The Male Lead’s Fake Sister - Chapter 36

She felt her blood run cold instantly.

The fact that there were indeed similarities between Herod’s substitute and Tidwell pushed Ravia into a corner.

The worst assumption passed through her mind.

‘If Tidwell was really Herod’s substitute, is he planning to leave me to die at Tidwell’s hand after raking out as much information from me…..?’

“No, it can’t be. It’s just my assumption.”

Herod wasn’t someone who handled things in this fashion.

He must know that Ravia met him behind Tidwell’s back, so he wouldn’t do such a sloppy action like sending a substitute to Ravia and pretending not to know Tidwell.

So that must have been an outrageous idea, but then why did the earring come out of Tidwell’s drawer?

‘How nice will it be if it’s really just a coincidence?’

But she couldn’t shake it off easily this time.

But then again, a plain emerald earring was such a common design. Perhaps it was just the same model?

For now, she wanted to believe that the earring hidden in the gap of his drawer was coincidentally similar to what Herod’s substitute wore.

Ravia took the earring out of the drawer with a trembling hand.

Then she had to put a meticulous effort to return the drawer to its original state.

Her hands couldn’t stop shaking.

She barely adjusted herself to the feeling of incompatibilities and calmed herself down.

The drawer was pushed to the end, and suddenly it was noisy outside the room.

Naturally, it was time for the residents in this mansion to start their morning activities, but Ravia couldn’t help but feel anxious.

Tidwell was resistant to sleeping pills.

What if the medicine was only effective for a short while, so Tidwell abruptly woke up and noticed her absence?

And what if he headed to his room?

Ravia and Tidwell’s rooms were located at opposite ends of the hallway. If Tidwell leaves Ravia’s room now, she’d be no different than a rat in a trap.

At that moment, all sorts of thoughts passed through Ravia’s mind. There was so much to calculate.

If Tidwell woke up and left her room as assumed, then she shouldn’t open the door right now. Because she’d be caught right away.

‘But is there a way to avoid it?’

Tidwell was sensitive to people’s presence. Even if Ravia hid herself in the room, she was more likely to be caught.

Eventually, Ravia decided to use the Ockham’s Razor again this time.

She opened the door without any hesitation.

‘I have an excuse.’

She could just say that she took the tray from the maid and put it in Tidwell’s room. Because if the maid had entered Tidwell or Ravia’s room, she would discover that Tidwell was sleeping in her room.

If Ravia said that she took the tray to hide that fact, she might be able to get away from this situation.

So Ravia quickly hid the earring in her sleeve and left the room.

But contrary to the expected situation, she was greeted by an empty hallway. And the vague sounds from earlier became more clear.

“….Is that why you stopped by?”

“No matter how busy I am, this is not a big deal. My children aren’t that young, and since I have to leave the capital soon, I need someone who can act as the head of the house so I will be at ease leaving the mansion.”

The footsteps coming downstairs stopped.

It was because they found Ravia standing in the hallway on the third floor.

Ravia was still unable to get rid of the tension that was holding her breath, so she was frozen in place when she faced them.

It was the other side who spoke first.

“Ahem! Are you still half-asleep?”

“….I think so. You’re back, Father.”

Fortunately, the answer came out smoothly this time.

Thanks to this, the displeasure on Duke Leontine’s face slowly subsided.

But not for Ravia. She slightly frowned as she clenched her fist.

‘Why? Why did I run into him here?’

Recently, Duke Leontine was unusually kind to Ravia, which made her uncomfortable.

His kind voice, which she never heard in her entire life, and his abrupt change in attitude made her want to vomit.

Fortunately, she wasn’t caught coming out of Tidwell’s room.

She wanted to quickly leave, but she had to ask something first.

“I heard from the maid that Father will return in the evening.”

“I thought I wouldn’t be able to return for a few more days, so I came to pack some things. There’s a lot to stamp as well.”

“Is it related to your substitute as the head of the house?”

“…How did you know?”

“I didn’t mean to overhear your conversation a little while ago. But I agree that it is necessary to appoint someone as your substitute.”

It used to be Ravia’s duty to fill the Duke’s position while he was away. But this position would be given to Tidwell rightfully as the current successor.

“Who are you going to appoint?”

Even though she knew the answer, she just wanted to make sure so she won’t be left in an awkward position.

“You’re quite impatient, I see.”

“I’ll find out anyway, I’m just curious.”

Duke Leontine smiled lightly whether he was quite impressed with Ravia’s attitude.

“I decided to leave it to you.”

In response to the unexpected reply, Ravia smiled bitterly.

Haha.

The instinct of prey kicked in.

In the stifling air of the dusk, Tidwell had warned her before.

Because caution is the habit of prey.

At that time, Ravia understood that it was a warning not to attempt anything useless, but she did not understand exactly what the warning was about.

‘Now I understand.’

Tidwell noticed that things were going in Ravia’s favor, and perhaps, he thought she was actively plotting something.

She kept saying that she wasn’t interested in the successor position, but secretly, she was reluctant to give up her position and was trying to earn the duke’s favor.

Maybe it was natural for him to be suspicious of Ravia, who said that she was getting married but hadn’t even mentioned the name of her groom.

Plus the fact that her father suddenly treated her so nicely….

‘I thought it was Tidwell who made father nice to me all of sudden.’

Was it only speculation?

Indeed, her father had no reason to change so suddenly, so she thought it must be Tidwell’s trick, but then she reconsidered….

If the Duke became more affectionate toward her, his position as the successor would be in danger, and Tidwell didn’t have a reason to do that.

At that time, she guessed whether it was part of Tidwell’s scheme, but judging by the situation….

‘As expected.’

She felt so awful.

The peaceful air at dawn now felt like a blade that could pierce her neck in an instant.

The scent of magnolia that accompanied her while she was sleeping could turn into Dark Flower at any time and kill her.

Looking back at it, when was she ever safe from any danger?

As long as Ravia had a minor role in this book, it was only natural that she would die in Tidwell’s hands.

So, this must be a test from Tidwell.

Tidwell’s attitude toward her would vary depending on how she reacted in this situation. If she accepted this offer, not even a three-year-old would believe that she wasn’t interested in the successor position.

‘I think it’s only right for me to refuse.’

It was without a doubt the safest option, but somehow her mouth wouldn’t open so easily.

Because she faced the possibility that the rope she was holding, thinking that it was safe, might be a rope that was already severed a long time ago.

If she hadn’t found the earring in Tidwell’s room earlier, the answer would come out so easily.

Unfortunately, Ravia’s head was already filled with doubts.

Herod, who sent a substitute to her, and Tidwell, who possessed the earring worn by Herod’s substitute.

The conviction that she might be falling into an abyss filled her mind.