Beguiling the Enemy’s Patriarch - Chapter 5

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 5
And so my meticulously crafted Plan A crumbled spectacularly. Before I could even begin to execute it, everything fell apart so utterly and completely. I caught myself before releasing what would have been my one hundred and forty-fifth sigh of the day. Get a grip. How long are you going to keep sighing?
“Fine. If that’s how it is, then Plan B it is.”
I muttered through gritted teeth, and Fernandis, who had been following behind me, flinched in surprise and studied my expression. Regardless of his reaction, I strode forward with eyes blazing like molten fire.
If I can’t prevent Belgot’s invasion of Lebovni itself… then at the very least, I’ll stop Tezebia’s kidnapping first!
Thus Plan B was born. I would prevent the Belgot Emperor from kidnapping Tezebia!
I burned with renewed determination as I contemplated this brilliant Plan B, far superior to Plan A, when another question struck me like a hammer to the skull, bringing me to an abrupt halt.
But when exactly does Belgot invade Lebovni?
‘I… can’t remember.’
I wore a serene, Buddha-like smile as I racked my brain, but ultimately I couldn’t help myself and cried out.
“I can’t remember! The date!”
Fernandis jumped in alarm from behind me. This time too, he barely registered in my awareness.
The invasion date had been stated so clearly and specifically at the very beginning of the novel, but I simply couldn’t recall it!
I did remember that it was mentioned again later in the story, but only vaguely—just the fact that it had been mentioned.
The truth was, I’d been too busy hunting for the protagonists’ romantic storylines to pay proper attention to the background exposition, so of course I’d skimmed right past it.
Curse my past self for not reading carefully! Already dead, but deserving of death a thousand times over!
I tugged at my cotton-candy-pink hair in frustration and took a deep breath.
“No. Stay calm. You can do this. There has to be something you remember…”
—And there wasn’t. The memory evaporated from my mind into thin air. The more I tried to think about it, the more I seemed to forget.
I finally wrapped my arms around myself and cursed under my breath.
I knew tragedy was coming, but I had no idea when. What if Tezebia vanished in the dead of night while everyone slept? What would I do then?
It seemed I was ill-suited to become a hidden hero saving the kingdom. A chill ran through me, and Fernandis asked with concern.
“Are you cold, Your Highness?”
“Yes. A little…”
The future bearing down on me is so vivid it chills me to the bone. I’m freezing. If I continue like this, I’ll inevitably face the Imperial Army invading the Royal Palace.
No, this won’t do. I clenched my fists and made a decision. For now, I’ll hide my sister and Brizni!
* * *
But realistically, where could I hide my sister? The only places I knew in Lebovni were the Royal Palace and the Lebanon Mansion.
So from that day on, I made the Lebanon Mansion my base and began following Tezebia around all day long.
“Yerenika, you’ve been looking pale lately. Is something wrong?”
“No. Nothing’s wrong.”
“Then why are you following me around like this? Not that you aren’t adorable no matter what you do, but…”
Tezebia smiled awkwardly. Only after she glanced away did I realize I’d followed her all the way into the bathroom, and I retreated with an embarrassed smile. It was rather pathetic, admittedly…
‘There’s no helping it. If I don’t do this, all these happy moments will end.’
I loved this warm and beautiful world. The small but intimate Lebovni Kingdom, and my family who showered me with love, unaware that the real Yerenika had vanished without a trace. The only way I could repay the love they gave me was to clear away the dark clouds hanging over their fate.
In the original story, Brizni’s path to birth was truly arduous. First, before she was even born, Tezebia was kidnapped by the Belgot Imperial Army and taken to the empire, so her beginning was already far from smooth. Moreover, Brizni’s father, Duke Lebanon, set out for the empire to rescue his pregnant wife, only to fall in battle.
After that, negotiations between Belgot and Lebovni went poorly, and Brizni had to live in the empire with her mother for ten years. But even after returning to her homeland, happiness never found the mother and daughter. When Brizni turned twelve, Tezebia contracted a plague and eventually died. By this point, Brizni had certainly endured a harrowing childhood…
What about the male lead, Alexio? His family circumstances were equally tragic. Alexio’s father, my escort knight Fernandis, lost one leg and one eye in that very same campaign where Duke Lebanon fell. The image of young Alexio supporting his disabled father appeared countless times throughout the novel. Thinking back on it now, it was truly heartbreaking.
As I grimly recalled the original story, a cheerful voice shattered my reverie.
“What are you doing here anyway? Neglecting the Royal Palace?”
That voice belonged to Sergei Lebanon—Yerenika’s childhood friend and the Duke Lebanon’s younger brother. Ever since I’d made my nest in the Lebanon Mansion, Sergei had been dropping by my room almost daily. I hugged a cushion and sprawled across the bed, answering with deliberate indifference.
“Can you even fathom the depths of your older sister’s thoughts?”
“You know how to think deeply?”
“Hush now, friend.”
I hurled the cushion at him with exaggerated gentleness. Of course, it fell short of its target, landing limply well before reaching Sergei. He shook his head in disapproval.
“You’ve always been like this, but these past few months you’ve become completely reckless. Who would ever mistake you for a princess of a nation—”
“Shall I seal your mouth shut myself?”
Sergei was a handsome young man with black hair and deep green eyes. He and Yerenika had been friends since they were very young, or so the original work had mentioned in passing. It was merely a single line of backstory.
In truth, Yerenika’s role in the original work was nearly nonexistent. She appeared once in the scene where Tezebia was kidnapped by the Belgot Emperor. Then again in the scene where Tezebia died and she wept bitterly. A few scattered descriptions of her gazing at Brizni with affection. That was all.
What her true personality was like, what her appearance actually looked like, who she married, what kind of life she lived—none of that appeared in the original work. In “Brizni Wants to Be Happy,” Yerenika was merely a supporting character with no significant role to play.
“A supporting character with no presence…”
“What?”
“Nothing. Never mind.”
In any case, I was fortunate that the original Yerenika seemed to share much of my own personality. The people around me didn’t seem to notice any major discrepancies. Or perhaps I’d simply adapted too well.
I rolled across the bed once more. Tumble, tumble. If only I could just be an extra with no presence. How did I end up like this…?
Sergei was now watching me with a serious expression. I lay sprawled out, speaking with deliberate nonchalance.
“Hey, Ser. You know what?”
“Hmm?”
“You need to come rescue me at just the right moment?”
“What?”
Sergei’s face turned bewildered.
“Why would I need to rescue you? You have Lord Kardier by your side.”
“That’s what will happen to you. Inevitably.”
Because that’s how the author wrote it. In the very first scene of “Brizni Wants to Be Happy.” I rolled across the bed one more time. It was the scene where Yerenika spoke more than two lines for the first and last time—the moment just before Tezebia was kidnapped. The scene from the novel flashed through my mind as if painted there.
[Tezebia screamed. With the sound of iron clashing and cries of panic erupting all around, she had to shout with all her might.
“Sergei, please take care of Yerenika!”
She saw her brother’s face contort.
“Sister! You—!”
Tezebia shook her head. If she tried to flee with her heavy body, she would be captured immediately. Besides, the Belgot Imperial Army was targeting the royal family. Yerenika was the last princess of Lebovni remaining after becoming the Duke Lebanon’s wife. She needed to be evacuated before their mother and father. Yerenika reached out with tears streaming down her face.
“Sister!”
“Yeni, you have to go!”
“Let go of this, Ser. Sister!”
Sergei’s face was equally ruined as he forcibly dragged Yerenika away. Her sobbing face grew more and more distant. Tezebia clenched her lips. She had to keep her wits about her from now on. For the sake of the daughter in her womb.]
—And so Yerenika was rescued without a single hair out of place. I had extracted a firm promise from Sergei.
“I’m counting on you, Sergei.”
“You say the strangest things sometimes.”
For some reason it felt a bit unreliable, but that was probably just my imagination.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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