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CHAPTER 50:
Arthur Cervantes
“You were incredible. I thought you were an actual actor. I almost fell for it too.”
Celia spoke with a sense of relief as she entered Dietrich’s room.
But Dietrich simply looked down at her face in silence.
“Why? Is there something on my face?”
Dietrich gently adjusted her hair and asked in a low voice:
“…Are you okay?”
She hadn’t expected him to ask her if she was okay.
Avoiding his gaze, Celia responded with an awkward expression.
“Mm… I’m fine. It’s already in the past. And now I have you.”
“…”
The atmosphere turned strange. It hadn’t been like this when they were pretending to be lovers earlier.
Celia realized too late that she might’ve misspoken.
She, of all people—consumed by thoughts of revenge—had brushed it off as if the past no longer mattered.
So what if he thinks she’s strange? Their relationship was nothing more or less than a partnership based on necessity.
Celia decided there was no need to correct herself and changed the subject to lift the heavy mood.
“So… do we have to keep pretending to be lovers in front of everyone? Then what about sleeping arrangements at night…”
The atmosphere sank even deeper.
Celia looked up at Dietrich, conflicted.
He slowly blinked before opening his mouth.
“If you don’t like it, we can stop anytime. We only chose this method because it’s better if people don’t notice we’re working together.”
“You sure put on a convincing act for someone just trying to avoid suspicion.”
“Maybe it’s because you and I have unexpectedly good chemistry.”
Celia nodded. He wasn’t wrong.
The Emperor’s throne was still vacant, and two of the three Dukes were freely roaming the Imperial Palace.
Continuing to act as lovers would more likely bring advantages than harm.
Embarrassment was temporary, but if they let their guard down even once, their entire plan could fall apart.
“…Celia.”
Dietrich called her name as she fell into thought.
“Don’t worry too much. Nothing’s going to happen.”
“Hey, did you hear? Yesterday, His Highness the Crown Prince was confined in the tower. Apparently, Duke Calypso personally locked him up for massacring innocent people.”
“No way! Does that mean Duke Calypso is finally showing interest in the throne?”
The palace guards were deep in gossip.
“One of the knights asked him directly, but the Duke flatly said he has no interest in the throne.”
“But why? Hardly anyone would oppose him taking it…”
One guard gave his companion a knowing look.
“Hey, it’s not that simple. There are still the other two Dukes, and Her Majesty the Empress is still alive. Just the fact that he locked the Crown Prince in the tower is already a huge move.”
A knight nearby nodded in emphatic agreement.
“Wait—what about the Crown Prince’s mistress? That angel from Brillion?”
“You didn’t hear? She’s supposedly involved with Duke Calypso now.”
“Gasp, seriously?”
“There are multiple witnesses. I’m so jealous of Duke Calypso…”
The chatty knight suddenly fell silent.
A man in a black robe, his hood pulled down low over his face, had silently approached.
As if he didn’t see the guards at all, he tried to walk straight into the palace.
His movement was smooth, like a gliding snake. The knights snapped out of their daze.
“State your identity. No unauthorized persons may enter the Imperial Palace.”
“…”
A crooked smile appeared on the man’s lips beneath the hood.
The pale skin under his nose starkly contrasted with his red lips.
“It’s been a while, but I’m hurt you don’t recognize me.”
The man’s cheerful tone made the guards glance at each other.
“But showing my handsome face to the likes of you feels like a waste.”
“…?”
The guards looked at him as if he were mad.
He shook his head and pulled something from inside his robe.
“This should more than prove my identity.”
The guards’ eyes widened.
It was an emblem of a giant white snake coiled around a golden staff.
It was unmistakable.
Aside from the national flag of Avalon, only three noble families used a serpent as their crest.
- A red snake wrapped around a sword and shield: the Portman Duchy.
- A large black snake around a white cross: the Gredrick Duchy.
- A giant white snake wrapped around a golden staff: the Cervantes Duchy.
“D-Duke Cervantes? Are you truly Duke Arthur Cervantes?”
“Now that you know, step aside. I need to get in.”
Arthur waved a hand dismissively as if shooing flies.
His golden bracelet clinked as he moved.
“Our apologies, Your Grace!”
The guards quickly bowed and opened the palace gate.
Once inside, Arthur closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Fresh air, carried by the wind, filled his lungs.
But he wasn’t just breathing—it was as if he were sensing the density of the most beautiful scent drifting through the air.
Suddenly, his golden eyes flashed sharply.
“…Found you.”
“Master, Arthur Cervantes is an extremely dangerous man. Why have you summoned him to the palace?”
One of Illeon’s subordinates asked with concern.
Illeon responded without taking his eyes off the scripture he was reading.
“To deal with a madman, it’s best to counter him with someone even madder.”
“Are you referring to Duke Calypso?”
Illeon smiled gently instead of answering.
His soft blue eyes sparkled beneath his narrowed lids.
“Who knows? It might not just be Duke Calypso—it might be two people.”
“…”
Illeon slid a white cross-shaped bookmark into the page he had been reading and spoke again.
“To succeed the throne, all three Dukes must agree. Since the last one refuses to leave his estate, summoning him here was an unavoidable choice.”
“Master… may I ask what you wrote in the letter to Duke Cervantes?”
As his subordinate expressed curiosity, Illeon thoughtfully stroked his chin.
“Do you know why a man obsessed with preserving beauty—someone who collects and preserves it like a trophy—avoided seeing the famously beautiful Celia Brillion?”
“No, I always found that odd as well.”
“It’s because he didn’t want reality to betray his expectations. He was afraid that if he saw her in person and she didn’t live up to the legend, he’d be disappointed.”
The subordinate shivered at Illeon’s words.
“So you’re saying Duke Cervantes did want to see her, but purposely avoided her because he feared disappointment if she wasn’t as beautiful as the rumors?”
“Correct.”
“…He really is mad.”
Illeon chuckled, clearly amused.
“I wrote: ‘I’ve seen her in person, and she won’t disappoint you. She’s in the palace, so come if you want. If not, stay in your estate.’ That’s what I sent.”
“…”
Illeon shifted his gaze to the palace scenery visible through the window.
“He might already be here. He’s a pervert, yes—but his reputation as a genius mage isn’t exaggerated.”
Every day, Dietrich made a point to visit the stables at the outskirts of the palace to personally feed and water the horses.
It was one of his daily routines.
Celia had tried to accompany him, but he insisted on going alone—saying the stables smelled and the whole thing wouldn’t take long anyway.
“If anything happens while I’m gone, use the dagger immediately.”
“…Okay.”
Only after Celia nodded did Dietrich leave the estate.
She couldn’t help but wonder if he was being overly protective.
This wasn’t the underground prison where she had once been locked up—this was Dietrich’s estate, and Anderson, his right-hand man, was present too.
Even with two Dukes roaming the palace, and the Crown Prince imprisoned in the tower, she thought nothing bad would happen.
Dietrich had only stepped out briefly. What could possibly go wrong?
Celia tucked the dagger into her clothing and shook off her worries.
To kill some time, she pulled a philosophy book from the shelf.
Just as she settled into a plush sofa and opened the book—
Knock, knock.
A sudden knocking sound echoed.
It hadn’t come from the door—but from the window.
“This is the third floor. No way someone’s knocking from the window, right?”
Thinking she misheard, Celia turned the page.
Rustle.
Just as she read the philosopher’s commentary on the first page—
Knock, knock.
Another knock.
This time, it came from the bookshelf.
Celia froze and looked toward the shelves.
But no one was there.
Narrowing her eyes, she tilted her head.
“What…?”
“Who’s there?”
She looked around cautiously, but the room was empty.
Just in case, she checked the bathroom attached to the room.
She peeked into the large tub—nothing.
Celia confirmed she was alone and was just about to step out—
Thud!
With a loud bang, the bathroom door slammed shut behind her.
