Thought It Was ‘The End’, Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 74

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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 14. Deceiving and Being Deceived (3)

When Emma visited, Edelaine was leisurely eating cookies at the table by the window.

Humans are creatures who get hungry when the time comes regardless of the situation, and sometimes their stomach clock would ring inconsiderately even before meal preparations were ready. When Edelaine felt embarrassed, Lloyd had offered her some cookies to eat while waiting.

Emma watched Edelaine crunching on cookies for a moment, then smiled and said.

“At least your complexion looks better. I suppose even fainting after drinking poison counts as getting some sleep.”

There was an edge to her words. As Edelaine put down her cookie, Emma pulled out the chair across from her and sat down.

“You’ve been unusual since you were little. You were a child who busily schemed something every single day without rest.”

“….”

“No matter what you did, we only found you adorable, so we thought you could do whatever you wanted. That was probably our mistake.”

The atmosphere made it seem like she shouldn’t chew the cookie remaining in her mouth. Edelaine tactfully pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth.

“By the time we noticed something was wrong, you had already grown thin and were avoiding us. Patrick and Jeff had gone through such periods too, so we thought it was just a phase of growing pains for you… that you’d come back if we waited.”

“….”

“We think we’ve waited long enough.”

“….”

“I’m not asking you to tell us everything. We’re not the type of parents who need to dig into every detail of our independent child’s affairs to be satisfied. However, we needed a reason for why you hid and lived in pretense of being dead for five years, or at the very least, a single word saying you’re okay now.”

“….”

“Shane Blancarde said this. That no matter what happens, he’ll hold onto you and protect you, so leave it to him. We decided to trust him, the one who found and brought you back. But we set conditions.”

What could those be….

Edelaine realized that the quiet days of the past had actually not been peaceful at all.

Gregory, Emma, Patrick, and Jeff had all just been pretending to be calm. They had been watching very carefully, preparing for any possibility, not knowing what Edelaine might scheme next.

While hiding and concealing the torn hearts of parents who had lost their child.

Emma said.

“If you become dangerous, or if he fails to hold onto you, we’ll take you away and confine you.”

“Take me away and confine me…?”

Am I a goldfish, to be confined….

Her head felt dizzy.

“Actually, Shane Blancarde was so confident in his promise to hold onto you that I thought he’d get you pregnant right after marriage. If he’d take in a child picked up from the street, there’s no way he’d abandon a child born from his own wife’s womb.”

“…That’s, a bit….”

Isn’t that dangerous. Edelaine wanted to bring up the modern common sense that there should be no forced relations even between spouses, but in this world’s noble marriages, heirs were naturally an expected option.

“But even after waiting, there was no news of pregnancy, you grew thin again, threw yourself in place of the Saint again, and now even poison….”

Emma let out a small sigh.

“We wanted to be gentle with you too, Edelaine.”

“Mother….”

“But we had no choice. We couldn’t lose you twice.”

Despite her gentle and kind voice, her eyes weren’t smiling at all.

*

When evening came, Patrick and Jeff visited.

Edelaine greeted them having completely lost her appetite from the argument that wasn’t quite an argument with Emma.

Seeing her sitting as if in protest without touching the dinner Lloyd had prepared, Patrick said.

“You haven’t recovered for long, so I’d like you to eat something.”

“I have no appetite.”

“Don’t be like that.”

Patrick’s large hand stroked Edelaine’s head. Then he knelt down in front of her.

“When you starve yourself, I become too sad, Edelaine.”

“…When you say it like that, it makes me feel like such trash….”

Technically, Edelaine was the victim and Patrick and Jeff were part of the perpetrators, so why was the psychological dynamic completely opposite?

Jeff said.

“She’d just sneer if I said it, but she listens well when you say it.”

“When did I ever disrespect you?”

“Admit it if you have any conscience. If I had told you to eat, you wouldn’t have even pretended to listen.”

“….”

“You should deny it here, you fool. Really, your problem is being half-heartedly conscientious.”

Jeff sneered coldly.

Edelaine accepted the soup Patrick was feeding her. It was carrot soup that Lloyd made well. It tasted awful.

“That’s why you’re trapped in a place like this.”

“The person who trapped me sure talks well….”

“For the record, my brother and I opposed this kind of thing.”

Patrick nodded. Jeff continued.

“But our parents were so… firm about it. Mother visited during the day so you know how she is, and Father is also very angry. Well, not as much as the Crown Prince or Shane, but he’s grinding his teeth saying he’ll find the poisoner and tear them to shreds.”

“…Father is really scary when he’s angry….”

“A child who knows it’s scary shouldn’t act like this.”

“But I’m really wronged! I didn’t drink it knowing there was poison in it!”

Lloyd and Emma both spoke as if she had deliberately gotten herself poisoned.

Edelaine shouted vigorously.

“I really didn’t know! I was poisoned without knowing!”

“How proud.”

Even Patrick, who usually took Edelaine’s side, shook his head with a small sigh.

“Anyway, our parents probably don’t plan to keep you confined here forever. So think of it as convalescing for a while and rest well.”

“I’m tired of convalescing….”

“How about thinking first about how much you’ve thrown your body around here and there?”

Jeff wielded fact violence with a smile.

“Don’t act up by skipping meals when your body isn’t even healthy.”

“This is exactly why I don’t want to obediently listen.”

Patrick says the same things so much more nicely.

Jeff snorted.

“Only to you. Really, whether it’s my brother or father, they all act coy in front of the youngest….”

“Jeff.”

“Ah, fine. I’ll shut up.”

Though he wasn’t someone who would be intimidated by just having his name called, Jeff shook his head in exasperation.

“By the way, the Kingdom of Brubewinn is in big trouble.”

“Brubewinn?”

“The kingdom with the mage legend you mentioned, Edelaine.”

“Ah…. But why is that?”

“Since they attempted assassination while in the presence of the Crown Prince, the kingdom would have no excuse even if it were destroyed. Ah, of course, if the culprit is from that country.”

Edelaine had a gut feeling that something had happened while she was wandering through dreams.

Jeff wasn’t someone who would speak carelessly without certainty. Though he added that it was still circumstantial evidence at the end, he was definitely certain.

“Princess Mia and her maid aren’t the poisoners. We had people attached to monitor them, and to prevent any mischief, we had the attendants placed around key figures carry bracelets blessed by the Saint. They wouldn’t have had any opportunity to approach His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“What’s this, brother. Did you develop feelings for her? Am I perhaps enemies with my future sister-in-law?”

“Stop talking nonsense in front of the child. Think about the age difference.”

“That child is this big, brother. There’s not much difference.”

Jeff ended up getting hit by Patrick.

After the brothers left, Edelaine sat on the sofa with her knees drawn up, pulling at her hair.

What on earth have I been doing….

The Bertrand Family hadn’t held back, and Shane, Genevieve, and Edwin also seemed to be running wild as they pleased.

Leaving only her behind all alone.

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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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