I Wasn't Trying to Seduce with the Male Lead - Episode 51

“You’ll let me meet the Count?”

She had heard that the subjugation Li-an left on would take at least two months. Was he suggesting she go with him out of the capital? It was a very suspicious offer.

When Eleanor shook off his hand and stepped back, the woman tilted her head.

“Why? Let’s go together.”

Her eyes were so fervent it made Eleanor wonder if she was a woman who liked other women.

“What are you doing? You’re making her uncomfortable.”

A man’s voice reached Eleanor’s ears. When she turned, she saw a tall, handsome male nobleman leaning against the railing with a furrowed brow. Like the woman, he was filled with an air of elegance.

“Ah, now that you mention it, an introduction is in order.”

The woman slapped her forehead as if she’d just remembered, then said cheerfully, “My name is Minaz Abrote.”

Minaz Abrote? The name of an unexpected V.I.P. made Eleanor’s lips part.

Minaz grinned, seeming pleased with her surprised expression. “And that person over there is Claude Rouen.”

Eleanor’s eyes began to sparkle as she looked back and forth between the two. Minaz was the villain who constantly got in the way of the princess, but her straightforward personality, lack of petty tricks, and decisiveness made her appealing. Claude, who was always bickering with her, was also a character Eleanor liked as much as the protagonist. After coming to the empire, she had even written a story where the two of them were models.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

She hadn’t had time to feel excited when she met the princess and Li-an, but this time she felt as thrilled as if she had met a celebrity. Minaz took the hand Eleanor offered, shook it lightly, and asked, “You seem to know me. So, you’ll come with me, right?”

“Oh, that is…”

Eleanor glanced over the railing. Down below, Donate was still spreading malicious rumors about Eleanor in every direction. She had to get rid of her so she wouldn’t ruin the party, and she wasn’t sure if she could trust the two people in front of her. Although Minaz was at odds with the princess, there was no guarantee she was on Eleanor’s side.

“Right now, I’m a bit…”

“You’ll let me meet the Count?”

“Yes.”

“How on earth?”

With so many people targeting her, it was dangerous for her to even leave the mansion, let alone follow Li-an. When she demanded an explanation, Minaz sighed as if she had no choice and pulled Eleanor into a corner. She rummaged through her pocket and took something out, holding it in front of Eleanor.

‘What is this?’

The object sparkling in front of her was a transparent, luminous gem in a velvet box. Before Eleanor could ask, Minaz spoke.

“It’s a Warp Stone,” she said in a low, quick voice. “If you use this, you can move to any desired location, no matter how far.”

Eleanor had heard of it, but she hadn’t considered using it because it was impossible to obtain. Due to the incredible difficulty of its creation and the rarity of the materials, only one might be produced every few decades.

“Li-an has left on an official subjugation, so his location is reported to the capital through each region every hour. We found out that he’s staying at the Basel garrison,” Minaz said with a proud look on her face. “Using that information, you can travel to Li-an.”

“You’re giving me such a magnificent treasure?”

“I’m not just giving it away. There’s a condition.”

Of course, there would be. Eleanor listened to Minaz’s words with a cautious expression.

“It’s a long story. To put it briefly… you know about a powerful spell called the Pledge of Subservience?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Oh, really? Then you also know that if you make that pledge, a mark appears on your body?”

When Eleanor nodded, Minaz looked relieved. “The truth is, there’s suspicion that Li-an has made that pledge. We want to confirm it.”

It seemed Sky’s words, that all high-ranking nobles had guessed the truth, were right.

Minaz stopped talking for a moment. A maid had just walked past them. The three of them naturally pretended to be distracted and resumed their conversation after the maid was gone.

“We don’t have time to wait for Li-an to return. We don’t know when the Pledge of Subservience might be activated when he gets back. We have to check before he meets the emperor. I’d love to go and scrutinize Li-an’s body myself, but…”

“Count Calabria would never agree,” Claude interjected in a blunt voice.

Minaz glared at him, pouting her sensual lips. “This is the only one. It has to succeed.”

“I wasn’t happy about having you in on it,” Claude replied curtly.

“I went to ask him for a Marking Stone, but before I could even explain the plan, he just blurted out that I already had one,” Minaz said, scratching her cheek. It seemed that brilliant man had once again figured everything out just from the situation.

‘So that’s what he meant earlier.’

He wants to be marked before he meets Li-an.

Minaz shook her head. “You may not know this, but you can only stay for about half an hour. After that time, you’ll be returned to your original location, no matter what.”

“Then we’ll need a safe place.”

“Right. And you’ll need to change that dress.” Minaz looked at the long hem of Eleanor’s gown before speaking. “Let’s stop dawdling and go. The location…”

Eleanor clutched the warp stone tightly.

The drawing-room of the Shankarn Hotel.

Inside the vast room were the Emperor, the Duchess of Floyd, and Chepelin, who stood a little ways away. Even with only three people, party food filled a huge table like in all the other halls of the mansion. The Emperor stood in front of it, but his eyes were fixed on the windows where the banquet was in full swing.

“This really isn’t like you,” the Emperor muttered, his brow furrowed. “A banquet with vulgar, glittering decorations and a bunch of wild children. On top of that, a huge mansion that blatantly shows off wealth. None of this suits you in the slightest.”

The friendly expression he had shown in the hall was completely gone. He spoke with a tone that was more than regretful—it was contemptuous.

“This must all be because of that unseemly widow you keep by your side.”

After saying that, the Emperor slowly turned around. The Duchess, who was standing in the center of the room, had no change in her expression, just as she had when she entered.

“Give me that woman.”

The Emperor’s demand was direct. His will was fulfilled the moment he spoke it aloud. With a single word, he could determine the life or death of countless people. However, the woman in front of him was one of the few who could defy his words and still live to tell the tale.

“I cannot give her to you.”

“Do you really intend to take a widow as your daughter-in-law?”

“Ri-an asked me to protect her,” the Duchess indirectly answered the Emperor’s question, which was gritted through his teeth.

“I will bear Li-an’s resentment. Hand her over to me, blame everything on me, and you pretend you know nothing,” the Emperor said in a rough tone, stepping closer to the Duchess. “That woman is an insignificant, annoying presence even for you. I will solve all your problems.”

His suppressed emotions leaked out, and his shoulders were heaving by the time he finished speaking. The Emperor waited for a moment, but the Duchess did not nod. The negotiation had failed. Now that she was taking this stance, there was no reason to stall for time.

“There’s something you need to know.”

Instead of explaining it himself, the Emperor gestured to Zeppelin standing behind him. And while Zeppelin calmly recounted the story of the Pledge of Subservience, the Emperor watched the Duchess. There was no noticeable change in her expression, but it was clear that her face had become a little pale.

‘It would have been better for her not to know as a mother.’

This was all because she had stubbornly resisted. There was no room for sympathy, even if she was shocked, given how she doted on her son.

“Now that you know, choose.”

The Emperor was relentlessly pressing the Duchess. The Duchess, who had been staring at a corner of the room, finally opened her tightly sealed lips.

“Your Majesty, you’re saying that if I don’t want my son to become a vegetable, I should persuade him to marry the Princess?” Her normally emotionless voice was now even colder.

The Emperor, displeased with her words, raised his nose and said arrogantly, “Even without that condition, my daughter is not an insufficient match for Li-an.”

“She is someone who could turn my son into a vegetable whenever she pleases.”

“Eileen would never do that,” the Emperor said resolutely. His problems with the Duchess were to be solved through politics and a power struggle, and dissatisfaction could arise in the process. However, Eileen should only be loved by everyone. “You know how much she loves Count Calabria, don’t you? And how angelic her nature is.”

The Duchess showed no reaction to his words. Instead, she lowered her long eyelashes and said in a low voice, “I find it hard to believe that Li-an would have agreed to the spell.”

“It’s true that he grew into a young man with a strong will, but there was a time when he was just a child. A time when he listened well to his parents.”

The Duchess’s face became even more rigid.

“Would you like to speak with Duke Calabria?”

“Do you think I would trust that man’s words?”

Strong anger surged in her heavy, sunken purple eyes. “I will not act until I see it with my own eyes.”

The Emperor clicked his tongue at her stubborn words. “How foolish. I misjudged you.”

With bloodshot eyes, the Emperor stared at her and passionately vented his rage. “Don’t you understand? If you make a foolish choice, your son will become a soulless scarecrow, subservient to me the moment he returns to the capital. I’m going to get my way anyway, so why are you stalling for time and resisting? Is it because you don’t want to lose face by changing your mind now?”

The Duchess remained silent with her lips sealed. However, the Emperor had lost interest in what she had to say. The opportunity for a peaceful resolution was over. He had to show this unruly Duchess and Li-an who the true Emperor was.

“Zeppelin.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Now that he had crossed the river, there was nothing to hold him back. “Declare Eleanor Mariche a traitor and bring her to me. You may kill anyone who resists or rebels.”

The Emperor’s command, which had crossed the line, echoed heavily in the room.

“The banquet is over, Duchess.”

The Emperor said this to the frozen Duchess of Floyd before leaving the room.

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