The Male Lead’s Fake Sister - Chapter 21

There was not much to talk about between the two.

1STKISSNOVEL. DO NOT STEAL MY TRANSLATION!

‘Has your stay in the mansion been pleasant so far?’ or ‘How are your lessons going?’

They had normal conversations as a father and son, but they had limited topics to talk about because Duke Leontine deliberately avoided talking about Ravia. They even stopped talking as soon as the prelude began.

Duke Leontine spent more time drinking tea rather than talking to Tidwell, so he finished the tea even before the first act of the opera ended.

In the midst of the clamoring music, Tidwell looked down at the stage in a way that was similar to how Ravia did so before.

The heroine was singing on the stage. The heroine was a princess who was dragged to another country to become a slave, and fell in love with that country’s general, which led to a fateful tragedy.

She was put in a dilemma since her country would fall into ruin if she supported her lover, while her beloved lover would die if she supported her country.

In the end, the helpless heroine fell into deep sorrow and sang her heart out.

“…It’s selfish to want both. Isn’t that so, Father?”

Tidwell opened his mouth slowly as he turned his head towards Duke Leontine.

The voice that was lower than the cello’s melody resounded in the box seat. But there was no answer, instead, Duke Leontine continued to stare blankly into the air.

As if he were someone who was hypnotized.

And so, Tidwell kept staring at Duke Leontine with an unimpressed face.

In the first place, Duke Leontine wasn’t a big fan of watching opera. It was one of the differences between Duke Leontine and Ravia. That’s why Duke Leontine was such a worthless person to Tidwell.

For that reason, Tidwell wasn’t really surprised when he realized that he was captivated by Ravia.

On the contrary, Ravia was a precious person to him.

As someone who lived in the dark all his life, it felt like he saw the sun for the first time.

At first, he was mesmerized by her brightness and beauty, but not long after, he would be blinded by it.

It wasn’t just an incidental feeling.

Rather, he was attracted by her presence. Even when he knows that he shouldn’t.

“I have no idea what the hell my sister was hiding. She resents me, yet she said she didn’t hate me. She dislikes me, yet she acts so sweetly towards me. Do you understand my dilemma, Duke?”

It became Tidwell’s habit to constantly talk to him even when he knew he wouldn’t get an answer from a person who was drugged.

He didn’t have anyone to pour his heart out to on a daily basis, so he resorted to someone who was no different to a wall.

As if he was a man who fell in love and found a wall of confession.

Tidwell turned his body completely toward Duke Leontine.

“That’s what your daughter said to me. I admit that there would be nothing more indecent than the affection I have for your daughter right now. I’m not that clueless.”

Tidwell placed his intertwined fingers on top of his crossed legs. The relaxedness that powerful people typically had was evident in his face. However, there was something else visible on his face—a darkness that was a reminiscence of a fallen angel.

“I’m that bastard who grew up knowing nothing about consideration because I have lived my life solely for power. Isn’t power proven by possessing wider and greater possessions? I haven’t learned why a man with power can’t have what he wants.”

So, I’m going to use the same method as my sister.

The snake with forbidden fruit in its mouth whispered quietly and smiled.

Ravia didn’t want anything. She had no ambition. She just wanted to leave everything behind. That was her method

However, Tidwell’s method was different. He wanted to enliven her ambitions.

That was the conclusion he made after hearing Ravia’s inner thoughts. That was the only way Ravia could stay here on her own accord as well.

To once again pick up Leontine that she decided to throw away. Then, kick out the cuckoo and reclaim everything she deserves with her own hands.

Tidwell was curious.

Ravia who learns of his methods and decides to have the same ambition as him…. Would she still be as alluring as she is now?

He wanted to see what Ravia would do after she acquired everything.

“For that, I need your help, father.”

After those words, Tidwell snapped his fingers since all the words he said before he’d done so weren’t heard by Duke Leontine. After triggering Duke Leontine’s consciousness, he said.

”My sister needs to be married soon, so don’t you think you need to resolve the problem around her legitimacy first?”

“…Yes.”

“If you remove suspicions about her legitimacy within the mansion first, my sister will naturally be treated as a legitimate Leontine.”

“….”

“My sister is clearly a member of Leontine. Don’t you think so, too? Please nod if you agree.”

Nod-!

“Great. Please keep that in mind.” Tidwell snapped his fingers again, and Duke Leontine’s eyes gradually regained their focus.

He looked a little surprised when he realized that the play had passed without him remembering anything.

“Oh, did I just fall asleep?”

“I didn’t wake you up on purpose because you seemed tired from your recent business trip.”

“Thank you. It’s a little embarrassing.”

“Don’t mention it. There’s no one around here, so you don’t need to worry.”

No one saw or heard us. Tidwell added and smiled inwardly.

*** 

Half an hour before Tidwell brainwashed Duke Leontine.

‘Why is father suddenly coming to watch the opera with Tidwell?’

Ravia, who left the box seat after hastily ending her appointment with Herod, did not leave Velocio Theatre.

Ravia always checked her father’s schedules first before she left the mansion to avoid bumping into him.

‘Something is not right.’

Ravia’s father, Duke Leontine, was about to leave for the outskirts to do patrol duty on the emperor’s behest.

Ravia knew that even two bodies wouldn’t be enough to take care of the succession and the territorial issues at the same time.

But, despite that, he went to the opera with Tidwell out of the blue?

No matter how much the Duke possibly liked opera, it was extremely strange of him to do so.

Because of that, Ravia left the box seat and hid in the darkness with two hypotheses in mind.

‘One, Herod lied to me. Two, Tidwell knew where I was going.’

The latter was more believable.

As someone who controlled the underworld, it must be easy for Tidwell to find out where Ravia was heading to.

If so, he might have asked Duke Leontine to go to Velocio Theatre to humiliate Ravia.

Still, Tidwell is sure to have a lot of other methods to get her in trouble.

‘If it’s not the latter, then Herod lied to me.’

Herod didn’t seem to have a good reason to do so, but if you think about it carefully, there was a good reason for him to do such a thing.

It was done so he could delay signing his contract with Ravia.

‘He might’ve done that so he could buy time to somehow find my weakness.’

So as to get information about the spring user without having to sign the contract.

At this point, there was no one Ravia could trust.

Ravia hid herself in the darkness and observed the box seat to confirm the truth.

And she was able to.

‘Father.’

She watched as Duke Leontine entered the box seat.

Though it was strange that he came alone. He should’ve come with Tidwell since they were supposed to watch the opera together.

‘Why are you alone? The play is about to start.’

Ravia needed to check whether Tidwell was coming, but the moment Ravia took a deep breath and focused her eyes on the box seat again….

“La Traviata. Are you lost again today?”

“Gasp!”

Someone showed up behind Ravia’s back.

She was momentarily taken aback, but his face was quite familiar. And so, Ravia was able to identify him immediately.

“…Uninvited guest?”

“Oh, do you remember me?”