Chapter 32
“C-Ciella?”
At my tearful voice, Lucian called my name in an unusually flustered tone. His pupils were shaking violently.
Seeing him like that was satisfying, but I was so hungry that a whimper escaped me automatically.
“Sii… it’s hard. I’m hungry.”
“O-oh, right. You can eat now.”
“It’s cold!”
“I’ll get you another one. Wait just a moment, just a moment.”
Without even calling a servant, Lucian hurriedly rushed out himself. When he returned, he brought back warm food.
‘Wow…!’
My thoroughly crumpled expression immediately brightened. It’s true that people become nicer after eating.
“Give it here. I’ll cut it for you.”
Thanks to Lucian, who even deftly cut the steak for me, I could enjoy my dinner comfortably.
‘I guess he did feel sorry after all?’
It would be inhuman to ignore one’s little sister on the verge of crying from hunger.
It was just when I was devouring pudding for dessert.
Lucian, who had been watching my expression nervously, cleared his throat and cautiously opened his mouth.
“So, you really have no interest in Crown Prince Raven?”
This guy, seriously. What has he been listening to all this time!
“No. I said no. Even if he offered me 10 billion florins, I wouldn’t want him!”
Well, if it were 10 billion florins, my mind might change, but ahem.
For a more dramatic effect, I shook my head firmly.
Then, Lucian…
‘Huh?’
He’s smiling? Looking incredibly relieved?
Of course, when I insisted on becoming the Crown Princess or whatever, it caused quite a bit of trouble for Father and Lucian.
‘Is it such a relief that I don’t like the Crown Prince?’
Well, it feels good to have unintentionally helped the family, but…
It seemed like there was more to it, so I quietly waited for him to continue.
As I expected, Lucian spoke with a relieved expression.
“Then I’m relieved. Even if you receive an escort from Crown Prince Raven tomorrow.”
“Just relieved…? Why would I receive an escort from him?”
There’s something I don’t know. I urged him to continue with my eyes.
“You didn’t know? The banquet for His Majesty the Emperor’s birthday is tomorrow.”
“Already?”
How did time pass so quickly?
Having lived forgetting time for the past few months, it felt strangely new.
“Right, the birthday banquet is one thing. But why me?”
It’s been almost four months since the annulment. It can’t be because of lingering feelings or anything like that.
My puzzlement was simply resolved.
“It seems His Majesty specially ordered it. He was always particularly fond of you, you know.”
“Ahh. Well, that’s true…”
When the annulment happened, even my father didn’t cry, but His Majesty did. That says it all.
“Because of that incident, our parents were worried you might still hold onto hope. …I was too.”
“Eh, as if I would hold onto hope because of that—”
…I would have. The former ‘Ciella’ wouldn’t just hold onto hope; she would have imagined everything up to marriage, having a son and a daughter, spending her retirement on Kesslim Island, and closing her eyes together at life’s end while watching the sunset.
“Ahem, anyway, not now! Absolutely no hope! I don’t have any, and I’m really! not interested, so don’t worry.”
I clenched my fists and gave Lucian a confident look.
Lucian no longer doubted me.
“So, the misunderstanding is cleared up, right? I’m going to my room?”
Honestly, ever since I set foot in the mansion, my eyelids have been feeling heavy, like I could drop dead. Today was just that exhausting.
Lucian didn’t say anything, but I took it as affirmation and reached for the doorknob.
That’s when it happened.
“I… I’m sorry for not trusting you until now, Ciella.”
The hand on the doorknob twitched and trembled.
It was the first time he had ever apologized to me. I didn’t know it would be today.
“…It’s fine.”
“Ahem, if you need anything from now on, just say it.”
“Okay, hmm. Th, thank you.”
Even though we only exchanged a few words, my heart felt ticklish.
‘Asking him to buy me a building in, say, District 17 would be pushing it, right?’
Of course, my mind was racing quickly upon hearing Lucian’s words.
‘Ah, forget it.’
Our relationship is finally improving; I can’t ruin it now.
If I asked for land or a building, he’d probably think I only acted nice because I had an ulterior motive. He’d go ‘I knew it’ and turn cold again.
‘It’s better to save that request for later.’
I nodded slightly and turned the doorknob.
“Later. I’ll tell you if I really need help later.”
Lucian might have said ‘Okay’ in response to my words. I couldn’t hear it properly over the clicking sound of the door.
***
Meanwhile, after Ciella left the dining room.
Lucian stared at the closed door for a while before finally making a decision.
“I need to move Ciella’s religious sect.”
It was, to say the least, not an impulsive decision.
Lucian had been opposed to Ciella joining that sect from the beginning.
“I tried to overlook it, thinking it might have influenced Ciella’s change, but tsk.”
Listening to Ciella’s story today reminded him of something the Grid religion priest had told him a while ago.
“What on earth is that sect doing?”
The involvement of an elf, and her visit to the dressmaker today—there were too many suspicious aspects.
Fundamentally, so-called ‘sects’ are groups of fanatics who could be manipulating things behind the scenes.
‘And Ciella has always been particularly vulnerable to wicked temptations.’
He was worried that his younger sister might have been unwittingly swept up in this, spending all her money and heart on it.
That said, he couldn’t just forcibly remove Ciella from the sect.
Because of what the Grid religion priest had added.
‘…He said it was the first time he’d seen Ciella so full of life.’
He mentioned that although he had seen the Young Lady in passing a few times, it was the first time he saw her smiling so brightly. He said it seemed like she was finally truly living and breathing.
“Sigh, there’s no other way.”
He was still suspicious of this ‘Arte Sect’ or whatever it was called.
But he didn’t want to oppose it and risk damaging the relationship with Ciella that was finally improving.
“It’s better to keep a close watch.”
So, the conclusion he reached was to move the sect’s building.
‘I think she said the sect is in District 22.’
Listening carefully to Ciella’s words, it was even a semi-basement.
No matter how he thought about it, it wasn’t a place for a ‘Young Lady’ to frequent.
Located in a remote area, if something unsavory happened, it would be difficult to relay the information quickly to the Ducal residence.
“We need to move it to at least District 11 for safety.”
It would also be easier to monitor.
Frankly, he would have liked to purchase a building in the inner part of the 10-something districts.
However, by law, religious organizations other than official denominations cannot erect buildings in those zones without the Emperor’s approval.
‘What a pity.’
I’ll have to find a way later.
*Scritch, scratch.*
Lucian quickly made his decision and picked up a pen.
He intended to write and submit a report on the building purchase matter right now.
‘It’s a bit late, though.’
Since it concerned Ciella’s safety, his father wouldn’t object. It was a meaningful expenditure, so he would approve it immediately.
If it were the old him, he would have vehemently opposed it.
*Drrrrk.*
*Step, step.*
Lucian had already cleanly forgotten the past.
Holding the report he had written swiftly, he hurried his steps toward the study.
“Th, thank you.”
‘I wonder if I’ll get to hear that again.’
*Ahem.* It was the first time he had received a word of thanks from his younger sister, so the corners of his mouth twitched upward uncontrollably.
After that, Lucian entered the study with a subtle smile and submitted the report to the Duke.
As expected, approval was granted immediately.
And so, Lucian bought a building in District 11 in the dead of night.
This all happened just one hour after Ciella left Lucian’s room.
***
The next morning.
It was already chaotic preparing for the banquet in the evening.
It seemed hopeless to visit the Arte Sect today.
‘If we start getting ready from the morning, there’s no way I can slip away even for a moment.’
I wondered if all this was necessary, but the old me was even worse, so I couldn’t complain.
Moreover.
“Finally! The day has come for our skills to shine. We will make you the most beautiful young lady at the banquet, My Lady!”
“Mmm. Okay, Jena. Do as you please…”
Jena’s passion seemed to grow every day, to the point where I couldn’t add anything else.
Still, I was glad we were talking more lately.
But even keeping up the small talk became exhausting after 5 hours.
*Ding.*
[Arte has donated 82 florins!]
[When will it end…? I finished all the latest chapters of <Don’t Remember Me, Dear Husband> today, so I’m bored ╥﹏╥]
What should I do? We have at least 4 more hours to go…
I shook my head slightly at the status window. I was immediately scolded for it. They said it would ruin my hair.
‘If my hair gets ruined that easily, maybe it’s better not to do it?’
But I couldn’t say it out loud. The expressions of Jena and the other maids were too serious.
I just rolled my eyes upward and spoke to Arte in my mind.
‘Just re-read that novel. Or else…’
Tell me about Tete’s secret.
*Note: The final line “Tell me about Tete’s secret.” seems to be an internal thought from Ciella to Arte, possibly referring to a plot point or character (Tete) from the novel mentioned earlier (<Don’t Remember Me, Dear Husband>).*
