Chapter 171
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
“Say it if you’re going to. I’m listening.”
In truth, Mikhail couldn’t even remember what Leah had said moments ago. He had just heard it and let it go. It felt like a waste of time.
‘Why suddenly claim she’s going out to buy flowers?’
Mikhail’s focus was entirely on Emilia.
“Your Grace, please don’t be angry. My father doesn’t know. It was my decision to act on my own.”
She reached out and lightly tapped his finger.
Mikhail cringed as if something had touched him, quickly wiping the spot with his handkerchief.
“Lady Chevron, what is this?”
Perhaps it was the blood of the Jalliar royal family, but her behavior seemed eerily similar to Adrian’s.
Leah, hurt by the look of disgust in his eyes, bit her lip tightly.
“…You threatened my father, didn’t you?”
“Threatened? I simply warned him because he kept carrying out these ridiculous antics.”
“My aunt won’t stop. I have to satisfy her. My father fears you, but honestly, both my aunt and you scare me equally.”
Leah pushed her silver hair behind her ear and smiled sweetly.
“My reputation is already tarnished, and because of the scandal with you, no more marriage proposals have come my way. Everyone believes I’ve already been defiled by someone, since I haven’t even had my debutante ball.”
“Your introduction is unnecessarily long.”
“Your Grace, I’m pregnant. By tomorrow, there will be articles everywhere saying I’m with child.”
Leah set her teacup down with a bright smile.
“Anyway, the truth doesn’t matter, does it? You know that as well, don’t you?”
“Yes, the truth doesn’t matter.”
Mikhail chuckled lightly. Despite Leah’s absurd statements, he remained unfazed.
“You shouldn’t have brought me here. Now, whatever I say will seem more believable to everyone.”
“You never think in reverse, do you?”
Leah couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling from Mikhail’s calm demeanor.
The gossip about her supposed misconduct had already spread, so it was only natural that rumors about her pregnancy would follow.
Additionally, with many aristocratic men pretending to be respectable in public while secretly keeping mistresses or impulsively flirting with other women, no one would question her situation.
“How can you be sure the child is mine?”
“Well, there’s already been news about me being assaulted at the Duke’s estate, so it only makes sense, doesn’t it?”
Mikhail chuckled again. The reason he had taken her into the carriage was to avoid the unnecessary trouble she would have caused in town.
And he already had a plan for how to handle Leah.
“I’m curious to see what the newspaper articles will say tomorrow.”
“…I just told you.”
“Exactly. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Leah was taken aback. If the news about her pregnancy spread, it would cause trouble for the Duke. Since he had claimed to get along with Emilia, she would be shocked as well.
‘This isn’t the reaction I expected. Something feels off.’
Leah felt uneasy. His overly relaxed attitude, which seemed unchanged from usual, troubled her.
“What do you think will happen when your wife finds out I’m pregnant? Won’t it cause a rift between you two? Does that not concern you?”
She clenched her fist under the table and raised her voice. It was a crude, unrefined threat, but it was the best she could do at that moment.
A crack appeared on his face, which had been so perfectly calm. Leah, unaware of the danger, continued to speak.
“Wasn’t the Loren family once a well-known and respected noble family in the country? Imagine how ashamed your wife must be… Everyone will surely gossip about how the illegitimate child is born before the legitimate one. Is that all? If you don’t accept me into the Duke’s household, your wife will be in trouble too.”
Even if they condemned and punished the affair, if the woman carrying the husband’s child wasn’t accepted, the wife would eventually bear the brunt of the scandal.
In this country, especially among the nobles, having a male heir to continue the bloodline was crucial—even one more child was important.
If the legitimate wife had a child, that might be acceptable. But in a situation like Emilia’s, where no children had been born, if an illegitimate child appeared, the noblewoman’s duty was to turn a blind eye and accept them with grace.
Leah noticed the tension in his well-defined jaw and smirked as she pressed on.
“It’s hard to believe that a couple as harmonious as you two doesn’t have a child yet. Before long, there will be whispers that one of you has a problem. Where do you think those whispers will go?”
Leah looked at Mikhail with eyes filled with glee. His agitation made her continue speaking.
Soon, a fire sparked in his calm eyes, turning into a menacing glare.
“Lady Chevron. Do you have anything else to say?”
At the dangerous tone in his voice, Leah flinched.
“Let them in.”
At his command, the door to the reception room opened, and two men entered.
One was a stableman, and the other a gardener.
Leah looked puzzled by their sudden appearance.
“Why are those men here…?”
They were people she wouldn’t normally have to face. She couldn’t understand why they were called into the Duke’s reception room.
However, it seemed the two men knew exactly why they were there.
“Yes, a little mercy is necessary. After all, everyone has their preferences.”
“…What?”
“Which one do you like more?”
She had no idea what he was talking about.
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