Raising my Fiancè with Money - Chapter 40

Hopeless

TL: Jasmine

Rebecca’s gaze headed to the clasped hand. Lilia suddenly wondered what kind of expression Karhan had. However, she couldn’t see Karhan because she was looking at Rebecca’s face.

The light of doubt disappeared from Rebecca’s eyes, But just in case, she didn’t let go of Karhan’s hand.

“You like him.”

Rebecca lifted the teacup and whispered,

“You may already know, but there have been talks of engagement with the Delotta family going back and forth. But continuously…… I’ve been putting it off because I was apprehensive about it.”

Lilia recalled what Stella had said when she came to her last time.

– And the Duchess of Evantheon is on my side.

Stella believed that the Duchess was on her side, but it didn’t seem to be true. Stella seemed to have already been erased from the Duchess’s mind. Stella’s personality would have been difficult for the Duchess to handle. Come to think of it, she suddenly thought it was strange.

“Why was it Stella?’

There was also no feeling of love between Karhan and Stella. The Evantheon family would have been able to

pursue engagement with a better family, but she wondered why they chose Stella.

“Were they going to do business together?’

Anyway, things were going better than she thought, She didn’t know why, but the Duchess favoured her now. But…… She couldn’t get rid of the feeling of something uncomfortable.

“By the way, I heard that the young lady has a fiance.”

Lilia straightened up.

“Yes, I’m going to break up my marriage. But they don’t want to let me go.”

After briefly explaining the situation, Lilia drew a line that the relationship was completely over.

“Did you say your fiance is Richard Tersian?”

She seemed to have been investigated in advance. As Lilia nodded, she knocked silently on the table as if lost in thought.

“I hope it’ll be resolved soon.”

It wasn’t direct help, but this was enough for now

When the conversation died off, silence hovered around the table. Rebecca, who was drinking tea silently, put down the teacup. The sound of hitting ceramics broke the silence.

“He used to get into trouble when he was a kid.”

Karhan was a troublemaker… she couldn’t imagine, Lilia looked at Karhan. These days, various facial expressions have been revealed, but she couldn’t tell what he was thinking as of now. Rebecca remained smiling and talked about this and that.

“No matter how much trouble he caused, I wondered if there was anyone who could handle that personality……”

It was like a joke to lighten the atmosphere, but the gap grew bigger as she heard it. Only then did Lilia realize why she kept feeling uncomfortable. From the moment she entered the drawing room, Rebecca never paid attention to Karhan.

“So when are you going to have an engagement ceremony?”

Lilia moved away from her thoughts and quickly straightened her head.

“I want to hold your wedding right away, but I think it’ll be too hasty…..”

Wedding. Lilia opened her lips without realizing it.

“I think we should set the date for the engagement ceremony first. What do you think?”

Lilia was embarrassed by the unexpected proposal.

‘Did you like me that much? Considering that…….

Lilia felt dazed. The Duchess was like a merchant trying to sell goods quickly before the value fell.

“It’s the engagement of the successor…… Isn’t that too hasty?’

Lilia glanced at Karhan. She and Karhan were in a oneyear contractual relationship. It was only a deal signed to safely break down the engagements with each other’s fiance by pretending to be the new fiancé.

They were going to break up after pretending to be dating, but now it was becoming an engagement. As she pondered whether to give her roughly thought, out excuse, Karhan opened his mouth for the first time.

“……The young lady hasn’t broken up with her fiance yet, so it would be too much to set a date right away.”

It was a calm voice as usual. However, the end was shaking slightly like a wet leaf in the rain and wind, Rebecca’s gaze headed for Karhan for the first time, Lilia also looked toward Karhan.

The clear blue eyes fluttered like waves. Facing Rebecca’s gaze, Karhan looked like a sailor who was witnessing a huge tsunami. Yet even standing with fear, he did not avoid Rebecca’s eyes.

“I’m thinking about it within this year.”

Lilia said calmly. Rebecca, who removed her gaze from Karhan, stared at Lilia.

“It would be better to have a meeting with each family after the breakup… I will prioritize the will of the Duchess.”

Lilia secretly presented her opinion, pretending to give Rebecca the right to decide.

“That’s true.”

Rebecca, who seemed lost in thought for a moment, nodded.

“I guess I was too hasty. Because I like the young lady so much.”

She looked as if she were looking at a high-profit investment product. Soon she smiled and raised herself from her seat.

“I have matters to attend to, so I’ll get going. Stay comfortable as you go back.”

After whispering softly to Lilia, Rebecca left the drawing room without acknowledging Karhan.

Only the sound of the door closing filled the silent room. Looking back on Rebecca’s attitude, Lilia realized that one hand became very warm.

“You were surprised that I held your hand all of a sudden, weren’t you?”

I’m sorry, and when Lilia loosened her strength from his hand, her finger slipped out. Karhan just looked down at his palm. It seemed like a lie that their fingers were intertwined.

“I didn’t know she would already talk about engagement.”

She said she hadn’t thought of it, and Lilia narrowed her forehead and released it. First of all, she thought she had to think of an excuse to postpone their engagement as much as possible. There was a short silence, and Karhan raised himself first.

“…. Would you like to see the duchy?”

“I’d like that.”

The two, who left the drawing room, walked down the hallway.

“It’s nothing much compared to the Bloden mansion.”

“It’s a nice enough mansion.”

The Duke of Evantheon’s scale and splendor were inferior to that of Bloden’s mansion, but there was a profound atmosphere that only the old mansion could give. As she walked down the hallway, employees appeared one by one. But they passed by as if they hadn’t noticed Karhan.

She thought they were avoiding him because he had a fierce impression, but that didn’t seem to be the case. As with the Duchess’ attitude earlier, Karhan was like a stranger here. He wasn’t welcomed either…… like a plague.

Lilia’s steps slowed down little by little. Karhan, who was walking a step ahead, passed the hallway where the stairs were placed. Lilia, who was following, stopped at the end of the stairs that stretched down.

The portrait hanging on the wall filled her sight. Three people were contained in a huge portrait. The Duchess she had met earlier and a middle-aged man were sitting in the funeral chair. And behind him stood a young man. Checking the man’s face, Lilia paused for a moment.

“Lilia?”

Karhan realized that Lilia was not following and turned around. He hardened after confirming what Lilia was looking at. It was a family portrait where only Karhan did not exist.

“…… They drew it when I was on the battlefield.”

Karhan muttered as if making excuses. Lilia looked up at the young man in the portrait. Like the Duchess, he was a man with dark brown hair. Not much like Karhan, he smiled confidently.

“That is my brother.”

Lilia suddenly recalled one of the rumors surrounding Karhan.

-Because of ambition, he drove out his brother and took the successor’s position.

Now that she knew Karhan’s personality, she couldn’t believe the rumor. Rather, it could be that the family forcibly handed over the successor’s position, but she didn’t know.

– It seemed like you trust each other so much…. It seemed like you are all united.

This was what Karhan said when he visited the Count’s mansion before. She guessed something must have happened with his family…., maybe he is marginalized by his family?

“Is there any place to sit and talk?”

“Will you go to my room?”

“I’d like to see it.”

Lilia walked down the hallway under the guidance of Karhan. They arrived at the end of the quietest and darkest hallway. No matter how she looked at it, she didn’t think this would be a room for the successor

Karhan stopped in front of the room. And when he opened the door, bright light was pushed out, revealing a space that was neither small nor large.

They only opened one door and came in, but the world seemed to have changed. It was quite different from the solemn but gloomy atmosphere of the Duchy. It was a neat yet friendly room.

Karhan immediately brought the chair he had put away in the corner. Sitting down, Lilia looked around and stared at Karhan.

There were many things she wanted to ask. Lilia, who was thinking about how to start talking, recalled what the Duchess had said.

“Karhan, were you a troublemaker when you were young?”

I can’t imagine, Lilia said with a smile. Then Karhan lowered his eyes as if recalling the past.

“Probably, I guess so.”

“What kind of accidents did you make?”

“Just… Forgetting it’s meal time and staying stuck in the study, digging in the corner of the garden…..”

What kind of troublemaker is that?

Since childhood, Lilia has been playing with the sword that her mother cherishes and breaking expensive ceramics. There were times when she scribbled on bedclothes and wallpaper or floated toys in a pond. Nevertheless, Lilia’s parents never said she was a troublemaker.

“Why did the duchess say you are a troublemaker?”

When she asked because she didn’t really understand, Karhan replied with his eyes down.

“That’s because… I’m hopeless.”