I Possessed the Villain’s Daughter — Chapter 38
“…What?”
For a moment, my heart seemed to lurch.
Whether or not he noticed my reaction, Lucaran quickly continued.
“It’s true. I’ll explain in detail.”
“What do you mean—”
“First… may I sit down?”
I barely managed to lift my hand and gesture for him to take a seat. I followed suit, my head buzzing with a tangled mess of thoughts.
“…Do you know about the Peregrine family?”
“They’re a ducal house in the northern region—founding contributors to the Ulysses Empire. They’ve steadily grown their power with a long history and tradition.”
“That’s correct. But there’s a problem. As you said, tradition is the problem.”
Lucaran gave a wry smile that didn’t suit his age.
“In the Peregrine family, there’s an old custom—something called the Council of Elders. They hold the second-greatest authority in the family, just after the Duke. Most major family matters are decided jointly by the Duke—my father—and the Council. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that no member of the family can go against their decisions.”
“And what does that have to do with anything?”
“The Council wants to use my sister, Lady Ibhahrun’s marriage, to draw the Second Prince into our camp.”
“…”
I could feel my eyes tremble.
“They’ve been looking for a match for my sister for a long time. As you know, in this empire, there are few men nobler than her. Perhaps only the royal family and the Rosahil family. But there’s never been a history of marriage between Peregrine and Rosahil.”
“That’s true.”
If such a match happened, it would almost certainly invite the royal family’s suspicion and interference.
“That leaves only members of the royal family. His Highness the First Prince, Alteo, is too closely related by blood—ruled out. The Third Prince is excluded for political reasons. The Fourth Prince is more than ten years younger—also ruled out. In the end, that leaves only His Highness the Second Prince, Thearoha.”
Lucaran continued calmly.
“Moreover, at the last hunting tournament, His Highness the Second Prince showed remarkable ability. The Council’s thinking is this: the best outcome would be for the First Prince to become Crown Prince. As his in-laws, Peregrine would flourish, and if my sister—his wife—handled things well, she could even bring the Second Prince’s faction over to the Crown Prince’s side.”
“…Isn’t that overly ambitious?”
I forced a faint smile.
“Yes.”
Lucaran answered without hesitation.
“Those who have much always seem to want more.”
There was a trace of sadness in his expression.
“The second-best plan, in their eyes, is this: even if the First Prince doesn’t become Crown Prince, the next most likely candidate is the Second Prince. If my sister is engaged to him in advance, she could still wield the power of a royal consort’s family.”
I clenched my hands tightly. My gaze wavered.
Political marriages were nothing new. Even the First Prince, Alteo, had once told me he wanted a serious courtship with me.
But—
Laila.
That voice calling my name rang in my ears.
My lady.
My ears were buzzing.
I found myself speaking without thinking.
“But… Lord Lucaran, you don’t want that to happen, do you?”
“…”
“You want me to help you persuade Lady Ibhahrun otherwise, isn’t that it? Is that even possible? No—what exactly is it that you want?”
I studied Lucaran’s face carefully.
“…This is something I’ll only say to you, Lady Laila.”
He let out a shallow sigh. What he had already told me wasn’t light by any means—so whatever he was about to say now, I could hardly imagine.
“My view is different from the Council’s. Peregrine doesn’t have to be under the royal family to stand tall—we are already a ducal house of great stature in this empire.”
“…”
“You said it was greed. Yes—I think the same of the Council. But if my sister truly wanted that marriage, I wouldn’t oppose it.”
His face was tinged with bitterness.
“My sister is extraordinarily capable. Wise, decisive… the very model of a noblewoman.”
“…”
“I want her to become the head of the family—the Duke.”
“…!”
I couldn’t help but be shocked.
In the deeply conservative Peregrine family, there had never been a duchess in history. And no one knew that better than Lucaran himself.
“But she flatly refuses the position. For my sake—so I can have it.”
“…For you?”
“I am not the Duke’s biological son.”
He said it as if it were nothing.
“To be precise, Lady Ibhahrun and I are cousins. After my mother and father—the current Duke and Duchess—had my sister, they could no longer have another son. So they adopted me, the son of my father’s younger brother.”
“…I see…”
I didn’t know what to say. My mind felt blank.
“That was also the Council’s decision. They could never imagine a woman becoming Duke. And it must have been hard for my sister to welcome a boy, appearing out of nowhere, who would take the title from her.”
“…”
“When we were young, we got along terribly. But over time, things happened… and she changed. She’s too kind. If she thought of herself a little more, she wouldn’t give up so much just to yield the title to me.”
“…”
“I began learning magic to follow her example. Then, at some point, she stopped studying it. She said, as someone who would marry out, she didn’t need such skills. Let me tell you—she had exceptional talent.”
“…I see…”
“She learned dance and the etiquette of high society instead, becoming known as the ‘Queen of the Social Scene.’ But I’ve never once thought she looked truly happy.”
Lucaran spoke firmly. I thought I saw a glimmer of tears in his pale violet eyes.
“I want to help her. If she doesn’t want a political marriage, I want to stop it. I want to support her so she can become Duke.”
“…Lord Lucaran…”
“Please—help me persuade her.”
I tried to gather my scattered thoughts.
“But… why me? I’ve only known Lady Ibhahrun for a short time. If you couldn’t persuade her, how could I?”
Lucaran looked straight at me.
“You can.”
“…Why?”
“After the hunting tournament, my sister talked about you a great deal. I don’t think she even realized it herself, but she seemed… happy. I believe you and she are friends.”
“Friends?”
Could we really define our relationship that way? But Lucaran nodded with certainty.
“What I couldn’t do, perhaps a friend could. Sometimes people will listen to an outsider more than to those directly involved. Lady Laila, I know this is a great deal to ask. But… I swear on Peregrine’s honor—if you help me convince her, I will consider you a lifelong benefactor.”
With that, Lucaran bowed his head.
“P-please, raise your head.”
I flusteredly motioned for him to stop.
“Your answer…?”
His earnest eyes locked on mine.
“I…”
I hesitated.
His words echoed in my mind. Many were shocking, but what struck me most was…
…Lady Ibhahrun’s engagement to the Second Prince, Thearoha.
I closed my eyes.
Call it selfish if you will—I couldn’t deny that was the part that shook me the most. And I wanted to prevent it.
“…Alright.”
I slowly opened my eyes and answered.
“…Truly?”
“Of course.”
At my resolute reply, relief slowly spread across Lucaran’s face in the form of a smile.
The next day, the weather on our way to the City of Magic was still gloomy. I glanced once at the overcast sky before stepping into Peregrine’s carriage.
Inside sat Lady Ibhahrun, her pale violet hair falling loosely over her shoulders. As always, she greeted me with a warm smile.
“I look forward to traveling with you.”
“And I with you, Lady Ibhahrun.”
We had arranged for her and me to share a carriage, while Lucaran and Raon rode in another.
Once seated, I busied myself brushing my skirt and adjusting my hat. Lady Ibhahrun gazed out the window the entire time.
“…Is there something interesting out there?”
“Oh—sorry. Was I boring you?”
“No, I just noticed you’ve been watching the scenery for a while.”
“I was simply lost in thought for a moment.”
I studied her profile.
Was she thinking about the political marriage?
Her face, faintly shadowed, looked as delicate as fine glasswork—but also as if it might shatter at the lightest touch.
“…Lady Laila?”
“Yes?”
I blinked, snapping out of my thoughts. I must have been staring at her without realizing it, and I felt my cheeks heat.
“S-sorry, I just spaced out for a moment.”
“It’s alright. By the way, have you ever been to the City of Magic?”
“No, this will be my first time.”
I turned to look out the window as I answered. The carriage rolled smoothly forward. They’d chosen an especially well-cushioned carriage since the route required passing through fields and low hills before reaching the city.
“My father says I’m too frail, so he rarely lets me go out.”
“Oh…”
She looked genuinely sympathetic.
“I understand how that feels. It must be stifling.”
“…Thank you for understanding.”
Again, I found myself gazing at her.
Questions swirled in my mind. What did she think of Thearoha?
I’d heard they had little contact—but knowing she was preparing to become engaged to him made me curious about their relationship.
I was just about to speak when—
The carriage jolted and came to a sudden stop, as if something had blocked the way.
