Chapter 78
He swept back his damp hair and let out a long sigh he had been holding. A strange glint flashed in his blue eyes.
“How dare they touch what’s mine.”
Anger surged within him. His determination to become the heir grew even stronger.
“I just need to endure for four more months.”
Once he succeeded in the subjugation and secured his place as the heir, he would push the Grand Duchess, Somerset, and Axel aside. No one would dare lay a hand on Marilyn.
He clenched his fist tightly.
Late at Night
Inside the now-cramped wardrobe, Marilyn was lying on top of Dedrick as they slept. In the middle of the night, he was awakened by a faint whimpering sound.
“Ugh…”
Marilyn frowned, sweat beading on her forehead as she moaned in distress. Dedrick gently adjusted her position and softly patted her back.
“It’s okay, Mary.”
She pretended to be calm, but he knew that seeing the corpse wouldn’t be something she could forget in a single day.
For someone who had never witnessed anything gruesome before, it must have been horrifying beyond imagination.
“Ugh…”
Marilyn whimpered again, her small sobs growing louder. Unable to bear it, Dedrick gently shook her awake.
“Mary.”
He called her name softly. She jolted awake, her eyes wide with fear as she looked around. Holding her close, he whispered reassuringly,
“It’s okay, it was just a dream. I’m right here.”
“…Okay.”
Relieved, Marilyn nestled into his embrace. Feeling his steady warmth and gentle pats, she slowly drifted back to sleep, still curled up as if the fear hadn’t completely left her.
“I’ll make sure you have a safe place where you’ll never have to experience such nightmares again.”
“So you can fall asleep peacefully in my arms, smiling.”
He watched over her for a long time before finally closing his own eyes, listening to the sound of her breathing.
The Next Morning
“Was it too cramped?”
Marilyn asked apologetically, worried that Dedrick had been uncomfortable all night.
“I wish it were even more cramped.”
He kissed her on the forehead before reminding her again,
“You don’t need to investigate anymore. Be careful. And don’t go to see the Grand Duchess just because I’m not around.”
“I can’t promise that.”
“…Sigh.”
Maybe frustrated by her stubbornness, he lightly pinched her cheek.
“Then at least don’t overdo it.”
“I won’t!”
After seeing him off, Marilyn immediately moved to Delani’s wardrobe.
Since she and Dedrick always started their day earlier than others, she quietly waited inside the wardrobe for the Grand Duchess to wake up.
She didn’t even want to open the door unnecessarily anymore.
She was simply curious about how the body would be handled.
“They probably won’t make a big deal out of it. Dedrick’s room has already been cleaned, and there’s no evidence left.”
For a moment, she considered framing Somerset but decided not to. If the Grand Duchess had figured out her presence, she would handle things in her own way.
Not long after, someone entered the room.
“My lady, I’ve brought your wash water.”
The sound of water followed, and then Gemma reported,
“The maid has been taken care of. She was an orphan, so no one will come looking for her.”
“Good job.”
Marilyn had worried that this incident might be used to torment Dedrick again, but at least that seemed unlikely.
“And Madam Carolina has requested you visit her for a fitting when you have time.”
“Tell her I’ll come in the afternoon.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Oh, and let’s take Somerset along. It’s time to order him some new uniforms.”
“I’ll let him know.”
Click.
After Gemma left, silence returned to the room.
“Everything seems normal.”
Excluding Axel and only taking care of Somerset… Ordering expensive dresses and frequently leaving for fittings…
Nothing was out of the ordinary.
“But what’s strange is that she isn’t angry at Dedrick.”
She had avoided the trap, yet things were too quiet.
“She must have noticed me.”
But she didn’t seem to know Marilyn was hiding in the wardrobe. If she did, she would have dealt with it immediately.
With Dedrick away, now was the perfect time to move the wardrobe.
Still, the heavy feeling of unease in Marilyn’s chest wouldn’t go away.
Even more so because the Grand Duke was also absent from the estate.
Even though the Grand Duchess was technically under self-restraint due to the hallucinogen incident, she still carried herself with confidence.
“But Dedrick can’t just lock himself in his room all day either.”
With the vassals watching him closely, this was his best chance to prove himself.
He had to train diligently every day at the Black Hawk Knights’ training grounds.
If he showed even the slightest weakness now, it would cost him dearly.
“And that old man, Aulus, is probably looking for any excuse to discredit Dedrick.”
He couldn’t afford to show any openings.
“This is the most critical time!”
Even after keeping an eye on Delani, Marilyn saw nothing unusual. She spent the morning working on embroidery and left for the tailor shop in the afternoon with Somerset.
“Well… that’s that.”
Since Marilyn couldn’t follow her outside, she had no way of knowing what would happen next.
“Haa.”
Even though nothing had happened yet, her heart pounded anxiously.
Ever since Eugene had entered the Herba Academy—just like in the original novel—Marilyn had been feeling even more restless.
It felt as though everything was bound to follow the original storyline, no matter what.
For now, she returned to her room and sat at her desk, reading a book to calm her nerves.
Then, there was a knock at the door.
Knock knock.
“Who is it?”
“Dedrick-nim!”
“…What?!”
Marilyn jumped up from her seat in surprise.
She recognized that voice.
“Isn’t he still at training?”
“…Ebony.”
Ebony Silious was two years older than Dedrick and had made a dazzling debut in high society the previous year.
Among the noble ladies, she was currently the most popular, and Marilyn often heard the maids gossiping about her.
She was also frequently involved in rumors with Perez.
“Why is she here?”
Dedrick had always refused her invitations, never agreeing to meet.
“She’s never shown up unannounced before.”
Marilyn was tempted to peek outside and see how much the heroine had grown, but she held back.
Outside, Ebony’s cheerful voice rang out.
“Sohee, how do I look?”
“You look beautiful, my lady.”
“He must be really busy if he doesn’t even reply to my letters. But since I sent a letter saying I was coming, he must be expecting me, right?”
“…My lady, I think it’s time to accept reality. Lord Dedrick has no interest in you. He avoids you and has never once replied to your letters. No response means he hasn’t given you permission to visit.”
“Dedrick-nim is just too shy to write back.”
“My lady…”
“He’ll be happy to see me!”
“…If Lady Joanna finds out, she’ll be angry again.”
“Joanna is debuting next year anyway, right? I hope she grows up a bit by then.”
Hmm.
Marilyn thought Ebony was the one who needed to mature.
From beyond the door, Sohee let out a deep sigh, as if thinking the same thing.
Despite Sohee’s blunt words, Ebony remained convinced that Dedrick liked her.
Why?
“Does she have some instinct about her fated partner?”
Or maybe…
“She just can’t imagine someone not loving her.”
Considering how everyone adored her in the novel, that seemed more likely.
At that moment, Marilyn heard approaching footsteps.
“Oh, Dedrick’s here!”
She pressed closer to the door. Since Ebony was standing in front of it, Dedrick wouldn’t be able to enter right away.
“Dedrick-nim!”
Ebony called out excitedly.
“…What do you want?”
His deep voice was filled with irritation, but Ebony let out a small gasp of admiration.
“Wow…”
Well, it was understandable.
Even Marilyn, who saw Dedrick every day, was constantly amazed by how much more stunning he became.
From the other side, Sohee murmured under her breath, “This is crazy…”
“Move aside.”
Dedrick’s voice was cold, but Ebony remained cheerful.
“I missed you, Dedrick-nim!”
“I didn’t.”
“…What?”
Ebony pretended not to hear and asked again, while a sigh escaped from Sohee.
“Haah.”
Hang in there, Sohee…
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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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God, I want slap her so baddd.. But I can’t😭😭