CHAPTER 101……
“I don’t know… the quality doesn’t look very good to me…”
I replied with a cold smile.
My father, who had been speaking pleasantly just moments ago, suddenly flared up and raised his voice.
“What do you even know about this fabric! I’ve seen tons of cloth like this where I was. I know its value better than you!”
From his reaction, it didn’t seem like he had brought bad goods on purpose to deceive me.
So he got swindled.
It was a relief he wasn’t trying to sell me something defective.
But imagining him trying to sell it to someone else made my head throb.
I could already picture exactly how my father would act if I didn’t buy that fabric from him right now.
Since I’m known in the clothing business, he’ll probably try to use my name to sell it.
I gave him one last piece of advice—not for his sake, but for mine.
“Let’s just say your trip to the Eastern Continent was for sightseeing. Don’t think about selling that stuff—just keep it in storage.”
“What—what?”
“If you sell that fabric, you’ll end up having to compensate for it entirely yourself.”
“You’re telling me to just shove away something I bought for an expensive price? And just on your word alone?”
“This is an expert’s advice, but whether you trust it or not is your choice. However…”
“…”
“If you try to do business using my name, I’ll sue you. Keep that in mind.”
“Are you threatening me? You’re my daughter, and instead of helping your father—”
As expected, my father didn’t believe me—instead, he became furious.
“Well, if it sounds like a threat to you, then I can’t help that. Anyway, I think we’re done here, so please leave.”
“Ha!”
Even though he hated me, he seemed unable to believe the change in his once-meek daughter. His body trembled with anger, clearly wounded in his pride.
I stood to leave the drawing room, but just then, his voice stopped me.
“So that’s why the Grand Duke has been acting so arrogant… It was you who drove a wedge between us.”
Grand Duke.
The title falling from his lips made my heart drop.
“…You met Idris?”
“Yes. Since you treat your father like a pebble on the roadside, I went to see him myself.”
I felt all the blood drain from my body. My hands trembled, and I clenched them tightly.
So Idris found out—
The family history I so desperately wanted to keep hidden. My shame.
“When I asked for help, he threatened me not to appear in front of you again. So—”
My father kept talking, but I heard nothing more.
Only the sound of my own heart pounding painfully.
Daaang—
When I came out after my bath, I faintly heard the chime signaling six o’clock sharp.
It was the unspoken time for dinner.
Leticia said she was visiting Count Florence’s household this afternoon.
Since she hadn’t mentioned skipping dinner, we’d probably eat together.
Idris returned to his bedroom intending to change before going down.
But someone was waiting outside his door.
“…Leticia?”
“I need to talk to you.”
“Not during dinner? Or were you so eager to see me you couldn’t wait that long?”
Normally, Leticia would have shot back a quip or acted shocked—but this time she didn’t react.
Idris immediately sensed something was different. When he looked closely, her eyes were twisted in pain.
For the first time in his life, he felt fear.
“…Let’s go inside and talk.”
Idris led Leticia into the room.
She got straight to the point.
“You met my father.”
At the unexpected subject, Idris frowned.
He hadn’t expected the man to just vanish forever, but he thought at least some time would pass before seeing him again.
I must have overestimated the baron.
Idris thought she might be angry at him.
After all, even though he’d done it for her sake, he had interfered in her private matters without permission.
But instead, Leticia bowed her head.
“I’m sorry… for dragging you into something unnecessary.”
His heart sank.
“Wait, Letici—”
“I’ll repay whatever amount my father borrowed as soon as you tell me. This won’t happen again. And…”
“…”
“I’m planning to move out of the mansion.”
“…”
“I already told Wig to book a hotel room. Tomorrow morning, I’ll—”
“You’re… moving out?”
At his question, Leticia looked up.
Her gaze was calm, but cold enough to sting.
“My father will come again. It’s better if I leave before you get dragged into this.”
“So you’re planning to face the baron alone.”
“This is my family’s matter.”
Her words held no hidden meaning.
She was simply stating a fact.
But it cut Idris more sharply than anything else.
She had drawn a clear line—
This isn’t your problem.
You must not cross this boundary.
It made him anxious, impatient.
“If you’re worried about me, just stay here. You know hotels can be dangerous, and more importantly, I really am fine—”
“I’m not fine.”
“…”
“…I’m not.”
Her voice shook, as did her eyes.
With Feidan, she had managed.
She was ashamed she had trusted such a man, but once divorced, they would be perfect strangers.
But her father was different.
No matter how much she drew a line or turned away, she could never erase the fact that she was the daughter of such a shameless man.
It was suffocating.
If she could sever herself from him, she would drain every drop of blood in her body to do so.
She didn’t want Idris to see the bottom of her shame. She didn’t want him to find out.
“So just…!”
Stop making me feel pathetic.
“Just do as I say. Please.”
Her father had always been the obstacle.
In her past life, she couldn’t cut him off. In this one, she had—but he still wouldn’t disappear.
The realization that she could never escape the chain of family unless one of them died was horrific.
She swallowed back the emotions surging up, trying to act fine, but she had reached her limit.
She turned away from Idris, almost running.
But she couldn’t get far—
Because of the hand that held her back.
“Leticia.”
“…”
“Look at me.”
She didn’t turn.
But Idris knew what her face must look like, what her heart must feel.
He had been there himself once.
And she had been the one to treat him when he’d bristled with thorns to hide his wounds.
Now, looking at her—neither pushing him away nor fully showing her pain—he spoke.
“Family can’t be your weakness.”
“…”
“I won’t attack you with a shame that isn’t your fault. And I won’t be disappointed in you.”
“…”
“So don’t run away.”
At that, Leticia’s tears fell.
Once they started, they wouldn’t stop.
She hadn’t wanted to show weakness.
She had never wanted to break down in front of anyone.
She feared that if someone knew her weakness, they would destroy her.
So she had built walls.
So no one would see she was weak. So no one would even think about breaking her again.
And yet—
How does he know exactly what I needed to hear?
The moment she heard those words, the emotions she had been holding back burst uncontrollably.
It was the first time she’d cried since returning to the past.
Even then, she didn’t sob aloud.
Idris quietly watched her trembling back, then gently embraced her.
“It’s all right.”
Until her shoulders finally stopped shaking.
