Chapter 29
｡･:*:･ﾟ★ Translated by Sienna ｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
He spoke first, and Gael caught on.
However, Luciel didn’t reproach him; instead, he let out a faint sigh.
Feeling frustrated for no apparent reason, he unbuttoned his collar, and suddenly, his hand felt uncomfortable.
As his gaze lowered, he saw the candy she had given him.
“Daphne Peregrine.”
Staring at the candy, he silently muttered her name.
Even though he hadn’t eaten the candy, his mouth felt as sweet as if he had consumed a spoonful of honey.
At that moment, a forgotten memory resurfaced.
Luciel had suffered from an incurable disease since birth, a condition called magical reflux syndrome.
If the master felt even a hint of anxiety, the magic would unleash its power to protect him. Family was no exception.
The outcome was truly dreadful. Luciel’s magic attacked the emperor, and everyone present witnessed that tragedy.
“Your Majesty, you must suppress the power of the Prince!”
“He’s still young, but when he grows up, he might cause even greater problems!”
The prince, his face shrouded in shadows, has a demon concealed within him.
His name made the emperor tremble with fear, and eventually, Luciel had to head to the temple under the pretext of treatment.
There, he was subjected to all manner of experiments in the name of research. When he closed his eyes, he saw nothing but darkness.
The taste of blood lingered in his mouth all day, and he eventually became so accustomed to it that he didn’t recognize it as anything unusual.
‘No, that day was an exception.’
On that day, the temple was unusually noisy. He was still locked in his cell when he heard a voice.
“Why are you there? Are you sick?”
It was a young and innocent voice.
“Do you want some of this?”
As for what he did in response to that question,. He honestly doesn’t remember much. All he remembered was that slight sweet taste in his mouth.
Of course, after that, his mind was fuzzy, and it had been a long time since he dismissed it as nothing more than a dream.
Anyway, from that perspective, candy might have been an appropriate gift.
Luciel unconsciously put the candy in his mouth.
‘Sweet.’
Luciel, thinking so, suddenly let out a wry smile.
Although he had teased her, it was true that there was a sweet fragrance. It wasn’t just any candy scent.
‘Who on earth is she?’
Who is she, and what kind of person is she? Her emotions are unreadable.
‘And that potion.’
How on earth was that medicine made? He had made numerous medicines himself, but he had never made or even tasted something like that one.
‘If that potion falls into someone else’s hands…’
His eyes grew cold at the mere thought. The smile on Luciel’s face completely disappeared.
Gael, who had been cautiously keeping an eye out for any mention of the master’s flaws, approached Luciel carefully.
“Your Highness, what will you do about Lady Peregrine?”
“I’ll meet her again.”
Luciel replied, pulling his robes back over his head.
There was much he wanted to find out about that woman.
Without uttering anything further, Luciel, with an expressionless face, moved away.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚
Thanks to Luciel’s recommendation, I didn’t need to wander the streets. With desserts in hand, I arrived at the mansion without delay.
As I got off the carriage, Sukia, who seemed to be waiting for me, greeted me.
“Milady, you’re home early.”
“Yes. I brought some desserts because my favorites were still available.”
I held up the bakery box.
“Oh, really, it smells delightful.”
Sukia looked at the bakery box in my hand with bright eyes.
“It seems you brought them to enjoy it together.”
Together? As I puzzled over unclear words, I suddenly noticed a bustling atmosphere around me.
Looking around, it seemed that several carriages had just arrived at the mansion.
Observing the situation, Sukia whispered to me.
“Young Master has come.”
“Young Master? Could it be… my uncle?”
Sukia nodded.
Daphne had two uncles. One was Lyas Peregrine, the father of the twins and the next Duke. The other was Cyan Peregrine, who was not granted any title and was called “Young Master” in a somewhat ambiguous way.
But Cyan never wanted a title from the beginning.
Moreover, unlike Lyas, who coldly regarded Daphne, Cyan had a kind and friendly nature.
He tirelessly tried to mend the strained family relationship.
However, Daphne, who already felt rejected, refused the attention from this kind young uncle.
‘Moreover, Cyan didn’t view Roderick favorably. It fueled Daphne’s anger even more.’
Nevertheless, Cyan did not give up.
So perhaps it might have been possible to restore relationships among other family members, excluding Daphne.
‘But such an opportunity was not given twice.’
Biting my lip, I asked Sukia, “Where is my uncle now? No, more than that…”
It was then.
“…Daphne?”
A feminine voice came from not far away. Sukia and I turned our gaze in that direction.
Under the orange glow of the setting sun, there stood a woman with light brown hair.
“Ah…”
She sounded somewhat dazed, with slightly sunken cheeks and pale lips.
Perhaps due to the light, she blinked her eyes a few times.
Then, when our eyes met, she awkwardly smiled.
“It’s been a while, Daphne.”
A warm and kind voice.
At that moment, I immediately recognized who she was.
It was Livnell Peregrine, my younger uncle’s wife and Daphne’s aunt.
We’d never really met, as she’d been out of town before I entered Daphne’s body.
Yet, thanks to Daphne’s memories, I had some knowledge about her. Resembling the kind Cyan, Livnell was also an incredibly gentle person.
She reached out to Daphne, even though she knew she was ostracized in the household for the many evils she had committed.
But Daphne shooed her away. The reason was because she said that Roderick didn’t seem like a good person.
Although it must have hurt her, she persistently approached Daphne.
But her efforts were short-lived.
‘Because…’
“I just arrived and was strolling through the garden when suddenly I smelled something delicious.”
She awkwardly smiled, gently caressing her rounded belly.
“It seems the baby wanted something to eat.”
Her touch was full of affection. Someone with such gentle eyes would eventually bear a child and die after leaving a legacy.
Cyan, who was sweet and never gave up hope for his family, took his own life after Livnell’s death.
This became the reason why the Peregrine family members completely turned their backs on each other.
Daphne hadn’t been close to Cyan, but she’d seen Livnell’s face a few times as they lived in the same manor.
But Daphne couldn’t help but feel a tinge of jealousy towards someone who, despite not sharing the same blood, was more warmly welcomed.
‘But maybe it’s not that simple.’
In Daphne’s memory, Livnell’s eyes were so warm.
It was hard to believe that such a sweet person would meet such a terrible end.
‘Due to that, Cyan, unable to accept his wife’s death, followed suit…’
As my expression darkened, so did Livnell’s.
“…I’m sorry, Daphne. I didn’t hear from the sanatorium until too late. I tried to come as soon as I could, but I wasn’t feeling well…”
Her voice trailed off as she spoke.
Despite her efforts to smile, she couldn’t hide her paleness.
“…I’m sorry, Daphne. I’ll leave now.”
As she turned away, my mouth opened involuntarily.
“Would you like to join me?”
She paused and looked at me.
“I bought too much while shopping. But, as you know, I don’t have anyone to share it with.”
“Oh…”
Although it was a playful remark to ease the awkwardness, she seemed to take it seriously. After a moment’s hesitation, she spoke.
“…Is it okay for me to join you?”
“Of course.”
I grinned.
Conveniently near the garden, we sat facing each other at the table. Livnell said she would prepare the tea since I had taken care of dessert.
While her maids prepared the tea, Livnell, who had been observing my condition, cautiously spoke up.
“…Is your health alright?”
She still seemed concerned about the incident where I had consumed poison and attempted suicide.
“Yes, I’m fine. Uncle Lyas got me an antidote. I’m feeling even better than before.”
“That’s good.”
Livnell sighed with relief. Then, hesitatingly, she looked in my direction.
She seemed to want to ask something, but refrained.
‘What could it be… Oh, is it?’
Quickly realizing this, I set down the teacup and said, “I’m going to break off the engagement with Roderick.”
“What…?”
“I’ve also given up on my ambitions to become the saintess. Foolish actions like attempting suicide won’t happen again.”
As I explained, Livnell blinked in surprise.
The words that she never thought Daphne would say came one after another, making it hard for her to accept easily.
“Is it true?”
Her eyes widened in surprise, and then she smiled like a flower, opening its petals.
“I’m so… happy for you, Daphne.”
She swept her chest with a relieved hand. Her reaction made me a little curious.
Roderick, despite being a bit cold to me, hadn’t done anything notably wrong.
Externally, Roderick maintained the facade of a ‘kind gentleman’ so thoroughly that he never raised suspicions even when meeting young ladies other than his fiancé.
‘So, Daphne felt more betrayed. No one believed her words.’
But why did Livnell oppose such a person?
“Aunt, I’m sorry, but my memory is not very clear. Why did you say that Roderick is not a good person?”
Livnell paused at my question.
“Aunt…”
“Oh, could it be unpleasant for you?”
I asked, watching her reaction. I thought it was crucial to be accurate with titles, but maybe it was strange?
“No, I don’t dislike it. In fact… I really like it.”
Livnell, who quickly denied it, showed a faint smile.
Then, after hesitating, she sighed and began to speak.
“Passing by… I happened to overhear Lord Evans talking with people from another club.”
