Chapter 201
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
The nobles might only suspect her, but they were different. They had witnessed the fall of Bayern firsthand, so they would remember it clearly.
“I wonder what their faces will look like.”
Since she hadn’t even had her debutante yet, they must be very curious about her.
Dahlia couldn’t wait to get out to the café.
She wondered if her prediction was right—whether the royal family would make contact. As she was about to board the carriage after leaving the mansion, Byne approached her.
“What’s the matter?”
“His Grace ordered me to accompany you.”
“You mean to keep watch?”
“It’s an escort. It’s dangerous to be out alone with just one maid.”
“You call it an escort, but it’s really surveillance, isn’t it?”
“If you don’t let me accompany you, you won’t be able to leave the mansion. It’s your brother’s concern.”
“Ha!”
Dahlia scoffed. With a guard beside her, it would be difficult to make contact. This would veer her away from the path she had planned.
But if she refused to go with him, leaving the mansion might become impossible.
“Well, if my brother is concerned, I have no choice.”
Dahlia glanced at Byne as he got into the carriage, then turned her head away.
Still, she felt a bit pleased to be out of the mansion after such a long time.
“He doesn’t seem to think that woman is dead.”
“His Grace is considering that possibility as well.”
“Considering it? I think she’s either dead or has left the country. Ah!”
Dahlia blinked at Byne.
Her red eyes sparkled.
“Don’t you think Sister Boestin knows something? Maybe she’s helping her.”
“We had people follow her on the way back, but no unusual activity was found.”
“Hmm, really?”
There was no way Emilia would have anyone on her side here. The Loren family had been wiped out, and with Adrian as king, it was unlikely that any family would go against him and help her.
Dahlia was, in many ways, satisfied with the current situation. The woman who had bothered her was gone, and the Loren family was finished.
Now, all that was left were Adrian and his supporters.
“Sir Byne, do you think my brother would bring her back if she was still alive?”
“……”
“That’s why I wish she were dead. I don’t want to kill her myself. That’s not something for me to do.”
She opened the carriage door wide. It seemed like the rain had lightened up compared to before.
“I wish the rain wouldn’t stop.”
If her traces were still out there, she wanted to erase them all.
The woman who was shaking her brother should not exist.
❖ ❖ ❖
It was an unexpected surprise. He hadn’t expected to meet her at all.
Adrian sat on the terrace, staring at the woman sitting there, with his face hidden behind a newspaper. The woman didn’t seem to care about hiding who she was, brushing her radiant golden hair back with her hand.
‘Knowing she’s Bayern, I really should’ve figured it out earlier.’
Her sparkling red eyes were reading the menu.
He had been surprised when he first met the Duke. But this was on another level—the golden hair was different. Even on gloomy days, she shone as if she was bathed in light.
‘How annoying.’
His opinion hadn’t changed. Whether she was Duke Heinrich’s cousin or the last remaining bloodline of Bayern, she was the same.
He would never forget the contemptuous gaze and the expression that made him feel like a bug. Above all, he despised Bayern. Those who carried its bloodline shared a common view toward bastards.
Adrian stayed silent, watching for the right moment.
Dahlia stood up suddenly after gazing out at the rainy scenery for a while. The guard standing next to her had obviously received orders from the Duke.
People who recognized her kept glancing at her but didn’t approach. Adrian was also waiting for the right opportunity when, unexpectedly, Dahlia started walking toward him.
He quickly raised the newspaper to cover his face.
“Oh my.”
A handkerchief fell to the ground. As Adrian bent down to pick it up, her face suddenly came into close view.
“You weren’t here looking for me, were you?”
“…Oh.”
“You made me take the first step—what a gentleman you are.”
“I’m not the gentlemanly type of king.”
“Pfft.”
Her shoulders shook with a laugh before she motioned with her head toward him.
“Follow me. I don’t think we can have a proper conversation here with all these prying eyes.”
“You’re giving me orders?”
“You don’t want to be treated like the King, do you?”
Her once clear voice suddenly turned cold and chilling.
Adrian smiled as he watched Dahlia walk away. Only after some time did he slowly get up, quietly making his way toward the place she had disappeared, careful not to be noticed by the Duke’s guard.
“You’re late. What was it that you wanted to talk about? I have a feeling you’ve figured out Bayern’s secret.”
Dahlia crossed her arms and glared at Adrian.
“You and the Duke seem to be growing distant these days. Is there a problem, like conflicting interests, for example?”
“Should it matter? I guess it’s what the royal family wants—my brother and I to grow apart.”
“The Duke’s obsession with Emilia is strong. But from what I’ve seen of you, you don’t seem too fond of her, do you?”
“…My brother’s hatred for the Loren family runs deep.”
Dahlia didn’t reveal her true feelings. She couldn’t figure out what he was thinking when approaching her.
Adrian stepped closer to her.
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