Chapter 5 – Acknowledgement (Part 5)

As Louis mentioned, getting embroiled in such a scandal could jeopardize the marriage talks with the Princess.

Not that Olivie was in a position to worry about such things right now.

Among the dozens of reasons she had to push him away, she barely managed to pull out one that seemed somewhat reasonable, and she lifted her head, calming her emotions.

“I’m sorry.”

“…….”

“For getting you involved in this because of me.”

However, despite Olivie’s intentions, Robin did not release his arms. Instead, he lowered his head to whisper even closer.

“It’s okay.”

“…….”

Olivie raised her gaze a little more at the gentle voice, in contrast to the slightly stiffened corners of his mouth. The warmth in his eyes as he looked at her made Olivie bite her lip.

Why does he keep doing this?

His demeanor that wouldn’t let her abandon hope, emotions, was driving her insane.

When did he draw the line like that?

‘Why on earth.’

Taking a frustrated breath, Olivie parted her lips but then just averted her gaze.

She still lacked the courage to face her emotions head-on.

Even if it was foolish.

‘I don’t have the confidence.’

Olivie shook her head and let out a long sigh.

“Ha.”

But misunderstanding the scene between the two, Louis’s eyes blazed as if on fire, his eyes gleaming as if he were a madman without a tomorrow. Seeing his distorted face, Olivie hurriedly opened her mouth.

“Stop……”

But……

“No matter how good Olivie is at night, you should be aware of the situation, Lord. She is, after all, my fiancée.”

Louis’s voice, as if swallowing Olivie’s words, made Robin slowly turn his head.

“Fiancée?”

Hearing the voice, which had sunk low, made every hair on one’s body stand on end. A chilling aura, almost murderous in its intensity, surged through Robin’s entire being.

It seemed he had been suppressing it all along, thanks to her presence.

From the fingertips with which he held her, an intangible energy was felt.

No way.

Looking over her shoulder, Olivie’s gaze hardened.

The magic he hadn’t controlled was fluctuating.

For now, it was visible only to her eyes, but if it leaked out a little more, it seemed it would be discovered.

‘That can’t happen.’

It was a secret he wanted to hide so much that he accepted her nonsensical deal, and it could lead to severe punishment if things went wrong. He had already been entangled in too many things because of her, so Olivie clutched his hem.

“Lord.”

“…….”

“Lord Tanner?”

But his magic, unresponsive as if her call was unheard, was now slowly revealing its color. The direction of the anger aimed at Louis needed to be redirected as quickly as possible.

‘But he’s not responding to my call.’

Olivie bit her lip slightly and glanced up at him.

‘There’s no choice.’

She tugged at the hem of his clothes she was holding onto, as if to tighten it.

“Oppa.”

Calling him carefully, as if touching delicately crafted glass shards that might break if handled wrongly, Olivie looked up at him.

“I want to go home.”

She whispered very softly, just enough for him to hear. 

She shook her head slightly, as if playfully, worrying that others might hear. Robin glanced at his hand at her words, suggesting they leave this place, and clenched his fingertips.

And only then, with the disappearance of the magic, did Olivie let her shoulders drop.

‘Thank goodness.’

Robin, sensing Olivie’s deep sigh of relief, embraced her shoulder.

“Let’s go home.”

As he turned her body to leave the place, Louis’s voice, filled with spite, came through.

“Ha, I really worry about the future of the Tanner family. Wrapped around a woman’s skirts, losing your mind…”

“The Tanner family has fallen quite a bit.”

The voice that coldly cut off Louis’s words, unable to hide his malice towards Robin, was heard along with the jingling sound of a door.

“Oh my, isn’t that William, Duke of Perfe?”

“Wasn’t he supposed to be in his territory?”

Following the murmuring sounds from all around,

“Indeed, this seems entirely my brother’s fault.”

Emily’s voice followed.

As Emily appeared, placing her hand on her waist as if supporting her belly that was close to full-term, Olivie opened her mouth in surprise.

“You!”

“Oh, right. I was going to surprise you.”

Emily approached Olivie’s side. Robin still stood firmly behind her.

In the appearance of being shielded by the two siblings, Olivie bit her lip.

‘Because of me.’

“Everything went down because of that guy.”

Olivie, with her gaze wavering at Emily’s voice pushing away the habitual self-reproach, turned to look at her.

“Without a shred of shame. How on earth does the Count Caylen family educate their children?”

“What!”

“It would be better for you to keep that mouth shut if you want to at least preserve your family’s name.”

William stared at Louis, who was trying to stop Emily’s words. Louis’s face, which had instinctively closed his mouth, flushed red again. Seeing him biting his lips, it seemed he had belatedly realized that the situation was not turning in his favor.

He urgently looked around for anyone who might be on his side, but there was no one to begin with. Like a cornered rat, Louis bit his lips repeatedly and, looking at Olivie ahead, suddenly raised his voice as if going berserk.

“Ha, all the great people have gathered. The intimidation is so classy and impressive. You’re going to destroy the family? Ah, it would be perfect if Evan Elphano were here. Because of that great Elphano, our family is…!”

Louis, trembling with his intact leg and hand, pointed to his damaged leg with a face full of madness.

“Evan, that dog of a man, shattered my leg like this and even ruined our family…”

The moment she heard Evan’s name, Olivie came to her senses.

‘Stop having unnecessary thoughts. You’re my sister.’

‘You and I look so much alike. If we, who look so identical, aren’t mother and daughter, then who would be?’

They were the two people who accepted her as family even though they knew who she really was. Remembering them, Olivie gritted her teeth.

“That bastard…”

“Watch your mouth.”

Olivie coldly retorted to Louis, who was constantly cursing Evan, who wasn’t even present.

“What?”

It seemed Louis hadn’t imagined that Olivie would speak up. 

His eyes were bloodshot and unfocused, and his face was far from tidy. His hair was disheveled. 

If not for the name Viscount Caylen, he wouldn’t look out of place as a street vagrant. Realizing that, Olivie felt it was unjust to be insulted by such a person and to have not refuted it until now.

“He’s the one holding your leash.”

“……”

Louis could only bite his lips at her cold reaction, unable to say anything further, and he glared at her. Olivie lowered her gaze at his quickly submissive attitude.

“And wasn’t everything Caylen enjoyed in the first place things they couldn’t even dream of without Elphano? Clinging to my skirts just to barely climb into mainstream society.”

“You!”

“You were the one who brought up breaking off the engagement.”

Olivie lifted her head and stared directly at him as if suppressing his attempt to shout.

“You pleaded for the engagement to be broken because you found someone you love. So isn’t it only natural to return everything you gained from the engagement with me?”

“What do you mean, our Caylen is…”

“A pathetic family clinging to a tiny estate with nothing but debt, treating it as if it’s the most precious thing in the world.”

“……”

At Olivie’s cold remark, Louis turned even redder. 

Those were the words he had heard after being dragged back to the mansion and beaten by his father after avoiding his parents for two weeks.

‘Do you know what you’ve done!’

Caylen was a family that would lose even their title without Elphano, and his father yelled at him, asking if he was really throwing away such fortune. Louis begged and shouted that he would set things right. After hearing from his mother that Olivie might be an illegitimate child, he thought it would be easy to win back her heart. 

They must have chosen him because they needed him.

Yes, he thought he could easily resolve it by exploiting that part.

‘If only Erica hadn’t talked about Robin Tanner.’

Louis, quickly finding someone to blame for his mistakes, bit his lips. 

If only Erica hadn’t come to him and said that the two were sleeping together.

‘While you lose everything, it seems Miss Elphano has found a new love.’

If only she hadn’t told him that the two would spend the night at the Tanner estate and come out completely disheveled. He wouldn’t have acted so rashly.

Because Olivie was kind. If he had groveled, she would have eventually forgiven him. Then he could have married without losing anything, and after some time, brought Angela and the child into the family.

Once they were already married, what could she do about it?

But if she became another man’s woman… Of course, the idea of her with Robin Tanner is absurd, but if by some chance it happened, the Caylen family would be completely finished. 

That’s how a mistake led to this point. 

But there was no way back.

Therefore, he had to burn all the bridges for her to return as well. Only then would she come back to him. 

That was the only way he could survive.

‘If the result is good, everything is good.’