Chapter 15
“Julieta Yang. One knows, the other doesn’t.”
Lisa, who had been silently listening to the conversation so far, interjected.
She stared at Julieta defiantly with her arms crossed.
“If we’re caught as fake lovers, do you think Douglas Youngsik will just stand by?”
“Uh… well…”
“Why do you think Douglas Youngsik gave us so much money? If we don’t keep the secret, we’re dead to him.”
Ah… sighs escaped from various places.
There was no way to avoid the mines no matter which side they chose. Quite literally, everything around them was a minefield.
Ariadne, Jeffrey, they could easily get rid of the young ones gathered here if they wanted to.
So they had to choose.
Ariadne’s mine, Jeffrey’s mine, the best choice to avoid them both.
“Everyone! I’m going into exile!”
A lively voice broke the silence and echoed in the room.
At that moment, the gazes of the four people around the table all turned to one place.
There was Maria, calmly eating cake.
“…Exile?”
Bianca, who belatedly came to her senses, asked in a bewildered voice.
The other young ones were the same.
They all looked at Maria with surprised expressions they couldn’t hide.
Tap.
Maria, finally setting down her fork, raised her head sharply.
She nodded with a bright face that didn’t fit the current situation at all.
“Yes! Exile! The only way for us to survive is exile!”
Then Maria opened the box and took out a yellow diamond.
The young ones also turned their gaze to the yellow diamond as if enchanted.
A small yellow gem between Maria’s fingers sparkled in the sunlight.
“Think about it. This gem is too valuable to give to an unfaithful fiancé. If we sell this gem, we can easily establish ourselves anywhere outside the empire.”
“…”
“So, Veloa Youngsik didn’t just give us this gem to eat and leave. It’s like telling us to eat and go far away.”
“…”
“In other words, don’t ever dare to meddle with the Fertian Empire again. So, if we want to survive, the only answer is exile!”
As Maria finished speaking, there was silence in the room for a while.
The fact that there was no immediate rebuttal meant that everyone to some extent agreed with her words.
In fact, they all knew. They just didn’t want to admit it.
“If they were to survive, there was no choice but to abandon everything they had built up until now and run away. It was inevitable. In order to survive in the Fertian Empire, they had to become enemies with Veloa Youngae.”
No matter how fake it was, they had portrayed Jeffrey Douglas’s lover.
The price of meddling with Ariadne’s fiancé would be severe.
“I agree with Maria Yang’s opinion. Staying here would only lead to certain death at the hands of Veloa Youngae.”
After a long silence, Lisa spoke up.
She tapped the luxurious box in front of her with a sharp gaze.
“Even if Veloa Youngae doesn’t kill us, we won’t be safe as long as we have the Yellow Diamond. We’ll either be murdered by thieves aiming for it or get involved with people from the underworld for no reason.”
It was cruel, but more than anything, it was realistic.
They had no power to protect the Yellow Diamond.
Though there were no signs yet, rumors in social circles were like wildfire.
Soon, rumors would spread that they had received the Yellow Diamond from Ariadne, making them even more vulnerable.
So, it was wise to flee before that happened.
Bianca nodded in agreement. “Right. Anyway, Douglas Youngsik wouldn’t care whether we live or die. There’s nothing here to protect us.”
“Yeah. But we can’t just give the Yellow Diamond back to Veloa Youngae. It might cause trouble if they think I’m disrespecting his sincerity.”
“Exactly. It’s rare that Lisa Yang and I are having a conversation that goes smoothly.”
Bianca chuckled with her fan covering her mouth.
Though they were usually at odds, they communicated surprisingly well in this situation.
Lisa, too, didn’t seem displeased as she smirked.
Then, she picked up the box and stood up.
“In that sense, I’ll take my leave now. Actually, I’ve already booked a carriage.”
As soon as Lisa finished speaking, Bianca raised her hand casually.
“Oh my, you’re so fast. Is there room for us in there?”
“Well, if we squeeze, about five people can fit. How about it? Are you coming with us?”
Lisa’s gaze turned to the three people still sitting at the table.
“Of course! Please take me with you!”
Maria put down her tea eagerly and nodded vigorously.
And even Julieta , who seemed to hesitate for a moment, replied firmly that she would go with them.
Now, only Isabella was left.
The gaze of the four fell on Isabella.
“Um, um… I, I…”
Isabella gripped her trembling hands tightly together.
‘…W, What should I do?'”
Isabella couldn’t make up her mind at all. She felt like her mind was going blank.
Of course, she knew leaving the empire was the most rational thing to do.
But, but…
Confusing emotions surged within her. Leaving like this was too sudden.
There were still too many unresolved things for Isabella.
Sometimes she felt resentment, but she also loved her family.
Not overly cozy but serene and warm home.
The walking path where the Lysianthus flowers always bloomed.
The old bookstore near the house with the smell of paper.
And… And… Douglas Young-sik.
Nothing was sorted out.
Moreover, if Isabella left like this, her family would really end up on the streets.
So Isabella made another irrational choice. Even if it seemed foolish.
“I, I still… I think I should say goodbye to my parents…”
“….”‘
“So, please go ahead. I’ll be fine, really.”
“….”
“I hope you all settle in a good place. Even though I know you’ll manage well even without my wishes…”
Isabella smiled faintly.
She had just learned about it not long ago, but they were all smart people; they would quickly settle down. Now with the yellow diamond, they would lead a much more prosperous life than before.
It was a pity she couldn’t be with them. They were all good people…
Isabella shook her head weakly.
A deep shadow fell before her.
“Isabella, I won’t say much.”
Lisa stood in front of her.
She placed her hand on Isabella’s head and lightly tapped it.
“Please, take care of yourself.”
At those words, Isabella burst into a faint smile.
‘Ah, they really are good people.’
Without asking anything, they just bid her farewell.
Isabella was truly grateful for that.
‘I guess I should give this to my parents.’
Isabella thought as she fiddled with the diamond in her pocket.
Selling the yellow diamond would help resolve some of the Cromwell family’s debts.
That way, they could at least put out the urgent fires. Then they could gather the remaining money and seek asylum in another country.
They might not live luxuriously, but it wouldn’t be a bad life. At least they wouldn’t be harassed by debt collectors like now.
Having planned her own course of action, Isabella knocked on her father’s study door.
Knock, knock—
“…Who’s there? Come in.”
Her father’s drunken voice came from inside the room.
Isabella took a deep breath and opened the study door.
“Oh, Father… I…”
“Hm? Isabella? You’ve come at a good time!”
Upon seeing Isabella, Cromwell Senior beamed brightly.
He even threw away the bottle of alcohol he was holding and rushed towards his daughter in one step.
‘Ugh. The smell of alcohol…’
The scent of alcohol wafted from Cromwell Senior. Sure enough, it seemed he had drunk heavily today as well.
‘I guess it’s better to tell him about the yellow diamond tomorrow.’
It was impossible to have a serious conversation with a drunk person.
So Isabella reluctantly smiled and supported Cromwell Senior.
“Father, you’re quite drunk. Let me help you to the bedroom.”
“What? No, I’m not drunk… Hm! I had something important to tell you.”
“….”
Seeing her father hiccuping constantly, it was clear he was very drunk.
But Cromwell Senior stubbornly opened his eyes wide.
Then he rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, which he handed to Isabella.
“Isabella, take this.”
Isabella looked at the paper with a puzzled expression.
The paper turned out to be nothing other than a debt acknowledgment in Isabella’s name.
Isabella’s head spun for a moment.
“…Father, what is this?”
At Isabella’s question, Cromwell Senior smirked mischievously.
“I’ve decided to invest in a new railway project this time. Since I need money urgently, I’ve used your name for a bond.”
“But… But… How could you use a bond without my consent?!”
Frowning, Isabella protested.
At this, Cromwell Senior clicked his tongue in disapproval.
“I’ve raised you all these years, how much trouble do you think I’ve gone through? And all you can do is get angry over this little thing?”
