Episode 24

 

I stared at the handkerchief extended to me by the Crown Prince.

“……”

In the corner, there was an intricate embroidery, a symbol of love. Just from that, it was clear it was a gift from someone else. Probably one of the many noble ladies.

‘And the Crown Prince either doesn’t realize or doesn’t care about that.’

If he did, he wouldn’t be offering me a handkerchief he received from another woman as a gesture of goodwill. The lady who gave it to him would be heartbroken if she knew.

‘Trash, through and through.’

Or maybe he wanted to insult me in some way, and by extension, Chris as well. After all, I was seen as a likely match for the Grand Duke.

Suppressing a sigh, I forced a smile.

“Oh, Your Highness, is it alright for me to accept this?”

There was no need to provoke the Crown Prince right now.

I snatched both Chris’s and the Crown Prince’s handkerchiefs with a feigned admiration. The Crown Prince smirked slyly. I could feel Chris’s gaze from behind.

“Oh my, the fabric is really soft.”

I said as I brought the Crown Prince’s handkerchief to my cheek. To some extent, I needed to keep the Crown Prince in good spirits.

‘Remember, this is enemy territory for Chris.’

He had visited under the pressure of the Queen Dowager to an already hostile household. Offending the Crown Prince could be dangerous.

I intentionally acted more cheerful to divert the Crown Prince’s attention to me.

“Did I properly greet you back then? I’m Mindia Reinhardt, Your Highness.”

“Yes. The famous Lady Reinhardt.”

“Your Highness.”

The Duke, who had been watching us, subtly intervened, sensing the tension.

“There are two Lady Reinhardts here…”

“Ah, I haven’t been introduced to the other one yet.”

At those words, the Duke spoke to Servi in a cold voice.

“We’ll discuss this later.”

“Father.”

The Duke couldn’t contain his anger and shouted.

“Hurry up and bring Aria here!”

‘I’m not sure if that’s a good idea.’

Aria was already upset with Servi.

In this situation, it would be better to send Seth. Servi had probably just failed in apologizing to Aria earlier.

‘But there’s no need for me to mention that.’

Even if I did, the Duke wouldn’t listen to me. With the Crown Prince and Grand Duke present, he wouldn’t outright say anything rude, but he would certainly find a way to imply, ‘How dare you interfere?’

I’ve experienced it many times.

 

 

‘How dare you interfere.’

‘Duke…’

‘I told you not to interfere, didn’t I?’

 

 

Whenever he was in a bad mood and I tried to say something, he looked at me like I was a bug.

But now, it was Servi who was being looked at like a bug by the Duke.

“Prove your worth as a young lord, Servi Reinhardt.”

“…Yes, Father.”

At the Duke’s cold command, Servi hurried off. I saw his tightly clenched lips as he bowed his head and left.

 

The Duke spoke to the Crown Prince.

“Your Highness, let me escort you to another area for now.”

“Your Highness, please take this handkerchief back.”

I subtly offered the handkerchief back to the Crown Prince. Frankly, I didn’t want to keep his item even for a moment. However, the Crown Prince refused first.

“I’ll take it later. That way, we’ll have another chance to meet, won’t we?”

Meeting again? He must be joking.

However, the Crown Prince said that and then slowly walked towards the Duke.

“Lady.”

A voice called out. I turned to look at Chris. His eyes looked weary, and I suddenly felt sorry for him.

Coming to the house of his enemy by his own will must have been exhausting for him, I realized belatedly.

However, Chris spoke unexpected words.

“…I believe I advised you to be careful.”

“Pardon?”

Chris’s gaze quietly moved to my wrist. The wrist that bore marks from being gripped tightly by Lady Ellie earlier.

Soon, Chris’s eyes fixed on a spot on my face.

A place where I had been lightly injured by Servi. Others had deliberately ignored that injury, but he couldn’t.

“I didn’t think it was such a difficult promise.”

His words made me recall the card. It was very formal, but it showed that he cared about me.

 

 

[Wishing Lady Reinhardt good health. Take care until we meet again.]

 

 

Even in the underground prison, he was the same.

He didn’t seem to think of himself as kind, but his words always had a subtle concern for me behind them.

 

 

‘Even if it’s painful, please don’t cry too much.’

‘…’

‘You’ll lose your strength.’

 

 

Thanks to his comfort, I was able to endure one more day.

‘I was lucky to die right after you did.’

If I had to stay alive a few more days. If I had to endure that dark, blood-smelling dungeon alone…

I might have really gone mad.

I stared into Chris’s eyes and smiled.

“Thank you. For worrying about me, and for the gifts.”

Without thinking, I grabbed his hand like an overly excited girl.

At that moment, the butler who had been waiting behind us approached, seemingly ready to guide us.

“No need for an escort. I’ll take himmyself.”

“But…”

“I said there’s no need, didn’t I? Ah, if you insist on sending someone, have Marie join us. She is my personal maid.”

The butler, who had been watching me cautiously, immediately called for Marie. She hadn’t gone far and quickly ran over.

“Miss, are you alright… Your Grace.”

Marie respectfully greeted Chris. He slowly nodded in response.

“It’s all sorted out. Let’s go.”

We began to walk. As we moved to a more secluded area, I tried to let go of Chris’s hand. However, he didn’t release his grip, and I had to hold his hand awkwardly.

Suppressing my strange feelings, I whispered.

“Don’t misunderstand about accepting the handkerchief earlier. I was only trying to keep the Crown Prince in good spirits to prevent any harm from coming to you.”

I said this while crumpling the handkerchief the Crown Prince had given me.

“Have you considered my proposal? Judging by the gift you sent, it seems like you’ve made up your mind.”

“…Lady, this isn’t the place to discuss such matters.”

Chris spoke, glancing back at Marie. I gave a small smile and revealed my long-held suspicion.

“Isn’t she someone you sent?”

Both Marie and Chris stopped in their tracks.

“…How did you know?”

“I guessed.”

The reason I first allied with Marie was due to this suspicion. When Marie delivered Chris’s gift, I immediately believed her because of this.

 

 

‘…There is someone I sent to the Duke’s household.’

Chris’s voice, whispered through the prison walls in my previous life, echoed in my mind. It was a voice worn down by deep cynicism.

 

 

‘I had no idea.’

‘I made sure they wouldn’t be discovered.’

‘Given the situation… do you think they escaped?’

‘They likely perished. If we’re both in such dire straits, they would have been caught too.’

 

 

His tone was harsh, yet bitter. Chris seemed to blame himself for the incident.

 

 

‘I was responsible for that life, one way or another.’

‘But…’

‘I failed as a good commander. I sent a soldier to their death and left them to die.’

 

 

Even though it was common for rival noble families to plant spies in each other’s houses, Chris must have seen it as a natural choice to send a spy to the Duke’s house.

When I saw Marie after my return, I recognized it instantly.

Always quietly observing, blending into the surroundings…

‘I knew when she mentioned having a younger brother in the North.’

If the Grand Duke had infiltrated the Duke’s house, it was highly likely to be Marie.

The final clue was when Marie subtly tried to encourage my interest in the Grand Duke.

 

 

‘Dressing like this would make the Grand Duke happier.’

‘Do you know his tastes?’

‘Not really… but this is a Northern style knot.’

 

 

Marie probably wanted me to fall for the Grand Duke and relay information back to him. She might have thought I knew more than she did and could be useful to the Grand Duke.

“Am I wrong? I always thought Marie was someone you sent to monitor the Duke’s household.”

“Miss…”

Marie’s face turned pale, and her lips trembled. I saw Chris gripping the hilt of his sword tightly. I calmly whispered.

“Please don’t. I told you, I’m on your side.”

“….”

“You know I didn’t expose Marie. If I intended to gain favor with the Duke, I would have reported her the moment I figured it out.”

“Miss, I…”

“Calm down, Marie. I mean it. I don’t want you to be exposed or tortured.”

I said, gently placing my hand on her shoulder.

“Miss?”

“I haven’t told you yet? I’ve decided to be on the Grand Duke’s side.”

“….”

“I’ve already told His Grace multiple times.”

I looked into Chris’s eyes as I spoke. Then, I lowered my voice.

“I will never harm your people. I’d rather get hurt myself.”

As soon as I finished speaking, he responded. His voice was so cold that it seemed to lower the temperature around us.

“Why go that far?”