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Chapter 26
“W-What did you say??
Sabrina was utterly shocked, it was an exaggerated reaction considering I didn’t even insult her.
“I’m talking about George. I’m no longer interested in him.”
I tilted my head, looking at her flushed face.
“…Why? Didn’t the Count and my Lady, no, Madam, say that Prince George would be an emperor?!”
Sabrina raised her voice as if she couldn’t believe what I said, so I put my index finger on Sabrina’s mouth to shush her.
“Did you forget that we’re in Katan now?”
“But it’s true that Prince George will be an emperor! Prince George was born with a Holy Power. And I heard that Prince Carlo couldn’t stop himself from going in and out of brothels!”
Carlo was injured in the battlefield and locked himself in a monastery to recover, and George used the opportunity to disguise himself as Carlo and ruin his image.
“Yeah. So what?”
But even if Carlo was really a promiscuous guy it doesn’t mean he cannot rule the Empire.
‘Even that human trash, George, was able to become an emperor in the past.’
“So that means Lord George will be the Emperor!”
I calmly looked into Sabrina’s eyes, whose face flushed red as if she were being mistreated.
“And I will be Empress, no, even if I can’t be an empress, I can still be a queen. As you see, I know how to grab and shake a man’s heart.”
“Is that so? Good for you.”
“I’m not a *stony woman like you!”
(T/N: 망부석 is a legendary faithful wife who died and was turned to stone waiting for her husband. It is also a term for someone who is stuck in place or very stoic and inflexible)
Yeah, there was a time when I thought that, too. I couldn’t hold back my laughter at Sabrina’s words. I wasn’t mocking her, rather, it was a self-deprecating laugh.
“Prince George and Count Cardinale adore me, so I’m sure Madam must be very nervous right now. Why don’t you just give up already?”
Misunderstanding my laughter, Sabrina tried to provoke me further.
“Sabrina.”
I put my hand on her stiffened cheeks. I felt her soft skin in the palm of my hand.
“George’s power never belongs to you. No matter how beautiful you are, no matter if they adore you enough to kiss your feet, there won’t ever be a miracle where their power belongs to you.”
Wielding the power that you never had in your life was sweet, to the point where you can’t help but covet even the crumbs that fell under your feet,
I was born an illegitimate daughter of a powerful man and imprisoned in a basement, yet even then George promised me the Empress seat.
It was a seat where no one could treat me recklessly and a place where the world would kneel before me.
However, George wasn’t a man to give the Empress seat to just anyone, whether to me, the illegitimate daughter of a nobleman, or Sabrina, a mere commoner.
“George doesn’t love you, Sabrina.”
“……”
“You won’t get what you want from him.”
“Are you cursing me right now?”
As if to reinforce her denial, Sabrina, with a slightly distorted face, shoved my shoulder and stood in front of the stairs.
“I have Lord George’s child with me.”
You’re lying.
I frowned at Sabrina’s blatant lie.
‘Sabrina never got pregnant with George’s child.’
However, even if it was true, what I had said before still stood.
“Nothing changes. You’ll still be a maid, and even if you become Queen, George won’t ever respect you.”
“That’s only you! Madam and I are different! Unlike you, I know how to gain a man’s heart!”
I shook my head indifferently watching Sabrina’s fit of rage.
I really can’t communicate with you.
“Yes. You can take all those affections for yourself. Because I don’t need it.”
Can you really call it affection if you have to beg for it?
Sabrina walked up to me with a hate-filled gaze, perhaps my sarcasm really hit the nail on the head.
“I pity your child, Madam.”
“……”
“A woman like you, who is so cold, doesn’t smile well, and doesn’t act cute wouldn’t be loved by your husband! Because you can’t earn your husband’s love, your child also won’t receive any love from their father!”
Although Joseph didn’t love me, he wasn’t a lacking father to Yvonne.
“I don’t think that’s something for you to worry about.”
I huffed, and shook Sabrina’s hand off my shoulder.
“Well, can you even give birth? A stony woman like you would likely give birth to a stillborn child!”
Slap-!
I swung my hand in order to shut her dirty mouth, who hadn’t only insulted me, but also insulted my daughter Yvonne.
“Why are you hitting me? Who are you to hit me?!”
Slap-!
“Just wait and see!”
As soon as I raised my hand once more, she stumbled by herself and rolled down the stairs.
Thud, thud, thud!
“Kyaaaagh!”
People began to gather in the hallway due to her scream.
“Argh! My stomach! My stomach hurts so much!”
Sabrina sat on the floor and cried in pain. She kept screaming George’s name while hugging her flat stomach.
“Lord George! Lord George!”
The parlor door burst open as the blonde man rushed out in hurry. He ran to Sabrina, shoving my shoulder hard en route, and looked back at me.
“What the hell are you doing, Rita!”
He raised his voice angrily at me as I was heading down the stairs to check on Sabrina.
“I can’t believe you’re antagonizing Sabrina, who’s not even your maid anymore!”
“Sabrina is still my maid.”
“Rita!”
I touched my forehead, feeling a little fatigued by the voice that seemed to blame me.
“We’re in front of Katan’s servants. Please mind what you call me.”
But George was so exasperated that he couldn’t hear my warning.
“Why aren’t you taking this maid to the doctor?!”
He watched the pitiful appearance of Sabrina as she was carried by the servants and grabbed my shoulders.
“Have you lost your mind? Didn’t you hear that Sabrina is carrying my child?”
“….No, I’ve heard it.”
I winced due to the man’s strong force. Glancing at my collar that he clenched so hard until it almost tore off, I nodded lightly.
“But you pushed Sabrina down the stairs? I guess you’re out of your mind with jealousy!”
“I didn’t push her. I just slapped her because she insulted me, but she rolled down the stairs on her own.”
George’s face became even more twisted.
“What? A slap on the cheek?”
“I’m simply educating my maid.”
“Sabrina is not your maid, but a woman with my child!”
I twisted the corners of my mouth because he looked so ridiculous.
“So what?”
Sabrina lied about her pregnancy, but even if she did, I don’t feel sorry for her. George killed my child, so why can’t I kill his child, too?
“Even though I’ve been treasuring you because you’re the Count’s daughter, you didn’t know your place at all!”
It was the moment when George, who grabbed me by the collar, tried to push me back,
“Argh!”
The hilt of a sword coming out of nowhere hit George’s hands.
“I heard a guest came to Katan.”
“Why are you using violence!”
Joseph’s face was cold, as if saying George was lucky that he didn’t take out his sword. He gave strength to his grip as if wanting to slice his half brother right away.
The bulging vein in his temple was so blue, it was a threat by itself.
George stared at Joseph, who shielded me.
“If you have something to say to my wife, please tell me.”
“Joseph!”
George was blocked by Joseph’s height, so I could only see my husband’s wide back. I clenched Joseph’s hem, guessing what expression George made by his furious tone.
“Huh? Are you calling this Cardinale woman, your wife?”
“Yes.”
Even though it was a sarcastic question, Joseph calmly affirmed.
“If I, her husband, don’t defend her, who else will? Please back off.”
Joseph moved the sword as if giving a warning. A deposed prince shouldn’t threaten a member of the Imperial Family, but George quickly backed away as if scared.
“You seem to have forgotten why you had to marry Rita Cardinale.”
Intimidated by Joseph, he stumbled back, but George’s twisted lips did not stop issuing venomous remarks.
“…Don’t forget that Carlo is still in the hands of the Imperial Family, Joseph. Your brother is now handicapped so it wouldn’t be strange if he died at any moment.”
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