Chapter 016
It wasn’t exactly a funny comment, but Dedrick didn’t seem upset. In fact, he looked rather pleased.
“So, you know about the Duchess and my mother, right…?”
“I know.”
I didn’t bother hiding it. Anyone who had been here long enough would know about that incident. And even if they didn’t, I’d already seen everything in the novel.
“…I’m scared of the Duchess.”
“Me too. Who would’ve thought she’d put anti-theft magic on the keepsakes? She’s a terrifying woman.”
I spoke deliberately, exaggerating for effect. Dedrick glanced at me, his lips twitching as if he couldn’t suppress a smile despite his worries.
I wiped the tears off his face,then I gently pulled up the corners of his mouth.
“If you feel like smiling, just smile.”
“I will.”
Then, Dedrick took my hand tightly, looked at my lips, and cautiously asked, “I heard something happened to Axel and the servant…”
“Uh…”
I accidentally made a strange sound and hurriedly covered my mouth, but he looked at me with a question in his eyes, almost as if needing reassurance.
“Was it you…?”
I avoided his gaze, but eventually, unable to resist his intense stare, I nodded.
“I just wanted to play a little prank… They did something to you after all!”
He smiled faintly, though his expression showed a hint of concern as he looked me over.
“Thank you. But still…”
“Don’t tell me not to do dangerous things. I’ll do anything for you, Didi. That’s why I got your keepsakes back. They’re important! Plus, because of that, we got to talk like this, so I’m happy with it.”
I rattled on quickly. His blue eyes trembled slightly as he stared at me.
“Why do you do so much for me?”
“I told you. You’re the only one who can save me. You’re destined for greatness, Didi. Greater than anyone else here.”
After saying that, I hugged Dedrick tightly.
“Urk… I can’t breathe.”
“So don’t lose your confidence, okay?”
“…Okay.”
“By the way, where did you go this morning?”
“You’ll hear about it through rumors.”
“…That’s not fair.”
I told him everything, though it was more like getting caught.
Dedrick chuckled softly but never revealed where he had gone. It didn’t seem like his early morning outing would become gossip.
After chatting idly, we dozed off together in the wardrobe, still hugging each other.
Soft, steady breathing stirred Dedrick’s hair as he rested.
The warm embrace and her lively, gentle voice lulled him into sleep.
When he woke up, the first thing he saw was the girl’s face, and his own face turned bright red from the neck up.
But he didn’t move away from her warmth, gazing at her sleeping face in silence.
Long lashes cast delicate shadows, her plump red lips and peach-pink cheeks made her look so lovely.
“…Beautiful.”
Dedrick whispered in awe, gently cupping her cheek.
Her warmth felt different from anyone else’s, and he closed his eyes.
The girl was truly at ease. His once-anxious heart had settled immediately.
If he could, he never wanted to leave this wardrobe. He wanted to stay here with her forever.
Today’s the day.
Today was the day the second prince would visit the Grand Duke’s castle.
In the novel, the second prince was a kind and charming secondary male lead.
Though he competed with the protagonist, he eventually became one of Dedrick’s closest friends.
His name was Perez Astrel Beatum, a future emperor and a key figure in the story.
While the first prince existed, his lowborn mother—a concubine—meant he had little support from the nobles.
However, the emperor’s blatant favoritism toward the first prince caused trouble.
It was to the point where the emperor subtly suggested making the first prince the crown prince.
This enraged the empress’s faction, and they fiercely opposed the idea.
Though the Emperor quickly withdrew his words, the empress couldn’t trust him anymore.
Furthermore, with the first prince and his mother acting as if the royal family belonged to them, the empress’s anger reached its peak.
To secure the second prince’s position, she worked to draw neutral nobles to her side, ensuring they couldn’t interfere.
This visit to the Grand Duke’s castle was the first step.
Somerset, the heir of the Blackwood family, was desperate to impress the second prince. Building a connection with him would be a massive advantage when Somerset became the head of the family.
While the second prince attempted to mingle with Somerset for the sake of forming alliances, he wasn’t fond of Somerset’s blatant behavior.
Although he didn’t show it openly.
And as if that wasn’t bad enough, the Duchess interfered, causing the second prince to misunderstand Dedrick. As a result, they failed to establish a proper bond.
But not this time!
I planned to create a strong connection between them myself.
I’ll make sure Dedrick has the best network of allies!
In the original story, Dedrick met reliable supporters after being forced into the academy.
Since I couldn’t let him go there, I’d handle his connections personally.
And the first key figure was the second prince!
In the distance, a carriage bearing the imperial crest approached, kicking up a cloud of dust.
“They’re here!”
“…”
“Didi, you absolutely need to build a relationship with the second prince this time.”
“Why?”
“My instincts tell me that something amazing will happen if you get close to him.”
I fed him a ridiculous excuse to convince him.
“But…”
Dedrick glanced nervously at the tightly closed door.
Outside, a servant stood on guard—a watchdog placed by the Duchess to prevent Dedrick from leaving.
Normally, they wouldn’t even come when called!
“Don’t worry. The Duchess will summon you soon.”
“Me?”
“Yep. That’s when we’ll make our move.”
This was the perfect chance to charm the second prince, ensuring he’d be captivated by Dedrick!
“As Your Highness knows, the Blackwood family is unwaveringly loyal to Her Majesty the Empress. It’s absurd that a concubine’s child is first in line for the throne.”
How tiresome.
Despite his true feelings, Perez maintained his practiced gentle smile.
“I appreciate your loyalty.”
At his response, Somerset grinned foolishly, completely dropping his facade.
“….”
After meeting with the Blackwood heirs, Perez couldn’t hide his disappointment.
The Blackwood family was renowned, a pillar of the empire and a symbol of noble pride.
Its founding head was said to have married a goddess, and their descendants were known as the divine bloodline.
Perez, as the second prince, had secretly admired the Grand Duke.
‘But…’
Perez’s displeased gaze rested on Somerset.
“You have nothing to worry about, Your Highness!”
Somerset’s excessive groveling and sugary words, constantly gauging Perez’s reactions, felt out of place for someone representing Blackwood.
‘The son doesn’t resemble his father at all.’
Next to him, Blackwood’s second son eagerly agreed with everything his older brother said, no matter how trivial.
‘At this rate, Blackwood’s future looks bleak.’
Suppressing a sigh, Perez remembered there was another sibling.
“I heard there’s another brother…”
“Ah.”
For a brief moment, Somerset’s face tightened with irritation, but he quickly masked it with an awkward explanation.
“Well… You may have heard the rumors, but he’s a difficult child to handle. Ever since his mother passed, he hasn’t been in his right mind.”
Difficult to handle?
Rumors about Blackwood’s illegitimate child were rampant. They whispered about how he couldn’t take care of himself after losing his mother.
Though Perez generally didn’t believe gossip unless he saw proof, he suspected the Duke held some affection for this child.
The fact that Somerset hadn’t been officially declared as an official heir was proof.
Moreover, the boy was still living in the main estate.
If even the Duchess hadn’t managed to drive him out, it was clear the Duke cared for Dedrick.
‘That’s why she’s so desperate to keep him down.’
To prevent him from meeting anyone of importance.
‘I wanted to meet the Duke, but…’
But I missed the opportunity because he was away. Now, I was curious to see Dedrick, who was said to resemble the Duke so much.
“I’d like to see him.”
“That’s quite sudden… How about a tour of the gardens instead? The gardens of our estate are famously beautiful.”
Somerset tried to change the subject, which only piqued Perez’s curiosity further.
What were they trying so hard to hide?
If it were truly an issue, showing him would have been a more effective way to diffuse the situation.
‘There must be a way to meet him during my stay.’
Reluctantly, Perez let himself be guided toward the grand estate.
A place of such magnificence, yet…
“Right this way, Your Highness!”
How could someone so lacking rule over it?
Perez’s eyes grew colder.
Several hours after the second prince’s arrival…
Dedrick and I remained holed up in the room, but I knew we’d soon get a chance to go out.
As I kept watch by the window, waiting for the right moment, I finally spotted someone leaving the main building.
There!
Guided by Somerset, the second prince was heading toward the garden.
‘There it is—Didi’s golden opportunity!’
