The Male Lead’s Fake Sister

When the thick fog that had obscured his memories cleared everything else became clear.

Things Heint had never considered strange began to strike him as odd, prompting him to reconsider the situation. Fortunately, he was confident that no one knew more about any type of magnolia drugs than he did.

‘I’m not sure if it’s a coincidence that Tidwell manipulated me at the same time His Majesty gave me an order to look for the Dark Flower.’

But he knew a golden opportunity had been presented to him.

He was on the brink of losing the family that had been his lifetime’s glory to a conman.

The thought of a conman daring to fool him, a Leontine, and shamelessly breaking into the mansion made his blood boil. Because a strong sense of self-worth and pride had always been a Leontine trait.

It really angered him that he had been so manipulated by a young man.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t himself or his family prestige that weighed his mind the most after discovering he had been fooled by a conman.

‘Ravia.’

The paper in Heint’s hand made a crackling sound as he crumpled it ferociously.

Following the dissipation of the fog that had clogged Heint’s mind, all his memories, from the very old to the very recent, flooded back.

Therefore, Heint was able to remember more clearly what happened between him and Tidwell during the 〈Aida〉 performance in Velocio Theatre.

Including his shameless confession.

-When I first saw my sister, I was amazed that such a person existed.

Heint had never seen such a thrilled expression on his face. And it was difficult to make sense of everything he said.

But in that conversation there were two points that were quite apparent.

One, Tidwell was very interested in Ravia, and he wanted her to fall into his hands.

Two, for that very reason, Tidwell hypnotized Heint and demanded better treatment for Ravia.

The problem was that Tidwell hypnotized Heint and made him do exactly what he wanted. Tidwell’s actions were never done in good faith but only for personal gain.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Ravia was about to fall into Tidwell’s grasp.

He didn’t just throw away his daughter; he threw her into the snake’s mouth.

His thoughts began to fit together like a puzzle, and realization and regret flooded his mind.

Tidwell’s hypnotic command was all about ‘Ravia is a true Leontine.’

That meant everything Heint felt after removing his prejudice against Ravia had nothing to do with hypnosis.

Filled with regret and anguish, the duke began to recall his daughter’s empty stare. He recalled the mistakes he had made in the past, including the mistakes he had made up to this point.

If Tidwell hadn’t hypnotized him, he would have never realized his own daughter’s condition.

-Then don’t ask me such a question. I thought you’d finally respect my will to some degree.

As he recalled his daughter’s cold tone, his emotions erupted in a flood and overwhelmed him.

How could a man keep making the same mistake?

After recovering from the shock, Heint was determined to fix all the problems.

Fortunately, it didn’t seem that difficult.

Heint was looking for the distributor of the Dark Flower and found the said person by a mere chance. Everything would be solved if he handed that man over to the Imperial Family.

However, returning to the residence in this state was the same as walking into Tidwell’s trap. And, he hesitated because of Ravia’s situation.

It wasn’t just his fear that Ravia would end up in Tidwell’s hands.

It was more about a more fundamental aspect. Heint frequently replayed the conversation he had with Ravia before leaving.

Always sharp-tongued, Ravia said this.

-I suppose this is the best option for Father and I. So I understand you, Father.

Ravia certainly looked a bit sad when she said this. But, thinking about it further, there were a lot of strange parts.

Her especially kind attitude, her bringing Amnesia from who knows where, and her comments about Tidwell.

When Tidwell’s family was discussed, Ravia interrupted just as Heint stammered to answer.

-Ah, I heard it was Enrique.

-…Enrique?

-Actually, it doesn’t matter which family he was from. Now he’s a Leontine, after all.

She then abruptly changed the subject. He thought it was strange because Tidwell had always lied to Heint about being from the Soffen family.

Not to mention, she gave him Amnesia right after that. Heint was from the generation that understood why the price of Amnesia had risen so significantly.

In other words, Amnesia helped in neutralizing the Dark Flower poison.

And Ravia was the one who gave it to him.

Is it really a coincidence?

What if it is not a mere coincidence? What if Ravia knew everything from the start?

Heint felt sick to his stomach just thinking about how Ravia must feel.

He remembered her eyes, which always had a glint of sadness in them but never dimmed, were filled with emptiness, and her expression revealed she had no desire for anything.

How many times did the child have to give up, and how many times she went through rejection?

The family she had loved and longed for so much pushed her to the conman who had fooled everyone.

How many times did she have to bite her tongue in order to remain silent while witnessing the horrific scene all by herself?

She’d have to bite her tongue and pull out her teeth, and if that wasn’t enough, she would then endure the pain of a knife piercing her throat.

And wouldn’t the tears streaming down her cheeks feel just like that knife piercing her skin when the pain became too much to bear…

Heint was choked with self-loathing and grief, and his tears eventually smudged the ink.

But, unfortunately, time was not on his side.

After a brief knock, the door opened. The door creaked, and Heint’s loyal aide stood behind it. Ravia stood behind him showing her usual expression.

“It’s been a while, Father. Do you need space to grieve?”

She sneered and strode over to him. The sound of her footsteps would have been much more painful if it hadn’t been for the carpeted floor.

“I originally thought it was due to the coachman’s unfamiliarity with the road home. Who would have guessed it was the servant who accompanied my father at all times?”

As the two of them drew closer, Heint’s brow furrowed more deeply. She wasn’t surprised by Heint’s reaction because he had always been a very obstinate man.

Perhaps he frowned because he was offended by his daughter’s rude manner of speech.

Her stern expression, devoid of a smile, indicated that he was not hallucinating.

That biting remark was exactly like his daughter. Because it was one of the few characteristics that proved they were father and daughter.

Two people who looked alike stood close together, facing each other. Again, Ravia was the first to speak.

Perhaps she thought her father was acting strangely, so she asked with a frown.

“Why are you silent? I thought you’d have some excuse.”

“…There are surely many things I want to explain to you and ask you.”

Heint spoke with difficulty. But he faltered and stopped talking without realizing it.

He had a lot of things he wanted to say and ask, but when he saw his daughter’s face, he couldn’t speak properly.

He didn’t know what to say, so the words stuck on the tip of his tongue.

Tidwell was fooling all of us with a drug called ‘Dark Flower.’ Do you know that? Where did you get Amnesia? Did you know that Tidwell dares to harbor indecent desires toward you?

Heint had a lot to say, but he couldn’t get any of his thoughts out.

That wasn’t what Heint needed to say now.

“……Sorry.”

After a long silence he apologized.