Chapter 27

TL: gaeulriri

Editor: Daed

In fact, Erica was the most vicious villainess in this novel. She was also the Crown Prince’s fiancée.

In the original story, she kept harassing the heroine.

For example, removing the safety device to make the heroine fall, buying the heroine as a maid and drowning her in a river, or spreading malicious rumors to the society.

Lucas knew about everything but he chose to stay as a bystander. Thanks to the evil woman’s threat, he had a bigger chance to win the heroine’s heart without using his own hands.

He would rescue a depressed heroine, a drowning heroine, and an ostracized heroine. It would make the heroine completely dependent on him.

Thanks to Erica, Lucas had no reason to bother Claudia.

But in the end, when Erica tried to kill Claudia, Lucas made a move to get rid of that villain.

For some reason, I felt a sense of déjà vu here. Yes, Erica’s case was similar to Martina, who fell in love with Benjamin and became a villainess.

Erica was a character who would be used until her death and would be discarded when she was no longer useful.

However, because the hero was a very malicious guy, I felt sorry for the female antagonist who had to dirty her own hands for him.

Of course, I couldn’t justify Erica’s wrongdoing; but in fact, wasn’t it the Crown Prince who betrayed her first?

As if betraying Erica wasn’t enough, Lucas played with her until the end and killed her. What a cold-blooded psychopath…

‘After all, the real villains were those three lunatics…’

However, if all of those crimes were wrapped up as ‘love’, it was the same as disguising a villain as a hero.

Whenever the event in this novel became reality, I became very skeptical about the genre of the novel I once loved. Why did it turn into a crime thriller?

I secretly observed Erica, who was surrounded by numerous nobles.

This part was quite different from the original story, because Claudia kicked the three greatest men in the Empire at the same time.

Thanks to that, Erica became the most influential person in the society, not Claudia.

And because of that, Erica didn’t harbor any feelings of hostility towards Claudia.

After all, Claudia was completely stuck in the mansion. There was no reason for Erica to bother Claudia.

After trying to monopolize Lucas’s heart, Erica felt even more dissatisfied. She knew that there was no chance that they could be together.

So now she was in the stage of watching.

But these days, the situation seemed to be getting more dangerous.

When Claudia came to the Imperial Palace to attend the ceremony, that stupid Crown Prince gave her all the privileges.

I became more and more anxious.

‘If the Crown Prince is too obvious about his infatuation with the heroine, it is very likely that Erica will start hating Claudia.’

I stopped trying to run away from Viscount Amber and turned my head.

Then he said arrogantly, as if he thought that I was quiet because I had nothing to say,

“Until you get married, you can’t change the fact that I’m your father. Both biologically and legally.”

Oh yeah. There was a damn law, stating that a father had complete command over his children.

It was an imperial law. If the head of the family gave an order, then it must be heeded.

If the children refused, they could be killed, and the killer would only have to pay a light fine to the court.

The only way to escape was to marry, and the dominion would be passed onto the next head of family.

Most were passed onto the husband and, rarely, to the wife.

No one knew how many sons and daughters in this country were suffering because of that law.

However, no one questioned it or pointed out that it was unfair. Instead, they thought of it as something natural.

“If you want to talk about the law, then you should actually perform your duty first before you talk.”

But I wasn’t sure if he knew that the head of family also had to realize the ‘protection rights’.

Rather than protecting me from danger, he was actively trying to push me into a den of evil.

If the law were to be enforced, the court would find enough evidence that he tried to sell me as a slave.

The problem was that Duke Lamberg, who possessed the certificate which served as evidence, wouldn’t stand on my side.

Claudia, who paid my debts, also possessed a certificate of the transaction. So it would probably be a fierce battle.

Of course, that was the case if things went wrong–but I didn’t want to see it happen.

“Have you properly ‘protected’ me? You’ve never fulfilled your duties, but you keep claiming your rights.”

“Duty? You ungrateful brat, who do you think has fed you and put you to sleep comfortably? You don’t even know what you’re talking about, you’re the one who has to pay me back for everything!”

As expected, Viscount Amber, who couldn’t control his temper, bellowed.

He probably decided that it would be better to be embarrassed for a moment than to lose me here.

Thanks to that, people’s eyes around me were on us for a while, including Erica’s.

Okay, once I had drawn their attention, I stopped being sarcastic with Viscount Amber.

I wanted to shout ‘If you do give me grace, then I’ll pay for it without any less, you bastard!’ But, I restrained myself.

Then, while making a resentful expression, I held the hem of my gown and asked,

“How do I repay that grace?”

Viscount Amber’s expression started to soften as if he was satisfied by my question.

“By marriage.”

How came it didn’t deviate from my expectations?

It was a common practice among the nobility. It was natural for the nobles to get married for political and economic reasons as if they were sold to other families.

It was rare for the nobles to have a romantic marriage.

However, it was also rare for a noble to discuss this matter of privacy in front of a crowd like this.

Even Viscount Amber wouldn’t have wanted to act like this.

However, because he thought that it would be difficult for us to meet again, this was the only chance he had.

Thanks to him, I also had an extraordinary chance.

While pretending to look at the surroundings, I glanced at Erica.

She frowned as if seeing an uncomfortable sight. She must have gotten engaged to the Crown Prince through a similar process, so the sight she saw at this moment couldn’t be pleasant.

Erica had no feelings for me.

However, if you weighed her on the scale from ‘like’ to ‘hate’, it would be inclined a little more towards ‘like’.

Because she needed me.

I was the one who received all of Claudia’s love and care, so Erica was able to establish her position.

Even if it was a little, she certainly felt sympathy.

“Alright. Let’s talk about it in a quiet place.”

“I’m glad you’re compliant. I’m doing this for your own good.”

Viscount tapped my shoulder with a satisfying smile.

I had never seen someone like him care about others’ good.

Usually, in a situation like this, I would clap my hands and said, ‘Well, I enjoy the excuses you make to serve your self-interests.’ But I pretended to obey his words.

“You’ll be surprised to hear how great this family is. You’ll live like a princess.”

With a gaze that gestured for me to follow him, he passed by me and led the way.

I slowly chased after him, then deliberately made eye contact with Erica.

Her light green eyes that looked like glass beads seemed so cold. It was as if they were emotionless–but they still seemed to care about me. She stared at me with reminiscence in her eyes, as if she was reminded of her past.

I opened my eyes wide, as if startled, and smiled faintly at her.

***

“What happened while I wasn’t there?!”

It was common knowledge that the heroine was very familiar with strange rumors.

Although Claudia was no stranger to strange rumors, if it was about me, it would naturally be very new to her.

Perhaps it was because I was the only person who caught her interest in this world, so she reacted immediately when she heard rumors about me.

When Claudia heard the conversation between me and Amber Viscount, she was furious.

In fact, it created a big commotion; but strangely, the rumors did not spread.

“He wanted to force you to marry while holding your control rights.”

Claudia was always candid and fiery, so she didn’t spare any words to those who treat me carelessly.

However, she groaned with her teeth clenched to hold back the swear she wanted to scream at Amber Viscount.

I didn’t mind her cursing Viscount Amber. I didn’t even think of him as my parent because he didn’t have any qualifications to be one anyway.

“Who is the person he wanted you to marry?”

Claudia asked calmly, holding back her anger with a resentful expression.

“Earl Tiv.”

“If it’s Earl Tiv…”

Claudia, who had been trying to calm down before, lost control and leapt to her feet in fury.

“He is 20 years older than Rin! Those scoundrels!”

I tried to pacify her who was exploding like a volcano, I pulled the hem of her gown to make her sit down again.

“It doesn’t matter who the other person is. I don’t intend to marry even if I die.”

I explained that I only intended to use this situation.

“Use? What do you mean, ‘use’…….”

Claudia was puzzled for a moment, then narrowed her eyes as if she understood me.

She looked displeased and muttered in a slightly subdued voice.

“The Crown Prince, that damn son of a dog.”

I reflexively scanned our surroundings, making sure that we were the only ones who heard.

Actually, I often swore at the three heroes with words like ‘bastard’ or ‘brat’. Yet when those words came out from Claudia’s mouth, somehow my heart ached.

Maybe it was because she was too good at learning those words from Hugo.

Then Felix, who was sitting next to her, softly admonished her.

“Chloe, don’t say bad words like that.”

“Why! What’s so bad? Are you on their side now?”

“The poor dog.”

So it turns out he was on the dog’s side. Claudia and I stared at Felix for a moment without saying a word.

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