Isn’t Being A Wicked Woman Much Better?

C172

On the day of the incident, the imperial family established a research team to find the arsonist who set fire to the Imperial Library. They summoned people to the scene one by one for investigation.

Among them were elderly scholars who had escaped with Princess Deborah, following a man disguised as a guide.

"Did Princess Deborah save your life?"

"Yes. When I felt choked with smoke, the princess lent me a wet handkerchief, and when attackers believed to be arsonists appeared, she defeated them with a white light."

"If she defeated the attackers, does that mean she used magic?"

"... I don't know if it's magic because I'm new to mana; I'm just telling you what I saw."

"Come to think of it, I saw the divine spirit in the form of a turtle that the princess had summoned during the incense burning."

Added one of the scholars.

"After that, Duke Visconti appeared to help, and they escaped safely?"

"Yes, that's correct."

With only a somewhat abstract testimony, the research team found traces of magic in the library tower and deduced that the terrorist was a wizard.

Some had seen a white light shining like lightning nearby, so the controversy about Princess Deborah's identity was unpredictable.

"If she was dealing with a wizard with white light... then, Princess Deborah, during the incense burning..."

"Then, what about Mia Binoche? I've never heard that Princess Deborah has divine powers."

"I heard she has a divine spirit. If she's a saint, wouldn't she be followed by such auspicious animals?"

"If there were divine power, it would have been known immediately. Maybe Seymour developed a new artifact?"

"In principle, wouldn't it be prohibited to bring magical weapons or tools into the imperial family's buildings?"

Those who learned of the incident at first sight chatted about their abilities, but Seymour, who is at the center of the controversy, remained silent.

It was so quiet that it seemed like the eve of a storm.

* * *

After the attack, the next day.

Even on weekdays, I was forced to spend time in bed.

The Seymour men are too overprotective of me.

My father, who rushed to the Imperial Library with a worried expression, hoped that I could rest and regain my psychological stability.

"... It's strange."

Isidor's trembling body, holding me, clings more to my brain than the living situation and the terrible scene where a person turned into a spider.

Perhaps his heart was beating so fast that it was about to explode, and his body seemed to be trembling.

Also, I remembered the trembling hand of a man who looked like Isidor, who had avoided Nayla in his dream.

"I hate women like you."

"..."

"They're not to my liking."

The man who exhaled with annoyance also had red eyes and somehow resembled Isidor.

After sending a letter to visit through a bird, I was about to call a carriage to the Visconti house when suddenly my father climbed the stairs of the annex where I was standing.

"Rest more, why are you getting ready to go out?"

"I..."

Before I could say anything, my father spoke first.

"Anyway, the guest you're looking for will come here. Today, I invited Duke Visconti. Mmm! Yesterday, I wasn't in a good mood, so I couldn't properly say thank you...."

After coughing several times, he touched my shoulder.

"So, rest a little."

"..."

"Seymour unconditionally repays its enemies twice, but never forgets their grace. Don't look like that."

"... Yes, father."

And that afternoon.

An impressive dinner began in the Seymour Banquet Hall.

"... you've worked hard, Duke Visconti."

"Yes. Duke Seymour."

"I haven't been able to find work, but I think I somehow understand the feeling of a new employee eating between the manager and the assistant manager."

I rolled my eyes while chewing the soup.

During Isidor's brief stay at the Seymour mansion, his aides and vassals were also present at dinner, so the atmosphere wasn't as awkward.

"How can this be the way you treat your daughter's savior...?"

However, after the meal ended, Isidor whispered to me with a happy expression.

"Today, my dream... hmm, the duke kindly received me. I think he's accepting me into his heart."

"... Where the hell did you find that kindness?"

Although my father had brought high-quality wine that money couldn't buy, I couldn't find a sign of kindness anywhere in his words or gestures.

I can't help but think that Isidor is too positive.

Anyway, the meal ended in a calm atmosphere, and Isidor and I took a stroll through the garden to get some fresh air.

When I tiptoed and gently pressed my lips against his, he smiled.

He drank the wine my father gave him, so Isidor had a faint taste of wine.

"By the way, how did you arrive just in time yesterday?"

"I had a bad feeling, so I came as fast as possible."

"A feeling..."

Telepathy between lovers, or something like that?

"They've created rifts in places where there's likely to be many victims, but this rift occurred in an area where many people had migrated due to the development of hot springs, so there was little damage. As soon as it felt like an improvised device to send me south, I ran immediately."

He led an intelligence organization and had numerous magical movement circles throughout the empire, and it seemed like he arrived here as quickly as possible using 7th-class magic several times.

"Well... Since the princess is always in the capital, I wanted to see her as soon as possible, so I improved the magic circle."

"It's half rational judgment and half due to your feelings. Thank you. It's a compliment."

"Haha."

When I extended my hand, he bowed, and I stroked his soft hair.

After flirting with him for a while, thinking he had nice hair, I looked at the crescent moon buried in darkness.

"That sorcerer said that the brighter the light, the darker the shadow."

"Don't worry about nonsense like that."

"Nayla thought that God gave her strong divine power because the shadow was very thick. So, she felt a sense of duty."

"..."

"But not me. I won't die until I spend all my money. My boyfriend is so handsome that it's embarrassing, so I won't do anything good for anyone but myself."

Before I could finish my words, Isidor smiled and shrugged his broad shoulders, so I lightly squeezed his hand.

"However, I must take revenge for touching this place. If I seem easy, those damn bastards will try to mess with me again."

"..."

"Seymour certainly pays its enemies, even if it doesn't repay their kindness."

"That's a family motto I like."

"What's the Visconti motto?"

"The sooner you negotiate and confess, the better."

"... I see."

For some reason, I carefully began to think it was romantic, even though it was about the golden Visconti.

"My lord... Who do you think is behind this?"

He looked at the moon buried in darkness for a long time, as if searching for something.

A cold wind blew through them, slowly opened his mouth as he pushed aside his tangled blond hair.

"At least... The throne would have to be at stake to do something crazy like this."

"After all, there was a connection between the swarm of spiders that appeared at the Prince's charity event and the spider the sorcerer was dealing with yesterday!"

"The emperor didn't bother to prevent public opinion about the Crown Prince from worsening due to the rifts that occurred during the incense burning. If the Crown Prince doesn't get hit, the deteriorating public sentiment will go to the Emperor himself."

"He's selfish."

"The Crown Prince has blue hair symbolizing the Histach family, but he doesn't have the Emperor's heart. It's also the reason why some princes lacking legitimacy haven't given up their craving for the throne."

"Yes, it's the throne...."

And the lack of legitimacy.

Suddenly, something began to grow in my head.

That night.

I was beginning to gradually realize how the throne was related to the attempts of sorcerers to turn Mia into a saint.

Suddenly, as I paced back and forth in a complex mood, I heard a knock.

"Enrique? Why did you come here?"

Unexpectedly, the child's little hand held the duchess's diary that I had given him.

"Sister. I found something a bit strange in Mom's diary..."

The child's large pupils trembled finely, as if he were scared.

"Something strange? What is it?"

What the child pulled out was a crossword puzzle that was in the diary.

"There's a person's name in this crossword puzzle."