Born as the Hidden Daughter of a Villainess and the Male Lead

<Episode 22>

 

***

 

The next morning.

Roberick came to my room and asked me to have a meal with him.

I tried to erase the distracting thoughts, but in the end I couldn’t sleep all night, so I sat in front of the table where the meal was laid out, rubbing my watery eyes.

“Edith. I think we should go to the imperial palace today.”

“……yes?”

But Roberick suddenly said something like that.

There must still be some time left until the title ceremony, so why?

“His Majesty, the Emperor, has conveyed his wish for the Heilian Grand Duke family to enter the palace for a while. Nothing much will happen, so don’t worry. Now I will never leave you alone.”

No matter what Roberick said to soothe me, I picked up my spoon with a sinking feeling at the news that my appetite had completely disappeared.

 

***

 

Should I call Olied right now and escape?

I thought as I was caught in the suffocating silence of the Hailian family.

Perion, whose last attempt to frame me was counterattacked by the appearance of Olied, was still detained in the prison of the Grand Duke’s residence.

As a result, the relationship between Roberick and Chastia was at its worst ever.

When Perion publicly framed me, Chastia came forward to support his claim, and Roberick was greatly angered by Chastia’s actions.

I don’t quite understand why he cherishes me so much that he treats the woman he loved so coldly, even at the risk of losing all his power and throwing away everything that was benefitial to him.

Moreover, since Allea did not show affection towards Roberick as before, it seemed that their relationship wouldn’t be restored for the time being.

Maybe that’s why Chastia would cry while looking at Roberick, who was cold to her, and would often stare at me with resentment.

…What did I do? It was absurd.

“It took you a lot of effort to come.”

“May you shine with an unquenchable flame forever, your Majesty, Emperor of the Roshan Empire.”

The emperor welcomed Roberick with a smile no different from last time.

For a while, there was only meaningless conversation, hiding each other’s true feelings.

“I thought of that from the moment I first saw you, Roberick.”

Then, at one point, the emperor got to the point.

“Your little girl, Edith Ronen Heilian, has such a beautiful appearance.”

…I was wondering what you were going to talk about, but you suddenly dragged me into the topic?

I raised my eyebrows as I listened to the emperor.

The Emperor leaned back comfortably and chanted.

“Besides, the age difference between her and Valerian isn’t that much. His looks, his pedigree, and his outstanding talent are flawless.”

“Your Majesty, just a moment…”

Just as anxiety began to rise, Roberick hurriedly opened his mouth.

“So, after much thought, I decided.”

The emperor continued speaking without heeding anything.

“To engage princess Edith Ronen Heilian and the crown prince, Valerian Heine Ruairi.”

What…..

I looked at the emperor in confusion.

Now, what… bullshit did I just hear?

“your majesty! What are you saying so suddenly?”

Roberick’s voice rang distantly in my blank ears.

“Edith Ronen Heilian shall enter the imperial palace within 7 days and complete the education of the crown princess.”

The emperor spoke calmly and weakly.

“Also, the engagement ceremony will be held in conjunction with Edith Ronen Heylian’s title ceremony.”

After casually making a shocking declaration, as if he had dropped a bomb, he put on a smooth smile.

“That’s it. Now, you can ask a question.”

After the emperor’s words were spoken, a single second of silence passed.

“What nonsense! Are you crazy?! Who are you going to get Edith engaged to?!”

Roberick’s shout filled the throne room.

The atmosphere was so violent and the opposition so fierce that there was nothing left to say even if his head was cut off for treason.

“Didn’t I explain it enough? There is no daughter more suitable to be the Crown Princess than princess Edith.”

The emperor answered leisurely.

Roberick shouted, squeezing his hands so hard that his tendons stood out.

“Stop joking around. Edith wasn’t the one you were talking about in the first place!”

“Stop, Roberick.”

The emperor’s cool voice cut off Roberick’s anger.

“You probably know very well that the blessing engraved in the blood of the royal family is fading.”

Roberick sucked in a breath at the emperor’s words and clenched his fists again.

“So I need the blessing given to your daughter. Please, Roberick, follow my orders.”

That’s your situation, and what did I do to get involved in this?

Even though I was shocked, I burst out laughing out of bewilderment.

Apparently, he heard that I was a genius who received the blessings of the Spirit Kings…

I continued my thoughts as I looked back at Allea.

Unlike her shy appearance before, where she blushed when she said she was going to meet the crown prince, Allea was staring at the emperor with a completely indifferent expression, as if she was a passerby in the current situation.

…It seems like they threw away Allea, who was originally trying to take over the crown princess position, and changed the target to me.

Why does it matter to me whether the blessing engraved on the royal family fades or not?

I pursed my lips and thought.

I have to become the daughter-in-law of Oswald Tristan Rue Iri, who is like an enemy to me.

..⋯I didn’t even want to imagine it.

“……It’s not possible.”

“Roberick!”

“This is my daughter that I barely got back! I never even dreamed of sending her into the imperial family at such a young age.”

Roberick gritted his teeth and growled.

The Emperor’s expression hardened at his unexpectedly strong response.

Am I fortunate that Roberick refuses so stubbornly?

I had mixed feelings.

“I will leave now, Your Majesty.”

Roberick turned around, grabbing my hand as if to snatch it.

“Roberick, does this mean you will protest?”

The moment he took a couple of steps away from him, the emperor’s voice caught Roberick’s footsteps.

“…What are you going to do? Do you intend to destroy my family once again?”

“Roberick Arne Hailian!”

The emperor shouted as if he was enraged.

“Unless you really mean to abandon an old friend who was special to you both.”

However, Roberick paid no heed to the emperor’s anger, glanced back and spat out.

“Please take back the order regarding the engagement.”

“………”

The emperor gave no answer.

I felt like I was suffocating from the sharp and dense air flowing between the two people.

 

***

 

“Roberick, this is nonsense!”

I barely managed to support my staggering body and followed Roberick’s lead as I came out of the throne room.

As soon as the door to the throne room, which had an embossed image of a phoenix seemingly coming to life, closed, Chastia’s earnest cry was heard.

“Originally, it was Allea who would have arranged marriage with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. But, this…”

Chastia looked up at Roberick with tearful eyes and grabbed his collar.

“I also have no intention of letting Edith enter the palace as the crown princess.”

Roberick responded coldly.

“……Ah! Thank you, Roberick. You also think of our Allea…”

Chastia spoke in a relieved voice, shedding tears.

But at that moment, Roberick shook off Chastia’s hand holding his collar.

“Roberick…?”

Chastia whispered Roberick’s name in a trembling voice, as if she couldn’t believe what had just happened.

“I didn’t do this for Allea.”

Roberick no longer looked at her.

He softened his stern expression and looked down at me.

“…I promised that I would protect you. I’m sorry for getting you caught up in such a heavy matter again, but I promise, I will never force you into an engagement you don’t want.”

Roberick promised earnestly and held my hand tightly.

Behind him, he caught a glimpse of Chastia, clutching the hem of her dress with trembling hands.

“Mom, I’m okay…”

“My poor baby… I’m sorry, mom…”

Chastia hugged Alea and sobbed softly.

Nevertheless, Roberick never looked back at Chastia.

I looked at them with mixed feelings and took a deep breath.

…I don’t know why I feel like it’s failed* in so many ways.

[TL:I think she is talking about that idiot male lead marriage.]

 

***

 

frustrated.

Irritability flares up all of a sudden, and my mind is always cloudy with no clarity.

[The little one already has a grim face.]

“ouch.”

Olied, whom I had summoned to raise my affinity with the spirits, looked at me carefully and suddenly stretched out my cheeks.

“Do not.”

I slapped his hand away and spoke in a rough voice.

Olied’s hand came off easier than expected.

…….It hurts.

I rubbed my red cheeks.

[What do you really want?]

“yes?”

And the question that was suddenly asked was unfamiliar.

I opened my mouth blankly and looked at Olied, who was leaning against the window with his back to the backlight.

[Isn’t there a reason why you followed your biological father, whom you hate so much, into the Grand Duke’s residence?]

“……”

[What were you trying to achieve here in the first place? If you’re that talented, you don’t have to get the title of Grand Princess of Roshan.]

He continued speaking slowly.

[You can live a sufficiently glorious life. With your maternal grandfather whom you miss so much.]

That was a fact I knew well.

but.

“It’s trivial, but it can never be buried… It’s because of revenge.”

I answered his question by picking and choosing my words as if I was chewing them thoroughly.

[Revenge?]

Olied repeated my answer softly. I nodded.

“My desire to completely return everything my grandfather lost. I want to return the same humiliation we had to experience to those who ruin people’s lives and live well without any problems…… revenge.”

[It’s truly a personal feeling.]

Olied said clearly.

Hearing my intentions being said out loud like that makes me feel like a truly Petty person.

…….No, isn’t it true?

The human mind is narrow and in their heart, there is a lot of greed.

I also have a selfish mentality of ignoring the sins my people have committed, or may have committed, and ultimately trying to find out why they had to do that.

“But I can’t give up.”

I answered with a self-deprecating smile.

Gold eyes filled with a rich and deep light, as if they were made of melted gold, were watching me.

[If so, feel free to use me.]

“……..”

[This means you need to only spit out what you want, leave it to me, and I will relieve you of your problems.]

These were words I never thought would come out of his mouth.

I looked up at him with wide eyes.

[There are people all over the world who want to take advantage of you. In that case, you should also throw away all your conscience and reservations and live completely for yourself.]

It was as if a graceful face, like a sculpture hanging in front of my nose, was looking into my heart and into my soul.

[No matter what you do, I will be completely on your side.]

So he said.

 

***

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