CH 121

The formal dinner was surprisingly enjoyable.

This is because the Grand Duke was quite a pleasant person.

Besides, there was nothing uncomfortable about the situation in which the Grand Duchess was also coming out to me.

So, I drank up to a glass of champagne with a good spirit.

“Come to think of it.”

I put down my champagne glass and said.

“Why did the Grand Duchess and my husband come together earlier?”

This is a question I asked because it felt a bit strange that the Grand Duchess and Sylvester came together while I was shoveling at the beach.

“I was worried because you didn’t come, so I went to you.”

He continued to speak. Pointing to the Grand Duchess.

“The Grand Duchess was the one who the most worried.” 

“Grand Duchess?” 

I was surprised and asked back.

Because I didn’t think that the Grand Duchess would worry about me.

“Ekhem.” 

The Grand Duchess spat out a small cough as if embarrassed.

Then, she said with an effortless attitude.

“It’s worth worrying about. You’ve been through some bad things lately.”

Recently?

I tilted my head.

“I’m talking about the forest of monster.” 

Ah, now I understand.

So, you were worried about me reflecting on what you did back then, right?

Seeing this, I thought that the Grand Duchess was a bit cute. That’s a story that’s already over, but I get poked by it—.

I smiled and shook my head.

“It’s already been a long time.”

I looked directly at the Grand Duchess and said.

“I forgot everything.”

The face of the Grand Duchess turned bright. I smiled and pulled my chin.

“Of course, I didn’t forget the Countess’ actions.”

As soon as I mentioned Fleur, the face of the Grand Duchess, who had turned bright, hardened.

“Y, yeah. That’s understandable.”

Then she slowly avoids my gaze.

As expected, it seems that she feels guilty about the previous involvement with Fleur before.

I smiled and pulled the glass of champagne.

And slowly opened my mouth.

“Not long ago, the Countess sent me a tea as a gift.”

“Did you drink it?!”

The Grand Duchess jumped up and shouted.

Why are you doing this?

I tilted my head.

“I didn’t drink it.”

Even before my words were over, the Grand Duchess breathed out relief.

Haaa, it was so long that it reached me.

That’s why I wondered.

What’s wrong with her?

I narrowed my eyes.

“Why are you breathing in relief?”

“Huh?”

The Grand Duchess shook her head with a bewildered look on her face.

“I, it’s nothing.” 

I narrowed my forehead.

“I think there’s something. Tell me. What’s going on?”

The Grand Duchess bit her lips and rolled her eyes.

She repeatedly opened and closed her mouth. She seemed to be thinking about whether to talk or not. 

“Tell me. I’ll keep it to myself.”

“That’s…”

The Grand Duchess took a deep breath. Then she lowered her body and said in a low voice.

“It was a long time ago, before you and I got close. I want to make sure of this.”

“Yes, please tell me.”

“At that time, the Countess asked me to get her a drug.”

“Drug?”

I narrowed my forehead even more.

“Are you saying that you were trying to kill me or something? But when I fed them to the birds, there were no problems.”

Didn’t Irene say that back then? She said she test it to see if it was poisonous or not.

But it wasn’t poisonous, so she gave it to me—.

What does this mean?

I listened to the Grand Duchess’ next words.

“If it was such a drug, you would have noticed. It’s not like that.”

“Then?” 

Gulps.

The Grand Duchess’s throat twitched.

“She asked me to bring me the birth control pill.”

“…What?” 

“A drug like that… if you take it in large doses, you end up not getting pregnant.”

I hardened as it is. The same was true of Sylvester, who was enjoying listening next to me.

We both stiffened blankly with our glasses up, and the Grand Duchess looked at us with an embarrassing look on her face.

It was Sylvester who came to his senses first.

“Now.”

Sylvester spoke in a more terrifying voice than ever.

“Are you saying that the Countess gave that drug to my wife?”

“No, no! I’m not sure about that.”

The Grand Duchess hurriedly waved her hand and said.

“What I want to say is that the Countess took such a drug from me. That’s why I’m talking just in case.”

No.

That’s for certain.

I’m sure Fleur mixed the medicine into the tea and sent it to me.

What kind of crazy person is this?

I opened my mouth wide in disbelief.

“It’s a crime.”

At this time, Sylvester said.

“As soon as I get home, I’ll ask to analyze the composition of the tea. And if there’s even a little bit of that drug in there—!”

Sylvester opened his eyes and sharpened his teeth as if he would kill Fleur right away if there was a Fleur in front of him.

The Grand Duchess shouted.

“Please don’t kill me!”

She said as if pleading.

“If Fleur had really done such a thing, she would have made a mistake in her instant choice. She’s not a bad person. So please don’t kill her. Huh?”

“The Grand Duchess.”

Sylvester said with cold eyes.

“It’s a serious crime to dare to harm the Duchess.”

“But it didn’t threaten your life.”

“She almost took the life of a child who was about to be born.”

“…a child to be born soon?”

The Grand Duchess’ eyes widened.

“Did something good happen to you?”

The Grand Duke, who had been silent the whole time, intervened.

Sylvester smiled instead of answering, and they couldn’t have known that this smile was positive.

“Oh my God! God!”

The Grand Duke shouted as he stretched out his hands into the air.

“Congratulations. Congratulations!”

The Grand Duchess also offered congratulations.

So I was greatly perplexed.

So now I am pregnant. And you lied…?

We didn’t do anything. How can I get pregnant?

I pulled Sylvester and whispered in his ear.

“Are you out of your mind? Why are you lying like this!

“This will make the Countess’ sin worse.”

Sylvester answered casually.

“But what if they find out it’s a lie!”

“Can’t we just make it into something that isn’t a lie?”

“…What?”

When I asked, a little perplexed, Sylvester smirked and kissed my cheek lightly.

“You won’t be able to sleep right away today.”

Huk!!

Heat rose on my face.

At the moment when I was angry at why he said such shameful things casually, Sylvester turned his head toward the Great Duke and the Great Duchess.

“Therefore, if what the Countess did, if it turns out to be true, it must be a great crime. Do you all agree?”

The Grand Duchess slowly looked into his eyes.

“That’s…” 

She bit her lip and pulled her chin.

“Yes….”

Sylvester’s lips twitched.

“I’ll go back to the mansion and take a closer look.”

The Grand Duchess no longer said anything.

Sylvester grabbed my hand with a full smile as if satisfied.

The Grand Duke, who was watching the two of us, said. 

“Congratulations, Duchess.”

The Grand Duchess also congratulated me.

“Ooh, right. Congratulations.”

This situation confirmed that I did even though I wasn’t pregnant!

I glanced at Sylvester and tried to hold a smile.

“T, thank you…”

That was my answer. 

*****

I came back to the mansion.

Upon returning, Sylvester had people investigate the ingredients of Fleur’s tea.

Then he went into the office, and suddenly I became a duck egg from the Nakdong River.

No I mean, he said he won’t let me fall asleep right away!

And I’m very sleepy right now!

Tsk. 

I sat on the bed trying to calm my heart that had been beating all day.

And I thought about it.

‘Did Fleur really try to give me birth control medicine?’

Then, what’s the benefit for her? 

Actually, there’s nothing to benefit from—. No matter how much I think about it, I can’t think of it.

But why?

‘And it’s strange that Fleur has become so evil.’

I only thought that the original story had changed, and felt different when I felt it like this way.

‘It’s really changed.’

I thought I should stay alert in the future.

That way, I can survive this rough twisted original story. 

‘First, make a deal with Largo—’

After that, I could have planned for independence.

To leave the Empire to do its own thing, well.

I didn’t want to think deeply about it because it was like a poop car and a transport car when I chose Callian or Largo.