“What?”
“He didn’t propose to you out of love.”
How foolish does Terio Alte think I am? Goyo sighed, feeling frustrated.
“Right. It’s truly shocking to hear that Annecy didn’t fall head over heels for me like a fairy-tale prince. How incredible. Now that I’m sufficiently amazed, could you leave?”
“It’s not some simple political marriage! He— the Marquis—”
He’s going to destroy Rubiette.
Terio slammed his hand on the table in a burst of emotion, but the words never fully escaped his mouth. He hesitated, worried about the expression Goyo would make if she heard them.
When he last saw them at the ball, Goyo and Annecy Bethelgius had seemed to be getting along quite well.
Rumors had spread, questioning whether their marriage was really just a political one, so it seemed likely that they had a harmonious relationship even in private.
If he told her that Annecy had approached her with the intent to annihilate her family, it would only hurt her. Troubled by this, Terio stopped speaking mid-sentence like a fool.
Goyo, waiting to hear the rest of his words to see if he knew about the plan to destroy Rubiette, watched in silence. However, the man, stuck in his own hesitation, said nothing further.
I was foolish to even hope for a moment. As the weight of her increasingly cold gaze bore down on him, Terio finally opened his mouth again, twisting his words.
“…He’s going to make you miserable.”
“You already said that. Do I seem so forgetful?”
“It’s not just a guess. I’m certain of it.”
“Sorry, but I don’t trust you enough to follow your certainty.”
Goyo stood up from the sofa. His dazed eyes followed her as she rose.
“Don’t barge in like this again… no, I misspoke. Just don’t come at all. I believe I’ve mentioned it before, but outside of formal occasions, I have no desire to see your face.”
“I understand if you resent me. But this is a separate issue.”
Understand? Goyo looked down at him, turning his words over in her mind, almost unable to believe Terio Alte had said such a thing.
“It was wrong of me to betray you and harbor feelings for Melissy.”
“So you knew it was betrayal all along. You’ve always acted like you didn’t.”
“I’m serious. I regret it.”
“Terio Alte, do you remember that your wedding is soon? Not something a groom-to-be should be saying.”
Goyo turned her back on him, and Terio’s heart pounded in panic. If he let her go now, the next time he saw her might be as a corpse. His chest tightened with fear.
Terio jumped to his feet, trying to grab Goyo’s wrist. But before his fingers could fully grasp her, she harshly slapped his hand away.
Turning back toward him, Goyo glared at him as though he were an enemy.
“I never said you could touch me.”
‘I… I came here for you.’
Anxiousness, fear, and even awe had clouded his vision, but now, resentment began to creep in.
He felt wronged and sorrowful. He had braved all these harsh words, fearing she might die at the hands of Annecy Bethelgius, yet Goyo’s expressions and words remained ice cold.
Where had that gentle smile and kind voice, which had always been directed at him, gone? Even on the day before she had taken her own life, she had smiled softly at him. Why now…?
Terio’s face twisted in frustration.
‘This is all Annecy Bethelgius’s fault.’
Terio Alte quickly came to a conclusion. There could only be one reason for Goyo’s change. She must have been swayed by the nonsense Annecy had whispered to her, slowly corrupted by his influence.
Having reached a conclusion, Terio’s resolve not to let Goyo go strengthened even further.
If he let her go now, poor Goyo Rubiette would unknowingly be tainted by the Marquis, only to meet a tragic end.
Anxiety and fear surged within him, and he desperately wanted to grab hold of her somehow. But after being so harshly pushed away, he couldn’t muster the courage to reach out again.
Meanwhile, Goyo sighed and turned away. The sound of her footsteps heading toward the door made Terio’s panic swell.
I can’t let her go like this. Should I just tell her? Even if it hurts her now, I have to say it before it’s too late, before things reach a point of no return. Before she ends up like Melissy—discovered as a corpse.
As he hesitated, Goyo’s hand reached for the doorknob.
Only what’s necessary, just enough. Gritting his teeth, Terio shouted.
“Annecy Bethelgius is the illegitimate son of the late emperor!”
The doorknob stopped turning.
Goyo looked back at him, and Terio reassured himself that what he was doing was right.
Before she turned away again and left the parlor, he had to finish what he started. Desperately, he continued.
“No commoner, no matter how much merit he has, could suddenly be granted a marquisate. It’s the Emperor who’s backing him. Yet Annecy pretends to be of common birth while embedding himself in the heart of the noble faction. He hasn’t even fallen out with the Emperor!
Do you really think he proposed to Rubiette just to secure a foothold in the noble faction? He’s using Rubiette for something. Something that will bolster the conservative forces and weaken the nobles.”
“And where did you hear this from?”
The source of his information? It was the memories that had suddenly surfaced in his mind. But he couldn’t say that, so Terio quickly concealed his unease and fabricated a lie.
“You may have forgotten, but I’m an Alte, Goyo. The heir to the Emperor’s closest confidant.”
“That’s contradictory. If you’re working for the Emperor, why would you bring up such sensitive information here, where anyone could overhear?”
“I’m using an artifact with a silence spell on it. No one can hear anything but you. And I know you wouldn’t spread this kind of story carelessly.”
Despite his display of trust, Goyo only furrowed her brows in silence. However, the fact that she wasn’t opening the door meant she was at least listening to what he had to say.
Gaining a bit of confidence, Terio’s face brightened.
“I know it’s hard to believe what I’m saying. Of course, it is. The only proof I have is that Annecy’s eye color matches the late emperor’s, but that alone isn’t enough, I know.
But, Goyo… Have you really never thought it was strange? If all he wanted was a political connection to Rubiette, a simple marriage alliance would have been enough. But doesn’t it seem odd that he treats you so well?”
“Just get to the point.”
“He wants to make it look like he’s on good terms with you. So no one will suspect anything when it seems like Rubiette is loyal to him.”
“So what is Annecy trying to do, exactly?”
The destruction of Rubiette. And seizing the vacant ducal seat to become a grand duke.
Both Goyo and Terio thought of the same thing. But neither of them spoke those words aloud.
Faced with an unspeakable truth, Terio found himself once again unable to continue. He felt a growing sense of panic, fearing Goyo would leave at any moment, but he still couldn’t bring himself to say it.
What kind of expression would Goyo make if she heard the truth? Her face would twist with pain, as though she were about to cry.
No, I can’t. Terio didn’t want to see her look like that.
But aside from the truth, he had nothing to offer as an answer to Goyo’s question. Terio wasn’t someone skilled at hiding his words; if he couldn’t say the truth, he would rather remain silent. He tried to come up with a suitable lie, but his mind went blank.
As the silence dragged on, Goyo’s expression grew increasingly colder. Crushed by the mounting tension, Terio once again began to feel resentful toward her.
He knew it was hard to believe, but still—after knowing each other for so many years, couldn’t she trust him just a little?
Even if Annecy had manipulated her, they had shared years of history. Surely, if any of that trust remained, she could believe him, just this once.
Could it be that a few whispered lies from Annecy Bethelgius had erased all that time they spent together? What could Annecy possibly have said to her?
As Terio silently cried out inside, a chilling thought suddenly crossed his mind. His mouth fell open in shock.
“You don’t think… Goyo, you don’t actually believe that man loves you, do you?”
“What?”
“No, worse—are you already in love with him? No, Goyo, you can’t.”
Shaking his head, Terio strode forward and grabbed Goyo by both shoulders.
Startled, Goyo tried to push his arms away, but Terio’s grip was firm, his desperation making him unyielding. Her protests of pain went unheard as he sank into a panic.
Fueled by jealousy or perhaps fear, Terio’s face twisted with a mix of emotions.
“Let go of me!”
“This isn’t an empty warning. You’ll really get hurt! The Marquis doesn’t love you. Don’t be fooled, Goyo, please! He’s only using you.”
“I said, let go!”
“There’s no way his feelings are pure. He can’t love you. If you give him your heart, you’ll end up—”
Struggling to free herself from his grip, Goyo mentally summoned Wartin.
Escaping Terio’s grasp by force would be difficult, but if she could startle him with her spirit magic, it might buy her enough time to call for help.
However, before she could summon the spirit, her shadow stretched out, and a metallic sound echoed through the room.
“Step away from the Madam.”
Four men drew their swords, aiming them at Terio’s neck.
Startled, Terio released his hold on Goyo’s shoulders and stepped back.
Rubbing her sore shoulders, Goyo exhaled in relief. She hadn’t expected guards to be stationed inside the estate, but she was thankful they were.
“Apologies for not intervening sooner, Madam. We didn’t anticipate something like this happening in the Bethelgius drawing room.”
“It’s alright. I’ve seen you before, haven’t I? Thank you for your help again.”
Having her guards present gave Goyo some peace of mind. She raised a hand to stop them from immediately escorting Terio out, focusing first on calming her ragged breath. Meanwhile, Terio, regaining his composure, placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
The tension in the room was palpable, as if a fight could break out at any moment. Although it was clear Terio had acted wrongly, it was hard to predict how others might view the situation.
Currently, Annecy was aligned with the noble faction, but one day, his place would be back with the conservative faction, standing just below the Emperor’s throne.
It would be unwise to create a rift with Alte, the Emperor’s sword, and the Emperor himself would surely frown upon it.
Though Goyo wasn’t fully aware of the exact nature of the relationship between Annecy and the Emperor, she assumed this much. Naturally, she felt the need to defuse the situation.
“Having this many guards posted in the estate shows just how much effort the Marquis is putting into you. Think about it, Goyo. Isn’t it strange to have four secret guards shadow you just to meet a guest?”
“They’re responding to an intruder. It’s not such a strange reaction.”
“An intruder?”
“You entered without permission, Terio. And you didn’t treat me, the lady of the house, with respect. So, if you’re asking whether the Marquis’s response was excessive or reasonable, I don’t have much to say.”
“Goyo!”
As Terio raised his voice, the guards tightened their grip on their swords. Goyo, watching Terio’s hand as he moved to draw his own sword, spoke clearly.
“You’re not acting this way out of love.”
“Then…!”
“I know.”
What? Terio’s eyes widened in disbelief as Goyo spoke calmly.
“I knew when I married him, Terio.”
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