Chapter 69: Severe

I will bring down the Crown Prince. I will depose Fedelian Rogino.  

Of course, in the process, the blood of many nobles may be shed, and the resulting consequences will send a great shock through the Empire.  

But even so, it was something that had to be done.  

“…So, can I take it that you’re saying it’s fine if I become Yohan’s second?”  

Rudella tried her best to hide her emotions as she tightly pressed her lips together. Her eyelashes and fingertips trembled slightly. She could feel her heart pounding fiercely in her chest.  

It was anticipation.  

“Yes. Honestly, I don’t want to, and I would like to refuse, but…”  

Francia closed her eyes and then exhaled deeply, shaking her head.  

“…There’s no better way to bring down the Empire’s little sun than this.”  

Francia recalled the memory of being ruthlessly trampled by the Crown Prince before her regression.  

He had destroyed the Ferbache family, and the Empire itself had completely crumbled.  

Her father, Duke Ferbache, had lost his life to him, and many others had been forced to shed blood because of the tyrannical politics.  

If they missed this opportunity, everything might return to that nightmare once again.  

“…Understood.”  

Rudella smiled faintly. The persuasion had been successful. All that was left was to handle the matter and fall into Yohan’s arms.  

“Tomorrow, the only aide I can trust will bring the evidence.”  

“Is it the person who came with you today?”  

“Yes.”  

Francia’s eyes narrowed.  

“…Can that person be trusted?”  

“He serves the Bismarck family, but to that child, I come first.”  

“I see.”  

Given the magnitude of the situation, suspicion couldn’t be entirely shaken off, but since Rudella had confidence, Francia decided to trust her. After all, Rudella, who had watched over the situation much longer than she had, would know best.  

“One last question.”  

Francia met Rudella’s gaze. Her red eyes stared intently at her, as if seeing straight through her. The look in those eyes felt like they could pierce her very soul.  

“…Do you truly love Yohan?”  

“Yes.”  

Without a moment’s hesitation, Rudella answered immediately.  

“To me, Yohan is someone no one can replace. He’s the person who taught me so much and the first to make my heart stir.”  

Rudella pressed her lips tightly together and stared directly at Francia. The eyes staring back at her didn’t waver or hesitate.  

Francia could see that Rudella’s feelings were pure. Like the untouched snow that had fallen on the first day of winter, not a single footstep upon it. A child, pressing their foot carefully into the fresh snow.  

“…Let’s leave it at that.”  

Francia didn’t ask any further questions. If she heard more of Rudella’s answers, it seemed like her heart would become tangled in a complicated knot that would never unravel.  

“Thank you, Lady Ferbache.”  

Rudella simply thanked her for allowing her to become Yohan’s second woman.

*     *     *

At that moment, Yohan was sipping tea in his private study.  

It had been a while since Rudella arrived, but seeing that there was still no news, it seemed like the conversation was dragging on.  

‘I don’t know how this will turn out…’  

Yohan clenched his fist, an uneasy feeling creeping over him. Sweat began to trickle from his palm. His heartbeat felt so loud it almost resonated in his ears.  

He, too, wanted to hear what kind of conversation was going on, but Francia firmly stopped him, saying that such matters should remain between the women.  

Apparently, women’s issues should be dealt with by women…  

Anyway, Yohan quietly waited for the two to finish their conversation.  

“Haah…”  

He sighed deeply, full of worry.  

To be honest, he sincerely hoped Rudella would succeed in her persuasion.  

He couldn’t just leave her, who had gradually made her way into his heart, without doing anything.  

It was a bit awkward to say this with Francia around, but… as time passed and he reflected on that day, he found himself liking Rudella more and more.  

Not everyone might feel this way, but generally, men tend to be more drawn to those who direct their affection toward them rather than the ones they already like.  

Perhaps this is the same for women too, though he couldn’t fully understand women’s hearts, so it wasn’t something he wanted to think too deeply about.  

In any case, Yohan had fallen for Rudella. Even though he was prepared to risk his life, he was drawn to her blind love, overflowing with passion.  

He loved how she smiled and shyly blushed even over trivial things, how she expressed her excitement without hiding it.  

‘It’s getting serious…’  

Yohan felt both the sweetness and fear of these emotions. He was excited but anxious that he might get swept away by this unfamiliar feeling. The weightless feeling of his heart seemed to settle painfully in his chest.  

He had lived over forty years, including the life he had in his past, but he had never experienced such feelings before.  

In his previous life, he was good-looking and received attention from many girls.  

And now, in this life, his perfect appearance, often referred to as the “trophy” of the social world, kept the attention of young ladies nonstop.  

However… even though he had received many flirtations and the affection of young ladies, he had never felt a sensation like this—one that made him tremble from the inside out.  

For that reason, Yohan had accepted Rudella’s feelings. It wasn’t just out of sympathy or pity.  

Knock, knock.  

– Sir Yohan, Lady Bismarck has finished her conversation and is coming out.  

While Yohan had been staring seriously into the air in his study, a servant outside the door delivered the news. He had asked to be informed when the conversation ended.  

“I’ll be right out.”  

He had been waiting for this moment. He needed to know how the conversation ended. Yohan immediately stood up from his seat and left the study.  

Following the servant’s guidance, he entered the mansion’s lobby, where he spotted Rudella, adjusting her coat and looking around.  

Yohan was certain. She had been looking for him before leaving.  

“Lady Bismarck.”  

“Oh, you.”  

As soon as Rudella saw Yohan, she gave a slight smile, her lips curving shyly. Her eyes held emotion, softening as they gazed at him.  

“…Shall we talk outside?”  

“Let’s.”  

As Yohan opened the mansion’s door, Rudella fastened her coat and followed him outside.  

The cold air hit them immediately, but it didn’t feel too cold.  

They reached the mansion’s front gate.  

After looking around to make sure no one was nearby, Yohan opened his mouth.

“Did the conversation go well?”  

“Yes.”  

Rudella smiled faintly and nodded once.  

“You can hear the details from Princess Fervache, so I won’t bother discussing them here. Right now, I want to talk to you… about the things we haven’t had a chance to discuss.”  

She said this nonchalantly, but in truth, her heart was racing.  

She had gotten used to these feelings, so she no longer avoided making eye contact or blushing at any random moment. But when he was right in front of her, her heart continued to race uncontrollably. A pleasant warmth spread in her chest. She felt giddy.  

“I’m glad it worked out.”  

“I’m just as relieved,” Rudella said softly, gazing at Yohan steadily. Emotions poured from her eyes without stopping.  

The intensity of her gaze was overwhelming…  

“There’s no need to worry about this anymore, right? Everything has gone the way Lady Bismarck wanted.”  

Her voice was flat, with a hint of coldness. Yohan, worried she might misunderstand, quickly added,  

“…Of course, I didn’t force Lady Bismarck’s heart. I didn’t take it out of pity or sympathy.”  

Her blue eyes remained fixed on Yohan, intently.  

“Are you worried I might get hurt?”  

“I’m not particularly worried…”  

“You’re warm, even with the smallest things.”  

Rudella chuckled softly, her brows lifting and the corners of her mouth curling up.  

“Whatever form your feelings may take, it’s fine. Even if it’s pity or sympathy, I don’t mind.”  

A smile lingered on Rudella’s face, not planning to leave anytime soon.  

She knew herself. It was a selfish feeling. A confession that burdened him, even though she knew it wouldn’t be returned.  

But Yohan had accepted it.  

“So you don’t need to feel burdened. No matter what your choice is, I’ll always gladly accept it. I am happy simply because you accepted my heart from the moment I gave it to you.”  

For that reason, Yohan had no complaints about how she saw him. He was simply grateful for the present.  

“If you say that, it might look like I plan to use Lady Bismarck and discard her… Did I come across that way?”  

“No, that’s not it!”  

Hearing Yohan’s lowered voice, Rudella hurriedly added, afraid she had been misunderstood.  

“I just didn’t want to burden you, that’s all. I never meant to belittle you…”  

Her voice gradually became quieter. Her hands fumbled awkwardly in the air. Her sky-blue eyes quivered.  

“I understand.”  

Yohan smiled lightly. By now, he knew that Rudella held no bad intentions.  

She was simply clumsy.  

“However, this isn’t quite right.”  

“…What do you mean?”  

Rudella cautiously raised her gaze, trying to gauge Yohan’s expression. Anxiety made her fingertips curl slightly.  

“I mean the way you’re acting right now.”  

Yohan continued, looking at her intently.  

“Relationships between people shouldn’t be one-sided or defined by a power imbalance.”  

Rudella tilted her head in confusion, a puzzled expression crossing her face.

“…Is that so?”  

“Yes.”  

Yohan looked at Rudella and continued speaking.  

“A one-sided relationship doesn’t allow for mutual respect. A relationship without respect and consideration leads to conflict and dissatisfaction, and eventually, it breaks down.”  

The absence of mutual respect.  

“Relationships need to communicate equally to last long. If the initiative is only with one side, the balance is lost, leading to emotional alienation and dissatisfaction.”  

The importance of balance and equality.  

“If that happens, I’ll end up stressing Lady Bismarck. As it builds up, it will eventually hurt her.”  

The deterioration of the sustainability of the relationship.  

Even in friendships, these things could happen, not just in romantic relationships.  

“I see…”  

Rudella slowly nodded. With a serious look, she stroked her chin and furrowed her brows.  

“Since I was the one who wanted something unilaterally, I thought it was natural to give you the initiative. After all, that’s the position of the one who has a desire…”  

For her, relationships were about a power struggle between the dominant and the subordinate, each trying to get what they wanted. Yohan’s words felt unfamiliar to her.  

“…That’s not how it should be. This isn’t a transaction or negotiation, is it? I accepted Lady Bismarck’s feelings because I liked her, and you too, because you liked me. This is about sharing our hearts.”  

Rudella blinked quietly.  

To her, being in a romantic relationship was no different from making deals, and yet there was no element of ‘affection’ in it.  

But sharing, that was about giving affection.  

“I see… Sharing, huh.”  

“Yes.”  

She slowly nodded, and then suddenly realized something, smiling contentedly.  

“Wait, did you just say you received it because you liked me?”  

“…Yes, that’s right.”  

“I see… So, you like me…”  

Rudella blushed shyly as a smile spread across her face.  

Honestly, she was still unsure if this was real. It felt like a dream. To hear those words from the man she’d admired and fallen for…  

“And now, please call me Yohan.”  

“…Your name?”  

“Yes. I can’t keep calling you ‘you’ forever, can I?”  

Yohan smiled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck. Somehow, this situation felt very awkward and clumsy.  

“I see… Yohan. Yohan, huh…”  

Rudella smiled and took a step closer to Yohan. The distance between them narrowed. In the cold air, she could feel the warmth of his breath.  

“Please take care of me from now on, Yohan.”  

Then, she took one more step forward, standing on tiptoe, and kissed his cheek.  

“…!”  

Yohan’s eyes widened in surprise at her unexpected gesture.  

Her red lips slowly parted from his cheek. In the cold night air, her breath left a faint warmth.  

“I like you.”  

There was unwavering sincerity shining in her eyes.  

“Really.”