* * *
The next day, at the official residence.
Butler Milchenko announced Count Queensguard’s visit.
“Count Queensguard has arrived. He is currently in the drawing room.”
What brings him here again? He should be visiting Helene’s house to give her some guidance.
I sighed and headed to the drawing room.
Count Queensguard, who was lounging on the sofa, wore a leisurely smile.
“As you may have heard, the Lumantis Empire and the Medea Kingdom are actively seeking individuals to become rulers.”
In simpler terms, it’s like a large corporation selecting the heads of its affiliates through family ties.
The Count, lost in thought, wore a regretful expression.
“Helene is not fit to be a ruler. Instead of rowing forward together, she only thinks about sinking those on the same boat.”
I quietly nodded, sipping my tea.
He rose from his seat, gazed out the window, and stood with his hands behind his back.
“I tend to eliminate anyone who opposes me without exception, even if they are family. Ah, there is one exception.”
He turned to me, emphasizing his voice.
“My wife, Princess Margarita.”
In the instant he turned, the corner of his lips seemed to twitch slightly, but now it was composed as if nothing had happened.
“But she is no longer in this world, so it’s as if she never existed.”
I recalled the portraits of the Countess hanging in a row in the mansion.
“I resemble her, don’t I? That’s why I’m perfect as a fake.”
One of the reasons I was chosen was because I resembled her.
What kind of woman was she that this selfish villain would devote his pure love to her?
She was the first lady to whom the former military man made an eternal knight’s vow, and considering they even got married, he succeeded.
“But did the Princess ever oppose you? You mentioned an exception.”
The Count turned to me with a sinister smile.
“She tried to marry another man instead of me. I wanted to destroy the world back then.”
He began to casually reveal an outrageous story.
“So, I destroyed the royal family instead of the world. It was a place that would have collapsed with a mere touch anyway. I must have what I want.”
I thought it was a miracle that House Queensguard, who had been loyal subjects, hadn’t been annihilated, but it turned out they had betrayed the royal family.
It wasn’t just ‘If I can’t have it, I’ll destroy it,’ but destroying it and then reassembling it to get it back?
The man, who turned out to be a yandere with a dark obsession, wore a sentimental expression.
“I was going to give her the throne and even gift her a train station named after her. To think she would leave before I could fulfill my promises, she truly was a beautiful yet heartless woman.”
Isn’t that crazy love? No wonder he kept asking when the train station would be completed.
The Count then said to me.
“So, don’t even think about betraying me. I won’t betray you either, until the day we achieve our goal.”
The words ‘Don’t you even think about killing me first’ almost reached the tip of my tongue, but I simply shook my head.
“We have a symbiotic relationship that’s stronger than blood ties, don’t we?”
“Indeed.”
He chuckled like a villain.
Does even such a villain experience love? Or is it just obsession?
“The Duke is considering divorcing Helene.”
Judging by his nonchalant tone, Helene seemed to have already fallen out of his favor.
“Even though a gold mine was discovered in Diem?”
“He’ll probably demand Diem as alimony. She has a major weaknesses.”
It seemed he had negotiated separately with the Duke.
The Count rubbed his chin and said.
“The Duke seems to want you.”
“Huh?”
“He wants to remarry you.”
I was startled and widened my eyes.
Replacing the older sister with the younger sister? What kind of mess is this?
“In any case, you are considered royalty in the public eye. Your actions have also been compared to Helene’s.”
Count Queensguard seemed to be leaning towards using me as the Duchess instead of killing me. I must have seemed more useful than he thought.
‘I guess that death flag has been resolved…’
But what about Masera?
However, I couldn’t say here that I didn’t want to betray Masera.
Sensing my confused state of mind, the Count slowly added.
“There are several ways. Remarrying you as the widow of a national hero, or remarrying you after you’ve signed the divorce papers. He might use the royalist forces.”
As soon as I heard the words ‘widow of a national hero,‘ chills ran down my spine. It sounded like he was willing to kill Masera to make the remarriage happen.
Currently, Masera and I are on opposite sides of the battlefield surrounding the fate of the monarchy.
He asked for my opinion for the first time.
“What do you think about becoming the Duchess? The Dowager Duchess and the Princesses adore you, and it’s an opportunity to rise above with the help of the Medea royal family, isn’t it?”
From a fake Princess to the role of a Queen.
The Duke would become the regent and the de facto ruler anyway, and I would just be a clown sitting on the throne and smiling.
He stared at me as I hesitated to answer.
“Whatever your choice may be, if you have feelings for the Brigadier General, it would be best to sort them out.”
He seemed to have noticed the change in the relationship between Masera and me.
Well, the spy Charles would be diligently reporting to him.
“Love ruins everything. Money and power are the best.”
It was a piece of advice or a warning from the Count, who had already experienced a failed love.
“I think so too.”
I deliberately smiled slyly, pretending to agree wholeheartedly.
“You haven’t negotiated with the Duke yet, have you? He’ll be very disappointed if you’ve made a hasty decision.”
That cunning old man would raise the stakes after seeing the results in Nox.
The Count placed his hand on my shoulder and smiled.
“Of course. You just have to choose the one who wins the competition. Then, my daughter, let’s meet at the banquet tonight.”
He was planning to have me compete. Currently, the Duke would be in a more advantageous position.
“But, what do you want, Count? Money and power?”
At my question, he turned his head towards me as he was about to leave.
“Money and power are just means. The train station.”
I clutched the hem of my skirt, watching the Count’s retreating figure as he left the room, leaving behind an insane answer.
‘Masera is going to die? Because of me?’
Suddenly, his smile, which I had stored somewhere in my memory, came to mind, and I bit my lip.
What on earth is Count Queensguard thinking?
He seemed like someone desperately craving something, but I couldn’t figure out what he ultimately wanted.
Sometimes, he seemed to yearn for something that didn’t exist in the world.
I don’t know which forces he has backing him, but the fact that he destroyed the royal family means he can rebuild it as well.
I clenched my teeth and squeezed my fist tightly.
‘I won’t let anyone who interferes with my rom-com experience get away with it.’
* * *
The Prime Minister’s official residence, where parties were scheduled every day until the wedding, was bathed in bright light tonight as well.
Cynthia was also attending the banquet with Masera.
While Masera was talking with foreign officers, Cynthia was chatting with Clarence and Elsa, who had become much closer.
Some of the ladies who had taken her side before were also present.
At that moment, Duke Rukanosa approached Cynthia.
“How about taking a walk for a moment? There is something I would like to discuss with you.”
At the Duke’s suggestion, Cynthia nodded and followed him to the garden.
“I want to divorce Helene and remarry you, Princess.”
The Duke spoke bluntly.
He knew Cynthia’s true identity but intended to treat her like a Princess until the end, pretending not to know.
The Duke held Cynthia’s hand and continued.
“Fleeting feelings are just temporary. You and the Brigadier General, with your different positions in ascending to the throne, will inevitably continue to clash.”
Her hand, held by the Duke, flinched.
Words that guaranteed survival. But the premise was Masera’s sacrifice.
He gave a faint smile to Cynthia, who remained silent.
‘It would be best to remarry me rather than being killed by the Brigadier General after your identity is exposed, or by Count Queensguard.’
That’s why he had asked the Count to let him have her instead of killing her.
“Princess, living as a couple with someone you have no feelings for is a painful thing. I have only now realized that it is happiness to spend a lifetime with a partner with whom I can share my true feelings.”
Cynthia looked up at him with sunken eyes.
‘That’s only true when both sides feel the same way.’
The Duke, seeing Cynthia smile brightly, was expecting a positive answer when she twisted her hand out of his grasp.
The Duke was flustered and widened his eyes as he saw her wiping her hand on her skirt as if something unpleasant had touched it.
* * *
“Oh dear. It seems my daughter is too outstanding.”
Count Queensguard, with a cigar in his mouth, wore a regretful expression.
Masera had come to the garden with the Count, who said he had something important to discuss, and happened to overhear the Duke’s proposal.
Standing on the other side of the wall from Cynthia, he wore a blank face devoid of any emotion.
“It seems there are many people who covet my daughter, who has royal blood and good fortune. You must keep your wits about you if you don’t want to be taken away. Parents can’t win against their children. In the end, they have no choice but to do as their daughter wishes.”
Count Queensguard wore a bitter smile.
“Being taken away has many meanings. I believe you, Brigadier General, would choose to save your wife.”
