Our Summer Isn't Over Yet - Chapter 41

I clenched my fist once. Then, I put the letters back in the envelope, just as they were. My hands trembled so much that I almost crumpled the paper several times. Suppressing my emotions, suppressing, suppressing, Mia finished organizing. Finally, after placing the last letter as it was originally, she slowly closed the drawer. Having finished tidying up, looking no different from before, Mia let out a faint sigh.

“…It’s best to hide the fact that I knew.”

Whatever it was, it was better to hide anything that could be hidden. Because it could become a weapon to strike at the opponent’s weakness someday.

I shouldn’t act out of immediate anger or betrayal. It wasn’t too late to take a breath and move after careful consideration. It was too easy for Mia, who had lived hiding and swallowing things for a long time.

Even while leaving Dylan’s office and heading to the annex room, Mia maintained her usual appearance. It was because she was worried that someone might report her condition to Dylan.

As soon as I entered the room, I immediately opened the window. The raindrops were thicker than before. Listening to the sound of the falling rain, Mia pondered the problems she had to solve in the future.

‘There’s no way to return to Pilat right now.’

Since it hadn’t been long since the war ended, civilians couldn’t use the sea routes to Pilat yet. It meant that I couldn’t return to my hometown by ordinary means.

Above all, I couldn’t return to Pilat alone without finding my parents’ remains.

Besides, as I confirmed in the letter earlier, Walter had become Dylan’s ally. With the two dukes of Hippolyte joining hands, there was no way Mia could do anything to avoid their eyes.

Unlike them, all Mia had was the identity of being a ‘Seydimia’ impersonator and her position in society.

This wouldn’t help me return to Pilat. What Mia needed now was more power than Dylan and Walter.

And there was only one person like that in Hippolyte.

“Morgan Hippolyte.”

But I couldn’t guarantee that he would take my side entirely. From Morgan’s point of view, he would choose to silence me rather than antagonize the two dukes.

So, I had to create a reason why Morgan had no choice but to choose Mia Blair.

Closing her eyes, Mia thought calmly. The deal that Morgan would be most tempted by.

The answer was not difficult to find.

Morgan wants the well-being and peace of Hippolyte more than anyone else. And the person who shakes that peace was clear.

“Jose Yan Murad.”

The only royal of Murad who knows that Mia is an impersonator, yearns for her, and has not yet been arrested.

“…I need to set a trap to catch the Fourth Prince.”

This alone wouldn’t make Morgan take my hand, so Mia was thinking of using the fact that she was an impersonator of ‘Seydimia’ to do some blackmailing.

Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have even dreamed of it.

Blackmailing the king of a country was impossible.

But the situation was different now.

Morgan was mistaken that Dylan ‘loved’ her, and Walter also believed those words.

Whether Dylan truly ‘loves Mia Blair’ wasn’t very important to Mia. What was important was whether I could use it as a weapon or not.

Of course, if Morgan told Dylan and Walter everything Mia said, the situation would change, but that was highly unlikely. At the risk of having them and Mia as enemies at the same time, it was a choice that Morgan wouldn’t make from his point of view.

As soon as I saw a way to overcome this situation, Mia was finally able to relax her tense body.

While I was worrying, the time was already approaching seven in the morning.

Mia looked down at the clothes that had been stiffening her whole body since yesterday. Since it was clothes that I wore with Dylan’s help, it was impossible to take them off alone. Frowning, she took the scissors and tore the clothes to shreds without hesitation.

The dress that Dylan had chosen and made one by one became rags in an instant.

Mia only stared at such clothes with faded eyes.

Mia attended the royal banquet as she did yesterday, and it was late before she could face Morgan.

Although she hadn’t slept a wink since yesterday, it didn’t show on her face. In front of Mia was Morgan, with a pleasant face as he had yesterday.

His face began to harden when he learned that Dylan had betrayed him.

He reacted within the range Mia had expected.

“It seems that Duke Richard didn’t want to let go of his beloved lover.”

It was a ridiculous and funny story to hear again.

Faded eyes stared at Morgan. He began to carefully persuade her.

“How about settling down here, as I will give you all kinds of help to live in Hippolyte?”

“…….”

“Didn’t I promise to find your parents’ remains?”

Mia, who had already erased her smile, opened her mouth indifferently.

“The rumor that I am an impersonator has not yet been silenced, has it?”

Originally, I was planning to visit the banquet today to completely silence the rumors. But Mia didn’t show any action in the banquet hall.

The reason was simple.

Because there was no need to do that anymore. And that was the plan not only for today but also for the future.

Mia told Morgan what she would do in the future. She also said that she would not step in to solve problems when they arose, or do anything that would be helpful to Hippolyte.

“What will happen if the Duchess Richard, who is proficient in society, continues to do nothing?”

It was clear that it would cause a bigger ripple than expected.

Morgan seemed to think similarly.

“I like you, but you shouldn’t blackmail me like this.”

Morgan’s voice was more subdued than ever, as if Mia’s blackmail had worked. Even under his fierce pressure, she continued to speak with a face that didn’t waver at all.

“Your Majesty, I have nothing to lose.”

It was a soft and calm voice, but the content was chilling.

Morgan was definitely the one who had more to lose here.

Turning to him, who had already closed his mouth, Mia demanded what she wanted.

“I don’t want much. Please help me find my parents’ remains and return to my hometown as promised.”

Morgan tapped the armrest with his fingers as if weighing between Mia and Dylan, revealing his inner thoughts.

Reading his calculations, Mia brought up a story he couldn’t refuse.

“If Your Majesty promises to do so, I will arrest Jose Yan Murad, the instigator of the chaos, within half a month.”

At that moment, a different light flashed in Morgan’s eyes.

He had no reason to refuse, as she would solve what had been bothering him the most lately in one fell swoop.

Mia had kept her word to end the war between Hippolyte and Murad. It seemed that he was convinced that she would catch Jose Yan Murad within half a month this time as well.

“……Good.”

Morgan promised to fulfill the contract in place of Dylan. He would not only find my parents’ remains but also provide a way to return to my hometown.

Morgan, who was rubbing his eyes, opened his mouth indifferently.

“Duke Richard may intervene, so rather than you returning to Pilat by ship, it would be better for a delegation to visit from Pilat.”

Morgan could stop Dylan enough, but he suggested a complicated method. But the question was fleeting. Mia calmly nodded her head, as she only needed to return to Pilat by any means.

“I will send someone to Pilat as soon as Jose Yan Murad is caught. Is this enough?”

“Yes, but please create a document with Your Majesty’s seal on it so that I can trust this conversation.”

Morgan’s brow furrowed at Mia’s request.

“When you were the guarantor of the past contract, there was a time when I only left a signature because the seal could be a problem.”

And that choice had returned to Mia as a bitter regret today. Morgan closed his mouth as she continued to speak.

“Your Majesty, I don’t want to repeat the same mistake.”

Mia didn’t know at the time that even if there was a guarantor in the contract, if the subordinate had no power or the guarantor and the superior sided with each other, the subordinate would not be able to resist at all.

Now that I knew, I needed something that would make one side pay the corresponding price when they betrayed.

“You’re making excessive demands without a care.”

“I’m sorry if I offended you, Your Majesty.”

“You’ve already done it all, so how about stopping, as it doesn’t look pretty even if you act like that?”

Morgan clicked his tongue once and wrote down the conversation on a paper with a seal on it. He mentioned that this contract was established by placing a period. He asked Mia how she would catch Jose.

Mia recited what she had thought before coming here.

“I will be the bait.”

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