CH 56

Luana was standing still, looking strange, so the duke, who had not yet left, approached her.

“Is there any problem?”

“What? No. There’s n, no problem, none?”

Yes, there is a problem, and it’s a big one. In fact, Miria is a fictional character, and it was Luana who won the prize. In other words, he could not find someone he would love in the future. Even now, she had to reveal her identity as soon as possible and snatch the second place winner’s opportunity. She stamped her feet and asked the duke.

“May I speak with you for a moment?”

“Doesn’t matter, just tell me.”

“Not here, but somewhere else!”

She couldn’t reveal her identity here. So when she said it with a rather loud voice, the duke nodded as if he knew and went inside. Luana, who followed him in, stopped as soon as there was no one to see them.

“Sir Legion!”

“Yes.”

“Actually, I’m not Miria!”

Luana cried out in her loud voice and closed her eyes tightly. She tricked the duke; how would he react? When she thought about it, she couldn’t easily open her eyes. He held a competition to break the curse, but she couldn’t believe she herself was the winner. The duke must have been greatly disappointed and didn’t even know if he would be angry.

“I knew that.”

But an unexpected answer came back. When she opened her eyes in confusion and looked at the duke, he said again in a calm voice.

“I knew there was no woman named Miria. And I’ve eaten your dish a lot; how can I not recognize the taste?”

“Then, why did you choose me?”

“Because the food was delicious.”

“No, I know!”

Luana bit her lip, let it go, and confessed the truth.

“I’m Luana!”

“I know.”

“What?”

She spoke as she looked at the duke with a blank expression.

“You always have a raven attached to you, so there’s no way I don’t know.”

“No, I mean. If it’s a raven, you mean those people who watch hidden with a black cloak, right?”

“That’s right.”

Luana felt like head spinning. Until now, the duke had attached a person to her all along, so he knew his identity. She hid and ran here and there with the thought the duke didn’t know anything. Her palace face began to burn.

She already said she wouldn’t run away anymore, but he still made someone watch her. Even though he knew, he pretended not to know and just watched her. Luana felt angry.

Luana was barely holding back from wanting to throw her bouquets away. Let’s think rationally. She tried to calm her mind, but it was not easy.

“Since when did you put the raven?”

“Since you came back to the mansion.”

As expected, she can’t hold it back. Luana threw the bouquets in her hands at the duke. The duke, who had taken it all by surprise, looked perplexed.

“I said I won’t run away anymore, didn’t I? How could you put someone to watch me?”

“Then how can I trust someone who had once run away?”

“Why don’t you believe me? I ran away in the first place because I thought there was a way to break your curse!”

As soon as she shouted that, the duke bit his mouth instantly.

“You said you went to find a way to break my curse?”

“Yes! And I was locked up in the dungeon in the first place; you think I won’t run away if you treated me that way?!”

“That… I’m sorry.”

“You think it’s enough that now you said sorry?”

“I’m really sorry.”

His calm voice brought her back to her senses. Right in front of her, the duke holding the bouquets was looking at Luana with a troubled look. However, the figure was so pretty that she couldn’t help but smile faintly.

‘What, why do you look pretty in this situation?’

Even though she was annoyed, she could feel her anger dissipating. That’s why it’s difficult to fight someone handsome.

“Get rid of the watchman now.”

“I don’t like that thought.”

“Well, I don’t like it either, though?”

“But I can’t do that..”

“If you don’t want, what if I’m running away now?”

“Still-“

“No.”

Luana insisted firmly with her hands on her waist. The duke sighed and looked down at the bouquets in his arms. He then finally came up with an answer.

“Then I’ll stop the raven. Instead, don’t go somewhere out of my sight.”

“Do you think that makes sense?”

“Otherwise, I won’t take away the raven.”

“You’re so stubborn!”

“That would be you.”

The duke responded with a grumpy look. The two stood facing each other for a long time. Luana stepped down first. She doesn’t know why she feels so weak just looking at the duke’s face when she shouldn’t give way like this.

“Then put them on watch only when I go somewhere else.”

She thought she could put it up that way. The duke nodded as if he understood. He smiled brightly, and he looked pretty but annoying. Luana just wanted to pinch that smooth cheeks and twist them.

“If only you were a little less pretty!”

The duke seemed to have heard the mumbled words of injustice.

“What do you mean by ‘pretty’?”

“Who could it be?”

“Are you talking about me?”

Luana pouted her lips but did not answer. But the duke seemed to have interpreted it on his own. Suddenly he laughed out loud and looked happy. It was the first time she had heard it in her life, but somehow she didn’t feel bad. In excitement, he clutched the bouquets Luana had thrown to him.

And at that moment, Luana remembered. The fact that Rio needs to be caught quickly.

“Right! Leo! Let’s go get her!”

“Why?”

“I took first place, but you don’t love me! So we have to catch Rio with even the slightest potential!”

“I don’t want to do that.”

“Don’t you want to break the curse?”

Luana tugged at the duke’s arm. She meant to go fast, but he just walked slowly like a turtle.

“Argh! Why are you so slow?”

“There are too many bouquets.”

“Why don’t you throw it away?”

“How can I throw away bouquets of flowers given out of sincerity?”

The person who received the bouquet is Luana, not the duke. She suddenly couldn’t figure out why he was doing that. She should run alone. Thinking so, she gave strength to her legs, and the duke caught Luana this time.

“Let’s go together.”

“Now is not the time!”

“I know all the identities of the participants. I can contact her later if you want. So you can go slow.”

“You should’ve said that earlier.”

Luana slowed down her steps with a sulky look.

“I hate you so much.”

But all that came back was the duke’s bright smile. The two walked slowly down the quiet hallway. It was still noisy outside, and it was a beautiful day. It was a peaceful afternoon.

***

Ingrid walked around the room nervously. Finally, the last day of the cooking contest has passed. She doesn’t know when there will be an opportunity like this next time. Nevertheless, there was no news throughout the cooking competition.

‘We were supposed to meet.’

She tried to move as much as she could, but the person who decided to contact her didn’t show up.

‘It can’t be like this.’

Ingrid covered her face in despair. As much as she waited, she had great hope; as much as it was broken, so was her despair. She wanted to cry out loud. But if she did, the emperor would suspect her.

‘What should I do?’

She stood still and took a deep breath when something knocked on the window. The sound was so small that, at first glance, it sounded like the sound of the wind. Ingrid lowered her hands and slowly approached the window. There was a small note between the slightly opened windows.

With the note in her hands, Ingrid sighed again. This time it was a sigh of relief. She finally made contact with the people of the kingdom. They are a group of people who have barely survived the fallen kingdom or traitors from the empire’s point of view.

Finally, the foundation for escape has been laid.

“It is time to return to the Imperial Palace, Miss Ingrid.”

“Okay. But before that, I want to meet my sister.”

“I think I’ll be fine for a while.”

The maid checked the time and said, And not long after, Luana came to Ingrid’s room.

“Sister!”

Smiling warmly, Ingrid opened her arms toward her younger sister, who approached her. She hugs Luana’s small body, and she feels sad. Did Luana also live in this loneliness in the past? Although the reality was different, she had no choice but to think so because she could not know about her past.

“How have you been?”

“I’ve been well. How about you?”

“I’ve been well, too.”

Now, even without saying a word, her heart was at peace. Is this the power of the bloodline? Ingrid smiled faintly. Then she whispered to Luana, who hugged her tightly.

“If there is a way to get out of here, would you follow me?”

At the words, Luana looked up at her with her eyes widened.

“Are you going to leave?”

“The opportunity will come soon.”

Her younger sister, Luana, may betray her, but she still wants to believe her. So Ingrid opened up the truth.

“I can’t go.”

“Why?”

“I said I’d stay with the duke.”

“It’s all just empty promises. If he has someone he loves, then what?”

“After that, I might leave. But now is not the time, isn’t it?”

“Luana.”

Ingrid looked sad. She had thoughts Luana seemed to be deceived by the duke. It was nothing more than a feat to deceive a soft-hearted child and pamper her by keeping her on his own and making her cook for him. After all, if she is later abandoned, only Luana would get hurt.

“I’ll save you somehow.”

“I’m really fine.”

Ingrid hugged her sister, who was smaller than her and vowed.

TL/N: Hello, two updates today since yesterday I had overtime :’) Anyway, thank you to a reader who just donated two ko-fi(s) today!