CH 11

With her head, Ophelia pressed down onto the pillow.

“It’s an arrow! No, it can be a trap between the trees, one that can make the neck fly away? And if not, the horse?”

The shoulders of Ophelia, who tapped the pillow and pointed out each of the ways a person could die in a hunting competition, soon drooped.

This and that, even if she pondered on her own, it was impossible to know unless she had experienced it, so ultimately, she would have to go through a regression.

If it’s Richard, no matter what danger comes, he would break through with ease… 

“You have to experience how foolish it is to hope for an end in a place where there is no end in sight.”

His terribly dry voice and empty eyes that contained nothing.

Although Ophelia grabbed him by the collar and said they should survive together, she couldn’t help but to yell and urge him.

—If only you moved, the infinite regression would end!

“It’s not over… it’s not over.”

There would only be one infinite regression taking place at each time.

She gripped her head and moaned.

‘I don’t want to die.’ Painful, terrible, and indelible memories strangled her neck and clenched her heart when she slept, making her wake up with a groan.

If not because she continued to die and make infinite returns, Ophelia might have used this possession somehow for the future she wanted.

But a home was just a home.

The fire that was at her feet this instant was a miserable and terribly painful death.

“We’re here.”

Upon hearing the coachman’s voice, Ophelia raised her head.

She grabbed the doorknob of the carriage, swallowed her dry saliva, and stepped out into the arena of the hunting competition where her battle would be fought.

On the other hand, unlike the very nervous Ophelia, Richard appeared indifferent and even looked bored.

“Your Highness, today is the day I…”

“Oh, what are you talking about…”

“Among the prey released this time, a huge white deer…”

The stories of those who tried to somehow make themselves stand out in order to catch the crown prince’s eyes and at the same time demean others were always the same, as if they were parrots.

In addition, there were young ladies pretending not to care yet glances around for the possibility that Crown Prince Richard would come to receive a handkerchief, even if it was one-thousandth of a chance.

All of this was terribly familiar to Richard, and it was just extremely boring.

His golden eyes gradually became blurred without containing anything, and eventually the sound became distant and he was about to sink into the silence of his own.

“…ness. Your Highness?”

A red wave flickered in the slowly brightening vision. 

Richard blinked slowly, and met starry blue eyes.

“Why are you resting here? Are you in pain somewhere? Do you have a stomach ache? There are people who have a stomach ache when they are nervous…”

Ah yes.

Something else appeared in this long, inexorable loop of infinite regressions that had corroded and worn him out.

Ophelia. Ophelia Bolsheik.

She was a woman with an extremely clerical face, and one who could tell bizarre stories that no one would ever tell.

“Can’t you control ants?”

“Archimedes, the countryside grandfather…”

Richard’s lips twitched slightly.

An uninvited guest who suddenly appeared in his life when he was unable to tell if he was alive or dead.

No, should he say that she was a comrade who came up out of nowhere and grabbed his hand?

Hearing Ophelia’s sincere words that anyone who overheard would have thought of it as a joke, he responded to her with a faint smile that he was not even aware of.

“Not me.”

“What?”

“You look like you have an upset stomach, not me.”

“You’re observant. My entire body is shaking, not just my stomach.”

Ophelia lowered her voice, revealing that her internal organs were twisted with a very serious face.

“An attempt to assassinate… of course there is, right?”

“Yes.”

“Infinite regression?”

“Well.”

“Your Highness, if may I say a word…”

Ophelia swallowed her saliva and was about to speak up, but Cooper interrupted.

“Excuse me.”

“What’s going on?”

Ophelia was forced to take a few steps back at Cooper’s glance.

Although she was also an aide, there was a clear difference between them.

There was a gap between Cooper, Iris, and Ophelia. The newest aide was unable to access certain information or documents that they could access.

Ophelia didn’t resent Cooper for pushing her out of confidential information, as it was understandable considering her length of career and her abilities.

There was only the fatigue of infinite regression, the regret that she had missed the opportunity to appeal desperately and say that she was still unable to endure death, and the pressure to bring it up again somehow.

Contrary to her heart, Cooper’s report continued for quite a long time.

“This information came in this morning. It turns out to be true after three checks.”

“Marquis Neir?”

“Yes.”

“She suddenly collapsed.”

“The name of the disease has not been revealed yet, but it’s said that it has been more than a day since she lost consciousness.”

“If people say it’s good for one’s health, wouldn’t she even eat cockroaches?”

“There was no record that she had a chronic illness or that she suddenly had a serious illness. There were no doctors in her mansion, and no one rushed to the temple.”

Even if the head of the family was down, and if they were trying to solve it only inside the family, being extremely vigilant so that information did not leak out… 

“It’s poison.”

“Yes. We are investigating with that in mind.”

“Isn’t the outline of the culprit clear?”

“I’m sorry.”

“What about Lady Neir?”

“She is present.”

At Cooper’s answer, Richard’s gaze stayed for a moment on the tent where the ladies were in.

“I’ve compiled a list of those who may be able to get to Marquis Neir.”

“Do they have the ability to poison and break through all the safety devices that the marquis put in her house?”

“I’m sorry.”

Richard looked at Cooper as he lowered his head, then shook his own head.

“The result is that the Marquis ate poison and fell, and there must be a cause. But there is no need to pick a beehive.”

It was a plausible statement, but to begin with, Richard didn’t want to waste time and attention on this case.

After all, if he went through infinite regression, the whole story of all the events would be put together piece by piece, and everything would be revealed in the end.

There was no way he was willing to dig with all his heart and soul right now…

“Shall I back off?”

“Look into it again if the period of unconsciousness of the marquis becomes longer.”

“Yes.”

“And here are the things James asked for.”

“I will check and deal with it immediately.”

James Gyru was hiding his identity and infiltrating a certain territory.

And the territory was a very dangerous place… 

If what he needed was not done immediately, he would be in danger.

Cooper stepped back, calling Ophelia close behind me as soon as the conversation was over.

“Oh, Ophelia.”

“Ah… yes?”

Now that Ophelia was able to convey her tears to Richard, she grabbed hold of her pounding heart, and as she was about to call him, her shoulders shook like a harpooned tuna.

“Would you mind checking out the packages for those going on the hunt? There are also beans that you carefully picked out, so it’ll be twice as rewarding.”

At Cooper’s words, Ophelia nodded her head sullenly.

The time spent working with him was long enough for her to realize that Cooper, who smiles with a nice face, was not really as nice as that face.

When it came to work, he was a human without blood or tears.

With that pleasant visage, Ophelia couldn’t make a sound as he gently pushed the paperwork to her.

Richard parted his lips toward such an Ophelia, about to speak to her, but when their eyes met, she shook her head and spoke through mouthing.

—Aide.

Richard, reading the shape of her mouth, smirked.

She said she would work like a cow, and apparently it wasn’t a lie.

Come to think of it, has Ophelia ever lied in front of him?

The slight smile that spread across Richard’s lips as he stared at Ophelia’s small back, which was slowly moving away, could not be erased.

Around the time Ophelia glanced back at Richard with a lingering expression and trudged along to work.

Under a huge tent on the outskirts of the forest where the hunting competition would take place.

Young ladies gathered in twos and threes looked sideways at Ophelia, who was heading somewhere with her red hair flying.

Eventually, when Ophelia disappeared as a dot from their sight, they blinked at each other.

“Seeing her with Halsey, she’s definitely the new assistant.”

“Bolsheik?”

“Who can you think of when you see that bright red hair?”

“Oh my God, Bolsheik, who would have imagined?”

“I heard that she’s getting engaged and going down to the countryside. Maybe it’s because of debt.”

“They say it wasn’t about debt. But if you look at Lady Bolsheik’s outfit, even though she doesn’t have any debt…”

One of the ladies who had been running her mouth as she pleased coughed briefly and blinked at the surroundings.

As the other ladies closed their mouths one by one, looking at each other’s eyes furtively, the lady soon opened her mouth.

“Come to think of it, I heard that the esteemed daughter of the Marquis of Sheffield visited the aide’s office.”

When questioned if she had met Ophelia openly rather than secretly, Lady Catherine Sheffield only held the teacup without answering.

The lady, unable to contain her curiosity, opened her mouth again, but the instant she met Catherine’s face, she closed it.

Catherine replied with a blatant sneer.

“If you’re curious enough to throw away all of your face and shame, why don’t you visit Lady Bolsheik as well?”

Although humiliated, the lady who asked the question could not counterattack

In the face of Catherine’s fiery personality, direct way of speaking, and the power of the Marquisate of Sheffield, the lady didn’t have the confidence to make a big fuss, because what Catherine said wasn’t really wrong.

How long has it been since there was an awkward silence?

Another lady, with a pretentious smile, exaggeratedly folded her fan and parted her lips, speaking towards the one in the top position.

“Lady Neir, please tell us what you think.”