Epilogue:
I Want to Cherish Marie
I FELT SOMETHING SOFT AGAINST MY CHEEK, and right after that, the door of the carriage slammed shut in my face. The pleasant smell of Marie’s hair lingered at the tip of my nose.
I heard her say something from inside the carriage, and I grabbed the door. I was ready to open it by force when Mio took my hand away.
I glared at her, but she put her finger in front of her lips to gesture for me to shut up before whispering, “Please look at this, my lord.”
She took out a cheap-looking envelope from her pocket and handed it to me. As soon as I opened it and read its contents, I stepped away from the carriage. “When did this arrive?” I asked.
“Four days ago. Two days after Lady Marie received that package.”
I stared at the letter. The sender was Gregor Chandelan—the head of House Chandelan and Marie’s father—and it was addressed to Marie.
“Are we sure Gregor wrote this and not his wife, Elvira?”
“Yes. The handwriting on the card was different.”
Mio pulled out the card she’d found in the package we’d received four days prior—the one Marie had seen. Whereas Elvira’s abusive message featured small, sharp, crooked handwriting, Gregor’s letters were notably thick and round. Although he left very little space in between his letters, he maintained a curious amount of space between each line. They both had poor handwriting, but in different ways. The language they used was different too.
In any case, I felt like throwing up as I read the words Gregor had written to his daughter.
Marie, what are you doing? Why aren’t you home yet?
The count says we don’t need to pay him back, so you don’t need to play the prostitute any longer. You’ve accomplished your duty there, so hurry home. There is work for you to do.
You’ll never be happy in that castle, so come home. I won’t tolerate any delay.
Mio sighed.
“Like wife, like husband. They’re the same,” she said. “How can they bear to be so cruel to their daughter? If you’re done reading them, give them back and I’ll burn them both.”
“They’re not the same,” I replied. I was sure of this—they seemed to think in completely opposite ways.
Mio reread both messages and frowned. “I can’t tell if they want Lady Marie out of their life or if they want to keep her close by.”
“There is no ‘they,’ Mio. That’s my point—Gregor and Elvira are two separate people.”
“Two people who aren’t in agreement…”
I compared the two messages. The handwriting was different, and so were the writing utensils they’d used and the days when they’d posted their respective letters. They’d written them independently…but had either of them told the other they had?
Marie.
Marie was cute, and undeniably so. Not only was Marie adorable, she was honest, kind, and smart. Even if she truly hadn’t been as beautiful as her sister, weren’t parents supposed to love their children? Weren’t parents supposed to find their children adorable simply for existing?
And yet, they’d kept persecuting her. I felt rage rise in my chest. How could they treat their daughters so differently just based on their appearances? How could there be parents like them?!
Suddenly, a question welled up in my mind.
Yes, how can there be parents like them?
“Mio, while I’m away, I need you to look into something for me.”
“Whether Lady Marie is the baron and baroness’s biological child…right?”
“Yes. I keep wondering why Marie’s own parents hate her so much, but perhaps that’s the answer. Maybe they were mistreating her for a reason.”
Mio nodded. I handed the letter and card back to her, and she slipped them in her pocket before walking back to the carriage, her expression perfectly neutral.
As soon as Mio boarded, the coachman tugged on the reins, and the carriage departed. I waved at it and waited until it disappeared in the distance. Maybe Marie had been looking at me from inside.
I’d told Luifon that I was happy even when Marie and I were apart, but that was only half true. I’d been dying to embrace her since the moment I’d let go of her hand. Even though I couldn’t see her anymore, I couldn’t bear to turn my back to her. I wanted nothing more than to run after the carriage and steal her away. I wanted to take her with me everywhere I went so we wouldn’t ever be apart—not even for a second.
All right. I’ll deal with my work as fast as I can. And once I’m done, I’ll stay at the castle until our engagement ceremony and spend as much time with Marie as possible.
Actually, I should get her flowers on the way back. Beautiful, vibrant flowers that’ll compliment her fiery red hair.