I Wasn't Trying to Seduce with the Male Lead - Episode 18

Biancasta hurried through the imperial palace with a pale face. The box in her arms felt as if it had thorns, pricking her again and again. She was rushing, unable to bear the thought of getting rid of it as soon as possible.

“Hello, Lady Vice.”

Biancasta turned around, her pale cheeks flushing slightly. It was Adrian Eunice, the one she had met and danced with at the ball. In this nightmarish reality, he was the only source of comfort for her.

“Are you on your way to see the Princess?”

“Yes. And you, Lord Eunice…?”

“I’m here on an errand for my father. My path leads in that direction, so we can walk together if you’d like.”

And so, the two began to walk together.

“Will you be attending the ball tomorrow as well?”

“Yes. I’m here to attend the birthday celebration, after all.”

“Then will you be leaving soon?”

“That’s right.”

Biancasta’s expression grew dark. Seeing this, Adrian smiled, showing his white teeth.

“But I will be back soon. I plan to apply for the Imperial Knights.”

Hearing this, Biancasta couldn’t hide the brightening of her face, even though she knew she should be more reserved. She genuinely enjoyed talking with him. Eunice was kind and polite and didn’t know about Biancasta’s bad reputation. It made her so happy to be able to talk to someone without receiving hostile glances. She couldn’t deny that his tall stature and charming, boyish smile also played a part. Adrian also didn’t seem to dislike Biancasta.

“I’ll walk you a little farther.”

As it was time to part, he proposed, showing a hint of regret. The two walked much farther than the path to the envoys’ quarters. Her face grew even hotter now that it was an escort rather than just a walk together. With every step, her heart pounded.

“Please send my regards to Her Highness the Princess.”

Adrian turned back only after he had escorted her as far as he could. This brief encounter had brightened her heavy mood a little.

‘What if I could marry Adrian?’

It had only been a week since they met, and she was getting ahead of herself. However, he was clearly showing her favor, and the difference in their social status was appropriate, so it wasn’t an impossible thought. If she married him and went to the southern part of the empire, she would never have to do dirty deeds again. While every citizen of the empire wanted to live in the capital, Biancasta felt she would give up everything if she could just leave this hellish city of Felicity and go to a faraway land. If this errand was the last one, she felt she could endure it.

With a slightly lighter step, Biancasta entered the Princess’s palace.

“You’re here?”

The Princess came running to Biancasta with a happy face.

“How did it go?”

“I got it.”

The Princess’s face lit up with a pure, innocent joy, as if she had received a stuffed doll, which sent shivers down Biancasta’s spine.

“Here it is.”

Biancasta pulled out a small, silver-engraved box from her arms. It looked like a girlish jewelry box, but inside was a colorless, odorless, and deadly poison, ‘Piranetarium.’ As she held it out to the Princess, she flinched and stepped back.

“Oh my! Why are you giving that to me?”

“Pardon? But…”

“Biancasta, you got that because you needed it, didn’t you?”

Biancasta’s face, which had regained some of its color, turned pale again. She was sure the Princess had hinted to her at the tea party yesterday that she should go to someone and get ‘that thing’. However, the Princess shook her head as if she had never heard of it.

“There must have been a misunderstanding. You know me, Biancasta. I could never do such a wicked thing.”

“Then… I’ll go back and return it.”

Biancasta had no intention of using the poison. Just as she was about to turn around, the Princess stopped her.

“Why are you in such a hurry? Don’t be like that, let’s just talk for a bit.”

A chilling premonition came over her.

“I couldn’t sleep well again today. I was so upset.”

Biancasta involuntarily took a step back from Eileen, who was slowly approaching her.

“You know, while I could never do something like that, I imagined it. I wished there was a way for that bad woman to realize her mistake.”

‘That bad woman.’ It had to mean Lady Eleanor.

“A way?”

“Yes. That kind of person only looks back on their actions after they’ve been punished.”

The Princess spoke in a dreamy voice.

“Just in my imagination, you know. What if that thing just accidentally fell into her glass? Someone, somewhere, who I don’t know about, does something like that to make me happy.”

Even though she called it ‘punishment’, this was not a prank like mixing dirty water into perfume or cutting off a chair leg. This was murder. But the Princess’s face was like that of a girl planning a mischievous prank.

“Do I have a true friend who would do something like that for me?”

The Princess smiled sweetly and looked at Biancasta. Biancasta could hear a scream in her mind.

‘No. I don’t want to do it.’

It was clear that the Princess wanted her to voluntarily put the poison in the drink and then frame her if anything went wrong. She didn’t want to be framed, but she hated committing a crime even more. Just getting the drug had filled her with enough guilt. Even if she were to die, she didn’t want to commit murder.

“Speaking of which, Biankie, it seems you have a new good friend.”

Biancasta, who was about to refuse, stopped.

“I have no friends other than you, Princess.”

“Hmm. Who knows? Maybe you’ve made a new friend with someone who came from very far away.”

In contrast to Biancasta’s face, which was getting stiffer, the Princess’s expression grew brighter.

“If Biankie gets a better friend than me, I’ll be so upset.”

“…”

“I might even wish for that person to disappear.”

Beyond the Princess’s smiling face, the horrific image of Adrian’s dead body shimmered. There were countless people who had been found dead in the woods outside the capital after crossing her.

“You’ll be my best friend, won’t you?”

She couldn’t let Adrian die. Biancasta nodded several times. Her chin was trembling so much that it looked like she was having a seizure.

Eileen slowly approached Biancasta, who was stiff with fear. She then slowly rolled up the sleeve of her motionless arm.

“Ugh.”

Biancasta bit her lip. Instead of a wound, there was a distinct red mark on her skin. This was the reason Biancasta couldn’t resist Eileen at all. The Seal of Silence. It was a vow that she could never reveal what was said about this ‘secret’ while Eileen touched it. The vow required mutual consent. Biancasta had consented to this on the day she returned to the Princess. As the Princess’s hand touched the seal, Biancasta shuddered and convulsed.

“The poison Biancasta has, and what Biancasta will do in the future, it’s all a secret. You know that, right?”

The soft touch was far more horrible than a crawling bug. The seal glowed red and then faded. With this, Biancasta could not reveal the Princess’s wrongdoing to anyone today.

After the ritual was completed, the Princess stepped back.

“Thank you. I’m so glad I have you, Biankie.”

The fact that she seemed genuinely grateful was even more horrifying.

Biancasta ran out of the Princess’s palace as if escaping. The moment she stumbled into her carriage, the tears she had been holding back flowed. She wanted to ask someone for help. But the seal was invisible to others without special magic.

‘I have no choice.’

She no longer wanted to do bad things, but if she didn’t do as she was told, Adrian would die. Biancasta had no way of warning him that he was in danger. Even her parents no longer trusted her. Everyone in the world believed she was a liar and a villain.

‘I should have ended it all by dying alone.’

It was too sad and difficult for a girl her age to bear. Was there anyone who could help her? Biancasta desperately racked her brain, but no one came to mind. She buried her face in a cushion to hide her mournful sobs.

The streets, where the birthday celebration was underway, were bustling with excited people even before the sun had set. Sky, who was leaning languidly against the window and looking out, spoke as he sensed a presence.

“Did you find out?”

“Yes.”

Jenith bowed her head and replied.

“The Countess of Calabria’s romantic interest is a widow, Lady Eleanor.”

Sky raised his handsome eyebrow slightly. He had heard that name before. She was a woman who dominated the empire’s social circles, famous even abroad.

‘A really unexpected partner.’

If Lian had fallen for such a woman, it meant he was truly swept up in the wiles of a seasoned temptress.

“So, they’re still sleeping together? Is the Duke of Calabria just sitting back and watching?”

“That’s not the case. Lady Eleanor has publicly stated that her relationship with the Count of Calabria is over.”

“What? They caused such a stir and it’s already over?”

“Lady Eleanor claims it was just a one-night fling. She said she would not speak about the details.”

It could be that there was nothing to hide, or she could be hiding something. Given Lian’s character, Sky was much more suspicious of the latter.

“Did they really break up?”

“I couldn’t confirm it exactly.”

“You couldn’t confirm it? You can find out if they’re meeting in secret by following them, can’t you?”

Sky raised an eyebrow.

“Are you just reporting information you gathered by walking around the streets without even following them once?”

“That’s not it. I came to report because it seemed there were people protecting the Baroness around her as I got closer.”

“A protecting force?”

“Their identities are unknown, but they are very skilled. I couldn’t get any closer because I was afraid they would find out we were monitoring them.”

Sky’s spies, who were accustomed to backroom dealings, were not so clumsy as to be caught by the henchmen of a mere Baroness. There were only a few people in the empire who could provide such thorough protection that they couldn’t even be monitored, let alone harmed.

“It must be Lian Calabria.”

Jenith seemed to agree with Sky’s conjecture.

“If they’ve broken up, why is he protecting her?”

“Perhaps they’re feigning a breakup? They must have gotten scared after the capital was turned upside down and are now keeping their distance.”

Sky gave Jenith’s conjecture a skeptical look. The Lian Calabria he knew was not the type of man to care what others thought. And he wasn’t that stupid.

“He couldn’t have failed to anticipate the capital turning upside down. If he was going to do that now, he would have met her in secret from the beginning.”

“Then why are they both denying the relationship?”

There wasn’t enough information to answer Jenith’s question. What was certain was that it wasn’t a simple fling or escapade as they claimed.

Sky’s interest in Lady Eleanor surged. What about her moved that indifferent man?

“Calabria doesn’t know we’re following him yet, does he?”

“Probably not.”

Jenith said with a cautious attitude.

“According to my spy, there are others following her besides us. Since we didn’t get too close, they’ll likely think we’re with them.”

“There were other people following her?”

“Yes. However, their goal didn’t seem to be to follow her, but to assassinate her. They haven’t been able to attempt it yet, though.”

“Did you find out who they are?”

“It’s not certain, but based on their unique movements, they are presumed to be the Duke of Calabria’s private soldiers.”

If the Duke himself was involved, the possibility that the relationship had not ended was even greater. He wouldn’t place an assassin to kill someone his son had a one-night fling with.

A person who wants to kill, a person who wants to protect, and a person who is secretly watching…

“It seems like we can exploit the gap.”

Sky murmured lowly and then asked again.

“Where is Lian now?”

“Count Lian Calabria is currently staying at the Viscount Canterbury’s mansion.”

“They’re not meeting now, are they?”

“No. Not yet.”

Upon hearing the answer, Sky gave an immediate order.

“Organize a team of elite spies and put them on the Baroness again. Monitor her by approaching just enough so as not to be caught by her protectors.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Jenith replied and left the room immediately.

‘I’ve cast a fishing rod without intending to.’

His mind was filled with a mischievous plan. It was the perfect opportunity to get the woman Lian Calabria wanted without any risk. If things went wrong, he could just return to his own duchy.

“Then, shall I go and meet the lady?”

Sky smiled and got up from the sofa where he had been sitting lazily.

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