Chapter 39

Episode 39

Even in front of him, Ilian Esteban, Lydia had always said exactly what she wanted to say.

Though she had eventually fallen into his trap and ended up in this situation over a single ring from the Solem family, if that was her fate, so be it—still, staying silent even in front of someone like Madeline was not in her nature.

“What exactly is it that you want from me? If it’s divorce, that’s not something I can resolve right away. And if you want to be treated well by the Esteban family, that’s even more beyond what I can do for you.”

So she had no choice but to ask directly.

Lydia had been the same when Ilian Esteban first visited her shop as a client.

If you want your problem solved, explain it clearly and state your demands properly.

“You should know your place. How could someone like you possibly become the mistress of the Esteban family? Does it make any sense for someone with no status or rank to sit in the seat I once occupied?”

“The current Marquis must have decided it was worth the trouble to put me in this position.”

If the alternative was a life of suffering, then anyone would be willing to give up half the family fortune to resolve it.

So Lydia simply spoke the plain truth, but in Madeline’s ears, it sounded completely different.

It was obvious that Madeline interpreted it as if Ilian had found a once-in-a-lifetime love that he would go to any lengths—even sacrificing everything—to marry someone of uncertain origin.

“You’ll regret it. Just like I did, you’ll end up regretting it too.”

“And why is that?”

Ilian had never spoken to her about the former Marquis, so she didn’t know what kind of person he was.

But judging by Madeline’s damning words and Ilian’s previous sarcastic remarks, it didn’t seem like he had been a very good husband.

Still, that didn’t mean Ilian would be the same kind of man—it was an absurd notion.

Lydia knew her position was something that had been created.

But at the same time, she believed that he, at the very least, wouldn’t be cruel enough to treat his real wife coldly.

If she was someone he had chosen, then surely he would treat her kindly—both in the eyes of others and in her own experience.

‘Why is my train of thought going in this direction…?’

Whether or not he was kind to his future real wife, or whether—as he said—he had no intention of ever marrying for real, what did it matter to Lydia?

“Why, you ask? Just look at how easily you took a place that could’ve belonged to someone else, and how comfortably you’re living without a care.”

It was hard to immediately understand what Madeline meant by suddenly bringing up the marquisate.

‘Could she be talking about Ethan?’

He was the only other one who could have inherited the title besides Ilian, so if that was the case, then it was about Ethan.

But why suddenly suggest that Ilian somehow benefitted from Ethan’s death? That was a mystery.

“…I was told that was an accident.”

“An accident. Ha. That was an accident. He pretended to be close to him, and then played dumb while letting him die like that—and that’s supposed to be an accident?”

It was definitely about Ethan.

But Lydia had heard his death was an accident.

If it was an accident, then it wasn’t Ilian’s fault.

That’s how Lydia had always understood it.

“You really… don’t know anything, do you?”

“Even if I don’t know everything, I do know that my husband didn’t kill anyone.”

Maybe it was because she tried hard to stay calm, but her voice didn’t tremble as much as she expected.

This was Lydia’s trust in Ilian Esteban.

Lydia often wavered between trusting and doubting him, but when it came to something this crucial, she believed he would not betray her trust.

She never once thought all the sides of him she’d seen could be lies.

No one had grieved more than Ilian over Ethan’s death, and no one was still more entangled in it than him.

She didn’t know what Madeline’s basis was for saying such things, but Lydia remained unmoved.

“Whether it’s blind faith or just wishful thinking, you’re wrong. All the Estebans are cold-blooded.”

“I don’t think so.”

She was free to think what she wanted. Lydia had no intention of stopping her.

But even Katrina, whom she had seen only briefly, and Ilian, whom she saw every day—neither of them could be defined so simply.

Maybe in fragments, yes—but ultimately, no.

At the very least, this was something Lydia needed to ask Ilian directly before making a judgment.

“So this is me giving you a warning. Mercifully, at that. Isn’t that seat of yours awfully burdensome?”

“Thanks for the advice, but I think I can handle it. If you’ve nothing else to say, I’ll be on my way.”

In the end, it all came back to the same thing: she should get away from Ilian.

Too bad, but that was a conversation better had with Ilian.

He was the one who orchestrated this whole fraudulent marriage using the ring—not her.

With that thought, Lydia turned to end this meaningless conversation and leave.

But a hand grabbed her arm.

“This conversation isn’t over yet. Who taught you to be so rude?”

“Ilian did. He told me there’s no need to be polite to you.”

She tried to free the hand tightly gripping her arm, but the strength was surprising.

Lydia considered pulling out the glass bottle in her pocket to escape the situation.

That was until she saw a familiar blond and brown-haired figure approaching slowly with several people in tow.

It seemed they had noticed her absence and come looking.

Lydia paused to think.

More precisely, a wild but brilliant idea occurred to her.

Lydia preferred to resolve dragging issues swiftly and in one go.

And if someone was this much of a nuisance to both her and Illian—especially when Illian clearly didn’t want to see her—

And if even Crown Prince Alec couldn’t get rid of Madeline, who was under the Queen’s protection—

Then the answer was clear.

If there’s no reason to send her away, then create one.

Even if it was a forced reason, it just had to be something that Ilian and Alec could spin well enough.

They were both naturals at that sort of thing. Lydia just needed to lay the groundwork while she had this chance alone with Madeline.

‘All I need… is an excuse, right?’

Lydia’s gaze turned to the still surface of the nearby pond that kept drawing her attention.

She really didn’t want to get caught off guard again by Madeline suddenly appearing like today.

She wasn’t thrilled about playing the victim in this newly hatched plan, but it was the only idea she had.

“You know, if you hadn’t called me out like this today, I probably wouldn’t have gone this far.”

Still, unlike Madeline, Lydia decided to give a warning—however subtle.

If Madeline chose to get dragged along by holding her arm, then so be it.

“…What?”

“You said you were curious why I’m by Ilian Esteban’s side—why I can be by his side.”

She really was starting to resemble him—his knack for making creative and extreme decisions and executing them quickly.

Maybe she was being influenced.

At any rate, she wanted Madeline to realize that she was deliberately stepping away.

It was petty, yes, but after all the times Madeline had dismissed her—from their first meeting to the dinner party—this seemed like a fair bit of quiet revenge.

“I’ll show you. Why I can be by his side.”

The railing on the bridge across the pond wasn’t very high—probably for aesthetic reasons.

So it wasn’t hard for Lydia to lean over it as if half-sitting.

Madeline, standing in front of her, couldn’t see who was approaching quickly from behind.

That helped Lydia make it look like she wasn’t doing it intentionally.

‘If only they’d walk just a little slower.’

Not too fast, not too slow—just fast enough to see her face but not stop her.

Lydia smiled as Madeline, eyes wide with horror, let go of her arm as Lydia slowly leaned back.

Clearly, Madeline didn’t want to fall into the pond either—who knows how well-maintained it was?

Thanks to that, it even looked like Madeline had pushed her.

Well, that’s what she got for dragging Lydia out here and giving her the opportunity to come up with such a creative idea.

At the very least, this wasn’t Lydia’s fault.

“Lydia!”

Ilian arrived faster than expected. He must have run.

The moment their eyes met, she could tell that he understood she had done this on purpose.

Just from a glance, they could now read each other so well.

That’s who Lydia was—when she decided to do something, she did it. In every way.