CH 4

If I made a hasty move, it would be perfect for me to become a strange person.

I had no way to prove Rosalyn's affair, and even if I did, I would be blamed for doubting the affair in this social atmosphere.

My head felt pounded again as I thought of the absurd atmosphere of this society where infidelity was exonerated. I pressed my middle finger to my temple and grimaced.

“Are you not feeling very well? As expected, calling a doctor…”

Seeing me like that, Seamus opened his mouth in a worried voice.

“It's not that bad. I'll just take a break, and I'll be all right.”

“Yes… I guess I interrupted your rest. I'll leave you alone for today. Have a good rest.”

Seamus got up from his seat with an apologetic look on his face. I felt my stomach swell with guilt again.

“Sit down. You're not feeling well.”

As I was about to get up to see him off, Seamus shook his head. I watched Seamus' back as he left the room with mixed feelings.

“… Lucia.”

Then, Seamus put his hand on the doorknob and turned his head as if he had something to say. In a rather serious mood, I waited for Seamus' next words, not even thinking about answering the call.

“I'll wait until you're ready. If you have something you want to say to your brother, you can always come.”

With these words accompanied by a warm and cozy smile, Seamus left the room.

I looked at the doorway, where Seamus' image remained like an afterimage.

Such a warm look, a smile… Have I ever received such things? Seamus was a man with a knack for making something rise in their hearts.

Does it make sense that such a good person would end up taking his own life because of a woman, because of her affair?

I have known for a long time that the world is absurd, but the world in this novel has gone too far. Even after taking his own life unfairly, didn't Seamus hear good things?

Sympathy for Seamus, who was betrayed by his wife and driven to the edge of the cliff, even though Albert and Rosalyn, who declared that they would forgive Seamus for his 'cowardly choices' and 'the wrongs he has done', were praised for being benevolent.

Except for Lucia.

Didn't Lucia disappear because Lucia lost her body to me?

'What's this? It's really nonsense.'

I buried my face in my hands.

It always happens like this when I, who doesn't show my emotions well, became entangled in an affair. I can't control my emotions, so I get angry, sad… 

“… I can't take it anymore.”

I said quietly.

Although there is no way I can fix this society, this society is rotten to the root.

Still, she couldn't let Seamus be unhappy, and Rosalyn and Albert, the two bastards who had ruined his life so much, live happily ever after.

I'll change it somehow. 

It was the moment when I had a new life goal.

***

Since the day I went to Rosaline's room, I've locked myself in my room. It was to plan the operation with the determination to change the future somehow.

To organize the information I know about this world and to think about what to do in the future.

Firstly, there was a way to determine parent and child in this world. Even in the original story, there was an episode where it was revealed that Abigail was not Seamus' biological daughter.

However, to do that inspection, permission from the Temple of Terenus, the state religion of the Empire, was required. 

It was because the test required the priest's holy power and holy water.

And, sadly, the temple rarely gave permission unless there was clear evidence of infidelity.

I had no evidence to prove Albert and Rosalynn's infidelity.

In a society where photos could not be taken or voices could not be recorded, the only evidence was exchanged letters or witnesses to the affair, and there was no way that the clever Rosalyn would leave such evidence.

In the original work, Abigail's paternity test was possible because Lucia manipulated the evidence.

Lucia made a love letter by imitating Albert's handwriting, and later it was revealed that Seamus was blamed for the unscrupulous manipulation of evidence with wholesale money.

No one could believe it, even if she claimed that Seamus was not involved because it was what Lucia did.

Still, perhaps because they lived together for 10 years, Rosaline believed that Seamus was not involved.

When Rosaline said that she was not the one to do so, people praised her as a benevolent person who defended the perpetrator.

By the way, it was incredible and stuffy.

I really felt like I was stuck at a dead end no matter what I did. To prove Rosalyn's affair, a paternity test is required.

The feeling of always going round and round in the same place made me go crazy.

At least I knew the place, method, and timing of Rosalyn and Albert's tryst, so if the two meet, I might be able to capture the scene somehow… 

Even if I captured the scene, there was nothing I could do in the current social atmosphere.

It wasn't even that far into the future.

If my memory wasn't wrong, it was probably because, sooner or later, Albert, who could not resist his longing to see Rosalyn and Abigail, would invade the Chase mansion.

But to think that, you have to watch the scene of the affair.

It would only hasten Seamus' death if Seamus or the other family members found out about the affair without any preparation.

Nervously biting my nails, I was lost in thought until I was awakened by the sound of a carriage approaching in the distance.

Looking out the window, I saw a pretty luxurious carriage coming into the mansion.

Count Lennart and Seamus, the fathers of Lucia, have a long way to go to work, and if not, no one will visit the mansion.

'Could it be today?'

I knew it wasn't long before Albert broke into the manor and met Rosalyn, but I didn't expect it to be today.

I squinted my eyes and looked at the person getting off the carriage. One, escorted by a knight was an aristocratic woman wearing a dress adorned with flowers.

Behind them were two or three women who looked like maids and a tall man holding a gift box.

It was not at all strange for a noblewoman to have a lady-in-waiting, but that tall man was a bit suspicious.

Isn't it suspicious even from such a distance that he wore a wide-brimmed hat to cover his face?

'… Albert Rudeus.'

It must have been Albert Rudeus, Rosalind's first love, and Abigail's father. 

Then that woman must be Countess Duonia Rupain, who is Rosalyn's best friend and who runs a flower garden outside the capital.

A strong supporter who supports her friend Rosalyn's earnest love and actively helps her affair.

I suppressed my burning anger inside and glared at the two figures outside the window. It was as if she was about to fire lasers from her eyes.

It was then.

I made eye contact with Albert Rudeus, who was disguised as an attendant with his hat down.

A moment of bewilderment flashed in his blue eyes. He shouldn't let anyone know of his existence, but since our eyes met, it was only natural.

But the moment our eyes met was very brief. Pretending he didn't know, he lowered his head and pulled his hat down.

It wouldn't have happened if he was a real servant. He made eye contact with the owner of the mansion he visited, but couldn't take off his hat and greet her, but I turned away as if I didn't know.

It was such a short time, they seemed to think I hadn't noticed.

Feeling terrible, I pretended not to know that he was Albert and thought for a moment about going down to the first floor and getting angry.

However, Rosalyn's friends, including Duonia, were the ones who sided with Rosalyn and talked about how vicious the Chase family was in the social world.

It meant that there was nothing good about her showing them a bad side.

So I just looked down at Albert and Duonia entering the mansion, then closed the curtains.

It was so violently closed that Samantha, surprised by the loud noise, ran into the room to see what was going on.

***

“What's wrong?”

Duonia Lupine whispered to Albert Rudeus in a very nervous voice.

It was because Albert's behavior was suspicious.

No matter how heartbreaking and pitiful the situation of Rosalind and Albert was, the plan to come to the house where her husband and in-laws live openly was too reckless and dangerous.

Of course, Duonia was not dissatisfied with helping Albert because she was passionately rooting for Rosalyn's pure love.

Still, today's secret visit was best left unnoticed.

“It's nothing.”

Albert pushed down his hat and answered in a small voice that could only be heard by Duonia.

For a moment, it seemed that I had made eye contact with someone on the second floor, but it wasn't a big deal to be particularly concerned about.

Anyway, the young lady wouldn't put that much meaning into it.

'… Is it Lucia Chase?'

He couldn't be sure because he hadn't looked long enough to recognize the appearance, but his keen senses said so.

Lucia Chase. The younger sister of Seamus Chase, an unparalleled cowardly seed in the world, took Rosalyn, who was clearly his own no matter what anyone said. 

He seemed to be gnashing his teeth with rage, but he tried to control his anger.

This was not the time. One day, Seamus Chase and his family wanted to tear them apart and kill them, but now he had to put up with it.