Riley walks into the room and locks the door behind her.
“Madam, let’s open the door and have a chat first.”
Leaning against the door, she squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t want to look. Now she could no longer believe anything he said.
“I want to be alone, so please leave.”
“Do you think locking the door will keep me out?”
Riley chewed her lip at the sound of Theo’s weak voice.
If he forced his way in, there would be no stopping him. But she didn’t want to be disturbed by anyone, right now.
Her room was the last place she had left to herself.
“Are you saying that we both need to be completely open and honest in order to be happy?”
-……Riley, really, that’s a misunderstanding.
“Misunderstanding, did you say misunderstanding, then bring me an answer so I can believe you.”
Whether he got an answer from Leta or brought her to the duke’s mansion, the answer was set on stone.
Reilly turned her head, recalling Theo, who would be standing a few steps from the door.
How did it end up like this?
Did he know this would happen from the beginning? Would it have been different if he had known?
After searching for a while, Theo must have given up and turned back, because his footsteps sounded faint.
Riley dragged herself to the table and bowed her head in exhaustion.
“Then let’s make a deal.”
“……I don’t even have the strength to fight, so will you shut up?”
A man appeared beside Riley, and at the same time, a sigil glowed from her neck.
Long black hair falling down, red eyes reaching for Riley. It was Ren, the sword of the family, the contractor of the sigil.
“It won’t be long before he notices the sigil anyway.”
“I know that even if you don’t say so.”
Ren didn’t look up but watched as Riley replied tiredly, then settled back in his chair. He tapped his fingers on the table and stared at her for a long moment.
‘He’s just like the Duke of Vetter……. I don’t like him any better. I can’t even kill that bastard.’
Ren felt like he was going to break down in frustration as he watched her refuse to sign a contract or go back on her word. It’s bad enough that she refuses to use her powers, but now she’s trying to hide them.
But if his master refused, He couldn’t use his power either, so he couldn’t help it.
He had to settle for just a moment of realization and checking her condition. That’s all he had to do for now.
* * *
Ren, who was alone in the Duke’s house, moved secretly. It was because of a visitor who came secretly during the night.
“……a rat came in hiding.”
“What a rat you’re talking about.”
“so as I find you, and do I have to give you a treat?”
Ren whispered, pointing his sword at the man’s throat. The man pushed the sword away lightly with his fingers and grimaced.
“How’s Riley feeling, is she alright?”
There was a reason he had to come to the ducal residence in hiding.
Caber Baritas, Crown Prince of the Empire.
Due to Reilly’s hatred for the imperial family, he had no choice but to call himself a rat. Carver was a friend of Reilly’s a long time ago and was in a crush on Reilly.
“Well, so far she is fine, although she had come up with a bit of a nuisance.”
Carver sighed at Ren’s words. He already knew what he was saying. How much he resented himself for trusting the duke.
“I have told you to keep an eye on him.”
Carver’s face contorted, and he looked Ren up and down.
“This is coming from your mouth, who just stood by and watched, everything?”
“And you know I can’t help it, since Riley doesn’t want my help.”
Carver clicked his tongue at Ren’s words.
From the beginning, Carver doesn’t like Ren. However, he only stayed still because of the situation he could not protect her from his side.
He had to be returned to the imperial family, but he didn’t even have the authority to order Ren because Riley didn’t sign a contract with him.
Ren was well aware of that, which is why he was being so stubborn.
“So I’m curious what you’ve been sending people out to find out. What happened to the divorce bill?”
Ren smirked, taunting Carver.
“I’ve arranged for the Imperial Court to take care of the lawsuit, but the quickest thing would be for me to do it myself.”
“Don’t worry. You’ll have no choice but to do it yourself.”
Just in case, He passed a bill for a divorce. Of course, it was only a backup plan, since Riley didn’t want one yet.
“Again, I will move when Reilly reaches out her hand.”
“You seem to be forgetting…….”
Ren looked at him pathetically.
“There’s no way in hell Riley is going to ask you for help.”
Carver narrowed his eyes at Ren’s arrogant face. He was angry, but he wasn’t wrong.
Because that’s what he’d been thinking, too.
“……I know.”
“I’m glad you do.”
Carver shrugged with a bitter smile. He’d known her since childhood, and if it weren’t for the imperial family, she might have been with him forever.
But that was it.
The Riley grown up, eventually left me. Hated by the imperial family and everything around her, she had no choice but to feel similarly hated towards to Carver.
He felt a bitter taste in his mouth as he remembered the past.
“Even if I tried to see her, but she wouldn’t let me, and all I can do is help behind the scenes.”
Ren stared at caver for a moment, then looked at the heavy boxes on the floor.
“Who brought this much food for me to eat?”
“Make sure she doesn’t get sick, she’s been through a lot.”
Caver was well aware of Riley’s situation and was concerned for her. It was a bad time for her, and he was worried that her mana would be unstable since she hadn’t signed the contract with the sword.
“How is Reilly’s body? What about the child?”
“She’s holding up better than I expected. I don’t know how much longer she’ll be able to hold on, but honestly, it’s amazing that she’s growing a child in that condition.”
Luckily, the baby in her belly was doing just fine.
“She’s growing well.”
Carver was silent. When he listened to Ren, he could feel Reilly’s pain.
“Honestly, she is in a condition to have a miscarriage at any time.”
Ren finally told Caver the truth about Riley’s condition. he couldn’t tell Riley, but her insides were already a mess.
“First of all, do what she wants.”
“Of course……. Oh, and stop bringing her these things.”
“She doesn’t like it?”
Ren looked at Caver and shook his head. This was because Reilly began to question when Carver’s food and rare medicines didn’t stop.
“Wouldn’t it be strange if you put yourself in her shoes, Riley asked from where am I getting these things from?”
Caber pondered, then nodded.
“She’ll be mad when she finds out you sent them.”
He didn’t want to be hated by Riley anymore. How he had once despised even his status as a member of the Imperial family.
Her blonde hair and golden eyes made his presence known, but that was all.
‘……I can’t do this anymore.’
There was sadness in Caver’s eyes.
Ren took a couple of steps away from Caver as he looked on in disbelief.
‘How could a bastard like that…….
Ren felt the future of the Empire go dark.
“I don’t think you’re going to make it, and I’d rather be the one to do it.”
“I don’t think you need to worry about ……, I’ll make sure Riley doesn’t find out.”
“Forget it, if you’re going to get all hurt and sulky like that again.”
Ren handed Caver the letter and left. Caber looked up at the Duke’s mansion, his eyes slightly reddened.
* * *
There was a sword in House Trayla that had been passed down from generation to generation. It was said that a sword could only gain power if it bore the mark of the Chosen One.
And Duke Vetter thought that would be the case with Riley, House Trayla’s eldest daughter. She was more beautiful than anyone else, and she was clearly following her own bloodline.
Her dazzling silver hair would turn blue under the power of a sword. Riley was born with the silver hair of no other colour.
When the sigil of House Trayla appeared and a contract was made with the sword, it was dedicated to the imperial family as a sword. A sword for the crown prince, the next emperor. It was an imperial possession that no one dared to desire.
That’s why Duke Vetter always brought Riley with him to the palace. As if to show her where she was supposed to be, he always told her that this was where she would be.
“See, Riley, This is where you can do something for your house. This is where you will live.”
As a young girl who knew nothing, Riley didn’t understand her father’s words. Why did he keep telling her she had to live here when she had her own home?
She would always ask him, “Why do I have to live here when I have my own house?
As a young child, she couldn’t understand.
“Dad, this isn’t my home, is it?”
“Make no mistake, it’s not your home, and if you’re not allowed to live here, the house you live in now won’t be your home either.”
She didn’t even know what those words meant then. She just nodded, terrified.
It wasn’t until she was nearing adulthood that she learned the meaning of those words.
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Good chapter!!!