Chapter 40: Chapter 40

“How come you’re telling me to check on them though?”

“Because this is something I’m not knowledgeable about, and Inaila……”

Karpel recalled Inaila when she mentioned the issue about breaking their engagement.

If The Duke finds out that Inaila is considering breaking their engagement, he will host a banquet tonight.

“Inaila has recently been uninterested in me.”

As a result, Karpel said that instead.

“She looked to be interested in something else, which could be related to this.”

Duke was lost in thought as he listened to Karpel.

His daughter seemed to have lost interest in Karpel these days.

She went to a performance alone, without Karpel, or spent the majority of her time studying in her room.

The Duke assumed Inaila became that way because she was disappointed by Karpel, but she’s interested in something else, as Karpel stated.

‘Or perhaps Inaila had had enough of Karpel?’

That’s great news.

It would be better for Inaila to lose interest in the Prince and let go of him.

The Duke, on the other hand, did not simply accept Karpel’s words.

It’s possible that Karpel was attempting to persuade Inaila to join the rebellion, divert the Duke’s attention away from him, and disguise it by convincing Inaila that she had lost interest in him.

The Duke, on the other hand, kept his doubts hidden and spoke gently.

“So, Your Highness, you’re saying that this letter could be something Inaila utilized among her followers?”

“Yes.”

“I’m already checking on the young ladies who often hang out with Inaila, but there was nothing unusual.”

“Since Inaila mentioned these are embroidery designs, why don’t you give her one and watch how she reacts?”

‘Just like what you did to me,’ Karpel gulped down the end of his words.

The Duke gave Karpel a sidelong glance.

He was also aware of Karpel’s intentions.

“Okay, I’m done questioning you on this. Your Highness, you may now leave.”

Karpel, on the other hand, did not leave the office and instead stared at the Duke.

“Do you mind if I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Why does it have to be Salik from Elysium?”

The Duke also had no intention of appointing Elysium’s Salik as Inaila’s Elvish teacher.

The Duke worried that Elysium, which was in a difficult place, might play tricks on Inaila.

Finding another Elf teacher, on the other hand, was problematic.

“I heard you and Inaila were taking the class together. Was there an issue?”

“He asked Inaila if she had seen him as a man.”

The Duke stared blankly at Karpel, as if he didn’t understand what he was hearing.

The Duke then leapt from his seat.

“How dare he, that old man……”

The Duke then walked out without saying anything to Karpel.

When Karpel heard Inaila and Salik conversing on the other side of the door, he felt the same way.

An elderly Elf, who has lived for almost a century, nevertheless asks a young girl, Inaila, whether she perceived him as a man or a woman.

It was obvious that he was insane.

Furthermore, Inaila attempted to hold Salik’s hand.

Karpel felt as if his heart was breaking at the time.

Elves are completely oblivious to their mate.

They couldn’t get out of it once they were intertwined.

One of them had to die.

Karpel was upset that he had to keep an eye on the old Elf twice a week.

Above all, Inaila, let alone not showing any dislikes, also seemed to be quite worried about the condition of Elysium.

Karpel’s mind wandered to the scene of Inaila touching Salik’s pristine white and veiled cheek.

Karpel walked out of the Duke’s office with a grimace on his face.

He’ll make sure he never sees anything like that ever.

Even after dinner time passed, Shabelle had not contacted me.

I’m sure I told her she had to finish it by today, but 26 invitations appears to be too much for her.

If I don’t hear from her by tomorrow, I’ll inform Baron Float about her attitude of inviting people to my tea party at random.

As her guardian, I may have been cowardly, but I gave her enough leeway.

I was preoccupied in my thoughts, muttering that it was self-defense and that I wasn’t a coward at all, when I heard a knock.

“Please come in.”

“Lady.”

For some reason, it was Stein.

“What’s going on?”

“I came after receiving the invitations from Lady Shabelle Float.”

“…… did you come there to get it?”

“Yes.”

“Did you go get it on your own?”

“Yes.”

What Shabelle had said about Karpel being destined to die seemed to bother him.

That’s why he went to Baron Float mansion like a debt collector.

“And please delegate Lady Float’s invitations inspection to me.”

I locked my gaze on Stein, who was bending his back at a 45-degree angle.

Of course, even if he was working as a commoner in this mansion, he was still a noble who concealed his status, so inspecting any invitations was simple for him.

However, it was a little surprising that he himself announced his ability like this.

“I studied hard with the goal of becoming a butler.”

Oh, it seemed that he was supposed to go with that setting.

Since I didn’t answer, Stein began to persuade me.

“So my skill is definitely not clumsy……”

“I trust you. I know you’re smart, so do it like that.”

“Thank you, Lady.”

As I looked at Stein, who smiled as he replied to me, I was a little worried about Shabelle’s future because Stein had a very insidious smile as the villain’s right arm.

But for me now, Shabelle is not a problem.

Well, getting close to her wasn’t as easy as I had expected, and if there was truly a compelled action of the original work or fate in other ways, I don’t think I’d be able to overcome it.

Shabelle’s goal of becoming Crown Princess and gaining actual power was still a long way off.

Right now, the most essential thing was my territory, Krenberia.

I kept thinking about the predicament of Elysium that Salik mentioned as I was organizing what he told me today.

No matter how much I tried to deny it, the emperor was the one who influenced Elysium to invade Krenberia.

So if I solve the issue of Elysium and improve their connection with Krenberia, the Emperor will take another step.

‘It makes my head throb.’

I agonized while burying my head in a book.

At this rate, I’ll be forced to have a bed rest again.

Despite the fact that the morning walk improved my stamina, I was still a long way from my previous life, when I could finish a basin full of pickled flash in a flash.

‘Should I take a break a little and fix my mood?’

I used to get peace of mind whenever I was with Karpel before I lost my memories.

But it also becomes a source of discomfort, which increases the stress.

Because there aren’t many different plays or performances in the world, I was able to memorize the lines because I had seen it so many times.

I took a look at the stack of letters from my followers in the corner of the desk.

Because just my followers will attend, the tea time I host will be simple, and it will be a good opportunity to change the mood.

Those who are waiting for an invitation to Shabelle’s tea party, to whom these invites have been issued, would have discovered by now that they have been ignored.

I reached my hand out and opened a letter.

When I read statements like “regrettable seeing each other for a brief time in the rose garden” or “the attitude of Lady Shabelle Float is difficult to understand,” I felt better and better.

I opened these letters without knowing what they were about, but it was reassuring to know that there were people on my side.

‘Oh, we can have a picnic instead of a tea party.’

We could all get together at the villa to look at flowers, have a boat ride, and read poetry.

A smile crept over my mouth as I remembered the girls running around the villa garden.

We all need time to heal from time to time.

* * * * *

To convey that I would make use of the villa, I cut my morning walk short, dressed up, and went to see my father today.

Father was looking at the tie pin and cuffs recommended by the butler.

“Papa.”

I pecked out my head in a cute manner and looked around the room.

Father’s face hardened as he looked at me.

And he flailed his palm across his forehead, as if he felt dizzy.

“Papa, papa!”

I was taken aback and panicked, but Father grabbed me and hauled me up.

Oh, I was tricked.

“Today, my daughter is very lovely!”

I believe I am a bit too old to be carried and whirled in this manner, but watching my father smiling brightly made me feel better, so I smiled brightly as well.

Father shook and held me firmly when he saw me smiling.

Crack. He’s going to shatter my ribs, I’m sure of it.

Father, who had let me go, questioned me with a disappointed expression as I wriggled to save my life.

“What’s going on, Ina?” You come first thing in the morning to see me.”

“I’d like to hold an outing with my friends at Silver Lake Villa.”

“Friends……”

Father, who paused for a moment, looked worried.

What went wrong? Is it possible that he has already lent the villa to someone else?

However, he soon smiled and said.

“What if it’s three days later? I need to get ready for the outing.”

I figured it would be more acceptable to invite just those who could arrive in three days.

I said with a nod.

“Thank you, Papa. Then I’ll go ahead and send out an invitation. Also, I think you should put on a ruby set today.”

I chose one of the tie pins and cuffs from the butler’s hand and placed it on Father’s tie.

Father’s blue eyes welled up with tears as he saw my actions.

“Citrin……”