Chapter 152
At her reply, Zerath’s expression stiffened slightly.
“You think Carden would dislike that?”
When the family’s eyes turned toward her, Rosia faltered and lowered her head.
“It’s just… he doesn’t seem to like me very much. I think he still hasn’t forgotten his former fiancée, Eila.”
Zerath’s brows furrowed. Shaking his head as though it was impossible, he spoke.
“What nonsense. That guy was always like that. You wouldn’t know, but even when he was engaged to Eila—”
He cut himself off, biting his lip.
“No, I shouldn’t have said that. Either way, you’re the one engaged to him now.”
“I know what you were about to say, Brother. I’ve heard plenty of rumors about him.”
Rosia continued, clutching at her skirt.
“But this doesn’t seem like a passing whim anymore… it feels genuine. They say he’s even stopped appearing in society altogether lately.”
Her lips trembled as she finished, her face filled with bitterness, as if ashamed of her own wretched situation.
At that moment, Cedric gently cut in.
“Rosia, do you dislike Carden? Do you perhaps not want to be engaged to him?”
Her gaze flicked to him. With a faintly tearful voice, she answered.
“N-No, I do want to be engaged to Senior Carden.”
“Then Carden’s opinion doesn’t matter. This is a matter between families. If he tries to use Eila as an excuse to refuse you, it’s you who should be angry, not him.”
“Brother…”
Her voice shook, deeply moved by his words. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
Calios, who had been silently listening, let out a dissatisfied hum.
Indeed, as Cedric said, Rosia’s engagement was a crucial pact between families. Yet Carden seemed to want to break it off, hiding behind feelings for another woman.
That was no different from disregarding the entire Blanche Ducal House.
“Yes, it’s best to settle the engagement issue once and for all.”
His gaze hardened with determination.
“I’ve let it slide for too long out of consideration for past ties, but this can’t be dragged out anymore. The coming banquet will be the end of it.”
In truth, Calios had long grown dissatisfied with the Leight family’s constant delays in setting a wedding date.
With even her father now on her side, Rosia’s eyes trembled faintly. She had never dared bring up the matter before, too wary of his reaction.
Finally…!
All her patience and silence were about to pay off.
Overcome with emotion, Rosia nodded brightly.
“If Father and my brothers say so… then I understand.”
Calios looked at her with a faint smile.
Yes… Though she lacks a little compared to Eila, the true bloodline of the Blanche House belongs to Rosia alone.
In truth, Rosia lacked nothing. She had a fine appearance and a gentle personality, quickly mastered etiquette to fit into noble society, and her magical talent was also remarkable.
It was only that, after Eila left the estate, Rosia’s accomplishments seemed overshadowed by her.
Perhaps that’s why she’s been unusually conscious of my approval lately.
Feeling slightly guilty, Calios addressed Cedric.
“You’ll handle preparations for the banquet, Cedric. Since you were the first to bring it up, you’ll take responsibility.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Make sure everything is perfect, befitting the daughter of the Blanche House.”
At his words, Cedric’s lips curled into a smile.
“Of course. I’ll make it splendid. After all, it’s all for Rosia.”
Rosia blushed, overwhelmed.
“I can’t thank you enough, Father. To have you care so much…”
Cedric watched her joy with a faint smile, the very picture of a doting brother.
When Rosia caught his gaze and smiled brightly back, Cedric narrowed his eyes and returned the gesture.
Everything is going according to plan.
He was just as pleased as she was.
This was the chance he had been waiting for—to finally strike Rosia down directly.
A subtle thrill welled up inside him.
Perhaps… Eila might forgive me a little for this.
The thought of her gentle smile from the past made him unconsciously smile.
But the very next instant, Cedric sneered coldly at himself.
No. Don’t get greedy, Cedric. Think of that after everything is over.
His icy gaze returned to Rosia, still basking in the family’s affection.
To him, her happiness looked unbearably disgusting.
He smirked inwardly.
Is being engaged to someone like Carden really such a joy for you?
He, more than anyone, knew how obsessively Rosia clung to her fiancé. That was why he had deliberately brought up Carden in front of their father.
He wanted that man—whom Rosia adored—to see her vile truth with his own eyes and turn away from her more harshly than anyone else.
He wanted all her carefully built relationships to shatter, until everyone shunned her.
So that she would finally pay the price for deceiving them all.
If that meant slightly damaging the family’s dignity, so be it.
He recalled the message Eila had sent him not long ago.
**[I think I’ll soon be able to prove how Rosia tampered with the bloodline test artifact. But I don’t want this to end quietly. The truth only has meaning if it’s revealed in front of everyone.
So I’d like to ask you, Sir Cedric. On Rosia’s birthday, could you host a grand banquet? I want the truth to come out before all who watch.]**
So very like Eila.
He had stared at that letter for a long while.
Her anguish—cast out of her family and forced to endure so much—seemed to be contained within those few lines.
The thought alone made his chest ache. But Cedric steadied himself.
What matters is that I finally have something I can do for her.
While immersed in thought, a voice suddenly broke in.
“Brother.”
A crawling sensation raced down his skin. Rosia had taken his hand with feigned affection.
Suppressing the urge to shake her off, he looked at her.
“Thank you so much, Brother. Thank you for speaking up for me… I’m so happy, it’s been so long since I felt this way.”
“There’s nothing to thank. Your joy is my happiness.”
But Cedric’s eyes held no trace of warmth.
Go ahead and rejoice. The place you stole under false pretenses—Eila will soon reclaim it. Until then, let your false happiness grow. That way, the fall will be all the more devastating.
With that thought, Cedric smiled for the first time—genuinely.
* * *
One month later.
The Blanche Ducal estate was ablaze with chandelier light and overflowing music.
It was far too grand a banquet to be just for the birthday of a duke’s daughter.
Glancing over the hall packed with noble guests, Carden’s face darkened.
…Even the Duchess came.
Not only the most renowned nobles, but even the duchess—who had long used illness as an excuse to avoid appearing in public—was in attendance.
Well, it was understandable. After all, this was the first birthday celebration for the daughter she had struggled so hard to reclaim.
Looking at the duchess’s radiant face, bitterness flickered in Carden’s expression.
So, in the end… Rosia really is the Blanche family’s daughter.
