Chapter 26

The necklace the woman presented was a keepsake given to Elena by Aneta’s grandmother, Carsa Adenauer.

Aneta remembered how Elena had leaned on Carsa during difficult times, just as Aneta herself had. The necklace was so precious to Elena that she hesitated to even wear it around her neck.

Aneta realized its absence only after the funeral.

With her mind pushed to its limits, she hadn’t had the presence of mind to gather the necklace during the chaos. When she finally searched for it, it was nowhere to be found, and she assumed it had perished in the fire with other items.

However, the item she had thought she would never see again was now in the hands of a woman she had never seen before.

“Explain how you came to possess that, immediately,” Aneta demanded.

“He put it around my neck himself,” the woman replied.

As the cold flames roared fiercely in her eyes, Carlos reached out and grasped her shoulder.

“Aneta.”

At the familiar tone and voice, Aneta took a deep breath and suppressed her turbulent emotions.

Though the circumstances of the necklace’s disappearance were unexpected, the culprit remained the same. Aneta’s heart went out to the already dead.

“How does that prove anything?”

“This is the deceased lady’s necklace, isn’t it? He knew I was pregnant and gave me this, saying that he would make me his wife soon. Though he never kept that promise.”

At the mention of Elena, Aneta frowned again. She didn’t like the sound of Elena coming out of the woman’s mouth.

The woman interpreted Aneta’s reaction as she pleased. Thinking that Aneta had reacted to her words, she spoke again to press her advantage.

“And each time I met the lord, he brought me expensive fruit that the queen of the neighboring continent enjoys.”

“Fruit?”

When Mort’s gaze met Aneta’s, he quickly tried to recall from memory.

“They were small fruits similar to grapes, but in blue color, My Lady. Their name was…”

“Is it by any chance Belbenner?”

“Yes, that sounds like the name.”

Carlos identified the fruit mentioned by Mort as the one Derek had provided.

Belbenner. Aneta was familiar with that name as well. Frowning, she asked the woman if she had eaten it every time, to which the woman promptly replied in the affirmative.

“He brought it for me and even fed it to me himself. How could I refuse? I had to eat it.”

The woman shrugged nonchalantly. It was something exclusively for her, or so she deluded herself. Mort intervened, pouring cold water on her self-absorbed attitude.

“No, Derek fed the same thing to everyone he shared a bed with.”

“Is there any left?”

“Yes, there’s only a small amount, but it’s still there.”

While Carlos was talking to Mort, he turned to Aneta.

“It seems it would be better to judge by seeing the actual thing.”

“I agree with that.”

“I’ll go get it right now.”

Baron, responding to Aneta’s affirmation, hurried off. What he retrieved was nothing more than a single finger-length fruit.

Its appearance matched Mort’s description.

Examining it closely, Carlos soon declared with a confident expression.

“It’s Belbenner.”

No wonder there hadn’t been any illegitimate children despite Derek’s numerous affairs. Aneta recalled something Derek had once said to her: “One child to deplete my wealth is enough.” So, this was what he had meant. She wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or disturbed.

“At least now it’s clear that our family couldn’t have any illegitimate children.”

“What is it about that fruit that lets you draw such a conclusion? …Could it be?!”

The woman’s face, twisted in annoyance, suddenly froze as she realized the implication.

“Yes, that’s exactly it. Belbenner fruit is essentially a contraceptive pill. It’s expensive because it’s highly effective.”

It was easy to guess why the name Belbenner wasn’t on the expenditure list. Since everyone thought it was just fruit, it would have been recorded as a grocery expense.

“But it’s said that the queen enjoys eating it…!”

“Not entirely incorrect. There’s a rumor she frequently uses it for birth control.”

It was a decision she had made herself to prevent the escalation of the struggle for the throne, as she had only five children. It was a fact known only to a few.

“A man who goes to such lengths to prevent pregnancy wouldn’t let it happen, let alone propose marriage. That’s absurd.”

Naturally, the story of how she received the necklace was also a lie. The woman must have known that her child was not Derek’s.

“Giving someone medication without their consent or using a child for a scam when you know it’s not his—both are despicable acts. I can’t say they don’t suit each other.”

“This can’t be…”

The woman, cornered, no longer had the spirit to make false claims. Overwhelmed by the thought that she had dug her own grave, she collapsed to the ground in disbelief.

Though the baby’s cries filled the air, there was no time to calm them.

She had been confident of success since Derek was dead. She had also underestimated the young mistress, expecting her to be a naive noblewoman who had grown up sheltered.

But the woman in front of her was different. She didn’t even notice the cold sweat running down her face as the menacing aura enveloped her.

“If there’s anyone else planning the same thing around here, please let me know. I already have all the information in my hands, so don’t bother with futile tricks.”

Aneta made it clear that if anyone else was planning such a thing, she would not sit idly by, using all her power to stop them.

“Oh, and I’d like to get the necklace back.”

“No, it’s mine now!”

The despairing woman, as if she couldn’t let go of the necklace, held it to herself as if it couldn’t be taken away.

Aneta clicked her tongue at the sight of the woman valuing the necklace more than the child she was roughly holding in her arms.

“I’ll give you whatever amount you want. Just sell it to me.”

Was there any other way? Aneta made a deal and waited for a response. It seemed that the woman’s heart was beginning to thaw as she greedily lit up her eyes.

“How much are you willing to give?”

Though she failed to pass off the child as an illegitimate heir, she saw an opportunity to secure enough money to live comfortably for the rest of her life.

Revived with hope, the woman spoke with anticipation.

“Aneta, are you really going to buy it?”

“Yes, I am.”

Carlos looked at the woman with a displeased expression, but Aneta didn’t care and offered a price.

“Ten times the market value. That should satisfy you, right?”

There was no reason to hesitate. The woman quickly nodded, fearing Carlos might intervene and disrupt the deal.

“Mort, give this woman the money.”

Mort promptly followed the command. After confirming the pouch filled with gold coins, the woman handed over the necklace, a wide smile spreading across her face.

Aneta didn’t stop there; she inquired about the real reason behind obtaining the necklace. With the promise to pay the price for that information as well, the woman readily opened up.

Derek had kept Elena’s necklace to hold leverage over Aneta. But since she had acted as if she had forgotten Elena, Derek had eventually given the necklace to the woman, dismissing it as worthless.

The woman recounted how Derek had muttered that it was no longer of any value to him. She eagerly took another pouch of money, shoving the baby into the knight’s arms to free her hands.

She smiled as if she had won the world, but Aneta shattered her joy with a cold, detached tone.

“Baron, as soon as I leave, file a lawsuit against this woman. Recover every coin we just gave her.”

While Aneta considered jail time, she decided on a fine instead, out of pity for the innocent child. The woman’s attempts at fraud and her audacious behavior warranted no leniency.

“Charges of defamation of nobility and fraud should be fitting.”

Leaving the woman, now restrained and screaming, behind, Aneta boarded the carriage.

Ignoring the curses thrown her way, she ordered the carriage to depart.

The two white horses pulling the carriage effortlessly trotted along the well-maintained road. A breeze rushed in through the window she had opened for relief.

As the wind whipped her long, golden hair, Carlos softly called her name.

“Aneta.”

Exhausted by the relentless series of events, she raised her tired eyes to meet his gaze.

Amid their entwined gazes, Carlos, who had been about to ask if she needed comfort, swallowed his words.

There was no need for meaningless questions. Right now, he just wanted to hold her in his arms.

“Hold me.”

As if reading his thoughts, Aneta, who had been silent since the carriage started moving, finally spoke. Though her words instructed him to hold her, her eyes said something more.

Please, hold me.

Her darkened eyes conveyed the unheard voice.

“When you feel like this, just say you want to be held.”

“If you don’t want to, then don’t.”

“I never said I didn’t want to.”

Carlos, finding her words so characteristic of her, moved closer. Aneta closed her eyes, feeling his strong arms encircle her.

“I’m so tired.”

Her mind, which was so torn up, was in complete disarray, like a sea that had just calmed after a storm. She had no idea what to do or where to start.

“I’m sick of it. I just want to quit everything.”

Her words, which she forced out with a numb tone, were fragmented.

Carlos, without hesitation, closed the distance even further between them.

Aneta was not used to revealing her true feelings. All he could offer her was a silent embrace and patient waiting.

“It’s strange how I always end up looking foolish in front of you.”

From the moment they first noticed each other, that had been the case. He had seen her biting back tears after being slapped by her father in a heated argument.

“Everything around me is artificial. Every word spoken, every smile—it’s all fake. Nothing was genuine, and I quickly realized and accepted that.”

Aneta grabbed the hem of his clothes. Her neat, wrinkle-free shirt was wrinkled as if it represented her feelings.

“I thought it was the same with you, and I thought it was the same with me, were all like that in the end. So I gave up hope. If you don’t expect anything, you won’t have to struggle with sadness.”

Aneta didn’t want anyone to see her weakness, her vulnerability, her shabbiness.

Yet Carlos penetrated those defenses. He knew precisely when she was weakened and kept pushing in, reaching out with kind words and actions.

And then it whispers, with words and deeds of affection.

Take my hand. Seek what has been denied to you.

“I’m comfortable living life alone, so don’t you come to me anymore.”

The temptation of forbidden desires constantly lingered in front of her, urging her on. Aneta realized she no longer had the strength to push it away.

“Please, stop there.”

“No.”

A firm refusal came out, cutting through the pleading voice.

“I don’t want to see you isolate yourself and suffer in loneliness.”

Carlos placed his hand on hers, gripping the back of her hand gently.

“Don’t be afraid, Aneta. I’ll always be right behind you, so when you’re ready, turn around.”

Kissing Aneta briefly on the forehead, he affirmed.

“I’ll always be there.”

“……”

“And it would be even better if we could walk side by side.”

Playfulness seeped into his serious expression. Carlos kissed his forehead, followed by the bridge of his nose and cheek.

Now, there was only one place left.

“…All right. I get it, so please stop now,”

Aneta said, exerting force on the hand against her chest to push him away. But instead of backing off, he drew the curtain shut.

“You still need comfort,” he insisted.

“I don’t need it anymore.”

“Then let’s just say it’s my turn to be rewarded.”

“There’s no such thing……!”

Her words were cut off as his lips pressed against hers. Aneta froze at the soft, warm sensation.

His impatient tongue slipped between her lips. He held the back of her head firmly, passionately exploring her mouth.

As his tongue sensually caressed her inner mouth, the sound of wetness filled her ears. Overwhelmed by the intense sensation, Aneta grasped his arm.

Carlos pulled her closer, deepening the kiss to drive away the gray season that shadowed her.

After entangling her hesitant tongue with his, he finally broke the kiss. Her lips, slick with saliva, glistened.

Drawn in again, he kissed her once more, this time more gently.

After that final kiss, he brushed his lips against her palm.

“I love you.”

When she felt the faint redness at her eyes, he whispered in a low voice,

“I will never leave you, Aneta.”