Chapter 78
Chapter 78
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Locked in the Closet
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Nora Pelkan must have instructed Evelyn, whom she sent to this party, to obey Lillia’s words like a dog.
And it seemed Evelyn had some circumstance that made it impossible for her to defy Nora Pelkan.
What on earth was the reason this timid-looking kid insisted on being Nora Pelkan’s lapdog, trembling all the while…?
[Ugh, annoying.]
[What are you doing? Don’t go in.]
Brushing past Wishit as he tried to stop me, I opened the closet door and shoved myself inside.
[Don’t go in!]
[Whatever. This is a good chance to spread word of the twins’ viciousness far and wide.]
[Hey, you!]
Once I was inside the closet of my own accord, I turned to the startled Evelyn.
“Aren’t you closing the door? If you don’t lock me in, Lillia’s going to throw a fit. Then you’ll get an earful from Nora, right?”
At my words, Evelyn’s eyes wavered.
“Tell me later. What’s your deal?”
After hesitating for a long while, holding back tears, Evelyn stepped closer as if she’d made up her mind.
I stared at her indifferently, gripping the closet door.
Her trembling hand hesitated, then she squeezed her eyes shut and slammed the door with a bang.
…?
Just before, a folded sheet of paper had rustled out from her sleeve, but in the pitch-black closet with not a speck of light, I couldn’t check what it was.
Click. The lock engaged, and Evelyn’s small voice seeped through.
“I’m sorry….”
* * *
Imperial Palace, Crown Prince Lark’s office.
In the afternoon, Lark gazed contentedly at the completed “birthday gift” before him.
The anonymous customer who had ordered a full set of A-grade diamond accessories from Blanc de Ruby’s jewelry shop was none other than him.
“Nice.”
He admired the sparkling jewelry box with satisfaction, then stood. He had a 2 p.m. meeting.
“Your Highness, Lubon investigation officer Paul Lyman reporting.”
“Hm?”
Before he could even open the door, the voice from outside startled Lark.
Paul, the investigation officer Lark had planted to watch over Rubette.
‘Why is Paul, who should be in Lubon right now, here?’
He opened the door, and Paul bowed deeply, his face full of unease.
“Your Highness, around 11 a.m., nobles visited Lubon. They were accompanied by His Majesty the Emperor’s direct knight order. The duchess’s birthday party is underway in Lubon, but this doesn’t seem to be per Your Highness’s instructions, so I hurried here to report.”
“What?”
Lark’s mouth fell open. He frowned in dismay and muttered.
“Ah, the Diorus vice duke.”
A few days ago, Rubette had asked if it was okay to hold a birthday party in Lubon because she wanted to see the twins.
That oblivious brother of hers…
Lark knew well that Rubette dreaded both Molga and the twins, so he had tactfully refused.
‘He must’ve gone straight to Father since he couldn’t let it go.’
Tsk. Lark clicked his tongue and rubbed his cheek tiredly.
“The duchess must be in a bind. I’d better go right away…”
Just then, Ren approached from afar, tilting his head.
“You’re late, Your Highness. The meeting’s about to start—what are you doing?”
…Damn.
Lark bit his lip, unable to move either way.
* * *
[Hey, you okay? Can you breathe?]
A cramped closet barely big enough for one person to crouch in. Total darkness, not a sliver of light.
All I could hear was Wishit’s worried telepathy.
[Why are you overreacting? Because Rubette was scared of being locked in closets? I’m not Rubette.]
[No, it’s not just simple fear… Ugh, this is maddening.]
[Don’t worry. This isn’t a soundproof studio, and with investigators and knights everywhere… I’ll just stay locked up a bit, send an SOS, and get out. Then I’ll put on some tears, properly dunk on the twins.]
Rustle. A folded sheet of paper caught on my fingertip.
As I picked up what Evelyn had accidentally dropped and pocketed it, I thought.
‘I’ll find out what leash they’ve got on Evelyn Torsso, too.’
[That’s not the issue—I’m asking if your body’s okay.]
For some reason, Wishit kept getting anxious despite my assurances.
[What wouldn’t be okay? It’s Rubette’s body, sure, but I’m not Rubette inside. You keep forgetting that…]
As I spoke, my breath suddenly caught.
“Huh?”
Rubette had claustrophobia, likely from the trauma of being locked in closets during frequent bullying.
I knew that, but it wasn’t a problem for me. Being shut in a closet didn’t make me suffocate or dizzy.
So I’d planned to play along with the twins’ prank and slip out later…
“Gasp. Heh…”
Suddenly, I couldn’t breathe properly, and cold sweat broke out like magic. My vision shook with dizziness even in the dark.
“Shit!”
It was exactly the symptoms of claustrophobia Rubette felt every time she was locked up.
‘No way—different software, same hardware, and I get the illness too? That’s too much…’
Realizing the gravity, I stood and pounded on the door. Bang bang bang!
“This isn’t working! I’m dizzy and can’t breathe! Open the door!”
Bang bang bang!
“Is anyone there?!”
[No one, you idiot. You haven’t been locked up long enough for anyone to notice you’re missing. It’ll take a while, and the twins won’t make it easy to find you.]
“Th-this is, ugh, insane…”
[That’s why I told you not to go in. I had a feeling something like this could happen.]
Thud…
[Rubette!]
My weakened body staggered, slammed against the wall with a thud, then slid down.
“Hah, hah…”
In the darkness, I couldn’t tell if my eyes were just seeing nothing or if I was passing out.
[Hey! Stay with me!]
Wishit’s voice faded like lowering volume, and then a fuse snapped in my head with a pop.
* * *
Tilted sun, 6 p.m.
The servants the twins had brought from Diorus were acting overly friendly, which struck her as odd.
Rebecca, who’d been stuck in the kitchen almost all day because of them, finally made it to the front yard and looked around.
‘Where’s Miss?’
Rubette was nowhere. Only the half-remaining guests and the still-chattering twin gang were in sight.
“Lillia, where’s my miss?”
Rebecca boldly approached the table and asked Lillia.
A maid grilling her like she’d hidden Rubette somewhere. Everyone there was shocked.
“How would I know?”
Lillia put on a flustered, teary face.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t seen her since earlier? Where’d she go?”
“Yeah, she’s been gone since the hide-and-seek started.”
Two noble girls with them tilted their heads in confusion.
“H-hide-and-seek?”
A bad feeling hit her, and Rebecca bristled. She’d been trapped in the kitchen and hadn’t known…
‘They pulled something on my miss again!’
The twins’ angelic faces, pretending ignorance, were infuriating.
Not content with tormenting her at the ducal house, they’d followed her to Lubon to target Rubette again…
“Tell me where my miss is right now!”
Rebecca yelled, and the young nobles’ eyes went wide.
A pigtailed noble girl clutched her chest in shock.
“H-hey? What’s with the rudeness? Knights are everywhere outside—why make a fuss? The duchess is probably inside the villa, where else?”
“Lillia! Riki! Tell me where my miss is, quick!”
“Oh my… Th-this maid’s lost her mind…”
“Wh-what’s her problem? So impertinent?”
Amid the baffled nobles, Lillia said glumly.
“Everyone’s shocked, right? Sorry. She’s Rubette’s favorite maid… Rubette lets her get away with anything, so she acts rude like this a lot.”
“Oh my god. Even so.”
“Hey, apologize quick!”
Trembling with rage, Rebecca spun around. She’d search the villa first.
“Damn…”
But of course it wouldn’t be that easy. Two of Lillia’s personal maids blocked her path.
“Lillia, we’ll help Rebecca look for Rubette.”
“Let’s go, Rebecca.”
“Yeah, girls~ Thanks.”
Lillia smiled worriedly, and the maids grabbed Rebecca’s arms tightly.
“Hey! Let go! I said let go?!”
The clueless young noble guests tsked at the flailing Rebecca.
And then.
“We see the Empire’s Little Sun!”
“We see the Crown Prince!”
From the villa entrance afar, the knights’ resounding greetings echoed.
Lillia and Riki jumped, eyes bulging as they exchanged glances.
Cedric and Dominic were just as shocked, along with the trembling Evelyn between them.
“Cr-Crown Prince?”
“Did we hear wrong?”
Before the noble kids could tilt their heads, someone strode across the front yard.
“Gasp!”
“Oh…”
It really was the Crown Prince, Lark.
He crossed the wide yard in moments, raking back his tousled hair with a smile.
“Hey, everyone. I was invited to the duchess’s birthday party today, too.”
“We see the Crown Prince!”
“The Empire’s Little Sun…”
“No, no. Greetings are fine.”
Waving off the nobles’ bows, Lark’s eyes quickly scanned the tables.
The twins looked uncomfortable somewhere. Cedric subtly avoided his gaze, and
“Let go of me!”
In one corner, a familiar face shrieked. Rubette’s maid, Rebecca.
Spotting the highly agitated Rebecca, Lark’s eyes narrowed.
“But… the guest of honor’s missing.”
He scanned the flinching group one by one, then asked in a low voice.
“Where’s the duchess?”