Ch.116Defanged Snake (4)

“……What?”

Daisy’s mind froze.

She could feel the situation completely flipping on its head.

Just when she thought she was Caden’s priority, a massive incident had occurred where Caden was attacked, and in that situation, she felt pushed aside because she hadn’t properly done her part.

Her body seemed paralyzed, unable to move properly, her expression unchanging, but this was all due to the violent collision of thoughts in her head.

She tried to understand what Judy had said.

So, did this mean they promised marriage to whoever rescued Caden?

Was it that whoever saved him could have him?

While this revealed how desperate the Praester Family had been, for Daisy, there couldn’t have been worse news.

But she couldn’t say anything.

Because it should have been the Hexter Family who rescued him.

They were closest to Caden and were the family meant to be joined with him.

If she had rescued him, Judy’s promise wouldn’t have taken effect.

Also, if Judy hadn’t saved him, Caden would no longer be in this world.

Her head understood, but her heart couldn’t accept it.

But these selfish, shameless thoughts were hers alone.

“…T-Then…I, I am…”

“Daisy, that’s not it… Judy, if you say it like that—”

“—Am I… being abandoned…?”

Daisy carefully asked Caden.

In fact, wasn’t this why none of the Praesters had come to greet her?

Just as the Hexter Family had treated Caden as someone no longer relevant and shown no goodwill, the Praesters were responding in kind.

Now Daisy suddenly began to feel wronged.

As the reality of losing him drew closer, she lost all composure and began looking for someone to blame.

‘If only Father hadn’t done that.’

‘That wasn’t what I meant.’

‘I tried my best too.’

And so on—she couldn’t speak the words, but tears threatened to fall.

Once again, she found herself sympathizing with the twins.

She could feel what it was like to be torn away from Caden.

Sadly, Judy had also been torn from Caden in the past… but now she would be connected to him, so Daisy couldn’t sympathize.

Daisy was still grateful to Judy for saving Caden.

So, so grateful.

…….But if the price for saving Caden was Caden himself.

While she would have to accept it… it was a tremendous price.

“I haven’t abandoned you, Daisy.”

Caden said. Daisy tried to understand his meaning as she spoke.

“…..If you’re saying we should go back to being just friends… I can’t… be satisfied with that anymore…”

This was all she could manage.

She couldn’t even bring herself to be angry at Judy.

She only felt pathetic about herself… which made it hurt even more.

“Daisy, that’s not it….”

Caden grabbed Daisy by both shoulders. Somehow, just that was enough to start calming her anxious heart.

Caden took a deep breath, then carefully began to speak.

“….I’m sorry to say this before we’ve even had an engagement ceremony, but—”

Once again, Judy interrupted.

“—I’ll, I’ll say it, Caden.”

“……”

Daisy’s gaze shifted. Her eyes scanned both Caden and Judy.

She had to admit they made a well-matched pair.

…..Though she didn’t feel like congratulating them.

“….Please… please allow me to become Caden’s concubine…”

“…..What?”

Daisy’s mind took flight once more.

A harsh current entered her darkening heart, bringing a ray of light.

“….Con…concubine?”

She asked again.

Judy, flustered by Daisy’s stammering, added an explanation.

“…I won’t be a bother. I won’t interfere between you and Caden. I just need to be by Caden’s side…”

As Daisy began to reimagine her future with Caden, he also spoke.

“….I’m sorry, Daisy. For making such a request so soon.”

“No, no! That—”

As Daisy grasped at hope, Judy continued without stopping.

“….If you’re truly grateful that I saved Caden…! Please, just this once. The Praester Family has already given permission… I plan to convince my family… now I just need your approval. Even if I’m connected to Caden, I won’t ask for much. I’ll yield if anything happens. If… if you could just let me have Caden on occasions like my birthday… or anniversaries…”

Judy kept pleading.

For Daisy, who felt she had no right to refuse anything to Judy, this was the best possible outcome.

She wasn’t foolish enough to reject the opportunity presented to her.

If it meant keeping her place, she could accept anything.

“….Yes. Alright. I give my permission.”

She quickly accepted Judy’s proposal, securing her future with Caden.

“…Really? Truly?”

A bright smile began to spread across Judy’s face.

Daisy continued.

“Yes. Without you, Caden wouldn’t be here… and I know what kind of relationship you two had. But… Caden, I have a request too…”

“Tell me, Daisy.”

“…….”

She hesitated whether to speak, then leaned her body toward Caden.

Inwardly, Daisy already felt she was losing ground to Judy.

She would still be the legal wife, but that meant nothing. What mattered was being first in Caden’s heart.

But in the current situation, she could easily tell who Caden was more inclined toward without having to ask.

However, she had no intention of abusing this opportunity.

She was only preparing for one future she didn’t want to imagine.

As she leaned in to whisper, Caden also leaned in, offering his ear.

Daisy whispered.

“……Just promise you won’t neglect me…”

Admitting defeat in any situation is bad.

It takes away what little power you have while empowering the other person.

Knowing this, Daisy didn’t want to verbalize the fact that she was being pushed aside, but in her anxious vision of the future, she could see Caden and Judy only having eyes for each other.

They looked good together, even to her.

But Caden’s surprised expression somewhat eased her anxiety.

“Of course.”

He said without hesitation, hiding his expression.

“I promise.”

Daisy nodded.

“Yes. Then… I have nothing more to say. I give my permission.”

Judy’s shallow, excited breathing could be heard.

She was looking at Caden with a bright smile.

With clenched fists that she shook slightly, she was savoring her joy with her whole body.

Caden also smiled at Judy and nodded.

Daisy, meanwhile, massaged her tingling hands, relieved that the situation hadn’t turned out as badly as it could have.

After staying quiet for a while to let the two enjoy their happiness, she briefly raised her head to look at Judy.

At that moment, Judy’s eyes were already looking at Daisy.

For just.

Just a fleeting moment, they exchanged glances.

But Daisy could vaguely glimpse the desire in Judy’s eyes.

Despite her words about yielding much… her gaze saw Daisy as a rival.

It seemed to say that someday she would monopolize Caden’s love.

Though it didn’t seem like a look Judy had consciously sent, it snapped Daisy to attention.

This was no time to be relieved.

This second chance… she needed to grasp it firmly.

More.

She needed to do more to win Caden’s heart.

****

Daisy’s day wasn’t over. She poured all her efforts into meeting Lady Riana.

No matter how much Lady Riana didn’t want to meet her, as a guest who had entered the Praester territory, she couldn’t rest on this land without greeting Lady Riana.

So, with Caden’s help, she met Lady Riana, but Daisy couldn’t have much conversation.

With Lady Riana’s clear displeasure, saying they would talk next time, she had no choice but to withdraw.

In fact, Daisy also thought it natural that Lady Riana would find the Hexters unpleasant.

Lady Riana had made a promise with her father.

Her father and Lady Riana had vowed that even if Caden fell to commoner status, Lady Riana would treat Caden like her own child, and as long as she lived, the alliance with the Praesters would never break.

But when Caden actually fell to commoner status, in reality… her father had betrayed him.

Lady Riana seemed to understand her father’s anxiety about the special circumstances to some extent, as she didn’t show fierce anger, but Daisy thought it natural for her to show this level of discomfort.

After the eventful meeting with Lady Riana, one person remained.

The head of the Praester Family.

The most formidable opponent.

Caden’s younger sister, but also his sibling.

At the same time, a romantic rival who loved Caden.

Asena Praester remained.

Like a married couple, Daisy was sticking close to Caden as they went around greeting his family members.

“….Caden. Then the last person I need to apologize to is Asena—”

“—Ah, Daisy.”

Caden interrupted Daisy’s suggestion to meet Asena.

“…..I’m sorry. I don’t think we can meet Asena right now.”

Daisy quickly understood his words.

She knew how complicated the relationship between Asena and Caden was.

As Daisy nodded, Caden spoke.

“…Please rest for today. It’s evening, but I have some issues to resolve. If you wait and rest a bit, I’ll come find you.”

“….Alright.”

Daisy couldn’t say anything else.

It had been a long day for her too.

Having committed a sin, she didn’t feel comfortable at all despite being in her loved one’s territory.

****

As quite some time had passed since the twins regained consciousness.

It was time to reveal some facts that had been hidden.

Their bodies were no longer too weak to accept uncomfortable truths, and it was becoming difficult to hide the unsettled atmosphere caused by Daisy’s arrival.

Soon the entire territory would be preparing for war, and it would be impossible to hide that commotion.

Unlike the usual practice of meeting and feeding them separately, I summoned Kirsy, who was somewhat stronger, to my room.

As Asena and I sat waiting for Kirsy, she soon rushed into the room, breathing heavily.

“..Haa..! Haa..!”

But soon, seeing Asena with me, a look of disappointment crossed her face.

……I couldn’t tell what she had expected.

And since Kirsy’s aphasia still showed no signs of improvement, there was no way to know.

“Come and sit, Kirsy.”

When I spoke to Kirsy, she stiffened at the somewhat heavy atmosphere and approached with an anxious look.

Soon, she took a seat next to Asena, who was lying on the bed, and looked at me.

“….I have something to tell you.”

I said with a rather serious expression.

Kirsy looked at me, blinking anxiously, while Asena waited patiently for my words.

“….It’s about when our brother was attacked.”

The twins trembled simultaneously.

As if this incident had become their trauma, even the strong Asena averted her gaze as if afraid to hear about it.

“…..You wouldn’t have known since I haven’t talked about it until now. Actually, I… wasn’t attacked by bandits.”

The twins, who had been trembling, looked at me with wide eyes.

“…..What do you mean?”

Even Asena opened her mouth to ask. It was understandable that they would be confused, as the major incident where I nearly died was different from what they had been told.

I pondered how to phrase my words to soften the shocking truth they would hear next… but ultimately, I spoke the unvarnished truth.

“….Shallon Payne. I was attacked by Shallon Payne.”

Kirsy blinked, swallowing her breath… then let out a rough breath and began to utter incomprehensible words.

“Aeu…. euu….”

She grieved for a long time as if about to cry. She felt wronged and hurt. She feared, recalling the situation where I might have died.

Then, slowly… she changed her breathing, exhaling roughly.

“…..Euu…!! Huu….! Aaaa…!!”

Gradually, the dark and cold emotions transformed into fierce, hot irritation and anger.

Her eyes began to fill with deep resentment. Her eyes became bloodshot and her body trembled. Biting her lips, she was using all her patience to suppress the anger that was difficult to express.

While I was surprised that the innocent Kirsy’s expression could change so drastically… I also felt that it was the right choice to tell her now when she was relatively healthy.

And Asena, who was beside her……

Asena was frozen stiff in her place.

I know.

In fact, I had delayed telling this more out of concern for Asena than Kirsy.

It would have been a great shock to her.

According to what Shallon had told me directly, Asena had ordered her execution.

Asena would have immediately understood where Shallon’s extremely sharp grudge originated from.

Unlike the angry Kirsy, Asena’s head gradually began to lower.

She clenched her fists tightly, then suddenly, releasing all tension from her body, she spoke like someone giving up everything.

“….I…. I really…”

“……..”

“…….All my actions… only hurt my brother…”

That self-blaming voice made even my heart ache.

Knowing that no words of comfort would help for what had already happened, I spoke about a more important fact.

“…..So, now that I’ve returned alive, war has been decided.”

“What….?”

“…….”

The twins looked at me simultaneously.

Though they had been showing opposite emotions, they now had the same expression at the mention of war.

I couldn’t help but be surprised by their expressions.

Contrary to my expectation that they would say to crush the enemy completely, or to capture Shallon alive, or to mobilize all the family’s power…

Both their expressions showed bewilderment and fear.

“……….War…?”

Especially Asena was greatly agitated by that word.

Of course, war isn’t without danger, but they were bewildered despite it being a war against the Payne Family, which was hardly comparable to the Praesters.

“….Yes, war.”

“I… I didn’t even give permission… how… how can there be war…?”

I found Asena’s reaction puzzling.

I continued my explanation, speaking slowly to her.

“….While you were unconscious, I was making decisions in your place. Kirsy also had aphasia, so…”

Though I had also opposed the war, the clear bewilderment on the twins’ faces was enough to unsettle me.

As if I had been in favor of war from the beginning, I started defending this decision.

“….Shallon didn’t accept any of the punishments we imposed and ran away. We thought that was the end of it, but the Payne Family was protecting her. The entire family disobeyed and deceived us. Besides, not only did Shallon attack me, but she also harbors a great grudge against you. Given the chance… she would attack you. We can’t leave such a family alone.”

“……”

“…..As our family motto says, we need to show them that they can’t mess with us carelessly.”

“……”

“No matter how wronged she felt, she should have known we weren’t opponents to be challenged recklessly.”

With Asena’s expression not softening no matter what I said, I finally asked directly.

“Asena, should we have left the Payne Family alone?”

The only reason I had opposed the war was one:

I was concerned about the lives of our family members.

I wondered if that might be Asena’s concern too… but in the novel, she hadn’t been particularly bothered by such things.

Of course, the Asena in the novel and the Asena before me were completely different people, but I couldn’t understand why she looked so frightened.

She wasn’t usually like this.

She spoke.

“……No. I want to tear them to pieces.”

Despite her frightened expression, savage words came from her mouth.

“Knowing that I brought all this upon us… still, I want to kill them. I want to inflict all the suffering in the world on them.”

She swallowed once.

“But… but brother….”

Asena trembled.

For a moment, time seemed to slow down for me.

My eyes scanned the trembling Asena before me.

Then I saw many things.

It wasn’t just her body that had weakened.

Her heart, too, had become far too fragile.

I now saw what I had failed to see before.

“………You’re going to war too, aren’t you, brother?”

“…….I have to.”

“…..No.”

“What?”

“No… there will be no war.”

“What do you mean—”

“Or… or you stay out of the war. We have Lawrence… right? Then…..”

Asena suddenly grabbed my hand.

She looked up at me.

Tears welled up in her eyes, now so weakened.

“…..If you promise not to go, I’ll approve the war. I… I don’t want to lose you again, even if I die.”

…..Her trembling hand conveyed her emotions.

I could easily tell that she wouldn’t risk even the slightest danger of losing me.