Chapter 103: Volume 7 - CH 13

I Will Avoid the Male Lead and Make a Harem

I’ve never seen anyone’s face turn so bright red.

“No, why all of a sudden…… Are you sick?”

Cedric unintentionally landed two hits in a row.

“Giggle giggle.”

A small chuckle rang out throughout the sacred funeral home.

When I returned my gaze, the ladies in black veils shook their shoulders, covering their faces with folding fans or lowering their heads.

I locked my gaze on Camilla, who was biting her lower lip in anger.

‘How do you feel? Mother?’

It’s most likely the first time in her life.

To be publicly humiliated and ridiculed in front of a large crowd.

When Selina was a child, her stepmother dressed her in an ungainly rustic gown for a banquet.

In this way, the stepmother demonstrated her worth by treating Selina as if she were a poor child who needed to be looked after next to her.

“The young lady would have been in big trouble if the Count hadn’t remarried you, Madam.”

“It is the Crawford family’s good fortune to have you in their castle, Madam.”

Camilla probably had no idea she’d be in this situation at the time.

‘As expected, the ladies did not ask her to accompany them to the Capital.’

It was not true that the group of ladies who refused Camilla’s banquet invitation encouraged Camilla to go to the capital.

No, even if it were true, they would have said it just to screw Camilla over.

‘That is why you should be nicer to others.’

Camilla had a penchant for crushing those who were weaker than her.

There were so many things that educated ladies would make fun of people in the funeral house.

In the end, Camilla gave her condolences and left the funeral home as if she were running away.

⇺⇺⇺⇼⇻⇻⇻

Camilla skipped lunch and dinner, possibly due to an internal illness.

“Uncle, Mother appears to be heartbroken. Why don’t you go apologize?”

“Apologize?”

Cedric, as expected, had no idea what he had done wrong.

“What do I have to apologize for, Selina?”

Cedric took his gaze away from the papers and gave me a serious look.

‘Ah, this good-for-nothing man…’

Do I have to explain everything?

‘How did he fare in the war with this lack of wit?’

It’s unbelievable, truly unbelievable. It was just unbelievable that he had survived so far.

“By the way, Selina.”

“Yes, uncle.”

Cedric looked determined, as if he had made an important decision.

I was trying to figure out what he was trying to say.

“The Movilon mine.”

He suddenly brought up the old story.

“Yes?”

Did he find out that I went to the Okay Auction? But Cedric must have no idea where the mine is.

“I’ll get it back to you.”

“……”

I already bought it, uncle.

I was debating whether or not to tell him this, but I decided to just say it because I thought he would go through all his troubles in vain.

“Uncle, do you know to whom the mine was sold?”

“I heard the Countess gave it to the Okay Silver Bank in exchange for a portion of the debt being written off.”

So, she did not pay off all of her debts.

That’s right, the bank isn’t stupid either.”

“The mine was auctioned off and sold for an unbelievable low price.”

Cedric appeared to be devastated by the news he heard late.

“Didn’t I tell you about it before? Joanna was my……”

Cedric, who had abruptly stopped speaking, wiped his lips as if he had forgotten what to say.

“My……”

His brow furrowed, as if in agony.

“Your……?”

“……was my friend.”

Was that such a difficult word to say?

“I guess you weren’t that close to each other.”

“We were very close.”

Cedric burst out laughing and shook his head.

“Joanna is always…… She used to say I was her most precious friend in the world.”

Cedric’s eyes welled up with regret as he gazed up at the sky, recalling old memories.

The joy, sadness, and heartbreaking regret of a person recalling memories.

All of that overwhelming emotion rushed into his eyes.

“Uncle?”

He was lost in his memories of the past until he realized I was sitting right in front of him and then returned to reality.

When our gazes met again.

He was taken aback, as if I had discovered something he had been keeping hidden.

The words came out first, even before my reasoning of weaving pieces into the strange reaction was activated.

“Did you love my mother?”

“……”

Cedric hardened like a person submerged in ice when he opened his mouth.

I grinned.

“That’s a more honest answer than saying yes, Uncle.”

“……”

He was almost out of his mind.

In common sense, it could be gross for me to say that he liked my mother, the late wife of his own brother.

Because I am the daughter.

Cedric, however, was not my ‘real’ uncle. I didn’t consider Cedric to be a blood relative.

‘It was as if I were seeing an old friend of my father’s.’

Although it is awkward, I greet him because he gives me pocket money. So, that much?

‘Let’s say goodbye after we kick Camilla out and I become Lady Chester.’

And when that time comes, we will each live our own lives.

When I leave the West, there will be nothing to bind me. And I’ll be living in the capital.

The servant arrived just in time.

“Co-commander, the Countess is looking for you now.”

The servant stepped backward out of the study, speaking in hushed tones.

Cedric had been frozen and motionless up until that point.

“If you find out where the Movilon Mine went, please inform me as well, Uncle.”

I patted Cedric on the shoulder to cheer him up and left the study.