Never Saved You

This was an opportunity that God has graciously bestowed upon her. It’s a chance to take hold of her fate!

As soon as Cadelia received the letter, she ran towards her father and clung onto him while delivering the news.

“Your Majesty, please give me one more chance! Your Majesty can keep your promise to me, and at the same time, I can also be of aid to Milescet! I’ll go and capture Grand Duke Ronen’s heart completely. I can do it!”

“Grand Duke Ronen is not a simple man. Wouldn’t you be more of a laughingstock if you go to Ladeen and don’t manage to persuade him?”

When the emperor remained ambivalent, the impatient Cadelia hurriedly came up with an excuse.

The letter sent to her by her loyal spy wasn’t only about the grand duke’s shipwreck.

Along with Lilith saying that Cadelia must come to meet Grand Duke Ronen, there were also plausible excuses written there ready for her to use.

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. Isn’t Ladeen out of anyone’s sight? Besides, there’s no temple there. We can just say that the imperial family will be erecting a temple in that fief. So, if I take priests with me and go down to that territory under Your Majesty’s command, it would be a believable enough reason.

“…You’ve been using your head a lot, Cadelia. If this is how much this means to you, then I’ll give you one last chance.”

The emperor gave his permission more easily than she had predicted—perhaps it’s the sense of guilt for failing to keep his promise with his most cherished daughter.

Yes. It was smooth up until there.

It was smooth, too, as she was preparing to go to Ladeen under the emperor’s permission.

Cadelia felt a little anxious because of Ophelia, but she hadn’t felt this angry at her back then.

Had it not been for the letter from the carrier pigeon, which flew to her once again just before she left for Ladeen, she could have remained the same.

The problem lay not with the carrier pigeon, but with the letter that it had delivered.

This was what the letter said—

「 …That’s why I’m sending this. I saw Grand Duke Ronen meeting with Her Highness Ophelia at the beach late at night. 」

The details were ambiguous about the meeting because Lilith couldn’t get close, but that alone was enough to rouse Cadelia’s anger.

Besides that, there were also the words written at the bottom of the letter.

「 Grand Duke Ronen is consistently showing interest in Her Highness Ophelia. Seeing that she also has frequent secret meetings and late-night meetings at such dubious hours, it’s suspicious how brazenly Her Highness Ophelia is letting him into her room. 」

At the thoroughly detailed report on what Ophelia was up to these days, Cadelia’s insides grew taut and twisted.

I can’t believe Grand Duke Ronen is interested in Ophelia!

It was what Cadelia was dreading.

‘That Ophelia must have wagged her tail again!’

Otherwise, this was impossible.

Ophelia had already blocked her path in the imperial palace, but now, she’s also doing it in Ladeen?

‘I didn’t expect this to happen, but how did you end up doing this again?’

Cadelia’s clenched fists were trembling with anger.

Certainly, she had a pretty enough face so she could rely on her looks to flirt with him.

But even so, it didn’t suit her and she didn’t even know if it was well within her means!

‘Even if Ophelia doesn’t have the grand duke, her life’s in the gutter.’

It shouldn’t be her. That’s why, if there’s someone who should naturally step down, shouldn’t it be Ophelia?

She couldn’t stand it. It angered her so much that this dirty illegitimate child was so full of greed that didn’t know her place, and even went ahead and dared to covet for what was Cadelia’s. As soon as she entered Ladeen, Cadelia rushed through the castle.

Then, she slapped Ophelia.

When she saw how Ophelia’s head turned to the side, it felt as though the knots in her stomach loosened a little. This tension inside her made her miserable this whole time, and it disappeared after this.

Haha, Cadelia’s lips opened to let out her laughter.

But, breaking the heavy silence, Ophelia spoke.

“…I don’t know how I should accept this, Cadelia.”

“What? Accept? Everyone in the capital knows that you dared to covet His Grace the Grand Duke!”

“Right, in the capital where rumors spread once you talk just a little.”

Ophelia spat out these words coldly, then she turned her head back to the front slowly.

“Besides that, it’s not my fault that Grand Duke Ronen was in need of rescue. Why are you doing this to me when you know this as well?”

“Because you’re aiming for a tree that you shouldn’t dare climb! I haven’t the slightest clue what you’re planning to do here, but—”

“Really. What an unfair thing to say. I don’t know where you heard that, but did you think that you’re still in the imperial palace?”

Arranging her hair slowly, Ophelia gradually raised her posture.

The pressure she exuded heightened as she raised her eye level. Cadelia faltered without realizing it.

‘W-What?’

Don’t tell me—I’m being intimidated by Ophelia?

Chills ran down Cadelia’s spine at the thought that unconsciously passed through her mind.

This was the Ophelia who couldn’t even talk to her properly while they were in the imperial palace. It was a daily routine for Cadelia to laugh and ridicule Ophelia’s ugly dresses and her lack of backing from any supporter.

How could she possibly lose against her half-sister who she’s been laughing at all this time?

As if to mock how stiff Cadelia’s body was at this moment, Ophelia leisurely turned to leave the back of the desk and approached Cadelia. The sound of her footsteps was as sharp as frost.

Ophelia placed a hand on Cadelia’s shoulder.

“My dear younger sister.”

“…What? Who are you calling—”

While asking who she’s calling her sister, Cadelia tried to wield her hand once more. But something went wrong.

Her body wouldn’t move, as though she was frozen stiff.

She couldn’t even lift her fingertips so, as if she was a clay statue, the more she struggled, the more frozen she felt.

Ophelia’s voice sank coldly as she spoke.

“I’ll explain it to you slowly so that your dull head can understand it properly. Listen. Before Grand Duke Ronen is considered the master of the Ronen domain, he is an illegal visitor to Ladeen who has never filed the proper documentation for his entry into the land. I couldn’t have possibly sent someone like that back to the capital right away.”

“……!!”

“And, as ordered by His Majesty the Emperor, I’ve been appointed as this domain’s chief governor. Cadelia, I will be turning a blind eye to this disrespect because of the affection I hold for you. However,”

If, next time, you act impertinently once again.

“The things that could happen in this place where His Majesty’s watchful gaze is out of reach—I’ll let you know clearly what they are.”

* * *

Cadelia left in tears. She couldn’t overcome the anger that was welling up within her.

The ladies-in-waiting who followed her from the imperial palace told her to come out and see the beautiful scenery of the ocean, however whatever they said to her, Cadelia just couldn’t feel relieved.

There were two reasons.

First, Ian was not in Ladeen Castle. She was told that, along with the priests that Cadelia brought with her entourage, he went to look at the temporary temple.

And, second.

‘What on earth was that?’

It was the humiliation she had experienced while she was inside Ophelia’s office.

As she recalled what happened, goosebumps unconsciously rose all over her skin.

She hadn’t been able to move her body, and even breathing had become difficult.

It felt as though she was overwhelmed by the atmosphere.

But did she really feel that kind of pressure from Ophelia?

‘This can’t be!’

The things she didn’t want to believe kept happening whenever she was entangled with Ophelia. Ophelia’s presence itself seemed to be devouring Cadelia.

This humiliation! This indignity! She will surely repay her.

With that thought, she wiped her tears away and raised her head. Then, her eyes spied a person passing through.

Silver hair that seemed to glow white beneath the afternoon sun. Deep-seated golden eyes that seemed to be so full of magnificence. Thin, shapely lips. A beautiful appearance that was sure to be unforgettable once seen.

He was the very mage who teleported Cadelia to some random place inside the imperial palace.

* * *

Tak. Only after the door closed shut and after the footsteps completely moved away did Yennit open her lips to speak again.

“…Um, Ophelia. That person just now, is she—”

“My younger half-sister, yes. Our parents coddled her very much, so she still doesn’t know much about the world. She always talks back to me like that and I do hold her dear even if she doesn’t seem to know, so… By the way, you look a bit shaken. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry. Rather than that, is your cheek alright?”

“Ah, this is nothing. Didn’t you have something to talk to me about, Yennit?”

Ophelia’s gaze turned towards Yennit’s direction.

She was so calm at this moment that it didn’t seem believable that she had harshly scolded her beloved younger sister just now. Her voice was friendly once more.

If it was another time, Yennit would have suspected this gap in Ophelia’s personality. However, the moment Cadelia appeared earlier, Yennit’s had changed her mind in a lot of ways.

‘I wouldn’t have been able to hold it in like this if it were me.’

Ophelia even asked Yennit for a special favor to fix the roads for her sister.

But what did that sister do as soon as she arrived? Slapped the older sister across the face and said such nonsense?

If Ophelia endured it all like that, she must be the embodiment of patience and kindness.

And if she’s that kind of person, it’s absolutely alright to let her be with Lord Alejandro.