CH 278

Thump, thump, bam!!

Hearing a loud noise coming from the outside, Claire, who was in her bedroom, stood up nervously.

“Ah. How annoying.”

With a small sigh, Claire walked towards the sound.

Click.

As Claire appeared with the heavy sound of the door opening, one corner of her mouth rolled up, annoyed.

Claire’s brown eyes saw a servant in his underwear and Marquis Charne greedily picking up and putting on the clothes he had been wearing.

“What are you doing?”

“…”

At Claire’s cold voice, the servant hesitated and looked at Marquis Charne.

“Ugh. Where are you going at this hour? And what’s with that ridiculous look?”

“Stupid bitch, can’t you see it? I’m leaving the mansion. I have somewhere to go.”

It was always like this. He just didn’t use violence.

Even though more than a dozen years had passed, she had not gotten used to the abuse and ridicule that damaged her self-respect every day.

But did he know?

He flashed his mad eyes and looked even more stupid and pathetic while incoherently putting on the clothes.

She didn’t want to know nor was she curious about what was going on.

She thought that the sudden increase in the family’s financial status was unusual, but she never thought about it deeply.

No, she didn’t want to think about it.

Maybe she knew it implicitly.

That her father was doing something bad.

She just didn’t want to face reality.

Whatever the reason, she liked her changed life so much that she wanted to keep enjoying it.

However, she thought she wouldn’t be able to do that anymore.

“I don’t think it’s a wise choice.”

Claire shrugged and said in a pitchless voice.

“What do you even know!? At this point… It can’t be! I did some things to get here, but I can’t do that.”

“…”

“I’m going to Duke Daniel’s house. He owes me, so he can’t pretend not to know me. Haha.”

“What on earth have you been doing?”

In response to Claire’s question, Marquis Charne lost his smile and kept a cold gaze.

The double-sided appearance of Marquis Charne was enough to provoke fear.

Claire’s shoulders, which were exposed above her dark-red silk nightdress, trembled slightly.

“Why? Are you also going to ridicule me? Knowing that you were the one who benefited the most from what I did?”

“…”

“I’ll take care of everything, so stay quiet and stay at home. Go back to your room now. The only thing you have going on is your body, don’t you need to take good care of it?”

Claire silently bit her lower lip at Marquis Charne’s insulting words.

She was tired of the conversations that kept repeating without a single error.

For her father, she was a tool, not a daughter.

Something that could be thrown away at any time if she became useless.

It was obvious that he would send her to get married to an old aristocrat and give her a greedy smile while saying he would take care of her fortune.

As he always did.

“Useless bitch.”

Marquis Charne, who was looking at Claire, clicked his tongue and turned towards the entrance.

Claire’s gaze at Marquis Charne was filled with contempt, as if she were seeing something filthy.

Because of his torn and trampled personality, she felt hatred and resentment towards her father.

Only those two things.

“Ah right, I have something for you to do.”

“?”

“It won’t happen, but in case I don’t come back, go to the Crown Prince. Without fail.”

“His Highness?”

“Go and tell him. That I went to see Duke Daniel. Even if things go wrong, I can’t be the only one covering myself with shit.”

After he finished speaking, Marquis Charne’s gaze shook anxiously.

***

“That was the last time.”

“He went to see Duke Daniel… Why are you telling me this?”

“Even if we are enemies, I should at least deliver my father’s will.”

“Will?”

“I noticed that much. He must have passed away while unknowingly acting carelessly. Stupidly.”

A bitter smile appeared on Claire’s face for a moment as she recited in a low voice.

Then, Claire grinned as if it was nothing and continued.

“I’ll go back now that I’ve finished what I had to say.”

“…”

“Ah right, my father said Duke Daniel was greatly indebted to him. Given that he even risked his life, it must not be something ordinary.”

Claire turned her steps to the door with a fishy smile.

“Miss Claire Charne.”

“?”

As Theon’s voice called her, Claire slowly turned around.

She was only appearing to be strong, but there were transparent tears in Claire’s dark brown eyes.

“Even if Marquis Charne disappeared… The punishment for his family will not go away.”

“I know. My maternal uncle is looking into my marriage. It wouldn’t be bad to be the concubine of a rich aristocrat, rather than being the poor daughter of a fallen noble family.”

“…”

“I’ll leave now.”

After she finished speaking, Claire lifted her chin and maintained her confident expression.

Then, with the sound of the door closing, Claire disappeared from his sight.