CH 108
His beautiful purple eyes fluttered innocently.
“Marriage to the Marquis of Winston or the Crown Prince is burdensome. Because that marriage is for a ‘lifetime’.”
“…….”
“But if you marry and divorce me a year later, the matter becomes simpler.”
“……!”
Annette’s eyes widened slightly. Heinrich internally swallowed a pleasant laugh.
‘That’s right…’
‘Come here, Annette.’
The fair and hard fox’s hand gently grabbed the rabbit’s hand and slowly approached it.
“And wouldn’t you be most comfortable living with me? It’s me, Sister, it’s Heinrich.”
“…….”
“Think about how we lived in the Forest, Sister. You just have to live like that for a year.”
“…Ah.”
Annette nodded. The handsome man with his beautifully shining eyes, an arrogantly soaring nose, and deep red lips smiled softly.
As if charming her.
“After the divorce, Sister is free to find another marriage partner.”
‘You won’t be free, Annette.’
“I’ll recommend a good marriage match.”
‘If you find another man, you won’t be able to find him the next day.’
‘Not anywhere in this world.’
“What do you think?”
“…….”
Annette seemed to be deep in thought.
Heinrich’s smile grew deeper as their eyes met and he put on the very face of purity itself.
“…That’s a good suggestion, Heinrich.”
Alas, the rabbit was caught.
An incomparable thrill passed through Heinrich’s purple eyes.
“But.”
…Why?
“Sorry! I will decline your favor.”
“Why? Why are you saying no?”
Annette replied, raising her index finger.
“In the novels I read, the main characters always couldn’t get a divorce when they got into a ‘contract marriage’! The other party just ripped up the divorce papers and that’s it.”
Heinrich’s twinkling eyes instantly became confused like a cat that had its snack stolen.
“…Uh? What does that mean?”
“I’m sorry, please leave.”
Tak!
Opening the door, Annette proudly revealed the outside of the carriage, pointing her index finger at it and ordered.
The carriage was still running at great speed.
It was so fast that it sounded like, ‘I’m sorry, please die!’.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
“Wow…!”
As soon as I arrived in El Dorado, I couldn’t take my eyes off the window.
‘I’m back here after 10 years.’
I had always lived in the Forest, so I didn’t have many opportunities to see the downtown area.
‘The atmosphere is the same.’
The fresh air of El Dorado, stylishly dressed people, and shops that were more professional and colorful than the ones on Bayonaire Island; I often missed these.
Even just looking out the carriage window, the whole street was so gorgeous that I was losing my mind.
‘Wait, I am completely forgetting the purpose of coming here.’
Soon after, the carriage arrived at the residence of the Duke of Valienne.
―I had contacted them in advance on the way (Sislin did it for me).
It would be difficult for an ordinary person to make an appointment after notifying that the visit would be on the same day, but the crown prince’s authority was different.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, it is an honor to have you visit. Please eat inside.”
The gatekeepers who confirmed Sislin’s identity opened the residence’s gate wide. Then a vast garden appeared.
‘…It’s so spacious and beautiful!’
There must be a separate castle for the duke, but the price of the ducal residence in the capital was of this size.
The tall ornamental trees were neatly landscaped enough to put the mind at ease, and seasonal flowers were fragrantly blooming nearby.
In the center, a huge stone fountain spewed a stream of water that was transparent like a grain of glass, creating a faint rainbow in the fresh air.
‘Even though the duke is lying down, the mansion is well taken care of.’
This meant that the loyalties of the servants were high, and the duke’s finances were still strong.
As I prepared to get off the carriage, I saw the family emblem engraved on the gate.
‘The Goddess of goodness and kindness, Valienne.’
She was hugging a bunch of flowers in full bloom with her eyes closed and lowered.
The Duchy of Valienne was the only one who had the image of a noble God rather than an animal engraved on the family emblem.
Click—
As soon as the carriage door opened, I couldn’t help but be surprised.
“……!!!”
—Sislin, Heinrich, and Kyle were standing outside my carriage in that order.
‘Why? Why are you all standing here?’
‘A little… It’s burdensome.’
“Annette.”
“Sister!”
“Owner…”
At the same time, all three held out their hands.
“……!!!”
My pupils shook.
It would be catastrophic no matter whose hand I hold.
“Thanks.”
‘I actually don’t appreciate it at all, you idiots.’
After a moment of deep hesitation, I grabbed Kyle’s hand (which seemed to be the safest).
Because it was the hand of the sweet gentleman who didn’t break into the carriage.
In an instant, Sislin’s eyes hardened with desperation, and Heinrich glared at Kyle openly with an absolutely sullen face.
In the end, he hissed out.
“Tch. Why did you follow us all the way here? …Should’ve stayed at Bayonaire and eaten rags.”
“Heinrich.”
When I gave an indication that I was watching Heinrich, Kyle answered without even blinking an eye.
“I am the one who brought Miss Annette here. Isn’t the Grand Duke the ‘extra’?”
“What?! Extra?”
As Heinrich flared up, I got out of the carriage and fell naturally between the two of them.
“This is it, the residence of the Duke of Valienne. The Duke has been ill for a long time, and she may be my mother.”
“…….”
“…….”
Then the two men who were at odds with each other quickly became quiet.
Clearly, they seemed to have recognized that it was a place where there should never be a fuss.
“Let’s go.”
In the meantime, Sislin naturally grabbed my hand (Kyle was taken aback with his eyes wide open), leading me.
I stopped in place.
“No. It would be a burden for three people ranging from the imperial family to great nobility to visit.”
“If…”
“I will visit with just Marquis Winston.”
Just as Heinrich was about to say something, I added quickly.
“Please let me.”
“…….”
“The two of you, go to the respective locations in El Dorado, and take a look at Prince Gerard.”
This was also very important.
I drove a wedge.
“If the Duke is my mother, I would like to meet her as quietly as possible.”
“…….”
“…….”
Sislin and Heinrich, who would normally have opposed the visit with only Kyle, had no choice but to keep their mouths shut.
Finally, Sislin nodded first. Then Heinrich said bluntly.
“I can’t help it.”
“Thank you both so much for understanding.”
Then Heinrich slipped next to Kyle’s ear and whispered, his eyes containing killing intent. And so softly that Annette couldn’t hear it.
“If you seduce Sister when she is vulnerable, you’ll die.”
“It’s a mean imagination that only a cunning person would do.”
Green eyes looked at him with contempt.
‘Look at this bastard.’
Heinrich’s red lips twitched. He vowed to kill that hypocritical bastard who only pretended to be good in front of Annette.
‘I’ll do that soon.’
“Then, shall we go in together? Owner.”
“Sure.”
Kyle escorted her to the duke.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
The reason for choosing Kyle was simple.
He knew the locket best, and he was the only gentleman who didn’t want to use my circumstances to push for a marriage.
—And somehow, he was the warmest.
‘If she’s really my mother…’
If Duke Valienne was really my lost mother, I thought I would feel a lot of hurt today.
She hadn’t been conscious since she gave birth.
‘The servants may despise me.’
It was clear that Duke Valienne was a wonderful person who was respected.
Just look at the immaculately maintained mansion she was lying in.
Wasn’t that a common story?
If someone who was loved died or became unconscious while giving birth, the child would be thought of as ‘born by devouring’.
If I had to check on my mother while enduring those glances…
…Even for a moment.
I wanted a comfortable and warm person by my side.
“You are nervous, Owner.”
“…Yes.”
Feeling cold sweat forming, I rubbed my hands against the hem of my dress. Kyle clasped my hand.
“It will be fine.”
“…….”
“You don’t have to be too nervous.”
That strong voice relieved my tension at least slightly.
I mustered up the courage and nodded my head.
Then I sent a message to the servant who guided us from the gate.
“Please tell them that we have arrived.”
“Yes.”
The man politely contacted the inside.
And after a while.
The door opened from inside and a woman appeared.
“……!”
‘It’s not how I thought the butler will look like?’
I vaguely imagined that it would be a gentle, old man in a uniform. Not a young woman with her hair in a ponytail.
In her wrinkle-free attire, the feeling emanating from her eyeglasses was very sword-like.
In this situation, the mere sight of her made me feel discouraged.
‘I know who manages the house.’
“Welcome. I am Victoria Shimmers, the butler of the Duchy of Valienne.”
A husky voice, correct pronunciation.
“Are you from the Crown Prince’s party?”
“Yes, but we are the only ones here. This is Marquis Winston, and I am Annette.”
Kyle seemed to be purposely waiting for me to speak.
“…….”
The butler’s arched eyebrows rose high.
It was a very suspicious look.
I took an old chain out of my pocket and showed it.
A locket that shines and spins from an old chain.
That moment.
The strict butler’s expression softened slightly.
“I heard that my mother left this for me. Do you know anything about this?”
“…….”
She stared at the flashing locking for a moment, seemingly feeling something indescribable.
Then she looked at me.
For a long time. Perhaps my face resembled the duke’s.
The husky voice that came out again contained more emotions than before.
“The Duke once said. Someday, the lady will come with that ‘locket’.”
“……!”
Soon, she took a step back.
The tightly guarded door to the ducal mansion immediately opened wide. Led by the butler, the guards and the servants, who put their hands together like knives in their lower abdomen, bowed deeply from both sides.
“Welcome, my lady.”
Ame: having a foot massage right now and trying not to cry and scream at the same time TT_TT WELCOME BACK, TASSIE!! It’s been lonely without you around!
Tassie: HOLY SHIT IT’S HAPPENING!!! Also poor sisl ;-; got rejected (I wonder if you can guess who I’m biased towards :kek:)
“Marriage to the Marquis of Winston or the Crown Prince is burdensome. Because that marriage is for a ‘lifetime’.”
“…….”
“But if you marry and divorce me a year later, the matter becomes simpler.”
“……!”
Annette’s eyes widened slightly. Heinrich internally swallowed a pleasant laugh.
‘That’s right…’
‘Come here, Annette.’
The fair and hard fox’s hand gently grabbed the rabbit’s hand and slowly approached it.
“And wouldn’t you be most comfortable living with me? It’s me, Sister, it’s Heinrich.”
“…….”
“Think about how we lived in the Forest, Sister. You just have to live like that for a year.”
“…Ah.”
Annette nodded. The handsome man with his beautifully shining eyes, an arrogantly soaring nose, and deep red lips smiled softly.
As if charming her.
“After the divorce, Sister is free to find another marriage partner.”
‘You won’t be free, Annette.’
“I’ll recommend a good marriage match.”
‘If you find another man, you won’t be able to find him the next day.’
‘Not anywhere in this world.’
“What do you think?”
“…….”
Annette seemed to be deep in thought.
Heinrich’s smile grew deeper as their eyes met and he put on the very face of purity itself.
“…That’s a good suggestion, Heinrich.”
Alas, the rabbit was caught.
An incomparable thrill passed through Heinrich’s purple eyes.
“But.”
…Why?
“Sorry! I will decline your favor.”
“Why? Why are you saying no?”
Annette replied, raising her index finger.
“In the novels I read, the main characters always couldn’t get a divorce when they got into a ‘contract marriage’! The other party just ripped up the divorce papers and that’s it.”
Heinrich’s twinkling eyes instantly became confused like a cat that had its snack stolen.
“…Uh? What does that mean?”
“I’m sorry, please leave.”
Tak!
Opening the door, Annette proudly revealed the outside of the carriage, pointing her index finger at it and ordered.
The carriage was still running at great speed.
It was so fast that it sounded like, ‘I’m sorry, please die!’.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
“Wow…!”
As soon as I arrived in El Dorado, I couldn’t take my eyes off the window.
‘I’m back here after 10 years.’
I had always lived in the Forest, so I didn’t have many opportunities to see the downtown area.
‘The atmosphere is the same.’
The fresh air of El Dorado, stylishly dressed people, and shops that were more professional and colorful than the ones on Bayonaire Island; I often missed these.
Even just looking out the carriage window, the whole street was so gorgeous that I was losing my mind.
‘Wait, I am completely forgetting the purpose of coming here.’
Soon after, the carriage arrived at the residence of the Duke of Valienne.
―I had contacted them in advance on the way (Sislin did it for me).
It would be difficult for an ordinary person to make an appointment after notifying that the visit would be on the same day, but the crown prince’s authority was different.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, it is an honor to have you visit. Please eat inside.”
The gatekeepers who confirmed Sislin’s identity opened the residence’s gate wide. Then a vast garden appeared.
‘…It’s so spacious and beautiful!’
There must be a separate castle for the duke, but the price of the ducal residence in the capital was of this size.
The tall ornamental trees were neatly landscaped enough to put the mind at ease, and seasonal flowers were fragrantly blooming nearby.
In the center, a huge stone fountain spewed a stream of water that was transparent like a grain of glass, creating a faint rainbow in the fresh air.
‘Even though the duke is lying down, the mansion is well taken care of.’
This meant that the loyalties of the servants were high, and the duke’s finances were still strong.
As I prepared to get off the carriage, I saw the family emblem engraved on the gate.
‘The Goddess of goodness and kindness, Valienne.’
She was hugging a bunch of flowers in full bloom with her eyes closed and lowered.
The Duchy of Valienne was the only one who had the image of a noble God rather than an animal engraved on the family emblem.
Click—
As soon as the carriage door opened, I couldn’t help but be surprised.
“……!!!”
—Sislin, Heinrich, and Kyle were standing outside my carriage in that order.
‘Why? Why are you all standing here?’
‘A little… It’s burdensome.’
“Annette.”
“Sister!”
“Owner…”
At the same time, all three held out their hands.
“……!!!”
My pupils shook.
It would be catastrophic no matter whose hand I hold.
“Thanks.”
‘I actually don’t appreciate it at all, you idiots.’
After a moment of deep hesitation, I grabbed Kyle’s hand (which seemed to be the safest).
Because it was the hand of the sweet gentleman who didn’t break into the carriage.
In an instant, Sislin’s eyes hardened with desperation, and Heinrich glared at Kyle openly with an absolutely sullen face.
In the end, he hissed out.
“Tch. Why did you follow us all the way here? …Should’ve stayed at Bayonaire and eaten rags.”
“Heinrich.”
When I gave an indication that I was watching Heinrich, Kyle answered without even blinking an eye.
“I am the one who brought Miss Annette here. Isn’t the Grand Duke the ‘extra’?”
“What?! Extra?”
As Heinrich flared up, I got out of the carriage and fell naturally between the two of them.
“This is it, the residence of the Duke of Valienne. The Duke has been ill for a long time, and she may be my mother.”
“…….”
“…….”
Then the two men who were at odds with each other quickly became quiet.
Clearly, they seemed to have recognized that it was a place where there should never be a fuss.
“Let’s go.”
In the meantime, Sislin naturally grabbed my hand (Kyle was taken aback with his eyes wide open), leading me.
I stopped in place.
“No. It would be a burden for three people ranging from the imperial family to great nobility to visit.”
“If…”
“I will visit with just Marquis Winston.”
Just as Heinrich was about to say something, I added quickly.
“Please let me.”
“…….”
“The two of you, go to the respective locations in El Dorado, and take a look at Prince Gerard.”
This was also very important.
I drove a wedge.
“If the Duke is my mother, I would like to meet her as quietly as possible.”
“…….”
“…….”
Sislin and Heinrich, who would normally have opposed the visit with only Kyle, had no choice but to keep their mouths shut.
Finally, Sislin nodded first. Then Heinrich said bluntly.
“I can’t help it.”
“Thank you both so much for understanding.”
Then Heinrich slipped next to Kyle’s ear and whispered, his eyes containing killing intent. And so softly that Annette couldn’t hear it.
“If you seduce Sister when she is vulnerable, you’ll die.”
“It’s a mean imagination that only a cunning person would do.”
Green eyes looked at him with contempt.
‘Look at this bastard.’
Heinrich’s red lips twitched. He vowed to kill that hypocritical bastard who only pretended to be good in front of Annette.
‘I’ll do that soon.’
“Then, shall we go in together? Owner.”
“Sure.”
Kyle escorted her to the duke.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
The reason for choosing Kyle was simple.
He knew the locket best, and he was the only gentleman who didn’t want to use my circumstances to push for a marriage.
—And somehow, he was the warmest.
‘If she’s really my mother…’
If Duke Valienne was really my lost mother, I thought I would feel a lot of hurt today.
She hadn’t been conscious since she gave birth.
‘The servants may despise me.’
It was clear that Duke Valienne was a wonderful person who was respected.
Just look at the immaculately maintained mansion she was lying in.
Wasn’t that a common story?
If someone who was loved died or became unconscious while giving birth, the child would be thought of as ‘born by devouring’.
If I had to check on my mother while enduring those glances…
…Even for a moment.
I wanted a comfortable and warm person by my side.
“You are nervous, Owner.”
“…Yes.”
Feeling cold sweat forming, I rubbed my hands against the hem of my dress. Kyle clasped my hand.
“It will be fine.”
“…….”
“You don’t have to be too nervous.”
That strong voice relieved my tension at least slightly.
I mustered up the courage and nodded my head.
Then I sent a message to the servant who guided us from the gate.
“Please tell them that we have arrived.”
“Yes.”
The man politely contacted the inside.
And after a while.
The door opened from inside and a woman appeared.
“……!”
‘It’s not how I thought the butler will look like?’
I vaguely imagined that it would be a gentle, old man in a uniform. Not a young woman with her hair in a ponytail.
In her wrinkle-free attire, the feeling emanating from her eyeglasses was very sword-like.
In this situation, the mere sight of her made me feel discouraged.
‘I know who manages the house.’
“Welcome. I am Victoria Shimmers, the butler of the Duchy of Valienne.”
A husky voice, correct pronunciation.
“Are you from the Crown Prince’s party?”
“Yes, but we are the only ones here. This is Marquis Winston, and I am Annette.”
Kyle seemed to be purposely waiting for me to speak.
“…….”
The butler’s arched eyebrows rose high.
It was a very suspicious look.
I took an old chain out of my pocket and showed it.
A locket that shines and spins from an old chain.
That moment.
The strict butler’s expression softened slightly.
“I heard that my mother left this for me. Do you know anything about this?”
“…….”
She stared at the flashing locking for a moment, seemingly feeling something indescribable.
Then she looked at me.
For a long time. Perhaps my face resembled the duke’s.
The husky voice that came out again contained more emotions than before.
“The Duke once said. Someday, the lady will come with that ‘locket’.”
“……!”
Soon, she took a step back.
The tightly guarded door to the ducal mansion immediately opened wide. Led by the butler, the guards and the servants, who put their hands together like knives in their lower abdomen, bowed deeply from both sides.
“Welcome, my lady.”
Ame: having a foot massage right now and trying not to cry and scream at the same time TT_TT WELCOME BACK, TASSIE!! It’s been lonely without you around!
Tassie: HOLY SHIT IT’S HAPPENING!!! Also poor sisl ;-; got rejected (I wonder if you can guess who I’m biased towards :kek:)
RECENTLY UPDATES
Drama
Fantasy
Action
Action
Drama
Drama
Action
Action