Leila's birthday was exactly 10 days away. It was both short and long periods.
It was his first ti celebrating her birthday, so he wanted to take care of it properly. To the point where she would rember it for the rest of her life.
Shall I throw a party?
No. We're not even family, and that seems like too much fuss.
Rather than having a party, I think it would be better to just give her a proper gift.
Rahel.
Yes, Your Majesty.
What gifts would you give to won?
Gifts for won?
It was a bit of a random question, but Rahel did not panic and poured the tea.
In his head, he was wondering who was the woman who could make Kalian give gifts personally.
He didn't have to think deeply about it, because there were only two such won.
His half-sister, Duchess Cloud, and his aide, Leila.
Although she was his half-sister, Kalian wasn't close enough to give Duchess Cloud a personal gift as it was not an anniversary. And Rahel knew that Leila's birthday was coming soon.
Is it for Baron Asters birthday?
"Yeah."
He asked just in case, but it was as he thought. He didn't think it was unusual or strange because Kalian celebrated Ver's birthday every year.
I usually give ladies pretty dresses or jewelry on their birthdays.
I want to give her a morable gift.
If you give her very big jewelry or a fancy dress, it will be morable.
It wasn't his favorite answer, but it wasn't wrong either.
After a mont of contemplation, Kalian ordered Rahel.
Call the accessory craftsman as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.
At his order, Rahel went out. Then Kalian called Audrin, the chief female attendant.
I will have dinner with my aides. Prepare it.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Preparations also included telling Leila and Ver about it.
Audrin, who had sent a female attendant to Leila's room, heard the unexpected news and imdiately inford Kalian.
"Leila isn't in her room?"
Kalian raised his eyebrow and looked at Audrin.
Where did she go?
It has been confird that she is not in the palace.
Does that an she went out?
Now the maid has gone to check with the guards, so please wait a little longer, Your Majesty.
The guards recorded all those who entered the palace, so if Leila went outside, he could know right away.
After a while, the maid, who returned after checking with the guards, inford him that Leila had left the palace.
"Hoo."
Philen, with his eyes blazing in fury, was looking for her and she went out without a word?
No one knew she was going out, which ant she went out alone without a carriage.
Kalian sent Audrin out and imdiately called Hiltine.
Maybe she went ho. Find her right now and bring her back.
"Yes."
After answering briefly, Hiltine disappeared imdiately.
Kalian, who was left alone, tapped the desk with his fingertips.
He had a bad feeling.
*****
The abortion drug I prepared?
What is he!
You seem to rember from the look on your face.
Philen said sarcastically, but I couldn't say anything. Because when he said that, sothing ca to mind.
The abortion drug given by Countess Thebesa.
But I definitely threw it away when I left the mansion. How could Cecily drink it?
As expected, it was you who prepared it.
The smile faded from Philen's face. His eyes looking at beca colder.
Why did you do that?
His heavy voice was terrifying.
Did you hate my child that much?
"No, I'm not."
It wasn't a lie.
Although I hated Cecily, I had no such feelings for the child she had. I didn't detest or hate him.
Then did you hate ?
Philen asked, smirking.
Or did you hate Cecily?
BANG-!
Why arent you talking?
Philen slamd the table hard and shouted.
I'M ASKING YOU WHY YOU KILLED MY CHILD!
it's not .
Ha, are you going to pretend to be innocent until the end?
I didnt feed her.
When I explained more specifically, he chuckled.
Yeah, you didnt feed her. Because it was Misa who gave Cecily the drug.
Misa gave Cecily the drug?
NO WAY!
I clenched my fists and shouted.
Misa, Misa wouldnt have done such a thing!
There's already a lot of evidence that implies she is the culprit. I'm sure she's the culprit."
Philen firmly denied my words.
No, that can't be true.
I knew Philen wasn't the type who would lie about that, but I couldn't believe it.
There was clearly so misunderstanding.
So I was going to ask him to investigate it once more, but before I could do that, Philen gave more shocking news.
Misa killed Cecily's baby by drugging her and then committed suicide.
What did Philen just say?
Misa killed herself?
It was shocking. No, rather than shocking, it was a wave of emotions that couldn't be expressed in words.
If Misa really killed Cecily's baby by giving her the abortion drug, she was dead anyway. Because Philen wouldn't let the person, who killed his child, be alive.
Perhaps she would be brutally tortured and eventually leading to a miserable death. So it was a good choice for Misa to choose suicide.
But, but You shouldn't have done that in the first place!
Then there would be no need for you to commit suicide.
Why would Misa do such a thing
Are you asking because you dont know? Of course, it's for you.
For ?
Seems like Misa thinks that the problem between you and is because of the baby.
Though it wasn't because of that.
Philen said with a small smile.
Because of , Misa
I actually knew it. Because if it wasn't for , there would be no way Misa would do such a thing.
I just turned a blind eye because I didn't want to admit that Misa died because of . But Philen hit that point too accurately.
My mind went blank and my eyes were spinning. I felt suffocated and nauseous.
Ugh-.
I covered my mouth with my hand and lowered my head.
That was the first child I was expecting.
Philen, who ca closer to without realizing, grabbed my shoulders and said,
But Leila, you killed him. You took away my chance to be a father.
A groan ca out at the great force that squeezed my shoulders. I bit the soft flesh in my mouth hard to hold back my groaning.
I actually want to do what was in my mind to you right now, but that won't bring back my dead baby, so I'll hold myself back."
Make sure you pay for your cri instead.
Cri?
"Are you planning to report to the guards?
It was a great cri to instigate a person instead of directly killing soone. Especially if that soone was a duke's bloodline.
In the worst case, my life couldn't be saved.
Of course, I had never done that, so I could be confident even if I was taken to the guards.
The problem was when my innocence was not proven. I could be punished as well as branded as a murderer.
Even if I was lucky enough to receive a light punishnt, I would have to let go of my position as the emperor's aide.
I hate that.
I had just got the position and I might have to put it down.
It was hopeless. It felt like it was falling apart before my eyes.
Im not going to report you to the guards for now.
I thought he would take to the guards right away. It was unexpected.
But for now?
You have to pay for your cri in person.
"In in person?
"Yeah."
Philen narrowed his eyes and continued.
You can give birth to my child on Cecily's behalf.
*****
When he first learned that Leila had killed his child, he was furious. It was to the point where he wanted to go find her right away and kill her. So he went straight to her house in the capital.
But, like a lie, Leila had been away for a long ti on a diplomatic mission.
After eting the guards while making a riot in front of her house, Philen laughed, only to find out about it.
As soon as he found out, he got the news that Leila returned about two weeks later.
There was still plenty of ti, but Philen did not leave and waited for her to return.
He wandered around her house countless tis even though he knew it wasn't ti for her to return yet.
In the anti, his anger towards Leila subsided slightly.
Philen had no intention of handing Leila over to the guards.
He was going to get Leila to pay the price for killing his child with his own hands.
What kind of thod would be good?
How can I make her pay for her cri and get revenge at the sa ti?
He hated and was angry with her enough to want to kill her, but he didn't really want to kill her. Because death was the most comfortable punishnt. He wanted to make her feel more pain and suffering than that.
Should I take away what she cherishes now the most?
Like she did?
It seed like a good idea, as she would feel the endless despair he felt.
What Leila cherished the most right now was probably her new lover, Kalian. And it would be the sa for Kalian.
So, separating the two would be great revenge for Leila and for Kalian as well.
A an smile was drawn on his lips. Just thinking about it made him happy.
The surest way to separate the two was to take Leila as his wife. That way, the rigid Leila would never look away again, and Kalian wouldn't be able to reach out to Leila with his evil hands.
It was also nice to have her, who was as perfect as the duchess herself, to be the Duchess of Williot. Of course, he had no intention of taking advantage of Leila like before.
Even if he took revenge by separating her from Kalian, it didn't change the fact that she was the murderer who killed his first child!
Thinking about it made him feel bad again.
He would never forget the shock of losing the first child he had been waiting for the rest of his life.
Even if he had another child.
Another child
Suddenly, Philen's golden eyes flashed differently as he thought of the child to be born between him and Leila.
It was sothing he had been dreaming and wishing for since he was young.
Although their relationship got a little estranged when Cecily carried his first child, Philen continued to dream of having a child with Leila and forming a cozy family.
However, Leila's betrayal thwarted the dream and made him fall into despair. But then the opportunity to achieve it ca again. At the cost of his first child.
He was upset and sad, but it was a thing of the past.
Let's move forward rather than be tied to the past.
It was good for and for everyone, Philen thought.
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