Chapter 136


    Ise looked up at her mother with nk eyes. <i>Impossible. H-He </i>However, her mother uttered no words of denial, and soon Ise bowed her head.


    Impossible, she thought? No. Ise already knew. Raymond never once looked her way.


    I-Its only because I was unconscious, Ise murmured.


    She was entirely overwhelmed with despair. Verdic gestured to his wife. <i>Isnt it too early for our daughter to know?</i> But all his wife did in response was to re at Verdic as she rose from her seat. Then.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    She left, and the door closed behind her forcefully.


    Ise was flummoxed. She had just woken up, and too much had already happened. Ise sniffled and blew her nose into a handkerchief. Its just so difficult.


    W-What in the world happened


    Verdic sighed, preparing himself to exin. He would have to retell the events of the day she had copsed. Not about that wretched man.


    You couldnt wake up. Do you remember the fire that broke out in the Hare manor?


    Fire Ise repeated.


    Yes, its how Lord Hare and one servant boy died. Fortunately, Reverend Dun saved you, but its only today that you woke up.


    Is it because I inhaled too much smoke?


    Yes, I believe so. Raymond, that goddamn, empty-headed son of a bitch, no good for anything but his face. He


    Verdic stopped speaking.


    <i>He didnt save you, Ise. He saved Carynne.</i>


    And Verdic couldnt bear to tell his daughter that Raymond clearly favored Carynne more than his own betrothed. So, Verdic did not say anything more about Raymond.


    He couldnt save you. Instead, Reverend Dun has been taking care of you.


    Ise looked up at Verdic, baffled.


    Dun?


    Verdic went on to exin to his daughter again, as she didnt seem to recall who that man was. It must be because she had been asleep for far too long.


    That man, the one whos a little gloomy That is to say, Carynnes former fianc.


    I-I know who he is. You must be talking about that priest.


    Thats right. Do you remember now?


    As Ise cast down her eyes, a scowl soon formed on her face. For as long as she had slept, her mind was so foggy right now. Her head just went round and round with the words she had heard from her father.


    That her fianc, Sir Raymond, had left her.


    Sir Raymond What kind of woman is his fiance now?


    Stop thinking about that ursed man.


    Verdic felt his chest getting heavy as the fact that Carynne and Raymond were engaged was stamped across his mind.


    If he had known that Ise would open her eyes again like this, he would never have arranged for that engagement to happen.


    At that time, he truly thought that Ise wouldnt be able to open her eyes again. So, apart from the fact that his daughter would no longer rise from her sickbed again, all he could think about was a way to minimize his losses as efficiently as possible.


    This was his thought process when he eventually turned Carynne Hare into Carynne Evans so as to continue the engagement with Raymond.


    Verdic had invested too much into Raymond, and he poured so much money into the development of the Hare estate as well.


    It would just be too wasteful if he were to give up on all that.


    And Raymond was a little too good of an asset to let go of.


    I did something useless.


    He should have picked a more stupid man.


    Verdic already noticed that ambition had been rearing its head in Raymonds consciousness long ago. However, Verdic only thought him arrogant.


    But now that his daughter was awake, it was time for revenge.


    Tell me, Father, what kind of woman stole him from me? And Mother mentioned that I have I have a sister? Who is it?


    Ise persistently asked her father one question after another. Her eyes were filled with indignation.


    Verdic understood his daughters feelingshow vexed she must feel that her man had gotten engaged to another woman while she was in aa, trying to take her ce.


    He should give his daughter a chance at revenge.


    And so, Verdic revealed the truth.


    It is Carynne.


    At this, Ise looked up at Verdic,pletely perplexed.


    For a moment, he recalled that his daughter had been suffering from an inferiorityplex due to Carynnes beauty. How difficult this must be for her. Her man had been taken away, and her fortune had dwindled.


    Im sorry.


    His judgment was wrong. He should have prioritized his daughter first, not his business.


    He had given that man as a present to his daughter, so he should have let her keep him until the very end.


    Carynne Hare


    Verdic chest started hurting even more as he watched his daughters expression grow even more distorted. Right then, he approached his daughter, who was on the verge of shedding tears, and tried to console her.


    But then, Ise opened her mouth and yelled at the top of her lungs.


    A-AAAAAAH! Father! Father! Its her! Its <i>her,</i> Father!


    Ise cried bitterly.


    Carynne Hare! She tried to <i>kill</i> me!


    Verdics rage slowly started to boil over.


    Verdic was not a man who knew how to forgive. He wouldnt allow it.


    Carynnemitted a transgression against himself.


    That red-haired wench tried to kill Ise Evans and take her ce. And, she stole Raymond Saytes, who was Ise Evans man.


    Ever since Carynne left the Evans household with Raymond, Verdic had been suffering from something that brought him constant difort. It would not go away no matter what he did, even if Dun had prescribed him some medicine to drink every night.


    Ise, think of your own condition first.


    Three days was enough for Verdic to prepare.


    Until now, Verdic had been bribing various nobles, and amongst those people were the noblest of them allthe royal family.


    Crown Prince Gueuze had a predilection for spending far more than the budget thats allocated to him, and so Verdic lent him some money.


    Of course, there was little chance that the money he lent would evere back in his hands.


    Crown Prince Gueuze is exceptionally interested in Miss Carynne.


    Its be a rampant rumor that Crown Prince Gueuze was exceptionally interested in Raymonds fiance, and it all started when he crashed the tea party that his own son was hosting.


    People ate up that kind of story.


    The fact that Crown Prince Gueuze was lusting after Carynne quickly became widespread. And, naturally, it reached Verdics ears.


    I am Carynnes legal father.


    <i>If you want, Ill give her to you.</i>


    Of course, Crown Prince Gueuze also promised an abundance of rights to Verdic from this exchange. At this, Verdic rejoiced.


    It was known by practically everyone that Crown Prince Gueuze was a promiscuous man.


    The moment Verdic would hand over Carynne to him, hed receive both revenge and profit at the same time.


    Still, Verdic had a dilemmahow exactly should he hand over Carynne Hare? It wouldnt be easy for him to do so either, since she was currently residing at the countess mansion.


    However, it all worked out easily enough.


    Because Carynne Hare personally crept into the Evans mansion.


    So, Verdic decided to act right then, the moment Carynne had been found in Ise Evans, his daughters, room.


    Ever since Ise had woken up, she had been sleeping in her mothers room because she was afraid of sleeping alone.


    When she heard that Carynne had been found in her room, Ise waspletely stunned.


    She came into my room?


    Thats right.


    That, that woman is g-going to try and kill me again


    Even so, Verdic thought that it was a little strange.


    If Carynne had tried to kill Ise, she had plenty of chances before.


    There was no consistency in any of her actions.


    Why the hell had shee <i>now?</i>