Received the Obsession of a Chaste Dark Lord - Chapter 65

“I’m thinking of bringing Amelia back home.”

The late-night conversation between Father Marquis Gilroyte and Marquis Vermerian, having dismissed everyone around and even completely emptied the corridor, was quite shocking.

To the extent that whoever heard it should absolutely not open their mouth.

However, the problem was that it wasn’t just herself who had heard that conversation.

“You’re taking Her Highness back home? How can you… once an appointed Crown Princess…”

“The palace is too lonely a place. I can’t leave a child who already grew up lonely there for life.”

“Isn’t that why you said you’d choose an Empress? Her Highness agreed to it as well.”

Adela gestured quietly to her mother, who was standing a short distance away with her mouth open, to be quiet while listening to her father’s calm reply.

She had just come out of the family head’s office after receiving Her Highness’s invitation from Marquis Vermerian at her father’s summons.

Though the business should have been finished, the Marquis of Vermerian wasn’t leaving, and her father ordering the butler to clear the corridors was suspicious, so she had turned back pretending to go to her room.

In a place where she should clearly have been alone, Adela encountered her stepmother looking at her with surprised eyes.

That noisy and frivolous woman seemed to have sniffed something out again today.

Though displeased, Adela just repeated the gesture to be quiet, pretending not to know, as chasing her away would cause more of a commotion.

If they made any noise or showed any sign of eavesdropping, the proposal that had come to her today would likely all be for naught.

Fortunately, the Marchioness seemed to have enough sense to raise her hand to cover her mouth.

“Do you think Amelia will be less lonely if an Empress enters? She’s a child who never properly learned how to give her heart to anyone. Such a child won’t open her heart and feel comfortable just because one stranger enters.”

“Then why did you come here? Wasn’t giving Adela Her Highness’s invitation to propose the position of Empress?”

Father’s voice mixed with faint irritation at the Marquis of Vermerian’s words that sounded like grumbling.

Not coming to propose an Empress for the sake of the Crown Princess, he says.

Adela too became curious about the Marquis of Vermerian’s intention at his puzzling words.

As she quietly listened, she heard the Marquis’s voice, now a little more resolute than before.

“Lady Gilroyte will ultimately become Empress. Because I’m going to depose Amelia.”

That’s the real reason I came today.

Adela’s heart sank heavily at the Marquis’s weighty voice.

Across from her, the Marchioness made frivolous gestures, waving both arms with her mouth tightly shut, but there was no way such things would catch her eye now.

Becoming Empress.

Not someone else, but Adela Gilroyte herself.

She gripped her skirt with all her might to avoid being overwhelmed by the emotion slowly rising from deep within.

“I’ve been educating Adela as the family head all this time.”

“I know. I too have educated Amelia as a family head.”

“And now you’re suddenly taking away my successor like this?”

But apart from her emotions, disappointment dripped heavily in her father’s voice.

At that tone, the Marchioness looked ready to burst into the study at any moment.

Adela, who was listening, was equally disappointed.

‘It’s not just any position but Empress, and you’re only worried about the family successor?’

It was then, as she stood there blankly, overwhelmed by indescribable emotions.

The Marchioness, who had approached at some point, grabbed her arm and quickly went up to the upper floor.

No matter how much she twisted to let go of her hand, the Marchioness’s strength was somehow so great that she only released Adela upon reaching her room.

“What are you doing!”

“What do you mean, what am I doing? Were you going to just keep listening there? We need to make plans!”

“What plans?”

Unlike the Marchioness, whose eyes were bloodshot, Adela just fiddled with her wrist with an annoyed face.

Thinking that if her wrist swelled up, it would be troublesome for tomorrow’s response to the Crown Princess’s invitation.

But her greedy and cunning stepmother didn’t give her time to think of anything else.

“You fool! Your father might throw away the Empress position just to make you a mere family head, and you’re going to sit there without any plans?”

With a thud, a rather stinging pain spread across her back.

Adela felt her irritation surge as she swatted away her mother’s hand.

“This is already decided by His Highness the Crown Prince and Marquis Vermerian! Do you think Father’s opposition will change anything?”

“Shouldn’t you at least think about what to do if your father absolutely refuses? A daughter can’t do what her father says she can’t!”

A daughter can’t do what her father says she can’t, really.

Adela frowned and gave a derisive laugh.

Where is there such an anachronistic notion?

It’s her father, of all people, who had been giving her education as a family head.

Such a person wouldn’t unconditionally say no in this situation.

Adela snorted and pushed her mother away.

“Don’t talk nonsense and don’t even think about interfering. If you just stay quiet, Jerome can become the family head, so why are you trying to ruin it?”

Isn’t that what you’ve been hoping for all this time?

As Adela added coldly, the Marchioness turned her gaze away, pretending otherwise as she crossed her arms.

“W-well, anyway! Make sure to get some kind of token when you meet the Crown Princess tomorrow. You never know about people’s hearts.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of my own affairs.”

Just take care of yourself, why are you making such a fuss about my business?

Adela threw a visibly mocking laugh as she left the Marchioness’s room.

And on her way back to her room, she recalled what had happened not long ago.

**

Lloyd Alois and Arianna Valois, huh.

Even as she accepted the meeting, Adela wondered how to entertain visitors beyond her imagination.

The moment she saw the letter asking to meet her, saying they would accommodate any place and time she wanted, numerous thoughts flashed through her mind.

It couldn’t not be suspicious, but there was no reason not to meet them either.

Adela invited the two to the trading company she was in the process of acquiring, while still wondering what reason these two could have for wanting to meet her.

Did they figure out Father’s plans to acquire the trading company?

It’s not like we were trying to keep it a secret, but it’s not that important either.

Or did Alois and Valois have some business with Gilroyte?

Even after much deliberation, Adela couldn’t find any particular reason.

There had been no points of contact between the three families, let alone any notable exchanges.

It’s not like their political stances were the same either.

But making all her head-splitting deliberations seem futile, the reason the two came to see her was completely different from what she had expected.

“We’d like you to help us.”

“Help? Me help the two of you?”

Now what kind of nonsense is this?

Adela quietly looked at Arianna, who was throwing out incomprehensible words with an innocent face.

She wasn’t even the family head yet, nor was she an influential figure in high society.

Nor was she famous for any outstanding qualities.

She looked at the two scions of powerful families sitting before her with a perplexed expression.

“What… should I help you with?”

“What can you help us with?”

“Pardon?”

Asking for help and then asking what she can help with.

Adela unknowingly frowned at the increasingly nonsensical conversation.

It must have caught their eye.

“You’re surprised? I understand. It’s understandable.”

Seeing her expression, Arianna waved her hand with a light chuckle.

It was a casual tone, as if she had just made a joke.

“Lady Gilroyte is capable, aren’t you! You can help with anything!”

“Ah, thank you for the compliment, but…”

She couldn’t make heads or tails of the conversation at all.

Adela responded with a confused face, not knowing how to reply to Arianna, who was bouncing from one thing to another.

But the one who looked more uncomfortable with such a tone was actually Lloyd sitting next to her.

“That’s enough. Isn’t Lady Gilroyte uncomfortable?”

“Oh my. I’m sorry if you were uncomfortable. I just thought you seemed too tense.”

At Lloyd’s words, Arianna clasped her hands apologetically with a small laugh.

I heard rumors that Lady Valois was quite thorough and smart despite her innocent face.

Adela thought to herself that this was completely different from the image she had imagined, and smiled awkwardly.

“If you need anything, please tell me. I’ll help if it’s something I can do.”

Since they said they needed help, let’s at least hear what that help is.

Thinking that, she had just changed the subject.

Just as Arianna was about to open her mouth again, Lloyd restrained her and spoke himself.

“Since it might be tiring for the Lady if the story gets long, let me speak directly.”

Adela felt herself unconsciously tensing up as she watched Lloyd speak with sharp eyes and tone.

It was a completely different feeling from the rumors that were rampant about him being a kind and gentle man.

Pressure? No, a sense of crisis?

Perhaps there was something about the man before her that made people tense.

Adela straightened her posture and listened carefully to Lloyd’s voice.

“You had a good time with Amelia at my mother’s party, didn’t you?”

“If you’re referring to Her Highness the Crown Princess, yes. We talked together, but…”

“How was it? Did she seem like quite a decent person?”

“Pardon?”

What kind of nonsense is this now?

Adela couldn’t help but frown again at Lloyd, who was bringing up seemingly irrelevant topics after saying he would speak directly.

Why did they ask for her time if this was all?

“I know well that Amelia Vermerian is an excellent woman by any objective measure. That’s why you’re keeping quiet without saying anything.”

But his next words were enough to erase the discomfort and questions from her face.

“But, how would you feel about pushing such a person aside and taking that position yourself?”

“…Young Lord. What do you mean by that.”

Secretly, and quietly.

The proposal he offered in a low voice reflected the wish she had desperately longed for all her life but could never achieve.

“My Lady. Don’t you want to stand by Leoprick’s side?”

And quite specifically at that.