Chapter 104
“Originally, my brother can be rather capricious. Since the harvest festival falls outside direct imperial oversight, there’s really nothing I can do about it.”
“Couldn’t you put in a good word with Her Highness the Consort?”
“Why would I?”
“Pardon?”
“You should have reviewed the proposal carefully from the very beginning.”
In the end, the answer was that no help would be forthcoming. Jessica went days barely touching food or drink.
The rumors had already spread as rumors do, and she could no longer extricate herself.
Her father seemed to be rushing about in every direction, yet nothing was going according to plan.
It was a mess of her own making, but Jessica felt nothing but grievance.
From the start, it had been Rodellia who wedged herself between Cesare and her.
Because of that woman’s interference, even the engagement had fallen through.
Cesare, who had once treated her with honeyed sweetness, had turned cold, and Nanael’s rejection had followed. Cornered on all sides, Jessica felt herself being driven into a trap.
Then, one day, an invitation arrived.
It was from the Ainluk family.
[To celebrate Davin Ainluk’s recovery, we open the mansion to guests. We hope for a large attendance at the evening landscape performance.]
The Ainluk estate was steeped in history.
As befitted a renowned family of magic, its night views were said to be breathtakingly beautiful.
Ever since the previous Duke Ainluk had been injured six years ago, outsiders had been strictly forbidden.
Now that the gates were opening, excitement rippled through every corner of high society.
Since Nanael would be attending, Jessica would have to go as well.
Had her circumstances been better, Jessica might have been as giddy as any other young lady.
But as it was—
“I’m suffering like this, while you frolic with your lover and keep secretly meeting Prince Cesare behind his back, is that it?”
The expression on Jessica’s face as she held the invitation burned less with anticipation than with blazing vengeance.
The better Rodellia fared, the more wretched Jessica felt.
An invitation sent to every noble in the capital—yet to her it felt like a deliberate taunt.
She had heard that it was Duke Ainluk himself who had rejected her father’s proposal.
“The duke can’t even keep his own lover in check, yet he picks on our family for no reason!”
Jessica’s fury turned toward Rodellia Peris and Alferen Ainluk.
Seeing how tightly knit the two of them seemed, it was clear that cunning little Rodellia had thoroughly ensnared the duke with all manner of sweet words and flattery.
Meanwhile, Jessica could not even manage to see Cesare.
Her heart, already twisted beyond recognition by lost love, flashed with venomous malice.
“Yes. I can’t be the only one to suffer! If you stole someone else’s love, then it’s only fair that yours is stolen too!”
A dangerous thought rose in her mind, and a warped smile curled at her lips.
Something’s fishy. Definitely fishy.
I glowered at my family, who were behaving with perfect normality.
By now my parents must have heard the rumors.
Once Adrian had caught wind of them, it was only a matter of time before Mom and Dad knew too.
Yet why hadn’t a single word been said?
The atmosphere felt like the calm before a storm, and tiptoeing around it once or twice was one thing—but when not even the “r” in “rumor” was mentioned, I was the one growing impatient.
“Don’t my family even worry about me?!”
I scoured every private inquiry agency in the capital, but no trace of the courtesan turned up.
In the usual romance-fantasy novels, this sort of thing got resolved quickly.
Far from finding her, I couldn’t even uncover a single clue, and my nerves frayed further by the day.
With the plan completely derailed, any semblance of calm had long vanished.
“Ugh, is this because I’m just an extra? How can the world be this rotten! Save one innocent extra!”
I poured money into the search, yet still nothing. All I had was money, so despair was inevitable.
“Could the consort have already dealt with her?”
Lately, even the occasional sightings of “me” at nighttime balls had gone quiet.
This was a situation I could not possibly resolve alone.
If I’d known it would come to this, I should have asked my family for help from the beginning.
Belated regret surging, I opened my mouth with uncharacteristic gravity.
“I… have something to tell you.”
Three pairs of eyes turned to me at once. Jasmine tilted the teapot and poured a fresh cup.
“Go ahead, dear.”
The calm tone made emotion well up unexpectedly; I steadied my voice as best I could.
“I didn’t say anything earlier because I didn’t want to worry you both. But I can’t solve it by myself anymore, so I’m being utterly shameless and begging for help… Mom, Dad! Please save me!”
What began as a polite request ended in desperate pleading.
“Our daughter—what is it! Who! Which scoundrel dared torment our girl!”
Father hurriedly took my hands and soothed me.
Even in the midst of it, Mother’s expression remained far too serene, and I felt oddly hurt.
“Save you? Our Delly is perfectly fine right here.”
“That’s not—hing—some strange woman is going around impersonating me! I tried everything to find her, but she’s vanished into thin air or sunk into the ground, heuung!”
Grief finally burst free, and I dissolved into tears. Kianu rubbed my back gently.
“Darling, you haven’t explained anything to Delly?”
“There was no need to make her worry unnecessarily. I intended to tell her later.”
“Mother, from where I’m sitting, she’s already worried herself sick quite enough.”
Adrian handed me a handkerchief and added his two cents.
The utterly baffling mood made my tears dry up in an instant.
“What is going on, everyone?”
Why are you all so calm?
I’ve been suffering this whole time!
Even Adrian acting normal felt like betrayal.
Then Jasmine announced, quite matter-of-factly,
“The woman who’s been impersonating you has already been secured.”
“R-really? Then why didn’t you tell me?!”
“You never asked.”
“…”
“I thought you already knew.”
You’re awful!
I blew my nose loudly into the handkerchief. From her expression, it almost seemed she was scolding me for staying silent when I supposedly knew.
“But at least she’s been found—thank goodness.”
The anguish of the past several days finally eased.
“So what are you planning to do with her?”
Having regained some composure, I asked in a stuffy, nasal voice.
“Hmm. So Alferen truly hasn’t said a word.”
“Mother, Alferen asked me to keep it secret.”
When Adrian piped up again, Jasmine gave him an icy glare.
“What’s this about secrets between lovers? If there’s revenge to be had, it should be done together.”
“But our Delly is supposed to see only good things and think only good thoughts. For once, the fellow actually said something sensible…”
At the hopelessly doting remark, Jasmine lightly slapped Adrian across the mouth.
Kianu, who had been nodding along, suddenly looked guilty and clapped a hand over his own lips.
From listening to the three of them, it was clear Alferen had orchestrated the whole thing.
“Was it that day? The day Ren came over without a word?”
“That’s right.”
“What—so you knew everything all along and never gave me the slightest hint?”
I narrowed my eyes into triangles. Adrian averted his gaze.
“I didn’t realize you were worrying this much. That time, you were the one comforting me when I was angry.”
“Y-you traitor.”
“Ugh. Delly, my heart hurts so much I could die.”
“Then just die.”
I shot to my feet. Jasmine, knowing exactly where I was headed, added,
“Fix your makeup first.”
“Why, Mom? If I go like this, Alferen will adore it.”
Adrian snickered, and I dashed to the mirror.
Staring back at me was a full-blown panda.
I hadn’t thought I’d cried that much.
“Ugh, I hate everyone!”
I shouted and stormed off to the washroom.
The Ainluk mansion had nearly completed its preparations to receive guests.
Sophia quietly surveyed the transformed estate.
No trace remained of its former appearance.
Flowers, carpets, ornaments—everything felt perfectly natural, as though it had always belonged exactly where it was.
“Lady Rodellia will be pleased when she sees it.”
Sophia truly liked Rodellia. Unlike other young ladies, she was approachable yet remarkably capable.
Had they reopened the mansion rashly without her advice, the result would surely have been laughable.
