Chapter 13

Having learned the truth about everything, Reilly could no longer forgive Anna.

She sat calmly in the living room, sipping her tea.

“……Madam?”

“It’s been a while, Anna.”

“I thought you weren’t home, Madam. If I were you, I would have left this place ages ago.”

Considering that Anna had barely been able to get near Reilly for more than four months, it was understandable that she would think so. During that time, Reilly had spent nearly all her days cooped up in her room, occasionally going for walks when she could avoid running into other people.

Anna shot her an unpleasant look, her expression twisting with displeasure.

Reilly rose from her seat and looked straight at her.

Sensing that Reilly’s gaze had fallen to her stomach, Anna curled her lips into a smug smile.

That’s right. I don’t need you anymore.

Anna glanced at the teacup in Reilly’s hand.

If Reilly knew what had been added to that tea, what kind of expression would she make?

Anna could hardly contain her excitement at the thought of revealing the truth. She had to suppress the urge to let the secret slip from her lips.

If Reilly became pregnant again, it would undoubtedly cause trouble for her. And so, Anna was once again doing something she should never have done.

Reilly stared at Anna’s stomach for a long time before finally speaking.

“Isn’t it strange, though? Don’t you think your belly has looked exactly the same for quite some time now?”

“……You resent the fact that I’m carrying the Duke’s child, don’t you? Are you going to deny the existence of my baby now, too?”

“Of course not. I’m actually delighted.”

Anna couldn’t control the trembling of her body. Her eyes bloodshot, she glared at Reilly.

The events of that day flashed through Reilly’s mind.

“Theo considers children precious. Just as you pretended to be pregnant to keep him by your side.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the child that doesn’t exist in your womb.”

Anna’s face instantly drained of color, but she desperately tried to conceal the tremor in her voice. Wrapping her arms around her stomach, she shuddered.

“Even if you’re jealous because your own child died, how could you possibly think of something so horrible?”

“Is that so? Do you truly believe that?”

Reilly’s expression remained calm and unwavering.

Anna’s face contorted at the sight.

As Reilly walked past her, Anna hurriedly grabbed her arm.

“Where are you going? Right now? You’re going to see the Duke, aren’t you? What are you planning to tell him this time?!”

Reilly shook off Anna’s hand and started toward the stairs.

“What else would it be?”

Anna’s head drooped abruptly. Then, in a barely audible whisper, she said,

“You’re not going to tell Theo that there’s no child inside me, are you……? You can’t do that.”

“What did you just……?”

Anna had nowhere left to retreat.

If her lie were exposed, she knew she wouldn’t simply be thrown out of the ducal residence. The consequences would be far worse.

Then there’s only one way……

To survive, Anna made an extreme choice.

She needed a scene that would look convincing to anyone who witnessed it—and a motive that no one could question.

As Reilly turned around, Anna suddenly seized her hand and made it look as though Reilly had shoved her.

The instant Anna fell backward toward the staircase, both her hands flailed through the air. Her eyes widened dramatically, and the corners of her mouth lifted into a smile.

“Ah…… No!”

Reilly desperately reached out to catch her, but it was too late.

Anna tumbled down the stairs without even managing to scream.

“You’re insane……”

Reilly’s breath caught in her throat.

Staring at Anna, who had deliberately thrown herself down the staircase, Reilly sank to the steps in shock.

A loud crash startled a maid, who rushed out and let out a horrified scream.

“Eeeeeek! Oh, my goodness! Someone, help!”

“M-Madam……!”

At the maid’s screams, everyone came running out to see what had happened.

To anyone watching, it looked as though Reilly had pushed Anna down the stairs.

Anna, who was supposedly pregnant just as Reilly had once been, had fallen down the staircase.

Anyone who knew the circumstances leading up to this moment would assume that Reilly, blinded by a desire for revenge, had pushed Anna despite knowing she was carrying a child.

The butler hurried to check on Anna, who lay sprawled on the floor.

Ha…… You’re insane. You really are insane.

Reilly was too shocked to speak.

She slowly descended the stairs, intending to approach Anna.

At that moment, Theo seized Reilly by the wrist with brutal force.

“Ugh……!”

“You! What on earth have you done?!”

Theo flung Reilly to the floor.

He stared down at her vacant, disbelieving eyes with an expression of utter disgust.

“I never imagined you could sink this low.”

His sharp voice rang in Reilly’s ears.

Surrounded by the servants’ whispers and their contemptuous stares, Reilly let out a hollow laugh.

“Ha…… Hahaha.”

As Anna drifted in and out of consciousness, she saw Theo rushing to her side, urgently checking her condition.

She turned her head slightly and looked at Reilly with a smile.

When Anna regained consciousness, the ducal residence erupted into an uproar.

Reilly left her room to see what condition Anna was in.

Through the slightly open door, she stared at Anna in disbelief.

Anna was sprawled on the floor, crying—looking almost exactly as Reilly had once looked herself.

“Anna, your body hasn’t recovered yet.”

Theo held Anna by the shoulders and gently stroked her back. His movements were unusually careful, as though he were trying to calm her down.

Anna was actually daring to imitate the grief of a mother who had lost her child.

The sheer audacity of deceiving everyone and reopening someone else’s wounds sent a chill down Reilly’s spine.

Anna was trying to mimic her sorrow, pretending to feel the very grief Reilly had endured.

Reilly had heard from Ren that Anna had bribed a doctor, just in case something went wrong.

But Reilly was the only one who knew the truth about any of this.

Knowing that no one would believe her, she kept her mouth firmly shut.

Anna seized the opportunity to push Theo away and slip out of his embrace.

Then, spotting Reilly through the crack in the door, she flung it wide open.

It was as though she were expanding the stage, making sure everyone had a clear view of the performance.

Anna approached Reilly in a single stride and whispered into her ear.

“Well? How does it feel? Now, no one will believe a word you say. You shouldn’t have messed with me in the first place.”

With that, Anna collapsed to the floor.

Crawling forward almost on her hands and knees, she burst into tears and clutched the hem of Reilly’s skirt.

“What did my child ever do wrong……? Was this your revenge? Madam, my baby was innocent! The child had done nothing wrong!”

Her grief-stricken performance was so convincing that it could break anyone’s heart.

Reilly’s lips trembled with revulsion.

“Anna, please calm down.”

Theo hurriedly pulled Anna into his arms.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Reilly remained composed. She steadied her breathing and quietly watched Anna’s performance.

“How could you do this to a child……? How could you think of killing my baby?”

“……”

Reilly’s gaze grew icy.

Despite Anna’s acting, Reilly remained unmoved.

Seeing this, the people watching from the sidelines began whispering among themselves.

“My goodness, look at that murderous look in her eyes.”

“No wonder she pushed Anna down the stairs and tried to kill the child. The circumstances speak for themselves.”

“I never thought she was that kind of person……”

Theo’s face twisted at the maids’ remarks.

So many unfortunate incidents had befallen the Prince family one after another, and he was worried about the rumors spreading beyond the estate.

“That’s enough. All of you, be quiet.”

The whispers gradually died away, and the servants lowered their heads.

They fell silent, watching the three of them.

“Anna, I won’t let this matter go unaddressed. But you need to calm down first.”

“You and I lost our child! Because of that woman……!”

“Anna…… I know. Please, just get some rest. Reilly, no matter who you are, I cannot simply overlook what happened this time.”

At Theo’s words, Reilly felt something inside her go slack.

She vividly remembered how he had behaved when her child died.

She hadn’t forgotten a single thing.

Every word he had spoken back then had been carved into her heart, over and over again.

A sharp ache spread through Reilly’s chest.

She looked at Theo, her eyes filled with a tangled mixture of emotions.

“I see. I understand.”

Reilly’s voice was low and cold, carrying a quiet warning.

Theo’s body flinched ever so slightly.

Anna continued to press Reilly relentlessly.

This was her only chance.

Everyone knew how precious Theo considered children to be.

“Everything is your fault! If it weren’t for you, my baby wouldn’t have died! You hated me from the very beginning, and now you’ve even gone after my child……!”

“Very well, then. I’ll relinquish my position as the Duchess. If no one here is willing to acknowledge me, there’s no reason for me to stay any longer.”

At Reilly’s declaration, Theo’s eyebrows twitched.

Now that Anna’s supposed child was dead, there was no real reason for Reilly to leave the residence.

“……Sigh. Anna, I’m deeply saddened by what happened to the child, too. So please, calm down.”

Theo abruptly changed his attitude and began patting Anna’s back.

If he refused to take Anna’s side now, everyone would condemn him.

Regardless of what anyone said, Reilly was now the woman everyone believed had caused Anna’s child to die.

“Calm down……? Did you just tell me to calm down? How can any parent remain so composed when their child has died?”

Seeing Theo’s indifferent expression, Anna felt her strength drain away.

Perhaps he hadn’t loved his own child all that much after all.

If I really had been pregnant…… my life might have become even more miserable.

Anna pulled her hand free from Theo’s grasp and slowly sank to the floor.

Now that things had come to this, her only option was to win the people of the ducal residence over to her side.

She had to make sure they would never abandon her—so that she would have no choice but to remain here.