Ricky held his cheeks in his hands and had a clueless look, unable to understand what had just happened. “Ah…” With wide-eyed astonishment, he trembled his lips slightly while staring blankly at Viego.
But Ricky wasn’t the only one taken aback. With her mouth agape, Lillia and the maids beside her shared the same expression.
Even I was puzzled.
‘Wh-what’s going on?’
As Viego got closer by a step, Ricky flinched. His gaze was more intense than ever, sending shivers down my spine as I watched.
In no time, Viego, who had quietly bent one knee, met eyes with the sprawled Ricky on the floor
“Uncle.”
“…?” Ricky’s eyes widened in discomfort at the awkward title.
“Do you know how much effort I put into convincing my father?”
“…”“I’ve been treading carefully, and if I upset my father again, I have no options left.”
Viego’s calm words etched one syllable at a time into the quiet air. Ricky, who had been pondering his words in a daze, quickly moved and knelt on the spot, bowing deeply as if he were a sinner. His stiff neck bent in submission.
“Who is ‘that girl’?”
“…”
“Answer me.”
“R-Rubette…”
“Yes, Uncle. Rubetria is the legitimate child of this family. No matter how high and mighty you and Aunt may be, there’s no denying that your bloodline is inferior, unlike hers.”
Ricky, who lowered his head at the stern words, was taken aback by the harsh words. His clenched fists on his thighs were trembling in fear.
Viego continued with an indifferent tone, “Everyone may seem to follow you two with smiles, but deep down, they all know.”
“…”
“The two of you are the ‘impurity’ in this duke’s family.” Viego chuckled and patted Ricky’s head. Although it was a seemingly affectionate gesture, Ricky flinched. “Now you understand why I had to go to such lengths just now.”
“…I’m…I’m sorry.”
“…”
“Y-Young Duke…” Quick-witted Ricky quickly dispensed with the informal titles and addressed Viego, looking pitifully frightened.
However, Viego, with an utterly emotionless expression and a thin smile, added sweetly, “I’m here to tell you who you should impress in this house, Uncle.”
“Y-yes…”
“If that girl tells you to lick her toes, you do it. Got it?”
“…”
“Answer me.”
“… Yes.”
Having elicited a response that thoroughly disturbed Ricky’s pride, Viego casually stood up.
Tap, tap. Only the sound of his footsteps etched upon the silence.
As Viego approached me, Lillia, standing there in a daze, was startled and quickly stepped aside. He said as he passed before her, who was trembling and lowering her head, “Don’t touch her.”
“…”
“If you want to keep staying in this house.”
Lillia clenched her skirt tightly, swallowed hard, and replied, “Y-yes, Young Duke…”
Viego’s figure grew distant.
And even though he had disappeared, the twins still shivered, unable to look at me.
‘What’s going on?’
Feeling somewhat relieved for some reason, I gathered my lips in a mocking smile and turned away with lighter steps.
***
The next day, I rushed to the palace without any contact immediately after finishing my busy work to share this refreshing feeling. Unfortunately, Lark had departed from the palace. I considered going back since the attendants said he was taking a shower…
However, I was invited to his room instead, as he requested me to wait.
“…So you’re saying your brother started acting cleverly.”
“That’s correct.”
With wet hair, Lark sat down in a bathrobe next to me.
I chuckled and apologized as I looked at his outfit, “Sorry for coming without notice.”
“What are you talking about? I said you can come anytime. Keep talking.”
“Yes. Anyway, while it felt good to slap them once to cool off, I was worried about how to handle the aftermath. I feared they might realize that their leash had been cut and run.”
“Right.”
I recounted yesterday’s commotion without missing a single detail, but for some reason, Lark didn’t seem particularly interested in this satisfying story. To put it bluntly, his expression seemed stiff, as if there was something he didn’t like…
‘Um, does he think Viego’s behavior was too conspicuous?’
I added to reassure Lark, “In the end, there was no problem. Dad is still in charge at home, and if they want to stay, they have to cater to my preferences,” I explained. “They seemed to understand that.”
“Yeah.”
“While it was really satisfying, on the other hand, I felt unjust about why I had been put through this for so long. They were so easily scared just because of one word from my brother.”
“Yeah.”
“I ran into Ricky this morning when I was going to work. He acted all timid and disappeared in a flash when I gave him a dirty look.”
“Yeah.”
“…?”
What’s wrong? Does he not like this cheerful post-story discussion? I wondered as Lark continued to respond with a stiff expression and without much enthusiasm.
After staring at him awhile, I finally asked, “….Why? What’s bothering you?”
“Is that all?”
“Yes?”
“A slap in the face was all he got?” For a moment, I was at a loss for words. With his icy stare fixed firmly on my swollen left cheek, Lark muttered, “The young duke still hasn’t learned his lesson…” Seemingly trying to cool things down, Lark reached for a glass on the table, took a sip, and added, “Otherwise, is there any harm in breaking something?”
I was taken aback. “Th-that’s an exaggeration…”
“The more I think about it, the more I realize he’s out of his mind,” Lark continued.
Oops, it sounds like he’s talking about Ricky now…
Knowing that Lark didn’t appreciate crass talk, I subtly nudged his side. “Are you mad right now?”
“…? Of course, I’d be mad. Look at your face; it’s all swollen like this,” he replied.
“It’s not that swollen. It’s gone down quite a bit.”
“Sigh… Did the duke not say anything?”
“I’ve been avoiding running into him because I was worried that our plans would be ruined if Dad found out. Don’t worry; my face should have healed somewhat by the evening when I get home.”
Lark’s expression as he focused on my cheek was genuinely intimidating. His teeth clenched, his jaw tensed, and his face showed visible signs of restraint…
“Is it, is it really that noticeable?”
“…”
It was the first time I had seen him with such an expression, and it was terrifyingly unfamiliar, but for some reason…
Oh, what can I say? How do I express this feeling right now?
“Um, I naturally have sensitive skin, you know. And that Ricky grew taller and stronger while I wasn’t looking. I thought I was going to die,” I complained, and, as if trying to tease the already irritated Lark further, I leaned against his shoulder and pouted.
His hand holding the glass tensed so much that the veins were visible. He seemed really angry, but strangely, I…
‘I love this!!’
That’s right.
The fact that there was someone who would listen unquestioningly to my complaints, who would believe my words no matter what the circumstances, and who would get even angrier on my behalf than I would–it was something unimaginable in my past life.
The twins who sought out Viego and vented their frustrations probably felt the same way.
“Hehe.”
“Why are you laughing? It’s not funny at all.” Even as he spoke in a stern tone, Lark’s hand that grazed my slapped cheek was full of concern. “I’m sorry,” he added.
“Suddenly? What for?”
“Preparations are already made to capture the grand duchess, but they are being delayed because of me.” Lark impatiently furrowed his brow.
“Ah.”
We hadn’t brought charges against the Molga despite having all the evidence because of the 2nd Prince. He was connected to her younger brother, the shaman Gail Bert, which complicated matters.
We planned to bring Gail Bert to court and expose the 2nd Prince.
“Why should you apologize for that? It’s only natural that we should cooperate…”
“Let’s just wrap this up. We have enough evidence to lock up Nathan.” Lark, who had been resting his chin on both hands and murmuring with a serious tone, casually picked up a grape from the table. Stretching his arm effortlessly, he brought it to my mouth and continued, “If we can get Gail Bert to confess, Nathan will likely be removed from his position and receive a penal exile to Vaden Island.”
“Umm.”
Vaden Island, a penal exile for nobles, a punishment that had almost been handed down to Lisbeth before.
‘It’s delicious.’
I enjoyed the rather sweet taste, and, taking a couple more grapes, I said, “You don’t think we can tie the 2nd Prince down by confining him to Vaden Island, do you?”
“Of course not. We don’t know how Nathan might use his spirit.”
“Exactly. If he’s determined to escape, it won’t be difficult.”
“So, how about we sentence him to penal exile at the Tower of Silence for the rest of his life?” The Tower of Silence had sealing stones that prevented the use of spirits.
I fed another grape to Lark and said, “Your Highness, why are you suggesting this now? Didn’t we already agree about executing the 2nd Prince? We can’t be sure what he might do if we spare his life. We can’t let our guard down just because it’s the Tower of Silence. We have to send him to the gallows.”
“But…”
“Don’t worry.”
Unless it’s a case of murdering another noble, nobles are not subject to the death penalty.
Unfortunately, and somewhat regretfully, the 2nd Prince had not committed the crime of regicide, as we had already removed all his traps. Originally, he was a despicable character who should have killed the crown prince, put his biological sister in a comatose, and ruthlessly dealt with his much younger brother, the 8th Prince. However…
Lark, who had rested his head on the back of the sofa, wiped his face with both hands and said, “It’s dangerous. Let’s not do it.”
“We’ve already discussed this. Why are you bringing it up again now?”
“The more I think about it, the less I think it’s the right choice. Why would I push you into the lion’s den just to get Nathan? Have you forgotten my promise to give you a life free from danger?”
“If anyone hears this, they’ll think I’m physically going into the lion’s den. What’s with all this talk of pushing me when I’m just meeting the 2nd Prince?”
There was only one way to sentence the 2nd Prince to death, unsure of what he might do if spared. I had devised a plan for that, and I willingly agreed to be the bait.
“Don’t you not know Nathan’s abilities? And you still deliberately plan to fall into his clutches? You might not even know if your head gets chopped off.”
“Of course, I know. But who else can trap the 2nd Prince if not me?”
“Let’s think this through a bit more.”
“Your Highness.” I reassured the anxious Lark, “Do you remember the day we first became business partners?”
“…”
I was referring to the day I threw him a bold challenge and showed my courage. The day I handed him a cryptic note and arranged a meeting as Vista contractee.
“You know, even one wrong word could have cost me my life back then. Still, why did I act so boldly?” Lark seemed to understand my point and remained silent. “Well, you see… I have, um, a hidden card, I guess you could say… that’s why…”
“Sigh.”
Even though Lark knew I was the contractee of Wishit, the Spirit of Wishes, we never mentioned it implicitly.
He eventually nodded with a sigh. “…Alright.”
“Trust me. But to execute this grand plan, the 2nd Prince has to trust me first. He needs to be intrigued by the idea of his future from someone he has taken control of.”
It would happen tomorrow.
“The diplomatic meeting with the Ronben Kingdom is tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah.”
The contents of the “note” I had given to the 2nd Prince on the day of the Debutante Ball would come to light.
“Alright, please take care of it tomorrow.”
Lark, who sighed once again while looking at me with a faint smile, casually draped his arms over the back of the sofa.
‘…?’
Then, naturally, the gown he was wearing spread open. My gaze instinctively fell onto his chest. A sculpted and taut chest was revealed between the parted gown, like a piece of art.
‘Oh my, oh my, oh my. How manly.’
I quickly averted my gaze.
“Ahem.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Ill be on my way now. We should meet in the office from now on.”
“Why are you suddenly saying that?”
“I did come here for work-related matters, but still, if an unmarried woman stays in a man’s room for over an hour, people might start thinking strange things.”
“…?”
Lark, who had been raising an eyebrow, looked down at his attire and burst into a dry chuckle.
“Whoa, Princess. Isn’t that too much? Am I not trustworthy enough for you? I couldn’t give you enough confidence?”
“No, no. It’s not that. It’s not you, Your Highness.”
Avoiding Lark’s hurtful gaze, I thought, ‘I am the problem! I am the beast!’
I suddenly stood, recalling when I used to attend the cathedral. I drew the cross sign on my forehead and chest, muttering, “Begone, demon.”
“What are you saying?”
Lark rose after me and followed me closely. Perhaps because he had just finished washing, the strong scent of soap clung to him. He lightly held my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. In a somewhat dangerous tone, he whispered as if throwing a tantrum, “Just stay a little longer.”
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