When the Guide Stopped Playing a Villainess, the Obsession Began - Chapter 25
Bianca smiled with satisfaction as she recalled Calix’s expression and the whispers that had surrounded him the day before.
This was just the beginning.
If she continued to isolate Calix like this and war eventually broke out, all she had to do was send him off to the battlefield.
The beginning might seem trivial, but Bianca knew all too well how important appearances were. The more reasons that could be found to question the Crown Prince’s qualifications, the stronger the justification would be later to block his ascension.
She found the Cantabrian Empire rather to her liking.
What pleased her most was that she was the only Guide.
Her daughter Lea also possessed guiding abilities, but that was beside the point.
A low-grade Guide, at best. Could that even be called guiding?
This sense of inferiority had been deeply instilled in Lea by Bianca, even before she could fully speak.
Meanwhile, Lea couldn’t shake the sense that something was off.
As she cautiously approached her unusually cheerful mother, Bianca motioned to the chief lady-in-waiting.
When Lea saw the box the maids brought in, her eyes widened.
It was filled to the brim with gold coins.
“Lea.”
“…Yes, Mother.”
“You did quite well yesterday.”
“…Pardon?”
Hearing praise only confused Lea more.
It hadn’t been enough to warrant punishment, perhaps, but yesterday’s outcome still felt like a failure. After all, she hadn’t succeeded in driving Calix out of the banquet.
“Rewards and punishments must be clear. I’ll look forward to the next hunting competition as well.”
“……”
“Do you understand, Lea? Don’t disappoint me next time either.”
“…Yes.”
Lea gave a reluctant reply and exited the Empress’s palace.
Zion followed, carrying the chest of gold in her stead.
Lea frowned in distress as she walked. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t figure out what mistake she had supposedly made yesterday.
She had tried so hard not to harm Calix.
It seemed she had failed after all.
She truly felt like crying.
* * *
While eating the meal Daisy had brought, Calix casually looked down at the food.
A large steak, generously drenched in savory sauce, sat on his plate.
Each time he sliced it with his knife, the meat parted cleanly, releasing rich juices.
“Mm…”
He took a bite and turned his gaze to the red-roofed palace in the distance—Lea’s residence.
Though she hadn’t sent it herself, he was now regularly eating food delivered by a lady-in-waiting from her palace.
It was hard to believe how used to it he’d become.
And yet, it was pathetic. Once he’d felt true satiety, he simply couldn’t reject the food anymore.
Strangely, everything that came from her palace was either a dish he’d once loved or something new that perfectly suited his tastes.
So in a way, he considered it a kind of conditioned reflex. He couldn’t help but look forward to the meals.
“Huu… it’s annoying, though…”
Letting out a deep sigh, he mopped up the last piece of meat with the remaining sauce and popped it into his mouth, looking at Daisy, who was approaching with a bright smile.
“Your Highness, would you like some tea and macarons for dessert?”
“But… can that maid really be trusted?”
He once again mentioned Rose, as if to scold himself.
Daisy, who was just clearing his now-empty plate with a proud expression, responded as always.
“Oh, Your Highness. Don’t you know how close I am with Rose? We’re old hometown friends. And I’m still very cautious like Your Highness. I thoroughly inspected everything, but nothing even remotely poisonous was found.”
“Hmph. Still, it’s strange. The food comes out of that woman’s palace. How could she not know?”
Even as he continued eating, Calix couldn’t shake his discomfort.
What truly nagged at him was Lea’s hidden agenda.
“I was curious about that too, so I asked. Apparently, they have such a surplus of ingredients that no one notices if some goes missing. And Lady Haisley herself hardly eats anything, they say.”
Calix frowned, not wanting to hear that last part.
Sensing his mood, Daisy quickly changed the subject.
“Don’t worry so much, Your Highness. I’ll keep both eyes wide open while checking everything. You trust me, right?”
Honestly, in the palace, it was best not to talk about trust.
Trust was meaningless.
He was used to betrayal from those he trusted.
…And yet, it never got any easier.
Which is why—if possible—he didn’t want to trust anyone at all.
