Chapter 7 – Part 10

“Enough!”

Viscount Brennan yelled, holding up his hand as if he didn’t want to hear any more.

“I visited that charity home near the angel statue. I spoke with the manager who has been there all along. They have been rejecting volunteers and donations due to city funding.”

Liese’s face went white. Her poorly crafted lie had turned into a full-blown outburst.

The first thing she bought with the money from the duke’s residence was food. Her grandfather, excited by the rare meat dish, had asked about its source. To avoid suspicion, she had made up a hasty excuse, which had now come back to haunt her.

He must have heard from Mrs. Joanna about her nightly outings, leading to this terrible misunderstanding.

“And who is this old gentleman you speak of?”

“Grandfather….”

“How dare you lie to me, it’s so unlike you, huh?”

“…….”

“Did you really believe that you wouldn’t be found out? Did you really think that no one would suspect what you were doing, coming home in the middle of the night every day?”

“Grandfather, you’re gravely mistaken. The truth is….”

Liese opened her mouth to say something, but couldn’t get any more words out under the barrage of criticism.

She couldn’t tell him it all started with a temporary maid job, and then she became the lover of the noble employer. Nothing she could say would be believable.

In her silk dress with an exposed back, what could she possibly explain? And the fact that she was being paid to be a man’s lover? It would only deepen the misunderstanding.

No, was it really a misunderstanding?

“In the end, it’s all my fault. If it weren’t for me….”

Viscount Brennan’s voice cracked with sobs. Startled, Liese hurried to his side. Sitting down on her knees, she clasped her grandfather’s hand and shook her head.

“Please don’t say that, Grandpa. It’s my fault.”

“What are you apologizing for? It’s all my fault. My greed, having nothing, drove my only granddaughter into peril.”

“No! Don’t do that, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault.”

Suddenly, there was a loud crash from upstairs, the door opened, and a child’s footsteps raced up the stairs. Charlie, still in his pajamas, came tumbling down the stairs.

“Young master!”

Mrs. Joanna, who had been holding Charlie back in his room, called out urgently and ran downstairs after him.

“Sister, Grandpa! Why are you fighting…!”

Charlie burst into tears and hugged Liese tightly.

“It’s scary when you shout! Don’t fight….”

Liese shook her head and tears trickled from her eyes. The emotional dike had crumbled in an instant. A wistful sob escaped from her closed mouth.

It was a mess. Inside a tiny house, lit only by a pale electric light, a family wept with grief.

Just then.

From outside, there was a knock on the wooden door.

Everyone flinched as if they had been doused with cold water. The knock was firm yet calm, carrying the implication that the person outside had heard everything but did not wish to intrude, yet clearly intended to enter.Liese, her face streaked with tears, looked at the firmly closed door. No one would come all the way to the bungalow beyond the orchard at this hour, except for one person..

“I’m here to see Lady Lieselotte. May I come in for a moment?”

A man’s smooth bass voice came from beyond the door. There was no way Liese could not recognize the voice’s owner. Narrowing his brow, Viscount Brennan looked at Mrs. Joanna and nodded sternly.

“Open the door.”

Liese jumped to her feet, but there was nothing she could do.

The nanny walked briskly to the door and carefully turned the knob. The door opened wide, revealing a tall man standing there in impeccable formal attire, leaving no room for doubt about his identity.

“Excuse me.”

The man stepped through the low doorway, his head slightly bowed.

His large frame seemed out of place in the small, modest house. Liese couldn’t bring herself to look at him, so she lowered her gaze.

Marcus stared at her for a moment, his face stern, then turned to Viscount Brennan, who was seated in a wheelchair, and bowed lightly.

“I’m pleased to meet you, Viscount Brennan.”

“Who, who are you?”

“My apologies for the late introduction. My name is Marcus Balthasar.”

“The man from the newspaper….”

Mrs. Joanna hastily interrupted Charlie’s stunned mumbling. Viscount Brennan, too, stammered, unable to wipe the tears from his eyes.

“No, what the hell….”

Something flashed through the Viscount’s mind. An old gentleman… blond. The one Lieselotte had been talking about whenever he asked where the money came from.

No way.

The man’s hair was a brilliant gold, even in the dim overhead lighting. And he was one of the few people in the kingdom who didn’t recognize the name Balthasar.

Whether the Brennans were shocked and surprised or not, Marcus continued in a casual tone.

“I came here at the risk of being rude because Lady Lieselotte left something behind.”

There was no such thing as something left behind. Liese rubbed her wet face with the back of her hand and looked up at Marcus. He approached with slow strides and held out something.

It was a dark blue velvet box about the size of her palm. It clearly did not belong to Liese. She took it with trembling hands and looked at him again. Marcus studied her face for a moment, then turned his gaze back to Viscount Brennan.

“I’ve heard a lot about you. I wanted to pay my respects, but Lieselotte felt burdened by the idea of revealing our relationship, so we had no proper opportunity until now.”

“N-no… relationship? What do you mean by that?”

Viscount Brennan’s eyes widened, not even bothering to properly greet the hero whose praise always left his mouth watering. Marcus answered with a straight face that showed little change in expression.

“I am in a close relationship with your granddaughter.”

Viscount Brennan’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. The nanny, whose eyes could not have been any wider in surprise, stumbled backward. She might have, had Charlie not caught her hand.

“You mean my Liese is seeing you, the Duke?”

He was so shocked that he spoke as if it were someone else’s business. Marcus responded with a composed smile instead of words.

His gaze then turned to Liese. He looked carefully at her tear-streaked face and then closed his eyes tightly. Realizing how mistaken he had been about his precious granddaughter, he felt an overwhelming sense of regret and dizziness.

“It’s late.”

Liese stepped forward, breaking the silence. Her voice was raspy from the water.

“I’ll explain everything in the morning, Grandpa. And….”

She looked at Marcus, towering over her in the small house, and barely managed to speak.

“I’m sorry, but I’d like you to leave for the day.”

Even though she knew she should express her gratitude for clearing up the misunderstanding, she felt an overwhelming urge to hide. She didn’t want to expose her shattered emotions.

Marcus nodded crisply, as if he had completed his business and looked at Viscount Brennan.

“I’ll visit again next time to properly pay my respects.”

“…Ah, yes. Anytime.”

Marcus walked out of the house with long strides. The house, which had just been swept away by an unexpected storm, was now enveloped in silence. Liese stared at the spot where Marcus had stood for a while before covering her face with both hands.