While Others Became Female Leads In Romantic Fantasy Novels, I Became A Closet Monster
Chapter 33
Gemma stopped in her tracks and glared at the man named Arnold as if she wanted to kill him.
“Do not presume to speak the Grand Duchess’s name so freely.”
“The fault doesn’t lie solely with our side. You aren’t the only one holding a winning hand, you know.”
“But it’s a fact that I have the advantage.”
Gemma ground her teeth. The man gave a light shrug of his shoulders.
“I don’t intend to do anything. As long as you accept my proposal, that is.”
She turned around irritably and began walking again.
‘So the situation is…’
That man wants to enter the Grand Duke’s Castle, and the Grand Duchess is trying to grant that request.
‘Because that man holds a weakness over her.’
What could it be?
‘He even calls her by her name so familiarly…’
Are they having an affair?
‘But that’s not something that needs to be kept such a secret.’
The Grand Duke took Amelia as a concubine, so he’d likely turn a blind eye to his wife’s infidelity. Since they don’t love each other, they’d probably just tacitly ignore it.
If so, there must be another weakness.
I followed closely behind them. However, after the man’s last remark, Gemma didn’t say another word.
The passage was quite long. So much time passed that I lost track of how many minutes we had been walking.
‘Is this a path leading outside?’
The fact that they went to the trouble of building such a long secret passage…
It was just as I hurried after them to confirm my suspicion.
Gemma stopped and placed her hand on the wall. With a soft sliding sound, a door opened. Gemma stepped aside and spoke to the man.
“It will take some time, but definitely…”
Whoosh!
But before I could hear the rest, I was transported back to the Wardrobe.
And I was holding nothing but the bag of blueberries.
“Agh! At such a crucial moment!”
You should have at least let me hear the end of that sentence!
As I flailed about in frustration, the Wardrobe doors swung wide open.
Dedrick couldn’t hide his bewilderment as he watched me express my annoyance with my whole body.
“…Where have you been that you’re so late?”
“It was a golden opportunity to find out their weakness!”
As I wailed, Dedrick sat on the edge of the Wardrobe. He gently took my hand and helped me up from where I was lying.
“I was worried because you were gone so long. What happened?”
I handed him the bag of blueberries I was clutching and muttered gloomily.
“I had a chance to catch the Grand Duchess and Gemma’s weakness, but I…”
Dedrick took the bag. Upon seeing the blueberries inside, he let out a quiet laugh.
“Why blueberries? Are you worried my eyesight will get bad?”
“Yeah. I heard blueberries are good for the eyes.”
“That’s right. You’re a wonderful student.”
He stroked my hair, and I gave a sheepish grin.
“Didi, you’re the one who told me. I was worried because you study so late into the night. You have to eat them and keep your eyes healthy.”
“Okay, I will.”
Once I had calmed down a bit, Dedrick finally asked about the reason for my distress.
“But what’s this about the Grand Duchess and Gemma’s weakness? You didn’t do anything dangerous, did you?”
What does he take me for?
He’s being so overprotective.
“A man came to see the Grand Duchess. Secretly, at that. He made some kind of proposal, and it looks like the Grand Duchess is going to accept it.”
“Did it look like she had no choice but to accept?”
“Yes, they spoke as if they both held weaknesses over each other. It seemed like the man wanted to enter the Grand Duke’s Castle. I could have heard more details, but I was suddenly transported back…”
What a waste, a total waste!
Dedrick held a blueberry to my lips. My mouth opened reflexively, and he popped it in.
The sweetness made me feel a little better.
“In that case, we’ll have to keep an eye on any new men entering the castle.”
I nodded and said, “I don’t think he’ll be coming for a while, but we should still keep a lookout.”
“Was there anything else?”
“The man’s name is Arnold.”
“Arnold…”
“Do you know him by any chance?”
Dedrick shook his head.
“I’ve never heard of him.”
“He seemed like a knight. I caught a glimpse of a sword under his robe.”
“A knight…”
He fell into deep thought, but nothing seemed to come to mind.
If even the brilliant Dedrick didn’t know him, they must be hiding something very thoroughly.
But who could it be, really?
‘A man who holds a weakness over the Grand Duchess.’
Gemma was also very cautious, and surprisingly, she spoke formally to him.
Gemma was also an aristocrat. She never used formal speech with those of lower status.
Then was that man a noble too?
Regardless of whether it was an affair or not, I was just happy that the Grand Duchess had a weakness. If we only knew what it was, Dedrick wouldn’t have to keep his head down until he reached adulthood.
It seemed like a very significant secret that must not be found out by the Grand Duke.
‘But he sure is bold. Daring to bring such a man into the Grand Duke’s Castle…?’
Does the Grand Duke really not know about this?
I asked Dedrick tentatively.
“Should we tell the Grand Duke?”
“I think it would be best to tell him.”
“Right? Catching their weakness is good, but if they’re plotting something, it might not be good for us right now.”
Since I couldn’t speak to him, I decided to leave this matter to Dedrick.
“Didi, you tell him when the time is right. Oh, and there’s a secret passage in the fruit storehouse. It seems to lead outside.”
Since she opened the door so skillfully, Gemma must have used that passage quite often.
“I’m going to try going there again when I have time. I’m curious where it leads. Whether it’s really the outside or not.”
I might not be able to confirm it properly since I can’t leave the Grand Duke’s Castle, both in the novel and now.
I immediately rejected Dedrick’s suggestion.
“No way. If I get transported back alone, how are you going to get out? And if you happen to run into Gemma…”
I shuddered as if something terrible had happened.
“I can’t allow that.”
“Because it’s dangerous for me?”
“Yes. Let’s ask the Grand Duke to block that secret passage too.”
That’ll show them.
If they’re plotting something through that path, we can just block it off.
I gave a devious smile, and Dedrick looked amused by my reaction.
“By the way, are your ankles and wrists okay?”
Even though some time had passed, I looked at him with concern as he occasionally leaned on me, saying it hurt.
“Yeah, I think they’re completely healed.”
“That’s a relief.”
I checked his face and the back of his hands. Thanks to the consistent application of ointment, there wasn’t a single scar.
Finally, the day had come.
I grabbed the hand of Dedrick, who had just come in from exercising, and said with a face full of determination.
“You have to go out to the training grounds today.”
“I was planning to just stay in my room and study today…”
No, not that commendable activity!
I immediately stopped him from doing that commendable thing.
“No! You have to go out right after lunch.”
I straightened my shoulders with great confidence, as if I had obtained some incredible information.
“Grand Duke Blackwood will be passing by there!”
“…And?”
Dedrick seemed indifferent.
Do you really not know what this means?
Frustrated, I thumped my chest.
“It’s a great chance to score points! Now that Somerset is in disgrace, it’s the perfect time!”
“I don’t particularly care about scoring points…”
At his unexpected answer, my eyes widened and I shouted before I knew it.
“What?!”
“Haha.”
As I stood there aghast, he burst into laughter.
“It’s funny when you use expressions you normally wouldn’t.”
“I must have picked it up from hearing all sorts of things… No, that’s not it! I’m telling you, you’ll only be safe if you’re under the Grand Duke’s protection! Just look at the wooden sword incident—we’ve been so comfortable for a while because of it.”
So you absolutely must catch the Grand Duke’s eye!
No matter how indifferent the Grand Duke is, he wouldn’t ignore his own son if he’s earmarked him as the successor.
But then, unexpected words came out of Dedrick’s mouth.
“Even if I catch his eye, the Grand Duke won’t protect us.”
Wait, why not?
I was momentarily lost for words. Of course, Dedrick wouldn’t be wrong, but it was hard to understand.
“Surely… if you show him you have talent with the sword, he’ll definitely keep you by his side…”
“You can just think of that man as someone who gives out scores.”
“Scores?”
“If you do well, you did well; if you do poorly, you did poorly. That’s it. That’s all it is to him.”
Looking at Dedrick, who spoke with such cold finality, I couldn’t push him any further.
“And if I show that I’m skilled in swordsmanship, the Grand Duchess will only become more wary.”
He was right about that.
If the Grand Duke really wasn’t going to protect Didi, there was no need to go out of his way to look good.
‘It would only make Delaney target him more.’
“Then I don’t have to go, right? Even if I look good to the Grand Duke, I won’t be protected.”
Dedrick took my hand and pulled me toward the desk.
“So let’s just stay together today. That’s what I want to do.”
