Chapter 83

Lilika stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly held the secret letter her mother had given her.

“Pio, calm down first. We can’t let anyone else find out.”

Fearing that he might suddenly act out, Lilika didn’t stop him but gently tried to reason with him. She could feel his cheek rubbing against her head as he pressed his body against hers. His voice was light, as if he were feverish.

“Why can’t anyone find out?”

“Because it would be troublesome if they found out about our escape. I can’t keep you in the underground prison forever, and once you recover, you can leave on your own or come back...”

“Hmm.”

Pio Bart murmured, his voice tinged with frustration. Then, he whispered softly, as if he had a good idea.

“Just kill them all.”

“Eh?”

“If we kill everyone in the mansion, no one will find out. It’s the perfect way to destroy evidence.”

“No...”

Pio Bart smiled and pulled one knee up. Resting his forehead on his knee, he took a brief breath. He needed to rest just enough to calm down.

Lilika’s medicine seemed to work immediately, and he could feel his body recovering. He asked,

“How did you know?”

“Hm?”

“Risert transformed into me, just like me.”

Lilika chuckled.

“I could tell at first glance that it wasn’t you. Something about the inside felt off.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“At first glance?”

“Yep.”

“Did you use an artifact?”

“No, I really could tell at first glance. Just, it wasn’t you, but it looked like you, so at first, it was really creepy...”

Muttering, Lilika sat down and pulled her knees up.

“But then, where is the real Pio? I was worried. I consulted with Lat, and Lat confirmed it wasn’t you.”

“The Chancellor?”

“Yeah.”

How— Pio Bart couldn’t bring himself to ask how she knew he was here. A tear slipped out.

He realized how tense he had been. Athil said,

“Let’s go back.”

Lilika nodded deeply.

* * *

Risert was trembling.

She was sobbing softly, her whole body shaking. The carpet in the Barat Duke’s office was very plush, but it didn’t absorb her tears.

Lying curled up on the carpet, she was just waiting for her punishment. She had expected this since being caught by the Crown Prince. She had no idea how she was found out.

She wished she had died at Takar’s hands. She had resolved not to speak even under severe torture, but they didn’t torture her.

The Empress just smiled and said softly, “You went too far, didn’t you?” She looked very pleased, like a cat that had caught its prey, which made Risert furious.

The ‘Queen of Hearts’ was nowhere to be seen, as if it had been taken. When she asked for it back, the Empress only replied with a shameless, “I’ve never seen such a thing.”

The Emperor was not present. After asking her a series of pointless questions, the Empress offered her tea.

The conversation went on and on, far beyond the usual tea time. Risert tried desperately to maintain her Barat persona, but she felt herself faltering several times.

The Empress even provided a carriage to take her back to the Barat estate. By the time she returned, it was well past evening.

She had no idea what to tell her mother. All Risert could do was cry.

“Useless.”

The voice was quiet, but Risert flinched as if struck by a whip. She lifted her trembling gaze.

At the desk sat the Duke, looking as he always did.

Scratch, scratch.

The sound of the pen writing and a soft voice came.

“It seems I brought you back too soon.”

“I’m sorry. I made a mistake. I’ll do better next time.”

“Now you’re talking back?”

With a long sigh, the Duke fell silent, and Risert pressed her face to the floor. The Duke finished his paperwork and approached Risert.

Looking at the trembling child, he said with a pitying voice,

“I’ve worked hard to make you the perfect Barat, yet you disappoint me so.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Trees grow stronger when pruned, when their bark is scarred, and when they are grafted.”

A cruel finger grabbed her hair and forced her to look up.

No words came from her lips.

Seeing her tears, the Duke clicked his tongue.

“Pio Bart never cries. That child is always composed. He knows what he must do as my masterpiece.”

Hearing this, Risert tried desperately to stop her tears.

Please, just one more time.

Just one more chance. I can do better this time. Mother, I’m sorry for disappointing you. I’m sorry for being a bad child. I’m sorry for being an inadequate daughter. I’m sorry for being an unremarkable, lacking child.

I’m sorry.

Many words swirled on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t utter them. She didn’t want to upset him by talking back.

But she was scared. Terrified. She couldn’t bear the punishment that was about to come.

Clasping her hands together, Risert trembled, her lips quivering.

Then, the door to the underground passage opened, and a servant said,

“The preparations are complete, Duke.”

“Go down.”

“Mother, please, forgive me...”

“Risert, this isn’t punishment. It’s another chance. Or do you want to give up? Do you want to go back to the countryside?”

Risert swallowed and shakily got up. She couldn’t disappoint her mother any further.

She took a deep breath. Why was she so nervous, trying to be composed like Barat?

She followed the servant into the underground passage. As the door closed, the Duke sighed softly.

‘It seems a substitute just won’t do. She’s cute in her own way, though.’

Thinking of Pio Bart, who had disappeared from the underground prison, she smiled.

She had expected a reaction after using Risert to provoke him, but not like this.

‘He’s almost complete, so I can leave him alone now.’

Even if it was a pointless thought, it didn’t matter to the Duke.

She opened the desk drawer. A heart-shaped mirror lay on a soft velvet cushion. She lifted it and slowly turned it, front and back, then looked at her own reflection.

Thinking of how Risert had proudly wielded the artifact, not knowing its true abilities or whether it was genuine, she pressed her lips together to stifle a laugh.

‘What a foolish child, so cute.’

The black surface of the mirror reflected nothing, just a deep void.

It seemed to reflect her true self, and the Duke smiled contentedly.

* * *

Rudia opened the letter.

A hexagonal snowflake seal was stamped on the envelope.

Inro.

Rudia smiled faintly. She had tried hard to establish a connection with Inro. She knew his weaknesses but didn’t want to confront them directly.

She had invited Inro to be Lilika’s teacher several times, but he never responded.

The only family that could ignore a royal summons and still remain unscathed was Inro’s.

But today, finally, a reply came.

‘Risert really did a number on things.’

Chuckling, Rudia skimmed the letter and then closed it.

It contained the news that Inro would send a teacher for Lilika.