Chapter 194. Engagement, Part VII
Translator: Khan
Editor: Aelryinth
Vera moved to open the curtains since the nanny ignored Julietta.
"No!" Vera's movement stopped in surprise at Regina's screaming. "No. I can't look at the sunlight. Don't open the curtains."
Julietta felt for a moment that Regina was crazy. 'You aren't a vampire. Why are you so sensitive to the sunlight?'
"Did you come to see my miserable self? But it's too early to gloat. Do you think I'm going to back off like this?"
Julietta looked piteously at her body that was even thinner than before, her venomous eyes, and her malnourished hair, which fell out every time she moved. "Why did you do that? I was ready to hide and live without anyone knowing if I finished the job as a substitute. Why did you want to kill me? Why did you force me to take your place?"
Regina laughed at Julietta's words. "Don't be ridiculous. I was trying to get rid of you for fear of this. Look! You took my place as soon as you got the chance, didn't you? So how could I have kept you alive?"
Julietta was furious. "No. I would never have done this if you and the Duke hadn't tried to harm me. Unlike you, I've learned that I have to keep my conscience and morals."
Regina shook her head as if it were annoying to see the angry Julietta. "It doesn't matter. I didn't want to keep you alive even if you didn't have the slightest intention."
"Why? Why?"
"Why? Do you think of a reason when you kill a worm? To me, you're like a pest, a bug that's annoying, dirty, and nothing useful. If such a worm imitated me, would you just leave it alone if you were me? I had to step on it and kill it."
Regina said that and then suddenly smiled. "Be anxious every day about when you'll die. Maybe it's not long. You'll soon struggle with pain and die in a terrible way. No one's going to try to reach your body. I'm going to make it that way. Why. Do you think I can't?"
Regina's eerie curse gave Julietta goosebumps. "What can you do? Don't brag."
"It doesn't matter. Whether I succeed or not, you'll be terrified for the rest of your life. But it's not bluffing. I really have a way to kill you. All I need is a chance."
Julietta laughed broadly at Regina's grim smile. "Thank you for helping me make up my mind. I can be very cruel to keep mine pure. Also, I just realized that I don't need a conscience to protect my own life."
"What can you do? Are you trying to kill me? You won't be able to do that. If you were determined to kill me, the Prince would have killed me when he came here. I don't care if I die or not. But if I die, will my father stay put? I don't think it's the right time to kill my father. At this time when the fight for the throne begins in earnest, the sudden death of the Duke of Kiellini will cause people to doubt it."
Julietta's expression hardened at Regina's words. "I'm sure the Prince is holding us together by magic to avoid such tiredness. Do you know that if a high-ranking nobleman dies without leaving a will about his successor, an investigation will proceed? If he's dying, he can't make a will to make you his successor."
Regina's confident smile forced Julietta to pull up her mouth and pretend to be fine. "Thank you for telling me something good. I didn't know that at all. Now my plan will be more complete. I'm here today to get an answer to the question of whether I should or should not do what I thought. But seeing you makes me determined. I was going to see the Duke, but I don't think I need to see him. I realized that there is no time to hesitate and have an attack of conscience. Who will be the first to raise the white flag in this war?"
Julietta turned around, walked toward the bedroom door, and paused to look back. "What's certain is that even if I die, you're not going to win."
At the end of the words, Julietta left the bedroom. It seemed like Regina fell down screaming behind her, but it didn't matter.
"I'll have to go back to Dublin." Julietta walked down the stairs at a quick pace.
"Aren't you going to Vicern?"
"I need to see His Highness Killian. Ah, Sir Caden. I'd like to meet Sir Caden before I leave."
At Julietta's words, Dian guided them to Sir Caden, who was in the Oval Office.
The brown-haired, compliant man calmly greeted her at her sudden visit. She had met him while she was in Tilia for a while, but they'd never spoken to each other. Still, it was a little awkward to introduce herself as Princess Kiellini, because he knew all about her true self.
But Sir Caden blew away her troubles at once. He greeted her politely first. "Welcome, the princess."
"Happy to meet you, Sir Caden. I've heard a lot about you. I'm sorry for making such a sudden visit without any notice."
Sir Caden answered firmly, "Don't say you're sorry. There's no need for such a word as 'sudden' for the owner's return."
Julietta's eyes twinkled at his astute reply. "Did anyone visit the Duke recently?"
"Nobody can meet the Duke, by the order of His Highness Killian. I say that he can't accept guests because he's sick."
"It looks like a lot of people are visiting."
"It's not surprising. There are a lot of people trying to see him, as he is the Duke of Kiellini."
"Please write down the names of the people who've been here. They've never been to the annex, have they?"
"No. They stopped by the main house and went back. We're blocking access to the annex at all, but…"
Julietta reacted sharply to Sir Caden's dubious tone. "So?"
"Some time ago, Marquis Marius, the right-hand man of Prince Francis, came here. He went to the lounge of the annex, saying that it was the command of Prince Francis, but he couldn't see the Duke and went back."
Julietta's head flashed up. "I see. So, the only person who's ever gotten close to the annex is Marquis Marius, right?"
"Yes, but he didn't meet the Duke in the end. He didn't even know Miss Regina existed, so he didn't think to meet her."
"Are you sure he didn't contact the Duke and Miss Regina that day?"
"Yes, I'm sure. I'll make a list of the nobles who visited Tilia soon."
Julietta looked back at Dian, nodding at Sir Caden's words. "Dian, what kind of person is Regina's nanny?"
Dian answered, looking anxiously at the lady who had a fixed expression. "She was hired as a nanny as soon as Regina was born and took care of her all this time."
"It is needless to say she is loyal."
Everyone accepted Julietta's words.
"I've got to hurry back to Dublin. I don't think it's time for us to stay like this."
Julietta hurried out of the annex and asked Dian who came to see her off. "Dian, check thoroughly for Regina and her nanny. I want you to contact me directly if you find anything strange."
"Yes, don't worry. I'll take a closer look."
She thought she couldn't do anything because she was stuck there, but the sight of Regina earlier was horrifying and scary. It was worth seeing.
Dian did not forget what Prince Killian had said. She wanted to live beside her lady and Phoebe as soon as possible.
Phoebe felt sorry she only had a short meeting with Dian. Julietta was about to get into the carriage, found the two of them, and promised, "Dian, I know the reward His Highness Killian will give you after this. I'll do my best to keep the promise, so just hang in there a little longer. Sooner or later, everyone will be happy. We deserve it, I think. So trust me."
Diane's eyes were filled with tears. 'I deserve to be happy. It may have been necessary for me to get confirmation.'
After meeting the Prince, she thought it was for Lady Julietta, but she couldn't ignore the sweet rewards that would be given to her. Although she had only known her loyalty herself, Dian had sworn to herself to dedicate her life to her lady. But when the reward came in, it seemed that ashes had been scattered on her heart, so she didn't feel refreshed. But thanks to her lady, who proudly said she deserved to be happy, the cloud was cleared like a morning mist.