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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Morning Warmth and Sibling Schemes
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Before long, the morning sunlight seeped into the room.
Lying in bed, Cynthia shuddered and shook off the chill, twisting her body toward the source of warmth she felt somewhere nearby.
"Oh, it's warm."
Her eyes suddenly flew open as she groped toward the spot radiating body heat.
A large hand emanating warmth had grabbed hers.
"What are you groping for?"
The moment Cynthia realized Masera was lying in the same bed as her, she silently opened her mouth in shock.
And the firm thing she'd been fumbling with had been his chest, of all things.
Knock knock—
At that moment, a knock sounded, followed by the maid's voice.
"May I come in?"
Masera glanced at Cynthia while unbuttoning his neatly fastened shirt with one hand.
"Let's pretend for now."
"Pretend to grope?"
"......"
Masera looked at her in disbelief, then lifted the slipped strap from below her shoulder and pulled the blanket up to cover her body.
"Come in."
At Masera's words, the door creaked open, and the maid entered.
"I brought the laundry and morning tea... Should I come back later?"
The maid's cheeks flushed slightly upon seeing his disheveled shirt and Cynthia wrapped snugly in the blankets.
"Just leave it. Thanks."
Cynthia waved her hand dismissively.
"Yes, and don't forget... there's a tea party hosted by Major General Izac at lunch today..."
The maid stammered to a finish and left the room.
Masera watched the door close, then rose from his seat.
"I'll go wash up."
'Is he getting ready here?'
Seeing him head to the bathroom, Cynthia hurriedly gathered fresh clothes and went to another one.
After her bath, Cynthia emerged to find Masera already changed.
'What's this? His tie's crooked?'
The tie, always perfectly knotted, was askew today of all days.
"Aw, did you tie it in a rush?"
Masera instinctively dodged as Cynthia reached out, then leaned down toward her.
Having switched bath products, a fresh rose scent wafted from his gleaming white hair.
"There, done."
Her small hands deftly fixed his tie and patted it twice.
"Thank you."
As he expressed his gratitude, Masera recalled the bare hand he'd gripped earlier.
He'd heard noble ladies' hands were soft and supple like a baby's, so why were hers rough and scarred?
Was that why she always wore gloves?
Masera glanced down at his own callused hands, then looked up again.
For some reason, he didn't want to question her about it.
At lunch, they attended a social gathering at Major General Izac's villa.
Izac Major General wielded significant influence in the military, so the event was packed with officers and their wives.
"My, Mrs. Vicente. It's been ages."
"I heard you've become the representative recently. How impressive."
The wives approached Cynthia with friendly greetings, hoping to ensure her invitations to future social events.
Cynthia smiled brightly at them and asked,
"Did you enjoy the macarons?"
"Pardon? What macarons?"
Behind the puzzled wives, the officers who'd once received macarons from Cynthia began to panic.
They'd mocked the insignificant gift and tossed it aside, despite it being meant for sharing with their wives.
The officers shot glances at their wives.
"Ah, yes, of course! They were delicious."
One wife, quick to catch her husband's signal, replied.
"Which flavor was the best?"
But Cynthia's sharp follow-up left her speechless.
Just then, a wife who had actually received macarons appeared.
"Those were from the famous dessert shop. I love them. I wondered why my husband brought home desserts for once, and he said Princess had sent them as a gift."
The others tried to play along using her words as a cue, but the crucial shop name eluded them.
'Famous dessert shop? Which one?'
A wrong guess could backfire spectacularly.
Cynthia noted the faces and names of those who'd received the macarons.
In truth, the whole macaron scheme had been planned from the start.
Then came Helen's voice, laced with her signature elegant sigh.
"My, Cynthia. Did you share snacks with the aides?"
Her husband, the duke, also mingled often with military figures, so he'd attended as well.
"It's customary to share valuable gifts at first. You didn't know? How naive."
With one remark, she painted Cynthia as ignorant.
Cynthia, seeing some nod in agreement, countered,
"Handing out expensive gifts indiscriminately to everyone—isn't that just wasteful?"
"Caring for your aides is wasteful? If funds are short, sister can help."
Cynthia smirked slyly and shook her head.
"They take good care of it themselves. But only my carefully chosen people."
Seeing Helen's expression stiffen slightly, she added,
"Treating the insincere the same as the sincere? That's the real unfairness. Pricey gifts can win someone over, but they can't weed out the fakes."
Helen sneered inwardly.
'Knox has nothing anyway. Clinging to some uncertain prospect.'
Her duke family was currently funding Des's development. When results emerged later, how would she take responsibility?
"Yes, my little sister is quite wise."
Helen said leisurely.
A mere maid who'd be discarded once useless—how long could she stay so arrogant?
'That's why I prepared a little gift.'
Helen smiled gracefully and pointed somewhere.
"Cynthia, big brother is here too."
Cynthia looked where she indicated. Her red eyes landed on Karos Queensguard.
He waved with a broad smile.
"Long time no see, my little sisters."
Helen whispered to the expressionless Cynthia.
"Smile. He's family. He'll be staying in the capital for a while. There's talk of marriage with the prime minister's daughter."
The old Cynthia, who had liked him, might have been quite shocked by that.
But the current Cynthia just thought, 'What do I care?'
'He's here to pressure me psychologically.'
Beside Karos stood his companion, a stunning woman with lush golden hair and blue eyes.
"Greetings to the princesses. I'm Valeria Eldrin."
Valeria greeted Helen and Cynthia warmly.
Seeing Cynthia's perfunctory smile, Helen laid the groundwork.
"Our youngest adores big brother so much. I wonder if she's jealous."
Karos approached Cynthia, draping an arm over her shoulder with a kind smile.
"Cindy, brother has to get married too. You'll understand, right?"
Cynthia was utterly baffled.
'They're setting up this weird dynamic? Fine, I'll make it real.'
Cynthia tightly hugged Helen's waist and rubbed her head on her shoulder.
"I like Helen sister. Didn't you know I came to the capital for her?"
She replicated a tactic from her past life that had horrified her actual sister.
"Ugh, eek, why are you being so gross?"
The horrified Helen tried to pry her off, but Cynthia murmured like a lunatic with clear eyes.
"I once wished the world held only sister and me... I performed a blood oath ritual alone, believing she'd be mine forever... Why did you marry another man and betray me?"
"Are you insane?"
Helen recoiled in bewilderment, clenching both hands.
Lady Valeria looked slightly frightened too.
Spotting Masera entering after finishing with the officers, Cynthia rushed over and clung to him tightly.
"...After being betrayed by the sister I loved so much, my persistent obsession turned to the brigadier general."
"...?"
Masera blinked down at her in confusion.
Cynthia narrowed her eyes and whispered,
"Hug me."
"What...?"
"Hug me tightly."
At her firm command, Masera unwittingly pulled her into an embrace.
Clung securely in Masera's arms, Cynthia turned to Karos.
"Lady Valeria and Brother Karos match perfectly. Best wishes on the marriage!"
Karos's face, expecting even a hint of agitation from her, began to harden.
