I Became the Substitute for the Runaway Heroine - Chapter 89

She had visited a hotel and a dessert cafe with Caesar back in the Hoan District. However, those had not been by invitation, nor could they be considered official appearances. Today was different.

Looking at how they have dressed me, it feels like they are holding a banquet.

The mere thought of walking among a crowd of nobles in a banquet hall made her feel faint. A short while later, as she boarded the carriage heading for Count Roberto’s castle, Odette’s fingertips stiffened with tension. She felt the carriage tilt slightly back as it began to climb a hill.

Count Roberto’s castle, which overlooked the night sea, was smaller in scale than the Belmonte estate, but it was exceptionally ornate and grand. As they passed through the main gate, she saw a line of luxurious carriages heading toward the main building.

It really is a large banquet.

When Odette’s carriage stopped in front of the entrance, Caesar was surprisingly there to meet her.

Seriously? If he dresses like that, there is no way he won’t draw everyone’s attention.

When he had left the inn, Caesar had been wearing leather pants and a white shirt, but now he was in formal attire. His broad shoulders and cinched waist, along with his long legs, completed a perfect physical proportion. Seeing him dressed so impeccably made it certain that this was a very important occasion.

“You must have been surprised by the sudden summons.”

Caesar opened the carriage door and reached out his hand to her. “You look very beautiful.”

Goodness. Why would he say that?

Odette felt her face grow hot and stammered her reply. “Y-you look handsome too.”

“I know.”

“I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Odette shot him a glare and stepped out of the carriage. Just then, a sudden gust of wind blew in from the coast near the castle. The chiffon hem of her skirt fluttered upward like butterfly wings. Her calves were exposed, and the skirt continued to roll up toward her thighs.

In that instant, Caesar lifted her up by the waist. Because Caesar’s arms were extended, his face was looking up at her from below. The look in his eyes, as if he were gazing at the woman he worshipped most in the world, made Odette’s heart pound wildly.

“…Put me down.”

“I will. The wind is being quite mischievous, isn’t it?”

Odette could sense a slight tremor in Caesar’s voice. He eventually set her back on the ground, but for some reason, the hand he used to hold hers was trembling ever so slightly. Odette let go of his hand and took his arm instead. Caesar frowned a bit but didn’t say anything.

“What is going on? Why did you ask me to come here so suddenly?”

“The High Priest is here at Count Roberto’s castle.”

“…Then we should run away.”

Odette pulled on his arm and whispered in a small voice. She had heard that the machines at the Great Temple could detect divine power. She also heard that the High Priest possessed a detection ability as sensitive as those machines.

“This is the South,” Caesar said, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

“And?”

“This is a place where we can handle things discreetly and quietly if the High Priest detects your divine power or mine. Many people here in the South follow me as the direct descendant of the Belmonte family.”

Caesar was the only direct descendant of the house that once led the Principality. This meant that Count Roberto, who was anti-Emperor and pro-Principality, was someone who would give Caesar a standing ovation even if he just picked up dirt and ate it. In other words, if they were to make the High Priest disappear here, they could ensure no one knew who was responsible.

“So this place is a sort of testing ground.”

“Exactly.”

Caesar leaned in further and whispered into her ear. “This will be the place to confirm if you can perfectly hide your divine power using the Saint’s Staff.”

“…I suppose so.”

Odette tilted her head away as she listened to her own racing heartbeat. If she didn’t, Caesar’s lips felt like they might touch her earlobe. Rubbing her ear, she spoke.

“If we succeed today, we can feel at ease even back in the capital.”

“Right. And there is one more thing you should know.”

Caesar wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against his side. It was meant to be for a private conversation others shouldn’t hear, but the posture was far too taxing on her heart. She wasn’t just held close to his large frame; she felt practically buried in it.

Odette bit her lip, trying her best to ignore the sensation of his rock-hard chest muscles against her cheek. It seemed Caesar wasn’t just draining her divine power. She felt exhausted before even entering the banquet, and her expression turned pained.

“Oh my, look there! Is that not Count Caesar Maes?”

“I heard he found his fiancée; it seems he doesn’t want to be apart from her for even a second.”

“Heavens, so that is what she looks like.”

“She is quite pretty.”

A group of noblewomen waiting in line at the entrance of the banquet hall whispered among themselves. Caesar continued to whisper to her, completely indifferent to the gazes of those around them.

“I have spread a rumor that Count Anderson made you disappear because you didn’t show up for the engagement.”

So instead of me running away, he made it sound like the Count had imprisoned me?

Odette tilted her head and asked, “The innkeeper knew I had run away? He even had my portrait.”

“That was… to make you move more discreetly. It was meant to make you realize that the Imperial Knights and the Great Temple were searching for you.”

As the wind blew from behind Caesar, his scent washed over her. When Odette shivered, Caesar pulled her even deeper against his body and whispered low.

“Regardless, simply saying I went looking for you after you vanished isn’t quite enough of an explanation.”

“Because I was hiding?”

“Exactly. So, we decided to say that I found you after you fled south to escape Count Anderson’s intimidation. Count Roberto has stepped up to vouch for that story.”

It was a clever solution. It would prevent the Emperor’s faction from exaggerating the reasons for Caesar’s presence in the South. And in reality, Caesar had come south to chase her.

“I understand. I will act accordingly.”

Odette’s ready agreement brought a satisfied smile to Caesar’s face. “We are dancing as well, how about it?”

“D-dancing? I…”

“Are an amazingly good dancer? I already know.”

Caesar tapped his temple with his finger, as if reminding her that he remembered her hitting him and knocking him out while they were dancing.

He really holds a grudge.

When Odette glared at him, Caesar burst into laughter. “How long am I going to tease you with that? For the rest of our lives.”

Excuse me? The rest of our lives? She wanted to clarify that they would live separate lives once the rifts were stopped, but Caesar stopped walking and stared at her head-on.

“So, rest easy. No one will be able to doubt your tracks. Shall we go in?”

Caesar tenderly placed her hand on his arm and adjusted his stride to her slower pace. “And you don’t need to be nervous. Everyone is too afraid of me to treat you poorly.”

“…”

“If anyone does dare to be rude to you, tell me.”

“So, you can kill them?”

“Naturally.”

Odette burst into laughter at his impossible nature, and Caesar gave her a brilliant smile. The sight made her heart tighten, and she forced herself to look away. Just exchanging a few words with Caesar made her feel like her mental energy was being depleted.

“This is my fiancée.”

At Caesar’s introduction, Odette gave a greeting according to the etiquette she had learned from her mother.

“I am Odette Anderson.”

Since she was introduced as Caesar’s fiancée, the other person would already know she was Count Anderson’s adopted daughter. She felt it was best to use the name ‘Anderson’ to avoid confusion.

Ugh, it feels so wrong.

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