《The Precious Sister of The Villainous Grand Duke》 CH 15 No content CH 25 No content CH 26 No content CH 27 No content CH 28 No content CH 29 No content CH 30 No content CH 31 No content CH 32 No content CH 33 No content CH 34 No content CH 35 No content CH 36 No content CH 37 No content CH 38 No content CH 39 No content CH 40 No content CH 41 No content CH 42 No content CH 43 No content CH 44 No content CH 45 "........ ." "Because I''m meeting Dithri. I can''t stay pecking and Les Boon." (I haven''t even eaten the chocolate fountain). It was the moment when my deep aspirations that I wanted to decorate with were revealed. At me, Dietrich sighs and touches my forehead. "I don''t need anything like that, I." "I know our situation." (And the Dahlia Palace is poor.) I cry and add, and Detrihe quickly denies it, as if she was crying. "Who on earth said that?" "Sister and Yuri use it like that." In my answer, Dietrich''s ferocious eyes turn to Veronica and Yuric. Since Yuric was still in punishment, Veronica smiled and stepped forward. "Isn''t it true? My father said he quit his support to keep you in check." "It''s not enough to need crap garbage." "It''s crap trash? It''s a 3 blue ah lottery ticket, but I bought it." Veronica laughed very proudly at that fact, but didn''t think it was time to say it. Because Dietrich''s face quickly rotted. "Aren''t you getting a handsome face?" But Veronica didn''t scare Dietrich like Yuric. She simply responds with a grin. ''Of course, my sister.'' Veronica smiled like a dried rose and touched the long shadow around Yuric''s ankle with a fan. When her pressure is released, Yuric exhales and falls on the floor. "Oh, I''m sorry to take my eyes off Nissa. My mother''s man was just here. I had to avoid his eyes." "......... ." ¡°Is it still a secret that we are cooperating with you in return for the devil?¡± Dietrich turned to her without even responding. I hurriedly grabbed a lottery ticket, hugged him, and tried to follow him. "Uh." She blocked me in front of me and forgot what to say, and she barely made her voice. "Are you child of LaGrange?" It was a question that revealed a subtle criticism. She said this is a reaction from her who was called an incarnate angel. I was embarrassed, with only my eyes open and looking up at Charlott. ¡°Lagrang is a bad family that only does evil.¡± Instead of answering her cold words, I rolled my eyes. ''Everyone is like this.'' I wasn''t really hurt. I already knew that La Grande wasn''t a normal family, so even if others sweared it for a hundred days, it didn''t hurt me. "What do you do?" "........But why don''t you look bad? I know that." ''Oh, this one also had similar abilities to Eredia''s abilities,'' I shrugged at Charlotte''s self-talk. Maybe I don''t have the ability to read other people''s minds than me. Because I had a lot of bad minds. "Anyway, a promise is a promise, so I''ll tell you about the prophecy." Charlotte whispered, bowing her head toward me. "If the woman in the wall becomes the bride of the north, there will be salvation." Charlotte, who glanced at me, looking up at herself with her mouth wide open, began to speak. "It''s a prophecy that has already been rumored in the temple, so it''s not really a secret." I opened my eyes to her whispering voice. "Of course you don''t know, but are you still talking about it? It''s very rare in the northern wall." In fact, Yuric was the only one who had a wall in LaGrange. Yuric couldn''t be a bride. I couldn''t answer Charlotte''s words right away and shrugged. "Since there is no temple here, this is the first word you hear." "Yes." "I''m just going to go back. There are also many fake trusts. "No, it wasn''t." If a saint with a divine power of Charlotte''s degree is an oracle worth worrying about, it can''t be a fake. I answered that I didn''t know, but in fact, it was a prophecy I had heard of. It was mentioned briefly in''The Men''s War of the Roses'', and sometimes Joseph said me. When reading a book, I thought it was a device designed to emphasize the relationship between Dietrich and Charlotte by fate. Charlotte''s eyes turned blue when she used the divine power, and she became the bride of Dietrich, the North itself, and Lagrange- ''Well, but LaGrange eventually collapses.'' Well, it''s because there''s no law that it fits perfectly with a trust. I looked at her slowly blinking her eyes and turned her head. ''It doesn''t seem like he''s yet known that it''s a trust related to him.'' I shrugged as I watched her move away without even greeting me. "Dietrih." "......... ." ¡°Dietrih, are you still upset?¡± Dietrich was silent all the way home. I started messing around to ease his mood. "No cheaper today, it''s better fun." "What did you do." "Ok,ok" I was excited about Dietrich''s finally answering. "It''s been a while since our time. No, it''s bloody if you look at the cheaper brother." "It''s been a while........ ." I rubbed my cheek against Dietrich''s hand. Luckily, he didn''t take his hand from me. He just looks down at me smiling with an indifferent gaze. "I saw you few days ago." " Then, I don''t have a fun with you." It''s been a long time since Derek found me and he''s been avoiding me, so it''s been a long time since we talked so long. I grumbled and waved Dietrich''s hand. "Diethri are you ignoring me." "I didn''t." "Yeah, write it. The liar. The fart." "Ha." At last Dietrich laughs at me. Of course, it was a ridiculous laugh, but even that little smile made me feel better. "If I see you win, I''ll buy you what I drink." "I do not need." Dietrich responded coldly, but paused to keep pace with my slow pace. I ran over the plump red stone and landed next to him. ¡°Wow,¡± Yuric and I walked the street again, and a toy store that had not been seen before comes into my eyes. The signboard decorated with cherry bulbs was also a signboard, but the dolls displayed on the huge showwondo caught my attention in particular. ''cute!'' I stood firmly in place and rolled my feet. Of course, Dahlia also had dolls supplied for Lagrange children, but they were very old and had no eyes or ears. In addition, the raccoon stuffed toy, sitting quietly next to the nutcracker, was a different dimension from the doll that was rolling on the dahlia, and was luxurious. ¡°Why,¡± Dietrich turned back, wondering that I was standing. I pointed at the tail of your copper doll and called him in full excitement. The plump striped tail was so cute that I couldn''t stand the elasticity that popped out of the temple. "Why are you upset? What is this?" ¡°So contributing uh !!!¡± In the past, when I was very young, I asked my mother to buy a doll like this. ''Huh? Doll?'' ''That''s doll. My older sister have it. '' ''Your sister even multiplied your age! You can''t add right now, right?'' ''I''m so young, so I write...... .'' ''Ugh, burst inside! Don''t eat today!'' On that day, I couldn''t do the addition properly and starved for two full days asking me to buy a doll. I haven''t told anyone since that day that I want to have anything. ''Let''s not think.'' ".......You want to have?" At Dietrich''s question, I, like a habit, first checked the price tag of the raccoon doll. [50 Shillings] ''Huh. What doll does 50 shillings.'' The desire to have a raccoon on the price tag subsides. I shook my head hard and looked up at Dietrich, who had gone to my side. "No......." "Why not? While you drooling." "Because Daria is poor." (Daria is poor.) Dietrich raises one corner of his mouth as if he was stunned by my words. Then I struck the show window with my fist without letting it dry. "Hyup!" The shattering sound of the window glass and the pieces splattered in all directions, but none of them poured out to Dietrich and me for what was spent. ''No, that''s the problem now!'' I looked at Dietrich''s fist with a glass of blood leaking. Not knowing that he is sick, his face is still insensitive. ¡°Oh, my brother''s hand! Soon!¡± Dietrich looked back at my hand. Even though a drop of blood dipped off and touched the floor even more, I wiped my pants off without a moan. He pulled out your copper doll by putting his other hand without bleeding through the broken window. "character." "......... ." I couldn''t get a raccoon doll as big as my torso and looked up at Dietrich blankly. ''I guess who''s not the villain.....'' Where is the madman who breaks the shop glass and steals the doll in broad daylight. Dietrich started shaking the doll with a hand in his pocket when I didn''t take it right away.+ "Can''t you take it? Throw it away?" CH 46 "Oh no, don''t throw it away." I snatched a big doll in case Dietrich would throw the raccoon doll over a pile of glass. "Remember, ah Nissa." "What?" "Money is not a problem for LaGrange." If you live by stealing things in this way, it would be long if money wasn''t really a problem. The cherry blossoms that were decorating the signboard seemed to be a bit broken as the window broke. My conscience stings like crazy, so I looked through the broken window and looked for his master. "No, what''s all this!" It seemed that he had been away from the store for a while, so the owner hurriedly jumped and shouted. "What are you! What!" Dietrich, who stopped his screaming mouth, pulled out something similar to the bronze in his arms. ''It looks bigger than a coin.'' A red rose, a symbol of LaGrange, was engraved on the flat iron decoration. Regardless of the decoration, the owner''s face turns white. "It''s Derek Lagrange''s seal. You can charge him all the money in the future." It is hard to know how Derek''s seal is in the hands of Dietrich, who is not a particularly pretty candidate. The owner bows his back to see if he realizes his thread because he is not an ordinary boy. "I''m sorry to make the fuss. Charge the cost by ship." "Yes, yeah, I see." I hugged a big raccoon doll and wandered behind him. "Dietri, dietri. How do you go about that?" "You stole it. I think there will be times when I need it." "I don''t steal." "Go to the south and say that." ''But I was born in the south...... .'' I couldn''t say that, so I shut my mouth tight and nodded loudly. "Uh!" "But can you just use Derek''s seal or something like this to have a doll like this?" I wanted to ask, but before that, Dietrich quickly entered the castle. "This is a raccoon, a raccoon. It''s pretty because his eyes are wide." "You''ve shown it a hundred times more." "Raccoon again." I once again showed Baal, who hated, the pretty glass bead eyes of the raccoon. It resembles Dietrich''s reddish black eyes. ''Of course, Dietrich''s eyes are not so shiny.'' "Yes. It''s pretty. It''s really pretty. It''s totally luxurious." At Baal''s fat answer, I shouted and stroked the doll''s head. "He is more expensive than a bal." "You know how much I am..." "Because it is prettier than a bal, it is more expensive than a bal." I hugged the raccoon doll tightly-although it seems to be the same size as me-he laughed. Marilyn strokes my head as if I am cute. "Are you so good, Princess?" "Yeah. I like to play with raccoon." "Young master bought it, right?" "Uh¡­.....Yes." Strictly speaking, he didn''t buy it, but I roughly nodded. After giving her the raccoon doll, Dietrich didn''t show up again, and Yuric, who was so mad at him, looked for me, but it was okay. Admiring that the doll might be this soft, I buried my face on the plump belly of the doll. Marilyn, who was preparing my meal, opened her mouth while holding my plate. "You can''t see where Lancel went these days?" "Uh?" "Of course, I am not dissatisfied with caring for the Princess by myself, so do not misunderstand. I wish I could go to Liatris, such as Lancel." Marilyn added, and I burst into laughter. After that, I really can''t see Lancel. Even if I go out to play without taking care of me like this, I''m sure he will getting a full salary from Lagrange. ''I''m sorry.'' After a simple meal consisting of black bread, jam, and marilyn, recently added thin ham, I decided to go in search of Lancel. I wasn''t learning any more how to use Eredia''s abilities as Joseph had left the estate at Derek''s order. It wasn''t exactly what Lancel wanted to see, but because there was no one who stopped practicing this ability. ''Marilyn''s Aura is so clean that there is no part to purify.'' On the other hand, Baal''s aura was so dirty that he couldn''t even try to purify him because he wasn''t a demon. Lancel, who occasionally comes with an artificially dirty aura, is a good practice. I snorted and said hello to the raccoon doll and then came down from the bed. Baal glides behind me as if he was in charge of my escort instead of Yuric. "It smells like bal." "But I can''t help it. Your Majesty''s name is Shinee." "Hing....... ." At my words, Baal quivered, buried his face in his body and sniffed. I couldn''t smell it because it was the smell of aura, not the real smell. After sniffing for a long time, he opens his mouth as if embarrassed. "Princess, I washed and came out today. Really." "What." "Because the princess keeps saying that it''s dirty when I don''t wash it." ''Now I have to be a little less convincing.'' If I made more teasing, it felt like Baal would cry, so I shrugged and then moved on. As he inhales deeply while stopping in the hallway, Lancel''s aura, faint from a distance, takes over. ''Oh, moderately grumpy and insignificant.'' To define the smell of Lancel, it was. I moved along the long corridor in search of the insignificant aura. ''Well? It''s weird.'' There were many cases where Lancel''s aura was artificially felt, but as I concentrated on smelling it, I felt a much more artificial odor. ''Strange, it''s not Lancel''s.'' I stooped down in the hallway like a dog, sniffing like crazy to find the cause. It was a fine scent that couldn''t have been smelled in the past, but the ability to deal with auras seemed to have developed a little. ''It has a rose scent.'' If the grove of withered roses is a garden located in front of Dahlia Palace, there was also a backyard where even Dietrich could not go. An artificial odor was flowing from there, as if it was made by mixing this and that with a strong fragrance. ''Lancel....... .?'' Lancel is lying leisurely on a pavilion overgrown with weeds because it is not more tidy than the withered rose bush. ''You''re not working and playing again.'' I was stunned, huh, and sighed, then ran lightly at him. In the middle of the pavilion where Lancel, who has not been awakened whether he has fallen asleep or not, is lying, there is a plaster statue of a rose that he has never seen before. ''It smells like this.'' It was not easy to distinguish because it was so close to Lancel, but when I closed my eyes and took a breath again, I was able to find out what the smell was. "A strange rose." The stem is white, but seeing that only the rose petals are painted black, I thought it was a symbol of Lagrange. "Ah! I''m surprised!" Lancel wakes up in a fuss before I reach out and search for the rose. I looked down at him making a fuss with his nostrils. "Why is the Princess here?" "Come on for your work." "Why am I?" ''Why. Come on to practice purification.'' I shrugged, pretending to be unaware of Lancel''s wiping. As he reaches out in the air and stirs the air around Lancel, his dark blue aura becomes clear little by little. ''Let''s try this one while doing it.'' Having purified Lancel''s aura as usual, I thoughtlessly put my hand on the plaster rose. The spine becomes creepy when I touch the aura, which has a slightly different feeling from the black aura of the devil. It was not easy to purify because it was a much darker''evil'' than Lancel''s. Lancel, as he watched me exert his power, stretches out his arms to me with a confused face. "Oh my God! No Princess, why are you trying to stand here to do business?" "no !!!" ''What this guy sees a person for!'' The plaster rose shattered, saying, "Bang!" Cut debris bounces in all directions, creating additional dust. "Oh! The plaster rose is broken, because of the Princess!" ¡°I''m not breaking it!¡± Not knowing what I was doing, Lancel bluntly blamed me, although of course I was right. ''What? I purified the aura, but why the statue is broken.'' I squinted my eyes and observed the fragments that fell on my toes. ''Magic?'' The aura rising from the sculpture was unpleasantly dirty. In addition, it is very suspicious that the malicious aura, which was artificially felt from the moment the rose broke, completely disappeared. ''I think there was a time when Joseph had told me about this curse before.'' Distracting people''s hearts. "Princess, where did you have any injuries?". "Uh......?" "Is there any place where you hit everything. Look at it." Lancel was worried about me unlikely and looked at me after he flashed at me, confused. "Oh! Are you ok!" "I am okay." ''Why is this guy doing this?'' CH 47 No content CH 48 No content CH 49 I wondered if there was a reason for the Lagrange children to grow wickedly, and I couldn¡¯t answer. ¡®Baal!¡¯ In this case, I have no choice but to get help from the devil. I can feel Baal, who had been left at Dahlia Palace, wriggling under the shadow of the sofa. I sneaked my body toward it, looking at Leatris. The only smell of aura in this room is that of her and her baby. ¡®I have to run away before more people come.¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because I¡¯m alone I¡¯ll be able to get rid of it. The children who went hunting are probably back by now.¡± I heard that the children of Lia tris did not raise them with the children she had brought up like Dietrich and me, so they socialize with the elders. ¡®That¡¯s why the palace was empty.¡¯ I came back soon, I remembered the face of Alphones, and I raised the impression. ¡°Would you like to send me if I want to go out?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± At my question, Liatris murmured for a moment, then slowly shook her head. There seems to be no idea of ??just letting me go. ¡°I can¡¯t let you go until you explain your actions-¡± As if she stopped talking, the door suddenly opened. ¡°Yuri.¡± It was Yuri who appeared without any pretext. His head was covered with dust and his clothes were dreaded. Although it seemed like he had been beaten up by anyone, Lia Tris looked back at him with no wonder where or why my son was being beaten. ¡°It¡¯s still vulgar to open the door without knocking.¡± I looked back at Yuric, trembling at her complaining tone. The boy who was running to see if he had a quick breath barely answers. ¡°Any-no, I see Dietrich Lagrange¡¯s sister from the window.¡± Liatris frowned at Yuric¡¯s answer, saying it was unpleasant. He looks at me with a definite face whether his bug-seeing gaze is familiar. ¡®go. go. go.¡¯ He soon signaled by curling his lips in a circle without Liatris looking. I couldn¡¯t even say I understood, and I clenched my fist. ¡°Strange.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..Yeah?¡± ¡°Your blue eyes are not so disgusting now.¡± If so, is it usually disgusting? I wriggled a little eyebrow at Leatris¡¯ words. Yuric doesn¡¯t even respond properly, as if it were familiar. He calmly replied, facing my mother, who took my disgust as usual. ¡°That¡¯s fortunate.¡± Soon he hesitated, intervening between me and her. ¡°¡­¡­¡­Dietrich¡¯s sister must have come because she had something to look at, right?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡°In this situation, I have no choice but to confront Yuric. Lia Tris leans her head aside to my answer. ¡°Why is Dalia¡¯s child looking for you who isn¡¯t even a candidate for successor?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something Alphonse told you to do. You can ask him.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to tell me?¡± ¡°I am Alphonse¡¯s servant from the moment I gave up the succession. No matter how much I say mother, I can¡¯t tell you what my brother told me to do.¡± ¡°If your words are false now, you will pay a great price.¡± Liatris softly threatened, and Yuric nodded with a steady glance. Me and Yuric who had seen her alternately leave the room holding the baby. As soon as Liatris disappeared, Baal crawled out like a serpent. He looks down at me as if he is blame. ¡°Don¡¯t go away by yourself.¡± ¡°I have work to do.¡± I shook my hand to completely remove the shape of the mobile sculpture, and then approached Yuric, who stood tall in his place. He scratched my mouth and muttered to himself with a mysterious voice. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one who would be fooled by such excuses. I even said your eyes weren¡¯t disgusting.¡± I was even more surprised that Liatris had always said that to her son without hesitation, but it seems more shocking that Yuric said not today. ¡°It¡¯s different than usual?¡± ¡°Yes. Usually, she don¡¯t like making eye contact with me. But she looked straight into my eyes.¡± I made a grievous sound at Yuric¡¯s words. If Liatris¡¯ behavior suddenly changed, it would be true that the statues I smashed were cursed. ¡°How would you like to have a false marine?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little right. It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not salty! (You¡¯re not okay!)¡± I screamed at Yuric who didn¡¯t know how to save his body. He shook his head at my reaction. ¡°I¡¯m lying, but what should I do. Go out before my mother asks Alphonse. Don¡¯t come for a while. ¡°¡­¡­¡­Maybe this way.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°How to stop Alphonse and other kids from freaking out Yuri.¡± ¡®Because the curse will also have the effect of the children harassing Yuric excessively.¡¯ I put my hand on Baal¡¯s shoulder, who held me, and then ordered nicely to follow Dietrich. ¡°Ro Zigong.¡± ¡°Eh? Aren¡¯t you going home?¡± Unlike Dietrich¡¯s order, I shook my rattle toward Al, who questioned in a poignant manner. Only then he moves, groaning. Lagrange Castle consisted of the Palace of Nature, Dahlia Palace, Liatris Palace, and Rose Palace. The Rose Palace, where Catherine, one of Derek¡¯s wives, resides, did not even appear in the background of The Men¡¯s War of the Roses. ¡®That is, the words of the Extras¡¯ Palace.¡¯ I leaned flat on the lawn and exhaled. Sniff. Sniffing. It feels like a dog, but I couldn¡¯t help it because this pose was the easiest to find. Baal kicks his tongue as if I¡¯m pathetic. ¡°If you want to take a walk, would you like to go somewhere else?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a mountain trip!¡± ¡°If your Majesty knows, he will be angry.¡± ¡°But if the glass is hurt, it doesn¡¯t happen.¡± Unlike the pieces hidden in the Liatris and Dahlias, which smelled very bad, the pieces in the Rose Palace had a light scent. Even if it moves by itself, the position keeps changing. ¡®What?¡¯ As I sniffed in place, I soon woke up. ¡°You have to go in and write something.¡± ¡°Would you like to do it.¡± Being puzzled-ignoring Baal¡¯s warnings-after exploring the gardens of Rose Palace, I was able to figure out why. ¡®It is obvious that the decoration is on the human body!¡¯ I watched the children of Rose Palace gathered together with narrow eyes. All three looked like my age, but one had a weapon in their hands that seemed dangerous. ¡®It looks like the scent of roses is spreading from them.¡¯ As expected, as I approached a little closer, I noticed a black mist rising from the children¡¯s necklaces. ¡°I am the best candidate for Rose Palace!¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s me!¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s me! Today, I¡¯m going to give you a hard time!¡± Unlike Alphonse, the children of Dahlia have not lost their own color. ¡®How do I take that.¡¯ However, just because Aura wasn¡¯t dirty, the children wouldn¡¯t be as gentle. I thought for a moment, hiding myself among the bushes. In order not to repeat the same mistakes as before, I gathered my feet neatly. ¡®Perfect. Hmm.¡¯ ¡°Who are you?¡± I really did not seem to be talented in hiding. ¡°Me, me?¡± ¡°Yeah, you.¡± The children of Rose Palace must have been younger than me, but I heard that I was born around the age of two. ¡®Because they are talking to each other, of course!¡¯ I wasn¡¯t Baal or Marilyn or a talkative person-a devil-so I pouting out of my mouth because I was ashamed of my poor pronunciation. The lanterns and glowing eyes of the children who approached me looked more naive than I expected, so I cleared my voice for a moment. ¡°I¡­¡­.. .¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I!¡± Standing on both sides, in a stately posture, I raised my head, following Dietrich. It was like that, as if they laughing at me, but the children looked at me without languishing eyes. It sparkles as if stars are scattered in the red red like a ruby. I felt a little sorry to see the children¡¯s cheeks rising with anticipation. ¡®Does following Dietrich work a little?¡¯ ¡°Do you have the owner?¡± I coughed up to the child¡¯s question, nicely, and then shook my index finger. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Sure! Then sign me!¡± ¡°No! Do it with me!¡± ¡°Oh, me too!¡± The three people answered all at once and raised their voices, and my head hurts. I shook my head as I pushed the children¡¯s heads one after another. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to make a master.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why not make it?¡± ¡°Why? For what?¡± I laughed embarrassingly amid repeated questions like echoes. It was a good strategy to fool the kids into a plausible way, but how to get out of this. ¡°Because I¡¯m a lonely Bing.¡± ¡°loneliness?¡± ¡°What is solitude?¡± ¡°Is it poison? Is there any poison that we haven¡¯t eaten?¡± CH 50 I put Catherine¡¯s children in Zoro Rock, then lowered my voice. The fluffy dark brown hair shook as if dancing in the direction of the wind. ¡°If you guys answer me first, I¡¯ll let you know.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What do you want to ask?¡± ¡°ask!¡± ¡®I have to tell you the rules that say one child at a time.¡¯ I grabbed my sore ears and spoke. ¡°When did you have that necklace?¡± ¡°this.¡­?¡± ¡°Wow. Yesterday! Is it not? Yesterday?¡± ¡°Mom said never leave it out. She said this will make us stronger.¡± A child brags me with a necklace in front of me. Unlike the previously destroyed plaster statues, the child¡¯s necklace was decorated with ruby. ¡®It would be difficult to smash this in front.¡¯ I looked at the jewel with a black aura that seemed to be shining transparently and with a frown. Then the child who showed me the necklace jumps back with a loud noise. ¡°Why do you hate me so much? My mom went away!¡± ¡°Yes! Shadow Demon is bad!¡± I looked up and made eye contact with the grunting child. I almost apologized for being coldly sorry, but since the devil doesn¡¯t apologize, I decided to go out shamelessly. ¡®Although Baal easily says he¡¯s sorry, he lives.¡¯ ¡°Solitude is scary.¡± ¡°Is it poison?¡± ¡°No, but it¡¯s more scary.¡± ¡®Because it makes people sick.¡¯ The reason why poison hurts can be known, but loneliness is encroaching without a cause and hurts humans. It makes me blame myself for being the only one who is bothered and weak.1 ¡°You only say strange things.¡± I looked around with the children who groaned their heads as if they couldn¡¯t understand me. Even though they were children, it was judged that it was a bit unreasonable to forcefully take three necklaces at once and run away. ¡®Once the garden is too close to the palace.¡¯ It was long enough for the guards to run quickly if the children shouted. In addition, one of the three even had a little cloudy aura as if it had already been influenced by the black aura. ¡°Can I tell you a fun game?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t fun if it was a brother killing game.¡± I smiled and shook my head at the soft voices of the children. ¡°It¡¯s not such a fun game.¡± ¡°then?¡± I really began to seduce the children in a low voice like the devil whispered. ¡°Mugungah is playing¡­.¡± The children quickly learned the rule of ¡°Mugunghwa flowers bloomed¡±, perhaps because they had good hair. The rule is that you can go to me while I sings, but when I turns back after the song is over, you has to stop without moving one tip of his toe. 1 ¡°It¡¯s easy!¡± ¡°We won again!¡± I let them win in a row by constantly staggering or moving their bodies when they were tricky. I lost again and made an unfair face in the form of frustration, and the children burst into laughter, asking if the devil can¡¯t do this either. ¡°What are you going to give this time?¡± ¡°Well, bring this.¡± I gave out the lottery tickets that I had stored in my pocket to the children, and pouting my lips. ¡®Maybe some of them have won!¡¯ It was very wasteful because it was a lottery ticket that had not yet been confirmed, but there is no way to make the children vigilant. I encouraged the children to compete by saying that this game was the last. ¡°If you lose, it won¡¯t happen, but will you give me far?¡± ¡°We? We don¡¯t have these evil servants like you.¡± ¡°What about the jewelry you are holding?¡± ¡°Oh, no. This is my mother told me not to take it off my body.¡± I shrugged at the children¡¯s words that firmly firmed my face. ¡°I¡¯m not asking for it. I want to borrow a moment.¡± ¡°awhile?¡± ¡°Okay. How about returning it after a few nights?¡± It was important to make you feel that the necklace wasn¡¯t great. It¡¯s not as great as the jewels the demons make, but one child begins to nod when he wants to take a closer look at what human jewels look like. ¡®Are you moving. Came over¡± ¡°Well, yeah, well. You¡¯ll lose anyway.¡± ¡°Is it really okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll have that devil anyway! We¡¯re very good at this game!¡± ¡°Yes, we are good!¡± The timid child looked at the necklace as if anxious, but soon the children raised their voices with their courage. With his chubby hands smelling of breadcrumbs on his side, he lined up. ¡°Ok!¡± I took the necklace carefully and hung it on the tree branch. ¡°Ok. Let¡¯s start?¡± I stopped looking after my children and began to seriously focus on¡¯The Rose of Sharon has bloomed.¡¯ In fact, it is a game that is so advantageous to me that I am sorry for the children. ¡®I feel the way I¡¯m coming from, so I¡¯m diagnosed. ¡° Aura was an intangible entity that could be seen even with her eyes closed. Of course, the aura, shaking with the excitement of the children, was conveyed to me even when I turned around. ¡°My clothes are all-.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.. !¡± After grasping the location of the children, I grabbed the children who were close to me in order, and then jumped to the tree with the children¡¯s necklaces attached to them. ¡°what¡± There was a sound of the surprised children¡¯s jaws opening. Without worrying, I immediately summoned Baal while holding the necklace in my hand. ¡°Our necklace!!!¡± ¡°This bad devil!¡± ¡®I¡¯m sorry, if I destroy only Aura, I¡¯ll return it.¡¯ I hid in the shadows of Baal, leaving behind the children reaching out to me with a face that was about to burst into tears. ¡®What if you ask what¡¯s in my pocket?¡¯ The yellow dress I wear was made by Marilyn, but it only had one pocket. When I insert the necklace, it pops out as if insisting¡¯I am here¡¯. Luckily, Baal, who brought me to Dahlia, tried to pretend not to know my protruding pockets. ¡®I mean, I am unnecessarily caring about the devil topic.¡¯ I washed me, changed into pajamas, and then sat in a rocking chair and tilted my head looking at the leisurely knitting Baal. ¡®If I had a grandmother, would it feel like that?¡¯ No, there was actually a grandmother, because I didn¡¯t even play grandchildren, who didn¡¯t have much talent, so even if I went to holidays, I didn¡¯t pretend to do it once. ¡°Bal.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Is Bal bad ?¡± Baal puts down the knitting thread and turns to see if I felt my question wasn¡¯t the usual joke. It was a strange face whose expression was unknown because the shadow was grown. ¡°That¡¯s bad, because I¡¯m the devil.¡± ¡°Demon¡¯s is all bad?¡± At that question, I shut my mouth again. Asmodeus was a terrible demon, but if it was the logic that it was bad because he was a demon, all the children of Lagrangian would also become villains. ¡®But the Rose Palace kids I saw today were just ordinary kids.¡¯ I suddenly thought of Yuric¡¯s words and approached Baal. As I opened my arms, he naturally hugged me and sat me on my lap. ¡± Are you giving me because of the floating bal? ¡° ¡°Are you talking about the price?¡± Baa shook her head more slowly than I noticed. ¡°I don¡¯t necessarily take my life, it¡¯s a price. Instead, humans couldn¡¯t be able to behave like limbs.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Why do you do that? Demon¡¯s is stronger.¡± I was curious about it from before. The power of the sun god was basically the ability to be manifested because they were priests of the gods, because the demons of the Lagrange state seemed closer to slavery. Vaal¡¯s eyebrow-the part where it should be-goes up, as if my question was unexpected. He hesitated unchangedly and touched his lips. ¡°If you repeat this, the line between humans and demons becomes increasingly blurred. If that happens.¡± Baal opened his mouth wide, not talking. Having stolen into the empty mouth of the devil without a throat, I swallowed my saliva. ¡°Is it a Dite mug?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Bal is really only me.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a devil.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so good at it?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stop it. I can¡¯t stop it even if Hella, the sun god, comes.¡± I narrow my eyes to Baal¡¯s assertion. It would be much more difficult than purifying the evil curse, but maybe-. ¡°Please refrain from asking difficult questions now.¡± Baal leaned over as a nanny, kissing my forehead. The devil has no face. So, of course, I didn¡¯t even have lips, but I shuddered at the feeling of a warm, lukewarm breath. ¡°Hello, Prinsess.¡± When Marilyn, who was nagging her dangerously alone, nagging her where she went, goes back to my room, the only silence with the sound of my breath falls. Dietrich still seemed to be avoiding me-or maybe he was really busy-but it was hard to see the hair. ¡®Alone yes.¡¯ In my previous life, I was always alone, so it was more awkward to have someone next to me, but there were times when I felt a little scared to be alone. 1 Because I had Dietrich. Even if he didn¡¯t give up easily, he was my family, and that was the only thing for me, who became Anissa. And he had me. ¡®I don¡¯t know that. Fool.¡¯ I pouting, remembering Dietrich turning away from me. I can¡¯t sleep, so I have to do something to do. As I put my arm under the raccoon doll and moved, hard necklaces were caught in my hand at the end of the sound of the cloth bumping. Unlike gypsum roses and mobiles, jewelry could not be broken no matter how hard it was shaken. I can cleanse only when the black mist touches my hand, but it hides under elaborate crafts and blooms as if raising me.+ ¡®What to do with this.¡¯ I should have given it back to the triplets at Rose Palace. I try to shine a jewel in the moonlight in my tight heart, and the room turns black. CH 51 ¡®assassin?¡¯ The assassins usually aim for Dietrich, but they didn¡¯t come directly to my room. I looked at the shadows covering the moon with my eyes open. The shadow was a very familiar. ¡°Dietri?¡± ¡°okay.¡± He has been avoiding me these days and I wonder for some reason. He hurried up and opened the window, and Dietrich fell into the room as if poured. Hook, the scent of thick blood, lighted the lamp with fear. ¡°Hyup!¡± Drops of blood were dripping into the cracks of the old floor. The wound that I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a cut or something is so severe that I can see it even if he don¡¯t lift his clothes. I grabbed Dietrich under the spreading yellow light of a grown-up. He came with me to see if he had no strength, leaned against the bed and exhaled a long sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad again. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± As usual, He say his wounds as if they weren¡¯t big. I was more upset with the words, and I pouting my mouth. ¡°How is this nothing?¡± I looked for the bandage, holding back the tears. Dahlia now had bandages, ointments, drugs commonly used for bruises, and even pain relievers. Dahlia is now just that much less and Dietrich is just that much stronger. It wasn¡¯t strong enough to not get hurt completely. ¡®Why do you hit the villain topic so easily?¡¯ Dietrich watched silently as I cried and applied the ointment as if covering his wounds. There is no one moaning that it is not hurt. Even though blood spurts on the theme of a child of only ten years old, I can¡¯t even see inspiration. I felt terrible belatedly about that. When reading the background of the demonic Archduke Dietrich Lagrange in print, without conscience on a subject that I had never thought of. ¡°Put it!¡± Dietrich hates crying children. To hold back the tears, I twisted my face and tried everything, but I opened my mouth like a breath. ¡°It¡¯s ugly.¡± When I didn¡¯t respond, a stinging gaze poured over my head, and I couldn¡¯t even wipe my runny nose and raised my head. ¡°Why!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­. .¡± ¡°What! Why are you watching!¡± ¡°why are you crying?¡± ¡°I just pretended to meet and I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m crying!¡± He would have frowned at his eyebrows saying he wasn¡¯t a habit, but Dietrich just laughed at the powerless sound of being cheated. He wipes my eyes running down the tip of my chin with his palm. His white fingers sparkled transparently. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. There will be no crybaby like you in the history of LaGrange.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sad, do you cry?¡± He was silent again. He only slightly frowns as if the wound he touched while wearing the bandage was sore. ¡°No, I ran away and I got hurt like this.¡± ¡± ¡­¡­¡­ .¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it again. (I¡¯ll do it again).¡± It seems surprising I knew that Dietrich was avoiding me. He forgot that he was injured, he opened his eyes wide and groaned for bitterness. He soon replied as if excuses. ¡°I am confused when I see you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Because I can¡¯t figure out if the decision I made is correct. Even though there is no way other than this road, I only have to worry about no answer.¡± I glanced at him, muttering words I couldn¡¯t understand, and tapped my lips. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­. Do you know if you run away?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Should Dietrich become escaped?¡± The fact that Dietrich became the Grand Duke of LaGrange felt as if he could not escape. In¡¯The Men¡¯s War of the Roses¡¯, he was the Grand Duke and Hermann Euclid¡¯s only rival. However, is it a position that has to be achieved with such a hard work? If he became a grand duke, he would start a war with Hermann, and he would be sealed. Charlotte saves him, but if he wastes his demonic power to protect her, he will eventually be eaten by Baal. It wasn¡¯t even a childhood that could be summed up in a single line like a novel. We had to endure these days without being able to skip every moment. ¡°There is no option to run away in Lagrange, Nissa.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Because I already have Baal, and Derek Lagrange isn¡¯t the only one who covets Baal. I just swallow it before I get swallowed.¡± Dietrich¡¯s words slowed as the mind gradually faded. I wiped his forehead from the cold sweat of peregrine and bone. ¡°The back side of the moon where children can hide is in a fairy tale.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.. .¡± ¡°I made up my mind. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡®What kind of mind did you decide?¡¯ I wondered, but Dietrich closed his eyes when he said that. I looked down at him, sleeping quietly, exhaling on my knees. ¡°¡­¡­.. .¡± I clenched my fist. A groan leaks out from the evil door teeth. If Dietrich¡¯s becoming a grand duke is a fact that doesn¡¯t change, maybe the degree of the process can be varied. ¡®If Dietrich could be a little less difficult.¡¯ I closed my eyes looking at the three red gems that had dropped on the floor. ¡®It is purified. Be purified!¡¯ It was a terrible thing that made Lagrange¡¯s children lonely. A curse that makes the family unable to exist as a family. Still harassing children on demonic subjects that were already sealed hundreds of years ago. I hated Asmodeus and couldn¡¯t stand it. I only thought that Eredia¡¯s abilities should be exercised with a good heart, but his hatred toward Asmodeus increased my abilities beyond my thoughts. The white aura that came out of his fingertips wraps around the jewel and begins to shake. ¡®Please, I hope it worked.¡¯ For Lancel, who was easily affected by the curse, the effect was quickly seen, but I was afraid that others might not have been affected in the first place. I drew my hands together, restlessly facing Dietrich, who was asleep. The curse that I purified became the starting point, without knowing what kind of wind would blow in Lagrange. Dietrich woke up with the warmth of wriggling and digging into my arms. When he slowly open his eyes, He make a rumbling noise and the red hair comes in first. Moonlight poured over the child¡¯s round white forehead. In the cool breeze coming through the cracks of the open window, Dietrich put a blanket over the neck of Anit. ¡°Hooong.¡± He stretches out his hand to clean up the hair that has stuck on the ball, and clenched his fist. Dietrich frowns his handsome eyebrows and stares at the shadows over them. He was smiling with his red mouth open, not knowing when he appeared. ¡°There is no eye to see, Your Majesty. Agares has torn limbs and will not be able to chase us for a while.¡± Dietrich listened silently to his abrupt report. The devil smiles and attaches four feet. ¡°There is no need to pretend to care for the princess. It is only me and your majesty here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..Right.¡± The boy slowly nodded at Baal¡¯s words. He has no eyes to see, so he doesn¡¯t have to pretend to be precious. It wasn¡¯t wrong. ¡°Agareth and Derek seem to have been completely deceived. Ah, he only know that Nissa is your dear sister.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.. .¡± I was upset even though I realized that Baal¡¯s words weren¡¯t wrong. The devil continued to speak, not seeing Dietrich¡¯s face hardening. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to pretend to cherish her in order to make her a scapegmm. Now, if you cross this gate well -¡± ¡°It¡¯s noisy.¡± Dietrich cut off Baal¡¯s giggling words. The embarrassed devil smacks his long finger and tilts his head. ¡°Oh, if the princess wakes up, you¡¯ll be in trouble! You have to pretend to be cherished again. You¡¯ll be bothered.¡± However, the devil, who does not know the delicate emotions of a person at all, simply stands by the window with a refreshing step. ¡°How much do she care for the ugly doll that your Majesty gave her. If I was a human, I would have felt sorry for it.¡± Dietrich looked back at Baal¡¯s fingered and Ricky Raccoon doll Perhaps because he raised his body, Anissa was now buried in a doll that was almost as large as his torso. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. Look how old the doll is worn out. It¡¯s dragged around here and there.¡± Baal fluttered his long tongue and stretched out his shadow, rummaging the doll¡¯s limbs. As the devil said, the doll, which was clearly new, had stitches loosened here and there. Dietrich slowly removed the dry leaves from the gray-colored raccoon¡¯s soles. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal,¡± he looked at Anit¡¯s petty doll for quite some time. ¡°Would you like to tell me that you are leaving the investigation near Euclid?¡± The devil asks for Dietrich, who is silently looking at the doll. He seems to have been hidden by the company, but he slowly opened three necklaces that seemed to have flowed out of his sleep. ¡°You said that Joseph Euclid was in Romandorf.¡± ¡°Sure, because the plan was to contact the informant planted at Euclid there.¡± ¡°I have to check Anit¡¯s ability.¡± CH 52 I didn¡¯t have much memory of worrying about my feelings. From the moment I signed with Baal, it seemed that all my feelings had been confiscated. Because Baal had no feelings. Baal was a gray molecule that remained neutral even in hell. He was the guide who led the silent evil to hell, and for him right and wrong, joy and sorrow were not clear. ¡®Does that affect me too?¡¯ At the threshold of the Romandorf Forest, I was contemplating for a moment. If I hadn¡¯t signed with Baal, I think this blurry feeling would have been a little more pronounced. Pretending to cherish it was more difficult than I thought. She just did not starve to death, and after threatening the child. Funny enough, the child began to follow himself without a doubt. However, even though things were going as planned, there was no laughter. Dietrich looked at the giant Romendorf¡¯s giant tree and thought of the tiny Anit company. ¡®Is it so small that I feel like this?¡¯ She was too small for the cost of being a California. As if two feet smaller than one¡¯s own palm suddenly disappeared one day, this world wouldn¡¯t be any lighter. Dietrich wanted to distance himself from Anit. He had already shown Anissa to Derek, so it was useless to maintain a more friendly relationship. He acquired the¡¯valuable being¡¯ to be put out at the last gateway, and that¡¯s all about the usefulness of Anissa.But the useful, easy-to-use and throw-away company, Anit began to reach out to me. No matter how much I rooted it, it stuck. ¡®Aren¡¯t he telling me he¡¯ll keep me on my subject?¡¯ Eventually, he rejected Joseph¡¯s proposal. I was worried about what to follow. ¡®Because it is a floating family.¡¯ Dietrich stiffened his chin as if determined, and found the hut where Joseph was hiding. ¡°I grew up like that.¡± The old man met him as if he had been waiting. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? I thought you wouldn¡¯t like places like Romendorf, but did your devil beg you to come?¡± Romendorf¡¯s Forest, a border spirit, was a quaint place where worshipers of demons and followers of the sun god Greek coexisted, and the hometown where Baal lived when he was a human. ¡°I won¡¯t come to see you because my devil is screaming.¡± However, Dietrich shook his head and denied Joseph. ¡°Then it¡¯s because of Anissa.¡± He nodded briefly as if the old man already knew it. ¡°Is the child doing well?¡± ¡°Well. She¡¯s alive.¡± The old man shrugged as if he couldn¡¯t help it with the blunt answer. ¡°Ask quickly.¡± Dietrich faced the old man¡¯s unshakable green eyes. It was wrinkled and written around the eyes, but only those eyes did not lose firearms. ¡°Is Anit my sister?¡± ¡°Sister?¡± murmurs Joseph. He had a sympathy for the child he didn¡¯t know well. ¡°Now, it looks like you¡¯re curious about the identity of Anit.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­ .¡± ¡°You¡¯re young, but you¡¯re an agile and thorough kid. You couldn¡¯t have realized that she¡¯s different right now,¡± Joseph¡¯s voice diminishes. He said as if contemplating. ¡°You don¡¯t even need to know in the first place.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.. .¡± At Joseph¡¯s sharp words, Dietrich bite a small lip. ¡°Answer me.¡± Joseph exhaled slowly and slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Anissa is a child from the south. I can feel the energy of Eredia. She was just born with red eyes.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not my Sister,¡± Dietrich, showing no surprise at all. He just nodded, as if he had just confirmed what he knew. The old man frowned to read Dietrich¡¯s expression. However, nothing can be felt from the boy¡¯s still face. ¡°Are you checking to alleviate the guilt you did with yours?¡± At Joseph¡¯s words, Dietrich raised his mouth at an angle. That¡¯s funny. Being a monster looking for a scapegoat to live was unchanging, but if you sacrifice your sister, you have to feel guilty, and if not, is it okay? ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if that kid is my real sister or not.¡± ¡°if so?¡± ¡°Whatever I wanted to see would be different when I check it.¡± Dietrich mumbled little, opening and clenching his fist repeatedly. ¡°I don¡¯t think being a family doesn¡¯t necessarily mean blood ties.¡± If I had the confidence that she wasn¡¯t my younger sister, I thought my heart would feel like I was stiffening my heart, but it wasn¡¯t at all. When I still think of the child, strange emotions soar. ¡°Dietrich, Anissa is a child who truly cares for you.¡± ¡°Know.¡± The boy held in his hand a candy that the child had secretly handed over. He was nothing but he couldn¡¯t eat. The child has become such a meaning to him. It wasn¡¯t a big deal, but it took me a little bit, and I couldn¡¯t remove it. ¡°It¡¯s noisy.¡± (It¡¯s loud.) I woke up at the buzzing noise from the window outside the bedroom, and I was amazed by myself when I was fortunate in a strange tone. Marilyn, who looks like me, is looking down at me. ¡°Noisy?¡± There was no child under me in Dalia Palace. Because it was only children, Lancel and Marilyn, were always quiet enough to be lonely sometimes. ¡®Not to mention Dietrich and Lancel, who don¡¯t look very well,¡¯ Marilyn cherished me, but he couldn¡¯t play with me all the time because of his work, and Baal was a demon who only showed up when he really needed it. He was always quiet enough that he couldn¡¯t talk to anyone all day long. ¡®That¡¯s why my pronunciation doesn¡¯t improve.¡¯ However, the palace that used to be like that today is crowded with toxic people gathering together, making a loud noise. ¡°¡­¡­¡­Why?¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t you? Sounds like a sound in the garden.¡± I grabbed Marilyn¡¯s puzzled hand and hurried to the garden. I didn¡¯t take a few steps from the palace¡¯s porch, but I was able to confirm the cause of this loud noise. ¡°What are you all about¡­?¡± I thought, as if all the children of Lagrange had put together. I opened my mouth as I pointed my fingers to the children coughing in the dust dripping from the old marble fountain. ¡®What are you all?¡¯ They are children in the forest of withered roses crowded so loudly. The Withered Rose Forest is the only place where the villain Dietrich was comforted, and it is the old garden of Dahlia Palace, which is a million light-years away from the word¡¯busy¡¯. However, the noise from the garden now was similar to that of a small school athletic meet. ¡®There are some familiar faces.¡¯ The triplets I saw at Rose Palace, a boy my age, Veronica, Yuric, a newborn baby in Yuric¡¯s arms, and a few dozen children who don¡¯t even know their faces. ¡°What are you all doing here?¡± At my question, Yurik walks out of the crowd with an embarrassing face and scratches his head behind him. ¡°I was only trying to come, but these children keep trying to follow me.¡± Somehow, his voice was full of ugly dams. he put his hand on my shoulder and smiled as if showing off our closeness. ¡°I was already there, ah Nissa. It¡¯s not like the guys who flocked.¡± She came to my side with her chin up as if to put her position. Then, from the children¡¯s side, a wow, wow-a little screaming sound is heard. ¡°You know her.¡± ¡°How do you know! We aren¡¯t friends in the first place, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Ah, children who have a problem with Nissa, let me first tell me.¡± Veronica, like a celebrity manager, decided the order of the children who would come to me. As if there was an urgent thing, the triplets, who were rolling their feet together, stepped forward first. ¡°Give me back our necklace!¡± The children proudly reach out to me. ¡®I always did it.¡¯ If not, I was going to go to Rose Palace. I was going to give it back anyway, so I thought it was good, so I quickly rummaged my pocket and took out a necklace. ¡®Three twins have come to get a necklace.¡¯ Yuric and Veronica would also say that, but why are the first-time kids coming? Before I even asked, a boy who was close to Yuric opened his eyes and grabbed the hem of my cuffs. ¡°I heard that you can solve two barrels that even Joseph can¡¯t solve.¡± As I looked at Aura at the child¡¯s words, I was spotted as if he had been cursed, like that of Lansel. ¡®What aura cleaning lady am I?¡¯ Maybe it¡¯s a rumor from Liatris. I purged the child¡¯s aura by complaining only inside. Then, the expression of the child, whose day was very dark after hitting the child, brightens little by little. ¡°I don¡¯t think my head hurts because I¡¯m really looking at you. What is it? Fairy?¡± ¡°No, Anitsa said it was a devil.¡± As if to refute the child¡¯s words, one of the triplets teases the mouth of the bell. ¡°Now, next.¡± When Veronica¡¯s permission is given, the children who were holding her hand approached as if they had come together. It was a sideline group of Lagrange who was not even assigned to the palace. The children of Rim, who were twisted, opened their mouths at once, offering toys or snacks they brought. ¡°We want to play games too!¡± ¡°Uh?¡± The children talked without worrying about my face that was distorted. ¡°I want to play games, we too!¡± ¡°¡­¡­..what?¡± I don¡¯t know why such rumors spread, but I couldn¡¯t escape until the sun fell from the hands of the children who were looking for me with twinkling eyes. ¡®This is how the curse ripple effect appears.¡¯ Lagrange quickly became a kindergarten. CH 53 Children who were no longer affected by the curse liked me very much. Maybe it¡¯s because I instinctively felt that I was the one who broke the curse that tied them. ¡®Anyway, it¡¯s a problem because they like me so much¡­¡­. .¡¯ For several months already, children have been gathering together at Dahlia Palace every day. As soon as the sun rose, I closed my eyes as I watched the children gathered in front of the Dahlia Palace. ¡°Once everyone gathered here.¡± As I clapped my hands lightly, the children who had been talking to each other gathered in front of me. ¡°Well, you, you, and you!¡± Standing in front of the children, I first sniffed. In the scent of children like savory roasted marshmallows, the smell of a terrible rose is smelled. I soon picked out only the kids with aura mottled and made a round circle around me. The unselected children sigh as if they were sorry. ¡°Are you playing with us today?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Not knowing why they were clapping with me, the children were excited and started singing along. ¡°Foo-o-o-o-e-¡± ¡°o-o-e-o-o-o-o-o.¡± Clap-clap-clap-clap- The most effective way to cleanse an aura was through physical contact. I adopted clap play to purify the children¡¯s auras without revealing my abilities. ¡°What? I am!¡± ¡°I also!¡± When children who have not yet learned order are trying to rush, I can just follow Dietrich once. ¡°Writing.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. Don¡¯t be angry.¡± I wasn¡¯t really angry, but the children quickly became quiet because they wanted to play with me too much. ¡®Ok. Is this enough for today?¡¯ Fortunately, because of the destruction of all the statues, there were fewer children coming from polluting Aura. Sometimes children contaminated like this were seen, but the degree was not severe. There were also many children who regained their own aura as much as brushing their hair once. ¡®Most of them are purified to the extent that they clap their hands like this¡­¡­. .¡¯ The problem was the grown-up kids like Alphonse. I sighed as Alphonse¡¯s sword touched him, sweeping his throat. ¡®If I touch my bracelet one more time, I know I¡¯ll die.¡¯ I certainly managed to cleanse Alphonse¡¯s bracelet by secretly infiltrating the Palace of Liatris. However, the broken bracelet had no effect on Alphonse. The longer the exposure to the curse was, the harder it was to wash the aura clean. ¡®Okay? The only reason I¡¯m not killing you now is because you¡¯re protected by that damn constraint.¡¯ Alphonse pushed me out of the palace of Liatris, muttering unknown words, whether or not the successor¡¯s restrictions. His black polluted aura did not clear up no matter how hard I tried. ¡®His aura looks like Derek in the first place, so it seems awful.¡¯ I finally decided to give up Alphonse neatly. Aura purification is a method of regaining its own aura, but it was not a magic that made bad humans good. ¡°Sigh.¡± Even though I played with the children for a while, my whole body lost energy. I sighed, not like a child, and washed my face dry with my two small hands. ¡°Ah, is it hard, Nissa?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I laughed hungryly at the children¡¯s innocent questions. Of course, the children are very cute. ¡®But there are more than ten Lagrange children! Together, dozens of people!¡¯ The kids here don¡¯t know how to play normally. It was natural that I had never played. Everyone must have been in a hurry to survive, and hunting was the closest thing to play among the ways children spend time. The majority of children had never even tried to play house games, playing dolls, and even the common people who were not children of aristocrats enjoyed it. ¡°Ah Nissa, what are we playing with today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to do something called ice it.¡± ¡°Ice it?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a game I made.¡± It¡¯s a red lie, but when I asked how I knew it, there was nothing to say. ¡°Wow. Anit seems to be very smart.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Our Anit is a genius.¡± I shrugged at the children¡¯s compliments, and let me set the tag with the rock-paper-scissors I previously told them. ¡®I remember the day I told you this rock paper scissors.¡¯ I used rock paper scissors more than three hundred times. The kids quickly tasted the real¡¯game¡¯ they first tasted-not a terrifying game of catching an assassin or killing a half brother. ¡°Are you going to do it with an apostle?¡± ¡°Huh? I want to rest.¡± ¡°No! Let¡¯s do it!¡± I smiled weakly as I watched the chirping children as a chick. ¡®tiring¡­¡­¡­. . Are you not tired.¡¯ Saesam Respect for kindergarten and daycare teachers across the country rose. ¡°Yes, I see.¡± ¡°Okay! Okay! Who¡¯s talking this time?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it. No, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Playing with children was very hard physically, but there was also the advantage that my pronunciation improved quickly because I spoke a lot. ¡®I have to show it to Dietrich.¡¯ Every time I asked him where he was, Baal or Yurik ran away from my eyes. Both of them looked at me and seemed to be out of Lagrange and in a different place. ¡®I¡¯ll be surprised when it comes.¡¯ Because I¡¯ve never met, I couldn¡¯t even say anything about what made the kids crowded at Dahlia Palace. ¡± I¡¯ll count to a hundred!¡± I pretended to be a tag, hugged a large tree, and closed my eyes. Instead of hiding, the triplets follow me and cling to me like a tree. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I stared at the children with my eyes wide open. Ros¨¦, the only girl in the triplets, laughs and holds my hand. ¡°We want to talk about love.¡± ¡°Because we are the best friend of Anit.¡± ¡°We are the best friend. Isn¡¯t it?¡± I hesitated for a moment when Meslow and Riesling asked with a bright eye. ¡°No?¡± Ros¨¦ urges an answer in a depressed voice. ¡°Oh, yes, I¡¯m the best friend in the world with you.¡± ¡°They are the best friends with you.¡± No, why is his voice disappointed again because he¡¯s closest to you? ¡°Huh?¡± But Ros¨¦¡¯s voice couldn¡¯t be that low. I forgot to count the numbers in amazement and turned around and suddenly my body lifted up. ¡°why.¡± A low voice that sounds like a sigh rings in my ears. I blinked my eyes wide and reached out to Dietrich. ¡°Dietrich!¡± ¡°What happened while I wasn¡¯t there.¡± He hugged me like the man who saw me yesterday with a casual face. It¡¯s been a while since he was only caring for children while he was away. ¡°What are all those kids?¡± ¡®As soon as I meet him, I¡¯m happy.¡¯ Nevertheless, it was Dietrich who had not seen the seasons change. I hugged his neck in tears and gladness. The smell of the forest that I missed is full. Dietrich pressed my cheeks with a careless face. ¡°Do the answer first, Anissa.¡± ¡°Heying.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± Dietrich wiped the tears from my eyes with his fingertips and dazzled my lips. ¡°You¡¯ve grown up a little.¡± Of course I grew up too, but it was Dietrich who grew up quickly. That new height has grown by a factor and now looks closer to a boy than to a child. Eleven years old. He was eleven now. It was because of the hard work of delivering milk when I was a kid, but it looked bigger than that. ¡°Dietrich, where the hell have you been?¡± Dietrich, who still ignores my question, looked around and laughed low again. ¡°The first thing I asked about was who the kids are, Anissa.¡± It would be very embarrassing for him, as the children who have never seen it come home after a few months are so busy. I stuttered open my mouth for clarification. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten close to them.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.. .¡± ¡°Even if I were bored without Dietrich.¡± Dietrich added that he would be disappointed, but he did not show much inspiration. Soon he exhales a short breath. ¡°¡­¡­..You said you got close to Catherine Fermat¡¯s children?¡± ¡°Do you know us?¡± At Rose¡¯s question, Dietrich resigned a little nervously. The body shakes from side to side because it is the same as it is holding me. ¡°Clap!¡± At that time, Meslow, who only stared at us, claps his hands and steps forward. ¡°I remember who you are! Dietrich! Dietrich Lagrange-.¡± Meslow, staring up at Dietrich looking coldly at them, suddenly raises his voice and closes his mouth with Girenola. The frightened children¡¯s shoulders began to tremble. ¡®Suddenly why is such a story?¡¯ I reached out towards the children, held in Dietrich¡¯s arms. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Ah, Nissa! It¡¯s dangerous! Come here!¡± What on earth is it dangerous? I opened my eyes round on Riesling¡¯s white, tired face. ¡°You have to run away.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Dietrich LaGrange is the one who has eliminated all of Fermat¡¯s children who existed before us!¡± Riesling says, with Dietrich laughs at his child, raising one of his mouths. ¡°Ah.¡± Only then did I nod as if I remembered it, and it was like a villain that I had to bite my lips tightly. ¡°Do you express that you participated in the game and was erased by losing?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the cause. Even Shobi said he didn¡¯t want to join the game! He was about to give up!!¡± Riesling was almost on the verge of crying now. I stuttered, making eye contact with the child with so much tears. ¡°Well, it wouldn¡¯t be that way, because Dietrich doesn¡¯t mean to kill a child or not.¡± ¡°No! Your brother killed Shobi!¡± I slowly turned to Ros¨¦¡¯s screaming shout. ¡°Dietrich, is what the kids say is true?¡± Dietrich nodded right away without hesitation at my question. ¡°A child who wasn¡¯t really willing to participate in the candidate game¡­¡­ .¡± ¡®Did you kill it?¡¯ Dietrich gave strength to the hand that held me silently. ¡°¡­¡­..Now and what does that mean,¡± I couldn¡¯t really answer his self-help questions. I couldn¡¯t properly answer his self-help questions. The triplets who were crying pretending to be innocent like that would have survived at the expense of other brothers. I¡¯ve already seen Dietrich dismiss assassins without emotion, many times over and over again. It is a fact that I knew from the beginning that he was not just Him, the just protagonist. ¡®But if there was no intention to participate, it means that the child who did not need to be was removed.¡¯ Dietrich, as I know it, wasn¡¯t the one to do such a useless thing. ¡°Huh?¡± Then a black aura spreading from his chest came into his eyes. Dietrich¡¯s aura was as dark as charred ashes, so it was so dim that it wouldn¡¯t appear spotless unless you look at it with concentration. ¡®Did you have something like that?¡± CH 54 Dietrich glared at her chest and silently watched Anissa for a moment, fluttering her nose like a rabbit. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Oh, no.¡± The expression of the child who shook her head in a hurry is not as bright as when he first found himself. Dietrich knew that the company Anit was disappointed with him. He was indifferent to others and was not stupid. ¡°okay.¡± but I didn¡¯t feel the need to explain. It was dangerous to come and say hello like this at this time. Dietrich left the room, pasting Anissa, who hesitated. Standing tall in the hallway, he stared at himself reflected in the cleanly wiped window. However, it was a young face that seemed to have suffered a shock, not the usual bright Anissa. Dietrich felt the surprised child¡¯s face a little ridiculous. ¡®Why are you surprised.¡¯ Dietrich had no memory of wrapping himself to her. He wasn¡¯t originally a¡¯good guy¡¯ Because in Lagrange, good people were dead. ¡®Are the twins said true?¡¯ I can¡¯t believe it, and the remarks lingered in my ears. I asked if I had even removed the candidate who gave up becoming the successor, and the resentment was completely on the white face of Anit Corporation. ¡®¡­¡­.Isn¡¯t it better to be dust than to be an evil slave?¡¯ For the humans of LaGrange, it was to become slaves to the devil that feared more than death. However, the children who were named as candidates for successors usually didn¡¯t even get to the right end. ¡°Are you here already?¡± Although Derek¡¯s job must have been overwhelming, he opens his mouth wide open to Dietrich, who has returned after a few months. ¡°It was easy.¡± In fact, it wasn¡¯t easy. Even if it was unreasonable, the reason why he returned after taking care of it was purely Anit. Maybe she was in danger without him. He left Baal in case he did not know, but Dietrich did not fully believe in his own demon. However, the lonely child is looking at herself as if she is in danger. ¡®You came quickly for no reason. I think of the fear in her pretty Ruby-like eyes, and the corner of her heart is big. This was another kind of suffering. Dietrich, muttering an excuse he couldn¡¯t do in front of the child, looked down at his hand, as if stuck in place. It was white, but it was full of scars, so I wasn¡¯t very aware. Even though the blood on the battlefield was washed clean, the smell of fish seemed to be smelling. ¡®Are you scared of this?¡¯ Dirty hands. The dimensions were different from those of Anit, who made corollas from picking flowers from the garden. ¡°Ha.¡± He laughed like a sigh for an instant. ¡®okay. What do you do with an excuse?¡¯ Rose Palace¡¯s Shobi had only a rare excuse for his misdeeds that Anit had learned. Even with such crude excuses, his essence did not change. He himself was closer to the devil than to humans. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± ¡°no.¡± ¡®You¡¯re also using your brother!¡¯ The cry of the child who was on the verge of disappearing after being caught by the devil still rang in his ears. Shobi was the eldest daughter of Catherine Fermat, who cared for her younger siblings, not like a Lagrange child. ¡®So it was removed.¡¯ In fact, the cause of Shobi¡¯s death was her mother, not Dietrich. Catherine Ferma was her eldest daughter, but she decided to get rid of her inconspicuous her as her candidate, and she took advantage of her Dietrich. Shaoby, who was dying by her mother, did not believe that Dietrich cares for Anissa. ¡®There¡¯s no way a devil cub like you can really value your sister!¡¯ Dietrich refused to refute the child¡¯s words. The same is true even if he hear the same words now. He tried to use Anissa, and that doesn¡¯t change. It was meant to pretend to be precious and to put it up as a sacrifice in front of the platform of Asmodeus. When he learns about it, he is only afraid of the face the child will look at. ¡®You¡¯re like this again.¡¯ Dietrich squeezed around his throbbing heart. When he learned that he wasn¡¯t her real brother, he knew it would be different, but he was still there. His younger sister, or a child who claims to be a younger sister, was a person who was shining enough to marvel at in the sun. It is even more interesting to not buy any doubts whether the brilliance of LaGrange is also a zone disaster. ¡®You have to be careful.¡¯ It was a matter of the moment that it became dangerous when it became known that she really valued him. ¡°Is that the end of your encounter with the princess?¡± Whispered Baal, crawling out of the shadows. He was Dietrich¡¯s most powerful helper, but the most dangerous demon for Anissa. ¡°Yeah,¡± Baal opened his mouth wide, as if he was dissatisfied with Dietrich¡¯s poor attitude toward the child. ¡°If you break up quickly like this, your voices will grow suspicious of whether you are not really close.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.. .¡± ¡°Go back and give her this as a gift.¡± The devil pretended to take care of him, taking a doll out of his arms and holding it. The girl¡¯s doll swaying over his hand was even dressed in a shiny, shiny dress. It is so high-quality that it is incomparable to the stuffed toy that Dietrich gave. Instead of accepting the doll, the boy looked back at the devil with a slight gaze. ¡°Where did this come from.¡± I suspected that your Majesty Agares didn¡¯t actually have a scapegoat to offer as a sacrifice.¡± Dietrich emptied Lagrange because they were preparing for war. There was no room to buy children¡¯s toys for personal use. Because the candidate with sense was the weapon Lagrange was proud of. The stronger the child, the more. ¡°sleep.¡± ¡°done.¡± Dietrich eventually did not accept Baal¡¯s puppet. The devil laughs at him. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re feeling guilty now?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t have to choose the princess as a fake sacrifice,¡± Dietrich couldn¡¯t excuse. He didn¡¯t think it was a foolish choice. Did Anissa appear by my side like a well-prepared gift at the right time? Even as he thinks now, he has no offering that seems more appropriate than her. But then, why do I feel like flipping the wrong hand over? ¡°When is the next mission?¡± ¡°You can rest for a month.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going right away.¡± It would be better to be invisible. Dietrich judged that and left La Grande again. The impossibly time passed by. As I got older, I frowned, remembering Dietrich, who emptied Dahlia more often and longer. It was like he was avoiding me now. There is no reason to think that it is a specific opportunity. ¡°Dietrich is not playing with me.¡± As I roll over with displeasure, Liatris, graciously holding a teacup, laughs. ¡°Aren¡¯t you old enough to play with your brother?¡± I used to call her Liatris on a very occasional basis since I broke the mobile shards without Yuric or Veronica¡¯s secrets. If you look at me, the headache goes away. ¡®Well, it¡¯s nice to be able to get information,¡¯ but Liatris was one of the elders and powerful women of the Grand Duke of Lagrange. ¡®She is also the only one who shows favor to me.¡¯ Derek, Alphonse, and the elders who saw it as if they were passing by, except for Joseph who emptied Lagrange, came out with him and gave him an aura who wanted to tear and kill Dietrich. But Liatris¡¯ purple aura must have been pretty cute to me. ¡®Although I¡¯m not a person who has a taste.¡¯ Even now, Liatris was an expressionless face, but Aura was saying in the mountains. ¡®You seem to like children quite a bit. Why does such a person hate her child Yuric? Leatris, whom I¡¯ve actually experienced, is a better adult than I thought, so I didn¡¯t understand that she let Yuric be abused by her brothers. ¡°Where¡¯s Yuri?¡± ¡°Well. I wonder if he went out of training¡± ¡®I don¡¯t think you¡¯re really interested.¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the expression. Do you resent me for being cold at him?¡± I hesitated my answer to Liatris¡¯ question. She continued her words with a small smile. ¡°Because you¡¯re close to him. It¡¯s okay. Tell me.¡± ¡°Yuri seemed to be more sad about Liatris¡¯ exterior than the harassment of Alphonse or other brothers.¡± ¡°Yes, so.¡± To me, Ria Tris turned her head toward the window, leaning her long neck back. ¡°I can be sweet because you¡¯re not my child, I.¡± The oblique sun shatters over her hair. ¡°Because I¡¯m afraid of my children. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right to say that I¡¯m afraid to love.¡± ¡°why?¡± ¡°If you fall in love, you will die. Loved and older children are weak, so I cannot survive in Lagrange.¡± If so, wouldn¡¯t it be possible to change Lagrange? I bulged my mouth, making my cheeks only inside. ¡°You¡¯re dissatisfied with that. I¡¯ve never seen a child like you. Everyone is in a hurry to survive.¡± Lia Tris, blinking her purple eyes, pricks my swollen cheeks. ¡°When I see you, it feels like waking up from a long nightmare.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..Yeah?¡± ¡°But waking up from a dream doesn¡¯t mean you can immediately realize reality. Some things are too late to apologize.¡± I noticed that Liatris was talking about Asmodeus¡¯ curse. I noticed that she was guessing that I was the one who broke the curse, but fortunately it did not spread the rumors. ¡°It¡¯s too late to make a difference¡± CH 55 ¡°No,¡± I shook my head at Liatris. I couldn¡¯t get rid of all the shadows of the demons entangled in this family enough to clear the curse of the first demon, but I had hope. Even if that¡¯s just a very small seed. ¡°You can get it.¡± ¡°Why. You think you¡¯r brother will be different?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­. .¡± ¡°Children who deal with demons do become demons. You don¡¯t know how angelic Alphonse was, but I remember when he was a newborn baby.¡± I bite my lips firmly at Liatris¡¯ incredible words. I wanted to think it was a lie, but her aura was so clear. ¡°There is no way to know what even Derek will wear to me about the qualifications of a successor, but I am suspicious of what your brother does.¡± He¡¯s not the one to take care of a useless child like me for no reason. I crouched at Liatris¡¯ horse. I don¡¯t know where the hell should be hurt more. Is it an expression that I am useless, or is it a nuance that Dietrich is using me? ¡°I¡¯ll sleep with Dietrich.¡± I don¡¯t know when Dietrich will leave Dahlia again. I ran into his bedroom, frustrated by the news that he had come, and pushed me out of my body without getting permission. I hugged the giant raccoon doll like a pillow and looked down at him silently. A low sigh fell over the crown, but I didn¡¯t care and walked past him into the room. ¡°Do you think this is your room?¡± Dietrich, who has seen me alternately with the raccoon lying on his bed without permission, shook his head. ¡°Why are you carrying that again?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sleep without ashes,¡± I pouted, regretting his cold reaction. It became more blunt all the time. It¡¯s been a long time since the sun went down, but he sat down at a small table by the window as if he had no intention of sleeping. ¡°sit down?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Dietrich nodded his head small, then squeezed his chin toward the open window. ¡°Consecta.¡± I don¡¯t know what kind of abilities were used, but soon a black shadow flows out of the window like water. As I watched the black liquid disappear from the moonlight, I got out of bed and approached him. ¡°Why.¡± He returned to the Dahlia Palace after a long time, and I was happy, but above all, I had to check out an artificial aura whose identity was unknown. From the moment Dietrich showed his abilities, he had to know what that aura began to grow heterogeneously. ¡®I¡¯m worried about what Liatris said.¡¯ I opened my eyes and stared at Dietrich¡¯s chest. It¡¯s faint than the bracelet Alphonse carried, but it certainly smells like a rose. ¡®It looks like a curse¡¯s soul.¡¯ ¡°Dietrich.¡± ¡°uh.¡± ¡°Take off your clothes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..What?¡± Like Alphonse¡¯s bracelet, his face gradually distorted as he stared at his shirt, wondering if he was wearing something under his clothes. He grabbed his neck as if he was stunned. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Are you shy?¡± I thought about the subject he was going to change my diaper, and the boundaries are extreme.I was worried about running into him and checking it, but quietly stepped back. ¡®What to see when you fall asleep.¡¯ Fortunately, he hasn¡¯t done anything else long. Dietrich, who kept checking things out of the window, was not long enough to lie down on the tuna, pressing hard on his eyes as if he was tired. The bed is so big that Dietrich, me, and even the raccoon doll lie down and there is a place left. Perhaps he broke it, and he stepped between me and settled at the end of the bed. ¡®Already one inside and outside.¡¯ She feels like he¡¯s getting farther and farther away every time he goes out and returns to see what happened to him during his time outside Dahlia. As I waited for him to fall asleep, I snorted as if expressing regret. ¡°¡­¡­.Sleep?¡± I hated the appearance of going to Dietrich. He closed his eyes because he was too pale, and he wasn¡¯t as fine as a dead person. It was quiet without even breathing, so in the past, I thought he died while sleeping. There are times when I put my fingers under his nose and checked them. I woke up carefully and carefully to check his face for no answer. ¡®Well, it seems to be sleeping.¡¯ The raccoon was lying in an upright position between him and me, so I rolled back and fell to his side. It was difficult to see with the naked eye because the shirt buttons were still neatly stuffed all the way to the neck. ¡®I can¡¯t do it¡¯ sniffs. ¡°¡­¡­.. .¡± Sniffing sniffing. ¡°¡­¡­. .¡± I puts my nose near his neck and smells the scent of Ginga Minga whether it is a rose or not, and at some point he can lift himself. ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t you sleep?¡± Dietrich, who raised his upper body halfway, stared at me, frowning. ¡°get out.¡± ¡°I have to smell Dietrich,¡± ¡°¡­¡­. .¡± he ignored me and picked up a raccoon doll and gave it to me. bang! It was next that the door was closed right in front of me. I was kicked out without income without revealing the identity of Aura. Baal puts slippers on my little feet and kicks his tongue. ¡°Why are you kicking me out?¡± ¡°So why don¡¯t you smell people, even though you¡¯re not a dog?¡± I saw people looking at me strangely while sniffing and churning through the palace to check for contaminated auras. ¡®But what should I do with the surest smell!¡¯ I pouted my mouth and made up my mind to look for the next opportunity. However, the opportunity seldom came. Apart from the frequent emptying of dahlias, Dietrich started to look at me in earnest. At first, I was tired of holding him and asking why. ¡®He have no feelings for me.¡¯ It was more terrifying than saying that he was angry. ¡®If he¡¯s angry, whether he say he¡¯s angry.¡¯ If not, did he just suddenly hate me? When I think about it, my heart feels like that. Even the brothers who were close when they were young often became uncomfortable after they all grew up, but we haven¡¯t grown up yet. ¡®I guess I didn¡¯t find out what he was trying to do.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t find Dietrich anymore to avoid me. I was hurt just by seeing the avoidance. ¡°It¡¯s like eating with the family like this.¡± It was Baal who tried to narrow down the awkward sense of distance between Dietrich and me. I rubbed my hands and rolled my eyes as I looked at it, Baal, who looked at Dietrich¡¯s gaze. ¡®What are you doing.¡¯ Dietrich began to eat with an insensitive face, as if he had little inspiration for the fine meal Baal prepared for him and me. I was offended by Dietrich, who kept disregarding me as I was, so I didn¡¯t say anything first. ¡°Cough.¡± Above the thin ice-like silence, the sound of a devil coughing. ¡®I have to push my hand out even when I see Baal.¡¯ ¡°Cough, Cough.¡± I was coughing, pouting my lips in the devil¡¯s hypothetical effort. Only then Dietrich looks at me instead of eating. ¡°Do you have a cold?¡± ¡°Dietrich.¡± ¡°Why.¡± ¡°Are you really mad at me?¡± ¡°No.¡± It may have been unpleasant to go to his room my own, but I have been so many times. While Dietrich wasn¡¯t there, I called the kids together and messed up Dahlia, but I didn¡¯t think I was worried about that. ¡°Where have you been? Euclid?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What did you do there?¡± ¡°I took care of the traitor of LaGrange.¡± ¡°And what else did you do?¡± ¡°You have a lot of questions.¡± I was just trying to talk about it. I glared at him at Dietrich¡¯s Finnzan. He slowly turned his head to see if he felt my gaze. ¡°Learn to hide your emotions. Are you still begging like a kid?¡± I didn¡¯t even think to refute his dry words, so I bite my mouth back. ¡®There is no way to say anything.¡¯ ¡°Then, I can tell me about me? I¡¯ve gotten close to the other kids. The names are Messlow, Riesling, Ros¨¦, Dietrich are the kids You¡¯ve seen before-¡± ¡°Marilyn.¡± Dietrich didn¡¯t listen to my words, so he called Marilyn, who was handing me a bowl of soup next to me. As she bows her head to him, a chilling voice pours over her head. ¡°You haven¡¯t taught Nissa an eating etiquette before?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Confucius. She often eat alone.¡± It was a warning that I couldn¡¯t be polite and made a loud noise. I opened my mouth amazed that Dietrich had shut my mouth in such a noble way. ¡°Just say it¡¯s noisy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­ .¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even want to talk to me anymore?¡± There is no reply. I was stunned by his demeanor, snoring his nose, and then chewed the carrots that came with the meat. Chew. I chewed too hard because of the hotness. At an instant, the gums feel tingly, and a fishy taste spreads in the mouth. Marilyn screaming at her side as she tilted the dog, as it seemed to remind her of the old memories. ¡°Huh. Princess!¡± ¡®Well. It¡¯s true, too,¡¯ I woke up from my seat, covering my mouth with my palm. It caught my eyes that the faces of the users, including Marilyn, turned white. ¡°Princess! Blood! You¡¯re bleeding!¡± CH 56 ¡®It¡¯s surprising to be bleeding instead of eating.¡¯ Even Dietrich, who seemed uninterested in whatever I did, was about to get upset. I stood in front of a large mirror on the wall and began to look at myself. The blood from the mouth spattered on the white bib and the red marks were weird, but it wasn¡¯t that surprising. ¡®It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a child¡¯s teeth fall out.¡¯ Because this worldview does not mean that there is no concept of childish and permanent teeth. I took the napkin I was wearing as a bib and wiped the area around my mouth in a casual manner. ¡°Is it okay?¡± ¡°Speak up.¡± (Okay.) He¡¯s worried about me now and I shakes his hand because he¡¯s nasty. ¡°Open your mouth. I have to check if you have eaten any poison.¡± He wasn¡¯t embarrassed by my rejection and caught me again, but I snore and stepped back ¡®What is poison.¡¯ It was a faded memory now, but it wasn¡¯t something I had done once or twice in my previous life. I¡¯m a person who remembers pulling teeth with my hand because my teeth were easily pulled out. I boldly opened my mouth wide in front of the mirror, then grabbed the shaking front teeth. ¡®I¡¯ll just be picked if this is enough.¡¯ My front teeth were already half-picked while chewing on a hard carrot. I pushed my front teeth without being scared. My behavior was so strange that even Dietrich couldn¡¯t stop me. I felt a strange sense of victory on his firm face. ¡®Did you say I am like a child to you?¡¯ Where else is there such an adult-like child? I take my teeth out by myself. ¡°Oh, yeah!¡± I spit my front teeth rolling in my mouth on the floor, then roughly wiped the bloody corners of my mouth with my sleeves. ¡®Huh, it must have just looked so chic.¡¯ It¡¯s not just you cool. I¡¯m cool too. ¡°Higo.¡± I heard a small muttering sound of Baal from behind, but I can¡¯t hear it properly. ¡°Princess, don¡¯t throw it away.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± (Why?) ¡°I have to sell it to the Tooth Fairy.¡± ¡°Wht,is tha?¡± (What is that?) The word fairy comes out of Baal¡¯s mouth, so it sounds a little suspicious. As I narrowed my eyes and doubted me, he smiled and raised his index finger. ¡°It¡¯s a demon who pays for kids¡¯ teeth.¡± ¡°Wha?!¡± (What?!) Baal shook his head as I glared at the word money. ¡°You already like money so much. What do you want to be when you grow up?¡± I try to become an adult who puts in a lot of deposits, well. While I grumbled at Baal¡¯s words, Dietrich got up and left the room without greeting. ¡°Princess, where are you going?¡± ¡°Naho came out!¡± (I went out and I¡¯ll come!) As I watched Dietrich escape Dahlia from a distance outside the window, I bite my lips and started running down the hall with him. There was a sense of wind coming through the missing front teeth, but I can tolerate this much. He rarely explained anything to me. If he leave dahlia, I don¡¯t know what the hell he¡¯s doing or when it will disappear. ¡®If so, I have to ask directly.¡¯ I tried not to talk any more to his cold attitude, but his face, whitened by the blood flowing from my front teeth, gave me courage. ¡®Because it still seems to be he worried about me.¡¯ ¡°Deerich.¡± (Dietrich.) I grabbed his sleeve, panting and quickly leaving the garden. He looked back at me with a fresh face as if I was sitting on a subject that was so fast that it was difficult to catch up with even if I ran. ¡°Why?¡± He frowned in the sun shining over my cheeks, pale enough to look cold. Dietrich¡¯s hand gripped his sleeve. He looked down uninspiringly at the wrinkles on my clothes. ¡°Where are you going to Hiro?¡± (Where are you going?) He seemed to understand my leaky pronunciation, but he shook his head instead of answering. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡± I trembled at the slow but sober words. In the corner of my head, I always thought that Dietrich was the villain in the novel, but he was still my family. ¡®I don¡¯t need to be shocked suddenly.¡¯ It¡¯s not even trying to kill me, but it¡¯s okay. These days, I am only surprised that Dahlia has a warm atmosphere, not like Lagrange. ¡®It was always that attitude in the past.¡¯ I lifted my head, repressing my feelings of sadness. At that time, something sparkled in the sun near Dietrich¡¯s heart. It was a much darker brooch than the triplets¡¯ necklaces. It is cloudy as if it was made by clotting blood. I grasped Dietrich¡¯s neck as if possessed. ¡°Where did you buy this? What?¡± (Where did you buy this?) Goose bumps sprout when he holds his brooch with a light scent. Dietrich, who had been held stiffly standing at me, struck me and glanced at his brooch. ¡°It is the sealing stone of the devil bar cheap.¡± ¡°The bar is cheap?¡± ¡®Isn¡¯t Asmodeus¡¯ curse?¡¯ If Asmodeus was a demon, Baal was the king of demons, and Baal was an exile who tried to usurp the throne. One of the evil demons who are rejected even among demons. The bar was cheap and as strong as Baal, but it was a star species that remained only as a legend because it did not use humans as a medium to handle it. ¡°Doesn¡¯t your head hurt?¡± Whether Asmodeus cheap, the pieces of the curse containing the ether or essence of the devil had an adverse effect on humans in some way. ¡®If he kept wearing this on his body, there would be no way his body wouldn¡¯t hurt. Unlike the black aura that was mixed with the triplet¡¯s aura, the aura of Barsago only lingered inside the jewel, but it wasn¡¯t that I was worried, I lifted the claws and touched his forehead. ¡°Do not touch.¡± Dietrich stepped back, avoiding my hand. I couldn¡¯t hide my regret, so I pouting my lips. ¡®I don¡¯t even remember having a baby bottle.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Broch, don¡¯t carry it with you .¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­¡­. Dithrie tells me where you are going, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± What I was asking¡ªthough it wouldn¡¯t sound so refreshing because of a leaky pronunciation¡ªDthrich turned his back without answering as if he wasn¡¯t even curious about it in the first place. ¡®He was telling me not to follow him.¡¯ I followed him and reached the opening of the road connected to the gate. I can¡¯t even know that I¡¯m following myself, but I never look back. ¡°huh.¡± When Dietrich enters, the road is ripe during the day. ¡®I was going to work again.¡¯ I wonder how long it has been since I came back to LaGrange, and I wonder if the villain can be so sincere. Having been there a few times with Veronica or Yuric, I noticed that Dietrich¡¯s destination was Saint Denis before even arriving. A middle-aged man, standing in front of a bar in a dirty alley, greets him. ¡°young master!¡± I feared that Dietrich would leave me alone and go in. Dodo also ran and stuck next to him. ¡°The child is difficult to enter.¡± A man who finds me hiding behind Dietrich¡¯s waist and sticking out his face opens his mouth with a troubled face. I was stunned and glared at him. ¡®Isn¡¯t Dietrich a kid?¡¯ Dietrich looked back at me and sighed a fever. ¡°Why are you following me?¡± In response to that question, I swallowed my saliva to make a loud pronunciation. ¡°I miss you.¡± I really wanted to tell you this. I muttered a little while holding the tip of his sleeve. ¡°¡­¡­.. .¡± ¡°I missed you.¡± Dietrich¡¯s expression, who was still listening to me, became strange. At first glance, it was as impressed as before, but I found a small sway in his flinching eyebrows. ¡°This place is dangerous.¡± ¡°It¡¯s worth it with Ditte.¡± It meant that I had no doubts because I believed that you would protect me. Dietrich sighed longer than before, then grabbed my hand that was tied to my sleeve. ¡°Aida I brought. Guide me.¡± At Dietrich¡¯s order, the man opened the door as if he couldn¡¯t help it. It was still early afternoon, but there were already drunk people lined up. From the big table in the middle, I can hear a buzzing sound of gambling. ¡®There is no sense of discomfort.¡¯ Dietrich passed them by as if familiar with this scene and sat at the bar. His face is young, but he is tall and looks like it was painted. ¡®Because his face is also a bully.¡¯ I grabbed the stool to sit next to Dietrich. ¡®Why is it so high!¡¯ Is it because the bar table is taller than mine? The chairs were also so high that I couldn¡¯t easily get to the seat. Jumping is also useless. ¡°woh.¡± Glanced at how I was struggling, Detrihe got up from his seat and put his hand between my arms. Soon, I feels like I am floating in the air, and I sits safely on the chair. I was a little embarrassed, so I put my snow down. ¡°Ho, I have after doing it alone.¡± It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen it, but the cold is all alone. I glanced at him touching a cup of water on the table without an answer. There doesn¡¯t seem to be any major injuries, but there is blood on his face. The man who was hit by Dietrich came out with two heavy documents and a black bag. ¡®In movies, always put money in a bag like that.¡¯ Whoever sees it, there is money in it, and why is it that he is stolen by storing money in a dirty bag? Such a question came up. ¡°As the pub was run as suggested by the burglar, sales more than tripled.¡± ¡°Do you need a deal on the Dark Road?¡± As if I was conscious of me, I couldn¡¯t hear the man¡¯s voice properly because the man¡¯s voice was small, but it seemed that Dietrich created a place to unify the various back-end transactions taking place in Saint-Dena. I pretended not to be interested, but kept my ears straight. ¡®A twelve-year-old child is doing all things.¡¯ ¡°This girl is playing a joke again!¡± Then there was a loud voice at the table where the gambling was taking place. I turned to the scream surprised. ¡®Charlott?¡¯ Although there was a little distance, the uncommon silver-haired girl was obviously Charlotte. ¡°You hit the scam first! If you win the road, I¡¯ll give you money to go back to the temple-Kak!¡± Ditrihi, who had a secret conversation with a man in a sudden, sudden disturbance, found her. ¡®Oh. Am I witnessing the first encounters of the protagonists?¡¯ CH 57 At the gambling house, Charlotte was in the crowd, but now that she was the center of the turmoil, Dietrich would have no choice but to pay attention. A little bit of time has passed, and Charlotte looks much more beautiful than her first look. ¡®I think she¡¯s the same age as Dietrich.¡¯ The bright silver hair and dark brown eyes that seem to contain the autumn forest resonate with the hostess. Dietrich and her childhood did not even appear in the novel, so I glistened with curiosity. ¡®Are you going to save it now?¡¯ I looked back at Dietrich with his eyes lit, and he was again sharing this story with a middle-aged man. ¡®Huh?¡¯ I opened my mouth in excitement. ¡®The heroine is in trouble!¡¯ Of course, in this case, his future lover is cheek! Shouldn¡¯t he show up and save her? ¡®Is this because it was still before the original work started?¡¯ I don¡¯t know what the story was, but I alternately looked at Charlotte, struggling to be caught by a suspicious evil man, and Dietrich, who seemed to be uninspired by the fuss. ¡°Ditte?¡± ¡°Why.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you helping that girl?¡± ¡°.¡­¡­.why me?¡± That girl will save you who was sealed by the protagonist later! But, I couldn¡¯t say that, so I just talked. ¡°Dihrich said he was the manager of Hang Dena.¡± Last time Dietrich saved me, who was in danger of being beaten at a euro gambling house. ¡°I¡¯m not free enough to care for the personal trouble.¡± I sensed a faint irritation in Dietrich¡¯s cold words. It looks like he¡¯s not really going to help. ¡®Is it really okay?¡¯ Even though she looked like an ordinary girl, Charlotte was a saint with a strong divine power. There is no chance of overcoming those difficulties on your own. ¡°Ah!¡± But I was forced to get up from my seat at the harsh touch of a man holding Sarlot¡¯s long hair. ¡®If only Aura, can be secretly controlled¡­¡­¡­ .¡¯ Excitement is how to blind a person. The man¡¯s aura that captured Charlotte lost his temper and was violently shaking. I gave strength to my fists and watched the man¡¯s aura calmly. White smoke, which is more secret than a shadow, seems to rise from the man¡¯s toes, so he immediately puts down the charlot that was shaking in the air. ¡°Home. I¡¯m so excited.¡± ¡®Phew.¡¯ The man said in a calm voice as if he had recovered his reason. ¡°If you want to sell as a slave, it¡¯s difficult if you get a scratch on your face.¡± What? What is that crazy man saying? I was frightened by his words, and I stumbled forward. After sinking the red powder, the man was thinking of selling Charlotte with this sexuality. ¡°I think you¡¯ll get more than the money to take you to the temple and get it?¡± Charlot also raised her voice as if she couldn¡¯t believe what he said. ¡°What? What are you talking about! If the bet is let go, you have decided to take me to the shrine!¡± ¡°Oh my. Southern humans don¡¯t know the world like you?¡± The man who grabbed Charlotte¡¯s chin and rolled her eyes in every corner of her face smiles, lifting her upper lip. ¡°So who would go to and out of this place without fear. This is a place where even swearing is not available.¡± I was restless to see Charlotte, who seemed to be in a bigger crisis because of him. ¡®What do we do?¡¯ ¡°You!¡± Then Charles Lott, who looked around her head, recognized me and pointed at me. She frowned her impressions and raised her voice. ¡°Jae! Take her too, then!¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ she said, letting others know that I was there. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯ll be money if you sell that girl too?¡± ¡®what?¡¯ Her heart-wrenching words who wanted to help her. I was ridiculous, I couldn¡¯t avoid pointing her fingers and laughed in vain. ¡°Hmm? What. Is there anything else here?¡± These guys don¡¯t see as a person. At that time, I found myself standing in alone and laughed with a torn mouth. ¡°I¡¯m very lucky today,¡± he said, grabbing Charlotte¡¯s nape and strung toward me. Of course, he couldn¡¯t reach it before me. ¡°Move.¡± Dietrich, who didn¡¯t know when it happened, hid me behind my back and stopped the man. ¡°What else is this kid?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t say it twice,¡± Dietrich¡¯s warning, the man did not stop walking. ¡°Why are there so many children today?¡± Also, as his arm shook roughly as if he couldn¡¯t control his anger, Charlotte bent and grabbed his forearm. ¡°Saxon! Don¡¯t do this here.¡± ¡°What? The owner, what is this child!¡± ¡°He¡¯s the master of LaGrange.¡± The bar owner talking with Dietrich comes out and starts to dry the man. Although he did not demonstrate the power of the shadow as before, the situation was easily extinguished by his intervention. ¡®If I could help, I¡¯ll help you earlier.¡¯ I glared at the middle-aged man and approached Charlotte, whose head was buried on the floor. ¡°¡­¡­..are you okay?¡± she glared at the man with tears dripping, unfairly. She opens her mouth of water as soon as she asks uh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I remember that you were a child of LaGrange. I didn¡¯t think he could touch you.¡± In fact, I wasn¡¯t very upset because Charlotte¡¯s judgment wasn¡¯t wrong. ¡®Although a little doubt about the heroine¡¯s morality began to go.¡¯ ¡°I have to go back to the temple. I figured out what the prophecy meant. But, by the way, my wallet was stolen.¡± Her words only reminded me of a scene from the original. ¡®At that time, it¡¯s a reward for finding her wallet.¡¯ It was the first words she gave to unseal Dietrich. It wasn¡¯t depicted in the novel, but it is a great story that suggests that their relationship is not short. ¡®Then, it was originally said that Dietrich helped Charlotte.¡¯ Why doesn¡¯t he help? I looked back at Dietrich, who still seemed to have no interest in her. He approached me and reached out without looking at Charlotte¡¯s side at all. ¡°That¡¯s why I said it was dangerous.¡± ¡°Diethri.¡± Instead of grabbing Dietrich¡¯s outstretched hand, I politely reached out both hands. ¡®In any case, there¡¯s nothing good about this being wrong.¡¯ If he don¡¯t help Charlotte now, she might not release Dietrich¡¯s seal later. As if I don¡¯t know what my little open hand means, he raises one eyebrow. I swallowed my mouth and opened my mouth hard. ¡°Money¡­¡­.. .¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pocket money.¡± This is something I have never said to my real brother. I couldn¡¯t look at his slightly twisted bite, so I rolled my eyes. ¡°You come along and make a fuss, and now you¡¯re asking for money.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.You won¡¯t give?¡± He may not give it. Dietrich and me are now a little farther apart. ¡°Because Dahlia is poor¡­.¡± But at the words I added in a distressed voice, Dietrich laughed as if awesome. ¡°How much do you need,¡± I glanced at Dietrich¡¯s question, squeezed Charlotte next to him. She puffs her mouth. ¡®Thirty thread ring.¡¯ I stretched out three fingers in front of Dietrich. He tilts his head to the side and searches his pockets. I shook my head in a hurry to a small murmur. ¡°Oh? Oh no! Thirty!¡± Thirty shillings is enough! As I hurriedly drew an X with my hand, Dietrich opened the bag the man brought with a slightly rough hand and lifted the entrance toward the floor. Sarah Rock. As if to prove that my prediction was correct, a bunch of bills that were filling the bag poured into the patter. ¡°¡­¡­¡­. .¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bring more hats.¡± ¡°How much is this?¡± ¡± fifty blue ah. ¡± It¡¯s a big enough amount to keep all the people making noise here and there. I opened my mouth and looked at Dietrich, uninspiringly looking at the money sprinkled on the floor. ¡®What crazy are you doing now?¡¯ Why all of a sudden here I¡¯m bragging about money and rambling. I bowed down rather than staring at the people who were staggering, as if they were about to give away bills a little farther away by the wind. ¡°¡­¡­.thirty shillings.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s thirty shillings¡­¡­¡­ .¡± I picked up a pile of bills scattered on the floor and handed it to Charlotte. ¡°It¡¯s going to be over thirty shillings, Shahhot. I hope you go back to the shrine.¡± In a bar that had become quiet, I was busy moving alone, picking up bills. Dietrich watched me act without drying me, sticking his hand in one pocket. ¡®I don¡¯t know who¡¯s the villain, look at my cheeky stance.¡¯ Thanks to the warning from the bar owner that Dietrich was a master of Lagrange, no one rushes for bills. ¡®I think I picked up a few.¡¯ With a sigh, I put the collected paper money back into my bag. ¡°Do not pick up.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because Dahlia is not poor.¡± I felt bad when I said that Dahlia was poor. I pouting my mouth and not responding to him. CH 58 How did she know that Baal was hiding in the bar, and Anissa summoned Baal and returned to the castle. ¡®Although she liked dolls.¡¯ Dietrich stared at the bag with a slump of money popping out of it, not understanding why the child was showing disappointment to me. He had an excellent head, but even he did not understand Anit¡¯s actions. She¡¯s not on the side of Catherine Fermat¡¯s children, not herself, or she¡¯s trying to help an unknown child. ¡®But I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m angry,¡¯ Dietrich took a low breath as he looked at the chair that had already disappeared Nessa. ¡°You didn¡¯t give me money, but I¡¯ll say thank you.¡± It was the silver-haired girl who was sitting hesitating earlier to talk to Dietrich. It was quite beautiful to hide the red eyes as if you were late to the opposite sex, but there is no inspiration that follows. If I hadn¡¯t spoken to her, I wouldn¡¯t have known there was. ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t even have to make a fuss like this in the first place. Now I have a little problem with my divine power-¡± Dietrich stared silently at Charlotte, making excuses. The divine power was a blessing that God could never bring in the north. ¡®Are you a southerner?¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s why I can¡¯t feel your evil anymore. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know,¡± Dietrich¡¯s chilly voice, Charlotte flinched for a moment, but laughed, raising his red tail. ¡°Well, we might see it again soon. If I accept the interpretation of the prophecy in the temple,¡± She seems to know who he is even without telling him his name. ¡°Because I seem to be the Savior of the North, and it will be the same dawn in the winter in the prophecy.¡± For a brief moment, Charlotte was bothered, but Dietrich quickly forgot her presence. She is also contemplating how she should avoid Anissa. ¡°Is my interpretation wrong?¡± Charlotte muttered little, looking at Dietrich, who was indifferent to her, but he did not look back at her. After the hustle and bustle at the bar, Dietrich disappeared again. Very occasionally, I seem to stop by once every few months, but I can¡¯t even see his face because I just meet Derek by nature. ¡®Why does it not come to dahlia?¡¯ It may be more comfortable there because there is no person from Derek in Saint-Dena, but isn¡¯t it too much to see him? Eventually, to check his life and death, I threw a few coins and a lottery ticket into a small backpack and left the palace. ¡°Where are you going, Princess?¡± ¡°Yes. My brother is here.¡± I greeted the driver guarding the front door, blinking my long lashes. The knight who was close to middle-aged laughed as if I was cute without knowing that I was telling a lie. ¡°Actually, the Princess is not a candidate for succession, so access is prohibited, but only today.¡± While opening the door, the knight who always said,¡¯Special for today,¡¯ turned at an angle and kicked his tongue. ¡°To keep young children in such a way. No matter how much he want to keep the name of the Grand Duke, it¡¯s too bad.¡± His murmurs are full of sympathy for me. ¡®I still can¡¯t adapt.¡¯ I¡¯m a person who sympathizes with the children of Lagrange. They usually feared the children as demons, or they despised them as if they were dealing with Dietrich and me. This kind of worries is an experience I couldn¡¯t even imagine before. ¡®Since I got rid of the gypsum rose, I didn¡¯t even order it, but I brought butter cookies.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just Lancel that changed. Even my maids, who had been cleaning at the castle from time to time, looked cute at me, stroking my head or pinching my cheeks as if I¡¯m cute. ¡®It wasn¡¯t even a day or two that I was cute, but suddenly.¡¯ Of course, there were still some people who were harsh or who showed malicious intent to me. I shrugged, then took the pass that the driver gave me, and often stepped out of the gates. ¡®It wasn¡¯t just children that the curse had an effect.¡¯ Their faces improved as if they had paid off any debts they had. As if I couldn¡¯t understand why he hated us. I was anxious that Derek would notice what I was doing, but fortunately he couldn¡¯t afford to take care of Lagrange because he was busy fighting a wasteful war with Euclid. ¡®Is it possible to think that the foreword of the War of the Roses is opening?¡¯ Herman is stern at Euclid by now, but he will meet a teacher with a warm heart and sharpen his swordsmanship. ¡®So it seems that the two of them weren¡¯t good with each other since the days of Confucius.¡¯ Hermann was greatly defeated by Dietrich when he was a boy and sharpened the fortunes of the sun god. Dietrich was an opportunity for Hermann to walk through the¡¯Trial Road¡¯ commonly seen in boy cartoons. ¡®But I guess it wasn¡¯t when they were so young.¡¯ Both are still only thirteen. The first time they met on the battlefield was certainly around seventeen. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been a while, Nissa?¡± I nodded with an eye smile at Lorraine, the owner of the gold and silver room who welcomed me. As if she had been waiting, she handed me two of her lotteries. ¡°Okay, this month¡¯s lottery.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡®This month, I will surely get a chance!¡¯ I glistened with anticipation and cherished the lottery that fluttered in my hand. ¡®I think Dietrich has a lot of money, but that¡¯s not my money.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s never been before, right? ¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.Yes.¡± I nodded, answering Lorraine¡¯s question with a soft voice. She smiled as if I was funny, and smoked a bit of cigarette smoke over my face. ¡°Puet.¡± ¡®Indirect smoking! Second-hand smoke!¡¯ Your body is an asset! All I had was a healthy body, I stepped back and stared at Lorraine giggling. ¡°You can¡¯t win a lottery ticket already for a child.¡± ¡®I think it¡¯s okay to smoke cigarettes in front of child.¡¯ As Lorraine said, all the lottery tickets Veronica bought a bunch of were bad. ¡°Veronica is upstairs,¡± she kindly added, and I stepped down the stairs coldly. ¡°Veronica!¡± The second floor of the gambling hall had a structure similar to an inn, but the room at the end of the corridor was an office. As she sat at her large wooden desk, fiddling with her papers, she hurriedly flips over her papers and meets me. ¡®Well.¡¯ You seem to be hiding something now. I approached Veronica quickly, often in steps. Then she rises from her seat and comes out and bows her waist as if matching my eye level. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Did you come to buy the lottery again?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°If you tell me, I¡¯ll buy you. I told you not to come often because it¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°I was bored. Dithrie are not in City.¡± As I pouting my mouth and slapping my toes on the floor, Veronica mumbled,¡¯Oh, are you bored?¡¯ and burst into laughter. ¡°And nothing has happened so far. Saint Dena is safer than you thought.¡± The gambling house alone was much more expensive than when I first came. Veronica opens her mouth while fiddling at the tip of my frizzy hair. ¡°Well, though, you shouldn¡¯t be here today.¡± She rubbed her hand around her mouth as if it was a little difficult. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Yuric is coming now, so ask the dog to take you.¡± Instead of answering my question, Veronica just pulled out the hot pot from the basket on the desk and handed it to me. ¡®You know how to go over to this!¡¯ I opens my mouth to find out why she is ordering a congratulatory call, but Veronica puts a peeled egg candy in it. ¡°Muu.¡± It¡¯s sweet. I rolled my tongue through a peach candy that melted sweetly in my mouth. ¡°If you go home quietly now, I¡¯ll bring a bunch of this to Dahlia.¡± ¡°Hum. Okay.¡± When I think about it, she might be worried if she doesn¡¯t talk to Marilyn and waits for me to come out. It wasn¡¯t because I never fell for candy, and she didn¡¯t want to upset her sweetheart. In excuses, she was given a cheap candy that turned my tongue blue. ¡®Was Veronica a subordinate of Dietrich in the novel?¡¯ The gambling ground was in the Saint-Dena district, where Dietrich was in charge, and I don¡¯t know why, but Veronica was helping him with his job, so I often encountered it when I came to the gambling house to buy a lottery ticket. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s Yuric coming.¡± But I¡¯ve never been kicked out like this. Veronica threw me out at Yuric coming through the window, leaving the door intact. He hugged me with his new blue eyes wide open as if he didn¡¯t know I was there. ¡°Huh? Why are you here? Danger evil today!¡± Yuric wants to say what¡¯s going on, but Veronica hit him with a fan. Unspoken-it was too specious restraint-but Yurik nodded after recognizing the signal. ¡°I¡¯ll take you home.¡± Yuric rubbed his swollen lips as she watched Veronica shed her eyes on me. When I take the outstretched hand, he sits me on top of the devil he stepped on. A devil that looked like a black cow with wings of a griffon flashed green. It was much bigger than I remember, but the smell of Aura is weak. ¡°Is this a mole?¡± I asked, sweeping down the shiny cow¡¯s fur. ¡°When Dietrich took it, it turned out to be like this. Maybe he had a home in the dark.¡± The demons become stronger as the contractor¡¯s soul is damaged and become more like them. If it is enough to change its appearance, it means that there was quite a lot of damage¡­¡­ . ¡°Where is Dietrich taking you?¡± ¡°Warrior-evil!¡± Yuric couldn¡¯t say anything and was beaten by the bitter Veronica¡¯s debt again. But this time I got to know what he was talking about. ¡°¡­¡­War?¡± CH 59 It¡¯s a war. Is it the first Rose War that Derek Lagrange is waging with Euclid? ¡°Did Dietrich go to war? So he wasn¡¯t at Dahlia?¡± Yuric couldn¡¯t answer my question right away. In the background, Veronica mumbles a little bit of abusive language, such as that back god or idiot. ¡°It can¡¯t be that way.¡± Dietrich and Hermann¡¯s first meeting was around seventeen. Herman was 17 years old when he first entered the battle. ¡®The order is different from the novel.¡¯ Did Dietrich roll the battlefield much earlier than Hermann? He should have been sixteen knights of servants who do not take turns directly. Even the war with Euclid was not part of the successor game. ¡°¡­¡­. Alphonse didn¡¯t go out. I saw him at Liatris Palace.¡± ¡°Of the successor candidates, only Dietrich is participating in the war right now, Nissa.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because he is the strongest.¡± ¡°Dietrich is only thirteen years old.¡± Yuric grabs his cheek, which is distorting his face in embarrassment. ¡°We are Lagrange. It doesn¡¯t matter when we evaluate our combat power.¡± I chewed my lips at Yuric¡¯s words. So, is it that the reason he came back from being injured was because he went to battle himself? ¡°Where is that?¡± It was so unfair. After the curse was broken, all the children who sought Dahlia were children who had given up the succession or were not qualified because of their lack of ability, and for this reason, they were being condemned by their families. None of them was evil or evil like the villain in the novel. ¡®What¡¯s different with Lagrange?¡¯ There were many times when I couldn¡¯t forget the habit of aiming swords between brothers, but they were all normal. I was more fond of tagging than seeing blood by poisoning the other person¡¯s food and learning to assassinate, and I burst into laughter even at the slightest joke. ¡°The child of LaGrange is just a child.¡± Ordinary children only grew up brainwashed that they were terrible humans mixed with evil blood and had to be villains. ¡®Asmodeus¡¯ curse, if only those pieces were destroyed earlier-¡® I shake off Yuric¡¯s hand that held me in a flash of thought After all, I had to take a piece of bar cheap from Dietrich. ¡°Where are Dietrich now?¡± I jumped out of the chair and entered the office again. Veronica shook her head as she glared at Yuric. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll be in the basement, but it¡¯s better not to go.¡± I quickly left the room despite my pressure. Every time I go out of the noisy gambling house and go underground, a fishy smell sticks to her nose. Not greased, the old wooden stairs made a squeaking sound whenever they were stepped on. The wooden door of the warehouse was as bad as the stairs, and the handles were tattered, but the basement was soundproofed and quiet enough to hear my breath. ¡°Dietrich?¡± static. It¡¯s just quiet without even the sound of a bug passing by. I wondered if Dietrich was really here, and as I stepped out carefully, a creepy sound, like scratching the floor with nails, rang. ¡®What are you talking about?¡¯ I can hear Dietrich¡¯s voice in front of him at the same time. ¡°Anissa.¡± The basement was a long, rectangular warehouse, and items that were supposed to be barrels were arranged on both sides. Dietrich rises between barrels almost as large as my body. The basement room without a single light was very dark, and only the yellow light from the hot water in Dietrich¡¯s hand was the only one. ¡°Why are you here.¡± But even with that light, I could tell the extent that Dietrich¡¯s hands were covered with blood. ¡®Was it smell of blood here.¡¯ I frowned in the disgusting fishy, ??and ran out to him, frightened by the drop of blood falling on his fingertips. ¡°Are you injured again?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­ .¡± Neither the surroundings nor Dietrich¡¯s clothes were black, so it was not properly discerned, but if it flowed on the floor, it would not be a normal injury. I raised his arms in affirmation before and after. ¡°Are you okay? A little answer -¡± ¡°I asked how you got in here.¡± Dietrich took it by the shoulder as if it were angry. A sword red handprint remains on the white dress. ¡°It¡¯s dirty. Don¡¯t come.¡± ¡°Because Veronica says my brother is here. What is all this blood? Did you hit a lot?¡± ¡°¡­¡­no.¡± Dietrich, who answered so, was no longer looking at me. I¡¯m just looking down at my hand that touched my body. ¡°Hey, hey, save me! Save me !!!¡± As I approached him, I heard a thin weeping sound behind the leg. Someone was crawling on me, scratching the floor with a fingernail. ¡°Kak! It¡¯s a ghost!¡± I ran to Dietrich with a shrieking scream. He hid the approaching me behind his back. ¡°Stop.¡± When Dietrich mumbles and puts his sword in the back of a ghost that crawls on the floor, it dulls without power. Only then I realized that the ¡°ghost¡± I felt behind the leg was a man. ¡°¡­¡­..Ears, it wasn¡¯t a ghost.¡± It wasn¡¯t Dietrich that was hurt. With a candlestick in one hand, he lifted his body and threw it behind his leg. Quazzik. The sound of powerless crushing rang in a quiet warehouse as if it were dead. Soon Dietrich turned to me. It was dark, so I couldn¡¯t see it properly, but I can feel it with a sense of aura. Dietrich was very calm now. The Gray Aura is calm without even the agitation that he just killed a person. ¡°He is an assassin?¡± ¡°No,¡± he replies like a knife to my cautious question. I closed my eyes and stepped back. ¡°¡­¡­¡­Dietrich. Do you have a brooch that the bar left behind?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be in the office.¡± Ah. A low sigh broke out without my knowledge. I was a little surprised that the evil ether had no effect on him. I hadn¡¯t seen Dietrich deal with an assassin once or twice, but I didn¡¯t know he would kill someone who appealed for¡¯live¡¯. No, didn¡¯t I really know? The reason people fear Dietrich Lagrange more than anyone else wasn¡¯t his mighty magical power or his cruel hands. Because he had no feelings for his evil deeds. At that moment, I don¡¯t know why the description of¡¯The Men¡¯s War of the Roses¡¯ came to mind. ¡°Why?¡± He reached out to me and reached for me. As I flinch and avoid, he laughs low. It sounds like self-help, and a tea gown cynic that also sounds like laughing at me. ¡°Why are you trembling.¡± It was only then that I realized my body shivering. ¡°Are you scared of me now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­. .¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t had a single moment when I wasn¡¯t me.¡± The face that came across was half immersed in the shadow and couldn¡¯t be read properly. He is still just a boy, but his sharp lines are beautiful as if he was sharpened with a knife. Cool eyes shining black like obsidian. Faced with that gaze, I stuttered and opened my mouth. ¡°Oh, no. I didn¡¯t tremble.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s not that you don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Dietrich.¡± ¡°If you run away, I won¡¯t catch you.¡± Run away? From what? He chewed on unknown words and left the warehouse. A pool of blood. The candlestick he left illuminates the dark red liquid soaked in the floor. It was a terrible landscape as if it were a real ghost, but I wasn¡¯t scared anymore. I hurt Dietrich. How many puddles filled with a terrible smell of iron must we cross before we can become adults? Saint-Dena was like a garbage dump in the vast Lagrange estate. The lakes poured with all kinds of pollutants smelled, and humans who were worse than the filth poured out of the drains mainly came in and out. ¡°Even if you¡¯re in charge, you¡¯re in charge of such a fucking earth.¡± Veronica frowns, covering her nose with her pretty fingers. It was a very elegant gesture. In place of Dietrich, who couldn¡¯t respond, Yuric opens his mouth as if it were amazing. ¡°Aren¡¯t you from Saint Dena?¡± ¡°So what? Because it¡¯s a gonghang, you should give me a generous score?¡± Veronica shrugged and moved the shadows extending from the tip of her feet back and forth. ¡°Move, hear these pigs!¡± ¡°Sure, turn it off.¡± As she whips the shadows, men with thick, so richer-looking stomachs shed tears and hit the floor. ¡°Oops. Look at these kids crying. How did you kidnap young children and sell slaves with such a weak mind?¡± ¡°In the first place, humans were only tolerant of themselves.¡± As if against Veronica¡¯s words, Yuric nodded with folded arms forward. ¡°Why, why are you doing this! You said you paid enough money to Lagrange!¡± ¡°Do you know that if you pay money, you can sell slaves that are absolutely illegal?¡± do. No, at least in LaGrange, that¡¯s the way it has been. Knowing that, Veronica frowned on the back of the slave merchant¡¯s hand with a sharp heel. ¡°In Saint Dena, the only business that can be profitable is the slave trade! If you take all of us, Confucius will cut off the money line!¡± One of the merchants who still have the power to stand up from the seat, appeals to Dietrich. ¡°Aren¡¯t Confucius like Alphonse¡¯s loneliness?¡± The boy looked down at him with insensitive eyes and lifted his feet. ¡°I never allowed you to talk to me.¡± Da! CH 60 The merchant who was trampled in the head by Dietrich could no longer open his cheeky mouth. ¡°But it¡¯s really going to run out of money. Then you¡¯ll be more disadvantaged in the successor game than you are now, are you okay?¡± Veronica whispered, evading the bodies of lost traders like obstacles. For her, Dietrich¡¯s sudden choice was not easily understood. In the first place, he was a man who had little interest in human good and evil. But he suddenly wonders why he¡¯s taking a slave merchant. ¡°If you can¡¯t become the grand duke, we¡¯re in trouble, too,¡± Dietrich glanced at Veronica¡¯s strange laughter. In the cruel and cold North, it was not common to capture powerless children and sell them as slaves. Even if they complain of resentment, there is no help. It was their fault that they didn¡¯t have the money or power to find the child, so blaming themselves was the only principle in the North. ¡®So those who use the weak to blow their stomachs can¡¯t make fun of their tongue even if they are trampled by stronger forces,¡¯ Veronica shrugs his shoulders and looks up at the insensitive Dietrich¡¯s face. ¡°You, who aren¡¯t anybody else, wouldn¡¯t be tempted to suddenly want to imitate the stupid southern guys.¡± ¡°¡­¡­. .¡± ¡°Ah, is it because of Nissa? Because slave merchants are aiming for Anissa in a gambling house?¡± She, of course, said she would buy a lottery ticket and went to Saint-Dena, and she became the target of slave traders. There would have been a lot of perverts who were eager to keep their soft, wavy pink hair or a shiny red eye like a ruby. Of course, Dietrich didn¡¯t let the merchants touch Anit. Swallowed by Baal¡¯s shadow, they have long since been treated unknowingly by rats and birds. ¡®Isn¡¯t that not enough?¡¯ ¡°My brother¡¯s love is great.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Dietrich¡¯s heavy mouth only opened at Veronica¡¯s pompous words. She laughed and left the warehouse with Yuric. ¡°I believe your majesty¡¯s judgment is right.¡± After Veronica¡¯s laughter has gone so far that it can no longer be heard, the bar egg melted in the shadow of the leg appears. he laughs with his devilish red mouth open. ¡°Because the offering should not be scratched. There is nothing as certain as protection in pretending to be cherished.¡± Throng. Dietrich shoved his sword into the throat of an evil demon. It was fast enough that even the devil couldn¡¯t avoid it. Of course, the devil is not hit by physical attacks. Baal stumbled back with his black eyes wide open. ¡°I guess I won¡¯t die like this.¡± ¡°The devil is not killed by humans.¡± Baal exhales, sweeping his hand through his throat. The boy he enlisted as king was a man he didn¡¯t really know. He suddenly got mad. ¡°Yes,¡± Dietrich nodded briefly and tucked his sword. ¡°Oh, the princess almost destroyed Asmodeus¡¯ curse.¡± Baal spoke with long fingers striking each other. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one of Lagrange¡¯s children with such a skill. To get rid of the curse of the first Caju.¡± ¡°That curse, what effect does it have?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing much. It¡¯s just that you lose your humanity and become a demon. You may be mistaken for becoming stronger. It¡¯s Asmodeus¡¯s play.¡± Baal slowed down and attached four feet. ¡°Of course, your Majesty is not affected by such a trivial curse in the first place. It¡¯s already perfectly, I! Tongue! Because you¡¯re not human.¡± The boy¡¯s fingertips trembled a little at the devil¡¯s words, but neither of them noticed it. Slave merchants who have had their lives are dealt with one after another, and a creak is heard from the door. ¡°Hide the body.¡± The boy, whispering low, hurriedly rubbed his bloody hands on his pants. A small child in a white dress often walks down the stairs. Dietrich, already accustomed to the darkness, recognized her right away, but Anissa wandered around here and there. ¡®How did she come down here.¡¯ She was the one holding the candlestick, but I couldn¡¯t figure out why it was shining from her. The scent of dahlia is mixed in the bloody smell. Dietrich disappeared in an attempt to hide himself as an enemy, but Anit found him. ¡°Dietrich?¡± A surprised child approaches me. ¡°Don¡¯t come.¡± He was surprised by the blood stains I left on her shoulders to dry the oncoming child, and I stumbled back. ¡®It was obviously wiped, but why is it still dirty?¡¯ The palm that I looked down quickly was dark. It was natural to be dirty. Is the blood on it only the merchant¡¯s? It wasn¡¯t one or two wooden cars cut off the battlefield. It seemed that it would not disappear for a lifetime even if I wiped it again and again. ¡°Why are you shaking?¡± At those words, Anissa pauses. He froze in fear of a light blooming on the child¡¯s white face. I avoided it because I didn¡¯t want to get caught up in this feeling. The boy was terribly afraid. It was never scary to die, but that child was scared. Only now seemed to know the true nature of that fear. He was not afraid of getting caught in his plans and going wrong. He wasn¡¯t confident to see the face of the child who blamed him. The low-cost suffocates himself and dedicates himself to the devil. I wanted to apologize to Dietrich. Sorry for avoiding his hands. I forgot for a moment that he wasn¡¯t a flat villain in the novel, but just Dietrich. However, as if to laugh at my regrets, he was again brought to war without time to mix up with me. ¡®He won¡¯t ever come back in the middle.¡¯ Dietrich, who returned from winning the first War of the Roses, was already seventeen. All the children who possessed usable demons, including Dietrich, Alphonse, and Yuric, were dragged into the war against Euclid. The only direct lineages of Lagrange that remain in nature are me, the triplets and Veronica, who are judged to have no combat power. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of getting rid of Dietrich with war.¡± I raised my head over the book I was reading at Veronica¡¯s absurd words. ¡°Henri is dead. Alphonse is the commander. What the hell do you believe in that idiot!¡± She kicks her tongue and sits on my desk. I closed my eyes tightly rather than looking at the floating dust. Children were born with the ability to deal with shadow demons, and, except for Dietrich and Yuric, did not excel in their physical abilities. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.I have to tell Riesling.¡± Of the triplets, Riesling was the best kid with Henry. Although the curse that affects the children no longer disappeared, the inconvenient relationship did not recover immediately. Riesling was the child who played the role of mischief of such children, and he had many close children because he was not able to choose any day. ¡®That¡¯s why it¡¯s probably the saddest thing.¡¯ More than half of the children who were picked up died. They were all of Derek¡¯s own children, but he didn¡¯t blink. When one child dies, it is only supplemented by another child with similar abilities. There wasn¡¯t even a proper funeral. ¡®I¡¯m not going to deal with mercenaries that way either,¡¯ I¡¯ve often had nightmares since Dietrich came out. There were dreams that he couldn¡¯t return because he died, but the more terrible dream is, ¡°Even if the children come back alive, it¡¯s the same as dead. Since he wasted so much, it would be in a state that I could call him half-man.¡± It was a nightmare that Dietrich would not be my brother I remember. ¡°Except for Alphonse, which Derek is protecting, everyone will be insane. Gaju is trying to get involved in the successor, and Lagrange is already a joke.¡± ¡°Who will listen, sister.¡± I tried to stop Veronica¡¯s harsh words. ¡°Tell me to listen. My mother is also me¡­..¡± she laughs bitterly and blurs her words. I reached out her hand and stroked the back of her fine hand. ¡°How is Liatris?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little better than right after Neil died, but it¡¯s the same.¡± Neil was the only child of Liatris who was not born with a sense of ability, but his life was not threatened because most of the children gave up the succession. The baby seemed safe until Derek, who lost in a major turn and stopped by the castle, threw the baby out of the castle in a hurry. ¡°Before, when children died, they weren¡¯t particularly sad.¡± If the infant mortality rate of the Empire Bernoulli was around 30%, the children of Lagrange could not survive in half. The cold weather was also , but it was a place where all the children who were not strong were left to die So Derek¡¯s wives were unusually insensitive for their child to kill someone and get killed. ¡®Maybe it was because of Asmodeus¡¯ curse.¡¯ But Liatris, who witnessed Neil¡¯s death, went mad on the spot. ¡®It¡¯s because of me.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t imagine that there would be such side effects. Dare, is it because I tried to change the content of the novel on the subject of the supporting actor, not the main character. ¡°I have to buy flowers. Ros¨¦ said that hydrangea came from Ardelle. Liatris loves hydrangea.¡± I got up and grabbed Veronica¡¯s hand. The reason Succubus wasn¡¯t of great use in battle-Jagan was taken by Dietrich, so the girl who remained in Lagrange had more time in Dahlia than Riatris. ¡°If the succession is over and the constraints disappear, I will go to the capital city of Balier. If I run away now, I will be tracked, but if Dietrich becomes Duke, I will not be able to trace the shadow.¡± ¡°¡­¡­. .¡± ¡°You go together.¡± CH 61 "Are you going to stay in Lagrange?" Veronica frowns as if she can''t believe it. I hesitated her words as I met her eyes, resembling Dietrich, but far more vibrant. "Lagrange has changed a lot. You know my sister." ¡°Yes, we have changed, but it was possible because Derek emptied Lagrange,¡± I bite my lips at Veronica''s words. "But, one day, Gaju is supposed to change. When Dietrich becomes Duke-." "Ah Nissa, Dietrich must have changed. He must have been completely stained with the devil." "....... ." "It''s because you didn''t see Dietrich during the war. If you think he''ll take care of you like he was a kid, it''s a mistake." Veronica had been called to the battlefield several times because of her unique hallucinogenic ability, and she shook her head as if she was heading out of her head. "that''s not his fault. The power of the Shadow Devil is the power that loses his mind the more it is misused." ".......okay." I answered without strength, but in fact, none of the plans I had made after realizing that I had become''Anissa'' were good. I survived under the protection of Dietrich, and I have not yet discovered my abilities. ''If Dietrich really has changed, it''s okay to disappear like this.'' Without Eredia''s intellect, I was just that ordinary girl, and I agreed with the saying that mediocrity is not worth it in LaGrand State. ''Even if I was gone, Dietrich wouldn''t care.'' Nevertheless, I kept getting caught in his heart. Dietrich, who went to the battlefield, made a great stride while listening to the devil. He was too young and inexperienced to take the commander, but he was put into a more dangerous battle than a mercenary and wiped out all the southern soldiers. Derek wanted Dietrich to die, so he only pushed him out of the unlikely battle, but he came back with a victory every time he was blood alone. ''Wouldn''t it be difficult?'' "I have a nightmare." "uh?" "Dream of Dietrich knowing nothing about me." The dream of returning from war and just passing by me was the nightmare I feared most. I was intent on abandoning him anyway, but I feared that he would be abandoned, cowardly, it was too scary. "Sister, is it weird that I miss Dietrich?" ¡°No, he''s your only family, of course. It''s just an unfortunate contract for you,¡± I laughed at Veronica''s words, rubbing my head on her waist. ¡°My sister is also my family now,¡± Veronica smiled silently and stroked my hair. "Princess, are you going out?" Marilyn greets me when she leaves my study with me. For Dietrich''s achievement, the wider the territory of Lagrange, the greater the evaluation of him within the castle, and naturally the situation of Dahlia began to improve. As his only''sister'', I had four attendants on my own, and Marilyn, who was like the head of the Dahlia Palace, naturally became a maid. "Huh." ¡°I''ll get my clothes ready,¡± she cracked her chin, and her maids hurriedly moved and opened the door of her dressing room. As she sits on the velvet sofa in the middle, she brings some clothes to wear and shows them. The maids'' eyes sparkled strangely with excitement. "Try on this first!" "No! From this one!" "Princess suits you like this!" "We don''t have anything that doesn''t suit you, Vanessa!" "Well, that''s but-." The conversations that they are sharing with each other energetically come into my ears. If I left it like this, even if I tried wearing dozens of suits, I was still going to bring it. "Just give it something comfortable today." ¡°Oh, how is this one piece? This time, Marilyn put an order to the salon and made it.¡± Tally, a cute freckles studded in the back of her nose, shakes a wide sky blue dress in a fuss. The white neck collar that reminds me of a sailor suit was a cute design. ¡°Yeah, I''ll wear that.¡± Tally, who changed her clothes so scary that my words were over, rolled her feet and tapped her hands before I even looked in the mirror. "It''s too-too-pretty! Our princess will be the cutest and prettiest in Lagrange." "Yes......" Tally''s aura, who wore a large red ribbon over her half-tied head, was shaking violently. There was one thing in common with the lively maids Marilyn chose and hired outside of LaGrange. ¡°Because the peacock is a maid for that taste.¡± Everyone was eager to decorate me. It was very burdensome at first, but now I am a little used to this handling. ''I don''t hate the feeling of being pretty.'' The maids sent me out of the dressing room after wearing knee-high lace socks and black Mary Jane. ''Today, though, it ended quickly.'' I looked into a large full-length mirror set by the door. ''Even if it''s like me, I would have tried to decorate it with a younger sister like this.'' The girl with her fine eyelashes raised like a doll, blinks big eyes and looks at me. Even though I was only twelve years old, the features that had already been completed were shining brightly. CH 62 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Note: Devil and demon are the same in Korean. In this chapter I will be calling the demons contracted by a human as demons, but I will use ¡®the devil¡¯ as a reference to a singular entity - in here, Dietrich is referred to as ¡®the devil¡¯. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I didn¡¯t see any stairs leading down to the basement but it was strange. Was someone sneaking in and out of the lab like me? ¡°Hm.¡± There was probably some kind of hidden staircase but it wasn¡¯t visible to the naked eye. With a small sigh, I got up from my position and picked up the axe hanging on the wall. Kwang! Kwaang! Kwang! ¡°Phew.¡± Fortunately, it was an old wooden floor so with just a few hacks from the axe it quickly collapsed. ¡®When Josef comes back I¡¯ll just say there was an intruder.¡¯ It¡¯s faster this way than looking for the secret entrance he had deliberately hidden. Before I knew it, I had wiped the sweat from my forehead and then pushed my head toward the hole in the floor. ¡®Someone might think he¡¯s not a dreary alchemist.¡¯ [1] It seems that Joseph, who had all the stereotypical traits of an alchemist straight out of a book, had a secret laboratory that even Derek didn¡¯t know about. Without hesitation, I landed on the basement using the falling technique I learned from Baal. ¡°Puek.¡± The dust rose up in an instant, blurring my vision for a moment. I found a flower vase lying on the floor and hurriedly checked the room. ¡®I don¡¯t see any sign of anyone going in and out of here.¡¯ But it¡¯s impossible for the flower vase to fall on its own. ¡°I¡¯ll have to tell Marilyn to bring my meal here.¡± I laughed a little at the sight of the basement full of books and papers just like Josef¡¯s laboratory when he was still here. The study, classified with keywords such as purification tree [2], Eredia, and shadow demon, was so vast that it could not be compared to what was available upstairs. Even if I spent a few nights staying up, I¡¯m not confident I would be able to review all the materials. ¡°Why did you bring so many sacred trees again?¡± I didn¡¯t know what intentions Josef had, but there were more seedlings of sacred trees in the basement than in the laboratory. ¡®They don¡¯t cast a shadow.¡¯ The unusual thing was that there were no shadows of the seedlings under the lamp. I looked at the strange scenery as if possessed and then quickly opened the standard procedure of alchemy. ¡®The only tree that suppresses the power of shadows.¡¯ ¡®The children of the world tree.¡¯ Did this explanation mean that? I tilted my head and turned around, holding a seedling in my arms. ¡®I¡¯ll find out if I check with the little demon.¡¯ Fortunately, I saw a ladder and was about to climb back up but I caught sight of scattered documents on top of the table. The candle wax that had fallen nearby had not yet hardened as if someone had really been there. ¡®A letter?¡¯ The letter, addressed to Derek Lagrange, bore a familiar name. ¡®I think Josef intercepted it in the middle.¡¯ [Dona Euclid and Camille¡¯s babies are all dead. Only the nanny¡¯s baby survived. I¡¯ll return it to Lagrange.] ¡°I¡¯m dead?¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Mon--monster! Aren¡¯t you a total demon?!¡± The trembling man in front of Dietrich was three times older than him, but he didn¡¯t hesitate calling the boy who only reached his shoulders a monster. ¡°Is anyone there? A demon is trying to harm a person!¡± The man, who turned pale in fear, looked around his surroundings and cried. However, in the vast battlefield, there were only two living beings -- the man and the boy; only dead silence echoed. The boy who was called ¡®monster¡¯ and ¡®demon¡¯ didn¡¯t care about such malicious nicknames. Dietrich, showing no signs of being offended, moved as he watched the fumbling man retreating with an indifferent gaze. ¡°Sa--save me! Please save me!¡± The man finally began to beg for his life. The boy slowly approached the man with the tip of his sword on the floor. Sssk. The sound of the sharp blade scraping the floor echoed in the silent battlefield. Sobane, a man, one of Euclid¡¯s commanders, ran down a hill where the bodies of his men had already fallen and piled up like a mountain. ¡°Baal.¡± The demon, who bowed his head as if obeying the boy¡¯s command, stretched out a shadow and grabbed the commander¡¯s ankle. ¡°I! And your father! Made an agreement! This round was supposed to be our victory in exchange for getting rid of you!¡± It seemed that it was his last attempt, as the helmet decorated with blue feathers had already come off and the man who no longer looked like the commander raised his voice and cried out of injustice. ¡°Agreement?¡± Dietrich looked at the man and muttered briefly. ¡°That¡¯s right! We were supposed to win this round and Lagrange was supposed to win the next round!¡± ¡®That¡¯s why it was like that.¡¯ It was then that he realized why Euclid raised the white flag at every round that Alphonse led the army. <> Alphonse would smirk as he glanced at Dietrich¡¯s body, where there seemed to be no corner that had not been stitched. << Is it because my magic is too incredible? Those southern men usually get scared and run away. >> Alphonse bragged about winning the battle without raising his sword and hung around the barracks. ¡®The successor who achieved the myth of being undefeated.¡¯ The elders united and began to nominate Alphonse. There were even talks such as Alphonse was the only one who could stand as Derek¡¯s successor, and how strong he was that the enemy would lower their tail even before fighting. Even though there was no one who didn¡¯t know that Dietrich was thrown into battle alone for the sake of Alphonse¡¯s glory. ¡°If it¡¯s going to be like this then that means Lagrange lied to us!¡± ¡°No, all I did was play my part. Didn¡¯t he just throw some words at you? Not being able to get rid of me, who¡¯s alone, is the cause of your vain deaths.¡± ¡°That, that is¡­¡± Dietrich wiped the blood that splattered on his white cheek. The expressionless face of the boy who was close to turning seventeen was blindingly beautiful. Sobane mumbled that the devil must have descended and knelt down. ¡°Maybe Derek Lagrange doesn¡¯t know that you, Euclid¡¯s most capable knight, isn¡¯t capable of taking care of me, who''s alone.¡± For Derek Lagrange, it was more important for Alphonse to succeed as the grand duke more than achieving victory in the rose war. ¡®If only you had taken care of me on this occasion, it would have been perfect.¡¯ If he returned to the camp in one piece, he could already see Derek grinding his teeth as if resentful. <> As he gave a ridiculous order, Derek didn¡¯t even avoid his eyes. It seemed that he didn¡¯t feel any guilt even as he pushed his son to commit suicide. ¡°You are really a demon! How could you smile while killing people!¡± Sobane pointed at Dietrich with his trembling fingers. However, unlike Sobane¡¯s delusion, he wasn¡¯t smiling at all. He screamed in horror over and over again, as if he were hallucinating. ¡°Grand duke Lagrange said so! You are not his son but the devil itself!¡± It was the demon¡¯s red mouth that stretched out from Dietrich¡¯s shadow. When Baal took on a human form, Sobane was startled and dropped his chin to his chest. He raised his sword high as if he was about to kill himself. ¡°I¡¯d rather take my own life than die by the hands of a man who sold his soul to the devil!¡± Baal giggled at his words and picked a fight with him instead. ¡°Then what did you sell your soul for? Money? Honor? Oh, it¡¯s not honor.¡± ¡°....what?¡± ¡°Did you lead a large army on the plains just to kill one boy? With an idea of easy victory, you drank alcohol and congratulated yourself.¡± None of the prominent southern knights spoke about the cowardice of this round. [3] ¡°Urk!¡± Baal clicked his tongue and twisted Sobane¡¯s head, who couldn¡¯t answer. With agonizing screams, the man¡¯s sword made a rattling sound as it dropped to the ground. ¡°Anyway, the southerners¡¯ behind stink more than me. Don¡¯t you think so, your majesty?¡± Instead of answering Baal, Dietrich took out a white cotton cloth and started wiping his sword. Blood quickly dried up in the wilderness. He tried to wipe away the blood stains that had already stuck on him. ¡°It¡¯s already clean. What else are you wiping?¡± He cleaned himself with a meticulous hand as if he would not leave even an inch of dirt behind and the demon who had been circling around him turned his head and laughed. ¡°Did you originally have mysophobia?¡± [4] ¡°You¡¯re noisy, Baal.¡± Dietrich pushed the demon sticking to him and shook off the handkerchief dripping with dried blood. ¡°Ah, the princess sent another letter.¡± Baal, who was looking at the drops of blood scattered on the floor, suddenly held out an envelope. The colorful letter envelope had the subtle scent of flowers. Dietrich stepped back as if he had a seizure and glared at the demon. ¡°Get rid of it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to read it again?¡± The boy, who hesitated for a moment, quickly shook his head. It was a momentary conflict, but the demon did not miss it and waved the letter in front of his eyes. ¡°I said get rid of it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s extremely disappointed that you haven¡¯t replied to her at all.¡± At Baal¡¯s unnecessary comment, Dietrich glared at the despicable demon. It wasn¡¯t about Anissa being upset that Baal was worried about. ¡°If your relationship with Miss Anissa seemed to have become estranged, it would only be your loss, your majesty. At this point, there¡¯s no use in pretending that you don¡¯t cherish her.¡± [5] ¡°............¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s too late to turn around? Under Asmodeus¡¯ judgement, she is your only sacrifice.¡± At the very least, Your Majesty''s life should be spared. At Baal¡¯s sincere voice, Dietrich crookedly raised one side of his lips in a smile. ¡°Is the demon worried about me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my loss if you don¡¯t become the grand duke. If you don¡¯t become the grand duke, you will¡­¡± Baal swallowed back his words and smiled broadly. ¡°Your majesty, my noble little king. Don¡¯t forget our contract.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ T/N: [1] [She¡¯s stereotyping Josef that all alchemists are gloomy and dreary. So she¡¯s saying someone might mistake him as otherwise.] [2] Purified tree - in Naver it says fresh water; water drawn from the well at daybreak. [??? - but ? is sometimes referred to as tree. Like the world tree is written as ???; I¡¯m also confused here but it seems it all refers to trees - the seedings are sacred tree, the grown tree from the sacred tree will become a purification tree. ] [3] [The idea of ganging up against one person versus an army.] [4] [the fear of contamination and germs] [5] [Honorific -nim. I think this is the first time I read Baal using an honorific on Anissa¡¯s name.] CH 63 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡®I miss you, Dietrich.¡¯ Dietrich touched the already mottled sentence once again. [1] ¡®When do you think you¡¯ll come back?¡¯ ¡®I heard that Henri was gravely injured. Are you all right, Dietrich?¡¯ ¡®When Dietrich comes back, I want to go to the square. There¡¯s going to be a festival.¡¯ Even when he was staying in Lagrange, he intentionally didn¡¯t visit her, but Anissa only sent tender letters as if she didn¡¯t feel the distance he tried to place between them. He clenched his fist as he looked at the letters which he couldn¡¯t reply to. Some sentences were full of resenting him, while others were full of missing him. However, at the end of every letter always contained her wish for him to come back soon. ¡°.....I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m going to do if I go back.¡± Dietrich muttered low, raising the corner of his lips. In a place where no one knows, it was a lonely smile shown in some corner. On a night when the demon was sleeping, and even the moon did not rise, reading Anissa¡¯s letter on a lonely night made him want to reply right away. He picked up the pen only to put it down dozens of times. However, he never wrote a single letter. He couldn¡¯t do it. Because he felt like he would really go back. It makes him want to throw all this away and go back to that shabby palace. But the moment he returned, this momentary peace would be destroyed. ¡®Please remember the contract between you and I.¡¯ Dietrich recalled Baal¡¯s words. Regardless of the demon¡¯s impatient warning, he didn¡¯t forget a single letter of their contract. ¡®I¡¯ll become the ruler of the North.¡¯ The power of the contractor was the power of the shadow. Baal was convinced that Dietrich would become the Grand Duke of Lagrange and made him the king of the shadows. The demons were not a very loyal subordinate by nature. If he would not be able to succeed the title of the grand duke, he would be swallowed up by Baal before Alphonse. ¡°You¡¯re not asleep.¡± The boy who appeared in the barracks that Dietrich used alone was Yuric. With the dry wind blowing in the wilderness, his shiny blonde hair was now dry and flaky. The boy trudged inside lifelessly and sat down on the table. ¡°Roll up your sleeves.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then you apply it.¡± Yuric grumbled and held out an ointment. It¡¯s an ointment that was really effective for bruises, but it was a product that was difficult to find in the north because it was a specialty of the south. ¡°Anissa asked me to give it to you. She said if she gave it to you herself you¡¯d probably throw it away.¡± Dietrich looked at the ointment with a strange gaze without accepting it. Products produced only in the south rarely enter the north, and if they do, they were often sold at very high prices. ¡°She won the lottery. Did you read her letter?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Are your fingers broken? Are your arms broken? Why is it so hard for you to reply even once?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°You must be so at ease.¡± Yuric shrugged at Dietrich¡¯s cold response and stood up from his seat. ¡°Father took Alphonse back to Lagrange.¡± ¡°...........¡± ¡°It means the war is about to end. How can you not think of telling your sister any news even once in three years?¡± Yuric frowned in frustration at Dietrich¡¯s indifferent attitude. ¡°I thought you cared about Anissa, but it seems I must have been mistaken.¡± He sighed and then pulled out a few sheets of paper from his pocket. ¡°See this? These are letters that Anissa sent to me.¡± Letters written in similar handwritten sentences on a paper that was sent to Dietrich flashed in front of his mind¡¯s eye. ¡°Is Dietrich alive?¡± ¡°..........¡± ¡°These are letters she sent asking me one thing.¡± Despite Yuric sighing with his words, Dietrich didn¡¯t answer until the end. ¡°More than half of the Lagrange children are dead. She said she couldn¡¯t sleep because she was afraid you wouldn''t come back.¡± ¡°I already told you it¡¯s none of your business.¡± Dietrich could no longer stand Yuric¡¯s nitpicking. He grabbed the boy¡¯s collar and threw him outside the barracks. ¡°Ack! This jerk, really!¡± ¡°....wait.¡± Yuric struggled to pick himself up from his awkward position and angrily looked at Dietrich who poked his head outside his barrack. ¡°What!¡± ¡°Did you say Derek and Alphonse went back to the estate?¡± ¡°Why should I answer you?¡± Yuric¡¯s feisty attitude changed as soon as he saw a black hand stretching out of Dietrich¡¯s shadow. He answered right away donning a peculiar refreshing smile. ¡°Ye-yeah. That¡¯s what I said.¡± At Yuric¡¯s confirmation, Dietrich stepped out of the barracks following Yuric, his handsome forehead wrinkling into a frown. He didn¡¯t have a good feeling about this. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°It¡¯s really true.¡± The sacred tree from Joseph¡¯s basement certainly had the power to suppress the demons. ¡°Kkuuuu.¡± I looked down at the tail of the little demon which was fried as if it had touched the sun, and shook my head. ¡°Hm. Does it hurt?¡± ¡°Kuu! Kuuuuu!¡± As if protesting against me, the little demon cried and raised its voice. I apologized to the demon crying sadly while hugging its half-burnt tail. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I really wanted to check if it works.¡± ¡°Kuu! Kuuuuu!¡± ¡°I told you I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Kuu!¡± ¡°So noisy. Do you want to be fried again?¡± The little demon only closed its mouth after I threatened it following Dietrich¡¯s sharp tone of voice. ¡°It¡¯s going to grow back up again anyway, what a crybaby.¡± The shadow demons didn¡¯t really exist in this world anyway. Compared to the eternity given to them under the pretext of a contract, they only stay for a fleeting moment. ¡°Kkung! Kkukku!¡± ¡°Really?¡± I opened my mouth at the little demon¡¯s appeal. ¡°It really doesn¡¯t grow back? The purification tree has such ability?¡± ¡°Kku!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But now that you don¡¯t have a tail, I think you¡¯ve become cuter and cooler.¡± I stroked the little demon¡¯s short tail and smiled awkwardly. ¡®That means the purification tree has this ability.¡¯ The contents written in Josef¡¯s book seemed to be true. ¡°Then it¡¯s really possible to purify all the shadows of Lagrange.¡± It was no exaggeration to say that the north, especially Lagrange, was a land completely dominated by shadow demons. It was thanks to the darkness that the days were short and the moon did not even rise. ¡®If only I could grow enough purification trees to cover the whole of Lagrange.¡¯ My current ability may be considerably lacking but it might be possible to grow one tree at a time. My heart pounded at the small hope that bloomed in my heart. Lagrange¡¯s great power stemmed from their ability to wield shadow demons, but this family¡¯s unfortunate history was also due to the shadow demons. ¡°Will Dietrich listen to me?¡± I let go of the little demon and whispered softly. The demon snickered and made fun of me at my words. ¡°After I drive the shadows out of Lagrange, there will be no need for us to make contracts with the shadow demons. If only it was that simple.¡± There was no end to people¡¯s greed. Those who amassed vast fortune coveted more money, and those with power wanted more power. I didn¡¯t know if Dietrich, who would become the most powerful ruler among Lagrange¡¯s past rulers, would be able to give up his power. ¡®If it¡¯s the Dietrich I know, I¡¯m sure he would.¡¯ It¡¯s already been three years since I met him. With a low sigh, I pulled out the brooch from my pocket. There was no one to ask about demons without Baal. ¡°Did Dietrich really change? They say the greater his power, the faster he¡¯ll change.¡± ¡°..........¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t answer, I¡¯ll bury you under the sacred tree.¡± I grumbled as I put the brooch of Vassago that Dietrich had left behind on the ground. ¡®Of course even if it answers, I still plan to bury it.¡¯ Whether it was because he paid attention to my words and intentionally left it behind or because he just forgot about it, the brooch of Vassago was rolling around in Saint-Dena¡¯s office like a useless piece of stone. ¡°Baal said that you can still hear what people say even if you¡¯re sealed.¡± I remembered what Baal said as he snickered when he saw Vassago sealed in a jewel. ¡®I¡¯ve been sealed before, too. Aren¡¯t you going crazy out of boredom? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine.¡¯ I wondered what in the world he did that he ended up being sealed, but Baal didn¡¯t open his mouth any more. ¡°If you¡¯re also a demon, this sacred tree won¡¯t be too pleasing for you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m good at this, actually.¡± I muttered, looking down at Vassago who didn¡¯t respond. Things that she never even told Veronica poured out from her lips. ¡°What if Dietrich doesn¡¯t listen to me? It might really be better to just run away.¡± I wanted to free the Lagrange children from the shadow demons. To do that, I purified the aura of the children. However, in the end, I needed the cooperation of Dietrich who would soon become the grand duke. In the first place, I started believing that Dietrich would be different from the previous grand dukes. ¡°If you only replied to me, I wouldn¡¯t be having doubts like this.¡± Veronica kept telling me that Dietrich was already tainted by the demons which bothered me even more. Saying that there should be no more contracts with the shadow demons was the same as reducing Lagrange¡¯s power. ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t it time for you to answer?¡± I put my hands on the ground where the seedlings were planted and closed my eyes. A white aura glistened at my fingertips and soon leaves sprouted from the small branches. Now, I just had to concentrate and use my abilities for the flowers to bloom but I heard someone approaching. I hurriedly withdrew my hands and got up from my place. ¡°Princess, His Grace is looking for you.¡± ¡°Huh? Me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The maid from the main palace continued with a cold gaze, looking down at my flustered face. ¡°Follow me right now.¡± CH 64 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Her voice was so firm I couldn¡¯t even think of refusing and hesitantly stood up from my place. ¡°Why did he suddenly call for me?¡± ¡°You will know once you get there.¡± I looked around to see if anyone would be able to save me from this difficult situation, but I couldn¡¯t find Lancel or Marilyn anywhere. ¡°Well, all right.¡± In fact, even if they were around, it was impossible to refuse to see Derek who called for me -- he was my father and the head of the family -- without any valid reason. I had no choice but to follow her. ¡®Why is Derek Lagrange calling for me?¡¯ As I passed the corridor where faded leaves piled up one by one by the window, I fell in deep thoughts. ¡®I¡¯m sure he¡¯s up to something.¡¯ It was definitely suspicious. My heart dropped thinking that something had happened to Dietrich, but thinking about it, Derek wasn¡¯t someone who would tell his children the news that any of their siblings had died. ¡°Please go inside.¡± I nodded towards the chilly maid. She raised her eyebrow as if wondering if I would also bend my waist and be polite. ¡°You can go now.¡± I raised my chin arrogantly and told the maid to step back. Just because I was a princess from Dahlia who was far from the seat of power, there was no need for me to be subservient even towards Derek¡¯s servants. ¡°Will you not need a guide inside?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right since I¡¯ve been here a few times.¡± ¡°Then, I will now take my leave.¡± With my attitude, it was then that the maid realized that I was a ¡®princess¡¯, thus her attitude towards me became a little more docile. I glanced at her, who started showing a favorable aura compared to my frosty attitude, and the main palace which stood tall like a background. ¡®I can¡¯t appear weak.¡¯ Lagrange¡¯s Nature was shining dark red under the autumn¡¯s sunlight. White light leaked from the magic spheres installed along its walls. ¡®I heard that it¡¯s because of those magic spheres that the night in Nature was more splendid than the night at Valliere Palace.¡¯ I¡¯ve been here a few times following Dietrich, but I¡¯ve never been here at night. The main palace, which still felt unfamiliar, had a different feeling of dignity compared to when I was looking at it from afar in Dahlia. ¡°I heard he was looking for me.¡± As I entered the front door, an unfamiliar servant greeted me. Even though the subject was omitted because the word ¡®father¡¯ got stuck in my throat, he still understood what I meant. ¡°His Grace is in his office.¡± Following the servant, I stood outside the office door and cleared my throat in place. ¡°Your Grace, Princess Anissa is visiting.¡± I didn¡¯t know what Josef and Camille were plotting but Derek received a false report from Camille¡¯s knight escort that ¡®Euclid¡¯s child¡¯ was dead. At first, I doubted that I was really the maid¡¯s child, but I have vivid memories of when I was a newborn baby. ¡®My birth mother definitely tried to kill me, calling me Euclid¡¯s shame.¡¯ I tried to find out who the knight was and why he made a false report, but there was only that one letter. And Josef didn¡¯t deliver the letter to Derek. So Derek, not even in his dreams, would know that I wasn¡¯t Camille¡¯s daughter. However, even though he knew me as his real daughter, for the ten years that I have spent in Lagrange, he¡¯d never even once looked for me. ¡®Even the times I¡¯ve encountered him¡­were only five times.¡¯ This could be seen as a relationship that was almost inferior compared to others. ¡®Well, thinking about Dietrich and Yuric who are his biological children, nothing good comes out of such a relationship.¡¯ Although the rose war was a long war that lasted for more than three years, they never once returned to Lagrange. However, the lame excuse of a general commander of Lagrange frequently returned to rest under the pretext of being sick. ¡°Come in.¡± As soon as the servant opened the door, the aura that hit me gave me goosebumps. I secretly frowned. ¡®It¡¯s a smell I can¡¯t get used to no matter how many times I¡¯m exposed to it.¡¯ He had an aura that was darker than the demons themselves. Derek was buried in a dark and dry red fog like coagulated blood and smiled at me. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s been a while, daughter.¡± ¡°..........Yes.¡± ¡°What was your name?¡± I didn¡¯t know how many times I had to tell him for him to be able to remember his daughter¡¯s name. I took a half step back, lowering my head to avoid Derek¡¯s gaze. ¡°I am Anissa.¡± ¡°Do you know that the children of Lagrange can never leave the North until their sibling is able to complete the succession?¡± Why was he asking about the rules that we already know? I narrowed my eyes at his useless show of kindness. ¡°I heard you also have an ability.¡± Derek suddenly changed the subject and stood up from his seat. He gestured at the armchair across the desk with his chin. ¡°Sit down. I don¡¯t have the hobby of looking up at my children.¡± I settled on the chair obediently, following his instructions. He looked at me with a strange gaze as my feet flapped in the air, not reaching the ground because it was a high chair. ¡°I am familiar with the news that you have gone around destroying sculpture fragments of the previous heads.¡± Instead of looking startled at Derek¡¯s words, I calmly checked his aura. Of course, I was freaking out inside. I hid my trembling fingers in my sleeves. ¡®How did he know?¡¯ It was difficult to read Derek¡¯s emotions because his natural aura was engulfed in dark rage. ¡®Did he also notice the sacred trees?¡¯ ¡°Did you call me here to punish me?¡± ¡°The ability that your brother claims you have.¡± Derek licked his lips. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s an ability that belongs to the North.¡± ¡®I¡¯m doomed.¡¯ I wanted to get out of my seat right away and crawl under my bed, but I painfully bit my lip and smiled broadly. ¡°....I¡¯m not sure about what you mean.¡± ¡°I have never heard of a member of the family of shadows who has the ability to destroy the curse. But you probably don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about.¡± Derek placed his hand on the liquor on top of the table as if to moisten his lips. Pieces of ice fell one by one over the clear whiskey. ¡°Well, the fact that among my numerous wives there was a woman with a light skirt is of little importance. What¡¯s important is that you aren¡¯t a child of Lagrange.¡± Fortunately, he didn¡¯t seem to notice that I was a child of the Euclids. I let out a sigh of relief inside and waited for him to continue his words. ¡°Since you have not inherited the Lagrange blood, you do not have to wait for your brother¡¯s succession.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying I will let you leave Lagrange. You don¡¯t need to worry about your travel expenses as well.¡± My mouth dropped open at Derek¡¯s sudden proposal. As if my expression was funny, he raised his upper lip and smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good proposal? All you have to do is leave.¡± It was sudden but it was such an enticing proposal that I was suspicious. I couldn¡¯t answer him right away and he muttered. ¡°I know kids like you really well. Because I¡¯ve killed dozens of you.¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure your brother told you that if he became the head, he will save you, and that you just have to serve Lagrange.¡± Dietrich had never said such things, but Derek continued with his wild guesses. ¡°This is a family with no history of saving one¡¯s sibling after completing the succession.¡± I stared at Derek¡¯s face that no longer held a smile, and bowed my head. I had to figure out his intentions. There must be a reason he¡¯s not telling me. ¡°Why do you want me to leave Lagrange?¡± ¡°It seems you¡¯re curious about the reason. Children like you die early.¡± I shuddered at what Derek said while smiling widely. Fortunately, he couldn¡¯t hold me for a long time. ¡°Damn it. There¡¯s already a disturbance. What are you going to do?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me the reason then I have no intention of answering you.¡± ¡°How impertinent.¡± Derek grumbled as if holding back his anger, irritated that I didn¡¯t listen to him right away. Soon, blue sparks started flying from where he was sitting. I narrowed my eyes and stared at Derek¡¯s demon emerging from the spark. ¡°The Warden of the North cannot be involved in the affairs of the next successor.¡± The demon Agares, who lost an arm, began to circle around Derek. Derek grabbed my arm roughly and opened the door. ¡°Think about it if you want to live. Don¡¯t trust your brother.¡± Blood was thicker and the history of the north ran deep. There was nothing that I could change, my father whispered. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ First, Derek was currently being threatened by his own demon, Agares. Second, if I¡¯m not in Lagrange, the probability of Alphonse becoming the head increases. Third...it would have been better if I found out more information; there were only two of the numerous puzzle pieces that I obtained from my conversation with Derek. Derek said the proposal was only valid for a week. It meant there was not enough time to think about it deeply. ¡®In fact, if it was in the past, there would be no need to think about it.¡¯ From the moment I realized I was born as Anissa, I only had one goal in mind. ¡®To stay inconspicuous then leave Lagrange and start a new life.¡¯ Because if I hover around Dietrich and Hermann, I wouldn¡¯t be able to escape the novel¡¯s development. ¡®But¡­¡¯ To say that my absence in Lagrange was advantageous for Alphonse to succeed as the head would be synonymous to saying that Dietrich would not be able to become the grand duke without me. ¡®Why does Dietrich need me?¡¯ ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ T/N: Derek is mistaking that Anissa is a daughter of Camille and an unknown man that¡¯s why he still thinks she¡¯s Dietrich¡¯s biological sister. If you can, please consider supporting the author of this novel by purchasing the original book. You can purchase chapter-by-chapter on KakaoPage. CH 65 There was no way for me to know what would happen if Dietrich failed to become the Grand Duke. ¡°Haa.¡± With one of my hands on the wall, I took a deep breath and the triplets who were circling around me opened their mouths at the same time. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Anissa?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Not satisfied with my answer, Maslow pouted his lips with a sullen face. ¡°You haven¡¯t played with us lately. We can¡¯t even use our ability!¡± I stared blankly at his shadow and quickly stopped the child who was trying to summon the little demon. ¡°Didn¡¯t we decide to hide the fact that you could use the shadows?¡± ¡°I¡¯m bored.¡± Rose grabbed and pressed Maslow¡¯s shoulder as he grumpily stomped his feet. It was only for a few seconds, but Rose as the older sister was still the most mature among the triplets. ¡°Listen to Anissa, Maslow. If you get caught being able to use shadow, you might be sent to the battlefield, you know that.¡± I nodded with Rose¡¯s clear voice. ¡°By the way, will it be all right for you not to go back to Rose Palace?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. Mother probably doesn¡¯t even know we¡¯re not there.¡± Riesling, who answered my question instead of Rose, nibbled on his finger and met my eyes. ¡°Father took mother to question her about Miss Liatris¡¯ condition.¡± Derek was not aware that he was the reason why Liatris went insane. ¡°I think he knows our mother even poisoned Miss Liatris.¡± I laughed in a hollow tone at Riesling¡¯s answer. To Derek, the children of Liatris except for Alphonse, were like bugs that uselessly ate away rice. Thus, he seemed to think that Liatris, the hostess of Lagrange, wouldn¡¯t be shocked just because one from among her many children had been killed. ¡®He¡¯s only blaming people around him but himself.¡¯ I shuddered, recalling Derek¡¯s pitch-black aura. He knew that the curse of Asmodeus remained in the castle, and he also knew that I was the one eliminating the curse. However, it was clear he didn¡¯t know how I did it. ¡®It wasn¡¯t that the people were becoming strange, but because the curse was lifted, everyone was returning to their senses.¡¯ If it had been before the curse was lifted, the triplets would not have been sad just because a baby, who couldn¡¯t even speak, died. ¡®Maybe it would have been better that way.¡¯ A belated regret came to find me. Lagrange was too cruel to endure for children who knew emotions. ¡°Riesling, do you remember the time before you met me?¡± A clever child squinted his eyes as he looked at me as if he was gauging my motives. Half of the children of Lagrange that came to gather around me and started interacting with me, lost their lives in the war. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t have known this pain of losing something precious if I had nothing to lose in the first place.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t forget the words Liatris murmured in the still silence when she lost Neil. All the children''s aura, who didn¡¯t know what sadness was, turned blue. ¡°I remember.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you regret it? If you didn¡¯t know me, Henri and the other children would probably know nothing.¡± ¡°Regret? If that was the case, then I wouldn¡¯t feel sad if Henri died?¡± Sometimes, children were more astute and quick-witted than adults. He didn¡¯t know what my ability was, but he must have noticed that I was the reason why Lagrange changed even if it¡¯s just a little. I bowed my head, unable to meet Riesling¡¯s clear purple eyes. ¡°Anissa.¡± The child placed his little hand on my head. ¡°I¡¯m really glad that Anissa came to find us.¡± At Riesling¡¯s words, Maslow and Rose nodded their heads together as if they were in agreement. ¡°If we hadn¡¯t met Anissa, we would have ended up hating each other. We wouldn¡¯t know that Henri was a clumsy but sweet child, and we wouldn¡¯t know that Yuric¡¯s blue eyes were pretty.¡± ¡°Henri would have felt the same. He said he didn¡¯t know why he hated us all this time.¡± ¡°In addition, we didn¡¯t know why I always felt angry but I didn¡¯t feel like that when I¡¯m with you, Anissa.¡± I smiled thinly at the words that Maslow added. He was a child especially affected easily by the curse. ¡°We need you, Anissa.¡± Those words were something I needed, but it was the first time in both my past life and my present life that I heard those words addressed to me. ¡®You are a useless existence to our family.¡¯ My noble sister didn¡¯t let such words slip out of her lips, but she often spoke them with her eyes. ¡®The relationship of the siblings in this family would have been perfect if it weren¡¯t for you.¡¯ I was like a stain under the shadow of my outstanding brother and sister. In my previous life, I thought it was my fault. Because I¡¯m not good enough. Because it was a sin to be a sibling who was a humiliation to them. ¡®But Dietrich didn¡¯t say that.¡¯ Dietrich, who was dozens of times superior to them in every way, had never once felt ashamed of me, especially when I spilled milk, stuttered with my words, and even my inability to handle shadows. ¡®The same goes for these children.¡¯ I looked down at my hand that Rose squeezed. ¡°.....Thank you for saying that.¡± Lagrange was definitely changing. The children were no longer trapped in their set-up as villains. The only space given to us was the small garden in Dahlia, but in that place we were able to laugh freely as much as we wanted. ¡®Is it okay if I don¡¯t give up this time?¡¯ I didn¡¯t have a lot so I was used to giving up. Maybe it was because I had nothing I deemed precious enough for me not to give up. ¡®It¡¯s different this time.¡¯ Dietrich was precious to me. Even in spring, it was cold enough to see our breaths, but flowers still bloomed in this desolate land. Even when this family was cursed by demons, these children did not lose their smiles. ¡°So precious.¡± I spoke out the words that I had been pondering in my heart. ¡°You are precious. I¡¯m really happy that I met you, too.¡± A week later, I was called again by Derek where I rejected his proposal. At the same time, as I heard the demon¡¯s giggling laughter, I was thrown into solitary confinement. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It was said to be an act of the ¡®father¡¯ discipling his wayward ¡®daughter¡¯, but the room where Derek locked me up was more like a prison than a normal bedroom. He kept me locked up longer than I thought, but it was tolerable. ¡®But my prediction was right.¡¯ I brushed up the back of my head as I stared at the grate in the damp basement where even the sunlight barely came in. The girl in the mirror looked back at herself with her pale neck exposed. Fortunately, there were no injuries thanks to being calmly dragged away. ¡°As expected, it seems they can¡¯t harm me directly either.¡± My existence was necessary for Dietrich¡¯s succession, and since my safety was related to Lagrange¡¯s succession, Derek, the head of the family, seemed unable to harm me. ¡®Is the demon watching me?¡¯ However, just because I wasn¡¯t injured didn¡¯t mean this situation was satisfactory. I called the knight wandering in front of my room like a guard. ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°.......¡± ¡°Sir!¡± The knight slowly approached me, compelled by my call. The knights were expert at controlling their own energy so their auras did not spread widely. ¡°Can you come a little closer?¡± ¡°What is the matter?¡± It was clear that he was wary of me with his hard tone of voice. I reached out my hand and stirred his aura. ¡®I¡¯m not purifying it but will this work?¡¯ ¡°Since I suddenly disappeared, my maid would be worried. Can you tell her the news?¡± ¡°My duty is to prevent you from leaving this room, not to be a bearer of your errand, Princess.¡± The knight sharply refused my request and promptly turned his back. Instead of holding onto him, I concentrated on grabbing his aura and dyeing it pink. ¡°......?¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡°...I understand.¡± ¡®It worked.¡¯ I glanced between the knight''s back as he moved away and at my hands touching his aura. The power of the small, delicate hand attached to this thin wrist was greater than I thought. ¡®But if it was Anissa from inside the novel, she wouldn¡¯t do such a thing.¡¯ Eredia¡¯s ability was inherently good. Purifying an aura stained with malice or curse was often something even priests who worship the goddess did, but controlling emotions and moving auras this way was something a demon-like succubus did. ¡°But you can¡¯t just live by doing only good things.¡± You had to use all the tools at your disposal to survive. A knight who had no inclination towards me couldn¡¯t suddenly resist the urge to help me. The knight, who returned, still had a stiff face but on his hand, he had brought with him a doll that didn¡¯t suit him. ¡°If it¡¯s Marilyn, the maid, then she already knew of this situation.¡± ¡°That is?¡± ¡°She said the princess absolutely needs this doll.¡± I furtively smiled as I looked at the raccoon doll that Marilyn took care of. I¡¯m already twelve years old. I¡¯m already past the age to play with this rag doll. ¡®So fluffy.¡¯ However, it was quite comforting in a prison-like room without a single cushion. ¡°Should I order them to prepare your meal?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t have an appetite. It¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t have an appetite, you shouldn¡¯t skip meals. You¡¯re too skinny.¡± Without permission, the knight grabbed my forearm to look at it and clicked his tongue, then he took off his helmet. My eyes widened in surprise. ¡®He¡¯s much younger than I thought.¡¯ CH 66 The way he talked and behaved was so stiff, I thought he would at least be in his mid-thirties. ¡°Uhm¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s Damon.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You can call me Damon.¡± Did he think the reason I hesitated with my words was because I didn¡¯t know his name? The knight with silver-blue hair introduced himself and swept the area above my head, looking around the room. ¡®He has an appearance that could pass for a character in a novel.¡¯ Although it was a whole world itself where people who did not appear in the novel existed, the closer you were to the main character, the more dazzling your appearance would be. ¡®Dietrich may be the villain, but he¡¯s handsome because he¡¯s a significant character.¡¯ I¡¯ve never seen a boy as gorgeous as Dietrich in Lagrange. ¡®Maybe he¡¯s a character, too?¡¯ I squinted my eyes and observed his appearance closely. ¡®Damon, hm, I¡¯ve heard of this name before.¡¯ ¡°What are you looking at so intently?¡± ¡°Mr. Knight, you¡¯re much younger than I thought.¡± ¡°Younger?¡± ¡°You¡¯re handsome. What¡¯s this? Why are you so handsome?¡± ¡°.........¡± I had never seen a person who possessed such a radiant appearance even though he didn¡¯t appear in the novel. ¡®I have definitely heard this name before.¡¯ The years I spent as Anissa had already been twelve years. It had been so long that the contents of the book I read in my previous life had become fuzzy. I could still remember the big events or the main characters vividly, but if it was a supporting character who was mentioned... ¡°What are you saying?¡± Damon, who glanced at me as I was racking my head, covered his mouth and stepped back. Even without reading his aura, I could tell that he became embarrassed because of his red ears. ¡°...I will order them to prepare your meal.¡± ¡°Hm, well, thank you.¡± Even if I told him that I wasn¡¯t hungry, I saw Damon off as he left in a rush. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Kikik.¡± ¡°Kikikikik.¡± I was about to close my eyes on a bed without a mattress made of soft feathers let alone a proper blanket, when... In the dark, I began to hear a young child¡¯s laughter. ¡®...Is it a g-ghost?¡¯ If it was in the past, I would have fainted due to fear, but ever since I could feel auras, I developed a habit to judge everything in the world based on ¡®auras¡¯. ¡®There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t feel it if it was a malicious aura.¡¯ When I drowsily opened my eyes, I could see white smoke dancing under the dimly lit lamp. It had a vague appearance of a child. ¡®...It¡¯s just a remnant of a dead aura.¡¯ I remembered the time when Liatris¡¯ newborn baby died. It was only a small part, but a dead person¡¯s aura would return to the place where they stayed for a long time. ¡®Neil¡¯s aura disappeared after I patted it a few times.¡¯ I recalled the aura of Neil swaying above the cradle along with the fresh scent of a baby -- I felt like my feet would give out if I touched such an aura again. I didn¡¯t want to meet such a sad aura again. ¡°Child.¡± ¡°Kkik. Kikikkik.¡± ¡°Did you die in this basement?¡± In the ¡®Rose Wars of Men¡¯, the saint, Charlotte, also offered a prayer to comfort the ghosts. Eredia¡¯s powers were not comparable to her divine powers, but I also had the ability to sense souls. ¡°I don¡¯t know you. So I don¡¯t know how to comfort you.¡± ¡°........¡± ¡°I¡¯ll lend you this doll. Make sure to give it back to me in the morning.¡± I placed the raccoon doll I was holding like a treasure in the corner where the lamp shone the brightest. At that moment, a shadow flickered under the lamp, and a horn sprouted. ¡°Anissa.¡± ¡°Kyaa!¡± The ghosts weren¡¯t particularly scary now, but a demon¡¯s horn appearing out of nowhere was terrifying. As I screamed while cowering in the corner, Damon suddenly opened the door and entered. ¡°What happened?!¡± ¡°That, that--¡± I pointed my finger at the horn protruding on the wall, but it had already disappeared without a trace. Damon opened his mouth as if sighing. ¡°Did you see a ghost?¡± I did see a ghost but I wasn¡¯t surprised because of that! ¡®Anissa, it¡¯s me.¡¯ I caressed my arms as I felt goosebumps at the sound that came from the wall. ¡®The wall is talking.¡¯ ¡°Princess, everything seems to be fine, so I will see myself out.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Damon¡¯s face looked so tired that I couldn¡¯t bring myself to stop him. When I lightly nodded, he quickly left the room. Left alone, I stared at the ¡®talking horn¡¯ that protruded from the middle of the wall. ¡°.....Who are you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Yuric?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°A horn? Did you become a horn?¡± Was that what it meant -- if you waste the power of a demon, you become a demon? I freaked out and latched onto Yuric. ¡°Did you use too much of your abilities?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that!¡± If that¡¯s not the case, then was he cursed because he didn¡¯t listen to Dietrich? I suppressed my sinking heart and approached him. ¡°No. It¡¯s a kind of communication magic. Amon¡¯s horn can ram anywhere.¡± ¡®It¡¯s also possible to use demons as phones?¡¯ My eyes widened, thinking of Amon, who was exceptionally ugly among the shadow demons. ¡°You scared me, suddenly popping out without warning.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± He laughed lightly at my rebuke. Relieved of tension, I collapsed on my knees in place and slowly opened my mouth. ¡°...Are you hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°You always ask things like that. Anyway, why are you locked up?¡± It was a question I couldn¡¯t easily answer. Because I had to tell him first that I wasn¡¯t his half-sister. As I hesitated to speak, Amon¡¯s horn shook from side to side as if it was frustrated. ¡°Don¡¯t shake that, it¡¯s weird.¡± ¡°It had been a long time since I returned to Lagrange and you¡¯re locked up in the basement, mother has gone insane, and the triplets just kept crying.¡± I was surprised by what he said and clung to the wall. ¡°You returned to Lagrange?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°What about Dietrich?¡± ¡°That jerk is¡­¡± If Dietrich returned with Yuric, there¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t look for me. ¡°He did return to Lagrange but¡­¡± I bit my lips hard at Yuric¡¯s answer. ¡°He must be busy with work. It can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°........¡± I shook my head, afraid that the nightmare I feared the most since Dietrich left Lagrange would become a reality. ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as he¡¯s not hurt. I¡¯m all right, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°For now, I¡¯ll try to persuade Father. Though I don¡¯t know what his intentions are for locking you up.¡± There¡¯s no way Yuric could persuade him. I nodded briefly without any expectations. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ As I expected, it seemed that things didn¡¯t go well, so news from Yuric was cut off. I let out a deep sigh as I stared at the window of the basement where it wasn¡¯t even possible to see outside. ¡®I¡¯m bored to death.¡¯ Derek didn¡¯t provide me with any entertainment, and making clothes for the raccoon doll with the knitting tools Marilyn secretly delivered to me was my only activity. ¡°Sir Damon.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Please say anything.¡± ¡°Anything.¡± ¡°...........¡± Damon, a person who didn¡¯t appear in the novel, was a very handsome knight, but his speaking skills were subpar. ¡®There¡¯s no such thing as a perfect person.¡¯ God seemed to have given him a handsome appearance and in exchange took away his speaking skills. I felt like I was going to die out of boredom as I spent ten days without any book to read or someone to talk to. ¡°Oh? I think someone is coming.¡± And so I got up from my seat, welcoming the sound of footsteps from afar. However, I couldn¡¯t help but frown at the acrid aura that immediately pierced my nose. ¡°Your Grace.¡± Damon, who was crookedly leaning against the wall, straightened his body and greeted him. Derek walked past him and stood in front of me. Derek was not alone. I stared at Dietrich, who now stood as tall as Derek. He didn¡¯t look at me. When Dietrich and I didn¡¯t say anything to each other, Derek gestured with his arrogant chin. ¡°Your face looks good.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°I guess this place is quite good enough for living. I heard evil spirits roam around here at night.¡± So that was an evil spirit. I shrugged as I glanced at the aura of the ¡®child¡¯ who was now quite close. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen anything like evil spirits.¡± ¡°It seems I underestimated you too much.¡± It was Derek, who locked me up in a basement that no one was allowed to enter except Damon, and yet he never once came to see me. I didn¡¯t know what he expected from me, but he raised his hands over the iron bars saying that my condition was ¡®fine¡¯ compared to his expectations. Pak. ¡°Kyaa!¡± To exaggerate a little, his fist which was as big as my face, slammed against my cheek. Paak. In the midst of that, as I moved backward, I looked at Dietrich¡¯s reaction first. It was then that our eyes met when he turned to look at me. His black eyes grew wide in surprise, but he didn¡¯t step forward. Dietrich had never turned a blind eye to me whenever I was in crisis. When I remembered that, my heart began to throb as if my heart hurt more than when Derek hit me. CH 67 It was Damon who stopped Derek instead of Dietrich. I could see his fists trembling with a suppressed force. ¡°Your Grace, please stop!¡± I couldn¡¯t gauge Dietrich¡¯s reaction anymore because the cheek where I was hit was burning in pain. ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Oh my.¡± Derek was trapped and unable to move in a blue spark I had seen before. There was even a smell of burning flesh, but he opened his mouth regardless. ¡°It seems Agares is already interfering. That¡¯s it for today.¡± Derek said provoking remarks and left his place leaving only Dietrich behind. I lifted myself up taking a big gulp of air. He had hesitated whether to approach me or not, but it was then that he grabbed my arm and raised me up. ¡°Did you read my letter?¡± I grabbed Dietrich¡¯s hand and asked. For some reason, my jaw was shaking making it difficult to pronounce my words properly. ¡°I found a way to change Lagrange. It will be difficult for our generation, but we don¡¯t have to create successors who are obsessed with the shadows.¡± ¡°..........¡± ¡°Baal¡¯s strength may weaken along with it but I will do my best to raise a purification tree and have it cover Lagrange--¡± Dietrich¡¯s transparent glassy eyes looked back at me. I bit my lips at Dietrich''s gaze, as if there were not even a handful of emotions left, looking at me. ¡°When Dietrich becomes the Grand Duke and decreases the use of shadows, Lagrange will be able to free itself from the demons.¡± As I waited for him to answer, I became nervous and once again opened my mouth. ¡°How about it?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± It was the first time. The first words Dietrich said to me, after meeting each other for the first time in three years, were words destroying the plans I had built in his absence. ¡°I can¡¯t do that, Anissa.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Dietrich didn¡¯t answer my question. He just stood up wordlessly. I barely grabbed his wrist as he turned around to leave his place. ¡°I kept waiting for you.¡± ¡°..........¡± ¡°Always. Veronica said it was just a lingering attachment, but I kept waiting.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I believe in you. That you would think the same as me. Because I believe you would feel sorry for the children of Lagrange like me.¡± As if he found my words funny, a corner of Dietrich¡¯s mouth went up. He spoke slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve never felt the same way as you, not even once.¡± ¡°Liar.¡± It was difficult to read Dietrich¡¯s aura. It didn¡¯t look as contaminated as Derek, but it was veiled that I couldn¡¯t ascertain such a possibility. So what I¡¯m saying right now was close to a bluff. ¡®Maybe I just wanted to believe that, too.¡¯ Dietrich walked away, neither affirming nor denying my words. He didn¡¯t look for me again until Derek forced me out of prison. ¡°Terrible. How could he not visit you even after a few weeks had passed?¡± Who was not looking for me? I smiled faintly because Derek seemed to be talking about Dietrich. ¡°Didn¡¯t your brother really care about you?¡± Derek frowned, feeling offended by my faint smile. ¡°Your injury seemed to have healed well.¡± Derek raised his hand saying he¡¯d have to beat me again, muttering in a muffled tone as if he was just saying he left his house key. I wasn¡¯t scared of Derek anymore, but I also didn¡¯t want to get hit again. While I was trying to calm my trembling body, Damon stepped in front of me. ¡°Get out of my way.¡± ¡°She¡¯s still a child. If you want to punish her then use some other method--¡± ¡°This is not discipline. It¡¯s guidance. Understood, Agares? I don¡¯t intend to harm the sacrifice so don¡¯t interfere.¡± ¡®Sacrifice?¡¯ At Derek''s words, the spark which had tightened around his body slowly subsided. He pushed Damon away and finally seized me by my collar, raising me high. Slap. I swallowed the fishy blood, not taking my gaze away from him. ¡®That person is not my real father.¡¯ So there was no need to be afraid. ¡°If you want to resent someone, resent your brother.¡± ¡°........¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be the least bit worried about you so I have to step up.¡± ¡®What is he saying?¡¯ I tried to figure out Derek¡¯s intentions. It was difficult to read him because his emotions were jumbled and muddy with envy, malice, and fury. ¡®He¡¯s also on edge.¡¯ It seemed that Dietrich wasn¡¯t moving the way he wanted him to. ¡°Damon.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Call Dietrich.¡± Derek briefly ordered and grabbed my hair. He caught me like a beast and dragged me out of the basement. ¡°Nevermind. I¡¯ll go myself.¡± My eyes stung from the sunlight I haven¡¯t seen in a long time. While I was locked up in the basement, I couldn¡¯t even wash myself properly, and tears flowed from my eyes, which hardly opened. ¡®I didn¡¯t want to meet him in this state.¡¯ I even learned how to braid my hair from Marilyn because I wanted to welcome him back after winning the war with my prettiest appearance. ¡®Because he must be having a hard time and would be exhausted, I wanted to greet him with my brightest smile, I had decided to do that.¡¯ Derek trampled on my efforts in an instant and put me in front of Dietrich. I wanted to see him again but I also didn¡¯t want to see him. Because I was afraid to confirm that his indifferent attitude was not a lie. I couldn¡¯t bear to face him properly so I bowed down as if I was going to put my head on the ground. ¡°Look.¡± Derek pulled my hair up. Even as I held my breath with my neck twisted, I didn¡¯t look at Dietrich. ¡°I told you to look at your brother.¡± ¡°.........¡± As I slowly turned my gaze at Derek¡¯s command, the first thing that caught my eye was his black, wavy hair. As if the cool dusk had descended. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Black eyes which terrifyingly matched his hair looked at me. The seventeen-year-old Dietrich was so beautiful that I feel ashamed of my shabby self. ¡®His beauty when he was a kid didn¡¯t go anywhere.¡¯ He reached out his hand with his long fingers and snapped Derek¡¯s hand that was holding my hair. As if he hadn¡¯t exerted a great force, he quietly backed away. ¡°......What are you doing right now?¡± Dietrich questioned Derek with a calm voice. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say she wasn¡¯t precious to you?¡± Derek continued, smiling slowly like a full-pledge beast. ¡°Your sister is not precious, didn¡¯t you say that with your own mouth?¡± ¡°I¡¯m only asking because I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re doing right now.¡± I bit my lip at Dietrich¡¯s strangely calm appearance. If he had forgotten the bond he had with me and all our memories when we faced each other, I felt like the ground would cave in and sink me down, but fortunately, that didn¡¯t happen. Even if the heart I had cherished until now had become a piece of tissue paper, the world was still intact. ¡°She¡¯s a child who won¡¯t become a successor anyway. She doesn¡¯t even have any strong abilities and she can''t be used in the long-term.¡± Derek grabbed my chin and shook it as he glanced at Dietrich¡¯s apathetic face. ¡°So it doesn¡¯t matter if I kill her, right?¡± ¡°If you want to kill her then go ahead. Why are you showing it in front of my eyes?¡± ¡°...It doesn¡¯t matter if I kill this child right now?¡± ¡°Is this something I should care about?¡± I was the one who received a greater shock at Dietrich¡¯s response than Derek. I forced my eyes wide open otherwise I would have shed tears right away. It was only then that I could admit it. ¡®Veronica may have been right.¡¯ That cold man was not the Dietrich I knew. ¡°Don¡¯t engage in violence. The succession is just around the corner. There will be a lot of eyes watching the North.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Derek threw me aside as if he had cooled down at Dietrich¡¯s words. ¡°This is just advice for the sake of Lagrange.¡± He calmly added while he held me, who lost strength on my legs and was toppling over. However, the hand holding me was so tight that at first glance I would have mistaken him for being angry. ¡®But his aura is calm.¡¯ The color of Dietrich¡¯s aura did not change easily, but it used to turn red when he was really angry. ¡°You¡¯re the one who said it doesn¡¯t matter if I lock up your sister in the basement.¡± At Derek¡¯s words, Dietrich looked down at me instead. He looked like he wanted to explain something, but I avoided his eyes because I was unfamiliar with him, who was much taller than most adult men. Derek looked at us for a moment before clicking his tongue and began moving away. ¡°I guess it wasn¡¯t a lie.¡± I tried to quell my anger and took a deep breath. Looking up, Dietrich looked so different that he felt like a completely different person. ¡®Was it like this in the original novel?¡¯ Did he really use so much of the power of the demon that he became a demon himself? ¡®If he really became the demon Grand Duke like in the Rose Wars of Men, then he wouldn¡¯t care what happens to me or to the children of Lagrange.¡¯ I thought I had grown quite a lot over the past three years, but it seemed to have been nothing compared to Dietrich¡¯s remarkable growth. He was about the same height as Damon, who was on the tall side for a knight, and looking at his broad shoulders that seemed to double mine made me believe that he¡¯s an adult. ¡°.........¡± Dietrich felt a little unfamiliar to me that I couldn¡¯t push him further for an answer. CH 68 ¡°You.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Does this happen frequently to you?¡± ¡°No. Derek came back to Lagrange more often than Dietrich, but he was still focused on the battlefield.¡± Dietrich half-heartedly listened to my answer and began to examine my body. The gaze that closely examined me for any injuries for some reason made my toes curl. ¡®You didn¡¯t seem to care about it earlier.¡¯ ¡°Why do you ask that?¡± Dietrich couldn¡¯t answer immediately my question which was subtly laced with resentment. I pressed down his handsome nose and continued speaking. ¡°....I heard it¡¯s been a while since you came to Lagrange, so why didn¡¯t you look for me?¡± ¡°Because I didn¡¯t feel the need.¡± I struggled to get out of Dietrich¡¯s arms at his cold reply. When I was about to fall down because I couldn¡¯t stand properly due to the pain in my side, he extended his hand behind my knee. ¡°I¡¯ll take you back.¡± ¡°....It¡¯s fine.¡± I hated Dietrich who pretended to be considerate at the last minute, so I shook off his hand. Smack. Even though the back of his hand which I hit must be stinging, he didn¡¯t even frown once. He stared at my face with an apathetic expression just like earlier. It left me speechless to see his doll-like face, showing neither anger nor joy. ¡°It¡¯s been a while for us, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°..........¡± ¡°Did you forget me because you haven¡¯t seen me in years?¡± Dietrich really looked like that. The way he treated me as if I was a stranger was hilarious, so even though it wasn¡¯t funny to me, it made me laugh. ¡°I remember the nights I spent with you.¡± ¡°............¡± ¡°Whenever I can¡¯t sleep because I¡¯m lonely, I always go to Dietrich¡¯s room and pretend you were sleeping there. I was always looking at the moon.¡± I didn¡¯t know if it was because of the fairy tale I liked but he and I liked the moon when we were kids. I sincerely wanted to hide behind the shadow of the moon with him. ¡°I told you I¡¯d protect you.¡± Even if Dietrich didn¡¯t remember my resolve, I remembered. It was dark, cold and the winter nights of Lagrange were hard, but at least we weren¡¯t lonely when we were together. ¡°You weren¡¯t bothered that I was here and I was very thankful for that.¡± My parents were bothered by me. But you, whom I didn¡¯t share a drop of blood with, took me in. ¡°I have never thought that you didn¡¯t cherish me.¡± ¡°What a fool.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a fool. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t think Dietrich had changed.¡± ¡°...........¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t believe Veronica¡¯s words that you have changed. No matter how much you use your power, I thought you wouldn¡¯t change.¡± Because he didn¡¯t seem weak enough to be swallowed by the demons. ¡°But I must have been mistaken.¡± This wasn¡¯t the reunion I longed for. However, the words of resentment that I had begun to spit out came out one after another. ¡°Even when you didn¡¯t come despite knowing I was locked up in the basement, I thought there was a situation that held you back.¡± ¡°............¡± ¡°I was just fooling myself.¡± Unable to bear it any longer, tears started pouring out of my will. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep well thinking that you might have died, or that you were hurt.¡± Even though I knew that he was the damn villain in the novel, I was still like that. ¡°I thought we were family. I was the only one thinking that. I, alone, waited for you.¡± As I poured out my resentments, Dietrich didn¡¯t even make excuses. I would have forgiven him if he had said a word of apology, no, even if he just showed a slight hesitation. ¡°I have never thought of you as family, Anissa.¡± Contrary to his cold words, the fingers that wiped away my falling tears were warm like always. I closed my eyes, not knowing what to do. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It had been a long time since he returned to Lagrange but it was still endlessly desolate. Maybe it was also because there was no voice that kept on prattling. Dietrich caught a glimpse of the withered branches hitting the window. ¡°Are you really not going to take Anissa?¡± Yuric stomped his feet in anger. Next to him, Baal was fiddling with his fingers as if he was nervous. ¡°Please listen to the prince¡¯s words, Your Majesty. Why aren¡¯t you going to save the princess?¡± He pretended to be worried, but the demon¡¯s intentions were clear. Candidates who didn¡¯t have a sacrifice wouldn¡¯t be able to enter the final gate. However, Baal raised his voice as if he was really worried about Anissa, who was locked up in the basement. ¡°The princess isn¡¯t an ability user like you, Your Majesty, but an ordinary person. Her body wouldn¡¯t last if she stayed locked up for a long time.¡± ¡°........¡± ¡°I will also try to tell Agares.¡± ¡°I disapprove.¡± Dietrich shook his head firmly. Yuric, finding the situation frustrating, began to pull his hair. ¡°There are also abandoned evil spirits in the basement. Do you think Anissa will be able to hold out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°This bastard, why do you think it¡¯s none of my business? Do you think she¡¯s only your little sister?¡± Yuric fumed and raised his voice. If it was only up to him, he would have run to her and taken her out a long time ago, but Derek had only one condition. ¡®Dietrich himself must admit that Anissa is a precious existence to him.¡¯ [1] It was exactly the same condition. He wondered what use it was for him to admit it, but he had a strong feeling that it had something to do with the succession gateway. ¡°No, why not save her first and then think about it later.¡± ¡°I have no obligation to save that child.¡± Despite Yuric¡¯s insistence without knowing the situation, Dietrich continued to stare outside the window with no thoughts of being moved. ¡°This jerk, really!¡± Yuric, who was seething, finally couldn¡¯t control his anger and ran towards him, grabbing him by the collar. His black eyes, as cold as a winter night, meet with blue eyes flashing with fury. ¡°Are you really using Anissa? Because of that gateway or something!¡± No matter what Yuric did, Dietrich maintained a calm attitude. He grabbed his hand and snapped it with intensity. ¡°Let go.¡± He let out a short warning. However, Yuric didn¡¯t loosen his hold. ¡°I don¡¯t want to, you bastard!¡± ¡°Yuric Lagrange. You still don¡¯t know how to bark.¡± In an instant, a shadow rose under Yuric¡¯s feet and began to tighten around him. Boom! Yuric¡¯s body which was thrown into the wall dropped to the floor. He got up with a tearful face but showed no sign of pain. It was because he realized that Dietrich deliberately didn¡¯t throw him hard enough. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to understand me.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to protect Anissa? With that condition, you risked your life to make a contracts with the demons and gave the others to me and Veronica, and now you¡¯re pretending you don¡¯t care?¡± Silence again. As if he was on the brink of insanity, Yuric smashed the wall with his fist and then harshly opened the door. ¡°Ah, Mister Yuric is also here.¡± As if he had been waiting, Derek¡¯s hands and feet told them that he was looking for Dietrich. Dietrich slowly got up from his seat and headed outside. As soon as he found Anissa, who had a swollen face from being beaten by Derek, he abruptly stopped walking. He shouldn¡¯t be agitated. He chewed on the words as if he had pledged to himself. Because what Agares wanted to see was his agitation. ¡®How suspicious.¡¯ Derek, who received a report that he had no precious existence, did not trust him. Derek¡¯s demon was one of the demons who regarded the successor game to be sacred. The demon asked for proof. So the only solution left was patience. All he had to do was give up being the grand duke and wait for death. ¡®I just have to treat her as if she isn¡¯t precious to me.¡¯ Dietrich shook his hand off and watched as Anissa stood up with a limp. She seemed to have grown taller, but he was uneasy because her small feet seemed to be the same. He bit his lips so that it wouldn¡¯t show and called the child. ¡°Anissa.¡± ¡°What.¡± The sharp answer that came back was something he hadn¡¯t expected. Because Anissa had never been angry at him. Dietrich let out a small sigh as he watched the tears forming in her big eyes, unable to even wipe them away. ¡°At least accept Baal¡¯s help.¡± ¡°No. Never.¡± Baal, who had perked up his ears at Dietrich¡¯s words and had risen up from Dietrich''s shadow, recoiled. The demon fiddled with his fingers as if in disbelief at her refusal. ¡°Why are you also getting mad at me? I beseeched his majesty to save the princess.¡± Anissa did not even respond to Baal¡¯s words and turned her back. She couldn¡¯t even maintain her precarious steps and started falling forward. Of course, she didn¡¯t fall down because Dietrich quickly stepped forward and caught her in his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t help me!¡± Anissa quietly shouted and bent her body backward. Dietrich, who alternately looked at her hand embarrassingly raised in the air and her white face, frowned one eyebrow. ¡°Don¡¯t make me confused.¡± ¡°...........¡± ¡°You told Derek you didn¡¯t care whatever happens to me, but why do you care now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s--¡± He didn¡¯t have an immediate answer to her question. The truth was, he was going to pretend not to care until the end. In the first place, Derek could not harm Anissa as he was bound by the ¡®constraints as the head of the state¡¯ and there was a possibility she could be designated as a sacrifice at the gate of succession. He thought if he endured it a little longer it would be solved soon. He had made up his mind to pretend not to care until the end but seeing her struggle in front of him was hard to bear. ¡°Why are you trying to help me now?!¡± Whenever clear tears fell from her eyes, his hands would reach out on their own, and whenever she swayed and was about to fall, his body ran to her without his command. ¡°Nothing.¡± Dietrich turned his head, ignoring Anissa¡¯s question. As if she had expected it, Anissa turned her back. Dietrich stood there as if stuck in place, looking at her brave back despite her limp. CH 69 I returned to Dahlia leaving behind Dietrich who kept opening and closing his mouth as if he had something to say to me. ¡®If anyone sees him like that, they might think I was the one in the wrong.¡¯ He looked miserable as if he were hurt by my attitude. I didn¡¯t know why he looked like a dog wet in the rain despite his stony face. ¡®His aura looked a little sad.¡¯ It was still difficult to read his dark aura, but it seemed to have a tinge of blue energy. ¡°Anissa!!!¡± As soon as I entered the front door, the triplets who had been standing around in the hall rushed to me. ¡°Are you all right?¡± I nodded at Maslow¡¯s question. Looking at his puffy eyes, he seemed to have cried all night. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m all right.¡± ¡°Derek¡¯s guard came by. They said you were imprisoned in the basement, Anissa.¡± ¡°Damon?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± I see he delivered the news to Dahlia. I shuddered at the thought that the effects of the aura manipulation I did lasted for a long time. ¡°Maslow, do you remember what Veronica said before?¡± ¡°Which words?¡± ¡°When she asked what it would be like to leave Lagrange.¡± I looked down at the triplets who chased after me when I entered the bedroom. ¡°I would like that.¡± Brown hairs of the same texture gathered together and swayed up and down at the same time. ¡°Anywhere is fine as long as we can be with you, Anissa.¡± At Riesling¡¯s words, I grinned and stroked the child¡¯s fluffy hair. ¡°The capital is much warmer than here. The number of merchants is ten times more and the markets are open most of the time.¡± ¡°Is there a gambling house too?¡± Rose¡¯s eyes sparkled, already used to having fun following me in and out of the gambling house. I nodded, trying to make a stern face. ¡°Of course.¡± I crawled under the bed, which was very large for my size, and pulled the treasure chest containing the ¡®treasures¡¯ I had gathered in Lagrange. ¡°Wow. Anissa, you¡¯re so rich!¡± ¡°Not that much.¡± As I said that, I started moving a bundle of bills into my pocket. ¡®It¡¯s not a lot of money, but it¡¯ll somehow solve the cost of settlement.¡¯ It was a fund created by collecting prize money from lottery tickets, where you had to really have good luck to win, and from going in and out of the gambling house. I couldn¡¯t win a huge amount of money because if a child like me going in and out of the gambling house, it might be suspicious or someone might target me, but I felt quite reassured to save even a small amount of money. ¡°Veronica said she had some money saved up, so she should be able to buy a small house.¡± I may not be able to get out of Lagrange right away, but I thought I should at least prepare for it. I let the triplets know the location of the pocket with money and then pushed the box in. ¡°If something happens to me, I¡¯m telling you this so you could at least use it.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? What will happen to you, Anissa?¡± Derek may be a garbage human, but it was unlikely that he would have beaten me in front of Dietrich for no reason. ¡®He said I was a sacrifice.¡¯ I¡¯m not sure what it meant, but I¡¯m at least sure it was related to the successor game. ¡°Anyway, there might be situations where I couldn¡¯t protect you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like those words.¡± Riesling pouted and hugged me. I patted his back as if to comfort the child. ¡°Don¡¯t be too upset. I need to find out more about the situation.¡± After that, I went looking for Liatris. After Neil¡¯s death, she left Liatris Palace and stayed in the lonely and small Star Palace. ¡°Ahem.¡± I cleared my throat in front of the Star Palace, where not even one maid roamed around just like Dahlia Palace in the past. ¡°Miss Liatris.¡± Just in time, Liatris, who was sitting on a rocking chair in the garden, raised her head at my call. Her eyes were still empty, but her condition seemed to be better. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t have much time but I want to ask you something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Do you not know anything about the last gate of succession?¡± I looked down at her forlorn face, like a tree left with only its trunk, and bowed. I didn¡¯t hear her answer. Silence again. Instead of looking at her emancipated face, I focused on sharpening the tip of the sword that now fitted my hand. ¡°It¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t know. Thank you for teaching me swordsmanship. I just came to say my farewell.¡± It was Liatris who taught me the sword instead of Baal who followed Dietrich on the battlefield. Her family, the Euler, was a renowned family of warriors. ¡°Are you planning to leave Lagrange?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then I really don¡¯t have a single thing left anymore.¡± It was out of the blue, but they were Liatris¡¯ words who didn¡¯t utter any other sound than the occasional crying since Neil died. I held my breath, not wanting to interrupt her speech. ¡°I thought that flowers would bloom again when they wither and that branches would grow again if they were cut.¡± ¡°..........¡± ¡°In the end, everything I gave to this North was my roots. I see now, I cut off my roots and fed the demon¡¯s stomach myself.¡±[1] Did she sacrifice her life for Lagrange without knowing that she was being sacrificed? I blinked slowly, paying attention to her dry lips. Screech. Liatris stood up from her chair and placed her hand on the tip of the sword I was sharpening. Blood dripped from the tip of her finger to the floor. ¡°Anissa, the demons don¡¯t work for humans without cost. The successor who wants to become the Grand Duke must pay a fair price.¡± I grabbed Liatris¡¯ finger. She looked at me with her empty eyes as I pressed on her finger, stopping the flow of blood. ¡°Derek Lagrange said I was a sacrifice.¡± ¡°I see. Then you¡¯d better leave.¡± Even without her advice, I had already packed all my belongings. The reason why I hesitated was not simply a matter of whether I would be in danger. I sheathed the sword and faced her expressionless face for the last time. ¡°What happens to the successor who can¡¯t pay the price?¡± At my question, her lips faintly smiled. ¡°Are you still worried about your brother? Even though he¡¯s cruelly turning a blind eye to you.¡± It seemed like she was blaming my lingering attachments so I couldn¡¯t answer easily. Liatris stared at me, who didn¡¯t open my mouth, and continued to speak. ¡°That child could at least open the gate.¡± But he wouldn¡¯t be able to come out. I read the lines between the words she swallowed. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Anissa--¡± ¡°Shh. Don¡¯t make noise.¡± After waiting for the dark moonless night, I took the triplets and hid in the withered rose forest. Yuric and Veronica appeared as supporting roles in the ¡°Rose War of Men¡± so there was no need to worry that they would die, but the situation of the triplets was a little different. Only their names appeared in the original novel, and according to it, they were destined to be eliminated by Dietrich, who became the Grand Duke. ¡®As soon as he returned, I was going to persuade him that he didn¡¯t have to get rid of the children anymore.¡¯ Dietrich was no longer the boy I knew, who was bad at dealing with people, but a successor who was ready to become the Grand Duke. ¡°Now, follow me and come up carefully.¡± I climbed the tree with a sigh that was barely audible to the children. The old tree where the triplets and I were hiding was the largest and oldest tree in the forest of withered roses. ¡°We can wait for the signal here.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°To Lorraine.¡± ¡°The jewelry store lady?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then are we going to be sold as slaves now?¡± I chuckled at the anxiety in Riesling¡¯s voice. ¡°No, we¡¯ll hide at Lorraine¡¯s place and run away as soon as the Grand Duke is decided.¡± Dietrich had not yet ascended to the position of Grand Duke, so the triplets could not escape Lagrange due to the shadow constraints. The sound of the trees swaying in the night breeze resounded. As if the cool wind was cleansing my ears, I momentarily forgot the situation and closed my eyes. ¡°A--Anissa.¡± Rose, who was sitting on my lap, called me with bated breath. I opened my eyes wide and followed the child¡¯s vision and looked down. ¡®Gasp!¡¯ For a moment, I was convinced that Dietrich¡¯s eyes met with mine. But he quickly turned his gaze to the other side of the forest. On the side where he turned his head, there was only a field of sparsely grown Eulalia grass. [2] ¡®What is he looking at?¡¯ I was blown away by Dietrich¡¯s dazzling appearance, so dazzling that I felt that the description in the book was insufficient. ¡®Maybe the reason why Charlotte saved him was because of his face?¡¯ On the dark moonless night, the only light shining on him was the street lamp in the garden, but he shined brightly like the sun. I wondered why he came out for a walk in the garden on this night, but the forest of the withered roses was Dietrich¡¯s favorite place in Lagrange, and he didn¡¯t sleep at night. I sent the children up further with my eyes wide open for fear that they would be caught. Crunch. I thought I had barely sent them all up, but one child stepped on the wrong foot and a weak branch fell to the floor with the sound of a fragile branch breaking. ¡®I¡¯m sure he caught us this time.¡¯ It felt like my heart was going to drop. Tired of just thinking about it, I quickly looked at Dietrich¡¯s reaction, but he still hadn¡¯t turned to us. ¡®Was he in really deep thoughts?¡¯ I wondered how he could have survived on the battlefield without that much attention to his surroundings. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ T/N: [1] [Liatris is talking about if the roots were intact, flowers would still bloom and broken branches would still grow, but it turned out she had given everything to Lagrange by cutting off her roots. Thus, flowers won¡¯t bloom nor branches will grow again. She¡¯s speaking in symbolism/metaphors.] [2] [Silver grass] If you can, please consider supporting the author of this novel by purchasing the original book. You can purchase chapter-by-chapter on KakaoPage. CH 70 It was fortunate. He had just sent Baal to work and sent him to another place. Dietrich turned around and glanced at the tree where Anissa was hiding, then hurried his steps. ¡°Baal.¡± Out of the forest, he summoned the demon again. ¡°When do you think the gate will open?¡± ¡°Did you call me to ask that?¡± The demon who was suddenly summoned had his arms full of documents, grumbled with his non-existent mouth split open. ¡°Judging by the state of Derek, who has lost his soul, it will be half a month before the shadows will eat him completely.¡± The moment Derek would be dominated by his demon, Agares, the great demon of Lagrange would open the door to determine the successor who would become the new Grand Duke. ¡°Are you sure?¡¯ ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the history of Lagrange.¡± And it was also the future of Dietrich. Baal looked at Dietrich¡¯s shadow, which looked appetizing, and smacked his lips. ¡°Before that, you have to admit that Miss Anissa is your most precious person.¡± Baal smiled with his non-existent mouth. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you all of a sudden? Are you purposely ignoring the princess?¡± Dietrich did not answer the arrogant demon¡¯s question. Baal shrugged his shoulders and watched him, who ignored him, moving away. ¡°You know that if you have no sacrifice, you will never be able to come out again even if you enter the gate.¡± Was he doing it on purpose? Baal stopped in his place and became suspicious. It didn''t take long for his doubts to be confirmed. ¡°Your majesty!¡± The demon, who barely realized that Anissa had disappeared from Dahlia, presented himself promptly to Dietrich. ¡°The princess ran away?!¡± ¡°...............¡± ¡°Was this the reason why you¡¯ve been making me work for the last fifteen days?! Because you didn¡¯t want me to notice!¡± Baal screamed in shock. With no intention of understanding Dietrich nor did he intend to be tolerant. His chin shrank at the thought that the king was about to betray him. ¡°In the end, you¡¯re not going to sacrifice the princess.¡± ¡°You¡¯re noisy.¡± ¡°Of course, it goes without saying that you are not keeping your contract with me.¡± ¡°I never said I wouldn¡¯t keep it.¡± ¡°I believed that you would rule the North and so I gave you my strength.¡± Baal continued to speak while breathing hard. ¡°I am the king of demons and you are the king I chose who will stand upon the shadows. Did you think that I would make a dog who lost a fight, no, a dog who gave up without a fight, a king and serve him?¡± ¡°How arrogant.¡± Dietrich looked at the elongated demon with an indifferent face and stepped forward. His sword engulfed in black ether vibrated. Baal raised the corners of his mouth as if it was funny. ¡°Even that power is given to you as my kin --hic.¡± Baal was the source of Dietrich¡¯s power, and the demon was not lending his powers to him right now. Then, what was that power? ¡°Your kin?¡± Baal¡¯s face turned white as he looked down at his chest pierced with magic that cut even the demon¡¯s body. It wasn¡¯t enough for the demon to disappear, but it was a little dangerous. ¡°Watch your mouth.¡± ¡°Aak!¡± ¡°I am not like your kin. Don¡¯t think that because Derek and his predecessors were descendants of shadow demons, I am also the same.¡± Dietrich, who swung his sword at Baal, calmly sheathed his sword as if nothing had happened. ¡°I am your king, Baal.¡± ¡°That -- ah, yes. I know. I said I know.¡± The demon sighed, breaking in cold sweats that didn''t even come out. He was upset at Dietrich¡¯s attack but he was the one who provoked his master first. After he sighed lightly, he swallowed his breath. Who else could threaten a demon? It was something that no one could have done in the North with its hundred years of history. ¡®As expected, this person has to become the Grand Duke.¡¯ Baal shivered at the thought that his choice was right. There was no one, throughout history or reality, who was fit to become the ruler of the North more than him. In the end, the demon clenched his teeth and turned around. He intended to look for Anissa. ¡°Baal.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Is it my soul you want?¡± At that very moment, Dietrich took the prey that the demon so desperately wanted, which he didn¡¯t want to covet but had no choice but to desire, and began to shake it before his eyes. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± The voice of the disconcerted demon trembled. He didn¡¯t miss the change in the demon and continued speaking. ¡°If I¡¯m going to be swallowed by Asmodeus anyway, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± At Dietrich¡¯s calm words, Baal was dumbfounded. A half-wit who spoke such foolish words -- it was to the point that he became ashamed of his self-confidence to make him a king until just now. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re talking about right now? Don¡¯t you know what it means to give your soul to the demon?¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s why you don¡¯t have to feel guilty.¡± ¡°What do you mean guilt! I am a demon!¡± Baal¡¯s temperature rose and his voice went higher, but strangely, his heart pounded and winced. Maybe it was because he had been reading books on morals and fables while he was looking after a small human child. ¡°Does the princess mean that much to you, Your Majesty?¡± Baal frowned as if he didn¡¯t understand him. ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s all right to die for her? Even though she¡¯s not your real sister?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± It was a calm admission -- that she was more precious than life itself. With just one word, Baal would be able to summon Anissa, the sacrifice of the successor gate. ¡°Damn it.¡± But the weak-hearted demon couldn''t do it, and Dietrich knew the demon well. It was because he wasn¡¯t the only one who was weak against Anissa. ¡°So you should go and rest now.¡± Baal spread his palms toward Baal. It was meant to cancel his summons. ¡°Are you sending me away now?!¡± The demon raised his eyes at the unbelievable decision of the king. This meant that he was going to give up everything, apart from sacrificing Anissa. He wanted to scream how he could enter the successor¡¯s gate without a shadow demon, but Baal¡¯s wife beside him, who didn¡¯t know the situation, only tilted her round head. ¡°Ha.¡± When Baal disappeared, the stillness finally came. Dietrich laughed openly as he looked at the empty forest of withered roses. ¡°It¡¯s finally quiet.¡± Anissa was nowhere to be found in Dahlia Palace, but traces of her could be found in the small thicket. He picked up a dahlia that Anissa loved and held it in his hand. ¡°Are you sure you haven¡¯t prepared a sacrifice?¡± It was Derek who greeted him when he arrived at Nature. Alphonse couldn¡¯t be seen around, apparently because he opened the door of the test first and entered. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing precious to you at all?¡± Derek¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, to the point you could clearly see the whites in them, and asked back, but Dietrich only nodded shamelessly. ¡°Yes.¡± In fact, Dietrich¡¯s insincere answer was a pack of joy for Derek. He hoped for the defeat of his younger son more than anyone else standing there. Although he had already lost Liatris¡¯ love, he believed that she would forgive him once he made Alphonse the Grand Duke. ¡°Then you can¡¯t open the gate.¡± Dietrich, who watched Derek smile revealing his teeth, slowly shook his head. ¡°No, I will open it.¡± Derek¡¯s eyes widened at Dietrich¡¯s firm declaration. Soon, Derek sneered at him outright and shrugged his shoulders. It was because a candidate who opened the gate without a sacrifice to the demon god did not exist in history. ¡°What did you say?¡± However, Dietrich had to open the door. He couldn¡¯t free the Lagrange from the shadows by becoming the Grand Duke as Anissa had planned, but at least he had to get rid of Alphonse. ¡®Otherwise, it would be the same as putting her in danger.¡¯ He was a thorough man, and once he made up his mind, there should be no loopholes left. ¡°Open the gate, Asmodeus.¡± When Dietrich¡¯s low voice rang in Nature, a black vortex began to form in the air. ¡°Don¡¯t you know you can¡¯t escape the gate without a sacrifice?¡± ¡°If I stopped here, will my future change?¡± Derek didn¡¯t answer his dry question. However, Dietrich knew that Alphonse, who had become the Grand Duke, would never leave him, Anissa, and Baal alone. As the black vortex grew bigger, Derek¡¯s face began to get closer to the color of the soil. ¡®Is the worthless medium going to disappear?¡¯ Now that the gate for the new Grand Duke was approaching, it was Derek¡¯s turn to be abandoned by the shadows. Dietrich stared at his father, half-swallowed by the shadows, and then turned his head. ¡°You were not a pleasant person to call as Father.¡± Those that he considered as family, drunk on power and authority, were not fools who knew how to properly cherish the ones they loved. So Derek was Dietrich¡¯s father, but they couldn¡¯t be family. ¡°Dietrich!¡± He was about to step forward on the last gateway, recalling the young face of his only family. A voice that should never be here, a voice he longed for but didn¡¯t want to be here, resounded through the hall. ¡°Dietrich!!!¡± Dietrich¡¯s eyes met with Anissa¡¯s, who was running madly toward him. She burst into a fit of anger looking at his startled eyes. ¡°Just try and go in there!¡± ¡°.........¡± ¡°Oh?! If you go in, you¡¯re dead! Do you get it?! You¡¯ll die from me!! You think I won¡¯t kill you!!!¡± He turned his head away from her and smiled very briefly. CH 71 No matter how stupid I was, it was an oddity that I couldn¡¯t help but notice. ¡®There¡¯s no way Dietrich wouldn¡¯t have known.¡¯ He was a sensitive child who, while sleeping at night, would get up at once in the presence of an assassin and raise his sword. There was no way he wouldn¡¯t recognize my clumsy camouflage. ¡®He definitely knew. Why did he pretend not to know?¡¯ The vague and hazy suspicion I had became certain the moment I turned around leaving the triplets to Lorraine in the jewelry store. ¡®Why?¡¯ If he deliberately pretended not to know, there weren¡¯t many reasons to guess. What was certain was that he didn¡¯t want me to stay in Lagrange. ¡®Derek said I was Dietrich¡¯s sacrifice.¡¯ Wasn¡¯t Dietrich pretending to cherish me to make me his sacrifice? Speechless, I turned my body around. ¡°You didn¡¯t even ask me.¡± He never even asked me if I could sacrifice myself for his sake. ¡®If you had asked me, do you even know how I would answer?¡¯ As I breathed heavily, stifled with overwhelming feelings, whether it was anger or unfairness, I looked back at the triplets who didn¡¯t know the situation and only tilted their heads. ¡°You stay here.¡± ¡°Anissa, where are you going?¡± ¡°Lagrange.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I left something behind.¡± What? I could hear the children asking again. My stupid Dietrich. Responding that I left that fool who pretended to be mean but only to live suffering heavy losses, I quickened my steps. ¡°Baal!¡± ¡°.......¡± ¡°Baal! Where are you!¡± As soon as I entered Lagrange castle, I looked for Dietrich¡¯s demon, but I couldn¡¯t find it anywhere even if I cleared my eyes. With a sigh, I grabbed the little demon hiding in my shadow and pulled it out. ¡°Kkuuk!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s your king?¡± ¡°Kku?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t answer, I¡¯ll burn the rest of your tail.¡± The little demon that Dietrich planted on me, although it¡¯s been a while since it had been planted on my shadow, still listened to me. The demon who was waving its black tail, which I accidentally half-burnt before, pointed to the floor with a sullen expression. ¡°Underground?¡± ¡°Kku.¡± ¡°How do I pull him out?¡± When I asked, the little demon reached out its small hand and showed his teeth. It was a similar request of the tooth fairy I encountered when my baby tooth was missing. ¡®You¡¯re a delicious-looking kid.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t forget how the demon who turned a child¡¯s teeth into money looked at me with gleaming greedy eyes. I fumbled and rolled up my sleeves then held out my wrists. ¡°Bring Baal.¡± Dietrich¡¯s demons strangely liked me. They were beings who didn¡¯t work without a fair price, so they wouldn¡¯t have liked me for no reason. Bite. ¡°Kkyuu.¡± Whenever the little demon bit my wrist without hesitation, it always showed a slightly apologetic look. The demon, which gained power through blood, quickly rolled through the air. ¡°Come out!¡± I immediately shoved my hand into the hole that opened into the demon realm in front of me and pulled everything I could grab. ¡°Ack! Ahh! Princess! My! Head! Head! Uwah, hair loss! My precious hair!¡± Whether or not the portal opened properly, I had caught Baal¡¯s hair in just two moves. I hurriedly pulled him who was screaming at the top of his lungs. ¡°Hurry up and come out! We don¡¯t have time!¡± ¡°Oh my, oh my! The demon is dying!¡± Baal groaned in pain and rolled over the ground, but he wasn¡¯t particularly pitiful. I grabbed his collar and drastically pulled him up as I raised my voice. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be weak! You probably know everything!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know either, I really didn¡¯t! How would I know that His Majesty was that crazy? What am I supposed to do seeing him go to his death?¡± Baal¡¯s face contorted as if it was unfair. I opened my mouth, trying to clear my hoarse voice filled with emotions. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to Dietrich now? Is he really going to die?¡± ¡°........Princess. The gate has already opened. There¡¯s no way to stop it now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already here. Aren¡¯t I the sacrifice?¡± ¡°If you want to make a sacrifice, it has to be brought when the gate is opened. A gate once closed will never open again.¡± ¡°Is there really no other way? Are you sure?¡± Baal¡¯s resolute voice made me feel suffocated. I was on the verge of tears looking alternately at Derek who had melted into the mud and the vortex where Dietrich was sucked into, disappearing without a trace. ¡°Vassago can open it, but he¡¯s sealed.¡± ¡°Vassago?¡± I muttered the familiar name of the demon and caressed the ribbon neatly tied around my neck collar. The brooch that tied the ribbon in place, which was as dark red as Dietrich¡¯s eyes, was the sealing stone of Vassago. ¡°Then I only have to wake him up.¡± ¡°Yes. But you won¡¯t be able to do it. It¡¯s not a seal that anyone can just break --¡± ¡°It¡¯s not up to you to decide whether I can do it or not.¡± I cut off Baal and held the brooch in my hand. The dark vortex that had already closed and the brooch stood out one after the other. In the meantime, Vassago¡¯s sealing stone hurriedly sucked in the blood from the wound left behind by the little demon who had bitten it earlier. ¡°Wake up, Vassago.¡± ¡°.........¡± ¡°If the threat of burying you under the purification tree doesn¡¯t work then¡ª¡° Placing the sealing stone under the vortex, I stood up, putting a lot of strength on both my legs. Maybe it was because I had lost a lot of blood that I was already dizzy, but I couldn¡¯t stop here. ¡°I¡¯m going to drive all the shadows out of Lagrange.¡± ¡°Princess?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to purify all of you.¡± Kwang! Ssshk -- Kwang! Ignoring Baal¡¯s bewildered call, I stretched out my hands toward the aura that covered Lagrange. As if responding to my abilities, the sacred trees that had been holding their breaths as if they were dead in Josef¡¯s laboratory and Dahlia¡¯s garden, began to take root one by one. ¡®Josef¡¯s ability amplifier, it was a good choice not to sell it.¡¯ If it was just my own strength, it would have been insufficient, but the opal which amplified my ability, glimmer with a strong light in front of my eyes, giving me greater strength. Kwang! As the thick roots of the trees shook the building and rose from the ground, Baal reached out to me with a pale face. I continued to avoid his touch and said, ¡°I¡¯m not the saint who will save you and I won¡¯t blink an eye even if Lagrange is destroyed.¡± Because only Dietrich was important to me. At the end of my words, the purification trees bloomed in full at once. The shabby branches which had no smell emitted a strong scent that seemed to paralyze the sense of smell. In an instant, Lagrange was buried in a cluster of flowers. As the flowers that ate the shadows bloomed, Baal¡¯s appearance started to become blurred. Standing in front of the open darkness in the air, I stretched my arms again. ¡®Wait, just wait a little bit.¡¯ As if the harsh winter in the North was a sin, more than that, the sight of white flowers blooming on the pure white snow was a spectacle, but there was not even time left to admire its beautiful power. ¡®He wasn¡¯t a person who smiles like that.¡¯ Dietrich¡¯s pained smile flickered in front of my eyes, making me feel like I''m going out of my mind. I clenched my teeth and headed towards Vassago, buried in the petals. ¡°Wake up, Vassago.¡± ¡°..........¡± ¡°This is my last warning. Let¡¯s all die together or you open that door.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen a stubborn person like you.¡± The brooch began to vibrate along with the sound of low laughter as if ridiculing my behavior. Darkness was leaking out from the gold on the fine brooch. ¡°A very, very long time.¡± A white arm popped out from the darkness. Baal, who had not yet completely disappeared, tried to grab me with an urgent voice, but I didn¡¯t look at him. ¡°Princess!¡± Vassago jumped into the vortex holding me like that. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°H-How did you get in here?!¡± Alphonse, who found Dietrich entering through the gate, stepped back as if he would pass out. A crown too large compared to his head wobbled above his neck. ¡°You don¡¯t even have a sacrifice! That¡¯s cheating!¡± Alphonse, who had already known that Dietrich¡¯s Anissa had run away, had sacrificed his shadow demon, which could be said to be the force of his everything. For Alphonse, that demon was the most precious thing. Not his family, or lover, not even a friend, but the demon who was the source of his power. ¡°Asmodeus, get rid of him! This is the same as if I have already been chosen as the Grand Duke!¡± Dietrich turned around, ignoring Alphonse who was yelling. Then, he checked the tightly closed door and felt relieved. That door would never open again. He had chosen to enter and leave Anissa outside the gate. Now, no one could reverse his choice. ¡°Asmodeus.¡± Behind the huge black door that seemed to pierce the sky, stood a demon as huge as the door. A burst of gigantic laughter echoed through the ceiling as if it were about to rip off his ears. ¡°It¡¯s the first time anyone has entered my gateway without a demon nor a sacrifice.¡± Asmodeus grinned. The mighty demon king and god of demons with seventy-two legions under his feet was a terrible figure with a goat¡¯s head on his left and a sheep¡¯s head on his right, but Dietrich still looked up at him with indifferent eyes. ¡°Your older brother, Alphonse, sacrificed his own demon like his father. Do you have nothing to give me?¡± ¡°No.¡± Dietrich firmly answered the demon¡¯s question and pointed his sword toward the floor. Sssrk. The sound of a sword dragging as it approaches echoed in the empty space. The feeling of intense pressure coming from a single human boy was so overwhelming that Asmodeus let out a burst of sudden uncontrollable laughter to hide the fact that he had flinched. ¡°I¡¯ll praise you for opening the gate without bringing a sacrifice.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your praise.¡± Dietrich showed off his sharp energy by leaving deep marks on the dark floor he walked on. Slowly raising his sword, he smiled slowly. The demon, bewildered by his carefree manner, squeezed the armrest of the throne with his hands. ¡°Is that your throne?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Come down.¡± Dietrich rushed in quickly without waiting for the demon¡¯s answer. In an instant, with the blade hanging around his neck, Asmodeus jumped into the air shaking. ¡°Now, it will be my seat.¡± CH 72 As if he had accomplished his goal, Dietrich did not immediately follow the demon running away, and instead slowly sat on the throne. It was such a bewitching sight that there was no human being better suited on the black demon¡¯s throne more than him. Asmodeus growled like a beast and sharpened his nails. Rough wings with scales like that of a crocodile spread out. ¡°You might have opened the door, but how the hell are you going to get out when you don¡¯t even have a small sacrifice?¡± ¡°Kill him! Asmodeus, I¡¯m telling you to kill him!¡± Asmodeus may have been dumbfounded, but he wasn¡¯t the least bit scared. Because he was confident that no matter how much the little human struggled, he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape the demon¡¯s grasp. ¡°First, I¡¯ll kill him.¡± Dietrich gestured with his chin towards Alphonse while sitting under Asmodeus¡¯ grasp. The man smiling triumphantly wearing the crown given by the demon flinched in surprise and trembled. ¡°Kill him?¡± At Asmodeus¡¯ prodding, Dietrich tilted his handsome face at an angle. Then, he whispered softly. ¡°It¡¯s enough to get rid of you.¡± Asmodeus was not afraid of the sharp sword aimed at his neck. Humans couldn¡¯t get rid of the demons. Returning the summoned shadow demon back to the demon realm was the only way to cut off the material power, but the first ruler of Lagrange, who was the contractor of Asmodeus, died without returning his demon. ¡°No matter how much you cut me, I will not perish.¡± Asmodeus spoke with confidence. Dietrich did not stop and drew a clean path like a bowstring to reach the demon. ¡°I told you it¡¯s useless!!¡± Asmodeus firmly believed in his permanence, but nevertheless, he flinched at the black ether that pierced his chest. ¡®Still, I didn¡¯t intend to get hit.¡¯ Of course, he thought he had avoided it, but Dietrich¡¯s sword quickly followed his movements and pierced him sharply. To think he would be able to move like that even without a demon, it was deplorable to even think that he had chosen the wrong human to be the grand duke. ¡°If I cut you until I die, we¡¯ll know.¡± ¡°............¡± ¡°Whether you¡¯ll really die or not.¡± Facing Dietrich¡¯s cold gaze, Asmodeus stood up from his place thinking he was being disregarded. Alphonse, who was frightened of them and had hidden behind a pillar, raised his voice. ¡°That¡¯s right! Get up and fight! Why are you just letting him get away with all this?¡± ¡®That guy?¡¯ If Dietrich had just brought a sacrifice, he would have stepped on that guy and gotten rid of him. Asmodeus frowned and stared at Alphonse. It had already been several hundred years since he had picked such incompetent people to become the head. It¡¯s been quite a long time since no true ruler had been found to properly rule Lagrange. ¡°Do you really have no sacrifice?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate.¡± There was no reason to look at the candidate who couldn¡¯t become the Grand Duke for a long time. The demon raised his claws and started scratching the floor. Crack, a pitch-black ether created a sphere along with a dangerous sound that made one¡¯s heart pound. ¡°I promise not to reap your soul, at least.¡± There was no choice but to confront the power of the demon with the same darkness. The moment he faced the essence of the demon who had been governing all his life, Dietrich predicted the end. He turned around and jumped towards Alphonse instead of Asmodeus. ¡°Wha--What the! Why me!¡± ¡°If you become the Grand Duke, there¡¯s no point in leaving that child behind.¡± The boy¡¯s sword quickly cut through the air and aimed for Alphonse. But even faster than that, Asmodeus stretched out his arm. ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but I can¡¯t let the only candidate in this generation die.¡± Instead of dodging the demon¡¯s attack, Dietrich deeply bent his body in just like that and cut off Alphonse¡¯s leg. ¡°No, you¡¯ll have to find another candidate -- because Alphonse Lagrange will be buried here with me.¡± Hearing his half-brother¡¯s screams, he bent one knee and thrust his sword into the ground to prevent recoil. The breath that rose up the tip of his chin hindered his vision. It was around that time when the surging ether shook towards him. ¡°No!¡± The moment he saw Anissa rushing down the stairs with a shrill scream, Dietrich stood up from his place and swore violently. Behind Anissa who was running towards him quickly like a squirrel was Baal who was wearing an awkward expression. ¡°What were you doing that you didn¡¯t stop her?¡± Dietrich gritted his teeth while glaring at the stupid demon who couldn¡¯t even fulfill his last order properly. Baal looked at Anissa with a look of injustice on his face as if he was not at fault. ¡°The princess was very much stronger than I thought.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you saying!¡± ¡°No, really, oh, look here.¡± While Baal was making excuses, Anissa passed by Dietrich and approached the black sphere. In her hand, she held tightly Vassago¡¯s jewelry which he had left behind some time ago. ¡°Anissa!¡± ¡°What!¡± The audacity. Anissa lost her temper and fiercely raised her eyes just as Dietrich shouted in panic. Even so, she didn¡¯t look that scary due to the lowered corner of her eyes making her look docile, but Dietrich was stunned at Anissa¡¯s first -- perfectly done -- rebellion that his mouth went ajar. ¡°What! Say something if you call me!¡± ¡°Right now, you! Where do you think you are? Go back! Are you out of your mind?!¡± ¡°Then why did you come in? You didn¡¯t even tell me you could only live if you sacrificed me!¡± She countered his question with another without losing a word. Anissa stretched her hand out to the core of the ether without waiting for Dietrich, who hesitated to answer. ¡°Purgatio.¡± [Latin: purification, cleansing, purging] The pure white aura blooming from Anissa¡¯s fingertips began to permeate as if wrapping around Asmodeus¡¯ ether. It wasn¡¯t enough to purify everything, but for Asmodeus, who had not met anyone who went against him for a thousand years, the moment when the aura was being purified felt absolutely terrible. ¡°Who are you! What are you doing right now?!¡± The bewildered demon quickly stretched out his long arm to catch Anissa. Kwang! However, what caught the tip of the demon¡¯s black claws was not the fragile flesh of a human child, but a sword of a darker color. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her.¡± Dietrich moved forward and covered Anissa behind him. He had different energy around him compared to his previous one, who had seemed to have given up halfway. Asmodeus laughed in disbelief and corrected his posture. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t have anything precious?¡± ¡°I just said I have nothing to offer you.¡± Together with his answer, Dietrich quickly drew his sword and climbed up on Asmodeus¡¯ arm as it was. Swish, whoosh -- a sharp sword pierced his earhole along with the sound of cutting the wind. ¡°Uwaak!¡± Even though he wouldn¡¯t die, it didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t feel pain, Asmodeus struggled strongly and bowed his back. It was because he had let his guard down thinking his opponent was only a human boy. ¡°Purify him! Hurry!¡± As Asmodues¡¯ mind began to waver, his ether also began to waver together. Anissa didn¡¯t miss the chance and strongly focused on the sphere trying her best to restrain it. Once again, Dietrich¡¯s sword struck Asmodeus¡¯ neck with an accurate trajectory. ¡°I won¡¯t let you off anymore.¡± Asmodeus gripped the sword stuck on his neck with his hand, ground his teeth, and hit Dietrich with the back of his hand. It was like the dry touch of a human swatting a fly, but its power could not be disregarded. He stepped back, throwing away the broken sword. ¡°I don¡¯t know where you came rolling in, but what an arrogant child! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re interfering with the sacred ritual of Lagrange!¡± ¡°Shut up, you ugly goat!¡± ¡°What¡ªwhat do you mean goat!¡± Asmodeus distorted his face at Anissa¡¯s last words and pulled Dietrich¡¯s sword out of his neck. Black blood gushed out and dripped to the floor. ¡°You sure like this sacred ritual of Lagrange, don¡¯t you! You control kids who know nothing and do as you please! You use them! Just to use them again as a sacrifice!¡± The louder Anissa¡¯s voice became, the more the size of Asmodeus¡¯s core decreased. Feeling a sense of crisis, Asmodeus took a big step forward. Kwang! Dietrich rushed to stop Asmodeus, but the demon flew through the air sending the boy away with a rough kick. The aura emanating from the demon¡¯s flapping wings was full of sticky and nauseating smell that tormented Anissa but the child never let go of the sphere in her hand. Rose-colored eyes that shone like the morning star met the demon¡¯s eyes without avoiding it. Asmodeus inevitably ground his teeth and let out more power to separate Anissa from the sphere. ¡°Let go! You can¡¯t change the history of this family!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to! Don¡¯t talk to me, you bizarre goat!¡± ¡°It means that Lagrange has lost its light to us!¡± ¡°So, what about it?!¡± Anissa snorted at the demon¡¯s words and laughed ¡ª as if it was none of her business that the people in Lagrange lost their light to the demons. ¡°Dietrich didn¡¯t do anything wrong to you. Do you even know how well he treated Baal? Do you even know how sweet and kind person he is?!¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Sometimes, he could be mean, but kids can make mistakes, you ugly goat or lizard, whatever you are!¡± Anissa breathed heavily as if she had lost all her strength after her last words. Taking advantage of such a critical moment, Asmodeus used it as an opportunity to lift up the girl and threw her away. CH 73 However, Anissa didn¡¯t fall to the floor immediately. ¡°Baal, are you betraying your kind right now?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be like Vassago.¡± Ha. Baal, who caught the half-conscious Anissa, let out a long sigh and hid her. "Seeing as how you smashed the ether, it seems I have chosen the right master to be loyal to." As Baal said, not even half of Asmodeus¡¯ ether was left. Baal raised the corners of his mouth and handed the sword back to his master. As the disorganized essence of the demon gathered again, the sword found its form. Dietrich gasped out of breath and wiped the blood that came from the corner of his mouth to the tip of the sword. ¡°The Princess worked hard to purify it, so if you do well, you might win.¡± ¡°¡­.Once we get out of here, you¡¯re getting punished for not properly stopping Anissa.¡± ¡°If we can get out, Your Majesty. And you are aware of it, right? It was Vassago who opened the door. Although he is hiding inside the brooch.¡± Baal said with a shrug and Dietrich glanced at the silent brooch as silent as death. This wasn¡¯t the time to hold on to Vassago and argue. ¡°I¡¯m not the type to have lingering regrets.¡± Holding the sword in one hand, he stroked the forehead of Anissa, who was held by Baal. "I thought it wouldn''t matter if I died." He didn¡¯t know why the resolve that he thought he had mustered up wavers when he¡¯s facing this tender yet confident face. ¡°If you want to die, die by my hands.¡± At that moment, Anissa, who he thought was unconscious, opened her eyes. The child murmured, staring at him with tear-glazed eyes. "Don''t make decisions on your own." ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Being a family isn¡¯t like that.¡± That¡¯s right. Dietrich turned around with the corners of his mouth raised at an angle. Asmodeus, who was half kneeling, waited for him. The devil who sat with his mouth full of Alphonse whom he had eaten opened his huge mouth. ¡®No.¡¯ I cried as I watched Dietrich running to Asmodeus and leaving me with Baal. ¡®I have to get up.¡¯ Even if he was given the setup as the strongest villain in this world, it¡¯s not enough to win against Asmodeus. It was because Asmodeus was the god of all the shadows that ruled Lagrange. To raise my body, I struggled to gather all my strength but it wasn¡¯t working. Clang! At that moment, Dietrich''s sword and Asmodeus'' claw collided. The sound of sharp metal reverberated through the space. ¡®His setup as the strongest villain in the world really suits him.¡¯ Watching Dietrich fight, who had yet to be considered a grown-up, I remembered a battle scene from ¡°The Rose Wars of Men.¡± ¡®Hermann couldn¡¯t even compete if this was Asmodeus¡¯ level.¡¯ Despite having the moniker as an evil god, Asmodeus was cut through Dietrich''s sword as easily as a radish. ¡°You should know that your attacks are useless against me!¡± However, no matter how sharp Dietrich¡¯s sword was, it was futile against the shadow demon. I glared at Asmodeus who kept regenerating and I put strength to my shoulders. ¡®I came here to help! Get up!¡¯ Seeing Dietrich get tired little by little, I bit my lip and touched the floor to try and get up, but because of my blurry vision, my head pounded. Without a single sound, I got up again. Dietrich was having a much harder time than me, so I shouldn¡¯t get discouraged easily. ¡®Should I help you?¡¯ Then, Vassago whispered to me as if he had been waiting for me. There was confidence in his voice as though he had the solution for the situation in which Baal couldn¡¯t even do anything but chew his nails. ¡®I can help you. You just need to pay the right price.¡¯ I was wondering why the demon, who had been deadly still since entering the gate, suddenly spoke, but having no other choice, I picked up the red shining brooch. ¡°Okay, help me. Please!¡± Without warning, blood rushed out of my body as soon as I answered. The frighteningly cool sensation at the back of my neck felt horrible, but the brooch soaked in my blood grew little by little. Vassago''s sealing stone was soon engulfed in a dark red mist as if it had clotted blood and began to bloom in the form of a human. "Eredia''s blood is always superior." [High class or high quality.] In the mist, the figure of Vassago was instantly revealed. After completing his form, Vassago looked more human-like than Baal. Except for the conspicuous long fangs, I would¡¯ve believed he was human. ¡°The people of the South seemed to be sucking on tonics without us knowing.¡± [Because the blood is of high quality so he made this comment if anybody is confused.] His fiery red hair contrasted with his dark green eyes which flashed like that of a snake. He spoke with a heavy voice as if he had brought hell to reality. ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t think that this is enough of a price.¡± ¡°You can take anything! It¡¯s fine, so go save Dietrich!¡± Finding my words funny, the demon smirked seductively. ¡°Humans always make promises so easily, both in the past and the present.¡± He turned his back only after sucking the last drop of red liquid, presumed to be my blood, on his fingertips. Even after calling Vassago, I couldn''t feel relief right away. In the end, I found Dietrich in my field of vision who was being crushed like a worn-out oil painting. He never changed direction even though he was being pushed back slowly by Asmodeus'' fierce attack which was supported by evil. Because I was behind him. He foolishly endured. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ After that, I seemed to have completely lost consciousness so naturally, I couldn¡¯t seem to remember anything properly. In any case, everything was over when I came back to my senses. ¡°Dietrich!¡± I got up, flapping my arms like a fish that was pulled out of water. ¡°Ugh.¡± My body was sore and my limbs were numb, but the more pressing problem was I couldn¡¯t see properly. It was impossible to face the bright sunlight shining in front of me as if it was digging through my eyes. I felt scared and stretched out my hand. ¡°Dietrich?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Are you there? Dietrich!¡± I couldn¡¯t hear an answer. Perhaps, Vassago couldn¡¯t do anything to Asmodeus too? That was a possibility. Vassago was just a heretic who was rejected by his kin, but Asmodeus was literally like a god. ¡®He¡¯s not dead, is he?¡¯ At such a terrible thought, I felt like I was about to cry. I bit my lips and managed to hold back my tears. "Ngh." ¡®Maybe he¡¯s dead.¡¯ It''s because I was too late. Because I misunderstood Dietrich. Even though I promised not to trust the setup that the original gave him. Because I didn''t recognize Dietrich. I. Because of me. I was filled with shallow resentment. As I was hating myself, not knowing what to do, a shadow fell over my head. Even with my blurred vision, I felt the tall and sturdy silhouette open his blunt mouth late. ¡°Why are you calling for me like that?¡± ¡°You were right next to me?!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then why are you only answering now!¡± I let out a loud voice in embarrassment. I wiped the corner of my dry eyes which filled with tears and I turned to his position which I roughly guessed. ¡°Did you get injured?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t.¡± Lies. It¡¯s clear that he¡¯s lying now that I can¡¯t open my eyes properly. There were over 10 injuries that I saw. But I fumbled through the air, ignoring Dietrich''s lies. It was only then that he realized what I was doing, so he came to hold my hand. As always, I could only relax when I could feel his cool temperature. I held his hard, calloused hand with both of mine. ¡°I can¡¯t see what¡¯s in front.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you wasted too much of your power. It¡¯s better to take a rest for a while.¡± ¡°What about Asmodeus?¡± ¡°Gone.¡± As if those words were like magic, my eyes slowly regained their vision. Only then did I see a long scar on Dietrich''s cheek. ¡°Liar! You¡¯re hurt!¡± ¡°Me?¡± He raised one corner of his mouth as if he was stunned and asked back. Knowing that I was looking at his cheek, without replying, he opened and closed his mouth in a puzzled way. ¡°This? Is this an injury?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s not an injury then what do you call that?¡± Additionally, this was serious. Because it¡¯s a wound on his face. ¡®Right on his million Blua face!¡± However, it seemed like Dietrich wasn''t even aware of the scar on his face. He tilted his head, scratching his cheek awkwardly. ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine as long as it¡¯s not life-threatening.¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Is that all you have to ask?¡± ¡°Ask what?¡± ¡°I¡­..¡± ¡°You?¡± At my urging, Dietrich contemplated and didn¡¯t speak right away. I could guess what he was trying to say. ¡°I¡ª¡° ¡°The fact that you tried to make me a sacrifice for the last gate? That¡¯s why you have been protecting me all this time?¡± He couldn''t answer my question and kept his mouth shut. It was obvious that invisible drops of sweat were dripping down the back of his head. CH 74 The seventeen-year-old Dietrich had a body built as large as an adult, but his face had a youthful look that I found his worried expression cute. ¡®In the book, he was already a monstrous villain at this age.¡¯ But where could you find a villain like this who¡¯s suffering from a trivial sense of guilt? I faintly smiled and grabbed Dietrich, who was still holding my hand, and hugged him tightly. ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡± His broad back, which was twice as wide as mine, flinched. I replied, gently sweeping his back who was stuttering in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Don¡¯t be bothered with things like that.¡± ¡°...............¡± ¡°And in that sense, you could also say that I¡¯m using Dietrich.¡± Because I knew in the future that Dietrich would win the Rose War and so I tried to make myself look good to him. ¡®Hm. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have said something like this.¡¯ It would have been difficult to answer if he asked what I meant but fortunately, Dietrich only stared at me with his wide eyes and didn¡¯t question me. ¡°But is it raining now?¡± I pressed on his stiff lips full of apologies and closed my eyes. ¡®I think water is falling somewhere.¡¯ Before I knew it, a cool and gentle spring breeze blew through the open window. The wind blowing on my cheeks made me feel good and I unconsciously let out a smile. The problem was that I also felt the gentle falling of the drizzling raindrops together with it. ¡®It doesn¡¯t look like this kind of drizzle will just pour through the window.¡¯ With reasonable doubt, I turned my head and looked up at the ceiling. We were not in the greenhouse but in the bedroom, however, the beautiful sky that we should never see could be seen with our eyes as it was. ¡°.......Where did the ceiling of our house go?¡± That was when I finally returned to my senses and looked around but there was not a single place left intact. The purification trees that I had grown to suppress the power of Asmodeus were wrapped around all the pillars like vines and for some reason, the ceiling was half-blown away and rain was pouring in. Even the berries that flourished in spring were carried away by the wind. ¡°I blew it away with the sword.¡± Dietrich replied a little late and placed his hand over my face where raindrops were falling. Thanks to that, my face was able to avoid the rain but¡­ ¡°Then, do we have to live getting rained on from now?¡± Even though you¡¯re nominally the Grand Duke? Even when I was an ordinary citizen of Korea, I had never lived in a house where I got rained on. ¡°Oh, we don¡¯t have money to fix this, do we....?¡± I murmured in despair. Dahlia originally had no money, and the money I had saved was not enough to repair this enormous palace. The property belonged to the Grand Duke of Lagrange, but Dietrich had not yet officially succeeded as the Grand Duke. ¡®Is it my life to live in poverty?¡¯ I felt a little miserable and pouted my lips; above me, I heard him ground his teeth. ¡°We have. We have money.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°When on earth will it melt? It¡¯s still frozen even though the sun is shining this strong.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t melt even in summer. Not until Marguerite the Second officially approves of me as Grand Duke.¡± [1] Although the weather in early spring was warm in the North, the ice sculptures in front of them showed no signs of melting. I was slowly starting to worry. ¡®They won¡¯t stay this way forever, right?¡¯ After I groped around the frozen Yuric and Veronica, I shook my head to shake off the guilt. ¡®Even if I knew in advance, there would have been nothing I could do.¡¯ ¡°I was wondering where in the world they went, but I didn¡¯t know they would freeze like this.¡± ¡°Lagrange¡¯s direct lineage cannot leave the North until the succession of a sibling is decided.¡± ¡®I mean, I didn¡¯t know being unable to leave the North meant they will be frozen like this.¡¯ Maybe the reason I was fine was that Lagrange¡¯s blood didn¡¯t flow in me? ¡®Hm. But he¡¯s not asking why I¡¯m not frozen?¡¯ I opened my mouth as I looked at Dietrich sideways who was scanning the statues with an indifferent face. ¡°Are they not cold? Are they aware that they¡¯re frozen?¡± ¡°Who knows. I¡¯ve never been frozen before so I don¡¯t know.¡± I pouted at Dietrich¡¯s curt answer. To be honest, I thought that Yuric and Veronica had fled Lagrange¡¯s critical situation. I was the sacrifice that Dietrich needed, and Asmodeus was not an opponent they could do something about. ¡°It won¡¯t affect their life, does it?¡± However, the frozen Yuric and Veronica, as if silently criticizing me, froze with their hands outstretched towards the Nature of Lagrange. You could even feel the urgency from their faces twisted in shock. The two seemed to have been running to help us. ¡®It¡¯s a bit like a work of art.¡¯ In particular, Veronica could be believed to be a statue made by a master craftsman who delicately expressed even her long inner eyelashes. ¡°Then, did the triplets freeze like this too?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve sent someone to Saint-Dena, so we will hear about it soon.¡± The fact that all candidates who did not enter the successor¡¯s gate freezes were not even mentioned in the original work. However, Dietrich wasn¡¯t too surprised to find the frozen Yuric, as if he knew in advance. ¡°Uhm.¡± I¡¯m a bit apologetic about this. I blamed myself a little for going somewhere without helping. I put my hands on my chest, reflecting on my terrible misunderstanding. ¡°Will His Majesty come to the North to give you approval o succeed? Or will you have to go, Dietrich?¡± ¡°The King¡¯s feet are like those of a giant. She doesn¡¯t move carelessly.¡± He could just say he¡¯s the one going, but he always makes his words so difficult. ¡°The capital is far away, so be careful. I¡¯ll be looking for ways to repair the palace in the meantime.¡± There was not one place that didn¡¯t need repairs in Nature with holes here and there. It would be believable to say that it was a castle of a royal family that had fallen a long time ago with all the broken roofs and collapsed pillars. ¡®All of that is money.¡¯ Spending money I didn¡¯t have -- I actually had a lot -- wasn¡¯t particularly heartbreaking. Clicking my tongue in regret, I swept down the broken marble fountain with my hands, as a sharp gaze fell on the side of my face as if it would bore holes in it. ¡®Why is he looking at me like that?¡¯ Since there was only Dietrich and me in the forest of withered roses, he was the only one who could stare into my face like that. ¡°.........What is it?¡± I turned my head slowly and looked at Dietrich. He just kept looking at me without answering my question. ¡®Does he want to have a staring contest?¡¯ For some reason, I didn¡¯t want to lose so I opened my eyes wide and watched him. Despite the three years which he spent on the battlefield, Dietrich looked like an elegant nobleman if he¡¯s not holding a sword. ¡°The capital is far away.¡± ¡°Hm. It¡¯s far. That¡¯s why you have to be careful on your journey.¡± Dietrich frowned slightly and pressed his finger against his temple. Under the scorching midday sun, silver cufflinks sparkled and shook with the wind. ¡®In effect, he¡¯s actually a Duke.¡¯ No, should I call him His Grace now? [2] As she worried about such ridiculous matters while waiting for his next words, Dietrich¡¯s stiff mouth which she felt was quite stubborn, momentarily twisted. ¡°Are you telling me to go alone?¡± ¡°Then who are you going to go with?¡± Was he saying he would bring with him the frozen Yuric? I tilted my head, catching Dietrich''s sour gaze. At first glance, his tone came off as if he was angry, but his face, as usual, was as calm as the dawn sky. ¡°I think it would be best to go as soon as possible. Are you just going to leave Yuric and Veronica frozen like this?¡± ¡°.............¡± There was a short silence; he didn¡¯t open his mouth again as if thinking about something. ¡®Did his personality change a little?¡¯ I think he was easier to read before he left for the battlefield. ¡°........Let¡¯s go together.¡± The words I heard were a little unexpected. I found it odd so I gazed at him blankly. ¡°We¡¯re leaving Lagrange empty?¡± ¡°Why the hell do you care about that? Did you hide any treasure in the castle?¡± It¡¯s nothing much, but it was hidden. I tried to answer, hiding my prickly expression. ¡°Of course I care. Who will protect the castle?¡± The gate, which Asmodeus had opened, did not close properly, and all kinds of filth from the demon realm poured out, and the purification tree that I cultivated at will penetrated the walls and the roofs regardless of whether it was Nature or the annex buildings. All the surprised servants ran away except Marilyn, so who else would sweep, wipe and repair this huge castle but me? ¡°I didn¡¯t know you cared so much about Lagrange¡¯s castle.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± When I asked back with my eyes wide open, he chuckled as if speechless. ¡°I have nothing else to protect except you.¡± ¡°.........¡± ¡°Where will I go without you?¡± The fact that it came out of the mouth of such a gruff seventeen-year-old was unbelievable to the point that I became embarrassed. Of course, it didn¡¯t mean that it was affection between a man and a woman. ¡°Is--Is that so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s go together! I wanted to go and see the capital, too, so that turned out well!¡± The capital, Valliere, was one of the most glamorous cities that Empire Bernoulli boasts. I¡¯ll go look around until I get sick of it. I got up from my seat and scratched my cheek feeling a little awkward. CH 75 Except for Dahlia Palace, all of Langrage was in a state of disaster. If in Nature, its roof was blown away and was lodged somewhere, Rose Palace was completely destroyed with nothing left. ¡®It¡¯s a blessing that Catherine Fermat was at her parent¡¯s house.¡¯ Otherwise, there would have been casualties. As soon as Catherine, the mother of the triplets, heard that Derek had died, she sensed that Lagrange was doomed and took off on her own without taking her children. ¡®How come there¡¯s not a single proper parent among them.¡¯ I glanced sideways at Baal who, even when the children brought from Saint-Dena -- three pieces of ice statues -- were moved to the deepest corner of the bedroom, was still kneeling at one corner of the room reflecting on himself. ¡°How long does Dietrich want you to stay like that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s difficult, so please don¡¯t talk to me.¡± I let out a dumfounded laugh at Baal¡¯s brusque attitude. ¡°Dietrich was the one who punished you. Why are you taking out your temper on me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s the Princess who called Vassago and went into the gate on your own.¡± Baal grumbled and looked at the brooch quietly placed next to me. Vassago, who had helped Dietrich deal with Asmodeus, went back into the jewel, disappearing without a trace. I picked up the brooch and carefully dusted it off. ¡®But still, thanks to this guy we were able to survive.¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t glare at Vassago, Baal.¡± ¡°Are you taking Vassago¡¯s side whom you have only seen recently over me?¡± This was why they shouldn¡¯t take in black-haired, no, pink-haired humans in the house. [1] When Baal muttered as if lamenting, I approached him and pulled his nose. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°I know that Baal tried to coax Dietrich to sacrifice me.¡± ¡°............¡± ¡°You said you were my nanny, but I¡¯m very disappointed.¡± To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect the demon to truly care about me in the first place. But when I let out a big sigh as if I had been really disappointed, Baal waved his arms with a flustered face. ¡°Then, what should I have done? If it¡¯s not the Princess, His Majesty would have died.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s all right for me to die?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not -- ¡° I bit my lips because the demon¡¯s innocent face was funny. Realizing that I was teasing him, Baal raised his crooked eyebrows. ¡°Stop teasing me. I am already sorry enough.¡± ¡°What are you sorry for? You¡¯re only fulfilling your contract with Dietrich anyway, Baal.¡± Bewildered by Baal¡¯s words, I squatted in front of him. The demon, which was gradually changing into a human as the contract period with Dietrich got longer, now even had lips. Baal¡¯s lips, which had just been formed recently, muttered heartily. ¡°What promise did you make with Vassago?¡± ¡°I asked him to take care of Asmodeus. It¡¯s all right to take everything.¡± ¡°Princess, you can¡¯t just carelessly make a promise with demons.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We will take the price at all costs.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± He hit his chest as if he was frustrated at my question. I added with a nonchalant face. ¡°If there is something to gain, there must be something to lose, Baal. The demons don¡¯t force humans to make promises. It was my choice to make a promise to Vassago.¡± ¡°Do you know what he wants to take? You look down on the demons too much, Princess.¡± I grinned at the innocent Baal¡¯s words. ¡°Back at you. You look down on humans too much.¡± What¡¯s really scary were actually people. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It was my first time riding in a carriage as I had never been out of Lagrange ever since I was born. ¡®So there was a carriage in the Grand Duchy.¡¯ Maybe it was because its color was dark, the carriage with the wolf finely crafted, the symbol of Lagrange, looked very expensive. While I was snooping, looking around the four-wheeled carriage decorated with black stained glass up to the window, I hurried into the carriage at Dietrich¡¯s urging. As soon as I leaned on the soft cushion, I heard the sound of the black horse neighing at the forefront. ¡°Where did you get such a cool carriage?¡± Did we have some kind of money now? In case he got offended again, I tried to omit my last words, but Dietrich who managed to figure out what I meant raised one eyebrow and searched his arms. ¡°Are you going to talk about money again?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just curious.¡± In response to my hesitant answer, he tossed a bank pocket on my lap. ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times that money is not a problem in Lagrange.¡± As if to support his claims, the heavy pocket was full of gold coins. I tilted my head while holding a gold coin that exuded a beautiful thick fragrance in my hand. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t have the authority to handle the property of the Grand Duchy yet?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my money.¡± Did he not go to the battlefield as Lagrange¡¯s knight but go somewhere to work as a mercenary instead? I didn¡¯t know where on earth he got all this money from. ¡°Why are you giving me this?¡± ¡°Keep it. You said you wanted to look around the capital.¡± Dietrich said it as if it was a trivial matter, but I couldn¡¯t immediately take the money he earned from working hard -- though I didn¡¯t know what work he did. ¡°You use it. You must have something you wanted to buy, too.¡± I tied the pocket which I hurriedly opened and returned it to him. However, the pocket just went back on my lap. ¡°Take it. And don¡¯t drool like a beggar just looking at the window of a store.¡± ¡°I also have money!¡± ¡°You?¡± This kid had been slighting me since earlier. I, who was slightly offended, furrowed my eyebrows and took out a precious but smaller pocket than Dietrich¡¯s. ¡°Look. I also have a lot of money, hmph.¡± ¡°Is that a lot?¡± The yellow pouch that Marilyn had made by hand was embroidered with a cute parrot, and in it were not yellow, but the silver coins shining like the moon were heavy and boasted of their presence. ¡°E-even if they¡¯re not a lot! I earned them from working! Hard!¡± It was unearned income because they were lottery prizes but I worked hard in scratching the lottery ticker until my hands hurt. When I raised my nose high, arrogantly boasting, a corner of Dietrich¡¯s lips raised up at an angle. ¡°Why are you laughing?!¡± I thought he was laughing at me so I was going to scream in anger, but my harsh words disappeared into the deep indention on Dietrich¡¯s cheek. [HE HAS A DIMPLE?!] ¡®I hope you know I¡¯m letting it slide because you¡¯re handsome.¡¯ Be thankful for your face. Understand? I grumbled, forgetting about the days where I tiptoed around him, being scared of Dietrich. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The journey toward the capital was very comfortable thanks to the luxury carriage that was even enchanted to increase comfort. Arriving at the Imperial Palace without the usual motion sickness, I was excited at the thought that the tedious journey was over and jumped out of the carriage before Dietrich even got off. ¡°Heavens! Did you just jump off the carriage?¡± ¡°Huh? I can¡¯t?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t, Princess. This is the capital city.¡± Marilyn, who had gotten off from another carriage and was waiting for me, scolded me with a pale and scared face. Come to think of it, it was something an ordinary noble girl would never do, but since I had never been educated by a private tutor, there was no way I could suddenly exhibit an elegant manner when I arrive at the capital. When I opened my eyes wide and looked around myself, Marilyn mumbled that ¡®this won¡¯t do¡¯ and muttered that she would have to hire an etiquette teacher in the capital¡¯s mansion. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful from now on, Marilyn.¡± ¡°I have to go to the capital mansion first. Will you be all right?¡± ¡°Huh? You¡¯re leaving me?¡± ¡°The young master, no, His Grace is with you.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t think he knows about manners more than I do.¡¯ I raised the corners of my lips awkwardly, fearing that Marilyn would bring a really meticulous madam. Suddenly, a man who looked like a servant approached Dietrich, who at some point had gotten off the carriage. ¡°Are you Dietrich Benoit-Louis Honor¨¦ de Langrange?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡®Beneu -- what?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t believe Dietrich¡¯s full name was that long. We spent twelve years together but this was the first time I knew of it. ¡®I didn¡¯t even receive a baptism so I don¡¯t have a middle name.¡¯ The man who identified Dietrich with a strange, difficult-to-pronounce name immediately turned to look at me. ¡°Then, this must be Lady Anissa.¡± ¡°He-Hello.¡± ¡°I am Peter, Her Majesty¡¯s immediate secretary. Please make yourself comfortable.¡± ¡®You don¡¯t look like someone I could feel comfortable with at all.¡¯ I looked at the man who introduced himself as Peter as he was touching his starch mustache. The fierce-looking secretary, who made eye contact with me, grinned and spread his arms wide. ¡°Welcome to the Imperial Palace. Please follow me.¡± I grabbed Dietrich¡¯s arm as I trotted behind the secretary who was walking ahead. The size of the palace was not different from the Nature of Lagrange, but I felt frightened because of the intense pressure of the Imperial Palace which flashed golden no matter where I turn to look. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go together. What if I get lost?¡± I began to look around my surroundings while clinging to Dietrich¡¯s arm. I heard him chuckle in front of me but I couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°Hm? It seems it¡¯s the Lady¡¯s first time in the capital.¡± ¡°Pardon? Yes.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t worry. Her Majesty likes girls.¡± Finding out about the Emperor¡¯s true colors wasn¡¯t very pleasant but I smiled at Peter with a timid smile. [2] CH 76 Thanks to Dietrich¡¯s tall and sturdy stature, I entered the audience chamber like a cicada hanging from an old tree. ¡®The ceiling is really high.¡¯ The huge imperial tapestry adorning the wall swayed sideways in the spring breeze blowing through the open window. Because of that, the person sitting on the bright yellow golden throne was buried in the shadows and couldn¡¯t be seen properly. ¡°Greetings to the Imperial Sun.¡± To my surprise, Dietrich, who stood right next to me, stepped forward and greeted the emperor in a very elegant manner. ¡®I thought he wouldn¡¯t know about such things because he was learning the way of the sword.¡¯ Even in my untrained eyes which didn¡¯t know proper etiquette, I could tell that his posture was perfect. Quickly, I leaned forward slightly, bent my waist, and raised my hand into a greeting that I learned from Marilyn. ¡°Sir, no, should I call you Duke now? You grew up well.¡± The Emperor rose from the throne and walked down the podium. She was a beautiful person with long blonde hair, a symbol of the imperial family. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°Oh my.¡± The emperor burst into a small exclamation and quickly approached me, ignoring him. I was startled by her terrifying pace of walking that I hid behind Dietrich. ¡°What a pretty child.¡± ¡°I greet the brightest sun of the empire.¡± ¡°Oh my, oh my. You know how to greet well, too. After living for a long time, I see that cute children like these are now born in the North.¡± The emperor smiled and stroked my head. At the touch of a stranger, I inhaled sharply and stepped back; Dietrich stretched out his arm to block the emperor from getting to me. ¡°You¡¯re still a stranger, so please be careful.¡± Daring to command the emperor to be careful might seem arrogant, but I knew for a fact that the Valliere empire was on the verge of collapse. ¡®I mean, their position is worse than the duke¡¯s.¡¯ The emperor let out a droopy smile and turned to Dietrich. ¡°Are you here to get the official approval to succeed the title of Grand Duke?¡± ¡°Yes, that is correct.¡± ¡°Hm. All right, Duke. What will you give me if I acknowledge you as the Grand Duke?¡± ¡°I promise you a three-year harvest from the Balan mine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not enough. Isn¡¯t the war against the Euclids about to begin in full scale? It would be a disadvantage if you don¡¯t have an official position.¡± My mouth dropped open at the emperor¡¯s dirty trick. She looked as if she wanted to instigate a quarrel between the two dukes. ¡°Duke, I could buy enough time by delaying your succession as much as I want. Even if I¡¯m only an emperor in the title, I¡¯m still an emperor.¡± No, there were no more candidates left who would contend for the succession, and Dietrich was the only one who could become the grand duke, so why would she say that? Knitting my eyebrows at the absurdity, I glared at the emperor but she was curiously enjoying my gaze and smirking mischievously. ¡°What is it that you want?¡± Dietrich didn¡¯t seem particularly offended by the emperor¡¯s attitude. When he asked indifferently, she clicked her tongue saying that nothing was free in this world, and pointed her finger at me. ¡°Give me that.¡± ¡°...........¡± ¡°....huh?¡± I panicked and tightened my grip on Dietrich¡¯s hem. What was that woman asking right now? ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was a girl like that in the North. I could give you the Grand Duke¡¯s position right away so give me that.¡± She¡¯s crazy. I looked up at Dietrich, hiding my trembling hands inside my sleeves. ¡®You won¡¯t give me away, will you?¡¯ Fortunately, Dietrich didn¡¯t betray my faith. He shook his head firmly. ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Do you want a deal? All right. Once Hermann Euclid becomes the Grand Duke, I¡¯ll stall enough time for you.¡± The emperor¡¯s sweet whisper broke Dietrich¡¯s expressionless facade for the first time. After entering the audience chamber, his eyebrows which had maintained their composure as if he had been wearing a glass mask, rose upwards. ¡°Do I look like I need help from the imperial family to defeat Hermann right now?¡± ¡°N-no, don¡¯t get angry first. Isn¡¯t she a useless girl anyway?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not for you to judge.¡± At Dietrich¡¯s cold words, the emperor scratched her cheeks awkwardly. She answered with her lips turned down as if it was extremely unexpected. ¡°How temperamental. All right. First, go back to your mansion in the capital. This matter needs a meeting.¡± She turned around with a snapping sound as if she was upset and added, ¡°Ah, Duke Hermann is also in the capital, so be careful.¡± ¡°.............¡± ¡°He¡¯s been grinding his teeth ever since you have beaten him on the battlefield.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The emperor¡¯s head was full of flowers. Even with my eyes wide open, forced laughter unwittingly comes out at the thought that I could be sold in an instant. ¡°I¡¯m telling you she¡¯s a completely crazy woman!¡± ¡°Ah, I did hear that Her Majesty, Marguerite likes girls.¡± As I snorted in agreement at what Marilyn said, she frowned. ¡°It was rumored that she believed she could keep her youth if she sleeps while hugging a young girl.¡± She shook her head saying she didn¡¯t know that the rumors meant buying girl slaves. ¡°Because the imperial family is on the verge of ruin, I understand why she¡¯s out of her mind.¡± I buried my face on the fluffy feather bed at Marilyn¡¯s words. The people of the empire respected Grand Duke Euclid and feared Grand Duke Lagrange, but ignored the Valliere Imperial family. The imperial family, which had neither earned the respect nor the reverence of the people, would eventually collapse. The empire would soon be split into two principalities. ¡®The final winner will be Hermann.¡¯ Ah, come to think of it, the emperor said that Hermann Euclid was also in the capital. I raised my head because I was curious about the news of my real older brother -- Anissa¡¯s real older brother. ¡°Where is Euclid¡¯s capital mansion?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s right across the street.¡± Marilyn pointed to the open window at my question. The capital mansions of the nobles were clustered together, and a modest ivory mansion was located across the river she pointed to. I bit my lip as I looked down at the open garden full of hawthorn berries. ¡®We¡¯re not going to bump into each other, will we?¡¯ The relationship between Hermann and Dietrich wasn¡¯t bad, it was the worst. Even the reason why Hermann gritted his teeth and became the Grand Duke early was because of Dietrich. ¡®Now that I think about it, Hermann seems to be the only one conscious of such things.¡¯ Dietrich didn¡¯t seem to care much about Hermann. ¡®Hermann? Oh, are you talking about Euclid¡¯s noisy dog?¡¯ He didn¡¯t even know Hermann¡¯s name. After hearing the emperor¡¯s further explanation, he had looked at her with a face that said, ¡®what about it?¡¯ ¡°When will the Great Nobility Conference be held?¡± ¡°It takes about a week.¡± ¡°Oh, then can I go and take a look outside?¡± In Lagrange, I was confined only in the mansion, so I had to ask permission first. Marilyn tucked my hair behind my ears with tears in her eyes as if she was feeling sorry for me. ¡°Of course. You can go anywhere you like now, Princess.¡± ¡°Anywhere?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then I want to go there. To the Great Market.¡± The Great Market was the largest market in the Empire, known to gather all the merchants of the continent. ¡®Dietrich left the mansion early in the morning saying he had business to deal with in the capital so I should go alone.¡¯ ¡°What do I do? It¡¯s been a long time since the Lagrange family left the capital mansion empty so I had a lot of things to take care of.¡± ¡°I can go by myself.¡± I clenched my fists proudly and thrust them forward, grinning. As if I was admirable, Marily stroked my head like a puppy. ¡°You can¡¯t go alone. You can take the faceless knight.¡± With that said, Marilyn glanced behind me. I followed her gaze and turned around to see a man whose nose and mouth was covered with a gray cloth bowing to me. ¡°I¡¯ll carry out my duty.¡± The knights of the Grand Duchy of Lagrange work quietly without revealing their faces or names. With Derek¡¯s death and Dietrich becoming the head, the master of the Knights Order seemed to have transferred to him as well. I looked down at the knight whose face I couldn¡¯t clearly see but who greeted me politely. ¡®It¡¯s probably because I¡¯ve done so much bad stuff.¡¯ The wolf of Lagrange was engraved on the back of the knight¡¯s hand like a symbol. I caught sight of the wolf¡¯s sharp teeth and quickly took a step back grabbing my dress. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be in your care, Sir.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess.¡± No matter how good the security of the capital was, it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to go out alone since there was Euclid''s mansion right across the street. I went out together with the knight that was a little cumbersome -- though I feel awful saying this. When I was just entering the Great Market with excitement, I was extremely relieved to have a knight escort me despite the hassle. ¡®Is it the heroine¡¯s specialty to be in trouble every time we meet?¡¯ Charlotte, who appeared in front of me in an incredibly ridiculous way, was in a difficult situation. But I¡¯m not the hero who would save the heroine, I¡¯m just an insignificant supporting character. ¡®Should I help her?¡¯ I put my palm on my face as I saw Charlotte in the middle of the square whose hair was caught by a bad man. ¡°Let go! I said let me go!¡± ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re stealing, bitch!¡± ¡°The ones who were stealing were you lot! That necklace is a sacred object from the temple!!!¡± No, if you couldn¡¯t do it by force, you should at least just shut your mouth. CH 77 Charlotte¡¯s scream wasn¡¯t drowned out even with all the people¡¯s murmurs. I grabbed the knight''s stiff forearm and turned his body that was trained on me. ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can you help that girl over there?¡± The knight¡¯s eyes narrowed as if trying to figure out my intentions. I scratched my chin and added in a friendly tone. ¡°And tell me a nickname at least. Since you¡¯re my escort, shouldn¡¯t I at least know your name?¡± Although they were achromatic knights said to have no face and name, there¡¯s no way they really were nameless, right? As if my question was unexpected, the knight¡¯s mouth, which only showed the silhouette because it was covered by the gray cloth, twitched. ¡°Are you asking for a servant¡¯s name? Damon wasn¡¯t wrong.¡± ¡®Damon?¡¯ I raised my eyebrows at the unexpected name. Damon was a knight who served as Derek¡¯s bodyguard and the man who guarded me when he imprisoned me. I know that he disappeared in the midst of the chaos with Asmodeus, was he close with this knight? ¡°You can call me Oslo. If you want to help a Southerner you don¡¯t even know, just say your order and I will follow your command.¡± ¡°Would it be all right if I ask it as a favor? You¡¯re not even my knight.¡± Because Dietrich might get angry if I ordered his knight without permission. I gently looked up with wide eyes at Oslo. ¡°Kyaah!¡± Charlotte¡¯s feeble scream reached my ears again. Oslo, who quickly stepped forward at my glance, instantly subdued the man who was confronting Charlotte. ¡°Wh--what are you!¡± The bewildered middle-aged man raised his voice, but Oslo, who had no business with him, only shrugged his shoulders without answering and looked back at me. I slowly stepped forward and placed my hand on Charlotte¡¯s shoulder who had fallen to the ground. ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh?¡± Charlotte, who couldn¡¯t recognize me right away frowned, then stood up and pointed at me. Her silver hair, which was covered in dust, was still dazzling. ¡°You, you, you!¡± I slowly grew annoyed at her lack of manners by pointing at someone. When I slightly frowned, she withdrew her hand as if realizing her mistake and clasped her clenched fists. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a Lagrange kid? Why are you in the capital?¡± Was that what she was curious about in this current situation? I lowered my eyes and ignored her words. Fortunately, the man who was caught by Oslo seemed to know the Lagrange name. ¡°La--Lagrange? Why is a young lady from Lagrange helping a thief?¡± ¡®Thief?¡¯ I turned my eyes toward the man who looked at me seeming to have calmed down. He clasped his old vest and wept. ¡°Did you say a thief?¡± ¡°That girl said that our store¡¯s item was a sacred item and immediately snatched them.¡± Charlotte screamed at the man¡¯s explanation. She held up a white staff that looked like a symbol of a priest and shook it. ¡°I told you that I was a priestess from the Great Temple. Relics are not something that can be sold for money!¡± ¡°But even so, I bought it at the auction house with money!¡± Listening to the situation of the man who was crying as if he was wrongly treated, it seemed that it was Charlotte who caused a nuisance. No matter how sacred the item was, it was unbelievable she would think of taking it without paying the price properly. ¡®He¡¯s correct that you¡¯re a thief.¡¯ Did that mean that even the heroine doesn¡¯t always do the right thing? I swallowed a sigh, regretting too late that I stepped in to help and searched my cape¡¯s pocket taking out a small pouch. ¡®There¡¯s no need to use force for problems that could be solved with money.¡¯ ¡°How much is that necklace?¡± ¡°Ten blois.¡± ¡°Here, take it. Did you get hurt when the knight grabbed you? I¡¯m sorry for the misunderstanding.¡± The man bent down in amazement as he was thinking that I would use my power as nobility to extort him of his necklace. ¡°No! I¡¯m not hurt at all! Thank you.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s not an item you can buy with money!¡± Even Charlotte¡¯s eyes widened. She called my name so loudly that I couldn''t believe how such a loud voice could come out of her slender neck. ¡°Anissa! Your name is Anissa, right?¡± I didn¡¯t feel the need to answer Charlotte. I put the necklace I received from the merchant in my pocket and exited the square; she followed me immediately. ¡°Thank you for helping me. Won¡¯t you return the necklace now?¡± I let out a dumbfounded laugh at Charlotte¡¯s words. Money easily earned, easily goes away, but I didn¡¯t want to waste it like this. I was upset that I had to spend ten blois on a necklace that wasn¡¯t even my style. ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°Because that necklace is from the temple. When Hera the sun god was human --¡± ¡°All right. Do you have ten blois?¡± I held out my hand, cutting off her words. I''m a little smaller than peers of my age, so Charlotte just stared blankly at my white hand that still looked like a child¡¯s hand. ¡°Ten blois?¡± ¡°You asked for the necklace, I¡¯ll give it to you so give me money.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t have money.¡± ¡°Then, it can¡¯t be helped. Goodbye.¡± It wasn¡¯t nice to meet you, let¡¯s not see each other again. I didn¡¯t think too much about it when I read the book because it wasn¡¯t romance-centered but thinking about it now, there was nothing but a nuisance of a heroine. ¡°Wai--wait a minute!¡± Although she was a woman who would help Dietrich later on when he¡¯s sealed by Hermann however, she was someone who had nothing to do with me, so it wouldn¡¯t it be okay? I turned my back without hesitation and placed my hand on Oslo¡¯s arm. He naturally escorted me and walked away. ¡°Oh, let¡¯s go in there.¡± Oslo took me to an alley with shops where the price range wasn¡¯t very expensive. It was looking like the pouch over my shoulder wasn¡¯t that heavy. ¡®I have the title of a princess but this is quite embarrassing.¡¯ Should I have accepted the money that Dietrich handed over? I cleared my throat loudly and raised my hand pointing to a store. ¡°I think it¡¯s a bookstore.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something that I¡¯m looking for.¡± I entered the oldest bookstore among the densely packed stores across a narrow cobblestone street. ¡°Welcome.¡± A clerk with a friendly expression greeted me with a smile. I quickly scanned through the dimly lit store because of the lack of sunlight. ¡®It should be this shop.¡¯ The store, which was an old bookstore that smelled of musty dust that sold books and miscellaneous stuff, was the reason that I stopped at the Great Market. ¡®I don¡¯t need it right now, but I¡¯ve already used what Josef gave me.¡¯ Charlotte, the female protagonist, would one day buy an ability amplifier at this store at a very low price. Although the male protagonists were extremely powerful, they didn¡¯t have the chance to show their full potential. ¡°Is there something you are looking for?¡± I smiled and shook my head at the friendly clerk¡¯s question. It¡¯s because I had to pretend to buy it by accident. While slowly looking around the store, I picked up an earring decorated with what looked like rubbish in front of the display stand. The small, black mineral wasn¡¯t shiny, but it was a matte finish that had its own elegance. ¡°What a unique earring.¡± ¡°Do you think so? It¡¯s not a trendy design so it¡¯s not selling well.¡± Regardless of the design, artifacts that instantly calls out an individual¡¯s power or mana were traded at very high prices. The clerk quickly added for fear I might change my mind. ¡°But I think it would suit you really well, my lady. Because you have such a fair and beautiful face.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy it.¡± I bought the earring for just several shillings which would have cost me a few hundred blois if I paid the right price so I bought some books out of regret before leaving. ¡°My lady, wait.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°There are many suspicious shadows near the mansion.¡± I felt sorry passing all my things to Oslo so I clutched one of the thickest books and slowly turned towards the mansion when he suddenly stopped walking. ¡°What do you mean?¡± At his words, I slowly looked up and saw several unfamiliar knights loitering outside the mansion. As if confronting them, the Lagrange knights dressed in all black were standing in front of the mansion¡¯s front door. ¡®Ivory armor¡­¡¯ Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re Euclid¡¯s Knights? It¡¯s not even the battlefield, but knights dressed up in heavy armor were in the middle of the capital with each one wearing a cape with white lions on them. ¡°You good-for-nothing Southern bastards, you must have lost your minds after being beaten like that.¡± Oslo, who had been so gentle, suddenly muttered harsh words and placed his hand on the sword¡¯s scabbard on his waist. My eyes went round thinking back on the description which I only read in books. ¡®Was there a scene like this?¡¯ Hermann and Dietrich¡¯s battles mostly happened in forests or empty fields. I didn¡¯t remember any battle that took place in the capital. ¡°His Grace in the Imperial Palace. For now, let¡¯s avoid this commotion, my lady.¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t know yet why the Euclid knights came to the mansion.¡± Hermann, who was almost like the most powerful person right now in Euclid, unlike Derek Lagrange, at least was not a madman. The Imperial Palace was just around the corner so he couldn¡¯t possibly be starting a civil war right here. However, as if mocking my thoughts, one of Euclid¡¯s knights shoved a long spear into the mansion¡¯s gate, shouting his head off. ¡°You wretched Northern bastards! You came all the way down to the capital and touched the sacred relic!¡± CH 78 ¡°What? How dare you accuse us as thieves!¡± The knight, who clearly didn¡¯t know me well, was screaming for a whole minute. ¡°To a Northern man like me who smells of wheat! What does our Princess lack that she would steal your lousy charm necklace!¡± It was an exhilarating scene of local pride. The knight defending me with a heated voice continued loudly as if he had not yet found out that I was present. ¡°And! If our Princess wants Euclid¡¯s junk, well then she can steal it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Don¡¯t be stingy over one necklace.¡± ¡®No, I didn¡¯t steal it.¡¯ Fortunately, the knight in front of the gate quickly stepped back and no one was injured. I walked heavily forward feeling as if I would pass out from the scene. ¡°My lady!¡± ¡°Stop. There are many eyes watching as this is the middle of the capital.¡± The people currently staying in the capital mansion were only Marilyn, an old butler, and a few knights so what kind of violence is this? The only one who would be at a disadvantage if there was any ruckus here would be Dietrich who had yet to receive approval to succeed as the Grand Duke. And also, the Lagrange knights were not dressed in proper armor as the Euclid knights. ¡°What business do the Euclid knights have with this mansion?¡± The knights who had raised their spears in warning of someone who would approach withdraw their weapons after confirming that I was just a girl. ¡°What the! Don¡¯t interfere, kid!¡± I frowned at the knight¡¯s insolent words and repeated my question. ¡°My name is Anissa Lagrange. My brother is currently not present, so if you have any business, you can tell it to me.¡± ¡®Southerners were said to be polite and kind, everything seems to be a lie.¡¯ I pouted my lips at the threatening expressions of the knights. Well, kind people wouldn¡¯t have abandoned a newborn just because it had characteristics of a northerner. ¡°Are you the Princess which Charlotte spoke of?¡± A tall man emerged from among the knights who were looking at me with excitement as steam came out of their noses. He was a little smaller than Dietrich, but he was so well-proportioned that I had to lift my head to properly look at his face. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡¯ A dark pink hair contrasting his blue eyes, he had a splendid beauty which clearly presented he¡¯s the main character of ¡®The Rose Wars of Men.¡¯ ¡°I asked if you are Anissa Lagrange.¡± My eyes lingered for a moment at the boy¡¯s delicate appearance before nodding. ¡°I am Hermann Euclid, a knight of Angoul¨ºme.¡± [1] He could have said he was Euclid¡¯s eldest son, however, the ¡®protagonist¡¯ emphasized that he was a knight, and politely kissed the back of my hand. I felt a little uneasy and looked down at Hermann who was kneeling in front of me. Although he was Anissa¡¯s real older brother, he didn¡¯t feel like family at all. It just felt amazing that he and I resemble each other. ¡®Even the mole under the right eye is the same.¡¯ The gentle drooping of the eyes and the pale white skin was the same, yet I didn¡¯t feel any sense of closeness. ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem to be the case of blood is thicker than water.¡¯ Maybe it¡¯s the same for Hermann, although his eyes were polite it was as cold as winter. ¡°I heard you stole the sacred item of my benefactor, Charlotte.¡± ¡°.....Pardon?¡± What the hell did that crazy woman say? I tilted my head to the side in disbelief and waited for Hermann¡¯s next words. He seemed to be a little surprised at my confident attitude that his lips twitched before speaking again. ¡°It¡¯s a necklace that is very important to her so I¡¯d like you to give it back.¡± ¡°Are you referring to this?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a plain purple amulet. Don¡¯t be greedy and give it back.¡± I took out the necklace I bought at the merchant ¡®at a reasonable price¡¯ earlier and shook it. Hermann quickly reached out, but instead of handing him the necklace, I crossed my arm and stepped back. ¡°Did you say I stole this? Did Charlotte say that?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t say you stole it, but she said it was an object that should have rested in God¡¯s arms. It must have been the Princess¡¯s lack of knowledge, but a sacred object ¨C¡± ¡°I bought it with money, so why are you saying I stole it? How rude.¡± Hermann¡¯s eyes grew wide when I added something in a low voice not caring if he heard it or not. He frowned as if displeased and immediately approached me. ¡°What did you say just now?¡± ¡°I said, I bought it with money, so why are you saying I stole it?¡± ¡°To whom did you pay your money? Trading sacred objects are forbidden.¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s a sacred object or whatever, I bought it with money, so why are you just asking for it?¡± At my question, Hermann shrugged his shoulders and chuckled. There was nothing funny with my words, so his chuckle was obvious ridicule. ¡°I¡¯ll have to pay for it then. Though you¡¯re still a child, it¡¯s obvious you¡¯re a person from Lagrange. How calculative.¡± ¡®I¡¯m originally a Southerner, though? You stupid male protagonist.¡¯ I wanted to annoy him with that but I couldn¡¯t reveal my identity just like that so I just bit my lips. ¡°All right. If you pay the price, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°A thousand blois.¡± I lifted my chin and answered slowly. If you lose in the power struggle, the bargaining would be over. ¡°What?¡± Dumbfounded, Hermann¡¯s mouth went agape. Even if he was a duke, he wouldn¡¯t be able to move a large amount of money such as a thousand blois. ¡°A thou-thousand blois?¡± However, even if Hermann was the male protagonist, suddenly treating a person as a thief didn¡¯t sit well with me so I didn¡¯t want to return the necklace nicely. ¡°Yes.¡± Hermann¡¯s hand, which had been vigorously opening his pocket, embarrassingly got stranded midair as I nodded my head with audacity. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll sell it at a thousand blois.¡± ¡°What was the price you paid to the merchant?¡± ¡°It was ten blois.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you overpricing it too much?¡± I opened my mouth, waving my index finger in front of Hermann¡¯s nose. ¡°What do you mean by overpricing? Don¡¯t you know the law of supply and demand? The amulet which you want is the only one in the world right now, Duke.¡± ¡°Ha. Are you doing business with me right now?¡± ¡°Then, what should I do with you, Duke? Would you like to have a duel?¡± Hermann¡¯s lips stiffened, thinking that I was insulting his chivalry. He let out a warning, grinding his teeth. ¡°Be careful of what you say, a duel with me against a woman? It¡¯s an unladylike answer.¡± I shoved my hand over my earlobes at Hermann¡¯s stereotyped remarks and feigned indifference. ¡®I guess Lancel wasn¡¯t wrong when he was swearing at the Southerners for being old-fashioned.¡¯ Originally, he wasn¡¯t my favorite protagonist, but the more we talk, the more I felt less affection. ¡°Well then, if you don¡¯t mind, please get out of the way. I need to go in.¡± Hermann¡¯s mouth dropped open as if he was shocked by my outspoken disregard. I grabbed the front door as I passed by him who seemed to have no thoughts of leaving. ¡°Wa¨Cwait!¡± Hermann caught me as I was entering the open front gate as if it was waiting for me. He didn¡¯t seem to have learned that it was rude to touch the body of an unknown ¡®lady¡¯. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me as you please.¡± When I shook off his hold on my wrist, he bit his lips and frowned but soon politely apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But I can¡¯t pay you a thousand blois right away. I¡¯ll give you a hundred blois.¡± ¡°Now, I don¡¯t want to sell you the necklace even if you give me a thousand blois.¡± And even if I did my best to return the necklace now, it¡¯s not like Euclid and Lagrange¡¯s relationship would improve. ¡°Then, excuse me.¡± I firmly drew the line and turned my back. I heard Hermann moving behind me to grab me, but unlike before, his hand didn¡¯t reach me. Thump! There was a sound of something falling and in an instant, my view was covered in black. It was because a coat decorated in glossy marten fur was covering my head. ¡®It¡¯s too thick to wear in the capital.¡¯ A pungent smell of winter nights. I grabbed the coat filled with familiar scent and quickly raised my head. ¡°I was wondering where the sound of a dog barking was coming from.¡± Dietrich, who had grabbed Hermann with one hand as if he was a straw doll, threw him away without waiting for an answer. Hermann¡¯s body flew off the road at the strength of the throw. ¡°Duke!¡± There was a clinking sound and everybody pulled out their swords and began to raise them. ¡°Stop.¡± The Southern knights who tried to rush towards Dietrich were stuck in the middle of the road, unable to move because their shadows were tied to the ground. ¡°Did you j-just use your abilities in the capital?!¡± ¡°This is treason! Kill the traitors!¡± ¡®Oh, it was forbidden to use one¡¯s abilities in the capital.¡¯ Somehow, I thought that even though Hermann was the main character, he was easily overpowered by Dietrich. I got up from my place and glanced at Hermann who was glaring at Dietrich from his position. ¡°What is your intention in using the power of the shadows in the capital?¡± He drew his sword with a hard expression on his face. The sword engraved with the symbol of Euclid, a white lion, shone coldly under the sun. ¡°If you don¡¯t answer, I will report this to Her Majesty!¡± ¡°Do as you wish.¡± Instead of confronting Hermann who was glaring at Dietrich as if he was about to kill him, Dietrich approached me who was standing blankly in place. He extended a large hand, a hand which grew large without my knowledge. ¡°Did you just come back from your outing?¡± ¡°Yeah. I went to the market.¡± ¡°Come here. It¡¯s cold.¡± ¡®Is he just going to stand up like a folding screen?¡¯ I was wondering if it was all right to ignore the male protagonist like that but Dietrich dragged me into the mansion. Note: [1] from Wikipedia = Angoul¨ºme is a commune, the prefecture of the Charente department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as Angoumoisins or Angoumoisines. Located on a plateau overlooking a meander of the river Charente, the city is nicknamed the "balcony of the southwest". CH 79 By the time the sun barely rose in the sky, the porch was noisy with the Emperor¡¯s knights rushing in from the Imperial Palace. Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I crawled out of bed and stared at the knights lined up in front of the circular staircase. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Marilyn?¡± ¡°Her Majesty seemed to have sent someone. It¡¯s because yesterday, the young master, I mean, His Grace used his ability.¡± It¡¯s not like Dietrich hurt people with his ability, he just made it so that the Euclid knights wouldn¡¯t rush against him by tying their feet to the ground, so what¡¯s all this fuss about? I slowly went down the stairs, covering my yawning mouth with both my hands. Marilyn wrapped a blanket around me, bothered that I was only in my pajamas. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Greetings. I am Bohumil, the Commander of the Knights Order directly under Her Majesty.¡± The knight with a strong physique glanced behind me and continued speaking. ¡°Where is your older brother right, Dietrich Lagrange, my lady? Did he perhaps run away?¡± Ran away weren¡¯t words that fit Dietrich. I shook my head with a small smile. ¡°I think he¡¯s probably still sleeping.¡± ¡°Please call him this instant. Her Majesty has called for him.¡± I frowned because I was displeased with the manner of the knight speaking to me in a commanding tone. ¡®Should I say no?¡¯ I thought about it for a moment, but before I could refuse, Dietrich appeared. Walking from the other side of the hallway; he was dressed neatly without anything out of place although it was early morning close to dawn. ¡°Dietrich Benoit-Louis Honore de Lagrange! I am the knight sent by Her Majesty to investigate your treason closely.¡± Treason, you say. Wasn¡¯t this too much for just giving a scare to the knights of Euclid? I never dreamed that using one¡¯s ability in the capital would lead to such a serious crime because Dietrich had used his abilities as if it was a trivial thing. ¡°Come to the Imperial Palace with us right now!¡± The knight ordered his men to raise their weapons as if giving an air of being threatening, but Dietrich slowly spoke without raising an eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± It was a firm refusal. Dietrich, who had personally walked to the front door, glanced at the knights. He was just looking at them but the knights trembled as if they were facing a ghost. ¡°Isn¡¯t it impolite to rush and attack someone¡¯s house early in the morning? Get out.¡± ¡°I knew you would come out like that.¡± The knight coughed a little as if he was expecting this reaction and pulled out a sealed envelope from his pocket. ¡°This is Her Majesty¡¯s message.¡± The letter, stamped with the Emperor¡¯s seal in wax, soon fell into Dietrich¡¯s hand. The knight calmly opened his mouth as if he already knew the contents of the letter he had been divested of. ¡°Marguerite II, the lioness of Valliere, the only sun of the Bernoulli Empire, does not allow you to inherit the title of the Grand Duke in the name of God.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± I took a step forward, exclaiming at the development that completely contradicted the original. As I approached, Dietrich quickly reached out and grabbed me. ¡°Don¡¯t come close. It¡¯s dangerous.¡± He lowered his head and whispered in a low voice so that only my ears could hear, then he turned and looked at the knight commander. ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡± ¡°It is because your insidious ability and cunning personality have revealed a potential for rebellion.¡± After growing the empire this much with the powerful force of the shadow demons, it was now an insidious ability. I snorted loudly as if hearing such unbelievable words. ¡°If I don¡¯t get formal recognition of the title of Grand Duke, will there be no more room for treason?¡± Dietrich replied with an indifferent attitude even though one wrong move could mean he wouldn¡¯t be able to inherit the title. ¡°You must want to quit being an empire.¡± ¡®If you say it like that, you¡¯ll be more misunderstood, you stupid idiot!¡¯ I raised my voice instead because I was frustrated at Dietrich who said useless things. ¡°Treason? Euclid was the first to come to our mansion with a weapon!¡± ¡°Hermann Euclid is the most popular and highly respected noble in the Empire as well as a loyal knight to Her Majesty. Are you saying that he invaded the Lagrange mansion without any reason?¡± ¡®Most popular and highly respected? With that personality?¡¯ Now that I had just become barely an adult, I frowned, recalling Hermann who was more old-fashioned than Josef. The knight continued his speech impudently. ¡°That is not possible. Hermann Euclid is like a symbol of the imperial nobility. He is a man of such great self-control that he had never even used his abilities in the capital.¡± It was reasonable if the characteristics of the imperial nobility were dullness stemming from supremacy. The knight glanced at me with feverish intensity and opened his mouth. ¡°Whatever the reason Sir Hermann Euclid visited the Lagrange mansion, Dietrich Lagrange was the only one who used his abilities. I have nothing to say even if I am handed to the police right away.¡± Of course, there was no way Dietrich was going to get caught by him. As he clenched his fist as if to move the shadow, the knight was frightened and hastily added. ¡°However, Her Majesty has made one condition as her last consideration for you.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°She said that she would overlook treason and officially grant the title of Grand Duke under certain conditions. What a merciful majesty, isn¡¯t she?¡± As if expecting Dietrich¡¯s heart to be moved, the knight¡¯s eyes shone brightly. However, it was just an absurd, vain hope. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to hear it.¡± The shadows that had gathered around the knight quickly inflated their body. The knight trapped in the black mist that could not be cut with a sword hurriedly opened his mouth. ¡°Please listen to it first! It''s good for you too! Anissa Lagrange, that is if your younger sister enters the Imperial Palace as Her Majesty¡¯s handmaiden ¨C ack!¡± I opened my eyes wide at the sudden mention of my name, however, the knight could not finish his sentence properly. Because Dietrich¡¯s shadow holding him by his ankle had sent him flying across the mansion. ¡°Babbling again with that load of nonsense.¡± Dietrich muttered as he dusted his hands. The emperor¡¯s knights, who had lost their commander in an instant, raised their swords in astonishment. ¡°If you¡¯re going to bark, bark all at once. Because it¡¯s annoying.¡± He frowned, ignoring such knights. The knight, who appeared to be the oldest among them, clasped his armor and stepped forward. ¡°Si-Sir! What the hell are you doing right now! Are you saying you¡¯re going to start a rebellion?¡± ¡°Why should I? The ruined Imperial Palace of Valliere is not worth a handful of ashes to me.¡± ¡°Then why are you being stubborn? If you line up the daughters of high-ranking nobles aspiring to become the Emperor¡¯s maidservant and they¡¯ll reach the North! It''s a position of honor!¡± ¡°If it¡¯s soo good, why don¡¯t you do it?¡± Dietrich said, raising the corner of his lips and the older knight¡¯s face burned red. He opened his mouth wide, the redness rising up to the top of his half-balding head. ¡°What nonsense are you saying right now!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re angry. If you think it¡¯s such an honorable position, why don¡¯t you follow the Emperor around and pick out a headdress?¡± Dietrich responded coldly and approached the old knight. He was so tall that the knight who wasn¡¯t even of small frame barely reached his chest. ¡®Doesn¡¯t his knees hurt?¡¯ If I grew up as fast as him, my knees would shiver in the cold at night. ¡°I am a member of Her Majesty¡¯s immediate knights! I am Her Majesty¡¯s sword that protects the capital!¡± ¡°Ah, I see. It¡¯s not that different from what you¡¯re doing right now.¡± ¡°Are you fooling around only believing in the status of a duke which a bastard child like you has not officially taken over?¡± The highly irritated knight screamed back. Dietrich turned his back, covering his ears as if the screaming knight was noisy. ¡°Baal.¡± Bang! A huge vibration was heard and the ground shook for a moment. The knights scattered all over the place at the demon that had been summoned only with words. ¡°Get rid of them.¡± ¡°...Wa-wait! We¡¯ll retreat for now!¡± At Dietrich¡¯s decisive command, the knight who had been screaming like hell changed his attitude. He faltered and retreated, glaring at the huge shadow - Baal - that encroached upon the stairs. Marilyn tactfully ran out and opened the front door. ¡°Then, goodbye.¡± As I had learned from Marilyn, I gracefully leaned over pointing at the hem of my pajamas, and bowed. Without a proper answer to my farewell, the knights hurriedly left the mansion. ¡°Shall we not follow them?¡± ¡°For now.¡± Baal, who had instilled a lot of fear towards the knights, returned to his original form and rubbed his hands together submissively. I tilted my head to the side while looking at the demon which reminded me of a fly at first glance. ¡°Why is the Emperor anxious that she can¡¯t take me?¡± Did she like my appearance that much? My body trembled as I recalled the gleam in her eyes when she looked at me. ¡°She probably wanted you as a hostage. Because the Grand Duchy is big enough to match against the Imperial House.¡± ¡°But Euclid¡¯s power is bigger than Lagrange.¡± I had never heard of the Princess of Euclid becoming the Emperor¡¯s maidservant. Dietrich smirked as I pouted. ¡°Is it all right for you to send them back recklessly just like that? Wouldn¡¯t it be better if I just served as her maid for a little while?¡± ¡°....Do you want to go to the Imperial Palace?¡± The smile on his lips disappeared in an instant at my question. I swallowed my saliva in the sudden freezing atmosphere. CH 80 ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I asked if you wanted to go to the Imperial Palace.¡± ¡°No, not exactly?¡± I answered hesitantly but Dietrich¡¯s hard expression didn¡¯t relax. ¡®I mean, sometimes he¡¯s in an uncontrollably bad mood.¡¯ I tilted my head because it was a little difficult to understand his feelings. ¡°Either way, you have to be officially recognized.¡± I thought of Yuric and Veronica who were waiting for us in their frozen state. Whether Dietrich knew of the guilt occupying the corner of my heart or not, he pressed on his temple and answered. ¡°I¡¯m going to be recognized so don¡¯t worry. The Emperor is a cowardly human being who lacks patience.¡± Even though there were no ears listening, he had no qualms evaluating the Emperor whom he should be loyal to. ¡®It¡¯s only natural that the Emperor openly favors the Euclids.¡¯ And as if proving his poor evaluation, the Emperor soon walked to the mansion. We had to greet her suddenly as she came without saying that she was arriving. The Emperor, who appeared gracefully stepping on the red carpet on the front door of the mansion, found me and smiled brightly. I wanted to run away, but since she had already found me, I had no choice but to greet her. ¡°Greetings to Your Majesty, the only sun of the empire.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still a cute kid.¡± ¡°Thank you for your compliment.¡± I bowed my head, trying to avoid the Emperor¡¯s deep gaze. Dietrich, who summoned Baal and stood next to him, stepped forward with his hand in his pocket. ¡°How disrespectful! Can¡¯t you greet Her Majesty, Dietrich Lagrange?!¡± It seemed that Dietrich¡¯s cheeky attitude displeased the Emperor¡¯s guards. As if he had forgotten his earlier fear, he waved a huge spear and raised his voice. ¡°Have you decided?¡± Dietrich opened his mouth indifferently, not paying attention to the knight. The Emperor answered, raising the corner of her red lips as if she was in disbelief. ¡°Are you asking if I will accede to your threat?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you acknowledging that you threatened me to stage the war of roses in the middle of the capital?¡± I opened my mouth, debilitated by the Emperor¡¯s words. I was wondering about the correspondence with the Imperial Palace which seemed to have frequently come and gone, it turned out it was something like that. ¡®Well, if a rose war would start in the capital, it would be a waste of money.¡¯ The Emperor seemed to want Dietrich to be in trouble, but he shrugged his shoulders uncaring of his attitude. ¡°I don¡¯t like lies. Even more obvious lies such as that Hermann Euclid never used his abilities in the capital.¡± I felt guilty when he said he hated lies so I surreptitiously glanced at him. The Emperor gently waved her fan to hide her laughter. ¡°How does the Duke know that Hermann had used his abilities in the capital?¡± ¡°Your Majesty is not the only with ears in the capital.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine. Instead, there¡¯s one condition.¡± I reflexively hid behind Dietrich at the word condition. The Emperor was nowhere to be seen as I hid behind his wide back. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hand over that child in your hands, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Yes, I know you won¡¯t. The condition is¨C¡± The Emperor did not repeat the nonsense of asking for me. Soon, there was a rustling sound as if something was being pulled, and then it stopped. ¡°Ah, I forgot about her. Tell her to come in.¡± ¡®Huh? Who else is coming?¡¯ I poked my head out at the sound of the front door opening. The dazzling sunlight poured through the cracks of the open door. ¡°......Charlotte?¡± The woman, with her shiny silver hair tied up high, as if she had crushed the moon and sprinkled it over her head, stood next to the Emperor with dignified steps like that of a goddess. I suddenly wondered why Charlotte appeared here. ¡®Did the Saint have a relationship with the Emperor? Was that the setting?¡¯ The sun god was the state religion of the empire and the only god worshipped by Charlotte, if so it would only be natural. ¡°We meet again, Your Grace.¡± Charlotte smiled and asked for a handshake as if she was close to Dietrich. As he looked at the fine, white hand extended in front of him, he let out a small high. ¡°What the hell are you up to?¡± ¡°Up to? I just looked for a way to repay you for finding my wallet.¡± ¡°I told you there was no need for you to repay me.¡± ¡®Wallet?¡¯ Charlotte¡¯s lost wallet was definitely a keyword in the original. Because at their first meeting, Dietrich had helped her. ¡®But back then, Dietrich obviously didn¡¯t help her.¡¯ It was I, and not Dietrich, who helped Charlotte when she was in crisis in Saint-Dena. Were the twisted settings at that time restored to their original state while I was away? I peeled my eyes wide open and focused on the conversation between Charlotte and Dietrich. Recognizing that I was looking at her with surprised eyes like a rabbit, she looked back at me bursting out in laughter. ¡°You, I mean, we met again as well, Princess. Thank you for helping me back in Great Market. Although it¡¯s a pity that you took the necklace.¡± ¡°You say it like that when I bought it with money, miss.¡± [Anissa added the ¡°yo¡± for formal speech but there¡¯s no equivalent in English so I added ¡°miss.¡±] For some reason, Charlotte was treating me with respect, so I guess I have to do the same. She laughed softly and waved her hand in front of Dietrich again. When he didn¡¯t accept the handshake until the end, she withdrew her hand without any sign of being embarrassed. ¡°After that, I met the same man again and was in a difficult situation. Then the Duke saved me.¡± ¡®....Dietrich did?¡¯ I could hardly believe what she said. Because he was never someone who would go out of their way to help others. ¡®Is it the original¡¯s setup?¡¯ Because Dietrich and Charlotte would eventually become lovers. I nodded my head, feeling unpleasant for no reason. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. I came today to repay that day. I came to apologize in Hermann¡¯s stead who misunderstood what I said and caused chaos in the mansion.¡± It was unknown whether Hermann really misunderstood or whether Charlotte had conveyed the incident in a strange way. I watched her face intently and slowly blinked. ¡®No matter how I look at her, she has a good aura.¡¯ Charlotte¡¯s pure white aura with a tinge of blue was so clean that it would safe to say it was perfect. Like a person who has never harbored any malice her entire life. She smiled gracefully and friendly crossed her arms with the Emperor. ¡°In return, I worked hard to persuade Her Majesty. I preached how worthy the Duke is to be the Grand Duke of Lagrange and how he has the right to the title.¡± The Emperor responded with a proud smile as if Charlotte was her own daughter. ¡°That¡¯s right. I was greatly persuaded by Charl¡¯s words. I thought the Duke was too young to lead the Grand Duchy.¡± ¡®Lies. It¡¯s because the Northern army is large and powerful and you¡¯re afraid of the power of the shadows.¡¯ I didn¡¯t know why Dietrich needed Charlotte¡¯s persuasion and the Emperor¡¯s approval to become the Grand Duke, but when she said she helped, I nodded my head begrudgingly. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, instead I have a favor to ask Her Majesty and His Grace.¡± Was there nothing free in this world? I was extremely suspicious of her intention, but I made an effort to smile at Charlotte¡¯s good and clean aura. ¡®All right. Anyway, she¡¯s the female protagonist. She¡¯s not a bad person.¡¯ ¡°The Northerners don¡¯t believe in Hera, do they? It¡¯s because there are many people who worship the devil.¡± They didn¡¯t particularly worship it. Unlike the sun god, who didn¡¯t show itself unless a priest with strong divine power appears, the shadow demons often appear out of nowhere for no reason. For the Northerners, the shadow demons were a force that exists in reality. Some people were eaten when repairing a dam or when great power was needed. As my expression hardened with hostility, Charlotte, who was looking alternately between Dietrich and me, added with an apologetic expression. ¡°Oh, of course, I don¡¯t mean to criticize their ignorance. Benevolent Hera loves the lost lambs.¡± ¡°Of course, of course. Hera is a merciful god. That¡¯s why she loves the righteous Euclids.¡± The Emperor nodded her head eagerly as if she sympathized with Charlotte¡¯s words. ¡®The phrase ¡®Euclid¡¯s marionette¡¯ wasn¡¯t wrong.¡¯ It seemed that they had a great reputation as the family believed to be loved by the only God in the Empire. I laughed silently at the Emperor¡¯s words and waited for Charlotte¡¯s next words. However, the Emperor opened her lips first. ¡°Yes, anyway, for that reason, Charl wants to do missionary work in the North.¡± ¡°What?¡± At the Emperor¡¯s declaration, Dietrich burst into laughter. Like he couldn¡¯t believe it even after hearing with his own ears. ¡°Are you crazy? Or do you want to insult me?¡± Charlotte approached as if protecting the Emperor in front of Dietrich, who frowned as if displeased. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to insult you. Please don¡¯t misunderstand the Emperor¡¯s words. I will never do anything that crosses the line. I have no intention of forcing my belief unto people.¡± [1] ¡°There¡¯s no need for the sun in the northern wilderness.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to be approved as the Grand Duke?¡± At Charlotte¡¯s question, Baal muttered inappropriate words such as ¡®Oh, God.¡¯ and felt his forehead. He was melting slowly in her divine energy. ¡°Please accept me as Lagrange¡¯s guest. That is the condition Her Majesty has made.¡± T/N: [1] I have no intention of forcing my belief** unto people. ???? - Solisism/Solipsism; I¡¯m not quite sure what this is, maybe religion? Two words come up - solecism and solipsism. I¡¯m still not sure what Charlotte meant here, but I took the most ¡®logical¡¯ which is solipsism. Basically, a really self-centered idea (?) Solipsism is the philosophical idea that only one''s mind is sure to exist. As an epistemological position, solipsism holds that knowledge of anything outside one''s own mind is unsure; the external world and other minds cannot be known and might not exist outside the mind. Wikipedia. CH 81 A chilly silence settled. I looked alternately between Dietrich, who had a displeased expression as though he¡¯s about to pull out a sword, and Charlotte, who was staring at him, not understanding his displeasure. "Why are you angry? Northerners also have the freedom of religion promised by the Valliere Imperial family." "Freedom of religion, you say. It would be nice if the cold won¡¯t freeze you in the North." "I''m surprisingly strong. Don''t worry." Charlotte blinked her eyes beautifully and beamed. ¡®No, I think he¡¯s more upset than worried.¡¯ I rolled my eyes at Charlotte¡¯s optimistic response and peeked at Dietrich¡¯s hardened face. From his shoes, it was definitely something to feel insulted about. First, they painted Lagrange as the villains in order to suppress the shadow demons, and now they¡¯ll send a priestess that believes in the sun god. ¡®But is it alright for the main characters leading the romance to be responsible for such a bloody atmosphere?¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t be strange if a fight broke out right now. If I left it alone, I feel like he would cause trouble in front of the emperor again, so I forced my head to stick in between them. ¡°Do we just need to invite Charlotte to Lagrange¡¯s Castle?¡± ¡°No. The Lagrange guest I want is one with a guaranteed status that will allow me to officially stay in the North. Do you not know the royal guest system, Princess?¡± I scratched my chin and lowered my head at the words of Charlotte, who looked back at me in surprise with her eyes wide open. ¡®I think I really need a tutor to be educated.¡¯ I was too busy surviving that I only studied about Eredia, so I lack the general knowledge about the Empire. My face flushed as I felt a little embarrassed and gave her a light smile. ¡°Y-Yes. Of course, I¡¯ve heard of it. So, you want to be an official guest of Lagrange, right?¡± "Yes. If the Duke allows me to stay. There are only a few Solists1 in the North. I want to take care of those who are being persecuted." ¡®There are people in the North who believe in the sun god?¡¯ I tilted my head at Charlotte¡¯s words.. It would be a relief if I didn¡¯t hear someone make a ruckus roaring ¡®how dare you preach about a cunning Southern god!¡¯ ¡°In any case, if we accept Charlotte as a guest, will you officially grant the title of the grand duke?¡± ¡°Yes. I swear in the name of Valliere.¡± At my question, the Emperor came forward and nodded. Seeing that, I grabbed Dietrich¡¯s hand and leaned in to whisper. ¡°Let¡¯s just say yes for now, okay? So that your workload won¡¯t increase.¡± It¡¯s obvious that the Valliere Imperial family and the Euclids were already in cahoots. No matter how powerful the forces of Lagrange were, scratching them now would only lead to an early demise. ¡°Are you really going to wage war? You won¡¯t, right?¡± At my urging, Dietrich slowly nodded his head in reluctance. Even though he was in front of the Emperor, he proudly crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. ¡°All right. However.¡± ¡°However?¡± ¡°Stay out of my sight.¡± Dietrich¡¯s cold words were familiar, as though I¡¯ve heard of them somewhere. ¡®I think that line came up in the Rose Wars of Men.¡¯ Charlotte and Dietrich did not fall in love with each other at first sight. Their love was more like a drizzling rain that slowly wets your clothes over time. ¡®It started with dislike, but in the end, they couldn¡¯t take their eyes off each other.¡¯ I smiled, wondering when that dry relationship would turn pink. As if he found my expression unpleasant, Dietrich pressed his fingertip on my forehead. ¡°Why are you smiling?¡± "It''s nothing. I''ll have to ask the butler to arrange the room where the saint will be staying." ¡°Thank you, Princess.¡± I didn¡¯t think being an official guest of Lagrange would simply mean visiting the estate. Charlotte smiled at me to confirm that I understood her point. Charlotte took a gentle step and came close to us. Seeing her up close, she already had a brown suitcase in hand. ¡®You must¡¯ve really planned your stay.¡¯ It was as though she had packed her belongings certain that Dietrich would welcome her as a guest. Gently swaying her suitcase, she smiled like a golden flower blooming in the spring. ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care. ¡± She lowered her head, lifting the hem of her modest white dress. Her silver tresses, which looked like a fine gift, were displayed in front of me. ¡°I will greet you formally. My name is Charlotte Vallandia. A saint of Vallandia and a faithful servant of the sun god Hera.¡± Anyone could see that it was a perfect greeting full of elegance. I didn¡¯t really doubt that she had any ulterior motive. Because I could see her aura. However, Dietrich didn¡¯t hide his suspicions of her intentions. Charlotte watched his unfriendly back silently as he went to the second floor of the mansion without accepting her greetings. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Due to the fact that Charlotte stayed in the capital as a guest of Lagrange and thanks to the Emperor¡¯s favor was invited to the imperial ball, the invitation was extended to us as well. ¡°Her Majesty has asked that only the Princess should come. By the way, it seems that His Grace is not in the mansion.¡± ¡°He¡¯s in the office. Do you want me to take you there?¡± ¡°Oh, n-no! It¡¯s alright!¡± The emperor¡¯s messenger that came with the invitation, didn¡¯t hide his fear and reluctance of facing Dietrich. ¡°I¡¯m glad I was able to deliver it to the Princess instead.¡± He sighed as he said that to me, who didn¡¯t possess the sharp energy of a Lagrange. ¡°He¡¯s not that scary, my older brother.¡± ¡°I apologize for being rude. I was scared because his nickname from the battlefield has spread to ordinary people like me.¡± ¡®What in the world could his nickname on the battlefield be?¡¯ I stared blankly at the back of the messenger, who ran away after completing his work, and headed towards the office. ¡®I¡¯m sure he would dislike this kind of thing.¡¯ ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°The Imperial Ball will be held. Her Majesty has invited me to come.¡± ¡°Is that damn woman telling people to come and go as she pleased again?¡± As expected, Dietrich was not pleased with the Emperor¡¯s invitation. I let out a wry smile as I glanced at the unopened invitation that was crumpled and tossed in a corner. As if a lot of effort had been put into it, a scent of lilac was emanating from the envelope sprinkled with golden powder. ¡°If you dislike it so much, can¡¯t you just reject it?¡± Now that I''ve come all the way to the capital, I wanted to go to the ball that was famous for being fancy, but it wouldn''t be a comfortable place for Dietrich. At my careful question, he bit his lips, holding back his irritation. ¡°If I don¡¯t go, they¡¯re gonna go nuts again, I mean, make a fuss and call it treason or some other.¡± As he had been on the battlefield, Dietrich¡¯s words and actions felt a little rough. He scratched his chin and sighed. ¡°As expected, a kingdom¡­..¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I may have no choice but to build a kingdom and become independent.¡± Wasn¡¯t this why you¡¯re always accused of treason? I hastily looked around and shook my head at Dietrich¡¯s harsh words. ¡°Euclid is Lagrange¡¯s main enemy. Not the Valliere imperial family.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Even if I build a kingdom, they should be dealt with first.¡± I was sweating profusely at Dietrich''s expression, as if he was going to bring Hermann''s neck at any moment. ¡®No, I¡¯m telling you, please be careful of what you say and do.¡¯ If Valliere and Euclid worked together, in the end Dietrich would have no way to stand against them. Even if I tell him in advance that he would lose the war, he won¡¯t believe me. Knock knock. ¡°Your Grace, may I come in?¡± ¡°Should I open it? I think it¡¯s the butler.¡± Worried about the future of Lagrange, I approached the door. A soft, dark gray tailcoat was in the arm of the butler who entered the office. ¡°It¡¯s a gift from Her Majesty.¡± Dietrich frowned as he took the clothing that was devoid of wrinkles. I leaned in close to look at the luxurious tailcoat. ¡°She also sent one to the Princess. It should be ready in the dressing room by now.¡± How beautiful would a dress sent by the Emperor of the country be? ¡®That¡¯s right. You need to have something like this to make it fun going to the ball.¡¯ I entered the dressing room with high expectations. ¡°My Lady, look at the dress Her Majesty sent you!¡± They obviously ran away around the time Lagrange was turned inside out ,however, I didn¡¯t know when they came back but Vanessa and Natalia made a fuss, shuffling on their feet. ¡°When did you come back?¡± ¡°W-What do you mean ¡®come back¡¯? While the gateway succession is still in progress, it¡¯s the duty of the employees to temporarily leave Lagrange.¡± ¡°Hmm. Is that so?¡± ''I thought they were simply lacking in loyalty, but was there such a tradition?'' ¡°Anyway, please look at this dress, Princess. It¡¯s very pretty.¡± ¡°Is it so pretty for you to make a ruckus?¡± Vanessa and Natalia¡¯s mouth looked like they were ripped with their wide smiles, but I couldn¡¯t help but harden my expression at the displayed dress. The dress sent by the emperor was indeed beautiful. The yellow satin boasted a smooth luster and sparkled, and the lace adorning the sleeves and hem even had pearls. ¡®However¡­¡­¡¯ Editor¡¯s Note: Solists - This appeared in the previous chapter, too. I think we can use this term referring to believers of the sun god. Sol means sun in Latin and written as ? in Korean romanized as ¡®sol¡¯. [New word not in the dictionary. Nice.] **BCK uses the term Solicism to refer to the sun god¡¯s religion. CH 82 ¡°This is obviously a dress for a child.¡± For the aristocrat¡¯s fashion, some rules were as strict as etiquette and the trend was always changing. As soon as Marilyn stepped into the capital, I sat myself down and recalled the plot of the picture book. ¡®It¡¯s probably because Valliere¡¯s high society is so complex.¡¯ In the capital of Valliere, the imperial ball was such a big deal that it could be called a social arena. Depending on what kind of clothes I wear here in the capital, the noble¡¯s image of Lagrange might change. ¡°Where¡¯s Marilyn? Kindly call her.¡± ¡°Will you not wear this dress?¡± ¡°No. That would be rude to Her Majesty. But it needs to be modified.¡± ¡°What? Why? Don¡¯t you think you will look good in that dress?¡± I sighed as I glanced at Vanessa who was tilting her head as if puzzled. Vanessa and Tally were commoners in the poor regions even in the North. Therefore, she wasn''t as familiar with social etiquette any more than I was. ¡°I¡¯m already thirteen years old, and I can¡¯t appear wearing this kind of clothing. The young ladies from other families are already at the age of making their debut.¡± Now that spring has come, the time to be treated as a child has passed. Some nobles are already engaged at this age. ¡°However, your frame is small. Unless it¡¯s a custom-made dress, a ready-to-wear one won¡¯t fit.¡± ¡°Yes. Perhaps Her Majesty took that into consideration and sent it to you?¡± I sighed at the innocent remarks of the maids. ¡®¡¯More like she¡¯s trying to suppress the spirit of Lagrange.¡¯ The Emperor¡¯s actions of treating me like a child and sending me clothes to wear for the ball must not have been just out of goodwill. ¡®She¡¯s warning us that we¡¯re just children.¡¯ ¡°No. If I wear it, I¡¯ll be a laughing stock, and if I don¡¯t, they¡¯ll find fault with it.¡± ¡°Please try it on for now. I will bring Miss Marilyn.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll have to try it on first to see if it can be modified.¡¯ I spread out my arms and wore the dress with the help of Tally. It¡¯s a little embarrassing that clothes made for young noble girls fit perfectly. ¡®I¡¯ll have to work a little harder on my meal diet.¡¯ Hermann was tall, so I¡¯ll probably grow taller someday, too. ¡°It suits you very well, Princess. How can you be so cute and adorable?¡± I was embarrassed at Tally who was proudly looking at me like a child. The maid soon pulled out a new white bonnet to match with the dress. ¡°The dress that Miss Charlotte received was also beautiful, but the material of the Princess¡¯s dress seems to be better.¡± ¡°Did Charlotte get a dress, too?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡®It¡¯s probably not childish like mine.¡¯ She¡¯s an adult so it¡¯s only natural, but I frowned at the unpleasant feeling of the Emperor¡¯s discrimination. ¡°My Lady is a hundred times prettier than Charlotte. Please don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried. And don¡¯t tell obvious lies, Tally.¡± Tally opened her mouth to refute, but immediately shut them when I narrowed my eyes at her. ¡®Wait, if it¡¯s an imperial ball where Charlotte attends, then¡­¡­¡¯ ¡°Can I see the invitation list for today¡¯s Imperial Ball?¡± ¡°There is no list, but you can think that all nobles in the capital are coming. The ball held to welcome spring is grand.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What about the Euclids? Are people from the Euclid family coming?¡± ¡°Of course, they¡¯ll come. The Duke, the Duchess, and Young Master Hermann are close aides of Her Majesty.¡± I had thought that Hermann was attending, but to think the Duke and the Duchess were also coming. It seemed that I would finally meet the biological father and mother who abandoned Anissa. I bit my lips which trembled in fear. ¡®They won¡¯t recognize me, right?¡¯ It could be useless anxiety. Officially, the youngest daughter they abandoned was known to have died. But with a strange sense of uneasiness, I grabbed the ribbon of the bonnet that Vanessa had carefully tied. ¡®But it doesn¡¯t look bad.¡¯ I walked around in front of the mirror that occupied the entire wall of the dressing room. The design itself was very cute, and light yellow went well with my pink hair as if it was a match. I could understand why Tally was making a fuss saying that I looked like a doll. ¡°Oh my. You are so cute, Princess.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Miss Marilyn?¡± ¡°How dare the puppet Emperor covet our Princess and now she even sent a dress like this?¡± Marilyn, who just entered the room, approached me, muttering words of admiration and anger at the same time. Her aura sparkled, reflecting her mood. ¡®She likes my cute appearance, but she¡¯s still angry at the Emperor.¡¯ ¡°To what extent do we have to modify it so that it won¡¯t catch attention?¡± ¡°As long as we don¡¯t modify it completely, it should be fine. I don¡¯t expect you to wear this as it is.¡± ¡°Will you be able to fix it by this evening?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± As expected, our Marilyn¡¯s good at cooking, sewing, and there¡¯s nothing she couldn¡¯t do. I ran to Marilyn, smiling, and gave her a big hug. ¡°Marilyn is the really best.¡± ¡°Hoho. I also think you¡¯re the best, Princess.¡± Tally and Vanessa looked at Marilyn with envy. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Anissa, Is the dress you¡¯re wearing right now the one Her Majesty sent you?¡± Charlotte was clad in a purple dress that clung to her body showing off her beautiful appearance as a female lead. ¡®So you sent that kind of dress to Charlotte.¡¯ It¡¯s the same pearl motif, but her dress was rather old-fashioned than alluring. ¡®I guess that kind of design is popular in society right now.¡¯ I nodded my head in understanding. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°We chose the dress together but I don¡¯t remember it being that kind of design.¡± Just thinking of slapping that puzzled expression on Charlotte''s face made me smile widely. ¡®Remember Anissa, she means no ill will.¡¯ She was simply the female lead who lacked tact. I comforted myself and held my anger. ¡°So you chose my dress with Her Majesty? Thank you.¡± "Yes. I thought it would look good on you because you are so cute. It was Madame Lavaline''s dress. Of course, that outfit is cute, too." Charlotte hurriedly added the backstory, lest I misunderstand what she said. ¡®Being cute under the current circumstances would not be a compliment.¡¯ I didn''t want to show my dissatisfaction with the emperor to Charlotte, so I replied with a smile instead. While I laughed like a fool, Dietrich appeared. ¡°Oh my.¡± I saw Charlotte¡¯s mouth become round when she saw Dietrich. Until yesterday, she was pouting, saying he was a rude duke but now her cheeks had turned red. ¡®Well, of course, it¡¯s because he¡¯s handsome.¡¯ The male lead in the original was Hermann, but Dietrich was the main focus in the romance aspect. I was sure that the reason was because of that beautiful appearance. ¡°You look good in that tailcoat that I chose.¡± Charlotte muttered quietly in a proud voice. The dark curls and black eyes tinged with red aura, which couldn¡¯t be seen properly when buried in shadows, were far from sparkling, but how gorgeous they look. As she said, Dietrich looked like a noble, born and raised in the capital, simply by wearing a dark gray tailcoat. ¡°Good evening, Duke.¡± Charlotte reached out her white and fine hands to him as if it was a given. He looked at her hand in front of him for a moment, but Dietrich reached out to me. ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°Huh? Me?¡± Usually, my escort should be someone around my age. Dietrich and Charlotte were eighteen years old, and they were the protagonists of the future romance that would develop. ¡°Yes, you.¡± However, Dietrich reached out to me, who was smaller than him. I hesitated and looked at Charlotte¡¯s face flushed in embarrassment and linked my arms to Dietrich. ¡°Won¡¯t we paint a weird picture because of our height differences?¡± ¡°You should grow up fast.¡± ¡°Dietrich is just too tall for an 18-year-old.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t cut off my legs.¡± Who told you to cut off your legs to match the height difference? I climbed into the carriage and my eyebrows knitted at Dietrich¡¯s harsh words, whose forehead was neatly and refreshingly exposed. Charlotte followed behind me in the carriage with a smile on her face as though she wasn¡¯t offended. ¡°It¡¯s your first time in Valliere, isn¡¯t that right, Princess? Let me tell you a few things to be careful about.¡± ¡®Yeah, as expected, she¡¯s nice.¡± I nodded and smiled at Charlotte, who pointed out certain people to pay attention to. ¡®She¡¯s bad at reading the room. I guess that¡¯s why her aura is white.¡¯ Marilyn has a beautiful personality that was comparable to my standard of an angel, but her aura was not as pure as Charlotte¡¯s. Perhaps Charlotte had never hated or been jealous of anyone in her entire life. "Oh! Marquis Deus was just in the capital, so I heard he was coming today. Be careful." ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Hmmm. You¡¯ll know when you meet him, Anissa. He doesn¡¯t give off a good vibe. He¡¯s someone who would meddle in another country¡¯s war.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you for letting me know.¡± Charlotte smiled beautifully after hearing my thanks. Even I, who didn¡¯t have such a good feeling toward her, would fall in love with that smile, so my mind went blank for a moment. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. You can adapt well.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never received etiquette lessons.¡± ¡°Oh my. I-It¡¯s because Anissa is a Northerner.¡± Charlotte murmured as if she understood, and nodded her head. What the hell do the people in the capital and southerners think of northerners? ¡°No, it¡¯s just me that didn¡¯t learn it. Dietrich¡¯s etiquette is perfect.¡± ¡°His Grace seems to be a special case. He¡¯s a bit different.¡± I bit my lip for a moment at Charlotte¡¯s excited voice. It¡¯s natural that she, the female lead, liked Dietrich. But why was I feeling upset? CH 83 The place we arrived at was an annex palace with a beautiful red curved roof where the Imperial Ball was held. It sparkled under the light as it was surrounded by gold. ¡®As expected, no one can match this splendor.¡¯ Although the Lagrange family was far from frugal, it was also far from luxury and pleasure, and even the most beautifully decorated Nature was plain compared to the imperial palace. ¡°His Grace, Duke Lagrange is entering!¡± The servant announced Dietrich¡¯s appearance in a loud voice. It wasn¡¯t officially approved yet but it seemed to be a small token of the Emperor¡¯s sincerity. ¡°With Lady Anissa and Miss Charlotte of Vallandia.¡± [1] Charlotte was one of the women who drew public attention. She smiled gracefully as if she was familiar with the crowd¡¯s admiration and linked her arms with Dietrich¡¯s other arm. ¡°Miss Charlotte, were you acquainted with His Grace, Duke Lagrange?¡± ¡°Yes. I have received an invitation as a royal guest and I owe him a great debt of gratitude.¡± ¡°Oh my! Royal quest!¡± No matter how much I thought about it, it wouldn¡¯t look good to see Charlotte and me clinging to Dietrich at the same time. I slipped back and observed the crowd forming around Charlotte. ¡°To think you¡¯re a Lagrange royal guest! Then, doesn¡¯t this mean that Charl is the first guest to receive an invitation from the North?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When Charlotte bashfully nodded her head, the women, with their fans spread wide, opened their mouths and exclaimed ¡®oh my, oh my¡¯ and the like. ¡®Being a royal guest must have meant a lot more than I thought.¡¯ ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re invited into such a closed family. As expected of you, Charlotte.¡± ¡°I guess that rumor is true, too. I heard that there was a prophecy from the temple that you would become the savior of the North.¡± ¡®What? People already know about the prophecy?¡¯ I strained my ears to infer about their relationship through people¡¯s conversations. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re a man, you can¡¯t refuse a young woman like Charlotte. The young Duke of Lagrange deserves to lose his reason.¡± I was brought back to my senses by the strange smile of a middle-aged woman whose hair was tied up elegantly. She had a secretive aura as if Charlotte and Dietrich were connected in some kind of relationship and she was the only one who noticed that fact. ¡°I see that spring is finally coming to the North.¡± I was finally certain at the woman¡¯s next words. There was definitely a scene like this in ¡®The Rose Wars of Men.¡¯ Charlotte and Dietrich were treated as lovers by the people even before they fell in love. ¡®Why did I forget about that?¡¯ Because Charlotte was the first guest welcomed by the North that welcomed no one. Even the Northerners warmly embraced her. There must have been fantasies of an innocent woman melting the frozen heart of the grand duke. ¡°Oh my. Who is the girl that Charlotte brought?¡± It was then that the woman stopped talking when she saw me looking around a little farther away from Charlotte and approached me. I grabbed the hem of the yellow dress that Marilyn worked hard to mend and greeted her as I have learned. ¡°Hello. I am Anissa Lagrange.¡± ¡°Hmm? What a surprise. The grand duke¡¯s siblings have never appeared in the capital¡¯s high society up until now.¡± ¡®Well, that¡¯s because, after the successor game, all of them are either dead or had become half-disabled.¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to explain Lagrange¡¯s grim history, so I smiled beautifully as if I knew nothing. ¡°My name is Rosalind. The sister of Maquis Deus.¡± ¡®If it¡¯s Marquis Deus, isn¡¯t that the person Charlotte told me to be careful of?¡¯ Surprised by the woman¡¯s introduction, I took a glance at her aura but I didn¡¯t feel any malice. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m quite nervous as this is my first ball.¡± ¡°Does the North not hold any banquets?¡± Derek held banquets occasionally and Dietrich seemed to have been invited every time, but Lagrange¡¯s banquets never felt like the imperial ball. ¡°Uhm¡­it does. But it¡¯s unlike this imperial ball.¡± Could we really call a banquet a banquet when every time one was held someone was either poisoned or have been stabbed by a knife? ¡®Wouldn¡¯t it be a bloody banquet?¡¯ When I glanced awkwardly at the sides, Marquis Deus¡¯ sister smiled as if she found me cute. ¡°His grace seemed to have gone up to greet Her Majesty, so why don¡¯t you spend some time with us, young lady?¡± ¡°Would that be all right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I approached the sofa on the right side of the hall, led by the madam. As if she was to become the center of the social circle, Charlotte was already sitting in the center of the sofa and receiving a lot of attention from the people. ¡°--so, in order to repay His Grace¡¯s kindness, I plan to go down to the North and spread Hera¡¯s teachings.¡± ¡°I heard that there are a lot of barbarians in the North. Will you be all right with that slender body?¡± ¡°Yes. His Grace is a kind person.¡± ¡°Charl is the one who will save the North after all. How can he not be kind to you.¡± I laughed lightly because I was dumbfounded by their conversation. When Charlotte found me, she waved her white hand and beckoned to me. ¡°Anissa, please come here.¡± ¡°Hm? Who is it?¡± ¡°Everyone, this is Lady Anissa. Duke Lagrange¡¯s one and only younger sister.¡± There were a little over ten people gathered on the sofa. I was a little terrified being among men and women with insanely inflated hair as if reaching the ceiling was their only goal. ¡®It¡¯s hard to breathe¡­¡¯ Desire. Rather than the desire for power that Derek used to reveal transparently, this was a little more furtive, a sticky lump of ambitions overflowing in front of me like wastewater. ¡°Is this the child that Charl is taking care of?¡± Among them, the woman with the deepest aura of desire suddenly approached me. ¡°He¨CHello.¡± ¡°Ha? Did you just look at me and frowned as if I smell? What kind of disrespect is this?¡± As the woman stepped back as if avoiding me, she looked at me like she found me unpleasant and twisted her red lips and laughed. Soon, she snorted and turned around. ¡°Ha! You don¡¯t even get a single crop and would have starved to death without the help of the South yet you dare ignore me?¡± However, Lagrange was leading the shadow demons of the entire continent in return. I was offended by her words that my eyebrows knitted. ¡°It¡¯s not that¨C¡± ¡°Ahem. Charl too, really, what is she going to do to save the North, which is filled with ill-mannered children like this?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± At the sudden commotion, Charlotte got up from her seat with a puzzled expression. ¡°Anissa, what¡¯s going on?¡± She bowed her head with an embarrassed face as if my actions were her responsibility. ¡°Everyone, I apologize. Anissa has just come from the North so she¡¯s not familiar with the social world. She didn¡¯t mean anything bad. I ask for your understanding.¡± However, it was me who endured the woman¡¯s insulting remarks. ¡®Northern bastard here and there.¡¯ I struggled to contain my dizziness and bit my lips tightly. ¡°Anissa, you have to say your greetings.¡± ¡°Hello. I am Anissa Lagrange.¡± I tried my best to say my greetings at Charlotte¡¯s prompt, but I was so distracted that I forgot to greet by hand, which was one of the imperial court¡¯s etiquette. I heard a crowd of people sneering at my greetings. ¡®Ah, I should have studied a bit more.¡¯ If Veronica had come instead of me, she would have made a spectacular appearance. ¡°Since Charlotte had asked us, we¡¯ll have to be understanding, I guess.¡± ¡°Yes. The lady is still young and unfamiliar with the social world, so it seems she made an immature mistake.¡± In response to Charlotte¡¯s words, the people suddenly faked a benevolent smile. However, the aura filled with desire was still there so I faltered back to get away as far as possible from Charlotte¡¯s party. ¡°As expected of Lady Charlotte, she even apologizes for the mistake of a young lady she doesn¡¯t know well.¡± [2] ¡°Charl is really the savior of the North.¡± ¡®I¡¯m not thankful at all, you know.¡¯ I was dumbfounded by the words of the woman wearing pearl earrings and snorted inwardly. ¡°Will Charl be called Lady Lagrange one day?¡± ¡°Oh my! Right now the position of Lady Lagrange belongs to Anissa! Please don¡¯t say that.¡± Charlotte blushed as she waved her hand at the words of a man who looked like a peacock dressed in a colorful costume. I moistened my dry lips at the sight. ¡°Heavens. What do you mean lady? A lady, unlike someone, would not forget the hand greeting.¡± I didn¡¯t want to hear the nobles snickering anymore. I kept getting nauseous so I stepped back without responding properly. Madam Deus placed her hand on my staggering shoulder. ¡°Are you okay? I think you¡¯re unwell.¡± ¡°How do I get outside?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you.¡± Vallandia was a sanctuary located at the southern end of the continent, so it was only natural that Charlotte¡¯s acquaintances were southerners. I became a little sad because the social circle of the capital seemed to be centered on them. ¡®I¡¯d rather be a northern child who uses the word southerner as an insult.¡¯ How could you slander someone just for saying hello the wrong way? Some gave a reproachful glance at the nobles who spoke rudely at me, but no one stood up to stop them. I left my seat almost hanging on Rosalind¡¯s shoulder. As I passed through the brightly opened glass door and went out to the balcony, my mind was cleared by the wind that still embraced the chill of winter. ¡°Sister, where were you?¡± Rosalind, who took me to the balcony, was about to turn and leave when someone entered and closed the door. ¡°Ah. You had company.¡± It was a face I¡¯d never seen before but it was definitely a familiar aura. I pointed my fingers at him, who was a complete stranger and opened my mouth, puzzled. ¡°Damon?¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ T/N: [1] Anissa is called Lady in English written in Korean but Charlotte is addressed as Young-ae or Lady/Miss in Korean. So I chose Miss as her title since she¡¯s not really of noble blood. (Correct me if I¡¯m wrong.) [2] Charlotte is suddenly addressed as Lady in English here. CH 84 At the name I whispered, both the man and Rosalind looked back at me, startled. The man stared at me, stroking his handsome lips. ¡°Do you know me?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Obviously, he was definitely a different person just by looking at his face. Under the pale moonlight, the silver hair tinged with blue was familiar to my eyes but the facial features were different. He did not have the face of ¡®Damon¡¯ who was Derek¡¯s escort in Lagrange. ¡®But¡­¡¯ His aura was too similar. Each person has their own aura, so even people with similar dispositions showed slightly different auras. ¡®I¡¯ve never seen anyone with similar auras like this.¡¯ ¡°I am Damon Deus. In the capital, I am in charge of the empire¡¯s department of the treasury.¡± ¡®Please beware of Marquis Deus.¡¯ Charlotte¡¯s request suddenly came to my mind at the man¡¯s introduction. She said I would be able to tell just by looking at him but his aura wasn¡¯t as sordid as she made out her warning to be. ¡®On the contrary, it could be said that it was beautiful as it was a soft aura like the moonlight.¡¯ ¡°What about you, my lady?¡± ¡°Oh. I¡¯m Anissa Lagrange. I must have mistaken you for someone else.¡± If he was really Lagrange¡¯s Damon, there¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t have known me. I greeted the man who raised his eyes towards me as if seeing me for the first time. ¡°You must be Grand Duke Lagrange¡¯s younger sister.¡± ¡°Yes. But you really are a lot like a knight that I know.¡± ¡°Do you mean I¡¯m like a Northerner?¡± People in the south and the capital don¡¯t like Northerners. Thus, the words ¡®you¡¯re like a Notherner¡¯ could also be used as a kind of an insult. I bit my lip, wondering if the Marquis was offended by my question, but he was looking at me with clear eyes as if he had asked purely out of curiosity. ¡°Yes, however, your eyes are a little different.¡± ¡°That knight must have been very handsome.¡± ¡°....ah, well, haha.¡± I was struck surprised by the Marquis¡¯ shameless remark that I laughed out loud, then nodded remembering Damon¡¯s neat appearance. Damon of Lagrange was such a handsome man that it could be suspected he was playing a lead role. The same could be said about the Marquis in front of my eyes. ¡°Yes, he was a very handsome knight. I was sad that he suddenly disappeared. I¡¯m sorry if I was rude.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Due to the dark surroundings, the marquis¡¯ pale brown eyes looked a little darker when he blinked, and then he reached out to his sister. ¡°Sister, I have something to say.¡± ¡°Hm. I¡¯m sorry. Could you excuse us for a moment?¡± I nodded my head slightly at Rosalind¡¯s request. The cold wind had cleared my senses. ¡®I have a title of a princess so it wouldn¡¯t do if I can¡¯t adapt in the social world.¡¯ I cleared my throat remembering Charlotte¡¯s elegant posture, speech, and behavior. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave first, Rosalind.¡± Whether she heard my greeting or not, Rosalind tilted her head and whispered to the marquis. The sweet atmosphere, as if whispering sweet nothing to each other, was peculiar that they didn¡¯t look like siblings at all. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Click. At the sound of Anissa opening the door and leaving, Damon glanced at her empty seat and scratched his chin. ¡°You didn¡¯t get caught, did you?¡± Looking at his slightly troubled face, Rosalind burst into laughter as if she was having fun. ¡°Very few can recognize my camouflage magic. Unless one was a very high-ranking archmage, it isn¡¯t possible to see through my magic.¡± However, the energy that was felt emanating from Anissa was far from the magnanimity of such a powerful mage. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not because she¡¯s too powerful of a mage that even you can¡¯t feel that energy?¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking down on me too much.¡± In fact, Damon was the owner of a few magic towers on the continent and a recognized magician. As if he was offended, he knitted his eyebrows and glowered at his colleague who was playing the role of his sister ¨C Rosalind Dunafard. ¡°What¡¯s your reason for getting close to Anissa Lagrange? It doesn¡¯t have anything to do with the mission.¡± ¡°Getting close to her? She looked like an abandoned child so I was only taking care of her. Ah right, damn southerners and their disdain for northerners.¡± Damon¡¯s magic tower was located at the tip of the southern continent. However, he only shrugged his shoulder at the remarks of Rosalind disparaging his hometown. ¡°Don¡¯t they also despise us because they¡¯re Northerners? It¡¯s just circumstantial evidence of a dying empire.¡± ¡°What did Faber say? He must have already collected enough information about the North and the capital.¡± The mages, alchemists, and Faber who belonged to the association of scholars, were among the earliest intellects to gather evidence that the empire was crumbling. Damon took out the document that Faber sent through a spy out of his pocket. ¡°All we¡¯re aiming is the whole capital of Valliere. Even for magicians, suppressing the powers of the shadow demons is beyond our capabilities.¡± Damon unconsciously laughed at Rosalind¡¯s words as she spoke, moistening her pretty lips with wine. ¡°Even magicians are incapable, you say¡­¡± ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± ¡°Controlling the demons is beyond anyone¡¯s capabilities. If not, why would Lagrange¡¯s succession method be like that?¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? Did you get attached after playing a role of a knight in Lagrange?¡± Rosalind handed Damon the wine she was drinking and clung to him. The moist, glowing skin under the moonlight was seductive, but Damon only pushed her chin away with an expressionless face. ¡°I¡¯m not even attached to you who has been playing the role of my sister for more than a decade.¡± ¡°Well then. Anyway, this is why you¡¯re unlucky.¡± Rosalind turned toward the balcony, clicking her tongue as if she was fed up with Damon. A chilly wind swept between the two. She suddenly thought of the little girl who didn¡¯t even reach the height of her chest. ¡°What¡¯s the identity of Anissa Lagrange?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the younger sister of the Grand Duke of Lagrange.¡± ¡°No. She didn¡¯t emanate the energy of the North, did she? There¡¯s no way a magician like you wouldn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just your prejudice. There are plenty of people with warm energy even in the North.¡± ¡°....... Is that so?¡± At Damon¡¯s firm tone, Rosalind tilted her head as if confused. ¡°Why were you looking for me?¡± ¡°It seems that Marguerite II is planning to send Charlotte Vallandia to the North.¡± ¡°Because that Saint is the savior of the North?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s something I don¡¯t know. Is she really salvation or doom?¡± Damon, who muttered meaningfully, reappeared in the hall, leaving behind Rosalind who was busy reading the document. ¡°My lord, where were you?¡± [1] A young woman, whose name he couldn¡¯t remember, approached him with a smile. Next to her was a knight standing absent-mindedly and introduced him as her fiance. ¡°I was about to introduce my fiance. This is Bohumil, the head of the Knight¡¯s Order under Her Majesty.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you for your hard work.¡± At Damon¡¯s words, Bohumil and his fiancee¡¯s eyes widened. The title of a young and handsome noble has always been popular in society. For that reason, they were always arrogant. Damon¡¯s polite greeting made Bohumil feel restless and he waved his hands. ¡°I¡¯m not that great of a person for you to bow your head to, my lord.¡± ¡°Not at all. Anytime and anywhere, Her majesty¡¯s safety must be our top priority.¡± ¡°Really, you are part of the great nobles and yet you¡¯re different.¡± Damon secretly creased his forehead and opened his ears to listen to the woman. She continued, not shutting her mouth, perhaps thinking that he agreed with her. ¡°What¡¯s with the Grand Duke of the North ignoring us even though we expressed our greetings?¡± He was a person who could do that. Damon nodded briefly, remembering the stoic Dietrich. ¡°The younger sister is also quite shameless. I heard she stole Miss Charlotte¡¯s necklace and she even followed her around the ball acting proudly!¡± ¡®Necklace?¡¯ The territory of the Grand Duchy of Lagrange was so barren that crops could not grow, but they were never poor due to the large mines in the mountains. For what reason would the princess of the grand duchy steal other people¡¯s necklaces? ¡°And what about the princess?¡± ¡°Well, we don¡¯t know. I heard that northerners like to commit crimes for no reason, I guess that must be true. Although it doesn¡¯t look like that.¡± ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because we heard that Miss Charlotte was crying!¡± Damon sighed lightly and shook his head. Whatever Charlotte did, she quickly won over the hearts of people. He saw Anissa at the end of his vision. As if she didn¡¯t pay attention to the people who kept glancing at her, she swallowed her saliva as she loitered around a table prepared with finger foods. ¡°Goodness! It looks like she¡¯s going to eat that food now.¡± The finger foods were prepared to satisfy one¡¯s hunger after a dance. When Anissa, who was unaware of that fact, reached out to the canape, an appalled middle-aged madam approached her. ¡°Lady Anissa! It is customary to eat this food after dancing.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ T/N: [1] Marquis/Marquess/Marchioness and below are addressed as My Lord/My Lady. CH 85 I had followed Rosalind to the balcony and had come back but not one person had said a word to me. Most people kept giving me an evil leer so I began to wander around the hall feeling embarrassed. ¡®Where did Dietrich go?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t see Dietrich or Charlotte anywhere. When the band started playing at a fast tempo that was popular these days, the people began to dance in groups. ¡®I have to go to the corner.¡¯ I¡¯d rather sit on the sofa prepared at the corner of the hall and rest but because of the people taking up the center space, I couldn¡¯t cross to the other side. The train of the dresses swaying in circles created a colorful ring on the floor. ¡®Why isn¡¯t anyone eating?¡¯ The tables set up everywhere were filled with mouth-watering finger foods. ¡°Uhmm¡­¡± The canapes were topped with smoked salmon along with cheese on crackers and the fruits were generously glazed with dried chocolate showing off their luster under the glamorous chandelier. ¡®I can just eat them then.¡¯ I picked up a canape, guessing that it was set up to be eaten, however, a middle-aged woman who had kept glancing at me approached and started yelling at me. ¡°Lady Anissa! It is customary to eat the finger food prepared after dancing. The first dance hasn¡¯t even ended yet!¡± Her fierce look was enough to kill any thoughts of eating. She reminded me of a strict teacher that I quickly chewed and swallowed the canape I placed in my mouth. ¡°A person is talking right now and yet you¡¯re eating food?¡± ¡®I mean, I¡¯ve already put them in my mouth, so what should have I done?¡¯ I hurriedly opened my mouth to utter an excuse. ¡°Ah. I see. So that was why nobody was eating them. I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Goodness. Does the Princess of the Grand Duchy not even know this basic common sense? You can¡¯t even be called a lady.¡± I pouted my lips at the biting expression on the woman¡¯s face. It was because she reminded me of my long-ago memories. ¡®You¡¯re a girl, so why are you like this?¡¯ She had similar eyes to my mother, who belittled me who was clumsy in every way, compared to my older sister who was obedient and gentle in words and actions. I felt a little bitter as bits of the finger food fell from the prepared table. Then she raised her voice again in a debilitating manner. ¡°Princess!¡± ¡°......Yes?¡± ¡°Even if you are the younger sister of Grand Duke Lagrange, I am still Countess Hilbert, the older sister of Duchess Dona Euclid.¡± I didn¡¯t even know where in the world the Hilbert territory was located. ¡®I think it was mentioned briefly in ¡®The Rose Wars of Men.¡¯¡¯ However, judging from the woman¡¯s authority, she seemed to come from an influential family. I had no other choice but to keep silent and listen to her sudden burst of family pride. ¡°Is the young princess, who hasn¡¯t even made her debut yet, disregarding my words, who is a Countess?¡± ¡°Pardon? N-no, I¡¯m not disregarding¡ª¡± I hurriedly waved my hands to prevent things from escalating. I mean, why was she so angry when I¡¯ve kept my distance after she told me not to eat them? ¡®Marilyn¡¯s private lessons must have not been enough.¡¯ Although Marilyn was a noble, she came from a humble baronial family, moreover, she wasn¡¯t a noble from the capital. However, it seemed that the reason why this woman was attacking me was not only because I didn¡¯t know the etiquette. ¡°I heard you blackmailed Miss Charlotte Vallandia with the power of the grand duchy and took her necklace.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°You¡¯re correct, Countess Hilbert. I also heard about that incident.¡± The man standing on the right side of the woman agreed and nodded his head. Even if the story was twisted, how could it be twisted like this? I opened my mouth in astonishment but promptly closed it again. The woman¡¯s words, which gained support from the people around, started to get longer and longer. ¡°These Northerners! They could have just enjoyed themselves on their own, why do they have to come to the capital?¡± ¡®Do you think we came here because we wanted to?¡¯ It would be trouble if the emperor didn¡¯t acknowledge the succession of Lagrange on the pretext that I had talked back to the countess. ¡®Just only until we get approval for Dietrich to succeed the title.¡¯ I gritted my teeth and stared at the countess silently. ¡°Dorothea, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Amid the gathering of the crowd, a petite middle-aged woman approached the Countess. ¡®Ah¡­¡­¡¯ I forgot about the current situation and stared at her. No one told me who she was, but I recognized her at one glance. ¡®Didn¡¯t she say earlier that she was Duchess Dona Euclid¡¯s elder sister?¡¯ Even though I thought I had no feelings of spite towards her but still I felt a tingling sensation in my heart. Did my body remember that I was abandoned? I stared vacantly at my biological mother who couldn¡¯t recognize that I was ¡®Anissa¡¯ then bowed my head. ¡°Greetings. I am Anissa Lagrange. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Duchess Euclid.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± She hadn¡¯t changed much from what I remembered about her. The pale brown skin tone, the blue eyes like the summer sky, and the small, round face gave the impression of a maiden. ¡°I did hear from Charlotte. You helped her, didn¡¯t you?¡± Dona Euclid didn¡¯t show any hostility towards me contrary to my expectations. I looked at her with a good-natured countenance and bit my lips tightly. ¡°My sister seemed to have misunderstood Charl¡¯s story. Please don¡¯t mind it too much, Princess.¡± ¡°Dona, what are you saying? Charl definitely said so. That she lost the holy relic.¡± ¡°Yes, but she didn¡¯t say that this young lady blackmailed her.¡± ¡°Charl is very kind so would she actually tell the true story? It¡¯s obvious as this is what Lagrange¡¯s do.¡± Dorothea raised her upper lips and made invidious remarks like a person with close ties to the Euclid family. ¡°Princess, you should return Charl¡¯s necklace while I¡¯m being nice ¨C¡± ¡°What are you going to do if it isn¡¯t returned?¡± I wasn¡¯t the one who responded to the thorny threats made against me. I turned around, startled at the long shadow that fell over my head. ¡°D-Duke.¡± ¡°Your Grace.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I just came back from officially receiving the approval to succeed as the Grand Duke. Get my title right, Dorothea Hilbert.¡± Like me, Dietrich shouldn¡¯t have encountered a noble from the capital, however, he called her name and ordered her with one of his hands inside one of his pockets. Dorothea¡¯s face lost color in an instant. Dietrich wasn¡¯t even particularly threatening, but she looked back at her younger sister while trembling in fear.¡± ¡°Duke, I was just about to apologize for the mistake my younger sister has done to the princess.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to see one of your son¡¯s arms fly in the next round, don¡¯t interfere.¡± ¡°You insolent!¡± Dona Euclid, as if shocked by Dietrich¡¯s words, burst into forced laughter. He placed a hand on my shoulder completely ignoring her reaction. ¡°Countess, I remember telling you to finish your words.¡± ¡°The first one who made a mistake was your sister, isn¡¯t that right? Your Grace?¡± Dorothea cried as if she couldn¡¯t bear the situation wherein she had to use formal speech when speaking to Dietrich. ¡°Everyone already knows that Miss Charlotte¡¯s necklace was stolen.¡± ¡°Are we talking about that damn necklace again?¡± Dietrich ground his teeth in annoyance. ¡°That¡¯s right! Why are you northerners coveting the holy relic of the sun god Hera?¡± ¡®A holy relic that doesn¡¯t even look like a star, it¡¯d be better to throw it away.¡¯ I made up my mind to buy and sell any holy relics of Hera that I chanced upon. ¡°A necklace blessed by a southern god is akin to rubbish with no meaning in Lagrange.¡± ¡°If that is so, then why?¡± ¡°Annissa only helped Charlotte Vallandia who was in need.¡± Everyone was staggered at Dietrich¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s a lie, right?¡± ¡°To say that Lagrange helps others, isn¡¯t that ridiculous?¡± At this point, I was wondering if I was being bullied throughout the whole country. What¡¯s the point of having power and wealth? When people detest us this much. I got a little sad and tightly held Dietrich¡¯s hand who was standing beside me. He held my hand and squeezed, then he glanced at the other side. ¡°Charlotte Vallandia.¡± At the sudden call of her name, Charlotte, who stood a short distance from Dietrich, was startled and turned to look at us. It was as if she just came down from dancing, her flushed cheeks were lovely. ¡°....Oh, um? Are you calling me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You explain.¡± However, Dietrich¡¯s eyes looking at her were not only indifferent, but they were also chilly. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re angry at me.¡± She shrugged her shoulders with a slightly embarrassed smile. ¡®When will their romance start?¡¯ ¡°Aren¡¯t you the cause of this problem?¡± Dietrich pressed her again when she didn¡¯t answer. Perhaps feeling sorry for Charlotte being cornered, the people came to defend her. ¡°Why are you angry at Charlotte, Your Grace? She is the saint who will be the salvation of the North.¡± I was taken aback by the woman¡¯s words and glanced at Dietrich¡¯s countenance. For the desolate North meant Dietrich himself. ¡®It was also an opportunity for Dietrich to fall in love with Charl.¡¯ ¡°Salvation?¡± But he just smiled crookedly, finding it absurd. ¡°I don¡¯t need your salvation or whatever, so tell them whether Anissa really extorted your necklace or not, Vallandia.¡± In truth, I had never told Dietrich the details of how I came into possession of Charlotte¡¯s necklace. ¡®What if I did steal the necklace? What¡¯s the point of you doing that?¡¯ Without loosening the grip he had on my hand, he added. ¡°Anissa is not the kind of girl who would covet your necklace for no reason.¡± ¡°B-but¡­¡± At Dietrich¡¯s firm words, Charlotte hesitated and crammed her lips together. After a while, she finally opened her mouth. CH 86 At Dietrich¡¯s firm words, Charlotte hesitated and crammed her lips together. After a while, she finally opened her mouth. ¡°Huu. All right. Please don¡¯t stare at me so terrifyingly, Your Grace.¡± Just by smiling softly, Charlotte instantly pacified the intense atmosphere. ¡°It¡¯s probably my fault that people have misunderstood Anissa. I apologize.¡± She came up to me and stroked the back of my hand with an apologetic expression on her face. Her aura was genuinely sad that I impulsively nodded my head. ¡°I¡¯m not good with words and so this must have arisen from that.¡± Standing next to Dietrich, she placed her hand on his forearm and spoke calmly. It was a gentle movement like an iris swaying in the spring breeze. ¡°It¡¯s as His Grace said, everyone.¡± ¡°What¨Cwhat did you say?¡± ¡°Lady Anissa only extended her help to me. There was a conflict between me, who was trying to restore the honor of the sun god, and the merchant, who unlawfully acquired the holy relic.¡± ¡°Oh my goodness! To privately own a holy relic, I can¡¯t believe such senseless merchants still exist?¡± She had a strange power to completely hold influence over the crowd. Like an audience riveted on the theatre stage, people began to listen to her beautiful voice. ¡°Hmm.¡± I tilted my head to the side at their display of strangely extraordinary attention. ¡®I don¡¯t think Charlotte has the charisma to conquer the audience.¡¯ ¡°Yes. And as you all know, Lady Anissa paid the merchant for the holy relic.¡± ¡°Just as expected! The Northerners have corrupted the holy relic!¡± ¡°However, I hope everybody understands that it was done purely to help me without any ill intentions.¡± ¡°But¨C!¡± ¡®There must have been a law which stipulates that it should have not been done.¡¯ Judging by the roaring remarks that it was illegal, that must have indeed been a crime. I shrugged my shoulders as I recalled the purple amulet left neglected in the corner of the room. ¡®I didn¡¯t know it was such a precious thing.¡¯ ¡°Everyone.¡± Even with her explaining the situation, the people¡¯s eyes which were trained on me did not turn away, so Charlotte took a step forward and looked at the crowd. The people who caught her gaze trembled and bowed their heads. ¡°Hera is a benevolent goddess. I can¡¯t believe that people who believe in such a goddess would put such a strict standard on Lady Anissa who¡¯s still young.¡± ¡°N-no, it¡¯s not like that, Lady Charlotte. We are just doing it for your honor!¡± ¡°What honor does a humble priestess like me possess? I am just a lowly servant of Hera.¡± At Charlotte¡¯s admonishing tone, only then did the people shut their mouths. The people were showing signs of remorse in an instant that I wasn¡¯t able to hide my surprise. ¡®This could be done without using any drugs?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that the people who had approached me to vent their anger had settled down. I looked at Charlotte and let out a forced smile. ¡®You¡¯re manipulating people¡¯s aura right now.¡¯ Charlotte was definitely moving people¡¯s aura right now. She was doing it in a way that would be favorable to her, and forcefully at that. ¡®I knew there was an ability like this but¡­¡¯ I didn¡¯t expect it to be this powerful. Because she certainly didn¡¯t possess Eredia¡¯s ability. However, whatever she did, people¡¯s auras which were dyed red were gradually turning murky as if they were being scorched. ¡®I didn¡¯t know it was possible to demonstrate such an ability towards a large number of people.¡¯ Manipulating other people¡¯s minds and feelings was something I¡¯m considerably uncomfortable doing. But Charlotte was smiling brightly without an ounce of guilt. ¡°Lady Anissa, I guess I got a little excited.¡± The very first one who bowed her head to me was Dorothea. I could see her chew her lips behind her fan as if her pride had been greatly hurt. I accepted her apology with a serene smile. ¡°It¡¯s all right, Countess Hilbert. It¡¯s because I don¡¯t know the rules of high society.¡± ¡°Well, that is true. If you want, I can recommend a tutor for you.¡± Dorothea raised her eyebrows as if she hadn¡¯t expected my admittance. However, there was no need to be proud of it. It was the truth that I didn¡¯t know how to walk gracefully or laugh quietly in a picturesque manner as Charlotte did. ¡°Will you do that? I don¡¯t know anyone from the capital.¡± ¡°Of course. In acknowledgment of my apology, I will send to you a madam who is dear to me.¡± I grinned as I saw Dorothea¡¯s aura change subtly in a favorable direction. As the saying went, ¡®When in Rome, do as Romans do.¡¯ Having entered high society, I had to follow their ways to some extent. ¡®Since I am an outsider, it might have seemed to them that I was disregarding their ways.¡¯ My preparations were severely lacking. Dorothea and others approached as if they wanted to speak with me, but I didn¡¯t want to socialize anymore so I stepped back. Then, Dietrich pulled me and started marching away. ¡°Your Grace, are you leaving already?¡± A man who had taken a neutral stance stepped forward and stopped him. Dietrich didn¡¯t stop walking and took a glance at the man. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°What about the dance? There are so many young ladies waiting for you to ask them to dance.¡± They had cursed a lot with words such as ¡®northerners¡¯ and ¡®barbarians¡¯ but when Dietrich appeared they seemed to have been filled with avarice. ¡®I guess that¡¯s to be expected. He¡¯s a distinguished person after all.¡¯ I silently glanced at the women gathering behind the man like a swarm of bees, whispering to themselves. Charlotte, who was watching Dietrich leave, looked anxious as if she was about to cry. ¡®When did they get together like that?¡¯ ¡°I won¡¯t dance. Move.¡± He flung open the door to the banquet hall without greeting anyone, looking like a protagonist of the imperial ball. The servant, who was waiting to open the door, uttered a cry. ¡°Oh goodness! Your Grace! It is etiquette for me to open the door!¡± ¡°Etiquette, you say.¡± Damn etiquette. Even I felt that it was starting to get old. The bewildered servant nodded his head industriously and replied. ¡°Ye-yes! I will hold the door open so if you could move aside for a bit¨C¡± ¡°Shall I tell you an etiquette from the North?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Dietrich seized the door and muttered to the servant who stood like an idiot. ¡°In the North, it is customary not to talk to me. Shall I tell you what happens if you don¡¯t obey?¡± The servant nodded his head with a face that clearly didn¡¯t want to know. ¡°You die.¡± ¡°...I a-apologize. Have a safe trip, Your Grace.¡± Only then did the servant quickly remove himself from blocking Dietrich¡¯s path. The hand holding mine had such a tight grip that I couldn¡¯t even talk to him until we got on the carriage. ¡®Did he get in trouble because of me?¡¯ If I hadn¡¯t helped Charlotte in the first place, this problem wouldn¡¯t have occurred. Dietrich, reclining on the black sofa, looked extremely tired. I could only swallow my words and moisten my lips at the exhaustion weighing down on his face. ¡°Why are you being timid?¡± ¡°It¡¯s n-nothing like that.¡± ¡°Northern etiquette tells you not to lie to your family.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no etiquette like that. Don¡¯t make things up.¡± In the first place, Lagrange did not teach such extravagant virtues which were of no use when it came to survival. ¡®In order to survive, they had learned assassination, detoxification, and self-defense to protect themselves.¡¯ ¡°I was wondering if I ruined things by coming. In any case, right now we have to look good in front of the emperor and the people of high society.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯ll just establish a kingdom.¡± I burst into laughter when the talk about establishing a kingdom came out of Dietrich¡¯s mouth again. ¡°Is that easy? Then we could all die for treason.¡± ¡°Anyway, there is no need for you to be timid in front of those amaurotic people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. It¡¯s just that Charlotte and I are so different.¡± It wasn¡¯t until I let those words out that I realized I was projecting my sister through her. An older sister, who had always been more exceptional and elegant than me ¨C a beautiful and perfect woman that my mother and everyone liked. ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Of course, you and that woman are different people. What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to act a little like Charlotte if I am going to play the role of a princess?¡± Although not as vigorous as in the capital, high society circles also existed in the North. Dietrich, who had already completed his succession, would have to rule in earnest in an aristocratic society. I didn¡¯t want to spend the time floating uselessly by his side. ¡°You¡¯re a princess. The Princess of Lagrange.¡± I narrowed my eyes trying to guess what Dietrich meant and he clicked his tongue then said, ¡°There is no need for you to humor others to prove your existence.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at Dietrich¡¯s cold words. It must be a skill to utter such sweet words with a blunt face and make them drip with coldness. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± ¡°All right. I won¡¯t humor anyone. But I think it would be better to learn etiquette.¡± There was no reason to refuse the instruction that Dorothea offered to pay for. If it¡¯s a tutor, that person would be proficient in high society, so they would know the current status of societal affairs. I naively looked forward to seeing who would come as a tutor. ¡®Since she¡¯s called a madam, then she must be a woman?¡¯ ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Note: Amaurotic - Amaurotic is a disease that causes a partial or total loss of sight. CH 87 ¡°Ma-madame Montmartre?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I couldn¡¯t hide my confusion as I looked at Damon who answered with a clear expression without hesitation. ¡°You are Madame Montmartre?¡± I was so speechless that I dropped my finger which was pointing at Damon who had sat at the desk with a nonchalant face. ¡°Yes, although it¡¯s just a nickname.¡± I had imagined a middle-aged woman whose head was arranged with fancy feathers when she was introduced to be a legendary tutor who made all the hoyden young ladies debut as a star in society. ¡®I didn¡¯t think she would be a man.¡¯ Well, there was no law that states a man couldn¡¯t be a tutor, but he was a Marquis. ¡®Why would a nobleman with such a high position be a tutor?¡¯ I knew that tutoring children of aristocrats became a hobby-like job for retired scholars and wives who have nothing to do when their children become adults. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the Marquis?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Do you mean to say the Marquis is my tutor?¡± ¡°Do you not like me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like you.¡± When I was about to ask, ¡®Aren¡¯t you too busy to become my tutor?¡¯ Damon spoke first. ¡°I was the third son of the former Marquis.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Tutoring was a pastime of mine while I was a scholar in the magic tower who had no thoughts of leading the family. It¡¯s my only hobby.¡± ¡°I see. That was rude of me.¡± If you say it that way. I had no choice but to sit across from Damon. The smell of old trees wafted from the spacious sandalwood desk etched with a herringbone pattern. ¡®Come to think of it, it¡¯s been a long time since I studied.¡¯ I had visited Josef¡¯s laboratory alone to study about Eredia, however, it¡¯s been a long time since I studied with a teacher. I stared at Damon, who was sitting in an undisturbed position, with an odd feeling. ¡°I¡¯m not that smart.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Damon scratched his chin at my words and glanced at my expression. As if he was assessing something, I shivered and rolled my eyes. The scent of white sandalwood, which I had always thought was the smell of my desk, was the scent of Damon¡¯s aura. ¡®No matter how much I think about it, this aura was of knight Damon of Lagrange.¡¯ At that time, I was so distracted that I couldn¡¯t examine it closely, but now I can be certain. In the first place, thick auras like Damon¡¯s scent of an old tree were not common. ¡°Lady Anissa.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Last time, you said you know me, am I correct?¡± ¡°I was mistaken.¡± I shook my head in a coy reply. Whether he served as Derek¡¯s knight or not, it was better to pretend not to know. If I unwittingly divulged myself and my abilities were exposed, I¡¯d be thrown away. ¡°Are you saying that you mistook me for someone else when you saw my face?¡± ¡°Yes, because you had the same impression.¡± ¡°...Are you talking about me?¡± I nodded hastily at Damon¡¯s acerbic question. Of course, Marquis Damon and Damon, who was Derek¡¯s knight, were strikingly handsome, but what else could I say? ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s get started with our class. Today, let¡¯s briefly review the history of the Bernoulli Empire.¡± I frowned at Damon¡¯s attitude that seemed to take for granted that my learning of history would be a short one. Damon, who moistened his lips with the tea that the maid had brought, glanced at me. ¡°I know that Lagrange people don¡¯t care much for books.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t plan on staying in the capital for a long time. And yet you¡¯re teaching me about history first?¡± Since it¡¯s called Madame Montmartre¡¯s short-term special lesson, I thought it would be a pointer lecture that would educate me on tactics and precautions needed in the social world. ¡®Are you saying I should pay a hefty sum for a history lesson?¡¯ No matter how much Dorothea paid for it, it¡¯s a waste of money. It¡¯s a history book, I could have read it on my own. ¡°The history of the Bernoulli Empire is short, so even if we move on, the history of the continent spans over 5,000 years. I have no general knowledge of it.¡± ¡°Those who forget history have no future.¡± I had no choice but to nod at Damon¡¯s old-fashioned remark. ¡®Sure, I guess. Anyway, it¡¯s not my money.¡¯ ¡°Moreover, the majority of the high social figures in the society are well-educated. There is even a culture in which even high-ranking nobles are ostracized if they neglect to learn.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you make grand speeches about history and politics in balls?¡± At my question, Damon quietly set down his glass and stood up. He approached and leaned closely behind me. At the sight of a man¡¯s shadow stretching out on the desk, I was frightened and held my breath. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with him? Is he angry?¡¯ I wondered if I should call for security but he opened a book which I never opened. A long, fine finger swept over the print of the table of contents. ¡®His hand is pretty.¡¯ There was a magic that became famous due to a great thief, who used the impression of being pretty in order to scam people. ¡®I heard that masking magic can only be used on the face though.¡¯ As if noticing that I was looking at his hand closely, Damon hastily withdrew his hand. He opened his mouth, his eyes trained on the open page where the table of contents was. ¡°That is why it¡¯s short-term.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°There is no need to preach about history to anyone in society ¨C is what I¡¯m telling you.¡± He tapped the book with a long quill pen and smiled briefly. ¡°It¡¯s a way of pretending that you know.¡± ¡°...Pretending?¡± ¡°Yes. I will teach you how to pretend you know about history, to pretend to have a deep knowledge of culture and art, and to pretend to observe old-fashioned manners.¡± For a moment, I could see the feather decoration of Madam Montmartre above Damon¡¯s head which I had imagined earlier. I clapped my hands at Damon who raised his chin elegantly. ¡°That¡¯s my style. I like it.¡± ¡°Since Her Majesty has officially approved the title of the Grand Duke of Lagrange, it takes about two months for the matter to pass the nobility council.¡± ¡®It¡¯ll take two months?¡¯ ¡°One month.¡± ¡°One month?¡± ¡°My short-term lectures are one month long. In one month, I will help you press down the noses of the southern nobles who had looked down on you, my lady.¡± ¡°My lord, I mean, Teacher, aren¡¯t you on Countess Dorothea¡¯s side?¡± ¡°I am not on anyone¡¯s side.¡± I nodded at Damon¡¯s cold words as if he drew a line. ¡®Well, I guess that means he goes back and forth between south and north.¡¯ ¡°However, I like people who are honest.¡± I tilted my head at Damon¡¯s carefree remark. He soon added in a low voice. ¡°So if you honestly answer whether you really know me or not, then I, too, will keep your secret.¡± ¡°I d-don¡¯t have any secrets or anything though?¡± I stuttered in confusion at Damon¡¯s sudden words. ¡®This man, what does he know?¡¯ I tried to figure out what he was thinking by looking at his aura, however, his aura had become foggy as if it was concealed without a trace. I bit my tongue and made a puzzled expression, but he was observing me with one of his eyebrows raised. ¡°You know my secret?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying. You seemed extremely surprised. It looks like you really are hiding something.¡± ¡°Are you playing with me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡®This man.¡¯ I glared at him, controlling the anger that had risen in me. What¡¯s the point of being polite only with words? He¡¯s a man with a foul personality. ¡°Your qualification as a teacher seems to be lacking seeing as you¡¯re making fun of your student.¡± ¡°Anyway, I am just a lecturer who teaches you how to fit in society on a short-term basis.¡± ¡®That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no way this person knows who I am.¡¯ I wanted to limit his actions even by using my abilities but unlike the knight at Lagrange, his aura didn¡¯t move at my disposal. ¡®Is he really a different person?¡¯ ¡°Of course, doesn¡¯t everyone have at least one secret they can¡¯t tell others? Something like that.¡± ¡®The problem is that it¡¯s the secret of my birth.¡¯ I spoke in a composed tone. Whatever his identity was, hiding my identity was my priority. Because Dietrich didn¡¯t know. ¡°However, it won¡¯t be an interesting secret for you, Teacher.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not for the lady to judge.¡± ¡°Contrary to how you appear, you seem to be interested in other people¡¯s secrets and have a perverted tendency.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Damon¡¯s polite expression was distorted for the first time. I smiled slightly at his dumbfounded expression and continued. ¡°Ahem, it seems that Madam Dorothea purposely sent me a perverted teacher! Well, she never liked me in the first place.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the pervert?¡± There¡¯s no way the courteous Marquis Damon would suddenly speak informally with me. I stopped talking and kept my mouth shut at the sudden bloodthirsty words coming from the window. ¡°Did this bastard do anything to you?¡± Oh crap. I had meant to shut him up, not take his life. CH 88 I forgot that the study was located on the first floor of the mansion with a window facing the garden. I caught hold of the window sill and stared blankly at Dietrich who had jumped over the ledge, then quickly shook my head to return to my senses. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It was just a joke.¡± ¡°A joke?¡± ¡°Yeah, a joke. So¡ª¡° Before I knew it, I was looking alternately at Dietrich, who had pulled out a sword infused with energy, and Damon, who had generated an ice crystal on top of his hand to protect himself. ¡°Shall we put down our weapons?¡± ¡®When did he use his abilities again?¡¯ I sighed as I looked at the white sphere which didn¡¯t lose its coldness despite the approaching spring season. ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°If that bastard lifts his magic first.¡± ¡°If His Graces removes that frightening sword first, then I, too, will remove my magic.¡± It¡¯s unfortunate that they¡¯re people who refuse to listen. I had no choice but to go in between Dietrich and Damon, spreading my arms out. For now, there¡¯s nothing good with provoking Damon. ¡®I still don¡¯t know what he knows.¡¯ If he knew that I¡¯m not a Lagrange, then, there¡¯s no way that Dietrich wouldn¡¯t have guessed such a shallow truth. After all, my ability to put Asmodeus to rest was not an ability from the North. ¡®Come to think of it, why didn¡¯t he ask me anything?¡¯ Dietrich clearly saw that my ability was not the power of the shadows, but the power to suppress and purify a demon¡¯s energy. However, he never questioned the origin of my birth. At first, I was terrified that Deitrich would ask me about my identity at any moment, but right now, it feels strange that he¡¯s not asking. ¡®Maybe he really hadn¡¯t noticed?¡¯ However, there¡¯s no way Dietrich wouldn¡¯t be able to deduce with his head that I¡¯m not a person from the North. I couldn¡¯t tell promptly right now that I¡¯m actually a Euclid to him who¡¯s currently preparing to go to war against Hermann Euclid. ¡®I can¡¯t even begin to imagine how he would react.¡¯ In addition, he wasn¡¯t even slightly interested, so to come forward first and say ¡®I¡¯m not your biological sister, but your enemy¡¯s flesh and blood,¡¯ would be too difficult to do. Time went by too quickly while I was waiting for the right timing. ¡®But still, I can¡¯t let him hear it from someone else.¡¯ For now, the priority was silencing Damon. ¡°Teacher, please remove that dreadful lump of ice. It¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°But.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll catch a cold. Although spring has arrived, the weather is still chilly.¡± I coughed frailly and stirred his guilt. Eventually, his brows knitted and lifted his magic. ¡°Dietrich.¡± Sshk. I confirmed that Dietrich had sheathed his sword and clapped my hands once to refresh the atmosphere. ¡°There was a slight misunderstanding! Then, shall we start our class again?¡± It was the student, and not the teacher, who hurried to have a class. I straightened my shoulder feeling like a model student filled with excessive passion. I rushed back to my chair and settled on the fluffy cushion, but Dietrich, who had finished his business, didn¡¯t move and stood still as if stuck in place. I tilted my head, looking at him who had no signs of moving. ¡°Dietrich, aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll listen, too.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re going to listen to Madam Montmartre¡¯s short-term lecture on social adaptation, ¡®Become a High Society Queen in One Month¡¯? ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Damon flinched as if he didn¡¯t like the name which I dubbed his lecture. Dietrich ignored what I said and strode forward, sitting on the chair next to me. He crossed his elegant legs, propped his chin on his hand, and appeared like a student who didn¡¯t listen well. ¡°Are you really going to listen as well?¡± ¡°The capital¡¯s society is a bit different from the Northern society.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary for someone like you who took the successor classes, Your Grace.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be the one to determine whether I need it or not. All you have to do is babble away.¡± It was as if he really was trying to monitor whether he was truly a pervert or not. I sighed and glanced sideways at Damon with a look that says it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°For now, I understand. What I was telling the lady earlier was the fact that the Bernoulli Empire had a relatively short history compared to the history of the continent.¡± I didn¡¯t know whether it counted as him being quick-witted or not, but Damon began the lecture by pointing his finger at the map spread out on the desk. ¡°But don¡¯t you have a way to make things fun?¡± ¡°Do you mean to say I don¡¯t have such skill?¡± Dietrich seemed to have a knack for listening using his nose instead of his ears. Instead of answering Dietrich¡¯s childish remark, I focused on Damon¡¯s lecture. ¡°The reason why the relationship between the South and the North isn¡¯t good is simpler than you think. It is because they were originally different countries.¡± I didn¡¯t know that. When my eyes widened, Damon smirked and continued. ¡°Southern people are mostly Willettons, characterized by their light skin. Having light-colored eyes and hair are the most common combinations.¡± I tried to hide the back of my hand which was pale, not even white, and my pale pink hair as if the dye had faded. ¡°On the other hand, Northern people are characterized by either black or dark hair and reddish eyes. Lagrange is therefore called the Shadow Clan or Blood (Consanguine) Clan ¨C¡± ¡°Wrong.¡± Due to Dietrich disputing his explanation, Damon¡¯s speech was cut off. He glared at Dietrich with a displeased frown. ¡°You said you¡¯re a tutor, but you¡¯re more foolish than I thought.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The reason why Lagrange is called a Blood Clan is because of our repeated and endless slaughter.¡± A laugh of disbelief came out of my mouth at Dietrich¡¯s explanation. Was that something you should be bragging about? However, he briefly glanced at me and added. ¡°Because there is not a day where the blood on the sword has ever dried up, so when one sees a sword with fresh blood that has not been wiped, they call it Lagrange.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that. Thank you for sharing your valuable knowledge, Your Grace.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Madame Montmartre.¡± It was true that Damon¡¯s nickname was Madame Montmartre, yet why did Dietrich¡¯s pronunciation sound like a mockery? Perhaps I was the only one being sensitive about it, but Damon¡¯s fingers in the air froze for a moment. ¡°You can just call me Damon.¡± ¡°No, I quite like the name Montmartre.¡± ¡®He¡¯s teasing him, I see.¡¯ I shook my head seeing the corner of Dietrich¡¯s lips raise at an angle. As if following me, Damon breathed a small sigh. ¡°Do you have complaints against me? Please tell me the reason.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sent by a woman who was impatient to kill Anissa¡¯s spirit at the ball as if she would devour people. Is there any reason for me to see you as good?¡± ¡°I have no personal connection with Countess Hilbert.¡± ¡°But you have with Euclid. After all, you are one of the teachers of Hermann Euclid.¡± ¡®Damon was Hermann¡¯s teacher?¡¯ That¡¯s a fact that I didn¡¯t even know. As the protagonist, Hermann had many excellent teachers around him to help develop his abilities. It seemed that one of them was Damon. ¡®Well, Hermann was a munchkin who would, later on, use high-level of magic.¡¯ Damon¡¯s eyes widened as if it came as a surprise to him that Dietrich knew even such information. ¡°.... While it is true that I once taught Hermann magic, right now, I am Lady Anissa¡¯s tutor. I am going to be faithful to my role, so please don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Why should I trust you?¡± Despite Damon¡¯s calm explanation, Dietrich remained on guard. Damon shook his head and opened his mouth. ¡°Lady Anissa has my weakness.¡± As he said that, Damon¡¯s eyes trained on me instead of looking at Dietrich. I hastily shook my hand, doing my best to avoid Dietrich¡¯s eyes which he had turned on me. ¡°Weakness? I don¡¯t know what you mean, though?¡± ¡°No. You know. You¡¯re not very good at lying.¡± Damon continued slowly as if enjoying the tense atmosphere. ¡°And I have also great interest in your secret. I think I roughly know what it is.¡± ¡°What do you mean seecreeet~?¡± I jumped out of my seat with an awkward smile.¡± ¡°Really! What a funny! Teacher! You are!¡± I clapped my hands together and Dietrich glared at me and Damon with a sour look on his face. ¡°What secret are you talking about?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¨C¡± Keeping an eye on Damon¡¯s mouth, not knowing what else he would say, I quickly reached for the snacks on the desk. ¡°Teacher!¡± ¡°What is ¨C oomph!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry? Help yourself with some bread! You¡¯re such a passionate teacher!¡± I stuffed a baguette into Damon¡¯s mouth before he could answer Dietrich. I haven¡¯t spread some butter on it so it may end up scratching the roof of his mouth, but that¡¯s not important right now. ¡®This guy acted like he wouldn¡¯t say anything earlier and yet.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m hungry, is our meal not ready yet? Shall we eat?¡± ¡°To think you¡¯d overpower a magician with one hand.¡± Dietrich, who I thought would interrogate me for blocking Damon¡¯s mouth, smiled with satisfaction instead and stroked my head. ¡°Better than I expected.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°You did well.¡± CH 89 ¡®I see you¡¯re not going to acknowledge your ability until the end.¡¯ I felt so uncomfortable that I couldn¡¯t even feel whether the food was going through my nose or through my mouth. I stirred the clear soup with a spoon, recalling the words that Damon whispered. ¡®Let¡¯s make a deal.¡¯ The deal with Damon was about keeping each other¡¯s identities a secret. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Usually, I would have been eating with my nose buried on the plate, however, Dietrich gently raised one eyebrow when he saw me hardly eating. I did a double-take and quickly opened my mouth to gulp down the soup. ¡°Hm? What do you mean?¡± ¡°As expected, that bastard really did something to you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± I quickly made an excuse and tore the bread beside the soup. ¡®Did Damon arrive home safely?¡¯ I didn¡¯t even apologize for the torn lips he had to suffer when I stuffed the baguette in his mouth. Dietrich didn¡¯t take his eyes off me even though I expressed that I was fine. Although his eyes always appear insensitive, seeming not to bear any goodwill, I knew that he was worried about me. ¡°I had been meaning to ask you something for a while now.¡± ¡°What is it.¡± ¡°Are you aware of my ability?¡± Dietrich¡¯s eyes slightly widened as if he was surprised by my sudden question. He was an unusual person who rarely changes his facial expressions like that. I moved my lips slightly and meekly waited for him to answer without urging him to do so. ¡°...I know it¡¯s not an ability from the North.¡± ¡°Is it possible for the Northerners to have an ability from another region?¡± ¡°Who knows. I don¡¯t remember receiving any reports regarding that matter. However, it¡¯s not something impossible.¡± He spoke ambiguously, yet, in the end, it means that it was something extremely rare. ¡®Just as I thought, it¡¯s impossible he wouldn¡¯t know.¡¯ ¡°But why aren¡¯t you asking?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°About why my ability isn¡¯t related to controlling shadows. Why aren¡¯t you asking about why I have the ability to purify demons instead?¡± Dietrich¡¯s expression, as he slightly lifted his head and looked at me, remained unshakeable and tranquil. He propped his chin on his hand, sporting an annoyed look on his face as if I asked something useless like asking, ¡®how about roasted duck for dinner?¡¯ ¡°Do you want me to ask?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Do you want me to be curious about the whole story of your ability?¡± I was anxious to death that Dietrich might get angry, but as if he couldn¡¯t understand my anxiety, he just tilted his head. A deep, low voice with a carefree tone. He slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Anissa.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care where you¡¯re from, whether you¡¯re a person who rolled over from the Eastern colony or whether you were a child hidden to screw over Derek Lagrange.¡± [1] The Eastern colony was the land of the cannibals. I was a little perplexed because Dietrich sounded like if I was hungry, he would readily cut off his ankle and feed it to me. ¡®No, you should care about that.¡¯ ¡°Why?¡± Of course, he didn¡¯t put much importance on blood relationships. The children of Lagrange, who, as soon as they were born, sought the life of their own siblings, didn¡¯t learn how to love their flesh and blood. ¡®But, he really doesn¡¯t even want to know where I come from?¡¯ He answered indifferently, cutting sophisticatedly the veal steak that was served next. ¡°The fact that you¡¯re mine won¡¯t change.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I was a little bewildered by Dietrich¡¯s remark and my eyes widened. Who belonged to who? ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± When I asked him, he shut his mouth without any explanation. When he¡¯s like that, Dietrich would never open his mouth again no matter how many times he was asked. I stared at the piece of red meat that went straight to his mouth and then shrugged. ¡®I must have heard it wrong.¡¯ The Dietrich I knew was indifferent enough to the point where one had to wonder whether he possessed feelings or not. I cared about Dietrich, and he cared about me. So it was certainly true that he and I had established a bond, but he would have never said obsessive words such as I belonged to him. ¡®At any rate, he won¡¯t ask anything unless I tell him.¡¯ I thought that he was being too lenient so I seized the opportunity and brought up something that might cause discord. ¡°He¨CHermann.¡± ¡°What?¡± Dietrich¡¯s face, which had kept an apathetic expression no matter what I said, hardened at that one name I mentioned. ¡°What about that bastard?¡± What was really the relationship between the male protagonist and the villain? I swallowed the name which I tried to bring up again as I watched Dietrich emit a murderous intent just by hearing Hermann¡¯s name. ¡°Will Hermann Euclid become a grand duke? Does he have other siblings?¡± I tried to sound normal and scanned my eyes around. Dietrich, who had worn a black sword around while slicing the meat with a knife, calmed down and started cutting again. Cut. Cut. Why was I suddenly sweating at the sound that echoed in the dining room? ¡°He doesn¡¯t. Which is a good thing.¡± ¡°Why is it a good thing?¡± ¡°Since there are less bothersome things to take care of.¡± The bothersome things he¡¯s talking about didn¡¯t mean killing all of Hermann¡¯s siblings, right? ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the right time.¡¯ ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Damon was a much more hardworking teacher than I expected. He always arrived five minutes ahead of the appointed time to prepare for class and only finished when the allotted objectives were met. Last week, when I wasn¡¯t able to finish the allotted task, he kept me in the study until daybreak and made me study. ¡®It¡¯s not called short-term for nothing.¡¯ It felt like I was taking a whole year¡¯s worth of classes in one month. I struggled to follow his class, floundering at the tsunami of assignments. ¡°Did you finish your homework?¡± Damon raised his eyebrow as I handed the homework I barely finished, unable to sleep a wink until dawn. He was a man who rarely changes his facial expression like Dietrich, and whenever I doze off or failed to do my homework, he would sigh loudly instead of scolding me. ¡®But it¡¯s kind of upsetting.¡¯ ¡°Right here.¡± Damon¡¯s giving of assignments was close to a lethal dose, so I had to cut my eating time in order to study. ¡°...Did you do everything?¡± ¡°Yes. If you¡¯re doubtful, you can double-check.¡± Hmm. Instead of sighs coming from Damon¡¯s lips, they were bursts of pain. He scratched his angular jaw, then took a notebook and started grading. I was heartbroken at the sight of the red marks, but I¡¯m glad I did it all. ¡°That¡¯s unexpected.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°I thought you would have given up right away.¡± ¡®The tutoring fee must have been a lot and you expect me to give up?¡¯ ¡°Why would I?¡± ¡°The Lagranges are usually not interested in society.¡± ¡°But what you¡¯re teaching isn¡¯t just knowledge exclusive to society.¡± In fact, he taught broad and surface-level general knowledge of history, politics, and culture. ¡®The content of the class isn¡¯t difficult as well.¡¯ Moreover, I liked studying when there was no one to compare to. The class with Damon was one-on-one, and he never talked about other students, so the only thing I had to be wary of was my own laziness. ¡°Do you know why my short-term lecture is famous?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know?¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s not a single young lady who finished it until the end. Every single one of them had given up.¡± No wonder the fee was so expensive. Unless it was a successor aiming for the title, it seemed rare for a person to take such an intensive class just to get along with socialites. ¡°But they all ended up becoming social figures?¡± ¡°Well, since I¡¯m the teacher.¡± I laughed at Damon¡¯s low murmur. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I was this unlucky when you were a knight.¡± I grumbled in a low voice and he smirked, tapping my notebook that he returned full of red marks. ¡°Do you admit now? That you know who I am.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you threatening me to admit it?¡± He even proposed a deal to admit my secret and he¡¯ll keep his mouth shut, and yet now he¡¯s feigning ignorance. ¡°You, I mean, Teacher, as you expected, I know that you posed as a knight in Lagrange. It¡¯s because my ability is unique.¡± Damon briefly nodded his head as if he knew that. I stepped down from my chair and stood in front of him. The eyes that met mine were dark brown like an old tree in the middle of winter. ¡®They were definitely the eyes of Damon, the knight in Lagrange.¡¯ ¡°But I don¡¯t know what you know about me.¡± There weren¡¯t many days left with Damon¡¯s class, before my superficial relationship with him ends, I felt the need to make sure that the terms of the deal were settled. ¡°If you don¡¯t disclose that to me, I will reveal everything to Dietrich before this ball.¡± Damon took the time to assess what I was demanding. His thin lips twitched and he thought about it for a moment. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to be in trouble. I know more than you know about yourself.¡± ¡°Such as?¡± ¡°Such as, who your real mother and father are.¡± My eyes widened at Damon¡¯s words. It wasn¡¯t because I didn¡¯t know who my biological mother was as he conjectured. Anyone who witnessed my ability could deduce that I was not from the North, however, the truth about my ¡®birth mother¡¯ was a secret that would never be known unless the person was involved. ¡°You know my parents?¡± ¡®What the hell is Damon¡¯s true identity?¡¯ Why did he know that I¡¯m Anissa Euclid, an extra that didn¡¯t even appear properly in the original? Notes: [1] It could also mean Anissa came from the Eastern colony to devour people and talking about ¡®screw over Derek¡¯, might be a play on eating something, basically eat Derek, literally. CH 90 Some words: Hello, this is Lagrange. We''re happy you''re still reading despite the fact that this update is well behind the manhwa. To tell you, this is actually a secondary blog and we''ve almost caught up in the manhwa (English Ver.) in our main blog. If you wish to join, only 50 tho, please find the discord link somewhere around here. We will only updating this site once a month in bulk. Thank you. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Yes, I know. Because the person who brought you to Lagrange was my colleague.¡± ¡°Colleague?¡± Did that mean Camille was one of Marquis Deus¡¯ people? ¡°Yes, but in the end, she died without accomplishing her goal. Because she had mistaken you for another child.¡± I narrowed my eyes at the cooperative attitude of Damon answering my questions. ¡®I can¡¯t read his intentions.¡¯ I could clearly see his distinct aura, but I didn¡¯t have enough information to figure out what he could be thinking. ¡®At the very least, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s malicious.¡¯ ¡°Wait a minute.¡± I raised my hand before Damon could hastily threaten me. He lifted his eyebrow, wondering why I interrupted him. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It looks like you¡¯re telling me that the Lagrange blood doesn¡¯t run through my veins.¡± I went on, lifting my chin in arrogance. I already knew he¡¯d threaten me about things like that. ¡°Dietrich already knows the fact that I¡¯m not his real sister.¡± ¡°Then, does he also know that you¡¯re the youngest daughter of Grand Duke Euclid?¡± I shut my mouth at Damon¡¯s incoming question. Startled, my eyes went wide as he silently continued. ¡°You are the only sister of Hermann Euclid and the daughter born between Dona Euclid and Grand Duke Euclid.¡± ¡°........¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry if this surprised you.¡± He suddenly thrust my identity in front of my face, then seeing my complexion turn deathly pale, he carefully apologized. ¡°Do you think Dietrich would believe such nonsense?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying this without proof. Moreover, I am also Marquis Dues.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°I could take you to the ducal couple and flatter them with empty words. You are their precious lost daughter after all.¡± ¡®As I continue to listen to him speak, there¡¯s nothing this person can¡¯t say, huh.¡¯ I was so dumbfounded that I could only bite my mouth. ¡°Just now, what did you¨C¡± ¡°And then everyone in the empire will know that the Lagrange stole Euclid¡¯s only daughter.¡± Only daughter? I stared at him with a dry smile. It¡¯s really funny. I wonder who exactly lost their daughter? The Euclids abandoned Anissa. When they, in front of a newborn baby, already held a memorial rite for her death. As soon as I dimly recalled the miserable past, I frowned. Damon, who was staring at me, opened his spiteful mouth and continued. ¡°And that scandal will not help His Grace who just received his approval from Marguerite the Second.¡± ¡°What connection is there? Dietrich¡¯s succession has officially been approved!¡± ¡°In the Empire Bernoulli, the succession of the great nobles is divided into three processes. The acknowledgement of the family, the approval of the Emperor, and lastly, the noble¡¯s council.¡± In other words, more than half of the eight families that were the consolidating power in the capital have to give their approval for the succession to be completed. ¡®Lagrange isn¡¯t really popular so I wonder if it will be alright.¡¯ ¡°Of course, I have no intentions to tell. I also have no interest regarding His Grace¡¯s succession. My lady just needs to make a pledge that you will keep silent about my identity.¡± ¡°........¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know anymore. Isn¡¯t that the reason why you¡¯re keeping your mouth closed right now?¡± Without speaking, Damon bent his waist and fumbled around his shadow. Kiwuuk, with familiar screams, the little demon caught in his hand emerged and struggled. ¡°I know you sent this little guy to rake in more information about me, Lady Anissa.¡± ¡®When did he catch on?¡¯ I tried to turn away from the little demon looking up at me with ardent eyes and chewed my lips. I had been keeping an eye on him ever since I had suspicions that he was the Damon I knew. It was strange no matter how much I thought about it. Despite his appearance and ability, he didn¡¯t even appear in the book, regardless, he was too suspicious. ¡°I liked you better when you were a knight.¡± I finally confessed and pouted my lips.¡± I thought he was more gentle and polite in Lagrange. ¡°I like you more now than before, Princess.¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do that contract. Instead, I have a question for you.¡± ¡°You may ask.¡± Damon took two sheets of parchment out of his arms, as if to draw up a contract. I looked at the paper rustling on top of the desk with an uncomfortable gaze. ¡°You said that your colleague had a goal in bringing me to Lagrange.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What was that goal?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But my colleague terribly hated Derek, so she wouldn¡¯t have brought you there for him.¡± ¡®Camille hated Derek?¡¯ All I had in my memory was a glimpse of her splendid beauty and was filled with admiration. Even Liatris, who was loved by Derek in his own way, eventually lost her mind, saying he was despicable. ¡®Well, who would be able to like that guy?¡¯ ¡°Do you want to know who my colleague was?¡± Damon seemed to think I didn¡¯t know who kidnapped me from Euclid. I snorted seeing the corners of his mouth lift as if to stimulate my curiosity. ¡®Without the memory of my past life, it would be impossible for a newborn baby to remember what happened when she was young.¡¯ But I wasn¡¯t like that. I strongly shook my head and opened my mouth to pry into how on earth he knew about me. ¡®Could he be a person from Euclid?¡¯ But if Marquis Deus was Euclid¡¯s informant, then Charlotte would not warn me against him. ¡°...No. I don¡¯t need to know. What did you mean by colleague? Are you sure you¡¯re the Marquis?¡± Actually, I wanted to ask if he was a human. After meeting him at the ball, I searched the study study in the mansion or the bookstores around the capital as if I was taking over the place, and then made every effort to secretly ask how to meet with a magician. However, the only answer I gleaned was that there was no magic that could completely change one¡¯s appearance. ¡®Isn¡¯t he like a demon?¡¯ Demons who have been with humans for a long time eventually take on a human-like appearance. In fact, Vassagi almost looked like a human. ¡®But there¡¯s no way a person who has no proof of identity could be a knight in Lagrange.¡¯ I faced his smooth face which had no trace of his days when he was a knight except for his aura and the color of his hair. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Damon stared at me with crystal clear eyes at my question. His lips curled as if he was about to tell the truth. ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t want to know, would I be asking? Are you playing with me right now?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t do you any good if you find out.¡± But here''s the link you''re looking for https://discord.gg/3Kpr52mJ I focused on Damon¡¯s mouth moving slowly. A gentle, spring breeze from somewhere blew through his fringes. The blue and silver hair gleamed as it swayed. ¡°You know everything about my biological parents, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a little unfair?¡± I vented my frustration as I grabbed a quill pen to sign the contract he put forward. ¡°Do you want to know my secret at least?¡± Damon laughed softly, like a whisper of sweet nothings. Still mad at him playing around, I nervously nudged the quill pen into the ink bottle. The black ink splashed everywhere and splattered a black dot on the back of his hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to tell me.¡± ¡°My appearance right now is not a mask made up of lies. Nobody knows of this fact. Not even my sister.¡± My eyes went round at Damon¡¯s indifferent and casual remarks. ¡®If it was a secret, why would he tell me?¡¯ He shared a secret, but my suspicions lingered. No matter how much I think about it, he¡¯s a shady person. ¡°It feels cowardly to offer this deal and only keep quiet about my identity. Please be satisfied with this for the time being.¡± I shrugged at Damon¡¯s calm, just as persuasive words. The truth was, Damon didn¡¯t need to tell me what he knew about me. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you would really tell me.¡± ¡°Students who are diligent are precious so I cherish them.¡± It didn¡¯t look like it had any prescription, but his monocle which he always wears during classes reflected the sun and sparkled. ¡°Let¡¯s keep quiet about each other¡¯s identities. And in situations where it is deemed necessary to hide our identities, we pledge to help each other wholeheartedly.¡± ¡°What happens if I sign here? Does the price involve taking one¡¯s life?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the kind of person who would impose such a terrible price on a child.¡± ¡®On a child?¡¯ It sounded as if he would forcefully impose such a price on adults. ¡°The restraints stipulated in the contract will only prevent us from saying a word about each other¡¯s identities.¡± It wasn¡¯t disadvantageous towards me either. Frowning at the sunlight reflecting off his glasses, I wrapped up my contract with Damon. ¡°With that, I¡¯ll end my classes here. Thank you for your hard work all this time, Lady Anissa.¡± ¡°Yes, Madame Montmartre.¡± After putting an emphasis on his nickname, I got up from my seat and answered politely as if I had forgotten the deal between us. ¡®Charlotte didn¡¯t warn me to be careful for nothing.¡¯ I almost bled because I didn¡¯t listen to the words of the female protagonist. CH 91 Click, click. The refreshing metallic sound of metal hitting each other made the listener wince. With a glance, I chased away the rattled servants who couldn¡¯t adapt to Dietrich¡¯s foul mood. ¡°Dietrich, I¡¯m saying this just in case.¡± Dietrich, who had been fiddling with the Musket¡¯s barrel in annoyance, turned his head toward me without saying a word. All he had to do was turn his head, but he turned his body along with the gun towards me taking me by surprise so I put my hands forward. ¡°You can¡¯t shoot people with that gun.¡± ¡°...I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°You promise. All right? Never shoot anyone even if someone offends you.¡± ¡°What do you see me as?¡± ¡®A promising villain?¡¯ No, he¡¯s already grown up so he¡¯s already a villain. I couldn¡¯t possibly answer like that so I laughed and mumbled my words. ¡°I mean, just in case.¡± Dietrich gave me a sidelong glance with a lopsided smile. ¡®However, he still didn¡¯t say he wouldn¡¯t shoot.¡¯ Of course, I understand him being angry. Dietrich¡¯s title as the Grand Duke has yet to be approved one last time by the House of Lords as the Emperor¡¯s capricious hunting competition pushed the meeting back. ¡®At this rate, I¡¯m sure Dietrich will be the winner of this hunt.¡¯ If you count the number of people he killed because they were annoying, that is. Boisterous ball, pretentious aristocrats, and the knights who lauded him as a hero. The capital was full of things Dietrich hated. I let out a deep sigh, worrying about his temper like a time bomb that might explode at any time. ¡°The ground¡¯s going to blow up.¡± Dietrich, who had been staring at me as I let out a sigh, put down his rifle, and spouted random words. ¡°Do I really need to get approval?¡± ¡°Do you intend not to receive it?¡± ¡°There had been many predecessors that have not been approved as Grand Duke. It¡¯s just a troublesome procedure anyway.¡± ¡°Then what about the kids?¡± Was he saying he¡¯ll just leave them in a frozen state? The previous Grand Dukes had already killed their siblings so such a choice was possible, but that wasn¡¯t our case. As I opened my mouth in disbelief, Dietrich shook his head as if he already knew. ¡°....I¡¯m just saying.¡± ¡°Uhuh.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t think he was just saying it.¡¯ Even as I doubted Dietrich¡¯s intention, I had no choice but to nod my head. ¡°The Emperor has arrived!¡± The quiet outside of the barracks became noisy at the announcement of the servant, and people could be heard moving. I picked up my musket gun and grabbed the black cloth from the barracks. ¡®It¡¯s pretty fancy for a sudden competition.¡¯ Even though the Lagrange did not even express their intention to participate, the emperor herself provided the barracks and inevitably invited Dietrich and me. The barracks depicting Lagrange¡¯s wolf with its sparkling red eyes and open mouth was too luxurious to be considered done haphazardly. ¡°We greet the brightest sun of the empire.¡± I grabbed the hem of my trousers which I wore instead of a dress and greeted the emperor as she happened to walk towards the barracks of Lagrange. ¡°That wild outfit suits you, Princess.¡± I wonder if she was being sarcastic about me not coming wearing a dress, but the emperor was smiling broadly as if her mouth was being ripped, seemingly satisfied with my appearance. ¡®Why is her face red like that?¡¯ She¡¯s always a burdensome woman. I glanced at the emperor¡¯s flushed cheeks and lowered my eyes. ¡°Where¡¯s the Duke?¡± ¡°He¡¯s inside.¡± ¡°Judging from the fact that you¡¯re holding a gun, are you also participating, Princess?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve done hunting before.¡± ¡°Ho?¡± The emperor widened her eyes as if surprised by my answer. ¡®Originally, there was nothing to eat in Dahlia after all.¡¯ If I answer that I often followed Dietrich and filled our stomach with wild animals, they¡¯ll only have a worse image regarding Lagrange. ¡®To make matters worse, there are already a lot of gossips that we¡¯re barbarians or what not.¡¯ I smiled wryly and shook my head. ¡°Dietrich, I mean, my brother likes hunting. It¡¯s his hobby.¡± ¡°Is that so? Well, many people hunt as a hobby.¡± She answered cursorily and nodded her head, then walked past me to the podium. ¡°It¡¯s late so I¡¯ll make the opening speech short.¡± Contrary to her words, the emperor gave a long speech, all the while Dietrich who came out late from the barracks, climbed onto a horse with an annoyed expression on his face. ¡°You?¡± The black stallion suited him perfectly. He pointed at me with his chin and asked briefly. ¡°I think the women are going to play near the barracks¡­¡± I shrugged my shoulders, pointing to the group of women who had already gathered. ¡°Then go ahead.¡± Dietrich glanced at me as I was seeing him off and snapped his fingers. Soon, a black aura that could only be seen by my eyes moved slowly and hid inside my shadow. ¡®Baal?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s been a while, Princess.¡¯ I looked up at Dietrich in horror at the feeling of the sticky hands grabbing my ankle. ¡°Why is Baal here?¡± ¡°If anything happens, don¡¯t hesitate to call him.¡± ¡°You know it¡¯s forbidden to use abilities in the capital.¡± ¡°What do you think is the reason for such a useless rule?¡± At Dietrich¡¯s question, I took my eyes off the shadow and looked up at him. His face, engulfed against the light, was momentarily blurry. ¡°Because the emperor and the nobles fear Lagrange.¡± I remember the gaze of the capital nobles as they stared at me as a Northerner. Were their senseless hatred ultimately due to fear? ¡°And you¡¯re my only weakness. The emperor will not overlook this.¡± I chuckled, finding Dietrich¡¯s sluggish remarks a bit funny. ¡°Say that later when you have someone you love. You sounded like a devoted brother just now.¡± ¡®If you fall in love with Charlotte, you might end up completely ignoring me.¡¯ As if he didn¡¯t like my reaction, his eyebrows shot up to the sky wordlessly. I was compelled to add hastily just in case he departs. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful so don¡¯t worry.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Oh my, did Robert really say that? What should I do?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what happened. Julia says¨C¡± Valliere¡¯s social circle was a conservative society with a very solid axis. Dona Euclid and Dorothea Hilbert were the wives who rose to the peak of the social world and Charlotte was the superstar who rose to be loved by them. ¡®I¡¯m bored.¡¯ Dorothea Hilbert was wary of me in public, and I couldn¡¯t enter into the conversation not knowing who Robert or Julia was. ¡°Madam Armand is really an eloquent speaker.¡± In the midst of the crowd, Charlotte giggled, letting out a pleasant laugh. She, like the other girls, was wearing a white dress suitable for a picnic. ¡®Anyone who received an invitation can participate in the hunting competition.¡¯ That was what it said. In the end, I was the only one who took the words of the invitation seriously and came wearing trousers. ¡®If you knew beforehand, you should have told me.¡¯ I sighed, tugging at my innocent leather trousers. ¡®No one seems to be hunting at all.¡¯ Furthermore, I was already hated because I did something that stood out in the ball, so if I insist on going hunting, it was obvious I would be gossiped about being a northerner. ¡°Anissa.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be alone and come here.¡± Charlotte beckoned me as if she felt sorry seeing me squatting away from the crowd. The good-natured female protagonist seemed unable to turn a blind eye to the odd one out. In the end, as I hesitantly approached her, people stared at me with their stinging gazes to the point that my skin hurts. ¡°Sit here.¡± Charlotte raised herself as she offered me the seat beside her. At the gazes of those who looked at me as if I was offered the seat of glory, I uttered words of thanks I didn¡¯t even want to say. ¡°Thank you for calling me.¡± ¡°I see you¡¯ve brought a gun with you. Did you want to hunt?¡± Charlotte stroked gently with her fingertips the musket gun which lay on my lap. Unlike Dietrich¡¯s gun with a black barrel, it was a beautiful gun that boasts a silver barrel. ¡®I brought it because I thought it would be useful.¡¯ ¡°Ah, I thought it would be boring to just sit around.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you enjoyed hunting, Anissa.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not to the point that I enjoy it, I just thought wouldn¡¯t it be better to hunt than get bored?¡± I smiled at the thought that I might be able to entice Charlotte to start hunting. But she held me firmly on the shoulders with a rare frown. ¡°Anissa, I¡¯ll help you change.¡± ¡°.......Pardon?¡± ¡°The cruel side of Anissa. As expected, if you live in the desolate North, such things are bound to happen, right?¡± It seemed like Charlotte genuinely cared about me that I couldn¡¯t even show my displeasure. ¡°I can help you.¡± As my mouth opened and close without a single utterance, she took the gun away from me. ¡°Hunting entails you kill innocent animals. It doesn¡¯t suit people like us. Though Her Majesty and the knights have no other choice since they have to prepare for war.¡± Charlotte groaned sadly as she gazed at the gun as if it was a decoration. ¡°I can¡¯t believe a beautiful gun like this takes a life. Just thinking about it makes me sad.¡± ¡°Oh goodness, Charl. Here¡¯s a handkerchief. Charlotte¡¯s big eyes were already tearing up as if she was heartbroken just by imagining it. CH 92 For a moment I was speechless as I watched Dona Euclid comfort Charlotte who was weeping. ¡°How can you go to the North when you have such a soft heart?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Look at Lady Anissa. She¡¯s still a little girl but she¡¯s already having fun taking other people¡¯s lives.¡± Dorothea added as if in response to her words. ¡°Ha.¡± I wondered why she called for me. In the end, she had been up to something like this. ¡®Does she really have no malicious intentions?¡¯ As situations continued to flow like this, even if she¡¯s the female protagonist, I couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious. It suddenly occurred to me that Charlotte¡¯s dazzling white aura, as her face was dripping with tears, was artificial because it couldn¡¯t be that clean. ¡°Young lady, what is so funny?¡± Dorothea¡¯s eyes fell on my smile. I shook my head, taking back the gun that Charlotte took. When I turned the gun and touched the pretty tea table, everyone shrieked in surprise. I pretended not to notice their trembling shoulders and replied bluntly. ¡°How are you going to eat the refreshments that came with the mince pie if you¡¯re this sensitive?¡± Dorothea frowned at my words and pointed at the baked dessert with meat and fruit. ¡°How could the already cooked ingredients be the same as the preyed animal in the hunt?¡± What exactly was the difference? I wanted to question her high-pitched voice right away but I held back my temper. ¡®The nobility conference is just around the corner.¡¯ If I look despicable to these people now, it would only further delay the approval. I started to worry about the children I left in the North. The summer in the North wasn¡¯t very hot, but I was terrified sometimes, afraid that the ice statues might melt on a particularly hot day. ¡°...I will just go back and stay at that corner.¡± I whispered softly to Charlotte, who was wiping her eyes with a blue handkerchief and rose from my seat. ¡®I¡¯d rather be alone where my heart would be at peace.¡¯ For a while now, Baal had been trying to come out so I had been struggling to step on the shadow with my feet. There weren¡¯t many eyes watching in the capital¡¯s mansion, so using an ability was able to get a free pass, however, breaking the law with so many nobles watching would have meant Veronica would be frozen forever. ¡°You can come out now.¡± It was only when I reached a secluded place where I couldn¡¯t hear any people moving about did I lift my foot which was pressing on Baal. ¡°Oh my goodness!¡± Baal crawled out of the shadow, groaning. He looked like a ghost that popped out from the television that I¡¯d seen a long time ago. ¡°You have gotten a lot heavier. I thought my back was about to break.¡± I stared at the demon with a sidelong glance and leaned on an old tree. ¡°You don¡¯t even have bones.¡± ¡°What were those trashes before? How dare they talk to you like that, Princess?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s nothing! Those rude southern punks.¡± I smirked at Baal¡¯s temper rising as he continued to fume with a snort. ¡®I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s more comfortable to be with a demon than with humans.¡¯ When I was with Charlotte and the madams earlier, I felt suffocated, but chatting with Baal made me feel refreshed. ¡®I guess I¡¯m really a Northerner now.¡¯ The people of the capital were too terrible. ¡°Baal, do you know about the Saint of Vallandia?¡± ¡°Vallandia is the birthplace of Solisism. A saint from there would be a follower of Hera.¡± ¡°Then, can someone like that use the abilities of Eredia?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Baal¡¯s eyes widened and he circled his place. Following the demon¡¯s movement, the trees that had been blooming for spring shook lightly. ¡°Not at all. Hera and Eredia¡¯s abilities are inherently different from each other.¡± If that¡¯s the case, then she didn¡¯t have the ability to purify an aura like Eredia¡¯s. ¡®So, how can Charlotte control people¡¯s minds?¡¯ I opened my mouth again thinking that Baal knew more about the southern gods than I thought. ¡°There was a prophecy about the savior of the North. Have you ever heard of such prediction?¡± ¡°Ha? Savior?¡± Baal giggled as if I was saying a joke. I quietly listened to the demon¡¯s laughter sounding like thin fingernails scratching the floor. ¡°Do you think the demons of the North are foolish enough to hand over their lives to the Southerners?¡± ¡°Then, why does the saint keep talking about salvation?¡± ¡°I guess stopping our clan is salvation from their point of view.¡± Baal frowned as if his pride had been hurt and added, ¡°But if those bastards¡¯ prophecy is right, I would have been annihilated hundreds of years ago.¡± However, the people thought that the prophecy would surely come true. ¡®It was like that in the original as well.¡¯ I shifted my eyes and turned my gaze to Baal who was slumped on the floor. The demon was covering his face with a strange cloth I didn¡¯t know when he had taken out. ¡®It looks just like a gas mask.¡¯ Baal tapped on his chest as if he had a hard time breathing. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you hurt?¡± ¡°The air of the Southern land is dirty so it¡¯s hard to breathe. It¡¯s hot.¡± Baal answered my question and pointed at the tree I was leaning on. It was then that I realized the forest was full of purification trees. A light hawthorn scent wafted from behind. ¡°I see. That¡¯s why it¡¯s suffocating.¡± I liked the purification trees, but I didn¡¯t want to stay in the South any longer. I strongly sympathized with the demon¡¯s words. Baal, who had been crouching next to me, patted my head. ¡°Please endure a little more. No matter what the emperor or nobles do, there is no excuse not to give their approval.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. As long as His Majesty doesn¡¯t cause a major incident, that is.¡± I scratched my jaw at Baal¡¯s murmured utterance. ¡®Why am I anxious?¡¯ ¡°What incident?¡± ¡°Like summoning me and wielding me in front of the Emperor and the House of Lords, or going crazy about establishing a kingdom, and so on.¡± My lips stiffened as I remember Dietrich worrying whether he should establish a kingdom or smash Euclid. As I gnawed on my lips, Baal pinched my cheek to stop me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. You know how cold and sensible-minded a person His Majesty is.¡± ¡°He is, right?¡± I nodded, reassured at Baal¡¯s trustworthy words. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s all right as long as it doesn¡¯t have something to do with you, Princess.¡± If it hadn¡¯t been for those added words, I would have continued to be reassured. I opened my mouth, glaring at the grinning Baal. ¡°...And if it has something to do with me?¡± ¡°Then, it would be a bit dangerous. Don¡¯t you remember that he almost threw everything away instead of handing you over to Asmodeus?¡± Of course, I remember. ¡®How could I forget?¡¯ Dietrich was a child who didn¡¯t know how to get agitated and was willing to lay down his life with an indifferent face. I clenched the back of my hand that turned pale in my fist and felt like crying. ¡®I need to protect myself.¡¯ For now, I shouldn¡¯t get involved with other people. I made a firm resolve to hide until the hunting competition was over. ¡°Anissa, what are you doing here?¡± However, Charlotte appeared on the other side with a rustling sound, overshadowing my determination. ¡°I was looking for you.¡± As she approached me with a worried smile, she found Baal crouching next to me in a similar position to mine. She immediately pointed her finger and opened her mouth. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a demon?¡± Baal frowned at Charlotte treating him like an object. The demon gritted his teeth and placed his hand on the floor as if he would jump out at her anytime soon. ¡°Baal, no.¡± I whispered to stop Baal and stood up. Unable to take her eyes off of me, Charlotte retreated hesitantly. ¡°It¡¯s a crime of treason to use abilities in the capital, Anissa.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t use abilities. I let him out because he was feeling stuffy.¡± ¡°You can also use shadow abilities? But I definitely¨C¡± ¡°Definitely?¡± ¡°I definitely didn¡¯t feel that kind of darkness coming from you.¡± Charlotte closed and opened her mouth as if she couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. ¡®I¡¯m now certain she uses abilities similar to Eredia¡¯s.¡¯ ¡°At any rate, I didn¡¯t use him to attack anyone. Can you pretend you didn¡¯t see anything?¡± I grabbed Charlotte¡¯s hand and glanced at her meekly. The female protagonist is ¡®nice¡¯ so she wouldn¡¯t be able to tell on me right away. As I expected, Charlotte gave a defeated sigh and smiled. ¡°I understand. But please be careful. Her Majesty is keeping an eye on Dietrich.¡± ¡°Why were you looking for me?¡± ¡°I thought that Madam Dorothea was rude to you earlier. I¡¯d like to apologize in her stead so I came looking for you.¡± Charlotte even shed tears as if she was really feeling sorry for me. I tilted my head to the side seeing her delicate face being distorted, shrugged my shoulders, and said, ¡°But Charlotte, it wasn¡¯t just the Countess who was rude.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who set the mood by saying I brought a musket, Charlotte.¡± I narrowed my eyes and watched her reaction. Finally, the tears in her eyes which had been welling up, burst as she cried. I was a little dumbfounded at her face which looked like she was being called out unfairly. ¡°But I only said those words for your sake, Anissa.¡± CH 93 ¡°For my sake?¡± ¡°Yes, because Countess Hilbert and Duchess Euclid consider Lagrange as dangerous.¡± She wore her act of being unfairly accused as if it was a burden on her. She pouted as she continued. ¡°If they could be convinced that I can enlighten the Lagrange as a Saint, they wouldn¡¯t ostracize the North this harshly.¡± It was only then that I started to understand Charlotte¡¯s, no, her actions as a person. ¡®Her aura is so clean I thought it was manipulated in some way.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s also the way for you and His Grace. I¡¯ll lead the unification of the Bernoulli Empire.¡± Charlotte wasn¡¯t particularly a hypocrite, nor was she pretending to be good. ¡®She really believes it¡¯s her duty.¡¯ Without discovering her own erroneous contradictions, she sincerely thought she was doing it for our sake. As I stared at her clear, transparent brown eyes, I swallowed my words. ¡®What more can I say?¡¯ ¡°....I see. I understand, Charlotte.¡± ¡°Please call me Charl. Isn¡¯t our relationship quite deep now?¡± I didn¡¯t want to be involved with her anymore, but if I refused now, she would cry again and say strange things in front of people. ¡°Charl.¡± ¡°Yes, please call me like that.¡± Perhaps she was really glad that I called her a nickname because Charl¡¯s aura was tinged with pure joy. ¡®Still, I should treat her well since she¡¯s someone who would help Dietrich later.¡¯ I smiled sweetly following Charlotte and got up. Baal had at some point already disappeared into the shadows. ¡°Then, shall we go back now?¡± ¡°Hehe. I¡¯m glad that Anissa¡¯s walls seemed to have given away a little.¡± Charl smiled beautifully and linked arms with me, sticking by my side. I looked at the fluffy silvery hair falling over my shoulder and started walking. ¡°Kyaa!¡± ¡®What¡¯s that sound?¡¯ I looked at Charlotte, my expression stiffening at hearing the scream from afar. Her complexion turned pale in fear. ¡°It would be best if we hurry, Charl.¡± At first, I thought I heard it wrong, but as I got closer to where the barracks were huddled together, I became certain that the sound was indeed a scream. ¡°Kyaa! Kyaa! It¡¯s a monster!¡± ¡®A monster?¡¯ It¡¯s not even the North, so how could a monster appear in the forest near the capital? I stepped on Baal who was trying to come out again and put strength on my leg. ¡°Oh my god! Madam Hilbert!¡± Charlotte opened her mouth wide and pointed her finger at one side. I followed her line of sight and saw Dorothea who had climbed up a tree, shaking. Her dress, made of green velvet, had already been torn in half and blood flowed from her bare legs. Krung. Krung. The beasts wept wildly under the tree. I tilted my head, looking at the people who couldn¡¯t come closer. ¡®Why are they only after Dorothea?¡¯ Since it was an empty space where all the trees had been cut down, only one zelkova tree had been planted for shade around the barracks. Dorothea was hanging from that very tree and three agitated bears were circling around it. ¡°It¡¯s definitely a monster! Their eyes are too strange for them to be just wild bears!¡± According to someone¡¯s cry, their bright red eyes are too out of the ordinary for them to be a normal bear. I could glimpse blood through the thick hide of the poorly shot bear, however, it did not care about the wound and began to scratch the tree Dorothea climbed with its fingernails. ¡°Kyaah!¡± Whenever the bear with its claws stuck on the tree wiggled its body, Dorothea wobbled as if she would fall. ¡®I¡¯ve never controlled an animal¡¯s aura before.¡¯ I glanced at Charlotte in case she could help, but she was just sitting there with a pale complexion as if she would faint at any time. ¡®You¡¯re no help at all.¡¯ I clicked my tongue and looked up at Dorothea who was screaming like a nervous wreck. ¡®Should I just leave her alone?¡¯ The bears were only oddly aiming for Dorothea, and when the knights would come back they could easily catch those bears in no time. ¡°It¡¯s not the Lagrange family getting revenge, is it?¡± At that moment, a whisper among the roaring gossip of the crowd pierced my ears. ¡±At the last ball, didn¡¯t His Grace and Countess Hilbert have an argument? The bears are only after the madam, you see.¡± Everyone was looking at me as if they all had similar thoughts. I had no choice but to move forward and stretch out my hand. ¡°Cresco.¡± The roots of the zelkova tree rose in an instant, wrapping around the three bears who stood with their front paws up. ¡°Kwang!¡± The bears, who were suppressed instantly, let out a loud cry, but the roots of the giant tree didn¡¯t let the animals so easily. ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re not monsters.¡¯ Although the bears'' auras were running wild, it wasn¡¯t as disgusting as that of a demon. I suppressed the beasts with enough strength so as not to kill them and looked up at Dorothea. ¡°Countess Hilbert.¡± When I called out to her, she clutched her disheveled hair and screamed. ¡®She¡¯s completely out of her mind.¡¯ I moved all the rebellious bears near the forest. All the people shut their mouths, looking at the strange wiggling tree roots. ¡°Countess, you can come down now.¡± It was only when the bears completely disappeared from her line of vision did Dorothea slowly climbed down from the tree. She pointed at the direction of the wooden bear cage and started her tirade. ¡°Why do those bears only aim at me!?¡± She raised her voice as if she thought I knew the answer. ¡®I pulled you out of danger and you¡¯re telling me to hand over my parcel.¡¯ I burst out laughing in disbelief. ¡°How would I know that?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t those monsters? And you¡¯re a princess of Lagrange where monsters live.¡± ¡°They weren¡¯t monsters. They were just bears. Isn¡¯t that right, Charl?¡± Charlotte, who had similar abilities to mine, would know the difference between a monster and an animal. ¡°What Anissa said is true. I didn¡¯t sense a monster¡¯s energy.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s not the case, why were they only attacking me!¡± ¡°The Countess must have been to the bears¡¯ taste.¡± I retorted sourly and approached the bears confined inside the wooden cage. Their eyes were strange as if they had eaten some kind of drug. Dorothea nervously smiled and grabbed my shoulder. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not your brother¡¯s prank?¡± ¡°....What did you say?¡± I really shouldn¡¯t have saved you. I tore my gaze away from the three bears breathing heavily and looked at Dorothea. ¡°Can you inflict such an insult on me just because I said something to a princess who didn¡¯t know about etiquette?¡± Dorothea stretched her legs toward me as if telling me to look at her torn dress. ¡®Is it a big deal that the dress is torn?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t comprehend the reason why her face was painted red with humiliation. ¡°Why are you bringing up my brother who isn¡¯t even here?¡± ¡°Is there any other family who bears a grudge against me other than Lagrange!¡± ¡°But I¡¯m also the person who saved you, Countess.¡± ¡°If harm was really done, even if he¡¯s a Duke, he wouldn¡¯t be able to get away with it.¡± I walked step by step towards her who kept babbling nonsense. ¡°Shut.¡± Grabbing the carefully pearl-inlaid lace, I pulled her towards me as her mouth dropped open in bewilderment. ¡°Your mouth.¡± ¡°.......¡± ¡°Before I put you inside the bear cage.¡± There was a strange smell coming from the back of her neck but she didn¡¯t seem to notice it. ¡®I think this smell lured the bears.¡¯ Bears were originally omnivores. It¡¯s not like there wasn¡¯t anything to eat in this forest, and there was no reason to rush at people either. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to say thank you for saving your life first, Countess?¡± I smiled broadly, caressing the area around Dorothea¡¯s neck, pretending to clean up her lace. ¡°Tha-thank you.¡± Dorothea hastily backed away from me as I swiped the branches like I would open the cage. I turned to the people watching us from afar. I could hear the sound of horseshoe running in a hurry to announce something. ¡°Her Majesty has returned!¡± Dietrich was the first one to dismount his horse before the emperor who was supposed to be the lead. He quickly approached me, oblivious to the people¡¯s eyes. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m not hurt. No one is.¡± Dietrich didn¡¯t even listen to my words and started turning my face here and there to examine me. ¡®Even if I resist because I¡¯m not hurt anyway, he¡¯ll still insist on examining me carefully.¡¯ With my arms wide open, I circled around to give Dietrich peace of mind. ¡°I¡¯m really fine. The few bears were only after Countess Dorothea.¡± ¡°That¡¯s odd. There shouldn¡¯t be a beast as dangerous as bears around here.¡± I tilted my head at Dietrich¡¯s murmur. Whether it¡¯s the strange smell on Dorothea or the bears who lost their minds, it was full of absurdities. ¡®Someone must have done it on purpose.¡¯ I narrowed my eyes and survey the families gathered together. ¡®It¡¯s not Dorothea.¡¯ Her aura genuinely trembled with chilling fear. The countess wouldn¡¯t be that scared if she did it herself. I turned my head to Dona Euclid, who was chewing on her lips as if something was wrong. The moment I moved my hand to look at her aura ¨C ¡°We need to hurry up and find the mastermind!¡± The Duke of Euclid, who was standing next to the emperor, spoke in a loud voice. ¡®But why are you looking at me?¡¯ CH 94 ¡°The area around the barracks was closed for safety! Someone must have let the bears lose on purpose.¡± I calmly watched the Duke¡¯s breathless actions. He held the wounded Dorothea in his arms and raised his voice toward the emperor. ¡°It¡¯s an attack against a feeble woman who didn¡¯t even have any weapon! The mastermind must be punished severely!¡± ¡®Count Hilbert isn¡¯t even doing anything so why is he making such a fuss?¡¯ He might be Anissa¡¯s biological father but he didn¡¯t feel particularly like a father to me. I opened my mouth as I watched his pale pink hair similar to mine flutter in the wind. ¡°The Duke is right.¡± ¡°Wha-what did you say?¡± The Duke opened his mouth as if he didn¡¯t expect that I would agree with him. I glanced at Dorothea who was crying in his arms. ¡°There was a strange scent coming from the Countess. It¡¯s definitely a scent that stimulates the wild animals.¡± ¡°I have never given you leave to speak, Princess.¡± The Duke¡¯s face contorted as if he was displeased that I spoke to him first without permission. ¡°Keep your manners.¡± ¡®Ah, there was an etiquette like that.¡¯ I bowed my head, recalling Damon¡¯s crash course. A person of lower status cannot speak first to someone who was of higher status nor engage in conversation. ¡°I give her permission.¡± When I shut my mouth, Dietrich, who had been standing still, put his arm over my shoulder. ¡°You have no such authority, young master.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Your Grace to you. Your old ears must have grown deaf for you not to hear Her Majesty¡¯s words.¡± Although he had not yet received the approval of the House of the Lords, Dietrich was definitely a grand duke who had already completed his succession. Whether the duke frowned or not, he continued to speak slowly. ¡°Anissa can say anything she pleases here. So don¡¯t rudely cut her off.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t really intend to say anything of importance here.¡¯ I shyly scratched the back of my head at Dietrich¡¯s expression of full support. ¡°Anyway, I agree with His Grace. Someone must have done it on purpose.¡± When I spoke firmly, the people who had gone quiet at the Duke¡¯s words started roaring again. ¡°Maybe Lagrange didn¡¯t do it?¡± ¡°Maybe they really didn¡¯t? The person who save the Countess earlier was also the Princess, isn¡¯t that right?¡± I knew it would turn out like that. If I had stayed still, it would be too obvious that Dietrich would have become the culprit just because of the label ¡®Lagrange of the North.¡¯ I put my hands together, tearing up as if I couldn¡¯t forgive the tragedy that happened to Dorothea. ¡°Oh poor Countess Dorothea, you must have been so scared!¡± ¡°...Didn¡¯t the Princess save the Countess?¡± The Duke touched his mustache nervously, perhaps flustered that the situation wasn¡¯t moving according to his wishes. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is it true that you used your ability in the process?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I smiled innocently and turned my head toward the emperor instead. ¡°But if I didn¡¯t, the Countess could have been gravely injured, or worse, she could have died. I had no other choice, Your Majesty.¡± Charlotte wasn¡¯t the only one who could cry easily. I secretly pinched my hand and shed tears. ¡°It was really scary. They were much too big a bear that a gun wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything.¡± As I shed tears, the emperor came down from her horse and groaned regretfully. She hugged me tightly and patted me on the back. ¡°Oh my goodness. Duke Euclid, the Princess is also quite surprised herself so don¡¯t press her.¡± ¡°However, it is forbidden to use abilities in the capital¨C!¡± ¡°So would you rather your sister-in-law have died?¡± ¡°Your majesty!¡± Tsk tsk. The emperor clicked her tongue and showed her palm to the duke. ¡°I told you to stop, Duke. Do not disregard my words.¡± Even if she¡¯s just a puppet, an emperor was still an emperor. The duke could no longer interrogate me and had no choice but to close his mouth. ¡°The first thing we need to do now is find the person who applied the scent on Countess Dorothea. Countess.¡± ¡°Yes, Your majesty.¡± ¡°Was the perfume you wore today something special?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s the same perfume I always use.¡± Dorothea buried her face on her shoulder with an odd face and sniffed. It was then that she frowned, noticing the scent. ¡°However, I used perfumed oil today.¡± She murmured inaudibly and then raised her head in astonishment. The emperor who found Dorothea¡¯s face turning white hugged me and mysteriously opened her mouth. ¡°Was it a special perfumed oil?¡± ¡°Ah. I bought it from a p-peddler.¡± ¡°A peddler?¡± Her aura lightly shook with tension. ¡®It¡¯s a lie.¡¯ I knew Dorothea was lying, but if I called out her lie, I¡¯d have to divulge the nature of my abilities. ¡®That would spell trouble.¡¯ Eredia¡¯s ability was not well-known so it¡¯s impossible to guess just by growing a few trees, but she was famous for her ability to distinguish the truth. ¡°Yes. I bought it from a peddler. I guess I was out of luck.¡± ¡°Do you not know who the peddler was?¡± ¡°It was a wandering peddler.¡± There was no way a noble of equal standing to a countess, much less an arrogant one like Dorothea, would have bought something from a wandering peddler. I was dumbfounded by her obvious lies, but the emperor had stopped questioning her further. ¡°For now, I understand. Investigate the bears and we¡¯ll find something. Today¡¯s weather is foul.¡± At the emperor¡¯s command, her royal guards tore the bear cage open which I had made from scratch. Krrrrng. Krrrrnng. The bears that had calmed their agitation cried loudly but there was nothing I could do for them. As I watched the captured wild animals being dragged away, I wiped the corners of my eyes which were still brimming with tears. ¡°....Don¡¯t look.¡± Dietrich¡¯s large hand covered my face. His hand was rough but the warmth emanating from it loosened my tight lips. ¡°Did you not catch anything, Dietrich?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you hate things like that.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at Dietrich¡¯s seemingly natural answer. When we lived in Dahlia he had no qualms catching a rabbit running on the ground or catching a bird flying in the sky. ¡°In any case, we have to find the person who gave Dorothea the perfumed oil.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What do you mean why?¡± Whoever it was, it was obvious that they were after Dietrich and not Dorothea. ¡°We have to catch and torture them because they were trying to pin it on you.¡± He, who still had one hand over my eyes, laughed like the billowing of the wind at my words. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± ¡°Just because.¡± I like it. He whispered and I grabbed his arm with both my hands, putting it down. I was speechless for a moment at how wonderful his slightly lowered eyelids looked. ¡®It¡¯s a beauty that¡¯s such a waste to give to Charlotte.¡¯ ¡°What exactly do you like so much? Someone is after you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so reliable that I¡¯m not even afraid.¡± It sounded sarcastic but Dietrich seemed to mean it. I looked for Charlotte, leaving him to grin to himself. She was looking at the ground, chewing on her thumb as if she didn¡¯t understand the current situation. ¡®Is she looking at the zelkova tree?¡¯ ¡°Charl, what are you looking at so intently?¡± ¡°Anissa.¡± At my voice, she tore her penetrating gaze from the ground and broke a root of the zelkova tree which I had raised. ¡°I have something to say.¡± She glanced at Dietrich with a forcibly cut tree root in her hand. She opened her mouth again after seeing no signs of him retreating on his own. ¡°I¡¯d like you to step aside, Your Grace.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Even at Charl¡¯s request, Dietrich didn¡¯t budge as if stuck in his place. I opened my mouth like a sigh and pushed his back. ¡°You can go away.¡± ¡°I know what that girl will do to you.¡± ¡°Your Grace, I have no intention of harming Anissa!¡± Charlotte¡¯s voice grew louder, upset by Dietrich¡¯s words. She chewed on her lips as if shocked by Dietrich¡¯s attitude toward her. Watching Dietrich moving, chased away by me, she opened her mouth as if she would cry any time soon. ¡°......I can¡¯t understand His Grace¡¯s attitude.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°He¡¯s cold towards me.¡± Dietrich was a person known for being impartial, cold, and uncouth to all. I tilted my head unable to understand her words. ¡°His Grace isn¡¯t supposed to be cold to me. Because we are a pair determined by fate.¡± My eyes widened in surprise at Charlotte¡¯s words. ¡®Did she read the book ¡°The Rose War of Men?¡±¡¯ ¡°Fate?¡± ¡°The savior that the prophecy speaks of is me, the Saint of Vallandia. The North is a metaphor referring to His Grace.¡± Charlotte¡¯s thin lips moved slightly. After hesitating for a moment, she soon continued without delay. ¡°But there¡¯s one more prophecy that people don¡¯t know.¡± Her voice dropped as if what she was about to say was a secret. I turned my ears towards her as she leaned toward me. ¡°There was a warning that the North could be completely taken by a clown pretending to be a god.¡± Charlotte then began to tremble, squeezing the tree root in her hand. Then a very small bud sprouted from the root. ¡°This power is from Hera.¡± ¡°.........¡± ¡°How the hell did you steal the power of Solisism, Anissa?¡± CH 95 ¡°Steal? What do you mean?¡± I was a little stunned at Charlotte¡¯s nonsensical remarks. It¡¯s the first time I heard about being able to steal abilities, and if it was possible in the first place, I wouldn¡¯t steal Eredia¡¯s abilities. ¡®I might steal an ability like Hermann¡¯s where he smashes everything by shooting them with fire.¡¯ Reading other people¡¯s minds and feelings just makes me uncomfortable. What was I even to do by stealing this kind of ability? ¡°Blessings that breathe life into plants or eyes that discern the truth are abilities that only very special people among the priests of the sun god possess.¡± ¡°And what about it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way that such a power would be given to you, who doesn¡¯t even serve Hera.¡± I chuckled at Charlotte¡¯s stern face. However, it seemed that she hadn¡¯t been able to find out that the true nature of my power belongs to Eredia. ¡°There are demons with such powers among shadow demons as well, Charl.¡± I replied nonchalantly without showing even a hint of panic. It was then that her tight lips softened a little. She hesitantly opened her mouth. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Is there a reason why I should lie to Charl?¡± ¡°I have never heard of such a demon.¡± ¡°A priest wouldn¡¯t be able to know all about the shadows of the north.¡± Taking back the arm she had grabbed, I added, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re pushing me away without properly knowing me. I¡¯m a little disappointed.¡± Charl¡¯s eyes widened as if receiving a big shock from my words. I stepped back, lowering the corner of my lips that tried to rise after seeing her surprised rabbit-like eyes. ¡°I¡¯m hurt.¡± "!" As if my words were some kind of an insult, Charlotte¡¯s mouth dropped open. ¡°You¡¯re h-hurt? Are you saying it¡¯s because of me?¡± As if she had never hurt anyone in all her life, her lips kept moving hesitantly. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you, Anissa. It¡¯s the truth. I¡¯m not that kind of person.¡± I didn¡¯t know what kind of person that was, but for now, I nodded at her urgent apology. ¡®She isn¡¯t as difficult to deal with as I thought.¡¯ I set out to look for Dietrich after consoling her, who wore an even worse tearful face than me. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I thought I would be able to go home now that the hunting competition had somehow ended, however, instead of ending, it led to a ball. ¡®I want to go home.¡¯ Although I still felt awkward calling the capital mansion home, it was still preferable to staying in the imperial castle, which was like a bed of thorns. ¡®Still, they told us to come, so we should obey.¡¯ I pressed on my eyes which were weighed down by fatigue and got off the carriage. ¡°Lady Anissa! We were waiting for you.¡± The maids with not a single hair out of order from their heads greeted me and Dietrich as we stepped into the imperial castle. ¡°Your Grace, if you could please go this way. Lady Anissa, this way.¡± ¡°Where are you taking her?¡± It was Dietrich who blocked the maids from grabbing my forearm. At his sharp mood, the oldest-looking maid among them raised her eyebrows. ¡°It is Her Majesty¡¯s order. She told me to sincerely take care of Lady Anissa.¡± ¡°I will also go with her.¡± ¡°Pardon? Even if you are brother and sister, do you mean to say that a grown man and woman should wash up together?¡± Of course not. I hastily waved my arms expressing my objection to the maid¡¯s question. ¡°I was sweating so I did want to wash up. I¡¯ll be back.¡± Dietrich, who had been watching my reaction sullenly, nodded his head. I was soon led by the emperor¡¯s maids and soaked in hot water with perfumed oil. ¡°This is a very rare perfume that could only be found in the eastern colonies. It is because Her Majesty had told me to serve you with all my heart.¡± ¡°I see. Tell her I am grateful.¡± ¡°Please tell her yourself. She is probably waiting for you right now.¡± I nodded without hesitation at the maid¡¯s words. ¡®Anyway, it¡¯s been a while since I took a bath like this.¡¯ In Dahlia, unfortunately, the hot water didn¡¯t really come out properly. I rubbed my face on the marble bathtub, sighing in contentment at the luxury I had experienced for the first time in a long time. ¡®Why is the emperor doing me a favor?¡¯ When I thought it might not be a favor and that I had to be careful, I moved my refreshed body and got out of the bathtub. Soon, the maids bearing towels came to pick me up and dressed me in new clothes. Without checking the appearance of the yellow-green dress, I sat on the vanity table and they brushed my hair. My level of sanity was akin to that of a clown at this point. ¡°Puff.¡± When I opened my eyes after the fluttering touch of pearl power on the bridge of my nose, the maids held my arms and began to walk. ¡°Can¡¯t I go without you holding on to my arms?¡± ¡°Her Majesty had said you are like a baby lark, so she doesn¡¯t know where you might fly off to.¡± ¡®Baby lark, my butt.¡¯ As expected, that emperor with unknown intentions wouldn¡¯t treat me well for no reason. ¡®Isn¡¯t this almost like being taken to the authorities?¡¯ Feeling strange, I looked around with a tearful face. At some point, the sun had set while I was washing, the hallway was dark and only the heels of the maids echoed. ¡°Are we heading to Her Majesty?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What about the ball¡­?¡± ¡°While the lady had been preparing, there was a meeting held regarding Countess Hilbert¡¯s case.¡± ¡°Already?¡± ¡°It was said that there was an unusual trace left on the bears.¡± I tilted my head at the maid¡¯s quick reply. If it was such an easy trace to discover, there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t have been able to find it myself. ¡®Dorothea nor the people, as I suspected, couldn¡¯t even smell the shadows, let alone the beasts.¡¯ Except for the dark red eyes, they were just ordinary wild animals. A common bear that Dietrich often knocked down behind the grove of withered roses. ¡°Once the suspect is identified, they would go into immediate trial.¡± ¡®How could a trial be held so haphazardly like this?¡¯ The closer I got to the emperor¡¯s meeting room, the more anxious I became thanks to the maids holding my arms tightly. ¡°Oh my. Ariel, aren¡¯t you holding on too tight? Her Majesty told us to serve her devotedly.¡± Soon, a high-ranking maid began showing me a favorable aura. In a moment, they loosened their arms. ¡°Lady Anissa Lagrange!¡± The meeting room we arrived in consisted of a round marble table large enough to seat twenty people and a table set placed a little farther away. ¡°Ohh! You look like a spring rose. It, without a doubt, suits you.¡± The emperor greeted me with a big smile. I tried to ignore her blatant gaze as I looked around. ¡°Come and sit.¡± ¡®The round table seemed to be a seat for high-ranking nobles.¡¯ At the round table sat Duke Euclid, an elderly Count, and several middle-aged women with somber faces. Meanwhile, Dietrich was seated in his chair as if it was something natural so I walked slowly to where the young women were gathered. ¡°Anissa.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± But without being able to take a few steps, Dietrich called me. With an apathetic expression, he pointed to the seat next to him. ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°...But someone¡¯s already sitting there?¡± Next to Dietrich, a timid-looking man was preparing for the meeting and even had his notebook open. ¡®David Hilbert.¡¯ I identified him by the eagle brooch flashing on his chest. ¡®He¡¯s Dorothea¡¯s husband.¡¯ ¡°Count.¡± Dietrich called Count Hilbert and glared at him in silence. His eyes were so bloodthirsty that everyone in the room unwittingly had to swallow their saliva. ¡°Ah, ahh. Yes. Just in time, I had wanted to sit by the window.¡± As timid as his impression was, his personality was likewise. The Count rose from his seat with an awkward smile. ¡°I could have just sat over there¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°N-nothing.¡± I ended up sitting on a chair so high it was difficult to climb. As if it was difficult for her not to sit still while seated next to me, the emperor smiled broadly like her lips would rip themselves and sniffed. ¡°Hoho. The Duke¡¯s sister even has a beautiful scent. She¡¯s a girl who truly fits the metaphor of a spring rose blooming in the North.¡± When I leaned back a little, feeling burdened by the emperor¡¯s continuous inhaling, Dietrich stretched his arm between us. ¡°Stop smelling her.¡± He slowly moved his arm to create a breeze. The emperor, who was distracted by the strong smell of perfume, frowned. ¡°Why? Does it wear out?¡± ¡°Yes, it wears out. Stop smelling her.¡± ¡°Ha! My goodness!¡± In response to Dietrich¡¯s blunt reply, the emperor chewed on her lips and leaned back. She immediately turned her gaze around and looked at the round table. ¡°Now! All the key characters are here so let¡¯s proceed with this meeting.¡± The emperor glanced at Dorothea sitting across the round table and continued, ¡°Countess.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Are you familiar with the scent worn by Anissa Lagrange?¡± Dorothea¡¯s eyes looked at her sister, visibly startled by the question. ¡°It smells like a precious quince that is only found in the Eastern colony.¡± Unlike her restless self, Dona Euclid opened her mouth with a calm countenance. Dona raised the corners of her lips elegantly. ¡°It¡¯s as Her Majesty said. It¡¯s a scent that suits the young lady well.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I scratched my cheek at her sudden compliment. I thought her gaze lightly landed on my pale pink hair for a moment, however, she quickly continued. ¡°The perfume I gave to my younger sister also contained quince from the East. However, it doesn¡¯t make sense that the bears only attacked Dorothea just because of the contents of the perfume.¡± CH 96 ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯re the one who gave the perfume. I was told it was bought from a peddler earlier.¡± The emperor¡¯s eyes flashed. Even if the emperor was only a powerful figure in name, the duchess couldn¡¯t do anything but endure her sharp eyes and clenched her fist. ¡°It¡¯s because I bought it from a peddler and gifted it to Dorothea. I thought you already found out about it.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The emperor scratched her chin at Dona¡¯s answer. She slowly turned her gaze to the people sitting at the round table. ¡°Duke Lagrange¡¯s sister had said that the bears must have come at her due to that scent.¡± ¡°How could you believe those words?¡± The young man sitting closest to Duke Euclid opened his mouth curtly. After those words, the people began to chatter. ¡®It seems they intend to let Dietrich and me take the fall of this matter.¡¯ I opened my mouth, sighing. ¡°The scent of quince is not important. It had a strange air that stimulated the animals.¡± ¡°Do we have any reason to believe your words, young lady?¡± A man who looked similar to Dorothea, perhaps her relative, wheezed. In fact, Dorothea only stayed stuck in a corner, meekly glancing at people. ¡°There is no reason. Because it¡¯s just my instinct.¡± However, I wasn¡¯t the only one in this place who could attest that the scent was hazardous enough even by just smelling it. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Miss Charlotte Vallandia?¡± I pointed at Charlotte who sat next to Dona Euclid, chewing on her finger. In an instant, her eyes widened, looking at me who was staring at her. ¡°I¡¯m sure Charlotte felt it, too. That the scent was strange.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± They asked her with a gentle face as if the southern nobles who wouldn¡¯t pay heed to my words would only believe Charlotte¡¯s words. Such blatant discrimination. ¡®I¡¯m dirty in their eyes so I¡¯ll never come to the capital again.¡¯ I decided that I would rather become a naturalized foreign citizen when I get out of Lagrange as I glared at them. ¡°...Yes. It didn¡¯t seem like he was simply drawn to the sweet scent of quince. As I told Her Majesty before, the bears had traces of darkness.¡± ¡®Traces of darkness?¡¯ ¡°There was something like that?¡± ¡°Yes, Anissa. I purified the bears and released them into the forest.¡± The southern nobles shut their mouths at Charlotte¡¯s answer. Each of them let out a sigh of relief with their eyes filled with heartwarming emotion. ¡°You mean, you didn¡¯t kill them?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t just trying to harm Madam Dorothea, it was just cursed and used. My heart ached so I asked for them to be saved.¡± Charlotte turned to Dorothea in tears. ¡°Please understand, Madam Dorothea.¡± ¡°Of course. I understand. Charl is really a person who deserves to be called a saint.¡± Dorothea nodded as if they understood each other. I was a little dumbfounded that I silently laughed. ¡®If you¡¯re so heartbroken, you should have stopped the hunting competition altogether.¡¯ Didn¡¯t Dorothea receive a freshly caught marten and three foxes as consolation gifts from Duke Euclid earlier? ¡°Traces of darkness, you say. Was it some kind of black magic?¡± Charl gently shook her head at the Emperor¡¯s question. ¡°I don¡¯t know that much. I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not at fault.¡± ¡°However¡­¡± ¡°However?¡± Charlotte glanced at me in the middle of her words. She had opened her mouth as if she had something to say but soon closed her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Your Majesty.¡± She, however, still donned a face that looked like she was about to confess something. Instead of waiting for her, the emperor turned toward me. ¡°Why is Charlotte looking at you, my lady?¡± ¡°I also don¡¯t know.¡± ¡®What exactly are you trying to say?¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know, Anissa.¡± Charlotte opened her mouth with tears streaming down her face as if she could no longer bear looking at me. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. However, I can¡¯t lie anymore as this body serves the holy sun god.¡± Heuk, gulp! The sound of crying and swallowing saliva followed. Her appearance looked so pitiful that people stopped talking and focused on her. ¡°I can¡¯t, heuk! Protect, hic! Our precious, friendship! Heuk! I¡¯m sorry.¡± I was stunned, unable to remember having a precious friendship with Charlotte in particular. The female protagonist, shedding clear tears, continued. ¡°Your Majesty, I saw in the forest. I saw Anissa summon a shadow demon.¡± ¡®I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re saying you saw me ¡®summon¡¯ a ¡®demon¡¯!¡¯ Gasp. The sound of people inhaling sharply pierced my ears. It was obvious what kind of picture they were envisioning from Charlotte¡¯s words. ¡°Ha.¡± The eyes that were glued on her glared at me in an instant. ¡°Are Charlotte¡¯s words true, Princess?¡± The emperor, who had only been smiling at me whenever she saw me, was glaring at me with a sharp cold face. ¡°No. That¡¯s not possible. That demon was ¨C¡± ¡°Yes. I summoned it, Your Majesty.¡± As soon as Dietrich opened his mouth, I responded quickly, pinching his thigh under the table. It wouldn¡¯t have hurt that much but he made an impression as if he was about to rip me apart. ¡®Be quiet.¡¯ ¡®Why should I?¡¯ ¡®Are you not thinking about Yuric and Veronica?¡¯ Dietrich groaned irritably at my whispered words, but in the end, he obeyed. ¡°So, who exactly summoned the demon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me. Charlotte is right, Your Majesty.¡± There was also that chaos he had stirred up in the capital mansion, and if it was found out that Dietrich also used his ability in the hunting competition, the succession may be canceled. ¡®We can¡¯t delay any longer.¡¯ Just because the Grand Duke¡¯s sister made a little mistake, they wouldn¡¯t come to the point that they¡¯d kill me, right? I put my hands together, crying as if I were deeply reflecting on myself. ¡°But I never tried to harm Countess Hilbert.¡± ¡°Then why the hell did you use your ability during the hunting competition, Princess!¡± I turned my head to the sound of Duke Euclid¡¯s voice. ¡°Answer!¡± He was really putting on an angry face even though his son had also used his abilities in the capital. He donned a patriot''s mask as if I was really plotting rebellion. ¡°Shut your mouth, Euclid.¡± ¡°Wh-what did you say? This arrogant bastard!¡± ¡°How dare you raise your voice at my sister.¡± Dietrich gnashed his teeth and warned the duke. I managed to open my mouth, sweating from the stinging gaze. ¡°Summoning the shadow was purely a mistake. I¡¯m still not good at using this ability.¡± ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s a mistake that you controlled the bears?¡± ¡°However, I really don¡¯t know anything about the traces of darkness that Charlotte is talking about, Your Majesty.¡± At my firm answer, the emperor¡¯s expression wavered for a moment. As she agonized and pressed on her temple, the nobles started raising their voices. ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s definitely a lie!¡± ¡°Her Ladyship might have a lovely face, but in the end, isn¡¯t she a Northerner? It¡¯s the same as being half-human!¡± At people¡¯s words, Dietrich fumbled on his waist. I was certain he was looking for the sword that was taken away the moment we entered the imperial castle so I grabbed his hand. ¡®Please don¡¯t make a scene, okay?¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s not a lie! Isn¡¯t there no other evidence apart from Charlotte¡¯s testimony?¡± At my question, the emperor let out an agonized sound and looked between me and Charlotte, who was crying. Dona Euclid jumped out of her seat and embraced Charlotte. ¡°Are you implying that Charlotte is lying, Princess?! Charl is the Saint of Vallandia! She¡¯s a priestess serving god! Your Majesty, this is a clear insult towards the sun god!¡± ¡®Just because she¡¯s a priestess she¡¯s incapable of lying, is that right?¡¯ Although I wasn¡¯t particularly saying that Charlotte was lying, when it comes to using her abilities, she was cowardly. ¡®I¡¯ve seen her use her powers several times too!¡¯ As I fumed and glared at her and Charlotte, Dona Euclid faltered and stepped back. I laughed at her exaggerated show of fear. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. For the moment, I will have to detain your ladyship until the investigation is over.¡± The emperor stood up from her seat as if she hated this kind of problem and called her secretary. Dietrich jumped forward as if to refute her decision. ¡°Says who.¡± ¡°Grand Duke, you have not forgotten that I am the emperor of this empire, have you?¡± She added briefly, removing Dietrich¡¯s hand that was holding her. ¡°Soon, we will be holding a conference regarding your succession to the title of the grand duke. Be careful with what you say.¡± Fortunately, it seemed that the conference would proceed as it is. I let out a small sigh of relief. ¡°But Your Majesty, you can¡¯t give such an enormous power to a person like that under the current circumstances!¡± Duke Euclid seized the emperor¡¯s judgment and targetted it. Dietrich irritatingly took a step closer to him. ¡°You speak as if the power of Lagrange is yours.¡± ¡°Young master, I mean, Your Grace! What are you going to do about your sister¡¯s behavior! How dare a mere woman enter the hunting competition and even summon a demon¨C!¡± Even as the Duke took a step back, afraid of Dietrich, he still didn¡¯t lower his voice. ¡°I told you to shut your mouth. The older you get the longer your tongue becomes it seems.¡± ¡°Wh-what did you say!¡± ¡®This is why they keep fighting!¡¯ ¡°Dietrich, stop.¡± I thought I understood now why Hermann always gnashed his teeth when seeing Dietrich. ¡°You may detain me.¡± With a sigh, I held out my arms to the guards who hesitantly approached me. ¡°But, I would like you to no longer postpone the nobility conference discussing the succession of the Grand Duke of Lagrange, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Very well. Take her into custody.¡± At the emperor¡¯s resolute command, Dietrich got up from his seat with a wry smile. He glared at the guards at my side as if he would tear them to pieces this instant. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch her.¡± ¡°Your Grace, taking custody of her ladyship is the emperor¡¯s orders.¡± ¡°I said, don¡¯t you dare touch her unless you no longer need your fingers.¡± CH 97 Sigh. At Dietrich¡¯s indifferent words, the guards who had grabbed my wrists flinched and lowered their arms. It was a little pitiful to see them hide their hands behind their back. ¡°Dietrich, I¡¯m all right.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not all right.¡± He groaned with annoyance, pulling me away from the guards. No matter how crappy the situation was, even if they felt like wanting to turn everything upside down, it was no way to solve the situation. ¡°I want to go home.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. There¡¯s no need for us to listen to the words of these bastards.¡± ¡°But that means I can only go home when the succession is approved.¡± ¡°............¡± Dietrich who had been poised to storm out of the meeting room right this instant, stood still. ¡°If I endure I little, it will all end. Anyway, there is no evidence.¡± I raised my arm and brushed his fringe covering his forehead. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Although he didn¡¯t agree with me, in the end, Dietrich didn¡¯t stop the guards from coming for me. ¡°I¡¯m all right.¡± He was probably thinking I¡¯m just saying it to reassure him because his aura was still boiling like a soup in a cauldron. ¡°Please follow me.¡± I eventually followed the guards with stamping footsteps out of the room. ¡°We will do our best to avoid any inconveniences as much as possible. Please understand.¡± The guards tied my wrists with a string and continuously murmured their apologies. ¡®They must be scared of Dietrich.¡¯ Perhaps because of his murderous attitude, the emperor¡¯s guards couldn¡¯t treat me so carelessly. ¡®But well, this is good enough, I guess.¡¯ The temporary prison in which the emperor detained me was even more luxurious compared to the basement in Lagrange where Derek imprisoned me. ¡®Please, I hope you stay calm.¡¯ I looked around the prison, apart from the bars in front of the door, it didn¡¯t look that much different from an imperial bedroom. ¡®I guess they¡¯re giving me special treatment because I¡¯m a noble.¡¯ Dietrich, grinding his teeth as he calls for Baal, was much scarier than a prison sentence. ¡®Don¡¯t make any scene, please.¡¯ ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It wasn¡¯t until Anissa had disappeared from the meeting room did the people found out how much the Grand Duke of Lagrange had been ¡®letting them off.¡¯ ¡°Interesting.¡± Bang! Dietrich shut the heavy door tightly almost as if it would be demolished before turning around. ¡°How very interesting.¡± He walked briskly toward the round table, murmuring those words with a face devoid of expression. ¡°I guess you really wanted to drag on that meeting.¡± Some nobles cowered at Dietrich¡¯s slow remarks. He continued with a somewhat fishy smile. ¡°You don¡¯t have anywhere to go anyway, so let¡¯s proceed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible, Duke Lagrange.¡± Without fail, Duke Euclid stepped in. He shook his head and looked at the emperor. ¡°Until the truth of the crime that was committed by Anissa Lagrange is uncovered, we cannot grant approval to the Duke¡¯s succession. This is the position of the House of the Lords, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Crime?¡± At the Duke¡¯s words, Dietrich crookedly raised the corners of his lips, finding them absurd. He clenched one of his fists and gnashed his teeth violently. ¡°Count.¡± He gestured at the timid Count Hilbert instead of the duke. The Count, startled by the intensity of someone who was much younger than him, answered immediately with a ¡®yes, yes!¡¯ ¡°If Lagrange had wanted to harm your wife, do you think it would just end with a scratch?¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s the Lagrange, did you think it wouldn¡¯t be a big incident if you mistreated the Countess?!¡± Dietrich roughly moved his arm as if he would grab the collar of the Duke who had answered instead of the Count. ¡°How d-dare you use violence!¡± The startled duke had shouted, but Dietrich only straightened up his collar. As if the duke had never flinched, he cleared his throat. ¡°If I kill Dorothea Hilbert right here, what sanctions can you impose on me?¡± ¡°What crude thing are you saying right now! Do not forget you are in the presence of Her Majesty, Grand Duke!¡± ¡°Do you think you could touch the ends of my hair with that lousy, dreadful spark that can¡¯t even be used to kindle a fire?¡± At Dietrich¡¯s sharp words, the duke shut his mouth as if he had swallowed a handful of honey. Dietrich, who looked on coldly at his flushed red face, slowly added. ¡°So, if you don¡¯t want to see me overturn this round table and change this generation head of nobles,¡± he impudently gestured with his chin to the emperor and continued, ¡°it would be in your best interest to start the meeting.¡± ¡°I did make a promise with her ladyship, so I¡¯ll proceed with the meeting right away.¡± The emperor nodded at Dietrich¡¯s sharp gaze. As she sat on the seat for the emperor at the round table, the duke raised his voice without losing. ¡°No, Your Majesty! The House of the Lords decided to defer!¡± ¡°If I follow the will of the nobility, I would become an emperor who could not even keep a promise to a mere girl. Are you painting me to be that kind of person, Duke?¡± Her resolve was firm. Euclid glared between Dietrich and the Emperor, pressing on his forehead. ¡°Then please forbid the Grand Duke of Lagrange from threatening me with his ability. I won¡¯t be able to concentrate on the meeting for fear of his violence.¡± ¡°Very well. Is that understood?¡± Dietrich nodded briefly at the emperor¡¯s question. ¡®If you can¡¯t use your ability, you¡¯re nothing but an ordinary knight.¡¯ Expressing such obvious thoughts, the duke had sent a servant with a restraining instrument as if he had prepared in advance. ¡°It might be uncomfortable but be patient.¡± The emperor glanced at Dietrich¡¯s wrists with heavy handcuffs, then raised her hand. ¡°We will now begin the meeting for the Grand Duke¡¯s succession approval. At the same time, all of the House of the Lords have gathered.¡± She continued, slowly surveying the seated nobles. There were eight southern nobles, four western nobles, and two central nobles. ¡°There is only one noble from the North, the Duke of Lagrange. Before we begin, I would like to tell you that the Valliere Royal Family has already authorized the succession of Dietrich Benoit-Louis Honore Lagrange.¡± ¡°With the approval of Her Majesty, we only need the approval of the majority of the nobility heads.¡± Count Hilbert nodded his head as if responding to the emperor¡¯s words then promptly closed his mouth again at the harsh gaze of Duke Euclid. ¡°All members of the southern nobility will oppose it.¡± The duke gritted his teeth and threw a temper. Dietrich grinned, showing off his handcuffed wrists. ¡°Without hearing the justification?¡± ¡°What is there to do if I hear it? It must have been a blood-stained succession anyway! It is your barbaric way to start off by killing your siblings and your father, isn¡¯t it?!¡± ¡°No, you got it wrong. Most of my siblings are alive. The one who killed Derek Lagrange isn¡¯t me either.¡± Duke Euclid¡¯s jaw dropped open in disbelief at Dietrich¡¯s reply. ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°The Grand Duke¡¯s words are true, Duke. It¡¯s already confirmed.¡± ¡°The only excuse you probably had for dragging on the succession¡¯s approval was my bloody-mindedness.¡± Dietrich smiled leisurely and stared at the pale Duke. The corners of his mouth had been raised, however, it did not reach his eyes that were so cold-blooded. The Duke clenched his fist, feeling as if his life would be short-lived. ¡°You¡¯re free to babble on one more time.¡± ¡°He a-attacked Hermann. Your Majesty, the Grand Duke of Lagrange almost killed my only son!¡± ¡°The civil war between Lagrange and Euclid lasted long enough to accompany the history of the empire. The lives of the Lagranges which you took wouldn¡¯t have been easy either.¡± The Duke of Euclid tried his best to ignore Dietrich¡¯s words and clung to the emperor. ¡°My only son is still a child!¡± ¡°Hmm? Isn¡¯t Hermann the same age as the Grand Duke?¡± However, even the emperor didn¡¯t extend him a helping hand. Unable to control the atmosphere, the duke chewed on his lips and loosened the tie on his neck. ¡°I see. We just learned what we didn¡¯t know about the Grand Duke of Lagrange. I need more time to think before we cast our votes, Your Majesty.¡± Since they couldn¡¯t stop the succession, it seemed that their strategy now was to buy more time. The duke looked at the southern nobles one by one and prompted for a response. ¡°Yes, yes! I think we need to think about it more, Your Majesty! Hic!¡± Dietrich silently glanced at the nobles who opened their mouths one by one. It was to memorize all the faces of those who helped increase Anissa¡¯s detention time. ¡°Hm. You can allow them that much, can you Grand Duke?¡± Dietrich smiled picturesquely and nodded his head at the emperor¡¯s question. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were all so thoughtful.¡± ¡°Thank you for your permission. We will now have a separate meeting.¡± Even though he was restrained so that he could not use his ability, his eyes were still screaming for blood the nobles trembled and tried to put as much distance as they could from Dietrich. ¡°No, do it where I can see you.¡± Dietrich tapped the round table with his finger and opened his mouth. ¡°You might have questions.¡± Because I will see for myself how long this damned meeting will take. CH 98 Henry Euclid. The head of the prestigious Dukedom of Euclid, and the father of the Hermann Euclid, the knight favored by the sun god. He glanced back at his wife and chewed his lips anxiously. ¡°Henry, your lips will be hurt.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He sighed as he shook Dona¡¯s hand, who was worried about him. ¡®I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s able to endure the restraints this much.¡¯ Not only the west but the central region as well, which survived and parasitized the mines of Lagrange, would not dare to rebel against Lagrange. It was even difficult for the southern nobles to oppose the legitimate succession without reason. ¡®That was why I tried to delay the meeting and drag it on by coming up with lame excuses.¡¯ One week. Exactly, a week has passed by. ¡®I thought he¡¯d give up due to not being able to endure the suffocation!¡¯ For people like Hermann and Dietrich who freely used their powers, restraints that inhibit their ability was not just simple handcuffs. It would have been suffocating as if someone were strangling them, however, the deathly pale young Grand Duke of Lagrange endured silently without showing any difficulty. ¡®Tough bastard.¡¯ He was the first man in the world who was tougher than his son. He clicked his tongue and glared at Dietrich who was resting his chin on the round table. ¡°So, is your discussion over?¡± ¡°No, not yet, Your Majesty.¡± Even the emperor, who knew Euclid¡¯s situation, couldn¡¯t stand the tedious wait and grew angry. In order to get as much time as possible, Henry exchanged useless chatter with the noble sitting next to him. ¡®I can¡¯t let that bastard become a grand duke before Hermann.¡¯ He was arrogant like an aristocrat, and he knew himself. ¡®If he starts a rose war while I¡¯m still seated as the grand duke, there would be no victory.¡¯ He himself used to use the power of the sun in his own efficient way but compared to Dietrich, who had Baal, the king of the shadow demons as his subordinate, it was an ordinary ability. He knew very well that if there was someone in Euclid who could stand up against Dietrich, it was his son, Hermann. ¡®Damn it! Of all people to be absent, it had to be the High Priest!¡¯ At the news of Derek Lagrange¡¯s death, Euclid had been in a hurry to prepare for Hermann¡¯s succession. He had to obtain the emperor¡¯s approval, and the majority of the House of Lords were southern nobles so there was no need to worry about that. However, Euclid was traditionally blessed with a High Priest who often leaves the temple under the pretext of taking care of the world for the succession. ¡°.....Has the High Priest not yet returned?¡± About the time he asked his attendant regarding the whereabouts of the High Priest as he chewed on his lips anxiously, a servant knocked on the door of the meeting room. ¡°A letter of correspondence has arrived for Duke Euclid.¡± [Father, the High Priest Adelberg has arrived at the Euclid territory. I¡¯m rushing down there as well. -Hermann] ¡®It¡¯s done.¡¯ The duke rose from his seat with a broad smile. When he clapped his palms, the nobles who had been half-dozing off straightened their postures. ¡°Your Majesty, on behalf of the southern territories, I¡¯d like to make a suggestion.¡± ¡°What is it? I¡¯ll listen to anything just to end this tedious, boring meeting that isn¡¯t a meeting at all.¡± The emperor spoke slowly like a lion who already had its fill and stared at Henry. ¡®After seeing the Lagrange brother and sister in real life, her attitude strangely changed.¡¯ The duke bowed politely even as he presumptuously thought it was high time to change the emperor. ¡°Your majesty, of course, is well aware that Euclid and Lagrange are families with a unique history.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Watching the generation of Lagrange change also made me think a lot.¡± Henry continued, putting away his son¡¯s correspondence in his arms. ¡°It is a struggle to lead a large family with an aging body, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Please allow my son, Hermann Euclid, to lead this empire with his longtime comrade-in-arms and friend, Grand Duke Dietrich.¡± ¡°Comrade-in-arms?¡± Dietrich smirked in his seat as if Henry was saying a joke. However, he didn¡¯t particularly object. Henry added urgently with a sigh of relief. ¡°Hermann will definitely be of help to the Empire of Bernoulli.¡± ¡°Sir Hermann has an outstanding ability, I know that for a fact.¡± The emperor nodded briefly, recognizing the duke¡¯s intentions. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a good suggestion!¡± ¡°Of course, of course. There¡¯s no other person better suited for the duke¡¯s position than young master Hermann.¡± As if they had been waiting, the southern nobles began to write their consent forms. Several western nobles rushed at a different speed when the Lagrange succession was approved, but Dietrich only glanced at them with indifferent eyes. ¡°Is it done?¡± Dietrich asked softly, fiddling with the handcuffs on his wrist. Henry nodded as he was getting ready to leave in a hurry for Hermann¡¯s succession ceremony. ¡°That¡¯s right. As a representative of the southern nobles, I formally recognize your title as the Grand Duke. However.¡± ¡°However?¡± ¡°As the meeting had been prolonged, we had been unable to finish our investigation into Anissa Lagrange¡¯s case. I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to go back right away.¡± Dietrich could not return to the North first to prepare for the war. Henry kept him in check tenaciously with a nasty smile. ¡°Who exactly is the villain here?¡± Dietrich murmured quietly looking at Henry who was triumphantly smiling at him with a stiff face. He soon opened his mouth as he crookedly tilted his head. ¡°Either way, my succession is now over.¡± ¡°Grand Duke, as I said, your powers are dangerous so I am unable to release you. It¡¯s the same of Lady Anissa¨C¡± ¡°Release me?¡± Crack. ¡°You? Release me?¡± Henry, who had repeatedly said that Anissa and Dietrich could not be released, opened his mouth in astonishment at the broken handcuffs in Dietrich¡¯s hands. A solid handcuff that was made by master craftsmen by tapping the iron ten thousand times and then turned into an artifact by high-ranking wizards was fruitlessly ruined in his grasp. ¡°How c-could you! With just your bare hands?!¡± ¡®He shouldn¡¯t have been able to use his ability! ¡°I¡¯m not a worthless vermin who can¡¯t do anything without his powers like your son.¡± After throwing the broken handcuffs to the ground as if they were children¡¯s toys, Dietrich ignored the pale white duke and summoned Baal. ¡°How¡¯s the condition of Veronica and the kids.¡± ¡°They are all right. Amon will be explaining the situation.¡± Baal, who had crawled out of the shadows, bowed only to Dietrich as if the human emperor was invisible. ¡°What kind of safety measures have you placed here for you to be able to use your ability?!¡± Dietrich turned his back towards the nobles who were shouting and protesting and headed for the door. He smirked at the nobles who were afraid that he would attack them and so they shrieked and retreated, then he spoke. ¡°May I leave now, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°...Very well.¡± If she didn¡¯t allow him, he would have overturned the round table and it would have been a disaster, so how could she stop him? The emperor had sensed that Dietrich¡¯s patience has reached its limit. ¡°You may leave.¡± He nodded briefly at the emperor and then promptly left the room. His destination had already been set a week ago. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Bang! ¡°Dietrich?¡± Crash, bang! ¡®At this rate, the room¡¯s going to be destroyed!¡¯ I stared blankly at the door that had flown and sprang up from my seat. ¡°Y-you don¡¯t have the key?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡®Don¡¯t you usually get the key by threatening a guard rather than breaking a prison just like this? Did his original character setup include this ignorant strength? I glanced at the dented iron bars with a reluctant gaze. Dietrich, who had suddenly appeared in front of me, suddenly grabbed me. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Huh? Right now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He didn¡¯t seem to have any injuries, but the tired expression on his face didn¡¯t look too good. I spoke with both of my hands pressed on my chest, pounding in surprise. ¡°...How did the meeting go?¡± ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± ¡°Did you eat properly? You don¡¯t look good.¡± Dietrich raised his eyebrow as if my question was annoying, then he started walking. ¡°For now, let¡¯s get out first.¡± ¡°Is everything really over? Did it get found out that I¡¯m not the criminal?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to know that.¡± As I had expected, it didn¡¯t seem to be finished properly. ¡°What do you mean I don¡¯t have to know? Are we really going like this? Did I become a criminal?¡± ¡°Anissa.¡± Dietrich gritted his teeth with a face that showed clear signs of holding back his anger. I was a little scared so I mumbled as if to make an excuse. ¡°I mean, I also need to know what happened.¡± ¡°I have poured all of my life¡¯s worth of patience here in this place. If you have any questions, ask them when we get home.¡± I was discouraged by Dietrich¡¯s cold words, but I couldn¡¯t hold back the faint laughter that came out. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± ¡°Because I like it that we¡¯re going home.¡± Now, I had a home to go back to. There were people waiting for me to return to that house, and the fact that I was returning together with Dietrich tickled my heart. And so, I forgot about the situation and smiled. Without even noticing what kind of shadow was cast upon us. CH 99 ¡°Anissa!¡± ¡°Everyone!¡± As soon as the servants lowered the drawbridge, the triplets ran toward me with open arms. I sat halfway and kissed the top of the heads of the kids who were snuggling me. ¡°How¡¯s your body? You¡¯re not cold?¡± ¡°Yeah! We¡¯re completely fine!¡± Maslow grinned as he rubbed his fluffy hair on my neck. I hugged Rose and Riesling in turn before raising myself up. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re all fine.¡± I opened my mouth after carefully examining the condition of the triplets, who seem to not be in any particular pain. ¡°Since when have you been able to move?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a few days! Yuric and Veronica went out for business.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why I don¡¯t see them.¡± Maslow and Riesling grabbed my arms and dragged me to show the newly built Nature. ¡°Hurry! Uhm, but the palace is so cool that I shouldn¡¯t get attached to it.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°What do you mean? Of course not!¡± Maslow, who had been eager to answer my question, suddenly closed his mouth. The child glanced back at Dietrich and then began to look around. ¡°You know it, Anissa.¡± ¡°Know what?¡± I really didn¡¯t know what he was talking about. Maslow hit his chest as if he was frustrated that I didn¡¯t understand what he meant. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later when we go inside.¡± At Maslow¡¯s words, I turned my head slightly to look at Dietrich, who had been pushed aside by the children to hug me ¨C it was a little strange that he was actually pushed aside. ¡®What is he doing?¡¯ A little distance from me, with a displeased expression on his face, Dietrich was having a staring contest with Rose who had grabbed unto my skirt. ¡°Dietrich.¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°Can I go first?¡± ¡°....Do whatever you want.¡± His aloof attitude of not looking at me in the face was disgruntling, but his gruff expression was the same as usual so I followed the children without much thought. ¡°We wanted to make it white, but Lancel insisted that we can¡¯t erase the history so it was built in granite.¡± Upon entering the castle gate, the majestic appearance of the restored Nature Palace was revealed. Although the structure was the same as before, and there were no major changes in its corners, the shiny black granite floor stood out. ¡®Won¡¯t this make it easy for dust to accumulate?¡¯ Now, there might not be too many servants, but I looked up at the ceiling studded with dark blue jewels and worried over nothing. ¡°Lancel was the one managing the castle?¡± ¡°Yeah. I heard Lancel is the temporary butler.¡± ¡°Who said that?¡± ¡°Lancel said so.¡± I clicked my tongue in surprise at Rose¡¯s answer. He seemed to have been reigning over the castle as he pleased because Dietrich wasn¡¯t around. Speaking of the devil, Lancel rushed out from the hall connected to the garden. ¡°Prin~cess~!¡± Lancel, who approached me with his brilliant blonde hair fluttering in the wind, hurriedly knelt down. I frowned, feeling awkward at his polite manner. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve finally arrived! I hope the castle that I worked hard to sweep and polish will be to your and His Grace¡¯s liking.¡± ¡°Uh yeah. It is pretty.¡± After destroying Asmodeus¡¯ fragments, Lancel had shown a favorable attitude toward me, but he had never been such a loyal servant. ¡°When did you get back to Lagrange?¡± ¡°Of course, I came back as soon as the succession is over! Our family has long served the Lagrange.¡± ¡®In other words, he despised the daughter of the family whom they had been serving for generations.¡¯ As I narrowed my eyes, waiting for Lancel¡¯s next words, he hastily added. ¡°I have been thinking over the time that you were not around, Princess.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°No matter how much I think about it, the real power of Lagrange seems to be you, Princess.¡± So now you¡¯re trying to get on my good side, was that it? I stared at Lancel, who was clearing his throat, with disapproving eyes. ¡°While the princess was in the capital, I repaired everything in the Nature and the annex buildings, and I also selected all the servants.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. Of course, I consulted with Marilyn.¡± If Marilyn allowed them, then they¡¯re probably good people. Although Lancel¡¯s sudden change of attitude was untrustworthy, it was also true that no one was as informed about Lagrange¡¯s circumstances as Marilyn and Lancel. ¡°Like this, have I not performed the duties of a temporary butler satisfactorily?¡± ¡°Well, I guess. Let¡¯s say it¡¯s like that.¡± ¡®It¡¯s up to Dietrich to decide on the butler anyway, so I¡¯m not going to go ahead and say anything.¡¯ I nodded roughly and followed him, whose head was full of big dreams like becoming the butler of the Grand Duchy of Lagrange. ¡°What about Dahlia?¡± ¡°The Dahlia Palace is already so old therefore it will be uncomfortable for you to stay in, Princess. I have already prepared a bedroom for you in Nature with His Grace¡¯s permission.¡± As if he really sincerely want to look good to me, the bedroom he had prepared was located just below the top floor of Nature. ¡®Is this the life of living in a grand duchy?¡¯ Unlike Dahlia¡¯s old bedroom, which was often covered in cobwebs and had no heating, the bedroom was decorated with gorgeous chandeliers and glittered brightly. While muttering that even though it was summer, it was chilly at night, Lancel operated the magical fireplace by tapping on it. ¡°If you go left, you will find your own private drawing-room, and connected to it is the study.¡± ¡°Study?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡°I already moved everything that¡¯s in Josef¡¯s lab in your study.¡± ¡®He sure has a bit of sense.¡¯ When I raised my thumb to indicate that he did well, Lancel blushed and scratched his cheek. ¡°Ah! I also took care of that ugly doll and brought it here. It¡¯s your treasure after all.¡± It was then that I found the raccoon doll lying on the soft canopy bed. ¡°You¡¯re right. Thank you for taking care of it.¡± I, who turned thirteen this year, had grown up quite a bit and so the doll didn¡¯t feel as big as before. Patting the soft head of the raccoon doll made me feel like I¡¯m finally home. ¡®I¡¯m glad it¡¯s fine amidst all that chaos.¡¯ Perhaps the disappearance of Asmodeus and the incident of getting caught up in the successor¡¯s gate were so intense that it felt like the time I spent in Lagrange was a distant past. ¡°Anissa!¡± As I was lost in reminiscence, the triplets rushed into the room without even catching their breaths. Unlike earlier, the children were carrying small backpacks one by one. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Are you really asking because you don¡¯t know?¡± Rose pouted as if she was really upset and hugged her bag to herself. Riesling stared me down and added to the words of his sister. ¡°Did you forget? We were supposed to leave Lagrange together.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± We did, right. That was the original plan. I had thought that Dietrich wouldn¡¯t follow my ambitious plan to defeat Asmodeus and lift the shadow curse on Lagrange. When I thought of Dietrich, who had even decided to die alone for me, the thought of that plan at that time pricks my conscience. ¡°The preparations are ready. We already talked to Lorraine and have a carriage ready.¡± ¡°Now that Dietrich is already the Grand Duke, our constraints are also lifted. We can now leave Lagrange!¡± The children clapped their hands excitedly at the thought of leaving the place they were born for the first time in their lives. Seeing even Riesling blushing, who was always a little bit aloof, made my heart ache. ¡®They must have been so sick of this castle.¡¯ As soon as they were aware of their surroundings, they had to fight to the death with their siblings, of course, it¡¯s obvious they would hate it here. ¡°Do you want to leave Lagrange?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that natural? Mother ran away and left us, and we also don¡¯t know when Dietrich will kill us.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Dietrich isn¡¯t someone who will harm you.¡± As if they couldn¡¯t understand me, the children only looked at me with rabbit-like eyes. I was the one who told them to watch out for Dietrich, who had returned from war, so I sighed from my mixed feelings. ¡°Anyway, we don¡¯t have time, Anissa.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Dietrich just came back from the capital so he must be busy. Now is our time to run.¡± The triplets collectively spoke of escaping and crawled as they pleased under my bed. Soon, along with a groan, they produced a familiar box in their hands. ¡®My escape box¡­!¡¯ ¡°We hid it here in advance! Aren¡¯t we good?¡± Maslow looked back at me with a proud smile on his face. I carefully lifted the lid of the box. ¡®Everything¡¯s here.¡¯ The pack in the box was simple, but everything necessary for a short trip was provided. A map of the continent with places to hide, extra clothes, a purse for money, and some jewels. ¡°Isn¡¯t this yours, Anissa? Didn¡¯t you leave it with Lorraine to run away with us?¡± ¡°Uh yeah. I did.¡± ¡®I was thinking of going to the gambling house to pick it up but I guess this saves me the hassle.¡¯ ¡°Gasp!¡± Rose, who was looking at the box with me, covered her mouth with both of her hands. I grabbed the child who had turned pale white with wide eyes that looked like a rabbit being preyed on. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Rose?¡± The children suddenly trembled and hid behind me. When I turned around wondering, I saw eyes glaring at me, burning more brightly than the embers that were burning in the fireplace. ¡°.....Dietrich?¡± CH 100 In an instant, the heat that had been burning as if there really was fire subsided. Dietrich, who had come through the half-opened door and stared at the children with indifferent eyes, turned back and began to move away. "Oh...." When I opened my mouth, blanking out for a moment, he had already disappeared down the hallway. ¡°Dietrich!¡± He had walked so fast, taking up huge strides with his long legs. I was barely able to catch up to him as I run out of breath. Dietrich, whose wrist I took hold of, looked back at me with a completely subdued, calm face. ¡°What?¡± I would rather he¡¯d be angry, at least I can come up with an excuse but he was looking at me with the same indifferent attitude. ¡°Are you angry?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Dietrich raised his eyebrow when I asked with narrowed eyes. He spoke apathetically. ¡°Why should I be angry?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean you should be angry.¡± ¡®But why is his aura like that?¡¯ I replied stuttering, observing Dietrich¡¯s complexion. I swear, this was the first time I saw his aura run amock. In the first place, he wasn¡¯t someone who had ever shown an agitated aura to the point that I could read it. ¡®He was fine even when he fought Asmodeus.¡¯ The gray aura rising from his neck looked like a tree struck by lightning. Nevertheless, there was a great difference between his aura and his expression calmly looking at me to the point of looking cold. ¡°You¡¯re really not angry?¡± ¡°I already knew that you wanted to leave Lagrange.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think your choice was wrong then. So why should I be angry?¡± As I pondered on Dietrich¡¯s calm question, I remembered he had witnessed me hiding in the forest of the withered roses preparing to escape. He had closed his eyes back then as if he didn¡¯t see me. ¡®Then, did I read him wrong?¡¯ Dietrich¡¯s aura had always been difficult to read due to Baal¡¯s influence. When I slowly blinked my eyes and observed his aura, it again looked like his usual murky gray aura. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re not angry then.¡± I breathed a sigh of relief and let go of Dietrich¡¯s wrist. ¡°I thought you would misunderstand.¡± ¡°Misunderstand what?¡± ¡°Dietrich, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to get away from Lagrange.¡± My hair fluttered wildly from the gentle breeze coming in through the window. He reached out his long fingers and tucked my hair behind my ears. I laughed gently, finding his delicate touch incongruous from his demeanor funny, and continued, ¡°I can¡¯t deny I wanted to leave in a fit of anger.¡± ¡°Anger?¡± ¡°You never listened to me at all.¡± Even though I was confident in my ability to suppress the demons of Lagrange, Dietrich hadn¡¯t believed in me. ¡®Well, in the end, he just didn¡¯t want to hurt me.¡¯ ¡°Then, are you saying you originally didn¡¯t think to leave?¡± He stroked my chin and asked in a low voice. I nodded hastily. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Forever?¡± ¡°F-forever?¡± My eyes widened in surprise at the heavy word that popped out of his lips. ¡°That¡¯s right, forever.¡± I couldn¡¯t answer Dietrich¡¯s repeated question right away. It must be because the things that happened in the capital made my head too complicated. ¡°Your answer.¡± He uncharacteristically urged me for an answer, as if he was frustrated with my mouth just twitching. I slowly opened my mouth. ¡°Uhm. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll live in Lagrange until I die.¡± Besides, if I was really Dietrich¡¯s real sister, such a thing was uncommon. ¡°And don¡¯t I normally have to leave when I get married?¡± ¡°Married?¡± ¡°Uhuh. Usually, whether you¡¯re a man or a woman, when you get married you¡¯d leave the house and live outside.¡± No matter how close siblings were, they didn¡¯t live together forever. ¡®Anyway, it¡¯s too rash to decide now.¡¯ At my answer, he just silently stared at me with a sullen look. I got scared for nothing and scratched the back of my head. ¡®Since he¡¯s glaring like that, he really looks like a villain.¡¯ Dietrich was handsome enough to be called a face of a hundred blois, but his atmosphere was so bloody that he didn¡¯t look like a righteous protagonist at all. As I stared at his wriggling eyebrows, I remembered the first plan I had made in Lagrange. ¡®I had been thinking if Dietrich would lose in the rose war, I would take advantage of the chaos and run away.¡¯ Even after I became attached to him, that thought remained unchanged for a long time. It was because I had felt that meeting Charlotte and being saved by her was the way for him. In fact, in the ¡®Rose Wars of Men¡¯, it was only after meeting Charlotte did Dietrich find the perfect life. ¡®But I don¡¯t think we should just sit idly and wait for her help.¡¯ Dietrich, as if coming to a decision about whatever he was thinking, nodded to himself and turned his back to me again. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°What?¡± As he¡¯d been frozen for a few months, his whole body was aching. Yuric rubbed his arm which had lost muscles and frowned, doubting his ears. ¡°Hey, my ears must have gone bad while I was frozen. The first decree you issued after becoming the Grand Duke sounded really weird.¡± Dietrich approached the desk in his office without sparing a glance at Yuric who was picking on his ears. The documents that had piled up while he was away were taken care of by Yuric to some extent. Organizing the remaining documents, he repeated the order in a nonchalant manner. ¡°I ordered a ban on marriage.¡± ¡°...I guess I heard it correctly.¡± Yuric, who burst into a fit of laughter, rubbed his face. He rolled down from the sofa he was lying on. ¡°Why a ban on marriage? There¡¯s no reason to control the population.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t complain about my orders.¡± Dietrich glared at Yuric with an oppressive gaze, just like on the battlefield. Even though his gaze was piercing, Yuric never stopped talking back as he always did. ¡°It must be because of Anissa.¡± Dietrich¡¯s hand froze at the name uttered by Yuric while grinning. There was no change in his expression but Yuric giggled at the subtle bulging of the tendons popping at the back of his hand. ¡°Is there any other reason for you to push such nonsense other than Anissa?¡± ¡°........¡± ¡°Why? Is she already getting married? She¡¯s only thirteen years old for her to enter marriage.¡± The southern nobles tend to already hold engagement ceremonies as early as the age of fourteen, but the northern nobles tend to get married a little later than the other regions. In addition, Lagrange wasn¡¯t sloppy enough to develop its power through a union of families. ¡°Did she fall for a handsome knight somewhere in the capital?¡± Dietrich¡¯s gruff mouth didn¡¯t open again, but Yuric nodded his head, guessing the situation on his own. ¡°But doesn¡¯t she need to have her debut first before she could get married?¡± Dietrich, who had only been listening to Yuric murmur, then uttered the words, ¡°Then I¡¯ll also ban debuts.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just go all out? Go on. Hey, why don¡¯t you just ban everyone from dating freely?¡± As Yuric clicked his tongue, Dietrich put his hand on the sword¡¯s scabbard while seated. It was then that Yuric seemed to have retrieved his senses and put on a servile smile. ¡°Uhm. I mean, I¡¯m just saying it¡¯s a bit much.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a box in Anissa¡¯s room.¡± ¡°What about it?¡± Yuric tilted his head at Dietrich¡¯s inexplicable words, but the latter kept his mouth shut. ¡®He¡¯s telling me to get rid of it, I see.¡¯ When he gives an order that seems to have an afterword, it means that he should take care of it on his own. ¡°Phew. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen his face but he ends up ordering me to do everything that I¡¯m bound to be hated for.¡± ¡°Yuric Lagrange.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You seem to have forgotten how to bark again.¡± ¡°An order. You gave me an order, just now.¡± Yuric gently glanced at him and left the room. Whether Anissa was with the triplets or exploring the castle, fortunately, there wasn¡¯t a single rat in Anissa¡¯s bedroom. ¡°Sorry, Anissa.¡± Yuric slightly bowed his head and muttered an apology while holding the box that was under Anissa¡¯s bed in his arms. It was insignificant money compared to Lagrange¡¯s wealth, but he felt even more guilty because he knew how much she¡¯s worked hard to raise this money ¨C even if it was working hard at gambling. ¡®Do I just take the money?¡¯ Rustle. Yuric, who was robbing Anissa¡¯s escape funds, turned his head to the scathing gaze pouring on the side of his face. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°...yeah.¡± A heavy silence that did not fit the bright room filled with scorching summer sunlight descended. Anissa smiled brightly like a spring rose and grabbed Yuric by the collar. ¡°Yuri, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah. It¡¯s been a while, Anissa.¡± ¡°I was really worried about you, Yuri.¡± You don¡¯t know what kind of humiliation I had to suffer from the southern nobles, just to thaw your frozen statue. As Anissa whispered in a low voice, Yuric sweated profusely and raised his hand. Drops. The bundle of money he held in his hand scattered to the floor. ¡°But the first thing you do as soon as you¡¯re free is to steal your younger sister¡¯s money which she worked hard on?¡± CH 101 I couldn¡¯t believe this kind of betrayal. I trembled at the sense of betrayal rising up from the pit of my stomach, experiencing the adage of being stabbed in the foot by a trusted ax. ¡®You know much I raised that money!¡¯ I scrambled to collect the money and jewels that had fallen out of Yuric¡¯s disconcerted hands. ¡°You¡¯re trying to steal my money right now!¡± ¡°Anissa, it¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°What misunderstanding! You yourself know how I gathered this money!¡± I raised my voice recalling the countless days of suffering that passed before my eyes. Did he think it was easy for a child to open their eyes wide and look for scammers to empty their pockets? ¡®There had been many times where I was tired and fell ill due to using my ability for a long time.¡¯ ¡°No, I¡¯m telling the truth. Hear me out. Actually, I didn¡¯t mean to take this.¡± Yuric grabbed me on the shoulders when I shook him agitatedly by his collar. ¡°Then?¡± ¡°Well then, who do you think would think of taking them?¡± I took a glance at the voice coming in from behind me. For some reason, Dietrich who had come back to my room again was leaning crookedly against the door. ¡°Say it.¡± He raised the corners of his lips and pressed Yuric. I looked at Dietrich and Yuric alternately while holding my treasures tightly in my arms. ¡°Huh? Say it, Yuric. If you really did not plan to take them, then who ordered you?¡± ¡°...No, sorry. I wanted the money you worked hard on, Anissa.¡± Yuric, who rubbed his forehead roughly vaguely confessed. At first glance, Yuric looked like he was being falsely accused as a criminal, so I placed my hand on my side and clicked my tongue. ¡°It¡¯s the end of the world, I tell you, the end. Don¡¯t you have more money than me, Yuric? You¡¯re too much, really.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m trash. I¡¯m the worst jerk in the world, Anissa.¡± Yuric smiled, raising the corners of his lips, and admitted calmly. I shrugged my shoulders, seeing as the criminal lowered his tail so easily, it was no fun questioning him. ¡°Well, did you need money urgently? Should I lend you money?¡± When I asked with round eyes, Yuric slowly shook his head. He began to walk slowly with a slightly depressed face. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine¨C¡± ¡°Did you encounter trouble? Tell me.¡± I won¡¯t be needing the money for a while anywa, so I could lend him enough, but Yuric only shook his head. I stared at Yuric who hurriedly left the room as if something urgent had happened and turned my head to Dietrich. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Yuric?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± His neat face shook slightly, looking all innocent. Still, I was a bit feeling a bit suspicious so I tilted my head and asked. ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± It can¡¯t be helped if he says he didn¡¯t know. I nodded after watching his unwavering aura with narrowed eyes. ¡°If ever he¡¯s being scammed somewhere, Dietrich should lend him a hand. You have an enormous amount of money now.¡± It was only natural that all of the private property of the Grand Duchy of Lagrange would fall into the palm of his hands. The only problem was that there wasn¡¯t an infrastructure in the North to indulge in luxury like the capital, but when it comes to resources, it was comparable to the imperial family. ¡®I think there were a few establishments that went overseas.¡¯ ¡°What are you going to do when you have money?¡± Dietrich, who was silent for a moment, asked slowly. It felt like he was trying to figure out something, but I answered without much thought. ¡°Uhm, travel.¡± ¡°Travel?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then you can do it now. There are plenty of towns to visit in the North.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not talking about that. I want to go backpacking. Like go around and see the world.¡± I couldn¡¯t leave right now because I¡¯m worried about the triplets, but once Lagrange settles down and becomes stable, I wanted to ride that famous Valliere Cruise. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Yeah! I really want to see the world!¡± I secretly hoped Dietrich would make my wish come true, so with inflated big dreams, I stared at him with sparkling eyes. Then, he looked at me with a pompous gaze and opened his mouth quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t have money.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± It¡¯s unbelievable to think that the Grand Duchy of Lagrange has no money. I opened my mouth in astonishment. ¡°You don¡¯t have money, Dietrich?¡± ¡°I spent it all on your bail. I don¡¯t have a single penny.¡± ¡°Is that possible? Was my bail that enormous?¡± It¡¯s not even revealed that I really did it, so what bail? Moreover, even if it was bail for a serial killer, it shouldn¡¯t have been enough to rob the Grand Duchy of Lagrange¡¯s private properties. Dietrich nodded quickly when I asked, shocked. ¡°Yeah. It was that enormous.¡± ¡°Then, are we broke?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± When we were young, he hated it when I say Dahlia was poor, but now, he quickly acknowledged that we¡¯re beggars. ¡°No! If they had asked you for such a gargantuan bail you should have told them you can¡¯t give it!¡± ¡°You said you wanted to go home as soon as possible.¡± I shut my mouth at Dietrich¡¯s blunt remark. As he stared at me who had become disappointed, he resolutely emphasized. ¡°For the time being, we don¡¯t have it. Money.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Princess, look at this. Maybe it¡¯s because the color is dark, but this is all gold.¡± Lancel smiled broadly, pointing to the magnificent fountain that matched the large garden of Nature. The bronze statue of the demon built in the center flashed its golden eyes and gave off an expensive smell. ¡°You say it¡¯s gold? Those eyes?¡± ¡°Yes. Take your time and look around the garden, too.¡± The garden, full of green hawthorn trees that reflected my tastes, as he said, was worth seeing. ¡°Princess, didn¡¯t you mention you like flowers? I remembered you saying there were no flowers in the forest of withered roses, so ta-da!¡± As if looking for praise, Lancel pointed to the side of the garden where summer flowers were fluttering. He began to boast that he even built a small greenhouse in the middle of a garden full of pale blue hydrangeas. ¡°This glass isn¡¯t an ordinary glass, Princess. It was made with an artifact so it¡¯s a greenhouse where spring flowers can bloom even in the middle of winter.¡± ¡°An artifact¡­isn¡¯t an artifact really expensive?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! This is a greenhouse built for you after all. Of course, it was extremely expensive! You can even buy a single mansion with just the cost of building this greenhouse.¡± ¡®This punk did something he wasn¡¯t even asked!¡¯ Wasn¡¯t it precisely because this butler wasted money on such extravagance that paying some bail ended up costing all our fortune?! Of course, we¡¯re short on money right now, but there was no such thing as no money. I walked away from the impending reality with clouded eyes and walked along with Lancel, who had grabbed me. Although it was not large in scale, the glass greenhouse that could be seen up close was reflected in the sunlight and shone as if it were about to ascend to heaven. ¡®It¡¯s extremely beautiful.¡¯ My mouth dropped open looking at the expensive-smelling crystal decoration that produced a rainbow. Lance was smiling broadly without knowing what I¡¯m feeling inside and opened the door to the greenhouse. The sweet-scented greenhouse was covered in white pebbles and the tapestries that hung everywhere were embroidered with fairies in gold thread. ¡°How much is all this?¡± After knowing that Lagrange was in financial trouble, it was impossible to comfortably look at the lavish and extravagantly built Nature. I took in a deep breath and reclined against a wooden chair that couldn¡¯t even be compared to Dahlia¡¯s rotten chair. ¡°Do you like it that much? To the point where you¡¯d shed tears?¡± Lancel innocently wiped my face. I stared at the wrinkles in his eyes that seemed to develop in the long time that I hadn¡¯t seen him. ¡°You know there are sins that I have committed against you, Princess. So I tried to decorate it in a way that is pleasing to you as much as possible.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t hate me now? Because of me Camille, I mean, mother died and so you hated me so much.¡± ¡°Have I ever said that to you, Princess?¡± Of course, it wasn¡¯t something directly said to me. I had only heard of his swear words, muttering under his beath in front of a newborn baby. I observed his face which was suddenly ridden with guilt. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± With a face that would seem to burst into tears any second, Lancel stammered and continued. ¡°I must have gone mad with sadness. If you want to punish me even now, I will accept it contentedly. But Princess.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I never really imagined that Madam Camille would die so vainly like that. She was a really strong person.¡± I nodded and listened quietly to Lancel¡¯s non-explanatory excuse ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t have any thoughts of punishing you.¡± The reason that Lancel ended up hating me so much was because of the curse¡¯s influence. ¡®Now that I think about it, Lancel is a person under Camille.¡¯ Camille was a member of an unknown group to which Marquis Deus belonged. ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like she was just a simple slave.¡¯ ¡°What kind of person was mother?¡± ¡°She looked exactly just like His Grace.¡± If anyone had to resemble someone, it would have to be Dietrich who resembled her, but I didn¡¯t correct his words. Lancel continued his speech in a hazy voice as if he was in a dream. ¡°She was a beautiful, strong, and proud person. She was the one who gave me hope that this hellish family would change.¡± ¡°Change? How?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know that as well. She never told me in detail. She told me something about a prophecy of salvation ¨C¡± ¡°What?¡± I grabbed Lance¡¯s collar at his words. ¡®Is he saying Camille knew about the prophecy?¡¯ It was said to have been the temple¡¯s secret, but what kind of secret was it that everyone in the world seemed to know about it? The moment I was poised to ask him more about Camille, the greenhouse¡¯s door opened and a maid entered. The maid bowed politely to me and cleared her voice. ¡°Princess, a guest has arrived.¡± ¡°Huh? Who?¡± ¡°It was a young woman named Charlotte Vallandia.¡± I buried my face in my hands at hearing the name I was so sick of. ¡°...Close the door.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°No, raise the drawbridge so that she can¡¯t even get near the door.¡± CH 102 The maid¡¯s eyes shook as if she was greatly embarrassed by my words. She hesitated to speak. ¡°I apologize, Princess.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°She said she¡¯s a very close friend of yours so I had already shown her to the drawing-room. She also showed a Lagrange card.¡± Falls. In the middle of speaking, the maid fell down on her face in front of me. I bent down surprised at the sight of her trembling on her knees. ¡°How could I ever atone for this crime? I deeply apologize!¡± The maid¡¯s face turned pale as she imagined the severe punishment I would lay on her. ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean to be angry.¡± Feeling a bit bitter, I scratched my cheek and Lancel stepped forward, raising her up. ¡°Lucy! I already told you that this isn¡¯t the same Lagrange as before!¡± ¡°Pardon? But you clearly told us that if the princess looked like she hated you it would be difficult to work in the castle ¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct, but our lady has a golden heart.¡± I swallowed the words I was about to say at Lancel¡¯s hyperbole. He shook Lucy¡¯s shoulders with an exasperated face. ¡°I¡¯m telling you that you don¡¯t have to tremble as if you¡¯ve met a villain.¡± ¡°Is, is that so? But my cousin¡¯s tongue had been cut off while he was working in Nature!¡± Lagrange had originally been harsh toward the servants. There was an unwritten rule not to kill them, but thanks to the successor game which involved children and adults alike, everyone was standing on edge. ¡®I don¡¯t even have to think about how a trash like Derek had treated them.¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s the point of cutting off your tongue? How disgusting. At any rate, that guest is currently in the drawing-room, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Princess. Shall I send out the knights?¡± It was a tempting offer, but if I did that, it would just be made into an excuse for Hermann to step forward saying his friend, Charlotte, had been treated unkindly. ¡®I haven¡¯t made any plans yet, so it there was already trouble it would be problematic.¡¯ With complicated feelings, I got up from my seat after rubbing my hand on my face. I had already expected Charlotte to follow us to Lagrange anytime soon, so seeing her arrive at our doorstep wasn¡¯t surprising. ¡®Since she¡¯s so stubborn, there¡¯s no way she wouldn¡¯t use being a royal guest as an excuse.¡¯ Because she was a responsible saint who had to fulfill the prophecy of God. ¡°No. I¡¯ll go to the drawing-room.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess!¡± The aura of the maid that answered was filled with green color, feeling moved. I walked out of the greenhouse with a smiling sigh. My private drawing-room, which Lancel ¨C I wondered if there was a corner in the castle which he hasn¡¯t touched upon ¨C put special effort into, was characterized by marble columns crafted with beautiful roses, and beyond the columns, I could see a beautiful woman more gorgeous than sculptures of flowers. ¡°Anissa!¡± She greeted me with a beaming face, having no doubts that I would welcome her. ¡®Does she have amnesia?¡¯ I wondered what the hell she was thinking as she was smiling like that when she had told the emperor and the nobles that I was the culprit who had harmed Dorothea. I couldn¡¯t help but let out a wry laugh. Charlotte got up from the sofa with a bewildered face when I stopped at the threshold of the drawing-room without coming close to her. ¡°Anissa? It¡¯s me. Charlotte.¡± ¡°Yes, I know.¡± ¡°Why are you just standing there?¡± ¡°Charl, there¡¯s something I want to ask.¡± I beckoned the maid who had been following me for a tea and approached her. ¡°Do you perhaps enjoy eating crow meat?¡± ¡°Excuse me?!¡± Charlotte¡¯s face was painted with shock as if I had said some terrible curse words. She shook her head, jumping out of her skin. ¡°No! I don¡¯t eat meat as much as I can.¡± For saying that, you sure had eaten a lot of mince pie during the hunting competition, was what I wanted to say but that wasn¡¯t important. I let out a long sigh. ¡°I¡¯m saying it because you seemed to have forgotten what you¡¯ve done so easily.¡± ¡°What did I do?¡± ¡°Charl, don¡¯t you remember pushing me to be the culprit who had harmed Countess Dorothea?¡± ¡°Anissa.¡± Charlotte turned pale at my question and grabbed my hand. ¡®Crying again?¡¯ I looked down unimpressed at the hot tears dripping down the back of my hand. ¡°Anissa, it seems you¡¯re really hurt. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°The problem isn¡¯t me being hurt¨C¡± It¡¯s that your audacity is so astounding! However, Charlotte interrupted me and continued. ¡°But, I can¡¯t lie. I¡¯m Vallandia¡¯s saintess. I can¡¯t hide the fact that you summoned a demon.¡± ¡°It was also you who claimed that there were traces of darkness left by the bears, Charl.¡± Of course, the culprits who had organized the matter must have been the Duke and Duchess of Euclid. Whether Charl had intended it or not, it was clear that she had helped them. ¡°That was also the truth, you know? I¡¯m a saint whose lips could only pronounce the truth. It was inevitable, Anissa.¡± ¡°Saintess, my butt.¡± If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t be that saint. I glanced hatefully at the restless Charlotte with the face of being unfairly accused. ¡°Nevermind. What did you come to Lagrange for?¡± ¡°I came here to fulfill the obligation I swore with His Grace. I want to take care of the people of the North.¡± The moment Charlotte said she would fulfill her noble obligation, her fair face looked really holy. I took a half-step back because I felt that she was even touching my aura. ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re going to find a member of the Solis Church in the territory?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do whatever you want. However, I don¡¯t want you to look for me or Dietrich again.¡± Lagrange territory was a vast territory occupying half of the northern region, and I didn¡¯t have any intentions to leave the castle anytime soon. ¡®If we don¡¯t meet with each other, there¡¯s no reason for us to be at war with each other.¡¯ I felt at ease and shook off the hand that she was still holding. ¡°Anissa, I already explained the situation but it seems you¡¯re still upset. Are you disappointed in me?¡± ¡°Disappointment only happens when there is expectation.¡± I replied coldly and placed my lips on the teacup that the maid had brought. Not long after talking with Charl, the tea was already hot. ¡°All right. I understand Anissa has some negative feelings toward me. But what right do you have to tell me that I shouldn¡¯t see His Grace?¡± Charl followed me and sipped her tea, and showed a rare frown. I watched indifferently her white aura flicker slightly. ¡°Why do you want to meet Dietrich?¡± ¡°Anissa, you don¡¯t understand. He and I are ¡ª¡± She clamped her lips as if to contemplate rather than talk. I silently watch her plump lips twitch. I already knew that Dietrich and Charlotte were connected by prophecy. I knew, so I had been watching everything closely. Dietrich was precious to me, and I believed that Charlotte would save him later. It was the original setting. ¡®But do I have to stick to the original myself?¡¯ Many things have already changed ever since I was born as Anissa. The triplets hadn¡¯t died, and Dietrich already knows that I¡¯m not his real sister but he¡¯s still warm-hearted as ever. ¡®We won¡¯t need Charlotte if he doesn¡¯t get sealed in the first place.¡¯ It won¡¯t be easy to reverse a victory or a defeat, but I couldn¡¯t trust the female protagonist of ¡®Their War of Roses¡¯ anymore. I wasn¡¯t certain that the salvation Charlotte was talking about was really a salvation for Dietrich. Her definitions of good and evil were much too different from mine. ¡°Dietrich and I are destined, Anissa.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Charlotte, but I don¡¯t believe in destiny.¡± I once believed it, but not anymore. At my words, Charlotte bit her lips to the point that they bled. ¡°I¡¯m saying this for your sake, Anissa. If you come in between us, something bad will happen to you. It is rebellion against the path that God has guided.¡± ¡°Something bad?¡± As I murmured softly, Charl nodded and opened her bloodstained lips. As if determined, her low voice seized me. ¡°Yes. Something really terrible might happen to you. Hera¡¯s immeasurable power is enough even to frighten me.¡± No matter how much she put on a terrifying expression, she still appeared gentle so I wasn¡¯t particularly scared. But Charlotte did her best and began to scare me. ¡°Even your shadow demons are useless in the face of Hera¡¯s wrath. Even worse, Lagrange could be destroyed!¡± ¡°Hmm. Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes! I don¡¯t want to see you suffer, Anissa. Even now when I close my eyes, I can see Anissa¡¯s terrible future! Kyaa!¡± I jumped out of my seat, startled at Charlotte¡¯s scream while in the middle of speaking. Her hair, floating in the air, shook my side to side as if someone had seized it. ¡®Wind¡­?¡¯ A strong wind was coming through from the open window of the drawing-room. ¡°Veronica!¡± The source of the wind that didn¡¯t match the warm weather was the flapping of the griffin¡¯s wings. ¡°Who is this to say that your future is terrible?¡± After stepping on the horned demon¡¯s face and stepping down into the drawing-room, Veronica became very temperamental. ¡°You sure say that with a large mouth. Do you want to die? Who are you?¡± ¡°Kyaa! Ughhh!¡± Veronica grabbed Charlotte¡¯s hair and shook it wildly. At her rough movements, Charlotte was dragged around with a feeble scream. ¡°Sister!¡± ¡°Yeah? This crazy bitch! Who are you to tell my pretty little sister that her future is terrible, huh?!¡± ¡°S-sister! Please let go of her hair first!¡± ¡®The sister with the supporting role is going to kill the female protagonist!¡¯ I ran to her in astonishment. CH 103 Veronica was so strong that even though I was hanging on her forearm she still had managed to pull out a handful of Charlotte¡¯s hair. ¡°Sister, sister!¡± ¡°What?! Who the hell is this?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a guest in Lagrange who comes from the South! She¡¯s close to the emperor. For now, let go of her hair!¡± ¡°No wonder, she¡¯s rude. She¡¯s a southerner?¡± Veronica groaned in an annoyed manner and flung Charlotte to the ground. ¡°Kyaa! Ah, ahh.¡± She eventually fainted with her graceful hair scattered on the floor. ¡°Charlotte!¡± I didn¡¯t think she would end up fainting, but it must have been the first humiliation she had ever experienced in her whole life. I held her in my arms and exhaled heavily. ¡°She¡¯s not d-dead, is she?¡± ¡°People don¡¯t die with this much.¡± Veronica replied apathetically at the question I asked with a pale face. I met her shining dark pebble-like eyes and grunted as I dragged Charlotte to the sofa. ¡°Sister.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get angry. She was mad at you.¡± Veronica scratched her cheek as if she was embarrassed that as soon as we met again she already caused a scene. There was no way I would get angry when she got pissed off for my sake. ¡°I¡¯m not angry at all.¡± I roughly tossed Charlotte to the sofa and walked over to Veronica, spreading my arms. She smiled broadly and hugged me. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. Sister, did you cut your hair?¡± I mumbled softly, stroking her thick blonde hair which had been cut short. The long, wavy hair had suited her, but what kind of hair would not suit this beauty? ¡°Yeah. Is it weird? I had no choice because all my hair got frozen.¡± ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s really pretty. It suits you.¡± When I said that while smiling broadly, Veronica blushed bashfully. I watched her light blue aura rippling beautifully and cast a glance on the sofa. Veronica noticed my gaze and immediately opened her mouth. ¡°She¡¯s a guest in Lagrange? A royal guest?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°That bastard Dietrich has finally gone crazy, huh. You call that thing a guest?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t have a choice. It was the emperor¡¯s condition.¡± ¡°The emperor isn¡¯t even a big deal.¡± Veronica ground her teeth insisting she¡¯d go to the South and destroy everything herself. In order to calm her down, I hugged her from the neck. ¡°Sister, I missed you.¡± ¡°...........¡± ¡°I really, really missed you. I was so scared that Veronica would melt before the restrictions were lifted.¡± ¡°Oh my, really?¡± Veronica, who was weakened by my whining, embraced me and swayed her body. I lifted my head, thinking that I was past the age of being coddled, but there wasn¡¯t anyone around anyway, so I wanted to do it and I stayed still in her arms. ¡°You¡¯re not hurt anywhere, are you?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fine.¡± Veronica smiled broadly and rubbed the tip of her nose on my forehead. I felt ticklish and exploded in laughter. ¡°Should I throw her out?¡± Veronica, who had lowered me to the floor, nodded toward Charlotte who still hasn¡¯t regained consciousness. ¡°And throw an unconscious person on the street?¡± ¡°Then, shall we nicely put the person who said your future was terrible in a bedroom or something?¡± Veronica asked, clicking her tongue. I really didn¡¯t want to be kinder to Charlotte either, but building animosity with her was a different matter altogether. She was a sort of safety net to me. Even if Dietrich lost the war, she was the only one who could save him. ¡®For now, I¡¯ll try something that comes to my mind.¡¯ The ostensible reason was that Euclid had the support of the imperial family. However, I think the decisive reason behind it was Charlotte. To be precise, the holy relics she placed on Hermann¡¯s hands. ¡®I thought it was part of the typical growth process of the munchkin protagonist.¡¯ Hermann, after suffering a big defeat from Dietrich during his boyhood, met with various opportunities to grow. The relics discovered through her helped him to unleash more powerful abilities. ¡®Maybe she came to save Dietrich due to that guilt?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a novel that centered on romance, so there was no way to know. I looked down at Charlotte¡¯s round forehead and slipped the bracelet inside my pocket. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Baal.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Look at this.¡± ¡°Hic.¡± When I shoved Charl¡¯s bracelet in front of him, Baal turned pale and took a step back. ¡°Hic!¡± However, when a solid hawthorn tree touched his back, he freaked out some more and came forward again. ¡°P-princess, are you finally going to purify me¡­!¡± Baal cried and wrapped his arms around his body. I laughed softly at the absurd remarks of the demon and shook my head. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I have something to ask you, that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°In front of me is a holy relic, behind me are purification trees, what the hell are you going to ask me by summoning me in such a place?¡± It¡¯s true that I had taken out the holy relic on purpose, but I had forgotten that the garden was full of purification trees. I had mixed feelings as I looked at Baal¡¯s pale gray face and the giant hawthorn trees. ¡°Is it difficult for you to use your powers when there are purification trees?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to breathe, let alone use my powers.¡± In suppressing the shadow demons, I had weakened Baal, who was the source of Dietrich¡¯s powers. ¡®At this rate, he will definitely be at a disadvantage in the war.¡¯ The other side would probably come out with a lot of holy relics that were similar to an ability amplifier. ¡°But if I remove the purification trees, you¡¯d all be looking for an opportunity to go after Dietrich.¡± ¡°Will the hungry demons only go after His Majesty¡¯s soul?¡± I was disgusted by Baal¡¯s question that I shoved the bracelet in front of him. ¡®Will they go after the triplets and me?¡¯ ¡°Then, are you saying they¡¯ll also go after young children¡¯s souls?¡± ¡°We have to eat to live, too, eek! Hic!¡± When I slightly touched the holy aura leaking from the relic, the bracelet began to tremble. And Baal cried out again. ¡°Where did you pick that up? Isn¡¯t that Hera¡¯s relic!¡± ¡°I took it from the Saintess of Vallandia.¡± ¡°As expected of a Lagrange, well done. Truly well done.¡± The demon sneered at me and giggle. Then, he shut his mouth afraid that I would shove the holy relic at him. ¡°But are you supposed to use this relic as a weapon? Didn¡¯t the sun god love peace?¡± So why did the sun god scatter weapons all over the world? Baal tilted his head at my question and touched the holy relic with the tip of his finger. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it doesn¡¯t make sense?¡± His finger which touched the lapis lazuli burned black in an instant. Seeing the power that was greater than my purification trees, I urgently hid the bracelet behind my back. On the other hand, Baal shrugged his shoulder as if it was nothing. ¡°Moreover, do you think it¡¯s Hera¡¯s intention that humans use the relics as weapons? In the end, it¡¯s up to humans.¡± ¡®Up to humans?¡¯ I understood the hint from the demon and grabbed his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t we have something like this?¡± ¡°You destroyed it all, Princess.¡± ¡°What if not everything was destroyed? You all had intended to swallow us all, after all.¡± Baal opened his mouth wide asking how I knew that. I suddenly remembered a book I had seen in Josef¡¯s lab and urgently turned my back. ¡®Eredia¡¯s ability is inherently good.¡¯ Because she¡¯s a benevolent god. But just like holy relics could be used as weapons, her abilities didn¡¯t have to be necessarily used for others. I ran up the stairs one after another and quickly reached my study. It wasn¡¯t difficult to find the book I had noticed a dozen times because the sensible Lancel had moved the bookshelf from the lab as it was. ¡®If Charl can unlock the power confined in the holy relic ¨C¡¯ I could probably stain that power. ¡®Yes, this book says the same thing. There is a phrase that says objects have Eredia¡¯s powers.¡¯ I put on the earrings I bought at the Great Market and tightened my hold on the bracelet just like what I did when I cleaned the triplet¡¯s necklaces. ¡®Now I see. I was wondering why Charl, who was not even participating in the war, needed an ability amplifier.¡¯ In reality, there were many incidents and accidents that happened without reason, but ¡®The Men¡¯s War of Roses¡¯ was a novel. ¡®There was no scene where without justification an ability amplifier would come to Charl¡¯s hands.¡¯ After all, she was another opportunity for Hermann. There was no doubt she would have demonstrated similar abilities to mine. But it must have been easier for her because it¡¯s the holy relic of the sun god than the crazy thing I¡¯m about to do now. ¡°What on earth are you trying to do?¡± ¡°Uwaah!¡± ¡°Excuse me? Is there a demon sleeping inside you, Princess?¡± ¡°What?¡± Baal, who had followed me, asked sarcastically. I snorted and rolled my eyes at the demon. ¡°Well, our Princess has already reached puberty ¨C¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it!¡± Although they were not jewels that carry a disgusting aura, the deep rose scent was definitely proof of the muddy aura. ¡®This isn¡¯t enough.¡¯ Bracelets and necklaces were more like decorations that had no offensive power among holy objects. Just trying to darken this small relic made me so exhausted that I wouldn¡¯t be able to wake up for days, but the weapons that appeared with Hermann in ¡®The Men¡¯s War of Roses¡¯ would consume even more energy. CH 104 ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Dietrich only wriggled his eyebrows at my abrupt question. I stared at his dark eyebrows that moved like a caterpillar. ¡°When I say no, that means no.¡± ¡°So why exactly can¡¯t I go out?¡± Perhaps because I had only been lying in bed the past few days, I got dizzy when I suddenly got worked up. Dietrich sighed lightly as he grabbed my staggering forearm. ¡°Are you saying this knowing the state that you are in now?¡± As a result of succeeding in darkening the aura of the holy relic, I fell greatly sick and had to stay in bed. ¡°We don¡¯t have time anymore. You know that.¡± Hermann inherited the title of the Grand Duke at the same time as Dietrich. Then, he and Dietrich prepared for war regardless of who came first. ¡®Normally, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the first bout but¡­¡¯ I didn¡¯t know how the Lagrange I¡¯ve changed might affect his abilities. My mouth became parched from the anxiety from time to time. ¡°Anissa.¡± He sat down with me on the bed and opened his mouth with sigh. I bit my lips as he spoke in a dry but tender tone as if trying to persuade a child. ¡°I¡¯m not a child. Don¡¯t try to coax me.¡± ¡°Believe in me.¡± Dietrich clenched his fist at me and soon opened them. Inside was the darkened holy relic shining brightly. ¡°Because even without this, I will win.¡± ¡°...That war of roses, do you have to keep doing it? Can you not do it?¡± At my question, Dietrich slowly cocked his head to the side. In that silence, I focused on his lips moving slightly. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t do it, I¡¯m certain Hermann is going to invade Lagrange.¡± ¡°..........¡± ¡°I have no intention of waging a war in a place where you are.¡± I grabbed my hair in a nervous fit at his words. In other words, if you think about it the other way, Hermann was someone who would attack even if his opponent surrenders. ¡°Why the hell does everyone thinks he¡¯s a hero? Where in the world can you find a hero like that!?¡± No matter how much I called him Anissa¡¯s real brother, I couldn¡¯t forgive him. They¡¯re the bastards who were always saying that we¡¯re villains and demons wearing a human¡¯s face! ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± My heart was full of resentment to the point that I felt suffocated, but Dietrich only shrugged his shoulders indifferently, not even getting angry at people¡¯s prejudice. ¡°I don¡¯t care how other people see me.¡± That¡¯s right. They were too insensitive people, uncaring even if Lagrange¡¯s reputation fell to the ground. However, I, someone without a single drop of Lagrange in my blood, was filled with indignation and had no choice but to complain. ¡°Why? Why don¡¯t you care? You didn¡¯t even do anything and yet they curse at you!¡± Of course, Dietrich in the original was a villain who thought it funny to destroy a village, but the Dietrich I knew wasn¡¯t someone like that. ¡°Because you¡¯re looking at me properly.¡± I was tongue-tied at Dietrich¡¯s serene reply. Somehow, I felt a bit embarrassed. ¡°....I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the only one who thinks that way.¡± Marilyn wasn¡¯t as afraid of Dietrich as she had been, and most of the Lagrange servants respected him. I scratched my cheek with a fingertip and hurriedly spoke. ¡°We all know that Dietrich isn¡¯t a bad person as the people in the capital think.¡± ¡°A bad person?¡± ¡°...You know, like how southerners think that you destroy villages out of boredom.¡± Dietrich¡¯s lips stiffened a little at my explanation. After a moment of silence, he avoided my eyes and stood up from his seat. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Where are you going?¡± ¡°I remembered I had something to do.¡± Then, he scurried out of the room. I tilted my head at his uncharacteristically urgent appearance. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with him?¡¯ ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Hold off blowing up the town of Rosiere.¡± ¡°Why? Haven¡¯t you heard that the town is where Euclid¡¯s informants are hiding?¡± Rosiere, located in the southernmost part of the North, was one of the villages struggling to keep the enemies in the south. ¡°I think it¡¯s a good opportunity to nip off the bud altogether.¡± Baal could not understand Dietrich¡¯s decision. Because Rosiere was an area where territorial disputes often take place in its vicinity, depending on the season, it was attached to the south and then to the north. ¡°The villagers are sure to spread rumors that the demons of Lagrange have been weakened, so wouldn¡¯t it be better to set an example?¡± ¡°No, never mind. Just weed out Euclid¡¯s spies.¡± ¡°Hm. Well, understood. If you tell me to peel them out, then peel them I shall.¡± Baal griped about Dietrich¡¯s caprice but moved his shadows anyway. The little demons ordered by him chattered away as they run. Instead of getting angry at the demon¡¯s whining that grates on the nerves, Dietrich turned his gaze away and started to process the paperwork. He had to rush his work because if he took his eyes off Anissa for a moment, she would have moved her body and gone looking for the holy relics. ¡°Your Grace, Miss Charlotte Vallandia has come looking for you again.¡± The servant knocked on the door with an expression that said they were getting a bit tired of it. Dietrich, who opened his mouth to refuse her visit like usual, changed his mind and nodded his head. ¡°Show her in.¡± No one knew better about the locations of the holy relics that Anissa was trying to find than her. ¡°Your Grace.¡± Charlotte followed the servant into the drawing-room as if she had been waiting. After being guided inside, she sat down on the sofa and looked at Dietrich with a somewhat determined expression. ¡°You¡¯ve finally decided to meet me.¡± When Dietrich met Charlotte¡¯s pure eyes, he frowned and covered his forehead with his hand. ¡®It¡¯s that feeling again.¡¯ Whenever he faced her, strangely enough, it makes him want to ¡®be nice¡¯ to her. However, Dietrich was someone who had never felt the need to be kind to anyone. Except for one person. And it wasn¡¯t the woman in front of him. ¡°What is your business.¡± ¡°I have a secret I want to tell you, Your Grace.¡± He wasn¡¯t particularly interested, but since he wanted to ask something from her, Dietrich waited for her next words silently. Charlotte who had judged that he was finally opening his heart to her stood up from her seat and came closer to him. Her silver hair was dazzling from the sunlight pouring through the window. Even the servant whom she had always bothered admired her beauty, but Dietrich had shown no emotions. ¡°You are being deceived by Anissa right now, Your Grace.¡± While speaking, Charlotte bit her lips as if she too were suffering. But she had a calling that she had to keep. ¡°Anissa, without a doubt, is manipulating your mind right now, Your Grace.¡± Charlotte couldn¡¯t understand Dietrich¡¯s indifferent attitude. When she first met him in the gambling house, it was understandable as the prophecy has not yet come to pass, but that wasn¡¯t the case now. The rose war between Hermann and Dietrich was just around the corner. ¡°The one trying to manipulate me is you.¡± Dietrich hadn¡¯t realized that Charlotte was using her ability, but he wasn¡¯t so dull that he wouldn¡¯t sense the disharmony in the air. ¡°If you want to keep your life, you¡¯d better quit it.¡± He showed her the palm of his hand dripping with blood. As the sense of pain became clearer, his fondness for her faded away. Charlotte nodded in admission but she didn¡¯t apologize. ¡°It¡¯s because if I didn¡¯t do this, Your Grace wouldn¡¯t have listened to me. I had no other choice.¡± ¡°...........¡± ¡°She¡¯s a fake. A fake that¡¯s deceiving you! Only I, a saint of Vallandia, can save you! Why won¡¯t you believe me?¡± ¡°I believe you.¡± Dietrich didn¡¯t think Charlotte was lying. The face of the saint of Vallandia turned red in excitement. ¡°But there¡¯s one thing you¡¯re mistaken about.¡± Dietrich grabbed Charlotte¡¯s chin who had leaned toward him. Dark red blood stained her small, slender chin. ¡°I have never wished for salvation from anyone.¡± "!¡± At Dietrich¡¯s answer, Charlotte¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. He slowly moved his hand and grabbed her hair ornament. ¡°So it doesn¡¯t really matter to me whether Anissa is a ¡®fake¡¯ saint, as you say.¡± ¡°Do you really want to die? Do you think you, who governs the demons, would have a peaceful death?¡± ¡°I¡¯d probably wander through the abyss.¡± Even so, it was fine. If that is the price I¡¯d have to pay to have that child by my side, instead of you, I¡¯ll accept it contentedly. At Dietrich¡¯s calm answer, Charlotte opened her mouth, not knowing she was robbed of another holy relic. Because no one had ever rejected her. ¡°I was really trying to help Lagrange. As a saint of absolute good, I want to save evil.¡± ¡°You and Hermann sure like this dichotomy.¡± Euclid as good. Lagrange as evil. Dietrich was accustomed to such thinking. In fact, the people of Lagrange could only think like that. Even humans belonging to Lagrange began to define themselves as evil. Born in the dark, and to live only with malice. Vowing that it was the way to live in the North. ¡°Anissa was the only one who didn¡¯t judge me thoughtlessly.¡± ¡°.......¡± ¡°So whether that child is real or fake, I don¡¯t give a damn.¡± CH 105 [Dear my spring rose, I can¡¯t keep turning you down when you implore like that. For the sake of reconciliation between the South and North, I will forbid ¡®trivial¡¯ disputes for the time being. With love, Your Marguerite] ¡®Who on earth is my Marguerite?¡¯ When I thought of the emperor¡¯s repulsive gaze, goosebumps rose on my forearms. I was disgusted and put away the letter. The emperor¡¯s expression that regarded a war on a scale large enough to kill thousands of people as a trivial dispute was comical but in any case, she succeeded in delaying the war than the original had intended. Lagrange would have stormed the South without the royal family¡¯s notice, but Euclid¡¯s position was different. ¡®And Charl is in the North right now.¡¯ It had been a year since we returned to the Grand Duchy after the succession, but Charl was still roaming around the North. It seemed like she had been stopping by Nature from time to time, but it was always Veronica, and not me, who drives her out. ¡®What on earth did she say to be able to drive out that Charlotte?¡¯ Either way, according to the original, she should have left the North early to help Hermann. ¡®Well, it¡¯s good that we bought some time.¡¯ With my fingertips, I touched Charlotte¡¯s bracelet and necklace which took me almost a year to completely darken. Although they were not jewels that carry a disgusting aura, the deep rose scent was definitely proof of the muddy aura. Bracelets and necklaces were more like decorations that had no offensive power among holy objects. Just trying to darken this small relic made me so exhausted that I wouldn¡¯t be able to wake up for days, but the weapons that appeared with Hermann in ¡®The Men¡¯s War of Roses¡¯ would consume even more energy. ¡®I wish I had more time.¡¯ I was going to look for the holy relics while Dietrich left to investigate to prepare for war. ¡®He told me to stay put but¡­.¡± He still didn¡¯t know what kind of force Charlotte¡¯s power and Hera¡¯s holy relics could exert. Due to the disappearance of the evil god Asmodeus, Lagrange¡¯s shadow demons weakened as a whole, therefore, there was no way he could properly match against Hermann. ¡®Before Hermann gets his hands on the holy relics, I have to get to them first.¡¯ I sketched out the changed plan in my notebook and put strength into my legs dangling in the air. ¡°All right!¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Oh my god!¡± While stretching my arms and legs, Dietrich suddenly jumped in from the window. ¡®I thought it was a ghost! At least make some noise!¡¯ He must have ridden on Zagan who followed Veronica who came back, but it certainly didn¡¯t feel normal to abandon the door which works well enough and come in through the open window. This was not even the first-floor window, but the window below the top floor. When I fell back in surprise with a plop, he slowly bent his waist. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± I sensed Dietrich¡¯s gaze falling on the desk and hurriedly hid the map I had laid out. ¡®If I get caught looking at the map, he¡¯s going to question me if I would be going around again.¡¯ ¡°Why did you hide it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you what you¡¯re hiding.¡± Dietrich¡¯s eyebrows twitched in displeasure as he had seen the paper laid out but he wasn¡¯t able to see its contents. I stared at him with wide eyes and spoke. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We¡¯re grown-ups now. We need to protect each other¡¯s privacy.¡± Dietrich opened his mouth to refute the rigid words I had tossed out, however, he didn¡¯t forcefully look at the paper I had hidden. I reached out my hand to Dietrich¡¯s head, who had safely turned nineteen. Sweeping up his soft curly hair revealed a neat forehead. ¡°What about the training?¡± ¡°It¡¯s over so I came here.¡± ¡°You must have been holding your sword all day, aren¡¯t you tired?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± I marveled at his sharp answer so I asked him with wide eyes. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± After waking up at dawn and training with the knight commander, he takes a simple breakfast, then handles the surging documents, and takes up the sword again. Then, while the other knights take a break, he would go back to the office and handle the paperwork again. Even Baal was mind-boggled at his schedule which had no room for gaps. ¡®He¡¯s really someone who succeeds no matter what he does.¡¯ It was a little faulty that his chosen profession ¨C being a villain ¨C wasn¡¯t very good, but Dietrich grew up to be an upright young man that I couldn¡¯t believe he was originally a villain. ¡°You must have forgotten.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I ordered a ban on marriage in Lagrange.¡± I frowned at Dietrich¡¯s words that completely floated above my head. ¡®A ban on marriage? What about the ban on marriage?¡¯ ¡°So there¡¯s no point in dating or anything like that.¡± Dietrich, who spoke bluntly, extorted the emperor¡¯s letter from my hands in a blink of an eye. Then, he tore up the letter, which had a pink color like a love letter, and was even sprayed with perfume. Riiip. I nodded slowly as I stared blankly at the refreshing sight of the torn pieces of paper fluttering in the air. ¡®Yeah. He¡¯s the villain, all right.¡¯ ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Princess, if you get caught going out again, I¡¯ll be the only one His Grace will scold.¡± ¡°Lancel can afford some scolding.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true but¡­¡± At my indifferent reply, Lancel who was guilty of many crimes could only pout his lips. Now that he¡¯s in his middle age, it would only be uncomfortable seeing him act cute, so I opened the gate without feeling any guilt. ¡°Shall I at least go with you?¡± ¡°Lancel.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re weaker than me.¡± Lancel was an ordinary person with no ability. Although Eredia¡¯s ability wasn¡¯t that great in offense, it was still incomparable to that of ordinary people. ¡°And when people look for me, you have to be there to lie to them.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll come back right away, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s not far so it¡¯ll only take a day.¡± There were a total of thirteen holy relics appearing in ¡®The Men¡¯s War of Roses¡¯, and most of them were kept in the southern temple but some of them were hidden in the North. As the war drew to a close, Hermann who had driven the Lagrange¡¯s forces to the extreme North had found the last relic in the North. ¡®Since it¡¯s the last relic to appear, I think it must be the most powerful.¡¯ I guessed as I vaguely recalled the location of the relic. ¡®The setting was definitely a temple dedicated to the evil god Asmodeus.¡¯ Even though the Northern people worshipped the demons, they were fundamentally incompetent, so there was only one temple in the Lagrange territory. ¡°Lead the way, Zagan.¡± Riding Zagan, who knew the Northern roads better than most coachmen, I quickly reached the temple. ¡°Is this really the place?¡± Purrrng. Zagan glared at me in scolding as I voiced my doubts. I shrugged my shoulders and replied, ¡°It¡¯s because it doesn¡¯t really look like a temple to me.¡± Since it was a temple dedicated to the evil god, so I had imagined a black Nature-like appearance, but it looked like a normal family house. As I meekly knocked on the door and waited, a man in dark-gray robes greeted me. ¡°I greet Princess Anissa, the most lovely shadow of Lagrange.¡± He recognized me first without me having to reveal my identity. As he bowed politely, his gray hair curled down his back. ¡°You know me?¡± ¡°Yes. I saw you at His Grace¡¯s succession ceremony.¡± The priest smile softly and extended his hand to me. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to forget such as striking appearance.¡± Well, my gentle southern-like appearance alone would probably stand out in the North. ¡°This house is a temple?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t believe everything that you see. Please follow me.¡± As I followed the priest and walked inside the mansion, the real entrance to the cavernous temple finally appeared. ¡°By the way, what brings you to the temple, Princess?¡± ¡°Ah, uhm. I want to offer a prayer to Lord Asmodeus.¡± ¡®Although that evil demon does not exist in the world anymore.¡¯ ¡°As expected of Lagrange¡¯s princess. You have extraordinary faith.¡± The priest put his hand together, feeling moved. I smiled wryly and stepped onto the stairs which gradually led to the basement. How would he react if he knew that I played a strong role in destroying the god he believed in? ¡°I want to pray alone, silently. Will that be all right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind, however, another believer has just arrived.¡± I turned my head forward, puzzled by the priest¡¯s words. Asmodeus was very unpopular so it would have been rare for him to have believers. ¡®I guess I have to wait until the person disappears¡­¡¯ The holy relic hidden in the North was the eye of Asmodeus. To be precise, it was the eye of the statue sleeping in the temple. ¡®Though it¡¯s a bit uncomfortable to be inside a grave.¡¯ Since it¡¯s uncommon to irreverently dig up a god¡¯s grave, most people wouldn¡¯t even know that the statue exists. As the priest said, a man was kneeling in front of the grave made of a hard slab of slate. With his broad shoulders like that of a knight, he didn¡¯t look like an ordinary believer. I narrowed my eyes in an attempt to identify the ¡®believer¡¯ with quite a tall stature. ¡®This aura¡­¡¯ My mouth dropped open in disbelief at the innate color that was so unique it was impossible to forget. ¡®Why is this person in the North?¡¯ CH 106 ¡°Teacher?¡± ¡°!¡± When I called him, Damon seemed more puzzled than I was. He hastily stood up and approached me. ¡°Why are you here, Princess?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask you. When have you become a believer of the evil god, Madame Montmartre?¡± ¡®When you¡¯re not even a Northerner?¡¯ It was highly suspicious. Moreover, ¡®Damon Deus¡¯ was one of Hermann¡¯s teachers. ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me madame anymore.¡± ¡°How I call you is up to me.¡± I stoically replied to Damon and checked his aura. No matter what I do, I still couldn¡¯t read his aura properly but, at the very least, I could tell he was embarrassed. ¡®So he wasn¡¯t purposely waiting for me.¡¯ What was worse was that he even had the look of Damon, the Lagrange knight that I know. His merciful shining amethyst eyes glanced at me. ¡°I¡¯m asking why you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± Damon mumbled as he turned his gaze towards the slab of slate behind his back. I approached the half-opened casket and checked inside. ¡®You touched the holy relic!¡¯ The eye of the statue, where the relic must have been, was empty. I sympathized with Asmodeus whose eyes had been dug out and caught Damon sneaking out of the temple. Since I grabbed him by his collar on the back of his neck, he ended up choking. Damon furiously scowled and slapped my hand away. ¡°What kind of impertinence is this? You seemed to have forgotten all the etiquette I¡¯ve taught you.¡± ¡°Is it etiquette to leave without even saying your greetings?¡± Besides, this was the North. The southerners¡¯ culture was no longer my business. ¡°I was going to say my greetings. Outside.¡± ¡°Open your hands.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I told you to open your hands.¡± At my urging, Damon was greatly perturbed so I grabbed his wrist. However, he showed no signs of opening his closed fist. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°Do you think I wouldn¡¯t know that you¡¯re trying to steal from the temple? Did you forget my ability?¡± Only then did Damon slowly open his hand. Hidden there was the yellow jewel clasped in his large hand. He grabbed me in order for me not to steal the jewel. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the jewel attached to Asmodeus¡¯ statue? Let go.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how you came to know about this jewel, but this is Hera¡¯s holy relic. It was originally a relic left behind by the first Duke of Euclid.¡± I knew that. So I brazenly rolled my eyes. ¡°Do you have evidence? I¡¯m asking if you have evidence that this was left behind by the first Duke of Euclid. You don¡¯t, right?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s evidence, there is. If you look at the diary of the first Duke of Euclid ¨C ack!¡± I bit Damon¡¯s hand holding my wrist and he let me go with a brief scream. I quickly stepped back, holding on to the jewel. ¡°You¡¯re not even a dog and you¡¯re biting people?¡± ¡°I bit you lightly for the sake of our student and teacher relationship.¡± ¡°It considerably hurts though.¡± I snorted at Damon¡¯s grievance and tapped my foot twice on the floor. Fortunately, the temple was close to a forest so there seemed to be roots that touched the basement. As if responding to my ability, the strong roots of the trees began to grow little by little. ¡°There seems to be a misunderstanding, but I don¡¯t intend to hand the holy relic to Euclid.¡± ¡°Back off, Damon.¡± ¡°I will not. I don¡¯t have any thoughts of fighting you, Princess.¡± ¡°I have.¡± It didn¡¯t matter whether he was really Euclid¡¯s informant or not. In order for Dietrich to win the rose war, it was important to get my hands on the holy relics first. ¡°And you must have forgotten, but this is my turf.¡± There was no reason to let him go unlike in the capital where Yuric and the children¡¯s lives were held a hostage. ¡®There are no eyes watching either.¡¯ Boom! The roots of the purification trees finally reached the bottom of the basement. ¡°You¡¯re putting me in a tight spot.¡± Damon sighed at the hard branches rising up from the ground. He soon created magic with just a whisk of his hand. The geometric patterns that appeared in the air shoot out fires of different colors and destroyed my purification trees. ¡®It was suspicious from the start.¡¯ With that kind of ability, it was strange that he wasn¡¯t in a leading role. It was unpleasant to be entangled this way with someone who didn¡¯t even properly appear in the original. ¡®I really liked him better when he was a knight.¡¯ Thinking there was something more I could ferret out from Damon, I reached my hand forward. ¡°Zagan.¡± At my call, Zagan, who had only been watching, rushed in. ¡°Just don¡¯t kill him.¡± With my permission, Zagan began to target Damon with his gigantic claws. The smashed floor shook, and Damon, unable to properly find his balance due to the demon¡¯s attack from midair, staggered and laughed. ¡°Ha.¡± ¡°You know something about the relics of the sun god, don¡¯t you, Teacher?¡± ¡°A person who handles Eredia¡¯s powers and the shadow demons is asking me about the sun god? I think you know about it more than me.¡± Damon burst into hollow laughter in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s even more interesting that you left the capital without destroying it.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a situation that would have changed even if we control it by force.¡± On the contrary, we would have been criticized for being aggressive northern people and cursed at for using violence again. ¡°I told you earlier.¡± Just in time, Zagan sunk his nails on Damon¡¯s shoulder. He stared at me in the dark without even groaning in pain. ¡°This is my turf.¡± To be honest, I didn¡¯t think he would come clean. I frowned at the determination in his jewel-like eyes. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Oh my god.¡± Oh my god, my head! Oh my god, oh my god! I snorted at Lancel hitting the ground in pain. ¡°Shut up, Lancel.¡± ¡°Our Princess! I thought you grew up well for a Lagrange!¡± Lancel looked at Damon, who had passed out in the corner of my room, and wept. ¡°And now you¡¯re already kidnapping men!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not kidnapping! It¡¯s an invitation!¡± I had something to ask him so I just brought him to the castle. The temple was on the verge of collapsing due to the purification trees. ¡°Then why did you bring a man who has passed out? Should I call for a doctor?¡± ¡°No. They said that kind of wound will just heal with saliva.¡± ¡°Who on earth told you that? Even though he¡¯s bleeding?¡± Since Dietrich was like that, maybe a knight like Damon could also do the same. I roughly thought as I glanced at his shoulder which was dyed red. ¡°Dietrich has been injured many times worse than this.¡± So Damon passing out while on the move wasn¡¯t my fault but due to his weakness. ¡°Did you already cause trouble while His Grace is away at the moment? I can¡¯t live up to my orders anymore.¡± ¡°Ah, then hurry up and die. You¡¯re noisy so be quiet.¡± ¡°How could you say that!¡± Lancel wept loudly at my abuse but didn¡¯t leave the room. ¡°Lancel, stop it and call Sir Oslo.¡± Damon didn¡¯t give me any information about the holy relics until he passed out. ¡®He won¡¯t open his mouth easily.¡¯ Oslo, who was close to Damon when he was a knight, might know something. I tied up Damon so he couldn¡¯t move and then stepped out to the drawing-room. ¡°Princess.¡± Oslo, who was my escort at the capital, liked me quite a bit. As soon as he found me, his aura ignited brightly. I grabbed his hand and pointed to my bedroom. ¡°Sir Oslo!¡± ¡°Yes, Princess.¡± ¡°Sir Damon is lying in that room right now.¡± ¡°Damon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about that knight who was your friend.¡± Oslo¡¯s eyes widened at my words. He raised his voice as if he couldn¡¯t believe me. ¡°Are you saying Damon has returned? I thought he had died.¡± ¡°The truth is¨C¡± I tried to reveal Damon''s identity to Oslo but I was forced to shut my mouth due to a sudden headache. ¡®So the contract is still in effect even if Damon has lost consciousness.¡¯ ¡°The truth?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you right now. Sir, I have a favor to ask. It¡¯s very important to Lagrange.¡± Oslo was one of the faceless knights who was very loyal to Lagrange. Following me, he stiffened his jaw at my serious face. ¡°Do you know anything about Damon¡¯s weakness, even if it¡¯s something trivial?¡± ¡°Why do you need something like that?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I need to find out from that person but he never opens his mouth.¡± Oslo¡¯s lips twitched as he thought about it. With a serious face, he hummed and then opened his mouth as if he had made up his mind. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can say this myself,¡± Oslo whispered in a low voice. ¡°But Damon¡¯s weakness is probably me. If you threaten me, he would probably open his mouth.¡± ¡°...Oslo is Damon¡¯s weakness?¡± ¡°Yes. What he fears the most is his friends sacrificing themselves for him.¡± He looked at my puzzled face and the bedroom door alternately and took out a knife from his waist. ¡°And I am ready to lay down my life any time for His Grace and you, Princess.¡± ¡°No! Never mind! The point is, you just have to look like you¡¯re sacrificing yourself, right?¡± Dismantling Oslo¡¯s serious suggestion, I called for Lancel again. ¡°Go and borrow Veronica¡¯s whip.¡± I thought of creating a scene where he¡¯d faint again as soon as he opened his eyes. I rolled up my dress and started getting everything read. CH 107 ¡°Princess, Princess. How about putting some blood here? My skull, I mean, like my head is broken.¡± With the help of Vanessa, who had learned art before the house collapsed, Oslo smiled broadly with a brush in his hand, having acquired paint that looked like dark red blood. I laughed softly at his out-of-place exuberance. ¡°Sir, aren¡¯t you too excited?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll ever have the chance to play a trick on this guy if not now.¡± Although Oslo claimed to be Damon¡¯s friend, he was strangely passionate about bullying him. ¡®Well, he¡¯s so excited I can¡¯t possibly stop him.¡¯ I followed him and dipped the whip into a bucket full of paint, glancing at Damon who was tied up in the corner of the basement. ¡°I think everything¡¯s ready so I will go and wake him up.¡± Lancel, who was in charge of surveillance and stuck closely to him, murmured as he looked at me. I nodded and he violently emptied the bucket that the maid had brought at Damon. Splash¨C! Along with the sound of cool water, the cold wind wrapped around his body and he opened his eyes. I felt sorry, feeling that it was too much but I did my best to clear my throat. ¡°Cough, ahem.¡± ¡°.........!¡± Damon knitted his brows when he saw me approaching him while dragging Veronica¡¯s whip. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I see you¡¯re awake.¡± I pointed with my fingertips at the restraint tying his arms and feet before he could escape. I could clearly see the process of his handsome face turning into despair. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t open your mouth even if I ask nicely, so I prepared this for you.¡± I brought out Oslo with some cheap villain lines like that from the novel. When Lancel opened the door, he excessively vomited blood and fell forward. ¡°Cough, ugh!¡± If one looked closely, they would find out that it was fake blood, but that was the reason why I chose the basement where you couldn¡¯t see what was in front of you properly. ¡®It was actually used as a torture chamber so there was a strong smell of blood.¡¯ Wrinkling my nose at the strong fishy smell, I placed my foot on Oslo¡¯s neck. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me what you know about the holy relics, Oslo won¡¯t die a peaceful death.¡± ¡°...He is Lagrange¡¯s knight.¡± ¡°You were also a Lagrange knight.¡± Perhaps due to the restraining ball that suppresses magic, Damon¡¯s face took on the form of ¡®Marquis Deus¡¯ which I knew of. ¡°I will have to hear that story as long as you intend to interfere in my plan.¡± Even in the dark, his blue and silver hair shone brightly, fluttering pitifully. I didn¡¯t really have any intention to kill Oslo, but the desire to know the truth was strong. Alternately looking at me who had my lips shut and Oslo who was wailing as if on his death row, Damon smiled wryly. ¡°You¡¯re such a spoiled student. How can you treat your teacher like this?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re a teacher with a lot of secrets.¡± Since Damon had shown no sign of confessing, Lancel started kicking Oslo. Oslo cried and vomited blood at the kick of the butler with slender legs who had never held a sword in his life. ¡®He¡¯s even crying?!¡¯ How was a knight like this so good at acting? The more I knew, the more there seemed to be more layers to uncover like an onion. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll tell you everything I can, so please stop.¡± ¡°Lancel.¡± At Damon¡¯s words, I raised my hand lightly to deter Lancel. He, with shining eyes having a good time kicking a knight he¡¯d otherwise had no chance of beating, flinched and stepped back. ¡°It was a long time ago when I had become a knight in Lagrange. Derek Lagrange¡¯s swordsmanship teacher was my friend.¡± ¡°Your friend?¡± ¡°He was Oslo¡¯s father. To be honest, that child is like a nephew to me.¡± What child? Oslo was a middle-aged man with a beard who wasn¡¯t mature enough. ¡°Damon, exactly how old are you?¡± I was shocked to see Damon¡¯s face, and no matter how much I gave him a high age estimate, he seemed to be someone in his late twenties. ¡°I don¡¯t think my age is important right now.¡± ¡®Well, that¡¯s true, but if Oslo is like a nephew to him then isn¡¯t he already a grandfather?¡¯ I had heard that there were people with ages that were difficult to determine among the wizards, but I never knew they could look like such young people. ¡°Do you know anything about Faber, Princess?¡± ¡°Faber?¡± ¡°On the outside, it¡¯s a coalition of intellectuals. I talked about this briefly in class.¡± I vaguely recalled the description of the coalition of intellectuals. ¡®I think it was said to be a gathering of sorcerers, wizards, and alchemists?¡¯ ¡°The people belonging to Faber are spread out across the continent. That includes Lagrange.¡± ¡°Is Josef Euclid also a member of Faber?¡± ¡°Yes. He is one of Faber¡¯s elders.¡± ¡®I knew it.¡¯ Josef was too interested in demons for a man from Euclid. ¡°What¡¯s the purpose of the coalition?¡± Damon moistened his lips as if thinking over the question I asked with narrowed eyes. I turned toward Oslo to urge him to answer. He held me in place with his sigh. ¡°The imperial family has no power, and the South is only focusing on keeping the North in check. And suffering is the sole responsibility of people.¡± I raised my eyebrows at his slow but full of hidden meaning explanation. ¡°That¡¯s not Lagrange¡¯s fault.¡± ¡°No. We are looking for an opportunity to drive out the power-hungry southern nobles and the puppet emperor to establish a republic.¡± I clenched my fist tight at Damon¡¯s secret which was greater than what I expected. As the Valliere imperial family was on the verge of collapsing, it was natural that there were many families aiming for the position of the ruler, but now, even the common people were planning a revolution. ¡°Faber has judged that the North, no, Dietrich Lagrange to be a very suitable tool to take Euclid¡¯s power.¡± ¡°Tool?¡± My mood turned sour at Damon¡¯s choice of words. When I frowned, he smiled briefly and continued talking. ¡°But you intervened. With the Lagrange as it is now, it will be impossible to win against Euclid. That¡¯s why¨C¡± ¡°Is that why you¡¯re hiding the holy relic?¡± His words sounded as if he was trying to regulate Euclid¡¯s power. Astounded, I grabbed him by his collar. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re your marionette?¡± In order to create the fine line between the South and the North, they were putting a limit on Hermann¡¯s ability. I stared at Damon in shock and he dodged my gaze unable to meet my eyes. ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°Dietrich does not exist to be your weapon so that you could use him to keep the South in check!¡± ¡°If you are really a Princess, you should face the reality.¡± Looking back at me stomping my feet in anger, Damon continued silently. I bit my lips at his words. ¡°What exactly are you trying to say? That Lagrange was originally a scapegoat for the entire continent?¡± From the moment I was born as Anissa, I constantly pondered about the meaning of Lagrange¡¯s existence. A barren and lonely land where not a single grain could properly grow and only cold death dwell like the dawn. Lagrange, who stood at the center, was given the power of the Grand Duke like a gift, but in the capital city, we had to endure all kinds of scorn for the reason that we were ¡®Lagrange.¡¯ As if it was promised, the demons who were aiming for the souls of the contractors only targeted the souls of the children of the North, and in order to deal with that great power, Lagrange fought a civil war with no expectation. ¡®And this whole tragic background was replaced with a single explanation that they were a villainous family.¡¯ I swallowed an annoyed groan at Lagrange¡¯s terrible setting. ¡°If you know the power of the holy relic, you must also know its location.¡± For the sake of Dietrich and the children, I had even destroyed Asmodeus, so there was no reason that we could not keep Euclid in check. ¡®I really can¡¯t afford to trust only in Charlotte now.¡¯ With a firmer goal, I squeezed my first holding on to Damon¡¯s collar. His dry gaze fell to my cheek. ¡°I need to find out everything.¡± ¡°If you do such a crazy thing, you will be in danger, Princess.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you¡¯re worried about me. If you don¡¯t tell me, I will really kill Oslo.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop this clumsy acting.¡± Damon grabbed me by the shoulder as if to dissuade me. He patted me and gestured to Oslo slumped on the ground. ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t have tortured him.¡± ¡°!¡± My eyes widened and looked back at him, then he slowly swept the back of his hand over my eyes. ¡°Then why did you tell me about Faber?¡± ¡°There must be a reason why that child wants to do the Princess¡¯ request even to the point of putting a show like that.¡± ¡°............¡± ¡°Besides, I owe you a debt, Princess.¡± ¡°What debt?¡± Damon confessed incessantly as if he had decided to offer me a confession today. He moved his bound rest to open his coat. Inside the pocket of his coat, there was an envelope that glowed white in the dark. ¡°Please read this.¡± I slowly reached out and took the letter from him. When our eyes met, he couldn¡¯t hide his gaze shaking with conflict. ¡°Instead, this is the last time I¡¯ll let you off the hook, Lady Anissa.¡± Poof! As if being caught by me was a joke, the handsome wizard disappeared in the blink of an eye. CH 108 It was a strange feeling to be ¡®born¡¯ as a person I already knew. ¡°Fifteen years¡­..¡± I murmured as I wiped the snow that had piled up by the window with my hand. Since I turned fifteen, the gap between the years I had lived as Anissa and the years I had lived in my previous life was gradually getting smaller. I remembered Anissa Euclid¡¯s narrative and what she was like, but the way I lived my life was entirely different from her. ¡®If I was the real Anissa, I would have gotten angry.¡¯ I stared down at the piece of confession that Damon left behind. The report-like letter was very long but there wasn¡¯t much that I didn¡¯t know about the content. To sum it up, Camille kidnapped Anissa Euclid because she thought I was the key to destroying the North. Damon was involved in this series of processes. He seemed to be terribly sorry for that fact and began to tell me about Euclid¡¯s latest developments after meeting me in the temple. Damon was the knight who kidnapped me and the letter Josef intercepted was also his. ¡®But Damon wrote a false report.¡¯ I recalled the letter I found in Josef¡¯s lab. Damon, Camille¡¯s escort knight, lied that only the nanny¡¯s baby survived. ¡®Why did he report that Anissa Euclid was dead and only the nanny¡¯s baby survived?¡¯ Damon had apologized for kidnapping me but he didn¡¯t completely tell me the truth either. ¡®At any rate, he¡¯s a mysterious wizard.¡¯ I tilted my head as I unfolded the map he had kindly sent me with the locations of the holy relics marked out. There were fourteen holy relics of Hera hidden in the continent, among them, I had darkened four relics with the shadow and handed them over to Dietrich. ¡®It was like getting everything free of charge.¡¯ In the original, Lagrange also won the first round though it wasn¡¯t due to the relic, in the end, Dietrich eventually won his first victory. [The light of five stars dwells within the son of the sun.] As I had expected, Hermann began looking for the relics. If Damon¡¯s information was true, then five of the remaining ten holy relics were already in Hermann¡¯s hands. Finding the rest of the hidden relics wouldn¡¯t be easy. I chewed on my fingertips in anxiety. ¡®We have to take the lead at all cost.¡¯ The rose war now was not just a mere battle to demonstrate strength, but a fight to take the flag. Instead of just sitting idly and believing in the original¡¯s setting, as long as I had decided for Lagrange¡¯s victory, to win or lose was the same as if it was up to me. ¡®Originally, it would have been Charl¡¯s burden.¡¯ As if waking me up from my thoughts, someone knocked incessantly on the sandalwood desk again and again. There was only one person in Lagrange whom I could feel the agitation just by the sound of their knocking. ¡°My lady!¡± ¡°Yeah, what?¡± ¡°Phew. Your way of speaking is becoming more and more like His Grace.¡± As I glanced absent-mindedly at Lancel, he flinched and continued. ¡°A guest has arrived.¡± ¡°A guest? They didn¡¯t come for Dietrich?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you but please don¡¯t be angry at me.¡± With the way he¡¯s speaking, somebody might think I¡¯m always after him. I couldn¡¯t help laughing looking at him who had his eyes opened wide. ¡°Who¡¯s here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Charlotte Vallandia.¡± ¡°Who let her in?!¡± I screamed in surprise at Lance¡¯s quick response. ¡®I told them to raise the drawbridge whenever Charlotte comes around the castle!¡¯ ¡°She came together with Duchess Dona Euclid so how could we close the door and treat them poorly?¡± ¡°Dona Euclid? I paused at the unexpected name that came out of Lancel¡¯s mouth. There was considerable distance between Euclid and Lagrange, and to think the Duchess would come to visit? ¡°If I go down in this state, they¡¯ll look down on me again. Call Marilyn.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Ah, no. Never mind.¡± I was used to wearing comfortable riding pants or dresses with wide breadth while in Nature. In the south and capital, I would be belittled saying it¡¯s nothing short of sleepwear, but in Lagrange, there was no one who would point out to me how I¡¯m dressed. ¡®There¡¯s no reason for me to be wary of Dona Euclid. This was the North and not the South, so the ones who should be wary was them and not me. I snorted and clasped the hem of the pleasantly plain dress and entered the drawing-room. ¡°Duchess.¡± At my words, Dona Euclid stood up from the sofa. Following Dona, Charlotte stepped forward but I raised my hand and stopped her. ¡°Are you going to say you¡¯re glad to see me again?¡± ¡°Anissa!¡± Charl bit her lips as if disappointed by my reaction. I stared at her and tilted my head. ¡°Why? Are you upset?¡± ¡°Of course. We were friends. It¡¯s natural that I¡¯m glad to see you, Anissa.¡± ¡°We were friends?¡± Since when the hell? At my gentle question, Charlotte balked and licked her lips. I turned my head after staring at her tiresome face. ¡°Duchess. What brings you to this far North?¡± ¡°First, let¡¯s sit. This conversation might take longer.¡± Although I had deliberately kept a cold tone, Dona remained unfazed and motioned toward me. ¡®Still, a duchess is a duchess.¡¯ Years have passed but the fact that she¡¯s a beauty with a fragile impression had not changed. I stared at her sitting on the sofa, whose face still comes to mind whenever I close my eyes. ¡®That kind of good-natured face tried to kill me.¡¯ Just because I was not born with the power of the sun god, and for the sole reason that I was born with red eyes. ¡°I heard that it¡¯s the princess who goes around taking away the holy relics of the sun god.¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± Hera¡¯s relics originally belonged to the temple so the words ¡®taking away¡¯ would be appropriated, but I shrugged my shoulders without admitting it. ¡°I think it was Charl, the saint of the temple, who had said that the relics had no owner and that there was no price that could be put on them.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t come all the way here just to play mind games.¡± ¡°Then just say what you have to say.¡± ¡°Where in the world did you learn a habit like that!¡± When Dona sharply raised her eyes and scolded me, the maid standing next to me puts down the kettle with a clattering sound. The Duchess, who was interrupted by the maid¡¯s actions, stared down at her in displeasure. ¡°Is how Lagrange teaches their maids? To put down the teacup hard so that the water splashes?¡± The maid, who brought me my favorite flavored tea, did not break at Dona¡¯s reprimand as if she would protect me. ¡°Even if you have no habit, there are limitations! Princess, take that maid right now¨C¡± ¡°Lucy.¡± I stopped the Duchess¡¯ words which were close to a scream and called the maid. It was then that she pouted her lips, thinking that I was going to scold her, and answered timidly. ¡°Yes, Princess.¡± ¡°Thank you. You must have noticed that I don¡¯t like tea leaves if they don¡¯t mix well.¡± As gloating at the Duchess, I slurped my tea and smiled at her. ¡°Please continue, Duchess.¡± ¡°Ha. Princess, I think there must be a misunderstanding, but I have no intentions of fighting with you.¡± She suddenly changed the mood and dabbed her moist eyes with a handkerchief. Charl put on a sad face as if to match her and held her hand. ¡°That¡¯s right, Anissa. We didn¡¯t come here about matters regarding Euclid or Lagrange.¡± ¡°Then?¡± As I narrowed my eyes to grasp their intentions, the Duchess suddenly grabbed my hand resting on top of the table. ¡°People don¡¯t know about this but I have lost a daughter.¡± I let out a wry laugh at Dona¡¯s unexpected words. I see. ¡®There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t know.¡¯ In fact, it was more surprising that she didn¡¯t know when I was in the capital. Because I had a strange resemblance to Dona Euclid in appearance. The gentle drooping of the eyes, the small, dainty nose, and even the fragile impression, were all the same. ¡®For people who didn¡¯t know, they would have let it go saying that we had a resemblance.¡¯ Dona Euclid and the Duke were the only ones with memories of their young daughter being kidnapped. With my appearance being similar, and with just the right age, there¡¯s no way they couldn¡¯t have suspected. ¡®You just pretended not to know because you simply didn¡¯t need it.¡¯ ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°Lagrange kidnapped my daughter.¡± And it was Euclid who had ordered the child to be killed. I stared at Dona Euclid¡¯s shameless face with indifferent eyes. The time for me to be shaken simply because she was my biological mother was long overdue. ¡®Family doesn¡¯t mean blood-related to me anymore.¡¯ My family was here in Lagrange. Yuric and Veronica, Rose, Maslow, Riesling. And Dietrich, who is considered the greatest villain in the world. ¡°What is it you want to say, Duchess?¡± ¡°...My daughter.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I missed you.¡± Charlotte started sniffling next to her as if she was more moved by the mother-daughter reunion. I frowned, getting annoyed at her crying. ¡°Charlotte hinted to me about your powers. I must have been mistaken because that¡¯s not a shadow demon¡¯s power.¡± ¡°You can become the light of the South even now. Do you know how much I¡¯ve looked for you?¡± The Duchess even hugged me and patted me thinking that I was stunned by their shamelessness to even open my mouth. ¡°You must be surprised. But it¡¯s the truth. I¡¯m your mother, Anissa.¡± ¡°......So what?¡± So what if you¡¯re my real mother? CH 109 It was Charlotte who was more surprised about my unresponsiveness. With her face turning pale, she thrust her finger at me in astonishment. ¡°Anissa! How could you say that?¡± ¡°What? Should I have cursed instead?¡± I continued, swatting away her finger indifferently. ¡°Revealing the secret behind my birth will change nothing now.¡± ¡°The Duchess is your real mother, Anissa!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason for me to believe it, and I don¡¯t care even if it¡¯s the truth.¡± I stood up from my seat, pushing away Charlotte who was agitated. I didn¡¯t want to listen to anything from them anymore. ¡°I heard you can tell the difference between truth and lies.¡± The Duchess assessed me with cold eyes. ¡°Are you saying you won¡¯t help your family despite knowing that what I¡¯m saying is the truth?¡± I snorted at her words feeling dumbfounded. ¡°Duchess, who the hell are you saying is family with who?¡± The Duchess pressed on her chest as if she had received a severe shock and had trouble breathing. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you would grow up to be a child like this.¡± You probably didn¡¯t even know I lived. I turned away from Dona Euclid¡¯s face filled with disappointment in me. ¡°You might have thought that I abandoned you, but that¡¯s not true. You were kidnapped.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not really interested.¡± ¡°......If you¡¯re not going to be on our side, then can¡¯t you at least stop the Grand Duke of Lagrange, whom you know as your brother?¡± ¡®In the end, you¡¯re doing this because you thought you¡¯re going to lose.¡¯ However, I had only encountered him twice, moreover, we didn¡¯t have a good encounter in those two times, so what did it matter to me whether all of Hermann¡¯s arms and legs get cut off or not? ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t have any thoughts of stopping him. Because we¡¯re not going to lose.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you feel bad that your brother is hurt?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s hurt? Dietrich is fine though?¡± I turned my back after observing their ashen faces as if they would pass out anytime soon at the current ridiculous situation. ¡°I think you¡¯ve said everything there is to say, so I¡¯m going back now.¡± Charlotte, who had been biting her lips to the point that they bled, grabbed me a little roughly toward her. ¡°Anissa! Do you know how anxious the Duchess was in coming to the North?¡± ¡°She must have been feeling guilty.¡± Finding her daughter she had wanted to kill and asking for her help would have been difficult without some level of shamelessness after all. At my apathetic words, tears dripped down Charl¡¯s eyes. I felt that she was genuinely hurt by the current situation, so I called her with a sigh. ¡°Charl.¡± ¡°Anissa, you¡¯re not this kind of cold-hearted person. Didn¡¯t you help me without any strings attached?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m not really the cold-hearted type.¡± I was someone who couldn¡¯t let Dietrich live as a villain because of his useless affection, so I twisted the original. ¡®That¡¯s far from being heartless.¡¯ ¡°Then, why are you like this to the Duchess?¡± ¡°Charl, she would have known in the capital that I was her real daughter.¡± ¡°Th-that time, she wasn¡¯t sure yet!¡± ¡°Then, why is she sure now? Because Dietrich defeated Hermann?¡± I tilted my head at Charl¡¯s hesitancy. Before she could open her mouth, I asked first, ¡°What does Dietrich¡¯s victory have something to do with my bloodline?¡± ¡°I simply don¡¯t want to see you turn your back on your family, Anissa.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not turning my back. Euclid is just not my family. So stop crying now.¡± As they were talking, Charl¡¯s face had been dripping with tears all the while, so she quickly turned red. When I rubbed the corner of her eyes with the back of my hand, she staggered backward in surprise. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you know everything?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°.....Anissa, from the start, you wanted the relics of the sun god. Did you know the effects of the holy relics?¡± ¡°I know you can use the holy relics to strengthen your abilities.¡± ¡°If you knew that then how could you take away the power of your real brother?!¡± Charl continued in shock, ¡°How could you?¡± I¡¯m so used to her treating me like a villain that I¡¯m no longer particularly offended. I shrugged my shoulders swallowing my words and she approached me as if to press me. ¡°Is it because you hate me?¡± ¡°....Excuse me?¡± ¡°Anissa, you hate me for no reason.¡± She was a person who firmly believed that the world revolved around her. I shook my head as I pondered on how to break Charlotte¡¯s solid belief. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you though.¡± ¡°Liar!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the truth. I don¡¯t really care enough to hate you, Charl.¡± Charlotte wrinkled her lovely eyebrows as if she didn¡¯t like what I said. But to this day, I didn¡¯t feel any hate toward her. ¡°And even if I do hate you, there would a reason. Wasn¡¯t I detained because of you?¡± ¡°Then why do you say you don¡¯t hate me? And again, it was really not my intention. I have a reason¨C¡± ¡°I know. I know what you¡¯re trying to say isn¡¯t a lie.¡± Eredia¡¯s ability wasn¡¯t easy to use all day. Still, whenever I meet Charlotte, I tended to focus in order to read her intentions, however, I never felt any malice from her. Of course, all her actions were a nuisance to me, and even if she didn¡¯t mean it, she was very tiresome. However, this was a world where people who try to do something with malice would get knocked down. ¡®Like that woman behind Charlotte.¡¯ Although I didn¡¯t want to think of her as an enemy. Since it seemed like it wasn¡¯t only Lagrange¡¯s children who were trapped in a predetermined role since they were born. And because of that, I couldn¡¯t entrust Charlotte with Dietrich¡¯s fate. ¡®I already know how painful it is to live a life that someone had already decided.¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t hate you because I understand you didn¡¯t mean me any harm.¡± ¡°Then, why are you abandoning your family and even extorting my relics? Exactly why?!¡± I rubbed my face with my hands while looking at her uttering lines like that of a protagonist of a play who was facing tragedy. ¡°As I¡¯ve told you, Euclid isn¡¯t my family, and because I wish for Dietrich¡¯s victory.¡± ¡°The North won¡¯t get saved that way. I like His Grace, but if the empire falls on his hands, the people will only suffer!¡± In the first place, Dietrich didn¡¯t even have an interest in the empire. He didn¡¯t like troublesome things. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Dietrich doesn¡¯t have an ounce of interest in southern lands.¡± ¡°How can I trust those words? How can I believe that the Grand Duke does not want the southern territories?!¡± Dona Euclid, who had been silently listening to our conversation, asked back sharply. I looked at her and smiled lightly. ¡°Why can¡¯t you believe it? Because he¡¯s evil and you¡¯re good?¡± Even since I was born as Anissa, I had been struggling to live my life in order for the children of Lagrange not to live as villains. So to them, I would be like a thorn in their side. ¡®After all, the main characters were the ones who need a villain to stand out.¡¯ It¡¯s probably the members of the Euclid Duchy who were more anxious than anyone else because Dietrich didn¡¯t kill his siblings. ¡®After he became a Grand Duke, I had been working hard to reform the image of the North.¡¯ Now, the respect of the Northern people for Lagrange was as high as the sky. Words have no feet so, through word of mouth, the news would quickly spread to the south and capital. And if Dietrich stopped playing the villain, people would no longer support Euclid in the rose war. ¡®Fortunately, we also came back from the capital with no major incidents.¡¯ In the meantime, Hermann¡¯s nose had been broken during this round, so they must be extremely anxious. ¡®That¡¯s why they even came to me.¡¯ ¡°...Anissa, if that¡¯s how it will be, I will also not stay still.¡± Charl murmured with firm lips. She clenched her fist as if she had made a decision. ¡°It¡¯s my duty to make the prophecy come true. I like His Grace and you, Anissa, but I have no choice.¡± ¡°Do whatever you want.¡± I opened the drawing-room¡¯s door myself and gestured with my chin. At my gesture of turning the guests away, only then did the Duchess and Charlotte moved their heavy behinds. ¡°As expected, Anissa must be the clown who plays as a god stated in the prophecy.¡± Charlotte, who came close to the door, looked at me with serious eyes. Noticing that she was trying to draw her courage from somewhere, I coldly raised the corner of my lips. ¡°But, you won¡¯t be able to help His Grace that way.¡± I looked at Charlotte as if she was a pretty glass doll. I had once believed that Dietrich would have been happy if I waited for her, but I had already realized in the past that this world was not that convenient. Even if they were saved by good people, the evil ones would always be evil. ¡°Whether it be mimicking a god, or destroying a temple, I can do anything that would terrify you, Charl.¡± ¡°!¡± ¡°I will do anything to give Dietrich his freedom.¡± That¡¯s my way of saving him. ¡°Escort them out, Lancel.¡± Bang! As soon as Charlotte and the Duchess left the drawing-room, I closed the door at them, leaving them twitching their lips as if they still had something to say. CH 110 After I sent out Charlotte and the Duchess, I stood alone in front of the mirror and caught my breath. ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± As if the end of the sentence was a question, it raised in intonation and then declined. A girl with pink hair like pale cotton candy followed me and smiled weakly. ¡®Is it really all right?¡¯ No matter how much I reiterated that they were not my family, facing the family of the Duke of Euclid was mentally difficult. They were treating Charlotte kindly, who shared not even a single drop of blood with them, that every time I remembered that I had been thrown away, I felt like the was some flaw in me. ¡®Even though I really don¡¯t care about Charl.¡¯ Compare to the days I had lived while holding my breath in fear of Derek Lagrange, dealing with Charlotte, who was a socialite in the South, felt funny. Their ridicule and Charlotte¡¯s innocuous nuisance didn¡¯t really feel like it was hitting home at all, so I had no particular memory of being truly angry at her. However, Dona Euclid was different. I wanted to turn away from that jet-black aura that tried to use her own biological child for her own benefit. ¡°Anissa.¡± Standing by the window along the hallway, someone grabbed my clenched fist. ¡°What¡¯s wrong.¡± My cold hand was covered by an even colder hand. Nevertheless, strangely, my heart felt warmer so I smiled and opened my mouth. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°I heard Dona Euclid came to call.¡± ¡°So what if that person visited? She has nothing to do with me.¡± Dietrich still didn¡¯t know that I¡¯m a Euclid. On the contrary, I wondered if his eyes, as black as the veil in the night, were filled with worry. ¡°Didn¡¯t she torment you in the North?¡± ¡°Dietrich, I can¡¯t even call that torment. What Derek did to you was torment.¡± I shrugged at his concerns. ¡°What about the meeting of the elders? Is it over?¡± ¡°This is a list of nobles who opposed the distribution of food to the people of the territory.¡± ¡°Hm. Thank you.¡± I took the documents he handed me and held them in my arms. ¡°Are you going to open another warehouse again?¡± When we returned from the capital, the first thing I did was open a charity. As soon as winter came, I opened Lagrange¡¯s food warehouse and distributed every sack of wheat. ¡°Yeah. You said we didn¡¯t have money, right? Then, we should at least release some food.¡± In fact, Lagrange was a place where food was more precious than money. At my words, Dietrich moved his lips as if he had something to say. I narrowed my eyes and observed his expression. ¡°Even if we don¡¯t have cash, we still have a lot of jewels. The number of orphanages we have right now is insufficient. We¡¯ll have to build two more to accommodate them all.¡± ¡°All right.¡± I looked at Dietrich nodded his head indifferently and opened my mouth hesitantly. ¡°Why do you always say ¡®all right¡¯ to everything?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Whatever I do, you always just say yes. You never say the opposite.¡± ¡®Don¡¯t tell me the thing with us having no money is a lie?¡¯ He had never once stopped me from insisting on giving away to the people in the territory all the money that we didn¡¯t have. ¡°Do we really have no money?¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s right.¡± Dietrich uncharacteristically nodded his head firmly at my question. I tilted my head, checking his unwavering gray aura. ¡°Then, why aren¡¯t you stopping me? Lagrange originally doesn¡¯t do charity or things like that.¡± The great nobles of the South worked on the welfare of the people in their territories in order to set an example, and Lagrange, to live in accordance to their name as the villainous family, never carried out such a business. ¡®Though of course, I have my reasons.¡¯ I was going to tell him one by one if he had asked, but he had never protested against me so the speech I had prepared had become useless. ¡°If my title can¡¯t even let you do whatever you want, then it doesn¡¯t mean much to me.¡± The words he uttered with his expressionless face sounded as if he was sitting in the Grand Duke¡¯s position because of me. ¡®I feel like I¡¯ve heard that before.¡¯ I passed off Dietrich¡¯s words as him speaking his lines. However, not long after that, he would soon find the day when he regrets it and would say ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡¯ ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Marilyn, I want to hold a tea party based on this list.¡± ¡°Tea party? Not a dinner party?¡± ¡°Yes, a tea party.¡± In the North, a banquet was only an unconditionally rigid dinner party. Tea parties were only enjoyed in the South where social activities were active. ¡°Because they¡¯ll be curious so they will come.¡± ¡®People who also oppose Dietrich wouldn¡¯t come so easily.¡¯ Reforming the image of the North was something Lagrange couldn¡¯t do alone. ¡®We need to change the mindset of the entire northern nobility.¡¯ The southern society was a society that was terribly conscious of the eyes of others. The northerners ridicule the southern charade as a sham but experiencing it myself, I didn¡¯t think it wasn¡¯t unnecessary nonsense. ¡®I also know that common people think that the war is also Lagrange¡¯s fault.¡± The rose war was a civil war between the two families that lasted long enough to even accompany the history of the empire. Although nothing had destabilized the empire as much as the civil war, the southern people considered Lagrange as the public enemy. ¡®As if Lagrange is the only reason why there¡¯s a rose war.¡¯ Euclid, the opposing family, even pretends to be the guardian of peace! People were naturally easily misled by what they see. Euclid actually believes that they¡¯re righteous heroes. ¡®Is there a law that says we can¡¯t also do that?¡¯ I snorted and picked up the outdoor dress that Marilyn picked out for me. ¡°About this list, all of them are from families who are opposing Lagrange due to the issue of opening the warehouse. Will they really come?¡± Vanessa, who was choosing a hair ornament next to Marilyn, tilted her head. ¡°Then, we just have to make them come.¡± ¡°Ah! Are you going to release the demons?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but let out a laugh at her flushed cheeks, looking subtly excited. ¡°What? No.¡± It¡¯s easy to control people with power and authority, but in that way, we would never be able to break the formula of ¡®Lagrange is a villain.¡¯ You need flowers to attract bees. And it¡¯s embarrassing, but the flower had to be me. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I collected my breath in front of the door of an old-fashioned but secluded salon. ¡°Princess, you¡¯d like to have your tea party dress from here?¡¯ ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t this a southerner¡¯s shop?¡± ¡°I know.¡± Lucy looked around and grunted as if worried. ¡°This shop is a place noble ladies rarely go to¡­¡± The signboard that read ''Celine''s Salon'' was decorated with gold leaf based on the luxurious ebony, and it was so pretty that you could feel the designer''s sense just by looking at the signboard. ¡®There¡¯s only one reason why someone with this kind of sense is being ignored.¡¯ Because she¡¯s a southerner. Madame Celine was a romanticist of the century and a designer who led the fashion of the southern society, however, she fell in love and came to the North to get married. Tinkle. The bird-shaped bell hanging on the door rings with a clear sound. Dust was piling up on top of the sofa that was laid out so anyone looking around would have thought that it was a shop that went bankrupt. ¡®Is there anyone here?¡¯ Soon, however, a middle-aged woman began to rush down from the upper floor with a loud noise. She looked between me and Vanessa with a slightly surprised look on her face. ¡°Oh, uh, are you customers?¡± I looked around her salon, where not a person nor even an ant could be seen and opened my mouth. ¡°Yes. I need a dress.¡± ¡°Are you saying you¡¯ll get fitted by me?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this a dress shop?¡± ¡°T-that''s right. Perhaps you came to the wrong door and were looking for Madame Lellin next door?¡± Celine hurriedly picked up the feather duster as if she was embarrassed by the dust sitting on the sofa. I watched her cluttered behavior and answered her leisurely. ¡°I want to get fitted by Madame Celine for my dress.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re asking me to take my name off the dress and replace it with Lellin¡¯s name, then I can¡¯t do that. It¡¯s my last pride, miss.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Madame Celine¡¯s dress so why is there a need to lie that it¡¯s Lellin¡¯s design?¡± Celine abruptly closed her mouth in disbelief at my words. ¡®Is she going to cry?¡¯ I lived my life taking care of the children of Lagrange but because they were children who didn¡¯t know how to cry, I didn¡¯t know how to comfort people either. I watched as her aura, tinged with green ¨C feeling extremely moved ¨C undulated like waves. ¡°Heuk, huuk!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Madame.¡± ¡°My goodness! Heup! It¡¯s been more than ten years since I opened this store! Hic! Heuk! No one had ever asked me to fit a dress¨C!¡± ¡°That has nothing to with your skills.¡± I wiped her face dripping with tears, comforting the middle-aged madame. ¡°I will prepare the most beautiful dress in the world even if you are a commoner.¡± A designer from a noble background never makes a dress for commoners. I smiled contentedly at the fact that her heart was burdened that much. ¡°My name is Anissa Lagrange, Madame.¡± ¡°La-Lagrange?¡± ¡°I need a dress for a tea party. I want something that¡¯s more beautiful than the southern design and at the same time a remarkably practical dress.¡± The fashion in the North was always one step behind the South. ¡®To reverse that, I need the sense of a fashion leader.¡¯ If we wanted to win, then, we definitely have to win in every way. CH 111 ¡°Lancel, open the glass greenhouse. I will hold the tea party in the garden.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And you dress up, too.¡± ¡°Me too?¡± I nodded at Lancel who asked back in bewilderment. ¡°Yes, as you know, most nobles don¡¯t have butlers.¡± It was an opportunity to show off how great and prestigious Lagrange was. Lancel had a pretty decent appearance, and if he just kept his mouth shut he looked quite dignified. ¡°Can you get Yuric dressed up too and bring him here?¡± ¡°Young master Yuric, too¡­?¡± With a little self-interest, Dietrich was more handsome than Yuric, but Yuric who had a sweet atmosphere was the best to win the favor of the ladies. ¡®Besides, Dietrich wouldn¡¯t cooperate in something like this.¡¯ Disliking people was the only thing common among the Lagrange siblings, but Dietrich was especially worse. Creating a bloody atmosphere would only cause fear among nobles, not favor. ¡°Yes, dress him up gorgeously. I think the clothes have already been sent from Celine¡¯s Salon.¡± Just in time, I smiled and checked the dress that Marilyn was bringing. Even to me who was ignorant about dresses, it looked exceptionally beautiful. ¡®It¡¯s lined with fleece so it won¡¯t be cold.¡¯ I spread my arms around the light blue velvet dress touching the fluffy frills decorating it. Marilyn took off my dress as if she had been waiting. I breathed, wrapped up inside a blanket like a chrysalis. ¡°Everyone I invited will come, right?¡± ¡°If they don¡¯t want to die, they would.¡± ¡°If they don¡¯t come, they¡¯ll die?¡± ¡°Oh my, Princess. Would you then spare that clueless aristocrat who would dare to ignore the invitation of Lagrange?¡± At my question, Marilyn let out harsh words that didn¡¯t match her elegant face. ¡®She¡¯s been working as a head maid in Lagrange for a long time¡­¡¯ It seemed it was still quite difficult to command the servants. I scratched my cheeks at her words which seemed to have accumulated quite a bit of stress. After relaxing in a bath with perfumed oil, the preparations leading up to the massage went on for quite some time. I thought when I opened my eyes, it was the end of the preparations, but then, it was time for people to decorate my hair. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone look good in real flowers such as you, Princess,¡± Vanessa exclaimed as she decorated my hair with freesia flowers. ¡°You¡¯re right. How are you so cute? I¡¯d believe it if you were actually a fairy!¡± No matter how many times I heard Vanessa and Tally¡¯s uproarious praise, I still couldn¡¯t get used to it. I blushed, feeling embarrassed, and checked myself. ¡®Hm. This should be enough.¡¯ The soft, wavy hair twisted and turned in a braid along with the light blue dress matched well that I admired Madame Celine¡¯s skills anew. ¡°If I leave now, people will be waiting, right?¡± I dawdled, deliberately looking for accessories in a slow manner. It¡¯s a tea party I¡¯m hosting, but if I appeared last, I would get more attention. I didn¡¯t get out of my seat until I received a report from Lancel that people have gathered. ¡°Every single one is here¨Cgasp.¡± Lancel, who had been busy with the preparations for the tea party had not been looking at me, so when he saw me looking like an adult, his eyes widened. ¡°Wow.¡± Clap, Clap. As if he couldn¡¯t find the words to express what he was feeling, he clapped his hands instead and I smiled at his reaction. I followed Lancel down the hallway and Yuric, wearing a gray frock coat leaning on the garden door, extended his hand to me when he found me. ¡°You look marvelous today.¡± Even when he went around wearing an ordinary shirt, he was already gorgeous, and now that he had dressed up, he was quite dazzling. Looking at me with clear eyes, Yuric soon kissed the back of my hand. ¡°I was going to complain about the people telling me to dress up and change my clothes since this morning as it was quite a draining experience.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t even do that because you¡¯re too beautiful.¡± ¡°You¡¯re more beautiful, Yuric.¡± I meant it. That was the reason why I chose him as my partner for this tea party. As I entered the garden linking arms with him, I heard people talking from a distance. ¡°Why are you going back?¡± ¡°Shh.¡± I retraced my steps and turned around, observing the atmosphere. Usually, tea parties were held on a small scale, but due to the number of people invited today, it seemed that cliques have already formed. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the first tea party hosted by Lagrange? I¡¯m curious about what the Princess is thinking.¡± A family that had been loyal to Lagrange for a long time, ¡°However, even if she¡¯s called a Princess, at the end of the day, isn¡¯t she just the Grand Duke¡¯s sister? Since she¡¯s not a Duchess, then she¡¯s nothing but a vassal.¡± A family that sought opportunities to covet the authority of the North, ¡°A relative of mine saw her in the capital and there was a rumor that she was ugly and dull.¡± And even a family who bats back and forth between the North and the South. ¡®It seems all the people invited have gathered.¡¯ The families I¡¯m aiming for today were the royal families of the North, except for the bats. I nodded lightly as I recalled their portraits and personal information which Lancel had brought me in advance. The long wooden table, which ran along from the door of the greenhouse, was covered with white lace, and each table was decorated with a different color of fresh flowers, making it bright like a spring garden in late autumn. ¡°Hello, everyone.¡± I revealed myself over the radiance of the place and smiled brightly, escorted by Yuric. ¡°Thank you all for accepting my invitation.¡± ¡°I greet Princess Anissa, the most lovely shadow of Lagrange.¡± I noticed Countess Devonshire who was the first one to respond to my greetings. ¡®She belonged to one of the families who offered their allegiance to Dietrich.¡¯ Although the Grand Duchy of Lagrange held the North with its great power and ruthless authority, it didn¡¯t gain a deep sense of loyalty. After all, it was a place where a respectable leader didn¡¯t emerge. ¡®If they were able to take the position, their soul would be eaten by the demon or get decapitated by the next successor.¡¯ I narrowed my eyes and examined each of their aurae. ¡°As a member of Lagrange, I thought that I had been neglectful towards my ¡®family¡¯ in the North so I had prepared this.¡± ¡°Family?¡± I smiled softly, looking at the noble tilting her head, seemingly puzzled at my words, ¡°It¡¯s the same as being family, madam. Aren¡¯t you all connected to Lagrange somehow?¡± It¡¯s all thanks to the unequaled grand dukes of the past. I clapped my hands and beckoned the maids carrying the desserts. ¡°Thank you for looking after us, but a tea party? Aren¡¯t you trying too hard to copy the southern culture?¡± I glanced at the young lady from Viscount Tully, looking as if she had a stiff neck. Although she¡¯s young, she looked like someone who was bursting with pride as a Northerner, such as the ¡®group of bats¡¯ and the lead in pretending. ¡°Is that how it looks like? What do you think, madam?¡± The Countess of Rosiere, who was surprised in being the target of my question, scratched her temple. Her daughter, Ollier, who had made her debut in the capital and even studied abroad, raised her nose and bragged. ¡®She¡¯s the fiancee of the second prince, wasn¡¯t she?¡¯ ¡°I think you followed it too poorly, Princess. I could have helped you if you called for me in advance.¡± I smiled and listened to her words. When I didn¡¯t stop her, she proceeded and let out a flow of words. ¡°Since the Princess isn¡¯t used to socializing, I understand that you could make such a mistake. Like in the capital.¡± ¡°Capital! Ah, I remember now. Haven¡¯t we met before?¡± I snapped my finger as if it was then that I had remembered her face laughing at me in the middle of Charlotte¡¯s crowd. ¡®Well, I called her on purpose.¡¯ ¡°You must go to the capital a lot, my lady?¡± ¡°Yes. His Highness even gave me this dress I¡¯m wearing today as a present.¡± She rose from her seat and turned in a circle to show off the southern-style dress. People looked on with envy. Ollier smugly enjoyed their envious stares. No matter how different the social circle in the South and North was, the center of society would always be the capital. Since she was someone active in the social circle in the capital, there was no reason why she wouldn¡¯t receive people¡¯s envy. ¡®The Northern social circle is one that insults the Southern-style while imitating them at the same time.¡¯ At any rate, Rosiere was a territory that was anxious to be absorbed into the South. I glanced at her soft lace dress and opened my mouth. ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s easy to endure the weather in the North.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason why I can¡¯t endure the cold for the sake of beauty.¡± ¡°Lady Ollier truly speaks like a southerner by nature.¡± I grinned as I pulled on my thick and soft, yet shiny fur scarf at the gentle breeze that blew just in time. I agree with the saying that when in Rome, you do as Romans do, however, in the North, there were laws that were only for the North. ¡°I find them quite without substance.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I am not cold at all right now. However.¡± I didn¡¯t want to say that I was pretty with my own mouth, so I stood up from my seat instead of speaking. Each of the ladies¡¯ eyes widened when they saw my dress sparkling next to her. ¡°Besides, I think you have a slightly different understanding of what social circle is, my lady. Doesn¡¯t a social circle exist in order to interact with those people in power?¡± Therefore, the society in the capital revolved around the Emperor, Euclid, and also Charlotte, who was beloved by Dona. But it¡¯s different in the North. ¡°.....Excuse me?¡± I place my finger on the tip of Ollie¡¯s chin, who was looking dazed and continued. ¡°That means, I am the embodiment of Northern society to you.¡± CH 112 ¡°How could you say such arrogant words?!¡± Ollier wheezed in indignance at the words I said. ¡°That attitude is far from a lady¡¯s virtue, Princess! That is rude!¡± ¡°Oh my, I was just joking. Aren¡¯t you too serious?¡± I looked around nervously as if I couldn¡¯t understand why Ollier was angry. A lady of Ollier¡¯s age opened her mouth as if to criticize her. ¡°Ollier, why are getting angry like that? Besides, she¡¯s right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Of course, the center of the Northern society would be the Princess of Lagrange.¡± When even the young ladies around didn¡¯t take her side, Ollier bit her lips. ¡°....It wasn¡¯t a while ago when you asked me to get you a dress that¡¯s trending in the capital!¡± I fluttered my frilled dress in front of her and smiled. A few young ladies approached me as if seduced by my appearance. ¡°Did I do that? But the Princess¡¯ dress is prettier.¡± I showed the lining of the dress to the lady who stepped up and criticized Ollier as if a reward. ¡°It has fur on its sleeves so it''s not cold at all.¡± ¡°Since the Princess has a slender body line so wearing a dress like this doesn¡¯t make you look dull at all.¡± ¡°Even if the Southern dresses are pretty, it''s cold because they¡¯re thin.¡± Succeeding in attracting attention, I stared at Ollier who had flushed cheeks, and beckoned her with a finger. ¡°Lend me your ears.¡± Even as she was fuming, as if she couldn¡¯t ignore my words, she slowly lowered her head. ¡°Perhaps the reason why the Countdom of Rosiere can¡¯t open their warehouse is that you¡¯re having financial difficulties?¡± I put my mouth near her round ears and started to whisper. As if she was surprised at how I came to know such a thing, Ollier glared at me with wide eyes. ¡®Well, the little demon told me.¡¯ It seemed that when the demon which I had sent to check the atmosphere had entered the garden, he had secretly overheard the laments of the Countess and Ollier. ¡°So what? Are you threatening me using our financial difficulties?¡± ¡°Threats are only done when there is worth threatening.¡± I slowly looked at Ollier¡¯s face, coming close to her with our noses almost touching. In any case, she¡¯s someone who was equal to that of a fiancee of an imperial family member. ¡®It¡¯d be nice to have at least one person from the bat pack on my side.¡¯ ¡°Ollier.¡± When I lowered my voice, imitating Dietrich, Ollier trembled in surprise. I ordered the little demon to hold her ankle tightly. ¡°I h-heard you can¡¯t control demons, Princess Anissa!¡± That rumor wasn¡¯t wrong since the little demon wasn¡¯t mine. ¡®But I don¡¯t have to tell you that.¡¯ I smiled and lifted Ollier¡¯s chin with the tip of my fan. ¡°I¡¯ll fill the Count¡¯s grain warehouse for you. Then, you won¡¯t be humiliated by the other nobles when you open it.¡± ¡°Why are you doing the Countdom a favor?¡± ¡°No reason. That¡¯s nothing to Lagrange.¡± Finding my words unexpected, Ollier¡¯s eyes wavered. I put on a smile again to give out a warning. ¡°On the other hand, ruining your family is easy enough to make me yawn. Remember that.¡± ¡°...........¡± ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve understood.¡± I explained it to her in an easy way thinking she might not understand, but fortunately, Ollier nodded quickly. Leaving her, like a broken machine that only knew how to nod, I turned my body and started moving. Soon, I began to examine each guest by reading the hidden emotions in the silence that had descended. I made eye contact with the person who shrugged their shoulder as if thinking that the Grand Duke of Lagrange would change anytime soon, thus, there was no need to make a good impression. ¡°You all know that my brother has issued a decree banning marriage.¡± I also didn¡¯t know why Dietrich suddenly banned marriage. However, since the decree was issued at a fairly appropriate time, I opened my mouth to make use of it as an excuse. ¡°It means Lagrange has no intention of making a successor for the time being.¡± I meant it as our generation planned to rule for a long, long time, so they better get their acts straight. ¡°However, you can¡¯t control the demons for a long time.¡± ¡°And what if we can?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± One of the young ladies opened her mouth in astonishment. I had tilted my head slightly at her response and had asked back. ¡°It¡¯s the truth. I found a way to control the demons.¡± I continued, inhaling the scent of hawthorn trees filling the garden. ¡°My words may also be wrong. However, if it isn¡¯t, and my brother rules Lagrange for a long, long time.¡± ¡°............¡± ¡°Will you be able to take responsibility?¡± Though Dietrich¡¯s power was terrifying, the reason why they were able to dare to rebel from opening their warehouses was that they believed he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep his title as the Grand Duke for long. Fortunately, Ollier¡¯s mother, Countess Rosiere, was a woman with a good head on her shoulder, so she was the first to stop the young lady from opening her mouth. ¡°The Princess is still talking, young lady.¡± ¡°We will make this war the last Rose War. To do that, we need your cooperation.¡± Countess Devonshire raised the corner of her lips as if finding the situation funny. I looked at her and continued to speak. ¡°How long do we have to live following the tail of the southerners?¡± Even those who were envious of the southern social circle so they had followed Ollier started clenching their fists at my words. ¡°You¡¯re right, Princess! What do even the southern young ladies know what to do? They only know how to shake their fans.¡± ¡°The dress you¡¯re wearing is a hundred, no, thousand times more beautiful than Lady Ollier¡¯s, Princess!¡± Some even hit the soup table, raising the heat of the moment. Among them, the Countess of Devonshire, who had only a small smile, opened her mouth. ¡°It seems His Grace isn¡¯t only giving us his help so we can catch up to the South.¡± ¡°We have no intention to be hypocrites like the Euclids, madam. And I have no intention of having fun like them.¡± Just in time, I opened the lid of the new teapot that the maid had brought. The smell of fragrant wine rose in the air. ¡°Ha? Are you talking about having a drink in broad daylight like we¡¯re some mercenaries?¡± ¡°Is there a reason not to?¡± ¡°If it is the will of the embodiment of the Northern society, then why not.¡± I glanced at the talkative Countess and filled my crystal glass with fruit wine. ¡®But can I drink alcohol?¡¯ In the North, there was a culture of starting to drink early due to the cold weather, but I haven¡¯t actually drank anything yet. ¡®I never drank alcohol in my previous life either since I was fighting a disease.¡¯ ¡°You haven¡¯t even made your debut yet, so will it be all right for you to drink?¡± Devonshire smiled elegantly when I handed her the glass. For some reason, she reminded me of Liatris. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± The age of my soul was well beyond an adult. I started rationalizing as felt remorse. ¡®It tastes so sweet that it doesn¡¯t taste like alcohol anyway.¡¯ As I sipped and emptied my second glass of fruit wine, Yuric, who had his mouth shut as if trying to understand the situation, stared at me. ¡°I thought it wouldn¡¯t be good if I don¡¯t drink so don¡¯t break the mood. Today is an important occasion.¡± I glared at Yuric who was trying to disturb me with a somber expression. ¡°I know that, but I feel like I¡¯ll be the only one who will get scolded.¡± ¡°Who will scold you? Bring them here! I¡¯ll scold them for you.¡± I shouted loudly at Yuric and stuck out my chest. ¡°It seems you¡¯re already drunk.¡± When Yuric gave a low sigh and started trying to stop me, the aurae of the ladies, who held onto the wool scarf like a souvenir that Madame Celine made with great care, started to turn pink. ¡°Hehe.¡± Since I had decided not to leave Dietrich¡¯s fate to Charlotte anymore, I was so happy that for the first time things were going the way I wanted them to. ¡°The Princess¡¯ dress is so cute.¡± Before I knew it, Countess Devonshire, who had gone red, started stroking my cheeks. ¡°Phew. Your skin is like silk, too.¡± ¡°Did you like the present?¡± ¡°Of course, I like it. Today¡¯s tea party as well.¡± ¡°Then, will you open the warehouse to the people, Countess Devonshire?¡± ¡°Of course. In fact, my husband is someone who falls at my feet if I just say so.¡± I laughed at Devonshire¡¯s words. ¡°Is that so? Detrie¡¯s like that, too!¡± He, too, falls at my feet if I just say so! Though the downside of that was I could die if I do something wrong. ¡°Madam, I think you¡¯re already drunk. Let me escort you inside.¡± Yuric looked at me and the countess, rubbing his hand on his face, then he turned his head to the knight standing next to me. Countess Devonshire soon disappeared from the garden, escorted by the knight. It seemed that the carriages had arrived at the mansion and the madams, kissing the back of my hand, disappeared one by one. ¡°I really enjoyed today, Princess.¡± ¡°Lady Anissa, call us next time as well.¡± After losing my drinking friends in an instant, I started drinking the fruit wine one after the other and began looking around for people. ¡°You have to tell him that I definitely stopped you.¡± ¡°Stopped what? Tell who?¡± ¡°The person who will scold me.¡± ¡°Bring him here!¡± ¡°....He¡¯s here. Already.¡± Yuric, who fell on the empty table with a thud, sighed deeply over the top of my head. ¡°Don¡¯t hit me. I really didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± Who came for him to be scared like that? I raised my eyes to the person who dared to make my precious Yuric cry. ¡°Hey!¡± Notes: ¡®Falls at my feet¡¯ - Idiomatic expression - meaning: listens to whatever the person says Bat - Metaphor - meaning: a person who easily switches sides depending on which benefits them the most CH 113 ¡°Who did that?! Who hit Yuri!?¡± Anissa began to point her finger at Dietrich with an angry glare. ¡°Ha?¡± He watched without answering as her long, outstretched, yet small finger shook in front of his face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her? I haven¡¯t even said anything?¡± When Dietrich didn¡¯t respond, Yuric alone, waved his hand in cold sweat. ¡°A-Anissa. Don¡¯t be like that. Please.¡± Please save me. His earnestness in wanting to shut her mouth was reflected in his voice. I don¡¯t usually share a lot of my grievances against Dietrich, and yet you¡¯re going to betray me like this? Yuric lamented and grabbed Anissa but she stumbled and stood up, managing to avoid his hand. ¡°Yuri! Told me! Everything! That you¡¯re bullying Yuri!¡± Anissa proudly put her hands on her side and continued speaking. The pinkish blush on her face was very cute but the details coming out of her mouth weren¡¯t so pleasant. Dietrich turned to Yuric instead of her and opened his mouth. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! You bad guy! I should scold you!¡± I¡¯m in trouble. Yuric stepped back with a sloppy smile on his face, having a premonition that if he left that mouth alone as it was, he wouldn¡¯t be able to live his life. ¡°I think she¡¯s drunk? Don¡¯t you think you should take her home? ¡°I think I should.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah. Before she gets into trouble.¡± It seemed that turning the attention to Anissa worked as Dietrich nodded his head and moved towards her. He gave an order in a low voice at the top of Yuric¡¯s head, who was feeling relief. ¡°Run around.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The drill hall.¡± ¡°All right¡­¡± That¡¯s right, there¡¯s no way I won¡¯t get hit The commander of the faceless knights was Yuric, but he had never once won against Dietrich in a swordfight. He gave a sigh of relief and nodded his head since it was common for him to get hit in the excuse of sparring. ¡°But still, Anissa seemed to have persuaded most of the noble ladies so don¡¯t be too harsh.¡± ¡°Persuade?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t there one or two families who¡¯d rather go to the South because you pushed too hard?¡± At Yuric¡¯s nagging, Dietrich stared down at Yuric as if he had cut the dawn with a knife. ¡°I clearly said it didn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s enough to wipe them all out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re like that! Phew, never mind. Let¡¯s just stop talking.¡± Since his attitude was so calm, he felt quite rational while speaking but every word that came out of his handsome mouth was all crazy statements. ¡®Did he just say it doesn¡¯t matter whether there are fewer Northern families?¡¯ Dietrich often came out to be extreme that it felt disconnected from his neat appearance. ¡°....I¡¯m glad that at least Anissa became your brake.¡± She was the only reason holding together this crazy Lagrange. ¡°You¡¯re still here?¡± Dietrich glared at Yuric who was trying to save himself from the situation by making use of Anissa as an excuse. He scrambled out of the garden because he thought Dietrich would pull out a sword any time soon if he delayed any longer. ¡°Bring him here!¡± ¡°.......¡± ¡°Who hit Yuri! Bring him here!¡± Dietrich looked down at Anissa, who was banging her hand on the tea table, repeating the same thing over and over. As if there was some kind of hidden strength in her slender hands, which looked like they would break if applied with just a little force, the tea table shook in the recoil. ¡°I¡¯m already here.¡± He bent his waist and met Anissa¡¯s eyes. Her cheeks, looking like ripe peaches, twitched. She reached out and grabbed his hair. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± He spoke like a sigh. In fact, Anissa smiled at the low whisper that sounded like a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m going to scold you!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Dietrich felt a little odd. For the first time in his life, someone had grabbed his hair but he wasn¡¯t offended at all. ¡°Do you know that if it wasn¡¯t you, their hands would have been cut off in an instant?¡± ¡°Hand?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Cut off?! How?! With knife?!¡± He nodded slightly and held Anissa, who stumbled and lost her balance. He had seen her put food in her mouth like a squirrel a lot of times, but she was still light. ¡°Is it similar to when we were young?¡± Actually, her face hadn¡¯t changed much from when she was a baby. Dietrich glanced down at her round face and started moving. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Home.¡± ¡°I like home.¡± Was that so? He nodded his head roughly but didn¡¯t bother to answer. Anissa burst into laughter as if she found the conversation back and forth funny. He listened quietly to the refreshing laughter that sounded like glass marbles rolling on a tray. ¡°In our home! Detrie is there! He¡¯s handsome!¡± Dietrich smirked at her prideful boast. Then, his smile dried up at the following abuse. ¡°But he doesn¡¯t listen! He¡¯s so stubborn!¡± "..............." ¡°Stubborn! Stubborn as a mule!¡± Dietrich just looked at Anissa talking about ¡®Detrie¡¯ excitedly all the way to her room. She ran on about his face value, that she had a lot of thoughts but he wouldn¡¯t listen, and that he kept on abandoning meetings. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had so many complaints about me.¡± He leisurely placed her on her bed, temporarily shelving his plans to destroy the families who had opposed opening their warehouses. Her small body was quickly buried and disappeared under the fluffy wool blanket. ¡°Sleep.¡± With those words, Anissa seemed to have fallen asleep without the need to soothe her. Her sound of breathing was constant. Like water from a stream, a bright yellow flower quietly fell down from her half-visible face which couldn¡¯t be seen properly due to the blanket covering her. Dietrich lost his words for a moment in that silence. ¡°I¡¯m going.¡± How much time had passed? He stood up from his place after saying a greeting that she couldn¡¯t even hear. Anissa suddenly seized Dietrich by the scruff of his neck when he was about to stretch his arm between them. ¡°Ha.¡± He was a little dumbfounded. He didn¡¯t suffocate because she didn¡¯t put strength into it but he was bewildered at where she learned to rudely grab people this way. ¡°It would be troublesome if this becomes a habit.¡± He sighed low as he adjusted his crumpled collar. Anissa spoke weakly over it. ¡°.....I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡°Of what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m scared that everything will go wrong.¡± Because of me. I¡¯m afraid I ruined everything by making a hasty choice. ¡°I¡¯m scared of that.¡± ¡°.................¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The world was dark when I opened my eyes. I managed to get myself up, rubbing my throbbing forehead. The white moonlight dimly fell on the back of my hand. ¡°....Dietrich?¡± He wasn¡¯t buried in the shadows and feeling the gaze coming from the side, he then slowly walked toward me. ¡®Why is he here?¡¯ I looked up at him with questioning eyes. If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. ¡°What are you doing there? I thought you were a ghost.¡± ¡°You said you were scared to be alone.¡± ¡°I said that?¡± I¡¯m not even a child so why would I get scared. There were two escort knights if I just open the door. I squinted my eyes and then shook my head. ¡°Yes, you said that.¡± He, who had somehow come close to the bed at some point, slowly answered. I buried my face in the fluffy pillow and then rolled over. ¡°I¡¯m dizzy.¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯d get dizzy if you roll over like that.¡± I did my best to roll over next to Dietrich and he took hold of my head. His firm hand, which always held a sword every day, felt cold today. I used his cold hand to cool off the heat on my forehead. ¡®This is refreshing.¡¯ Looking at me rub my head on the palm of his hand like a little animal, Dietrich pressed down on my forehead. ¡°You seem to be fine now.¡± ¡°Ugh. I feel like throwing up.¡± ¡°Who told you to¨C¡± ¡°Are you trying to nag me like a grandma telling me not to drink?¡± When I asked him primly, he then closed his mouth like a clam. I laughed and started making up excuses. ¡°Countess Devonshire is a heavy drinker. She¡¯s the key person I need most in my plan.¡± Devonshire, the second oldest family in the North next to Lagrange and famous for her direct pride, was the main player to lead the atmosphere of the nobility conference. ¡®If Devonshire will follow us, the rest is easy.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m quite close now to Countess Devonshire. She also promised to open her warehouse.¡± As I flaunted the visiting card that Countess Devonshire had given me with twinkling eyes, he touched his temple with a difficult-to-read expression on his face. ¡°......About your plan.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if it fails.¡± ¡°....eh?¡± What was he talking about? It¡¯d be a mess if it failed. No matter how close to divine power Eredia¡¯s ability was, I wouldn¡¯t be able to break his seal. When I looked up at him with wide eyes, he caught my gaze and he lowered his head as if calculating. His sharp face, half-hidden in the backlight, glows white. ¡°So don¡¯t worry.¡± His low voice, as if it was a sigh, fell over my head like the moonlight. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to clean up the mess, so it¡¯s okay if your plan falls to ruin.¡± But what I¡¯m afraid of ruining is you. I watched as Dietrich left the room, swallowing down my words. Knock, knock. As soon as the dawn broke, a visitor knocked on the door as if they¡¯d been waiting. ¡®This is more important than image reformation. I have to persuade them well.¡¯ CH 114 ¡°You came quickly. It hasn¡¯t been long since I sent you a letter.¡± ¡°I¡¯m faster than a carrier pigeon or a horse.¡± I had asked him to hurry because it was urgent, but I didn¡¯t expect him to come so quickly. ¡®He acted like he won¡¯t see me again.¡¯ I opened the drawing-room door, glanced at Damon entering, and then sipped the tea. When I had threatened him using Oslo, he had warned me not to sway him. ¡®But he still answered my call.¡¯ ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I guess you want to ask me a favor?¡± The yellow tea leaves floating in the tea water look like fallen leaves. Autumn was already coming to an end. ¡®A truce has been decided, but we¡¯re still a stalemate with regard to the holy relics.¡¯ Under the pretext of Hermann Euclid''s injury, Euclid demanded a truce in return for several estates located at the eastern edge of the country. Veronica and Yuric were anxious to end it like that, but I persuaded Dietrich to draw a ceasefire. ¡®Since the holy relics have been passed to Hermann, that means Charl has decided to participate in the rose war.¡¯ When she had visited together with the Duchess, they had been turned away without any negotiations, so it wasn¡¯t strange that she held a grudge against me. Although it was a little later than the original, the importance of securing the relics still remained the same. ¡°Tell me. I might listen to it.¡± Wiggling my fingertip, I made eye contact with Damon. His aura, as dry as his eyes, wasn¡¯t clear, but it was subtly agitated. ¡®Is he surprised even though he knows of my abilities?¡¯ ¡°The one who called me was you, Princess.¡± Damon definitely wanted something from me. I tapped the table with my fingers, hiding the subtle tension like a merchant about to make an important deal. ¡°Sir, were you someone who comes quickly just because anyone called you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not just anyone, Princess. You¡¯re my favorite student.¡± They were insincere words. As I stared at him with narrowed eyes without responding, Damon shrugged his shoulders as if it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°You read my mind better than I expected Princess, so I was just thinking that you¡¯re the right person for what I have in mind.¡± ¡°What exactly do you want to ask as a favor?¡± ¡°Faber is a very secretive group of people working behind the scenes, that¡¯s why we need to pay extra attention to security.¡± Their goal was revolution if they succeeded but it would become treason if they failed, so that¡¯s a given. I waited for Damon¡¯s next words with my chin propped on my hands. ¡°We noticed that information was being leaked, but we couldn¡¯t find where or who the hell turned their back on us.¡± I see, he¡¯s asking me to find the double agent in Faber. I looked up at Damon who nodded politely. His shiny blue and silver hair followed the movement of his chin. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not confident.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Even now, I¡¯m having a hard time reading your aura because it looks foggy. Is that because you¡¯re a wizard?¡± Eredia¡¯s powers were not absolute. The aura of ordinary people was easy to read if I concentrated as if I was looking at a transparent head, but there were times when it was difficult, especially for soldiers and knights who have mentally trained minds. Unless they were like Dietrich, who has a demon that¡¯s mismatched with my ability interfering, then that meant Damon¡¯s mind was strongly protected. ¡°It¡¯s kind of weird to say this myself but¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an extremely great wizard. Not everyone can be given a magic tower after all.¡± ¡°....ah.¡± His face was so serious that it didn¡¯t look like he was bragging at all. I was a little dumbfounded, but I exhaled and nodded my head briefly. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°I can assure you, now, no one is able to use high-level magic to be able to look inside me.¡± ¡®So you¡¯re saying there used to be one?¡¯ ¡°So if it¡¯s you, Princess, you will be able to weed out Faber¡¯s traitor.¡± I rolled my eyes at Damons¡¯ faith. It was tiring to use Eredia¡¯s ability to look into people¡¯s minds but it wasn¡¯t something that I couldn¡¯t do. ¡°But what if your plans go awry because of me?¡± ¡°We won¡¯t hold you responsible even if you fail.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s how it is, then fine. But I have a condition.¡± ¡°Do you want me to find the relics?¡± Damon asked me as if he had expected it. I had darkened the jewel that I took from him in the temple and put it into Dietrich¡¯s sword. ¡®Though it didn¡¯t have much effect.¡¯ Dietrich¡¯s aura became much thicker after that, but he didn¡¯t seem to feel much difference. ¡®Maybe because it¡¯s not in the form of a weapon?¡¯ Among the relics that had been passed to Hermann, there must be one that could be used as a weapon. ¡®We have to find that.¡¯ I nodded anxiously. ¡°If you help me, I have no reason not to help you, Princess.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Things turned out easier than I thought. Feeling better, I smiled and extended my hand to shake hands with Damon. However, he just stared blankly at my hand fluttering like a leaf in the air. ¡°You¡¯re making me feel awkward.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± He exclaimed softly and quickly raised his arm. He clasped my hand in embarrassment. Although our clasped hands quickly fell away after a white blade, glinting in the sun, shining dazzlingly bright, separated us. ¡°Your Grace.¡± Following the vision of the sleek sword decorated with a dark jewel, he moistened his lips. ¡°Why do you keep wandering around the North?¡± Dietrich¡¯s eyes were trained on me but his question was directed at Damon. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry for my late greetings. I apologize for not informing you in advance.¡± ¡°Are you going to make another ridiculous claim that Anissa had kidnapped you again?¡± ¡®It¡¯s not a lie though.¡¯ I answered on behalf of Damon, who was flabbergasted that his jaw dropped. ¡°I called him so put away your sword.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Dietrich raised his right eyebrow at my words. The blade of the sword which he didn¡¯t remove gleamed unusually. ¡°I have a favor to ask.¡± ¡°What favor?¡± ¡°I already told you that Marquis Deus knows something about the relics.¡± ¡°And I already told you I don¡¯t need that junk.¡± I secretly laughed at Dietrich¡¯s determined words. Since he hadn¡¯t lost even once in his life, it was natural for him to be so confident, but to me, it¡¯s just him being obstinate. ¡°No, you need it. Thankfully, the marquis said he¡¯ll help.¡± ¡°If you need this person¡¯s help then all the more that I don¡¯t need it.¡± I turned my head, dismissing Dietrich¡¯s determined words. Perhaps finding our relationship unexpected, Damon¡¯s almond-shaped eyes furtively observed us. ¡°So, where is the nearest relic?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact location, but I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s in Mount Limeria in the east, which isn¡¯t far from here.¡± ¡°Limeria? Isn¡¯t that a sanctuary?¡± Although it was located in the northeast, Limeria was the place of Hera¡¯s great temple. ¡°So that means I can¡¯t bring the demons with me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a territory that I can¡¯t reach even if I use black magic, so that would be likely.¡± ¡®I have to go alone.¡¯ It was a little disappointing that I couldn¡¯t bring the faceless knights, but if the Euclids didn¡¯t notice, there¡¯s nothing particularly dangerous. As I nodded my head in resolution, a determined voice fell over my head. ¡°You can¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why the hell are you¨C¡± I looked up at Dietrich grinding his teeth with a quizzical look. ¡°Why do you keep trying to go outside?¡± ¡°When did I?¡± ¡°Always.¡± Among the Lagrange siblings, I was the only one who kept to the castle quietly, so I didn¡¯t understand what nonsense he was saying. I replied with my mouth sharply pouting, ¡°It¡¯s Veronica who always goes out saying she¡¯ll go shopping, not me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about the whereabouts of that woman.¡± I shook my head at Dietrich¡¯s cold words. Looking at his reaction now, he didn¡¯t seem to know that Veronica left the castle to meet with the Romendov merchants. If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. ¡°If Veronica can go out why can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re different.¡± ¡°How am I different?¡± ¡°You!¡± Dietrich shut his mouth after he was trying to say something. He gritted his teeth and glared at Damon sitting there awkwardly. ¡°Are you not leaving?¡± ¡°Ah, do you want me to leave?¡± ¡°I see you have no sense in you.¡± Contrary to having no sense, Damon just seemed like he didn¡¯t have the will to move. Instead of leaving, he just shrugged his shoulders with his eyes sparkling as if he found the situation interesting. ¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn. Lagrange has settled down a bit and Yuric is also the knight commander. Even if I leave the castle, what trouble could there be?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There is. Trouble.¡± ¡°.............Well, will the castle collapse or something?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯ll collapse.¡± There was no logic in his firm answer so there was no use in persuading him. I held back a deep sigh. ¡°Or I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a while ago that you left the castle because of the battle. And were you not listening? It¡¯s a sanctuary.¡± I thought he was going to see to the work of a Grand Duke but he¡¯s already thinking about shirking his duty. I finally let out the sigh that I was holding on to and touched my temple. ¡°No, you don¡¯t really need me here!¡± ¡°Starting today, you¡¯re my secretary.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the secretary going leaving her boss behind?¡± The secretary of the head of the family was quite a high position. In Lagrange, they would be a powerful person who maintains their place in the family and is even more influential than the Grand Duke who changes so easily. ¡®You want me to be a secretary like that?¡¯ ¡°Those who do not work must not eat.¡± I laughed at Dietrich¡¯s words, feeling astounded. ¡°You said I can just have fun! Didn¡¯t you tell me to just trust you while I just eat and play?¡± Why was the speed of recruitment so fast like lightning! CH 115 ¡°Here are the documents, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Stop calling me that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it here, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Stop. There¡¯s a limit to how much I¡¯ll let it go.¡± Although Dietrich put some annoyance into his voice, I just snorted and threw the papers on his desk. ¡®If there¡¯s a limit to how much he¡¯ll let it go, how far can I go?¡¯ Thunk! The dust on his desk floated along with the sound. I stared at him moving the pen in his hand on top of the ebony desk. His hands were so pretty that it was hard to believe he was someone who wields a sword every day. ¡®Hmph, so what about it!¡¯ His heart was full of grumpiness anyway! ¡°Stubborn.¡± Dietrich, who was moving the nib in scribbles, finally looked at me when I whispered. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Anissa.¡± He chewed and spit my name like an angry beast. But it¡¯s not his anger I¡¯m afraid of. ¡°Please speak, Your Grace.¡± ¡°You really!¡± Dietrich, who opened his mouth as if he would shout, clenched his fists, barely holding himself back. I shrugged my shoulders with renewed admiration for his patience. In fact, I had been aware that he had been quite ¨C a lot actually ¨C tolerant of me so far. Still, I couldn¡¯t help but feel upset. ¡®If you don¡¯t want me to keep provoking you, then let me go.¡¯ No matter how much I think about it, it was his useless grumpiness that was keeping me from leaving. It¡¯s a time when everyone was doing their best for the prosperity of Lagrange, but I wasn¡¯t saying I¡¯ll go out to play around. ¡°Since my work is done, may I leave now?¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°The restroom!¡± ¡°.........¡± I¡¯m going to rest, so what! Guessing from the way his eyebrows kept rising higher and higher, his patience must be wearing thin to the ground. I twisted my lips as I looked at his speechless face. ¡°Would you like me to make a list of my destinations today and report them to you, Your Grace?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be sarcastic.¡± A shadow of backlight fell over Dietrich¡¯s face as he responded coldly. The face with a neat nose line was still handsome today but I left the room with eyes filled with hate. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ It was at dawn when everyone was in deep sleep that I headed back to his office. In the quiet time when the dim moonlight shone in the hallway, I sneakily moved like a thief. All the while, I hoped that the black hood on my head would hide me. ¡®No one is around, right?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t sense any aura beyond the door. I heaved a deep sigh and pulled the door handle. Dietrich, of course, never told me, but I knew that the ¡®warp¡¯ magic that sorcerers use to move places was engraved in the Grand Duke¡¯s office. ¡®I¡¯ve read it in the book.¡¯ I had thought it was a useless setting, however, I didn¡¯t know it would come in handy like this. I clapped my hands softly in appreciation of the author¡¯s detailed setting. ¡®Was it under the carpet?¡¯ Until the succession of Lagrange was decided, warping outside the territory wasn¡¯t possible, but now Dietrich was the Grand Duke in name and in reality. I removed the dark red carpet and found the hidden magic square. ¡°Phew. Found it.¡± ¡°Found what.¡± Thud. The sound of my heartbeat dropping echoed in the silence. I sprang to my feet, surprised by the black shadow seeping beneath me. ¡°What are you doing in my office this late at night?¡± Dietrich, who was watching me only open and close my mouth in bewilderment, moved his hand. Click. He flicked his hand and the office lit up immediately. Standing under the yellow lamp, the frosty expression on his face made me swallow in tension. ¡®He¡¯s angry.¡¯ In retrospect, I didn¡¯t have many memories of seeing Dietrich angry. His aura, which had always seemed so calm like the dead, shook noticeably. ¡°Answer me.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­¡± I could hardly open my mouth because the excuse of going out while he was sleeping wouldn¡¯t work. ¡°So¡­.¡± He slowly moved towards me who kept on mumbling. I wondered why the sound of footsteps echoed so loudly today and faltered backward. Dietrich was standing in front of me while I was clinging to the wall. A brief sigh fell on the top of my head. He was always one head taller than me. I was locked in Dietrich¡¯s arms and my eyes flitted around. ¡°Is it that important?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The relics.¡± ¡°........¡± ¡°Is it important enough for you to persist even when I stop you like this?¡± ¡®Is he not angry?¡¯ ¡°Answer me. I¡¯m about to get really mad.¡± I stared at his face, which was so close our foreheads were about to touch, and quickly nodded my head. ¡°Yeah. I told you we need it if we want to win the war. That¡¯s why I asked you to accept the truce.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t trust me.¡± He, who was expressionless when he caught me in his office, frowned in displeasure at that. ¡°Is it because you think that if I don¡¯t have those relics, I would lose to that bastard Hermann?¡± Dietrich¡¯s angry voice was no higher or lower than usual. I wondered if the sight of me struggling in trepidation to find the holy relics was seen like that in his eyes. ¡®In the end, it¡¯s about his pride?¡¯ I whipped my head around and raised my voice. ¡°I know you¡¯re strong.¡± ¡°Then, why¨C¡± ¡°But there is a safer way, so why should I only believe in your skills, Dietrich?¡± The words I uttered to interrupt his words came out much sharper than I had intended. Dietrich lost his words for a moment with an astounded expression at hearing my supposed lecture, which wasn¡¯t what it was. ¡®As expected, it¡¯s only his body that¡¯s become big.¡¯ He was still a boy. He was rejecting the relics just because of his countless victories. ¡®He must have had the greedy thought of winning with all his might.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t let him be put in danger just because of the childish reason that borrowing the power of the holy relics would hurt Dietrich¡¯s pride. If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. It meant that I cannot overlook even the smallest possibility. It would be my fault. I was the one who destroyed Asmodeus because I failed to turn a blind eye to the children of Lagrange. In the end, I was also the one who weakened Dietrich¡¯s power. ¡®Moreover, it was unknown whether Charlotte would help Lagrange now.¡¯ No matter how annoying and unreliable Charlotte had been, since she was the saint who would have helped Dietrich, I could have closed my eyes and just waited. Sometimes, such thoughts haunted me alone at night that I couldn¡¯t breathe. What should I do if I made the wrong choice? I was arrogant. So, what if in the end, Dietrich would wander into the bottomless despair as the original had intended, and there was no one left to help him? ¡°Anissa.¡± I was so scared that I couldn¡¯t even hear the low voice calling me. At that moment, when fear engulfed my mind like a shadow, Charlotte¡¯s words echoed in my surroundings like a dream. ¡®I told you, you¡¯re the clown pretending to be a god.¡¯ And she said that I would eventually destroy the North. ¡°Anissa!¡± Dietrich shook my shoulders to wake me up from the thoughts that consumed me while biting my lips tightly. I looked up at him with blurry eyes as tears streamed down my face. He sighed deeply and stretched his long fingers toward my face. ¡°Why are you being stubborn like this?¡± I answered calmly though my tears kept falling down on his palms. ¡°You¡¯re the one being stubborn, Dietrich.¡± ¡°Limeria is dangerous. Moreover, it¡¯s a not place where I can put a shadow on you.¡± ¡°So? Is the battlefield not dangerous? You were on and off on the battlefield since you were younger than me, so why can¡¯t I?¡± It¡¯s a world where it¡¯s difficult to live without taking risks. ¡®I¡¯m the only one who can go to the sanctuary in the first place.¡¯ However, Dietrich continued brusquely, not shaken by my question. ¡°I can¡¯t let you go to a dangerous place where I can¡¯t follow.¡± ¡°Because you think I¡¯m weak, is that it?¡± ¡°............¡± ¡°If I can prove to you that I¡¯m as strong as the other kids in Lagrange, will you let me go?¡± I wonder if this was what Dietrich meant earlier. That Veronica was strong, but I was not. I stopped crying and frowned, offended by his assessment. His fingers, which were embarrassingly floating in the air, paused. ¡°I¡¯m telling you it¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Then why am I the only one who can¡¯t?!¡± The triplets were already packing up to look at the world so why was I the only one?! Dietrich stared at my face filled with injustice and washed his face dry with his hand. Words like a sigh flowed between the knuckles of his beautiful fingers. ¡°....Then win against me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you to defeat me. If you do, I¡¯ll let you go.¡± I laughed in shock at his declaration. ¡°You think I can¡¯t do it?¡± CH 116 I couldn¡¯t. Damn it. ¡°Let me down!¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Let me down!!¡± Urgh, I couldn¡¯t believe I¡¯m being treated like I¡¯m nothing. It¡¯s already my fourth defeat. I came in high spirits, but it seemed like it only took three seconds to subdue me. I glared at Dietrich¡¯s indifferent face who didn¡¯t even seem happy about the victory and made an unhappy expression. I didn¡¯t want to say the cliche lines that cheap villains say every time they lose. ¡°You won¡¯t get away with this!¡± ¡°....Get away with what.¡± I was now able to manipulate Eredia¡¯s ability quite freely, but because I¡¯ve only been practicing on my own the swordsmanship skills that I¡¯ve learned from Liatris, it was all futile. ¡®Is it impossible no matter how much effort I do?¡¯ Was this what you call the difference in talent?! I guess he didn¡¯t get the nickname as the world¡¯s strongest villain for nothing. The branches of the purification trees originally moved according to my will, but it was useless since they were tied tightly by the shadows. Hanging from the column of the tree, I wiggled my feet and felt discouraged. Dietrich stretched out his hand as if feeling weak-hearted at seeing my downcast appearance. ¡°If you swear to give up now, I will let you down.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t want to! Giving up (sounds like heads and vice versa) is only something we use when counting kimchi!¡± ¡°What¡¯s kimchi?¡± You didn¡¯t even know what kimchi was! You ignorant villain! I kicked the tree trunk with my foot, recalling the food from my previous life which he didn¡¯t even know. ¡°Stop moving.¡± Dietrich, who had approached me as I kept stamping my feet in the air, quickly grabbed my skirt. I snorted at his attentive consideration in the midst of this. ¡®So what if it shows a little.¡¯ It was a skirt with a wide breadth so it was easy for it to flutter, but because of the namesake that we¡¯re a Grand Duchy, I wore two layers of underskirts plus underpants. ¡°I have a lot of work to catch up on because of you.¡± If you think it was natural to easily open the door to his office and request for a duel, then, of course, it was. At first, he pretended to be dealing with me on equal footing ¨C this was even more miserable ¨C but seeing as he now suppresses me from the start, he must be really busy. ¡°If you allow me to go to Mount Limeria then I won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡± ¡°I already said no.¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t stop.¡± Let¡¯s see how persistently I could annoy you. I made a firm determination and clenched my fist at him who frowned below me. He glanced at my little fist and then moved away. ¡°Where are you going?!¡± ¡®Is he really not going to release me?!¡¯ I was flustered and panicked but the shadow slowly disappeared. I alternately looked at the shadow that settled me safely down on the soft grass and Dietrich¡¯s back which had moved farther away at some point. ¡®At any rate, he¡¯s always thorough.¡¯ I buried my face in between my knees and darkness came to me in the middle of the day. ¡®I can¡¯t sneak out at night either.¡¯ Oslo kept following me during the day, and there was a guard put up outside my door at night so there was no good way to get out. ¡°Princess, let us return to the castle now. There is also a lot of work to be done as a secretary.¡± ¡°....Traitor.¡± I gritted my teeth and glared at Oslo who extended his hand for me to grab. ¡®I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re on Dietrich¡¯s side!¡¯ No matter that Dietrich was the head of the house, I thought that Oslo and I had built up a bond. ¡°What do you mean traitor? I am His Grace¡¯s knight from the start.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± ¡°So why are you being stubborn in going to a dangerous sanctuary in the first place?¡± He scolded me off and scratched his rough beard. I raised my voice quite high. ¡°Because I need the relics!¡± ¡°Will it not do it if you just send someone?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t all faceless knights able to use the power of shadows to some extent?¡± Then that means I didn¡¯t have anyone to send in my place. Additionally, it wasn¡¯t an issue that could be carried out without proper precautions so as not to attract the interest of outsiders. ¡®I don¡¯t have a choice.¡¯ I hardened my expression in determination and dusted off my hands. I tried to persuade him logically, but there was no way since he never thought to listen to me. ¡®Don¡¯t resent me for this, Dietrich.¡¯ I had finally decided to carry out the plan I had left as the last course of action. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Marilyn, is this really how you bake it?¡± ¡°Oh my goodness! What¡¯s wrong with the shape?¡± Marilyn tilted her head in astonishment when I served the steaming hot cookies in a tray fresh out of the oven. ¡®It¡¯s a little bumpy here and there but is it that shocking?¡¯ The cookies, which rose up instead of inflating neatly, boasted a visual that could only be eaten in hell at first glance, but the smell was savory and stimulated the salivary glands. ¡°Are you sure you only put the ingredients I gave you?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh yeah. Of course.¡± At Marilyn¡¯s question, I nodded my head firmly, hiding behind my back the bag containing the white powder I secretly put in the cookie dough. ¡°That¡¯s strange. I must have taken the wrong measurements. I apologize, Princess.¡± ¡®There¡¯s no need for you to apologize.¡¯ I wondered if it was that bad. Anyway, it would just disappear in the mouth so the shape wasn¡¯t important. ¡°No. If it¡¯s tasty then that¡¯s good enough.¡± ¡°If the shape is this weird then the dough must have been proportioned wrong. It wouldn¡¯t taste good.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch it!¡± I stepped forward, startled by Marilyn¡¯s act of reaching out as if to taste the cookies. If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. ¡°I was just trying to take a look.¡± She caressed the back of her hand in embarrassment and put on a hurt smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I wanted to present it in a way she liked but the owner of the cookies was someone else. ¡°I¡¯m going to give it to Dietrich, you see.¡± It was unacceptable for that cookies to enter anyone¡¯s mouth other than his. ¡®Otherwise, all my plans will be exposed.¡¯ Marilyn was now a well-established head maid in Lagrange. It would be chaos if she ate my cookies and collapsed. ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you I was going to bake cookies for His Grace early in the morning?¡± ¡°Princess, if you had given me your words I would have helped you anytime.¡± Marilyn smiled delightedly and patted my head. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t that difficult.¡± I put all the cookies on a plate so she wouldn''t look at them, and then I left the kitchen. The smell of fragrant cookies permeates languidly in the hallway. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a delicious smell.¡± Oslo¡¯s eyes sparkled as he followed me closely. Maybe it¡¯s because of his large frame, but Oslo always had snacks on him. I smiled broadly and offered him a cookie. ¡°Sir, why don¡¯t you eat one?¡± ¡°Will that be all right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t give one to Marilyn earlier.¡± Oslo asked with his eyes going round at the plate I pushed in front of his nose. ¡®If I tell you to eat then just it, no doubts.¡¯ I lowered my voice and cutely whispered. ¡°I¡¯m only giving it to you, Sir.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a secret, okay?¡± Anyway, I had to get rid of Oslo, who always followed me like a shadow. ¡°If you eat here, there will be crumbs so go to the drawing-room and eat there.¡± I put a bunch of cookies on parchment paper and gave them to him. Although the shape was a little bit pompous, the sweet smell was quite appetizing so he smacked his lips together. ¡°But it¡¯s His Grace¡¯s order for me to guard your side, Princess.¡± ¡°I¡¯m about to enter his office right now, though?¡± ¡°Aha.¡± Persuaded by my calm words, Oslo nodded his head foolishly. I added some words to drive the wedge. ¡°There¡¯s also a chocolate drink in the drawing-room which you said was amazing the other day.¡± ¡°Then, I will see you later.¡± In fact, although he had been entrusted to become my surveillance in the name of being my escort, there was absolutely no risk that he would go out of the castle. Oslo, who had let his guard down, stepped out of the hallway with light steps. Grinning, I watched as he turned into a dot and disappeared. Then, I immediately knocked on Dietrich¡¯s office door. Knock, knock. ¡°Enter.¡± ¡°Brother~.¡± He raised his eyebrows in surprise at the unfamiliar designation. ¡°What?¡± ¡®Oh, he didn¡¯t like that.¡¯ Since I was young, it was a word that never came out of my lips because of the heat that would creep up my face for some reason. I snorted, trying my best to ignore his sour reaction. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Work.¡± His reply was more brusque than usual. It didn¡¯t particularly show on his face, but I could guess he was quite embarrassed. ¡®All right. I¡¯m going to take his soul like this.¡¯ ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired? You should take a break.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Matter? I¡¯m just worried about you, that¡¯s all.¡± I placed the tray filled with cookies on Dietrich¡¯s desk and smiled broadly. He narrowed his eyes as if trying to read my intentions. ¡°You know, I made this.¡± ¡°....Leave it and go.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to eat it now? But I want to see you eat it.¡± I pouted my lips as if feeling upset and tilted my head to the side. He was tolerant to most poisons, but the powder I put in the cookies was not poison, so it¡¯s fine. ¡®It¡¯s not well-known that the root of a valerian is effective as a sleeping pill.¡¯ I only knew this information as well after going in and out of Josef¡¯s lab. Since it wasn¡¯t poison but a simple sleeping pill, it wouldn¡¯t have been of any use in Lagrange, so Dietrich wouldn¡¯t have taken them either. I smiled broadly as I watched him eat without leaving a single cookie. ¡°Is it g CH 117 ¡°Hmmm.¡± I jumped over the body of Oslo who was fast asleep in the drawing-room and entered the bedroom. The escape box, which I had taken out in advance last night, gently made its presence known under the sofa. ¡®I¡¯ll have to take some money.¡¯ Hiding the light baggage under my coat, I rushed back to Dietrich¡¯s office. I had to take care of things before he woke up so I had no time to waste. ¡®Though I did put enough to even put a bear to sleep.¡¯ I carefully approached Dietrich, who had a rare peaceful look on his face, as he slept face down on the desk. The sun-lit face boasted of his sharp beauty. Still, I felt like he was looking quite gaunt, so I swept my hand over his hair, feeling sorry. ¡°You must have been busy these days that you don¡¯t even seem to get much sleep.¡± ¡°...........¡± ¡°Get some sleep.¡± Because of me, you got some well-deserved sleep. Wasn¡¯t that nice? As expected, I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. After some natural rationalization of my actions, I pasted a note I had written in advance on his hand. ¡®Hm. Since it¡¯s cold, should I place some blanket on him?¡¯ I felt sorry even if I was doing it for him. Just then, a glossy velvet blanket caught my eye lying on the sofa. I skimmed the carpet and checked the magic circle, then placed the blanket I took over his shoulders. ¡°Hm.¡± The moment I turned my back to leave with no regrets, he grabbed my wrist. I pressed down on my sinking heart and turned around. Dietrich hadn¡¯t gained full consciousness yet and he could barely open his eyes. I was startled to find his slitted obsidian eyes looking at me. ¡®That medicine was enough to put a bear to sleep!¡¯ How resistant was he? I shook Dietrich¡¯s hand and rushed to the warp magic circle. ¡°........?¡± ¡°Warp!¡± ¡°.....Anissa!¡± Dietrich, who regained his senses belatedly, urgently called my name but I was already in the magic circle. I smiled at him brightly inside the radiating light. ¡°I¡¯ll be back. Wait for me.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Finding the temple hidden in Mount Limeria wasn¡¯t difficult, the problem was how to enter it. ¡®If only my eyes weren¡¯t red, then I wouldn¡¯t draw so much attention.¡¯ I pulled on my robe, trying to hide my eyes. Thanks to that, I couldn¡¯t see well in front, but it was better than spreading the rumor that the Princess of Lagrange visited Hera¡¯s temple. ¡®If I just walk a little more I¡¯ll arrive soon.¡¯ The little demon, who persistently followed me, rolled his tail and ran away as soon as we entered the mountain. ¡®If it had followed me more, it would have been completely melted.¡¯ Fortunately, I was fine. I looked down at my intact hand and took out the map to check the location again. The red star which served as the indicator of the location pointed towards the direction and fluttered. The map that Damon handed over in exchange for a series of traitors was more detailed than I had expected and was an artifact itself. It also lets me know my location, so no matter which place I fell, as long as I had this map, I wouldn¡¯t get lost. ¡®If I sell this, it would be really expensive.¡¯ ¡°Ah, I¡¯m here.¡± Even if it was a temple hidden in the mountain, the road was quite well-paved that one would think there weren¡¯t any believers coming and going. In the North, it was already winter, but because the mountain was in the South, I felt embarrassed in adjusting my coat as the light wind touched my cheeks. ¡°What brings you here up to this mountain?¡± ¡°I just came to offer a prayer to reach God¡¯s hand.¡± Humility was one of the virtues that the believer of the sun god should possess. I bowed deeply and put my hands together to offer the money bag I had brought to the priest. I also didn¡¯t forget to take out the fake identification that Damon gave me and secretly presented it. ¡°I heard that it is the most beautiful temple of Hera on the continent. It may be a small offering, but please do not turn it down as it is a means of thanks for the hard work of the priests.¡± ¡®There¡¯s no way they would refuse.¡¯ I had heard that the Solis temple was facing financial difficulties due to the doctrine that upholds humility for nothing. The priest smiled at the sound of coins hitting each other. ¡°Ah. I see you¡¯re the niece of Marquis Deus. How can I reject the heart of a believer? Please come inside.¡± The priest guided me inside with a kinder voice. ¡°Our temple is a place of elegant beauty. Oftentimes, noble married and young ladies come here to relieve their anxiety.¡± He glanced at the lace hem of the skirt sticking out of the robe and made his own guess. ¡®It makes it convenient for me if he misunderstands.¡¯ ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I had been so tired these days.¡± I had been very busy establishing the orphanages and preparing food for winter. ¡°Are you busy preparing for an engagement?¡± The priest guided me to a bedroom attached to the temple and asked carefully. In the South, around fifteen years old was considered the right age for engagement. ¡®I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or not, but Marquis Deus¡¯ niece was around the same age as me.¡¯ ¡°Ah. I guess it was a rude question. Forgive my rudeness, my lady.¡± When I hesitated to answer, he opened his mouth first and apologized. ¡°Since I¡¯ve only been staying on this mountain, whenever I meet new people, I do tend to talk a lot. I hope I did not offend you?¡± ¡®He¡¯s quite a thoughtful person.¡¯ ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°This is the room which you are going to stay in, my lady. I apologize that it¡¯s quite unrefined.¡± The room that the priest gestured with open palms wasn¡¯t fancy, but it was a neat room where sunlight leaks through the butterfly-plated curtains. ¡®It¡¯s not shabby, it¡¯s elegant.¡¯ I felt like I could understand why the noble ladies enjoy visiting the temple since it boasted elegance without the smell of money. ¡°Then, please rest comfortably.¡± The priest left the room with a kind smile on his lips until the end. ¡®Thanks to Charlotte, I felt a little bad for having a prejudice against the Solis priests. And I¡¯m also about to steal their relic as well.¡¯ ¡°Hmm.¡± As soon as the priest left, I closed the door and opened the map on the table. A flashing red star points to the center of the temple. I received information on the location of the relic and that it would be in the form of a weapon, but I felt nervous because I didn¡¯t know exactly what it looks like. ¡®Though he did say I would recognize it once I see it.¡¯ However, I wasn¡¯t a believer so I didn¡¯t know if I could recognize a relic that contained the breath of the sun god. I didn¡¯t plan on staying for long, so I had nothing to unpack, and thus I decided to look around the temple and left the room. ¡®It¡¯s a bit uncomfortable since I can¡¯t clearly see what¡¯s in front.¡¯ There couldn¡¯t only be one person in the world with pale pink hair and red eyes, but since Dietrich would have woken up by now, he must be looking for me right now like a mouse. ¡®I also tend to stand out a little bit.¡¯ ¡°Ack! What the!¡± As I was walking while barely looking at the floor since I pulled my robe downwards, somebody bumped my shoulder. ¡°Keep your eyes on where you¡¯re going!¡± He was the one who bumped into me, and I was the one pushed out of the way, but he was the one who raised his voice in anger. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Ah? No apology but ah?! Do you know who you bumped into?!¡± Of course, I didn¡¯t. And his identity wasn¡¯t my business. I was already busy enough and the thought that I was being interrupted annoyed me, but I couldn¡¯t attract any attention. I gritted my teeth inwardly and gave a short apology. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m dying from the heat and you¡¯re wearing a robe?! You must be quite ugly, right?¡± They were some words that made one lift their head to check just how beautiful the other person was. I could bet my right hand that whoever he was wouldn¡¯t be able to measure up to Dietrich or Yuric¡¯s toes. ¡®Just go!¡¯ I even apologized but the man bent his waist to try and check my appearance. I was surprised that I bowed even deeper. ¡°Sir, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing.¡± If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. I was more surprised than the man who received the question coming from the side. ¡®Hermann?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t raise my head so I couldn¡¯t confirm his appearance, but I clearly remember that aura and that voice. ¡°Duke.¡± My suspicion was now confirmed by the title he called him. I clung to the hallway in surprise. ¡°You there! This is Duke Euclid! Where are your greetings?!¡± ¡°......I greet the most glorious sun of the South.¡± It was a little funny that the greetings for the Emperor and the Duke of Euclid were similar. But, how arrogant he must be for being a Duke. And, how weak was the imperial family for them to be in a tight corner. ¡°Are you going to cover your face while facing the Duke?!¡± Euclid¡¯s knight raised his voice as if I was some criminal. Fortunately, Hermanns stopped him as if he was bothersome. ¡°Stop. I¡¯ll apologize in his stead, my lady.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry, Your Grace.¡± My fists shook at the docile attitude that the knight only showed to Hermann. Instead of answering, I lightly nodded my head. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We didn¡¯t come here to make a scene¡± Hermann briefly said and disappeared with the knight. ¡®They didn¡¯t come here to make a scene?¡¯ I wanted to ask what they came here for. ¡®Did they come here aiming for the relic?¡¯ Damon had said that Euclid didn¡¯t know of this information yet. Hermann¡¯s appearance made me a little more impatient and I hurriedly moved. CH 118 I understood now why he said I¡¯d know once I saw it. ¡®Who wouldn¡¯t know looking at that?¡¯ Maybe it was made with high-quality plaster, but there was only one part of the plaster that was mixed with a dark foreign object that was shining brightly. ¡®It doesn¡¯t even look like a sculpture but a real sword.¡¯ The sun shining through the stained glass windows that adorned the temple wall was shimmering only to illuminate the sword. If the relic was a sword, then it¡¯s something that shouldn¡¯t be missed out on. Because it was a holy sword that if they just wished it, even people who didn¡¯t know how to use a sword would be able to cut down hundreds with it. I reached out my hand as if possessed by the brilliantly shining sword. ¡°Ahem.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°My lady, it¡¯s a holy relic, so if you touch it carelessly, a boundary magic would activate.¡± The priest, who had guided me earlier, at some point had followed me and politely bowed his head. I raised the corners of my lips which he could only see and smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t know. I apologize.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Since it¡¯s a holy sword, its body is also beautiful so other ladies also coveted it.¡± I had already heard about the boundary magic from Damon. ¡®Though he did tell me not to worry as I just need to get out of the church before it manifests, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to know in advance.¡¯ ¡°A boundary magic? There is something like that?¡± When I purposely asked innocently, the priest laughed. ¡°Ah. If an unauthorized person tries to remove the sword, the guardian wakes up.¡± I swept down my forearm, which was brimming with goosebumps, at the priest¡¯s answer. He pointed to the gigantic statue as if showing off that he hadn¡¯t noticed anything strange. ¡°This is a statue with Hera¡¯s powers.¡± ¡°Ahh. I see.¡± ¡®It would have been big trouble if I touched it carelessly.¡¯ I shook my head and stepped backward in hesitation. The priest who came close to me placed his hands on my shoulders. ¡°Now, shall we go and pray?¡± ¡°....Pardon?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you come here to offer a prayer? I¡¯ll show you to the prayer room.¡± Far from believing in Hera, I was an extreme desecrator who destroyed Asmodeus, the god of the North. Unable to reveal that fact, I nodded my head and followed the priest. ¡®It¡¯s better to move at night where there are fewer distractions.¡± I wasn¡¯t afraid of how great of a threat it would be when the statue moves. As I continued to stay in Lagrange, even a small citizen like me seemed to be gaining courage. ¡®Whatever pops up won¡¯t be scarier than Derek.¡¯ ¡°This is the prayer room, my lady.¡± Guided by the priest, when I lifted my head a little which was only looking at the floor, I could see the prayer room at a glance. ¡°Then, may Hera¡¯s grace rest on you, my lady.¡± The symbol of Hera was carved in every section that was divided by the curtain. The priest who pointed at the end turned his back as soon as I found my seat. ¡®The gods really like uncomfortable things.¡¯ They didn¡¯t seem to think it was acceptable to let their followers pray comfortably. I knelt down under the seemingly uncomfortable platform. ¡®I don¡¯t really have anything to pray for.¡¯ I didn¡¯t think it would give me an answer if I asked permission to take the holy relic. Unlike me, who couldn¡¯t concentrate and kept looking around, the person sitting next to me was praying quite seriously. ¡°Oh benevolent goddess, didn¡¯t you tell me that only I, the chosen one, can save the world?¡± I leaned closer to the curtain at the sweet whispering voice. I could only see the outline of his shadow, but it was definitely Hermann¡¯s voice. ¡°Are you going to give me more ordeal?¡± His voice became damped. His blue-tinged aura was refreshing as the summer sea but somehow it felt lonely. ¡°I just want to get my lost sister back.¡± My face hardened at Hermann¡¯s prayer. ¡®Now that the Duchess knows, there¡¯s no way Hermann wouldn¡¯t.¡¯ Even in the original, he did his best to find Anissa. Since he¡¯s a righteous protagonist, thinking about his younger sister who was taken and only used by the villain must have made his heart ache, making him unable to sleep well at night. ¡°Please help me save my sister.¡± I pondered for a moment at Hermann¡¯s voice full of anguish. ¡®Should I at least tell him that I¡¯m doing quite well?¡¯ However, his next words made my lips go dry. ¡°It is clear that my younger sister has been possessed by the demon and brainwashed firmly.¡± It was a firm voice full of certainty. ¡°I will surely defeat that hideous horde and bring you a glorious victory.¡± He was completely absorbed in his own sense of justice. I didn¡¯t think he would believe me even if I told him now that I was living peacefully in Lagrange. I let out a light sigh and left the prayer room. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I didn¡¯t think my disturbed heart could be settled just by standing still. As soon as the sun set, I left my room and looked around the temple. Although it was originally a place where people were rare, the place with the least people was the backyard leading to the forest. ¡®No one¡¯s here.¡¯ The place was so natural that I couldn¡¯t call it a garden, but I liked it that way. I sat on the meadow lit by a gloomy moonlight and remembered Hermann¡¯s prayer. ¡®If I can persuade him to stop, then we probably wouldn¡¯t have a war.¡¯ I¡¯m tired of being swayed here and there. ¡®How long do we have to fight?¡¯ I was just hoping that Dietrich and the other kids can lead a normal life. I sighed deeply in frustration and buried my head in my lap. The stillness came to find me along with the sound of grass bugs rumbling. ¡®I¡¯m sleepy.¡¯ While leaving Lagrange and arriving in Mount Limeria, there was not one moment where I could relax. ¡®Once I have the holy relic, let¡¯s warp right away.¡¯ The reason for Hermann¡¯s visit wasn¡¯t yet clear, but if he took the relic before me, everything would be in vain. As I hid in the bushes while contemplating, the robe made of high-quality satin made me feel cozy. I closed my languid eyelids for a moment. I didn¡¯t know how much time has passed, but I felt like I would fall asleep with the slightest mistake so I stood up and heard a presence behind me. ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± They came close to me and asked. I chuckled in disbelief. ¡°....Oh?¡± The man I encountered was Hermann¡¯s knight who was characterized by his high horse attitude. ¡°Ohhhh?!¡± It wasn¡¯t until I saw him pointing at me in shock that I realized my hood had fallen back in the wind. ¡®Crap.¡¯ There was no way he wouldn¡¯t see my face since it was a bright night. Startled, I hurriedly pulled down my hood but he dropped to his knees in front of me. ¡°Are you a fairy?¡± ¡°...........¡± ¡°I heard there was a fairy that serves the goddess in Mount Limeria, but I didn¡¯t expect I¡¯d meet her.¡± What the hell was he saying? ¡®What? A fairy?¡¯ I wondered what he was thinking as he watched me lost for words, he continued to mumble with his face flushing red. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet the fairy who only appears at night ¨C¡± I quickly reached out in front of the man and struck him on the back of his neck. If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. I had thought of using my ability since he was a knight, but I didn¡¯t even have to do that since he was so mesmerized by my face. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing he¡¯s stupid.¡¯ I hurried to the center of the temple after hiding the passed-out man under the shadow of a tree. ¡®I was thinking of observing Hermann¡¯s movements for a little bit more.¡¯ Even if he was a stupid knight, he would notice that something was strange as soon as he woke up so I had to steal it now. I suddenly felt like I had a time limit so I felt anxious and out of breath. Fortunately, I couldn¡¯t feel any aura around the plaster. ¡®If I took the sword, the sculpture would move, right?¡¯ It would be intimidating if the statue three times bigger than me would move. I recollected my breath and put my hand on the handle of the sword. ¡°Stop.¡± Sssrk. It was when the sword had been pulled out by my hand halfway through that Hermann emerged from the opposite column. ¡°Stop right there. If you know what kind of sword that is then you must know it¡¯s not something you can touch.¡± He threw the passed-out knight on the floor and glared at me, coming closer slowly. His dark pink hair shining under the lamp was beautiful. ¡°Take your hands off the sword.¡± Hermann warned gravely. I snorted and shook my head. ¡°Don¡¯t speak informally.¡± When did he see me? When we met in the capital, we definitely treated each other politely, so I raised my eyebrows at him dropping the formalities. ¡°.....Don¡¯t you already know that I¡¯m your brother?¡± At my sharp words, Hermann justified himself with a sullen face. ¡°I thought it would be all right since I¡¯m your brother.¡± I listened to his words in one ear and let them out the other as I flexed my grip on the sword. ¡®It¡¯s not coming out in one pull.¡¯ The holy sword was much heavier than I thought and so it didn¡¯t move according to my will. Hermann frowned at the sharp blade that was revealed little by little. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the same so step back.¡± But despite my warning, Hermann didn¡¯t step back. As he gestured with his chin, the knights hiding behind the pillars revealed themselves one by one. ¡®Relax. If I can use the warp properly¨C¡¯ ¡°Stop thinking about stealing the holy sword. When the boundary magic activates, a huge shield is formed on the temple itself.¡¯ Crap. I didn¡¯t hear that information though? CH 119 I ended up wincing at Hermann¡¯s words but I maintained a calm attitude outside. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t seem to notice my unrest. ¡®That means I can¡¯t use warp to get out of the temple.¡¯ Well then, I could just run fast. I thought easily and briefly nodded my head. I didn¡¯t know if there would be any boundary magic on the whole mountain so I just needed to get out of the temple. ¡°Stop¨C!¡± Crunch, bang! When I pulled out the sword without thinking and hugged it to myself, the statue¡¯s really red eyes flashed. ¡®Why doesn¡¯t it look like a god¡¯s guardian but a total demon?¡¯ My jaw dropped in astonishment at the sight of the horrendous statue. ¡°Anissa!¡± Ignoring Hermann¡¯s cry, I bent down to avoid the shaking of the head of the horrendous statue with the whites of its eyes turned upside down. I hurried to run opposite Hermann¡¯s side as the statue stamped its foot on the ground with a loud sound. Crunch, crunch. Due to its large size, as the statue moved and swung its huge arms, the temple pillars that it collided with slowly began to collapse. ¡®Is it okay for that to destroy everything even though it''s a guardian?¡¯ It looked like the temple was going to collapse because of the statue, not because of me. But somehow, I couldn¡¯t read any intentions from it to ¡®protect¡¯ the temple. I jumped and turned around to avoid the debris of falling marble shards. ¡°I warned you that I didn¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡± I thought there was a shadow that would fall behind me, but it was Hermann who had followed me and grabbed my shoulders. I quickly leaned over and thrust the dagger in the direction of his shoulder. "!" It was a weapon I had brought just in case, but Hermann, who avoided it, opened his eyes wide in surprise. I stared straight into his eyes, as blue as the summer sky, and replied, ¡°I also told you, I was thinking the same.¡± Since the bottom floor of the temple has collapsed, it became easier to move the roots of the purification trees. I tied a root around Hermann¡¯s ankle. ¡°Don¡¯t follow me. You¡¯ll get hurt.¡± ¡°Do you dare think I¡¯m going to let you pass Hera¡¯s holy relic to those Lagrange bastards?!¡± I frowned at Herman¡¯s old-fashioned remarks as if he were a precocious child. ¡®The relics belong to no one and yet who was it who asked for the necklace to be returned?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± When he came to his senses, he cut the purification tree and raised himself up. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t be greatly hurt.¡± Flames flew from Hermann¡¯s palm. As he ignited the roots scattered around me, the purification tree connected to me began to burn to black in an instant. ¡®He must have noticed that the tree catches fire easily.¡¯ When I stepped back due to the rising smoke heating up my cheeks, he stretched out his hand toward me. At that moment, the flames of yellow sparks were about to hit my face. ¡°Get down.¡± Bang! I thought the light was flickering but soon black darkness covered my vision. I lifted my head in surprise at the large hand covering my head. I was used to the mint scent that spreads out. I grabbed that hand as I sniffed. ¡°Dietrich?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± My worries preceded the joy that I felt over the welcomed reply that would certainly come. There was no other place that corrodes his power as much as the temple of the sun god. ¡°How did you come here?! What on earth are you thinking!¡± He knew exactly what Mount Limeria was to him that I wanted to ask if he was in his right mind. Dietrich indifferently glanced down at my face which was distorted in shock. It must have been impossible to use warp because of the boundary magic, and his hair stuck on his sweaty forehead was soaking wet. ¡°I could say the same to you.¡± He puts down the robe he swung to stop the flames. Flap. The sound of the wind blew through the silent temple. ¡°What the hell were you thinking putting me to sleep? Did you think if you leave a note like that everything will be all right?¡± The quiet question asked through gritted teeth sounded like a trap placed in my ears. ¡°If you¡¯re going to lose your mind, then at least lose it at home.¡± ¡®He¡¯s angry.¡¯ I could feel the tremendous anger in that short question even though he hadn¡¯t raised his voice. He was a million times scarier than Hermann standing in the distance. I winced and grabbed his wrist in a soothing gesture. ¡°I was in a hurry, that¡¯s why. I¡¯m sorry if I surprised you.¡± ¡°I told you not to be fret on your own.¡± ¡°I already told you. We need the holy relic¨C! Kyaa!¡± In an instant, sparks flew in the air as if to interrupt my words. ¡°Dietrich Lagrange! Let her go!¡± Hermann, who has clearly misunderstood something, alternately looked between Dietrich and me, who was holding his wrist. ¡°I said let go!¡± Hermann pulled out his sword and rushed in with his face turning red. The sound of metal hitting metal intertwined with the sound of the temple¡¯s collapse. I looked up at the half-broken ceiling and the marble shards falling down, grazing my cheek. ¡®They can¡¯t fight here.¡¯ Hermann, who had injured his arm, was aiming his sword on par with Dietrich. ¡®If it wasn¡¯t a sanctuary, it would have been finished in three.¡¯ I stepped forward, terrified by Dietrich¡¯s shadow which was getting dim little by little, but he pushed me away with his free hand that wasn¡¯t holding a sword. ¡°Get out of the way. Don¡¯t step out.¡± I was frustrated by his firm words that I screamed. ¡°You get out of the way! You can¡¯t even breathe properly right now, how dare you come here, really!¡± I couldn¡¯t see Baal. ¡®He can¡¯t summon him because this is a sanctuary.¡¯ Blood dripped from where I bit my lip, but I didn¡¯t even think about wiping it off and just grabbed his arm. It was a situation where the other side had already used his ability, lighting his sword with fire that burns, but this side was the same as hitting that power with his bare body. ¡°Why do you think I am here in the first place! I came! Alone! If you came you would have been in danger so I came alone!!!¡± Dietrich stared at me, who was throwing a tantrum on my own, and raised his hand. Ha, he smiled briefly as if finding it ridiculous and rubbed my lips clean. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re worried about me, or you¡¯re looking down on me.¡± Dietrich found fault in me as he stopped Hermann from coming at me. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m worried about you, you should get lost!¡± I turned my head and grabbed Hermann¡¯s ankle with the purification tree and threw him away since it didn¡¯t look like he would listen to me if I stopped him. Hermann, who fell behind with a thud, gritted his teeth and glared at us. ¡°She said get lost. You should listen.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh! Don¡¯t you know that this is the sanctuary of Limeria? Knights!¡± The knights of Euclid, who had been wavering at the collapse of the temple, rushed in at Hermann¡¯s words. ¡°The Duke is in danger. Everyone raise your swords!¡± They all rushed at Dietrich filled with strange enthusiasm. ¡®These cowards!¡¯ They were surprised for a moment at the purification trees I raised but they were all burned to the ground by Hermann. ¡®Are they coming all at once again?!¡¯ As it was in the capital, I didn¡¯t know why they like to group together in a one-on-one situation like this. They were a shameful family of no comparison. ¡®People said that they were a family that contributed to the founding of the empire and were nobles who knew honor. So much about honor. ¡¯ I hate it to death. The only comforting thing was that Dietrich wasn¡¯t pushed back no matter even if its a situation where he couldn¡¯t properly control his body let alone use his shadow ability. As the darkness wasn¡¯t deep in the sanctuary, his movements were limited, but it was not obvious at all from the outside. ¡®Though if you look closely, you can see that he¡¯s trying to breathe lightly.¡¯ It was terrifying in a great sense. Without the singularity of the holy relics, Hermann wouldn¡¯t have been able to defeat Dietrich at any cost. ¡°Uh, ugh!¡± ¡°Damn it! This ruthless demon!¡± Dietrich advanced on Hermann, cutting the arms of the knights as if they were radish. Even though they knew they were no match, the knights formed a circle around Hermann as if they would protect him. If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. ¡°No, protect His Grace! Defeat the demon!¡± ¡°Annoying little bastards.¡± Dietrich chucked one of the rushing Knights out of the temple with a click of his tongue. ¡®Serves you right. Who exactly is the demon here?¡¯ While admiring him throwing a strong young man as if he was just a pebble, I stamped my feet at his fading aura. ¡®He won¡¯t hold out for long.¡¯ As I had expected, Dietrich, who was standing in front of Hermann, was out of breath. ¡°Ha! You must be tired of just dealing with the knights! Is it because you¡¯re also human?¡± ¡°Shut your mouth, cockscomb.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Recognizing that he was making a sarcastic remark about the color of his hair, Hermann grabbed his sword. ¡®To defeat Hermann in that state, the only choice is to darken the holy sword.¡¯ I hurriedly began to concentrate as I hugged the holy sword. ¡°Stop that.¡± Dietrich turned around as if he knew, and stared at me. Taking advantage of that gap, Hermann cowardly came rushing in with his sword. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me and just look in front of you!¡± Even small ornaments take several days, so when I tried to darken the holy sword, I felt dizzy at the feeling of all the blood being drained from my body. ¡®I was going to do it little by little at home!¡¯ The tip of my chin trembled at the rapid use of my ability. In the end, I lost my grip on the half-darkened sword and fell forward. ¡°I told you not to do it.¡± Fishy blood burst from my mouth, but I crawled and grabbed the holy sword. However, Dietrich, who approached me again, stopped me. ¡°It¡¯s really nothing to get sick for a few days. Let go.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a big deal for me.¡± He answered brusquely and grabbed my hand as if to get the sword off. When I squeezed the hand holding unto the handle, I frowned. ¡°I¡¯m telling you that I hate it. So let go of the sword.¡± CH 120 ¡°W-wait!¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon, so wait.¡± His face was so stern that I had no choice but to let go. The enraged Hermann swung his sword wrapped up in flames and slammed it down. Dietrich responded as if he could not lose, but even though I half-darkened it, its essence was still that of a holy sword. Even though his hand holding the hilt of the sword turned black, still, he didn¡¯t show any signs of pain even as he parred Hermann¡¯s sword raging with fire in front of his indifferent face. ¡®He¡¯s always like that ever since we were young.¡¯ My temper rose up and I ground my teeth. He could have asked for help if it felt too heavy, but he never did so. Even though he knew I didn¡¯t mind working hard, he¡¯s always like that. ¡°Please, get out of the way!¡± The tree I raised up to block Hermann¡¯s sword, swinging against Dietrich burned helplessly. ¡®He probably wouldn¡¯t be able to kill me anyway.¡¯ Whether it be because of Hermann Euclid¡¯s heroic nature or the righteous cause that¡¯s stopping him, he wouldn¡¯t be able to harm his younger sister whom he got separated as a child. ¡°I told you to get out of the way!¡± However, Eredia¡¯s ability was powerless against the flames of the sun god so there was no way I could stop him. He couldn¡¯t come at me right away, so I glared at Hermann and stood tall, stretching my arms on both sides. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Let go!¡± As I recklessly tried to take the holy sword, Dietrich forcefully grabbed me by the shoulders. I glared at his bewildered face. ¡°I said let go!¡± ¡°Why are you angry?¡± ¡°Why? Do you think I don¡¯t know how to be annoyed or angry?¡± Even though I said this, it was hardly justifiable since I¡¯ve already been annoyed and angry at him several times. I glared at him and raised my voice. ¡°I also don¡¯t like to see you get hurt. How many times do I have to tell you so you can stick it inside your head? Did you leave your smart brain when you left the house?¡± ¡°....What?¡± ¡°And now your ears are also clogged? Do you think I find it comfortable just seeing you get hurt?!¡± Dietrich only stared at me with sharp eyes like a piece of frozen glass as I rained down on him the words I had been holding back. ¡®I don¡¯t know why the hell he¡¯s so surprised.¡¯ What? So did he think I¡¯ve been running around looking for the holy relics for nothing while thinking I liked seeing him get hurt, go to the battlefield and return only as a corpse with his head severed? ¡°I know you¡¯re good, incomparably so. But still, I¡¯m annoyed.¡± There was no reply. His indifferent face remained the same, but it was as if he was so surprised that he was mesmerized for a moment. I quickly snatched the sword from Dietrich¡¯s hand. Before Dietrich and Hermann returned to their senses, since they were surprised by my loud and angry shouting, I had to darken the holy sword all at once with fervor. ¡®I¡¯ve done it so many times so I¡¯m getting used to it.¡¯ The way to use this ability was a matter of trick as well. Even as I fell forward, with my energy drained, I didn¡¯t forget to look Hermann in the eyes. ¡°I¡­am not your sister.¡± ¡°.............¡± ¡°I have never once in my life thought of it¡ª¡± Darkness. The light flickered. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ As soon as the holy sword was darkened, I lost consciousness, so I didn¡¯t know how I came to return to Lagrange. ¡°Hic, ugh! Hu! Gugh!¡± When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a familiar bedroom and Veronica was crying loudly beside me. Seeing that my body was feeling heavy, I must have been still tired yet I was woken up by the loud noise. ¡®I thought she was a ghost.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t able to properly turn my head to check her appearance as I couldn¡¯t seem to have the strength, I would have been scared to know that a lot of ghosts had been attached to me. I narrowed my eyes and found Veronica¡¯s thick blonde hair with her forehead on the floor, wailing. ¡°......Veronica?¡± ¡°Huk! Kugh! When the hell are you going to wake up?!¡± ¡°Veronica.¡± ¡°Ah, kugh! Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m crying! Ugh! Why do you keep making me talk! Why!¡± As she spoke, she raised her head as if noticing something strange. Her oval face was still pretty, but her eyes looked blank and tired. ¡°Oh? Oh, Ohhh!!!¡± I reached out my hand toward her red eyes. She looked like a surprised rabbit, it was quite cute. ¡°Why are you crying like that?¡± ¡°Anissa!¡± Veronica shouted my name loudly and someone entered the door without knocking. ¡°Anissa!!!¡± The triplets cried as they ran toward me. ¡°Are you finally awake?!¡± ¡°I thought our Anissa is going to, ugh! Die!¡± ¡°Uh, kuhh, uuu.¡± I held Rose in my arms, who couldn¡¯t even speak properly and just cried, and comforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Liar! You just kept on sleeping!¡± ¡®They must have been worried because I fainted and couldn¡¯t get up.¡¯ Even so, I would have just been sick for a few days so there was no need to worry. I shrugged my shoulders and watched the triplets cry like baby birds. ¡®Hm?¡¯ But Maslow and Riesling¡¯s faces were quite unfamiliar. ¡®Did they ¡­ grow a bit?¡¯ Rose didn¡¯t change except for her long hair, but the boys were taller as if they grew by a span and their jaws were sharper. ¡°Maslow and Riesling, why did you get so big?¡± Even though it was said that boys grow up differently day by day, they couldn¡¯t have grown up like this in a few days. ¡°.....How long was I asleep?¡± Veronica hesitated at my question. I swallowed, afraid of the answer that I would hear. ¡°Did I sleep for a long time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a year since Dietrich carried you from the sanctuary in Mount Limeria.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°In that time, you¡¯ve opened your eyes a few times, but this is the first time you finally became conscious.¡± I was surprised by Veronica¡¯s words as if thunder had struck from nowhere, and I wanted to faint again. ¡®I wasted one year just to darken the holy sword?¡¯ In the meanwhile, Euclid might have already obtained the remaining relics! ¡°Anissa!¡± I raised my body up in a hurry but fell back on the bed once again because my legs didn¡¯t have any strength. ¡°Lay down. The kids are calling for a doctor now.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I roughly know why I was asleep.¡± I was just punished for using the power of a benevolent god, which should be used to help others, to darken the holy relics. ¡°Even so, no. For now, don¡¯t move.¡± Veronica shook her head resolutely and laid me down on the bed. She placed the blanket up until my neck, but the sun shining through the open window was warm. ¡°Is it summer now?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already sixteen years old?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You turned sixteen without making a debut.¡± A swear word that I¡¯ve never uttered before rose up to my throat. ¡°This is ridiculous.¡± Lying in bed for a long while wasn¡¯t what I expected and all my hard-earned plans were shattered. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s ridiculous that you¡¯ve just laid in bed for a long time.¡± ¡°What about Lagrange? How did the negotiations with Countess Devonshire go?¡± ¡°As soon as you opened your eyes that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about?¡± Veronica let out a small sigh as if scolding me. Still, I couldn¡¯t stop asking her about the situation in the North. ¡®I was just about to start a connection with Countess Devonshire!¡¯ As my ties with her grew stronger, I could have handled the Northern high society as if it were in the palm of my hand. If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. Only by using the society and persuading them well would we be able to quell the Northen noble¡¯s complaints that we only cared about the common people. ¡°Since you seemed to want to get close to her, I did it in your stead. All you need to do is melt the hearts of the ladies, right?¡± Veronica laughed as she flipped her short bob-cut hair to show her neckline. ¡°Even to Derek Lagrange, I acted coyly as if I only knew how to flatter for my own safety, so it¡¯s not hard to please ladies who don¡¯t know how scary my shadow is.¡± I breathed a sigh of relief which I didn¡¯t even know I was holding at her answer. ¡®It¡¯s not yet too late to win.¡¯ ¡°What about the nursery school? Did the charity work go according to plans?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Dietrich even took a piece of my land to buy the favor of the ladies.¡± Veronica smirked as she held her chin with her arms on the bed. My eyes widened at her refreshing smile. ¡®I thought he wouldn¡¯t follow my plan since I was the one who pushed for it myself.¡¯ ¡°Dietrich did? Didn¡¯t we have no money?¡± ¡°Even if we didn¡¯t have money, I guess we have land. What would he even do if I just picked it up and carried it?¡± Even as I eyed her as she said those cunning words, I greeted the doctor that came along with the children. ¡°Hey! They said you opened your eyes!¡± ¡°My lady!¡± Behind them, Yuric, who was sweating from whatever he was doing, came together with Marilyn. As the years I spent in Lagrange seemed to be growing in significance, unknowingly, there seemed to be many connections that piled up. When the servants heard that I had woken up, they came in one by one and pushed their faces. ¡°My lady, do you know how much you worried me?¡± I giggled as I watched Lancel, who had just gotten a little bit older and had a little gray hair, cry until his nose turned red. ¡°Were you really worried? Are you sure you didn¡¯t plan to run away with my emergency fund when I die?¡± ¡°What are you saying! Do you see me as a beast!!¡± I stared at the wide-open door over Lancel, who was about to die of injustice. Dietrich wasn¡¯t coming. Even the stableman¡¯s son, whom I¡¯ve never even spoken with came to see me, but Dietrich didn¡¯t look for me. CH 121 Chapter 7. On a Summer Night that I Can¡¯t Remember ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ A week has passed since I opened my eyes. ¡°My lady, are you able to walk now?¡± ¡°Yeah, I feel like I can walk now.¡± Though I said that, I was out of breath even though I had only gone around the room once. Marilyn smiled sadly, noticing that I was trying to hide my tight breathing. ¡°Please don¡¯t push yourself. You¡¯ve been lying down on a bed for a year, it¡¯s natural that your body is not feeling all right.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± How great would it be to have a monster-level body like Dietrich, where even if his stomach was torn by a knife, he was still able to get up the next day and cause a stir around the mansion. Unfortunately, I was just an ordinary girl with nothing special except having Eredia¡¯s abilities. ¡®My legs are already numb just by moving a bit.¡¯ Obviously, it was two healthy legs attached below my waist, but it wouldn¡¯t move as much as I want. I groaned, approached the mirror, and struggled to straighten my body. This body, which originally didn¡¯t have much flesh, was slender, but now it was thin enough to cause concern even as I looked at it. ¡°.....Marilyn, I want to eat something.¡± ¡°Right now? But you just ate thin rice gruel and then threw it all up.¡± ¡°I think fruits will be okay.¡± My stomach, which hadn¡¯t had food for a long time, refused to work even when Marilyn only chose foods that were easy to digest. ¡®But I need to eat something to gain energy.¡¯ I heard that for one year where no sustenance was able to nourish this body, they had called a priest of the sun god and a priest of Eredia without any hesitation to pour divine power into my body just to keep my life on hold. Therefore, it wasn¡¯t strange that my body, which have been unable to move for a long time, was stiff. ¡®They didn¡¯t call for an ordinary doctor but a priest for treatment. How expensive would that be?¡¯ I thought we didn¡¯t have money. Cash was given to the royal family for my bail, and if it was someone else who had said that we had become beggars, I would have thought those words were a lie. Veronica didn¡¯t tell me the exact amount, but it must have been astronomical enough for her to burst out laughing. ¡®Nevertheless, he still hasn¡¯t come to see me.¡¯ Dietrich wouldn¡¯t even show his nose maybe because he¡¯d feel like the money he poured on me was a waste. I tried to sound out if he was out of the territory perhaps, but even a tactless servant like Lancel looked around avoiding my eyes, so he must be in the castle. ¡°Where¡¯s Dietrich?¡± ¡°He¡¯s extremely busy these days¡­¡± Even Marilyn, who noticed my feelings, trailed at her words. ¡°Shall I ring for a servant to tell him you¡¯re looking for him, my lady?¡± ¡°No, never mind. Don¡¯t ever do that.¡± I snorted at her question and laid back down on the bed. ¡®So this is how it is, huh.¡¯ I had no energy for the past few days and just kept on laying on the bed so I couldn¡¯t think of looking for him, but now I was angry so I won¡¯t look for him first. Half of me didn¡¯t want to yield, and the other half of me felt sad. ¡°I also don¡¯t want to see Dietrich. Even if he looks for me, don¡¯t open the door.¡± Marilyn laughed awkwardly at my feisty command. I understood that he was angry because I left Lagrange despite his opposition, but still, we ended up acquiring the holy sword. Before I lost consciousness, I clearly checked that the holy sword was darkened. All in all, my goal has been achieved. ¡®If I didn¡¯t take it, how could he handle Hermann who has the holy sword?¡¯ Although Dietrich was said to be strong no matter what, Hermann acquiring the holy sword was nothing more than a cheat given by the original to give him the strength to defeat Dietrich in the first place. ¡®For the rest of the relics, we need to figure out first how many the other side already has.¡¯ I mumbled as I buried my face in the soft goose feather pillow. ¡°What about Marquis Deus?¡± ¡°A reply has just arrived that they will visit soon.¡± He wasn¡¯t the kind to leave debts behind. If he had heard the news that I couldn¡¯t get up, he would have investigated the latest developments even if I didn¡¯t ask. ¡°Princess, I brought some fruits. I picked the fruits that are easy to swallow.¡± The maid served a few grapes and a few finely chopped peaches on a plate. ¡°Thank you. You may leave now, too, Marilyn.¡± If it was up to me, I would have wanted to eat some well-roasted pork ribs, but I didn¡¯t think I should use the energy that I had gained in vomiting. ¡®It¡¯s a bit upsetting.¡¯ I moved the small plate I had in my hand to the window and buried my face in the cold marble railing. It was fortunate that the North was running properly without major deviations from my plan. ¡®Does he have to be angry like this?¡¯ I just woke up, so what happened in the temple felt like yesterday for me, but it was a year ago for Dietrich. I didn¡¯t think that he wasn¡¯t worried about me, but I still couldn¡¯t understand. ¡®Is he worried to the point of being angry?¡¯ I screamed a little bit but as expected, he¡¯s a petty man more than he looks. I hit the cold marble for no reason but only my hand hurt. I closed my eyes at the night breeze blowing through the open window. Since it was summer, the cool breeze gently caressed my cheeks. Even though I had been sleeping as if I was dead, I still found solace in the silence. ¡®I have to go back to bed and sleep there.¡¯ The window was wide and comfortable enough for three people to lie down, so when I laid down with my arms crossed, my eyelids quickly became heavy. ¡®Well, I can just move at dawn.¡¯ I didn¡¯t have a bad sleeping habit, so I didn¡¯t fight my drowsiness fearing that I might roll over to the other side. ".........." It was around the time when the wind seemed to have gotten a little cooler. I could tell even without opening my eyes whose shadow fell over my cheek. It smelled like the cold air of dawn. Dietrich came up to me quietly without a sound of breathing and hugged me. When I woke up at the sound of the rustling of clothes, I grabbed his collar first because I was afraid he would run away. ¡°I thought you were sleeping.¡± The first thing I saw was his eyes. It showed a little surprise, but no sign of agitation. Next were his slightly wilder look and a strong jawline. ¡°Why did you come?¡± ¡°I saw the window open from the outside.¡± In a place where there was no light, his black eyes were absolutely calm and I became a little angry. ¡°What does it matter to you whether I sleep with the window open or not?¡± ¡°Then, did that cold wind bring you back to your senses?¡± I couldn¡¯t read his feelings at the blunt criticism. His thicker aura was indistinctively dark, but there wasn¡¯t even a trace of being swayed. ¡®Is he not angry?¡¯ Dietrich put me down with a deep sigh as if he had no idea he would be visiting for the first time in a year. ¡®Could it be that he really didn¡¯t come because he thought it was just bothersome?¡¯ ¡°Your face is pale. Close the window.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. It¡¯s hot.¡± It was neither hot nor cold, however, his face which I hadn¡¯t seen for a long time didn¡¯t have a trace of being happy to see me so I was unnecessarily cranky. I stood up following him and he pushed me back by the shoulder when I reached out my hand to the window. ¡°Why are you pushing me! It hurts!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wearing many layers of cotton and you¡¯re complaining of being hurt?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you it¡¯s hot? Don¡¯t close the window.¡± Dietrich ignored my words and slammed the window shut. I was worried that the glass might break due to the strong force, but fortunately, it was fine. I hurriedly grabbed his sleeve as he turned his back to leave the room. ¡°W-where are you going?¡± ¡°My room.¡± ¡°Why did you come here?¡± ¡°I came in to close the window as I told you.¡± I was firmly determined to release him if he got angry, but he gave off a cold air although his attitude was calm that I didn¡¯t know how to respond. If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. I hesitantly opened my mouth, forgetting that I was upset with him. ¡°I mean, didn¡¯t you come to see me after a long time?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What do you mean no? It¡¯s been a week since I woke up.¡± ¡°Because I saw you when you were sleeping.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come to see me when I woke up?¡± At my question, he gritted his teeth as if swallowing something unpleasant. His handsome forehead was deeply creased. I flinched and clenched my fist at the first sign of irritation I saw on his face. ¡°We have a lot to talk about. About Euclid, or about the rose war¨C¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk when you regain your energy. Go to sleep.¡± He cut off my words and shook off my hand holding unto his sleeve. ¡°Wait!¡± I hurriedly stood up after collecting my hand that was left in the air. ¡°Ack!¡± Fortunately, Dietrich was quick to support me before I fell rolling to the floor. A ferocious groan fell over the back of my embarrassed head. ¡°Lie down. Do you think my words are a joke?¡± Ah. It was because he was angry. That was the first time he showed his anger. I raised my head for joy because he showed his feelings. ¡°I asked you why you didn¡¯t come to see me when I woke up.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m afraid you might collapse again.¡± ¡°Why would I collapse? I¡¯ve recovered.¡± As Dietrich stared at my forearm, which I extended to him and flexed, he loosened the collar of his neck as if he was suffocating and couldn¡¯t hold back his irritation. ¡°Put that away. What is there for you to brag about that dry firewood.¡± He spoke quite beautifully. I pouted at his harsh scolding. ¡°Anyway, why would I collapse again?¡± ¡°Right now, I¡¯m barely holding back this anger that¡¯s about to make me go crazy.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Even I can¡¯t stand this anger, and I don¡¯t know if you could withstand this when you¡¯re in that state, reduced to all skin and bones.¡± CH 122 How angry must he be to say that? Leaving me behind in a blank state, Dietrich quickly left the room that I couldn¡¯t even think of catching him. I could only watch his broad back disappear. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it, and I think I was in the wrong.¡± ¡°Wow. Congratulations.¡± Yuric, who was quietly listening to my words of reflection, clapped his hands. I frowned at his unenthusiastic response. ¡°What are you congratulating for?¡± ¡°You have finally become a person. It¡¯s a bit surprising that you realized your fault now.¡± ¡°..........¡± ¡°They did say that you shouldn¡¯t collect and raise pink-haired beasts but I¡¯m here right now because of you, you know?¡± ¡°Who collected and raised who!¡± It wasn¡¯t Dietrich, but me, who fed him, put him to sleep, followed him around, and took care of him. I snorted and tried to ignore his words, but I couldn¡¯t when I thought that it was my fault. ¡°Did he worry a lot? But even when I darkened the necklace and the bracelet, it also took me about a week to wake up.¡± I did put in the note that if I didn¡¯t wake up, it just meant that I exercised my abilities at once and that there was no need to worry. Did he not believe me? ¡°How can you say that? He probably almost didn¡¯t sleep for the first two months.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It was because he was watching you. Do you even have to ask? I thought that jerk would die before you so I even gave him some medicine and put him to sleep.¡± Outside the window, I could hear the sound of the pouring rain. Perhaps due to the humid air, Yuric let out a sigh as he swept his curly blonde hair with his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking alone, but if you don¡¯t want to see Dietrich expire, then, you should stop.¡± I also didn¡¯t know I wouldn¡¯t wake up for a year. If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have pushed it that far. When Dietrich had come back with only a stab wound, I had been so anxious that my heart couldn¡¯t stop pounding, how much more if he couldn¡¯t wake up. My fear that Dietrich and Lagrange would be ruined blinded me and inflicted a wound on him. If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. ¡°Of course, I know that all of your plans have been instrumental in laying the foundation for Lagrange.¡± Instead of a maid, Yuric had brought me my breakfast. He whisked the soup and spoon-fed me. I opened my eyes wide as I took the food from him like a baby bird. ¡°But you also have to think of the feelings of those in opposition.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s too obstinate about it. To the point that I shouldn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°Anissa, I¡¯m not ignoring you so don¡¯t argue with me and listen.¡± Yuric rarely hardened his face. ¡°You¡¯re not a Lagrange. No matter how close you are to us.¡± ¡°....Are you telling me to stop worrying about it because it¡¯s your business?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°What I want to say is that our bodies are different.¡± Yuric grabbed my cheeks, which I inflated in disappointment, and shook them. ¡®When did he grow up like this?¡¯ My face was completely captured in the hands full of calluses here and there. ¡°Veronica, well, there¡¯s no need to talk about her. Even with the triplets, there¡¯s no poison that we haven¡¯t eaten.¡± ".............." ¡°Of course, it wasn¡¯t just poison. Catherine would have paid an enormous amount of price to obtain an elixir that would make one¡¯s body stronger and poured it on them as well.¡± I thought of the children who had grown up rapidly in the time that I haven¡¯t seen them. Come to think of it, Rose was almost the same height as me. ¡°Lagrange doesn¡¯t have a long life span, but we never die by other people¡¯s hands. Our destiny is to end up being eaten by the demons.¡± ¡°I told you I¡¯m going to change that fate.¡± ¡°Regardless of what your goal is, you¡¯re different.¡± Yuric put away the soup and grabbed my neck. When he pressed down on my skin, I could also feel the pulse running slowly. ¡°Even the triplets can¡¯t break my neck with their bare hands. If you give strength to your neck, it¡¯s stronger than most rocks. But you.¡± Instead of speaking, Yuric sighed and rubbed his face with his hand. I patted him on the back of his hand since it seemed like it wasn¡¯t only Dietrich who was worried about me. ¡°I¡¯m all right. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Eat some more. Looking at it now, I could just break your neck without even putting strength into it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing my best to eat. Though they¡¯re only fruits.¡± I grinned and started eating again. I was already full, but it couldn¡¯t be helped since someone was here to pester me. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Where¡¯s Dietrich?¡± ¡°Hello, Princess. His Grace is in the drill hall.¡± My eyes widened at the knight¡¯s answer. The rain that started early this morning hasn¡¯t stopped yet. ¡°He¡¯s in the drill hall when it¡¯s raining cats and dogs?¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s probably in the storage room to avoid the rain. It hadn¡¯t rained yet by the time we left.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go and pick him up. Give me the umbrella.¡± The knight hesitated as he looked at the pale hands that fluttered before him. I raised my eyes at him to hasten him. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to give it to me?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather take it to him.¡± ¡°I have something to say to Dietrich, that¡¯s why. I also feel sorry for you standing outside the barracks for a long time.¡± He handed over the umbrella as if he had no choice due to my stubbornness. I brushed off the raindrops on the black umbrella and opened it up. ¡°Thank you.¡± Nature and the drill hall weren¡¯t as far apart as Dahlia palace, but it wasn¡¯t close either. Luckily, Marilyn brought me some boots so I didn¡¯t have to worry about my feet getting wet. ¡®She said it was a gift from Madame Celine.¡¯ Although I couldn¡¯t say that we had a deep connection, I had heard that Celine came to visit more than ten times while I wasn¡¯t awake. ¡®Well, it¡¯s hard to forget the help you received when you¡¯re in trouble.¡¯ I took a deep breath, recalling her weeping. I liked the smell of the rain. It smelled like a mixture of old dust and wet soil. ¡®It¡¯s closer than I thought.¡¯ Come to think of it, it was my first time coming to the drill hall. When I was learning swordsmanship from Liatris, we had only been using her backyard. As the hem of my dress sticking out of the umbrella was just getting wet, I arrived at the other side of the drill hall where there was a prepared warehouse. It was a place where the knights store the wooden swords and equipment used for training so it looked sloppy like it was made of wood. ¡°Dietrich?¡± I tried knocking, but if there was an answer then I couldn¡¯t hear it as it was muddled over the sound of the rain. ¡®Did he go somewhere else?¡¯ The door handle wasn¡¯t oiled so it was difficult to turn it, but when I opened it, I could feel the commonplace heat inside. A fire was blazing in the rusty brazier. Since there was a light inside, there should have been a person but I couldn¡¯t even see a single shadow. However, I could hear shuffling in a small room attached to the warehouse. I thrust my head in there and stiffened in shock. ¡°Oh, oh. You were here?¡± Dietrich, who was lying on the sofa in a relaxed position wearing only his pants, stood up. I was instantly distracted by his exposed firm shoulders and his sculpted abs. I was quite embarrassed so I hurriedly lowered my gaze as he stared at me with a displeased look on his face. He swept up his wet hair and opened his mouth, asking as if he was sighing. ¡°Why are you here?¡± He didn¡¯t seem surprised as if he might have heard me call him earlier. The floor had creaked with every step. I spoke awkwardly at the sound, like a broken machine. ¡°....I thought you couldn¡¯t come because you didn¡¯t have an umbrella. I waited but you didn¡¯t arrive.¡± ¡°I slept.¡± Dietrich answered bluntly and gestured with his chin towards the back. Pillows and blankets were scattered on a pile of straw, apparently used by the knights to rest. ¡°You can rest comfortably in the castle.¡± I couldn¡¯t lift my face even as I gave him my judgment. Dietrich didn¡¯t even think to put on a top whether he knew or not that I was only looking at the floor because of him. ¡®Is he bragging about his good body or what?¡¯ ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to wear some clothes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all wet.¡± At his words, I glanced at the brazier where his clothes were scattered around near it. ¡°I-I see.¡± Of course, I couldn¡¯t ask him to wear those wet clothes just because of me. My eyes flitted around and I twisted my hair with my hand. It wasn¡¯t like it was something I¡¯d never seen when I was young, but I was still embarrassed. ¡°Ahem. Then I¡¯ll wait here until they dry up.¡± I coughed as I sat down on a wooden stool near the brazier. ¡°That¡¯s.¡± ¡°Ack!¡± ¡°Broken.¡± You should have told me earlier! Stumbling backward because of the broken stool, I glared at Dietrich with resentment. As if what I did was funny, he grabbed me by my arm with a smile on his face. When his solid bare chest came to view, I quickly jerked my head back. ¡°What are you doing? Get up.¡± ¡°I can stand up on my own!¡± I shook off Dietrich¡¯s hand and clung to the wall. He raised one eyebrow as if displeased that I rejected him. ¡®Good thoughts!¡¯ I shouted inwardly and clenched my fist. Far from being embarrassed, he seemed to didn¡¯t know why I was being shy, which made me even more embarrassed. ¡®It was my first time seeing it in person. How can I help it?¡¯ As a matter of fact, my body was not much different from when I was young but wasn¡¯t it different now? He continued to frown in bewilderment, wondering what was wrong with me, while I kept to my mantra over and over. ¡®Clear thoughts! Brain power!¡¯ CH 123 On the way back, I profusely gave my apologies, but Dietrich only shook his head and said nothing. The dark clouds over the sky made me confused about whether it was day or night, and the side of his face half-submerged in the shadow was so unfamiliar. It made me confused. From a distance, I could hear the end of summer. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Before Dietrich could sense that I had become awkward around him, there was a rush of work to be done. Although the Northern nobles have the discipline to some extent, they didn¡¯t achieve harmony so they remained stagnant. ¡®The main reason why the North imitates the Imperial family and the South is because of food.¡¯ Proper cultivation of crops was not possible due to the dry lands and raging weather, and the southern part was the only supplier that could be procured by land without going by sea. There were two ways to solve the food problem. The first was to find a supplier outside of the South, make a deal, and prevent monopoly, and the second was to find a suitable crop that can grow in the North. ¡®If it¡¯s a supplier outside the North¨C¡¯ There¡¯s no reason not to be able to solve it. Since the North was inland, it didn¡¯t own any coast, but there was a wide river. I heard that Luzen, a small country near the end, had various crops that grow due to its different seasons all year round. ¡®The problem is that many claim ownership of the river since it¡¯s a channel that runs through different territories.¡¯ Wouldn¡¯t it be a lot of work to solve that? I was sitting on the sofa with Madame Celine, checking the dress that Veronica was wearing, and shook my head with my chin in one hand. Veronica, turned around here and there as if she wasn¡¯t satisfied with my reaction. ¡°What¡¯s with that look? Do I not look pretty?¡± ¡°What do you mean? Of course, you¡¯re pretty.¡± The dark red dress clung to her body, revealing her voluptuous figure. Because of her tall height and short-bob hair, her baby hair that sticks out a little creates a seductive atmosphere. Although it looks great on her, it wasn¡¯t Veronica¡¯s favorite style. She prefered light and comfortable clothes so she could move quickly to deal with the various merchants from each country. ¡°Is it comfortable?¡± ¡°Well, all dresses you wear to a ball are like that.¡± Veronica grinned and patted her exposed shoulders. I narrowed my eyes and turned to Madame Celine. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Please tell me if you have a design you want, Princess.¡± ¡°Will you be able to make it possible just by hearing it?¡± ¡°With all the reputation I¡¯ve built as a designer, there¡¯s nothing that I can¡¯t make for you, Princess.¡± I wasn¡¯t particularly interested in dressing up, and I wasn¡¯t so good at aesthetics that I could boast an exceptional sense in an area I wasn¡¯t interested in. ¡®Well, that¡¯s exactly why I looked for talented people.¡¯ The people who were not properly recognized for their skills seemed to be extremely grateful just for recognizing their true worth. ¡°I will make it for you even if I have to stay up all night for a few days.¡± I nodded my head at Madame Celine, who was greatly fond of me that I wondered if it was all right if I dared to receive such. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll leave it to you. I am well aware of Celine¡¯s skills.¡± It was natural that things which looked pleasing in the eyes were fashionable, but it was common knowledge that if you were beautiful on the same level, you should choose something that was easy to work with. I told her about Veronica¡¯s usual outfit. She began to take notes, nodding her head about wide pants, skirts, and loose-fitting shirts. ¡°The dress that Celine designed, I¡¯ll be the one to wear it.¡± ¡°The Princess will?¡± She looked at me with puzzled eyes. They were eyes that were asking if the design I asked for was too mature for me. I nodded as I glanced at the dress that showed the woman¡¯s curves. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s been a while since I appeared, so I think it is necessary to show a different side of me.¡± It was because I thought of a way to take ownership of the river to Lagrange. Humans tend to move based on risks and benefits, so it was better to choose the wrapper of the bait carefully. ¡°Then, blue would be good. It may not be a pure atmosphere like usual, but it will definitely look great on you.¡± Madame Celine smiled as she placed the velvet fabric below my chin. Her face looked like an excited child which made me feel good as well. ¡°You look like you¡¯re having fun.¡± ¡°I enjoy making clothes the most in the world. You don¡¯t know how much I appreciate this opportunity you¡¯ve given me, Princess.¡± ¡°Thank you for thinking that way.¡± Before I knew it, Veronica had finished changing. She handed the dress to a maid and then came to us. As if she had heard that I ordered a similar design to the dress she was wearing, she implicitly opened her mouth. ¡°You¡¯re going to wear that to an autumn ball?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°It would probably be annoying because a lot of young bachelors are going to stick to you though? But most of them can¡¯t even say that I¡¯m scary.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not talking about you.¡± Veronica scratched her chin instead of speaking. Soon, she grinned as if she was having fun. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Well, just wear it. I¡¯m curious to see how that will turn out.¡± Was she saying she wanted to see me wearing the dress? Celine, who was very excited, held unto me and showed me various designs that I forgot to ask more about it. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Vanessa and Tally, who helped dress me up with Celine, were people who kept complimenting me saying that I was so pretty even if I was just wearing my pajamas with a trace of drool on my cheeks. So I set them aside and called Lancel to ask, but he just blinked slowly without a word and hesitated to answer. ¡°Does it really not look good on me?¡± At sixteen years old, I was already at the age to hold my coming-of-age debut, but my face was rather young looking. ¡®That¡¯s why I chose this dress on purpose.¡¯ I thought it would add a sense of maturity which I didn¡¯t have because it was a design with prominent curves. I was a little embarrassed at the revealing body line so I took a glance at the mirror behind me. ¡°Is that why you can¡¯t answer?¡± ¡°Not at all. The problem is that it suits you really well.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. You look pretty. There won¡¯t be any man who will not pay attention to you today, Princess.¡± With an awkward expression, Lancel¡¯s forehead creased. His wrinkled lips moved hesitatingly. ¡°Today, are you going to look for a husband or something?¡± ¡°Yeah. How did you know?¡± ¡°..........?¡± Lancel¡¯s jaw dropped at my explicit answer. He gasped in shock. ¡°Are you joking, Princess?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not joking.¡± ¡®However, it doesn¡¯t actually mean I¡¯m looking for a real bridegroom to get married.¡¯ For nobles, marriage was a more valuable transaction than territories or jewels. However, even if it was more valuable, the result was no different. It was for no reason that the cunning lords brought their daughters to Lagrange, where rumors of people dying were rife. If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. In the end, that¡¯s the meaning of union between families. ¡°Princess, do you already want to get married?¡± Lancel looked at me with wide eyes, watching me as I fiddled with the diamond earrings that came down longer below my chin. I wrinkled my nose a little with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet? For now, I¡¯ll go and see if there is any suitable person.¡± We have to show them first what we have in our hands so they would also show their cards. Devonshire¡¯s eldest son or Rosiere¡¯s heir was of Dietrich¡¯s age and unmarried. ¡°Is Yuric ready?¡± ¡°Madame Celine is directly helping him to get ready. Why are you putting so much effort into young master¡¯s attire?¡± ¡°I need to put him on the market, too. Maslow and Riesling are too young and Veronica will probably hate it.¡± ¡®Besides, Dietrich has also declared that there won¡¯t be any successor for the time being.¡¯ ¡°M-Market? Are you talking about the marriage market?¡± I laughed lightly at the way Lancel stuttered. It was half a joke, but I wanted to tease him more because of his embarrassment. ¡°Yeah. Although he is a bit timid, he¡¯s a handsome man who can¡¯t be ashamed of himself anywhere you put him. He¡¯s also a knight¡¯s commander. I bet he¡¯s popular?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true¡­.¡± Those carrying the name of Lagrange never had a way to leave Lagrange. That must have played a role in setting the background of taking the power of the Grand Duke and living apart from the rest of the world like an isolated island. A power that cannot be shared was just a pie in the sky, and power that couldn¡¯t arouse the desire of others did not serve its role. ¡®I will let them know that it won¡¯t be like that anymore.¡¯ ¡°Where¡¯s Dietrich?¡± ¡°He had planned not to attend the ball.¡± ¡°Well, he does hate these kinds of things. I already knew that.¡± Come to think of it, it¡¯s been a few days since I last saw his face. I wasn¡¯t able to find the reason why I felt awkward around him, and he also didn¡¯t look for me. I stood up from my seat when I heard the servant announce that Yuric has arrived. Yuric, who boasted an even more dazzling beauty with Madame Celine¡¯s touch, found me at the end of the hallway and his face hardened. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your clothes?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°No, I mean. It¡¯s a little¡­Why don¡¯t you cover your shoulders?¡± Yuric puts a finger on my exposed shoulder. I removed his hand and frowned. ¡°Madame Celine said it¡¯s the point of this outfit.¡± ¡°....Are you sure Dietrich won¡¯t attend?¡± ¡°Yeah. There must be a lot of work to take care of today.¡± ¡°I see. Then, that¡¯s good.¡± I didn¡¯t know why Dietrich not going to the ball was good. I tilted my head, not knowing the reason, and he grabbed the hand which I extended. CH 124 I confidently asked Celine for a striking dress, but I don''t remember having any particular fondness for getting people''s attention. ¡®I heard that the fleece dress I wore before I collapsed had been popular for a long time.¡¯ But that dress was made to fit me in a cute style. I sighed softly as I smoothed the back of my hair which was tied with a pearl hairpin. Yuric¡¯s eyes widened and turned his head. ¡°Why are you sighing?¡± ¡°I did my best to prepare, but I wonder if they¡¯ll laugh at me and say I look like a child trying to imitate an adult.¡± ¡°Hm. If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t worry about that.¡± I wanted to ask what I should be worried about but just then, the servant opened the door to the banquet hall. ¡°Princess Anissa Lagrange and Young Master Yuric Lagrange are entering!¡± The noisy banquet hall suddenly becomes quiet as if someone had poured water on it. It was so easy to draw attention that it felt a little futile. I just really had to appear. Countess Devonshire, who was standing at the center of the hall, ran toward me. ¡°Princess! I heard that you¡¯ve finally woken up but is it all right for you to come out like this already?¡± ¡°Countess, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°I was so worried about you.¡± The Countess laughed softly, saying she didn¡¯t remember feeling so anxious even when her husband left for the battlefield. ¡°Thank you for worrying about me.¡± ¡°By the way, you¡¯ve really grown up now. The young bachelors are sure going to line up to request a dance.¡± ¡°Ehy, there¡¯s no way.¡± If she saw it that way, then my desired goal has been achieved. I smiled at her words, half-closing my eyes. ¡°Of course, young master is also quite dashing.¡± ¡°Thank you, Countess.¡± Since the Countess spoke to him first, it was polite to ask her for a dance. She glanced behind as she was escorted by Yuric. ¡°Peter, I want you to accompany the Princess in my stead and soothe her loneliness.¡± Peter Devonshire was clearly the name of the eldest son of Count Devonshire. ¡®He was standing too quietly that I thought he was an escort.¡¯ A man with a quiet impression bowed politely to me and kissed the back of my hand. ¡°I greet the most lovely shadow of Lagrange.¡± Even though I already nodded my head and received his greetings, he still didn¡¯t take his eyes off of me. I withdrew my hand because I was a little embarrassed at the blatant stare. ¡°Ah, I apologize.¡± He hastily apologized perhaps noticing my discomfort. He even blushed and scratched his cheek. ¡°I was mesmerized for a moment because you were so beautiful. Please forgive my rudeness.¡± Although there have been many times that the emperor praised me for my beauty with flashing eyes, it was the first time a man felt shy to even meet my eyes. His aura staggered like a drunk passerby quite unlike that of a well-trained knight. ¡®At the very least, I don¡¯t have anything to feel sorry for to Celine.¡¯ I nodded with relief. ¡°I¡¯ll take it as a compliment so you don¡¯t have to apologize.¡± At my answer, a smile graced Peter¡¯s clean face. Although he didn¡¯t have a beauty that would stand out anywhere like Dietrich, he was a friendly person with a reliable look. ¡°It¡¯s winter soon, so you must be sad that couldn¡¯t make your debut.¡± ¡°It just means that I¡¯ve made my debut in the high society. I¡¯m not particularly disappointed.¡± ¡°Then, may I ask for your first dance?¡± ¡°For the sake of friendship with Countess Devonshire, I¡¯d be happy to.¡± I replied as if drawing a line and smiled. His eyes widened as if my words were unexpected. ¡°I don¡¯t dare ask for more. It¡¯s your fiance¡¯s job to take, however, since you don¡¯t have one.¡± It was my first time dancing with someone I didn''t know at a ball like this, but it wasn''t too different from the steps I learned from Damon. Moreover, Peter was quite a skillful dancer despite his simpleton-like impression. I moved around the hall, guided by his smooth lead. The calm song was almost ending. The Countess seemed to be almost finished with Yuric as well, so I glanced to the other side. ¡®Count Rossiere¡¯s family should be here as well.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t tiring going to and fro at the ball, so it was convenient to give a strong impression to everyone I meet. ¡®But why isn¡¯t he letting go of my hand?¡¯ Since the music had changed, the partner had to change as well. But Peter held onto my hand seemingly unwilling to let me go. ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°The music has changed.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Right. Although his answer was right, his actions weren¡¯t corrected. He moved his lips hesitantly as if he still had something to say. ¡°The Countess will be looking for you.¡± I thought I had expressed through those words that he should go away now, but he quickly shook his head. ¡°Mother came with father so it¡¯s all right. I don¡¯t have a lady that I accompanied.¡± "?" However, I had a partner named Yuric. Stupefied, I looked down at my wrist which he was still holding and sighed softly. ¡°Sir, it hurts.¡± ¡°I apologize.¡± It only then did he let me go. I had finally understood the reason for his aura which was rising in intensity, becoming redder as time passes by to the point that it was hard to ignore. ¡®But one isn¡¯t enough.¡¯ When you enter a ball and use yourself as bait, you should not set a small goal. Devonshire wasn¡¯t the only family that would scramble to give ownership of the river to Lagrange. One shouldn¡¯t make it look easy to reach without a competitor. ¡°Well then.¡± I bid him farewell briefly and turned my back. The heat of the gaze at my back stung that it was hard to ignore. All the men who asked me to dance after Peter had a similar reaction. Even the young and married ladies who were already close to me seemed surprised. ¡®I feel like I¡¯m playing the part of a debutante right now.¡¯ I sat down on the sofa, getting a little tired of the people talking to me with gleaming eyes. I didn¡¯t know when she had come, but Veronica approached me, grinning. ¡°Our little sister is so pretty. I almost couldn¡¯t recognize you, you know?¡± She flapped the hem of her pants, which Celine had promised to be stylish. As expected, Veronica looked really great in those kinds of clothes. ¡°Sister, what about the thing I asked you?¡± ¡°I did it earlier. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s already a rumor among the ladies that you¡¯re looking for the right fiance.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I smiled broadly at Veronica¡¯s triumphant reply. She gave me a glass of wine and slanted her head. ¡°Well, are you planning to request for the Sentz river?¡± ¡°If they think of sending me a marriage proposal, I was going to ask them to show their sincerity. So what can they do?¡± I moistened my throat with the wine and cleared my throat. I danced with people whom I didn¡¯t know until my feet hurt that I felt tired as if it was already midnight. ¡°Anyway, they wouldn¡¯t think that they¡¯d need the river right away, so they wouldn¡¯t think that it¡¯s a loss. They are greedy for the hope that they would one day take control of the North.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about the others, but Devonshire¡¯s eldest son seems to really have the idea of leaving their estate.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°He asked a few times. Not the Countess, but him. If you really had any intentions to get engaged.¡± I remembered his serious and courteous but flushed face which he never even thought of hiding. ¡®Where is he right now?¡¯ As soon as I turned my head, our eyes met as if he was also looking at me. ¡°That person?¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, I think he¡¯s a good choice.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Was someone like Peter her type? I thought she liked a slightly more flashy kind of guy. Veronica answered my question sourly. ¡°Because he¡¯s not gonna be worse off than the likes of Dietrich.¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly bringing him up?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I wonder why?¡± I asked a question and received a question. I shrugged my shoulders at her enigmatic words. I lowered my eyes and greeted Peter, who was still staring at my face. ¡°Hm. I don¡¯t particularly think so?¡± I covered my mouth and whispered so that he wouldn¡¯t know. He had a nice and neat impression, but he wasn¡¯t my type. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I look at the face.¡± ¡°Someone would love to hear that.¡± I took my eyes off her who laughed like a child and greeted Peter who approached. ¡°Are you tired? Do sit and eat something.¡± When I offered him the finger foods prepared on the table, he immediately sat down. He was more restless and agitated than before as he looked at me and pulled out an envelope. ¡°Princess, I¡¯m going to participate in this imperial jousting as a representative of the North.¡± ¡°Aha.¡± Most of the young bachelors who had not yet received their titles were knights, and judging from his height and size, he seemed to be quite outstanding. If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. ¡®Still, as a representative, he seemed to be able to handle words very well.¡¯ He kissed the back of my hand again and knelt respectfully. ¡°I would like to offer you a rose of glory, so may you please attend?¡± ¡°If time permits, I have no reason to refuse.¡± I gave an ambiguous answer and spoke softly so as not to upset him. ¡®I feel like my mouth is going to cramp since I keep forcing myself to smile.¡¯ I think it was more comfortable when I only had to good look for the ladies. ¡°Your smiling face is truly beautiful¨C¡± The door to the hall suddenly burst open, cutting off Peter¡¯s words as he bit his lips tightly as if trying to hide his embarrassment. Crash! I heard something break one after the other. When I looked around in surprise, Dietrich, whom I had thought would never show his face today, stood crookedly while glaring at me. ¡®But why is he holding the doorknob?¡¯ CH 125 Why the hell did he pull out a doorknob that was in excellent shape? Before that, I was shocked that a human¡¯s bare hand could pull that out. The door of the banquet hall was not the same as ordinary bedroom doors but was made of massive, solid iron. It was a type that was made together by melting iron from the beginning instead of making a separate handle and screwing it in. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just destroy the house, huh, why not?¡± Why didn¡¯t he just pull out the columns as well? I could hear Veronica mumbling in stupefaction. ¡°I know right. He doesn¡¯t seem to know how to control himself since he has a lot of money and power.¡± I should say something when he gets close. ¡®I should ask him why he¡¯s going around destroying perfectly good household goods.¡¯ He was looking at me so I thought he had something to say, but before people could even give him their greetings, he turned his back and left. ¡°His Grace must have been upset about something.¡± Peter, who was staring blankly at the iron handle rolling from the door to the hall, stuttered and opened his mouth. ¡°He has a lot of work these days. He must have been tired because of that.¡± I stood up from the sofa, making excuses for Dietrich. ¡°I think I have to go and check on him. Then, I¡¯ll see you next time.¡± ¡°Ah, yes! Definitely¡­.definitely, next time.¡± I passed by Peter, who was about to say more and opened the poor door that lost its handle. ¡®How fast is he walking?¡¯ I was sure I have just seen him leave but I couldn¡¯t even see a shadow in the hallway. I rolled up the hem of the uncomfortable dress and moved quickly. There weren¡¯t many places to go. Where else would he be heading apart from his office and his bedroom? ¡°Dietrich!¡± I barely caught up to him as he was about to climb the top floor. As he was about to step on the stairs, he paused at my call, but soon continued on his way. ¡°Wait!¡± There was no way he couldn¡¯t hear me so he was just blatantly ignoring me. Dumbfounded, I stumbled in haste to catch up to him. ¡°Kyaa!¡± Since they paid more attention than usual because of the guests that were coming, the shiny, glossy floor was just right in front of my face. Feeling like my head would crack open at this rate, I hurriedly held out my hand and closed my eyes. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t hit the hard floor. ¡°Oh my god!¡± A familiar hand grabbed my arm and lifted me upwards. Dietrich, who had caught me leaving one railing between us, wrapped one arm around my waist and hugged me without showing any sign of hardship. My outstretched hand touched his firm chest but my lifted foot didn¡¯t even touch the floor. ¡°Gasp.¡± I was more startled now than the moment I fell that I started hiccuping. Too close. His sharp jaw hardened when I pulled back to escape. ¡°Stay still. Did you forget there¡¯s a stair?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡®I can¡¯t get hurt.¡¯ I stopped my struggle at his warning. He exhaled a deep sigh over my head. ¡°Look where you¡¯re walking.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you didn¡¯t stop when I called, Dietrich.¡± I opened my mouth, resenting him needlessly, however, I didn¡¯t know what expression to make as my eyes roamed around while still in his arms. ¡°Can¡¯t you guess that there must be a reason why I didn¡¯t turn back when you called?¡± Thunk. He placed me down on the floor and answered frigidly. I smiled mischievously when I saw that he was avoiding my eyes. ¡®He holds grudges more than I thought.¡¯ ¡°What reason?¡± ¡°.............¡± ¡°I already apologized about the holy sword. I also didn¡¯t know I would sleep for that long. Is that something for you to be angry for so long?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± I watched Dietrich as he shook his head indifferently. He was wearing a shirt that wasn¡¯t even properly dressed and not even formal attire for a banquet. It was clear that he definitely entered the hall while in the middle of working. ¡°What was that earlier? If you¡¯re going to come, then you should enter. Why did you only open the door and leave?¡± How agitated must the guests have been when the master of the duchy suddenly raised his temper and pulled out a doorknob and then leave without any explanation? ¡®Even though I tried so hard to foster unity among the Northern nobles.¡¯ I had just been able to convince them that Lagrange was worthy to participate in high society and not just a family dominated only by unreasonable violence. ¡°That¡¯s because you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°You, that.¡± Dietrich stopped talking and scrubbed his face dry with his hand. Ha, with a dry sigh, he swept his fringe upward. His handsome forehead wrinkled. For a moment, I frowned as I thought I heard a curse mixed with his sigh. He was aggressive, and oftentimes - a lot - didn¡¯t think about the consequences of his actions, but he¡¯s fundamentally a decent guy. ¡®I didn¡¯t even see him swearing even when he fought with Asmodeus.¡¯ ¡°What? What did you say?¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to apologize. You didn¡¯t even do it to me. But you have to tell me why you¡¯re doing this so I¨C¡± ¡°Nevermind. I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± Deep wrinkles formed on his exposed forehead. I grabbed Dietrich¡¯s wrist as he was about to turn his back. ¡°Where are you going! I¡¯m not done talking.¡± He never looked at me even though he had been wrestling with me, and only then did he finally look at me. But, wasn¡¯t he scanning me thoroughly from head to toe? I forgot what to say at his slow and blatant gaze and became nervous. ¡°W-what¡¯s with that look?¡± I¡¯d be less embarrassed if he scolded me off as Yuric did, but he didn¡¯t even mention anything about my outfit. I just felt angry at the expression on his face that seemed to dislike it. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°You. I¡¯m currently looking at you. Have you lost your eyes?¡± ¡°Speak nicely!¡± I bit my tongue in embarrassment as I met his sharp eyes. He looked at me as if he was annoyed and opened his mouth. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I told you to speak. Didn¡¯t you insist that you still had something to say?¡± Since he pressed for it like that, I suddenly felt scared. I watched his eyebrows twitch for a moment before answering hesitantly. ¡°......I mean, I was wondering if you were angry at me. If you are, then we should settle it.¡± ¡°I already told you I have no quarrel with you.¡± He said he wasn¡¯t angry but why would he be like this? His blunt answer was ridiculous and my jaw dropped. He placed his finger on my chin, closed it, then spoke. ¡°I think I¡¯m a little irritated.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Are you playing with me right now?¡± ¡°Playing?¡± Dietrich asked back with a smile. However, since only one side of his lips was raised up, for sure, he wasn¡¯t smiling because what I said was funny. ¡°I could say the same to you. Do you find my decree a joke? Hilarious. I ordered a ban of marriage in Lagrange.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t that order given to the people in the territory? In the sense that you don¡¯t intend to hand over the demons so hastily.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really care whether thousands of demons crawl out again.¡± ¡®You have to worry about it after all that hark work. Why don¡¯t you care?¡¯ Even as I thought of that, I couldn¡¯t refute him and closed my mouth tightly at his cool gaze. ¡°However, without even saying a word to me, I received a report of you declaring you¡¯re looking for a fiance so I came down to see.¡± "........" ¡°And saw you wearing that dress I¡¯ve never seen before, confused whether that¡¯s clothes or just some stitched fabrics.¡± Some stitched fabrics, you say. It may have used a little less fabric than most dresses, but it looked elegant because it was a dress made by Madame Celine with great care. ¡°And out of nowhere, you¡¯re trying to receive a rose from a half-wit bastard who can¡¯t even hide his single sloppy desire?¡± ¡°He was the one who said he¡¯d give it to me. And why is that something to be angry about?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If you want it, you can receive whatever the rose means. And I have no right to care about whatever you wear.¡± Dietrich admitted quickly and calmly. He wasn¡¯t even an adolescent boy, but I was bewildered at his change of attitude as easily as turning one¡¯s palm. He gritted his teeth as he faced me who was stunned. ¡°But even so, I¡¯m still irritated.¡± ".........." ¡°I¡¯m already suffocating with irritation as it is so why should I continue to watch that situation happen?¡± ¡°Why¡­.? As the head of the household, he might be angry for not consulting with him that I would be looking for a fiance like he was being ignored. It¡¯s my fault for not talking to him and avoiding him because I felt awkward. But why did he bring up the rose? ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m on my way up to think, so let go of my hand now.¡± I was startled by his firm words that I had no choice but to let go of his wrist which I had grasped in a daze. He turned his body around roughly and started moving. I heard the sound of something falling and looked down to see that the wooden railing he had been holding on to with one hand had all but crumbled with dust flying around. ¡®Does he really plan to break the whole castle?¡¯ A deep sigh from the pits of my stomach came out. It was an unfamiliar aura that I first saw. Unlike usual, because I was very agitated, I could only see it very briefly, but it was an aura that I¡¯d seen for the first time. To be exact, it was the first time I¡¯d seen it in Dietrich. It was dark red anger, but it wasn¡¯t just dark red. In his colorless aura akin to that of a dead, there was a bright scarlet color like fresh blood mixed in that I couldn¡¯t help but pound my head on the broken railing. ¡®Should I chase after him?¡¯ No, what would I even say to him if I chased him? Don¡¯t be like that? My heart was pounding fast. I didn¡¯t know why it was pounding fast but I felt so overwhelmed that I crouched and sat down. CH 126 The flame of worries burned through the night and painted it white. ¡°Oh my goodness!¡± The maid who was bringing the washbin became surprised and stepped back when she saw my sunken face. ¡°It¡¯s me, Lucy. Don¡¯t be scared.¡± ¡°My lady? My goodness. I was surprised that you suddenly came out of the dark. I apologize.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± I stopped her, who bent her head and apologized, then I sunk my face in the basin full of cold water. ¡°Oh my! That must have been cold!¡± Brbrbrbrbr. I wondered if the old saying ¡®Drink cold water and wake up was wrong¡¯ but the cold water opened my eyes and returned my senses. ¡®I¡¯d rather just be overly self-conscious.¡¯ I¡¯d rather be someone who misunderstands that just because someone smiled at me, they have feelings for me, and mistake Dietrich¡¯s feelings for something like that. It would have been nice to think comfortably like that, but the color of the aura I saw for the first time was unusual. ¡°No.¡± Let¡¯s just say no. It didn¡¯t matter whether the feelings were as light as a feather or steep as a mountain. ¡®Why did it have to be now?¡¯ The most important relic, the holy sword, was already in our hands, but we were still at a disadvantage in numbers. Moreover, winning the rose war simply means repeating history. ¡®We need to take root in this society.¡¯ Euclid and the imperial family were also their own kind of demons and monsters. They were solid enough that a scandal wouldn¡¯t be able to touch them. I wanted to bring out Lagrange, that was struggling in the shadows, into the sun. Because I didn¡¯t understand why it was only us who had to spend so many years enduring this harsh land. I wanted to take control of the Northern nobles, but because of the fiasco in darkening the holy sword, I wasted one year. ¡®It was only now that I had created an opportunity for Lagrange to sneak into high society.¡¯ I was Dietrich¡¯s younger sister internally and externally. Dietrich, Yuric, and Veronica were the only people in the house who knew that not a drop of Lagrange¡¯s blood was mixed with me. ¡®A grand duke who has his eyes on his sister. I don¡¯t even want to imagine what kind of rumors will spread.¡¯ Lagrange was a favorite topic for people who liked to talk. It would be a delicious prey in their eyes, the inhumanity, immorality, and the unending powers of the grand duke as high as the sky. It was not without history that there were Grand Dukes who selected their half-siblings so I wouldn¡¯t be able to blame them if they thought it that way. ¡°Never.¡± ¡°Pardon? What do you mean never?¡± I shook my head while wiping my dripping jaw at Lucy¡¯s question. ¡°Just talking to myself. Will you help me get ready?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll bring out your change of clothes.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ As I headed to the office in search of Dietrich, the trouble that didn¡¯t end all night continued. ¡®How should I say it?¡¯ Since I didn¡¯t have any experience with this kind of situation, I had no idea what kind of response was right. I thought maybe I was really mistaken. His delusion, not mine. After all, the only person around Dietrich whom he could exchange affection with was me. I was the only one he sees. Like a bird that chases after someone that it saw for the first time. ¡®He couldn¡¯t have someone next to him on the battlefield.¡¯ It was the same when he came back. Although he was an impeccable handsome man, an average person would have felt chills just by meeting eyes with him due to his cold atmosphere, and though rumors were just rumors, even when he went to a ball or mingle with people, women just stare at him from afar. The only woman who spoke to him without hesitation was Charlotte, who firmly believed that they were destined. ¡®Should have I not paraded Yuric and showed up with Dietrich instead?¡¯ Suddenly, I remembered how much he hated me leaving Lagrange. It was then that I realized the true nature of the sense of deja vu I sometimes felt in his remarks. ¡®I thought I heard it somewhere.¡¯ My memories were hazy now, but they were probably words he said to Charlotte in ¡®The Rose Wars of Men.¡¯ ¡®But their romance wasn¡¯t lighthearted, was it?¡¯ It took me a while to realize, but Dietrich was a man who had no qualms in revealing what was in his heart. ¡®And that¡¯s how he acted like he couldn¡¯t even see the ruined Lagrange.¡¯ In the end, he even dedicated his allegiance to the imperial family and Euclid for Charlotte. The kind of words and actions he often gave to me was warm but I didn¡¯t feel that kind of passion in them. So I didn¡¯t think much about Dietrich¡¯s possessiveness that was implicitly revealed. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± There was no way he couldn¡¯t feel my presence but Dietrich didn¡¯t take his eyes off the document in his hand. The sun shone on his long eyelashes. ¡°Dietrich.¡± His form was thick and the contours of his face were sharp enough to feel fierce. Now, no one could call him a boy and he wasn¡¯t a boy either, yet there were times when he seemed immature to me. He was someone who didn¡¯t show his wounds even if it hurts, and didn¡¯t know how to ask for help even if it was hard. ¡®Although he¡¯s big, he¡¯s still a kid.¡¯ If he finds out I¡¯ll incur his ire, but it wasn¡¯t a joke when I said that I ¡®raised¡¯ the children of Lagrange. His life, which he would lose without fully blooming, was pitiful and seeing him all grown up made me feel proud although his appearance was unfamiliar. So maybe the way that we cherished and cared for each other, he just took it in a slightly different direction. ¡®Even so, that kind of mistake is still dangerous.¡¯ Now, everything had been twisted to the point that knowing the original would be of no help. Each step was as precarious as walking on a tight rope. From this moment forward, whatever happened in the future that never happened was the past, and the present future was something that couldn¡¯t be imagined. ¡°Are you ignoring me?¡± Since his head never moved when I called him, I had no choice but to call his attention by coughing loudly. ¡°The things you need to do should have been sent by a servant.¡± ¡°We must have missed each other. I didn¡¯t see it.¡± I answered deftly, hiding the fact that I did meet the servant in the hallway and sent them back. ¡°Do you have something to say?¡± However, when he presented an opening, I became tongue-tied. I had finally made up my mind and come this far but I didn¡¯t know how I should bring it up. Dietrich had a calm face as if he had forgotten yesterday. "Uhm...." "?" ¡®What should I say?¡¯ I think you¡¯re harboring designs on me and you should stop? [1] Ah. Just thinking about it in my head gave me goosebumps like a person with delusion disorder. [2] The face that I met was so clean that I hesitated even more. ¡®Maybe I saw it wrongly?¡¯ I did read too many people¡¯s aura at the last ball. In the meantime, I even danced to please people, so it wasn¡¯t something that usually consumed my stamina. ¡®The basis to manifest this ability is physical strength, after all.¡¯ If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. There weren¡¯t one or two young bachelors who blushed at my unusual appearance, so I may have misunderstood that scarlet, radiant red that caught my eye which made my hands and feet shrivel up and misread it. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say to me?¡± He didn¡¯t even confess his feelings to me, but it was painting a funny picture for me to come forward first and say such an obnoxious thing that he shouldn¡¯t like me. ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°......You said you¡¯d think about it. Why you were so angry and irritated with me.¡± If the light of that aura was purely my mistake, then all the worries I had until now were for nothing. And I would be extremely embarrassed as well. I gulped down my saliva and waited for his answer. ¡°I never thought I was stupid.¡± Dietrich slowly opened his mouth as if observing my reaction. ¡°Even when I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t come up with an answer.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know why you were angry?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± He let go of his pen and rubbed his temple with his wrist. He had a tired face as if he hadn¡¯t been able to rest properly. ¡°There was that time you gave me poisoned cookies.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t poison!¡± It was just a sleeping pill that didn¡¯t harm the body even if you took it. As I shook my head in contemplation, he grinned and continued. ¡°I thought it was poison when I ate it.¡± ¡°What?¡± He said he thought it was poisonous. My mouth dropped open, wondering what if he knew they were cookies laced with sleeping pills, and yet he still put them in his mouth. ¡°But why did you eat it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Did you know that you¡¯re Euclid¡¯s sister?¡± ¡°What kind of nonsense is that? Why am I that jerk¡¯s sister¨C¡± Stunned, my voice, instead of getting louder, broke off. My motionless mouth stammered. ¡°Have you ever thought that I might be a spy?¡± ¡°Momentarily.¡± ¡°.....And yet you took the cookies I gave you and ate them?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I thought if you wanted me to die, then I¡¯ll just die.¡± It was an answer that left no choice for the bird feeling sorry for being suspected as a spy. I clenched my fist, choking at Dietrich¡¯s unhesitant remarks. Instead of biting my tongue, I closed my eyes. ¡°The emotions that incite my anger and those feelings are, in my opinion, two sides of the same coin.¡± They were calm words. The tone was light but the message wasn¡¯t. ¡°What do you think are those feelings?¡± ¡°..........¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, so if you¡¯re really frustrated about it, then why don¡¯t you think about it?¡± Dietrich handed over his homework to me and brushed his hand off lightly. Notes: [1] harboring designs - I just softened it because it translates to indecent desires. But if that¡¯s preferable then you now know. [2] ??? ?? ?? - A person who believes everyone has a crush on them. Delusion disorder is not the correct term, maybe erotomania would fit. CH 127 Dietrich watched Anissa with a fidgety expression on her face. Her face was red as if she would cry any time soon. When other people cry, he would become so angry and without even lifting his sword, he would just like to punch them right away. But seeing her crying face because of him didn¡¯t feel so bad. ¡®Shall I make her cry?¡¯ He thought if he pushed her a bit more she would soon cry, but he endured it patiently. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°............¡± Instead of urging Anissa, who didn¡¯t answer, he tapped his finger on the desk with a thick wood scent. Dietrich didn¡¯t have the ability to read emotions and thoughts like her, but he didn¡¯t even need that to read Anissa because her thoughts easily show on her face. ¡®She looked like she¡¯s sorry.¡¯ She was feeling sorry, and embarrassed, as well as shocked that he ate the food he thought was laced with poison. He could even hear the sound of the gears inside her head rolling as she contemplated how to answer. The feeling of satisfaction he felt as that small little head of hers was filled with thoughts of him was the best he had in recent days. ¡®Whether it was about Euclid or the rose war, I¡¯m annoyed by all of that.¡¯ He suddenly thought that his personality was bad, but then again, what did it matter since everybody already knew of the Grand Duke¡¯s twisted disposition. It was an obvious fact that was known to all except for the person in front of him. Since he was kind to her, so she only knew that he was kind, and she really believed that Dietrich was ¡®nice.¡¯ She was thinking, that although he wasn¡¯t a good person who would roll up his sleeves and help others, at the very least, he was a considerate person who takes care of his family meticulously. ¡®Wrong.¡¯ He never thought that he cared for them because they were family, so she was wrong from the start. There was a time when she blatantly talked about marriage and that siblings didn¡¯t live together forever, so he thought it was fortunate that she wasn¡¯t a Lagrange. Anissa cherished Lagrange and considered them her family. Recognizing that it was a temporary relationship, he still didn¡¯t deny it because of the trivial reason that it was precious to her. There were several times that she mentioned it felt like a dream because it was the first time she had a family to love and be loved back. And so, he didn¡¯t think of clearing up that misunderstanding. Anyway, it was true that Dietrich cherished Anissa, for that reason, it¡¯s not that he hadn¡¯t thought about it himself, whether blood was really thicker than water. ¡®But that can¡¯t be true.¡¯ In the first place, Dietrich had no memory of liking people born under the shadow of Lagrange, including his father, Derek. It wasn¡¯t unusual for siblings who were on the same boat coming from the same family to point knives at each other from time to time. He hated Derek terribly, and Yuric was a comfortable subordinate but not a cherished brother. He even disliked Maslow and Riesling, when he usually didn¡¯t care, who used their young age to their advantage so that Anissa would side with them. ¡®I¡¯ll look for an opportunity and kick them out.¡¯ In the first place, Anissa was the reason why he had to go to the capital and went through all that hardship ¨C the endurance of not destroying everything ¨C and lifted the curse of all his siblings. ¡°Answer.¡± Dietrich glanced at Anissa¡¯s small lips, opening and closing, repeating its useless movement. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to answer, leave.¡± Talking to her made his anger flare up from time to time, but he couldn¡¯t show his anger at his will so he felt suffocated. When he loses it in anger, not even a platoon would be able to stop him. The reason why Yuric believes in his patience and always kept his line without forgetting it was simple. Because Yuric knew how he expresses his anger on the battlefield. It was obvious that she firmly believed he was a completely different kind of person than Derek Lagrange, so he could not dare to show her such violence. Anissa, unaware of such feelings inside him, was looking at him with round eyes. As if they didn¡¯t know anything, those eyes were pure and clear so the light gathers like the ripples of a river. ¡°I¡¯m not angry anymore.¡± He couldn¡¯t count the number of times she had witnessed him rising in anger with those eyes, however, there was never in history did Anissa truly see him being angry. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°I¡­I also don¡¯t know.¡± The best answer to give was a lie. Anissa struggled to cover her reddish cheeks as she washed her face dry with her hands. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ve always been angry at me. I wonder if it''s an extension of your disappointment? There have been many times I¡¯ve ignored your words as the head of the house.¡± Even as she said it, her voice started trembling as if she found her words ridiculous. Dietrich smirked. ¡°Are you going to explain my anger, which makes me want to select who among from the list of the men who danced with you, should be decapitated with his head displayed by the castle walls, in such a way?¡± Ah. He sighed silently. He was just so dumbfounded earlier that the couldn¡¯t hold back and exposed his cruelty. Her eyes widened in surprise and she closed her mouth tightly. ¡°All right.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s how you say it is, then that¡¯s how it is.¡± Since she thought he was a kind person, then he would be. And since she believed that he was rational, then he wouldn¡¯t lose his control. It was still bearable. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Dietrich didn¡¯t force me to open my mouth which was as tight as a clam. I had prepared about thirty excuses to misrepresent his feelings if he insisted, but when he calmly admitted it, I had nothing to say. In the end, I returned to my room without saying a single word I had prepared. ¡®Will this really be all right?¡¯ If it was just an illusion that could be easily covered up like this, then wouldn¡¯t they just be half-baked feelings? I was the one who wanted it to be such a trivial emotion and a light illusion, but what was this disappointment that felt chilly? ¡®Let¡¯s stop thinking.¡¯ I had a lot of other things to worry about. There was nothing more important than safety and survival. I slept in order to forget reality, but when I opened my eyes in the morning, a different kind of reality unfolded immediately. I counted the number of letters in colorful stationeries with rich scented perfumed applied to it that different young lords had sent. When put together, it looked like a bouquet made of paper. ¡°I don¡¯t think only letters came.¡± I read the letters with my eyes, which all wrote similar things as if they all gathered together to write it ¨C that they couldn¡¯t sleep at night because they kept drawing up my smile ¨C and then stuffed them all into the furnace. There was no substance in the earnest letters that the young lords sent me, and I wasn¡¯t free enough to be excited about these things. Lancel sadly looked at the burning pile of letters and answered. ¡°Yes. There were several families who wanted to formally discuss marriage.¡± ¡°Which ones?¡± ¡°Devonshire, Rossiere, Morgan, Vincent, and Mondov.¡± ¡°Mondov?¡± I didn¡¯t remember talking to anyone from the Countdom of Mondov. No, in the first place, wasn¡¯t the Count¡¯s estate managed by his wife because the Count died of illness at an early age? ¡®They do have a son but he must still be young.¡¯ ¡°....It¡¯s a marriage proposal for young master Yuric. The madam is looking for remarriage.¡± I burst into laughter, finding Lancel¡¯s words ridiculous. When I told them I¡¯d select the families that had ownership of the Sentz river in their territory, it seemed that Countess Mondov was even seduced. ¡°All right, well. Age doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°All the envoys added that they would present the Sentz river to Lagrange as a token of their sincerity.¡± Would they lift and move the river attached to the ground? However, the right to use it would be enough. If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. ¡°Jewelry and luxuries were also brought in as gifts.¡± ¡°Keep it well and we¡¯ll use them to trade with Luzen.¡± ¡®It¡¯s done.¡¯ Even if the power of the demons supporting the Lagrange was gone, it was no longer a dream to lay a foundation on which we could stand. I stood up from my seat with a satisfied smile. ¡°Ah, and also.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Lancel hesitated and caught me as I was just leaving the room. He wavered as he mumbled that the letter might have been wrong, and put his hand into his arms. ¡°There was one more similar proposal that came. It wasn¡¯t officially delivered, but was addressed directly to you, my lady.¡± ¡°Huh? Directly?¡± ¡°....By the way, the origin is from the imperial family. I thought it was delivered mistakenly, so I was going to throw it away, but I thought I¡¯d show it to you first.¡± The letter that Lancel gave me certainly looked different from others. A sealed letter came along with a postcard resembling an invitation. ¡°The content is about the crown prince and Euclid¡¯s princess, wishing they could arrange a meeting before proceeding with their engagement.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shocked by his words, I ripped off the wax with the imperial seal. Snap. Rip. The sound of paper being torn to pieces resounded loudly in the quiet study. ¡°I don¡¯t know why the letter addressed to Euclid came to Lagrange without an envoy. And the recipient is definitely you, Princess.¡± "........" ¡°But is there anyone whom you could call the Princess of Euclid? The Duke is single, and he is definitely an only child. And I wouldn¡¯t dare call a child from a subsidiary family a Princess.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. A Princess doesn¡¯t exist in their family.¡± There wasn¡¯t any. There wasn¡¯t in the past, and it would be the same in the future. It was a place that didn¡¯t have one. How dare they. CH 128 I couldn¡¯t even laugh because of its farce. After tearing up the crumpled letter in my hands, I turned to Lancel, who faltered because he was startled by my actions. ¡°It¡¯s a letter that was mistakenly delivered here. There¡¯s no need to bother about it. It didn¡¯t come to Dietrich, did it?¡± ¡°Yes. This is all the marriage proposal that came to the mansion.¡± ¡°Then you don¡¯t need to report about what happened earlier.¡± At my request to hide it from Dietrich, Lancel had a puzzled look but he nodded his head. ¡°I will now take my leave.¡± I let out a sigh that I had been holding back once Lancel left. ¡®Are they already planning to unite Euclid and Valliere?¡¯ The empire would eventually fall into Euclid¡¯s hands, but the rose war hasn¡¯t ended yet and it was too early. Since Lagrange wasn¡¯t moving according to Euclid¡¯s taste, it seemed that they were planning to collude with the imperial family. After all, there was no way they wouldn¡¯t know that the Northern nobles were joining forces unlike before. ¡®Very well. It wasn¡¯t an unexpected direction.¡¯ But to think they would use me to join hands with Valliere. When was it when they abandoned a helpless baby simply because she had no abilities? I could only click my tongue because it was a waste to even say they were shameless. ¡°Really, who exactly is the villain here?¡± I kicked the shredded papers with my feet. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°You have a knack for talking nonsense in human language.¡± A letter written by Duke Euclid, who was called the sun of the empire, fluttered in the air in fragments. Viscount Sommer, who brought Euclid¡¯s letter himself, watched the scene in a daze and then opened his mouth in surprise. ¡°What kind of rudeness is this, Grand Duke!¡± Instead of answering him, Dietrich lowered his head and picked up his paperwork. In his insolent manner, as if he didn¡¯t even need to listen to him anymore, the Viscount reminded Dietrich that the Duke of Euclid was like his own son, with his veins popping on his neck. ¡°A person is t-talking right now. Are you ignoring me?¡± "............." ¡°It¡¯s already revealed that the Grand Duchy of Lagrange kidnapped Euclid¡¯s daughter. If you don¡¯t concede now, we¡¯ll have no choice but to take legal action!¡± Viscount Sommer was the cousin of Duchess Dona Euclid. Although it was a humble family, they were in-laws with the Duke. For that reason, Hermann, the Duke of Euclid, treated the Viscount with respect as an adult. Although his title was Grand Duke, when Dietrich, who looked young ignored him, the Viscount screamed. ¡°Grand Duke! Have you gone deaf?!¡± ¡°Oslo.¡± The Viscount continued to spew on finding his cousin¡¯s daughter who was his niece, but whether his face was going red or not in his outburst, Dietrich only attended to his paperwork and called for a knight on his side. A knight dressed in magenta armor stepped out in front of him. ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Remove that thing.¡± ¡°Command received.¡± The Viscount, who was treated as an object right in front of him, became startled and hid behind a Euclid knight he had brought in with his eyes wide. ¡°A-at least let me see her! Is she not my niece? I¡¯m that child¡¯s family!¡± It was the former Duke of Euclid who paid off the enormous gambling debt that the Viscount made when he was young. In addition, he couldn¡¯t help but come forward as a brother to poor Dona, who shed tears, saying that her daughter who was lost as a baby, was raised in the hands of the vicious Lagrange. After the Viscount tried to pluck up his courage, Dietrich finally stood up from his seat. He walked towards the Viscount whose eyes were shining thinking they would finally have a good talk. ¡°Family?¡± The young Grand Duke, who smiled wryly, was truly a devilishly handsome man. ¡°That is¡­right. I am the Duchess¡¯ cousin, so I¡¯m a relative of Princess Anissa.¡± ¡°That blood which wouldn¡¯t mix even with a few drops no matter how much you wring out the corpse didn¡¯t seem that important when you threw it away.¡± ¡°What do you mean throw away! Didn¡¯t your mother kidnap the baby Princess?!¡± The Grand Duke Lagrange was a man who was exquisitely handsome as if painted with a brush, yet possessed the characteristics of a northerner including his large size. When he got closer, he was larger than him by a head, and his dark red eyes were filled with bloodlust that he automatically lowered his head. ¡°W-why are you coming closer? Sir Chiron!¡± Euclid¡¯s knight grabbed the sword to protect the threatened Viscount. The Viscount raised the corner of his lips as if thinking that it was a mistake for him to allow them to bring weapons inside the Grand Duke¡¯s office. ¡°Sir Chiron is an excellent knight who can compete with Hermann with a sword. I feel extremely assured!¡± ¡°If you come any closer, I have no choice but to raise my sword.¡± Dietrich chuckled at the triumphant words of the Viscount. ¡°Go ahead.¡± The knight frowned at his plain tone as if he was ignoring him. He was a warrior who held a sword all his life. Although it wasn¡¯t the shadow¡¯s ability, he had been experiencing the ability of the sun god all along, and he also prepared an artifact for the ability of the Grand Duke. ¡°I am not making a jest. I have already received permission from Her Majesty to rescue the princess, even by force.¡± ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m free enough to exchange jests with you? Put it up.¡± The knight, who disregarded Dietrich¡¯s unseemly permission, drew his sword in anger. No, he tried to pull it out. Bang! Dietrich¡¯s hand moved before the knight could pull the sword. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t see the movement with his eyes, but it was too fast for his body to react. ¡°The he-helmet!¡± It wasn¡¯t a hard helmet used on the battlefield, but still, the helmet made of iron was crushed at once. Bang, bang! The head of the knight, with his helmet on, was rammed into the wall and he dropped his sword. Clang. The well-hardened iron made a metallic sound. ¡°What are you doing, Grand Duke!¡± The terrified Viscount looked at Dietrich and Chiron alternately in astonishment. If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. ¡°You don¡¯t even know a knight¡¯s honor?!¡± If the opponent held a sword, it was right to deal with a sword. The North was no different. However, Dietrich kicked the knight in the face whose eyes had rolled as if he were an inferior mercenary. ¡°Heuk.¡± Dietrich removed the knight¡¯s helmet and grabbed his head with one hand. The hair that came through between the fingers drooped helplessly. ¡°If you can put it up, then do it. Your sword.¡± ¡°Aaak!¡± Dietrich picked up the knight¡¯s sword that fell to the ground and cut off his hand. The knight who dared to enter the Grand Duke¡¯s office and ran wild finally lost consciousness. He was still breathing, but even when he woke up again, he wouldn¡¯t be able to live as a knight. Dietrich flicked the severed hand at the Viscount. Blood instantly splattered on the clean floor. ¡°You brought it, so you take it with you.¡± ".........." The young Grand Duke didn¡¯t even particularly look angry. The well-groomed forehead remained the same, but the Viscount took a step backward in the face of his chilly gaze. ¡°It¡¯s not even in the middle of a b-battle and yet you¡¯re planning to cut my throat?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was going to kill you.¡± Didn¡¯t he also leave the knight¡¯s neck intact? If he had intended to kill him, he would have broken his neck at once, and considering the strength of his grip, it wasn¡¯t a difficult task. ¡°I¡¯m letting you live so go back.¡± ¡°...Why? Why aren¡¯t you killing us?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Dietrich asked back, crookedly tilting his head. That was because he had started thinking about whether he should let him live or kill him. He didn¡¯t have the same ability as Anissa, so it was impossible for him to read other people¡¯s minds. He tried to knit his brows and thought about it for a second, then quickly gave up. He was already struggling as it is because he couldn¡¯t even grasp the heart of the person he really wanted to find out, but knowing the Viscount¡¯s feelings was more meaningless than a dog passing by so there was no reason to find out. ¡°To think you treated Euclid¡¯s knight like this. Do you think if you let me live I won¡¯t report this right away to Her Majesty and the Duke?¡± If Euclid¡¯s Princess and the Crown Prince were to be married, the two families would now be completely merged. No, it would be the same even if Anissa didn¡¯t come back to the South. The throne was actually on the verge of being handed over to Euclid in the South, who was the real power of the empire. ¡°The next emperor might be the Duke of Euclid and not the Crown Prince. In that case, you won¡¯t just end up kidnapping a ducal princess, but an imperial family member.¡± The Viscount suppressed his fear and provoked the young Grand Duke by reminding him of this fact. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saving you.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Go back and cry your heart out. Even if you bring a hundred or thousands of knights, I will cut off their hands just like earlier and feed them to the dogs, and then I will sever their heads and hang them by the castle walls.¡± ¡°Wh-what did you say?¡± Why would I go that far? ¡°Because it¡¯s pissing me off just seeing those little bastards drooling, f*ck it.¡± Finishing his conversation with the Viscount on his own, Dietrich returned to his seat, reciting a low curse. The bewildered Viscount closed his eyes tightly and opened his mouth. ¡°Did you know that I¡¯m not simply asking for her back? He said that he would give all of Euclid¡¯s central territories on the condition of simply bringing back one princess!¡± Then, won¡¯t the food problem that the North was suffering from be resolved? The Viscount continued to wag his tongue at the cruelty and stupidity of the Grand Duke when he frowned as he realized something strange. If the Princess was simply a hostage to intimidate the Euclids, there would be no way that she wouldn¡¯t appear. ¡°That¡¯s not possible¡­.¡± Was it called a half-man, half-horse? They were the ones who sacrificed everything precious to become a Grand Duke and have nothing to fear. [1] Note: [1] Half-man, half-horse are the Centaurs, but the name didn¡¯t seem to fit from the mythology so I didn¡¯t use it. CH 129 The fact that time was running out hasn¡¯t changed, but the preparations went smoothly. ¡°Thank you for handing over the ownership of the Sentz river, even though it flows more than halfway through Devonshire.¡± When Devonshire, the second most prestigious family after Lagrange, gave up ownership of the river first as if to check other families, it was regarded as a signal for other families to wrap up the ownership of the river as if it were a gift. ¡®Because everyone doesn¡¯t want to be left out.¡¯ Well, I was aiming for that so I pretended I was looking to be engaged. Thanks to that, there were letters from young lords that poured in, but I stopped without even reading them. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you Countess.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s natural considering our friendship.¡± I took the Countess¡¯ hands in gratefulness with a twinkle in my eyes and she gracefully smiled and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m glad that the rest of the families followed your wishes, Princess.¡± ¡°I know. I had no idea that I would be able to make a deal with Luzen so quickly.¡± ¡°Oh my. Are you already in talks with Luzen?¡± At my words, her eyes widened in surprise. I smiled brightly and replied in a triumphant tone. ¡°I also didn¡¯t know, but it seemed that Veronica had already made a deal with their merchant. For now, I think we don¡¯t have to worry about food for this winter.¡± When I said that ¡®our sister was quite amazing, wasn¡¯t she¡¯ as if urging the Countess, she nodded her head in admiration. ¡°She¡¯s really amazing. I had heard that Lagrange was running for ownership of establishments, but Luzen is definitely a foreign country.¡± ¡°The P-Princess, too!¡± Peter Devonshire, who was quietly listening to the conversation without participating, suddenly raised his voice. ¡°Pardon?¡± I felt pity seeing his clenched fist on top of the table, and his face which was red up to his ears. ¡®What is he trying to say for him to be that nervous?¡¯ I met eyes with him and smiled gently. ¡°Please speak, Sir.¡± ¡°.....You¡¯re amazing too, Princess. Isn¡¯t it the Princess who came up with the plan to trade with Luzen instead of the South?¡± ¡°Thank you for saying that.¡± I closed my eyes prettily in gratitude. He couldn¡¯t even look at me for a long time and only trained his eyes on the floor, then he nodded his head and hardened his chin. ¡®I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be cold if I¡¯m by his side even in the middle of winter.¡¯ He was so red from head to foot that I could feel the heat. Even without Eredia¡¯s ability, I was even embarrassed at the transparent emotions that I could see clearly. ¡®I have never received such an intense crush.¡¯ ¡°Uhm, here.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Peter swallowed, and gave me a small box wrapped in velvet. Anyone could tell that it was a box with a jewel in it, but I tilted my head as if I didn¡¯t know. ¡®It¡¯s kind of burdensome to receive things like this.¡¯ But I couldn¡¯t possibly refuse when he¡¯s beside the Countess. Even though he would have probably already heard from the Countess that I had no intentions of truly getting engaged, still, Peter sat there with his mother every time I met her. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. I was walking through the market and suddenly thought of the Princess. I thought it would suit you.¡± ¡°Ha? The only thing you think about when you walk is the Princess.¡± ¡°Mother!¡± The Countess snorted at the excuse Peter mumbled as if it was ridiculous. ¡°Please understand, Princess. He¡¯s my son but he¡¯s quite a simpleton. But still, I believe he¡¯ll be a sweet husband like his father.¡± I grinned at the words of the Countess, who seemed to laugh at Peter¡¯s behavior but surreptitiously suggested him to me. ¡°What are you doing? If you bought the necklace then you should place it on her neck.¡± ¡°Will that be fine?¡± The Countess tapped the case with her fan and told off Peter. I nodded my head, feeling sorry for him for always being scolded by her. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty necklace. Thank you.¡± They were not empty words, I meant them. A necklace made of small but finely crafted heart-shaped rubies looked quite expensive at first glance. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it.¡± Hic. After taking a tense breath, Peter reached out to my neck with trembling hands. ¡°.....Princess, I think it¡¯s going to get stuck in your hair.¡± I turned my back so Peter could hang the necklace on my neck but at his words, I lifted my head. ¡®Uhm?¡¯ Then, from afar, a tall and handsome shadow could be seen. It was Dietrich who came to me with straightforward steps. ¡®I think he¡¯s been around every time I meet with the Countess?¡¯ The Countess, who found him first before me, stood up and greeted him. ¡°I greet His Grace, the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°All right.¡± ¡°I greet His Grace, the Grand Duke. I am Peter Devonshire. I am the eldest son of Count Devonshire.¡± I didn''t know what took Peter so long to put a single necklace on me, but even now, he still wasn¡¯t able to hang the necklace around my neck. He bent over, resting his hands awkwardly on my neck. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Dietrich knitted his handsome forehead and asked. I hurriedly excused Peter¡¯s behavior at the sign of displeasure on his face. ¡°Milord has given me a necklace as a gift so he was just about to put it on me.¡± ¡°To you?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Why?¡± What did he mean why? He had a special affection for me so he must be doing it to look good, that¡¯s why. But I couldn¡¯t just say that suddenly so I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°I thought it would look good on the Princess. Even though I knew it was rude, I dared to present it without asking.¡± ¡°Exactly. So why?¡± I glanced at Peter, who tactlessly answered Dietrich¡¯s interrogation. ¡®Just don¡¯t answer, please.¡¯ ¡°.......I heard that the Princess was looking for a fiance. Although she hadn¡¯t made her debut, she is already at the age to get engaged.¡± Earlier, he was embarrassed as if the whole world¡¯s shame was riding on his shoulders alone, but why did that suddenly disappear as soon as Dietrich came? ¡°Ha.¡± Dietrich chuckled at Peter¡¯s answer. Of course, it didn¡¯t reach his chilly gaze. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°I may not be to your satisfaction, but I also plan to assume my title soon, Your Grace. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be lacking in terms of conditions compared to other young lords.¡± ¡°Engagement, you say.¡± Dietrich murmured lowly while skimming his chin. ¡°Yes. Of course, I know of the ban on marriage that you passed down, Your Grace. So I can wait until any time.¡± The more Peter opened his mouth, the darker Dietrich¡¯s aura went. ¡®It¡¯s not even in the middle of a battle, so what¡¯s wrong with him?¡¯ It was so thick, similar to when he was confronting Hermann, that it made me feel suffocated. ¡°The Princess is still young, and I planned to propose to her formally after I succeed the title.¡± ¡®Close your mouth!¡¯ Even though he was a knight, Peter seemed not to notice the bloodlust Dietrich was emitting and kept on talking with a serious face. Dietrich still had that picturesque smile. He looked at me with indifferent eyes, creating a gap with the image of his lips which were curved upwards. ¡°Well, what do you think?¡± ¡°Eh? Me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡®Come to think of it, I never explained about the engagement.¡¯ The air current flowing between us was awkward so I always tried to avoid being next to him thus I had no opportunity to speak to him about it. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. ¡®Of course, he knew about the strategy of buying food from Luzen using the Sentz River, so there was no way he wouldn¡¯t guess what was going on.¡¯ My eyes jumped from Dietrich, Peter, and the Countess. ¡°Anissa doesn¡¯t seem to agree to your plans, though. I wonder if it¡¯s a futile thing.¡± ¡°.....Of course, I¡¯m still thinking about it on my own.¡± Peter slowly answered Dietrich, clenching his fists. ¡°Oh my. It¡¯s quite late. We should be leaving now.¡± The Countess, who had instantly read the underlying atmosphere, smiled brightly and pulled her son. I hurriedly nodded to impart she did well. ¡°Yes, of course, Countess. Do come again next time.¡± ¡°Thank you for inviting us today.¡± At the urging of the Countess, Peter retreated after kissing the back of my hand. ¡°I¡¯ll see you again, Princess.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you for the necklace, Sir.¡± After seeing off the mother and son who were leaving quickly, I came back to Dietrich who was glaring at me as if he was stuck in his place. The strange smile from earlier had disappeared without a trace replaced by an impassive face. He picked up the rumpled necklace and beckoned me with his chin. ¡°Come here. I¡¯ll do it.¡± I sat down on a chair without answering when he told me he would place it on me while grinding his teeth. He leaned over and stretched his arms in front of me. Unlike Peter, his hands didn¡¯t tremble, nor was he at a loss because he couldn¡¯t find the lock, that I wanted to ask where and whose necklace did you put on so much? Click. I was about to turn my body at the sound of the chain locking, but he started to skim over the necklace from behind. Because the string of the necklace was short, it fell just below the collarbone so his long fingers ran across the bone. ¡°I¡¯m not a person who lacks patience.¡± A low voice echoed in my ears as I shuddered in surprise. A sigh filled with heat followed. ¡°There¡¯s too much to endure these days.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I think you should practice caution.¡± Uh, huh. Not knowing what I should be cautious about, I hastily nodded my head. CH 130 ¡°Haa.¡± I calmed my breath, focusing on the sharp blade cutting through the air. It may look like a child¡¯s prank in Dietrich¡¯s eyes, but if I didn¡¯t hold on to it, he would soon forget about it. I moved according to the steps I had learned from Liatris, slicing up the air with the wooden sword I borrowed ¨C stole ¨C from the wooden warehouse. ¡®Uhm?¡¯ It was midnight because I couldn¡¯t sleep and kept tossing around, but I felt a presence behind me. I loosened my strength, pretending not to be vigilant. ¡°Ack!¡± Waiting for him to come close, I grabbed his hand and twisted it, then kicked him on his knee, and the tall man fell down. ¡°.....Damon?¡± The blue and silver hair shining in the moonlight was familiar. I looked down at him with a bewildered gaze, as he sat down with a cry of pain, covering his most important parts with his two hands. ¡°What brings you here this late at night, Marquis?¡± ¡°Ugh, ughh.¡± I felt sorry looking at his face which looked like it would cry any time soon. My eyes widened seeing Damon, who was always either cynical or blunt, be in so much pain that tears welled up. ¡°Did it hurt that much? Even though I kicked you gently?¡± In the first place, my motive was to check who it was and to be wary, so I hadn¡¯t kicked with all my might. ¡®I didn¡¯t know that the self-defense techniques that Liatris taught me would be so effective.¡¯ It¡¯s a technique that even made the magician who owned a tower froth in the mouth, so if I put all my strength into it, would I be able to make Dietrich cry? ¡°Do you have, ugh, some kind of, urk, grudge against me or something?¡± Damon glared at me who was smirking with scary thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought you were an assassin coming late at night. You should have contacted me beforehand.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell that it¡¯s me just by aura?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired so I don¡¯t always use my abilities. I really didn¡¯t know.¡± I supported Damon who was sitting on the floor. Embarrassed about making a fit due to pain, he covered his red face with one hand. ¡°....I¡¯m sorry for not informing you of my visit beforehand. I just had to meet with you secretly for a matter.¡± ¡°What matter is that?¡± ¡°My other student said that he really wanted to meet you.¡± Damon¡¯s other student must be no other than Hermann. ¡®The aura that I feel over there must be Hermann, then.¡¯ I hummed and turned my head towards the bushes which were swaying on their own without the wind. ¡®Did Damon use warp?¡¯ Should I say that the security in Lagrange castle was lax, or was it because Hermann was the protagonist who was outstanding at martial arts that he didn¡¯t get caught? I narrowed my eyes at the dark pink hair that bloomed like a cockscomb petal. ¡°I think you took the wrong way.¡± Not expecting that I would find him first, he scratched his chin with a sullen face. I looked alternately between Hermann and Damon, knitting my eyebrows in displeasure. ¡°Marquis, what is the meaning of this? You brought the Duke of Euclid to Lagrange?¡± Didn¡¯t magic tower and Faber have no intentions to interfere with the rose war between the South and the North? ¡°My student, whom I had known since he was a child, cried and begged me, and I couldn¡¯t help it because it¡¯s my duty as a teacher. If the Princess doesn¡¯t like it, I will take responsibility and take him back.¡± ¡°When d-did I! I cried?¡± ¡°Your back was wet with sweat while your chest was wet with tears, if I remember, Duke.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true! It¡¯s a misunderstanding, Princess! I didn¡¯t cry like a child!¡± Hermann squawked in astonishment at Damon¡¯s serious request. ¡®I don¡¯t really care whether he cried or not so what¡¯s wrong with him.¡¯ As I shrugged my shoulders with a sour face, Hermann¡¯s fingers flinched. ¡°Have you been¡­well?¡± He trailed at his words as if deciding whether to use formal speech or not with me. ¡°Yes. As you can see, I am leading a very comfortable life.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± ¡°Why have you come? You had already proceeded with marriage talks without asking the consent of the person involved, and now are you thinking of dragging her out by force this time?¡± ¡®Should I scream and call for security?¡¯ But since Damon was here, he probably won¡¯t do anything to me. At my fierce response, Herman quickly waved his hands. ¡°I won¡¯t do such an absurd thing. I have no intention of forcing you. I have no idea of it since the imperial family did it on their own.¡± I nodded my head with an expressionless face at his excuse. ¡°I know it¡¯s rude, but I have something to say to you so I had no choice but to pester my teacher about it.¡± ¡°Speak.¡± I doubted what he wanted to say was important enough to risk sneaking into a Duke¡¯s castle, but I answered by extending my hand at Hermann to stop him from coming close to me. ¡°Do it from there.¡± ¡°I mean no harm to you, I mean, Princess. Why won¡¯t you believe me?¡± Hermann bit his lips as if he was being wrongly accused. His aura was blue with sadness. ¡°I believe you. Even so, don¡¯t come close.¡± I knew he had no hostile intentions, but I also knew very well that he wanted to ¡®get his sister back¡¯ from the villains, so I couldn¡¯t help but feel hurt. ¡®Well, he doesn¡¯t have the temperament to drag me back.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m here to ask you to come back to Euclid.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t go back. Why don¡¯t you take my corpse back when I¡¯m dead?¡± The more I take after Dietrich, the rougher I spoke. Damon raised his eyebrow as if he wanted to teach me a lady¡¯s virtue right away. ¡°....Mother regretted that she wasn¡¯t able to persuade you. It must be heartbreaking for a mother to lose her child.¡± I snorted at Hermann¡¯s words. I wasn¡¯t sneering, but his naive faith was comical that it made me laugh out loud. ¡°You said you believe my words, so why are you laughing?¡± Misunderstanding my laughter, his polite face distorted. ¡°Although I don¡¯t have the power of the sun god, she must be regretting because she realized too late that I have the power of Eredia.¡± Words that were colder than the cool night air that touched my cheek came out. A white breath spread through the air. ¡°Ah, why did I throw her away? If I had known she had such an ability, I wouldn¡¯t have done that. What a waste. She must be feeling that way.¡± I didn¡¯t particularly resent Dona, but I was annoyed that there was not a single parent who was proper in this country. ¡®It isn¡¯t much different from my previous life, but at least I wasn¡¯t thrown away.¡¯ Hermann raised his almond eyes as if that wasn¡¯t true. ¡°Does it matter between a parent and a child whether the child has an ability or not?¡± ¡°Of course, it matters. At least in Euclid and Lagrange.¡± ¡°Euclid is different from Lagrange. There has never been a history in Euclid where weak people were thrown to be a demon¡¯s prey!¡± Hermann¡¯s voice grew louder at the injustice. I shrugged as if not knowing why he was agitated. ¡°Is that so? In your eyes, Duke, are your parents kind enough to help children who wouldn¡¯t be of service to your family?¡± "............." ¡°Are you really the only son of the former Grand Duke?¡± Hermann couldn¡¯t quickly answer my calm question. Because he was someone who wasn¡¯t good at lying. Dona Euclid wasn¡¯t the first wife of the former Grand Duke and there was no way that Hermann, who was now the Duke, wouldn¡¯t know the inside story. ¡°What about your half-sibling, who couldn¡¯t inherit the brilliant name of Euclid and instead received the name of a subsidiary family, for the reason that they had weak abilities?¡± His lips twitched and he did his best to make excuses. ¡°Th-that¡¯s because my father¡¯s cousin was childless for a long time and they were worried about the family¡¯s successor so it couldn¡¯t be helped.¡± Making use of the beauty of his sons and daughters who didn¡¯t have any abilities, Euclid either married them to other families as if he was selling them or sent them to a subsidiary family. For the reason that there should be no weak person born into the Euclid family who was loved by the sun god. In this way, they firmly held and maintained their position as the center of the South. He wasn¡¯t in a position to criticize Lagrange for selling their children to the demons in exchange for maintaining their power. ¡°I¡¯m not saying there¡¯s no problem with my family. It¡¯s definitely peculiar. I think that morality has lost its meaning because the entirety of the aristocratic society relies on the powers of the gods.¡± I lowered the corners of my mouth that sneered at Hermann¡¯s calm attitude of acknowledgment of the problems of the South. ¡°There are times when I think that my power is a curse and not a blessing from the sun god.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t even protect my one and only sister. It¡¯s ridiculous how incompetent I am for being a God¡¯s representative.¡± I was momentarily speechless at his skepticism. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. ¡®He¡¯s already thinking like that?¡¯ It was only after Dietrich was sealed that Hermann realized that the empire was deformed and started to correct society. ¡®Was this when he started to be disgusted with the empire?¡¯ Then I thought, maybe it wasn¡¯t impossible to convince him so I approached Hermann who stood still. When I placed my hand on his broad shoulder, his eyes opened wide. ¡°You don¡¯t have to blame yourself. Just as Euclid is not as flawless as it appears, Lagrange is also a different place than you think.¡± ¡°Even so, I have no thoughts of giving you up.¡± I had meant to change his mind about Lagrange through gentle coercion, but Hermann cut off my words adamantly. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to know about the power of the demons, Princess.¡± ¡°I know more than you.¡± I even destroyed the evil god Asmodeus myself, so how could I not know? But Hermann continued with a hard look on his face. ¡°If you know, you wouldn¡¯t insist on staying in Lagrange. Do you want to die at the hands of those whom you call family?¡± CH 131 I frowned at Hermann¡¯s preposterous remark. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°The Grand Duke cherishes you. I saw his care for you in the temple.¡± ¡°You know that and yet you¡¯re talking nonsense? Who will kill who?¡± ¡°No matter how much the Grand Duke cherishes you right now, he won¡¯t be human for long, so what does it matter?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen.¡± Asmodeus, who had toyed with Lagrange had already disappeared and the curse had already lost its powers. If Dietrich used his abilities too much, he could be eaten by the shadows, that¡¯s why I doggedly searched for the holy relics. ¡°It¡¯s all right if you deal with the shadows through the relics. It would be easier to solve if you agreed to a non-aggression treaty.¡± How nice would it be if we could leave the ceasefire and end the war altogether? I was seduced by the benefits of ending the hostility and thought it was a good opportunity. Hermann, who had been listening quietly to my opinion, pressed his fingertips against his wrinkled forehead. ¡°......You really don¡¯t know anything, Princess. A contract with a demon isn¡¯t something that can be broken by Eredia¡¯s powers. Even if the evil god disappeared, the contract is left intact.¡± Hermann hesitated as if feeling regretful for the hope that I had and continued. ¡°Once the soul has been tainted, there¡¯s no turning back. Especially those who have contracts with various demons like the Grand Duke.¡± I knew Hermann wasn¡¯t lying, but I didn¡¯t believe his words. What did a Duke from the South know about the demons of the North? ¡°How do you know about that?¡± ¡°A long time ago, there were people who used shadow abilities even in the South.¡± I bit my lips in astonishment at Hermann¡¯s words. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Weren¡¯t children who could deal with demons only born in the North due to Asmodeus¡¯ blood flowing in them? ¡°Have you ever wondered why a tragedy that can¡¯t happen in the South only happened in the North?¡± It was something that I had always wondered about. However, I couldn¡¯t believe that the question came from Hermann¡¯s lips, so my jaw dropped. ¡°Humans didn¡¯t want the empire to be infested with demons, and the demons only needed souls to fill their stomachs.¡± ".........." ¡°So they promised to hand over the North as the demon¡¯s prey. It¡¯s a part of history that exists as a record.¡± I had made my guess, but when it became clear, I couldn¡¯t breathe. I was shocked at Hermann¡¯s neat face that I pushed him away with my two hands. ¡°You know that history, and yet you have the audacity to dismiss Lagrange as evil?¡± He replied without any sign of resentment even though he had stumbled backward. ¡°It¡¯s regrettable but I have no choice. Even if it¡¯s an evil that was created, evil is still evil. It¡¯s my calling to stop the demons from spilling out of the North with greater power in their hands.¡± Hermann¡¯s pretty face looked very sad. I was even more speechless because he truly felt that this situation was regrettable. ¡®That¡¯s why he just sealed him but didn¡¯t kill him?¡¯ Because he pitied Dietrich? Even though he was a righteous protagonist, it was questionable why he didn¡¯t completely punish the villain. So there was a reason like this? After all, if Dietrich dies, a new contractor for the demon would have just appeared, so sealing him was for the best. ¡®What does it mean to not remain as a human?¡¯ Perhaps, he¡¯s talking about how he¡¯d end up like Derek? I was terrified, but I silently gritted my teeth and clenched my fists. ¡°.......Even so, I will never go back to Euclid.¡± ¡°Do you believe my words when I say it¡¯s dangerous?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care even if it¡¯s dangerous. If Dietrich will really become a monster, then all the more that I can¡¯t leave him alone.¡± Hermann¡¯s mouth dropped open at my answer. His eyes opened wide in disbelief and he grabbed Damon by his arm who was standing next to him. If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. ¡°Please check again. Are you sure there isn¡¯t some kind of magic on my sister?¡± ¡°There is none. The Grand Duke has no such ability.¡± At Damon¡¯s assertion, he frowned heavily. ¡°I didn¡¯t know your heart feel for him this much. Have you become the Duke¡¯s lover?¡± ¡°What do you mean lover! It¡¯s not like that!¡± I was already awkward with Dietrich as it was and now he¡¯s even saying some weird things. ¡°.....I know someone who has terminated a contract with a demon. There¡¯s only one person in history.¡± ¡°And who is that?¡± He had concluded earlier that there was no way of turning back, but now he¡¯s speaking in a different tone, yet I had no choice but to listen to his tempting words. ¡°If you care so much about the Grand Duke, then I¡¯ll help you. But I have a condition.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Come back to Euclid.¡± I opened my mouth to refute Hermann¡¯s words, but he continued faster than I did. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to stay forever. Just enough to be able to confirm that you haven¡¯t been deceived by the Grand Duke for you to have such a heart.¡± ".............." ¡°I may be someone who has no qualifications to be your brother, but my heart is sincere in wishing you happiness.¡± Hermann¡¯s aura didn¡¯t waver. It meant that as always, there was no lie mixed in his words. ¡°The truce will be over soon. When the war starts, I¡¯ll send someone to take advantage of the opportunity.¡± "........." ¡°Make up your decision by then.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Please call Baal.¡± If someone, who had been avoiding my face suddenly came to ask me to summon the demon, I would have asked for the reason, but Dietrich called Baal without saying anything. I grabbed the demon¡¯s collar, who was wriggling out of his shadow. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Princess.¡± ¡°Follow me.¡± ¡°Are you welcoming me so vehemently because it¡¯s been so long?¡± I dragged Baal out of the office because I couldn¡¯t ask him in front of Dietrich. ¡°......What on earth is this situation?¡± I opened my mouth only after tightly tying up the pitiful demon, who had trotted along while complaining, with the roots of the purification tree. ¡°Baal. You said that demons can¡¯t die outside of the demon realm, is that right?¡± ¡°Why are you asking that again?¡± ¡°Answer me. It¡¯s an important question.¡± ¡°Yes. It will take a long time to come back after losing power, but a demon¡¯s demise is different from a human¡¯s death.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s good.¡± I held my hands together in relief. ¡°Dipacio!¡± ¡°Aaak!¡± ¡®Turn white, turn white!¡¯ I harbored a strong will to gather the malice and purify Baal¡¯s dark aura. ¡°Puripio!¡± ¡°Aaak!!!!¡± The roots flashed as if they were struck by lightning and Baal¡¯s body began to smell like grilled meat. ¡°Ah, save the demon! Save me!¡± ¡®Does this spell also work?¡¯ I mumbled the purification spell I had memorized and tightened the grip around Baal. ¡°Hiiik! Hiiik! It hurts! It hurts, Princess!!!¡± Perhaps because Baal had stayed in the demon realm for a long time, his human form had disappeared and he had no eyes. Tears were flowing from the corners of his eyes even though he had none. ¡°I mean, ugh! Derek Lagrange didn¡¯t even do this kind of cruel torture!¡± I briefly stopped my ability at Baal¡¯s sorrowful cry. ¡®No matter how much it hurts, did he have to compare it to Derek?¡¯ ¡°Ugh, heuk. You¡¯re not even a Lagrange, Princess! Oh my goodness, the demon is dying! Hic, hic!¡± ¡°.......Sorry.¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly like this?!¡± It hurt my heart to watch Baal, who took care of me like a nanny, suffer. But I bit my lips and used my ability again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but please die, Baal.¡± ¡°Aak! Why? Why on earth are you being like this?!¡± Baal began to cry as if he was experiencing injustice. ¡°It hurts? Then go back to the demon realm and never come back for the rest of your life and I will stop.¡± I lowered my hand, my heart weakening. Even though his namesake was the demon king, Baal was gasping for breath. ¡°What do you mean go back? What are you saying?¡± ¡°You said that demons only go back to the demon realm when they¡¯re destroyed and only lose their power. Then, can¡¯t you just go back?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible. Who would eat His Majesty¡¯s soul then? Amon and Zagan will probably take it?¡± I squeezed my clenched fist at Baal¡¯s impudent answer. ¡°What do you mean eat?! Why would you eat that?!¡± No matter how close we were, as expected, a demon was a demon. After all, he¡¯s only helping Dietrich because he coveted his soul. I grabbed Baal¡¯s collar in a fit of rage. ¡°I know that you look at me and smack your lips as if you¡¯d like to eat me whenever you had free time! Because of you, Dietrich is going to become a monster!¡± ¡°Hic. How did you know that?¡± Baal could not have known that Dietrich would lose his humanity because of him. I rushed again at Baal, who was trembling in surprise. ¡°How I knew that?! Dipacio!¡± ¡®You hid it on purpose, you demon bastard!¡¯ ¡°Aaak! Ack! W-wait!¡± Baal reached out to me as his aura was burning brightly. But when I didn¡¯t stop, the demon started screaming with veins popping out of his neck. ¡°If I disappear now, His Majesty will also die!¡± ¡°What? Don¡¯t lie to me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. His Majesty is my contractor after all. The moment the contract with the demon end is when the human dies. If they forcefully terminate the contract by their disappearance, then the human will die too!¡± ¡°......Then, doesn¡¯t that mean there really is no way?¡± CH 132 I¡¯ve heard and knew of the myth that if you borrow too much of the demonic powers, your soul would wear down ¨C that was also the reason why I doubted Dietrich when he came back from the battlefield ¨C but as far as I knew, he had remained unchanged. An indifferent but kind child. He¡¯s insensitive to his own wounds, but he hated it when I get hurt. Such a delicate and warm affection could not belong to the demon. And so, I let my guard down. Even though I knew that Veronica and Yuric¡¯s demons belonged to Dietrich and that the contractor was only one person, thus he had to pay the price alone. ¡®Why did I think that Dietrich would be fine?¡¯ The reason was simple ¨C because it wasn¡¯t in the original. Just dealing with the crisis that was just around the corner was too much for me that I didn¡¯t think about it too deeply. In the end, there was no need to blame Baal for not giving me a warning in advance. I sat down, letting go of his collar which I had gripped with all my might. ¡°.....Princess?¡± The demon called me with a worried voice. Was he pretending to care for me now? I was dumbfounded that I raised my eyes that were welling up with tears. ¡°I heard that there was a demon who had terminated the contract?¡± ¡°How did you find out about that, too?¡± ¡°Is there no way for you to cancel the contract with Dietrich?¡± ¡°.....I don¡¯t know the way.¡± When I narrowed my eyes and doubted the authenticity of his words, the demon made a face as if he was wrongfully accused and made a mouth to pout. ¡°I¡¯m not lying on the honor of my deceased and gone god.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even like Asmodeus!¡± One would never know when a dog who bit its previous owner¡¯s foot would bite theirs as well. I grumbled, completely forgetting that I had received Baal¡¯s help to defeat Asmodeus. ¡°I know who the demon was, but I don¡¯t know the human.¡± As if disappointed by my attitude, a depressed Baal started drawing on the floor with his finger. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Why should I tell the Princess when you¡¯re treating me so cruelly like this¨C¡± ¡°Dipacio!¡± ¡°Aaak! Ack! It¡¯s Vassago!¡± Baal immediately spewed out the truth when I recited the purification spell again without any hesitation. I raised one corner of my lips as I watched the demon foam at the mouth. ¡°Hmph. You should have told me earlier.¡± ¡°Heuk, ugh! The saying that you shouldn¡¯t collect and raise a pink-haired beast was right¡­.!¡± I released Baal who was muttering the same words Yuric had said before while shedding black tears. ¡®Why does everyone think they raised me?¡¯ It was Marilyn and myself who raised me. If I was hungry, I took care of it myself, and I even studied on my own! ¡°I should wake up Vassago. Thanks for letting me know.¡± Baal glared at me, who snorted and left him behind, as he kept saying ¡®oh god, oh god¡¯ and hit the ground with his hands, but I largely ignored him. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The cracked brooch looked like a shoddy item based on its outward appearance, but it was an item where Vassago was actually sealed. It was good to be able to take out Vassago from the vault in the study, but the problem was that it had been years since Vassago showed his face. ¡®Should I threaten him as I did before?¡¯ I immediately ran to the forest with purification trees and pressed the brooch as if I would break it, but it didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Why can¡¯t I feel any aura coming from it?¡± Did he disappear from inside the brooch? I started walking with the brooch in my hand, feeling terrified. Like the curses left by Asmodeus, objects that have been touched by a demon were bound to have a sharp aura like a scar. However, the bright red brooch didn¡¯t radiate any insidious energy, but only shone beautifully as it originally intended. I hurried to my room, picking up the stationery, wondering if Damon or Josef would know anything. [To Marquis Deus Please come as soon as you receive this letter. P.S. Can you bring Grandfather Josef along the way? -Anissa] ¡°Lancel, send this letter to Marquis Deus.¡± ¡°Understood, Princess.¡± I took a deep sigh and scrubbed my face with my hands after I left the letter to Lancel who kept on following me around instead of the Grand Duke Dietrich because he was thinking I was the real power behind Lagrange. I did everything I could, but I couldn¡¯t stand the anxiousness that I started biting my nails. Feeling my throat burning up, I took out all the books about the demons and started to rummage through them. After a few days of skipping meals and digging through books, the maid announced Damon¡¯s arrival apparently because the letter have finally reached him. ¡°My lady, Marquis Deus has arrived.¡± ¡°Yeah, bring him here.¡± The maid bowed politely at my words and retreated. Since the drawbridge has been raised after the war started, everyone entering the castle was being controlled. ¡®I think it¡¯s going to take a while for him to come here from the gate?¡¯ I did some rough calculations in my head and organized the stories related to the contract with the demons. Though most of them were stories that came down like legends and scary fairy tales made for children. ¡®Still, there might be some truth mixed into them even if it¡¯s like a needle in a haystack.¡¯ ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°Kyaa!¡± Kneeling under the bookshelf, I sprang up in a panic at the low voice I heard right next to me. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Damon apologized to me with an awkward face. I gritted my teeth, glaring at him fiercely who was scratching his chin. ¡°I told you not to use magic to come in!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too frustrating to wait for the maid. At least let down the bridge a little.¡± ¡°No. It means that no traders are allowed to enter.¡± Why on earth do people with abilities walk around without using the proper door? It seemed like they all had decided to make a person¡¯s heart drop to the floor. I narrowed my eyebrows as I thought of Dietrich who loved to use the windows instead of the doors. ¡°You¡¯re a bit late. It¡¯s been over a week since I sent you the letter.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an idle person as you think I am, Princess.¡± Damon chuckled at my complaint. I had never thought he was free. Just managing a marquisate would have taken more than a day, and he was also the owner of a magic tower as well as planning treason. ¡°Even so, you¡¯ve committed an offense against me, haven¡¯t you?¡± Damon shrugged his shoulder and shook his head. ¡°I had already apologized for letting Hermann run into you.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me in advance that Euclid is colluding with the imperial family of Valliere.¡± ¡°I also didn¡¯t know that. Hermann didn¡¯t know as well. It was an agreement between the former Duke and the Emperor.¡± My eyes sharpened at Damon¡¯s excuse and I stood up from my place. ¡°Don¡¯t you think Euclid is too much at an advantage? I¡¯m sure that would be against your purpose.¡± ¡°We also did not expect for the North to possess these many relics. Didn¡¯t the holy sword fall into the hands of the Grand Duke?¡± At any rate, he meant that he would somehow balance the South and North for his own benefit. All sorts of feelings of betrayal surged in me for a moment, but I gritted my teeth and held it in because I was thinking there was something to gain. ¡®From the start, I knew that he wasn¡¯t on Lagrange¡¯s side.¡¯ ¡°The words Hermann said, do you remember them?¡± ¡°Is your question about the Grand Duke? I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s my first time hearing about a human breaking the contract with a demon.¡± I clenched my fist at Damon¡¯s calm answer and squeezed out my voice. ¡°....What about Josef? Did you find Josef?¡± As soon as the ceasefire between Euclid and Lagrange took place, I tried to find Josef but the alchemist who went to Romendov forest disappeared as if by magic. ¡°I see you didn¡¯t find him.¡± ¡®Although I had asked Damon to bring him because I thought he would be able to find him since he has a lot of connections.¡¯ ¡°Princess, I¡¯m not your errand boy.¡± Damon replied with a stiff face. I didn¡¯t hide my disappointment that expressed what he came here for when he was of no help. ¡°Then why did you come here? Did you come here to warn me you¡¯re not an errand boy?¡± ¡°At any rate, I thought I should apologize to you face to face so I came here.¡± I extended my hand, dumbfounded since he didn¡¯t particularly look like he was sorry. Had he not heard that a true apology came from a money purse? ¡°......The Emperor handed over all the relics that the imperial family kept to Hermann in exchange for the marriage between Euclid¡¯s Princess and the Crown Princess. Isn¡¯t information more valuable than money?¡± They didn¡¯t even have a princess so how would they proceed with a marriage? I gave him a sidelong glance in irritation. ¡°Then, are there no more relics left?¡± It was a natural cause and effect since I had wasted one year after I acquired the holy sword. ¡°Yes. However, since the most important relic is the holy sword which is in the hands of the Grand Duke, it doesn¡¯t mean there is no chance of winning.¡± ¡°In other words, Lagrange is still at a disadvantage!¡± ¡°The imperial family and Euclid are very anxious. Even I myself did not expect that you would succeed in darkening Hera¡¯s sword, Princess.¡± I stomped on my feet, wanting to kick Damon¡¯s knees at his words that weren¡¯t the least bit comforting. ¡°Phew. You don¡¯t have anything good to say!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too angry. Instead, I brought you a person you¡¯ve been missing.¡± CH 133 Thump! Along with that sound, an old man who was struggling to carry a few large boxes was summoned in front of me. ¡°......Eh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Grandfather!¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± As I hugged Josef, he patted me on the back. Surprised by his sudden appearance, I straightened my rapid breathing. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you contacted me all this time?!¡± ¡®I thought you had died in the forest!¡¯ ¡°I see you must have been worried.¡± ¡°Of course! How can I not be worried when the letters you sent me here and there were suddenly cut off?¡± I scrutinized Josef¡¯s face who was gently ruffling my hair. The last time I saw him, he had been an old man, maybe that was why there didn¡¯t seem to be any changes that I saw. ¡°You¡¯ve really grown up a lot. I see you¡¯re a grown-up now. I¡¯m surprised you still remember me.¡± Josef continued with a bittersweet smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t help you. Derek Lagrange sent a demon to Romendov since he thought I would involve myself in the successor gate.¡± ¡°A demon?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Because of that, I was abandoned in the desert of another country and wandered for a long time.¡± My mouth dropped open in astonishment at Josef¡¯s words. I had something to ask him that¡¯s why I was looking for him, but still, the feelings of longing surged when I looked at the face I haven¡¯t seen for a long time. I grinned and looked back at Damon. ¡°I mean, if you have brought grandfather with you, you should have said something. I would have been less angry.¡± ¡°I was about to explain but you got angry first.¡± ¡°What are all these boxes?¡± ¡°I thought you might be wondering what a demon¡¯s contract is. This is all the data that I have.¡± Damon seemed to be keeping his own loyalty, so I scratched the back of my head in embarrassment. ¡°Hm, ahem.¡± Josef, who had been watching us, let out a dry cough. He glanced down at me, slightly shoving Damon by his shoulder. ¡°Anissa.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°How do you know the Marquis?¡± ¡°Uhm, well, through this and that. These days, we¡¯re helping each other.¡± Josef frowned his wrinkled eyes at my vague answer and looked at Damon reluctantly. ¡°Come to think of it, is Anissa your ideal type?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t make your own misunderstanding.¡± Damon narrowed his handsome forehead as if displeased. I shook my head at Josef, who seemed to have become dull. ¡°It¡¯s not like that, grandfather.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you don¡¯t know this punk. Do you know many women this punk had up until a few decades ago?¡± There wasn¡¯t one or two shocking elements in his statement, but I frowned at the most unbelievable words. ¡°A few decades?¡± ¡®How old is he exactly?¡¯ ¡°Do you not know the Marquis¡¯ age?¡± ¡°Please be quiet and move your luggage, Josef.¡± Damon pushed me away with one hand as my eyes twinkled in curiosity at Josef¡¯s words. He lifted a few heavy boxes full of books by himself and turned his back. ¡°If it¡¯s his age¨C¡± ¡°I asked you to move your luggage.¡± Damon ground his teeth uncharacteristically as he said those words and Josef bent his waist. I grumbled and pouted at his cold back. ¡°Grandfather, you should think about your age. It¡¯ll take the box, Marquis.¡± I said confidently and bent my waist, but the box was heavier than I thought that even when I tried it wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°Keough.¡± ¡®Are these rocks inside instead of books?¡¯ Damon, who stared at my pathetic act, shook his head and sighed. ¡°Just leave it there. I¡¯ll move it in a little while.¡± ¡°I can hold it!¡± I glanced at Damon¡¯s firm arms and bit my lips. Josef whispered in my ears at my pointless whimpering. ¡°Are you curious about that punk¡¯s age?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°He¡¯s the same age as me.¡± Gasp. ¡°What did you say?¡± Surprised at Josef¡¯s shocking confession, I looked at the knight who was holding the boxes as if they were light even though I couldn¡¯t move them no matter how much I tried. ¡®I thought he had just an extreme baby face!¡¯ I ran to Damon in shock and grabbed his arm to take away the box he was holding. ¡°Give me the box, Marquis!¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± He pushed me away, finding me ridiculous. No matter how much I¡¯ve already adjusted to the social status system, I was someone who knew how to respect their elders. I snatched the box from Damon and hugged it to myself while groaning. ¡°Elder, if you overdo it, your back will hurt!¡± ¡°..........¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I searched through the books from Damon¡¯s tower and Josef¡¯s laboratory, but I couldn¡¯t find the person who terminated the contract with the demon, let alone how to cancel the contract. ¡®Is there really no one aside from the person that Hermann knows? Really?¡¯ How could he know when the alchemist, who shut himself in his laboratory to do research, and the owner of the magic tower didn¡¯t know? ¡®Is this the main character buff?¡¯ I sat in the corner of the study, tearing my hair out with both hands in irritation. Baal, whom Dietrich had called after a long time and whined that he didn¡¯t want to return to the demon realm, stealthily crawled out from the shadow. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Go away. I¡¯m not in the mood to play with you.¡± At my sharp tone, the demon who put on a disappointed expression moved his body closer with a gentle gesture like flowing water. ¡°Are you still looking for a way to break His Majesty and my contract?¡± He squatted next to me and thumbed through the books I was reading. But then, he muttered strange words quietly. ¡°Come to think of it, His Majesty is quite unique.¡± ¡°What do you mean unique?¡± ¡°He signed a contract with me when he was very young. So normally, he should have gone crazy at this point.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± My eyes widened at Baal¡¯s words and grabbed the part where his collar should have been. He continued with a begrudging expression on his face. ¡°It¡¯s been over a decade since he signed the contract, and the people of Lagrange, who have Asmodeus¡¯ blood flowing in them, are easily affected.¡± ¡°What happens when you get affected?¡± There may have been several symptoms that Baal hasn¡¯t noticed. I was terrified and wiped my pale cheeks. ¡°There are many. You can¡¯t control your emotions, or when you see a person wearing a skirt, your eyes would roll back, something like that.¡± ¡°What do you mean to see something? Why would the eyes roll back?¡± I had never met a child as indifferent as Dietrich. So aside from the first symptom, the second one was strange. As I looked at him with a large frown on my face, Baal backpedaled and waved his hands as if making excuses. ¡°Did you forget what kind of demon Asmodeus was? He¡¯s the demon of lust.¡± "............" ¡°So even if such a symptom appears, it¡¯s not His Majesty¡¯s fault.¡± Baal whispered in a soft voice. ¡°Why are you that surprised? Do you know something?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± Dietrich wasn¡¯t the kind of person who approached women blindly. ¡®But you never know.¡¯ Although we spent more than ten years under the same roof, there were times when I thought that there were too many things we didn¡¯t know about each other. ¡®So I can¡¯t completely let my guard down.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t shown a fit of anger as ferocious as Derek did, but Dietrich was definitely more prone to anger these days than before. I shrugged my shoulders, completely forgetting that the incidents I had committed were enough to provoke his anger. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°My lady, you need to prepare to dress up.¡± Before I knew it, it was time to greet the winter by opening a banquet. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll come out now.¡± I tossed the reminder that Hermann sent ¨C although the content was sweet ¨C into the fireplace and went out of the room to get ready to dress up. ¡®If he finds out that I¡¯ve been exchanging letters with Hermann, he¡¯d be so terribly angry again.¡¯ Josef went with Damon to the tower and promised to look into it but both of them were skeptical. I couldn¡¯t even blindly look forward to the idea that a contract once made could be broken. Thus, I had no choice but to send a reply to Hermann to give me a little more time. ¡°Where¡¯s Madame Celine?¡± ¡°She¡¯s helping His Grace get dressed. She left your dress here, my lady.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Dietrich has to show his face at today¡¯s banquet.¡± It was common sense for the head of the family to show up even at a regular banquet, but Dietrich wasn¡¯t a common aristocrat who kept such common sense. However, the banquet that was meant to prepare for the long and dark winter of Lagrange was a large banquet that also served as a festival for the common people. ¡°I had asked for a dress with a similar feeling as last time. How is it?¡± ¡°It suits you better than before, my lady.¡± As Tally said, I smiled in satisfaction at the sight of an ¡®adult woman¡¯ in the mirror fluttering her luscious eyelashes. ¡°I guess I¡¯m a late bloomer.¡± I was a little upset that Rose had already caught up with my height, but this mature dress certainly suited me better than the last banquet. Although my body was slender, my bulging chest wasn¡¯t flat at least. Light blue silk flowed down the curve of my body, and pearl adorned the elegant mermaid line without being rustic. ¡°As expected of Madame Celine.¡± Vanessa, who was applying finely ground peal powder on my exposed collarbone, raised her voice when she heard my murmur. ¡°That¡¯s not true, it¡¯s as expected of you, my lady! It¡¯s because it¡¯s you that you¡¯re able to wear this dress elegantly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Do you know how difficult it is to create an innocent yet bewitching atmosphere?¡± I scratched my cheek at Tally¡¯s infallible response. ¡®There they go again.¡¯ I listened to their compliments in one ear and looked back at the door just in time for it to open. CH 134 ¡°Did you wait long? Sorry.¡± I hurried out of the dressing room at Veronica''s urging after finishing styling my light pink hair which looked silver under the light as the finishing touch. ¡°The others already went down.¡± ¡°Dietrich, too?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Sister, today¨C¡± Veronica, dressed in a woman¡¯s suit prepared by Madame Celine, unbuttoned her stuffy shirt and grinned. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°You look so cool.¡± I heard that the last dress I wore at the banquet had become popular, but what was explosively more popular than that was the dress suit that Veronica wore. The pants looked like a skirt since they were wide which makes them comfortable but also stylish. ¡®Though of course, it was even cooler because our sister was the one who wore it.¡¯ ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°But that guy is probably more popular than me.¡± Veronica, who entered the hall, gestured with her chin to the upper floor. It was then that I saw Dietrich three steps above the stairs holding a wine glass while standing at an angle. ¡°Well, Dietrich always looks good.¡± ¡°No, I think Madame Celine really put all her effort into this. After all, there¡¯s no way that he would give permission for her to dress him up.¡± I narrowed my eyes and observed him at her words. His fringe, which usually was down without anything applied to it, had been brushed up which showed his dazzling appearance. His full dress uniform was black and he also had dark hair that might look dull at first glance, but the splendor of his appearance was as bright as if a chandelier had been dropped on his face which offsets this. ¡°....I know right. He stands out more than Yuric today.¡± I looked around with one hand pressing on my strangely pounding chest. Dietrich¡¯s dry temperament was famous, but all the young ladies that entered the hall took a glance at him yet couldn¡¯t approach him. ¡®Is this my chance to confirm the second symptom that Baal mentioned?¡¯ I cleared my throat loud enough for the crowd of young ladies near us to hear. ¡°Dietrich isn¡¯t the type of person to easily reject a person who approaches him. Don¡¯t you know he¡¯s quite soft?¡± Veronica frowned at me wondering what I was saying. ¡°......Him?¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± ¡°Are you talking about Dietrich? Our family head? The Grand Duke of Lagrange?¡± ¡°Yes! Although he doesn¡¯t reply, he still reads the letters that young ladies sent!¡± Of course, that was a blatant lie. It was all trashed by Lancel ¨C it was obvious he¡¯d be angry if he saw them ¨C before he could even see the ends of the envelope let alone read them. Veronica smiled prettily as if she finally understood my meaning and nodded her head. ¡°Ahh, well. Something like that did happen.¡± Though there¡¯s always a singularity that¡¯s limited to someone. Veronica added in a whisper. However, the young ladies who didn¡¯t hear her whispered words seemed to gain courage as they clenched their fists and approached Dietrich. ¡°That lady is the daughter of Duke Luzen, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Yeah. Camilla Luzen. Isn¡¯t she pretty?¡± I nodded slightly at Veronica¡¯s question. She was definitely as glamorous as her name. There were no corners of her that were not pretty as she was beautiful from head to toe and her bashful demeanor seemed strangely provocative. I watched as the beautiful woman, whose beauty could not compare to either Veronica or me, approached Dietrich. ¡°With that beauty, wouldn¡¯t Dietrich also react to her?¡± Dietrich¡¯s strange obsession with me maybe because there weren¡¯t any women around. I looked at Camilla¡¯s back, trying to ignore the feeling of sinking little by little at that thought. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Why are you curious about that?¡± ¡°I heard something from Baal. He said Dietrich is too calm for a person with Asmodeus¡¯ blood.¡± ¡°Hmm. Is that so?¡± Veronica listened, rubbing her lips with her finger as if what I was saying was interesting. ¡°Yeah. Just look at Yuric.¡± As if to prove Baal¡¯s words, Yuric didn¡¯t even have time to say hello because he was too busy dancing with women every time he went to a banquet. ¡°Ah, he saw her. Just now.¡± Finally, Camilla Luzen was in front of Dietrich. Overwhelmed by her dazzling beauty and her title as a princess, the other young ladies stepped down as if paving her way. Soon, Camilla began to speak to Dietrich first, but his heavy lips didn¡¯t open nor did they even twitch. Veronica opened her mouth instead. ¡°He¡¯s not even answering. Look at that jerk.¡± His face was so stiff to the point that the other person was feeling uncomfortable. His slanted raised eyebrows could be seen from afar. ¡°I think he¡¯s getting annoyed?¡± ¡°Maybe Camilla is just not his type.¡± I muttered as if to excuse Dietrich¡¯s actions. As he turned away from Camilla ¨C a lady whose beauty rivaled Camilla¡¯s ¨C began to get close to him. ¡°Wow. That lady isn¡¯t even daunted.¡± He ignored her, who was thick enough to talk alone and frowned at the crowd that formed around him as if it was getting on his nerves. ¡°.......Anissa, I¡¯m betting with ten blois that he¡¯s going to leave now.¡± As Veronica said, he seemed to say something to the knight next to him and soon turned his back and left the hall. ¡°Baal had said it was strange. I guess that was true. Is Dietrich not affected by the contract?¡± There was a small hope that his soul might not be eaten but Veronica adamantly shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case. It¡¯s not that Yuric and I who signed the contract indirectly weren¡¯t affected as well.¡± Saying so, she raised her hand to greet a group of young lords and ladies. ¡°Who knows if I didn¡¯t sign a contract like the triplets.¡± People who mistakenly thought she had greeted them flushed furiously and turned their heads bashfully, both men and women alike. "..........." Marilyn had already tipped me about Veronica¡¯s shameful private life, but seeing it confirmed in front of my eyes made my face feel hot. She giggled at me who was being shy in her place and continued. ¡°But I think I know the reason why?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If you want to check, why don¡¯t you try it?¡± ¡°M-me?¡± When I asked her back, she bent her waist and whispered secretly like a devil in my ears. ¡°There was something that Madame Celine taught.¡± I stepped back, surprised at Veronica¡¯s words, and flushed furiously. ¡°How could I do that!¡± ¡°If someone hears you they might think it¡¯s something great. Anyone can drop things on purpose.¡± She shrugged her shoulders and gently smiled at the young lord who was hesitating to approach her. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Rill.¡± ¡°Ms. Veronica! Do you recognize me?¡± ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t easily forget a cute face like yours.¡± How could she say such flirtatious words so easily? I glared at her who was walking away with a young lord while winking at me. ¡®......Should I try it?¡¯ Some of the social tips that Madame Celine had taught me were techniques to catch the eyes of the young lords. The dress alone was enough to do it, so I didn¡¯t have a chance to use them. ¡®I have to find out whether the symptom that Baal mentioned has appeared.¡¯ Furthermore, I could also confirm whether the strange aura I saw in him at the last ball was my mistake or not. I nodded with a stiff face and pulled out a folding fan from the clutch. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. ¡°Where did Dietrich go?¡± ¡°He went out to the balcony.¡± I started walking, feeling relieved at the polite response of the knight. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like he had gone out like last time. Entering the balcony hidden in the corner guided by the knight, I turned my back and approached the shadow of the person who was standing against the wind. The balcony, which was a mixture of gray moonlight and flickering yellow lanterns, was not bright, but Dietrich¡¯s cool face was sufficiently distinguishable. ¡°What.¡± ¡°What are you doing here? How could the head leave his seat?¡± I shrugged my shoulders as if I had no purpose in finding him, facing the shadows on his sharp nose. Dietrich glanced down at me with a cold gaze. Even though I was dressed in a similar way as the last time, his aura was clear with no sign of interest. ¡®Did I really mistook it?¡¯ But why was I feeling upset? ¡°My head hurts because of the scent.¡± He frowned as he pressed his wrist on his temple. The cravat that was nicely tied earlier had been untied. ¡°Is it that stifling?¡± I grasped the tip of Dietrich¡¯s cravat with a haughty smile. When I tied it back neatly on top of his shirt, his heavy gaze touched my forehead. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± As my eyes widened at the colder impression he was radiating than when I entered, Dietrich slowly opened his mouth. The bright red tongue between his open lips strangely draw my attention and I faltered back. ¡®Maybe I¡¯m the one who''s affected by the demon?¡¯ ¡°......Where did you learn how to tie a cravat?¡± The tone of his voice was freezing but his question didn¡¯t have much meaning. I shrugged my shoulders saying it was natural that I would know. ¡®Why is he frowning so much when asking that one question?¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s common sense. Like how to tie a ribbon, or how to close a coat. Madame Monmatre told me.¡± ¡°Did that bastard tell you to tie a cravat?¡± CH 136 I was looking for something to say at Dietrich¡¯s warning, but I ended up with my mouth slightly ajar and averted my gaze. Fortunately, he let go of my hand as if he didn¡¯t want an answer. ¡®He¡¯s not angry again, is he?¡¯ Raising my head to check his expression, I found a strange pattern near his disheveled collar. ¡®Huh?¡¯ It¡¯s a sign I hadn¡¯t seen earlier. At first glance, it looked like a tattoo, but in the empire, tattoos were usually a branding for slaves. So Dietrich would never deliberately engrave such a complex tattoo on his body. ¡°Wait.¡± I grabbed his wrist after he nodded at me and turned his back. I didn¡¯t know what the tattoo meant, but I felt uneasy. Thump, thump. The dangerous ringing of my beating heart inside my ears sounded like a warning. ¡°What¡¯s that on your neck?¡± Seeing my face turn deathly white in an instant, he hurriedly tightened the cravat around his neck to cover the tattoo. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± His face was still expressionless, and his aura didn¡¯t waver at all, but I sensed that his statement was false. The moment I found the tattoo, my blood ran cold. ¡®It¡¯s definitely dangerous.¡¯ My face stiffened with an ominous foreboding and I left the hall holding Dietrich by his wrist. ¡°What.¡± ¡°Stop talking and follow me.¡± Dietrich kept his mouth shut at the words I spewed while grinding my teeth. It was a reversal of roles. I shoved him, who was meekly following me, to the nearest bedroom near the hall. People may find it strange that the Grand Duke and the Grand Princess suddenly left their places, but now was not the time to care about that. ¡°It¡¯s really nothing.¡± He uncharacteristically soothed me, who had a stiff and grim face. I grabbed the end of his cravat that covered his neck and pulled. ¡®I was sure it wasn¡¯t there when I tied it.¡¯ Then, it must be something that appears and automatically disappears, but such a tattoo was not an ordinary symptom. ¡°Take it off.¡± ¡°.....What?¡± ¡°I said take off your clothes.¡± At my resolute words, Dietrich wriggled his eyebrows and stepped back. He didn¡¯t have the nature to be embarrassed about this kind of situation, so he was doing that because he must be hiding something. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it was nothing? Then, you can show it to me.¡± He sighed softly as he pushed himself into a corner and raised his eyes, glancing at me. I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d take his clothes off himself no matter long I waited so I eventually got close to him. When I flung aside the cravat I was holding to the ground and opened his shirt, I could see a black mark that descended from near his sharp neckline down to his solid chest. Funnily enough, it was a familiar pattern. ¡°....... I¡¯ve seen this somewhere.¡± I was the one who rummaged through the books from the magic tower and the old books of the alchemist to break the contract between Baal and Dietrich. ¡®There must have been a book that mentioned this symptom.¡¯ The geometric pattern was none other than the mark of Baal. If I remember correctly, it was one of the symptoms that appeared when the soul was being eroded by the shadows. ¡®Furthermore, it¡¯s a symptom that appears belatedly!¡¯ It was a symptom that never appeared in the original when Charlotte saved him. I burst out laughing in shock at the situation. ¡°Since when?¡± ¡°..............¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you since when this started!¡± ¡®He must be hiding something else as well.¡¯ He often hides his physical injuries, but I didn¡¯t expect he would hide such an important phenomenon. I clenched my fists and trembled at the surge of betrayal. ¡°Why did I start planting purification trees?¡± ¡°Anissa.¡± ¡°Why did I do my utmost to collect the holy relics?!¡± The deal with Luzen instead of the South, and creating a place for Lagrange to step into high society, all of it. If Dietrich disappears, all of it would mean nothing. He couldn¡¯t be unaware of my efforts. ¡®But Asmodeus has disappeared.¡¯ Moreover, the rose war hadn¡¯t ended yet. If Dietrich was already being eaten by the shadow, then that means the erosion must be going faster than the original. ¡®Why?¡¯ What did I miss? What did I not do? ¡®Or is it because I¡¯m not Charlotte?¡¯ I thought I had done everything I could, and I even prepared for the danger step by step, but in the end, it was all useless. Realization struck me like lightning. As if I was trampled on by the feet of a giant called fate, even a proper scream couldn¡¯t come out. He placed his hand on my lip, which I had bitten until it bled. ¡°Don¡¯t do that. It¡¯s bleeding.¡± ¡°Is my lips bleeding a bit important right now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± His words were sweet but right now they didn¡¯t make me happy. I glared at him so furiously that my eyes watered and I grabbed his shirt which was half peeled off. I could barely squeeze out my voice. ¡°Do you know what this sign means? You knew it and yet you hid it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s something I can handle.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something that can be solved just because you can handle it.¡± Dietrich let out a heavy sigh at my stinging voice and tilted his head to the side. His densely drooping eyelashes fell down languidly. ¡°I¡¯m really fine. I guarantee you that the worst thing you can imagine won¡¯t happen.¡± He reassured and slowly adjusted his open shirt. I frowned at his baseless confidence. ¡°What do you think I imagine?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you worried that my soul would be eaten by the shadows?¡± Dietrich¡¯s voice, claiming that it would never happen, was calm that I belatedly tried to calm down my agitation. ¡°Do you have a way?¡± Did he also know someone who broke the contract like Hermann? If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°What way is that?¡± I asked urgently, but his mouth closed like a clam and didn¡¯t open again. A silence that felt like the flowing of eternity descended. I didn¡¯t think he would speak any further even if I pressed him, so I sat on the sofa pounding on my chest in frustration. ¡°Hermann wants me to return to Euclid.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He said he knew of someone who once terminated a contract with a demon. He said if I returned to Euclid, he would tell me who the person is.¡± A heavy gaze fell down on my bowed head. Dietrich only spoke in an irritated tone of voice after I brought up Hermann. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to go.¡± ¡°You have to tell me the reason. Do you know someone like Hermann who terminated a contract with the demon?¡± He shut his mouth again at my question. He only twitched his lips as if he would answer. ¡°If he confirms that I¡¯m not possessed by a demon while staying in Euclid, then he¡¯ll send me back. It¡¯s not a bad condition.¡± ¡°How can I believe such words?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s not a person who would lie.¡± Dietrich raised the corner of his lips at my stiff answer. A freezing chuckle broke out. ¡°When did you see that bastard again?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go even if you stop me. I think only Hermann Euclid knows how to save you in this situation.¡± ¡°I already told you that you can¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just tell me that I can¡¯t, you have to tell me the way that you know. What is the way for your soul not to be eaten by the demon?¡± "..............." ¡°I don¡¯t think you plan on telling me. I¡¯ll leave now.¡± I got up and turned my back to leave but there wasn¡¯t a hand that stopped me. I was irritated at his silence that I slammed the door shut. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ If he planned to not tell only me, then maybe Baal would know and thus I had called him again, but not even Baal, Yuric, nor Veronica knew what Dietrich was thinking. ¡°Haa.¡± Haaaaaaaaaaaaaah. As I quickly read through the books, I also let out a deep sigh from time to time that Damon, who was going through the books next to me, turned his gaze. ¡°The ground will collapse at your sigh, Princess.¡± ¡°How can I understand a heart which can¡¯t even be read by using Eredia¡¯s ability?¡± It wasn¡¯t a question that I was asking to get an answer to. At my words which were closer to me talking to myself, Damon¡¯s expression stiffened seriously. ¡°When I need to find out a secret, I plant a spy.¡± There was no way that I would have a subordinate in Lagrange who would be loyal to me and even deceive Dietrich. ¡®Even if I plant a little demon on him, he¡¯d find out about it.¡¯ ¡°Ah!¡± I clapped my hands at the sudden thought and grabbed Damon by the arm, who was sitting next to me. He frowned at me with a grim face when he found me clinging unto him with sparkling eyes. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Camouflage magic, can you also use it on me?¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t think His Grace would tell someone else what he¡¯s thinking other than you, Princess.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s not a person.¡± Wouldn¡¯t it be better if it was an animal that could be by his side instead of a demon that could be dragged around? There was also no need to find out his deepest thoughts. ¡®It¡¯s enough to find out about sudden words that he spills to himself, and the fragments of emotions that are revealed for a moment.¡¯ Dietrich was extremely good at organizing his emotions in front of me thus most of the time, it was difficult to read him even with Eredia¡¯s ability. ¡°Damon, let me turn into an animal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an unreasonable request.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you grandfather¡¯s friend?! That means Damon is also like a grandfather to me and yet you can¡¯t even do me a favor?¡± ¡°Again, I¡¯m telling you that I don¡¯t age. So please don¡¯t treat me like Josef.¡± Damon grumbled as if offended but placed his hand on my forehead. As expected, he¡¯s a wizard who keeps his loyalty. ¡°One day is the limit of my power right now.¡± ¡°But what kind of animal¨C¡± His flaw was that he didn¡¯t listen to people until the end. CH 137 Sniff. I patted my protruding nose with my front paw and looked around. It was a natural behavior since the scent often judges the aura, but a faint scent of yellow joy bloomed from the side. ¡®Why are you laughing!¡¯ I glared at Damon who bit his lips and tried to contain his laughter. He looked down at me for a moment as I slapped his foot with my front paws and then he opened his mouth and burst out laughing. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m laughing because it suits you so well.¡± ¡®If possible, you should have turned me into the hunting hounds that Dietrich trained!¡¯ Then it would have been easier for me to approach him. Whether he knew of the complaint I had grumbled inside, he lifted me up, who had become a rabbit sporting light red hair. ¡°I turned you into an animal with which you can have the most fun. I didn¡¯t deliberately turn you into a rabbit.¡± Did that mean an animal I could have the most fun with was a rabbit? I had a better sense of smell than others so I thought I would turn into a hunting dog if I changed. As I proudly recalled the memory of searching for the pieces of Asmodeus with smell alone, I moved my nose. ¡®So Dietrich is in Nature right now!¡¯ Maybe it was because I was disguised as a rabbit but it was easier to detect people¡¯s aura than usual. I jumped out of Deus¡¯ arms and leaped out into the hallway. His office was one floor above my study so I had to climb the stairs. ¡®I¡¯m glad it¡¯s an animal that¡¯s good at running.¡¯ ¡°Oh? It¡¯s a rabbit!¡± ¡®Ack.¡¯ Before the magic was released, I had to hurry up and find out what Dietrich was thinking but I couldn¡¯t even approach the stairs and met an unexpected ambush. I smiled brightly and greeted Rose who hugged me. ¡°It¡¯s so pretty. The rabbit is light pink!¡± When Rose hugged me, I could smell the fresh scent of freesia. The bottoms of the children¡¯s pants had grass as if they had just come in from the garden. ¡°Rabbits are originally white. Is this one dyed wrong? It¡¯s greying.¡± ¡®This kid has a habit of pulling his sister¡¯s ear!¡¯ I counterattacked by hitting Riesling¡¯s hands with both my hands when he touched my ear with a dung-like face. ¡°Ouch. Rose, put it down. That rabbit is rude.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you touched it recklessly. It¡¯s quite meek in my arms, you see?¡± Still, among the triplets, Rose, who played the role of the eldest daughter, criticized Riesling like an adult. ¡°I originally don¡¯t particularly like people or animal who acts selfishly.¡± ¡°When did I ever act selfishly?!¡± ¡°Then, did Marie cry for nothing?¡± ¡®Who¡¯s Marie?¡¯ I tilted my head at the unfamiliar name that came out of Rose¡¯s lips. It seemed that the triplets had already grown up a lot and already have their own private lives. ¡®It¡¯s a child they never mentioned to me?¡¯ Was she a friend outside the castle? When I wrinkled my nose out of curiosity, Rose gave off a yellow aura and squeezed me in her arms. ¡°Aww. So cute! Should I raise it?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a rabbit with an owner? There¡¯s a ribbon on its neck.¡± Maslow calmly looked at me. The child shrugged as he flipped the blue string tied around my neck. ¡°There¡¯s no name written on it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of naming a rabbit?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the difference between us because you don¡¯t have that kind of delicacy, you idiot.¡± ¡°I wanted Marie but you stole her from me!¡± I clapped my front paws at Riesling¡¯s angry and fuming words. ¡®Have they already started having a crush?¡¯ Kids these days were precocious. It felt like yesterday when he had been following only his sister saying he was going to marry Rose. ¡®Well, after winter is over, they would turn thirteen years old.¡¯ ¡°Riesling, Marie isn¡¯t a thing so there¡¯s no way she could be stolen.¡± ¡°Why not? Then, what about Dietrich?¡± I raised my ears at the sound of Dietrich¡¯s name being mentioned out of nowhere. Hurry up and ask him what he meant! I tapped Rose¡¯s hand to urge her and the girl smiled beautifully and patted my head. ¡®No, don¡¯t touch me and ask him!¡¯ Fortunately, Maslow picked up on Riesling¡¯s conversation. ¡°What about Dietrich?¡± ¡°He told all the men who tried to ask Anissa for a dance at the ball ¨C¡± ¡°To all the men?¡± ¡®So, what about all the men?!¡¯ However, instead of speaking, Riesling moistened his lips and scratched the back of his fluffy head, and frowned. Soon, he just shut his mouth. ¡°Ah, if I say this he¡¯d kill me.¡± What the hell did he do to threaten a child like that? ¡°Anyway, if Dietrich can do it then why can¡¯t I?¡± Rose clicked her tongue and shook her head at Riesling¡¯s discontented question. The child soon slowly passed the hallway and stood in front of the stairs. ¡°Dietrich can¡¯t either. That¡¯s why he can¡¯t say anything to Anissa.¡± ¡®Ack. I have to go up!¡¯ Rose¡¯s destination seemed to be downstairs. I struggled to get out of her arms and the child bent her head and looked at me with round eyes. ¡°Hm? Is it stuffy?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you release it outside?¡± ¡°Should I? I wanted to raise it in my room but should I raise it in the forest connected to the backyard?¡± ¡®Forest¡­.?¡¯ I shook my head while raising my hair at Rose mumbling to herself. ¡®There are so many natural enemies of the rabbit in there!¡¯ It was a forest where there were hawks controlled by the Lagrange estated and it was also where Dietrich often hunted bears. When I shook my head in a hurry, Rose smiled broadly as if she understood what I meant. ¡°Hm? I see, so you wanted to go outside!¡± ¡®She didn¡¯t understand!¡¯ Instead of finding out what Dietrich¡¯s thinking, I think I¡¯d probably be eaten by a hawk instead. As soon as Rose entered the garden, I bit the child¡¯s hand and jumped down. Jump. Since it was soft grass, it didn¡¯t hurt when I landed. ¡°Hey Rabbit!¡± Surprised, Rose stooped to catch me, but I quickly moved my short legs and went out of the garden. ¡®If I go here, there should be another door, right?¡¯ The rabbit¡¯s body was faster than I thought so without the children being able to catch me, I arrived at the back door of Nature. As soon as I was about to step inside with confidence, someone grabbed me by the back of my neck. Sniff. It¡¯s a familiar smell. I wiggled my nose at the cool scent of mint. ¡®Dietrich!¡¯ Thanks to the afternoon¡¯s sunlight, Dietrich''s eyes glowed red. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡®What¡¯s been a while?¡¯ When I twitched my hind legs in a gesture of welcome, he sharply smirked. His aura turned yellow with joy. It was surprising to see that my head automatically tilted to the side. ¡®Did he like small animals like rabbits?¡¯ ¡°Rabbit meat.¡± "!" It was only then that I remembered that Dietrich had filled his stomach with hunting when he was young that I flapped like a fish sticking out of the water to get away from him. ¡®No!¡¯ No! I¡¯m not edible! I got goosebumps all over my body that I wanted the magic to be released right away but since I wasn¡¯t a wizard, I didn¡¯t know the way. ¡®I should have asked Damon!¡¯ Although he insisted that we had no money ¨C not that I believe him anymore ¨C Dietrich was no longer in a position where he had to hunt wild animals because he had nothing to eat. ¡®No, if you just go in and say a word, a skilled chef would bring you delicious food, so why!¡¯ He held me in his arms, to put it correctly, he clasped me between his armpits so that I couldn¡¯t escape, and I pounded on Dietrich¡¯s chest as he headed towards the forest. But of course, he didn¡¯t even budge. I tried to let out my claws, however, there was no such weapon on my front paws which were like balls of cotton. ¡®I should have asked him to disguise me as a hound!¡¯ I came to regret it too late but it was all useless now. I thought we¡¯d been walking for a long time, and it turned out that Dietrich had brought me to the forest of withered roses. I thought no one would come in and out anymore, but the vacant lot was quite well organized as if he had often visited. ¡®It¡¯s been a long time.¡¯ Nature was rebuilt but the old Dahlia remained the same. Dietrich flopped down on the crumbling marble fountain. ¡°Stay still.¡± Then, he pressed down on my struggling head and stroked it. ¡®If you were me, would stay still when someone caught you and say they¡¯d eat you?¡¯ There was no snare to keep the animals tied, and there was no reason not to escape when an opportunity strikes. He tapped my nose which was trembling in tension. ¡°.......You look a bit alike.¡± "?" Who did he think of when he saw me who had become a rabbit? I wondered if there was a rabbit he had in the forest of withered roses, but I only remembered eating it together. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have eaten it¡­.¡¯ A late regret came to find me. Should I have taught him firmly that rabbits weren¡¯t animals to be eaten? ¡®When can I escape?¡¯ No, if I run away, I would lose the opportunity to know what he was thinking. ¡®I have to buy time somehow.¡¯ He must have been really hiding his feelings in front of me because I could feel his aura much clearer than usual. I was amazed to see his gray aura shine bright in different colors that I opened my rabbit eyes wide. Despite everything, I was thinking of scrubbing my front paw in my face when he evaluated me in a small voice. ¡°You look alike.¡± ".........." ¡°Is that why I don¡¯t want to eat it?¡± ¡®That¡¯s great. That¡¯s good thinking right there.¡¯ Were you going to become a Grand Duke who would eat a wild rabbit just because there¡¯s nothing to eat? I nodded eagerly at Dietrich¡¯s soliloquy. As if he had changed his mind, he put me down beside him and stood up from his seat. ¡®Is he going?¡¯ I still didn¡¯t find out what he was thinking. ¡®You have to take me with you!¡¯ I stretched out my front paws in panic, but Dietrich began to look around him instead of watching my actions. Wasn¡¯t he gathering twigs from trees in a very familiar posture? "..............." He¡¯s not looking to kindle a fire, was he? I strained my ears and kicked up my hind legs. CH 138 Fortunately, Dietrich didn¡¯t catch me and then grilled me. ¡®What is he doing?¡¯ After collecting twigs and making fire, he searched his pockets and pulled out some envelopes. ¡®Hm?¡¯ I sniffed my nostrils for something, but I was surprised to find out the identity of the envelopes that were burning with smoke and I raised my two front paws on my forehead. ¡®Aren¡¯t those letters from Euclid?¡¯ The picture of the eagle piercing the sun was obviously Euclid, and that was Hermann''s seal. Since the wax seal had been torn, it seemed that the contents had already been examined. ¡®No wonder there was no answer!¡¯ There was no reply to the letter I had sent that I needed more time to think thus I had been thinking of contacting him again. I was stunned and hopped out towards the fire to see what Hermann had written. ¡®Ack, it¡¯s hot.¡¯ When I poked my flaring nose, the hot fire heats up my cheeks. I didn¡¯t even know that my whiskers were scorched and began to look at the half-distorted letter. ¡®Waiting for a positive answer? Waiting?¡¯ It looked like it was about to suggest something, but that part has already been burnt and disappeared. However, I could guess the general content. ¡®He¡¯s probably talking about his proposal to come back to Euclid.¡¯ There was only one thing that Hermann wanted from me. ¡°Do you want to be grilled?¡± Dietrich caught me after I was lost in the fire for a moment to grasp the situation. I opened my eyes wide at the savory scent that stimulated my sense of smell. ¡®Is this my scent?¡¯ It was a mouth-watering smell even as I smelled it. I grabbed Dietrich¡¯s hand with my front paws fearing that he would change his mind and eat me. Fortunately, maybe because he wasn¡¯t hungry, he put me down on my legs. ¡®No wonder he wasn¡¯t surprised when I brought up Euclid a while ago.¡¯ I slapped his knee with my hind legs and raised my head at the rush of betrayal. A gray shadow fluttered beneath his sharp jaw. I thought he was hiding his surprise because he was a person who rarely expressed his feelings, but it seemed that he had already read Hermann''s letter. There was no clear invasion of privacy than this. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with letters addressed to me?¡¯ They already burned it before it even reached me. Someone might think he¡¯s not the villain and so he did all these bad things by himself and sat down. The more I think about it, the angrier I get, so I hit Dietrich''s thigh with my disgruntled front foot, and he pressed down on the back of my neck. ¡°Stop that.¡± ¡®Can¡¯t breathe!¡¯ It was when I was struggling in his hand that he let me go. Dietrich soon began patting my head absentmindedly. ¡°Stay still.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t want to!¡¯ I frowned, dodging his insincere touch. ¡°I¡¯m leaving you be since I don¡¯t think I can even make gloves even if I peeled off your skin.¡± "..........." I quietly fell flat on my stomach at Dietrich¡¯s low warning. He smiled and turned his head as if he was satisfied with my attitude. The corners of his lips were clearly smiling, but his gaze was strangely dark as he looked at the letters which had now been completely burned to ashes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to let her go.¡± I noticed that he was talking to himself about me. I moved my tail, wondering what he meant and he scratched me gently behind my ear. ¡°Baal.¡± At Dietrich¡¯s call, the demon soon appeared above the raging fire. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Baal looked a little haggard, maybe because I tormented him too much. Dietrich, who glanced at his pale face, slowly opened his mouth. ¡°What of Vassago¡¯s contractor?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the same contractor as Hermann knows, but I found them.¡± ¡°How long did they live?¡± ¡°..........I think they lived for about ten years after signing with Vassago.¡± ¡®Ten years?¡¯ I didn¡¯t know how old the contractor was when they met Vassago, but if they weren¡¯t an old man then it would have been too early to die. ¡°Is that so.¡± Even with Baal¡¯s thunderous words, Dietrich only nodded his head without any emotions. I was wondering what the hell he and Baal were talking about so I forgot my appearance and opened my mouth. ¡®No, I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s what happened to the contractor of Vassago. Surely, not all demon contractors die within ten years?¡¯ All of the previous Grand Dukes died at a young age, but the cause of death was usually because they lost their humanity due to being tainted by darkness. It was because they all had cut down their rationality in order to keep the title and lost their place to the successor they had raised. But Dietrich still had no children, let alone a successor. ¡°Your Majesty, what is with this animal?¡± Baal narrowed his eyes at me, looking at me with suspicion, perhaps finding my surprised face unlike that of a rabbit. I put my front feet together and made a rabbit-like posture as much as possible. ¡°Are you raising animals now, too?¡± ¡°My dinner.¡± ¡®You said you won¡¯t eat me earlier!¡¯ I shuddered at Dietrich¡¯s blunt answer. Hng. As I let out a little snivel, the demon took out a shining red jewel from his arms. ¡®Isn¡¯t that Vassago¡¯s brooch?¡¯ It was definitely in my room but I didn¡¯t know why it was in Baal¡¯s hands. He proudly handed my item to Dietrich as if it was his to give. ¡°I brought you Vassago. Please don¡¯t tell the Princess since I¡¯ll get scolded when she finds out.¡± I was suspicious that he had completely disappeared since I couldn¡¯t feel any aura, but he seemed to be still sealed. ¡®This thief!¡¯ In my indignation, I ran forward and slapped Baal¡¯s right foot, and he slinked back stealthily. ¡°Your Majesty, your dinner is hitting me.¡± Although he was laughing as if there was a joke, Baal¡¯s aura was unusual. I focused on the blue scent that I normally wouldn¡¯t have known. ¡®Why is he sad?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t be sad about the sealed Vassago. Baal didn¡¯t like Vassago after all. Though I think I knew the reason. But I wanted to deny it. I clenched my teeth because I was afraid of the scenery drawn by the pieces being put together one by one. ¡°I know it may sound strange coming from me.¡± "............." ¡°There¡¯s really not much time left. I think it¡¯s better for you to be careful, so please don¡¯t call me either.¡± ¡°All right.¡± I now understood what he meant. There was no way for me not to understand when I could feel Baal¡¯s aura clearly. I bowed my head, pressing on my violently pounding heart. ¡®Will he die?¡¯ When he said that there was not much time left, was it really a time limit on Dietrich¡¯s life? Even though I was thinking that it was nonsense, I was choking with the fear that I couldn¡¯t shake. I jumped out of my place and moved my body. I could hear Baal¡¯s bewildered voice from behind, but there was no room left to pay attention. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. As I rushed back to the study room, luckily, Damon greeted me as if he had been waiting for me. I started writing on any piece of paper I could get hold of once he released the magic. The tip of the pen quivered. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Damon looked at my pale face with a quizzical gaze. I shook my head instead of answering. The smell of hawthorn was being carried in by the wind through the open window. It was definitely all the scent of the purification trees. ¡®The shadows have definitely faded.¡¯ I remembered the way Derek died. He was not even human when Agares ate him up. His aura had smelled so rotten to the point that it was indistinguishable from Baal¡¯s. ¡®It had been like that even before he died.¡¯ So I understood his inhuman cruelty to be the price of selling his soul to the devil. Because Lagrange''s children were not originally as evil as people believe. Slowly, they were stained with evil as if they were in a swamp that went out of their feet. At that time, Lagrange was covered with the curse of Asmodeus, and it was an abnormal place to the point that even the servants came to possess an evil mind. ¡®.....That¡¯s why I planted the purification trees.¡¯ I used my powers day and night to create the hawthorn forest. Because, unlike Charlotte, I didn¡¯t have divine powers. I couldn¡¯t be confident that it was perfect, but I believed I had succeeded to some extent. Now, Lagrange was so clean that even the little demons with a light shadow, and of course the demon king, Baal, could not freely roam around unless Dietrich called for them. ¡°.......No way.¡± But the reality that unfolded as if laughing at my incompetence was horrendous. The shadow was still aiming for Dietrich with its huge gaping mouth. Even faster than the original that I remember. ¡°Herman¡­.Charlotte or Hermann, at any rate, they must be in Euclid.¡± I bit my lips as I handed the scattered letter into Damon¡¯s hand. He looked at me with bewildered eyes and lifted my chin. ¡°Are you crying?¡± Ah. It was then that I became aware of my tears falling down to the ground. ¡°Please send this to Hermann.¡± ¡°What on earth did you find out?¡± ¡°.......Just send it to him fast. Please.¡± ¡°Will you stay here crying?¡± I quickly polished my expression and wiped the hot corner of my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m really fine.¡± ".............." My answer seemed unfavorable but in the end, Damon nodded his head. I sent him off the study with the letter in his arms and squeezed my clenched fists. ¡®You better get your head straight.¡¯ Dietrich had always been like that. He was as indifferent to himself as he was to others, and so it was easy for him to give up. ¡®So I can¡¯t be like that.¡¯ I could never give up on him. I already saved him once, I could save him twice. Something like that won¡¯t happen. CH 139 Dietrich often had his own way, but he was basically a meticulous person. He began to keep an eye on my behavior to the point where I thought it was a little over the top whenever he took his eyes off me. For example, he didn¡¯t really get involved with anyone I met in the castle, but whenever I tried to leave the castle, he would come running and stick an escort to me or he would accompany me himself. ¡®So the letters from Hermann must have been intercepted in the middle of it all.¡¯ It was impossible to put him to sleep once again since the method I had already used won¡¯t work twice. ¡®If I want to sneak out of Lagrange, I have no chance except when he¡¯s out of the castle.¡¯ Recognizing my situation, Hermann sent a reply that he would send someone to take advantage of the opportunity while Dietrich was on the battlefield. [As long as you come back to Euclid, there is no reason to continue this useless war.] I sank onto the chair with relief after reading Hermann¡¯s last sentence. The North was risking their lives in the rose war committed to achieving their own cause, but for the Euclids who already had the full support of the people of the Empire, it was just an exhausting war so they could do without it. ¡®I have to make sure Dietrich doesn¡¯t use his power as much as he can.¡¯ Just as I sleep a lot whenever I used Eredia¡¯s ability too much, the more forcefully Dietrich uses the shadows, the faster he seemed to be affected by the curse. ¡®Although he doesn¡¯t seem to care since he¡¯s going to die now.¡¯ So, I, at least have to be wary of the situations in which he has to use his abilities. I bit my lip and looked up at Damon, who warped secretly into my room. ¡°What is that?¡± Dietrich might intercept Hermann¡¯s letter again so this time, Damon brought Hermann¡¯s letter himself. He grumbled saying he didn¡¯t work for Euclid and that he was very busy, then from among the several similar papers he was holding in his arms, he handed me the letter. ¡°These are the things Hermann wrote.¡± ¡°Why did he stop writing all that?¡± ¡°He rewrote the letter to the Princess five times saying the handwriting wasn¡¯t pretty.¡± ¡°.......He worries about something useless.¡± I scratched my chin awkwardly at Damon¡¯s explanation. Compared to Hermann¡¯s neat handwriting, mine was more bad handwriting. ¡®I think the last letter was even hastily written on a piece of tissue.¡¯ ¡°He¡¯s a lot timider than he looks.¡± Where did the righteous protagonist who punishes the evil go and left behind this coward? My eyes widened at the feelings of hesitation and nervousness in his wavy handwriting. All the writings on the paper I took from Damon were lined with a pen, but at least a sentence that wasn¡¯t crushed enough to read caught my eye. [Can¡¯t you call me brother when you get home?] He had also mentioned that though he didn¡¯t know how long I¡¯d be staying in Euclid, he would do his best to prepare. It was to the extent that my fingertips that were staying still with agitation felt embarrassed. It seemed that Hermann still believed that my home was Euclid. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud at his innocence and foolish belief. ¡°Why is Hermann clinging to me?¡± ¡°It must be because of the Duchess. She pretends to miss you whenever he shows any weaknesses during training.¡± ¡°She misses me?¡± ¡°As if he could only find his sister when he gets stronger. Let¡¯s say it¡¯s some kind of motivation.¡± I shrugged my shoulders at Damon¡¯s explanation. ¡°And he believes that?¡± ¡°Hermann doesn¡¯t have the same ability as the Princess.¡± Well, Dona Euclid was such a brilliant performer that it would be difficult to tell if she was lying without looking into her aura. ¡®The only thing sincere about her was her heart for Euclid.¡¯ Though not for her son, but for her own safety. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Time passed without a hitch. All preparations were completed, but it was impossible to get out of Lagrange without Dietrich knowing, so I couldn¡¯t draw attention by making hasty actions. ¡®I think I¡¯m the only one who has free time.¡¯ Lagging like a bum on the sofa, I pulled up my drooping body. Yuric didn¡¯t even show his nose since he was busy training the knights, and Veronica left for Luzen to prepare for the supplies. The servants were busy preparing for the war since the ceasefire has ended, and I would wander around the hallway like a lost child looking for something to do only to come back to my room. ¡®Still, Dietrich is probably the busiest.¡¯ Even if he was the worst villain in the world, he couldn¡¯t fight alone. We hadn¡¯t even met while Lagrange was busy preparing for war. He didn¡¯t seem to be looking for me because he was busy, so I hid in the corner of my room since I couldn¡¯t contain my anger at his indifference for valuing his life as if it was less than an insect and for fear that my plans would be revealed. ¡®He¡¯s supposed to be leaving early this morning.¡¯ I hid my fingertips inside my fist which were trembling little by little at the unpredictable future. There was a knock at the door, perhaps the maid bringing the snacks had returned. ¡°Come in.¡± Squeak. When I turned my head at the sound of the door slowly opening, there stood a shadow I hadn¡¯t been expecting. I stood up from my place, schooling my expression so as not to reveal my surprise. ¡°Is there something the matter?¡± Dietrich¡¯s haggard face filled with exhaustion was still handsome enough to shine. ¡°No.¡± He frowned slightly at my question and entered the room. Far from being sick, the tall and handsome figure which I need to lift my head up in order to meet his eyes seemed in perfect condition. However, I had no choice but to remind myself that Dietrich¡¯s candle was on the verge of dying out. ¡°Then, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Do I need a reason to see your face?¡± ¡°......Well, no.¡± Dietrich came close and puts his hand on my face. I tilted my head, leaning my cheeks on his large hand. ¡°Are you leaving tomorrow?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Be careful. Don¡¯t call Baal as much as possible.¡± It was a war that would end once I arrived at Euclid, so there was no need for him to waste his energy. ¡®Though if I said that, he wouldn¡¯t be leaving the castle.¡¯ Dietrich stared at my face without saying anything. After a silence that felt like an eternity, his neck moved greatly. ¡°Wait for me.¡± "............." ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere and just wait for me.¡± I laughed lightly at Dietrich¡¯s childlike remark. ¡°Where would I go?¡± It ached in my chest as if someone was stabbing me with a needle. He tilted his head as if trying to get a closer look at my shameless face. ¡°I wondered if you were still thinking about going to Euclid.¡± ¡°Why are you so against it? You still hate it even if I¡¯m coming back?¡± ¡°Yes, I hate it.¡± He still omitted his reason for why he¡¯s against it. He¡¯s doing this because he was thinking he didn¡¯t have much time left. I stared at Dietrich¡¯s obstinate lips and nodded my head. ¡°I¡¯m not going because I should at least be here to protect the castle.¡± ¡°All right.¡± He narrowed his eyes as if to gauge what I was thinking. I placed my hand on his shoulder and licked my lips. ¡°When you fought with Asmodeus, do you remember what I said?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about sacrificing your life on your own. I told you that you¡¯re not doing it for me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I didn¡¯t know if he really didn¡¯t remember, or if he was just pretending. He neither denied nor affirmed it and only moistened his lips. ¡°Believe me. Don¡¯t go anywhere.¡± I comforted and reassured him, who seemed anxious. ¡°I believe you.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ He didn¡¯t believe my words. Liar. Looking back, I didn¡¯t think he believed anything I said. ¡®Otherwise, this speedy reaction doesn¡¯t make sense.¡¯ Dietrich and the knights of Lagrange just left yesterday. War was a disaster that lasted for at least a year or more than a decade. ¡®I thought I would have a week to sort out the situation in Lagrange!¡¯ I was surprised at Lance¡¯s big smile saying His Grace had come back with news of victory that I dropped the luggage I had packed so hard. ¡°What did you say? Who came back?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you His Grace won the war, Princess!¡± ¡°Does that make sense?¡± How could it be over already unless Hermann was dead? ¡®In the first place, it wasn¡¯t even a rotation to culminate the war, it was just the beginning!¡¯ Moreover, Eshdoa, the place where they rotated, was a central part near the Romendov forest which was closer to the South than the North. It would be too early even if he left behind the knights and returned alone. ¡°Where is he? Did he already arrive in the castle?¡± I thought I was in trouble so I rushed and picked up the luggage again. ¡®He must be saying he¡¯s still departing from Eshdoa.¡¯ Having interpreted Lancel¡¯s words in my own way, I opened the window and leaned out. Fortunately, the garden was quiet. ¡°He¡¯s still not here. Are you sure you didn¡¯t misunderstand the letter Lancel?¡± ¡°Oh¡­..¡± The cool wind that touched my cheeks carried the scent of spring. I clicked my tongue and Lancel hesitated to open his mouth behind my back. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear it through correspondence.¡± ¡°I see. Then, isn¡¯t that just groundless rumor?¡± Even if he used his strength not knowing that his life was being wasted, there would be no way he would be back already. ¡°Phew.¡± I turned my head with a sigh of relief. ¡®Why does it smell fishy?¡¯ ¡°What I¡¯m saying is that it¡¯s not from a correspondence nor a rumor¡ª¡± CH 140 Dietrich was a little annoyed. Although his face was impassive and neat as usual and his eyes were as cool as glass beads that did not show any emotions, his agitated fingertips trembled a little. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± "............." ¡°Have you gone crazy?¡± Hermann, whose hair was caught by his hand, asked as he fumed, and he admitted calmly. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± He was crazy. He was going crazy with anger. The veins on his forehead bulged, and the swelling was so tight that he couldn¡¯t stand it. To say it literally, his eyes had rolled. ¡°Should I kill you?¡± The words that came out of his lips contrary to his intentions made Hermann¡¯s pupils shake. ¡°Wh-what do you mean?¡± Dietrich demonstrated extraordinary patience and loosened the strength of his hand that was about to break his neck. Hermann stutteringly opened his mouth. ¡°Grand Duke, the rotation is the day after tomorrow. Do you intend to end the war in this barbaric way?¡± "............." ¡°Don¡¯t you have a cause? What will people think if you kill me now?¡± Hermann exhaled in a hurry and cast his big and bright eyes at Dietrich. The clean blue eyes gave off a beautiful glow in the dark. ¡°Ha.¡± He gave a low laugh as if the Duke¡¯s words were funny. ¡°Grand Duke, maybe you didn¡¯t realize it because you were too young, but our war is a war with a cause.¡± "............." ¡°The moment you kill me is the same as Lagrange losing the war!¡± Who exactly was the young one here? The Duke opened his mouth without fear even when his life was threatened. ¡°Why did you think Anissa ¨C!¡± Dietrich jerked his elegant face again to interrupt him. ¡°Kugh!¡± ¡°F*ck, who told her to bother about that?¡± Dietrich was stunned by the accusation he was blaming him for. Soon, he took out the letter from his arms written by ¡®Anissa¡¯ to ¡®Hermann¡¯. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were such a seeker of morality.¡± A crumpled, unrecognizable piece of paper flew into the air. He seemed to think that if he sent it through Damon, it wouldn¡¯t be taken away, but in the first place, his secret agent was not in Lagrange. ¡°Th-that¡¯s!¡± Hermann¡¯s surprised eyes widened. He hurriedly grabbed Dietrich¡¯s hand which was grabbing his collar. ¡°Grand Duke, I don¡¯t mean to hurt Anissa! I just want to send her back home!¡± ¡°Home?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Because Euclid is Anissa¡¯s home!¡± Dietrich clenched his fist and hit Hermann on the mouth. Punch. The Duke¡¯s face turned and the sound of cracking of the bones echoed in the silent room. ¡°I think I misheard it earlier, why don¡¯t you say it again.¡± "............." Hermann bowed his head, pressing down the blood flowing from his mouth with both hands. Now, he wasn¡¯t just angry simply at Hermann. That one-sided letter he sent to Lagrange alone was bearable. He had believed in Anissa¡¯s words that she wouldn¡¯t leave. The reason why he didn¡¯t speak to her was that he thought she would naturally ignore him. He thought that she would believe they were angry words he spits out simply to threaten her. But in the end, Anissa agreed. ¡®Why?¡¯ Although she had said that she did it for him, it was a logic he couldn¡¯t comprehend. He had never said he needed that damn Luzen nor the loyalty from the other families in the North. There was only one thing Dietrich said that he wanted. That she wouldn¡¯t leave his side. He didn¡¯t know why it was so difficult for her to grant his request that she stay within his reach. She only need not move. ¡®Did she want to win that much?¡¯ Anissa offered an end to the war on the condition that she returned to Euclid. A bloodless victory for Lagrange. Since the South had nothing to gain from the war in the first place, then Euclid would have easily allowed it. ¡®Did she think I would lose?¡¯ He thought that he had never shown to be weak in front of her. The plan went awry. Time was running out for Dietrich anyway. He didn¡¯t know when his worn-out body would last. So, in the early morning when the promised day was not yet bright, he grabbed the hair of Duke Euclid, who slept soundly like a princess in a fairy tale. ¡°I wonder what kind of face she¡¯ll make when I kill you and bring back only your head.¡± The Duke¡¯s face turned deathly pale at his blunt murmur. ¡°Hng.¡± He bore a little resemblance to Anissa, with his face all white and delicate and only his lips were red. His dark pink hair was similar to that little rabbit he saw in the garden. He didn¡¯t know if it really resembled her or if everything looked like her because someone had cut her hair recently. Dietrich looked down at the watery blue eyes of the young Duke and raised his sword. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ "!#[email protected]%!" ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡± It seemed that Lancel was still talking more, but I was distracted by the short time and started packing my stuff in a hurry. The butler who was watching my behavior grabbed my hands. ¡°Princess!¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy. If you have something to say, say it later.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t be like that and look at the door.¡± I paused and listened to Lancel then belatedly turned my head. "............." ¡®Is it hallucination?¡¯ Did I long for Dietrich that much? He was leaning against the door, unchanged from the last time I saw him. As if time had turned back. ¡°Something must have gone wrong with my eyes, Lancel.¡± ¡°It¡¯s perfectly normal if you¡¯re seeing His Grace.¡± ¡°What?¡± But his departure was only the morning before yesterday. ¡°Dietrich?¡± Looking a little tired, he slowly walked toward me with a blank face. The sound of footsteps echoed loudly as if he was stepping on mud. The clean floor was splashed with dirt. ¡®Is it really Dietrich?¡¯ The blade he was holding in one hand shone particularly bright. ¡®There is no way the war is already over and he already came back?¡¯ But why? I stood up in an awkward position even as I was questioning myself. Every time he came closer to me, the smell of fishy blood gets thicker. It was the same smell that wafted from the window earlier. ¡®What on earth is this smell?¡¯ I was wondering if Dietrich was injured but his clean face was rather lively. ¡°How come you¡¯re already here? Did something happen?¡± ¡°Same goes for you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What is that luggage?¡± He answered my question with another question. ¡°I¡¯ve only been away from the castle for a day. And you¡¯ve already changed your mind?¡± I covered with my body the luggage that Dietrich pointed at with the tip of his gleaming sword. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you weren¡¯t leaving?¡± He laughed coldly when I avoided answering. ¡°Answer.¡± "............." ¡°I see you don¡¯t plan to answer me.¡± The corners of his lips were raised but his eyes weren¡¯t smiling. I waved my hand at his seething aura. ¡°Th-that¡¯s not it. I was just going around the neighborhood to cool my head.¡± ¡°Without me?¡± That¡¯s right, without you. However, Dietrich¡¯s expression was unfamiliarly bloody for me to nod my head frankly. Instead of urging me for an answer, he stretched out his hidden arm. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± The dark pink hair in his hand hung lifelessly. I was so startled that I stiffened in place and swallowed my scream. ¡®A head?¡¯ If what he had in his hand was really a human head, then it was obvious who it belonged to. His hair, like a cockscomb, was stained with blood. ¡°........I asked you what that is.¡± At my urging, Dietrich dropped the chunk of luggage as if he was handing it over to me. Thud. A heavy sound echoed in the silent room. I turned my eyes to the huge sack that had fallen in front of me. ¡°.....Hermann? Is this Hermann?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Dietrich nodded his head. I was shocked at his indifferent and emotionless face that I covered my mouth with both my hands. ¡°Urgh.¡± Ah. I got goosebumps all over my body thinking that it was only his head but it seemed that his body was completely attached. I leaned over to examine the mass of luggage that was breathing heavily. ¡®Fortunately, he doesn¡¯t seem to be dead.¡¯ Still, it was against morals to kidnap Hermann. Doing this would only perpetuate the war rather than end it. ¡°The war hasn¡¯t even started yet and you went and kidnapped the opponent?¡± What kind of crazy thing to do. I turned pale and looked between Herman and him. He nodded his head as if nothing of note happened. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you don¡¯t listen to me.¡± I pursed my lips at Dietrich¡¯s calm words. ¡°I don¡¯t listen to you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You don¡¯t.¡± "............." ¡°You really terribly don¡¯t listen to me.¡± Dietrich¡¯s dark eyes glistened savagely. Suddenly, the black color of his eyes, which glistened like a submerged pebble, reminded me of the fact that he had crossed the battlefield dozens of times that I didn''t know. ¡°So now I really can¡¯t stand it anymore.¡± He grabbed me by the back of my neck without telling me what he couldn¡¯t stand anymore. ¡°Wait.¡± I reached out, startled when Dietrich bent his head close enough to touch my nose. A warm breath touched my forehead. ¡°Close your mouth.¡± As he approached, there was a fishy smell characteristic of a murderer instead of his usual cool scent. CH 142 Damon frowned as he listened with bated breath to the conversation between Anissa and Hermann. He only showed up after confirming that Anissa had hurriedly left the room. ¡°You were also here?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t prevent you from being kidnapped, but I could stop the Grand Duke from killing you.¡± Damon grinned at Hermann as he answered shamelessly. Hermann shook his head and let out a sigh. ¡°Is it true that Vassago¡¯s contractor was Lady Vallandia¡¯s mother?¡± ¡°The Marquis is really like a rat who listens secretly at night.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t information Faber¡¯s weapon?¡± Damon answered briefly and skimmed his chin. Charlotte was quite famous for being the only saint in Vallandia, but the process of how the temple selected her was unknown. ¡°I will ask you again. Was what you said to the Princess the truth?¡± ¡°I heard it from Charlotte herself.¡± ¡°If that is true then it is strange.¡± It was not impossible because there was no law that required people who could handle the powers of the shadows to be born only in the north. The questionable part was that Charlotte was the price for terminating a contract with the demon. ¡°If Vassago had received the child¡¯s soul in return for the contract, he would have not offered Charlotte to Hera.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t Vassago the most notorious for being crazy even among all demons? We don¡¯t know.¡± It was obvious to everyone that the relationship between the apostles of the sun god and the demons was not very friendly, but Hermann''s words also made sense. Because Vassago was the one who pretended to be with the other demons in the first place. ¡°That¡¯s true but¡­.¡± ¡°Even if I¡¯m wrong, is it of any concern to the Marquis?¡± Damon¡¯s face stiffened at Hermann¡¯s harsh words. His words hit the nail on the head. ¡°If your plan is to balance the South and the North and usher a republican era, then it would be better without the Grand Duke of the North.¡± He thought to remind him that the southern hero wasn¡¯t what he needed either, but he briefly nodded his head and chose not to respond. Hermann, who was staring at Damon who did not answer, pressed his wrist on his forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re also interested in Anissa?¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense. Please go back to sleep.¡± Hermann, who managed to barely come to his senses, fell into slumber again at the flick of Damon¡¯s fingers. He looked down at Hermann who was fast asleep and began to turn his suspicions in another direction. ¡®The child that Camille brought is definitely¡­¡­¡¯ The prophecy of the woman who would be the savior of the North and the woman who would bring doom was brought down at the same time. Along with the priest, both renowned scholars and intellectuals were called in to interpret the prophecy. Naturally, requests for help also came to Faber, but Camille was the only one among Faber¡¯s colleagues who heard the prophecy in person. Because she was the only member who was a believer of Hera in a group of profane intellectuals. Unlike Damon, who liked to be prudent, she heard the prophecy, said one sentence, and disappeared. ¡®It said that the fate of the Duke of Lagrange changes depending on who he meets.¡¯ Damon was an irreverent man who didn¡¯t believe in God until then. He had listened to Camille without paying much attention. She, who was devoted to interpreting oracles, soon caught the eyes of Derek Lagrange and harbored a grudge against the North. ¡®I¡¯ll bring the child who will bring death to Lagrange.¡¯ Camille, who was so determined, succeeded to kidnap Anissa Euclid with the help of Damon. However, she died before she could take her revenge against Derek. He couldn¡¯t say they were close but Damon respected Camille¡¯s pride and goals. He didn¡¯t think there was no good reason for her grudge and so he wanted to comfort the death of his colleague. Therefore, the child who was predicted to bring despair and death to the North was brought into Lagrange disguised as a child of a nanny who did nothing wrong. ¡®Should I have not done that?¡¯ As he left the hallway, he found a slender girl who seemed to be buried in the shadow. He never dreamed that the child who was dyed pitch black by the night would come to love Lagrange this much. ¡°Princess.¡± She, who was standing in the hallway, turned around at the low call. Her small shoulders, which couldn¡¯t be seen clearly, were trembling. Her bitten lips were scarlet, and her cheeks were as pale as peaches hit by the cold wind. Even more than that, tears welling up in her bright red eyes flowed sorrowfully and wet the floor. ¡°Are you crying again?¡± Damon let out a little sigh. He thought it was because he got too involved in the prophecy too hastily out of sympathy. ¡°I¡¯m not crying.¡± The tears that were flowing out of Anissa¡¯s eyes glistened. She soon recovered her emotions. For a person who grew up in Lagrange, being able to express her emotions was something commendable, but Damon judged she wasn¡¯t as weak as her delicate appearance. ¡°Marquis, I have to find Charlotte. Perhaps, do you know where she is?¡± ¡°.......If it¡¯s her then she would either be at Euclid¡¯s estate or staying at the temple.¡± Anissa nodded at Damon¡¯s hesitant answer. After confirming that her face was distorted as if she was in trouble, he let out a low sigh and spoke. ¡°If you want to leave the territory without the Grand Duke knowing, I will help you.¡± ¡°.....Why?¡± Anissa asked, opening her eyes wide. Damon smile bitterly and scratched his cheek. ¡°I''m guilty of committing a crime against the princess.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll accept it without hesitation, the Marquis¡¯ help.¡± If she had asked what he did wrong, he would have difficulty answering, but Anissa grinned as if she didn¡¯t care about such trivial things. Her face which was still wet with tears shone brightly under the moonlight. ¡°Please take me to Charlotte.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Unlike the temple, I visited last time ¨C the one where I stole Hermann¡¯s holy sword ¨C the temple where Charlotte stayed was very simple. To the point where it looked like a summer vacation house for aristocrats. ¡°You can wait here.¡± Even though I didn¡¯t reveal my identity, the priest smiled kindly and pointed to the sofa. ¡°Thank you.¡± I bit my fingertips nervously as I wandered around the drawing-room window which overlooked the barren garden. ¡®It¡¯s really been a long time.¡¯ It was the first time I waited for Charlotte. Although I had met her many times who thoughtlessly came to find me. We didn¡¯t have a very good last memory. I remembered the traces of betrayal, sadness, and disappointment in Charlotte''s eyes as she looked at me rejecting Donna Euclid. ¡®A normal person wouldn¡¯t help but¡­¡­¡¯ But she was a saint. Furthermore, she was the original¡¯s female protagonist. If I hadn¡¯t intervened, she would have been Dietrich¡¯s destiny. ¡®That¡¯s why she will help.¡¯ She might know the way to help Dietrich. ¡®She was the one who saved him from being sealed.¡¯ Although he was already more deeply eroded by the shadows than the original, she must have a way. Wasn¡¯t it some kind of setting that Vassago¡¯s contractor was her mother? The setting that tied Dietrich and Charlotte together by fate. My heart throbbed at the thought but I tried to ignore it. ¡®Since they were destined, then she would help.¡¯ Without letting go of the thin string of hope, I looked back at the drawing-room door that opened gently. ¡°Anissa.¡± Charlotte, who was more beautiful than the last time I saw her, called me with a beaming smile. Her eyes were as blue as the summer sky as if she had completely awakened her divine powers. ¡®The bride with blue eyes.¡¯ I mumbled her nickname in my head. ¡°It¡¯s really been a long time.¡± ¡°I know. Charlotte, thank you for letting me in.¡± ¡°Of course. I am happy to welcome guests, even if they are enemies.¡± At first glance, they were words that were thorny, but Charlotte¡¯s smile was as kind as always. Unable to wait for her to approach the sofa, I came closer to her. ¡°I came here because I have a favor to ask you. Since I don¡¯t have much time, I can¡¯t properly say my greetings.¡± ¡°Pardon? You have a favor to ask me, Anissa?¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. I took a deep breath watching her delicate eyelashes blinking slowly. ¡°Yes. I have a favor to ask.¡± ¡°Please speak.¡± ¡°I heard that your mother was a demon contractor.¡± ¡°......Did Hermann tell you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As I was unintentionally touching Charlotte¡¯s family history, I observed her. Fortunately, as if she wasn¡¯t offended, she had a gentle smile on her face. ¡°Uhm, well. It¡¯s not particularly a secret. My mother had once signed a contract with a demon named Vassago.¡± ¡°Then, you must know about the shadow demons well.¡± ¡°Of course. Apart from what happened with my mother, I am the saintess of Vallandia.¡± I was hopeful about Charlotte¡¯s answer and held her hand. ¡°Then, please help Dietrich.¡± I didn¡¯t explain the details, but she let out a long sigh as if she knew what I meant. Soon, her pretty lips moved. ¡°I can¡¯t do that, Anissa.¡± ¡°......Why?¡± ¡°I changed my mind about good and evil. I believed in the concept of edification, but I realized it when I saw you.¡± ¡°...........¡± ¡°An evil that has already been defined can never change. The same goes for goodness.¡± I am good, and he is evil. Therefore, why should I help him? I couldn¡¯t believe what she quietly whispered to me. CH 143 ¡°Wa-wait a minute.¡± ¡°Anissa, I am Charlotte of Vallandia. There¡¯s more than one person who looks for me.¡± She didn¡¯t even give me a chance to persuade her. ¡°Then, take care.¡± She scanned my face with calm blue eyes. I wiped away the goosebumps that had risen in my arms at her clean gaze like that of a summer sky. Charlotte, who turned down my request quietly, but firmly with a good face as always, left me devastated and went out of the drawing-room. The priest caught me as I tried to follow her. ¡°It¡¯s time for the saintess to offer her prayers. Please come again next time.¡± But there was no next time for me. ¡®I don¡¯t even know when Dietrich will disappear!¡¯ I bit my lips and looked at the priest but he shook his head and didn¡¯t let me go. ¡®Is this really the end?¡¯ I thought Charlotte would be able to help. She would be helping Dietrich after all, and not me. Wasn¡¯t saving the North her calling? I, who considered Charlotte a kind of safety net, was pushed to the floor with the priest¡¯s strength, unable to control my body, and lost my mind. ¡°Please get up, Princess.¡± The priest didn¡¯t wait for me for even a moment and raised me up then led me outside. I returned to Lagrange with Damon, who had waited for me with an anxious look on his face. ¡°Thank you. Without your help, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to go there, Marquis.¡± Warp was magic that even an excellent wizard could not easily use. I bid farewell to Damon with concern at his pale face. ¡°I think it would be best if you get some rest as well, Princess.¡± He advised while looking at my deathly pale face, but I didn¡¯t listen to Damon. ¡®I don¡¯t have time to rest.¡¯ So, at dawn, when even the bugs were holding their breaths, I entered Dietrich¡¯s bedroom where he was sleeping soundly. ¡®He¡¯s not waking up.¡¯ Unlike before, when he couldn''t fall asleep easily even with the slightest sound of footsteps, he didn''t even move because he couldn''t hear me. Deep shadows fell over his thick eyelashes. Usually, he had a chilly expression enough to invite the cold wind, but the way he slept was very gentle. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s not frowning?¡¯ I swallowed as I touched his towering nose bridge with my fingertips. ¡®If neither Hermann nor Charlotte are the solutions that I¡¯m looking for then¡­¡­.¡¯ On the bedside table was the brooch of Vassago that I had been looking for. I had already received his help once. ¡®Even then, it only responded until the last minute.¡¯ Maybe because it was not yet time that he ignored me no matter how many times I called for him. ¡®If he wants to take the price from me, then I have no choice but to agree.¡¯ Unlike his comfortable face without a frown, Dietrich¡¯s breathing was uneven. I watched the shadow rise insidiously over Dietrich¡¯s neck as he breathed heavily. Maybe it¡¯s not that he¡¯d fallen asleep but wandering between life and death. I was terrified that I placed my finger under his nose, but fortunately, his rough breathing started to gradually subside. I paced around until his breathing calmed down and then I finally left the room. ¡°Goodbye.¡± I cowardly bid my farewell while he was sleeping. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. ¡°Hello, my lady.¡± As I had expected, Vassago appeared as if he had waited after losing all the cards I had. ¡°Your face looks dark?¡± The demon raised the corner of his lips vigorously as if he wasn¡¯t affected by the hawthorn tree I was leaning on and reached out his hand to me. ¡°Is it time for me to take the price? I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve fully grown up yet, though?¡± The demon, with the face of a handsome man brightly, smiled. I tilted my head, thinking of Baal who would lose his form quickly if he wasn¡¯t around people. ¡°If you¡¯re so strong that you don¡¯t even lose your human form no matter how long you¡¯ve been locked up, then why are you sealed?¡± ¡°Did you call for me to ask about the past?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an important question. If you¡¯re weak, then there¡¯s no reason for me to cling to you.¡± At my stiff words, Vassago knelt before me with a smile on his face. He kissed the back of my hand like a gentleman. ¡°It¡¯s because I fell in love with a terrible person. No, the only one who loved was me. She was eviler than a demon.¡± I narrowed my eyes at Vassago¡¯s words which sounded like lyrics. The demon tapped on his chest as if he wants me to believe him. ¡°I was willing to betray my kind for her, but in the end, I was only used and abandoned. Quite pitiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Vassago¡¯s face didn¡¯t look the least bit sad when he said he was betrayed. He went on as if he didn¡¯t even want my affirmation. ¡°But even now, I still love her. It¡¯s because once we have feelings, they last forever.¡± ¡°Are you saying you loved Charlotte¡¯s mother?¡± At my question, Vassago finally wiped the smile off his face. I began to get nervous at the demon¡¯s cold face. ¡°So you know about that. That¡¯s right. The soul of my beloved Luna Vallandia was eventually taken by Asmodeus.¡± ¡°How come? If you terminate the contract, then isn¡¯t it over?¡± I was frightened by Vassago¡¯s words and grabbed his shoulder. The demon patted me on the back tenderly as if to reassure me. ¡°It was because I was caught taking another human¡¯s soul instead of hers in exchange for the contract. Asmodeus was pretty thorough back then.¡± ¡°Asmodeus is gone now.¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s not here. But he can come back any time.¡± I bit my lips at Vassago¡¯s firm words. He looked down sympathetically at me even though he was not close to me like Baal. ¡°I was sealed for violating the rules of the demons, and even though I knew of her terrible end, I couldn¡¯t save her. How miserable is a fate that you couldn¡¯t change no matter how much you try.¡± Vassago¡¯s sweet voice dropped in an instant. It was a seductive and gentle tone as if he understood all my feelings. ¡°It¡¯s hard, isn¡¯t it?¡± He waved his sealing stone in front of me as if he were shaking a candy in front of a child. ¡°Anissa, I understand your desire to change Dietrich¡¯s ending.¡± "............" ¡°But you already received my help. What do you plan to pay me with?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you whatever you want. Whether it¡¯s Eredia¡¯s power or whatever.¡± ¡°Even you soul?¡± I nodded at the demon¡¯s words like a good child. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll give you everything. All of it.¡± ¡°You know that the only souls I can take are from the North. Anissa, I may have may be foolish but I¡¯m not stupid.¡± The demon didn¡¯t fall for my shallow tricks. Vassago laughed coldly at my desperation. ¡°Isn¡¯t Dietrich your insignificant everything?¡± ¡°No, not Dietrich.¡± It was absurd to offer him to pay the price when I wanted to save him. As I shook my head firmly, Vassago raised the corners of his lips. The gentle demon was laughing at me. ¡°Are you saying he¡¯s not your everything?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. He¡¯s my everything.¡± Dietrich was my heart, my feelings, my everything. He was my spring, my summer, my autumn, and my winter. All the time I spent as Anissa all came down to one ¨C him. ¡°But I won¡¯t give you Dietrich.¡± I insisted, even as I acknowledged the fact that except for him, I was left with nothing but a shell. Ironically, Vassago seemed to like my answer. His red lips ripped to the point of cruelty. ¡°Is that so?¡± From that point, I had a foreboding sense that something was going wrong, but like pouring water that couldn¡¯t be contained, I couldn¡¯t push away the temptation of the demon that had been summoned. ¡°If I can¡¯t take him away from you, on the other hand, that means, it¡¯s all right for me to take you away from him.¡± Instead of answering him, I tried to use my brain to figure out what he meant. He stroked my hair with his gentle hand as if comforting me. ¡°Would you be all right even if you don¡¯t exist anymore?¡± Of course, I¡¯m not all right. I had already died once after all. And unlike then, there were so many things that were precious to me now. However, I didn¡¯t shy away from Vassago¡¯s touch. ¡°Is that how much your resolve is?¡± I slowly nodded my head when Vassago asked back. ¡°There is no end to the karma I have accumulated, so it wouldn¡¯t matter if I can¡¯t carry them.¡± The demon murmured in a whisper. I barely overcame the weight of my eyelids which were getting gradually heavy to examine his expression. ¡°Goodbye, Anissa.¡± Vassago looked relieved. ¡°Thank you for letting me straighten out the twisted plan because of that damned Camille.¡± ¡®Camille¡­.?¡¯ Why was Camille¡¯s name coming out of his mouth now and not the name of Charlotte¡¯s mother? I wanted to ask but I couldn¡¯t overcome the drowsiness of sleep that came to me in the end. I listened as if I could hear the sound of the paradise setting in the distance. It was Dietrich¡¯s voice. Because he¡¯s my paradise. My Dietrich. Darkness, the light was flickering. When I woke up, I was in the forest in the middle of the night. The forest in winter was a world of black and white. I felt like I had lost something and my heart was utterly empty. My heart was aching as if it was getting torn apart. ¡®What did I lose?¡¯ I thought about it, but I couldn¡¯t remember. As my jaw trembled in the cold, I cried like a child without knowing what I had lost. CH 144 ¡°Annie.¡± I looked at the head maid who raised her glasses with one hand while seeming to contemplate what else she would find fault on me today. ¡°Come here. I have something to say.¡± When I stood awkwardly in front of her, she wiped the dust off my shoulder and opened her mouth. ¡°From here on out, you¡¯ll be in charge of serving the young master.¡± ¡°Wh-why?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to talk back?¡± I couldn¡¯t even ask a question? The stocky head maid was shorter than me, but she was a scary person with sharp eyes like a predatory bird. I nodded in fear even though I was dissatisfied with her order. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Very good. The young master is looking for you so go up to his room.¡± The head maid smiled satisfactorily at my answer and tucked my baby hair behind my ears. ¡°Yes.¡± I heaved a sigh and turned my body to climb the stairs. ¡°Ah, I really hate that jerk.¡± The only son of the Viscount, the man whom the servants call young master was a greasy and oily human as if he had put butter on his face instead of lotion. I was someone who didn¡¯t want to serve him let alone meet him face to face, but I was just a maid. ¡®I still have to follow orders¡­..¡¯ After all, he was an aristocrat. Although they were a humble viscounty, they were able to live in this small territory just because they were nobles, and the Viscount had enough money to hire more than ten maids. ¡®Of all the people I could possess why did it have to be a maid!¡¯ It¡¯s been two years since I came to possess this body, yet I was still angry. Living in a civilization where there was rice cooker and washing machines, I struggled to adapt to the job of a maid. When I thought of the possession novels I used to read before I died, I thought of the female protagonist, a villainess who was against the protagonist, or if not, an extra who possessed a character around the protagonist. ¡®Why did I possess a maid who doesn¡¯t even appear and is far away from where the main characters are active?¡¯ ¡°Ahem.¡± I stood in front of the young master¡¯s door, holding back the tears that were about to pour at the injustice. Knock, knock. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s Annie.¡± ¡°Oh! Come in.¡± A greasy voice permitted my entrance. When I opened the old wooden door, Donovan, who was sitting in his armchair, lifted his head. ¡°I called you for tea.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I turned to the tea table at Donovan¡¯s words who spoke with a grin. ¡®The teapot and cup are there. Will it break his fingers if he pours them by himself?¡¯ Anyway, I guess that¡¯s an aristocrat for you¡­. I lamented on their laziness but I smiled brightly and grabbed the teapot. ¡°Shall I bring some desserts to go with your tea?¡± ¡°No, your face is sweeter than any chocolate.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± Yes, whatever. I just shook my head while wearing a pretentious mask at Donovan¡¯s flirtation which I was already accustomed to. ¡°You¡¯re so pretty today as always.¡± ¡®And you¡¯re greasier today as well.¡¯ ¡°Thank you.¡± Annie, whom I possessed, was quite a beauty even though she definitely didn¡¯t appear in the novel. Donovan was a typical playboy aristocrat who sheds light on that matter. In this small country town, I was not given the duty to do the dirty work due to my remarkably pretty face but I had to endure Donovan¡¯s greasy flirting instead. ¡°I¡¯m the only one drinking. Sit down.¡± At Donovan¡¯s offer, I immediately glued my butt on the sofa opposite side of him. The mild scent of flavored tea made me feel a little better. ¡°So, did you think about it?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°About the proposal to be my concubine.¡± Pfft. It was a disrespect that I should not dare to commit in front of a noble young master, but I couldn¡¯t help but spit out all the tea from my mouth. ¡°I¡¯m s-sorry!¡± I sprang to my feet and began wiping Donovan¡¯s wet frizzy hair with the apron. ¡°It¡¯s all right, my little baby bunny.¡± ¡®Shut up! Don¡¯t call me that!¡¯ I almost ripped off his hair at the disgusting name that came out of his mouth. ¡°What¡¯s your answer?¡± I barely endured because my life was precious and I shook my head with a polite smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. How can a lowly maid like me become your concubine, young master?¡± Donovan was a greasy man, but I was confused about whether he was a liberal person or a brainless one because as long as someone had a pretty face regardless of whether that person was a noble, a commoner, or a slave, he would go for them. However, his father, the Viscount was different. He was noble enough to live up to the words he said that his family, Oily, enjoyed the title of a Count in the distant past. ¡°Oh, Annie. Status cannot separate our love.¡± There was no love to separate, and I shook my head, thankful that the Viscount was a person who upholds the status system of nobility. ¡°The Viscount will not approve, young master.¡± ¡°Ah, if we have children first, then my father has no choice ¡ª!¡± ¡®Oh god. This jerk must have gone mad.¡¯ I hardened my face and looked at Donovan seriously, who was turning red. ¡°Then, I would be kicked out together with the child.¡± ¡°Damn it! Why did I bring you here in the first place!¡± My eyes widened at Donovan¡¯s exasperated cry full of regret. ¡®........Bring me here?¡¯ ¡°What do you mean you brought me here? Didn¡¯t you say I was a maid who worked here from the beginning?¡± I had become ¡®Annie¡¯ but I didn¡¯t remember her life. My last memory was of dying in a lonely hospital room with no one looking after me. ¡®Though it doesn¡¯t feel like I¡¯ve died a long time ago.¡¯ Maybe because I had no regrets in my past life so I didn¡¯t feel particularly sad. Unable to grasp the situation, I wandered aimlessly in the forest where I opened my eyes and encountered Donovan who had gone out to hunt. ¡®You, you¡¯re¡­.!¡¯ ¡®Do you know me?¡¯ Since I was starved for a long time, I hastily ate the beef jerky he gave me. He looked at me suspiciously as I didn¡¯t know the name of the forest I wandered in nor my own name and made an excuse that I woke up in the forest and lost all of my memories. ¡®That¡¯s why you can¡¯t recognize me. You¡¯re my maid.¡¯ Donovan had suddenly told me. ¡®Maid?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s right. You¡¯re my maid, Annie.¡± He told me that I had a hard time with the work of a maid and that I tried to run away and he came to the forest to catch me. ¡®..........Of all people I had to possess, it had to be someone who had a debt.¡¯ I resented God again, but what could I do? I guess it was fortunate that I could avoid the difficult tasks because Donovan was afraid that I would run away again. ¡°Ah, ah. What I¡¯m saying is ¨C I was the one who hired you as a maid. I¡¯m talking about the past. When you were still very young.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, I guess you still can¡¯t recall?¡± Donovan¡¯s argument made sense since most nobles tend to bring in young girls who suited their tastes and educate them to become their maids. He patted his thick lips and continued speaking. ¡°I personally paid a fortune to your parents and bought you. So, your master isn¡¯t my father but me.¡± ¡®Why don¡¯t I believe this?¡¯ They weren¡¯t words I couldn¡¯t particularly believe but I was suspicious. I narrowed my eyes and stared at Donovan, then he frowned. ¡°What¡¯s with that look?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Are you doubting what I¡¯m saying?!¡± ¡°N-no, young master.¡± ¡°Damn it, as long as the concubine¡¯s face is pretty, why is there a need to bother about the status!¡± Fortunately, he turned the arrow to his father. I lowered my head, scared of Donovan¡¯s sudden anger, and left the room quietly when the opportunity came. ¡°Phew.¡± Someone grabbed my shoulder as I leaned in the hallway, heaving a sigh. ¡°Annie, are you okay?¡± I nodded my head as I met with sensitive eyes. Lindsay swept down her curly brown hair and caressed my cheeks. ¡°I heard the young master called you again. It looks like he asked you to serve him.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡± I tried to smile at Lindsay¡¯s question. Most servants did not like me because Donovan openly favored me. ¡°Phew, that¡¯s unfortunate.¡± Lindsay was the only person who was kind to me from the start. She said that she reminds me of her younger sister who was forcibly taken as a concubine by a Count notorious for his ugliness. ¡°It¡¯s the fate of rural women that beauty only brings misfortune. What else can we do?¡± I nodded at Lindsay¡¯s lament. She pulled me by the shoulder for a hug and patted me. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just get married so that the young master doesn¡¯t covet you? That would be better.¡± ¡°Who will I marry?¡± ¡°Who would reject you when you just put your mind to it?¡± ¡®I don¡¯t think I¡¯m that beautiful.¡¯ I grinned at Lindsay¡¯s words. ¡°Oh my, look at this girl. Why are you smiling?¡± ¡°I mean, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s funny? If all the men in the world like me, would I be a maid of the Viscount until now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because of the young master!¡± Lindsay, who was about to say something, found a servant entering the hallway and promptly closed her mouth. ¡°Follow me.¡± She pushed me into the corner of the hallway, looked around, and lowered her voice. ¡°Anyway, it should be with a man who has a higher title than the young master.¡± ¡®I guess I just need to marry any man as long as they have a higher title.¡¯ Although I thought that, Lindsay¡¯s face was so serious that I had no choice but to listen to her words. ¡°It¡¯s just a rumor but I heard the Grand Duke is going to visit our territory.¡± ¡°Grand Duke?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m talking about that Lagrange.¡± CH 145 It seemed like a long dream. When Dietrich woke up from a very long sleep, everyone but him had forgotten her as if it was some kind of a promise. Even Veronica, who loved Anissa so much that she was wary of Dietrich, Yuric, who always took care of her first even while grumbling, and all the children of Lagrange who survived thanks to her. There was not a trace of her left in the world. Lancel gave the bedroom she used to guests as if it was natural, and the doll that she slept with until she was an adult was considered to be Rose¡¯s. Somebody had erased her. As insignificant as a scribble of a pencil. ¡®Why?¡¯ Though he asked himself, he already knew the answer. Because the shadow that had been constantly tightening around him had disappeared. All demons, including Baal, disappeared without leaving a trace. He was angry at how they dared to completely forget her, but when he saw people who seemed to have forgotten that Lagrange even controlled demons, he wondered if he had gone crazy. ¡®Was it really a dream?¡¯ When he asked such an empty question, it felt like someone had scooped out a handful of his heart and left it empty. No, that¡¯s not possible. It couldn¡¯t have been a dream. His memory was too vivid for this void that seemed to cave in under his feet to be a mere dream. The shape of the round body that slept crouching at his feet while trembling, and the lips that drew an arc while calling his name. Small hands, slender shoulders, and the bridge of the nose that wrinkled with every smile were vivid, but sometimes he was confused about the color of her eyes. ¡®Remember.¡¯ From time to time, Dietrich was wary of his oblivion. If he himself forgets her, then no one would remember Anissa. Her empty space was just filled with pain. He didn¡¯t even know the pain of being stabbed with a knife on his side, but he cried for the first time that night at the irreconcilable agony in his heart. Tears had dripped into his rough palms. He had never cried so he didn¡¯t know how to soothe himself. Even after the breathless night passed and morning arrived, she didn¡¯t come. He had run to Euclid, thinking he had taken her to the South, but Hermann, who greeted Dietrich with open arms, didn¡¯t remember her. As if they never had a history of being enemies. ¡°War? It¡¯s not like Southerners aren¡¯t rude in everyday occurrences. What¡¯s the point of going to war?¡± Dietrich let out a despondent smile at what Yuric said while shrugging his shoulders. ¡°Besides, Euclid has a leader who deals with the power of God. How could we handle a guy like that?¡± That was it. That was enough. It wasn¡¯t in the distant past that he broke into the bedroom of the sleeping duke and grabbed his head. ¡°Since you were sick for quite a long time, it seems that you still haven¡¯t recovered your senses.¡± Yuric grinned as his eyes lit up, coveting the Grand Duke¡¯s position. ¡°I¡¯ll be the head, for the time being, you just rest.¡± Dietrich raised his body, contemplating if he should half-kill Yuric who was speaking impudently. But then he sat down, wondering what was the use of that. ¡°Whatever.¡± Everything had lost its meaning. Everything was meaningless. Yuric, who was watching Dietrich leaning on the bed and washing his face dry with his hand, heaved a sigh and opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a guy like you who¡¯s so obsessed with dreams.¡± The people of Lagrange, including him, believed that Dietrich had a very long and vivid dream as he wandered between life and death. ¡°If you woke up, you should forget about it. Why do you think a dream is a dream?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried you¡¯ve gone crazy, you jerk.¡± Dietrich glared at Yuric and pulled a bunch of papers out of the drawer. ¡°Hey, give that to me. I should have dealt with that earlier but why are you hugging that?¡± Dietrich kicked Yuric who reached out to take the documents from him. ¡°Urk!¡± ¡°Get lost. Don¡¯t touch it.¡± These were the documents that Anissa handled when she was serving as his secretary for a very short time. All the letters he had received from her while on the battlefield had disappeared, but the documents remained. There were squiggly, child-like handwritings that seemed to mark what she thought was important. When he buried his face in the documents, he could smell the very faint lingering scent. ¡°Crazy bastard.¡± Yuric murmured softly as he watched blankly at Dietrich with his nose on the documents. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t have loose screws?¡± Whatever Yuric thought, Dietrich couldn¡¯t even take the documents out of the drawers often fearing that the scent would disappear. ¡°Fine, just keep it to yourself. We can just write a new one.¡± If a person wants to go crazy, he could just dream and go crazy. Yuric clicked his tongue and lamented. Dietrich listened to his sarcasm even as he fumbled on the spot where Anissa¡¯s name had been erased. ¡°Who the hell is that Anissa?¡± Looking at him as if in a trance, Yuric scratched the back of his head and asked. ¡°My meaning.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°My everything.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Vassago hated Dietrich. No, not only that, but he hated all the Grand Duke of Lagrange who had inherited the blood of Asmodeus. So when he erased Anissa from the world, he left only his memory intact. Because if he didn¡¯t remember losing her, then it wouldn''t hurt. ¡®He has to be in pain as much as I am.¡¯ Asmodeus was a demon who didn¡¯t have anything precious. And so Vassago had wandered around, looking for a scapegoat whom he could release his wrath instead of him. However, all the people in Lagrange who were dyed with shadows resembled Asmodeus and were greedy enough to bring and sacrifice their precious treasures for power. So Dietrich was the only one. He was the only one who made a precious person without knowing what it meant. How happy he was when Anissa summoned him in order to protect him. Vassago drained his energy in order to conceal his ecstasy. He finally had a Lagrange whom he could take revenge on. Just as he suffered from the loss of the person he loved, he wanted Asmodeus¡¯ child to share his pain. ¡°Where is she?¡± Dietrich, with an emaciated face, pointed his sword at Vassago¡¯s neck. The demon, who no longer feared death, tilted his head. ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± Vassago laughed a lot even in the pain of having his legs and arms ripped apart one by one. ¡°Anissa.¡± ¡°The dream you had? Rumors abound that the Grand Duke of Lagrange has gone crazy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know, Vassago.¡± Dietrich didn¡¯t believe the nonchalant Vassago¡¯s lie. The sword he held pierced the demon¡¯s neck. ¡°Ahh, you are really great.¡± To be honest, he was a little surprised that he found out where he was hiding. After all, the bonds of the contract were severed and Zagan, Amon, and Baal returned to the demon realm. Lagrange, who couldn¡¯t handle the shadows, was just an ordinary person. ¡°Answer me. Before I really kill you.¡± Nevertheless, Dietrich found Vassago hidden deepest in the darkness of the North and pulled him out. That wasn¡¯t enough and even suppressed him with a sword. ¡®I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d handle the holy sword.¡¯ As expected, it was the relic of Hera who couldn¡¯t stay still. Vassago looked down indifferently at his burning body and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Vassago had already broken too many rules. True death, not mere extinction, was just around the corner, and he had no longer any lingering feelings regarding his existence. ¡°Why do I need to tell you where that child is?¡± No, he pretended. Dietrich grabbed the demon¡¯s jaw, who was smiling broadly and uttered low. ¡°Because what you wanted isn¡¯t Anissa.¡± Only then did Vassago, who was smiling like a clown, look at Dietrich¡¯s stiff face. The demon¡¯s red eyes glistened with greed. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Demons try to deceive humans by talking about contracts. What you want is not simply to erase Anissa¡¯s existence.¡± At Dietrich¡¯s words, Vassago chuckled and distorted his face. ¡°Do you want to take revenge on your king?¡± ¡°The immoral shadow has never been my king. However, as you said, I hate Lagrange very, very much.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°As long as the people of Lagrange exist, Asmodeus will not disappear completely.¡± An insidious hatred colored the demon¡¯s tongue black. Vassago grabbed Dietrich¡¯s wrist, which had grasped his neck, with both of his hands. ¡°I paid a fair price to destroy Lagrange. But your mother ruined my plan.¡± Vassago was a clever demon and his plan was perfect. She, who seemed like salvation in the eyes of men, would lead them to ruin. ¡°Camille Lagrange changed her mind. Because of you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Dietrich remembered his mother¡¯s face which he couldn¡¯t clearly recall well now. As he furrowed his eyebrows, the demon continued his grating giggles. ¡°She must have been terrified to think that you¡¯d be lost in agony for eternity. As human women do.¡± Vassago had told Camille, who wanted revenge, the name of the baby he had chosen to host. But on the contrary, she kidnapped the child of the prophecy who would save the North. ¡®Foolish woman.¡¯ In the end, her son, who didn¡¯t know that he would be left to stand on his own feet, had to grow up with a lot of trouble. However, as a result, Vassago¡¯s plan was a success. Vassago used Anissa as bait and began waving the bait in front of Dietrich just as he had used him to bait Anissa. ¡°.....What is it that you really want?¡± Ah, Human beings with precious things were such easy prey to handle. Vassago smiled widely. ¡°Anissa Euclid threw away her existence in order to save you but what are you going to give me just for the mere desire of wanting to see her again?¡± CH 146 Even the Viscount, who didn¡¯t treat people who weren¡¯t nobles as humans, couldn¡¯t budge against the title of the Grand Duke. There were nobles whose hands trembled just because they touched a table that hadn¡¯t been wiped, but the Grand Duke of Lagrange was especially famous for his unusual mysophobia. ¡®They said that even on the battlefield, after cutting down a person, he would wipe his sword clean right away.¡¯ Dietrich Lagrange, who appeared in The Men¡¯s War of Roses, didn¡¯t seem to have that kind of setting, but it was strange. ¡®Is this really inside a book?¡¯ I began to wonder if the world where I came to possess this body was not in a novel that I had read. ¡®There¡¯s also no Anissa.¡¯ Although she wasn¡¯t a protagonist, Anissa Euclid was one of the main characters but she wasn¡¯t anywhere in this world. Great nobles like Euclid and Lagrange were bound to steer rumors. Veronica and Yuric decorated cheap tabloids with promiscuous scandals, but one could not find anyone who knew the name Anissa let alone plaster a gossip about her. ¡®It¡¯s also suspicious that people didn¡¯t hate Lagrange.¡¯ The majority of the people did fear them, but many people also admired Dietrich Lagrange for his progressive way of managing the territory. Moreover, the endless War of Roses had already ended a few decades ago. ¡®This world is too peaceful to be the backdrop of a war fantasy novel.¡¯ Well, it¡¯s a good thing for me to possess an extra with no powers. If a war breaks out a commoner like me would die first. ¡°Annie! The head maid is looking for you.¡± ¡°Why¡­..?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Just go to the second floor.¡± At the words of a young maid who poked her head into the study, I stood up from my seat. As I set out into the hallway with a dry rag in my hand, the head maid grabbed me and pushed me into a room. ¡°You, I should dress you up today.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Not only did maids rarely dress up, but I also didn¡¯t have time for that. When I asked back at her with wide eyes, the head maid raised her glasses and knitted her eyebrows. ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you not to talk back?¡± ¡®Scary¡­.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s not that, I just didn¡¯t know the reason.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear that the His Grace, the Grand Duke of Lagrange would be visiting the mansion?¡± As I stood blankly, the maid alternated some dresses under my chin that smelled like new clothes as if she had brought them in a hurry. ¡°Veronica, the master of the Lagrange establishment who will come with them, likes beautiful women. It¡¯s said that if there¡¯s no beautiful woman beside her, she wouldn¡¯t even eat.¡± It wasn¡¯t a piece of surprising news that a noble with high status was a pervert. But, what did that have to do with me? The head maid took off my maid clothes as if she didn¡¯t care whether I was flustered or not. ¡°Why are you doing this?!¡± Perhaps, were they thinking of selling me to a pervert named Veronica? ¡°The Viscount intends to open a deal with the Lagrange estate this time. You will serve tea by her side.¡± ".........." ¡°Wouldn¡¯t this be easier than polishing the mansion? Here. Go wash up and change your clothes.¡± Fortunately, they didn¡¯t seem to have any intention to sell me to a pervert so I was relieved. I nodded my head and turned toward the bathroom. ¡°When you¡¯re done dressing up, go to the garden and pick some flowers to decorate your hair!¡± The head maid screamed loudly outside the door. I mumbled my complaints as I poured cheap perfume oil into the hot water. ¡®I¡¯m sure it would be inconvenient to walk around in a dress like that.¡¯ ¡°By myself?¡± ¡°Ha? Do you think you¡¯ve become some noble young lady just because you wear some pretty clothes? Of course, you take it yourself! I¡¯m very busy today!¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Fine, since I was told then I should. After all, the Viscount was below the Grand Duke, and under the Viscount was the head maid, lastly, below the head maid was a maid. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡®Since the dress is light pink, would a red rose be good?¡¯ Or would a blue hydrangea that matched the color of my eyes suit me? I checked my glimmering face as it wavered above the pond. A woman with clear blue eyes like the sky blinked slowly. It was a face that suited perfectly the sentence that described Anissa¡¯s beauty ¨C as delicate as a spring rose. ¡®If my eyes were red then I might have been mistaken for Anissa.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a very luxurious dress, but just taking off the dull maid¡¯s clothes and putting on bright clothes made me feel like I was sparkling. Satisfied with my appearance, I giggled happily and clapped my hands deciding that wild white flowers would be good. ¡°Was the flower bed over there?¡± I heard that the Grand Duke has already arrived and was touring the territory with the Viscount. So I only had to be prepared by evening when they would return to the mansion, but the head maid was a very impatient person. When I imagined her angry, impatient scolding, I hurriedly moved my feet. ¡®Ah, I can¡¯t wear these shoes because it¡¯s so uncomfortable.¡¯ I tried stretching my legs to the stepping stone in the pond, but unlike the shoes worn by the maids, I was wearing high heels and because of that it felt like I would fall if I made a mistake. ¡®If I fall into the pond, how much scolding will I get for making an expensive dress no longer usable?¡¯ I stuck my tongue out and took off the heels then held them with one hand. In order to go to where the wildflowers were blooming, I had to climb over a low wall that surrounded the mansion, but an unfamiliar shadow caught my gaze. ¡®Who is that?¡¯ The warm spring sun stretched his shadow. It was a person I didn¡¯t know. I was sure I¡¯d never seen such a tall and handsome man before. After all, there was no way I would forget him when he¡¯s that handsome if I had seen him. Still, he felt quite familiar that I tilted my head to the side. ¡®Why do I feel like my heart suddenly hurts?¡¯ It felt like I had an upset stomach when I haven¡¯t even eaten anything. I approached him, who was staring at me, as I pressed my hand on my strangely throbbing chest. ¡°How did you get in here?¡± The man didn¡¯t answer. ¡®He looks neat, but he¡¯s wearing plain clothes with no decorations. He also doesn¡¯t have a servant by his side so he¡¯s probably not a noble.¡¯ And if he¡¯s a servant in the mansion, there would be no way I wouldn¡¯t know him. No, he was so handsome that he stands out so it would be strange if the people in this territory didn¡¯t know him. ¡®He¡¯s a bit scary since he doesn¡¯t have any expression on his face.¡¯ ¡°Did you come here with the Grand Duke of Lagrange? You must have gone the wrong way. This is the back door of the mansion.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± The man nodded slowly at my explanation. I gulped down my saliva at his suspicious behavior. Come to think of it, didn¡¯t the Grand Duke say he¡¯d visit the territory first? ¡®Is he not from the Grand Duke¡¯s group? An intruder?¡¯ I wondered what was there to take from this insignificant estate, but the man even had a sword on his waist. ¡®Seeing that there¡¯s no crest on it, then he must not be a knight.¡¯ I took a step back thinking that I may have spoken to a complete stranger hastily. ¡°Ah!¡± If one was unlucky, even if you fall backward, you¡¯d still end up breaking your nose, and so there seemed to be a sharp piece of stone where I stepped on. Surprised by the unexpected pain, my body stiffened and the man rushed toward me. ¡®Wh-why is he coming!¡¯ Just as I was about to open my mouth to tell him not to come closer, the man with his outstretched arms, raised me as if I was a rag doll. ¡°Kyaa!¡± He began to take large strides, ignoring the little screams I made. Lindsay¡¯s warning passed by briefly over the incident which made me stiffen in surprise. ¡®Countryside beauties are the perfect prey to take and sell, Annie.¡¯ ¡°Pl-please wait a minute! Wait!¡± ¡°.......¡± Hic! I¡¯m being kidnapped! Human trafficking! Why did you choose a profession that would do such a terrible thing with that handsome face! I trembled and slapped the man on the back who put me on his shoulder as if I were a child. ¡°You can¡¯t sell me! I owe a debt to the Viscount so I won¡¯t sell!¡± The man didn¡¯t listen to me even with just the back of his ear as I mumbled my situation to him. Soon, he placed me down on the low wall. ¡®Huh?¡¯ He lifted my bare feet and carefully pulled out the shard that was embedded in the soles of my feet. A soft sunset fell over his black curly hair. ¡®Was he trying to help me?¡¯ Looking at the man¡¯s gruff crown, I tightly closed my eyes. ¡®How embarrassing! You should have said something!¡¯ ¡°......I¡¯m sorry for misunderstanding you.¡± The man laughed low when I mumbled my apologies. It was a pretty sight to see the indention on his right cheek. ¡°You asked me why I came here.¡± He continued, rubbing his lips which were still smiling. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Earlier.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.yes.¡± Was he talking about me asking him how he got into the garden? I nodded in a daze and he answered leisurely. ¡°I came to find the one I love.¡± CH 147 The blunt-looking man but quite kind-hearted man wrapped his handkerchief around my blood-stained sole, then he put on my shoes before he stood up. A bright yellow sunset fell over his wide shoulders. Long dusk was obscuring the field I was looking for. ¡®Oh right, I shouldn¡¯t be so carefree like this.¡¯ Even though I thought of that, I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the face of the smiling man. Not just simply because he¡¯s handsome, but because he looked so sad. ¡°You came here because you¡¯re looking for the one you love?¡± The man was smiling, but he looked as if he was about to shed tears at any given moment. Without realizing it, I put my hands around his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± He nodded his head as if he had no intention of pointing out my rudeness. Far from being wet, his eyes which I touched were dry with no trace of tears and I was surprised by the actions I had taken, making me flinch back. ¡°Ack, I apologize.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I thought you were crying for a moment.¡± The man didn¡¯t reply and only blinked his eyes slowly. His eyes, which were dyed red in the sunset light, were staring at my face in concentration. ¡°Does the one you love stay here?¡± I asked, clearing my tightening throat. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll have to find out.¡± ¡°What is her name?¡± The estate managed by the Viscount was only a very small rural village. I might know her name if she lived here. ¡°Why are you asking?¡± ¡°I might be able to help you find the one you love, my lord.¡± The man grinned at the words I belatedly added. He was a person who laughed easily despite his cool impression which matched his blunt expression very well. ¡®And when he smiles¡­.¡¯ I listened to him, pressing on the area where my heart was beating loudly as if it would jump out of its ribcage. ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me my lord.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± I thought he would be a quasi-noble since he talked informally to me despite that it¡¯s our first meeting. The man was tall and of considerable size, but it didn''t look like he was even a knight. ¡®Is he just the servant of the Grand Duke?¡¯ I narrowed my eyes as I tried to guess the man¡¯s identity. I didn¡¯t know what he found good, but the man didn¡¯t even think to lower the corner of his lips which was raised. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t tell you her name.¡± ¡°Yes, well. It can¡¯t be helped if you don¡¯t like to tell me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Annie. I¡¯m a maid of the Viscount.¡± I scratched my cheek as I uttered the name with my lips, which seemed a bit provincial compared to the man¡¯s sophisticated manner. ¡®I¡¯m a bit embarrassed.¡¯ It would have been better if I had possessed someone with an elegant aristocratic name like Lorelei or Fredia. ¡°What about your name?¡± ¡°D¡­.¡± ¡°D?¡± ¡°Dylan.¡± I nodded my head at the short name that came out of the man¡¯s lips. ¡®I guess he¡¯s really not a noble.¡¯ Dylan, Annie, and Lindsay were ordinary names mostly used by commoners. ¡°Then, you¡¯re Grand Duke of Lagrange¡¯s servant, Dylan?¡± ¡°.....Well, I guess you can say it¡¯s something like that.¡± Dylan answered my question with a stiff lip. It was then that I remembered my original purpose and scrambled to my feet. ¡°Ah! Flowers!¡± ¡°Flowers?¡± ¡°I came here to pick flowers but I dallied too much.¡± I set aside the confused Dylan and looked around for wildflowers. ¡®They¡¯re gathered there.¡¯ As I limped towards where the wildflowers were blooming, I was caught by the waist and raised just like earlier. ¡°Wh-what¡¯s wrong?¡± Without being surprised by my body floating in the air, Dylan placed me in the same spot as before. I didn¡¯t know why he was so strong when he wasn¡¯t even a knight. ¡°Stay here. I¡¯ll pick them for you.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯d like the flowers with full petals and vivid leaves.¡± I blinked and opened my mouth, thinking he must be afraid my feet would be uncomfortable. He chuckled in disbelief at my brazen manner. ¡°I thought you were a maid and yet you¡¯re good at pushing others around.¡± ¡°Think of me as someone who appreciates the kindness of others.¡± Dylan walked while laughing lowly as if thinking my words were some kind of joke and came back after picking a few bundles of wildflowers. A gentle servant from Lagrange. That was my first impression of Dylan. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°His Grace said that he wanted to rest for the time being. I think he just came here to recuperate.¡± ¡°Recuperate?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There are rumors circulating that his health isn¡¯t good.¡± I tried to decorate my hair with pretty flowers and looked for the head maid, but she glanced at my appearance and told me there was no need while shrugging her shoulders. ¡°Keep the clothes safe since you might need them while he¡¯s still staying here.¡± ¡°........Yes.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of work that piled up while you were taking all day to get dressed up. Work hard today until late.¡± ¡®Did I say I wanted to dress up?¡¯ The head maid forgot that me dressing up was something she had ordered and clicked her tongue while handing a rag to me. ¡°Understood. Do I have to just finish cleaning the hallway to the balcony?¡± ¡°Yeah. Work hard.¡± I hurried out of the corridor to change into a maid¡¯s uniform because I couldn¡¯t do chores while dressed up, however, a shadow that was short on the top and long on the side blocked me. ¡°Young master?¡± It was Donovan. He was glaring at me with his nose flaring in anger at something. I took a step back, frowning at the bad foreboding I felt. ¡°Is there something the matter?¡± ¡°You. I heard you said you wanted to look good in front of the Grand Duke so you asked my father to buy you a dress?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± What kind of nonsense was he saying when I¡¯m not even the Viscount¡¯s daughter yet I, a mere maid, begged the master to buy me a dress? However, the stupid Donovan didn¡¯t even realize that they weren¡¯t my words and continued with a ruddy face. ¡°You don¡¯t want to be my concubine but you wanted to become the Grand Duke¡¯s mistress?¡± None of the above. I lowered my head and let out a low sigh, avoiding Donovan¡¯s fuming gaze. ¡°You¡¯re jumping to conclusions. I have never seen the Grand Duke¡¯s face.¡± ¡°Then, why would a mere maid walk around in a dress?¡± It seemed that the servants who didn¡¯t like me conveyed strange words to Donovan. Donovan, who was agitated, roughly grabbed my chin turning it here and there as if he would devour me, and began to look intently. ¡°What did you paint on your lips?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it¨C¡± ¡°This won¡¯t do. Follow me!¡± ¡°It was an order from the Viscount!¡± ¡°Enough with your excuses, damn it!¡± ¡®I¡¯m not making excuses!¡¯ I felt more afraid than feeling injustice at Donovan¡¯s action of suddenly grabbing my wrist. ¡®Would it have been better to be sold off somewhere?¡¯ The Viscount was an arrogant and aristocratic man, but he was a man of culture, and though the head maid was cold, she wasn¡¯t bad at heart. ¡®Moreover, Lindsay is here so I was able to hold out.¡¯ I just didn¡¯t know that Donovan, whom I thought was an obstinate and immature young master, would turn out to be this violent. ¡°Pl-please wait, young master!¡± ¡°Shut up! Are you not going to let go?!¡± ¡°It was really the Viscount¡¯s order! Please ask him!¡± ¡°Stop lying!¡± Donovan kicked my legs which refused to be dragged as I held unto the railings of the stairs. ¡°I said let go! Follow me while I¡¯m still being nice!¡± ¡®You¡¯re not even being nice!¡¯ Due to the loud commotion, a few servants came out into the hallway and watched us. Among them, there was also a servant with a larger build than Donovan ¨C who often flirted with me ¨C but he turned his head when our eyes met as if he had no intention of helping me. I glared at the people who turned a blind eye on me as I was being dragged away by Donovan, and then tightly closed my eyes. I didn¡¯t want to curse because they were cowards. Being a maid meant you had to keep your mouth shut even if you were beaten for no reason just for a few pennies. ¡®I should have gone to the city where there are a lot of people instead.¡¯ Maybe the Viscount would feel sorry and write off my debt after being hit by Donovan a few times for no reason. In the end, I lost the grip I had on the railing which I held on to with all my might. ¡°Kyaah!¡± Donovan roughly grabbed my head which fell to the floor. He bent his head and looked down at me who was breathing heavily, raising the corners of his lips nastily. ¡°That¡¯s why I told you to follow me while I¡¯m being nice.¡± ¡°Yo-young master¡­.¡± ¡®Whether you say something nice or not, I wouldn¡¯t follow people like you.¡¯ Words such as that filled my throat, but I did my best to swallow them and though I did nothing wrong, I put my hands together and pleaded guilty. ¡°I was wrong, young master.¡± ¡°What did you do wrong?¡± ¡°....A maid¡­a mere maid dared to wear a dress.¡± ¡°If you wanted to wear a dress, shouldn¡¯t you have listened to me when I told you to become my concubine?¡± I heard Donovan try to persuade me in a soft voice, muting his anger. I struggled to get out of his clutches as he still grabbed my hair roughly in his hand. ¡°Did you change your mind now?¡± ¡°............¡± ¡°A disobedient servant must be beaten to come to their senses. Should I have done this earlier?¡± I bit my lips as Donovan shook my head back and forth in the bright lobby. ¡°I told you that I¡¯d give a mere maid the body of a concubine and yet you impudently said no!¡± He was only a son of a lowly Viscount and yet he was already indecently frivolous, how terrible of a monster would he become once he succeed to the title? It might be better to bite my tongue and die than become Donovan¡¯s wife. As I thought like that, I swallowed a handful of tears that had pooled in my eyes, and at the end of my blurry vision, I saw a familiar figure. ¡®.....Dylan?¡¯ He was definitely someone I had met today for the first time, but why did he feel so familiar? Holding a box as if he was moving the Grand Duke¡¯s luggage, he slowly walked toward me. There was a loud thudding of footsteps. ¡°Wh-what are you doing!¡± Donovan shouted loudly at Dylan¡¯s appearance. ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask you.¡± Dylan¡¯s lips drew a smooth arc as he asked back at Donovan, but unlike before, I didn¡¯t feel like he was smiling prettily at all. CH 148 Dylan, who walked heavily toward me, roughly grabbed Donovan¡¯s wrist holding my bead. ¡°Ack!¡± Donovan let go of me as if he felt pain at his wrist being grabbed. ¡°I-Identify yourself!¡± Even while guessing that Dylan was a servant based on his clothes, Donovan seemed confused because his attitude was so imposing. ¡°Are you His Grace¡¯s¡­.family?¡± ¡°No.¡± At Dylan¡¯s tepid response, I raised my body which had fallen flat on the floor. I ran between Donovan and Dylan, who was growling like he would hit him right this instant and get into a fight. ¡°Dylan.¡± I drew his attention by keeping my mouth slightly open so that Donovan wouldn¡¯t hear me. ¡°No.¡± As I shook my head and protected Donovan, Dylan cocked his head to the side as if he didn¡¯t understand my behavior. ¡°Move.¡± ¡®What will you do if I move?¡¯ When I saw his eyes earlier, I thought they were red that sparkled like the sunset, but now I saw it was as black as the curtain of the night. ¡°I won¡¯t move.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡®What do you mean why, this guy!¡¯ Donovan was a noble and Dylan was a commoner. I let out a sigh at him who was unaware of his circumstance. ¡®I can¡¯t let Dylan get involved.¡¯ His boy was very strong, and he seemed to know how to wield a sword so he could easily beat Donovan who was ignorant of this world, but Donovan was without a doubt a noble young master. If Dylan, a commoner, hits Donovan, he could be executed for inflicting harm on a noble. ¡°I asked you who you are! Huh? It¡¯s the first time I¡¯m seeing your face!¡± Donovan, who came to his senses, grabbed my shoulder and stepped forward. Seeing that even the back of his ears was red, he must be quite angry. ¡°Hmph.¡± Dylan looked alternately between me, whose face turned pale, and Donovan, who was fuming, then shrugged his shoulders and opened his mouth. ¡°The Grand Duke.¡± Donovan¡¯s mouth dropped open in shock as if his jaw were about to fall off at the words that came out of his mouth. ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re the Grand Duke? The person father and I talked with earlier had introduced himself as the Grand Duke!¡± ¡®Dylan is the Grand Duke of Lagrange?¡¯ I was surprised too, that my eyes widened but Dylan slowly added. ¡°....His servant.¡± ¡°This bastard, a servant like you dared to grab my wrist?!¡± ¡°I thought you were treating the servant too harshly.¡± Donovan snorted at Dylan¡¯s words and raised his wrist which Dylan had grabbed earlier. ¡°What does that have to do with you! This woman is my maid!¡± Though he had hit hard enough to make a sound, Dylan easily dodged his fist by tilting his head. Several servants could be heard giggling as if laughing at Donovan in the back. The young master¡¯s precious face soon turned so red it looked like it would explode. ¡°This¨Cthis bastard, really! Insolent! What¡¯s your relationship with her?!¡± ¡°Kyaah!¡± ¡°Huh? Answer me, Annie! Are you cheating on me?¡± ¡®Cheating, my butt!¡¯ Since Donovan couldn¡¯t hit Dylan with a single blow, he began to unravel his resentment by pulling back my hair again. ¡°Th-there¡¯s nothing going on between us! I saw him for the first time today, young master!¡± ¡®Just like nothing is going on between us!¡¯ My voice grew louder in resentment. Fortunately, Donovan let go of me quickly this time, but Dylan¡¯s eyes sunk deeper. His eyes were so cold that even Donovan flinched for a moment. Dylan, who glanced at us without a word, slowly opened his mouth. ¡°How interesting.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°His Grace has been looking for this maid, so if you want to go to hell, why don¡¯t you keep holding her?¡± When Dylan finished speaking, he grabbed me and hid me behind his back so I wasn¡¯t able to see Donovan¡¯s stunned expression. ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You can confirm it.¡± Dylan¡¯s answer was full of conviction. That infamous and high-ranking Grand Duke of Lagrange was calling for his maid so how could Donovan, a mere young master of a Viscount, dare to stand in his way? The noisy lobby became quiet in an instant. Taking silence as an affirmation, Dylan gently held my hand and began walking away. ¡®The Grand Duke of Lagrange is looking for me?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t believe it, but it seemed like he was holding me with a polite hand that if I shook it off saying I didn¡¯t want to go, he would let me, so I followed him with confidence. ¡°Why is His Grace looking for me?¡± Entering the quiet hallway, I asked with wide eyes if the Grand Duke was staying in an annex building. ¡°Does he need anything or something?¡± ¡°I lied.¡± ¡°......What did you say?¡± I let out a laugh at Dylan¡¯s blunt answer. ¡°You¡¯re bold, really.¡± "..........." ¡°How could you lie like that? What if we get caught later?¡± Dylan shrugged his shoulders at my rebuke but didn¡¯t offer any countermeasures. ¡°Will you not be scolded by the Grand Duke?¡± I glanced at his ruffled shirt and pressed down on my aching temples. ¡°.......That¡¯s not going to happen.¡± ¡°What¡¯s not going to happen? If they don¡¯t like it, they¡¯ll scold you. They¡¯re all the same.¡± I raised the corner of my mouth at Dylan who seemed to believe in the character of his master. As if he was startled by my cynical attitude, his eyes widened. ¡°What are you so surprised about?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you hated the nobles that much.¡± ¡°Did you know that young master was such a scoundrel from the start?¡± ¡°That bastard¨C¡± I muted my voice and whispered deliberately the word ¡®scoundrel¡¯ but Dylan couldn¡¯t keep his cursing mouth. ¡°Hic! Please be careful of your words! You have to call him young master.¡± I was surprised and covered his mouth with both hands then pushed him inside the warehouse. ¡°It¡¯s a little dirty, but if you still have something to say, then say it here.¡± Dylan coughed a little at the musty air of the warehouse where old dust rises. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with him? His body is not even of high birth.¡¯ I looked around, turning my head to and fro at the sight of Dylan looking genteel. Fortunately, the high wall has a window. ¡°Wait. I¡¯ll open the window.¡± ".........." Dylan, who was lost in thought ever since earlier, didn¡¯t open his mouth even as I went to the window. ¡®Uhm. Is it too high?¡¯ I glanced at his sharp outline, half-submerged in the shadow, then jumped in place to open the window. ¡®I think I can reach it if I jumped a little higher¨C¡¯ ¡°Ack.¡± As if finding me funny, a long arm stretched out from behind. I didn¡¯t know when he came, but from right behind me, he opened the window instead of me. I swallowed my saliva as I became trapped in his arms. ¡°Thank you, Dylan.¡± If I turn around, I think our faces would be very close. He seemed to have no plans of moving away so I had no choice but to look up at the night sky filling the window. ¡®Why am I so nervous?¡¯ He was a person I met for the first time earlier today, but I thought he felt too comfortable, and yet now I¡¯m standing on my toes. ¡®Is it because he¡¯s handsome?¡¯ My toes twitched at the low breath falling at my nape and put both my hands on the wall. ¡°W-will you please move? Silence. ¡°Dylan?¡± ¡°....Why is that young master treating you like that?¡± The situation where I had refused Donovan¡¯s passionate courtship was well-known among the servants in the Viscounty, but there was nothing good that would come out of informing an outsider. ¡®Hic¡­.!¡¯ But then he started fiddling with my hair so I stammered and opened my mouth without thinking. ¡°The yo-young master wants me to become his concubine.¡± Crunch. There was a sound of something breaking but the surroundings were dark that I couldn¡¯t figure out what it was. ¡®Was there a mouse?¡¯ ¡°And then?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Dylan lifted my chin as if he was frustrated that I didn¡¯t answer right away. Our faces were closer than I had expected and that distance was beautiful enough to forget. The ends of my fingertips tingled at Dylan¡¯s elegant beauty under the dim moonlight. ¡®Isn¡¯t this beauty enough to make Donovan fall for Dylan and not me?¡¯ ¡°So, are you thinking of getting married?¡± His questioning voice was strangely dark. I responded hastily to his souring mood. ¡°No? I don¡¯t like the young master. I¡¯m forced to stay here in the Viscount¡¯s house because of my debt but I plan to go to the capital after paying it all off.¡± I didn¡¯t even know why I was explaining the whole story. Dylan sighed softly as if relieved by my words and removed the arms that had been holding me captive. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m thinking of looking for a job in the commercial district.¡± ¡°I could help you get a job in Lagrange.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sick and tired of nobles now.¡± He scratched his chin when I added that it was better to be a commoner with a lot of money than a noble. ¡°Not all nobles are like your young master.¡± ¡°Ha? Well, are you trying to say your master is different?¡± ¡°No, It¡¯s not like that¡­.¡± When I placed my hand on my side and smiled cynically, Dylan started to mumble. I wrinkled my nose because I found his behavior cute. ¡°I guess it hasn¡¯t been long since you¡¯ve started working.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Servants who have only served a nobleman for a while often fall into such thoughts. Thinking, our master is different.¡± However, the Grand Duke of Lagrange would be no different. Besides, he also had a bad reputation. ¡°Moreover, don¡¯t you know I had a difficult time because of your master?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Phew. His Grace has mysophobia so I had been up cleaning for the past few days without getting proper sleep.¡± Dylan¡¯s eyes widened as if it was news to him. ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t particularly like your master.¡± ".............." His face stiffened at my confession, perhaps due to his excessive loyalty. ¡®Why is he so shocked?¡¯ CH 149 It had already been a week since the Grand Duke of Lagrange came to visit the Viscounty. I hadn¡¯t been able to see him in the mansion since he had either been touring the territory or going hunting until today when I could finally see him for real. ¡°Is that person really the Grand Duke of Lagrange?¡± ¡°.......That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Really?¡± At my question, Dylan slowly nodded his head. I couldn¡¯t believe him and frowned. ¡®But Dylan¡¯s more handsome though?¡¯ Dietrich was the strongest villain in the world and at the same time a handsome man enough to rival the main character. But the ¡®Grand Duke of Lagrange¡¯ from the distance could hardly be called handsome. ¡®Did he get a villain buff in the novel?¡¯ The man whom Dylan pointed out to be his master got off the black stallion and brushed his greasy fringe. He was tall and clean, but it felt like he was someone who would mess around. ¡®He looks more like a servant who serves people higher than the nobility while his tongue rolls in his mouth.¡¯ [1] ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just¡­.my expectations.¡± ¡®He¡¯s ugly.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t bear to see his master¡¯s excitement in front of him so I shrugged my shoulders and swallowed my words. ¡°Is it all right if you don¡¯t follow him?¡± The Grand Duke returned to the mansion with the Viscount without even paying attention to the servants. However, even as Dylan introduced himself to be the Grand Duke¡¯s servant, he didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of following him. ¡°The Grand Duke asked me to help him in his work in the Viscounty.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. With you¨C¡± That was good to hear. I smiled broadly at Dylan¡¯s words and before he could finish his sentence, I handed him a broom. ¡°Then, please sweep the front door. I¡¯ll come back after eating lunch.¡± ¡°.....All right.¡± As if he hadn¡¯t done this kind of work, he accepted the broom with a wry look. ¡°Can you do it?¡± I wondered if Dylan would be able to do it well, but when I grabbed my rumbling stomach, I turned around and hesitated no more. ¡°Thank you, Dylan!¡± ¡°...........¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Here, the sandwich you asked for.¡± Having pigged out at the dining area where the servants take their meals, I asked Ronan the kitchen assistant, for a sandwich. ¡°But, you¡¯ve already eaten that much lunch and you¡¯re going to eat a sandwich again?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll eat it as a snack. Stop nagging.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to eat it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± I was going to give it to Dylan, but if I say I¡¯m taking care of an outsider and not an employee under the Viscount, they might say something again behind my back. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say I need to gain some weight?¡± I shrugged my shoulders and gave a nonchalant comment. Ronan couldn¡¯t make great dishes since he was just a kitchen assistant, but he made the smoked ham sandwich topped with a lot of homemade mustard more delicious than the chefs. The smell of fresh bread wafting under my nose made me salivate even though I had already maxed out my stomach. ¡®If he didn¡¯t do well in cleaning up, then I¡¯ll eat half of this myself.¡¯ I felt like someone had told me I couldn¡¯t eat if I didn¡¯t work. I didn¡¯t expect Dylan to finish cleaning on his own anyway. As I rushed to the front door with the intention of finishing the cleaning myself, my jaw dropped in disbelief at the scene unfolding before my eyes. ¡®Oh my god!¡¯ Not only was it clean but I felt like going blind by the shiny glow. ¡®Did the front door always have this appearance?¡¯ The marble porch, which shone white as if it had found its true color, was as clean as it had just been built. ¡°Dylan?¡± I grabbed Dylan¡¯s arm in astonishment as he was wiping the post with a dry rag. ¡°I think you can stop now. It¡¯s already so clean that people might slip.¡± He looked back at me after being so absorbed in cleaning that the didn¡¯t even know that I was there. I blinked my eyes in amazement and then hardened my face seriously. ¡°Do you have any intentions of changing jobs?¡± If he was a hired professional cleaner instead of just being an errand servant, he could probably triple his wage, but he slowly shook his head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why? You¡¯re overflowing with talent.¡± ¡®I can¡¯t believe he made the front porch so clean in the short time that I was eating lunch. Is he some kind of cleaning genius?¡¯ I handed him the sandwich I brought with admiration. ¡°That¡¯s it for cleaning, aren¡¯t you hungry? Eat this.¡± As he stared at the sandwich I thrust in front of him, he opened his mouth as if he planned to eat the sandwich while standing in place. ¡°You¡¯re going to eat it here?¡± Dylan looked at me instead of eating the sandwich at my question. I pointed my finger at the warm, sunny sky. ¡°Go to the garden and eat it. The weather is so nice today, after all.¡± I took Dylan¡¯s hand, who nibbled on the sandwich with enthusiasm that didn¡¯t match his aristocratic impression that gives off primness. ¡®He already ate half of it.¡¯ ¡°Is it because you don¡¯t know where the garden is?¡± I remembered when I first met him, he was standing in the middle of the garden out of the blue and judged he was probably bad at directions. ¡°Follow me.¡± I thought that I might have grabbed his hand hastily and planned to let it go along the way, but he held on to my hand tightly. I glanced at him in surprise but he had the same blunt expression. ¡®Is he afraid he¡¯d get lost?¡¯ The Viscount¡¯s mansion was small, but it was still easy to get lost because of its complex structure. When I became conscious of the hand that I was holding, I became belatedly embarrassed. I quickened my steps fearing that my hands may become sweaty. ¡°You remember this place? This is the Viscounty¡¯s garden.¡± I looked back at Dylan, pointing at the rose vine that the Viscountess herself was taking care of. It was because we had reached our destination but Dylan still hadn¡¯t let go of my hand. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± When I waved my hand which he was still holding, it was then that he sluggishly let go. I opened my mouth as I glanced at his cheeks dyed reddish by the sun. ¡°It would be boring to eat alone so I¡¯ll stay here with you.¡± Although I said it like I was being generous, I¡¯d have to clean again when I go back so I just wanted to goof around. I was about to sit on the bench and leave Dylan standing but he pulled a handkerchief out of his pockets. ¡°Servants also go around bringing that?¡± I¡¯ve been a maid for more than two years but it was the first time I saw a servant carrying a handkerchief. ¡°.......I like being clean, that¡¯s why.¡± He replied hesitantly like he was making an excuse and then laid a white handkerchief on my seat. There was no embroidery but it looked expensive with its sheen. ¡°Thank you.¡± I blinked my eyes and thanked him for the delicate consideration that only young masters would do. ¡®The owner likes clean things so it looks like the servant is like that too.¡¯ Though Dylan still took the sandwich that others gave him and casually ate it. ¡°Today¡¯s weather is really great.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He seemed to be on the quiet side so the tranquil garden soon quieted down. I glanced at him as he munched on the sandwich and then leaned my back on the chair, closing my eyes. If I could hear the sound of spring coming, it would have been romantic, but the gentle wind that touched my cheeks was really the spring itself. ¡®It feels like we¡¯re on a picnic.¡¯ ¡°Ah, by the way ¨C¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Did you find the one you love?¡± Perhaps my question was too sudden that Dylan, who was chewing on his food heartily, hardened his jaw. ¡®He still hasn¡¯t found her yet?¡¯ It was already more than a week since I met him and if he hadn¡¯t found her yet, I wanted to help him. ¡°I guess you haven¡¯t found her.¡± "..........." ¡°What does she look like? I don¡¯t know so tell me.¡± I swung my feet in the air and urged him who didn¡¯t answer. ¡°She¡¯s pretty.¡± My shoulder stiffened at the sudden reply. I feigned a smile and tilted my head. ¡®Tell me something about her hair or eye color, and her features. Who the heck says pretty as a clue?¡¯ Though I was thinking like that, my mouth said differently. ¡°Well, how pretty?¡± ¡°The prettiest in the world.¡± "............" Looking at Dylan¡¯s blunt expression, I doubted my ears. ¡®Even though he looks blunt the most in the world, I can¡¯t believe he could say things like that well.¡¯ It¡¯s romantic, but it¡¯s not very helpful in finding the person he¡¯s looking for. ¡®Since Dylan is handsome, the person who looks pretty in his eyes must be a great beauty.¡¯ I pouted and frowned at Dylan¡¯s half-hearted answer. ¡°Prettier than me?¡± I also didn¡¯t know why such words suddenly popped out of my lips. If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. ¡°N-never mind. Please don¡¯t answer that.¡± I lowered my head, covering my hot cheeks with the back of my hand. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding.¡± It would have been a little less embarrassing if Dylan had laughed out loud, but there was no sound at all from his side. As I furtively lifted my face, he slowly reached out his arm and held the tip of my hair. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°..............¡± ¡°I¡¯m not really sure.¡± With his hand on the backrest of the chair where he rested his chin, he let out a languid laugh. I was mesmerized by that low laugh that I couldn¡¯t stop him from kissing the tips of my hair. Whether it was because of the scorching sun, or because I was so shy that my hands and feet were curling, my face was so hot that I felt like it would explode any time soon. ¡®He doesn¡¯t know whether the one he loves is prettier than me or not?¡¯ ¡°What did you say?¡± I was so embarrassed and pushed Dylan¡¯s shoulder in shock. ¡°Are you a wo, wo, womanizer?¡± ¡°What?¡± He briefly let out a breath as if he couldn¡¯t believe my question. I quickly stood up from my seat, looking at his slightly tilted head. ¡°Dylan, you were like a total womanizer just now!¡± "............." ¡°If you¡¯re done eating the sandwich, let¡¯s go back to work.¡± Notes: [1] tongue rolling in one¡¯s mouth - a complete yes man to someone (they serve or boss) or simply be obedient CH 150 ¡°Your Grace!¡± As Dietrich was entering his room, Lancel came rushing in a hurry. He clung to Dietrich¡¯s arm like a child with a pale face and gritted his teeth. ¡°Why have you come only now?! I was so scared I might get caught!¡± ¡°I had something to do.¡± ¡°You said you¡¯d stay by my side no matter what!¡± At Lancel¡¯s resentful words like he was an abandoned lover, Dietrich frowned and pushed him aside. He answered as he dusted off his pants where Lancel had touched. ¡°I think I said if something happens.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not good at lying so I can¡¯t relax.¡± From Lancel¡¯s hair, who was rudely being a menace to Dietrich, black water was dripping as if he had just washed. That was because all the hair dye that they could urgently buy in this rural town was cheap. Dietrich took a step back and swept his chin as if Lancel, who was dripping with water, was dirty. ¡°I understand, so be careful not to get caught.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not even inspecting their territory so why on earth are you hiding your identity?¡± Under the pretext of his master¡¯s sudden departure to a rural village, the butler, who had intended to enjoy a vacation, was extremely dissatisfied with his unplanned role. Dietrich shrugged his shoulders and approached the window, pretending not to hear Lancel¡¯s voice. Since the Viscount yielded his wife¡¯s bedroom to the Grand Duke of Lagrange, his room had been overlooking the garden. Just in time, he caught sight of Anissa bringing a broom and sweeping the garden. ¡°My goodness.¡± Looking at her, Lancel saw Dietrich smiling beautifully that he wondered if his eyes have gone weird so he rubbed his eyes and coughed. ¡°Do you like that miss, Your Grace?¡± Lancel was from a family of butlers who had been serving the Lagrange for a long time. The butler, who had dyed his graying blonde hair to black, not fitting his age, stiffened his jaw and spoke. ¡°But since she¡¯s a maid, even if you make her your concubine, people are bound to talk.¡± ¡°Concubine?¡± At Lancel¡¯s words, Dietrich, who was listening against the sunny window, distorted his face. The butler who was frightened by the instantly subdued air could only avoid his gaze. ¡°Come to think of it, the Viscount¡¯s son had said that.¡± Dietrich tilted his head, recalling an unpleasant memory that felt uncomfortable just thinking about it again. ¡°What¡¯s that bastard¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Are you talking about the Viscount¡¯s son, Donovan?¡± ¡°Without a mouse nor a bird knowing¡­¡­.¡± Dietrich had trailed his words, but Lancel who had long served by his side understood what he meant. However, instead of being bewildered, the butler twitched his fingers and followed his master. ¡°Do you not like him? Shall I take care of him?¡± ¡°No, let¡¯s wait for now.¡± Dietrich remembered the insult Donovan inflicted on Anissa. Although she didn¡¯t seem to care much about him, she still couldn¡¯t let him die so easily. ¡®What did he do to make him so angry?¡¯ Lancel could only be curious. His master was an indifferent and cold man to a surprising degree, but he wasn¡¯t a cruel demon as people think. ¡°Understood. Is there anything else you need?¡± ¡°Get more servant¡¯s clothes.¡± ¡°......Please be more careful if you plan to continue acting as a servant.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you to clean a little less. It is said that there are already three people who slipped and gotten hurt on the front porch which you had cleaned.¡± It was so clean that it seemed to be unexpected to match the work of a servant. However, Dietrich was quite satisfied. At any rate, he was able to meet Anissa again and became a little closer to her. ¡®Although she doesn¡¯t seem to remember me at all.¡¯ Dietrich recalled his bet with Vassago. Along with the price that would be paid if she never remembered him. ¡®If you and Anissa are really destined, then she¡¯ll be able to remember.¡¯ Vassago was a clever demon and a man harboring a great hatred against Lagrange. He knew love and understood how blind people in love were. ¡®So even if you¡¯re just being used, there¡¯s nothing you can do about it.¡¯ Dietrich had not been given a choice. Because death was better than a life without her. He knew that she had given up everything to save him, but they wanted something so different from each other. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°About the Grand Duke of Lagrange¡¯s servant, isn¡¯t he totally handsome?¡± I blinked to hide my flustered face at Lindsay¡¯s subtle question. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°What was his name? I think it was Dylan?¡± ¡°Oh, well. He is handsome.¡± ¡°Sarah¡¯s face is glowing. She¡¯s aiming for him hard.¡± ¡°Sarah is?¡± Sarah was the second most popular maid after me among the maids because of her remarkable beauty and skillful hands. ¡®I heard she¡¯s a great man-eater¡­¡­¡¯ Sarah boasted of such an impressive love life to the point where there was no one she hadn¡¯t met in this small town and was famous for throwing away her partners when her interest waned, regardless of whether they were clinging to her or not. ¡®I¡¯m a little worried.¡¯ But Dylan had someone he loved so he might not fall for it. ¡®No. Dylan looked like a womanizer.¡¯ He said he came to find the woman he loved but he told me that I was prettier than her. I¡¯d be lying if I said those words didn¡¯t make my heart flutter, but I was also disappointed. ¡®Well, even if I¡¯m not close to him, I¡¯m still disappointed in him.¡¯ ¡°But that man named Dylan seemed like a womanizer.¡± ¡°Annie, how do you know that?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I was upset and wanted to talk about Dylan behind his back to Lindsay, but she unexpectedly responded positively. ¡°You know what they say about face value.¡± I turned to look at Lindsay while holding a duster in my hand. ¡°Why? Did someone say he¡¯s a womanizer too?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a rumor that Jessie went to visit him the night before and he opened the door for her. I guess he¡¯ll accept any woman if you just push him.¡± ¡°......Really?¡± I was so surprised that I could no longer hide my disappointment at Lindsay¡¯s words. I felt uncomfortable with the feeling of my heart sinking. ¡°Yeah. Dorothea said she saw it.¡± ¡°Bastard.¡± ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡± ¡°N-nothing.¡± Lindsay widened her eyes in bewilderment at the curse I mumbled. I waved my hand hastily saying I misspoke. ¡°I¡¯ll wash the blankets!¡± I hurried out of my place with the summer quilt of the madam in my arms. The muslin rustled in my arms. Perhaps it was because of the rough cloth that touched my skin, my heart had been strangely tingling since a while ago. ¡®Why am I upset? It¡¯s not something upsetting, Annie!¡¯ I comforted myself but the woman that Dylan was looking for wasn¡¯t even me yet my heart was aching at the sense of betrayal I felt. ¡®He looked very desperate but I must have seen it wrong.¡¯ When I first saw Dylan, I thought he looked sad as if he were crying even though he was smiling. His eyes were full of longing for the one he loved and looked ardent. ¡°Hmph. He¡¯s a pure liar and a womanizer.¡± Donovan had always coaxed me to be his lover saying that all men were from there to there, but he may not be completely wrong. Step, step. I started stepping on the wet blanket full of rage. Thanks to that, the splashing of water droplets reached even my face, but if I didn¡¯t do it this way I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to relieve my anger. ¡®No wonder he keeps giving me strange looks!¡¯ Stepping on the blanket with full anger makes me feel like doing the laundry was easier than usual. I felt a little better after throwing all the dirty water and so I sat in the quiet laundry area enjoying the sunshine. Summer was already coming. If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. The Grand Duke of Lagrange had been staying in the Viscounty for longer than I thought. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t they be returning to Lagrange soon?¡¯ Although the rose war was over, since he was a great noble, there should be a lot of territories for him to manage. ¡®I guess he¡¯s as bad as he looks.¡¯ As I recalled the substandard looks of the Grand Duke, my ears perked up at the sound of words coming from the back door. ¡°Until when are you going to hide?¡± I could hear two people squabbling as if they were arguing. ¡°If you¡¯re in love just say you¡¯re in love. Why aren¡¯t you saying anything!¡± There was an indignant man with a beautiful voice like that of a young boy. ¡®Is it a lover¡¯s quarrel?¡¯ The most interesting thing in the world was to remain a mere spectator of a lover¡¯s quarrel across the wall. I flicked off my wet hands and crept up to them. The sound was coming from the other side of the building so I couldn¡¯t clearly see their faces. ¡°I told you to just confess but what are you still doing?¡± ¡°.......I love you.¡± The previous words were mumbled that I couldn¡¯t hear clearly, but the voice was so sweet that it was romantic enough. I covered my mouth with both my hands and began to listen in on the lover¡¯s secret meeting. ¡°I love you so much that it would be all right to die as long as I can meet you again.¡± It was a desperate confession that made my heart flutter just by hearing it. However, when the lovers started walking and revealed themselves, I couldn¡¯t help the frown on my forehead. ¡®Dylan?¡¯ Because one of the men who showed up was someone I knew. Next to him, a man as handsome and tall as him but on the leaner side with a gorgeous pretty face stood blankly. ¡®Jessie, Sarah, and now even a man?¡¯ ¡°.......Degenerate.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You degenerate! Womanizer!¡± CH 151 ¡°Is that woman your ¡®Anissa¡¯?¡± Yuric placed his hand on Dietrich¡¯s shoulder who was looking dejected at the back of the woman who was getting farther away. ¡°Is she that Anissa whom you love so much you would give up the Grand Duke seat to me if you could just see her again?¡± ¡°........That¡¯s right.¡± Dietrich, who ignored Yuric¡¯s words, belatedly nodded his head. ¡°You threw everything away and looked for her and here I thought you¡¯re already dating¡­..¡± His heartless half-brother clicked his tongue and made sense of the situation. ¡°So it¡¯s a one-sided love.¡± Dietrich wrinkled his brow in annoyance at Yuric¡¯s evaluation and touched his temple. ¡°I think there¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± He didn¡¯t know what she was thinking, making him out to be a womanizer. He was dumbfounded that he had wanted to explain to her but even if he did, she had already walked away so fast that she had become as small as a thumb in the distance. He could feel her fuming just by her enthusiastic gait that he felt confused. Last time, too, she had looked at him as if he were a rake, and today, she definitely had made her own strange misunderstanding. ¡°I can¡¯t believe she called you a womanizer, it¡¯s a bit unfair. You¡¯ve never even held a woman¡¯s hand because you kept talking about Anissa.¡± Yuric grinned, teasing him who had a dumbstruck look. There was no way the elders would have left the young Grand Duke alone who had no interest in women, what more of marriage. Even though they didn¡¯t attach a woman to him obstinately, people were still allured by his appearance and high status, but Dietrich had never given them an eye. ¡°I thought you were just making excuses not to meet women, but I¡¯m relieved she really does exist.¡± Yuric laughed lazily and tapped Dietrich¡¯s shoulder. However, he still only gave him a warning with a face that didn¡¯t smile. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯m Dietrich Lagrange, so treat me like a servant in front of her.¡± ¡°Only in front of her? Shouldn¡¯t I start now? If you want to act then we should do it perfectly.¡± ¡°What are you going to do perfectly?¡± Yuric, who was trying to take advantage of the opportunity to boss around Dietrich, gave a flustered smile at his bloodthirsty eyes and spoke. ¡°Ah, I heard Hermann Euclid will be coming.¡± With that one name, Dietrich¡¯s cold atmosphere in Lagrange, unlike his docile personality right now, returned in an instant. ¡®I see.¡¯ Yuric shrugged, blaming himself for thinking that Dietrich had changed. ¡°Why is that bastard coming here?¡± ¡°I think he must have heard somewhere that you¡¯re playing a commoner. I think he said he¡¯s also coming to play?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop him?¡± ¡°What power do I have to stop the Duke of Euclid?¡± That¡¯s right. They didn¡¯t have the power now. Dietrich groaned in annoyance at Yuric¡¯s blunt answer. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡®What in the world is going on?¡¯ It was strange enough that there was no rose war like in the novel, and even stranger that the Grand Duke of Lagrange visited the territory of this humble Viscounty out of the blue. ¡®Is that not enough that even Hermann Euclid is also coming?¡¯ Did the backdrop of the novel change to a booger-sized territory of a Viscount instead of Lagrange or Euclid without me knowing? I stared up blankly at the ¡®protagonist¡¯ who made a spectacular appearance with fanfare. The beauty of his appearance was less than Dylan''s, but the lively charm of the main character stood out, drawing one¡¯s attention. Astonished, I quickly bowed my head, but I could feel him approaching me when he got off the horse. ¡®Is he going to hit me for being insolent?¡¯ Nobles didn¡¯t like it when their servants leer at them. I was frightened and glanced at the Viscount and his wife who didn¡¯t know what to do with Duke Euclid¡¯s appearance. ¡°Are you the Viscount¡¯s maid?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Grace! I¡¯m Annie!¡± Thankfully, Hermann¡¯s voice was friendly. When I stiffened up as I answered, he even smiled as if to say there was no need to be afraid. ¡°I like your hair color. So I¡¯d like for you to become my personal maid.¡± ¡°.......Excuse me?¡± He¡¯s going to pick his personal maid based on hair color which had nothing to do with their skillful hand and capabilities? I looked back at the Viscount, swallowing my chuckle at Hermann¡¯s absurd remarks. He nodded greatly, grabbed my shoulders, and pushed me at Hermann. ¡°We can do that, Your Grace!¡± ¡°Does the maid¡¯s opinion not matter?¡± ¡°She¡¯s just a maid so what opinion does she have?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to say that.¡± Hermann¡¯s face stiffened. He obviously denied the words of the Viscount but I thought that he was essentially no different from him. He picked me out of a bunch of maids like an item after all. ¡°It¡¯s an honor for me to attend to Your Grace.¡± Even as I grinned to please the young Duke, I thought of Dylan. ¡®Even though Dylan looks like a loafer, he¡¯s not an aristocrat.¡¯ I didn¡¯t know why I couldn¡¯t get him out of my head when he¡¯s a degenerate and a womanizer. If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Since I hadn¡¯t seen Donovan for how many days already, perhaps he had something to do, naturally, I ended up serving Hermann instead of Donovan. After a few days of following him around, I found out that he carried many nicknames such as ¡®protagonist¡¯, ¡®hero¡¯, and more than I expected he¡¯s¡­¡­ ¡®Either stupid or just bright person.¡¯ He¡¯s an easy person. I didn¡¯t know why the busy Duke left his territory and came down to the Viscounty, but he seemed quite free. The first few days, I had been following him, but after a few days, I had been so busy wiping and polishing the manor that he started following me. ¡®He¡¯s getting in my way so why don¡¯t he just go back and take a nap.¡¯ Hermann, who had offered to help when I said I needed to clean the garden, was of no help at all and only asked questions here and there with eyes that sparkled with curiosity which was annoying. ¡®Dylan has been a great help.¡¯ I longed for the kind and blunt servant of Lagrange. Of course, since Dylan wasn¡¯t a noble, he must be used to chores. ¡°Annie, Annie. What¡¯s the name of this flower?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a cockscomb.¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty just like you!¡± I heaved a sigh at Hermann, who was smiling brightly like a young boy as he plucked flowers from someone else¡¯s garden while handing them to me. Normally, if I behaved like this, the authoritative aristocrats would have hit me by now, but I already found out how easy-going of a person he was. ¡®Isn¡¯t he still looking at me?¡¯ When I didn¡¯t give him a positive response, he held the flowers he picked in his hands and roamed his eyes restlessly. ¡°Phew, please give me the flowers.¡± ¡°Why did you sigh?¡± ¡°If you grip them like that, they¡¯ll all die.¡± ¡°Ah! Sorry!¡± He hastily dropped the cockscomb from his hands and apologized. I swept my broom around him and opened my mouth indifferently. ¡°I can do this by myself so you may go back.¡± ¡°But I wanted to help you.¡± ¡°Your Grace, may I be honest with you?¡± ¡°Oh, you can tell me anything. I am a man who knows loyalty.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Hermann greatly nodded his head at my question. ¡°Of course. Tell me anything.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to continue to stick to me, you¡¯re going to get in the way of my work, Your Grace.¡± ¡°....Am I annoying?¡± Hermann asked me carefully. If he were a puppy, he would have drooping ears in his appearance so imagining that, I couldn¡¯t answer right away and only moistened my lips. ¡°Annie, I think there¡¯s a misunderstanding but I¡¯m not originally a person like this who clings to someone.¡± I didn¡¯t believe him at all. After all, Hermann¡¯s been following me around and bothering me after we just met. ¡®I thought he was the type to easily become lonely when nobody¡¯s around.¡¯ When I only stared at him with round eyes, he opened his lips with a sigh. ¡°I also don¡¯t know the reason, but I feel like I have to stay by your side.¡± "?" I scratched my cheek at the familiar foreboding of a situation that was about to come which I¡¯m quite used to since I became Annie. ¡®It was the same situation with the kitchen assistant and even the prospective butler¡­.¡¯ I wondered if the Duke fell for me. I placed my hand over Hermann¡¯s shoulders, strangely satisfied by my overflowing charm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Your Grace, but I don¡¯t see you as a man at all.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I also don¡¯t see you as a woman.¡± ¡°.......Excuse me?¡± His face stiffened seriously at my rejection. I couldn¡¯t meet his eyes in embarrassment at his distorted frown. ¡°I just feel like I have to protect you. I think you would fall into danger right away, that¡¯s why.¡± ¡®Is it heroism?¡¯ I understood his sentiments since his main job was being a hero, but if I¡¯m in danger of only using the broom in the garden, it would be because I only fell into a puddle. ¡°Your Grace, there are many people in the world who needs your help more than me.¡± ".................." ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and help them.¡± Hermann slumped and turned his back at my firm words. His figure made me a little weak-hearted, but if I continued to suffer like this, I may not be able to finish my work properly today. ¡®And then I would get scolded by the head maid again!¡¯ My salary had already been reduced because of Donovan¡¯s hatred, and if this continued, I might not be able to leave the position of a maid in the Viscounty for the rest of my life. ¡®I can¡¯t let that happen.¡¯ CH 152 ¡°Why are you avoiding me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not avoiding you.¡± I did my best to avoid Dylan¡¯s eyes as I held on to the brush which was familiar as if it was my body. ¡°Aren¡¯t you avoiding me right now?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± I couldn¡¯t find any excuses for him with his reproachful eyes. After all, he was correct that I was avoiding him. ¡°Then why won¡¯t you meet my eyes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just b-busy. What do you mean I¡¯ve been avoiding you?¡± Nonetheless, I casually lied and turned my head to the other side. ¡®Is he putting honey on his face every night?¡¯ Dylan, who was still dashingly handsome, looked at me. Looking at his deep red eyes under the sun, my heart wavered again. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s too handsome.¡¯ I didn¡¯t think I was a person who would easily give their heart to just anyone. ¡°Please don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± I thought maybe it was because of those eyes. Those desperate eyes. Those eyes looked at me fondly as if they wanted me and looked so sorrowful like he would cry any time soon making me feel like I had to do something right away. ¡°And now you¡¯re telling me not to look at you?¡± Dylan looked at me gruffly while chewing on his lips as I squinted my eyes in order not to look at him. ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­¡± I hastily waved my hands at his stiff face. ¡°I was truly busy. I¡¯m sorry if I hurt your feelings.¡± Rather than being disappointed because he was a womanizer, I was more scared. There were so many stories about a man coming from the city and a woman doing chores and falling in love in this small country town. Though the Viscounty was a quiet place, it was a simple beauty so there were always tourists. When knights claiming to be warriors passed by this small town saying they were on an adventure, one of them always falls in love with a village girl as if it was predetermined. However, not a single man settled in this town just because he fell in love. ¡®I¡¯ll be back.¡¯ There may no longer be women who believe those words, but even the shrewd Lindsay believed that love really blinds people. ¡®If I don¡¯t come back, look at this token and find me.¡¯ There were countless men who left their daggers or amulets saying they were family heirlooms. Likewise, Lindsay had received a purple fir tree imprinted on an amulet from her lover, but it didn¡¯t take long to find out that the ¡®heirloom¡¯ was a garbage that couldn¡¯t even be accepted in junk shops. I could still see Lindsay¡¯s crying appearance lingering in my eyes. ¡®I will never be like that.¡¯ If I fall in love with Dylan, I¡¯ll be the only one to get hurt. It would be better for him to remain as a kind servant from Lagrange to me. I hardened my heart and determined to push Dylan¡¯s earnest face away. ¡°So please move out of the way. I¡¯m working right now.¡± At my request, he grimaced even as he slightly moved his body away. ¡®He listens so well.¡¯ I had thought that but instead of leaving, he started following me. ¡°Why are you following me?¡± The Grand Duchy of Lagrange seemed to have leftover money. I couldn¡¯t believe they¡¯re still paying a playboy like Dylan. ¡°I¡¯m going to help you work.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything else to do?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to help you with your work.¡± I shrugged my shoulders at Dylan¡¯s words which sounded like a pledge and pointed at the upper floor. ¡°Just in time, you¡¯ve heard that the Duke of Euclid has visited the Viscounty right? Don¡¯t follow me and serve His Grace instead.¡± Before I could finish my words, I heard a loud cracking sound at my side. Surprised, I turned around and saw the small statue that had been adorning the hallway had fallen and rolled down. ¡®Did it fall because it¡¯s already old?¡¯ Dylan, who was standing blankly nearby, seemed unwilling to pick up the statue, so I bent over and held the small bird-shaped piece in my arms instead. ¡°Why are you just standing there? I told you to go see him.¡± ¡°.........Did you just tell me to take care of that bastard right now?¡± I looked around, startled by Dylan¡¯s ignorant words. Fortunately, the hallway was quiet. ¡°Wh-what do you mean that bastard! How could you call the Duke of Euclid like that?¡± He was already causing enough trouble with the way he calls the Grand Duke of Lagrange and the Viscount and his wife! However, the Duke of Euclid had a higher reputation than the Grand Duke of Lagrange. After all, he was someone who could freely use the power of the sun. ¡®Though in the novel, Dietrich Lagrange was a bit stronger.¡¯ Dylan, who was looking at my flustered face, pressed down on his temple. He answered with gritted teeth as if he was being patient about something. ¡°The Duke of Euclid ¡­. His Grace won¡¯t be needing my help.¡± I didn¡¯t think I could send him now even if His Grace needed help. A servant with such a cheeky tongue would have been decapitated right off the bat. I nodded as I checked Dylan¡¯s neck if it was still well-attached. ¡°I see, well. If you don¡¯t have anything to do, then follow me.¡± I couldn¡¯t just leave his hands with nothing to do just because I was uncomfortable. I strung Dylan along on my back and headed to the garden which was full of dead spring flowers in time for summer. ¡°I¡¯ll sweep the garden first. Dylan¡­ah, please wipe the fountain.¡± Normally, we¡¯d work together and chat, but I wanted to keep a strictly business relationship with him so I pointed to the fountain at a distance. ¡°Are we not doing it together?¡± Dylan, who looked at the white rag I handed over indifferently, seemed full of dissatisfaction instead of reaching out his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s work separately today. Also, if you¡¯re good with your hands, please attach the head of this statue.¡± Perhaps it had fallen and cracked, but under the bright sunlight, the statue seemed to have been crushed as if someone had put a lot of strength into it. If I took it to the head maid as it was, she would likely suspect that I was the one who broke it. ¡°Wait.¡± After Dylan took the bird piece, he grabbed me who had walked away quickly. I bit my lip at his consideration of not giving strength to his grip as if he feared I might get hurt. ¡®If you hold me like this, how could anyone not be able to shake you off.¡¯ However, contrary to what I had thought, his grip wasn¡¯t easily shaken off. Wasn¡¯t it because he was so considerate to people like this that anyone could mistake him for a womanizer? ¡°What is it?¡± I turned around and looked at Dylan, who moved his lips as if he had something to say to me. ¡°Tell me now if you have any business with me, Dylan.¡± ¡°Are you angry with me?¡± ¡°Why would I be?¡± ¡°.......Because I¡¯m a womanizer and a degenerate?¡± I smiled lightly as I looked at Dylan raising his eyebrow. ¡®It¡¯s funny since he¡¯s saying that with such a serious face.¡¯ I didn¡¯t know how Dylan interpreted my smile but he added urgently. ¡°Don¡¯t think like that. It¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Yes, I know it¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It looked like that at first, but when I thought about it more, I knew it was a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Then why¨C¡± I pressed my forefinger at Dylan¡¯s lips, stopping him from pressing me further. ¡®I don¡¯t want to say ¡°because I don¡¯t want to like you¡¯ since it sounds like a confession.¡¯ He already had someone he loved. I stared at the face of the man who was holding my hand and opened my mouth. ¡°Did you find the person you love?¡± ¡°..........Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. That¡¯s right, that was a very good thing. Though I haven¡¯t known him for a long time, Dylan was my friend so it¡¯s right that I should congratulate him. He slowly opened his lips at my insincere congratulations. ¡°But she doesn¡¯t remember me.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Me. I said she doesn¡¯t remember me.¡± As he said that, Dylan¡¯s hands were pale as if they had spent winter alone. He continued, sweeping his eyebrow with an anxious face. ¡°There¡¯s no end to my greed. I thought it would have been fortunate just to see her again, but now I want her to remember me as well.¡± ¡°.........The woman you love doesn¡¯t recognize you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± I unconsciously placed my hand on Dylan¡¯s cheek at his self-deprecation and forlorn appearance. His skin was cool to the touch maybe because he was someone who came from the North. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s greed. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s natural to want that? It¡¯s too difficult to be the only one who remembers.¡± "..........." ¡°I think I¡¯d be resentful, if it was me.¡± Like men who leave their lovers in this small town after whispering love last night, that woman may have also forgotten Dylan completely. It would have been buried like a memory along with the amulet and token one held in their arms. The memories of making love would last forever, but how sad it must be to remember it alone. My heart ached and I stroked Dylan¡¯s drawn cheeks. ¡°You¡¯re free to resent that person.¡± He twisted his lips at my words as if he was smiling and shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t resent her. I rather think it¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a relief? Didn¡¯t she completely forget you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my portion to remember.¡± His low, mellow voice blended into the sound of the wind rustling the leaves. ¡°Even in the mornings when I realize that she¡¯s not by my side and it feels like the ground on my feet is caving in, and even in the evenings when I hurry to sleep because she might come to my dreams.¡± "......................" ¡°Because she doesn¡¯t have them.¡± You don¡¯t know how relieved I am because I¡¯m the only one who suffers this despair. I felt like I heard a whisper like that. CH 153 By the time I fell asleep at night, I had an illusion that I could hear Dylan¡¯s low voice. ¡®To think he¡¯s glad that the other person doesn¡¯t remember.¡¯ What kind of person was that woman for her to receive such unconditional love? Torment by envy and a slightly twisted heart, I ended up oversleeping. ¡°Annie! Why are you so late?¡± ¡°Sorry, I couldn¡¯t get up in time in the morning¡­¡­..¡± I wasn¡¯t a maid who starts working extremely early since I wasn¡¯t assigned to attend to the Viscount and his wife as well as Donovan. Therefore, I wasn¡¯t too late but Lindsay impatiently chewed on her lips and nagged me. I frowned in wonder. ¡°Why? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Did you know that young master was looking for you last night?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t know.¡± Even if I knew, I still wouldn¡¯t have gone. Donovan tended to look for me so I didn¡¯t know why Lindsay¡¯s words filled me with unease. ¡°Annie, I heard something weird this morning¡­..¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true, right?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± She shook her head and sighed at my question. ¡°For now, go. Phew. What power do we have?¡± I hurried out of the hallway at Lindsay¡¯s urging. ¡°Where is Annie?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± The lobby was full of people looking for me. The servants gathered around the head maid glanced at me and started talking in whispers. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with them¡­¡­?¡¯ Except for Lindsay and a handful of people, the servants under the Viscount didn¡¯t like me very much. ¡®But I¡¯ve never done anything to receive such hostile looks.¡¯ ¡°Annie! Is it true that you stabbed the young master and stole the jewels?¡± It was too cruel to believe that the incident that came out of the head maid¡¯s mouth as soon as she found me that morning took place in this small Viscounty. ¡®Where can you find a servant who stabs their master to steal jewels?¡¯ It would be much easier to steal valuables while cleaning. I was dumbfounded by the maid¡¯s words and shook my head at her who was already fiercely glaring at me as if I was the culprit. ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about at all.¡± ¡°The young master was stabbed last night and is gravely injured!¡± ¡®Maybe he gambled somewhere and was caught by bad guys.¡¯ Donovan wasn¡¯t a particularly good person so I didn¡¯t feel sorry for him. ¡°When I went to look because of a scream, the jewel box was empty so I thought it was a thief, but he was holding a strand of your hair.¡± I bit my lips at the head maid¡¯s words. ¡®He was holding a strand of my hair?¡¯ ¡°Didn¡¯t you get hurt while trying to fight with him to steal the jewelry box?¡± ¡°Absolutely not! If I had stolen the jewels then I would have run right away. Why would I sleep in?¡± Even as the head maid trailed off her words at my rebuttal, she still didn¡¯t take her suspicious eyes off of me. I never gave Donovan my nails let alone strands of my hair. I thought it was a ridiculous suspicion, but every servant clicked their tongue as if they knew that I would get into some trouble someday. ¡®Are they persuaded by that tone of argument?¡¯ There was no servant who didn¡¯t know that Donovan was strangely obsessed with me. Wouldn¡¯t the normal course of thinking be that he was a pervert who goes to sleep with a strand of my hair? ¡®It¡¯s probably because I didn¡¯t like him in the first place.¡¯ If people hate someone for no reason, they would just make a reason to hate. ¡°Annie, where were you last night?¡± ¡°I was sleeping in my room. I¡¯m sure Becky had seen me.¡± I answered and pointed to the maid who was sleeping next to my room. Becky, who was pointed out, became surprised and her eyes widened. ¡°Becky, is it true that Annie was in her room yesterday?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure. We don¡¯t use the same room after all.¡± I glanced at the disgusting woman who washed her hands instead of taking my side. That was why she avoided my eyes and even mumbled her words. ¡°I heard Annie toss and turn all night, head maid. There were constant noises¡­..¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t hear her go out of her room?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t quite remember whether I heard it or not.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but give a dry, dumbfounded laugh at Becky¡¯s restless behavior. The head maid commanded that my room be searched while saying it couldn¡¯t be helped since there was a witness. ¡®Look around to your heart¡¯s content and see if a jewel comes out!¡¯ There was nothing that bothered me so I confidently guided the butler into my room, but within an hour, I had no choice but to harden my jaw. ¡®Why is that coming out of my room?¡¯ ¡°Annie! Isn¡¯t this young master¡¯s sapphire bracelet?¡± While the head maid and butler were scouring through my room, the servants who flocked like spectators began to chatter again. If you''re not reading this at blogspot, you''re probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. ¡°Furthermore, this is madam¡¯s ruby ring! Heavens!¡± I was more surprised than the appalled head maid. The only witness, Donovan, was in a state of confusion while murmuring my name and holding on to my hair and I became a criminal in an instant when a jewel that came out of my room became a piece of evidence. ¡®There¡¯s a person who holds such a grudge against a maid?¡¯ If I was a protagonist from a novel, sure, there would be times when I¡¯d have to suffer, but I¡¯m just an extra whose name didn¡¯t even appear! It was too sudden, but because it seemed so unrealistic, I felt calm. I scrubbed my face with my hands and glanced alternately at the knights, who were hesitating as they approached me, and the head maid. ¡°Head maid, do you really think I stole the jewels?¡± ¡°........If not, then why are the jewels found in your room?!¡± ¡°What kind of idiot would steal jewels and hide them like this where they could be seen at a glance?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true but¨C¡± ¡°The young master still hasn¡¯t woken up. If you want to punish me, please do it after hearing the young master¡¯s testimony.¡± The head maid¡¯s expression darkened as if she didn¡¯t like what I said. One of the servants nodded their head in agreement with my words. ¡°She¡¯s right. Isn¡¯t this too hasty?¡± ¡°But young master Donovan likes Annie, so he might take her side.¡± The head maid frowned and shook the sapphire necklace in her hand. [1] ¡°Moreover, what if you run away in the middle?¡± I heaved a long sigh and shrugged my shoulders.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll stay in my room. You can lock the door.¡± ¡°Very well. Follow me.¡± The head maid, who had dragged me to my room at my suggestion, sent off the people and then bolted the door. I was used to the sound of the door locking. I wasn¡¯t particularly nervous as if I had been imprisoned like this before. ¡®I don¡¯t remember being locked up but this is strange.¡¯ The head maid stared at me, who was secretly excited at the thought that I didn¡¯t have to work today, and she sat down on a small bedside table. ¡°Annie, come here and sit down.¡± Was there a reason why she kicked out people ahead of time? Her voice was barely audible as if it would fade out. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t steal them. This is young master Donovan¡¯s plan.¡± "!" I clenched my fist as I faced the head maid who abruptly spoke. No wonder things were too dire. ¡®It''s so like that goddamn young master.¡¯ What else did he not like for him to frame me like this? ¡®He must be holding a grudge against me because Dylan had humiliated him.¡¯ ¡°He¡¯s never used a sword properly so he must have unintentionally hurt himself. He passed out calling your name, but he¡¯ll wake up soon.¡± ¡°Then what will happen to me?¡± ¡°Once he wakes up, he will surely make you out to be the culprit, so it would be best if pack your things right now and escape.¡± ¡°.......Escape?¡± But I had a debt. A debt that was passed on to me the moment I became ¡®Annie.¡¯ A servant who runs away without paying back their debts becomes a criminal. It meant that I¡¯d have to live my whole life running away in this world that was still unfamiliar to me. ¡°Head maid, you know I can¡¯t do that. I have a debt from young master Donovan¡­¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t. There¡¯s no debt.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Annie, you aren¡¯t a child who used to work here at the Viscount. The young master stubbornly brought you here.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Then, why have I been serving as a maid all this time in this old and small Viscounty? My head heated up as I thought of pushing more the knife that had been stuck in Donovan¡¯s belly. ¡°I had long wanted to tell you, but then I was scared that the young master would really have my head.¡± ¡°......Ha. Does that also mean that ¡®Annie¡¯ isn¡¯t my name?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Although it¡¯s true that the child named Annie had run away, she wasn¡¯t you.¡± ¡°Oh my god.¡± At the head maid¡¯s words, I had no more energy to be surprised that I just scrubbed my face with my hands. She looked at me pitifully then she searched her arms and took out something from her leather pockets. ¡°Here. This is the wage you should have received until now.¡± ¡°Is it all right for you to give me this?¡± ¡°The Viscount believes in me more than the young master. I¡¯ll do something about it.¡± I had thought that even if she didn¡¯t hate me like the other servants, she didn¡¯t particularly care for me either. I guess I saw her incorrectly. I bowed my head at the head maid who opened the window instead of the door as she said I didn¡¯t have much time. ¡°......Thank you very much.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not someone whom you should thank. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t tell you earlier.¡± ¡°I know.¡± The luggage, which I had started packing as soon as I heard the head maid¡¯s words, was small and simple enough to be carried in one hand. I thrust myself out of the window, like a child who was kicked out of their house wearing a shabby dress. ¡®I think I should say goodbye to Dylan¡­.¡¯ Since something so sudden had happened as soon as I woke up, I didn¡¯t know I should tell him. I rushed out of the Viscounty without figuring out how he would react. Notes: [1] Sapphire bracelet previously, necklace here. It¡¯s in the raws so just do rock-paper-scissors and pick one or maybe it¡¯s a set. CH 154 Although the head maid of the Viscounty was not timid nor had a cowardly appearance, she was basically a good person. Watching Annie quickly leave the garden, she hardened her expression and set out into the hallway. ¡®I can no longer stand by and watch the young master torment innocent people.¡¯ For a while, she really thought that Donovan had loved Annie and so she wanted to help. ¡®I thought he was too shy and didn¡¯t know how to express his feelings.¡¯ However, she realized that he was not suffering from a clumsy young love, but that the young master had just grown up to be a bad seed. Donovan was like a son to her, thus there was no way to soothe her bitter heart. ¡®He was quite cute when he was young.¡¯ Nanny. It wasn¡¯t so long ago when he had chased after her calling her nanny but when did he grow up to be such a ruffian? Instead of being the nanny, the head maid clicked her tongue while lamenting that he had become a person who would strike at her who had raised him. ¡°Young master, I¡¯m entering.¡± She sighed and grabbed the doorknob to Donovan¡¯s room. ¡®Huh? What is this smell?¡¯ A cruel, fishy smell that she had never smelled in her entire life in this small country town hit the tip of her nose. The maid flung the door open, suppressing the trembling of her fingers. ¡°Young master!!!¡± The young master, a rascal who was raised dearly by the Viscount, was lying on the floor with his injured body while groaning roughly. The man who rubbed his feet on Donovan¡¯s back to wipe the blood off the heels of his shoes was a face that even the head maid knew. ¡®The servant of the Grand Duke of Lagrange!¡¯ The servant that the Grand Duke of the North had brought was very suspicious to her that the name she once heard was stuck to her. ¡®Wasn¡¯t he called Dylan?¡¯ He was definitely the man who was often spotted with Annie and so Donovan had been on his guard and was always on edge. ¡°What are you doing right now! The young master is a patient!¡± ¡°Uh, ugh! Hey, you! Call someone!¡± Please only read this at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. We do not seek monetary gain from translating this novel unlike aggegator sites. Donovan, who found the head maid, had shouted quickly, but the suspicious servant moved a bit faster. He approached her without any signs and closed the door. Click. It wasn¡¯t long ago when it was oiled and the smooth sound of the door closing reverberated. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± The decisive command was like a magic spell that tied the head maid¡¯s ankles to the ground. ¡°Left hand, shoulders, and was it the back?¡± The man with his back to the sun murmured quietly. Now that she looked at him, he felt eerie as she could not even see any traces of emotions on his dazzling face. ¡®Was he always this kind of person?¡¯ The head maid thought calmly, pressing on her pounding heart. No, he definitely wasn¡¯t. The man who was always next to Annie was definitely blunt but he had a gentle atmosphere with him. For a moment, a cold wind blew through the open window. The man wrinkled his neat brows as if he had forgotten the existence of the head maid who was looking at him filled with fear and glanced at the window. ¡°Your Grace, that woman had helped Annie who was a maid escape so please don¡¯t kill her.¡± At the end of her gaze, the person who had introduced himself as the ¡®Grand Duke¡¯ jumped down from the window sill. ¡®Your Grace? Did he just call that man ¡®Your Grace¡¯? Wasn¡¯t he the Grand Duke?¡¯ Only then did the maid understand the situation when she looked alternately at the crook Grand Duke who returned as a blonde and the servant who had black hair. The object to beg had changed. Donovan realized this too late and with a weeping scream, he put his hands together. ¡°Ple-please save me, Your Grace! I committed a mistake because I couldn¡¯t recognize you!¡± "............" ¡°I never dreamed that Annie was your person, Your Grace! I committed a sin worthy of death!¡± At Donovan¡¯s scream, who had turned deathly pale, the black-haired man swept his chin with his long fingers. ¡°I have no thoughts of killing you.¡± Donovan¡¯s face instantly brightened at the man¡¯s words. But the head maid shook her head and bit her lips. Because he didn¡¯t have the face of a human being who would show mercy. The person that Donovan had messed without knowing was a demon wearing a human face. ¡°I was just thinking of cutting out the hand that had touched her.¡± A man''s low voice softly echoed through the room. The sunlight streaming through the clean windows was eaten by his dark black hair. ¡°Ah.¡± The sword that was raised from the ground wailed sharply. The man raised one corner of his lips as if he had remembered something too late. ¡°By the way, how dare you grab her head.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ So I never expected this kind of reaction. ¡®I thought he was someone who didn¡¯t know what was going on.¡¯ The saying went, you could sound water ten fathoms deep, but you could not sound the human heart a single fathom. [1] ¡°Are you really going to follow me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± As I hurried out of the manor, I was lucky enough to meet Dylan around the garden ¨C now that I think about it, it made me wonder if I was indeed lucky. Still, he and I were friends who had built our own kind of friendship so I was happy to explain the whole story to him before I left, for a moment. ¡®But it¡¯s like I¡¯ve gained baggage to go.¡¯ When Dylan heard my situation, he said he would go with me and followed me without packing anything. I wondered if it was all right to take the servant of Lagrange with me on the run when all he knew how to do was clean enough to make people slip with the way he polished the front porch. ¡®Was he preparing some fish? Why does it smell so fishy?¡¯ I looked back at Dylan who was chasing after me with a sullen look on my face. ¡°Do you not need to tell His Grace?¡± ¡°I just happened to be on vacation.¡± ¡°Dylan, I¡¯m grateful but I¡¯m not going out to play.¡± I even hid my conspicuous pink hair just in case people would recognize me. I grabbed my brown hood tightly and glanced at Dylan but he only shrugged his shoulders and replied, ¡°I never thought of going out to play.¡± ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t commit a crime you could become a criminal. We don¡¯t know what that ruffian Donovan would do.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°By the way, is it okay to curse now?¡± As if he was surprised to see me getting worked up over Donovan, he gently raised his eyebrow. I snorted and murmured Donovan, that bastard. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m free now.¡± When I thought about him deceiving me who had no memory and all the work he had put me through, my heart seethed and I wanted to go back to the manor and turn everything upside down. ¡®Just wait until I have power.¡¯ If I was lucky enough to take my place in the capital and hit it big, I thought I would definitely get my revenge. But if Dylan gets involved with me, it could be dangerous for him even if he didn¡¯t do anything wrong. ¡°The path may be dangerous.¡± Whether he knew that I was worried about his safety or not, Dylan only shook his head with a blunt face. ¡°That¡¯s even more so.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°You said you could be in danger. I¡¯ll be your escort.¡± At first, I thought it was a joke, but I guessed that he was quite serious with his firm mouth. ¡®Why is he making people¡¯s hearts flutter?¡¯ ¡°Well, just until I get far enough from the Viscounty. Until then, I¡¯ll be in your care.¡± It would have been nice to hire an escort knight under the circumstances, but I couldn¡¯t possibly spend what little the head maid had given me to hire people. ¡®Dylan isn¡¯t a knight but he seemed to be able to use a sword on some level.¡¯ I compromised with my reality, shrugged, and approached the old man sitting on an old ferry tied to the shore of the lake. Though it had a shabby appearance. The old man, who had been looking at the ripples of the lake, seemed he had a lot of free time so I came forward. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± The old man looked back at me as he fiddled with his long white beard. However, the moment he found Dylan behind my back, his eyes widened greatly. ¡°You came just in time.¡± ¡°This is the first time we met.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The old man seemed to know Dylan, but he coldly shook his head, dismissing my suspicion. ¡°It¡¯s a common face so I¡¯m often mistaken.¡± It was unbelievable that such a handsome face was common, but the relationship between the old man and Dylan was not important to me because I had to run away immediately. Fearing that Donovan had sent someone to chase after me, I looked behind me anxiously and then lowered my head toward the old man. ¡°Can we borrow this boat? I can pay you the boat fare.¡± ¡°What about the boat?¡± ¡°I need to cross the lake due to a situation.¡± On the other side of the lake facing the Viscount¡¯s territory was the territory of the Count of Devonshire. It had a transient population compared to the Viscounty and it also had frequent exchanges with the capital so it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to hide. ¡°Ah! No wonder the fortune told was strange so this is what it meant.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I was going to throw away the boat anyway, so I don¡¯t need the money, child.¡± The old man murmured strange words and didn¡¯t inquire about my circumstances further then slowly stood up from his place. After handing the oar to me, he tapped Dylan¡¯s shoulder familiarly and chuckled. ¡°Do your best.¡± ¡®I really think they know each other.¡¯ If Dylan didn¡¯t want to talk then I didn¡¯t want to know either. I sat opposite him who carried many secrets and grabbed the oar with both my hands. ¡°Do you know which direction Devonshire is? I¡¯m planning to go there for now.¡± He had been looking around with one hand on his chin when his face distorted due to my question. ¡°Devonshire?¡± Notes: [1] Idiom meaning: Human nature[The human mind] is unfathomable. CH 155 The sun was shining behind him, so there was a long backlight. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s in the North, but it¡¯s close and it leads to the capital.¡± Did he have some bad memories with Devonshire? I looked at his face, half submerged in the shadow. The sharp but elegant lines were all dyed scarlet in the sun. ¡°All right. Well, there¡¯s no definite way to run into him anyway.¡± ¡°Run into who?¡± ¡°Devonshire¡¯s eldest, no, is he the Count now?¡± Dylan mumbled and I wasn¡¯t sure if it was him talking to himself or his answer to me. The wind blew and fluttered his shaggy bangs that came down his forehead. I reached out and swept his slightly long hair. ¡°Should I cut your hair?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I thought it¡¯d be better to trim it. I learned from Lindsay.¡± I¡¯ve never cut a man¡¯s hair before, but I left that out and grinned. It may not make sense but I felt he always had shorter hair than now. Short enough that you could see his thick eyebrows and sharp eyes. ¡°Whatever.¡± It was a lukewarm response as I gazed at him stirring the oar. Thanks to the shirt sticking to him to the point that it was inconvenient to move, his muscles seemed to twitch vividly every time he moved his arms. ¡®I¡¯m only watching secretly so it won¡¯t be obvious, right?¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re still following me.¡± It wasn¡¯t that long since we met and I wasn¡¯t the type to easily believe people. ¡°But strangely enough, I feel it¡¯d be okay to go together. Maybe because I¡¯m used to you?¡± "..........." ¡°It was like that from the first moment. As if you¡¯re someone I already knew.¡± The lake was as still as ever. Feeling awkward at the situation because only the sound of the oar whisking away could be heard, I chattered on but Dylan only watched me without saying anything. ¡°Is it only because you¡¯re used to me?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if I seem familiar to you.¡± For some strange reason, I felt like I knew what he wanted to ask me at that moment. I lowered my head, pressing the back of my hand on my cheek which was burning hot from the sun. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already tell me that you have someone you love, Dylan?¡± ¡°That¡¯s.¡± It was at that moment when he had finally decided to open his lips after only twitching them. ¡°Oh my!¡± I found a hole in the bottom of the old ship. The water seemed to have been leaking little by little that at some point it had reached my ankles. I was startled and couldn¡¯t even raise myself but only pointed at the wet floor. ¡°Dylan, the water is leaking on the floor!¡± Won¡¯t we fall into the middle of the lake at this rate? ¡®No, there¡¯s no way that¡¯ll happen.¡¯ As I tried to calm my startled heart, I heard the sound of woods splintering. ¡°Come here.¡± Dylan beckoned to me who was just rolling my feet around. As the floor opened, the distance between him and I gradually grew increased. ¡°Hurry!¡± As I hesitated, he raised his voice urgently. He called to me again, restless, and asked if there was anything to hold on to around me. ¡°Wa-wait! I have to hold on to this at least and swim!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know how to swim. Don¡¯t be silly and come here.¡± I wondered how he knew I was a beer bottle, but I ran to him and threw my arms around him unable to think about it any further since the water was so full that it even reached my knees. The boat, which could not bear the weight on one side, eventually began to sink into two. ¡°Kyahh! Kyaaah!¡± ¡°Stay still.¡± Dylan started moving forward while holding me with one arm as I was floundering, terrified at the sudden contact with water. Fortunately, or unfortunately, we could see an island from a distance. ¡°I was wondering what trick was up.¡± Clinging to him, I could hear him speak in a low murmur behind my ears. He murmured ¡®geezer¡¯, ¡®senile old man¡¯, and words of seeing the old man came out of his lips. ¡®Did he really know the old man who gave us the boat?¡¯ Then, there was reasonable doubt that he gave the old boat without telling us that it was broken in order to put him in trouble on purpose. And finally, those doubts were confirmed with the appearance of the island that we had barely managed to swim ¨C although I was clinging to Dylan all the way. ¡®Earlier, he definitely said do your best, right?¡¯ I didn¡¯t know who the old man was, but I think I already know what he meant by doing one¡¯s best. I closed my eyes tightly at the haystack in the shape of a large heart that looked like a bed. Who on earth decorates a small, uninhabitable island like this? For what purpose. The island, made of low hills, was as still as a dead mouse. Many twigs shaking in the wind stood tall in the middle of the trees, and beneath them, a pile of the heart-shaped haystack that shocked me along with a small cave made its presence known by shining brightly. ¡®It¡¯s definitely a trace that someone¡¯s been here.¡¯ Otherwise, there was no way to explain that artificial appearance. I turned to Dylan, narrowing my eyes just in case. ¡°Dylan, have you ever been to this island?¡± ¡°No.¡± It seemed that I wasn¡¯t the only one who was bewildered at finding the haystack. He grimaced slightly and squeezed his shirt which was dripping with water. I lowered my head because I had nowhere to put my eyes on when his strong body was exposed by the thin shirt sticking to his frame. ¡°........Anyway, it¡¯s better than nothing.¡± I struggled to straighten out my squeaking voice and followed him, demonstrating my skill in wringing out the rags as I held on to the hem of the drooping dress and moved forward. ¡°Should we take a look inside for now?¡± During the day, the bright sun would have dried all of my wet body, but it would be trouble if the sun would set before the clothes get dry. I would get seriously ill if I looked down on the coldness of the night just because it was midsummer. ¡°Wait.¡± Unlike me, who was embarrassed, Dylan had an impassive face as usual as he came up to me. ¡®Will he look like that even if the world collapses?¡¯ He was a man who had no other expression of emotion other than moving his eyebrows a little or raising the corners of his lips at an angle. ¡°What is it?¡± At my question, Dylan placed an almost dry soft jacket around me that was meticulously wrung. ¡°I¡¯m not yet cold.¡± ¡°Still, wear it.¡± I turned my head down and quietly opened the jacket. Because I couldn''t afford to use expensive cloth for the maids'' work clothes and it was summer, I was naturally wearing a dress made of thin cotton. When I realized that the inside was completely seethrough when wet, the already awkward atmosphere became unbearably embarrassing. I brushed past him and rushed into the cave. Due to the low ceiling, the cave, which was only large enough for two people to sit in, had a cozy taste. ¡®We can make a fire by breaking down the pile of heart-shaped hay.¡¯ As if he had thought the same thing, Dylan came with hay. I crouched down in the corner, observing Dylan, who seemed to be accustomed to such a situation, skillfully start a fire. ¡°You ended up having a hard time when you¡¯re just following me.¡± "............." ¡°That¡¯s why I told you not to follow me. I definitely stopped you.¡± He smirked at the excuses I added. Crackle, crackle. Only the sound of the sparks of the fire and his low laugh echoed in the silence. The bonfire made his face red. ¡°That thing on your neck, is it really a tattoo?¡± I looked at his tattoo which was clearly visible under the bonfire. I had briefly seen the pattern running up from his chest up to the back of his neck before but when I looked closely, I wondered if it was really a tattoo. ¡®It¡¯s as if it¡¯s moving and alive.¡¯ There was no way there was a tattoo that changed its shape every time I saw it. But Dylan only nodded his head as he wrapped his hand around his neck. ¡°You¡¯re lying again.¡± ¡°Again?¡± My eyes widened at Dylan¡¯s question. ¡®Did Dylan ever lie to me like that?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t even clear if he was really lying or not. Nevertheless, I was convinced that his condition was not normal. Please only read this at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. We do not seek monetary gain from translating this novel unlike aggegator sites. ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡± Dylan blinked slowly when I carefully asked. I stretched out my hand as I looked into his deep, shaded eyes. ¡°Seeing as you¡¯re not answering, you must really be in pain.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just intuition.¡± My, no, I like ¡®Annie¡¯s intuition. Ever since I became Annie, I¡¯ve occasionally been right on the nail for knowing that people had lied even when I had no basis. ¡®It¡¯s like hearing the heart of a liar.¡¯ ¡°Is there no way to cure it? You don¡¯t look too well.¡± Dylan''s tattoo matched his long and strong neckline oddly enough, but it was also insidious. ¡°There is.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Have you heard the story of the frog prince and the princess?¡± I grinned and nodded my head at his unexpected bringing up of a fairy tale. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve heard it. It''s the story of a princess who kisses a prince in the form of a frog and the frog finds his true self.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That.¡± Dylan answered leisurely and swiped his lips with his hand. I stared in a daze at his unusually moist face and suddenly raised my head. Chu. CH 156 ¡°Nothing has changed though?¡± It was Dylan who brought it up yet it was him who stiffened up and reeled backward. I only kissed him on the cheek but his reaction was tremendous. ¡®It¡¯s kind of a waste to call him a womanizer.¡¯ I glanced at Dylan, who bowed his head and covered his entire face with his large hand. His bright red ears heated up as if they would explode. ¡°Is it because I didn¡¯t do it on your lips?¡± "............." ¡°Didn¡¯t you endure Sarah¡¯s flirting and yet you¡¯re being shy over one kiss?¡± When I burst into laughter having fun, it was then that Dylan raised his head with a sour face and stared at me. ¡°Is this kind of kiss light to you?¡± I became a little embarrassed since he seemed really angry. Please only read this at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. We do not seek monetary gain from translating this novel unlike aggegator sites. ¡®I mean, didn¡¯t he also make these kinds of jokes at me from time to time with the way he suddenly pushes his face against mine?¡¯ When I only grinned without answering, he continued with a growl. ¡°Who else did you treat like this?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Giovanni? Boris? Luke?¡± My eyes widened at the names coming out of Dylan¡¯s lips. ¡®How did Dylan know the servants of the Viscount that well?¡¯ He did work in the Viscounty although it wasn¡¯t for very long so knowing a few people weren¡¯t strange, yet it was very suspicious that only the names of the young men who expressed good feelings toward me were mentioned one after the other. ¡°What do you take me for? I don¡¯t make this kind of joke to other people.¡± In fact, I also didn¡¯t think it was good to do this with Dylan. He had someone he loved after all. ¡®But I don¡¯t even know who that woman is.¡¯ Moreover, he said that woman didn¡¯t remember Dylan. ¡®It would be better for him to forget such an irresponsible person.¡¯ Dylan finally relaxed his stiff expression after being satisfied by my serious answer. ¡°Are you cold?¡± ¡°Not at all. Dylan, come and sit closer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He lit a bonfire right in front of me and then sat far away. He shook his head vigorously at my suggestion. ¡°It¡¯s going to be cold near the entrance because of the wind. Come here.¡± At my prompting, he moved a little towards me, but in the end, he only moved one finger closer. I stood up in frustration and grabbed him by the arm, dragging him along. It was good that I finally got him to sit next to me, but Dylan¡¯s body was frozen stiff. ¡®Why is he so nervous like this?¡¯ Was it because of the joke I did earlier? I sighed with a smile and patted his stiff shoulder. ¡°Relax a bit.¡± It was a little funny that a man with these wide shoulders was this nervous about my previous behavior. I smiled broadly, forgetting that I hadn¡¯t been able to raise my head as well because I was embarrassed about the current circumstances. ¡°Hm?¡± When I poked his side with a fingertip, he frowned and flinched. ¡°Stop that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat you.¡± At my words, Dylan¡¯s stiff neck moved with a creaking sound. Black eyes glistening like submerged pebbles were looking at me. ¡°.......I¡¯m not worried about me.¡± A hoarse voice which was different from earlier was mixed in with his deep voice. Ah. Only then did I think I might have messed with the wrong person and swallowed. ¡°Who¡¯s worried about who.¡± I thought I could hear distinctly his low voice and he slowly reached out to me. I crouched with my shoulders up and he flicked my forehead with his finger then walked away with a smirk. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make a fuss about nothing.¡± Thump. Thump. My heartbeat rang loudly like a warning bell. I barely managed to calm my beating heart, which seemed like it was about to jump out right away, by pressing both of my hands on my chest. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m like this just because we got a little closer.¡¯ Get it together, Annie. I tried to catch my breath, but the beating sound still lingered in my ears. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s not my heartbeat?¡¯ The deep gaze that thoroughly scanned my face was hot. He still had an impassive face, but I was certain that his heart was beating as fast as mine. I opened my mouth impulsively, fiddling with his wet hair which was drooping in front of him. ¡°Dylan, you said you had someone you love.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°.......Could that person be me?¡± I didn¡¯t know why that question popped out at such a moment. Even though I knew in my head that it wasn¡¯t possible. I didn¡¯t know this man after all. The thick eyebrows, the smooth but not slender outline, and the long but rough fingers were unfamiliar. Still, why did I feel like crying when staring face to face with his face for a long time? I thought he would know. ¡°I¡¯m asking you, Dylan.¡± He couldn¡¯t give a clear answer to my question. He only slowly lowered his head. Something hot and slightly breathless touched my forehead. Then, my nose. Soon, it touched my lips. I was surprised and grabbed his shoulders, but I couldn¡¯t push him away in the end. Instead, I grabbed his half-dried shirt tightly. He wrapped his hands around my head as if he could only grab onto me. I felt dizzy thinking that I had no way to escape even though I wasn¡¯t thinking of avoiding him. ¡°Hng.¡± Even in a dark cave where there was no light except for a bonfire, his tongue was as red as fresh blood. It¡¯s a familiar color as if I¡¯ve seen it somewhere. ¡°W-wait.¡± Before I knew it, I was lying on the hard floor of the cave, unable to get a grip on my mind from the gentle dance of the kiss that left my soul out. My reason, which was like a fuse that had been blown out for a moment, began to return because of the water dripping from the ceiling. I raised my voice at Dylan, whose hands were on each side of my head, and pushed him with my two arms. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± ¡°What.¡± He asked with a low growl. I burst out laughing, dumbfounded at the agitation mixed with irritation in his voice. ¡°You still didn¡¯t give me an answer.¡± "..........." He lifted himself up at my words and shut his mouth again. ¡°You¡¯re not going to answer me?¡± I pressed him with a frown on my forehead, then he stammered and reluctantly opened his mouth. ¡°Do I have to put it into words?¡± ¡°Is there a reason why you can¡¯t put it into words?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What is the reason?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say.¡± I thought he liked fairy tales since he mentioned it earlier, and now he¡¯s even playing the part of a mermaid who lost their voice. Was this person only able to say the words I love you to one person even if they kissed someone else or something? I bit my lip at Dylan¡¯s absurd remarks. ¡°......Womanizer.¡± ¡°What? Who?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s you! Who else? In the first place, you¡¯re someone who kisses anyone like that, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°As if!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never held hands with anyone other than you.¡± His words saying that he didn¡¯t kiss just ¡®anyone¡¯ was believable but the second one seemed like a bright red lie. I shook my head in disbelief and wrinkled my nose. ¡°Liar.¡± Dylan raised his handsome eyebrow at my words but I wasn¡¯t scared of him at all. And so I began to pour out what I wanted to say. ¡°I knew everything from the moment you touched a woman¡¯s feet with no hesitation. Lindsay told me everything about the women going in and out of Dylan¡¯s room. About Sarah, too!¡± Dylan greatly frowned even before as if it was the first time he¡¯d heard of such. ¡°Who¡¯s Lindsay?¡± I sealed my lips because I felt like if I told him, Lindsay would be in danger. ¡°I¡¯m asking you who said that.¡± At his urging, I stuttered as I stared at his wrinkled forehead. ¡°And you also keep secretly fli-flirting with me!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You make people¡¯s hearts flutter for no reason and then on the other hand say that there is someone you love!¡± His face, which had been so distorted that I thought he would get angry right away, relax in an instant at my yell. I had no choice but to pause at the corner of his lips going up. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± ¡°You said your heart fluttered because of me.¡± ¡°Are you smiling right now just because you heard that?¡± ¡°Yes. I am.¡± I became speechless at his firm answer. ¡®He must be crazy, this person.¡¯ Just as the awkward air subsided, it started raining incessantly. ¡°It¡¯s raining.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Fortunately, the wind was not strong, so the rain did not come into the cave, but the sudden drop in the temperature of the air made my shoulders tremble. Dylan watched me like a puppy shivering in the rain and tried to lift his shirt. ¡°No!¡± ¡®Does he plan to make the atmosphere strange again when it has barely settled?!¡¯ I hastily stopped him and he narrowed one side of his eyes as if to ask why. My heart started pounding again with just the slightest movement. ¡®I must be the crazy one.¡¯ Why did him, twitching his eyebrows, look so sexy? However, if this inner thought popped out of my lips, it was obvious he would like it because my heart fluttered again because of him. ¡®I can¡¯t let that happen.¡¯ Holding on to Dylan¡¯s half-open shirt with both hands, I carefully closed it in a way that I wouldn¡¯t see his body. ¡°I can¡¯t wear it when a man¡¯s b-bare skin is being shown!¡± CH 157 ¡°What?¡± He raised the corner of his mouth at an angle, finding my behavior ridiculous. I stared at him sternly and pouted my lips. ¡°Please don¡¯t smile like that.¡± ¡°How am I smiling?¡± ¡®Prettily!¡¯ I snorted, gulping down the answer that almost popped out. ¡°Never mind. Can¡¯t you cover your face a bit?¡± "............" Dylan closed his mouth in disbelief at my innocent scolding. I felt apologetic but it couldn¡¯t be helped. This cave, where the sun had already set and only the bonfire was burning in the dark, seemed like a romantic feature to me. I didn¡¯t know whether it was the sound of the rain falling to the floor or it was because his of dazzling appearance that seemed to shine through on its own. What I knew for sure was that one wrong step here would lead to an out-of-control and dangerous flow. ¡®Dylan has someone he loves.¡¯ I mumbled those words inwardly and turned around. Fortunately, Dylan seemed to understand what I meant and leaned quietly next to me. The cramped space, enough that our shoulders touched was uncomfortable, but we eventually managed to settle into silence. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Anissa, who was nodding off like a sick chicken next to him but remained vigilant, barely fell asleep until dawn. Dietrich smiled silently as he run his fingertips through her hair which was clinging to her round forehead. ¡°You¡¯re still pretty.¡± Her eyes, which used to sparkle like well-crafted rubies were now azure like the summer sky, but they were still lovely. The small but sharp nose and the small lips underneath were still the same. ¡°You still have a bad memory as well.¡± In the silence disguised as peace, he felt a burning thirst. As always, she exuded a faint scent that seemed to disappear as soon as he held it in his hand. Maybe he didn¡¯t mean it when he had said he didn¡¯t resent her for forgetting him. There were times when he wanted to grab her and raise his voice, forgetting his promise to Vassago. If she never remembered him, he would no longer be able to protect her. ¡®There are some things I have to do in advance.¡¯ Then he had to come up with some measures so that she would be all right even if she was all by herself. Unable to control the shadows anymore, he moved his body carefully so that Anissa wouldn¡¯t wake up and went out of the cave. ¡°Oslo.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± It was not possible for his knight not to follow the Grand Duke who had suddenly left the Viscounty. Oslo, who had jumped out from behind a tree as if waiting, bent his knee to express his awe to his master. ¡°What of that matter.¡± ¡°All the people involved have been decapitated with their heads hung on the castle walls.¡± ¡°Good job.¡± It was a pity that he gave an easy death to those who insulted Anissa, but his promise with Vassago was choking him faster than expected. He groaned as he pressed a finger against the stinging demon pattern. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Oslo restlessly supported Dietrich on the shoulder. He cleared the pain with a brief sigh and nodded his head as he glanced at the cave. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡®Who is that person?¡¯ I slowly blinked at the sight of a large built middle-aged man kneeling in front of Dylan. Their silhouette, seen under the dim moonlight, looked like a master and a servant at first glance. ¡®The problem is Dylan looks like the master.¡¯ Dylan was just a servant of the Grand Duke of Lagrange, but why was that man, who definitely looked like a knight, bowing his head to him? As I narrowed my eyes and focused on what they were saying, unexpected words came out of the man''s mouth. ¡®Your Grace?¡¯ There were only two people who could use that title in this empire. Hermann Euclid and Dietrich Lagrange. ¡°Ah.¡± Only then did I feel like the scattered pieces of the puzzle were being put together one by one. I clapped my hands together and started looking at Dylan, no, Dietrich¡¯s appearance. ¡®So he¡¯s Dietrich.¡¯ That fact wasn¡¯t particularly shocking. I nodded casually as if I had just remembered the fact that I had already known. In fact, my insensitive reaction was more shocking. ¡®Why am I not surprised?¡¯ Not even a sense of betrayal as I had thought he was a servant like me and so we established a friendship. ¡®Is it because he really didn¡¯t seem like a servant?¡¯ Maybe it was also because he didn¡¯t have that unique attitude of groveling or faking a smile characteristic of people who were ruled. I shrugged and confirmed that Dietrich was approaching, so I laid down again in my place. ¡°Is she still sleeping?¡± He approached with a low sigh. I wrinkled my nose to pretend I was asleep at the cool scent that made the tip of my nose a little bit cold. A stinging gaze fell on my brazen cheeks and soon a long shadow fell over my closed eyelids. Without opening my eyes, I called him softly. ¡°Dietrich.¡± ¡°Why.¡± ¡°As expected!¡± ¡°What is as expected?¡± ¡°I called you Dietrich and you answered!¡± His eyes widened greatly as I faced him closer. ¡°Did your memory return?¡± I was going to argue with him for lying to me but Dietrich asked me a random question first. I slowly blinked at his face filled with expectation. ¡°What memory?¡± ¡°.......If not, never mind.¡± I tilted my head to the side and frowned. He looked disappointed as if it wasn¡¯t the answer he was expecting. ¡°How did you know my name?¡± ¡°I accidentally overheard you talking to the knight outside.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Why did you lie? I mean, why did you tell a lie?¡± [1] I didn¡¯t know how to treat a high-ranking noble like a Grand Duke. The Viscount didn¡¯t seem all that noble compared to a Grand Duke. ¡®Hermann was a bit of an unusual person so I¡¯d have to make an exception.¡¯ Of course, considering that he continued to pose as a commoner, the Grand Duke of Lagrange could be compared to Hermann in a way that he was also unusual. However, fearlessly getting angry at him could get my head sliced off. That¡¯s the difference in our status. Besides, wasn¡¯t the Grand Duke of Lagrange a villain nicknamed as the strongest among villains in this world? ¡°Is it a game of high-ranking aristocrats?¡± He¡¯s really a villain who didn¡¯t look like a villain. With that thought in mind, I cleared my cracked voice and raised myself. ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± He smoothed a hand over his eyelids and sighed softly. ¡°Your Grace.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± Dietrich frowned as if he was uncomfortable with the title that came out of my mouth. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, then please answer my question.¡± ¡°.....If I had said that I am the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°If you had said?¡± ¡°Do you think you would talk to me?¡± I shook my head at Dietrich¡¯s question. ¡°No.¡± Because I wanted to avoid as much as possible the characters who were the main characters of the original, such as Hermann and Dietrich. It was already tiring living my life as a maid, and it would make my life even more tiring if I get involved with them. ¡®But is it that important to him whether I talk to him or not?¡¯ I was nothing but a mere maid. Dietrich smiled briefly and pressed down on his temple as if he knew that. ¡°That¡¯s why I did it.¡± ¡°But there is no need for you to converse with me.¡± ¡°There is.¡± Dietrich¡¯s voice was firm as if he had been preparing for quite some time. I waited for him to continue, but his tight lips seemed to have no thoughts of opening. ¡°........¡± In silence, the pattern engraved on his neck began to move dangerously like a snake. I instinctively realized that the snake and Dietrich were connected to the reason why he couldn¡¯t answer my question. A normal tattoo wouldn¡¯t have moved alone like that. ¡°What did I mean to you?¡± At my question, Dietrich slowly moved his lips. ¡°Do you want to know?¡± Of course, I wanted to know the truth. However, I clenched my fist tight because of his tattoo, which was constantly moving in an insidious way in front of my eyes. ¡°No, wait.¡± Don¡¯t answer. When he opened his mouth, the snake seemed to open its large mouth as well as if to swallow him whole. I hurriedly covered Dietrich¡¯s mouth with both my hands in fear. Nevertheless, a desperate confession was uttered. ¡°My everything.¡± Didn¡¯t he say earlier that he couldn¡¯t say it? His confession, which leaked from between his teeth, passed through the back of my hand and settled in my heart. Ah. My heart pounded in an anxious and nervous feeling. It was beating so fast different from when my heart fluttered in excitement because of what happened earlier. ¡°You¡¯re my everything.¡± ".........." ¡°I¡¯d rather die than live without you, Anissa.¡± But I wanted to avoid that at all costs. Notes: [1] Anissa switched to formal speech. CH 158 ¡°Anissa¡­¡­¡­¡± It was a name that felt rough as the tongue touched the roof of the mouth when called. Even though it was a popping pronunciation, his voice was endlessly soft and sweet when he uttered them that it sounded like a confession when he called. ¡°Yeah.¡± I managed to answer him in a subdued voice. ¡°Anissa.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here.¡± "............." ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± I repeated the answer in a low voice but there was no response. I hugged Dietrich who had collapsed in front of me after calling my name endlessly. His breathing was hot. I felt like he was getting thinner and my heart sank. ¡°Dietrich.¡± This feeling was so terrible that I wanted to run away but I was scared that he wouldn¡¯t open his eyes so I could only watch him. But Dietrich found me again. I¡¯m sorry I remembered too late. I squeezed him inside my arms fearing that he would burn out like a candle in my sight. Like the rain, his heart began to pour little by little, silently, but very deeply into my heart. His aura, which always seemed like a foggy mist, enveloped me. ¡®I see, so you missed me.¡¯ Emotions flowed like water. They were telling me he missed me, that he longed for me so much that there were many nights he couldn¡¯t sleep, and sometimes, it was hard to breathe. I was lost in those emotions and tightly closed my eyes. Although I blamed myself for not remembering, what should I do with you who said everything seemed all right when you saw my smiling face? What should I do with you who said it was a relief that you were the only one suffering? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The rain stopped and morning came. I kept watching beside Dietrich who couldn¡¯t open his eyes and raised myself up to the noise outside. As I poked my head out of the cave, the woman who made eye contact with me smiled brightly. ¡°Hello.¡± I didn¡¯t return her greetings. ¡®Who is she?¡¯ A small island floating on a lake. Why did people suddenly come to this humble place where no one would normally come and go? My heart sank at the thought that there was a purpose. ¡°Hello, miss.¡± Thinking that I may not have heard her, the woman raised her voice to say her greetings again. ¡°I am the saintess of Vallandia, Charlotte. I heard that the Grand Duke of Lagrange was here.¡± I looked at the silver-haired woman shining brilliantly in the sunlight. A person I didn¡¯t know. No, did I really not know her? I frowned at my inner doubt. Fragments of memories that had begun to rise shook in my head. ¡°There¡¯s no one like that here.¡± The woman was a rare beauty with gentle eyes, but I was wary of her like a cat raising her claws. ¡®I feel like I should.¡¯ ¡°Is that really true?¡± She tilted her head to the side with her eyes going wide. She glanced at the man beside her and pouted her lips as if in a predicament. ¡°She said Dietrich isn¡¯t here. What should we do?¡± ¡°No. He¡¯s here. There is his scent.¡± A man who was as beautiful as a woman like Charlotte didn¡¯t feel like a human. As I stared at him, Charlotte introduced him with a smile. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry for the late introduction. This is Vasha, a priest who serves Hella with me.¡± ¡®Priest?¡¯ I snorted at her words. ¡®That man is a priest serving a god?¡¯ I didn¡¯t believe it. I didn¡¯t know the man¡¯s identity but he wasn¡¯t human, moreover, he was definitely not a priest either. ¡®The same goes for that woman named Charlotte.¡¯ It was then that I remembered that Charlotte Vallandia was the only female protagonist in ''The Men''s War of Roses''. But, unlike her gentle face, she felt like a person with a more evil heart than Donovan. ¡®What is that?¡¯ I recoiled, frowning at the black mist blooming near her heart ¡°Miss, can we check inside the cave?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°But we have to bring the Grand Duke back quickly or else he¡¯d be in danger¡­.Isn¡¯t he in great agony right now?¡± I glared at her who smiled as if she knew Dietrich¡¯s condition. ¡°I can make him feel better.¡± "............." ¡°So I hope you return him back to me.¡± Charlotte held out her two hands as if Dietrich was a thing she owns. ¡°Miss, you are a person who has nothing to do with him.¡± Her laughable words pierce my heart like sharp thorns. ¡°Nothing to do with him?¡± ¡°I think there must be a misunderstanding, but Dietrich was supposed to come to me from the start. He¡¯s just wandering lost for a while.¡± ¡°From the start?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We would have been happy if the disrupter hadn¡¯t shown up.¡± Charlotte was full of certainty. To the point that her white face shone with pride in helping Dietrich. I let out a dry laugh at her words and tilted my head. ¡®That¡¯s right. I also once had that thought.¡¯ But I was wrong. Everything, all of it, was wrong from the beginning. Because Dietrich¡¯s heart wasn¡¯t part of our calculations. Starting with that awareness, I remembered Charlotte Vallandia. The original¡¯s female protagonist, Dietrich¡¯s destiny, and the woman called the savior of the North. But could you call unwanted salvation to be salvation? It must have been salvation done by opening the mouth of an unwilling person and shoving it down their throat. ¡®What Dietrich wanted was¡­.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m the only one who can save him.¡± I pressed on my throbbing heart and negated her words. ¡°That¡¯s a lie.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. I grabbed her white, fine hand, still fluttering in front of me, and bent it back. ¡°Kyaah!¡± ¡°Every time you open your mouth only lies really come out, huh, Charlotte.¡± Charlotte lets out a small scream and stepped back. Instead of helping her, the man named Vasha turned to look at me with a grin. The demon laughed and ripped his lips wide in a smile. At that moment, I realized why his aura, which was as muddy as a quagmire, had the same feel as Charlotte¡¯s pure white aura. Now, it was visibly clear. The reason why her aura, which was no different from Vassago''s, was able to shine dazzlingly white. Because she believed in all of her lies. However, the ability that was demonstrated by being blind to her lies could not have been divine power. ¡°It¡¯s already too late. Dietrich won¡¯t wake up again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not yet too late.¡± He was the one who found me even in a world where everyone had completely forgotten me. ¡®That¡¯s why he¡¯s going to wake up. Definitely.¡¯ Because Dietrich loved me to that extent. I opposed Vassago¡¯s words and glared at him. I moved the aura according to my will. Kkukkung- bam! The land between him and I split, and the island began to rip apart. It was the first time that the earth''s aura had moved according to my will. ¡®Is it because all the demons are sealed?¡¯ An exhilarating feeling of being able to hit even the demon''s face by lifting the whole island climbed up my neck, but I struggled to calm myself down. ¡®However, he won¡¯t die with just this much.¡¯ Protecting Dietrich, who was asleep, was the top priority. After realizing my intention to widen the distance between him and Dietrich as much as possible, Vassago smiled wide with his hands behind his back. ¡°It¡¯s no use. Dietrich¡¯s soul is already being eaten by me.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll just have to split your stomach open and take it out.¡± Holding a white sword made of aura in my hand, I glared at Vassgo. The bewildered demon hardened his expression and stared at me. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Did you forget my ability? Vassago, I can kill you.¡± ¡°How do you remember my name? Your ability and memory were the prices of the contract!¡± The demon¡¯s mouth belatedly went agape as he examined my face. ¡°Dietrich¡¯s safety was my condition. My ability came back because you didn¡¯t keep your end of the contract. As expected, you were also aiming for his soul.¡± I knew that the demon who hated Lagrange would not help me without any purpose. I tilted my head and glanced at the demon''s face turning white. Vassago raised his voice. ¡°But an ability that had once been taken wouldn¡¯t have come back!¡± ¡°You must have forgotten but in our contract, my memory was like a deposit.¡± I wrapped an aura around the cave to protect Dietrich and rolled through the air, grabbing the demon¡¯s collar. He gasped and stuttered. ¡°I don¡¯t think there was such a r-ridiculous provision?¡± I smiled brightly at Vassago¡¯s bewildered face. ¡°There is. A very small one.¡± I thought of the special line I added secretly to the contract. I was the only human with a record of signing a contract with the same demon twice. I wasn¡¯t unaware that the devil''s specialty was double contracts, and that he won''t help me out of pure favor, but it would be too stupid to not even prepare for it. ¡°Anything is difficult the first time.¡± Note: I will switch to using Hella instead of Hera since the raws are written like this ??. CH 159 ¡®Why is she looking at me like that?¡¯ Charlotte couldn¡¯t understand Anissa, who was glaring at her and Vassago. ¡°I came to help the Grand Duke of Lagrange, Anissa.¡± It was clear that there was a misunderstanding. She sincerely wanted to help Dietrich, who was in crisis, and if she knew her heart, Anissa wouldn¡¯t have been like that. ¡®But those eyes¡­..¡¯ Anissa looked at Charlotte as if she were looking at a villain who was determined to harm Dietrich. ¡®Why?¡¯ Charlotte bit her lip at the feeling of false accusation. Vassago, who had noticed her heart, sighed sadly and patted her shoulder. ¡°Miss Anissa must have misunderstood your heart, Saintess.¡± ¡°I think so, too. But why?¡± ¡°There are people like that in this world. Not everyone sees the good side of others as you do, Saintess.¡± ¡°Does that mean that Miss sees my bad side and is wary of me?¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyes widened at Vassago¡¯s words and asked. ¡°But I¡¯m not a person who has a bad side.¡± She seemed more shocked by the remark than by Anissa''s wary attitude. Vassago twisted his lips and backpedaled, thinking he had made a slip of tongue. ¡°Of course not. That¡¯s why she¡¯s just imagining what¡¯s not there.¡± ¡°Yes? But why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because Anissa is anxious about losing the Grand Duke to you, Saintess.¡± ¡°Ahhh.¡± Charlotte then nodded her head in relief at Vassago¡¯s words. ¡®That¡¯s right. As expected, I¡¯m not a bad person.¡¯ Although she understood Anissa¡¯s heart to hog Dietrich, he was originally destined to be Charlotte¡¯s fiance. ¡®In the first place, Anissa was the one who snatched the Grand Duke and not me.¡¯ It was also Anissa¡¯s fault that Dietrich was now in danger. Had it not been for Anissa who had upset her, she would have been happy to lend her the power to drive the shadow that corrodes Dietrich. ¡®Huh? But when did I refuse to help the Grand Duke of Lagrange?¡¯ Charlotte bit her lip in anguish as the memories that had been submerged under the water slowly surfaced. Vassago¡¯s face stiffened as if worried about her. ¡°Saintess, are you all right?¡± ¡°I keep having strange thoughts. As if there was a time that I hadn¡¯t helped Dietrich.¡± ¡°Pardon? That¡¯s not possible. How could a good person like you not help the Grand Duke?¡± Charlotte quickly nodded her head at Vassago¡¯s words. The priest, who had introduced himself as Vasha, complimented her like someone who was blindly obedient. Charlotte was relieved at those words that sounded like a whisper from the devil. ¡°They are the bad ones, Saintess.¡± ¡°Thank you for saying that, Vasha.¡± If she was good, then those who were wary of her were evil. Otherwise, there would be no reason for them to hate her. ¡®The Grand Duke of Lagrange is an exception¡­.He was the task that Hella entrusted to me after all.¡¯ ¡°Vasha, what should we do with that miss?¡± ¡°For now, I think we need to worry about what that Miss plans to do to us.¡± Vassago pressed on his temple remembering Anissa who had split the island in two with her ability. ¡®Though I had expected that she would find her ability and memory again.¡¯ Eredia''s ability was not fundamentally an offensive force. Nevertheless, the fact that she exerted such power meant that the shadows of the demons had faded that much. ¡®But Charlotte¡¯s powers are still the same.¡¯ Vassago swept his chin and looked back at Charlotte who had confronted Anissa. It was true that he swapped the babies who would be the savior of the North, but it was impossible to change the ability the baby was born with. ¡®Maybe she didn¡¯t have divine powers in the first place.¡¯ Vassagot watched Charlotte, who was revered as the saint of Vallandia, with narrowed eyes. ¡®Come to think of it, even though all the demons have returned to the demon realm, Hella has not appeared.¡¯ He wanted to question Charlotte. But Charlotte raised her voice first before he could call her. ¡°Anissa!¡± "............." ¡°There is no need for you to be wary of me. Please believe me!¡± Whether it was because Charlotte called her or not, Anissa, who had devoted all her strength to keep the cave where Dietrich was sleeping away from them, finally turned to look back at them. ¡°You ask me to believe you?¡± ¡°Yes. Why don¡¯t you believe me, Anissa?¡± Charlotte blamed Anissa with a face that was filled with injustice. Anissa let out a dry laugh as if she was being ridiculous. ¡°How can I believe you, Charlotte?¡± ¡°But I am Charlotte of Vallandia. Even people who don''t know my face know my goodness.¡± Anissa morosely looked at Charlotte¡¯s innocent gaze and raised her arm. A pure white light ignited in her hand and began to form a small sphere. ¡°I¡¯m so sick and tired of hearing about good and evil, really.¡± ¡°Wha-what did you say? But I¡¯m a priest who serves Hera and a saintess who was born with divine power!¡± Charlotte blinked slowly as if inviting her to look into her blue eyes. As Anissa didn¡¯t want to listen to her anymore, she poured her aura at Charlotte and Vassago who were slowly approaching her. ¡°Are all saints nice? Besides, I don¡¯t really know if you¡¯re really a good person, Charl.¡± ¡°How could you say such harsh words!¡± Charlotte raised her voice with a sad face like she had been insulted by her. She, who had been avoiding Anissa¡¯s aura, belatedly refined her power. ¡°Even now, you¡¯re trying to take Dietrich away by force from me, Charl.¡± Anissa, who did not find it difficult to dodge Charlotte''s attack, said with a sigh and tilted her head at an angle. ¡°I had always thought that I had stolen Dietrich from you. That¡¯s why I felt sorry.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Dietrich is the evil I have to save¨C!¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s not true. We were wrong.¡± Anissa shook her head fiercely at Charlotte¡¯s cry and bit her lips. ¡°I was arrogant.¡± "..........." ¡°Dietrich wasn¡¯t ¡®something¡¯ we had to save. He has his own will, his own heart, and his own right to choose me.¡± I was an idiot who didn¡¯t even realize that, but in spite of that, he said he liked me. ¡°So, I will no longer feel sorry for you.¡± Anissa added quietly, growing the size of the aura that was pouring at Charlotte. ¡°Why¡­¡­.? No, that¡¯s not possible.¡± Charlotte, unable to respond immediately to Anissa''s words, began to run away with a pale face. The momentum seemed like she was about to attack, but she quickly passed Anissa. Anissa, realizing that she was targeting Dietrich and not herself, pursued Charlotte, but Vassago took advantage of her distraction and stepped forward. ¡°Get out of the way, Vassago.¡± The demon was momentarily speechless as the pink-haired girl, who had always smiled brightly, growled fiercely. He had thought that humans did not change so easily, but it seemed like they change like that when they had something to protect. He stammered and tried to conceal his bewildered expression. ¡°Think about it well, Anissa.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason why I want to destroy Lagrange.¡± Vassago had the right to take his revenge on the humans of Lagrange who had inherited Asmodeus¡¯ blood. Moreover, it seemed completely unfair for the humans to get involved in the fight between demons, but the people in the North took advantage of the demon¡¯s powers and obtained many benefits. Without the demons in the first place, Lagrange would not have been able to maintain the power of the Grand Duchy. ¡°If you belatedly want to play the part of the savior of the North, shouldn¡¯t you think about what justice is?¡± Charlotte would have been swayed by these words. Because she wanted to be seen as someone fair. ¡°What¡­¡± ¡®As expected, she got confused.¡¯ Vassago laughed triumphantly as if he had hit the right mark on her. The demon thought that if Anissa, who was never regarded as Dietrich¡¯s destiny, wanted to take Charlotte¡¯s place, she at least would like to have a justification. Humans even liked to have justification for war. ¡°Nonsense is that?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± However, Anissa only distorted her face as if she had heard a dog bark somewhere. ¡°You mean it¡¯s just for you to covet Dietrich¡¯s soul?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯m asking for a fair price for a deal.¡± Anissa scoffed, throwing a lump of aura at Vassago¡¯s face. Please only read this at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. We do not seek monetary gain from translating this novel unlike aggegator sites. ¡®But what do you want me to do about it?¡¯ Even without Eredia¡¯s ability, it seemed that Vassago could clearly read what Anissa was thinking so his face flushed. ¡°Go find justification from Charlotte, Vassago.¡± "............" ¡°I don''t care if everyone in the world condemns me for being evil.¡± Because now, I didn¡¯t care whether we were considered villains or not. Anissa could finally understand Dietrich now. It didn¡¯t matter if we were considered villains. To us, just having each other was enough. CH 160 Death was always before him. The moment he was even a little careless, it was ready to bite his neck right away. ¡°You will die very early, Dietrich.¡± Those words, like a sticky curse, were his memory from when he was eight years old. From then on, Derek''s voice was already full of malice. He often grabbed his son and threatened him that his life would be short-lived. ¡°Although you will become a Grand Duke younger than I did, you will die earlier than I did as well.¡± He knew that he was jealous of the outstanding talent he possessed, but those words weren¡¯t lies. Because the shadow he wields as easily as he breathes had a price that could only be maintained by devoting his soul to the demon. ¡°You¡¯ll die before you could even taste this power. What a pity.¡± Dietrich listened to Derek with one ear who held the power as if he would break his shoulder and stared into his red eyes which were shaking in anger and inferiority complex. What was he thinking back then? Did he think indifferently like it didn¡¯t matter? It felt like he had thought it would be better to die than to seize power and rot like Derek. ¡®.......So this is what regret feels like.¡¯ His body felt cold. The reason why the back of his neck prickled was probably because of the fear of death. At the age of eight, he had decided to give up any lingering attachments to life, but what was this feeling of wanting to raise his head? ¡®It¡¯s probably because of Anissa.¡¯ Dietrich managed to lift his body as heavy as wet cotton and swept his sweaty hair up. He missed her. He quietly admitted. He missed her so terribly. Even if she was standing in front of him, he still missed her, and the thought that he wouldn¡¯t be able to see her forever filled him with so much uncontrollable regret. Because it was the only regret left in his life that she wouldn¡¯t have left anything behind. ¡°......Dietrich.¡± He turned his head to the soft voice he heard along with the white light. ¡°Dietrich, are you all right?¡± Charlotte approached Dietrich with worried eyes. He didn¡¯t have the energy to answer so he just watched her as she approached. ¡°It seems the demon has already eaten away most of your ability.¡± She shook her head and began to examine Dietrich¡¯s condition. ¡°I¡¯m sure just breathing is hard for you, so let me purify you just a little.¡± Charlotte placed her hand on his cheek and used her ability. The cave, which was full of dark magic, slightly became lighter. ¡°Even a little help like this won¡¯t be welcomed by Hella.¡± "..........." ¡°Dietrich, I also think that Vassago¡¯s revenge is justified.¡± Hella was an impartial god. Charlotte added that it was not right to set a different standard just because Vassago was a demon. ¡°Asmodeus took my mother from him, and the Lagrange did not pay him the price of the contract.¡± "............." ¡°Without his power, the Lagrange family wouldn''t have continued to exist, and Dietrich would not have survived until now. So there¡¯s no need to feel there is injustice.¡± Charlotte made excuses for not helping him so far, but Dietrich shook his head weakly. ¡°I don¡¯t feel that it¡¯s unfair.¡± ¡°.........Excuse me?¡± ¡°When he took even the memory of Anissa, yes¡­..I might have been angry for a moment.¡± But he was able to get close to Anissa because she didn''t remember him. ¡®Annie¡¯ didn¡¯t think of running away because she was worried about his safety. He smiled as the memory of her slowly surfaced. The way her face blushed when he suddenly pushed his face toward her because she didn¡¯t know what to do or the way her mouth laughed like a child while playing a prank on him first. ¡°However, I don¡¯t mind if she doesn¡¯t remember me, so there is no reason for me to blame your demon.¡± ¡°.........Vassago is not my demon.¡± Charlotte stared at Dietrich¡¯s smiling neat face and bit her lips. She couldn¡¯t control her bite and her lips bled, but if she didn¡¯t do that, she would have been angry at the sick patient. ¡®Why does he say that everything Anissa does is all right?¡¯ She was the wicked woman who took Dietrich away from Charlotte. ¡®You don¡¯t even care about me!¡¯ Dietrich had fallen into the abyss just as God foretold, and she was someone who would save him from that pit. Charlotte was raised as a saint to save the North from despair. It was as if Anissa had taken away her task and purpose in life. ¡®Although the person being punished is Dietrich.¡¯ Charlotte knitted her brows at the traces of pain that filled his neat forehead. ¡°You were not originally meant to die. The reason why you¡¯re dying right now is because of Anissa.¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± Charlotte frowned at Dietrich¡¯s calm answer. ¡°Do you not believe me? I don¡¯t tell things such as lies.¡± ¡°No, I believe you.¡± "................." ¡°But as I said to your demon, I¡¯m more afraid of losing Anissa than dying.¡± It was better to die than live without her, but it was all right since he was able to spend his last moments with her. Charlotte clenched her fist as she easily read what was on his mind. ¡°Vassago isn¡¯t my demon but if you tell me that you regret it now, I can help you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you tell me now that you regret choosing her instead of me.¡± Dietrich let out a low laugh at her cracked voice. Realizing that he was laughing at her, Charlotte glared and grabbed him by his collar. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to say it? Do you intend to die just like this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t regret it.¡± "................" ¡°No matter how many times you ask me, I will never choose you, Charlotte Vallandia.¡± ¡°Why?!¡± Charlotte, enraged by Dietrich¡¯s cold words, removed her ability to purify the mana of the surroundings. He gasped for breath as his airway became clogged again but he didn¡¯t take back his words. ¡°.........Is it because I did something ¡®bad¡¯?¡± Charlotte murmured little as she looked down at Dietrich, who turned away from her. ¡°Are you cold to me because I can''t become perfectly nice?¡± Dietrich looked at her, who was contemplating and barely managed to lean his body on the wall. Charlotte was lost in thought, not noticing that his condition was gradually improving. Dietrich placed a hand on the floor, fumbling for the shadow her light had created. ¡°However, that goes the same for Anissa. She interrupted me because she wanted you.¡± ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s none of my business whether you¡¯re good or bad.¡± Charlotte, who failed to persuade Dietrich, nodded as if determined to do something. Her blue eyes sparkled and became filled with a strong will. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s because of Anissa¡¯s existence. She needs to be gone.¡± ¡°.................¡± ¡°That is the only way to fulfill Hella¡¯s prophecy.¡± ¡°......Baal.¡± Dietrich grabbed Charlotte¡¯s wrist as she turned her body as if to go to Anissa. She frowned slightly as if she couldn¡¯t believe what he whispered. ¡°Wake up, Baal. It¡¯s time to pay for the food you¡¯ve been eating.¡± ¡°Baal has ceased to exist. Vassago¡­..¡± It was at that moment when Charlotte was about to provoke him saying it was nonsense. Her shadow began to wriggle. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± Charlotte let out a shriek and trampled on her own shadow. She lost the torch in her hand. Bang! Boom! The cave began to collapse. Charlotte''s shadow only grew darker as the sunny sky was revealed. The dark surroundings became bright in an instant and a familiar figure appeared in the air. ¡°I don''t remember being fed by His Majesty.¡± It was Baal. Apparently, he was summoned during meal time, the demon holding a steak plate in his hand grumbled and wiped his lips with a napkin. ¡°Seeing that I was summoned¡­.it seemed you had figured it out.¡± Baal grinned and set foot on the ground. Charlotte trembled and turned pale when she realized that the black shadow stretching from her feet was connected to her. ¡°Why? How is this possible?¡± How could a demon be summoned through my shadow? ¡°Normally, you would have melted right away because of the divine power!¡± Charlotte struggled desperately and glared at Baal, however, the demon only shrugged his shoulder and looked back at Dietrich. ¡°Your Majesty, what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Start with getting rid of Vassago.¡± Baal looked at Dietrich¡¯s calm face and grinned. ¡°How are you going to pay the price?¡± Dietrich didn¡¯t answer Baal¡¯s question and only leaned against the wall and straightened his breathing. He had noticed Charlotte¡¯s strange power. ¡®So Hella is a demon.¡¯ There was no such thing as a God in this world. They were all just demons in a hurry to fill their own stomachs and Euclid and Lagrange were but their best prey to play with. The rose war, the salvation, and even that damn price for the contract. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about asking for a price when obeying the king¡¯s orders, Baal.¡± Baal turned around in surprise at the cold gaze which seemed to cut off his head right away. ¡°As you command.¡± CH 161 ¡°Kugh.¡± Vassago, who was hit by the concentrated aura that I threw, hunched over with a painful sound. Although the demon quickly regained his senses and stood in tiptoe to reach me, I easily swept Vassago to the other side when he came close in front of me. ¡®Are you telling me this is the extent of Vassago¡¯s power?¡¯ Power overflowed as if the embankment that had been blocking the violent current had finally collapsed. It was to the point that I couldn¡¯t believe there were days I had struggled sniffing around trying to purify the pieces of Asmodeus. ¡®I feel like I could annihilate Asmodeus now even without the help of Vassago.¡¯ It was only after I opened my two arms and released some aura that I was able to calm my excited self. ¡°However, it¡¯s still strange.¡± I tilted my head while stomping on Vassago¡¯s hand, who had collapsed in front of me. The demon¡¯s face contorted in humiliation. ¡°Your smell is too light.¡± As my ability became stronger the more sensitive I became and noticed a change in Vassago. Whenever I faced Baal or the other demons in Lagrange, I was always suffocated by the stench that stung my nose, but the current Vassago almost didn¡¯t give off any scent. Maybe, it¡¯s not that my ability had come back along with my memories, but that Vassago had just become terribly weak. ¡®Come to think of it, why is Vassago with Charlotte?¡¯ My eyes narrowed seeing Vassago¡¯s lips curl up. ¡°Why were you pretending to be a priest?¡± ¡°Because I thought it was important for Charlotte to see me on her side. I thought she wouldn¡¯t listen to me if I told her I was a demon.¡± In the end, that meant Vassago needed Charlotte¡¯s help. But what kind of help did the demon want from a woman, who claimed to be a saint regardless of its true essence? ¡®The aura is flowing towards her.¡¯ It was then that I noticed that Vassago''s aura was moving along a long stream of water towards her. ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°I already told you you¡¯re too late, Anissa.¡± I glared at the aggravating Vassago and turned my head to follow the shadow that was slowly slipping from his fingertips. Boom, Bang!!! I thought I heard a loud roar and saw the cave where Dietrich was collapsing. ¡®Are Dietrich and Charlotte confronting each other?¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s not up to you to decide whether it¡¯s too late or not, Vassago.¡± ¡°Ugh! Let go!¡± I began to head for the cave, clutching Vassago by his nape. I said it with confidence, but I was anxious. Even though the distance was close enough that I could see it with my own eyes, the feeling of not being able to narrow it down made me feel frustrated. ¡®No wonder he was weak compared to before.¡¯ It seemed that Vassago was sending his powers to Charlotte secretly. ¡°Dietrich!¡± I urgently looked around for Dietrich but I couldn¡¯t see him with all the dust surrounding the cave like a fog. ¡°Dietrich!!!¡± ¡®What if he¡¯s buried under all the rubble?¡¯ Normally, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry but he was currently unconscious. I scrambled to my feet, worried about the defenseless Dietrich. ¡®He¡¯s not answering. Maybe he still hasn¡¯t woken up?¡¯ Without even wiping my dripping tears, I began to dig up the piles of stones. Blood pooled in the palm of my hands which had been stabbed by the sharp debris but I wasn¡¯t in my right mind to feel the pain. ¡°Heuk! Ugh!¡± ¡®Is he hurt? No, what if he¡¯s dead?¡¯ ¡°Huu, what if he¡¯s, hyup, completely, urgh, crushed?¡± Regrets of leaving him behind in the cave filled up my throat. It was too easy to judge that Charlotte¡¯s holy power was not as good as my ability to attack. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Then someone poked me with a finger on the side of my crying face. I answered temperamentally while digging through the pile of debris I couldn¡¯t even see the bottom of. ¡°What do you mean! Hiccup! I¡¯m looking for you!¡± Why were you asking while sitting there?! I turned to Dietrich, who sighed in irritation. Standing on the pile of broken debris, he was completely fine with not a single scratch on him. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± He smiled lightly while looking at me as he stood crookedly at a distance. I stared blankly at the hand he extended toward me. ¡°Stop crying and come here.¡± ¡°............" ¡°Hurry.¡± Tadak. Tak. As I leaped across the short distance at once, he hugged me in his arms as if he had been waiting. I wrapped my arms around his neck tightly and bowed my head. The moment my forehead touched his firm shoulder, the cry that had stopped exploded again. ¡®Ah, it¡¯s not the time to cry just like this.¡¯ We never knew when Vassago, who had regained his energy and Charlotte, who had gained strength, would come at us. Even while thinking about that, my vision just kept getting blurry. ¡°Hic, huuu.¡± ¡°It¡¯s strange you¡¯re still crying.¡± Dietrich patted me on the back affectionately but also uttered mean remarks. Listening to his blunt rebuke made me feel like I was back in Lagrange. ¡°Shut, ugh, hyup!, up.¡± ¡°You have a runny nose.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± That¡¯s not possible. I turned my head away in denial when Dietrich¡¯s arm that wasn¡¯t holding me moved as if to wipe my face. But he grabbed the back of my neck and turned my head to face him. ¡°Blow.¡± ¡°............." ¡°Blow your nose.¡± He held out a handkerchief and told me to blow my nose. He waved the handkerchief in front of me while giving me a sidelong glance and I snatched the handkerchief away from him and blew my nose on my own. ¡®I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s still carrying a handkerchief even in this situation.¡¯ I was embarrassed to return the dirty handkerchief so I held it tightly in my hand and looked at him when from a distance, I smelled the faint scent of a demon. I looked around again with my nerves on edge. ¡®It definitely smells like Baal.¡¯ I wouldn¡¯t confuse Baal with another demon. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you summoned Baal?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Surprised, my face twisted at Dietrich¡¯s calm affirmation. ¡°How could you call out Baal?!¡± He had already abused using the demon¡¯s ability that the state of his soul was at stake. ¡®Even if he¡¯s Baal, he¡¯s still a demon ¨C¡¯ I bit my lip, staring at the tattoo that moved insidiously as if it would swallow Dietrich at any moment. ¡°It¡¯s all right now.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Even if I called Baal, it¡¯s alright. Maybe.¡± I knitted my eyebrows at his small addition. If it¡¯s all right, then it¡¯s all right. What¡¯s with the maybe it¡¯s all right? With my hand on his shoulder, I closed my eyes to determine Baal¡¯s position and felt his familiar stench mixed together with an aura I saw for the first time. ¡°It seems like he¡¯s fighting someone?¡± ¡°I ordered him to get rid of Vassago.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not Vassago¡¯s smell.¡± I looked at the place where I threw Vassago to find Dietrich. The sprawling figure of the demon had already disappeared without a trace. ¡°Anissa.¡± But before I could find where the missing demon had disappeared to, a voice called out to me. I found Charlotte glancing at us with silent eyes while still on the pile of debris. ¡°Anissa, do you want to stop conforming to fate?¡± Another voice overlapped with the voice she was calling me with. I gazed into her bright yellow eyes and opened my mouth, ¡°......Hella?¡± ¡°I see you recognize me. I borrowed Charlotte¡¯s body for a moment to converse with you.¡± Her voice, which spoke with force on each syllable, even felt holy at first glance. An intense desire to kneel and bow my head soared but I grabbed Dietrich¡¯s hands tightly instead and bit my lips. ¡®A benevolent goddess?¡¯ I didn¡¯t know when it became benevolent to arbitrarily control people¡¯s minds. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Noticing that I was overwhelmed by Hella¡¯s aura, he grabbed my hand back. I nodded my head lightly and met Hella¡¯s distinctive eyes which were looking at me as if my behavior was interesting. ¡°Dietrich, about ¡®Hella¡¯.......¡± ¡°She¡¯s a demon. Just like Baal.¡± I thought it was strange from the time I learned that an impartial god who loved peace threw only the children of the North as prey to the demons. ¡®People seemed to think that it was fine to do that to the North.¡¯ Didn¡¯t that also mean that Hella was controlling people¡¯s thoughts? At Dietrich¡¯s words, Hella frowned as if expressing displeasure. She even clicked her tongue and shook her head. ¡°In the end, you¡¯ve called Baal again. Just because it wasn¡¯t a fair price doesn¡¯t mean the contract has disappeared.¡± Charlotte, no, Hella raised her right hand high and pointed at Dietrich¡¯s tattoo which was getting darker and darker. The air began to freeze when she reminded him of the curse on him. ¡°Stop, stop it!¡± Even when I screamed in shock, Hella still threw Dietrich into the air. The moment he raised a shadow to counterattack, a white curtain shuttered between him and us. Hella, who clasped my arm tightly, whispered. ¡°Anissa, I also don¡¯t want to persecute you like this. Follow my will and give up Lagrange. I am like your God.¡± I snorted at Hella¡¯s solemn tone, speaking as if she really was a God. ¡®Even so, you¡¯re a demon.¡¯ Her eyes were dyed with embarrassment when I scoffed at her ears. ¡°Whether you¡¯re a God or a demon, who cares?¡± ¡°.........What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch Dietrich. If you do, I¡¯ll tear you to death.¡± CH 162 Although I spoke triumphantly, Hella was comparably strong to Asmodeus and Vassago. ¡®Is it because she ate all of Vassago¡¯s power?¡¯ It would have been better if her aura was as disgusting at Baal¡¯s, but Hella¡¯s gray aura made me want to vomit just by looking at it. ¡°You¡¯re all talk and no bite.¡± Hella noticed me being taken aback and curled her lips. I sat down as my vision doubled and clenched my fists when I sensed Hella approaching. She had Charlotte¡¯s face but was wearing Hella¡¯s expression, she looked like a completely different person. ¡®I¡¯m scared.¡¯ She reached out to me without hesitation, but before her hand could touch me, a black shadow fell over us. ¡°Dietrich!¡± Why did he even step forward when he¡¯s already having a hard time standing up? ¡°I¡¯m fine so don¡¯t come.¡± I shouted urgently, but as if he couldn¡¯t hear my voice, he twisted his wrist and swung his sword. ¡°What pathetic efforts for rats.¡± Hella laughed at us and twisted her lips. ¡°Even the sword you have in your hand is mine, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Dietrich made a big downward motion as if he was really handing over the sword. His strength was so strong that the piles of stones underneath were crushed and turned to dust. ¡°You cowardly¨C!¡± As if he had turned them into powder deliberately, Dietrich kicked the dust and clouded Hella¡¯s vision. ¡°Ugh.¡± Hella, who criticized Dietrich¡¯s cowardice, tightly closed her eyes. Not losing the opportunity, Dietrich kicked the ground and stepped out. ¡°It¡¯s your sword, so I¡¯ll give it back.¡± Right after, Dietrich thrust the black sword into her chest when she was in a flustered state. ¡®Heavens.¡¯ The moment Dietrich pierced Hella¡¯s chest with the sword, I witnessed him raise the corner of his lips. ¡®He¡¯s really like a villain.¡¯ However, whether you¡¯re cursed for being cowardly or ridiculed for being underhanded, weren¡¯t you the best when you win? I even cheered for Dietrich by clapping. Fortunately, my efforts to ¡®darken¡¯ the holy sword seemed to have worked. Hella, who was holding the holy sword in her arms which was contrary to her essence, leaned down in agony. ¡°How dare, how dare you¡­..!¡± Hella raised her head as she let out a roar in a hoarse voice. ¡°You insects!¡± ¡°Hiik.¡± Her face that was distorted was no longer Charlotte¡¯s. Scales like that of an insect started sprouting and covering her beginning from her face. Noticing my fright, Dietrich quickly approached me and hid me behind his back. I gripped his arm and poked my head out. ¡°......Does Baal¡¯s true appearance also look like that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen it either.¡± ¡°Should we just run away?¡± In her human form, I was confident that we would win if we held out somehow, but looking at Hella who had changed into a giant cockroach made goosebumps rise all over my skin that I just wanted to run away. ¡®Even if it¡¯s gross, isn¡¯t this too gross?¡¯ No matter how well maintained it was, if one went in and out of the forest of withered roses every day and got used to insects, I¡¯d still be frightened by a cockroach that seemed like its enormous head would touch the sky. ¡°I thought you said you¡¯d tear it apart earlier,¡± Dietrich smirked as he looked down at me sweeping my arms where goosebumps had risen. ¡°I said that when Hella was still using Charlotte¡¯s appearance!¡± ¡®By the way, what happened to Charlotte?¡¯ If she realized that her body had turned into a bug, wouldn¡¯t that be a huge shock to her considering her personality? ¡°Anissa!¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a sound from Hella¡¯s end. I narrowed my eyes, watching Hella scream as if she lost her reason, and looked around for the voice calling my name. ¡°Anissa!¡± ¡°.......Hermann?¡± For some reason, Hermann, who was riding a boat, had spread his arms wide in a heroic pose while looking for me. ¡®Isn¡¯t he embarrassed?¡¯ I strongly wanted to ignore him because I was embarrassed just watching him but now was the time to borrow even a cat¡¯s hand. ¡°Here! I¡¯m here!¡± I jumped in place, telling Hermann where we were. ¡°So you were there!¡± Hermann found me and jumped off the boat with a broad smile. Dietrich¡¯s face contorted as he came close. ¡°Why are you calling that punk?¡± I shrugged my shoulders as he questioned while gritting his teeth. ¡°We can run away while Hermann is blocking Hella.¡± Hermann was Hella¡¯s favorite kin. ¡®Even if Hella¡¯s true identity is a demon, there¡¯s no way she would kill her subordinate.¡¯ Even if Hella had a wicked heart, Hermann wouldn¡¯t die easily since he¡¯s the main protagonist regarded as God¡¯s child. I cold-heartedly thought of the usefulness of my real brother and gave him a huge smile when he approached me. ¡°Brother!¡± "..........!" Hermann and Dietrich¡¯s eyes widened simultaneously at the designation that popped out of my lips. Particularly for Hermann, who already had round eyes, it really looked like his eyes were going to pop soon. ¡°What, what, what did you ¨C what did you say just now?¡± ¡°I called you brother. You are my brother, right?¡± Although we never lived together, it was true that he was my real brother who shared the same blood as me. ¡®Moreover, even after I lost my memory, we often bumped into each other so I think it had some effect, too.¡¯ Even after I was completely erased from this world, he had chased after me so maybe he really wanted to help me. ¡®Now that I think about it like that, it¡¯s a bit touching.¡¯ ¡°Th-that¡¯s right! I am your brother!¡± ¡°Your voice is too loud. That bug demon is going to find us.¡± I pressed my index finger on Hermann¡¯s lips, which seemed to babble forever if I didn¡¯t stop him. ¡°I¡¯m so-sorry.¡± He closed his mouth like a clam and quickly nodded his head. ¡°Why is that bastard your brother?¡± Dietrich let out a dry laugh as if my conversation with Hermann was laughable. ¡°Duke, I could say the same to you. What relationship do you have with Anissa for you to cut in between us?¡± Hermann countered Dietrich¡¯s argument as if he wouldn¡¯t lose. I inserted myself in the middle of the two men fighting right in front of the enemy and clapped my hands. ¡°It¡¯s not the time for us to be fighting each other!¡± ¡°But that punk started it first¡­.¡± ¡°Grand Duke, you¡¯re being rude to me¡­.¡± ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s enough! Hermann, you see that bug?¡± I cut between Hermann and Dietrich¡¯s words in one stroke and pointed my chin at Hella. ¡°There¡¯s no way I couldn¡¯t see that. It¡¯s so disgusting that my eyes hurt.¡± ¡®No way?¡¯ I wonder how he would react when he finds out that the bug was the ¡®Sun God¡¯ Hella which he had believed in all his life. As I hesitated with my words, Dietrich put his arm around my shoulder and dragged me toward him before opening his mouth. ¡°That¡¯s Hella.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That bug is the one you¡¯re serving, Hella.¡± ¡°Why are you telling me an unbelievable lie right now, Duke?¡± Hermann firmly shook his head at Dietrich¡¯s words and looked at me. It seemed like he wanted me to agree to his words but I couldn¡¯t and nodded my head. ¡°What Dietrich said wasn¡¯t a lie. That bug is ¡®Hella¡¯. She isn¡¯t a Sun God but a demon.¡± ¡°......That¡¯s not possible.¡± ¡°Please feel her aura. You, her kin, would know.¡± Hermann closed his eyes at my suggestion and soon, bit his lips and looked back at the bug. ¡°......It seems to be Hella.¡± ¡°Even so, can you help me?¡± Hermann¡¯s face was greatly distorted with conflict. He alternately looked at me and Dietrich, whose faces were white with exhaustion, and Hella¡¯s antennae, who regained her senses and started looking for us. ¡°Anissa, I vowed to Hella that I would do anything to get my lost sister back.¡± As if he had decided on something, he opened his mouth with determined eyes. ¡°Whatever it is, even if I ended up acting against her will.¡± "............" I was unable to quickly answer Hermann who was sporting a serious expression. ¡®I guess I have to withdraw my plan to use him as bait and run away.¡¯ It didn¡¯t seem humane to throw away someone who cared for me like this and run away with Dietrich. ¡°Thank you.¡± I was a person full of bad prejudice against my own sibling because of the memories of my past life. That¡¯s why I kept rejecting Hermann, who kept on looking for me just because I was his sister. Please only read this at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. We do not seek monetary gain from translating this novel unlike aggegator sites. ¡®But Hermann was different from the people I considered my family.¡¯ Maybe it was time that I acknowledged him. I stepped out of Dietrich¡¯s hand which was holding me firmly and grabbed Hermann¡¯s hand, as his eyes seemed to fill with tears. Well, I tried to hold his hand. If Dietrich hadn¡¯t stepped in between us. I sighed slightly as I looked up at Dietrich''s broad back which obscured my view. ¡°Dietrich, move.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Without any thoughts of looking back at me, he snarled and warned Hermann. ¡°Get lost.¡± ¡°Duke, Anissa told you to move!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your help so don¡¯t touch Anissa, Hermann Euclid.¡± CH 163 ¡°You always talk strangely, Duke! Isn¡¯t that something I should be saying?¡± Whenever Dietrich made a cold expression, even Yuric who was hanging around him became fearful, but Hermann wasn¡¯t discouraged and responded to his words. ¡®Just like a protagonist.¡¯ I looked back at Dietrich, admiring Hermann¡¯s steadfast attitude. His lips curled up as if he found it laughable. ¡°What qualifications do you have?¡± ¡°You have no qualifications as well!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t I?¡± ¡°I am Anissa¡¯s real brother. And Duke, aren¡¯t you a wastrel who¡¯s coveting Anissa?¡± ¡°A was¨C what?¡± Dietrich¡¯s face warped at Hermann¡¯s words. ¡°This bastard¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way I will approve you for Anissa not until dirt gets in my eyes!¡± [1] ¡°We have to just pluck out your eyes then.¡± ¡®Why are you going to pluck out his eyes!¡¯ I shook my head at Dietrich¡¯s stormy face. Wuuwuuwuu. I quickly rushed in between them since they looked like they would attack each other soon, but Hella wailed loudly from a distance and started looking for us. Please only read this at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. We do not seek monetary gain from translating this novel unlike aggegator sites. ¡®At this rate, Hella is going to find us first!¡¯ I alternately looked at Hermann and Dietrich who were glaring at each other and heaved a deep sigh. ¡°Stop.¡± They flinched and looked back at me as if my serious expression worked on them. ¡°Dietrich, is it time for us to fight with each other?¡± ¡°.........No.¡± Dietrich averted his eyes at my sharp tone and mumbled. ¡°Didn¡¯t Anissa say now¡¯s not the time! You really can¡¯t tell the difference for the right time, Duke.¡± I turned my head towards Hermann, who was grinning triumphantly as if gloating over Dietrich and raised my eyes at him ferociously. ¡°You¡¯re the same, Hermann. Are you picking a fight against Dietrich when we still haven¡¯t even found out how to destroy Hella yet?¡± ¡°B-But the Duke¡­.¡± ¡°Stop making a racket! You do know that dealing with Hella comes first right now, am I wrong?¡± ¡°.....Yes. Sorry.¡± Hermann slowly nodded his head, intimidated by my scolding, and gripped his sword. ¡®Huh? Is that a relic?¡¯ I narrowed my eyes at the purple amulet sparkling near his neck. ¡°Hermann, that amulet, is it a relic?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the goddess Hella¡¯s¨C I mean, it¡¯s a relic handed down from the temple of Hella.¡± ¡°Please give it to me.¡± I reached out to him, treating the holy relic that would be equivalent to three castles for one jewel stone like a trinket you can find on the sidewalk. ¡°The amulet?¡± I shook my open hand in front of him, urging, and Hermann took off the amulet with a sour look on his face. ¡°Why¡­.¡± ¡°The darkened holy sword of yours worked on Hella earlier. I think this will do the same.¡± Dietrich grabbed my shoulder as I squeezed the amulet in my hand to darken it. ¡°Are you thinking of using your ability again?¡± I looked into his black eyes like a curtain of night. I smiled gently at the deep worry filling his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to overdo it again¡ª¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not just saying that. Now, I won¡¯t do anything like sacrificing myself for you.¡± "..............." ¡°I realized that¡¯s not what you want.¡± It may sound selfish at first glance, but Dietrich slightly nodded his head as if he was relieved by my words. ¡°Because the most precious one to you is me.¡± I took his hand on my shoulder and continued speaking. ¡°You said that losing me is the scariest thing in the world. I will never put you in such an atrocious situation again.¡± ¡°......All right.¡± Though they were passionate words that made one¡¯s face heat up, Dietrich admitted them serenely. And he laughed lightly. ¡°As you said, I don¡¯t need anything else as long as I have you.¡± I smiled at Dietrich, who nodded slowly like a meek child. ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± I decided to consider my safety first in order to prioritize Dietrich¡¯s heart. ¡®So let¡¯s not overdo it.¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t be for Dietrich if I get hurt trying to annihilate Hella. ¡®But in the current situation, I could darken three relics.¡¯ I darkened Hermann¡¯s amulet, feeling the power overflowing like a river from earlier. ¡°Do you also need this?¡± Hermann understood my plan and handed over the bracelet and ring he had been wearing. He swept his chin while he watched me darken the relics without any difficulty. ¡°I see. If you darken the relics, it would double the strength of the Duke.¡± Hermann¡¯s guess wasn¡¯t wrong. Dietrich did actually lead the war to victory using Hermann¡¯s holy sword which I had darkened. However, even though entering a contract was the same as being fooled by the demon, he had already paid the price of the contract, and summoning Baal was already overwhelming enough. I stared at the tattoo that was still hanging around Dietrich¡¯s neck and bit my lips. ¡°No, Dietrich will not be using them.¡± ¡°......I¡¯m sorry but since I¡¯m Hella¡¯s kin, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be of much help.¡± Hermann curled his fingers and made an apologetic face. I shrugged my shoulders since I had no intention of putting Hermann in the lead in the first place. ¡°I¡¯ll be the one to use it. These relics.¡± ¡°No.¡± I had said that to Hermann, but the answer came from the other side. I heaved a sigh at Dietrich¡¯s resolute words. ¡°Did you forget what I said earlier?¡± ¡°..............¡± ¡°I know I¡¯m the most precious one to you. I told you I won¡¯t overdo it.¡± ¡°Then why are you going to use the relic?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m confident.¡± I was convinced that if there was anyone who would be able to see the end of Hella, that would be me. Not Hermann who was the protagonist, not even Dietrich who was given the role to play the villain and live a life of solitude, but I, who was the voice of this story. ¡°I have confidence I¡¯ll win, Dietrich. Believe in me.¡± This world moved according to Hella¡¯s will and Dietrich and Hermann were people who were completely, fundamentally part of this world. ¡®But I¡¯m not.¡¯ I was the only blemish and transcendent in her world. When I realized that fact, my body began to fill with power as if Eredia was responding to my will. I snatched Hermann¡¯s sword and looked back at the two people¡¯s faces filled with nervousness. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± "......." ¡°The two of you, make sure to hide well.¡± I¡¯m warning you, so don¡¯t even try to interfere. I warned them firmly and took a step forward. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Hermann didn¡¯t trust Anissa¡¯s plan. It must be so since in his eyes, his one and only sister looked so slender and delicate. ¡®Her arms aren''t even half of mine, isn¡¯t the sword too heavy for her?¡¯ Their mother, Dona Euclid, was a typical southern beauty who was of small stature that she could be buried in a tall flower garden and hidden from view. Anissa¡¯s circumstances, which resembled Dona''s, would be no different. Even though he knew it was hereditary, when Hermann recalled Anissa¡¯s skinny body, he glared at Dietrich. ¡®It¡¯s clear that she grew up not eating properly in Lagrange.¡¯ Although he did not fully understand the circumstances of Lagrange, he knew that in Lagrange, even if they were siblings, they grew up in different environments depending on their abilities. She wouldn¡¯t have been able to grow up luxuriously because she had to hide her ability. Hermann clenched his fists, imagining the little Anissa dressed in patched clothes who must have longed for Euclid. ¡®She probably wouldn¡¯t have cried in front of Dietrich Lagrange.¡¯ His eyes became moist with unshed tears, but that cold-hearted man wouldn¡¯t understand him who was feeling pity for the young Anissa. He struggled to control his grief and glared at Dietrich, who was an inch ¨C actually, it wasn¡¯t just an inch but a large margin of difference ¨C taller than him. ¡®Why is that punk so large?¡¯ Not only was he tall, but he also had a large build even for a knight of the North. Did he steal the food meant for Anissa to fill his stomach? ¡®Otherwise, there¡¯d be no reason for him to boast longer legs than me, who as the eldest son, took the elixir that was supposed to be good for the body.¡¯ He had made the conclusions to himself and turned to look at Anissa¡¯s small but resolute back as she slowly went farther away. He became fretful that she might drop the heavy sword on her feet as Anissa made her way to Hella. However, when she arrived where Hella was, she began to swing the large long sword with one hand and began to turn her head. ¡®Is she doing some warm-up exercise?¡¯ She looked extremely cute like a chick doing gymnastics but the real battle was different from the sparring done in a drill hall. Hermann turned to look at Dietrich because he thought Anissa¡¯s carefree manner was due to her poor grasp of the situation. ¡°Will it really be all right not to help her?¡± "..............." ¡°Duke, what are you doing right now?¡± He thought it seemed too quiet but Dietrich was muttering something under his breath while in place. ¡°Duke! Are you summoning demons right now?!¡± He didn¡¯t know what exactly he was saying, but Hermann knew that Dietrich was calling out demons. It¡¯s a spell he¡¯d often heard during the rose war. ¡°You showed complete confidence in front of her as if you would never help her!¡± He wasn¡¯t holding back because he didn¡¯t want to help her. Hermann¡¯s voice filled with betrayal rose up. ¡°Duke, you¡¯re such a completely two-faced man!¡± Dietrich frowned indifferently as if a fly was buzzing around him. ¡°Shut up.¡± Note: [1] Hermann is saying over my dead body but the literal translation is ¡®not until dirt gets in my eyes¡¯ which leads to Dietrich saying he¡¯ll pluck out his eyes. Lol. CH 164 It was challenging to learn how to attack an opponent using Eredia¡¯s ability but once I realized it, it wasn¡¯t too difficult to deal with Hella. Whack, whack¨C! I made a bunch of small spheres with my aura and chucked them violently at Hella who had become a bug. Chin, stomach, chin¨C! ¡°Guhh, kuakk!¡± As I threw jabs at her, recalling the boxing match I had once seen in my past life, Hella, who had become sluggish as her body grew, couldn¡¯t seem to come to her senses. Whack! ¡®Seems like she¡¯s reaching her limit of borrowing Charlotte¡¯s body.¡¯ Hella could no longer maintain the body of a bug and returned to Charlotte¡¯s form with her power reduced. I approached her, who had fallen, in huge strides. ¡°Kyaa! Kyaak!¡± Hella, who had been repeatedly beaten by the clumps of aura I had made, screamed in pain and fled. ¡®Too slow.¡¯ Being a saint, she would have been stuck in a temple and only prayed without ever holding a sword in her lifetime, so it was natural for her body to be slow. I narrowed the distance between us while continuously throwing lumps of aura at her but even though I¡¯ve used my ability nonstop, it wasn¡¯t too strenuous. ¡°What kind of i-idiotic thing are you doing!¡± When I finally reached Hella, I grabbed her head lying down in exhaustion and she looked at me defiantly. ¡®It¡¯s a familiar reaction.¡¯ The coy, girlish eyes didn¡¯t look like Hella who had threatened to trample Dietrich and I earlier. ¡°Hella?¡± ¡®Did she already hide?¡¯ ¡°P-Please let go¡­of my head, Anissa.¡± Gone was the dignified voice of Hella, replaced by the delicate voice of Charlotte. I opened my eyes wide and shook my hand that was holding her head to and fro. ¡°Ack! It-It hurts!¡± ¡°Are you back to being Charlotte?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. So please, my head¨C¡± Just because she returned to Charlotte didn¡¯t mean the situation had changed. ¡°Even if you¡¯ve come back as Charlotte, it doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re not my enemy.¡± Hella, Vassago, and Charlotte were like one team. ¡°H-How could you say that¡­.¡± Charlotte¡¯s face contorted in shame at my words. ¡°What are you trying to say? It¡¯s true that Charl is my enemy. What else do you want me to call you?¡± The tears in her eyes, trembling with shock, were as pure as lilies, but though I liked beauty very much, I could no longer let her off the hook just because she was the ¡®female protagonist¡¯. ¡®Well, Charlotte must have been taken advantage of.¡¯ I was now certain that she had something like a good child complex. A complex so large that she was obsessed with her own goodness which in turn defined all other people who were against her to be evil. ¡®Is it because she¡¯s Hella¡¯s saint?¡¯ Hella wore a God¡¯s mask and made Charlotte her servant, so there was no way she wouldn¡¯t have been taken advantage of. ¡°I didn¡¯t even dream that Hella was a demon. You know that, too.¡± She frowned as if her head which I still had in my grasp was aching, but I never removed my ability which bound her. ¡°And so?¡± ¡°.....I did this for Dietrich. I wanted to help him.¡± Even now that Hella¡¯s true identity was revealed, her aura was still milky-white to the point that it felt contrived. I sighed heavily and asked her, who was weeping weakly. ¡°Why do you want to save him?¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­.it¡¯s natural.¡± ¡°What is natural?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my destiny, I will save him¨C¡± ¡°But Charlotte.¡± I bent my knees, cutting off her words which I was so weary of. The color of her blue eyes, which had been staring at me, slowly returned to brown. ¡°You. Don¡¯t even like Dietrich that much.¡± ".........!" Surprised, Charlotte shook her head from side to side. ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. About him, I¨C!¡± ¡°You thought he was so full of himself.¡± "............." ¡°Didn¡¯t you think of him as rude, arrogant and thought he ignored women because he was looking down on them?¡± Maybe I hit the nail on the head with my words since Charlotte became startled and shut her mouth. I wanted to be the one to save Dietrich because I loved him. But her reason was completely unknown. ¡®Why would she want to save someone she doesn¡¯t even like?¡¯ As if reading my mind, Charlotte began to slowly speak. ¡°.....I told you that it¡¯s my mission, Anissa.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so special about having a mission?¡± ¡°It¡¯s everything to me. Because I am Vallandia¡¯s saintess.¡± Charlotte¡¯s body slowly began to lose strength as she continued. ¡®I need to find Hella at this chance.¡¯ I listened to her while supporting her drooping body. ¡°I couldn¡¯t fulfill my mission, and it was discovered that the God that I¡¯ve devoted all my life to serve turned out to be a demon, then what is the meaning of my life?¡± I shrugged at Charlotte¡¯s vain question. ¡°Does your life have to be meaningful?¡± Was it not enough to live just because you were born? Whether it''s Hermann or Dietrich, why did they have to follow an already established path? ¡®It¡¯s time for her to secretly come out.¡¯ I began to focus on Hella¡¯s aura which began to reveal itself as soon as Charlotte began to lose her physical strength. ¡®You were here!¡¯ Although her ability was different from other demons, she was still part of the race that lived under the shadows and was hiding under Charlotte¡¯s shadow. ¡°Charlotte, hold your breath for a second.¡± Thanks to Charlotte, who stiffened up and didn¡¯t move, I was able to snatch Hella who was moving with trembling wings, trying to avoid my hand. When I grabbed and lifted the body of Hella, which was as thin as a moth¡¯s wing, she screamed and struggled. ¡°Let go! Let go! Let go!¡± ¡°......Is that Hella?¡± With a pale face, Charlotte stared at Hella who had turned into a disgusting and ugly bug. ¡°Yes. Though I didn¡¯t know a demon¡¯s body could be this small.¡± ¡°What are you going to do with her?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t completely annihilate her anyway so I was thinking of sealing her.¡± Asmodeus and Baal couldn¡¯t be completely annihilated, so Hella would be the same. They were an existence that didn¡¯t belong to this world in the first place. ¡®Aren¡¯t they similar to me in a way?¡¯ Charlotte carefully asked me who was contemplating. ¡°.....Can¡¯t you return her to me?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Charlotte held out her hand even as she trembled at my cold response. ¡°Please. This time, I really won¡¯t come near you anymore.¡± ¡°If you plan that then why do you need Hella?¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t have her then I¡¯m really nothing, Anissa.¡± I let out a small sigh at Charlotte¡¯s tearful words. Only her body seemed to have grown and she left her mind back to her childhood days. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯ll be alright.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you that it¡¯s fine for you to live as just Charlotte, not a saint or not a nothing, but as Charlotte.¡± I calmly finished speaking and clenched my fist to crush Hella in my hand. Well, I tried. ¡°N-No!¡± If only Charlotte hadn¡¯t stopped me with all her might despite her exhausted body. ¡®You still can¡¯t get back to your senses until the end, huh.¡¯ I looked down at her clinging to me and clicked my tongue. ¡°Let go.¡± ¡°Please, please ¨C Anissa, help me just once.¡± ¡°Charlotte!¡± When I called her out to soothe her, she shook her head violently like she wouldn¡¯t listen to me. ¡°I was wrong. I¡¯m sorry. But please don¡¯t take Hella from me¡­.¡± ¡°Hella doesn¡¯t love you. She¡¯s only using you. Why don¡¯t you understand that?¡± My irritation towards her slowly rose because she was being annoying, but I couldn¡¯t fully become angry at her since she was like a child who had lost her way. ¡°I know! But without her, how can I return to Vallandia?¡± I became speechless at her words. ¡®She¡¯s worrying about returning to the temple right now?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ve been living my life revered as the saint chosen by Hella. How am I supposed to live my life from now on?!¡± She raised her voice uncharacteristically like she was blaming me. I sighed and opened my mouth. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, there¡¯s no need for you to worry about that. Because¨C¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s no such thing as a future in your life.¡± Those cold, conclusive words weren¡¯t what I meant. The owner of the voice who interrupted my words, grabbed Charlotte¡¯s neck, who was clinging to me, and dragged her off of me. The power was so rough that Charlotte fluttered and fell backwards like a paper doll. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a future in your life, so there¡¯s no need for you to worry about such a useless thing, Charlotte Vallandia.¡± The person who growled and muttered such fierce words was none other than Veronica. ¡°S-Sister?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the reason why my sister suffered through a lot and was treated like a beggar and yet you dare to talk about your future in front of her?¡± Kyaak, Kyaaah. The familiar shriek of Charlotte echoed. ¡°Where did this crazy bitch sell her real conscience?!¡± Veronica beat Charlotte with a loud voice and even kicked her when she fell. It was only when I saw her rolling on the ground while coughing that I clapped my hands, finding Veronica cool and liking it. ¡°I should just whack you! You have no future so don¡¯t even worry about living.¡± ¡°.....Ugh, uhhh.¡± ¡°Even if I go to hell, I plan to bring black clouds and lay them down in your path. Understand?!!¡± ¡°Hek, ughhhhh.¡± CH 165 Veronica hit Charlotte enough for her to faint ¨C though she was someone who keels over easily ¨C and then dusted off her hands and turned to me. ¡°Sister¡¯s here.¡± "............" ¡°What are you doing? Shouldn¡¯t you come here and hug me?¡± She stood tall in front of me with open arms and cracked a smile. I bit my lips because if I didn¡¯t, I felt like I would burst into tears, and then I ran to her and squeezed her with all my might. Even so, I couldn¡¯t stop crying. ¡°Huuuu.¡± ¡°Oh dear, is that so?¡± ¡°Hinnng.¡± ¡°There, there. Is my sister so sad?¡± Recognizing my desire to be coddled, she smiled warmly like the sun and embraced me. Now, the height difference between Veronica and I wasn¡¯t much ¨C just close to one head ¨C but she lifted me up without any difficulty and shook me up and down. ¡°Huhh, I really, hinngg, missed you, Veronica.¡± I buried my face in her neck as she hugged me like a child and shook me like a paper doll. ¡°Me too. I missed you a lot.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even remember me!¡± Though I had also completely forgotten her, my voice rose because I was embarrassed about my puffy eyes. ¡°Oh. I missed you so much as soon as my memory came back.¡± ¡°When did it come back?¡± ¡°About an hour ago?¡± She deftly laughed at my rebuke. ¡°Phew. There was a time that I really missed you without words. I really had a hard time.¡± ¡°You exaggerate.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an exaggeration, though? It wasn¡¯t even an hour ago that I realized something was wrong with you that the sky felt like it would collapse.¡± As she spoke, she didn¡¯t remove the smile that filled her lips. Ah, how I missed that refreshing smile. I couldn¡¯t berate her anymore so I gently embraced her and opened my mouth. ¡°......How did you get here?¡± ¡°Dietrich summoned Amon and Zagan, so I followed them. I thought you might be in danger.¡± I told them firmly not to get involved but in the end, he still called for Zagan and Amon. ¡®I knew he didn¡¯t have faith in me.¡¯ Even though he nodded so firmly earlier. I scoffed at Dietrich¡¯s dubious behavior. Please only read this at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. We do not seek monetary gain from translating this novel unlike aggegator sites. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. So I had run at once and deserted Yuric but you were beating up some kind of bug.¡± ¡°...........¡± ¡°You were so cool while beating up the bug that I thought my little sister was under some kind of stress, so I let you be for a while.¡± ¡°I d-don¡¯t think I¡¯ve been beating it that hard.¡± ¡°It looked like that in my eyes though.¡± Was it that much? ¡®Well, I really did hate Hella.¡± How difficult must it have been for the children of Lagrange all this time just because of her self-interest to rule this world as a God. ¡°But that bug deserved to be beaten.¡± ¡°Of course, of course.¡± Veronica nodded and quickly responded to my words. ¡°Whose sister are you? There¡¯s no way you can¡¯t catch a single bug.¡± I smiled and rubbed my head against her neck, believing that she would stand by me no matter what I did. ¡°That tickles.¡± Veronica complained like that but she seemed to have no thoughts of letting me down. ¡°I think it¡¯s time for me to go back to Dietrich.¡± I pointed my chin at Charlotte who had lost consciousness. ¡®We need to discuss Charlotte and Hermann¡¯s disposition.¡¯ It was rarely revealed but she and Hermann were old friends anyway. ¡°For now, shall we?¡± ¡°A~ni~ssa~!!!¡± Then, from afar, I thought someone was calling my name, and soon, a loud thudding of footsteps rang out. ¡°Anissa~!!!¡± It was Yuric. ¡°Your brother came to help you, little ~ sister~!¡± Beads of sweat were running down Yuric¡¯s chin, who had run the distance without a break. His head moved quickly from side to side as if looking for an enemy to defeat. ¡°Yuric!¡± ¡°Yes! Anissa, I¡¯m here! Who is it! Who do I have to kill?!!¡± I smiled broadly as the afternoon sun dazzlingly hit his blue eyes and sparkled. ¡°You¡¯re late, stupid.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already over, you moron.¡± Yuric¡¯s shoulders drooped at the words Veronica and I simultaneously uttered. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°The boat is broken.¡± Though it was a natural occurrence because if the boat had remained intact throughout all that fuss, I didn¡¯t think we could have still called that a boat. ¡°Then, how do we get back now?¡± I murmured softly as I checked the fragments of the boat scattered on the shore of the lake. ¡®I think it would be unreasonable for all of these people to get on the Zagan.¡¯ Zagan, which Yuric and Veronica had ridden, was almost the only demon among the demons in Lagrange which could be used as a means of transportation. Baal could only move one person as well. ¡°Anyway, Baal is useless.¡± ¡°..........It seems that your memory has not completely returned yet.¡± I hummed and snorted, glancing at the demon who was furtively lurking around my shadow. ¡°Hmph.¡± ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I swear before the honor of the evil god that I never dreamed Hella to be a demon.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you overdoing it by swearing on his honor?¡± His respect for Asmodeus was measly enough to only live on his mouth. When I turned sideways like I didn¡¯t have any intentions to listen to Baal¡¯s excuses anymore, he started following me and rubbed his hands together like a fly. ¡°Phew, you seemed to have gone through a lot.¡± ¡°Yeah. It was a lot. Do you know the maid¡¯s work is difficult?¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re right. Your face looks so haggard.¡± ¡°.......What?¡± I frowned at Baal¡¯s words who mumurmed in an ant¡¯s voice to console me. ¡°My face is haggard?¡± ¡°N-No! I¡¯m saying that though you¡¯re still so pretty that I couldn''t dare to open my eyes¨C!¡± ¡°Sister!!!¡± I searched for Veronica, cutting off Baal¡¯s excuses like a radish. At my call, she, who had been climbing at Zagan with one foot on the demon¡¯s neck, turned to look at me. I pointed at Baal and raised my voice. ¡°Baal said that I¡¯m so ugly he didn¡¯t want to open his eyes!¡± ¡°This crazy demon bastard did?¡± At my scream, Veronica approached us while riding on Zagan. Zagan, who had assimilated with her feelings, growled and revealed his crooked fangs. ¡°I didn¡¯t say such a thing!¡± ¡°Are your eyes on the soles of your feet? Do you want me to take it off and put it on for you?¡± Frightened by Veronica¡¯s words, Baal grew pale and started graying out. ¡°Y-Your Majesty¨C!¡± The poor, shrunken demon began to look around and look for his master. ¡°Where are you, Your Majesty!¡± ¡°What.¡± Dietrich, who had been arguing with Hermann for a long time, exchanging pros and cons as they were talking, approached indifferently. He looked alternately between me and Baal with a slightly gaunt, but as usual and like always, stunning face. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s n-nothing.¡± I felt kind of embarrassed to look at his face after I''d completely recovered my memories. ¡®I think I felt more comfortable when I knew him as Dylan.¡¯ Instead of me, who bowed my head without meeting his eyes, Veronica answered and gestured with her chin. ¡°Your demon is talking nonsense to Anissa.¡± ¡°When did I¨C!¡± Baal raised his voice as if it was unfair, but Dietrich quickly snapped his fingers at Veronica''s words. I was startled at the shadow of Baal disappearing in an instant and my jaw dropped. ¡®.......Did he just dump him? Into the demon realm?¡¯ ¡°Where did Baal go?¡± As I stuttered in embarrassment, Dietrich, who approached me at some point, shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I sent him back to the demon realm.¡± ¡°You stupid!¡± I was planning to get out of this island in Baal¡¯s arms since he could float into the air! ¡°Now that Baal¡¯s gone, how are we going to leave this island?!¡± Dietrich scratched his chin at my admonishment. He tilted his head to the side and whispered bizarre words to me in a peculiar voice. ¡°I think we can leave a little late.¡± What. No. ¡°Why, why, why are we leaving late! What are we going to do for us to leave late!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± ¡°No. No. Don¡¯t say it.¡± I felt like my heart was going to explode so please shut up. To make matters worse, just looking at his face made me remember what happened in the cave that my heart started to pound making me unable to think properly. ¡°Even if you say so, it couldn¡¯t be helped.¡± I shook my head vigorously and he motioned for Zagan absentmindedly. ¡®Well, it¡¯s true there¡¯s no more space.¡¯ Zagan would have to pick up Yuric and Veronica, and Hermann needs to take care of Charlotte. But why did this inflexible situation feel so dangerous? ¡®Is there really no other way?¡¯ Dietrich smiled beautifully as he placed his hand on my cheek while I was chewing on my lower lip. ¡°So you and I will be a little late¡ª¡± ¡°Ah, I think I can solve that problem.¡± While thinking that if he smiled like that then I wouldn¡¯t be able to stop myself from wavering, Hermann suddenly poked his head between us. ¡°I have a way to get everyone off this island with my ability!¡± Hermann beamed with delight at the thought that he would be able to help me. ¡°Therefore, there¡¯s no need for only the two of you to be left alone on this island, Duke!¡± ".............." ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing?!¡± ¡°I see.¡± Dietrich, who had been smiling, had returned to his cold expressionless face and ground his teeth while glaring at the back of Hermann¡¯s head, who was moving away in short and quick steps. ¡°Will everything be alright if that punk disappeared?¡± He murmured villainous lines not caring whether I heard them or not. What if Dietrich secretly killed Hermann? I held his hand in apprehension. CH 166 ¡°Anissa, look at this!¡± Hermann began to perform the feat of crafting a glistening golden sphere and throwing it on the shore of the lake. The sphere sparkled beautifully under the sun, but it looked so useless. Since he looked at me with a lot of expectation, I had no choice but to exclaim wow, wow, though I¡¯m not really sure what I¡¯m supposed to look at. ¡®What am I supposed to do with that?¡¯ ¡°Ah! This is how you use it.¡± Hermann seemed to notice my confusion and jumped forward saying he¡¯ll demonstrate it himself. ¡°Oh!¡± He ran to the lake in a blink of an eye and triumphantly smiled while on top of a sphere. ¡®Oh, so it floats on the water. That¡¯s amazing.¡¯ ¡°How about we leave the island this way? What do you think, Anissa?¡± ¡®How does it float?¡¯ While I was speechless and surprised, Hermann who ran back in front of me, shuffled on his feet nervously. ¡®Compliment me!¡¯ There seemed to be large letters written on his forehead like that so I clapped my hands and opened my mouth. ¡°That¡¯s amazing! Seems like we can ride that and cross the lake!¡± ¡°R-Right?¡± It was just a moment ago that his eyes sparkled for compliments and now Hermann was smiling shyly while scratching the back of his head. He proudly added, ¡°The sun isn¡¯t picky where it shines. I¡¯m happy to be of help.¡± ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s a really useful ability!¡± Clap, clap. Though I couldn¡¯t really put my soul into it, my palms were burning from applauding hard. Hermann liked it so much that my hard work wasn¡¯t a waste. ¡°Is that all you¡¯re bragging about?¡± I was somehow feeling pity at the sight of him that I patted Hermann on his shoulder to appreciate him, but a black shadow began to rise next to the sphere he had made. ¡®Huh? What¡¯s that?¡¯ It was then, Crack¨C! Crack, crack, crack¨C! In an instant, the shadow took off from the surface like a winged fish. I looked back at Dietrich, who was ridiculing Hermann¡¯s ability since ordinary shadows wouldn¡¯t have been able to move like that. ¡°......What are you doing?¡± ¡°Look.¡± Instead of answering my question, Dietrich walked slowly to the shore of the lake, stepped on the shadow, and stood tall. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I pointed at Dietrich, who had stepped on the water like it was land, and opened my mouth. ¡°What¡¯s that? How did you do that?¡± I had often seen him climb up into the air using a shadow, but I didn¡¯t know he could use it to stand on water. He curled his lip as if he liked my surprised reaction. ¡°Even water has shadows.¡± He sounded arrogant as if it was incomparable to Hermann¡¯s lousy ability. ¡°Come and step on. It¡¯s much safer than that stupid lump of light.¡± I tilted my head to the side at Dietrich, who confidently reached out his hand. ¡®That¡¯s strange.¡¯ ¡°Can you originally step on the shadows like this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± My eyebrows knitted at his reflexive reply. ¡°Then why did you say we couldn¡¯t get out of this island earlier?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You acted like we had no other way than Zagan.¡± ¡®This liar.¡¯ Well, every time he opens his mouth, only lies come out. I was dumbfounded that I wanted to quibble over it, but Dietrich became tongue-tied. ¡°Hm?¡± I urged him but no answer came back. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I stepped on Dietrich¡¯s shadow ¨C I felt like if I used Hermann¡¯s sphere he would greatly sulk ¨C and touched down on the ground safely. ¡®Now I must go back to Lagrange.¡¯ Seeing as Veronica and Yuric¡¯s memories have returned, then Marilyn¡¯s memories must have returned too. ¡®She will definitely get worried about me.¡¯ So I had to go back to Lagrange as soon as possible¡­¡­. I began to ponder while looking at the north side where Lagrange was located and the direction where Viscount Oily was located. ¡®If I go back now, I won¡¯t be able to say goodbye to Lindsay.¡¯ When I was still a maid, I had hastily packed up my things for fear that Donovan would harm me, but I have nothing to fear now on that side. ¡®Moreover, I¡¯d like to give the head maid a proper reward.¡¯ She was someone who took the risk and helped me. Suddenly, it occurred to me that Donovan might be bullying the woman who had secretly helped me escape. Thinking of the face of the head maid suffering under the narrow-minded young master Donovan, I nodded my head and made my decision. I grasped Dietrich¡¯s sleeves, who had at some point had the carriage of Lagrange waiting for us. ¡°Dietrich.¡± He, who was caught lying to me earlier, flinched and looked back at me. To others, he had a cold expression on his face, but I could tell he was ashamed of his actions. Dietrich wasn''t the type to make mistakes easily, so it was an opportunity that didn''t come very often. ¡°I¡¯d like to stop by at the territory of Viscount Oily.¡± ¡°Why.¡± I thought he wouldn¡¯t like it if I said I didn¡¯t want to go back to Lagrange right away, and as expected, he frowned at once. I continued, looking up at the creases on his neat forehead. ¡°I¡¯d like to say goodbye to Lindsay, the maid whom I got really close to. And if she¡¯s alright with it, I¡¯d like to take her to Lagrange.¡± Dietrich¡¯s eyes were subtly distorted with my words. ¡°Fine.¡± He nodded slightly and approached Oslo who was feeding the horse around him. ¡°.......said. Did you keep them alive?¡± They seemed to be whispering about something. ¡®What are they talking about?¡¯ Dietrich''s attitude of whispering low as if he didn¡¯t want me to hear pricked my curiosity so I perked up my ear. ¡°Ahh. Never done anything harmful to the princess¡­.kept alive¡­..¡± The tactless Oslo had raised his voice, but Dietrich quickly stepped on his foot so that the rest of the words were not heard anymore. Who has he kept alive? ¡®No, if you hear conversations like that it means he didn¡¯t let anyone live.¡¯ I was curious, but he showed no signs of letting me know so I shrugged my shoulders and approached the carriage. ¡®This is amazing.¡¯ The carriage of Lagrange, which Dietrich had ordered to wait for us, was so huge and splendid it could not be compared with the Viscount¡¯s carriage, which Donovan had always bragged about. ¡®Looks like Euclid sent a carriage, too.¡¯ Lagrange¡¯s black carriage was huge so I couldn¡¯t see it but the white carriage of the Euclids also boasted its elegance. Well, Hermann was their only Duke. Euclid¡¯s carriage, decorated with carved ivory, was not as dignified as Lagrange¡¯s, who added gold to a carriage made of black iron, but it had an elegant taste. ¡°Are you leaving for Euclid?¡± ¡°No. Didn¡¯t you intend to stop by the territory of Viscount Oily for now?¡± ¡®Huh? Is he planning to follow me?¡¯ I thought he¡¯d go see a doctor since he¡¯s taking Charlotte who¡¯s passed out. But as if he had no such plans, Hermann reached out to me when he stepped on to the stairs of the carriage, planning to get inside. It meant that I rode in it. ¡®Lagrange¡¯s carriage must be cramped since Veronica and Yuric would have to ride in it as well.¡¯ As I pondered over whether to grab his outstretched hand or not, Dietrich snapped Hermann''s hand after finishing the conversation with Oslo. ¡°Ack!¡± Hermann screamed in pain and rolled over the floor as Dietrich walked over to me with an indifferent look on his face. ¡°Get in.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡­.¡± I grabbed his hand unconsciously and let out a shaky sigh as I climbed into the gigantic carriage with eight horses on it. ¡®Fortunately, it¡¯s wider than I thought.¡¯ I thought of the carriage I had ridden a few times when I was young, but it must have been a newly built carriage after he ascended as the Grand Duke since it boasted a large structure that could fit at least eight strong young men inside. ¡°Zagan will get lonely, so I¡¯ll be riding with him.¡± When I opened the window and poked my head out looking for Veronica, she had already gotten on top of Zagan¡¯s back and waved her hand as she responded. ¡°Yeah, okay.¡± ¡®Then is Yuric the only one left to ride with us?¡¯ Just in time, I saw Yuric approaching the carriage, probably to ride with us after he had completed the maintenance with the knights. ¡°Yuric, here¨C¡± Clang-! However, Yuric who had finally come close right in front of us couldn¡¯t get into the carriage. ¡°Depart.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Grace!¡± Because Dietrich had closed the door to monopolize this large carriage. Click. He didn¡¯t just close the door, he approached me and closed the window, and even shut the curtains. ¡°Hey¨Cthis jerk!¡± I heard Yuric muttering outside but the sound has been muffled due to the soundproofing magic applied to the carriage. ¡°Why won¡¯t you let Yuric get in?¡± I gave a dumbstruck laugh at his actions. ¡°It¡¯s cramped.¡± Dietrich whispered softly behind my back as I stared out the window. ¡®What¡¯s the point of having a sweet voice when your words aren¡¯t?¡¯ ¡°.....But there¡¯s a lot of seats left?¡± I turned around intending to berate him and slightly frowned while pointing to the red sofa spread out behind him. Perhaps he was thinking that it was an unreasonable argument, he only looked at my fingertip and closed his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t be a beast and let him in. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯d be hard on him to ride a horse?¡± ¡°.........I.¡± Dietrich¡¯s voice, as he watched me, dropped in an instant. It dropped roughly as if sinking under. I swallowed at the peculiar atmosphere that rose. ¡°I want to be alone with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Is that not possible?¡± I should have said it wasn¡¯t possible. However, Dietrich was too ridiculously handsome to even think about Yuric who would return on horseback with a sore butt. CH 167 ¡°Everyone, stay here and don¡¯t go out.¡± The Viscounty of Oily was a secluded territory where no aristocracy above that of a Viscount would normally visit. ¡®I was even quite surprised myself when I heard that Dietrich was visiting.¡¯ When Hermann came to visit one after the other, I thought the story of the original story was getting twisted into a mess. ¡®It¡¯s already a huge fuss when just a Grand Duke and a Duke were gathered, what more if they saw two carriages being driven¡­.¡¯ I didn¡¯t like getting too much attention and if I got off the carriage like that, Lindsay would be too shocked that she wouldn¡¯t have the spirit to listen to my explanation anymore. ¡®Moreover, they stand out too much.¡¯ I spread my two arms wide so that Dietrich, Hermann, Yuric, and Veronica, who sparkled brightly with a bouquet effect when gathered together, wouldn¡¯t come out. ¡°I¡¯m telling you not to come.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Yuric asked with wide eyes, not understanding the reason. I answered, pointing to the Viscounty that was so far away I could barely catch it in my field of vision. ¡°My friend might be shocked. I¡¯ll go alone, so if possible, don¡¯t come out of the carriage.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°It¡¯s frustra¨C¡± ¡°Shh.¡± I coldly cut off Yuric¡¯s complaints and turned my back. ¡®By the way, he¡¯s not stopping me, huh?¡¯ I wondered if Dietrich would follow me so I quickly scurried off but he didn¡¯t even hold me back. ¡®I thought he wouldn¡¯t let me go alone since it would be dangerous.¡¯ Donovan was still in the estate after all. Of course, I wasn''t afraid of Donovan anymore, and I was even willing to defeat him by demonstrating my ability if I had to. ¡°Oh¡­¡­?¡± As I walked hastily to arrive quickly at the manor, I immediately realized why Dietrich hadn¡¯t stopped me. It seemed that he had already reduced the manor to ashes. ¡®It¡¯s completely ruined.¡¯ Compared to the old castle of Lagrange, it was only the size of a booger, but the Viscount¡¯s manor, which had an antique feel, was already in a state where the roof had flown somewhere and only its frame remained. Even the remaining annex buildings had collapsed as if a monster had eaten half of it so you could see inside. ¡°What in the world happened here?¡± It looked bleak as if a typhoon had come and gone in the estate while I was away. I headed towards the only intact building which was the dormitory of the servants and looked around in search of Lindsay. ¡®Is she hurt?¡¯ She¡¯s not dead, was she? If it was such a disaster that would cause the building to collapse, then people would be in danger, too. Dietrich didn¡¯t have the delicate temperament to select people whom to beat. ¡°Lindsay!¡± ¡°............¡± ¡°Lindsay¡ª!¡± I was anxiously knocking on the door of the dormitory when I heard someone running from inside. ¡°A-Annie?!¡± Soon, a familiar face peeped through the door. Fortunately, Lindsay looked completely fine. ¡°Why did you come back here?!¡± Perhaps it was what Lindsay was also worried about but she let out a relieved sigh and dragged me inside. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fine.¡± The room was very dark with all the curtains drawn. Lindsay, whose outline was the only thing that could be seen, fumbled with her hand, caressing my face and examining it. ¡°I¡¯m glad. You don¡¯t know how anxious I was knowing you were in big trouble.¡± I hugged Lindsay at the sound of her teary voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t say anything and just left. I was also out of my mind then.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Annie, it¡¯s not the time for this. You have to run away.¡± I tilted my head at the urgency of Lindsay¡¯s voice. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡®Is Donovan still out of his mind?¡¯ ¡°When you ran away, the Viscounty was completely turned upside down. Lagrange and Euclid sent the order of the knights to find you.¡± My eyes widened at Lindsay¡¯s words. Considering Dietrich¡¯s personality, he would have already dealt with the likes of Donovan, but I didn¡¯t know Hermann and Veronica would also bring the order of the knights into this small estate. ¡°......The order of the knights came here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They completely devastated the whole place while asking to let you go.¡± ¡°Even the knights of Euclid?¡± ¡°N-No. They just politely asked about your situation¡­¡­¡± I felt like I knew what she would say without hearing the rest. Because I could easily imagine the Lagrange knights wielding their swords like ruffians. ¡°And you know the handsome servant you were close to?¡± ¡°Dylan?¡± I shook my head and waited for Lindsay¡¯s next remark. ¡°Yeah. Actually, he¡¯s the Grand Duke. Isn¡¯t that ridiculous?¡± ¡°Yeah. I know right.¡± I nodded my head dryly, not even surprised by her question. It was definitely a topic that would go up and down dozens of times in the gossip magazine once other people heard about it. With a title like "The Secret Double Life of the Grand Duke of the North". ¡°Anyway, he must have done something about Donovan.¡± ¡°Huh? What about Donovan?¡± ¡°He¡¯s disappeared.¡± Lindsay¡¯s voice lowered like that fact was a secret. I also leaned down and replied in a whisper, ¡°Donovan has disappeared?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. His blood was soaked in the bedroom but his corpse was nowhere to be found. Isn¡¯t that really strange?¡± ¡®Well, he¡¯s probably dead.¡¯ I made my judgment without hesitation. ¡°The Viscount has disappeared as well. That¡¯s why the estate is a mess right now.¡± At my reaction, Lindsay shrugged her shoulders, found a lamp in the hallway, and pulled it out. ¡°I see¡­¡­.¡± Lindsay, who has turned on the lamp, sneaked down the hallway and stepped forward first. She seemed to be looking at something and soon turned back to me and whispered, muffling her voice. ¡°No one¡¯s here. You can come out now.¡± ¡°Why are you hiding?¡± ¡°The Viscount¡¯s younger sister, the Countess, is here right now to look for the Viscount who has disappeared.¡± ¡°And so?¡± ¡°That woman is in an uproar, trying to find you. She¡¯s saying you¡¯re the culprit.¡± Lindsay frowned like it was nonsense but I couldn¡¯t find an excuse. ¡®Well, if we nitpick over it, it¡¯s true that I¡¯m the culprit.¡¯ However, I didn¡¯t think I was the one to blame for Donovan''s rotten personality. ¡°She doesn¡¯t often come out of her bedroom saying the Viscounty was dirty, at any rate, it¡¯s dangerous so you can hide in my room for now.¡± ¡°..........Huh?¡± ¡°You came back here because you couldn¡¯t find a way out, isn¡¯t it? I know some smugglers who can help you cross.¡± Linsay put me in her room, although it was a small and humble room, it was warm like her, and then she said with a serious face. ¡°I will help you no matter what. Just believe me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I bit my lips because I felt like I would burst into tears at her promise. With the yellow light of the lamp on her face, she opened her mouth in panic. ¡°Wh-why are you crying? Did you go through a lot of trouble?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­..Lindsay, you know¡­¡± I wanted to tell her the circumstances of the estate to some extent, but I couldn¡¯t. It was because of the kind Lindsay, who only knew me as a maid with nowhere to go, but she still tried to take care of me that my conscience had been pricking a hole in my heart. When I had finally decided to open my mouth and reveal to her my identity, ¡°Lindsay!¡± The door swung open and a familiar man appeared. ¡®What was his name again?¡¯ I think he must have been Donovan''s servant who was in charge of errands. ¡°Ha-Hans.¡± ¡°Who did you just bring in?¡± ¡®Ah, right. Hans.¡¯ Hans was an owner of a humble appearance that didn¡¯t suit his masculine body. ¡°Y-you¡¯re!¡± He found me and pointed at me with his small eyes going big. ¡®Why was he pointing his finger at me? Makes me feel upset.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ve finally caught you!¡± I clearly walked into the estate with my own two feet, but he raised his voice and spoke triumphantly as if he had hunted me. ¡°Good job, Lindsay!¡± Hans hurriedly reached for me, but Lindsay blocked him and hid me behind her back. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Move out of the way, Lindsay! You know the madam is looking for her!¡± ¡°The countess isn¡¯t even our master so why are you trying to listen to her?!¡± ¡°She said if we catch Annie, she¡¯ll be rewarding us handsomely. If you move right now, I promise to split half with you.¡± Looks like they put a bounty over my head. I clicked my tongue at Hans¡¯ despicable suggestion. ¡®He didn¡¯t even catch me himself and yet he¡¯s asking half of it.¡¯ ¡°Okay? So hand over Annie, Lindsay.¡± Lindsay raised her voice, finding Hans¡¯ demand ridiculous. ¡°In the end, it¡¯s all about the money that you want to hand over a person who used to work together with us? You despicable bastard!¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a shame to all servants!¡± Hans'' face is grimly distorted at Lindsey''s criticism. I hurriedly tugged her sleeve, lest he hurt Lindsey because of me. ¡°Lindsay, I¡¯m fine. Anyway, I was planning to meet her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you haven¡¯t met the Countess. She¡¯s a much more authoritative person than the Viscount.¡± I shrugged my shoulders at Lindsay who spoke with worry. ¡°Then, that¡¯s better.¡± The fact that the Countess was an authoritative person means that she would be easily swayed by status. ¡®I didn¡¯t know the Viscount would have collapsed to this extent.¡¯ I wonder if they¡¯re being paid properly. ¡®Maybe Lindsay can¡¯t leave because she also has a debt like me.¡¯ Now that I''m here, I''ll have to take the head maid and other good servants along with Lindsay to Lagrange. ¡°Hans.¡± I dusted off my shoulders and gestured with my chin at Hans to lead the way. Please only read this at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. We do not seek monetary gain from translating this novel unlike aggegator sites. ¡®Mouth hardened, eyes slightly lowered¡­¡­.¡¯ I didn''t forget to copy Dietrich''s signature expressionless expression. Sometimes, when I thought Lancel was becoming too cheeky in wanting to climb up, I used this expression and he often listens. ¡°Lead the way.¡± He stared at me in a daze and became so surprised at my order that he nodded his head. ¡°Yes¡­.ah, I mean, okay!¡± ¡°?¡± I tilted my head at Hans¡¯ short answer. ¡°Did you cut your tongue in half? You¡¯re slicing words in half.¡± His jaw dropped while sporting a stupid face like he still couldn¡¯t make sense of my question. CH 168 ¡°Who did you say was here?¡± ¡°That¡­.maid, Annie came back.¡± Oliva, Viscount Oily¡¯s only younger sister, succeeded in marrying the Count of Denborough and was the greatest contributor to the rise of the reputation of the Viscount. Olivia, who cherished the Viscounty as her hometown and place of origin, scoffed. ¡°Annie? Are you saying that Donovan¡¯s paramour returned to the Viscounty on her own two feet?¡± ¡°Yes. She wishes to speak with you madam and asks to be brought into the drawing-room.¡± That was not enough and she dared to ask to talk face to face? Olivia was stunned by Hans¡¯ words that her nose had become stuffy and it became hard to breathe. She tapped her fingertips at the huge oak desk that was favored by her brother, Viscount Oily. ¡°What an insolent girl.¡± She didn¡¯t like Viscount Oily or his son Donovan that much, but she was obsessed with the Viscounty itself. ¡®Although it is a humble Viscounty, it¡¯s a family with a long-established history, but one woman ruined everything.¡¯ Olivia let out a deep sigh and looked at Hans, who was hesitating to speak in front of her. ¡°If she came here on her own two feet, why haven¡¯t you locked her up yet?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­..¡± Hans¡¯ eyes roamed restlessly, filled with fear at Olivia¡¯s harsh tone. It was because he didn¡¯t know how to convey the words that were simply his guesses like ¡®I thought she was just an ordinary maid but her atmosphere has changed.¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t tell me she came with Dietrich Lagrange?¡± It was only possible for the quarrel over the love affair to end with the extermination of a whole family when the other family had greater power. ¡°Hm? I¡¯m asking if she brought with her the Grand Duke.¡± Olivia¡¯s fingers twitched as she scoured Hans¡¯ eyes, urging him to answer. ¡®The order of knights of Lagrange were the ones leading the destruction of the Viscounty.¡¯ Lagrange and Oily were so far from each other that they had no contact, so she could only guess one thing. ¡®The maid that Donovan had his eyes on also caught the eyes of the Grand Duke of Lagrange.¡¯ She must be a really beautiful woman, Olivia guessed. ¡°N-No. It seems she came on her own.¡± ¡°Is that so? Well, that¡¯s as I expected.¡± It was common for the nobles to play with pretty maids for their entertainment, but it generally didn''t last long. Because it wasn¡¯t love, it¡¯s basically just a game. ¡®Especially a great noble like the Grand Duke Lagrange, he wouldn¡¯t have a maid by his side for long.¡¯ It was evident that he was already tired of it. ¡®The Grand Duke got easily tired of it and yet that foolish Donovan couldn¡¯t control his emotions!¡¯ Olivia chewed on the tip of her finger, thinking that the missing Donovan must have rebelled against the Grand Duke of Lagrange in order to protect his petty pride. How dare he covet the Grand Duke¡¯s woman? Even though it was just a toy, she must have been enough to challenge the temper of ¡®that¡¯ Dietrich Lagrange. ¡®I thought he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything much since he¡¯s stupid, but I didn¡¯t know he was a fool to this extent!¡¯ Olivia went through the documents about ''Annie'' found in Donovan''s room and gave a brief order to bring her in. ¡°Who knows this could be an opportunity.¡± She murmured to herself, looking at Hans¡¯ back who was in a hurry. ¡®I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a forgery or not, but for now, she owes a huge debt to the Viscounty¡­.¡¯ Olivia''s husband, the Count of Denborough, was not comparable to the Grand Duke of Lagrange, but he was a relative of the emperor and a well-established figure in the House of the Lords. Olivia slowly raised the corners of her lips and started drawing blueprints. Whatever the circumstances, the Grand Duke of Lagrange did not pay a proper price to the Viscounty, took a maid, and turned the Viscounty into a complete mess. It was a golden opportunity to transfer the trading volume with other countries that the current Grand Duke of Lagrange held, who unified the North after the war, to the establishment run by her. Imagining her golden future, Olivia greeted ¡®Annie.¡¯ ¡°Let her in.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The Countess, with an upright impression, was a calmer person than I expected. ¡®She looks a bit similar to Countess Devonshire.¡¯ I had a history of transferring all ownership of the river flowing through the northern social circles to Lagrange. So, it was not unfamiliar or difficult for me to face the ladies. ¡®It¡¯s not going to end simply by trying to make a good impression.¡¯ With my chin raised gracefully as I approached the desk where she was sitting, the documents she was perusing caught my eyes. With a small sigh, I glanced at the list of enormous debts that had piled up on ¡®Annie''s¡¯ head. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect Donovan to even forge documents.¡¯ If the sugar didn¡¯t work, the only answer was the whip. The Countess, who had been looking at me with a smile on her eyes while thinking of something, spoke first. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask what kind of face you had when you asked to see me?¡± From her lips, informal speech came out as if it was natural. ¡°I think it¡¯s too late to get an apology. My brother and nephew have already disappeared all because of a maid after all.¡± I nodded calmly at her words. I didn''t know about the Viscount but Donovan¡¯s probably dead. I didn¡¯t think Dietrich would have kept the man alive who put his hands on me. ¡®Well, it¡¯s better that he¡¯s dead.¡¯ If a man like that was kept alive, he would only end up tormenting other women. ¡°I have no plans of apologizing.¡± ¡°What?¡± Before the Countess could give me permission to sit down, I immediately sat down in front of the desk and smiled prettily, then proceeded with my business. ¡°I want to take Lindsay and the head maid out of the estate.¡± ¡°Ha?¡± The Countess loudly clicked her tongue, finding my words ridiculous. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve understood the situation. Your name is Annie, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Anissa.¡± I firmly shook my head at the Countess and corrected her. ¡°That¡¯s my name.¡± ¡°Anissa? I think I¡¯ve heard that somewhere¡­..¡± ¡°Would Anissa Lagrange sound more familiar?¡± She frowned and scratched her chin, then became pale as she turned to look back at me. ¡°Anissa Lagrange? Are you Anissa Lagrange?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°No, no. I was sure she had red eyes.¡± It seemed that she had seen me in high society as a ¡®Countess¡¯. ¡°Eye color often changes as you grow older.¡± ¡®Though it will never change to a completely different color like mine.¡¯ I grinned and touched the corner of my eye. ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°Anyway, you now know my name, so keep your manners, Countess.¡± ¡°How can I believe your¡­words?¡± When I glared in command as she tried to speak in informal speech with me, the Countess¡¯ words trailed off. It would be easier to change her mind by moving her aura, but since I was exhausted from fighting with Hella, my ability seldom manifests. I had no choice but to lay out information I¡¯ve put together regarding the Count of Denborough. ¡®The class with Damon is useful at times like this.¡¯ ¡°Your husband was the grandson of the previous emperor''s maternal nephew.¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Do you think a mere maid would memorize the emperor¡¯s relatives?¡± ¡°But there are ways to know official facts like¡­.that.¡± I shrugged my shoulders, meeting the narrowed eyes of the Countess as if doubting me. ¡°Denborough¡¯s official emblem is a red bear, but in the correspondence to the Grand Duke, he uses an olive-shaped seal.¡± If I remember correctly, the Countess of Denborough was a passionate merchant who ran the establishment herself. ¡®I think she put a lot of effort into making a deal with Lagrange.¡¯ ¡°It must be the seal of the establishment that you run, Olivia.¡± At that time, I was busy looking for routes to import food from other countries, so I couldn''t look at her proposal properly. ¡°How do you know that? That was definitely the letter I sent to the Grand Duke!¡± At my words, the Countess'' face finally turned into astonishment. I lightly shrugged my shoulders as I watched her, who had leapt to her feet. ¡°Dietrich doesn¡¯t hide anything from me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°In the first place, I managed everything that could make money at Lagrange.¡± Dietrich was a born knight so he had no idea how to increase his fortune. Maybe it¡¯s because we grew up poor in Dahlia. ¡®Thus, even after he became the Grand Duke he always said we didn¡¯t have any money.¡¯ Whenever I set out to raise funds to run away, he always confidently says that we didn¡¯t have money and for a while, I really thought Lagrange was poor. ¡°Are you really Anissa Lagrange? I was sure I heard she had died¡­.No, that¡¯s not it, I think I heard she was missing?¡± The Countess narrowed her brows with a confused look on her face. ¡°It was found out that she was not of Lagrange¡¯s lineage and was kicked out¡­.no, is that not it? Why does my head hurt all of a sudden?¡± The Countess groaned in pain and sat down, holding her head. I wondered how the memories of the people that Vassago manipulated would come back, but it seemed that their memories were congested as if they had heard several rumors all at once. ¡°Countess, the rumor that I am not actually the Princess of Lagrange is true.¡± I slowly opened my mouth to ease her pain. ¡°........Then by what authority are you trying to press me for?¡± ¡°My real name is Anissa Euclid.¡± The Southern Duchy to whom your husband clings in order to make a good impression. The family that had turned a blind eye to me all my life. Who could stop me if I want to use their name for once? CH 169 ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re ¡®that¡¯ younger sister the Duke of Euclid has been looking for all this time¡­¡­.¡± She must be quite acquainted with Hermann seeing that she sincerely looked surprised. ¡°And you¡¯re also the lover of Dietrich Lagrange?¡± ¡®We''re not lovers, though.¡¯ I shrugged, denying Olivia¡¯s lament inwardly. ¡°Since you are able to wield both of them, you must have nothing to fear from this world.¡± I didn¡¯t think I have a hold on Dietrich and Hermann to weild them, but I didn¡¯t deny her words. The terrified Olivia asked me with a pale face. She must have misunderstood something and her trembling fingers revealed her apprehension. ¡°No matter how much I apologize, it would be of no use, would it? We¡¯ve messed with Euclid and Lagrange at the same time, after all¡­..I can¡¯t even ask the House of Lords for help.¡± I let out an exclamation at Olivia¡¯s dispirited voice, ¡°Oh.¡± Lagrange and Euclid were families whose respective powers were equal to those of the imperial family. So, how frightening would it be to imagine that such two families could work together to destroy them? ¡°That¡¯s¨C¡± Bang¨C! ¡°Not¨C¡± ¡°Madam!!!¡± I tried to reassure her by telling her that it wouldn''t happen, but situations seldom helped me. ¡°Please save me, Madam!¡± I turned to look at Hans, who had been thrown into the room, and Dietrich, who was stepping on his fallen head, emerging through the gap of the door that was roughly opened. ¡°Why are you taking so long?¡± He asked like a sigh as he stepped on Hans¡¯ neck, who had been screaming, to the point that he lost consciousness. I place my hands on my sides at his seeming rebuke. ¡°I told you not to follow me. Why is it so hard for you to trust me?¡± He had planned to send Zagan and Amon earlier, too. As I heaved a deep sigh and even shook my head, he moved his chin as if he had done nothing wrong. ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who followed you.¡± I turned my head toward the window he was pointing at and touched my forehead in shock. Zagan, who was carrying Veronica, Yuric, and even Hermann all at once, was sweating profusely and repeatedly flapping his wings laboriously. ¡°.......Heavens.¡± The poor demon, who had been knocking on the window with his fingernails, was unable to bear the weight of three people so he leaned downwards, and then, under Veronica''s bullying, whimpered upwards again. I hurriedly rushed and burst open the window, letting Zagan in. ¡°A demon? Is that perhaps the famous demon of Lagrange?¡± Surprised by the appearance of Zagan, Olivia started to hiccup. After Veronica and Yuric, followed by Hermann, stepped on the windowsill and entered the room, she fell backward screaming as if she was about to faint. ¡°D-Duke!¡± Although Hermann¡¯s reputation was great with the Southern nobles, she was trembling even more than when I scared her using the name of Lagrange. ¡°Aren¡¯t you Madam Denborough?¡± Hermann''s eyes widened as if puzzled by the situation, and he reached out to help her up from her fall. The moment Olivia, who was looking up at him with tears in her eyes, carefully placed her hand on his, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, Countess Denborough is one of the people who tormented Anissa?¡± Hermann clicked his tongue briefly and let go of her hand without waiting for her to answer. ¡°Oh my!¡± Thud. So Olivia, who was trying to lean on Hermann and raise her body, had no choice but to fall back on her hips. ¡®And now he¡¯s also stirring things up.¡¯ I felt sorry for Olivia, who was only guilty of having a jerk like Donovan as her nephew, so I couldn¡¯t help but stepped forward. ¡°Hermann, today is the first time I met with the Countess, so please don¡¯t get the wrong idea. Also, Countess.¡± ¡°Ye-Yes?!¡± Olivia responded politely and bowed her body, forgetting that she was treating me disrespectfully earlier. I chuckled at her excessive manner and reached out my hand. ¡°First, please sit down. The conversation might take a while.¡± She grabbed my hand, scrambled to get up, and yielded to me the large armchair she was sitting in. ¡°Please sit here, my lady.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± When I sat down, Dietrich closed his mouth and stood next to me. As if Hermann didn¡¯t want to lose as well, he stood on my other side so I had no choice but to speak while sandwiched between the two men. ¡®..........This is suffocating, you people.¡¯ ¡°Countess, I¡¯m sorry but Donovan is probably dead.¡± I tugged on Dietrich¡¯s sleeve, who was pretending not to know anything and looking indifferent. ¡°Dietrich.¡± ¡°Why.¡± ¡°What about the Viscount?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± He did not intend to answer my question and suddenly began to stare blankly into space. So he¡¯s dead. ¡®Well, he deserves to die because he knows his son was easily molesting powerless women frequently, but he hadn¡¯t done anything about it.¡¯ Instead of waiting for his mouth to open, I looked back at Olivia with a small sigh. ¡°It seems that the Viscount is dead as well.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Olivia showed little interest in my words that her nephew and brother have died. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my brother¡¯s safety I¡¯m worried about but the Viscount of Oily, Princess.¡± I briefly nodded my head at her calm words. ¡®Well, just because they were family related by blood doesn¡¯t necessarily mean they care about each other.¡¯ There were always enough people with poor family relationships than others. ¡°The Viscountess¡¯ seat was originally empty¡­..Is there anyone prepared in the subsidiary family to be the successor?¡± [1] ¡°How could a mere Viscounty, which is not even a Grand Duchy or a Countdom, have a subsidiary family?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have any relatives?¡± ¡°There may be distant relatives, but they live all their lives farming and are illiterate.¡± It would take a long time to find someone to lead the Viscounty if there was no successor candidate prepared in advance for emergencies. ¡®This is a headache.¡¯ I sighed quietly, scratching the side of my head. ¡®The Countess is already married and left her house so she¡¯s not officially a person from the Viscount of Oily.¡¯ The Countess, who understood what I meant, opened her mouth as she sneaked a glance into Dietrich. ¡°Did you want to formally take Lindsay and the head maid?¡± ¡°Yes. But this is troublesome because the master of the Viscounty isn¡¯t here.¡± ¡°The head maid is bound by a life contract, and the maid named Lindsay owes a lot of debt. She also has ten years left on her contract.¡± At some point, she had pulled out a calculator and Olivia¡¯s eyes sparkled as she pounds on the abacus. Tak, tap. The sound of her moving the abacus gently echoes in the drawing room. ¡®Though she¡¯s afraid of Dietrich and Hermann, she still thought of making a profit?¡¯ I judged that Olivia¡¯s establishment seemed to be reliable seeing as she could quickly change her demeanor into that of a merchant even when standing in front of the two pillars of the empire. ¡°The servants signed a contract with the Viscount so I can¡¯t hand over them easily but, I¡¯ve calculated the approximate amount¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy it.¡± Dietrich stepped forward, cutting Olivia''s words about asking me to pay a formidable price to the head of the Viscounty. ¡°What are you going to buy?¡± ¡°The Viscounty.¡± ¡°Pardon? You¡¯re saying you¡¯re going to buy the Viscounty?¡± Olivia¡¯s surprised eyes widened as if they would fall out of their sockets. He nodded briefly as he took the abacus she was holding like her life and smashed all the transparent glass beads on top of it. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll buy everything.¡± ¡°What?¡± My jaw dropped at Dietrich¡¯s ridiculous remarks. I only wanted to bring the head maid and Lindsay. What¡¯s the use of buying the useless Viscounty? ¡°You¡¯re suddenly going to buy someone else¡¯s family like this?¡± ¡°I was going to buy it anyway.¡± Trample on it or steal it away. I bit my tongue, trying hard to ignore his unspoken words. ¡°.......But why?¡± ¡°As your souvenir.¡± I didn¡¯t need such a huge souvenir. Dietrich continued as he pressed his fingers against my wrinkled forehead. ¡°This is the place where the You, whom I didn¡¯t know, existed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I demolished the mansion in a whirlwind, so I should at least take the house.¡± ¡°.........Ho.¡± He held up his pen as if to write a contract with Olivia in front of me, who was stunned. ¡°Wait. What¡¯s the big deal if I had stayed here for a while? Why waste money like this?¡± It was so far from the North that the money it would take to manage would be more than the revenue from this booger-sized but small territory. ¡°Anyway, won¡¯t it be a property for you to manage once you¡¯re in charge of the Duchy¡¯s internal affairs?¡± My eyes widened at Dietrich¡¯s out-of-the-blue remarks and stammered. ¡°Wh-Why would I be in charge of the internal affairs?¡± It was only in the past that I looked at it for a while under the pretext of preparing for the rose war, and it was not originally my job to manage the Grand Duchy. As if puzzled by my surprised face, Dietrich raised his indifferent eyebrow. ¡°The internal affairs are originally taken care of by the Duchess.¡± ¡°So why am I in charge of the internal affairs? I¡¯m not the Duchess.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going to marry you?¡± Crack. A fountain pen made of iron crumbled into powder in his hand. NOTE: [1] I¡¯m not sure why it says the Viscountess¡¯ seat is empty when the previous chapters did mention the wife of the Viscount here and there. CH 170 ¡°Why did you break a completely good pen?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°There¡¯s dust flying around.¡± Dietrich didn¡¯t reply to my chiding and only gave me a sullen gaze. He had a firmly angry look on his face, but the one who should be angry was me and not him. ¡®I also want some romance!¡¯ Dietrich was the most precious person to me in this world, and I¡¯m certain that I¡¯m also that kind of existence to him. However, was he thinking of skipping the dating and the proposal and jumping straight to the wedding ceremony? ¡®Dylan would have been more romantic.¡¯ I didn¡¯t know where Dylan, who was so affectionate that I mistook him for a flirt went, and only left this blunt fool who makes my insides burn. I pushed him aside, forgetting the past when I thought that it was enough that we had each other like a squirrel forgetting its acorn. ¡°Why did you push me?¡± He protested at me with a low, subdued voice as if holding back his anger. ¡°Go away. So annoying.¡± ¡°Why are you annoyed?¡± ¡°You said you¡¯d buy the Viscounty? If I left you alone, you¡¯ll just be a pushover, so it¡¯s better if you just stay out.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Dietrich let out an exasperated laugh. I knitted my eyebrows so as not to lose to that cold reaction. ¡°Leave. Yuric and Veronica, too. All of you.¡± Olivia¡¯s eyes popped out restlessly as the atmosphere became instantly frozen. ¡°Oh, man. That zero dating skills jerk.¡± At my words, Yuric was the first one to click his tongue and turned his back as if to leave. ¡°That¡¯s right. My sister is too young to get married!¡± It was followed by Veronica, who giggled as if she found the situation funny. ¡®Now, Hermann just has to leave.¡¯ I looked at Hermann, who was tactlessly shaking his finger between me and Dietrich with wide eyes and I pointed to the door. ¡°You leave too, Hermann.¡± ¡°What are you talking about right now? Marriage? Duchess?¡± I opened my mouth with a sigh at him who was stammering in surprise. ¡°I¡¯m telling you to leave.¡± ¡°What do you mean marriage with Dietrich Lagrange?! Are you saying you¡¯re going to marry that cold-blooded man? I will never give my permission over my dead ¨C!¡± Hermann began to raise his voice, seemingly having no intention to leave his place. Unable to be patient with him any longer, I cut off his words coldly. ¡°It¡¯s not for you to dispute, Hermann.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Why do we need your permission?¡± Dietrich, who pretended not to hear me tell him to leave, stood beside me and added. I whipped my head around and glared at him strongly like my eyes would fall out. ¡°But don¡¯t you need my permission? Before I really get mad, take Hermann and leave.¡± ¡°¡­¡­...¡± At my words, Dietrich took Hermann who had fallen into a daze. ¡®I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re so difficult to send away.¡¯ After I made sure the door was completely closed, I sighed deeply and began to tap Olivia''s abacus. ¡°Countess. Shall we proceed with the contract now?¡± ¡°Ah, oh! Yes!¡± It was then that she understood the situation and hurriedly nodded her head. Just in time, the maid served a cold tea with ice. As I was drinking cold tea and calculating the numbers, my reason finally came to me as if someone had poured cold water on my heated head. Please only read this at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. We do not seek monetary gain from translating this novel unlike aggegator sites. ¡®Even if the Viscounty had a long history, it doesn¡¯t have any significant property since it was all wasted in the previous generation¡¯s business.¡¯ With a clear mind, I began to lightly evaluate the worth of the Viscounty. ¡®I can no longer use the Viscounty since it¡¯s all destroyed¡­..¡¯ ¡°On a rough estimate, I think I can give you this much money.¡± Olivia shook her head in horror at the abacus I thrust at her. ¡°Princess, this is only the price of the land.¡± I held back her hand which had tried to furtively touch the abacus. ¡°You have to take into account that the territory is not particularly fertile.¡± ¡°Are you aware that there is a mine owned by the Viscount?¡± ¡°I know it has been cut off.¡± ¡°We''ve discovered a new mineral called the Orharicon, but it''s a difficult mineral to excavate, so we just need a little capital.¡± I smirked at Olivia¡¯s words as if I were copying Dietrich. ¡°However, you don¡¯t have that capital.¡± Maybe my expression was quite plausible that her face became crestfallen and she hesitated. ¡°Orharicon is a very precious mineral¡­¡­We are looking for investors in our establishment.¡± ¡°Keep looking. I can give you about 10 percent of the initial development cost.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really only about the cost of labor!¡± ¡°You can think of it as compensation for the years of exploitation of Donovan by deceiving me over a false debt.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about that, but isn¡¯t the debt of my brother and nephew enough compensation for that? The Grand Duke even went so far as to ruin the Viscounty without His Majesty''s permission.¡± I took out a coin, looking into the eyes of Olivia who was standing tall as if she wouldn¡¯t lose to me. ¡°Fine. Then should we make a bet?¡± ¡°What¡­.? ¡°Let me guess whether the coin landed on its head or tail. If I get it right, you will have to accept my offer.¡± ¡°Are you leaving it to chance?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡± I added a blatant lie to convince her. ¡°It¡¯s a fifty-fifty chance.¡± ¡°........Very well.¡± Compared to Dietrich and Hermann, there wasn¡¯t much known about my ability, so Olivia couldn''t have known about them. I smiled secretly as I felt the aura slowly rising again. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Here.¡± It was him who wanted to acquire the Viscounty, but Dietrich didn¡¯t even show any signs of liking it when I gave him the certificate of ownership. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you taking it?¡± I stuck the certificate that was still fluttering in my hand to his chest since he didn¡¯t receive it. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What do you mean why?¡± ¡°Why won¡¯t you marry me?¡± I kept my mouth shut at Dietrich¡¯s expression. Even though he only had his eyebrows knitted together, he looked so sad as if the world had collapsed. ¡®Is he still bothered about that?¡¯ ¡°That talk again? Let¡¯s just go and eat something.¡± It was already evening when I left the room after finishing the deal because I had been arguing with Olivia, who realized I had cheated on her. I let out a sigh as I skimmed over the landscape where the waning sun was coloring the sky in vermilion. As if waiting for my answer, he opened his mouth again with a slight frown. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s someone else?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Devonshire?¡± That damn Devonshire! I didn¡¯t even remember his name, who had now become Count Devonshire, so how could he be my hidden lover? I let out a frustrated exclamation while touching my head and then shook it. ¡°I¡¯m asking if you have a guy you¡¯re hiding.¡± Seeing me at a loss for words in shock, he made a groaning noise and chewed his lips nervously at whatever he was thinking. ¡°If it¡¯s not Devonshire, then who is it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. I don¡¯t have a man.¡± My maid life was so swamped with work that I couldn''t dream of dating even when I pretended to be Annie. ¡®Come to think of it, wasn¡¯t it Dylan who had women and not me?¡¯ ¡°On the contrary, aren¡¯t you the one who has women around you?¡± ¡°What?¡± At my question, Dietrich¡¯s eyes widened as if he didn¡¯t know what I was talking about. I opened my mouth as I watched with interest the process of his always cold and indifferent face being colored with embarrassment. ¡°When you came to play in the estate, weren¡¯t there many rumors of women going in and out of your room?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I heard you played with Sarah, too. I¡¯ve heard everything there is to hear.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know who Sarah is.¡± Liar. Sarah was a beautiful woman who stood out in the territory, so no matter how indifferent he was, he would surely have heard her name. ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know! I¡¯m going to go and date other guys as much as you did!¡± Before that, I won¡¯t get married even if it¡¯s unfair. And no matter how much I was already at the marriageable age in this world, I was only in my early twenties. ¡°I¡¯m going to become promiscuous from now on!¡± Dietrich stood still in the hallway with his mouth wide open, shocked at my argument. ¡°As much as you! Understand?!¡± ¡°What did I¡­..What kind of women came in and out of my room? I have never.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡®Promiscuous¡­.¡¯ Dietrich, who seemed to be stuck in the quiet hallway, looked at Anissa''s back as she moved away and fell into anguish. ¡°All right.¡± He soon made up his mind. ¡®I can just kill them all.¡¯ He would regain his notoriety which Anissa had barely put to sleep, but what did that matter? However, even if he cleared up all the men around Anissa, the misunderstanding would remain. ¡®She¡¯d been like that ever since she knew me as Dylan. Why on earth?¡¯ ¡°Why are you just standing there?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hey. Perhaps, have you seen the maid named Sarah?¡± Dietrich, who found Yuric entering the hallway with a grin on his face, moved the shadows using his ability with his body that clearly have not yet recovered. ¡°She¡¯s a girl I¡¯ve met for a while when you were pretending to be a servant~huh? Why are you suddenly attacking me?¡± ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°Wh-What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to keep you alive.¡± CH 171 ¡°Sarah was a maid I used to meet. Dietrich doesn¡¯t know who she is.¡± I nodded as I stared at Yuric, who confessed with a puffy face as if he was beaten by someone ¨C Dietrich of course. ¡°Yeah. I guessed as much.¡± ¡°Then why did you tell Dietrich you didn¡¯t believe him!¡± Yuric raised his voice, feeling unfairly accused as he clutched his cheek as if his molar had gone out. ¡°I¡¯m really going to die at this rate!¡± I was amazed by the blame he was directing on me. I clicked my tongue at him who at some point grew up to be promiscuous. ¡°Who told you to play around like a rake? And what I couldn¡¯t believe was¡­..¡± I just wanted to be petulant at Dietrich who thought I would naturally marry him. Seeing his indifferent attitude made me miss Dylan who felt like a playboy. ¡°I also want to receive a confession and do everything that others do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. He¡¯s the one in the wrong.¡± Yuric nodded, agreeing to my words. ¡°Right?¡± I bandaged his loose arm and turned to the sound of someone knocking on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Li-Lindsay, Princess.¡± The maid who carefully bowed toward me and Yuric was Lindsay. I knitted my eyebrows at her awkward behavior and opened my mouth. ¡°I told you there¡¯s no need to call me that.¡± ¡°.........How could I dare to do that?¡± I sighed at Lindsay, who had murmured softly as if she couldn¡¯t believe what I was saying. ¡°Lindsay.¡± When I called her, she avoided my eyes. I walked over to Lindsay, held her face with both my hands, and fixed her head in place before continuing. ¡°From now on, don¡¯t even think about calling me ¡®my lady¡¯ or ¡®princess¡¯.¡± It wasn''t that I couldn''t understand Lindsay''s reaction since it was a society with an established class system, but she was my only friend, so I didn''t want to be awkward because of the difference in status. ¡°How could I dare do that? I mean, really?¡± As I raised the corners of my lips awkwardly at Lindsay and glared at her, she also curled her lips as if embarrassed. ¡°I understand so don¡¯t glare at me so cutely.¡± ¡®I was aiming to be scary though.¡¯ Well, whether it was scary or cute, I¡¯ve achieved my goal of having her treat me just like before so it didn¡¯t matter anymore. Shrugging my shoulders, I followed Lindsey out of the room to look around the disordered Viscounty. ¡®Now that we''ve decided to buy it, we''ve got to pull out everything we can pick up and make use of them.¡¯ The house itself collapsed to the point you could see its old skeleton, but its location was good since it was on a hill overlooking the territory. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of building a villa here, Lindsay.¡± ¡°A villa?¡± ¡°Yeah. Not Lagrange¡¯s or Euclid¡¯s but my private villa. I¡¯ll come here when I want to be alone.¡± Lagrange was always noisy because there were so many people, including the triplets, and Euclid seemed to be as noisy as Lagrange because Hermann was equal to that of a hundred men with the way he could chatter away by himself. ¡°Certainly, it¡¯s strangely loud these days. The Viscounty was originally a quiet place.¡± ¡°Yes. So I want you to take care of that villa. With your younger sibling.¡± ¡°.....My younger sibling? But my younger sibling is currently in another territory.¡± I grinned at Lindsay, who shook her head at my words. Her eyes widened at my smile and she asked, ¡°Don¡¯t tell you found my sibling who had been sold?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Oh my goodness!¡± I smiled as I wiped the water from her eyes with my fingertips. ¡°Your sibling will be arriving soon.¡± As soon as my memory came back, the first thing I did was look for Lindsay¡¯s sibling. I knew Lindsay was good to me because I remind her of her younger sibling who had been forcibly sold to an aristocrat. ¡®Oslo was the one who did all the work so it¡¯s a bit weird to show off.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You have a friend who¡¯s an aristocrat, so what use would I be?¡± He only showed the seal of Lagrange and the search for Lindsay¡¯s sibling went smoothly. ¡°You¡¯re right, at times like this, it¡¯s useful¡­..hic.¡± I comforted Lindsay, who couldn¡¯t speak properly, and held her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Lindsay. Only good things will happen now.¡± Because I would make things happen that way. I didn''t want to be the hero who saves the world as Hermann dreams, but at least I wanted to live while taking care of the people around me. ¡°The head maid was demoted to a maid, wasn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Yeah. It was the madam¡¯s orders.¡± In response to Lindsay''s akward response, I asked Lancel, who I just ran into, to call the head maid. Fortunately, there was yet no newly hired head maid and he immediately knew who I was looking for. ¡°Annie¡­..?¡± The head maid, who was demoted for secretly helping me run away from Donovan¡¯s sight, looked emaciated over the past few days. ¡°Why are you here?¡± It seemed that the story about me had not yet reached her ears, the head maid¡¯s expression completely distorted as if she didn¡¯t understand why I had returned to the Viscounty. ¡°How are you going to deal with the consequences now that you¡¯ve come back¡­..No, since young master Donovan isn¡¯t here, I guess it¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°Head maid, she¡¯s not Annie, but Princess Anissa. Lagrange¡­.I mean, is it the Princess of Euclid?¡± Lindsay spoke for me instead at the head maid¡¯s worried rebuke. She continued to speak ambiguously, making excuses about my identity, which even I was confused with. ¡°Anyway, it seems that Master Donovan told an extremely bad lie.¡± Astonishment slowly rose over the head maid¡¯s wrinkled face as she heard Lindsay''s words. ¡°Anissa? You mean the Princess who bought the Viscounty?¡± ¡°Yes! That Princess is our Annie. I¡¯m not sure, but it seems she lost her memory and was tricked by Donovan to become a maid.¡± ¡°Heavens! Princess! I don¡¯t know how I should apologize for the young master¡¯s sin.¡± I was surprised and stopped the maid who was about to kneel in front of me. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for you to pay for Donovan¡¯s sin. However, I have a favor to ask.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like you to take over as the head maid of Lagrange. It¡¯s going to be difficult to manage that many maids at once, so you¡¯ll be assisting for the time being.¡± It was a small gift for Marilyn who would be struggling because I didn¡¯t return to Lagrange right away even when my memory returned. ¡®It¡¯s also time for her to be promoted.¡¯ ¡°My lady, what are you saying? What about Marilyn?¡± I turned to look back at Lancel who had been quietly listening to our conversation when he suddenly cut in. ¡°I¡¯ll leave Marilyn in charge of the mansion.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t that the butler¡¯s job?¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. Marilyn will now take over the butler¡¯s position.¡± ¡°Pardon? Then, what about me?¡± I scoffed at the butler of Lagrange whose jaw dropped open in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re demoted to an assistant butler.¡± ¡°Why?!¡± ¡°You came here to play, didn¡¯t you? Under the pretext of assisting Dietrich.¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s because of His Grace¡­¡­¡± I glared at Lancel who was trying to come up with an excuse for my sharp question. ¡°In this situation where the head of the family is absent, why are you here instead of protecting Lagrange?¡± Dietrich was obviously a cold and rational head, but he found it troublesome to give proper responsibilities to the butler, Lancel, or deal with subordinates. ¡®There''s no way this clever bastard didn''t take advantage of that.¡¯ ¡°I don''t want to leave the position of a butler to someone as irresponsible as you.¡± I smiled as I took back the power that Lancel, who in the midst of the rush to get rid of Asmodeus, sneakily took for himself the position of a butler. He raised his voice as if there was an injustice. ¡°You¡¯re too much!¡± ¡°Then, go and tell Dietrich. Tell him I demoted you and that I¡¯m being too much.¡± ¡°I don''t want to be the butler to the extent that I¡¯d want to die by His Grace¡¯s hands.¡± ¡°Then shut up and send Marilyn a letter.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Now that we''ve got the situation sorted out to Marilyn through Lancel, we just need to go back. ¡®It seems like work has piled up a bit.¡¯ I slowly opened my mouth as I watched Dietrich reach for a pile of papers on the table. ¡°Ah, I left Lindsay in charge of the Viscounty.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He nodded his head indifferently like it had nothing to do with him. ¡°I also plan to erect a villa. I¡¯ll come here when I want to be alone.¡± ¡°.......I see.¡± I narrowed my forehead at Dietrich, who was nodding his head like a force of habit when his aura suddenly turned black. ¡®Destroy¡­.?¡¯ In an instant, a strong sound of the heart was transmitted to me. ¡°Did you just think of destroying the villa?¡± ¡°No.¡± I shook my head at Dietrich¡¯s brazen reply. ¡°Liar. Your aura¡¯s shaking too much.¡± He gave a brief sigh at my words and nodded his head. I approached him, looking at the papers as if avoiding my eyes, and sat down next to him. ¡°Why are you dissatisfied with building a villa?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Because I was wondering why you''re so eager to leave me and go somewhere else.¡± I was stunned for a moment at Dietrich''s reply, which came right out as if he was saying something he had been holding back. ¡°I¡¯m not building it because of you, though? There are a lot of people in Lagrange, so there are a lot of times when it''s noisy¡­..¡± ¡°Then just kick them all out and that would solve the problem.¡± It¡¯s so easy for him to say he¡¯s going to throw away his siblings. I found his displeasure a little cute, so I furtively raised the corner of my mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the key.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s just you, then you can come.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡­¡± He suddenly scrubbed his face at the quiet words I whispered. ¡°Hm?¡± I silently watched his ears go red, which couldn¡¯t be covered by his large hand and opened my mouth. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, then never mind.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t dislike it.¡± I couldn''t resist Dietrich''s immediate denial and burst into laughter. ¡°Yeah, I see. So you don¡¯t dislike it.¡± When I tapped the back of his flushed ears, which looked like they would explode any time soon, he groaned as if in pain. ¡°......Who exactly is playing with whom here?¡± CH 172 ¡®What if the locals protest that Lagrange, who has nothing to do with the Viscount Oily, buys the estate?¡¯ To the point that it was ridiculous of me to worry about it, the people of the Viscounty welcomed me with open arms when they heard that I would be managing the estate. ¡°It¡¯s the Princess!¡± As if I was a royal princess that went out for a walk, the village children followed me around and sprinkled flowers. ¡®It seems that there are not one or two people who are worried about Donovan becoming the lord.¡¯ In addition, I didn¡¯t know what kind of rumors the head maid and Lindsay spread but the rumors about me seemed to be highly distorted. ¡°She¡¯s more beautiful than what the rumor says. Did she really work as a maid?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. She often came by our store and I can tell you how kind she was even then.¡± The lady at the fruit shop whom I always went to when running errands for the head maid waved her hand at me familiarly. Please only read this at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. We do not seek monetary gain from translating this novel unlike aggegator sites. I smiled shyly and darted my eyes around to avoid the people¡¯s gaze. ¡°I heard she also saved the sibling of a maid who had been sold.¡± ¡°That lout of a young master who had done nothing but torment the residents of the territory was also dealt with by the princess!¡± Though they were whispering amongst themselves, I couldn¡¯t help but blush at the constant compliments that were ringing inside my ears. ¡°I guess she¡¯s already doing inspections in order to take care of the residents. As expected, the rumors that the Princess is highly reputed for being a model for the nobility must be true.¡± ¡®Should I just go back¡­..¡¯ I just wanted to take a walk, but it had created a misunderstanding that I came out in order to look after the estate. ¡°.......It¡¯s really not like that.¡± Excessive expectations could lead to disappointment. I was so embarrassed that I pressed the back of my hand on my burning cheek and murmured. ¡°What do you mean, Princess?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°We know everything.¡± The newly hired maids seemed to have been brainwashed by Lindsay as they refuted my words with sparkling eyes. ¡°What do you know?¡± ¡°We heard you found Lindsay¡¯s sibling who had been sold.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°How can a person who listened to a mere maid¡¯s situation not care about the residents?¡± I searched for Lindsay¡¯s sister because she was my friend. ¡®If people expect this much then I¡¯d have to do my best to manage the estate.¡¯ Could it be that Lindsay and the head maid spread this kind of rumor as if I¡¯m some saint from Vallandia in order to give me this responsibility? ¡®Since it¡¯s like her hometown, Lindsay as an acting caretaker would have to figure out how to manage on her own.¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t be too shy, Princess.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not because I¡¯m shy but helping Lindsay was really nothing.¡± ¡°My, you¡¯re also humble.¡± I sighed as I glanced at the maids who were looking at me with sparkling eyes like they respected me and yet did not lend their ears to listen to my words. ¡®Fine. Let¡¯s just go along with it since it¡¯s already like this.¡¯ The people who have lived under the authority of the Viscount until now wanted me to be a considerate, magnanimous, and mature aristocrat. I had no choice but to pretend to be a ¡®genuine lord¡¯ and walked toward the square. ¡°Oslo. I haven''t set up a proper drawing-room in the manor yet, so tell the people that I''ll listen to their story here.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess.¡± ¡°Emphasize that I will not listen to the situation of those who are not in line to keep order.¡± ¡°As you command.¡± Oslo bowed deeply at my command just like when he shows his loyalty to Dietrich. ¡°As expected of our Princess¡­you grew up well.¡± ¡®It seems like it wasn¡¯t only the maids who misunderstood.¡¯ I did my best to disregard his eyes which were filled with sentimental tears. ¡°Hey, get in line! In line!¡± When Oslo delivered the message to the local residents who were walking around me, those who heard the news immediately began to gather in the square. ¡°Princess, please sit here.¡± The clever and quick-witted Lagrange knights brought me shade and a soft sofa to sit on. I sat down on the golden sofa engraved with Lagrange''s black wolf, which boasted dignity just by looking at it, and glanced at Oslo standing next to me, holding a large fan. ¡°........Where on each did you procure the shade and the sofa?¡± ¡°His Grace said that the Princess might have a sore leg from walking so these are always carried around.¡± Did that mean he ordered the knights to carry this heavy sofa and covering, just for fear that my legs might hurt? ¡°Stop carrying them around next time. It¡¯s useless trouble.¡± I opened my mouth like a sigh at the knights who followed Oslo¡¯s instruction and set up the shade. ¡°It¡¯s all right as long as it could of help to you, Princess!¡± But only the roaring voices come back. I blinked my eyes slowly, wondering if they hadn¡¯t heard the news that I wasn¡¯t a Princess of Lagrange. ¡®In the first place, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re a group who would be loyal to a princess who wasn¡¯t even the head of the family.¡¯ ¡°Oslo.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do the knights not know that I am Hermann Euclid¡¯s younger sister?¡± Oslo scratched the back of his head as if I was asking something useless. ¡°Of course, they know.¡± ¡°........Is that so?¡± ¡°But you are someone who would soon become the madam. They know, so we¡¯re serving you well.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Oh, uhm. It¡¯s nothing.¡± My face distorted at Oslo¡¯s immediate reply. ¡®Why is everyone thinking that I¡¯m definitely going to marry Dietrich?¡¯ I wanted to deny it but Oslo quickly pushed a resident into the tent, blocking my mouth. ¡°Princess, please hear us out on how big the capital establishments charge us. It¡¯s really hard for us to make ends meet¡­¡­..¡± A man who looked like a merchant ranted about his difficult situation in front of me. I answered him, cutting his words in brief. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. From now on, the small business owners of the estate will be managed by the establishment of Lagrange. ¡°Is that true? As far as I know, the Lagrange establishment doesn''t charge a fee of thirty percent.¡± The man¡¯s face brightened up in no time. The establishment was intended to be attractive for the purpose of developing the mine owned by the Viscount but it seemed that it also helped the small merchants of the estate. ¡®Is this how it feels like to blow one¡¯s nose without using one¡¯s hands?¡¯ As he got out of the tent, people who rushed forward began to raise their voices one after another. There was a variety of stories from claiming that there was not enough drinking water because the waterway was not properly organized even though there was a lake nearby, to requests asking to pay off Donovan''s debt, but fortunately, no one brought a problem that I couldn''t solve. ¡®I guess today is a special day.¡¯ I let out a low sigh as I looked at Oslo, who bragged about me with a proud face among the residents who were greatly moved. ¡°Of course, of course. You can say that our princess is the one who created the present Lagrange.¡± ¡®Please, just stop!¡¯ I raised my chin high even as I told him off inwardly. ¡°Can¡¯t you feel the dignity in the Princess¡¯ face?¡± ¡°That is why even the unrivaled Grand Duke can¡¯t move.¡± ¡°As expected, the Princess will be the one to lead our territory.¡± Since Veronica and Yuric had always treated me like a child, the respectful gaze from residents was burdensome, but it didn¡¯t feel too bad. ¡°Ahem.¡± I listened to their unfamiliar admiration and tried my best to imitate Dietrich''s expression. ¡®Dietrich looks cool when he hardens his face like this.¡¯ I moved my eyebrows like that and gave strength to my forehead ¡°That¡¯s right, our Princess¡­¡­.¡± Oslo¡¯s words, which matched with the people, slowly became buried under the voices of the people that were growing little by little. ¡®Did something happen?¡¯ I got out of the tent and perked my ears to the hustle and bustle of people at the end of the square. ¡°It seemed Veronica lost her child.¡± ¡°Did Princess Veronica have a child?¡± At the same time, two men who looked like servants of the Viscount were conversing with each other. I didn¡¯t quite understand their conversation so I tilted my head to the side. ¡®What child?¡¯ ¡°What do you mean?¡± At my question, the servant who finally found me bowed his head deeply. ¡°Greetings, Princess Anissa.¡± ¡°Who is Sister Veronica looking for?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who, but she had been asking around if we had seen a child since earlier¡­..¡± ¡°A child?¡± At the absurd remarks of the servant, I was stunned that Veronica had given birth to a child without my knowledge. ¡°Oh, she¡¯s here just in time.¡± ¡°Oh, my baby¡­.!¡± As he said, Veronica, who looks like a fingernail, raised her voice from afar, looking for a ''baby''. ¡°You were here!¡± I narrowed my brow as I saw that her face, who found me, was shining brightly. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me the baby that sister is looking for is¡­..¡¯ It¡¯s probably not me. Nope. There¡¯s no way she would be calling me baby while I¡¯m pretending in front of these people¨C ¡°Our baby, where did you go!¡± She did. I closed my eyes tightly to the sight of people''s faces turning into astonishment at the identity of the ¡®baby¡¯ that was finally revealed. ¡®My dignity!¡¯ My dignity as a lord who leads the Viscount! CH 173 [His Grace had not returned after a while so I had guessed the situation. Still, I am relieved to hear from you that you are all right, my lady. Thank you for thinking of me. Rose, Maslow, and Riesling are all doing well. Lagrange is leading an unprecedented peace thanks to the Princess, so you don''t have to worry too much about us. With Love, Marilyn] ¡°.........Is this all?¡± ¡°Yes. These are all the letters I¡¯ve brought.¡± I folded Marilyn¡¯s letter gently and put it inside my arms at Lancel¡¯s answer while he pouted like a duck. ¡®I¡¯m glad to hear they¡¯re all right.¡¯ Marilyn was the biggest reason I wanted to go back to Lagrange in a hurry, but she didn''t seem to worry about me as I expected. ¡®It¡¯s a bit disappointing.¡¯ Though she must have her hands full with the triplets who were going through puberty, I had expected she would ask me to come back as soon as possible because she missed me. ¡®Perhaps, she¡¯d grown to like the triplets more than me while I was not around.¡¯ Though I was disappointed, I thought maybe I could go back a little slowly since this happened and approached the servants who were working hard to move the luggage into the carriage. ¡°Where¡¯s my luggage?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s here.¡± At my question, a boy rushed out and gave me my luggage. ¡°Thank you.¡± Holding the shabby luggage of my simple maid life in my arms, I looked around and approached Dietrich and Yuric, who had just left the mansion. ¡°Why are you bringing your luggage yourself? Leave it to the servants.¡± Yuric, who found me before Dietrich, who stood with his back on me, opened his mouth in wonder. ¡°I want to travel and go back slowly.¡± ¡°Travel? Alone?¡± I was facing Yuric, whose blue eyes went round at my words, but I kept sneaking a glance at Dietrich¡¯s countenance as had yet to face me. ¡®He¡¯s definitely going to object.¡¯ In this case, it¡¯s better to take the initiative. I declared at once, aiming for the moment Dietrich opened his mouth as he turned his head so hard that it made a snapping sound. ¡°No, with Dietrich.¡± Judging from the shape of his mouth, I think he meant to say no, but Dietrich''s mouth closed right away at my words. ¡°What?¡± I reached out to Dietrich looking at me with a hardened face next to Yuric, who had become frozen. ¡°I want to travel.¡± ¡°......Are you going to add that we¡¯re all going to go together anyway?¡± ¡°No. I want it to be only the two of us.¡± His black eyes, which were always indifferent to whatever I answered, began to shake violently. ¡®Looks like an earthquake is about to take place in his pupils.¡¯ I smiled as I watched his face slowly fill with embarrassment. ¡°Just the two of us. You and me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Realizing the fun of breaking his expressionless expression these days, I smiled strangely and added those words. Then Yuric, who was watching us with a taciturn face, grumpily said, ¡°Why do you want to go on a trip with just the two of you?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It looks like fun so I¡¯ll tag along.¡± Bang. My eyes widened at the loud sound of hitting, not even a whack but a bang-kind of sound. ¡®Yuric¡¯s skull is going to break.¡¯ The moment I worried, the sound of more squeaking and cracking resounded in succession, and eventually, his body fell backward. Thud. ¡°Ugh.¡± Like it was extremely painful, Yuric curled up with a groaning sound. His hands were so fast that my slow eyes did not immediately recognize that Dietrich had hit Yuric. If Dietrich¡¯s bony fist didn¡¯t stay in the air, I would have thought Yuric had fallen on his own. I opened my mouth with a sigh as I watched him crack his fist with fervor. ¡°......Dietrich, if you keep that up, Yuric will really die.¡± ¡°A person doesn¡¯t die with this much.¡± ¡°They do, you punk¡­.! I will! You will! Huh?! I will really die, ugh, like this.¡± As if to refute Dietrich''s words, Yuric raised his voice in a prone position. ¡°Then die.¡± However, Dietrich dismissed his dissatisfaction with a few words. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°No!¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°You definitely can¡¯t!¡± Hermann raised his voice at my suggestion that I would travel with Dietrich, rather than go straight back to Lagrange or Euclid. ¡°If you really want to travel with him, then I¡¯ll come with you!¡± ¡®Why is he making a fuss?¡¯ I was a little stunned. ¡°Is it all right for the Duke to vacate Euclid for that long?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same for the Grand Duke?¡± But Lagrange had enough manpower to take over Dietrich''s work. Yuric was in charge of the knights, and Veronica was the one managing the establishment and financial affairs. ¡®He quite hates it.¡¯ I was dumbfounded because I thought he wanted to act like a brother now, but I tried to choose my words carefully after confirming that Hermann''s aura was dyed with pure worry. Either way, he didn¡¯t have any bad intentions. ¡°There''s no need for Hermann to worry about Lagrange''s situation.¡± ¡°But I can''t hand over an unmarried young woman into the hands of that warmonger!¡± Lagrange and Euclid shared the history of war, so if Dietrich was a warmonger, Hermann was a warmonger too, but he continued to speak like a quacking duck who was ignorant of his own contradictions. ¡°Do you know what the Grand Duke¡¯s nickname is? A devilish killer, a killer! Because there is not a day when his sword is not stained with blood, even when it¡¯s not in wartime!¡± I had no intentions of being mad at Hermann, but I frowned as the conversation with him was getting longer than I expected. ¡°And so?¡± ¡°What do you mean?! You don''t even have good eyes for men. How can you choose a man like that? If we take out his slick face, isn¡¯t he just ugly?!¡± ¡°I only look at the face.¡± Moreover, Dietrich had a good body and plenty of money. ¡°Ho!¡± Hermann gave a loud dry laugh at my answer. He shook his head vigorously and hardened his expression as if trying to convince me again. ¡®It¡¯d be better if he stops.¡¯ I clicked inwardly at the black shadow that stretched behind Herman''s back. ¡°Anissa, I will object until the end. Until a knife comes for my throat, the chances of you having the Grand Duke as your husband ¨C hic.¡± Before Herman could finish speaking, a sword that was shining sharply was placed in front of his neck. I shrugged my shoulders, looking at Hermann, who took a startled breath, and Dietrich, who stood casually with a sword that boasted of anticipation. ¡°There you go. A knife has come for your throat.¡± ¡°.........Th-Then, not until the dirt comes in¡ª!¡± At Hermann''s words, Dietrich, holding the sword, bent down and touched the ground. ¡°D-Duke, what are you doing right now?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s not possible until the dirt comes into your eyes?¡± Hermann hurriedly closed his eyes, as if foreseeing Dietrich''s next move. ¡°Open your eyes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I said open your eyes.¡± At Dietrich¡¯s order, Hermann half-opened his eyes and checked the dirt in his clenched hands then bit his lips. ¡°Duke, really you! It¡¯s a simple metaphor, a metaphor!¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°You¡¯re traveling?¡± Dietrich glared at Veronica, who curled her lips while pouting as if finding his stiff expression funny. ¡®Is she going to interfere as well?¡¯ He clenched his hand holding the sword, remembering the people who were trying to interfere with him. Since he couldn¡¯t just grab anyone and vent his anger out ¨C Anissa wouldn¡¯t like it ¨C he wondered if he could pull the stunt he did earlier when he put Yuric on the ground. ¡°Hmm.¡± Veronica, who was staring at him without answering, slowly moved her red lips. ¡°Travelling is nice. I want to go, too.¡± ¡°Anissa said she wanted to go alone with me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think Anissa would like Yuric to tag along but it¡¯s different with me.¡± Dietrich frowned at Veronica''s declaration but found no words to refute her. What she said wasn¡¯t wrong after all. Anissa had followed her around ever since they were young. ¡°But what do I do? I¡¯d have to find someone to entrust the management of the establishment¡­.¡± However, Veronica didn¡¯t seem particularly keen on tagging along on her trip. ¡°What are you up to?¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± Dietrich sighed as he noticed that Veronica was dawdling. ¡°Anissa wants a simple trip and you wouldn¡¯t want to go with me.¡± ¡°Oh my. Didn¡¯t I say I¡¯m tired of fancy things?¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense and tell me what you want.¡± Dietrich''s voice begins to gradually subside as if he can no longer tolerate Veronica, who lies naturally. ¡®Jeez.¡¯ Knowing that the patience that he was struggling to hold in order to hide his dirty temper was reserved solely for Anissa''s sake, Veronica hurriedly revealed her purpose. ¡°I do all the work at the establishment but I think my share is too small. Don¡¯t you have the biggest share?¡± Lagrange owned the establishment that Veronica managed, so it was natural that Dietrich, the head of the house, had the largest share. Dietrich tilted his head at Veronica''s argument. ¡°I¡¯ll double it.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you make it triple?¡± She was overly greedy. If you triple Veronica''s share, it will be equal to his share as the head of the household. However, he eventually closed his eyes to Veronica''s dark greed. ¡°Fine.¡± His desire to be alone with Anissa was three times greater than Veronica''s desire to devour the establishment. CH 174 ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure he grew up with Yuric, but why is he like that?¡¯ I shook my head inside the rattling carriage. ¡®Well, he¡¯s quite naive.¡¯ Dietrich, who had taken off the playboy mask worn by Dylan, was much less attached to me and more stand-offish. ¡°Dietrich.¡± His gray aura, like a thick mist, flinched at my call as it tried to wrap around my ankle then receded. ¡°Do you want to sit beside me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Contrary to his firm answer, his aura was too clingy. His aura had been circling around me like a puppy since earlier. ¡®Looking at his aura, it looks like he¡¯s debating whether to stick to me or not.¡¯ Nevertheless, I sighed softly as I looked up at Dietrich''s side face looking out the window without even thinking of sitting next to me. All I could tell were his feelings, not his thoughts. ¡®Is it because he¡¯s shy?¡¯ It couldn¡¯t be helped. In this case, the less naive me should come forward and make the move. With that thought in mind, I got up from my seat and plopped down next to him, who had become strangely passive after I found my memory. ¡°.......What.¡± Dietrich looked back at me with surprised eyes when I sat next to him. ¡®Is this surprising?¡¯ ¡°I want to look out the window, too.¡± I blinked slowly and answered Dietrich¡¯s question nonchalantly. ¡°You can also look out the window from your seat.¡± ¡°I think I could see better from this side.¡± I couldn¡¯t bear to say that ¡®you¡¯re aura is screaming of wanting to sit down next to me.¡¯ ¡®Though I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re stubbornly holding back from sitting next to me.¡¯ Should I ask him out loud? However, Dietrich didn¡¯t know that I could look into his heart to this extent yet. Eredia¡¯s powers had become much stronger only after Hella was sealed. I smiled broadly as I stared at his aura, which fluttered from side to side in embarrassment. ¡°Where are we going now?¡± ¡°......Kirov.¡± ¡°Kirov?¡± ¡°It''s a city where flowers are in full bloom.¡± My eyes roamed at Dietrich¡¯s explanation. Kirov was a name I heard during Damon¡¯s classes. ¡®I think it was a commercial city.¡¯ It was a city where merchants flocked because there were many craftsmen who continued their workshops from generation to generation, so it was one of the tourist attractions of the empire that naturally increased. ¡°Is that fine?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a city I wanted to go to.¡± After my answer, silence fell on the carriage. When the sound of the wheel rolling gradually died down, he called me while thinking about something with his mouth closed. ¡°Anissa.¡± With my head out the window and the cool breeze, I looked back at him and smiled broadly. ¡°Why?¡± Then, he suddenly got up from his seat, holding me by my waist to prevent me from being thrown out. Clang! Not wanting to attract people¡¯s attention, they rented out a small, low-end carriage, and Dietrich, who was so tall, ended up hitting his head on its ceiling. ¡°......Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt? I think you hit your head pretty hard.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt at all.¡± A strong denial meant a strong affirmation. I stared at Dietrich, who faltered with a flushed face. ¡°Why are you going to the corner?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Come here and let me see. What if there¡¯s a bump?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I said come here.¡± Dietrich didn¡¯t even budge at my urging. Eventually, as I tried to move my body to examine his head, he began to dissuade me by raising his arms and shaking them. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Stay there.¡± ¡°What do you mean fine? Lower your head.¡± I ignored Dietrich''s demands and approached him, grabbing him by the shoulder. ¡°I said lower your head.¡± It was only at my prompting that he hesitatingly lowered his head. Putting my hand through his thick curly hair, I found a small lump and clicked my tongue. ¡°There¡¯s really a bump, oh well.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get some medicine first when we get there. If it swells, it may hurt more tomorrow.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hm? I can see the village. I guess we¡¯re here.¡± When I asked the coachman where it was because the scent of fresh flowers seemed to be coming close, he stopped the carriage with an answer that they had arrived at the entrance of Kirov. ¡°You can get off now, my lady!¡± I glanced at Dietrich, who still had his head bowed, and opened my mouth. ¡°The coachman said we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not getting off?¡± ¡°.....You can get off first.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Just because.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re getting off, then get off.¡± ¡®Why is annoyed again?¡¯ I got off the carriage alone, grumbling at Dietrich¡¯s teeth-grinding remarks. Please only read this at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. We do not seek monetary gain from translating this novel unlike aggegator sites. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°This is driving me crazy.¡± Only after seeing the carriage door close did Dietrich let out a deep sigh as he buried his face in his hands. ¡°Ha.¡± A feverish sigh escaped between the gaps of his long fingers. ¡®Are you really going on a trip with just the two of you?¡¯ In an instant, the voice of Yuric, who was seriously worried about him even though he had always beaten him under the pretext of training every day but was never discouraged, lingered in his ears. ¡®That¡¯d be difficult¡­..¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s difficult about it?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯d be difficult for you to hold back.¡¯ He had no intention of holding back in the first place so he didn¡¯t want to continue the conversation with Yuric. ¡®Hey, you really! Don¡¯t go! Come here and listen to me.¡¯ After grabbing on to Dietrich, who had turned his back without any hesitation, he recited his love career like it was an exhibition and got to the main point. ¡®If you keep going like that, Anissa will run away.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s a sensitive girl, unlike you. If you continue to act ignorantly, you might completely drive her away.¡¯ ¡®Do you want your head to roll?¡¯ Yuric hesitated for a moment at Dietrich''s indifferent, cold muttering, but he did not lose and continued to speak. ¡®Stop talking and listen to me, you bastard.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t want to.¡¯ ¡®If you want to be dumped by Anissa before you even start, then do as you please.¡¯ ¡®...........¡¯ ¡®If it¡¯s Anissa, well, it¡¯s not like there aren¡¯t only one or two men who like her.¡¯ Dietrich''s ankle, who was trying to leave without hesitation to prepare for the trip with Anissa, was eventually caught by the murmur. ¡®Are you going to listen?¡¯ ¡®......Whatever, chatter away.¡¯ Yuric, who succeeded in putting Dietrich down, opened his mouth with a smirk. The self-proclaimed playboy, Yuric''s quick lecture lasted quite a long time, and Dietrich remained silent, contrary to his expectations that he would sprint along the way. ¡®......Just do it like this, okay? Don¡¯t be gross.¡¯ ¡®............¡¯ ¡®Naturally! Gently! Understand?¡¯ Naturally, gently. It wasn''t hard to summarize Yuric''s lengthy lectures in his smart head. The problem was that it was impossible to expect a natural gentleness from Dietrich, who had wasted his boyhood rolling on the battlefield. So, Dietrich sat in front of Anissa, who had an innocent face unknowing of his circumstances, and fell into agony. Her hair which looked as soft as a long stretch of cotton candy danced, fluttering over her white cheeks. ¡®If you want to touch her, don¡¯t touch her recklessly, ask Anissa¡¯s consent first.¡¯ Dietrich, who had reached out his hand to tuck Anissa¡¯s hair behind her ears, clenched his fist at Yuric¡¯s advice that came to mind. Her consent, right? He wanted to know, too. Dietrich shook his head at Yuric¡¯s advice and asked. ¡®Can I just ask her if I want to touch her?¡¯ ¡®Are you crazy? Do you plan to shatter the atmosphere by asking like that?¡¯ He wanted to know if he could reach out, but he shouldn¡¯t ask if he could. It was too difficult for him. Thus, he couldn¡¯t dare to touch Anissa and leaned on the sofa with his arms crossed. ¡°I want to sit next to you.¡± Anissa, ignorant of his insides burning black, moved like a squirrel and sat next to him. Even though he held his breath quickly, Dietrich closed his eyes, barely holding back a painful groan as the scent of sweet peach pricked the tip of his nose. He wanted to embrace her. But to do so, he had to ask her consent. ¡°Anissa.¡± When he finally opened his lips with all his heart and soul ¨C ¡°Why?¡± She smiled with her eyelids lowering down her azure eyes which were as clear as the summer sky. The way that the sunlight spread over her white forehead was so pretty that Dietrich forgot the words he had prepared to say. Someone seemed to have cut her hair last night. ¡®I can¡¯t hold back.¡¯ He closed his eyes tightly to the desire that felt like it would overflow like a broken dam with just a touch of a fingertip. He struggled to move his wobbly leg, picking up a cushion that was sprawled in the corner. As he hugged the cushion and grunted when he had never shown any pain in his life, Anissa chewed her lips with a perplexed face. ¡°Why are you running to a corner?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Does it hurt that much?¡± Now, it was no longer just a matter of asking for her consent. He didn¡¯t even touch her. It was just a matter of facing her fair face that didn¡¯t show any signs of knowing his feelings. Instead of answering, Dietrich kicked Anissa out, who was asking about his condition. CH 175 Kirov was a wonderful city. From its entrance, you could already smell the unique fishy smell coming from its port and the scent of fruits mixed together. ¡°You¡¯re not getting off?¡± ¡°...........¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll look around first.¡± Waiting for Dietrich who showed no signs of getting off the carriage ¨C even though I waited for a few minutes ¨C I shrugged my shoulders at his silence and stepped out. ¡°Princess, why are you coming out alone?¡± ¡°Dietrich told me to get off first.¡± Oslo, who had been following us, hurriedly escorted me out of the carriage, insisting that though an escort was not necessary, an attendant would be. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to look around alone.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll have Dina escort you.¡± Oslo, who alternately glanced at me and the carriage to understand the situation, beckoned the knight standing behind me. ¡°Dina?¡± When asked, Oslo put his hand on the shoulder of the approaching knight, introducing her as the youngest of the Lagrange Knights. ¡°Yes. This fellow is Dina.¡± I greeted her, who wore black armor that looked quite heavy, with only my eyes. ¡°Dina, have you been to Kirov?¡± ¡°Yes. I traveled a little before joining the knights'' order.¡± Dina, who had a good-natured impression, nodded briefly in response to my question. ¡°You must have traveled a lot.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve done some mercenary work.¡± Unlike in the South where only aristocrats were registered as knights, there were many commoners among the Lagrange knights. ¡®Still, it¡¯s rare for a mercenary to become a knight.¡¯ Dina seemed to have read my thoughts and scratched her cheek as she slowly added. ¡°If you do not like me, you can change your escort.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t Oslo and Dina the only ones who were following us?¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be. Since the Princess didn¡¯t want to draw any attention, they just hid from the public eye.¡± ¡®Well, I guess that¡¯s how it is.¡¯ Even if I was traveling with Dietrich, I thought there was no way that the worrywart Yuric wouldn¡¯t stick escorts to my trip. ¡°Would you like to change your escort?¡± Dina asked again, thinking I was hesitating when I took too long to answer as I was preoccupied with another thought. I stared at the long scar on her cheek and shook my head. ¡°No, there¡¯s no need. Why did you think I don¡¯t like you, Dina?¡± ¡°Most ladies are afraid of mercenaries. There are a lot of people who don¡¯t like them because they think they¡¯re vulgar.¡± ¡°My childhood dream was to become a mercenary. What kind of nonsense is that.¡± ¡°.....Pardon?¡± To be exact, it was to be a warrior. However, their daily lives of wandering freely around the world looked pretty cool to one¡¯s young eyes, even if it was much harder than expected. ¡°I didn¡¯t know there is a noble lady who wanted to become a mercenary.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I worked hard to learn swordsmanship.¡± I faced Dina who became stunned and grinned. ¡°Anyway, that means you can recommend some places to sightsee!¡± ¡°......During this time, the annual dancers¡¯ performance is the most famous though it¡¯s illegal, and there are also a lot of attractions in the black market.¡± Dina, who had a surprised face for a moment at the story of the mercenary, quickly concealed her emotions and spoke in a blunt tone. ¡°Black market?¡± ¡°Yes. An auction is also held, so it would be all right if you participate.¡± ¡°That sounds like fun. Is it open every day?¡± ¡°Yes. And the roads in Kirov are more complicated than the capital, so be careful not to get lost.¡± Dina even gave a clear and concise point of what to be cautious about in Kirov. ¡°I see. Thank you for telling me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll ask Dina to be my escort when we go back to Lagrange.¡¯ The knights of Lagrange boasted of their unwavering loyalty to the head, but even among those knights, conflicts existed. Yuric was someone who did whatever he wanted and Dietrich didn¡¯t care much for anyone, so there were a lot of knights who were desperate to look good to me. Thus, I liked Dina¡¯s neat attitude without any exaggeration. ¡°Then, can you recommend a place to stay?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know very well since I mostly stay in cheap inns where mercenaries frequent, but the most famous hotel is Loelli.¡± Since Kirov was a commercial city and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Empire, there seemed to be a variety of accommodations. I could hardly contain my excitement at Dina''s explanation that the best rooms were at the Loelli Hotel which couldn¡¯t even be reserved unless, you''re a high-ranking aristocrat, and Halton''s main hotel, which had branches all over the continent. ¡°Where would be good?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that there are hotels with an oceanfront, but still, there¡¯s no place like Loelli.¡± Dina smiled softly as she looked at me getting excited, then added, ¡°I heard that it is difficult to reserve a room because there are so many tourists this time of year.¡± I moved my feet impatiently with wide eyes at Dina¡¯s additional information. ¡°Really? Then, let¡¯s hurry and go. What if there are no rooms left?¡± ¡°However, there¡¯s no need for you to worry about that, Princess.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you with His Grace? If they don¡¯t want to die, they¡¯ll crawl on their own.¡± At Dina''s blunt answer, I let out a short sigh of relief and nodded my head. Dietrich was someone who would grab a person who was sleeping well by their collar and demand they make a room even if there weren¡¯t any. ¡°Besides, there¡¯s no hotel that wouldn¡¯t give a room for the Princess of Euclid.¡± ¡®I guess I¡¯ll have to tell Dietrich to take care of the place to stay.¡¯ I was relieved by Dina¡¯s words and went out briskly. I didn¡¯t even dream that Dietrich, the leading figure who led the War of the Roses to victory in favor of Lagrange, would lose the war of securing a room. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t.¡± I couldn¡¯t hide my disappointment and berated Dietrich. ¡°There are six hotels in Kirov, and you¡¯re telling me right now that you couldn¡¯t find four rooms?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Dietrich failed miserably to book accommodation, contradicting my expectation that if there were no remaining hotels, he would change the house where people live into a hotel. As he stared at me with my mouth open in shock, he slowly made excuses. ¡°Loelli Hotel said they only have one room left.¡± ¡°Even though their hotel is this big?¡± I tilted my head, pointing at the hotel building, which was bigger than most high-ranking aristocrats¡¯ houses. Were they that swamped with people since it¡¯s the tourist season? ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to go to another place.¡± ¡°The other hotels are full. Only the room left in Loelli Hotel is available.¡± I narrowed my eyebrows at Dietrich''s aura that wavered for a moment, but his aura soon subsided. ¡®I don¡¯t think he¡¯s lying.¡¯ ¡°It can¡¯t be helped then. You, me, Dina, and Oslo will use one room then.¡± I couldn¡¯t make the knights who were already hard at work to be homeless as well. However, at my words, Dina, who was standing idly next to me, raised her hand. ¡°I, uh.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I have a friend who lives in Kirov, so I''m thinking of sleeping at my friend''s house, Princess.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Dina was blunt, but she wasn¡¯t bad at conversation, so I thought it¡¯d be fun to share a room. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± I pouted my mouth in disappointment and gestured to Oslo, who was restless as if he had something to say. ¡°What¡¯s with you, too?¡± ¡°My relative lives in Kirov as well.¡± ¡°Lagrange is so far from Kirov and yet everyone knows someone from here?¡± Ha. It seemed like I was the only one who knew no one in Kirov. Though they were knights stuck in the training hall of Lagrange, it seemed that they were individuals who were really popular. ¡®How strange.¡¯ Eredia''s powers made it clear that the fact that there were no rooms left was not a lie, but it felt strangely uncomfortable. If it was any other man and not Dietrich, I would highly doubt it. However, I soon shrugged my shoulders and nodded my head. ¡®There¡¯s no way Dietrich would do that.¡¯ He was after all a fool who couldn¡¯t even hold my hand first. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ At the request of Anissa, Dietrich arrived at the parlor of the most glamorous Loelli Hotel and was again troubled. Hexion Kirov, the owner of the hotel in front of him who had kept his mouth shut, opened his mouth with a bewildered face. ¡°Your Grace, what kind of room should I prepare for you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you just tell me, I, Hexion, will do my best to prepare it.¡± As if he couldn¡¯t hear the apprehensive Hexion, Dietrich tapped on the table absentmindedly and fell into thinking. ¡®Naturally¡­..¡¯ He was naturally trying to find a reason to share one room with Anissa. ¡°How many rooms are left?¡± ¡°There are thirteen rooms left. The best rooms have been prepared in advance when we heard the news of your arrival.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll reserve all the remaining rooms.¡± ¡°Pardon? But I heard you had company¡­¡­.¡± Hexion¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and trailed his words. Dietrich gave a cold command as he glanced back at Oslo standing behind him. ¡°You sleep outside.¡± ¡°.........I have relatives here so I had planned to stay there when I¡¯m not on duty.¡± Oslo, noticing Dietrich''s intentions, rebutted his words while pressing down on his temples. ¡°However, Your Grace, what will you do if the Princess tells you to go to another hotel?¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. It¡¯s a ridiculous plan. Just tell the Princess honestly¡­..¡± Dietrich didn''t even listen to Oslo and cut his words short. ¡°Then book all the other hotels, too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Make sure there''s only one room left in all of Kirov.¡± CH 176 It was a little suspicious that there was only one hotel room left in this vast Kirov, a town that was so developed it could not be compared with the town of Oily, which was a small dominion. ¡°Is there really only one room left?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really.¡± I narrowed my eyes at Dietrich¡¯s blunt answer. It was difficult to read his mind again right now, maybe because I used my ability in the carriage earlier. ¡®Was I too hasty in judging him to be naive?¡¯ Though if he had made up a situation where there was only one room left because he couldn''t say he wanted to share a room with me, it felt like a shallow trick. ¡®Well, so what if we share one room?¡¯ The only remaining room was the best suite in Loelli, and there were two bedrooms attached to the living room with a window overlooking the outside. ¡®We can sleep in each bedroom separately.¡¯ Having made my own conclusion, I immediately unpacked the luggage that the hotel staff had dropped off in the corner of the living room. Dietrich looked at the living room that was as spacious as the Duke''s drawing room with dissatisfied eyes and then left saying he had something to see for a while. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll have to unpack your bag for you.¡¯ I could have asked a staff or Oslo to do it but I didn¡¯t have much to do until he comes back anyway. Dietrich''s luggage was as simple as mine, and there was nothing to organize, so his bag quickly fell to the floor. ¡°A letter¡­..?¡± In the deepest corner of the firm, vintage leather bag, I found a letter envelope. I had chosen to be as promiscuous as he was, but I knew Dietrich wasn¡¯t someone who would look at other women besides me. No, that¡¯s something I thought. They did say there was no one you could trust in this world, so why did a pink letter with the smell of perfume come out from Dietrich¡¯s bag? ¡®Let¡¯s just see who it came from.¡¯ In the end, I couldn''t contain my curiosity and pulled out a letter that looked like it had been roughly hidden between the clothes. ¡°Isn¡¯t this from Marilyn?¡± I thought it was a report on the Duke¡¯s work so I sighed and gave my head a smack. ¡®Okay, you have to be suspicious of anyone you suspect.¡¯ The moment I was about to put the letter back in the bag, I lifted the envelope again with a strange sense of dread. ¡°The addressee is¡­.me?¡± Why was Dietrich holding a letter addressed to me? Moreover, it wasn¡¯t a letter that had just arrived, presuming from the tip of the envelope that was a little worn out. I opened the already torn envelope and checked the contents of the letter. To My Lady, My lady, our Princess. Princess, I miss you so much. I believe you know my heart. However, His Grace ordered me not to tell you that I missed you even if I die¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking, but if you think that I don¡¯t miss you, I feel like you¡¯d feel very upset so I¡¯m sending you a letter secretly. My lady, please come back to Lagrange as soon as possible. The triplets and I miss you very much. With Love, Marilyn Holding Marilyn¡¯s affectionate letter, I let out a dry laugh, dumbfounded. ¡®He¡¯s hiding this kind of letter?¡¯ What was worse was that it seemed he even threatened Marilyn to keep her from telling me she missed me. ¡°His personality is really!¡± I forgot about his personality because he had been so docile these days since he kept on listening to whatever I said. The fact that Dietrich was originally the worst villain in the world. Please only read this at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. We do not seek monetary gain from translating this novel unlike aggegator sites. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Dietrich was a little dissatisfied with ¡®The Royal Executive Suite¡¯ which he had booked with much flattering consideration from Hexion Kirov, the owner of Loelli Hotel and the lord of Kirov. ¡°Your Grace, what brings you here¡­did you not find the room to your satisfaction, perhaps?¡± Hexion Kirov couldn¡¯t hide his bewilderment as he greeted the Grand Duke of Lagrange who had suddenly stormed into the President¡¯s office and sat across from him. ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t like it.¡± Hexion became white at Dietrich''s answer and began to bump his fingers together. In fact, the room Hexion gave to Dietrich was a room that not anyone could reserve, but it wasn''t the best room in the Loelli Hotel. ¡®Did he notice that?¡¯ Although he was the Great Lord of the North equal to the imperial family, he judged that he had no insight into luxury at all as he was a knight who rolled around on the battlefield, but it seemed that was not the case. ¡®Right, there¡¯s no way a man of the rank of a Grand Duke wouldn¡¯t recognize the difference in the room!¡¯ Hexion was so frightened that he quickly told the truth. ¡°Your Grace, you certainly have a discerning eye. It''s a small difference that ordinary people would never notice¡­In fact, there is the Executive King Suite, which is the upper level of the Executive Suite.¡± Dietrich stared silently at Hexion''s glossy tongue. Facing the Grand Duke, who didn¡¯t show what he was thinking, Hexion showed a smooth smile reflecting the ten years of running the hotel. ¡°Of course! The King Suite is a bit more expensive and the view is excellent, but the King Suite is a structure that has a larger bedroom by clearing out the living room¡­I recommended the Executive suite because I thought it would be more convenient for you two to use.¡± ¡°Are you saying it doesn¡¯t have a living room?¡± ¡°Yes! There¡¯s only one bed.¡± Hexion, thinking that Dietrich had succumbed to his persuasion, eagerly began to downgrade the King Suite. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have a living room and only has one spacious bedroom so it doesn¡¯t have much difference from a regular suite, but it is called the ¡®King Suite¡¯ just because it is located on the highest floor, Your Grace.¡± Dietrich, who was silently listening to Hexion''s explanation, arrogantly held out a hand that was not supporting his chin. It meant he was asking for it. Hexion continued hesitatingly. ¡°........But the King Suite has only one bed and one bathroom so there would be many inconveniences.¡± Dietrich laughed very briefly at Hexion''s further explanation. ¡°I like that point.¡± At the fresh smile that disappeared so quickly like a breeze, Hexion started to get confused about how he should react. And so he added something he shouldn¡¯t have in a murmur. ¡°However, Prince Notte is currently staying in the King Suite.¡± ¡°Are you talking about the first prince?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a secret but it seems he¡¯s planning to stay here for three days from now.¡± Dietrich rose from his seat without saying a word at Hexion''s explanation. ¡°I can''t help it because the customer has already reserved the room. I¡¯m sorry, Your Grace.¡± Hexion stared at Dietrich, tapping his hand in place, regardless of whether he heard him. ¡®As the first prince rumored to become the crown prince is staying there, there will be no choice but to give up even if he is a Grand Duke.¡¯ ¡°Then, should we prepare the room right away on the day Prince Notte leaves?¡± ¡°All right.¡± At Hexion''s words, Dietrich left the room with a bob of his chin. Hexion let out a sigh of relief only after the door was completely closed. ¡°I don''t think he¡¯s as rude as the rumors say.¡± Compared to other high-ranking nobles, he was not coercive or arrogant and had a modest attitude. ¡°I don¡¯t know why people like that are called demons or monsters.¡± Hexion murmured briefly, reaching out to clear the teacup that Dietrich had not touched. He never dreamed that Dietrich would come back before the tea prepared for him had cooled down. Bang¨C! ¡°Ugh!¡± Hexion held in his arms the expensive tea cup he bought at the auction house with a premium, fearing that it would break at the loud vibration coming from the sudden opening of the door. ¡°........Your Highness?¡± The cause of the tremor was the First Prince Norte, the second most noble figure in the empire after the emperor. ¡°Heuk, urgh!¡± Notte, who was plopped like a pudding on Hexion¡¯s reception table, seemed to have been beaten up by an unknown hooligan, and his eyes sported a black eye. ¡°Your highness! Oh my god! Are you all right!?¡± Meanwhile, Hexion returned after placing the expensive teacup neatly in the cupboard and was surprised by Notte¡¯s sound of distress and looked at his face here and there. He didn''t think he was hurt enough to break any bones, but he was definitely beaten up by someone. ¡°Who dared to hit you, Your Highness?!¡± ¡°Hexion¡­..¡± ¡°Ye-Yes! Please tell me!¡± ¡°The room¡­.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Leave the room, I¡¯m¡­.¡± ¡°What kind of room are you talking about to leave all of a sudden?¡± In front of the bewildered Hexion¡¯s chin, a nose of a black shoe came into view. Dietrich, who placed his foot on top of Notte¡¯s back, looked at his nails and casually opened his mouth. ¡°Clean up the King Suite.¡± ¡°H-However, His Highness is staying in it¡­.¡± ¡°Didn''t you say you were leaving today?¡± ¡°...........¡± ¡°Answer. Your Highness.¡± As if he had forgotten that the person he was stepping on was a prince, the face that belatedly added ¡®Your Highness¡¯ was provokingly calm. ¡°Heuk, ugh. T-That¡¯s right, Hexion. I¡¯m leaving today¡­..¡± Hexion was stunned by the arrogant violence of the Grand Duke, but Dietrich was so frightening that he had no choice but to nod his head in haste. CH 177 ¡°........So you¡¯re saying, they assigned us the wrong room?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t you say this was the only room left earlier?¡± ¡°The situation has changed.¡± I almost let out a dry laugh because I was stunned by Dietrich¡¯s brazen answer that I barely managed to school my expression. ¡®It¡¯s not a lie seeing as his aura didn¡¯t waver¡­..¡¯ It must be true that the situation has changed. ¡®The problem is that the person who changed the situation is Dietrich.¡¯ I took out Marilyn¡¯s letter from my arms and tapped it on my palm while staring at him. ¡°Hm. Is that so?¡± Dietrich, as I stared at him with narrowed eyes, looked a little perplexed at the sight of the letter. I nodded slightly as I observed his face which seemed to exhibit a guilty conscience. ¡°So you say?¡± ¡°Anissa.¡± ¡°Well, fine.¡± I stuck close to Dietrich, who opened his mouth as if he would confess his sins to me and grabbed his collar. Surprised by our sudden closeness, his eyes widened. ¡®Is this something to be surprised about?¡¯ I shook my head because I didn¡¯t want to hear what he was going to say. ¡°Now that our luggage is already put in order, let¡¯s go outside and play.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I want to do an auction.¡± Anyway, the reason why he hid Marilyn¡¯s letter was probably that he wanted to travel a little longer with me, and the same reason probably applied to his caprice of changing the rooms that I didn¡¯t particularly feel the need to be angry about it. I dragged Dietrich out of the room by his cravat as he looked back at me with a sullen face. ¡°You¡¯re not going?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Since the lord of Kirov was Hexion Kirov, the owner of the Loelli Hotel, rumors of the Grand Duke Lagrange''s visit quickly spread among the nobles of Kirov. I wanted to see the city quietly, so I ordered Oslo and Dina to cover up the Lagrange crest. ¡°Dietrich, too.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t carry a crest or anything like that with me.¡± ¡°No, cover your face a little.¡± The combination of black hair and dark red eyes was not uncommon in the North, but the problem was his dazzling face. ¡®You should be famous for being handsome.¡¯ I glanced at him, who was one head taller than the average man making him stand out more. ¡°What is it?¡± Dietrich asked me back with a slight frown like he didn¡¯t want to wear the hood I was carrying in this hot weather. Like he was a commoner knight, I looked up at him, who was attracting people''s attention even though he wore a shirt and plain cotton pants, and sighed deeply. ¡°You stand out too much.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re one who seems to draw people''s attention.¡± I grinned as I tied my long hair up high at Dietrich''s blunt words. ¡°My eye color has changed so no one will recognize me.¡± The rumor that the youngest princess of Lagrange was actually the younger sister of Duke Euclid was a scandal that turned the empire upside down. So, the rumors must have spread as quickly as they did, but there were few nobles who met me when I was ¡®Annie¡¯. ¡°All the nobles in high society knew me to have red eyes so I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°........I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the problem.¡± I ignored his mumbling and grabbed his hand which peeked out from his robe. Perhaps Dietrich was weak to the sudden physical touch that he greatly flinched when I just held his hand. ¡°Can I hold your hand?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you already holding it?¡± He said with a little dissatisfaction like he was embarrassed for raising his shoulder even a moment. ¡°Then, should I let go?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± He raised an eyebrow at my words that seemed to tease him and interlaced his fingers with mine. I grabbed his hand and started to walk, swinging our arms back and forth. Dietrich¡¯s fingers, which were long enough to look cool to the eyes of the beholder, were handsome even with their protruding knuckles. ¡®Now that I think about it, Dietrich doesn¡¯t seem to have an ugly side on him.¡¯ I rubbed my rose-tinted eyes and nodded my head. ¡®It seems that he¡¯s genetically handsome.¡¯ Thinking like that, I unconsciously tickled his palms with my fingertips, and he suddenly stood in place even though we had been walking well. ¡°Why are you suddenly standing still?¡± ¡°Stop that.¡± ¡°Stop what?¡± ¡°Hand.¡± I wondered if it was because I had tickled his hand that he was about to scold me so I let go of his hand and crossed my arms. ¡°You¡¯re being cheap. Is your hand going to wear out just because I fiddled with it a little?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to walk.¡± ¡°What connection is there between me touching your hand and walking?¡± Even if it sounded like a criticism, it was definitely a question but he didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Ha?¡± I shrugged my shoulders as I stared at his broad back as he strode forward swinging his arms, leaving me standing blankly. ¡®If you want to go alone, go.¡¯ I had Dina anyway. ¡°Dina, when will the auction open?¡± ¡°It starts around sunset.¡± ¡°I guess we should go now.¡± ¡°Yes. I bought the ticket under my name since you said you didn¡¯t want to participate as Lagrange.¡± ¡°Thank you, Dina. You¡¯re so thoughtful.¡± I gently closed my eyes and smiled at Dina¡¯s consideration which I couldn¡¯t see in Oslo or Lancel. She backed away, scratching her cheek in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Ah, also, this.¡± Dina, who was half a step away from me, rummaged through her arms and pulled out a hair ornament decorated with blue crystals on a light blue ribbon. The sunlight reflected by the crystal scattered in all directions. ¡°I thought it would look good on you¡­though it might be presumptuous of me.¡± I looked at the ribbon swaying in the air, smiled softly, and accepted Dina''s gift. ¡°Can you put it on top of my tied hair?¡± She nodded her head in response to my question and moved her hand. I arrived at the auction house with my ribbon fluttering like a butterfly''s wings. ¡°Why did you go first?¡± It must have been the first time Dietrich came to Kirov but he arrived at the auction house first without Dina¡¯s guidance. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Dietrich looked at me, Dinah, and my hair ornament alternately, and asked in a low voice. I shook my head to the side as if bragging, realizing that he was asking about the hair ornament. ¡°Dina¡¯s present! Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It''s been a long time since I''ve received a gift I like this much.¡± While I was pretending to be Annie, I had received gifts from male employees and Donovan from time to time, but they all had a sticky and unpleasant aura that I didn''t want to hold in my hand. ¡®Dina¡¯s aura is so clean.¡¯ And she was as clean and pleasantly simple as her aura. The dome-type auction house was lined with various stalls from the entrance, and the format was no different from other markets, but the price tag on the front was huge. ¡°These aren¡¯t the things to be auctioned off, are they?¡± ¡°Yes, it just seems to be on sale.¡± ¡°And yet they¡¯re this expensive?¡± ¡°Most of the customers at the Kirov auction house are high-ranking aristocrats or royalty. There are many royals from other countries who come to play.¡± ¡°Why? Is there a limit of status?¡± ¡°No. The tickets are very expensive.¡± I wondered how Dina and Oslo could buy a ticket and turned to ask but Dina silently pointed at Dietrich. He seemed to be spending a lot of his money again. ¡®I hope this doesn¡¯t lead to Lagrange¡¯s ruin.¡¯ I bit my lip as I rekindled my concerns for Lagrange¡¯s financial standing which I had set aside for a while. Sitting in a luxury seat that looked very expensive among the auction house seats, he flicked his finger at me who was whispering in Dina¡¯s ear. ¡°Tell me if you want anything.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡®I definitely won¡¯t say anything.¡¯ I nodded at his words and made a promise to myself. If Dietrich ever get a wind of even a speck of dust I wanted to get, he would surely not hesitate to jump into the auction with one year¡¯s worth of budget. ¡®Let¡¯s just watch today, just watch.¡¯ No matter how well the War of the Roses ended, the situation in which Dietrich, the head, had been away from Lagrange for quite some time would not have had a positive effect on Lagrange''s financial condition. ¡®Should I have listened to Veronica¡¯s talk about the establishment?¡¯ I looked at Dietrich''s side of the face, worried that my return to Lagrange might be in a state of debt. ¡°Dietrich, don¡¯t spend money recklessly on the auction.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°........If it¡¯s a wealth that I¡¯m going to increase, there should be some left for me to work on increasing.¡± Veronica was a very capable owner of the establishment, and I was confident that I could conquer the northern social circles whenever I needed them, but no matter how much I flew or crawled, I couldn¡¯t create something out of nothing. ¡®Don¡¯t you think there''s a reason why people say you spend money to eat money?¡¯ I grumbled and glanced at Dietrich, who seemed to be ready to jump up and raise his picket at any time. ¡°Hm? Understand?¡± However, while staring at the mermaid''s tears and the diamond-decorated hairpin at the auction with a very serious face, he suddenly smiled. ¡°.......Why are you smiling?¡± I blinked my eyes since he was a person who rarely smiled, and even when he smiled, only the corners of his mouth would be slightly raised. Dietrich was covering the corners of his lips that were raised up with his large hand, but the corners of his lips that had risen uncontrollably could be seen through them. ¡°I asked you why you¡¯re smiling.¡± ¡°Right. In the end, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to increase the finances.¡± ¡°........¡± ¡°I guess you''re thinking of marrying me.¡± He kissed the back of my hand with a smile on his face. I hurriedly turned my feverish head to focus on the auction. CH 178 Dietrich nodded unhappily at my request that he should never waste his money and got up from his seat, then immediately grabbed someone who looked like a rich young master. ¡°.......Who is it?¡± I glanced at the man who had returned with Dietrich while he clutched the nape of his neck as if he were a thing. Dietrich¡¯s grip strength may be strong, but the person looked to be frightened of the situation that he didn¡¯t seem to think of running away. ¡°Notte.¡± ¡°Notte?¡± It sounded like a name I¡¯d heard before but it was the first time I saw the man. ¡®Who was he again?¡¯ I wondered if he was a character who appeared in ¡®The Men¡¯s War of Roses¡¯, but I didn¡¯t remember anything. ¡°The First Prince.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± My jaw dropped in astonishment at Dietrich¡¯s brief answer to satisfy my curiosity. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that person is His Highness, the first prince?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°That man hanging from your hand right now is the first prince?¡± I shook my head wildly because I couldn''t believe Dietrich¡¯s words. He¡¯d barely just put an end to the War of Roses with Euclid and now he intends to touch the royal family? ¡°First, let His Highness go. He must be suffocating.¡± I pointed at the first prince who was stamping his foot in the air as Dietrich grabbed him by his nape. He had already resigned and had a gentle slouch but he looked pale. Dietrich shoved Notte harshly into the seat next to me at my words. With a groan as he fell down, the Prince looked up at me with his whole body trembling poplar. ¡®Why do I feel guilty when I¡¯m not the one who brought him?¡¯ I felt a little sorry for him so I hesitatingly told Dietrich off. ¡°Why did you bring the first prince?¡± ¡°If there¡¯s anything you want, he¡¯ll buy it.¡± So it meant that the first prince was some kind of wallet. Since I couldn''t recognize the first prince''s face, he and Dietrich wouldn''t be very close and just looking at the first prince''s tearful eyes, I didn¡¯t think he was saying that he would buy it voluntarily. ¡°I told you I don¡¯t want anything.¡± I opened my mouth like a sigh and took a step closer to approach Prince Notte who was about to burst into tears. Dietrich, who stopped me, turned my body around and pointed to the things that came up one after another in the auction house. ¡°Pins, crowns, teacups, tapestry.¡± Among the dozens of auction items, each of the items he picked was something I only liked inside. ¡®........He doesn¡¯t even have Eredia¡¯s ability so how did he know?¡¯ For fear of wasting Lagrange¡¯s wealth, I didn¡¯t say anything was pretty and thought I had schooled my expression. ¡°You want it.¡± ¡°N-No? I don¡¯t want it at all.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie.¡± My eyes widened at Dietrich¡¯s words filled with certainty. He glanced at my surprised face and spoke bluntly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I might miss out on what you want.¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m always looking at you.¡± Was he looking at me so carefully that he could recognize me if I was a little out of breath and my eyes stare out for a long time? I blushed at Dietrich''s indifferent words as if they were nothing. As he watched me awkwardly scratching my cheek, he tapped the shoulder of the first prince who sat down. ¡°You heard it.¡± ¡°P-Pardon?¡± ¡°Pins, crowns, teacups, tapestry.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Pay the bill, Your Highness.¡± I wondered if he had forgotten that he was an imperial because he treated the first prince as if he was Yuric, but he didn''t seem to have forgotten whether that was fortunate or unfortunate. Dietrich forced the first prince to buy all the things I wanted while adding ¡®Your Highness¡¯ to his words. ¡®They''re already auctioned off, so he¡¯d have to pay more to buy them now.¡¯ Though since he¡¯s the first prince, there¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t have any money. The prince, who had ordered his attendant to take out a pocket full of jewels, called Dietrich in a very timid voice. ¡°.....Duke, now that I''ve paid the price, can I go back to my seat?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why¡­..?¡± ¡°There may be more items that Anissa wants to buy.¡± His determined words made the prince grimace miserably as if he had been sentenced to death. ¡°Duke, can''t you just think about my face as a prince?¡± His face turned red with shame because the nobles around him who recognized the first prince began whispering to each other. Even my name appeared in their conversation, so I couldn¡¯t help but interfere. I leaned close to Dietrich and whispered so softly that the prince couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°Why are you like that to the prince?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Why are you like this to me?¡± Even though it was a small whisper, the prince agreed with me like he had a sharp hearing and raised his voice feeling falsely accused. ¡°The Duke also knows that it is my mother, Her Majesty Marguerite, was the one who decided to break neutrality in the War of the Roses.¡± Prince Notte did not look so young that he could not comment on the imperial decision at all, but as he said, Her Majesty, the Emperor, Marguerite, was still alive. ¡®Maybe that¡¯s also the reason why the first prince who was already at that age didn¡¯t even take the crown prince¡¯s title yet.¡¯ Dietrich, who was quietly listening to Prince Notte''s pleas mixed with excuses, turned his gaze to him as he cupped his chin. The prince hurriedly shut his mouth at the cold stare that even I who was watching scared the living daylights out of me. ¡®Still, he¡¯s quite sensible.¡¯ ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°.....Wh-Why are you calling me? Did I say something wrong?¡± ¡°No, you didn¡¯t say anything wrong.¡± Dietrich continued, tapping his fingertips on the armrest of the seat. ¡°But you seem to have forgotten who the subject of the proposal you dared to send to Euclid was.¡± ¡°......Th-That¡¯s.¡± Dietrich''s voice grew lower and lower as the conversation continued. ¡°I didn¡¯t forget, I just turned a blind eye as the Emperor and Hermann Euclid colluded to hit me in the back of my head.¡± Even in the eyes of the prince, who lacked Eredia''s powers, he could see that Dietrich¡¯s anger was slowly rising, so the prince hurriedly put his hands on his lap. ¡®The imperial family is quite courteous.¡¯ I let out a small sigh as I looked at Prince Notte, who seemed to be crumpled into a square box. ¡°Things were different back then, Duke.¡± I nodded my head at the prince''s added comment as if crawling slowly. ¡®At that time, the sun that rested on Euclid was strong.¡¯ I didn¡¯t know if they already found out the fact that Hella wasn¡¯t a god but there was no way the imperial family could not have discovered that the Duke of Euclid was no longer able to exercise the powers of the sun for whatever reason and was already in a situation where he would be an innocent bystander that would suffer in a fight. ¡®It seems they also don¡¯t know that the demons of the North have weakened.¡¯ As if my prediction was right, the prince opened his mouth again like he was trying to persuade Dietrich who was silent. ¡°Even my mother regrets siding with Euclid hastily. The imperial family is going to show a different attitude now, so please forget about the past¡­.¡± Dietrich smiled picturesquely at the prince¡¯s words. It was a beautiful smile like a famous painting, but the prince swept down his arms where goosebumps had risen like he was afraid of his smiling face. ¡°Duke, I understand your resentment. However.¡± ¡°There¡¯s one thing you¡¯re mistaken about.¡± Dietrich, who cut off the prince¡¯s words, had a cold face that had completely removed the smile from his lips. ¡°I had no expectations from Her Majesty and the imperial family so I have never been disappointed.¡± ¡°Then there is no reason for you to resent the imperial family.¡± I glanced at Dietrich''s side of the face which was cold enough to take my breath away, something he had never shown to me before. Please only read this at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. We do not seek monetary gain from translating this novel unlike aggegator sites. ¡°I don¡¯t resent the imperial family. But you have to pay the price of holding a rotten card and stubbornly insisting on it.¡± I wondered if that was the face he showed on the battlefield. The prince mumbled as he touched the bruise left on his eye. ¡°Is the Duke not afraid of the people¡¯s eyes? Finally, after a long conflict, the North and the South are about to be in harmony.¡± At the Prince¡¯s words, instead of looking at him, he raised his head and looked up at me. I guess it was because I was the reason he was holding back his temper tantrums since I cared about the reputation of the North. I didn''t want people who didn''t know Dietrich to point at him and label him as a devil, and I wanted to dispel the stigma that Lagrange was a family where only murderers were born. ¡®But Dietrich said all he needed is me.¡¯ Veronica, Yuric, and the triplets would also want to live their lives the way they wanted to rather than just be wary of people¡¯s eyes. ¡°Harmony, you say.¡± I cleared my throat as I poked my head between the Prince and Dietrich. ¡°That¡¯s a matter for the imperial family.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± When I suddenly cut in, the Prince asked me with a bewildered face. ¡°It means that the responsibility of the imperial family for not properly maintaining neutrality in the confrontation between the South and the North is grave.¡± However, I couldn''t stand the fact that Lagrange, which I had dedicated all of my life to protect, would be despised or ridiculed again for no reason. ¡®So you, who made a mistake, have to take care of it.¡¯ I faced the bewildered prince and grinned. ¡°Your Highness, don''t forget that there are many ways to achieve harmony.¡± ¡°.........¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the North devouring the South would be a kind of harmony?¡± The Prince became speechless. CH 179 I didn¡¯t know what kind of coercion Dietrich used, but the room that was eventually changed had a more glamorous and antique look. ¡®The ceiling is made of glass.¡¯ As if boasting that it was the tallest building in Kirov, the ceiling of the room on the top floor of the hotel seemed to touch the sky. In addition, the front was made of glass, so it felt as if I had stepped into the sky. ¡°Hmm.¡± I glanced at Dietrich''s back as he unpacked without making eye contact with me from the moment I entered the room. ¡®Normally, he would have asked a servant to do it.¡¯ As I squinted my eyes wondering why he was doing that, I then turned my attention to the bed that seemed to be announcing its tremendous presence. ¡°Is there only one bed?¡± The round bed that occupied the middle of the room was big enough for four people to roll around, but in the end, it was just one. I couldn¡¯t have seen it because I also have eyes, but he nodded awkwardly as if it was only then that he knew when I asked. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°......When do you plan on going back to Lagrange?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Since we¡¯ve been to the auction house and the streets, should we watch the opera and then go back?¡± Marilyn may not be worried about me but I knew she wanted to see me and I didn¡¯t want to go back in a carefree manner. ¡°Then I''ll have a carriage ready to leave tomorrow afternoon.¡± ¡°Okay. That''d be great.¡± I nodded thoughtlessly to Dietrich''s words and frowned slightly, feeling that I had forgotten something. ¡®Did he just change the topic so naturally?!¡¯ He seemed to have realized that I could notice his lies to some extent. He was avoiding a difficult question by talking about something else. ¡®As expected, it¡¯s because of the bed.¡¯ He should have just told me he wanted to sleep next to me. Well, he was someone who was bad at being honest. I stared at Dietrich¡¯s back while clicking my tongue as he repeatedly unpacked and repacked his things that weren¡¯t even that many. ¡°We¡¯re leaving tomorrow anyway, so stop organizing things, and let¡¯s wash up.¡± Dietrich turned to look at me, who picked up my change of clothes, with a rare startled look on his face as if I had said something wrong. ¡®Why is he so surprised?¡¯ I looked down at the back of his hand, the veins of which had bulged out from holding the luggage bag so tightly, and repeated my words impatiently. ¡°I said let¡¯s wash up. Why do you look so surprised?¡± Dietrich''s mouth opened and closed again to my question. ¡°......Together?¡± ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± I felt the blood draining from my face in an instant and raised my voice. ¡°I¡¯m going to wash up first. So I¡¯m telling you to get ready.¡± I slapped Dietrich on the shoulder and shook my head hard, not knowing what was going on in his head. ¡°Wha-what?¡± It''s the first time I''ve seen Dietrich stutter. ¡°What on earth am I supposed to prepare for?¡± I was taken aback by his question that I crossed my arms and laughed dryly. ¡°Get ready to wash up!!!¡± If not that, what else was there? ¡®What¡¯s wrong with him, really?¡¯ At my cold response, he bowed his head with the back of his ear turning red. I looked at Dietrich with a sideglance as he seemed unable to get his act together and turned around with a whipping sound. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Shaa. Shaaaa. I closed my eyes tightly at the sound of the water roaring strangely loudly. ¡®I thought this was a luxury hotel so what¡¯s with this level of soundproofing?¡¯ Even in the old Viscounty, I¡¯ve never heard the sound of someone washing pierce my ears like this. I started rolling around the wide bed as I pressed my hand on my chest which was beating fast without any basis ¨C but actually, there was a reason for that. ¡®How could he say such a strange thing like washing together out of the blue.¡¯ I was resentful. Dietrich was being nervous for no reason and I, who didn¡¯t think much of it, became conscious as well. I glared at the tightly closed bathroom door with a vicious eye and slammed my face into the pillow so hard that it made a thud. Light pink hair that had not yet been dried stretched out like seaweed on top of the white pillow. ¡°Haa¡ª.¡± Should I have brought Yuric? Then at least we could have avoided this embarrassing and shameful situation. ¡®......Should I sleep first?¡¯ I didn¡¯t know how to deal with Dietrich once he comes out after washing. I was so embarrassed that I screamed and washed up, but how could I look at him? ¡®Fine, let¡¯s just go to sleep.¡¯ When tomorrow morning comes, we might both forget about this strange confrontation. With a firm determination, I buried my face in the pillow and squeezed my closed eyes. ¡®I¡¯m sleepy. I¡¯m very sleepy now.¡¯ I¡¯m getting sleepy. I¡¯m getting really sleepy. ¡®I¡¯m not, ack!¡¯ I only let out an internal scream, just in case Dietrich could hear it and pounded the pitiful bed. It''s been a while since the sun had set, and it was a very tiring day to ride a carriage and look around the auction house, so it was worth falling asleep, but as time went by, my eyes were still wide open. ¡®Is it because I¡¯m nervous?¡¯ Eek. In the end, failing to go to bed before Dietrich finished showering, I hurriedly pulled the blanket over my neck at the sound of the bathroom door opening. I glanced sideways at Dietrich, who came out wiping his wet curly hair with a towel, and as soon as he turned his head, I began to look elsewhere as if I had never peeped at him. ¡®Why do I feel like he¡¯s even more handsome today?¡¯ When would that radiant face never shine? After giving me a strange tension, I feel even more grumpy because he returned to his usual indifferent face as if he¡¯d found peace. ¡°Are you going to sleep?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh, yeah. I¡¯m going to sleep now. I¡¯m sleepy. Hmm, yaawn.¡± I yawned with an awkward performance that even a child won''t believe, but Dietrich moved as if he was about to get closer. I clenched my fist, hidden under the blanket, at the sound of his loud gait. ¡®He¡¯s coming!¡¯ Though I nervously thought, Dietrich plopped down on the carpet next to the bed instead of coming to me. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep on the floor.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°Because I don''t want to force you into an uncomfortable situation.¡± It was already a very nerve-wracking situation to sleep in one room, but I didn¡¯t have the heart to complain because the crown of his head looked so pitiful as he didn¡¯t even meet my eyes and just wiggled his fingertips. I sighed and nodded my head. ¡°All right. Then, I¡¯ll give you a pillow.¡± ¡°......Put it on the floor.¡± Feeling pity, I handed the pillow I was sleeping on, but Dietrich leaned back while sitting down, avoiding my hand altogether. I leaned forward, wondering if his mysophobia was acting up again. ¡°I washed up just now. It¡¯s not dirty.¡± I waved my hand holding the pillow with the intention of telling him to accept it and he raised one eyebrow and shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was dirty.¡± ¡°So why are you avoiding my hand?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going crazy because your scent keeps spreading.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s really driving me insane so get back.¡± ¡°Uh, okay!¡± I hastily shut up when I saw Dietrich''s face contorted, mistaking it for peace until just now. After confirming that I was lying quietly, he turned off the lamp, and soon complete darkness came. Silence. ¡°.........¡± ¡®Why is it so hard to sleep?¡¯ After tossing and turning for hours without falling asleep, I rolled over and checked the floor. ¡°Dietrich.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Are you asleep?¡± ¡°.........¡± Seeing as there was no reply, it seemed he was asleep. After saying that he was about to lose it, he fell asleep by himself. ¡®I guess I¡¯m the only one nervous for no reason.¡¯ I was so nervous even at the sound of his low breathing that sleep ran away from me. ¡°You¡¯re so cheap.¡± While criticizing Dietrich, who slept soundly, in a small voice, I wondered what was so cheap with him. Still, I was feeling a bit resentful of him. ¡°......You can at least kiss me.¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°You can at least say you¡¯ll just hold my hand and sleep or something.¡± Though it''s kind of weird to just hold hands and sleep. I grumbled in a whisper, staring at the thick shadow that settled over Dietrich''s eyelids. His sharp outline created shadows even in the dark. ¡®But why don¡¯t I hear his breathing?¡¯ I could no longer hear the breath I used to hear well just until earlier. It wasn''t a dead body that stopped breathing, and a sleeping person couldn''t have been this quiet. ¡°Dietrich, are you really asleep?¡± At my question, he slowly opened his eyes. Dietrich''s eyes, shining dark red in the darkness, gleamed like a red moon in the night. Eyes deeper and stiller than the veil of the deepest night. I slowly stretched out my hand to the corner of his eyes that felt particularly red. ¡°......No.¡± He barely responded in a hoarse voice. Dietrich took my hand, gently wiping his half-closed eyelids, and slowly brought it to his lips. Kiss. The destination of the kiss that fell down like a bird¡¯s feather was only on the back of my hand, but the hairs at the back of my neck stood up. ¡°I¡¯m not asleep. I can¡¯t sleep tonight.¡± I was about to ask why for a moment, but his answer was so obvious that already expected it, so I swallowed my words. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°.....I don¡¯t think I can sleep either.¡± CH 180 The time that I didn''t want to pass by inevitably passed, and the morning I had hoped not to come finally came. ¡®......How do I get up now?¡¯ I didn''t cause an accident because I was drunk, but my thin face was so hot that I didn¡¯t have the confidence to endure the morning. [1] ¡®Should I go out first before he wakes up?¡¯ When I turned around and checked, Dietrich was still sound asleep. The warm morning sun gathered over his dense eyelashes. His figure was like a beautiful sculpture adorning the garden that I held my breath for a moment. ¡®He¡¯s really handsome no matter what.¡¯ I stared at the fine shadow on his neat forehead and turned my back in surprise at the moment he frowned slightly. ¡°You can keep looking.¡± So he wasn¡¯t asleep. I bit my tongue at Dietrich''s languid voice and closed my eyes tightly with a feeling of wanting to die. There was nothing more embarrassing than being caught peeking. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± I tried to clear my voice, pretending to be fine, pretending that I wasn¡¯t embarrassed, and then I got up. ¡°Then should we get up now?¡± Well, I tried to get up. ¡°No.¡± It was a futile attempt because Dietrich grabbed me who was halfway from getting up and tucked me into his arms. ¡°Eek.¡± I hurriedly stretched out my hand and gripped the blanket tightly at the sleek feeling that touched my defenseless back. My vision flashed and a red warning light lit up. ¡®Clear thoughts! Clear and bright thoughts!¡¯ I thought about singing the national anthem but after the East Sea and Mount Baekdu, it became difficult as it was now a vague memory. [2] ¡®What kind of empire is this that their country doesn¡¯t even have a national anthem?!¡¯ I resented the imperial family for not designating a national anthem and tore off the blanket that I barely embraced. Whether he knew I''m about to burst into tears in his arms, Dietrich, who had his nose buried on my shoulder, sighed softly. I shuddered at the sound of his long breath. ¡®What is this I¡¯m smelling?¡¯ ¡°.....Do I smell?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± It wasn¡¯t to the point of being sticky, but the room filled with heat felt a little hot even at night. A little embarrassed by Dietrich''s firm answer, I bit my lips, and he slowly added. ¡°It¡¯s a nice smell.¡± ¡°.........¡± ¡°I like your smell so much I could die.¡± Dietrich whispered low in a voice that was a little more moist than usual and began to chew on the back of my ear. ¡®Just kill me.¡¯ Barely holding back my sobs, I wriggled my body forward. Dietrich caught me as I was heading out of the bed like a caterpillar and puts me back in place. My body was swung around so I had to face Dietrich right in front of me. If you''re a human, you should have some eye boogers in the morning, and yet his handsome face didn¡¯t even have a trace of eye boogers. I held his cheeky nose in my hand, smiling languidly with an unusually relaxed face. ¡°Let go. Why are you holding on to me?¡± ¡°Lie down a little longer.¡± However, if I lay down a little longer as he said, I feel like trouble would arise. It was because I could feel the process of something not very fluffy becoming even less and less fluffy between the fluffy blankets. I stood up with the blanket wrapped around me, wiping off the cold sweat that formed over my forehead. ¡°I just want to go for a walk, that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°Should I go with you?¡± ¡°No! I¡¯ll go alone! I want to go alone!¡± Dietrich stared at me with his characteristic indifferent eyes as I squeaked and shook my head wildly, then raised the corners of his mouth. ¡°All right.¡± ¡°Yeah. So, won¡¯t you turn your back a bit?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to get up and wear my clothes.¡± ¡°Then wear them.¡± When I think of last night, I feel so ashamed that I want to find a rat hole and hide, but his answer was too casual. ¡®Did this jerk really have a woman¡­.?¡¯ Narrowing my eyes with reasonable suspicion, I looked down at his well-formed muscles and dropped the blanket. ¡°........¡± Dietrich didn''t know it, but in fact, it was a provocation that was possible because I was wearing one thin slip. I got up from my seat, glancing at Dietrich with his eyes closed, holding the blanket so tightly that his veins popped out. ¡®Even if I¡¯m embarrassed, I can tease you, too!¡¯ When I confirmed that I was not the only one who was embarrassed, I felt relieved. Returning to my senses, I wore clothes scattered on the floor like a snake¡¯s skin and quickly left the room not knowing what else Dietrich would say. ¡°Anissa.¡± ¡°Hermann?¡± ¡®Why is he here again?¡¯ In the hallway of the hotel, a person I hadn¡¯t expected was waiting for me. With a hand, I stopped Hermann from running towards me from the end of the hallway, his fine hair fluttering in the air like an azalea. ¡°What brings you here, Hermann?¡± ¡°Is your body all right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I received a strange message from His Highness Notte. I became worried about you again¡­.¡± In response to my question, Hermann shyly gave excuses here and there. ¡°I don¡¯t have any intention to bother you.¡± ¡®It seems like he¡¯s been snitching on Euclid again.¡¯ I frowned as I recalled the depressed face of the first prince. ¡°I just had minor trouble with the first prince. I thought it was resolved amicably.¡± ¡°First Prince Notte is narrow-minded and a bit lame.¡± ¡°I think I can see why Her Majesty hasn¡¯t appointed him as the crown prince yet.¡± ¡°I also don¡¯t think he¡¯ll become a sovereign either.¡± Hermann responded to my sarcastic remark. The first prince, who could not be appointed as a crown prince because he could not even gain his mother''s trust even when he became an adult, must have been in a position of insignificance compared to that of the Duke of Euclid. ¡®Still, he''s very polite in cursing.¡¯ I think I didn¡¯t even see him curse while fighting Dietrich. I nodded my head briefly as I thought it was as expected of the main protagonist when the door behind my back suddenly opened. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Dietrich glared at him, muttering ill-temperately as if the fact that Hermann was in the hallway offended him. ¡°Ah, His Highness Notte came to Euclid¡­..Wait a minute.¡± Hermann, who mumbled as if to explain to Dietrich what he had told me, alternately looked at Dietrich, who was wearing only a shirt that wasn¡¯t properly worn, and me, who was obviously roughly dressed. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the room Anissa just came out of?¡± Hermann''s finger, pointing at the door where Dietrich leaned at an angle, was shaking like a thistle. ¡°But why is the Duke¡­Why is that wastrel playboy of a bastard coming out of that room?¡± ¡®Oh, he¡¯s good at cursing, I see.¡¯ I shrugged my shoulders as I pondered on how to answer to calm Hermann''s agitation. Dietrich, who quickly became a wastrel playboy of a bastard, didn¡¯t seem to care that Hermann had cursed at him. He approached me and clasped my exposed shoulders with his hands. ¡°The wind is cold. Go in and get dressed.¡± He told me to go in and yet clung to me as he hugged me tightly from behind. As soon as I clicked my tongue at his actions, Hermann, who had finished grasping the situation, took a deep breath and ran to cut the gap between me and Dietrich with his body. ¡°You bastard, why are you coming out of this room?!¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s my room.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about the Northerners having light buttocks but! H-How could you share a room with my younger sister when you¡¯re not even married yet!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s any of your business.¡± At Dietrich''s cold reply, Hermann despaired with a face that looked like he was about to cry. ¡®I''ve heard that the South is conservative, but isn''t his reaction too harsh?¡¯ I sighed as I stared intently at Hermann''s back as he slammed onto the floor in the hallway because he was tossed by Dietrich. ¡°Hermann.¡± ¡°..........¡± ¡°Hermann!¡± Out of his mind, he slowly turned his head to my call. I looked at his soulless face and enunciated each word clearly. ¡°It''s not a big deal for an unmarried man and woman to spend the night in the North.¡± ¡°......But!¡± ¡°Spending the night doesn''t necessarily mean they have to get married. So don¡¯t be too¨C¡± Crack. I, who had said nothing convincing to find Hermann''s soul, suddenly turned to a violent sound that rang in the background. ¡°....... Why are you breaking a door that¡¯s completely fine?¡± It¡¯s just my guess but Dietrich seemed to have a bizarre hobby of ripping doors or handles. I glared at him with my mouth half-opened as I held the smashed door in my arms. ¡°I¡¯m asking why you¡¯re doing that again!¡± ¡®What¡¯s wrong with him, really?¡¯ As if he had received a big shock, Dietrich, who quietly puts the door down at my scolding, continued to wash his face dry. Haa. He let out a long sigh. He soon began to question me with dry lips. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Why are you saying that?¡± ¡°Huh? Saying what?¡± Dietrich bit his lip as I tilted my head, who didn¡¯t understand his question. I thought that his face, which felt even wretched for some reason, resembled Hermann''s head on the floor. ¡°You¡¯re not going to marry me?¡± ¡°.........¡± ¡°After spending the night together?¡± Really¡­¡­ I wish there was only one person at a time making a fuss. CH 181 ¡°Hurry, let it down!¡± ¡°Hurry, hurry!¡± I got off the carriage before even going through the drawbridge, and in this hot weather, sweating profusely, I sighed as I saw Maslow and Riesling pestering the knight who was opening the drawbridge. ¡°Don¡¯t fret, I¡¯m not going anywhere. Be calm like Rose¡­..¡± I wanted to tell them to wait, but instead of rushing the knight like the other two children, Rose brought a pole from somewhere, stepped on the drawbridge that had not been fully unloaded, and jumped over to me. ¡°Anissa!!!¡± ¡°What if you get hurt? Have you no fear?¡± It seems that Rose¡¯s physical abilities were better than I thought. As I wiped the tears from Rose¡¯s eyes, the child smiled softly and hugged me. ¡°Anissa, I really, really missed you.¡± ¡°Yeah. I really missed you too, Rose.¡± Before I know it, the children who crossed the drawbridge hugged me like they were clinging to me. Meanwhile, Maslow and Riesling had grown so big that I was buried surrounded by boys of my height. ¡°So h-heavy.¡± ¡°Ah! Sorry!¡± When I couldn''t handle his weight and exhaled a heavy breath, Maslow stepped back in surprise, but Riesling wouldn''t let go of me, who was about to collapse while shedding tears. ¡°Anissaaa.¡± Dietrich, who was standing behind me and clicked his tongue, grabbed him by the nape and pulled him away. ¡°Get lost.¡± ¡°Speak nicely to him!¡± I looked at Dietrich in surprise at his ferocious voice. But then, as if to boast, Riesling stuck out his chest in a dignified manner. ¡°That¡¯s right, your jerk! Speak nicely to me!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Haha! Your era is over, Dietrich Lagrange! Anissa has now returned!¡± At Riesling¡¯s pent-up words, I could roughly guess how Dietrich ruled over Lagrange while I was away. ¡®However, Lagrange¡¯s master is Dietrich.¡¯ I would stop him from being too harsh on the children, but I had no thoughts of meddling in the way Dietrich handled the members of Lagrange. ¡°Riesling too, as Dietrich is the head, that¡¯s no way for your to speak to him rudely.¡± ¡°But¨C¡± ¡°Shht.¡± Looking at Riesling, who was trying to make an excuse, I gave strength to my eyes, and the child quickly deflated and bowed his head. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you apologize for calling Dietrich a jerk?¡± In my words, Riesling didn''t even make eye contact with Dietrich, just tapped the floor with the back of his foot, and pouted. ¡°Riesling.¡± ¡°.....All right. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Dietrich''s short answer made Riesling''s eyes grow wide as if they were about to fall to the floor. ¡®He¡¯s surprised.¡¯ I put my hand on Dietrich''s shoulder, feeling proud of the boy''s reaction. ¡°See, Dietrich isn¡¯t as bad as you think, Riesling.¡± He was a bit softer than he used to be to an embarrassing point. ¡®If it was the way it was, instead of accepting the apology his hand would have flown off first.¡¯ I checked Riesling nodding sullenly while making my way into the castle. Please only read this at https:// notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/. We do not seek monetary gain from translating this novel unlike aggegator sites. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Marilyn, who had only been waiting for Anissa, ran out and fetched her from the castle gates. Dietrich turned his head to stare at Riesling only after Anissa''s delicate back completely disappeared from view. ¡°I think your habit has gotten worse.¡± As he clicked his tongue, he swung his fingers and a long shadow of the noon moved, grabbing the cheeky boy''s ankle. Riesling hung upside down from the tree in an instant. With the terrible feeling of blood rushing to his head, the child struggled and began pouring out the swear words he had learned in the street. ¡°Hey! Let me go! Fxxk you!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I said release me, you jerk¡ª!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, shut your mouth. My head is ringing.¡± Among Lagrange''s children, Riesling was not particularly afraid of Dietrich. Since Anissa, who stood out in Riesling¡¯s eyes, was particularly fond of Riesling, he trusted her and acts up. ¡°I, I will tell Anissa you¡¯re treating me like this!¡± Riesling threw a fist at Dietrich, who was just staring at him with an indifferent expression. ¡°Tell her.¡± ¡°.....What?¡± ¡°Anissa will not believe your words anymore.¡± Dietrich raised one corner of his lips and sneered at Riesling''s shriveled face. ¡°I already gained her trust.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± ¡°Hang on for a day or so until you get your act straight.¡± No matter how strong Riesling was, hanging upside down for a day would exhaust him. Although unaware of that fact, Dietrich turned his back without hesitation. ¡°Damn it, you haven¡¯t changed at all.¡± She was being tricked. Anissa was being deceived by that evil demon. Riesling inevitably ground his teeth while hanging from a tree. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡²?¡³©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°I heard that the Princess is the younger sister of Duke Euclid.¡± Saying that the horse without feet was the fastest, Marilyn seemed to already know my circumstances. ¡°Yes, well. It just happened like that.¡± Unable to say that I already knew this before, I scratched my cheek awkwardly at her worried gaze. ¡°.......Then are you going to return to Euclid now?¡± Rose, who was quietly following Marilyn and listening to our conversation, popped her head. ¡°Hm, I¡¯m not sure.¡± In fact, nothing was decided. Although it was the truth that I was Hermann¡¯s sister, I had built up no bonds with him for me to stay in Euclid. ¡°You¡¯re going to Euclid? Why?¡± As I hesitated, Maslow, who seemed to be doing his job in the corner, rushed up to me and grabbed my knee. ¡°You can just stay in Lagrange! There are many empty rooms you can stay in!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not the problem.¡± I had no intention of going back to Euclid, but I needed a proper justification to stay in Lagrange. The rumor that I was Herman''s sister had already spread widely, so other families in the North might not accept my stay. ¡®If there''s a lot of backlashes, Dietrich will be pretty tired, too.¡¯ As I gathered my thoughts for a moment, Maslow huffed at what he had made up on his own and turned his gaze to Dietrich, who had just entered the room. ¡°You can''t even seduce Anissa? What the hell have you been doing all this time?¡± ¡°.....What?¡± Maslow¡¯s voice raised as he jumped up to his feet with a twisted expression on his face. ¡°As long as Anissa marries you, she could continue to stay in Lagrange! You can¡¯t even seduce her properly! That she¡¯s returning to! Euclid!¡± ¡®No? I didn¡¯t say I was returning to Euclid?¡¯ Reaching out to stop the agitated child, Rose ran ahead of me and stood next to Maslow. ¡°That¡¯s right! What¡¯s the use of having that kind of face, you fool! Anissa only looks at the face!¡± Far from stopping Maslow, Rose raised her voice even louder than her brother. Dietrich, who was quietly listening to Rose¡¯s nonsensical criticism, that he didn¡¯t even know how to use his face properly, walked over to the window and snapped his finger. The children, with their ankles wrapped around his shadow, began to fly somewhere. I had no idea where they were going, but I didn''t stop him. ¡®The kids were pretty harsh.¡¯ Dietrich came over to me, who had my head still, and knelt down on one knee. He tilted his head and reached out his hand to me. ¡°Wasn¡¯t your plan to continue staying in Lagrange?¡± I couldn''t open my mouth easily because I could roughly guess how he would react to my answer. ¡°.....I realized this while traveling, but I want to see more of the world.¡± Definitely not. Over his dead body. I expected such a harsh reaction, but Dietrich just nodded calmly. ¡°All right.¡± My eyes widened at his quiet answer. ¡°I can travel?¡± ¡°I have no thoughts of stopping you from doing what you want. Then, I¡¯ll have to get ready.¡± I tilted my head at Dietrich''s indifferent mumble. ¡°Get ready for what?¡± Was he trying to say he''ll come with me, too? And so I opened my mouth before he could answer. ¡°As I said before, you are the lord of Lagrange so leaving it empty¨C¡± ¡°Then just kill me.¡± I frowned at Dietrich¡¯s brutal words. Whether I was surprised or not, he continued speaking bluntly. ¡°Kill me and go. Because I¡¯ll die without you.¡± You¡¯ve endured so many days without me, and now you couldn¡¯t go on a day? He pressed a kiss on my knee and I shut my mouth as he whispered. The unwavering aura was telling me that his words were not exaggerated at all. ¡°You hate it that much?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I shrugged as if I couldn''t help it, then lifted him up to his feet. ¡°Even if we get married?¡± As I asked lightly and kissed his dazed face lightly, his throat moved greatly. ¡°Dietrich.¡± At my call, he slowly returned to his senses. I made eye contact with him and smiled. ¡°I originally hated traveling.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°And yet I''ve been thinking about why I keep wanting to travel.¡± I continued with a long sigh as I buried my face in Dietrich''s firm embrace. ¡°I think it''s because I have a place to return to.¡± He listened to me and gently stroked my hair. It''s a delicate touch like touching the world''s most precious jewelry, so my face turns red for no reason. ¡°You made it for me. A place to return to.¡± To a place where I was able to take root when I was lost because I could not find a place to step on. ¡°All right. Come back anytime.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°As soon as possible. I could die because of missing you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll learn to ride Zagan. So that I can fly to you anytime you¡¯re missing me so much.¡± Dietrich laughed very quietly at my words. I was belatedly relieved by the familiar laughter. I see I¡¯ve returned. To my Lagrange. Fin.