I Plotted The World Destruction With The Male Lead - Chapter 37

Emperton.

The blame was shifted to the Emperton Ducal House, the family of the Empress.

Even though Ludwig, the heir to House Emperton, had died alongside the Emperor, it had still come to this.

It was all a ploy to justify killing Empress Luria.

Before Van could return to the capital, Carlyle struck House Emperton and assassinated the Empress.

Then, he framed Van for being involved in the Emperor’s murder.

He even spread the slanderous claim that Van and the Empress were having an affair.

Since Van had received consistent Guiding from the Empress, it was an accusation that people found believable.

Though Van had been enraged by the despicable lie, everyone had doubted him.

‘Will it be harder for him to use the same scheme this time because I’m here?’

No—he could still twist the past and accuse Van of the same thing.

With Eleanor now in the picture, he could easily claim that the Empress had acted out of desperation, fearing she would lose Van.

Either way, that scenario would only work if Carlyle moved up his plan to assassinate the Emperor.

‘How did the Emperor die before the regression?’

Back then, when she was confined to the Armoire duchy, she had only heard the news that the Emperor had died.

Ludwig and a large number of knights had died alongside him, so it must have been an ambush or an attack using magic.

But this time, Van knew what had happened.

That meant Carlyle wouldn’t be able to use the same method again.

Eleanor pondered and pondered before finally sitting up.

A tingling sensation lingered between her legs—a lingering aftereffect of the night before.

It wasn’t pain.

Van had used his healing abilities to restore her body.

‘This is embarrassing.’

She felt flustered but also… satisfied.

Last night had been good.

Eleanor forced herself to clear her mind, which was on the verge of becoming clouded with thoughts of Van.

Right now, only possibilities lay before them.

If they could find any concrete evidence, they would know where Carlyle was moving.

Or… they could end up walking straight into his trap.

‘It’s good to consider all possibilities, but splitting our forces could be dangerous. I need to think about what Carlyle would see as the most efficient course of action.’

The Rose of the North.

Charlotte Enrick was officially dead.

But Carlyle had almost certainly taken her, using her for Guiding.

Even though Charlotte’s compatibility rate with Carlyle was extremely low, her Guide rank was high.

That meant Carlyle’s condition had likely improved.

‘Even before the regression… Carlyle never received complete Guiding, fearing the Emperor’s surveillance.’

But if Carlyle intended to kill the Emperor, there was no need for such caution.

Van had already received full Guiding and was now in perfect physical condition.

That meant Carlyle was preparing to face Van directly.

Without knowing the full extent of Van’s capabilities, Carlyle wouldn’t take any reckless risks.

Unless, of course, he planned to use someone else to do his bidding.

As Eleanor pondered this, she turned her gaze toward the window—just in time to see the bushes rustling.

“Hmm?”

Already sitting up in bed, Eleanor reached toward the nearby chair, where her silk robe was draped.

She slipped it over her shoulders and got out of bed, only for a sharp tingling sensation to shoot up her spine from deep within her body.

“Ugh…”

‘I really need to ease up on teasing Van.’

It was her own doing, but still—walking awkwardly like this was embarrassing.

She didn’t want anyone, especially the maids, to see her in such a state.

Rustle.

The bushes outside shook again, and Eleanor froze.

Her bedroom had a glass door leading into a greenhouse, but it was still just that—a greenhouse.

The area was enclosed, and this wasn’t the time of day when the gardeners would be coming and going.

The entrance was guarded not by mere soldiers but by knights.

The only creatures that should be able to enter the greenhouse were birds and insects—since the ceiling windows were sometimes left open.

Tap.

As she slipped on her indoor slippers and cautiously made her way forward, she heard a faint sound coming from the glass door.

Eleanor turned toward the door, slowly lowering her gaze.

The sound had come from the bottom of the glass.

Is that…

A rabbit?

A small rabbit with soft white fur, speckled with gray, was lightly knocking its head against the door.

It was unbearably cute.

But that only made it even more suspicious.

‘There’s no way a rabbit would be in the greenhouse.’

Rabbits were destructive creatures that tore up flower beds and dug holes in the ground—completely incompatible with a carefully maintained greenhouse.

As Eleanor stared warily at the rabbit, it seemed to realize that things weren’t going according to its expectations.

Slowly, she inched toward the curtain rope while keeping her eyes on the small creature.

Magic was forbidden within the imperial palace.

If magic were used, it would trigger a visible reaction—either a blue or red glow—so that it could be detected even from outside.

That meant the rabbit wasn’t Carlyle.

Special abilities didn’t interfere with the imperial magic formations, but Carlyle’s power was magic itself…

‘If it’s not a mage, then it must be a member of the royal family.’

Abilities.

The supernatural powers, also known as “special abilities,” varied from one royal to another.

Some possessed multiple powerful abilities, while others had ones that were completely useless.

‘Could there really be a royal with a transformation ability…?’

Eight steps remained until she could reach the curtain rope.

But in her current state, she couldn’t run.

In that brief moment, the rabbit beyond the glass was suddenly engulfed in a bright white light—growing rapidly until it was the size of a person.

“Gasp!”

A scream almost escaped her lips, but she held it back—only to realize that this was exactly the kind of situation where screaming was appropriate.

Seated on the floor, legs subtly crossed to maintain modesty, was a man with a charming face.

Tilting his head, he spoke with a playful smirk.

“I’m completely naked… You’re not going to call people over and embarrass me, are you?”

His silver hair, streaked with gray, bore a faint resemblance to Carlyle’s—unsurprising, given that he too was of royal blood.

Despite his boyish smile, Eleanor’s response was unwavering.

Without hesitation, she yanked the curtain rope.

There was only one proper reaction to meeting a naked man at their first encounter, no matter how handsome he was.

“Tch!”

In an instant, the young man was enveloped in white light again and dashed off toward the greenhouse.

Meanwhile, the door opened, and the maids rushed into the room.

 

*

 

On the same day, four letters arrived.

One was a formal letter addressed to Margaret, while the other three were sent to Peter, Leo, and Millie.

Not a single letter was addressed to Gus.

Even though he knew Eleanor would find letters to him bothersome, he was still furious.

“That ungrateful wretch!”

No one in this world was born without parents.

And yet, she had the audacity to treat her own father this way?

To Gus, Eleanor was someone who deserved divine punishment.

Children were meant to serve their parents, and parents had the right to enjoy the rewards of their offspring.

But Eleanor had long forgotten this.

Even as a child, she had been insolent, and now she had completely severed contact.

Gus had originally been indifferent to what Eleanor did—as long as she sent money.

But now, things were different.

“I can’t drive those bastards away by myself!”

Life in Willus, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Granmire in the empire’s east, was going smoothly.

They had been given an excessively luxurious mansion, complete with a butler, numerous servants, and an abundant allowance.

His two sons and only remaining daughter received whatever education they desired, while Margaret indulged in extravagant dresses, as if she were the wife of a wealthy merchant.

But the generosity didn’t end there.

That arrogant Grand Duke had even assigned an attendant to Gus—though it was clear the man was actually a watchdog.

Gus was certain this was Eleanor’s doing.

A high-ranking noble like the Grand Duke wouldn’t waste his time monitoring someone like him.

The so-called “attendant” was actually a spy, ensuring that Gus didn’t drink excessively or gamble.

Whenever he so much as attempted to meet an old acquaintance to relive his past pleasures, the guards would conveniently show up and shut everything down.

After this happened three or four times, even the local gamblers began cursing Gus or avoiding him altogether.

Gus was furious.

He had even thrown a punch at the so-called “attendant,” but the man effortlessly dodged every attack.

Enraged by the situation, Gus turned to his wife, Margaret, to vent his frustrations.

But she merely narrowed her eyes and looked at him with disdain.

“Even after we’ve finally started living well, you’re still trying to ruin everything?”

Only then did Gus recall that Margaret had paid off his gambling debts several times before.

Enraged that she dared to look down on him over mere pocket change, he lashed out at her.

But the moment he raised his voice, the servants rushed in.

With them by her side, Margaret no longer needed to lower herself as she once had.

When Gus tried to resort to his usual violence, the servants blocked him without hesitation.

Watching Margaret hide behind the servants, Gus ground his teeth.

That wretched woman must have been having an affair behind his back!

Spewing out crude accusations, he mocked her with the kind of vulgar gossip she despised.

Margaret’s face turned bright red.

She had always dreamed of imitating the refined wives of wealthy merchants and minor nobles—so whenever Gus spoke coarsely, she felt humiliated.

But this time, she did something he had never expected.

She ordered the servants to throw him out of the house.

Gus was outraged to realize that the servants prioritized Margaret’s words over his own.

He had already resented the fact that Margaret controlled all the household finances, but this was the final blow.

No matter how much he cursed and shouted, the mansion doors remained shut.

Only then did Gus fully grasp what had happened—Eleanor had given Margaret control over the household, not him.

And that was why he had lost everything.

‘I have to convince Eleanor!’

He thought that, for all her arrogance, Eleanor was still just a young girl.

If he flattered her a little and coaxed her gently, or if he whispered a few words about Margaret’s behavior, that would be more than enough to sway her.

But that was only possible if he could meet her face-to-face.

And in a situation where even exchanging letters was difficult, there was no chance of that happening.

‘But does that mean I have to lower myself and write to her first? To that insolent girl?’

The thought filled Gus with irritation, but in the end, he gritted his teeth and turned on his heel.

It was always the desperate one who had to make the first move—that was just how the world worked.

As he walked, he shot a glare at the so-called attendant trailing behind him.

He was utterly sick of the man, but at least with him around, Gus wouldn’t have to spend the night sleeping on the streets.

Step by step, he considered what to write in his letter to Eleanor.