Ch#26

Episode 26

Arpad gracefully stroked his sharp jawline with his hand.

Reading his emotions from his expression was impossible even for his father, the Emperor.

But now was a slightly different case. Because he himself wasn't quite sure of his own feelings.

To be more precise, he didn't know the cause of those emotions.

Because the mood was all too clear.

'Annoying.'

Yes. An ambiguous displeasure akin to a fishbone stuck in the throat.

And while he said he didn't know the reason, it wasn't that he had no guess at all.

Because the timing of his mood turning this sour was clear.

"The fact that I'm actually someone who lived in the future, died miserably, and regressed?"

That woman's answer to Arpad's effort to uncover her secret was such nonsense.

Not only was the content like teasing, but the fact she was hiding behind such words and refusing to tell the truth was displeasing.

It was annoying.

'A woman with too many secrets.'

Truthfully, Arpad disliked such people.

While anyone would dislike someone who hides too much from them, in Arpad's case, the expression 'dislike' was an understatement.

'But it's strange why I don't feel like killing her.'

For Arpad, 'dislike' or 'suspicion' often directly connected to 'kill'.

With so many things to worry about and be cautious of already, he disliked allocating attention to trivial matters.

'When I might go mad and die at any moment, why bother caring about such things?'

So until now, things that annoyed him were usually eliminated by killing.

Of course, this doesn't mean he swung a sword in front of others.

Doing that would only lead to rumors of his Madness recurring.

He merely dealt with them appropriately using opportunities like accidents or assassination attempts against him.

But surprisingly, or perhaps not surprisingly, the solution of 'killing to resolve annoyance' didn't appeal to him for the woman sitting in the Ivory Room.

Even though he felt personally mocked by her words.

Arpad's brow furrowed again. Unconsciously, he muttered with genuine feeling.

"Really annoying..."

At that, Secretary Yulken, who was in the middle of reporting the situation to Arpad in the study, raised his voice slightly.

"What is annoying, Your Highness?"

"Who knows."

Naturally, Arpad didn't give Yulken a kind answer. Yulken probably didn't expect one either.

But Yulken was among those with the sharpest tongues among those following Arpad.

"It seems you're not even half-listening to my report because of that 'thing you don't want to say is annoying.'"

Only then did Arpad slightly turn his head.

"How far did you report?"

"How far did you listen?"

Seeing Arpad's eyebrow twitch, Yulken let out a long sigh.

"So you didn't listen at all."

"Say it again."

"As I always say, I'd appreciate it if you'd consider my vocal health a bit."

And of course, as expected, Arpad didn't even half-listen to his subordinate's reprimand.

Yulken had to recite the report from the beginning again.

Its opening was about the woman who had recently become a hot topic in society.

"As Your Highness commanded, we've planted sufficiently trustworthy people around Duchess Delphine. Every single move is being reported."

Then, a servant opened the door and handed him a small note.

Yulken added the newly received information.

"It seems Duchess Delphine has summoned a lady expelled from the Empress's palace to the reception room. Ah, and it's said the Empress's palace has blocked noblewomen from attending the banquet at the Artanoos Hall a month from now."

"Engaging in petty schemes again."

After summarizing his stepmother's schemes, who was practically an enemy, in one sentence, Arpad turned his gaze to his secretary.

Arpad's red eyes were reflected over Yulken's silver-rimmed glasses.

"But isn't the title wrong?"

The secretary official knew what his master was pointing out.

And that those words were closer to 'Fix it properly on your own.'

But if he were the type to bow his head at such a single remark, he wouldn't have been able to stay in the Crown Prince's palace.

Yulken answered boldly.

"His Majesty the Emperor hasn't yet formally issued the decree appointing the Crown Princess, has he?"

"Even so, she's my wife with whom I've already performed the marriage ceremony."

Yulken's expression crumpled as if seeing a being that couldn't possibly exist in the world.

"Your Highness, you didn't actually fall in love at first sight on the main street and commit marriage by abduction, did you?"

"What if it's true?"

Yulken took out something he always carried in his heart.

"I'll resign immediately. If it's true, Your Highness's Madness must have recurred without a doubt!"

Arpad burned the resignation letter his secretary presented with a magical flame.

"Ah! My resignation letter!"

"You have more anyway."

"That may be so."

Arpad knew well.

That this ill-tempered yet competent secretary's hobby was writing resignation letters.

And Yulken presenting a resignation letter meant this:

'Dude, are you in your right mind?'

It seemed even to him, this marriage by abduction looked like a crazy act.

Especially from the perspective of Arpad's subordinates.

"Everyone's already in a situation where they'd want to place bets on when Your Highness will go mad. Did you secretly bet money on the 'going mad' side?"

"Enough. Before I cut out your tongue."

"Not the tongue, please! Just cut my neck before that!"

If Hilia had seen this, she might have wondered if subordinates inevitably go mad when their master does.

Although he hadn't heard a proper reason or explanation from the beginning of Arpad's marriage by abduction until now.

Yulken was the person who handled all the troublesome aftermath and everything Arpad demanded in the process.

So from Yulken's perspective, it felt like this.

'Don't I have the right to complain this much!'

Arpad knew that too, which is why it ended at threats.

Adjusting his glasses, Yulken asked.

"But what kind of magic did Duchess Delphine perform? To receive the Artanoos Hall from His Majesty the Emperor."

"I don't know either."

"Couldn't you tell me?"

Arpad shrugged his shoulders.

"Really don't know. They put up a Barrier and whispered just between themselves with the Emperor, then suddenly the Artanoos Hall just dropped into place."

"...?"

Yulken's expression showed concern again that Arpad might have fallen into Madness.

But as someone who had served him for a long time, he soon realized it was true and was astonished.

Not because he read his expression, but because he knew Arpad's speech patterns and mannerisms well enough.

"Is that true?"

"Yes."

Yulken fell into thought.

"Listening to Your Highness, it sounds as if she brainwashed His Majesty the Emperor or something?"

"...The fact that doesn't seem impossible makes it even funnier."

To be more precise, Arpad himself felt as if he were brainwashed.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have executed the marriage by abduction that even Yulken, who presented a resignation letter, called a crazy act.

"Well, we can judge accurately while serving and observing from now on."

Both master and servant knew that 'while serving' meant 'while monitoring.'

"So you're saying you'll keep calling her Duchess Delphine until then?"

Yulken grinned.

Just as he chose Arpad, whom everyone feared, as his master, accepting Hilia as Crown Princess was something no one could force upon him.

Arpad knew that personality of Yulken well.

But he was pointing it out deliberately.

"Refrain from saying 'Duchess Delphine' in front of me. It's annoying."

Yes. Annoying.

A mouth uttering annoying words could be cut without hesitation.

Even Yulken, a close aide, was no exception. That was Arpad's nature.

Recognizing his master's seriousness, Yulken quickly took a step back.

"Then I shall refer to her as the mistress of the Ivory Room. This should be acceptable, right?"

While thinking it unexpected, Yulken accommodated his master's wishes.

Of course, while still refusing to say 'Crown Princess' until the end.

"Do as you see fit."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Yulken observed his always inhuman master's demeanor with curious eyes.

'My lord keeps doing things he would never normally do. His Majesty the Emperor is the same.'

And at the center of all these astonishing events was one woman.

'Hilia Delphine.'

Although he referred to her with a title other than 'Duchess' as per Arpad's command.

He couldn't do the same with his inner thoughts.

Him calling Hilia 'Her Highness' would only happen after he sincerely accepted her as his mistress.

Until then, he intended to suspect, monitor, and test her as much as possible.

After all, that was precisely why Yulken was in the Crown Prince's palace.

* * *

"Sniff...! So I told them several times that I didn't mean it that way, but it was useless!"

The woman called Viscountess Filern continued to weep and wail in front of me.

Hearing negative words, especially someone else crying and whining, couldn't possibly feel good.

But if good information lies within those tears, it becomes bearable.

My judgment in hooking a woman who was expelled from the Empress's palace and was loitering around the Crown Prince's palace was correct.

Thanks to that, I could confirm the Empress and Evangeline's countermeasures.

And above all...

"I, I don't know what to do now... Sniff...!"

Viscountess Filern continued pouring out tears like a broken jar in front of me.

But I knew that behind the handkerchief and her long bangs, sharp eyes were observing me.

And for good reason, because I knew this woman's face all too well.

This very person was the one who first approached wanting to be my friend, then betrayed me at the critical moment.

Idis Filern.

Viscountess Filern.

'This person has come to betray me again this time. And much sooner than last time.'

That much meant the Empress and Evangeline were wary of me.

'And there's nothing more foolish than pretending to be fooled when you already know.'

Translator: Nox