Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Illusion
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The count's jaw dropped.
It really was that woman's doing.
The rumors were true—the duke's mistress wielded wicked illusions.
"Got it? Then nod."
The count nodded frantically, his face blank and lost.
Juliet smiled in satisfaction, then turned lightly and walked away.
"C-Count!"
"Is everything all right, sir?"
"Th-this... this is absurd..."
Only after Juliet had leisurely departed did people finally rush over.
Casper Count trembled as if he had witnessed the most horrifying thing on earth.
Noisy chatter erupted behind her, but Juliet didn't look back.
She simply thought idly as the crowd parted before her like the Red Sea.
*Sometimes acting like a madwoman has its perks.*
Flutter.
A single blue butterfly from somewhere fluttered after the leisurely walking Juliet, circling around her.
Juliet glanced at the butterfly as it landed cutely on the back of her hand.
The blue butterfly was a terrifying monster to Juliet.
Its true form was an evil, mighty deity existing beyond dimensions.
It merely took the shape of a butterfly to deceive human eyes—looking at it directly would drive one insane.
These butterflies bestowed nightmares upon the targets Juliet desired.
They showed the victim the most horrific monster or scene imaginable, then devoured their emotions.
It turned into a clump of bluish light and was reabsorbed into her.
Once the butterfly fed on enough mana and grew, it could manipulate a wider variety of illusions.
But completely dominating the mind—like commanding Casper Count moments ago to jump off the roof while asleep—was still too much for her.
*And it doesn't work on swordmasters anyway.*
So it was impossible from the start for her to seduce Lennox Carlyle with illusions, as people imagined.
*If that had been possible, I wouldn't have ended up like this.*
After all, he had already been renowned as the youngest swordmaster for ten years.
* * *
"Lady."
The young man was Jude, one of the duke's knights.
Jude Hayon was among the youngest retainers of the duke's household and the baby of the knight order.
Jude had been born with a friendly, outgoing personality that endeared him to everyone.
Friendly to a fault—he often treated his lord's lover, Juliet, like a little sister, bordering on irreverence.
Jude glanced around briefly before lowering his voice and whispering to Juliet.
"What happened inside?"
"Nothing."
"Then why is everyone staring at you?"
"Who knows."
Juliet feigned ignorance as if talking about someone else, but Jude nodded as if he had a rough idea.
Like Juliet, Jude Hayon hailed from a noble family in the capital.
Guessing what had gone down inside wasn't hard.
The capital's social scene had always been petty, after all—same as ever.
"Lady."
Grinning meaningfully, Jude didn't open the carriage door for her.
Instead, he dramatically knelt on one knee before her and presented a box with exaggerated flair.
"It's from Duke Carlyle, Your Highness."
It was a deliberate act, clearly mindful of the onlookers.
She could feel all eyes turning their way in an instant.
Juliet gazed quietly down at Jude.
*...Something that could easily be given inside the carriage, but he hands it over out here.*
Right in front of the temple, in front of the carriage emblazoned with the duke's crest, with everyone watching.
Jude winked at Juliet.
As a noble himself, he was well-versed in these petty "noble" theatrics.
"It's the Tear of the Sun, specially prepared by His Highness."
Jude emphasized the words loud enough for all to hear as he opened the velvet box.
What emerged was a dazzlingly ornate necklace.
True to its name, a large sunset-hued diamond took center stage, surrounded tightly by smaller, transparent colorless diamonds.
It gleamed with extravagant brilliance.
The luxurious necklace looked exorbitantly expensive at a glance.
"Oh my."
"Look at that radiance."
Before Juliet could even react, gasps arose from the onlookers who had been peeking from afar.
Hearing the murmurs, Juliet thought indifferently.
Now, those who witnessed this would eagerly spread the word of what they had seen.
By evening, when the New Year's ball began, everyone in the capital would know.
How arrogantly the duke's lover—who had come to the capital after so long—had treated the other nobles.
And how extravagantly Duke Carlyle had gifted his insolent paramour with this necklace.
Juliet peered briefly at the glittering necklace with indifferent eyes, then turned away.
"Let's go."
"Yes."
Only after deliberately closing the box slowly did Jude open the carriage door for her.
He didn't forget to sweep his gaze over the murmuring crowd just before boarding.
Once the carriage carrying the two rounded the corner, the coachman up front asked their destination.
"Where to?"
Jude, seated across from Juliet, asked matter-of-factly.
"Back to the mansion, right?"
"No."
"Pardon?"
"I'm going to Count Monad's estate. Drop me off on the way?"
As Jude blinked in bewilderment, the coachman turned toward the capital's outskirts.
If anything, heading to the count's house—which was technically Juliet's home—wasn't strange at all.
But Jude looked puzzled.
"You're not going back together?"
"No. And take this back with you."
"Pardon?"
Feeling a bit foolish for keep repeating himself, Jude shut his mouth briefly before asking seriously again.
"Why? Don't you like it?"
"No, it's beautiful."
"Then why? Not to be blunt, but it's quite expensive. Specially procured for Miss Monad's birthday..."
But instead of answering, Juliet smiled quietly.
"It's useful, if not quite as good as a mana stone."
Inferior to mana stones dense with condensed mana, but large, high-purity gems contained trace amounts of mana.
The first one to teach her that had been that man.
She fiddled briefly with the necklace in the flat velvet box.
A cool energy flowed into her fingertips.
The necklace, with its meticulously cut large diamond, was indeed beautiful.
No doubt, as Jude said, it was exceedingly valuable and rare.
Yet Juliet didn't wonder how many capital mansions it could buy.
One of the duke's secretaries had probably picked it out.
That man had likely signed a blank check without even seeing what it looked like.
Just as he did every year on her birthday.
Juliet knew what this lavish gift meant.
The fact that the man had gone out of his way to have his knight deliver the necklace taught her something.
No matter what she did, Lennox Carlyle would never change.
The day he swallowed his pride and begged for her affection would never come.
It had taken her seven years of wasting away to realize that foolish lesson.
Click.
Juliet's hand closed the box's clasp.
Then it was her turn to reply in kind.
With a light smile, Juliet handed the box containing the necklace back to Jude.
"This isn't the birthday gift I agreed to accept."