The Villainess Lives Twice: Butterfly's Dream (IF Story) - Chapter 83
The weather was absolutely perfect. It was a fantastic day for a daytime drink or a picnic.
So, they hadn’t really come to watch the yacht race. It was more about having an outdoor drink and catching up with a cousin after a long time.
Eloise lifted her opera glasses to her eyes and gazed at the river. Small yachts, their sails painted in vivid colors, sliced through the white-capped waves, moving as if flying.
“Oh! Oh! He’s really good! Did you see that, Ced? The prince just passed three boats!”
Cadriol had a delayed start by a step. But it quickly became clear it wasn’t a genuine mistake. He had deliberately given himself a penalty to stand out.
Starting from last place, his yacht swiftly overtook the others and took the lead. Lord Corvain, who was so obsessed with yachting that he hosted this race, desperately tried to keep up but was no match.
“Whew!”
Eloise whistled excitedly. Though the outcome was expected, watching someone glide effortlessly from last to first without any difficulty was truly a sight to behold.
The race ended quickly. There were no upsets.
When Cadriol rounded the buoy marking the turning point and returned to the start, he raised one hand while holding the mast with the other, prompting cheers from the spectators. The sound carried clearly even to where they were.
Eloise lowered her opera glasses and said happily,
“The prince has showmanship. The King of Eimmel is really foolish. He’s exactly the successor Eimmel needs right now.”
“Is that so?”
“Look at that frown. What’s bothering you so much?”
Cedric calmly blocked Eloise’s finger as she reached toward his furrowed brow and replied evenly.
“I never said I don’t like him.”
“Don’t lie.”
Cedric sighed lightly.
“Not everyone has to like everything. Of course, I admit the mistake. But revealing the prince’s identity wasn’t meant to sabotage him.”
“Do you really want me to be honest about what I suspect?”
“There was no political intent. I was simply surprised.”
“How did you know the prince’s face then?”
Cedric hesitated, sighing again. Eloise absentmindedly stroked her chin, then realized it was the same habit as her father’s and quickly withdrew her hand.
She then lifted a beer bottle. Cedric’s glass was still full, foam intact.
“It’s not even noon yet, Your Highness.”
“You don’t get drunk on beer anyway. This really goes well with beer. Try it. It’s a lunch I specially prepared with you in mind.”
The table was piled with dishes: whole smoked ham in northern style, potatoes topped with cheese and bacon, Cedric’s favorites, and plenty of meat dishes.
Cedric gave Eloise a reluctant look, and she continued.
“You said you have no plans after this, right?”
That was definitely more about whether he’d be drinking than about time itself. Cedric sighed, downed the beer in one gulp, then offered the glass back to Eloise.
She refilled it to the brim with care.
“You need to understand why I find this so strange. And if I find it strange, then Father will too.”
“Understood. Thank you for your concern.”
Eloise’s words implied that if she hadn’t intervened, the Emperor might have grown suspicious. Cedric smiled bitterly.
“But honestly, I was just surprised. There’s no relation between Evron and Eimmel. If I were to extend my influence, it would be westward, not south.”
“Hmm, that’s right.”
Recently, Cedric had been investing heavily in western agriculture. Emperor Gregor watched this warily but had not acted yet.
It was natural for the north to strive to secure resources. Blocking expansion west would push him to ally with the eastern nobles through Grand Duke Roygar, so investing in the west, where there were many small farmers, was preferable.
Since the monster wave, Grand Duchy Evron had been pouring investments into rebuilding infrastructure in the west, which was appreciated.
“So it really is because of Tia.”
“That’s not…”
“Really not?”
Cedric had no choice but to take another drink and sighed deeply.
Eloise chuckled.
“I honestly thought today you might suddenly decide to participate in the yacht race.”
“I don’t know how to sail.”
Cedric answered bluntly. The fact that he was now considering learning to sail would remain a secret from Eloise forever. He had no intention of competing with Cadriol on the water anyway.
Eloise narrowed her eyes and examined his face carefully.
She was confident in reading people’s minds and skilled at poking just enough to provoke emotional reactions.
But reading Cedric’s true feelings was not easy. Except when it came to the matter of his young fiance.
“Tia will turn eighteen next month. That means she’s old enough to marry.”
“…”
“You’re not seriously planning to drag out the engagement for two more years, are you?”
Seeing Cedric lost in thought with his fingers intertwined, Eloise clicked her tongue.
“You’re joking, right? After ten years of engagement, you want to stretch it another two?”
“Tia is still young.”
“Then break off the engagement.”
Cedric looked at Eloise with surprise. She shrugged.
“Tia doesn’t need protection anymore. Well, she needs some to a degree, but not like ten years ago when you shielded her. Milaira won’t be able to claim Marquisate Rosan’s rights as guardian anymore, and I’m here too.”
“…”
“Thanks to you, she can now protect herself and has enough strength to manage her own family. If you want her to meet many people and choose her future on her own, breaking off the engagement and letting her go is the right thing to do.”
Now it was Cedric’s turn to rub his lips.
“I have thought about it.”
“Huh?”
Eloise asked incredulously. Cedric gave a wry smile.
He wasn’t a fool. He already knew well how Artizea viewed him, and he couldn’t say he felt no relief or joy about it.
But he wasn’t at an age where his heart would be swayed by anxiety or passion, so he chose not to acknowledge it openly.
“When she turns eighteen, I plan to return everything to Tia. The authority I’ve held, the people of Marquisate Rosan. And then break off the engagement.”
“Hey you!”
Eloise jumped up in surprise. Though she wasn’t always formal, this was the first time she’d called Cedric “Hey you” since he turned thirteen.
Cedric looked at her calmly and said.
“I will propose afterward. I don’t want our beginning to be like this.”
“What?”
“I mean I don’t want to see the results of a political engagement disguised as protection.”
Cedric answered Eloise’s shocked expression with a steady face.
“Please keep this secret. Ideally, Your Highness would be the first to know.”
“Hey, seriously…”
Eloise sighed several times, laughing bitterly as she sat back down.
Cedric calmly took another sip of beer.