A World Where You All Are The Villains - Chapter 48.2
Once the situation had roughly settled down and the Duke resumed eating, the dining hall quickly fell silent.
Ethan, who had been eating without a word, suddenly let out a sigh and spoke.
“…You left Edith and him alone without even a butler present? Neither of them is predictable. You should’ve done everything to stop them.”
“As if I didn’t try. That bastard insisted over and over that he wanted to speak with Edith alone. What was I supposed to do?”
The Duke answered with a weary expression, as if he had a headache.
“So I gave him a good scolding as soon as we arrived. That’s why things turned out like this. Honestly, who did she take after to be so damn difficult…”
“There are cases where people wake up from a coma and their personalities or preferences change completely.”
“Really?”
“Yes. From now on, it’s probably best to get to know her anew.”
They were obviously talking about me, but I couldn’t easily interject.
Probably because I hadn’t simply changed due to illness. I wasn’t the real Edith to begin with.
The thought weighed heavily on me.
As I quietly poked at my food, the Duke suddenly addressed me.
“I’ll tell the butler. If the weather’s good tomorrow, go out and do some shopping.”
“Shopping?”
“Yes. It’ll lift your mood, and we need to start preparing for the Equines commemoration.”
“Ah…”
The name sounded vaguely familiar, and my eyes rolled upward as I tried to recall.
‘That was… some kind of festival held on an island, right?’
「 On the day of a total lunar eclipse, the imperial family and nobles of the Empire gather on Equines Island, located in the northwestern corner of the realm.
In remembrance of the noble sacrifices of the Awakeners who gave their lives to protect the nation, they pray for peace in the future.
Meanwhile, the Blue Moon caused by the eclipse is the same phenomenon that occurred when the first Gate opened… 」
I didn’t know why it had to be that island, but it was definitely mentioned in the novel.
Remembering that, I hesitated before asking again.
“…Am I going too?”
“Of course. Aren’t you a direct descendant of House Blake?”
“But…”
As far as I knew, that ceremony was usually attended only by Awakeners.
It wasn’t just a commemorative service, they also held a subjugation campaign to eliminate monsters that lurked in the deep sea.
Seeing me trail off mid-sentence, the Duke must have thought I was just sulking because I didn’t want to go, and he suddenly snapped.
“How long are you going to hole yourself up in this house? Go out and make some new friends! Huh? If you go around flaunting the fact that you came back alive from the Gate, your reputation might actually improve!”
“Father. She’ll get indigestion again.”
Thankfully, Ethan stepped in at the right moment this time.
The Duke flinched and then closed his mouth with a displeased look.
“Stop picking at your food and take your digestive medicine.”
At Ethan’s instruction, I gratefully set down my spoon.
As he said, it really felt like I would get indigestion even on an empty stomach at this rate.
I obediently took the digestive medicine.
The liquid was terribly bitter.
As I set the bottle down with a frown, the Duke quickly handed me a piece of chocolate from the dessert plate.
“How are you feeling? Should I call a healer, even now?”
“Ah, no… mmpf.”
I had tried to take it with my hand, but he forcefully pushed it into my mouth, so I ended up just eating it straight from his hand.
The Duke beamed as he watched me like that.
And seeing that expression suddenly made my heart sink.
“I-I’d like to go rest now, Father.”
“Alright.”
Thankfully, this time he gave permission.
“I’ll tell them to have food ready in case you get hungry later.”
“Thank you.”
His voice was so gentle, like that of a father speaking to his beloved daughter, that I quickly rose from my seat.
Because otherwise, I might’ve shown the mess of emotions on my face.
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I couldn’t remember what state of mind I’d been in when I left the dining room and climbed to the second floor.
Clack!
Like someone being chased, I rushed back to my room and shut the door, then slid straight down to the floor like before.
“…I’m being fooled again.”
It’s because you’re starved for affection.
People say that kids who grow up without love fall head over heels when someone’s even a little kind to them.
But.
— How are you fine?! Look at your face. You’ve gone white as a sheet!
— How are you feeling? Should I call a healer, even now? Hm?
That worried face.
That warm voice.
It didn’t feel fabricated at all.
I covered my face with both hands.
Suddenly, a wave of self-contempt hit me.
Realizing that Edith’s circumstances were so different from what I thought…
…I was jealous.
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