“I heard it from Madam Lauren. That necklace…”
Anne Boleyn’s voice trembled as much as her amber eyes.
Before she could finish the words she had hesitated to utter, a knock sounded, and a secretary brought in tea. A moment of silence fell between them. As soon as the secretary left, Anne Boleyn asked,
“What is your relationship with her?”
“A merchant’s lifeblood is trust. You’ve mistaken me.”
“Why is Anne Gilbert with that woman? You said you lent it to her.”
Her trembling voice began to sob.
“Are you punishing me like this? By making me a laughingstock with such a lowly bastard?”
To protect her last bit of pride, the princess bit her lip instead of shedding tears.
Edgar was watching the whole thing without any agitation, as if enjoying a very amusing play. It was a pity that he was the only audience member for this play, which he had been watching for three years already.
Edgar would have bet his entire fortune that no one could match this woman’s performance of pretending to be the victim when she was the perpetrator. Unfortunately, there was no one to bet with.
Edgar chuckled and instantly wiped the smile from his lips.
“You were the one who said goodbye.”
As he glared at Anne Boleyn with a chilling expression, the princess’s face turned pale.
“I have no obligation to report my private life to the princess.”
Edgar closed his eyes and slowly opened them. The coldness had vanished from his gaze, and a light smile returned. He had explained it easily enough; she should have understood.
“Isn’t that right, Anne?”
At the sound of his affectionate nickname, tears streamed down Anne Boleyn’s face.
“…I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Edgar.”
The intermittent sobs soon turned into weeping.
“Please… forgive me! Please!”
The last line of this play, asking for forgiveness, had never been so tedious.
How utterly lacking in creativity. And so shameless.
Edgar stood up.
“Then, I bid you farewell.”
Edgar gave the princess of a nation the most courteous greeting and left the office without a second glance. His mind was entirely focused on the train to Nountin.
Was Olivia Blanchett on that train? That was his biggest concern.
***
The weather was terrible.
Even the Litten clock tower, a landmark visible from anywhere, was obscured by thick fog.
The desire to leisurely enjoy the beautiful scenery of Litten, which might be the last time, had long been abandoned.
The two could only hope that the carriage would arrive at the station on time. The carriage was not only slow but also crawling as if it were on an ice rink.
“Will we make it?”
Anne looked at Olivia with a worried expression.
Olivia took out her pocket watch from her pocket and checked the time. It was a farewell gift from Elaine.
Twelve fifteen.
It was cutting it close, but if the carriage moved now, there would be enough time.
“If we’re late, we can take the next train. Or we can go tomorrow.”
Olivia said calmly, stroking the vine pattern on the closed pocket watch.
‘Edgar. Be careful of that man.’
Olivia had asked what that meant. It was during dinner with Elaine last night, to say goodbye.
‘Because he’s the princess’s man. You’re going to keep living here, right? It means it’s not good to get involved.’
Elaine apologized for not telling her about the necklace in advance.
Madam Lauren had stopped her from speaking, and she urged her to be careful of that woman as well. Thinking back, Olivia remembered that such a conversation had indeed taken place.
Edgar Lancaster Lancelot and Madam Lauren. Come to think of it, that woman was the designer Madam Marie had recommended.
And that maid…
Just as questions were piling up, the coachman opened the side window and shouted.
“There seems to be an accident ahead. We’ll be stuck for an hour, I’m afraid?”
After a brief moment of consideration, Olivia and Anne paid the carriage fare and walked to Litten Station. Fortunately, they arrived five minutes early, but due to the bad weather, all train services were delayed.
Due to the delays, Litten Central Station was crowded with people.
Olivia and Anne bought tickets for the 1 p.m. train to Nountin and sat on a bench in the waiting room, waiting for the train.
Nervous because of the people glancing at her, Olivia pulled down the brim of her bonnet to cover her face.
The newsstands in the waiting room’s shops and the newspapers in people’s hands were plastered with all sorts of scandalous photos.
“I guess the daughter of a seductress is still a daughter.”
“A Duke or nothing, huh? She only seduces Dukes.”
Olivia let out a short sigh. At least her face wasn’t exposed, which was a small mercy.
Let’s go outside, Anne.
Yes, Madam.
Exchanging glances, Olivia and Anne quietly left the waiting room.
The air was very damp on the platform. Even though it was daytime, the streetlights, shrouded in a hazy fog, were dull.
Many people were out on the platform, waiting for the train. Curses from people tired of waiting could be heard here and there.
The scandal that was heating up society had become nothing more than a seat cushion here. Olivia thought that was very fortunate.
Olivia and Anne placed their trunks under a secluded streetlight and sat on them, waiting for the train. After about two hours, a train whistle sounded in the distance.
People stirred and began to bustle.
The train to Nountin entered the platform at almost five o’clock.
The train, slowly entering through the gray city, slowed down and stopped.
People surged toward the train like a wave. In the midst of it, Olivia and Anne looked around, trying to find the car number printed on their tickets.
“Here. It’s here, Anne.”
Olivia shouted to Anne, who was going down, and waved her hand high.
She checked the train ticket and the cabin number again and opened the door of the car.
Just as Olivia was about to board the train, grabbing the arm Anne offered, a dark shadow fell over her head. At the same time, she heard a strange man’s voice from behind.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Olivia, who was about to put her foot on the step, slowly turned around.
Under the black silk hat, thick, white eyebrows twitched. In the sunken, shadowed eyes of the old gentleman, a deep-seated rage lurked.
***
“You ungrateful wretch!”
A thunderous shout erupted from the gaunt frame.
Olivia, dragged to the Lancelot Hotel by her arm, was confused by the unexpected situation.
“How dare you. Without knowing gratitude.”
A hasty hand flew toward Olivia’s face. She reflexively raised her arm to block it, but she couldn’t withstand the strong force of the blow. The sound of her cheek being slapped was loud. A roaring sound echoed in her ears.
‘How dare you come here…’
The faintly heard voice felt younger than it did now. It was the moment when six-year-old Olivia entered Count Blanchett’s family and first met her blood relative.
Olivia, remembering the existence of her maternal grandfather, Count Blanchett, felt dizzy.
How did he get here…?
The answer to that question was too absurd. The Rose Ball scandal.
“How dare you divorce the Duke without a word!”
Again, the old man’s harsh hand was raised. Anne, who had been standing there helplessly, jumped in front of her and was hit instead, losing her balance and knocking over a table.
The newspaper on it fell with a thud. An embarrassing scene unfolded.
“You vulgar thing!”
Count Blanchett, panting roughly, slapped his granddaughter’s cheek mercilessly.
“There’s nothing to take after, even this you take after your mother!”
Count Blanchett, furiously scolding her, was not satisfied and raised the cane he was holding.
Elena Blanchett.
The pride of the Blanchett family, called the Lily of Rondos and the flower of society.
She was more beautiful and lovely than anyone else, and there was no one who didn’t love her.
When Elena smiled, everyone around her became happy, and wherever she appeared, the shadows disappeared and bright light shone.
Everyone predicted that she would be the Crown Princess. It was as natural and obvious as spring turning to summer, and autumn and winter coming.
Until she fell in love with the husband of a friend who had sworn friendship, her world was perfectly peaceful.
“What humiliation did I suffer from that little brat? How did our family become like this because of whom? And you abandon that position?”
The Count could not forget that day.
Johann Leopold.
Wasn’t it thanks to him, when you think about it, that that greenhorn got the title of Duke?
He should be bowing down in gratitude, but instead, he looked at him with such contempt.
He didn’t expect to be welcomed after the divorce, but he never expected to be humiliated like this.
‘I believe you have already recovered enough for the price of selling your daughter.’
‘Listen here, grandson-in-law.’
‘Count. Correct your title.’
Count Blanchett, recalling his private meeting with Yohan, struck the floor with his cane in his rage.
“Ah, no. …You can’t do this. Master.”
Terrified and trembling, Anne stood in front of Olivia again. Olivia, who had been standing there blankly, met Anne’s eyes, her lips bleeding. Only then did she come to her senses.
“Stop! …Please go back.”
Olivia said coldly.
The end of the cane held by the Count trembled.
“I am an adult, and I will decide my own problems now.”
Olivia’s firm gaze met the Count’s as she continued to speak clearly.
“I believe that the kindness you showed in raising me has been repaid with the money you have received from the Dukedom all this time.”
“You insolent thing. Did you think that the value of raising you in my house until now was only that much? You, a disgrace to the family. The honor of the Blanchett family that fell to the ground because of you?”
Count Blanchett scoffed.
The fog outside the window had already turned into a pitch-black darkness. In the dark room, with no one to light the lights, Count Blanchett’s voice echoed eerily.
“It’s not over yet.”
“I know you’ve received enough help. And the reason you’ve repeatedly failed in business is because of my uncle-.”
Olivia’s head snapped around violently. Everything went dark.
