Chapter 55
Jane spoke aloud, repeatedly taking deep breaths in and out.
Her eyes were blurry from the unexpectedly difficult hardships she had endured since entering the Bolshevik Duchy, the place she had longed to be, where she truly belonged.
There was still a long way to go, wasn’t there?
She had only just reached the starting point on the path to driving out the impostor and taking her rightful place at the center of this family.
Since she couldn’t go back to a time when she hadn’t received it, she might as well open the letter.
Besides, she would need to get used to corresponding with the imperial family now.
When she became the next Duchess Bolshevik, she would be closely connected to them.
Jane ran her fingertips over the imperial seal before elegantly slicing open the envelope with a paper knife.
“The… third prince?”
Having checked the sender’s seal before the letter’s contents, Jane reflexively recalled Smith’s information.
Since coming to the Bolshevik estate, she had been educated on the most important families and figures while at Riina’s side.
Naturally, at the very top of that list was the current imperial family.
Jane set the letter down for a moment and quickly ran through the information she had compiled on the imperial figures.
“So… he was the leftover trash who got dumped by the fake one.”
It was an extremely objective and scathing assessment, except for the ‘fake’ part, but unfortunately there was no one to hear it.
Jane’s lips twisted as she returned to the beginning of the letter and read through it.
“So he’s saying to come when called.”
It was astounding that someone who had been rejected by a mere impostor would dare to order others around.
However, no matter how much of a reject he was, one couldn’t refuse a summons from imperial blood.
As Jane swallowed a sigh filled with irritation, her eyes narrowed at a sudden thought.
“Perhaps I could use this.”
Even if he was a reject, he was still the third prince after all.
Having him around might come in handy someday rather than not having him at all.
To drive out the impostor.
“The plan to drive her mad and self-destruct remains unchanged. But I could get some help to send her away for good.”
A false accusation, perhaps.
Having only just occurred to her, the plan was not yet concrete, but Jane internalized it as she stroked her lips.
With a soft smile now gracing her previously twisted lips, she neatly folded the third prince’s letter and pushed it aside.
“Since you’ve called, I suppose I can’t refuse to go.”
Despite being a reject, he was still lingering around the Bolsheviks, so he must be calling because he wanted something from her.
Jane summoned a servant by pulling a bell cord and commanded with far more grace than any noble lady:
“Prepare me for an outing. I need to go to the imperial palace.”
Quite curiously, the third prince who had summoned Jane was thinking of her in exactly the same way.
A commoner and a shadow, so not of great use, but a tool that was better to have than not.
Thus, the meeting of these two people approached, each thinking the same about the other while envisioning completely different pictures.
* * *
At the heart of the Bartorio County estate, not far from the Bolshevik Duchy.
The master of the family and current Count Bartorio was gazing steadily at his second son, Lione, whom he had summoned.
“Lione.”
“Yes.”
“You’ve been working hard on behalf of the family.”
“I’m just doing what needs to be done.”
The conversation between father and son, which had barely begun, was extremely dry.
Unsurprisingly, Lione did not have a particularly close relationship with his father.
He couldn’t remember receiving any more or less attention than what was typically given to non-heir children in other families.
Not that he felt resentful or had any intention of doing anything to gain his father’s recognition and attention.
He literally wasn’t the heir, so he just needed to support his younger sister well, who would become the next Countess Bartorio.
In fact…
‘I have no intention of becoming the heir, nor am I qualified. So, I’ll be off!’
It was also a relatively free family tradition that had let his older brother leave without regret, saying such things as he went off to find what he wanted to do.
“From next year, you won’t have to go around so much on your own.”
“Yes. The heir will make her debut.”
As the conversation with Lione flowed smoothly, the Count suddenly swallowed a sigh.
How many people could make one feel comfortable discussing any topic, feeling like it was alright to bring up anything at any time?
Despite having such an excellent son with remarkable talents…
He didn’t hide his complicated expression as he finally broached the main reason he had called Lione.
“Take a look at this.”
“This is…”
“It’s the young lady you’ll soon be engaged to.”
Lione’s hand paused as he reached for the stack of documents.
“En…gagement?”
“Yes. Isn’t it past time for a marriage contract? She’s from a good family and a fine young lady herself, so look it over.”
Though his words suggested Lione should examine the documents, it was essentially an announcement that he would be getting engaged.
Lione didn’t say anything, but he flipped through the stack of documents, skimming over the information about the person who would become his lifelong companion.
As he looked down at the portrait of the young lady with a faint, somewhat awkward smile, Lione’s thoughts were as complicated as those of Count Bartorio, who was now watching him.
Of course, he knew that marriages were decided based on the interests between families, but he hadn’t expected it to be this sudden.
He had no intention of rebelling against the decision made by his father, the head of the family, but…
As Lione silently stared at the young lady’s portrait, Count Bartorio rubbed his wrinkled forehead as if he had a headache and spoke.
“I don’t want to hear any more news about recent accidents.”
He didn’t specifically mention when or how the accident occurred, but it was clear what ‘accident’ the Count was referring to without having to hear the details.
It must be about the incident at the outdoor tea party where the Bolshevik young lady had unexpectedly suffered an ordeal.
“You’ve experienced a lot up until now. Once you’re married and settled, well…”
The Count let out a long sigh and added:
“It might not disappear completely, but it should decrease.”
“I’m ashamed.”
Lione bowed his head deeply, but the Count waved his hand dismissively.
“You have nothing to be ashamed of.”
The Count didn’t think for a moment that such accidents happened around Lione because he wanted them to, or because he was inciting people.
On the contrary, he knew well that Lione was doing his best to prevent such accidents.
He also knew that despite Lione’s best efforts, it wasn’t enough.
But he didn’t voice these facts out loud.
Lione probably already knew.
There was no need to remind his already struggling son of a reality that wouldn’t improve and would only become more difficult.
“It’s sudden, but it shouldn’t be such a bad thing for you.”
With those final words, the Count dismissed him, so Lione left the room.
The stack of documents wasn’t particularly thick or heavy, yet why did his steps feel as heavy as if he were carrying an iron beam?
Finally returning to his study, Lione gestured to the servants.
“I want to be alone.”
After the servants had all bowed and withdrawn, leaving him alone, Lione loosened his shirt collar that had been buttoned up to his neck, almost tearing it off.
As the choking feeling around his neck eased, he could breathe a little better, but he still felt stifled inside.
Leaning back deeply in his chair and tilting his head back to look at the ceiling, his eyes wandered vacantly through the empty space.
“Not a bad thing, he says…”
It was a statement he couldn’t find a single point to argue against.
Once he got married, as his father said, even if not completely, the incidents buzzing around him would probably decrease somewhat compared to now.
“It’s not a bad thing.”
He repeated it several times as he spoke it aloud.
Yet why did he feel so suffocated?
“Hah…”
Lione let out a long sigh and covered his eyes with both hands.
While it was a major life event, he hadn’t placed too much significance on marriage.
Considering his circumstances, he naturally had no lingering attachments to ‘love’ either.
Far from attachment, he felt much more skeptical about it.
He rubbed his face dry with the hands that had been covering his eyes.
“I suppose I should be grateful that at least they’re not just running at me based on looks alone.”
If that were the case, he wouldn’t even be able to go outside.
“I love you. Please understand. I’m sincere.”
It’s not a bad thing.
They’re not bad people either.
It’s just one-sided.
His mouth felt so bitter it was as if a burnt taste was rising up.
“What even is love, anyway?”
Having posed this age-old question, Lione laughed dejectedly.
“And I haven’t even experienced my first love yet.”
The words that slipped out between his lips were shocking enough to make anyone who heard them flip over in surprise.
That Lione Bartorio hadn’t even had his first love yet?
Wasn’t he the one who had listened to countless love stories and intimate details from more people than he could count on both hands, offering guidance on how to proceed, and actually achieving good results in many cases?
The nickname ‘Everyone’s Lover’ wasn’t just because many people fell for him one-sidedly.
“Haha, I couldn’t say this anywhere else.”
He couldn’t even reveal this truth to his closest friend, with whom he had maintained the longest relationship so far.
“I wonder how that friend is doing.”
Isn’t that friend also struggling because of love right now?
While the truth is important, sometimes not revealing the truth can be better for everyone.
Lione fumbled for and picked up the portrait of the young lady he would soon be engaged to.
She’s probably a decent, no, a good person.
That should be enough.
…Is it enough? Really?
“I’m not a child anymore.”
He sneered at himself.
He really wasn’t a child anymore, yet here he was whining about not even having experienced his first love.
Lione let out a long, drawn-out sigh as he got up.
“I should at least get some fresh air.”
