Now This Family Belongs to My Mother Chapter 75

“Do you know me?”

 

“Who in the capital doesn’t know Lord Maddux?” The elderly coachman replied politely.

 

“Am I so famous that even a mere coachman would know me?”

 

“Famous is an understatement. Your abilities are truly enviable.”

 

As the coachman flattered him, Maddux grinned smugly. His shoulders felt like they were soaring to the sky, buoyed by his growing reputation.

 

“Where are you headed? If it’s not too much trouble, may I offer you a ride?”

 

“Why not!” Maddux, who had been planning to rent a carriage anyway, eagerly climbed aboard.

 

After giving the address, Maddux leaned back against the seat. Did I drink too much? I’m starting to feel tired… Soon, the sound of snoring could be heard from the seat.

 

While Maddux was asleep, the carriage headed to a different location than the address he had mentioned.

 

* * *

[I have an urgent request. Please meet me at the back gate of the grand duke’s mansion at 10 PM tonight.

-From a friend of Ppinix.]

 

“I tried to track it down, but I couldn’t find the sender of the letter,” said Benjamin.

 

I carefully examined the letter he had secretly brought to me.

 

“Just in case, I didn’t tell His Excellency and brought it straight to you, Milady. Do you recognize the sender of this suspicious letter?” Benjamin asked with a serious expression.

 

The sender of the letter. There’s only one person it could be. The only person who knows about ‘Ppinix’. It’s Crown Prince Ludwig. Of course, I couldn’t be certain that he knew exactly what ‘Ppinix’ was. But since I kept calling out for Ppinix in the Divine Beast Garden, Ludwig must have heard it too.

 

I wanted to bury my face in my hands. To think I got caught with Ppinix so easily. But why does he suddenly want to see me? Is it because of Ppinix? Or is it because of something else that happened at the imperial palace that day? Anyway, it’s a letter from the crown prince. I can’t refuse his command.

 

The fortunate thing was that the overwhelming fear I used to feel wasn’t there anymore. Is it because he saved me?

 

“Milady?”

 

When I stayed silent for a while, Benjamin cautiously called out to me. Only then did I look up at Benjamin and smile. “Thank you for bringing it to me first.”

 

“Do you know who the sender is?”

 

“I’m just guessing.”

 

“Then I suppose I shouldn’t ask who it is,” said Benjamin. “Because the sender must have gone to great lengths to keep their identity hidden from everyone but Milady.” He was as perceptive as ever.

 

“Thank you for everything, Benjamin. When the time comes and I can talk about it, I’ll make sure to let you know.”

 

“There’s no need to thank me. If it weren’t for you, Milady, I wouldn’t even be here.”

 

Thanks to me, Benjamin had been cured of his curse. He hadn’t forgotten that debt of gratitude.

 

“You’re still pretending to be cursed in front of your colleagues, right?” I lowered my voice and asked.

 

“Of course. I’m acting well enough that they don’t suspect I’ve been freed from the curse. But how long do I have to keep this up?”

 

“Until the other side shows their claws first.” I smiled with my eyes. “That day isn’t far off.”

 

* * *

It was that night, at 10 PM. I quietly slipped out through the back door. Thanks to Benjamin tidying up the area, there were no witnesses around.

 

Clop, clop. Not long after, a carriage came to a stop in front of the door. Did he come by carriage? If it were Ludwig, I thought he would have been more discreet.

 

It was at that moment of doubt. The carriage door opened, and something was thrown out. It was a person. The carriage, having tossed out the person, hurriedly disappeared somewhere.

 

“!”

 

I approached the fallen figure, half-dreading what I might find. Thankfully, the hair visible in the darkness wasn’t silver but purple.

 

Maddux?

 

Seeing him passed out in a drunken mess left me feeling exasperated. But why would the carriage just dump Maddux here? This wasn’t where Maddux lived. Could someone have conspired to bring him here? If that were the case, I needed to get out of here quickly. But just as I turned to leave, Maddux’s hand clamped tightly around my ankle.

 

“He, hehe… it’s the goddess…” Maddux, now awake, slurred drunkenly.

 

“Let go.” I muttered low, but Maddux, clearly not in his right mind, just laughed and tightened his grip.

 

“Honestly, Epirosa is the prettiest… But since I’ve already become the man of two women, should I make Epirosa mine too? Imagine how much more famous I’d become then.”

 

I looked down at Maddux with utter disgust. “You’re still just a mosquito sucking the blood of women.”

 

It was then.

 

“Let go of that hand.”

 

Crack!

 

“Ugh, argh!”

 

“She’s not someone like you should dare to covet.”

 

Someone ruthlessly stomped on Maddux’s hand, which was gripping my wrist. I turned my head, and under the moonlight, radiant silver hair shimmered.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

Ludwig extended his hand to me. As if enchanted, I took his hand and fled the scene. Without thinking, I glanced back and saw someone from the mansion dragging Maddux away. The faintly visible silhouette of the man felt familiar.

 

Wise? Could it be that he kidnapped Maddux under Stella’s orders?

 

“Who are you thinking about while I’m right next to you?”

 

At that moment, Ludwig’s disgruntled voice reached my ears. I quickly turned my head. Before I knew it, a luxurious black carriage was waiting in front of us.

 

“Your Highness, this carriage is—”

 

“I’m not trying to kidnap you.”

 

“I never even mentioned the word ‘kidnap.’” When I spoke cautiously, Ludwig laughed as if realizing his mistake.

 

“I prepared it because we need a quiet place to talk.”

 

“What is it that you need to talk about quietly?”

 

At my persistent questioning, Ludwig’s crimson eyes gleamed sharply. “I need your help, and Ppinix’s too.”

 

“Ppinix? What are you—”

 

It was when I was just about to play dumb.

 

“Piit!”

 

From inside my clothes, Ppinix cried out without a shred of tact. The little one, who had never made a sound in front of others before, decided to do so now.

 

“!”

 

My startled gaze met Ludwig’s equally surprised eyes in midair. Unlike me, frozen in place, Ludwig’s crimson eyes soon softened into a smile.

 

“Seems like Ppinix wants to help me too.”

 

“Ppippi!”

 

I hastily patted the pocket where Ppinix was tucked away. Ever since hatching, Ppinix had taken a liking to this pocket. Its small size made it a perfect fit for Ppinix. I had always thought it was convenient to carry Ppinix around like this. Who knew it would cause this kind of trouble!

 

“Ppippi, ppippippit!”

 

As Ppinix continued chirping incessantly, my face turned red.

 

Ludwig extended his hand to me, his expression barely holding back laughter. “At this rate, everyone in the capital will figure out you’re the divine beast’s chosen successor.”

 

“I-I’m not the successor!” Grabbing Ludwig’s hand, I hurriedly climbed into the carriage.

 

As Ludwig climbed into the carriage and closed the door, the carriage began to move.

 

“Where are we going?”

 

“We’ll take a loop while we talk. Don’t worry.” Ludwig said as he closed the window. With that, the light spread inside the carriage, which had been filled with darkness. It was a magic stone lamp attached to the ceiling of the carriage.

 

Magic stones are so rare that even nobles use them sparingly. Yet he’s using one in a private carriage, not even for official duty. As expected of the crown prince. I stole a glance at him. At least, I’m not as scared of him as I used to be. That realization felt strangely peculiar.

 

“Ppippit!”

 

At that moment, Ppinix in my arms started thrashing around wildly. It was a creature with a strong sense of self. As soon as I loosened my pocket, Ppinix shot out as if it had been waiting for the chance.

 

“Ppit!” Ppinix flitted around the carriage, darting here and there in a frenzy, taking in its surroundings.

 

Ludwig chuckled softly. “I’ll believe your claim that you’re not the successor. It does seem unlikely that a divine beast would entrust such a reckless creature to a successor.”

 

“Ppit?” It seemed like Ppinix had heard him, as it glared at Ludwig in protest.

 

“Ppinix, behave.”

 

“Ppiing!”

 

When I scolded it too, Ppinix turned its back on me, clearly sulking. Then it perched on my shoulder. It stuck out its round little rump as if to make a point.

 

“Still, Ppinix is… something of a divine beast, right?” Ludwig asked, his tone skeptical as he stared at Ppinix’s backside.

 

I let out a small sigh. Lying won’t work here. Ppinix’s existence had already been exposed. And Ludwig, having been close to the divine beast since he was young, probably senses something instinctively.

 

It was when I was just about to decide to be honest.

 

“As you know, I received the Unicorn’s egg as a child, but I haven’t been able to hatch it.” Ludwig spoke first. “Because of that, people call me a half-baked successor. I act like it doesn’t bother me, but honestly, I desperately want it to hatch. Because…” His crimson eyes gazed at me intently. “Only by becoming the master of a divine beast can I become emperor.”