It Turned Out She Wasn't a Favored Concubine - Episode 33

“I’ll make sure to erase them down to their very souls.”

Marianne harbored an intense hatred toward the beings she referred to as monsters.

It seemed to be a metaphor for certain individuals or factions within the royal palace of Zaren, but since I had never been to the Zaren Kingdom, I couldn’t even begin to guess.

What surprised me more was that Marianne considered her homeland’s defeat a fortunate event. It appeared to be because of those mysterious monsters, and the fact that she held no particular resentment toward Giscal was a relief.

“What do you think, Lady Arne?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, I simply voiced what I had been thinking.

“Uh… I’m just glad that you don’t seem to resent my brother?”

At my foolish response, Marianne stomped her foot and burst into laughter again. I stared at her in confusion as she quickly composed her expression.

“I’m sorry. Now that I think about it, you and Marquis Edelheit are siblings, right? I forgot for a moment. I asked about the monsters, but your unexpected answer made me laugh. I didn’t mean to tease you.”

“The monsters… Honestly, I don’t know the situation well enough to give a proper answer.”

“No, that was more than enough. Don’t worry about the monster talk. It was just me venting.”

More than enough? What answer did I even give?

Seeing my puzzled face, Marianne smiled meaningfully.

“Sometimes, not answering at all carries plenty of meaning. Anyway—”

Marianne extended her hand, as if offering a handshake.

“I’d like to become friends with you, Lady Arne.”

“Huh? What?”

Her words kept catching me off guard. I had wanted to suggest friendship myself, but I never expected her to say it first—and so suddenly.

Unexpected events kept unfolding.

I looked down at her outstretched hand. Just earlier, she had handed me a handkerchief and held my hand for a long moment.

That was the exact moment when these unexpected events began—under Marianne’s lead.

When I didn’t immediately take her hand, she kindly explained further.

“I was really grateful when you handed me that handkerchief at the victory banquet. It made me feel like you didn’t avoid me, so I gathered the courage to say this. Won’t you… take my hand?”

“Oh, no, I’d love to be friends with you, Lady Marianne.”

I quickly grabbed her hand. Marianne smiled brightly and shook our joined hands up and down.

“That earlier gesture was just a small confirmation, but this handshake means we’re officially friends now. May I think of you as my friend?”

Friend. Such a dearly missed word. For a princess and royal consort to bring it up first—Marianne was incredibly proactive. So much so that I became cautious.

“Of course I’d love to be friends with you, but… I’ve done some terrible things in the past, and my brother was the supreme commander of the war against Zaresden. Are you really okay with that?”

“Hahaha, you’re such a good person—what does the past matter? I don’t care at all. And as I said earlier, I hold no ill feelings toward Marquis Edelheit. In fact, I consider him a benefactor.”

She was refreshingly free of grudges. If she was fine with it, I had nothing more to ask for.

Still, it was strange that she would call the commander who defeated her homeland a benefactor. It must be related to the monsters she mentioned.

I asked her directly.

“What exactly happened in the Zaren royal palace?”

“Well, even before I was born, monstrous people had already devoured the Zaren Kingdom. Corruption in an old kingdom—it’s a common theme in history.”

Marianne shrugged. Her light tone signaled she didn’t intend to elaborate. Even if I pressed further, she likely wouldn’t answer.

Realizing her intent, I stopped asking. Marianne smiled contentedly and clapped her hands twice.

“Then, could you invite me to lunch?”

“Lunch?”

“Yes, it’s around lunchtime, isn’t it? And sharing a meal is the fastest way to become close. You’ll invite me, won’t you?”

Marianne was astonishingly proactive.

Far from being a lonely, fragile, pitiful princess confined to her palace, she was far more positive and assertive than I had imagined. I was struggling to keep up with her momentum.

A formal meal for two was prepared in the Arlin Palace’s dining room. Aside from Erich, I had always dined alone—so inviting someone else was a rare occasion.

Marianne and I enjoyed the multi-course meal and shared many conversations. She was a wonderful conversationalist. She didn’t bring up the strange topic of monsters again. Instead, we bonded over our solitary lives in the imperial palace.

Moreover, Marianne knew almost nothing about Arne’s past. Having rarely left the Maron Palace, she hadn’t heard much gossip.

Realizing this during our conversation made me feel much more at ease. When speaking with those who knew Arne’s past well, I couldn’t help but keep the diary’s contents in mind.

But Marianne was different. She was one of the few people who didn’t judge Arne by her past. We exchanged topics and kept the long meal going without awkward silences.

Just like real friends.

After the meal, I was reluctant to part ways, so I gave Marianne a tour of the Arlin Palace.

Thanks to that, I discovered places I hadn’t even visited myself—like the small lake in the garden, the art room tucked away in a third-floor corridor, the little room beside the dining hall filled with silverware, and the bedroom with a skylight.

But the most dazzling room was, of course, the one filled with Arne’s jewels. Even after selling many at auction, plenty remained. They were always a source of comfort. If the gold bars ran out, I could auction off more jewels to replenish them.

Marianne quickly walked past the glittering jewels and turned to ask:

“Is the 500 million drang Motus in this room too?”

Even the Motus that the emperor personally won at auction had become a rumor that reached Marianne in the Maron Palace.

It wasn’t a pleasant memory for me, but I couldn’t ignore her curious gaze. I retrieved the Motus from a box hidden deep in the corner.

“Oh, this is the Motus crafted by Perlo Shanaiyer. Did you see him in person?”

Of course I did. I was even investing in him now.

“I saw him at the auction, but from a distance.”

“Oh, I see. I’ve been curious about what kind of person he is—being called not just the empire’s best, but the continent’s finest Motus craftsman.”

“Are you interested in Motus too, Lady Marianne?”

“Hmm, a little.”

Her gaze toward the Motus I had brought out was anything but casual.

“Feel free to examine it.”

“Thank you.”

Without hesitation, Marianne leaned in close to the red Motus.

Though it looked like nothing more than a red stone, she stared at it intently, as if trying to uncover something hidden.

“May I touch it briefly? I won’t be able to approach His Majesty anyway because of the teleportation-blocking barrier.”

When I nodded, Marianne picked up the Motus with two fingers.

Her gaze wasn’t one of admiration—it was the intense scrutiny of a researcher examining a specimen. After a long moment, she suddenly asked:

“Why did His Majesty gift you a Motus instead of a precious jewel? Motus is valuable, yes, but not particularly useful in the imperial palace.”

From Erich’s perspective, whether it was a jewel or a Motus, as long as it could inconvenience me, he probably didn’t care.

But I couldn’t reveal Erich’s malicious intent to someone asking out of pure curiosity.

“Well, I mentioned to His Majesty that I was interested in Motus, so I think that’s why.”

“Oh? You too?”

“I just read a few books aimed at general readers. If you’re interested in Motus, you should visit the imperial library. There are general books, but also specialized materials in the restricted archives.”

“I didn’t know that. Could you take me there sometime?”

“Of course.”

I gladly agreed. And just like close friends chatting freely about a shared interest, we talked extensively about Motus.

Marianne’s knowledge of Motus was far deeper than mine. It wasn’t something she had picked up from a few months of reading.

I suddenly became curious. I had taken an interest in Motus as a way to return to my original world—but why would a princess like her be so intrigued?

Come to think of it, Perlo had mentioned that rumors of self-teleporting Motus originated from the Zaren Kingdom.

Perhaps there had been specialized Motus crafting happening within Zaren itself.

Could it be related to that?

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