Chapter 15
Lea Ambroise.
A pretty young woman with short, dark blue hair just like Chloe’s.
She couldn’t tell if this was a dream or reality.
Just the evening before, everything was normal. She had dinner with her youngest sister in their small house on Le Martin Street and went to bed happily.
“Chloe says she’s working late again today! Iris, that’s good, right? The snacks Chloe bought for herself—I’ll give them to you!”
“I like snacks! But I miss Chloe.”
The sweet words of her youngest sister, Iris, still echoed in her mind.
Then, in the early morning, someone suddenly shook her awake.
It was her eldest sister, Chloe, who had just returned from the royal palace.
“Wake up. We have to leave right now.”
“Huh…? What? What time is it…”
“Get a grip!”
Chloe rarely came home because of her night shifts. When she did, she always took off her shoes outside the front door to avoid waking Lea or Iris.
So for Chloe to suddenly barge in and demand they leave immediately?
Lea was terrified.
“Is it happening… finally?”
“What? What are you talking about—no, I don’t have time to explain. Just carry Iris and come with me.”
“Iris too?! Oh no… did Mom and Dad finally get into big trouble?!”
Chloe looked at her in disbelief. But given how their parents never kept in touch and only brought bad news when they did, it wasn’t so surprising for Lea to think that.
“I knew this day would come… A late-night escape!”
Without hesitation, Lea pulled out a small bag she had packed just in case of emergency, hidden under her bed. Chloe sighed, rubbed her forehead, and lightly smacked Lea on the head.
“Ow!”
“Well, good job packing. Just bring that.”
Without another word, Chloe picked up a sleepy, grumbling Iris and rushed out the door. Lea, still in pajamas with just a coat thrown over, followed.
And then—
Right outside their house was a huge, black carriage.
“Chloe… what did you do?”
“…Things happened.”
The one who sent the carriage, of course, was Curtis.
Right after putting the engagement ring on Chloe’s finger, Curtis had told her to escape with her family before sunrise.
“Once the sun rises tomorrow, your family will be in danger. Bring them to the Grand Duke’s estate now.”
There were no royal crests on the carriage—wiped off to avoid attracting attention.
It was a smart move.
Just moments after the carriage pulled away, the sisters saw a crowd of reporters running toward their street through the window.
“This is it! They said Chloe Ambroise lives on Le Martin Street!”
“Number 138, right?”
If Chloe had taken just a second longer to pull the curtains, the reporters might’ve seen her face.
“Chloe, what’s going on?”
“I’ll explain later. You’ll understand when we arrive.”
Lea already knew Chloe had joined the royal guard. But maybe… something serious had happened?
Lea stared at her sister’s serious face and held back her anxiety.
Finally, they arrived at a large, white mansion that sparkled even in the dark.
Holding Iris, Lea stepped out of the carriage and gasped.
It was the Grand Duke’s estate—one of the most famous and luxurious homes in the capital, Ibanez.
It stood boldly near a small lake next to the royal palace, a gift from the former king to Queen Mildred and the young Third Prince, now the Grand Duke.
Everyone in the capital knew it.
Lea had admired it many times from a distance, wondering,
“What kind of amazing people live there?”
Now she was walking inside.
But instead of the warm, elegant atmosphere she had imagined, the mood felt… odd.
“Miss Ambroise. This way, please.”
The one who greeted them was Lieutenant Noel, a tired-looking man.
The mansion was completely silent. No servants in sight—just Noel.
He quickly took Iris from Lea’s arms and guided the sisters.
They arrived at a clean but empty guest house on the estate.
“It’s very early, so please rest for now.”
With that, Noel politely closed the door.
Bang.
What was happening?
Lea Ambroise—one of the smartest students in the capital’s law department—stood in the quiet room, thinking.
After putting together all of Chloe’s odd behavior for the past three months, she finally came to a conclusion:
“Chloe… killed the Grand Duke.”
Chloe, who had been slumped in relief after arriving, snapped her head up.
“What?!”
But Lea kept going, completely serious.
“A shady carriage in the middle of the night… arriving at the back of the Grand Duke’s estate…”
“…”
“You’ve always hated the Grand Duke. I bet you finally snapped. We’re here to be secretly executed, aren’t we?”
Chloe probably made a strange face then, but Lea didn’t notice.
Instead of explaining with words, Chloe handed her sister the morning’s freshly printed newspaper.
Lea, preparing herself to read the tragic news of a national hero’s death, opened it and flinched.
“Grand Duke Announces Marriage to Secret Lover and Aide”
Chloe, now looking completely miserable, whispered:
“I’m getting married.”
Lea fainted on the spot.
***
When she woke up, there was a cup of hot ginger tea waiting for her.
After drinking it all in one go, Lea spoke calmly:
“Chloe, let me ask you one thing.”
“Sure.”
“Didn’t you call the Grand Duke a ‘jerk’ just a few days ago?”
Chloe quickly covered Iris’s ears and replied:
“Is that how you talk now? I worked hard to pay your tuition and this is what I get?”
Lea scoffed.
“Do you know what I really learned at school?”
“What?”
“That when someone avoids a question, it usually means they’re hiding something.”
“…Wow. I guess my tuition money was worth it.”
Chloe tried to deflect with a joke, but Lea wasn’t letting it go.
“No more stalling. Are you really marrying the Grand Duke?”
Lea’s law school training was clearly paying off.
Chloe sighed deeply and finally said:
“I love him.”
“…I think I need to see a doctor. I’m hearing things.”
Lea gave her a look like ‘you’re out of your mind.’
But Chloe stood her ground.
After all, Curtis had told her to keep everything a secret—not even family could know.
So she came up with a believable excuse.
“Dating someone like the Grand Duke is a state secret. I couldn’t tell anyone.”
Lea narrowed her eyes.
“Chloe. Do you think I don’t know you?”
Lea had always been sharp. And now, she definitely didn’t believe her sister.
“Honestly, it makes more sense if you told me the Grand Duke paid you to marry him.”
Dang it. Chloe figured this would happen.
She had spent her whole life acting like a cheapskate in front of Lea. No wonder she didn’t believe the love story.
“I guess she figured out everything already…”
So Chloe gave up on playing it cool and muttered awkwardly:
“Ugh… Curtis told me not to say anything… Fine. You’re right. I’m being sold off.”
But instead of being shocked, Lea just looked disappointed.
“Seriously? Chloe… do you think I’m stupid? Who would pay to marry you?”
