"You are being deceived by this child's mask! Do you know what she said to me earlier?"
Then Cliff looked at Lizzy and asked softly.
"Lizzy. What do you say to this person?"
"I said, you only played with your lower body and gave birth to me, and never considered me your daughter, but now you try to claim to be my father, even if you are Duke Ludwig, a person like you, I will never recognize you as my father."
Despite the more intense expression, Cliff didn't lift a single eyebrow.
"I think what Lizzy said is right things, so what's the problem?"
Count Sinclair snorted and yelled.
"Then you shouldn't use the surname, Sinclair!"
"Oh, I'm going to do that anyway. The temple finally allowed me to throw away that surname."
Lizzy answered as if she had been waiting for this. The reason she used the surname Sinclair until now was because the temple didn't allow her to be separated from Sinclair family. There's a contract that said no connection could be claimed, but religion was a separate matter. But religion can not separate itself from reality. It was difficult for the temple to withstand the pressure of the Ludwig family, which had become close to the highest power in the empire, and Lizzy was finally able to free herself from Sinclair family name.
"Then, goodbye, Count Sinclair."
Lizzy smiled like an angel, wrapped her arms around Cliff, and headed to her room.
***
At the same time, Layla ran into Edith, who was walking slowly, holding on to the railing. The Duke and Killian didn't pay much attention to Count Sinclair, was running toward Lizzy and Cliff following slowly behind him. Thanks to this, Layla became a little bold. In fact, she had nothing to gain because the plan that she had dreamed all this time completely collapsed.
"Oh my, who is this? Isn't that 'the one who survived'?"
"Oh, it's Miss Sinclair."
Only then, Killian's sharp eyes looked in this direction, but Edith waved her hand as if telling him not to worry.
"I've been thinking about it before, but you have great mental strength. Even though all your relatives died and only you survived alone, from what i can see now, you don't have any slightest sense of guilt or fear at all. You were originally a shameless person, but. . . . "
Edith was just smirking at Layla, who was openly arguing with her.
"I thought you're here to take my place now since my position as Killian wife was over, but you didn't even say something like that? Did you fail?"
Edith tilted her head and looked extremely happy and arrogant. As Layla was gritting her teeth and shaking, Edith quickly erased the smile from her face and continued talking.
"I told you before, don't look down on my husband. He's not an easy person."
Then she slowly walked in front of Layla and lifted her chin with the tip of her index finger.
"And my husband also has a high taste. There's no way he could be attracted to something like this."
As soon as she finished speaking, she pushed her finger to the side, causing Layla's head to turn helplessly in that way, and she quickly adjusted her head position again.
"Th-that so rude. . . . "
"That word 'Rude' is suitable to you, daughter of Count Sinclair, who acted impolitely in front of me, the Countess of Ryzen's."
Despite Edith's remarks, which are more aggressive than before, Layla just keeps her mouth shut, and she loses of words. Edith, who used to be just sloppy, now she looks like she has a knife hidden behind her back. It felt like if she crossed the line a little more, she would stab the knife right into her heart, so Layla finally faltered and took a step back.
"You'd better go and take your father back as soon as possible. If you make a fuss more and make the Duke anger. . . . there's no more chances for both of you at that time."
Edith smiled and pointed with the tip of her chin at Count Sinclair, who stood blankly on the first floor, in Layla eyes see she looks like a bewitching witch, and Cliff, who was coming up to the second floor with Lizzy, looked at Edith and shook his head and said.
"I don't think it will take long. You will be rumored as a bad daughter in law of the Ludwig family."
"It's not bad, is it? I think she looked so easy in the meantime."
Killian responded to Cliff's words while approaching this way, and Edith smiled again as she looked at Lizzy, who was looking away.
* * *
"I heard Cliff ask Lizzy to marry him. I think we should postpone our trip until then because we have to go to see their wedding. Is it alright?"
"They just got engaged not long ago, but they already planned to get married?"
"I think Cliff is in a hurry."
When Killian and I were preparing our stuff to go to the Ryzen territory, we heard at sudden news. It was surprising that the Duke's heir suddenly announced his engagement without a grand ceremony, and it felt like he was in a hurry that he insisted on getting married in less than two months.
"Well, that's better. Rather than going back and forth, that's quite a lot of work, If we finish everything at once and go down, we'll be able to focus on the territory later without any issues."
I said that because I really thought that, but Killian suddenly came up behind me, hugged me, and pressed his lips on my neck, as if he was looking at me.
"Thank you for understanding."
Why do you even appreciate something like this? It really is a huge improvement compared to before.
"But you're so nice that I worry sometimes."
And I think he criticized me too fast. . . .
"But you say I will be known as the bad woman of the Ludwig family?"
"No, I'm just asking you to be like that. You're too soft-hearted."
"Me?"
"If it were me, I would have slapped Layla Sinclair at that time."
Killian seems to be still angry about what happened two months ago.
"Did you spread that rumor among the community because my answer didn't satisfy you at that time? That's what you did, wasn't it?"
After Count Sinclair and Layla returned, for several days afterward, I heard more mocking rumors about Layla Sinclair. But i was relieved because there's not a single bad rumor about me, and Lizzy was heard. The rumor says that Layla Sinclair tried to seduce a married man but failed miserably. . . .and it is a true rumor and not a mere fabrication.
"Well. "I'm not really interested in social rumors, so I'm not sure."
"Really? But you knew my rumor well. . . ."
"I've probably been interested in you since then.
"You speak well. Huh?"
We kissed lightly, sat across each other again, and checked the list of things that needed to be prepared in the Ryzen mansion. I was excited because I felt like I was moving into a newlywed house after getting married.
"I think the furniture that will fit in the bedroom and the drawing room is almost done. I heard that some of them already went to Ryzen the day before yesterday."
"What about the silver cutlery and candlesticks?"
"That's probably almost done, too. But is that amount enough?"
"That's more than enough! To be honest, if it wasn't for entertaining guests, I wouldn't buy silver cutlery, which is difficult to maintain."
I still remember my hands shaking when I asked the production expensive silver cutlery to be made.
"You said you didn't want expensive carpets and rugs, you didn't buy any ornaments, and you only provided the minimum amount of furniture. . . .Are you really sure that you are going to stay in the Ryzen mansion for a long time?"
"For me, that much is enough. If we have something missing, we can order it later."
"I prefer it if you are a bit extravagant. . . . "
Killian shook his head. In the meantime, when my health was improved. He argued with me and forced me to buy all sorts of 'luxury' items. He even went too far and asked me to call all the famous jewelers in the capital. I don't know why he makes such a fuss, but for me, the ruby necklaces that he bought back are enough for me. Just the sincerity of a piece of his heart always with me is enough. what determines my happiness and Killian later is not how many jewels I have or how many luxury things fill our house is.
* * *
After half a year later, the wedding of Cliff and Lizzy was held in the hall of Duke Ludwig's mansion.
'Sonthis is the atmosphere of the main character's wedding ceremony?'
In fact, it looked luxurious as it was at that time, but Killian and I's wedding ceremony looked simple because the reception ended quickly, due to the guests on both sides of the family wasn't in good terms. However, whether it was because Cliff was the heir to the duke, or because they were the main characters of the original work, This wedding seems to have been prepared by them as best as possible for the future duke.
'I'm so glad my marriage wasn't like this. It looks like the bride will die by the extreme exhaustion in the evening.'
However, Lizzy, who likes to be the center of attention, might like this type of wedding ceremony.
However, even though the original author's power has disappeared, the privilege still remains. Even though the whole story of what Lizzy did to me in the past was revealed, she was still Cliff's lover and bride and will never receive punishment. It was a bit unfair for me, who almost got punished without sin, but I decided to think it positively because it would be a bit of a headache for Killian if Lizzy died or disappeared and Cliff gone crazy. Contrary to what I thought, the relationship between Cliff and Lizzy has become a bit complicated in half a year.
Lizzy, who has lost her original authorial powers, makes all kinds of demands on Cliff, as if she wants to receive the same attention as Lizzy in the original, and Cliff, who initially fulfills all her requests, looks at her with a tired look around the wedding .
'I don't know how she took my advice, no, i don't know if she accepted it?'
It's okay for her to stop doing the old angel drama. Lizzy's eyes are getting more poisonous as the days go by, which makes me feel a bit uncomfortable for some reason. I don't know if I'm the only one who feels that, and even the Duchess, who used to love her so much, said she didn't visit her very often lately. Duke Ludwig, was also skeptical about Cliff and Lizzy's marriage, but since he had allowed Lizzy to wear the Ludwig Family heirloom necklace "Light of Loraine" in the past, he had to agree to their marriage. Perhaps Cliff was in a hurry to get married because of the duke's attitude.
'Perhaps this is the punishment given to Lizzy. How big is it to lose someone who loves you, and she still doesn't know, right?'
If Lizzy still doesn't change, from now on, she will live watching the affection of others that she held on her hands, and her luck based on their affection will disappear like dust.