Chapter 26

She would have been taught in advance what to do if the marshal and his wife were absent. She wouldn’t have approached the embassy of Rai carelessly.

--- Because she was deceived by the foolish Rosa, she suffered terribly.

He didn’t really regret what he had done, but he resented Rosa. After all, as a man, it was only natural to want to get closer to a beautiful woman. Even the crown prince wouldn’t have been so angry if Rosa hadn’t said such foolish things.

Before long, Falco began to harbor a faint hope.

--- If I go to Lucrezia, will she hide me?

If I ask for her forgiveness, she might just listen. She always did. She even turned a blind eye to his affair with Rosa.

Besides, he had heard that she was forced to marry a man known as the Ugly Duke.

The thought that she might be unexpectedly pleased by his visit comforted him as he endured his harsh life in hiding.

--- I’ll somehow save up money and get a forged passport. I’ll cross the border and go to see Lucrezia.

That thought alone sustained Falco.

However, the newspaper he obtained today read—

‘He can no longer be called the Ugly Duke. As soon as he appeared at the party, his handsome features charmed not only the gentlemen and ladies but also many sensitive young ladies. His gentlemanly demeanor, lively eyes, and elegant speech bore no resemblance to his former self.’

“It’s a lie. A lie…”

A storm raged in his mind. Lucrezia was supposed to be living in despair, having been forced to marry an ugly man.

He was supposed to make her happy with their reunion.

The newspaper continued—

‘The one who restored him to his true self was the sincere love of a delicate young girl. The beautiful girl is said to be of the Illuminati royal bloodline.’

Falco wanted to know who it was.

A plain, boring, and unsmiling girl.

A white-haired young lady who always looked at Falco expressionlessly with dark, dull eyes. Wasn’t that Lucrezia?

Her hidden beauty should have been known only to Falco.

Her devoted nature as well.

Everything belonged to Falco.

And yet.

With a desperate feeling, Falco wandered around the port.

Lucrezia, his only support, had become distant.

Would he have to spend the rest of his life as a wanted man, working as a day laborer?

Knowing that harsh labor would continue, something inside Falco broke with a sound.

***

“Lord Lamirio. A suspicious beggar was causing a disturbance at the gate. He claims to be the son of the Marshal of Illuminati, Falco.”

Lamirio, who had been listening without stopping his writing, stood up when he heard the name of the suspicious person.

“…He really claimed to be Falco? And that he wants to see Lucrezia?”

“Yes. I chased him away with a sword just now, but I thought it best to inform you.”

Lamirio knew that this was the name of Lucrezia’s ex-fiancé. She had mentioned it when discussing the political situation in Illuminati.

--- I hope Lord Falco is well.

Lamirio remembered feeling an indescribable irritation in his chest.

After all, hadn’t she been betrayed by her fiancé and her sister? Why should he worry about her?

The holy book also says, “He who lies with his wife’s sister will be cursed.”

Adultery is not permissible, but it is even more sinful when the partner is a step-sibling.

“It will be troublesome if he wanders around the territory.”

There is a risk that he might harm Lucrezia.

“Find him and capture him. Send him back to his parents. …What, do you have some objection to my decision?”

Bosco hesitantly asked.

“But… wouldn’t Lady Lucrezia have the same opinion?”

She would probably ask for Falco to be helped.

Knowing this, Lamirio made his decision immediately.

“She doesn’t need to know. Don’t tell her anything.”

Bosco finally backed down and left the room.

Later, this decision worsened the political situation in Illuminati.

The marshal and his wife were accused of harboring their son and were forced to resign from their positions.

The marshal and his wife fled the country with Falco, and their whereabouts are unknown.

Seizing the perfect opportunity, the Kingdom of Rai declared war on Illuminati.

***

Let’s go back a little before the declaration of war between Illuminati and Rai.

Rosa and her father, Prince Antonio, also saw the newspaper with the headline “Beauty and the Beast.”

“My sister is a beauty? What a joke.”

Rosa laughed derisively.

“Probably paid the journalist to write it. What a cheap nouveau riche thing to do.”

Her father also laughed it off and threw the newspaper out of the carriage window.

“So, Dad, what are we going to do now?”

“First, we need money. Lucrezia left some jewels. If we sell them, we won’t have to worry about living comfortably for the rest of our lives.”

“Sell them…?”

Rosa hesitated, feeling a bit reluctant, but her father laughed.

“You’ll find a good man somewhere and get married. You’ll be back soon enough.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

After all, Rosa was known as the “blossom princess” in the capital. She would surely be welcomed in the countryside.

They visited a reputable pawnshop, and Rosa and her father placed over a hundred pieces of jewelry they had taken from her sister on the counter.

The owner of the pawnshop, peering through a monocle, examined the jewelry for a while.

“Very high-quality, but they are fakes.”

Rosa and her father were shocked.

“There’s no way! We have the certificate from when they were delivered.”

“No, they are made of glass. They are very skillfully made. The king could wear them without anyone realizing they are imitations. However, they have no value as gems. I can lend you about ten gold coins for all of them.”

The bag of gold coins was disappointingly light.

With ten gold coins in hand, Rosa and her father found themselves on the streets.

“Wait, Dad, this isn’t right!”

“There’s no way! She definitely had real gems! Her grandfather had them made by a world-renowned jeweler…!”

Rosa remembered her sister’s attitude when she left.

--- Please. Take good care of them.

She must have known that everything left behind was fake.

“My sister probably knew from the beginning that only fakes were left…”

“Yes, that’s likely. She probably entrusted her real assets to an agent. How hateful.”

“So, if we go to my sister, we can get the real ones, right?”

“Yes.”

Rosa smiled slyly.

“Hey, Dad, why don’t we go see the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ that everyone’s talking about?”

“You’ll just be turned away. …No, wait, hold on.”

Prince Antonio had an idea.

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