Chapter 89

“You came at just the right time.”

Rodella spoke to Cecilia, whom she had earnestly called in and made sit down.

Cecilia raised an eyebrow as she looked her over.

Her gaze moved past Rodella’s slightly disheveled hair, fresh from sleep, and landed on the blanket—wrinkled and clearly showing signs of someone tossing and turning.

Feeling her gaze, Rodella hastily smoothed out the blanket.

—Pat pat.

“This blanket wrinkles too easily.”

For some reason, she felt embarrassed.

What kind of fabric is this? And Royden makes good money, too.

“……Feels like I came at the wrong time, actually.”

Cecilia spoke.

A familiar necklace glinted on her neck.

It was the one Rodella had given her.

Noticing the attention, Cecilia deliberately tapped the necklace and said, “I didn’t want to debut it at some social gathering, so I wore it today. Even dressed up to show it off.”

Cecilia, who hated high society just as much as Rodella did, crossed her arms.

“Should I just go?”

“No, you’re fine.”

Rodella waved her hand.

“It looks good on me, right?”

Cecilia lifted her chin slightly. Rodella nodded.

“I figured you’d like it. Knew it the moment I saw it.”

At that, Cecilia finally smiled.

“But you know, just a moment ago you looked like you were about to kill someone.”

“Huh?”

Rodella reflexively repeated.

Kill someone? Me? Who would I even—

Thinking that, she suddenly startled herself, then felt ridiculous.

Someone did come to mind.

The woman in her dream.

What’s so wrong with Aivert’s bride?

Is it okay to think something that violent about someone?

Did almost dying drive me mad?

Rodella closed her eyes tight and shook her head.

By then, Cecilia was getting up from her seat.

“W-wait a second.”

Rodella quickly grabbed her sleeve.

“You look tired. I can come back tomorrow.”

“Please stay.”

If you go, I’ll just start thinking about him again.

Rodella barely managed to get her to sit back down.

“Sorry. You made time to come see me, and I’m just… really tired, I guess.”

At that, Cecilia crossed her arms again.

She raised her brows as if angry, then let out a deep sigh and relaxed her shoulders.

“Everyone was really worried. I’m probably the last one to visit, right?”

“Yeah. Everyone already came by. Aivert, too.”

Why did I say that part? Rodella wanted to slap a hand over her mouth.

“The hospital staff must’ve been nervous.”

Cecilia remarked. Rodella looked at her and suddenly asked,

“Did you know this place is owned by the Royden family?”

Cecilia blinked.

Then, almost kicking up her chair, she stood with a loud thud.

“What?! I knew something was off!”

As she began ranting about the suspicious patterns around the hospital that had bothered her, Rodella realized something critical.

I just spilled a secret without meaning to!

“Wait, are you sure about that?”

Cecilia’s eyes sparkled. Rodella quickly put a finger to her lips.

It meant she couldn’t say more.

“Yeah, of course it’s a secret. If word got out that this place was owned by a single noble family, the other nobles would stop coming! No one wants their private info leaked.”

Cecilia whispered rapidly and kept smacking her knee.

“Seriously, it really is Royden’s? I knew it!”

More revelations hit her, and Cecilia went off in a flurry of realization.

Rodella tried to calm her down.

No one was around to listen, and even if someone did, it would just be hospital staff—but still.

“But… was that what gave you the murder-eyes earlier?”

Then Cecilia suddenly asked,

“Because Aivert kept it a secret?”

“Of course not.”

People can have secrets… Rodella thought vaguely. But Cecilia raised an eyebrow again.

“Then?”

“Just… had a bad dream.”

“A bad dream?”

Cecilia blinked.

“Was there someone in the dream you wanted to kill?”

“Well…”

What kind of expression did I have for her to ask that with such confidence?

When Rodella hesitated, Cecilia jumped in immediately.

“I knew it! Who was it?”

“I don’t know…”

“But there was someone.”

Rodella, caught in the flow, raised both hands.

“No, I just… my mind’s been all over the place.”

“Hmph.”

Cecilia narrowed her eyes.

“Well, I mean, something scary did happen.”

“That too…”

She almost died.

And yet, so much had happened since that it already felt distant.

Better to be overwhelmed than to sit and tremble in fear—though…

“But Rodella, do you not like me?”

Just as she was about to get lost in thought again, Cecilia thrust her face forward.

“Huh? No!”

Of course not! Rodella quickly hugged Cecilia’s arm.

“Then why do you always look distracted when you see me?”

“It’s not that…”

“Then what is it? Got something on your mind?”

Cecilia really was sharp.

“No, just, um…”

Rodella tried to deflect, but she didn’t miss a beat.

“What? You heard another secret? You can tell me—I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

It wasn’t really a secret.

Eventually, Rodella spoke.

“The Chancellor suggested I go on an overseas mission.”

“Hmm?”

Cecilia raised her eyebrows.

Her expression seemed to ask if she disliked that idea that much.

“Well, the empire’s been shifting a lot these past few days. Yeah, maybe it’s better for you to be away.”

There’s no way someone like Cecilia, connected to the upper class, wouldn’t know the empire’s situation.

“If it’s overseas, you’ll need escorts.”

“Looks like the Chancellor will arrange that.”

“What about travel expenses?”

“If I go as part of the Administration Bureau, it’ll be covered as official travel.”

“True. And if you’re leaving by ship…”

The conversation bounced quickly between them.

Rodella nodded at her words.

“If I study foreign systems and policies while I’m there, it’ll make for an unbeatable career. Can’t even compare me to Ryan Diepelt.”

Rodella spread her hand.

“It’s like a preparatory step toward becoming Chancellor.”

She concluded as she spoke.

She was already at an advantage in the race for Chancellor, and this would seal the deal.

Once she returned, the position would be as good as hers.

Cecilia nodded.

“Makes sense. Then you should go.”

“Right?”

Rodella asked, but even as she did, something uneasy rose up inside her.

“Why are you asking me?”

Cecilia lifted her brows. Rodella looked at her, then sighed.

“Then why am I so bothered by everything?”

“What’s bothering you? Count Syveric? The Countess? I guess they’d miss you.”

Her parents, sure, but…

“I’m worried about my work in the department, too. They’ll have to find someone to replace me. And…”

Actually, would anyone even want to work under the Azure Knights?

Rodella stared up at the ceiling.

What about the hidden vault—how were they going to hide that?

What if the auditors came sniffing around while I’m gone?

“And?”

Cecilia asked. Rodella blurted out: “And… uh, what if Aivert’s out there smashing things?”

At that, Cecilia lowered her voice.

“There might actually be someone out there worth smashing.”

She probably meant civil war—the Emperor’s faction versus the nobles.

“…Yeah.”

So people have noticed after all.

While Rodella was lost for words, Cecilia said,

“But he’s not the kind of guy who gets hurt. He breaks other people.”

“True.”

That’s right.

Rodella blinked.

He never really got hurt unless I was around.

Even before I joined the Azure Knights, he went through countless battlefields, and not once had I seen him lying in a hospital.

So unless it was because of me—

He’ll probably be fine this time, too.

It’s better if I go—for his safety, too.

“Yeah…”

And yet—

“Then why… why does Aivert still bother you?”