I would have been scared if it was like usual, but in that appearance, it was just petty and cute.
“Your Majesty, what is going on in our house?”
In response to my question, words started to be written in red in the air.
[I came to hide because my body suddenly changed on the way back.]“Why is our house the place for that?”
[Because you know my secret.]Were we secret friends?
Now I had to raise a dragon because I found out a secret I didn’t want to know.
“Why don’t you hide in the temple where you were? If it’s hard for you, I’ll take you.”
[I don’t go there since you found me.]
It was a statement that the value of the hiding place had dropped since it was discovered once.
Last time the Empress’s people were there, so it would be more dangerous.
Besides, I couldn’t kick out the Crown Prince, who had committed a crime against the royal family.
Above all, shouldn’t someone take our side?
“When can you return to your original form?”
[I don’t know. About 3~5 days?]“You came back quickly last time!”
[I was lucky.]I was momentarily speechless at his confident statement.
I was a little reluctant to share a room with a man, but now he was in the form of a small, cute baby dragon.
‘I can’t help it.’
Seeing him playing around and pressing the blanket with his front paws, my heart was in danger.
“I’ll allow you to stay in my room. But! You must be quiet. As you know, the mood isn’t good because of my brother’s accident.”
The baby dragon nodded its head.
It was cute, indeed.
“Are you hungry? Stay here. I’ll get something to eat.”
At my words, Nathaniel sat down on the bed and looked up at me.
I quickly left the room.
Determined to do my best to win the Crown Prince’s favor.
[This is the time separator]
The Duke of Winters was very tense.
He was a mess, wondering what would happen and what would be required of him.
“His Majesty says you may enter.”
Was it his imagination, or did the steward’s voice seem colder today?
To relieve his tension, the Duke repeatedly opened and closed his hand as he entered the office.
The Emperor, who was sitting in the cozily decorated office, stood up.
“Come here. Sit.”
The Duke of Winters sat in the seat guided by the Emperor.
His mouth was parched, and his hands were sweaty.
He was grateful that the Emperor had not arrested him immediately.
“I committed a great mistake yesterday.”
“I know.”
“Hohow can I make amends for this mistake…?”
The Duke of Winters’ words did not elicit a response from the Emperor.
He merely stroked the leather of the armrest, lost in thought.
Every second felt too long.
The Duke of Winters, who had done nothing, wiped off his streaming sweat as he waited for an answer.
“Well, if I were to say what I want most, it would be the Sorche mine.”
“Ththat is…”
The Sorche mine was the largest magic stone mine in the Duke’s domain.
Half of the annual magic stone mining came from the Sorche mine.
If that mine went to the royal family, the Duke’s house would undoubtedly be ruined.
“Your Majesty!”
The Duke fell to his knees before the Emperor.
“I know my son did something terrible to the Princess. However, that mine is a valuable resource that supports the lives of our subjects. Please consider that.”
The Emperor looked down at the Duke quietly.
His anger softened a bit at the sight of his bowing head, begging for forgiveness.
The Emperor had no intention of taking the Sorche mine.
He just wanted to see how far the Duke was willing to go.
Certainly, here is the translated passage:
“Heh heh, the duke’s generous thoughts for the territory’s people, I’m merely grateful.”
“Your Majesty.”
The duke gratefully raised his head, feeling the flattery had hit its mark.
The emperor, with a kindly face, helped him up and sat him down on the opposite side.
“Summon the medical officer from the academy.”
As if waiting, the medical officer soon entered.
Then aromatic tea and cookies were placed on the previously empty table.
“Please eat, Duke.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
The duke finally felt at ease.
And furiously sought a substitute in his mind for the Sorlte mine.
Beautiful islands known as vacation spots in the east, or the names of small magic stone mines, it was then.
Breaking the silence, the emperor opened his mouth.
“I will not publicly announce that Anais was slighted at the wedding hall because of another woman.”
“Yes, yes.”
The duke answered nervously.
But what could he do?
Thanks to his foolish and horrible son inviting the Count of Menisil, everyone knew that the catastrophe was because of the former fiancée.
“It is indeed difficult since everyone saw the young duke run off.”
“I apologize, Your Majesty. I will do my best to recover the damage done to Her Highness the princess.”
He had no words to say about that part, even if he had ten mouths.
The emperor grinned and said to him.
“It’s not only the princess. This is a matter related to the royal family’s honor.”
The duke fidgeted again, feeling tense.
What was he trying to say?
“But I’m a realistic person. The Winters family has served the nation for a very long time, and had a good reputation. I feel a bit reluctant to abandon an alliance with such a family.”
Could it be that he wants to push for Maximilian’s marriage to the princess again?
The duke’s head began to spin once more.
Holding another wedding ceremony wasn’t difficult.
The problem was with Teresa and the mad Maximilian.
Just thinking about how to coax that crazy guy to say yes at the wedding made his head hurt.
But he couldn’t refuse the emperor’s proposal.
“So I thought, how about the crown prince and the princess marry?”
“Yes, of course, I also think… Excuse me?”
The duke tapped his ear to make sure he hadn’t misheard.
“Maximilian ran away because he realized his younger sibling’s love, we can package it like that.”
“No, no. Is that really…”
He couldn’t quite say, ‘Is that going to be easily covered up?’
Because the emperor looking at the duke was filled with conviction.
He couldn’t blurt out that it was a reckless plan in front of him, being guilty as a duke.
“In fact, I’ve been thinking of the princess as Nathaniel’s match all along. A truly clever and virtuous young lady. Since the marriage with that Maximilian fellow is over the water, we have to take care of it with Nathaniel.”
The emperor clenched his fist, declaring his ambition.
‘Why does it have to be our daughter!’
But the duke could only swallow his words.
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
