CH 65

That day, I prepared myself early. It wasn’t even 9:30, so it was considered early for me to go to bed.

“I used to stay up until 3 in the morning before. There were times when I stayed up all night reading web novels.”

Since May came into my life, I started taking care of my physical health, following Persis’s orders. I would go to bed no later than 11.

Today, I had many new experiences. I found out the truth about Milo.

Growing tired quickly, I turned off the lights and lay down on the bed. Unlike the soft bed in Flotina’s room, this bed was rather firm.

“This bed isn’t as soft. I prefer something softer.”

But even though my usual sleeping environment had changed, I didn’t think it would affect my ability to sleep.

No, I couldn’t help it if I couldn’t sleep. All of this was my choice. I have to take responsibility for my decisions.

It was around the time I covered myself with a thin summer blanket. I heard a sound next to the bed, and a white-haired man appeared.

It was Floa instead of Persis who had come to visit.

His sudden appearance startled me, and I jerked my body.

“I-I thought you were a ghost, Floa… Why are you here?”

I sat up and Floa sat on the edge of the bed where I was.

“I came because you didn’t come home. I was worried…”

He looked at me, halfway covered by the blanket, with a mournful gaze.

“You were planning to stay out without saying a word?”

“Nine members can stay and go as they please.”

Floa grabbed my hand with his pale face. Despite it being summer, his hand felt cold.

“If… if you’re not staying out, could you please sleep in Flotina where I am?”

However, I didn’t yield to his request.

“I want to stay out at least once now that I’m a Nine member.”

Upon hearing that, Floa asked.

“Is it because of the dress?”

Dress? What dress? I blinked my eyes and realized what the dress meant.

‘Ah… the dress.’

The dress I saw on the fashion street. Did it catch Floa’s ear too?

“No, it’s not that. And I just saw it because it was pretty. I didn’t want to have it.”

“If you tell Lord Persis that you want it, he will buy it for you. He even told you to stop living as his son.”

“…”

How nice would it have been if I had been an adopted daughter loved like the original Stella without the option of living as his son from the beginning? I became depressed with such thoughts.

After a moment of silence, I spoke up.

“I want to sleep here tonight.”

“May, but…”

“Please let me. When Dad finds me, let him know I’m staying out at Nine. I’m begging you.”

Unable to refuse my request any longer, Floa reluctantly nodded and disappeared.

* * *

The next morning, Jed, Diego, and I stayed at Nine, while the others returned home. Jed and Diego wanted to briefly discuss future plans regarding the Penso.

“I’ll see you at the tournament on Saturday, Your Highness.”

Galley, Velta, and Clovin left, and it was Isabella’s turn to return to the palace. Isabella stomped her feet, trying not to go.

“I want to stay with Sir Duke! We didn’t get to play much yesterday!”

“No, you have to go home.”

“I don’t want to!”

“Isabella, are you going to throw a tantrum again?”

Isabella put her hands on her waist and pouted. Her adorable gesture made me secretly smile.

“I hate you, brother. I’ve fallen in love for the first time, and how can you try to separate us!!”

“What? First love?”

My precious younger sister had fallen in love. Diego grabbed the back of his neck.

Not knowing what to do, I approached Isabella, erasing my laughter. I crouched in front of her, bringing our eyes to the same level.

Oh, those sparkling eyes!

Isabella cast her characteristic innocent and sparkling eyes at me. My heart almost melted at her gaze, but I managed to hold back.

“Please listen to what Prince said today I’ll play with you another time.”

“But…”

I couldn’t easily agree, as my attachment made it difficult to let her go.

I held Isabella’s hand.

“We can see each other from now on too.”

Isabella looked down at our hands and shyly blushed.

“A promise.”

I made a pinky promise for us to play together next time. As I showed a gentle smile, Isabella’s expression brightened.

“Okay, yay!”

Isabella hugged me tightly with a wide smile. Seeing this, Diego showed a displeased expression.

“Hey!!!”

After sending Isabella home, Jed, Diego, and I made plans in the reception room on the second floor. The plans were quickly made without much deliberation.

“For now, let’s focus on the tournament this week rather than finding Milo. The tournament is only a few days away.”

“Sounds good. After the tournament, we’ll actively search for Milo and bring down the Penso.”

“Right.”

While listening to Diego and Jed, I asked a question.

“But how are we going to bring down the Penso?”

“We’ll expose him for tax evasion and confiscate all his assets. Just the evidence and records of his tax evasion alone can lead to a long prison sentence.”

So the reason for his wealth was tax evasion.

“We also recently obtained information about drug smuggling.”

And now drugs too…

Bringing down the Penso seemed like an easy task.

“However, Milo is the one who will be caught. We can’t bring him down while he’s still with the Penso.”

That’s because Nazret is a patron of the royal family and promised not to interfere with Milo’s plans.

“In case Milo tries to use the Penso’s resources to do something…”

“So, for now, we can’t bring down the Penso because we don’t know what plans Milo has?”

“That’s right.”

“Then the key is to find Milo quickly.”

“We’ll make new plans after the tournament is over.”

As Diego finished speaking, a knock on the door was heard.

“Your Highness, Duke Flotina is here.”

“Duke Flotina is here?”

Diego suddenly asked in a questioning tone, wondering why he came here. Instead of the servant, I replied.

“He’s here to pick me up.”

I wasn’t surprised since I had anticipated that Dad would come to pick me up since meeting Floa yesterday.

We left the reception room and went down the stairs. When we reached the courtyard on the first floor, Persis was there.

Although I left without permission, there was a possibility that he would be angry, but fortunately, he didn’t seem upset.

Well, he wasn’t someone whose expression changed dramatically anyway.

Persis greeted Diego.

“May Starcia bless you.”

“It’s been a while, Duke.”

Jed also greeted Persis curtly.

“Your Grace, I greet you.”

Persis’s gaze immediately turned towards me.

“I came to pick him up. Let’s go home, May.”

I glanced briefly at Diego and Jed. They didn’t say anything, but since we had already made the plan, it seemed like we could go home.

“… Yes.”

Reluctantly, I nodded my head and stepped out.

* * *

“Do you still have no intention of stopping cross-dressing, Mei?”

As soon as we got on the carriage, he asked, and May looked at him quietly.

Persis’s face, seen up close, had dark circles under his eyes and looked disheveled, like someone who hadn’t slept well. But May tried not to pay attention to it.

“It hasn’t been long yet.”

“I’m asking about your intention because I don’t want you to be tired.”

Thanks to Elisa Yuriet, he realized it. If he were to be angry because of Vinche, his anger should be directed not towards her child, but towards Vinche herself.

Because she was Vinche’s daughter, because she reminded him of Vinche, he shouldn’t have distanced himself. He was pathetic for venting his anger and sadness to the wrong person because he didn’t know where to go.

“I’m sorry for making it difficult for you all this time.”

That short and simple apology was enough to shake May’s heart, but soon she would live as she pleased.

She would perform well at the Tournament, join the Guardians of the Realm, and after joining the Guardians of the Realm, she would diligently save money to repay Persis.

Didn’t she promise that? If she left this house, she would repay double the value he had raised her for.

May still had that plan.

“You don’t have to apologize. It’s all in the past.”

If she mixed in more words, her heart would waver, so May turned her gaze out the window. She had worked so hard to live well, thinking that she would leave this house as a Guardian of the Realm, and she couldn’t let her goal collapse with just one word.

Persis wanted to have a conversation with May, but she seemed unwilling to talk to him anymore, so he couldn’t speak.

The carriage arrived quietly at Flotina. As Perseus helped May get off the carriage, he cautiously made a suggestion.

“Would you like to have dinner together tonight? I’ve found a place that I think you’ll like.”

However, May firmly refused.

“No, thank you. I have to prepare for the tournament soon, so I need to focus on the preparations.”

“… I see.”

A feeling of exhaustion. At the same time, a bitter feeling flooded in, and Persis stood there silently.

“I will go in first.”

After bowing her head and greeting, May entered the mansion first. Persis watched her back as she disappeared, feeling bitter and empty.

He stood there with a bitter and empty heart until she completely disappeared from his sight.