Chapter 100: The Girl Who Called Herself a Widow!
“Especially this matter!”
“What the hell is going on!?”
Elena slammed her hand on the table, the force of the blow nearly shattering it. She glared at her uncle, who was calmly sipping his black tea.
“Why won’t you let me see my father? How is he?”
Kerry placed the teacup on its saucer. He looked benevolently at the furious Elena and said slowly, “Your father has been suffering from some old ailments recently.”
“…It’s the same situation as three years ago.”
Three years ago!?
Elena’s brow furrowed tightly. Her thoughts instantly flew back to the nightmare of three years ago, the royal tragedy that had shocked everyone.
“…Are you telling the truth!?”
Kerry’s expression turned serious. He nodded earnestly. “It’s true. I have no reason to deceive you in this matter.”
After a moment of silence, her brow still furrowed, Elena asked, “Then what’s this about the marriage contract with Robb?”
“Are you kidding me!?”
Kerry’s expression didn’t change at Elena’s shout. He even waved a hand to calm her down. “I was there when your father had his episode. We were just talking about your future marriage.”
“He’s also very worried about you. He thinks the Pitt family’s…”
“Enough!”
Cutting him off, Elena stood up and looked down at the still-calm Kerry. She said, enunciating each word, “From the moment I gave up my right of succession and joined the Temple Knights, my marriage has been my own to decide!”
“My father promised me that himself!”
Seeing that Kerry was about to explain something, Elena grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up, glaring at him fiercely.
“This matter… until I hear it from his own mouth… I will not believe it!”
“You don’t need to talk about this anymore!”
“There are some things that I’m not unaware of. I just don’t want to argue with you.”
“If you push me too far…”
Throwing Kerry back onto the stool, Elena said coldly, “Fente’s history is not without its queens.”
Turning to walk out of the room, Elena left one last sentence behind: “And my marriage… is already taken.”
Kerry rubbed his waist. Hearing this, he asked in surprise, “Who?”
Impossible. How could she have secretly promised herself to someone else? This is Elena we’re talking about. It’s not realistic.
At the thought of Shelley’s face, the expression on Elena’s back softened for a moment, then a flash of sadness crossed it. Finally, her voice took on a hint of gentleness. Elena said flatly, “Shelley Bell.”
Kerry’s eyebrow shot up. He couldn’t maintain his expression. He blinked and asked, “…That illegitimate son of the Bell family? But isn’t he already dead…”
And you were the one who announced it in public, calling him a hero who sacrificed himself to protect Lunt.
“Then I am his widow.”
Clang!
Looking at the slammed wooden door, Kerry stood up and shook his head. He wearily rubbed his waist, which he had bumped on the stool, and sighed, “What kind of girl lifts up her uncle?”
Pounding his waist, he walked to the window and watched the furiously departing Elena below. His eyes narrowed.
“Calling herself a widow? Hmm… could this be that old fox’s backup plan?”
Kerry’s brow furrowed. He stared at Elena as she walked away. He then turned his head in another direction and muttered to himself, “How is that old fox still hanging on?”
“And he can even have a child with someone else?”
“I really can’t underestimate you.”
“Bruno Bell…”
“…”
After a moment of contemplation, a slight noise from behind made him ask, “How’s the investigation on that matter?”
“Just as Robb said. It was handled perfectly.”
Nodding, Kerry waved a hand, dismissing him. The presence behind him quickly disappeared.
What neither of them noticed was… the leaves of the orchid by the window quietly stirred.
**
Returning to the temple in a rage, Elena ignored everyone who bowed to her and rushed directly to her room. The moment she entered, the anger on her face vanished. She sat quietly in the unlit room.
Not long after, the door opened a crack and then closed. Lilith, still wearing her mask, appeared in the room.
Sighing, Lilith lit the magic lamp in the room and said to the downcast Elena, “…You.”
“Sigh…”
Lilith wanted to cheer her up, but her own heart felt heavy, and she didn’t know what to say.
Still with her head bowed, Elena asked, “You’re back… What were the results?”
“It can be confirmed that they are related.”
“…Is that so.”
Slowly raising her head, Elena’s eyes opened, and she looked at Lilith before her. The moment she opened her eyes, the entire room seemed to grow cold. The anger in her black eyes was like a physical substance.
“Very good.”
She was not some naive, sweet princess who knew nothing. Perhaps many people didn’t know, but before Elena had joined the temple, she had been educated as a monarch. If it weren’t to verify some things, she would never have put on an act in front of Kerry today.
“Now, that position…”
“I can fight for it without any burden.”
Lilith looked at the battle-ready princess, silently leaned her back against the wall, and stared at the plain ceiling, lost in thought.
“She is doing it for her lover…”
“Then what am I doing it for?”
“A person who cruelly showed me reality?”
“Or… my master?”
“…”
“I can’t think clearly anymore…”
“But!”
“They need to pay the price.”
Only the sound of their calm, yet murderous, breathing could be heard in the room.
**
“No! We can’t let this continue!”
“We absolutely cannot let the queen be controlled by this human!”
“We must set things right!”
The new faction, led by Harvey, and the old faction, led by Reynolds, had reached an unprecedented consensus on how to deal with Shelley.
“We absolutely cannot let this dangerous person interfere with the queen’s thinking!”
“Otherwise, it will be a devastating blow to Ir!”
On the afternoon of the third day, the nobles, who were on the verge of losing their patience, received news from their inside sources in the palace.
“The queen has gone to the study. That human is resting in the bedchamber.”
A group of them, without waiting for everyone to arrive, rushed to the front of the palace study.
Taking a deep breath, Harvey was just about to push the door when it slowly opened. A majestic yet gentle voice came from within.
“What are you doing here?”
“Could it be that you want to…”
“Impeach me?”
