Chapter 112: 112 — A Mere Servant

Cynthia walked through the hallway, recalling her previous conversation with Arlot. It had been interrupted when Anni suddenly entered her bedroom to inform her of Dylan’s arrival. He wished to meet her. That alone was enough to confuse Cynthia. The man who couldn’t hide his hatred toward her was requesting an audience.

"I didn’t get the chance to ask him if he had found the book on how demons can break into the human world..." she mumbled.

The thought of the book stirred something deep within her. It was one of the many mysteries that had been left unsolved after the recent incidents—incidents that had dragged her into a war between realms, one she had never asked to be a part of.

"You must find that book," the voice of the lady Cynthia had met at Alistair’s wedding echoed in her mind. There was much more she wished to know, but the meeting had been brief that day. However, Cynthia received a letter soon after she returned to Erion, giving her the details of the book, which allowed her to ask Arlot and Edric for assistance in locating it.

Because surely demons cannot enter the human world without the help of another human... a traitor to all humanity.

"He is waiting in the audience hall," Anni coughed, clearing her throat as she stood before the entrance of the room.

"You may resume your duties. I will handle the matter now."

Having said that, Cynthia entered the room and found the blond-haired man sitting on the couch.

"You’ve arrived, Your Highness!" Dylan jumped from his seat as if he had not expected her to show up. He promptly lowered his head to bow to the grand duchess.

"Between you and I, there’s no need to hide your hostility toward me. If you want, you can be more honest and drop the act of respect," Cynthia scoffed.

She would usually try to keep her cool and remain polite despite his usual disrespectful attitude; however, she was far too exhausted from her investigations and from managing the duchy after the grand duke began to drift away from his responsibilities. She had decided to take over until he could overcome his grief, although it had been taking a little longer than she expected.

Dylan sighed, a sneer of confidence forming on his face.

"You’re showing your true colours now?"

"If you have nothing important to say, I shall head back."

Just as Cynthia turned her heels, Dylan shrieked.

"Wait! I wanted to say... thank you."

As if she had heard something absurd, Cynthia turned to face the young man, her gaze filled with disbelief.

He had been hostile towards her all this time. What was he thanking her for?

"For... letting the grand duke rest after his loss. It has merely been a week, after all."

Cynthia clenched her fist, and the mention of the amount of time passed since Arisia’s death stung her.

A week.

She mused, unable to believe that much time had already passed. It felt as if yesterday Princess Arisia’s laughter echoed in the empty, cold, silent mansion.

"However, I still have my eyes on you! Do not think I will trust you that easily."

The return of his usual, guarded expression, Cynthia smiled faintly. At least something she used to. Everything began to feel so foreign to her that she even began to miss people’s hostility towards her.

"Why are you smiling?" Dylan asked, baffled.

"Nothing. I shall take my leave now that it seems you have said what you had come here to say."

Turning her heels, Cynthia exited the audience room.

She walked through the hallway, leading toward Lucian’s bedroom, assuming he would be there. She needed to talk to him today and ask him to resume his duties. She didn’t have the time to play the kind wife anymore. She needed to start preparing for her revenge now that Arisia’s death had taken place. Because soon after that, monsters will begin to attack. She believed she had an entire year left for such but everything seemed to have changed now that she started changing minor details of the past.

"Your Highness," a familiar voice echoed in the empty hallway.

Before she stood the turquoise-haired young man she hadn’t seen after the princess’s funeral.

Anger was evident on his face. Unwilling to deal with him, Cynthia began walking past him, ignoring him as if she hadn’t seen him at all.

"How could you?!" The man spoke in ragged breathing.

Furrowing her brows, mimicking the young man’s facial expression, Cynthia turned to face him.

"How dare you raise your voice at me?"

Suyou snorted.

"And that is all that bothers you?"

Cynthia raised an eyebrow.

"Whatever it is, keep it to yourself. I do not want to hear it."

"Why not? Will you ignore me, just like you did with the princess?"

"When did I?—"

Before Cynthia could finish her sentence, Suyou interrupted her.

"You didn’t shed a tear on her funeral! She treated you as if you were her true sister but you always kept a wall between you both. She knew very well you always had your guard up and whenever she tried to break it, you would ignore her, as if her existence meant absolutely nothing!"

Although offended, Cynthia kept her calm. Suyou wasn’t worth wasting her energy over by arguing. She believed he was a composed young man, however, she could only assume the loss of his master had put him under a severe strain. Yet, she needed to show him his place in the mansion.

"I’ve heard you are now working for the grand duke. Do not forget I am the grand duchess, and a mere servant should not question his masters on their private matters."

Suyou clenched his fists, restraining his anger as much as possible although his clenched jaw revealed his emotion like clear water.

"People who are to die tend to distance themselves from their close ones. And trust me, Your Highness, I have seen her struggle for a while. She knew she would die, but she kept trying to—"

"Stop it! I do not want to hear it!" Cynthia shrieked.

"But you should. You need to. Only then, perhaps you might melt your ice-like heart and shed a tear, which you didn’t do during her funeral, to grieve her death!"

"I do not understand why a mere servant, despite being by her side for perhaps a few years, such as yourself, is so concerned about whether I cried for her highness or not. I understand your loyalty for her is deep, and I’m not saying I do not respect that however, there is a limit to how much I will overlook your grief for her death and the disrespect you have shown me just now."

"A mere servant," Suyou scoffed, letting his fists loose.

He slowly lifted his gaze, looking deeply into the grand duchess’s eyes for a moment before continuing.

"What if it’s not mere loyalty? Have you ever thought there might have been something more to why I was willing to do anything for her?"

Suyou’s words pierced through Cynthia’s ears as if she were stabbed by a sharp thorn of rose; small, yet sharp enough that it stung. Her eyes widened, a soft gasp escaping her.

"No... There’s no way... This can’t be true," she mumbled, placing her hand on her mouth in disbelief.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read