How to Live as the Mad Duke’s Fake Daughter

His low voice was closer to pointing out the facts rather than criticizing.

I closed my eyes and nodded slowly.

“…Yes.”

I didn’t want to lie to Benny anymore since he was the one who accepted all my truth.

“It’s an unrequited love.”

Alan loves the dead Lily, and I love him that way.

Being a real daughter was impossible, so my unrequited love would never end.

Then something as cold as ice touched my cheek.

When I opened my eyes, Benny was stroking my face.

“…….”

Benny gently stroking my cheek had an unusually lonely expression.

The moonlight softly illuminated his silhouette. He was like a man made of a lonely asteroid.

“…Unrequited love…”

He tapped the nape of my neck as if checking my pulse. In an instant, my heart raced.

“I think that I’m doing it, too.”

His lips were only a finger away from mine. He spoke as if he was speaking to himself.

“The Princess and I have a lot in common.”

Benny laid down and looked up.

I stared at Benny’s side profile for a while, then impulsively climbed onto his body.

I thought Benny would make a puzzled expression, but unexpectedly, he looked at me softly.

His callus-filled hands wrapped around my waist.

“Would you like to kiss me?”

I did what he said.

Benny hugged me tightly, sucking my lips as if drinking from a stream and pushing his breath into me.

The skin that touched felt like static electricity.

In the end, the both of us couldn’t sleep.

***

“Why is the road so rough…?”

I lifted the long binoculars with trembling hands. That alone made my overworked muscles for the past two days scream.

The Imperial Palace was visible in the distance.

Unlike during the peaceful past, soldiers waving the imperial army’s flags surrounded the flat walls.

“We definitely found the right place.”

“Shall we go straight in, Princess?”

Benny, who was sitting next to me like a puppy, spoke out of nowhere.

I shook my head and crouched down as low as I could.

“Let’s go as planned. We need to find Garou first.”

“…Are you talking about the Crown Prince?”

For some reason, Benny didn’t seem to like me saying Garou’s name.

He, who had melted into the shadows without making a single step on the grass, suddenly pointed to the side.

“He’s over there.”

I pointed the binoculars in the direction Benny was looking. A peaceful hill rose, but there was no sign of movement.

“There’s no one there.”

“No, I’m sure he’s there. Let’s go.”

Benny spoke firmly and reached out to me. I was dubious, but I grabbed his hand.

I still had to look for Garou’s army anyway.

I slowly crawled up and followed him. Even when we arrived behind the hill, there was no sign of movement.

Just when I thought it was a waste of time, someone jumped down from the tree and covered my mouth.

“…Ubbhh?!”

“Shh.”

I was accustomed to this playful voice.

The man who attacked me gently lowered his hand and grabbed my shoulder.

“I’ve been waiting for you to come, Lilietta.”

I had the impression that Crown Prince Garou had grown taller than yesterday.

Maybe it was because he was hugging me.

“Please let me go.”

As I struggled to get out of Garou’s arms, a lump of black mud wrapped around his arm.

Benny spewed a tentacle-like black mass from his fingertips and threatened Garou to fall off immediately.

“…Hey, I was just joking around.”

Garou raised his arms as if in a declaration of surrender. Still, Benny’s murderous aura did not cease.

“Really, you’re so intense. Now, come in before anyone sees you.”

Garou went into the bushes. When I followed him, the soldiers I had been trying to find before, appeared one by one.

All of them were wearing camouflage clothes of the same color as the plants around the Imperial Palace; it was almost impossible to tell them apart even up close.

“It’s the clothes I ordered for this day. Well, I got to wear it sooner than expected.”

Garou leaned his back against the tree.

He was the only one not wearing a camouflage suit, in contrast to the soldiers exhausted from the march.

I was surprised by the sudden situation, but instead I leisurely whistled.

‘He didn’t simply dream of usurping the throne.’

I felt it while watching Garou – he had the ability to flexibly overcome any difficulties.

Although I didn’t know if that was enough to kill the emperor.

“I think it will arrive soon.”

Garou pulled out a pocket watch and smiled.

“What?”

I put down my luggage and rubbed my stiff shoulders. Garou threw me a large water bag to be used for muscle massages.

“I mean, it seems like it would be difficult for us to sneak into the Imperial Palace secretly. I decided to get some help. Let’s make a fuss and attract attention.”

Bang!

The moment I was about to ask what he meant, an explosion pierced my ears.

Black smoke rose from the entrance of the Imperial Palace.

I hurriedly pulled out my binoculars and looked in that direction. And I was stunned by the sight that came into my view.

“…No way…”

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Garou sat behind my back and whispered calmly.

“It’s simple. We came from the back using the long road, not meeting any problems, and they forced their way through the short road. That’s how we’ll meet today.”

On the side of the smoke, the beast knights were running rampantly.

They all looked familiar. They were the knights under the direct control of the duke.

And at the vanguard stood a man whom I never thought would ever be seen from here.

“…Dad.”

I inadvertently called him by a familiar title.

At that moment, Alan transformed into a black leopard and crushed a couple of enemies at once.

The Northern Duke, Alan von Bauner, openly attacked the entrance of the Imperial Palace.

***

“Shall we go? Those who aren’t immune to white magic, let’s try to ruin things here.”

After Garou arranged his men, he continued to stretch.

I gazed alternately at Garou and the direction where the battle was occurring in full swing.

The fight was so intense that even from a distance I could hear the screams of people dying.

“What’s the matter? Are you so worried about the duke?”

Garou swung the binoculars in his hand and spoke in a casual tone.

“If you want to help, you can go over there.”

“……..”

“It’s unplanned, but if you want to.”

Garou shrugged his shoulders as if allowing me to make a choice, and Benny stood still as if he was going to follow whatever I do.

I was at the crossroads.

According to the original plan, we would infiltrate the Imperial Palace without hesitation, but I did not know that Alan would attack, undertaking a risk.

No matter how strong Alan was, his opponent was a pureblood mage army.

It might be dangerous to leave it like this.

“It would be better to make a decision quickly. Even if it’s drawing time, your dad still has a limit.”

Garou folded his arms.

I clenched my fists and spit my answer out.

“…I will make a choice I will not regret.”

“Hmm.”

Garou nodded his head as if he understood.

Come to think of it, he once asked about a similar situation to now.

“You mean to help the duke? Okay. Then I…”

“I’m going to the Imperial Palace. As originally planned.”

Garou stopped talking and raised his eyebrows.

Then a faint smile spread across his lips.

“…Is that a choice you won’t regret? What if the duke dies like that?”

Although I frowned at the ominous words, Garou continued to smirk and said,

“If you had to choose between the success of the rebellion and the life of the Duke, wouldn’t you choose the latter? Why is it different now?”

“I haven’t changed my mind.”

I walked past him.

“The duke won’t die in such a place.”

Alan trusted me and stormed into the Imperial Palace.

I couldn’t betray that belief. I had to trust him too.

“Hmm.”

Garou followed me, somewhat joyful.

As I walked about ten steps, I noticed that my side was strangely empty.

“…Benny, why aren’t you coming?”

Benny stood still, watching the battle take place. It was as if he was checking each person’s face one by one.

“All of the duke’s people are here.”

Benny muttered softly. It felt kind of eerie.

“Yes. So, we must also accomplish our mission quickly…”

“…….”

Benny followed me belatedly. Then he murmured like it was a passing thought.

“The conditions are perfect.”

***

“You’ve got it all ready, Mother.”

Garou whistled.

Despite the serious situation, he did not show any signs of panic. I was a little speechless.

“You’re laughing now?”

“Yes, because this is my mother’s trick.”

Garou pointed to the Imperial Army surrounding us.

There were a lot of them, and there were a lot of beasts mixed in.

Above all else, their eyes seemed to bear the will to tear us apart and kill us.

“They look strong enough.”

“They are relatives. My mother knows my strength.”

At that time, one of the knights in the vanguard swung a sword at me.

Garou gently pushed me by the shoulder and grabbed the knight’s arm.

With the sound of sand dragging, his arms curled and twisted.

Those strong arms became as thin as a mummy’s, soon turned to dust, and scattered.

“Aaakkhhhh!”

The man grabbed the part where his arm had disappeared and collapsed.

Not a single drop of blood was shed, it felt more bizarre than a sword fight.

“You seem bothered, Lilietta.”

Garou spread his arms and smiled softly.

“Then can I handle this kind of prank?”