Thought It Was 'The End', Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 209
This Duty, the Protagonist’s Own
Kaitlyn seemed like a completely different person.
She was as limp as a puppet with its strings cut, and to keep her alive, her jailer had to enter her cell once a day to feed her directly.
Even then, she refused to chew, barely surviving on a watery soup.
She had charged forward recklessly right until she was captured.
But now, her lack of will to live was so starkly opposite that Edwin began to suspect that she had been under some form of mind control.
Perhaps the twin sorcerer was still alive and had cast a spell on his sibling to self-destruct.
However, Genevieve firmly asserted that Kaitlyn bore no signs of any curse.
She was utterly clean.
Despite this, Kaitlyn showed no desire to live.
‘Maybe it’s because there’s nothing left for her even if she escapes.’
Blindfolded and restrained to prevent any tricks, Kaitlyn would beg Edwin to kill her every time he visited.
Killing her would indeed have been easier for Edwin.
Sorcerers were troublesome to manage. Many considered them ominous beings, and even the jailers were reluctant to approach her.
In truth, whether she was a sorcerer or not, keeping a prisoner alive who had to be force-fed at every meal was already a hassle.
But Adeline had asked for her to be kept alive for as long as possible, so Edwin refrained from killing her.
The Brubewein royal family, on the other hand, made no mention of Kaitlyn.
Instead, they emphasized that Kaitlyn was originally of imperial border nobility, trying to wash their hands of her by claiming they too had been manipulated.
Yet, letting the incident of a duchess being nearly poisoned in the presence of the crown prince slide would tarnish the prestige of the Green Windsor Empire.
Empress Viola demanded that, if they didn’t want a war, the Brubewein king had to be replaced.
Her plan was to crown a duke with imperial blood as the next king, effectively turning Brubewein into a vassal state.
Naturally, the royal family resisted, but their opposition was futile.
The royal family didn’t even mention Princess Mia.
Though once beloved, she had been completely forgotten.
When the Brubewein royal family went so far as to suggest killing the criminals in front of the entire delegation sent by the Green Windsor Empire in exchange for allowing their royal family’s crown prince to ascend to the throne, even Empress Viola found herself sympathizing with Princess Mia.
“Jeff said he’s going to Brubewein to confirm the sorcerer’s remains himself.”
Jeff had been exploring various ventures to ensure that Brubewein’s people wouldn’t starve.
Although Edwin thought there was no profit to be made from that barren land, Jeff seemed to see things differently.
“But what about your marriage prospects? You still haven’t found a partner, have you?”
“Well, no,” Edwin replied nonchalantly to Adeline’s concern. “My marriage isn’t exactly a priority right now.”
“…Did I just hear Your Highness dismiss your own situation as unimportant?”
Adeline’s pupils shook as she processed hearing such words from someone who had always been the epitome of self-confidence and pride.
Edwin smirked coldly.
“Someone decided to stake their life for me, after all. Even Mother, who was so adamant about arranging my marriage, seems to have forgotten about it for now. Eventually, she’ll find a suitable match, though.”
Adeline blinked a few times, noticing a strange bitterness in Edwin’s otherwise icy tone.
‘He really must have wanted to get married…’
With Shane, Genevieve, and herself married, perhaps Edwin’s previous comments about finding a partner weren’t entirely in jest.
Even Genevieve, though now single again—widowed, after personally ensuring it—might have felt lonely watching others’ married lives unfold up close.
‘Maybe womanizers are just deeply lonely egotists.’
Filled with sympathy, Adeline spoke earnestly.
“Cheer up, Your Highness. You’ll find someone wonderful soon.”
“…Forget it.”
He really did seem sulky.
Feeling a bit of pity for Edwin, Genevieve stepped in tactfully.
“More importantly, Lady Adeline, when does His Grace plan to release you?”
“…Am I still considered confined?”
Adeline realized she might have been sympathizing with Edwin at the wrong time.
She hadn’t even considered that her situation still qualified as confinement because everything felt so comfortable.
