Chapter 21
“…Madam?”
Cedric came running out as soon as he heard from the maid. When he saw me soaked through, he furrowed his brow.
“That’s too much for just a little splash of water.”
“Yeah, it does seem like that.”
I forced a smile. He took off his outer coat and draped it over my shoulders.
“We should get inside quickly. Your body is freezing, and I am afraid you might get a cold.”
“Looks like I’ll have to soak in some hot water.”
Without hesitation, he picked me up.
“But your clothes are soaked too!”
“It’s fine. We can bathe together and get cleaned up.”
Ugh.
This man never holds back with his words! Even in this situation with just the two of us, his acting felt so genuine. Every time he spoke, my heart skipped a beat.
I lowered my head to hide my flushed face. Somehow, I felt like the steam wasn’t coming from my body, but from my face.
“Ha, but… if you catch a cold…”
“If you catch it, I’ll catch it too. Doesn’t matter if it’s now or later.”
“…Why would you catch a cold if I do?”
I asked, confused.
“Are you curious?”
Cedric looked down at me and smiled. I could tell what he was thinking without him saying a word, so I quickly shook my head.
“No! Not curious at all. I don’t need to know.”
My face felt even hotter.
After finishing my bath and changing clothes, I noticed someone sitting in my room.
I narrowed my eyes and approached the sofa.
“You’re late?”
“…Because of someone, my body got a little cold.”
“Hmph, no need to make a big deal out of it.”
Isabel, with a completely natural expression, leaned back on the sofa, tilting her head.
“This isn’t the room you should be staying in.”
“Oh, don’t be so harsh. A little room tour from your sister is fine, right?”
“…That dress looks like it’s mine.”
“Don’t you think it looks better on me than you?”
She stood up and spun around.
I wondered if she was out of her mind.
“Fine, you can have it.”
I crossed my arms and sat down on the opposite sofa, crossing my legs. One dress wasn’t a big deal. The mansion was full of clothes.
“You have a lot of beautiful dresses.”
Isabel’s comment made me pull the bell to call a maid.
“Did you call for me, Your Grace?”
“Take all the clothes from the wardrobe and bring them to the princess’s room.”
“…Pardon? But then there will be no clothes left for you to wear, Your Grace.”
The maid, Rien, looked confused.
“I can always buy new ones. Doesn’t the princess prefer new things anyway?”
“Understood.”
As Rien left, Isabel suppressed her anger and spoke with a low voice.
“…What are you doing?”
“You’re the one who’s eyeing on other people’s stuff.”
Her fists trembled with anger. Her golden eyes were filled with rage.
I stared straight at Isabel and said,
“You look pitiful.”
“Did you just say I look pitiful?”
“Don’t talk back. Right now, no matter what you say, that’s how you look.”
Isabel’s face twisted with fury.
Her fists shook even harder. She hadn’t expected this when she barged into my house. After all, when she was at the palace, she was treated like a princess.
She probably thought I’d be as oblivious as I was before, always laughing it off. Of course, she would be surprised when she came to the mansion.
But now, I had no intention of accommodating her anymore.
“Isabel, I don’t need to play along with your moods anymore.”
“…So, you were just acting until now?”
“Of course.”
Was she really that clueless?
I had just been waiting for the story to unfold, hiding my claws. I didn’t want to trigger the death flag. But now, there was no need for that anymore.
Why?
Because Cedric was paying attention to me, not Isabel. I could tell just by his gaze. No matter what Isabel said, Cedric clearly disliked her and was starting to ignore her.
Most of all, watching Isabel’s actions, I didn’t think Cedric would fall for her. I might have been afraid of Isabel just because she was the original female lead.
‘Don’t be scared, there’s nothing to fear.’
This wasn’t Isabel’s house; it was mine. So, I was the owner here.
“You still don’t consider others, huh? Sometimes, you need to pay attention to those around you. How long do you think you’ll stay a princess?”
“I’ll always be a princess. You won’t be, though.”
“You’re going to marry the King of Narnkas, right? Then you won’t be a princess anymore.”
“…Are you asking me to fight you now?”
Isabel raised her head and glared at me. Looking out the window, dark clouds gathered in the sky. The dark clouds flashed as if lightning would strike any moment.
“Do you think it’s okay to use magic carelessly? Your father will notice.”
“Even if you provoke me, it won’t benefit you.”
I opened my fan and laughed quietly.
“Oh, provoke you? I was just speaking the truth. And you’re in a room that doesn’t belong to you. Should I teach you some manners?”
“…”
Should I go further? She seemed like she might pull my hair out. I moved toward the door and glanced at Isabel.
“Let’s get up. It’s time for dinner.”
I closed the fan and crossed my arms. My gaze toward Isabel was completely emotionless.
She stood up from her seat, looking at me with an expression of disbelief.
“What did you eat wrong? How can a person change this much? If you’re doing this because you trust the Duke…!”
“Isabel, it’s not that I’ve changed. You’re just finally seeing me for who I am.”
Back in the palace, I did whatever Isabel wanted. I had to hide my abilities and make her look better so I wouldn’t be overshadowed.
I had to redirect my father’s attention from me to Isabel to live without any discomfort. That was all. Pretending to have a good relationship with her wasn’t only her doing.
Isabel walked ahead, quickly passing by me. She was clearly angry, her steps full of fury.
“By the way, I haven’t really seen the Duke’s garden. I should go see it later.”
“Do whatever you want. Aren’t you planning to visit the forest? Didn’t they say the divine beast disappeared?”
“I don’t care about divine beasts.”
At her words, I narrowed my eyes.
So if she wasn’t here to look for a divine beast, was she really planning to stay here?
‘If it takes too long, Zeno might overthrow the Duke’s mansion.’
Already feeling a bit humiliated by hiding, Zeno didn’t look too happy. If he couldn’t hold himself back and rushed over… just thinking about it made me dizzy.
Dinner went much more quietly than expected. Isabel was neatly cutting her meat and savoring her food.
“The food is wonderful. You prepared all this for me?”
Isabel was seriously mistaken, but I didn’t correct her.
I was a little surprised to see that the table was set only with food I liked, even though the princess had arrived. However, Cedric silently added food to my plate.
“Please eat a lot. You seem to be feeling weak lately.”
“I have been feeling a bit chilly today.”
At my words, Cedric furrowed his brow and stood up. He took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders, then called the servant and gave instructions.
“Activate the magic stones in the mansion right now.”
“What’s the matter?”
“I think the Duchess might catch a cold.”
“The Duchess?! I’ll make sure to raise the temperature immediately!”
The servant quickly left. I gently took Cedric’s hand and smiled faintly.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t get sick. I don’t know who splashed water on you, though.”
His gaze turned toward Isabel. Isabel blinked innocently, still cutting her meat.
“I was really surprised. It suddenly rained… And even the birds passing by… There are so many strange things happening in the North.”
I couldn’t believe it and clenched my teeth. Isabel’s words were easily ignored, and I noticed Cedric wasn’t paying attention to her either.
“I think we should eat quickly and rest tonight.”
But what I had just said wasn’t a lie; I really wasn’t feeling well. I felt like I might fall asleep as my tension eased, so going to bed early seemed like a good idea.
“Please do.”
Cedric kindly patted my shoulder and returned to his seat. Isabel stared at me and Cedric for a moment before looking away. But soon, her fork fell to the floor with a loud clunk.
