“It was Earl Winst.”
“I-I’m sorry, Marquis. Because I didn’t manage properly……”
The madam stopped the phonograph and knelt down.
“……I don’t intend to hold the madam responsible. The offer to waive rent for 3 months still stands.”
I had no intention of punishing the madam.
It was Earl Winst who took the pocket watch, and thanks to the phonograph the madam placed, I obtained definitive evidence.
“Marquis, w-what do you intend to do……”
“Of course I must retrieve the pocket watch.”
The madam trembled, seemingly afraid of the complaints that would come to Earl Winst afterwards.
“Ah, don’t worry. I intend to take measures so that there will be no retaliation against the madam.”
“……Thank you, Marquis!”
[This is the timeline separator]When I went to the Earl Winst’s residence, a servant who came out immediately bowed while sweating cold.
“Marquis Rowe, what brings you here without prior notice……”
“Where is Earl Winst now?”
“T-The Earl is currently not present.”
“Where did he go?”
“Well, that is……”
It was clearly a hastily made-up lie.
Jade focused his senses to find where Earl Winst was.
‘……He’s in the study.’
The sound of Earl Winst’s laughter could be heard from the study.
“Marquis, I’m sorry, but please visit again next time……!”
The face of the servant following him as he moved towards the study turned pale.
Bang!
Jade immediately kicked open the door of the study.
“My lord, it tickles.”
“You naughty thing, come here.”
Earl Winst, who had been intimately entangled with a maid, shouted angrily.
“I said not to let anyone in, who……”
“Earl. Didn’t you say you were not present?”
“……Marquis Rowe?”
Earl Winst pushed away the maid and straightened his disheveled jacket.
“Marquis, why have you come here without notice?”
“Ah, I just came to pick up something. No need to send them out, please continue after I leave.”
“No……!”
The servant who met Earl Winst’s fierce glare took the maid and left.
Jade briefly examined the face of the maid who lowered her head in embarrassment.
‘She looks about the same age as Sharlin.’
Sharlin was hiding in the territory of the Marquis Rowe family.
Saying she didn’t want to let Earl Winst know she was pregnant.
From his perspective, his daughter had gone out and not returned, in a state of being missing.
‘Instead of being distressed about losing his daughter, to think he’d be entangled with a maid of similar age.’
Earl Winst watched Jade’s expression with a face tinged with shame.
“Marquis. What you just saw……”
“Earl. Don’t worry. Whether it’s a maid or a manservant. I’m not particularly curious about who you get entangled with.”
Earl Winst trembled and burst out.
“Marquis! You’re going too far. Not only did you suddenly come in like this, was it not enough that you threatened Sharlin to break off the engagement? How shocked must she have been for my daughter to not return until now……!”
“Threatened?”
It was unpleasant enough that Earl Winst’s hand had touched his father’s pocket watch.
‘Like daughter, like father.’
It was already a great favor to help Sharlin who was carrying Grand Duke Usith’s child.
Jade approached Earl Winst and looked down at him.
“M-Marquis.”
Earl Winst took a step back and bit his lip.
“From the beginning, it was the Earl who proceeded with the engagement to Grand Duke Usith without regard for my wishes, and wrote a certificate stating he would break it off after 4 years.”
“……That.”
“Am I mistaken about the dictionary definition of ‘threat’?”
Earl Winst, who had been hanging his head, widened his eyes.
“You must have heard the news that Sharlin has gone missing. I was agitated with worry for my child.”
“For someone worried about his child, you’re dallying with a maid instead of searching.”
His intention to escape using Sharlin as an excuse was transparent.
“I wonder if Countess Winst, who has collapsed from shock and is recuperating at her parents’ home, knows about this.”
Countess Winst was currently recuperating at her parents’ home. It was laughable that he was taking advantage of this time to get close to a maid.
“What is your intention in toying with me! Didn’t I break off the engagement as you wished, Marquis!”
“I came here for business with Earl Winst, not the young lady.”
Jade deliberately didn’t mention the phonograph he had heard at the dress shop.
As payment for interrupting the Earl’s pleasant time, he intended to just take the pocket watch and leave.
“I want an apology for this intrusion. Even if my rank is lower than yours, Marquis, I am still the head of the Winst family.”
Before that tolerance was kicked away.
‘He wants an apology?’
Jade brushed back his bangs and burst into laughter.
“Shouldn’t the Earl apologize for laying hands on something that belongs to someone else?”
Earl Winst rolled his eyes and tried to deny it.
“W-What do you mean? What thing?”
“Showing mercy to the Earl who is worried about his beloved missing daughter, if you hand it over now, I’ll overlook this without making a big issue of it.”
Just then, Jade spotted the pocket watch inside Earl Winst’s open jacket.
As Jade took out the pocket watch, he saw that the surface was cracked and damaged.
The hour hand was also broken and not moving. Of course, the ruby embedded inside was intact.
But it was his father’s keepsake that Larien had retrieved for him.
‘How dare he.’
Jade grabbed Earl Winst by the throat and lifted him up.
“Kuhk, p-please, spare me……”
“Do you know what this is?”
“……Mar, quis.”
The small breaths were irritating.
‘Should I kill him?’
It would be somewhat troublesome to deal with, but there was no way to swallow this boiling anger.
‘Be careful and come back, Jade. I’ll be waiting.’
……Come to think of it, Larien was waiting.
The image of her anxiously pressing her ear to Blanche’s heart flashed by.
He loosened his grip on Earl Winst’s neck.
Strangely, the desire to kill disappeared. More precisely, he didn’t want to waste time on useless things.
‘I should go to Larien.’
Earl Winst, with his back against the wall, gasped for breath and squirmed.
“Earl Winst.”
Jade lifted the Earl’s chin.
“Mar, quis, please, spare me. I was, wrong. I’ll, com, pensate you.”
Earl Winst’s brown eyes, which met his gaze, lowered.
“Next time, I might really kill you.”
“……”
“Don’t disturb me, just breathe quietly.”
After uttering a low warning and leaving the study, Jade’s neck felt stiff.
‘Is it because of Clementine’s poison?’
The bleeding had stopped, but he felt dizzy for some reason.
More than that, he hurried his steps, urgent to get to Larien.
[This is the timeline separator]“He said he’d be back in an hour, why isn’t he here yet.”
I couldn’t concentrate on work for hours.
Half a day had passed since Jade left for Salome Castle.
‘I hope nothing happened.’
I couldn’t focus due to anxiety, wondering if I should contact Ayla.
‘Should I try contacting Ayla.’
When I opened the door to leave the study, Blanche was standing in front.
I barely caught Blanche who was about to fall from losing balance in surprise.
“Blanche, baby, are you okay?”
“Shu Shu’s heart dropped and came back up……”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were right in front.”
“Mama, Shu Shu sleepy. Put me to bed.”
Blanche spread her arms, acting spoiled.
‘It’s not bedtime yet, should I put her down for a bit.’
“Is my baby sleepy?”
“Ung, I tried to sleep earlier but…… couldn’t sleep.”
“Then let’s sleep for a little bit.”
Hearing she couldn’t nap earlier, I picked up Blanche and went up the stairs.
“Mama…… listen.”
“Hmm?”
Blanche smacked her lips sleepily.
“Is the Marquis not angry at Shu Shu anymore?”
“……Blanche, what do you mean? Why would Jade?”
“The Marquis isn’t coming to see Shu Shu…… He must be disappointed after all. Because Shu Shu couldn’t turn into a wolf……”
Blanche mumbled and buried her face.
I realized I hadn’t explained to Blanche where Jade had gone.
‘Ah, from Blanche’s perspective, we parted like that and Jade’s not coming.’
It was understandable she would think this way given the situation.
“No, Blanche. That’s not it, the Marquis went to save you…… Blanche?”
Blanche had fallen asleep with her face resting against me.
“……Blanche. Don’t be upset. There’s no way that’s true.”
I whispered softly as I kissed her soft cheek.
‘I’ll have to tell her when she wakes up. I was so busy looking for information about the jewel……’
I regretted not paying attention earlier. As I was going up to the room to let her sleep comfortably, I sensed a presence on the balcony.
“……Jade?”
Jade was there.
‘Why does he keep coming in through the balcony when there’s a front door.’
I gently laid Blanche on the bed and quietly went to open the balcony door.
“You said you’d be back in an hour, did something happen on the way? Why are you so late……”
Jade’s complexion was pale.
“Lari, en.”
Somehow his breathing was rough and didn’t seem right.
“Jade, are you sick? What’s wrong! There’s blood on your neck……!”
Blood was staining Jade’s neck.
“……Just a moment, let me stay like this.”
He said dismissively as he pulled me into an embrace.
__________
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
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