5690-chapter-25
Chapter 25
His father believed that the reason Madam Heliosen chose his brother over him was because of his noble title. Because of that, his father became obsessed with titles and success throughout his life.
However, his father, who was rather insignificant, had slim chances of obtaining a title or achieving success. As soon as he realized the reality, he began projecting himself onto his talented son, Jenox. He didn’t hesitate to use verbal abuse and mistreatment to push his son toward success and inheriting the title.
Jenox both loved and resented his father. He wanted to fulfill his father’s unfulfilled dreams. He wanted to marry the daughter of the woman his father loved, take away his lifelong rival’s title, and achieve even greater success to leave his name in the history of the Empire. That was his biggest goal in life. Though he had shed countless blood, in the end, he couldn’t possess Lariana. He couldn’t prevent her marriage and all he had gained was a title that he couldn’t even boast about.
“Ah, Lariana. If you couldn’t be mine, I wish you were dead.”
His affection for Lariana had turned into anger toward Cain Delacroix. Cain Delacroix was the problem. Cain Delacroix, the well-born Duke who stood in a high place, was different from those at the bottom like himself. Jenox stood up and faced the mirror. A gentle and amiable smile curved his lips.
“Your Excellency, Prince Lejandro. I am Jenox Heliosen, the Count of Heliosen.”
He repeated the greeting countless times while looking into the mirror, aspiring to become a perfect noble. If Cain Delacroix sided with Princess Sonia, then he would side with Prince Lejandro. If Lejandro became the victor in the war of succession, Jenox would claim Lariana and leave his name in history, not Cain Delacroix.
? ? ?
Compared to the things that would happen in the future, Cain brushing her hand away at the chapel was a small and insignificant matter. What troubled her wasn’t the mad husband who turned away from her due to his insanity. It was…
“Lariana!”
“…Mother, I’m sorry.”
Lariana trembled as she stood beside her mother-in-law, Marcella. The imposing presence of Marcella’s voice never ceased to unnerve her.
On a clear noon, the serene tea party became silent. The noblewomen sitting at numerous tea tables all turned their gaze toward Lariana at the same time. Marcella, using an ivory fan, lightly struck Lariana’s hand. Reflexively, Lariana poured the tea. Her action made her look more like a maid than a daughter-in-law.
Amidst the mixture of mocking glances, Lariana calmly poured tea into the empty cups of the noblewomen attending the outdoor tea party.
“Lady Kaidel, would you like more tea?”
“It’s alright.”
Evita, who was watching Lariana with an expression of unclear meaning, raised her head. It was embarrassing for Lariana, who had been involved with Cain and the Prince, to be seen in such a state. Lariana poured tea into the empty cups of all the ladies and then stood behind Marcella once again. She was the only person standing in the servant-less garden.
“I heard that Viscountess Valerie has been troubled lately.”
“Why?”
“Well, it seems Lady Valerie has been causing a fuss, saying she won’t get engaged if she can’t be with the Princess’ servant.”
“You mean that Rindell slave? What if rumors spread? Being a former resident of the witch’s den, a slave on top of that! How dreadful. Oh my, Lady Delacroix, I misspoke.”
Countess Eschel, who had been gossiping about the social circles, bowed her head as she looked at Lariana. It was an apology acknowledging Lariana’s mother’s origins. Evita stopped her.
“Enough of that.”
Lariana’s hands, neatly gathered, tightened their grip. Her nails dug into her flesh, almost drawing blood. She had to endure. She was in front of her mother-in-law, Marcella. She knew she shouldn’t speak out, but there was one thing she couldn’t bear to hold back.
“Countess Eschel, that’s right. You misspoke. Sir Lita is a free citizen of the Great Martessen Empire and has been recognized for his contributions in serving the Princess. Sir Lita and all of us serve the Princess equally. How can you insult his origins? An apology should be directed to Sir Lita, not to me. Insulting Sir Lita is like insulting the Princess herself, who is her master.”
“Oh no, what nonsense!”
The atmosphere, which had been lively until then, suddenly sank. Marcella’s face hardened. At that moment, Evita looked at Lariana and burst into a sly laughter.
“Hahaha, that’s right. Duchess Delacroix is correct. Countess Eschel, you really should apologize.”
Whether they were allies or enemies, it was unclear, but when Evita defended her, Countess Eschel closed her mouth tightly. The tea party was in a temporary stalemate. The warm summer breeze passed through the garden and the lilies that Cain had planted for Lariana were still in bloom. The scent of the blooming lilies made Lariana dizzy.
“The scent of lilies is unbearable.”
“Oh, my, don’t you like lilies? Since you planted them this time, I thought you would like them.”
“Just because one insignificant child resembles a lily, my son planted lilies instead of roses.”
As Marcella spoke, the noblewomen attending the tea party simultaneously unfolded their fans and covered their faces. Even without seeing their faces, one could imagine their expressions. Lariana often thought of herself as a jester. Since her marriage to Cain, she had become a spectacle that anyone in society could ridicule.
Perhaps it was only natural since she didn’t receive proper treatment from her husband or mother-in-law. It hadn’t even been a month since their marriage, but she felt the weariness of a year.
“Ah! It’s hot!”
“Oh my, I’m sorry.”
Lariana, who was pouring tea for Viscountess Leshian, momentarily lost in thought and made a mistake. She accidentally spilled hot tea onto her blue dress. Startled, Lariana quickly pulled out a handkerchief from her bosom and wiped her skirt. Marcella clicked her tongue and spoke to Viscountess Leshian.
“Viscountess, forgive her. It seems like this child lacks education.”
She smiled with satisfaction and gently patted Lariana’s head.
That was always the case. Marcella rarely stained her hands with blood in front of everyone. She always manipulated everyone from behind the scenes, like what she was doing right now.
The servants often brought meals of poor quality, and they often refused to wash her clothes or bedding. As a result, Jena was the only one suffering. The servant of her mother-in-law, Viscountess Leshian, was no different. Even before their marriage, she had always instigated negative rumors about Lariana and continued to subtly torment her.
She had tried to endure it for just a month. Just until Cain regained his sanity. She would make one more effort.
As always, she greeted her mother-in-law first, approached her warmly, and pretended to be innocent and affectionate. However, Lariana no longer wanted to cater to this vile manipulation. Lariana lifted her head and stared at Marcella sharply. The time to end everything had come.
? ? ?
The timing of the disappearance of his madness was unpredictable, even for Cain himself. He could only roughly speculate that the madness would subside when the moon became full and resurface when the moon waned. However, there were times when the madness didn’t dissipate, even when the moon appeared perfectly round.
One thing was certain: when the madness receded and his mind cleared, Lariana was the first thing that came to his mind. Just like now. When he opened his eyes after dozing off in his office chair, it was midday. The documents he had been reviewing in the early morning were still in front of him, indicating that he had dozed off.
Before meeting her, there was one thing he had to perform. He had to reflect on the cruel things he had done during the period of his madness. Cain, who had found his memories amidst the pain, staggered to his feet.
Cain approached the window of his office. He wanted to breathe in the fresh air to alleviate the throbbing headache caused by recovering his memories. However, in front of such a large window, he saw an absurd, ridiculous play.
How dare they? They had been engaging in such absurd antics. His brows knitted, and he suppressed an urge to laugh senselessly. Almost like a madman, he laughed with a deranged madness and reflexively moved toward them.
“Viscountess, let her go.”
When he arrived at the garden, the scene he witnessed was Viscountess Leshian pushing the delicate Lariana to the ground. But no one came to help her. They just watched as if it was entertaining.
His whole body tensed up, and he felt a soreness throughout. It was fortunate that he didn’t have a gun or a sword in his hands. If he had a weapon, he would have turned the garden into a battlefield in his anger.
“I can’t stand to watch such pathetic behavior any longer.”
As his restrained voice echoed throughout the garden, everyone present became restless. A man, like a ferocious beast that had revealed its presence, stepped forward and trampled on a teapot. The ceramic pitcher shattered into pieces.
Cain, who cut through the noblewomen as if he was a wind, wrapped his arms around his fallen wife’s shoulders and helped her up.
“…Mother, for the time being, let’s prohibit social events within the mansion.”
Marcella, stunned by her son’s command, quickly stood up from her seat. Cain stared directly at his stepmother and spoke.
“Cain, all of this stems from Lariana’s mistake…”
“Enough.”
Cain then spoke in a commanding tone.
