YPDM 16💔

Chapter 16

When Olavia had fallen into a deep sleep, the top floor of the main building of the Kravant Ducal Residence was brightly lit.

If anything, it was so lively that it almost felt as though the day had only just begun.

At the very center of that bustling scene was Lennox’s office.

“What about what I ordered?”

Although the subject of the question was omitted, Nishir answered without hesitation.

“There was nothing unusual.”

The information he had ordered had been almost perfectly collected and organized within barely half a day, and now lay neatly on the desk.

The man slowly flipped through the files, his expression relaxed.

“Her debutante was only a few months ago.”

“Yes. Apparently, it was quite late, so there were several unsavory rumors surrounding her. Of course, they died down completely after her debutante.”

“As expected.”

Lennox let out a cold scoff. He was well acquainted with the behavior of the central aristocrats, whose eyes grew bloodshot as they searched for someone to bite and tear apart.

“Actually, the unusual part concerns her sister. Apparently, she was adopted by the Viscount Brienne family last year.”

Lennox’s neatly formed brows drew together.

“You’re saying they took in a grown woman as their adopted daughter?”

“Yes. That’s why there were rumors for a while that she wasn’t actually an adopted daughter, but the viscount’s illegitimate child from before his marriage.”

“If that’s true, it’s a rather sordid story.”

Lennox clicked his tongue lightly.

“Is this all the information?”

“Yes. It seemed suspiciously ordinary, so I investigated every possible angle, but…”

“Then there shouldn’t be a problem.”

With a soft thud, he closed the file and leaned back diagonally in his chair.

The sight of him resembled a beast lazily resting after a hunt, creating an oddly decadent atmosphere.

‘Ordinary, huh…’

No. She was anything but.

A woman bold enough to abruptly propose a contractual marriage to a man she had known for only a few days.

She had even used every card at her disposal to make him an offer.

‘Olavia Brienne.’

At the very least, she had succeeded in engraving her name firmly into his mind.

‘I never thought I’d actually accept such an absurd proposal.’

And yet, in the end, he had accepted.

‘Once we get what we each want, our contract will be over.’

The moment he thought that perhaps it would be all right if their relationship had a predetermined end, he had already begun to waver.

Before he knew it, he found himself answering that he would do it.

It had been an impulsive decision.

Yet he had not regretted it even for a moment, nor did he wish to take it back.

‘It’s only temporary, anyway.’

After all, wasn’t she the one who had chosen him?

Then, in this endless prison sentence he had been serving, he had no choice but to gladly enjoy the sweet escape that had been offered to him for the first time.

Lennox’s eyes slowly closed and opened again.

His languidly lowered gaze glimmered with a new kind of interest.

“Nishir.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

A faint smile appeared at the lips of the man as mesmerizing as a perfect creation of God.

“Cancel all my schedules for the time being.”

Nishir looked slightly surprised, but soon lowered his head.

As a shadow, it was his principle never to question his master’s orders.

However, he could not help being stunned by the words that followed.

“I have to prepare to welcome my bride.”

“You seem to be in a particularly good mood today.”

[Do I? Maybe it’s because I got plenty of rest.]

Perhaps because he had slept like a log all night and had even slept until midday, Ash seemed quite energetic.

As he sat on the palm of my hand and tilted his head to one side, he asked,

[But Olavia, how did you even think of marrying the duke?]

I narrowed my eyes and asked him in return.

“Wasn’t it you who brought me that newspaper article so I could come up with the idea?”

[Me? Ah, no! I only brought it because I thought you’d find the news interesting!]

I quietly watched him desperately make excuses before resting my chin on my hand.

“Are you really saying that’s all there was to it?”

[Yes! Really!]

“You say that, but the timing of when you brought me the newspaper was awfully convenient.”

[No, it wasn’t!]

Ash shook his head up and down.

Then, this time, he hurriedly shook it from side to side.

The sight of his round, white head frantically bobbing about was so adorable that I couldn’t help but laugh.

His thoughts were written all over him, but perhaps I’d let him off this time.

“Okay, okay. I understand.”

I gently stroked him from the top of his head, down his back, and all the way to his little tail.

Soon, a contented expression appeared on his face, and the stiffness gradually left his body.

“But where did you get the newspaper article?”

Ash’s body, which had been happily stretched out and enjoying my touch, immediately stiffened again.

His eyes darted around, and even if someone had been looking at him upside down, his guilty expression would have been obvious.

[W-Well, somehow… by coincidence?]

His voice and his answer were both so suspiciously obvious, but I decided not to press him any further.

After all, thanks to the information Ash had brought me, I had found a way to survive.

“Thank you. I was worried about what I was going to do from now on, but thanks to you, I’ve solved that problem.”

I lowered the wrist that had been supporting my chin and lightly shook my hand.

The charm attached to my bracelet struck against it, producing a cheerful sound.

Ash’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as he pecked at the charm.

[It’s really amazing! So every charm on the bracelet contains power that protects you?]

“Yes. That’s what I was told.”

Looking at the bracelet Lennox had infused with his own energy, I recalled our conversation from last night.

‘Always wear the bracelet. The power contained within it will prevent evil spirits from approaching you for the time being.’

‘Will this bracelet really protect me?’

‘The evil spirits detect your location through Epyure’s energy. But once my energy covers the bracelet, they’ll believe that I’m with you.’

‘Huh? Then, if I just have this bracelet…’

‘Of course, it’s merely a deception and only a temporary measure.’

Just as my eyes had lit up at the new possibility, Lennox had immediately poured cold water on my excitement.

Of course.

‘But what if they realize the deception and attack me?’

‘The bracelet will block a few attacks. I’ll come to save you before all the charms break at the latest, so don’t worry.’

If I ever found myself in danger and the charms began to break, Lennox had said he would be able to sense it immediately.

At least we had prepared a minimal safety measure.

[But you know… Is it really okay to just trust him and wait like this?]

“Hm? What do you mean?”

[What if the duke changes his mind? What if he suddenly decides he doesn’t want to get married?]

“He won’t.”

Of course, I still didn’t know him very well. But at least he didn’t seem like the kind of man who would casually break a promise.

After thinking it over, I brushed myself off and stood up.

[Where are you going?]

“To the library.”

[Why?]

I gently rubbed the top of the bird’s head as he tilted it in confusion, then smiled.

“While Lennox is making his preparations, we have things to do too.”

The moment I opened the door, I sensed that the atmosphere in the viscount’s residence was different from usual.

Sure enough, when I walked toward the central staircase, I saw servants bustling about.

“Lady Olavia.”

Mary spotted me and quickly approached.

“Where are you going?”

“I thought I’d go to the library and read for a while.”

I had intended to slip away quietly without anyone noticing, but today, that plan had failed.

“But what’s going on? Everyone seems so busy.”

Outside the window, servants were unloading several heavy pieces of luggage from a cart.

“Ah, well…”

Mary looked troubled before hesitantly opening her mouth.

“Lady Carinne is returning after finishing her recuperation.”

‘Recuperation?’

Was Carinne unwell?

I searched through my memories of the original novel, but nothing in particular came to mind.

was told from Olavia’s perspective, and Carinne’s evil deeds did not begin to come to light until much later in the story.

‘So that’s why I haven’t seen Carinne all this time.’

How could I meet someone who wasn’t even in the residence?

“Where is my sister now?”

“She became unwell on the way here, so she’s staying overnight at a nearby lodging. She’ll arrive tomorrow. Only her luggage arrived today.”

After finishing her explanation, Mary cautiously asked,

“Shall I have some refreshments brought to the library for you?”

“No, it’s fine. You’re probably busy, so go take care of what you need to.”

“Yes, my lady.”

The moment Mary disappeared with quick little steps, Ash sent me a telepathic message.

—Olavia.

Telepathy was a method of communication in which thoughts were conveyed directly into someone’s mind instead of being spoken aloud.

Thanks to it, we could have secret conversations even when other people were around.

I remembered how surprised I had been the first time Ash used telepathy with me.

Of course, now I could communicate with him through my thoughts as well.

—You and Carinne don’t get along, do you? Even Mary seems to know about it.

—You noticed that too?

—She was careful whenever she talked about Carinne with you. She kept checking your expression.

Just as I suspected.

I slowly bit down on my lip.

‘What in the world actually matches the original story…?’

In , the sisters had a good relationship until Carinne’s evil deeds were exposed.

More precisely, Olavia had simply been completely deceived by Carinne.

‘That’s why, when it was revealed that Carinne was the hidden villain, I was so betrayed that I trembled with rage.’

And that was only the beginning.

The true shock and horror of the reversal were still to come.

In any case, until around the middle of the novel, Olavia relied on Carinne as both an older sister and an ally.

‘But at this point in time, our relationship is already strained. To the extent that even the servants know about it.’

I couldn’t predict how the story would unfold anymore.

At this point, it was fair to say that this was an entirely different story set in the same world.

‘Then why is the one thing that matters most still exactly the same?!’