Celine had already sent a message to Lieutenant Colonel Groenendaal, asking to meet. He kept her waiting for quite some time, but didn't refuse.
Celine, who went to the mansion and met him, tried to speak in a calm voice.
"She must have been Duke Rotsilt's lover. That's why she survived the kidnapping."
The lieutenant colonel sat at his desk in the study, still holding his upright. He rested his chin on his desk, tapped it, and looked down.
It was unclear whether his eyes were fixed on the documents or on some other thought. Celine sat down on the sofa, seemingly unconcerned by the lack of a seat or a cup of tea, and got to the point.
"So, she turned her back on her country and even abandoned the Colonel's efforts to follow her. I don't understand why Belford just left her alone."
“Then what should I do?”
The lieutenant colonel's question seemed somewhat stiff. Celine raised her head slightly.
"Even if she's my sister, she's a sinner, so she deserves to be punished. Maybe we could ask Medea to extradite her...?"
“Do you think there should be retribution? You're family.”
"Yes."
The lieutenant colonel's sharp blue eyes narrowed sharply and then curled into a rounded shape. The corners of his mouth turned up in a clear mockery.
“Would your father think so too?”
Celine's eyes lit up with puzzlement at the sudden mention of Admiral Claire. It was understandably sudden, considering she had no familial ties to Diana and had never even been compared to her.
"Everything Father does has a reason. It's morally wrong to kill people, but it's permitted by orders from above."
“Are you saying that Diana’s actions have no justification?”
"I suppose so. Whatever it is, it's a greed driven by the devil's temptation, so I don't think it can be a justifiable reason."
“Devilly greedy.”
The lieutenant colonel nodded, muttering as if trying to understand the meaning. "Greed, just greed. I was like that too."
“Miss Celine. Do you think greed and desire are bad?”
“I don’t think it’s all bad. Maybe it’s the driving force that drives people to action.”
“You are subjective.”
It was a very dry, mundane conversation, but it was enough to understand her selfish thoughts.
"You have desires and ambitions, don't you? For example, fame and power. That's why you came to rescue Diana."
It would have been better if you hadn't come to save her.
Her expression seemed to suggest something like that. The lieutenant colonel partly agreed with that point.
As soon as he saw her perfectly fitting shoes and clothes that were tailored to her body rather than bought, he could tell that Colonel Rotsilt cared a great deal about Diana.
Her cheeks were just right, her complexion was rosy, and her eyes sparkled with light. He brought her here out of personal desire, believing he could do the same.
He recalled her dry, gray-green eyes when he brought her back. The faint light flickered and vanished, like a bird just learning to fly, locked back in its cage.
He felt like his weekly visits to check on her were nothing more than feeding a caged bird. She was so listless that sometimes she even looked as if she was tired of living.
He had intended to win her heart and keep her by his side, but he realized that as long as Celine and the Admiral were present, the trials leading up to that point would be entirely his.
It's the same as putting Diana in a difficult situation and dragging her to the front lines of a war zone where all kinds of dangers lurk.
"I want her to live happily. I don't care what that looks like. I don't necessarily have to keep her around. That's all there is to it."
Celine felt a strange sense of unease. What could possibly be so profound? Her pink lips curled into a smile as she gazed at Lieutenant Colonel Groenendaal.
It's either too much or too little.
The lieutenant colonel asked, looking at her hardened face.
"Do you trust your father? I think you understand why he discriminated against and treated Diana so contemptuously."
"Yes, I understand. He believes Diana caused my mother's death and resents her. He saw Diana as a demon who trampled on our happiness. In fact, she acted like a demon to me. She used you to try to trick me."
“That’s amazing.”
The lieutenant colonel laughed out loud. He was a spectator watching a ridiculous farce.
"I know why. It's not a completely different story, but it's completely wrong. Since you seem to have expected it, I'll tell you everything."
"Yes?"
Celine asks, feigning ignorance. The lieutenant colonel's brow furrows as he brushes back his jet-black hair.
"The direct cause is your father. He wanted to abandon you and your mother when a woman of high status became pregnant with his child. That was the admiral's desire and reason."
Celine's pupils, frozen motionless, narrowed fiercely. Her cool green eyes, at first glance, resembled those of a snake.
“So, who do you think the devil is?”
The lieutenant colonel asked.
Celine's complexion suddenly cooled. A cool, quiet air drifted between them, as if a cold shower had been poured over them. She spoke in a voice so subdued it felt eerie.
“Why do you say that? Aren’t you afraid of military law?”
“Yes. Because you won’t tell.”
The extremely cold tone that followed shattered all of Celine's plausible excuses and justifications.
“You're an accomplice, too. Maybe you've been like that for a long ago.”
Accomplice? Me? I didn't do anything. She clenched her hands on the sofa table, feeling uneasy.
A small moisture pooled beneath her hand, as if slightly sweaty, then disappeared. Celine, still reeling from the shock, finally pressed her forehead.
...He knows all the unspoken truths.
Celine didn't dare to report the lieutenant colonel's remarks to the military. His piercing blue eyes stared straight at her.
"I know you're smart. I also know you live your life pretending to be perfectly ordinary, sometimes even ignorant. I'm sure you're calculating your escape route even now."
"I expected my mother to be different. Beyond that, I don't know. I only heard that she died giving birth to Diana, weakened by a mental illness..."
"Yes, you've always gotten away with it that way. Your greedy choices are leading to a chain of misfortune. Now, you can no longer stand by and do nothing."
The lieutenant colonel's voice, building low, gripped her. "I didn't know, I don't know. There must be a reason." These were Celine's refuges.
The lieutenant colonel rose from his seat, approached Celine, and smiled. He bent down, looking down at her with eerily blue eyes.
“Now you know everything, right?”
Lieutenant Colonel Groenendaal, a brilliant officer, even cut off her retreat route. His subsequent words had a forceful quality, almost like an order.
"Human greed is endless, but you, his beloved daughter, can stop it. I hope you make the right choice, Miss Celine."
It's indirect pressure.
It is unclear who the current Princess Medea is or if she was switched with someone else, but Diana is indeed of royal blood and is the daughter of the Queen.
So she realized her father had been discovered by the Duke and tried to kill him.
Celine, who went to the mansion and met him, tried to speak in a calm voice.
"She must have been Duke Rotsilt's lover. That's why she survived the kidnapping."
The lieutenant colonel sat at his desk in the study, still holding his upright. He rested his chin on his desk, tapped it, and looked down.
It was unclear whether his eyes were fixed on the documents or on some other thought. Celine sat down on the sofa, seemingly unconcerned by the lack of a seat or a cup of tea, and got to the point.
"So, she turned her back on her country and even abandoned the Colonel's efforts to follow her. I don't understand why Belford just left her alone."
“Then what should I do?”
The lieutenant colonel's question seemed somewhat stiff. Celine raised her head slightly.
"Even if she's my sister, she's a sinner, so she deserves to be punished. Maybe we could ask Medea to extradite her...?"
“Do you think there should be retribution? You're family.”
"Yes."
The lieutenant colonel's sharp blue eyes narrowed sharply and then curled into a rounded shape. The corners of his mouth turned up in a clear mockery.
“Would your father think so too?”
Celine's eyes lit up with puzzlement at the sudden mention of Admiral Claire. It was understandably sudden, considering she had no familial ties to Diana and had never even been compared to her.
"Everything Father does has a reason. It's morally wrong to kill people, but it's permitted by orders from above."
“Are you saying that Diana’s actions have no justification?”
"I suppose so. Whatever it is, it's a greed driven by the devil's temptation, so I don't think it can be a justifiable reason."
“Devilly greedy.”
The lieutenant colonel nodded, muttering as if trying to understand the meaning. "Greed, just greed. I was like that too."
“Miss Celine. Do you think greed and desire are bad?”
“I don’t think it’s all bad. Maybe it’s the driving force that drives people to action.”
“You are subjective.”
It was a very dry, mundane conversation, but it was enough to understand her selfish thoughts.
"You have desires and ambitions, don't you? For example, fame and power. That's why you came to rescue Diana."
It would have been better if you hadn't come to save her.
Her expression seemed to suggest something like that. The lieutenant colonel partly agreed with that point.
As soon as he saw her perfectly fitting shoes and clothes that were tailored to her body rather than bought, he could tell that Colonel Rotsilt cared a great deal about Diana.
Her cheeks were just right, her complexion was rosy, and her eyes sparkled with light. He brought her here out of personal desire, believing he could do the same.
He recalled her dry, gray-green eyes when he brought her back. The faint light flickered and vanished, like a bird just learning to fly, locked back in its cage.
He felt like his weekly visits to check on her were nothing more than feeding a caged bird. She was so listless that sometimes she even looked as if she was tired of living.
He had intended to win her heart and keep her by his side, but he realized that as long as Celine and the Admiral were present, the trials leading up to that point would be entirely his.
It's the same as putting Diana in a difficult situation and dragging her to the front lines of a war zone where all kinds of dangers lurk.
"I want her to live happily. I don't care what that looks like. I don't necessarily have to keep her around. That's all there is to it."
Celine felt a strange sense of unease. What could possibly be so profound? Her pink lips curled into a smile as she gazed at Lieutenant Colonel Groenendaal.
It's either too much or too little.
The lieutenant colonel asked, looking at her hardened face.
"Do you trust your father? I think you understand why he discriminated against and treated Diana so contemptuously."
"Yes, I understand. He believes Diana caused my mother's death and resents her. He saw Diana as a demon who trampled on our happiness. In fact, she acted like a demon to me. She used you to try to trick me."
“That’s amazing.”
The lieutenant colonel laughed out loud. He was a spectator watching a ridiculous farce.
"I know why. It's not a completely different story, but it's completely wrong. Since you seem to have expected it, I'll tell you everything."
"Yes?"
Celine asks, feigning ignorance. The lieutenant colonel's brow furrows as he brushes back his jet-black hair.
"The direct cause is your father. He wanted to abandon you and your mother when a woman of high status became pregnant with his child. That was the admiral's desire and reason."
Celine's pupils, frozen motionless, narrowed fiercely. Her cool green eyes, at first glance, resembled those of a snake.
“So, who do you think the devil is?”
The lieutenant colonel asked.
Celine's complexion suddenly cooled. A cool, quiet air drifted between them, as if a cold shower had been poured over them. She spoke in a voice so subdued it felt eerie.
“Why do you say that? Aren’t you afraid of military law?”
“Yes. Because you won’t tell.”
The extremely cold tone that followed shattered all of Celine's plausible excuses and justifications.
“You're an accomplice, too. Maybe you've been like that for a long ago.”
Accomplice? Me? I didn't do anything. She clenched her hands on the sofa table, feeling uneasy.
A small moisture pooled beneath her hand, as if slightly sweaty, then disappeared. Celine, still reeling from the shock, finally pressed her forehead.
...He knows all the unspoken truths.
Celine didn't dare to report the lieutenant colonel's remarks to the military. His piercing blue eyes stared straight at her.
"I know you're smart. I also know you live your life pretending to be perfectly ordinary, sometimes even ignorant. I'm sure you're calculating your escape route even now."
"I expected my mother to be different. Beyond that, I don't know. I only heard that she died giving birth to Diana, weakened by a mental illness..."
"Yes, you've always gotten away with it that way. Your greedy choices are leading to a chain of misfortune. Now, you can no longer stand by and do nothing."
The lieutenant colonel's voice, building low, gripped her. "I didn't know, I don't know. There must be a reason." These were Celine's refuges.
The lieutenant colonel rose from his seat, approached Celine, and smiled. He bent down, looking down at her with eerily blue eyes.
“Now you know everything, right?”
Lieutenant Colonel Groenendaal, a brilliant officer, even cut off her retreat route. His subsequent words had a forceful quality, almost like an order.
"Human greed is endless, but you, his beloved daughter, can stop it. I hope you make the right choice, Miss Celine."
It's indirect pressure.
It is unclear who the current Princess Medea is or if she was switched with someone else, but Diana is indeed of royal blood and is the daughter of the Queen.
So she realized her father had been discovered by the Duke and tried to kill him.
That's why he left this country after escaping prison.
So, so!
Celine's lips, which had reached the end of her thoughts and come to a conclusion, opened unnaturally as if to say something, but then closed tightly.
So, you must have saved Diana and taken an interest in her. As the second son of a Duke, you must have a thirst for power.
“You were greedy too, weren’t you?”
She lifted her chin and asked him indirectly why he hadn't told Medea the truth. Out of habit, the colonel didn't answer.
When he first learned of Diana's existence, he could only guess about her and was not sure about her.
The admiral's subsequent actions and those of Duke Rotsilt were sufficient to corroborate the facts. He did not directly intervene, such as reporting this to Queen Medea or informing others.
There was a good reason for this, and he knew that the heir to the throne of the Medea United Kingdom could not marry someone of another race, so he kept quiet. Colonel Rotsilt believed that the mad Duke was deliberately hiding this information.
For the happiness of the two who have become lovers.
The lieutenant colonel's intervention was limited to warning Celine to halt her father's rampage. True to his upright nature, he prioritized the happiness of Diana, who had lived a miserable life.
***
I was pacing back and forth in my room, packing for my stay at Tempshire Palace, when a thought suddenly occurred to me, and I stopped dead in my tracks. I was worried because I hadn't been told how long I would have to stay at the palace.
Three days? Two days?
The maid, Lenny, was packing spring clothes. It was still winter. I asked, startled.
“Um... Lenny? Why are you packing spring clothes? It’s only February.”
"I thought you'd be staying for a few months, but no? The nobles who stay at the palace stay for up to a year. Especially since Master has been awarded the Medea Medal..."
“No.”
Lenny's eyes widened at the urgent words of restraint.
"Yes?"
“Anyway... I plan to keep it simple.”
“Oh, there are a lot of fashion stores and general stores around here that carry the latest fashions, so you can buy something new.”
Lenny smiled brightly, neatly folding her underwear and putting them away. By the time she finished packing and tidying up my room, it was already midnight.
“You have to leave early tomorrow morning, so go to bed early, miss.”
“You won’t go to bed early.”
As Lenny opened the door and was about to leave, a familiar voice followed. Noah, who had gone out to run errands since morning, was standing at the door.
He was clutching a paper bag filled with something. Perhaps because of Noah's remark, Lenny smiled meaningfully, nodded, and left the room.
“What is that?”
Noah smiled at my question.
“I am the perfect man right now.”
"Why?"
He sat down on the edge of the bed, placed a paper bag on his lap, and gestured for me to come closer. I approached and sat down next to him, and he took out one of the items inside.
It was a small glass jar filled with pink pudding. He held the pudding and dessert spoon he'd brought with him in his hand, his expression filled with anticipation. It seemed as if he was waiting for me to praise him.
“Thank you. It looks delicious.”
“I didn’t know what flavor you liked, so I bought them all.”
The paper bag visible across the street contained roughly ten puddings. I chuckled and tried to open the lid of the glass jar containing the puddings, but he took it back, opened the lid, and handed it back to me.
"Is it delicious?"
“I haven’t eaten yet.”
At the urging of the saint, I scooped up some pudding with a small spoon and put it in my mouth, savoring the taste.
“Hmm. It’s delicious. Want to try it?”
When I handed him a spoonful, he opened his mouth and ate it like a baby bird. But as soon as he put it in his mouth, he swallowed it down in a gulp and made a strange expression.
This man doesn't like sweets. He hunched his shoulders and made a face that seemed unbearable.
"Delicious."
"It's a matter of taste. It's okay if you don't agree with that."
“It’s too sweet. I can’t eat it.”
“Right? Because you don’t like sweets.”
“I want to like what the Princess likes, so I’ll try my best.”
“How can I change your appetite? I can eat it all.”
I devoured three puddings in one sitting, my words and actions consistent. Noah rested his chin on his elbows, looking at me with satisfaction.
"It's delicious just looking at it. I'll buy it for you every day. I can do that much."
“I can’t do it every day. I’ll gain weight.”
"It's okay. I'm strong. Even if you gain weight, I can still carry you."
Our conversations were mostly pointless, but they were informative and enjoyable. We learned things we didn't know about each other and laughed at even the smallest things.
I used to enjoy being alone, but now I feel bored and empty without him. Noah, who was resting his chin on his elbow and knee, smiled.
Noah's blue eyes were looking down at the ring on my hand.
“Do you remember when we first met?”
“Did you kidnap me from Belford?”
“No, that wasn’t the first time we met.”
You mean, we met before I became this body? Of course, that's not in my original memory. Noah, who had been looking at me confused, smiled as if nothing had happened.
“Yeah. It’s natural not to remember.”
Since I wasn't the owner of this body, I couldn't ask him any further questions. He didn't say anything else after that sentence.
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