I Was Happy to Be Dumped by My Fiancé, But Something Seems Off - Episode 30

Upon receiving the news and hurrying back to the cathedral, Bertina clasped her hands before the infirmary door and prayed for Inanna’s safety. Argent, standing beside her, stared intently at the door.

“Bertina.”

“……”

“That High Priestess won’t die from something like being stabbed with a human knife.”

“How can you say that?”

“Because that High Priestess—”

“Lady Bertina.”

The voice that interrupted Argent as he was about to continue belonged to the assistant priest, Alistair. His face showed clear signs of fatigue.

“Lady Inanna won’t die. That woman was perfectly fine even when she got buried under a collapsed bookshelf in the royal castle’s archive room before.”

Though Bertina sympathized with Alistair, who had a distant look as he recalled the tremendous effort it took to repair the bookshelves and collect, inspect, and restore the fallen books after the earthquake, she understood he was trying to cheer her up.

“By the way, I have a request for your attendant, Lady Bertina.”

“For Argent?”

“Lady Inanna’s presence is absolutely necessary for the discussion between the Annaloro and Moldio families involving the royal family. But in her current condition, we cannot possibly have her attend. Therefore, I would like your attendant to take on Lady Inanna’s appearance and attend in her place.”

If he completely transformed into Inanna’s form using magic, no one would realize it was actually Argent inside. He was the only one who could both resist charming magic and impersonate Inanna.

Bertina looked at Argent. He seemed to be thinking deeply with a troubled expression.

“Argent, can’t you become Lady Inanna?”

“I can manage the appearance. But whether I can deceive Duke Moldio’s eyes is another matter, even if I can handle Duke and Duchess Annaloro and the King and Queen.”

Both Argent and Inanna were wary of some unknown something. Even if he perfectly copied her appearance, if he didn’t match her essence too, he would be seen through.

That said, if asked whether Argent could completely become Inanna in essence, the answer was no.

“If I’m told to mimic the High Priestess’s words, actions, and mannerisms, I kinda hate that.”

“…Now that you mention it…”

Alistair didn’t seem intent on forcing the issue and accepted Argent’s refusal. If they couldn’t have someone impersonate Inanna, the only option left was for Alistair, as the assistant priest, to attend as her proxy.

“Wouldn’t you do, Lord Alistair?”

“If it were me, I would fall prey to Madame Moldio’s charm.”

“So, as long as one isn’t affected by the charm.”

Since Argent was a demon, Agnes’s charm didn’t work on him.

—Then, what about me?

Agnes must have used her charm on Bertina before too. Yet Bertina hadn’t succumbed to it.

It was worth taking a chance, a gamble.

“Couldn’t I stand in for Lady Inanna?”

“…Indeed, Lady Inanna did mention that for some reason, her charm doesn’t work on you, Lady Bertina.”

“Then—”

“But it’s dangerous. First of all, how would you act as Lady Inanna’s substitute?”

“I’ll handle it.”

If he could make himself look like someone else, then making someone else look like another person was also possible. It would be easy for Argent’s magic to transform Bertina into Inanna’s form. More importantly, Bertina could imitate Inanna’s words, actions, and mannerisms without any resistance. Though she might feel a bit embarrassed, she would endure it if it meant exposing Agnes’s misdeeds.

“I’ll make Bertina look like the High Priestess. If needed, I can even take on your appearance that day, Assistant Priest.”

Today’s incident had occurred in broad daylight, making it difficult to impose a gag order, and it would quickly reach both ducal families’ ears. If Inanna insisted on attending despite her injury, and Alistair accompanied her under the pretext of monitoring her, no one would suspect anything.

“So?”

“Indeed, that way we can respond quickly if anything happens.”

“While Bertina and I are disguised, I’d like you to wait in a separate room, Assistant Priest. Just as a precaution.”

“Understood. Let’s proceed with that.”

It was decided that Bertina and Argent would attend as proxies, borrowing the appearances of Inanna and Alistair.

Though the weight of this significant role brought heavy tension, perhaps thanks to the queenly education she had received since childhood, she at least had courage and endurance. Luigi, with his unknown something, was the one who required the most caution, but Agnes also needed to be watched carefully.

“…Hey, Bertina.”

When she turned toward Argent, who had called her in an unusually serious tone, he seemed to be choosing his words, opening and closing his mouth several times without speaking. When she widened her eyes in surprise at this rare behavior, he gave a wry smile.

“I have my moments too.”

“If it’s hard to say, you don’t have to tell me now. I’ll listen later.”

“No, it has to be now. …The other day, I said I couldn’t find many of the Duke’s diaries, right?”

“Yes.”

“That was a lie.”

“…Why?”

“I thought if you knew, it might shake your resolve.”

Though she found it rare to see him speaking with a slightly frightened tone, Bertina replied that she would forgive him if it was a lie for her sake, but she still had the right to know.

“Even if you heard that the Duke actually loved you, would you remain unchanged?”

“I can’t be certain, but… at the very least, I won’t forget how Father treated me, and I have no intention of forgiving him.”

“Even if the Duke regained his senses and begged for your forgiveness?”

“He probably wouldn’t… that’s just how Father is. If anything, I think he’d try to make me hate him even more.”

Even after years of cold treatment, she hadn’t lived as his daughter for long. After returning from the Annaloro ducal residence, Argent went back to read the diaries and told her the Duke felt the same.

“From a few years back, roughly. He wrote, ‘Someday, even if you learn the truth about Agnes and me… never forgive me, Bertina. What we have done to you cannot be erased.'”

“I see…”

“During brief moments when his rationality returned, he wrote in the diary. The handwriting was almost scribbled and hard to read, but he must have written desperately.”

“……”

The father she had seen and the father who wrote the diary. His true self was in the diary. Even if it was all due to Agnes’s charm, she had no intention of forgiving him, just as written in the diary. Even if that was her father’s wish, Bertina wouldn’t yield either.

When she asked if there was anything written about her twin sister, Milaria, he shook his head. She was fine with that; she just didn’t want Milaria, who should have been her older sister but died right after birth, to be forgotten.

“I’ll definitely make sure we remember my sister.”