Chapter 94
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95.
Helen listened intently to Rebecca's poignant story, and quickly offered her a handkerchief.
With reddened eyes, Helen extended her heartfelt sympathy to Rebecca.
"You must have endured so much."
"Thank you."
Rebecca made a show of dabbing her eyes with the handkerchief and swallowed hard.
To anyone watching, she appeared to struggle beneath the weight of her subdued emotions.
Sighs rippled through the gathering at the sight of Rebecca's forlorn figure.
Julian steadied Rebecca as she swayed.
Watching his fiancée wipe away tears sent a chill down Julian's spine.
'I must never make an enemy of Rebecca.'
Julian's tongue clicked against his teeth as he observed how swiftly Rebecca had garnered sympathy.
While Rebecca's tale was, in essence, a common melodrama, the fact that its protagonists were Rebecca and Julian created a profound resonance.
A saintly Rebecca abandoned by her ex-husband, and the arrogant, discourteous Duke of Johannes, Julian.
Moreover, their stunning beauty complemented each other like a masterwork painting.
Though people often speak of inner beauty surpassing outer appearance, the influence of attractive looks could not be dismissed.
Even a mundane story became worthy of patronage when its protagonists were beautiful enough to admire for their appearance alone.
Thus, by casting Rebecca—the Empire's diamond—and Julian, the noble black lion, into this common melodrama, people's hearts could be stirred to profound emotion.
'I'll make thorough use of their praise for my beauty.'
A smile of quiet triumph played across Rebecca's lips.
Throughout her life, her beautiful appearance had been a poison.
But now it was time to weaponize that very poison that had nearly destroyed her.
Rebecca grasped Julian's arm and straightened her wavering frame.
Then, lifting her still-glistening eyes, she gazed upon Zahidra.
"However, the gracious Emperor heard of our plight and offered to aid us. And I learned that there are those who wish to build alongside us the world we dream of. So I petitioned His Majesty for this audience with you all."
"The world you dream of—what exactly is that?"
Teresa, who had maintained a skeptical posture from the beginning unlike the others, posed the question with a sharp edge to her voice.
At her hostile tone, one of Julian's eyebrows lifted slightly.
But Rebecca answered with an untroubled expression.
"What we desire is a world where everyone can equally enjoy the blessings of the Goddess."
"Ha! You truly wish for such a thing, Duke of Johannes? You, who receive the greatest benefits from the Temple throughout the entire Empire—what could you possibly lack? Please don't tell me it's out of pity. I know well enough that you are not such a person."
Rebecca gazed steadily into Teresa's keen, intelligent eyes.
Her brilliant crimson hair, as vivid as her eye color, cascaded over her crossed arms.
Teresa, renowned as a master of sacred art, was famous for her uncompromising nature.
Because of this temperament, rumors constantly followed her—of quarrels at parties, of grabbing someone by the hair, and worse.
Thus Rebecca had heard Teresa's name even in her previous life.
Rebecca fixed her gaze upon Teresa's firmly closed lips, as if to say she would not be manipulated by her schemes.
Rebecca's eyebrows rose slightly.
As she searched for a way to persuade Teresa, Julian suddenly spoke.
"Because I am the Duke of Johannes, that is what I desire."
There was no trace of the usual sinister edge in Julian's face as he leisurely brushed back his hair.
Rather, kindness even emanated from the gentle smile playing at his lips.
'Is this truly the impression the Duke of Johannes gives?'
Teresa rubbed her eyes at Julian's serene countenance.
To Teresa, who harbored deep resentment toward the current Temple, the Duke of Johannes was nothing more than a lackey of that institution.
Moreover, his consistently arrogant demeanor conjured the image of a tyrant perched atop the food chain, exploiting countless believers for power.
The members of the Montblanc Club regarded Julian not as the noble Duke of Johannes, but as an unscrupulous man.
"Perhaps you could explain what you mean more clearly? We simple folk cannot quite comprehend."
Despite Teresa's barbed tone, Julian maintained the soft smile gracing his lips as he spoke.
"All of you here know better than anyone that I—or rather, the House of Johannes—am merely a puppet of the Temple."
At his words, Rebecca started in surprise and instinctively grasped Julian's hand, which had been lightly touching hers until then.
It was enough that she appeared weak in this place.
Julian had no need to expose his vulnerabilities before these hyenas.
Julian gently interlaced his fingers with Rebecca's rigid hand.
His firm knuckles wrapped around her delicate skin.
Rebecca flinched momentarily at his bolder touch than usual, but soon relaxed her tense shoulders.
From their clasped hands, his silent message seemed to reach her—trust me.
Julian had never made things worse by helping her.
So she decided to trust him this time, and Rebecca offered a subtle smile.
Her judgment proved sound as Julian's next words—like a bombshell—gradually softened the sharp gleam in Teresa's eyes.
"Since childhood, I have witnessed people struggling in the Temple's snare. Not once, while living as the Duke of Johannes, have I believed that what I enjoy is truly mine."
A brief silence fell.
Julian swallowed back a bitter laugh. He had not anticipated laying bare his heart like this.
But seeing the reproach burning in Teresa's gaze, he found himself compelled to speak.
The shameful history of his house—which he knew better than anyone, yet wished to avoid more than anyone—was reflected in her eyes.
Shame washed over him, as if he were a child confessing wrongdoing, yet strangely, he did not wish to evade it.
Julian wanted to show Rebecca his true self.
He had grown up watching parents who never revealed their emotions to one another.
Because of this, though it seemed impossible, he had once vowed that if he ever took a wife, he would be honest with her alone.
Though it was a contractual marriage, Rebecca was now to be his wife.
My wife.
The words sent a strange chill through him, yet simultaneously made his heart swell.
At first, he had only wanted to appear strong.
Like an adolescent boy, he had wanted to flaunt his abilities to her.
So he had fulfilled her every request, even at great cost to himself.
He had wanted Rebecca to know she could lean on him when things grew difficult.
But now, he found himself wanting to show her everything.
He wanted to ask if she could accept even such a pathetic wretch.
'So please, listen to me, Rebecca.'
Julian squeezed Rebecca's hand firmly, pushing down the suffocating lump rising in his throat.
"As you all know, I am not a particularly virtuous person. There is a vast chasm between the image of the blessed Duke of Johannes and my true nature. I have lived in constant torment over that gap, hiding like a coward, unable to move forward or backward."
Rebecca brushed Julian's hand gently. The tension in his rigid expression eased slightly at her touch.
"But now I no longer wish to hide. My beloved fiancée standing here has given me a dream. Rebecca showed me the possibility that I could become not a powerless Duke of Johannes swayed by the Temple, but a true Duke of Johannes who could share blessings with the people."
It was genuine. Not a fabrication to persuade the club members.
Even knowing the path forward, I had been unable to take a single step until Rebecca extended her hand to me.
And she had made it possible for me to run toward that destination.
"Until now, I have fought this lonely battle alone for that dream. But now it is different. I have all of you. So I wish to walk this path with you. Let us together tear down this rotting Temple and reveal the true essence of the Defrian Church to the world."
His eyes, folded with grace, blazed with an otherworldly golden light.
Julian's smile was suffused with compassion.
It was the moment when the blessed genes inscribed in his body across centuries came to radiance.
"Ah..."
The theologians listening to Julian's words covered their mouths.
He appeared like a divine messenger conveying sacred revelation.
It seemed as though a halo that should not exist shone behind him.
Meanwhile, the newly risen nobles, lacking any real faith, were astonished for different reasons.
They had never seen Julian speak with such courtesy, and they were amazed to discover that his words carried genuine persuasive power.
In this moment, he was the perfect Duke of Johannes.
"Yes, let us join together!"
Salvador wiped away tears that had begun to form and clenched his fist with resolve.
His sudden passionate cry drew laughter from everyone, though it seemed they all shared similar sentiments.
"Then we should hold a vote now. Duke of Johannes and Miss Rebecca, please turn around for a moment."
Zahidra gathered the club members with an inscrutable, enigmatic smile.
Rebecca and Julian turned their backs as the murmur of discussion filled the room.
Whatever transpired behind them, Julian's attention remained solely fixed on Rebecca.
Though I had dressed it up with some plausible framing, more than half of that speech contained my honest thoughts.
I hoped she understood the meaning woven within it.
Julian's mouth had gone dry, and he moistened his lips.
Soon Rebecca looked up at him. His eyes, brimming with fear, met hers.
"Thank you for finding the courage to speak. You endured such a difficult time with remarkable strength."
Rebecca whispered to him with eyes of unfathomable depth.
She had realized that his speech was no fleeting fabrication or lie.
She understood completely the anguish that had continued throughout his entire life. Rebecca's chest tightened with emotion.
She gazed at him with unwavering trust and gently patted the hand he held in hers.
Every small gesture of Rebecca's seemed to offer him solace.
Julian hastily averted his eyes, which were beginning to glisten with tears.
His heart constricted painfully. He had never wanted to die less than he did now.
Julian felt his heart flutter and gripped Rebecca's hand more firmly.
Holding her warm hand felt like grasping sunlight itself in his palm.
The Runaway Countess Returns
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January 12, 2022
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