n

n

n“Oh, Mother! It’s been a long since we sat down and had tea together. Why are you always so busy when I ask for us to dine together?”

nI heard Mikhail’s voice again.

nMy fingertips are shaking, and my whole body is cold.

nThe voice was getting closer and closer.

nFor some reason, it seemed that the Duke was walking straight coming this way.

nAn overwhelming sense of danger shook me. I heard a scream in my head, Stop now! Give up and run away!

n“Mikhail, what’s wrong with you today? Why do you suddenly want to drink tea with me?”

n“Right….. I want to start being a more filial son.”

n“Go. If that’s the case, it’s enough.”

nThe voice ……… it was right under my nose.

n

n

nI can’t escape. If the Duke opens the door, she’ll see me right away….

nI looked around in panic, searching for a place to hide. But I couldn’t see any place to hide in this wide-open space.

n“I especially got my mother’s favorite tea–imported from the Eastern Continent! Please, let’s drink it so I can show you your son’s sincerity. ·······!”

n“Yes, then let’s drink it together later.”

nMikhail was spouting gibberish in embarrassment.

nHis actions weren’t helpful but rather suspicious.

nCreaaaakeeekkkk-

nMy open mouth, parched, quivered.

nI couldn’t make a sound, so he fumbled in the air.

nAlthough I usually sweat less, my body was an artic rainforest, perspiring a lot.

nI could feel sweat forming and beading on my forehead.

nThere was no time to wipe it off.

n“Mother!”

nMikhail again called Duke Melford outside the door.

nHe hurriedly grabbed her hand, turning the doorknob.

n“In fact, I have something important I need to tell you right now.”

n“Really?”

n“Yes, you must listen to it urgently.”

n“What is it?”

n“I need your advice, Mother, about my new business.”

n“Can’t we do that later?”

nPlease. Please. Please.

nI prayed so eagerly only a handful of times in this life, so desperate I was at this moment.

n“Well t-that’s….”

n“Hah. My son is really bothersome.”

nAnd as if my wish had come true, no sound could be heard outside.

nI was frozen, alert, waiting a long time in case she came back…. but it was silent outside.

nNow is your chance.

nIn a moment of relief, my body’s strength suddenly fell.

nThe moment I tried to take a step, my feet twisted.

nThe body leaned forward.

nI hurried to regain my center and touched the wall to get my balance back.

nAt that moment-

n“Huh…····!”

nShoosh-

nThe bricks were pushed back, and my hand fell through the wall.

n‘What is this·······?’

nA space was revealed inside the pushed wall.

nPurple scented candles lined up in the space.

nA tremendous number of incense candles filled my eyes, making my eyes turn into a swirl of dizzying unpleasant purple.

nGoosebumps crawled up my arms.

nShe has so many scented candles.

nIt will be used somewhere—on someone in the future.

nI was reeling from that fact— but pushed it behind me, pretending not to know, and picked up a scented candle.

nI made sure the same scented candle the Duke had prepared was in its original place.

nThen, as my hand touched that scented candle, several aromatic candles fell to the floor.

nI nervously picked up the candles and put them in place one by one.

nCreeeeaaakkkkeeekkk-

nThe door opened with a strange sound.

n“What is my daughter doing here?”

nIt was the Duke of Melford.

nI doubted my ears.

nBut I didn’t have the courage to confirm the suspicion.

nAll I had to do is turn my head.

nBut my neck froze and wouldn’t move.

n“What’s this thieving cat stealing?”

nThere was only one thought in my head:

nI’m screwed.

nI didn’t think of anything else or what would happen next.

nMy intuitive danger alert went numb.

nThe hand holding the scented candle slipped and crashed against the wall and fell.

nA couple of scented candles that fell helplessly rolled over the floor and hovered around my feet; one bumped into her shoes.

nMy head stiffened, and all my thoughts stopped.

n“The room is very dark,” she smiled softly and picked up the scented candle from under her feet.

nI couldn’t say anything to the Duke and could only numbly look on.

nShe lit a magical fire on the wick.

nThe dark room became bright, and a sweet and sick smell wafted from the candle.

n“Now it’s a little brighter.”

n“······.”

n“So Seri, can you explain what you were doing now?”

nI had to make an excuse.

nI had to get out of this situation quickly.

nBut my head doesn’t follow my wants.

nMy eyes spontaneously turned to the door—I want to run away.

nBut I knew it was impossible.

nMikhail is lying on the floor.

nHe seemed unconscious, as if he had passed out.

n“He was a little noisy, so I had to put him to sleep.”

nIt didn’t matter that he was her son. She was cutthroat.

nHer reason doesn’t make any sense in the first place.

nYou knocked him out because he was noisy?

nHow likely is it then that the Duke would show me mercy?

nShe was a woman who knocked out her own son for a ridiculous reason.

n‘······Did she notice something?’

n

n

nThe Duke, who had gone out, suddenly returned home and headed straight to the Hall of Hallucinations.

nDespite Mikhail’s dissuasion.

nIt was suspicious behavior.

n“By mistake of the attendants, letters were mixed up. I accidentally saw the letter you sent to Mikhail.”

nThe Duke, who noticed my question, said as if it were nothing.

nWas it really an ‘accident’?

nIt’s frightening to think that maybe I’ve been under surveillance all this time.

n“······.”

n“You don’t know how surprised I was to see that letter. My lovely daughter’s got some sort of plan that I wasn’t included in. And why is she acting like a thieving cat?”

nThe Duke’s gaze touched an incense candle that fell under my feet.

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