Johan was an extraordinarily talented man.

Honestly, I knew that fact from the moment he was born. He effortlessly handled things that others found difficult.

Even when the family collapsed, Johan successfully carried out perfect revenge.

But Estelle.

When dealing with this woman, Johan felt that all his talents were meaningless.

“The mastermind was Libertan? They spread malicious rumors about the adopted daughter cherished by the Marquis of Libertan?”

“Yes, someone who witnessed Marquis Marcelly’s wife and journalist Resello receiving sources in Libertan has come forward as the origin of the rumor. And they, too, have started testifying as if they now remembered.”

“How could it suddenly turn out like this? How incompetent have we been in handling matters that it led to this situation?”

“I apologize, my lord.”

Everything that had been thoroughly investigated had become distorted. Johan’s perfect results were tainted with failure and arrogance.

So Johan tried to find a new mastermind.

“I thought the mastermind was the temple.”

Here, the Marquis of Libertan came into play again. Initially, the Marquis of Libertan had cherished Estelle as if she were his own daughter from the moment of adoption.

“Originally, this is more like the behavior of the Marquis of Libertan.”

A wicked family like the Marquis of Libertan would not dedicate themselves to an adopted daughter without a drop of their own blood. Johan also doubted it at first.

But all the evidence was perfect, and in a moment, everyone seemed to have fallen under a spell, and everything was overturned.

“Considering they brought in Estelle as a substitute for the Marquis’s daughter, I thought they wouldn’t love her that much.”

Originally, the Marquis of Libertan didn’t even treat her as a substitute. If that were the case, there would be no reason for her to spread rumors and become a villainess.

“Does Estelle know this fact?”

It was strange, but it still seemed like Estelle regarded the Marquis and Marquise of Libertan as her parents.

The reason Johan revealed the truth that the Marquis of Libertan was the mastermind was to crush that fragile hope of Estelle.

So, just like Johan, Estelle would also come to hate the Marquis of Libertan.

So that their relationship could become even stronger.

But Estelle’s reaction was completely different. I expected her to at least tear the newspaper in anger. I hoped she would beg for revenge and show a determined attitude.

“I honestly don’t know.”

Estelle was calm.

“I never thought about this. I haven’t expected anything from the Marquis and Marquise of Libertan.”

It felt like she had never expected anything from the Marquis and Marquise of Libertan, unlike before, where she seemed to think of them as her parents.

‘Is this the real Estelle?’

Looking at Estelle, who was completely unaffected, Johan was filled with doubt.

‘Was she aware of it from the beginning, or did she notice it subtly over time?’

“My body is weak, so I stay in the mansion and don’t pay much attention to the news…”

“But why does your expression look like that?”

“Huh?”
Johan felt a strong desire to uncover Estelle’s innermost thoughts to the core. His navy blue eyes shook like waves.

‘What are you hiding?’

Estelle turned pale without a chance to hide her surprise. Johan, looking at Estelle, pieced together the puzzle fragments he had accumulated.

“Right now, you’re wearing a face that shows no sadness at all. As if you expected this.”

Usually, even if it’s their own fault, people feel unjustly treated when labeled as a villain. However, she, despite being unjustly accused of being a villainess, seemed to have no intention of erasing the label.

‘The process of revenge against Miryu Judie was the same.’

Estelle didn’t actively defend herself.

She didn’t try to dispel the rumors of being a villainess. Although the villainess label was somewhat attached, Estelle didn’t seem to want to make it disappear completely.

If so, she should have explained her situation to people like Princess Diana, who seemed to be on friendly terms.

‘Why does she keep enduring the accusations while seeking revenge against Miryu?’

When Estelle didn’t seek revenge against the reporters who maligned her, the mystery deepened.

‘I get angry just thinking about what you went through.’

I don’t know what this emotion is. But Johan wanted to grant whatever Estelle desired, and he wished for her not to be hurt.

Even if Estelle seemed unaffected, this was by no means a problem to be overlooked. Wasn’t everyone trying to bury one person as a villain?

‘Madam is well aware that she is terminally ill. However, she doesn’t want to worry others and simply doesn’t want to disclose it to everyone.’

‘She struggled a lot when it became known that she had less than a year to live.’

No way.

‘Did she plan to escape?’

If Estelle, an unjust victim, suddenly disappeared, Johan might be subjected to bad rumors. Even if she died of a terminal illness, Johan would be misunderstood.

‘If Estelle dies labeled as a villainess…’

It would leave no blemish on Johan’s honor.