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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: The Worn-Out Male Lead Picked the Wrong Opponent
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"My goal was to expose the scandal between those two."
Early in the morning, Helen visited the duke and handed him the newspaper for the day.
He unfolded the paper and read the article.
「The Final Royals' Disgraceful Scandal
Cynthia Queensguard, Karos Queensguard siblings. Entangled in a forbidden scandal. The clandestine meeting photos sent by the whistleblower corroborate rumors about their relationship...
」
A massive photo of the two embracing in the forest dominated the newspaper.
What expression would Masera make upon seeing this article? Even without affection, he would surely be gripped by betrayal and rage.
The media would eagerly pour out stories of discord between the two, and his image would gradually tarnish.
The duke folded the newspaper, feeling a sense of satisfaction.
Then he looked at Helen, who sat there with elegant poise.
She was beautiful, but he felt no emotions beyond those for a business partner. Ironically, he knew better than anyone the misery of a loveless marriage.
Helen spoke.
"I've achieved my goal, but a problem arose in the middle."
Helen explained what had happened at the villa.
The note manipulation, and then the kidnapping incident happening by chance, turning it into a subject of investigation.
The Lecanosa Duke immediately changed his attitude and scolded her.
"What in the world is the lady of a duke's house doing? If the truth comes out, the family's reputation will hit rock bottom."
Helen lifted her chin defiantly.
"As long as it's not revealed that I wrote the note."
The duke wore an incredulous expression.
"Didn't you say the evidence was sent to the intelligence agency? Catching the one who delivered it is only a matter of time."
"Negotiating with the higher-ups is your part. Besides, the deliverer will never be caught."
At Helen's gesture, a woman in a hood shuffled timidly into the room.
"She's a maid with no records, processed as dead."
On the day the servants of the Queensguard mansion were killed, Helen had secretly spared and kept this one alive.
'Originally kept as a useful witness to grab Father and Cynthia by the ankles, but with the leash in hand, she's useful for this too.'
At Helen's glance, the hesitant maid removed her hood. She was a frail-looking woman with light amber hair and green eyes.
"My name is Anna."
The duke silently stared at the plain woman introducing herself.
Helen smiled leisurely.
"Now that scrap of paper is hardly an issue anymore, right? We've bought time, so we can resolve it while attention is on the scandal."
'Pushing troublesome work onto me.'
The duke, who had been looking at the maid, turned his head and clicked his tongue inwardly.
Cynthia, who had encountered the malicious scandal article from the morning, wore a gloomy expression.
'Even photos published... How did this happen? Did Karos deliberately hug me?'
But that seemed unlikely, as Karos had much to lose too.
Dalia, who had brought the newspaper, said in a firm tone.
"Ma'am, it seems like a deliberate opinion war. Shall we prepare a rebuttal report?"
Cynthia felt deeply moved looking at Dalia, who didn't doubt her for a second.
"Will the brigadier general believe me too?"
At Cynthia's question, Dalia smiled reassuringly.
"The brigadier general isn't a fool. He'll know this is an article trying to cover up something related to the kidnapping incident."
Thinking about who benefited from this made the conclusion simple.
It had to be Helen.
"As expected of my adjutant. Your insight is no joke."
Relieved by the fact that she had people on her side, Cynthia still couldn't shake her anxiety. Memories of everyone leaving and her ending up alone seemed to suddenly point at her.
She usually shouted, "I can live well on my own!" but that was different from embracing solitude.
Diego, who had delivered the newspaper to Masera, watched him with a tense face.
Diego waited as Masera silently read the paper, then glanced at his wristwatch and asked at the right timing.
"What should we do? To clear the misunderstanding with Miss Cynthia—no, the princess..."
"Nothing in particular."
Masera, seated at his desk, looked up and spoke.
His cold, dry gaze felt especially intimidating today.
Masera lowered his eyes back to the documents and added.
"It's not worth worrying about."
So, since it was a political marriage based on interests alone, he wouldn't care about something like this?
'The brigadier general is an idiot...'
Diego let out a sigh.
After Diego finished his report and left.
Crack.
The sound of the fountain pen in Masera's hand shattering into pieces. His lip twisted viciously.
"How dare..."
What he hated most was anyone touching what was his. Having never truly possessed anything, he had stronger possessiveness than anyone.
In the capital, at the mansion where the Queensguard Count and his sons were staying.
"What is this! You said you had no interest! That you'd marry some other woman! Explain!"
Edford shoved the newspaper at Karos and threw a tantrum.
Karos lightly ignored the whining Edford and headed to his father's study.
The Queensguard Count, who had been looking out the window, turned to him with one eyebrow raised. A crumpled newspaper lay on the desk.
"I need to know who's trying to ruin things."
At his father's chilling interrogation, Karos shook his head.
"It's true I hugged her of my own will, but it wasn't a deliberate setup."
The count picked up the long golf club leaning against the wall and grinned.
"Is that the end of your excuses?"
He looked ready to thrash his son at any moment.
"Not only failing to be useful, but if you betray this father, there's no reason to treat you as a son anymore."
"I only soothed Cynthia, fearing she'd get other ideas upon hearing about my marriage talks with another woman."
The count lifted Karos's chin with the end of the golf club and gave a sly smile.
"And that got photographed by chance, and you even got kidnapped together?"
Karos recalled Helen's warning.
"Go ahead and tell anyone I did it. It'll just be dismissed as nonsense in the end."
She was the lady of the duke's house and a power holder.
Karos couldn't bring himself to mention Helen. He knew it was pointless—even his father, the count, couldn't win against her.
At that moment, a maid entered and informed the count of a guest's arrival. The count grinned and looked at Karos.
"They say Vicente Brigadier General has arrived. I let him know you'd be visiting earlier."
Seeing Karos's stiffened expression, the count waved him out, meaning to go quickly.
"You know who he's here for, right? Go on. If you value your safety, don't upset him."
Karos headed to the reception room where Masera waited.
Upon opening the door, he saw Masera in uniform, legs crossed on the sofa.
Sensing the presence, Masera removed his officer's cap, stood, and turned to Karos.
"What brings you..."
It was the moment Karos began to speak.
BAM!
In an instant, Karos's body was slammed against the wall.
Masera's eyes darkened deeply as he gripped Karos's throat.
"Is this about the newspaper article?"
Feeling the pressure on his throat, Karos let out a scoff.
"I'm here to investigate the backer of this scandal and to give a warning."
Masera released the throat he had gripped and began rolling up his sleeves.
"I ask for your cooperation."
Karos shrugged and looked at Masera.
"Cooperation? With hands moving before words, you really can't hide your origins."
But before he could finish speaking, Karos's vision plummeted.
"Urk!"
His previously sprained leg was kicked by Masera's military boot, causing him to collapse in an unsightly heap.
"Yes. A human butcher who's only ever lived on the battlefield, committing slaughter."
"Dirty move, targeting the injured spot..."
Masera brutally grabbed Karos by the hair, yanked him up, and glared down at him.
"I only know how to imitate people. I don't know human methods."
"You, a commoner war orphan, think you can do this to me and get away unscathed?"
Slap!
Having been slapped on the cheek he'd been hit before, Karos wore a bewildered expression.
Masera spoke in a quiet voice.
"Even if I kill you here and walk out now, nothing will happen to me."
He pointed to the scrape on his own cheek from yesterday's suppression operation.
"Moreover, my wife would worry more about this than your death."
Karos couldn't retort.
His opponent was a world-renowned war hero, while he was a fallen royal burdened with original sin. And Cynthia's heart had clearly left him.
"You're not sincere toward Cynthia, so why go this far?"
A brief silence fell, filled only by their breathing.
Slap!
This time hitting the opposite cheek, Masera grinned sinisterly.
"She's mine anyway. I hate it to death when someone touches what's mine."
Soon, he began removing his watch.
"From now on, answer only what I ask. I don't care about the investigation target's status or origins."
He loosened his tie and lifted his eyes coldly.
