TVWD 72

Chapter 72.

I had only been briefly introduced to Til in passing before.

“Roah called him Ti, didn’t she?”

He was Rosia’s personal secretary—dry, straw-colored hair and green eyes, the kind of face you could see anywhere, yet he carried an unusual aura that left an impression.

That distinct aura he had was undoubtedly holy power.

It was faint and carefully restrained, so an ordinary person would never notice. But Lexian recognized it immediately.

Rosia must have judged his character herself, and holy power, in itself, benefitted humans, so Lexian had no reason to remark on it. Still, the memory remained.

For someone like that to send him a letter—what business could it be?

Lexian’s hand moved swiftly as he opened it.

To His Grace, Duke Lixianthus.

I apologize for the audacity of writing to you, but I have a request.

Lady Rosia will soon be visiting the Dark Forest. Mercenaries will handle her escort, and while I will find reliable ones, I am still concerned for her safety. Please send at least four trustworthy people to guard her.

I am aware of the disrespect in contacting Your Grace as merely the lady’s secretary, yet I trust you will forgive me.

And I trust you will not stop the lady, but send protection, instead.

Not because I rely on Your Grace’s character, but because this is the price for keeping secret the fact that you placed guards around Lady Rosia without her knowledge.

I will send word again once the schedule is set.

His handwriting was neat and textbook-perfect, but the content was anything but.

“What a ridiculous attempt at blackmail.”

Lexian couldn’t even laugh.

If it were something related to Rosia, of course he would step up without hesitation.

Thinking again, since the man didn’t know Lexian was prepared to do anything for Rosia, silencing him was only natural.

“Not stopping her, but sending guards…”

No—the point of the letter was not to prevent Rosia from going to the Dark Forest, but to help her carry out her will.

The talk of secrets was simply leverage.

Lexian let out a long sigh as he reviewed recent events in his mind.

Come to think of it—when the Ikell Count family offered part of their lands in apology, Rosia had specifically requested the barren Sten region. People had praised her for being generous, thinking she was considering the count’s circumstances.

Who would’ve thought she had another motive?

Lexian gave a bitter smile.

“You always exceed expectations. I told you to tell me when you intended something dangerous, and of course you didn’t—but I expected that much.”

That was why he had secretly stationed guards to protect her.

After rereading the letter multiple times, he burned it and leaned back in his chair.

Why had her secretary written to him, and not the Tower Master?

“So, she and the Tower Master aren’t… close.”

A loveless relationship, then.

Relieved that Rosia did not genuinely love the Tower Master, Lexian’s worry deepened.

If even a speck of information related to Rosia surfaced, she could be in danger. He couldn’t simply reveal what he knew about the illegal organizations.

He would need to move faster—and more discreetly.

“The gambling halls in and near the capital yielded nothing. Is the Tower Master threatening her?”

Lexian looked through the reports again.

He wanted to ask Rosia what leverage the Tower Master had on her, but she would never answer. She might even be under a spell that prevented her from speaking.

So the fastest solution was to kill the Tower Master?

“No. I’m thinking too wildly.”

Too many major incidents had occurred in a short period— the hunting festival attack, the illegal gambling case, the Crown Princess selection.

And to top it off, Merina Ikell—sister of the Empress—had joined the Crown Princess competition.

“So the Crown Prince insisted on bringing that woman forward.”

Lexian suspected the Crown Prince had pushed Merina into the selection process.

He had seemed rational recently, but apparently that was only temporary. Lexian sighed.

The Emperor always wanted a powerful political match for the Crown Prince, so in the end, he wouldn’t choose the Ikell family.

Even if another woman became Crown Princess, if the Crown Prince could not abandon Merina, the Empire would never see peace.

“…Haa.”

After rubbing his face dryly, he finally responded to the invitation letter he’d been putting off.

It was from Rosia.

The second week of the Crown Princess selection.

Many nobles remained in the capital, and the second test had just ended.

The first stage consisted of etiquette, dance, imperial history, musical performance, and finally a personal talent presentation. It was grueling, with the weekend being the only break for the candidates.

To the spectators, however, it was the perfect time to gather and openly judge them.

“That one needs something brighter. Yes, pale yellow flowers. They’ll make our family’s crest stand out more.”

Ted said traveling through the Dark Forest to reach Delphi would take time to gather necessary items.

And I still needed another golden apple, so I couldn’t head there immediately anyway.

“I think more fresh flowers would be better.”

“There seem to be extra flowers at two shops. Shall I order them, my lady?”

“Yes. And choose small, delicate flowers.”

“Of course, my lady.”

The head maid bowed.

Since I wasn’t leaving the capital yet, I decided to take advantage of the free time and host a ball.

This social season had been so chaotic that I hadn’t been able to host many events, and it bothered me. Though other dramatic events had overshadowed the need for balls, having only hosted one medium-sized party still felt lacking.

Gentlemen, ladies, madams of all ages, and candidates who were sure to pass the first round—those were the guests.

People would marvel that everyone who passed had attended my party.

They’d praise my discerning eye.

Pony was progressing smoothly, and Merina had supposedly behaved impeccably as a noble lady too.

After a month of enforced seclusion, rumors had calmed down, and people were beginning to find new charm in Merina.

The heroine always pulls everything to her side—it wasn’t surprising, but it did sting a bit.

“Like a scale always trying to balance.”

I worked so hard to paint Merina as rude and ill-mannered, only for her shackles to fall off far sooner than expected.

When gossip clung to me, it dragged on for months with every insult imaginable, but Merina gets forgiven with this little?

“What crime did I commit…”

“My lady’s only crime is being too beautiful!”

“Cassie?”

When did she appear?

“I called you several times, my lady. You were deep in thought. Were you choosing a dress for the ball?”

“Huh?”

“If you’re planning to hide your beauty, then I object!”

What sort of misunderstanding was this?

“You are like an angel descended from heaven! Of course you’re popular—that’s not a crime, my lady. Hiding your beauty would be!”

…She heard me talking to myself.

“So, shall we prepare the white dress and the ruby jewelry set you ordered?”

Cassie’s eyes sparkled with determination, ready to polish me until I shone.

For a moment, I wondered if confessing I was lamenting being a villainess in a novel would be easier.

“My lady, you’re agreeing, right? Right?”

Cassie—who tried to stay by my family’s side even when we were accused of treason, who cried watching me burned at the stake.

“…Yes, Cassie. I’ll leave my appearance entirely to you.”

For you, who stayed with me through everything—whatever you ask, how could I refuse?

“Yay! Then I’ll start preparing for the ball the day after tomorrow! Everyone, the lady approved!”

…Seeing her marching off with that much energy, I felt a brief pang of regret.