IBACM Chapter 70

Chapter 70

Left alone, Somerset tried to stand up by holding onto the wall, but his legs were too weak to support him.

“Damn it, damn it!”

I let that guy do this to me…!

Though he kept talking tough, his body was clearly trembling with fear.

The overwhelming killing intent he had just faced made cold sweat drip down his back. Somehow, he managed to get up, but he couldn’t even bring himself to look at the tightly shut door.

As he walked away, he suddenly frowned.

“But what did he just say?”

It felt like he had called out to someone, but Somerset had been too worked up at the time to understand what was said.

---

Locking the door behind him, Dedrick hurried to the wardrobe. Blood trickled from Marilyn’s lips, dripping onto the floor.

Dedrick’s body wavered. He couldn’t even bring himself to touch her as he trembled uncontrollably.

“Me… Mary… Mary…”

At the sound of his voice, Marilyn’s unfocused eyes slowly regained clarity. A faint light returned to her golden irises.

Tears fell from Marilyn’s eyes.

“D-Didi… It hurts so much…”

Dedrick quickly pulled her into his arms.

“If only I had come sooner…”

Then this wouldn’t have happened.

Consumed by guilt, he held her tightly, whispering endless apologies.

“I’m sorry, Mary… I’m so sorry…”

Marilyn buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing. Her frail body trembled as if she had a fever.

“My heart… it hurts so much…”

She clung to Dedrick desperately, her weak grip barely holding onto him. Overwhelmed, Dedrick finally broke down in tears.

He was terrified that she might slip away at any moment.

“What should I do? Tell me what I need to do to stop your pain.”

“Ugh…”

“Please, Mary. I’ll do anything.”

“…”

She tried to speak, but each time she opened her lips, more blood poured out. Marilyn groaned in pain, writhing in agony.

“Mary!”

“Agh…”

“What do I do… How can I help you?”

Every time she moaned in pain, Dedrick felt a stabbing ache in his chest.

But he was too afraid to touch her. The helplessness was unbearable. All he could do was watch as she suffered.

“Mary, please. I’m sorry… I should have come earlier and stopped this… This is all my fault.”

As he cried out in despair, he suddenly felt something cool against his cheek.

Marilyn’s trembling fingers brushed against his skin—but before she could hold him, her hand dropped.

Her body slumped against Dedrick’s chest, completely lifeless.

Dedrick froze. His heart pounded violently, echoing like a drum.

Panicking, he shook her desperately.

“Mary? Mary!”

She didn’t respond. She simply lay limp in his arms.

“No, Mary, please…!”

Frantically, Dedrick looked around as if searching for help. His wide, tear-filled eyes darted everywhere.

Then, a name came to him— the Grand Duke.

‘He knows about Mary.’

Maybe he would have answers.

Placing Marilyn carefully inside the wardrobe, Dedrick sprinted away like a madman. He was running so fast he didn’t even notice when his shoes fell off.

Servants whispered in shock as they saw him pass, but Dedrick, face soaked in tears, didn’t care.

He reached the Grand Duke’s office and, without hesitation, threw open the door.

The Grand Duke, who had been reading documents, flinched the moment he saw Dedrick.

“…Dedrick.”

He murmured the name like a quiet sigh.

Dedrick looked awful—his face wet with tears, his eyes red and swollen, his bare feet covered in dirt.

And worst of all, his hands and clothes were stained with blood.

Gasping for breath, he stared at the Grand Duke with a desperate, broken gaze.

Seeing that, the Grand Duke clenched his fist so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Yet, his expression remained unreadable.

“What happened?”

“…P-Please, save her.”

At the Grand Duke’s signal, his aide, Jenkinson, dismissed the other servants and closed the door. Now, only the three of them remained in the room.

Jenkinson shot the Grand Duke a concerned look, but the Duke ignored it.

Dedrick covered his face with his bloodstained hands, pleading.

“M-Mary… Please, save Mary…”

“Is the wardrobe broken?”

Dedrick’s tears spilled over once more. His voice shook as he struggled to explain.

“S-Somerset destroyed the room… The wardrobe… It’s broken… I should have stopped him, but I couldn’t…”

A vein bulged on the Grand Duke’s forehead. The desk beneath his hand let out a cracking sound as a fracture appeared.

“Your Grace.”

Jenkinson called out in a low voice, trying to calm him down.

The Grand Duke remained silent for a moment, suppressing his rising fury.

Just as he was about to speak, Jenkinson urgently stepped in again.

“Your Grace!”

As if warning him not to say any more.

But the Grand Duke ignored the warning and finally spoke.

“Crush the pine needles from the old tree planted by the first Grand Duchess. Mix them with glue and apply them over the cracks. Keep watch over her until her body temperature returns to normal. Do not let her fall asleep.”

Jenkinson pressed his lips together, looking pale.

Dedrick’s voice trembled as he asked,

“T-That will work?”

“Time is of the essence.”

The moment he heard that, Dedrick bolted from the room.

A heavy silence settled over the office.

Jenkinson, clearly frustrated, shut the door and turned to the Grand Duke.

“Why did you tell him that?”

“As a father, I should grant my son’s request, shouldn’t I?”

“You’ve been holding back for so long!”

“…”

“Don’t you know how dangerous this is?”

The Grand Duke remained silent.

Then, suddenly—

“Ugh…!”

A line of blood trickled from between his tightly clenched teeth, staining his chin.

“Your Grace!”

“…Ugh!”

Cough! Thick, clotted blood spilled out, and Jenkinson’s face turned pale.

“You must leave immediately!”

“…….”

“This is no time to be stubborn. You have to go now.”

“If I leave…”

“Young Master Dedrick will suffer.”

“…….”

“But if you don’t leave, his future will be destroyed.”

Carlos bit his lip.

“They can’t harm the Young Master right away. But if you die here, you’ll only put him in greater danger! Dedrick is safe because you are still the Duke. If you die like this, you won’t even be able to see Lady Amelia again! So you must leave now!”

No matter what tricks the Duchess pulled, Dedrick would rise again.

Jenkinson believed that without a doubt.

“He’s his father’s son, after all.”

He wasn’t someone who would fall so easily.

Even if great hardships and crises came, Dedrick would find a way to overcome them and eventually claim his rightful place as the head of Blackwood. Jenkinson had no doubt about that.

“So you must stay alive until you can pass the title to him. That is the best way to protect him.”

“…Prepare for my departure.”

Finally, a bit of color returned to Jenkinson’s face.

---

Dedrick followed the Duke’s instructions, grinding pine needles and mixing them with herbs. Holding the mixture carefully, he rushed back to his room.

Marilyn was still slumped inside the wardrobe.

Her shallow breaths were growing weaker, fading. Dedrick quickly applied the paste over the cracks in the wardrobe, making sure there were no other damages.

Once he was certain, he immediately turned to Marilyn.

He wiped the blood from her lips and climbed into the wardrobe with her, shutting the door tightly.

Holding her close, he anxiously checked her condition.

“Mary…”

Marilyn’s long eyelashes fluttered, revealing her golden eyes.

She blinked weakly, trying to stay conscious, then smiled faintly at him.

“Sorry, Didi… You must’ve been scared. I was really scared too.”

She even made a joke to keep him from worrying.

Her voice sounded different, her face was too pale. Dedrick gently stroked her cheek. As she leaned into his hand and closed her eyes, his own eyes reddened.

He dropped his head, squeezing his eyes shut.

“It’s all my fault. I should’ve stopped this… I should’ve protected you…”

Tears slipped down his face, falling onto Marilyn’s cheek.

Dedrick was drowning in agony. If only he could take all of Marilyn’s pain onto himself, he would do it without hesitation.

He had wanted to protect her, but he had failed.

The terrifying thought of losing her paralyzed his mind.