The Young Supporter of Darkness

‘I didn’t know that.’

Daphne sat on a round stool and blinked.

This was information that she had never heard of in the original or in her previous life.

‘The emperor had come to the Castle of Shadows.’

Why did he come?

As soon as the music ended, she wheeled around and held Kael’s hand and asked why, but Kael shook his head.

The emperor came all the way to the Grand Duchy of Bertrand, met with only Ritena, and returned immediately.

It was said that the time he stayed was not long. Only half a day at most.

‘What on earth was the purpose?’

And if there was really information about Ritena’s death and Kael’s curse hidden in the imperial family, she could not have known it.

Despite this, Daphne was the princess, and she was even the one who made Alan the crown prince.

Although she moved in Alan’s shadow, she wandered around the imperial family like his own palm and knew everything inside.

However, she did not hear any information about Kael’s curse.

As if someone had neatly blocked the information.

‘…Could this also be done by Alan?’

Daphne’s eyes widened.

Is that why he overreacted when she offered to lift Kael’s curse?

Meanwhile, Alan was terribly wary of Kael.

‘One of the reasons for killing me was Kael.’

Daphne’s usefulness had run out, and would Daphne go to Kael and betray Alan?

Didn’t Alan kill Daphne because he was afraid of that?

‘Besides, there are only a few people who can block the information that will come to me.’

A few high-ranking aristocrats who joined hands, Flora, and Alan.

It was no more than three or four.

Only one of them has a reason.

Alan was the only one.

“…..!!!!!”

He was of no help whatsoever!

Mariel, who was brushing her hair, was startled when she struggled with her legs, swallowing curses that she couldn’t spit out with her mouth.

“Did I make a mistake?”

“No, no.”

Daphne went back in position. Mariel asked with a quick glance.

“Shall I tie your hair as you always do?”

Usually, Daphne emphasized activity and liked to tie or braid her long hair together.

As for clothes, she also preferred simple pants to loose dresses.

If it were the capital, she would have been pointed at right away, but this was the Bertrand Grand Duchy.

And the people of Bertrand were already quite accustomed to Daphne’s eccentricities.

‘I like that because it’s comfortable.’

Daphne looked in the mirror for a moment, then shook her head.

“Hm, no.”

Then, with her hands, she pulled her hair into two strands and made them look like dumplings.

The fluffy-looking hairstyle was cute.

“Can you tie it up like this now?”

“I can tie it up like that, but wouldn’t it be inconvenient?”

“Uh-huh, it’s fine. And please bring me the yellow dress that His Grace gave me as a present last time.”

Mariel’s head tilted to the side at Daphne’s order.

‘Didn’t you say that dress wasn’t your cup of tea?’

It did suit her, but it wasn’t Daphne’s taste, so she put it deep in the closet.

But the curiosity was brief. Every little thing Daphne did had a meaning.

“Yes, Milady.”

Mariel was busy working her hands for her master.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

A carriage was coming into the Castle of Shadows.

The high-end carriage, which was hard to see in the vicinity, had the seal of the Elmyre Marquisate stamped on it.

The carriage stopped and soon two people got out of the carriage.

One was an elderly woman and the other was a young woman.

Daphne greeted them gracefully.

“Welcome, Marchioness Elmyre. And the Marquisate’s young lady.”

At last, the ball guests began to arrive one by one.

Among them, the first to arrive was the Elmyre Marquisate, whom Daphne put the most effort into.

“Grand Duchess!”

The young lady of the Elmyre Marquisate responded to the greeting with a bright smile.

“Thank you for inviting me, your castle is very splendid.”

The young lady of the Elmyre Marquisate smiled broadly.

“And your hair suits you so well, how cute! Your hair looks so fluffy like that.”

Daphne laughed bashfully.

“I’m glad you say it suits me.”

I knew you’d like this hairstyle.

Daphne smiled brightly.

Since she had been exchanging letters with Daphne for a few weeks, the young lady’s affection for Daphne was already dripping in her eyes.

‘Fortunately, it seems to have worked well.’

From her previous life’s experience, she knew that the Marquisate’s esteemed daughter wanted to have a younger sibling.

So she just wrote cute concerns to match that and sent it, but she didn’t know the response would be this good.

“No, thank you for coming!”

Daphne smiled shyly.

“In fact, it’s the first time I’ve ever had a ball or anything so great.”

Daphne blushed, wriggling her fingers.

“I’m so happy to meet someone as great as the young lady…”

“Alas! Don’t talk like that, Grand Duchess.”

The young lady of Elmyre shook her head.

‘How can you be so innocent?’

And how cute you are.

It was unbelievable that such a small child caught the con artist who tried to kill her.

‘Every rumor going around in the capital is a lie!’

As a commoner, she was adopted into the imperial family, became a grand duchess, and lived in luxury. She had no manners and had a high nose. A commoner who is ignorant and knows nothing.

The main character of all those rumors was so bright and kind and even had perfect manners.

Didn’t the way she greeted just now had the elegance of a noble from birth?

‘I’ll have to work harder to refute the rumors once I get to the capital.’

Just as Daphne protected her, this time it was her turn to protect Daphne.

The young lady of the Elmyre Marquisate made several resolutions in her heart.

Meanwhile, Daphne laughed inwardly.

‘The young lady seems to have completely crossed over.’

This time, Daphne’s gaze landed behind the marquisate’s young lady.

There stood an old lady, the marchioness, who got off the same carriage.

“This is my mother.”

“Thank you boundlessly for the kindness you have given. My name is Adele Elmyre.”

“The wisdom and sagacity of the winter crows to you. I would like to thank the madam for coming a long way.”

Daphne’s manner of greeting brought a smile to the Marchioness’s lips.

“The Grand Duchess knows the old way of greeting.”

“Tradition is important.”

Originally, there was a greeting that combined the seal and characteristics of each family. But it was gradually disappearing.

Nevertheless, the reason why Daphne brought up this greeting at the last meal and now was simple.

It was to remind the nobles of Daphne’s position.

It was a call to act according to one’s own position.

‘Those who don’t understand this won’t understand until the end.’

If Count Hins had understood the meaning of this greeting, he would have saved himself.

But the idiot didn’t catch on to the end.

But the madam in front of her immediately recognized Daphne’s inner meaning.

“What should I say, seeing the Grand Duchess makes me feel like my prejudices are breaking.”

Rather, she was showing a slight affinity for Daphne.

That was right.

The moment Daphne shows her commoner appearance, the marchioness would show contempt.

‘The Elmyre Marquisate is a pure noble family to the core.’

The Elmyre Marquisate.

As the representative imperial faction of the Blake Empire, it has long supported the emperor.

‘But the marquis felt a strong sense of skepticism when he saw the current emperor abandon the empress’s family.’

The empress’s family was also one of the families that followed the emperor.

Seeing the emperor who easily dismissed even such a family, he must have felt anxious that it would be his turn next.

‘I failed in my previous life.’

Like Count Coman, she tried to appease the marquis to Alan’s side, but failed.

It was because of the wrong target.

‘The real influence of the marquis family is not the marquis himself.’

It was the marchioness in front of her now.

It did not seem so at all, but the Marquis of Elmyre was someone who relied on and followed his wife’s words.

So no matter how much you shake the marquis, he won’t fall for it.

‘So I prepared a little more this time.’

From catching a con artist to saving the life of the marquis’s young lady, to carefully grasping the personality of the young lady and the madam to increase their favorability.

She checked it carefully and confirmed it over and over again.

So that there is never going to be a failure.

‘Then please take good care of me from now on.’

The true life, the Marchioness of Elmyre, and her only weakness, the young lady of Elmyre.

Please move the way I want.

Daphne smiled at the two people who were already showing a favorable impression for her.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Starting with the Marchioness of Elmyre and the young lady, guests began to arrive one by one to attend the ball this evening.

The ever-quiet castle regained its vitality.

The employees busily guided the guests to their rooms.

‘Some of them must have been sent by the emperor, right?’

Daphne looked through the window at the carriage procession passing through the castle gates.

There was no way the emperor would miss this great opportunity.

And now Alan will also be paying attention to this situation.

“Eddie.”

“Yes, Milady.”

Edia, who returned to the main house after a long time, ran right to Daphne’s call.

“Did the emperor not say anything?”

“Yes, he didn’t say anything. Just how did you catch the con artist. And just what His Grace and Milady are doing these days…”

Edia trailed off, looking at Daphne.

It was because she knew very well that it would be dangerous if Daphne no longer needed Edia.

“Don’t worry. I won’t abandon you just for something like this.”

Only then did Edia breathe with relief at Daphne’s words.

Daphne, resting her chin, stared at the carriage procession.

‘Because the emperor doesn’t trust anyone in the first place.’

If it wasn’t Edia, if it wasn’t Rachel or someone else, he would have sent someone again.

To check and check again.

‘If a guy with a light undercoat is greedy and suspicious.’

Obviously, the emperor must still be racking his brain as to why Kael and Zegman were suddenly holding this ball.

Not Daphne.

‘The idiotic emperor.’

Still, the emperor mistook Daphne for a puppet dancing in his hands.

A few strange things had to happen, but there was not enough ground to doubt Daphne.

In addition, the emperor had a strong perception that Daphne was a neglected chess piece.

He wouldn’t dare think that such a chess piece had the ability to escape his grasp.

‘Work hard and live in a delusion.’

Unless the emperor and Alan can pinpoint Daphne’s cause.

Whatever you do, you won’t be able to stop Kael’s growth.

‘Honestly, I can imagine who the emperor sent as a spy.’

Among the guests Daphne invited, only one was desperate enough to be used by the emperor.

She already knew their identity and what they wanted, so there was nothing urgent about the spy matter.

Daphne smiled and got off her chair.

“Milady! We’re here!”

Leon’s family has arrived.