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Chapter : 40
After returning to the West, he learned something:
Marquis Marcus had feelings for Raiden’s mother.
So after Raiden’s father died, Marcus often brought her food and clothes, quietly trying to win her heart.
But Raiden’s mother never accepted him.
Even though raising a child alone must have terrified her, she still made that difficult choice.
‘It was lucky for me. If Mother had married the Marquis, the former Marquis would’ve eventually killed me.’
Did she already know that?
Thinking about how she left her hometown quietly without Marcus knowing… it seemed likely.
When he remembered his mother, the old wound on his side suddenly ached.
The wound he barely survived… it hurt again.
No—more than the wound, it was the person who gave him that wound that caused him pain.
That night, rain poured down violently.
Raiden walked slowly toward home, completely numb.
His body and heart were both a wreck.
His body, because of the tournament earlier that day—
but his heart…
At that moment, a lovely voice replayed in his mind.
[Father will become your father too, Raiden.]
“Ha…”
Raiden covered his face with one hand and let out a small laugh.
How could he have been so innocent?
How could he have believed such words?
Then the real voice echoed in his memory—
[A filthy commoner brat like you dares to touch my precious daughter?!]
Count John Evercline’s rage was terrifying.
The moment he saw Raiden, he completely lost control.
After hearing Raiden’s desperate plea, he went even more insane.
Raiden was beaten brutally, yet he still couldn’t accept it as reality.
Because John’s behavior was nothing like the gentle father Anna had always described.
But that wasn’t all.
[My daughter is absolutely—absolutely not allowed. Someone like you can NEVER have her!]
There was something desperate in his voice.
Was it fear?
Fear that his daughter might be taken away by Raiden?
[You dared to climb a tree you can’t even reach.]
The man who stabbed Raiden in the side spit out bloody saliva and smirked.
[This is what happens when you don’t know your place. No wonder that person ordered it personally.]
[That… person?]
[Yeah. That noble girl—she was truly dazzling.]
The attacker laughed, showing his blood-stained teeth.
[She said this was best for everyone. That’s why nobles are scary. They don’t even see commoners as human.]
The assassin talked too much for someone in his profession.
Then he gripped the knife again and charged at Raiden to finish him.
But Raiden had prepared ahead.
He counterattacked and sliced the man’s throat.
With his body and heart falling apart, Raiden staggered home…
Only to see his house burning brightly before his eyes.
His teeth clenched, a harsh sound leaking out.
Raiden placed a hand on the stone wall to steady his breathing.
Then he thought suddenly:
‘It might sound strange, but… he was acting strange.’
John’s reaction had been too extreme to be just about a dishonorable suitor.
Not even a sworn enemy would trigger that kind of rage.
Back then he was too young to understand—
but now Raiden was certain.
John was terrified—terrified of something.
Raiden straightened his body and began walking down the stairs of the underground prison.
The torchlight reflected in his grey eyes, shining eerily.
‘Whatever it is… I’ll find out soon.’
Anna muttered gloomily,
“…I rushed things.”
Lucy, who was tidying the bedding, turned toward her.
“Huh? My Lady, what did you say?”
“…Lucy.”
“Yes, please tell me.”
Lucy looked worried.
Her mistress clearly hadn’t slept all night.
And with those rude, disrespectful temporary servants, she was afraid Anna had been hurt again.
Anna stared into the mirror, bit her lip, and then lowered her shoulders.
She spoke to Lucy—the only person fully on her side.
“I’m shameless… right?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Seeing Lucy’s teary expression, Anna let out a deep sigh.
‘I said those things before officially breaking off the engagement with Edward… Of course he was upset.’
It must have looked like she wanted to keep both men.
Like a selfish girl unwilling to let go of anything.
Thinking that made her mood sink even further.
‘No. I need to go to the Haimel estate as soon as possible… But how do I leave?’
When she last went to the office, Louis had said it:
Raiden didn’t want her leaving the Marcus estate.
Henry’s letters said they had almost finished removing the suspicious servants who had stayed in the Evercline mansion with bad intentions.
So shouldn’t she be able to return home now?
‘I can’t keep staying here forever…’
A knock sounded, and Shilla entered.
“The bath is ready.”
“Bath?”
Anna tilted her head, and Lucy quickly explained.
“I asked for it. You were sweating from nightmares and didn’t sleep well.”
“Oh…”
Now that she thought about it, her body felt sticky and stiff.
She must have had terrible dreams last night.
Lucy gently urged her.
“Take a warm bath and sleep a little more.”
“Yeah… maybe I should.”
Anna let Lucy guide her to the bathroom.
Shilla checked the water temperature beside the steaming tub.
Then Lucy rushed over.
“There’s too much water!”
“Huh?”
Shilla looked confused.
Lucy quickly stuck her arm inside and opened the drain.
Water began draining with a rushing sound.
Lucy whispered quietly:
“Miss Anna hates full bathtubs.”
Anna, who had begun undressing, answered,
“This much is fine.”
“Really?”
Lucy hurried to Anna with a worried face.
Anna smiled and patted her head.
“I guess I have too many other things to worry about… so this doesn’t bother me anymore.”
Hearing that, Lucy glanced nervously at Shilla and whispered,
“Then what about the seizures?”
“None. Not even once. It must mean I’m getting better.”
Her calm face didn’t look like she was lying.
Lucy thought for a moment, then grinned.
“Maybe it’s because you met the Marquis again… Your heart feels stable now.”
“What? Are you teasing me?”
Anna and Lucy burst out laughing.
Shilla watched Anna for a moment, then quietly closed the drain again.
After the bath, Anna lay on her bed feeling relaxed.
Lucy massaged her legs and muttered,
“You might not like hearing this… but honestly, I’m glad the Count is gone.”
“Lucy?”
Anna jolted and sat up, frowning.
Lucy was blindly loyal and often said anything she wanted without thinking about others.
This was one of those moments.
Lucy apologized but spoke firmly:
“I’m sorry, My Lady. I know how much the Count meant to you.
But that was all in the past. What good is kindness from years ago?
Now he only scares you… tries to control you…”
“….”
Anna’s scolding died in her throat.
Lucy was talking about her own brother, comparing him to John.
When Anna turned her head away in silence, Lucy quietly continued massaging her legs, then glanced at Shilla, who was polishing Anna’s shoes.
Lowering her voice, Lucy said:
“The Count hurt you… and worst of all…”
She hesitated, then whispered more carefully:
“…Back when the Marquis wasn’t the Marquis yet, he spread that strange rumor.”
“Strange rumor? What do you—!”
Anna froze as she remembered.
“Yes. That one.
Back then at the mansion, people said you fell in love with a commoner… and that he chose money over you.”
Her voice lowered even more.
“I don’t know the Marquis well… but he doesn’t seem like the kind of man who would forgive being accused of selling you for money.”
Lucy shuddered, imagining Raiden’s frightening expression.
“Wouldn’t he be furious?”
“…You’re right.”
Anna nodded with a dark, heavy expression.
Lucy glanced at Shilla again and added:
“And the servants here are already tough to deal with.
If the Count were still alive, things would never be this peaceful.”
“…You’re right.”
Anna looked down.
Lucy’s words hit the truth:
Raiden was stubborn, blunt, and honest to a fault.
Once he decided something was right, nothing—not even his own feelings—could stop him.
And remembering John’s reaction the day after Raiden rescued her on Lily Street…
‘It really is lucky they never met.’
Her throat tightened suddenly. Tears threatened to fall.
‘The future I imagined… was a happy life together with both of them.’
Where had everything gone wrong?
Her perfect life began to crumble the day John fell into gambling.
Before that, there had been Raiden’s disappearance—but that wasn’t John’s fault.
