🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 25
Even in the deep of night, the beautiful garden bloomed with hyacinths, just like the name of the princess.
“Aren’t they beautiful? Father had them planted just for me.”
“They’re truly beautiful.”
Being a princess wasn’t something to envy, but having a father who cherished his daughter so deeply—that was.
Whether it was fate or misfortune, even after being reborn, the Count and Countess of Deblanc were nothing but a burden to their children and never once acted like real parents.
“That day, I was sure the two of you were meeting for the first time, but my father believes you’ve known each other for ages. I couldn’t help but wonder why.”
“Well, that’s because…”
Frisia frantically rolled her eyes in search of an excuse.
She had no idea what kind of hand the princess was holding, but if this turned into a real game, she’d be at a serious disadvantage.
While pondering what to say, Frisia managed to come up with a passable excuse.
“We had agreed to keep our relationship a secret. So if we ran into each other, we decided to pretend we didn’t know one another.”
“Then, were your secret meetings held at the Deblanc estate?”
“Well, that’s… uh…”
She should’ve realized sooner that she wasn’t good at lying. Scrambling to come up with something, Frisia decided to slightly change her approach.
“He was always busy. So instead, he sent letters through someone.”
“Letters?”
“Even if we couldn’t see each other in person, we could still share our hearts through writing.”
“Then… you already know his secret, don’t you?”
No, not even a little.
Swallowing the words rising to her throat, Frisia mustered all her strength to wear a wistful expression, her eyes brimming with melancholy.
“If it hadn’t been for the incident with Marquis Gondre, I would have been content simply admiring him from afar.”
“So it was the Duke who caused that incident?”
“I wouldn’t know. All I know is that, thanks to him, we were able to be honest with our feelings.”
Their love story wasn’t entirely made up.
Frisia even saved the Duke’s life from an assassin sent by Marquis Gondre.
Up to that point, at least, was true.
“Secrets are only weapons when they remain secrets. So I hope Your Highness will protect his secret, too.”
She didn’t know what that secret was, exactly, but one thing was certain.
If you recklessly poked a villain, you might just lose your head.
“Oh my, is that how you’re going to play this?”
“I speak with all sincerity—for your sake, Princess.”
Please, just take the hint. Please understand me for once!
“For your sake, I’ll keep the Duke’s secret—only because it’s you, Frisia.”
Fortunately, true to her reputation, the princess was sharp enough to take the deal.
At least this way, the palace wouldn’t be soaked in blood.
…or so she thought.
“But since I’ve granted your request, it’s only fair that you fulfill one of mine, right?”
“Pardon?”
She thought things had gone too smoothly. With a lovely smile, the princess made an unexpected suggestion.
“I’m thinking of forming a club with young ladies from high society. We’ll ride horses together and share information—it’ll be a space for social exchange.”
If the salons run by older noblewomen were more like indoor tea parties, what the princess envisioned was an outdoors-oriented activity club, centered around riding and picnics.
Gleefully excited, she grabbed Frisia’s hand with a bright smile.
“You’ll take the lead to encourage other ladies to join, won’t you? Because we’re friends!”
“Uh, well…”
Frisia had momentarily forgotten that the princess was someone who could blackmail the Duke.
Feigning friendship while dragging her into a social club—clearly, this was a setup.
All that earlier talk had been a buildup. She hadn’t gotten that confident in threatening the Duke for no reason.
“Don’t worry. I’ll never reveal the secret.”
That was basically saying, If you don’t do what I say, I’ll spill everything.
So Frisia couldn’t reject it outright.
“I’ll… do my best.”
“Thank you, Frisia!”
The Duke is definitely going to hate this. How was she going to explain this situation?
Her head was already starting to throb.
“As such, I hope you’ll all show great interest.”
At the end of the party, the princess held Frisia’s hand and announced the new social club.
“I’ll be counting on Frisia’s support from now on.”
The fact that the princess called her by name stirred the noble ladies into a buzz.
It was a golden opportunity—not just because of the royal connection, but because the relatively unknown Duchess of Cromford had just earned the princess’s favor.
Now, the question of who would be selected for this elite club became the talk of the capital’s young noblewomen.
“You’ve caused quite the stir.”
Though Frisia had tried her best to smooth things over, the Duke couldn’t hide his displeasure.
“I’ve committed a mortal sin.”
“…”
“I didn’t mean to.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, so why apologize?”
The fact that he was using formal speech—when he usually spoke casually—was proof enough that he was angry.
Frisia glanced at him cautiously and asked,
“You’re not… jealous, are you?”
An awkward attempt to shift the topic, but the Duke’s brows furrowed deeply.
“I’m not petty enough to get jealous over my wife’s social activities.”
“Well, I suppose that’s true.”
Time to steer the conversation away.
“If there’s something to do, I’ll do it thoroughly. And if I can shut the princess up and improve the family’s image, all the better, right?”
“Shut the princess up, huh. Were you threatened?”
How does he know everything? A true villain, he really doesn’t miss a thing.
Frisia averted her gaze and tried to bluff.
“No, I mean, I still don’t even know what your secret is. The princess promised not to talk about it either.”
“But in return, you agreed to help with the club for her benefit.”
“Well… let’s call it mutual support.”
“Rubbish.”
Well, it had ended up like that. No matter how she spun it, there was no denying she’d been dragged into the princess’s scheme.
Still, “rubbish” felt a little harsh. Frisia bit her lip and forced a smile.
“I became her friend to protect your secret too.”
“Friend?”
“Yes, a friend.”
“Not just a pushover?”
How could he hit her in the gut with no cushion at all?
His blunt words stung a little, but it wasn’t something she could deny, which made it all the more bitter.
Still, she wasn’t the type to take hits lying down—she fired back.
“Right. I was such a pushover that I forgot our marriage even happened.”
Seriously, who’s calling who a pushover here?
And after kissing her cheek in front of everyone, he owed her at least something in return.
“Two signed first editions. Don’t forget our deal.”
Without complaint, the Duke handed over two signed books as she requested.
Both bore the elegant signatures “Rose Deblanc” and “Lily Deblanc.”
“How did you know?”
She hadn’t said who they were for, yet those names were written exactly as she wanted. Her eyes widened.
“Because those two are the most precious to you in the world.”
“You’re right. If it weren’t for Rose, Lily and I wouldn’t be here.”
Frisia held the two books tightly to her chest, smiling wistfully.
Still not of age, her younger sisters were protected by Rose, who had grown up without ever being allowed to cry.
“The world is always like this. Good people suffer, while scumbags strut around.”
She didn’t say who the scumbags were. Instead, she simply looked straight at her husband.
“You chose to marry a villain, didn’t you?”
“Well, yes. It’s my fault for loving you too much.”
All she could do as a powerless person was resort to sarcasm. She’d meant to irritate him, but for some reason, he stepped closer and gently embraced her shoulders.
“Did you just say you love me?”
“It was sarcasm!”
“When Volume 2 is out, I’ll prepare three signed copies.”
“I love you, honey.”
She definitely felt like she’d been caught in a trap—but what could she do?
As Frisia laughed it off like nothing happened, the Duke looked clearly displeased.
“What’s so great about that author, anyway?”
“What do you know? If they were a man, I would’ve married them instead!”
“Running your mouth, are you? I’ll be sure to tell them that personally.”
“Eek!”
He must’ve thought it was a killer blow, but blinded by her fangirl spirit, Frisia was completely unaffected.
After rolling on the floor in glee, she suddenly stood up and grabbed his arm.
“Since you’re in a generous mood, can I ask for one more favor?”
Given how easily she’d scored two autographed books, this extra request shouldn’t be too much.
At her whisper, he scowled and added one condition.
“Not for free.”
