~Chapter 107~
Dominic aimed his gun at his target.
Bang!
The gunshot echoed. The tree shook slightly, and feathers fell from the bird’s wing.
The bird staggered, almost falling to the ground—
but then spread its wings and flew back into the sky.
Dominic watched it without any emotion.
Jonathan approached him and spoke carefully.
“Something on your mind? You look distracted.”
“……”
“Is it because of your mother? She’s still very angry, isn’t she?”
The Crown Prince assumed Dominic was in a bad mood because of Melissa.
“I heard Casey Milton was quite shocked. He left right after that incident. You should’ve seen it that day. Your mother splashed champagne right on his face. Wow.”
Jonathan recalled the bazaar party and let out a breath.
“I thought I’d get hit too. My heart was pounding.”
He laughed lightly—
but Dominic didn’t react at all.
Jonathan glanced at him, wondering if he was even listening.
“So it’s not your mother… then is it about her?”
Without saying anything, both of them sat down on a fallen tree trunk.
Watching Dominic’s mood carefully, Jonathan asked,
“So… what are you planning to do now?”
Dominic looked at him coldly.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean the marriage. Your mother already knows. Are you planning to keep it? And I heard about what her stepmother did. There’s nothing good about staying tied to that kind of family.”
Jonathan shook his head seriously.
He felt partly responsible for Dominic’s rushed marriage.
Now, he wanted to fix it.
He didn’t want the noble Linderto family—
or his cousin’s reputation—
to be stained because of such a family.
“If you don’t cut ties with them, people will keep talking. Everything you’ve built could disappear in an instant. And this isn’t something small—it’s murder. My god.”
Jonathan clicked his tongue.
“There’s a limit to what people can accept.”
“It’s better to make a quick decision. If you want to end things cleanly, give her proper compensation—”
Before he could finish—
Dominic suddenly stood up.
He looked like he was about to throw a punch.
“That will never happen.”
His voice was low and sharp.
“Don’t speak carelessly about my wife. I don’t care who you are—I won’t let it slide.”
Jonathan was so shocked he couldn’t say anything.
Dominic grabbed his gun, slung it over his shoulder, and walked away.
“If this were the ring, he’d beat someone to death… even if it was the Crown Prince.”
Jonathan muttered, watching him leave.
Dominic mounted his horse and rode off quickly.
The cold wind hit his body,
but his chest felt heavy, like something was unresolved.
Elin’s stepmother’s crimes had been dealt with.
Elin herself had recovered from the shock.
So why—
did he still feel like this?
What angered him more than her hiding a secret…
was that she didn’t trust him.
Every time he thought about that portrait—
one that looked exactly like him—
an uncomfortable feeling crept deeper into him.
She had known everything.
Then how could she pretend not to recognize him—
both in the greenhouse, and later at the party?
His expression darkened as he rode.
Maybe she had her reasons.
He tried to understand—
but the thought that she was still hiding something from him
filled him with a sense of betrayal.
Suddenly, he pulled the reins hard.
The horse stopped abruptly, lifting its front legs.
He had arrived at the lake—
the place he had once visited with Elin.
Back then, it had been the end of summer.
Clear, bright.
Now—
fallen leaves drifted sadly in the air.
Dominic looked at the lake—
but he was thinking of something else.
That day—
when Elin had looked at his shoulder while lying in bed.
Even as she seemed troubled—
how could she not say anything?
She had touched the scar as if she didn’t know anything.
Now, he couldn’t understand it at all.
She had drawn him in, made him lose himself—
and yet pretended to know nothing.
What had she been thinking,
watching him talk about the past without knowing?
No matter the reason—
to him, it felt like betrayal.
Dominic pressed his forehead.
“Damn it… bastard.”
He cursed himself.
Did he even have the right to feel this way?
He had hurt his mother, Melissa—
who had sincerely accepted their marriage—
without any guilt.
Now, he finally understood how she must have felt.
After a moment, he turned his horse with a cold expression.
At the same time,
Elin left the hospital with Tania.
“Still, it’s a relief Eddie is strong. Even in this situation, he’s more worried about you.”
Tania looked back at the hospital with admiration.
“If someone did that to me, I’d come back as a ghost and haunt them forever.”
She clenched her teeth, thinking about Rosana again.
Elin felt weak compared to Eddie.
He was so strong—
while she had collapsed from shock.
“He looks much healthier than I expected. I thought he’d be on the verge of death from what you said.”
Tania had imagined a dying boy.
But Eddie looked bright and cheerful.
Elin nodded.
“After moving to the Royal Hospital, he improved a lot. The doctor said he might be discharged soon, as long as he avoids overexertion.”
“That’s great. He must have suffered a lot staying in the hospital all this time.”
Tania’s words touched Elin deeply.
She decided—
for Eddie’s sake,
she needed to stay strong too.
Their carriage headed toward the central shopping district.
Tania leaned out the window with excitement.
“People really need to live in big places. I feel like a frog in a well. There are more people here right now than everyone I’ve seen in my whole life combined!”
She sighed dramatically.
The streets were unusually crowded.
Colorful ribbons decorated the streetlights and royal buildings.
Even newspaper stands were packed with people.
“It’s probably because of the Crown Prince’s wedding. It’s been a long time since there was a royal event.”
“Hmm.”
Tania nodded lazily.
“Whoever she is, she’s lucky. The future queen…”
She looked slightly jealous—
but soon brightened again.
“Since we’re out, should we stop there? I haven’t even been inside a proper dress shop since coming to the capital.”
She pointed at a luxurious boutique.
Looking at Tania’s eager, puppy-like expression,
Elin smiled lightly.
“Then… shall we go, just to lift our mood?”
“Yes!”
They stopped the carriage and entered the sparkling shop.
For Tania, who had only lived in Castia,
it felt like a whole new world.
A grand chandelier made of imported jewels hung above,
and the latest dresses were beautifully displayed everywhere.
“Wow… this is overwhelming. Such delicate lace… I’d be scared to even move in it.”
At her words—
a quiet snicker was heard from somewhere.
It wasn’t her imagination.
The people inside the shop were looking at them—
with strange expressions.
