Chapter 77
Marquis Ephekl regarded
with a wary gaze.
“…Indeed.”
“She left
a letter,” I said, though I had fabricated that part to maintain the narrative. I had already discussed this with Leshan before coming here.
Given Leshan’s nature, it was only natural that she would want to inform
of the truth. It wouldn’t be strange for her to send
a letter while she was on the run.
I spoke as if I had discovered the truth through this letter.
“She ntioned that you’re after our mine.”
His expression deepened, his gaze growing sharper as he scrutinized .
“And yet you ca here, knowing that? You must have so idea of what I’m capable of.”
His soft voice was a calculated attempt to lower my guard.
“I know at least that you care deeply for Leshan and that you’re a doting grandfather,” I replied, relying on the depiction of him in the novel as Leshan’s doting fool.
If she asked him to stop, he wouldn’t be able to refuse.
“If you need magic stones, I’m willing to offer so from our mine. I don’t know exactly what you’re planning, but I’m asking you to stop, Marquis.”
This was an offer he couldn’t refuse, especially if it ant gaining both the magic stones and maintaining Leshan’s trust.
“You wouldn’t want Lady Leshan to resent you, would you?”
“You’ve read
well.”
Marquis Ephekl laughed, though it sounded sowhat hollow. He glanced at the ceiling briefly before returning his gaze to .
His lips began to part, and I thought the negotiation was about to succeed.
“But I can’t do that.”
“…What?”
To my surprise, he rejected the offer.
I was confused.
I had thought the negotiation was proceeding smoothly.
“Why not?”
“Your offer is generous, but I have a reason to see this deal through.”
His words didn’t make sense to . Wasn’t this all for Leshan?
There was sothing dangerous in his tone.
‘Has sothing changed?’
But how could that happen in such a short ti? Was that even possible?
I narrowed my eyes in thought before speaking again.
“Isn’t the magic stone mine what’s most important to you?”
“Lady Marceau Etwar.”
He rose from his seat.
“When you live long enough, secrets accumulate. And sotis, you need a way to keep them hidden.”
Under normal circumstances, my offer would have worked.
If the information provided by Leticia and Leshan were all there was.
…But Marquis Ephekl needed sothing more now.
What had changed him?
I thought back to the variable in our situation—Leshan’s actions.
‘The note Leshan took with her.’
Could that note be sothing Marquis Ephekl desperately wanted to keep hidden? But why? It was just a na, after all.
Unless he had done sothing to that person, there would be no need for such secrecy.
Marquis Ephekl faced , his gaze as cold and threatening as a beast that had been hiding its claws.
“I find this regrettable. But there’s no way out for you.”
The subtle but chilling aura of nace sent shivers down my spine.
The person nad on the note had disappeared six years ago.
“It’s an inevitable situation.”
And that disappearance had beco Marquis Ephekl’s weakness.
I realized that the instinct that had driven him to co to the Etwar estate in search of Leshan was now directed at .
It dawned on .
‘…He killed him.’
Marquis Ephekl had killed him.
Murder had beco the reason he needed to finalize the deal with Ryan.
‘…Are Ryan’s n really just looking for Leshan?’
There might be sothing deeper and darker at play. In fact, there definitely was.
I didn’t know all the details, but I was certain I was right.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
Marquis Ephekl’s once-kind smile no longer looked that way.
I issued one final warning.
“…You’ll regret not accepting my offer.”
He didn’t deny it.
“Perhaps. But…”
The deep furrows on his forehead hinted at inner turmoil.
“When you’re already falling off a cliff, there’s no turning back.”
Strangely, I felt a pang of pity for him. So I added one last thing.
“…Lady Leshan will resent you.”
Leshan believed in Marquis Ephekl.
“Lady Marceau, my grandfather will definitely help you.”
If that belief were shattered, Leshan would fall into deep despair and pain.
Marquis Ephekl, who knew this better than anyone, smiled.
“There’s sothing I fear more than her resentnt.”
“….”
“I’m a selfish man.”
His smile was tinged with sadness.
I couldn’t find any more words to say.
And so, the negotiation ended.
I thought everything would go smoothly, but instead, I returned with nothing to show for it.
Without even changing out of my clothes, I collapsed onto the sofa.
“How did the conversation go?”
Leshan asked, her face filled with hope, clearly believing that her grandfather and I had reached a favorable agreent.
This hope stemd from her deep faith in Marquis Ephekl.
…But that faith was about to be shattered.
I hesitated, then decided to be honest.
“…No, he refused.”
There was no point in hiding the truth—it wouldn’t prevent what was coming.
“That can’t be…”
Leshan’s shoulders slumped in disappointnt.
I hesitated for a mont before gently patting her shoulder.
“Stay strong. We’ll find another way.”
My mind was racing.
The negotiation had failed, but it seed Marquis Etwar had his own plans, so I wasn’t too worried.
Most importantly, knowing that Darcy would be staying behind to support
reassured .
As I thought of him, I touched my lips, rembering the feel of his kiss from that night.
It felt like a surge of strength suddenly filled .
I wondered if Darcy felt the sa way.
Lost in thought, I heard the sound of a window opening. I turned to see Kaysen entering.
“How did the negotiation go?”
“It completely fell apart.”
“…That’s unexpected.”
Kaysen blinked as he handed
a letter from Darcy. I nodded, still feeling disheartened.
Taking the letter from his hand, I gestured toward Leshan.
“Leshan is feeling quite down as well, so please comfort her.”
“…And what about you?”
His unexpected question made
blink, more out of irritation than surprise.
“The person you need to take care of is right over there.”
I told him firmly, then opened the letter. After that, I focused solely on the letter and ignored Kaysen.
‘So Ryan has already left.’
Although it was his first ti leading such a mission, as the male lead, Ryan was sure to succeed. That, however, was what worried .
‘What if he ends up capturing innocent people…?’
It wasn’t fair for them to be treated like this just because they had power.
Darcy reassured
in the letter, telling
not to worry about the discussion with the Marquis and to focus on eting the magicians.
He must have anticipated how things would go during today’s eting.
I thought of Darcy’s silver hair.
‘I want to touch it.’
I wanted to touch him, see him, hear his voice.
If I felt this way after only a few days of not seeing him, how much more would I miss him while I was away eting the magicians?
‘…Still.’
This trip would also be an opportunity to learn more about Darcy’s past.
[On the day you leave, I’ll introduce the person who will be guarding you.]
‘If it’s not you, I don’t want anyone else.’
I smiled to myself, feeling a bit childish.
I held Darcy’s letter close to my heart and took a deep breath, closing my eyes.
When I return, our relationship will have changed a lot.
I looked forward to that change.
The day of departure arrived. It also marked several days since Leshan had stayed with .
She was wearing the sa dress she had worn when she first ca to see .
“Thank you for everything, Lady Marceau. I’ll return to the estate now.”
…That’s not going to work. I hesitated.
Whether she knew about my internal conflict or not, Leshan’s expression remained resolute.
“I’ll find a way to convince my grandfather, so don’t worry and go.”
If she returned, she would only end up hurt.
Leshan had changed and no longer feared conflicts in her relationships as she once did… but that didn’t an she wouldn’t get hurt.
In fact, she was likely feeling more torn up inside than ever, trying to keep faith in Marquis Ephekl while being constantly betrayed.
For so reason, I saw echoes of my forr self in her.
The version of
that had moved forward, believing that people around
would eventually trust , only to end up utterly drained.
Leshan had once been one of those people who treated
that way…
‘But I can’t see her like that anymore.’
…To be honest, I also found it hard to just let her go. She was clearly involved in this situation.
If I took her with
to et the magicians and had her et Airen, we might be able to uncover the connection between her body and the magic stones. That would be perfect.
I impulsively said to Leshan, “Co with .”
Leshan’s eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting my offer.
I calmly explained my reasoning.
“This is an opportunity to learn about the connection between you and the magic stones. You deserve to know the secrets, as you’re directly involved. And if you return now, you’ll just end up locked up again.”
Even if she stayed here, she would eventually despair, realizing that her efforts were futile and couldn’t change Marquis Ephekl’s mind.
I wanted to spare her from wasting more ti.
“…How could I possibly go with you?”
“Leshan, you’re the one who found that note.”
I reminded her of what she had accomplished.
“Don’t you want to know what your grandfather is hiding from you?”
“….”
“Co with .”
I extended my hand to her.
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