I Become the Villain's Bride - Chapter 73

Chapter 73

While Lily’s test was underway, Freesia surveyed her surroundings, trying to gauge the atmosphere.  

“After all, that’s the only reason I came here today.” 

The imperial library holds a mirror that reveals the future.  

Originally, she intended to use the mirror to find the protagonist she had not yet met. But the unexpected arrival of Lady Bailey left her feeling as if she had been struck in the head.  

“Luca isn’t her child…?”  

But the problem started from there.  

Listening to Lady Bailey’s serious story, Freesia missed the perfect moment to ask the most important question.  

“So which one is it?”

The claim that Luca wasn’t her child could mean two things:  

First, he could have no connection to the Bailey family at all. Or, he could be the illegitimate child of the previous Viscount Bailey.  

If Luca wasn’t related to the Baileys, the odds that he was the protagonist rose exponentially, especially considering his extraordinary skills and the fact that he could pull off cross-dressing so flawlessly.  

But if he was the illegitimate child of the former Viscount, rushing to conclusions might make her miss the chance to find the real protagonist—a serious problem in itself.  

“This is complicated.”  

“Freesia?”  

“Oh, it’s nothing. You look beautiful today.”  

“How sweet of you! They say you’re a distant relative of the Crowford family, right?”  

It seemed the ladies who witnessed Luca’s cross-dressing earlier had already figured out the mystery surrounding the pink-haired girl. Yet, once again, Freesia’s plan had failed today.  

“They really didn’t recognize me.”  

“Apparently not.”  

“Oh my, Lady Crowford. You didn’t bring the Bailey boy along today?”  

“How unusual! You take him everywhere.”  

Though they spoke with smiles, their words were filled with thorns.  

They were clearly trying to provoke her, but Freesia wouldn’t fall for it so easily.  

“He’s been improving quickly. Our Duke personally guides him in swordsmanship these days, and I never knew my husband had such a gentle side.”  

“The Duke trains the child himself?”  

The surprise was evident on their faces. Using this chance to boast a little, Freesia warmly grasped Luca’s hand, who was still in a dress, and smiled.  

“To us, he’s no different from our own child now.”  

“Well, aren’t you in a hurry.”  

No matter how hard they tried to mock her, Freesia’s serene smile deflected every attempt.  

“They really should’ve known when to quit.” 

Watching the princess from a distance, Freesia took the chance to quietly slip away under the pretense of needing a break.  

“Good, no one’s following us.”  

“Freesia, are you okay?”  

“Eek!”  

Just as she thought she had escaped, Sohee startled her from behind, causing her heart to skip a beat. Though it wasn’t intentional, Freesia felt as if she had been caught red-handed.  

Calming her racing heart, she glanced toward the library and whispered a request to Sohee.  

“Can you stand guard for a bit? I need to check something inside the library.”  

“Leave it to me.”  

With Sohee keeping watch, Freesia slipped into the imperial library with Luca.  

“There it is.”  

The mirror wasn’t hard to find. Holding Luca’s hand tightly, Freesia made a request before turning toward the mirror.  

“Guard the entrance. Don’t let anyone come in.”  

“Got it.”  

Once Luca was stationed away, Freesia took a deep breath and prepared herself.  

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”  

Through the mirror, she caught a glimpse of Lily’s reflection—a setting clearly inspired by Snow White. She sighed, but at least it gave her the chance to ask the real question.  

“What does my future hold?”  

All she wanted was for her current happiness to remain intact. Why did that have to be so difficult?  

She had destroyed every possible flag of misfortune—surely it was time to be happy now.  

And yet…  

“What?”  

The reflection changed, revealing Freesia lying lifeless on a white bed, with Duke Crowford kneeling beside her, weeping. It was exactly like the worst dream she had ever had, and the excruciating pain returned to her head.  

“Ugh.”  

As if her brain was being cut open, she struggled to recall her memories. The sound of a subway rushing past. The exit she stood at, waiting for someone who came looking for her until the very end.  

That person was…  

“Wilfred?”  

The memories she should not have recalled resurfaced, and before she could fully grasp the vision in the mirror, her consciousness slipped away.  

Carrying the unconscious Freesia, Luca hurried out of the library, where Sohee rushed over to help support her.  

“What happened?!”  

“She suddenly grabbed her head and collapsed after looking in the mirror!”  

“This is bad.”  

As they made their way down the corridor, a group of people appeared in the distance. Sohee’s call for help brought a man rushing to them.  

“What’s going on?”  

“Your Highness, the Crown Prince!”  

Freesia had met the imperial family when her marriage to the Duke was arranged, but the Crown Prince had grown into a fine man since then, unlike his striking sister.  

The Crown Prince gently lifted Freesia and headed toward the infirmary.  

“Notify Duke Crowford immediately.”  

With a noblewoman collapsing inside the palace, the situation could escalate quickly.  

Meanwhile, Luca glanced back at the library doors from a distance.  

‘The mirror—it had to be the cause.’ 

Determined to confirm it, Luca tried to sneak back in, but in his haste, he bumped into someone coming from the opposite direction.  

“Oof.”  

“Careful. You should watch where you’re going.”  

“I’m sorry.”  

The man, dressed in a court mage’s uniform with earrings glinting in his ears, helped steady Luca before he could fall.  

More people were approaching, making it impossible for Luca to reenter the library.  

“I’ll take my leave, then.”  

“Wait.”  

As Luca adjusted his dress to avoid tripping, the mage suddenly grabbed his arm.  

“You could use more muscle. Your arms are weak.”  

Startled by the unexpected advice, Luca looked up.  

With a cold smile, the mage gently patted Luca’s frozen head.  

“I didn’t expect cross-dressing to suit you so well. But it makes sense—given who you really are.”  

“Pardon?”  

“See you next time.”  

Had there been any hint of malice, Luca would have drawn his sword without hesitation.  

But there was no hostile intent from the mage—just a strange, unsettling calm.  

That made it all the more difficult to react.  

Collapsing to his knees, Luca was snapped back to reality by the discomfort of his cumbersome dress.  

“Weren’t you with Lady Crowford?”  

“I… yes.”  

“She’s been taken to the infirmary. We’ll escort you there.”  

Even the soldiers failed to recognize Luca’s true identity. But how had that strange mage known?  

“Who was that man?”  

“Do you mean Lord Sereal?”  

Serial, the court mage.

The unsettling encounter left Luca gripping his trembling hands tightly as he followed the soldiers down the corridor.  

—

In a hastily prepared resting room, the physician dubbed medicine onto Freesia’s lips.  

“It appears to be a simple case of anemia for now.”  

The Crown Prince gazed silently at the unconscious Freesia. 

“Is this truly Lady Crowford?”  

“Yes, Your Highness.”  

While Sohee explained, a frantic Lily burst into the room, having just heard the news.  

“Sister!”  

Even after hearing that it was only anemia, Lily knelt by the bed, inspecting her sister with utmost care.  

“Thank you, Your High—”  

Before Sohee could formally introduce the Crown Prince, he interrupted, addressing Lily directly.  

“It’s been a while.”  

“Huh?”  

Recognizing his face, Lily exclaimed, “You’re the attendant from before!”  

“Attendant? This is—”  

“Yes, I saw him in the garden that day. He said it was for work.”  

The Crown Prince gave a subtle signal to the Viscountess, urging her not to reveal his identity.  

“So you were someone important all along. I had no idea.”  

“Viscountess, may we speak privately? I’ll explain everything to Lady Lily myself.”  

Sensing the tension, Sohee quietly stepped back, leaving them to talk.  

Come to think of it, today was supposed to be the gathering of candidates for the Crown Princess selection. The name stuck in my mind, thanks to how many times Princess Hyacinth emphasized it.  

Lily Devlanc.

The woman who had always mistaken herself as the duchess turned out to be the sister instead.  

“What exactly happened here?”  

Only after everyone had left did she ask in a demanding tone.  

“Is she really the Duchess?”  

“Yes, she is. The sister I’ve mentioned dozens of times—my sister Freesia.”  

Anyone else might not have noticed, but he had been too conscious of the fact that she was the wife of Duke Crowford to ever look at her carelessly.  

Although she did resemble the rumors, seeing her only from afar had clearly led to this misunderstanding.  

The Crown Prince suppressed the smile tugging at the corners of his lips and began with a polite apology.  

“I must sincerely apologize for my previous discourtesy, Lady Devlanc.”  

“Just tell me the truth—what in the world is going on?”  

Even after the physician assured her that it was likely just anemia and she would soon wake up, Lily’s gaze remained fixed solely on her sister.  

The woman who had seemed like a figure straight out of her dreams… How could she have still been unmarried—and even a candidate for Crown Princess? Even standing over the unconscious Duchess, the prince found it difficult to suppress the smile threatening to break free.  

Unlike his quiet joy, tears welled up beneath Lily’s long, thick lashes.  

“Anemia? My sister was so strong she could practically eat iron for breakfast.”  

She had always sharpened her words like blades against him, but here she was, disarmed so effortlessly in front of her sister.  

“I heard you’re participating in the selection for Crown Princess?”  

“How do you know about that?”