I’m The Real Daughter, But I Don’t Want To Go Back To The Duke’s Estate - Chapter 88

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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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However, the situation wasn’t good enough to probe into that matter.

Because the atmosphere had become completely cold.

The primary cause was none other than the First Prince.

‘The First Prince, I mean. It’s just a game, so why is he being so serious about it?’

His displeasure was so obvious that even the other young ladies were subtly watching the First Prince’s mood.

The Empress also had her face completely hardened.

In the midst of all this, only Rudrick brazenly opened his mouth again.

“Shouldn’t we hurry and draw the next lot?”

“….”

The Empress glared at Rudrick with her mouth firmly shut.

Then she irritably called another young lady.

“Now, Countess Lauren. Please draw a lot.”

“Ah, yes.”

The countess drew a lot while watching the Empress’s mood.

This time it was red.

The young lady who took the lot subtly stepped back.

After that, the other young ladies also drew lots in turn.

Green and red came out alternately.

The more lots were drawn, the more hardened the faces of the Empress and First Prince became.

And finally.

“Ah, am I the last one?”

Rudrick said playfully and conspicuously picked up the last remaining one.

It was blue.

“Ah, it’s the same as mine?”

I flinched after speaking without thinking.

Because the First Prince and Empress suddenly looked at me.

And their gazes were quite fierce.

‘What, did I do something wrong?’

Just as I was unconsciously thinking that.

“Princess Milena.”

Rudrick approached me and extended his hand.

It was the elegant gesture of a gentleman escorting a lady.

“I’m very pleased to be partnered with you this time, Princess.”

“….”

A strange tension flowed.

The First Prince’s gaze looking this way was full of displeasure.

On the other hand, Rudrick’s face looking at me was filled with a bright smile.

As if he was truly happy to be partnered with me, it was indeed a cheerful smile.

“Now, since everyone has found their partners. Shall we start the game?”

“….”

At Rudrick’s nonchalant words, the Empress’s jaw tensed.

But Rudrick still had a beaming smile on his face.

‘Rudrick really has nerves of steel.’

Separately, we couldn’t just continue with this frozen atmosphere.

I clicked my tongue inwardly and took a step forward first.

I opened my mouth in a bright voice, pretending to know nothing.

“Yes, I’m also looking forward to the game that the Empress has prepared.”

Perhaps very displeased, the Empress stared at me with an icy face.

Like Rudrick, I faced the Empress with a smiling face.

You know, there’s a saying that you can’t spit on a smiling face?

Eventually, the Empress opened her mouth with a reluctant voice.

“Yes. We’ll start the game now.”

* * *

Cecilia, who was resting on a long chair in the garden, subtly raised her gaze.

In the distance, she could see Milena and Rudrick heading toward the maze garden.

‘…Second Prince.’

Her pretty blue-green eyes narrowed with suspicion.

‘Was joining this game really a coincidence?’

Actually, Cecilia had stepped away just in case.

She wanted to know for certain whether Rudrick had really participated in this game because of Milena.

And her guess was exactly right.

‘I’m certain. He attended because of Milena.’

That gaze fixed solely on Milena.

She had thought he paid quite a bit of attention to Milena during the spring outing before.

‘I didn’t expect him to join even a gathering hosted by the Empress.’

Considering how Rudrick usually felt uncomfortable with the Empress and First Prince mother-son duo, he would normally avoid them.

She didn’t expect him to overcome even that discomfort.

‘And besides… that expression.’

Cecilia carefully observed Rudrick’s profile as he spoke to Milena.

Gone was his usual expressionless appearance, and Rudrick, who had claimed a place beside Milena, was smiling brightly throughout.

‘Surely the Second Prince wasn’t someone who smiled so often before.’

He had been smiling so frequently lately that his expressionless face was now hard to get used to.

‘Huh?’

Suddenly Cecilia’s eyes widened.

Her gaze was now on her younger sister, Milena.

Milena had a somewhat pouty expression and was responding to Rudrick about something.

‘Wait, Milena too…?’

Cecilia’s expression became strange.

In the early days when she hadn’t yet opened her heart to the Lusert family.

Milena always wore a mask-like smile on her face.

However, as time passed and she gradually opened her heart to the family.

Milena’s expressions slowly became more varied.

‘But she’s showing the same variety of expressions to the Second Prince too.’

That meant.

Milena was quite comfortable with Rudrick….

At the same time, Cecilia wrinkled her brow.

‘No, this won’t do!’

It was understandable that the Second Prince had special feelings for Milena.

Even considering she was her younger sister, objectively Milena was kind, cute, and truly lovable.

Honestly, even if I were a man, I would have fallen for Milena at first sight, right?

She was nodding inwardly for just a moment.

Cecilia clenched her fist tightly.

‘Our Milena is too precious for that.’

Wasn’t there already a precedent?

The time when the Second Prince had tried to use Milena in his conflict with the First Prince.

Of course, she had heard an apology about that, and Milena said she no longer held that incident in her heart.

But you never know, right?

If Milena were to get hurt again….

‘That absolutely cannot happen.’

Her blue-green eyes glinted sharply.

As her sister, and as someone who was saved by her kindness.

Cecilia was determined to do her best to ensure Milena wouldn’t get hurt.

* * *

Rudrick and I stepped side by side into the maze garden.

Lushly grown arborvitae trees formed a complex maze.

‘So there’s treasure hidden somewhere in this maze?’

From what I heard, we just need to find the treasure note and make our way out.

As I was looking around with eagle eyes.

Rudrick suddenly spoke up.

“Um, Princess Milena.”

“Yes?”

“I think we need to clear up some misunderstandings first.”

Having opened the conversation, Rudrick bit his lower lip for a moment.

He continued speaking with a dejected face like a child who had done something wrong.

“It’s true that I used illusion magic. However, I didn’t deliberately manipulate it to become your partner.”

Ah, so he did use magic after all?

I thought so. My senses weren’t completely wrong then.

I stared intently at Rudrick.

It meant he should confess everything if he had more to reveal.

“So, I didn’t interfere with impure intentions like last time. Rather, it was my brother who…”

Rudrick, who had been restless, trailed off.

After letting out a deep sigh and irritably brushing up his bangs, he carefully gauged my reaction and continued.

“I’m a bit hesitant since it seems like I’m slandering my brother and the Empress, but they were the ones who tried to manipulate the lottery first. I was…”

“I know.”

“What?”

Rudrick’s eyes widened in surprise.

I shrugged lightly.

“I’m talking about the First Prince and the Empress earlier. Their reactions were quite sharp for what was just a game.”

“Their reactions were sharp?”

“Yes. They were probably trying to pair the First Prince and me together. But their plan got twisted due to some factor I’m unaware of.”

When I first met the First Prince at the Imperial Palace Library, he was blatantly trying to build a friendship with me.

And it was the same when I attended this gathering.

The Empress deliberately tried to pair me with the First Prince.

Moreover, considering how the First Prince treated Milena in the original story, it’s easy to deduce that they tried to pair me with the First Prince through that lottery, right?

Since the Empress was the one who prepared the lottery, it would be more than easy to manipulate it somehow.

“…You knew.”

Meanwhile, Rudrick blinked his eyes blankly after hearing my words.

Feeling mischievous, I asked teasingly.

“Still, isn’t it cheating to interfere with magic?”

Rudrick’s shoulders stiffened.

Then he stealthily gauged my reaction.

“Are you perhaps upset about that?”

Well, honestly, I’m not upset.

The First Prince was the one who cheated first anyway, right?

Separately, Rudrick looking flustered somehow seemed cute to me…

“Pfft.”

Without realizing it, a sound like air escaping flowed from between my lips.

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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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