The Beast Swallowed by the Flower (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 24

Kai fled the bathroom as if running away.

Erwell and Krishina, who had been sitting in Lisi’s parlor, sprang to their feet.

Apparently, even to their eyes, Kai looked unusual.

“My lord, are you all right?”

At Krishina’s question, Kai raised one hand slightly, then left Lisi’s room without another word.

Only once he’d stepped into the corridor did he cover his mouth with one hand.

“I’m going crazy.”

A groan-like sound slipped out.

Strangely enough, whenever he was with Lisi, he lost his composure.

When her soft violet eyes quietly fixed on him, an indescribable emotion would rise from his lower abdomen, pressing hard against his solar plexus.

He’d only gone in to share a few jokes over wine about the day’s events, just to see Lisi’s flustered face at his unexpected visit.

‘Looks like I’m the one who ended up more flustered.’

“Captain.”

At Wallace’s voice from behind, Kai spun around as if shot. Wallace and Jamie stood side by side, watching him suspiciously.

“Why are you standing like that in front of Sister-in-law’s room? Did she forbid you from entering…? Wait, Captain—why’s your face so red? Are you ill?”

Wallace strode closer, his voice full of concern.

Unconsciously, Kai stepped backward and held up a hand.

“Stop right there, Wallace.”

“Why? Did you catch some plague or something? Your face is way too red. Right, Jamie?”

Jamie was gazing at Kai with knowing eyes, as if he understood exactly what was going on.

Kai wanted to flee the spot, but forced himself to stay.

“Go away. I’m not in the mood to talk.”

“What’s wrong, Captain? Did you catch rabies or something?”

“…Wallace…”

“That’d be serious! There’s no cure for that, you know. Remember that village in Eorthe sometime back? Someone got bitten by a rabid dog and went completely insane. Oh, and they say people with rabies get scared of water… Should I splash some on you, Jamie?”

Kai debated whether to slap Wallace or just pretend he hadn’t heard and head straight to his study.

“It’s fine, Wallace. The Captain’s simply entered that turbulent phase every grown man goes through.”

As expected, Jamie had figured it out.

“Turbulent phase? What turbulent phase?”

Wallace looked confused, glancing between Jamie and Kai.

Jamie patted Wallace on the shoulder.

“You see, the Captain… Lady Iris…”

“Jamie. That’s enough.”

Kai cut Jamie off and pointed down the opposite end of the corridor.

It was a clear “shut up and get lost,” and Jamie understood perfectly.

Grinning, Jamie whispered to Wallace.

“I’ll explain the details over there.”

“Jamie…”

“Oh, Captain. About the wedding invitation—Marquis Green contacted us. He seemed quite displeased… You’d better call him yourself.”

“Understood.”

As Jamie walked off with Wallace down the corridor, he whispered something.

He was probably giving Wallace a thorough explanation of Kai’s current state.

Kai had a headache.

To his closest confidants—those he called “Shadows”—Kai was less a dignified leader and more a trusted comrade.

Even so, he didn’t want to lay bare before them these strange, elusive feelings he himself couldn’t fully understand.

‘I need to pull myself together.’

Running a hand through his hair, Kai headed toward the communications room.

Decades ago, mages and mechanical engineers had invented the communicator.

With just a number, one could easily contact someone far away using this device.

Because it could be misused, only government-run communication offices in cities or large towns were permitted to operate them; private individuals couldn’t own one freely.

However, with special permission from the state, private ownership was possible—though the requirements were so strict that only a handful of people possessed one.

Naturally, the Green family, as guardians of sacred relics, had easily obtained such permission and owned a communicator.

Entering the communications room, Kai stood before the large machine and pressed the button connecting to Marquis Green’s residence.

Soon, he was linked to the Marquis’s butler, who summoned Marquis Wyvern Green.

“Father.”

[Kaelbrant Green.]

Wyvern intoned Kai’s full name formally in a low voice.

That meant he was extremely angry.

“There are… circumstances.”

[Your mother and I didn’t believe a word of what the newspapers screamed. Why? Because we trust you more than some rag.]

“I know. But the circumstances…”

[The ‘flower of the Wittelo family,’ are they? I heard Duke Wittelo kept his daughter so tightly hidden he wouldn’t let just anyone see her.] [Kai, it’s Mother.]

Heraina Green interrupted Wyvern’s words.

“Mother…”

[A man liking a beautiful woman is perfectly natural—we understand. Yes, they say heroes adore beauties. But Kai, Mother just can’t help feeling uneasy. A grown child choosing his own bride and getting married without even telling his parents? Learning about your marriage last of all? We understand all that.]

Her tone clearly conveyed that she did *not* understand at all.

[But Kai… Duke Wittelo is a greedy man. If that’s the case, why would he debut his elder daughter Britney early in society, yet hide his younger daughter—the one said to be dazzlingly beautiful, Iris?]

“That’s…”

[To sell her off, of course. While everyone admired pretty Britney, they’d wonder: ‘If even Britney is presented publicly, just how astonishingly beautiful must this hidden Iris be that he refuses to show her?’ He deliberately cultivated that expectation.]

Kai clicked his tongue inwardly. He’d never imagined his parents, who’d long since retired to a quiet countryside life, would still possess such sharp political insight.

“Mother, there are… other circumstances.”

[What did you give to take that girl?]

The Marquis and his wife gave Kai no room to explain—a first for them.

Kai realized just how furious his parents truly were.

“Nothing at all.”

[So now you’re even lying to your own mother over a woman? The day you brought her home, we heard one of the Green-owned mines was transferred to the Wittelos.]

“Who on earth is your source? If you have such good intelligence, please share it with me.”

[This isn’t a joke, Kaelbrant Green. I understand you like beautiful women and that you married on a whim—that’s fine. But buying a woman with something you own is wrong. Did Lady Wittelo truly agree to your intentions?]

Kai breathed a sigh of relief.

His parents weren’t angry merely because he’d married without permission.

They feared he’d forced Lisi into marriage against her will.

“It’s not Lady Wittelo anymore, Mother—it’s Countess Green. Even though we haven’t held the ceremony yet…”

[That isn’t what I was asking.]

“Lisi—Lady Iris—agreed as well.”

A brief silence fell.

But the exceptionally clear connection faithfully transmitted the Marquis and his wife’s whispered conversation from the other end.

[Darling, what should we do? Our Kai is becoming quite the liar.] [It’s all my fault for raising him poorly. Don’t cry, Hera.] [But… our son growing up to be someone who buys women with money…]

Kai swallowed hard.

Of course, he *had* given them a mine to bring Lisi home—but it had been entirely her own idea.

Still, he couldn’t possibly tell his parents, “Lisi offered herself in exchange for a mine.” It was better to let them think he was the villain who’d bought a woman with money.

Finally, Wyvern spoke again.

[Kaelbrant Green. I depart today. I’ll take the fastest carriage—I should arrive in two or three days.]

Heraina added,

[If Lady Wittelo entered this marriage against her will, you’ll become the first divorced man in our family.]

+++

Britney held a tea party in the garden conservatory.

Since a considerable amount of gold had recently been extracted from the Benot gold mine—given by Kai as payment for taking Lisi—she’d renovated both the garden and conservatory and now wished to show them off to the other young noblewomen.

“Well, it’s fortunate things worked out. Countess Green cleared up the misunderstanding. That must have been a relief for you, Miss Britney.”

The noblewoman who spoke wore an expression that clearly didn’t consider it fortunate at all.

Britney felt the same but forced a smile.

“Yes, truly fortunate. I couldn’t even sleep properly, worrying that Iris might be crying under false accusations.”

“How thoughtful of you—such deep concern for your younger sister.”

Indeed, her concern ran deep.

Just not in the way the noblewomen present assumed.

Once the truth about Gillette’s actions came to light, newspapers that had previously mocked and slandered Lisi hastily changed their stance.

They’d insulted the “flower of the Wittelo family” and the Iris of the Greens—the guardians of sacred relics.

Defaming a noblewoman’s honor with outright falsehoods deserved severe punishment.

The newspapers even risked being shut down entirely.

Yet Lisi filed no lawsuits against them. Consequently, every paper that had ever slighted her now competed to publish glowing articles praising her magnanimity and beauty.

“Reporters these days can’t seem to stop praising Countess Green… But I think differently. Publicly cornering Lady Gillette like that—wasn’t that basically telling her to hang herself?”

Hearing this, Britney nearly applauded—but barely restrained herself.

“I’m sure that wasn’t her intention. Of course, Iris isn’t the type to forgive someone who wronged her… But surely she wouldn’t tell someone to hang themselves? She must have meant it as a form of forgiveness.”

Britney offered weak defense that wasn’t truly defense.

“Not so sure about that. I heard that woman used to serve as Count Green’s nighttime attendant… Could it have been jealousy?”

“She was probably a bit jealous, yes. But…”

Britney stopped there and feigned discomfort with a nervous lip-bite.

The noblewoman who’d raised the topic gently fluttered her fan.

“I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to pressure you, Miss Britney.”

Just then, Britney’s maid arrived.

The maid stood quietly beside Britney and handed her an envelope.

“What’s this?”

On the white envelope, bound with a golden ribbon, elegant script spelled out [Wedding Invitation].

“Whose wedding is this?”

She glanced around at the noblewomen, but all looked equally puzzled.

Britney drew the invitation from the envelope.

It was luxurious yet elegant, edged with real gold leaf.

Her eyes widened as she read:

[You are cordially invited to the wedding of Kaelbrant Green and Iris Wittelo.]

And so it began.

“Whose wedding is it?”

Catherine, seated beside her, asked in a hushed voice.

“Count Green and… Iris…”

“Oh my. That girl must be feeling quite pleased with herself.”

Catherine glanced around at the noblewomen.

They nodded with mocking smiles.

“She must have realized what rumors were swirling around her. She surely pressured Count Green into holding a wedding.”

“How shameless! I could never beg someone who dislikes me to marry me—not even at the cost of my life.”

“Exactly. Having never entered society, how could she possibly understand a lady’s grace?”

Ordinarily, Britney would have delighted in their words.

But now, their voices barely registered in her ears.

It was all because of the name written at the very bottom of the invitation.

Noticing Britney’s strange expression, Catherine cautiously leaned over to peek at the invitation.

Catherine’s eyes, which had been glancing at it blankly, suddenly froze on the exact spot Britney was reading.

“What is this…?”

“What’s wrong?”

“What is it?”

The noblewomen showed interest.

Catherine, almost without thinking, snatched the invitation from Britney’s hand and waved it, exclaiming,

“The host of the wedding… is Countess Nellanikus Janel!”