Chapter 37: Chapter 37

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Chapter 37

“I’m not sure, but I’ve heard rumors circulating behind the scenes that there’s a criminal case that has something to do with Michael Heines.”

“With Michael….! Brother?”

I quickly corrected when I was going to call Michael Heines and belatedly called him brother.

“I don’t know why such rumors are circulating, but anyway, that’s why many noble women these days say they are very concerned about cracking down on their husbands.

He was doing so many things. Of course, Astell also gave Bleon a drug, so she was not in a position to point a finger at Michael. But if the rumors are true, then Michael must have been doing something big.

“Why was he doing that?”

“It’s the money.”

“Money? But the Heines family…!”

“A few years ago, the successor of the Heines Marquisate was decided to be Lucas Heines. Astell knows what happens too, that almost all of the family’s fortune goes to the heir the moment the heir is decided.”

Leila was right. When a successor was decided upon, more than ninety percent of the family’s wealth would be monopolized, and all that’s left would be shared by the other siblings. Still, the Heines Marquisate had a lot of riches, so when Astell got married, she also took with her one of the family’s estates and a fairly large dowry. It was enough that she could just eat and play for the rest of her life.

‘You have a lot of greed too.’

In that case, Michael must have inherited more than Astell, but he seemed to be more greedy here.

“That’s all I know. I hope my words will help you, Astell.”

“You’ve been a huge help. Thank you so much. Leila.”

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting to know this much in detail, so I was feeling very grateful to Leila.

“If there comes a day when Leila needs help, I want to help as much as I can.”

“I’m just stating what I know.”

“No. It was really important to me.”

We talked more about this and that. There were so many things I didn’t know about the capital, so it was almost as if Leila provided information unilaterally.

“But Astell…”

“Yes?”

“Did you ever visit the Holster Marquisate when you were a child?”

“If it’s the Holster Marquisate, then it’s Sir McCain’s family?”

“Yes, yes.”

I tilted my head at Leila’s words as she suddenly asked me if I had ever been to the Holster Marquisate. Then, quietly, I traced Astell’s memory.

“Hmm, I can’t remember.”

It’s not a lie, no matter how much I searched through Astell’s memory, I couldn’t remember going to the Holster family’s residence.

“Oh really? I see.”

“Why?”

“That… I think I had seen Astell once before, so I asked.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t have a very good memory…”

I apologized to her with a humble smile on my face.

“No! Astell doesn’t need to apologize. I just brought up something so suddenly when we were talking about something else.”

Those words of Leila’s were the end of that topic. And after we talked a little more, we went back to the drawing room. When we returned, Bleon and McCain were just staring at each other without saying a word.

And as soon as he saw me, Bleon jumped up and came over to me. And as I felt him ​​hugging me, I gently pushed his chest away. As I watched Bleon’s pupils shake violently at my gesture of rejection, I felt uncomfortable for a moment. So I opened my mouth, looking at Leila, thinking that I had to get out of here quickly.

“We’ll be returning. It was such a fun time. I’ll invite you next time, Leila.”

“I will wait for your invitation. Be careful going back, Astell. Be careful, Duke Einer.”

Leila saw us off to the front of the mansion and we got into the carriage to go back to the estate. As the carriage departed, Bleonwas watching me with an anxious and gloomy face, and so I opened my arms wide.

I nodded slightly as I saw Bleon’s bewildered expression, then Bleon hurriedly took me into his arms. And with deep breaths, I searched for my own stability.

“Were you upset earlier?”

“…….”

Bleon didn’t answer my words.

“Yes?”

I asked him again.

“…No.”

He was sad but said no. He’s being cute again, so a smirk leaked out.

“You shouldn’t hug me like that in a place where there are other people. Embrace me only when there are just the two of us. Got it?”

“…Yes.”

“Good job, my husband.”

I reached up and stroked his hair.

“Were you two quiet in the parlor?”

“Yes…”

“Well done.”

So we held each other until we reached the mansion. It was because Bleon did not want to release me from his arms, perhaps because of my previous rejection. And as soon as we arrived at the mansion, I said again that I would be in the study, so I headed there. It was to organize the information I heard from Leila today. But suddenly, a problem arose.

‘Should I take Bleon?’

Rather than going to that crazy lair with Bleon, I thought it would be better for me to go alone and deal with those insane humans. The more I pondered the stories I heard from Leila today, the more I didn’t want to take Bleon with me.

Let me ask him one more time. Of course, Bleon would unconditionally say that he would follow me, but it wasn’t bad trying to convince him. I cleaned up my study and headed straight to my bedroom. And again, Bleon was pacing across the room without sitting down.

“I’m here.”

“Wife…!”

The same situation as yesterday unfolded, and Bleon hugged me tightly. After a while, I got out of his arms and grabbed his hand, leading Bleon to the sofa.

“Sit down. I have something to tell you.”

“What is it…?”

We sat next to each other on the sofa, looked into each other’s eyes and started talking.

“I think it’s better if only I will go to the Heines estate tomorrow, what do you think?”

“You alone, Wife?!”

“Yes.”

“Never. I will go with you.”

I knew he would answer that, so as I caressed each of his clasped fingers one by one, I opened my lips.

“If you go, you won’t see anything good. I don’t want to show you that.”

“That’s all the more reason I have to go. I will be by your side and protect you, Wife. I will protect you so that no one will mistreat you.”

Bleon’s voice was filled with resolution and determination.

“Wife did that for me before, didn’t you? You told me not to be friends with people who bully me. It’s the same with your family. They are no longer my wife’s family if they bother you even though they are related to you by blood.”

I stared at him in amazement. He spoke so much better than I expected.

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