CH 32

Clarisse was terrified.

But she couldn’t nod at the words.

“I, I… don’t smell. I wash every day, and it’s clean.” 

“What?”

“If you get dirty, you get sick. Being sick can break the law, so I’m always clean. I washed today.”

“Ha, I’m dumbfounded. You don’t seem to know anything, but it’s helpful for you to disappear as soon as possible. You still don’t know? You tax thief.”

Clarisse shook her head.

“If I disappear quickly, I will be a nuisance to Sheridan. The King ordered me to live under Sheridan’s care until I was 18, and the Duke accepted it.” 

“Never mind, you know that on the day I become a Duchess, you will have the death penalty right away.” 

Clarisse carefully raised her head and looked back at the guest. 

Despite having the same silver hair and blue eyes as the Duchess, the two didn’t resemble each other in the slightest.

Unlike the madam, who was like a fairy, she was like a ghost emerging from a gloomy cave. 

Maybe it’s because of her terrifying expression. 

‘But they said there is a baby smaller than the palm of my hand inside the guest’s stomach.’

It was very strange that such a lovely being could exist in such a frightening person.

‘To think there’s a tiny baby in this stomach.’

Clarisse somehow continued to stare at her stomach.

‘It’s amazing, it’s like magic.’

However, the guest seemed uncomfortable with that gaze.

“You… Why do you keep looking at my stomach?”

“Yes? That’s.” 

Because there is a pretty baby there.

Clarisse almost replied, but she quickly shut her mouth. Her life experience, which she had learned her entire life, told her to keep her mouth shut here.

“Anyway, you’re a bad kid!”

She snatched Clarisse’s sketchbook from her arms.

“Anyway, that guy, Brielle, has been messy since before. To be caught by such a young prisoner… is it true that the Duke really didn’t catch it?” 

She grumbled and flipped through her paper, and smiled at Clarisse’s drawing.

“Come to think of it, it fits pretty well. A prisoner of war with a woman who lies about the subject and sits in the Duchess’ position. The two of you can get along well and sit in prison and draw ugly pictures.”

“The Duchess… is not a swindler.” 

“What do you mean no?”

She folded the sketchbook to make a crackling sound.

“I bet the Duke doesn’t even know that woman’s name. That’s not a swindler?”

“He doesn’t know her name, but I know something more important than that!”

Clarisse took a little courage and stepped forward, clutching the hem of her dress.

“The two like each other!”

“What? This!” 

The things Clarisse said seemed to make her very angry. 

Clarisse quickly bowed her head in fear of the moment as she opened her eyes.

‘M, maybe she’s right…’

As it had happened in Grezekaia, Clarisse naturally raised her arms and covered her head, as her body remembered. Then, her entire body trembled.

However, she didn’t feel the pain she had expected.

When Clarisse looked up cautiously, the Duchess, gasping for breath, was beside them. And that too while holding the woman’s arm tightly. 

“Hey! Aren’t you going to let go of this? Are you crazy? Do you know who you just caught?”

Despite her intimidating words, Brielle never let go of her hand.

Besides, she sent her warning in a firm voice.

“Don’t touch the child!”

“Child? Ha, you’re funny.” 

She nervously shakes off her arm and throws Clarisse’s sketchbook on the floor.

“….” 

The Duchess finally let go of her, picked up her sketchbook herself, and gave it to Clarisse.

“I’m sorry, Clarisse. You were surprised, right? It’s all right here, so you should go back to your room.” 

“…But.” 

Even after receiving the sketchbook, Clarisse couldn’t bear to leave.

At this rate, she thought the bad aunt would hit or harass the Duchess. 

Sure enough.

“It’s hilarious. You’re a con artist and a prisoner, aren’t you? I don’t know how the Duke would react if he knew.”

The sarcasm was heard again.

“Please stop it.”

“Why? Why me?! Are you afraid you’ll get caught lying?”

Clarisse looked up at the Duchess with a worried expression. 

She stroked Clarisse’s pink hair with a sad smile, then got up and turned around.

“Such words and actions are not good for prenatal education, Lady.”

“…What?” 

“As you said, I’m no different from a swindler, but…” 

The Duchess straightened up. Clarisse felt that she stood in her own way, protecting her.

“Right now, I am the hostess of this mansion.”

“You!” 

“So, I believe you know the fact that the eyes and ears of countless servants are connected to me.”

The woman’s face, which had been happy before, started to turn blue.

“You, you… know everything so far, so you dare to deceive me too?”

“I was convinced only this morning. It was fortunate that I didn’t have a chance to talk to the Duke yesterday.” 

The Duchess looked back at Clarisse.

“It’s okay, so let’s go in. I will send Rosalie soon.”

She couldn’t ignore her deep concern. 

Besides, for some reason, the Duchess seemed so trustworthy now that Clarisse decided to go into her room without hesitation. 

* * *

Asela has been enjoying freedom in a foreign country since sending Brielle to Sheriden. 

She doesn’t have a mother who nags her, and her days are full of parties and going out at night.

Also, because she was married to the Duke, the Count was paid regularly to keep the dignity. 

The Count, who cared for her daughter, sent more than half of the money to Ashela every month.

It was only natural that many handsome men would rush after her, with her beauty and wealth.

Without choosing a particular opponent, Asela maintained a pleasant relationship with anyone, like a lover.

It was not long ago that her happy life ended.

It was from the moment she found out she was pregnant.

To her father, she couldn’t confess such a thing. 

Even though he is a father who cares for his daughter, if he finds out she is having a child with a foreign man, his support will be cut off immediately, and she will be sent to a monastery somewhere. 

If that happens, she will be forever separated from her luxurious life.

Marriage is the only solution.

She just couldn’t marry a foreign man.

A nobleman couldn’t marry a foreigner without the king’s permission, and if they did, they would be disqualified from succeeding to the title.

Asela, who naturally thought she would become a Count in the future, immediately arranged her foreign life. 

Before her stomach get bigger, she had to catch and marry a man from Sapphire.

However, in her home country, the name ‘Asela’ had already become Duchess.

So, she had only one option left for her.

‘The only thing I can do now is to marry Duke Maximilian for real and have sex…’

Sheridan was filthy cold, and the mansion was so old that a ghost would come out of it. She really hated it, but now there was no way.

It would be better than going to a monastery.

‘That’s why I was putting up with this even if it was unpleasant!’

Asela glared at Brielle with her sharp eyes.

“…How dare a lowly maid bite the master without knowing the grace?

“The… grace.” 

Brielle laughed dejectedly.

She felt so stupid for thinking and worrying about Asela’s situation for a while.

Returning to the hallway, Sir Benson knew what had happened but didn’t come close because Brielle had blocked him. 

To stop Asela’s secret from spreading further.

It wasn’t just for her.

At least, it was to do the bare minimum for a new child to be born in this world.

“Go back to the Count, Lady. I will give you a comfortable carriage.” 

“Ha, who are you giving orders to now?”

“It’s too cold for the lady here. Most of all, you need to be in a safe environment now.”

“Are you crazy? If my father knows….”

“Does the count not know the situation?!”

Brielle screamed in surprise.

To be honest, from the moment she heard the suspicion of Asela’s pregnancy from the servants, she thought she had come here after concocting it with the Count.

“What are you thinking? No, in the first place, the child’s father…” 

“N, noisy!”

Asela shouted as her face turned red.

Then, she felt eyes flying from far away in the hallway.

Although they didn’t come close due to Brielle’s order, the servants standing in the far corner of the corridor looked at them with sharp eyes.

For some reason, Asela’s shoulders shrank.

“…Lady.” 

Brielle lightly grabbed her arm.

It was a surprisingly soft touch, as if she was genuinely worried about Asela.

“What…are you doing?” 

However, Brielle’s attitude aroused Asela’s anger.

“You worry about me! How dare you!”

Eventually, she couldn’t resist and screamed again.

From her childhood, Brielle was lowly, and Asela was special.

No matter how much this world was turned upside down, the likes of Brielle couldn’t dare to worry about Asela. 

This is why—.

Doesn’t Brielle seem to have the upper hand? 

“Do you think your fake mother can survive like this? I’m going to call my father and tell him to kill your mother right now! Got it?”

Asela turned around with a stroke.

Now that this has happened, there was only one way left. It was to drop Brielle to hell forever.