Chapter 50
We spent the night on the mountain.
The moment I woke up, I stretched and yawned so wide my jaw felt like it would split.
“Did you sleep well?”
At Theo’s morning greeting, I hurriedly shut my mouth mid-yawn and just nodded.
I hadn’t even washed my face—I must look like a beggar right now. So why is he still handsome in the morning?
His face doesn’t even look puffy.
“Hey, um… are you maybe mad at me?”
“Good morning.”
Theo’s words were cut off by Luca’s sudden appearance, and Theo’s brows immediately knit together in irritation.
“Sir Luca, it’s been a while.”
I deliberately put on an exaggeratedly cheerful smile.
“Lady Yvonne, we met just two days ago.”
Sharp. Like a knife.
His expression was completely mechanical, as if he wasn’t pleased to see me at all.
Well, to be fair, I wasn’t exactly thrilled either. We weren’t close.
“When did you arrive?”
Even so, I kept up the act and asked brightly.
“Just now.”
“Where’s Lady Amelie?”
“She went to meet Sir William. They’re a very affectionate couple.”
“Why didn’t you and Lady Amelie leave with us?”
“We had a different assignment.”
“What kind of assignment?”
“…That’s not something I can tell you.”
Was I being too much of a question machine?
He was clearly starting to get annoyed, but I couldn’t give up.
“Then—”
“Luca. How did it go?”
I was about to pester him with questions like, “Did you eat dinner?” What do you think we’ll have for breakfast? —
—but Theo interrupted first.
“I’ll explain.”
As if they were about to discuss something confidential, the two of them disappeared deeper into the forest together.
Now you’re avoiding me? Luca, I’m disappointed.
I glared uselessly at the spot where they vanished.
“Lady Yvonne, how about some light tomato soup for breakfast?”
William—Amelie’s husband—approached with a bright smile.
“I’d love that.”
“You can look forward to it. I make an excellent tomato soup.”
He straightened his shoulders proudly.
Was it because he’d heard my stomach growl so memorably two days ago?
William seemed strangely invested in making sure I ate well.
Still, he seemed like a good person. Anyone who feeds me is a good person.
“Thank you. Is there anything I can help with?”
“No need. A delicious tomato soup is already waiting for you, Lady Yvonne.”
Then why ask?
Still, it wouldn’t be right to complain when I was being fed. I quietly followed William. Toward the tomato soup.
“An empty spot is here—no, wait, I should sit over there.”
That made three already.
Three people who were about to sit next to me saw me and then moved somewhere else.
I had arrived early with William and ended up sitting beside Lena.
Since we were in the mountains, there were no chairs or tables—just worn cloths spread over the ground.
But why was everyone avoiding the seat next to me?
Do I smell?
I brought my sleeve to my nose and sniffed.
No smell. Definitely no smell.
Were they… ostracizing me? Some kind of territorial bullying?
I can endure this much. But if they give me less food, I won’t let it slide.
I clenched my spoon tightly, forcing myself to suppress my anger.
Whatever. Just hurry up and serve the food.
As I calmed myself and waited—
“So you were all here.”
It seemed they’d finished talking. Theo and Luca returned.
“Sorry. Did you wait long?”
Theo sat down in the empty spot beside me and spoke casually.
This time, I tried to move away from him—but as if on cue, food was placed in front of me.
…Fine. Food first.
“Wait. Come talk to me.”
“I’ve been waiting for you to say that.”
My instinct that the morning situation was bullying turned out to be right.
And I realized during lunch that Theo was the ringleader.
When I asked to talk, he followed me cheerfully like a puppy.
We walked a little farther in, and once I confirmed there was no one around, I glared at him.
“It was you, wasn’t it?”
“What was?”
“You’re the reason everyone’s avoiding me, right?”
“…I don’t think so?”
The way his eyes darted around guiltily gave him away. So it was him.
I’d figured it out by accident.
“Mr. Mael, are you tired?”
“I’m more worried about Lady Yvonne—ah, no, I’m fine. Excuse me.”
Even Mael, who’d been the friendliest toward me—
“Mr. William, what’s for lunch today?”
“Well, it seems Lady Yvonne has fallen for my cooking—ah, I’ll tell you later.”
Even William, who always took such good care of my meals.
They’d look behind me, panic, and suddenly retreat.
And every time I turned around—Theo was there.
“It is you. You’re isolating me, aren’t you?”
“No. I’d never do that to you.”
Why does he deny things so gently?
That alone is worthy of a death sentence.
“Then why is everyone avoiding me?”
“What are you talking about?”
“They run away whenever I talk to them.”
“Isn’t that just a coincidence?”
He couldn’t even meet my eyes. Definitely lying.
“If I’m making things uncomfortable, I’ll leave the group.”
“No, really. It’s just that… I was jealous when people talked to you.”
This damn thing looks first-world.
The pitiful look on his face made me accept it way too easily.
“Why would you be jealous?”
“Because you keep avoiding me.”
“…I’m not.”
I answered slower than usual, feeling oddly guilty.
“You are. You’re warmer with everyone else just to avoid me.”
“That’s not true.”
“Then why have you been like this since yesterday?”
“…I believe in a world where people live together in harmony.”
Theo looked at me like I made no sense, so I kept scrambling for excuses.
“I just want everyone to get along.”
Sometimes, I really hate myself.
My lack of quick thinking and creativity always produces trash-tier excuses.
“That’s not the reason, though.”
Of course Theo wasn’t fooled.
Why is he so persistent?
Is he afraid of losing a fish he’s already caught?
I was about to glare at him when I froze.
“If I did something wrong, tell me. I’ll fix it. Please…”
He looked like he might cry if I poked him even a little.
I almost stepped forward to comfort him—then stopped.
Anyway, this is Theo’s fault, isn’t it?
“Do I really have to spell it all out? Don’t you already know the reason?”
When I spoke harshly, his face crumpled like his world had collapsed.
No—why you?
Episode 90
“Is this really Yvonne…?”
The Duke of Lambert murmured as he stared at the corpse, burned so badly its original form was unrecognizable.
Though she was a criminal, she was still a duke’s daughter. She was given due treatment.
The body was placed in a coffin and delivered to the Lambert estate without further damage.
“There’s no proof that this burned body is my daughter.”
So he denied it—hoping instead that she was alive somewhere, living quietly.
“Please look. Some hair was not burned.”
Five strands of pink hair clung to the head.
“There could be another woman with pink hair.”
“Father, look at the dress. It’s definitely my sister’s.”
Was it good luck—or bad?
Though the body was completely burned, the dress hadn’t been, and parts of its shape were still recognizable.
It was unquestionably the dress she’d been wearing when she stabbed Nathan.
“And the bloodstains on the dress would be mine.”
“My goodness…”
The Duke of Lambert collapsed to the ground.
Two days earlier.
After dinner and introductions, Yvonne retired to the room assigned to her.
“If we leave like this, someone will definitely track her down.”
“Agreed. And the opponent can use hypnosis. We’re at a huge disadvantage.”
Since he could control people, confronting him required extreme caution.
If they weren’t careful, even those trying to protect Yvonne could end up attacking her themselves.
Theo closed his eyes, lost in thought.
They needed a way to protect her.
“What about faking Lady Yvonne’s death?”
“I figured that would be the only option.”
It had been the first idea that came to Theo’s mind as well.
Still, declaring a perfectly healthy person dead left a bad taste in his mouth.
“Safety comes first.”
Mael was right. Once the direction was set, things moved quickly.
First—
“Lady Yvonne, I’ll brush your hair.”
Amelie easily collected strands of her hair.
She also had one of the dresses Yvonne had been wearing.
Meanwhile, Luca went to the slums to find the corpse of a woman with a similar build.
“Let’s begin.”
The work was carried out at the entrance of Mount Namar.
“This really isn’t easy.”
The body had to resemble Yvonne.
First, it was burned. Then the dress was put on and burned again.
An extremely delicate process.
The body couldn’t retain its shape—but the dress had to.
“This should be enough.”
“Yes. No one will doubt it.”
Thanks to the long hours the two put in, the result looked convincing.
“Let’s finish it.”
Finally, they placed Yvonne’s pink hair on the head.
I never want to do this again.
At last, the work was done.
Amelie stretched and let out a long sigh—then shuddered when she saw Luca’s face.
“Sir Luca… You look pleased.”
“Yes. I am.”
Her pupils trembled.
Was there something wrong with his mind?
He enjoyed handling a corpse?
“This should be the last time. I’ll get a proper knightly mission next, right?”
“Ah…”
That’s right. Luca was an imperial palace knight.
The joy of finishing his one-year probation had been short-lived.
Following Theo, he’d ended up leaving the palace without much thought.
And what had he done since? Chased Yvonne. Gone undercover. Made a corpse.
Of course, Yvonne didn’t know—but he’d also dealt with bandits who were targeting her carriage in advance.
“It’ll get better soon.”
“Yes. I’m actually looking forward to the future.”
Luca smiled brightly, as if he’d lost his mind.
“Let’s go see His Highness.”
The two headed toward Mount Rahar.
(Excerpt omitted)
[Comments]
→ Wait, the body was completely burned, but the hair and clothes weren’t?? And people believe that?
→ Why is Yvonne sulking without even checking the situation first?
→ Sigh… I’m tired of getting angry now ^^!
→ Everyone in this story is so frustrating
→ I thought I was reading a web novel, not farming sweet potatoes 😭
