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In an instant, the curtain of night that had covered my head vanished, and it felt as if the midday sun had risen.
This emotionless tone. A voice that was incongruously soft yet firm, completely mismatched with such a tone. The only thing that had changed was that the pitch of his voice had grown lower.
It felt as if several heavy weights had been attached to a sound surrounded by rock. It had become thicker and heavier. Had that heartless tone changed as well, I would never have noticed the difference.
A response devoid of any hint of laughter followed.
“As expected, you recognized me instantly.”
I knew it! I felt my heart begin to throb with joy. I tried to turn my head at the same time, but remembering his command not to move, I very slowly returned my gaze to its original position.
‘I want to greet him so badly!’
I wanted to see with my own eyes how he had changed over the last four years. I looked forward to the look on Valentin's face when he saw how much I had grown, and I was dying to shake hands with the friend I was reuniting with after four years.
Valentin really is quick-witted. Even though I look like this, he recognized who I was right away—
“Princess Tatyana.”
…Huh.
“Do not panic; listen calmly. Currently, there are several spies stationed in this mansion who intend to take Your Highness hostage. It may be hard to believe, but this is a real situation, not a joke.”
…What?
“The identities of the spies are already in the hands of Prince Ivan and myself. There are four in total, and they are dangerous individuals who would risk suicide attacks if necessary. While Your Highness remains seated in this chair, I will dispose of them one by one. However, one of them is surely monitoring Your Highness's situation. Someone in this garden.”
I didn't know where or how to start being shocked.
The fact that he thought I was Tatyana? The fact that spies were stationed in this mansion? Or the fact that I was the target? I was so shocked that the happiness of reuniting with Valentin had already vanished beyond the galaxy.
Nevertheless, what I had to do right now seemed clear.
Follow Valentin's warning.
“A blonde woman will soon sit beside Your Highness. Pretend to have a conversation and answer only my questions.”
An unfamiliar presence settled beside me. Just as Valentin said, it was a woman with vivid blonde hair. She naturally struck up a conversation with me, though we were strangers.
“We saw each other briefly at the ball earlier, didn't we? Today's ball is so crowded and chaotic.”
“For several months, there has been a group steadily monitoring the two Imperial Princesses. To be precise, they were discovered a few months ago, so it may have been as long as a year. After a long period of surveillance, we caught one of them and began interrogation. It was revealed that the plot was more serious than expected, so we used Your Highness to root them out completely.”
Typical of Valentin, to be so brazen while admitting he used a princess.
Furthermore, the reason Ivan helped me with my escapade became clear. Since the perfect environment had been provided to use me as bait, there was no need to stop me.
Right now, I wasn't a princess, but a foreign lady invited by Sergei. Moreover, since I had come down to Shaharansk secretly from the Imperial Palace, I had no guards. It was truly the best opportunity the spies targeting me had waited for over the past year.
‘I'm glad I took off my shoes.’
It'll be perfect for running away if something happens.
“I am so sorry about your family. I also lost my family two years ago and experienced the greatest sorrow of my life…”
“You likely attended the banquet with the joyful intent of critiquing me, so I apologize for using you. By the way, Princess Tatyana, you are quite diligent. To come all the way to Shaharansk while hiding your identity just for my sake.”
“That is why I fully understand Lady Magnolia's feelings. It must be hard to overcome, right?”
“If it bothers you that much that I remain by Princess Larisa's side.”
Am I supposed to answer?
Confusion surged. What should I say? Should I reveal that I am actually Larisa right now? But why does he think I'm Tatyana? He knows everything about my situation. How could he mistake me?
No, before that.
“Valentin, did you actually go study abroad for the last four years?”
“That is not a matter for Your Highness to know.”
“What do you mean it's not a matter for me to know? Are you the only one allowed to ask questions?”
“If you are designated as the target of a suicide attack, the aftermath is even more gruesome. It's like dying while hugging a bomb, so the body literally explodes. The pieces are scattered so finely that it's nearly impossible to collect them all. So, do not speak unnecessarily and answer only my questions.”
My god, I didn't know it was such a terrifying terror attack! Not wanting to be buried in pieces at Illin House, I quietly shut my mouth.
It was a cold reaction, but I wasn't particularly hurt. I just thought that no matter what he did for the last four years, his personality remained the same.
“I do not mind if Your Highness monitors me, however.”
“May I hold Lady Magnolia's hand for a moment? I would like to say a short prayer for you.”
“It would be best if you kept your boundaries right there. Contrary to Your Highness's delusions, I have absolutely no intention of taking Princess Larisa as my wife, nor do I have any intention of becoming her mistress, so do not waste your energy on useless things.”
“Thank you for allowing me. O Heaven, my lamp and my star, please look upon these two poor lambs…”
“Because it is tedious.”
His cold sneer was intermittent, hidden behind the prayer, but it sounded clearer and sharper than any other voice. Valentin was always cold. But today, his voice felt exceptionally colder.
‘Was he always this chilling, to the point of giving me shivers?’
I felt as if I were dealing with a stranger harboring hostility, and my shoulders hunched.
Was this tension, which I had never experienced before, because so much time had passed between us, or because he thought I was Tatyana? Then again, I was only thirteen four years ago. He couldn't have acted this coldly in front of such a brat.
Just then, a sudden figure appeared, blocking my view.
“Oh, here you are.”
‘…Seryozha?’
I looked up at Sergei with blank eyes. At first, I was flustered that he would suddenly approach and interfere with the plan in such a critical situation.
However, I soon calmed my surprise, judging that if Ivan knew about today's situation, Sergei likely knew as well.
“I apologize, but could you excuse us for a moment? I have something to discuss with Miss Genevieve.”
“Oh, dear. I…”
“I ask this of you, Lady.”
Was my conversation partner supposed to change to Sergei from this point on? However, I had a bad feeling. The face of the woman, which I had tried my best to confirm through the veil, was not peaceful at all. The woman was flustered. Just as I had been!
“I was worried, Lara. What on earth are you doing here?”
As soon as the woman hesitantly moved away, Sergei leaned down and whispered to me. This probably felt like that ‘unexpected if’ scenario, right? I calmly pushed away Sergei's arm as he tried to sit beside me.
“Seryozha, I'll tell you later, so just go back inside the mansion for now.”
“Tell me what? Don't stay away from my side if possible, and if you do, you must tell me where you're going. You even came here hiding your identity; what do you plan to do if something happens?”
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