Chapter 113
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114.
"Where exactly did you work as an accountant? Where on earth did you learn to do this?"
"Hm? I... I haven't learned it anywhere. I just happen to pick things up quickly."
Rebecca laughed awkwardly, her expression betraying a hint of guilt.
In truth, during her previous life, she had briefly handled accounting work while employed at the Labonne Salon.
The ability she possessed now had been hard-won through her anxious efforts to cater to Margaret's meticulous tastes.
She had thought there might be some difference between maintaining the salon's ledgers and preparing household accounts, but there was scarcely any.
Thanks to this, Rebecca had adapted smoothly to her duties as Duchess.
"These apples are delicious. And so pretty too. Did you peel them yourself?"
"Well... yes. I didn't want to wake the head chef at this hour, so I prepared this light snack myself."
"An unexpected talent. I thought you only knew how to command people, but you're considerate of others too."
"Ah, yes. Let's invite your family soon."
"My family?"
"Yes. Your mother seemed to enjoy herself when she visited last time. I'd like to see your sisters as well."
Since arriving at the Duke's Castle, Rebecca had thrown herself into work without respite.
When she finally began bleeding from her nose, Julian could bear it no longer and spoke to her.
'Why do you drive yourself so relentlessly? I've told you—you don't need to take on all this work yourself. I'll hire more staff. Please, just rest.'
Even faced with Julian's plea, Rebecca remained unmoved.
'I want to work hard. Even though this is a contract marriage, now that I'm the Duchess, I want to be someone necessary to this place.'
'Rebecca, your mere existence is already...'
'Stop. That's forbidden from now on. I'm utterly sick of hearing it.'
Rebecca's brows rose sharply.
Zeppelin had made a habit of whispering to her that she was 'someone whose worth was complete simply by existing.'
And those words had imprisoned her in a gilded cage.
'Listen carefully. There is no one in this world whose value exists merely by existing. Even if others see me that way, my worth is not created unless I move of my own volition.'
Her emotions rising, Rebecca paused to catch her breath before continuing.
'I don't need the validation of others. I will prove my own existence to myself. So I must do something—anything. I will do what I am capable of doing. I will do it so I can feel that I am truly alive.'
As Rebecca poured out her accumulated sorrows in her words, Julian found himself unable to speak further.
Unable to persuade her by any means, he devised a scheme: he would invite her family to visit.
If her family came, Rebecca would have no choice but to set down her work and rest.
Seeing the sparkle return to Rebecca's eyes, Julian knew his strategy had succeeded.
Julian was about to triumphantly hand her the last remaining apple when she suddenly narrowed her eyes.
"Speaking of family, I just thought of something. When will you introduce me to yours?"
"To whom...?"
"Your family. You have one more, don't you? Liliana."
Rebecca gazed at him with an expression brimming with anticipation.
The gleam in her eyes was not born from the expectation of meeting family.
'Liliana? How on earth did she learn Lily's real name?'
Julian hastily splashed water on his face to conceal his shock.
* * *
Zeppelin furrowed his brow deeply as he gazed into the mirror.
The wound from Rebecca's wedding ring had finally begun to scab over.
"This wouldn't have happened if you'd taken me with you. How frustrating."
Alicia swept into the mirror room without hesitation, carrying an ointment to prevent scarring.
Zeppelin was inwardly displeased at the intrusion into his private space, but he held his tongue.
He still needed to maintain his image as a kind man.
Alicia attempted to apply the ointment with her own hands.
Unable to bear that, Zeppelin subtly evaded her touch and accepted the ointment instead.
"No... it's fine. I'll do it myself. You're having difficulty moving around—what brings you all the way here?"
"My back hasn't been hurting as much lately, and my health is quite good. The baby's movements are more bearable than before too. Don't you think our child can sense when I'm struggling?"
Alicia lovingly caressed her swollen belly.
Zeppelin let her words go in one ear and out the other, his attention fixed solely on his wound.
"Oh, by the way, I was thinking of going out for a bit."
"What? Where?"
At the mention of going out, Zeppelin habitually furrowed his brow.
Despite being at full term, Alicia wandered about freely, shopping and doing whatever else she pleased.
"Marchioness Petunia asked if I'd like to go shopping with her. Is it alright if I go?"
Though she would wail that the mansion would fall apart if he didn't allow it and ultimately do as she wished anyway, Alicia dutifully sought Zeppelin's permission each time.
"Do as you please."
Had it been Rebecca, such a thing would have been unthinkable, but Zeppelin readily granted Alicia permission to leave.
Her absence from the mansion suited him just fine.
With the talkative Alicia gone, the estate would be enveloped in blessed silence.
Of course, when Alicia returned from her outing, she would be several times noisier than usual, yet Zeppelin had no intention of forgoing even that brief moment of peace.
"Still, be careful just in case. If you feel even the slightest discomfort, come straight home. I absolutely cannot bear to see my child born anywhere but under this roof."
"I will! Thank you, dear!"
At her casual form of address, Zeppelin's eyebrows rose.
Alicia, who had always called him "my lord," had gradually begun addressing him as "you," "darling," and even by his name, Zeppelin.
'The kind Earl of Devonshire...'
Zeppelin mentally rehearsed the persona he needed to perform, forcing the corners of his mouth upward.
Alicia pressed a brief kiss to his trembling lips, then fluttered from his room like a butterfly.
She was already mentally selecting what she would purchase.
"Finally gone."
Zeppelin rubbed the spot where her lips had touched with the back of his hand, then turned back to the mirror.
The jaggedly torn wound reminded him painfully of his defeat.
'You are the weak one here.'
Karim's words kept churning through his mind.
The concept of weakness was foreign to Zeppelin.
He had always held the upper hand, and whether dealing with superiors or inferiors, all bent to his will.
It was as natural as breathing, and he had never questioned his own strength.
But on the wedding day, he had to experience the sensation of being at the very bottom of the food chain.
I couldn't match Karim's raw strength, a mere maid had subdued me, and even Rebecca had kicked me down.
At this point, I had no choice but to admit it.
I had suffered a complete and utter defeat.
"What could be the reason?"
The unfamiliar emotion of defeat paradoxically restored rationality to Zeppelin's mind.
He realized that he had been so consumed with reclaiming Rebecca that he had never truly thought about anything else.
Zeppelin slowly left the mirror chamber.
His face, once grooming was complete, shone with perfect brilliance despite the wounds.
"I don't like this either! When will that dress I ordered last time finally arrive!"
The shrill voice of Alicia, brimming with dissatisfaction, grated against his already turbulent nerves the moment he stepped out of the bedroom.
He fled to the Garden to escape Alicia's voice full of complaints.
Settling beneath a magnificent maple tree painted in gorgeous autumn hues, Zeppelin fell into contemplation.
His figure resembled a living painting, and servants hurrying past would often pause, momentarily entranced by the sight of him.
'Since there are only two Dukes in the entire Empire and they've joined forces, there's no way I can stand against them.'
Karim lacked wealth but possessed military might, while Julian possessed honor and wealth but lacked military strength.
If the two of them set their minds to it, they could swallow the entire Rotandus Empire whole.
Zeppelin considered gathering evidence of their collusion and bringing it before the Emperor.
But he soon shook his head.
Treason was a dangerous gambit. If the evidence wasn't perfect, he could face a devastating backlash instead.
Moreover, the Emperor had sat in the father's seat at Julian's wedding.
It meant Julian had already become the Emperor's ally.
And the Emperor despised me. That fact had become crystal clear after the autumn ball incident.
Consumed by worry, Zeppelin recalled Pope Deslatino's expression, which had remained rigid throughout the wedding.
"That's right, the Pope was there..."
Deslatino would be the one most fearful of the Emperor and Julian's growing power.
He had clearly been on Julian's side, but now that Julian had joined hands with the Emperor, the Pope's thoughts would surely have changed.
Zeppelin decided to take a gamble on that.
Besides, there was something he needed to verify.
"Julian was clearly in pain back then."
What I had kicked was that unsettling black cat.
Yet the cat didn't appear to be suffering in the slightest. Rather, it was Julian who had bent at the waist.
At precisely the spot where I had kicked the cat.
And those distinct handprints on his neck.
According to rumors, Julian in the Reception Hall had suddenly struggled to breathe.
Coincidentally, the timing aligned perfectly with when I was strangling the cat's neck.
'There's something here.'
Now that he thought about it, there were more than one or two suspicious points.
A hunch told him that his constant companionship with the black cat might not be mere theatricality.
And if it was a Temple closely connected to House of Johannes, then it would possess the answer, Zeppelin speculated.
A fallen leaf suddenly drifted down onto his head.
Zeppelin snatched it away before it could touch his scalp.
It was a crimson leaf, as if stained with blood.
Zeppelin crushed the leaf in his grip, a smile of conviction spreading across his face.
If someone was stronger than him, he would simply make them weak.
He began plotting how to meet with the Pope without Octavio discovering his intentions.
* * *
"Really? Did big brother really ask you to go on a picnic with him?"
Lily's eyes sparkled at Josephine's message, and she bounced out of bed.
Could he really be so pleased?
Josephine watched with a warm smile as Lily bounded about the room.
"Have you ever seen me lie? Besides, the newly arrived Duchess will be joining you as well."
"Really? That pretty sister Rebecca is coming too?"
"Miss. She is a lady. You mustn't call her sister so casually."
"I know, I know. So that beautiful sister is coming on the picnic with us, right?"
Despite Josephine's deliberate correction, Lily seemed determined to ignore her advice.
Instead, she bounced around the room firing off rapid-fire questions about when, where, and what they would do.
The Runaway Marchioness Returns
E-book Publication
January 12, 2022
Author
Long night sky
Publisher
Desert fox
Published by
Woongjin ThinkBig Co., Ltd.
Submission Received
naver.me/54VzzLSn
Blog
blog.naver.com/wj_fennecfox
@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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