Chapter 56.2

“That’s—.”

“Canillian,” interrupted the Marchioness, “I might have expected too much from you. If I had known you were this selfish, it would have been better for me to have left you in a gutter to starve to death. I never should have taken you in.”

Lia clenched her fist harder. Even though she didn’t know what her expression looked like, she was certain that it wasn’t sadness.

Lia didn’t shrink, but opened her chest wide. She still remembered clearly. The feeling of the scissors brushing her neck. After that rainy night, she was never truly happy.

Although Anastasia’s face evinced cruelty, Lia took a step closer and asked, “Are you afraid?”

“What?”

“Of me? If not, why are you trying to scare me? Does it bother you that I’m no longer trembling in front of you?”

The tip of Anastasia’s chin rose as though she were challenging Lia to speak.

Lia came up with a plan and said, “I’ll do as you suggest, Mother. After I graduate from the Academy, I’ll be a dead person. After the funeral, I’ll go to a place where no one knows me. So please let my mother and me go. I’ll live forever in your debt.”

The air between them became suffocating. That moment, the knight who had been looking around came and mumbled something. A patrolman had seen the royal carriage parked and started interrogating the horseman.

Anastasia sighed at the report and started walking towards the carriage.

“It’s good that you haven’t forgotten your place,” she called back to Lia.

Lia answered, “I’ll make sure to repay you for raising me and disappear.”

At the remark, Anastasia had a faraway look on her face, and then continued walking.

The Marchioness got in the carriage and left Louvre. Lia was left standing in the street.

Lia walked away from Louvre and sighed. A car pulled up to her and the driver got out. He smiled and spoke to her, “Get in, Sir. I’ll take you.

She didn’t lower her guard as she thought that she wouldn’t be able to find a carriage in Louvre and looked for the crest on the car. If it were a car sanctioned by the Empire, it would bear the Etaire crest.

But the black car had a different crest on it.

“I’m Martis of Duke Claude’s family. I stopped the car because I just so happened to see you. Please, don’t worry and get in. I’ll take you home.”

The car door had the Duke’s clematis engraved on it.

“The Duke is—”Lia started to speak.

“He’s at Del Casa.”

I see, is that why—

She understood that Claude was in the North. She thanked Martis and got in the car. The interior and the curtain that covered the window were familiar to her.

The car’s faint floral scent made her feel like Claude was sitting beside her and speaking to her. But he wasn’t there.

Sadness overcame her. His trace bothered her even more than the Marchioness’s cruel words.

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She leaned against the window, the leaves of a tall tree nearby shading her face.

***

“So, you want to find out whether it’s true that my brother tried to sexually harass Marilyn?”

In the bright morning, Kieran stared coldly at his fiancée, the Princess Rosina.

“Is it true? I just want to confirm Sir Canillian’s innocence.”

“It’s only Marilyn’s claim. How is she going to prove it?”

“From what Marilyn said, a maid and Duke Claude also saw it. And at the time, Sir Canillian also apologized,” said Rosina.

“Lian?” Kieran wanted to laugh out loud. What a farce! Canillia, a lady, tried to sexually harass Marilyn?

The royal garden under Wade’s care was blossoming with flowers. Rosina’s face was shaded as they strolled through the garden.

Rosina was quite worried. If Canillian had tried to harass Marilyn and it was revealed to be truth, she was afraid that it would negatively affect their engagement.

Kieran sighed. “Rosina,” he called as she was sniffing a rose.

The princess blushed with surprise and stared at him.

Kieran went to his fiancée and took her hand.

“Out of everyone, Canillian wouldn’t do such thing,” he assured her.

“But, there are people who saw it,” she protested.

“Then they’re all lying.”

“But, why?”

“If Lian had tried to do such thing, the Duke wouldn’t have stood for it.”

Rosina remembered the relationship between Claude and Marilyn. But it was more of a crush on Marilyn’s part; her cousin Claude never exhibited any affection.

But Marilyn Shelby was essentially the next Duchess. For her to be harassed by Canillian and Claude not doing anything about it would be—.

“The Duke was there. If that’s true, Sir Canillian wouldn’t have survived. I was short sighted,” she said.

Kieran stared at Rosina, who turned around feeling embarrassed, and continued: “May I tell the Duke? If we receive a message from the Duke and show it as evidence, then Marilyn wouldn’t be able to claim such thing. I’m going to protect our engagement.”

Rosina’s face spread with a smile of relief.

“Then, who will go to the North?”

Kieran’s eyes softly curved after thinking for a bit. Then he said something he was thinking from the beginning.

“I have a perfect person. Don’t worry, Princess.“