Chapter 232: Chapter 232

Isella quickly ducked down. It was Carynne. She calmed her pounding heart and hoped they would pass by quickly. She wasn’t ready to face Carynne yet.

But the two continued their conversation right above her.

“Miss Isella has been missing since this morning. I had something to discuss with her…”

“Actually, I had an appointment with Miss Isella today, but she didn’t show up, so I came here.”

“What? She has an appointment with you, Sir Zion?”

Oops.

The person speaking with Carynne was Zion. Isella realized that she had forgotten her date with Zion because she had been so preoccupied with Carynne. They were supposed to visit an artist’s salon together today. Isella felt resentful toward Carynne.

“When did you last see her?”

“Well, we visited the hospital together yesterday… Miss Isella said she would head back first… When I came out, she was already gone… Oh my, I haven’t seen her since.”

“Are you saying she didn’t come back last night?”

Zion’s voice grew urgent.

Isella was flustered, wondering if she should stand up and announce her presence with ‘I’m right here’. But she felt embarrassed about getting up now after hiding.

“Yes, it’s really worrying. Should we report her missing?”

“Maybe we should contact the Evans estate.”

“Oh dear, perhaps we should. I’ll send a telegram to the estate and head to report her missing.”

No!

Isella panicked but couldn’t get up even as she heard Carynne’s footsteps fading away. What should she do? What should she say?

“Isella, you can come out now.”

“……”

“I can see you…”

“Yes…”

Isella stood up, her face turning bright red. Zion looked at her with a mix of confusion and concern. She regretted not standing up earlier, but there was no turning back time. Zion moved with Isella to a more secluded spot.

“……”

“…Actually, Miss Carynne signaled to me with her finger. She could see you, too.”

“I-Is that so?”

Isella’s face stiffened. She had been avoiding them, but they had both noticed. Carynne would surely ask her about it later. What should she say?

“…Is something wrong?”

“Actually…”

Isella tried to speak but found herself at a loss for words.

“The thing is…”

She wanted to confess immediately and defer the decision. If it were a simple matter of a romantic relationship, she would have told him straight away.

But the issue was too big. No matter how much she liked Sir Zion, she couldn’t reveal that Carynne, an unmarried woman, was pregnant. It was too sensitive a matter.

“Isella, come here.”

Seeing that Isella couldn’t speak, Zion took off his coat and laid it on the ground. He then gestured for her to sit.

When Isella hesitated and sat on the coat, Zion plopped down next to her on the bare ground.

“But the ground is dirty.”

“It’s fine. This coat is easy to wash.”

“…Alright.”

Zion plucked a rose from a nearby bush and handed it to Isella. When she accepted it, he asked,

“Do you despise me?”

“What? Why?”

“Because I plucked this rose. Isn’t it strange to give something that isn’t mine?”

“No.”

Isella shook her head.

Zion smiled and skillfully placed the rose in her hair.

“I actually don’t have any money.”

“…I know.”

“Before I came, I thought about what gift would suit you, but nothing came to mind. In fact, I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. But all I confirmed was that I have very little to offer.”

Compared to Isella, Zion was just a poor commoner. Isella’s affection for him was based purely on his appearance. He wasn’t like Raymond, who had noble blood and usefulness. It was an unstable and fleeting affection.

“But I want to listen to your story earnestly. Even if that’s all I can do, I want to give my best. I want to listen and think about it together with you. Will you allow me to do that?”

* * *

“Sir Raymond, aren’t you being a bit too careless these days? Where were you last month? I had something for you to do.”

Marquis Penceir sat in the restaurant, looking at Raymond with cold eyes.

Raymond, who had not even taken a seat yet, stopped in his tracks. He had suspected something was wrong ever since the marquis contacted him, but to be spoken to like this before even sitting down meant the marquis was very upset.

“I apologize, Marquis. I had matters to resolve with my brother at that time.”

Raymond answered in a slightly awkward voice, thinking about his brother. In the past, when he had no memory, he couldn’t give up on his brother for a long time. He had believed that his brother would someday return to his good self.

However, after remembering his brother’s constant deaths over more than a hundred iterations, he could give up quickly. Thinking only of Carynne was enough, and more than anything, he thought it was better to quickly give up on those who needed to be given up on.

“If it’s Baron Saytes, I understand. Has his condition improved?”

“…He’s gotten much better, thank you for your concern.”

No, Baron Saytes’s condition would never improve.

He always died early. Walking around drunk and high, he would fall into a creek and drown. His life was always violent.

For Raymond, his wife was enough family. He had already accepted that his older brother had died when he was still a child.

However, Raymond saw Carynne folding a letter and writing the address on the envelope. This lifetime, Carynne was doing things she had never done before. She looked after each maid, thought of her family, and took care of Isella Evans.

So Raymond decided to do his best within his limits. Baron Saytes wasn’t getting better, but Raymond still looked after him. Instead, he took away his authority as a baron.

“That’s good to hear. But that’s not the only reason I called you. You know that, right?”

The marquis had not summoned him for just one reason. As he arranged his schedule, the marquis continued speaking to Raymond.

“There’s been some unsavory gossip about you lately.”

“I don’t pay attention to rumors that aren’t true.”

“It doesn’t matter whether they’re true or not. What’s more important is what kind of rumors are spreading. Don’t you understand the importance of maintaining a good reputation when needed? Prince Lewis is concerned about you.”

Raymond thought about the rumors circulating about him. It seemed Zion had been working hard, and the rumors had even reached the marquis. With a genuinely displeased face, the marquis spoke to Raymond.

“I can’t understand why you broke off your engagement with that girl Isella. She’s still a valuable asset.”

“There’s someone else who genuinely cares for her.”

“If that someone is Sir Zion, then I might actually buy you a decent lunch today.”

“No need. I’ll keep it light.”

“…Really?”

“Yes.”

The marquis stopped his writing and called for his attendant. When the attendant, who had been standing outside, entered, the marquis gestured to Raymond. He ordered only a cup of tea.

“It’s been a while since we’ve met outside the office.”

“…It seems I’ve misjudged you. To break ties with Verdic over such a trivial reason… and for Sir Zion, no less?”

Marquis Penceir harbored resentment against Verdic. The conflicts had intensified, and weapon prices had skyrocketed since Verdic Evans began meddling with the distribution of military supplies.

Raymond was merely a pawn to him. One of the links to Verdic.

It would have been fortunate if someone among Isella or Raymond’s subordinates maintained ties, but if it were Zion, things would be different. Verdic would never be satisfied with Zion. He was far inferior to Raymond.

Verdic would undoubtedly find it suspicious and might dig deeper.

A brief investigation into Zion’s background would immediately lead to Raymond. Delving into their relationship would naturally reveal their military and academy connections, and the marquis would not be far removed either. Using Zion as a replacement for Raymond was not a good choice for the marquis.