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The eldest young lady of the household, Felicity, spoke with composed dignity as she regarded the individual who had suddenly confronted them, spouting ill-considered words without the slightest restraint.
Although her response was cloaked in politeness, it was merely a formality. In truth, Felicity intended nothing more than to dismiss the man before them as though he were of no consequence. At that moment, however, a faint crease formed between her brows as she reflected that the present situation felt unusually strange.
She was well aware that most nobles carried themselves with arrogance and pride, convinced of their own superiority over others, yet they still maintained at least a minimal degree of courtesy in formal settings.
However, the man standing in front of them—someone Felicity did not recognize as belonging to any known noble house—had brazenly approached them without fear or hesitation.
'Not only that, but this person didn't even hesitate to offend members of a high-ranking noble household… especially an heir apparent like our elder brother….'
As the thought lingered, Felicity shifted her gaze toward her second older brother. She immediately noticed that his usually carefree demeanor had disappeared, replaced by a rare seriousness as he studied the man before them.
'Of course… for someone like him, he must have noticed something unusual about this situation as well….'
At that moment, only one possibility surfaced clearly in Felicity's mind.
The Crown Prince….
As the host of the banquet, the Crown Prince should have already made an appearance, yet he was nowhere to be seen, even though most of the invited guests had already gathered.
'I wouldn't be surprised if that person is watching this entire scene from somewhere….'
Aside from her second brother, Felicity could tell that their eldest brother had reached the same conclusion. He had remained silent the entire time, simply staring at the man with his indifferent, cyan-colored eyes, as though the individual before him was utterly insignificant.
"If there is nothing further, gentleman, please excuse us."
Without waiting for any response, the three siblings turned and departed. They did not spare even a glance at the man who had confronted them, as more pressing matters demanded their attention than indulging in futile political games with the decaying nobility surrounding them.
......….
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...............…..
A FEW DAYS AGO, BEFORE THE SCANDALOUS INCIDENT HAPPENED….
[FLASHBACK]
LOCATION: MARQUIS CHEVALIER HOUSEHOLD
HEADMASTER'S OFFICE
"Do you intend to completely remove the current Marchioness from her position, given that she has long been acting as a spy?"
Without preamble, Eclipse delivered this statement directly to his father. The moment the words left his lips, he noticed the subtle shift in the Marquis's demeanor. It was slight, but unmistakable.
In that instant, Eclipse understood that his father's thoughts had already moved beyond the obvious, contemplating a broader and more intricate picture.
'The Marquis has known about this for a long time… but what I cannot understand is… why did he allow that traitor to continue acting freely? It makes no sense….'
Because many of his memories from his first life remained fragmented and indistinct, Eclipse called upon the [System Archive] within his interface to review the original worldline once more.
As he examined the records, the information he uncovered was not something he had anticipated. From it, a troubling theory began to form in his mind.
'If the Marchioness truly was the traitor… then… in my first life… the crimes that were placed upon me were actually her doing…! Tsk. How amusing.'
There was no direct proof to support such a claim. By the time Eclipse had been sentenced to death in his first life, the Marchioness had already died.
Yet her death did not absolve her of suspicion.
Even if that life had been nothing more than a script he was forced to follow, governed by the rigid structure of a predetermined storyline, and even if many others had harmed him because of the role he was bound to play… there was only one person he could never forgive.
Charlotte Aineselle Chevalier—the current Marchioness.
'She is the only one I truly wish to take revenge upon. As for the others, they no longer matter. Since my stay in this worldline is temporary, I will avoid unnecessary entanglements. I have no intention of involving myself with them in this life.'
The worldline of [Mystique Enchantress] revolved solely around the heroine and her six male leads, unfolding within the familiar framework of a romantic academy setting. Naturally, most of the information stored within the [System Archive] held little relevance to the central narrative.
And yet, who would have expected that beyond the main storyline, there existed numerous hidden threads—stories that, in their own right, were worthy of attention?
'Well, the storyline is confined to the heroine's perspective. Nothing more. If this worldline were told from a third-person perspective… it would be far more compelling….'
If that were the case, then this world would no longer belong to the genre of school romance. Without a doubt, it would shift into something far more complex—an action-adventure narrative.
"What do you intend to do, then? Do you have a plan in mind?"
Eclipse was pulled back from his thoughts as his father finally spoke, breaking the long silence that had settled over the room.
For a brief moment, Eclipse frowned as he carefully observed the man before him.
'Now that I think about it… if the Marquis was aware that the Marchioness was both a spy and a traitor… then the crimes that were pinned on me in my first life… did he have a hand in it as well?'
The thought nearly caused him to lose control.
For a fleeting instant, the urge to confront the truth surged within him, but he suppressed it, drawing a slow and silent breath instead.
There would be time to deal with that matter later. For now, more urgent concerns required his attention.
He studied his father's expression once more. Just as expected, the Marquis maintained his stoic composure, revealing nothing on the surface. Yet Eclipse could discern the sharp glint hidden beneath it.
Anxiety.
And wariness.
For a brief moment, Eclipse almost let out a quiet snicker, but he held himself back. Provoking someone like the Marquis would be a foolish move.
'It would be wiser to remain cautious… I don't yet know what might happen if I press him further….'
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