Chapter 194
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
The change in her appearance was enough that even those who knew her wouldn’t recognize her immediately.
As she stopped by the café to buy some cookies for those who would be working hard, her eyes caught sight of a newsstand.
“…Huh?”
She blinked in disbelief. Walking forward, she pulled out the Muven newspaper.
After paying for it, she immediately started reading the headline on the first page.
[Duke Heinrich, who ultimately destroyed the Loren family.
The royal family has been indifferent to this, though discussions about his actions and possible punishment are expected to arise at the upcoming parliament session.
Some people claim the royal family was involved, but it’s widely believed that only those placed by Duke Heinrich survived.
Duchess Loren was never found in the devastated estate and reportedly passed away before the Duke arrived.
The details of her death remain unclear, but it’s undeniable that Duke Heinrich was involved.]
Her hands trembled as she gripped the newspaper.
In the end, it was Mikhail who brought everything to an end. Now the next target would likely be Adrian.
Emilia had become indifferent to her father’s death. The end of the Loren family was tragic and pointless.
Yet, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief.
“Ah…”
Tears flowed against her will. She would likely never see the roses of the Loren family again.
Sorrow and anger stirred within her. Her father had been a demon, and he had never been a good parent to her. That was why she had decided to abandon the Loren family.
‘I must stay calm.’
Emilia slowly continued to read the Muven newspaper. There was no mention of the rebuttal article from Duke Heinrich.
In truth, it was not surprising that Mikhail had killed her father. From the start, he must have planned to finish off the Loren family with his own hands.
Now that she was gone, there was no longer any need to hesitate.
Everything was over, so why was he still searching for her?
‘Could it be…?’
Emilia placed her hand on her stomach. If he also wanted to end it, she would never allow things to go the way he wanted.
Now, she had a family she needed to protect.
Before learning of her mother’s death, she had planned to tell him the truth. But now, that was unnecessary.
He already knew about the contraceptives, so no matter how much she claimed the child was his, he wouldn’t believe her.
“I will protect them, no matter what.”
She wouldn’t let him take her family away again.
Clutching the newspaper, Emilia returned to the streets of Delphora.
❖ ❖ ❖
Mikhail no longer felt anger at the incessant rain. A whole month had passed without him realizing it.
“Sir, Miss Boestin has returned.”
“She must have gotten everything she wanted, so there’s no reason for her to stay here anymore.”
It was clear that Boestin had been staying because of Emilia. Without her, Boestin showed no interest in being there. It was better for everyone if she didn’t meddle and cause trouble with her unpredictable behavior.
“Lady Dahlia has improved significantly. Miss Boestin said if she stays in her room too long, her illness might return, so she suggested letting her go out.”
“…If we allow her to go out and something happens.”
“Your Grace.”
“Attach Byne to her. Make sure she avoids unnecessary contact with others.”
“We can’t keep delaying her debutante ball. She’s already been seen, and we need to formally introduce her to high society.”
“A debutante ball without Emilia here? That’s out of the question.”
“Lady Dahlia won’t tolerate it. You know that, don’t you?”
“Tell her to endure. I don’t want any more issues. Let her know.”
Mikhail couldn’t focus on anything else.
His mind was consumed with thoughts of Emilia. He didn’t even know if she was alive, and it was slowly eating him up inside.
“Have preparations for the parliament been made?”
“Don’t worry about it. Focus on finding Emilia.”
“Everyone is doing their best, but King Adrian is expanding his influence, and we can’t just sit back.”
“‘Expanding his influence’…”
Mikhail didn’t like that phrasing.
“The voices of the royal opposition are getting louder, so something will happen soon.”
“The atmosphere is definitely uneasy. It’s best to be prepared on our side as well.”
“I have no evidence tying me to the murder of the Loren family. You know that better than anyone.”
Kartho nodded. They had been extremely cautious in their actions.
“Kartho, do they still need more training?”
“A little more should be helpful. Given that dogs have such a keen sense of smell, it could be effective in finding Madam’s scent.”
Mikhail pressed his temples. Recently, they had been training dogs to track Emilia’s scent at the estate.
It was a slim chance, but he wanted to find her, no matter what.
As time passed, it felt like the blood in his body was slowly drying up.
“Could she really be dead? The fact that she hasn’t sent out a rebuttal article and isn’t coming to kill me means you might be right.”
The hope that she was alive was starting to fade.
“Your Grace, you really should eat today. You haven’t been eating properly lately.”
“I won’t die from not eating for a while.”
He had experienced far worse hunger. The real torment was not being able to find anything related to her.
“Kartho, a few days ago when I was in town, I sensed a scent that resembled hers.”
It was so similar that it almost made him believe she was alive.
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