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Chapter 63

Renia started talking from the moment she left the party yesterday. She couldn’t figure out where to go after leaving the party.

“I didn’t have a clue. Someone seemed to whisper in my ear, but I just accepted it as my idea.”

“What did you hear?”

“Let’s go to the lake, I will kill you. I heard that voice.”

Something whispered in her ear, and she accepted the sound as her own without doubt and stabbed Amelie with a knife. The process was so natural that it didn’t make any sense of incompatibility.

“But listening to your story, I came to my senses. I realized that I followed that voice, not my will.”

At the last minute, Renia completely abandoned the idea of harming Amelie. But the body moved on its own. Like a doll controlled by a string.

“—I know that what I’m saying will not be easily believed. After all, I stabbed you.”

Renia bowed her head and touched her hand.

“I believe in you.”

“Huh?”

Renia raised her head. Amelie’s eyes faced Renia without shaking.

“You believe me? Why? No, you can’t believe it like that! You should be suspicious!”

Renia was furious.

“I’ve thought about it for a long time, but don’t you trust people too easily? You’re only going to get used by the social community. If you’re going to be an empress—”

“Calm down. I’m not blindly believing you.”

Amelie stopped Renia. Renia shut up when she learned that she was too excited.

‘Looking at that kind-hearted face makes me meddle in without knowing it.’

Renia complained that this was all because Amelie looked so clueless. However, on the one hand, she felt like she was going to cry. Why does she say she believes when her father who gave birth doesn’t trust her?

“Black smoke surrounded Young Lady. That’s what manipulated you.”

“I haven’t seen things like that.”

“You can’t see it, but I can see it. You weren’t you the moment you stabbed me.”

Amelie certainly heard the voice of disaster at that moment.

‘The disaster manipulated her.’

On the day Renia collapsed, Amelie saw black smoke escape from Renia. The disaster tried to stick to her that day.

‘They said strange things happen on foggy days. There will be crazy people.’

Perhaps all the strange things that have happened in the imperial palace so far have been related to disaster.

‘I need to find out what happened in the imperial palace. Now that the party is over, I can spend more time on research.’

Amelie sighed.

“Anyway, thank you for answering honestly. It was very helpful. Don’t worry about yesterday. I’ll tell His Majesty well.”

“Do as you please, Miss Amelie.”

When Amelie got up from her seat, Renia followed and hurriedly grabbed Amelie’s wrist.

“Wait—!”

“….?”

Renia hesitated and opened her mouth.

“Are you sincere about what you said yesterday?”

“Yes? Uhm. Yes.”

“So you’re sincere.”

Renia bit her lips.

In fact, Renia had not slept a wink so far. This was because Amelie’s words that led her to imagine a different future kept lingering in her ears.

So far, she has only had the option of marriage. That’s how she grew up, and how she was educated.

Because an unmarried noble woman was a pain for the family. If she had a good relationship with her family, she could continue to live in the mansion, but she couldn’t do anything if she was kicked out. So, Renia hoped for freedom, but she couldn’t think of another method other than marriage.

‘Father always told me not to pay attention to the County. It belongs to Gilbert—.’

Come to think of it now, it was clear that he had restrained her for fear of her coveting the title of Count. Every time she tried to look into something that interested her about the Count’s work, her father would get very angry.

‘Count, if I became Count—’

Renia imagined herself as a Count. Gilbert will be kicked out naked, and her father will be locked up in a monastery.

‘Then the whole house will be mine. I’m not going to exploit the people in the territory like my father did. It will make it a good and prosperous place.’ 

She was able to officially attend the meetings held at the Imperial Palace and discuss the nation’s affairs. How great would it be if she could develop her abilities in central politics?

If she becomes an Empress, she would be forced to continue to support the Count and fill their stomach. She couldn’t get away from her father and Gilbert.

But if she became the Count herself, no one else’s power was needed. Because she has her own back.

‘Then I can get rid of my father or my brother as much as I want!’ 

Just thinking about it made her feel overwhelmed. It was incomparable to when she imagined herself as an Empress. Her heart pounded with excitement and anticipation.

‘This is what I really wanted.’

Renia was belatedly able to realize what she wanted. If it were not for Amelie, she would never have realized it.

“Miss Amelie.”

“Yes?”

Amelie was embarrassed by the sudden change of title. Renia was looking at her with eyes full of goodwill, not eyes full of hostility like before.

“Thanks to you, I realized what I want to do.”

Renia smiled determinedly. It wasn’t the doll-like smile she usually had, but a much more lively smile.

“There’s nothing I can do right now, but I’ll repay you properly soon.”

“It’s okay.”

Amelie couldn’t understand Renia’s words, but she smiled back at her anyways.

‘What did I say yesterday?’

It was such an urgent situation that she couldn’t remember anything she said.

‘Well, it’s probably a good thing, right?’

She heard everything she was curious about, and it seems that Renia will never bother her in the future.

*****

The party day ended with a small incident. It was because Amelie didn’t want the problem to grow big. They also circulated a different rumor to downplay the situation. According to their rumors, Renia, who was walking along the shore of her lake, collapsed from vertigo, and Amelie, who was passing by, found her and saved her. Not everyone believed the story, but they did not dare to question it.

When the case was resolved, Renia and the Count Manvers were also spared from punishment. Count Manvers changed his tactics, sending expensive gifts and letters to Amelie, trying to impress her. Having confirmed Serwin’s affection for Amelie, he changed his strategy to be seen well by Amelie. It was the most outstanding flattering attitude change in the imperial social circle.

Rumors were openly circulating among imperial nobles that Amelie was sure to become Empress. Renia’s sudden departure to the County made the rumor more plausible.

But Amelie knew the truth. Renia wasn’t kicked out, but she left on her own.

On the day Renia left for Manvers County, Amelie received a letter from her. She was drinking tea with Serwin, so they read the letter together.

The letter contained Renia’s resolution. Renia went to the territory as if she were kicked out by her father, but wrote that she would take this opportunity to become the next Count Manvers with the recognition of the people.

‘This is what you meant by listening to me and thinking of something to do.’

Amelie then remembered that she had told Renia that day to become Count.

The back page of the letter was to be sent to Serwin. There was a complaint against Count Manvers and the corruption of the current Manvers lords, which Serwin had been looking for all along. It was information that was hard to obtain unless you could persuade the people to divulge all the details.

“How clever she is now because she’s no longer acting as the Count’s daughter.”

When he saw the letter, Serwin clicked his tongue.

“What is it?”

“She sent you a letter to send me. Since she confessed, she added that she would leave her for her family estate.”

“Right.”

“If I ignore this and punish the Count and Renia, you won’t like it, right?”

“That’s a bit—right.”

“That’s what she was aiming for.”

Serwin knew that Amelie was being wielded against him without mercy, and he was somewhat displeased about it. Thanks to this, Serwin realized how weak he was to Amelie. Even after such a horrendous night, if Amelie says not to do anything, it makes him think that he should just move on.

“Wow, Young Lady Manvers is smart.”

Amelie was amazed. She can’t believe she didn’t just send her a letter! As expected, not everyone can be the Empress!

“If it’s Renia, she could be a Count.”

“If she has a head like that, she can easily become a Count.”

“Then what are you going to do now?”

“I don’t like it, but I will let the Count family go. When she becomes the Count, it’ll help you too.”

In Serwin’s view, Renia seemed to have completely fallen for Amelie. Just as Ethan, Mrs. Enard, and Serwin did.

‘The more friendly people there are, the more strength it will give her.’

Serwin decided to support Renia from behind to become a Count.

“Ey, it will take more than 10 years for Renia to become Count, right? Before that, we have to fight the disaster!”

“—After defeating the disaster?”

“Of course I have to go back to my hometown.”

Amelie said without any hesitation. That made Serwin depressed.

Serwin covered his frown by sipping from his teacup without replying.

*****

A week after the party.

‘I think Serwin has become strange.’

Amelie came to her conclusion as she recalled her observations of Serwin over the past week.

‘Look, he’s in bed until I wake up.’

Usually, Serwin woke up early in the morning and went to the Imperial Palace. Therefore, Amelie only saw Serwin’s face if she caught him stroking her hair while she slept.

But for the past week, she woke up in his arms every day.

Even now, Serwin’s chest was in front of Amelie’s eyes. His bare skin could be seen through the disheveled collar of his shirt. Amelie awkwardly tried to roll away from him. But he was holding Amelie tightly in his arms, so she couldn’t move.

‘Didn’t we just hold hands while sleeping? When did she hug him?’ 

Amelie made a tearful face. She used to lean on his head, but she never hugged him like this. This was also a change that started a week ago.

‘And when I look at Serwin’s face like this—’

As she looked up, her eyes met Serwin’s. His sharp eyes smiled and became a soft line. When he woke up, his eyes were clear.

‘If you woke up, you should do something else, why are you staring at a sleeping person’s face?’

She knows he’s handsome but why is he so handsome? Amelie’s cheeks blushed bright red.