I Become the Villain's Bride - Chapter 56

Chapter 56

“Cou-cough!” 

“Are you alright?” 

The Crown Prince suppressed the cough building up in his throat, watching the gathered guests. Today was the long-awaited day of the Crowford gathering.

“Sister…”

The Princess had grown sharper as the event drew closer. He knew all too well who was responsible for her fraying nerves without even needing to ask. 

In the distance, the Duchess of Crowford greeted guests personally. Even from afar, her silhouette was unmistakable.

“Something feels off.”

No one knew the Crown Prince was here. This time, he was determined to seize the opportunity and uncover a critical weakness. 

As soon as the last guest entered the hall, he prepared to make his move, only to feel a sudden tap on his shoulder.

“What are you doing here?” 

“Y-you! How are you here?” 

The Duchess of Crowford, who should have been busy welcoming guests, stood in front of him, looking mildly disinterested as she shrugged nonchalantly.

“Just a little walk. I don’t care for the busy atmosphere.” 

“But…”

“Am I not allowed here? My sister can handle things perfectly fine without me.” 

If Rose was handling everything, then it made sense why the Duchess was outside, seemingly without a care. Still, the Crown Prince’s misunderstanding deepened. 

“Shouldn’t you be going inside by now?” he suggested. 

“Nothing new or exciting there. But what about you? Are you here as the Princess’s escort?” 

“Well, yes…” 

Though he had inadvertently found himself serving the royal family’s needs, there was no reason to reveal his true identity. 

He coughed again, harder this time, and before he could react, the Duchess handed him a handkerchief, her expression softening slightly.

“About last time—I owe you an apology.”

“Are you serious?”

“There was never any intent to insult the royal family or anyone else. I hope you don’t misunderstand.”

It was a late apology, but better than none. He had never expected her to apologize, thinking she’d stubbornly hold her ground. Her unexpectedly humble approach quickly softened his previously hardened heart.

“Well, if you put it that way…” 

Smiling in a way that seemed unlike her, the Duchess continued, “How’s working in the palace?”

“It’s fine. Neither good nor bad.” 

“Do they pay well there?” 

The unusual question caught the Crown Prince off guard. 

For a brief moment, her face was serious, a rare sight, but she soon returned to her usual demeanor. If his powers of observation had been lacking, he might not have noticed the brief shift. 

As if speaking casually, she began revealing some of her own troubles.

“It’s nothing much, but a few months ago, I was in real debt trouble. You’ve probably heard of the Viscount of Gonder.”

“…Yes, I remember. It’s unfortunate.”

The Viscount of Gonder had targeted Rose, using loan sharks to extend his dark influence over the Devlanc sisters. The mere mention of it made the Duchess tremble, recalling the horrifying experience.

“If the Duke hadn’t helped us, who knows what would’ve happened to us back then.”

“It’s a relief it all ended well.”

“More than a relief. If things hadn’t gone well, I might’ve been sold off somewhere by now.”

“Is that true?” 

Unaware of who she was speaking to, Lily poured her heart out to the Crown Prince, lamenting her sister’s suffering. Despite her complicated feelings toward her brother-in-law, standing before royalty meant forming a united front.

“I think our whole family owes the Duke of Crowford a great debt.”

Finding the right excuses to mix into the conversation, Lily continued her subtle campaign to clear the Duke’s name. With tears threatening to spill, she had decided to go all-in with her emotional appeal.

“Is that why the marriage proposal happened?” 

“My sister made the decision.”

Lily had meant to refer to Freesia, but the Crown Prince, unsurprisingly, interpreted it as Rose making the call.

“Weren’t you opposed to this marriage?” 

“Opposed? Not at all. My sister was all in from the start.”

The more Lily emphasized that it was her sister’s choice, the deeper the Crown Prince’s misunderstanding grew.

Her sister, forced into an unwanted marriage to settle the family’s debts—it explained a lot. No wonder she had become so twisted. He felt he had to understand her.

“Cou-cough!” 

“Are you really okay?” 

“Go inside. I’m fine.”

The fever hadn’t yet broken, and the Crown Prince’s condition was worsening. Now, knowing her hidden struggles, his mixed feelings toward her grew even more complicated.

Loving her was forbidden. Even looking at her was unthinkable. Perhaps that’s why he had tried so hard to find reasons to hate her.

But now…

“Are you sure you’re alright? It’d be awful if you blamed me later for making you sick.” 

“That won’t happen.”

Knowing what she had been through only made his emotions more conflicted. Did his sister know about all of this?

Still entangled in his misunderstanding, the Crown Prince offered Lily words of reassurance.

“Everything will fall back into place soon.”

“…What?”

“Excuse me. Cough, cough!”

With his cough worsening, the royal emissary staggered toward the carriage, still reeling from the fever.

She had only tried to smooth things over because she had been scolded so much for being rude to someone from the imperial family. Yet, for some reason, the other side was now taking things seriously and offering her consolation.

“He’s a complete stranger on the outside but he’s fine.”

Still, judging by his attitude, it didn’t seem like there would be any problems.

She had been anxious about the previous incident, but it seemed like this time, the situation was resolved well enough.

“Surely there won’t be any trouble from this, right?”

Feeling proud, Lily hummed a tune and ran off to meet her sister.

* * *

“Thank you so much for inviting me today,” the princess said, extending her hand to Freesia with an exaggerated smile.

“The pleasure is all mine. Thank you for coming.”

Though the princess was intent on finding fault, Freesia had her own sources of confidence.

Led by the head maid Ada, Crowford’s elite maid squad had the talent to make even Freesia appear as if she were Lily.

And then…

“This is Lady Noah, a distant relative of the Crowford family.”

“It’s an honor to meet you.”

Madame Benoit, apparently excited and full of energy, had a different objective in mind. Using the fact that her face was not well known, she seamlessly integrated herself into the group, claiming to be a relative of Crowford.

“I can tell you’ve put a lot of effort into this.”

“Of course, it’s a gathering for important guests.”

“I wonder just how grand the preparations must be.”

Watching the princess, who was clearly bent on nitpicking, Rahsita couldn’t hide her displeasure.

“What exactly is she trying to pull…?”

Rashita kept her guard up, closely watching the princess’s every move.

“It’s incredible to finally meet Lady Rashita in person after only hearing rumors. I’m so thrilled.”

The ladies who had long admired Rashita from afar were eager not to miss the sight of her in her combat uniform, something rarely seen even once a year. The world is vast, and tastes are diverse, as they say.

To entertain her guests, Freesia led them to the library.

“This way, please.”

As the door opened, rows of tightly packed books were revealed.

They didn’t have Lady Margaret, but they might find something to their liking in one of the many books Mustrang Press had published over the years.

Freesia picked up the latest release, <The Plum Family’s Second Daughter>, and offered it to the princess.

“Your Highness should read this. It’s truly an entertaining book.”

Though she meant it sincerely, the princess’s expression looked oddly displeased.

“…Are you doing this on purpose, knowing everything?”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“It seems the Lady of Crowford is quite fond of this author.”

Her tone was dripping with sarcasm, and Lydia, standing behind them, swallowed nervously. If she were to lose her temper now, today’s gathering would surely become fodder for gossip.

But instead…

“Of course! Absolutely. I genuinely admire our author.”

Freesia’s earnest declaration left the princess momentarily speechless.

“…What did you just say?”

“It’s literally admiration and love. Isn’t it amazing that the author takes time out of her busy schedule to write so quickly?”

Completely oblivious to Mustrang’s bait, Lydia seized the perfect opportunity to chime in.

“Exactly! With all the family members she has to take care of… She must always be exhausted.”

The unexpected response prompted the princess to probe deeper, maintaining a facade of calm.

“It seems the Duchess is already aware of Alster’s true identity.”

“Everyone who’s in the know is aware. Isn’t that right, Lydia?”

“I heard it from someone close to Mustrang. Of course, I can’t say for sure whether it’s true.”

Even if they knew the truth, they weren’t going to say it out loud.

A few observant ladies nearby also added meaningful smiles to the conversation.

“Well, it’s still officially a secret, isn’t it?”

“Indeed. None of us really know for sure.”

Even if the truth was spreading, until it was officially confirmed, it was a fan’s duty to feign ignorance.

“…So that’s how you’re going to play it.”

While the reason the princess had attended this social club was precisely because of that secret, it seemed that it could no longer be used as leverage.

“For those of you who haven’t read it yet, I’ll give you the first volume. If you like it, please buy the next one too.”

“Are you sure that’s alright?”

“Of course. Absolutely.”

Since there were no previews in this era, this method would surely work.

And one more thing…

“My lady, the brownies are ready.”

With the sweet aroma of chocolate in the air, Ada appeared, carrying freshly baked brownies.

“Is this the fabled treat Lady Lily has been boasting about?”

“The one bite that’s said to make you feel like you’ve entered heaven…”

“I’ve made mountains of them, so please, enjoy as much as you’d like.”

“Sister! How could you do all this without even telling me?!”

Lily’s sudden entrance into the library drew everyone’s attention.

She had intended to outshine them, but somehow, the atmosphere had already tilted in Frigia’s favor.

The unexpected novelty had completely shifted the dynamics. As the princess was about to speak and attempt to salvage the situation, 

“Oh dear! What a disaster!” 

Madame Benoit, stumbling, spilled her wine all over the princess’s gown.