How to Live as the Terminally Ill Younger Sister of the Villain - Chapter 78
“This is why I can’t let you go.”
“……”
“I look forward to our next meeting.”
“I’m honored you think so.”
“I mean it.”
As he spoke, Aiden pulled something from his inner pocket. It was a theater ticket.
“I brought only two, not knowing Blake would be here.”
He placed them on the table where they could be seen.
“Lady Flaubert, I’d like to invite you to this.”
Angelina moved her hand from fiddling with the wine glass stem to pick up the ticket.
She deliberately reached for it slowly to buy time to think of how to refuse, but upon seeing the show’s title, she realized there was no need.
She put it back down.
“I’m sorry. I already have plans to see this.”
“Plans?”
Aiden’s brow furrowed, and his gaze momentarily touched on Blake before returning.
However, the person she named was someone entirely different.
“Yes. I’m going with my brother.”
“Ah……”
“Ah.”
Amusingly, both Aiden and Blake responded. Both seemed disappointed.
‘The Crown Prince’s reaction is understandable, but why is the Duke disappointed too? Did he want me to go with the Crown Prince to act as a spy or something?’
Though it was rather bewildering, she let it slide.
“Then the two of you should go together. There are two tickets after all.”
So Angelina arranged for Blake to take her place.
However, both their faces crumpled simultaneously.
‘Is this not right?’
Angelina was puzzled as Blake’s reaction was different from what she’d expected.
After a somewhat awkward silence, Aiden spoke.
“Well, since you’ll be at the theater with your brother that day, I’ll get to see your face anyway.”
Aiden said this while smoothly ignoring her suggestion, reaching for the tickets again when Blake suddenly grabbed his wrist.
“I’ll go to that play.”
He seemed to have changed his mind.
“Your Highness would be lonely going alone. I could keep you company and we could catch up on our conversations, wouldn’t that be good?”
“……This is unusually proactive of you.”
“This is the newly opened theater on High Street, isn’t it? I’ve been considering whether we should have a theater in the duchy as well, so I was thinking I should visit at least once.”
Blake pressed his position with words that could have been the truth or lies.
‘I was right, he’s trying to use this as an opportunity.’
And seeing this as Blake’s effort to seize an opportunity, Angelina added another word to help him.
“Just imagining how happy the citizens would be to see His Highness and the Duke getting along makes me joyful.”
While the nobles might be on edge, wondering what these two were plotting, citizens who didn’t know the details would simply enjoy the sight.
Beyond being the Crown Prince and a Duke, those two’s appearances would attract all sorts of attention.
‘If those two draw all the attention, brother and I should be able to watch the play in relative peace, right?’
There was a bit of self-interest in that thought.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
With her smiling words, their joint attendance became a settled matter.
***
After the meal, Angelina excused herself briefly. It was because of a message from Ante.
After finishing the meal, Angelina excused herself briefly. It was because of a message from Ante.
Though she had told him she’d contact him later, when he insisted it was urgent and needed to talk right away, Angelina immediately apologized and left her seat.
Since the meal was over, Angelina also left instructions for the two men to be guided to the inner room with the fireplace.
Though they normally wouldn’t light the fireplace in this weather, as it wasn’t cold, the maids lit a small fire for the two of them.
It was also because the room felt particularly cold due to the chilly atmosphere flowing between the two men.
“So, what brings our proud Duke all the way here?”
Only after the servants had retreated sufficiently did Aiden break the silence.
His voice, completely different from when he was with Angelina, was cold and filled with sarcasm.
“It’s a personal matter.”
“A situation you can’t talk about… Perfect conditions for rumors to start.”
He acted as if he would spread malicious stories about Angelina and Blake if he didn’t speak.
So Blake had no choice but to open up. If baseless rumors circulated among the nobles, it was clear that Angelina would be hit harder than Blake.
“I came regarding the upcoming ball for His Majesty’s birthday celebration.”
At his words, Aiden’s eyes narrowed.
“What about it?”
“I’m preparing a gift, and it might be quite expensive, so I wanted to seek advice from Lady Flaubert. When it comes to money, there’s no one like the Flauberts, right?”
It was roughly saying he came to borrow some money.
Although it was a statement that tarnished the Duke’s face, Aiden didn’t believe it at all.
“You came to discuss this with the young lady instead of Marquis Flaubert?”
“As you know, the Marquis isn’t one to respond to communications well. Since the Marquis ignored all my requests, I had no choice.”
Blake mixed lies and truth without changing his expression, but Aiden just snorted.
“Is that all?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
“What other reason would I have to seek out Lady Flaubert?”
“Well… Let’s say that’s the case then.”
Aiden openly showed his suspicion of Blake’s lie.
“Your Highness.”
“Don’t change your story later.”
Blake opened his mouth to protest, but Aiden cut him off.
“Don’t retract that statement about only wanting to discuss the gift.”
Contrary to expectations that he would thoroughly expose the lie, Aiden seemed to accept it unexpectedly easily. Then he added:
“I’m relieved. I was worried I might be entangled in a love affair with someone who’s like a sibling to me.”
At that moment, Blake’s eyes wavered greatly.
Seeing this, the corners of Aiden’s mouth turned up.
“I’m planning to take the young lady as my partner to that ball. So when you said you came because of the ball, I was briefly worried, but I’m so glad it’s not the case.”
He nailed it down so that Blake couldn’t retract his lie, but rather take responsibility for it.
“……”
Blake couldn’t offer any rebuttal.
He tried to act nonchalant while staring at the fire in the burning fireplace, but his eyes, filled with fire, shook weakly. He had fallen into his own trap.
Aiden smiled with satisfaction as he watched Blake, unable to relax his stiffened expression.
“You’ve always been easy to read.”
As he spoke softly, Blake’s gaze returned to Aiden. Fixing his eyes on that gaze, Aiden asked a question in a low voice.
“Blake.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Do you know the difference between affection and curiosity?”
“… Aren’t they just different emotions?”
“Curiosity leads to interference for interesting reactions, but affection leads to involvement due to urgent jealousy.”
Saying this, he leaned in slightly. Looking intently at Blake’s face from close range, he grinned.
“Your desire to see that play that day… was it interference or involvement? Aren’t you curious?”
“……”
Blake didn’t answer.
The ambiguous meaning in the question was quite vicious.
It simultaneously questioned whether his treatment of Angelina was due to affection or curiosity, while also probing Blake’s feelings.
A very cunning question that was troublesome whether answered or not.
As the crackling sound of embers filled the silence, there was a knock, knock at the door.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”
Angelina had returned.
With big news.
“My brother is on his way here. He’ll arrive soon, would you like to stay and have some tea together?”
Both men’s eyes widened simultaneously.
“No, I should be going now.”
Aiden immediately declined.
“Isn’t he the one opposing your engagement to me? If I’m to meet him, I should do so fully prepared to win his heart.”
“Ah… Then I’ll see you out.”
“Blake, you’re leaving too, right?”
“I…”
“You said you came to discuss His Majesty’s gift.”
Aiden cut Blake off before he could give a proper answer.
“Didn’t you say you came all this way to meet the young lady, avoiding the Marquis on purpose?”
Aiden recited Blake’s earlier excuse word for word while observing Angelina’s expression.
There was a hint of surprise, but she didn’t seem confused, which made him briefly wonder if Blake’s words might have been true after all.
But then he thought that Blake might have given Angelina the same excuse. After all, one needs a pretext when visiting someone they want to see.
