Zen eventually returned without receiving the answer he wanted from me.

That much was light compared to what upset me.

It would be good if this whole day he would be in pain as much as how passionate I hit him.

“Marianne, you haven’t looked good since yesterday.”

At a breakfast meeting for the first time in a while, I lowered my gaze as I heard Orion’s worried words.

The meat in front of me was minced so finely that I couldn’t recognize its shape.

I put down the fork and the knife that were tearing the meat, and slowly raised up my head.

“Orion.”

“Hm?”

“Unless the parade at the Academy gets canceled.”

“Yeah?”

“I will leave this house.”

“. . . !”

“I want to live separately.”

Orion turned stiff at my declaration.

He looked at me with teary eyes and couldn’t understand what he did wrong, but this time I looked the other way.

Lord Duke, who was silently looking at us, commented.

“Is there any reason for you to want your own house when you’re living well here?”

“I just want to leave this house.”

I will get out of this stuffy place and live as freely as I can.

As I calmly threw this bomb, the table was frozen.

Even Jeremy, who was focusing on his meal, fixed me with a serious look.

The face of the maid in waiting turned pale white, and the butler closed his eyes tightly.

Even though I watched all those scenes, my cold heart didn’t change.

I want to be rebellious, very severely.

Mom didn’t say anything until she finished her meal and only left her seat elegantly after emptying her plate.

“I’ll leave first.”

Despite Lord Duke’s gaze asking Why are you the only one escaping from here?, her steps quickly went far away.

Everyone, whose plates hadn’t been emptied, was busy moving their eyes.

“Duke.”

“Yes.”

He, who looked somewhat stiff, met my eyes.

“Did you perhaps have a honeymoon with someone other than Mom?”

His eyes got wider at the unexpected question.

Orion next to him stopped chewing as well.

“No way.”

Hearing his composed answer, I changed the question.

“Did you perhaps leave Mom and do something else on your trip, or have you ever left Mom alone for a moment?”

“Did you really do that?!”

As soon as my question finished, Orion crumpled his face and spoke.

“If you really did that, you have to reflect on yourself, Father. The reason Marianne wanted to leave the house, and said she couldn’t do the parade was because of that . . .!”

No. That was because of you.

It wouldn’t work even if I refuted him, so I only stared intently at the Duke and waited for his answer.

He, who was suddenly accused of leaving his wife on honeymoon and going somewhere else, slowly shook his head.

“Not only have I never been away for a long time, Tatiana was always by my side.”

“. . .”

“There was no time to move alone.”

Then, does that mean it happened before the honeymoon?

Impossible.

When Trevor disappeared, Mom was already on the trip, and she returned later after the hunting competition.

Considering the route of the trip, there was no opportunity for her to get in touch with Trevor.

Unless the two worked on the story, and actually stayed here.

Should I ask Rany again?

If it’s about earrings, someone could make the same shape, right?

As I was lost in thought, Lord Duke quietly pushed the plate and said.

“Marianne, there are no problems between us.”

“Yes.”

“We have a very good relationship.”

The gazes of people surrounding us gradually subsided at the voice that was expressing he felt wronged.

Everyone was looking at the Duke in doubt.

“I’m not saying the affection between you has subsided or that you’re pretending to be affectionate, but I was just wondering if there were times you two were not together.”

“Well, it’s hard to stick around when I’m doing my work, but I’m not stubborn enough to work during my honeymoon.”

I felt sorry for the very gloomy voice.

Next to him, Orion made it worse.

“Look at that. How unreliable you must have been that Marianne . . .”

“No, I was only asking because I heard someone saw Mom somewhere else recently, and I thought it’s strange. They must have been mistaken.”

The Duke emphasized once again after my quick response.

“The relationship between us is very good.”

When I nodded, I saw everyone let out breath out of relief.

In the first place, I wasn’t doubting their relationship, but just wanting to know if Mom was ever away even for a moment in their trip.

It seemed like I made trouble for nothing by how everyone was sending doubting glances at Lord Duke.

Orion’s excited voice was heard from the side.

“Now you’ll do the parade, right?”

“No. I won’t do it.”

When I refused him with a smile, Orion raised his criticizing voice to the Duke.

“See, Father? Marianne said she won’t do it . . .”

“This has nothing to do with Lord Duke.”

“But Marianne.”

“This is not important, but to tell you the truth, the reason I want to leave the house is you, Orion.”

Not only was I questioned by my ungrateful friend, last night in my dream, I sat on that awful chair and was paraded around.

After experiencing it in a dream, my heart became firm.

I would rather cut my ties with Mom and take out my name off the Miller Family’s family register.