Regret Is Unnecessary for the Substitute Princess: Chapter 16
Chapter 16
In an instant, the invitation was snatched from my hand, and I glanced up, slightly frowning, as Barach stood over me, holding the letter. As he read through it, his expression grew darker, more menacing with every passing second.
I didn’t need to see the contents to know what was written there.
“It seems the letter is an invitation to the Imperial Palace,” I remarked calmly.
“And what business do you have at the palace?” Barach snarled, his voice tinged with a mix of confusion and anger.
“I am the princess, after all. I’m here as Lady April’s substitute, and she is, after all, the Crown Prince’s—”
“You know that’s not what I mean!” Barach snapped, tearing the invitation in half and tossing it onto my plate.
“You think you have the right to send a letter to the Crown Prince first?”
Barach’s sunset-colored eyes flickered with anxiety, betraying the underlying fear he was struggling to suppress. I knew exactly where that fear stemmed from. Just as he had once displaced me to secure April’s place, he now feared I might displace her in return, especially in the Crown Prince’s eyes.
In the ducal household, April’s position was secure, but the same couldn’t be said for her standing with Crown Prince Ferpone. It was well-known, even within the household, that April harbored deep feelings for the Crown Prince.
“Would you prefer I didn’t go to the palace?” I offered, brushing the torn pieces of the invitation off my plate with a fork.
“If you wish for me not to go, then I won’t.”
The ducal household would undoubtedly prioritize April’s safety and desires over anything else. If it came down to a choice between me and April, they would naturally choose their blood relative. But Ferpone was different.
“Is that settled, then?”
Ferpone had no reason to choose April over me. It was I, not the real April, who had forged a bond with him and even saved his life once.
“So, what shall I do?” I asked, feigning innocence.
Barach’s response was predictable.
“Do you even need to ask?”
I smiled sweetly and nodded as he delivered his command without a moment’s hesitation.
That’s right, that’s exactly what he needed to say.
Barach, who had lived his life without regard for others’ opinions, had no understanding of how the empire’s nobles would gossip and murmur. He had always been a man who lived by his own rules, paying no mind to the judgments of others.
“Very well, let’s do that. I don’t mind either way.”
But the consequences of me not going to the palace would be Barach’s problem to handle—along with all the rumors that would inevitably spread in the social circles.
He was the kind of person who would do anything for his sister, yet it seemed he had no real understanding of what April truly wanted. But that was to be expected from someone who had never cared to consider others’ feelings.
“There’s no need for that,” came an unexpected interruption from Duke Alexis, causing Barach’s shoulders to tense. The Duke, who had been quietly eating as though he hadn’t heard anything, suddenly decided to intervene.
“What do you mean, Father?” Lian asked cautiously as the Duke dabbed at his mouth with a napkin.
“Exactly what I said. There’s no reason for you to comply with Barach’s demands.”
“Father, why do you keep siding with this girl?” Barach burst out, his voice rising in frustration.
It seemed the Duke had anticipated Barach’s objections, as he showed little reaction, simply turning his gaze toward me.
“Do as you wish. It would be strange not to attend after receiving an invitation from the Imperial Palace.”
“Yes, Father.”
“And Barach, you have no right to interfere with her actions.”
Barach looked as though he had been struck. His face contorted with disbelief.
“Father, don’t you care about how this will hurt April?” he demanded.
The way he emphasized “hurt” made Lian tilt his head slightly, as if trying to understand the true meaning behind the words.
“I won’t discuss this further,” Duke Alexis said firmly, signaling that the conversation was over as he rose from his seat.
Barach moved to follow the Duke, but Lian grabbed his arm, stopping him.
“Enough, Barach.”
“Brother.”
“Do you really think Father will continue to entertain your obstinance?”
“Obstinance? Brother, April is—”
Barach looked as if he were on the verge of tears.
“She’s our sister!”
His trembling finger pointed directly at me.
“Not this girl!”
Well, that much was true.
I shrugged lightly at his childish logic, wondering how he could ever expect Lian to take my side over his own sister.
Barach closed his eyes, trying to regain his composure before addressing Lian again, his voice steady but tense.
“When did you know she was coming here?”
“…”
“You’re no better than Father, Brother.”
Barach’s bloodshot eyes bore into Lian’s as he realized there was no hope of convincing him.
“How could you deceive me like this?”
“This isn’t the kind of deception you’re making it out to be, Barach,” Lian responded calmly.
“How is this not deception? April is stuck at the villa, unable to even walk properly, and you brought this girl here and decided to treat her as the princess!”
Completely ignoring the presence of the servants, Barach let out all his pent-up frustrations. I decided to stand up and speak.
“Barach, deception—”
Lian, who had been avoiding confrontation, suddenly spoke up, his voice surprisingly firm.
“Deception would be not telling you that we brought Irina back.”
I hadn’t expected Lian to say that to Barach. I turned slightly to look at him, noticing that his gaze remained fixed on Barach.
“Sir.”
Patrick quickly moved to restrain Lian, knowing that such words would only further provoke Barach, who was already on edge.
“What do you mean by that?” Barach asked, his voice trembling as he forced a twisted smile onto his face.
I wouldn’t mind seeing the brothers come to blows, so I decided to chime in.
“I never thought I’d find myself agreeing with Brother Lian.”
“Who do you think you’re calling Brother?”
“Didn’t you hear the Duke? While I’m here, I’ll be treated as the princess. So—”
*Crash!*
A brief flash passed by my cheek, hitting a picture frame behind me and sending it crashing to the floor. I glanced back at the shattered glass.
“Barach! What are you doing?” Lian shouted, but it was clear Barach wasn’t listening.
His temper was as fiery as ever. No wonder they called him the madman of the Rise family.
“Say that again.”
“I never imagined you’d be so eager to hear me call you Brother, Barach.”
“You…!”
“Whether you like it or not, I have an agreement with the Duke. So you’ll just have to accept it.”
Mentioning Duke Alexis seemed to restrain Barach, as he couldn’t outright challenge me now that I had invoked the Duke’s authority.
A smirk tugged at my lips.
To think that the same man who had groveled before me, even going so far as to wear restraints, now stood before me, arrogant and defiant—it was laughable. I couldn’t help but wonder what his reaction would be if he discovered that I was the woman who had treated his sister.
As much as I wanted to reveal it, I held back for the sake of my plans.
“If you come running at every beck and call, even a stray dog would be better than you,” Barach sneered.
We’ll see about that. Whether I’m a stray dog or a feral one will only become clear in the end.
His insult, as cutting as it was, didn’t faze me. I had expected such venom from him and was almost indifferent to it.
“You don’t need to worry. In a year, I’ll leave, even if you beg me to stay.”
Because I had no intention of sticking around in this wretched household.
Barach, glaring at me with barely contained rage, took a step closer. Patrick moved to restrain him, and Lian tried to shield me, but Barach was faster.
He leaned in, his twisted smile returning as he whispered in my ear.
“You won’t last a year here.”
There was an unmistakable confidence in his tone.
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