Chapter 33

These days, the newspapers were practically plastered with stories about me. “Lady Clies accomplishes what no one else could.” Or “The Duchess showers her future daughter-in-law with gifts.” Sensational headlines everywhere.

 

“Ma’am’s fine with it, but you know how long Master sulks. The moment he heard you did it for Young Master Evan, his face scrunched right up.”

 

Mary said it with a teasing grin.

 

“…I know.”

 

Father still whipped his head away like a sulky child whenever I so much as mentioned Evan. And yes—I knew I hadn’t spent much time with him lately.

 

“Should we go on a picnic…?”

 

“That’s a great idea!”

 

Evan was precious to me, but my family mattered just as much. I really hadn’t spent time with them recently. It was vacation, yet I’d been holed up in the greenhouse all day or at the ducal estate. Otherwise busy with the merchant guild.

 

It’d be a lie to say it wasn’t exhausting. But even so, not once did I think about giving up.

 

‘For my bias’ happiness, I can handle a little suffering…!’

 

“You’re thinking about Evan again?”

 

“Huh?”

 

I snapped my head up. Piote was leaning against the doorframe.

 

“You’re thinking about Evan again, aren’t you?”

 

“Me? No?”

 

Sharp brat… If Evan had grown up healthy, he’d probably act like that.

 

Even though I denied it, Piote narrowed his eyes at me, unconvinced. Instead, he reached out and pinched my nose.

 

Rubbing my sore nose, I finally noticed how dressed up Piote was.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“Oh. Father wants me to come along somewhere.”

 

“Really?”

 

Time had passed faster than I thought. Piote, who once declared he’d become a knight, had withdrawn that childhood promise and decided to inherit the family instead. Today, dressed neatly, he was clearly headed to one of Father’s meetings.

 

“Lep, do you like that guy that much?”

 

His doubtful expression made me smile.

 

“I do.”

 

Piote shook his head and began lecturing me.

 

“You’re still getting fooled by Evan?”

 

“What nonsense. Fooled by what? When have you ever seen me get tricked by people?”

 

“I always see you getting fooled by Evan.”

 

“What are you talking about.”

 

He looked at me like I was some pitiful creature. Honestly, this was mild compared to before—at first, he screamed at me to wake up.

 

“I know him better than you do. I’m his friend.”

 

“I know Evan better.”

 

I scoffed. When it came to Evan, I knew more than Piote ever would—and I was proud of it.

 

Piote sighed deeply, giving me that frustrated, half-defeated look again.

 

“Maybe we showed you too much good things when you were younger…”

 

“What? I didn’t only see good things.”

 

Right now, I was rolling in the mud. All because I still couldn’t find the last ingredient—the lily of the valley that blooms under the full moon!

 

I slammed my hand on the vanity in irritation. I could only hope Ben’s information would be the breakthrough I needed.

 

“Anyway, let’s go on a picnic. We haven’t spent time together as a family in ages. You included.”

 

“Really?”

 

Piote’s eyes sparkled—too much. Made me realize how neglected he must’ve felt.

 

“Of course.”

 

“I’ll tell Father. Just us, spending some peaceful time together.”

 

He lifted me off the ground and spun me around. Still ridiculously strong…

 

“I’m seventeen. Maybe stop doing that…”

 

“You’re still my little sister.”

 

“I think he’s just excited to spend time with you, Miss. You only ever talk about Young Master Evan these days. Even I was getting a bit hurt.”

 

Both of them were treating me like a criminal. Well… I reflected on it a little.

 

I walked Piote to the door.

 

“Especially once you get married, you’ll barely be able to see us. You should spend more time with your family!”

 

I flinched and waved my hands quickly.

 

“That won’t happen.”

 

I counted with my fingers. The Crown Prince’s birthday banquet was approaching—about a year away. That meant one year left on my timer.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I’ll be able to make Evan’s antidote soon. Within a year—maybe sooner. Depends on what Ben brings back.”

 

Everything hinged on Ben’s information. I always hoped things would resolve sooner, but the world wasn’t that kind. At this rate, the story’s inevitabilities would push the antidote’s completion to the original timeline—when Lepina turned eighteen. That thought depressed me.

 

“But the poisonous flower I’m looking for will appear within a year, no matter what.”

 

“…What does that have to do with marriage and the antidote?”

 

Mary sounded completely lost.

 

I answered casually.

 

“Well… once the antidote is done, I won’t have to go to the ducal estate anymore.”

 

“That’s true. But around then, you’ll be the future duchess—”

 

“What? No. I’m breaking the engagement.”

 

“…Excuse me?”

 

Mary’s jaw dropped. She just stared at me, stunned, teeth clicking together.

 

‘Well, she wouldn’t know my plan. No wonder she’s shocked.’

 

I chuckled.

 

“Once Evan’s healthy, there’s nothing left for me to be responsible for. And honestly—after everything I put him through, would he really want to spend his life with me? If it were me, I’d associate me with poison and trauma.”

 

“A-actually… I don’t think that’s—”

 

“Anyway, that’s later. I’ll tell him then. I’m the one who basically proposed in the first place.”

 

“You… proposed?”

 

Mary couldn’t close her mouth. I tilted my head.

 

“I never said? Evan collapsed because of me, so I told him I’d take responsibility and stay by his side. He misunderstood it as a proposal, apparently.”

 

“That’s my first time hearing this!”

 

“Guess I forgot to tell you.”

 

“And now you’re going to break it off?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Isn’t that obvious? I’m not shameless. I know where I stand. I read the room. I’m fast.

 

Mary stared at me for a long moment like she was looking at a hopeless case.

 

“But… do you really think it’ll go that way…?”

 

She exhaled, forcing an awkward smile. Her tone reminded me of Piote’s, which irritated me.

 

“…Well, I suppose Young Master Evan will take care of it.”

 

She shook her head, steadied herself, and returned to normal—only her trembling eyes betrayed her thoughts.

 

“Shall I prepare the carriage? Don’t forget to bring a knight!”

 

“Sure.”

 

She was desperately steering away from the topic, but I didn’t mind.

 

 

***

 

 

My destination was Nox, the information guild. I pulled my hood low and slipped into a back alley. Behind me followed my escort knight, Fran.

 

Fran complained daily when I tried to leave without him. Now that he had the chance, he lectured me nonstop.

 

“My lady, the world is dangerous. Someone could jump out of that alley and stab you before running off!”

 

I answered blandly.

 

“Mhm.”

 

He had skill, but his imagination was excessively dramatic. According to him, even a cat jumping out of a box was a mortal threat.

 

‘How did someone with that tiny heart become a knight? Though… he did pass the tough exams to become my escort.’

 

I let his chatter wash over me.

 

“You’re not listening! You must take me when you go somewhere shady like this!”

 

The sun outside was blazing, but the alley felt like a different world—dark, musty, spiderwebs everywhere.

 

“Otherwise, I’ll die…”

 

Fran hugged himself and shook. Father’s overprotection I understood, but this?

 

“I talk to Father and Piote for you, don’t I?”

 

“That’s not the problem…”

 

Well, maybe failing to protect his lady would be seen as incompetence.

 

“All right. I’ll always bring you from now on.”

 

“Really?!”

 

His face lit up. I ignored him and walked toward my destination. Soon, tucked deep into the alley, a shabby little tavern came into view—their preferred hiding spot away from the capital’s noise.