Chapter 22

Fernan’s clear face slowly became distorted. A hunch that something was very wrong flashed through him.

Julia now had a look on her face that he had never seen before, and she was spewing out unexpected words.

Fernan was immediately perturbed, as he was trying to figure out what was going on.

He slowly depressed his brain as he revealed a numb face.

“I will be the one to decide whether or not to end this marriage.”

His quiet eyes stared at Julia.

“Unfortunately, you do not have a choice.”

"…"

In a response different from what was expected, Julia's calm face gradually cracked.

She didn't have the slightest idea why he was suddenly doing this. Her mind was completely covered with questions.

"You're going to divorce me someday. Then it doesn't matter when, does it?" 

Facing Fernan’s eyes, Julia tried her best to grasp what was going through his mind.

But there was nothing to see in the cold face.

Fernan quickly took off his own jacket and slowly wrapped around Julia’s shoulders.

While she was flinching, a low voice descended her ear.

"What's the reason for this?"

"That's… That's what I want to ask you."

Touching the large jacket on her shoulders without familiarity, Julia tried her best to keep her voice as calm as possible.

"You always said I bother you.”

No matter how she tried to get close to him and how hard she tried to resolve the misunderstanding, he didn't give her a single piece of his heart.

She no longer had the strength to handle his cold gaze. Being hurt has been enough so far.

Julia, who had lowered her deep-set gaze, continued to speak.

"So I will do as Your Highness wishes. I will divorce you and leave this castle…"

At that moment, Fernan reached out to her face.

Julia, who swallowed the rest of her words as his hand lightly peeled off the gauze on her cheek, hurriedly covered her face.

Fernan grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him.

"…Ah!”

The distance between them narrowed in an instant, Fernan’s eyes shook slightly as he stared at her face.

The red wound on her cheek showed the marks of someone’s hand.

Sweeping her face still with a sad glare, Fernan muttered low.

"Tell me, who did this to you?”

Julia averted her gaze with a bewildered expression.

"…that's not what's important now, is it?”

“If you don't want to tell me, I'll look into it myself.”

Fernan quickly got to his feet.

He was going to find out what kind of bloody b*st*rd had done this, even if he had to interrogate every single person in the castle.

Julia stared blankly at him for a moment as he moved away, and then followed.

Fernan finally stopped when a delicate hand grabbed his arm.

"Don’t do it. The servants didn’t do it.”

"Then tell me who did.”

Fernan had no expression on his face, but a vein popped up on his powerful chib.

Julia didn't notice it, and just asked him back with a complicated look in her eyes.

"What are you going to do if I say it?”

Julia mumbled quietly, biting her lip.

“What's so important to Your Highness that I'm hurt?"

Julia couldn't possibly understand this situation. She couldn't understand why Fernan avoided talking about the divorce, or why he was acting so sensitive.

It was strange that he was so concerned about such a mere thing.

He hated her.

He said he would give her what she wanted, but now she was ready to break up with him completely.

Julia was a little angry at the situation, not being able to do what she wanted even in a moment like this.

"You…”

Fernan stopped speaking for a moment, as if holding something back, and opened his mouth again.

"I'm angry that you're hurt.”

"Why?"

Julia's eyes were as clear as ever as she asked this question. The dawn sun began to rise behind her.

Fernan’s eyes were filled with the faint light she was bathed in.

At this moment, he was angry with her, but at the same time he wanted to hold her.

Fernan lowered his gaze, narrowing his brows as he couldn't control the emotions that were building up.

"What the hell?”

In a small recitation, he took off his steps as if he was running away. Julia looked confused at his distant back.

She stood still for a moment, stroking his jacket that was left on her shoulders.

***

"Fortunately, the wound is healed now."

Melissa sighed in relief. The scar on Julia's cheek now remained faint.

Julia tried to pass it off as a scratch from bumping into somewhere, but Melissa didn't seem to believe her.

“Your Grace, do you have anything more to take with you?”

"No, this is all I need."

Julia lifted the pendant around her neck.

She was going to visit the temple of Ilion where Matheus stayed today.

She was worried that she would bother him, but Matheus was the only person she could ask for help at the moment.

She trusted that Matheus would be able to help her through this confusing and complicated situation. It was an instinctive trust.

Julia visited Fernan several more times after that day. But she only received a firm answer from him.

“I'm not going to divorce you, so you’d better give up.”

He was the one who wanted to divorce her from the beginning, but why did he change his mind now?

He already has another woman. He even met with her to talk about their marriage. 

‘How much are you trying to fool me?’

Julia came out of the room with a somber expression, and for some reason she glanced at the knight who was guarding the door.

"What's going on?"

Her question was answered by the knight with a polite silent bow.

“His Highness has ordered me to stand by the Grand Duchess’s door.”

Julia, who was looking at the knight in a daze, asked suspiciously.

"Why such an order all of a sudden…"

“The order was that if anyone tried to harm the Grand Duchess, they were to be dealt with immediately.”

Julia stood there with a suspicious look on her face and quickly walked past the knight silently. As she stepped outside, the carriage was already there waiting for her.

Julia, who was about to get into the carriage, turned around with a sigh. It was because of the inconvenience and discomfort of the knight behind her.

"Do you intend to keep following me?"

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Julia's expression tightened at the decisive reply, and she climbed into the carriage without a word.

When the carriage departed in such a manner and some time had passed, Julia gently opened the window. She could immediately see the knight running near the carriage with his horse.

It was hard to breathe, feeling like she was being watched, but she couldn’t ask him, because he was just following orders.

Julia slid down the cover on one side of the window.

She had never had an escort before. So she had no idea how exhausting it felt to have someone following her around.

***

In the office of the mansion, Fernan stood still behind his desk, his papers in disarray.

"Marquis Elody was the only visitor to the Grand Ducal Castle that day.”

Remembering Bennett's words, Fernan broke the pen he was holding.

Under the circumstances, the wound on Julia's face was likely caused by the Marquis.

It didn’t take much to find out, but it didn't solve the question of why the Marquis had done that to his daughter.

Surely the Marquis was a father who truly cared for Julia. At least that was how he always acted in front of Fernan’s eyes.

As Fernan covered his forehead and sank into his thoughts, Julia's voice naturally came to mind.

"We’re getting divorced.”

At the same time, Julia’s red, swollen cheek came to his vision vividly, and he felt an uncontrollable anger rising in him.

“D*mn it… d*mn it…"

Filled with anger, Fernan raised his head at the sound of the door opening.

Entering the office, Lloyd bowed silently and then reported.

“Your Highness, as you ordered, I have found several employers who used to work at the Marquis' residence…”

Lloyd slurred his words somewhat hesitantly.

“I met the daughter of the attending physician who worked at the Marquis’s residence long ago, and  according to her… Apparently, the Grand Duchess is the Marquis’s illegitimate daughter.”