I Became The Younger Sister Of A Dying Woman - Chapter 65

65. Would you like to be friends with me?

‘Illiya and Lord Lenox used to meet occasionally when Illiya was younger. Could Lord Lenox be Illiya’s only friend?’

I recalled Izekiel’s words.

It seemed like he might have been right.

I could tell they were close, even though we had only spoken for a short time.

I tapped my fingers on the table.

Had Lenox visited the palace to meet his friend, Illiya, who didn’t come out?

If that was the case, it was quite touching.

“Uh, Lord Lenox, I apologize for interrupting your meal…”

“If you know you’re interrupting, then don’t speak. I’m busy eating.”

“…….”

These guys.

Are you friends with someone without any manners or courtesy.

I didn’t back down and continued talking to Lenox with a friendly tone.

Maybe this chance encounter with Lenox could be a ray of hope in my otherwise bleak situation.

“Did you come to meet Prince Illiya? Did you even bring a bouquet for him?”

Oh, what a romantic gesture.

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Lenox’s hand stopped slicing the steak.

He put down his utensils silently.

“Why did you come to meet Prince Illiya? And why engage in such a bizarre act…”

I asked the question first, but Lenox ended up questioning me instead.

It was slightly annoying, but I responded politely once again.

“Bizarre act? Thanks to that, you’re filling your belly, Lord Lenox.”

“Anyway, please answer my question.”

I contemplated whether I should reveal my situation or not.

Lenox’s situation was entirely different from Izekiel’s.

Izekiel was Hernan’s brother, we were friends, and he had the potential to help me. That’s why I shared my situation with him…..

‘Will he help me too?’

But I couldn’t even adequately cover it.

Rather than lying and getting caught, I thought it would be better to speak honestly and win Lenox’s favor.

When I get close to Lenox, I ask him about Illiya. in a casual manner.

“……Is it because of the Royal Archive?”

It was a sharp question.

“I heard that you recently received a seal from our ducal’s mansion.”

“I don’t know what Illiya has to do with the archive…… If you came here with the intention of taking advantage of Illiya.”

Lenox took a pause and then opened his lips.

“I wish you would stop.”

His voice was cold. Almost as cold as Hernan’s.

At that moment, I had a strong intuition.

‘If I’m not honest, Lenox’s aversion will only grow stronger.’

Maybe it’s better to lay everything on the table and see if I can become friends with Lenox and, as a bonus, get some information about Illiya.

Friend.

Lenox, too, was eighteen, the same age as Illiya and me, and it was a good age to make friends.

I decided to continue.

“It’s because of the Royal Archive, indeed. Marquis Miller said that if Illiya were to come out, he would provide the seal.”

I let out a long sigh of frustration.

Then I watched Lenox carefully for his reaction.

Lenox was scowling and mulling over Miller’s name.

It seemed that my excuse involving Miller had struck a chord.

Be honest but use the Marquis of Miller’s name. Heh.

“That bastard…… No, I mean, why did the Marquis bet on Illiya?”

“Merchants consider information to be of utmost importance. That’s why he wants to know about Illiya, who is an unknown figure.”

“That crazy bastard.”

Lenox expressed his frustration without reservation.

I couldn’t agree more.

“Lord Lenox, do you know why His Highness Illiya has turned his back on the world?”

“Even if I did, I don’t want to tell the royal family.”

Do you know or don’t you know?

Even if he did, it seemed like he wouldn’t tell us, which reminded me of Izekiel’s words that he wouldn’t share the reason, even if he knew.

“Well, fine. I don’t mind if you dislike me.”

“…….”

“However, let’s say I don’t meet the Marquis’s wishes.”

Lenox continued to stare at me with a look that questioned my sanity.

“Even if I gave up, would Marquis Miller give up trying to find out why?”

“…..Even if you give up, Marquis Miller will eventually find out the reason, even if he has to involve someone else. Is that what you want to say?”

“Yes, exactly.”

“Seems like that’s a possibility. Marquis Miller always seems shady.”

“Yes, yes! He just keeps pretending… It’s impossible to know what he’s really thinking…”

Lenox’s head moved up and down.

For the first time, the normally grumpy Lenox agreed with me.

I suppressed a smile that was about to break out on my lips.

My plan to make a common enemy out of Miller had worked.

‘This is how we become friends.’

“I think that’s it for the meal, I’ve lost my appetite.”

“Just a moment, Lord Lenox.”

“Yes.”

“Since I’ve been honest about my situation, would you also answer my question honestly?”

Lenox raised an eyebrow.

I gave him a slow smile and said.

“Would you like to be friends with me?”

* * *

Lenox was riding in a luxurious carriage painted red.

He was on his way back to the Cardis Duchy.

Lenox sat in the carriage with his back against the seat, his face filled with contemplation.

Lenox visited Illiya once a week.

Lenox’s visits to the West Palace had been going on for nearly 10 years.

The people at the palace had come to expect his visits as routine, and there was no one to stop him, even when he didn’t give prior notice.

In fact, if he didn’t come, they worried that something had happened.

Today was no different.

He brought the roses that Illiya liked and headed for the West Palace.

It had been three years since he had last spoken to him.

They had met sporadically since then, but each time, Illiya had remained silent.

Today, he wanted to talk to him.

It didn’t matter even if it was just one word.

He wanted to hear the voice that had closed itself off due to “that incident.”

He also wanted to ask what Illiya was thinking these days and…

‘I want to ask when your wounds will heal.’

Illiya was the only one who reached out to him when no one else would because of his temper.

He was the one who taught him what a friend is.

So, he couldn’t stop reaching out to him.

Just as he had been saved by him, he wanted to save him too.

However, the person he actually met at the West Palace was Linzel.

The woman who had just married Hernan.

The woman whose eyes had briefly met his at the hunting tournament.

She had displayed various dishes in front of her, creating a strange spectacle.

Lenox had no interest in Linzel.

He didn’t particularly like royalty other than Illiya, but he didn’t go out of his way to dislike Linzel either.

She was royalty, but before that, she was the duke’s daughter.

However, when they locked eyes at the hunting competition, he couldn’t help but think that Linzel was beautiful.

And seeing her again today, she still looked quite attractive.

Sweat-soaked hair, skin so white you could see the veins, and cheeks that were flushed for some unknown reason.

(He didn’t know that Linzel’s cheeks were flushed from the heated fanning.)

All of it was tantalizing.

He even thought it might be a shame for her to become the wife of such a merciless man.

He was curious about why Linzel had come to see Illiya, and he wanted to have a conversation with her.

……Well, he was also a little hungry.

During the meal, he hadn’t intended to pick a fight with Linzel.

But is this the reason why he hasn’t had a good life for the past 18 years?

Every word that came out of his mouth seemed to spark an argument.

He really didn’t want to pick a fight…….

The funny thing was that Linzel also spewed out arguments that matched his.

Ordinarily, noble women would shrink back in the face of Lenox’s sharp words, avoiding prolonged conversations at all costs.

For the first time in his life, Lenox exchanged more than five words with a noble lady.

Linzel was such an unusual, bold, and pretty woman, he thought.

But she was very curious about Illiya.

‘Lord Lenox, do you know why His Highness Illiya has turned his back on the world?’

‘Even if I did, I don’t want to tell the royal family.’

Despite his faint attraction to her, he couldn’t tell her about Illiya’s situation.

After all, she had some connection to Hernan, and he still couldn’t completely trust her.

But…

‘Would you like to be friends with me?’

The impact of those words was quite significant.

For a brief moment, Lenox entertained the absurd thought….. of confiding all his circumstances to Linzel.

And giving her the bouquet meant for Illiya.

‘I’m just going to leave for the day, so this is for you, Your Highness.’

‘Huh?’

‘I can’t just throw it away, so don’t get any wrong ideas.’

This was the first friend request he’d heard since Illiya, so he wondered if he was acting out of character.

When Lenox finished reminiscing, he swept with a hand over his face.

His cheeks were an uncharacteristic shade of red.

And yet.

How could she ask a stranger to be her friend, especially one who was on bad terms with her romantic interest?

Even if he knows a lot about Illiya.

‘Was there any reason to inquire about him to the point of making friends?’

If anything, they could make a deal.

Even though Hernan is not on good terms with the Duke of Cardis, he received the seal of the duke as part of a deal.

As Lenox contemplated this, he seemed to have had an epiphany.

“Could it be that Her Highness… has taken a liking to me?”

Lenox touched his forehead, deep in thought.

He was known for his sharp and aggressive personality, so he had never encountered a noble who openly expressed their liking for him.

Still, he had received compliments on his handsome features from time to time.

Well, he was quite good-looking.

However, he had never considered entering into an illicit relationship with anyone…..

While Lenox did not dislike Linzel’s crush, he was at a loss as to how to resolve their complicated relationship.

This was a moment when misunderstandings were deepening.