Chapter 10

As a result, Kalik’s wish was never fulfilled. Before he could even sit down, an urgent call came. A messenger from the knight order came to catch him, asking how he could leave during training.

Kalik was dragged away, looking like a cow being led to the slaughterhouse.

So, what did Marie do after narrowly avoiding the crisis?

“Could I be a more fatal woman than I thought?”

She was in a safe room in the annex, saying something that would make anyone laugh hysterically, but she was saying it very seriously. It wasn’t that she was looking in the mirror, acting pretentious, or savoring some compliment she had received. She was simply resting her chin on her hand, recalling the significance of her existence and blurting it out.

Natalie felt dizzy as she examined the torn seam of the blouse and held her forehead. As a result, she missed the part she was checking and had to start over from the beginning.

“Why, why… why do you think that?”

“Why? That man….”

“Lord Kalik?”

“Huh? I didn’t say it was that person, so how did you know?”

Natalie said with her eyes that there was no other man for the young lady but him. It would be problematic for a married woman to have another man, wouldn’t it? But it seemed that all of Natalie’s reactions were being interpreted as she pleased by Marie, who was in an inexplicable ecstasy.

“It’s a good thing.”

“Is this good? You think so?”

“Of course. No matter how it started, it’s more peaceful and quiet than ever.”

“But….”

Marie mumbled, trailing off. She was one to make embarrassing remarks easily, but she always held back on important matters. Because of this, Natalie had to point out the part her mistress was worried about once again.

“There’s an old saying that if three people insist, even a non-existent dragon can be created. In other words, it’s not just your achievement, Madam. Don’t feel guilty.”

Since the day Kalik woke up, Marie’s worry had been about ‘lying.’ She spent many sleepless nights, saying she never thought a joke she made thoughtlessly would grow this much.

Of course, she didn’t fail to attempt to tell the truth. She tried several times. Marie Odillia’s specialty was always saying what she wanted without reservation, so speaking itself couldn’t be a problem.

The problem was that Kalik was a lover beyond her imagination.

And he was stubborn.

Every time Marie started with “Actually, we…,” he skillfully silenced her as if he knew what she was going to say. He would change the subject or follow up with another topic.

Anyway, the words that were taken away never returned, and shouting that their relationship wasn’t good was an endless self-destructive act that offended Marie’s aesthetic sense. Only if the first button was fastened correctly would there be time for explanation.

“But I have the biggest share….”

“Did anyone hold a knife to your throat and force you to believe it? If you hinted several times that it’s not true, you should also know how to listen. This is a chicken that jumped into the pot on its own. There’s no room for consideration.”

“You’re ruthless.”

“You mentioned shares. If we must argue, the fault lies more with the deceived than the deceiver.”

The deceiver.

Marie’s eyes narrowed. But Natalie looked back with even more confidence.

“……Is that so?”

“Yes.”

When she urges so confidently, it really makes one think there’s no fault. Moreover, Marie herself had consistently shown the sincerity of ‘trying to tell,’ so…

The problem was that even if she defended it like this, she couldn’t escape the fact that it was a ‘lie.’ The expression that it was a mistake of many people eased the mental burden but didn’t erase the guilt.

Because of this, Marie’s worries didn’t cease even with Natalie’s rare comfort. She mumbled repeatedly that it wasn’t that, and quickly muttered as if someone might hear.

“What if his memories return?”

Natalie carefully placed the inspected dress in the wardrobe and replied.

“That’s something to deal with then.”

Honestly, if you start nitpicking, there’s no end. Even if the beginning is a simple lie, the aftermath that will come when the truth is revealed will be enormous.

That’s why Natalie tried to soothe Marie and avoid bringing up future matters as much as possible. She wanted to say there was a way to tie him up and spoon-feed him the truth, but…

If you were worried about the future, you shouldn’t have lied, and if you lied, you shouldn’t worry.

“The doctor said there’s no way to know. It could come back tomorrow, or it might never return.”

“Then let’s pray it never returns.”

Natalie remained cold to the end. She dismissed even the comfort with the word ‘prayer,’ as if Marie’s worries were nothing. Indeed, all of Marie’s current worries had predetermined answers, so there was nothing she could do.

Yet, if she couldn’t stop worrying.

“Madam. May I ask you something?”

“Yes?”

“Are you afraid that your lie will be exposed?”

“Not exactly….”

When she thought about it, what made Marie uneasy wasn’t the lie or what would happen afterward.

She bit her lip quietly and decided to be honest.

“I guess I am a little.”

“Then are you afraid this situation will break?”

“Me? Why?”

“Then there’s no problem, is there? Your reputation might be slightly damaged, but it’s just going back to how it was. There’s no need for you to be so anxious.”

At the mention of going back to how it was, Marie’s complexion changed. She imagined her future slowly without Natalie’s help.

What would happen if Kalik’s memories returned? He would probably abandon her first. Then he’d get angry, asking why she played with him. But considering his personality, the anger would likely return as ‘indifference.’ Just like the past three years.

“I don’t know….”

“Madam.”

Everything she could imagine was a reality waiting for its time. Marie seriously pondered the same concern every day, but her heart couldn’t give a definite answer. It didn’t seem like love, and it wasn’t hatred anymore. Then what was it?

“It seems you’ve grown fond of him.”

“Fondness? Is this fondness?”

Feeling familiar and warm when looking at him.

Marie carefully pondered and asked.

“Anyway, it’s not love, right?”

“As of now, yes. Fondness and love are a little different.”

“Aha!”

Her face brightened instantly. Marie pounded her chest in joy, feeling as if a burden she had carried for years had finally lifted. It was as if the worries she’d been grappling with for days had been resolved like a lie.

She had been most curious about why she didn’t dislike it when Kalik touched her, and if that could be explained by the emotion of ‘fondness,’ what could be better than that!

As long as it’s not love, it doesn’t matter. She didn’t even hear the premise before that.

On the other hand, Natalie was holding back the urge to ask how Marie felt when Kalik made contact. If she was going to bring up the word ‘fondness,’ that’s where she should start. If she didn’t dislike it, then it’s not just fondness. It’s the beginning of love. Who would engage in physical affection with just fondness?

Moreover, even if it’s not love, it’s still a problem.

“Fondness is the scariest thing.” 

Natalie muttered.

But to Marie, who had already brushed it off, Natalie’s sigh sounded like a story from a faraway land.

* * *

“Am I seeing things right now?”

Albrecht pinched his own cheek hard and, not satisfied, punched his thigh. Fortunately, only he and his daughter were in the inner room; otherwise, a new scandal might have been added.

Of course, Marie, who was used to this, left her father alone whether he groaned or acted out. It seemed he couldn’t get into the mood for a long talk without such warm-up exercises.

After a while, Albrecht, having collected himself, slurped his cooled tea and wiped his mouth roughly as if he had been drinking alcohol.

“The divorce?!”

Thirty minutes after his arrival, he was talking about seeing things and divorce.

Marie held her forehead and waved her hand to close the door. She was afraid someone might hear.

“You never fail to meet expectations when you visit.”

“Right? But it’s mutual. I don’t expect anything when I come, but you really make me expect something!”

“Who does?”

“This damn household!”

“Father!”

She wanted to cover his mouth, but knowing he’d just talk elsewhere if she did, she refrained.

“Anyway.”

Seeing Marie clamping her mouth shut, Albrecht awkwardly changed the subject.

“Aren’t you getting a divorce?”

That was it.

He leaned forward as if pursued by something, lowering his voice. After being dragged out a few times for nonsense, he seemed to have come to his senses.

“You said you were getting a divorce.”

“I’m not deaf, so just say it once.”

“Could you tell me what’s going on?”

Now, Albrecht was clasping his hands, begging. He had no choice. Since Kalik Escael got injured, the mansion had strictly prohibited outsiders. The annex where Marie stayed was an exception, but even that was banned for a specific individual due to Albrecht’s frequent visits and strange ideas.

Naturally, curiosity had piled up like a mountain during his absence.

Injury is one thing, but why cut off contact with the outside? And what did Odillia have to do with severing the father-daughter relationship?