The Reason Why the Forsaken Fake Returned Chapter 105

“You make things difficult for me, Brother.”

 

“…Albert.”

 

Albert, who had been watching for an uncertain amount of time, stepped in front of Shailoh and examined her neck. Clicking his tongue, he ran his hand over the marks on her nape. “There are handprints left behind. Poor thing.”

 

“Albert.” Pretending he had barely restrained his anger, Caleb warned through gritted teeth. “This is between her and me. Move aside.”

 

“Not anymore.”

 

Shaking his head, Albert deliberately wrapped an arm around Shailoh’s shoulders. Goosebumps rose on her skin as if bugs were crawling over her, but she merely smiled faintly. Unaware of her reaction, Albert pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

 

“As you can see, I’ve taken what you threw away. So you have no rights over her anymore.”

 

“You talk about Sasha as if she’s an object.”

 

When Caleb shot back with a vicious expression, Albert suddenly burst into laughter.

 

“Pfft, wahahaha!”

 

“…What’s so funny?”

 

“It’s amusing to hear you say that, of all people.” Albert laughed so hard he wiped tears from his eyes before coldly declaring, “Shailoh came to me of her own free will, without anyone’s coercion. So let’s make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

 

Without waiting for Caleb’s response, Albert, still holding Shailoh, brushed past him. It was then.

 

“Sasha.”

 

“Ah!”

 

In the fleeting moment as they brushed past each other, a strong hand suddenly grabbed Shailoh’s arm and spun her around. Before she could react to the unexpected situation, Caleb’s lips crashed onto hers.

 

“Mmph!”

 

Her lips were swallowed up in an instant, sparking like flint. She pushed at his shoulders and pinched him, but it was like hitting solid rock. Caleb didn’t budge. Only after a long while did their lips part, and Shailoh was released.

 

“Haa…”

 

“What on earth are you doing!” Albert, who had been watching the two in stunned silence, finally snapped and glared at them.

 

“I wanted to check whether she was still mine.”

 

Slap! Caleb’s cheek burned as Shailoh slapped him hard enough to make her palm sting. With a flushed face, she spat out her words. “I’m warning you, don’t ever touch me again.”

 

“And if I do?”

 

“I’ll bite that tongue off.”

 

Instead of answering, Caleb merely curled the corner of his lips upward, meeting her gaze as though daring her to try.

 

Grinding her teeth, Shailoh grabbed Albert’s arm. “Let’s go, Your Highness.”

 

“But—”

 

“Please, I don’t want to stay here.”

 

At her repeated insistence, Albert wrapped his arm around her shoulders and began to walk away. Watching their retreating figures, Caleb clenched his fist so tightly that the veins stood out on the back of his hand.

 

“Fuck.” Caleb slammed his fist against the unyielding pillar, leaving his hand stinging. He had expected this, but it felt filthier than he’d imagined.

 

“Your Highness.” Only after confirming even the watchful eyes around them had disappeared did Eric, who had been observing from a distance, approach him. The moment he came close and noticed Caleb’s hand, he reached out worriedly. “Are you alright? Your hand…”

 

“I’m fine.” Avoiding Eric’s arm, Caleb casually wiped the blood from his hand onto his coat.

 

After confirming once more that no one was around, Eric lowered his voice cautiously. “Miss Griche is doing even better than expected. It seems Prince Albert is already starting to fall for her.”

 

“…He should be. That’s why I sent her.”

 

Things were progressing well, yet Caleb felt filthy, as if covered in sewage. The last time he had ever felt like this was the day he vaguely learned the truth behind the deaths connected to his mother and older brother. Had he not been slapped, he wasn’t sure what he might have done, regardless of who was watching.

 

As Caleb touched his still-burning cheek, Eric looked at him with troubled eyes and dropped the formalities. “Caleb, why did you kiss her earlier? To provoke him?”

 

“…”

 

“Even from far away, Miss Griche looked like she could kill someone.”

 

“She probably did.”

 

The woman who once loved him blindly and considered him the center of her world was gone. To her, he was now just a man she despised.

 

“But that’s still better.”

 

Hatred was better than indifference. In some ways, hatred was even more intense than love. That intense emotion was entirely his own.

 

Perhaps Queen Ingrid had ended the gathering early, because people had begun passing through the hallways one by one. Caleb couldn’t remain there forever, so he headed outside the royal castle.

 

The moment Caleb boarded the waiting carriage, Eric bombarded him with questions. “What happened to that red-haired woman you mentioned before?”

 

“She’s almost on our side. It seems her family is being held by Duke Perus. She promised to cooperate actively with me if I rescue them.”

 

“That’s good news. It also seems my father’s side is gradually making progress in recruiting people. Surprisingly, nobles who once stood solely with Queen Ingrid are slowly turning away from her.”

 

As though he had expected as much, Caleb didn’t even twitch an eyebrow. He opened the carriage window and took out a cigar from the case inside the carriage. Eric promptly struck a match and lit the tip for him.

 

“More and more people are cooperating with our side out of fear and anxiety. What exactly did you do?”

 

Caleb exhaled a thick plume of smoke and gazed at the vast royal gardens. “This place is far too different from the outside world.”

 

Perfectly trimmed hedges, flowers blooming vibrantly under the delicate care of dozens of gardeners, beautifully sculpted statues, and impeccably dressed people.

 

“Just a little outside the capital, you’ll find countless people barely surviving on one meal a day. If those people ever came here, they’d probably faint from shock.”

 

“So, are you continuing to communicate with the rebels? They could become a useful blade if handled well, but they may also become a threat later on.”

 

“That’s why I’m going to make them my people. If I ever become blind with power and rule poorly someday, I’ll need people who can speak against me and point blades at me.”

 

It was as if he were intentionally ensuring his own restraint. Eric looked at his friend and lord with an indescribable sense of awe.

 

Ignoring Eric’s intense stare, Caleb continued looking outside before pulling out a picture from inside his coat. “And to answer your earlier question, look at this.”

 

“This is…”

 

What Caleb handed over was a type of satirical print. It depicted Queen Ingrid lounging indulgently in a chair, with Albert wrapped around her skirts, commanding the nobles with a mere gesture. The nobles bowed and offered her all sorts of treasures, while beneath them, bent-backed workers and peasants were being exploited.

 

Shocked, Eric slowly examined the illustration, wide-eyed. It was astonishing. The image openly attacked Queen Ingrid’s faction. Though it was only a single picture, the impact struck like a blow to the back of the head.

 

“The rebels are the ones drawing these and distributing them everywhere. People are beginning to move little by little. As dissatisfaction toward Queen Ingrid and the nobles under her grows because of their extravagances, resentment is intensifying as well.”

 

“It must have cost a lot to produce these prints. And they needed a place to make them too.”

 

“I funded it. And as for the location, we used somewhere no one would dare search.”

 

“Where is that… exactly?”

 

“The chapel.”

 

“Seriously?” Eric’s mouth dropped open in disbelief.

 

“There are many within the religious circles dissatisfied with the current royal authority as well. The queen feared power flowing toward religion and pressured them.”

 

“It’s impressive, but… is it really worth it?”

 

Caleb nodded in response to the straightforward question and closed the window. “We need to uncover the evidence of my mother and brother’s unjust deaths through Benjamin. As for Queen Ingrid’s plans to raise a private army, we can secure proof through the red-haired woman. But the most important thing is public opinion. I need to bring public sentiment to my side first if I want a decisive victory.”

 

If turned into an enemy, Caleb would be terrifying. The entire board had been laid out with chilling precision under him. That made Eric swallow dryly without realizing it. Yet despite how meticulous it all was, there was still one thing Eric couldn’t understand.

 

“Then… what about Miss Griche? Her role is to obtain information from Prince Albert. But with everything Your Highness has already prepared, wasn’t it unnecessary to send her to Prince Albert’s side in the first place…?” It was a cautious yet sharp observation.

 

Instead of answering, Caleb stubbed out the cigar he was holding on the carriage floor.