My Sweet Deceiver - Chapter 54
“The weather is bad.”
Tehez looked out the window and said to herself.
It was the day of the execution of the Duke and Duchess of Briem.
Outside the window, it was raining hard, and strong winds were blowing.
Danielle told her, “It has been raining loudly since yesterday, and people say, ‘It’s because of Nate’s anger.’”
“Is that possible?”
Tehez smiled absurdly.
“Are you feeling uncomfortable?”
As Danielle asked cautiously, Tehez shook her head.
The Duke of Briem’s execution was necessary for Dennis’ future, and it was also Fantine’s wish.
Still, why was she feeling so uncomfortable?
Was it because people’s lives were at stake?
“So when does Miss Fantine leave?”
“She left this morning.”
“I see.”
The innumerable wealth and titles of the Duke of Briem were to be returned to the state. This was because, in principle, the titles and property of the heretics were to be confiscated.
The collateral relatives waited with their hands together, waiting for the execution to be carried out quickly, without even making a sound of being caught up in themselves.
Fortunately, Sherazad was spared her life by getting her feet out in advance. She had decided to leave tomorrow morning, so all preparations would have been completed by now.
In praise of her hard work, Tehez asked for what she needed, but Sherrazad refused. She said she didn’t completely destroy the King.
“Lady Fantine Creon wrote a letter to the Princess. ‘I wanted to see the Princess in person and say thank you, but please forgive me for not being able to…’”
Danielle took a small envelope from the file folder and gave it to Tehez.
“Was there no way to meet me in person? We just held hands for a while because of mutual interests. But if it’s all done well now, let it be.”
As she said that, Tehez touched the envelope that Fantine had given her.
In case her tail would be caught, Fantine had decided to go abroad by ship as soon as she was released from the temple.
Fantine won’t be able to step into Valloise for a while. Still, she had a reason to thank her.
“I think this case is half a success.”
It was Danielle’s compliment.
The King could not be defeated, but they succeeded in defeating the Duke of Briem.
In that regard, it was a definite success.
Without the Duke of Briem, it would be easier for Dennis to ascend to the throne.
“And half a failure.”
Tehez said with a smile.
“Don’t be so strict, Princess.”
“It’s me. Aren’t you aware of this? How much has been done with the investigation of Herzan you entrusted last time?”
“Jacques is on a ship going to Herzan. He will be able to arrive as early as two weeks to start the investigation.”
“It takes quite a while.”
“Yeah, there were no exchanges in the first place, and it’s a country far from Valloise.”
Tehez said with a determined face.
“Let’s do it, thinking this is the last time. And what about the investigation into Count Lemac?”
“It is progressing in many ways. We are investigating the family’s financial situation, sources, and key people who are close.”
“You have to catch at least one pod, and they must also be desperate to catch the Prince.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“It’s the Prince’s job, so you must be more thorough. There should never be a stab in the back like last time.”
“All right.”
Danielle nodded, paused to see if something had occurred to her, and then asked Tehez.
“But I heard you’re not in a bad mood these days.”
Unintentionally, Danielle asked without any hesitation.
“…”
Tehez stumbled as she wrote down the letters.
“Sorry, Princess. Please pretend you didn’t hear it.”
Danielle hurriedly corrected it.
“No. Who said that?”
Danielle twisted her body in embarrassment.
If it was Danielle, she would never behave like this.
“Hey, the person who works in that palace told me you’re always smiling after last night….”
Tehez said to herslef.
“Is that so?”
Danielle asked in a curious voice.
“Yes. But is it true?”
“What?”
“It’s love. The two of you are in love…”
Before Danielle’s words could be finished, Tehez jumped up from her seat.
“I- I have a place to go for a while, so I’ll go.”
Bang.
After closing the door and leaving the office, Tehez wandered down the hallway.
She hadn’t met him yet since she first quarrelled with him.
Tehez organised her thoughts as she looked out the window in the pouring rain, unlike winter.
It was her first time doing something like this, so it was unknown to her.
She would have been better off arguing with the old nobles.
“…”
She remembered what Dennis had said that night.
“I’m thinking deeply.”
A heartfelt remark
The next day after hearing that, she got up from bed and wondered if she had a dream.
But when she looked at the place next to her, he was sleeping soundly.
It was the first time.
It was rare for him to come over and not work late at night.
It was the first time he did not return to his palace at dawn.
Looking at him sleeping, Tehez accepted that fighting him the day before and hearing his confession was actually what happened.
But she didn’t know how to deal with it.
She got up quickly so he wouldn’t wake up and ran away.
Avoidance.
Other than that, she couldn’t think of anything right away.
Tehez felt strange because she was not convinced.
And last night’s conversation was a secret between the two of them, she thought.
But when was there a rumour going around like this?!
Tehez felt a rush of heat on her face.
She wanted to go somewhere and quietly organise her thoughts.
The execution was carried out outside the palace, and the rain and wind were blowing outside the window, but that didn’t matter to Tehez.
She moved her steps, thinking about where the quietest place in the palace would be.
A man’s shadow flashed from the other side when she wandered aimlessly inside the palace.
It was the shadow of a tall man.
Tehez looked up at her.
The person approaching with a bright smile was Sylvan.
“Ah! Princess, how are you?”
Tehez answered with both surprise and disappointment.
“What brings you here?”
“Where is Danielle? I have to hand over the documents.”
“Danielle would be in the office right now.”
“Oh, I see. Of course.”
Tehez turned around and stopped Sylvan.
“Oh, the Prince….”
“Yes, Princess?”
“No, you’re broken-hearted. Is it true?
She wanted to ask what the Prince was doing but quickly changed her words.
“What? Oh, that’s what happened. As expected, rumours are too fast in the palace.”
Sylvan scratched his head and answered.
But his expression wasn’t bad at all.
“How did you do it in the beginning? It would have been very awkward if you had a fight or something. Did you apologise?”
Tehez ended up asking her what she was curious about.
“Yeah, I hit it hard. Wherever Danielle goes. Then she got fed up with it at first and eventually gave up.”
“Danielle?”
“Yeah, didn’t you know?”
“Is that Danielle in my room?”
“Yes.”
“…”
Although she thought Danielle had a strange look, she never asked about Danielle’s private life.
Tehez replied with an astonished face.
“I see.”
“Yes. I followed with conviction. So that she can’t refuse.”
Hearing Sylvan’s words, Tehez spoke to himself.
“That’s not how it works.”
Dennis and Tehez had a lot of schedules, so they were more conflicts.
Besides, how could she do such an embarrassing thing?
“Sorry, what?”
“Huh? No.”
Tehez shook her head.
Sylvan spoke his words with a face that seemed to know her troubles.
“Don’t worry too much. Go straight, Princess. Now, someone is waiting for you right now.”
“Thank you for your advice.”
“What? The person with the most dating experience in the palace won’t be able to follow me. Please feel free to visit us.”
Sylvan went to Danielle’s office with light steps.
Tehez was silent, thinking about Sylvan’s advice.
* * *
Giselle was angry and held the paper tight.
“Did he say I would be a princess or a full princess before the wedding?”
It’s been an hour already.
It was Fabrice who sat in front of him, sweating profusely.
Whenever she sent him a letter and asked to meet her, when he stood in front of Giselle, it seemed that his nightmares of her past came to mind.
Fabrice also felt complicated from within.
He hated that he had to do something with this woman.
But what he hated more than that was he couldn’t be the King.
Watching his half-brother, reborn of a commoner, sit on the throne…
What could be worse than that?
So he decided to call her out here to persuade her.
“I came out because you had something to say, and this is what you ended up saying, Prince.”
Giselle glared at Fabrice, kicking her tongue out in disbelief.
“I’m so sorry. But this is the only way for me to ascend the throne.”
“Is that really the only way?”
“Father won’t say anything absurd. Obviously, he said that. If we have an heir, I will inherit the throne.”
“…”
Giselle was silent, as if lost in thought.
Fabrice sat in front of her, clasping his hands, waiting for Giselle’s answer.
“Can we get our wedding ahead of schedule? I don’t want to have a baby without a wedding.”
“Of course, Princess. Anything as long as you have an heir…”
“Ha, really. You are putting me to the test of my life as a chaste woman.”
Giselle shook her head reluctantly.
Fabrice swallowed and persuaded Giselle.
“Don’t make it complicated, Princess. After all, isn’t it natural to have children when we get married? It’s just a little bit earlier.”
Giselle looked at Fabrice with a look of surprise at his words. Then, as if she were counting something, she looked at his crotch.
“Ha, I can’t. That’s terrible. The filthy…”
Fabrice looked at Giselle’s gaze and hurriedly lowered his hand to cover it. He had played with several women and flirted in secrecy, but this was the first time he had received such blatant attention.
“Eh, where are you looking like that?”
“I want to be clear, Prince. You’re not sick, are you?”
Giselle’s face was serious when she asked.
“Of course not, Princess! No matter how reckless I am- And since we got engaged, we haven’t played outside…”
Fabrice exclaimed in a tone of disapproval of her suspicion.
“That’s all right then. We’ll have to revise our contract too… When would you like to do it today?”
“What?”
“The sooner, the better, isn’t it? There is no need to delay.”
Giselle got up from her seat and took off her coat.
She was ready to do her work at once.
“No, but still…”
Fabrice rose with a puzzled look.
“Is there a problem?”
Then he hurriedly dissuaded her.
“Princess, uhh, isn’t this the first time?”
“Yes, but…”
Fabrice said with a flustered face.
“Then you shouldn’t do this.”
“Why?”
“…”
Fabrice looked at her and put Giselle’s coat back on.
“Princess, the first one is supposed to be the most memorable one….”
It was a lame excuse. After all, it was still the same that he had to do something with Giselle, and Fabrice wanted to put that time off as much as possible. That’s why he added something to say since it was the first time.
Giselle snorted at his serious expression.
“I don’t know what that has to do with the Prince. Don’t say anything else. Let’s hurry and do it right away.”
(To be continued in the next episode)
***