Chapter 51

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 51

Chapter Title: The Secret of Madness

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Evangeline—that is, the possessor—had read the original story ahead of time.

Of course, she knew several vitally important secrets, and the most secretive and dangerous fact among them was this one.

'The former empress's outbreak of madness was linked to the empress.'

This very fact.

Originally, the cause of the madness outbreaks that plagued the imperial family was unknown.

All that was known was that the purer the imperial blood, the higher the chance of suffering from it.

The former empress was the emperor's cousin, born with exceptionally pure imperial blood.

So no one found it strange that she had died from madness.

Even her son Arpad showing faint precursors of madness in his childhood.

In contrast, the emperor had never suffered greatly from madness.

Ludwig showed no precursors of it at all.

That was one reason the emperor had taken a brief interest in Ludwig.

From this, the imperial family's madness outbreaks seemed like nothing but unfortunate coincidences.

But Evangeline alone knew it wasn't entirely chance.

'The empress knows a way to induce or worsen the madness in imperial blood.'

Then... perhaps she knew a way to weaken it, too.

The possessor hadn't given much thought to that possibility.

She didn't like wracking her brain over complicated matters, for one.

And above all...

'If I'd known it would come to this, I would've finished the original story!'

Plus, it wasn't even a story she particularly loved, so she'd skimmed through it carelessly.

Not knowing all the original story's details was a weakness that restricted her actions in many ways.

That was why she'd chosen Ludwig—liking Arpad but despising him—despite everything.

Ludwig was the original story's male lead, after all.

She'd wanted to move within the limits of what she knew.

'But Ludwig isn't the one.'

And watching Hilia by Arpad's side filled her with jealousy that threatened to drive her mad.

It would be fine if things ended like the original, with Arpad going mad and dying alone.

But seeing another woman by his side turned her stomach.

'Of all people, that idiot Hilia!'

She absolutely, positively could not tolerate it.

That was why she'd asked the empress a question she would never normally dare.

The empress was a hard-to-read character.

Full of secrets, too.

Evangeline hadn't wanted to provoke her.

But right now, the possessor was too agitated to hold back.

So she'd ventured to ask directly.

"...You know how to worsen or ease the madness in imperial blood, don't you, Mother?"

The empress's face, seething with resentment, jealousy, and madness all along, went rigid.

Isabel, her expression blank as a mannequin, stared at her daughter and asked.

"...Why would you ask such a thing?"

"......"

The possessor inside Evangeline tensed. Had she been too hasty in asking the empress something she shouldn't?

"Who filled your head with that ridiculous nonsense?"

Isabel's nails, broken from her frenzy, dug into Evangeline's hand.

The jagged tips pricked her skin, stinging.

Evangeline tried to act unfazed as she replied.

"I'm your daughter, Mother. So I naturally came to realize it."

"......"

Isabel eyed her daughter with an inscrutable expression.

But she didn't share the information Evangeline so desperately wanted.

She merely said this.

"Yes. You are my daughter. My one and only blood."

"Yes, Mother. Your only child you can trust."

Evangeline seized Isabel's bony hands with both of hers and said.

"Tell me, too. So I can be of help to you..."

But at that moment, Isabel shook off her daughter's hands.

"I don't know why you've gotten such ideas, but forget them."

"Mother!"

"If it were possible, do you think the imperial family would have just stood by while countless royals died? You're delusional."

Empress Isabel had completely regained her composure.

She calmly summoned her maids to clean up the wrecked room and straightened her attire.

Then she spoke to her daughter with unprecedented coldness.

"You should head back for today. Give my regards to your grandfather, too."

"...Yes."

This meant she wasn't to sleep in her room at the empress's palace tonight.

It meant returning to her own room at the Ruth marquisate.

Evangeline hated her room at the Ruth marquisate the most.

Her favorite place was her room in the imperial palace, followed by the one at Delphin manor.

But over the years since possessing Evangeline, she'd watched the empress's moods up close.

The empress was deeply displeased right now.

And she was looking at her daughter with unprecedented wariness.

Evangeline swallowed her humiliation and bowed her head.

"Yes, I'll take my leave."

'Acting like my real mother when she's just a character from a book...'

But for now, there was nothing she could do.

Lady Solenu didn't give a firm yes right away about joining hands with me.

I didn't press or force her, either.

I simply let her quietly listen when I told her a way to contact me anytime, away from prying eyes.

And now that I'd confirmed the desire flickering in her eyes...

'It's only a matter of time.'

Fortunately, no one suspected my contact with Lady Solenu at all.

Her disappearance during the empress's palace banquet was seen as her fleeing after the humiliation of hot tea being spilled on her.

With such a massive, shocking incident unfolding, hardly anyone paid it any mind.

And that absurd man was patting himself on the back over it.

"It's all thanks to my sacrifice, right?"

Surprisingly, not a single blemish marred Arpad's smooth face.

Of course, no one could drag him out by force even if he caused a scene at the empress's palace...

But it was oddly glossy, positively gleaming.

'No wonder... He must've stress-relieved so much his skin improved. Or am I imagining it?'

Arpad even started humming a tune, unfortunately proving my guess right.

"Ah, it was so much fun after so long."

"...I didn't find it fun at all."

Arpad's eyes went wide.

"Why? Didn't your talk with Lady Solenu go well? And no interruptions."

"Well, yes."

"Whose credit do you think that is? Do you know how hard I worked? I did my utmost to ensure no attention came your way or that you'd be caught!"

He had given his utmost.

Too much, in fact... leaving all the embarrassment to me while he enjoyed himself.

In the end, I had to ask outright.

"Did you have to use that expression?"

"What expression?"

His innocent, feigned ignorance was utterly infuriating.

"That... that word! The animal one!"

"I really have no idea what expression you're talking about."

Arpad grinned wickedly.

"If you say it yourself, it might jog my memory."

This was 200% deliberate!

In the end, I had to shout it out amid humiliation that turned my face as red as my hair.

"That damn... squirrel thing!"

Arpad beamed and repeated the words that had shocked everyone in the empress's palace garden.

"Ah, you mean my baby squirrel."

He'd only said 'baby squirrel' loud enough just now, that jerk!

On purpose! This was definitely on purpose!

Arpad, still smiling softly, replied with feigned innocence.

"What about it? The effect was quite certain, wasn't it?"

Too certain—that was the problem.

'I'm sure tomorrow morning, everyone in the palace will think of "baby squirrel" every time they see me.'

Rumors spread like wildfire in high society.

Especially something like this.

Just imagining people's looks after tomorrow made my hands and feet curl up in shame.

"You didn't need to use that expression! Something more normal... no, you didn't even need to mention me!"

That's right. All I'd asked Arpad for was to draw attention.

There was no need to slap that embarrassing pet name on me and broadcast it everywhere!

As I wailed in agony once more, Arpad clutched his stomach laughing.

"Ahahaha! You know what? Your face right now is really cute!"

His laughing face was... pointlessly handsome and annoying.

The man rolling around on the Ivory Bedroom bed was so infuriating that I approached to pinch his side.

But Arpad moved first.

A thickly muscled arm shot out, wrapped around my waist, and yanked me in.

"Eek!"

My body was helplessly pulled into Arpad's embrace.

It was like a proper thwump as I crashed into him.

My head bumped into his broad, firm chest. His pectoral muscles cushioned the impact, so it didn't hurt much.

No, the cushioning was actually pretty good.

And thanks to his dragon blood, his whole body was nicely warm.

For someone with perpetually cold hands and feet like me, it drew me in perfectly.

Combined with the slow thump of his heartbeat at my ear, it was a total sensory delight—touch, warmth, sound...

'No, snap out of it!'

I barely regained my senses and tried to continue grilling Arpad.

"I'm not letting you gloss over it with your pretty face this time!"