Now This Family Belongs to My Mother Chapter 68

“I-I’m sorry.” I quickly got off Ludwig.

 

“If it’s hard to move, I can carry you to the banquet hall.” Ludwig shrugged his shoulders.

 

My face turned red at his words. “I-I’m really sorry. So please, don’t say things like that, even as a joke.”

 

“I wasn’t joking.”

 

“I’m serious too! I can walk back to the banquet hall on my own! Look!”

 

Taking the opportunity, I quickly turned around. As I hurried away like I was running for my life, I heard Ludwig let out a helpless laugh. Hearing that sound, I stopped and turned back to look at him.

 

Ludwig smirked. “Change your mind? Want me to carry you?”

 

“That’s not it… Thank you for saving me. I’ll make sure to repay the favor someday.”

 

“Why don’t you come closer and say that?”

 

“And please make sure to treat your injured hand.” I bowed deeply and slowly turned back.

 

This time, even though I wasn’t running away, Ludwig didn’t follow me. Not only that, but he also didn’t ask why the unicorn attacked me. It would have been easy to just say I didn’t know, but it was definitely suspicious enough to warrant questioning.

 

Recalling Ludwig’s attitude, which seemed to concern me alone, left me feeling strange. I turned back to look again. But Ludwig was already gone from that spot. With unanswered questions lingering in my mind, I had no choice but to return to the banquet hall.

 

It was when I reached the front of the banquet hall.

 

“It’s dangerous to walk around alone, Lady Epirosa.”

 

Maddux suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

 

He’s still looking for me? How much scolding must he have gotten from Stella and Nicholas to be this persistent? He must have been in quite a hurry. Even so, I had no intention of humoring him. I gave him a slight nod and tried to walk past him. Tak! But he grabbed my hand.

 

I shot Maddux a sharp glare. “What do you think you’re doing, being so rude?”

 

“I’m just worried about you.”

 

“You don’t need to worry.”

 

“It’s because you keep wandering off alone that you end up getting attacked by a divine beast.” Maddux said with a sly grin.

 

I flinched. Did Maddux see me getting attacked by the unicorn? I thought I had completely shaken him off, but he caught me off guard. If he did see, how much did he see? I needed to figure that out first.

 

“I was taking a walk by myself and accidentally entered the unicorn’s territory.”

 

“That’s why you shouldn’t go alone. You should have been with me.”

 

Maddux didn’t press further about my claim of taking a walk ‘alone’. Thankfully, it seemed he hadn’t seen me chasing after Ppinix. He also didn’t seem to know I was with Ludwig.

 

He probably lost track of me while he was picking up the bracelet and only saw the part where I got attacked by the unicorn later.

 

Judging by Maddux’s personality, he must have been so scared after seeing me attacked by the unicorn that he ran away. If he only witnessed that moment, there’s a high chance he missed Ludwig entirely.

 

“You provoked a divine beast, the symbol of the empire, and got attacked. His Majesty will surely be furious. And that’s not all. If this gets out, what do you think people will think of you?” Maddux threatened me with a sneer on his face. “The Blanche family also has a divine beast. If word spreads that you’re hated by divine beasts, people might consider it an ill omen and have you cast out.” His lips curled into a smirk.

 

Does this guy not know that the Divine Beast Garden is a restricted area, off-limits to anyone but the imperial family? The fact that he claimed to have seen the day I was attacked by the unicorn meant that Maddux was also in the Divine Beast Garden. If it’s revealed that he entered a restricted area, he’ll be punished too, yet he’s so brazenly threatening me.

 

Of course, if this came to light, I’d be in trouble as well. But at least I was with the crown prince, so there’s room for leniency.

 

Maddux didn’t even have that. Still, I decided not to point this out. That way, Maddux would act in accordance with my intentions.

 

“What is it you want to say to me?” I deliberately asked, pretending to be a little scared.

 

Perhaps thinking his threat had worked, Maddux spoke with a sly expression. “From now on, no matter what I do, you will follow my orders.”

 

“And what exactly are you planning to do?”

 

“You’ll find out if you watch.” With a sneaky grin, Maddux turned and strode confidently into the banquet hall. His steps were full of self-assurance.

 

I waited a moment before entering the banquet hall myself. As soon as I stepped in, I heard Nicholas and Maddux’s voices.

 

“What were you doing outside that you’re only coming in now?”

 

“Haha! I was spending some private time with my lover.”

 

“Lover? You have a lover?”

 

“You didn’t know? I thought everyone was aware.”

 

The crowd’s ears perked up at the intriguing story. Stella also slowly approached Maddux with Claude, looking excited.

 

Maddux, noticing me, gave a meaningful smile and pulled something out of his pocket. “I even received a token from my lover!”

 

What he held in his hand was the amethyst bracelet I had deliberately dropped. The very bracelet that Violet had originally given to Stella. The one I’d ordered Wise to steal!

 

Stella’s face turned cold as she saw the amethyst bracelet. Meanwhile, Maddux, assuming the bracelet was mine, declared loudly for all to hear. “My lover gave me this bracelet and said she wanted to be betrothed to me! We promised each other a passionate future outside the banquet hall!”

 

“Oh my, oh my…”

 

“Even if you’re engaged, how could you… in front of everyone…”

 

The crowd murmured amongst themselves.

 

Nicholas, like Maddux, assumed the bracelet belonged to me and spoke lewdly. “A passionate future, huh? What exactly did you two do outside? Did you two, you know, do that kind of thing?” He egged Maddux on with a vulgar expression. “Who is it? Who did you do that kind of thing with and get the bracelet from?”

 

Hearing Nicholas’s words, Maddux raised the bracelet even higher for everyone to see. “Yes, this bracelet belongs to none other than—!”

 

“That’s the bracelet His Majesty bestowed upon Duchess Clementi.”

 

Maddux froze in place, still holding the bracelet up. It was because Ludwig was standing right behind him.

 

When did he return to the banquet hall? I looked at Ludwig in surprise.

 

Ludwig smirked lazily and snatched the bracelet from Maddux’s hand. Then, he walked over to the emperor, who was standing not far away with Hubert. “Father, look at this. Isn’t this the bracelet?”

 

The emperor stared down at the bracelet with an expression so cold it was almost terrifying. Violet’s face turned pale as a sheet. Seeing her reaction, I couldn’t help but smile.

 

“…Gasp! Your Majesty!” Maddux, realizing the situation too late, threw himself flat on the ground before the emperor. His body trembled pathetically.

 

“I bestowed this bracelet upon Duchess Clementi to honor the loyalty of Duke Claude Clementi.” In truth, it was likely a personal gift for his beloved concubine. But in an official setting, the emperor had framed the bracelet as a token of imperial favor. “And yet…” The emperor’s icy gaze shifted to his concubine. “Why is this in the hands of this lord?”

 

“Y-Your Majesty!” Violet rushed urgently toward the emperor.

 

The emperor smiled coldly and waved his hand at Violet, signaling her not to come any closer. Fear spread across Violet’s face.

 

“The ownership of this bracelet has already been transferred by me to the duchess. Even if the duchess gifted this bracelet to her lover, I have no grounds to reprimand her.”

 

“T-That’s not it! I’m not in a relationship with this lord, Your Majesty! I don’t even know him!” Violet cried out desperately, but it seemed her sincerity didn’t reach the emperor.

 

The onlookers watched the emperor, coldly furious at the betrayal of his concubine, half in fear and half in fascination. But Stella couldn’t find this scene fascinating. She was trembling, pale as a sheet.

 

At that moment, Stella’s escort partner stepped forward. “Your Majesty, this bracelet was a gift from my mother to Lady Stella Blanche.” To save his mother and corner Stella, of course.

 

At Claude’s words, the emperor’s eyes widened. “What did you say?”

 

“My mother offered Your Majesty’s precious gift for the sake of the lady I was to escort. It was purely out of her love for her son.”

 

“Then, are you saying the lover who gave this bracelet to that lord is the partner of Duke Clementi?” The emperor’s gaze turned to Stella.

 

Stella was horrified. Suddenly, she was about to be declared as Maddux’s lover. With the very pathetic man they were trying to pin on me.

 

Stella screamed like she had lost her mind. “N-No! I’m not Lord Maddux’s lover! Lord Maddux, say something!”

 

But Maddux, terrified, just lay flat on the ground, trembling.