Chapter Two
Both of them were going to end up dead. And if that's the case, she was going to use the remaining time putting her unnecessary jealousy to rest.
After a short while, she enters the dining room and sees a man sitting there. It was the owner of the place, the Duke of Sorpel.
His son, Ludville, was nowhere to be seen.
'I guess it's around that time.'
Noticing that Ludville wasn't at the table, Camilla had a rough idea of what day it is.
It was when a major rebellion broke out in the western region. Ludville set out with an army to suppress the rebellion.
'From this point on…'
Ravi's jealousy ignites once Ludville returns with great success.
'By the way…'
Camilla's gaze, expressing a bit of admiration, fell on the Duke of Sorpel.
'Uncle, will you remarry?'
It is said that the noblewomen flirt these days, and the person is very handsome.
'It's a shame to see it go to waste like this.'
Camilla and Ravi's mother remarried to the Duke of Sorpel and lived happily ever after.
But it didn't last long. Less than a year after their marriage, she died suddenly in a horseback riding accident.
After her death, people naturally assumed that Camilla and Ravi would be thrown out of the duchy.
There was no reason for the Duke to keep them around when they didn't share a drop of blood.
However, the Duke, contrary to everyone's expectations, accepted the two children who lost their mother as his own. Eventually, Camilla and Ravi grew up under the Duke's protection.
"..."
When Camilla and Ravi appeared, the Duke set aside the newspaper he was reading and the glasses he was wearing, and gave them a look.
'Wow.'
His aura is no joke. When her eyes met his, Camilla's body stiffened.
"Drag her away."
A cold voice barking orders to the knights. Cold eyes directed at Camilla.
How many deaths did those eyes witness?
Camilla swallowed dryly. Sweat dripped down her back as her fingers tremble slighty.
The moment she saw him, it was clear…
…what kind of place this is, and what kind of ending she'll face if she stays.
"You're late."
Duke Sorpel finally opened his mouth as he glanced back and forth between Camilla and Ravi.
"It's-----"
"I'm sorry. I overslept."
"..."
"..."
Duke Sorpel and Ravi simultaneously turned to Camilla. The same emotion is evident in their eyes.
Perplexity and astonishment.
She couldn't even hold her head up high in front of the Duke of Sorpel, let alone speak.
Keeping her mouth shut with a disgruntled look was the only expression of emotion and action she ever did.
Rarely, if ever, did she look the Duke of Sorpel in the eye as she did now.
'And you're smiling?'
Ravi shook his head softly, still convinced that she was still half-asleep.
"Take a seat."
Duke Sorpel said nothing more and offered them a seat. As soon as they sat down, the maids hurriedly brought out the food.
'Phew.'
Get it together.
Looking at the Duke of Sorpel, Camilla tried even harder to control her expression.
Has there ever been a time when she felt so fortunate to be an actress? There was a time when she finished a performance with a smile, even though she was in pain and her appendix was about to burst.
'This is nothing.'
Camilla stared at the food in front of her with a blank expression.
'Meat for breakfast.'
Meat… good.
'What's more, seasoned meat.'
When was the last time she ate well-seasoned meat because of her diet?
Camilla stared at the well-seasoned steak in silence for a moment, then glanced away. Several of the maids were giggling at her.
'Yes, laugh now.'
It'll end today.
Camilla smirked at them.
A puzzled look crossed the maids' faces, but Camilla looked away. She quickly sliced the meat in front of her.
"Father."
"Hmm?"
After cutting the meat into neat, bite-sized pieces, Camilla carefully held her plate out to the Duke of Sorpel.
"Here, eat this. I cut it all up for you to eat."
Duke Sorpel's eyes widened significantly. Ravi coughed dryly and hastily set down the glass of water he was holding.
He dabbed at the corner of his mouth with his handkerchief, and his gaze shifted to Camilla. The look in his eyes clearly showed what he was thinking: 'Has this girl finally gone insane?'
"...Okay."
The Duke of Sorpel, who had been looking back and forth between Camilla and the plate for a moment, fortunately accepted the plate she had offered him and set it down in front of him.
In return, he placed his own plate in front of her.
"Huh?!"
"Uh!"
Strong reactions came from other places as well.
She could feel the maids holding their breaths, but Camilla quietly ignored them. She continued to eat as if she didn't know anything.
'Oh… it's delicious.'
As expected, meat for breakfast is good.
The meat was very, very tender and savory. Soon, a piece of meat entered Duke Sorpel's mouth.
The important thing starts now.
"..."
Duke Sorpel, who was chewing on the meat, quietly put his fork down. The sound resonated loudly.
Camilla looked questioningly at the Duke of Sorpel, whose brows furrowed, and scrambled to her feet with a double take expression.
"Ah, father! I'll return this one!"
As if suddenly remembering something she had forgotten, Camilla reached for the plate in front of Duke Sorpel.
"Hold on."
The Duke of Sorpel, dabbing at the corner of his mouth with his handkerchief, stopped Camilla's hand.
Camilla's eyes shook incessantly when her gaze met the Duke of Sorpel's. Then tears welled up in her eyes.
Just as tears were about to fall, Camilla quickly lowered her head as if to hide them.
To top it off, she bit her lip, as if she were a kid who got caught doing something he didn't want to be caught in.
'What kind of meat was it today?'
However, no one saw the corners of her lips twitch upwards as she lowered her head.
'A lump of salt? A lump of pepper? Maybe it was both.'
Or maybe it was meat that had fallen into a trash can.
Most of the people who worked at the duchy hated Camilla. They harassed her in every way they could.
At first, the harassment was trivial and carefully done.
For instance, they would make the food slightly salty or would prepare slightly bitter tea.
Camilla did not tell her family about it; it was probably the last bit of pride she had left.
As she remained silent, the harassment got worse. Some would get so angry they would cry out in frustration as if they were wronged.
Meanwhile, the Duke of Sorpel and the rest of the family became colder toward Camilla.
'How can you be a princess without a mix of noble blood?'
'I mean, Young Master Ravi is competent, but you…'
'Idiot. Is that pride saving you? You should've said something. Those people are also annoying me.'
No one noticed the fact that the child always picks at her food?
It's baffling that no one noticed that something was off, not even after a meal or two together.
How anyone could let it happen for so long is beyond her.
"This isn't the first time."
Duke Sorpel's voice was heard again at the moment.
"N-No, it's not!"
That's right! As the head of the family, he knows exactly what's going on!
Although Camilla was delighted on the inside, she quickly shook her head with a hardened expression. The rims of her eyes still red.
"…Let's come back to this later."
Duke Sorpel, who stared at the scene in silence for a moment, slowly rose to his feet and looked away.
"I think dealing with them first should be a priority."
His gaze was directed to the maids with blue complexions.
* * *
"What? Do you have anything to say?"
"Did you eat something bad?"
"I didn't."
The meat was delicious.
After leaving the dining room with light steps, Camilla stopped in her tracks when she saw Ravi staring at her intently.
'What kind of punishment will they receive?'
The corners of Camilla's mouth slightly curved upward as she stared at the firmly closed door of the dining room.
The Duke of Sorpel summoned everyone, from his butler to the head maid.
'I know very well.'
The scariness of the Duke of Sorpel.
'That firmness.'
He's a man who doesn't spare a chance for those who harm him or his family.
He was able to kill Camilla and Ravi, who had touched his biological son, without hesitation.
This is despite the fact that they had lived together for well over a decade and were bound together as a family.
Camilla looked at Ravi with a strange look in her eyes. What is she going to do with the guy who is going around not knowing what his end will be?
He wasn't yet at the stage where he is completely consumed by envy and jealousy, so there's still room for rehabilitation.
Until she shows up.
The woman. The woman who grabs the attention of all the men and turns all the women around her into extras!
As her attention turns to Ludville, Ravi's inferiority complex escalates…
Camilla thought about it for a moment, then shook her head.
'Who cares. I'm going to go back home.'
The moment she comes to her senses in the real world, she will be able to get out of this body.
She feels sorry for the man who is going to die.
He made his bed.
Camilla lightly patted Ravi's shoulder with a sympathetic look. Then she walked past him.
"…What is it?"
What is that awful feeling?
Ravi looked at Camilla in disbelief for a while.