The Person I Loved Hated Me - Chapter 21

Slowly rising to his feet, Sebastian began pacing restlessly around the room. Crossing his arms, he muttered something under his breath. He seemed deep in thought.

After circling the room several times, he stopped behind Isaac.

“Do you have any proof that you are Lord Rhodias’s illegitimate children?”

“No, we do not.”

“Then we cannot dismiss the possibility that this is a fabrication.”

“Lord Ortol, lying? If only that were true.”

“…We need to confirm this.”

There was no reason for Ortol to tell such a lie. Yet it was also true that there was not a single piece of evidence. If it were all lies or misunderstandings, at least they could avoid the disgrace of committing incest with half-siblings.

But Ortol had no reason to appear before Isaac, who knew nothing and lie. That in itself was confirmation of the truth.

Sebastian probably only knew because of the message from Ortol. Even so, he seemed to want to believe it was a mistake.

“Alright, I understand.”

Sebastian, who had been wandering again, clapped his hands as if a brilliant idea had struck him.

“Marry your sister off quickly. If you can’t find a match, I’ll take her as my son’s official wife. There’s no benefit to making this fact public.”

Isaac gasped at the suggestion to marry her off.

“W-wait a moment!”

“If she has a husband, he’ll give up. If there’s a chance the child isn’t His Highness’s, he won’t lay a hand on her. Yes, that’s what we’ll do.”

Sebastian nodded emphatically. Isaac shook his head vigorously in disbelief… then suddenly paused, pressed a finger to his lips, and swiftly gestured toward the door.

Sebastian’s eyes widened. Isaac approached the door quietly, grabbed the knob, and flung it open forcefully.

Two men stood in the dark hallway. “Rhys, were you eavesdropping?!” Sebastian exclaimed.

One was Rhys, Sebastian’s son. Rhys widened his eyes as if to say, “We’ve been caught.”

The other was Eivard. Perhaps having anticipated being discovered by Isaac, he showed no surprise, but his brow was deeply furrowed, and his expression was stern.

“Rhys, I told you not to join them.”

“Well, when I heard the old man might have fathered two children elsewhere, I couldn’t help myself.”

“That’s no excuse.”

Sebastian’s shoulders slumped in defeat, while Rhys grimaced and scratched his head as if regretting his actions. Meanwhile, Eivard, before anyone could question his identity, dropped to one knee and bowed deeply.

“Duke Winslet, I love her. Please, I beg you, entrust that role to me, Eivard.”

This plea was directed not only at Sebastian but at Isaac as well. “Isaac, please,” he added, bowing even deeper, leaving Isaac speechless. Sebastian looked down at Eivard and demanded, “Who are you?”

“I am Eivard, a member of the Royal Knights.”

“Aren’t you the third son of the Marquis Trulin family? Such a disastrous move is unforgivable!”

The Marquis Trulin family had long aimed to supplant the Winslet dukedom. The idea of Clara falling into their hands was the worst possible outcome, and Sebastian exploded with rage.

“What a disaster. The very people we least wanted to know have found out. Rhys, why did you bring him? What were you thinking?!”

“I never imagined it would come to this. Eivard and I both thought they were the old man’s secret children.”

Things had taken a terrible turn. Isaac was shocked that their secret had been exposed.

He didn’t want their peaceful life disrupted. That was why he never wanted anyone to know. They lived in different worlds. He had believed they could continue living peacefully, but unfortunately, Dian had taken an interest in Clara.

This was the result.

Though he couldn’t have handled it alone, regret washed over him. He never should have spoken up.

“Your Excellency, I swear I will never reveal this. Though I was born into the Trulin family, I am prepared to sever all ties with them.”

Eivard remained on one knee, looking up at Sebastian with a serious gaze. In response, Sebastian scoffed at him.

“For my daughter’s sake? In this situation, how can I believe you? You plan to use that face of yours to win her over, claim a connection to Prince Rhodias, and seize power in the royal palace. But I won’t allow it. There’s no proof they are His Highness’s bloodline. None! It’s all my father’s delusion!”

Sebastian raised his chin and looked down triumphantly at Eivard from his superior position.

“Father. Even if it were Grandfather’s delusion, the fact remains that Prince Dian is trying to make a move on his half-sister (Clara), doesn’t it?”

“Silence, Rhys! I know that. There’s no connection, it’s Father’s delusion. But just in case, you will marry the girl.”

“Why should I clean up after Prince Rhodias?!”

“Are you insulting Prince Rhodias?!”

Rhys pouted in disbelief, and Sebastian roared, “You brought this man here, didn’t you? Clean up your own mess!”

“Don’t take it out on me.”

“You aim to be the next chancellor, yet you don’t understand how dangerous this situation is?!”

“I do. I understand the danger of entrusting my daughter to this Eivard. But no matter how confident he is in his looks, there’s no guarantee she’ll fall for him. People have different tastes.”

Though Rhys made a reasonable point, Eivard, still on his knee, declared, “She and I are in love with each other.”

“What?!” Rhys and Sebastian exclaimed in surprise, their questioning gazes turning to Isaac.

“I-Is that true?”

“That is true. It’s a fact that my sister has feelings for Eivard. But Eivard.”

Isaac stepped in front of Eivard and knelt as well, meeting his gaze.

“We were born and raised as commoners. I don’t want Clara to end up like our mother. Clara knows her place too. Please, give up.”

He was glad someone loved Clara. He knew Eivard’s good qualities. But the fact that he was a noble was something he couldn’t accept. Even if by some chance she were recognized as his official wife, Clara couldn’t fulfill that role.

As Isaac bowed and said, “I’m sorry,” Eivard pushed his shoulder, forcing their eyes to meet again. Eivard’s blue eyes held no hesitation.

“I intended to give up. I promised to let these feelings fade. But I’m sorry. I love Clara.”

“I can’t let you abandon your family for Clara. Clara would worry about it too.”

“Leaving my family isn’t for Clara, it’s for myself. I recently requested to be disowned. It won’t be easily granted, but my resolve to leave the Trulin family is firm.”

“Disowned? But why…?”

Though he claimed it wasn’t for Clara, wasn’t his love for her the root of it all?

As Isaac doubted him, Eivard’s expression darkened. “I want a family of my own,” he said.