Chapter Twenty-Four: An Unexpected Visit

“You seem to be doing well, Liliana.”

Flaming red lips drew a subtle arc, and in response, I leaned against Lord Wiliam, who sat next to me.

A woman sat in the drawing room of the marquis, donning black and green dress. While showing an alluring smile, Lady Sandra tilted her head, and her loosely tied walnut hair cascaded on her porcelain skin.

After breakfast, when I was helping Lord William get dressed, Lady Sandra suddenly came to visit.

***

“Lord William, here’s your handkerchief.”

Lord William slid the light blue handkerchief I gave him into his pocket.

Today as well, he, who was clad in a black knightly attire, looked the part of a gallant knight. Furthermore, it seemed that there’d be a meeting at the royal castle today. For that occasion, I’d to help affix some medals to his chest.

Of the many medals Frederick presented him, he’d wear the ones of the highest rank today.

“This should be here, as for this, here… Then, above…”

I attached the medals to his uniform as instructed. There were various types of medals—the sun-shaped ones, or the star-shaped ones—there were even those that had long ribbons attached.

“In case of a ceremony, I’d have to wear a lot more. Next time, I’ll tell you and Cedric the meaning behind these medals.”

“He admires you a lot, so I’m sure he’ll be ecstatic.”

I could easily imagine him beaming at the medals. Perhaps, Lord William also pictured the same, as he couldn’t help but smile. Cedric loved Lord William dearly.

Two weeks had passed since the day I helped the duke, and Lord William’s work had begun to settle down to the point where he could come home once every three days. However, it seemed that the case hadn’t been resolved, as human trafficking cases involving diplomats made headlines every morning.

“…Forgive me, Liliana. Even though I invited you to the theater, I couldn’t find the time and had to cancel it.”

Lord William’s shoulders sunk dejectedly.

The play performed at the theater in the royal capital would change every three months. However, since it consisted of a two-month performance period, a month hiatus, and a preparation period for the next performance, it was currently on a break.

“Please don’t worry about it. Lord William is a dependable knight. Besides, Elsa and the others told me that the summer program was a flop.”

“Is that so?”

Lord William asked, and Frederick nodded.

“I went with Elsa went it first started, and it wasn’t all that entertaining. The actors and music did a great job, but the script itself was terrible. Even though it was a romance, it was neither a happy nor a tragic one, and the couple were simply confused. Halfway through, Elsa fell asleep. As for me, well, I was too preoccupied with watching her.”

A gentle smile crept on Frederick’s composed face. If Elsa was there, she might’ve hit Frederick out of embarrassment. Elsa was usually calm, but in front of Frederick, she was bashful and cute. On the other hand, Frederick wouldn’t shy away from fawning over her in front of others.

Smiling wryly, Lord William said, “I’m glad you’re on good terms.” And I agreed.

At that moment—

“—ter, Older Sister!”

The door flew open with a bang, and Cedric stormed inside.

“Cedric, why didn’t you knock… Cedric?”

“Older Sister! Over here, quickly!”

When I was about to scold Cedric for barging into the room, I noticed how pale he was. He took my hand, trying to lead me into Lord William’s dressing room. Both Lord William and Frederick were surprised at his sudden appearance.

“Ceddie, what’s wrong? Look, Liliana is troubled.”

Lord William stood in front of the dressing room, blocking Cedric’s path.

“I have to hide my sister! Brother-in-law’s room is off limits, so…”

As he tugged at my hand, Cedric began to tear up.

“Hide Liliana? Why?”

“L-Lord Cedric, please wait…”

Ariana emerged at the door, panting. “What’s wrong?” Frederick didn’t waste a second to ask her.

As Lord William was distracted, Cedric still tried to hide me in the dressing room.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

After seeing off Lord William, Cedric planned to resume his horseback riding training outside today. Cedric, who considered it as his hobby, wanted to see Lord William’s horse, so he went down first with Elsa and Ariana.

“L-Lord Cedric’s mother is down below… S-she came… Lord Cedric, you’re so fast…”

Ariana’s breathless words took my breath away. Lord William’s expression became fierce, as Cedric pushed me into the dressing room.

“That woman? What about Arthur?”

“He’s dealing with her. She said that she came here to pick up Cedric…”

Ariana glanced at our complexions. When the meaning of her words fully dawned on me, I screamed.

“I won’t hand him to her!”

Almost reflexively, I pulled Cedric’s arm and hugged him. As he clung to me, Cedric wrapped his arms around my back. His little body was trembling.

As if to reassure us, Lord William patted Cedric and I on the head.

“It’s alright, I won’t hand over Cedric to that woman.”

“—It’s different!”

“Ceddie?”

Ceddie sobbed in my arms.

“I knew it from the moment I saw mother’s face. She wasn’t here for me. She always showed that face whenever she went to my sister’s room!”

Cedric seemed about to burst into tears at any moment, and he tightened his arms around me. As I enveloped him in a hug, I muttered, “Why?”

…Whenever my stepmother came to my room, it was only to vent her frustration by whipping me.

“Liliana, I’ll deal with her. Stay here with Cedric.”

“N-no, I’ll go with you…”

I hugged Cedric tightly for one last time before looking up at Lord William.

His blue eyes peered into mine, full of concern, as his large palm cupped my cheek.

“Liliana, don’t overdo it. She’s more formidable than Count Eighton.”

“While that may be true, but… She’s no longer my stepmother. I also have Lord William with me. She can’t whip me anymore. Moreover, I want to know why that woman, who never spared a thought for Cedric, suddenly have a change of heart.”

Lord William’s blue eyes didn’t leave me. Cedric whispered, “…Older Sister.”

As I unrelentingly stared back, Lord William narrowed his eyes.

“…I understand. Certainly, if I’m here, she won’t be able to lay a finger on you.”

“Thank you, Lord William.”

“It’s not a big deal.” Lord William laughed, before turning to Cedric and kneeling. He cupped his cheeks and stared straight into his eyes.

“Ceddie, just in case, let me ask you… Do you want to go back to your mother?”

“I don’t want to. I want to stay with my older sister and brother-in-law!”

Cedric shook his head, his pale golden hair fluttering.

Upon hearing that, Lord William smiled.

“Ceddie, I’ll protect your dear sister, and of course, you too. Unless she submitted a guardianship change notice to the House of Lords, she won’t be able to adopt you. That’s not all, the notice will have to be reviewed before being given approval, which would require my signature. I won’t sign it, and it’s unlikely that you’ll find a better guardian than me among your branch family. After all, I’m the hero of this country, and the Marquis of Springfield, who’s affiliated with the crown prince.”

When Lord William said boastingly, Cedric finally lifted his head. His round, purple eyes were faltering. Lord William kissed his forehead and hugged his petite body.

“It’s okay, just wait here with Ariana and Frederick. Freddie has been with me for a long time, so he’s very strong.”

Cedric wrapped his thin arms around my husband’s neck and hugged him as hard as he could. Afterwards, he left, but not before being kissed by Lord William on the forehead once again.

“Frederick, Ariana, I leave him to you.”

“Understood.”

The two of them firmly nodded, with determined expressions. I also pulled Cedric into a hug and kissed him on the cheek. Then, Lord William extended his arm to me, and I rested my hand upon it.

Before I knew it, Arthur was waiting in the corridor.

“Lady Sandra is waiting for you in the parlor of the first floor.”

Briefly, Arthur’s gaze landed on me, and his navy-blue eyes—which Elsa inherited—swayed, but his expression remained unchanged. He said something to Lord William, and the latter nodded before starting to walk.

“Liliana, I’ll protect you, so keep your head up. You’re the wife of William Rutherford, and the Marquess of Springfield.”

Smiling, Lord William took my hand and landed a kiss upon my fingertips, chanting that spell once again. With just that, my fear subsided, as expected of Lord William…

“All right.” I nodded, and went to the drawing room with Lord William.

***

“Your Excellency the Marquis, thank you very much for the warm welcome despite the suddenness of my visit.”

“If possible, I’d appreciate it if you could contact me in advance. For security reasons, guests are prohibited from entering when I’m not there.”

Lord William said with a superficial smile glued on his face.

“Of course.” Lady Sandra nodded and took the cup of tea served by Elsa.

“What a fragrant black tea. How flavorful.”

“Mrs. Sandra, I don’t have much time, so if you don’t mind, could you tell me why you visit us so early in the morning?”

“Right, the marquis is a busy person, isn’t he? …By the way—”

—As she put her cup down, her hazel eyes slowly turned to me.

 “You seem to be doing well, Liliana.”

I grew terrified of her crescent-shaped hazel eyes, and despite deciding not to falter, I couldn’t help but lower my gaze. My hands, which were clasped on my lap, were trembling.

I was afraid of my father, who was apparently an imposter, and my sister, who wouldn’t even conceal her malice towards me. But my fear towards this woman far outweighed those two.

The smile never left her face. Even when she ridiculed, cursed, kicked, or whipped me. She never seemed to be angry.

“What a huge sapphire! Did you ask the marquis to buy it for you? It’s been a year, and you still haven’t given him a child. I know how difficult it is, especially with a body like yours. But you’re still his wife, so learn a bit of self-restraint.”

She was blunt.

Lord William was seething as he sat next to me. However, it paled in comparison to the indescribable hostility that was emitted from behind me. Perhaps, ‘murderous intent’ would be more precise. If my guess was correct, the one who stood behind me should be a certain competent maid who was also a bit short-tempered, Elsa.

“My Lord, I’d like to ask your permission to speak, is that all right?”

“…Of course.”

Lord William, you shouldn’t have let her. I truly thought that he shouldn’t. When I glanced up, Lord William’s mouth was twitching slightly.

“Lady Sandra.”

Elsa’s chilling voice fell in the drawing room. For some reason, even though I couldn’t see her, I was sure that Elsa was smiling.

“You seem to misunderstand, but the lady and you are complete strangers now.”

Lady Sandra skeptically stared at Elsa.

“—And now that you’ve divorced Count Eighton, you’re just a member of a baron family. To speak to the Marquess of Springfield in such a manner, it’s nothing but controversial. If anything, you’re just showing how ignorant and uneducated you are.”

“Elsa, it’s rude to Lady Sandra.”

As Lady Sandra’s gaze grew sharper, a sour voice intervened. It was Arthur, Elsa’s father. Perhaps, he’d succeed where Lord William couldn’t—and that was to stop Elsa.

I was relieved, but it was short-lived.

“Lady Sandra is someone who doesn’t put much thought into her action, as evidenced by the fact that she came here so early in the morning. However, not because she’s ignorant or uneducated, but simply because that’s her inherent nature. You can’t fix that kind of thing overnight. Keep your mouth shut, Elsa.”

Mr. Arthur! Why are you adding fuel to the fire!

I screamed inwardly.

At a glance, I could see that Lady Sandra was about to snap her delicate black fan. Yet, her smile was still directed at me.

“That’s right. You’re no longer my stepchild, so it’s only natural for me to treat you as the marquess, Lady Liliana.”

As she spoke with bone-chilling malice, her hazel eyes captured me.

I went rigid, and even though the scars from the whipping had healed, I could feel them throb. Nevertheless, Lord William hugged my waist and placed his hand on top of mine.

That alone broke me free, and my blood started flowing once again.

“It’s all right, everyone makes mistake.”

“Thank you for your generosity, Lady Liliana.”

As she spoke with a smile, a dim flame of hatred flickered in her eyes.

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