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Chapter: 6
Seria roughly threw the adoption papers she had been holding onto the table.
She wasn’t even sure if her own expression was one of anger or of a forced smile anymore.
“Did you dare do something like this without telling me?”
“To kill the Crown Prince, you first have to get close to him. For that, you need the right identity, don’t you?”
“You want me to take on the name Belbat…?”
Every time Seria looked at Theodor’s shamelessly brazen face, a fire of rage ignited inside her.
Not only is he holding hands with the enemy, but now he wants me to become family?
It was an unbearable humiliation.
No—this was, in fact, almost a betrayal of all Argentans.
Seria hung her head low.
“As Belbat, you won’t be able to escape the stigma of being a traitor. But that’s only the surface.”
“……”
Theodor glanced at her, seeing no reaction, and continued.
“If you succeed in your revenge, you won’t be a traitor—you’ll become a hero. The hero who will revive Argenta.”
“Who… wants to become some kind of hero?”
The main reason Seria agreed to Theodor’s plan wasn’t a burning desire for revenge, nor some grand ambition to reclaim territory.
It was to find Serion.
She didn’t care about being a hero.
After all, where in the world is there a hero who has no choice but to act when cornered?
Seria slowly lifted her head and looked at Theodor.
“Keep talking. What exactly do I have to do to kill the Crown Prince?”
“As the papers state, you were adopted into the Belbat family five years ago. You were a war orphan, and I took you in, hiding you in the countryside to avoid prying eyes.”
“Hah.”
She let out a hollow laugh at the unnecessarily detailed backstory.
She couldn’t even guess how far and thoroughly everything had been prepared.
“You, who are about to come of age, will go to the capital and debut in high society. And you’ll blend in with the nobility of Antithesia, eventually…”
“You mean I’m supposed to get close to the Crown Prince and kill him while he’s off guard?”
“Exactly.”
Theodor smiled as if he was finally getting through to her.
His plan seemed meticulous yet sloppy at the same time.
Ultimately, the success of this plan depended entirely on Seria.
Even she wasn’t sure about it, so how could he remain so nonchalant?
“For this plan to work, your effort is essential. So you’re no longer ‘Seria Argenta,’ but ‘Seria Belbat.’”
“What does that mean?”
“I already told you. I took you in. Despite experiencing the pains of war, you grew up perfectly healthy and cheerful. You need to act like an Argentan who’s close to me.”
Close to Theodor?
Even being in the same room with him twisted her stomach.
Seria covered her mouth to contain her overwhelming shock.
“Now, we need to sort out what you’ll call me. I’ll call you by your name, and you…”
“Hey.”
“You can’t say ‘hey’ or ‘you.’ Just call me… older brother.”
No sooner had Theodor finished speaking than a gust of wind blew the table between them across the room, shattering it into pieces.
Theodor let out a small gasp as he looked at the broken table.
Seria’s face was full of lethal intent, like she might hurl Theodor across the room too.
“Then call me ‘Theo.’ ‘Theodor’ feels too formal for siblings this close, don’t you think?”
Theodor gestured for her to try it.
“Ha… Te, o…”
“Well done.”
Theodor nodded, clearly satisfied.
“Now, let’s move on. Come in, Elena.”
As Theodor raised his voice slightly, the door to the adjacent room creaked open.
“You’ve managed to survive, Mr. Theodor.”
The woman who stepped out appeared to be in her thirties.
Her long, jet-black hair gave off a strangely sensual aura.
Seria instinctively tensed at the presence of someone so unfamiliar.
“Oh, please don’t be so wary. I’m on your side, Princess.”
“How could I…!”
“This is Elena Ruin. A reliable ally, if I may say so.”
An ally?
If Theodor said she could be trusted, it was probably not a lie.
But Seria’s instincts told her otherwise.
This person wasn’t ordinary.
Seria kept her guard up as she stared at Elena.
“You’re being harsh in your judgment.”
Elena smiled gently and adjusted Seria’s hair while studying her carefully.
A floral scent? No, was it herbs?
Elena gave off a strong, complex fragrance, which made Seria wrinkle her nose slightly.
“Your hair seems damaged. It looks like it’s naturally a bright blonde. You’re hiding it on purpose, aren’t you?”
“Uh… yes.”
Elena’s mysterious aura compelled Seria to speak politely.
Theodor snorted at the sight.
“If you want a specific hair color, tell Elena. You never know what rumors might spread if the Belbat’s adopted daughter shows up with that hair.”
“I thought this was the best I could do at a mediocre convent.”
Seria shot Theodor a glare.
How could she ever act close to someone as arrogant as him?
The road ahead seemed daunting.
“Now, calm down, both of you.”
Elena quickly stepped in front of Seria. Then, gently folding her hands, she leaned close.
“Princess, what hair color would you like?”
“I…”
It wasn’t an easy question to answer.
She wanted to return to her original hair color.
But Seria’s hair color was rare.
In Antithesia, blond hair was almost nonexistent, whereas all Argentans had golden hair.
Seria’s platinum hair was even rarer, and showing it might reveal her true identity.
“Only Elena and I know the real face of the Argentan princess,” Theodor said, as if reading her mind.
“No matter what color your hair is, no one will suspect you of being the Argentan princess.”
“You’re right, Mr. Theodor.”
Even Elena agreed, and Seria felt her heart stir.
She hadn’t properly looked in the mirror for a while, hiding her golden hair, a point of pride for Argentans.
Now she could finally stop hiding it.
Though still uneasy, excitement outweighed her fear.
“Then I want it back to its original color.”
Seria said, eyes shining.
“Good. Princess, shall we go with me for a moment?”
“Huh? Where… suddenly?”
Elena took Seria’s hand and lightly tugged her. Seria stood naturally and followed her lead.
“Don’t worry. I won’t let anything reckless happen. Your life is in my hands.”
Theodor raised his hand with a smirk.
“Reckless? Saying that makes me feel hurt. Now, Princess, this way…”
Elena didn’t seem to care what Theodor said.
If her life was even threatened, she didn’t flinch. Clearly, she also had leverage against Theodor.
Seria glanced at Elena as they walked side by side.
Elena seated Seria in a plush chair and opened a trunk the size of her own body.
Inside were glass bottles filled with various substances and bundles of unprocessed herbs.
So that’s why Elena smelled like herbs.
It seemed she was an apothecary.
“It’s a bit messy, isn’t it? I should have organized it earlier, but someone hurried me along, so I just brought it as is. Ah, found it.”
Elena placed a bottle of yellow liquid on the table and put on gloves.
It was amazing—and suspicious—that this potion could restore her hair.
Seria idly tapped the bottle with her finger.
“This potion will remove the uneven colors. Let me know if it stings.”
“Yes.”
Elena poured the potion onto her gloved hand and began spreading it across Seria’s hair.
The sticky, cold sensation sent chills down Seria’s neck.
Elena combed through Seria’s hair with gentle, soothing movements.
It had been a long time since Seria had her hair brushed like this.
Her eyelids grew heavier.
“You can sleep if you want. Mr. Theodor would just tell you to wait a bit longer anyway,” Elena said with a soft laugh.
Seria wondered about Elena and Theodor’s relationship.
The thought made sleep impossible.
After much hesitation, Seria spoke cautiously.
“I… have a question.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“What is your relationship with Theodor Belbat?”
“How does it seem to you, Princess?”
Seem?
Elena looked friendly toward him.
But Theodor? He had threatened her.
Seria narrowed her eyes at Elena.
“So Theodor has leverage over you?”
“Haha. Did the phrase ‘your life is at stake’ catch your attention?”
Elena laughed softly.
“Years ago, I made a deal with Mr. Theodor. Since then, we’ve helped each other. Yes, it’s true that my life is in his hands.”
“How…!”
It made sense that she could remain calm.
Seria swallowed, unwilling to pry into personal matters.
Seeing Seria’s dark expression, Elena’s face broke into a playful smile.
“If I slip up, I could be executed immediately by Mr. Theodor, right?”
“Executed?”
The word made Seria spring to her feet.
What on earth has Theodor done to Elena?
Her eyes burned with outrage.
