🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 28
I flinched for a moment, but I didn’t turn my head. Deliberately, I avoided even looking at the Duke, as if merely facing him disgusted me.
Evelyn had often tried to rebel before, but the Duke’s unexpectedly firm attitude had always shut her down. But now, using this engagement as leverage, she had finally been given a chance for a “proper rebellion.”
As if trying to start a conversation, the Duke spoke first.
“So you dislike your engagement to the Second Prince that much?”
But I answered in a mocking tone.
“I feel like I’ve already said this several times. There’s a far more attractive option—the Crown Prince—so I really don’t see why I should choose the Second Prince instead.”
“Evelyn, watch your tongue.”
The Duke’s voice sank lower.
“He is a prince of the Empire. He is not someone you may speak of so carelessly.”
At those words, I grabbed the sofa cushion beside me and sharply turned my head toward him. The Duke was staring at me with a serious expression.
“So what? Just because he’s a prince, I should feel honored?”
“That’s not what I—”
“It has nothing to do with me! The Crown Prince is the only prince I acknowledge!”
I hurled the sofa cushion at him—carefully aiming so it would miss slightly.
His red hair fluttered softly, yet he didn’t even blink, continuing to stare at me.
‘Tch. As expected of a former swordsman.’
Duke Rosenthal had once been a renowned swordsman in his youth.
Although he had since retired and entered politics at the imperial palace, there were still many who admired him.
‘Still not enough…’
If I wanted to truly anger him, I needed a decisive blow.
I deliberately curled my lips into a sneer and continued.
“Did you ever once ask for my opinion? Of course not. Because my thoughts don’t matter to you. Not enough to stop you from deciding my marriage all by yourself!”
“This is a decision for the sake of the family.”
“The family, the family! That’s all that ever matters to you!”
I sprang to my feet and faced the Duke directly.
“Then what about me? What am I to you? Just a tool for the family?!”
“……!”
The Duke’s widened eyes slowly hardened.
No—turned pale.
Perhaps this was exactly what people meant when they said someone’s blood ran cold.
—
“Mother married Father for the family, gave birth to me for the family, and died for the family!”
—
Those were the reckless words Evelyn had once spat out before I possessed her body.
Evelyn had lost her mother early and grown up under a cold father and older brother, leaving her severely starved for affection.
And…
The terrible thing was, her words didn’t even seem entirely wrong.
The Duchess had apparently suffered from loneliness for a long time. While the Duke loved his work, he neglected his family. In the meantime, after giving birth to Evelyn, the Duchess’s weakened body deteriorated until she eventually died from illness.
It was the tragic ending of a political marriage.
Still, despite having said those words intentionally, I felt a little uneasy as I studied the Duke’s expression.
His fingertips were trembling.
‘…Maybe I went too far.’
Those words had struck directly at his deepest wound. I wanted to avoid touching someone else’s trauma if possible, but…
‘Sorry, but I’m desperate too.’
I bit my lip and steeled myself.
“……Evelyn.”
The Duke called my name in a low voice.
I merely gave a hysterical laugh.
“If you had truly cared about me, Father, you never would have done something like this.”
I raised my voice.
“How dare you… How dare you!”
“The Crown Prince betrayed our family. Do you still not understand?”
The Duke spoke firmly, forcing himself to stay composed.
Though his tone was growing harsher, he still seemed to be trying to suppress his emotions.
“The Crown Prince does not know your worth. But the Second Prince is different! This is what’s best for you!”
“Worth? Again with worth?”
A mocking smile spread across my lips.
“To you, I’m nothing more than the family’s value. Not your daughter.”
“Evelyn! That’s enough!”
A furious roar burst out.
I widened my eyes at him, pretending to be shocked.
The Duke was glaring at me, his face filled with rage.
“I—!”
Just as I opened my mouth to argue back, the Duke cut me off.
“Did I not tell you to stop!”
“……!”
At last, the Duke shouted loud enough to shake the room. He breathed heavily, glaring down at me with cold eyes.
‘…Surely he’s not going to hit me?’
When I noticed his fists clenching and unclenching repeatedly, my body stiffened.
Thankfully, however, the Duke slowly calmed himself down. And by the time his breathing steadied, a pale, bitter smile rested on his lips.
He squeezed his eyes shut once before opening them again, speaking in a voice restrained with effort.
“……Go down to the estate.”
“……What?”
“You will stay there for the time being. Until you come to your senses.”
I stared at him in disbelief.
“To the estate?! What are you—!”
“It is an order, Evelyn!”
The Duke shouted angrily.
He looked at me with tired eyes.
“As soon as preparations are complete, leave for the estate. Reflect on your behavior there.”
“Father!”
“No more backtalk.”
The Duke turned away and walked toward the door.
Without another word, he opened it and left.
Bang!
I stood there for a long moment.
Staring blankly at the closed door, I eventually collapsed onto the sofa as if all strength had left my body.
“……Ha.”
A short sigh escaped me.
The words I had just spoken replayed in my head.
“……”
But the moment I opened my eyes again, the corners of my lips slowly curled upward.
Maybe I had gone too far, but considering the outcome, it wasn’t bad.
If I provoked him that much, there was ultimately only one option left for him.
To get rid of me.
Being sent away from the capital was one of the things Evelyn hated most.
And honestly, it was also exactly what I wanted.
Before the lingering thrill of my dramatic performance had even faded, I abruptly stood up again and paced around the room anxiously.
I needed to think about what to do once I reached the estate.
At this point in time, making people remember Rakiel’s name was actually quite simple.
‘Spread word of his excellent character!’
And it had only been two years since the Bernhardt Empire’s war ended. The wounds of war still hadn’t healed in the outer regions.
‘And the Rosenthal estate is one of the territories closest to the border that suffered heavy damage.’
It was the perfect opportunity to help people while also promoting Rakiel’s reputation.
I began packing the robe I always carried around, the documents about Rakiel I had received from Twilight, and various items useful for concealing my identity.
‘They’ll probably call me back within a month…’
No matter how furious the Duke was, the Emperor’s birthday banquet was approaching soon. He would have no choice but to summon me back before then. Besides, because of the engagement issue with the Second Prince, they couldn’t leave me at the estate for too long anyway.
‘A month is more than enough time to win over public opinion.’
With a determined expression, I shut my bag.
After rubbing my eyes until they looked swollen and puffy, I deliberately wore a wide-brimmed hat as though trying to hide my face. While climbing into the carriage, I also made sure to subtly reveal my appearance.
The maids’ whispers drifted from behind me.
“Oh no… Her face looks terrible. She was already thin, but it looks like she’s lost even more weight!”
“She hasn’t eaten for three straight days. And she cried all day too. Of course she’d lose weight!”
“By the way, did you see the blankets in the maids’ quarters? All those old, worn-out ones got replaced with brand-new ones! They say the young lady ordered it herself!”
“Oh my, even while suffering so much herself, she still thought of us…”
I could feel strangely sparkling gazes aimed at the back of my head.
Pretending not to notice, I lowered my hat even further.
‘Tch. I tried so hard to do it secretly, so how does everyone know anyway…?’
Even with the lowered-recognition effect, people somehow noticed everything eventually. It was probably because my image had already changed.
Because of that, I’d started operating with the mindset that I’d only receive half the stat rewards anyway.
Sitting in the carriage with a pouty expression, I heard someone knock on the door.
I looked over with a face that clearly said I didn’t even want to respond.
“My lady, greetings.”
A man bowed politely.
“I am Maren of the Fourth Knight Order. I have been assigned to escort you safely to the estate.”
…Maren? The one whose younger sibling’s tuition I paid?
At the familiar name, I casually examined his face.
That brown hair looked strangely familiar…
“……Ah!”
I widened my eyes and pointed at him.
“Ah, you’re…!”
‘The knight I used when I went down to the underground prison!’
The brown-haired knight who had been tricked by me and unfairly suspended for a week.
That knight was Sir Maren?!
What a small world…
When he had come to thank me before, I’d thought he was just Extra #1 and hadn’t even looked at him properly. But who would’ve thought we’d meet again like this?
“……?”
Maren looked at me with a thoroughly confused expression.
Embarrassed, I grabbed the hand I was pointing with using my other hand and lowered it.
Then I simply hmphed and turned my head away.
At my reaction, he scratched the back of his head awkwardly before eventually retreating without receiving any proper response.
‘So he was part of the Fourth Knight Order.’
Back then, I’d promised myself I’d definitely give him a bonus reward, then completely forgot about it.
Hmm… I do feel a little sorry.
Still, since we’d be traveling together to the estate, maybe I could somehow find something praiseworthy about him and use that as an excuse to give him a bonus…
…Was what I had been thinking.
……
I let out a deep sigh and poked the inside of my cheek with my tongue.
It was so absurd.
‘Seriously, he’s making me want to give up even trying to find something commendable about him.’
