Chapter 70
Cairn’s eyes narrowed, about to answer “Nothing at all.”
“You just have to promise me one thing.”
Lilien, eager to show she’d agree to anything, nodded enthusiastically.
“Don’t ever be with another man. That’s all I want. Just promise me you’ll protect the Headington name and not get tangled up in any scandals.”
It wasn’t really about scandal. Even if Lilien ran around with other men, it’s not like anyone would have the nerve to gossip about it in front of Cairn—or that his family name would be tarnished by something so trivial.
He just threw out the word ‘scandal’ as an excuse, a convenient cover for what he really wanted.
“That’s it? That’s all?”
“That’s all.”
“Isn’t that a bit of a bargain for me…?”
“Lilien de Bermore. If you know it’s a bargain, sign already. That’s what a mature adult would do.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Lilien finally set her pen to paper, drawing a determined signature in elegant strokes. Deep down, she’d been waiting for a hand to pull her out of her struggles, and now she’d fallen right into his.
With soft, trusting eyes, she slowly wrote out her full name.
‘Lilien de Bermore’
When Cairn saw her name written there for what would likely be the last time, a victorious smile played on his lips.
What a perfectly legitimate form of coercion. He’d finally gotten the woman he desperately wanted. Rising from his seat, he pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.
* * *
In the smoking room just next door, the bishop sat on the sofa, completely bewildered. Could this really be called a proper marriage? He felt faint.
“What in the world just happened?”
“It’s confusing, I know.”
The lawyer beside him said, pushing up her glasses as she finished notarizing everything with the witness.
“But sometimes you just have to accept things without overthinking them.”
“Didn’t you say she was unwell? She seems perfectly healthy—so why drag me all the way here…?”
“She wasn’t well, not that she was an invalid. I heard she’s just a bit sickly. It’s not a lie.”
“Does any of this make sense?”
“It’s only strange because no one’s ever gotten married like this before. But there’s no rule saying it can’t be done.”
“Is it really okay to handle things this way?”
Half of this felt like outright coercion. Wasn’t this basically intimidating a naive woman?
He looked for any sign of legal issue. But the lawyer, sensing his doubts, answered without blinking.
“If you’re wondering about the legal side, there’s no problem here.”
Having already been thoroughly cross-examined by Cairn, the lawyer was almost serene about it all. The bishop, lost in thought, glanced toward the couple saying goodbye in the next room.
As the man pressed a kiss to the woman’s hand, was it his imagination, or did she smile a little?
Maybe it was just his own guilty conscience conjuring up an image of happiness to justify what he’d just witnessed. Because at this point, there was no going back. He decided to call it a smile, and signed off.
“Oh, by the way—the donation will be processed next month.”
The bishop signed the last document without another word.
* * *
Christian finally returned. And just as Lilien was drifting along in a daze after everything that had happened, reality came crashing back.
People in Baltan were nothing if not efficient. Already, rumors had spread that the two of them had secretly gotten married.
Coming back from town, Christian overheard the wild gossip and was absolutely livid.
Then suddenly realized, with a sinking feeling, that if anyone was crazy enough to actually do something like this, it would be Cairn. He went straight to the church and heard the unthinkable news for himself.
“Lilien de Bermore.”
Christian’s called her name coldly. Lilien, who had been staring vacantly at the table in the fading light, jumped to hide the documents.
“Don’t move—”
His warning froze her in place as he started turning over the papers, his hands shaking.
A long, heavy silence filled the room. Just as Lilien began to hope maybe he’d let it go, he erupted.
“I told you not to get into trouble, didn’t I, Lilien de Bermore!”
Lilien had never seen Christian this angry in her entire life, and her shoulders hunched in on themselves.
“What are you going to do now? I went to the church and found out you’d already signed the marriage certificate before I could do anything!”
“Al-already?”
“Already?!”
Lilien, hands trembling, gripped her skirts beneath the table.
“Did you just say already?”
“I-I didn’t realize things would move so fast…”
“Marriage isn’t some childish game, Lilien!”
“Christian, at least let me explain—”
“Not another word!”
He tried to hide it, but Christian was struggling, too. And Lilien knew it better than anyone.
Discussion
0 CommentsReactions
No comments yet.