Chapter 51
"Your way?"
"I'm not your puppet. There's a better way, so why spill blood? You can handle the rest, right?"
As soon as Alicia finished speaking, her icy face transformed into that of the most pitiful and frightened girl in the world.
Alicia cried out, looking utterly terrified.
"Oh, my God! Rebecca gave this to me just the other day, saying it smelled nice."
Tears seemed ready to spill from Alicia's large eyes.
Her trembling shoulders were so forlorn that anyone would want to embrace her.
'Ha!'
Octavio let out a hollow laugh.
If there were an award for acting, Alicia would undoubtedly win the grand prize for her natural performance.
"Surely, the Countess didn't drink it too, did she?"
Grace gasped, wrapping her arms around Alicia's small shoulders.
Alicia shook her head, looking worried.
"Thankfully, I didn't drink it. I'm glad I thought to ask the doctor. I've been sensitive to what I eat lately."
"Oh, heavens. Thank God."
It was truly fortunate.
Now that Rebecca was revealed to be infertile, Zeppelin would surely go mad if Alicia's child were also harmed.
"This is a big problem. But why would Madam drink such tea? It's blended with ingredients that are hard to come by."
Octavio looked at Alicia, his face questioning what she was up to.
Alicia hesitated before opening her mouth.
"Actually, I know it as tea that Fabiola gave..."
"What? Say that again."
Zeppelin pushed his way through the gathered servants, having heard the commotion.
Alicia startled, putting on her characteristic innocent expression.
"Count..."
"Alicia, say it again. What did Rebecca eat?"
Alicia glanced at Octavio before reluctantly answering.
"She's been drinking tea that causes infertility. And I know that your mother gifted it to Rebecca."
Alicia presented a note with Fabiola's handwriting as evidence.
Zeppelin stared blankly at the note, muttering.
"Infertile...?"
Zeppelin felt his mind go blank.
It was a lie. It had to be a lie.
Rebecca couldn't bear his child?
He barely clung to his fading consciousness and shouted.
"Bring my mother... bring that woman to me immediately!"
A faint smile flickered across Alicia's lips before disappearing.
Octavio roughly guessed Alicia's plan and narrowed his eyes.
Alicia was trying to drive Rebecca out of the mansion while also implicating and eliminating Fabiola.
He looked at the country girl he had picked up and brought here. The frightened look from yesterday was long gone from her face.
He wasn't entirely satisfied, but it wasn't a bad plan, all things considered.
He quickly finished his calculations.
Zeppelin, in a panic, began to scream.
"Rebecca! Rebecca! No! This can't be happening!"
"Shh... Count, there are many eyes watching."
Octavio skillfully soothed the wailing Zeppelin.
"Octavio... bring that woman here. I need to know the truth. There must be some mistake. Like always, that stupid woman must have done something wrong."
"Yes. I will bring your mother. So please, calm down."
Zeppelin collapsed into Octavio's arms.
Alicia stared silently at Octavio's hand patting his back.
Their eyes met in the air. Octavio was the first to smile.
"Water... bring me water."
Fabiola clutched her head, throbbing with a hangover, and shouted.
Last night's party was no different from usual, but today's hangover was particularly severe.
Perhaps it was because she was getting older; her body wasn't what it used to be.
Fabiola staggered out of bed and sat in front of the vanity.
Wrinkled skin and dark circles under her hollow eyes greeted her.
Fabiola felt depressed by the unstoppable passage of time.
Once, she had been praised as a beautiful Countess.
But now, she could only hear that she was beautiful by spending money.
Even those words weren't sincere.
Now, the glory she once had had shifted to Rebecca, that child.
Every party she went to, she heard Rebecca's name.
Even though that child didn't show her face in society, she attracted attention wherever she went.
She had to admit that the name of the beautiful Devonshire Countess was now Rebecca Devonshire, not Fabiola Devonshire.
That fact drove her crazy every night.
Fabiola lifted her tired, watery eyes.
All that was left for her now was Zeppelin and the Devonshire money.
She had no intention of letting go of that.
There were noblewomen who lived out their old age enjoying their grandchildren, but she wasn't one of them.
To her, grandchildren were just another competitor for Zeppelin's attention and wealth.
She hoped that Rebecca had shared the tea she had gifted with Alicia.
As if trying to erase the traces of last night's party, noisy sounds came from downstairs.
Fabiola sighed and shouted loudly once more.
"What on earth are you doing! I told you to bring me water!"
"I didn't expect you to still be in your bedroom at this hour. Or is this your daily routine?"
It wasn't a maid who came through the pink doorway, but a man with a sharp look.
Fabiola, recognizing him, jumped up from her seat.
"Octavio!"
The door closed behind him.
Octavio scanned Fabiola up and down with a grinning face.
Fabiola frowned at the blatant leering in his eyes.
There was no use in her screaming here.
Because nothing in this place was truly hers.
Fabiola hurriedly put on a gown and fastened her clothes.
Octavio, who had been enjoying the sight, said.
"There's no need to be like that between us."
"We're not anything to each other."
"That's disappointing to hear."
Fabiola glared at his sly face before sitting in front of the vanity, turning her back to him.
She didn't want to face that bastard's face even a little.
Clack, clack, clack, Octavio's neat footsteps approached her.
"You were found out?"
His footsteps paused briefly at her words.
Fabiola brushed her tangled hair. As if nothing had happened.
Octavio stared silently at the sight before resuming his steps.
"Our young lady has become quick-witted in the meantime. But knowing that, why did you do such a reckless thing?"
"I told you not to call me that!"
Fabiola raised the brush as if to strike Octavio, who had come close.
Octavio snatched her hand.
"Are you going to hit me with that? Like your father? You should shout, 'The children of poor tenant farmers only come to their senses when they're hit with this.'"
"You..."
The brush fell weakly from Fabiola's hand.
Octavio gently grasped her trembling hand.
"Still soft. Just like when I first held your hand."
"Let go."
"If you had run away with me from the start, you wouldn't have had to suffer this humiliation."
"You know I didn't marry of my own free will. Aren't you tired of hearing this story?"
"No. It's the most fun in the world. It's quite a sight to see your face contort every time I bring up old stories."
"Shut up. What more do you need to torment me like this? Just kill me! Yes, you said the effects of that tea were discovered, right? Just hand me over to my son as I am. Zeppelin will kill me in your place. Just like when that child killed his father with his own hands!"
A voice filled with malice struck Octavio's ears.
Her eyes seemed sad and angry at the same time.
Octavio's brow furrowed for a moment. But soon, he smiled gently as usual.
He stroked Fabiola's face with one hand, saying.
"I can't do that. I still love you, you see."
"Ha! Love? Don't be ridiculous. That's the word that suits you the least. Love. You've never loved me."
"Fabiola. Ah, my lovely Fabi. There are many forms of love. Everything I did to you was love. Do you know that revenge is also a form of love?"
Octavio raised Fabiola's hand and kissed it.
She watched his actions with eyes full of disgust, as if watching a bug crawl across the back of her hand.
"Bullshit."
"Your language has become quite rough. Countess. I think it was a good idea to separate you from Zeppelin. So that his habits don't get worse."
"Ha. I've said it many times, that child is not your son. Why don't you stop acting like a father?"
"Well. Only God knows. Even you can't be sure."
"Shut up! I said shut up! No matter what anyone says, my son is of Devonshire blood! The descendant of the great Devonshire Earl!"
Fabiola jumped up from her seat and lunged at Octavio. Her well-groomed nails scratched his cheek sharply.
Even though blood was seeping from his cheek, Octavio wore an even more joyful expression.
"Yes! You only show me that face. I still like you raw."
Fabiola, forgetting her fighting spirit at Octavio's ecstatic face, dropped her arms.
And she raised her tearful eyes to glare at him.
"You're crazy."
"You're the one who made me like this. My Fabiola."
Octavio raised his hand and wiped away Fabiola's tears. And he lightly kissed her cheek.
Fabiola's hand trembled slightly.
"By the way, we don't have time for this. Your son is out of his mind right now."
"..."
"Did you plan it out before you started?"
"No. You know I don't live looking to the future."
Octavio slightly raised the corner of his lips.
He sat Fabiola in front of the vanity and picked up the brush. And he began to brush her hair again.
Fabiola's hair, which had been tangled, turned as smooth as silk in Octavio's hands.
"Then just listen to me. I'll take care of everything. Everything will be alright. It will be, Fabiola."
