“Everyone’s being too much…”
As usual, Cedric was being tossed back and forth between the two women. It was true that before I instilled some will to live into him, he lived a pretty messy life, so he deserved this. He had no right to complain, even if he was criticised for a few more decades.
He seemed to have realised that I was the only one here he could communicate with, so he looked at me and asked:
"So, why did you call me?"
I glanced at the grandfather clock in the drawing room. Felix's return time was after 12 p.m., so there was still some time left.
"Umm, I invited you to have lunch.”
"Aha. So it was an invitation for lunch. And you called me over from the morning for that?”
Cedric asked, clearly mocking my words. It must have been absurd for him to drop everything and rush over after receiving an urgent message from me at the break of dawn, only to find out it was about lunch.
He mouthed at me, out of the other’s sight, ‘Aren’t you going to do it properly?’ Ugh, no. It’s just that the situation unfolded all too suddenly, I couldn’t think of a plausible excuse.
Hearing that, Claudia raised her eyebrows and said:
"It’s natural for someone to think about lunch from dawn if they’re hungry, so why is Your Excellency trying to crush our Rin’s spirit?”
Although she was using honorifics, her tone implied ‘How dare you question Irene’s words?’ At that moment, Erica, who only ever teamed up with Claudia in moments like this, shot Cedric a frosty glare and chimed in.
"She’s the type of child who thinks about snacks even while having a meal. So it’s understandable."
Was she even defending me or was it a backhanded remark? I suddenly felt the urge to justify myself with a lame excuse that I had a separate stomach for meals and snacks, but I decided against it.
Besides, even without properly explaining myself, weren’t they automatically interpreting my nonsense perfectly in the best possible way? This must be why people should build virtue and earn a good reputation. Meanwhile, Cedric, whose virtue and reputation had hit rock bottom, seemed to be experiencing an existential crisis. That's all his own karma.
I felt somewhat conflicted, but in any case, I was glad I called both Cedric and Erica. If I had only called one of them, it would have been difficult to bicker and divert the conversation like this.
Perfect. Let’s keep the topic buried. Keep the chatter bustling so no one even considers bringing up anything related to Walter!
"But Rin, your leg movements seem a little strange. Does your leg hurt?”
No sooner had I wished to avoid the subject, Claudia slightly lifted the hem of my dress, which was dragging on the floor, trailing below my ankles.
How did the topic change so suddenly? I thought she’d be too busy keeping an eye on Cedric, who was infamous for his complicated relationships with women, to even notice this.
"Where did you even find a dress as long as a curtain? You usually prefer ones that sit above your ankles.”
"Kyaa, i-it’s embarrassing!”
Everyone’s watching! I desperately tried to cover my legs, awkwardly pretending to be shy.
"What's this?!" You’re injured!"
Of course, it was pointless.
Cedric, who had secretly coordinated with me beforehand and was playing along with my story in his own way, shot me a look of disbelief. His reaction underscored the absurdity of someone who typically sprawls out anywhere suddenly feeling embarrassed over a little bit of exposed ankle.
"How did this happen?"
Claudia pressed my shoulders firmly, pushing me down onto the sofa. Then she examined my ankle which was wrapped in bandages and supported by a splint. Her face went pale as she questioned me.
'So… so powerful.' I lay on the sofa with Claudia holding onto my ankle and blinked at her.
"I just sprained it.”
"Don't lie! How could a simple sprain lead to this?”
It seemed this excuse wouldn’t work at all. I fell silent, half proud that Claudia had grown so perceptive compared to before, and half troubled that she wasn’t going to be easily fooled anymore.
"Um... If you contact Liam, you’ll find out, but I actually fell off the terrace."
"I can't believe that either!? How on earth did you fall off the terrace?”
"Chloe always called me an angel without wings, so I wondered if I could actually fly…”
Cedric shook his head, clearly unable to listen any longer, and said to me:
"Irene, stop with these ridiculous excuses, it’ll be easier to just confess already.”
Yeah, even I had to admit that was a pretty nonsensical explanation.
"What do you mean by that?”
While I was sighing, wondering how to even begin to explain, Claudia suddenly whipped around to face Cedric with a terrifying expression and asked in a chilling voice.
"Did Your Excellency secretly order Rin to do something strange behind my back?”
No way… How on earth did she find that out?! It was almost like she could read minds.
"Otherwise, there’s no way Rin would voluntarily go to something like a victory party without telling me, right?”
As the saying goes, after three years at a village schoolhouse, even a dog could recite a poem.[1] Now Claudia had gone beyond merely being sharp — she had transformed into the renowned Conan.[2] Cedric, who had loosely coordinated his story with me beforehand, shrugged and responded nonchalantly.
"I heard the war hero was truly impressive, so I asked Irene to confirm just how remarkable he really was."
"I suspected as much, so I roughly asked around and heard some things. Was his name Walter? I heard people call him a merciless killer who sweeps away his enemies like fallen leaves.”
At Claudia's scathing evaluation, I briefly pursed my lips in surprise.
"So you made her face such a dangerous killer? No matter how irresistibly charming Rin is to the point she’s capable of making anyone fall for her, she's still just an ordinary person."
"Uh, no..."
Cedric, who already knew about Walter’s true identity, glanced at me while responding vaguely to Claudia’s remark.
"First of all, he’s a hero, right?”
"If you take one’s life, you're a killer, but if you take countless lives, you're called a hero. Titles are meaningless.”
"Um... hey, Claudia? Didn't you once say that you never truly know someone until you meet them in person? I think I heard you say that before from Irene.”
"That may be true, but it’s a fact, not a rumour, that he has repeatedly committed mass slaughter. It’s fortunate that he was granted a title and will be sent back to the battlefield. Just imagine if he had fallen for our Rin — the mere thought is terrifying.
“...”
O-oh, no. What kind of tragedy was this? I was at a loss for words. My mind suddenly went completely blank, leaving me unable to think. My face darkened as if I were mourning, and I became as still as a statue.
"So, you’re saying the injury happened at the victory party? You’re not suggesting that guy, Walter, did this to Rin’s ankle, are you?"
She even guessed the truth.
Of course, Felix didn’t mean to hurt me, but in the end, he was still the one responsible…
Given the situation, there was no point in dragging this out any longer. I would have to tell Claudia eventually, so covering it up with lies now would only upset her. Besides, if this continued, she would end up hurting herself with her own words later.
Steadying my heart, which had dropped like a stone, I asked while trying to conceal my anxiety:
"Chloe. What would you do if I gained power and ended up killing tens of thousands of people?"
“Then those tens of thousands of people must have done something wrong.”
Her response came immediately, without hesitation.
"What if those tens of thousands of people didn’t do anything wrong?”
Claudia seemed to have no idea what the point of my question was, but she answered sincerely.
"I'm not criticising Walter for being a killer. I don’t care if he’s killed countless people or not. I’m just worried that Rin might get hurt if you got involved with him.”
And then she added as if it were the most obvious thing in the world:
“It’d be unfortunate for those people, but to me, Rin is the most precious. Just as the handkerchief you gave me is more valuable than the thousands or millions of things I could buy with money."
"Chloe..."
Her words moved me to tears, but part of me desperately wished she would discard that handkerchief. It was adorned with a crudely embroidered stick figure, stitched in black thread. Claudia had begged me for it, so I made it for her, but I likely left behind a few bloodstains from pricking my fingers along the way.
Right, I was worried for no reason. Claudia had grown stronger. Sometimes I couldn’t believe she was the same person as the heroine in the novel.
"You know… Chloe."
"Yes?"
"Felix has returned."
As I lay on the sofa, I reached out and gently tucked a strand of Claudia’s hair behind her ear as I spoke. For the first time today, her jewel-like eyes wavered slightly, showing signs of unease.
“He’s under the curse of the devil so he can only regain consciousness at noon.”
Translator's Corner:
[1] This saying is equivalent to "practice makes perfect."
[2] The author is referring to the protagonist, Conan Edogawa (Shinichi Kudo's alter ego), in the detective manga series 'Case Closed,' also known as 'Detective Conan,' written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama. The series has also been adapted into an anime. Conan possesses exceptional intelligence and deductive skills, using various gadgets to solve complex cases and outsmart criminals, making him a formidable detective.
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