DSFL | Chapter 56

~Chapter 56~

It was a sudden apology.

“L-Lady Idette?”

 “I mean… about what happened at the ball…”

Idette’s voice was barely above a whisper. She hesitated for quite a while, struggling to speak.

“I want to apologize for suspecting you, Lady Bianca.”

Her words caught me completely off guard.

 To be honest, I never expected her to apologize.

Surprised by the unexpected situation, I froze for a moment before replying.

 “I-It’s okay.”

“…What?”

 Idette stared at me wide-eyed as if she had heard something unbelievable.

 Her reaction made me lose my calm composure too.

“I mean, I did suspect you! You could’ve ended up in a really unfair situation!”

Maybe she thought I hadn’t realized what happened, because she began speaking more passionately, very unlike her usual self.

“If those false rumors had spread further, it might have been too late to fix things…!”

 “I-I understand, but you already apologized.”

“….”

 “Knowing your mistake and admitting it is really important.”

At that moment, a voice echoed in my mind —

 ‘Everything you went through… was entirely my fault.’

That sudden memory made me speechless.

 Meanwhile, Idette continued talking.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t have forgiven me so easily. I would’ve been really angry! And even if not that…”

Realizing she was getting too emotional, she stopped speaking mid-sentence, brushed her arm down, and lowered her gaze.

“…I think I said all that just to make myself feel better.”

An awkward silence followed. Trying to lighten the mood, I asked casually,

 “Lady Idette… do you want to become empress?”

 “Yes.”

She answered without a second of hesitation.

 Only after she spoke did she realize how bold that sounded.

 I stayed silent, waiting for her to explain, and she spoke cautiously.

“Back then, my father told me… I was destined to be the most noble woman in the Empire.”

Destiny.

 It was a strange word, but thinking about it, it wasn’t wrong.

 In the original story, Idette became the Archmage and later the Empress.

 That was the fate laid out for her.

“To do that, he said we need to reclaim what we’ve lost.”

She was referring to Ailins’ power.

 I started putting the puzzle pieces together and asked,

 “How do you plan to get it back?”

“Well…”

She hesitated, then made a firm expression.

“The Duke said he would help me.”

That title took me by surprise.

“Lady Bianca, do you remember what I said before?”

 ‘I can’t go into detail, but the Duke and I are…’

“We’re planning to uncover the secrets the Empire tried to hide.”

She meant to restore Ailins’ name and identity.

 As her descendant, it made sense for Idette to do that.

But if she succeeded —

 It would lead to the very situation my grandfather feared more than death.

“…And then what?”

 “My part ends there. Reclaim what was lost, become Empress. After that… I don’t really know.”

 “…”

 “Then the Duke will get what he wants.”

What does Ricardo want?

I clearly remember the last time I saw his face.

 I clearly remember the look on his face the last time I saw him.

 That wasn’t the face of someone who wanted anything.

He told me I looked like I was about to run away.

 But the one who truly refused to face the mirror… was him.

“…What does Ricardo want?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe… since he respects Lord Harness, he wants to accomplish something as great as he did?”

Idette answered lightly.

But Elliot had said Ricardo had duties within the family—duties he didn’t want.

 There’s no way someone like him would want to be like Harness.

“Ah, right. Weren’t you here to meet Peril, Lady Bianca?

 I’ve kept you too long. Please, go on in.”

“Oh, Lady Idette.”

 “Yes?”

 “Let’s just say your debt to me is paid off now.”

She shook her head in surprise.

 “N-No, don’t say that!”

But you were the one who denied it first, remember?

“Well, if you still feel bad about it, do me one favor later.”

“I will! Anything for you, Lady Bianca!”

She didn’t even realize she was being tricked.

 I felt a little guilty… but having a favor owed might come in handy later.

“Then, see you later.”

I gave her a polite goodbye and headed toward Peril, who was approaching.

***

“I thought you died on the way here.”

“You sure have a lovely way with words.”

From the outside, the Mage Tower looked like ruins.

 But inside, people were busily working.

Everyone moved like clockwork, each doing their job.

Some stirred large steaming cauldrons; others assembled machine parts like they were in a factory.

“Delivery’s due in a week. Everyone’s in a rush,” Peril explained casually.

“…I didn’t realize people were even working here since the lights are always off.”

 “Behind every comfortable life, people are working hard.”

 “That’s true.”

“Watch out.”

At his words, I looked down and saw a rat rushing away.

“C-Catch that, please!”

A boy wearing crooked glasses came rushing toward us with a butterfly net.

“Simon! How could you knock over the box?!”

 “I’m sorry!”

…Even the busiest street market wouldn’t be this noisy.

Simon swung the net around in a panic, his face pale with fear.

 At this rate, something was bound to break.

“Can’t you just catch it with magic?”

 “I can, technically.”

 “Then please just—”

 “I won’t. I’m scared of rats.”

Peril shrugged, looking completely unbothered.

Meanwhile, Simon caused a disaster.

Crash!

 “Simon! You…!”

He knocked over the cauldron and even broke a wall decoration with his flailing net.

“Aaah, that was the painting I brought from the desert!”

Cries erupted from all directions as everyone scrambled away from the rat.

 I wasn’t any different.

Maybe I should find a cat… but would I even be able to?

 My thoughts spiraled as—

Whack!

 Simon, charging like a runaway train, suddenly stopped.

The room went completely quiet.

 I felt a chill and turned toward Peril.

“….”

There he stood, a butterfly net flipped over his head.

Don’t laugh. Hold it in.

 “Pfft…”

But I couldn’t help the laugh slipping through my teeth.

***

“I’ve committed a grave sin…”

Simon knelt with his arms raised above his head, voice trembling with guilt.

“…I promise I won’t mess up again.”

 “If you act like that in Orphen too, it’s going to be a problem.”

 “Ah—no! In the Kingdom, I’ll—”

Peril sighed deeply, and Simon couldn’t finish his sentence.

“Huh? You’re going to Orphen?”

 “I said the delivery is in a week, didn’t I?”

…I thought he meant the Empire.

“We’ll need to find someone else to go to the Kingdom.”

At Peril’s words, Simon’s face went pale.

 Even though I didn’t do anything, I suddenly felt awkward.

“Go. I’ll talk to Lily for you.”

 “Yes…”

Simon cast a teary glance at me.

…Why does he look like he’s blaming me?

 Like I stole his job or something.

I stared at him in disbelief, and Peril spoke.

“Thanks to you, the Empire’s been pretty noisy lately.”

 I shot him a glare.

“This is all your fault.”

“At least say thank you with a little warmth.”

“…You knew things would turn out like this when you sent me to Ricardo, didn’t you?”

 “Took you long enough to figure it out.”

Peril smiled with satisfaction.

“I don’t get why you’re so annoyed. Didn’t you hate that man?”

 “T-That’s…”

 “Then you should be thanking me for giving you a little push.”

He replied with a playful voice full of amusement.