Let's Woo the Mother and Daughter of the Duke's Family
Let's Woo the Mother and Daughter of the Duke's Family
A corridor bathed in a sunset with a golden hue even deeper than the ornate hallways of the Imperial Palace.
Ilusia Rodpen, Princess of the Rodpen Empire, was looking down toward the banquet hall with eyes as coldly frozen as usual.
There, the Crown Prince, who had snatched the position of heir to the empire despite being far behind her in every aspect simply because he was the legitimate heir—
Cherndea Rodpen was chatting with the nobles while wearing a fake smile.
"... Tsk."
Ilusia, who had been watching that sight for a moment, bit her teeth together without realizing it.
Suppressing the murderous intent that boiled up every morning whenever she saw the disgusting face of that incompetent brother was her habit and one of her very old routines.
"Your Highness, it is time."
At that moment, the two maids who had been waiting quietly behind her spoke up cautiously.
"There are 5 minutes left until the afternoon training of the Knights Order begins."
"... Right, I must go."
Ilusia turned her head away from the window without lingering and began to walk down the corridor.
The destination was the training ground where the Argentus Knights, the Imperial family's elite knight order that had sworn absolute loyalty not to the Emperor but to Princess Ilusia alone, were waiting.
A time to sweat and vent her frustration, gripping her sword for the day she would eventually reclaim the throne that had been stolen from her.
As she hurried her steps toward the training ground, Media, the head maid, approached with urgent steps from the other side of the corridor.
She matched Ilusia's pace, checked the surroundings once, then bowed her head and whispered.
"Your Highness, a letter has arrived via the direct line from the Golden Hand, the continental merchant guild. Judging by the fact that it arrived so urgently, it seems to be quite important content."
"What?"
At those words, Ilusia's steps came to a sudden halt.
If it was the direct line of the Golden Hand, wasn't that used only when important information, like that of the Crown Prince or something of that level, needed to reach her as quickly as possible?
Ilusia ordered without even glancing at the two maids following her.
"Tell the Knight Commander. Tell them to warm up at the training ground first since I will be a little late."
"As you command."
After confirming that the maids were moving away, Ilusia said a word of thanks to Media, then immediately turned around and headed to her office.
Creak-
As she opened the door and entered, a letter envelope placed in the center of the well-organized desk caught her eye.
Seeing that, Ilusia wore a bright smile without realizing it.
'Did you finally find a fatal weakness to drag that damn brother of mine down from the position of Crown Prince, old man Pedger?'
With a touch mixed with strange anticipation and tension, she carefully tore off the red wax on the envelope.
If it was top-tier information delivered directly through the head of the Golden Hand, it would surely contain poison that would cut off the breath of that incompetent Cherndea at once.
Her gaze, having pulled out the letter paper, began to scan the parchment rapidly.
However, as she read the sentences written on the letter paper.
The anticipation that had been dwelling on her face slowly turned into bewilderment.
[Your Highness Ilusia Rodpen, only I can soothe the fatal poison and sorrow hidden behind your beauty, which shines like the noble moonlight of the night sky. Can you hear the heartbeat of this man who is ready to prostrate himself at your feet and willingly become your stepping stone? I am willing to offer my blood and flesh for you, who are as precarious as a flower blooming in a rough sandstorm. I want to become a star that never sets by your side, as you will become the greatest sun in the Empire, and share that heavy burden together. Please, I beg you to allow the blind and burning pure love offered by this lowly man.]
"......."
Ilusia stared intently at the letter paper in her hand, forgetting even to breathe.
It felt as if her brilliant thinking circuit had stopped completely due to an unexpected mental attack.
A secret ledger to hold Cherndea's leash, or a list to expose the corruption of the noble faction.
The parchment she had unfolded expecting such information was filled with cheap love letter phrases that only a third-rate street actor would recite.
[If you only accept me, I will give you all the information I have to help you achieve the dream you desire most.]
That last key phrase written at the very bottom of the letter didn't even enter Ilusia's field of vision in the first place.
Because her vision was blurring due to unbearable humiliation and anger.
Eventually, veins stood out clearly on the back of her white hand.
Crunch.
After mercilessly crumpling the letter paper, Ilusia placed her hand over a dark black crystal ball that had been placed in a corner of the desk.
As she injected mana, a blood-red color shimmered inside the crystal ball, and someone's voice flowed out immediately.
[Did you call, my Lord.]
Lunos, a secret shadow group organized to avoid the Emperor's eyes and ears, and an organization that had sworn loyalty to her, the one who would become the true successor.
The voice of Kailok, the leader of that Lunos.
Ilusia barely managed to move her lips, which were not moving properly due to anger and humiliation.
"Kailok."
[Yes, Your Highness.]
"There is one cheeky rat who dared to send me this kind of disgusting harassment through the Golden Hand. Track him down immediately, and drag that bastard's cheeky face to my feet as quickly as possible."
[... Understood.]
The next day, 11:30 AM.
With about 30 minutes left until noon, the time I promised to meet Rihel Denius, I barely managed to arrive in Veldert, the capital of the Denius Duchy.
"Whew... I almost was late. You charged me two silver coins just for giving me a ride in a damn cheap carriage?"
Of course, considering I had been running almost non-stop for a day, it seemed like a cheap deal... but it was still a waste.
If I had come slowly and leisurely, it would have been at most 30 copper coins.
No, now is not the time for such distracting thoughts.
Anyway, having arrived safely in Veldert, I hid my body in a suitable building near the Ducal House and watched the movements at the main gate while holding my breath.
First, the thing I saw first was.
The huge iron gate of the Denius Ducal House, which would normally have been blocked by guards in red uniforms so that not even an ant could sneak in.
That gate was wide open on both sides.
Not even a shadow of a guard could be seen.
Commoners passing by the street glanced at the open gate and whispered with puzzled expressions.
But there wasn't a single idiot who dared to cross the line and poke their head inside or peek around.
Because there was no one in this capital who didn't know the notoriety of the Ducal House.
'Did they really leave the door open just as I wrote in the letter.'
It seemed that the worst-case scenario I had feared had indeed happened.
Thanks to the razor-sharp processing of that damn Imperial postal system.
The letter with the forged Kardelde crest had left my hands and reached the mistresses of the Ducal House exactly.
"Whew."
My mouth was parched.
Swallowing dry saliva, I squeezed my eyes shut without realizing it.
I wanted to turn around right now, get back on the cheap carriage that was leaving far away, and run away, but.
Since a future where my internal organs would be harvested by loan sharks was waiting for me even if I went back anyway.
It would be better to burn my body at the Ducal House and get cleanly beheaded for failing.
'Yeah, since it's come to this, I have no choice but to act crazy and run my mouth.'
I will survive by wagging my three-inch tongue somehow.
I will absolutely survive, make the heroine who will be bullied by the villainesses happy, and save my own life to live comfortably.
Having steeled my resolve once again, I clenched my fists tightly.
At the same time, the bell ringing to announce noon echoed from the clock tower standing in the center of the capital.
In time with that sound, I came down from the building and began to walk toward the mansion, passing through the open main gate with a very confident and unstoppable stride.
Afterward, when I had crossed the wide garden path paved with gravel and almost reached the huge front door of the mansion.
There, two women were waiting for me, emitting a deep chill that made even the surrounding air freeze.
Jet-black hair that looked like it had cut out the night sky, and red eyes like rubies.
Mirea Denius, who possessed a bewitching and overwhelming appearance that made her age of mid-30s meaningless.
And next to her, the first daughter, Rihel Denius, who exuded a cold atmosphere that resembled her exactly.
The two people's gazes were shining viciously, as if they would pierce through my body right away.
'No, it's 100% my fault that the times I sent the letters overlapped, but... shouldn't you wait separately out of conscience?'
Making people feel awkward... no, that's not it.
Anyway, there was no need to do anything to provoke them further here, so I moved my steps pretending to be as unwavering as possible, and.
Finally, after reaching the two women, I knelt on one knee very naturally and bowed my head.
The perfect etiquette of the Empire that I had crammed into my head.
"Thank you for giving me a chance. I will definitely repay you as much as you expect."
I greeted them while keeping my voice as calm as possible.
However, even so, the two women were still looking down at me with cold eyes.
How much time had passed like that?
Just when cold sweat began to flow little by little because of the tightly stretched tension.
One woman opened her mouth first.
"I didn't even have expectations... other than a decent face and that pathetic sentimentality, you were a trivial commoner with absolutely nothing worth seeing."
It was Lady Rihel.
"The mood is ruined."
With that remark, the sound of dress hems brushing against each other was heard, and the sound of the Lady's footsteps fading away was heard.
However, unlike Lady Rihel, her mother, Duchess Mirea, until her daughter opened the front door and disappeared completely into the mansion.
She was still just looking down at me.
And finally, the one word that came out.
"Follow me."
"Does that mean...?"
"I'm thinking of giving you at least a chance to wag your tongue pathetically."
She didn't even wait for my answer, turned her body, and began to walk in the lead.
I hurriedly brushed off my knees, stood up, and tried to follow her while struggling not to even make the sound of breathing.
The Denius Duchess's office was very flashy and at the same time overwhelming, as if the owner's temperament had been transferred exactly as it was.
Mirea sat with her legs crossed on a chair behind the wide office desk, with her back to the window.
Then, she opened her mouth while slowly scanning me from head to toe with her red eyes once again.
"I read that cheeky letter in its entirety yesterday."
Her voice was quite sharp.
Was the problem that I even included the desperate desire to live in the late-night emotional thoughts?
"I will judge that disgusting love talk as a shallow lie told simply to pique my interest."
Mirea continued, tapping the desk with her white fingers.
"So, recite the content you wrote behind it right now in front of me. What is the method to completely destroy that damn Cheinders Marquis family."
Even the warm sunlight of noon pouring through the window seemed to cool down coldly around her.
"If you provide a useful answer, at least you will be able to save your life."