Chapter 59
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The Male and Female Leads Broke Up - Episode 59
I rose from my seat and vaulted over the barrier separating the spectators' stands from the Arena.
Then I rushed toward Aiden at full speed.
But even as I ran, his subordinates were already carrying him away, fleeing the Arena.
'Aiden!'
His condition appeared far more serious than I'd anticipated, and anxiety seized me.
What on earth was happening?
Why had he suddenly fallen from his horse?
Why was he clutching his neck while riding—?
Wait, his neck?
The incident in Ulita flashed through my mind.
When I had rescued him in Ulita, he had been grasping his neck then as well.
'Could it be the necklace?'
Had something gone wrong with the necklace again?
Though I hadn't witnessed it directly enough to be certain, it was a remarkably compelling deduction.
Ultimately, I failed to catch up with Aiden.
Despite my desperate pursuit, he was already being loaded into a Carriage.
I could only watch the Carriage's receding form with mounting dread.
* * *
"Miss!"
After returning to the Manor, I instructed Mary to investigate the situation at House Byon.
I waited anxiously, my mind churning with various thoughts, when Mary entered the room at just the right moment.
"Well? Did you find out? How is the Byon Prince? Is he alright?"
"Miss...."
Mary's expression darkened.
Frustrated by her uncharacteristic hesitation, I pressed her urgently.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
"Well... the Byon Prince is fine, they say. He's resting now."
Relief washed over me hearing that Aiden was safe.
Ever since I lost sight of him at the Arena and returned home, worry had consumed me and I couldn't focus on anything.
Now that my anxiety had lifted, my legs gave way and I collapsed onto the sofa.
I exhaled a sigh of relief and looked up at Mary, but her expression was unsettling.
Come to think of it, she had said "the Prince" in a particular way.
"Is something wrong?"
I lifted myself from where I'd sunk into the sofa.
Her ominous reaction made me tense without thinking.
"Well, you see..."
Was something actually wrong?
"What? What is it?"
"Just before the finals began, there was an accident on the road leading to the Arena, they say."
"An accident?"
"Yes, and the person who suffered the accident was the Byon Princess."
"What?"
Adela had an accident? What on earth was she talking about?
"Tell me the details. What kind of accident did she have?"
"Well...."
My heart raced, but Mary kept dragging out her words, frustrating me.
"Hurry!"
I urged her again to speak quickly.
"Don't be alarmed. A fire bomb exploded in her carriage, they say."
"A fire bomb?"
A fire bomb....
So Adela had been attacked by terrorism on the street in broad daylight?
Wait.
A fire bomb?
Suddenly, an unsettling sense of déjà vu washed over me, as if I'd seen this before.
And at the same time, the plot of a novel involving fire bombs flashed through my mind.
'Ah.'
What is this?
Faced with such an unexpected situation, my mind went blank as if it had simply stopped functioning.
"...Miss?"
I stood motionless, unable to respond, when Mary's voice reached my ears.
"Huh?"
"Miss, are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine. So you're saying a fire bomb detonated in the carriage Adela was riding in? What about Adela? What happened to her?"
"Fortunately, the bomb was small enough that it only blew off the carriage's rear wheels, so her life was spared."
The breath that had been caught in my chest as if someone had seized my collar finally came loose at the news that Adela was safe.
"However, as the carriage collapsed, the recoil sent the young lady flying out of it, and since she's already frail, she was apparently so startled that she lost consciousness right there."
"Lost consciousness? Is she awake now?"
"No, she still hasn't regained consciousness."
Good heavens.
Has she fallen into a coma?
Looking at it now, things were proceeding in a way subtly different from yet similar to the original story.
But wait—who on earth would plant a fire bomb in Adela's carriage, and why?
'I'm going to lose my mind.'
It was a fire bomb that had put Adela in danger.
The very tool the villain Belita had used in the original story to eliminate Adela.
Even though the villain Belita has disappeared, a similar incident has occurred—could it be that certain events are destined to happen no matter what?
If so, could I possibly be blamed as the culprit?
I had a nagging feeling that this incident was someone's scheme to frame me as the perpetrator.
After all, fire is the symbol of the Heitz Family.
Beyond vague suspicion, I had nothing concrete, but the thought wouldn't leave me.
Wait.
'Could it be....'
Me and Adela.
The Heitz Family and the Byon Family.
Me and Aiden Byon.
As my thoughts reached that point, I began to suspect who could be capable of such an outrageous act.
It was merely speculation.
Because of that, I couldn't act rashly.
'If it really is that person, I absolutely won't let it slide.'
If he truly was the culprit—if he was indeed the kind of vicious person who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals—then I would show him no mercy whatsoever from this point forward.
But first and foremost, I needed to see how Adela was doing.
"Prepare the carriage. We're going to the Byon Estate."
"Yes? Right now?"
"Yes. I need to see the young lady's condition with my own eyes."
I wanted to confirm her state as quickly as possible—how badly she was injured, whether she was still unconscious.
So after making quick preparations, I boarded the carriage and rode at an incredible speed until I arrived at the Byon Estate.
The carriage came to a halt, and I jumped out before anyone could help me down.
"Has the young lady of the Heitz Family arrived?"
The Butler of the Byon Family who greeted me wore a displeased expression.
"I wish to see the young lady of House Byon."
"The young lady is unable to receive visitors at this time."
"I've already heard of the young lady's accident. I would like to confirm her condition with my own eyes."
"However... the Duke has issued an order that no one is to be admitted to the Manor."
I could guess why the Duke had given such an order.
But having come this far, I had no intention of simply turning back.
So I decided to appeal directly to the Duke, if only for a brief moment to see Adela.
"Then please inform the Duke that I wish to see him for a moment."
"I apologize, but the Duke has also said he does not wish to see anyone."
It seemed he had been quite firm about admitting no one.
"I truly must see him, so please inform him just this once."
"...Please wait a moment."
The Butler disappeared inside.
This matter had to be resolved quickly, no matter what.
Otherwise...
Thinking of the original story, the ending was the worst of all possible outcomes.
I would die, and the Heitz Family would...
I could never allow that to happen.
Even if Belita had done it, it would be unjust—but I certainly could not shoulder blame for something I had not done.
Anxious and aggrieved, I paced near the Manor entrance when the Butler emerged.
"The Duke says you may enter."
Relief washed over me.
I followed the Butler up to the Second Floor.
We stopped before the place I had visited once before.
It was the Duke's Office.
"Duke, the young lady of the Heitz Family has arrived."
"Let her in."
"Yes, please come in."
"Thank you."
I thanked the Butler and opened the dark-colored door, stepping inside.
The Duke sat at his desk in the office.
"Well then, you said you had something to tell me?"
The Duke's voice was lower and more subdued than usual.
Unlike last time, he did not invite me to sit, which made it clear he harbored serious misunderstandings about me.
"Yes, that is correct."
"What is it?"
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org