I’m Stuck on a Remote Island With the Male Leads - Chapter 223

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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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Side Story 8
Wait, more importantly…!
I hastily grabbed both of Eun-ji’s arms and asked.
“When did you meet Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid? Why is he suddenly teaching you to write?”
“Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid sent Eun-ji a letter. But Eun-ji can’t read. So Eun-ji was sad.”
Eun-ji clutched at my skirt and spoke with an awkward expression, twisting her body bashfully.
“Big sister wrote a reply for Eun-ji! Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid said he’ll teach Eun-ji to write next time they meet.”
“Innis did? Why didn’t she tell us?”
Rosemary tilted her head with a puzzled expression from beside me. Right, I was puzzled too.
“Why did Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid send a separate letter to Eun-ji? He didn’t even mention it to me?”
“That’s… he told me not to say…”
Eun-ji avoided my gaze, looking troubled. No matter how much I pressed her, she wouldn’t answer.
I eventually decided to ask Innis about it later and changed the subject.
“But Eun-ji, who told you that your sister would leave you when she gets married?”
“Eun-ji heard the sisters here talking about it.”
Hearing Eun-ji’s answer, I felt somewhat relieved. She must have overheard the maids talking among themselves.
It was natural to become independent after marriage, but it seemed Eun-ji had misunderstood and thought I was abandoning her.
In any case, I comforted Eun-ji again, promised to teach her writing starting tomorrow, and then headed to the study. I needed to find the letter I had received from Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid.
The letter I found was one I had received this morning.
The sentences, which began with ordinary pleasantries, were concise and neat.
[Wait just a little longer for me.]
I quietly read and reread the final sentence, like a period at the end of the letter.
It was obvious, but there was no need for my help in that one important “preparation” that would happen only once in Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid’s life.
It wasn’t just his matter.
Archbishop Luzef had become Pope, and the Prince of Asdal was preparing for his coronation ceremony.
Yuanna Lucy was busy fulfilling her official schedule as the continent’s only Saint, and Diego Bastian Vilterheim was busy with his duties and training as the Guard Commander of the Langrid Empire.
They were all holding important positions and spending their days in busyness.
And my help was not needed for their “important” schedules.
My heart felt unsettled.
Above all, why hadn’t Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid mentioned to me that he had contacted Eun-ji separately?
What was even more suspicious was that even Innis hadn’t told me what Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid and Eun-ji had talked about.
‘What is this? What are they all hiding from me?’
I was curious, but there was no way to find out. I would have to ask him directly when I saw Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid.
But that was only if I could see his face.
* * *
And so several more days passed.
Eun-ji was spending less and less time in her human form. She was in the process of learning how to communicate with others in her serpent form.
Pap pap.
Eun-ji made a heart shape using her tail.
I don’t know how that’s even possible, but since Eun-ji isn’t an ordinary snake, I shouldn’t try to understand it with my common sense.
“Oh, how adorable you are.”
I stroked Eun-ji’s smooth head affectionately.
Eun-ji, who had been receiving head pats while flicking her tongue, even danced with joy.
I could feel Eun-ji’s happiness radiating through her entire being. I didn’t even need to establish a resonance to sense it.
In any case, Eun-ji had been diligently practicing writing letters with her tail.
Through such dedicated effort, she achieved remarkable progress—our emotional connection had evolved into simple linguistic communication.
[Sister, like!]
[Very, like!]
Eun-ji’s words reached me this way, buzzing softly through my mind.
Though still only individual words rather than complete sentences, if I continued practicing the Magic Power Operation Method, wouldn’t we eventually be able to have proper conversations?
[Eun-ji, sister, like.]
I suspected that the words Eun-ji had spoken most frequently since her birth might be that she loved me.
She followed me unconditionally and adored me so completely.
“Sister loves Eun-ji so much too.”
I embraced Eun-ji, who had expanded her body to the size of a forearm. I could feel her joy and happiness radiating from her.
A child who loved me so unreservedly without reason. She was so precious and I was so grateful for her.
And as I held her, I thought to myself.
‘At this rate, I’ll probably forget Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid’s face soon. Living like this with just Eun-ji might be enough to make me happy…’
Only Enoch himself remained unaware that a crisis was approaching their relationship.
* * *
Duke Flone was heading to his office for another ordinary morning when he unexpectedly received a letter from an unusual sender.
“A letter from Your Highness Crown Prince? Not from Margaret, but addressed to me?”
To Duke Flone’s question, his seasoned butler merely nodded without showing any disturbance.
“Yes. His Highness Crown Prince Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid has sent you a letter. Additionally, His Highness has requested that this matter be kept secret from your second daughter.”
Secret from Margaret.
It was a message that conveyed absolute trust in Duke Flone.
No matter how much of an imperial prospect he might be, a daughter thief was still a daughter thief. The Duke hadn’t been pleased with him, yet this scoundrel trusted him.
Duke Flone’s opinion of Crown Prince Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid softened slightly.
“Very well. A secret must be kept. It is the Crown Prince’s request, after all.”
Unable to hide his rising smile, he was receiving the letter from his butler when—
“Gasp!”
The veteran butler, who never showed disturbance no matter what, jumped in surprise.
A massive serpent had appeared beneath their feet, tilting her head curiously while staring intently at the letter held in Duke Flone’s hand.
The serpent—Eun-ji, Margaret’s pet and divine beast—was licking her tongue while gazing at the letter, her eyes clearly expressing considerable curiosity about what this secret Crown Prince’s letter contained.
Cold sweat dripped down Duke Flone’s back as he held the letter.
Duke Flone hastily returned to his office with Eun-ji, leaving the butler behind. He set Eun-ji down on the table.
Eun-ji circled around the table surface, then suddenly stopped and looked back up at the Duke.
Her face, licking her tongue while staring at him intently, was adorably un-serpent-like, but the Duke found himself in quite a predicament.
“Will you keep this secret from Margaret?”
Eun-ji simply stared blankly at the Duke in her serpent form.
Though Eun-ji had been practicing writing, she was still a beginner, and communication remained frustratingly limited.
Unable to converse properly, the Duke felt increasingly exasperated. Yet he couldn’t very well rush to Margaret and make the suspicious request that she humanize Eun-ji, could he?
After a moment’s deliberation, the Duke decided to open the letter first. He approached the Desk and picked up a paper knife.
Eun-ji, equally curious about the letter, crawled from the Table up to the Duke’s work Desk.
The Duke waved the paper knife as he watched Eun-ji peer at the letter in his hands.
“Come now, Eun-ji. Shall Grandfather open the letter?”
Eun-ji’s tail struck the Desk with rapid taps, as if urging him to hurry. Then, seized by excitement, she spun in circles on the spot.
It was remarkable how, despite her serpentine form, she understood every word spoken to her—a divine being’s nature, perhaps. Though their communication remained imperfect.
The Duke settled into his Chair and opened the letter, while Eun-ji crept closer and peeked over his shoulder to read alongside him.
“…A proposal project? Eun-ji and Innis know about this too?”
Skipping the formal pleasantries, the letter’s substance was as follows:
He intended to propose to Margaret at the upcoming Langrid Empire Fireworks Festival, and he would need the assistance of Eun-ji and the Flone Family members.
“…Much as I hate to admit it, he does possess some sense.”
So Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid was using this opportunity to grow closer to the members of the Flone Ducal House.
Even after Margaret and Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid had become lovers, the Duke harbored lingering resentment toward him. Had he not once held his daughter in considerable disdain?
Even if Margaret had done things worthy of reproach, a parent’s heart could not be swayed by mere rationality.
Perhaps Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid understood this, and was preparing an event to draw closer to her family while honoring Margaret.
Flick—
At that moment, Eun-ji flicked her tongue and tapped the Duke’s Forearm with her tail.
“What is it?”
Tap, tap.
But since Eun-ji could not speak, she could only continue tapping her tail.
“This must remain a Secret from Margaret. Will you promise Grandfather? It shall be our Secret alone.”
Seized by the word ‘Secret,’ Eun-ji bounced with delight and spun once more across the Table. Her affirmative Signal was unmistakable.
“My little Scoundrel has grown so much that she’s already of marriageable age….”
Duke Flone withdrew a Towel and wiped away his tears.
Eun-ji, who had been watching the Duke quietly while flicking her tongue, lost interest and departed from his Office.
* * *
In truth, Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid had longed to see Margaret every single day since entering coronation preparations a month prior.
If one were to ask the extent of Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid’s obsession with Margaret, his chief Aide James could have provided dozens of examples.
James stood quietly before the gallery adjacent to the Office, his arms laden with documents.
His first act upon rising each morning was to visit the gallery before beginning his official duties—a routine as fixed as any other.
What did he do in that gallery? Naturally, he admired the paintings.
More precisely, Portraits.
James glanced around the gallery. The expansive walls were densely covered with Portraits of a single person.
Beautiful and classical platinum blonde Hair, eyes as deep and mysterious as crystalline lakes, delicate features arranged in a lovely smile.
Portraits of Margaret Rose Flone, renowned as one of the Empire’s most celebrated beauties.
Portraits from her infancy, her childhood, her adolescence, and her adulthood.
From stern formal Portraits to intimate everyday scenes of her playing in the Garden, the variety was remarkable.
Those procured by Aide James were certainly not among them. And those obtained by the attendants even less so.
Then how did Enoch obtain those portraits?
Apparently, he made a deal with Margaret’s sister, Innis.
In exchange for providing Margaret’s portrait, he agreed to officially “support” the school for cultivating scientists that Innis was preparing to establish under the Imperial Family’s name.
To be precise, it wasn’t financial support. Innis simply needed the prestige of Imperial backing.
‘I heard that Lady Flone doesn’t know about this. Will it be alright?’
Aide James became intensely curious about what reaction Margaret would have if she discovered this fact—and especially if she learned that there was a gallery in the Imperial Palace displaying her portraits.
“James, what do you think?”
“Yes, yes?”
James had no idea when Enoch had arrived, but he was suddenly standing right in front of him.
Behind Enoch, all of his subordinates were staring at James. For some reason, cold sweat trickled down his back.
“At the Fireworks Festival, you see. I think it would be quite symbolic if Margaret were to light the first fireworks of the new era.”
“…Yes? Lady Flone would do what?”
James thought he must have misheard.
The Fireworks Festival of the Langrid Empire begins when a professional pyrotechnician atop the spire in Capital Beneton’s square creates fire and ignites the fireworks themselves.
In other words, it was something only an ‘expert’ could do.
“Does Your Highness think Lady Flone is some primitive tribal chieftain who just came back from the jungle? How could she possibly climb that towering spire and create fire? That makes no sense….”
Then James suddenly recalled that Alea Island, where the seven survivors had been trapped, was an environment much like a jungle.
Moreover, the seven survivors had actually lived there like a primitive tribe and survived.
As James looked at Enoch with a questioning expression, Enoch simply waited for his answer without any sign of disturbance.
James had an intuition. Margaret was a woman who knew how to make fire.
He asked Enoch with a truly serious expression.
“Lady Flone… what exactly did she do before?”

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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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