Chapter 51

The duke’s voice 08b2f84569 turned ominous, delivering 93e18dcfbf the final blow.926fa769914cba4d

“If you really doubt it, I can show you the ledgers.”edbb8096d1fde3bc

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“T-that… what…”9e8976c687ff5fea

The marquis stuttered, looking 382e06df7c dazed for a moment ac7d373300 before turning to Diana.30f00b4e7410d88b

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Had he not anticipated such 92b67aac57 a turn of events?f101644ef7bb8a02

Diana’s face flushed with sudden panic.d3f917c926dbb9c3

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“M-Marquis, wait…”90b7bc220c6acfaa

It seemed she 7b049e8172 was trying to 485d8aa7b8 defuse the situation, 2a27078932 but the marquis 1715b6b84f was quicker.f0e5a9d939b3fda4

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“Then where did Diana consume apricots?”78c231eada74432b

“Pecan pie!”7cb138c62ec4ea28

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I quickly replied before 57b535fb1d the duke could be 76601c71b7 put in a difficult 60d3563a62 position.67cffd06a95e630f

“Diana brought it. She wanted to share 842b3f2100 it with me!”fe03df963c1017d3

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“T-that’s…”62e89656bb7e9bea

Diana’s face turned pale 204e9d5f31 at my outburst.bb259fa0a4ecc72d

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It was always me 0439bc6920 who was caught off 87179ccc16 guard in unexpected situations.d8663236baa09cf9

Seeing the heroine 41f597b068 now cornered felt 11593d7011 very strange.4c54e0ab50fa297f

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‘…Why did you do that, Diana?’790455fd8fbbff85

I truly wanted to 0f01b41082 get along with you 30c041bca2 in this life.785f17ab4b4b718d

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“I’ve never had this much to eat before.”191b506603bf47f0

Honestly, if she had only 3295e7a1e2 said that, I might have f81302ff29 been uncertain.8454b82993d2141c

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If I hadn’t seen 36cfda2895 her smiling slyly at 30d3093430 Edwin when he entered 03f086b96e with her maid.f8f50d9993d667ea

‘Could it be that she did this in the previous life too?’912e173760d938dc

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I couldn’t remember.9f6c006d15ed5ff6

What was clear 605adebe28 was that Diana 233c1d0e42 had tried to ce0e75eb95 use me.7f25cd0e0ecb0e54

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The reason was probably that…99c940f6b0d8c972

‘She wanted to build an image of herself being bullied by me to turn the situation around.’4dd764a8ba906868

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Her failure to heal 484c748975 Joshua and my sudden c5c6c510da sponsorship.fc651ca2e6ea3a6e

The fall of the loyal 8e0f8ce9f5 dog who had supported her 97105be5b9 wholeheartedly.86bf37bf620e1805

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All these factors likely made 433366295e her feel her position was bde113b6d1 threatened.9f603b548193f6be

‘Who knows, if I hadn’t recognized the allergy and used my healing power right away, she might have cleverly pointed out my incompetence.’99d509095174df81

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Diana’s behavior was 5348bd4ec9 far from the 3239d36d87 angelic heroine described 5849d76d64 in the novel.4e21c0dc53b97388

But that fact wasn’t a66b42f2b9 particularly surprising.feb27a815c888e23

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Unfortunately, I had experienced such 5e620a4ba9 situations too many times in 31357093c8 my previous life to be 33e98bbbbd shocked by deviations from the a422f4d903 novel.4b48d3fcaa794b8a

So many times 9ac26e22ae that I was 776150efc3 utterly sick of f6ffcab9d4 it.428bda60e1203836

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Therefore, I could confidently say,b0ac826ee0ecab80

‘There is no such thing as a perfect protagonist in this world!’97551e326a78ed31

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Even I wasn’t a b3dd51e645 perfect villain.67781e17c8cf0dd7

So, how could the 138e973c55 heroine be exactly like 70c38e21a5 in the novel?dc0268917a1371cb

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‘…Right, Diana?’a82ae6c9d10acea6

I calmly opened f86c264b0b my mouth as 6193fd1c10 I looked at ee0e9921a6 Diana, who was 44bd0ffb52 staring at me a669347f9c frozen.3d9722e26b0b3769

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“And, when we were eating the pecan pie, I thought I smelled apricots!”ae3bdfd03e15ebe1

“Hmm?”c5748f84e34b21b6

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“It tasted different from the walnut tart the kitchen made a few days ago!”7726075679d53dfe

“Is that so?”3fbed81737aa1af7

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The duke glanced down at me and then raised his chin as if to say, ‘What now?’a94e8cc8631a36e2

“Belze! What are you talking about!”53d8a11c376d43a4

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“That’s absurd!”6225b8eddcd0d958

Diana and the marquis 7f0512a8bb shouted simultaneously.d92ea123c5413678

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The marquis quickly denied 23a5c522a4 my words.f26b991493886886

“That can’t be! I’ve often bought that pecan pie for Diana before!”55dcb1181e94d588

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“…”debd43bdaaa5c467

“She’s never had trouble breathing before. Suddenly, there’s apricot in it? Unless you and your maid tampered with it, this is absurd…!”af1bef1d51c9bf2b

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“Watch your tongue, Marquis.”03f1ae6670edbf9a

The duke effectively silenced e287b3c8a1 the marquis, who was 6d44355690 rambling in his agitation.54610230c7230694

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“We’ll soon know whether it makes sense or not. I’ve sent someone to the store.”1d0bad11592f9aff

“When… When did you say?”fbff83ec47115ce3

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The marquis looked bewildered.91bf956c9552657f

The duke’s sharp gaze cut ee4ab3b1ec through the air as he a9811f3206 spoke curtly.b0229a35a09f92c8

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“Just now.”2f0a650c376cece5

“Heh…”d81627ae7c4fae18

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The marquis let out 3ceae38282 a dry laugh, as b699df335d if he couldn’t believe 6da016cf69 the duke’s words.6c3ca83abeee3ac7

But I understood immediately what the duke meant by “just now.”b3e8f415e7b56510

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‘Did he send the Shadow Corps?’f6d8cfde16208468

I glanced at Edwin, 7672d1451b who also seemed to f5002aacbd understand, his expression calm.8a475c2e74709ce9

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I looked back and ce40fc33a8 forth between them, filled 2f8eba2634 with admiration for how 689f52347b they didn’t dismiss my 8bf2774535 words.48ab74624b552a2f

‘Having these people on my side…’a62b3876f77bf988

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I felt incredibly secure 907be15f33 and happy.28f2881cea03a730

‘Our duke is so handsome, competent, and perfect from head to toe…!’6222e30488344ece

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Feeling proud, I looked b9d507823b at Diana with a 71f9edf0a0 sense of triumph.6c1bd277ae032eea

She seemed to have not e7ae730c25 anticipated this development, biting her 4863d72179 thumb nervously like a little 16a04d616b child.d6cf085640b58a19

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Seeing her like that, I 1eb8ff0765 felt a pang of doubt.f09a67a3e17bc2ae

‘…Was I too harsh?’b771ee3ff6ad488b

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Despite my lingering anger and 1abad08b65 disgust, she was still just 7ead929382 a five-year-old child.fae771482580b6a6

I began to question whether this entire plan even originated from Diana’s mind.76f88356f7c8bc83

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‘If she admits she knew about the apricot and apologizes… maybe I can let it go.’fd6b3d27281a1f1b

Although the thought d5aebd2a8d of her scheming a8e7620949 against me still 28f5b7c1e5 angered me, logically, a431f6fc52 it seemed more 645985c6cc likely that the cb9b45ade7 Marquis of Barrelotte 04356a3a4b was the mastermind.0fe646c7e0753a95

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Lost in thought while watching 8f1392672a Diana, our eyes met.28d9bd709fac235d

I stiffened.c0613804099887dd

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‘Why…’da189860caedccba

Her purple eyes, fixed on a9574ad911 me, sparkled with pure interest.a563b8a5a6c3c757

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The panic and anxiety 96cc8d3116 she had shown earlier 5c5707fb1f seemed like an illusion.ad9d61873e27263a

Her gaze was like e0d01265f4 that of someone who d2321b88a7 had found an amusing d7cf392bf2 toy, sending a chill 80e703b4b9 down my spine.cdc17e94b92d5e99

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Knock, knock.4bb35fbe9e1d6135

At that moment, someone 7690584a3e knocked on the already 89ed8923ca open door.d626cd2ea390e268

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“Duke, it’s me.”0522be58dfc62339

It was the butler.794bcdc285c74624

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As everyone’s attention turned towards him, he approached with a calm demeanor.fa05fed0d5556637

And he delivered the verdict.d18fc0f58e927809

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“It was the pecan pie.”8f553d424bd92a65

“What?!”9350cea94102cbc6

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“Here, the ingredients list from the shop.”192e3731fef6036e

The duke took the paper 5f5400672b the butler handed him and 0454e10320 tossed it carelessly to the 0cfa1818d6 marquis without even reading it.f8fc59aacb8500b9

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Flutter!c196edbb1202a9f3

The marquis grabbed the paper ab3088adf4 frantically as it fluttered in 5e648cf212 the air.345171991b5b56e2

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His effort was in 6cd57c65ee vain, as the butler d54116b3cd immediately explained the contents.8f7e4922bf192b71

“The filling used in the pie dough contains a small amount of apricot jam.”a8fe935bef5f83f8

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“This… this can’t be…”4bce0cdd9bcb5d6d

Finally, the marquis’s face 0f455e157a crumpled in despair.fd8f4b0d9d207702

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He glared at the f4b6ede966 paper again, but nothing 30cc577173 changed.0cb69845e9681c14

“Now, let’s discuss responsibility, as you suggested.”2188fd11f72f6159

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“…!”a153f33acf43144f

The situation had completely reversed.85ed42d467163302

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The duke smiled c767d23a65 ominously at the bb2198d958 flustered marquis.ceca91819b4d3bf7

“You understand that my second son could have been seriously harmed by the pecan pie your girl brought, right, Marquis?”fa41ffa5fadc6cd2

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“What? What is this about…”a0474aa311bb32c7

“My maid was instructed to share it with Edwin and Joshua as well.”c1a7fe0ad91013bf

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“W-what…!”25c43d70835aeb3c

The marquis immediately turned 7f16ee28be to Diana and her dd0f18e1ff maid.dfa0d6262a10cf3c

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“Why did you do such a foolish thing…!”463d9572ada5fba8

“I… I just wanted everyone to enjoy something tasty together…”c6ee2b164b672078

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Diana stammered, trembling.2a54351bfe8699ee

“I-I’m sorry, Marquis, Duke, sob…!”ebb77094f369e001

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“…”a30408afc8c4ee29

“I really didn’t know the pecan pie contained apricot. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…”d4dcb16ba2274e2d

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Diana whimpered with tears ca2f7efbe8 welling up in her 65587d8f4b eyes.b7afb802b814150a

She looked pitiful and heart-wrenching.93108f466fc3638a

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It almost made me 83eb629ed3 forget the chilling look 2b6aa623ac she had given me bfdfaf9745 just moments before.7833d2f35a3c3678

‘So that’s why Edwin came to my room?’2f342ce0b7f078f9

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I glanced at 1856f32d33 the crying heroine 3452fae56d with a hint 110874b30a of suspicion.4b38df5b1c94b1be

My fingertips were still cold.9335449d8e9607ad

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I didn’t want to think this way, but the unease I felt about Diana kept pushing my thoughts to extremes.af0199db2384f8f7

‘…What if she used the pecan pie as an excuse to lure Edwin to my room?’7c495f2adf64bac1

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If she showed him a 32f414a561 scene of her struggling to 36c3fef6f8 breathe due to the allergy, 14e6cfeea5 making him misunderstand that I 963e5593cb did something to her…143c58630b2029c8

“I-I didn’t know either! I’m not the chef of that shop. How could I have known there was apricot jam inside?”67872b92358b61d2

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The marquis quickly shouted ac9caa4117 in support of the 06afc7be6e sniffling Diana.7db350a007d5450a

The duke frowned 25a9e64765 at the irresponsible 0df8cdc31b remark.09bf63b5bf02f32c

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“As her guardian, are you telling me you didn’t know the food she was eating could be dangerous for her?”37817ff03cf678a2

“Th-that’s…”24d55aaf1f6a74d9

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“This is truly the worst. You admit yourself that you repeatedly bought food that could trigger her allergy. This sounds like child abuse. I could report you for that.”ffeeb44709390ea5

“C-child abuse!”2466a0f773b11b9d

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The marquis jumped in his 6ded45836a place, knowing well the fate 77651f8f5b of the loyal dog who 5e32981f23 was caught for child abuse.9a9635e74cd39a61

He began speaking rapidly.e672b6380a22fafe

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“Of course, I knew Diana had an apricot allergy. I was well aware!”f18758c1bf236f0d

“…”f618b3d9c94d6617

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“But how can one check every single food item! And Diana has eaten it before without any issues…”9852391c0ea0f781

The marquis’s groveling tone was a stark contrast to his earlier assertiveness about assigning blame.16ca2a38e5a60c5a

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“Let’s set aside the child abuse.”06b1ad7800ae53b1

The duke wasn’t letting up 33cc4edb40 on the marquis’s excuses.41b78a9f08b94e89

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“How do you plan to handle the fact that you brought a toxic substance into the duke’s residence?”6f8df0f9bc6c0183

“T-toxic substance…?”d290594d8c59201c

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“Yes. The food your girl brought almost killed my second son.”5007aaa1cf4f5ddb

“Gasp! Almost killed him! What a horrifying thing to say…!”97d784b927930641

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“But it wasn’t horrifying when you were insisting on assigning blame for her almost dying, was it?”ab20cbe7ff8bc26b

“…”a0426c2744da383a

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The marquis turned pale and f0c60ba84c finally fell silent.892b46ad8f346bbd

It was only natural.8bb6d4e0f1cacc0d

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Every word the 61747f3548 duke said was 4c33696f8b a reflection of dfd974c6d8 the nonsense the f84b1f1b26 marquis had spouted e433ef7c2d earlier.e880f6bbf755f21f

‘Wow, he’s really tearing him apart!’2c926d16c16be97d

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Watching the duke methodically dismantle 9ee69a6918 the marquis’s arguments, I felt f7c75c6e4e a strong sense of catharsis.2182d5332b44181f

The marquis, now looking thoroughly 5adb874046 disheveled, tried to offer a c8514945a7 weak defense.0d46b9f92e08c423

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“…But she bought the gift with good intentions, didn’t she?”19807cdda43aa65d

“…”a9b764b12b800cd4

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“In the end, only Diana got sick, and nothing else happened…”b6d1f735922815ce

“Enough with the nonsense.”6e3a291052faa3f2

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The duke spat out 0fab77fbbe in annoyance.fefda0a6d4ae90e6

“Apologize formally for insulting the House of Kalios by accusing us of serving poison to our guests.”ea9307fc2bc049f4

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The marquis’s face was ashen, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly.d1b3dd4f80a6dc95

The room was thick with tension as everyone waited for the marquis’s response.6c134c3b5784fc53

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