Chapter 139: Tug of War
“Sigren, let’s get married!” I couldn’t see his face properly because I was hugging him, but I imagined it must be red. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Why is this conversation coming out of nowhere?”
But I was serious.
“Because I don’t think there will ever be another man like you in my life.”
If you believe he’s the one, don’t hesitate—catch him right away! Didn’t people say something like that?
“So you have no intention of having a second man and only want to sleep with someone like me for the rest of your life?” He sounded sarcastic. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
But that was quite the commitment. It was a huge promise.
Sigren’s protests didn’t end there. “More than that… I can’t keep up with your train of thought at all! Why didn’t you give me a little hint first? Let me prepare my heart!”
“So you’re not going to marry me?”
Did he think I didn’t mean it because I said it in bed? Did he assume this was just pillow talk?
“No, it’s not like that. But why… when I was pushing you harder, you were like a rock, and then suddenly… Just wait.” Sigren seemed more composed after I asked him.
“Why?”
I loosened my hug and looked at him.
Sigren stood up and sighed, brushing his face. “Ah, I woke up because of you.”
I got up as well. “That’s good.” Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Sigren sighed again, distraught after seeing my calm face.
“Fiona, first… let’s get engaged.” He was giving in to my assertiveness.
“Ah, right. I was going to send a letter to the Duke about that.”
Abel had said he would come soon, but somehow, the news was vague.
“Ah, right.”
“What else?” Sigren shot me a nervous glance at the sudden change of subject. He looked at me as if disaster were coming whenever I opened my mouth.
“Oh no… Celine knows I stayed out.”
The place where I slept was the Imperial Palace.
“Even if Celine is turning a blind eye, one way or another, the news of me staying out overnight will reach Abel…” Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“I guess so.”
“Would he believe me if I told him we only slept while holding hands?”
Sigren laughed. “He won’t. And when he hears this news, he’ll probably try to crush me.”
Crush him, he said!
“Right, Sigren. Are you really okay with Abel as your father-in-law?”
This time, Sigren answered quite seriously. “I’ll endure it somehow with the power of love.”
God, I didn’t expect him to say that.
I giggled and hugged him again.
As I continued to cling to him, Sigren kept complaining about whether torturing him was my hobby. Eventually, he kicked me out of his room, saying he needed to catch some sleep.
He kicked his lover out after one night. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com. What a cold-hearted guy, right?
As I left the palace, I couldn’t stop giggling.
He was really cute.
***
Thanks to Sigren, my mood was no longer gloomy. He really has a knack for cheering me up.
Bill Curtis was accused by various nobles. He had it coming after going around deceiving people.
Of course, Livya also played a role in this. She once again firmly maintained her position as the socialite queen of noble society.
In addition, His Majesty the Emperor, who never saw anyone as better than himself, generously passed judgment on Bill Curtis. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
There was no way Sigren would fawn over the emperor as I had anticipated, so I was very curious about how he handled it.
In the meantime, I finally informed the academy about the voices that Bill and I had heard. I was finally certain that it was not an illusion. But I didn’t expect much. You can’t just jump into the darkness to hear that voice again, especially since we never knew where the darkness would appear. It seemed to manifest on its own accord.
Even though Bill Curtis could survive after encountering the darkness, his life was slowly fading away. Bill seemed unaware of this fact, but it wasn’t unreasonable; he was relatively new compared to Arrendt and hadn’t noticed it yet. Plus, Bill wasn’t as cautious as Arrendt, and he was rather narcissistic.
I had questioned Bill more about the voice, but I didn’t get much from him. He mumbled nonsense, perhaps because he had fallen into the abyss and was completely out of his mind.
Then, as I had planned, I went to visit Eunice in the hospital.
“That’s why I couldn’t bring the head of Bill Curtis as a gift for your hospital visit.”
When I explained everything, Eunice responded kindly, “The intention behind your heart is more than enough for a gift, Lady Fiona.” Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Sigren had said there were no major injuries, so I went with peace of mind, but it turned out Eunice had bruises on her face.
Ah, Sigren! Just because her limbs weren’t cut off didn’t mean she wasn’t seriously injured!
Objectively, her injuries could be classified as minor, but seeing Eunice’s face made me a little upset.
“So what happened to them?”
“Who?”
“Those who followed Count Bill Curtis.”
I remembered those who had asked me to save the dead. “Everyone has to overcome it somehow.”
This time, of course, it should be in a more normal way. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Well, can’t I be of any help instead of him?”
“Yes?”
Eunice blushed slightly. “Oh, I’m not suggesting that I’m preaching strange doctrines like Count Bill Curtis!”
Only then did I understand what she was saying.
“You mean you want to become someone they can rely on mentally?”
“Yes, yes, that’s right.”
“…Well, that’s no problem.”
In the first place, that was the work of the saintess. As everyone got older, they faced events they couldn’t handle on their own. Whenever that happened, they looked for something to rely on: family, lovers, friends, religion, gambling, drugs… It all depended on the individual. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
As I stared blankly at Eunice, she became flustered.
“Of course, I’m not that great of a person, and I’m not very good at it, but—”
“It’s fine. I just wonder why… I’m not criticizing you. Isn’t it a very difficult task?”
Eunice regained her composure at my question. Her gaze was clear. “Because I want to help.”
“Even to those who harmed you?”
“You might think it’s hypocrisy, but I’m totally fine with it.”
“Aren’t you angry?”
“I know. Why am I not angry?”
Eunice tilted her head and gave a bashful laugh. “It’s strange, even when I think about it. But since I’ve already made up my mind to help, I can’t help it.”
Maybe I had underestimated Eunice too much. With her genuine desire to support others, she would grow stronger in the future. Wasn’t that the case in the original plot? Well, it would be rude to say that to her, but I now realized she would live well and grow stronger in the future, with or without a fateful lover. Everyone was changing and doing their best in their respective roles.
I guessed I also had to try my best too.“I believe you can do well. I will cheer you on.”
“Thank you.”
Eunice and I shared a laugh. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
***
After that, I sent a letter to Abel.
It detailed everything that had happened so far, including the engagement. I waited for a reply for some time… but no response came.
***
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