After I Died, He Died After Me Too - Chapter 28

Chapter 14.2

He thought she would at least remember the people who had been by her side, or at the very least, himself. However, when they met again, she was still the same. She showed no interest in the world around her and seemed indifferent to what had happened to her.

But even beyond all that, there was something else that troubled him.

“…Will she end up hating me?”

Even though he knew full well how much what he did would hurt her, he still didn’t want to be hated.

Dexter turned his head to look at Lancelot.

“What do you think?”

Lancelot, who had been out of sight, stepped forward and cautiously replied.

“Perhaps you should have restrained yourself. Experiencing reverse guiding for the first time must have been quite a shock.”

“If you had seen that look in her eyes, you would’ve done the same.”

Despite his words, Dexter didn’t actually believe Lancelot would’ve done what he did. Reverse guiding was something only the most despicable people resorted to.

“If Your Highness says so, then I would’ve done the same. You wouldn’t have acted without a reason, would you? I’m just concerned because Your Highness doesn’t seem to be in a good mood after doing what you thought was right.”

He must be used to lifting people’s spirits.

Dexter smirked slightly as he stood up from his chair and walked over to the sofa. As he nodded as if granting permission for him to sit, Lancelot took a seat across from him. Then, after pulling the cord to call for tea, the maid quickly left the room.

Before long, she returned with a trolley, set down the warmed teacups, and poured the tea.

“Does the Astri family not provide proper education?”

“It seems that Lady Bianca hasn’t shown any abilities so far, so this situation was likely unexpected for her. I’ll make sure to instruct the Count to provide proper education when he comes to the palace.”

“There’s no need for that.”

If Bianca had called on her family, it was likely to ask about something she didn’t know. If she had needed help, she would’ve told him.

“By the way, it seems the Lady of the Fonrote family has arrived at the palace.”

“…The Fonrote family? You mean Eliaden?”

It was obvious what his mother was scheming, even without asking. She must’ve become impatient after hearing that the daughter of the Astri family, who wasn’t even on the list, was going to be his personal Guide. While she had always been adamant that the Fonrote family was out of the question, it now seemed she had changed her mind.

“My mother is so transparent. She always makes her desires so obvious, which is why she always ends up losing to her son.”

“…This time, it seems a little different.”

“Different? How?”

Lancelot hesitated for a moment before finally voicing his opinion.

“Her Majesty the Empress cherished Lady Sophia and tried to push her as Your Highness’s Guide, even though she had guided others. But it seems that Lady Eliaden, despite being affiliated with the royal family, refused to guide anyone until the very end.”

“The reason she could act so freely, even though she belongs to the imperial family, is probably due to the power of the Fonrote family.”

The Fonrote family had consistently produced high-ranking Guides. Not only Eliaden but also her brother and sister were A and B rank, respectively. So, the imperial family must have turned a blind eye to Eliaden’s situation to some extent. He had only taken the compatibility test with Lady Sophia because of his mother, but he had never officially tested with anyone else.

Bianca’s test had also been unofficial.

“Then, has Lady Eliaden only been guiding radially until now?”

“Yes. As far as I know, Lady Eliaden has never directly guided anyone.”

She was more persistent than he had thought. The Fonrote family had repeatedly requested that Lady Eliaden be designated as his personal Guide and fiancée. He had thought things had quieted down recently, but it seemed his remarks had reignited the fire.

The Fonrote family likely didn’t know about Bianca’s existence yet, so they hadn’t come with that in mind. The real issue, however, was his mother.

“Lancelot, it seems something troublesome is about to happen.”

“His Majesty the Emperor seems to have different thoughts from Her Majesty the Empress. Therefore, Your Highness…”

“You don’t need to say it. I’m not going to do anything.”

“I only mentioned it out of concern. If I overstepped, please forgive me.”

“You said that because you know me well, but keep an eye on things in case my mother tries to stir up any trouble.”

“Yes. If any issues arise, I’ll inform you immediately.”

Dexter gave a small nod as though he didn’t care. Yet, the image of Bianca leaving the room, clearly shaken, continued to weigh on his mind.