ITMWG 100

Chapter 100…

So what!?

T/n: We’ll switch from Dwinhoff to Dwinhofer from here onwards

Prince Orca came to Duke Viosques’ residence the next day as promised.

“What is the painting that Dwinhofer sold to the Baron?”

Then, as if he had forgotten all the important things, he calmly brought up the painting.

Altair briefly looked at Prince Orca and then showed him the painting he had purchased from the gallery without saying a word.

The huge canvas was burning as if flames were dancing.

Not only Prince Orca, but even Altair and Nadia, who had already looked at this painting so many times, were entranced by it, as if it had a strange power.

If there hadn’t been a past story behind it, Nadia would have been able to evaluate it as a better painting.

She carefully looked at Altair’s face.

Contrary to her worries, his face was calm and relaxed.

“It seems you found out who put this painting up.”

“Didn’t I promise you? I’ll come today.”

Orca smiled at Altair’s words and turned his head to him.

“The Baron doesn’t seem to like it, but I think we’ll be on the same boat.”

They would be on the same boat. That meant Prince Orca and their enemy were the same.

If the one to whom Prince Orca is referring as his enemy…

“I didn’t know my older brother was so knowledgeable in art. How surprised I was to hear that from Dwinhofer.”

It was indirect, but it was easy to figure out the meaning behind it.

If the person who sent the painting was the First Prince, then the one who sent Dwinhofer forward as his puppet was also him.

The First Prince.

Even Nadia, who had read the novel dozens of times, had no idea about this.

It seemed like it was cut out as a side story while the story was centered around the main character.

How can such an important story be treated as a side story!

But it couldn’t be helped in a romance novel where the love of the main characters was the most important thing.

Complicated stories like political situations would usually end up in the writer’s notebook as ‘hidden settings’.

The problem was that everything was reality to her, who now lived in this world.

How many hidden settings are there like this?

Not only the deviation of the first prince, who was one of the main characters, and the past of the villain Duke Altair, but even ‘Nadia’, who had a small role, had a hidden setting of her uncle’s conspiracy.

Of course, Nadia didn’t think she knew everything, but her heart sank every time she discovered ‘hidden settings’ like this.

Knowing all the developments was her greatest weapon, but if matters like this kept popping up…

‘Her’ weapon would become dull, and eventually the value of ‘her’ would fall.

What use would she be in such a situation?

While trying to calm her heavy heart, the conversation between Altair and Prince Orca continued.

“Is there a reason why we have to be on the same ship?”

Altair responded crookedly.

A normal person would have been scared by that bad attitude and backed away, but Prince Orca was no ordinary person.

As expected of a villain prince who was the superior of a villainous duke, he shrugged leisurely.

“There’s no reason not to ride in the same boat, right? If the destination is the same, it’s better to ride together. We can split the fare, so it’ll be easier to get there.”

“But we’re not riding in the same boat to get to the ‘same destination’, are we?”

The primary goal was to overthrow the first prince who caused this trouble, but Prince Orca’s goal was even further away.

The throne.

Wouldn’t riding in the same boat with him mean they were traitors?

However, Prince Orca burst into laughter as if he wasn’t going to take it seriously.

“I’m not saying we should go all the way together. You two should get off when you reach your destination. But if it isn’t bad to go together, then couldn’t we stay on one boat?”

Nadia felt a strange confidence in Prince Orca’s words.

It seemed that he was sure that they would not leave halfway and would stay with him until the end.

Of course, Altair did not listen to a word of that certainty. Instead, he just looked at Nadia as if asking for her opinion.

Prince Orca’s eyes turned to her as well.

As if he thought that her answer would determine the future development, Prince Orca smiled gently and said.

“Let’s just focus on punishing the culprit. More definitely, more thoroughly. I will help you punish him.”

These were not empty words.

If she thought about how Prince Orca dealt with his enemies in the novel.

Yes. For now, it’s just to get to the same destination.

It was true that Prince Orca brought the important documents, and he also had the credit of finding the real ‘higher-up,’ so this level of companionship was possible.

Treason? She didn’t even want to think about that because it’s scary.

Especially if that ending was Altair’s head being sliced off like in the novel.

“… I’ll get off as soon as I get to my destination.”

“Of course. I don’t stop anyone from going.”

Prince Orca smiled brightly and extended his hand at the hesitant answer.

“How about a handshake to commemorate our getting on the same boat?”

She didn’t feel like it, but she couldn’t refuse the handshake the prince had asked for.

Altair quickly intervened as Nadia hesitantly extended her hand.

“Shake hands with me instead.”

Altair grabbed Prince Orca’s hand and shook it up and down.

He must have grabbed it with quite a bit of strength, because Prince Orca frowned and swayed back and forth at Altair’s touch.

“Baron, don’t you hear people say you’re petty?”

“Not at all.”

“Everyone must be saying that behind your back. You’re a husband who doesn’t even allow his wife to shake hands.”

“Well. If that’s petty…”

Altair let go of Prince Orca’s hand and glanced at me.

“I’ll just accept you calling me petty.”

T/n: Yes! Them on the same boat!! I truly hope they could be on good terms and not come for each other’s neck until the end Finally, it was the trial day.

Nadia woke up early in the morning and started preparing for the trial.

Marie and Anna were even more anxious than their master and proceeded to help her get ready with a determined attitude. Meanwhile, Duke Viosques was worried and sent people to check on the preparations several times.

Nadia was also no exception.

She was able to maintain her composure until she left Duke Viosques’ residence and got on the carriage, but as she drove down the road and approached the courtroom, she began to feel uncontrollably nervous.

The trial preparations were perfect.

Since they had secured evidence that her uncle could not have imagined, the outcome was almost certain.

But we must not let our guard down.

Her uncle was no ordinary person, and behind him was the First Prince.

The First Prince would try to cover up her uncle’s crimes in order to avoid being caught for his own corruption.

Let’s make sure everything is perfect until the trial ends.

Nadia swallowed hard and began the stimulation of her standing in the courtroom.

The trial presided over by the emperor was a public trial, so it was obvious that many onlookers would flock to see them.

Thinking about the gazes of the people who would fill the huge courtroom, Nadia could already feel cold sweat running down her back.

However, unlike her tense state, Altair seemed calm as if he didn’t know what tension was to begin with.

“Altair, aren’t you too calm?”

Feeling envious, amazed, and a little bit upset, she poked Altair in the side with her elbow.

Her heart was pounding like crazy, while he was too calm. How annoying.

“I’m so nervous that my heart is about to burst.”

She could feel the beat of her heart all the way to her fingertips. It was as if her heart was attached to her fingertips.

(Thump. Thump.)

When she looked down at her hands, they really seemed to be thumping. Of course, it was all an illusion.

“Don’t worry.”

Altair casually blurted out as he wrapped his hand around hers.

His hand was so large and strong that the shaking hand quickly became still.

“If you’re not worried, so why are you nervous?”

“Worry and nervousness are two different things…”

Nadia timidly retorted then pursed her lips.

At that, Altair let out a snicker and patted her hand.

“So what? Do you think I care?”

“Huh?”

“You need to relax. Alright. Repeat after me. ‘So what? Do you think I care?’”

A magical spell that could make any big problem seem trivial.

“S-so what? D-Do you think I care?”

She took a deep breath and tried to imitate Altair’s attitude, but since it was something she had never said before, she couldn’t get used to it.

“If you’re going to fend off people’s stares, you need to be more assertive.”

“Yo-you’re right. This attitude won’t do.”

Nadia clenched her fists and nodded.

If she hesitated like this even when there were no people around, she would shrink even more when there were many people watching her.

I must shake off this timidity!

She steeled herself and shouted again.

“So what!? Do you think I care?! Beat it!”

“… I didn’t tell you to beat it.”

“Oops!”

Realising her mistake, Nadia’s face turned red in embarrassment as she saw Altair staring intently.

“T-That’s because I was so into it that I didn’t realize…”

“You even applied things that I didn’t tell you. You’re a great student.”

Altair lightly tapped her forehead with his fingers, impressed.

For some reason, Nadia’s already flushed face turned even redder at the affectionate touch.

She tried to cool her heated cheeks down with both hands, but her hands were already hot and it wasn’t much help.

“I wonder if my face will burst at this rate.”

Altair smiled slightly and reached out to her cheek.

Altair’s hand, which had been rubbing against her hot hand, felt pleasantly cool, but the heat on her flushed cheek didn’t seem to subside.

It-it feels like it’s getting hotter…

She was not a teenage girl holding a boy’s hand for the first time, but why was her heart trembling at the close distance?

She quickly pulled back and avoided Altair’s hand.

Altair looked down at her, puzzled by the distance that had suddenly widened, so Nadia quickly shook her head.

“N-No contact until the trial is over.”

“… Why?”

Altair raised his eyebrows in displeasure, but it was also her last resort.

“Altair keeps bewitching me, so my thoughts are getting messy.”

“What, me, bewitching you?”

“Yes! You’re bewitching me!”

As soon as she answered, the carriage stopped at just the right time. They had arrived at the courthouse.

“So let’s keep it off-limits. Got it?”

Nadia got out of the carriage without asking Altair’s consent.

The coachman who opened the carriage door widened his eyes as he watched the lady getting out of the carriage without an escort, but that gaze didn’t matter to her now. Because…

So what!? Do you think I care?!

The trial with her uncle was right around the corner.

That was all that mattered.