Guiding the Male Lead out of His Trauma - Chapter 38.2
The two of them, bound by the goals of avenging his mother and ensuring their own survival, must have found mutual interests there.
But at the same time, they must also be constant reminders to each other of the deepest wounds.
Acteon would be reminded of his late mother whenever he looked at the duchess. And with the duchess being prized for her high compatibility, she could not help but recall how she too had been taken in by the duke, valued only as a convenient tool.
Recalling how they both suffered from the duke’s unethical deeds, they would use each other as reminders not to lose their sense of vengeance.
People around them were always trying to use them, so they had to keep killing their emotions and wait for the right moment, whispering that lesson in each other’s ear.
There must be times when they wondered if all this waiting was even worth it, a kind of disillusionment.
…He was asking me for the answer, but I didn’t have one, so I couldn’t help.
Acteon still looked uncertain.
But really, there’s nothing that doesn’t change.
Just as I changed the future where I died because of you.
I wanted to say that, but it wasn’t time yet.
I knew just how unreasonable it would sound to claim I’d changed the future in which I died.
While I led him away, Acteon, who had been quietly watching my profile, finally spoke in a slow voice.
“You’re right. Things do change. Even miracles you never once believed in can happen. So why not anything else?”
“Miracles?”
He simply looked at me.
Maybe, while stumbling backward, he’d found some comfort in all this.
‘If it helps, that’s enough.’
If it eased your heart…
I was about to ask again why he’d come out in secret, when suddenly, he pulled me toward him.
“What is it?”
“I’m looking. I told you, I came out to tail someone.”
Ah, right.
No need to ask if we were both after the same person.
He led me into an alley and spoke.
“I’ve had my suspicions for a while. And lately, Mother’s said that person’s been going out more often.”
I peeked outside and nodded.
A tall figure was striding quickly a block away.
There might be others in the capital as tall as him, but there was only one person Acteon would bother following from the mansion.
Belled.
Sure enough, he was suspicious of the same person I was.
“In fact, I saw Belled coming back early yesterday morning too.”
Now that we were on the same page, there was nothing more to discuss.
We followed silently before he could get too far.
* * *
After passing through District 2, Belled headed into District 4, where the lights grew fewer and the streets darker.
In the Central District and Districts 1 and 2, there was always foot traffic even at night, with magic stones lighting the streets.
But the higher the district number, the deeper the darkness each night.
There were fewer people, and more than anything, the public safety deteriorated sharply.
But Belled walked those dim streets with no hesitation, as if he was used to it.
There was hardly anyone around to notice us tailing him, but precisely because it was so quiet, we had to be extra careful.
“How did Belled come to be hired, anyway?”
“I don’t know the details. My father brought him in on someone’s recommendation. There’s no record of where he worked before that. He’s quite a secretive person.”
“And yet the duchess trusts him.”
To have someone suspicious, brought in by the duke, right at her side.
It was hard to believe it was just due to his skills or character.
Who introduced Belled to the duke?
The family’s exclusive pharmacist, for the Brondearn Manifesters, was one of the most important people to the house.
Naturally, he had to know the family’s business inside and out—their habits, personalities, even potential weaknesses.
Someone like that couldn’t be brought in on mere trust.
Aside from the branch families occupying key military positions to strengthen the house, there was no one I could imagine the duke would trust so easily.
Or perhaps, someone who could give him a clear solution to his biggest headaches.
Who could that be?
I laid out the current power structure in my mind, trying to organize it.
Maybe I would have found a clue, if only Belled hadn’t suddenly stopped walking.
Unfortunately, he paused in front of a lit shop and went inside.
“There’s not even a sign or any merchandise to tell what kind of shop it is.”
“It’s probably a repair shop. We’ll have to get closer to be sure.”
I’d actually been inside shops like that, back in the days when I’d do whatever it took to get food.
Under the rubble of collapsed buildings, you’d sometimes find weapons or watches the military hadn’t collected.
If you brought those to a repair shop, they’d fix them up and sell them illegally for a profit.
As I got closer to the building, I caught the mingled scents of weak gunpowder and herbs.
Definitely an illegal dealer.
Just then, I caught sight of someone through the cloudy glass—a hooded figure was sitting inside.
“You’re a bit late today. Maybe I’ve been calling you out too often?”
Under the dim lamp, I saw a flash of familiar blond hair.
A royal’s signature trait.
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