Chapter 33

I didn’t hit Larissa directly, but I sent the nanny down from time to time to make her cry.

Could it be that the judgment time, which is scheduled for three years later, has been pushed forward?

I held the teacup with both hands.

It was so unfair.

Marcia is in me, but what Marcia did back then wasn’t something I could prevent.

No matter what I do, I won’t be able to fully pay for the crime of abusing a young child, but can I have a little chance to make amends?

‘Assassination?’

I looked at the teacup and then suddenly looked up, Fabian was looking at my face carefully.

He frowned.

“Was Miss Larissa not the only one who was abused?”

Oh man, it seems you misunderstood my reaction.

I quickly waved my hand.

“Oh, no!”

“You can be honest with me.”

“It’s true.”

I spoke quickly before he thought of anything else.

“Please follow the contract details. The provision that Larissa will never be given away to other members of the family. And I would be grateful if you could find a doctor who can treat her heart’s wounds”

“All right. Again, Mr. Bellman is a very reliable person. Don’t worry about something leaking out of his mouth.”

I nodded my head slightly, indicating that I understood.

Then I took a sip of the tea left in the teacup. The tea was still warm.

“Hey, how are you feeling?”

“Me?

Fabian narrowed his eyes as if he didn’t know what I was talking about.

“You were shot at the funeral.”

“I’m good.”

“You look pale.”

Then he furrowed his brows and rubbed his chin and cheek with one hand.

“……this is my real color.”

I wonder if a man’s skin can be that white.

I don’t think he looked like a vampire for no reason.

I’m glad it wasn’t because he was not feeling well.

“Are you really okay?”

“Didn’t I tell you I was okay? If you don’t believe me, should I rather show you?”

He spoke firmly and then pulled the cravat loose.

‘Is it supposed to be that easy to untie?’

Soon after I saw his finger pointing towards the button of his shirt, I screamed, “Oh, my God! No! Don’t take it off!”

Fabian flinched and lowered his hand.

He chuckled and put the cravat down next to the teacup.

I hurried to hide my embarrassment.

“Thank you and sorry. You got shot because you were covering me……”

“No. I am the one they were aiming for from the beginning. If I hadn’t gone out to the balcony, they would have sneaked in the other direction and shot me. I’m the one who should be sorry. I got you involved.”

“Oh, no. I wasn’t hurt anywhere.’

Fabian frowned.

“Weren’t you so shocked that you fainted?”

……oh, yes, indeed.

The moment I remembered the situation, I shuddered for a moment.

On the balcony where Fabian’s blood was dripping down, in the pouring rain, that terrifying sound of death came to mind again.

I bit my lip and lifted my head to see Fabian looking at me with a subtle expression.

I lowered my gaze to the teacup and murmured, “There was so much blood……”

“The bullet didn’t go through, it just hurt my skin a little. The doctor sewed it well, so it’ll get better soon. No organs were injured……”

Fabian stopped his words as if he had suddenly realized something.

He then sighed lightly.

“I’m sorry, It’s not something to say to a lady.”

“No. It is better to listen carefully.”

I was a little surprised.

‘You’ve been hurt so badly that you have to stitch up the wound.’

“I thought that the reason that Your Highness didn’t come out of the office was that you were deeply hurt.”

“Don’t worry, this is really nothing.”

Really? No matter what, he got shot and even had to stitch up the wound.

I looked up at him with blurred eyes and remembered our first meeting.

After he had an accident, the car shattered and rolled to the point where his clothes were torn, but his body was still intact.

His face is a bit pale, but his body must be really strong.

“Okay.”

I nodded quietly and reached for the teacup.

I drank the rest of the tea and was about to get up, but Fabian opened his mouth, “And what you said before……”

“What did I say before? Ah……”

I forgot while we were talking about something else.

Come to think of it, I came here to declare that I have no intention of fulfilling my duty as a Grand Duchess.

“Do whatever you want. Because that was my condition. You are free to do whatever you want in the mansion. You just have to pay a little attention to the external activities that we must attend together as a couple.”

“Thank you. I will keep my promise.”

“But……”

“Yes?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to receive letters in person? There will definitely be personal correspondence, so what if there is a letter you don’t want to show me?”

It was a sense statement.

I can’t believe that he was the one who calmly said that he was going to send an assassin just a moment ago.

But I shook my head.

“There’s no one to send personal correspondence to me.”

Marcia had never had a close friend.

Moreover, it would take some time for the rumors that I had become the Grand Duchess of Laurent to spread to the North, the Blick family’s territory, which was a very remote place, and there were only people who didn’t really care about the gossip of high-ranking nobles.

It was a neighborhood where it was common for newspapers published every day in the capital to be delivered in bundles of one month each, and to be thrown into a white stove without even reading it.

Well, Marcia only read articles about fashion in the capital and threw it away.

Fabian raised an eyebrow in response to my answer.

The thought that it could be so, seemed to be written on your face.

Yes, I have no friends.

Do you think I’m the only one without friends in the world?

“You’re busy, so I’ll take my leave then.”

I stood up quickly before hearing his useless inner voice.

‘Later, I should call the butler and tell him to deliver all the letters that come to me to Fabian.’

For the time being, I’ll just focus on Larissa.

I’m the only one who can take care of her.

***

Larissa’s face brightened up in no time when I returned to the room.

I found out about this recently.

When Larissa was alone, she didn’t even drink water, let alone eat.

At first, I thought she might be used to living in the basement where she ate under the surveillance of the nanny.

So the day before yesterday, when I was away during mealtime, I deliberately left a maid in the room.

I asked Larissa to leave the door open in case she was scared.

When I returned to the room an hour later, the maid was still in the room. She said to me awkwardly, “I offered Miss Larissa to eat several times, but she just kept quiet.”

Larissa was sitting in front of the table, and when she made eye contact with me, she quickly avoided my eyes.

And she soon began to eat the cooled food slowly.

I only found out then.

She ate only when I was next to her.

“Do you feel relieved when you’re with me?”

Wouldn’t it be a sign that your heart is a little open to me?

She still can’t make eye contact and doesn’t say a word, but she eats only when I’m with her.

A corner of my chest pierced.

‘How can I leave her alone?’

She is my sister.

It was so touching, but on the other hand, she closed her heart to everyone but me.

It’s not like I can be with Larissa for the rest of my life, but people cannot live alone.

Little by little, I need to help you get your feet on this world and open your heart.

‘Now that I have refused my duty as Grand Duchess, I don’t have anything to do.’

I should go for a walk with Larissa.

Even though I’m in the mansion, I often go outside, but Larissa has really only been indoors so far.

But there’s no need to do that anymore.

From now on, I should give her a variety of experiences.

‘First of all, let’s get out of the room.’

I heard a rough explanation from the butler about the structure of the mansion, but I haven’t looked back properly yet.

The thought of going out with Larissa made me happy.

As soon as I got to the room, I quickly opened the door and said, “Let’s go for a walk, Larissa!”

“……!”

Huh, did I go too far?

Surprised, Larissa’s eyes quickly turned to the floor and her shoulders shrunk.

“Are you surprised? I’m sorry……”

I felt awkward, apologized, and approached her carefully.

By the way, Larissa was sitting by the window. In her hand, she still holds the handkerchief I gave her.

I glanced out the window.

Outside the window, a small fountain in the garden could be seen.

I smiled and pointed my finger over the window.

“Don’t just look from here, go out and see for yourself.”