CH 119

Claire: “Yes? Uh, t-thank you.”

Blushing, Claire answered.

She’ll be disappointed. Keira smiled softly as she recalled Erez’s attitude. He mentioned he didn’t want to get married, so it might be a little annoying for now.

But it was then.

Erez: “I have something to say.”

Erez, who had been sitting quietly in the corner of the lounge, jumped up.

Did he hear Keira whisper to Claire? Keira looked back at him, thinking he knew what she was guilty of.

Erez walked towards them, a rather determined look on his face.

Erez’s sudden appearance also piqued the Princess’s interest.

Bella: “I don’t know what’s going on, but please tell me.”

Erez: “Thank you, Your Highness… I am… Actually, I…”

After a long pause, he closed his eyes and cried.

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Erez: “Actually, I like men!”

“What?”

Everyone’s jaws dropped.

Erez went on with his confession.

Erez: “I was going to take this secret to the grave… but I feel like I’m deceiving Miss Claire, so I’m taking this opportunity to tell you. Miss Claire, I’m sorry. I’m not capable of marrying women.”

This crazy man…

Keira had to cover her gaping mouth with her fan.

How matter how much you hate being ordered around by your elders, how are you going to handle this in the future?

No, Keira didn’t think he would ever have to…

If It’s Erez, he might just joke around and say he’s relieved he stopped receiving invitations to social events.

Erez bowed politely to his companion and said.

Erez: “I hope you’ll meet someone better than me. Be happy.”

Claire: “Ah… Aah…”

The fact that the man she had a crush on was actually gay was enough to shock the spirit of the delicate noble maiden.

Claire’s body trembled. Blood had long been drained from her face.

“Ahh..!”

“My god, Miss Claire!”

“Oh, my!”

Claire, staggering as she gripped her forehead, almost fell backward. If the other ladies hadn’t supported her, she might have banged her head against a chair.

“Call the doctor quickly! Hurry!:”

“S-she passed out!”

The lounge, where they had barely just regained peace, was once again in chaos.

Amid the mess, the cause of this storm stood leisurely alone. His look of relief was quite impressive. Keira looked at him in disbelief.

‘Are you crazy?’

‘What?’

When their eyes met, Erez shrugged his shoulder once brazenly and turned around.

Then he nonchalantly walked out of the room, leaving the storm-ridden lounge behind him.

“Miss Claire! Miss Claire! Get it together!”

Countess Rheol was imprisoned until the punishment was decided.

Since she had committed the crime of deceiving the Imperial family, it seemed she would have a hard time getting released.

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People shook their heads, saying they would never see the Countess again in the social world.

Miranda: “Milady, you must be tired. We should head back.”

Keira: “Yeah, let’s go back soon.”

As the pleasure of winning faded, deep fatigue set in, so Keira ordered the people to prepare their carriage immediately.

As she made her way to the hallway to go outside, she spotted Lady Rheol, bowing her head like a criminal.

A few steps away from the young lady, people whispered as they glanced at her.

Although there was no direct evidence that the young Rheol was involved in the conspiracy, some people already considered her guilty by association.

People couldn’t forget the sight of the mother and daughter spreading gossip.

‘It’s a pity she’s been taken advantage of.’

The mastermind of the scheme was nowhere to be seen. Cosette never showed her face even at the lounge.

She probably didn’t want to be with Countess Rheol when it was obvious the whole plot might be revealed.

Everyone remembered how she pretended to be concerned for Keira while taking the Countess’s side.

Keira: “By the way, has Cosette gone back?”

Miranda: “I just checked and found that the Weinberg family’s carriage is still here, so it seems like she’s still at the auction house. Why are you looking for Miss Cosette? If you have business with her, I–”

Keira: “No, it’s fine. I was just curious since I hadn’t seen her in a while. I wonder where she went?”

It was Cosette who was in a hurry, not Keira. Keira had no reason to see her.

Keira started walking again, her steps light. But just as she was about to leave the auction house…

“Wait, Keira!”

A familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.[1]

Keira looked back leisurely.

Keira: “What’s the matter? I’m very tired right now, so I want to go back soon.”

Cosette: “I-I feel like I need to tell you this…”

Keira: “What is it?”

Cosette: “That is, I’m sorry…”

Cosette fidgeted and continued.

Cosette: “I should have trusted you because we’re family… I was deceived by the Countess’s lies. I was wrong. Please forgive me.”

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Keira: “Is that right? You were just fooled?”

Cosette: “Y-yeah. Could it be… You’re not suspecting I did it on purpose, are you?”

The way Cosette’s eyebrows sank couldn’t be more detestable.

Her apology made Keira’s blood boil. She had to bite her lip to quell her anger. Reacting emotionally was what Cosette wanted.

‘You want me to blame you.’

There were many people around here.

Keira was certain Cosette wanted her to get angry, shout expletives, and blame Cosette for what happened. All in the absence of any solid evidence.

Of course, Keira’s anger and suspicion in this situation were justified.

It was also true that the Rheols were related to the Weinbergs and that Cosette would benefit the most if Keira lost her place in society.

‘Obviously, she would cry again and say it’s unfair. She’d be like, how can you do this without any evidence…?’

Then the people were bound to be deceived by what they’d see. Keira knew how strong were the powers of the tears of a beautiful woman.

The thought of not moving the way Cosette wanted her to quelled Keira’s anger.

She calmly opened her mouth.

Keira: “Of course I understand.”

Cosette: “R-really?”

Keira: “Well, Countess Rheol said it. She kept insisting you were innocent, that she had nothing to do with you or the Weinberg family. What else did she say? That she’d offer her head if there was evidence?”

“…”

Keira: “With that being said, how could I ever doubt you? There’s no evidence.”

Cosette’s smile stiffened. Keira could almost hear Cosette’s heart cursing the Countess and blaming her for her foolishness.

To make matters worse for Cosette, the people who heard Keira began to gossip amongst themselves, looking dumbfounded.

Keira took a step closer to Cosette and whispered, her voice low enough that only Cosette could hear.

Keira: “Well, you know there were quite a few other people in the lounge, right? So, don’t worry.”

“…”

Keira: “They were all young ladies from powerful families since they’re the Princess’s companions. Those people will believe in your innocence.”

As Keira looked closer, Cosette’s cheeks were trembling slightly.

Keira smiled sweetly at her and tried to turn around when another familiar voice spoke.

“Keira.”

It was Ludwig.

Keira turned to where she heard her father’s voice.

Keira: “Your Grace.”

Ludwig: “I was waiting in the carriage. I see the two of you are talking.”

Keira: “No, we just finished. We can go back now.”

Ludwig’s gaze shifted to Cosette, then the people whispering around them.

He was able to figure out what was going on with that alone.

He could feel Cosette staring at me pitifully as if asking for help.

But oddly enough, Ludwig didn’t have the slightest desire to save her.

Cosette: “F-father.”

“…”

Cosette: “Well… I understand what you’re misunderstanding, but…… Oh, never mind. I really don’t care. I know I made a hasty decision. I regret my mistake. I just apologized directly to Keira.”

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“…”

Cosette hesitated to explain, and he just stared at her without saying anything.

Just…

Ludwig: “Tsk.”

He just clicked his tongue and turned around.

Cosette: “Father!”

Ludwig: “We’ve wasted too much time. Let’s go.”

Keira: “Yes.”

Ludwig walked out without looking at Cosette, who was calling him anxiously.

Keira followed him quietly.

As the two of them went inside the carriage, it departed smoothly.

[1] 호랑이도 제 말하면 온다 is an idiom that literally translates as ‘Even a tiger comes when someone is talking about it.’