I Made a Mistake in my Confession. Can I Cancel it? - Chapter 14

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 14

“Please convey this well to His Grace the Archduke.”

Lillian smiled awkwardly as she received the business proposal the man handed her. Then the man offered a handshake.

“My wife hosts a social gathering, so if the Count’s Daughter has time, please come by once. Since we’ll be seeing each other often from now on, it would be good to get acquainted.”

“Yes.”

She couldn’t bring herself to refuse a request from a superior who was far above her station.

‘What power do they think I have to be doing this? In front of His Grace the Archduke, I’m just as powerless as anyone else…’

People who had no idea of the real situation whispered behind her back. Lillian threw off the apron she had been wearing.

‘I don’t want to bother him with something like this, but I can’t go on like this. I can’t live my life this way!’

She needed to meet His Grace the Archduke quickly and come up with a plan to deal with the rumors. Otherwise, it felt like she wouldn’t be able to endure it.

However, when Kartan actually heard Lillian’s story, he showed little interest. He merely skimmed through the various business proposals Lillian had brought instead of the documents he had been reading. Standing beside him with her hands clasped neatly together, she felt like she had come to tattle to a teacher.

“So, which part exactly is the problem?”

“Pardon? Well…”

She had naturally expected His Grace the Archduke to take it as seriously as she did, but this was unexpected. While Lillian couldn’t continue speaking, Kartan methodically went through the situation step by step.

“We are courting, that’s a fact. I’ve already received Baron Dante’s permission, and you’re no longer anyone else’s fiancée, so I don’t see what the problem is.”

Soon Kartan pushed back his chair and approached. Startled, Lillian instinctively stepped backward.

“It’s burdensome and also uncomfortable…”

“What’s burdensome? Are you trying to say it’s uncomfortable to be associated with me?”

‘Oh no!’

She had made a mistake by blurting out whatever came to mind. Lillian hurriedly shook her head.

“No, what I meant was— gasp…!”

The moment Kartan bent down to meet her gaze, she thought her heart would stop.

“Then what?”

“Well, I don’t mean Your Grace is like that… it’s just that people keep coming to see me, so it interferes with my work.”

Like her shrinking heart, her voice gradually grew smaller as well. Only then did his gaze turn to the business proposals on the desk.

‘Phew, I managed to get through that, right…?’

Somehow, the longer she spent time with His Grace the Archduke, the better she seemed to get at quick thinking.

“If that’s the case, I’ll take separate measures. Then there shouldn’t be any more problems, right?”

“Yes…”

Even though they had only talked briefly, she wanted to rest.

‘Nothing has really been resolved, but anyway, I’ve said everything I needed to say, so it should be okay to say I’m leaving now, right?’

It was when Lillian’s gaze turned toward the door. Suddenly, something hot and firm wrapped around her hand.

‘Is he… holding my hand right now?’

Lillian’s eyes widened as she looked back and forth between her captured hand and Kartan. No matter how she looked at it, he was definitely holding her hand, but he himself seemed completely unfazed.

“More importantly, isn’t there something more important between us? I thought you came to talk about that?”

“Pardon?”

The hot body temperature she felt from his hand made it seem like her palm would melt. Starting from her palm, sweat began flowing all over her body.

“His Majesty seems curious too, having heard the rumors.”

“His, His Majesty the Emperor?”

For a moment, it felt like being struck in the head. It was so sudden and frightening that her heart began pounding wildly.

‘Is this really okay?’

Her mind was in complete chaos. Her parents didn’t have the ability to repay the money they borrowed from him anyway, but from the beginning, they seemed to have no intention of doing so at all. The image of her mother kissing his business card was still vivid in her memory.

“For an audience with His Majesty the Emperor, isn’t it a bit… too early?”

“Why, because it’s burdensome and uncomfortable?”

“…”

Kartan, who had been staring down at Lillian with her head lowered, let out a quiet sigh.

“Never mind. I was just saying.”

Then, for whatever reason, he began pressing down on his own head with his palm. She wondered if it might be some new form of harassment, but it didn’t particularly seem that way.

Instead, feeling dizzy and trying to lean against the wall, she ended up grabbing his arm.

“What’s wrong? Do you feel like you’re going to collapse again?”

A suddenly warm hand touched her forehead.

“Are you feeling very unwell somewhere?”

“Oh, that’s…”

‘Could he possibly be worried about me?’

It felt awkward and strange somehow. Only then did Lillian release Kartan’s arm that she had been holding.

‘No way, that can’t be… There’s no way that’s it.’

“I’ve just always had a weak constitution.”

She wanted to say it was actually because of His Grace the Archduke, but she couldn’t handle the consequences. It would also be awkward to explain her illness in detail, so she gave a vague excuse.

Kartan remained silent for a long time. He just stared at her pale face for a while, then stepped back a considerable distance. It felt like she had become a patient with a contagious disease.

“It would be troublesome if you collapsed again.”

The moment she heard his quiet murmur, Lillian was overcome with a strange feeling.

“What do you mean by that?”

At Lillian’s question, Kartan only stared at her without answering. This made Lillian extremely anxious.

‘Does he possibly know about my condition?’

How could he know something that even her parents didn’t know? Moreover, patient privacy was protected by law. Even His Grace the Archduke shouldn’t be able to find out.

‘But wait, he’s someone who can even command His Majesty the Emperor, so what couldn’t he do?’

If he did know, just how much did he know about her? Kartan, meeting Lillian’s wavering eyes, lightly lifted the corners of his mouth.

“On the first day, you collapsed right after I accepted your confession. Don’t you remember?”

Ah. Realizing once again that she had gotten ahead of herself, Lillian let out a hollow laugh. Kartan, who had been staring at her, spoke.

“That’s the first time I’ve seen you laugh.”

In an instant, the smile disappeared from Lillian’s face.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

His Grace the Archduke seemed genuinely curious, but she didn’t know how to answer.

Was it because she was afraid of His Grace the Archduke,

Or because there was someone else in her heart,

Or perhaps because she was continuing this relationship while setting aside all these facts.

‘Am I doing something too terrible to His Grace the Archduke? Wouldn’t it be better to just tell him the truth now? While there’s still a chance to turn back, even a little…’

After struggling with herself, Lillian finally opened her mouth with difficulty.

“Um, Your Grace the Archduke. Actually…”

In an instant, Kartan’s expression hardened coldly. He turned around and sat at his desk as he spoke.

“I’m busy, so please leave now.”

“But…!”

Lillian, who was about to continue speaking, saw his clenched fist and had no choice but to close her mouth.

“Don’t. Just pretend you didn’t hear anything.”

Something was definitely wrong. This time she wasn’t mistaken. He was different from his usual self. His expression and tone seemed angry as usual, but his clenched hand was trembling.

It was like someone hanging from a single rope at the bottom of a cliff. He looked desperate and even urgent.

“I understand. You seem busy, so I’ll take my leave now.”

He didn’t say a single word until she bowed and left the room.

* * *

Left alone, Kartan took out an old plain box from his drawer. Inside was a single faded leaf and a love letter. Kartan read the brief message written on the love letter.

“I have liked you for a very long time.”

His hand naturally tightened, but he couldn’t bring himself to crumple it up.

It was because the handwriting was so pretty and gentle.

In truth, he knew too. That he wasn’t the intended recipient of this confession.

Of course he would know, since Kartan had been watching Lillian for a long time already.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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