Elysia chose extravagance over infidelity because it was a cleaner and safer option to conclude matters. Above all, she wanted to end it at this stage. In reality, if Damon truly wanted a divorce, it wasn’t like he was without means.

He had the power to make the impossible possible.

“Ever since the marriage discussions with him began, I’ve always been in danger.”

That was indeed the case.

She never knew when Damon’s affections might change, and there were always those around her looking to take her place. Especially those two women—one was too obvious in her intentions, and the other, more dangerous because she wasn’t obvious.

Elysia knew that while the Empress might seem powerful now and holding the reins of power, the truly fearsome person was Sierra.

“Elysia…”

“Did you come because of the rumors?”

She thought Edward would never come to find her, especially if her assumptions were correct because that person would never tolerate it. The situation was so ludicrous and pitiful that she couldn’t help but laugh.

“If you’ve come to talk about that…”

She hadn’t expected to discuss such matters with Edward, not Damon. The one who should be reacting was pretending not to know. Elysia was aware. No matter how much the world condemned her for her extravagance or vilified her as the worst villainess, it would be futile if Damon refused to let her go.

Why wouldn’t Damon leave her?

She had pondered this question many times but could never find the answer. After all, the original story never explained why Damon killed Elysia.

“What are you trying to do? If you had just waited a little longer, I could have helped you escape.”

“How?”

She wondered how he could possibly help her escape from Damon.

It would be a miracle if she didn’t end up dead. Living with Damon had taught her his merciless nature towards others. For some reason, though, he seemed a bit more lenient towards her. But in the end, Damon was still Damon.

“I’ll handle my own matters.”

She hoped it would all end with just the extravagance, but she was certain Damon wouldn’t let it be. If he were going to dismiss her over some bad rumors, they wouldn’t have married in the first place. Their marriage was plagued by negative rumors from the start.

“Did you really come here because of the rumors?”

Elysia wished Edward would be the one to speak first. She wondered what Edward had intended to say that day. If she had known, she would have glanced through the documents a bit. However, Edward had come to her too urgently for that.

“Where are you living now? The County? Or somewhere else?”

“….”

“How long do you plan to deceive me?”

Edward gave no response to her question.

Had she not heard the story from Rowena, Elysia might have believed him as she did… that was how much Elysia Caitlin trusted Edward Caitlin. At least, when she was reborn here, she thought of him as the only person she could trust.

She might have even felt an absurd sense of family love, something she hadn’t experienced in her previous life.

“Elysia.”

It was laughable. Only now did Elysia realize why she was so fixated on being normal, on having a conventional life. She longed for an ordinary family with good relationships, something she never had and unknowingly desired.

“I heard it from Rowena.”

As expected, Edward hadn’t come to confess to her today. The silver lining, perhaps, was that he still cared for her as a sister.

“Brother is going to inherit the Count’s title.”

“…That’s because I’m the only heir, naturally.”

Elysia frowned at Edward’s evasive behavior, even though the truth was already out. What good would lying to her do now?

“Do you really think I’m asking because I don’t know anything?”

“Elysia.”

“Did Rowena tell me that for no reason? She said County Caitlin would soon change hands. That means the current Count is stepping down.”

Julius was healthy. He was still relatively young and wouldn’t suddenly pass on his title. And if it were a proper succession, Rowena wouldn’t have spoken as she did.

“You said you wouldn’t stay at the County.”

So, where was Edward now? She hoped her ominous premonition would not come true. That, she was just mistaken…

“Where exactly are you now?”

* * *

“….”

She thought he was going to make an excuse, but Edward chose silence. Elysia felt her premonition was correct through his silence.

“You were going to tell me that day.”

“It’s better if you don’t know.”

It was better not to know…

She knew who had made Edward like this… a truly frightening person. To have changed Edward so quickly was remarkable.

“I’m currently staying at the house of someone who’s helping me.”

“If you’re inheriting the count’s title, why are you staying there?”

“There are circumstances… I can’t tell you right now.”

That was the detail she hadn’t immediately grasped. Something was off. The story’s flow was the same, but the specifics were slightly different.

“So, you weren’t sick… What’s that about?”

No matter how much one might pretend, it was impossible to deceive everyone so thoroughly. Was all of it even possible through acting? Edward was genuinely ill, no one could doubt that.

“Ah… To be precise, I was made to look sick. It was all arranged to appear that way.”

“Made to? But that couldn’t have been done with just makeup…”

Wait, a moment.

“Magic.”

At the mention of magic, Elysia’s head snapped up. Edward didn’t know how to use magic. In the County, nobody had talent in either magic or swordsmanship. They were all ordinary people.

But magic?

“It was an illusion spell. Cast on everyone, including you.”

“And, then….the Countess too…”

“That was all magic as well.”

Who had cast magic for Edward? No, that wasn’t right… If her suspicions were correct, then Edward knew how to use magic. In addition, not just any magic, but he was a highly skilled wizard.

“Are you still using illusion magic now?”

“….?”

As expected, there was no answer.

“Is the brother before me now real?”

Edward was known for being extremely cautious. It was said he was very careful. Still, to think he’d come into the Grand Duchy so openly, no matter how urgent it was…

“For now… yes. I wouldn’t send an illusion to visit my sister.”

“That’s a relief.”

It was amusing to think she had been completely deceived. Who was protecting whom, after all?

“When did you learn magic?”

Edward’s magic talent likely came from his mother’s side.

The number of wizards was few, given it was an ability passed through bloodlines. Still, it wasn’t invariably so; inheriting it didn’t guarantee manifestation. Many never manifest their potential, and thus, some might not even realize they carry a wizard’s blood.

His mother must have been among those. Yet, it was curious. Typically, such diluted bloodlines wouldn’t yield strong powers, though Edward possessed significant power.

“We both underwent talent testing since we were young.”

Edward simply smiled at her words.

Unlike swordsmanship, where effort could elevate one’s skills, magic and divine power were innate. Effort alone couldn’t grant them. The Count might have specifically gone to Edward’s mother and hers as a mistress because of the slim chance of inheriting such abilities.

Courtesans often came from backgrounds of fallen nobility or those with high status—pearls in the mud, as they say—valuable finds in the darkest places. The Count specifically sought out only such individuals.

Perhaps partly out of a sense of noble pride.

“We both were tested multiple times and confirmed to have no talents.”

The Count hadn’t abandoned her and Edward from the start. Especially Edward, who she knew underwent several more talent tests. She herself had been tested three times. Once the Count confirmed they lacked any abilities, he discarded them without a second thought.

“Don’t tell me it manifested late as a lie.”

“Elysia, I…”

“Even the slightest possibility would immediately show up on the tester.”

Given the scarcity of wizards, the imperial family and high-ranking nobles desired them more than anyone. Thus, before reaching the age of ten, every citizen of the empire underwent talent testing.

The tester, made of mana, could instantly determine whether one possessed magic talents simply by holding it. It was a device created by the empire’s imperial wizards. Bypassing its detection without exceptional ability was impossible…

“You made the tester malfunction.”

She had no idea the extent of the deception she had been subjected to. The absurdity of it all kept her laughing.

“I didn’t intend that from the start.”

“Ah… Of course, revealing any magic talent would have immediately turned you into the Count’s puppet… Yes, I understand that.”

Julius regarded his marriage to Angelina as a disgrace. He was the kind of noble who valued lineage over actual ability. He hoped to rise through the use of Elysia and Edward. Sadly, both appeared devoid of any talents.

Ah, but in the end, the Count’s plans did bear fruit. At least one of them was born with abilities.

“Then, who is helping you now?”

“That too…”

It was clear he had no intention of revealing anything to her.

“So, you plan to tell me nothing.”

__