Chapter 93: CH 93

Gabriel stayed in the mansion today, not going out.

He hardly went out except when he went to Imperial Palace. Besides, no one came to visit Gabriel.

But for some reason, a familiar, yet unfamiliar carriage was coming into the mansion.

Did Gabriel finally decide to escape from being introvert?

“Huh…?”

The person who got off the carriage was someone I knew.

“Count Peliard?”

I frowned.

That middle-aged man is my father. Daphne’s father. A scumbag who tries to use Daphne.

But why are you here?

He couldn’t possibly have come to see me. What business would Gabriel have with Count Peliard?

I had a strange feeling.

I thought I should know what was going on.

After confirming that Count Peliard had entered the mansion under the guidance of a servant, I went down to the second floor.

Shannet followed me with a puzzled face. On the second floor where Gabriel lived, the number of servants was extremely small.

That no one was looking at us.

I saw Count Peliard enter Gabriel’s drawing room, I follow him.

Shannet followed me without knowing anything.

“Madam…?”

“Shh!”

I gently put my ear to the door.

“There was no need to come here, Count. I was going to meet you.”

“No, My Majesty the Crown Prince. I can’t make such a busy person do that. That’s why I’ve come to see you, because I think we need to finish what we talked about the other day.”

“A story we talked about the other day?”

Gabriel had a relationship with Count Peliard? How?

Yes. You mentioned before that you were going to help me get Daphne’s inheritance, and I came to ask you about it.”

What are you talking about…?

If it’s my inheritance, they are probably talking about what Daphne’s biological mother left her.

Count Peliard tried to take it from me.

“Hmp!”

Shannet, who had been rolling her eyes and thinking beside me, looked at me in surprise.

Even so, there was nothing I could say. Because this was happening without my knowledge.

My heart was beating loudly.

If we look at the conversation they had now, the reason Countess Peliard came to me before and was able to act proudly was because she had someone to support her.

‘There is someone who is helping us!’

I wonder if that’s what she meant. That Gabriel was going to help.

“Why… Gabriel, why are you…?”

I don’t understand. Let’s say Gabriel didn’t know about me and Count Peliard. I still don’t understand why he would help him steal my money?

“Madam…”

Shannet grabbed my arm in tears to support me.

Inside, the story was constantly flowing.

“His Majesty the Crown Prince…!”

“Let’s think about that. There are a lot of eyes watching Daphne right now. If Count Peliard moves, it will attract people’s attention.”

“Hah…. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, then. So what do you think about that investment we were talking about earlier, have you decided to invest it?”

I pulled myself out of the door. I didn’t need to hear any more.

Gabriel took the hand of Count Peliard.

Is Gabriel trying to have me, even if it means breaking me?

“How could Gabriel do that to me…”

Shannet supported me as I stumbled.

Leaning on Shannet, I walked away like a baby, step by step, from there.

The shock that struck me does not recover. I never imagined Gabriel would do this to me.

“The Crown Prince is too much.”

Shannet said crying.

She’s right…

My heart grew cold and I didn’t want to defend Gabriel any more.

In the first place, Gabriel didn’t come to the mansion to save me.

Gabriel was probably the one who urged the Countess to come to me…?

Was he offering to rescue me from a trap of his own in the first place?

“Gabriel…!”

*****

It was good to have Count Peliard on his side. Count Peliard was an easy man to read, and so far he’d done exactly what Gabriel wanted.

However, he intended to destroy Count Peliard, not to join hands with him.

It seemed that I had to meet Lee Jong-woo quickly and find evidence to overthrow Count Peliard.

After he had comforted Count Peliard and sent him back, he was exhausted.

Gabriel clicked his tongue and squeezed the corners of his eyes.

“Ha… ”

What the hell am I doing?

It was time for Gabriel to go out.

“Move!”

The door opened with a sharp voice. It was Daphne.

Daphne’s beautiful face had turned white for some reason.

Gabriel smiled. For whatever reason,It was nice to have Daphne come to him first.

Gabriel called Daphne’s name affectionately.

“Daphne. What happened?”

Daphne let out a breath. She seemed to be very angry about something.

‘Have you seen Count Peliard visited?’

It could be, Count Peliard had come unannounced, and he hadn’t been able to stop him.

Before Gabriel could even open his mouth to tell Daphne that it was a misunderstanding, Daphne fired like a rapid-fire cannon.

“Did Gabriel do this? Was it you who offered to help Count Peliard steal my inheritance, and you were holding hands with him behind my back? Was it you to let Countess Peliard come to see me and mess with me, and you told me you’d get me out of there, that you’d help me, did you make a fool of me?”

“Daphne, that’s….”

Gabriel stood up, panicking at the truth revealed.

He approached Daphne and grabbed her wrist. There was a fear that Daphne would leave like this. Gabriel’s hands trembled.

“No. It’s not like that…”

“It’s not what!”

Daphne cried out in a hoarse voice. Daphne’s eyes were bloodshot with anger.

Gabriel swallowed. Even an excuse would not be able to appease Daphne. And what Daphne said was close to the truth.

It was the handshake Gabriel had given to get her.

Gabriel straightened his expression and applied a slight force to the hand that was holding Daphne.

“You’re right. I did.”

“Hah!”

Gabriel caught Daphne’s hand as she tried to slap him in the face. Gabriel said in a sullenly wet voice, staring at Daphne as he struggled while holding her hands.

“If I hadn’t done that, would I have been able to have Daphne like this?”

“Gabriel!!”

“I didn’t really mean to help Count Peliard.”

“It doesn’t matter! Gabriel, you deceived me. Seeing you deceive me and make me do what you want… Were you happy? Is this the love you are talking about?”

Daphne struggled. Gabriel let her go, fearing that he would hurt Daphne.

Daphne slammed a weak fist into Gabriel’s chest.

“Is this what love is? You can only love like this?”

Daphne’s tears fell.

Gabriel raised his hand and dropped it. Every time Daphne cried, it was because of Gabriel.

Gabriel’s face contorted when Daphne hit him.

“Why are you so bad at love… Why do you love me like this? Are you happy now?”

It was the same question as last time.

“… Daphne…”

“I thought I could at least trust that you wouldn’t choose to hurt me…”

Daphne’s face, stained with betrayal, became an open wound. He felt like he was walking downhill every day.

Gabriel said to Daphne.

“… Count Peliard will pay the price for his evil deeds. So, Daphne…”

“That’s not the point.”

Daphne slapped his chest in frustration.

“It’s because you can’t learn.”

Gabriel replied sharply.

“It’s because I don’t know how to beg for love, because I feel like I need to hold your fingertips to breathe! What’s so different about me and Cesare? That man locked you up in the tower. And you ended up in an unwanted marriage! But why do you love him and hate me?”

“Because it’s different. It’s completely different!”

Every time Daphne shook her head, her tears flowed.

“Because I, my feelings are different. And Cesare would never do that.”

“… Really? That man is the same person.”

Daphne laughed sadly. All of Gabriel’s distorted personality was exposed.

Gabriel didn’t even apologize to Daphne now. He didn’t think he was sorry.

“Gabriel… This is so messed up.”

“If only.”

Gabriel swallowed. Pain tore through his throat, like swallowing a fireball.

Gabriel let out a long sigh and opened his mouth again.

“If only I could go back to that moment, I would do the same, Daphne.”