As words only someone who had been intimate would know came out, Fabian began to fully trust Ariella’s words.
“How could that be…!”
At the same time, he was seized by a strong sense of victimhood. He was merely deceived and trapped by that witch-like woman.
Deciding to meet the Countess had been entirely his choice. Ariella chuckled.
“As a noble of Bingham, I cannot overlook your betrayal of His Majesty. However, I also think it is wrong for a victim like you to bear all the punishment while leaving the guilty Countess unpunished. You were dragged along by her against your will, after all.”
“Lady Arrie…! That’s right, it wasn’t something I wanted to do. How could I dare refuse the Countess? If I did, I might be dismissed from my position as a servant!”
“Indeed, I see. Then, considering your circumstances, I will give you a special choice. Will you reveal that you are the Countess’s lover and bear all the blame alone? Or…”
As Ariella paused, Fabian clasped his hands together and looked at her earnestly.
No matter what she said next, he would choose the latter. As long as the fact that he had been meeting the Countess could remain unknown to the world, he would risk anything.
“-Will you help me a little so that the guilty may receive their due punishment?”
Foolishly unaware that the guilty party was not only the Countess.
***
Yesterday and today had been very busy days.
Yesterday, he had been preoccupied with espionage activities at Hotel Mercedes with an awkward partner, and today, after an uncomfortable tea time with Lady Annabelle, he had been busy threatening her lover using the information he had obtained yesterday, rushing around the palace.
Having returned from such a hectic day, he hoped to finally rest, but unfortunately, it seemed that today’s schedule was not yet over. An unexpected figure had come to visit the Duke’s residence.
“Your Highness, what is the meaning of this visit without prior notice?”
“This is disappointing. We are not so close that we need to contact each other in advance, are we? We are about to become family. Isn’t that right, Duke Bedford?”
Suddenly arriving during dinner time with a nonchalant smile was none other than Aaron.
To disregard Lizzy so blatantly at the palace and then talk about family was an incredibly brazen attitude.
Having seen the letters filled with complaints, he had expected Aaron to come, but he hadn’t anticipated it would be so soon.
Ariella was impressed by how shallow Aaron’s patience was compared to what she had thought. No matter what, it seemed he had been quite worn down to come here so openly.
“I thought it had been a while since I had dinner with my wife, so I took the liberty of coming here. Can you spare a meal for your foolish son-in-law?”
“…Of course, Your Highness.”
Duke Bedford suppressed his displeasure and guided Aaron to a seat.
Despite his irritation, he was still the Crown Prince of Bingham and someone who would one day ascend to the throne.
Aaron stepped forward as if he had expected that response.
As he passed by Lizzy, whose face was flushed with anger, and brushed past Ariella, he subtly tilted his head.
“Hello, Arrie.”
His long eyes curved beautifully as a playful smile appeared on his lips. He greeted Ariella with a flirtatious remark in front of his fiancée and then continued on as if nothing had happened.
At that moment, the faces of the two Bedfordn princesses twisted in unison.
‘What a brazen jerk!’
Lizzy was furious at her fiancé’s rudeness, having suddenly barged in and smiled only at Ariella after so blatantly ignoring her letters.
‘What a filthy man.’
Ariella also gritted her teeth, considering the wink she received from him a nightmare.
Thus, the uncomfortable dinner began, with no one welcoming Aaron’s presence.
The main speaker was Aaron. He opened the conversation with the wine business and continued to exchange trivial words with the Duke.
It seemed he was hesitant to speak openly to Ariella, as he was concerned about the Duke’s gaze, and he felt guilty about being overly friendly with Lizzy.
Meanwhile, Ariella, sitting across from him, focused solely on her meal with a blank expression.
She kept chewing her food, but hardly anything went down her throat. Her stomach felt uneasy and uncomfortable.
For some reason, she felt hot and irritated all the way to her belly, as if her condition was not good.
‘It must be because of the tea I drank earlier.’
Although the poison was not very strong, it was still not something her body could handle without strain. Even after taking the medicine she had prepared as soon as she left Constance Palace, it seemed the poison had not been completely neutralized.
