I Proposed to My Childhood Friend After Regressing - Chapter 69

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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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After Returning, I Proposed to My Childhood Friend
Chapter 69
“Father!”
“Ah, Beatrice!”
From across the stairs leading up to the Empress Palace, Cedrick waved his hand broadly with a delighted expression.
At the gesture beckoning her over, Beatrice rushed quickly toward him.
He set down the stack of books he’d been carrying onto the stairs and wrapped his arms firmly around his daughter as she threw herself at him.
“My dear! Have you become more clingy since I last saw you?”
“Not really—I just didn’t want your mother to feel left out later, so I’m being fair about my hugs!”
Beatrice giggled and tilted her head up to take in the sight of Cedrick after so long.
Due to the fallout from events in the Marquis Territory, Cedrick’s workload had grown tremendously, and she hadn’t glimpsed his face until now.
It seemed he hadn’t groomed himself properly in days—a stubble sprouted in all directions, which made Beatrice burst into laughter again.
His handsome features, which had captivated her mother Beliana at first sight, were now thoroughly obscured beneath the beard and shabby appearance.
“Father, no matter how busy you are, you’re really showing it, aren’t you? At this rate, Mother won’t even recognize you.”
“Nonsense. There’s no way Beliana wouldn’t know me. Just as I would recognize her no matter what she looks like.”
“Ugh. That wasn’t what I was asking…”
Faced with Cedrick’s unexpectedly forceful reply, Beatrice shook her head—but when she did, Cedrick laughed along with her, rubbing both her cheeks gently as he continued in a calm voice.
“You’ve been well, haven’t you?”
“Of course! I haven’t stirred from the house since His Majesty summoned me today—I’ve just been playing.”
“Is that so? Good work. Actually, I heard about it from your mother. The Crawford heir caused another incident?”
“Oh, what? Mother already told you?”
“Already? Hardly.”
Cedrick shook his head in disagreement.
“Between the laboratory and the Empress Palace, news travels slowly. Your brothers are away surveying the estates as well, so… I should have stayed with you more.”
At the rare note of apology in his voice, Beatrice quickly spoke up.
“Oh, I’m really fine! It was loud, but I’d already restrained the Crawford heir, so nothing was damaged.”
“But you quarreled with Clyde, didn’t you?”
“Well… um.”
Beatrice rolled her eyes and trailed off evasively.
True to Cedrick’s words, Beatrice had indeed quarreled with Clyde that day.
And naturally, the cause was that statement she’d made—one that even she thought sounded insane.
‘I might be able to stand on the same side as Valois.’
Though she’d expected it, Clyde reacted with raw sensitivity to her words.
‘Who, standing with whom?’
Breaking even short phrases into fragments, Clyde made his displeasure obvious.
When Beatrice insisted it was complicated but explainable, he shook his head.
Then he gripped her shoulders and, with a grave expression, looked toward Crowell.
‘Your Majesty, I suspect Beatrice has been subjected to some form of Curse Magic… Is there perhaps someone among your mages who can dispel such magic immediately?’
‘I’ll send someone to inquire at once. Something does seem off.’
‘I know it sounds crazy. I know it’ll be hard to believe without seeing it yourself. But this really isn’t Curse Magic—’
‘I don’t believe you.’
Clyde cut her off flatly, as though there was nothing more to hear, and waited silently for Crowell without so much as meeting her eyes.
Faced with his refusal to look at her, Beatrice grabbed his wrist instead and began again.
‘Look, Clyde, just listen to me first. Once you hear me out, you’ll understand what I mean.’
‘…Understand? What you mean?’
He repeated her words slowly, then gradually lowered his gaze.
And in that moment, Beatrice saw it—a sharp, cutting light in Clyde’s eyes that she had never witnessed before.
Not once, in the time before her return or after, had she ever seen that look. It was the kind of gaze that made all their past squabbles seem like child’s play.
Drawing a deep breath as though to suppress the emotions roiling inside him, he spoke slowly.
‘You—of all people—are telling me you’ll join hands with Valois Crawford? That ridiculous nonsense?’
‘No, that’s not what I—’
‘Not what you what.’
His voice, low and weighted, cut through her words.
‘You know what Valois Crawford means to me. You know what happened between us. And you’re asking me to believe you said this?’
‘…’
‘Tell me you’ve found a way to bring Monsters to our side instead. Then I’ll believe you and support you. Or say you’ll convince Princess Elodi.’
‘Hey.’
‘How could you, of all people, do this to me—’
Clyde never finished. He merely masked his expression—twisted with anger and hurt—and left first.
‘And he still hasn’t contacted me since.’
As Beatrice recalled that day, she offered Cedrick a slight smile.
“Well… yes, there was something like that. A difference of opinion, you might say—something newlyweds go through once in a while…”
“You and Clyde?”
“Mm-hmm. Ha!”
In truth, Beatrice didn’t fail to understand Clyde’s reaction.
No—she understood it better than anyone. Because, as he’d said, she knew exactly what Valois Crawford meant to him.
Had the situation been reversed, she would have been just as furious.
The only difference was that this time, the person whose hand she wanted to hold was Valois—or rather, not quite Valois.
To be honest, Beatrice had considered simply refusing Valois’s proposal that day.
She hadn’t been part of the original plan anyway, so ignoring him seemed harmless. But…
‘So if there’s something that can’t be done in a right mind, or something a sane person wouldn’t do—please tell me anytime!’
‘If I think of it as combining social service with the pursuit of justice, it seems like it would be fulfilling. And when I’m gone, Valois Crawford will return to his own body anyway, won’t he?’
No matter how hard Beatrice thought about it, her instincts screamed that she had to join hands with the Possessed Valois. Both strategically and for Clyde’s sake.
‘No, let me think about that later.’
Remembering that her father was standing right in front of her, Beatrice quickly pushed the thought away.
She shrugged as though it were nothing and swiftly changed the subject.
“So anyway, how’s the research on the Mysterious Illness in regions other than the Marquis Territory going? The project with Her Majesty the Empress?”
Cedrick quickly grasped her intention and picked up on her lead.
“How could it not be going well? Thanks to our daughter, things are progressing smoothly.”
“Is it related to this that His Majesty summoned me today?”
“It is.”
Pride and admiration gleamed in Cedrick’s eyes.
“Shall we talk more as we walk? His Majesty can wait a moment.”
“Yes.”
He gathered up the luggage he’d set on the stairs and gave her a brief overview of the research progress and the situation within the imperial court.
In short: they had finally secured approval to conduct a massive magical investigation into the Mysterious Illness throughout the empire, based on the cases from the Marquis Territory. And…
“Has His Majesty ever mentioned the Fusion Therapy System to you?”
“Oh, yes! He has.”
“Then this will go faster. Iyet wishes for you to join in on this project.”
“Really? That’s an honor! So I’ll finally get to work alongside you, Father?”
“Well… about that.”
“Huh?”
At Cedrick’s meaningful expression, Beatrice tilted her head slightly. Her father smiled softly at her questioning look and continued.
“His Majesty wants to put you as the lead on this project—not me.”

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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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