Chapter 96

"Lilith, is something wrong?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well... you seem less energetic than usual..."

"No, no, I'm fine."

"...Is that so?"

Lilith, who usually chatters away, was focused solely on her meal, creating an awkward silence. Jezalde found this strange, but when he asked, Lilith responded as she usually did—though it seemed suspicious. Even the maids serving Lilith seemed tense, and Jezalde continued his meal with a sense of resolve, though he wasn't sure what he was preparing for.

After the meal, when asked if he wanted wine or tea, Jezalde hesitated for a moment. Deciding not to rely on the strength of alcohol, he chose tea. Warm tea was promptly served, and the maids disappeared. Even when they moved from the table to the sofa, Lilith didn't have her usual brightness and seemed restless. Jezalde, growing increasingly worried, furrowed his brow.

Lilith, facing Jezalde who was quietly drinking tea, was so nervous that she couldn't think of what to say. Despite having thought of many things to say, her mind wasn't functioning. As Lilith fumbled, Jezalde's frown deepened. Panicking, Lilith blurted out something unexpected.

"I'm strange!"

"Huh?"

"Eh? Ah, no... I mean... probably..."

Being strange was usual for her, but today she felt particularly odd. Realizing this, Jezalde suddenly stood up, sat next to Lilith, and placed his hand on her forehead.

"Jed?"

"You don't seem to have a fever, but are you feeling unwell? You should rest if you're not feeling well."

"I'm fine! No, that's not it... I'm sorry!"

Jezalde's stern expression was out of concern. Feeling guilty for causing a misunderstanding and for keeping things from him, Lilith's apology burst out uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry, really sorry! I've been... hiding something from you for a long time! I should have told you sooner... but I was scared... I was afraid you'd hate me... I'm sorry..."

Jezalde, surprised by the sudden apology, had stood up. Seeing Lilith, who was gripping her hands in her lap and shaking, reminded him of Corina. A tear fell from Lilith's eyes as she looked up at the shaken Jezalde.

Seeing her tear-filled green eyes, Jezalde came to his senses. Even if Lilith liked someone else, he had recently decided to try harder to make her like him. Lilith had responded to his feelings. Even if she still had feelings for someone else, the fact that she liked him a little was enough. Reassured, Jezalde sat down again and placed his hand over her tightly clenched small hands.

"I'm sorry, Lilith. I lost my composure when you were trying to be honest with me."

"Jed, you don't need to apologize. It's my fault. I panicked, thinking you'd hate me if I suddenly said this... I haven't even gotten to the important part yet..."

"No... Everyone has their secrets. It takes courage to reveal them, and it's natural to be shaken. But if you're willing to share your secret with me, I'm happy about it. I won't hate you. So, it's okay."

Jezalde's low, gentle voice and his warm, large hand calmed Lilith's confused mind. Even before she had confessed anything, he was saying he would accept anything.

"Jed, you're... too kind."

"Kind? Me?"

"Yes. That's why I'm so... scared. I like you so much, I'm afraid you'll hate me. When it was decided that I would marry into your family, I thought I could be more calm about revealing it. My parents said they would leave the timing of revealing this secret to me..."

"King Drearum did?"

"Yes."

Jezalde was surprised, having assumed that Lilith might confess to still liking someone else. Such a confession would be clearly inappropriate for a marriage of alliance. However, considering the sudden engagement of the princess and that man, there was likely a connection. Calming himself, Jezalde encouraged Lilith.

"So, what is your secret?"

"My secret... is about the 'Mystery of Freud.'"

"Huh?"

"Eh?"

"Ah, no... please continue."

"...Okay."

The mystery of Freud's development, which many countries were eagerly investigating, was about to be revealed by Lilith. It was a very important matter. Jezalde, who had reacted foolishly due to his assumptions, left Lilith confused. Despite trying to recover, Jezalde felt his face heat up with embarrassment. Unaware of this, Lilith struggled to explain.

"Recently, the rapid development of Freud has raised questions among neighboring countries, and they are trying to uncover the secret, which is called the 'Mystery of Freud.' My parents are concerned that keeping everything secret could lead to bloodshed, so they are making some manufacturing processes public. However, many people still demand more."

"Yes."

Jezalde, who knew this all too well, nodded with a wry smile. The Aelar Empire, even after forming an alliance, still sent several spies to Freud to uncover the 'Mystery of Freud.' Of course, they wanted to know more than just that.

"If the 'Mystery of Freud' were to be revealed, it would undoubtedly be targeted by other countries. My father is very worried about this and is thoroughly keeping it a secret. So, only a few people know about it."

"That's a reasonable measure. But, is it okay to tell me? If it will cause you trouble, I don't need to know. We can stop the investigation too."

Jezalde wanted to convey that there was no need to share secrets just to avoid creating secrets between them. His feelings wouldn't change, even if Lilith had many secrets. The advice from King Drearum must have been based on Lilith's character.

Lilith, finding Jezalde's words incredibly reassuring, smiled through her tears and squeezed his hand back.

"It's me."

"Huh?"

"I am the 'Mystery of Freud.'"