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Chapter 14
Contrary to her resolve not to react, Lauren froze instantly.
The hand touching her cheek was cold as ice, yet at some point, it felt hot enough to burn her.
The faint scar on her cheek from a fingernail—long since faded—throbbed with heat.
It felt as though those fingertips were about to scratch her all over again, just like on that day when she was very young.
Watching Lauren’s trembling lips, Delania smiled with satisfaction.
“Thanks to you, I’m about to be forced to marry that old man. Do you have any idea?”
Memories had no power to hurt her. They meant nothing.
Lauren knew that fact well. Therefore, she ought to speak up and ask why that was somehow her fault.
Yet her frozen lips refused to part.
Breathing grew difficult. She had thought she was fine now, but the memories of her childhood refused to leave her alone.
Lauren closed her eyes tight.
Lauren wanted to forget her childhood.
There were more than enough memories of being loved by her parents. Even so, there were things she never wished to remember. One of them was Delania, who stood right in front of her eyes.
Her father, Emel Sears, cherished his only younger brother deeply. As the second son of an obscure baronial house, it would have been natural for him to become independent early and find his own way to earn a living; however, having lost his parents early on, he wanted to keep his younger brother, Trace Sears, by his side—using the excuse that the baronial manor was far too spacious and lonely, even after he had formed his own family and fathered two children.
That Lauren’s father cherished his younger brother was not a pleasant thing, at least not for Lauren. Delania existed even in the oldest memory she possessed. Since Delania was older than her, that was only natural.
One thing Delania said was correct: in their childhood, Delania seemed to act quite like an elder sister. At least according to her parents’ testimony. Calling her younger sister pretty while picking out clothes for her or braiding her hair. Lauren only realized much later that perhaps Delania had simply wanted a living doll to play with.
When did Delania begin to change? Was it around the time Lauren started attending school? Lauren was praised for her quick understanding and excellent grades. Although there was a prevailing perception that a girl merely needed to marry off, even the tutors remarked that it would be a shame for someone like her.
It was likely from that very day. Lauren became known as a sensitive and touchy child. At least, that was the persona Delania had crafted for her. On the day Delania fiercely scratched Lauren’s cheek, Delania had instead burst into tears, claiming that Lauren had pushed her. She apologized to Lauren through her tears, saying she had reached out to grab her so she wouldn’t fall, only to end up scratching her by accident.
That was merely the beginning. Delania tore Lauren’s clothes, hurt her, and stole her belongings. Whenever Lauren reported it to her parents, Delania would shed tears and blame Lauren, asking why she lied when Lauren had either given them to her or slipped while they were playing together. Lauren gradually stopped opening her mouth. No matter how loudly she spoke, people only ever listened to Delania’s words. To their eyes, Delania had always been the child who doted exceptionally on Lauren and took her along everywhere.
Due to an unsavory incident, Trace Sears’s family left the baronial manor. Lauren was finally freed from being swayed by Delania’s lies. Lauren’s parents smiled, remarking that their once-sensitive daughter had softened up. Lauren, however, could not bring herself to smile.
Though she understood what had transpired now that she was older, back then she was simply overjoyed by the mere fact that Delania had vanished from before her eyes. Bit by bit, she began to express her opinions. Although she ultimately failed to adapt to social circles, she instead learned about territorial affairs and administrative duties from her father. Though the work was difficult and demanding, it suited her aptitudes and brought her joy—far more than gathering to drink tea and engage in meaningless chatter ever could.
Even after the funeral of her parents, who had passed away in a sudden carriage accident, when Trace Sears settled down at the baronial manor claiming he was worried about Lauren being left all alone, Lauren believed she would be fine. Lauren was an adult now. Unlike her helpless childhood self, she was capable of doing anything.
Even though Delania stripped away everything that belonged to her and Trace attempted to marry her off as he pleased for his own gain, Lauren thought she was fine. She could ignore Delania, and she had ultimately evaded the marriage by running away. There was nothing left to fear for a Lauren who was no longer a child.
However, it seemed Lauren’s memory was far sharper than she herself had thought. The murky malice she had forcibly buried surged up like a cloud, surrounding Lauren and binding her so tightly she couldn’t move.
“You ought to take responsibility, right, Lauren?”
Delania lovingly stroked Lauren’s cheek. The light violet eyes turned toward her cousin quivered finely. Tell her no, Lauren. Tell her not to waste her effort. Yet contrary to her belief that she could do anything, her frozen lips refused to part.
Someone knocked on the door. Perhaps Calvin, who had gone to fetch tea, had returned. Delania, who had been leaning far across the table, straightened her posture and answered in Lauren’s stead. Then, seeing the person who appeared beyond the door, she rose from her seat with a bright smile.
“Oh my, I didn’t expect to meet the Duke himself. Hello, it is a pleasure to meet you for the first time. I am Lauren’s elder sister, Delania Lily Sears.”
What on earth was that girl doing right now? Attaching a middle name that didn’t even exist—and one that sounded subtly similar to Lilywood, no less. Lauren stared quietly down at her own fingertips.
Ah, she couldn’t stay like this. She had to force herself to look completely unfazed. She had to look fine. She had resolved to do so ever since she left the Sears baronial manor. Yet Lauren could not turn to look at Aster and smile. Biting hard on her quivering lips, she lowered her head.
“Lauren’s elder sister?”
Aster’s low voice reached Lauren’s ears. He sat down right beside her. Delania was skilled at lying; would Aster fall for that girl’s lies as well? The thought suddenly crossed her mind. No, indulging such thoughts would only cause her to drown in them. Lauren forcibly shifted her consciousness elsewhere. Calvin had said he would bring tea, yet strangely, he was nowhere to be seen.
“We are cousins, actually. But we lived together during our childhood. We were quite close as sisters.” “And?”
Though Delania burst into a soft laugh, Aster merely responded in a chilling voice, uttering not a single word more. As usual, he leaned back against the seat. His weight pressed against the space behind Lauren as well. Was it because she felt he was still on her side, even though they had married purely out of mutual interest? His heavy presence somehow put her mind at ease. Lauren let out a long breath. Only then did she realize she hadn’t even been breathing properly.
“My goodness, to think Lauren didn’t say a single word to me about marrying the Duke! Feeling a bit hurt, I just had to come see her.” “Without an appointment?” “Oh dear, that’s right. Lauren is a duchess now, after all… I hadn’t thought that far ahead. That child had always welcomed me so joyfully, you see.”
Laughter resembling the chirping of a bird fluttered through the room. She needed to tell him that wasn’t true, yet her mouth would not open. Instead, Lauren carefully gripped the hem of Aster’s clothes. She could feel his gaze upon her. Even so, she couldn’t turn to look at him.
Whatever he was thinking, he stood up from his seat and pulled Lauren up along with him. For some reason, the strength drained from her legs. She knew she had to hold herself up, but Lauren ended up stumbling. Aster supported her, practically wrapping his arm around her in an embrace. Thanks to him, she managed to avoid showing a pathetic sight right in front of Delania. His hand firmly holding her waist felt dependable.
“Today happens to be the day we decided to get my wife’s outfits and dresses fitted. I must ask you to leave.” “Then I should stay by her side all the more.”
He had clearly told her to leave. Had she failed to understand, or was she merely pretending not to? Aster’s green eyes narrowed. Yet Delania simply kept smiling as if nothing were amiss.
“Lauren has absolutely no sense when it comes to choosing clothes, you see. Look at her even now. That’s something governesses would wear, hardly an outfit fit for a duchess.”
Ah, so she was offering to choose them for her? Aster couldn’t help but let out a dry smirk. In doing so, she was probably intending to sneak away with a few dresses or pieces of jewelry for herself. In the first place, he had never been dissatisfied with Lauren’s attire. Clothes that were calm and easy to move in suited Lauren far better than the extravagant yet uncomfortable garments worn by other noblewomen. She herself preferred such clothes as well.
If anything… Aster scanned the woman before him anew. The oversized, mismatched floral ruffles and cheap lace added onto a dress of muted colors were glaringly noticeable even to his eyes, which knew little about women’s fashion. Thus, Delania had neither the right nor the need to fuss over Lauren’s clothing.
“Well now. I shall be the one choosing my wife’s clothes, so you would do well not to concern yourself with it.”
Keeping his arm around Lauren’s waist, Aster turned his body away. He then called out loudly for Calvin. From somewhere, the butler of the ducal residence made his appearance.
“The guest is taking her leave.”
Calvin bowed politely in response and took a step forward to see Delania out. Delania, however, did not follow Calvin. Gripping the fabric of her skirt tightly, she raised her voice.
“I am Lauren’s sister! Instead of giving me a room to stay the night, you’re throwing me out like this?! Lauren! You say something too!”
Lauren, held close in Aster’s near-embrace, stiffened abruptly. The hand she had taken for escort clenched with intense pressure. This was not a good reaction. Aster, who had been observing her intently, turned his head to look at Delania.
“Lauren, I respect your judgment, but it seems publishing that newspaper article was a mistake. All sorts of bizarre things are crawling out of the woodwork.”
Aster pulled up one corner of his mouth and muttered in a low voice. Staring straight into Delania’s brown eyes, his sunken green gaze flashed menacingly. From his voice and his gaze emanated a killing intent potent enough to make even battle-hardened warriors on the battlefield cringe.
To have the nerve to shriek and yell despite knowing his infamous reputation as a murderous demon was impressive in its own right, but that was all it was. As expected. He had never seen anyone other than Lauren casually brush off his fierce, murderous glare. Catching a glimpse of Delania’s pale, bloodless face, Aster let out a snort and turned back around. Lauren’s unusual state was bothering him immensely.
From behind him came Calvin’s polite voice. Calvin would handle that woman on his own. He needed to quickly get Lauren to a place where she could rest. Her steps were unsteady and faltering; it would be so much easier if he simply scooped her up into his arms, though that would probably startle her. Watching her surprised face would likely be quite entertaining, but that wasn’t what mattered right now. Even he knew that much.
Lauren was not a cold-hearted person, yet she possessed a stoic boldness that remained unshaken by anything. For such a woman to be struggling this much… He would have to ask what had happened, but that could wait until later. Biting his lip tightly, Aster silently supported Lauren as they walked.
