Chapter 35

# 35

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Nabia took out a thick winter coat from the wardrobe and put it on.

When she slipped her arms in, the sleeves were too short. It was a coat she had worn at seven, so it couldn’t be helped.

Fortunately or unfortunately, her body remained as thin as ever, fitting perfectly.

Before leaving the room, Nabia turned back.

It was only at the ninth attempt that she could finally write in the room for the legitimate heir.

Though it was a picture-perfect room that every girl would dream of, to Nabia, it was a place that sent shivers down her spine and made her feel disgusted.

'Finally, I’m getting out of here.'

There was no sense of anticipation as she was about to leave Agnes.

Her plan was so dangerous that she couldn’t afford to feel such emotions.

'If I fail, it’s death.'

Nabia clenched her fists with a determined look.

Looking out the window, she noticed the rain had visibly thinned.

'At this rate, Nikan must have set off for the ducal mansion.'

The road from the Agnes ducal mansion to the royal palace was well-maintained, making the travel time short.

However, Nabia wasn’t in a hurry.

Once the spark was thrown, it needed time to ignite into a large fire.

Nabia quietly descended to the lobby.

Now it was time to create an alibi.

"Are you ignoring me, Bibi?"

At the sudden shout, as if waiting for it, she stopped on the stairs.

Looking down, she saw Vivian blocking the path of Filippa, who was being dragged back to prison.

"Release the governess! Hurry!"

The knights replied bluntly.

"We have orders from the young master to re-imprison this one."

Vivian had been treated with special care due to her terminal illness.

In reality, stress had nothing to do with the magic reflux disease, but everyone treated Vivian as if she were truly terminally ill.

If, by some unfortunate coincidence, Vivian’s anger and a magic surge coincided, the punishment would be far worse than just beheading.

'But it’s different now.'

Vivian, now cured, was just a normal, healthy six-year-old.

Therefore, she could no longer use her illness as a weapon to wield power.

"Follow my orders, not my brother’s!"

Vivian alone seemed unaware of this fact.

Linden, with a troubled expression, tried to dissuade Vivian.

"Miss, it’s only natural to follow the young master’s orders in the absence of the master. Please return to your room."

At that moment, Filippa shouted.

"How dare you!"

Filippa, who had pinned her hopes on Vivian, raised her voice.

"You! Don’t you understand that Miss Vivian’s recovery means she will become the future empress? As a future member of the royal family, can you bear the consequences of this treachery?"

"That’s... "

At the mention of empress, everyone hesitated to contradict and fell silent.

Indeed, even a rotten mackerel is still a mackerel; in this situation, Filippa continued to pressure them with her usual tone.

The knights, holding Filippa, were at a loss, waiting for Linden’s decision.

Linden, who intended to spend his life here, didn’t want to plant unnecessary resentment in Vivian’s heart.

As everyone was at a loss, Nabia descended the stairs and asked clearly enough for everyone to hear.

"Vivi becoming empress?"

All eyes turned to Nabia.

Vivian, assuming Nabia had come to interfere, glared at her maids, whom she had ordered to stay away.

'It’s because you didn’t listen to Vivi that my sister came to interfere!'

Filippa’s expression was even more vicious and malicious than Vivian’s.

"What do you mean? Is it strange for Miss Vivian to become empress?"

At Filippa’s words, everyone’s expressions turned cold.

They thought Filippa, an upstart, was jealous of Vivian and coveting the empress position.

Filippa, gaining momentum, continued.

"Originally, if Miss Vivian hadn’t been ill, she would have been engaged to Prince Ares long ago. You must know this, Miss."

One of the servants muttered.

"Tsk, a kite with a broken string."

Nabia, seemingly oblivious, spoke calmly.

"Of course, I would be very happy if Vivi becomes the next empress."

Then, she asked with a concerned look.

"But, governess, has the official letter about Vivian’s engagement arrived?"

At the mention of an official letter, Filippa’s eyebrows twitched.

"N-no, but... it’s only natural!"

Nabia, looking relieved, smiled awkwardly.

"Indeed, I was worrying about something unnecessary. Matters related to the royal family are dangerous, so I overreacted."

Talking about the next empress without an official letter could be interpreted as treason.

Realizing the danger of Filippa’s words, the servants clammed up.

As the situation turned against her, Filippa felt suffocated, her eyes twitching.

"You treacherous...!"

Vivian suddenly realized.

'Ah, my sister is jealous of Vivi becoming empress. That’s why she’s doing this.'

"Are you jealous of Vivi becoming empress? I know everything!"

Linden, in a hurry, covered Vivian’s mouth and shouted.

"Shut up, Filippa!"

The thunderous roar made Filippa flinch, and Vivian was so startled she hiccuped.

But Linden had no time for such things.

"How dare you, a traitor to the family, try to harm Agnes!"

Linden’s actions were appropriate.

By reminding everyone that Filippa was a traitor, he undermined her credibility, making her talk about the empress position ineffective.

"Butler, this is a frame-up. Please believe me! It’s all a scheme by that fake!"

"Quiet! Lock up that criminal immediately!"

The knights, struggling with Filippa’s resistance, roughly dragged her away.

"That girl will ruin this family!"

Nabia watched Filippa being dragged away, then silently moved her lips.

Yoo, mo, mal, i, mat, a.

'You’ll die before you see that.'

Nabia smirked at Filippa, who trembled with a look of falling backward.

"Th... that wretched...!"

As Filippa’s resistance became too much, the knight struck her neck, knocking her unconscious.

Vivian, shocked by Filippa’s demonic appearance, began to sob.

"H... "

Everything was strange. The governess was strange, she was angry, and the butler had shouted.

"H... Linden, where’s Father? Where is he? I’m scared."

Vivian, tears streaming down her face, cried pitifully.

"I’m scared of my sister... "

When Vivian, who looked like a beautiful and adorable doll, cried, it evoked sympathy.

This side of Vivian was definitely superior to Wood.

Using her lovely appearance to escape danger and turn those who opposed her into villains was a skill that would shine in the social world later.

People treated Nabia as a wicked step-sister, each adding their own comments.

"Does she really think she’s the Agnes princess?"

"She’s trying to remove the stone that’s in her way. How presumptuous..."

They knew Nabia was now useless, so their insults were more brazen.

Vivian, now sobbing uncontrollably, cried even louder.

"I want to see Father... Haaang!"

The servants, seeing Vivian’s tears, gathered around her.

"Our poor Miss!"

"Come here. Let’s eat your favorite sweet cake while we wait for the master."

Vivian’s personal maids, pretending not to notice, pushed Nabia away as they hurried to attend to their mistress.

Nabia stumbled backward a few steps.

The maids, with smirks, took Vivian from Linden.

"We’ll take her."

"Let’s all go! It’ll be less scary with more people."

Maki grinned and glanced at Nabia.

"Oh, I see. Miss Nabia is going out?"

Linden, annoyed, asked curtly.

"Where are you going?"

Nabia hesitated.

"To buy a gift for the family..."

At that moment, Vivian cried even louder.

She didn’t want to hear Nabia’s voice.

Linden, seeing Vivian crying as if she would suffocate, thought it might be better to let Nabia go out.

Though she might catch a cold shopping in the rain, it wasn’t like she would die.

"Then, I’ll call a carriage..."

"Miss!"

Just then, Kate, who had been nowhere to be seen, rushed over with an awkward smile.

"I’ve prepared a carriage for you. Let’s go."

That someone who didn’t even know she was going out had prepared a carriage was amusing.

Linden, relieved to avoid unnecessary effort, nodded without bowing.

"Then, have a good trip."

None of the servants, including Linden, intended to see Nabia off, so they left with Vivian to the third floor.

Vivian, now receiving attention and care, stopped crying and smiled.

Nabia, who had been cowed, straightened her expression and looked at them coldly.

It was a warm and peaceful scene.

It was uncertain how long they would remain so harmonious.

"Miss, it’s... outside now."

"Let’s go."

Nabia cut off Kate, who was anxiously urging her.

Kate, focused on fulfilling 'someone’s' orders, didn’t find Nabia’s cold tone strange.

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