I Don’t Trust My Twin Sister

“Duke, what…”

 

“What do you think? This is my office, so wouldn’t it be okay to make jokes like that at least once?”

 

“Anyway, how could that be…”

 

“Why? You don’t think I can make a joke like this? No. No.”

 

He tapped his fingernails on the table. His mouth opened to the sound of a tap.

 

“The reason I make jokes like this, that is, the reason I say things like this so casually, is because you need to know what the power structure in this country is like. Think carefully before making a decision.”

 

I mean, what card are you holding in your hand? With those words, Duke Safeldrick stood up. He followed his movements and snapped his neck. The duke put on his coat and turned around smiling.

 

“I have an important meeting, so I’ll go first. You can stay a little longer or rest. I’ve prepared accommodations in this palace, so you can unpack your bags and rest there. See you again in the evening.”

 

The Duke finished his remarks and left the office. I narrow my eyes at him, staring at the door he disappeared into.

 

* * *

 

“Sit down.”

 

Duke Safeldrick, who sat down with a relaxed expression, pointed to a chair without even looking at the man in front of him. The duke’s eyes were fixed on the document in his hand. However, this was not the duke’s office. Duke Safeldrick, who had taken a seat in a room smaller than his own office, sat with his legs crossed in a leisurely manner while the owner of the room stood still.

 

“What are you doing? Sit down.”

 

The brown-haired, handsome-looking man nodded his head and sat down. Duke Sapeldric looked at him quietly, then touched his eyes as if he were tired and opened his mouth.

 

“I just took a look at this document. You seem absolutely certain that this is correct. Is that right?”

 

“You’re right.”

 

“It must be an expression of confidence that the Akpensia family stamped the validity and reliability of this document, right?”

 

Beralt, the brown-haired man, closed his eyes and opened them.

 

“You’re right.””

 

“That’s fun.”

 

Duke Sapeldrick chuckled and nodded. After that, he put down the documents and placed his upper body on the back of the chair with a relaxed expression. The moment the two people’s gazes became entangled, Duke Sapeldrick was the first to open his mouth.

 

“I guess there’s no such thing as what if.”

 

“Yes. None.”

 

“What if Miss Lawrence submits clear evidence in this matter? To refute it.”

 

“It doesn’t matter. I also didn’t think my evidence would go unchallenged.”

 

“If something goes wrong, it will push a family into the abyss of extinction. So you too must be prepared to be brought before the court. Can you handle it even after knowing all of this?”

 

“That won’t happen.”

 

At those words, which were so confident, Duke Safeldrick erased his leisurely smile and stiffened slightly. He was able to pierce Beralt’s usual appearance with one confident word. There was no thought that his actions might fail. Beralt was always confident and showed a relaxed appearance to those around her. Because of his seemingly good appearance, the fact that he was the head of the Alpensia family, and the fact that he was the leader of an emerging noble force, everyone trusted and supported him. People came in and out of the house every day to wait in line, and dozens of letters were sent to him every day proposing marriage to him, who was still single. He was truly a person at the center of current power. Moreover, since it has recently become public knowledge that he has a close relationship with the crown prince, some are already saying that it would not be surprising if the next duke’s family appears.

 

“Cheeky kid”

 

However, Duke Safeldrick was disgusted by the sight of his Beralt. The duke was also a politician, and I thought his virtue was not to reveal his true feelings. However, like Beralt, he did not wrap everything up, hide himself, and never reveal his true feelings. Duke Safeldrick tilted his upper body and placed his cheek on his fist, then narrowed his eyes. He believes in the crown prince. Duke Safeldrick was almost certain of Lawrence’s innocence in this matter. He felt that neither Beralt nor the Crown Prince, who had done this, were particularly paying attention to this matter. Since it was the same way, Laurencia, who was preparing with all her might, and Duke Safeldrick, who was helping her, couldn’t help but feel discouraged. Do you have any idea how serious it was to send a summons in the name of the imperial family? From the perspective of Duke Safeldrick, these brats were Beralt, but the crown prince behind them was even more problematic. A guy who was a year older than Ian made judgments and conclusions as if he had mastered life, perplexing people around him. Meanwhile, in order to keep Ian and himself in check, he resorted to all kinds of unreasonable tricks and had a hard time resolving the incident. You can’t treat the crown prince carelessly, and if you try to keep him in check, the current emperor has great trust in the crown prince, so there is a lot of room for the situation to spread.

 

‘This guy or that guy…’

 

Duke Safeldrick looked into Beralt’s eyes with a sour expression, then turned his gaze to look at the document. Based on the evidence he presented alone, it was difficult for him to put an end to Laurencia. It didn’t seem to matter even if there was more solid evidence than this. Anyway, the point of this matter is to find out whether Laurencea purchased the item herself. And Laurencia was conducting research for that matter at the time. So it was obvious that there would be no problem. But…

 

“Are you still hanging out with His Highness the Crown Prince?”

 

“I’m getting a lot of help.”

 

I wonder what kind of plan this guy has. The scale of this guy was a bit large for me to think he threw it in the same way. The imperial family’s name was not the name of a dog wandering on the street, and it was expensive to use in such a consumable form.

 

“I heard you’ve been busy lately. Can you tell me what it is?”

 

“It’s not a big deal. It’s just that the mining business is a little prosperous and things are going crazy.”

 

“It’s all thanks to His Highness the Crown Prince.”

 

“What if it’s a mine?”

 

“It’s just an iron mine.”

 

Displeasure slowly bloomed on Beralt’s smiling face. He also heard it from Ian and knew to some extent. Beralt might do something crazy with the essence of fire. That it might even be at the level of treason. He was puzzled. Beralt was a person connected to the crown prince. If you stay still, the crown prince will ascend to the throne, and soon he will become a Duke. Naturally, the center of power would gather around him, but why does he do such a thing?

 

‘Counterfeit currency, a bomb made from the essence of fire.’

 

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t really picture what could be done with these two means. Duke Safeldrick stood up from his bowed position and picked up the document.

 

“We will find out more details tomorrow when the battle unfolds.”

 

“I hope there are good results. Your Excellency, Duke Safeldrick.”

 

Duke Safeldrick stared at Beralt’s face and then turned around. As he advanced towards his door, the duke stopped in his tracks and turned around. He looked at Beralt intently and slowly opened his mouth.

 

“What is a good outcome for you?”

 

“For me, a good thing is something that would make His Majesty the Crown Prince happy.”

 

“Then, would His Majesty the Crown Prince be happy if he brought down the family by blaming Lady Laurencia? I’m just curious. What’s the big deal about causing the downfall of just one family?”

 

Beralt seemed to think for a moment, but then smiled. His carefree smile was enough to make me want to shatter that mask. However, Duke Safeldrick, like a tiger, did not reveal such desires but kept them inside.

 

“Isn’t it loyal to the country to filter out and dispose of those who try to undermine the country’s security in advance? I can help His Highness the Crown Prince, the next emperor, to safely preserve his position, so it is good for him and good for me. Isn’t that work?”

 

“Okay?”

 

Duke Safeldrick burst into laughter. It was clearly a sneer that only raised one corner of his mouth. Beralt narrowed his eyes. The Duke let out a low laugh at Beralt, who was just looking at him.

 

“No. Well… that’s what you thought? I also thought you were doing it out of revenge.”

 

“Revenge?”

 

Duke Safeldrick, who saw that Beralt’s once relaxed face had hardened slightly, grabbed the end and dug in persistently.

 

“Well, that’s just my personal opinion. Isn’t it a fact that people know that you had a deep crush on Lady Lawrence? You actually went to her house and even rang to say hello, but then, Lawrence, who had changed his mind after meeting Grand Duke Berdian, treated you as an…” he took a pause and slowly opened his mouth, leisurely enjoying the change in his expression, “abandoned dog…”

 

“Your Excellency Duke Safeldrick!”

 

Beralt, who had always insisted on a soft and relaxed smile, collapsed in an instant. Duke Safeldrick chuckled, waved his hand, and turned again.

 

“That was a mistake. Don’t say that. Then take a break.”

 

Duke Safeldrick turned, leaving behind Beralt, who was fuming with an angry expression. Beralt gritted his teeth as he glared endlessly at the closed door. His emotions were clearly revealed, making his face turn red and his tightly clenched fists throbbing. He glared at the traces of Duke Safeldric, who scratched him and disappeared as if running away, then quickly turned his head. He sat down in his chair, gritted his teeth and closed his eyes.

 

“…”

 

Whenever the topic of Laurencia came up, I became so agitated that I couldn’t control my emotions. The shield-like mask that no words could pierce collapsed at the mere mention of a single person’s name. For him, the name Laurence was a catalyst and stimulant. It was also a weakness.

 

“Damn it.”

 

Beralt covered his face with his palms, remembering the moment to put all his plans into action. Soon Laurence will come to an end. certainly. Beralt sneered as he recalled the fall of Laurence. He waited and waited for the day when he would step on her back as she collapsed miserably at his feet.

 

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