Volume 5 Chapter 25 It's Common To Think ＂ah, I Got Carried Away＂ On The Way Back From A Lively Gathering... Young People Should Be Careful Because It's Common.
"...Was it okay?"
Miranda sighed as she watched Randy and the others leave, glancing at Cedric. She was asking about the favor he promised Randy for Lucian.
"It's fine. My father will definitely be interested."
Cedric waved at Liz with a smile, and Miranda sighed again, saying, "I guess so." In front of her, Catherine turned back and bowed her head.
Miranda returned the bow, and Cedric looked off in another direction, saying, "And──"
"The dark side has already caught onto this meeting. If they're going to be suspicious anyway, I think it's more interesting to lend a hand openly."
Like Cedric, Miranda shifted her gaze and sighed again, saying, "Really..."
"It's strange, isn't it?"
She looked at Cedric again. Just a few hours ago, he was tense about Saint Catherine coming over, but now he seemed indifferent toward her.
"...Did you underestimate me?"
Cedric lowered his hand to where Liz had just been, now out of sight. Even though he had been angry just moments ago, declaring Liz's enemy, he changed his attitude when it came to money. It was behavior that could easily be seen that way, and Cedric gave a self-deprecating smile to Miranda.
"No, I'm similar."
Miranda was surprised by Cedric's change of heart, but she understood.
Though she served the Marquis family, she had grown up with Liz. Liz looked up to Miranda like an older sister, and Miranda cared for Liz like a younger sister. That's why, to Miranda, the upper echelons of the Church and the Saints were nothing but enemies.
They had managed to clear out the upper echelons of the Church, but in return, the Saints' sins were overlooked. Cedric and Miranda both remembered being furious about that just yesterday.
Yet now, she felt a little deflated.
"I thought I had a strong will, you know."
"Same here."
Cedric joked and laughed, saying, "Maybe it's the magical power of money," as Miranda shrugged her shoulders.
"No way... just──."
Miranda shook her head at Cedric's smile, fully understanding that it wasn't such a simple matter. But she couldn't help but wonder a little about what happened between just her and Randy.
"It feels like Sir Randolph got the better of us."
With a sigh for what felt like the umpteenth time, Miranda looked at the backs of the 4 who had already disappeared, and Cedric turned back to the mansion with a smile, saying, "That's not true."
"I also had a bit of a misunderstanding."
With a smile, Cedric entered the mansion with Miranda. The two walked side by side, sharing their thoughts about the man named Randy.
"When we talked earlier, I took it out on Randolph a bit..."
Cedric started talking about how he thought a clever guy like Randy would understand the delicate position of the Marquis family, the Church, and the country.
"That's true. Sir Randolph would probably think of that much..."
Miranda murmured, recalling Randy's actions. He always prioritized Liz, Ellie, and his own family, but he never forgot to care for those connected to him. Miranda understood that he showed great consideration, especially towards the Braubelg and Hartfield families.
That's why it was definitely surprising that he visited this time.
Sure, if you look at it from the perspective of consideration, you could say he came to make things right, but there was a much bigger issue at hand. If it was just about making things right, he could have sent a message or a letter.
"Randolph isn't even looking at the kingdom's government anymore... No, maybe he never cared about it from the start."
Cedric chuckled self-deprecatingly as he placed his hand on the office door and slowly opened it.
"...Please, Miss."
Cedric gently urged Miranda, who puffed her cheeks a bit. Cedric was explaining things carefully, making her feel a little like a child.
Still, as the main person here, she couldn't just stay like that, so Miranda shot him a disapproving look and walked through the door.
Once she passed through the door, Miranda silently got to work making coffee. Since Cedric had been into it lately, making coffee was a piece of cake for her.
Even so, they were still in the middle of a conversation, and as Miranda prepared the coffee in silence, Cedric chuckled and said, "...Um, Ms. Miranda?"
With Cedric's voice behind her, Miranda chewed on the earlier comment about "not caring about the government," letting it sink in... just like the freshly brewed coffee slowly pouring into the cup.
Placing the cup on the saucer, Miranda brought it over to Cedric with a frown.
"So, Sir Randolph forgot about the relationship between the kingdom's government and Braubelg──."
She offered the coffee, prompting him to continue. Cedric looked at the coffee and Miranda, smiled, and took the cup.
"To put it bluntly,"
Cedric elegantly tilted the cup and continued, saying that for Randy, the kingdom's government and the Church were just filters through Liz.
So from the start──truly──he wasn't dealing with them at all. It all depended on Liz's feelings. Miranda silently watched Cedric happily talk about this.
"I can't imagine him talking about revenge when Liza was saved."
"So──."
"Yeah. From the beginning, Randolph probably never thought about dealing with the kingdom's government. If they got in his way, he'd just crush them. So it's not that he forgot... it's more like that thought just slipped his mind completely."
It was a crazy idea. But remembering Randy's strength, Miranda couldn't help but nod in agreement.
"I wanted to show you his face when I took it out on him earlier."
Cedric, smiling brightly with a cup in hand, talks about the "ah" expression Randy showed. His face looked like he wanted to say, "Oh, right," and it took the wind out of Cedric's sails.
"I felt like he was saying, 'Are you still hanging around there?'"
"That's a bit much──."
Miranda frowned, thinking it was too rude, but Cedric shook his head, saying it was just "a play on words." Randy couldn't possibly think that way. It was just embarrassment for forgetting something, but to Cedric, Randy and Liz, who lived each day so happily, looked dazzling.
"He cares about us in his own way and understands how we feel."
Cedric sighed, staring at his empty cup after finishing his coffee.
"It's our arrogant misunderstanding. He's just going along with our needs. Especially through Liza. In other words, if Liza isn't watching, he doesn't care at all."
Cedric continued with a sigh.
"And we can't keep dragging him along forever."
The sound of the cup and saucer clinking echoed in the room.
"That said... that said──."
Miranda gasped at the fire in Cedric's eyes.
"We have to pay the price to the country if we want to move forward."
Miranda nodded vigorously at Cedric's serious gaze. It might be called revenge, but for the Marquis family, it was a necessary step.
They had to make those who disrespected their precious only daughter understand thoroughly. That's what it means to be Braubelg, and that's the essence of nobility. If they back down while being looked down upon, it would lower their own status.
"I really felt the reason why Father deliberately didn't restore Liza's status."
"Lady Liza is just too kind."
"In that sense, Randolph protecting her might have been the best choice."
A small country's rural noble. Randy, who doesn't go against the kingdom or the Church, is left alone by everyone. Instead, he and Liz enjoy their lives freely, and rather than being looked down upon, they are even envied.
In fact, it's quite ironic that those who tried to bring Liz down are now facing ruin because of their freedom. They don't mean to do it, so it must be frustrating for those on the other side.
The two, free from constraints, are doing what they love and slowly gaining strength. As a result, they are moving ahead of those who tried to trap them──
It's a success story anyone would envy.
"So we must be a family that Liza can be proud of."
Cedric let out a big sigh and smiled, saying, "We can't keep worrying about the government forever."
"And I need to catch up to him soon."
It sounds contradictory to what he just said, but Miranda understands his true meaning clearly.
"The next move will be the decisive one. Right...?"
"Who knows? We won't get involved──."
Cedric sat back in his chair and glanced out the window. He could see a beautifully arranged garden, but beyond that, the Royal Palace must be there.
"──Choosing their own fate is always up to them."
In Cedric's eyes, the Royal Palace, which shouldn't be visible, was reflected.
* * *
After leaving the Marquis family's villa, Randy visibly sank into gloom as soon as Cedric and Miranda were out of sight. During the meeting, he didn't think much of it, but now that he was calm, the weight of his mistake pressed down on him.
As he searched for that familiar feeling, Randy finally realized it was a memory from his past life. It felt just like when he thought, "I shouldn't have said that" after a drinking party.
"Ah... I really messed up..."
As Randy hung his head, Catherine apologized and bowed her head. Even Catherine, who didn't know the details, understood that Randy's mistake came from his own actions.
"Well, it's fine. I completely forgot about it."
Still, Randy couldn't stop regretting that it was too soon to introduce Catherine to Cedric. He had totally forgotten about Cedric and the others' situation.
They wiped out the Church's higher-ups who were using Ellie's past.
Liz had settled things with Catherine.
Honestly, he didn't feel anything about the Crown Prince or the kingdom.
With all that, he had completely forgotten that Cedric and the others were currently at odds with the kingdom's government.
"I'm sorry too..."
Liz apologized to Randy for completely forgetting her own position. After all, she had been super enthusiastic lately, getting involved in various things. Liz was aware that she had been a bit too much.
"The only saving grace is that we might get Sir Cedric's cooperation."
Randy straightened his slumped back, and both Catherine and Liz looked at him with puzzled expressions. Their faces seemed to say, "How did you manage to get his cooperation?"
"Well, it's a long story."
There was no way he could say something like 'feed the country a lot' in broad daylight on a busy street. Still, sharp Liz seemed to have realized something.
The Church's estates taken by the kingdom.
The many orphanages run by the Church.
The delicate position between the kingdom and the Church.
And the kotatsu developed by Catherine.
Connecting these dots, Liz muttered, "I'm really not cut out for politics," and turned to Catherine.
"Maybe Lady Catherine was my savior."
Liz suddenly said something outrageous, causing Catherine to gasp, "Huh?!"
"That's kind of creepy... What are you plotting?"
Catherine frowned, and Liz just smiled mysteriously, saying, "It's my true feelings."
"Hey, tell me!"
Catherine tapped Liz's shoulder, but Liz just replied, "Who knows?" and didn't engage. Randy and Leon watched the two girls, exchanged glances, and shrugged.
"I don't really get what's going on either."
"Isn't it fine to say Miss Catherine was a saint?"
Randy smiled at Leon and turned to look towards the Royal Palace.
"It would be nice if the next move was a 'sorry'."
Randy's mumble got drowned out by the laughter of the two saying, "Tell us!" "No way!"
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)