CH 66

Who is the Fake Bride? (8)

“Where is Lucy?”

Roelin frowned and opened her mouth once again. Then, Silloa hesitated and replied.

“She’s trying to talk to the delegation downstairs.”

“……I’m making her suffer for no apparent reason whatsoever.”

She gulped in a sigh and chose to breathe slowly. But her mouth still didn’t fall off that easily. It would then be most simple to say… that Roelin had taken a breath before she opened her mouth with a firm determination.

“Tell her I’ll see them soon, Silloa.”

“Huh? Uh, but… well, would you mind?”

Silloa asked with her eyes all round. Roelin faintly smiled as she felt more relaxed at the sight of Silloa who was rather concerned for herself.

“Of course it’s okay. It’s not like I’m meeting someone whom I shouldn’t be.”

“…well, that’s right. They are from the Empress’s motherland anyhow.”

Silloa curved her eyes with an awkward smile. Then, she turned around while saying that she would deliver the message to Lucy. The smile slowly disappeared from the lips of Roelin, who was now looking at the back.

They might have been the people whom she never wished to meet at all, but she just couldn’t deny it by saying that she didn’t want to meet them straight.

However, as long as they had decided to visit, they still would not be able to blindly avoid it after all.

“I need to get dressed.”

“Yes, Empress. I’ll get it ready right away.”

As soon as Roelin declared, another maid who was sitting outside the bedroom, entered at once. Roelin looked at the busily moving maid for a moment before she slowly closed her eyes.

Her head hurt and her stomach felt nauseous as if her physical condition that seemed to have gotten better gradually was about to get even worse once more.

She closed her hands tightly as she breathed in heavily.

***

“I greet the Empress. How have you been?”

“Long time no see, Count McGree.”

Count McGree twitched his cheek when he eventually realized that Roelin’s way of talking to him had entirely changed compared to last time.

This might have been due to the fact that he never imagined that he would see such a change from the fake Royal Daughter herself.

Roelin had to force herself to hold back her laughter since she could clearly see what was going right inside that head of his. Then, she stared at him again with an expressionless face.

There was a strange silence and tension between the both of them. Silloa tilted her head with a quizzical expression at the strange atmosphere and slowly tried to open her mouth.

“Well, the tea…”

“The tea’s ready, so everyone may leave.”

Roelin answered before Silloa’s words were even finished. Roelin’s words, which seemed unnecessary to serve refreshments, were actually tantamount to an insult to the delegation’s representative who was now visiting her.

Ever since arriving in Seroif, not only Silloa but Lucy herself were flummoxed by her unexpected behavior, which never had said anything against anyone at all. But Lucy soon recollected her expression as she showed her courtesy.

“I’ll do as you say.”

“Head Maid?”

Lucy was called out senselessly as she took Silloa out of the drawing room. Roelin was grateful for the Head Maid’s experienced attitude. It must have been ordered to establish her own prestige in not asking anything even though she was clearly in doubt.

Therefore, Roelin was apologetic as well. Since she could never really solve that question.

A wry smile could be glimpsed in the corners of Roelin’s mouth before it disappeared. Then, she looked at him once again with an indifferent manner as if wondering when did she even have a smile on before.

“Why did you want to see me?”

“…Ha! Empress, no, Princess. Are you doing me a favor right now?”

“I’m not the Princess of Rakain anymore. I’m the Empress of Seroif. Isn’t it obvious enough?”

The Count’s face instantly flushed as if he had been insulted when he heard of Roelin’s calm words. At that time, the attendant who was standing behind the Count suddenly took a step forward and doffed her cape.

“You’re the Empress of Seroif? How dare you—the abandoned fake of the Separate Palace?”

Roelin’s indifferent expression immediately cracked. She turned her eyes away from Count McGree and looked at the attendant instead. She was not particularly interested in the attendant who came in with the Count. She thought that it was merely one of the Count’s servants as she handed it over before.

But…

“Long time no see, sister.”

The attendant, no, Erita, took off her brown wig and raised her head straight. Then, she greeted her with those blue eyes that looked exactly like her own.

“How can you…”

And just like that.

Roelin stood up from the spot in surprise at the unbelievable situation unfolding with her own eyes. Then, as soon as Roelin tried to stutter and speak up to Erita, Erita simply walked up quickly and lurched before wielding her hand straight towards Roelin’s cheek.

Her ears felt numb and she could hear a ringing in her ears. Still, she managed to hold on to the back of the chair.

“What are you doing?”

Roelin asked as she looked at Erita without even thinking of smoothing out her already messy hair. Erita then simply waved her hand at Roelin once again.

Phat—

As a result, Roelin, who was barely holding out, lost her balance and quickly fell onto the floor.

“Now you’re finally at eye level.”

Erita was standing right in front of her while looking down at Roelin as she smirked. Then, she headed to the sofa where Roelin had been sitting just now. The Count also scowled before he quickly approached Erita right after that.

〈 To be continued in Volume 2 〉