Chapter 46
Why was Duke Nor’s name appearing here?
Shocked, Aveline frantically turned the letter of recommendation over and over, but the written name remained unchanged.
She hurriedly examined the list of families associated with the orphanage where Lisa’s siblings stayed.
“Nothing particularly suspicious here…”
The orphanage was operated by House Mohr, a neutral faction.
They had no connection to House Herolds.
“Mostly neutral faction families.”
Perhaps because of this, many of the sponsoring families were also from the neutral faction.
“Wait.”
Then she spotted one familiar name.
“Deville…”
Where had she heard it before?
Though it was one of the neutral faction families with no relation to House Herolds, she felt she had heard it somewhere before.
“Ah.”
The memory came to her shortly.
Penia Deville, daughter of Viscount Deville.
That was Countess Huan’s maiden name.
“So she received a recommendation letter from Duke Nor, while her siblings are in an orphanage sponsored by Countess Huan’s family…?”
Did this mean Duke Nor and Count Huan had deliberately planted a spy in House Herolds?
But something didn’t quite add up.
“Then why only tamper with my letters?”
Though she was reluctant to admit it, she was the least valuable source of information in this household.
“Hah. It would be faster to ask directly.”
Getting answers from the person herself would be more reliable than racking her brains alone.
Without hesitation, Aveline headed to the room where Lisa was confined.
Being nighttime, she managed to avoid encountering anyone on her way.
‘I already have the key.’
When Aveline opened the door with a rattle, Lisa’s voice came from the darkness.
“E-Emma? Sister Emma?”
Her voice was trembling with fear, probably from being alone for so long.
At least the room wasn’t dark, being lit by candlelight.
“Unfortunately not.”
“Huk.”
Lisa gasped in surprise upon seeing Aveline’s face.
“I came to ask you something.”
“…”
Lisa turned her head stubbornly, as if determined never to speak.
“I know which orphanage your siblings are in. And who sponsors it.”
“…!”
Lisa’s eyes widened at the mention of her siblings.
“House Deville was among the orphanage’s sponsors.”
“…”
“Wasn’t Deville Countess Huan’s maiden name?”
At this probing question, Lisa bit her lip nervously.
“Count Huan is the one threatening you, isn’t he?”
This was the conclusion Aveline had reached on her way here.
Though she wasn’t sure how Duke Nor was involved, Count Huan had clear motivation.
‘He clearly dislikes me.’
He had shown obvious antipathy toward her at the recent banquet.
If someone was deliberately trying to torment her, he was the most likely suspect.
“Cooperate with me. If you answer my questions properly, I’ll help you as much as I can.”
“…Help me?”
Lisa echoed blankly at Aveline’s words.
‘Was that too moving?’
Even to herself, it had sounded like an impressive statement.
‘I’ve always wanted to do something like this.’
Doing something righteous, like protagonists in novels.
While Aveline was indulging in self-satisfaction, Lisa spoke again.
“How could you help?”
“Huh?”
“You’re… just a young lady.”
Caught off guard by this unexpected response, Aveline failed to maintain her composure.
“What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said.”
As if her previous timid demeanor had been an act, Lisa looked straight at Aveline.
Through her large glasses, Lisa’s empty eyes were revealed.
“I-I’ve worked here for four years, so I know roughly how things are. If I wanted to ask for help, I would have gone to the young master or the Count long ago.”
“…”
“I know you’re a good person. Sister Emma always smiled when talking about you, and you’re even offering to help me despite my intercepting your letters. However…”
Lisa hesitated briefly.
“…being just a good person is different from being a good person with power, isn’t it?”
“…”
For a moment, Aveline couldn’t respond.
“I-I’m sorry for speaking out of turn. Please deal with me as you see fit.”
Lisa added while watching Aveline’s reaction carefully.
Aveline couldn’t say anything and returned to her room.
* * *
“What did you eat before bed last night?”
Ares was surprised to see Aveline’s puffy face when they met in the morning.
“Go away.”
Usually, Aveline would have bickered with Ares, but now she lacked the energy.
She had collapsed onto her bed and cried as soon as she returned to her room yesterday.
Though it seemed rather pathetic even to herself to cry after being hit with hard facts by a maid, she couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.
The truth was, nothing Lisa said was wrong.
To be honest, she even envied Lisa’s boldness in being able to say such things to her face.
She had gotten carried away while being involved with Theron.
Not only did she suddenly gain abilities like magic, but even the Crown Prince’s involvement had made her lose sight of her actual position and become conceited.
‘This is who I am.’
Even if she gained the ability to enter novels, even if she became a princess beloved by the tyrant there, that wasn’t reality.
‘I almost got confused.’
Nothing had changed in reality, yet she had acted as if she had become someone extraordinary.
As Lisa said, Aveline still had no more power than a speck in a mosquito’s eye.
It meant that even though she offered to help Lisa, there was nothing she could actually do.
Shame and embarrassment washed over her for putting on empty airs.
She felt exposed for secretly considering Ares’s influence as equal to her own while accompanying him.
And she painfully realized the importance of building her own strength without relying on others.
“Alright. I’ll do it.”
Though it hurt deeply, giving up didn’t suit her personality.
Four years of running away had been enough.
From now on, she would do things properly.
“Do what?”
Ares tilted his head, watching Aveline suddenly raise her fists with determination.
“Just something.”
“Tch.”
Disappointed at not getting an answer, Ares turned away.
Then, as if remembering something, he spoke again.
“By the way, what did Duke Ribes say when he took you aside yesterday?”
“Huh?”
When Aveline was caught off guard by the sudden question, Ares asked again.
“Is he really serious? About you?”
“Hmm.”
Theron’s behavior yesterday had been a bit strange.
Though he had rushed there after learning about the magic stones in the conservatory, his last words still bothered her.
‘Never again… I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me.’
‘As if someone had been hurt before…’
She regretted not being able to ask more because Ares had interrupted.
Having spent the night crying instead of sleeping properly, she hadn’t even been able to see Theron in her dreams.
“And why is even His Highness the Crown Prince suddenly acting this way?”
As Ares muttered incomprehensibly, Aveline spoke up.
“If Father finds out about yesterday, he might collapse again.”
Implying that he should keep quiet about it too.
“What is there for me to collapse about?”
“Father…!”
Count Herolds suddenly appeared behind the twins.
“What brings you here…”
Aveline asked in surprise.
This was reasonable since the twins were currently standing in the corridor near their rooms, quite far from Count Herolds’s room or study.
“You gave no report after returning yesterday, so I came to ask.”
He seemed to have been worried after sending only his children yesterday.
Aveline and Ares quickly exchanged glances.
‘We can’t tell him.’
‘He might collapse if he knows.’
Having confirmed each other’s looks, the twins attempted concealment.
“Nothing special happened…”
“Are you trying to lie?”
Count Herolds cut off Ares’s words with a twitch of his eyebrow.
“What?”
As surprised Ares asked back, Count Herolds showed his displeasure.
“Every family is sending invitations now. Moreover, most of their introductions mention Aveline’s visit to the imperial palace yesterday.”
News of Aveline receiving a personal invitation from the Crown Prince seemed to have spread widely already.
Count Herolds spoke with an anxious expression.
“Did you hear anything from His Highness the Crown Prince yesterday?”
“Well.”
She had heard plenty.
‘What should I tell him?’
The situations from yesterday spread out in Aveline’s mind like multiple choice questions:
1. The Crown Prince had turned the entire palace into a flower garden, as if competing with Duke Ribes.
2. The Crown Prince had unusually placed a red rose in his jacket pocket.
3. The Crown Prince suddenly took her to a glass conservatory and tried to tempt her by boasting about magic stones and mentioning ‘becoming a member of the imperial family’ under the scorching sun.
4. Then Theron suddenly burst into the conservatory, and after arguing with the Crown Prince, they suddenly became love rivals. Though neither was sincere.
5. Theron suggested spreading rumors about being lovers, saying it was to protect her.
Aveline could guarantee that her father’s face would turn pale at any of these options.
