Chapter 41

Episode 41

A perfect silence had settled around them. Ilian, with a long sigh, turned to brush past Madeline as if he had done all he needed to. But she was the one who stopped him first.

“After saying something like that, you’re just going to leave?”

“Would you prefer I stay and argue point by point? I meant ‘get lost’ if you understood.”

“But…”

“If it ends here, it’ll just remain a rumor. But if you want to blow it up further, I won’t stop you.”

Ilian had no intention of blackmailing Madeline over this incident, nor did he think it was worth that much.

His silence was closer to apathy. He also had no interest in standing before the king to seek judgment and weigh the rights and wrongs of the matter for the sake of his father’s honor.

‘Maybe…’

He might have known.

Just a glance at Ethan’s appearance and temperament would have sparked suspicion—they were that different.

Even Ilian, while thinking it absurd, began the investigation on a hunch.

Or perhaps his father had been so indifferent that he didn’t even notice one of the children wasn’t really his.

After the death of Katrina and Ilian’s mother, his father had always been like that.

Detached from everything, uninterested, no matter what havoc Madeline caused in the Marquis household, or how Katrina and Ilian struggled through difficulties because of her.

He fulfilled only his duties as the head of the family—to protect the house. Right up until the end.

Either way, his father had been truly heartless. If he had loved their mother so deeply, couldn’t he have shown at least a fraction of that love to the children she left behind?

“You can’t do this to me. You can’t possibly…”

“And yet, how many chances did I give you?”

Ilian had always wanted just one thing—he was even willing to provide financial support to maintain basic dignity. All he wanted was for Madeline Ines to leave his life.

If she had even the slightest guilt for shamelessly using Ethan’s life for her own benefit, she should have done so.

But it was Ethan who happened to overhear the investigation, and it was at that moment—when Ilian wasn’t alert enough—that he didn’t notice Ethan listening.

Ethan was devastated to learn Madeline wasn’t his real mother, and Ilian wasn’t even his half-brother. That shock drove him into despair and caused the accident.

Ilian still hadn’t let go of that regret.

He should never have started the investigation. It wouldn’t have mattered who Ethan was—he was family to Ilian regardless. He should have just buried it all.

But Ilian himself had triggered a forbidden truth in trying to uncover the secret Madeline Ines had hidden.

“You were the one who kicked away every chance and brought things to this point, Madeline Ines.”

It was a final declaration—like an ultimatum.

It was a painful truth, but it concerned someone long dead, who hadn’t even inherited the marquisate.

If Ilian didn’t make it an issue within the house, it might harm Madeline’s reputation a little, but not actually affect her life.

This wasn’t what Madeline Ines had wanted. From the start, Ilian should have known how isolated and lonely she felt in the Marquis household.

She had once thought, maybe if she had a child, the Marquis would show her some care. That Madeline surely had her reasons.

“I…”

But the strength in Madeline’s hand, which had grabbed Ilian’s arm, slowly faded. Now that the sins of her past—ones she thought buried—had resurfaced, she had no place left to stand.

Even the Queen, if she ever found out how deeply she had angered Ilian instead of earning his trust, would never look back on her.

“I’ll take over from here.”

Crown Prince Alec, who had been watching the mood, stepped in, patting Ilian’s shoulder and gently nudging him aside.

He then glanced briefly at Lydia, and the expression on his face was oddly complex.

“I’m not sure whether I should thank the Marchioness or say she scared me.”

The former was gratitude for not dragging his own mother, the Queen, into the mess. The latter… well, it hadn’t been that sophisticated a plan, so he wasn’t sure such a remark was warranted.

Lydia, too, might have caused chaos if it weren’t for her meeting with Alec.

Distrustful of the Queen and Princess Yulina, she had still been harboring bitterness.

But in the end, cooperation from someone in a position of authority like the Crown Prince had been necessary, and it worked out well for both sides.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince must have many things to worry about, so I thought I’d ease at least one.”

“…That was your intention?”

Ah, it was obvious how much he would suffer over Princess Yulina’s future marriage arrangements.

After all, she was family he cared for. Thinking of the effort it would take to soothe her in the future, Alec could let go of what had happened tonight.

“Ilian, you really married a terrifying woman.”

“I told you, didn’t I?”

“What were you talking about just now?”

When Lydia blinked her eyes innocently and asked, Ilian, who had been full of anger and tension, suddenly felt all his strength drain away. A wave of fatigue hit him.

“About how you’re the most confident person in the world.”

And maybe—just maybe—that meeting her had been the greatest fortune of his life.

But those words didn’t leave his lips. He swallowed them instead.

“Let’s go. I think that’s enough of an outing for today.”

“If this kind of thing happens every time I leave the mansion, then I don’t really want to go out anymore.”

Ilian didn’t argue with Lydia’s added grumble. He just gave a hollow laugh and this time, he truly left Madeline behind and departed with Lydia.

***

For someone who had just caused a major commotion, Lydia appeared remarkably composed.

But by the time they reached the carriage, her lips had turned blue, and she was trembling violently.

Even if it was spring, wearing soaked clothes in the cold night air was not easy to endure.

“You’d better change clothes before we go.”

“No, I’m fine. Let’s just go quickly. Ilian, especially you—if you change here…”

Ilian looked down at Lydia’s trembling hand gripping his arm and let out a sigh.

She didn’t need to say anything—he already knew.

His condition was too noticeable. If anyone, unaware of time or place, happened to glimpse him, they would immediately know something was wrong.

“That’s why I said it was a crazy idea.”

“If you have a better one, let me know. I’ll definitely try it next time.”

Lydia was trembling so badly that Ilian couldn’t say anything more. He simply hurried the carriage to move.

When they arrived at the mansion, Lydia moved so slowly that Ilian didn’t wait. He got out first and lifted her into his arms. Startled by her teetering balance, she clung to him but didn’t protest.

“My goodness. Master, Madam—what on earth happened?”

“She fell in the pond.”

Ilian cut off the approaching butler’s question with a quick reply. The butler immediately ordered hot water to be prepared and followed Ilian up the stairs.

“Both of you?”

“Something like that.”

The butler, Frederick, wisely didn’t ask further and instead led them to the bathroom, focused on Lydia’s condition.

“Can you stand on your own?”

“I didn’t lose consciousness or anything.”

Lydia carefully stepped down from Ilian’s arms and managed to stand on her own. But she still looked unsteady. Ilian instinctively reached out to support her, and her bare skin felt ice-cold to the touch.

“You should’ve said something if you were this cold.”

Ilian muttered a half-hearted scolding. Lydia, holding her head, replied.

“How could I interrupt such a serious conversation?”

“Just go in. Be careful not to fall.”

These last words were addressed to the maids who were hurrying to assist Lydia as she entered the bathroom. Ilian, suppressing the urge to follow and check her condition through the door, turned away.

This was the boundary allowed between them.