Thought It Was ‘The End’, Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 34

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

Chapter 7. Villains Are Originally (5)

Empress Viola of Greenwinsor was a beauty who looked exactly like Edwin.

Her youthful and beautiful appearance, which seemed to have completely avoided the traces of time, looked to be in her thirties, but she had passed sixty this year.

Edelaine had also been frequently summoned by the Empress and received her affection until she ran away. It was about ten years from when she first met her around age eight until she fled at eighteen. During that time, the Empress’s appearance hadn’t changed at all, so she seriously suspected whether she was a different race like an elf.

Unlike the Emperor who was convalescing at a provincial palace under the pretext of poor health, she was a figure who wielded influence not only in social circles but also in political circles, controlling Delmez. She was also the background that allowed Edwin to seamlessly fill the Emperor’s vacant position without being formally enthroned.

Despite her deer-like appearance, her personality was very fiery and she had good drive and initiative, so some people whispered behind her back that she was more emperor-like than the Emperor. The Emperor was gentle to put it nicely, and lacked charisma to put it badly, so in a way, they could be said to be a well-matched pair.

It was said that she had been close friends with Emma since before marriage, and currently kept her as a lady-in-waiting and spent time with her most closely.

‘Father is a member of the Council of Elders, eldest brother is a minor lord of fertile territory, younger brother is a successful businessman, and mother is the Empress’s lady-in-waiting… Isn’t the Bertrand family fucking amazing…?’

Emma was probably one of the most influential figures in social circles.

She was smiling but spoke without erasing the cool expression.

“I heard that something bad almost happened to you…”

“Shane protected me well.”

“We asked you, didn’t we. To hide behind anyone if something dangerous happened.”

Even with ten mouths, there was nothing to say.

She wanted to say that it was fine since she wasn’t hurt, but if she actually said that, she would surely be trapped in a hell of tears. Emma had only recently gotten back the daughter she thought she had lost. And then she almost went through the same thing again.

“There must have been plenty of things nearby to use as shields.”

It seems like those shields aren’t referring to actual weapons or stone walls but humans, am I mistaken…?

When Edelaine avoided her gaze with a troubled face, Emma sighed softly.

“I’ll stop here. But Patrick and Jeff will come to see you soon. Gregory will also give you an earful. As you know, those three are a bit overzealous. You’d better be prepared then.”

“Yes…”

She could clearly picture Jeff’s terrifying expression. Gregory and Patrick would also go on and on with their nagging. Especially Gregory was a tremendous orator, and listening to him made her feel heavy guilt as if she had become the world’s greatest traitor. Edelaine had seriously wondered if this was a politician’s gaslighting.

“Emma, even you become a helpless mother in front of your daughter.”

“Please don’t tease me too much, Your Majesty.”

“Is she that pretty?”

“Isn’t she pretty? All children are pretty.”

“If my children had been as cute as Edelaine, I would have cherished them just as much as you do, but…”

Viola clicked her tongue.

“My children are all strange, every one of them.”

“Don’t say such things. You do love them in your own way.”

“I do love them in my own way. In my own way.”

The conversation was subtle. Edelaine cautiously brought her teacup to her lips while reading the mood.

As if to show they were truly blood relatives, Viola said exactly the same thing as Edwin as soon as she saw Edelaine’s face.

‘You really were alive, Edelaine.’

Just like that.

Hearing the same words from someone who looked identical except for gender was a chilling experience. Moreover, the way she narrowed her blue eyes that seemed to see through everything, just like her son, and observed her was somewhat unnerving.

But she soon smiled brightly and welcomed and congratulated her, so Edelaine was able to let it pass without saying anything.

From the moment she heard that Jeff had called Lloyd to cooperate, Edelaine knew that none of the Bertrands believed the nonsense about the Saint’s miracle. Yet they pretended to believe without asking, which meant ‘let’s go with that story.’

We won’t ask, you came back and that’s enough.

For Edelaine, this was more burdensome than interrogation.

“I should have married you to my son.”

“That’s ridiculous. It would be above my station.”

“Blancard is fine? He’s also of royal blood just the same.”

“That’s why we only proceeded with an engagement for now. At that time, His Highness Edwin was in marriage talks with a princess from the Kingdom of Rembui.”

“What a waste. If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have just pushed it through.”

It was a chilling conversation.

Even if she had avoided the engagement with male lead Shane, what awaited her was an engagement with sub-male lead Edwin.

The other future she briefly imagined was a hellscape.

For example, if Shane would just ignore a fiancée who liked him, Edwin was someone who would brazenly embrace other women right in front of her.

The most horrifying part was that if it didn’t break off, it would be an empress ending.

“I need to quickly get my son settled too.”

“Don’t talk about His Highness Edwin’s marriage like it’s garbage, Your Majesty.”

“I can’t just choose anyone. It would be troublesome if she forgets her place and status and runs off following another man like the princess of Rembui did.”

“Surely such a thing wouldn’t happen twice.”

“Of course, it shouldn’t happen twice. I let it slide because Edwin said he’d just receive appropriate compensation, but I wanted to overturn everything out of spite. How outrageous. She was the one who clung to him first, saying she liked Edwin.”

Edelaine listened with great interest to the story of Edwin’s broken engagement.

“To think she’d fall head over heels for the rebels and backstab her parents saying she’d make her man king.”

“You said you liked her because she was formidable.”

“That’s right. I liked her, so it was even more outrageous…”

It seemed Edwin had been the sub-male lead in the marriage talks with the princess of Rembui too.

It sounded like the princess of Rembui hadn’t been captured by the rebel leader but had personally brought down her parents and placed a crown on her man’s head. Edelaine thought she definitely wanted to meet her someday.

She could understand Viola’s taste.

That’s why she had only doted on Edelaine until she ran away.

Edelaine had pretended to be a gentle noble lady. Since she didn’t get deeply involved with people and kept her distance, acting affectionately was the safest approach.

Occasionally she would get caught up in Edwin’s plans and intentionally approach someone or probe their true feelings.

“So Edelaine, you must help me.”

“If there’s anything I can do, I’ll do whatever it takes. Just leave it to me.”

“Blend in among the children and tell me in detail who’s thinking what. You don’t have to be picky about means and methods. Can you do it?”

She could sense the nuance hidden in the words about not being picky about means and methods. When Edelaine looked at Viola, she smiled sweetly.

“It was a mistake to think you were just gentle. Really, you can’t know a person just by looking at their exterior. Who would have known you could deceive the entire world so perfectly by yourself. I should have married you to my son… Such a waste.”

“…”

I… am gentle…

Edelaine swallowed her excuse. Emma was pretending not to hear while sipping her tea.

It was confirmed that no one believed in the Saint’s miracle.

***

Emma urged her to be careful and sent Edelaine off.

The audience with the Empress was barely over an hour, but she felt like she had aged ten years. Her energy was completely drained.

‘It’s not like I’m the one who pulled the scam of becoming a returnee!’

She didn’t understand why she had to feel like the protagonist of a failed magic show. How embarrassing…

Shane said.

“If you’re tired, shall we go back now.”

“I have to meet Genevieve.”

“I told you she won’t see you.”

Edwin chimed in. The voice of the immature son who was avoiding his mother to escape nagging sounded spiteful.

“I’ll wait in front of her door until she agrees to meet me. I’ll wait all night if I have to.”

Shane snorted.

“Not a chance. You’re going back before dinner.”

Edelaine glanced at Shane.

“Missing one meal won’t be a big deal.”

“It will be a big deal, Edelaine. I’ll carry you off in front of everyone.”

Shane smiled coldly. His mouth was smiling but his eyes were cold. He seemed genuinely annoyed. Edelaine knew that Shane really intended to carry her off like a piece of luggage.

Still, she had no intention of giving up.

“Persistent women aren’t popular, Edelaine.”

“People sometimes need to know how to be persistent.”

Edwin was being sarcastic from the side, but Edelaine was resolute.

Actually, she thought it was better not to bother someone who said they didn’t want to meet. She believed in giving people time to manage their emotions alone.

But she had an intuition that she shouldn’t do that with Genevieve.

Genevieve had been hurt and shut herself away. It was fortunate that she would meet her husband, but she was basically someone who didn’t know how to lean on others. If it had been manageable, she would have swallowed it alone and pretended to be calm, but the fact that she couldn’t even pretend to be calm meant she was shaken beyond measure.

Saying she specifically wouldn’t meet Edelaine meant that she was the cause of the wound.

“And Genevieve likes me. She’ll open the door soon.”

“Genevieve. I’ll keep waiting until you open the door.”

And so Edelaine, standing in front of Genevieve’s room door, had been left waiting for 15 minutes.

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