Chapter 96: Chapter 96

TL: Zimming

I hesitated a little hearing Adrian’s question and said with a small voice.

“My name is Leblaine.”

“……Leblaine.”

He called my name several times and smiled.

“Your name is pretty.”

“You’re such a fool……”

I keep sighing.

‘He’s so nice. How can he be that nice?’

I’m really worried about him. There must be harder challenges for him in the future.

I don’t know why Adrian’s future has changed.

Nothing happened to him, who should have been driven out of the palace for treason by his maternal grandfather, yet he lives with Camilla now.

‘Perhaps that’s what the emperor asked Camilla to do for Adrian’

Since the palace has no one to protect Adrian.

Of course, the Emperor can’t do it because of his position.

If he shows interest in Adrian, Duke Marche will be on alert.

‘He have a rough life, but he should fight instead of receiving it like a fool!’

He’ll be wrecked if he kept being like this.

“Adrian.”

“Yes?”

“Take a seat here.”

I sat on the grass and patted on the spot next to me. Adrian sat next to me gently.

“When someone tries to deceive you, you stand up like this and say, ‘Are you tired of living?’

“……huh?”

“Follow me. Are you tired of living?”

“Are…… you tired of living?”

“Okay. And smile like a villain.

When I showed him an example of how my dad smiled, Adrian laughed.

“No, no. That’s just ugly.”

As I spoke to him, Adrian raised the corners of his mouth again.

‘Well, it’s not enough yet, but alright.’

“Then you say, ‘Aren’t you scared of your future?”

“Aren’t you scared of your future?”

“Okay. And you can’t smile anymore. Say ‘If you’re not lucky, it wouldn’t end with your limbs chopped.’”

“If you’re not lucky, it wouldn’t end with your limbs chopped.”

“Great! Now try saying them together.”

“Are you tired of living? Aren’t you scared of your future? If you’re not lucky, it wouldn’t end with your limbs chopped.”

“It’s…”

Just then,

“Lady?”

I could hear my godmother’s voice from a distance.

I got up quickly and said to Adrian.

“Next time I’ll teach you how to threaten more frighteningly. Practice it, okay?”

“……will you come again next time?”

“Yes. I’ll come here often.”

Adrian smiled beautifully.

I ran to my godmother after waving to him.

She was waiting for me near the training room.

“You must have already looked around.”

“Yes, it was fun!”

“Okay. Shall we go in now then?”

“Yes, godmother.”

I grabbed her hand and went into the training room.

***

I put the teacup down on the coaster, and godmother smiled.

“You have great manners already.”

“It’s thanks to your teaching.”

As I smiled and said that, she nodded with satisfaction.

‘She praised me for how I handle the tea!’

She didn’t know how harshly I was trained by the Duchess of Vallua in my second life.

I carefully positioned my teacup down, also carefully moving my arms while drinking tea.

Back then, I was criticized even for the smallest mistake and kept practicing tea manners all night.

‘The way we drink tea is very important.’

Smiling inwardly, I picked up the teacup again. Then godmother pressed my hand lightly.

“The test is over, so drink the tea freely.”

“But……”

“It’s etiquette, and I do teach you that, but we need to relax sometimes too. How can we savor the tea while paying attention to etiquette?”

Godmother who said that also gave me some scones. I took it and laughed.

In fact, the scent of tea is so good, and I wanted to drink it freely.

Godmother laughed as I drank the tea freely.

Then I heard a knock on the door.

When godmother allowed the person to enter, the butler came in.

“There is a guest.”

Godmother was frowning.

“Whoever comes without notice is not a guest. Send them back.”

The butler continued his words with a perplexed look.

“It is the Duchess of Vallua.”

“……Is it because of the earlier incident?”

The Duchess smuggled a copy of the bible from the Imperial Palace in order to put his son, Niel, to the Imperial Academy.

She couldn’t let that go easily because I humiliated Niel and publicly announced their sin.

The butler raised his head.

“Yes, she said she’d wait until you met her.”

Godmother sighed.

“Take her to the reception room.”

I took the teacup and lifted my eyebrows slightly.

‘She must’ve been in a hurry.’

She’s a person who is most afraid of rumours in society.

“I’ll ask the butler to get you some books to read, so wait outside the reception room.”

I lowered my head and followed her out of the training room.

She went into the reception room as I sat on a sofa in front of the room while trying to eavesdrop.

“You should help us.”

“What could an old woman like me do?”

Her calm voice made Duchess Vallua panicked.

“Shouldn’t the Emperor step back if it’s your orders?”

“What are you talking about. How could an old woman sway the Emperor?”

“Th, that’s not what I meant…you are also famous in the society. It’s not only me and my son who went through a lot of trouble but Empress Yvonne is in a great trouble too.”

“……”

“If you chose to take care of this, how thrilled would the Empress be?”

“……”

“You’re the only one I could depend on. That’s why I’m asking you this…”

In other words, she’s saying for godmother to take this opportunity to bring Empress Yvonne to her side.

“I need some time to think, so you should go back first.”

“I’m sure you’ll give me a positive answer.”

‘But will it work out the way she thinks it will?’

The conversation ended before the butler came. That means godmother does not serve her.

‘In the end, the Duke of Vallua must come forward.’

If the Duke comes forward, it will certainly be settled. He’s a man who owns a lot of power. But the Duchess’ reputation will fall to the ground.

While I was thinking about it, the butler came with a book and a chessboard.

“It’s the chess madam used to play.”

The old chessboard with traces of time looked really beautiful. The chess pieces were also decorated with black pearls and rubies, which looked very luxurious.

“Wow, it’s so pretty!”

The butler smiled.

At that time, the door opened as the Duchess of Vallua left the room.

When she went out of the door, she saw me and frowned.

“The crow has been crying since the morning.”

That was an idiom meaning to meet an unlucky person.

I smiled and greeted her.

“Hello, Duchess of Vallua.”

“Do you know me?”

“I saw you at the party with your son!”

Hey, these days must’ve felt like hell to you.

The Duchess’ eyes widened as she realized what I meant. She was angry but she could only gritted her teeth because she didn’t know that I was saying that on purpose.

She tried to smile.

“I see. I know you too.”

The Duchess looked at me up and down with an arrogant gaze. And she soon turned her back.

I shouted innocently.

“Don’t worry about it too much!”

“……what?”

“My dad told me that I was about to enroll in the Imperial Academy because of your son’s lie, but don’t worry, he would not die horribly.”

“Wh, what?!”

“He won’t die. Just so you know.”

The Duchess bit her lips with a red face.

“You……!”

Just as she was about to shout, godmother came out of the room.

“What’s going on?”

I quickly snuck into godmother’s side.mThe Duchess could only clench her fist.

“……nothing. I just met the Lady and said hello.”

Do you think I’m still the Leblaine who gets hurt easily by your words?

I waved my hands innocently at her.

“Goodbye!”

**

At Vallua’s mansion.

The Duchess looked at her husband, who was angry.

Thump!

The Duke hit the table with his hands.

“Hon, honey. Don’t worry. When she steps in…!”

“Do you think that old woman will help us?!”

“Th, then me and Niel…”

Covering her mouth with trembling hands, the Duchess quickly approached her husband.

“Then what should I do? Is there any way? Honey!”

The Duke frowned.

‘Damn it, damn it!’

The Duke issued a statement last month to stop the execution of Priest Adolf. In the end, however, Adolf’s execution was unstoppable and he could do nothing in front of the Emperor.

His family had a big accident at this time, so he couldn’t handle it easily.

He calls the administrator. Soon, he came in, the Duke said,

“Go and prepare ‘that’. I’ll give it to the Emperor.”

The Duchess widened her eyes to her husband’s words.

“You mean the one you developed with the church?”

“Yes.”

“Will the Emperor forget this case when he receives it?”

“He should be.”

It is a product developed by their ancestors.

Even the emperor would open his eyes wide if he received it.

The Duke of Vallua pulled a small card out of the drawer, touched it, and smiled.

It was a great object that could cover up the family’s faults, and could also strengthen their relationship with the Emperor.

The teleportation magic device, which could travel more than three kilometers was now out on the market.