It Turned Out to be a Useful Fraudulent Marriage Chapter 16 - 3. In Bluebeard's Dark Basement

There was always something in his gaze that made me feel ashamed and irritated. The kind of look that made me feel like if I shared the deepest stories of my heart, he would surely help, which made me want to open up to him. It was the gaze of someone who had been kind from birth, and whose kindness was accepted unconditionally, something only people like him could possess.

 

I avoided his gaze.

 

“Why do you even care? You hate being involved with my family, don’t you? So let’s just keep things simple and remain strangers. If you want, I can take a few photos kissing some random guy and send them to you.”

 

Eric, now looking shocked, quickly made the sign of the cross. Only after reciting a brief prayer did he regain his composure and speak again.

 

“Why are you trying to ruin your mother’s marriage? Why now?”

 

“That’s because–”

 

I bit my lip.

 

Even though several days had passed, I could still clearly picture it in my mind.

 

My mother and Philip’s corpses. The only people in my life who loved me and whom I loved. People who had accepted me unconditionally in this wretched world.

 

‘Do you want to be my daughter?’

 

I could still hear my mother’s voice in my ears.

 

‘Ugh, you idiot. What are you doing? If you think someone’s going to hit you, throw the first punch. Like this!’

 

I could also hear Philip’s voice.

 

Even if all of this plan fails, I will never run away alone again.

 

‘Family sticks together, no matter what. Live or die.’

 

That’s what I thought as I looked at Eric. Would Eric think the same way? That family is family, no matter what. Even if his father is a psycho? Even if that psycho killed my mother?

 

However my mother always said that family isn’t something you’re born into, it’s something you make, something you build and protect. 

 

And if I were in Eric’s shoes, I would never choose a psycho father like that.

 

“Because your father is a psycho.”

 

At my words, Eric’s expression deflated, like the air had just gone out of him. 

 

I looked at him firmly, but Eric shook his head as if he was feeling discouraged.

 

“Emeline Wedgwood, you seem to be mistaken. Even if my father sided with Prince Robert, that’s no reason to doubt his character.”

 

“Wouldn’t the items purchased for 20 million gold be enough to make people think he’s preparing for rebellion?”

 

I pointed to the purchase costs for the weapons listed in the documents. But Eric easily brushed off my words.

 

“Whether it’s preparation for rebellion or not is something for the royal family to investigate. A quantity like this wouldn’t be unusual for troops stationed in duchies across the continent.”

 

Eric’s argument was truly standard. To talk about such logic in the face of these suspicious accounting ledgers written in secret ink… should I call him naive? Or just plain dumb?

 

What could I say to make this clueless young master who doesn’t know anything about this world understand?

 

I picked up the documents and spoke.

 

“What if these documents aren’t the whole story? What if there’s more, and the additional pages prove that Duke Orleans is a psycho? If those get into the hands of the princess or the royal family, the duke’s household will be completely destroyed….”

 

“There were no other documents in the study.”

 

“Then why is there a half-seal at the end of this document, clearly indicating there are more pages?”

 

I pointed to the back of the document.

 

On the back of the document, where it had been folded in half, there was a half-seal, stamped with translucent ink, which had become visible after I brought a flame close to it yesterday.

 

Eric clenched his fists. He must have already realized that this document wasn’t the end. He just wanted to deny it.

 

The shackles clinked as if they were about to burst. They were supposed to be too strong for a person to break free from.

 

I quickly stood up.

 

“I can’t give you much time. You have one day. If you don’t break off my mother’s marriage by tomorrow, this document will go to the princess, and–”

 

I took the film out of the safe.

 

“This film will go to the newspaper. Then Duke Orleans will be forced to break off the engagement in disgrace. If you’re smart, you’ll let me take the blame while you can. This film goes to the newspaper. It would be better if you put the dishonor on me while you can.”

 

Eric frowned as he looked at me sitting on the window sill.

 

“Where do you think you’re going? The door is over there, Emeline Wedgwood! And this isn’t even the second floor, it’s the fifth!”

 

I scoffed. Was he worried about me right now?

 

“So what?”

 

Crack!

 

The moment I gathered the documents and film and threw myself out the window, Eric’s shackles snapped.

 

Snap.

 

‘…Those were expensive!’

 

I hurled myself onto the metal stairs attached to the hotel’s outer wall. As I barely regained my balance on the shaky stairs, Eric had already leaned out the window.

 

Eric made eye contact with me and breathed a sigh of relief.

 

The aristocrats comfortably residing in hotels might not know this, but tall buildings like these require regular painting and cleaning. Without stairs like this, would the cleaners and painters fly up there?

 

But was he really an aura swordsman? What if he catches me?

 

I gritted my teeth as I glanced at the broken shackles dangling from Eric’s wrist.

 

Were those shackles useless from the beginning? Maybe he could have broken them easily.

 

I shook my head, dismissing my suspicions. No, that couldn’t be.

 

With those thoughts, I grabbed the hem of my dress tightly and prepared to descend. I was afraid Eric would jump after me at any moment to catch me.

 

At that time, Eric spoke quietly. “Don’t jump. I won’t follow.”

 

As I looked down to find a spot to land, I glanced back up at him. Did he just tell me not to jump?

 

I glared at him in disbelief. “Why?”

 

“Because it’s dangerous.”

 

Eric’s red eyes looked at me calmly.

 

At that moment, I tightened my grip on the metal railing. Was it because the sun had heated the metal? Or was it because of those damned kind eyes of his?

 

My body started to heat up. Embarrassment, or maybe… something else.

 

Something else?

 

As I endured the rising heat in my body, I spoke. “Here’s some advice: Don’t try to know too much.”

 

For example, the rest of that document.

 

I saw the complete document in my dream. The back of it not only revealed the secret of the coastal land but also the reason why Duchess Orleans had died.

 

“Why?”

 

Eric looked puzzled as I smiled mischievously at him.

 

“Because if all good people turn bad, who will protect love and justice?”

 

After finishing speaking, I followed Eric’s advice and descended the stairs safely. The metal stairs creaked and groaned as if they were going to collapse at any moment.

 

It was only after I reached the bottom that I realized I had left my glass slipper by the window.

 

✵ ✵ ✵

 

In the now-empty hotel room, Eric stood by the window, staring outside. A shadow approached him from behind.

 

Eric turned around.

 

“Young Master.”

 

It was Lily.

 

“You heard everything, didn’t you?”

 

Lily nodded.

 

Eric had already regained his senses since the early dawn. While Emeline had briefly gone out to buy something, he had made contact with Lily, and she had hidden in the next room, awaiting his instructions.

 

The reason why Eric pre​​tended to be obediently tied up was simple. He wanted to find out what else Emeline knew. There was a high chance that Emeline, who knew the secret of the invisible ink, had more knowledge than Eric, Lily, or Ella.

 

And Eric’s plan had been a success. 

 

He recalled the words written on the paper Emeline had taken.

 

Robert von Dennick. 20 million gold.

 

That was undoubtedly Prince Robert’s signature.

 

Eric looked at Lily with a calm expression and asked, “Have you reported to the princess yet?”

 

“I haven’t, my lord. I stayed by your side all night in case anything happened.”

 

As evidence, Lily’s eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep.

 

Eric asked. “Will you report now?”

 

Lily flinched at Eric’s question.

 

The things Lily had heard today included secrets that could threaten Duke Orleans. For example—

 

‘A purchase of 20 million gold worth of weapons. That’s enough to suggest preparations for rebellion.’

 

The words ‘treason.’

 

Eric could see the hesitation in Lily’s expression.

 

Eric read hesitation in Lily’s expression. “You should have said you would report right away.”

 

“But–”

 

“My family’s safety is my responsibility. Your loyalty is to the princess, not me.”

 

It was just like Eric to say that. But that was precisely why Lily felt frustrated.

 

If Eric were labeled the son of a traitor, his social standing wouldn’t just fall—it would be completely ruined.

 

Princess Ella valued loyalty, but she wasn’t someone who easily trusted those around her. That’s why she had ordered Lily to monitor even a loyalist like Eric.

 

But if a rebellion were growing in Eric’s family, would Ella trust him? Even if she did, would she protect him?

 

No matter how much she valued loyalty, Princess Ella was the heir to the throne, ready to sacrifice anything for the crown.

 

Even Eric.