I Was Marked as the Grand Duke Male Lead’s Stepmother - Chapter 59

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

Chapter 59

He opened his mouth with eyes that seemed to be searching for the winning bidder at an auction and a thin smile laced with arsenic.

“Here, the young lady of Count Zelkova seems to be waiting for a nobleman to help her up, so won’t someone with good intentions come and assist her.”

Bohra’s eyes floundered in bewilderment. Morgan turned away coldly.

Where Morgan had left, murmurs and ridicule ran rampant.

‘How, how could this be! How could Morgan do this to me. This is all because of that bitch Marisselle!’

Her teeth ground inwardly. But she couldn’t lift her face and get up. How could she rise when it was so embarrassing.

Someone would surely come to help her up.

Bohra pretended to be unconscious and remained lying face down.

“Lady Bohra! Are you alright? Please come to your senses.”

Just then, Harrison, the eldest son of Count Zachary’s house, approached and carefully shook Bohra awake.

Count Zachary’s house was a family that benefited from the grace of Count Zelkova’s house.

“Ah… what happened…?”

As if she remembered nothing at all, Bohra acted like someone who had just collapsed and awakened.

“…”

Bohra waited. But no matter how long she waited, the words she needed didn’t come.

‘What an idiot. He should be asking if I wasn’t feeling well, if I was dizzy.’

Bohra cursed the person who came to help her and was forced to ask and answer herself.

“Ah, I was dizzy for a moment, I must have collapsed suddenly…”

She pretended to gently place her hand on her temple, then extended her hand to Harrison quite boldly.

Harrison saw the hand Bohra extended and quickly grabbed it, belatedly making a fuss asking if she was okay and if she was hurt anywhere.

‘At least he’s not completely clueless. Hmph.’

“I don’t think I’m hurt anywhere, but I need to rest a bit, so could you support me, Lord Harrison?”

“Yes, yes. Of course, Lady Bohra. Come, this way.”

When Harrison escorted her, Bohra pretended to be reluctant and walked toward the outer garden with a haughty posture.

The hall began to buzz again.

“Oh my. How shameless indeed? Truly befitting of a count’s daughter.”

“Indeed. It seems she tried to pull something on His Highness the Grand Duke and failed. Ho ho ho.”

“Oh my, how delightful.”

Those who disliked Bohra didn’t miss the opportunity and tore into her like hyenas.

* * *

Meanwhile, Marisselle was guided to the imperial family’s exclusive powder room through the Crown Prince’s consideration, where she removed the stains and retouched her makeup.

Since it was the Imperial Powder Room, everything was fully equipped.

The Crown Prince had suggested changing clothes too, but that wasn’t possible.

“What should I do about this?”

She stared down at the Crown Prince’s handkerchief.

“Still, since I received help, it would be right to say I’ll wash it and return it, right? But when will I see him again?”

‘Should I just brazenly say I used it well and give it back?’

“Sigh. Why did the Crown Prince have to ask such a thing and create this mess.”

Marisselle sighed. But what could she do when the milk was already spilled.

Creak.

“Huh?”

The Crown Prince was leaning against the door, waiting for Marisselle.

“Were you waiting?”

Marisselle felt flustered and sorry since the person she naturally thought would be gone was standing right there waiting by the door.

“It wouldn’t be chivalrous to leave a lady alone. Did you finish up well?”

“…Yes. Thanks to Your Highness the Crown Prince’s consideration, there should be no problem with the audience before His Majesty the Emperor. Look. It’s perfect, isn’t it?”

Marisselle showed the part where the drink had spilled and smiled brightly.

‘…Hm?’

Strangely, behind Marisselle who was smiling radiantly, a halo seemed to shine.

‘Did I see wrong?’

He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again.

Then the halo had disappeared and instead he saw a woman with a pure and bewitching smile like a freshly bloomed rose.

Thump thump-

Now I could feel my heart beating faster.

‘Is this it? Is this the smile that Morgan fell for?’

Renegade felt a strangely bitter mood pass through him, but he quickly ignored it and smiled wryly.

“Well then, shall we go down now? Miss Marisselle?”

Renegade extended his hand.

Marisselle wanted to just go, but since it was the Crown Prince’s extended hand, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse and placed her hand on his.

As they walked, the Long Gallery that she hadn’t noticed earlier in her haste came into view.

The colorful painting style caught her eye. Befitting paintings hung in a long hallway, they seemed to have some kind of narrative, so she walked while observing them carefully.

Then one scene caught her attention and stopped her in her tracks.

People with hideous and grotesque appearances screaming in agony. Dull and dark colors. It was a scene that contrasted sharply with the bright, cheerful, and hopeful colors she had seen before.

“What’s wrong?”

Renegade, who had stopped walking following Marisselle, asked with curiosity.

Seeing Marisselle staring intently at one scene, Renegade quietly spoke up.

“This mural is a painting based on the founding myth.”

“Ah…”

Only then did Marisselle understand the painting.

“…But, Your Highness. No matter how desperate the history, don’t they usually end with a hopeful painting?”

“Everyone who sees this painting says the same thing.”

“You must have a purpose in mind.”

“…That’s right.”

Renegade smiled slightly and continued.

“Perhaps… is it to maintain vigilance? The main viewers of this painting are the Royal Household, and also those like me who see it for the first time or occasionally.”

The founding myth, the saint who hasn’t appeared for 100 years, the plague that always lurks beside humanity.

From the Royal Household’s perspective, these would always be concerns.

“Ho, that’s also correct. …Impressive.”

Renegade raised his eyebrows in admiration of Marisselle’s cleverness.

Most nobles would either close their eyes saying the scene was horrible, pretend not to see it and look away, or act startled and try to somehow throw themselves into his arms…

“The Royal Household must be very worried. Since no saint has appeared for 100 years…”

‘Her reaction really is different.’

It had been truly a long time since he’d met a noble who worried about national affairs.

“It is worrying. But what humans can do is very limited, so we can only hope for divine grace.”

Marisselle turned her gaze away from the painting and looked toward Renegade.

“Then how has history dealt with this until now?”

“…?”

A confused look in his eyes.

“Ah! Your Highness… please don’t misunderstand. Even when there was no saint, there must have been minor plagues, so I was just curious about how our predecessors dealt with them.”

“…”

As if thinking deeply about something, Renegade touched his lips for a while before speaking.

“There are many historical records related to plagues in the Royal Library. The answer would probably be there. What do you think? Would you like to see them?”

‘The Royal Library…?’

Marisselle was immediately intrigued. But at that moment, Morgan’s parting words came to mind and sent a chill down her spine.

“Ah, no. Your Highness the Crown Prince. Thank you for the offer, but if His Highness Morgan returns and we’re not there, he might worry. I think we should postpone this opportunity for next time.”

“That’s unfortunate. Then I’ll invite you separately next time.”

“Ah, I’m honored that you would show such consideration. Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Marisselle bent her knees slightly in courtesy, then took Renegade’s extended hand again and began walking.

“Um, Your Highness, but I’d like to return somewhere less conspicuous…”

“…Why? Do you dislike being seen with me?”

“Oh, no. Dislike it? I’m just someone who gets embarrassed easily. Haha, ahaha.”

Marisselle watched his expression carefully and laughed awkwardly.

Renegade looked bitter at first, then soon smiled and said.

“You don’t dislike it, that’s a relief.”

Marisselle felt uncomfortable at that expression, as if she had done something wrong to the Crown Prince who had shown her kindness.

“…There probably isn’t a single noble in the Empire who would dislike Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

How could he say with his own mouth that he disliked her? Someone who had everything – money, looks, honor, power.

No matter how she thought about it, the Crown Prince had said something unbecoming.

‘Come to think of it, it was a joke but I took it too seriously.’

Marisselle shook her head back and forth, trying to dismiss the apologetic feelings she’d momentarily harbored.

Then the Crown Prince chuckled softly.

“That doesn’t mean I like you either, though.”

“Ah… ah… That.”

She’d been caught. She hadn’t expected him to come at her like that.

‘He’s a master.’

Smooth on the surface but with a sharp edge.

Marisselle didn’t know how to respond and just opened and closed her mouth.

“Never mind. It was a joke. This way. It’s a path where we can go to the Hall without being noticed.”

“Ah, yes…”

Marisselle secretly let out a small breath and followed the Crown Prince down different stairs to the first floor Great Hall.

* * *

Meanwhile, Morgan had searched everywhere Marisselle might have gone, but when he couldn’t find any trace of her, anxiety began to overwhelm him.

“Damn it!”

Morgan roughly ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

That bastard Kazuri was stuck over there, so there was nothing to worry about from him.

The problem was that the Crown Prince was nowhere to be seen along with Marisselle. He had seen them get up together, so he figured they were together. That made him even more anxious.

“I told her to stay put in her seat like that.”

His heart was burning up with worry that Marisselle might have fallen for that snake-like Renegade’s schemes.

More than a few nobles who approached to try talking to the solitary Morgan ended up turning away in fear after sensing the cold aura he was emanating.

In his frustration, Morgan grabbed the cold water on the table and downed it in one gulp.

Then he roughly slammed the glass back down on the table.

Morgan was about to go search again when he realized it was almost time for the imperial audience, so he thought it would be better to wait and started to return to his seat.

At that moment.

He saw Marisselle and Renegade walking over, laughing together intimately.

His vision went white and it felt like his blood was flowing backward.

Since he was the Crown Prince, Morgan couldn’t do anything about it and clenched his fists tightly, gritting his teeth. If he didn’t, he felt like he might punch the Crown Prince.

But his thoughts and body acted separately. Morgan approached the Crown Prince with fierce momentum and yanked Marisselle toward himself as if snatching her away.

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