Chapter 228
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
“Then is Dahlia not really to your taste?”
“…What?”
“If not, then why that expression?”
“Sorry.”
“Your Grace, you’re just nervous, aren’t you?”
Kartho interrupted, and Byne nodded.
“Dressed up, you actually look quite the gentleman.”
Mikhail seemed to understand Dahlia’s preferences: tall, well-built, neatly styled hair, and above all, someone who wouldn’t be distracted easily.
He was a solid man.
“Take good care of her.”
“And you of me.”
“When I’m not here, you must protect Dahlia no matter what.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“And Emilia as well.”
“I’ll make sure you have no worries.”
Hearing Byne say all that, Mikhail felt reassured.
‘She might be upset about me sending her, but there’s no other way.’
If he didn’t do this, Mikhail knew she wouldn’t go. He didn’t mention the events soon to unfold in the capital.
Kartho, knowing Mikhail’s thoughts, kept his mouth firmly shut.
❖ ❖ ❖
One by one, carriages began arriving at Duke Heinrich’s estate.
Emilia wore a fairly subdued dress. Since it hadn’t been long since her parents’ funeral, she chose something unremarkable.
“Madam, if you’re tired, it’s okay to rest. Lady Dahlia even said if you’re in the way, you should just stay in your room.”
“…Dahlia?”
Emilia tilted her head slightly.
She was not getting yelled at or getting whipped in frustration, but to rest in her room? Though she had sensed some change recently, hearing it from Dell made it more real.
‘Dahlia is changing.’
Both Mikhail and Dahlia seemed to have changed a little.
After finishing her preparations, Emilia quietly approached the window.
“The estate is going to be full of people.”
“I won’t leave your side, ever.”
Emilia’s hair was still short. She covered it with a wig and hairpiece, but she had to be careful.
Fortunately, the brown dye she had used was mostly gone.
“It’s well fixed, so don’t worry.”
“Thank you.”
Emilia replied without taking her eyes off the carriages outside.
Soon, a carriage bearing the royal crest was seen arriving in the distance.
She clenched her fist tightly. Emilia had reported to the Spiegel newspaper the day she returned to the mansion.
It was no easy decision to expose her family’s disgrace herself, no matter how resolved she was.
Besides…
‘He might get angry.’
She wanted to be as considerate as possible toward Mikhail, who was basically a victim of the recent events.
But if she didn’t tell him, he wouldn’t approve. Without doing this, she felt no change would come. So she mustered her courage.
‘May Bartsch no longer shed innocent blood.’
Emilia composed herself and straightened her back.
She told them not to send the newspapers to the Duke’s estate or the royal family, so everyone else had likely already seen the Spiegel newspaper.
‘Lady Luther might have seen it too.’
But what could she do now? The newspapers had been delivered, and those who faced the truth stood at a crossroads.
She didn’t intend to meddle with their choices. Everyone would stand by what they believed was right.
The consequences would be their own to bear.
She just wanted to correct the misinformation.
❖ ❖ ❖
“My goodness, she’s so beautiful. Truly, a different class.”
“Well, it’s inevitable when she was born that way, isn’t it?”
“I guess you saw the newspaper too. And it seems like she’s recalling a past she had truly forgotten.”
“And on top of that, she’s showing unexpected behavior, so it’s hard to hide the surprise.”
The nobles chatted as they looked at the beautiful Dahlia. Their gazes were soft rather than wary.
Lady Luther quickly realized the atmosphere had changed. Despite her presence, the nobles only offered formal greetings.
Seeing Dahlia standing with Byne, Lady Luther bit her lip sharply.
‘What on earth is going on?’
She hadn’t heard any news. Frantically, she searched for Adrian.
He was calmly drinking wine, appearing uninterested in the engagement from the start.
Lady Luther immediately went to find Countess Ablio.
“Countess Ablio.”
Lady Luther’s patience was wearing thin. She felt widespread disdain and suspicion. The looks aimed at her were strangely sharp.
“…Lady Luther, have you not read the newspaper?”
Countess Ablio glanced around nervously, looking troubled.
“Newspaper?”
Lady Luther’s face twisted naturally. Countess Ablio cleared her throat and whispered in her ear.
“There was an article exposing the truth about the Jalliar royal family. It’s different from what everyone thinks!”
“Who would believe such nonsense and make such a fuss?”
Lady Luther clicked her tongue. It seemed the Spiegel newspaper was playing tricks again.
She began to scrutinize the faces of those attending the engagement one by one.
“If it comes to it, I’ll have to get rid of them all.”
If they wouldn’t side with her, it was better they didn’t exist at all. Lady Luther’s violet eyes shone fiercely.
Countess Ablio quickly scanned the surrounding atmosphere.
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