Chapter 168

* * *

When Lennox hurriedly left the main temple, a black panther suddenly appeared from nowhere.

(Hey.)

The cheerful-looking black panther immediately conveyed its message.

(Our lady finally realized.)

“‘Our’?”

Lennox narrowed his eyes.

He was aware of the sly spirit’s keen interest in Juliet lately. Juliet never mentioned it, but the panther was often by her side, always attentive.

With a sigh, Lennox brushed his hair back.

“Where is Juliet?”

He had suspected this since the Pope sent the mirror.

* * *

“Are you okay, Juliet?”

Juliet lifted her head at the sound of the voice.

Emma, with wide eyes full of concern, whispered:

“You’ve looked pale since earlier.”

“I’m fine.”

Juliet tried to smile.

Emma brought Juliet to the residence of her grandmother, Madam Ilena.

The reputable Madam Ilena’s salon was bustling with guests, and Juliet was surrounded by Emma’s sisters and the lady’s acquaintances.

Charlotte, Emma’s older sister, poured tea into Juliet’s empty cup.

“It’s lemon tea. It’ll warm you up.”

Only after holding the warm cup did Juliet realize her hands were cold.

Juliet pretended to listen to the conversations around the tea table, but her mind was elsewhere.

That woman, Dahlia…

‘Elizabeth was the snake…’

She had suspected that she wasn’t just a regular being. But she never anticipated that she wasn’t even a living being. Spirits don’t have gender, so it might not even be female.

As she gently stirred her sunset-colored tea, Juliet pondered deeply.

‘So, the thing Lennox was chasing was that snake.’

She remembered him heading south in search of the relic.

After obtaining the relic, he showed no interest in it, to the point that it was worthless to search for it for over a dozen years.

‘He wasn’t bound to the relic.’

As the panther spirit informed her, the snake spirit consumed humans to grow stronger and was free to roam outside of its relic.

The spirit trapped in the relic was that yellow snake…

And that snake consumed humans…

‘I seem to have incurred the wrath of that evil spirit.’

But why? For what reason?

Juliet glared at the innocent tea cup.

She hadn’t done anything to earn such animosity. Especially not in her previous life, which had no ties to artifacts or spirits.

‘I don’t understand.’

She wanted to rush to Lennox and ask, but she was overwhelmed with where to start.

“Oh my goodness!”

Juliet looked up at the exclamation to see everyone’s eyes on the entrance of the room. A baby had woken from a nap and was entering the room in a nanny’s arms.

Emma’s third sister, Amelia, reached out to hold the baby.

“Oh, how cute!”

“Your eyes look just like Charlotte.”

Guests surrounded the nanny and Charlotte, admiring the baby. Compliments about the baby resembling its mother were exchanged.

“What do you think, Juliet? Would you like to hold her?”

“Oh, no, I…,” Juliet began, but Charlotte smoothly handed the swaddled baby over without waiting for an answer.

Although Juliet’s awkward posture holding the baby was corrected by Charlotte, she still commented:

“… It’s small.”

“Isn’t it?”

Emma, excited, boasted:

“The tiny fingers and nails are also fascinating.”

It was indeed amazing to see much smaller fingers and nails in Emma’s hands.

As Juliet held the doll-like tiny baby, she couldn’t help but feel a strange emotion.

‘A baby.’

For the first time in a while, Juliet’s heart felt strangely at ease, but suddenly, a certain thought crossed her mind.

When she first encountered Dalia.

At that time, Juliet was pushed to her limit.

Will Lennox kick her out one day or another, or will her child be taken away? Those thoughts clouded her mind.

[Those with desires are easily deceived; be cautious.]

Even the foolish Marquis Guinness and Second Prince, enchanted by Dalia’s malevolent spirit, were blinded by their greed.

If Juliet’s understanding was correct, the malevolent spirit exploited the weak aspects of people. The yellow snake had the ability to subtly provoke those with desires, leading them to destruction.

Smart.

“Apologies for the interruption, madam. There is a visitor.”

Seemingly tense, the butler appeared at the entrance and announced the arrival of a guest.

The curious gazes of the people gathered in the reception room shifted entirely toward the entrance.

“Oh my…”

“Is that Duke Carlyle?”

Until then, Juliet, who was carefully holding Charlotte’s baby, met eyes with a familiar man. However, Lennox merely exchanged glances with Juliet and said nothing of significance.

Juliet, after handing the baby back to Charlotte, greeted with a slight smile.

“I had fun at the party, Emma. I’ll visit again next time.”

“Ah, yes…”

“Let’s go.”

Juliet whispered as she gently pulled Lennox by the arm.

No one tried to keep the departing couple.

The carriage of Duke Carlyle left the Madam’s mansion.

“Your Highness.”

When the red curtain was drawn and the noise was blocked, Juliet suddenly spoke.

“I saw Elizabeth today.”

Juliet spoke distantly, gazing out of the window.

“That snake.”

Lennox suddenly found himself watching Juliet.

Juliet seemed fine, at least she didn’t look angry, and he was relieved.

“I’ve been pondering what to ask first… but now I think I know.”

Juliet spoke softly as if to calm her breathing.

Outside the window, a quite noisy scene was passing by in celebration of Lent. Yet, Juliet’s voice had a gentle but peculiar strength.

“I once asked for forgiveness.”

Lennox immediately understood which time Juliet was referring to.

“Your Highness was angry, I was crying, it was a mess.”

Without even looking at him, Juliet chuckled lightly. To her, those moments were too painful to just laugh away.

Instead of explaining why, he just left a crying Juliet alone.

“I’m curious.”

“Speak.”

“Then… Is it true that after that incident, Your Highness went to find Dahlia?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Juliet, who had been staring ahead, now looked directly at him. It was a question she had never pondered before.

“So why did you specifically go to that storehouse at that time?”

Why exactly at that time?

Juliet’s secret of hiding the child was exposed, and he left the castle.

And a few days later, he returned after finding Dahlia. The treasure that contained the evil spirit was locked in the eastern tower, but…

“Why did you go to get Dahlia?”

The always calm blue eyes looked at him with a question.

Lennox’s memories were fragmented, just like Juliet’s.

The black panther often brought up his forgotten memories. The most frequently repeated scene was always of Juliet smiling without hesitation.

In fact, it was a bit ambiguous to call it a nightmare. Sometimes, he even looked forward to those dreams.

It became a nightmare when it lingered in reality.

Like earlier at the Madam’s mansion when he saw Juliet, lost in thought, holding the baby.

“Juliet.”

When Lennox called her name, the carriage suddenly stopped.

“There’s something you need to know.”

It was a fact that he had deliberately hidden from her throughout both of their lives.

* * *

The sun had dimmed, and darkness quickly enveloped the sky.

Duke Carlyle’s mansion was one of the grandest even in the capital. As night approached, lights lit up, painting a spectacular scene.

However, no one’s gaze settled on the huge elm tree outside the mansion.

Perched on a high, sturdy branch was a well-built man.

Roy narrowed his eyes.

A carriage made of ebony wood had just stopped in front of the mansion. Roy silently observed the man and woman descending from the carriage and entering the mansion, then leaped down.

After a light landing, Roy looked at the silk string he held.

It was something Juliet dropped when they accidentally met in the Amber Palace. She seemed unaware she had lost it.

Roy pressed his lips to the neatly woven blue silk string.

Although waiting was his forte, Roy had grown impatient lately. Even though acting rashly could earn him disapproval-

“That the Countess Monad.”

Suddenly, a voice from behind startled Roy, making him turn around.

There was a presence beyond the dark bushes. Roy frowned. It was odd he hadn’t noticed the lurking figure.

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

“Show yourself.”

The being hiding in the shadows obediently revealed itself.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Upon removing her mysterious robe, Roy squinted. She wasn’t someone who seemed adept at hiding.

The blonde woman introduced herself gracefully.

“My name is Elizabeth Tillman.”

“I know.”

Roy responded somewhat bluntly.

He too had heard of Elizabeth. The healer beloved by the Empress. She was popular among the commoners.

But that couldn’t be all there was to her.

For her to appear in front of Duke Carlyle’s mansion at this hour was suspicious.

There was a disagreeable air about it. Roy frowned.

Of course, Juliet never mentioned Dahlia to Roy. But Roy was more familiar with the rumors of the capital than she thought.

Roy knew that the Empress’s doctor had openly clashed with Countess Monad and caused a commotion.

“There is no need to be so wary.”

“…”

“I’m just trying to help.”

“Help?”

Roy couldn’t hold back any longer and snorted.

Although he pretended to be gentle in front of Juliet, he was basically an arrogant member of the other race.

The Elizabeth in front of him had the appearance of a flawless human being. How dare she talk about help, as if humans are aware of his situation.

“I know.”

However, despite Roy’s ridicule, Elizabeth didn’t seem intimidated.

“What does the great King of the Forest truly want?”

A woman with flowing blond hair came striding in front of him.

Roy’s expression became grim.

“What do you want to say?”

“Just do one very simple thing and you will get what you want.”

The woman’s purple eyes sparkled strangely.