TOOCM 27

Chapter 27

Reina quietly observed Kaiden, whose demeanor had grown noticeably heavier.

Right after meeting Baron Clam, Reina realized why she had always felt uneasy about Lady Mary.

Three years from now, the North was destined to face internal strife centered around Dalia Crensia.

The reason for the coup was the claim that Kaiden had neglected Aiden Crensia’s death.

Having lost his beloved wife, Aiden threw himself recklessly into his research.

He didn’t hesitate to venture into areas teeming with magical beasts and eventually succumbed to a mysterious endemic disease.

Less than two years after his death, a rebellion led by Dalia erupted.

While Kaiden was away subduing a quarantined species of magical beast, they seized the castle, only to be suppressed within three days of the expedition team’s return.

“Quite an entertaining affair, isn’t it? Poor Duke Crensia. To think he was so thoroughly betrayed by the very Northerners he fought to protect. Haha.”

Reina’s expression grew even more serious as she recalled the emperor’s amused cackling at the time.

Dalia was only nine years old. As punishment for the rebellion, Dalia Crensia was stripped of her status as heir and confined to a tower.

By rights, she should have been executed, but Kaiden insisted on exile instead.

However, not long after, Dalia took her own life, leaving Kaiden without any remaining kin in a tragic turn of events.

It was an old incident, one that had passed like a fleeting mishap, so Reina hadn’t immediately recalled it.

Among the families involved in the rebellion, the Mary family had also been named.

“If emotional manipulation counts as abuse, then yes, it’s abuse. Dalia seems overly mindful of Lady Mary’s every reaction. It’s as if she needs permission for every little action. It feels like she’s been subjected to ongoing brainwashing.”

Kaiden, his face filled with anger, asked, “You have a reason for thinking that, don’t you?”

“To some extent, yes.”

Those who have been abused often recognize it best in others.

“The nanny told me not to meddle in grown-up matters.”

“Is this another one of those ‘grown-up matters’?”

Certain phrases, used repeatedly, gave it away.

Reina herself had been gaslit in a similar way by the emperor.

“It’s just a suspicion for now, but if we investigate the newly appointed teachers, we’ll likely find some leads. I’m sure some of them are closely tied to the Mary family.”

“We need to root them all out immediately,” Kaiden said, rising abruptly.

Reina stopped him.

“No. For now, just investigate. If we rashly separate Dalia from her, it could cause a strong backlash. Dalia might get hurt in the process.”

“But we can’t keep a dangerous person near Dalia.”

“I feel the same way. But rushing to resolve this won’t necessarily lead to a good outcome. In cases like this, we need to proceed slowly.”

Kaiden reluctantly sat back down at her calm reasoning.

“So, what’s your plan?”

“I…”

As Reina lowered her voice and leaned closer, Kaiden instinctively leaned in as well.

After hearing her proposal, he asked, astonished, “Are you serious?”

“It’ll look better if I handle it instead of you.”

“But it could lead to bad rumors about you.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’m quite used to playing the villain.”

Reina gave a bright smile, but Kaiden’s expression remained uneasy.

Her words, spoken with a face that seemed utterly unsuited to villainy, only made him more uncomfortable.

“That’s not my way. I don’t like the idea of people talking ill of you.”

“You’re right. This is my way. Just trust me and watch. I don’t care about others’ misunderstandings.”

“I care,” Kaiden grumbled, frowning.

Reina let out a soft laugh.

For someone who had always stood at the forefront to protect his people, her proposal must have felt deeply unsettling.

But in this life, it was her turn to protect him.

With a mix of gratitude and determination to shield his people from the emperor, Reina said firmly, leaving no room for doubt, “All I need is for you to believe in me, Kaiden. Even if others don’t understand, you will. That’s enough for me.”

Kaiden looked at her, dumbfounded.

Her unwavering trust in him, despite him having shown her so little, was astonishing.

Not that he disliked the feeling of being someone she could rely on.

Avoiding her gaze, he muttered, “You sure know how to handle people.”

“Coming from you, that feels like a compliment,” Reina teased playfully.

Kaiden let out a short laugh and added, “Let me know if you need any help.”

Chapter 3: A Clean Sweep

A few days later, a social gathering for the noblewomen of the North was held.

The host was none other than Reina Crensia, who had recently married into the North.

As the most talked-about figure in the region, her event drew nearly all the noblewomen of the North.

Lady Mary was no exception. Scanning the desserts laid out in the greenhouse, she sneered inwardly.

‘Not even a royal could resist showing off right after arriving. While Northerners are starving in the cold outside, she’s living it up. Tsk!’

Her resentment toward Reina, fueled by past events, made her view the duchess even more unfavorably.

Ironically, Lady Mary herself had never donated a single coin to the North’s welfare, yet she criticized Reina.

Still, she attended the event to publicly display her connection with Reina, however superficial.

After all, given past events, Reina was not someone to underestimate.

“Oh my, there are name tags here!”

Guests approaching the table gasped in admiration.

Each chair bore a nameplate and a welcome gift—a brooch crafted from opals Reina had brought as part of her dowry.

“Look at the luster of these colors!”

The guests were captivated, eagerly examining their brooches.

Seeing this, Lady Mary began searching for her own name.

Naturally, she headed toward the head of the table, but her expression darkened as she searched.

No matter where she looked, her name was nowhere to be found.

‘This can’t be right.’

Frantically scanning the seats, she finally spotted her name in a mediocre position.

To her outrage, it was a seat lower than that of Baroness Brington, whom she considered beneath her.

‘Me, seated behind her? I’m the nanny of Lady Dalia, who will one day lead Crensia!’

This was nothing short of a deliberate insult.

As Lady Mary hesitated, unwilling to take her seat, a voice called out.

“Oh, Lady Mary! It’s been a while.”

Baroness Brington greeted her, covering her mouth with a fan.

Taking her seat, the baroness pulled out Mary’s chair with a smile.

The gesture felt like mockery, and Lady Mary struggled to hide her trembling hands.

‘So this is how it’s going to be?’

Her pride was already bruised from the earlier incident with the switch.

Swallowing her boiling anger, Lady Mary realized that simply separating Reina from Dalia wouldn’t be enough to satisfy her.

‘I’ll show that cunning princess that the North isn’t so easily tamed.’

As she seethed inwardly, the star of the event, Reina, entered the greenhouse.