The Puppet Villainess’s Splendid Rebellion - Chapter 97

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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 97

Carlos Carter felt an overwhelming sense of being at a complete loss for words.

He quietly furrowed his brow.

Lorea across from him was staring at Carlos with an indescribable expression.

Carlos couldn’t understand at all why that young princess was making such an expression.

‘What kind of existence am I to you.’

His mind went blank at the sudden question.

What eventually came out after several seconds was not an answer, but a counter-question.

“…What answer do you want to hear?”

At the quiet question, Lorea shook her head.

“It’s not that I have an answer I want to hear. I’m just… really curious. How the Duke thinks of me.”

Carlos’s gaze wavered for a moment.

He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. Once, twice, three times. The words wouldn’t come out. It felt like they were stuck in his throat.

Certainly, at first Lorea was just a disgusting and irritating existence.

How dare a half-blood who inherited the Emperor’s blood have a similar appearance to the youngest daughter Carlos cherished. Bringing Jeongjesa of unknown origin and brazenly proposing a deal. Acting all dignified like a proper princess. He didn’t like any of it. He wanted to remove her from his sight.

But at some point, he didn’t know when this face stopped being uncomfortable.

No, beyond not being uncomfortable, now it was…

“…”

Carlos knew that when Lorea collapsed, he had been more desperate and earnest than anyone else. He didn’t even think it was strange. He just prayed endlessly for Lorea to open her eyes. He held that child’s hand all night and couldn’t leave her side for even a moment.

When he told the princess to protect herself, that was also sincere. He didn’t want to see such a sight again. The image of Lorea collapsed and covered in blood still haunted his eyes.

But if he had to speak about such feelings with his own mouth now.

He didn’t know.

He couldn’t get his bearings. What he should say, what he wanted to say. Something was tangled up in his chest, but he couldn’t tell what it was. No, when he tried to figure it out, he became more confused.

Lorea, who had been quietly observing Carlos’s reaction, nodded her head. As if she had expected this. Rather detachedly. Without even showing signs of disappointment.

“Then I can’t become the Duke’s family.”

It was a calm voice. She spoke clearly without a single tremor.

“I don’t want the Duke to have regrets.”

“…Princess.”

“It’s okay.”

Having said that, Lorea stood up with dignity. Her small frame stood upright with a straight back.

“So if the Duke can truly accept me someday, please bring up the adoption again then.”

“…”

“I’ll think about it again then too.”

Her red eyes looked toward Carlos without wavering.

At that moment, Carlos somehow felt like his breath was completely blocked.

The silence that had settled between the two was brief, as Lorea suddenly remembered something and took something out from her chest.

“Oh right, and this.”

A small box was placed on the desk. It was a box containing Jeongjesa.

“Today’s the day I give it to you. I prepared it before going out earlier, so this worked out well.”

Lorea smiled, lifting the corners of her mouth. It was her usual bright smile, but somehow her eyes didn’t seem to be smiling. It seemed like a forced smile.

“Don’t get sick.”

With a small bow, Lorea left the room.

The door closed.

Carlos finally let out a deep breath.

“What the hell.”

His chest felt stuffy as if it were blocked. It felt like being pressed down by a heavy stone. He couldn’t breathe properly.

He didn’t know the reason. He didn’t want to know either.

He lowered his gaze to look down at the reddish Jeongjesa. Unlike the crimson Jeongjesa that the Archmage had made, the ones contained in the box had a dark red glow, no different from the Jeongjesa that Lorea had first shown him.

‘Is she obtaining them separately?’

Jeongjesa of unknown origin that only Lorea possessed. It was certainly more precious and harder to obtain than the Archmage’s. Yet she went out of her way to give such things to him.

Lorea always gave only these dark red Jeongjesa to Carlos. Only to him, not to anyone else. Even though there might be no need for that anymore.

“…”

Carlos stared blankly at the box for a long time.

* * *

A few days later.

Early in the morning, I was staring blankly at the Duke’s Mansion garden with the window wide open.

“It’s cold…”

Since winter had begun in earnest after the first snow fell, the morning air was particularly chilly. White breath rose up. But at times like this, opening the window actually seemed to calm my thoughts, which was nice. Every time the cold wind brushed against my face, it felt like complicated things were being scattered away.

Actually, after having that conversation with Carlos a few days ago, it felt awkward to run into him somehow, so I was subtly avoiding him.

I adjusted my meal times to be different, and if it seemed like I might run into him in the corridor, I turned around.

Carlos seemed to be avoiding me too. Or maybe that’s just how I felt.

‘I don’t know why I feel this way.’

Actually, I know the cause.

It must be disappointment.

That was exactly the problem.

‘What am I to be feeling disappointed?’

I hadn’t expected an answer from the beginning. I knew Carlos wouldn’t be able to answer. I just wanted to know, that’s all.

Still, somehow. One side of my chest felt empty.

That’s when it happened.

The curtain fluttered gently.

“Why are you sitting here with the window open?”

It was Sion.

I don’t know when he arrived, but he was naturally perched on the window sill. His violet eyes swept over me.

By now, I wasn’t particularly surprised when Sion appeared like this.

“I had some things to think about.”

“Lorea has such a small head but so many thoughts.”

Sion approached and gently cupped my cheeks with both hands. His palms were warm. My cold cheeks melted warmly in the boy’s body heat.

“You’re cold. Your cheeks are all red. How long were you sitting here?”

“…A little while?”

“Liar.”

Sion sighed and closed the window. The cold air was cut off and the room became warm again. As he rubbed my cheeks to warm them, he asked.

“Is something troubling you?”

“No, I’m fine. I always think a lot, you know that, Sion.”

“Another lie.”

Sion stared at me intently. His violet eyes seemed to see right through me.

Instead of pressing further, he quietly raised his hand and stroked my hair. His touch was gentle.

“Don’t struggle with everything alone. I don’t like it when Lorea makes that expression.”

“…Yes.”

My heart softened a little at Sion’s touch. My body had become younger, and clearly my heart had too. Getting hurt by Carlos’s words and then feeling better again with just one touch from Sion proved it.

“So, what brings you here today?”

“I missed you.”

“Besides that.”

“I’m serious though…”

Sion grinned and rested his head against my shoulder.

“Well, if there’s news worth sharing… Hella has made her move. Reactions are starting to come in from the borderlands.”

“Already?”

“There were many villages suffering because of magic. As soon as rumors about Jeongjesa spread, inquiries started pouring in. Since we’re also spreading stories about the Duke’s household, news will reach here soon too.”

It was good news. It meant Jeongjesa was starting to spread. Things were going according to plan.

“That’s great.”

“Yeah, but there’s also bad news.”

“…Bad news?”

Not understanding, I gently pushed his head away and asked.

He stared at me quietly, then spoke matter-of-factly.

“It seems the Emperor has found another way.”

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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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