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Chapter – 13
At the sudden mention of that name, I simply nodded.
“You mean she could become involved with the Marquis of Azbek like that?”
“Yes. Bellian is quite beautiful. That’s probably why my father favored her from a long time ago. He openly praised her in front of us… I had a bad feeling even then.”
The Marquis, who already had a weakness for women, had taken a liking to a maid like that.
“He seems to like beautiful women.”
“He likes young, beautiful women—especially blondes. That’s why all of us siblings are blond. He said a blonde woman with blue eyes from his childhood was burned into his memory… It’s just disgusting.”
“Blonde hair and blue eyes, huh. What do you think the chance is she’d fall for someone like that?”
“2—”
“20%?”
“No. Two hundred percent.”
Anz clicked her tongue in disgust.
“He’d definitely go crazy for her.”
“Thanks for the information.”
“It’s not really information. It’s just me insulting my father. Honestly, I could spend three days and four nights just cursing him. I still don’t understand how my mother endured being beside someone like that…”
Her eyes burned as she held her mother’s hand tightly.
But—
“Anz, don’t hate your father too much.”
“How can I not hate him?”
“At least he was sincere toward you children.”
“I don’t care. Even if he was sincere to us, I can’t forgive him for hurting my mother.”
Lily smiled gently.
At that moment, the carriage slowed down. I looked out the window.
A two-story house in the city with no garden. Just as described earlier.
“We’ve arrived, madam, young lady, lawyer.”
“Let’s get off.”
“Mother, stay strong. Men who cheat are always shameless. No matter what you hear, don’t get hurt, alright?”
“You don’t need to worry about me, Anz. I’m not weak. That kind of pain is already behind me.”
Watching them, I finally opened the carriage door and stepped out first.
A neat two-story house. Old red brick walls with cracks showing through time, ivy covering parts of the building. It was clearly an old residence.
Without hesitation, I knocked on the red door.
Knock knock.
“Hello?”
“Yes~!”
Footsteps rushed toward the door. The voice sounded unusually excited. The door swung open quickly.
But the moment she saw me standing there—someone unfamiliar—her expression stiffened.
A beautiful woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, pale skin, unmistakably striking.
“Bellian?”
“W-who… are you?”
Seeing her confusion, I got straight to the point.
“I’m here regarding the Azbek Marquis family.”
“Oh. Did he send you?”
“He?”
“Ah? You weren’t sent by the Marquis?”
“As expected, you do have a special relationship with the Marquis.”
Unfortunately, I’m here on behalf of my client. My name is Laviel. I represent the Marchioness in her divorce from the Marquis.”
“Ah.”
Her lips trembled slightly.
“Judging from your reaction, it seems you know. Did your lover mention me?”
Realizing the situation, Bellian’s eyes turned sharp and she gripped the door handle.
“That’s rude. I don’t know who you are. Please leave.”
She even tried to shut the door quickly.
But Anz Azbek, standing behind her, wedged her shoe between the closing gap.
“If you truly didn’t know me, you wouldn’t be closing the door so quickly, Bellian.”
“……”
“And don’t pretend you don’t know me. That would be disappointing. We’ve seen each other for nearly ten years in the Marquis’s household.”
I might not know her, but Anz did. She had served the family for almost a decade.
Still, Bellian pushed against the door. But Anz was stronger. She pulled the door open further and even grabbed the handle herself, causing Bellian’s grip to slip.
“Why? Planning to pretend you don’t know me?”
“N-no. What brings you here, young lady?”
“Nothing much. We heard a former servant of our household suddenly quit. We came to check if she was ill.”
“I’m fine. No need to worry.”
“Really? But quitting so suddenly… did you perhaps have a child with my father?”
Anz asked bluntly.
“W-what are you saying?!”
“Just asking. If not, then fine. I wouldn’t want another sibling anyway. There are too many people who throw themselves at my father for money and try to get pregnant first.”
At that moment, Bellian snapped.
“I didn’t do it for money! It’s love!”
That was my cue to step in.
Love—how ridiculous. They always say the same thing.
“Sounds like you and the Marquis are truly in love, Bellian.”
“……”
Realizing her mistake, she bit her lip hard.
“Don’t strain your lips like that. You’ll ruin such a pretty face. The Marquis would be quite upset.”
“……”
“You don’t need to deny it now—it would only be more embarrassing. So let’s be honest. The Marquis is supposed to visit you today, isn’t he?”
She didn’t answer.
I continued anyway.
“Now that he’s divorced, your love must feel even more intense. How dreamy must it be?”
“……”
“But do you really think he will make you the Marchioness?”
That question hit exactly where it hurt.
“Of course he will!”
So that’s how he lured her.
Promised her the title of Marchioness. And in return, transferred all his assets to her.
Clever. Extremely clever.
Even if the children had sided with their mother, transferring assets to a third party before divorce makes recovery difficult and turns it into a long legal battle.
That’s why he chose Bellian—an outsider.
And he likely promised her the position of Marchioness so she wouldn’t betray him.
But that was all it was.
He overlooked one thing.
Human greed.
“No, listen carefully, Bellian. The Marquis of Azbek is a very intelligent man.”
“Yes, he is smart.”
“So he must have transferred all his assets to you.”
At that moment, her expression stiffened.
I hadn’t said it to inform her—I said it to unsettle her.
“The transfer to you is already known. There’s no need to hide it. Since the divorce and alimony ruling is confirmed, we can trace where the assets went.”
“You should stop being greedy over something that isn’t even yours.”
Anz clicked her tongue, arms crossed.
But I met Bellian’s eyes.
“I don’t expect you to hand it over willingly. That’s why I came to file a recovery lawsuit.”
Her face went pale.
“It seems your lover didn’t tell you that possibility.”
“So what? He’ll protect me anyway.”
“That won’t matter. Because in the process, it will be revealed that you are the Marquis’s mistress.”
“So what? He said he’d marry me. Then it’s fine, right?”
How pitiful.
“He will never marry you.”
“You don’t know anything!”
“Think about it. A man who has already experienced divorce, who went so far as to hide his assets to avoid alimony—do you really think he will marry again?”
“No. A man like him, who is intelligent, will never do something so reckless again. And a man obsessed with women enough to have children with many different women will likely only continue enjoying his current freedom.”
