DSFL | Chapter 98

~Chapter 98~

“…You’re saying it wasn’t you?”

Leon finally managed to speak. His face had turned pale. Cedric, deep in thought for a moment, suddenly rushed out of the room.

“Hey, where are you going?!”

Leon looked panicked and hurriedly chased after him.

Wait—why are both of them leaving me behind?!

I quickly ran out after them, but they moved so fast I couldn’t see them anywhere.

While I stood there dumbfounded, looking around in confusion, someone called my name.

“Bianca?”

I flinched and turned around to see the Countess of Owen smiling warmly at me.

“Oh my, how beautifully you’ve grown! Lord Bluoa must be so proud!”

Startled by her unexpected appearance, I tried to greet her properly, but she burst into laughter.

“Oh, come now. No need for formalities between us!”

“Uh… Have you been well?”

“Oh, always the same, dear. But really, where did that Leon run off to without greeting a guest?”

“He was just here, but something urgent came up, I think.”

“Even so…”

The Countess sighed and shook her head.

She had always looked at me fondly.

Well… more like she saw me as a potential bride for Leon.

“I’ve heard some things from the Count. It sounds like you’ve had a tough time between those two boys.”

“No, it was a situation that should’ve been resolved long ago.”

“You don’t have to lie in front of me.”

She wrinkled her nose playfully and chuckled.

“I’m just thankful you did what we couldn’t.”

She suggested we walk a little in the garden.

“You must’ve wondered why we didn’t step in to defend Leon more strongly.”

“…! No, I never thought that.”

“You don’t have to lie either.”

I swear on the gods—I wasn’t lying.

“When the Imperial family formally acknowledged the temple, a few noble houses made a promise with them.”

“You mean the one where they promised to raise their descendants as priests?”

The Owen and Glaster families were prime examples.

“That’s right.”

The Countess let out a small sigh.

“But it wasn’t easy. Just look at Leon. He’s not the type to sit quietly in a place like the temple.”

“Right…”

“He loves his freedom. Forcing him into that kind of life didn’t feel right.”

As I listened, I carefully asked,

“Then… when you told him he had to get excellent grades at the academy to inherit the title…”

“It was to show his commitment to serving the Empire. We planned to knight him as soon as he graduated.”

She adjusted the shawl slipping from her shoulder.

“But the Glaster family misunderstood our intentions.”

She touched her forehead, as if remembering something unpleasant.

“At the time, they were aiming for the position of Holy Knight. Since the academy usually recommends candidates, they assumed Leon was trying to take it from them.”

“…No way.”

“And the rest… you already know.”

She shook her head with a troubled expression.

“The temple was too focused on protecting Elai’s honor. And the academy couldn’t do much either.”

It was a ridiculous story.

“His Majesty chose to cover it up and allowed Leon to step away from that burden instead.”

…So Leon not becoming a priest was considered a reward?

“If I had known how much he’d suffer, maybe sending him to the temple would’ve been the better choice.”

I couldn’t answer that—it wasn’t my place.

The Countess suddenly shifted her tone and added with a joking smile,

“Hoho, I only heard this through social gossip, so it might not be accurate!”

“Don’t worry. I think I heard the same story through the rumors.”

She smiled gracefully at my response.

‘Elai will fall soon. That’s the natural end for someone who lived selfishly.’

***

This is worse than I imagined…

After looking into Elai’s background, I was speechless.

Gambling was one thing—his womanizing was notorious, and he’d committed nearly every crime in the book.

And this man had proposed to me?

It was so disgusting, it made me want to throw up.

“Brother!”

I ran to Cedric’s office, but he wasn’t there—which was odd since he usually locked himself in there.

“Miss Bianca?”

“Atticus, where’s my brother?”

“He left for the temple early this morning…”

I didn’t even let the butler finish—I rushed to the temple.

I doubted Elai was there, and I knew Cedric would scold me for doing something reckless, but I didn’t care.

I’m just too angry!

Because of that man, Cedric and Leon wasted years of their lives!

“…Lady Bianca?”

The priest Onyx looked startled by my sudden visit. But soon, his face lit up in welcome.

“Oh! Did you come to finish what we were talking about last time?”

I ignored him and looked around. That’s when I spotted Cedric walking toward the prayer room.

“Sorry. I’m actually here to find my brother.”

I hurried toward him. Just as I reached him, I heard Elai’s voice.

“Haha, I don’t know why you’re so angry. It’s obvious that you disliked Leon, too.”

“You’ve misunderstood something. It wasn’t Leon I had an issue with—it was you.”

“Even though that guy spread bad rumors about me, Leon still got special treatment.”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

Leon’s angry voice followed. Cedric stepped in and answered for him.

“You brought this on yourself. If the rumors were true, you can’t just pretend they were lies.”

“What is even going on…?”

I hadn’t realized Onyx had followed me.

Startled, I quickly raised a finger to my lips. He froze and swallowed hard.

“I think you’re just upset because I sent a marriage proposal to Bianca.”

“And why are you dragging her into this conversation now?”

“Tell me I’m wrong. Didn’t the marquis ignore his sister for years, and now he suddenly acts protective? Isn’t that ridiculous?”

My clenched fists were shaking with rage.

What do you know?!

“Looks like you didn’t even show her the marriage letter properly. If you were going to act like this, you should’ve done it sooner.”

That was the last straw. I couldn’t take it anymore and ran into the room.

“I don’t need your proposal! Why should I waste time on someone who can’t even behave like a decent person?!”

Leon and Cedric stared at me in shock, eyes wide.

“I’m actually grateful to my brother. So don’t speak about things you know nothing about!”

I couldn’t hold back—I kicked Elai’s leg as hard as I could.

“…!”

I must’ve hit him well—veins popped in his forehead.

“How dare you…!”

Just as he reached toward me, Leon and Cedric grabbed him at the same time.

SMACK!

Cedric punched him.

Elai collapsed to the ground, and I stood there, lips trembling.

“Yeah, how dare you.”

Cedric growled.

“Who do you think you just raised your hand to?”

“Ugh!”

“What in the world is going on?!”

Onyx, who had been hiding with me, looked at Elai in disbelief.

Finally regaining my senses, I pulled out documents from my bag—evidence of Elai’s misdeeds.

“What is this…?”

Onyx blinked blankly at the files.

“He doesn’t belong in a place like Cardiff.”

Elai’s face began to go pale.

“We’re leaving now.”

As I turned to leave, Leon kicked Elai once more in the stomach.

***

Leon couldn’t take his eyes off Bianca’s back as she walked ahead.

At first, it had been simple curiosity.

She looked just like Cedric.

Unlike her brother, who hid his feelings well, Bianca didn’t know how to manage hers.

She was afraid of crowds and always locked herself in her room—Cedric had never even paid attention to her.

Maybe that’s why… when Leon saw her crying, he promised to become her family.

But as time passed, she started to smile again—and followed him closely.

Pity turned into joy, and that joy eventually became something he wasn’t supposed to feel.

Still, he called it a “bad” feeling and pushed it away.

He had promised to be her family. He didn’t want to break that promise.

A man should keep his word, after all.

That’s when Cedric spoke up with his usual calm voice.

“How long are you just going to wait?”

“What?”

“You’re not really satisfied playing the whole ‘family’ game, are you?”

His tone was unusually kind, but Leon still didn’t understand.

Cedric was always strict when it came to Bianca.

He didn’t even like Leon being near her.

“…Do you even know what you’re saying?”

“Do I look like someone who talks without thinking?”

Cedric sighed deeply.

“If she’s going to get married, wouldn’t it be better if it’s to someone I know well?”

“…!”

“That only works if she wants you.”

Of course, Cedric didn’t think Leon was good enough.

His sister was the most precious thing in his world. No one ever seemed right for her.

But if he had to choose, he’d rather it be someone who truly cared for her.

Even if Leon was foolish and hard to understand sometimes… so what?

At least he was still alive.

Cedric looked down at his aching fist and gave a small smile.

Yeah… That’s enough.