CH 18

“Necro… sis?” Olivia’s eyes widened at my words.

“Yes. Please do make up as if the wounds on my feet are rotting away!”

Olivia looked startled at my sudden request. But I smiled confidently because I had everything in mind.

I remembered the original story for a moment.

In the original story, the female lead, Daphne, became ill because of the corps of the Great Devil, Mephisto, summoned by Calib.

The corps led by Mephisto, the King of Deception, is simply an army made of the undead. They were the ones who cursed all living things with the idea of ‘I am dead’, a powerful deception left over from the dead.

In the original story, Calib wanted to resurrect Cedric, who was no different from being dead because of the curse that caused him to fall into an eternal sleep.

At last, he even touched the black magic, and Calib had a talent.

[Brother Cedric is dead, but everyone else is all alive. How could this be? Besides, everyone seems fine. This is deception!]

That is, the talent to curse all living creatures.

As I read this part, I sympathized with Calib.

Even if it was me, if the people who unintentionally drove Yoonie to death say, ‘It was an accident’, forget about the incident and live well on their own…

Yes, even if I die, I will never forget it.

Anyway, thanks to that, Calib summoned Mephisto, the Great Devil and the Lord of Deception, from his childhood and made a contract.

[How could a human being be able to curse all living things so horribly? I like it.]

Mephisto lived under Calib’s bed, helping him to take full control of himself. And with his power, he drove the imperial family to the brink of destruction.

When Mephisto’s corps attacked the Imperial Castle, they kidnapped Daphne. In this expedition, the undead caught Daphne by her ankle and she fell ill with that part of her slowly decaying.

Olivia, who finished the makeup just in time, said with her worried face.

“I did it for now, but… What if it gets worse?”

“If I wash it thoroughly and disinfect it well, I will be fine. Well, even if it gets worse, it will just hurt a little.”

“Miss Ellia, you can’t get hurt!” Olivia was startled, but I just giggled.

Seeing me like that, she shook her head as if she knew but didn’t, and she asked.

“What are you thinking? By pretending to have necrosis, you will win Sir Cedric’s sympathy?”

It was like that.

What I expected was none other than Cedric’s sympathy.

Because Daphne’s way of surviving was this ‘lean on sympathy’!

In a crisis of the protagonist, there is always an unexpected helper.

Daphne learned that the younger sister of the soldier guarding the prison gate had died of an illness. So she acted by looking at him and reminding him of his dead sister.

Let him take a pity on her and help her escape!

Of course, it would be great if Cedric came forward and defeated Jeryl even if I didn’t rack my brain like this, just like how Renoir killed the bad fairy by saying, “How dare you torment the person I love! You’re going to die!”, but still.

Unlike them, we have a very dry relationship.

In other words, he’ll never react so violently. But I’m sure he’ll show sympathy for me!

I smiled at Olivia, who still looked worried.

“It’s okay. I have a plan.”

At the very least, he’ll pretend to have pity on me.

I had a corner of faith.

That is, to Cedric, the Marquis of Babillon is a troublesome maternal family in many ways.

Marquis Renold Babillon is the only older brother of the former Duchess, Edyssel. He held a strong position even after his sister’s death. In the original story, his daughter, Jeryl, was able to interfere with the brothers until the moment of Cedric’s death.

Cedric is smart.

He will notice that necrosis is a lie.

But at the same time, he’ll notice that, if I do well, he can use me as a woven plate to keep the Marquis of Babillon in check.

I told Olivia. “Then go ahead and tell Cedric about this.”

“Is it really fine…?”

“Of course. The doctor will say that the cause of my foot’s necrosis is high heels.”

If not, the doctor who prescribed only the ointment will have no choice but to find out the cause. The doctor could lose his job as well as his life.

However, if he says that he didn’t know my feet get necrosis in the first place because he diagnosed me with a different method, he will be exempted from responsibility.

It’s not to the extent of necrosis, but he could say that it actually is ephemeral, so that’s not a very outrageous lie.

“If others ask how my feet are all better later, let’s say that Cedric gave me holy water or something.”

“No, I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about Sir Cedric.”

“Cedric?”

“Yes. Obviously, since he’s your fiancé, you won’t be scolded if he finds out, but… ”

Ah, that.

“Well… I will solve it by acting cute.”

First of all, on the surface, I’m the fiancée Cedric brought along. I’m saying that we’re a ‘loving couple’ to the vassals.

It’s actually a contract marriage, nevertheless…

Olivia had a worried expression on her face, but her expression wasn’t too dark.

In fact, I learned a little about Olivia’s family affair. Her family is a vassal of the Grand Duke Indigentia’s family. However, they were in trouble because of Marquis Babillon’s actions.

In such a situation, she can get a little revenge on Jeryl, the daughter of Marquis Babillon!

It means that this bad thing wasn’t all that bad for Olivia.

“Then I will go.”

“Alright. Olivia, you have to act well. Pretend to be in a hurry, pretend to be terrified! Do you understand?”

“I understand. Miss Ellia must act well too. As if you’re really sick.”

I saw her off and waited for Cedric to arrive.

***

“What? Necrosis?”

Calib jumped up from his seat and cried.

Edwin, who didn’t know anything, shook his head with a pale face.

“Yes, yes. Now, Miss Ellia’s legs… That, no, I mean her feet… Scratched by high heels, even after treatment… Maybe there’s a problem with the high heels, that…”

Edwin knew the relationship between Cedric and Ellia.

‘The only hope that can break Sir Cedric’s curse is…!’

Edwin felt a cold sweat running down his spine.

Cedric’s eyes, which were basically expressionless, looked particularly cold because they were so dull. He just found out that Ellia had been hurt by the high heels Jeryl gave her, just because Calib had said it.

‘It’s not enough to torment the Grand Duke, but for her to hurt the only hope that can break the curse! He must have been mad all the way to the top of his head.’

It’s not even his business, but Edwin’s legs trembled.

Contrary to the thought, Cedric was in a very calm state.

‘Indeed, it’s coming out like this.’

As Ellia expected, he had already completed all the investigations.

Of course, when he heard that Ellia’s feet had necrosis, he was very surprised. But with a little thought, anyone could tell that it was fake.

‘Since Calib called the doctor, the Grand Duke’s Castle’s doctor must have gone. There is no way the former imperial doctor could have made a misdiagnosis.’

He couldn’t have given her a wrong prescription, nor could Olivia, one of Cedric’s people, mistreated her.

‘Besides, it’s too early for necrosis.’

Then there is only one answer.

‘She’s using me.’

Cedric smiled coldly.

Ellia is a commoner.

It must be difficult for her, as a commoner, to cry out for injustice against the daughter of the marquis that is the first vassal family who abused even the Grand Young Lord.

‘No, she can do it if she wants to.’

Judging from the fact that she swung a frying pan first to protect Calib, she must be a person who goes out with her fist first.

‘But it definitely doesn’t end like that.’

Especially the issue of Calib’s abuse.

He rubbed his lips with his leather gloved hand and grinned.

‘Besides, maybe this… If it’s done well, it might reduce the influence of Marquis Babillon.’

Cedric smiled with joy, but Edwin collapsed as his legs became weak. He sincerely thought.

‘He’s crazy. Sir Cedric, he’s really mad.’