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Chapter 46
Betty took a quiet step back in response to Ian’s approach, her voice low and subdued.
“You’ve already done more than enough for my peace of mind, Your Grace. More than anyone else ever has.”
“I haven’t done much.”
“No. You saved my aunt, and you gave me precious memories. That alone is more than enough.”
It was a debt she might never be able to repay for the rest of her life. Betty lowered her head, trying to hide the tears welling up in her vision.
Felix Scharte. If she said that name, perhaps everything would naturally be resolved. She could simply close her eyes and pretend not to know anything. That’s what she wanted to believe.
But behind the capricious, cold Felix was always the name Scharte.
As the heir of the Scharte Duchy, he hadn’t even hesitated to harm the Marquis of Prowell.
So if Ian Dayban became entangled with him in a personal grudge on her account, she feared what Felix Scharte might do, how far he would go, and what he was capable of.
“I don’t want to bring harm to you, Your Grace.”
Felix Scharte might find something to drag Ian Dayban down with him, like a clinging swamp.
Betty could not bear the thought of that noble man being dragged into the mire because of her.
He already resents Your Grace.
Perhaps Felix had already made plans to damage the Duke’s house. She did not want to become the very cause that drove him further down that path.
“Is it because you don’t trust me?”
“No.”
The denial burst out quickly, for fear he might misunderstand.
Who could she trust more than him right now? He was so reliable—that was precisely the problem.
“You can forget the offer you made earlier. As for my mother, I’ll look into it myself.”
Betty lowered her gaze, speaking words colder than anything else to the one who had bared his heart to her with such sincerity.
“Why won’t you tell me? I can protect you. No matter what, no matter who, I can make sure nothing harms you.”
From Ian’s perspective, it could only mean that Betty didn’t have enough faith in his ability.
“Behind me, behind the House of Dayban, stands His Majesty the Emperor. Under his command, nothing is impossible. Whatever troubles you, I can resolve it, Betty.”
Boasting was the thing he hated most. But if it would put her at ease and draw out her answer, talking like a braggart was nothing to him.
Yet Ian felt in Betty’s steadfast refusal to raise her head that her resolve was firmer than before.
He even felt tempted to first bring her safely inside the Duke’s residence and then continue this conversation.
“……That’s exactly why I can’t tell you.”
“……What?”
“The very fact that you can do so much—that’s why I can’t say anything.”
Betty suddenly lifted her head. Her large, clear brown eyes met his as she spoke distinctly.
“Just as you wish for my peace, I also wish for you to be safe and at peace. So if there’s even the slightest chance it could endanger you, I can’t say it.”
Ian Dayban was left completely speechless by the words of this frail, vulnerable-looking woman who said she wanted to protect him.
He had many things to guard, countless people depending on his strength, and endless others who revered him.
But never had he heard someone say they wanted to keep him away from danger, not push him into it as a shield.
It was an utterly unfamiliar feeling.
“You…”
“I’ll be going now. Please take care of yourself, Your Grace.”
Caught in a storm of emotions he couldn’t sort out, Ian couldn’t stop Betty this time. He had no choice but to let her go.
Ian Dayban was not a man to give up easily before achieving his goals.
So it was only natural that the very next day, he went to the Scharte residence to meet the young lady in private.
“Your Grace. You’ve come.”
It had been quite a while since they faced each other like this. Lady Scharte’s face carried a chill he had never seen before.
“I heard you wished to see me in person. I also have matters I wished to discuss with you.”
“Perfect. Then it will be a mutually beneficial meeting.”
Vivian set down her teacup with a clink, her manner careless.
Her blue eyes stared at him, measuring something.
Then suddenly, she spoke words that caught him off guard.
“I don’t want you to be engaged to me, or to marry me, Your Grace. In fact, I’d rather you did nothing at all that could benefit Scharte within this Empire.”
“Betty…”
“Betty probably thinks I just don’t want to marry the old king of Dorin. But what I want now isn’t about escaping some marriage.”
A twisted smile curled on her lips. Ian Dayban recognized that expression.
It was the same one he himself had once worn, back when his father was still head of House Dayban.
“As you might guess, I’ve had a lot to think about this past week. Especially about what I truly want for myself.”
Her voice was even, but the content was sharp as a blade.
“In the end, I realized I want my so-called ‘family’—who’ve only ever tried to use me—to feel the same helplessness I do.”
She drew in a deep breath, as though restraining immense fury.
“I may be foolish, but I’m not stupid. I know the real reason behind pushing for our marriage was to bring the Duke’s house under the Emperor’s fold. Because if not subdued, the Duke’s house would be a threat.”
Ian finally understood the direction this conversation was heading.
An extreme option he had never expected to hear from the mouth of a Scharte lady.
“But the fact that our engagement was broken off so easily… it means even His Majesty the Emperor secretly wants the Duke’s house to fall. Doesn’t it? And the Duke’s house must have done plenty to deserve it.”
“And even if that’s true, what difference does it make?”
Vivian smiled faintly.
“I don’t care about the details of their crimes. I just want Scharte destroyed. Wiped off the map. And I’m willing to work with anyone who will bring about that downfall. After all, I’m still their daughter.”
“And what if I say I don’t need your help? If I say I can’t trust you, what then?”
“To be honest, I don’t care what you think of me. Even on my own, I’ll use everything I know and everything I can do to destroy them. I only ask that no one tries to save Scharte. But…”
For the first time, her smile carried not scorn but a trace of warmth.
“…But in the process, I don’t want the only friend who ever worried about me to get hurt. She’s the only one in this desolate household who feels like real family to me.”
“You mean Betty.”
“Yes. Exactly. You’d protect Betty no matter what, wouldn’t you? That’s why I asked you to come. I have a good sense for people, and I know that even if you don’t care about me, you’ll protect Betty at all costs. Isn’t that right?”
Ian found himself reconsidering his judgment of Vivian Scharte.
Whatever else she lacked, her instincts were sharp to a frightening degree.
“Speaking of Betty—yesterday when I saw her, her wrist was covered in bruises.”
Ian knew this was the perfect moment to bring it up.
In fact, it was his main reason for coming today, the only reason he had been willing to listen patiently.
“…What did you say?”
As expected, Lady Scharte shot to her feet, ignoring the teacup crashing to the floor with a loud shatter.
