Chapter 5 – Acknowledgement (Part 3)

Four days before the Imperial Banquet, a letter arrived along with the news that Emily had arrived in the capital.

[Meet me immediately]

Emily’s letter, written in a hurried scrawl, conveyed her anger. It seemed she had been in the Duke’s territory all this time and had only just heard about her broken engagement with Louis. Seeing the letters that seemed to protest not informing her in advance, Olivie couldn’t help but chuckle slightly, and she arranged to meet the next day, saying she couldn’t do it immediately.

But she never expected to meet the nuisance her brother mentioned before meeting Emily.

“Ri, Lie…”

How he knew, Louis Caylen, who was standing in front of the dessert shop where Olivie was supposed to meet Emily, quickly approached as soon as he spotted her.

“Let’s talk.”

“…”

Olivie frowned in displeasure at the figure blocking her path and looked up at him with blatant contempt.

“Let’s talk, huh? Lie.”

However, Louis paid no attention to Olivie’s gaze. In this situation, it was clear that even if she ignored him and went to meet Emily, he would follow her in and make things difficult for Emily as well.

Deciding there was no need to drag Emily into the gossip, Olivie turned her head over her shoulder.

“Elcia, go inside and tell her I don’t think I can see her today. I’ll contact her separately.”

With a short sigh, Olivie relayed her message to Elcia and turned her body, completely ignoring Louis.

“Go back…”

“Lie.”

However, Louis grabbed Olivie’s wrist as if to snatch it, turning her around.

“Ah!”

Olivie cried out at the sharp pain radiating from her wrist. However, Louis showed no intention of letting go despite her reaction.

“Let’s talk.”

Instead, he seemed to tighten his grip even more. Judging by the strength with which he was squeezing her wrist, she thought she would have a bruise by the evening.

‘Is he crazy?’

As Olivie looked at the wrist he had grabbed, she lifted her head and caught a strong whiff of alcohol from him.

No way.

“Did you drink?”

“Th-that’s not what’s important right now.”

Olivie grimaced at the smell of alcohol emanating from him every time he spoke.

Drunk in the middle of the day.

She clicked her tongue softly at Louis’s remarkable ability to make her lose any remaining affection for him.

But she didn’t want to have a scene with a drunken man in the middle of a busy street. Most of the passersby were already glancing at the two of them.

‘I should have listened to Evan.’

Olivie frowned, recalling Evan’s nagging too late.

She had thought nothing would happen in broad daylight, so she had just come out.

‘I overestimated Louis.’

She had thought that if Louis wasn’t a complete fool, he wouldn’t dare harm her in this situation.

‘Unless he wants to break his other leg too.’

Looking at Louis’s left leg, which was still in a splint and limping, Olivie clicked her tongue lightly and lifted her head. However, as if misunderstanding her gaze, he scratched his parched lips with a pitiful expression.

“Please, Lie, we’re not supposed to end like this.”

Ha.

‘Anyone listening would think I was the one who had an affair and declared the breakup.’

Olivie narrowed her eyes at such an obvious ploy.

“What kind of relationship do we have?”

“We’re about to get married.”

“……”

‘Wow, this guy is really crazy.’

Olivie’s face gradually hardened with disbelief. However, Louis continued to selfishly say whatever he wanted, ignoring her expression.

“Lie, I was wrong. I must have been crazy for a while. I think I lost my mind. So I came to my senses and sorted everything out as you said. You told me to go have fun. I’ve come back, Lie. I’m sorry, please forgive me. I’m sincere. I have no one but you.”

But none of what he was saying made any sense.

Why on earth do I have to listen to such nonsense in the middle of the street, and in front of the most famous dessert shop in the capital, no less? 

Unable to bear it any longer, Olivie looked at him with a face that had gone cold, devoid of any emotion except for sheer disgust.

“Lie.”

“……”

Seeing the hatred directed at him in her expression and eyes, Louis flushed red and bit his lip.

As he finally returned to being someone who knew at least a little shame, Olivie opened her mouth.

“Are you done talking?”

“Y-yes.”

Louis stared blankly at her, not yet understanding Olivie’s formal tone. With a slight lift of her lips, she shook off his grip with all her strength and stepped away from him.

“I listened well, but it seems it’s no longer my concern, Sir.”

“Lie.”

“Miss Elphano.”

Olivie, cutting off his call, stepped back and looked at him coolly.

“I’d prefer if you called me Miss Elphano, Sir. To avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings.”

“……”

At her stiff tone, Louis’s eyes wavered slightly.

However, he quickly regained his composure and nodded as if he understood.

“Yeah, you must be angry. You should be angry. I would be too. But everyone makes mistakes, Olivie.”

“……”

“Because we’re human. Humans grow by making mistakes. I’ve grown. This won’t happen again. I promise.”

“……”

‘Wow, this is getting ridiculous.’

Not only was he absolving himself of his own mistakes, but he was also demanding forgiveness. Any remaining good feelings she had were completely gone, and she clicked her tongue. Loud enough for him to hear. No, loud enough for anyone passing by to hear her click her tongue.

But as if he didn’t know the meaning of giving up, he instead took a step closer to her.

“Oli—”

However, Olivie stepped back even further, raising her hand to keep the distance between them.

“Don’t come any closer.”

Treating him like a stranger, Olivie moved away cautiously. Only then did Louis glance around, as if suddenly aware of their surroundings, and bit his lip. His ears turned red, and unlike just moments ago when he shamelessly approached her, his expression turned cold.

Even so, unable to come forward because of the onlookers, he subtly dragged his feet back and licked his dry lips.

‘Damn.’

Frustration surged from within.

He thought it would be easy to persuade her once they met. Olivie was more susceptible to emotions and had a soft spot. He believed that if he showed genuine remorse and humbled himself, she would accept him due to their past relationship.

‘Why is she acting so stiff?’

Seeing Olivie keeping a colder distance than expected, he honestly couldn’t control his expression.

However, he couldn’t back down like this. So, he took a deep breath, as if to erase the surrounding whispers, and lifted his head.

“You know it too. That I’m the only one for you.”

Isn’t that a bit of a strange thing to say?

In this situation, it should be ‘There’s no one but you for me,’ right? But Louis continued speaking shamelessly.

“I heard you’ve been bothering Lord Tanner these days. Isn’t that all for me to see?”

“Ha.”

While delusions are free, this was such a grand misconception that she wasn’t even angry anymore. Olivie let out a hollow laugh.

This is crazy.

Her mind felt blank, not knowing where to start correcting his delusion.

More than that, why am I doing this with him in the middle of the street?

Suddenly coming to her senses, Olivie shook her head.

“Let’s not talk.”

As Olivie, who didn’t want to exchange any more words with him, was about to turn away.

“You don’t seriously think Robin Tanner actually likes you, do you?”

Olivie, unable to easily answer yes or no to the question thrown at her, glared at him.

Only after seeing Olivie’s expression, which was full of confusion, did Louis, who had been stiff, pull his lips into a sneer. As if to say ‘I told you so,’ he shone his eyes at her, and Olivie bit the inside of her cheek as he took a step closer.

“You know it too. No matter what, you and Robin Tanner can’t be together.”

“……”

‘Bastard.’

Olivie knew the reason he was acting so despicably.

‘No, that’s not it.’

From the day he came to see her at her house. How could she not know?

That he regretted the things he lost too late.

“Lie, so forgive me……”

“Forgive.”

That was why she couldn’t accept him even more.

Even if, as Louis said, she couldn’t be with Robin.

‘Even if I end up living alone.’

Olivie, who shook off Louis’s reaching hand as if to steady her emotions, flashed her eyes.

“Forgive? Sure, I can forgive you as much as you want.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than relief washed over Louis’s face.

“Yeah, Olivie, so let’s start again from the beginning……”

“But the engagement is different.”

Louis, who was trying to hide his smile, stiffened at Olivie’s cold voice. As if he couldn’t understand what she was saying, he stared at her blankly before awkwardly laughing as if coming to his senses.

“Wh-what do you mean, Lie? What’s different……”

As he slightly leaned forward, she hid her hands behind her back as if to ward him off and met his gaze.

“I told you clearly, in any situation, a bastard child is not acceptable.”

“……”