Chapter 50
“……Did I just hear that right?”
At the very moment Cynthia had just arrived at the reception room to speak with Eren, the Duke of Evergreen, who had gone out early in the morning with his wife, received unexpected news from another noble.
It concerned none other than his daughter, Cynthia.
“Our C.C. did what with whom?”
The Duke pressed the question sharply, and the noble who first brought it up hesitated, speaking in a stammer.
“Well… some people say they saw her leaving a party together with the Duke of Starten…”
The noble’s voice trailed off, nervously glancing around.
The Duke’s expression darkened more than ever as he absorbed the words.
“…So you’re saying the Duke of Starten took my daughter out during the party?”
“Eh? Ah… yes… well…”
The noble, Count Cellotte Yeongsik, nodded awkwardly, clearly intimidated.
Though the nuance seemed slightly different depending on the words used, I didn’t dare point it out.
Meanwhile, the Duke of Evergreen silently furrowed his brows, mulling over what he had just heard.
‘Of all people… the Duke of Starten.’
Who was the Duke of Starten?
He was a recluse, normally holed up in his estate, barely showing his face except at annual events like the Founding Day. Even other dukes had rarely conversed with him.
‘I thought he’d gone back to his estate after the party. Was he still in the capital?’
It was well-known among the nobles that the Duke of Starten disliked staying long in the capital.
For him to remain meant something significant must have happened.
‘…I hope it has nothing to do with my daughter.’
The Duke had an almost animal-like intuition regarding matters concerning Cynthia.
Just thinking about the Duke of Starten gave him an uneasy feeling, suggesting the matter likely involved Cynthia.
‘Once I return home, I must ask Cynthia directly.’
It might have been a trivial rumor, but once nobles started talking, confirming the facts was necessary.
“Darling, what’s wrong?”
At that moment, the Duke’s wife, who had been conversing with other ladies, quietly approached.
She noticed the unusual tension in her husband’s expression, a concerned look appearing on her elegant face.
“My lady,”
Hearing his wife’s voice, the Duke softened his stern gaze as if nothing had happened.
“Your expression seemed off. You weren’t scaring people again, were you?”
He shook his head shamelessly at the slight reproach.
“With you watching me like this, of course not.”
Count Cellotte Yeongsik, who had earlier been intimidated by the Duke, was utterly flustered but dared not show it.
‘…My mistake was opening my mouth at all.’
It had been a mistake to mention Cynthia in front of the Duke in the first place.
‘Why did Joanna make me do this…?’
The Count recalled a recent conversation with Joanna Rain:
“I have a favor to ask of you.”
“…What is it?”
“You have many friends. Spread a rumor for me, and I’ll give you all the gold in this box.”
Refusing a request from one’s sister holding a box full of gold coins was unthinkable.
The only thing Joanna asked was for him to spread a rumor about the Duke of Starten and the Princess of Evergreen.
It wasn’t an outright lie; it was designed to raise suspicion, making the rumor just plausible enough. And indeed, the two had left the Marquis Rain’s party around the same time, so technically, it wasn’t false.
‘Running into the Duke today was unexpected.’
Even though the Duke of Evergreen had now heard, it was too late to act immediately.
At that moment, the Duke’s wife finally spoke, observing Count Yeongsik closely.
“I’m late in greeting you. You’re the second son of the Cellotte family, aren’t you?”
“…Ah, yes. Greetings, your Grace.”
Taken aback by the sudden acknowledgment, Count Yeongsik bowed hurriedly.
“I noticed you speaking with my husband. If he was rude, I apologize on his behalf.”
The Duchess smiled like a flower at Count Yeongsik, who froze before realizing himself.
Nearby, the Duke’s piercing gaze lingered—a look so deadly it could intimidate anyone.
Swallowing dryly, Count Yeongsik shook his head hastily.
“Ap, apology? That’s… unnecessary.”
Had the Duchess even mentioned the word “apology,” the Duke might have erased him from existence without anyone noticing.
‘I haven’t even touched the gold yet. I can’t die like this.’
“I have urgent business… if it’s alright, may I leave first?”
“If that’s the case, go ahead.”
The Duchess nodded gently. Count Yeongsik gave a formal farewell and fled.
Watching his figure disappear, the Duchess murmured lightly:
“…Shall we return home as well?”
“Yes, that’s best.”
The Duke, still unsettled for reasons unknown, nodded briefly as they boarded their carriage to return home.
Back at the residence:
“I’ll bathe alone today, so everyone else take it easy.”
I sent away the maids who came to attend me and entered the bathroom alone.
I planned to enjoy a long, relaxing bath to clear my complicated thoughts.
The bathwater had been prepared, so I only had to undress and step in.
Letting my body sink into the warm water, I felt my mind slowly clear.
‘…Why did Eren apologize to me earlier?’
I closed my eyes, replaying the events. Before leaving the reception room, Eren had apologized.
If he weren’t hiding something, would there have been any reason to apologize?
‘So my suspicion might be right.’
It wasn’t hard to understand. If he truly was a beastman, he would have lived his entire life hiding his identity, like others of his kind.
‘Still… it stings a little.’
Even counting the three years apart, we had spent at least ten years together.
Would he suddenly treat me differently just because I was human?
‘Well, that’s normal in this world.’
That explained why Michael in the original story had suffered to hide his identity.
‘…Wait a minute.’
The mention of Michael sparked a sudden thought.
‘Beastmen can recognize each other, right?’
If my memory served me correctly, they could distinguish each other by scent.
‘Then… did Michael and Eren know each other were beastmen?’
It made sense why Eren had acted strangely when treating Michael.
‘…How did things get so complicated so fast?’
I let out a deep sigh.
It had only been a few days since I decided to help Michael.
Plans weren’t even fully made, yet events were already spinning out of control.
“Even if I’m the heroine of this world, isn’t this overworking everyone?”
I muttered to the empty room.
At that moment, a knock and Silly’s voice came from outside the bathroom.
“Princess, His Excellency arrived and is looking for you. What should I do?”
“…Father?”
I immediately opened my eyes, stepped out of the bath, wrapped myself in a towel and robe, and went outside.
If Father was seeking me immediately, it must be urgent.
‘I hope nothing happened to Mother.’
Dressing quickly, I stepped out and saw a servant bow respectfully.
“His Excellency is waiting in the study.”
‘Good, Mother seems fine.’
The servant’s calm expression reassured me.
‘Then why is Father looking for me?’
I racked my brain on the way to the study but couldn’t think of any reason.
Finally, I arrived at the study, still uncertain of the cause.
