112

“…”

I suddenly realized I had been pushed to the far corner of the room, barely able to see Lucian anymore.

“Lady, could you step aside a bit? You’re in the way.”

One of the servants said sharply.

“Oh, sorry.”

I mumbled, stepping back quickly.

Still, I craned my neck, trying to get a glimpse of Lucian’s condition.

At that moment, the doctor was carefully disinfecting Lucian’s shoulder and inspecting the wound. He clicked his tongue briefly.

“We’ll need to remove the bullet. Hold the Duke down so he doesn’t move.”

“Yes, sir!”

The servants firmly held down Lucian’s arms and legs.

The doctor, after a moment of careful consideration, picked up disinfected forceps and began probing the wound.

Lucian’s body jerked violently.

“Ugh…!”

Even unconscious, Lucian let out a pained groan.

After a tense few moments, the doctor let out a triumphant shout.

“I’ve got it!”

The blood-soaked forceps held a small, gleaming golden bullet.

One of the servants quickly brought over a metal tray.

Clink.

The blood-covered bullet dropped into the tray with a hollow sound.

“You’re amazing, Doctor!”

“Haha, well, I couldn’t have done it without Miss Marguerite’s help.”

At Marguerite’s praise, the doctor smiled warmly.

…A very different reaction from the cold demeanor he had shown me earlier.

The doctor stitched Lucian’s wound closed and wrapped it securely in bandages. Then, he turned to Marguerite with a reassuring pat.

“That should do it. As long as the wound doesn’t get infected, he should recover well.”

“Will Lucian be alright going forward?”

Marguerite asked, her voice laced with concern.

“Yes, I believe so. He’s in excellent health otherwise. However, given the severity of the wound, you’ll need to keep a close eye on him.”

“Of course! I’ll make sure of it!” Marguerite replied, clenching her fists with determination.

The doctor, looking fondly at her, rose to his feet.

“I’ve done all I can for now. It’s up to the Duke to heal on his own.”

“Thank you so much.”

“It was my duty. I’m just glad I could help.”

The doctor smiled kindly at Marguerite before turning his icy gaze toward me, standing quietly by the door.

“…”

I lowered my head, feeling the weight of his judgment.

Here, I was the criminal.

I was the one responsible for injuring Kalleid’s precious heir, the empire’s only duke—Lucian.

“Alright, everyone out. The Duke needs to rest.”

The doctor, after staring at me for a moment, led the servants out of the room.

I hesitated briefly, realizing there was nothing more I could do here. I turned to leave when—

“Elze.”

To my surprise, Marguerite called out to me.

“Stay here with us.”

“But I’m not sure how I could be of any help…” I trailed off.

“Nonsense. Lucian wanted to see you very much,” she said with a bright smile.

“If he wakes up, and you’re not here, he’ll be disappointed.”

“…”

How could I refuse after she said that? Reluctantly, I moved back and sat down beside her.

“But, how do you know my name?” I asked.

“Oh, Lucian and Benedict told me.”

Marguerite showed no hesitation in using their real names, as if they were close friends.

She shrugged casually, then added.

“Besides, I told you before, didn’t I? You can call me Margaret.”

I froze for a moment.

I looked at her with a confused expression before murmuring.

“So… that wasn’t a dream?”

“Oh, did you think it was?”

Marguerite replied warmly.

“Elze, you’re adorable. You’re so sweet and lovable—it’s no wonder Lucian and Benedict care about you so much, right?”

“…”

Her words struck a strange nerve in me.

It felt like she was suggesting that their affection for me was akin to the fondness one might have for a pet.

But…

‘No, I’m probably just being sensitive.’

I suppressed the discomfort welling up inside me.

After all, why would the heroine of the original story harbor any ill will toward me?

“By the way, do you also possess magic power, Miss Marguerite?”

“Hm, quite the opposite, actually,” she replied with a shrug.

“I’m naturally afflicted with a condition called mana deficiency.”

“Mana deficiency?”

I knew the three male leads had magical powers and could use magical tools, but this was the first time I had heard of such a condition.

“For example, think of it like this.” Marguerite picked up a cup of water from the table.

“The water inside this cup is mana, and most people can’t even hold the cup itself.”

“Then, in Marguerite’s case…?”

“I only have the cup,” she explained with a soft smile. “I don’t have mana, but I can borrow mana from others who do.”

“So, how did you get into the mansion?”

“I used a magical tool to hide my presence. I borrowed Lucian’s mana to power it.”

I tilted my head, still a bit confused. “Then wouldn’t it have made more sense for Duke Lucian or Count Benedict to enter themselves?”

“Well, the Marquis of Offenheir can manipulate mana, can’t he?”

At the mention of *his* name, I stiffened.

‘Dante.’

Even hearing his name lightly pass in conversation felt like a sharp icicle piercing my heart.

“People who can manipulate mana are highly sensitive to others’ mana. Unless they’re actively trying to detect it, it’s usually possible to hide one’s presence. But still, to be safe, someone like me—who barely has any mana—is a better choice to enter.”

That explanation did make sense.

I nodded, then cautiously asked another question.

“Earlier, I saw you calm the Duke’s outburst. How were you able to do that?”

“That’s right,” Marguerite continued to explain. “It’s also because of my mana deficiency. I can absorb Lucian’s rampaging mana.”

“I see…”

I accepted her words, but something about it felt off.

‘That doesn’t sound like how the original story described it…’

I thought back to Marguerite’s character from the original plot.

Marguerite had always been portrayed as a classic heroine. She was an orphan, and one day, she met Lucian. Lucian, who had grown twisted due to his traumatic experiences at the boarding school, slowly had his heart softened by Marguerite’s natural kindness.

Afterward, rumors spread that Lucian was protective of her, which piqued Dante’s interest, as he hated Lucian at the time.

Dante approached Marguerite out of curiosity, only to fall for her warmth himself.

Benedict, who wavered between Lucian and Dante while handling missions, was also influenced by Marguerite’s kindness.

‘But nowhere in the story did it mention Marguerite being able to calm Lucian’s outbursts.’

The one thing I did know for sure was that the three male leads were utterly devoted to Marguerite. They would have done anything for her, even pretending to die if she asked them to.

‘Well, I guess it’s possible.’

Since Marguerite was the heroine of this world, it wouldn’t be surprising if she had some additional special traits that weren’t mentioned before.

Just then, Marguerite shook her head lightly.

“Well, for now, I’m just friends with Lucian and Benedict.”

[For now?]

It was an odd way to phrase things.

It sounded almost as if they had once been more than friends.

“They’re my dear friends, so I wanted to make them happy,” she said, her kind green eyes locking onto mine.

“That’s why we came to rescue you, Elze.”

“…”

Something felt increasingly strange.

I clenched my hands into fists on my lap.

Even if she was close friends with them and wanted to help, would she really willingly enter a dangerous place filled with operatives and with someone as dangerous as Dante?

…Just to pass on the message,.

[Don’t worry, we’ll rescue you soon’?]