The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living - Chapter 55

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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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Chapter 55

 

Since I kept my gaze fixed on that book, Alpheus laughed awkwardly with a “haha.”

 

“That… the progress is slow, right? I keep getting sleepy after reading just a few pages. Actually, I’m not really interested in animals.”

 

I took a deep breath for a moment.

 

I felt strange.

 

It was odd that someone… had made an effort for my sake. And to match my interests, no less.

 

Only after a moment of silence did I raise my eyebrows and offer advice.

 

“If you want to fill your life with boring things, go join a monastery. Why on earth would you read something you’re not interested in?”

 

Then Alpheus answered hesitantly.

 

“Leaving everything to you would be too irresponsible as a guardian, and also, to get along better with you, it’s good to have common ground…”

 

“Weren’t we getting along fine already? This is pretty peaceful, isn’t it?”

 

I was being sincere.

 

Given the circumstances, I had been a bit opinionated, but I absolutely never crossed the line.

 

There was no particular conflict between us. It had been consistently peaceful.

 

But Alpheus slowly shook his head.

 

“I don’t want peace, Brisa.”

 

“Then you want discord? You should have said so earlier. That’s much easier than peace anyway.”

 

“No, regardless of peace or discord… I just want to become a ‘real family’ with you.”

 

“…”

 

“I’m just trying to make that happen. So your heart will open to me a little faster.”

 

He ruffled his hair roughly and sighed.

 

“Ah, if I had known this would happen, I should have read more diligently… Still being on Volume 1 is so embarrassing. Actually, I started reading as soon as I got back…”

 

I didn’t know what to say in response.

 

So I said the most necessary thing for now.

 

“…Really? Then if you can’t sleep tonight either, you can finish reading that. Good night.”

 

I felt strange. The door closed behind me.

 

* * *

 

Leopold waited for Brisa with his arms crossed.

 

The warehouse in the Iris Garden.

 

To be honest, it was a place he really didn’t want to come to. He really hated calling Brisa here too.

 

Nevertheless, it couldn’t be helped. This was the only place in the Duke Nogen’s Residence where they could avoid Hilberry’s eyes and ears. This warehouse was where he locked himself up when transformed.

 

Naturally, he had strictly forbidden the servants from entering as well. It would be a disaster if someone heard sounds and noticed.

 

So paradoxically, this place had reliable security.

 

‘Any conversation held in the Duke Nogen’s Residence should be assumed to reach Grandfather’s ears.’

 

To avoid eavesdropping, he would need to call her to his room, but having a man and woman meet alone in a room was forbidden, even for minors.

 

So there was no choice but this location.

 

If nothing else, I didn’t want to tell Hilberry about matters concerning ‘El’.

 

Hilberry was already spending his difficult old age.

 

Even if we found ‘El’, the possibility of breaking the curse was very small. So I didn’t want to disappoint him unnecessarily before getting some solid lead.

 

Also, there was another reason why I needed to find a place where absolute security could be maintained.

 

‘Brisa will definitely ask about the Dark Mages.’

 

The Dark Mages were targeting her life. I had promised to interrogate them and inform her of the circumstances.

 

But Leopold had found out nothing. Except for the guess that it might be at the instigation of the Sebon Royal Family…

 

‘But in the end, it’s just a guess. Brisa could think of that much too.’

 

So he decided to just make the promise once more.

 

That he would find out the reason even if he had to mobilize all the information agents in the Western Region. Just give him some time.

 

He had already sent his information agent to the Sebon Kingdom. And he couldn’t tell Alpheus about all these matters.

 

Leopold still didn’t trust Alpheus.

 

Of course, Leopold wasn’t the type to look down on someone just because they had commoner blood mixed in.

 

It wasn’t that kind of problem, it was just an objective judgment.

 

Brisa wouldn’t trust her half-brother whom she had only recently met either. That was natural.

 

‘They seem to get along quite well, but still, there’s no way Brisa would let her guard down.’

 

That’s when it happened. In the distance, he saw a small figure approaching with quick steps.

 

The girl with platinum hair flowing down easily entered through the door Leopold had left open.

 

Leopold didn’t bother to call out to her.

 

Because this time of looking at the girl’s clear cheeks and round nose tip illuminated by moonlight wasn’t bad.

 

Brisa, who had stopped walking and was looking around, soon discovered Leopold sitting on the bench behind the warehouse.

 

She glided over and said.

 

“I’m late. Did you wait long?”

 

“You’re not late. I came early.”

 

Leopold took out a handkerchief from his pocket and laid it down beside him. Then he said leisurely.

 

“You can sit here.”

 

He was concerned about the bench that wasn’t clean because the servants’ hands hadn’t touched it.

 

Brisa raised her eyebrows and sat down gracefully.

 

“That’s unexpected manners between us?”

 

“I couldn’t help it. If it became known that dust got on your hem of skirt while meeting with me, I feel like your maid would slap my cheek or something.”

 

“What exactly do you take my maid for?”

 

Brisa scolded him.

 

“Just a slap? You should prepare for assassination at least.”

 

She sat beside him and looked around. Then she frowned and asked.

 

“But do you keep some forbidden animals here or something?”

 

“…Huh?”

 

“No, it’s strange. Surrounded by such high walls like this… no people anywhere… when you enter inside the walls, there are more walls. And then such a wide empty warehouse.”

 

Leopold normally never asked direct questions to anyone. But in front of Brisa, he absolutely couldn’t hold back.

 

He raised his eyebrows and asked.

 

“How do you know it’s empty without even going inside the warehouse?”

 

“The door over there was open. I saw it on my way here.”

 

It was an anticlimactic answer.

 

Leopold let out a groan.

 

“Don’t be disappointed. There are other reasons too. Logically speaking, what on earth would they store in such an inaccessible place?”

 

Brisa shrugged her shoulders.

 

“Besides, look at this Wiblauskiot grass. They definitely only weed it once every two months. That means they manage it carelessly. But the warehouse walls are incredibly thick and there are no windows. It’s more like a prison than a warehouse, isn’t it?”

 

“Wi, Wib… what?”

 

“Wiblauskiot grass. It’s easy to maintain so it’s widely used in mansion landscaping. The price is expensive though. I suppose that’s not a problem for you.”

 

Brisa spoke clearly.

 

Leopold smiled gently and replied.

 

“You never know about that. Two months ago I saw the Dark Mages eating Southern Wheat, which means the Western Region’s wheat has lost that much competitiveness, doesn’t it?”

 

Brisa shrugged once. Then she asked as nonchalantly as possible.

 

“Is the Dark Mage interrogation finished? Why exactly do they want to kill me?”

 

Leopold quietly gazed at her calm face.

 

Even though she had become the target of a massive criminal organization, she showed no signs of fear.

 

But she couldn’t possibly not be anxious. She simply wasn’t in the habit of expressing anxiety.

 

On the day of the engagement ceremony, Brisa must have been anxious the entire time. As far as he knew, that engagement ceremony was the first time the Former Marquis Wife had shown her face at an official social event in years.

 

She must have been constantly tense, not knowing when or how the madness might manifest. But she maintained a calm expression throughout.

 

Even afterward, when her mother really did start talking nonsense, she only showed a panicked face but didn’t cry.

 

Leopold could never forget that face where self-blame and helplessness rippled across it.

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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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