If You Wish to Have Me - Chapter 123

The charge was nothing other than leaking critical royal confidential information.

Moreover, the recipient was Jackeu. Due to the fierce war that had raged for a full five years in the not-so-distant past, they were still bitter enemies with deep emotional wounds.

Even though he was the heir to the Marquis Lowens family… no, rather because he was in a position that should serve as an example to the people, it would be difficult to escape stern judgment.

A chilling premonition crossed Daniel’s mind.

‘If this continues, it’s the end.’

Nine times out of ten, the king would be furious, and the chances of Marquis Lowens actively defending his son before such an enraged king were slim.

This was especially true after he had already disobeyed his father’s orders to remain in quiet reflection at the villa.

The faces of his brothers, who would whisper in the marquis’s ear after he had been thoroughly disappointed in his eldest son, came to mind.

Those who were always watching for any opportunity to push their eldest brother aside and seize the position of heir.

‘No!’

While Marquis Lowens was fundamentally someone who cherished his children considerably and tolerated a certain degree of waywardness, he was no different from other nobles in that he valued the family above any individual child.

Regardless of believing in his son’s innocence, he was someone who could boldly abandon him if necessary.

“Now, come along quietly.”

Daniel looked around at the faces of the investigators approaching to restrain him.

He knew instinctively that if he were dragged away quietly from here, the opportunity to prove his innocence would never come.

He had to escape immediately, by any means necessary.

It was just as Daniel was thinking of the knife in his coat’s inner pocket.

“Excuse me, what’s happening? Has there been some problem with the person staying in this room?”

At the unfamiliar voice from the doorway, everyone’s attention in the room turned in that direction.

It was Brother Emil. The monk who had appeared in outdoor clothes with a puzzled expression existed for only an extremely brief moment, but it was enough to create a gap among the investigators.

Daniel quickly drew his knife and threatened the people with it.

“H-hey! Put that knife away! Daniel Lowens!”

“Don’t come closer! If you do, I’ll stab you!”

Of course, he had no real intention of stabbing anyone.

No matter how confident he was in his physical abilities, facing multiple investigators with just one knife would be insufficient.

Since they had also moved with basic weapons in preparation for such situations, Daniel’s true aim lay elsewhere.

Crash! With a sharp shattering sound, he threw himself through the broken window without hesitation.

The fact that the room was on the second floor was perfect luck at this moment.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, Daniel drew upon all his strength and ran at full speed down the street.

His ankle, which he had twisted upon landing, ached, but he had no leisure to worry about such things.

Now was the time to run.

First, he would hide somewhere safe and then plan for the future.

With only that single thought, Daniel continued running through the night streets, pushing through the crowds.

“…….”

Even after Daniel’s story ended, Hazel remained silent for some time.

In the quiet tea shop, Daniel glared into space and growled.

“It’s obvious who set this trap without even looking. Seyard Hillan, that bastard. Just wait and see. I’ll definitely clear my name and destroy that guy.”

“…….”

“To do that, first I need to shake off the investigators’ pursuit. Damn it, our relationship has become too famous. They’ll surely storm this place within a few hours. This time, I desperately need your help, Hazel.”

“…….”

“I’ll be indebted to you in various ways for a while, including a place to hide. Don’t worry too much. I have some shame, so you only need to prepare two meals a day for me. Instead, I’d like you to meet the people I tell you about on my behalf. Let’s start quickly. The first person to meet is… Hazel?”

When there was no reaction from Hazel, Daniel looked at her face carefully for the first time today.

“Daniel.”

Hazel finally spoke, meeting the gaze of the man sitting across from her with an expressionless face.

“According to the story you just told, you came to the capital quite some time ago.”

“Yes. Including the time I spent observing the situation here after arriving, it’s been just under a month.”

“And you gained your freedom by escaping from the villa much earlier than that?”

“That’s right, but… what’s the point of that?”

Daniel raised his eyebrows irritably.

From his perspective, he couldn’t understand why Hazel was asking about trivial matters when investigators could arrive at any moment.

“That’s not what’s important right now. There’s no time. I need to hide as soon as possible.”

“…….”

After staring at Daniel for a moment, Hazel slowly exhaled.

“Alright, Daniel. Tell me. How should I help you? I heard about the meals, and should I do your laundry as well?”

The anxious man failed to read that subtle tone.

“Laundry sounds good. I’m grateful for your labor. But there’s something more urgent I’d like to ask of you.”

“…….”

“Please meet Robin Stampfer, who was both my friend and a member of our group.”

“Mr. Stampfer?”

“He works for the royal court too, doesn’t he? He might find a breakthrough to clear my name. I can trust Robin. During our study abroad, he was the one who most agreed with my thoughts and opinions.”

“I understand. Is there anything else?”

“Ah, and please tell me where the house you lived in with your former husband is. You definitely said it was in the capital before, right?”

“Huh? That house, why…?”

“Obviously, this place is well-known, and if they’re investigators, they’ll quickly figure out the house where you currently live. But that house is different.”

Daniel clearly remembered the personal details she had casually mentioned before.

“You said that after your former husband died, things became complicated with inheritance issues involving his blood relatives, so the ownership became unclear, right?”

“…That’s right.”

“But Hazel manages it?”

“That’s right. I go there occasionally to clean, that’s about it.”

“I’ll stay there for the time being. I promise I won’t touch the things in the house as much as possible.”

Hazel didn’t give any particular answer, but Daniel took her silence as permission and continued the conversation.

“Now, please tell me the location of that place.”

A moment later, Hazel finally seemed to make up her mind and got up to bring paper and pen.

“It would be better to draw you a map.”

“Thank you.”

“Daniel, but did I tell you what kind of person my former husband was?”

Hazel asked while drawing lines on the paper with scratching sounds.

“I didn’t hear the detailed story.”

“He was the son of a well-known merchant in the capital. He even had a fiancée from a good background that his family had arranged for him. But he loved insignificant me, so despite his family’s opposition, he left the family and married me.”

“It was a very romantic love.”

“Well, because of that story, his family still really hates me. Enough to not want to hand over even one insignificant house.”

“Ah, I see.”

Daniel responded half-heartedly while constantly looking toward the direction of the front door.

Whether she knew his impatient heart or not, Hazel leisurely continued her story.

“I miss those times. My husband often told me I was like a sweet dessert to him.”

Just as Daniel, unable to bear it any longer, was about to urge her on, Hazel put down her pen.

“Here it is. It’s not a proper place, but stay as comfortably as you want.”

Some color returned to Daniel’s face as he received the map she handed him.

“Thank you so much, Hazel. Without you, I would have been truly lost.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“Ah, this isn’t the time for this. I’ll be going now.”

Daniel hurried toward the entrance, but just before opening the door, he looked back at Hazel.

“When our situation improves, let’s hold meetings here again like before. Pleasant and enjoyable meetings.”

Hazel answered with a smile, and after saying they’d meet again, he left the shop.

How much time had passed after the man left?

Hazel looked down at the teacup remaining on the table and weakly muttered to herself.

“That’s impossible, Daniel. Who would accept our invitation?”

Since Daniel had left for recuperation, none of the meeting members had visited this place.

Who would want to maintain friendship with a woman notorious for stealing someone else’s fiancé?

In fact, not only them, but now even regular customers avoided the Willow Tree tea shop.

Due to financial difficulties, Hazel had no choice but to let the employees go and manage the shop alone.

Naturally, her strength alone was insufficient, so the condition of the shop was terrible.

“But you wouldn’t see that.”

The man who, despite gaining his freedom long ago, hadn’t sent her even a single letter. The man who appeared now only when he was in need.

Until just moments ago, Hazel had been thinking of her former husband while looking at Daniel.

A few nights before he died in an unfortunate carriage accident, he had confessed while drunk that he regretted marrying Hazel.

Even love ultimately couldn’t overcome an impoverished life.

“…Snacks are only delicious when they’re snacks; they can’t become a main meal. I didn’t know that back then.”

So I hoped the engagement wouldn’t be broken off.

Drawing back the curtain by the window, she murmured as if sighing.

Beyond the horizon, the end of their relationship was approaching along with the dawn sun.

****

In his bedroom where dim sunlight was filtering in, the man was looking down at his sleeping lover.

He had merely been admiring her peacefully sleeping form, but before he knew it, the curtain of night was being lifted.

“I’m sorry, Kisa.”

He whispered quietly in the ear of his partner, who showed no sign of stirring due to the effects of the sleeping pill.

“I didn’t want to go this far, but today there was something I had to take care of without your knowledge.”

Of all days, the day she opened the secret room coincided with the day the prey took the bait.

He absolutely didn’t want to miss that moment he had been so eagerly awaiting – the moment when Kisa would remember their memories.

If possible, from beside her…

“He has arrived.”

At that moment, Gilliam, standing at the door, informed him.

It was time to confirm the end of the prey that had been troublesome due to being more cautious than expected.

The man brushed back his lover’s hair once before getting up from beside the bed.

Then he headed to his study and asked a certain figure who had been waiting for him.

“Did you handle it well?”

“Of course. Here, I properly brought the luggage too.”

The robed figure placed a modest bag on the table with a thud and sighed.

“Brother Emil really… If he had just pretended not to see until the end, he could have preserved his personal safety.”

“It was probably a matter of what’s called conscience.”

“Well, anyway! With this, all the problems that were troubling Lord Vischer have been resolved.”

At those words, the red-haired man smiled broadly.

“It’s Seyard now. Brother Vishius.”