🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter : 30
“You did your best.”
Had Patricia ever revealed her heart like this before?
Lawrence felt a pang of pity for Patricia, who was struggling to hold back her tears.
“Then it’s not your fault.”
He swallowed another sigh that threatened to escape out of frustration and sorrow.
Of course, she had smiled and said she was fine, but that wasn’t the truth.
Even though she was scared, she had only tried to endure it alone, putting on a brave face.
Lawrence remembered Patricia as a child who had always struggled to be loved from such a young age.
At Duke Gerhardt’s mansion, when she was scolded by her father, Patricia could have been upset, yet she quickly smiled and clung to him again.
Patricia had always given her best in every moment.
“The Duke is the one at fault. He’s cowardly.”
Even if Patricia was the child of a mistress, it wasn’t her fault.
She hadn’t chosen to be born that way.
If anyone was to blame, it was the Duke.
“He just hates you because he doesn’t want to admit his own mistakes. So don’t get hurt alone for nothing.”
“That… what do you mean?”
“I know too. That you’re the child of the Duke’s mistress, not the Duchess.”
For a moment, Patricia flinched as if shocked.
Then, as if asking him to let go, she pushed against Lawrence’s chest.
“Sir, what do you mean?”
“…I knew from the beginning.”
Lawrence looked at Patricia for a moment before speaking.
“The day we first met. I knew long before that day.”
“…That I’m the child of the mistress?”
Lawrence nodded.
Patricia’s eyes trembled slightly in surprise.
It seemed her pride had been wounded at having her shame exposed.
“But…”
Patricia opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it again.
“So….”
Patricia stammered several times, as if struggling to accept the situation.
A deep shadow fell over her eyes.
“Patricia. I didn’t want to make a show of it, but….”
“…….”
“Haah… if you want, I’ll help you.”
“…I want to be alone.”
Patricia let out a small sigh and stepped backward.
“Knowing doesn’t change anything. I won’t tell anyone. I swear.”
“…….”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you until now… I’m sorry.”
Lawrence hurriedly apologized, his voice almost desperate.
He had refrained from telling her out of consideration, but from Patricia’s perspective, it was still upsetting.
Her shame had been exposed without her consent.
“…Patricia, if you want, I can tell you my secret too.”
Seeing her so flustered, Lawrence finally realized his mistake.
He shouldn’t have brought it up in the first place.
“Then we’d both know each other’s weaknesses, right?”
“…I’m sorry.”
But Patricia only said sorry and turned away.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
The hurried sound of her running up the stairs echoed through the quiet hallway.
Thud.
And at the end of that sound, the door closed firmly.
As if she didn’t want to talk anymore.
As if she didn’t want to see his face anymore.
“Damn it.”
A harsh curse escaped Lawrence’s mouth.
But even if he regretted it, it was too late to turn back.
Lawrence clenched his fists, recalling Patricia’s eyes filled with confusion and disappointment.
Thump!
“…What?”
His heart was racing.
“She… No, Patricia is the child of the mistress?”
It was a detail never mentioned in the novel.
He had never read that Patricia was the child of the mistress.
“…….”
Why?
Why was there a detail that wasn’t described in the novel?
“More importantly, how does Lawrence know this?”
He briefly wondered if Lawrence was telling the truth, but quickly dismissed the thought as meaningless.
The Gerhardt family in the novel controlled several secret organizations.
Among them was the Information Guild.
Even if it was secret information within the family, nothing escaped the Gerhardt family’s knowledge.
So if Patricia was indeed the child of a mistress, Lawrence would have known as well.
A weakness in another family could always be useful someday.
“Then did Patricia know too? That she was the child of a mistress?”
“I know too. You’re the child of the mistress.”
Judging by what Lawrence had said, Patricia seemed to have known as well.
“So that’s why.”
There was another reason he couldn’t help but believe Lawrence.
Morgan, Barber, and Millum—
Their appearances were completely different from Patricia’s.
No way could Patricia have been born to Duke Herarilla and the Duchess.
Now everything made sense.
Why Patricia had been ostracized in that household.
Why Morgan, Barber, and Millum had hated and ignored her.
Why they acted like only they were the real family.
What Morgan meant when he called her “vulgar” whenever he could.
Finally, she understood.
Duke Herarilla, who prevented Patricia from going anywhere unless he was with her.
The Duke had so desperately tried to control Patricia because he feared exposure of his shame.
“Huh? That’s the reason?”
Wasn’t it unbelievably unfair?
Honestly, if anyone was at fault, it was Duke Herarilla himself.
Why did he cheat, meet a mistress, and have a child?
And then, trying to hide his shame, register the child as if she were the Duchess’s own.
Yet he never acknowledged Patricia as his child.
Every day she was scolded and ignored.
“What kind of person is he?”
When he did wrong, he should have taken responsibility.
Instead, he dumped all his wrongdoing on his tiny daughter and treated her cruelly.
I had thought Patricia’s misbehavior was punishment for her actions.
But no, from the start, Patricia was a nuisance to that family.
Had she ever been considered family, even for a moment?
I knew it was extreme, but to think they were this much trash…
Knock. Knock.
“Patricia, open the door.”
At the height of her anger, Lawrence knocked.
Knock. Knock.
“Let’s talk face to face.”
For some reason, pressed by Lawrence, she hurriedly opened the door.
Lawrence’s fist hovered in the air, as if he couldn’t wait another moment to knock.
“…Patricia.”
“Ah, sorry. I was startled for a moment.”
Lawrence looked slightly sad, as if worried about her.
Of course.
She had suddenly said she wanted to be alone and left, so he must have been confused.
But if she said the wrong thing in front of him…
If he discovered she wasn’t really Patricia…
If he realized she didn’t know something she was supposed to…
It would be a huge problem.
The moment she learned Patricia’s secret, she thought she had to leave Lawrence’s side.
If she spoke in front of him, she would make a mistake immediately.
“No, I’m the one who should apologize.”
She returned to the room where she could be alone.
“…Huh?”
“I know it’s something you wanted to hide. I’m sorry.”
For some reason, Lawrence apologized.
“I didn’t ignore it to deceive or trick you…”
What’s going on?
I didn’t understand and just blinked like an idiot.
“Haah… I’m sorry.”
Why all of a sudden?
Why is Lawrence apologizing to me?
“How can I….”
“….”
“Make you feel better?”
Lawrence seemed somewhat anxious.
Seeing him act as if he would kneel if she said she was angry made her head spin.
For some reason, seeing him look sad made her feel guilty.
“I…”
Just moments ago, she had pretended to be pitiful to borrow money.
If anyone had to apologize, it would clearly be her.
So why was Lawrence apologizing to her?
Her conscience, which she had been ignoring, began to prick her.
“I’m not angry, you know?”
“Liar.”
Lawrence sighed again.
“Our family operates a secret guild. Among them is the Information Guild.”
Secret, he says.
Then why tell me?
“That’s how I found out. But I didn’t do anything because of it. I never intended to threaten you or your family.”
“Threaten?”
“I swear. I just saw you struggling and wanted to comfort you…”
Lawrence seemed to deeply regret saying this to her.
“My Lord.”
At her call, Lawrence looked up at her.
“If this secret were to get out, what would happen? Please… tell me honestly.”
“…Adultery itself is a crime. The Duke would pay the price. The family’s reputation would be shaken. He couldn’t participate in society anymore. And you… would be buried in noble society.”
“By paying the price, do you mean a trial?”
“Yes.”
Lawrence nodded, looking somewhat downcast.
“My Lord!”
She lowered her gaze and hugged Lawrence tightly.
“It doesn’t matter to me at all. Don’t worry about it.”
It was inevitable.
Otherwise, he would have seen her smile.
A laugh welled up from deep inside her, but she bit her lips to suppress it.
“I’m really okay.”
She patted his back, just as he had done for her moments ago.
She hoped he didn’t notice the hint of laughter in her voice.
She patted him energetically.
“I’m actually grateful.”
She couldn’t help but feel thankful.
Because thanks to him, she felt a glimmer of light.
“You accepted me without any conditions even though I was an intruder. You assigned a maid, gave me medicine…”
Lawrence Gerhardt was, without a doubt, the male lead of the novel.
The male lead adored by all readers.
“My Lord, you really are a wonderful person.”
Lawrence had never seemed this lovable before, she swore.
