Chapter 28

She walked slowly toward Gray. Gray looked embarrassed by her suddenly entering the open door.

But soon after, he changed his expression, got up from his seat and approached her. He pretended as if he really loved her, putting false emotions in his eyes.

“Princess Mary Anastasia! You woke up. Your body is…….”

Phat.

“Shut up.”

“Princess.”

“If you open your mouth one more time, I’ll tear your mouth apart here.”

Gray sneaked a smile at what she said. Looking back, she saw her father crumpled his face.

“Mary, what are you doing?”

“Father, what are you doing? What did Gray say to you for you to stop me, your daughter?”

“Calm down and sit down. I’m sure you’re still not feeling well.”

“Didn’t someone who cares about that will send me away?”

Her father sighed and soon showed her a map on the table. The areas marked in red were pointing exactly to the capitals.

“I heard that Grand Duke Arthur would take you as a hostage if you try to rebel.”

“Hah…”

“That’s right. It’s dangerous. This is all for the Princess.”

“Shut up, Gray. Do you think it’s a conversation where you can interrupt?”

“…….”

Her father’s forehead narrowed further by her unfamiliar attitude toward Gray. She could feel the hostility and contempt that were revealed on her face. There was no image of Mary who loved him.

He seemed to think she was acting on a whim. It was just an expression of contemplation on how to appease the child who used the person.

“Did you if I was silent because I didn’t know? What were you thinking when you were by my side?”

She took a piece of paper out of her arms, looked at Gray’s and threw it at the table. Gray’s eyes shook anxiously at the letter that fell in front of him.

She was going to gradually collect evidence and let him die in the hands of someone other than her hands. When she was healed and her life was complete, then she was planning to slaughter him mercilessly.

He endured and endured intending to tear his limbs one by one and killing him in pain. She had no choice but to leave the two alone, but she didn’t intend to move on forever.

“Father, do you, like Gray, only want me to die?”

“What does that mean? Mary, how much I love you.”

“Otherwise, you wouldn’t believe the words of someone waiting for me to die.”

She looked at her father with a little resentment. Gray fixed his gaze on the table.

Seeing the strength full of his fists, she put her hand on his shoulder and whispered affectionately.

“What are you doing? Without opening it? Aren’t you curious?”

“……Princess.”

“I told you to open it”.

Princess father also nodded to Gray. Gray’s trembling hands slowly opened the letter and tore it apart.

“What are you doing?”

“Your Majesty! This must be a conspiracy.”

“Do you know what that is and say it? You didn’t even see it, but you act as if you knew the content in advance.”

She lifted the torn paper and tilted her head as if it were strange.

“There’s nothing written on this paper.”

She took another paper out of her arms and spread it out to her father. It was a memorandum that Elliot gave her. She could see Gray’s signature and seal, which were stamped intact.

“Do you believe that the grand army is trying to rebel? If the Archduke was going to do that, the war would have already broken out. You know the power he has. Do you want war?”

“That can’t be true. No king wants war.”

“So, what do you think of him exchanging memorandums like this with my maid hoping I die?”

Her father’s face was full of confusion. With Gray’s reputation, the image he has accumulated so far, he would have never expected it. Because every time he treated her as if he loved her more than anyone else.

“What in the world are you afraid of? Is it my death or the throne?”

She talked little anymore. It was up to her father to believe, and she had no choice but to do anything more.

Crap. If Arthur hadn’t said that to her! She wouldn’t have handled things so awkwardly.

She turned back and looked at Gray as she walked out.

Gray hurriedly knelt on the floor and made excuses to her father. She closed the door before the flowers of despair bloomed on her face.

“Carl, what are you doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“Won’t you get ready to go with me to the Grand Duke’s?”

“I’ll follow your order.”

A smile spread across Carl’s face.

She, who couldn’t leave him and returned, might hurt him even more. Nevertheless, she was glad that he came back next to her.

“You’ll blame me.”

“It’s okay.”

“Even if I fall in love with the Grand Duke?”

“That love wasn’t mine anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”

Her heart collapsed again with the false sincerity reflected on Carl’s face. Indeed, he was not greedy for her heart. She swallowed a bitter smile as she saw Carl, who said he was fortunate just being around her.

“I have a carriage ready.”

She looked back at Carl’s words and left the Palace. She felt Gray’s scream leaking through the tightly closed door.

“…… Why are you keeping him alive?”

He looked like he couldn’t understand her at all. She also felt the same way as Carl. She wanted to kill him with more pain than anyone else.

‘It would be a different story if my life wasn’t a prerequisite.’

In fact, the pain was Mary’s, not hers. This body is not hers either.