CH 25

Carlot’s tantrum made my head throb.

I didn’t know about his ridiculous tendency when we were younger because we usually only raised our hackles at each other and mutually escalated our conflicts, but now that I’d regained my composure from merging my memories, Carlot truly was acting like the youngest and like his selfish teen past again. 

‘I never thought you’d be such an immature person.’

I didn’t expect this personality.

It would have been nice if it was just that, but I felt even more embarrassed because he felt strangely crazy.

Perhaps the Perdia family was not an emotionally healthy family environment for a child to grow up in, so he could only express his feelings in this childish way.

It occurred to me that he might really go to Raeyan and ask for a duel.

“Stop it.”

“But, Sister,” He whined.

“Stop it, Carlot Perdia.”

When I made eye contact with Carlot and spoke firmly, the guy who acted as if he was going to attack at any moment lost his momentum.

He looked even more sullen as his clear, cat-like eyes drooped.

Whenever I saw such a face, I thought he was a child without fail.

“Are you mad?” Carlot, who was watching me carefully, asked cautiously.

“No. It’s not something to be angry about.”

Carlot’s expression brightened up a little at the words.

But the more Carlot behaved like that, the less I felt about him. Being angry was only possible if you felt some interest towards the other person.

But I couldn’t afford to pay attention to Carlot right now. Because I was busy worrying about my future.

In fact, I thought it was because of this one thing that Carlot suddenly acted like a real brother out of nowhere.

He must have been shocked to see someone fall right in front of his eyes. Although it was surprising that Perdia’s direct descendant was so weak.

I decided to say something I couldn’t say to Carlot for days.

“And Carl, I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Yes, sister.”

As if he was waiting for me to say something, Carlot looked at me with a wide smile. But that smile didn’t last long.

“I don’t want you to come to the annex anymore.”

“…….”

I drew a line.

Don’t come any closer.

Carlot’s world and my world were entirely different.

Carlot, a direct descendant of Perdia and the second son of the Duke.

I, who will disappear from this mansion before my soon-to-be-adopted sister shows up, and who, in fact, does not have a single drop of Perdia’s blood mixed into her veins. 

It was a relationship that could not continue if the secret of my birth was revealed anyway. So, it was right not to get close.

Carlot looked at me with a face that looked like he was about to cry without saying a word.

Truthfully, I felt guilty about that gaze because I was lonely.

I was lonely to the point where even I was hurt by the words I spit out, though I had received attention only for a few days.

‘Wake up.’

I made up my mind not to become weak….

***

And at the same time.

There was a man outside Elodie’s bedroom door listening to their conversation.

“……….”

Jansi, standing still in the quiet hallway, was expressionless. There was no need to smile because he had no one to show his smile to.

Jansi had also come to visit after hearing from his subordinate, who was planted near Elodie, that she had hired Ian the mercenary.

‘I’m a step late,’ Jansie admitted to himself.

As always, Elodie would not have a partner anyway, so he was going to reach out right before.

Usually, when someone extended their hand at a dramatic moment, a human would never forget that time.

In order to get Elodie to easily open her heart to him, Jansi had made his own calculations.

However, just as had happened with the position of escort, the partner of the banquet was lost to the mercenary Ian.

“It bothers me,” Jansi said, almost soundlessly. 

Coincidentally, the presence of Ian has been around her since Jansi accepted Elodie as a family.

Anyone could see that he had approached her intentionally, with a purpose, but Elodie, the person involved, seemed to like the way it was.

He didn’t mean to interfere in his sister’s relationship with men.

First of all, Elodie had a fiancé.

Furthermore, it was an engagement made because Elodie wanted it, political interests were intertwined, and, crucially, Adenmir had no feelings for Elodie.

That was his favorite part.

But the mercenary king Ian was different. From the beginning, he was aiming for Elodie and approached.

‘Is it just to carry Perdia on his back?’

If that was the goal, it could be seen as having already been achieved.

Attending an imperial banquet with Elodie would be tantamount to announcing to the social world that Earth Hawk Mercenary Corps had a close relationship with Perdia.

It wouldn’t matter if that was all, but for some reason his presence bothered him.

Maybe it was because they only met briefly, but the memory of that moment was strong.

It was only a moment, but Jansi couldn’t forget the way he looked at Elodie.

It was definitely not a light feeling.

It was not clear what kind of emotion it was, but he knew that it was so deep that it couldn’t be defined.

Tak– 

Carlot left the bedroom helplessly when he was told not to come again by Elodie.

He found his brother standing still in the dark hallway.

“Brother–”

“Shh.”

Jansi put his index finger to his mouth, with the same smile on his face again.

“Aren’t you going in?”

“She seems to want to be alone, so I’m going back now.”

For Jansi, it was not surprising that Elodie told Carlot not to come to the annex anymore.

It was not that he didn’t know that Elodie wanted to distance herself from her brothers, but rather that he wasn’t impressed.

On the way back to the main building, Carlot muttered dispiritedly.

“Did I make a mistake again…….?”

It didn’t seem like Carlot.

***

I received permission to go out only after the family doctor’s decision that I was completely recovered; I immediately called Raeyan.

He really came to me in less than an hour, as soon as I sent a call through a short-range communication tool.

We climbed into Perdia’s carriage to go out.

When there were only the two of us, I immediately turned to Raeyan to ask him a question.

“Your public name is Ian, but is it difficult to call you Raeyan?”

“It doesn’t particularly matter. Whatever you call me.”

“Still, I’ll call you Ian in front of others because I’m too lazy to explain when asked.” 

“Yes.”

Raeyan’s attitude toward me was polite, perhaps because of my noble status.

From the beginning, Raeyan didn’t talk down to me. Did that mean that he knew my identity in the first place?

He was such a secretive person that this question now felt like nothing.

The scenery outside the carriage window passed by quickly. While I was watching the people passing by with my chin on my hand, Raeyan called me.

“By the way, Miss.”

“What’s with this ‘Miss’ stuff? Just call me by my name. What?”

“Someone has been chasing us since a while ago. Is he a family escort?”

It was a different matter to vaguely guess that they had attached a watchdog, as opposed to confirming that it was real.

Of course, I didn’t feel good because it wasn’t a good thing to be monitored. But I smiled lightly so that I wouldn’t show my feelings to Raeyan.

“It’s not an escort……”

Surveillance attached by my older brother? Should I call that an escort?

It was strange no matter how you explained it. I was still trying to decide how to choose my words when– 

“Shall I remove it?” Raeyan asked in a low voice

“What?”

I looked at Raeyan, wondering if he was joking, but he had a serious face.

He seemed sincere.

Since Raeyan was powerful enough to win an overwhelming victory on the battlefield, he should be able to get rid of the watchdog attached to me.

“It’s all right, just leave it alone. These are the people that my brother Jansi attached to me.”

“Why?”

It was an incomprehensible response of Jansi’s. Raeyan’s reaction was normal.

No matter our differences, one would think it would count for something since we were siblings, but Jansi still attached a tail to spy on me. 

It was as if ours was a relationship that represented something to contend with, even though I didn’t have anything and tried to live without being a bother.

I laughed bitterly.

“Well…..I guess I’m bothering him.”

To the point where Jansi, who liked to have control, had to monitor my every move to feel relieved.

“If it’s your will, I will leave it alone.”

I smiled awkwardly. “Yeah. But who am I? I told you to call me by my name.”

After I told him not to call me ‘miss.’

It seems that he deliberately avoided calling my name, or was I mistaken?

When I stared at Raeyan persistently, he eventually raised the white flag.

“Yes, Miss Elodie.”

“Miss?”

“……You’re an employer.”

This time I stepped down in response to the firm answer on which he wouldn’t budge.

“Yes, Mister Raeyan.”

“……….”

“Just kidding.”

Haha. I grinned lightly, but Raeyan didn’t. Instead, he just stared at me blankly.

‘Again.’

Raeyan would often look at me this way.

As if you were seeing someone you’d been separated from for a long time.

Somehow the atmosphere seemed to be getting awkward, so I said, “It’s embarrassing to look at me like that.”

“……Where are we going?”

Raeyan turned to the window and asked, as if he was trying to change the topic.

But there was no right answer.

“Well…..where shall we go?”

“Huh?”

“I just came out because I was frustrated to stay in my room.”

The annex, which used to be my own space, could no longer be my resting place.

I felt uncomfortable because I was worried that Jansi or Carlot would come to visit.

I didn’t know when they would decide to just show up out of the blue, so I wasn’t able to allot time to use my power to make antidotes. In short, I had nothing to do.

‘There’s no place to be comfortable at home anymore…..’

I didn’t know where to go.

I could feel Raeyan’s gaze on my cheek as I was staring blankly out the window, but I didn’t turn my head.

So, we drove around the city in a carriage and then returned to the mansion in the late evening.

***

The imperial banquet organized by Empress Salvatrice was dazzling and magnificent.

As if showing off her power, she burst into laughter as she exchanged greetings with those attending the banquet.

Soon, Empress Salvatrice stopped walking in front of Dorothea Angellus.

“You are even more dazzling today, Miss Dorothea.”

“Thank you, Your Highness. I don’t know what to do with your praise. Your Highness is the most beautiful in the banquet hall today.”

“Huhu, how humble.”

Angellus, one of the four great families.

Dorothea, the Duke of Angellus’s only daughter, was a golden clover that he cherished.

Although it was not publicly announced, the relationship between Empress Salvatrice and the Angellus family was special because the Duke of Angellus was pushing her son, the second prince, as the next emperor.

So, the empress praised Dorothea, especially in front of others.

In particular, Dorothea entered with the second prince today, drawing people’s attention from the moment she appeared.

At the same time as they entered, the second prince went up to the top seat, but that was not an important issue.

“Then, I hope you have a good time, Miss Dorothea.”

“Yes, your Highness the Empress.”

The ladies who were talking to Dorothea secretly cast jealous glances at the empress’s visible favor.

Dorothea enjoyed the reactions of those people.

Dorothea Angellus was beautiful. Although she praised the empress for being the most beautiful, she knew it was truly herself.

She was the most beautiful and conspicuous being in this hall. 

(T/N:  Yeah ….sure (ㆆ_ㆆ)) 

Dorothea was preoccupied with only one other thing.  

‘A dress tailored in the Laveruschik dressing room.’

Unfortunately, the masterpiece dress of this quarter, specially designed and produced by Madame Laveruschik, was not available.

Apparently a young girl took her luck without notice.

“I thought Miss Dorothea would come in that dress.” One of the other young noble ladies came up to try and win favor through conversation.

“….Is that so?” Dorothea responded coolly.

Dorothea covered her mouth with a fan and asked if she remembered the young girl’s name.

“Lady Perdia bought that dress.”

“Oh, really?”

Dorothea’s eyes narrowed.

Elodie Perdia.

Although the beautiful lady that Elodie was, Dorothea thought that she was no match for herself.

The flower of society in name and reality herself.

Even though the appearance level was similar, the situation was different.

She was the only daughter, whom the Duke Angellus cherished.

In contrast to her, Elodie was the illegitimate daughter of Duke Perdia. He supported her with dresses, accessories, and material things, but that was all.

‘What’s the use if you are gorgeous on the outside, when no one in the family takes care of you?’

Of course, no one in Perdia said anything to undermine or ignore Elodie, but a strangely cold attitude prevailed.

In addition, there were no people around her because her personality was dirty.

Dorothea’s lips began to curl gently upwards. ‘You simply can’t compete.’

So, the flower of today’s banquet would be her.

Dorothea was enchanted with herself, fanning perfectly painted face and grinning.

It was when the atmosphere of the banquet was ripe.

“Lady Perdia of the Perdia family and Ian, leader of the Earth Hawk Mercenary Corps, are entering!”

At the call of the servant, all the eyes of the people in the hall were turned toward the entrance.

“Who?”

“Ian? Could he be the Mercenary King, Ian?”

Ian, a commoner, and the leader of a mercenary group who was recognized by the emperor, was famous for not responding to the love calls of various women of status to work under them.

Rumor had it that there were ladies from aristocratic families that wooed him for his good looks, but he coldly refused.

To think that Ian, the mercenary king, would appear at an imperial event.

And then also…..with Perdia’s troublemaker?!

Amongst the cries close to astonishment, the protagonist of the buzz appeared.

Elodie, who was as lovely and beautiful as an angel, as always, and Ian, the mercenary king with an enchanting appearance, stepped picturesquely into the hall.

PHOTO

The crowded banquet hall became silent in an instant.

“Oh my….”

It was to the extent that someone’s sigh of disbelief echoed loudly.

But that wasn’t the only surprise.

“The Duke and the Duchess of Perdia, and both the young masters!”

Then the people of the Perdia family entered at once.

As soon as he entered, Carlot, who sprang out at once, clung to Elodie without paying attention to Ian.

“Sister, I’m wearing the clothes you gave me as a present…..”

Carlot tried desperately to get a glimpse of his sister’s attention. 

“Oh, really?”

Elodie, on the other hand, replied indifferently.

“Lili, let’s do your first dance with me.”

Jansi, who acted friendly to the outside world, and never before asked his sister for a dance, applied for her first dance.

“Dancing is a bit…..”

Elodie refused with a grim face.

“Aren’t you two being rude to her benefactor? Don’t bother Elodie.”

The Duchess, who the onlookers expected to treat Elodie like a stranger, even joined the conversation naturally.

There was one other surprising fact so far.

“Elodie. Come here,” the Duke called out in his signature low voice.

It was the strangely changed attitude of the Duke of Perdia!

Everyone in the hall couldn’t believe their eyes.

“What on earth is going on in Perdia?”