The Male Lead’s Father Refuses to Break Off Our Engagement

Chapter 12

 

“Count Venion is known externally to care for Lady Venion, but as a result of the investigation, Lady Venion was neglected inside the mansion.”

Cassis’ aide, Logan, calmly continued his explanation.

As one of the most competent aides in the Empire, he brought Cassis the information he wanted in just one day.

“On the other hand, it seems that the Countess has been abusing Lady Venion all along. It seems that she used her class etiquette as an excuse, starve her daughter or lock her in a warehouse.”

While hearing about the corporal punishment inflicted on Evelia by Countess Venion, Cassis felt a sense of déjà vu.

These were all things his father had done to him. Traces of abuse that passed without knowing in childhood.

The corporal punishment disappeared after Julia, who found out about it later, complained to our father. But he couldn’t protect his sister from being abused.

I should have kept doing it instead of Julia.

I knew in my head that Julia and Evelia were different people, but Julia’s brightly smiling face was repeatedly drawn over Evelia’s face.

Cassis opened his mouth with his eyes closed.

“Physical abuse?”

Logan set the report down on the desk and continued his explanation.

“There was no physical abuse.”

“That can’t be right.”

Cassis picked up the report, and as Logan had said, there was no mention of physical abuse.

However, Cassis clearly saw the wound on Evelia’s arm yesterday.

Evelia clumsily lied that it was from fall, but she and he both knew it wasn’t a simple wound from falling.

Thinking about the bruises he saw yesterday, Cassis stood up impulsively.

“Master?”

“I will go to the Venion Mansion.”

“What are you doing at the Venion Mansion all of a sudden?”

“I have something to check.”

He put on the coat given to him by the servant and immediately left the mansion.

But he couldn’t even figure out why he was doing this impulsively. I just felt like I needed to recheck the scars I saw yesterday.

He would ask Evelia once again how she got hurt…

‘After that?’

What if Evelia had been abused by Count Venion?

However, before he could give an answer, the carriage arrived at the Venion Mansion.

However, the atmosphere of the employees who found him was unusual.

Even the butler, who led him into the drawing room, spoke cautiously to him.

“Lady Evelia says she can’t see the Duke because she’s not feeling well right now. How about coming back next time?”

She’s not feeling well. When he saw her yesterday, Evelia only had that wound, but her condition seemed fine.

That must mean something else isn’t right.

Cassis noticed a strange nuance in the butler’s words and insisted strongly.

“I must see Lady Venion. Right Now.”

 

2. The male lead’s father is strange

The messy day passed, and the next day.

‘It’s a mess.’

Evelia laughed as she looked at her face in the mirror.

The left cheek that Countess Venion had hit was swollen, and her lips were torn.

It was a natural result since she was slapped on the cheek yesterday and not treated properly. Annie anxiously applied a compress, but it wasn’t enough.

Still, I wasn’t feeling too bad. Annie had just given me some good news.

‘Derek fell down the stairs?’

Upon hearing it, she said that one of his legs seemed to be broken. Again, a tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye, and an accident for an accident.

You probably won’t be able to call a priest who can treat that.

It wouldn’t be easy to call such a priest with the wealth and reputation of the Venion family.

‘I won’t be able to see his face for a while.’

Due to Derek’s self-important personality, he won’t come limping. I felt better knowing I didn’t have to see that ugly face.

‘I’m going to rest in my room on the excuse that I’m sick today.’

However, Evelia’s plan didn’t last long.

It’s because Annie suddenly told me that a guest had arrived while I was lying in bed after eating lunch.

“Guest?”

Evelia hugged the pillow and wondered. Despite being twenty-two this year, ‘Evelia’ didn’t socialize at all, and no one had ever come to visit her.

So, when I asked, Annie said with a pale face as if she had seen a ghost.

“It’s Duke Adelhard!”

“Ah…”

Apparently, Cassis came to give an answer to the break up engagement. It was unexpected that he came suddenly without contact, but it was good news.

Evelia, who was about to get ready and leave, was startled when she suddenly saw herself in the mirror.

‘You can’t go anywhere like this.’

It seemed that her swollen face would not be covered even with makeup. It wasn’t a good look for anyone to see.

Evelia had no choice but to refuse Cassis’ visit.

“I’m not feeling well today, so please tell him to come back next time.”

“Yes!”

However, Annie, who sprinted away, returned a moment later with a pale face.

“Lady…”

“Why?”

“The Duke says he must see the lady.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know that either. He said he would wait in the drawing room until the lady came out.”

Evelia rubbed her throbbing head.

I didn’t know why Cassis was so ridiculously stubborn, his personality meant that if he said he wasn’t going back, he would mean it.

There was only one way. For Evelia to meet him.

“I have to prepare, so tell him to wait a little longer.”

“Would it be okay?”

Annie glanced worriedly at Evelia’s face.

“You said he wouldn’t go back, so there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“All right.”

Evelia gave herself a quick wash and left the bathroom while Annie went back out.

Back in the room, Annie, who had been waiting for her, dried her hair.

With Annie’s help, Evelia worked hard on her makeup. Her makeup was heavier than usual, but it couldn’t hide her swollen cheeks and lips.

‘I’m sure he’ll find out.’

It was Cassis who noticed the bruises on her arms. There was no way he wouldn’t recognize this.

Normally, he would have shrugged it off. She figured that since she and Cassis weren’t really engaged, he’d pretend not to notice a scar.

‘But…’

Evelia remembered Cassis’ actions she had seen yesterday.

The way he’d stared at the wound on her wrist, his face hardening as he questioned her. He’d even mentioned ‘fiancé’.

She couldn’t imagine how Cassis would react if he noticed the scar.

Would he be as angry as he was yesterday, or would he pretend he didn’t see it?

If he responds sensitively like yesterday and questions me, what should I say?

The scars on her face wouldn’t be able to cover up the fall like yesterday.

As Evelia’s face darkened, Annie became even more wary.

“What shall we do, miss. It’s too obvious. If the Duke notices this…”

The world didn’t know the real reason why Evelia was betrothed to Cassis. So there was a not-so-subtle rumor among the nobility that the two were actually having a secret love affair.

Otherwise, Cassis would have no reason to be engaged to Evelia, who was clearly out of place.

Annie seemed to support the ‘secret love story between Evelia and Cassis’.

Perhaps Annie was imagining a scene in which Cassis gets angry when he sees her lover hurt.

Evelia spoke to Annie with a sigh.

“Bring me a hat. The one with the widest brim I have.”

“Yes, lady.”

Annie went to the closet, her shoulders drooping sullenly. Soon she came with a yellow picnic hat.

The hat, which was made to block out the sun, had a brim the size of Evelia’s face.

Evelia pulled her hat down. But she couldn’t completely cover her chapped lips. Besides she looked incredibly suspicious.

‘It can’t be helped.’

I can only hope Cassis doesn’t see it.

Evelia left the room, receiving Annie’s worried stare.

It was when she walked to the drawing room, ignoring the maids who were whispering.

“Lady.”

The butler stood in front of her.

“You’d better go back to your room.”

“I heard that Duke Adelhard is looking for me.”

“Madam is talking to the Duke right now.”

As soon as she heard the word ‘Madam’, Evelia felt something was wrong.

After all, hadn’t she told Countess Venion at dinner yesterday that Cassis had seen her scars?

Perhaps the Countess of Venion was at a loss by now, looking at Cassis. If she appeared in front of them like this, it would be very funny.