The Villainess's Daughter Is Getting an Obsession

“(Yes, he’s a nice guy.)”

“(Wow, I’m really curious.)”

“(A very precious person.)”

Then Amaterin asked why I left such a person behind, which made me regret it even more. I gave a deeper answer with a smile. Amaterin didn’t ask me that much deeper. Instead, she was very curious about what kind of life I lived.

“(It was just normal. I slept much when I didn’t have work and I was busy when I had to do a lot of work. It was just like that.)”

“(I thought you would live like a princess. Your hands are really fair, pretty, small, thin, and soft.)”

“They are pretty and soft.”

At that moment, Valery’s voice overlapped, which made me flinch. I quickly erased my thoughts.

“(Yours are pretty too.)”

We had a long conversation like that. It wasn’t until the midnight bell rang that Amaterin fell asleep.

“(You sleep too, Renia.)”

“(Yes. Thank you for coming to pick me up with Amaterin today.)”

“(No problem.)”

As Amaterin was sleeping next to me, making various noises, I began to feel sleepy again. If I lay down by now, I still feel like I would wake up close to morning.

“(Good night, Kuren.)”

* * *

Renia, who couldn’t sleep after tossing and turning for a long time, fell asleep just like Ami. Kuren put some more blankets on the two and then stood up. He was going to make sure it was safe outside one more time and come back. Soon the heavy double door opened and closed.

* * *

It was the morning after Carbella left. The imperial palace was quieter than ever. Everyone couldn’t say anything because the atmosphere was so gloomy that no one could breathe easily.

One of the imperial palace servants walked quickly to the Empress’s palace. She was so nervous that even though the morning wind was cold, there were drops of sweat on her forehead. Then, when she reached the Empress’s palace, she stopped her feet, which were close to running, and walked slowly. The servant seemed to be looking for someone and confronted one of the maids in the Empress’s palace.

Countess Rabin, one of the bedroom maids, received something from the servant, then she looked as if she was about to break down. Soon afterward, she swallowed her saliva with a tense face in front of the Empress’s bedroom.

“Your Majesty.”

The empress had already been awake since early morning. She lightly washed her face and was tidying up when she heard the voice of Countess Rabin, who had gone out to prepare her dress.

The empress was already awake early in the morning. I heard Countess Lavigne’s voice, who went out to prepare a dress while I was organizing after washing my face lightly. Marchioness Segbay folded her towel and then stepped back.

“What’s the matter?”

“That’s…”

Countess Rabin bowed her head, clasping her hands together. She delivered the news that Lucellai Rudbihi, who had been imprisoned, had died from poisoning. Shubart Rivaho, who had followed Rudbhi like the shadow of Lucellai, died too. She said there was only a small empty glass bottle beside them.The empress just closed her eyes because she had already foreseen it as she had sent Carbella there herself.

“Your Majesty.”

There was no way the emperor hadn’t heard of this. He must have heard the news first and then delivered it to her.

“The emperor said he will be waiting for Her Majesty’s words.”

“…I get it. Just go.”

In the end, that’s how it ended up. She thought there would be an impact because she couldn’t undo the past. Still, she was most worried about her son, Valery Ahibara Kashinev.

Others said they worried about the first prince because he was weak, but the empress was the opposite. Since Valery was born, he was a child who had been through death several times, so there were times when just seeing him standing in good health brought tears to her eyes.

Both of them were children born by herself, and she cherished them more than anything else. But in the corner of her heart, anxiety about Valery always lingers. That’s why she gave him permission and asked that child for a favor. She had such a foolish thought that if she closed her eyes, everything would be forgotten and disappear. It was like covering the sky with hands.

Can Valery forget about that child? She thought it wouldn’t matter how long it would take, as long as Valery could forget her, whether it would be a year or ten years. The empress had no choice but to pray that time would pass quickly for her child, hoping he wouldn’t be wounded as much as she thought.

“I still need to sort things out.”

Apart from that, she had no excuses for ignorance. Even if she admitted her crime and came down, she still had to repay the child who saved her son.

“Segbay.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Tell Duke Ragham that I will see him.”

Marchioness Segbay looked surprised. However, she soon bowed her head calmly.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

* * *

The day it said it was going to be windy. As Kuren and Amaterin said, a terrible wind blew. It wasn’t until late in the morning that the wind died down, and I could return to the cabin.

Warm weather continued for several days. By the time the snow melted, and the ground was exposed, another snowfall came. So another month and another year passed like that.

After somehow getting through four seasons, which weren’t so distinct that the four seasons were close to winter, I felt much more comfortable than when I first came here.

Above all, the frequency of having nightmares was gradually decreasing. I didn’t expect that I would be tormented by nightmares for such a long time. The nightmare I had every time I closed my eyes now bothers me every two days or once every four days.

After such a terrible winter, spring was slowly coming. Snow accumulation to the knees has decreased since a while ago, and today, new shoots have sprung up on the tree. The weather was still cold. The tree was diligently preparing for spring. Like that, I was gradually adapting to this place.

Today, the best weather in recent days, I spent my time cleaning up the backlog. It was funny that there were days when I didn’t drink or even eat meals, but I ate well these days.

And finally, I faced again what I had neglected for quite some time. I thought everything was over, but I couldn’t finish one. The matters of Duke Rudbihi. I couldn’t forgive him for being the culprit behind all this. So I wrote a letter containing his sins without missing a single one.

I had taken some evidence and hid it in the Shiseta for use someday, so if either the emperor or the empress agreed, I could punish him. My mother had collected some documents to punish her father with her own hands someday, so it would be better if I could show them together. I saw that there were almost treasonous plans that Duke Rudbihi tried to do through his mother.

If my plan didn’t work, I considered returning to the empire myself, but I decided to use it as a last resort. At this rate.., it might be getting messy, but I decided to move as I planned. With that, I might get out of the nightmare faster.

Duke Rudbihi might have already been punished. Since I came here, I hadn’t heard anything about the empire because I didn’t listen on purpose. I felt like my heart would collapse if I heard a story about it. Because I turned away like that, I didn’t know anything about the empire since the day I left.

I spent several days writing a letter to Her Majesty and finally finished it last night. I put the thick bundle of paper that I had finished organizing last night in a large box. And then I sorted out the rest.

“Ah, I have to hurry.”

I had to buy some dinner ingredients before it was too late.  I was planning to treat Amaterin and Kuren to dinner for the first time. When I finished cleaning, I had to go out, buy ingredients, and send mail. Several hours had passed.

“(Ami, what do you like?)”

“(Me? I can eat anything! Just make the easy one.)”

After hanging the laundry on the tree, I lightly packed my things and left the cabin. And on the way to buy ingredients, I stopped at Amaterin’s house.

“(Still, tell me at least one thing you like.)”

“(I eat everything well. But can you really cook with those fine hands? What if it’s burn or undercooked?)” Amaterin giggled.

“(I can cook. Hurry up and tell me, I’m going to buy the ingredients.)”

“(Then take Kuren with you! Ask Kuren to lift the heavy one. I can go in the evening, right?)”

“(Yes, see you later. Also, Kuren doesn’t have to help me. I can have the store to deliver it.)”

I left behind Amaterin, who was trying to get Kuren to go with me. Then I headed downtown with quick steps.

* * *

I bought all the ingredients, sent the international mail, and had to serve dinner. While I was greedy for a few more things, my basket was getting quite heavy.

“The letter will arrive in the empire in about a month. Because I paid a pretty high price.”

I picked up the heavy basket and walked again, then stopped when I saw the man standing before me.