CH 15

Narrowing his eyes, Fabian asked, “When we were on the train, you were joking, right?”

Yeah, I was joking, but……

How do I say that you will fall in love with Larissa in the future? Not the current Grand Duke, but you who will become the Grand Duke in the near future.

I hesitated and did not answer.

Then Fabian’s eyes looking at me became cold little by little.

All of a sudden, the atmosphere felt like when I first saw him in the restaurant.

– Did you really try to sell your little sister to my grandfather? Wasn’t that a bad joke?

Oh, I heard it.

I heard his inner voice.

I was frustrated.

It was the voice of Fabian’s heart that I had never heard even after going through all sorts of things with him today.

Sounds like he insulted me.

‘Is three years such a long time……?’

Maybe I shouldn’t have come here. I should have fed Larissa for three years further, dressed her well, and played with her.

But, it is already too late to regret it.

I couldn’t leave her in the basement after hearing her cry out in pain.

‘But……it’s like this in the end.’

I don’t know anyone in this world.

Still, I comforted myself.

Because I came out with a bunch of jewels. There is nothing that cannot be done with money.

‘But where are we going now?’

When I thought about where I should run to, Fabian said, “Didn’t you hurt your leg? I will give you a room, so you can stay here for a few days.”

“……sorry?”

What? Why is this man suddenly friendly? How else did he know my leg is hurt?

Fabian looked at me and frowned slightly.

Oh, this handsome man had a grimace.

“I knew what your father had said was a lie. You can leave here if you want him to find and catch you right away.”

“How did you know he was lying?”

“I knew that just by looking at him.”

He answered as if he were affirming, then glanced at Larissa.

He chuckled and lightly clicked his tongue.

His facial muscles seemed to loosen a little.

It was a gaze of compassion.

‘……Oh hey.’

It can start with compassion and become love.

I felt the embers of hope come alive.

But the hope just for a while.

— What a pity kid with such a strange older sister.

“……”

It’s not that I’m weird, it’s just that you haven’t read the original fairy tale!

Fabian glanced at me as if he know I was looking at him.

He said with a hard expression on his face, “It’s not like I fell in love at first sight. When your leg healed, you can leave this mansion.”

***

We were provided with everything from a sumptuous dinner and two interconnected bedrooms to a bathtub and a change of clothes.

There was a separate bedroom, but Larissa didn’t want to sleep alone, so I changed into my pajamas and went to sleep in Larissa’s bedroom.

We’re not even close, but sleeping together in the same bed does seem like a good idea……?

“You’ve worked hard today, Larissa. I was worried that we might end up staying homeless, but I’m glad we were able to sleep comfortably in this bed, right?”

“……”

Of course, there was no reply from Larissa, then I said goodnight and closed my eyes.

My body was tired, but I couldn’t sleep easily.

I kept thinking about the Grand Duke whom I had met for a while.

‘Will the Grand Duke’s seat be overtaken within the next three years?’

The point is that after three years, Arno—no, Fabian will be the Grand Duke.

What will happen to the present Grand Duke?

‘……I’m sorry.’

It’s not like I can do anything though.

I closed my eyes and forced myself to sleep.

*

It was already midnight when I woke up to noise from outside.

Outside the bedroom, footsteps could be heard running around, and the whole house was in commotion.

‘What’s going on?’

I rubbed my eyes and walked towards the door.

Then, the voice of someone calling out from afar was faintly heard.

“His Highness the Grand Duke is in critical condition! Come on, bring the doctor!”

The Grand Duke, who was sitting in the wheelchair?

2. Divorce Papers are the Perfect Wedding Gift

Fabian groaned and opened his eyes.

‘Did I fall asleep?’

He must have been dreaming a little while ago, but he can’t remember at all.

The only thing left was the unpleasant feeling at the end of the nightmare.

He caught sight of the maid waiting by the bed, changing the ice pack on the Grand Duke’s forehead.

The doctor looked down at the Grand Duke with a serious expression on his face and was writing something in his notebook.

“Bellman, how is my grandfather’s condition?”

“The seizures have stopped, but the fever is still severe. I just sent an assistant to bring the medicine box……just……”

The doctor shook his head slowly and continued, “If he has another seizure, then you should prepare your heart.”

Fabian rubbed his face with his hand, feeling frustrated.

Last night, the Grand Duke suddenly fell into a seizure and has been in a coma since then.

Fabian ran right away, put his grandfather on the bed, and called the doctor.

He stayed by his side all night, hoping his grandfather to wake up safely, but the doctor could not even find out the cause of the Grand Duke’s seizure and gave only basic treatment.

The Grand Duke was also old, and the leg he had injured in his youth had deteriorated.

But his health was not so bad that he suddenly collapsed like this.

At least Fabian thought so.

He kept thinking that someone might have written something.

‘But there is no evidence.’

In the end, all he could do was keep on the Grand Duke’s side.

*

The day began to slowly brighten, Fabian had to bring a pile of papers and start handling urgent tasks.

He had been acting as the Grand Duke’s deputy for quite some time, so he was able to handle it skillfully.

He didn’t even step out of the room and was still by the Grand Duke’s side.

In the afternoon, the butler appeared with not-so-pleasant news.

“Marchioness Conrad and Count Laurent are here.”

“My aunt and uncle?”

Before Fabian could get up from his seat, the door to the Grand Duke’s bedroom opened.

His sharp gaze turned to the doorway.

‘It must be among them.’

Those who tried to harm the Grand Duke.

The current Grand Duke Frederick of Laurent had three children.

The two most suspicious were Valerie and Dominic, excluding Fabian’s father who passed away.

Of course, their children could not be easily excluded from suspicion as well.

Fabian watched his relatives come in with suspicion.

No one greeted each other warmly.

“Oh, Mr. Bellman. It looks like my father just fell asleep. He’s fine, right?”

The middle-aged woman approaching the bed and making a fuss was Marchioness Valerie Conrad, the daughter of the Grand Duke and Fabian’s aunt.

Following Valerie, a girl with her fine brown hair curled up and dressed beautifully came in.

She was Valerie’s daughter, Heloise Conrad.

Heloise didn’t even look at the bed on which the Grand Duke was lying, but she approached Fabian straight away.

“How are you, Brother Fabian?” She greeted him with her rosy cheeks blushing.

When she was 18, her beauty was rising. As if she knew it well, she wore a dress full of jewels to accentuate her beauty.

At first glance, she did not look like a person visiting a patient.

Before Fabian could respond to her greeting, a voice interrupted him.

“How did you come to our father’s bedroom without me?”

It was the Grand Duke’s youngest son, Fabian’s uncle, Count Dominic Laurent.

Fabian frowned.

“You are in front of someone who is lying sick. Please lower your voice.”