Chapter 15
***
BANG!
The door slammed shut roughly, and Olivia was alone.
A lump rose in her throat. Had she done well? Had she looked nonchalant?
She hoped so.
Yesterday's events were just a one-night stand, and now she had to act rationally.
Become Theodore's wife. Strangely, the words seemed unreal. She had never thought he would want her.
Even with the dull ache in her lower extremities, the night before seemed like a dream. She could still feel the feel of his kiss lingering on her lips, and she traced her finger across her lips longingly.
"Our marriage.”
Theodore said it like it was a given.
But for Olivia, it couldn't be a given. She must leave. If he got caught up in this again, she didn't think she could take it anymore.
Tears threatened to fall, so she kept her head down for a moment, wordlessly, before finally dabbing at the corners of her eyes with her cuffs. She wished she had a mirror.
When she opened the door, convinced that there was no pain in her throat or water on her eyelashes, the Marquis of Ascensio and Henry, the old butler, stood there looking uncomfortable. Olivia grew uneasy, afraid that they would discover that she had cried.
"Are you all right, I hope Theodore hasn't said something harsh to you?"
Marquis of Ascensio asked. Henry also looked concerned.
Olivia put on a forced, nonchalant smile.
"Nothing like that, do I look very tired?"
"Lady...."
Henry blurted out, knowing it was impolite in the presence of the Marquis of Ascensio. Olivia gave him a slight shake of her head to indicate that it was okay, then spoke in a normal voice.
"More than that, I wanted to ask you something, Marquis."
"Of course. Ask me anything."
"When can I expect to receive my share of the estate?"
If possible, let's spread the story of how a greedy woman possessed the sick and delirious Count Lutgard and stole his fortune. Failing that, make sure Lutgard would not be implicated.
It was a sorry state of mind for those who would be involved in her future endeavors, but it was how she felt.
At her question, the Marquis of Ascensio could not hide his bewilderment.
"You have decided not to marry Theodore?"
"...Yes. To be Countess Lutgard isn't bad, but it's not quite the same as having a fortune of my own to spend."
Olivia hoped she sounded impudent enough. It worked, and the Marquis of Ascensio's expression changed slightly.
But he answered meekly.
"If Theodore agrees, it shouldn't take too long."
"Do you need his consent, even if I don’t want to marry him?"
"Normally, if a proposal is rejected, that's the end of it, but Pavel apparently didn't expect you to say no.... In the fine print, he wrote down what happens if Theodore says no, but he didn't write down what happens if you say no. So we'll need to organize that beforehand."
"I see."
Olivia replied calmly.
"I'm thinking about appointing a lawyer and an estate manager, and I'll let you know when I decide."
"Alright."
Once again, the Marquis of Ascensio looked surprised. He was surprised that Olivia would already be thinking about such practical matters when the funeral had only been held yesterday.
He felt a mixture of relief that Olivia would be okay, and a little sadness for Pavel; he didn't think he needed to worry more.
***
Olivia parted ways with the Marquis of Ascensio and returned to the west tower.
The bedsheets had already been changed, and the room was airy and untouched by the night before. Olivia sat down on the bed, feeling strangely sad and a little tired.
Tap.
Then there was a knock on the door. She sighed, wondering if she could have gotten a moment's rest, and Mary opened the door.
"Miss, are you okay?"
She had tidied up the room and was worried about Olivia, who hadn't left the west tower until now.
"What did the master say? Apparently, the wedding is six months away, and we're supposed to set the date? It doesn't look good to have a wedding so soon after a funeral, even if it's because of a will?"
"I'm not getting married."
Mary's mouth hung open for a moment in surprise at Olivia's words, then exclaimed. She knew it was impolite to address her master, but she couldn't help herself.
"No! How could the Master do that! After what he and the young lady did last night!"
"Mary."
"Yes, even on the day of the old master's funeral, and to think that he could satisfy his own greed and not...!"
"I refused."
"What?"
Mary exclaimed, startled.
"Why?"
"Mary, this is my business."
"You love Lutgard, my lady, and who better to be the Countess of Lutgard than you? That's why the old master made such a will...."
"Mary."
Olivia's voice was finally reproving. Mary quickly shut her mouth and bowed her head, as if realizing she was being presumptuous of her maid's status.
"I'm sorry," she said, "but I'm just so frustrated...."
"No. I can see that you're saying that because you care about me. But I don't want to burden you with this. Last night was a mistake, a mutual mistake."
"Miss...."
Mary looked at Olivia with a pitying look, as if Olivia had failed to feign nonchalance. Facing Mary, she spoke calmly.
"I'm leaving Lutgard."
"What?"
"You know, the Count is no longer here, and what am I going to do here? He left me a sizable sum of money, and I'm going to use it to go to the capital and live in luxury."
"Miss...."
Mary hesitated, but then broke into a wide smile.
"Yes, that's all very well, and what's the point of staying in this house when all the relatives are so bad? You've been suffering for years, and you should take this opportunity to rest and do lots of fun things."
Olivia just smiled because she knew she was doing it for her own good. Then, after a slight hesitation, she asked.
"So, speaking of which, will you come with me?"
Mary's eyes widened. Olivia continued.
"It's probably not what you think it is, but I'll pay you a lot more than you make here. I'm rich now."
Olivia knew she was putting Mary in a dangerous situation. But she needed someone she could trust, and most of all, she needed to take her with her to keep last night's events a secret.
Mary, who hadn't guessed her thoughts, looked surprised and said with delight.
"If I don't follow the lady, who will? Don't worry, I've decided to serve my lady until she becomes a grandmother!"
"Thank you."
Olivia said with a big smile.
"Now, come on, help me pack."
"What?"
"I'll be leaving early tomorrow morning, and I'm not asking you to come with me right away. You can help me pack, and then you can go home first, because you'll have to say goodbye and get your things in order, and I'll talk to the butler about your situation."
Mary made a blank face. While she fetched her suitcase, Olivia calmly wrote several letters, as if she had been preparing for this for a long time. First to the lawyer and the person she would hire to manage the estate, then to Mary, to leave a note of where and when she would meet her, and to anyone else who might be where she needed to be.
If possible, she would leave as soon as possible; this was not about running away from Theodore.
Three days after the funeral, a messenger from the imperial court would arrive. Nominally to discuss Theodore’s succession, but there's a reason they'd already sent a condolence and then another a few days later.
The will had been made public, and Schwaben had learned that Pavel Lutgard’s foster daughter was not the illegitimate child born to him and Lady Peril.
In other words, this was the first action Schwaben took in doubting the existence of Princess Olivia.
***
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