Chapter 51
In the end, his father gave up trying to change his mind and left for the separate residence after warning him to behave properly so no more baseless rumors would spread.
Now, whether he liked it or not, he would have to follow Juliana’s suggestion and at least put on a show of sleeping together.
Only then would these messy rumors disappear, and he wouldn’t have to endure pressure from both their families.
As he thought about that, Juliana’s words suddenly came back to him.
‘You’re the one who told me to take a lover.’
The moment he remembered her words, his grip on the pen tightened unconsciously.
Was she really involved with Silverstel’s second son like that?
She was a woman who constantly talked about sleeping together, so it wouldn’t be strange if she’d had that kind of relationship with another man.
She had even said with her own mouth that she needed an allowance so she could take a lover.
Kallion’s brow furrowed before he realized it.
Just as she’d said, he was the one who had first suggested she take a lover, yet he couldn’t understand why it felt so unpleasant.
Something stifling and burning boiled inside him, as though he’d swallowed a ball of fire.
Right, it must be because he disliked the idea that a woman who would soon be sharing his bed had done that with another man.
Unlike the promiscuous Juliana, he had a clean body and no interest in women.
Thinking about it only made him angrier.
A woman who had followed him around before their marriage, making it painfully obvious how much she liked him.
And then the moment they were married, her feelings changed and she’d already taken a lover.
‘So I’m a fish she’s already caught, is that it?’
As all sorts of thoughts kept surfacing, Kallion irritably swept back his hair and rose.
Thinking some cold air might clear his head, he threw the window wide open.
Then his gaze happened to fall on Juliana, sitting leisurely in the garden reading a book.
He stared at her in silence for a long while before speaking indifferently.
“Layla.”
At his call, Layla, who had been working at the auxiliary desk, smiled sweetly as though she’d been waiting for him to speak.
“Yes, Lord Kallion.”
“Look into Silverstel’s second son.”
Layla’s expression instantly stiffened.
Kallion didn’t notice because he was still looking out the window.
“You mean Lloyd de Silverstel?”
“Yes.”
At once, Layla remembered Juliana staring at Lloyd in front of the Vas Guild building.
She had said they were meeting for the first time, but Layla remembered the strangely wistful look in Juliana’s eyes.
“Why him…”
At Layla’s puzzled question, Kallion answered coldly.
“I should at least know what kind of man might be my wife’s lover.”
Whatever he was imagining, Kallion’s expression hardened menacingly.
Layla stared at his profile and anxiously clasped both hands together.
* * *
I let out a faint sigh as I looked down at the letter Kate had handed me.
This was already Lloyd’s third letter.
Once again, the sender wasn’t written on it, but if he kept sending letters like this, there was a risk that someone else might discover them.
‘Was he always this reckless…’
In my previous life, he had been incredibly patient and always considerate toward me.
But the Lloyd of this life seemed somehow more forward…
Of course, it was probably only interest as a friend.
I stared at the part of the letter where he said he wanted to see my face just once to make sure I was alright.
Then I threw the letter into the fireplace and burned it.
After hesitating for a long while, I called Kate.
“Could you bring me some paper and a pen? An envelope too.”
At my calm request, Kate answered energetically.
“Yes, Madam!”
I took the paper Kate brought me and spent another long while thinking.
At this rate, Lloyd would clearly keep sending letters under the pretext of friendship.
I couldn’t explain it, but I was certain he would.
So I decided I needed to reject him clearly.
I was going to leave this place once I had Denion anyway.
For someone like me, friendship was a luxury.
Having an ex-husband as a friend even more so.
After thinking it over, I wrote a concise message on the paper.
It was a request to meet Lloyd.
The location was a small coffee shop on the outskirts of the busy district.
With the way he was now, it seemed I would have to face him directly and make my refusal clear before he understood.
I also thought that was the least courtesy I owed him.
I wrote only two short lines, a brief greeting and the place where we would meet, then sealed the letter and handed it to Kate.
Like Lloyd, I left the sender unnamed.
“Please deliver this to the Silverstel estate.”
At my request, Kate answered with a solemn expression.
“Leave it to me, Madam!”
“You need to hand it directly to the courier without letting anyone else in the estate find out.”
“Of course!”
Kate answered spiritedly and carefully tucked the sealed letter into her clothes.
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