IBACM Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Delani spoke in a fake, caring voice, pretending to worry about Dedrick.

“After Amelia passed away, he’s been struggling to stay here. If he joins the Silius family as a son-in-law, I believe he will be much happier.”

She was trying to sell off a 14-year-old through marriage.

“So her real plan is to get rid of Dedrick by making him a son-in-law.”

If he married into the Silius family, his last name would change from Blackwood to Silius.

That meant he would have no power over Blackwood anymore—completely cut off.

The only good thing was that marriage wasn’t allowed until adulthood.

“But even getting engaged is a problem.”

Engagements between noble families were serious matters and not easily broken. Even Joanna and Somerset weren’t officially engaged yet, just discussing it carefully.

But Delani was trying to rush Dedrick’s engagement as if it were nothing.

I felt anxious about her sudden push but shook my head.

“At least the Grand Duke is still here.”

Without his approval, this engagement couldn’t happen.

Right now, he wasn’t around, but…

Delani would likely make a deal with the Silius family and promise the engagement before he even knew.

If the Grand Duke assumed Dedrick had agreed and approved it, that would be a disaster.

“Wait, hold on.”

Maybe this wasn’t all bad.

If Dedrick truly liked Ebony, there was no reason for me to interfere.

“His opinion is the most important.”

Maybe I could ask to go along with them…

Though I wasn’t sure if I could even leave the wardrobe.

“But if Blackwood falls into Somerset’s hands…”

That would be the worst outcome.

First, I needed to talk to Dedrick and see what he thought.

---

“Excuse me, Mother, but wouldn’t this be bad for me?” Somerset spoke up. “Even if Dedrick becomes a son-in-law, the Silius family would turn against me, wouldn’t they?”

“The Silius Count and his wife will never give him real power. Ebony is their heir, so his authority will be limited.”

“Haha.”

I let out a dry laugh without realizing it.

“Yeah, of course, she wouldn’t do anything good for Dedrick.”

Delani had already thought everything through.

I frowned.

And she wasn’t even trying to hide it—she was saying all of this in front of Joanna.

“How stupid does she think Joanna and her family are?”

Then Delani smiled at Joanna and said sweetly,

“You’re good friends with Ebony, so I hope you can help her out.”

Oh no…

I looked at Joanna with sympathy. She liked Dedrick, too.

And now she had to help pair him up with her best friend.

Her hand trembled slightly on her lap, but she managed to reply,

“…Yes, Your Grace.”

“That’s kind of sad.”

I shot a glare at the excited Somerset, then sighed at Joanna’s situation and walked slowly toward the dining room.

I had figured out Delani’s plan, but there was no need to rush back and report it.

Maybe Dedrick and Ebony had something to talk about alone.

---

Clink…

The dining room was quiet except for the sound of utensils clinking against plates.

Ebony took this moment to carefully observe Dedrick, who was focused on his food.

His long bangs partially covered his blue eyes, and his pale skin contrasted against his sharp, straight nose and lips that looked like they had been stained with rose water.

His delicate jawline and neck made him look soft, but his posture hinted at hidden strength.

Even though she was openly staring, Dedrick never once met her eyes.

“Is he shy?”

That seemed likely.

Men who liked her usually fell into two categories.

Some wouldn’t let a moment of silence pass, constantly talking. Others would get too shy to even look at her.

Dedrick seemed to be the second type.

Normally, Ebony wouldn’t start a conversation first, but since she was interested in him, she happily made the first move.

“Do you work out?”

“No.”

“I was worried when you didn’t come to the banquet today.”

“Okay.”

“Is there any food you particularly like?”

“No.”

“Oh! The Grand Duchess told me you’re very smart—”

Dedrick’s face showed a hint of irritation, but Ebony didn’t notice.

“I’m not.”

Ebony hesitated, then asked,

“When you’re done eating, would you like to take a walk with me?”

“No.”

At this point, even Ebony couldn’t ignore it.

Dedrick kept giving one-word answers. Trying to lighten the mood, she playfully pouted.

“Can’t you give me longer answers? It’s rude to someone who was worried about you.”

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

His straightforward apology didn’t offend Ebony. Instead, she worried about him.

The Grand Duchess had mentioned that he was extremely shy.

“If that’s the case, then this makes sense.”

Determined to make him more comfortable, Ebony kept chatting.

“If you’re interested, would you like to visit my family’s estate? The Grand Duchess already gave permission! It’s not as grand as the Grand Duke’s castle, but the scenery is beautiful. I love flowers, so we have some really rare ones—”

Dedrick half-listened to her excited chatter while deep in thought.

“This might be a perfect chance to sneak the wardrobe out of the castle.”

If he could really leave, he could escape this place for good and live peacefully with Didi.

“But… I’m still too young.”

Even if the wardrobe was moved outside, he had no way to protect the girl.

The world outside the Grand Duke’s castle was extremely dangerous for a minor like him.

Even if that weren’t the case, the Grand Duchess would never let a legitimate Blackwood heir live freely.

‘Then before running away, I should test if Mary will be okay even after the wardrobe is moved outside.’

If that worked, then when he became an adult, even if he couldn’t be the heir, he could leave the Grand Duke’s castle and live with Mary.

‘If I give up everything, maybe the Grand Duke will allow it.’

Since the Grand Duke was indifferent to his children, he probably wouldn’t care about that much.

‘The Grand Duchess is a problem, but if I escape far enough before she does anything, it’ll be fine. I could even move to another country.’

A firm resolution settled on Dedrick’s face.

‘I have to check. I can’t miss this opportunity.’

That way, even if he wasn’t the heir, he could find a way to protect the girl and live with her.

If he could persuade Ebony properly, he could take the wardrobe outside with him.

“I’d like to visit sometime soon. Would that be okay?”

Dedrick decided to act immediately, and Ebony happily agreed.

“Of course! After the banquet, I’ll send you an invitation!”

“I’d like to prepare a gift as a token of appreciation.”

“A g-gift? Your thoughts are enough!”

“But it wouldn’t be polite. Do you like wardrobes, by any chance?”

Ebony was surprised by the random question, but she was so happy that Dedrick was finally showing interest in her that she didn’t mind.

“Yes, I like all kinds of furniture!”

At that, Dedrick gave a small smile.

‘The problem is bringing the wardrobe back later.’

But if they went outside first and then said the gift had changed, it should work.

Dedrick quickly started thinking of different ways to make it happen.

---

I listened through the slightly open door, hearing the voices of the two inside.

Dedrick seemed happy when Ebony invited him to the Count’s estate.

‘Did he want to go outside?’

Or maybe he liked Ebony?

Even without me interfering, the two were chatting warmly.

Especially Dedrick—he was surprisingly engaged in the conversation.

“I want to prepare a gift.”

Was this fate pushing the original story forward?

Maybe Delani was right. Perhaps becoming a son-in-law to the Count’s family would actually make him happier.

Then, I heard Ebony’s shy voice.

“A g-gift? Your thoughts are enough!”

“But it wouldn’t be polite. Do you like wardrobes, by any chance?”

I froze.

Wardrobe? Did he mean… me?

Was he planning to send me away?

I jumped up in shock but quickly shook my head.

‘No way. Just because the heroine appeared, there’s no way Dedrick’s feelings would change so suddenly.’

He was definitely up to something.

I narrowed my eyes and focused on their conversation, but I couldn’t figure out Dedrick’s true intentions.

‘Is he trying to send me to Ebony because he thinks I’m in danger?’

But Dedrick hated being apart from me.

Or did his feelings change because he liked Ebony?

My head was spinning with all kinds of thoughts, but I decided to stop overthinking.

The best way to understand someone’s feelings is to talk to them directly.

If I jumped to conclusions, I might take a very difficult path.

Misunderstandings happen when people don’t communicate!

I’d just ask him when we were alone in the room later.

Feeling much lighter, I crouched down in front of the dining room door, waiting.