It Turned Out She Wasn't a Favored Concubine - Episode 58

“Foreseen danger is no danger; the foolish will feign ignorance, but the truly wise will prepare for the next step.”

In the end, I engraved that proverb.

To see if he was preparing for the emperor’s betrayal—and hoping he’d notice my concern.

“You must’ve had a hard time carving such a long phrase. Holding a carving knife for too long damages your hand.”

Giscal looked at my hand as I handed him the bracelet, worrying about something entirely different. My hand had calluses from practice. I instinctively hid it. I didn’t want Giscal to see my damaged hand. Then, I took a deep breath and pulled out the line I had prepared.

“It’s fine. I can’t complain over something like this. I still have to make bracelets for other families for the autumn banquet, right? If you tell me which families, I’ll work hard to make and send them. If the craftsmanship isn’t good enough, I’ll practice more.”

“No, it’s not necessary.”

His abrupt refusal caught me off guard.

“What?”

“It’s not necessary, so you don’t need to worry about things like that.”

“But you know how important the bracelets are at the autumn banquet, right?”

As I pressed him, Giscal looked away and said,

“It’s fine. You don’t need to worry unnecessarily. Just live comfortably—that’s enough.”

“……”

If I didn’t know Arne’s secret about her birth, would I have thought Giscal was simply being considerate? I had resolved to act as if I didn’t know, but I couldn’t erase what I had learned.

Giscal’s response could be interpreted as caring, but it also felt like he was drawing a line. In the past, I might have hesitated but ultimately accepted it as kindness. Not anymore.

Could it be that he knew Arne wasn’t of Edelheit blood, and that’s why he couldn’t entrust her with something so important?

“The bracelet from the Edelheit family at the autumn banquet will be a major point of interest. Usually, the direct female line of the family makes and delivers it. That means I’m the only one who can do it. How can I not care?”

I slowly placed a hand on my chest. My voice trembled slightly, but I didn’t look away from Giscal. He furrowed his brow and spoke.

“You don’t need to worry about things like that. Whether it’s the bracelet or political schemes, you don’t need to get involved. You don’t need to step into that filthy political arena—I’ll protect you.”

It was almost like a declaration. His promise to protect me felt more sincere than any knight’s oath.

But it was also a complete exclusion.

More than anything, it clashed with my own wishes. My hopes were no longer limited to my personal safety.

I wanted Giscal, Louis, Loki, Ortrang, Martenal, the Edelheit family, the Arlin Palace, the servants, and this beautiful mansion to all be safe.

But Giscal kept excluding me under the guise of consideration.

“That’s not it. Why do you keep saying I don’t need to worry? Is it enough if I’m safe alone? What about Louis? Loki? Everyone else? What about the Edelheit family? What if the emperor gets rid of you after the war?”

I blurted it out. My frustration at being excluded exploded. Once my emotions burst forth, it was hard to stop.

“I don’t want this place to be ruined by noble conflicts. That’s why we need to build at least minimal friendly relations with other families to prepare for the future. I’m anxious. Not knowing doesn’t make me feel at ease. More than anything…”

More than anything, if everything around me burned down and I was left alone, it would feel like Arne truly had no connection to the Edelheit family. She had lived her whole life as an Edelheit—I couldn’t let her end as someone unrelated.

Wouldn’t that be too… heartbreaking for Arne?

I swallowed the words I couldn’t bring myself to say. And I regretted it. Maybe I had become too emotionally entangled with Arne and spoke too freely. I almost revealed her secret.

The possibility that the emperor might betray Giscal was just my speculation. That’s why I couldn’t say it directly and instead engraved that ancient phrase on the bracelet.

I closed my eyes tightly and then carefully opened them. Giscal’s red eyes were slightly wider than usual. Among the fragments of emotion, the strongest was guilt.

“I’m sorry.”

And Giscal expressed that emotion in words. Without hesitation.

“I spoke without considering your feelings.”

I stared, mouth agape, as Giscal stood upright and bowed deeply. I wanted to stop him, but I was too shocked to move.

It wasn’t a simple nod. It was a posture of complete humility.

“You must be uncomfortable in this unfamiliar place—the imperial palace. I didn’t want to burden you with unnecessary worries.”

Giscal’s black hair slipped down. He spoke in a low voice, like a sinner confessing to a priest.

“But I was too lacking. Too naive. I never imagined you’d care for us, the condemned…”

“You don’t need to say it like that. Just lift your head. You’re making me uncomfortable.”

I gently lifted his shoulder and met his red eyes. And I understood.

He was blaming himself. Harshly. Whenever he faced me, he always showed that inexplicable guilt. From the moment I first saw him, I wanted to erase that dark shadow from him.

“I said it because I want to prepare for the worst. That’s what the autumn banquet is for. For me—and for everyone.”

“I understand your intentions.”

Giscal looked at me with resolve.

“You said not knowing doesn’t make you feel at ease, right? You’re right. From now on, I won’t exclude you under the pretense of protecting you.”

“I know you did it out of care.”

I quickly added, worried he might misunderstand. Giscal smiled faintly.

“I understand why you’re worried about what comes after the war. That’s why you engraved that phrase on the bracelet, right?”

Giscal held up the red bracelet. The engraved letters gleamed sharply as he moved it. He had perfectly understood my intention.

“Once the goal is achieved, the useful are no longer needed. Once the empire’s borders are stabilized, His Majesty won’t need me anymore—so you’re saying I should prepare for that? You’re right. But there are still people I need to fight within the palace.”

“The high noble factions?”

I asked immediately, and Giscal’s thick eyebrows twitched.

“Yes. How did you know?”

“Just a guess.”

Giscal looked at me with slight suspicion. I had learned that the Edelheit family was being used as a check against the high nobles through Erich’s performance. I figured it out while pondering why he pretended to favor Arne and blatantly discriminated against the other concubines.

“You’re right. His Majesty is using me to keep the high nobles in check. As long as they remain powerful, His Majesty won’t discard me or the Edelheit family.”

Giscal wasn’t someone who wanted to win wars or political battles. But circumstances kept dragging him into the vortex.

“That’s why the bracelet isn’t necessary. I’m already in direct opposition to the high nobles. Exchanging gifts now would just be laughable. There’s no need to bring in the lesser nobles either.”

Giscal explained why the bracelet wasn’t needed and why he wasn’t at risk of being discarded.

There was only one reason: because I said I couldn’t feel at ease not knowing. It wasn’t to exclude Arne for not being of Edelheit blood.

If that were the case, he wouldn’t have changed his stance so easily just because of a few words from me.

Giscal truly cherished Arne. That meant he didn’t know—he didn’t know whether Arne was really his sister or not.

“For your sake, I’ll do my best to protect everyone. But I’ll say this in advance.”

Giscal took a breath and looked straight at me.

“If the worst happens, I’ll protect you first. No matter what I have to sacrifice.”

“Giscal…”

“This is both my duty and my wish. I owe you a debt I can never repay.”

Giscal stood up. It meant he wouldn’t change his mind no matter what I said.

I watched his heavy back as he walked away. Just before he left the room, he paused. It was clear he was debating whether to speak. But in the end, he said with difficulty,

“His Majesty will protect you too. You can trust in his love.”

It was the one thing I never wanted to hear.

Giscal closed the door with a sharp sound and disappeared.

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