“Damn it!”
Unable to control his anger, Edward slammed the carriage wall.
He didn’t even feel the pain of his fist ringing.
“That crazy woman! How dare she do something like this!”
The wedding was ruined.
No, ruined was an understatement. It exploded so spectacularly that not even a single particle remained.
The guests turned around with dumbfounded faces, and the Marquis was carried out on a stretcher.
The wedding hall was left in ruins as if a swarm of locusts had swept through.
“What if the Marquis gets angry about this? No, of course, he would!”
Lucas ran out a step late, but the two were already nowhere to be found.
Lucas, whose bride had been stolen, trembled with a face so red that you couldn’t tell his original skin color, and disappeared without a trace.
No one has seen him since then.
He must have been furious to have been humiliated like that in front of people.
It wouldn’t have been strange if he had cut off the sponsorship and tried to recover the investment.
‘The opera is right around the corner!’
He absolutely had to prevent any disruption to the opera. That would mean losing the opportunity to perform at the founding ceremony.
Above all, there was another problem that was the most absurd.
“What on earth is the Duke of Heigenberg!”
Edward shouted, slamming the wall again.
Even more mysterious than Ariana, who had turned into a different person, was the Duke’s existence.
“How long has that crazy guy known the Duke?!”
The moment he stole Ariana, the Duke’s eyes were genuinely delighted.
And those meaningful lines.
Those shameless and blatant confessions seemed to say that he had wanted Ariana for a long time.
When Edward thinks back on the absurdity he felt when he heard those words, he feels like he's going to fall backward.
‘Why the Duke of all people?’
The Duke and Ariana lived in different worlds.
Ariana, who spent most of her time locked in her room, had never met anyone like the Duke.
The Duke’s sudden appearance was strange, because there was no connection between the two.
‘Or, perhaps.’
Edward held his breath as a sudden thought occurred to him.
‘...Did you recall a memory?’
No. There was no way she would have remembered something from more than ten years ago.
Edward looked back at Elena, shaking off his excessive assumptions.
“Elena! Don’t you know anything?!”
“I don’t know. I don’t know.”
Elena muttered blankly as if she had lost her mind.
She brought her tattered fingernails, which had been bitten off, to her lips and groped.
“Something’s wrong. My sister... There’s no way someone like my sister would be involved with the Duke...”
Edward looked at her pitifully. Looking at her, he felt like he had to come to his senses.
“Damn it, what’s going to change if you just deny reality! We have to come up with a plan.”
Ariana must be caught. So she must somehow beg Lucas.
However, that was a secondary issue for now.
‘The opera is in three days!’
That was the spark that fell on his feet right now.
If she messed up, he wouldn’t be able to present on the stage at the National Foundation Day.
He would miss the golden opportunity to show off the musicality of the Lopez Opera House at a place where the royal family and foreign royalty would be in attendance.
Edward couldn’t just sit by and watch the rosy future that had seemed within his grasp just a short while ago die in ashes. Edward, who had washed his face dry and somehow fixed his messy hair, looked back at Elena.
“Elena, you too, come to your senses!”
The light pink dress that had been bright until noon was wrinkled and her face, which had been under intensive care for several days, was a mess with her makeup smudged.
“Tsk, what is this soprano who has to go on stage in just three days?”
“Stage, huh?... With the current state of the house, you want to do a stage?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
Edward glared at his sister, who was talking nonsense.
Yes. The stage has to be a success. No, it definitely will be.
‘The preparations are perfect.’
He didn’t even feel the pain of his fist ringing.
“That crazy woman! How dare she do something like this!”
The wedding was ruined.
No, ruined was an understatement. It exploded so spectacularly that not even a single particle remained.
The guests turned around with dumbfounded faces, and the Marquis was carried out on a stretcher.
The wedding hall was left in ruins as if a swarm of locusts had swept through.
“What if the Marquis gets angry about this? No, of course, he would!”
Lucas ran out a step late, but the two were already nowhere to be found.
Lucas, whose bride had been stolen, trembled with a face so red that you couldn’t tell his original skin color, and disappeared without a trace.
No one has seen him since then.
He must have been furious to have been humiliated like that in front of people.
It wouldn’t have been strange if he had cut off the sponsorship and tried to recover the investment.
‘The opera is right around the corner!’
He absolutely had to prevent any disruption to the opera. That would mean losing the opportunity to perform at the founding ceremony.
Above all, there was another problem that was the most absurd.
“What on earth is the Duke of Heigenberg!”
Edward shouted, slamming the wall again.
Even more mysterious than Ariana, who had turned into a different person, was the Duke’s existence.
“How long has that crazy guy known the Duke?!”
The moment he stole Ariana, the Duke’s eyes were genuinely delighted.
And those meaningful lines.
Those shameless and blatant confessions seemed to say that he had wanted Ariana for a long time.
When Edward thinks back on the absurdity he felt when he heard those words, he feels like he's going to fall backward.
‘Why the Duke of all people?’
The Duke and Ariana lived in different worlds.
Ariana, who spent most of her time locked in her room, had never met anyone like the Duke.
The Duke’s sudden appearance was strange, because there was no connection between the two.
‘Or, perhaps.’
Edward held his breath as a sudden thought occurred to him.
‘...Did you recall a memory?’
No. There was no way she would have remembered something from more than ten years ago.
Edward looked back at Elena, shaking off his excessive assumptions.
“Elena! Don’t you know anything?!”
“I don’t know. I don’t know.”
Elena muttered blankly as if she had lost her mind.
She brought her tattered fingernails, which had been bitten off, to her lips and groped.
“Something’s wrong. My sister... There’s no way someone like my sister would be involved with the Duke...”
Edward looked at her pitifully. Looking at her, he felt like he had to come to his senses.
“Damn it, what’s going to change if you just deny reality! We have to come up with a plan.”
Ariana must be caught. So she must somehow beg Lucas.
However, that was a secondary issue for now.
‘The opera is in three days!’
That was the spark that fell on his feet right now.
If she messed up, he wouldn’t be able to present on the stage at the National Foundation Day.
He would miss the golden opportunity to show off the musicality of the Lopez Opera House at a place where the royal family and foreign royalty would be in attendance.
Edward couldn’t just sit by and watch the rosy future that had seemed within his grasp just a short while ago die in ashes. Edward, who had washed his face dry and somehow fixed his messy hair, looked back at Elena.
“Elena, you too, come to your senses!”
The light pink dress that had been bright until noon was wrinkled and her face, which had been under intensive care for several days, was a mess with her makeup smudged.
“Tsk, what is this soprano who has to go on stage in just three days?”
“Stage, huh?... With the current state of the house, you want to do a stage?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
Edward glared at his sister, who was talking nonsense.
Yes. The stage has to be a success. No, it definitely will be.
‘The preparations are perfect.’
The rehearsal yesterday was flawless. There was no problem with the performance even without Ariana.
The only worry was whether the VIPs would cancel their tickets because of today’s scandal.
‘We can handle it somehow in three days.’
Before he knew it, the carriage had arrived at the Count’s residence.
Edward gritted his teeth as he got out of the carriage.
“And, Ariana. Just try to catch her.”
Even if he had to beat her to discipline her, or tie her up, he would make her wear a wedding dress again and hold the wedding ceremony.
“Count, you’re back—.”
“Get out!”
Edward kicked the servant who was trying to open the door and stepped inside himself.
Edward turned his head to find someone else to vent his anger on, but for a moment, he froze.
The only worry was whether the VIPs would cancel their tickets because of today’s scandal.
‘We can handle it somehow in three days.’
Before he knew it, the carriage had arrived at the Count’s residence.
Edward gritted his teeth as he got out of the carriage.
“And, Ariana. Just try to catch her.”
Even if he had to beat her to discipline her, or tie her up, he would make her wear a wedding dress again and hold the wedding ceremony.
“Count, you’re back—.”
“Get out!”
Edward kicked the servant who was trying to open the door and stepped inside himself.
Edward turned his head to find someone else to vent his anger on, but for a moment, he froze.
“Are you home, Brother?”
Ariana was sitting in the middle of the lobby.
She was elegant and calm as if she was having tea time.
“You, you...”
Edward paused for a moment and then belatedly swore.
Ariana slowly got up in the direction her trembling fingers were pointing.
“You’re late.”
Then she approached the servant who was curled up by Edward’s kick and held out her hand.
“Are you okay?”
“Oh, Miss...”
“You, you damn bitch!”
Edward, who came to his senses a beat later, strode towards Ariana.
“What the hell did you do today! Do you know how much trouble I got into because you suddenly ran out like that? And then you shamelessly came crawling into the house... No, wait.”
Only then did Edward notice something and his eyes widened.
“What are you doing?”
The servants were moving busily.
Some were carrying a dressing table, some were carrying instruments, and some were carrying clothes.
“Oh, please be especially careful with that one.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Ariana calmly said, pointing to the violin, and the servants nodded.
“Ariana Lopez!”
A roar of anger shook the mansion.
“I asked you what you were doing!”
"I’m packing.”
Ariana was sitting in the middle of the lobby.
She was elegant and calm as if she was having tea time.
“You, you...”
Edward paused for a moment and then belatedly swore.
Ariana slowly got up in the direction her trembling fingers were pointing.
“You’re late.”
Then she approached the servant who was curled up by Edward’s kick and held out her hand.
“Are you okay?”
“Oh, Miss...”
“You, you damn bitch!”
Edward, who came to his senses a beat later, strode towards Ariana.
“What the hell did you do today! Do you know how much trouble I got into because you suddenly ran out like that? And then you shamelessly came crawling into the house... No, wait.”
Only then did Edward notice something and his eyes widened.
“What are you doing?”
The servants were moving busily.
Some were carrying a dressing table, some were carrying instruments, and some were carrying clothes.
“Oh, please be especially careful with that one.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Ariana calmly said, pointing to the violin, and the servants nodded.
“Ariana Lopez!”
A roar of anger shook the mansion.
“I asked you what you were doing!”
"I’m packing.”
“So why?”
“To get married.”
Edward’s eyes widened at the innocent voice asking the obvious.
“What?!”
“Why are you so surprised? Isn’t today the day I was supposed to be leaving?”
Ariana’s voice was surprisingly calm, considering she had made such a mess of the house while packing.
“You, you insist on..?”
Edward gritted his teeth and grabbed Ariana by the collar.
“Are you insisting on going to him?”
“Yes.”
Ariana’s expression didn’t waver even after he grabbed her by the collar.
Edward’s eyes lit up.
Slap.
Ariana’s face turned around with a sound like a horsewhip being swung.
“Ouch! Ah, Miss!”
Sophie screamed and helped Ariana up.
Edward kicked Sophie again and grabbed Ariana by the collar.
“You damn bitch... You insisted on coming back because you wanted to ruin the family’s future. Say it again. What are you going to do?”
I stared at my brother’s face, which had suddenly come up to my nose.
It was really scary.
This face was just like my father's.
Whenever Edward got angry like this, my body would tremble as if my dead father had come back to life drunk.
“Oh my, what’s wrong with this! Brother, calm down! Sister, what are you doing? Hurry up and get out of here!”
Elena cried out pitifully, stamping her feet.
She was shaking loudly, but it was obvious that she had no intention of stopping this situation.
Looking back at my family, I let out a laugh without realizing it.
“Are you laughing?!”
The moment Edward raised his hand again, thud.
Edward’s body fell forward.
“Ugh..!”
Edward was speechless due to the shock of being hit directly in the shin.
Looking at Edward bowing down in front of me for the first time, I thought quietly.
‘I see. This is really effective.’
When I was young, my grandfather told me stories about how women should protect themselves.
“Shin! Men should kick shins before their center.”
“Haa, Dad, too. There’s nothing he can’t say to a child.”
I smiled faintly as I recalled the conversation between my grandfather and mother.
At that, Edward grabbed his shin and growled.
“You, you dare...What are you doing...”
“Self-defense.”
“This, this crazy bitch...?!”
“I won’t marry Lucas.”
“Ha!”
Edward rolled up his sleeves with a sharp laugh.
“Okay, let’s die today, you and I.”
After the death of the former Count Lopez, the discipline of the two younger sisters also fell to Edward.
He was confident in this one thing if nothing else.
Playing the whip so that they wouldn’t even dare to think about climbing up to him and trampling on their personalities.
“Wilhelm, bring me the whip.”
“Master.”
“Right now!”
Ariana hadn’t really done anything since she became an adult, but now that he thinks about it, it was a mistake.
He should have regularly and periodically instilled fear in that weak soul.
It seemed like the last whip she had heard had expired.
“...”
But it was strange.
Ariana, who should have trembled at the mere mention of the whip, stared at Edward with calm eyes like a ripple-free lake.
“Aren’t you curious?”
“What?”
“Why did I suddenly decide to break off my engagement with Lucas?”
“To get married.”
Edward’s eyes widened at the innocent voice asking the obvious.
“What?!”
“Why are you so surprised? Isn’t today the day I was supposed to be leaving?”
Ariana’s voice was surprisingly calm, considering she had made such a mess of the house while packing.
“You, you insist on..?”
Edward gritted his teeth and grabbed Ariana by the collar.
“Are you insisting on going to him?”
“Yes.”
Ariana’s expression didn’t waver even after he grabbed her by the collar.
Edward’s eyes lit up.
Slap.
Ariana’s face turned around with a sound like a horsewhip being swung.
“Ouch! Ah, Miss!”
Sophie screamed and helped Ariana up.
Edward kicked Sophie again and grabbed Ariana by the collar.
“You damn bitch... You insisted on coming back because you wanted to ruin the family’s future. Say it again. What are you going to do?”
I stared at my brother’s face, which had suddenly come up to my nose.
It was really scary.
This face was just like my father's.
Whenever Edward got angry like this, my body would tremble as if my dead father had come back to life drunk.
“Oh my, what’s wrong with this! Brother, calm down! Sister, what are you doing? Hurry up and get out of here!”
Elena cried out pitifully, stamping her feet.
She was shaking loudly, but it was obvious that she had no intention of stopping this situation.
Looking back at my family, I let out a laugh without realizing it.
“Are you laughing?!”
The moment Edward raised his hand again, thud.
Edward’s body fell forward.
“Ugh..!”
Edward was speechless due to the shock of being hit directly in the shin.
Looking at Edward bowing down in front of me for the first time, I thought quietly.
‘I see. This is really effective.’
When I was young, my grandfather told me stories about how women should protect themselves.
“Shin! Men should kick shins before their center.”
“Haa, Dad, too. There’s nothing he can’t say to a child.”
I smiled faintly as I recalled the conversation between my grandfather and mother.
At that, Edward grabbed his shin and growled.
“You, you dare...What are you doing...”
“Self-defense.”
“This, this crazy bitch...?!”
“I won’t marry Lucas.”
“Ha!”
Edward rolled up his sleeves with a sharp laugh.
“Okay, let’s die today, you and I.”
After the death of the former Count Lopez, the discipline of the two younger sisters also fell to Edward.
He was confident in this one thing if nothing else.
Playing the whip so that they wouldn’t even dare to think about climbing up to him and trampling on their personalities.
“Wilhelm, bring me the whip.”
“Master.”
“Right now!”
Ariana hadn’t really done anything since she became an adult, but now that he thinks about it, it was a mistake.
He should have regularly and periodically instilled fear in that weak soul.
It seemed like the last whip she had heard had expired.
“...”
But it was strange.
Ariana, who should have trembled at the mere mention of the whip, stared at Edward with calm eyes like a ripple-free lake.
“Aren’t you curious?”
“What?”
“Why did I suddenly decide to break off my engagement with Lucas?”
Support Novellate!
Beat that useless edward to a pulp… string him up if you need to. Piece of trash.
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