I Become the Villain's Bride - Chapter 71

Chapter 71

The long-awaited marriage between Princess Hyacinth and the Duke of Crowford fell through, prompting discussions within the imperial family about hastening the selection of a new crown princess.  

There was consensus that they must establish a connection with Crowford to prevent him from pursuing other options.  

However, the duke had already chosen and married someone else, and he had no remaining kin to offer.  

Instead, his wife had a younger sister who was more than suitable to be a crown princess.  

“A crown princess, you say?”  

“It’s not impossible. After all, the position of the Duke of Crowford’s sister-in-law isn’t one to be taken lightly.”  

For the newly married Duke of Crowford, Lily Devlanc was not just his wife’s younger sister; she was far more significant.  

“Is there anyone in society who doesn’t know how much Freesia cares for Lily?”  

Moreover, Lily was a beauty capable of turning heads wherever she went.  

From the moment she debuted, Lily Devlanc had always been at the center of attention. And the imperial family, in need of a captivating figure for diplomatic purposes, would not overlook someone like her.  

When the rumor first spread that a Devlanc daughter was to marry the Duke of Crowford, everyone instantly thought of Lily Devlanc.  

Freesia, in contrast, was seen as nothing more than her guardian-like older sister.  

“If a new crown princess enters the palace, the atmosphere will surely change.”  

Currently, Princess Hyacinth was performing the empress’s duties as her proxy, but if a crown princess were introduced, society would have to reorganize around this new center.  

“The princess would be able to lay down some of her burdens, and wouldn’t that be wonderful?”  

Sohee’s cheerful words carried an edge.  

The princess, now cornered, intended to align with Viscountess Blado, hoping to navigate through the situation.  

But Sohee and Lily’s friendship was too deep for such a deal to succeed.  

“What a shame. I thought I could be of great help to the Viscountess.”  

“Is there anything I’m lacking?”  

Viscount Blado, having secured intermediary trade rights with the eastern continent, was powerful enough that even the Duke of Crowford couldn’t ignore him.  

But the princess didn’t come empty-handed either.  

“I heard you were looking for someone.”  

“What are you talking about now?”  

Sohee was startled but kept a straight face.  

It seemed the imperial family’s reach extended everywhere. The princess, even as she turned to leave, wore a meaningful smile.  

“By the way, did I mention that this is Bailey’s youngest child, the boy the Duchess has been fussing over?”

“Yes, the duke and duchess are acting as his guardians.”  

“What made the duchess take him in, especially since she doesn’t have children of her own?”  

“Well…”  

“We’ll see soon enough.”  

Leaving the conversation open-ended, the princess walked away with an arrogant smile, showing no sign of discomfort.  

“Send word to Devlanc. I must meet with Lily.”  

No matter how displeasing the Duke of Crowford might be, there was no comparing him to the imperial family.  

Sohee, unable to stay idle, realized she had to act—who knew how much the princess had already uncovered?  

—

“Please take care of things today,” Lily said with a mischievous grin.  

After hearing from Sohee that the princess had her sights set on Luca, Lily quickly came up with a solution.  

Trembling with fear, Luca stammered, “W-What do you mean?”  

“There are just too many potential issues. I think it’s a great opportunity to try something new.”  

“Pardon?”  

While Freesia was out shopping for dresses, Lily returned holding one of her childhood dresses and a long pink wig, her smile full of mischief.  

No way… It couldn’t be.  

Luca let out a desperate scream, but there was no way he could overpower the younger sister of Freesia.  

A little while later…  

“Oh my! Who is this young lady? I’ve never seen her before,” said Madame Benoit, gazing at the elegantly dressed Luca.  

“This is Miss Lucia, a new friend of mine,” Lily beamed. “She’s already preparing to debut in society at such a young age.”  

“Ugh…”  

“Well? Aren’t you going to greet her?”  

“No one will fall for this! Everyone will know!”  

“Not a chance. You look perfect! Even Freesia won’t recognize you.”  

Encouraged by Madame Benoit’s approval, Lily made a bold bet.  

“Let’s make this fair—I’ll disguise myself as a man. Of course, my sister loves me more, so she’ll recognize me first.”  

“There’s no way!”  

“If I win, you have to enter the palace in that outfit.”  

Contrary to Luca’s confident prediction that he’d be caught immediately, Freesia smiled brightly and looked at Lily first.  

“My dear Lily, you’re beautiful even in men’s clothing.”  

“See?” Lily grinned.  

“And I…?”  

“Oh, how adorable! Lily, is she a new friend of yours?”  

Madame Benoit burst out laughing, while Lily looked triumphant. Stuck in his disguise, Luca could only sigh.  

“Why am I in this ridiculous situation…”  

“A promise is a promise. Consider this a valuable lesson.”  

Even though he had heard rumors about the princess’s dangerous intentions, Luca couldn’t just abandon Lily to face it alone.  

Unable to stop his overjoyed younger sister, Freesia eventually sought help from Wilfred.  

“Well, brother-in-law, doesn’t it suit him perfectly?”  

“A disguise, hmm. Not bad.”  

“But what about his role as a guard…”  

The one carrying a hatchet under her dress was standing right in front of them, grinning cheerfully. Realizing there was no winning this, Luca gave up his complaints.

As Freesia continued her rigorous training for the sake of overthrowing the princess, Ada cautiously approached and informed her of a visitor.  

“Lady Bailey has arrived?”  

“She’s waiting by the carriage near the rear garden.”  

Though she was known to have difficulty moving, Lady Bailey had discreetly requested a private meeting with Freesia, without informing Luca.  

Leaving the matters at hand temporarily to Lily, Freesia headed to the rear garden with Rashita.  

“Lady Bailey.”  

“This is the first time we’ve met formally, Madam Freesia.”  

Lady Bailey, who was old enough to be her mother, bowed her head to Freesia with a pale face, using honorifics without hesitation.  

Freesia urged her not to strain herself, but the woman’s gaunt fingers were the first thing she noticed.  

“I was planning to send Luca home soon. You must have missed him, and I apologize for not being more attentive.”  

“I’ve heard how well he’s been cared for. I only ask that you keep my visit a secret.”  

Facing the calm and composed Lady Bailey, Freesia busily arranged things. On her order, a plush chair was brought to the garden, and the physician rushed in to examine the lady’s condition.  

“There’s no need to worry. I came fully prepared today.”  

“May I ask which painkiller you’ve taken?”  

“They said it was made from dried bagot root.”  

Bagot root—a narcotic analgesic so dangerous that a wrong dose could be fatal.  

“That’s incredibly risky…”  

“I instructed them to give it to me. There was no other way for me to move this frail body.”  

The physician’s grim expression hinted at how severe the drug was.  

With Lady Bailey’s pallid face before her, Freesia carefully broke the silence.  

“You mentioned you had something to tell me.”  

“It seems the imperial family has discovered that the boy is not my biological child.”  

“Pardon?”  

Freesia gasped at Lady Bailey’s sudden revelation.  

The older woman, her voice strained but calm, continued.  

“Don’t worry. The information hasn’t leaked. Only the head of our family, the Earl of Bailey, knows the truth about who that child really is.”  

So, Luca’s older brother—Lady Bailey’s eldest son—was the only one aware that Luca was not her own.  

“How could that be…?”  

“They say he follows me so well because he resembles his real mother.”  

“I had no idea Luca had such a past…”  

While Freesia struggled to process this revelation, Lady Bailey remained composed, carefully managing the bombshell she had just dropped.  

“He is a child with a complicated past. Please, pretend you don’t know anything.”  

“Of course. I won’t say a word.”  

“What kind of boy is he?”  

At Lady Bailey’s question, Freesia hesitated.  

Wilfred had likely known about this all along, judging by his nonchalant attitude, but he had never mentioned it to her. Now, the little oddities she had noticed about Luca finally made sense.  

“He’s a really good child. Although he hasn’t fully mastered reading yet, he’s eager to learn. He’s also excelling in swordsmanship, even more than in his other lessons.”  

“He must have found a good teacher.”  

“Yes, the duke himself is teaching him.”  

“The duke? Personally?”  

“Yes. He even takes him along to training sessions. They get along so well that I sometimes feel a bit jealous.”  

Freesia’s comment was half in jest, but Lady Bailey seemed genuinely surprised.  

“I see.”  

“The duke and I care deeply for Luca. You must care for him, too, to have come all this way despite your condition.”  

“…I started seeing him in my dreams every night. And it troubled me that the princess was making inquiries about him.”  

“We’ve begun preparing for that, too.”  

Freesia summoned a maid and asked her to inform Lily. If things went according to plan, the princess wouldn’t be able to harm Luca.  

“For now, let’s wait here together.”  

As they settled into the gazebo behind the garden, Lily arrived with Luca, just as Freesia had requested.  

“Let’s ask the gardener. That will make things clearer.”  

“I will never, ever accept this!”  

While Lily, who bore a striking resemblance to Freesia—though undeniably prettier—was expected, what caught their attention was the pink-haired young lady following closely behind. Her familiar voice gave her away.  

“That’s…”  

“Doesn’t it suit him?”  

Even Lady Bailey, usually calm, widened her eyes at the unexpected sight.  

She recognized the voice only after hearing it a second time—enough to fool anyone unfamiliar with the situation into thinking it was a girl.  

“It really does suit him.”  

“Do you dislike Luca?”  

“If I disliked him, I wouldn’t have come this far.”  

In response to Freesia’s question, Lady Bailey shook her head.  

“That’s a relief. I’ll need your help for what I have planned.”  

With a subtly wicked smile, Freesia proposed a clever scheme.