NOVEL NEXT Chapter 114
Molga’s lips were sealed as if glued shut. She couldn’t say a word.
Virgo was in the same state. He could have asked what she had done, what this was all about, but he remained silent for a long time.
Eventually, Viego approached Molga.
No, he passed by her, the frozen woman.
‘Why… why aren’t you saying anything…’
Molga, belatedly realizing, turned to look at Viego, but the oppressive darkness had already swallowed his retreating figure.
***
The next day.
As soon as the day broke, with sleepless eyes, Molga made her way to Viego’s room, her face pale with worry. She needed to devise any excuse for where the medicine had come from and why she was there in the late hours of the night.
She was relieved it was Viego who had caught her. He was the only one in this house who Molga could sway over…
“Viego.”
“Yes, grandma.”
Viego was as composed as ever, engrossed in some documents. Judging by his expression and tone, it seemed as though nothing had happened in the early morning hours.
“Um… about last night.”
“Grandma.”
Molga hesitated.
Viego, rising from his seat, approached her slowly. Then, in a hushed voice, so that no one else could hear, he whispered, “Grandma, you’re like a mother to me. You know that, right?”
“Well, I…”
“I’ve always considered myself almost like your son, grandma.”
“I feel the same way. Who else would be my son if not you?”
“I understand your heart better than anyone else in this house. So…”
“…”
“I won’t say anything. I hope this won’t cause unnecessary trouble.”
Ah…
Molga took a deep breath, clutching her startled heart. It felt like her heart, which had fallen to the floor and dried up, was beating again.
Viego was saying he would pretend not to know anything about this and not ask any questions.
“Sigh.” Molga, exhaling a sigh of relief, looked into Viego’s eyes. There was a bitterness, but his love for her remained unchanged. Just as always.
“I heard that Father has been making unilateral decisions that disregard your dedication to this household. That’s why your heart has been troubled.”
“Well, I just…”
“But you shouldn’t have to come forward like this, grandma. If it had fallen on someone other than me, it would have become a bigger issue.”
“I’m sorry… I should have asked you for help from the beginning.”
“Yes. So please trust me and wait a little. There won’t be a situation where you and the twins must leave this house.” Viego held Molga’s shoulders and smiled gently. Molga sighed with relief.
Yes, it was needless worry. Viego had always been a reliable child since he was young…
***
“There won’t be a situation where you and the twins must leave this house.”
…alive. Viego thought of the unsaid words and closed his eyes tightly.
Then, there was a small thud. On Lark’s desk, the pouch of medicine taken from Molga appeared. When Lark signaled to Ren, who was standing nearby, Ren shrugged and discreetly put the medicine pouch away.
“Thank you for the valuable evidence, Young Duke,” Ren said.
“I didn’t expect to receive such crucial assistance from you.” Lark smirked, “If you hadn’t suspected the grand duchess, it would have been difficult to unravel this tangled affair. Have you developed a good sense for such things?”
“…”
Lark, who had been silently watching Viego, still seemingly in shock, raised an eyebrow and said, “Anyway, thank you for your cooperation. With this, we should be able to sufficiently bring down the Bert family. We needed evidence that they were still in contact.”
“… The Bert family?” Viego was taken aback. The Bert family was Molga’s maiden family.
“You think the grand duchess could have made that medicine all by herself? How do you think she acquired it?”
“…”
Viego’s eyes flickered. There was a lightning-fast thought racing through his mind.
Gail Bert. Molga’s younger brother and a genius in the field of pharmacy.
“Sigh… Huft…” Taking a deep breath to steady his roughened breath at the sudden suspicion that had surfaced, Viego cautiously continued, “Your Highness.”
“Yes?”
“About the medical records of our family members that you took from me earlier…” His voice trembled, causing his words to break.
“We’ve completed all the investigations based on that. My personal physician’s assistance was necessary because the medical records were so intricately detailed that a regular physician would have had difficulty understanding them.”
“…”
Lark, observing the tense Viego, eventually lifted his chin and casually spoke, “Well, what do you say? Do you think you can handle hearing it without being shocked?”
“…”
“Do you have the confidence not to be shaken when you learn how monstrous the woman you loved so much, enough to cast aside your real family?” His sharp words were clearly meant to provoke Viego. “How foolishly you lived for so many years with your eyes closed. How many tears were almost shed in the future due to your negligence?”
“…”
“Do you have the confidence not to be shocked when you hear it?”
Viego had a vague idea of what truth might come from Lark’s mouth. However, what frightened him was not the truth but the shock and self-blame he would have to bear.
Still, with teary eyes, Viego replied, “Yes.”
***
In the chilly November of Descarde.
“It’s nice to go out with Dad after a long time!”
“…”
As I looked out of the carriage window at the passing scenery, I spoke, but my dad, who was sitting next to me, didn’t respond. When I turned to him, I could see his face was filled with dissatisfaction.
“Why are you making that expression?”
“It’s because you’ve been running around outside so much that you don’t have time to play with me. What have you been up to lately, anyway?”
“Well, I’m in the prime of my youth. It’s the age to go out and have fun,” I muttered under my breath, avoiding his gaze. I had been incredibly busy with store management and meetings with business associates lately, leaving me with no time.
“But Dad…”
“Yes?”
“Well…” The timing might not have been perfect, but there was something I needed to say now. I looked at my dad cautiously and spoke, “I’m thinking of moving out before getting married.”
“What?” As expected, my dad’s expression turned noticeably sour.
“Well, you see… There’s a really nice house on the outskirts of the capital. It’s almost like it’s right next to the capital, so the security isn’t bad…”
Truthfully, I had already bought it. It was the three-story mansion in the forest that Rubette had been dreaming of. It was so beautiful that I had signed the contract on the spot the day I toured it.
“…How do you have the money for that?” My dad remained silent for a while, then asked, “Where is it?” as if he wanted to buy it.
Even though I had already bought it… I pretended not to know and said, “We have plenty of money.”
“I’m not giving it to you.”
“What?”
“I said I’m not giving it to you.”
“Wow, how mean. Weren’t you saying that at my age, I should be using my parents’ money?”
“That’s right. But before, you said you wouldn’t take money from me.”
“Oh, so does that mean if I buy a house without taking money from you, I can move out?”
My dad, who seemed at a loss for words, remained silent and lost in thought. Finally, it seemed my dad couldn’t choose the right words to counter me, so he sighed. “Do you not want to live with me?”
“No, it’s not that… Parents should be happy to see their independent children leave at any time. You can’t keep them under your wing forever, you know?”
My dad blinked at me as I spoke cheekily. “You’re only sixteen.”
“In two months, I’ll be seventeen.”
“Even at seventeen, no noble young ladies go out and live on their own.”
“…”
As if he felt each word was a nail in his coffin, my dad hesitated for a moment before mumbling with his arms crossed, “Just stay with me a little longer…”
“…”
“I haven’t been able to do much for you all this time.”
“Oh, okay. I understand. I’m not saying I’m going to move out right now.” I had to wait until after Molga and the twins were expelled from the duchy. I tried to reassure my dad, who looked melancholic, but he didn’t say anything more.
“But where are we going now?”
“To buy you some clothes.”
“Huh? Clothes?”
“I couldn’t even give you a birthday present. It was your first birthday as an adult.”
Well, that was mainly because of my dad’s personality, preferring to hand over a black card instead of buying a separate gift…
But somehow, it made me feel good.
“Hehe. But where…” Before I could finish my sentence, the carriage came to a stop.
It was a very familiar sight—Lunten’s boutique street, the main branch of <Blanc de Ruby>.
“Oh, Dad, just a moment.”
“Why? Get off.”
“No, Dad? Do you not know this place well? You can’t just walk in. You need to get a waiting ticket, and it takes half a day—”
Ignoring my frustrated stammering, my dad forcibly got off the carriage and held up a small slip of paper between his fingers.
<Blanc de Ruby> 127.
“Already got it covered. I told Goth to pick up the waiting ticket this morning.”
“Wow, you’re so prepared. But still, we can’t buy clothes. It’s a reservation system. Even if we go—”
“I knew that too. It’s reserved under Victor’s name for November. I reserved it along with the accessories shop for your birthday gift. They said the waiting list here is long, so they couldn’t fit it in for your birthday.”
Wow… a thoroughly prepared man who would never make a woman wait!
‘No, no, this is not the time.’
I had no choice but to be dragged by my dad towards the store. In front of the store, there was an employee checking waiting tickets.
“Welcome to <Blanc de Ruby>.”
“Here.”
The employee, after verifying the waiting ticket my dad presented, smiled brightly. “You’ve arrived just in time. Currently, the tailor is serving customer number 126, so you can enter. Please wait inside for a moment.”
“Let’s go.”
“Ugh, Dad…”
Becky would probably be a little surprised. Still, she was a smart business partner who would handle the situation discreetly, so I wasn’t too worried. This ridiculous situation of receiving clothes I had designed as a gift from my dad in my own shop is simply too…!
With a jingling sound, the door opened. And…
‘Oh, shit.’
I stared with my mouth agape as I saw Becky and familiar faces seated at the table.
“Oh my, Princess!”
The empress.
“Oh dear, what a surprise. I didn’t think I’d see you today.”
And Lady Endelturn.
“Wow, Rubette!”
Even Lisbeth.
…Such were the identities of customer number 126.
Becky, who had been dealing with royal customers, looked at my dad and was taken aback. Her pupils trembled as if a bomb had just hit her. Perhaps my own eyes weren’t much different right now.
My dad immediately recognized the empress and greeted her, “Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress.”
“Nice to see you, Duke Diollus.”
The empress, who had greeted us warmly, introduced Lady Endelturn and Lisbeth, then commented, “You look really good. You came to manage the shop with your father, didn’t you?”
Ahhh…!
My dad, who was standing next to me, hesitated, and I couldn’t find my voice, frozen in shock.
That’s when Lisbeth dropped the bomb. “Hehe. Long time no see, Rubette. I was so surprised when I found out you were the owner of <Blanc de Ruby>!”
“Well, uh… I…”
“You’re the one who gave my brother your business card before, so he could help me buy a dress quickly, right? Hehe, I was so touched. Thank you.”
It was over. I felt like a speck of dust, and all the strength drained from my body.
My dad, who had been standing silently, asked, “What does that mean?”