NRAL | Chapter 77

~Chapter 77~

Damian’s Return

While she finished a glass of sweet and tangy juice, the two shared a sincere and honest conversation.

Though brief, it left a deep impression. Each calm and steady word from Karsian gave Eleanor a sense of peace.

Once the glass was empty, Eleanor stood up without delay. Now that her emotions had settled, she realized just how inappropriate her actions today had been.

Seeing Karsian, who had welcomed her in while barely dressed—with even his buttons not properly done—made her reflect deeply. And then, finding herself unintentionally staring at the muscles exposed through his unbuttoned shirt… she reflected even harder.

“I’m sorry for everything today.”

Trying to erase the image of his firm chest from her mind, Eleanor gave a deep bow and quickly turned to leave.

Just then, Karsian grabbed the hem of her sleeve.

Startled, she turned—and saw the worry on his face.

“Are you sure you’ll be alright going back like this?”

His words, once again, were filled with concern. He feared she might return having more wounds like the ones on her legs.

“I’ll be fine. I have these, after all.”

Eleanor lifted the gift boxes in her hands slightly.

They contained one of the dresses she had ordered from Corcos Atelier, something she’d left at the townhouse just in case. If she went back carrying these, she could use them as an excuse—say she had gone to the atelier.

Of course, whether the excuse would hold or not depended on the duke’s mood. If even a tiny detail rubbed him the wrong way, she’d still be punished.

“There won’t be any trouble, so don’t worry.”

There was no need to explain everything. So she smiled softly and replied with calm confidence.

Still, Karsian’s expression didn’t ease. His hand continued to grip her sleeve tightly, like a child. As if he knew she was lying.

“…You told me before that you didn’t want me to get involved in your wounds.”

He spoke again, his face pained.

“Have you changed your mind?”

Karsian wanted to be fully involved in her revenge. He wanted to destroy those who had hurt her—even if he had to use every bit of his power and influence.

But Eleanor shook her head firmly.

“No. I’m sorry, but I haven’t changed my mind. Like I said earlier, the kind of help I need from you is different.”

The revenge she wanted wasn’t about brute punishment.

Eleanor wanted to bring justice with her own hands. She wanted to see the people she hated suffer in the trap she built herself. Even if the process hurt her in return, she didn’t care.

Only that way could she finally break free from the nightmares that haunted her every night.

Only that way could she move forward toward a new life.

That’s why she rejected Karsian’s offer. His role in her revenge was something else—something just as important, though not what he had hoped for.

“Please trust me. I can do this without borrowing the Royster name.”

Karsian said nothing as he looked at her resolute expression.

He understood now—she was prepared to endure any pain to achieve her goal. If he tried to stop her, she would see him as an obstacle.

That truth was painful. He wanted to stop her from heading into more suffering.

But…

“Yes. I will trust you.”

He couldn’t stop her.

He didn’t know all the details of her past, and he had no right to stand in her way.

Besides… her eyes, as she declared her determination, glowed with a life he hadn’t seen in years.

They shone with fierce willpower—so beautiful and noble that Karsian found himself unable to stop her.

“One… last request, may I make it?”

“Of course. What is it?”

Instead of interfering… all he could do was appeal.

“Please, don’t suffer when I’m not there with you.”

He prayed with all his heart that she wouldn’t be in pain, and that she wouldn’t carry all the suffering by herself.

***

The Next Day 

The next day, the Duke of Astria found out that Eleanor had gone out and began questioning her about where she had been.

Eleanor said she had gone to the dressmaker’s and even showed the new dress she brought as proof. But the ever-suspicious duke didn’t buy her excuse that easily.

At that moment, someone unexpected came to her defense.

“Yes, that’s correct. The lady did visit her usual dress shop yesterday,” said none other than Tobias, the coachman.

‘So Tobias was the one Karsian planted in Astria…’

That would explain how Karsian had arrived so quickly during the attack.

As Tobias exited the duke’s office and gave her a thumbs-up with a wide grin, Eleanor let out a breathless laugh.

It was absurd to see someone smile after selling information to another house—but thanks to that, she avoided getting beaten on her already bruised leg. The duke backed off after Tobias’s statement and let her go.

‘That’s unexpected. With his mood lately, I thought he’d beat me no matter where I went.’

Letting it go after just confirming the dressmaker’s visit—it was very unlike her father.

And the reason for his unusual mercy was revealed just hours later.

“Ellie. There’ll be a dinner soon with Baron Turner.”

Eleanor instantly understood what that meant. Even without prior dealings, a dinner meant the duke had found someone to sell his daughter to.

“Baron Turner…?”

“That’s right.”

She hadn’t expected the suitor to be a man in his fifties, and already divorced twice.

She thought her father would pick someone at least presentable for appearance’s sake—but clearly, Astria’s situation was worse than she had imagined.

The recent attack at the hotel had thrown the crown prince’s supporters into crisis. Even though the duke managed to hide the fact that Arlo was now impotent, just being linked to such a scandal damaged the prince’s image.

The nobles began to doubt Arlo’s manhood, and the commoners started mocking the royal family. The church Solarem, too, lost followers because of its connection to the prince.

To make things worse, the duke’s wine business—his ambitious new venture—was also struggling.

Now, in his desperation, he chose this path.

“Baron Turner has a large estate. You won’t be ashamed to live there. The land might be poor, but you can improve it. Isn’t that right?”

What he meant was that the people living on that poor land would be used to benefit Astria.

Eleanor met her father’s eyes and answered gracefully, like a proper lady:

“Yes, of course. If my marriage can help Astria prosper, then the condition of the land doesn’t matter.”

The duke squinted, clearly surprised. Even he knew Baron Turner was a crude man with only money to his name—and not even good looks to make up for it. Hardly a match for his daughter.

Eleanor’s recent behavior had been unpredictable, so he had expected more resistance. But instead, she obediently bowed her head.

“It would be a lie to say I’m not upset about marrying Baron Turner… but I’ve learned a lot, Father. From now on, I’ll do my duty without causing you concern.”

She added quickly, just in case he began to suspect her sincerity.

Her comment—implying she was behaving now because she feared being beaten—made the duke grin in satisfaction. If only he had used a whip instead of a cane earlier, he thought.

Just then, a young man on the couch suddenly burst into cheerful laughter.

“Wow, our dear sister’s finally getting married?”

As she turned to look, she saw Damian with a playful smirk.

Just last night, Damian had been released from house arrest early. The duke, shaken by the crown prince’s situation, had ended it sooner than scheduled.

‘How kind of him to return right when I need him most,’ Eleanor thought.

He looked well-fed, clearly having eaten well even during his punishment.

“Of course I’m getting married. A daughter’s duty is to marry well and repay her family.”

“Now that’s my sister. Solid and loyal. With you as a proper wife, maybe Baron Turner will finally stop chasing other women and gambling.”

Baron Turner’s two divorces had been due to adultery and gambling. Damian’s sarcastic remark made fun of Eleanor’s situation.

He was trying to mock her and ruin her mood, but she didn’t react. She knew someone else would.

“Damian! Don’t act like you’re any better! Baron Turner at least won some money from gambling. You lost everything and even piled up debts to Viscount Peterson!”

The duke’s shout filled the office. Damian quickly straightened up, not even bothering to defend himself.

“If I hear even a whisper about you gambling again, I won’t go easy on you!”

“O-of course, Father! I promise I’ll never do that again.”

Damian, sweating buckets, replied quickly.

Ever since getting beaten badly once, he feared the duke more than any ghost. And yet here he was, bringing up gambling again in front of him. Eleanor silently clicked her tongue at his stupidity.

“If you’ve got nothing better to do than annoy your sister, go call Nora! I have something to say to her!”

“Yes, right away!”

Demian, who had been lounging around lazily, jumped up and ran out.

As he passed by Eleanor, she noticed his face looked unusually excited.

Why was he suddenly in such a good mood?

The reason was obvious.

‘He must be excited to go torment my fake sister. But in a completely different way than what he did to me…’