CH 121

I couldn’t figure out why this cat, who was supposed to be with Sven, was lying on the bed next to me. If I was just guessing…

“I’m too busy taking care of myself right now. When I feel a little lonely and can attach affection to someone, I’ll come.”

Indeed, as expected from the incarnation of the devil, teleportation was no big deal. From the moment I arrived at the baron’s house, he was scrambling next to me.

“Hm.”

I muttered while petting the cat’s black fur.

“You’re asking me to pet you, right?”

“Nyaaaaa.”

“Could I really be born with the qualities of a great warlock?”

“Nyaaa.”

“So, you want to take me as your master?”

“Nya…”

“You still can’t talk? Are you lacking in strength like you said back then?”

“Nya, nya.”

Neo nodded and took a deep breath.

To be honest, from now on, I was left with nothing but to get bored. It was because it was better not to leave the baron’s house at all in order for me to be treated as missing.

Of course, I had saved a lot of money for this day. I could eat delicious food at every meal, and there were already many books of all kinds. In addition, the baron’s house was also decorated as a spacious and antique mansion so that it would not feel too stuffy.

In particular, my room was decorated with all sorts of luxurious things, and I hung a picture that Redian had drawn before.

The servants of the baron’s house were made up of people from the Bestian Dark Guild, especially those with tight lips. Still, they were told that Kyle’s sister, Audrey Marie Ravonis, was staying and they were told not to enter the second floor during the day as Audrey was extremely averse to strangers.

Furthermore, they were even told to clean the second floor only when night fell as Audrey stayed in the bedroom on the third floor. That meant I wouldn’t be running into the servants here.

…This level of thoroughness was a must to escape from the eyes of the villain.

“If it weren’t for you, I would have been bored and lonely… Thank you.”

I hugged Neo and spoke resolutely.

“Yes, I’m bored, so I should learn black magic as a hobby. Whether we turn back time or not, let’s live as the world’s strongest!”

“…Nyaa.”

“Isn’t it cool? Even if you are the incarnation of the devil, I will be the most powerful person in this world and will love you a lot.”

Originally, I was planning to reappear in the world when Evan and Elanie divorced.

But now, I just have to wait vaguely for the time to go back, so there was no promise of how long I should be locked up. That was why I decided to learn black magic to kill time because Sven mentioned that I had the qualities of a great warlock.

“You never know.”

I thought while lying down with Neo.

“If black magic had the ability to change your appearance, I might be able to move very freely.”

So a few days later, when Serena secretly arrived, I said casually.

“Serena, get some books on black magic. Like you said, at least test me to see if I really have the qualities of a great warlock.”

“Yes, Sven will like it. Even so, He is very depressed because Neo went to Miss Laria. By the way…”

Serena rolled her eyes and continued anxiously.

“…The movement in the Icard family is unusual, Miss Laria.”

“What kind of movement?”

“First of all, Duke Icard didn’t announce that Miss Laria was missing.”

“…Really? Then?”

“There were rumors that she was living in confinement at the Duke’s house because she was very ill.”

It was an unexpected situation.

‘I thought they’d deal with me missing right away.’

I thought with a serious expression.

‘…Why?’

I was more surprised because I thought I had everything set up well.

“Moreover, there is a movement that is frantically looking for me and Miss Laria… I don’t know who’s behind it though perhaps it’s Duke Icard? What if I get caught?”

I hugged Neo tightly.

‘They didn’t announce that I’m missing, but were looking for me behind the scenes…’

It was the worst situation I had ever imagined. They were trying to secretly find and kill me, fearing that I would appear at the crucial moment. If I didn’t die in time, killing me was the best way.

‘Rather than leaving an uncertain variable, they would want to kill me for sure so that there are no loose ends…’

It was also the reason why I worked so hard to hide from the beginning.

Still, I had sorted out the difficult situation, so I thought it would just end peacefully after I wrote that letter and left. Nonetheless, that didn’t seem to work… were they going to try to kill me somehow by combining all my offenses of the past?

“We won’t get caught, don’t worry.”

Still, I uttered it calmly.

“Because I didn’t prepare poorly enough to be found out.”

In the first place, I, no one else, had prepared it so I was confident. Even if Duke Icard were the villain, we would never be found out. Even so, he would have trailed an insubstantial lower noble. However, in Kyle’s case, there were too many people who believed they had actually seen him.

By the way…

“Neo? Where are you going?”

Neo, who got out of my arms, ran to the corner and took something. It was a worn-out note that I didn’t even know was right here.

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[ You are not the only one who has been hiding your true heart. Keep your mind open to the possibility of defeat. ]

“No, why is this here?”

Come to think of it, it seemed that I had brought the handbag I had used at the masquerade ball the last time I met Marcel here.

“Nya.”

Just like that time, I crumpled up that unfortunate fortune-telling note and stuck it anywhere.

* * *

Seymour was sighing in the baron’s mansion in the Capital.

After learning that Princess Elanie wanted to enact laws legislating divorce, he fully supported her because he thought, just in case, really, if Laria wanted to divorce Evan, she had to have institutional support. He wanted to increase even the slightest possibility of a connection with her.

He was going to confess at that time when Laria ever said that she would divorce while saying, ‘Actually, I was in debt when I was young, and I was forced to marry.

Still, was he really crazy?

To confess at the worst timing at the most ridiculous atmosphere…

At that banquet, why did he pressure her? It was an unexpected and impulsive confession. Seymour naturally knew that she had no heart for him. It was maddening for him to confess to someone who still had a husband and who hadn’t expressed the slightest crush on him.

…He did that crazy thing himself. It was an impulsive thing that he couldn’t explain.

“Crazy, Seymour Litshua…”

Shaking his head, he muttered several times with narrow eyes.

Would he be able to see Laria’s face now…

When he said he liked her, Laria’s expression was almost astonished… Now, she would never be his business partner again. Even worse, he couldn’t even finish his words as Laria suddenly shouted at Duke Icard not to drink something, and after that, it was more chaotic.

In addition, Laria’s whereabouts became mysterious after that.

Duke Icard stated that her illness had become so serious that she was immobilized in the Duke’s residence. It’d been quite a while already, and he started to worry about her after everything that had happened.

“Baron.”

“Why.”

“The Princess has arrived.”

“…Princess Elanie?”

It was the first time Elanie had come to the Baron’s residence in person to find Seymour. It was because, of course, the precious Princess would call him by sending her subordinates only when she needed money.

Seymour, roughly dressed, went out to the parlor to see her, who dressed even more extravagantly than at the banquet. She was sitting there with a serious expression.

“I greet Princess Elanie, the beautiful star of the empire.”

Seymour gave a rough bow and sat down in front of her.

She would say she needed more money… Still, he couldn’t even afford to hear that now. Thinking that he should only listen to her business and let her go, he asked Elanie insincerely.

“What is…”

“I was on my way back.”

“Yes?”

“I was on my way back from Duke Icard’s residence. I said I wanted to visit Laria.”

“Ah.”

Seymour quickly corrected himself. If it was about Laria, he had to listen intently.

“However, I was rejected right away. She was not in a situation to meet someone.”

“…Is she really in critical condition?”

He could feel his heart sink as he barely asked.

“I don’t know. I didn’t see her.”

Elanie crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

“…But, it is strange.”

“Yes?”

“If you refuse a visit from the Imperial Family, it’s polite to send at least a short handwritten apology if you’re not going to show your face.”

“Yes. I didn’t know that it was a courtesy to write an apology letter when the Imperial Family came to visit you, even if you felt sick.”

“Yes. Don’t worry about it because it’s not a courtesy that a cash cow like you should know. No matter how sick you are, there’s no way I’ll go visit you.”

Elanie lightly ignored his words. Seymour’s occasional cheeky remarks didn’t bother her. It was because she thought that such a pretty thing would make money after all. Still, if it had manners, it would be an imaginary animal.

“It’s not really that Laria is in critical condition, it’s that they want to hide something… because the doctors aren’t coming and going.”

Apparently, at the banquet, Kallaudin said to call all the doctors on the continent, yet there was no movement from Duchy Icard.

“…Is she locked up?”

Elanie frowned and murmured softly.