Chapter 14
Remembering Anais’ words that Arahan had told me, I shook my head and gave Ain a small gesture as if to say, “I can’t help it.” After a brief conversation, we arrived at Arahan’s mansion, which was unexpectedly quite extravagant. Beneath the indigo roof, the beige-toned exterior walls were decorated with gold-framed windows. The spacious garden was filled with large trees that reminded me of a forest. Although the mansion was of a similar size to the Vincent Marquis’ estate, the trees made it feel less vast.
As I stepped out of the carriage, the mansion’s butler greeted me and guided me to Arahan’s room. I ordered Ain to wait outside and entered. Upon opening the door, Arahan, who had already prepared tea, stood to greet me.
“Miss, please have a seat.”
“…Yes.”
I regretted not having sorted out the questions I wanted to ask. But as soon as I saw Arahan, memories of the previous day resurfaced, making me a little frustrated. Should I refuse? No, I shouldn’t let Elizabeth’s emotions sway me. I needed to fulfill my duty.
“Um…” I had questions about the proposal, but before that, I intended to address his intentions regarding the Emperor’s feelings. Suddenly, Arahan bowed his head and apologized, leaving me blinking in confusion.
“Miss, I sincerely apologize for the previous proposal. Please forget about it.”
“…Huh…?”
I had come here to ask about the proposal, yet Arahan was the one apologizing. I hesitated, unsure whether to accept his words, and once again, I was surprised.
“That proposal was too dangerous for you to accept, Miss. It was a mistake on my part. I shouldn’t have involved you in the noble faction’s meeting…”
“…Well, that’s actually what I came to ask about… But why the sudden change?”
Arahan’s expression was difficult to read—ambiguous, almost complicated. I thought I was good at reading people’s faces after working in a company, but now I questioned that skill. It almost seemed as if he were on the verge of tears, so I stopped probing.
“I didn’t come here to reject the proposal, but if the Duke is saying it’s off, I won’t insist.”
‘The chance to become a villain has flown away, though.’
I reached for the teacup and took a sip. The only sound in the quiet room was the clink of the cup. We sat in silence for a while. I hated this awkwardness and was about to speak, but when I saw Arahan still with his head down, sighing deeply, I forced a smile.
“Wow, Duke. This tea is really delicious. Which mountain is it from? The Deber Kingdom? Or… the Sophia Empire?”
Arahan remained silent. I let out a deep sigh and spoke again.
“I just want to clear up any misunderstandings. I wouldn’t mind attending the noble faction’s meeting. And, of course, I wouldn’t mind being His Majesty’s partner.”
“…The reason I was upset yesterday… was because it seemed like you were trying to use my feelings for the Emperor.”
“That’s…! I never meant that. I absolutely didn’t say that with such an intention…”
“I know. That’s why I’m saying it doesn’t matter now, and I’d like to continue discussing the proposal.”
Despite my words, Arahan hesitated, searching for signs of my discomfort. What had happened overnight to make him so cautious? Perhaps the Emperor explicitly rejected the idea, and Arahan was apologizing as an excuse to cancel the proposal?
“Did His Majesty say he doesn’t want to be my partner? Is that why you want to cancel the proposal?”
“No. His Majesty said it doesn’t matter. After talking with you yesterday, he sent a letter.”
“Then why the sudden change of heart?”
“…Because it’s dangerous.”
Arahan, who seemed so concerned about danger, had used me as a headline in the newspaper… Was I imagining things? I tilted my head in confusion. Arahan cleared his throat several times before speaking again.
“Miss, this is really dangerous. Since it was my proposal, I will do my best to ensure you are not harmed, but… if you truly don’t want to do it, you don’t have to.”
“Well, I think it should be fine, since I have something to gain from it.”
“……??”
“It’s a secret.”
‘I can’t miss a good opportunity to be the villain. And the Emperor even gave his permission. For the ball, my concept will be that I’m an aristocratic lady A, jealous of Osborne!!’
As I laughed and finished my tea, Arahan, who now seemed relieved and no longer on the verge of tears, offered me a piece of cake from the tea set.
“Please try this as well. I thought you might like it.”
“Huh?” Did Arahan know about Elizabeth? Well, it was a dessert, so he might have thought I’d like it… But wait, I think I saw something like this after breakfast this morning. Was I imagining it? The cake had white whipped cream with a raspberry on top—exactly the same as the one Anais had prepared for me, made from a rare fruit from the Empire.
“Miss?”
“Hahaha… I heard this fruit is hard to get. Is it alright for me to eat something so rare?”
“Of course. It seems you’re familiar with the fruit on top of the cake.”
“…Well, yes. I do like desserts.”
I avoided saying directly, “I had it this morning,” to preserve the good mood of the man in front of me. Arahan, chuckling, suddenly turned toward the door as a knock sounded.
“Duke, there is a letter from the Imperial Palace.”
“Is it from His Majesty?”
“Yes.”
Upon hearing it was from the Emperor, Arahan nodded and instructed the servant to enter. The butler handed him the letter and left. The letter was neatly sealed with the imperial crest. As Arahan carefully opened it, he showed me the letter.
“His Majesty is asking for you to come to the palace.”
“Really? Then I should go right away. I had many questions about the proposal, but since we still have time…”
“No, it’s for you, Miss.”
“…Huh?”
I must have misheard. The sound of my fork scraping against the cream was so clear, yet suddenly I thought I heard something strange. As Arahan handed me the letter, I lost my grip on the fork, and it fell onto the plate with a loud clink.
“I think His Majesty wants to discuss the proposal with you… If it’s uncomfortable, I can deliver it instead.”
“…Well, no, I’ll go. I’m sure I’ll be in trouble if I refuse His Majesty’s summons. Let’s go right away. Hahaha.”
I had intended to refuse, but now, possessing Elizabeth, I had to act as though I were her, happily going to the Imperial Palace, begging the Emperor for his love, and playing my part. That way, harassing Osborne and being executed by the Emperor would all make sense.
“Hmm…” Seeing me smile awkwardly, Arahan seemed like he wanted to say more but shook his head and stood.
“At least it’s a relief the dress isn’t red, the color His Majesty dislikes.”
Unfortunately, I was wearing light blue. Damn. If I had known, I would have worn something more extravagant and red, making a scene before the Emperor. I had planned a luxurious, aristocratic look, but…
“Yes, that’s right.”
With a polite smile, I stood and followed Arahan down the hallway to his office. Despite his longer stride, he matched my pace. These small acts of courtesy made women fall for Arahan, and Osborne, who had always been considerate, seemed like a perfect counterpart. Hmph. Even if I die as the villain, I won’t let that worthless Emperor get my saintly sister! While I manipulate people’s emotions, Arahan seems a better match than the Emperor. Though, he’s not my favorite. Speaking of which, where is my favorite character? Will they appear soon?
“It seems you’re deep in thought.”
Startled, I blinked at Arahan, who was politely extending his hand. Before I knew it, Arahan had reached the carriage and held out his hand to help me up.
“I’m a little awkward—when are you going to grab my hand?”
“…Ah, sorry.”
Still not used to a man’s escort, I carefully took Arahan’s hand and climbed into the carriage. Just as Arahan was about to follow me in…
“Wait.”
Hearing the familiar voice, I turned to see who it was.
