novelraw Chapter 109 : Chapter 109
Chapter 109 : Chapter 109
Chapter 109. A Woman's Troubles (1)
Iris was momentarily speechless at the food placed before her.
It was a steaming meat stew, but it was on a completely different level from ordinary food.
“What is this?”
Surrounding the tender, dark-brown glistening meat were rare herbs she had never seen before, harmoniously arranged in various colors.
A faint, fragrant aroma of herbs and a deep, rich smell of meat.
Anyone could see that it was a truly 'special' dish, made with immense effort.
Frank pointed at the food with a kind smile.
“This dish is for you. Hurry up and try it. It won’t taste as good when it gets cold.”
A line that couldn't be sweeter.
‘A dish for me?’
Iris swallowed a bitter laugh.
There was no way he would cook for her.
But his eyes seemed sincere.
She had no choice but to lift her fork, picking up a piece of well-cooked meat and an herb, and brought it to her mouth.
‘What’s so special about it? All food is the same once it’s in your mouth……!!’
But the moment it entered her mouth.
Iris' eyes widened.
‘Th-this is!’
Along with the texture of the tender meat melting on her tongue, the diverse aroma of the herbs exploded and spread.
Puff-puff-bang!
A flavor that enveloped her mouth as if fireworks had gone off.
The deep, rich meat juices added to the umami, and the slightly bitter yet refreshing aftertaste of the herbs perfectly cut through any greasiness.
A feast of enchanting flavors she had never experienced in her life.
She could only stare blankly at Frank.
“You… made this yourself, Father?”
Frank nodded as if it were a matter of course.
“Yes. I made it specially just for you. Does it taste alright?”
Iris nodded mechanically.
Her mind was a jumble.
A corner of her heart felt a pang, and at the same time, memories of the past surfaced, unsettling her mind.
For her father to cook a meal like this just for her.
‘Why. Why are you doing this now…….’
When she lived here, he had never once done anything like this.
He was always indifferent, or treated her like a money-making machine…….
She briefly collected her complex emotions and asked the question she was most curious about.
She felt that if not now, she might not get another chance.
“How on earth did you convince Isabel? You postponed her succession as Saintess until after
Primus is defeated. That shouldn't be a matter decided so easily, should it?”
At her question, Frank seemed to hesitate for a moment.
His gaze wavered subtly, and he couldn’t easily open his mouth.
Iris didn’t miss his reaction and pressed on more persistently.
“You definitely made some other promise, didn’t you? Right?”
Frank let out a deep sigh and finally opened his heavy lips.
His voice was low and cautious.
“I promised that after defeating Primus, I would propose to her myself.”
In that instant, Iris' thoughts froze.
Her red eyes widened in disbelief.
“A pro-proposal?”
This was something she could never accept.
Why should Frank sacrifice himself because of her?
If it were Anonymous, perhaps, but Frank's eyes were definitely not on Isabel.
‘This is a problem. This won’t do.’
Iris abruptly stood up from her seat and approached Frank.
Her gaze was like that of a grim reaper from the underworld.
***
How much time had passed?
Isabel nervously fiddled with her fingertips as she watched the darkness deepen outside the window.
It had been well over half a day since Frank had left with Anonymous to retrieve the Dungeon Core.
‘Just how long do I have to wait?’
Since he left, the mansion in Lumen Fortis had been shrouded in a suffocating silence.
She understood that he had left on an important mission to secure the Dungeon Core, but this was a disregard for her.
But she was to be disappointed once again.
As soon as Frank returned, he had said this to her.
“Something important has come up, so let’s talk later.”
Just like that, he had ignored her and left alone with Anonymous.
The bitterness and anger she felt watching his retreating back did not easily subside.
Isabel’s eyes welled up with tears without her realizing it.
Now, she had moved on from fiddling with her fingertips to biting them anxiously.
‘What does he think I am? I am a Saintess!’
Of course, her status here was not what it used to be.
The master of Lumen Fortis was Frank, and he was no longer a mere Baron but the head of the Continental Alliance.
She, on the other hand, was more like a guest who had come to ask for his help.
‘He once acted as if he couldn’t live without my help. A person’s life is truly unpredictable.’
As she was lost in such self-deprecating thoughts, and her nails were getting worn down, the hallway suddenly became noisy.
Wondering what was happening, she opened the door, and an unbelievable sight unfolded before her.
‘Huh?’
Iris was practically dragging Frank by the arm towards her.
The same Iris who would normally have recoiled in disgust from Frank was now gripping his wrist tightly, as if she had come to confront him.
Faced with this unprecedented side of her, Isabel was at a loss for words.
‘That Iris held Frank’s hand?’
The two of them stopped in front of Isabel.
Without even catching her breath, Iris questioned her.
“What is the meaning of this? Why did you two decide on such an important matter without our permission!”
Isabel was flustered.
‘What is she talking about all of a sudden?’
She managed to speak with difficulty.
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Iris raised her voice even more.
“You promised to marry without our daughters’ permission!”
A promise of marriage? Isabel felt her heart drop.
How did Iris know about that?
She reflexively glanced around.
Fortunately, there was no one in the hallway.
Isabel quickly pulled Iris away from Frank and closed the door with a thud.
Then she brought her index finger to her lips as if to signal for quiet.
“Shh! Your voice is too loud!”
But Iris did not back down.
“That’s not the issue right now! If you two made such a promise just to delay me becoming a Saintess, even though you don’t love each other, then I can never approve of this matter!”
At Iris' firm words, Isabel was at a loss.
Her gaze naturally shifted to Frank, who was standing beside her.
He was avoiding her gaze with a flustered face, his eyes darting around.
It was the attitude of someone with a guilty conscience.
‘This man, really…….’
She wanted to handle this situation somehow, but Frank’s anxious appearance only fueled her anger. Her pride wounded, Isabel couldn’t help but shout.
“We were originally lovers!”
She regretted it after spitting out the words, but it was too late.
However, Iris' reaction was unexpected.
Instead of being surprised, she calmly retorted.
“I knew.”
“Wh-what? How did you know?”
“How could I not know when you two are so obvious about it? Even I can sense the feelings flowing between you. But the past isn’t what’s important. What about Father? Does Father still love you, Saintess?”
Iris' sharp question pierced Isabel’s heart.
She subtly shifted her gaze to Frank.
‘Yes. His feelings are the most important. At that time, it felt like he had intentionally made that suggestion to persuade me and to keep Iris here.’
Frank was still sweating profusely and couldn't bring himself to speak.
Seeing his anxious state, Isabel couldn't bear it any longer.
This was an insult to her.
“Tell me, Frank! Do you love me?”
Simultaneously with Isabel’s cry, Iris also stared intently at Frank.
Caught between the intense gazes of the two women, Frank was completely cornered.
His pupils trembled helplessly, and his lips only moved slightly, unable to form a reply.
It was unfortunate for Frank, but the end of this suffocating three-way confrontation had only just begun.
***
The gazes of the two women were fixed on me.
One was filled with affection and desperation.
The other was sharp with interrogation.
In the suffocating silence, I desperately racked my brain.
‘What should I say?’
Do I like Isabel?
To be honest, I don’t know.
I was Frank, but at the same time, I was a stranger who had been isekai'd into a game.
I couldn’t fully know what deep emotions the original Frank had shared with Isabel in the past.
How could I possibly fathom his feelings when he had to part with her after she became a Saintess following the Demon King's subjugation?
Rather, where my heart was headed now was clear.
Anonymous.
She had somehow entered deep into my life.
Her eccentricity, her power.
And her pure affection for me was the most certain emotion in my complex state of mind.
But Isabel seemed to like me a lot.
I couldn’t ignore her sacrifice and her waiting.
Besides, hadn’t I promised with my own mouth that I would propose after killing Primus?
‘If I bluntly say I don’t like her here, then as a man—no, as a person, I’d be a problem.’
In the end, I decided to choose the lesser of two evils.
I forced a composed expression and, with as much sincerity as I could muster, opened my mouth.
“I have special feelings for her.”
At that moment, I saw Isabel’s face light up.
A bright smile, as if dawn had broken through the darkness.
But that smile did not last long.
Because Iris narrowed her eyes and dug deeper.
“Then, what about Anonymous?”
Isabel’s face darkened rapidly again.
Even on a roller coaster, her expression wouldn't change so drastically.
I couldn’t bring myself to look at her face as I muttered in a low voice.
It was an unavoidable question.
“...I like her as well.”
Silence fell.
Deep disappointment clouded Isabel’s eyes.
She bit her lip like someone who had been betrayed.
On the other hand, Iris' expression became triumphant, as if to say, ‘I knew it.’
“See! What on earth is that? I know you’re a noble who can have concubines, but that’s wrong! You should be true to only one person!”
At Iris' sharp criticism, I became even more flustered.
What excuse could I make?
I had no idea how to handle this situation.
I could vividly feel the cold sweat running down my back.
It was at that moment.
Bang!
The door burst open, and completely unexpected people stormed in.
“Father! What is going on?”
“Huh? Why is the atmosphere like this?”
“Huhu, what a peculiar atmosphere. My, my. The Master must be in a bind.”
It was Adel and Noemi.
And Anonymous.
Adel and Noemi, sensing the tense air in the room, looked back and forth between us with puzzled expressions.
Anonymous, on the other hand, had a strange expression, as if she knew what kind of conversation was taking place in this room.
A scream escaped me internally.
‘Ugh. Of all times, why now.’
Thanks to the saviors(?) who appeared at the worst possible timing, the air in the reception room became even more complex and awkwardly frozen.
While I was wondering where to look, Noemi, having heard the whole story from Iris, said something completely out of the left field.