Chapter 36
Marcel picked up a macaron and popped it into his mouth.
Gradually, his trembling stopped. The fluffy paw tapped his hand lightly.
“Marcel, give me some too.”
Seeing Marcel eat made me crave something sweet, so I asked confidently.
It was emotionally exhausting to be caught in the middle of a royal conflict along with a poor little cat.
He let out a laugh that sounded like air escaping from a balloon and scanned the table.
Finding something suitable for the cat, he fed it to him.
“Yum. Thanks, Marcel. It’s delicious.”
“Looks like that cat has a bad fate only with me.”
This time, the remark was aimed at me. Male lead, has your character gone on vacation and not come back yet?
Isn’t karmic retribution supposed to pile up only for the heroine and the villainess?
I wanted to snap at him, but I had to restrain myself. You only start a fight when you’re sure you can win.
“Lizette doesn’t understand what His Highness the Crown Prince is saying.”
As expected, pretending to be a cat who knows nothing about etiquette or social status is the best strategy in times like this.
I felt like the fur on my face thickened. The Crown Prince’s expression twisted completely.
“Arno, eat quickly. Don’t worry, I’ll save some for Marianne when we leave.”
Pressed by the Empress, the Crown Prince finally focused on eating the cookies.
He didn’t touch the tea after taking one sip—it didn’t suit his taste.
The conversation was mainly between Marcel and the Empress, and I occasionally chimed in.
Eloise only gave brief answers to questions.
During the uncomfortable tea time, the Crown Prince’s gaze never left Eloise.
The Crown Prince excused himself first, citing official business.
Then Marcel used my health check as an excuse to take me out.
“Phew… thank goodness for the cat.”
Eloise also looked like she wanted to come, but the Empress spoke to her, so she couldn’t.
As soon as we entered the Crown Prince’s reception room, we both let out long sighs.
“Phew.”
“Ahh…”
“You did well, Lizette.”
“Yeah, really. I think the Empress chose Eloise as the Crown Princess…”
“I know, right? Why try something impossible?”
Marcel put me down on the sofa and sat opposite me.
He looked tense, loosening his tie and crossing his legs.
“Marcel, you like Eloise, right?”
“…I just want Eli to be happy.”
“Even if it’s next to the Crown Prince?”
“If Eli likes him, that’s fine. Sometimes I think about seducing Marianne so he would break up with her.”
Marcel said it with a joking smile, but it was serious. Only now did I understand him properly, the way the original story didn’t explain.
The novel portrayed Eloise’s obsession as if it were because she liked the Crown Prince, so maybe Marcel pretended to like Marianne for her sake.
And perhaps he really fell for her eventually.
If he had liked Eloise until the end, he wouldn’t have stood by watching her ruin herself.
So… has this guy also changed his mind?
“Liar.”
“It’s true.”
Seeing Marcel’s serious expression made me think there was more to him than the novel showed.
“Can’t you make her happy?”
“I’m not the Crown Prince. Besides, if my brother marries, I’ll be in charge of the northern territories. Eli suits the palace better than the north.”
Hearing Marcel speak confused me even more.
Novels inevitably focus on the heroine and male lead, so there was no way to know his true feelings.
Eloise seems to care more for Marcel than the Crown Prince…
Q. Choose the easiest way to prevent the villainess’s ruin.
Make her family harmonious so she doesn’t obsess over the Crown Prince.
Awaken her as a Great Mage.
Make her fall in love with someone other than the male lead.
No matter how I tried to untangle the Montclair family’s twisted relationships, if Eloise’s heart still held a deep scar, it wouldn’t matter.
Even in my previous life, I doubt past wounds would heal easily even if the family apologized.
Eloise’s tangled mana was recovering, but slowly.
Option 3 was simplest—if both hearts were already inclined, only the environment needed changing.
“I’ll arrange a broken engagement.”
“What—”
Knock, knock.
“Your Highness, Dr. Payson has arrived.”
Just as Marcel looked at me, startled by my muttering, a servant knocked, announcing Payson’s arrival.
Perfect timing. My excitement was still my own, so I had to be careful.
“Payson, come in.”
“Peace to Calenia, Your Highness.”
After greeting, Payson quickly came over to where I was sprawled on the sofa.
I greeted him with a flick of my tail.
“Miss Lizette, you’re lovely as always.”
He checked my condition like yesterday and wore a serious expression.
Marcel, curious from watching, spoke first.
“What’s wrong?”
“Yesterday, your mana was steady at a low level, but today it’s fluctuating. The variation is small, so it’s not serious. Miss Lizette, did something happen today?”
“I… felt tiny under the Empress’s watchful eye.”
“Excuse me?”
“I had tea with the Empress, along with the Montclair princess, my brother, and me.”
Marcel kindly explained on my behalf.
Payson nodded knowingly and sighed deeply.
“It seems you were mentally strained. If I had been there, I wouldn’t have been able to breathe either. You two have been more sensitive lately. Still, we’ll watch for other reasons just in case.”
Payson packed the medical instruments from the table back into his large bag.
“See you tomorrow, then.”
At the door, Étienne stood. He paused briefly, then entered the room.
His bright hair had darkened, so he must have just washed.
“Hello, Payson.”
“Étienne, long time no see. I’m just on my way back, so see you later.”
“Alright. Take care.”
After Payson left, Marcel stretched and flopped onto the sofa.
Étienne naturally covered him with a blanket.
Looking at them, it was hard to tell who was the elder brother.
“Étienne, can you take Lizette to the Empress’s palace? If I go, Mother will probably stop me.”
“…Okay. Come here.”
Étienne approached, spreading his arms as if to have me hug him.
Why are Eloise and everyone else trying to hug me? I have my own legs!
“You said you don’t like cats. Are you carrying me?”
“Carrying is faster.”
I didn’t understand, but I did as told.
As soon as Étienne picked me up, he opened a window and jumped out. Three floors up!
“Ahhh!”
“You’ve got quite the lungs.”
Étienne landed lightly, and started running at an incredible speed.
The surroundings blurred, but I barely felt the cold wind.
Maybe it was his body heat. No wonder he came out without drying his hair or wearing a coat.
Do beastmen have higher body temperatures than humans?
“We’re here.”
“Already? It took longer by carriage.”
Looking up, it really was the Empress’s palace. The guards who recognized us opened the doors.
Étienne set me down, as if telling me to go in alone.
The moment my feet touched the ground, he picked me up again.
“Your mana flow…”
“Payson said it was just temporary fluctuation from stress, or mental strain today.”
“…Once we go in, don’t do anything. Go straight to bed.”
I didn’t know why he looked serious, but I nodded.
After hearing me, he let me go again.
As I took a few steps into the palace, I looked back to see Étienne standing there.
“Aren’t you eating dinner?”
“I will.”
Good. I almost went to bed hungry.
I rushed inside the palace before the cold winter wind could get in.
Coming out of Étienne’s arms, the chill was intense.
“Miss Lizette, you should eat dinner.”
A familiar face was waiting for me inside the Empress’s palace.
“Sophie!”
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