Episode 52
“Where is that person right now?”
Contrary to his expectation that she would be crying, her face, drained of color, was surprisingly composed. Killian, withdrawing his hand, calmly parted his lips.
“He was sent abroad, so I have ordered him to return. I intend to seize and dispose of him the moment he returns.”
Rowina did not react in the slightest. Feeling somehow anxious, he called her name.
“Rowina.”
Instead of answering, Rowina averted her gaze. What came after the anger passed was disillusionment. Even if Baron Sussex had not plotted his scheme, she did not think the result would have changed. Sooner or later, Killian would have abandoned her. Above all, the person she was now angrier at than Benedict was the man standing right before her.
Killian had also been the victim of a cunning and meticulous betrayal by a close subordinate, but Rowina did not pity him in the least.
The reason Baron Sussex had been able to do such a thing was that Killian had permitted her to be framed. The baron had read the underlying distrust lying at the bottom of Killian’s heart and exploited it. If Killian had trusted her, the scheme would not have worked, and the miserable night five years ago would never have happened.
This distrust of Killian’s ran so deep that it was a part of him one could scarcely trace to its roots. Baron Sussex had cleverly turned that distrust against him to set his trap.
Rowina suddenly grew curious about the background of his deep-rooted distrust of people. Especially toward women.
But her impulsively parted lips closed again.
“You.”
Killian let out a long breath and nodded.
“Do as you wish.”
“Thank you.”
Rowina offered a cold farewell and rose from her seat. She started toward the bedroom, then turned around.
“……
Is there anything else you wish to say?”
That he was sorry, or that he hadn’t meant to do that then. Or that he had misjudged. She had hoped to hear at least some words resembling regret, if not an apology. She had no intention of forgiving him even if he apologized sincerely, but if this man would just bend to her this once, she felt as though the tightly knotted lump in her chest might loosen even a little.
“Something to say?”
Killian took out a cigarette for the first time in a while and turned his head toward her. His brows rose as if asking what she meant instead. At that face, a small scoff burst from Rowina’s lips.
“Haha…… ha.”
“…….”
Right. This was exactly how he would act. What had she expected? Hadn’t she rather hoped that nothing had changed?
“It’s nothing. I’ll go to bed first tonight.”
With a face relaxed as if she had never been tense, Rowina turned her back again.
Even after she disappeared from view, obscured by the curtain dividing the bedroom and the dining room, Killian kept his gaze fixed on the bedroom for a long time, holding an unlit cigarette in his hand.
* * *
“Mom!”
“Demian!”
Though it had been only a few short days, the reunion between mother and child was deeply touching. Rowina kissed both cheeks of Demian, who scurried over to embrace her, and stroked her son’s head again and again.
“Were you good with Grandpa?”
“Yep!”
“Studied and did your homework?”
“Of course! I’m super smart, Mom!”
Ahem. Demian puffed out his chest and stroked a mustache he didn’t have, speaking proudly.
“All perfect scores. Especially in language!”
“They say blood will tell. Who else would he take after but his mother?”
“Uncle?”
Rowina turned her head to Jeremy, who had slipped in the remark.
“What do you mean by that?”
Jeremy squinted his eyes and grinned.
“I read something you wrote. A maid named Melissa brought it to me, asking if it was my writing.”
“What?”
“It was more readable than I expected.”
Jeremy waved the manuscript he had hidden behind his back.
“Oh, come on!”
Her face flushing red in an instant, Rowina snatched the manuscript from his hand.
“How did Melissa even find this….”
“You could publish it.”
“It’s a manuscript from five whole years ago. I’ve been revising it bit by bit during the day, so it’s only become somewhat presentable.”
It was a manuscript she had once tried to publish. She only knew now that it was the novel that had caused everything. Yet even after learning the truth about that night five years ago, she hadn’t grown to hate writing or want to avoid it.
“Any plans to publish it?”
“I don’t know. I’m just writing.”
“I see.”
Smacking his lips as if disappointed, Jeremy abruptly made a suggestion to Demian.
“Demian. You finished all the homework you promised, so how about we go outside and kick a ball around today?”
“Yes!”
“Great. Then go get changed and get ready first.”
Demian, who had been bouncing about, dashed to his nannies the moment the order was given. Only after Demian went to his room did Jeremy sit on the stool in front of the fireplace with a serious face.
“What the hell is this, Rowina.”
He gestured with his eyes toward the newspaper on the table. A shadow fell over Rowina’s face as her gaze followed his. Splashed across the front page of the newspaper was none other than the news of her engagement.
“This isn’t true, is it?”
“Uncle….”
“It’s just a false report, right?”
Bombarded by the continued questions, Rowina lowered her eyes.
“It’s true.”
“What?”
“……
It turned out that way.”
“Rowina!”
Jeremy shot to his feet, his face scrunching up.
“Are you out of your mind……!”
“There was nothing I could do. If I could have avoided it, I would have.”
Rowina cut him off, jerking her chin up.
“But the situation became what it is. Whether I wanted it or not.”
The green eyes facing him held many meanings. In the end, Jeremy let out a heavy sigh and slumped down.
“Hah. I thought he was just a bastard, but he’s a crazy bastard.”
Even if class boundaries had blurred, a duke was a duke, and royalty was royalty. Jeremy spouted curses that would have left him with no excuse on the gallows if anyone heard, then returned to the main point.
“What are you planning to do now? An engagement ceremony on Rophs Island. Don’t tell me you’ve had a change of heart.”
“Of course not.”
Rowina shook her head with a resolute gaze.
“This matter might rather turn out to be a blessing in disguise.”
“What?”
“Uncle, you were also a playwright. After all, isn’t a tragedy more effective with a larger audience?”
Jeremy blinked, unable to understand what she was saying for a moment.
“You… what you mean is.”
“The number of witnesses has increased.”
Rowina smiled brilliantly. A faint madness flowed through that smile, leaving Jeremy gaping. He had thought only the duke was mad, but he was wrong. His one and only niece had also become strange. Then again, it was harder not to go mad in this relationship.
“If many people witness my death and rumors spread until it’s reported in the papers, no one will be able to deny it. No one will suspect a thing.”
“……
Rowina.”
He couldn’t know what had happened last night. Even if he asked, Rowina wouldn’t tell him. When he carefully called her name, Rowina tilted her head.
“Are you okay?”
“Pardon?”
“I asked if you’re okay.”
“I am.”
“Alright….”
Since she said she was fine, there was nothing else to say. She would be fine again once she escaped this strange castle. After hesitating for a moment, Jeremy opened his arms. Rowina, who had been wavering, embraced him, and he patted her back.
“Just hold on a little longer, Rowina.”
“Uncle….”
“You’ve had it hard.”
Rowina nodded and buried her face in her uncle’s shoulder. Only after quite some time did Jeremy take hold of Rowina’s now-calmed shoulders and broach the main subject with a serious face.
“That aside, about the plan. I’ll tell you the details now.”
* * *
Having changed into comfortable activewear, Demian was excited. Feeling as though he might take flight at any moment, he bounced the ball on his knee with light thuds. Watching him, the nanny spoke to him fondly.
“Are you that happy?”
“Yes!”
“We played ball together often.”
“But it’s different when I do it with Teacher.”
“What’s different?”
“It’s….”
Demian opened his eyes wide and was about to explain when someone approached from the servants’ back door.
“Nanny.”
“Yes?”
“You need to come for a moment. The younger sister of Angie, the assistant nanny who was scheduled to come in tonight, has come because Angie was injured.”
“Really? Alright.”
The nanny nodded at the urgent face, hesitated briefly, then looked toward Demian. Whether he had forgotten they were talking, he was already kicking the ball alone near the lake. Beside him, the large dog Bobo wandered about, running here and there after the ball.
“He should be fine for a bit… the dog is here, and Teacher will be right over.”
Muttering, the nanny turned around. Left alone, Demian kicked the ball far.
“Fetch, Bobo!”
Understanding the command, the dog dashed into the bushes. Watching its tail wagging frantically, Demian burst into gleeful laughter. A moment later, Bobo returned from the bushes, bringing someone with him.
“Huh? Mister Ghost!”
Demian approached Killian with a startled face.
“Mister!”
Demian ran to him and latched onto him.
“You’re a ghost, but you come out during the day too?”
“Let’s just say that.”
Killian answered as if he didn’t really care and held out the ball in his hand. Taking the ball, Demian immediately made a suggestion.
“Play ball with me!”
“Ball?”
“Yes! Didn’t you play when you were little?”
“I didn’t.”
“Why? Didn’t you have a father like me?”
“……
Yes.”
“What about friends? Didn’t you have friends either? It’s fun to kick a ball with friends.”
At the barrage of questions, Killian silently looked at his son.
“Then I’ll teach you specially! To be a good dad, you have to know how to play ball!”
It was a rare chance to show off. Demian held his head high triumphantly, speaking as if bestowing a favor, and Killian snickered, pressing the small forehead with his index finger.
“I don’t need it.”
“……
Really?”
His pride short-lived, Demian’s face fell at the blunt refusal, as if he had never been confident.
“Do you not want to play ball with me?”