RVMPT Chapter 69

Chapter 69

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Countess Russell led Ella to a lounge at the far end of the party hall.

“This place is empty.”

Unlike the other lounges, which were already occupied, this secluded one had no one inside.

The Countess closed the door leading to the hall and sat on a nearby sofa.

“Sit down, young lady.”

“…Just a moment.”

The curtains covering the terrace fluttered slightly in the breeze.

Since the terrace door wasn’t closed, it meant that no one was outside.

Still, just in case, Ella moved to check the terrace.

But before she could, the Countess snapped impatiently.

“What are you doing? Sit down already.”

“I just need to check—”

“The terrace door isn’t even shut. There’s no one there. How much longer must I keep looking up at you?”

“…Alright. I’m coming.”

There was no point in provoking the Countess’s fiery temper.

More importantly, Ella had something far more urgent to confirm.

As she sat down across from the Countess, she forced herself to remain calm.

“Countess Russell, why aren’t you acting as we discussed?”

The Countess slowly waved her fan and revealed her true thoughts.

“I’ve decided not to make this public.”

“…What do you mean?”

“At first, I planned to do as you suggested—announcing that the Duchess is infertile during this party. But then I thought about it. The Duke has trauma, doesn’t he? He can’t even touch another woman besides Diana.”

“…”

“So, what’s the point of exposing the truth? Instead of that, I realized I could get more benefit by using this knowledge to pressure her.”

Ella clenched her teeth in frustration.

She hadn’t revealed Diana’s supposed infertility so the Countess could selfishly use it.

But there was no point in getting angry now.

If the Countess was going down the wrong path, Ella simply needed to guide her back.

“Is taking advantage of Diana really enough for you? Wouldn’t it be better to become the Duke’s benefactor instead?”

“…His benefactor?”

“Yes, his benefactor.”

The Countess blinked, as if she had never considered that before.

Ella smiled subtly.

“The Duke would surely reward the person who revealed the truth to him.”

“…That’s quite a tempting thought.”

The Countess’s expression grew hazy with intrigue.

‘That’s it. Just fall into my trap.’

People like her were easy to manipulate.

They only saw what was right in front of them and mistook it for the whole picture.

Even if she later realized there were better options, it wouldn’t matter—by then, Ella would have already achieved her goal.

As Ella smirked to herself, the Countess suddenly closed her fan.

Smack!

A sharp crack echoed through the room as Ella’s head snapped to the side.

Stunned, she placed a trembling hand on her burning cheek.

She couldn’t understand what had just happened.

Why?

When she looked up, the Countess’s expression was ice-cold.

“I almost fell for your words. Thanks to you, I’ve insulted the Duchess twice now.”

She scoffed, fanning herself again.

“The Duchess is infertile? Ha… Do you remember what I told you before, young lady?”

“…”

“I don’t take kindly to being used for lies. Be prepared for the consequences.”

The Countess stood up, her words final.

Ella quickly grabbed her wrist.

“I never lied to you! I showed you proof that Diana is infertile! Why are you changing your mind now?”

“Why do you think?”

“Please, Countess! Let’s talk calmly!”

Ella clung to her desperately.

“Let go of me!”

“Please, Countess!”

As the two struggled, a deep voice suddenly cut through the tension.

“What is all this about?”

“…!”

Ella’s heart pounded wildly at the familiar voice.

She slowly turned around, praying she was mistaken.

But fate was cruel.

“…Kaiden.”

His crimson eyes were locked onto her.

Why is he here?!

As if that wasn’t bad enough, he wasn’t alone.

“My wife is infertile?”

Harold’s cold gaze pierced through her.

Ella trembled, clutching the fabric of her white dress.

“…This is a misunderstanding. I wasn’t trying to deceive anyone. Please listen to me.”

“There’s no need to listen. We heard everything from the beginning.”

“…From the beginning?”

Ella’s wide golden eyes darted toward the terrace.

The curtains were slightly open.

Ah… So they were there all along.

She should have checked the terrace.

She had ignored that one crucial moment, and now it had led to disaster.

Panic surged through her. She had to find a way out.

“Duke, I was just as shocked when I learned the truth! The Garcia family’s doctor—”

“Enough.”

“Please, just check for yourself! If I’m wrong, you can punish me however you wish!”

Ella knew how to use her appearance to gain trust.

She had learned through experience what voice, what expressions, and what words were most convincing.

And she knew that men, in particular, were easily swayed.

If I can just make them confirm it, then my lie will become the truth.

Even if the Countess was acting strangely, she was certain Diana was infertile.

As long as they checked, everything would go as planned.

Ella pressed forward with confidence.

“Duke, won’t you feel uneasy if you don’t confirm it? You’ll be deceived for the rest of your life.”

Harold answered without hesitation.

“Yes.”

“…What?”

Ella was momentarily stunned.

Harold continued, his tone completely indifferent.

“I’d rather stay blind my entire life than hurt my wife with meaningless words.”

“….”

Is he insane?

If someone told you that you were being deceived, wouldn’t you want to know the truth?

Wouldn’t you want to confirm it, be disappointed, and leave Diana?

But instead, he said he’d rather be blind than risk hurting her?

How is that even possible?

Ella’s breath came in short, uneven gasps.

Her mind reeled, unable to comprehend the absurdity of his response.

She snapped back to her senses when Harold’s cold, sharp voice pierced through the air.

“I will formally file a complaint against the Garcia Count family for this.”

“…Your Grace.”

“I have no interest in listening to your filthy whispers any longer.”

Even the elegant smile that had always graced Harold’s face was gone.

“If I hear any more, I might just want to kill you myself.”

“…!”

Ella’s face turned deathly pale as she felt the murderous intent directed at her.

For a moment, she wasn’t sure if the man standing before her was human or a force of destruction ready to take her life in an instant.

She struggled to breathe, letting out a strangled gasp.

As a noble lady, she had never faced such pure, unfiltered bloodlust before. It was overwhelming, and even staying on her feet became difficult.

Just as fear and despair threatened to consume her, a shadow fell over her.

“Brother, please stop. She is my fiancée.”

Kaiden stepped in, shielding her as he tried to calm Harold down. Their gazes clashed in midair.

“As the head of the Baisen family, I must say, your taste in women worries me.”

“…”

“She is still your fiancée, so I won’t kill her here. Take her away.”

The suffocating tension in the room finally eased.

Ella stared blankly at Kaiden’s back.

‘Kaiden… helped me.’

Even though she had acted against the image of the perfect wife he desired, he still called her his fiancée. And he had saved her from that terrifying situation.

‘…Does this mean Kaiden believes I’m innocent?’

As long as she could hold on to her position as the fiancée of Baisen’s future head, the situation wasn’t completely hopeless.

Ella forced the corners of her lips to curl upward.

Kaiden grabbed her arm and led her out of the lounge.

He dragged her into one of the guest rooms near the party hall.

Bang!

The door slammed shut behind them.

As Ella stood there wide-eyed, Kaiden glared at her and growled through clenched teeth.

“Ella, just what kind of woman are you?”

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• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Freya• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •

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Advance chapters of this novel are available of my kofi channel

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