NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 144.2
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“Mariel.”
“Yes?”
“How do you like living in the Grand Duchy?”
“I love it! I enjoy studying with Madame Romain, and the gardens are beautiful. Everyone is kind, so it’s much better than where I lived before.”
As Mariel smiled brightly and replied, Asella smiled back at her. However, her mind was in great turmoil.
Asella recalled the night a few days ago when Calix returned and came to see her.
‘Come here.’
It was a little unexpected to see the man reaching out to take her into his arms. It was the first time she had seen his face so relaxed. It felt almost…
‘No.’
Asella interrupted the flow of her thoughts. She shouldn’t attribute any other reason to his meaningless actions.
‘It’s just a momentary whim.’
It was merely a fleeting interest in the doll that suddenly started speaking. So Asella approached him, trying to match his mood.
With an extremely submissive attitude, she asked him for help. Help to keep Mariel from being dragged back to the capital.
‘We have to run away.’
Calix promised to protect her and Mariel, but Asella didn’t believe him. People’s hearts could change as easily as flipping a palm.
There was no telling when he would change his mind and try to kill them. For now, they had only bought themselves a little more time.
‘There is nowhere safe in the Empire.’
Now there was nothing left, not even the family name that would shield them as it no longer existed. In that case, it would be better to leave the Harmenian Empire and escape to a place where no one knows them.
They just had to find a way to leave the Empire. Mariel’s awakening was not far off, so if she could find a safe place until then, that would be enough.
“Mariel, in case…”
Asella struggled to open her mouth. Overwhelming guilt surged within her as she saw her younger sister, tilting her head in confusion.
“If you don’t get to go to the Academy-“
“Sister.”
Mariel’s face suddenly turned serious. The child’s small hand covered Asella’s. Asella’s eyes widened at the change in her sister’s atmosphere.
“I’m fine. It doesn’t matter if I can’t go to the Academy.”
“Mariel?”
“I know what happened to the House of Chartus.”
Asella’s head rang as if she had been struck with a hammer. She didn’t show any signs of distress, but she noticed that even the maidservants were being extremely cautious and watchful, so how could she possibly know? Asella asked cautiously.
“How… did you know?”
“The atmosphere in the mansion seemed a bit off, so I used my manipulation power to figure it out.”
“I see.”
Asella lowered her eyes with a troubled expression. She sincerely hoped that Mariel would never know. The thought of how shocked her sister must have been upon hearing the story pained her. She gently stroked her head, feeling sorry for the child who, despite knowing, pretended not to know.
“You must have been very surprised.”
“A little.”
“If I can only let you-“
Asella muttered to herself.
“Sister?”
***
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