Chapter 40
Killing the kidnapper itself was not a big deal. The coachman was a criminal and a commoner. Cecilia was a noble, and she had a sufficient reason for self-defense.
Grand Duke Raphaeli couldn’t possibly not know that fact. And yet, he was threatening her like this.
Was it because Grand Duke Raphaeli was behind the entire incident? Because he was the enemy who had brought down the Cissil family?
But when she looked at his face, she couldn’t be sure.
She saw that same face turn away with a bitter expression in the face of her sharpened momentum.
“Ah, that’s what it is.”
The strange, incomprehensible words he uttered out of habit kept grating on her.
David leaned back on the sofa and opened his mouth calmly. His shirt opened a little more.
“The kidnapping case has been perfectly concluded.”
“Why are you telling me that?”
“Hmm… Because you must be interested?”
“…….”
“Whether the fact that you stabbed that man will be buried forever, or not. It’s been bothering you so much until now.”
Hah, so he’s admitting it after all.
Cecilia clenched her skirt.
The man’s face, as he whispered, was infuriatingly playful.
“I have no intention of telling anyone. And I didn’t want to use it as leverage… but you look like you wouldn’t believe that.”
He relaxed his posture and ran his hand through his hair. The way he hung his arm over the back of the sofa was very ungentlemanly.
“Since you keep acting so adorably flustered, I’ll do what you want.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I saw it, you stabbing him.”
“…….”
“With a pin that looks exactly like the one in your hair, you plunged it into his neck. The maid stabbed him, and then you plunged it in again and pulled it out.”
“……Ah.”
He even mimicked pulling out the pin.
David von Raphaeli was in that forest, at that time. Her curiosity was finally solved. He was the witness in the first place, so he couldn’t not have known.
So I’ve been playing in that bastard’s palm this whole time?
Cecilia buried her face in her hands.
Was it frustration?
No, she was so angry she felt like she was going crazy.
She ground her teeth thinking about how much David must have been laughing at her on the inside. She wanted to hit him a few times right then and there to soothe her temper.
But it was impossible.
“Hah.”
The face of Cecilia who lifted her head looked quite different from a moment ago. It was as if she had thrown off an elegant mask.
A murderous glint filled her gray-violet eyes. Her eyes were like a wild dog’s.
“So, what’s the reason you’re only telling me now?”
“That’s a good question.”
David, who met her gaze squarely, looked amused. His blue eyes sparkled with excitement.
“You saw it, but why didn’t you help?”
“Because it seemed like you two were handling it well enough without anyone interfering?”
“Handling it well means you weren’t caught by anyone until the end.”
“Haha, for a lady who was raised so preciously, your way of thinking is quite out of the ordinary. Don’t you think so?”
“Why were you following me?”
“Ah, that’s a misunderstanding.”
David lightly waved his hand.
“I was simply chasing a suspicious group from the beginning, and you just happened to get caught up in it.”
“A suspicious group?”
No, never mind that.
“So, what do you want from me?”
Cecilia didn’t believe anything David said. Lying was easy. The only time she could be sure of the truth was when she saw the other person’s desires.
“What do I want…….”
“Don’t put on an act. Tell me what you want, Grand Duke.”
David tapped his chin, looking down at Cecilia.
His eyes, as deep as the sea, were impossible to read. Cecilia clenched her sweaty hands.
‘…It’s not easy.’
She admitted it. She had let her guard down.
She had been too complacent, thinking the original story was a long way off and that the life of a precious lady would be nothing.
She was too careless, even after encountering a kidnapper on her very first day.
‘But it’s not impossible to survive.’
She had been played by David and was finally caught in his trap, but it wasn’t enough for her to give up. She had used up all that weakness in her previous life.
She had experienced a life where she was almost killed dozens of times, and almost suffered things more horrific than death.
It was a funny thing. The horrible memories that had made her want to run away because it was so hard, the memories where her life was almost cut short, were now the very things that were supporting Cecilia.
“Then.”
David straightened up. His face was impossible to read. He looked down at Cecilia, who was like a cat with her hackles raised.
“Give me the first dance of your debutante ball.”
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