🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 12
I stopped talking and pushed the uncle, and she dove straight onto the bed.
Thud—she landed face-first on the mattress and let out another overly dramatic cough.
“Cough… khk.”
Fortunately, the Crown Prince didn’t seem to notice this scene and continued speaking as if nothing had happened.
“My younger sister is planning to host a tea party, and she would like to invite you. If you recover by then, of course. I will also be attending that party.”
I hurriedly shot a look at the uncle.
‘Say yes. Quickly!’
The uncle seemed to understand my signal and gave a faint nod while coughing.
“Cough… khk.”
The more I heard it, the more painfully bad her acting became.
“Then I shall pray for your swift recovery.”
At last, the Crown Prince left the bedroom.
I confirmed through the window that the imperial carriage had left the estate before signaling that the uncle could get up.
“How long are we supposed to keep doing this?”
The uncle immediately threw off the blanket and complained loudly, but I couldn’t hear her properly.
My mind was completely filled with the First Princess’s tea party.
A major event in the original story!
The First Princess was the villainess of the novel and someone who deeply hated Beatrice.
In the original, Beatrice attends her tea party, is humiliated, and just when she is in despair, the Crown Prince appears and helps her—causing their relationship to develop.
And since the Crown Prince’s affection level was already at 100%, things should go exactly like the original.
But the problem was…
I glanced at the uncle.
She was doing push-ups using Beatrice’s delicate wrists, apparently bored from lying down.
“One hundred twenty-one, one hundred twenty-two…”
Would this woman really be the type to receive help from the Crown Prince?
More importantly, I had no idea how she would react if the First Princess provoked her.
The First Princess, being the villainess, severely tormented Beatrice in the story.
The reason was that the Duke Wicious—the Crown Prince’s friend and her childhood crush—was in love with Beatrice.
Inviting the uncle to the tea party was also a warning: stay away from the Duke.
Knowing what would happen at the tea party, I couldn’t let her go alone.
She had received a formal invitation, but I needed a way to attend as well…
Maybe I could ask the count?
I thought about it briefly, then gave up.
There was no way he would listen to me, and I didn’t particularly want to meet him anyway.
Then how could I attend the First Princess’s tea party?
Should I just stop the uncle from going?
If she pretended she hadn’t recovered, she wouldn’t need to attend…
No. I couldn’t waste the opportunity for her to build affection with the Crown Prince.
Besides, it was a major event in the original story. If she didn’t attend, the world destruction gauge would surely rise.
But if the uncle went and caused trouble, that might be worse than not going at all…
“Ah… what do I do…”
“What?”
“The tea party.”
“Isn’t it just drinking tea and coming back?”
“The tea party is an important event in the original story. I want to go too just in case, but I wasn’t formally invited…”
“Then ask them to invite you.”
“I don’t have any connection with the First Princess. And I don’t have anyone to ask for a favor…”
It would be nice if I could just become invisible.
After thinking for a while, I suddenly clapped my hands.
“Oh!”
“What? Ma—what?”
There were magical tools that could make a person invisible.
And conveniently, I knew a mage who was skilled in making magical tools.
When Shamal came to visit, I would ask him.
Hopefully he wouldn’t take too long…
I smiled at the uncle, feeling a bit better now that I had a solution.
Hehe.
* * *
By the time I returned from the marquis’s estate, it was already evening.
I lay on my bed, reading romance novels recommended by the maids while loudly crunching on freshly baked cookies.
I left the balcony door wide open in case Shamal came.
Mmm, cookies from the marquis’s estate really are better. I should bring some back tomorrow.
As I was enjoying my reading and snacks—
Knock knock.
A maid quickly entered and announced in a low voice:
“The young count has arrived.”
Huh? At this hour?
Feeling a bad premonition, I quickly cleaned up my book and cookies.
After straightening my wrinkled nightgown, I nodded to the maid—and revealed Louis standing as usual.
“Greetings, Count—”
As I tried to bow, my vision suddenly flashed white.
SMACK!
A sharp sound rang in my ear as my head snapped to the side.
My neck twisted as I stared at the floor, and only then did I realize I had been slapped.
A metallic taste filled my mouth—blood.
I slowly turned my head back toward Louis.
He looked down at me with his usual indifferent expression.
He hit his own sister and still had that face.
As always, he was unbearable.
“You’ve been going out quite often lately.”
“I was strengthening friendships.”
“Mother died giving birth to you, and yet you’re out meeting friends so casually.”
What is wrong with him all of a sudden?
“You are forbidden from going out for a while.”
What did I even do wrong?!
I was furious, but I calmly hid my emotions and looked up at him.
“What did I do wrong?”
“Stop asking stupid things and reflect.”
No, I can’t reflect if I don’t even know what I did wrong.
He fixed his clothes after hitting me and left the room.
I stared blankly at his back, then raised two middle fingers at the closed door.
Wiping the blood from my lip with my sleeve, I muttered:
I just need to fix the world destruction problem and get out of here.
I flopped onto the bed, holding my burning cheek.
It was already swelling.
What do I even tell the uncle?
I’ll have to write a letter. Should I just say I can’t attend lessons because I’m grounded?
But then she’ll ask why I was grounded…
“What am I supposed to say… he just slapped me for no reason?”
No one would believe it.
To the outside world, Louis was a perfect young count.
A brilliant noble, socially competent, and well-liked—completely unlike his gloomy younger sister.
No one would believe he randomly hit his sister without reason.
They’d probably think I was delusional instead.
“Ugh…”
I sighed.
I’ll just tell the uncle I’m not feeling well.
There’s still time before the tea party anyway. I’ll be let out by then.
I should take a break for now.
I opened a book again, treating it like a short vacation.
But the pain in my cheek made it hard to focus.
Before I knew it, I must have fallen asleep.
I opened my heavy eyes and checked the clock.
It was already past 1 a.m.
It seemed Shamal wasn’t coming today either.
Just as I was about to close the balcony door—
“Oh… h-hello.”
A familiar figure was standing there.
