185 Chapter 185. Kidnapping, Part XXI

Chapter 185. Kidnapping, Part XXI

Translator: Khan

Editor: Aelryinth

"Your Highness, what are you doing there? Come on in." When Julietta was ready, she nagged Killian, who was standing against the door and was talking to someone in the hallway. Killian glanced back and stepped aside from the door that he was blocking.

"The Marquis, come in. It looks like the princess's ready." Killian beckoned to the people waiting outside and entered the lounge.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Marquis. Did you wait for a long time?"

"It's okay. You may be tired from yesterday's incident."

"If I hadn't pulled her out of the bathroom, the Marquis would still have been waiting in the hallway."

Despite the presence of a butler and a maid preparing tea and refreshments, Julietta was embarrassed at Killian, who was outspoken about the previous episode. "Your Highness, why did you say that?"

"Huh? Is this supposed to be a secret? We're getting engaged anyway; are you saying that you're ashamed of that?" Killian replied affectionately as he stroked the bruises Julietta had hid with her makeup.

At the word of engagement, the butler who was preparing the tea quickly greeted him. "Congratulations! It's a great honor, as the butler of the Kiellini family!"

The maids who were preparing for tea bent their knees in unison to congratulate them.

"Thank you. My fiancé is so picky, so there's a lot of caution. Still, the Kiellini family will be busy because we'll have to be formally engaged soon. I'm telling you to prepare in advance."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

After seeing Killian being congratulated by the butler, Julietta ordered the butler and maids to leave. As soon as they were out of the room, Julietta questioned him, her eyes sharp. "Your Highness, why are you doing this all of a sudden? What happened?"

No matter how much the talk of engagement came and went yesterday, there was no reason to do this.

Killian put down the cup he was drinking at the inquest by Julietta who felt strange. "A rumor is spreading about what happened last night."

"The incident that happened last night?"

"Yes, rumors have it that the princess was kidnapped by an unidentified man, but saved by Francis, and the two stayed together all night."

Julietta's jaw dropped, stunned. "So, what happened yesterday was not the work of Duke Kiellini, but of Prince Francis?"

"To be exact, it was the work of Francis and Lady Anais."

Julietta recalled Maribel's words when she heard the words Lady Anais. 'If a woman bears malice, she is more cruel than anyone else in the world.' That was why she thought it was done by Regina.

"I can't believe it. Why did she do such a thing…?"

Oswald spoke carefully to Julietta's shock. "There must have been many causes. The most important thing is that the princess is receiving the attention of His Highness Killian. It seems that the reason she's done such a terrible thing is that she thought that the princess who suddenly appeared has easily taken something that she could not have, no matter how hard she tried. There could have been other reasons."

"The enemy on all sides means this situation. I'm very upset because an enemy that I never thought of keeps striking the back of my head."

"By the way, because of today's news, the rumor of Francis and the princess will go unnoticed. This Oswald will be working directly from tomorrow to spread the rumor more clearly."

Even if the season was over, parties and gatherings were scheduled to be held among aristocrats who had mansions in Dublin and didn't have to return to their territories until the next season.

"Please look forward to it. This Oswald will make the capital go wild with your love story."

Julietta's expression became sour at Oswald's words. "What do you mean by love story? Do you think we need to tell a lie like that? Even if they see the face of His Highness, it will be revealed. We'd rather say it's just a union between two families."

"What about my face?"

When Killian protested something unjust, Julietta looked at him with dismay. "You're not asking because you really don't know, are you?"

"I'm asking you because I don't know."

"When you look at me, your face looks like when you meet an enemy leader on the battlefield. Isn't that right, Mr. Marquis?" Julietta looked back at Oswald and asked for his consent.

"Uh, well, that's..." Oswald looked at Killian with an awkward expression. It was because his master did not want to show his mind in the presence of Julietta, and his face became stiff. Of course, he was so friendly and gentle when Julietta wasn't looking at him.

Oswald looked at Killian warily, unable to confirm or deny it.

"Yes, there's a reasonable point at what the princess says. Then I'll try to look at you more lovingly in the future. Wouldn't that be necessary to put to rest the rumors of Francis and the princess which are now spreading in the capital?"

Julietta pouted at Killian's words. A man who would marry her in the future, whether it was a deal or a contract, was shouting about acting in love with her.

Killian gestured to Ian, pretending not to notice Julietta who was clearly showing signs of feeling hurt with a sulky look. "Ian, bring Albert, who is waiting downstairs."

When Ian stepped out at Killian's command, Julietta asked, "Was Sir Albert here? Why was he downstairs alone?"

"There was a reason. He's being punished."

Julietta laughed as she remembered Sir Albert, who would wipe off the sweat that was not there.

"Your grudge must have come loose."

"... did I become sullen? Who? Why?"

Killian raised his hands to mark his surrender as Julietta glared at him fiercely, being pricked. "I was wrong. I must have been mistaken. The princess did not become sullen. There was nothing to make you become sullen."

Oswald looked at the two and his eyes saddened. Somehow, he could see a dark future for his lord.

"Your Highness, why are you calling me so late? Did you really want this old man to die?" At the urgent knock, Vera opened the door and Albert came in running. The gray hair which had always been neatly combed without any tangle of hair was limp on his forehead, and beads of sweat were dripping from his forehead.

After Albert cried so bitterly, Ian came in with something in his arms.

"Oh, is it a cat?"

The golden furry thing that Ian held in his arms glanced through the room like a ruler, then jumped down to the floor and into Killian's arms. Me-o-o-o-w. The cat with light golden hair had odd eyes, with one eye green and the other silver.

When Killian scratched the cat's chin lovingly, it cried and groaned attractively. But as soon as its eyes met Julietta's, it turned its head away quickly.

"Julie, shall you say hello to your sister here?"

"Wait, Your Highness. What's the cat's name?"

"Julie, that's a lovely name, isn't it?"

Julietta glanced toward Albert and whispered, "Change it right away."

"Why? It suits so well."

"Since I want, change it. Otherwise, I'll change Manny's name to Killi, too."

Killian snorted at Julietta's threat. "Well, wouldn't you mind if you could be dragged with the blasphemy to a royal family right now? And you're not going to use the name Julietta anymore. What a waste! I have to use the name like this," Killian whispered in Julietta's ear.

"I'll use it. I still have a lot of people who call me Julietta. So, I can't allow you to put that name on a cat."

"Really? Then can I call you Julietta, too? I'll see if I can change my lady's name so I can call you by that name."

Julietta looked at Killian as he called her "my lady," jumped up and picked up Manny, who was sleeping on her bed.

Me-o-o-o-w. Killian's lady showed curiosity as soon as she saw Manny. The cat sniffed around the sleeping Manny in Julietta's arms and crept up on her lap stealthily.

Julietta's knees became crowded thanks to the cat who lay quietly next to Manny who didn't even know she was sniffing over it.

"She is curious about my Manny." Julietta smiled at the cat, who gently touched Manny with her front paws.

Manny, meanwhile, was taking a midday nap in the wake of its early morning rise thanks to the changed bed. It seemed to be moving somewhere in the middle, but it was sleeping with no cares, thanks to the belief that it was being protected, but it was dragged out of its sleep in a strange mood.