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My surprised eyes widened.
At the same time, Idris's brow furrowed. He looked incredulous.
"Excluding me, only Leticia?"
"Yes. Only Miss Chloe."
"Why?"
"I do not know the deeper meaning, as I was only ordered to bring Miss Chloe. I apologize, Your Highness."
Idris, holding my bewildered hand, said,
"You don't have to worry so much. You can come with me. Anyway, what he has to say to you will also be a story for me."
I could see his intention to defy the imperial order and go with me, lest I be uncomfortable.
However.
"I'll go alone."
I rejected his offer first.
"I also have something to say to His Majesty."
Of course, it was a lie.
I didn't want Idris to disobey the imperial order because of me.
More than anything, it was because I trusted His Majesty the Emperor, who had treated me with respect in the previous conversation, even though he could have overwhelmed me with power.
Idris narrowed his eyes, examining my expression, as if he suspected my lie.
"Is it a story I shouldn't hear?"
"Yes."
At my firm answer, Idris released my hand, though dissatisfied.
"Okay. I'll wait quietly, so go and come back."
The chief of staff, who had left the banquet hall that way, led me to the imperial family lounge.
"Your Majesty, I have brought Miss Chloe."
"Enter."
As I entered the lounge, only His Majesty the Emperor was waiting for me.
As expected, Her Majesty the Empress was not there either.
"I greet His Majesty the Emperor."
After paying my respects and taking a seat, we got straight to the point.
"I heard the painting was stolen just before the auction today."
My heart sank at the unexpected topic.
I had tried to keep it as quiet as possible to avoid making a big deal out of it.
'…Well, I touched one of the palace servants. There's no way he wouldn't know.'
Even though the matter was resolved well, I couldn't avoid responsibility since it wasn't something that never happened.
"I'm sorry. I should have been more careful since you and many others showed such precious intentions..."
"Why did you hide the fact that the painting was stolen?"
"Ah, that's..."
"You caught the culprit, and since you got the painting back, you could have revealed who was behind it, and it would have been a perfect opportunity to get back at the Duke."
His Majesty the Emperor spoke as if he knew my heart.
The memories of my past life were still terrible, and I hated the way Paydan constantly interfered with me and tried to bring me down.
In my heart, I wanted to reveal to everyone how petty that bastard had been, but...
"I thought it was much more valuable to cover it up than to reveal the truth and make me feel good for a moment."
"What is that value?"
"Everyone's heart towards today's charity bazaar."
His Majesty the Emperor cast a gaze at me as if asking me to explain further.
"Her Majesty the Empress was the first to listen to my voice, and Duke Hildes is a person who genuinely cares for the children and the future of this empire."
"......"
"And the children want more friends to have the opportunity to learn like them."
But if I had revealed what Paydan had done at today's bazaar, people would have forgotten about this project and only gossip about me and Paydan would have remained in their memories.
"The main character of today's bazaar is the project that Her Majesty the Empress and Duke Hildes planned, so I thought that should be the focus."
"......"
"So, I unintentionally hid it from Your Majesty as well. I'm sorry."
I lowered my head, prepared to humbly accept whatever harsh evaluation was given regarding this matter.
But...
"No. It's not your fault, it's the fault of the imperial knights for not guarding properly."
...Huh?
I blinked blankly.
'Is His Majesty protecting me now...?'
As I looked up in bewilderment, I was surprised to see a faint smile spreading across His Majesty's face.
"Thank you. For fulfilling Vanessa's wish, and the children's wish."
At that moment, the smiling figure of the Emperor overlapped with that of Idris.
I suddenly understood. Why His Majesty had disliked me so much.
'Because he's a precious younger brother who resembles himself.'
Only then did a sincere smile spread across my face as well.
"I was just doing what I had to do."
Perhaps it was because seeing someone who resembled Idris made me feel more comfortable.
I added a joke that had become ingrained in me from playing around with Idris.
"Just in case, if I may speak out of concern."
"......?"
"This was just to repay Her Majesty the Empress, so Your Majesty doesn't owe me anything."
The first time I met His Majesty the Emperor.
I was referring to the time when he was reluctant to be indebted to me when I tried to return the late Empress's belongings.
Then His Majesty chuckled as if he remembered that memory.
"You hold a grudge longer than I thought."
"It was my first meeting with Your Majesty. I can't forget it."
"Don't worry. I have nothing to trade with you this time."
The third conversation with His Majesty the Emperor ended that way.
After that, I returned to the banquet hall and tilted my head when I saw that the person who should have been there was gone.
'Did Idris go out for some air?'
In the meantime, I thought I would take a breather and received wine from a passing maid.
As I sipped the wine and looked around the banquet hall, I felt a pleasant and harmonious atmosphere.
Perhaps this peace was thanks to the absence of the person who was thought to be a problem.
'My father didn't come.'
Not only was he absent, but there was no contact.
In my previous life, my father and stepmother thought of me as a source of support.
Usually, by this time, they would have caused another accident and come running to me asking me to fix it...
It was suspicious that people who liked to show off to others hadn't come to the Empress's tea party or the charity auction.
'Should I send someone to check on them soon?'
As I was thinking about this and that and looking around the banquet hall, a familiar face caught my eye.
'Oh, Michael!'
Come to think of it, I was too busy earlier to encourage Michael for his hard work.
Of course, I had encouraged everyone involved immediately after the bazaar ended, but Michael had been the one who had helped me the most closely throughout the preparation of the bazaar, so it seemed good to take care of him separately once more.
I followed Michael as he left the banquet hall.
"Duke Hildes!"
"Ah, Miss."
"Shall we talk for a moment?"
We went out to a nearby balcony.
As I leaned on the railing of the balcony, the night breeze that had cooled down the daytime heat swept past me.
"Thank you for all your hard work helping me with this and that. Thanks to you, I was able to finish the bazaar safely."
"Ah, no. You did so well that I am grateful to you."
"Thank you. Thanks to your suggestion, I met the children directly, and while planning this, I felt like I had become a pretty good person."
When I first regressed, I thought it didn't matter if I became a villainess, that it would be better than being pitied.
As I proceeded with this work, I realized.
I wanted to be a good person, rather than a villainess.
As I smiled with a proud heart, a serious voice was conveyed from beside me.
"No, Miss, you have been a good and wonderful person to me from the beginning."
"From the beginning?"
"The reason why a novice who attended society for the first time was able to blend into that atmosphere was because of the dance that Miss first proposed."
Only then did the now faint memories of before my regression vaguely come to mind.
The figure of a still young boy who was not able to blend into society easily.
"I've liked you since then."
"......"
"So, when the job of assisting Miss in the administrative office came in, I grabbed it right away, and maybe the reason why I visited Miss right away that day was because of that feeling."
Michael, who would normally have blushed profusely and stammered for a long time, was speaking calmly with a bitter smile.
"Ah, of course, this story is not to make Miss uncomfortable..."
However, the bitter feeling soon disappeared, and only a soft smile remained in its place.
"I just wanted you to know that Miss is a wonderful person who can steal someone's heart."
Michael was a good person.
Even though he was born a noble from birth, he had the kindness to care for the children in the orphanage.
Even at this moment, rather than putting his own feelings first, he drew the line first so that I wouldn't be uncomfortable.
It wasn't a confession that expected an answer, but I had to give some kind of answer.
Because that was the courtesy to someone who had taken out their sincerity with difficulty.
"I am..."
It was then that I, who was choosing my words for a moment, opened my lips.
"You were here, Leticia."
As I turned to look in the direction of the voice, I saw Idris entering through the balcony door.
"I've been looking for you."
He had eyes that were somehow as cold as frost.
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