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CHAPTER 50…….
“What the—Tisha? Ti… hey, where are you going?”
“……”
“Wait, are you ignoring me right now?”
“……”
“Tisha!”
Etisha just kept walking. Sometimes fanning herself with her hand, sometimes her cheeks flushing red.
Lariènne seemed so shocked by Etisha’s unbroken silence that her eyes widened like they were about to pop out.
“You—you… how could you… to me…”
“……”
“Stop. Hey! I said stop! If you don’t stop, I’ll really spill everything! I mean it, I’ll say it all!”
“……”
“No, hey… Tisha! Tisha!!”
The farther away Etisha got, the more Lariènne’s expression shifted—shock, then a disbelieving laugh, then anger—until finally fear crept in that Etisha might actually leave. In a panic, she hurried after her.
“Etisha Heinz!”
Lariènne yanked Etisha by the shoulder.
Only then did Etisha notice her, turning back in surprise.
“Huh…?”
Lariènne was breathing hard. Looking into Etisha’s blue eyes, her lips trembled.
“You. Where are you going?”
“What?”
“Where are you going without me? Is it because I threatened you with the coma illness?”
“……?”
“But—but I had no choice! You’re going to die soon! There’s no time, and if I didn’t do it, you would’ve kicked me out!”
Lariènne rambled nonsense while clinging to Etisha. Etisha tried to shake off her grip.
“What are you talking about? Let go!”
“No, Tisha! No! No! Don’t leave me!”
“You’re hurting me—let go!”
“Do you have any idea… how lonely I was after you left? I was always alone. Even at parties I was bored and irritated. At night I’d sleep in your room, dream about you, think about you all the time.”
“Lariènne!”
“You’re all I have, Tisha. Okay? You’re the only one for me… I don’t want a life without you anymore…”
Lariènne clung to her desperately.
“Tisha, you know. I like you. I like you more than anything in the world. You’re the only one for me.”
Lariènne had always been impulsive and intense, but today she was worse than usual. Being apart from Etisha had clearly warped her feelings even further.
“Yeah… this is all that Duke Cayenne’s fault. He came between us. You were my precious little sister, and he stole you away from me.”
“……”
“If it weren’t for that damned Cayenne Wintel, you and I could still be as happy as we were before…”
Her blue eyes flashed with hatred. Etisha found her words ridiculous and absurd.
“…What are you doing? I told you to let go.”
Etisha forcefully broke Lariènne’s grip.
She had endured Lariènne’s bullying and obsession many times before, but she could not tolerate insults toward Cayenne.
“Big sister—you must really not understand. Let me make it clear. I don’t like you.”
“What…?”
“No, I don’t even want to call you ‘sister.’ Lariènne Heinz—I hate everything about you. Just looking at you makes my skin crawl. Just hearing your voice is awful.”
“……”
“You say you like me? That you love me? Wrong. You don’t like me—you like playing with me. That’s not love. Never, ever…”
Real love…
Is nothing like that.
Etisha’s eyes sharpened. She didn’t even know why she was this angry, why her insides felt twisted.
“Duke Cayenne is a good man. Incomparably better than you—someone I am thankful for.”
Real love…
“Don’t you ever insult him in front of me again. I will not let it slide.”
Love means…
“I’m warning you.”
From Etisha’s small frame came a frighteningly strong presence. Her eyes blazed, her lips pressed tight—something she had never shown before.
This was not the Etisha Heinz who quietly endured pain, who never thought of revenge.
This was Etisha Wintel—the woman who would spend the rest of her life at Cayenne’s side.
“…Tisha.”
Lariènne’s hands trembled in shock. She didn’t want to believe it—that her beloved little sister had broken free from her grasp and flown so far away.
She shook her head.
“No… it can’t be.”
“……”
“If I insult Cayenne Wintel, then what? What will you do to me?”
“……”
“Are you going to go tattle to that bastard?!”
The moment her sharp voice rang out, Etisha’s palm struck her cheek.
Smack.
“Gasp…!”
Lariènne was so stunned at being hit by Etisha that she didn’t even pretend to be hurt—she just froze.
Etisha, who had been slapped countless times by Lariènne, had never once raised her hand against her before.
“I warned you not to let it slide.”
“Ah… huuh…”
“Don’t insult the Duke. Don’t cause him trouble. I don’t care if you threaten me or do crazy things to me—but not to him.”
“You—coma—everything…”
“Yeah, go ahead. Tell everyone. I don’t care.”
“……”
“But if you tell people about my illness and it harms the Duke in any way… I honestly don’t know what I’ll do.”
Etisha brushed her hands off and turned her back.
She walked away without a trace of hesitation, as if there was nothing more to say.
Lariènne just stood there, holding her reddened cheek, staring blankly at her sister’s retreating back. The once proud and confident Lariènne Heinz no longer looked so sure of herself.
Tears welled in her eyes.
Not because her cheek hurt.
Not because she hated Etisha for leaving.
Not even because things hadn’t gone her way.
Pathetically enough, Lariènne herself didn’t even know why she was crying.
If she had known the reason, she wouldn’t be standing here like this now.
Time passed, and the sun set, blanketing the land in twilight. But Wintel Castle was still bright as day.
A banquet was being prepared to welcome back former Duke Kailles Wintel.
After changing clothes, Etisha met up with Cayenne, and together they headed to the banquet hall.
What do I do? I’m so nervous.
She pouted her lips. Meeting Cayenne’s father for the first time was nerve-wracking enough, but walking arm-in-arm with him to the banquet made her even more tense.
I can’t even look at his face right now.
She couldn’t help it.
Etisha was still lost in the dream she had earlier that day.
Am I even walking normally? I’m not acting weird, am I? His arm is so firm… No! Stop thinking like that! Focus!
She worried she might make a mistake during the banquet at this rate.
Cayenne glanced at her, noticing her unusually stiff expression.
“Miss Etisha. Are you nervous?”
Startled at being found out, she flinched.
“Huh? Ah… a little.”
“There’s no need to worry. Just think of it as having dinner. As I said before, my father is indifferent—he likely won’t say much to you.”
“Yes… I see.”
Right now, Etisha’s real source of nerves wasn’t her father-in-law, but Cayenne himself—but she couldn’t exactly say that.
She nodded, taking a deep breath.
Come on, you can’t let the Duke worry. You’re supposed to play the part of his wife. Focus on the banquet.
They arrived at the banquet hall, and Cayenne opened the grand doors. There was no more time to prepare herself.
“Father, Mother.”
“Cayenne, welcome. You too, daughter-in-law.”
At the table sat the former duke, Kailles Wintel, and Lady Cyrileze Wintel.
Cayenne escorted Etisha to a seat and pulled out her chair.
“……”
Kailles looked exactly like his portrait—black hair, blue eyes, a calm, stoic, handsome middle-aged man. His demeanor and looks strongly resembled Cayenne’s.
And yet…
There was something… off.
“Father. Have you been well?”
“Yes, Cayenne. It’s been a while.”
“This is Baroness Etisha El—my betrothed.”
“I heard from Cyrileze that you’re marrying. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
And then… silence.
For father and son, the exchange was startlingly brief—more like a business report than family talk.
“Honestly… take more interest in your son. He’s finally getting married, and you’re so cold? And say something to our daughter-in-law, too.”
Unable to stand it, Lady Cyrileze stepped in.
Though her appearance was just as cold and sharp as Kailles’s, her words felt like warm sunlight breaking through the frosty air between father and son.
Mother…
Etisha felt moved. What would she have done without her?
“Especially, you should treat Etisha well. Did you even know who that guest you brought—Lariènne Heinz—was before you invited her? Why would you…?”
“Lariènne Heinz?”
“Yes. I didn’t kick her out for the sake of your dignity, but thinking about our daughter-in-law makes me want to banish her from Wintel lands altogether.”
“…Seems I overlooked something.”
“Obviously. Etisha has severed ties with the Heinz family. I’ll explain later.”
Lady Cyrileze chided Kailles sharply. He seemed uninterested in Etisha’s past with the Heinz family, but he did care that his wife was displeased.
Kailles turned to Etisha.
“Baroness Etisha El.”
“Yes, Father.”
“I meant no offense. If you wish, I can have Lariènne Heinz removed at once.”
Etisha shook her head slowly.
“No. It’s fine. Please don’t trouble yourself over it.”
If she were thrown out, there was no telling what she might do outside. Better to keep her inside Wintel Castle. Besides, now that she was married to Cayenne, Lariènne’s threats no longer scared her.
“I see. Very well. Let’s eat, then.”
And again… silence.
The sense of distance was palpable.
