Chapter 254
Chapter 254
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 254
Chapter Title: Between Love and Friendship -6
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Let's go back to square one and think this through.
The first wife, Arte Lopelman, is only interested in her research. She doesn't pay much attention to the servants under her, nor does she crave the love of the Northern Grand Duke's Daisy Corps.
She even bore him a son and a daughter in the first place. With her own son as the heir to the family line, even if she were hungry for power, she has no reason to sabotage Neriel.
So, either the servants developed wicked intentions on their own and intercepted Neriel's letters,
or some external force hoping for division within the Grand Duke's household manipulated the servants into doing so.
But the more I chewed on it, the stranger it seemed.
The relationship between Arte and the Daisy Corps is rock-solid precisely because there's no love involved. No amount of prodding will create cracks unless the research funding dries up.
Neriel couldn't access the Grand Duke's household's most vital areas due to the Daisy Corps' cold shoulder and orders. All she could manage was overseeing the mansion's kitchen or interior decor.
The Daisy Corps handles all the important matters personally, so even if the servants caused trouble, they could just be kicked out.
In other words, even if a fierce battle erupted between the wives with neither backing down an inch, the core of the Grand Duke's household wouldn't suffer a scratch.
Melodramas like romantic intrigues won't cause division... Destroying the love front yields no profit.
If the goal is to weaken the Grand Duke's house, risking exposure on petty love letter schemes is far less efficient than quietly siphoning information.
But they didn't do that.
So... maybe the entire premise was wrong from the start. What if there was no faction scheming to divide the Grand Duke's household to begin with?
Then, the one who stood to gain the most from this love letter incident was...
I flung the door open.
"...Neriel!"
"Heart. Weren't you having tea time with the first wife? You're back earlier than I expected... Ah."
Neriel seemed to grasp the implication from the picture frame in my hand. She sat demurely on the bed, gazing at me intently.
Her expression slowly shifted. It bloomed.
Not the face of a fragile girl saddened by unrequited love, but the sharp visage of an ambitious schemer fixated on seizing the Grand Duke's power.
Just that changed the atmosphere entirely.
Revealing that expression was tantamount to admitting the suspicions against her. I gripped the frame tighter.
Why hadn't I seen through Neriel's true intentions? Part of it was my processing power paling compared to my main body. But more than that, from the beginning, I'd wanted to help her.
Out of pity.
Her position as an unacknowledged insider in the Grand Duke's house overlapped with my own plight, one that could never truly become the "main body."
"...Neriel."
"That's right. Exactly what you're thinking, Heart."
She admitted it readily. She understood that once I'd arrived here harboring suspicions, there was no escaping.
Neriel added with a smiling face,
"But admitting it so straightforwardly might ruin the fun. Shall I play along a bit?"
"......"
"Why the long face, Heart? Surely you're not... suspecting me? Of all things, why?"
There was no concrete proof.
But once I suspected her, certain moments started looking different.
Our first encounter. When Neriel appeared before the servants bullying me, they scattered without a snide word. If she truly held no power, wouldn't that be impossible?
Then, Neriel approaching the Northern Warrior Corps about oil shortages for cleaning swords and armor.
The Warrior Corps handles the Grand Duke's military might, managed directly by the Daisy Corps. Especially with war looming.
Seen that way, the sharp line drawn against Neriel's interference wasn't strange at all.
In fact, approaching the Warrior Corps was an affront to the Daisy Corps' authority.
And finally.
"...Someone brave enough to enter the Daisy Corps' bedroom wouldn't only deliver letters through others. That's a bit odd, don't you think?"
"How about this excuse: I suffered such a deep emotional wound that I became extremely passive afterward?"
"......"
"Don't make that face. Fine, I admit it."
Neriel laughed.
"The Northern Grand Duke Elvilion was too sharp. He treated me like a blade, drawing a line as if he wouldn't grant me even a scrap of power. I was secretly impressed. How did he see through my hunger for power?"
With the family head marking her as a target.
But Neriel didn't give up. She decided to first seize control of those within her reach—the servants.
The first wife had no interest in the mansion's internal power struggles and ignored her own servants, making them easy marks. Neriel even reached into Arte's servants.
"They were ripe for the taking, really. About 30% of the first wife's servants are on my side now."
"So, the letter interception was..."
"Yes. I deliberately assigned the fragile, easily swayed Sophie to deliver the letters and told Emma to pressure her into stealing them. It was all staged. Because... people love an underdog."
She'd deliberately orchestrated being mistreated to garner sympathy.
In that case, the servant who suggested calling Neriel back to her family wasn't scheming but acting out of pure goodwill.
And Neriel, knowing that, had framed her anyway.
And that was...
"Exactly, Heart. To become close friends with you. As long as I stayed the pitiful one, I figured you'd help me devotedly. And you did."
"You used me."
"Truth be told... I knew your identity from the start. It'd be weirder if I didn't. You're the one who shook the imperial social scene, after all? Black hair, red eyes, name Heart... Hehe."
Then, really, from the very beginning.
"Yes. I ordered them to bully you on purpose. Then I swooped in at the perfect moment to rescue you."
Even that had been staged.
Neriel, biding her time in the Grand Duke's house, had noticed "Heart" was close to the Northern Grand Duke and set the stage accordingly.
Neriel spilled it all as if relieved, as if resigned.
"Still... I did like you. You were innocent and kind to me. But now it's all out in the open."
"......"
"So, what now? Will you run to Elvilion Julius and tattle?"
She answered brazenly, but cooling my head and looking calmly, I could read guilt toward me. And resolve.
No anger or hatred. Maybe she wasn't simply craving power for power's sake.
I thought deeply.
In this story, the only one who suffered is the servant thrown in jail. No interrogation yet, so if I get her out quickly, there's effectively no harm done.
Being used? That's fine. Unless Neriel planned to kill everyone in the Grand Duke's house... her only crime is lying to gain power.
But it feels bad. Because I trusted her. My heart throbs with betrayal. I thought of her as a friend.
What should I do? Tell the Daisy Corps and demand punishment? Or just warn her not to do it again?
...No, there's something more urgent to consider first. This puzzle still has gaps. Her goal.
Power is a means. I don't know what Neriel truly wants to achieve.
...Any clues?
There were.
The time Neriel had apologized before.
When I showed her the family photo and sorta-kinda explained. She was surprised and said sorry. I thought it meant she was sorry for the misunderstanding.
Maybe it held a deeper meaning.
Let's think.
Publicly, the Daisy Corps is the man who hung even his father's corpse. A ruthless cold-blood. Perhaps only I know there's a sliver of spring in his heart.
He's politically married to Neriel Bruneu now and maintains ties with the Bruneu family. But what if the Northern Grand Duke suddenly changes his mind?
Once the Northern civil war ends and all families submit to the Grand Duke's house, granting Elvilion unchecked power, what if he discards the Bruneu family like dirt and punishes them for betrayal?
Was Neriel preparing for that?
By building a base and expanding her influence in the Grand Duke's house, gaining power.
That way, if the Northern Grand Duke draws the blade of revenge, she could stop him from sending her family to the gallows.
If her schemes were truly wings for survival... then I...
Neriel quietly awaited Heart's response.
She'd of course considered the risk of exposure. But if she wasn't caught... the gains would be tremendous, so she bet on it.
But it was over.
The Northern Grand Duke seemed to cherish this woman Heart more than reasonably. If she whispered poison in his ear at bedtime, Neriel would truly be cast out. Her future hung on Heart's lips.
And after a long wait, Heart finally spoke.
"I'll forgive you, Neriel."
"...Huh?"
"I believe your actions stemmed not from malice, but goodwill. It's just that the goodwill wasn't directed toward the Grand Duke's house."
"......"
From that one sentence, Neriel realized Heart had pierced even her motives. The insight sent chills down her spine. Without any clues, even.
"I didn't expect you'd figure out that much."
"Too late for that. If I'd been at full capacity, I'd have seen through everything from our first meeting, but luckily, I'm not disappointed. Thanks to it, all sorts of emotions passed between us, right?"
"...What do you."
"Friends grow closer the more they fight. I... believe this experience will make us even better friends."
Neriel's breath caught.
Forgiven.
Still considered me a friend. Even after the deception.
Relief washed over her, followed by guilt. The villainous mask she'd worn cracked and fell away, leaving only a bewildered woman.
Heart was a good person. Even if fake, hadn't she bulldozed the first wife for Neriel's love letters after just a few days?
But Neriel had used Heart. That gnawed at her. Still, it was all for the Bruneu family, for her kin. She suppressed the guilt.
If she'd known Heart was like this from the start, she would've approached honestly instead of scheming from the shadows. No, the past couldn't be changed.
The family's safety rested on her. No time for choosiness.
Forgiven meant another chance. Heart seemed weak to emotions, so she'd deepen their bond wholeheartedly for indirect benefits.
If Neriel could build friendship with Heart, the Northern Grand Duke would spare her family out of regard for Heart. They seemed that close.
Apologize sincerely and beg forgiveness. And...
"And my friends shouldn't lie and should have a pure heart."
"......?"
"But you're my friend, Neriel, and that part can't change. So, we'll change you instead. Right?"
"Huh?"
As Neriel looked up, sorting her thoughts, Heart beamed while hoisting the picture frame.
The portrait of the Heart-like woman in the frame seemed to beam down at Neriel too.
Oh dear.
Flashes of past scenes raced through Neriel's mind. Heart's dropkick. Heart smashing a servant's head with a frame.
Right. She was kind, but merciless in a fight. Sometimes remarkably manly. In that case.
A chill ran through her. Neriel foresaw her future and froze.
"Neriel. I'll be your conscience module, so let's... brainstorm pure ways to win love without using others. There must be better paths to power too."
"Wait. You just said you forgive... me."
"But will this frame forgive you? I need to smack you once to vent. Now, brace yourself."
"Heart, was my apology insufficient? Even now, I can prostrate and beg— Gah!"
Crack—!!
Heart smashed Neriel's head with the frame.
Neriel's flailing to protect her family ended with my frame attack. (The Daisy Corps was quite saddened by the shattered frame, but calmed when I promised to model for a new painting.)
And I straightened out the mansion's misguided flow. Everyone unites their strength for the Grand Duke's house, and the Grand Duke remembers their devotion, rewarding them appropriately.
Isn't this picture the ideal where both sister-in-law and brother-in-law are delightful?
The root of the small mishap in the Grand Duke's house was distrust. Anxiety bred because they didn't trust each other.
The Daisy Corps gave Neriel not a shred of trust, and Neriel schemed thinking he might harm her family.
Of course... trust won't make everything perfect. Even I felt betrayed by Neriel.
But.
Trust and get betrayed proportionally; distrust and still get betrayed. If both are unstable, isn't choosing the one with higher peaks the wise choice?
So I forgave Neriel. She wasn't bad, and trusting and relying on each other seemed truly joyful.
I'm just an outsider in the Grand Duke's house, but precisely because of that, I want to bind these people under the name of family.
"Heart, if you need more frames for bludgeoning, I'll prepare blank ones without prints."
This was also for the Daisy Corps, who—excluding "Heart"—had not a single friend.
"Heart, putting ice in coffee is a sin... I'll hit you with a flask. For real!"
Also for Arte, lost in research and indifferent to housework.
"...Heart, you don't need to stick by my side constantly. Not that I hate it."
And to ease Neriel's anxieties about her family.
Even if this short life lasts only until my main body visits the North, I want to plant my name here. So someone will remember me.
Let my heart dance.
Between love and friendship.