Chapter 3 – Run Away (Part 2)

“A friend’s place.”

“Which friend?”  

“Oh, at Emily’s estate.”  

She didn’t lie.  

Emily’s place is Robin’s place. Robin’s place is Emily’s place.  

In any case, when the familiar name of the Tanner family came up, she saw her father’s expression relax slightly. He must have been worried all night, fearing something might have happened. Seeing the maximum affection he could show with his stern nature, Olivie couldn’t help but smile.  

At that, her brother’s eyebrow raised unpleasantly.  

“You’re smiling right now?”  

“Yes, I’m smiling.”  

“Hey.”  

“I was worried about how to tell our parents, but that’s been resolved. And Father is going to take care of that basta— I mean, my former fiancé for me. Why wouldn’t I smile?”  

“Your age……”  

“What about my age?”  

“Yeah, what’s wrong with our Lie’s age?”  

“Hmm.”  

When their mother and father sided with Olivie after just one word from her brother, Evan thumped his chest in frustration.  

“Because of that bastard Louis, she turned down all the good matches. Now she’s already twenty-two years old. Everyone her age is married. She missed all the good prospects. You know how many men were chasing after Olivie, Father.”

“……”  

“Now, there are only old geezers or snot-nosed kids left.”  

As her brother said, if she were to find a groom right now, there was no one suitable above or beside her. Even if there was, they wouldn’t match in status.  

So, the only option left was below.  

“I’m fine with someone younger……”  

“Shut up. Do you think it takes just a year or two for those brats to become proper men?”  

Evan glared at Olivie as if telling her not to talk nonsense and swept his hair back.

She knew her brother was concerned in his own way.  

His wish was for Olivie to marry into a stable family, live well, and be happy.  

‘That’s why he was good to Louis too.’  

He wanted Louis to treat Olivie well.  

“Bastard.”  

Biting out the curse, Evan averted his gaze from Olivie, as if he had no more words for her, and turned to their father.  

“Father, the promise you made yesterday. Now that Lie is back, may I, no, I will do it.”  

“……”  

Promise?  

She raised her head, sensing that this involved her. It seemed her mother was aware of it too. Just as she was about to speak,  

“Do.”  

“You do as you wish.”  

“I’ll take Henry with me.”

Before she could say anything, the matter was already being settled. At Evan’s request, her father waved his hand in approval, and Evan bowed his head and turned to leave.  

But just as he was about to step out, he turned back and jerked his chin toward Olivie.  

“Arms, legs. Which do you prefer?”  

Ah. So he’s going to beat up Louis.  

At his determined expression, Olivie smiled wickedly.  

“Both arms and legs.”  

“Got it.”  

The moment she spoke, Evan nodded without a hint of a smile and left the family room.  

‘The social circles will be buzzing by the end of today.’  

As she shook her head and looked away from where her brother had been, her eyes met her father’s.  

A blank expression.

The expression was one that people who didn’t know her father might describe as scary, but not for Olivie. The only beings that gave her endless love were her parents and family. That’s why she disliked seeing her father upset. And her mother, too.

“I’m really okay. You knew from the start that the two of us didn’t have much affection for each other.”

“……”

She bowed her head at her father’s silent expression. For now.

“Fathe—”

“Shall I kill him for you?”

“Huh?”

Who…

As she blinked, this time her mother continued.

“If you’re going to kill, you should kill both.”

“Huh?”

Olivie was stunned as she watched her mother say such chilling words. Her father drove the nail in.

“Alright, if you want, I’ll kill that guy Louis for you. Without anyone knowing. How dare he.”

“……”

Her father’s tightly clenched fist slammed down on the armrest, his lips twitching.

Somehow, facing that sight, the worries she had yesterday felt foolish. The concern that her parents might be disappointed because of her seemed to be just unfounded fears. Honestly, she had been secretly worried about what to do if her parents got really angry and said they’d talk directly to Earl Caylen’s family so that the engagement wouldn’t be broken.

‘I guess there was no need to worry about that.’

Even though the atmosphere was serious, she couldn’t help but feel warmth in her heart.

“Are you smiling right now?”

“I should be smiling.”

At her father’s gruff voice, Olivie smiled even more broadly, as if to show him.

“There’s no need to dirty your hands over someone like that. A fool like Caylen? Let’s see how well he does without Elphano.”

“……”

“Right now, the best revenge is to live well and show them.”

And for that, she was prepared to pay any price. 

Of course, she sincerely hoped such a situation would never arise, but for a fleeting moment, she had a feeling that a situation might come where she’d have to pay dearly. The kind of moment she hoped would never come, where her entire body would be drenched in sweat.

But for now, Olivie shook her head, trying not to think about it, and looked at her father. Her genuine smile, hiding her emotions and beautifully curving her eyes, softened her father’s expression, which had been stern all along. He nodded as if he understood.

“Yes, you’re right.”

“……”

“Fools who don’t know their place need to fall on their own to wake up.”

Her father lightly tapped the armrest with his clenched fist and looked back at Olivie.

“Do whatever you want.”

“Yes, Lie. Do as you wish.”

As her father’s brown eyes looked at her and her mother’s gentle green eyes lightly tapped her hand and held it tightly, Olivie felt a pang in her chest. She nodded firmly.

“Thank you.”

At her words, her mother squeezed her hand a little tighter before letting go. As Olivie looked down at her mother’s small, thin-skinned hand for a moment, her mother spoke in a deliberately light tone.

“Lie, how about going on a trip with me? We could visit the estate, or there’s always the villa nearby.”

Seeing her mother cautiously observing her emotions beyond her gaze, Olivie felt like she might cry, so she shook her head.

“Mom, you have a lot to prepare for the Imperial banquet in a month. It’s the first banquet that Baron Renouard and his wife are attending after inheriting their title, and it wouldn’t be right if you, as the senior, were absent.”

“Well, if I say I can’t go…”

“How can you do that when the whole maternal family is looking to you? There’s no need to do that because of me. I’m really okay.”

She met her mother’s gaze as if to show that she was truly okay.

“If you’re really worried, I’ll go to the Milton villa and rest for a few days later.”

“……”

“So please don’t worry too much.”