Chapter 62

Though the hostile princess seemed to harbor grand ambitions she was determined to achieve, Freesia had never been one to crave such lofty goals.

“I will protect Crowford. I can do whatever it takes to achieve that.”

“Lady Rashita, you are a strong person.”

Freesia couldn’t become as strong as Rashita, as unwavering as a sunflower. But she harbored her own modest dreams. Surrounded by such extraordinary people, she wondered how someone as ordinary and unskilled as herself would fare.

“In the distant future, when a lot of time has passed, I’ll probably become a grandmother too, right?”

“A grandmother?”

“At that time, I’d like to grow flowers in a little garden. I think it would be fun to bake a mountain of cookies and hand them out to children, one by one.”

She wasn’t the kind of great person who could dream of world domination or universal peace.

What she wished for was simple—to live peacefully, without worries or concerns, and to hope that the dreadful future ahead wouldn’t come to pass.

“If, by any chance, our Duke is still by my side then, I would truly be happy.”

“…Is there any reason why he wouldn’t be?”

“You never know what might happen.”

When she had been focused only on running away, she hadn’t realized.

It’s ridiculous how hurt she felt now, just from the simple words “I’ll take you.”

“It feels unfair that I’m the only one who cares this much.”

“Does our Duke know you think this way?”

“I’m not sure.”

She knew it was cowardly to say that, but she didn’t want him to know these feelings.

Watching Freesia take a step back, Rashita let out a deep sigh.

“This isn’t some children’s game. What on earth is wrong with both of you…?”

Before Rashita could finish her sentence, the nanny burst into Freesia’s room, her face full of panic.

“Miss Freesia, you need to come down for a moment.”

Freesia quickly threw on a shawl and hurried downstairs upon hearing news of an unexpected visitor.

“How did you get here? Go back immediately!”

“Lily, how could you say something so rude?”

“That’s right. We should have taught her manners from the start.”

“What brings both of you here?”

Standing before her were her father, the former Count of Devlanc, with his dark brown hair, and her mother, clutching a Bible tightly in her arms.

Freesia felt her blood run cold at the sight of the two people she thought she would never face again in the capital.

“It’s been a while, Freesia.”

“I hear you even got married without telling your parents. Where did you learn to do something so improper…?”

“Be quiet! What nerve do you have coming here?”

“Lily, calm down.”

Grabbing Lily’s hand as she angrily raised her voice, Freesia forced herself to calm her pounding heart. With Rashita present, she could handle the situation if it got out of hand.

“What brings you to the capital so suddenly?”

“Well, since you’re married now, we thought it was our duty as your parents to at least pay respects to the other family.”

“That’s right. No matter how much we asked, no one would tell us who your husband is. We were so frustrated that we had to come here ourselves.”

Everyone in the capital knew about the Devlanc family’s dark history.

The fact that her parents hadn’t even been invited to her wedding wasn’t lost on them, and Rose had made sure that they couldn’t find out who Freesia’s husband was.

“Do you really not know who he is?”

“We assumed he must be someone of little consequence if you kept him a secret from us.”

“That’s right. Judging by how everyone kept their mouths shut, he must be quite the nobody.”

“Well, I suppose. In your eyes, he might seem terribly lacking.”

Unlike the flustered nanny, Freesia could only offer a bitter smile as she looked at her thoughtless parents.

If she had only her own memories to rely on, she would have struggled with her feelings, but the perspective of a third party kept her grounded.

She subtly signaled to Rashita, who was quietly watching from the side, and then began to probe her parents’ intentions with feigned nonchalance.

“Does Rose know you came here?”

“If she knew, do you think she would’ve let us come? We haven’t committed some great crime, and we passed the title to her—how much longer do we have to live like sinners?”

“Do you really think that?” Freesia asked, her voice cool as her parents’ self-righteousness continued to grate on her.

“Your mother is right. I admit I made mistakes, but didn’t your husband pay off that debt for me?”

“We only found out a few days ago. Even the Naphier family seemed quite displeased,” her mother added.

Of course, the source of the problem wasn’t far away.

Though they couldn’t name Freesia’s husband outright, her parents were skilled at subtly making others feel small. Their lowly tactics, disguised under the pretense of concern, were pathetic.

“Did Mrs. Naphier contact you?”

“She said she received some fine honey as a gift and wanted to send her regards,” her mother replied.

Honey was just an excuse.

Using such trivial matters as a pretext, her parents had soiled their own child’s reputation.

“Ah, friends like that are something, aren’t they? Even when you have children, you still get treated like this…”

“You shameless—how dare you!” Lily’s anger flared again, but before it escalated further, Freesia intervened.

“Nanny, take Lily inside,” she instructed, striving to keep her composure. The presence of Rashita made things all the more awkward.

Once the room had quieted, Freesia asked with a measured voice, “Do you really not know who my husband is?”

By the time rumors about the Marquis of Gondair’s infamous nude painting hung atop the tower had spread, the Devlanc family’s scandals were well-known even among the beggars in the capital.

At least her marriage to a duke had covered things up nicely. Had things continued as they were, it could have even jeopardized her sister Rose’s thriving business.

“No matter how much we asked, no one would tell us,” her father admitted.

“Yet you still managed to make it all the way here.”

“Of course, we’re your parents,” her mother said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The sheer audacity of it—two people who were practically disowned by their daughter now stood before her, acting as if nothing had happened.

“So, when will you introduce us to this ‘wonderful husband’ of yours?” her father asked.

Just as Freesia was about to respond, a loud voice rang through the room.

“There you are!!!”

Her parents’ eyes widened in shock at the booming shout from a man whose voice they had surely never heard before.

“You—how did you…?”

Freesia couldn’t hide her surprise. Despite running away and declaring her intent to leave, she never expected him to come after her personally.

“Running away? Really? If I hadn’t taken precautions, things would’ve gone terribly wrong!”

“You idiot!” The newcomer raged as he charged in like a mad rhinoceros, only to be tackled and restrained by Rashita before he could cause further damage.

As Fieldram, the man who burst in, struggled against Rashita’s firm grip, Freesia quickly assessed the situation, already thinking of how to use this unexpected twist to her advantage.

“He seems rather agitated,” Freesia remarked calmly.

“You think I’ll stand by and let you get a divorce? Don’t be ridiculous! Over my dead body!” Fieldram shouted as he thrashed, but Rashita swiftly dragged him off to the side, silencing him.

With Fieldram temporarily subdued, Freesia was left standing alone with her parents.

“…Don’t tell me that’s your husband?” her father stammered, horror spreading across his face.

Knowing she had to set things straight with both her parents and Fieldram, Freesia smiled brightly.

“Yes, that’s my husband,” she said, her voice filled with deliberate cheerfulness.

* * *

The debate over who was stronger—Fieldram or Rashita—was still unresolved, but in the end, it was concluded that each excelled in different areas.

When it came to dealing with monsters, Fieldram had the upper hand, but against humans, Rashita’s ruthless efficiency gave her an edge.

Thanks to Rashita’s scolding, Fieldram was now silent, sitting in place and answering questions quietly.

“So, you’re telling me that man is Freesia’s husband?” her father asked, eyeing Fieldram skeptically.

“Is it so important for you to know?” Fieldram responded, not bothering to confirm or deny, which only prompted a sigh from Freesia’s parents.

Freesia, trying to suppress her laughter, glanced behind her at Rashita and gave her a subtle thumbs-up. It was a playful gesture—a thumbs-up, universal enough to communicate her approval.

Though Freesia struggled to contain her laughter, Rashita remained composed, though visibly amused. Freesia decided to sit even closer to Fieldram, her smile still bright.

“Uh, well, that’s not exactly what I meant…” her father stammered, clearly unnerved.

“Now that you’ve met my husband, I assume you’re satisfied? Please, feel free to leave now,” Freesia said with a sweet but firm tone.

“But surely, you’ll at least show us where you live!” her mother protested, their persistence becoming more desperate.

“Do you even know where I live?” Feildram asked, his tone icy and intimidating.

The words were enough to silence any further objections. Her parents, now face-to-face with Fieldram’s chilling demeanor, were too scared to continue their conversation.

“Do you have anything more to say?” 

Fieldram’s voice sliced through the room like a blade.

“You’re really going too far! I’m your father-in-law, after all!” 

Freesia’s father protested, attempting to regain some semblance of authority.

“And so, what?” 

Fieldram shot back, his tone dripping with cold indifference.

Freesia’s father, who had been ready to unleash more indignation, quickly retreated into silence. When confronted with Fieldram’s overbearing demeanor, logic and reasoning had no place.

‘After all, they were the ones who barged in uninvited,’ Freesia thought. If her parents wanted to test their limits, they had found the perfect adversary.

“You’re being utterly rude! No matter what, Freesia is still my daughter!” 

Her father exclaimed, his anger flaring up once more.

“Oh? Are you thinking of forcing a divorce then?” Fieldram responded, standing up and glaring at them with barely concealed contempt.

Her father, now pointing angrily, yelled, “What’s to stop me from doing that?!”

Fieldram rose fully from his seat, his posture aggressive. “Divorce? Who the hell said anything about divorce? You really want to push someone to their death, huh?”

“How dare you threaten me in my own daughter’s home!” her father raged.

“The only one making threats here is you! Divorce? You think that’s something you can just throw out like an option?” 

Fieldram, known far and wide as a madman, didn’t care who his opponent was. And now, with Freesia giving him the green light, he was even less concerned.

“This is absurd!” her mother exclaimed.

“Yeah, I’m absurd. What’ve you ever done to help me? Huh, lady?” Fieldram sneered, raising his voice higher with each word. Eye for an eye, force met with force—his strategy was clear.

“You’re out of your mind!” her father roared.

“Oh, I’m in my right mind! How about we drop titles and settle this the old-fashioned way?” Fieldram taunted, rolling up his sleeves.

“Unbelievable… truly insane,” Lily muttered under her breath, watching the scene unfold. Freesia, standing beside her, suppressed a bitter smile. She knew the truth couldn’t stay hidden forever.

“So what’s the end game here? Did you come to cash in on your daughter’s marriage for some cushy position?” Fieldram mocked.

“You speak so vulgarly. I can’t believe this!” her father huffed, clearly affronted.

“If you have something you want, just say it!” Fieldram continued, his voice louder and more mocking than ever. The audacity of his performance was worthy of applause. Freesia, in that moment, had to fight the urge to cheer him on.

There wasn’t much left to discuss. All she needed was to make sure her parents were out of the house before Rose returned. She didn’t need the situation spiraling any further.

“The carriage is ready,” one of the servants announced from the doorway.

Her father, clearly defeated, spat out his final words, “I’ll never set foot here again. You’ll regret living like this!”

As her parents stormed out, casting curses at their daughter, Freesia squeezed Lily’s hand tightly in silent solidarity. The weight of her family’s bitterness was heavy, but with each passing moment, Freesia felt more resolute in the choices she had made.