-I’m your father’s daughter.
-You’re a daughter who married and left the family. You even married the son of a knight who was born a slave.
-……!
Rachel’s shocked eyes widened. In the first place, marrying Paris had been her parents’ and the family’s decision.
And now.
The Marquess looked at her with contempt.
-This is your fault to begin with. If there was something wrong with your husband, shouldn’t you have noticed it sooner? You failed to do so, and that’s why you’re going through this.
Soon, the sound of his scolding struck her ears and passed by.
-……Even so, are you really going to abandon me like this? If I become useless, are you planning to abandon my younger sibling like this too?
As she blankly shed tears, the Marquess coldly delivered his verdict.
-That child is the Young Marquess. Illya would never find himself in a situation like this in the first place, and even now, he’s making the right decisions. Isn’t he a sensible child who didn’t even come here because he didn’t want to get involved with you?
-……!
-And don’t call him your younger sibling anymore. How dare you casually call the Young Marquess when you’ve become involved with the child of a knight born a slave?
-Exactly.
Her mother quietly agreed and approached.
Rachel hadn’t realized because her face had been hidden behind a fan.
But up close, her mother’s face was twisted more horribly than Rachel had ever seen before.
-You’re no longer my daughter.
-……!
-Stop disgracing our family and leave quietly. I suppose that is the last courtesy you can show us as someone who was once an Ingrave.
Tap, tap. The fan that had struck her head moved away. Her parents left the House of Valencia just like that. And Rachel, whose abandonment by the Marquess House of Ingrave had been made certain, was dragged away and locked up in what was essentially a prison.
A new room with a palm-sized window right beneath the ceiling.
It was where she would stay until those who had escaped were captured and her trial was over.
“Can’t you hear me, Rachel!”
The Marquess of Ingrave in the present shouted at Rachel. Awakening from her memories, Rachel barely managed to lower her eyes.
She couldn’t breathe. She reached out with trembling hands and picked up the teacup Becky had placed down at some point.
Warmth spread from her fingertips.
And with that, she felt as though she had regained some of her senses.
“I’m sorry. I was just going over something in my mind for a moment. What did you say?”
“Ahem!”
The Marquess cleared his throat disapprovingly before continuing.
“I asked whether you knew anything. I heard you were recently summoned by Duke Valencia. Besides, it also seemed like you hadn’t been properly preparing for the wedding lately.”
The Marquess’s eyes sharpened.
“You haven’t forgotten, have you? You’re the eldest daughter of Ingrave. You’re my daughter. Regardless of what you heard or what orders you were given to keep silent, you must report it to me, your father. If something happens, who else could truly be on your side besides us? Hmm?”
“…….”
“Rachel?”
“……That’s right.”
Until they crossed the line.
But the moment they crossed that line, Rachel knew they would cruelly abandon her again. Even if the person in question was their young daughter, there would be no difference now.
Before her regression, when she was sentenced to confinement in the main hall.
Her younger sibling had deliberately attended that sentencing despite their parents not being there, yet said nothing and did nothing.
He had simply stood there blankly.
Just like everyone else, he only watched her.
That was the last time.
Illya had been eighteen years old then, hadn’t he?
“…….”
Rachel silently turned her gaze toward the window.
Beneath the noon sunlight that had grown fully bright by now.
The main gate of the estate was slowly opening. A group of people entered. The moment she recognized their flag, a shout came from in front of her.
“Rachel! Are you really going to act like this!”
“What are you doing? Hurry up and tell your father!”
Her mother’s voice joined in, unable to hold herself back. Rachel glanced at her parents, moistened her dry lips with tea, and opened her mouth.
“I investigated Paris’s background during that time. You told me I absolutely had to marry him, but I still thought I needed to know what kind of person my fiancé was.”
“……!”
“Th-then?”
Facing her parents, who were holding their breath, Rachel began laying out the story piece by piece.
“During my investigation, I learned about the Duchess’s fraudulent marriage. While gathering evidence, I investigated more deeply and discovered circumstances suggesting that the Duke’s former fiancée had given birth to his biological son.”
“Is that really true?”
“Yes. I told the Duke about it. That was about ten days ago. You remember, don’t you? When I briefly fainted.”
The Marchioness’s eyes widened as she stammered.
“Then, did you faint back then because you had learned all of that……?”
“Yes. At the time, the Duke told me to remain silent for a while. He said he would investigate everything properly, conduct a bloodline test, report it to His Majesty, and proceed with the broken engagement on Valencia’s side as the party was at fault, so he asked me to wait for a little while.”
Bang! The Marquess suddenly slammed his hand down on the table, rose from his seat, and pointed accusingly.
“No, even so! If you learned something like that, you should have told me immediately!”
“If I had told you, would you have believed me?”
“……!”
Of course not.
Rachel knew her parents well. Even if she had shown them that old diary as well, they would have shouted at her for saying something ridiculous and told her to quietly go through with the marriage.
Or there was even a possibility they would have made a deal with Valencia, or perhaps with the Savanio family.
Either way, it would not have been good for her, with less than a month remaining until her wedding to Paris Valencia.
“That’s why I went to the House of Valencia. The Duke believed me, and after verifying everything, he even thanked me.”
The Marquess, whose face had turned red with anger, clenched his teeth and replied.
“……Even so, you should have told your father. As long as I am your father and you are an Ingrave.”
“Yes. I’m sorry. I’ll try to do so from now on.”
“…….”
At her casually bowed head, the Marquess looked slightly bewildered. The Marchioness was having just as much difficulty maintaining her expression.
‘Was Rachel always like this?’
It felt as though their daughter had changed considerably from before.
Her emotionless sky-blue eyes turned toward the window once more. Rachel’s lips parted.
“Why don’t you hear the rest from the envoy of the House of Valencia? I came down without even having time to get properly washed after getting out of bed, so I think I’ll retire now.”
Knock, knock-
Just then, the knock they had been waiting for came. Rachel spoke calmly.
“Come in.”
“Pardon the interruption. Marquess, Marchioness, my lady.”
The butler entered, bowed politely, and reported.
“An envoy from the House of Valencia has arrived. He wishes to see the Marquess, the Marchioness, and the young lady.”
Her parents’ dazed gazes turned toward Rachel. Rachel set down her cold teacup and rose from her seat.
“I’ll get ready and come down. I think the two of you should go ahead.”
“…….”
“Or surely you aren’t asking me to go with you dressed like this?”
Rachel spread both arms. Due to her parents rushing her, she hadn’t even had the chance to properly change her nightclothes, and had merely thrown a robe over them.
“……Wash up and come down when you’re ready. We’ll take care of things until then.”
“Yes. Understood.”
Rachel gave a slight bow before turning toward the bathroom. Her personal maid, Becky, followed behind her.
“……For now, it would be best to meet the envoy first.”
After briefly rubbing his dry face, the Marquess turned around. The Marchioness hurried after him as well. Their faint sense of unease had temporarily disappeared in the face of the major incident that had suddenly arrived.
Some time later, Rachel finally came down to the reception room.
Her hair, carrying a subtle floral fragrance, shimmered like platinum beneath the sunlight.
Unlike that morning, she was properly dressed in a dress, soft shoes, and delicately crafted sapphire earrings and a necklace. Her face looked more vibrant than usual.
Soon, she saw the knights of both families lined up around the reception room. The butler standing by the door politely bowed.
“My lady, you’ve arrived.”
“Tell them I’m here.”
Knock, knock-
The butler knocked politely before reporting to those inside.
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