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96.
Zahidra's gaze, which had been observing a club member carefully ‌‌laying down cards, shifted toward the intertwined hands of Julian and Rebecca across from him.
Julian's ears had flushed crimson, and he couldn't even meet Rebecca's eyes.
A smile played ‌‌across Zahidra's lips as he noticed this.
'It seems this is far more than a mere contractual marriage.'
It was Rebecca who had drawn Julian here with such unwavering conviction.
Zahidra narrowed his eyes as he watched Rebecca's back—she was playfully jabbing Julian in the ribs.
She was far too talented to remain merely the wife of a duke.
The Emperor found himself regretting that she hadn't become his own daughter, or at the very least, the Crown Princess.
"Your Majesty, the results are in."
The outcome was virtually unanimous, save for a single abstention.
It was easy to guess who had cast that abstaining vote.
It was Teresa.
Teresa, arms still crossed as if to observe, was staring intently at the numerous affirmative votes that had accumulated.
Zahidra regarded Teresa with satisfaction.
She was someone he had deliberately retained—a sharp eye that would not be swayed.
Teresa was fulfilling that role perfectly.
The very fact that she had not cast a dissenting vote meant her heart had already inclined toward Julian.
'Remarkable. I never thought they could win over everyone so completely.'
Zahidra's pride was wounded by how quickly his club members had been converted.
Yet simultaneously, he was satisfied with the abilities of Julian and Rebecca, who had now become his people.
"Duke of Johannes, and ‌‌Miss Rebecca Obelia."
Abraham called the ‌‌‌‌two forward.
At his summons, Rebecca and Julian turned around.
Rebecca ‌‌‌was deeply anxious, but she concealed her emotions skillfully. Only a serene smile remained on her ‌‌face.
Zahidra nodded toward ‌‌Abraham.
Then Abraham spoke.
"With ‌one ‌‌abstention and fifteen affirmative votes, we approve the admission ‌‌of the Duke of Johannes and Miss Rebecca Obelia to the Montblanc Club."
'We did it!'
Rebecca had to hastily clamp her mouth shut ‌‌to stifle an unladylike cry of ‌‌‌triumph that threatened to burst forth.
A faint smile spread across Julian's lips ‌‌as well.
Zahidra, ‌‌‌observing the joy of the two, let out a cold laugh and spoke.
"However, there is one condition before your admission."
"A condition?"
Julian's expression immediately darkened as he asked.
"Each of you must ‌surrender one weakness of yours."
"What do you mean by that?"
"As you know, this is an undertaking of tremendous magnitude. Should a traitor emerge, they must pay an appropriate price, must they not? Ordinarily, I wouldn't even grant an opportunity to speak before everyone like this. I'm showing special consideration because you are the Duke of Johannes."
'So you've shown this ‌‌‌‌much goodwill, and now you ‌want an excuse to cut off my tail if needed?'
Having read Zahidra's true intentions, the tendons in Julian's ‌neck grew taut.
So that's why he accepted the ‌‌invitation so readily.
It was frustrating, but for now, there was nothing to do ‌‌‌‌but bow before Zahidra.
The disadvantage was mine. And I knew such a situation would arise.
'If the Emperor asks for a weakness, give him something precious ‌‌‌but useless.'
Rebecca had told me this inside the carriage on the way to the Salon.
How far ahead was she seeing?
Watching Rebecca listen to the Emperor's conditions without emotion, Julian felt once again as though she were distant from him.
Julian turned his gaze away from Rebecca and looked ahead.
She hadn't said it directly, but he had a vague sense of what Rebecca was telling him to abandon.
With those blue eyes that saw all the way into his depths, she was pushing his hesitant back forward.
Yes, let's abandon it.
The deliberation was brief.
It was a decision I had already made long ago.
Julian slowly opened his mouth.
"If Your Majesty asks me to wager ‌‌something, then I ‌‌‌shall. What would be fitting...? Ah yes. I will wager my title."
This was an answer even Zahidra hadn't anticipated, for his eyes widened.
"You'll wager your title?"
"Yes. Should something go wrong or should I betray Your Majesty, please strip me of my ducal rank. Surely I can offer Your Majesty at ‌least that much."
"Hahahaha!"
At Julian's words, spoken with his usual arrogant expression restored, the Emperor laughed so loudly the room seemed to shake.
He pounded the ‌‌‌‌desk as he roared with laughter, yet the faces of those listening to his laugh grew increasingly pale.
When the ‌Emperor laughed so heartily, it was usually for one of two reasons.
He was extremely pleased.
Or he was extremely displeased.
No one could know whether the Emperor interpreted ‌Julian's statement as a provocation—as if to say, could you possibly strip the Duke of Johannes of his title?—or as an oath of eternal loyalty.
Zahidra shouted ‌‌at Abraham.

"Excellent! You're confident you won't regret those words, are you? Abraham! Fetch the contract at once. I need the Duke of Johannes's signature immediately."
Zahidra's lips split into a grin so wide his white teeth gleamed fully, his gaze fixed relentlessly upon Julian. ‌‌
It was a grotesque expression that bordered on the terrifying.
Yet Julian did not avert his eyes from the Emperor's stare, and he accepted the contract offered to him with deliberate defiance.
Though it was dressed in honeyed words, the document was ultimately a coercive agreement—comply with the Emperor's demands, or have your weaknesses exploited.
In what way did this differ from the recklessness of someone like Zeppelin?
But Julian let out a soft laugh and picked up a pen, signing his name across the contract.
The sharp ‌‌nib glided across the paper ‌‌‌‌with a cool, crisp sound.
The scratching seemed almost like the whistle of a blade being drawn.
"As you command, Your Majesty. My family's fate now rests in your hands."
Julian set down the pen and slid the contract across the table toward the Emperor.
The Emperor glanced down at his signature, then lifted his gaze.
Between them, locked in each other's eyes, sparks seemed to ignite.
It was Rebecca who broke the suffocating silence of their psychological warfare.
"Then shall I sign as well?"
Zahidra's eyes, which had been fixed on Julian, shifted toward Rebecca.
Rebecca picked up the pen with perfect composure, as though nothing of consequence had transpired ‌‌in this ‌‌‌room.
"I possess neither the Duke's wealth nor his station. So I shall stake my meager life instead."
"Rebecca!" ‌‌‌
Julian sprang from his ‌‌seat as though hurled into flames.
He had always supported whatever she chose to do, but this was an entirely ‌‌‌‌different matter.
To stake her life before someone like Zahidra.
Rebecca did not even glance at Julian, whose eyes had widened in alarm, and continued speaking.
"All I possess is my life. ‌‌I offer it to Your Majesty. Though it is meager, will you accept it as a token of my complete and utter loyalty?"
This time, Zahidra did not smile.
His fists clenched, he alternated his gaze between Julian, who glared at him with barely contained fury, and Rebecca, who remained perfectly composed.
'It seems Julian's true weakness lies with her, after all.'
It was a most satisfactory turn of events.
He had secured both the Duke of Johannes's title and Julian's ‌vulnerability in a single stroke.
Zahidra nodded with satisfaction and gestured to Abraham.
Once Rebecca had finished signing, his expression transformed back into that of a benevolent sage-king, gentle and composed.
"With this, you both have become true members of the Montblanc Club. Do your best going forward."
Zahidra prompted ‌the bewildered onlookers to applaud.
Soon, a reluctant round of applause rippled through the room.
Rebecca's lips curved into ‌‌a radiant smile as she spoke.
"How generous of you to welcome us so warmly. Oh my, it's nearly time for tea service. Might I offer you some of the exquisite pastries our Lavonne ‌‌‌‌Salon is renowned for?"
Her melodious words thawed the tension that had frozen the atmosphere.
Sensing the crowd's approval, Rebecca called for Margaret, who was waiting outside the door, and instructed her to prepare the refreshments.
Soon, an array of desserts as exquisite in appearance as they were delicious in taste was arranged in elegant succession.
"What is this...?" ‌‌‌‌
Helen, who had been admiring the elegant patterns on her plate, discovered a piece of paper tucked beneath it and drew ‌‌‌it out.
"It's an invitation. You're receiving it first among everyone here."
At Rebecca's refined voice, the people who had been contentedly eating their cake quickly checked beneath their own plates for invitations.
Rebecca glanced sideways at Julian. For some reason, he had been sitting in complete silence since earlier.
He seemed rather upset about something.
"So you're ‌‌‌truly getting married! Though late in coming, I congratulate you on your engagement. And though early to say, I congratulate you on your marriage."
Salvador spoke with genuine warmth, his smile radiant.
At his cheerful laughter, Rebecca smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.
She found herself wondering why someone as innocent as Salvador had ever entered such a shadowy club.
"I do hope you'll keep our secret until the wedding ‌‌‌day, so that nothing disturbs the occasion."
"Of course. After all, you two ‌are now members of the Montblanc Club just ‌‌‌‌as we are. Discretion is the first principle of our organization."
Chelston flourished his fork as he spoke with fervent conviction. He seemed to take ‌considerable pride in this club.
Soon enough, everyone began offering their congratulations ‌‌‌‌to Rebecca and Julian.
In the warm atmosphere, Rebecca found herself repeatedly glancing at Julian, who sat there ‌‌‌with a sullen expression.
* * *
"Everything went wonderfully today. It's all thanks to your efforts."
Rebecca spoke to Julian as they climbed the hill overlooking the Obelia Mansion.
Julian made no reply, his pace quickening as ‌‌‌he maintained his visibly irritated expression.
Throughout the journey from the Salon to home, he hadn't responded to a single word she'd said. ‌‌‌‌Yet when she suggested they walk together for a moment, he complied without protest.
Rebecca furrowed her brow, unable to fathom what was going on inside his head.
Her patience with his ‌‌childish sulking was rapidly wearing thin.
She hurried after Julian, who had walked ahead, and irritably turned him around to face her.
"Are you planning never to speak to me again for the rest of our lives? Tell me what's wrong so I can either apologize or fix it."
Julian, who had been determined to maintain his ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌silence, flinched at the sight of Rebecca's sharply raised eyes. ‌‌
Her indignant expression resembled a cat throwing a tantrum.
He nearly smiled at how adorable she looked.
But regardless of how endearing she was, his anger remained unresolved.
Julian puffed out his cheeks slightly, then exhaled roughly.
"You pledged your life to Zahidra."
"What?"
Rebecca stared at Julian with a blank expression.
The Runaway Countess Returns
E-book Publication

January ‌‌12, 2022
Author

Long night sky
Publisher
‌‌
Desert Fox
Publisher.

Woongjin ThinkBig Co., Ltd.
Submissions accepted.

naver.me/54VzzLSn
Blog.

blog.naver.com/wj_fennecfox
Twitter.

@wjt_fennecfox

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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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