I Become the Villain's Bride - Chapter 51

Chapter 51

She reached for him with the hem of her dress, the water splashing everywhere.

“Such an inconvenience, really.”

Not only was he blamed for something he hadn’t done, but now he was covered in water as well. Faced with the self-aggrandizing duchess, the crown prince’s patience was completely exhausted.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“When did I ask for your help? No matter what you do, there’s no way I’ll ever agree to a divorce. Wake up from your delusions!”

After venting her boiling anger, she turned her back and left without looking back.

How had they come to misunderstand that the Imperial family wanted to separate them?

“Your Highness, are you alright?”

The attendants who had rushed to find the Crown Prince examined his condition.

“Achoo!”

“Your Highness, are you alright?”

Seeing the Crown Prince, who had been raised in luxury, now looking like a mouse that fell into a pond, the attendants were at a loss and extremely worried.

But what was even more absurd than his physical state was his reaction earlier.

“…The matter is settled.”

Today he confirmed it. The Duchess of Crowford was undeniably beautiful, capable of making the Duke fall in love at first sight, but she possessed an equally extraordinary and eccentric personality.

“I will never let this incident go unpunished.”

Regardless of everything else, he had to clear his name from the accusation of being infatuated with the Duchess.

Unaware that he had not actually met the real Duchess, the Crown Prince shivered inside the carriage, sharpening his blade of vengeance.

*  *  *

Unaware of the meeting between Lily and the Crown Prince, Freesia pieced together the unfolding situation through Matthew’s reports.

“I can’t believe that Serial is now aligned with the Imperial family.”

Originally, Serial was supposed to be the Duke of Crowford’s subordinate, but he had received orders from the Imperial family to separate from Naphier, which was unexpected.

This conflict couldn’t be left to escalate any further.

“Freesia.”

“Sister!”

Freesia was jolted awake by her sister’s warm voice.

With Rose, who had just finished her private meeting, in sight, Freesia ran over and threw herself into her sister’s arms with all her might.

“I’m sorry, sister. I’m really sorry.”

“Do you remember everything now?”

“Of course. The most wonderful thing in the world is definitely our sister.”

Rose seemed pleased that Freesia’s memory had returned. Without any trace of reproach, she gently stroked her sister, who was nestled in her embrace.

“Are you happy?”

Freesia had never imagined her sister would ask so openly. Unsure of how to respond, she hesitated for a moment but decided to be honest about her feelings.

“I’m happy.”

“…Though it’s late, congratulations on your marriage, Freesia.”

Rose must have spent a long time contemplating before she could sincerely say those words.

If it hadn’t been for Rose, Freesia would never have accepted this marriage. Rose, who knew this better than anyone, had been tormented by endless guilt.

“Sister.”

“No matter what happens, I’m always on your side.”

“No matter who you are with or what decisions you make, I’ll always be on your side.”

Overwhelmed by her sister’s unwavering support, tears welled up in Freesia’s eyes.

“You’re my pride. Even if I were to be reborn, I would want to be born as your sister.”

“Of course, Freesia. You are always my most precious treasure.”

Rose was always confident, dignified, and capable of achieving anything. It was only thanks to her that Freesia had grown up without feeling the absence of their parents.

“If I have a daughter someday, I want to raise her to be as brave and wonderful as you.”

Though it was a common expression, just those words made Rose’s tears flow uncontrollably.

Putting aside her noble composure as a countess for today, Rose held her beloved younger sister close and let her feelings of regret spill out.

“It really broke my heart when you didn’t remember me.”

“I really didn’t remember anything back then. The doctors said it was because of the shock.”

It was probably due to the influence of recalling memories from the original story, but for now, it’s better to attribute it to the Viscountess of Naphier.

As Rose spoke, Matthew, who had been standing like a scarecrow, became even more nervous and couldn’t lift his head.

“You don’t need to worry about what they say anymore.”

Rose wiped away her tears and shared the details of her agreement with the Duke.

“We’ve decided to form a united front against the Imperial family’s reckless actions without any compromise.”

“What are you planning to do?”

“Who would be most displeased with a princess expanding her influence within the Imperial family?”

Matthew and Freesia paused to think.

The Emperor cherished his outstanding eldest daughter significantly, despite formally making his eldest son the Crown Prince for the stability of the Imperial family. He had also given her the title of Royal Princess and helped her influence the aristocratic society in place of the Empress, thanks to the Emperor’s backing.

“Would it be the Crown Prince?”

“He lacks the qualities compared to the exceptional princess. If he gains the backing of Crowford, it would be easier for him to declare his candidacy for the throne without any burden.”

The attempts to bring Freesia to his side and to display his own power were quite blatant.

Even his efforts to separate the two, while using Freesia, were transparent.

Since they were trying to use the name Crowford in any way possible, it would be best to ensure they couldn’t use it at all.

“The Duke of Crowford should support the Crown Prince.”

“I see”

From the Imperial family’s perspective, they wanted to have the Duke of Crowford on their side no matter what.

If Crowford supported the Crown Prince, the princess would be less likely to hastily declare her candidacy for the throne.

“I heard that the princess sent someone to me today.”

“Really?”

“They asked for a brief wait, but it seems they just looked around the garden and left.”

“Don’t worry about that! I’ve already dealt with that nasty person.”

Lily, who seemed to have just played around in the garden with green stains on her skirt, took a triumphant seat next to Freesia with a big smile.

“What do you mean?”

“I found out everything. It’s definitely because the Crown Prince was blinded by your loveliness!”

Facing her completely off-track sister, Freesia was momentarily stunned and doubted her ears.

“…What?”

“I made sure they understood clearly. Even though our sister is beautiful, lovable, smart, and charming, she is already married, so they should never think of pursuing her again.”

With Lily proudly declaring she had dealt with the Imperial family’s pawn, Freesia put a hand to her forehead.

If only she would keep her mouth shut. Despite being flawless in every way, her severe sister complex had definitely reached the extreme.

“Did I do well? Hurry up and praise me!”

Faced with her endlessly cheerful sister, Freesia was left speechless. Rose, holding the back of her neck, nearly toppled over, and Matthew hurried to support her.

Only Luca, who had witnessed the entire scene, carefully spoke up.

“If the imperial family makes a big deal out of this, won’t Lady Freesia’s position become even more difficult?”

“Why?”

“Lily, you…”

Everyone was left speechless, seeing Lily, who had caused a major disaster, still so unrepentant. How could she speak with such confidence?

“Is this for real?!”

“What did I do wrong? What did I do wrong?!”

Rose, barely managing to calm her rising blood pressure, ground her teeth and rushed at Lily.

With Rose furiously chasing and Lily shamelessly fleeing, Freesia, used to such scenes in Devlanc, could only shake her head helplessly.

“What do we do now?”

Gently patting Luca’s worried head, Freesia shrugged.

“Anyway, it wasn’t the princess herself who came, but a messenger. They’ll filter the report appropriately.”

If it were a somewhat plausible statement, they might have argued about it, but such absurd claims would be ignored as insignificant.

“A person with a lot of responsibilities must stake a lot in a fight. Since there’s nothing to be gained for the imperial family, they won’t make a fuss about it, so you don’t need to worry too much.”

“Is that so?”

“Even if something happens, it’s something I’ll handle on my end. Luca, you don’t need to worry at all.”

Touched by Freesia’s kind words, Luca hesitated, biting his lip and taking a deep breath. He thought he would be willing to sacrifice even his life for her, but Freesia always treated him like a child in need of protection.

Since his mother’s death, no one in the village had considered him a child. They either used him as a tool or kept their distance, treating him as a dangerous presence.

Despite always being oppressed in the village, Luca felt incredibly valued in front of Freesia.

“If I, if I make such a mistake…”

“It’s me who will be scolded. But if you truly reflect on it, I’ll give you warm chocolate milk.”

He remembered the first time he had drunk the black liquid with fluffy marshmallows and had screamed without realizing it. Seeing his reaction, Freesia smiled brightly.

“Everyone can make mistakes. What really matters is not repeating that mistake.”

“Freesia.”

“Of course, our Lily is a bit too spoiled, which is a problem.”

“Big sis Free, save me!!! Big sis Rose is going to kill me!!!”

“Don’t stand there!!!”

Exhausted from the endless tag, Lily cowardly ran into Freesia’s arms, successfully blocking Rose. Even Rose, who had been determined to scold her properly today, couldn’t bring herself to do it in front of Freesia.

“Just wait until we get home. Today, you’re going to be in big trouble.”

“Big sis, can’t you ask my brother-in-law to let me stay here for just one more night?”

“That might be difficult.”

“Don’t do that! I’m really going to die at Rose’s hands!!”

Lily’s endless whining made Luca envious for some reason.

Seeing Freesia smiling so brightly, Luca struggled to suppress his bitter feelings.

* * *

“Serial did something useless.”

After Rose left, the Duke asked Jade about Fieldram’s whereabouts.

“There’s still one wyvern left.”

“Tell him to return immediately.”

Serial, who had once been under the Duke’s command, suddenly left one day to become a court magician at the academy. Having shown no particular obsession with anyone other than Frigia, the Duke had let him do as he pleased. However, Serial had begun to act like the princess’s lackey and displayed suspicious behavior.

The Duke was uneasy, suspecting that something was up with Serial, and a small child was not enough to reassure him.

“And there’s one more thing to report.”

Jade cautiously relayed the urgent information to the Duke.

“Viscount Blado has begun tracking Luca’s movements.”

“…Viscount Blado?”

“They say the boy’s mother is from the Eastern Continent.”

Although Luca’s appearance didn’t particularly give it away, Viscount Blado’s wife, Sohee, had suddenly inquired about the boy’s origins.

“What’s the reason?”

“She said he might be related to her.”