If You Wish to Have Me - Chapter 132

In truth, the Count also knew Daniel’s personality and temperament well, having known him for a long time.

And if he was certain that there was someone who had trapped Daniel in a snare, it wouldn’t be too difficult to deduce who it was.

Someone who had recently come into conflict with Daniel and possessed both the ability and audacity to orchestrate such a scheme.

That man known to the world as Seyard Hillan. The very opponent Daniel had been desperately trying to bring down until their last meeting.

‘So he has already made his move……’

Using Count Theodore, who had secretly attached himself to him, he had instead cast Daniel into the abyss.

He hadn’t thought the man would remain idle, but he never expected him to go this far.

Still, it was beyond imagination that Daniel, who had the background of being Lowens’ heir, would be brought down so swiftly.

‘What a disaster.’

Given the nature of the crime of leaking classified information, rather than some other offense, there was a high possibility that even basic visitation would be impossible.

Not only Count Vansfelt, but even his father, Marquis Lowens, would find it difficult to meet with him.

No, to avoid suspicion of being accomplices, it would be best not even to attempt a meeting.

If lucky, life imprisonment; if not, execution by hanging.

Kisa recalled the passage she had seen in the newspaper and swallowed a despairing sigh.

Given who the opponent was, even knowing it was a false accusation, she felt no particular sympathy and was merely disheartened.

‘When I found him disgusting, he persistently sought me out to torment me, but when I actually need him, he’s utterly useless, Daniel Lowens.’

A man intoxicated by his own arrogance, looking down on others.

It was precisely that arrogance that had blinded Daniel.

The fact that he was charging into deep, thick darkness, the fact that there was a traitor beside him, the fact that the last person he went to was not on his side…….

He would have known none of this until the cruel reality manifested before his eyes.

‘What a fool.’

Being attacked by thugs acting on Seyard’s orders and then confined to the villa by Marquis Lowens had been his last chance.

“Surely you don’t have any lingering feelings?”

The Count’s sudden question awakened Kisa from her reverie.

The man with narrowed eyes spoke while gazing at the teacup placed on the low table.

“Are you now feeling sorry for Daniel and wanting to save him, or wanting to start over with him?”

“……You’re not asking seriously, are you?”

When Kisa responded with such a question to what sounded utterly absurd, the Count shrugged his shoulders.

“Then that’s fortunate. There’s no need to waste more time on such an unpleasant topic.”

His tone sounded quite cold.

“It’s not as if we’re strangers, and you should know about Daniel’s current situation, so I mentioned it. Though it’s unfortunate for that fellow, don’t pay it too much mind.”

“Father.”

“Daniel must have had his own resolve to do such a thing.”

“Wait a moment, Father.”

Their gazes met in the air.

“Now you know, don’t you? How dangerous that person is.”

The Count seemed to want to avoid mentioning it and move on, but Kisa couldn’t do that.

Not mentioning the name was her best effort to avoid irritating her father.

“Even Daniel, who was supposed to inherit the Marquis Lowens house, ended up in such a state.”

“Well, Daniel had a personality that made enemies everywhere without being particularly useful.”

“There’s no law saying Vansfelt won’t catch that person’s eye someday.”

“You’re worrying about something that may never happen.”

“I’m not confident. How can I guarantee that I can live well with that person for the rest of my life?”

Kisa, her shoulders trembling slightly, lowered her already small voice even further.

“I have no idea what that person is thinking. He cherishes me now, but I can’t gauge how long that affection will last.”

Even as she spoke these words, she keenly felt that this alone wouldn’t win her father over.

Though there was no one like Daniel present to lend weight to her argument, to persuade the Count, Kisa had to reveal at least some of the tremendous truth she knew.

“Don’t be shocked when you hear this, Father. That person, in the past, actually…”

Kisa was about to say “led his own brother to death,” but in the next moment, she had to shut her mouth.

“Enough. Stop this.”

Count Vansfelt raised his hand, showing strong refusal.

“Whatever you say, my mind won’t change, and what has already begun cannot be undone.”

“B-but Father…….”

“Seeing you keep spouting such nonsense, you must be very tired. Go and rest now.”

It was an excuse that even Count Vansfelt himself didn’t believe.

What reason would Kisa, who had been resting at home for the past few days, have to be fatigued?

This was an expression of his firm will to dismiss whatever Kisa might say as nonsense.

“You just think about the upcoming wedding and stay quietly at home to recuperate.”

It also contained his intention to see this marriage through no matter what.

Even if it went directly against the wishes of his daughter, the person most concerned.

“…….”

Kisa sat staring at her father for a while, then rose from her seat weakly.

She then left Count Vansfelt’s study without leaving any proper farewell.

Having grown up under him her entire life, she understood her father’s temperament very well.

As long as the Count maintained such an attitude, no appeals or logic would work.

‘……It was impossible after all.’

To the Count, his daughter’s happiness was not worth considering at all, and even the misfortune of his friend Marquis Lowens and his son Daniel was not enough of a threat to make him abandon an opportunity that would bring significant benefits to the family.

She had known her father was such a person. Knowing this, she had still harbored a “what if” expectation, grasping at straws.

However, feeling a bitter pain in her chest for some reason, Kisa returned to her room.

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, since she hadn’t been emotionally dependent on her father, she quickly regained rational thinking.

‘At least it’s fortunate that I stopped talking before revealing deeper matters to Father.’

Count Vansfelt would most likely think that Kisa’s change of opinion about marriage was simply due to discord with Seyard.

Who would ever arrive at the shocking truth that the great Duke Hillan had murdered his own brother and then impersonated his dead brother?

Even Kisa herself would have found it difficult to know for her entire life if he hadn’t subtly guided her to it.

‘At most, he’ll assume that frequent meetings led to discord between us, and that his tender-hearted daughter was hurt by something Seyard said in anger.’

That was exactly the kind of person Kisa was to the Count.

A daughter raised delicately like a greenhouse flower, lacking strong will and endlessly fragile.

Honestly speaking, it was a somewhat unfair assessment, but for now, it was beneficial that he thought of her that way.

Otherwise, he would have interrogated her to find out why his daughter had changed her mind.

‘And if he had judged it a serious matter, he would have had the servants monitor my every move to prevent me from doing anything foolish.’

That would be problematic in many ways. Since she couldn’t gain the Count’s cooperation anyway, Kisa had to escape Seyard’s grasp with her own strength.

Now, this was the biggest problem from here on.

What method should she use to avoid him?

‘After the wedding is too late.’

The moment she married, Kisa would become a person of Hillan and step completely into his domain.

Shaking off his influence would be several times more difficult than before marriage.

‘There is the marriage contract I wrote with him, but it’s practically useless.’

It wasn’t even officially notarized, and above all, marriage was held sacred both customarily and religiously, making it difficult to annul based solely on a pre-marital contract.

From the beginning, Kisa had made the contract believing more in Seyard’s humanity and that someone of Duke Hillan’s stature would have no reason to hold onto someone as insignificant as herself, rather than the contract’s legal effectiveness.

Back then, she never dreamed that Seyard harbored such abnormal obsession toward her.

She couldn’t imagine even a fingernail’s worth that he would meekly let Kisa go two years after marriage based on some mere contract.

‘If breaking the engagement won’t work and divorce won’t work either……’

There was only one path left.

Flight. Abandoning everything and secretly departing for a place no one knew.

That was the only means to escape from that man who claimed to love her so much.

Kisa’s heart pounded violently.

Could she really do it?

If she went out into the world hiding her identity, she would have to survive with just her bare body, without the protection of family and status.

She would have to work like a commoner and provide for her meals and lodging entirely through her own strength.

‘Is that possible for me?’

Actually, if she truly wanted to flee from Seyard, this wasn’t a matter of whether it was possible or not, but something she had to do.

However, knowing her limitations all too well, she couldn’t help but hesitate.

‘I should be able to cover transportation costs and temporary lodging expenses with the money I’ve saved up. But how long can I live on that?’

Could she find a suitable job before the money ran out?

Creating a new identity would also cost quite a bit of money – how would she arrange for that?

No, before that, where should she go? To which place should she flee to avoid searches by Count Vansfelt and Seyard?

Various overwhelming questions arose one after another, occupying Kisa’s mind.

But then the next day, something miraculous happened.

A completely unexpected person extended a helping hand.

“Would you accept this?”

The woman who faced Kisa in front of the main gate of the Vansfelt mansion handed her a heavy sack.

“I’ve taken out only the money I need from the reward. I’d like to give you the rest.”

It was Daniel’s woman, Hazel Turdy, whom she thought she’d never see again.