25.

In this passage, Lucian was choked up for a moment.

“Why, should I not worry about you?”

“No, it’s not that.”

Elze looked momentarily confused but then calmly replied.

“I thought, since I am the caretaker of the boarding school, the Duke must naturally dislike me from his perspective.”

“Lady Lepherian.”

Lucian called her in a cold voice.

“I have judgment as well.”

“…That.”

“I know what kind of cursed boarding school this is, and I know how fearsome the Marquis of Offenheir is.”

Lucian hit the nail on the head.

“Lady Lepherian understands the reason why I cooperate with my escape.”

“Duke.”

“So, don’t just watch me and prioritize my feelings… Don’t endure it, even if it’s uncomfortable.”

Since the subject had come up, Lucian poured out his words.

“Furthermore, address you as ‘Lady.'”

“…”

“Why do other people call you ‘Lady,’ and Lady herself must know, right?”

Elze seemed unusually speechless.

It couldn’t be helped.

The daughter offered by the Lepherian author.

Just an insignificant lover of Dante, a woman who, through engagement or marriage, cannot legally secure her status.

That’s why everyone called her Elze, implying that her status was uncertain.

‘Lady Elze.’

He called her that way.

Elze, who was perceptive, couldn’t have failed to notice the secret mockery hidden in that title.

However, Elze never once had an issue with that part.

And Lucian was deeply bothered by her silence.

He would have preferred if she acted wickedly, in line with her reputation as a villain, rather than staying so quiet.

“And you used to regularly taste my meals in advance to prove they weren’t poisoned.”

His azure gaze stared directly at Elze.

“Why does Lady not care when she is suspected by herself?”

“…”

“When people are suspected, it’s natural to feel upset. Why don’t you get angry?”

For a moment, Lucian saw it.

The honey-colored eyes that had always been calm were trembling for the first time.

Like tossing a tiny pebble into a vast lake.

It was a subtle ripple that would never be detected unless closely observed.

But that tremor vanished in an instant.

Elze beamed her usual bright smile.

Lucian’s face contorted in response to that mask-like smile.

“Instead of smiling like that, you should get angry.”

“No, I… ”

“Point out my rude behavior and give me a good slap. You’ve done it before, haven’t you?”

Lucian shot back sharply.

“Seeing Lady behave like this, it turns everyone’s world upside down.”

“…”

Elze had a momentary pensive expression on her face.

Then she suddenly spoke.

“Thank you for your concern.”

“W-who is worried about you, I mean, Lady Lepherian?”

Lucian was so surprised that he stammered.

Regardless, Elze started collecting the dishes and cutlery.

As if she were going to turn and walk towards the door.

She glanced back for a moment.

“If there’s a next time when you need to be slapped, I’ll try to adjust my strength a bit.”

Laughter-filled eyes briefly brushed past Lucian.

“It seems like the Duke has taken quite an interest in me.”

With those words.

Thud.

The door closed.

Lucian stared at the closed door with a dazed expression.

“Could it be that this indifferent woman just made a joke with me?”

* * *

That afternoon.

I was reflecting on what Lucian had said to me.

[If people suspect you, it’s natural to feel upset, but why don’t you get angry?]

[Point out my rude behavior and give me a good slap. You’ve done it before, haven’t you?]

… He can be quite prickly.

I silently bit my tongue.

Still.

‘It seems like we’ve become somewhat closer, which is fortunate.’

It seems that blocking Victor and deciphering Nix had a positive effect.

Well, though.

Sometimes he gets overly excited…

[Why are you so indifferent?]

[Huh? What do you mean?]

[I mean… it’s a kiss!]

…Could it have been our first kiss?

For a moment, I felt a cold sweat run down my spine.

Lucian was the sole heir of the Kalleid noble family, the highest lineage in the empire.

He must have been brought up with the utmost care since he was young, and approaching him would have been difficult unless it was a lady involved in a marriage arrangement.

Moreover, until reaching adulthood, contact with women was even more restricted.

‘But you kissed an adult, right? At least I’m not a perverted adult who steals kisses from minors.’

I tried to calm my mind.

There was one more unexpected thing.

I reconsidered the title he had called me.

‘Lady Lefrian, yes.’

Among the people in this boarding school, no one had ever addressed me with such a title.

Honestly, even from my perspective, that title subtly contained a sense of humiliation.

But I didn’t care about such things, thinking it was none of my business.

‘I never thought someone like Lucian would get angry about my unfair treatment.’

But at that moment.

“Elze, ma’am.”

I abruptly regained my composure at the voice calling me.

“Oh, Countess Martin.”

Look, even Bridgette in front of me called me ‘Elze, ma’am.’

Of course, Bridgette is not malicious; she’s just following the lead of the people around her.

I gently struck up a conversation with Bridgette.

“Do you like cherry pie?”

“Yes, it’s delicious.”

Bridgette smiled faintly.

I pushed the pie plate closer to Bridgette.

“Have some more.”

“Aren’t you going to eat, Elze, ma’am?”

“I had some outside yesterday, so I’m fine.”

Lately, Bridgette had been treating me quite comfortably compared to when we first met.

However, it seemed she still hadn’t completely let her guard down.

“Well, it seems like my efforts are paying off.”

I self-satisfyingly thought.

To be honest, I felt embarrassed to call it “efforts.”

I didn’t do anything particularly special.

I just visited Bridgette regularly and spent time with her.

Moreover, when we talked, I listened more to Bridgette’s stories than talking myself.

Just that had brightened Bridgette’s expression significantly compared to before.

“Moreover, it seems like you’re not being harassed as much as before, right?”

Perhaps because the worst villainess in the boarding school had recently been hanging out with Bridgette, the people who used to harass her seemed to keep their distance.

In any case, it was a good thing.

“When do you think I can leave this place?”

Bridgette sighed at the right moment.

“Do you think I can leave?”

“Of course.”

Here is the translation of the Korean text into English:

“Yes.”

It was not a lie.

In the original work, Bridgette escapes the boarding school before it collapses.

But.

“Lie.”

Bridgette just smiled bitterly.

“My husband won’t let me leave.”

Then she looked at me with a mixture of longing and envy.

“Lady Lepherian… honestly, I think you’re truly amazing.”

“Me?”

“Yes. You refused a political marriage, didn’t you?”

Bridgette’s voice sank with self-pity.

“I couldn’t do anything and ended up like this, trapped in a boarding school.”

I recalled Bridgette’s background from the original work.

Bridgette married at a very young age. Her husband, Count Martin, treated her as a thorn in his side and lived with a concubine. The only reason Bridgette wasn’t divorced was that she gave birth to the heir to the family, a male child. Count Martin, who couldn’t bring himself to acknowledge his own son as a bastard, sent Bridgette to Rose Cross Boarding School under the pretext of refining her into a proper lady.

Naturally, her son was practically taken away from her. Then, one day, Count Martin and his concubine died in a carriage accident, leaving only their four-year-old son behind. The son needed a mother, and Bridgette became the new Countess Martin.

Although she initially struggled with the nightmares of the boarding school, she couldn’t establish her authority as the Countess.

“Let me think… how did the original heroine comfort Bridgette?”

After pondering for a moment, I softly said the line the original heroine used.

“Lady of the Manor, you’ve endured at this boarding school all this time. That alone is truly admirable.”

Bridgette’s pupils momentarily widened. Looking into those eyes, I continued.

“Furthermore, the Lady of the Manor, you’ll become an even more splendid woman in the future. Trust me.”

Having heard my words, Bridgette seemed at a loss, and then she shyly lowered her head.

“I hope so… I really do.”

It will definitely happen.

So let’s both take care of ourselves from now on.

I hid my turbulent emotions and smiled warmly.

* * *

A few days later.

I finally received the news I had been waiting for.

“The dispute over the Romdio family’s successor is over.”

Of course, Lady Romdio was the victor.

A cold smile formed on my lips.

It seems the time has come to remove Victor once and for all.