IBMMLLWAM Chapter 046

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Rachel blinked, not understanding the situation.

“something interesting… You say?”

“Yes.”

Stefan answered briefly, closed the curtain, and spoke in a low voice.

“I might die today. Cian said he would kill me.”

“Kill you? His Highness said something like that to you?”

“Doesn’t it sound strange to you? He didn’t seem like that kind of guy, yet he said he’d kill his friend of twenty years.”

“Why…?”

“It’s all because of you. That’s why I like you.”

“What?”

Stefan laughed to himself, finding something amusing.

“That bastard insisted he didn’t, but I guess he’s finally realized it now.”

Rachel couldn’t understand a single word he was saying.

She wasn’t sure if he was smart or trustworthy as Cian said, but one thing was certain. Stefan was hard for her to comprehend.

“My dream is to live until I’m an old man. I don’t want to die because I angered Cian. So, please do me a favor, don’t lay a finger on me. Got it?”

Rachel nodded.

“Understood. I will make sure not to touch you first.”

“Good.”

Stephan nodded in satisfaction and leaned against the window frame, murmuring as if ecstatic.

“You may not understand what I’m saying right now, but just be patient. You’ll soon find out. Oh, I can’t wait to see what that guy will do next.”

Still, Rachel couldn’t grasp the meaning of his words.

 

* * *

 

“This painting depicts a woman surrounded by flowers, as you probably know…”

Berengella was dressed in the same clothes as the servants, hiding behind a pillar. Spying on Cian as he led a group of nobles around, explaining the artworks.

‘Damn. How can an Archduke talk so much?’

Cian had prepared more than just a few pieces of art. From the hall to the ballroom where the party was held, everything was decorated with artwork.

Cian boasted about his collection as if he’d been waiting for this moment.

At first, the nobles were interested in his explanations, but one by one, they started to get bored. The ladies hid their yawns behind their fans.

Berengella, who’d planned to approach Cian and execute her plan while he was alone, was also getting tired.

‘My legs are sore and I’m hungry.’

The wine lined up on the party table kept catching her eye. Hungry and thirsty, she snuck a few glasses.

Her eyes glazed over and her face turned red, but the wine made her feel good, so she didn’t care.

It was only after circling the ballroom that Cian stopped talking.

“Well, I’ve explained about half. My throat is sore, so I’ll take a short break and then continue. Is that alright with everyone?”

“Ahem. Your throat is sore? That’s not good! You should take a break. Thank you for your hard work.”

“Thank you for your consideration. Please enjoy the party. I’ll return shortly.”

The nobles quickly turned and walked away, afraid Cian would start explaining the works again. Cian sat alone on a chair in the corner of the hall.

Berengella’s heart was pounding violently.

‘Now is the time.’

She placed her wine glass carelessly on a table and approached Cian.

“Your Highness. I have something important to tell you.”

“What is it?”

Cian answered briefly, looking out the window. As he gazed at the starry night sky, he added,

“Speak slowly.”

“Do you remember Countess Rachel Elrosa from the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet? It’s about her.”

Cian’s previously drowsy eyes sharpened.

“Go on.”

Berengella shivered involuntarily but gathered her courage. The wine she’d drunk helped.

“I, well…I am the mother of Count Elrosa. I came all the way here to retrieve something Your Highness took from my son that day.”

“Count Elrosa’s title was stripped due to charges of rebellion. His Majesty the Emperor is still looking for your son. Are you here because you have a death wish?”

“No, no. I don’t know my son’s whereabouts. Unlike him, I haven’t been charged with rebellion. You can’t just take me away.”

It was true that Sigar hadn’t ordered the arrest of Theodore’s family members.

However, it was still dangerous to carelessly reveal herself as the mother of a convicted rebel. She might get caught and be tortured into giving up information about Theodore.

Berengella hadn’t planned to reveal her identity. She initially intended to say she was just running an errand for Rachel.

However, she got drunk while waiting. She didn’t even know what she was babbling about anymore.

“What matters isn’t my son’s crime. What’s important is that Your Highness took my son’s possession. It’s something very special to my daughter-in-law.”

“Daughter-in-law…you mean Lady Rachel.”

“Yes, although the marriage was annulled, she still loves my son dearly. Even before their wedding, she had her room covered with portraits of my son.”

Snap. The armrest of Cian’s chair broke with a strange sound.

Cian looked down at the broken chair indifferently.

“It seems the chair is old.”

“Ahem. Anyway, my daughter-in-law is very distressed because Your Highness took the token of her love she gave to my son. She’s too shy to speak up about it.”

“A token of love. You must mean this.”

Cian put his hand in his pocket and took out a pair of pink cufflinks.

Greed flashed in Berengella’s eyes.

“Yes! That’s it! That’s my retirement fund… No, that’s the token of my daughter-in-law’s love for my son!”

“You mean Rachel wants this back? The item she gave to a person who planned a rebellion.”

“Of course. Rachel still loves Theodore. She wants to return her heart to her ex-husband, who was falsely accused of rebellion and lives in hiding.”

“I understand, but I really want to keep these.”

“Yes, but no matter how much Your Highness wants them, you shouldn’t just take someone else’s possession. Especially such a rare and valuable item.”

“Haha. So, I took someone else’s possession.”

“Didn’t you? It’s a token of love. My daughter-in-law’s love is still strong. It’s not right for you to take them.”

Cian tilted his head as if pondering, then his gaze fell back to the window again.

At that moment, silver fireworks lit up the black night sky.

The nobles exclaimed and gathered by the windows.

“Oh my, fireworks?”

“How beautiful!”

A cold smile appeared on Cian’s lips.

Berengella thought it was a sign she would succeed and got excited.

“Your Highness is a generous man, please return the token of love that my daughter-in-law gifted to my son. I will live in gratitude for the rest of my life if you do.”

“If I give this back, you’ll live in gratitude forever? Does Rachel feel the same?”

“Of course.”

“What if she doesn’t?”

“That’s not possible. Before coming here, she pleaded with me to find those cufflinks.”

“Before coming here, you met Rachel.”

“Yes, she begged me so much that I risked coming here in disguise, thinking of my daughter-in-law.”

“…Is that so. What do you think?”

“What?”

Berengella was startled by the sudden, unexpected polite speech.

The sound of neat footsteps was heard, followed by a beautiful, firm voice.

“Everything she said is nonsense. I don’t love Theodore, nor do I want the cufflinks back. I didn’t meet her before coming here either.”

Berengella spun around in shock.

“Ra-Rachel Elrosa…!”

Stefan, standing beside Rachel, escorting her without holding her hand, frowned.

“Rachel Elrosa? How dare you call my partner this way? You’re very brave.”

“I apologize on her behalf for her rudeness, Your Grace.”

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault.”

“Your Grace the Duke? Rachel, how did you…!”

Ignoring Berengella, Rachel respectfully greeted Cian.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness. Thank you for inviting me. I am Countess Rachel Fram.”

“I’ve been waiting, Countess. It’s good to see you again.”

Rachel smiled softly at the kind greeting.

Berengella’s face turned pale.

“Countess? And Fram… How dare you use that name!”

“You?”

Rachel replied coldly.

“Watch your words. Last time we met, I hadn’t received my title yet, but things are different now.”

“You are speaking nonsense! As for the Fram family, the title of that family, Theodore destroyed…!”

“The Fram name should have originally been mine, along with the title I was meant to inherit. Did you think it would disappear forever because you got rid of it?”

One by one, the eyes of the nobles who were looking outside at the fireworks turned in their direction.

“What’s with this sudden commotion?”

“Who’s that woman? I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before.”

“Isn’t that Countess Rachel, the woman who was given a title only a few days ago?”

“Countess Rachel? Did that servant just call the countess ‘you’?”

“Didn’t she just say something about destroying a title? Is that even possible?”

At the murmuring, Berengella stiffened.

This was the moment Rachel had been waiting for.