Chapter 25

“…. Pardon?”

“I don’t think we have any reason to stay engaged anymore.”

Thinking about it, it should be like that.

She had already mentioned him how he should deal with the monsters. The gap between should be filled through Lia’s request.

“Now you can deal with monsters without the support of the Imperial Knights.”

The fact that the Imperial Knights were not needed was like not having to look at the emperor.

Knowing that, she was sure that he had scratched Yzhar’s pride.

There was a look of embarrassment on Verndia’s face, which had been stabbed in the face.

He groaned in an unanswered way, and then responded bluntly.

“I never know if your method will work until I try. I should have assurance at least.”

“… Alright.”

Half-moon-like eyebrows drooped.

Psychke was visibly disappointed. Seeing her like that, Verndia felt his heart burn with his own nervousness.

‘I’m going crazy.’

As a result of the calculations based on the previous events, Verndia vaguely realized that Psychke was about to sever her ties with Silkisia and disappear somewhere as soon as she broke her engagement with him.

If that was the case, he wouldn’t even tell him where she would settle.

“Then, would everything be okay if the monsters decreased to the amount of controllable?”

“… .”

He was utterly bewildered and looked at his fiancée, who wasn’t stopping and is still persuading him.

Even just a week ago, she was crazily chasing at him and in an instant, their relationship turned the opposite way.

How did it come to be like this?

“Duke?”

“… That’s when we have to talk and consider.”

His mouth felt sore and bitter, but as if he has any other choice about it.

She couldn’t afford to delay the monsters’ treatment simply because of her circumstances. So she had to convince him even before that.

While they were talking, the carriage had arrived at Lestir.

Verndia caught Psychke, who was trembling with vertigo while trying to get out first.

“Don’t be stubborn and stay here until your body gets better. With that body, it will be difficult to find a place to stay.”

“……Then, I will be indebted to you for a few days.”

When he was insistent, she can’t just neglect it.

Besides, it would be better if she were to rely on him than to froze somewhere who knows where alone, being vulnerable outside.

Verndia, who got off the carriage, held out a hand.

The strangely friendly escort was awkward, and Psychke crouched slightly to win the favor.

And at that action, Verndia hardened his face again.

This isn’t really a perfect time to figure how can he persuade her to postpone their breakup. And that, he got a very extravagant idea.

So as to not make thing more uncomfortable between them. He can simply let her stay in his mansion for as long as possible.

She had to change her mind first.

***

Around that time, the head of Silkisia wasn’t in a good mood.

“Everything is useless!”

Bang! The ink bottle lying on his desk slammed against the door, making a loud noise, as it shattered. Expensive carpets on the floor were mottled and messed up with the thrown black ink.

“Verndia, Verndia!”

The sound of breathing was harsh. The Duke was furious with the thought of chewing on the bones of his opponents.

A few hours ago.

He hurried to Psychke’s room after hearing Yzhar’s report that Verndia had ruined everything. And he met the two people; the man and the woman, beside each other.

‘Duke, I’ll take the princess.’

It was unpleasant for him to hear it from someone the same as the kid with no definite foundation in the past, and he kept his stiff neck like that.

However, because of the sense of intimidation he felt, he did nothing more than refute it with words, rather than pulling out the sword of the soldier who was beside him.

‘This is outright kidnapping!’

‘It’s not kidnapping. Princess, am I taking you by force?’

‘No. I want to go out.’

“How dare you, without even knowing the subject!”

Bang!

Unable to win the fight, he smashed the desk violently.

He has been doing what he has been hoping for. He even accepted her as the Silkisia’s princess!

(TN: You reap what you sow~)

Things were going very strangely.

As expected, at the party to celebrate Lillian’s return, Psychke had not be gratitude.

She had been shed tears, full of emotions, saying that even though the real princess, she wasn’t driven or kicked out, as a lowly person, just like that emotion should have been on her face!

But she didn’t.

She was ominous.

But he felt that she was not shy, or that he needed some time to get back to her former self.

It wasn’t.

That was my last chance to hold Psychke easily. Unfortunately, he didn’t know her that time.

Bang!

Once again the peacock struck the desk with his fist.

The papers on the desk trembled. A crystal vase of yellow freesias swayed precariously from his force as if toppling over.

He stared at the vase with scorching eyes, and hurriedly sat down on a chair as he thought of something.

Then he took out a blank piece of paper, folded it three times horizontally and twice vertically, unfolded it, and bit his fingertips, bleeding.

He smeared blood at the intersection of the two lines, then folded it again twice horizontally and four times vertically.

He made a secret note to be sent to the imperial family, pulled the string, and called the employee. And he ordered him to bring it to Yzhar.

Soon, the eldest son in neat clothes came.

“You searched for me, Your excellency”

“Give this and go.”

Yzhar knew what his father was offering.

At the same time, he did not know.

He knew that he had to pass this to a certain member of the imperial court in discreet, but he didn’t know what would occur once he delivered this note.

But, as always, he faithfully followed his father’s instructions.

“All right.”

On the surface.

He has never been a son where he thought that his father was doing was right.

He was perplexed, not knowing why his father was so concerned with Psychke.

Already, he had a feeling of inferiority to her, who was superior to him, and hid father showed great interest in that mere adopted child, so his observation is twisted.

Yzhar, who took the note, bowed his back deeply. There was a gloom inside the black ink that his father’s intentions.

The duke, who did not see it, sent his son away without a doubt.

***

“That… Duke, I am speaking to you as an old man.”

Isolet, who had been looking at Verndia with meaningfully, carefully plucked his luck today.

“You didn’t really become that kind of relationship with the princess, did you?”

“What?”

As he changed into his casual clothes, and his hands stopped unraveling his cravat.

At his absurd remark, Verndia raised an eyebrow.

“What the heck are you blabbering about?”

“… ”

Isolet was silent. Because he honestly couldn’t say, ‘Look at you getting fired up.’

He sneaks out late at night and enjoys a walk until dawn.

He goes out dressed up, saying he needs to go out for work.

Those alone made him stunned, and he even let her stay here in his mansion for some reason.

Well, whether the master was in love or not, it had nothing to do with him.

Verndia falling in love.

Like water and oil, it’s a really inconsistent combination, but he’s a human too, so he thought he’d fall in love for some time, not so soon.

However, he never imagined that the person in his dreams would be Princess Silkisia.

“Was I a leisure man?”

As if reading the thought that flashed on his ace, Verndia shot him up.

He’s not the type to hide if he was dating someone. Isolet asked without hiding his doubts.

“Then why are you close to the princess? She said she was going to break up with you soon.”

“… Uhm.”

(TN: Because I love her, should be your answer, change it, Verndia, change it!)

Instead of affirming his words, Verndia closed his mouth and sighed deeply.

Isolet’s eyes narrowed, noticing something about his in his agonizing behavior.

“Don’t tell me that it’s two-sided but a one-sided-“

“… .”

“- There is no way that it can be two-sided. Yes, that’s can’t be possible.”

Isolet quickly changed his words at his ferocious gaze as if he was going to eat him right away.

Even so, his squinted eyes did not turn back, because an absurd assumption remained in his mind that the master seemed to be in unrequited love.

“It was a bit of a pain in the butt.”

Verndia murmured in her low, gentle voice.

‘She didn’t seem to know anything.’

Had she known the truth, she wouldn’t have considered Silkisia and her people as her family.

Because she is no different than an enemy.

‘But, Lia’s behavior in the office.’

Now that he knew everything, he could guess what kind of conversation Psychke and Lia had.

Perhaps it was related to Silkisia’s unique ability.

‘Is there any reason why someone who doesn’t know the truth hides and fears so much?’

When she says he’s nothing then he’s nothing for her.

The fear he felt through the ring. His pale white face was still clear.

He don’t know how it happened, but thanks to that, he was able to get the princess out of the Silkisia’s mansion.

‘Then why did the Duke of Silkisia tried to imprison his daughter?’

She’s not even a small child, and just because she barely stayed out, why would he have to mobilize an adult to enlist and imprison her?

It was strange.

The Duke of Silkisia was a staunch opportunist. He was also known for never doing things that were not profitable.

‘I think there is something fishy.’

Everything was questionable.

Verndia wandered around his room, deep in his own thought.

But she soon had to wake up to a voice calling her,

“I think I told you not to disturb me while I was thinking.”

When he shot him wildly, Isolet, who called him, protested, saying it was unfair.

“The doctor called by the Duke has been waiting for you for 30 minutes.”

Oh, has it already been that time? Verndia stopped walking. Though Psychke said she would leave as soon as she got better.

He held on to something else, but he wasn’t bad enough to let sick person alone and unattended.

‘What am I holding on to ..?’

He tapped his chin in a brief thought, then opened his mouth at once.

“What do women like?”

“…..Yes?”

Isolet froze at his questions.

Verndia, who couldn’t see his butler’s expression as he looked down at a distance, asked seriously,

“Is there anything noble girls would like?”

“Don’t tell me you’re going to give gifts to the princess…”

“That’s right.”

Isolet was silently astonished that his guess was correct.