~Chapter 39~
The next morning, I called for Isabel. The three of us—Cedric, Isabel, and I—sat facing each other in the drawing room.
I stared directly at Isabel as she drank her tea.
What she wanted was a clear answer, so I immediately showed her the contract with our father’s signature.
“It’s true… Father really signed it?”
“Yes, so return to the capital.”
“…I can’t go back right now. You know that, don’t you? Do you really think Father will just leave me alone?”
“So, you’re saying you plan to stay here?”
“Why shouldn’t I stay at my sister’s house? I’m also curious about what kind of deal you made with Father.”
Isabel looked at me as she took a sip of her warm tea.
“Why should I let you stay? Do you know how much stress you’ve caused me?”
“You have to let me stay. You’ll need to convince Father as well.”
“And why would I do that?”
“Because it’ll make things easier for you. Want to know something interesting?”
I hate it when Isabel makes that kind of face.
Because when she looks so pleased, the things that come out of her pretty mouth are anything but pleasant.
She had that same look when she went ahead with the marriage to Cedric behind my back. Smiling brightly as she stabbed me in the back.
How could I ever forget that expression?
With a light laugh, she leaned in and whispered something only I could hear, her smile more radiant than ever.
“Your mother… she’s alive.”
See what I mean?
I scoffed at Isabel’s words. Claire’s mother—my mother, Clarila Borsett—was dead.
That was something the original novel made clear. It was a fact.
I leaned in and whispered back, just as quietly.
“Isabel, you must be desperate. Making up things that aren’t true.”
“Does it sound like a lie?”
Isabel blinked as she pulled her blanket tighter around herself.
I sat down next to her, nodding.
“How can I believe you?”
“Believe me or not, that’s up to you. But I told you because it’s my way of repaying you for helping me.”
Her indifferent tone bothered me. I had already been deceived by her once, so I didn’t trust her words.
‘Clarila is dead. Everyone knows that…’
Yet, here she was, bringing up something that went against that fact so casually.
‘There’s no way she’d say this for no reason.’
I tried to ignore it, but the mention of my mother stuck in my mind. Considering the emperor’s personality, it wouldn’t be too surprising if she were still alive.
I had been a weakness for her, and in turn, she could have been a weakness for me.
“How can I confirm that my mother is alive?”
“If I tell you, does that mean I can stay here?”
Isabel smiled mischievously, watching my reaction. Her golden eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“It’s simple. You just have to go to the capital.”
“…So, it’s a lie.”
I felt deflated.
It could all just be a trap to lure me into the capital. Isabel’s suggestion made me narrow my eyes.
“No matter what you’re plotting, I won’t fall for it. This is boring.”
“Think what you want. But what did you give Father in return?”
“The plans for the ship. He seemed to need it for the divine beast prison.”
“…Divine beast prison?”
Isabel looked dumbfounded, as if she hadn’t expected that answer.
“He’s already bound. What’s the point of moving him to a prison in the middle of the sea? So, Father was planning to sell me off to Narkas over some ship?”
“The divine beast ran away, didn’t it? It’s never happened before, so he must’ve been worried.”
At my words, Isabel’s gaze shifted to the sleeping Zeno.
“That runaway divine beast…”
“Do you know why Father never told you the full truth about the divine beast?”
“That’s obvious. He’s afraid I’ll bond with it. He shows me the bound ones without a care.”
She was right. Isabel looked shocked that she’d almost been married off to an old king because of a ship.
“So, tell me how you plan to persuade Father.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at her question.
“Are you really planning to stay here?”
“Why not?”
Isabel seemed truly unwilling to return to the capital. It was clear she believed that if she went back without a plan, she’d be used again.
I shrugged as if I couldn’t understand why I should care.
“When were we ever close sisters?”
“Starting today.”
What kind of person was she?
I couldn’t help but laugh. Isabel smiled and took another sip of her tea.
“I told you something interesting, didn’t I? So, you should try a little harder.”
She was more shameless than I expected.
Isabel ended up staying in one of the guest rooms. Cedric and I returned to our room to continue discussing the events that had taken place.
“I couldn’t find the sacred tree with divine power.”
“That’s fine. Now that the snow has stopped, I’ll look for it secretly. The problem is that if Isabel stays here, she might find out about my abilities.”
Eventually, Isabel would have to return to the capital. When that happened, Father would dig through her mind to find out everything that had happened.
‘I can’t exactly knock her out and erase her memory.’
I couldn’t figure out what to do. It wouldn’t be hard to sneak out at night with Zeno and find the branch, but…
“What is she planning?”
“The knights will be watching her, so she won’t be able to cause any trouble.”
“I need to figure out how to persuade Father.”
“…It might be easier than you think. You can use her to your advantage.”
“Use her?”
Cedric nodded. I leaned in closer to hear him more clearly.
“…”
It seemed like Cedric tried to lean back a little, but I didn’t pay attention to that.
“We can feed the princess false information. Make her believe it, and the emperor will end up receiving that information as truth.”
“You’re saying to use her as a double agent?”
“The most important thing in a battle is information.”
“The deception will have to last for quite some time. We’ll need to make sure the people at the duchy keep quiet, and there’s a lot to do.”
I would also need to let my friends know not to show up at the duchy for a while.
“The first thing we need to hide is my ability. That shouldn’t be too difficult if we’re careful, but…”
The real problem was that my father had started paying more attention to me because of all this.
‘It gives me a creepy feeling.’
It seemed like I’d need to sit down and organize everything I knew about the original story.
Just like Cedric said, information was important.
“First, I need to find the tree. I still don’t know what Isabel is planning, and I don’t fully trust her yet…”
And I would also need to keep an eye on Father.
“I’ve organized some documents about the estate, thinking you might be worried. Would you like to go over them?”
Cedric’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. With a smile, he began to review the papers I handed him, one by one.
“…These documents are well-organized. Did you learn this in the capital?”
“Hm, no? I didn’t receive any special education as a princess.”
Before waking up in this world, I had lived in a place where Excel was king.
Basic document organization was a must if you wanted to survive in an office, so this level of paperwork was simple for me.
Cedric skimmed the papers, his expression one of disbelief.
“Wife, it seems you’ll have plenty of work ahead of you.”
I smiled, feeling pleased. That’s right! If you don’t show you can do something, people won’t give you work!
I had to manage the Grand Duke’s residence while he was away, so there was no other choice. What was the point in regretting it now?
“First, how about ensuring no one enters the Codran Forest?”
“It’s difficult to control access to the forest.”
“Why not create a reason why people wouldn’t want to go there on their own?”
