I Abandoned the Male Lead Who Cheated with the Villainess - Chapter 94

Arnold lounged on his couch, rhythmically tapping the armrest with his fingertips.

‘I can’t figure out his game plan. And it’s surprising that Ivonne resigned so straightforwardly, considering she knows how much the Crown Prince favors her.’

Just as Arnold thought, Ivonne had read the Crown Prince’s personal note saying, “Thank you for your hard work,” and understood he had feelings for her. But what did that matter?

Ivonne had no feelings for the Crown Prince, and she was tired of being entangled with men. She had no significant ambitions in politics or power, which is why she had never revealed she was an ancient wizard in the first place.

Arnold, unaware of Ivonne’s true feelings, was preoccupied with predicting the future actions of Herix and Ivonne. It was during this contemplation that he received quite a shocking piece of news.

“The daughter of Marquis Cyand…”

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

Clatter, clatter—the carriage, hardly better than a cart, rattled along the unkempt mountain road.

People cursed and threw stones at it, forcing its occupants to travel through secluded areas like fugitives. This was because the carriage’s passengers were criminals headed for the temple.

A week had passed since they began avoiding people’s eyes. Even in a good carriage, such a journey required significant stamina. Traveling in a carriage barely bigger than a cart left the passengers in poor spirits.

“Urgh.”

When one person couldn’t hold back their nausea and vomited on the floor, the confined space quickly filled with a sour, foul smell. This set off a chain reaction, and those who had been holding back their queasiness began to retch as well.

Among them was Celestia Odell Cyand, who was barely managing to hold back her own sickness.

“Celestia, are you alright?”

Her father, German, asked worriedly, his face hidden under a dark, drab hood. Celestia, struggling to breathe, shook her head with a pale face.

“Urgh…”

Celestia looked like she could pass out at any moment. As the daughter of Marquisate Cyand, she was used to luxurious carriages rivaling those of the imperial ones. Not the cramped, vomit-stenched cart she now found herself in.

Unable to bear it any longer, German pulled back the ineffective tarp and spoke up.

“Please, we need to stop and rest for a moment.”

Outside, the temple guards assigned to monitor and escort the convicts to the temple were visibly shocked by his request. The nearest guard banged on the thin wall of the carriage and barked,

“Are you out of your mind? Do you think this is a pleasure trip?”

“You still think you’re a noble, huh?”

“Don’t you see we’re suffering just as much because of scum like you?”

“We should have just left you to get pelted with stones or beaten to death! Damn it, my feet are swollen from all this walking!”

The guards hurled curses at them. German’s expression twisted in frustration. Instinctively, he reached for his staff, but of course, there was nothing there. He had given up his title and sealed his magic to save Celestia after her attack on Ivonne.

To the guards, German and Celestia were nothing more than heinous criminals.

“Don’t you dare stop this carriage! If they get out, we’ll have to clean up their mess again.”

“Yeah, why should we have to deal with the filth of criminals?”

The guards grumbled and cursed. German, though seething inside, knew he had to be calm for Celestia, who was barely breathing.

“Just for a moment, please. I’ll….clean up inside while we rest.”

“What? The high and mighty Marquis is going to clean up puke?”

“Well, if that’s the case…”

German wept tears of blood inside.

Ah, how did he end up in this situation?

“Everyone out! The Marquis himself is going to clean the carriage.”

“Make sure to put the shackles on them.”

“Count everyone and make sure we don’t miss any.”

The guards roughly dragged the convicts out of the carriage. Even those who appeared fine would have soon succumbed to nausea if they had stayed in the carriage any longer, so they cooperated without complaint.

Despite this, the guards pushed and hit the convicts unnecessarily, their actions far too brutal and ruthless for temple guards.

“Well, well, Marquis. Here are your cleaning tools.”

One of the guards sneered, laughing coarsely. German did not respond. He silently accepted the bucket of water and the mop, beginning to clean up the vomit.

Seeing this, Celestia’s face crumbled with shame and anger, but she did nothing. This was, after all, the consequence of her actions.

‘Because I… I didn’t listen to Father…’

Perhaps Celestia truly should have died. Had she done so, she might have remained a beautiful memory for Blizen.

‘Father would have struggled, but he would have carried on.’

The proud Cyand family, with its centuries of history, might still be flourishing.

All of this had happened because Celestia chose to live. She couldn’t bring herself to consider that life might have been different if she had lived it another way. Her dark eyes welled up with bitter tears.