CHAPTER 178……………………………………………………..
Rumors of rebellion didn’t seem to matter at all; Count Inpherna declared me as his successor.
I had no idea what he was thinking, and for some reason, a wave of unease settled over me.
I even worried that this might be some kind of bug caused by meddling with the original story.
My nerves were on edge at the thought that an unpredictable, disastrous future might unfold just like that.
“Ell… is it true that you’re going to become the head of the family?”
Roellin’s eyes, already adorable, widened in surprise, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“That decision didn’t take my opinion into account at all, so I can’t give you a definite answer, Your Highness.”
“That’s a relief.”
Roellin exhaled deeply, placing her small hand on her chest, visibly eased.
She looked so cute that I bent down slightly, bringing my face close to hers.
“Are you upset that I’ll become a count?”
“Of course not. I’m happy as long as you’re happy, Ell.”
“Then why did you look relieved just now?”
“…The truth is, I don’t want to be apart from you, Ell.”
Embarrassed, Roellin glanced at my expression, her cheeks turning a delicate pink.
I, too, had no intention of being apart from Roellin, so every bit of her behavior felt precious to me.
“Of course, I don’t want to be apart from you either, Your Highness. So there will never be a time when we are separated.”
In the original story, we parted ways, but here, I would not let that happen. I wanted to believe that.
“They say there will be a birthday celebration soon. You’ll be attending too, right, Ell?”
“…Yes. If nothing comes up, I’d like to personally choose an outfit for Your Highness.”
“You should. After all, Ell, you’re my eternal companion in conversation.”
Seeing Roellin so happy, my expression tightened slightly.
In the original story, Elupe had tried to poison the princess at her birthday. Roellin had nearly died…
‘That incident happens after I marry Rekanon, so it shouldn’t have anything to do with this birthday.’
Still, I thought it would be wise to be prepared, just in case.
The long-awaited princess’s birthday arrived. Roellin wore an elegant cream-colored dress embroidered with gold threads.
Everyone raved that her sparkling blonde hair matched the dress perfectly.
Whenever that happened, Roellin would praise my taste in picking out the dress, giving me all the credit.
“You look happy.”
But the voice that ruined my mood belonged to Elporten.
I had expected Elporten to be shocked by the news that I would become the Count’s heir.
Surprisingly, Elporten seemed relaxed enough to attend the princess’s birthday ball.
“Ora-beoni, I was already worried sick. How have you been?”
“As you can see, living it up just fine.”
Elporten shook a bottle of alcohol violently, clearly determined to drink tonight.
I anxiously watched around me, worried he might make a scene.
“There’s plenty of alcohol at home. Why not leave now instead of holding out until you’re drunk?”
“Always showing off to the end… I was planning to leave anyway.”
Then, suddenly, Elporten handed me the bottle. When I just stared at it, he pushed it toward me again.
“What is this supposed to mean?”
“Just a simple errand. Thought I’d make you hold the bottle. What, now that you’re the heir, you don’t see me as your brother anymore?”
Elporten’s loud voice drew curious glances from the surrounding nobles.
Suppressing my irritation, I took the bottle.
Then, for some whimsical reason, Elporten snatched it back from me.
“Now that I think about it, there’s still some left. I’ll finish it at home.”
Though his mood swings were absurd, it seemed easier to let him leave than make a scene. I smiled faintly.
Elporten looked at me with a strange, gentle smile.
“Goodbye.”
It was the first warm smile and polite farewell I had ever seen from him.
It was a normal greeting one might give a passing neighbor, yet somehow it felt like a silent warning, leaving me uneasy.
“Alright. Go home safely, Ora-beoni.”
I waved casually, trying to calm my anxious mind even slightly.
“So, after causing a ruckus while drunk, he’s finally leaving.”
“Count Inpherna was too harsh, completely pushing away his only son… He couldn’t have acted otherwise.”
Ever since the Count named me his heir, our family had been the subject of much gossip.
Elporten’s drunken antics were especially noticeable today.
“Hah, pretending to care about the cat and mouse. Even if I became the heir, you’d be gossiping and pointing fingers. Pfft!”
In the end, Elporten left the ball in a loud, dramatic fashion.
It almost seemed as if he wanted everyone to notice his departure.
‘No, that can’t be intentional, can it?’
After he left, I returned to Roellin’s side.
“The person who just left… is he your brother, Ell?”
Roellin asked, cake smeared at the corners of her mouth.
I grimaced, thinking of Elporten’s lack of manners until the very end.
“Yes.”
“People say you and Youngsik aren’t on good terms?”
I knew well enough Roellin’s innocent curiosity. Her thoughts were still clearly audible to me.
I took a handkerchief to wipe the cake from her mouth.
After confirming it was clean, I gently wiped her lips, but suddenly her expression darkened.
“Your Highness?”
Thud.
Roellin fainted, collapsing from her seat.
Clang.
The joyous ball instantly turned chaotic.
Soldiers from the palace rushed in with spears, and I backed away from Roellin.
The handkerchief I had dropped was quickly picked up by Lefeinon.
He frowned after inspecting it.
“Could this handkerchief belong to Miss Elupe Inpherna?”
“Yes.”
Startled by his cold tone, I nodded. Lefeinon closed his eyes tightly in frustration.
“Immediately move the princess and summon Marquis Isten and the doctors for examination. She’s been exposed to poison.”
Everything began moving swiftly.
Pale Roellin was carried out on a stretcher, and I, arrested at the ball, was dragged out like a criminal.
Thrown onto the cold prison floor, I felt like I would die from worry over Roellin’s safety.
The soldiers who had thrown me in whispered among themselves.
“Rumors that the Inpherna household would rebel were true? I didn’t expect them to be so bold.”
“Isn’t it strange? If they intended to rebel, there’s no reason to kill the young princess.”
Alarmed, I clutched the bars, dragging my chains.
“Kill her? Surely nothing has happened to Your Highness?”
I had endured so many hardships to protect Roellin’s happy future. Her death was unthinkable.
I clenched my teeth and shouted, desperate to see her again. The soldiers stepped back in fear.
“…This is the imperial palace prison, the very palace of His Majesty. Surely you don’t intend to break the law and use black magic?”
“Your Highness! Just confirm that you’re alive! Otherwise, I don’t know what I’ll do!”
The soldiers glanced at one another and sighed.
“They said the palace maids reported she passed the critical moment but hasn’t fully regained consciousness yet.”
Relieved, I had only a moment to breathe before memories of the original story flashed through my mind: the poisoning of the princess and Elporten’s drunken presence.
‘Did I… Elupe Inpherna… end up poisoning Roellin after all?’
The scenario I had tried to avoid in the original story was unfolding as if mocking me.
“Wait… I want to see my daughter.”
The shock made me tremble, but a familiar voice followed.
Though Count Inpherna publicly doted on his daughter, in reality he cared little.
Yet for some reason, he appeared, offering gold and requesting to see me.
“You may only greet briefly. I can’t stay long.”
The soldiers who carried the gold unlocked the cell and stepped aside.
The Count approached quickly and suddenly slapped my cheek.
Smack.
My cheek spun to the left, stinging like it had been scalded. Only then did reality hit me.
“How dare you touch the princess and expect to survive?”
“…”
“The poison was confirmed on your handkerchief. Was it your plan to force it into Her Highness’s mouth and kill her?”
“No! That’s impossible. Why would I do such a thing to the princess I’m meant to accompany?”
I had to get out of here by any means. Otherwise, I could face death just like in the original story.
‘I’m done with all of this.’
Being trapped in a cold prison, receiving scornful glances, suffering unjust treatment for something I didn’t do… all of it.
‘I will find the real culprit first. I will never let them get away.’
I raised my head high, glaring at the Count without touching my stinging cheek.
“I am not the culprit. So instead of wasting time, find the real criminal.”
