Chapter 5 – Acknowledgement (Part 4)

Louis, unable to find words in response to Olivie’s statement, scratched his lower lip.

At his expression, Olivie twisted one corner of her mouth in a sneer.

“Yes, that’s why our engagement can’t happen.”

The issue of a bastard was something she absolutely could not tolerate.

“Our engagement became irreparable the moment you mentioned a bastard. So.”

“Lie, I promise I won’t cause any trouble with that. I won’t even recognize the child, and Angela will just live quietly. I won’t let her touch the succession or the estate. It’ll be as if the child doesn’t exist……”

“Louis Caylen.”

Calling his name as if to silence him, Olivie stared at him intently.

“You don’t really think that can solve everything, do you?”

“……”

Louis, who had been pouring out words, suddenly clammed up as if he had swallowed a bee. He seemed to realize how inadequate his excuses were, and his inability to speak further made her feel there was nothing more to say, so she dropped her shoulders.

“Let’s end this here.”

Just then, Elcia, who had gone inside, appeared with a stern face.

‘I need to get home quickly.’

She didn’t want to exchange any more words with him. Feeling drained from the brief encounter, Olivie called out to Elcia.

“Elcia, call the carriage. Let’s go back.”

“Um…”

At the word to go, Elcia hesitated slightly and looked back, then looked up at Olivie with a troubled face. Seeing that expression, Olivie narrowed her brows.

“Why, is there something wrong?”

“The Duchess……”

Just as Elcia was about to whisper in her ear.

“Honestly, Lie, I thought you would understand my situation.”

With a ragged breath, Louis raised his voice.

‘Understand? Understand what?’

At the moment Olivie turned her head, wondering what there was for her to understand about him.

“That’s what my mother said.”

As their eyes met, Louis twisted one corner of his mouth slyly. His eyes glinted with a suspicious expression.

“What……”

“That you’d understand my situation if I explained it well.”

“……”

“Because a bastard understands a bastard’s heart well.”

Without giving her a chance to ask, Louis finished speaking. It was as if whispers suddenly rushed in, and Olivie was dumbfounded.

‘That.’

How he knew, or rather, how Countess Caylen knew and told him, wasn’t important to Olivie. The fact that the secret she had tried so hard to hide was now exposed to the whole world—or was about to be—was the problem.

‘What should I do?’

Her mind went blank from the shock.

Olivie knew how her mother had lived, concealing that wound all this time. Sometimes with tears, sometimes with hatred towards her father, she had comforted and consoled herself to make it through. And she had endured, holding on to her love and care for Olivie.

But now…

‘Because of me.’

Her mother’s wound, the scandal of Elphano, had been exposed to the world.

Olivie looked at him with an emotionless gaze. But as if he didn’t care about such a gaze anymore, Louis,  basking in the attention of the whispering crowd, took one step, then another, closer to Olivie.

“I was just testing, but it seems it was true.”

He whispered softly in her ear with a sly smile.

“I told you, there’s no one but me for you.”

“……”

“Wouldn’t it have been better if you had been nice?”

“……”

“Half-blooded wretch.”

The thick smell of alcohol in his voice made Olivie close her eyes. Seeing Olivie, who always acted arrogantly in front of him, crumble was amusing to Louis, and his smile grew even wider.

“What, did you think sleeping with Robin Tanner a few times would make you the mistress of the Tanner family?”

“……”

His sneering at Olivie, who couldn’t say anything, became increasingly harsh.

“Why not beg me now? If I go to Lord Tanner and say just one word, you’ll be expelled immediately……”

“……!”

That couldn’t happen.

Olivie thought. 

If Emily found out too…

‘No.’

As she shook her head, Olivie’s vision swam, and her body swayed greatly. But someone caught her firmly from behind, supporting her so she wouldn’t fall. As she turned her head at the familiar warmth and scent, Olivie recognized the voice that spoke low above her.

“Do it.”

She knew the owner of that voice.

‘Robin.’

“Lord Tanner?”

Louis’s expression twisted in surprise at the unexpected appearance.

“L-Lord.”

He couldn’t smile, nor could he sneer at Olivie as he usually did. Louis seemed startled by Robin’s gaze and took a few steps back. Nearly stumbling backward, his unsightly appearance invited ridicule.

“Go ahead. Say a word.”

But Robin, ignoring the reactions around him, continued to stare at Louis. Under that cold gaze, Louis swallowed hard.

He wasn’t unafraid.

But just as he had nearly fallen over in shock when he first heard the story from his mother, he was sure that once Robin heard the whole story, his affection for Olivie would vanish.

And after that.

‘There would be no one left for Olivie but me.’

He believed he alone should be the one to pull Olivie out of the mire.

Suppressing the nervous excitement caused by Robin Tanner’s imposing presence, Louis straightened his shoulders.

“I heard Olivie is the bastard child of Count Elphano.”

As if revealing a tremendous secret, Louis arrogantly lifted his chin.

Expecting Robin to show the same disgust as himself, Louis avoided Olivie’s wavering eyes. Instead, he focused on Robin’s hand gripping her shoulder.

But.

“So?”

Robin reacted indifferently and even pulled her closer to his chest.

“What does that matter?”

His actions, which seemed to want to hold her entirely in his arms to prevent her from falling, only increased the whispers from the crowd.

The more he did so, the more Louis’s expression began to crumble.

‘Why?’

Louis’s face flushed red with confusion.

If things continued like this, wouldn’t I be the only petty one exposing her weakness?

‘Damn it.’

Frustrated by the situation not going as he planned, and by Robin’s hypocritical attitude, Louis felt anger boiling inside him. From what he knew, Robin wasn’t the type to be kind enough to cover up someone else’s flaws.

‘Hah! And now he’s pretending to be nice?’

Louis gritted his teeth at the obvious ploy.

Perhaps Robin was even more disgusting than he was. At least Louis was honest.

‘Disgusting bastard.’

Suddenly appearing by Olivie’s side and stirring her up, Robin’s very presence, once again blocking his path, was infuriating.

“Though it’s unlikely, you’re not serious about Olivie, are you?”

Louis sneered, looking Olivie up and down.

“Isn’t the Tanner family famous for its impeccable lineage? Yet.”

Clicking his tongue, Louis’s gaze made Olivie flinch and shiver her shoulders. Satisfied with that reaction, Louis smiled unnaturally.

“Is there any benefit in tarnishing that high reputation yourself? I heard there were talks of marriage with Princess Swedina, what good could come from being embroiled in such a scandal? So…”

“When did a Caylen start meddling in Tanner family affairs?”

As Robin coldly cut off Louis’s words, who reached out as if demanding Olivie, he lifted his head. 

Even the elegant expression he wore out of courtesy had vanished.

It was chilly and cold.

Compared to the cold face he had mentioned jokingly before, Olivie thought it was mild now, and she bit her lip.

‘If this weren’t a private setting……’

She thought that in an official setting or when representing the family head, he would be this cold, and her mouth went dry. Considering this, she thought Robin had been quite lenient with Count Miguel’s third son compared to what Caylen would face in the future.

‘Stupid Louis.’

Olivie clicked her tongue. However, Louis still seemed oblivious to Robin’s demeanor.

“It’s not meddling, but a concern I’m expressing as a fellow Earl family.”

Olivie was dumbfounded as Louis even took a step closer to Robin.

“Families above the rank of Earl don’t want their lineage to become tainted. Even if it’s overlooked now, who would want to form a marriage alliance with the Tanner family in the future?”

“…….”

“Isn’t that right?”

Louis turned to look at the people behind him as if to incite them. However, no one easily agreed with him. Unlike Louis, who was too drunk to notice anything else, most people seemed to sense Robin’s displeasure.

Yet, Louis, with his eyes gleaming in a dazed, unfocused manner, couldn’t hide his cruel enjoyment of the moment.

His gaze glistened as if he was eagerly anticipating not only Olivie’s downfall but also the complete collapse of the Elphano family. Seeing that, Olivie felt a nauseating disgust rising from within her, as if she had seen the depths of human depravity.

To think she almost married such a person.

To think she considered him a decent person, albeit a bit foolish, but pure and kind.

‘If I had married him without knowing.’

Imagining her dreadful future, Olivie closed her eyes tightly, and Robin pulled her closer into his embrace, as if to steady her slightly swaying body.

As if handling someone precious.

“Are you okay?”

At Robin’s voice, checking on her condition, she nodded briefly and gently pushed him away.

“…….”

At that moment, Robin’s expression hardened.

Though the onlookers might not notice, he knew exactly why she was doing this, understanding her intentions.

She didn’t want to drag him into this.