Chapter 202
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
“The Duke will never abandon that woman. You know that, which means you have other thoughts in mind, don’t you?”
“Just because I think differently from my brother doesn’t mean I’ll grab your vulgar hand. The blood of the Jalliar dynasty flows through you, but to me, it’s just as disgusting as any other blood.”
“Lower your voice. It’s blasphemous if others hear you.”
Adrian gently wrapped his arm around Dahlia’s waist.
“Vulgar? You said you wouldn’t be moved unless it was someone else’s woman, didn’t you?”
“It would be better if I wasn’t moved at all.”
Adrian’s hand tingled as she fanned herself, narrowing her eyes and hiding her face.
“Just say what you have to say.”
“I made an offer to the Duke, but it was rejected. Do you want to hear it?”
“My brother hasn’t said anything else to me.”
It was something she didn’t need to hear, but now wasn’t the time to avoid it.
“If you and the Duke’s interests don’t align, how about you take my hand?”
“…Me? With you?”
What an absurd idea.
Dahlia didn’t even laugh.
“Marry me and enter the royal family. Since it’s unlikely a woman can become a king, isn’t that enough?”
“That’s not even worth listening to.”
Dahlia looked at the handkerchief in his hand.
“Since I think it’s lost, you can either throw it away or deal with it yourself.”
“The Duke will never let go of that woman. Without him, you have no power. You really think just carrying the bloodline of Bayern will make everyone welcome you?”
“…I could make them welcome.”
“Such a sheltered flower.”
“The Stein dynasty is known for its tyranny, so even if you have the blood of Bayern, who would welcome you?”
“That’s nonsense. No one could have been fooled by that lie!”
“Ask them. Then you’ll know.”
Dahlia bit her lip.
“You don’t seem to understand the current situation. I’ll tell you this—there’s a rising opposition to the royal family in Barthsh.”
“…That’s nonsense.”
Is there really an organization opposed to the royal family?
Dahlia was confused.
“It seems the Duke hasn’t told you anything. You were planning to get back what you lost, but he seems to have other ideas.”
Adrian chuckled lightly. Then, as he passed her, he spoke again.
“I’ll wait for the message to come. If you have something to say, contact me anytime.”
“I won’t join hands unless you hand me the throne. That’s not your place.”
Dahlia widened her eyes.
“Ah, this position? If you want it, I’ll give it to you. Once we’re married, abdication could be arranged, don’t you think?”
His casual attitude about giving up the throne made Dahlia falter.
“If you swear an oath by blood, I might consider it.”
Would he really be true enough to swear by blood?
Dahlia opened her eyes wide, staring at his lips.
“Swear by blood. Let’s do it.”
Her face lit up with joy. If this happened, she wouldn’t need her brother’s power anymore.
Dahlia now had a much more relaxed expression.
Adrian was interested in Emilia. Even if she married him, there would be no connection between them.
She was bothered by the possibility that Emilia might still be alive.
And now, an opportunity had come to scratch where she couldn’t reach herself.
“The Duke’s estate has lost something very important, so my brother’s attention is elsewhere.”
“If you’re going to give me information, give me more.”
“What could my brother not be able to let go of? I think I’ve given you enough.”
Dahlia smiled brightly and left the room.
❖ ❖ ❖
The Duke furrowed his brows as he scanned the list.
“There are more than I thought.”
“Should we meet them all?”
“Follow them discreetly. Check if there’s anyone unfamiliar at the house.”
“Understood. Have you heard that Dahlia left the estate with Sir Byne?”
“No reason to stop her.”
She was a dangerous person for Emilia, but not for others. The reason Sir Byne was with her was to block anyone else trying to approach her.
“They just arrived. According to Sir Byne, there was no significant interaction at the cafe.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. However, it seems someone picked up a handkerchief she dropped.”
“Dahlia dropped a handkerchief?”
“Yes, it seems there was no real contact.”
“Kartho, handkerchiefs are considered ‘tokens of love’ among women. If she dropped it in front of another man, there’s no way it wasn’t intentional.”
“I’ll ask Sir Byne about the person who came into contact with Lady Dahlia.”
“Alright.”
He glanced at his watch, then drank some whiskey to ease his headache.
“Your Grace, you’ve been drinking too much lately.”
“My headache isn’t going away.”
“…I’ll ask the doctor to change your medicine.”
Where could she have gone?
If she was hiding, she must have left Bartsch. Otherwise, how could not a single strand of her hair have been found?
The last conversation with her kept replaying in his mind.
He was haunted by nightmares every night where she was dying in various ways. He would even go to Emilia’s room as though she had come back.
Every day felt like hell for Mikhail. When he woke up, the same day began again, and there was still no news of Emilia.
He had searched all over Bartsch. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say he had been everywhere.
He couldn’t search everywhere properly, but at least he had checked all the likely places.
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