I Proposed to My Childhood Friend After Regressing - Chapter 82

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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 my regression, I proposed to my childhood friend
Episode 82
“You know about it? How?”
“Well, yes—or more precisely, I don’t know who ‘that person’ is……. Or even if they’re a person at all, come to think of it…….”
“What are you talking about?”
“Um, so here’s the thing!”
Beatrice paused for a moment, wrestling with how to explain it, then laid bare everything that had happened at the shop that day.
Turner, who had been listening to Beatrice’s account in silence, murmured quietly at the end.
“……Wow. That’s insane. What, does she do butler roleplay too?”
“Pardon?”
“Ah, no. That was just me talking to myself!”
Turner waved her hand dismissively, as if it were nothing, then quickly offered her thoughts.
“Ahem. Well, I didn’t catch the crucial part, but from the context, ‘that person’ does seem quite likely.”
“Really?”
“I mean, the young lady said that ‘a retainer’s loyalty can be dangerous if it runs too deep,’ right? That’s probably because yesterday, someone with strong loyalty did something to Princess Elodie.”
Turner paused there with a quiet scoff and continued.
“But would Princess Elodie really let something slip out of her control? In all likelihood, that scene itself was a performance for show.”
After hearing her theory, I began to understand what kind of picture the Princess was painting.
“If I imagine the story roughly, it goes like this: the Princess uses me and Valois’s daughter as the Blue Thing, and the young lady seizes the moment to make a move against me, right?”
“Yes. And when Count Dalton sees something terrible happen to the young lady and loses his mind, he rushes at Valois—or even at the Princess, who had Valois by her side……!”
“The Princess catches the real culprit. And that culprit would be ‘that person’ with loyalty so deep that several nobles witnessed it—the one who did something to the Princess.”
This way, the Princess can have dirty work done by Valois’s hand, greatly damage Clyde’s reputation, and remain as the perfect, pitied victim in everyone’s eyes.
“And on top of that, smuggling imperial resources and personnel into her private coffers, hidden from the Crown’s oversight!”
“Wow, when you lay it out like that, it’s a real moneymaker if it works.”
Beatrice gave a light nod as she listened to Turner murmur.
To think, orchestrating such gains through a single wedding ceremony. If I’m being honest, I felt a twinge of genuine admiration.
Just then, Clyde, who had been listening quietly to their conversation, spoke softly.
“But all of this only works if Valois and Beatrice become the ‘Blue Thing.'”
“That’s true.”
“Even if the Princess uses reconciliation as a pretext and pressures Beatrice into consent, what about Valois?”
Valois Crawford, as everyone knew, was decidedly an emotional person.
No matter how hard you try to hold her in place, if her mood is bad on the day itself, she could overturn the reconciliation without a second thought.
“How can you be certain she won’t cause a scene again today?”
“Ah.”
Turner answered without the slightest hesitation upon hearing Clyde’s question.
“I can be certain of that. Valois will absolutely apologize today. Even if it’s a hollow, formal one.”
“Then why?”
“Because that’s what Grand Duke Alec wants.”
Her calm voice rang quietly through the Reception Room.
“There is only one restraint that can hold Valois in check, and that is Grand Duke Alec.”
“……There’s one thing I’m curious about.”
“Yes, please go ahead.”
“You keep speaking as if you know the Princess and Valois quite well. What’s your relationship with those two?”
Upon hearing Clyde’s question, Beatrice’s eyes went wide as well.
‘Now that you mention it……’
It had been so natural that she’d only just noticed.
And thinking back further, when Turner first revealed herself as a reincarnate, she’d asked whether Beatrice would believe her if she knew how Valois’s story ended.
‘Prophecies had even come up.’
Beatrice had answered then that if Turner had regressed from further in the future, that might be possible.
‘But still, that doesn’t mean someone can know such intimate details about everyone, does it?’
Did she have some experience of being badly wronged by those two, like Beatrice and Clyde?
As Beatrice was thinking that, Turner let out a small groan upon seeing the look in both their eyes.
“Nngh…….”
Turner writhed much like she had when Beatrice had first asked why she’d revealed herself as a reincarnate, choosing her words carefully several times over.
“I’m really struggling with how to say this…….”
“Is there something difficult to discuss?”
“Yes. If it weren’t, I would’ve mentioned it when I revealed the reincarnation. It would’ve been easier to prove that way.”
Turner let out a deep sigh as she spoke this honest, unadorned truth.
—Knock, knock.
A polite, crisp knock sounded from beyond the Reception Room door.
All three of them turned their gazes toward the door at once.
“Pardon the intrusion.”
The Reception Room door clicked open as Grand Duke Alec’s voice accompanied it.
The moment the door opened, Turner urgently shed the Paper Bag and quickly arranged herself into a posture befitting Valois.
Just before the Grand Duke entered, she sprawled lazily across the sofa in a slovenly manner, tucking the Paper Bag she’d just used beneath her dress.
“My.”
Upon entering and seeing the sprawled Valois and the two others, Grand Duke Alec wore a slightly troubled expression.
“The conversation seems to be taking longer than I thought, so I came to check. Valois, please tell me this isn’t the scene I’m imagining.”
“What scene? Me tormenting those two?”
“…….”
“It’s not like that. I’ve apologized properly. Haven’t I, you two?”
At Valois’s question, Beatrice nodded quickly.
“Ah, yes! That’s right. We received the apology well.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes! Actually, she came to our house that day to reconcile, and she said she was sorry that things ended up the way they did.”
“Then I’m relieved.”
The Grand Duke nodded with a visibly lightened tone.
“Time is getting late, you see. It would be rude to keep the two of you any longer.”
“Ah, is it that late already……?”
After checking the large clock in the Reception Room, Beatrice startled and blinked rapidly.
“Wow, it really is getting late.”
They had yet to actually sketch out their plan, but it seemed they’d spent far longer in conversation than expected.
“Since Valois has apologized, why don’t we save the rest of our discussion for another time and wrap things up for today?”
“That sounds good.”
“Yes, and young lady—thank you for speaking so openly today. I hope we see each other again soon.”
“……Hmph.”
True to form, Valois let out a scoff and waved her hand dismissively, as if to tell them to leave.
Seeing her thus, the Grand Duke shook his head and spoke.
“I’ll see you out myself.”
“Oh, you don’t need to go that far.”
“Still, this was my invitation, after all. I should see my guests off properly. Shall we?”
“Yes, let’s go.”
Before Beatrice could follow Clyde, who was heading out with the Grand Duke.
Valois whispered to her very quietly.
“Thank you for agreeing to hold my hand. I have much more to say, but……. For today, confirming that alone is enough for me.”
“…….”
“I’ll be visiting the Old Bookstore Downtown every Saturday going forward. Come find me when you have time.”
The young lady has a way to hide her appearance, so it should be possible, yes?
Beatrice gave a short nod in response to Valois’s continuing question.
“In the meantime, I’ll look into what I can about ‘that person.’ And… about your household as well.”
“Ah.”
A bright smile flickered across Valois’s face before vanishing quickly. Watching her hastily compose herself, Beatrice smiled slightly and turned to leave, offering one final remark.
“So when we see each other next time, you tell me your secrets too. And let’s think together about how to outmaneuver the Princess.”

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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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