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Chapter 25
“Hypocrisy”
It was a lie.
It had to be a lie.
The Delphian she knew—Delphian Zeros—would never hurt anyone.
Crocan looked at the frozen, confused Heidi and clicked his tongue.
“You’re called the Flower of Zeros, yet you know nothing about Zeros itself.”
‘…Ha.’
Even with the insult that nearly mocked her, all Heidi could do was sit and bite her lips.
She didn’t have the courage to leave or the strength to argue.
She kept her gaze down, waiting for him to continue.
“The biggest importer of Lemstone is Hestonia. And 80% of Lemstone exported from Hestonia comes from Grand Duke Esperos’s land.”
“Who do you think is responsible for the breakdown of trade between Zeros and Hestonia?”
…Karlier Esperos.
It was a question with an obvious answer.
Only now did Heidi begin to understand why he came to Zeros—and why he kidnapped her.
He must have believed that Delphian killed his younger brother.
So Karlier wanted to make Delphian suffer the same pain by taking Heidi.
Crocan looked at Heidi biting her lips and spoke in a calm tone:
“What’s done is done. It’s too late for me to fix it alone.”
“But I can’t just ignore the fact that my daughter was kidnapped. So I’ll speak to your father and ask for his help.”
Heidi blinked in disbelief.
Speak to her father?
Tell him about all of this?
“Wh-why would my father need to know about this? No—no, even if he did, he wouldn’t get involved!”
“Of course, Edwin isn’t the type to get involved in conflict. But I doubt he could ignore the daughter of the woman he once loved.”
“Especially when you carry the same violet hair that Anna had—whom he cherished dearly.”
“Even if Edwin hates me, I doubt he’d ignore a child who reminds him of Anna…”
“No. You can’t!”
The words burst out before she could think.
Every night, her father stared at the pale moon and thought of someone.
Heidi realized during this conversation—it wasn’t her mother.
Her father never gave his heart to her mother… but to the woman who was actually Levelia’s mother.
‘…As much as I don’t want to admit it, Crocan is right.’
If her father learned about Levelia—and that she was the daughter of the woman he loved—the Eliana family would be ruined.
Everyone would pity her, and eventually, they’d see Levelia as the victim.
The girl who was kidnapped because of a dress switch? Sympathy would flow.
Heidi felt nauseated by how dramatic reality had become.
“No. He mustn’t know. He’ll only hurt my mother.”
She used her mother as an excuse, afraid people would see her as cruel or selfish.
She couldn’t bear to meet Crocan’s gaze.
She didn’t want her perfect image—or her ideal family—to fall apart.
Especially not because of the daughter of the woman who ruined it all.
“I think you already know how that sounds to me,” Crocan said, his voice stabbing her conscience.
With pain tightening in her chest, Heidi pressed her lips and murmured firmly:
“It… It doesn’t matter.”
“And… I can’t tell His Highness, the Crown Prince, either.”
She hated herself for saying that.
But fear pushed her on.
“As you said, after ten years, the two empires are just now starting to reconnect.”
“We can’t risk a conflict with Hestonia to rescue Lady Levelia, when we’re not even sure she was kidnapped.”
“There might be war.”
At her firm words, Crocan stayed silent.
After a pause, his voice dropped low.
“Even if she was taken in your place to Grand Duke Esperos?”
Heidi couldn’t face him.
She was saying, to the girl’s father, that they had to let her die—for the greater good.
“Even if it were me… I’d make the same choice.”
“Because I want all citizens of Zeros to stay safe.”
It was easy to promise a future that hadn’t happened—and wouldn’t happen.
If Crocan said no, how would she convince him?
Her thoughts spun in circles.
But then Crocan’s soft voice reached her:
“War…”
“On that, I agree with you. There must not be war.”
“We can’t ask millions to risk their lives for one girl.”
Heidi looked up in shock. She hadn’t expected him to say that.
Crocan met her gaze with a crooked smile.
“Then it’s settled. Levelia Piace will die as Heidi Eliana in the Grand Duke’s domain.”
“Don’t you agree?”
Only now did Heidi realize something was off.
She had been the one to suggest ignoring Levelia’s situation.
This outcome was what she wanted—so why did it feel like a trap?
Meanwhile…
She had indigestion.
From the awkward conversation with Karlier, she had felt it coming.
Even though she ate very little, only things easy to digest—she still ended up sick.
‘Lady Heidi?’
‘You should rest.’
May noticed her pale face.
Heidi gave her a weak smile and excused herself to her room.
She vomited several times in the attached bathroom. Soon after, a fever came.
“…This is bad.”
It probably wasn’t just indigestion—she had left the window open all night too.
Shivering, she double-checked the window and curled under the blanket.
…Should I ask for medicine?
She thought about it but shook her head.
‘I’m a hostage. I don’t even know if there’s a doctor here. I can’t put May in a tough spot just for me.’
And honestly… she didn’t want to feel rejected if May said no.
She remembered the servants back in Zeros—how they looked at her when she got sick.
‘A doctor? I’ll have to ask the Lord.’
She could never forget those cold voices… or how they looked her up and down like a burden.
Her burning body and pounding head only reminded her of those old memories.
And all Levelia could do was pray:
‘Please… let me feel even a little better when I wake up.’
