🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter : 14. Chapter 1. You Who Came Like a Dream (14)
A dazzling golden light—brighter than honey and more radiant than the morning sun—overwhelmed his vision. It was a familiar golden hair. And now, a color that filled him with terror.
The count reflexively clenched his sweat-soaked palms and wiped them against his knees.
He had to stay calm. Desperately gathering what remained of his reason, he searched for a way out.
“What are you so troubled about, Count?”
Even though he knew she detested being asked questions repeatedly, he could not easily answer.
If she found out that he had lost “Lonel,” he would surely—
And if she found out it was taken by “Duncan.” If she found out that “Duncan” had taken the child back—
—he would die.
And it would not end with death alone; his entire family line could be wiped out.
What should he do. What could he do. What was he supposed to do.
His teeth trembled so violently he could not even bite his lip. Seeing his disgraceful state, the woman let out a faint laugh. As her full lips curved, they brought a chill to anyone watching.
A smile so pure it resembled pale, frost settling over winter.
It was over. Completely over.
As the convulsing count sat there, the woman spoke calmly.
“Relax, Count. I already knew the child would return to Duncan anyway.”
“Then please—”
He could not even finish begging for mercy. The woman bent down and placed her finger on his knee.
“But, Count.”
The count could not even close his eyes as he endured the sensation of her touch.
“You also failed to fulfill the terms of the deal.”
“I’m sor— please… just once… give me… another chance…”
He forced out his voice in broken fragments. There was no time even to feel shame at his pitiful begging.
“You look desperate, Count.”
“Please… just… just one more chance…”
“That’s the logic of losers. How painfully cliché.”
“Cliché as it is… it is sincere.”
The count whispered, his voice fading.
“Does that change the fact that you lost?”
The woman cut him off cleanly. As she moved to pull her hood back on, the count pleaded desperately.
“The future can change.”
“So you want another chance?”
“Yes. Isn’t mercy and forgiveness a virtue of the high and noble? Just once—just once—”
It was a miserable act of begging. A submission like the lowest slave bowing his head. The count continued to plead, and finally the woman tapped the seat lightly with her fingertip.
“Quiet. Losers always talk too much.”
“…S-sorry.”
“You just need to fulfill the contract conditions, don’t you?”
There was no room to argue.
She pulled her hood back up and delivered her cold judgment.
“Bring her back. No matter what. By any means necessary. That child must be in your house before her tenth birthday. That was the contract.”
“……”
“Then, have a safe return home, Count.”
As if she had appeared out of nowhere, the woman vanished just as suddenly.
Left alone, the count weakly raised a trembling hand and wiped his face. Despair dripped between his fingers. How was he supposed to bring her back when the opponent was Duncan…
No. Even if the opponent was Duncan.
A firm resolve formed in his green eyes.
As the woman had said—
“…I have to bring her back.”
No matter what. By any means necessary.
Jeren, the butler of the Artest Count’s household, finally sighed in relief as he looked over the now-stabilized manor. Ever since Count Artest abruptly brought in Lady Lonel two years ago, the house had always been shrouded in tension.
For the sake of the abused young lady, for the countess who constantly suffered, and for the increasingly violent young master, Lonel had needed to leave.
The Duncan family would surely take good care of her.
Jeren had not forgotten that he himself bore guilt, but he still felt grateful that things had resolved in a better direction for everyone.
He truly believed this was the best outcome.
Any damaged parts of the manor could simply be repaired using compensation money left by Lady Aisila Duncan’s secretary.
“Jeren.”
At that moment, he turned toward the voice. The count, pale-faced, was entering the room after placing his cane aside. Having rushed out the moment he learned Lady Lonel had left, the master of the house had finally returned after three days.
“Yes, my lord. How may I assist you?”
The count’s face was unusually pale as he leaned against the door. Jeren responded a moment late, startled by his master’s unexpected condition.
“The lady?”
“She is still in her room, my lord.”
“Tell her to prepare to go out. And have Lloyd prepare as well.”
The count ordered while quickly crossing the room. There was no hesitation in his hurried steps. He looked as though he were being chased—like prey.
Jeren cautiously tried to stop him.
“Master Lloyd is currently receiving treatment due to a cat attack. And the lady is still unwell—”
“Tell them to prepare.”
“…My lord.”
“I’m going to bring Lonel back. Even if I have to kneel before them all.”
“W-who are you talking about?”
Jeren, doubting his ears, quickly grabbed the count as he turned away.
“My lord. Please wait.”
“You’re going to question me, Jeren?”
“Lady Lonel would only suffer if she returned here—”
He could not finish.
“What does that have to do with me?”
“My lord!”
“That child stays in this house until I say otherwise. That’s how it is!”
“Then why are you taking the lady with you?”
Jeren raised his voice without realizing it.
“Because we were wrong.”
The count replied coldly.
“If Lady Duncan says the child was abused, then it’s true. If the lady and Lloyd personally admit it, Duncan will have no grounds to argue.”
“My lord, you were wrong too.”
“So I will go and kneel as well.”
He had to bring the child back first.
No matter what.
Artest could not win against Duncan. Not against a house that controlled the empire’s economy.
Even if the Empire of Ederka was strict about illegitimate children, it would not tolerate child abuse.
They would lose.
So what choice did they have?
They would apologize. They would look as pitiful as possible. They would do anything.
“My lady will not approve.”
“Then we’ll deal with it with force, like always.”
“Lord!”
“…Father?”
A young voice interrupted them.
Lloyd had woken up.
The count immediately softened his expression.
Seeing the same man who had just ordered the child’s abuse casually smile at his son made Jeren feel nauseated.
Ignoring the butler’s disgusted expression, the count spoke gently.
“Lloyd, get ready.”
“Excuse me?”
“We’re going to bring Lonel back. Get ready to leave immediately.”
“She already ran away, didn’t she? Do you even know where she is?”
The count’s answer was immediate.
Lloyd’s eyes sharpened.
A cruel innocence flickered in them—so sharp it made Jeren shiver.
“Are we bringing her back?”
“Yes.”
“Can we lock her up again?”
“If you want.”
Lloyd immediately left to prepare.
The count clicked his tongue at his son’s back.
“What a temper.”
Jeren tried to speak, but no proper words came.
The count then turned sharply.
“No. I’ll go speak to the lady myself.”
“My lord, please—”
But the count was already gone.
Jeren could only despair at the tragedy approaching.
When the countess heard where they were going, she fainted twice.
When told they must apologize, Lloyd protested furiously, nearly foaming at the mouth.
But neither of them could defy the count.
Eventually, they were practically thrown into the carriage.
“I’m not apologizing.”
“You did do something wrong.”
Lloyd kicked the seat in frustration.
“Lloyd!”
The countess snapped.
“You were the one making all that noise! The least you could do is behave while your mother is sick!”
“….”
“And you! Are you insane? Taking me to the Duncan household right now?”
Even a shred of consideration would have made it impossible. The man had cheated, brought in a child, and now that the child was gone, he wanted to retrieve her—and dragged her along.
The countess trembled with rage.
“I just need to bring the child back.”
The count remained calm.
Her anger boiled over.
“You’re a piece of trash.”
“Perhaps.”
He answered without emotion.
The carriage continued toward Duncan’s estate.
“Lady.”
Aisila raised her head at her secretary’s voice. As a diligent heir, she was working in her study. Her glasses chain, decorated with amethyst and platinum, scattered sunlight like fragments of a rainbow across her desk.
“What is it, Mitchell?”
“A carriage from the Artest Count’s estate has arrived.”
It was customary to receive carriages from noble houses unless they came at unreasonable hours. That was etiquette in the Ederka Empire.
Artest was a noble house…
But Aisila was someone who trampled on common sense.
Thus—
“Lock the gates.”
A cold order to turn them away was issued.
