Chapter 47

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As Lariana exited the bedroom with Jena’s urging, she was horrified by the sight before her. Marcella was not in the garden first. She was standing in front of the corridor window, waiting for Lariana while staring at her belly.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

Marcella didn’t move until her daughter-in-law started walking, and only when she did did she followed slowly, as if watching over her. 

 

Lariana was sprinting, not walking. Her shuffling legs moved of their own accord in front of Marcella. She bit her lower lip tightly. She couldn’t give in to her mother-in-law.

 

Feeling exhausted, she took a break on the stairs between the first and second floors. Marcella, who usually ignored her and walked ahead, was also with her.

 

“Oh no. Why is my brooch falling down?”

 

Nelua, who was standing behind Marcela, said in confusion. Nelua’s usual agate brooch had fallen to the floor near the entrance.

 

“Let Jena take that brooch.”

 

“Yes. madam.”

 

Marcella called to Jena. She gestured for her to pick it up, but Jena, who was helping Lariana, only stood and watched.

 

“What are you doing? Pick it up.”

 

The Duchess, the Dowager Duchess, the noble maid and the commoner maid. Of the four of them, only Jena could pick up the brooch.

 

Lariana couldn’t help but signal at Jena. She walked down the stairwell to the main entrance alone, not expecting much to happen. If she doesn’t retrieve the brooch, she will make her mistress’ already difficult marriage even more difficult. With a last glance back at Lariana, who would be left alone, Jena ran down to the main entrance hall.

 

“Lari, let’s go down.”

 

When she tried to go down without Jena, who she relied on like a cane, Lariana’s body didn’t have enough strength. Suddenly, she felt like she was left alone in this world.

In addition, she has been feeling nauseous for the past few days. Vomiting always came on suddenly and it was the same now. However, if she vomited here, Marcella would surely know everything. She had to endure.

 

Nausea rose from deep inside her stomach. Lariana tried to hold back and covered her mouth with her hand. Her stumbling legs crossed.

 

All accidents always happen in an instant. Lariana, who covered her mouth with her hand, stumbled and her body floated. Marcella and Nelua reached out in surprise, but they couldn’t catch her.

 

Lariana rolled down the long stairs without hesitation. She fell to the cold floor, still holding onto her stomach.

 

“Madam!”

 

Jena’s screams filled the Duchy. The commotion quickly drew the users of the Duchy into the main entrance hall.

 

“Lariana!” 

 

Marcella called out to her daughter-in-law and ran down the stairs. Luckily, Lariana was conscious. But she couldn’t say anything, only gagged.

 

She didn’t feel anything, but she realized that the life inside her had withered away in an instant. Ah, in this body, there was only herself now. 

 

“…Madam, madam. Please say something.” 

 

Tears filled Jena’s eyes. She couldn’t see Lariana because tears were blocking her view. Jena quickly wiped her tears with her hand. 

 

She could smell the blood on her. Jena’s hands, which were caressing Lariana’s body, were covered in blood. Lariana’s dress was stained with blood, and there was a puddle of blood where she lay. 

 

“What good does this brooch do!” Jena threw Nellua’s brooch at Marcella. 

 

The brooch grazed Marcella’s cheek and fell to the floor. 

 

“Jena Selman! How dare you do such a thing to the madam!” 

 

Nellua ran towards Jena as if she wanted to slap her. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Lariana’s condition was too terrible to cause a commotion. 

“The madam, the madam is pregnant. Please call Sir Demian quickly. If you hadn’t asked for the brooch, this wouldn’t have happened… Why are you so cruel? My madam is carrying the master’s child, how could you do this? The grandchild is in her womb. Madam… everything will be okay. Nothing will happen. Just cry…” 

 

Jena kept talking to Lariana, which lay still like a corpse, while wiping the tears on her cheek. 

 

The servants whispered and looked at Marcella and Nellua. Everyone knew that Marcella hated Lariana. 

 

Nellua protested, “What kind of insult is that! Madam didn’t know that she was pregnant! If she had known, she wouldn’t have asked you for the brooch. A pregnant woman can’t even walk alone!” 

 

Marcella calmly stopped Nellua. 

 

“Enough. Nellua. When will Demian come?” 

 

Demian arrived shortly after, and Lariana was taken to the bedroom. 

 

“Demian. How is she? Can you save the child?” 

 

“There is severe bleeding. It seems difficult.” 

 

“Please save the child. Even if Lariana dies, it doesn’t matter. Do you understand?” Marcella said without any sense of dignity. Demian had no answer. 

 

He bowed his head and went to the bedroom for treatment. All this time, Marcella had been dreaming of seeing her heir. It didn’t matter who the child’s mother was. She had determined to raise the child with Evita anyway. Regardless of whether she hated or disliked Lariana, the heir was crucial. So she tried her best to ensure her daughter-in-law’s safe delivery. But in the end, she lost her heir. 

 

Sadness, disappointment, surprise, and confusion. All sorts of emotions surged like waves. 

 

“Madam. I’m sorry. I don’t know why the brooch was there. It’s my mistake. Because of me, Delacroix suffered a loss…” 

 

When everything was sorted out, Nellua touched her head. Marcella lowered her head and spoke coldly. “Nellua. It’s not your fault. The one who killed Delacroix’s successor is foolish Lariana herself.”

 

* * *

For the past few days, Jena had been thinking that it would be better if her mistress had lost her memory, or even gone insane. Otherwise, it seemed like Lariana would die.

 

“Madam, how would you like to eat? How can I make you eat? Should I just die? Would you eat if I died?”

 

Jena suddenly started to choke her own neck while kneeling by Lariana’s bedside.

 

“Jena, please don’t.”

 

After that incident, Lariana finally spoke for the first time.

 

“Madam, you’re still young. If you just regain your health, the baby will come back.”

 

“But it won’t be the same baby. I killed my child.”

 

“You didn’t kill it. It was an accident.”

 

Knocking sounds echoed through the room. Lariana had no strength to respond and just looked at the door. Without her owner’s permission, the door opened.

 

“Madam! The master is here!”

 

Jena shouted with joy. Cain was here now. She quietly got up from the bed.

 

Her large blue eyes were filled with tears. As she blinked slowly, hot liquid ran down her cheeks.

Even though he was caught up in a temporary madness, he would at least feel the pain of losing a child. No, she hoped he would.

 

“Cain…is it really you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Why, why…did you come now? Mother, your mother tried to kill our child. That’s why our child died.”

 

Despite her desperate cries, his voice was dry and cold.

 

“Lariana, stop acting like a child.”

 

“Ha…”

 

A small sigh or laughter came out of Lariana’s mouth.

 

The moon was very thin yesterday. It was also the time when Cain’s madness was most active.

 

“Jena, leave.”

 

“Madam.”

 

“I have something to discuss with the Duke, so close the door and leave.”

 

Jena had no place to stay. Lariana looked at Jena, who was protecting her, and smiled, thanking her.

 

After waiting for a few months, Lariana was alone with Cain. She got out of bed and approached him. Trying not to lose her mind, she calmly asked him.

 

“Did you just call me childish?”

 

“Are you saying everything is my mother’s fault and not yours?”

 

“My fault? Don’t you have to take my side for once, no matter how crazy I am?”

 

She looked up at him desperately, as if asking him to see her. But he turned away from her gaze.

 

“Even if you’ve gone mad and forgotten… it doesn’t make the fact that we spent the night together never happened. I miscarried your child, shouldn’t you be comforting me, and unconditionally take my side?”

 

Lariana grabbed the front of her husband’s shirt and said each word carefully.

 

“I’m talking about our child. You know I was pregnant, right? You know our child died? Say something.”

 

“I know.”

 

His answer was very short, dry, and sounded emotionless.

 

“You know, right? How can you be so unaffected? How do you feel? Are you sad? You’re sad, right? It’s not just me who’s sad, right? Our child died, so you’re sad too, right? Please, just say you are. Even if you’re not sad, pretend to be.”

 

After hitting her husband’s chest with her fist several times, she hit her own head with her hand.

Finally, Cain put his hand on Lariana’s back, which had no flesh.

 

“Lariana Delacroix. You can have another baby. So…”

Was he still feeling the growing hatred and controlling it? 

 

She answered after a while, “A dead child cannot be brought back to life! Even if we have another child, it will be a different one!” Read ahead here.