If I Throw Myself into His Sea - Episode 2.2

“You hate my family, don’t you? But you know what? You’re no different from Dad or my brother. Who was it that killed all the illegitimate princes and ascended the throne?”

“Sometimes I can’t stand my husband, he disgusts me. If my father were alive, I wouldn’t have married a man like him.”

“Brother, you’re not justifying killing my family, are you?”

“Pereian Richard, you must be as miserable as I am. You mustn’t be happy. Ever. Consider it the price for my help.”

The flood of letters was always a mix of longing for a perfect past and hatred for Pereian, who had taken it away. Sipri insisted that they shouldn’t have spared her back then and should do something about it now, but they couldn’t kill her now.

While Henelia was watching Pereian’s back, she had become a central force among the nobles.

Thus, the shallow alliance that followed had been gnawing at Pereian’s guilt ever since. This time was no different.

“Brother, can I slowly make my comeback?”

“……”

She asked if she could make a comeback, but Pereian knew that she wasn’t asking for an answer. It was an act of asking for confirmation after already deciding to return.

“Ah, and grant me just one favor.”

At the word “favor,” Pereian looked up. It was the first request that had come out of Henelia’s mouth since she had been spared.

Pereian no longer wanted to be associated with his father’s legitimate line. He wanted to sever ties with this. So, whether it was money, some precious thing, or whatever Henelia asked, Pereian Richard was willing to grant it. He hoped that this would alleviate some of his guilt.

“The discussions about my abdication have almost disappeared.”

Henelia smiled brightly. Her eyes, a contrasting, vibrant blue, sparkled.

“I’m thinking of making a proper comeback at this royal banquet.”

Henelia had been careful in her actions, as exposing the late king’s legitimate daughter to too many people could reignite the discussions about Pereian’s abdication.

Pereian was surprised by her declaration, as she had been acting behind the scenes as the mistress of the Delute family.

Henelia continued, “Brother has now brought in the Epin forces, and if any problems arise with Epin, you can just take that woman hostage, right?”

“So?” Pereian glanced at Henelia. Her gaze was directed at the photograph of the mainland princess lying on the floor.

“Well, my old husband has become quite infirm.”

Pereian responded with a hollow laugh to his sister, who was shamelessly smiling, making her already dazzling face even more radiant. Of course, her husband was old, but his infirmity wasn’t solely due to aging.

Pereian had planted a confidant on her side to watch if Henelia would betray him, so he knew the situation from the reports he had been receiving.

From the time the news spread in Deltia that the monarch was marrying the Epin princess, Henelia had been buying powder made from dried seaweed monster.

It was a powder that gradually paralyzed the body as it seeped into the organs. He remembered it clearly because the crown prince had forced him to inhale it when he was an illegitimate prince.

‘I wondered who she was using it on.’

Was the target her old husband? Pereian smiled bitterly. In moments like these, it felt like Henelia and the former crown prince, who had been a tyrant, were being proven as the rightful royal family.

Henelia had probably been feeding the powder to her aging husband, the head of the Delute family, a pro-former king faction.

The head of the family would have had no reason to suspect his beloved young wife, especially a woman who was the daughter of the former king.

In any case, she had effectively neutralized one of the pro-former king factions, so Pereian didn’t know whether to consider it fortunate, and wore a confused expression. Since she herself had paralyzed the head of the Delute family, she wouldn’t ask him to save her husband, whom she didn’t love, while discussing her return.

Pereian, who had been waiting for her to state her business, urged his sister with his eyes. As if she had been waiting for that urging, Henelia’s eyes shone even brighter, as if now was the time.

“I want you to be my partner at the upcoming royal banquet, brother.”

“…….”

“The surviving heir can’t just sit there forlornly, can she?”

He roughly guessed. His arrogant and cunning sister was trying to use the monarch as an ornament for a return as splendid as her reputation.

He would have agreed to any request and tried to resolve his guilt, but this was something he couldn’t immediately agree to.

He had a designated partner. It was the tradition and common sense of Deltia that the monarch’s partner was always the queen. Pereian shook his head, looking troubled, and said to Henelia.

“I’m afraid that would be difficult, as there is a queen.”

“Brother.”

“This is something my husband was going to request himself.”

“……”

“You must know it’s not a simple request, brother.”

Henelia trailed off vaguely, gazing intently at Pereian. Her eyes urged him to accept. If he refused here, who knew what she might do at the royal banquet?

She might even bring in the late king’s faction. After a moment’s hesitation, Pereian nodded.

He wasn’t planning on dancing with Irene Iphraim at the royal banquet anyway, and he would only enter with his sister before sitting on the throne for the entire event, so he didn’t think there would be any problem.

The change in Irene Iphraim’s feelings upon hearing that was a matter unrelated to him.

“…I already have a partner.”

Thus, Pereian informed the queen and Sipri, whom he had brought to his office, as if making an announcement. A silence fell over the office.

Sipri thought. The only person Pereian would consider a partner was the woman who was said to be his first love.

Besides that woman, whom he hadn’t even found, who else would his friend push aside the queen for and make his partner…? A certain woman’s face suddenly came to mind, and Sipri’s expression hardened as he asked.

“Henelia, is it that woman?”

“……”

Sipri knew that Pereian affirmed things he didn’t want to answer with silence like that. So, judging by his lack of response, she seemed to have guessed correctly. Henelia Delute.

Sipri had disliked that woman all along. She didn’t like the fact that she had taken advantage of the opportunity to seize control of the pro-King faction, even though she had saved his life. Even more so after discovering the letter wishing for Pereian’s misfortune.

“I’m so sick of it.”

Sipri, her face contorted, muttered a curse, unlike her usual self. Irene, who had been watching their clash, thought in that short time.

Sipri had clearly said Henelia, and Pereian hadn’t denied it. If so, the woman named Henelia must be Pereian’s designated partner.

‘Perhaps she was Pereian’s lover.’

It seemed better for the woman named Henelia to have Pereian’s partner position. Despite Sipri’s anger, Irene came to that conclusion and opened her mouth.

“I’m okay.”

Irene first grabbed Sipri’s arm, who was furious, and lowered it. Strangely, it wasn’t as difficult to deal with Sipri when she was angry as it was to deal with Pereian.

“…Pereian, you don’t have to worry too much either.”

Irene, sending Sipri behind her, looked at Pereian with unwavering eyes and said.

“But Your Majesty, it’s only natural for the Queen to be the monarch’s partner.”

Sipri constantly voiced her dissatisfaction, perhaps frustrated by Irene’s easy concession, but when Irene shook her head, she immediately stopped talking and glared at Pereian.

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