I Like Another Man, Not the Male Lead - Chapter 57
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 57
Even the Crown Prince had joined the search party and left, while the remaining Noble Ladies and Young Ladies gathered in the tent drinking tea.
Originally, this should have been time to enjoy the hunting competition. However, with Reina and Caesar’s disappearance, all events had been suspended. The Noble Ladies whispered with worried expressions.
“This is truly terrible.”
“Is Reina Regfield even alive right now?”
“What would happen if something occurred to Caesar Prince as well?”
“But isn’t this strange?”
One Young Lady spoke up cautiously. Her eyes sparkled with interest. Such incidents were always followed by rumors. Moreover, this was a case where Reina and Caesar, who had been involved in a scandal, had disappeared together. Any story could be attached to it.
“Why did Reina Regfield enter the forest alone? The tea party was in full swing. We all heard the precautions, didn’t we? Not to move alone since we didn’t know what might be in the forest.”
“That’s right. Come to think of it, I think Lady Chase witnessed it.”
“I…”
Anna opened her mouth. All eyes focused on her.
“That’s right. I saw it. Reina Regfield entering the forest.”
“Really?”
“What happened? Tell us in detail.”
People asked with excited voices. They seemed to have completely forgotten Anna’s appearance of being pushed away by Rochester yesterday.
Anna swallowed hard. This was Rochester’s fault. If Rochester had accepted Anna’s efforts, Anna wouldn’t have done this. Anna hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“She was going in alone. She seemed to have been drinking.”
Suddenly, the tent fell silent.
Had she been drinking at the Imperial Consort’s tea party? Even that was rude.
“But Reina Regfield was with Imperial Consort. When did she drink?”
“Well. She could have been drunk even before coming to the tea party!”
Anna worked hard to distort the facts and make her thoughts into reality. Anna racked her brain. For Anna to become a good person, Reina needed to be more ruined.
“And… it seemed somewhat intentional too.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well…”
Anna said as she put down her tea cup. Anna’s fingertips trembled. Lies beget lies. And Anna deceived people with another lie to cover her own lies.
“Wasn’t it to draw attention? Reina Regfield is originally that kind of person. Don’t you remember how she chased Caesar Prince around for 8 whole years to get his attention?”
“Even so, risking her life?”
“Since it didn’t seem to work, she used more extreme methods. She went to a dangerous place to make His Highness come rescue her. That’s why they disappeared together, isn’t it?”
Anna’s voice was mixed with sarcasm.
“In the end, she succeeded. Caesar Prince jumped off the cliff with Reina Regfield. Poor Imperial Consort. And poor Caesar Prince.”
“Lady Chase!”
A sharp voice filled the tent. It was Selena. Beside Selena sat Grace with a pale face.
“I’ve been listening and listening. Do you think you can say anything just because you have a mouth? Can you take responsibility for those words?”
Selena approached Anna. Her eyes glinted coldly.
“Reina did it on purpose? To draw attention?”
“It’s the truth.”
Anna lifted her chin. She had nothing to fear now. After being ignored by Rochester, she had become even more aggressive. Moreover, Selena was the very person who had given Rochester the five-colored ribbon. Her intense jealousy toward Selena had transformed into hostility toward Reina.
“Reina Regfield was always like that, wasn’t she? But now you’re suddenly making a fuss about it.”
“Shut your mouth.”
Selena’s voice dropped low. It was a voice filled with suppressed anger.
“What do you know about Reina?”
“It’s something everyone knows. Reina Regfield’s stalking was famous.”
Anna looked around. Several Young Ladies nodded their heads. They were all finding Anna’s story entertaining. And that entertainment soon transformed into fact. Anna’s shoulders rose smugly. Everyone was listening to her words.
“And I saw it, I tell you. Reina Regfield walking in there perfectly fine. No one dragged her by force. Or did Hailboard Princess see it?”
Anna sneered.
“How do you know she drank alcohol? Did you see it? Even I, who was with her the whole time, didn’t know.”
“Then, then she might have taken drugs like hallucinogens! Those kinds of drugs are popular these days. Isn’t that right?”
“Who would have given Reina drugs? At Imperial Consort’s tea party?”
At those words, the tent fell quiet again. Suspecting the Empress was a dangerous thing to do.
“She, she did it herself…! Yes, she must have taken it herself!”
Anna shouted.
“Did you see it? When did she take it?”
Selena asked in a quiet voice.
Under the continued interrogation, Anna’s cheeks flushed red. She stammered out pathetic excuses, but was overwhelmed by Selena’s momentum.
“If you saw it, why didn’t you stop her?”
Selena asked coldly.
“And you saw Reina going into the forest. Why didn’t you stop that?”
Anna pressed her lips tightly shut.
“You saw Reina entering the forest in a strange state, so why didn’t you stop her!”
Anna’s face hardened. Anna’s lips trembled.
Why had she done that? It was obvious. She hated Reina. No, she hated everyone who ignored her. She didn’t understand why she should help such people.
“That’s…”
“Why? Can’t you answer?”
Selena took another step closer.
“Did you pretend not to see when your friend was in danger? Or did you deliberately leave her alone?”
“Were we ever friends?”
Anna said irritably.
“What reason do I have to help Reina Regfield? We’re nothing to each other.”
At those words, Selena’s expression became even colder.
“Ah. So that’s why. That’s why you just left her.”
Selena tilted her head.
“That’s right. I disliked Reina Regfield. A person can be too ignorant of their place, can’t they? Clinging to Caesar Prince too. And now isn’t she trying to wag her tail at Lord Hailboard by becoming friends with you? Isn’t that right?”
Several Young Ladies agreed.
It was true that the most popular men in Imperial Capital’s High Society were connected to Reina. And that fact often aroused people’s jealousy. Moreover, Rochester cherished his sister terribly. People envied things they could never have. Reina was exactly that target.
“Crazy about men, not knowing her place and running wild, then getting what she deserved…”
Slap!
A sharp sound rang out. Selena had slapped Anna’s cheek. Selena stared at Anna with a cold expression.
The tent stirred with commotion. The Young Ladies screamed in surprise.
“Hailboard Princess!”
“Oh my, how terrible….”
But Selena didn’t care. She looked down at Anna coldly.
Anna blinked while clutching her cheek. She couldn’t understand what had happened. Her cheek felt like it was burning.
“Reina is a thousand times, ten thousand times better than someone like you.”
Selena’s voice carried strength.
Anna’s cheek swelled red. Tears flowed from Anna’s eyes. Anna began to sob. Seeing Anna with her shoulders shaking, Selena turned away. Anything more would just be a useless war of attrition.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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