Episode 58
“Ah!”
“If you step on a bug, it squirms. When you see that, itās so disgusting you just want to kill it.”
“Ughā¦”
“So, stay still.”
The count twisted his face in a strange way ā unable to cry properly or even scream.
What he felt was pure fear.
“Why arenāt you saying anything? Didnāt you want to complain to me for hurting your sonās hand?”
“Uhā¦ uhkā¦”
The count shook his head desperately.
Estelle had blamed him so easily before, but now she couldnāt say a single word to Lennox.
“Father and son really are alike.”
Lennox spoke casually as he looked at the countās ruined face.
“Maybe you should match your hands too.”
Crunch.
Estelle didnāt look away ā she watched.
The count flopped like a fish pulled out of water.
He looked up at Estelle as if begging her to help himā¦
“Estelle, do you still have something to say?”
“No. Nothing.”
She turned her head away.
Just like the day you ignored me when I said I didnāt want to marry.
“What about the slap?”
“Huh?”
“The slap you got. You should return it double. Thatās a fair trade, isnāt it?”
This was the first time someone had encouraged Estelle to take revenge.
She glanced at the count, clutching his hand and sobbing, and shook her head.
“I think this is enough.”
But honestly, it wasnāt enough.
One slap wouldnāt erase such a deep grudge.
But Iād rather deal with the count myself.
It was Lennox who made him kneel. Lennox who gave her the chance for revenge.
Maybe thatās whyā¦ even if she slapped him, she didnāt think it would feel satisfying.
“I think I get the situation now.”
From Estelleās answer, Lennox was sure.
The count never cared for Estelle. They werenāt partners, not even family. Just a one-sided relationship.
The assumption heād had all along was wrong.
A man who couldnāt even return a slap wasnāt a partner ā nor a father.
Lennox took off his glove and tossed it onto the countās cheek like it was trash.
“Estelle, go home now.”
“But Durenā”
“If he sees your face, Duren will want to go home too.”
Estelle, still touching her stinging cheek, nodded slightly.
“Duren will be over there.”
Leaving the Bellonsa Count behind, Estelle and Lennox went to find Duren.
“ā¦I think itās all just boasting!”
As they neared the tea-time gathering, Estelle heard the voice of Madam Alt gossiping excitedly.
In other words ā talking behind Estelleās back while she was gone.
“That Winterlen Duke carries people in his arms? Thatās too much exaggeration. Even the most romantic man wouldnāt do that.”
“But the Duchess didnāt seem like the type to lieā¦”
“Who knows? Look ā sheās been gone a long time. The child was just an excuse. She probably left because lying was too much for her.”
“ā¦”
“And I heard something from Her Highnessā¦”
“If you have something to say, say it to my face.”
Estelle stepped forward.
“Donāt talk like cowards behind my back.”
“Oh my! What do you mean? I didnāt say anything. Butā¦ the Duke is here too?”
Madam Alt quickly changed the subject.
“I didnāt hear you were coming.”
“I came to pick up my wife. I didnāt want to cause a fuss, so I told the butler to keep it quiet.”
“I-I see. You came all this way for her.”
“Thatās not the important part, Madam Alt. You invited my father ā the Bellonsa Count ā here, didnāt you?”
“Oh, did you meet him?”
Madam Alt glanced at Estelleās obviously slapped cheek.
“Yes. Why didnāt you tell me? Heās my father.”
“Wellā¦”
Caught off guard, Madam Alt gave her prepared excuse.
“It was a surprise gift! I heard you hadnāt seen family lately.”
In truth, she just wanted to see Estelle in an awkward situation.
If Estelle met her foster father, sheād have juicy gossip to tell the princess.
So when the Count suggested secretly coming, she agreed right away.
“But the talk didnāt go well, I guessā”
Madam Alt couldnāt finish.
Estelle poured tea over her head.
Drip. Drip.
Soaked in tea, Madam Alt screamed.
“Ahh! How dare you humiliate me like this!”
“Itās a surprise gift,” Estelle said without blinking.
“What? Is that what you call this?”
“You like tea, so I thought youād be happy.”
“Who would be happy about this?!”
“I thought you would.”
Madam Alt couldnāt reply ā especially with Lennox standing there.
“I hope we wonāt have to exchange surprise gifts again.”
“ā¦”
“Iāll take Duren and go home now.”
“Y-Yes.”
Everyone awkwardly said goodbye to Estelle.
“Duren, come here. Time to go home.”
“Okay!”
Duren, surrounded by friends, ran over obediently.
As she took care of him, Estelle asked in a low voice so others couldnāt hear:
“How much did you hear?”
“ā¦”
“Orā¦ did you see?”
Lennox stayed silent.
His silence made her more anxious.
She glanced at him quickly and blurted out:
“Iā¦ killed my ex-husbandsā”
“Stop.”
Lennox still looked at Duren.
Estelle squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again.
He heard.
He knew she had killed her ex-husbands with Magi.
Her head spun.
“Pleaseā¦” Her voice shook.
“Iām begging you. Just donāt report me. Not forever ā”
Estelle pleaded.
“Just until our contract marriage ends. Until thenā¦”
“Estelle.”
“Mom!”
Lennox caught Estelle as she stumbled.
Her face was pale.
Heād been keeping a blank face so she wouldnāt worry, but seeing her like this made him sigh.
His arms tightened around her.
“Pleaseā¦”
“Donāt say anything more.”
Muttering “please” again and again, Estelleās eyes closed.
The world tilted.
She fainted in his arms.
Bang!
The door slammed open.
“Pippin.”
“Your Grace, youāre back earlyā¦ Wait ā Madam?! What happened?!”
Pippin was shocked to see Lennox carrying Estelle like a princess.
“You had an informant in Bellonsa, right?”
Ignoring the question, Lennox went straight to the point.
“You mean Aubrey Silva? The one caught keeping double books but you gave him another chance?”
“Yes, him.”
“Why are you asking about him now?”
“Blow it up.”
“What?”
“He must have evidence of the Bellonsa Countās tax evasion. Send it to the Imperial Court.”
At the time, Lennox had given Aubrey Silva two orders:
- Make double books like in Winterlen to siphon Bellonsaās money.
- Push them into tax evasion.
“Aubrey hasnāt been there long. Even if we report him now, it might not be fatal.”
“Does that matter?”
“ā¦”
“They made Estelle collapse.”
Lennox had lost his self-control.
“ā¦Understood.”
Pippin didnāt argue.
In all his years serving Lennox, he had rarely seen him completely lose his cool.
“Call the Tower Master. Pay whatever it takes and have him come right away.”
“Yes. And the boyā”
“I want to stay with Mom!”
Duren, who had been clinging to Lennox, shouted.
His eyes were still red from crying earlier.
“Hmm, young masterā¦”
Pippin looked at Lennox, then gently persuaded Duren.
“Madam will be fine soon. Have we ever lied to you?”
Duren shook his head.
“When she wakes up, sheāll want to see you smiling. Letās wash your face first.”
“ā¦Okay.”
Duren followed the maid obediently.
Lennox carried Estelle to the bedroom and laid her on the bed.
While he waited anxiously, the Tower Master arrived.
“Hey! Do you think I run here just because you wave money around? You canāt call me like thisā Wait, whatās this?”
Despite his words, the Tower Master had rushed over for the large payment.
He stopped mid-complaint when he saw the unconscious Estelle.
