Chapter 5 – Acknowledgement (Part 6)

Louis bit his lips and shifted his eyes. 

Perhaps the Duchess of Perfe, having just come up from the territory, wouldn’t know the rumors about her brother and Olivie.

Her brother might be too distracted below the waist to make a proper judgment, but she would not be. No matter how much of a friend she was, their friendship was only possible because she was a noble lady. If she found out Olivie was an illegitimate child with commoner blood, their relationship would surely shatter quickly. 

That was the shallow acquaintance of noble ladies. 

Louis, having found a chance to cut off both the escape route and Olivie’s retreat in an instant, let his eyes droop.

“Yes, our Caylen could only survive with the charity of your Elphano, so it must have been why the Earl chose me. But Olivie, now that it’s already revealed you’re an illegitimate child, do you think anyone would want you?”

“……”

“Oh, maybe you can find another family like ours that’s about to go under?”

Understanding Louis’s sneering glance at Emily, Olivie nodded knowingly.

“Oh, there are probably more than you think.”

“What?”

“And even if, as you say, there’s no one, I can live alone.”

At her words, Louis’s face twitched with irritation.

“A woman living alone in Plen…”

“I have money.”

“……”

“Our family is much wealthier than you think. And Evan, my brother whom you call that bastard, loves me dearly.”

If Evan heard this, he might freak out and say, “When did I ever!” but since he wasn’t present, she continued speaking as if it were true.

“Even if I’m a half-blood, I have the same father as my brother.”

Louis gritted his teeth.

‘This isn’t right.’

Shouldn’t things be turning out differently?

His fingertips trembled in panic.

What had I done just to win her over? 

The chilling thought that he might have not only built the coffin for his family’s downfall but also hammered the nails into the lid sent shivers down his spine. His father had already said the family was on shaky ground, and now, in front of him, not only Elphano but also the Tanner and Duke of Perfe families stood against him.

Perhaps the alcohol from the morning was finally wearing off, as Louis’s mind cleared with a shock, his face turning pale, and his fingertips trembling.

The situation, which he thought could be easily reversed, had worsened to the extreme, and most of the people gathered there were now mocking him. Even after revealing all his cards, Olivie’s unaffected demeanor made Louis bite his trembling lips.

She looked disgraceful, standing as if embraced by Robin. 

Just a few days ago, she was asking to come back to him, and now she had already switched men and looked so triumphant.

‘Just a mere illegitimate child.’

Louis twisted his trembling lips cruelly.

“After sleeping with Robin a few times, it seems you can’t see anything else.”

“…….”

As if making a final desperate attempt, Louis’s voice trembled, and Olivie sighed, prompting Emily to look back at her and sigh as well.

“Come to the house tomorrow. I’ll send a carriage.”

As if Louis wasn’t there at all.

“I’m so tired today.”

Understanding Emily’s meaning, Olivie nodded with a smile.

“Alright, see you tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

Emily gave a short nod and turned to her husband.

“Let’s go home. I feel like I’m going to collapse.”

“Oh, okay.”

William nodded as he lightly supported Emily, who was holding her forehead.

“Oh, and.”

As if she had just remembered, Emily leaned her head back and looked between William and Robin.

“I hope I won’t hear the name Caylen in my ears from now on.”

“Of course.”

“Sure.”

As soon as the words were spoken, William nodded and gestured briefly to the attendant behind him, then helped his wife into the carriage.

“I hope everything works out well.”

William didn’t forget to offer his final words of blessing to Olivie and Robin before closing the carriage door. The Duke’s carriage disappeared, raising dust.

“Let’s go too.”

Robin, also ignoring Louis, took Olivie’s hand and turned away.

Sensing the end for Caylen just from the attitudes of the Duke of Perfe and the Tanner family, people began to disperse, treating Louis as if he were invisible.

“Do you think I’m going to die like this?”

Regardless of what Louis was shouting from behind.

“My goodness, how can the weather be so cold?”

“Indeed. I think I’ll have to go south for the New Year.”

“Do you have a place in mind?”

“Isn’t Eldora nice?”

Realizing that they too could end up in the same situation if they spoke carelessly, they did not respond to Louis’s words and instead cheerfully chatted about the trivial weather as they each went their own way.

“Damn it! Damn it!”

“……”

Louis, standing in the middle of the road, bent his upper body and yelled out. 

Olivie, who briefly glanced at his final desperate outcry, turned her body at the touch of Robin’s hand on her shoulder.

“Just a moment.”

She gently pushed his hand away and walked toward Louis. Without the polite smile she usually wore, Olivie approached with a blank expression, causing Louis, who had been shouting all along, to take a step back with a hardened face.

His overly cautious demeanor, as if she might harm him, was so pathetic that Olivie couldn’t help but laugh.

‘I really hate myself for being tense over the words of such a guy.’

Recalling how she had tensed up at his threats, she shook her head briefly and stood in front of Louis, looking down at him.

“……”

In her gaze, devoid of any emotion, his face twisted painfully for a moment, and he glared up with eyes turning red.

“You.”

“Yes.”

She nodded, responding to his trembling voice.

“I’ll be fine.”

“……”

“So, Louis, let’s see each other with a smile next time.”

Olivie slightly lifted the corners of her mouth.

“After all, we’re friends, aren’t we? I’ll wish you happiness.”

Then she returned the nonsense he had said to her right back at him.

If you hit someone, it hurts them, but your hand hurts just as much.

Above all, Evan would probably step in again if he heard about today’s events.

The pain would be enough with just that.

“Goodbye then.”

Having repaid the immediate insult by turning his stomach, Olivie finally turned away. As she took Robin’s hand, Louis hurled a final curse.

“Don’t be mistaken, Olivie. Even if you die and come back to life, you won’t always be able to hold that hand.”

It was a statement bordering on a curse.

She knew it too, but she couldn’t help but bite her lower lip as her expression hardened for a moment. Without needing to look in the mirror, she was sure her stiff face with a forcibly raised corner of her mouth would look grotesquely distorted. But even so, she couldn’t give up smiling. She smiled at Robin.

“Let’s go.”

Pretending to be unaffected, Olivie’s expression as she smiled at him made Robin lift his head.

“You’ll be able to hold it for a lifetime.”

“……”

“As long as you don’t let go, I’ll never let it go.”