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Raymond looked as if he were about to faint from the sheer shock.
Even under the dim lighting, it was clear that his face had turned deathly pale.
However, stopping here would leave things unresolved.
He needed to be made fully aware of reality right now.
“You’ve probably been so used to my presence since birth that you didn't even notice, but being the one and only Imperial Princess of this empire carries far more power than you think.”
Taking things for granted simply because they are familiar.
It felt like an inevitable human tendency, yet it was something one always had to guard against.
Doubt, worry, or reflection.
Whatever word was used to describe it, it was a sentiment one could nod along to.
Because it takes a great deal of trial and error to realize that just because something is familiar, it doesn't mean it's a given.
And Raymond was learning that lesson at a very expensive price.
‘Well, you can only learn if you have the will to learn in the first place.’
Just look at his expression.
Hollowness. Disbelief, worry, fear…
The sight of such a complex whirlwind of emotions raging within him was quite a spectacle.
In terms of how satisfyingly refreshing it was to enjoy, it was almost worthy of being added to the Eight Wonders of the Empire.
I managed my expression to ensure my mockery wasn't too obvious as I continued.
“I don’t know who planted such absurd delusions, fantasies, and warped concepts in your head, but I highly recommend you distance yourself from that person as quickly as possible—or better yet, cut ties entirely.”
“…….”
“Regardless of whether I like you or hate you, I'm giving you this advice as a childhood friend who has known you your whole life. Take it to heart; it might just save your skin.”
The fundamental reason why Raymond had suddenly started acting like a lunatic.
Surely, some unknown third party had whispered sweet delusions into his ear.
The evidence was that every piece of nonsense Raymond uttered ended with phrases like ‘I heard that…’ or ‘They said that…’
In other words, these weren't Raymond's own thoughts, but rather the words of someone else that he had accepted and spat back out.
Of course, it wasn't a commendable trait for an adult to simply parrot what others said.
It was just that the fact that this third party knew exactly how to scratch Raymond's thin skin—thinner than tracing paper—was quite dangerous.
‘Even if he's a second son who can't even get a toe in the door of the succession line, the blood flowing through Raymond is still that of the Larsen Ducal Family. I don't know the third party's goal, but… if that person keeps coaxing Raymond into various schemes, the scale of the trouble will be immense.’
If one stripped away the secondary title of "second son," he was one of only two direct descendants of a ducal house in the empire.
That alone was enough to bring shame upon the Larsen Ducal Family, and by extension, the House of Martyr and the Imperial Family.
Further still, it could smear the reputation of the Atrux Empire itself.
Among the lighthearted taunts Raymond had thrown earlier, there was one thing that was actually correct.
The fact that one cannot ignore innate rank.
“You are one of only two ducal young nobles in this empire. It's undeniable that your brother holds a more important position, but the mere fact that you share the same blood gives you a significant standing in this empire.”
“……Only two young nobles.”
“Yes, so from now on, get your head straight and study, or else—”
“Then it's true that there's no better marriage prospect for me than you, right?”
For approximately the 1,550,031st time since boarding the carriage, I was speechless.
Since I practically lost my words every time he breathed, the number wasn't an exaggeration.
But this time, I was more violently speechless than ever.
That was because Raymond's conversational drift was so extreme.
‘If this bastard becomes a coachman, he'll cause an accident more severe than the nine-carriage pile-up from nine years ago and go down in history.’
Seeing me stunned into silence by the sheer absurdity, Raymond's slumped shoulders gradually began to straighten.
“Isn't it? You said you could elevate even a mere baron's son to my level, but I am one of only two ducal young nobles in the empire. How could those who don't even share the same blood, let alone the same surname as my brother, ever reach a position equal to mine?”
“……Do you realize that, if you flip that around, you're actually insulting yourself?”
“How is this an insult? I'm saying how great my lineage is.”
“Exactly. You're basically saying you have nothing to offer other than your lineage.”
I thought I had gently corrected Raymond's mistake, but it seems he perceived it entirely differently.
His brow furrowed instantly, and his bloodshot eyes gleamed menacingly, radiating displeasure.
“Stop nitpicking my words. I'm speaking only facts right now.”
“Because you're speaking only facts, now… No, let's just stop. Who on earth planted such ridiculous thoughts in your head?”
Beyond simple worry or curiosity, anger was beginning to well up.
If Raymond's nature had been this rotten from the start, I would feel sorry not only for ‘Yevgenia’ but also for Stella, who was currently caught up in this.
But if I were certain that he had been twisted by a third party, that would be different.
While I would still feel sorry for ‘Yevgenia’ and Stella, it would at least mean that rehabilitation was possible.
‘I already feel guilty for tethering this piece of trash to Stella, but if he's rotten to the core more than I thought…’
Regardless of whether she was the female lead or not, pairing a man like this with another woman was nothing more and nothing less than a crime.
I looked Raymond straight in the eye and waited for an answer.
After hesitating, unable to withstand my pressure, he mumbled a confession.
“……My mother.”
“Your mother… You mean Duchess Larsen? She's the one who said those things?”
Raymond gave a small nod.
Torn between ‘I knew it’ and ‘How on earth did this happen,’ I decided to dig deeper.
Perhaps Duchess Larsen hadn't meant it that way, and Raymond was simply too dim-witted and misinterpreted her.
“Exactly what did Duchess Larsen tell you? No, just tell me everything you remember.”
“She said that to protect Stella… the Young Lady of Baron Aer, you must respect you first. That no legitimate wife can stand by and watch a concubine climb her rank. That's just how women are, so until the marriage—ah, no…”
As Raymond recalled his memories with his eyes fixed elsewhere, speaking everything that came to mind, he suddenly stuttered and shut his mouth.
However, from that brief slip of the tongue, I could easily and clearly discern Duchess Larsen's intentions.
“She probably told you to pretend to respect me until the marriage, and once you're married, what could a girl from House Martyr possibly do, right?”
“……!”
“It's obvious. Why else would you, who acted like a man crazed with love, suddenly start mentioning legitimate wives to me? You want the House of Martyr, you want the lovely Stella by your side, but you have to marry me.”
A scoff of derision escaped me involuntarily.
Perhaps because his base desires had been laid bare, Raymond's face flushed so red it almost looked black.
The fact that Raymond, who had hated the idea of an engagement, suddenly woke up to reality meant that Duchess Larsen had taken my change of heart very seriously.
Otherwise, the Duchess, who seemed to love her son dearly, would never have told Raymond to simply humor me.
‘The problem is that she added the part about dumping me once the marriage was settled.’
Holding my forehead as a headache flared, I asked.
“I'm asking just in case, but you aren't unaware that our Atrux Empire is a monogamous society, and that there was a noble executed for adultery as recently as the year before last, right?”
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