My Sweet Deceiver - Chapter 56

Dennis was giving a speech on the podium.

 

It was the closing ceremony of the World’s Exposition, which ended with great success. There have been rumours that the largest number of people ever attended the World’s Fair.

 

Tehez sat in the dignitary below it, listening to Dennis’ speech.

 

And after a really long time, Fabrice attended the official event. With his fiancée.

 

Fabrice and Giselle were surprisingly friendly.

 

“Achoo.”

 

“Are you cold?” asked the maid sitting behind her.

 

“It’s okay. Good for now.”

 

Tehez thought it would be warm because the sun was high, but the wind blowing through her nose was colder than she thought.

 

Tehez put the fur coat back on and looked ahead.

 

On the podium, her husband was showing off his destructive beauty.

 

Yesternight.

 

While talking in his bedroom, Tehez fell asleep without realizing it.

 

It was the first time he had entered her bedroom since the first night.

 

What did she say yesterday?

 

“Thank you for waiting for me.”

 

“It’s nothing, thank you.”

 

“What do you have to be thankful for?”

 

He laughed when he said that.

 

His smile was visible through the moonlight illuminating the room.

 

Tehez felt warm waves rushing to her chest.

 

After his closing speech, a banquet was arranged.

 

The banquet was to be held in the central exhibition hall.

 

Tehez got up and headed for the exhibition hall.

 

Dennis was unable to attend the banquet due to an afternoon schedule.

 

The room was warm when she entered the exhibition hall, probably because it had a fireplace.

 

“Good morning, Your Highness.”

 

Behind her, someone spoke to her.

 

It was Giselle, standing with her arms crossed.

 

Giselle greeted her without breaking the etiquette.

 

Tehez also received Giselle’s greeting with a friendly face.

 

“It’s the first time we’ve seen each other since the engagement, Lady Lemac.”

 

“Please don’t call me so distant, Your Highness. Aren’t we going to see each other often at the palace in the future? Giselle is enough.”

 

Giselle laughed like a little girl.

 

Tehez also responded with a graceful smile.

 

Pretending to know what each other had done was something only clumsy servants would do.

 

In fact, it was like Tehez and Giselle exchanged fists one at a time.

 

Tehez stole Fabrice from Giselle’s warehouse.

 

And Giselle took care of Fabrice after he harmed the Marquis of Ingeliger.

 

In the process, it was also after they found out that they were not easy opponents.

 

“You’re very concerned, aren’t you?”

 

Giselle grabbed Tehez’s hand and gave her a sad look.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I’ve heard bad rumours about Princess in the capital. Of course, it’s all made-up lies, but I can’t stop hearing such rumours….”

 

“What?”

 

Tehez looked at Giselle with a confused face.

 

“The rumours are circulating again. The evil spirit. It is said that an evil spirit has possessed the Princess, and due to which, you are not able to have an heir. How could that be true? Really…”

 

“…”

 

Tehez bit her mouth.

 

The rumour had been spread at the beginning of her marriage.

 

It’s been several years already.

 

Giselle lowered her voice.

 

“Even if it’s not, the atmosphere in Lübern is ugly these days, but there are rumours like this again.”

 

Giselle seemed to refer to a recent pagan incident.

 

“I think you must be deeply concerned, so I wanted to convey these words of consolation.”

 

“Thank you for your concern, but this is the first time I have heard of it. I wonder where those rumours originated.”

 

Giselle answered without changing the colour of her face.

 

“I also heard it while passing by, so I’m not sure about that. As I met the Princess today, I would like to talk a lot with her at the banquet. Wouldn’t it be nice to see each other often in the future?”

 

And she laughed like a cheerful girl.

 

“Yes.”

 

Tehez without Dennis, Giselle, and Fabrice escorting Giselle.

 

A strange connection between the three began.

 

She could hear people whispering behind her.

 

It was a strange combination for anyone to see.

 

However, as if she did not care about the gazes of such people, Giselle clasped Fabrice’s arms and created a friendly atmosphere.

 

“I am thirsty, Prince.”

 

“All right. I will bring you something to drink.”

 

Fabrice got up immediately at Giselle’s words and went to find something to drink.

 

Just then, someone spoke to Giselle.

 

Meanwhile, Danielle whispered to Tehez with an uncomfortable expression.

 

“How long are they going to be together?”

 

“Well, let’s wait a little longer and see.”

 

Tehez was suspicious of what Giselle was up to.

 

As well as mentioning the old rumours.

 

As well as sitting next to each other and pretending to be close.

 

Tehez recalled the rumours Giselle mentioned.

 

Tehez affirmed that there was no such rumour, but anxiety rose from the corner of her mind.

 

As to whether such rumours are really circulating again.

 

At the beginning of her marriage, the rumour had left her heartbroken.

 

Again, if people point at her…

 

“What do you think so deeply, Princess?”

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

“By the way, is the First Prince good to you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Oh. I’m really glad. My Prince has been very nice to me, too. It’s an arranged marriage, but it’s like love?”

 

Tehez narrowed her eyes and looked at Giselle.

 

That’s what she wanted to ask if it wasn’t a one-sided idea alone.

 

With such violence, who was in love with whom?

 

“I see. Good for you.”

 

“Yes. I’m delighted. So, although it hasn’t been officially announced yet, we’ve decided to advance our wedding.”

 

“Congratulations, Lady Giselle.”

 

“Oh. Thanks, Princess. And soon, we will have a child. My parents shouldn’t know about this now, so only Princess knows.”

 

Giselle spoke innocently, like a playful young lady.

 

“Or maybe it has already happened.”

 

Tehez looked at Giselle with a face asking what she meant.

 

“The Prince likes me so much that he has been preparing to sleep with me. So I had no choice but to go with it. It was an enchanting night.”

 

“It’s an overly secret story between Lady Giselle and me. It’s also an official event.”

 

As Tehez drew the line, Giselle lowered her head, furrowing her eyebrows, as if she had made a big mistake.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought I’d become friends with Princess, so I ended up talking about it without realizing it.”

 

At this point, Tehez, who had thought she had done enough to stamp the young woman’s face, got up from her seat and arranged her dress.

 

“Nice to meet you, Lady Giselle. I have a plan in the afternoon, so I should go.”

 

“Yes. Take care, Princess. I hope to see you again next time.”

 

Tehez left her seat with Giselle’s greeting.

 

Then she asked Danielle in the carriage back.

 

“Is there any rumour about me in the capital these days?”

 

“No unusual detection has been detected.”

 

“Please investigate and report to me.”

 

“Yes, Princess.”

 

Tehez leaned her head against the wall, looking tired.

 

“Are you tired?”

 

“It’s a little… I’m tired. Wake me up when we arrive.”

 

Tehez closed her eyes.

 

She couldn’t sleep, but it seemed that an unknown emotion was welling up inside her.

 

Tehez quietly calmed her mind.

 

That evening.

 

Danielle recently collected the rumours circulating in the capital and brought them home.

 

“Recently, there have been rumours about evil spirits again.”

 

Danielle pointed to the report and said.

 

“The reason why there has been not a single heir for years is that the Princess has been stained by the evil spirits, and if this continues as is, you will become a great threat to the royal family and their future…”

 

“Stop. I’ll read it.”

 

“Yes. I’m sorry.”

 

Tehez picked up the paper and checked the contents of the rumours that Danielle had been collecting.

 

At the beginning of our marriage, it was more specific and malicious.

 

Tehez read the sentence Danielle had read.

 

‘Make an altar for evil spirits, pray, and sprinkle the blood of cattle… The reason they donate a lot to the temple is to hide the things that are infected with evil spirits… For the sake of the heir, the first princess must be killed. Otherwise, due to the curse of the evil spirit, the First Princess may not live up to his command and may have a short life.’

 

“They are not praying.”

 

“They should have refined the wording a bit more and posted the report.”

 

“No. Didn’t I tell you to tell me right away? Is there any other rumour besides this?”

 

“Yes. I’ve organized a few thing. First, there is a rumour that a murderer is wandering around in the capital. If you look at the contents below…”

 

Danielle beckoned, and Tehez read the text.

 

‘…A murderer is roaming the capital. This killer killed three people in the same way. Police officers are investigating to find the killer, but there is no evidence. Just one eyewitness made the statement that he was a well-dressed gentleman. People are reluctant to go out late, especially in the middle of the night, avoiding a gentleman in a suit.’

 

“He’s a murderer.”

 

“Yes, it is.”

 

Tehez rested her chin and fell into thought.

 

She thought she could do something with the killer.

 

Maybe the last shot.

 

“Do more research on this killer.”

 

“Yes, I see. And this is a different story, but it’s a rumour from overseas.”

 

“Well.”

 

Tehez read the rumour at the bottom.

 

‘Some unidentified man from Herzan says that he is the Fallen noble of Herzan, and has been cast out for a ridiculous misunderstanding while serving as the vault keeper of the safe in Valloise… He claims that he was unable to sleep at night due to chagrin and that he came all the way to Valloise. And every day at the tavern, he drinks, beats other customers, breaks things, etc.’

 

Safe…

 

“Something smells here. Find out more about the safe this guy said. And the owner of the safe.”

 

“All right. What would you like to eat?”

 

Tehez looked at the clock, and it was already dinner time.

 

“I’m not very hungry.”

 

Maybe it was because she met Giselle earlier in the day and ate this and that, but she wasn’t very hungry.

 

On top of that, she didn’t feel good because the seat seemed uncomfortable.

 

She wanted to starve, but Danielle was staring at her with a stern face.

 

“I’d like something light, please.”

 

“Alright.”

 

When Daniel left, Tehez stood up and opened the window.

 

The wind was cold as winter approached.

 

The wind slapped her face mercilessly.

 

Her eyes were cold as the wind hit her head-on.

 

A tear trickled down from her eye.

 

Tehez wiped away her tears and opened the window more as if she didn’t care about the wind.

 

Her hair fluttered…

 

The organized papers that were on her desk fell.

 

When she opened the window, the emotions that were filled inside seemed to have been washed away a little.

 

Tehez quietly closed the window.

 

(To be continued in the next episode)

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