The Reason Why the Forsaken Fake Returned Chapter 102

His eyes, narrow and slithering like a snake, swept up and down Shailoh. She swallowed hard, feeling as if a disgusting insect was crawling up her skin.

 

Albert, who had been staring at her intently, stood up from his seat. He picked up a bottle of whiskey from the next table and poured it into an empty glass. “What brings you here?”

 

“Let’s just say it’s the desperate act of a discarded woman.”

 

“A discarded woman, huh.” Repeating her words, Albert handed Shailoh the glass filled to the brim.

 

Suddenly reminded of what had happened at the library the other day, Shailoh straightened her back stiffly. Before Albert could notice her reaction, she forced a smile to hide her tension. “Thank you.” As she accepted the glass, her heart pounded so loudly it seemed to echo in her ears.

 

A bear doesn’t eat a human who enters its den. Recalling the proverb she had once heard, Shailoh took a sip of the alcohol. It was strong liquor. Almost the instant it slid down her throat, the sharp scent of alcohol bloomed upward, leaving a hot dizziness behind.

 

Albert, who had been watching her with a sharp gaze, let out a low chuckle. “How unexpected. It seems you can’t actually hold your liquor very well.”

 

“That’s true. And since I came on an empty stomach, it’s hitting me harder.”

 

“Oh my, to come here without even eating first.”

 

“It took a great deal of courage just to come here.”

 

A lie mixed with just enough truth was always more convincing than a perfect fabrication. Rather than pretending to be completely calm, it was better to show a little of her real anxiety, fear, and unease.

 

“First, sit down here. We can eat later.”

 

After sending his servant outside, Albert guided her to the couch. The moment Shailoh sat down, she heard the door behind her close. At the same time, Albert’s expression changed completely. He clapped once.

 

“That was a good performance.”

 

“A performance?” Shailoh looked at Albert in confusion.

 

Dropping all pretense of formality, Albert gave a sly smile, crossed his legs, and sprawled out on the couch. “Let’s be honest. What are you scheming?”

 

“Scheming?” Shailoh replied without so much as a twitch of her eyebrow. “I don’t know what you me—”

 

“You’re working together with my brother and staging this little act, aren’t you!” Cutting her off, Albert suddenly shifted his posture and slammed his fist down on the coffee table.

 

Startled by the threatening gesture, Shailoh instinctively leaned back. But all she felt was the soft couch. There was nowhere to retreat.

 

“Listen up, you whore.” Albert stood, reached out, and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “No matter how foolish I may seem, I’m not an idiot who’ll sit there and get played.”

 

Hidden beneath the folds of her dress, Shailoh unconsciously clenched and unclenched her fists. Her palms were damp with sweat.

 

Bringing his face close, Albert demanded harshly. “Caleb treasured you sincerely. And yet, he suddenly discarded you? Doesn’t that seem suspicious to anyone looking at it?” His gleaming eyes looked ready to strangle her the instant they found the slightest opening.

 

Fighting desperately to stay calm, Shailoh answered steadily. “It is a suspicious situation. But before sending me an invitation, Your Highness must have thoroughly investigated and watched me already.”

 

“…”

 

“And you found nothing suspicious, didn’t you? Because Prince Caleb and I truly had no contact whatsoever.”

 

As though testing whether she spoke the truth, the grip on her chin loosened slightly. Shailoh sized the opportunity immediately.

 

“Strictly speaking, Prince Caleb didn’t abandon me. I left him. But in the end, it’s as good as being discarded.”

 

“As good as being discarded?”

 

“Prince Caleb wanted to keep me locked away like a bird in a cage. Like a pet he could dote on whenever he happened to remember it.”

 

There was not a shred of falsehood in her words. The next ones would be just as true.

 

“Actually, calling me a hunting dog would be more fitting. He used me to go after Duke Diponz, and once I served my purpose, I was discarded.” Her voice trembled, not from fear or nerves, but from sheer anger. Anger at Caleb, and at her past self for being blind with love.

 

“It’s true that the second prince cherished me. Since I was a hunting dog that had already outlived its usefulness, perhaps leaving me alive by his side meant he felt some degree of affection. But honestly, that’s even crueler than killing me.”

 

Every word sounded painfully sincere, as though carved into bone itself. Albert silently watched the trembling around her eyes before sitting back down.

 

“Not long ago, Prince Caleb told me this. That the position of his wife would go to a lady of a powerful family who could aid him politically. And that I should be satisfied with my place.”

 

It was something Caleb had whispered to her even while their bodies intertwined, as though engraving it directly into her mind.

 

Grinding her teeth, Shailoh forced her words out. “So tell me, how is that any different from slowly starving someone to death? I said I hated it, and he became furious, saying I didn’t know my place. After that, he never sought me out again.”

 

A heavy silence enveloped the room. After a long pause, Albert spoke slowly. “So that’s what happened.”

 

Though he hadn’t spent much time with Caleb, they were still half-brothers connected by blood. Because of that, Albert could vaguely grasp Caleb’s true intentions. Knowing Caleb’s personality, he would sooner kill Shailoh than willingly let her go. Most likely, he had intended to temporarily abandon her to tame her while creating scandals with other women in the meantime. Yet this woman had boldly come to Albert instead. A smile tugged at his lips, and he burst into laughter.

 

“Hahaha!”

 

Startled by his sudden laughter, Shailoh’s eyes widened.

 

“So that’s what happened.”

 

Honestly, this worked out perfectly. Not only would it let him witness Caleb’s distorted expression, but more importantly, the woman before him had stayed by Caleb’s side for a long time. She would surely know all sorts of useful information. Well, she was probably still nothing more than a toy in the end, so Albert didn’t expect too much.

 

“Very well. Stay by my side, Miss Griche.” Having finished his calculations, Albert rose with a broad smile and approached her from behind. Placing both hands on her tense shoulders, he gently pressed them down. “But you came prepared for what that means, didn’t you? Becoming my woman comes with certain expectations.”

 

His gaze lingered on the nape of her neck, barely visible above her collar, causing his chest to tighten with desire. “Since you managed to captivate my brother and win his heart, I bet you move your hips quite well in bed too.” Like a beast savoring freshly caught prey, Albert leaned in close, inhaling the floral scent mingling with Shailoh’s natural fragrance. His fingers touched the button of her collar. “My apologies that your first time here won’t be in a bed. But doing it on a couch has its own charm. I think you’ll enjoy it.” Albert pressed a kiss to the edge of her ear and began undoing her buttons one by one.

 

“Octavia disappeared, didn’t she?”

 

His hands froze at her sudden words. It was information known only to his closest aides. Shailoh removed Albert’s stiffened hand from her collar and slowly rose to face him. Even the lust had vanished from his face now. He stared at her coldly.

 

“How do you know that?”

 

One wrong word and she would plunge straight into disaster. Meeting his shrewd, serpent-like gaze, Shailoh smiled calmly. “As you know, I was the person closest to the second prince.”

 

“So my brother knew even that much. Impressive.” Feigning composure, Albert rubbed his face with one hand and reached for a cigar from his pocket. “Then you know where that woman is too, don’t you?”

 

“Not exactly. But I can make a guess.”

 

“Tell me.”

 

“I have a condition.”

 

“A condition?”

 

“Don’t touch my body.”

 

“What?” Albert raised an eyebrow at her unexpected demand.

 

“I completely severed ties with Prince Caleb and came here because I want revenge against him. But that doesn’t mean I want to become Your Highness’s mistress.”

 

Caleb’s instructions to seduce Albert with her body were wrong. If she approached him that way, she would never reach the deeper secrets Albert hid. To win his trust, she needed to maintain the right amount of distance.

 

“So what? You want to be treated as an equal? You’re nothing more than a singer.” Albert let out a disbelieving laugh and looked at her as if telling her to continue.

 

Shailoh walked around the couch toward him and reached out her hand. “It’s not that I dislike Your Highness.” With careful touch, she straightened Albert’s loosened tie before tugging it gently, forcing him to bend toward her. “If you can make me want it, then I’ll gladly give myself to you. I heard you enjoy wagers.” Her soft whisper sounded seductive, like that of a temptress.

 

Albert licked his lips and nodded. “Alright.”