Chapter 112

A Plan (10)

Still, he would like to think his father wasn’t involved. Had it not been for Matthias, Theo wouldn’t have been trapped or Louis would have been burned to death.

He judged that it was right to see Paul as a team with Matthias.

“Rowena…”

Louis, still on his knees, looked at her with a guilty face. Rowena looked at Louis and gently pushed Cecil’s hand.

Rowena, who stepped forward, caught Louis and raised him.

“You are resting. You’ve been sick for days.”

“W-what are you going to do with Father?”

Louis asked, carefully examining Rowena’s countenance.

Rowena looked at Louis without answering. It was a complicated gaze.

“But he’s our father.”

Louis said in a small voice, as if unsure. Rowena turned away from Louis with a lonely face.

“I’m just a daughter, right?”

“It’s just…”

Rowena quietly led Louis to bed. Louis glanced at Cecil and wondered whether he should ask for a favor.

Paul is the worst father to Rowena, but it was Matthias who did wrong. He felt that his father should not be harmed.

“Rowena… Sister. I’m sure Father regrets it too.”

“I once imagined that before I was slapped by Father and rolled down the stairs.”

Louis’ mouth was closed by Rowena’s cold words.

“Someday he might regret it, and he’ll apologize… But it was so painful for me to wait for it.”

“…”

“So I gave up.”

“R-Rowena…”

“Why am I always waiting and enduring to have him apologize? Do I have to?”

Paul always gave everything to Matthias. He had three sons, and everything was given to Matthias.

Because he was his most beloved child.

The proudest son who resembled Paul among his children!

Rowena regretted seeing the frozen look on Louis’ face.

That wasn’t what I was supposed to say to him. On top of that, isn’t he still sick?

“I’m sorry. I didn’t have anything to say to you. Louis, if you’re not guilty, you’ll be fine.”

“…”

Rowena looked at Louis in silence and turned her head. Louis still wanted to persuade her to forgive their father, but he couldn’t open his mouth because Cecil was standing by her.

* * *

Rowena walked silently until she left the room and entered the hallway. Cecil, who was walking alongside Rowena, was silently examining her condition.

Thud. Thud.

Cecil pulled Rowena into his arms when tears flowing down her cheeks fell to the skirt. At Cecil’s beckoning, the maids, servants, and even the escort knight stood far away.

“Hic, ugh… Uwakkk…”

Rowena cried loudly in Cecil’s chest. How could such people be family?

“I’ll do whatever you want.”

Cecil, who gently patted Rowena until she stopped crying, quietly said. It was a friendly yet scary statement.

Kill or save him, I’ll leave it to you.

Rowena, who was leaning her head against Cecil’s chest, shook her head.

She was ashamed of Matthias and Paul. She was ashamed of the fact that it was her family who had such thoughts, and she was afraid that Cecil would see her differently.

“Punish him to the extent that he is no one to the face of the royal family according to the law. If you’re ashamed of me too…”

“It won’t happen. Rowena, don’t think about that.”

Cecil quickly intercepted her words and pressed his lips against Rowena’s forehead. Rowena felt tears springing out again.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. There’s nothing for you to apologize for.”

“But…”

“The sinners should be cleaned up and gradually make your family look better.”

Matthias was the one who deserved to be killed hundreds of times just by the crime that flowed through Louis’ mouth.

“I will make him feel like dying.”

Cecil affectionately stroked Rowena’s head and vowed.

* * *

Paul’s reply from the Marquis of Rasmine was as Rowena guessed. Although she expected it, Rowena’s teeth were clenched by Paul’s behavior, who really abandoned Louis.

Rowena burned Paul’s correspondence and waited for the kidnappers to contact her for something. If Paul was in a group, he would have noticed that Rowena had sent a man to confirm Louis’ disappearance.

She thought she would have found things out quickly if she had put surveillance on the Marquis of Rasmine, where Paul was staying.

“That… finger seems to have been cut from a living person.”

Rowena was amazed by the confirmation from the palace wizard.

She knew Matthias had a bad temper, but he cut off a boy’s finger!