Chapter 12
Juliana had not forgotten the kind of death she had faced. And she clearly remembered the faces of those who had led her to that end.
“Atlante, can you go to the location I told you about and deliver this letter?”
At Juliana’s words, Atlante furrowed his brow with a serious expression and began pacing atop the table where the birdcage had been placed.
<Isn’t this exactly why you transformed me into a bird?>
To use the Tear of God as nothing more than a messenger pigeon, it was unthinkable. He snorted in disbelief.
“Isn’t it better for you to fly freely in the sky than remain a useless lump of liquid?”
<Useless? I’ll have you know, I’m not just some lump of liquid. I am the sacred and noble Tear of God!>
“Right, but if you hadn’t been transformed, that ‘noble’ Tear of God would’ve ended up down the sewer by now.”
“You might’ve already been swept into some gutter by now.”
Atlante didn’t have a response to Juliana’s blunt remark. Instead, he let out a sharp, irritated caw and snapped his beak open.
“You looked way too happy when you were pecking at Tristan’s forehead, you know that?”
Seriously, what kind of ‘Tear of God’ takes joy in bothering people? The more she thought about it, the less sense it made. There was nothing divine or graceful about that.
Atlante, clearly hit where it hurt, quietly closed his beak.
<Ahem… So, who am I supposed to give this to?>
Much better. Juliana smiled softly and handed him the letter.
“22 Lonsbear Street. Knock on the window of the last room on the third floor. A woman with red hair and blue eyes will answer. Give the letter to her.”
<And who exactly is she?>
Atlante tilted his head, confused by the oddly specific instructions.
“Aileen Sanders.”
My husband’s mistress.
And the one most responsible for sending me to my death.
Juliana held back the rest of her words and gave a cold, bitter smile.
Late at night, with darkness all around, Atlante blended into the shadows and flew to the place Juliana had described. He gently tapped on the window with his beak.
“Hm? What’s that sound?”
With a creak, the old hinges groaned as the window opened.
Atlante focused on the person who appeared, studying her face carefully.
Flowing red hair. Clear blue eyes. She was so beautiful it would be hard to forget her once you saw her.
If Juliana had the soft, graceful beauty of a calla lily, with her platinum-blonde hair and deep green eyes, this woman was more like a striking rose in full bloom.
This had to be her.
Confident now, Atlante held out the letter he had brought in his beak.
“Is this for me? What kind of bird brings letters these days?”
Aileen tilted her head slightly as she took the letter.
Atlante, having finished his task, flew off into the night sky without any hesitation.
Still feeling a bit dazed, Aileen peeled away the wax seal and opened the letter.
Dear Lady,
Since the moment I saw you, I haven’t been able to forget you.
Please forgive my boldness in writing to you like this.
If you are willing, I would be grateful for the chance to meet and talk with you.
I will be waiting at Carville at noon, three days from now.
I truly hope to see you there.
“Oh my,” Aileen whispered, letting out a small gasp as she pressed her warm cheeks with both hands.
Who could it be? Who wants to meet me?
She stood by the window, pacing nervously with a look of excitement and curiosity on her face.
She didn’t know who had sent the letter, but one thing seemed clear. Someone was secretly in love with her.
And Carville wasn’t just any place. It was a high-class restaurant that only wealthy nobles usually visited.
What should I do?
She stood there, deep in thought, trying to decide.
Aileen’s father, Baron Sanders, had recently gone bankrupt after being buried in debt. That was why she was now staying in a small room at a modest inn.
After falling into such a miserable situation, Aileen couldn’t bear it. Every day, she found herself thinking about the luxurious life she had once enjoyed at the baron’s estate.
The cramped inn room often felt suffocating, almost unbearable. But even that fear was overshadowed by a bigger one — the possibility of losing this place too and ending up on the streets. That fear haunted her every day.
I can’t live like this anymore.
She made up her mind. Even if the person who sent the letter turned out to be dull or unattractive, as long as he had money, she was determined to endure it somehow.
“But I don’t even have a dress to wear!”
Aileen snapped in frustration and bit down hard on her fingernail. She would probably have to sell the few pieces of jewelry she had left.
“This is so pathetic.”
She shuddered, as if the thought alone disgusted her. And yet, the letter that had arrived at such a time felt like salvation.
Aileen was determined to seize that salvation, no matter what it took.
The next day, the Barnett estate was busy from early morning, all because of the expected visit from Archduke Ortis.
“The Archduke… is he really planning to marry into our family?”
Count Barnett had already said those words dozens of times, but no one pointed it out.
“She has a face that’s pleasant enough to look at, doesn’t she? That’s the whole reason we raised her like this. So, what’s so surprising about it? Honestly, it’s a relief we’re finally getting something in return.”
Countess Barnett spoke with a relaxed smile, gently waving her fan as if she had seen all of this coming.
Juliana, watching the scene unfold nearby, let out a quiet, bitter laugh.
They must think this marriage is a huge gain. But will it really be?
She kept her cold, sharpened thoughts to herself and stayed seated, playing the role of the perfect noble daughter, just as they wanted.
In her previous life, after they had married her off to Felix Everett, they had turned a blind eye while she suffered abuse.
They had looked the other way.
The well-being of a fake daughter, traded away for the benefit of the family, meant nothing to them.
Even now, nothing was different. The fact that Archduke Ortis had shown interest in Juliana was something they treated as their own accomplishment.
Do people ever really change?
Juliana felt a wave of disgust at the unchanged faces of Count and Countess Barnett, but she didn’t let it show.
Braeden arrived just in time for afternoon tea.
The Barnetts went all the way to the entrance of the estate to welcome him.
“It is an honor to have Your Grace in our home,” Count Barnett said smoothly, smiling as if he had rehearsed the line a hundred times.
He was the typical kind of flatterer. The more he stood to gain, the more obvious it became.
“Thank you for the warm welcome,” Braeden replied with a polite nod.
His posture was surprisingly relaxed, but Archduke Ortis’s overwhelming presence was so intense up close that no one could truly feel at ease around him.
“Shall we go inside? We’ve prepared tea for you,” Count Barnett said, raising his voice unnecessarily as nervous sweat formed on his forehead.
As he tried to fill the silence with meaningless chatter, the entire house became noisy with his constant talking.
Juliana followed behind them down the hallway. As she walked, her eyes met Braeden’s.
It was just a glance, nothing more, but a strange, subtle feeling stirred between them—something only the two of them seemed to recognize. It rose from her feet and wrapped around her like a soft wave, pulling her in.
The memory of their last meeting surfaced—an oddly thrilling goodbye kiss after their date. Her cheeks flushed red, and her eyelashes trembled without her realizing.
Braeden, watching her quietly, let a faint smile touch his lips before it quickly disappeared.
“Please, have a seat,” Count Barnett said.
The drawing room, polished and scrubbed since early morning by overly eager servants, was almost too spotless. The staff, having clearly overdone their efforts, began setting out tea and refreshments with stiff precision.
“I hope the tea suits your taste,” said Countess Barnett with polite humility, though the tea and pastries on the table were the finest selections available in the capital city of Edicia.
Anyone else would have responded with a compliment out of courtesy.
“It’s not bad,” Braeden said instead.
His blunt remark scratched at the Countess’s pride, and the faint crack in her carefully drawn smile was oddly satisfying to witness.
“You must already know the reason I’m here,” Braeden said. “I wish to marry Miss Juliana.”
He didn’t seem to have the slightest intention of softening his words. His directness made Count Barnett flinch.
“I’m not sure if Your Grace is aware, but we’ve recently been in talks with the Everett marquisate about a potential match,” Count Barnett said cautiously.
“If it was only talk and not an engagement, then there’s nothing to worry about, is there?”
The weight of Braeden’s presence pressed heavily into the room, and Count Barnett instinctively shrank back as he replied.
“As Your Grace knows, marriage often involves an exchange of benefits between families,” Count Barnett said, trying to sound diplomatic.
“Do you think I can offer less than the Everett marquisate?”
“N-no, that’s not what I meant…”
Count Barnett wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes shifting nervously as he tried to gauge the situation. His desperate attempt to squeeze out more gain was almost pitiful to watch.
“You’re aware, of course, that the sapphires mined in the North are considered the finest,” Braeden said calmly.
The moment he mentioned sapphires, a spark lit up in Count Barnett’s eyes.
“How about this for a wedding gift? The mining rights and exclusive distribution license for the Kaerbro Mine.”
The Kaerbro Mine was one of the most famous in the North, known for producing high-quality sapphires.
Count Barnett hadn’t expected such a valuable offer. He quickly cleared his throat, trying to hide the involuntary smile creeping up on his lips.
“Ahem, well, yes… I do understand that the terms are more than generous,” Count Barnett stammered.
Before he could finish, Braeden gave a small gesture to Lochlan, who had been standing quietly on one side of the drawing room.
Lochlan responded immediately, stepping forward with a jewelry box in his hands.
“Excuse me,” he said politely as he placed the box on the table, then stepped back.
Unable to resist her curiosity, Countess Barnett reached out and lifted the lid.
“Oh my goodness!”
She gasped at the brilliant blue glow of the uncut sapphires inside, mesmerized by their beauty.
“This is also a gift,” Braeden said.
The moment Count Barnett saw the box filled with sapphires, his expression changed completely. It was clear he had been won over—there was no way he would ever let this marriage fall through now.
“With such sincerity from Your Grace, I must say I feel sorry for the Everett marquisate. It’s only right that we move forward with a formal engagement,” Count Barnett said, trying to make it sound like a noble decision.
But even as he spoke, he couldn’t take his eyes off the sapphires. The greed on his face was so blatant that Juliana could only sigh quietly to herself.
She hadn’t expected him to offer something so significant.
Is this really, okay?
Juliana looked at him with growing concern.
Sensing her unease, Braeden spoke.
“By the way, Count Barnett, which land do you intend to grant to Miss Juliana?”
She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but it felt like he gave her a slight, knowing wink as he said it.
