ILTDAMH | CHAPTER 21

Chapter 21

“Just cast me out of the family, then.”

“Is Lu… Is Luciane going to be okay? It’s been over an hour—why hasn’t a doctor arrived yet?”

Penelope’s voice broke through as she wept beside her, snapping Mercian back to reality.

What on earth had happened?

“Mother…”

“Luciane, are you conscious? I was terrified something terrible had happened to you. Listen, Luciane, there’s no reason for you to stay here any longer. We’re going home.”

Penelope’s words made Mercian’s face flash with surprise.

She quickly grabbed Penelope’s hand and urged,
“Mother, the tea gathering hasn’t even started yet.”

But Penelope shook off her hand and snapped,
“That’s enough! Seeing you dressed like this alone shows me exactly how well you’re living in this marquisate. There’s no need to see any more. I’m leaving. Luciane almost died because of you—does that stupid tea gathering matter that much?”

That careless gathering for tea?

And now I’m to blame for my sister’s injury?

Mercian spoke angrily, glaring at Penelope as though she were to blame for Luciane’s refusal to heed her warnings and for grabbing the door.

“Mother, it was Luciane who insisted yesterday that we must hold the tea gathering. I rushed to prepare everything. Luciane fainted because she ignored my warning, so why am I being blamed?”

“No. It is entirely your fault that Luciane fainted.

Penelope checked that no one else was around before leaning in and whispering harshly.

“You are ungrateful. After all we’ve done for you, this is how you repay us?”

“Ungrateful?”

“Yes. Didn’t your sister say last time that your husband is plotting a rebellion? She asked His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to arrest the marquis at your wedding, and that’s why the ceremony went ahead as planned. If you knew all this, shouldn’t you at least be grateful to your sister? At least you avoided public disgrace.”

Yeah, that sounds exactly like the mother I know.

Mercian fought back a bitter laugh at Penelope’s reproachful tone, so different from when she first arrived at the marquisate, and answered firmly,
“Mother, I did send a gift to thank my sister for her warning. That dress she wanted so badly.”

“Hah! Just three dresses?”

“Three dresses? Mother, the cost of those three dresses could support me for six months while I lived at the viscount’s estate.”

“Mercian, you foolish girl. You think wearing those expensive dresses and being praised as the marquis’s wife means you really are the marquis’s wife? Wake up. You’re only a marquis’s wife for six months—after that, when the marquis dies, you’ll be nothing!”

“Mother, I’ve never mistaken myself for the marquis’s wife.”

“Then if you think so, open the marquis’s door right now, while no one’s here.”

Penelope pointed sharply toward Ruan’s room, and Mercian’s expression hardened.

“Mother, I can’t open that door. Like I said before, Ruan placed a magic ward on the room and the study.”

“You’re so stupid. If Luciane warned you the marquis was plotting rebellion, you should have prepared in advance!”

Penelope’s anxiety boiled over, desperate because if she left empty-handed today, she feared the opportunity would never come again.

She snapped sharply at Mercian.

“Mercian! If you truly cared about your sister and our family, you should have found and prepared that evidence long ago. You foolish girl! Don’t you understand that if the marquis stages a rebellion and fails, not only you but our entire family will be at risk? You should’ve had the sense to prepare!”

Do they really believe Ruan will start a rebellion?

What kind of man, who is about to die, tries to fight back?

Mercian looked at Penelope with weary frustration and spoke calmly but firmly.

“Mother, I’m sorry, but for any reason, I have no intention of giving you, my sister, or His Highness the Crown Prince any evidence of Ruan’s rebellion.”

“What? What do you mean by that? Do you want your husband to betray us and for our family to be branded traitors and executed?”

“Then just cast me out of the family. That would be easier. Disown me, and tell the Crown Prince I abandoned you and my sister to side with the marquis. If, despite that, he still chooses to meet Luciane, then maybe he truly cares for her. But if not, then he doesn’t love her—he’s just using her…”

SLAM!

Before Mercian could finish, her face snapped to the left.

“You ungrateful wretch! Just you wait! I will become Crown Princess and then Empress. Evidence of the marquis? I don’t need any of that. From now on, you’re no longer my sister. I’ll make sure you’re banished from our family forever, just like you wanted. Mother, let’s go. I refuse to have a foolish, ignorant girl like her as my sister!”

Luciane, finally regaining her composure, couldn’t hold back any longer.

She jumped up and slapped Mercian across the face, shouting,

“Luciane, are you okay? Do you know how frightened I was? What are you doing? Mercian, apologize to your sister—right now!”

Mother, I’m the one who got slapped here.
You and my sister barged in, demanding nonexistent evidence just because of the Crown Prince’s words. Shouldn’t you be apologizing to me?

Mercian wanted to shout this, but she held back, not wanting to cause a bigger scene.

“Mercian, apologize to Luciane immediately!”

Mercian lifted her head and met her mother’s gaze steadily.

“I’m sorry, Mother, but I’ve done nothing wrong. It’s Luciane who should apologize for trying to break into my husband’s room despite my warnings. Don’t you think so, sister?”

“Mercian!”

Penelope, who had never experienced Mercian’s stubbornness, was at a loss, nervously fidgeting. 

Luciane, knowing this, got up and left the marquis’s estate.

“Mother, I’ll speak with His Highness the Crown Prince myself. Please don’t worry. Let’s go.”

“Luciane, but—”

“Mother, wait.”

Mercian hurried after them. 

As much as she wanted to cut ties, she didn’t want anything truly terrible to happen to them.

Lucianne glanced back at Penelope like she was granting charity.

“I’ll wait in the carriage. Mother, come say your final goodbyes.”

“Mercian,” Penelope said, turning back to her.

“What happened to you? You may be the marquis’s wife now, but that title only lasts five more months. If your sister becomes the Empress—”

Mercian grasped her mother’s hands tightly, her expression earnest.

“Mother. Please listen to me. This is the first and last thing I’ll ever say to you from my heart—not for Lucianne, but because you raised me. Please… be careful with the Crown Prince.”

“What?”

“He’s not a good man. I overheard Ruan speaking with someone who said the Crown Prince brings women to spend the night—and sometimes, those women don’t wake up. Please, keep your distance from him.”

“That’s nonsense!”

“I mean, don’t believe everything the Crown Prince says. Think about it—why would he go out of his way to pursue a minor family like ours and approach my sister?”

Penelope frowned, her voice sharp.

“Are you so jealous that your sister might become Crown Princess? You know you’re only living as the marquis’s wife because of her, and yet—”

Despite Mercian’s heartfelt warning, Penelope only believed Luciane’s words.

Mercian had nothing more to say.

I never expected you to believe me anyway.

“I’ve done all I needed to do. The rest is up to the two of you.”

Mercian looked Penelope squarely in the eye and said,
“Sigh, I’ve made myself clear. Whatever happens later, don’t hold it against me.”

“Mercian, I understand your jealousy of Luciane—I truly do. But just this once, help your sister. Bring me evidence of your husband’s treason. This is a mother’s first and last request.”

Penelope’s words tried to soothe, but Mercian pulled her hand away firmly.

“Mother, I’m sorry. Like you said, in five months I’ll be leaving both the marquis’s estate and the viscount’s. I don’t want to get involved in this.”

Seeing Mercian’s unwavering refusal, Penelope’s anger flared.

“Fine. I thought you might come with me and agree to find the proof, but no. What else could I have expected from you?”

The carriage door swung open, and Luciane shot a cold glance at Mercian.

“Mother, it’s time to go. She’s no longer part of our affairs.”

“Mercian, if you change your mind tomorrow, contact me. Listen well—your sister will become Crown Princess. Don’t regret it later.”

Luciane’s words hung in the air as Penelope turned toward the carriage, but not before delivering one last plea to Mercian to bring back proof.

Then they climbed in, and the carriage rolled away.

At first, Mercian had considered giving up the evidence just as Tablo suggested.

Ruan had deliberately left evidence in the study. 

Luciane so desperately wanted to become the Crown Princess. 

How hard could it be to hand over a single piece of proof?

But after hearing what Tablo said about the Crown Prince, her thoughts deepened.

If he truly was as cold as Ruan described—bringing women to his bed and killing those he disliked—would it end with just this once?

No, it wouldn’t. 

Once she started handing over evidence, they’d demand more and more.

Better to give nothing at all.

Even if it meant taking all the blame herself…

Even if it meant severing ties with her mother and sister—no matter how bad that would be—

Because once she started down that road, she’d never be able to stop being dragged along.

That was the conclusion Mercian reached after a sleepless night of agonising over her decision.

***

In the early dawn, Mercian hurried to Edward and asked him to find defensive magic tools.

She then casts protective wards on Ruan’s room and the study.

She knew Luciane would never trust that the wards were her doing.

What she hadn’t expected was that the magic was stronger than she thought—Luciane had been unconscious for over an hour.

Maybe that was why things ended up easier than expected…

Mercian touched her swollen cheek and gave a bittersweet smile.

Honestly, she hadn’t planned to say anything about the Crown Prince until the very end.

But watching Penelope walk away, she couldn’t help but feel worried and ran after her to share what she knew…

And yet, to think they would accuse her of slandering the Crown Prince out of jealousy toward Luciane…

Well, even though Luciane said she’d throw Mercian out of the family, Penelope never once agreed to it.

Instead, all she did was worry about her sister’s health.

Those two seem to be very familiar to them.

How perfectly everything fits into the plan without a single hitch…

Mercian felt less joy at the success of her plan and more sadness that everything had gone so flawlessly.

Knowing Luciane’s nature, she was certain her sister would indeed kick her out of the family.

And now, she’d probably start searching for a way to erase Mercian from their lives without attracting blame.

Yes, this is it.

This is truly the end of our ties.

From now on, I’m completely alone.

Five months remain.

I just need to stay quiet during that time and then retreat to the countryside.

Staring at the carriage disappearing into the distance, Mercian rubbed her aching cheek and murmured,
“Tomorrow, this swelling will be even worse. Maybe I should have asked Charles to bring me an ice pack after all…”