Villainous Lady, The Obsession Begins

【Chapter 50 – Go Out for Spirits】

What caught Esadien’s attention were the items Lafech Celeste was carrying in and out of the magic workshop. From the start, Esadien knew his limits well. Trying to become friends and learn the information was practically impossible. It was better to observe silently. 

So, he followed Lafech around like a shadow during the day and infiltrated the workshop at night to search for clues. The workshop was much more thorough than Esadien expected. Letters he read were burned on the spot, and every drawer was locked. It was like trying to see a tangible object through the fog. 

But what made this mission even more difficult was the longing he felt.

‘Minuelle.’

Before long, Minuelle’s presence had established a familiar comfort in Esadien’s heart. Whenever he wanted to see Minuelle, Esadien would gently press on top of the letter he had put in his pocket. The feeling of not thinking about Minuelle while being by Lafesh Celeste’s side disappeared in just a week, and as time passed, he felt a growing thirst to see Minuelle.

“I’ll wait for you.”

Because she said she would wait, I believed her words. Even though we couldn’t be together now, I just thought that if I explained later, she would understand.

Suddenly, a conversation caught Esadien’s ear.

“She’s not taking off her gloves?”

“That’s the only thing I found strange as I visited the Grand Duchess’s residence…”

‘It’s the story of Minuelle.’

There was a time when Esadien found it strange that Minuelle always wore gloves. He recalled a time when she received a pair of gloves as a gift and seemed delighted but refused to put them on in front of him. It was odd behavior for Minuelle, who usually tried on anything immediately.

“According to what ‘he’ said, there must be traces of contact with it.”

“Traces?”

“Yes, a pattern or a mole!”

Who is ‘he’ and what is ‘it.’

The frustration only piled up. In my mind, I wanted to lead the Knights to search the entire Viscount office just like they did in the magic district.

“Could you take off your gloves and show me your hands?”

“It was so sudden. Later…. later….. now is….”

Minuelle who came to visit him also refused his request when he asked for a favor.

As someone who needed to figure out what the Viscount meant, Esadien was in a hurry, but he tried to understand, feeling confused.

Above all, it was a situation where the trembled Minuelle was bleeding profusely, and Esadien couldn’t ask any more questions. However, when he saw Ramande sitting silently inside her carriage, something stirred within him.

‘That Priest knows everything. Even what was hidden under her gloves.’

In that thought, Esadien emotionally reacted without even knowing what he felt.

As a result, it was a huge mistake that led to the deterioration of his relationship with Minuelle and the investigation of Lafesch.

Lafesch’s purchases, which were previously chaotic, were suddenly fixed on one item, and the purchase was abruptly discontinued.

Yoshicho, a plant that didn’t grow in hot regions, was not commonly used, and even confirming its use was difficult.

“It’s used to restore the power of nature.”

It was said to be a plant that is planted when the fertility of the land that has been cultivated for a long time has declined. However, what Lafesch bought was dried powder of it. The shop owner repeatedly said that he only dealt with the stock because he took over the store not long ago and did not know the usage well. 

However, after that, Lafesch only actively participated in social gatherings, as if she had never wandered around magic.

“It’s not completely hopeless if the Third Prince is with you. If he becomes distant from Karinen, he might be drawn to this side. ‘That person’ said he doesn’t like it, but…”

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It was a tough time to endure, but when the Viscount gave instructions to Lafesch, he felt that all the hardships he had gone through were not in vain. 

However, the moment of relief was short-lived, as he had to face Minuelle again at Lafesch’s social gathering.

‘If you wait for me, I’ll tell you everything.’

Just hold on a little longer. Munelle promised to wait, but it seemed like she had forgotten about it completely. It makes me wonder if I can believe in her love too…

“You liked me. No, at least she had some interest in you, right?”

“I don’t know.”

Because of this, he could not answer Minuelle’s question clearly.

Because of that, he couldn’t give a clear answer to Muriel’s question. However, he didn’t have time to think about that question for long. The day before the coming-of-age ceremony, news came that Viscount Celeste had purchased the yoshicho field.

Viscount Celeste was a capital aristocrat without a manor. He’s only a merchant, and he bought yoshicho by field. It was clear that there was another purpose.

He couldn’t just sit back and watch the situation anymore, as he might receive orders from the being known as ‘that person’, and any trace could be erased in an instant afterward. That day, Esadien spent the night planning a mission to arrest Viscount Celeste.

“I finally get to use it.”

Lafesch already knew that the tea she was drinking had been drugged. If her hands were trembling as she hesitated to add the drug, it would have been impossible not to notice. Moreover, Esadien had personally heard the order from Viscount Celeste to give Lafesch the drug.

“We have to do anything to get the Prince to move quickly.”

He clearly said so.

And it was after investigating the fact that most of the new servants had contact with the Viscount.

‘I thought I could catch something bigger.’

It was unfortunate, but I couldn’t bring this up any further. A card that was not used when it could have been used was eventually thrown away.

Esadien, who ordered the Knights to be arrested after dawn, decided to attend the coming-of-age ceremony and take charge of Lafesch.

As the coming-of-age ceremony was held separately for men and women, he caught up with Lafesch and restrained her as soon as the ceremony was over.

“What orders have given to you so far”

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about….”

“Viscount Celeste was arrested a little while ago.”

“…….”

“Don’t you know? You’re just like a loose end of a kite. If you help with the investigation by revealing the fact that you were used under the guise of an adopted daughter, I will go easy on you.”

Lafesch hesitated to speak as if she was about to say something with a dark expression, but in the end, she raised her hand.

“Upstairs is my waiting room. Come over there in an hour. I will tell you everything I know.”

It’s in an hour. Strangely, the specific time bothered me, but there were knights guarding each entrance.

Esadien agreed, thinking that it would be okay to tell the young lady to report when she left.

And an hour later.

Esadien frowned at the sight of Lafesch.

“Here you are. Can you tighten the string? I don’t see where the maid has gone.”

She was dressed in a corset over her underwear.

“Now…..”

“I won’t tell you if you refuse.”

“How dare you make fun of the imperial family. I can’t help it if you don’t want leniency.”

It was a moment when it was clear that she was trying to mock or ridicule him as he was about to leave.

“Come on, my Dien.”

His steps came to a sudden stop. Esadien’s eyes widened to the point where they couldn’t get any wider. 

It was the tone of the dead Princess Maya, his mother.

“Lafesch Celeste, how?”

A face that looked just like my mother was caught in my eyes.

Her smirking expression, as if she knew he would return, instantly turned his embarrassment into anger.

“Tell me who ordered it. Now!”

It doesn’t matter whether Lafesch is wearing a corset or nothing. He gripped her neck and interrogated her, but Lafesch didn’t open her mouth. 

Rather, Esadien seemed to have eyes on the behavior of letting her body relax and give it to him as if he had to do what she wanted.

The words came out even though the hand holding the neck was getting stronger and stronger……

“Mi, Mi-Minuelle!”

What?

Suddenly, the name that popped out of nowhere made Esadien’s heart skip a beat, thinking that it might be an order from Minuelle. But before he knew it, he realized that Lafesch’s gaze was clearly fixed on his back.

“It’s Minuelle?”

From the moment he turned around, time began to flow slowly.

Her eyes remained frozen while only the corners of her mouth rose sharply.

And then, the sight of her taking off the gloves he had given her, as if challenging him to a duel.

Every detail was etched into his mind.

“Yes, you’re out.”

Minuelle’s scar, which seemed to pass by, hurt more than the impact of being slapped with gloves, rather than the meaningless words.

An old burn mark underneath her palm. Perhaps she had insisted on wearing gloves to cover it up. But I…..

It sounded as if something was crumbling down, but looking around, it was just a hallucination. When he regained his composure, Minuelle was gone, and Lafesch was sitting with a tired face, mocking him.

“That’s why you should have made it clear, Your Highness.”

The voice of Minuelle, who was questioning his own certainty, overlapped.

“I…”

Esadien was still in a state of shock. But there was one thing that was clear to him— he couldn’t let Minuel go like this.

Although he stood up and gathered his composure with that one thought, when he met Minuel again at the banquet hall, she seemed like a completely different person.

“Didn’t you…. told me you loved me?”

“I did.”

“Didn’t you say it wouldn’t change?”

“Wine changes when you leave the cork open.”

Upon hearing those words, Esadien felt a clear sense of betrayal, and a tremendous shock struck him at the realization.

‘Minuelle will wait for me. Since she said she loves me.’

He had been unconsciously thinking like that all along. In other words… he was relying on the emotions he had vehemently denied. 

The engagement annulment letter that had flown in from the Karinen family had saved him from being stuck in self-loathing in the desolate palace where even the servants were imprisoned. Reality came crashing down in the form of a single sheet of paper.

‘Minuelle, really….’

Let me go.

He finally had to admit it to himself. Was it really just gratitude for repaying the favor of the engagement? Could he not refuse the embrace of a weak and small person? It was all an excuse to turn away from his own emotions.

“I don’t want to lose it.”

Was it not possible to be attracted to the fiancée he met unwillingly? Was it not possible to miss her so much?

He felt that she was lovely even when she sneezed because of the dust.

He felt jealous of the priest who was attached to Minuelle!

The words “I like you” from Minuelle, which he once felt burdened by, had seeped into his heart like rain on parched land.

“Love…”

Esadien lay down on the long green chair instead of the bed and murmured while stroking the tapestry that Minuelle had given him as a gift. This chair was a testament to the days when Minuelle used to visit.

It’s been a long time since he entered the bedroom because it was strangely unpleasant when Lafesch came in and out and sat on Minuelle’s seat.

After receiving the engagement annulment letter, there were more days he slept in this chair than in the bed.