch it. I didn¡¯t tell you to touch it.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. You¡¯re right.¡± However, it seemed weird to think attentively. He asked me, a 13-year-old girl, if I would do something that was only done between a couple. Even among people, not just elfs, touching ears had a serious connotation. Karpel will hack off my fingers if I touch his ear. I wasn¡¯t feeling good because I had been sarcastically teased during our first meeting. When I looked across to Salik, he appeared to be quite serious. ¡°You have the ability to touch it if it is you. Inaila.¡± Is that something you can say to a little child? I checked to see if I had understood correctly. ¡°Are you implying that we¡¯re getting married?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what it implies.¡± What¡¯s the matter with him? Is he for real? Chapter 37 He had a sincere expression on his face. I was bewildered, and Salik straightened up, a dejected expression on his face. ¡°Allow me to reintroduce myself. I¡¯m Salik, and starting today, I¡¯ll be teaching you the Elvish language.¡± ¡°Elf¡­? Huh? Aahh!¡± Because of everything Shabelle did and said yesterday, I entirely forgot that an Elvish language teacher was supposed to come today. I can¡¯t believe an Elf even came here personally! ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry! I heard you were going to arrive today¡­¡­ It¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Inaila, if you simply forgot.¡± ¡°No, yesterday¡­¡­ Sigh.¡± I merely bowed my head, attempting to justify myself. ¡°Please accept my apologies. I should have requested that the employee notify me when you came. Why did you come to the flower garden yourself?¡± Salik grinned. ¡°The maid said I should wait because you would come within 10 minutes, but you didn¡¯t come for more than an hour. I came personally to talk to you because I thought the class was no longer needed.¡± I hid my face behind my hands. I took a longer walk than usual because I was thinking a lot. No, even if I was taking my time walking, they should have informed me if the teacher had already arrived. When it comes to the cause, the issue is my attitude toward teachers, which used to be the same. Since I had never stopped what I was doing when the teacher came, the employees did not necessarily inform me. ¡°I am deeply ashamed of myself.¡± I can also understand why he teased me when we first met. I called him to ask him to teach me how to study, but I didn¡¯t show up. Besides, my current attire is light, so welcoming outside guests was not too formal. However, in the current situation, asking him to wait while I prepare appears to be more problematic. ¡°If you¡¯re still going to have the lesson, let¡¯s get in.¡± I followed Salik¡¯s green hair heading to the mansion ahead of me. Despite the fact that his hair was long enough to reach the ground, it fluttered instead. With Salik, I went right to the classroom. There were already written instruments and books prepared, as well as empty teacups that appeared to be traces of Salik¡¯s waiting. I felt really bad. Salik stared at me and remarked as I sat like a criminal waiting for my sentence. ¡°You¡¯re not quite what I expected to hear.¡± ¡°It¡¯s likely that what you¡¯ve heard is correct. Now, as Krenberia¡¯s successor, I¡¯m going to do everything I can for my people and the Empire¡­¡­ But I have nothing to say because I showed you my bad side from the beginning.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sad because Inaila is excessively sorry. Then, if it¡¯s like this, will it help you feel better?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you grant my request later, Inaila?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a little¡­¡­¡± What do you think a person who made fun of me about marriage would ask for? When I expressed my concern, Salik seemed dissatisfied once more. ¡°You don¡¯t appear to be particularly sorry.¡± ¡°If you ask me to touch your ears, it would put me in a difficult situation.¡± Salik¡¯s eyes were wide open. ¡°Do you see me as a man, Inaila?¡± ¡°I believe the teacher first saw me as a lady.¡± Although I was joking, Salik¡¯s cheeks flushed. I felt like my head was cooling down as I saw him ashamed, restless, and not denying. Why is it that the world is so full of perverts? Except for Karpel, they¡¯re all perverts. ¡°Usually¡­ It¡¯s usually not like that.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t consider people of different races to be the opposite gender.¡± Isn¡¯t that to say there aren¡¯t times when there aren¡¯t? I¡¯m hoping it¡¯s not right now. He¡¯s a teacher, and I¡¯m his ¡®little¡¯ student. Salik, who was becoming increasingly agitated as he watched me be cautious, took the book from me and opened it. ¡°Let¡¯s have a class.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± With a face entirely disfigured by his pasture, Salik sighed and inquired. ¡°¡­¡­Why are you interested in learning Elvish?¡± Because your race is going to invade the Empire, so I¡¯m going to stop that. I couldn¡¯t answer in this manner, so I gave him a sidelong glance and inquired as to why he was asking such a question, and Salik continued to speak quietly. ¡°Learning will be more efficient if you concentrate on your area of interest. Inaila, you can also get more information if you require it. If you¡¯re interested in elves¡¯ culture, for example, learning about their festivals, seasons, and culinary culture will be more engaging.¡± I remembered the botanical encyclopedia I had seen when I learned about food culture. The ingredients were the main focus of the illustrated book for me. ¡°Oh, there was a book I was studying by myself.¡± ¡°Could you please show me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I replied and entered the classroom. Karpel, on the other hand, was standing right in front of the entrance. ¡®What brings him here?¡¯ I had grown accustomed to Karpel appearing out of nowhere and staring down at me at this point. I believe I would find him standing like this if I opened the door to my closet. ¡°What are you doing here, Karpel?¡± ¡°What about you?¡± Why did he return the question¡¯s reply? But, because I didn¡¯t have any power, I answered pleasantly. ¡°I¡¯m going to bring the book I¡¯ve been reading.¡± Karpel gazed into the classroom with his eyes lifted. Karpel stared inside over the top of my head without tilting his head because I was standing in front of him. It hit me that I was short. It¡¯s understandable given our gender and age differences, but I felt a strong feeling of defeat. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m a failure¡­¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s all listen in on the class.¡± ¡°Do as you please.¡± When Salik answered, Karpel tried to get in, so I had to get out of the way. I wasn¡¯t able to get out till he walked inside. When I entered my room, the desk was carefully set with books, notes, and memoranda. I used to read diplomatic materials, but I couldn¡¯t show them to outsiders. I was embarrassed to show other books about Forest Elves and Elysium, so I returned to the study with only a vocabulary book and an illustrated book I read while studying on my own. When I knocked and opened the door, I felt the cold air somehow. I glanced at the Karpel, which looked even fiercer today, and sat in my seat to avoid him. ¡°This is the book I¡¯ve been reading lately.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an illustrated book I made.¡± ¡°What?¡± Salik pointed out the first letter of the word densely written at the bottom of the book. ¡°Can you read it?¡± ¡°Green willow tree.¡± ¡°It says Elysium per Salik.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± I focused on character interpretation, so I didn¡¯t know how to read it yet. ¡°Elves write down the names of all the people who participated in making the book at the bottom of the cover.¡± ¡°Did you make this, teacher?¡± ¡°Yes, I made it with the help of my friends.¡± It was very amazing to meet the author of the book in person. Is this how it feels to meet Favre? (T/N: The author of The Favre Insect Period.) There was no way that my father would give me a poor man as a teacher, but I didn¡¯t know he would invite a famous scholar. ¡°That book¡­¡­ It seems quite old.¡± ¡°Yes. It was first published 83 years ago.¡± It¡¯s not just a long time ago. Because of our different races, Elves live longer than humans. Why is such a man to be my teacher? As a harmless little kid who looked like an elf, my mind evaporating, I straightened my posture and asked politely. ¡°Sa-Salik-nim. I¡¯m a beginner who can¡¯t even read letters well. Is it okay for you to make time to teach me like this?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t do it, there won¡¯t be anyone who will teach you, Inaila. Because of what happened 10 years ago, Elysium elves couldn¡¯t enter the Empire.¡± ¡°Salik-nim is¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Except for me.¡± Why is Salik excluded? I was staring blankly at him when I heard Karpel¡¯s low, submerged voice next to me. ¡°Salik of Elysium was once a scholar of the imperial palace.¡± Reflexively, I turned my head toward the direction of the voice and looked at Karpel. As soon as I encountered his eyes, who was staring at me like a stab, I quickly turned my gaze to the book as if I were a prey caught in a trap. ¡°When His Majesty ascended to the throne, he forbade him from entering the Imperial Palace, but he did not expel him out of the country.¡± Salik said bitterly. I raised my head. ¡°Isn¡¯t it Salik who was doing research on the improvement of varieties produced?¡± Salik looked at me with a surprised face. Then, when I glanced at the illustrated book with the memos on each page I was interested in, Salik nodded once. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡®The multiracial scholar invited to the imperial palace is Salik.¡¯ Chapter 38 Karpel¡¯s father, the former Emperor, allowed scholars from other races to do study on improving product varieties at the Imperial Palace. The current emperor, on the other hand, ascends to the throne and dismisses scholars from the research team. When I first read it in the book, I assumed that all of the scholars had been killed. However, I assume this meant that the research team was disbanded. That¡¯s a possibility, I suppose. It was unnecessary for him to kill people who were studying grass. I felt an unexpected connection with Salik, probably because I sympathized with extra individuals whose names only appeared briefly in the story. ¡®Extra comrade!¡¯ I asked, grabbing Salik¡¯s hand that was placed on the book. ¡°Have you kept researching varieties even while you weren¡¯t in the Imperial Palace?¡± Salik¡¯s eyes widened as he gazed down at his hand. I belatedly realized that touch in elves was meant for betrothal when I saw his surprised expression. I saw the hand I was holding and thought it seemed awkward for the person sitting across from me, but it turned out to be Karpel¡¯s hand, not Salik¡¯s. Before I could grab Salik¡¯s hand, Karpel prevented me. Salik startled himself by looking at Karpel next to me and picking up the vocabulary book. A scary cold air was emitted from the side where Karpel sat, as if the freezer was open. I trembled, let go of Karpel¡¯s hand, and stared at the vocabulary book that Salik was looking at. I imagined that if I locked eyes with Karpel, something would happen. Karpel, to be honest, looked terrible today, including his voice. I don¡¯t know why the hell he is in such a bad condition, but I wondered if something would happen. Furthermore, his patience appeared to be coming to a close because I was simply conversing with the teacher I was calling for study guidance. Salik combed through my vocabulary as I was persuaded by myself. Salik¡¯s smile had vanished from his face as I was examining what I had done wrong. Salik examined everything till the very end and then said. ¡°Are you interested in diplomacy with Elysium?¡± ¡®Oops.¡¯ My vocabulary book wasn¡¯t just a random collection of words. Of course, I learned Elvish in the botanic encyclopedia and noted it in my vocabulary book, but there are many other terms and notes I made while reading Elysium¡¯s diplomacy report. Because that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been studying for the most part. I felt like I showed all the cards I had from the beginning. Even if I spent a hundred days studying the Elvis language from the botanic encyclopedia, diplomatic negotiations were impossible. Even if I put Krenberia¡¯s diplomat in front of me, mastering the Elvish language was preferable for the sake of establishing a trustworthy relationship. So I thought it would be better to let Salik, who is currently the only connection with Elysium, know that I am positive about it. ¡°Diplomacy¡­,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I hadn¡¯t considered it in that perspective. It¡¯s only that I¡¯m fascinated by crops, but the Imperial Palace has stopped the research. Furthermore, an agreement in relation to the study was reached in Elysium, a neighboring country close to Krenberia, but the agreement has already been broken and exchanges have been cut off, right? So I was just thinking about how things would be in Elysium.¡± Salik squinted at the vocabulary book. ¡°You looked up a few direct words out of pure curiosity. Inaila. From the population and crop production of Elysium to the grain trading units.¡± Oh, really? I studied too hard! I paused for a time, unable to come up with an excuse. Salik gave a bitter smile. I asked without realizing it because his expression was just so sorrowful. ¡°Is Elysium all right?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, the current situation is the worst. Originally, the Empire supplied Elysium with 80 percent of its wheat needs. However, the present imperial family has forbidden the export of wheat to Elysium.¡± ¡°The Empire didn¡¯t only block all the exchange scholars, but also the export of wheat?¡± ¡°Yes. We traveled around the continent before the empire was formed, assisting other races in exchange for food. Following the establishment of the empire, the imperial family unilaterally accepted Elysium¡¯s crafts and people in exchange for wheat from the Empire. The Empire continues to import Elysium¡¯s crafts and magical artifacts. Paying in gold doesn¡¯t signify much. Gold is not only mined in Elysium, but it cannot be used to purchase wheat.¡± ¡°The production of other grains in our Empire is not much.¡± ¡°Yes, as Inaila said, the Empire does not produce much crops other than wheat. Within the Empire, the Empire produces only the quantity it consumes.¡± Wheat made up the majority of the Empire¡¯s grain. ¡°Rice and barley were only grown in a few regions, while other grains were grown according to the landowner¡¯s preferences, but only in small portions. ¡± Furthermore, all of the Elves who had previously worked in the empire have been sent back to Elysium, resulting in an increase in the Elysium¡¯s resident population. I¡¯m telling you this because I believe the two of you are inadequate in conveying this to His Majesty, but I believe His Majesty is particularly harsh on Elysium.¡± Push the elves back to Elysium and cut off their food source from the Empire. They look to be trapped in a small space with limited food. It sounded like death. The emperor was determined to drive Elysium to the edge of the cliff. There was a moment of silence. I used to assume that the situation in Elysium, as described by Salik, was like a tale from another world. But now it¡¯s time to face the truth. What are the elves doing to stay alive when their food source is suddenly cut off? ¡°It¡¯s been ten years already.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been 12 years.¡± ¡°How does Elysium manage to stay alive?¡± ¡°Generations change¡­¡­¡± Karpel slammed his hand on his desk after cutting off Salik¡¯s speech. I was taken aback and cast a glance towards Karpel. Karpel was expressionless as he glanced at Salik.¡± ¡°Yet, they¡¯re still alive, aren¡¯t they?¡± Salik smiled as he closed his mouth. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the worst, but we¡¯re holding out somehow. We also made transactions with the Kingdom of Timidis or other places beyond the mountain range.¡± Wheat was a major export for the Empire. There is, however, no country that sells wheat to Elysium that was imported from the Empire. In that case, the emperor even blocked the trade there. ¡°But it¡¯s still difficult, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As a result, Radiev broke the moment at that time. When Radiev is requested to reach an agreement, he does it without difficulty. ¡°Is that why you want to appease me, Salik-nim? Do you want to plant other crops in Krenberia that can be exported to Elysium instead of wheat? That¡¯s why you came as my tutor and didn¡¯t show any signs of discomfort even after not showing up for an hour.¡± Salik paused before agreeing to my naive words. ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s correct.¡± Perhaps this is why his marriage talk wasn¡¯t even a joke. Perhaps that¡¯s why he was upset when I didn¡¯t touch him. He was going to lie down to take responsibility for the dirty route, but I didn¡¯t fall for it.¡­ Suddenly, I thought of myself a while ago when I drank and begged Karpel to hug me. I felt sympathy for Salik once more. Salik, who is almost a century old, has decided to devote himself to a 13-year-old human child in order to feed the people of his kingdom. My father took a long time to find me an elf teacher. There was no one who could teach me the Elvish language, and as time passed, my father had no choice but to contact Salik, who he didn¡¯t believe would court me. There¡¯s also an age difference. Quite a lot. I¡¯ve been pondering many aspects of Elysium. Krenberia is a prosperous area. In terms of statistics, sending the amount of grain that Elysium required to Krenberia was not unreasonable. If Krenberia¡¯s average grain production is 100 sacks, the estate¡¯s consumption was around 10 sacks. Because there was no need to actively cultivate, there were always enough fields to play in. The amount of Elysium needed was only about 5 sacks. If the emperor prevented the remaining wheat from being sent, I could grow something else and send it. As I was thinking about it, Carpel said. ¡°The emperor¡¯s ban on exports must have been aimed at, so you cannot move hastily.¡± That is exactly what occurred. If I start growing crops other than wheat in earnest to give them to Elves, the emperor will not let me go. A feeling of incompatibility washed over me at the time. As if feeling like they¡¯re not going to let me go? ¡®Oh, right, I¡¯m already engaged to Karpel.¡¯ In my head, the storyline of Krenberia¡¯s ruin passed by. If the Emperor wanted Elysium to invade Krenberia, then my engagement had nothing to do with it. ¡®Is the Emperor merely after our family?¡¯ Drought and the invasion of Elysium peoples wreaked havoc on Krenberia. Radiev only succeeded in negotiating with Elysium too easily after that. ¡®¡­¡­The forest elves retreated and the remaining Krenberia territory was acquired as Radiev succeeded in negotiating, but was taken away by Karpel again.¡¯ I shifted my gaze to Karpel. ¡®Karpel, like Krenberia, must be in desperate need of Krenberia.¡¯ In order to protect what I have, the answer was to develop my own strength. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s use the empty field to grow crops other than wheat.¡± Chapter 39 ¡°Inaila?¡± It was Karpel who called me. When I looked at him, he stared at me as if he was asking if I was determined to die. The emperor would not let it go if he knew. But the emperor has no intention of leaving me alone anyway. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Salik was taken aback, as if he hadn¡¯t expected me to respond positively so quickly. ¡°There is, however, a condition.¡± As if it were natural, Salik asked calmly. ¡°What is the condition?¡± ¡°I need a warehouse.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a warehouse¡­¡­¡± Even in a difficult year, Krenberia produced around 20 sacks, thus there was no need for a storage warehouse. There was only enough storage after harvesting to last a year until the following harvest. That is why the people of Krenberia are unable to bear the devastating drought that follows a few years later. ¡°I need a magic warehouse. I want to build a secret warehouse that can contain 10 million wheat sacks. Are you able to make it to Elysium?¡± ¡°10 million sacks¡­¡­¡± It was enough to keep our people survive for another five years. I¡¯m not sure how much space will be required, but it won¡¯t be easy. Salik had a solemn expression on his face as he was buried in contemplation. After roughly five minutes, Salik remained silent. Karpel remained silent as well. Salik¡¯s serious expression seemed to think that I wanted a grain warehouse to steal food. ¡°Is it impossible?¡± Salik shook his head and said. ¡°I¡¯m a scholar, so I¡¯m not very good at magic. I¡¯ll have to check with Elysium to see if that¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s talk again when we get an answer.¡± If I was impatient, the only thing I could do was think about the next best option more. If that didn¡¯t work, I was planning on asking if there was any kind of magic I could employ to prepare for the drought. And something occurred to me when speaking with Salik. Perhaps the drought that hit Krenberia wasn¡¯t a natural disaster after all? Perhaps the emperor intended it? Magic occurs in this world, and there is a record of a person who created a tremendous disaster due to greed or belief in some historical books. Earthquakes and floods happened in addition to war and slaughter. So, maybe drought as well? No. People in Krenberia are also citizens of the empire, no matter how annoying it is. Even a villainous emperor would not go to such lengths. ¡®That is a useless thought.¡¯ Salik, who was looking through the botanics encyclopedia, grabbed up the pen while I was lost in thought. ¡°Then, shall we study now?¡± ¡°Oh, yes!¡± As I replied, Salik grinned at me, then looked next to me, shocked, and switched his gaze to the blank paper. I was curious as to what the issue was, so I twisted my head to see Karpel¡¯s scowled expression, then turned back to face the blank paper like Salik. Karpel didn¡¯t appear to like the friendly negotiations between Salik and me for some reason. The lesson began in a frosty atmosphere. Since then, neither Salik nor I have looked at Karpel¡¯s side. The basics were described by Salik based on the similarities between ancient and Elvish languages. Salik had mismatched his explanation and writing notes several times since he was so nervous. However, I was nervous and frequently misinterpreted what Salik said, so it felt as if I was seeing and hearing it for the first time, even if Salik explained it two or three times. I was unable to concentrate. Karpel said he would take the lesson too, but I couldn¡¯t figure out why he was sitting here if he was going to be like that. * * * * * The Duke of Krenberia was contemplative as he examined the ¡¯embroidery patterns¡¯ notes that his daughter, Inaila Krenberia, had labeled. He replicated the drawings he saw in her room and recalled them, so it wasn¡¯t the original. Inaila¡¯s patterns were lovely, but the arrangements she wrote were more like recordings than embroidery designs or patterns. It was unmistakably text. The Duke immediately recognized Inaila¡¯s writing as a text rather than an embroidery design. It was, however, a type of text he had never seen before. By combining multiple shapes together according to the rules, it seemed to construct meaning. More than one or two memos were found. He looked for a few days and couldn¡¯t find anything even close to the language he was looking for. If it was a ciphertext produced by a 13-year-old girl who wanted to keep a secret from others, it couldn¡¯t possibly be hard. Even if it was complex, it had to have some resemblance to the Empire¡¯s original language. The Duke, on the other hand, was unable to interpret Inaila¡¯s memo. It didn¡¯t seem to originate from any of the Empire¡¯s three official languages, but rather from somewhere else entirely. Duke Krenberia, on the other hand, had not considered the possibility that Inaila used a language he did not understand. If this was a ciphertext, someone had to write it in such a way that it got so complex. The duke called the butler. ¡°Bring his highness here.¡± Karpel arrived at the Duke¡¯s office shortly after. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± In front of the Karpel, the Duke lined up the notes. Karpel was expressionless as he peered down at the Duke¡¯s notes. If it was a ciphertext created by Karpel¡¯s rebels, the Duke reasoned, Karpel would become agitated just by looking at it. However, the Duke was unable to see any unusual symptoms. Karpel wasn¡¯t a cute little boy who struggled to express himself. ¡°What does it say on the memo?¡± Karpel picked up the document with a strange expression in response to the Duke¡¯s question. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen a letter like this.¡± Karpel, who was picking up another note and studying it, made eye contact with the Duke, who gave him a thoughtful look. Karpel only sighed as he learned why the Duke was showing him these texts. He appeared to believe that the note he had gotten was a ciphertext for the rebels. ¡°Duke, it¡¯s a language I¡¯m not familiar with. I¡¯m not sure where this came from¡­¡­¡± ¡°Your Highness, it was written by Ina. She said that it was an embroidery pattern.¡± Karpel shut his mouth. It reminded him that Inaila had stayed in her room for a few days before drinking and scribbling something down. Like a drawing or a design. It was that. Karpel, on the other hand, believes that what was written on the memo was neither a drawing nor a design. It was, without a doubt, a text message. Karpel, like the Duke, was perplexed as to why Inaila was writing these letters. Since she was a child, Inaila has been a gifted student. Karpel¡¯s urgent need to learn from his secret teachers was easily absorbed by Inaila, who absorbed it like a sponge. Karpel began living with books because if he didn¡¯t learn it, Inaila would swiftly catch up with him. Inaila, on the other hand, stopped studying after the age of seven and focused solely on decorating. This was because her tutors, who had been summoned by the Duke, had all warned her to stay away from Karpel. The Duke duped Inaila, and she drove all of her teachers out of the Duke¡¯s mansion. Even yet, Inaila had mastered everything 10-year-old Karpel knows at the time, thus none of her friends will be able to match her intellectual knowledge. ¡°Why is she writing this kind of text?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to ask that, your highness.¡± So the Duke wanted to know if Karpel had recruited Inaila to join the rebels. Karpel frowned. Even if Karpel were the Duke, he would have thought the same thing. But it was a text he had never seen before. Karpel started to feel concerned about Inaila. ¡®From which ciphertext is this?¡¯ This isn¡¯t something the Rebels would do. Because the Duke had no idea, it couldn¡¯t be from Krenberia. The most influential was the emperor. It¡¯s possible that the Emperor was trying to persuade young Inaila so that he might manipulate her. The emperor, on the other hand, was unlikely to even consider teaching Inaila a ciphertext like this. Is it then a ciphertext created by Inaila? Her followers were mostly young ladies who adored princess-like Inaila. What if Inaila became aware of Karpel¡¯s soldiers and moved to support him in some way? Just thinking about it made Karpel anxious. He couldn¡¯t make her do something so risky. It was safer for her to just dress up to attract his notice. Inaila was only thirteen years old at the time, but Karpel was already putting up forces to overthrow the present imperial family. Nobles, top information guilds, intelligence groups, and so on. Karpel has developed his forces, so Inaila has the capability to do so as well. ¡®No¡­¡­ Is it a force that is trying to stop me because she wants to end our courtship?¡¯ It was, however, still dangerous. To the rebels, Inaila was only a Krenberian witch trying to seduce Karpel and cloud his interests. Either side had to be blocked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you check out the girls who were always hanging out with Inaila?¡± Chapter 40 ¡°How come you¡¯re telling me to check on them though?¡± ¡°Because this is something I¡¯m not knowledgeable about, and Inaila¡­¡­¡± Karpel recalled Inaila when she mentioned the issue about breaking their engagement. If The Duke finds out that Inaila is considering breaking their engagement, he will host a banquet tonight. ¡°Inaila has recently been uninterested in me.¡± As a result, Karpel said that instead. ¡°She looked to be interested in something else, which could be related to this.¡± Duke was lost in thought as he listened to Karpel. His daughter seemed to have lost interest in Karpel these days. She went to a performance alone, without Karpel, or spent the majority of her time studying in her room. The Duke assumed Inaila became that way because she was disappointed by Karpel, but she¡¯s interested in something else, as Karpel stated. ¡®Or perhaps Inaila had had enough of Karpel?¡¯ That¡¯s great news. It would be better for Inaila to lose interest in the Prince and let go of him. The Duke, on the other hand, did not simply accept Karpel¡¯s words. It¡¯s possible that Karpel was attempting to persuade Inaila to join the rebellion, divert the Duke¡¯s attention away from him, and disguise it by convincing Inaila that she had lost interest in him. The Duke, on the other hand, kept his doubts hidden and spoke gently. ¡°So, Your Highness, you¡¯re saying that this letter could be something Inaila utilized among her followers?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already checking on the young ladies who often hang out with Inaila, but there was nothing unusual.¡± ¡°Since Inaila mentioned these are embroidery designs, why don¡¯t you give her one and watch how she reacts?¡± ¡®Just like what you did to me,¡¯ Karpel gulped down the end of his words. The Duke gave Karpel a sidelong glance. He was also aware of Karpel¡¯s intentions. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m done questioning you on this. Your Highness, you may now leave.¡± Karpel, on the other hand, did not leave the office and instead stared at the Duke. ¡°Do you mind if I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Why does it have to be Salik from Elysium?¡± The Duke also had no intention of appointing Elysium¡¯s Salik as Inaila¡¯s Elvish teacher. The Duke worried that Elysium, which was in a difficult place, might play tricks on Inaila. Finding another Elf teacher, on the other hand, was problematic. ¡°I heard you and Inaila were taking the class together. Was there an issue?¡± ¡°He asked Inaila if she had seen him as a man.¡± The Duke stared blankly at Karpel, as if he didn¡¯t understand what he was hearing. The Duke then leapt from his seat. ¡°How dare he, that old man¡­¡­¡± The Duke then walked out without saying anything to Karpel. When Karpel heard Inaila and Salik conversing on the other side of the door, he felt the same way. An elderly Elf, who has lived for almost a century, nevertheless asks a young girl, Inaila, whether she perceived him as a man or a woman. It was obvious that he was insane. Furthermore, Inaila attempted to hold Salik¡¯s hand. Karpel felt as if his heart was breaking at the time. Elves are completely oblivious to their mate. They couldn¡¯t get out of it once they were intertwined. One of them had to die. Karpel was upset that he had to keep an eye on the old Elf twice a week. Above all, Inaila, let alone not showing any dislikes, also seemed to be quite worried about the condition of Elysium. Karpel¡¯s mind wandered to the scene of Inaila touching Salik¡¯s pristine white and veiled cheek. Karpel walked out of the Duke¡¯s office with a grimace on his face. He¡¯ll make sure he never sees anything like that ever. Even after dinner time passed, Shabelle had not contacted me. I¡¯m sure I told her she had to finish it by today, but 26 invitations appears to be too much for her. If I don¡¯t hear from her by tomorrow, I¡¯ll inform Baron Float about her attitude of inviting people to my tea party at random. As her guardian, I may have been cowardly, but I gave her enough leeway. I was preoccupied in my thoughts, muttering that it was self-defense and that I wasn¡¯t a coward at all, when I heard a knock. ¡°Please come in.¡± ¡°Lady.¡± For some reason, it was Stein. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I came after receiving the invitations from Lady Shabelle Float.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ did you come there to get it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did you go get it on your own?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± What Shabelle had said about Karpel being destined to die seemed to bother him. That¡¯s why he went to Baron Float mansion like a debt collector. ¡°And please delegate Lady Float¡¯s invitations inspection to me.¡± I locked my gaze on Stein, who was bending his back at a 45-degree angle. Of course, even if he was working as a commoner in this mansion, he was still a noble who concealed his status, so inspecting any invitations was simple for him. However, it was a little surprising that he himself announced his ability like this. ¡°I studied hard with the goal of becoming a butler.¡± Oh, it seemed that he was supposed to go with that setting. Since I didn¡¯t answer, Stein began to persuade me. ¡°So my skill is definitely not clumsy¡­¡­¡± ¡°I trust you. I know you¡¯re smart, so do it like that.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lady.¡± As I looked at Stein, who smiled as he replied to me, I was a little worried about Shabelle¡¯s future because Stein had a very insidious smile as the villain¡¯s right arm. But for me now, Shabelle is not a problem. Well, getting close to her wasn¡¯t as easy as I had expected, and if there was truly a compelled action of the original work or fate in other ways, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to overcome it. Shabelle¡¯s goal of becoming Crown Princess and gaining actual power was still a long way off. Right now, the most essential thing was my territory, Krenberia. I kept thinking about the predicament of Elysium that Salik mentioned as I was organizing what he told me today. No matter how much I tried to deny it, the emperor was the one who influenced Elysium to invade Krenberia. So if I solve the issue of Elysium and improve their connection with Krenberia, the Emperor will take another step. ¡®It makes my head throb.¡¯ I agonized while burying my head in a book. At this rate, I¡¯ll be forced to have a bed rest again. Despite the fact that the morning walk improved my stamina, I was still a long way from my previous life, when I could finish a basin full of pickled flash in a flash. ¡®Should I take a break a little and fix my mood?¡¯ I used to get peace of mind whenever I was with Karpel before I lost my memories. But it also becomes a source of discomfort, which increases the stress. Because there aren¡¯t many different plays or performances in the world, I was able to memorize the lines because I had seen it so many times. I took a look at the stack of letters from my followers in the corner of the desk. Because just my followers will attend, the tea time I host will be simple, and it will be a good opportunity to change the mood. Those who are waiting for an invitation to Shabelle¡¯s tea party, to whom these invites have been issued, would have discovered by now that they have been ignored. I reached my hand out and opened a letter. When I read statements like ¡°regrettable seeing each other for a brief time in the rose garden¡± or ¡°the attitude of Lady Shabelle Float is difficult to understand,¡± I felt better and better. I opened these letters without knowing what they were about, but it was reassuring to know that there were people on my side. ¡®Oh, we can have a picnic instead of a tea party.¡¯ We could all get together at the villa to look at flowers, have a boat ride, and read poetry. A smile crept over my mouth as I remembered the girls running around the villa garden. We all need time to heal from time to time. * * * * * To convey that I would make use of the villa, I cut my morning walk short, dressed up, and went to see my father today. Father was looking at the tie pin and cuffs recommended by the butler. ¡°Papa.¡± I pecked out my head in a cute manner and looked around the room. Father¡¯s face hardened as he looked at me. And he flailed his palm across his forehead, as if he felt dizzy. ¡°Papa, papa!¡± I was taken aback and panicked, but Father grabbed me and hauled me up. Oh, I was tricked. ¡°Today, my daughter is very lovely!¡± I believe I am a bit too old to be carried and whirled in this manner, but watching my father smiling brightly made me feel better, so I smiled brightly as well. Father shook and held me firmly when he saw me smiling. Crack. He¡¯s going to shatter my ribs, I¡¯m sure of it. Father, who had let me go, questioned me with a disappointed expression as I wriggled to save my life. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Ina?¡± You come first thing in the morning to see me.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to hold an outing with my friends at Silver Lake Villa.¡± ¡°Friends¡­¡­¡± Father, who paused for a moment, looked worried. What went wrong? Is it possible that he has already lent the villa to someone else? However, he soon smiled and said. ¡°What if it¡¯s three days later? I need to get ready for the outing.¡± I figured it would be more acceptable to invite just those who could arrive in three days. I said with a nod. ¡°Thank you, Papa. Then I¡¯ll go ahead and send out an invitation. Also, I think you should put on a ruby set today.¡± I chose one of the tie pins and cuffs from the butler¡¯s hand and placed it on Father¡¯s tie. Father¡¯s blue eyes welled up with tears as he saw my actions. ¡°Citrin¡­¡­¡± Chapter 41 I was about to put on the cuff when I opted to halt. My father called out my mother¡¯s name in desperation. My mother died more than ten years ago, which is why I have no remembrance of my mother. It¡¯s the same as in my previous life. I was no different from an orphan back then. I don¡¯t have any parents to care about. In my previous life, I had a person who was like family, friend, and teacher to me. And I witnessed that person¡¯s deathbed. But at that time, I had enough time to prepare myself and that person told me that he was happy to be with me. As a result, I was glad to be with him at the end. It was heartbreaking, but it wasn¡¯t just a heartbreaking breakup. My father¡¯s breakup with my mother, on the other hand, was said to be rather sudden. I looked at my father, who had his lips pressed together, attempting to keep his tears at bay. People believed that time would heal the wounds of my father¡¯s abrupt loss of my mother, but even after ten years, the wounds of my father¡¯s loss of my mother did not appear to heal. ¡®I envious my mother¡­¡­¡¯ There was no one left to mourn my demise in my previous life. I reasoned that it would be preferable to leave my loved one in such misery. I wrapped my arms around my father. ¡°Isn¡¯t Ina here, Papa? Don¡¯t be sad.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Papa only has Ina.¡± My father affectionately patted me on the head. I like the sensation of his large hands mess my hair. However, my father has no one in his life save me, which is a little issue. I was considering what to do with my father when I saw the butler was becoming agitated. ¡°Oh, by the way. Papa has to go to work now, right?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to haste. My kid is the most significant person in my life.¡± That¡¯s the issue. I glanced into my father¡¯s eyes, which were fixed on me as if I were the most precious thing in the world. Is it necessary for me to bring in a stepmother? But it didn¡¯t appear to be simple. I heard that my father fell in love with my mother, who came to the Empire as a hostage from the Kingdom of Rochelle, and ended up marrying her. I couldn¡¯t imagine how deeply they loved each other. Karpel was very precious to me, and I loved him, but it wasn¡¯t the same as my father¡¯s love for my mother. ¡®Now that the entire Kranberia seems to be the emperor¡¯s target, I can¡¯t hastily ask my father to find someone precious.¡¯ I pushed my father¡¯s back and begged him to hurry up and get to work. ¡°Papa, Ina understands that papa¡¯s work isn¡¯t as important as Ina, but it¡¯s still important, right?¡± ¡°Okay. Papa needs to put forth a lot of effort for Ina.¡± ¡°Still, Ina knows Papa is working hard for Ina, but don¡¯t overdo it, Papa. Papa is also precious to Ina.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you know how to say that, my sweetheart.¡± As I saw my father sway with emotion, I sighed. It seemed like there would be no end to this. It¡¯s inconvenient, but if I didn¡¯t do it right, I¡¯d only have two years to laugh and chat like this. I instantly questioned my father since the weight of the phrase invasion seemed to weigh on me. ¡°Papa, can¡¯t we put more soldiers in Kranberian territory?¡± A grin developed across my father¡¯s mouth as he caressed my hair. ¡°Other than the current guards, private soldiers are restricted by law.¡± As expected, it won¡¯t work. I gave a little nod of approval. It would be impossible to plan ahead of time without knowing anything about recruiting or training soldiers, only to be immediately accused with treason. As expected, I have no choice but to negotiate well with Elysium. * * * * The picnic had been meticulously planned. I used to do a lot of social gatherings, but I don¡¯t anymore, so the people in charge of finding event venues seemed to take care of everything day and night. So, perhaps because it was an event after a long time, they seemed so excited that they even made a report and showed to me that they would make the best outing. Indeed, the people in authority must have been anxious about the future because they had suddenly found themselves with nothing to do. They also prepared a lot of activities such as composing poems and guessing words. My father seems to have liberally released the funds, so it appeared like luxury items were on the line in every game. They also made gifts for everyone who participated. Even if it¡¯s a picnic for the kids, I¡¯m not sure what they¡¯re trying to accomplish. ¡®Well, I¡¯ll find out when I get there.¡¯ By carriage, the Silver Lake Villa could be reached in an hour. The picnic would begin at ten in the morning with a brief talk, so I finished my preparations early. I was going to leave when Stein approached me. ¡°Lady, may I speak with you for a moment?¡± ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± ¡°I need to get Lady Float¡¯s invitation out by tomorrow, but she still hasn¡¯t written a proper invitation.¡± ¡°I have an invitation letter that I composed at the library while studying. Allow her to compose it how she thinks fit.¡± ¡°Lady Float is unable to write it in its current form. Above all, her handwriting is so terrible that it doesn¡¯t appear like a genuine invitation even if she writes it properly. It won¡¯t be doable tomorrow, I believe.¡± Is it really that bad? Indeed, the invitation she would send would be in the hands of Duke Kranberia¡¯s daughter, thus it shouldn¡¯t be sent hastily. Stein bent down to the point where I couldn¡¯t see his face. ¡°Please accept my apologies. Although you trust in me, I¡¯m inept¡­¡± ¡°No, I think you did a very good job. Isn¡¯t it difficult to deal with a child? Stein, who had raised his back in response to my words, gave me a strange look. That¡¯s right. I am a kid, too. I pretended I didn¡¯t know and reached for a stack of invites on the desk, which I held out to Stein. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Invitations. Send these instead.¡± The kids who participated in today¡¯s picnic will also be invited to a tea party next week, so I wrote all the invitations along. It¡¯s a tea party with my name on it, in case that Shabelle couldn¡¯t write the invitations due to injury or illness forced by the plot of the original story. Stein pondered the invitation he had received and inquired. ¡°Why are you so concerned about Lady Float, Lady?¡± She¡¯s Shabelle, after all! Shabelle, from the . The heroine whose name appears in the title. I¡¯m not sure if doing nice for her will benefit me, but if I try to ruin the heroine, my life will undoubtedly fall apart! I couldn¡¯t say it, but I laughed. Stein¡¯s eyes trembled just a smidgeon. Then he nodded, his look compelling. ¡°I understand.¡± About what? ¡°Nothing hurts more than losing what you hold in your hand.¡± Don¡¯t tell me he believed I was trying to torment Shabelle by doing this. Stein¡¯s face believes that I will punish Shabel greatly, so I guess that¡¯s what he means. I, on the other hand, did not attempt to clarify his misconception. When Shabelle swore and stated Karpel was going to die, she had Stein¡¯s whole attention, so if I explained that I wasn¡¯t trying to intimidate Shabelle, Stein would interfere like the villain¡¯s right hand. I left the room with a convincing Stein and found Karpel was standing there. With an outing outfit, complete to go out. ¡°Where are you going, Karpel?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Only by looking at his crumpled face did I know that he came to escort me. I was a little taken aback. I had the feeling that he was being forced to escort me up until now, so I assumed he wouldn¡¯t do it if I didn¡¯t call him. ¡°If it¡¯s because of me, I¡¯m only going to the villa today, so it¡¯s okay for me to go alone.¡± I stated this, but my justification was inadequate. Until now, I had forced Karpel to escort me even during tea time at the mansion. Despite my assurances that I was prepared to move alone, Karpel¡¯s face remained creased and unwilling to relax. ¡®What does he want¡­¡­¡¯ Of course, he isn¡¯t acting this way because he wants to join us. The only people coming to the villa today are girls my age, so there¡¯s no way he wants to go. ¡°¡­¡­¡± No. I gathered the kids to heal myself, don¡¯t tell me, Karpel too felt happy seeing young kids rattling around like chicks? ¡°Karpel, would you want to accompany me to the villa?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°No, right?¡± I inquired, my gaze fixed on the crumpled Karpel¡¯s. ¡°Do you want to go to a villa full of young kids?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± When Karpel didn¡¯t respond, he appeared to be desperate to go. ¡°As expected, no, right? Then, Karpel, I¡¯ll go by myself.¡± I walked out on my own hurriedly and boarded the carriage. The carriage soon departed. Chapter 42 Translated by MissmeEdited by Missme The more I thought Karpel¡¯s response right now, the worse I felt. It¡¯s because there¡¯s something piercing about his stare when I try to avoid it. I mean, why didn¡¯t he answer then? Why wasn¡¯t he able to respond? Karpel, in the novel, was a character who had no interest in anything other than treason. Wasn¡¯t it because he was uninterested in women? So, why did he want to come to a villa with only female guests? If it wasn¡¯t because I remember my previous life, I would have thought that he wanted to be with me a little longer by using escorting to the villa as an excuse. ¡®However, his expression conveyed a strong desire to be with me.¡¯ I became so irritated for no apparent reason that I kicked the hem of my dress. I suddenly felt like I was a 13-year-old girl in love with a pet. ¡®Puppy love¡­ What nonsense! It¡¯s just my appearance that left me feeling 13, but my soul is already 30 years old¡­¡­¡¯ As I reflected on my previous life, I discovered something sad. Since I barely have enough so I could survive, I had no time to have a fling let alone dating. My current self, who is still 13 years old, is a senior in a love relationship. Totally senior. Since I¡¯ve already been engaged and living together in this life. ¡®Ah, despite the fact that it isn¡¯t a typical love affair.¡¯ As I shook my head, there was a commotion outside suddenly. Voices saying ¡®what¡¯s that? it¡¯s dangerous!¡¯ could be heard as the carriage made a sudden stop. Because the front seat didn¡¯t have a seatbelt, I instinctively rolled to the front. I kept hearing something being dragged and the coachman attempting to calm the horses down. At the time, I praised my quickness in curling my body to minimize the impact and recovering my state. The carriage¡¯s door then sprang open. ¡°My Lady! Are you alright?¡± The seat I was in at the time was not the same as the one I had when I initially boarded the carriage, but the coachman sighed with relief when he saw me sitting quietly. ¡°Can you tell me what happened?¡± ¡°There was a person who jumped in front of the carriage.¡± What!? Is that man insane? Is that person attempting suicide? Because I was stunned, the knight waved his hand. ¡°That person is fine and just fainted. We¡¯ll be leaving shortly.¡± It¡¯s gonna be a hit-and-run if we just go like that. ¡°Wait a minute, is that person really okay?¡± When I put my head out of the carriage, the knights stepped aside. The attendants dragged the unconscious person into the bushes. ¡®Huh? A woman?¡¯ Furthermore, despite her dark and filthy appearance, the woman wore aristocratic maid¡¯s clothing. As I lived a similar difficult existence, several scenarios that would have caused a maid look like that go across my mind. Situations like being duped by an aristocracy and having to give her body and mind to him just to be abandoned. When I looked over the woman¡¯s mottled face, I felt curiously as if I¡¯d seen her before. As a result, I said something rashly. ¡°Let¡¯s take her. Bring her inside.¡± In my words, everyone was embarrassed, but soon they took a blanket, which was usually used by the attendants, wrapped it around the woman¡¯s body, then carried the woman into the carriage. The woman¡¯s appearance looks dirty. And also kind of stinky. I pretended it didn¡¯t matter and signaled for the coachman to go. The carriage soon began to move. ¡®Where did I see her before?¡¯ She¡¯s not the maid of Krenberia. Because the Krenberia mansion¡¯s employee uniform was created in a clothing store. More importantly, I was initially uninterested in the employees. Even among Krenberia¡¯s employees, it was only Stein, who had for a long time in Krenberia¡¯s mansion, I was familiar with. So there¡¯s no chance I¡¯m acquainted with the maid from another household. ¡®This is strange. Why does she look so familiar?¡¯ I even had the impression that I¡¯d heard her speak and greet me before. The carriage arrived at the Villa while I was immersed in thoughts. ¡°Welcome, Inaila-nim.¡± I was greeted by the maid in waiting, who had already arrived at the Villa. From the Villa¡¯s garden, I could hear laughing. ¡°It appeared that some of the girls had already arrived.¡± ¡°I believe it¡¯s because they heard about the prizes that they came early to get prepared..¡± Indeed, there were many gifts that couldn¡¯t be bought even if they had money. I heard the prize for the word game was a flower-shaped necklace with five diamonds. It was the creation of a master jeweler who was known for working with extremely difficult gemstones. ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°What should we do with the person you picked up, my Lady?¡± ¡°Wash her and make sure she¡¯s fine.¡± And double-check her identification, work, and other details.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I walked to the garden after hearing the maid¡¯s response. The females, who were enjoying a good talk in the tiny garden enclosed by shrubs, seemed to be unaware that I had arrived. ¡°?! ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,¡± ¡°Woah! Lady, this poetry is just beautiful.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°You are the sky¡¯s sunshine. I am the night sky¡¯s moonlight. In my heart, you are the starlight. Ah! I feel like the lines are really dazzling. How did you come up with such a beautiful and rhyming poem?¡± Hmm¡­¡­ The rhyme is so lovely. Obviously, that girl is in love. ¡°Does this poem ¡®you¡¯ refer to Inaila-nim?¡± What? Am I her love interest? ¡°Kyaaaa! I am embarrassed!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it will make Inaila-nim delighted!¡± ¡°I suppose that¡¯s the case, right? I worked really hard to make this so that I could win and hear Inaila-nim compliment me. Why is she making an effort to impress me? ¡°Yes, Inaila-nim is the best.¡± ¡°If Inaila-nim hears your poem, My Lady, she could invite you to spend the night with her at the Villa.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m really embarrassed! I¡¯m going to have a heart attack if Inaila-nim actually invites me to spend the night with her!¡± I¡¯m stunned when I hear them talking about winning and other things because of the issue that follows. I understand what those cute girls were talking about, but their nasty adult¡¯s kernel was perceived in a filthy way. Those who I gathered here were the ones who really liked me. If the event is prolonged or the host meets someone they truly like at a social event hosted in a Villa or Mansion, the host will suggest a one-night stay. However, due of my age, this is an unusual occurrence. More importantly, I always returned to the mansion after the events to dine with Karpel. I knew she wanted to play with me all night, but watching her flush made me uncomfortable and I didn¡¯t know what to do. Is that the response which I yearn for? As if trying to divert the conversation, the girl who was flapping her hand to cool down her face quickly responded. ¡°Do you think Lady Dirsa will show up today?¡± It wasn¡¯t much, yet the pleasant atmosphere faded with one sentence. Lady Dirsa is the daughter of a priest in the territory of Krenberia. ¡®What the hell is going on?¡¯ I felt as if I had never heard anything about that girl, no matter how hard I tried to remember. After the ruined teatime, where I remembered my previous life after meeting Shabelle and Karpel, I sent her flowers and tea because I heard she was not feeling well. ¡®How long has it been since I last saw her? I don¡¯t think she came to the Rose Garden last time.¡¯ I figured it would be easier to question the girls directly, so I made an effort to appear, but an unexpected conversation ensued. ¡°I believe Lady Dirsa was unable to attend due to Count Havel.¡± ¡°It may be hasty to say this since I didn¡¯t know what¡¯s really going on, but my father also wouldn¡¯t let me attend Lady Bella Nehvag¡¯s coming of age ceremony.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t go either. I had to remain with my mother because she was unwell at the time.¡± ¡°I went, but¡­..¡± I needed to return on the way.¡± ¡°That¡­¡­¡± I glanced at the girls who had their conversation. Those girls are the daughters of the families who supported my father. The dukedom rose in despair for years after my grandfather¡¯s death, so the aristocracy of the region banded together to prevent the country from being split. The aristocrats of Krenberia¡¯s territory split into factions when my father returned as the sole heir and, more crucially, when I engaged Karpel. Count Havel is my aunt¡¯s counselor, and despite the fact that Count Nehvag is my grandmother¡¯s relative, he is closer to my aunt, who is close to Her Majesty the Empress. Those households have no choice but to oppose Karpel because he is in conflict with Crown Prince Radiev. Perhaps the girls¡¯ father, who was aware of this, picked the spots where their daughter would hang out as if they were taking sides. That sort of thing has been going on for a while, but it¡¯s become worse since the engagement ceremony. ¡®I reasoned that if I positioned Karpel to Duke, the Emperor would spare him,¡¯ Furthermore, I assumed that, unlike Emperor Belthda, Crown Prince Radiev is a gentle man who would leave Karpel alone. That was I believed as I knew what would happen in the future. The girls¡¯ story was not told in the novel, although it¡¯s likely that they didn¡¯t survive the invasion. All of those girls were daughters from families within Krenberia¡¯s territory. The issues I was dealing with were not about ¡®me¡¯ but about ¡®us.¡¯ ¡°Ah, Inaila-nim.¡± One of the girls smiled warmly when she saw me. Then soon all of them looked at me. Their solemn expressions brightened. ¡°Welcome, Inaila-nim!¡± ¡°I¡¯m delighted you all showed up. How have you been?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been feeling well because I miss you, Inaila-nim.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for me, Inaila-nim. Inaila-nim, I believe you¡¯re pretty busy these days.¡± Right. I was busy. What should I do to protect the females that adored me and followed me around like chicks? In my previous life, all I should take care of was my health. In this life, there were many things I should protect. ¡®How can I protect them if I can¡¯t even develop my own soldiers?¡¯ It¡¯s been a long time since the peace was maintained so mercenaries are almost gone, so I couldn¡¯t even hire them.¡¯ I clasped the girls¡¯ hands, who greeted me cheerfully, and observed their delicate wrists, which seemed as if they could break if I slapped them. These girls had become extremely delicate, managing their meals in keeping with this world¡¯s female figure ideal. In my previous life, I was more clumsy and staggering a lot, and because of that I was exercising a lot. That exercise quickly turned into a passion, and I was capable of carrying a drunken man home in the blink of an eye. Right. It¡¯s not simply about keeping the others protected. It¡¯s about building our own strength to protect our own. Besides, there is magic in this world. Money may be used to purchase our strength. ¡®Perhaps we should be our own soldiers.¡¯ I grinned at the thought. ¡°Did you know that there is physical training that can help us become in better shape?¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°Yes? Physical training that makes body shape better?¡± ¡°Inaila-nim, what is that?¡± ¡°This is how we can make our bodies and minds more beautiful. It¡¯s known as taekwondo.¡± I smiled. Should I make a Dojang?(T/N: Dojang is the Korean version of Dojo. Dojang is a Korean word that refers to the training hall used in Taekwondo and other Korean martial arts.) Chapter 43 There will be an active event starting in the afternoon, so I thought I was going to teach the girls about the basic movement of Taekwondo and light weight training in the meantime. Some people gathered. The picnic was well prepared as the people in charge put their heart into it. The tea, snacks, and music were great, and above all, I felt good because the ladies who participated enjoyed it. When I said I won¡¯t be participating in the morning event, the people in charge were very perplexed. Because if I attended, they would naturally give 1st place to me but I don¡¯t want to be bowed down like that. Perhaps because the 1st place was scheduled to be me, the congratulations prepared for the winner were splendid. The ladies, who were given a splendid celebration as I abstained, were more excited. And in the meantime, the girls would sometimes talk about various rumors or the atmosphere of each family in society. The more I listened to it, the more I thought I had to sort out the internal problems within Krenberia¡¯s territory. The atmosphere was not as depressed as when they talked among themselves, since I was not agitated by whatever I heard. As I was troubled by a bigger problem, the problem within their own family felt trivial. Those who wanted to stick with the Empress Dowager and the Crown Prince were trying to show their opposition to letting Karpel into the family, but the Emperor¡¯s aim was always Krenberia. In the original story, Krenberia territory was said to be completely ruined, so most likely my aunt, who followed the Empress, was not completely safe.. If my aunt knew that following the Empress was of no use, she wouldn¡¯t have bothered to try to separate the children from her line from me. And whether it¡¯s intended or not, for the sake of family, the act my aunt chose completely divided the family by antagonizing me and my father¡¯s forces. Of course, it won¡¯t change that my goal is to break my engagement to Karpel. ¡®Does my father know that the Emperor¡¯s aim is Krenberia? Because it will be the same whether I¡¯m engaged to Karpel or not.¡¯ I could simply announce the Emperor¡¯s intention to gather and unite the aristocratic family within Krenberia¡¯s territory. But if I do that, my aunt could be isolated within the Imperial Palace¡¯s society. Even here, I can¡¯t tell that the ladies were anxious about it, but there were several ways to relieve the anxiety as a temporary measure. The social circle of the Iberox Empire has traditionally been divided and competed between aristocrats and the Empress sections. As the Empress rarely socialized within the aristocrats, the center of the aristocracy mostly was the Duchess of Krenberia, who was not present. So the center of the aristocratic society was in the hands of the Marchioness of Zellude. The Marquis of Zellude was the second largest family after Krenberia. However, after the death of her husband, and the present Marquis, Louise Zellude, had not yet reached his age, the family strength became weak. There, the Marchioness succeeded in making her husband¡¯s illegitimate daughter become the prospective Crown Princess and take over the social circle. But the girl lacked the ability to lead so the wives were waiting for me to reach adulthood. The Marchioness had a little real power as she looked like a fox sitting in an empty tiger¡¯s den. My authority, who was still a minor and had not made my debut yet, was greater than the Marchioness. That¡¯s why if I asked the Marchioness of Zellude to make a social event with Lady Zellude, as the prospective Crown Princess, Count Havel would have no choice but to send Dirsa out. The center of the society in the future would be Lady Zellude and me, so if Count Havel doesn¡¯t want to isolate his daughter from the society, he won¡¯t be able to ignore the invitation. They are just little children, so if we gather together and laugh and talk, the anxiety will be relieved a little. ¡®I am going to play a little bit today, and I¡¯m going to invite Lady Clara Zellude for the tea party next week.¡¯ Clara Zellude, the illegitimate daughter of the former Count Zellude, is still 19. So I rarely met her. ¡®How has Clara been?¡¯ Clara is the Crown Prince¡¯s fiancee, but she made her debut late due to family circumstances, so her position is somewhat weak. Moreover, Radiev was kind to every lady so Clara had a hard time. In that situation, she was quite kind to me, whether or not she felt superior to me, who was treated like a cold meal by Karpel. That¡¯s why I felt a little awkward about her. In the past, I used to hate the pity I got from her because I didn¡¯t want to accept that Karpel didn¡¯t love me. But since I remember my previous life, I somehow felt sorry for hating her. In the original story, Clara was a faint character who quietly stepped down when Radiev asked to break their engagement because he fell in love with Shabelle. As I remembered the content of {The White Snow, Shabelle} I felt angry again. Originally, Clara, as Radiev¡¯s fiance, is the character who is supposed to be the villainess. But why on earth am I, the fiance of the Male Sub Character, became the villainess? Lunch was being prepared under the shade while I was lost in thought. The person in charge stepped up to the podium when I wanted to move away slowly. After drawing attention with a light trumpet sound, he greeted and opened his mouth. ¡°Today, His Grace The Duke has prepared presents for all of you.¡± Finally, that person seemed to give away the present my father had prepared. The girls whispered in anticipation. The servants busily began to hand out boxes slightly longer than pencil cases. The box was quite luxurious, too. The decorated ribbon was so pretty that it was a waste to throw away. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks In the meantime, the person in charge guided us about the presents. ¡°It was specially made to order on the pretty frills, and in particular, the design contains a beautiful pattern designed by Lady Krenberia herself.¡± Wait. What did I design? I don¡¯t remember anything, but since I was popular as the girls¡¯ idol, even when I asked to change the ribbon to a frill when choosing a dress, the dress shop owner promoted the design of the dress as if I had designed it. I thought it would be the same this time. A box was also placed in front of me, who was puzzled. Everyone opened the box and took out what was inside. It¡¯s a hand fan. A luxury hand fan made of high quality lace and silk. The beads, decorated on the edge of the fan, sparkle every time it catches the light. As the sun rises, it can get a little hot when we have our conversation outside, so it was a pretty good gift. Seeing the girls who had pulled out their fans and held them in exasperation, I untied the ribbon and pulled out what was inside. I thought the color of the box was a little different, but my fan was decorated with real jewels on the edge. Just opening the box gave off a subtle scent, as if the box was made of juniper wood. I spread out the fan and tried to fry it gently. It felt good. It was the same for the ladies. Everyone was grinning and babbling as they tried the fan. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty frill fan, I¡¯ll keep it forever! Thank you, His Grace The Duke and Inaila-nim!¡± ¡°Inaila-nim, the pattern is very pretty!¡± When I saw the lady sitting in the front spread a fan on her lap and redraw an embroidered pattern with her fingertips, I felt something strange and tilted my head. ¡®Bastard?¡¯ The pattern of the part that was not covered by the hand was obviously in Korean and said ¡°bastard¡±. It was evident that Hangul was gradually revealed on the lady¡¯s hand from the direction I was looking from. When the lady¡¯s hand fell completely from the fan, I could read all the sentences on the fan correctly. [Radiev Lolicom Bastard] I covered my mouth from the shout that was about to come out. ¡®Wh-what is this?¡¯ My heart was pounding and my head was spinning. Why is it written on the fan made by pretty frills? ¡°Inaila-nim?¡± ¡°Inaila-nim, you look pale!¡± I remembered that the person in charge said that the fans were prepared by my father, so I was looking for that person. The questions of why and how my father knew Hangul and whether or not my father was reincarnated came to my mind. Then I found another fan with another letter on it. [Heuk heuk] ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was a meaningless sentence, but my head, which was a mess, was organized at once. It¡¯s my handwriting. ¡°Sigh¡­¡­¡± Come to think of it, I remembered that my father asked me what I had written on the memo pad. And I answered that it was an embroidery design at the time. I didn¡¯t know my graffiti would be embroidered with silk and gold thread. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Oh, I am okay. I was embarrassed because there were embarrassing patterns mixed in.¡± The ladies opened their fans and tilted their heads. ¡°But the pattern is so beautiful.¡± On the fan that lady was holding, it said, ¡®I am going to poop with a golden spoon¡¯. ¡°I think so, too.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only While on this lady¡¯s fan said, ¡®It¡¯s a mess, totally a mess¡¯. Then I looked at my fan in fear. [The strongest Karpel] ¡°¡­¡­¡± If my father knew what was written on my fan, he would mostly break the fan, right? Chapter 44 Ginga Minga Translated by MissmeEdited by Missme Vol 8. Ginga Minga(T/N: Ginga Minga ¡°????¡±: Being not sure of whether something is right or wrong.) The atmosphere was so good that I could only get on the carriage in the evening, after having dinner together with the girls. Although I started introducing Taekwondo as a physical training to shape beauty, I wanted them to have a proper mindset while training so I ended up explaining to them that Taekwondo is an exercise to make our body and mind grow stronger. I taught them how to stretch their body and the basic movement from the poomse taegeuk iljang*, and they followed seriously, even the hand and feet movement. They looked so cute¡­¡­ I thought the girls wearing dresses and trying to learn the movements all at once would be uncomfortable, but it turned out to be pretty amazing since it looked like a group dance. I was just intending to show them moves that were simple enough for them to do every day, but I was so motivated since everyone was paying attention that I didn¡¯t realize it was too late. It seemed like it was beyond 9 o¡¯clock when I arrived home. ¡®Is my curfew at 8 o¡¯clock again today? Will he be angry with me since I was late?¡¯ He always looks angry, so I wondered what would happen if he got angrier there. I was nervous, but because I was already late, I decided not to think over how angry he would be. Moreover, he wouldn¡¯t scold me a lot if I was shaking in fear. ¡®No, but how could he put me under a curfew? Who exactly does he think he is?¡¯ As I pouted my lips, I remembered who Karpel was and then nodded my head. He¡¯s my fiance, thus he has the authority to impose a curfew on me. The maid, who I picked up on my way to the villa, was washed clean and asleep in the front seat. The doctor, who came to the villa on a business trip, said she had no major abnormalities and had suffered so much that she was malnourished and a little dehydrated. Somehow I felt like I picked up a wild animal. I¡¯m wondering as to how much she suffered as her entire body was covered with rolling bruises and her face was scraped, bruised, and swollen. I applied medication and gauze on her, but she still looked really pretty. I changed her clothes there, and despite the fact that they were plain, she didn¡¯t look like a maid at all. Her sunset-colored red hair was the first thing that caught my attention. When I requested the maid to wash her with cleaning magic since the greasy dirt on her hair couldn¡¯t be removed with soap, all of the dye on her hair fell off. ¡®Who the hell is she?¡¯ Her red hair reminded me of someone I¡¯d seen before, but I couldn¡¯t place it. After giving up on making assumptions on my own, I read the report that the employees had given me. Nina was most likely her name. The city guard had her on their wanted list as a criminal. According to the report, she fled from Baron Vigor¡¯s mansion a month earlier, when a maid, named Nina, stole silverware. It was after Baroness Vigor felt sorry for the girl who was lying at their mansion¡¯s front door three years ago. Nina, by the way, was a girl who was booted out three years ago after being found attempting to steal from Viscount Sevey¡¯s mansion. The Viscountess Sevey, who recognized Nina after passing through town, came to warn Baroness Vigor, but Nina had already stolen silverware and fled. Nina was without a doubt the maid I had picked up. She also fits the montage, and an attached number badge stated that she used to have red hair but had it colored brown. ¡®It¡¯s strange, though.¡¯ Viscountess Sevey was from a Viscount family, but recently gained the trust of Lady Zelude and has been gaining ground in the social world. The Baron Vigor family in the downtown, on the other hand, was a lowly family that barely kept their title. It is said that barons are legally given more authority than the Viscounts, but in reality, the social position was not simply determined by laws. No matter how much I thought about it, it seemed unusual for the Viscountess Sevey to visit Baroness Vigor in person. If Viscountess had intended to warn the Baroness, she might have simply written ¡°Your maid is a thief¡± on the note and handed it to her through the employee¡¯s hand. I also didn¡¯t understand the part of the report where Nina was accused of stealing silverware. It is said that the silver spoon and fork used by Baron Vigor are the most valuable items for him because Baron Vigor sold all of his property to maintain the family. However, based on my previous life, the silverware was worth between 100,000 won and 150,000 won. Even if Nina was accused of attempted theft, the Baron would have decided to keep hiring Nina rather than casting her out due to the conditions of Baron Vigor if she had worked without problem for roughly three years. Nina, too, would have been better off working as a maid at Baron Vigor¡¯s home instead of fleeing with a piece of trash. Furthermore, if she was truly stealing, she may as well prepare and grab something more valuable before being thrown out empty-handed. Her belongings, on the other hand, were weird. A piece of fabric embroidered with the ancient language words ¡°fireplace¡± and ¡°snowfield,¡± as well as the Marquis Zelude¡¯s pattern. The maid said that it was a ripped cloth from her underskirt robe. ¡®Well, Viscount Sevey and the Marquis of Zelude are related¡­¡­¡¯ Why did Nina, a Viscount Sevey maid, shred her underskirt and embroider the Marquis Zelude family¡¯s pattern? And ancient languages were difficult to read and transcribe because they were so complex. The letters, on the other hand, were all proper and precise. ¡®Does she wish to communicate with someone in the Marquise of Zelude?¡¯ Viscount Sevey was my third etiquette teacher, and I only met her once, five years ago. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks She admonished me right away that flirting with a prince who was about to be ousted wasn¡¯t something a sophisticated lady should do. I then flung tea water at her and kicked her out as a result. I knew she was the first to say rude things, but I still can¡¯t believe I threw tea at her. Because my unconscious past misdeeds had heated me up, I buried my face in the palm of my hand. The Viscountess Sevey was cast out of society as a result, but she returned when she became Lady Zelude¡¯s etiquette teacher. Nina seems likely the same age as Lady Zelude, but I¡¯m curious as to who this girl is attempting to associate with, as Viscountess Sevey classified her as a thief. Is it the Marquis of Zelude, or someone else? The back of my head stung as I remembered Marquis Zelude¡¯s features. When I startled and drew my hand away from my face, a hand grabbed my wrist. ¡°I¡¯ll stab you if you move.¡± I felt like I¡¯d been kicked in the head. This happened in my carriage when I was returning from the villa. I never imagined myself in a situation where I would be threatened with a weapon. I was at a loss for what to do when my thoughts became white, and all I had to do was remain motionless. The woman¡¯s voice had dried up and cracked as low as it could go, adding to the misery. Her hands were rough and dry, yet they were firm enough to clasp my shaky wrists. Because there was no place in the carriage where the maids were riding, I gave her a ride in my carriage, and as I continued staring at her face, I realized how I ended myself in this scenario. I should have taken greater precautions. The emperor wasn¡¯t the only one who had the power to threaten and harm me. It may be done by anybody looking for money and fame. ¡°Order the carriage to be turned to Marquis Zelude.¡± If I could, I¡¯d love to. My throat, on the other hand, was silent. ¡°Hurry up!¡± I had to look for help. In any case, this woman couldn¡¯t kill me in an instant. All I have to do now is scream for the knights to come to my aid. Even if I didn¡¯t yell and instead sought to reason with her, it¡¯s evident that she doesn¡¯t want ¡°me,¡± thus there¡¯ll be room for compromise. Those thoughts began to occur in my head, but I couldn¡¯t move my body as I did when I hit Karpel in the downtown area, perhaps because I was overpowered and surprised. Nina lowered her voice and pushed the weapon that continued to pierce me. I was in excruciating pain. ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± With a squeal, the hand that had been holding my wrist suddenly slid off. The wind then blew in. The sound of a carriage wheel moving and a shattered piece of wood falling together. ¡°Karpel?¡± With his familiar smell, Karpel came to my vision. When I saw him, the tension that had been building up in my entire body instantly went away. The carriage door that should have been behind him split in two. It looked to have been cut off. The remaining half of the door looked to have fallen and vanished into the darkness. ¡°Karpel¡­¡± Karpel had a blank expression on his face as he peered behind me. I, too, cocked my head. My vision was blocked by Karpel¡¯s arms, but I could see his sword in his palm, and the blade pushing down Nina¡¯s neck. The squeaky sound at first appeared to be the sound of a blade being jammed in. Nina trembled and froze with a blank expression, unable to believe Karpel had appeared out of nowhere. ¡°Unexpectedly, where¡­¡± She was holding a pen in her hand. I was frightened simply because of the nib of a pen. I thought I was being stabbed by an awl or a skewer of some sort. I inadvertently raised my hand to smooth the back of my neck. Karpel, on the other hand, tapped my head even earlier. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°Uh¡­ huh?¡± As he bent his head to my neck, I could feel his breath. It tickled my skin as the tiny hairs were plucked to one side. I felt a chill and screamed desperately the minute I felt the scorching stare on the back of my neck. ¡°No!¡± Chapter 45 I raised my head and grasped Karpel¡¯s arm in my hands. Then I turned my gaze to Nina. The blade of the sword that touched her neck seemed to emit a crimson light. ¡°She was trying to take your life.¡± Nina lowered her arms as if she had given up everything as she listened to Karpel, who spoke with no emotion in his voice. Her pen dropped from her grip and skidded over the carriage¡¯s floor. I replied, clutching Karpel¡¯s arm. ¡°She¡¯s a member of the Zelude family.¡± Nina¡¯s closed eyes glistened and lighted up. I was simply guessing and saying that to stop Karpel, but Nina¡¯s eyes were wide with expectation and anxiety as she looked at me. I could feel Karpel looking at me. ¡°Zelude?¡± Karpel mumbled something as though perplexed, but he did not draw his sword. It was when I pulled his sleeve that he withdrew his sword and put it in its sheath. Employees halted the carriage in the meanwhile, and escort knights swarmed to it. ¡°Are you alright, My Lady?¡± I wasn¡¯t alright. All I could do was hold on to Karpel. Karpel commanded them instead of me because I didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Switch the carriage.¡± ¡°Gasp, Y-your Highness, P-Prince! Y-Yes!¡± When they heard Karpel¡¯s stern order, the knights who were staring into the carriage hurried back and forth. Karpel took me, who was holding him, in his arms as he left the broken-door carriage. Karpel also ordered Nina, who was stiff and unable to move her body ¡°Follow me as well.¡± Nina trembled a little as she tried to stand up. It looked like she too didn¡¯t have enough strength in her body. I, then, called the maids who got off from the other carriage. ¡°Assist her to the carriage as well.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡± I, Karpel, and Nina boarded the employee carriage that the maids were riding after adjusting the seats and cushions. Nina¡¯s neck appeared to have been slightly sliced by Karpel¡¯s sword, but she seemed to be fine. The carriage began to move once more. I¡¯m glad to see Karpel standing next to me, the novel¡¯s final boss who didn¡¯t intend to kill me straight away. As a result, I was able to calm down my frightened body. I was able to calm down and was relieved to see him. ¡°Karpel, why are you here?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± When I noticed him being silent, I remembered the last conversation I had with him. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, did you come to the villa? So you¡¯re serious about coming¡­¡­¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m looking into something with the Duke.¡± Karpel interrupted me and said. He stated he and my father were looking into something, but I had no idea what they were looking into. ¡°Can you tell me what you and my father are looking for¡­¡­?¡± I was curious, so I tried to ask, but I shut my lips because I didn¡¯t think it was appropriate to mention in front of Nina if it was about internal matters, such as the Krenberia family¡¯s factional conflict. Nina stared at us, then at me, and then lowered her head dejectedly. I was indeed familiar with her red hair, eyes, and closed mouth. Again, she looks almost identical to the now nineteen-year-old Marquis Zelude. This young lady was Marquis Zelude¡¯s twin sister. The Marchioness adopted the Marquis¡¯ five-year-old illegitimate child and made her the lady of the Marquis Zelude household after the former Marquis died suddenly. It happened long before I was born. However, not both twins were adopted by the Marquis¡¯ family at the time. Clara Zelud was adopted as Lady Zelude in the year when the crown prince turned seventeen. The Emperor was concerned about the Crown Prince¡¯s absence of a lover at the moment, so he arranged a month-long grand banquet to choose the Crown Princess. I was uninterested since Karpel was my one and only love. Marchioness Zelude desired to establish a relation between the family and the imperial family, so she sought for the Marquis Zelude¡¯s twin sister who she had abandoned in the past, made her social debut, and was successful in establishing her as the prospective Crown Princess. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Since she wanted me to become Clara¡¯s strength as the Crown Prince¡¯s fiancee, the Empress had asked me to invite her to tea time, although I only invited her only twice. Clara Zelude, who had unexpectedly entered aristocratic society, was unable to open her eyes properly. Because her circumstances sounded similar to Karpel¡¯s, I was courteous to Clara, who was born with the noble lineage of the Marquis of Zelud but was separated from society. However, after meeting her for the second time, my patience had run out and it no longer suited me. Anyway, Clara has always been kind to me, even now. There were numerous rumors surrounding Clara¡¯s debut. For example, she took a fake evidence to verify her identity and become lady of Marquis Zelude¡¯s household, or there was a rumor that she wasn¡¯t Marquis Zelude¡¯s sister but his lover instead. I remembered I heard it when I invited Clara for tea time for the second time. ¡°There¡¯s a woman who¡¯s jealous of you becoming a nobleman and insists she¡¯s a real Lady Zelude.¡± ¡°It¡¯s rash of her to put her life on the line merely to be jealous of your lineage. You don¡¯t have to pay attention to such, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Yes? What do you mean it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t pay attention?¡± ¡°Pretending to be a noble is a crime that may lead to immediate execution without a trial. So, since she¡¯s putting her life on the line by claiming to be one, she¡¯ll finally give up.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡± Clara was obviously frightened when she heard me say it. When I remembered that, I realized that in the original story, the crown prince¡¯s fiancee withdrew when Shabelle was given the throne. Clara wasn¡¯t the kind to back down without a fight. She was a self-respecting woman with a strong authoritarian personality. If she had just resigned, it would have been because she had been discovered to be a fake. Shabelle takes over the society as soon as she becomes a prospective Crown Princess in the novel. Clara could never be Shabelle¡¯s follower, a woman from a lowly background who rose to the top of society only because she was the prospective Crown Prince. However, there was a character who became Shabelle¡¯s best friend and drove the duke¡¯s daughter to the corner in the original story. Thalia Zelude. Marquis Zelude¡¯s sister. If my prediction is correct, Nina is Thalia. As a result, Clara, the impostor, is targeting Thalia with the help of her teacher, Viscountess Sevey. Perhaps Shabelle is the one that assists Thalia in returning to Marquis Zelude. ¡®There was no passage which described that the Crown Prince¡¯s fiancee was Clara Zelude. Shabelle, who is shielded by the crown prince, is protecting Thalia, so when she was discovered, she just stepped down.¡¯ I¡¯ll have to have a check up on it right now. ¡°Hello, my name is Inaila Krenberia. Is Nina your name?¡± ¡°My real name is Talia. Baron Vigor uses the alias Nina.¡± Wow, this is true. Despite my certainty, I was shocked that my real reasoning was correct. Nina, I mean Thalia, looked absolutely desperate. She was in a situation where she had no power and her life was in danger. Furthermore, Karpel, who has a handsome but stern expression on his face, is seated next to me, putting even more pressure on her. I gave Talia a piece of cloth between the reports I had. Talia graciously and automatically took it. Only then did Talia turn and look at me. ¡°You look a lot like Marquis Zelude. Is that a coincidence?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡± Talia paused and couldn¡¯t speak, perhaps because my question came out of nowhere. ¡°Can you tell me why you jumped into my carriage? To die in order to prove your innocence?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t attempting to kill myself; I was only attempting to halt the carriage.¡± But as soon as I went onto the road, I became dizzy and passed out.¡± When I peeked out the window to see what was going on, the attendants were dragging Thalia away. She was lying directly in front of the horse, whose movement had come to a halt. The horseman tried everything he could to bring the vehicle to a halt. ¡°Still, it¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°Because I thought it was my last chance. I believed it would be my fate if I died.¡± ¡°Are you willing to die? Didn¡¯t you request that I send you to the Marquis Family?¡± Thalia clung to the item in her grasp. ¡°When I was five years old, I broke up with my brother. We¡¯re both young, so if I send this, he might not remember me. I only wish to alert Louis that Clara is not his sister.¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve worked for a noble family, don¡¯t you know it¡¯s easier to find someone to send you a note than to jump into a carriage?¡± Thalia bit her lower lip and clenched her teeth. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°I suppose that wasn¡¯t simple.¡± Although many young ladies are aiming for the single young Marquis, there will be no one to connect him with a maid like her. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t you have a chance to follow Marquis Zelude if you were the Sevey Family¡¯s maid?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never worked for Marquis Sevey.¡± Oh, it appears that Nina¡¯s wanted flyer was a fabrication. Chapter 46 Thalia received the report I was holding. She sighed after reading the report. ¡°Three years ago, I worked for Baron Malesa, not for Viscount Sevey. After my mother passed away, I worked as a clerk for Lady Malesa. I worked there until I was expelled upon learning that Louis had ascended to the position of Marquis Zelude and that the Marquis¡¯ sister, Clara Zelude, had been betrothed to the Crown Prince. I went to Marquis Zelude¡¯s mansion because I believed something was wrong, but I couldn¡¯t even get in.¡± In order to meet Louis Zelude, Thalia then attempted to gain the compassion of a young aristocratic family in exchange for a recommendation to work at Marquis Zelude¡¯s mansion. She was eventually driven out after swinging back and forth due to Baron Malesa¡¯s disapproval with her past behaviours. It¡¯s no wonder that when she saw signs that I believed in her, she abruptly claimed to be the Marquis¡¯ sister, which she hadn¡¯t stated previously, maybe because she was afraid of being convicted for impersonating an aristocrat. ¡°I found out after I was kicked out that someone had ordered the slum robbers to kill me. It was Baroness Vigor who managed to get me to escape. I lived quietly because I didn¡¯t want to die.¡± Thalia, who claimed to live quietly, was emotionless, like a doll. Since she was the twin sister of Marquis Zelude, then it meant she was just 19 years old, and yet she looked quite mature for her age. Although, given that she had been threatened with her life since she was a child, she was obligated to be mature in that way. ¡®So pitiful.¡¯ My gaze met hers while I was thinking that. Her gazes were quite deep and intense. There was neither wonder or fear in those gazes for the future that lay ahead of her. Instead, she simply stared at me, as if she was prepared to accept whatever I did. ¡°I will let you meet Marquis Zelude.¡± Thalia was taken aback by my statements and glanced at me with a puzzled expression. Then she gave me a serious look, as if she didn¡¯t comprehend what I had just said. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, since that isn¡¯t difficult for me to do? Although meeting him alone may be difficult.¡± Thalia pondered for a moment. ¡°But¡­¡­ but I don¡¯t have anything to do for you, Princess.¡±(T/N: in this context, ¡°princess¡± refers to the duke¡¯s daughter, hence the princess is referred to as the duke¡¯s daughter rather than a member of the royal family.) It may be the case, for now. However, Thalia¡¯s attitude and demeanor right now were perfectly suited to the position of Lady Zelude. Clara was not a was not serious and frivolous person, and the fact that she was pitying me made me uncomfortable. Thalia was a better choice than Clara if I wanted to join hands to take over the social circle. But perhaps the thing that bothers me the most is that I stole Thalia, who was supposed to be Shabelle¡¯s strength. Although I tried to cover up the discomfort of taking away Shabelle¡¯s friend by being her friend. ¡°I believe you¡¯re acting on a whim, but¡­¡­¡± Obviously not. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you worked as a clerk for Lady Malesa?¡± ¡°Yes? Ah, yes. Since I was a child, my mother has taught me how to write. I composed a letter for Lady Malesa and translated her classical literature, which was written in an ancient language, into the Imperial language.¡± ¡°Could you then teach me an ancient language?¡± Talia¡¯s expression was subdued. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that your reading skills are already extraordinary, that you could understand the Bible at the age of seven, surpassing those who were already high priests. Is there anything I could possibly teach you, Princess?¡± Well, there¡¯s some stories related to that high priest. Because my mother shared the same blood as Karpel¡¯s mother, he stated it was a sin for me to love Karpel and think of him as an opposing sex rather than a family member. I was so enraged that I confronted him. Well, as that High Priest said, we are all the God¡¯s creatures, the God¡¯s sons and daughters. However, if he said it that way, it¡¯s the same as stating that everyone who forms relationships through marriage is a sinner. So, weren¡¯t the priests who gave their blessings to the Emperor¡¯s marriage, the master of the Empire, also sinners? I violently drove away the stunned high priest after hearing my statement. I¡¯m not claiming that my reading skills are exceptional, but that uncle circulated false rumours, which led to this situation. There was no retaliation from the Great High Priest since many priests became godmothers or godfathers, and their godchildren married into aristocratic families. Even yet, I had no idea the rumours had travelled to the level that Thalia was aware of them. ¡°It¡¯s not for myself, but for a lovely girl I¡¯ve been looking after recently¡­¡­¡± At that moment, I could feel Karpel suddenly bowing his head from my side. He was laying his chin against the window sill while twisting his body when I turned my head to look at him. I continued talking to Thalia, trying not to see his irritated countenance, after noticing his uncomfortable stance, which he rectified. ¡°I think that child has a hard time learning the ancient language.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s still a child¡­¡­ then are you asking me to be that child tutor?¡± I nodded my head. For Thalia, becoming a tutor for a young lady would be a good proposition. It¡¯s also good for me, because I won¡¯t feel too guilty about stealing Shabelle¡¯s ally. Thalia inquired warily, as I was feeling pleased with my brilliant idea. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Do you mind if I use an alias for the meantime?¡± ¡°I doubt Viscountess Sevey will do anything to you even if you use your real name.¡± ¡°However, Princess, Clara could be displeased with you. Furthermore, protecting an aristocratic impostor might result in you being ridiculed.¡± ¡°When you join the Marquis family, that petty misunderstanding will disappear.¡± Karpel exclaimed, as if it were absurd. Thalia, on the other hand, was not embarrassed and maintained her demeanour. ¡°Please allow me to state this in advance, Your Highness. Marquis Zelude seemed to have forgotten about me. So, even if I had a position in the Marquis family, there would be nothing I could do to reimburse you. Today was my last chance to take a risk, because as someone who was born together as him, I don¡¯t want him to forget about me. When I threatened Duke Krenberia¡¯s daughter, I knew exactly what would happen. I didn¡¯t expect the Princess to be so thoughtful. But still, I don¡¯t want to promise things.¡± As soon as I heard her, my heart began to race. I can¡¯t believe she has such a strong sense of loyalty. After hearing what I said about being willing to help her meet the Marquis, Thalia could pleading with me to bring her to Krenberia¡¯s mansion and ready to do anything.But, r ¡°Ha!¡± I was moved, but Karpel snorted next to me, dampening my emotions. Thalia embarrassed and lowered her head. ¡°Even if we just bring you to the Marquis Zelude without demanding anything in return, the Marquis Zelude will compensate us for presenting his true sister. Of fact, this contradicts what you just said.¡± That was, in fact, the case. Though that was not the reason why Karpel snorted. If I wanted to, I could execute Clara Zelude, who is creating her own power, overnight and bring Thalia to the position. Even if Thalia was a fake, I could have made it legitimate and demanded a castle from Marquis Zelude in exchange for finding his true sister. That really was Krenberia¡¯s power. Thalia appeared to be well-versed in social matters, maybe as a result of her job in an aristocratic household despite her upbringing as a commoner. She was also well-versed in etiquette. Despite her extensive knowledge of the royal line, Thalia appeared to be unaware of Krenberia¡¯s power. I shook my head since I didn¡¯t have to tell her that with only a few words, I could instantly make her into Thalia Zelude. ¡°Since I¡¯ve already decided to help you, I won¡¯t mind if there are any negative rumours floating around about me. And, just so you know, I have no cause to be concerned about Clara or Marquis Zelude.¡± Despite the fact that the Marquis Zelude family was the most powerful after Krenberia, the level of power was different. This is why the Emperor is aiming to overpower Krenberia. When the Emperor took the throne, he exploited the Duke of Krenberia¡¯s power to purge all of the other families. At the same time, the Duke of Crenberia¡¯s influence grew too great. When my grandfather passed away and my father wandered around, the power went off for a while, but now my father has made up for it. On the contrary, the Marquis Zelude family had various issues with the family heirs before the present Emperor rose. It was the biological father of Thalia, the former Marquis. At the time, the former Marquis was betrothed to a young lady from Duke Ceres¡¯ household. However, there is a major issue. The issue was that the former Marquis had a different woman than Princess Ceres. When the former Marquis Zelude¡¯s father died, the former Marquis Zelude, who inherited the title, unilaterally broke his engagement and married his lover. As a result, the cost of the unilateral breakup had to be paid to the Duke of Ceres, and the price was so enormous that it caused the Zelude family to weaken. Unfortunately, the former Marquis did not have a lengthy life. After five years of marriage, he died without having any children. Immediately after that, the Emperor was changed, and only for maintaining the family lineage, the present Marquis who was still 5 years old at that time, was brought to the family. ¡®It¡¯s preferable to get along with Thalia than Clara or the Marchioness.¡¯ Anyway, since the former Marquis was still 5 years old at that time, it was the Marchioness who led the Marquis Zelude household. And once the Marchioness became established in society, whenever I went to the salon, the ladies would always bring up the Marchioness¡¯s relationship with the former Marquis. That¡¯s how I learned about the stories. It is said that after the marriage annulment, Princess Ceres was expelled from the family. Although I¡¯m not sure why the Duke expelled his daughter because of the incident. At first sight, there was a rumour that the amount paid for the breakup was so high that Zelude kicked out Princess Ceres in fear of the breakup not proceeding. For that story, the Empress told me that Clara was the daughter of Princess Ceres. As a result, as a commoner who grew up among commoners, I should assist her in reclaiming her nobility, and Her Majesty assured me that she should not be considered an illegitimate child because she was born in an engaged relationship. She couldn¡¯t claim her lineage as the surviving lineage because Duke Ceres¡¯ family had been purged. And it was for this reason that Marquis Zelude and Clara were chastised for impersonating as nobles, for society still saw them as illegitimate children with tainted blood. How could the former Marquis be ignorant whether his daughter¡¯s name is Clara or Thalia, no matter how he severed his relations with his ex-fiance? Princess Ceres may have been younger than me in my previous life when she was exiled from the household. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Will I be able to live if I am thrown out of my family? Princess Ceres was also evacuated, despite the fact that she was carrying two children in her tummy. In the middle of it all, she reared her daughter in this manner. ¡®She¡¯s incredible.¡¯ Come to think of it, this story wasn¡¯t really unrelated to me. Because if I don¡¯t manage to evade the Emperor beast invasion, I could end myself on the streets. Chapter 47 I exhaled deeply. I looked through the window and realized that we were almost home. ¡°I¡¯m going to introduce you to my friend as a private tutor, therefore having a status is preferable. So, for the time being, I¡¯ll present you as a lady from the family of Viscount Siehn.¡± ¡°Siehn?¡± Perhaps because it was her first time hearing such a family, Thalia tilted her head. ¡°It¡¯s a family from the Krenberia territory. Because the Viscount family¡¯s bloodline was cut, I was given the title of Viscount.¡± When a lineage is cut, the title is usually restored to the emperor. However, if the family has indirect lineage, the title is assigned to and administered by the indirect family line. It¡¯s advantageous to hold many titles since I¡¯d have more opportunities to speak in the Imperial Parliament. That is why, even if I could afford to keep the title, I would never give it up. That is, after all, why I was awarded the title Viscountess Siehn. ¡°On paper, you will be the Viscountess Siehn¡¯s sister.¡± You can also go by your given name, Thalia Siehn.¡± ¡°Thank you, but I will go with Rhaya, My Lady.¡± ¡°Rhaya?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the nickname Louis used to call me with.¡± ¡°All right, then. Because you¡¯re so thin, Rhaya Siehn, we should prioritize your recovery.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­ thank you, My Lady.¡± The carriage came to a halt. Karpel got off first and reached out to me. His expression was one of discontent and dissatisfaction. If you¡¯re going to be irritated like that, go alone. Why are you insisting on escorting me? I stepped out of the carriage slowly, fearful that Karpel might break my finger on his hand. Karpel didn¡¯t even provide assistance to Thalia, who had been left. Thalia faltered when she got out of the carriage, maybe because she felt dizzy. She was caught by a knight near her before she collapsed. Karpel, with his low tone and voice, said to me as I looked at him anxiously. ¡°Just so you know, I don¡¯t plan on forgiving you for what you did today.¡± Karpel¡¯s aggressive tone took me by surprise. I¡¯m not sure what I did wrong with Karpel. Still, I wondered whether I should ask if there was something I had done incorrectly. As I turned to glance around, I discovered Karpel gazing at Thalia with a displeased expression on his face. Thalia dropped her head after that. ¡°Yes. I apologize.¡± ¡®He wasn¡¯t upset with me.¡¯ I¡¯ve been saved! I beckoned to the maids who were unloading the stuff from the carriage, relieved. ¡°Don¡¯t let whatever you learned about Nina through your investigation get out. I don¡¯t want to become engaged in anything problematic. Please provide a guest room for Viscount Lady Siehn. Tell my father that if he has any questions, I will speak with him individually.¡± All the servants seemed to halt at the same time when I stated ¡°Viscounts Lady Siehn.¡± It was only natural for them to be embarrassed when I presented someone as a noble lady who had been lying in her filthy maid outfit. Everyone, however, quickly disguised their discomfort. ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡± I waved my hand at the maids as if to order them to leave when they answered. Everyone bowed respectfully before approaching Thalia. ¡°I will escort you to your room, Lady Siehn.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Lady Krenberia, thank you for saving me today.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Despite the fact that she appeared to be unfamiliar with Siehn¡¯s name, Thalia greeted me with an exquisite gesture fit for a noble lady, then followed the maids inside. All of the employees entered, and I was ready to enter when Karpel blocked my way. Karpel¡¯s piercing gaze turned to me. I grinned brightly when I saw him like that since I assumed he wouldn¡¯t scold me. ¡°What did you do so well that you believe you deserve that smile?¡± Because I haven¡¯t done anything wrong? He scolded me just when I believed he wouldn¡¯t. ¡°You¡¯re old enough to understand that you shouldn¡¯t share a carriage with strangers.¡± Oops, that was wrong. But just because the person I was attempting to save turned out to be an assassin doesn¡¯t make it my fault, right? And also, I don¡¯t believe I did anything wrong with Karpel. However, I was taken aback and flustered, so I was grateful that he came to my rescue when I couldn¡¯t think of anything else. ¡°Karpel.¡± ¡°Say it.¡± ¡°Thank you for saving me.¡± Karpel kept his mouth shut as if it were absurd. I smiled and shook the fan in front of Karpel that my father had made. Milky white Karpel, Universe Beauty Karpel! It was nice to see the letters ¡®Karpel¡¯ written on the fan. ¡°What¡¯s on the fan?¡± ¡°The Strongest Karpel.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°¡­¡­¡± Without realizing it, I responded. I expected Karpel to order me to stop talking gibberish, but all he did was gaze at me. Because it was dark, I couldn¡¯t see Karpel¡¯s face completely, but it seemed to be a bit red. ¡®Is he like the word strongest? I guess he is.¡¯ Karpel¡¯s countenance remained unchanged, not smiling, and his eyes remained piercing, but the atmosphere surrounding him had changed. As if all the malice on him had been weeded out. He became friendly with me, perhaps because I had been acting adequately and not troubling him. As if a pollutant material transforms into a recyclable one. As I folded my hurting arm, which was shaking while holding the fan, Karpel gripped my sleeve. His touch, who grabbed me lightly as if to confirm I was there, felt itchy. Karpel grasped my shoulder and sighed heavily before bending forward and delicately resting his forehead on my shoulder. ¡°I¡­¡­¡± It was clearly Karpel¡¯s voice that came out at the end of his heavy sigh, which I was used to hearing. However, everything seemed eerily familiar. He just spoke one word, but it was enough to convey his feelings as if he were grieving and in misery. ¡®What is it?¡¯ His voice didn¡¯t sound like he was whispering to someone he didn¡¯t really care for. I was perplexed by it. My shoulder was being warmed by a man who looked like a pampered 16-year-old child. Little boy, nothing special. His hand curled around my wrist, holding my sleeves. Karpel rubbed his forehead and gingerly held my wrist, as if it were little and delicate and could crumble at the slightest touch. From my shoulder, his inner thoughts began to seep in. My thoughts had become entangled. The selfish thought I had been harboring before I remembered my previous life burst out. ¡°I want to be the only place Karpel can relax and rely on.¡± ¡°Karpel is cold to me because he wants to keep me safe. Because His Majesty had mercilessly slain his subjects, he acted coldly toward me in order to protect me.¡± ¡°Karpel belongs to me. I will defend him. Karpel can only be protected by me, Inaila Krenberia.¡± Karpel was merely caressing me without any other intention, but I felt like those immature and selfish thoughts were eroding me. Or did my thoughts become reality? Was it merely a misunderstanding on my part? I¡¯m not sure if my persistence, which had been pressing him, caused him to swing like such. Despite the fact that I knew it wasn¡¯t his intention, I forced Karpel into a corner out of fear of his feelings abandoning me. And I was trying to make people aware that he can only live like a human being if he relies on me. So, does this indicate Karpel still cares for me? I was stuffy because of the darkness. Because I wanted to see his face to confirm it. ¡°Karpel¡­¡­¡± Karpel gazed up at me as I whispered his name. The touch that had been wrapped around my wrist likewise disappeared quickly. He turned around with his lips twitching as if seeking an excuse. The moment I moved to catch him, I lost the fan I was holding. ¡°Ah¡­¡­!¡± Karpel, who had apparently turned around, was already catching the fan. Karpel was going to run away, but he was embarrassed because he caught the fan without even realizing that he pushed the fan to me. But instead of taking the fan, I took Karpel¡¯s hand. Karpel was attempting to move his hand away from me. I expected him to attempt to shake my hand away, but I still held his hand in mine after a few seconds. When his eyes met mine, there was no malice in them. He just appeared embarrassed, as if he was at a loss after committing a major mistake. Why¡­ he didn¡¯t look like he hated this? What have I seen thus far? I consider how my words and actions had put Karpel in a tough situation. But it didn¡¯t appear to be the case now that I looked at him like this. Was that to say that Karpel¡¯s harsh and cold gaze wasn¡¯t because he was hostile? Was this to imply that it was just my misunderstandings? Was he truly behaving cold towards me in order to keep me safe from the Emperor? I adored Karpel. It was Karpel who saved me, who was ignored by my father after my mother passed away. Even if I couldn¡¯t remember it clearly because I was still young at that time, Karpel, 7 years ago, was always kind and friendly. I also remembered how pretty Karpel smiled. Maybe it was because I was still precious to Karpel at the time Even when my grandfather helped the present Emperor ascend the throne by killing Karpel¡¯s father, and even when my aunt became the Empress, we were still just a child who ignored all of what had happened. However, as we grew up, that bond could not be maintained. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only My family, Krenberia, was an enemy for Karpel. On top of that, it is given for Karpel to hate me, since I was arrogant and selfish. But, what exactly happened? ¡°Karpel.¡± Karpel became tense and locked his gaze on me when I called his name. Chapter 48 A fool for his daughter. A fool for his sister. A fool, period. Translated by MissmeEdited by Missme ¡°Let go.¡± In a low tone, Karpel threatened me. I could sense his rejection, as if he couldn¡¯t bear being touched by me, and I couldn¡¯t sense any affection from him that was left for me. However, if he really didn¡¯t want to be touched, he could just shake my hand away. And yet Karpel didn¡¯t do so. He merely glanced down at his hand, which I was holding, calmly. He was merely waiting for me to let go of my hand on my own, as if he could never get away from me by shaking my hand. He¡¯d always been like this. Always. He refused me and pushed me away, but in the end stayed with me. And that was the reason why I always mistakenly thought that he was always caring about me. ¡®However¡­¡­ Are those truly my misunderstandings? Even when Krenberia is an enemy to Karpel?¡¯ I tightened my grip on Karpel¡¯s hand as if to affirm it. ¡°Karpel.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Shake my hand off if you don¡¯t like it.¡± It wasn¡¯t like I asked him to do something difficult but instead of trying to shake off my hand, he only said ¡®let go¡¯ with a straight face. ¡°Does what you¡¯re doing now imply that you¡¯ve chosen to protect me?¡± ¡°Is it not because you despise me that you treat me so coldly?¡± He made no attempt to refute it. His eyes widened, as if he had been caught in the act of hiding something. Oh, my goodness. He should have treated me more coldly if he truly despised me and truly wanted to end our engagement. It¡¯s not like he stayed with me because he was caught in some type of trap. If he really wanted it, he should have thrown me out and even spit on me. ¡°You know¡­¡­ I decided to be engaged to you in order to protect you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­it will only end with us being destroyed together.¡± It seemed like he, treating me coldly to protect me, was real. ¡°You could never defend me with such a means, Karpel.¡± ¡°It¡¯s something I¡­¡­¡± As he spoke, Karpel frowned. His face was flushed, as if he was saying to himself, ¡®you¡¯ll be safe if you let me go.¡¯ I drew Karpel¡¯s hand in closer. Then it caused Karpel to get closer to me. I could barely reach Karpel¡¯s ear by lifting my heel, even with his head bent down. I whispered in his ear as I lifted my hand. ¡°He is also targeting Krenberia.¡± Karpel was taken aback when he heard my words. He was so taken aback that he looked embarrassed. Was it really that unexpected? Karpel looked stunned and hardened when I told him the truth, so I took a step back and grabbed the fan from his hands. Karpel rubbed his ear gently. Perhaps he was trying to confirm the truth of what he had just heard. After a little pause. His gold eyes shifted to face me. And I added, as if to guarantee him that what he had heard was true. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s pointless.¡± Karpel made a frowning expression. I felt as if his golden eyes, which were fixed on me, were scolding me. ¡°Do not do something like this.¡± ¡°What did I do?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Was he telling me not to mention the Emperor¡¯s aim of Krenberia? That is, however, the truth. The Emperor was a person who killed his own brother so that he could ascend to the throne. So it was conceivable for such a person to slaughter his wife¡¯s family. I stared at Karpel puzzled, but he pointed to the mansion with his finger. ¡°Go in and sleep.¡± ¡°You might not believe me, but what I just stated is the¡­¡­¡± ¡°Go in.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ugh, come on. How can he be so bossy? To treat me coldly yet to protect me is such a stupidity. He simply despised me and treated me rudely. He regarded me as if I were something disgusting and filthy. As you wish, Sire. The disgusting will get into the mansion right now! Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks But how did he know it was a letter that was embroidered on the fan? As one could expect of the ultimate boss. He is indeed very outstanding. * * * * * When she was told to go in, Inaila raised her eyebrows. She turned and entered the mansion with a pout on her lips. Karpel stroked his ears again, where Inaila¡¯s breath had blown, while staring at her back. As a result, he discovered that his ears were still itching. ¡®She¡¯s getting cuter as time goes by.¡¯ Karpel was surprised to discover Inaila refusing his escort this morning. She never attempted to go alone. Karpel was usually escorting her, even to the tea party, which was solely for ladies. And Inaila¡¯s behavior, which appeared to be an attempt to distance herself from Karpel, distressed him. That¡¯s why, the last time Inaila and Shabelle Float out to watch a play, he followed her without recognizing it. And it was the same today. He invaded the Villa on the guise of coming to see Inaila¡¯s reaction to the fan Duke Krenberia had prepared. But Inaila went about her business as normal, completely ignorant to Karpel¡¯s absences. Karpel felt a breach in his heart as he stared at Inaila like way, as if something was leaking out. That¡¯s why he felt weak when Inaila smiled and thanked him. Inaila¡¯s smile carefully blocked the broken part of Karpel¡¯s heart and filled the empty inside with warmth. He felt better. As a result, he leaned in closer to her. Karpel fought to soothe his pounding heart. But no matter how hard he tried, Inaila¡¯s warmth was too much for him. Her warmth made him feel like his insides were burned. Karpel stayed still for a long time. He had a hard time calming down his pounding heart before he came to his senses. And he began to comprehend what Inaila had said to him, which had lingered in his mind. ¡®She said that my way to protect her was wrong¡­¡­ and that Krenberia is also his target.¡¯ Only the Emperor had the power to enforce Krenberia. ¡®But the Empress was Krenberia¡¯s¡­¡­¡¯ Karpel had chills for a brief period. The Empress who was adored by a ruthless and self-centered Emperor. The Emperor solely favored the Empress even after ascending to the throne. He didn¡¯t even bother having concubines. ¡®The Empress is favored by the Emperor?¡¯ Karpel¡¯s attention then wandered to the Empress, who was said to be favored by the Emperor. It seemed unthinkable that an Emperor who favored his Empress would commit atrocities against his wife¡¯s family. But the more he thought about it, the more odds he noticed. The Empress¡¯s father, the former Duke of Krenberia, died abruptly after supporting the present Emperor and joining the revolt. Inaila¡¯s mother, the Duchess of Krenberia, was likewise a strong lady. Nevertheless, she died suddenly of an illness. However, in order to impress the Emperor who just ascended to the throne by force, no one could pay attention to the misfortunes that Duke Krenberia encountered. Marianne Krenberia Iverox, who would eventually become Empress, couldn¡¯t afford to grieve her father¡¯s death and instead chose to celebrate the Emperor¡¯s coronation. Because the time was overlapping at the moment, no one could afford to be baffled by the Empress¡¯s attitude. ¡®However, eliminating the family¡¯s head does not guarantee the Emperor will be able to destroy Krenberia.¡¯ When Inaila and Karpel were engaged, though, Krenberia began to shake. And things weren¡¯t looking good for Elysium, the kingdom of forest elves. To the point that Salik, an Imperial Palace sage scholar, became a private tutor for the Duke¡¯s daughter. It was the Emperor who caused the current crisis with Elysium, since he was the one who breached an agreement between two countries and prohibited wheat export to Elysium. Flames were spreading around Krenberia. No one would guess that what happened in Krenberia was related to the Emperor now that Krenberia had become the Emperor¡¯s right hand, along with the Empress, who was also from Krenberia. Karpel remembered how the Emperor laughed at Inaila and himself six years ago. ¡®I thought he was only laughing at me¡­¡­¡¯ The Emperor may have anticipated that Inaila and Karpel¡¯s relationship would sway Krenberia at the time. ¡®In the end¡­¡­ is it because of me?¡¯ As he started to think like that, Karpel¡¯s eyes sank gloomily. 9. A fool for his daughter. A fool for his sister. A fool, period. After a quick stroll, I conducted weight training in my room today. As soon as I finished the 30 minutes of training, I looked for the butler. ¡°Did you call me, My Lady?¡± ¡°Yes. Today, I¡¯d like to personally prepare my father¡¯s morning tea.¡± ¡°Indeed, My Lady. I¡¯m certain the master will be delighted.¡± I went to my father¡¯s office after making the tea. My father was still in his pajamas, while looking at the documents, smiled brightly like a child as soon as he made eye contact with me as I entered his office. ¡°Ina.¡± ¡°Ah, Daddy. Please stay still. I¡¯ll bring it to you.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only I rushed up to him, figuring he would throw away the paperwork and instead come to me. My father hugged me and seated me on his lap after that. I was worried about spilling the tea on the barrow tray, so I walked slowly. Fortunately, the tea was just slightly shaky but unharmed, so I placed it on the tidy area of the desk. ¡°What brought my precious daughter here?¡± Chapter 49 A fool for his daughter. A fool for his sister. A fool, period. Translated by MissmeEdited by Missme My father caressed my head, then straightened and set aside my hairs with his fingers. ¡°Daddy, about the woman I brought to the mansion yesterday¡­¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a scar left.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± I believed my father was caressing my head and brushing my hair back because he thought I was cute, but he was actually doing it to see the back of my neck. I thought the spot of my neck where Thalia stabbed me yesterday was alright when I felt it. I had no idea it left a scar. ¡°I will call a priest for you and get you treated.¡± When my father declared he would call a priest for me, I was about to resist and say no. But I opted not to because my father¡¯s expression was obviously concerned, so I ended up nodding. ¡°Sure, Daddy.¡± ¡°So, what are you trying to say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to take Rhaya in as Viscount Sien¡¯s lady.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, I heard Ina addressing that woman as Lady Sien. Furthermore, the lady was a maid identified as Nina, whom Ina had picked up on your way to the Villa. I heard she was booted out of Baron Malesa¡¯s house because she professed to be the lady of Marquis Zelude¡¯s family, right?¡± I nodded my head. ¡°I believe Thalia is Marquis Zelude¡¯s real sister.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what Ina says, it must be true.¡± For a brief period, I was dumbfounded as my father accepted what I said so calmly. ¡°So, what can I do to help Ina?¡± I didn¡¯t intend to ask for help or anything. I simply wanted Thalia to be comfortable in our mansion. But if my father stated he¡¯d support me, things would be a lot easier. Because I was able to solve the problem of identifying which parties Marquis Zelude would attend in order to have Thalia meet him. ¡°Then, could you please invite Marquis Zelude to our house, Daddy?¡± Thalia and Marquis Zelude might meet with only the two of them this way. ¡°Of course.¡± My father accepted my request coolly once again. I knew my father would always be there for me. My request was rather easy since it wasn¡¯t hard for my father to call the young and powerless Marquis Zelude to our mansion. Nonetheless, I knew how much my father valued me, given recent events. I hugged my father. ¡°Daddy, thank you so much. And thank you for the presents you arranged for Ina yesterday at the Villa. The other ladies were pleased with your presents as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m delighted you¡¯re pleased with it, Ina. Because Ina¡¯s embroidered design was so good, I requested the designers to apply it on the pretty frills dress.¡± I was speechless for a brief minute. My head was spinning with images of ¡®Gold Spoon¡¯ stitched on the hem of a brightly colored dress. ¡°Da-daddy. I made them for practice purposes, so if you place the design on the dress¡­¡­ No, I mean it should not be used with a dress!¡± ¡°Why? Of course, it will look great, Ina. I even had an offer to license the designs.¡± My father grinned as he rummaged through his desk and pulled some paperwork. There is a dress design with ¡°?¡± and ¡°?¡± wonderfully painted along the right breast line and ¡°?¡± beautifully drawn on the left chest line.(T/N: ?? is cursing word) Characters ¡°?¡± and ¡°?¡± were drawn brilliantly in the back, as was character ¡°?¡± in the middle of the back.(T/N: ??? means hard, intense, tight, tough, challenging) The dress¡¯s bottom is wrapped with wave lace embroidered with ¡°??????¡± which is elegantly placed.(T/N: ? ¡°heol¡± is a slang(?) used when someone was shocked or amazed, like wow or omg. ¡°??????¡± also usually used to indicate laughter sound mostly for older folks.) ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Ina? What¡¯s the matter, Ina?¡± My father inquired, surprised. I never imagined that composing ¡°??¡± and ¡°??????¡± would result in such catastrophe. My father consoled me as I trembled in misery. ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel embarrassed, Ina. Her Majesty even wishes to wear a dress of this design at the banquet next month.¡± The design even included a contract. A contract stating that a share of the revenues would be given to me as design copyright. If I didn¡¯t like the content, I could always decline the contract. But, since the Empress is claimed to have desired to wear the design, I couldn¡¯t decline it by citing reasons such as ¡®the designs are still poor¡¯ or ¡®I am still unskilled.¡¯ I eventually signed the contract, trembling. Ah¡­¡­ life sure is tough. * * * * * As I was going back to my room after seeing my father off, Stein handed me a letter. It was sent by Shabelle. The letter¡¯s sloppy handwriting had a gloomy vibe, as if to emphasize how harshly Stein handled Shabelle. The letter¡¯s content indicated that she was touched that I wrote the invitation instead of her. ¡®If I were Shabelle, I would have protested and asked myself from the start to write it.¡¯ She must have felt as if she had completed the assignment that couldn¡¯t be solved no matter how hard she tried. I composed a response for Shabelle and ordered Stein to bring it along with a snack to the Float mansion, expressing my respect for how hard she had worked. In my response letter, I indicated that I would order another dress for Shabelle to wear to the tea party, and that she should come over to get a dress measurement. I was hoping she¡¯d be able to introduce Thalia during the tea party. After prepping for this and that, I summoned a maid because it was getting near to lunchtime. ¡°Ask Rhaya to come and have lunch with me.¡± ¡°She hasn¡¯t gotten up, Lady.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Noble ladies typically sleep in and wake late, so I intended to have the maid call me when she awoke. But then I remembered a moment in which Karpel hung his sword around Thalia¡¯s neck. I sprang up, went to the guest room where Thalia was staying, knocked a few times then opened the door. Thalia was, indeed, burning with fever. ¡°Get the doctor!¡± I was relieved since Thalia had looked fine the night before. But it looked like her fatigue had led her to slump, since she didn¡¯t even respond when I shook her body. ¡®She¡¯s not going to die, is she?¡¯ As I waited anxiously for the doctor to come while putting the cold towel on Thalia¡¯s forehead, the butler came in. ¡°The priest has arrived, Lady.¡± Priest? What brings the priest here? I could never call the priest recklessly, let alone over something as insignificant as this. Because a priest is someone who serves God, not someone who should treat the sick. So, even if I was very sick, I couldn¡¯t summon a priest. If I truly need to summon a priest, I must have the same authority and status as my father, who was never afraid of heavenly wrath It wasn¡¯t until I remembered my father that I realized why the priest was here. Because my father had told me that he would summon a priest for me this morning. Soon after, the priest, who appeared to be quite elderly, approached me. The priest, who made eye contact with me, seemed taken aback. He immediately greeted me after I had welcomed him. ¡°I heard you were stabbed badly in the back, and that you are¡­¡­¡± Who was stabbed¡­¡­? Perhaps the priest was shocked because, after being told that I was severely hurt, he discovered me walking around normally. ¡°I was accidentally stabbed with a pen tip¡­¡­¡± My palm instinctively stroked the back of my neck as I uttered that. There was barely a little scar. The priest glanced at me blankly, as if he didn¡¯t comprehend what was going on, then grinned vainly, possibly because he recalled that my father had summoned him. ¡°However, I believe I should examine the wound and give my blessing to protect you in the future.¡± The priest extended his hand to me. But I refused him by shaking my head. ¡°I apologize, priest, but could you kindly look at my friend instead of me?¡± The priest then turned his attention to Thalia. Thalia¡¯s irregular breathing and groaning could be heard. ¡°Of course.¡± The priest examined the afflicted Thalia before placing his palm on her forehead and beginning to heal her. Thalia¡¯s red heated face eventually calmed down. Thalia soon opened her eyes, gazed blankly at the priest, and then at me, who stood behind the priest. She then fell asleep, a relieved expression on her face. ¡°This lady¡¯s body is just too weak and frail. It¡¯s not because she has a disease. She¡¯s just weak. So simply taking care of her meal will get her healthy in no time.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, priest.¡± ¡°She must be a dear friend to you.¡± The priest grinned warmly, as if he were witnessing a scene from a youth drama. I suppose I¡¯ve bonded with her since the three of us, including her and my fiance, were on the point of death yesterday. Instead of responding to the priest, I simply smiled graciously. The priest, who saw me smiled like that, said. ¡°My name is Glova, Ducal Princess. Please do not hesitate to call me in if you require my help.¡± ¡°Yes? But why?¡± Is the temple¡¯s financial status tough these days? Is he requesting additional donations? Such thoughts crossed my mind. ¡°You are the one who will be summoned shortly, Lady.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Are you talking about the Khamar¡¯s summons?¡± Khamar is the god that gave birth to the earth and the only god the people worshiped in this world. Isn¡¯t being summoned by God a sign of death? But why would he smile over something like that? ¡°Yes, Lady.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll be on my way, Lady Duke.¡± Glova, the priest, then smiled and turned to leave. I knew I wasn¡¯t going to live long. Still, it felt unpleasant when it was affirmed by a priest who served God. In the novel, it wasn¡¯t described precisely when the daughter of the Duke who tormented Shabelle would die. Still, Shabelle had another year until she became Crown Princess and vengeance against the evil lady duke. Then it became evident that I would live till then. Even if I was still alive after that, there was no assurance that I would survive if my family collapsed. ¡®I am running out of time¡­¡­¡¯ ¡°Your Lady? Your complexion doesn¡¯t look good. Should I call the priest back?¡± Before I knew it, I was clutching my skirt hard. My hands were drenched in cold sweat. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only I quickly shook my head. ¡°No. I¡¯m all right. Just look after Rhaya.¡± My disastrous future was already predestined anyway. There¡¯s no need to be surprised again. After such solace, I resolved to think positively such as the priest would appear whenever I personally summoned him. Chapter 50 A fool for his daughter. A fool for his sister. A fool, period. Translated by MissmeEdited by Missme * * * * * I tried exercising in my room and found it doable. I did stretching and weight training in my room as soon as I got up in the morning. It was doable because the weight training I conducted was just repetition of movements like squats and crunches that didn¡¯t require any tools. When I ordered the maids to prepare a bath for me, soaking in sweat early in the morning, they were concerned about my health. Then, after neatly dressed, I went to Thalia¡¯s room and found her already awake and reading a book. ¡°You¡¯ve already woken up.¡± Thalia, who had had a decent night¡¯s sleep due to the priest¡¯s intervention, had requested the maid for some books in the evening. I recalled seeing several interesting books in the study earlier, so I requested that the maid bring them all to Thalia. They were fairy tale books in ancient language which Karpel read to me when we were still children. Thalia, who was looking at me, closed the book with a puzzled expression on her face and got out of bed. ¡°¡­¡­..Lady, you¡¯re up early.¡± ¡°Just call me Ina. Should we have breakfast together?¡± ¡°Yes, Ina-nim. It¡¯s an honor.¡± After that, we had breakfast in my parlor room. Because Thalia was sick the day before, I took the measurements of a maid who was a similar size to Thalia and purchased some finished-dress for her. However, Thalia seemed to be skinny and thinner than she seems, so the dress looked too baggy on her. Nonetheless, she did not appear to be impoverished or malnourished. She had the impression of a sickly aristocratic young woman, mature and intellectual. Perhaps since I ordered employees to take extra care of Thalia, the breakfast served to her was a stew with fatty meat and a salad with nuts. I used to skip breakfast, but nowadays I¡¯ve requested the chef to jot down several recipes for salad without protein and dressing sauce to help me improve strength. Thalia then glanced up and compared my breakfast to hers. She appeared to be burdened by the mound of meals in front of her, which included stew, bread, bacon, scrambled eggs, and grilled veggies, when I merely had salad with bluegrass and boiled meat. She beckoned me warily, holding a fork in her hand. ¡°Uhm¡­¡­ Ina-nim?¡± ¡°Huh? Don¡¯t worry about that, and let¡¯s dig in. This is because I rarely eat breakfast.¡± ¡°However, this is too¡­¡­¡± I next poked the boiled meat, which had been sliced into bite-sized pieces, and the chicory with a fork before putting them in my mouth. I didn¡¯t like the flavor of the chicory¡­¡­ but I ate it anyway. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s impolite for a noble woman to hesitate.¡± ¡°However, how can I¡­¡­¡± ¡°Rhaya, you mentioned that you had nothing to give me, but talent is also an asset. Isn¡¯t it uncommon for a 13-year-old to master an ancient language well enough to work as a clerk for the aristocracy? Do you believe this treatment is excessive for someone as talented as you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ If you say so, Ina-nim. I am grateful for all you grant me.¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t hesitate and dig in.¡± I realized Thalia must have been born with such elegance and dignity as I witnessed her eat graciously. When she stepped into the carriage that day, she definitely looked like a beggar. Today, maybe as a result of the priest¡¯s healing the day before, her skin appeared white and clean at first glance. Though her previous wound persisted, it could only be seen clearly when I looked at her closely. ¡°Rhaya, I have a question for you.¡± ¡°Yes, please ask, Ina-nim.¡± ¡°Can you tell me about your relationship with Clara? Do you originally know her?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t comprehend how Clara became the lady of Marquis Zelude when we first met. Your names and appearances are completely different. Clara, unlike you, has brown eyes. Furthermore, I¡¯ve heard her talk about numerous memories of her and Marquis Zelude when they were children.¡± ¡°If she¡¯s Clara, as I believe she is, she was the eonni who lived next door. I assumed that those who dragged Louis had mistaken him as another youngster at the time, so I waited for him outside the door, expecting him to return shortly. That¡¯s when I met Clara. Clara and I had similar red hair, which is why we became friends quickly. As a consequence, because I missed Louis, I constantly told her about him.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I see.¡± Clara, who was talking about Marquis Zelude as a child as if it were her own memory, came to mind. ¡°Does it imply Clara and Marquis Zelude have never met before?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How was your token taken away?¡± ¡°What type of token were you referring to?¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Clara was acknowledged as Marquis Zelude¡¯s sister since she possessed a token proving she was the daughter of the former Marquis Zelude. She was not acknowledged as Marquis Zelude¡¯s sister purely on the basis of her story regarding Marquis Zelude¡¯s childhood. Anyone who saw her couldn¡¯t believe she was the actual thing since her appearance was nothing like Marquis Zelude.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what that is¡­¡­ what kind of token is it? There was nothing that indicated Marquis Zelude at home. My mother never mentioned my father, and my aunt blasted me every time I mentioned him, so I didn¡¯t dare to ask. Now that I think about it, I can see why my aunt acted the way she did. My aunt¡¯s hatred towards my father was reasonable given that my mother was raising me on her own.¡± ¡°Aunt?¡± There was someone Thalia might refer to as her aunt. The Queen of Lecce. The Emperor purged all family members who supported the former emperor, but he couldn¡¯t kill the one who had already become a queen in another kingdom. ¡°I stayed with my aunt until I started working for Baron Malesa. She was a woman who got along well with my mother.¡± That wasn¡¯t her. If they lived together, she wasn¡¯t referring to the queen. ¡°She always complained she despised supporting her sister, who had been duped by an aristocracy and had two children. Nonetheless, she never spoke badly about my mother to us.¡± As I listened to her story, I assumed Thalia didn¡¯t know the truth about her origin. I assumed the aunt she was referring to was someone who served for Ducal Princess Ceres. ¡®Is it conceivable that Marquis Zelude is unaware of his connection to Duke Ceres?¡¯ I had a sudden realization. The Empress was the one who informed me of Clara¡¯s birth. Marchioness Zelude was aware of the situation, but I doubted she would tell Marquis Zelude. That woman despised Marqus Zelude, her husband¡¯s illegitimate son. She couldn¡¯t have a kid with the man she loved, no matter how hard she tried. Nonetheless, the man she loved had two children with another woman. So, despite the fact that Marquis Zelude was a genuine child of the family, she just regarded him as a tool to keep the family intact. When the young marquis Zelude attended official events, he would stand next to the marchioness like a doll, expressionless. As I was reminded of Marquis Zelude, Thalia suddenly exclaimed. ¡°Ah, I remember my aunt being quite furious with me once. It was when I lost the necklace my mother had given me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­perhaps, was it a necklace with a shield and daisy flowers on it?¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Because it was the family pattern of Duke Ceres. The patterns of the purged family were recorded only in books classified as forbidden books. And such forbidden books may be found in the library of this mansion. I used to read that book with Karpel when I was a kid. I recalled the Duke Ceres family pattern because it was Duke inside Krenberia territory, and also because the flowers trapped in the shield were beautiful. I¡¯d never seen what Clara took as proof that she was Marquis Zelude¡¯s sister, but I suppose that must be it. Because that was the very reason why the Empress believed Clara as a descendant of the Duke Ceres family. ¡°Well¡­¡­ you¡¯d be in a lot of trouble if you lost it.¡± ¡°Not at all. My mother claimed that was fine as it was already lost.¡± Perhaps she believed it was appropriate to lose the necklace because her family had been purged. Because it was something that, if revealed, could endanger her life. Clara might have stolen it without knowing that fact. ¡°And how about your aunt? Is she okay?¡± Clara would be aware that Thalia lived with an aunt. The aunt, who knew who the necklace¡¯s original owner was. I didn¡¯t think Clara, who tried to kill Thalia, would leave her aunt alone. Thalia grinned bitterly. ¡°When my mother passed away, my aunt introduced me to work for Baron Malesa and returning to her grandmother¡¯s hometown. I wanted to write her a letter, but she refused since she couldn¡¯t read¡­¡­ I haven¡¯t seen her since I was employed by Baron Malesa.¡± ¡°If Clara was the one who was after you, then that person may also be in danger.¡± ¡°I suppose so.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re concerned about her health, I could find out for you. However, I believe it would be safer not to learn anything about her.¡± Since this world is a world inside a novel, I couldn¡¯t ignore the possible red flag. Thalia nodded in response to my words. ¡°I also think that is the best thing to do. Thank you for your consideration.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. And, to answer your question, I recognized the daisy blooms on the necklace since it was the pattern of the Duke Ceres family.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°¡­¡­The Dukes? Isn¡¯t Duke Krenberia the only duke within the Empire?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the case for now. Because it was a family that had disappeared ten years before.¡± ¡°Do you mean my mother had a connection to the Duke Ceres family?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­ what do you think?¡± I was certain that the story about former Marquis Zelude and Ducal Princess Ceres was authentic because it was told to me by the Empress. However, if the same story was given to me by someone else, I would not believe it. Chapter 51 A fool for his daughter. A fool for his sister. A fool, period. Translated by MissmeEdited by Missme I explained to Thalia what I had heard from the Empress at Clara¡¯s debutante banquet. The story of Duke Ceres¡¯s daughter, who was betrothed to the former Marquis Zelude, and the present Marchioness Zelude. Because I didn¡¯t know much, it didn¡¯t take long for me to explain everything. Thalia sat quietly listening to my story till the end. Then, after the story was through, she just laughed hopelessly. ¡°Thanks for informing me. I suppose it¡¯s a story that can¡¯t be conveyed lightly.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s right.¡± Thalia was already aware that her mother had been abandoned by her lover. And she learned from the story I just told her that her mother was abandoned not only by her lover, but also by her family. ¡°I think that¡¯s why my aunt always addressed my mother ¡®Lady¡¯ when she was anxious. Now that I think about it, it was quite unusual.¡± As expected, her aunt must be a maid of Duke Ceres¡¯ family who accompanied Lady Ceres. ¡°Please accept my apologies. I guess this kind of story is just too heavy to discuss over breakfast.¡± ¡°No, Ina-nim, not at all. I just can¡¯t believe that my mother was a lady from a duke family¡­¡­¡± Talia gazed at me with a slight tilt of her head. Maybe she was comparing me to her mother. But what is there to compare? I haven¡¯t grown up yet. Thalia looked to be at a loss for what to compare, so she shook her head and attempted to change the conversation. ¡°By the way, thank you for the books you sent me, Ina-nim. I enjoyed them.¡± ¡°Did you request it in order to prepare for the class?¡± ¡°Yes. I wasn¡¯t sure I could teach because I had never encountered ancient language again while working as a maid. But even if I start the lesson right immediately, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have any problem with the Empire language.¡± ¡°Then I will introduce you at the tea party on saturday.¡± ¡°How great is the person I¡¯m teaching?¡± ¡°I have Shabelle¡¯s invitation, which I will show you later. And I requested that my father invite Marquis Zelude to the mansion. But the priest advised I should prioritize your recovery, so what do you think?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­ whatever you believe is best for me, I will accept it all.¡± Nonetheless, given my physical condition, I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s essential to postpone it. I mean, I may merely say a few words to him.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then I will let you know when the date is set.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I walked to my study room after sending the letter Shabelle had written to Thalia. Because I had previously made Salik wait a long time, I intended to go first this time and prepare the tea. In the meantime, the outlook inside of the study room had changed a little. First and foremost, the desk grew in size to the point that I could climb and sleep on it. On one side, there was a large white board. We could write something on that whiteboard with a crayon-like magic pen in a variety of colors. And it could be easily removed by brushing our hands over it. I was already aware of the invention since I used to write down schedules and menus like a pop art sign board during the tea party I hosted. I¡¯ve heard that many people use the whiteboard extensively when taking classes together. However, because I take lessons on my own, I had never used it in class before. Even if Karpel were present, I would be the only one paying attention to the classes, so I didn¡¯t understand why the whiteboard was placed here today. At the lesson I took last time, I didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable at all at having no whiteboard. ¡®Why did they put that whiteboard in this study room?¡¯ I was looking around the study area aimlessly when I heard a soft knock behind my back. I then looked back casually, but I was surprised. Because there stood a man in a birch-colored robe that was properly wrapped all the way to the top of his head. The appearance looked as if a log was standing still. ¡°Uh¡­¡­? Sa-salik-nim?¡± ¡°Greetings, Lady Inaila.¡± ¡°Yes, Salik-nim, welcome.¡± Despite accepting my welcome, Salik did not remove his robe or make eye contact with me. I felt he was acting awkwardly, even within the study room, which he should be familiar with, so I asked him. ¡°Is that customary attire for forest elves?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ this is not customary attire for elves, but it may nevertheless create such an impression.¡± His response to my query was very peculiar. I chose not to press him more because it appeared like he was experiencing troubles answering me. ¡°Aren¡¯t you stuffy, Salik-nim?¡± ¡°Everything is fine.¡± Was he implying he should wear it even though he was feeling stuffy? As I scanned for Salik¡¯s pretty face under his robe, I was startled to hear a harsh voice. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going in?¡± It was Karpel. He first glanced at Salik then went into the study room with a satisfied look on his face. I also went in and sat down, greeting Karpel. ¡°Hello Karpel. Good morning.¡± Karpel gave me a grimace and turned his head away. I had already told Karpel that Krenberia was also the Emperor¡¯s target so it was no use for him to try to push me away, but the way Karpel treated me was no different than before. I wasn¡¯t sure if he was still acting this way because he was still sorting his thoughts or because he was looking for confirmation that the Emperor was after Krenberia. And there¡¯s no way I could know that after organizing his thoughts, he decided to keep his distance from me. I believed that Karpel did not despise me. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I must have seen something wrong that day. I was gazing at him intently when he returned my gaze. ¡°What?¡± Then, as if to evade his gaze, I hastily turned my head to face Salik. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡®Still, I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s wise to avoid him in this way.¡¯ As I pondered, I returned my gaze to Karpel and spoke to him. ¡°Do not frown excessively. You¡¯ll grow wrinkles on your forehead faster this way.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you want to be a grandpa quickly?¡± Karpel let out a heavy breath and turned to face Salik. ¡°Won¡¯t you start the lesson?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯ll start the lesson.¡± ¡®Wh¡­ why is he pressuring the teacher? It¡¯s not like he would listen to the lesson¡­¡­¡¯ It was cheating to summon the teacher when our conversation hadn¡¯t even finished. Still, I had no option but to listen to the lessons, so I concentrated my focus on Salik. Salik was standing near the whiteboard, far away from me. Salik then took out the magical pen. His hands emerged from the robe, wrapped in white gloves, and opened the book. ¡®Hold on¡­ gloves¡­¡­?¡¯ As I looked at his hands wrapped by the gloves reminded me of the incident where I almost grabbed his hand by mistake last time. Perhaps that¡¯s why Salik came with that type of outfit wrapped around his body. ¡®Did he come here like that because he was terrified I¡¯d touch his hand? But he was the one who started flirting with me!¡¯ I felt betrayed. Salik coughed as he scrawled letters on the whiteboard, as if he noticed my unfair gaze. There¡¯s no need for me to teach you basic elf language because Inaila understands it well. So, starting today, I¡¯ll teach you the phrases derived from the plant language that Inaila is interested in.¡± One of Salik¡¯s letters was so beautiful that it looked like a painting. ¡± This one is spelled Rapanu. It refers to a kind of grass with long leaves.¡± Perhaps since I¡¯d read about the plant in the book, Salik¡¯s illustration felt familiar. The leaves are said to be edible, but the roots are spicy. That was the description I remembered most vividly. ¡°The roots of Rapanu from Elysium are generally red. This is how it is written. This character represents the root. Rapanu varieties are often written with a lengthy character for the leaves followed by a character for the root, which can be bulb roots or fine roots. And the root character can be interpreted as saroot, aroot, or just root. As a result, it is read and written as rapanoot when combined with the character for rapanu and the root.¡± Salik made notes on the plant¡¯s derivative terms and pronunciations in the Imperial language as he drew the illustration. Salik was an excellent illustrator, probably due to his years of expertise. In addition, Rapanu is a plant with several stems raised from one root and one leaf attached to one stem, which felt familiar to me no matter how much I looked at it. ¡°This kind of Rapanu, which grows in the south, has white roots and resembles¡­¡­¡± I sprang out of my seat and pointed my finger at the illustration that Salik had drawn. ¡°Radish! That¡¯s a radish!¡± The plant was a radish. The radish that tastes great whether seasoned, pickled, or just boiled down. The radish which is rich in leaves. I didn¡¯t realize the plant was radish since the root depicted in the book was slightly different, looking like baby radish. However, after seeing Salik¡¯s illustration, I was certain that the plant was radish. As described in the book, raw radish indeed tastes a little spicy and pungent. I haven¡¯t had a taste of radish since I was reborn. But, because radish has a distinct flavor, I could never forget it. ¡°Where does that grow?¡± The taste varies depending on the variety of radish, but I am desperate for the taste and am willing to try them all. Even with only radish, there were endless recipes for wonderful dishes that could be made, such as radish salad, radish side dish, radish kimchi, braised radish, or even radish noodles. ¡°There is no location that grows rapanu as an agricultural commodity. But I¡¯ve seen villagers in the south harvesting wild rapanu and cooking it for meals.¡± ¡°Ooohhh!¡± ¡°There are also many different types of rapanu that grow in Elysium, however most of them have little roots.¡± It was evident from what Salik illustrated this time that what grows in Elysium also radishes. Salik stated that even if the rapanu grows big, the root is just the size of two fingers. It appeared that growth was restricted since the land of Elysium is barren or had little nutrients. ¡°Don¡¯t the elves in Elysium eat radish?¡± ¡°Some of us harvest wild rapanu and eat it like salad. But it was not a popular dish in Elysium.¡± ¡°What exactly do the elves of Elysium eat? I don¡¯t believe there are many fruit trees in Elysium.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been eating acorns and chestnuts as staples since ancient times.¡± I thought they¡¯d only eat grass, but acorns and chestnuts¡­ ¡°Are you eating acorns the way they are?¡± ¡°We steamed it and ate it with a powder.¡± Is it the same sense as when you eat rice cake? People in the Empire never eat acorns. In my previous life, acorns tasted bitter and pungent, and they were fruits which squirrels ate. Acorns, on the other hand, were edible for humans after being soaked in water in order to remove the bitter and pungent flavors. Acorns may also be edible after being dried and converted to starch. If the acorn starch strained and boiled, it would make acorn jelly. I remembered the acorn jelly tasting chewy with sauces on top. ¡°Do you also eat acorn jelly?¡± ¡°What exactly is acorn jelly?¡± Acorn jelly is, as the name implies, jelly made from acorns. But it seems that Salik was unaware of this. How do I explain it to him? Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°Uhm¡­¡­ like acorn pudding?¡± ¡°Can you make pudding from acorns?¡± Salik sounded bewildered, as if he could never imagine pudding made from acorns. Well, acorn jelly and acorn pudding seemed to be different, but I couldn¡¯t think of another way to explain it. ¡°Well, I could make it but¡­¡­ the flavor wouldn¡¯t be sweet. Anyway, I thought Elysium was a mountainous land. Don¡¯t you eat anything else, such as leaves, buds, or even flowers?¡± Chapter 52 A fool for his daughter. A fool for his sister. A fool, period. Translated by MissmeEdited by Missme ¡°And we only eat the leaf part that looks like this. This is known as filicule. We normally dry them first and then steam them before eating them.¡± The leaves which Salik circled with the magic pen were the fern. As I stared at the fern, I recalled eating taro, radish sprouts, and a variety of other foods on the first day of the lunar year. I really wanted to eat them, as such I poured barley rice in a large bowl, topped it with all the green dishes and a half-boiled egg, and mixed it with a spoonful of red pepper paste. I want to go to Elysium. Although elves and brass-bowl bibimbap don¡¯t blend well together, I believe there are many veggies I need to create bibimbap scattered there since I¡¯ve heard elves frequently dried vegetables and herbs. ¡°It must be delicious¡­¡­¡± ¡°The taste¡­¡­ isn¡¯t very acceptable.¡± Salik answered solemnly as I mumbled to myself. No matter how hard I think about it, Salik may respond like that because he doesn¡¯t know the best way to eat them¡­¡­ Is it possible for me to go to Elysium? Is the situation on Elysium really unsafe for me to visit? If I can go there and show the elves how to eat their local foods while eating them myself¡­¡­ It¡¯s like killing two birds with one stone. Salik was silent while staring at his own writing, perhaps because he was thinking about his homeland. ¡°I¡¯d like to go to Elysium.¡± Elysium is relatively far from the Capital, yet I could cross the border to Elysium in a day from Krenberia territory. There are still two years before the forest elves invade Krenberia, so won¡¯t they be gentle to us? Or would going there be too dangerous? As I contemplated this for a time, I noticed that the mood in the study room had changed. I turned to look at Karpel, but he was frowning. And he stated this as his gaze met mine. ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± I assumed he was referring to the fact that humans were not supposed to enter Elysium. ¡°Can¡¯t anyone enter Elysium right now?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not the case. Although humans may have difficulty entering Elysium, it is not entirely closed to them.¡± My query was instantly answered by Salik. Karpel, who was standing next to me, also answered in an arrogant tone. ¡°I believe Elysium cannot afford to welcome Krenberia¡¯s successor at this time.¡± ¡°That¡­¡­ that may be the case.¡± Whenever I went to another country, I had to be regarded in the same manner as the king¡¯s successor. It¡¯s because I am the sole descendant of Kingdom Iverox¡¯s sole duke. ¡°But don¡¯t you think it won¡¯t matter if I go in private?¡± ¡°That is also true.¡± Karpel called me with a straight face while Salik answered in a disoriented voice. ¡°The Ducal Princess of Krenberia.¡± When I turned my head and looked at him, he seemed to be telling me that there was no way for me to go to Elysium. That no matter how hard he thinks about it, going is too risky. It¡¯s the face that I¡¯ve been dreaming of. The face of him worried about me. In any case, both he and I have already become the emperor¡¯s target. There will always be red flags, regardless of where we are or what we do. Furthermore, I was upset because Karpel had cut me so coldly. Perhaps because Karpel believes it is the correct thing to do. Then I¡¯ll decide what I believe is best. So I put on my business smile and laughed at him. ¡°Salik said it¡¯s fine to come in private, Karpel. Then it¡¯s done. I¡¯m going to Elysium to have a good time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­The Duke will not let you.¡± ¡°Daddy?¡± But my father will never stop me from doing what I want. Karpel must have read my mind, for his frowning stopped after a minute and he let out a deep sigh. * * * * * How should I persuade my father to grant me permission? My father will certainly grant my request if I plead or throw a tantrum, but it is not an approach I should do frequently. Because I won¡¯t be going there to play around, it seemed unfair if my father granted permission because I was throwing a tantrum. Meanwhile, Karpel had a troubled expression whenever he made eye contact with me. He appeared to be really concerned about my burning desire to visit Elysium. I knew that the right place for a thirteen-year-old girl is her safe mansion. And if someone else said they wanted to go to the elves¡¯ village, I would assume they were insane. Because the thought itself is insane, whether the subject is me or other people, I couldn¡¯t raise the matter to my father after three days. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks I was wondering whether Salik might help me persuade my father, so I attempted to skip class yesterday. But the enthusiasm he displayed on the first day when I told him I wanted to travel to Elysium had faded. Does he not want me to help him? If that¡¯s the case, he should contribute, right? Salik didn¡¯t appear pleased with my wish to see Elysium. However, no matter how hard I think about it, I believe he wants me to come, but he seemed to find it difficult to say so. I was annoyed since I couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking because he was still wearing the robe. As a result, I had no idea what Salik was concerned about. Furthermore, whenever I questioned him if he had been in contact with anyone from Elysium, he always hesitated to respond. I couldn¡¯t figure him out. ¡®Perhaps, is he aware of Karpel? Come to think of it, didn¡¯t Karpel also interrupt and even stop our conversation at first?¡¯ That¡¯s right. That has to be the case. Salik is aware of Karpel. It seems like it would be better for me to have a conversation with Salik personally. * * * * * I nibbled a finger-sized nut from the chef. When I requested them to prepare merely a cake for the tea party, the chef suggested that we attempt to build a cake from various fruits and nuts, so he made me sample various items. I taste almonds, peanuts, pine nuts, walnuts, and even sesame seeds served with the fruits and honey. The taste is pleasant since it is not too sweet. The food on the plate was gone in an instant. ¡®This is delicious. I think Karpel will like this as well¡­¡­ Is he in the field of training? Should I bring some for him?¡¯ I still found him annoying, but the image of him weakly leaning on me lingered in my mind. ¡®If he always acts warmly towards me like that, it would be good to expect a moment when we can be alone.¡¯ I shook my head as I remembered Karpel¡¯s keen look. Because his glance was never warmly directed towards me. The force pose in his eyes was overwhelming. A knock was heard over the door as I was ready to lift myself to visit Karpel at the training field and offer him something to eat. The maid hurriedly responded before I could respond. ¡°My lady! Marquis Zelude has arrived!¡± After that, I peered out the window. However, it was still a bit before lunchtime. The marquis was scheduled to visit in the evening. My father has not even returned from the palace. Moreover, I only wore lightly dress since I was too busy. I owe it to the marquis to greet him, but I can¡¯t come out like this. Thalia is also a concern. She clearly hasn¡¯t prepared anything yet. ¡°My father has yet to return, but the marquis has already arrived?¡± ¡°The marquis and the master arrived together, my lady.¡± That implies there¡¯s no need for me to rush out and greet him. I pondered getting dressed swiftly for a time, but today¡¯s major character was Thalia. I need to take care of Thalia first. He would think me cute and sloppy if I dressed too casually. But if Thalia dresses too casually, he¡¯ll think I¡¯m neglecting his sister. I leapt up and bolted from the room. The maids were embarrassed by my quick action since they clearly believe I need to prepare myself first. ¡°My lady?¡± ¡°Where are you going, my lady?¡± I broke into Thalia¡¯s room and pointed at Thalia, who looked at me puzzledly. Then I call out to the maids standing behind me. ¡°Now, prove your skills to Rhaya!¡± ¡°Certainly, dear lady!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I-ina-nim? What is¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then, Lady Siehn, please pardon us.¡± ¡°Yes? Ah, kyaa!¡± I returned to my room and dressed up as Thalia was getting ready in perfect order, from washed then toweled to bathed and massaged. I dressed neatly and checked my appearance in the mirror. Shiny silver hair, white and clean skin, and gorgeous red cheeks were beautiful regardless of what I wore. Rather, my silver hair, which I didn¡¯t roll up today and was naturally dangling slightly over the blue dress I was wearing, resembled a wave. When I added my radiant beauty to it, it appeared as if a rainbow might appear. It¡¯s stunning. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only If I¡¯m fated to die young, it¡¯s because God tried to be fair. Because he had me born thus beautiful in this life. I noticed the maids standing behind me as I was staring in the mirror with blurry eyes. Their peculiar expressions seemed to be concerned about my mental health. I strived to pick the ideal angle for my pretty face before turning away from the mirror. Chapter 53 A fool for his daughter. A fool for his sister. A fool, period. Translated by MissmeEdited by Missme ¡°¡­¡­¡± Even after I greeted him, he remained frozen and unresponsive. I glanced at my father and asked him to help me resolve the matter since Marquis Zelude had the expression of someone who wants to pull us apart. Well, ¡°Oh my goodness! Marquis, you must be taken aback, don¡¯t you? As usual, I inadvertently greeted my father. Please excuse me, Marquis. My father loves me so much that he spoils me like this even when I am lacking.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­¡± It seemed that Louis, Marquis Zelude, was not aware of my relationship with my father, as he seemed to have an astute look on his face. Even I felt embarrassed when my father showed me the skinship the first time I remembered my previous life. ¡°How can you be so lovely, my daughter?¡± My father still caressed my hair with a loving gaze. It¡¯s a good thing he just caressed my head. ¡°Daddy, the marquis has arrived, and I am embarrassed¡­¡­¡± ¡°Please bear with me, Marquis. This child is the only thing precious to me that I can¡¯t stop adoring.¡± My father still held me while pleading for Marquis¡¯ tolerance. While I was enveloped in my father¡¯s large arm, I saw Marquis Zelude¡¯s demeanor was gloomy. ¡°Ah, yes. Duke, I understand.¡± And it was then that I realized something new. Although Marquis is the same age as Karpel, eighteen, he appeared to be a bit smaller. Karpel has no option but to have a large physique because he wields swords, but a boy Louis¡¯ age should be comparable to a boy who has already graduated from high school in my previous life. Then Louis has almost reached adulthood. My father is well over 180 centimeters tall, and Karpel is around 180 centimeters tall, a little shorter than my father, so I assumed I should be around that height as well. Then maybe I¡¯m bigger than I thought I was. ¡®Because I am thirteen years old, I always assumed I was like an elementary school student, but the truth is that I am already like a middle school student?¡¯ Then it¡¯s obvious that Louis finds my close relationship with my father unusual and awkward. A parent who loves his elementary student daughter has an entirely different standard than a father who loves his middle student daughter. This is not going to happen. I need to take action. ¡°Daddy?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, my baby?¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re doing it because you adore me, but there¡¯s someone else here. As a consequence, I may not be acknowledged as Krenberia¡¯s ducal princess. Is my position as Krenberia¡¯s ducal princess lacking? Am I just an immature child who has been overly spoiled?¡± I glanced at my father, taking full advantage of my cute and adorable looks. Perhaps because my father had prepared and expected me to ask something cute, he only stared at me blankly. My father¡¯s hold on me began to loosen. Then he gave me a warm smile. ¡°My child, there is no way you could ever be immature. However, if you choose to act with dignity as Krenberia¡¯s lady, I will allow you to do so.¡± My father, who had let go of me but still held my hand, kissed the back of my hand softly. As I looked at my father¡¯s eyes, staring at me back, I became embarrassed because in his eyes I could feel him saying ¡®honey, our daughter has already grown up.¡¯ ¡°Thank you very much, father.¡± I could notice my father¡¯s eyebrow wriggling. Before my father inquired why I changed the way I addressed him, I focused my attention on the marquis. ¡°Please accept my apologies, Marquis. Nonetheless, I appreciate your patience. My father is this way because he unfortunately lost his beloved people, and I am the only one left for him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, lady. I understand.¡± After gazing at me once, the marquis spoke in a lifeless tone and went to my father. My father then invited me to have a seat. ¡°Ina, please take a seat here.¡± That caught the marquis off guard. I was perplexed as to why he was acting so strangely. As if I were interfering with an important conversation. ¡°Thank you for being so patient. You must feel the same way, Marquis, because you only have your sister left. The sense of being dependent on the only family member left to you.¡± The marquis shook his head, maybe because he felt ashamed or nervous. ¡°My sister isn¡¯t someone I can rely on, therefore I couldn¡¯t comprehend your sentiments, lady.¡± After speaking, he looked gloomy. I had never heard Marquis Zelude talk so much before. It was Louis who held the title of the head of Marquis Zelude, but Marchioness Zelude always treated him only as decoration so that he couldn¡¯t speak a word. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Even when someone speaks to him, he just agrees and never gives his own perspective. But, when I asked him about his sister, I was bewildered because he had really told someone from another family what his sister lacked. Clara, evidently, was not the type to be relied on. From what I heard from Clara¡¯s story, it was clear that Thalia was the one who took care of Louis who was weak when he was young. Thalia is, indeed, dependable, the sort of person on whom one can rely. Her personality is likewise pleasant, and she is educated. ¡®Um, how do I go about it?¡¯ I wanted to talk to him about a childhood memory of his that reminded him of Thalia rather than Clara. ¡°But haven¡¯t you separated from Lady Zelude since five years old, Marquis? Don¡¯t you find her precious?¡± Marquis Zelude furrows his brow slightly. He didn¡¯t appear to think she was precious, but rather that a story about his sister made him uncomfortable. ¡°It¡¯s no different than siblings from another family.¡± ¡°I heard Lady Zelude used to look after you when you were little.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t remember my childhood very much.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t you want to keep seeing her?¡± ¡°Once¡­¡­¡± Marquis Zelude, who was peering into the air with his jade-colored eyes, as if remembering a moment when he missed his sister, froze. It wasn¡¯t because of the question I posed. I can¡¯t believe it. His face resembles someone who had been drenched in cold water as he recalled his memories. I suppose he remembers how he felt the first time he met Clara. His expression was grim, as if dread, despair, and misery were all mingled together. His expression made me realize one thing. It wasn¡¯t that Louis had forgotten everything about Thalia. Maybe he still recalls her vividly. He had hoped to live with his sister, on whom he could depend, after living as a doll for nearly 10 years and being unable to express himself freely. However, the person he encountered was not what he had imagined. There¡¯s no way his countenance could have been that astonished if it wasn¡¯t for that reason. What did he think when he saw Clara with the necklace that Talia had? Even if he said that Clara was not his sister but rather a stranger, no one would believe him. Because Louis was separated from his twin sister at the age of five. Even if Marchioness Zelude suspected Clara was a forger, she would still accept her to the marquis family. Marchioness Zelude¡¯s aim in making Clara the crown princess candidate was to establish a relationship with the royal family, thus it didn¡¯t matter to her whether the girl she picked up on the street was her husband¡¯s child or not. Clara¡¯s possession of a necklace in the design of the Duke Ceres¡¯ family was sufficient enough for her to accept Clara as Lady Zelude. ¡°Please forgive me, my lady, but let us stop talking about my sister. I never intended to hide it from the beginning, but my relationship with my sister is not so good. I¡¯d never comprehend the affection that exists amongst family members. So I¡¯m not sure I understand your relationship with your Excellency.¡± The marquis ended his sentence without hiding his hesitation. Even when he urged me not to bring it up again, I couldn¡¯t bring it up again. He seems to know that Clara was not someone from his childhood, with whom he shared blood. But I wasn¡¯t sure if he recognized Thalia as his twin sister. The marquis reappeared with his doll-like expressionless face, increasing my uneasiness. Even if he knew Thalia, there¡¯s a chance he won¡¯t welcome her owing to the effect of Marchioness Zelude¡¯s training. I glanced at my father, who was looking at the marquis with a peculiar expression. My father¡¯s reaction indicated that he understood what the marquis was feeling. Is he somehow feeling related to the marquis? I suddenly remembered a moment when my father had left me alone. The time he left after his beloved wife passed away and didn¡¯t have any confidence to love the child the woman left. My father then turned to face me. A smile appeared on his face as soon as my figure filled his purple eyes. Whatever his concerns, it is evident that he is pleased to have me now. ¡®Even for my father, the life we have today must be the bliss he has experienced¡­¡­ Can I protect this moment?¡¯ If my grandpa had not participated in the treachery, my father may not have suffered from my mother¡¯s death, he might also have given his approval for my love to Karpel, Krenberia¡¯s position would not have been shaken, and our territory would not have been invaded by the forest elves. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only My poor father. A knock was heard when I was drowning in my thoughts. ¡°Your Excellency, this is Rhaya Siehn.¡± Thalia had shown up. Marquis Zelude sprang up as soon as my father gave his permission for Thalia to enter. Chapter 54 A fool for his daughter. A fool for his sister. A fool, period. Translated by MissmeEdited by Missme ¡°Marquis?¡± The marquis¡¯ attention was drawn to the door as if he couldn¡¯t hear his father calling him. ¡®Thalia uses her alias, Rhaya, but his reaction¡­¡­only by hearing her name¡­¡­¡¯ My father, who was perplexed by the marquis¡¯ unusual reaction, turned to face me. ¡°Come in.¡± Thalia gently emerged from the open door as my father granted permission. Thalia then entered, greeted my father with her eyes downcast, and turned to close the door. ¡°Rhaya!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± And the marquis dashed over to embrace her. It even surprised Thalia. So she tried to shrug the marquis off, but he hugged her even tighter. ¡°Rhaya¡­! Rhaya!¡± Oh my goodness! Rhaya¡­!¡± ¡°Lo-Loui?¡± Thalia¡¯s puzzled expression changed when she recognized the marquis¡¯ red hair, which was the same color as hers, and she turned to stare at me blankly. Thalia¡¯s flowing hair is half braided and decorated with lace, ribbons, and jewelry pins, and her makeup is flawless. But now her hair is messed up as a result of a man who is clinging to her so fiercely. The feather brooch on her dress had likewise been smashed flat by the marquis¡¯ tight embrace. And when I stared at Thalia¡¯s perplexed expression, I realized something I¡¯d forgotten for a moment. That I had forgotten to inform Thalia of the most crucial fact. Marquis Zelude, Louis, had arrived. I smiled as I glanced at Thalia¡¯s puzzled expression, as if she was wondering if this was a dream or reality. ¡°Surprise¡­¡­¡± My smile appeared on its own. Thalia, in my words, worked hard to confirm whether the person who was embracing her at the moment was indeed her brother. However, the marquis was already wailing. ¡°I thought you were already dead, Rhaya¡­¡­¡± ¡°How would I die? I thought you¡¯d forgotten about me, Louis.¡± ¡°How could I have forgotten about you? That woman told me you were already dead, and that I¡­¡­¡± ¡°That woman? Are you talking about Clara? Did she tell you I¡¯d died?¡± ¡°Yeah, that woman. She told me that our mother and aunty were already dead, and I assumed that you were as well.¡± Louis talked to Thalia while firmly embracing her, perhaps because he was afraid of losing her again. The marquis whispered ¡°you¡¯re alive¡± multiple times, possibly because he couldn¡¯t believe his sister, whom he thought was dead, was still alive in front of him. When I stared at them, I stood up. My father also stood up and took my hand in his and led me to the inner chamber of his office. I returned my gaze to Thalia before entering the inner chamber. Thalia¡¯s lips parted. She was saying thank you. And at that, I replied to her with a smile. ??????? A long time has passed since I could see the marquis¡¯ face again. It wasn¡¯t until just before dinner that I could see his face, which was swollen and red from crying so much. As I stared at his bloated face, I couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed. It must be humiliating for him to display his swollen face to people. Fortunately, Karpel refused to join us for the dinner. If Karpel was also there, it would be doubly humiliating for the marquis. The marquis kept glancing at me, then sighed deeply. ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to show you this side of myself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as you recognize the bond between family members.¡± My father responded quietly. As a result, the marquis lowered his head even lower in shame. He was expected to be embarrassed since as soon as he said that he couldn¡¯t grasp the bond and affection between family members, he sobbed and clung to his sister, without caring about his surroundings. My father then inquired of the marquis. ¡°But if you already know the girl is a fraud, why would you let her into Marquis Zelude¡¯s family?¡± ¡°Because she recognized our mother¡¯s looks better than I did, and Marchioness Zelude matched what that woman said to what she knew about our mother. Marchioness concluded that it was simply me who couldn¡¯t recall it clearly. And, because my opinion was no longer regarded, I assumed that anything I said would be ignored.¡± Thalia¡¯s mother fell sick after Louis was taken to the marquis¡¯ family. It seems like she struggled to bear the misfortune that befell her when she was on her path to pursue her own happiness. The marquis said that the only thing he possessed was the title, but no one in the family listened to him. When my father learned about this, he said, ¡°That is why, Marquis, I invited you to our mansion today. Because it seems that you would require a lot of effort to establish your position within the family.¡± ¡°I, too, assumed that was the case. As you are aware, it has been some time since my coming-of-age ceremony, yet there is still nothing I can achieve.¡± The marquis¡¯ expression was subtle. But that wasn¡¯t a help-seeking expression. ¡®I suppose he needs a certain degree of authority if he wants to get Thalia into the marquis¡¯ family¡­¡­¡¯ Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks There was a situation that gave the marchioness authority over the marquis¡¯ family. The marquis¡¯ family was not caught in the current emperor¡¯s purge since, according to the vassals, the former marquis had already severed relations with Duke Ceres¡¯ family and married the present marchioness. That is why Louis would have a difficult time gaining influence inside the marquis family. ¡°I wanted to talk to you today to decline your offer. But I never expected to be so blessed today¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you didn¡¯t want to be under my shadow. That much I understand, Marquis.¡± ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Your Excellency.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not sure which is preferable. Being shadowed by me or Duke Ceres.¡± The marquis hesitated, as if taken off guard by my father¡¯s remarks. Just as Karpel gathered the previous emperor¡¯s forces to rebel, the marquis must gather his forces of Duke Ceres to make his comeback. The way he referred to the missing duke as the shadows made it clear. The marquis appeared confused that my father was aware of this, as he couldn¡¯t say anything for a while. But he looked good even when he was blank like this.¡¯ It was unexpected because his eyes were still red from crying too much. Anyway, instead of the puzzled marquis, Thalia, who sat next to him, calmly responded. ¡°Even if they were shadows, they could still be different, so how can I treat them the same?¡± The marquis seemed to return to his senses and clear his throat after hearing Thalia¡¯s words. ¡°Your Excellency, I desire to earn my power on my own. I will certainly repay you for saving Rhaya.¡± ¡°It appears to be a meaningless promise, yet¡­¡­ What are you going to pay me back with?¡± My father smiled. It was a chilly smile. ¡®I had no idea my father could make a face like that.¡¯ My father often smiles like a fool in front of me and buys me expensive jewelry, so I was curious how he looked when working at the palace. In my head, I know my father would be competent at his work, but because he constantly shows his foolishness in front of me, I can¡¯t see him being good at his work. My father and Marquis Zelude had a gazing battle for a time. My father was just looking at him, but the marquis appeared pale, as if he had been driven to the edge of a cliff. I think I need to help him somehow. ¡°I¡¯ll be upset, Daddy, if you tell the marquis to repay my goodwill.¡± ¡°Oh no¡­ daddy sorry if daddy upsets Ina.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, daddy. I didn¡¯t mention anything about daddy being wrong, so there¡¯s no need to apologize to Ina. It¡¯s because I want to be friends with Rhaya, and I hope the marquis doesn¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡­¡± Still, refusing when he stated he wanted to pay me back wasn¡¯t courteous. ¡°Ah, if it¡¯s not too much trouble, why don¡¯t you do me a favor later?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I will do it.¡± The marquis accepted my offer with an unclear expression, whether because I cut him off before he could finish his words or because he couldn¡¯t finish what he was about to say. Of course, I was only trying to cut off his words before he said he would give me anything. I wasn¡¯t trying to aim at anything when I helped Thalia. It was only a little goodwill. Furthermore, I couldn¡¯t afford to neglect even a single straw in order to avoid a bad ending in the future. Clara is now under the protection of the marquis. However, in the original account, Thalia deposed Clara and became Lady Zelude a year later. It implied that Marquis Zelude had already gained some power for whatever he was planning now. ¡°Thank you!¡± With a wide smile, I said. Perhaps my father thought I was so adorable that he wanted to cuddle me straight immediately. He gestured for me to come over and I immediately hugged him. But I simply smiled and pretended not to notice. The atmosphere became somewhat warmer. Whether we were aware of the intense push and pull that had occurred between us a little while before. Thalia exhaled gently as the atmosphere improved. When her gaze met mine, she grinned. ¡°As predicted, I¡¯ll stay with Ina-nim a bit longer, Loui.¡± ¡°But, Rhaya¡­¡­¡± ¡°I want to do the task that Ina-nim has assigned to me.¡± ¡°Are you referring to tutoring a young lady? However, it may be too much of a bother to Krenberia¡­¡­¡± The marquis looked at my father, as if he wanted my father to send Thalia to Zelude right now. However, my father smiled and shook his head. ¡°Rhaya is my daughter¡¯s guest, thus I have no say in what happens.¡± ¡°Ina-nim, you don¡¯t mind if I stay here for a little while, do you?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The marquis couldn¡¯t help but nod when I responded in this manner. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Then he stared at me with resentment in his eyes.id he just became jealous of me¡­¡­? At that age!? To a child like me? I knew it hadn¡¯t been long since I¡¯d met and spoken with him, but I knew this for certain. That he¡¯s a fool for his sister.