CH 94

“Sleepwalking?”

The woman suddenly shined her sharp eyes at the words from the servant.

“Yes, she said she suffered from sleepwalking, so she wanders around with her body when she falls asleep.”

The woman touched her chin and fell into thoughts at the unexpected information.

“Sleepwalking.”

The woman wiggled her twisted legs towards the servant, who lowered their posture. The servant, who understood it, left the room without saying anything.

The woman crumpled up the letter she was writing and pulled out a new piece of paper. Then she wrote the sentence,

「Dear Duke Kailos.」

「The witch is suffering from sleepwalking. She even roamed around with her sleeping body. 」

“If he does well, I can use it.”

The woman burst into laughter as she came up with some good ideas. Strange laughter echoed in the empty room. The terrifyingly creepy laughter lasted for several minutes and then stopped.

“Lewis.”

“Did you call for me, my Lady?”

The door opened at the call, and Lewis entered.

“The person who will become the Grand Duchess is the same person as that witch, right?”

“…”

Lewis had a gloomy face without answering. The Lady, who he had served, had changed so much that made her so cruel, and it was hard to face her. That was not the case three years ago, but everything has changed since that day.

Lewis recalled Cersinia, who was leisurely walking out of the flames. The power to make her opponent feel helpless beyond even the thought of fighting. Because of that power, Viscount Montene had to lie in bed for the rest of his life.

“Fiancée, it’s not funny at all.”

The woman gritted her teeth and raised her ferocious eyes.

The fact that the Grand Duke introduced Cersinia as his fiancée quickly spread that everyone knew about it.

“I lost everything because of that bitch. I can’t let that bitch live a good life. Or else it will be so unfair to me. Don’t you think so, Lewis?”

The woman sought his agreement, but Lewis refused it.

“I have to apply the medicine, so I will get going now.”

Lewis bowed down toward the woman and left the room after greeting her. He had to apply medicine to the Viscount more than three times a day. Due to severe burns, if medicine was not applied every time, Viscount Montene’s skin became wrinkled, and he struggled in indescribable pain.

Lewis let out as he turned to the Viscount. He hoped that the young lady would no longer dwell on this matter, but it was already too late. All she had left on her was revenge and hatred. At the end of the day, it wasn’t known who would be destroyed first, but Lewis seemed to know the answer. He took a complicated step and headed to the Viscount. He only hopes that everything ends smoothly.

The woman who was left alone in the room folded the written letter and called for the servant again.

“Send it to the Duke Kailos, and get your job done soon.”

As the servant received the letter, they glanced at the woman’s expression. Her bizarre face, which made them goosebumps all over their body, was contained with deep disgust and murderous intent.

* * *

“Her favorite food is freshly baked croissant.”

At the end of Cersinia’s words, Eric, Crown Prince’s aide, was eagerly writing it down in a small notebook.  Cersinia was fed up with being spied on for days.

“Isn’t this enough?”

She ruffled her hair with a rough touch. Since she met Limapheus, she has been delivering every Verne’s move to Eric.  One day, she had to tell about what Verne was doing and how Verne laughed in detail. It wasn’t just that. Cersinia had to find out everything Verne liked and tell Eric. This was what Limapheus wanted to know so much with her help. Finding out and delivering everything Verne likes.

“I think so too, but we still haven’t figured out Lady Verne’s favorite color, male preference, sleeping habits, and hobbies.”

“Huh…”

The astonished Cersinia laughed in vain.

‘Why is he curious about Verne’s sleeping habits…?’

It made her startled a bit to know the perverted taste of Limapheus.

“Then, I will see you again tomorrow.”

“Just send someone else. It will be hard for you to go back and forth in person, and you’re the Crown Prince’s aide.”

“I would like to do that too, but it’s Your Highness’s order. Then, goodbye.”

Eric, who looked very tired, took a tattered step. Cersinia felt a bit of pity for Eric as she saw him leaving the room with his back bent over. She was also the victim of Limapheus’s project to capture Verne’s heart. Still, Eric, who travels between the Grand Duchy and the Imperial Palace every day, was the one who suffered the most from it.

‘Somehow, I met a superior person like the Crown Prince…’

She buried her body completely on the sofa, with her arms and legs hanging down. Ben was out for a while to stop by the Knights Templar.

“Huh? Did he already leave? I brought in tea…”

Verne, who came in with tea, approached Cersinia, who was alone.

“Yes, he must be busy.”

“By the way, what does Lady talk about with the Crown Prince’s aide every day?”

“…”

Perhaps out of pure curiosity, Verne’s clear eyes twinkled.

Cersinia chose silence instead of answering. She vaguely thought if she should say, ‘The Crown Prince is watching and stalking you.’

“I-It’s nothing! I’m sure he’s meeting Lady because he has work to do!”

When Cersinia remained silent, Verne, who grasped the mood, strongly waved her hand.

“Let’s drink tea together.”

Cersinia beckoned Verne to sit across her. Verne put the silver tray on the table, picked up a teacup, and placed it in front of Cersinia.

“Verne, what do you think of the Crown Prince?”

“Yes? What does Lady mean by what do you think?”

“You danced with Your Highness at the banquet. Did you have any thoughts about him?”

“That’s…”

Verne’s face quickly heated up like a ripe strawberry. Cersinia, who was holding the teacup, put down the teacup and pulled her body forward like a fisherman who caught big fish in response to Verne’s reaction.

“Do you like him?”

Her two curious crimson eyes observed Verne.

“Yes? N-No, how dare I to Your Highness…”

Verne muttered the end of her words, insisting not strongly.

“Then do you hate him?”

“No! How could I…”

Verne replied quickly to Cersinia’s question.

“Really?”

Her narrowed eyes headed to Verne.

Verne’s face and her whole body were now ripe red. Now that she looks at it, Cersinia thinks Verne is aware of her own feelings to some extent. Still, she thinks Verne denied it because of their different status.

“Oh my! All the tea leaves are gone. I will bring it from the warehouse!”

Verne rushed out of the room as if it was hard to bear the gaze from Cersinia.

“Where is Verne going?”

May, who was entering the room just in time, walked toward Cersinia, looking at Verne running away.

“I don’t know.”

Now, Verne’s appearance is like the one she denied when Ben confessed to her. It made Cersinia giggle.

“Did anything fun happen?”

May followed Cersinia and asked her with a smile.

“I think something shocking is going to happen sooner or later.”

Suppose the two confirm each other’s feelings. In that case, Limapheus will officially announce his engagement with Verne, which will shake up the Empire. Of course, there will be ups and downs before their marriage.

Cersinia tried to portray the two together. She was close to Verne, but perhaps because they were the female and male protagonists, the appearance of them being together suited well even in her imagination.

“We may have to attend the wedding soon.”

May opened her eyes wide at the murmur of Cersinia.

“Cersinia, did your wedding date already been decided?”

“Not my wedding.”

Cersinia smiled and shook her head at May’s reaction. May tilted her head as if she had been told something she couldn’t understand.

* * *

“How dare I…”

Verne, who entered the warehouse, grabbed her pounding heart. When asked by Cersinia, she was embarrassed because her heart was beating uncontrollably.

“I to Your Highness…”

She remembered the time when she met the Crown Prince in the hallway after changing her dress. Even the scene where the Crown Prince held her hands and danced at the banquet played in her mind.

“I can’t do this…”

There was no way that Verne couldn’t be unaware of the palpitations and excitement that bloomed in her heart like a spring flower. But he is the Crown Prince, the only heir to the Emperor. She couldn’t climb that tree from the beginning.

Verne swallowed her bitter feelings and put down the lamp she was holding on the floor. She took out a container that contained tea leaves that Cersinia frequently drinks from the shelves lined up in the dark warehouse.

“It’s hard to see your face these days.”

Verne hurriedly turned around at the sudden voice. Jonathan was in the warehouse with a reluctant smile on when he came. Verne frowned harshly and looked at Jonathan. He seemed to be less alert even though he had been hit by the nose and beaten by the Crown Prince.

“You become very arrogant.”

Jonathan giggled and approached Berne. Verne reached behind her back and grabbed anything just in case. She was going to throw it to Jonathan if he rushed to her.

“Is it Cersinia or something? She’s going to be Grand Duchess soon, right? It would be nice to stand in line as well, Verne.”

Jonathan was sarcastic. As the humble woman eventually made it to the position of Grand Duchess, their dismissal was clear without looking at it.

“I really don’t like it. That bitch and you.”

“Go away before I break your nose again.”

Verne tried so hard not to show her fear.

“Even if I am fired, I can’t leave your beautiful face as it is.”

Jonathan reached out to Berne with a mean expression on his face.

“Go away!”

Verne threw the object she was holding at Jonathan with all her might. The flying bottle hit Jonathan’s eyes, fell to the floor, and broke with a shattering sound. The smell of oil wafted everywhere. The broken bottle contained oil to light the lamp.

“Aargh! This bitch!”

Angry at the sharp pain enough to bring tears to his eyes, Jonathan ran towards her. From Jonathan’s heavy footsteps, the lamp on the floor was titled and broke at that moment.

Fwoosh.

“Kyaaa!”

The oil soaked the floor and caught fire instantly due to the fallen lamp.

“Gasp!”

The red light of flames fell on their faces. A blazing fire between Jonathan and Verne was blocking the border.

“I-It’s not me! It’s your fault!”

Surprised, Jonathan stepped back and ran out of the warehouse.

“Help me!”

Verne couldn’t get out. She couldn’t even dare to run outside because of the great flames that blocked her. In the warehouse full of wooden shelves, most of them were dry tea and lamp oil, so the flames quickly grew in size.

“Is there someone! Help me!”

Verne covered her mouth and nose with her sleeves in the scorching smoke and ran into the warehouse where the flames had not yet reached. She looked around to find a window, but there was no single window in the warehouse.