C13
If that happens, Terence will become very suspicious of me.
The reason he can be so friendly with me is because he believes I don't know his identity.
For Terence, his birth has been a shackle since he was born.
The emperor's illegitimate children, born before his legitimate children, were a very interesting topic.
Not everyone could speak openly because it was the royal family, but they always whispered in secret.
Marquis of Friheiden.
A noble only in name with a title but no fief, and the son of the emperor's once passionately loved betrothed.
Although his mother passed away a long time ago, the emperor still visits his son from time to time.
Will they wait and see what happens with the empress and Duke Birod?
That's why, as the Marquis of Friheiden, he doesn't engage in external activities and stays at home.
"Just wait and see. Terence will soon enter the imperial palace with great pomp."
At that time, it will be too late to regret having spoken ill. For some reason, I was out of breath with excitement even though it was someone else's situation, and soon I realized the reality.
My nose is now eight centimeters wide.
If he doesn't realize the effectiveness of a tea like this, it's all over.
To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Terence suddenly said he was tired of this and left tomorrow.
Most likely, pretending to be my escort is probably just a momentary whim.
I rested my chin on my hand and contemplated.
"Could it be that the ingredient mixing ratio is incorrect?"
I added all the herbs and holy water as described in the novel.
...Did I really do it correctly?
Maybe it's because my confidence has plummeted, but I also feel anxious.
I need to check the novel's contents again.
I looked ahead and saw Terence sleeping while sitting.
Yesterday, I asked him if the hotel bed was uncomfortable, and he responded with a strange smile, "I don't know if the bed is comfortable or not because I've never used it properly."
I felt guilty.
It seems the accommodation was too cheap for a noble to use.
I regretted making him sleep in a place like this because I didn't have enough money.
Anyway, this isn't important.
Now that Terence was falling asleep, it was an opportunity to check the novel's contents.
I took a book from my bag... Instead of reading, I closed my eyes as if imitating the person in front of me.
I imagined a book in my head.
The cover is covered in rose petals on a white background.
A book with the words "Return and Walk Alone on the Path of Flowers" written in a simple and somewhat rough font in the center.
I flipped through the pages of the book in my imagination.
The part I was looking for is the part where Liena managed to make a proper medicinal tea for the first time.
I always find exactly what I want without getting lost. Over time, tens and hundreds of words reached me.
"Hyuk."
I woke up from my imagination with the feeling that my head was spinning.
It seemed like thirty minutes had passed, but when I checked the old clock hanging on a teahouse wall, less than a minute had passed.
As expected, I prepared it correctly.
Even a drop of holy water and a spoonful of herb powder are the same as in the novel I just read.
This is a special ability I have.
For convenience, it was a power that only I called "reading the original story."
I don't know the principle, but I can reread <Return and Walk Alone on the Path of Flowers> from the moment I transmigrated for the first time.
There's no need for any preparation; I can do it whenever I want.
Is this the least consideration that the being who arbitrarily threw me into this world gave me? I have no way of knowing if it's God or not.
Personally, I guess it could be the goddess Miella.
The basis is Liena.
Liena, if she sets her mind to it, is also capable of recalling her memories from before returning as if she had just experienced them.
Not only Liena but I have also benefited greatly from this ability.
Otherwise, how would I remember Tara's enemy, Chiléan's disguised identity? I'm not a genius.
Although this is a very convenient ability, it has one drawback...
"I'm so tired!"
All I did after waking up was eat breakfast and drink tea, but I felt weak.
If you read the original story, it's like this.
You don't want to think about anything, you don't even want to think, so your thinking becomes simpler.
You'll recover in a few hours, but at best, it's twice a day.
"... Did you do some exercise while sleeping?"
About ten minutes later, Terence fully woke up from his drowsiness and asked me when he saw me.
I waved my arms helplessly.
"No. Shall we go back to our room for today?"
"You seem very tired."
My limbs weigh like wet cotton.
"Yes, a little. Tay, if you have something to do, go. It's fine to just get some fresh air."
"I can't do that. What's the use of an escort if they're not attached to their employer?"
"Hey, it's okay. There are other guests in the hotel, so what can my husband do if he comes to visit?"
"Lack of attention always leads to anger. There's nothing wrong with being cautious..."
After that conversation, we left the teahouse and headed back to the hotel.
A man who was wandering in front of the hotel looked over and raised his hand.
"Oh, Marquis..."
A glance at Terence's piercing gaze made the man's face pale.
The culprit who made the poor man shudder gave me a knightly smile.
"He's a fellow mercenary. It seems he has something to tell me."
A mercenary? Just by looking at his attire, it seems like he comes from a noble family.
However, I was willing to be deceived and nodded calmly.
"For now."
But then a thought crossed my mind. I pretended not to hear, but that person clearly called Terence a Marquis.
This is my chance. It might be when I discovered Terence's true identity!
This scenario came to my mind at this moment.
I, who was naive enough to believe that the escort was an ordinary mercenary, began to suspect his identity after hearing the servant's words a moment ago.
Looking back, his behavior was extremely noble, which made me realize that he was a high-ranking noble and, as if seeking a lifeline, I asked him to make a deal to help me with my divorce.
The price, of course, is the medicinal tea recipe. It's clear that it was done correctly, so Terence is probably already feeling the effects of the medicinal tea.
It's just that he still has doubts, so he's reluctant to say anything.
"Well, if I keep this up, I can hide the fact that I adopted a planned approach!"
To request an exchange, I had no choice but to show that I knew his identity, so I wondered how to fake knowing it.
I had a separate plan in mind, but with the appearance of that assistant, the excuse became more natural.
"I will go in first, so please speak slowly."
With a satisfied smile on my face, I passed by the two men and tried to enter the hotel's entrance.
But before my steps even reached the hotel's entrance.
A carriage stopped in front of the hotel with the powerful sound of horse hooves.
The huge black carriage, which seemed to have room for ten men, had two black goats painted on it.
A special emblem exclusive to Cassius that doesn't resemble any other noble family's.
The young woman who emerged from the carriage's door, opened by the coachman, opened her mouth.
"Sister-in-law! Long time no see!"
It was Liena Cassius.
--------------------------
In the hotel's lobby.
We sat at one of the tables set up in a corner of the lobby for guests.
Liena wriggled as if the seat was uncomfortable.
That has to be the case.
Is it possible to bring high-quality furniture to a cheap hotel like this?
I rejected Liena's suggestion to go to a nice restaurant somewhere and insisted on coming here.
I had no desire to talk to Liena until I changed seats, and honestly, I was so tired that I didn't want to move.
Two people were behind Liena.
Tara and Matisse, respectively.
Tara blinked the whole time, conscious of me.
It seemed as if she was saying she regretted not being able to warn me in advance that Liena would come.
Three days ago, Tara wrote in a letter that she had followed my instructions and that Liena would visit me someday.
However, it seems that Liena decided to do it today suddenly.
"It's okay."
I signaled to Tara with a look appropriate to reassure her.
Fortunately, Terence was far from me, chatting with his servant.
In Liena's eyes, it didn't seem like he and I were involved.
I spoke my first words, pressing my finger to the corner of my eye that kept trying to close.
"Liena, what do you want?"
Matisse's forehead contracted more than the person involved at my cold tone.
The financial genius Matisse.
Like Tara, he was a person Liena had recruited to serve her, and for some reason, he often openly revealed his displeasure to me.
"Ethel Wallace, isn't it insincere to treat a lady who has come to visit after so long like this?"
Look at him.
Maybe it's because he's only loyal to Liena and not to Cassius.
Since I left home, he no longer calls me "little miss."
"Did I do something wrong that I'm not aware of?"
Otherwise, it was an attitude of hostility that I couldn't understand.
"Matisse, don't be rude to my sister-in-law."
Liena said sternly.
"My lady..."
"It's an order."
"I will follow your orders. I would like to formally apologize for the disrespectful language I just used."
Matisse's expression wrinkled, and he deeply lowered the upper part of his body.
"I made a mistake. I apologize. Lady Ethel."
"You should call her 'little miss' appropriately."
When Matisse hesitated and tried to say those words.
"Okay, I won't be your little miss anymore."
"Sister-in-law, what does that mean?"
"Liena, you shouldn't call me sister-in-law either."
Liena is crying.
Her round eyes became bright, and her soft pink lips closed tightly.
"... You were very angry, weren't you? I understand. I would have done the same."
She took my hand, which I had left on the table.
"I apologize very much for the Andala mine incident. I will apologize on behalf of my elder brother."
I remained silent, wanting to hear what she would say.
"I can't even imagine how betrayed my sister-in-law felt when she found out the truth."
"......"
"But please, you should know this. It started with the mine, but it was never everything."
"......"
"I'm not sure how to explain it... Actually, I have a good feeling about it."
She continued her story hesitantly.