CHAPTER 97

"By the way, Your Excellency. By any chance. . . . did you ever tell someone else that I and Lizzy would go out?"

"Who would I say that to?"

Well, it was hard to imagine the duke who, like a tiger, would hold people around him and talk about his daughters in law.

'Besides, it was Lizzy who took me directly to <Millane Bookstore>. . . . No, it's no. Two people could be accomplices.'

I carefully observed the duke until the end, then politely greeted him and went back. Then i went to visit Lizzy, but she was lying in the bed with a pale face than me.

"Oh. Edith!"

Lizzy eyes filled with tears greeted me with a guilty face. And Cliff was standing stood next Lizzy with slightly furrowed on his eyebrows.

"Are you okay, Lizzy?"

"Well, I'm fine. Because of me, Edith. . . (Crying). . . I'm sorry. I really didn't know that would happen."

"Who would have expected such an accident? Don't you think so? There's something odd about it."

I smiled while wiping Lizzy's forehead in a cold sweat with a handkerchief beside her. People who saw this would think it was Lizzy who almost died. It's not that I'm not, but Lizzy somehow looked very bad.

'Is it because she was shocked that I almost died? Well, I'll be surprised too, if the person I went out with almost died from a stalker.'

I decided to think that. It's was normal for ordinary people to get shocked. But still, the question remains.

"Lizzy, by the way, was the decision to go to Le Bel Marie Street with me something that Lizzy had planned in advance?"

"No! It's not. When the Duke asked me to go shopping with Edith, it was just an idea that came out on my mind that time because the only place I know is Le Bel Marie Street."

"Is that so?"

Cliff's gaze at me was getting colder. His mouth has been smiling smoothly since earlier, but his eyes seem to be thin ice.

"You mean you haven't told anyone you?"

"Of course."

"Alright. I wasn't hurt either, and the person who did this already committed suicide after causing a commotion. So Lizzy, just forget about it and get up quickly."

I lightly patted Lizzy's shoulder and got up from my seat. Lizzy raised up her body with a face that seemed to ask if this was the end.

"Edith. . . .are you really. . . . Alright, just leave it like that?"

"Umm. . . . The fear of dying doesn't go away easily, but i have Killian by my side.so, I'm trying to get over it.

(Lizzy Crying again). . . . "I'm sorry."

"Lizzy, don't cry. You don't have to feel guilty like that. You didn't do it on purpose. So, snap!"

I said it jokingly, but I thought that if Lizzy was the culprit, or if the original author who had created all of this situation was watching, she would notice the meaning in it.

'If you cry, it means you have your own reasons.'

We ended the conversation, and I got up to leave, but Cliff was glaring at me, his polite smile fading on his face.

"It sounds like you're accusing Lizzy of intentionally putting you in danger."

"When i did that?"

"Every word you said was like that. Is that all you can say, when you see Lizzy was trembling with guilt over that small matter, just because both of you going to the bookstore together and she leaving first because she couldn't find you?"

Cliff, like the male lead, becomes a knight who protects Lizzy until the end. So even in this situation where Lizzy is suspicious, he still stares at me like he wants to eat me there.

"Cliff! Don't do that! Please don't do that! Ugh. . . . ."

Lizzy grabbed Cliff and almost begged him to stop. It was a sight I didn't understand at all. Instead of Cliff defending Lizzy, it was Lizzy who overreacted to the matter. She seems to be trying her best to make it look like she's the victim. If not, she must be shaking with fear because she knows something. But first, I need to shoot Cliff back.

"Is that all you can say, my dear brother in law, Cliff? I'm the one who almost died here! Also, this is the first time I've seen you since then, and you haven't asked me if I'm all right?"

Cliff opened his eyes wide as if he was surprised and didn't expect that i would fight him back. Then he beat up my words again.

"Remember the incidents in which you've been accused of! Lizzy has never ever once blamed you!"

"I didn't blame Lizzy either. And that's something you can argue against Lizzy or me, but it's can be an excuse for Cliff's rude manner!"

It was only then that Cliff kept his mouth shut. Of course, as always, he didn't even apologize to me.

"I know you're still thinking of me as a rumored villain, but i really don't have any rude feelings against Cliff or Lizzy. I'm asking Lizzy doesn't mean i accuse Lizzy of being the culprit, but to find out how that crazy guy could appear there."

Even if I say like this, Cliff will remain suspicious and wary of me. Cliff has always been like that since the beginning. On the outside, he pretended to be soft and generous, but on the inside, he was wary of everyone who could harm Lizzy's safety. Because he is the male lead of this story. I gave up on Cliff's side and soothed Lizzy.

"Lizzy. I think you're more surprised that I almost died twice in such a short time, but don't worry too much. I think something like this wouldn't happen again."

Lizzy, whose cheeks were wet with tears, looked at me with a confused expression. Cliff was staring at me, wary of what else I'd say would hurt Lizzy. But I was just saying my expectations.

"It's just because it doesn't make sense something like this would happen so often."

I still wonder how much power the original author has to control this situation. No, rather, did she have any power left to control this situation.

"So don't worry too much and take care of yourself, Lizzy. Cliff is really worried."

"Yes. . . . thank you, Edith. Thank you."

Lizzy smiled brightly as she wiped her cheeks. Yes, you have a pretty smile. So just smile like an angel and stay calm. Please.

***

The incident where I almost got killed by Fred Sicily was quietly buried by Killian's efforts.

Before Fred Sicily's death, it seems that Fred has been causing trouble in prison. So the soldiers guarding the prison had to silence him. But unexpectedly, Viscount Sicily took fast action. It's not been a day or two that Fred has troubled his family because of Edith. So Viscount Sicily, who guessed that Fred had done something himself again, paid his soldiers to silence him.

'Well, it's not wrong, but.'

If the rumor spread, the Viscount Sicily family would have been more affected than the Duke Ludwig family, so Viscount Sicily had no time to regret his son's death. Maybe he thought it's a good thing if his son died.

'it's a little disappointing because we can't find out who he overheard the story is.'

The most suspicious thing was Lizzy, but if I think the fact that this is the original author's trick, there are countless suspects. Not only Count Sinclair or Count Riegelhoff were suspected. When I think of the ladies who glared at me at the founding festival, there are countless people who wanted me dead. Maybe the original author made it sound like a hallucination into Fred Sicily's ears. The things changed quickly, although speculation about who announced my condition remains a mystery.

Count Riegelhoff, who had supported Archduke Langston during the nobles, fought at the founder's festival, completely cut off his position as an ally of the Emperor and the Duke Ludwig's. Noe Count Riegelhoff is archduke Langston's most important right-hand man.And he began to raise small complaints against the Ludwig family, with whom he was closely involved in business.

'Are we finally headed for catastrophe.'

After passing the point of confrontation with Duke Ludwig, Count Riegelhoff crossed the river that can't be returned.

'It's a train to the underworld without brakes.'

It's all right if you guys burn a short life passionately or not, but I don't want to get on that train. However, this kind of willingness couldn't affect the flow of the story. That night, a letter arrived like a first-class ticket on the underworld Express.

"What, what, what's that!'

Zing. Zing. I was awakened from my light sleep by a strange noise that went into my room. I watched it in disbelief as the black shadow outside my window pushed something through the window frame of my room and disappeared.

'Was there an episode like this in the original?'

As I was thinking about the original, I found a point where I thought there must have been a similar episode.

'Maybe it's a Letter from Shane to Edith. . . . Then could be.'

It was a scene where i saw it on your dream. I still remember Sean's letter, who sent me a strange device to install on the back door of the mansion. A letter that didn't show any slightest concern for his sister's well-being. I took a deep breath and slowly walked over to the window and picked up the letter that had fallen to the floor. Then, without even using a letter knife, she ripped it to open the envelope and pulled out the letter inside, then read the letter.

- Sooner or later, you'll be abandoned by the Ludwig family. It's was your fault for not doing your part properly and betraying your family, but I'll give you one last chance because you're also Riegelhoff's bloodline. If you want to come back as Edith Riegelhoff, hang a yellow ribbon from the window. Death is the only thing for those who can't reflect. The letter was not written by the sender, but it was obvious who sent it.

'It must be Shane, who Count Riegelhoff ordered to sent me a letter.'

Each line of the letter is full of lies, false hope, and deception.