CATBP~65

Chapter 65

Peridot felt suffocated by the persistent, overbearing voice.

“Do you really love me?”

“Of course I do. That’s why I’m giving you one last chance.”

“…Is this what love is?”

Tears welled up in Peridot’s purple eyes. She spun around so quickly that her red hair flew behind her.

“I will never marry Count Ansen.”

She moved swiftly away from her mother, pressing her chest as if to hold back the tightness in her lungs.

Among the young ladies, they had never really shared their family affairs. Who would want to disclose such things when you never know when it might become a thorn aimed at you?

So until a few years ago, Peridot had believed that Lady Baalje’s love was normal.

The first time this absolute faith wavered was when her second older brother, Daniel, suddenly died.

While her father’s grief seemed as if the sky itself had fallen, her mother approached her and said:

“Peridot. You shall become the duchess.”

How long had it even been since losing her brother? Every word from Lady Baalje about filling the new duke’s side felt like a blunt instrument hitting her.

From that day, the mother she had loved so dearly started to appear to her as something wearing the mask of her mother.

After her proposal was rejected, Peridot fled to the academy, following the advice of her old teacher.

A year later, a letter from her mother, threatening to come and fetch her if she continued to hide, forced her to end her life in hiding.

“…I thought I was the only one who couldn’t endure this, that I was the strange one.”

Peridot compared her mother-daughter relationship with that of Helen and Faye. Even if Helen and Faye were not biologically mother and daughter, Helen played the role of a mother as Faye’s protector.

Was that the normal way? Or was this mother-daughter relationship that she had known normal?

Though she had pondered the question many times, Peridot was certain of one thing:

The more she thought, the more miserable she felt.

Feeling as though she was rolling at the bottom of some pit, Peridot straightened her back and walked with composure.

“Miss…”

The servants glanced at her with concern. But she could not pretend to be okay, so she simply appeared not to notice.

As she was about to enter the mansion, she ran into Withrow, who was with an unfamiliar visitor.

The stranger bowed politely to Peridot. Surely he was someone tied to some misdeed, whether a drinking companion or a gambling acquaintance.

“Peridot, did you meet Count Ansen well?”

Peridot passed by Withrow. Withrow clicked his tongue in displeasure at his cold sister’s demeanor.

“She’s getting more and more rude.”

But he didn’t really care about how Peridot behaved and soon ignored her. After all, he thought her mother would handle it.

He turned to the man walking beside him.

“You must have had a hard time coming straight from the Kingdom of Adrium. I’m keeping you standing here for too long. Let’s get you inside.”

Withrow led the guest to the reception room.

“This is a letter from my lord to Lady Baalje.”

He read the letter brought by the visitor, raising his eyebrows.

A rebellion had recently occurred in the Adrium Kingdom, and his close friend would likely be busy for a while because of it.

Though called a rebellion, it was really the movement of a faction trying to expel his friend, who had installed a puppet king and seized power greater than the king’s.

“Your name… is Dylan, right?”

“Yes.”

“You’ve come as part of the kingdom’s delegation to attend Duke Egaluk’s birthday celebration on his behalf.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Why so early, though? I hope you’re not lurking around the Egaluk residence like last time.”

Dylan bowed politely as Withrow’s displeasure became obvious.

“My lord also apologizes for the incident back then. It won’t happen a second time, so please don’t worry.”

“Then why did you come so early?”

“I came early to review the Empire in general. We will confirm whether Helen Egaluk is the person we are looking for at the duke’s birthday party.”

Withrow reached for a drink unconsciously but realized there was none and reluctantly picked up a teacup.

“Well… as long as you don’t cause trouble, it doesn’t concern me. The servants will guide you to your room, so follow them.”

As Withrow gestured, a servant stood before them.

“Oh, he can’t speak, so please understand in that regard.”

“Understood. Well then.”

Dylan spoke fluently in the Imperial language, bowed, and followed the servant to the guest room.

Left alone in a room that was always kept orderly in case of sudden visitors, Dylan gently pressed his face into his hands.

He stood by the window overlooking the Baalje Marquis’ garden.

Dylan’s eyes sank with sadness.

“…Helena.”

Whispering the name he couldn’t protect, a vivid memory of the girl wearing the flower crown he had made for her, with her red eyes closing lovingly, appeared in his mind.

<When I grow up, please marry me, Helena.>

<Yes!>

Dylan squeezed his eyelids shut.

A carriage marked with the royal emblem stopped at the Egaluk residence.

Faye, holding my hand, was immediately greeted by Rick, who ran up and hugged her.

“Brother! I missed you!”

“Mm. Hello.”

“Did you miss me too?”

“Mm.”

Squealing, Rick rubbed his cheeks against Faye’s and couldn’t contain his excitement, like a dog rejoicing at seeing its master after a long time.

‘So Faye likes him that much…’

Good for them. May the male lead grow up well.

“May glory be with you. Thank you for coming all this way.”

I bowed politely to the empress, who had gotten out of the carriage with the crown prince.

“It’s been a while, Duchess. Rick was insistent on seeing Faye, so I had no choice but to bring her here.”

“I could have brought Faye myself.”

“That wouldn’t do.”

The empress looked at Faye and shook her head. Children often don’t understand, and Faye, being sharp-eared, seemed to be keeping her words to a minimum.

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“This is nothing between the Egaluks and the royal family.”

Faye and Rick headed to the playroom, holding hands. The nannies would watch over the children.

I followed the empress into the glass greenhouse. The sunlight shone warmly through the glass.

Since the empress’s visit was planned, the gardener had tended to the plants even more carefully, and they thrived.

The empress looked around, reminiscing for a moment.

“The Egaluk greenhouse has always been beautiful. I came here before when invited by the late duke, and I still remember the greenhouse I saw that day.”

The emperor’s fiancée had inevitably been close to the late duke. I sipped tea and quietly listened.

“Duchess, could you have the servants leave us alone for a moment?”

Her eyes suddenly grew serious.

“Of course.”

I nodded, and the servants quietly left the greenhouse.

“Thank you for following my request.”

The empress smiled gently and took a small glass vial from her bosom, placing it on the table.

Inside the transparent vial, red liquid swirled.

“The emperor instructed this to be used in case of severe injury.”

“What is this?”

The empress opened her lips slightly.

“Just as a child of the Egaluk family may be born with the ability to transform into a divine beast, the royal bloodline also has powers.”

Through the parts in Secret Night where my favorite character insisted on royal blood, I had guessed this might be the case.

Hearing it now… could it be…?

I lowered my gaze to the vial.

“Royal blood heals the sick and restores torn flesh. You could think of it as similar to the elixirs or panaceas in legends.”

Though it was widely known that children in the Egaluk family could become divine beasts, the abilities of royal blood had never been mentioned anywhere.

I wondered why.

‘It must be an ability that is too coveted.’

At the same time, it puzzled me slightly.

My favorite duke had already died back then, so why did they covet royal blood?

It was too late anyway.

Moreover, in Secret Night, neither the emperor nor the crown prince ever gave blood to my favorite character.

But now, after Faye was almost harmed, they willingly offered their blood, a complete contrast to before.

Could it be…

‘The curative properties of royal blood aren’t all there is?’

As I pondered alone, another question arose.

If royal blood is a panacea, why did Lucas die in Secret Night?

“Your Majesty Empress, are there illnesses that even this blood cannot cure?”

“No.”

She answered firmly but hesitated slightly before continuing.

“However, there are cases where even blood cannot heal…”

I bent my fingers slightly, waiting for her next words.

“When the will to live is lost.”