“Cecilia.”
Eden's eyes, staring at Cecilia, began to show a variety of emotions. Only then did Cecilia feel relieved. The man was still the same.
“I was worried.”
Eden smiled faintly at Cecilia's words.
“I’m sorry. Are you hurt anywhere?”
Eden apologized softly, but it felt like he was having a hard time with each breath he took.
“I’m fine. You’re still feeling tired. Get some rest.”
There must have been pain. Cecilia hurriedly got up from the bed. She was getting out of bed so that he could rest comfortably.
“We are together.”
But unexpectedly, Eden grabbed Cecilia's wrist. As he moved her body, he felt pain and frowned, but did not let go of her hand.
Cecilia hesitated for a moment but soon lay down next to Eden.
“Still, I’m glad you’re okay.”
Eden turned his head to the side and whispered to Cecilia. Cecilia, noticing the obvious relief on his face, nodded silently.
“It is thanks to Your Majesty that I was saved.”
At Cecilia's words, Eden smiled and closed his eyes again. Cecilia carefully reached out and placed her hand under Eden's nose. She felt a faint breath. He was alive. A sense of relief enveloped Cecilia.
She had to tell him to take his medicine when he woke up. She didn't have the confidence to wake him up again. She didn't even think she could touch his face.
'Your Majesty, are you okay? Are you of sound mind?'
How can she wake up someone who is sleeping so comfortably? Cecil doesn't know if it was in the past. In fact, back then, she wasn't as calm as she is now. She was so worried that she was making a fuss, and then she cried while holding onto Eden who had finally come to his senses.
'... It's okay.'
But at that time, Eden looked awkward for some reason. He comforted Cecilia, who was hanging on, out of habit, but his gaze was subtly off somewhere. He also looked a little confused.
'The Empress looks tired, so take her to her and let her rest.'
Eventually, Eden even went so far as to throw Cecilia out of the bedroom because she was tired.
“...”
Thinking back now, it seems like he has changed little by little since then.
Clearly, Eden of the past also loved her.
Was it really true that the problems between them were simply a change of heart due to Ilya's presence? Was her father really innocent? Cecilia suddenly had such doubts.
The carriage that had been out for a long time stopped in the middle of the street. It was strange to see so many people gathered in the square, even though there was no special event going on.
“What on earth is going on...”
Curtis got out of the carriage and stepped forward to inspect the situation himself. As he got closer to the crowd, he could hear the hurling of curses and accusations.
“You bastard!”
Eden's eyes, staring at Cecilia, began to show a variety of emotions. Only then did Cecilia feel relieved. The man was still the same.
“I was worried.”
Eden smiled faintly at Cecilia's words.
“I’m sorry. Are you hurt anywhere?”
Eden apologized softly, but it felt like he was having a hard time with each breath he took.
“I’m fine. You’re still feeling tired. Get some rest.”
There must have been pain. Cecilia hurriedly got up from the bed. She was getting out of bed so that he could rest comfortably.
“We are together.”
But unexpectedly, Eden grabbed Cecilia's wrist. As he moved her body, he felt pain and frowned, but did not let go of her hand.
Cecilia hesitated for a moment but soon lay down next to Eden.
“Still, I’m glad you’re okay.”
Eden turned his head to the side and whispered to Cecilia. Cecilia, noticing the obvious relief on his face, nodded silently.
“It is thanks to Your Majesty that I was saved.”
At Cecilia's words, Eden smiled and closed his eyes again. Cecilia carefully reached out and placed her hand under Eden's nose. She felt a faint breath. He was alive. A sense of relief enveloped Cecilia.
She had to tell him to take his medicine when he woke up. She didn't have the confidence to wake him up again. She didn't even think she could touch his face.
'Your Majesty, are you okay? Are you of sound mind?'
How can she wake up someone who is sleeping so comfortably? Cecil doesn't know if it was in the past. In fact, back then, she wasn't as calm as she is now. She was so worried that she was making a fuss, and then she cried while holding onto Eden who had finally come to his senses.
'... It's okay.'
But at that time, Eden looked awkward for some reason. He comforted Cecilia, who was hanging on, out of habit, but his gaze was subtly off somewhere. He also looked a little confused.
'The Empress looks tired, so take her to her and let her rest.'
Eventually, Eden even went so far as to throw Cecilia out of the bedroom because she was tired.
“...”
Thinking back now, it seems like he has changed little by little since then.
Clearly, Eden of the past also loved her.
Was it really true that the problems between them were simply a change of heart due to Ilya's presence? Was her father really innocent? Cecilia suddenly had such doubts.
***
The carriage that had been out for a long time stopped in the middle of the street. It was strange to see so many people gathered in the square, even though there was no special event going on.
“What on earth is going on...”
Curtis got out of the carriage and stepped forward to inspect the situation himself. As he got closer to the crowd, he could hear the hurling of curses and accusations.
“You bastard!”
It was a crude puppet show. However, everyone present, regardless of age or gender, was absorbed in the play with excited faces.
“How can you kill your parents and siblings and think of living well by yourself?”
The curses he hurled were thick, calling him nothing more than trash. Curtis, unfamiliar with such low-level curses, found himself furrowing his brows slightly.
“This place is mine now.”
Haha, the doll laughed viciously. But it was difficult to understand the content just from that. Curtis quietly listened to the doll's lines from a distance.
“You really did it!”
“I told you, I’d do anything for you!”
At that time, the female doll hugged the male doll. She praised him for being manly and was delighted that she had become a Duchess thanks to him.
“That one, that one. That woman is crazy too.”
“That’s right. How can you kill all your in-laws and take their place without going crazy?”
It felt strange. Curtis frowned and began to watch the puppet show intently.
“I only feel sorry for the dead vassal and his family.”
“How shameless. They killed someone and then blamed it on someone else.”
And soon Curtis realized one thing: the puppet show was clearly a replica of what was happening in the palace at the time.
Eden was the male doll who killed his parents and siblings without any blood or tears. Cecilia was the female doll who was happy with the fame and power he gained by instigating her.
“What nonsense...”
Curtis muttered involuntarily. It was a natural reaction since his daughter was being falsely accused.
“Don’t you feel guilty?”
At that moment, a doll burst in. It was the wife of the vassal who was said to have been sacrificed and died.
“Would you mind killing my innocent husband and living well for yourselves?”
Having lost her husband unjustly, she despised and hated the Duke and Duchess. Her desire for revenge was also burning so strongly that she would do anything to kill them.
“I will give my life, so let them die miserably!”
“Very well. I will take your life in exchange.”
So she made a deal with the devil.
“Don’t you think something is strange? Why are you trying to do something with so many loopholes?”
“It could be misunderstood as colluding with other countries.”
First of all, the devil took away the trust of the Duke and Duchess's acquaintances.
“What on earth are you trying to do?”
Even the Emperor no longer trusted the Duke. The Duke and Duchess, who no one trusted, were isolated from society. Only fear and courtesy toward their status remained.
“This time, I will take away their fear.”
The devil took away the fear of the Duke and Duchess for the second time. Now no one was afraid of their status. They were honest in their doubts and refuted the strange claims.
The Duke and Duchess lost their authority. They were defrauded and lost their fortune. Furious at those who had betrayed them, the Duke and Duchess were seduced by a foreign spy who approached them with sweet words. They sold the secrets of the border as a condition of naturalization and received a large sum of money.
“Are you crazy? Are you selling out your country just because you’re angry? You’re trash!”
The audience was outraged. The puppet show used that outrage as fuel to build to its climax.
“He’s finally dead!”
“That went well!”
In the end, the ending was that the Duke and Duchess who betrayed the country were killed by their vassals, and the country regained peace.
Curtis, who had watched the puppet show until the end, was in a deep trance. He doesn't know who planned the puppet show, but the content was very low-quality.
“I have to tell them...”
Shouldn't I tell Eden and Cecilia? Just as Curtis was thinking that, he turned around.
“I'm sorry.”
A strange figure blocked Curtis's steps. Curtis, who almost hit the opponent, quickly apologized.
“...”
However, the robed appearance was not that unfamiliar. Curtis narrowed his eyes and stared blankly at the person who was a head shorter than him.
As if sensing those gazes, the robed man raised his head. Her sapphire-blue eyes were revealed with charm.
"Hello baby."
“… … .”
“It’s been a while.”
It was the Empress Dowager, Tiffany.
***
“They do puppet shows like that on the street?”
Cecilia frowned when she heard the bad news from Diego.
“Yes. The first half is based on the story of the two people, and the second half is a clever mix of impossible events to create a story.”
It was clear who had done it. As soon as Cecilia heard, she knew it was the Empress Dowager.
“His Majesty has taken the position through unethical means, and this is to incite others to believe that it is not right. What on earth is the investigation team doing?”
The only thing the common people enjoyed watching was puppet shows. It was a good way to spread rumors and instill distrust in those who were ignorant and had nothing to do with power relations.
“There doesn’t seem to be any intention to do anything in particular.”
“...”
“Many people see the death of Marquis Calibre as the two of you cutting off the tail.”
Diego answered, watching Cecilia's expression.
“Even so, I can’t stop them from doing puppet shows. That would only arouse suspicion.”
Just as Cecilia had set the nationality of the protagonist in the play to a foreign country, Empress Dowager had changed the protagonist's status to a Duke. It was a clever tactic to avoid being called in and questioned. It was a clever tactic to arouse suspicion but avoid responsibility.
“Just leave it. I will talk to His Majesty and find another way to get his attention.”
Diego readily agreed.
“And as you said, I have locked up the funds in Benia Trust Bank under an assumed name, and the investment will be made upon request.”
“...Yes. Thank you.”
The idea of tying up the money in Benia's bank was for the future, specifically for Curtis.
She doesn't think there will be a situation where Eden changes his mind now, but no one knows the future.
If the same thing happened, he hoped that Curtis would be safe, even if it meant that she would have to pay for her foolish choices. In a land beyond Eden's reach.
“What about my father?”
Cecilia, who thought of Curtis with the money and bank story, asked Diego a serious question. But unexpectedly, Diego hesitated to answer. It was a strange feeling. In an instant, her senses were on edge.
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