Chapter 126 126. Preparation, Part XI

Translator: Khan

Editor: Aelryinth

Robert’s impression was slightly frowned upon by Killian, who showed some humility. Even though it was a separate house, this was the dressing shop of Iris, and it wasn’t so desirable to see the Prince walking in and out like his own house. Furthermore, Maribel brought him here to tell him about Julietta, and he could not understand why Prince Killian was here.

There was a moment of silence indoors because of Robert, who was agonizing over what to say, and Killian, who was looking at him. Finally, the impatient Robert spoke first.

"The troupe leader, tell me why you brought me here. Did Your Highness call me over? Then please tell me why. I know I have to go back before the opera is over."

One glance at Maribel, Killian finally opened his mouth at Robert’s urging. "Do you know where this is, the Marquis?"

"Yes. I know it’s Iris’s dressing shop."

Ignoring the gaze of the Marquis who wanted to know why he was here, Killian stared at Robert’s blond hair and green eyes. "That’s how you look like her. I also have the hair and eyes of His Majesty."

Roberta replied reluctantly to Killian’s inappropriate reply. "Iris looks a lot like my sister, Katarina. I was also very surprised to see her this time."

There must be a reason why he called him so secretively, but Robert, irritated by Killian not getting to get to the point, felt like he had to speak first. Just as he was about to open his mouth, Killian turned to the garden which appeared to be a drawing-room window, and said as if he were passing by. "It’s natural since it is the relationship between father and daughter."

Robert thought the Prince said wrong. He carefully corrected him, "Yes, of course, it is the relationship between mother and daughter."

When Robert said, Killian replied with a big smile, "The Marquis, I said it is the relationship between father and daughter."

Robert looked at the Prince. He thought he was angry when his mistake was pointed out. But Killian repeated it to him.

"The Marquis, I don’t make mistakes, especially if it’s a slip of the tongue. I’m saying that the Marquis and Iris are in the relationship of a father and daughter."

Robert asked him again, wondering if he had heard wrong for a moment, "Your Highness, we are not in a relationship between father and daughter. Iris is my niece."

Killian spoke to Maribel, as if he had no intention of solving Robert’s doubts. "The troupe leader, say the rest. I have given this much of a hint, so it’s up to you to do the rest."

Maribel bowed politely at Killian’s words. After rising, she looked at Marquis Robert.

"Your Excellency, you will be very surprised and angry at what I’m saying now. But please understand that we’re all here for one person." As Robert stared at her, Maribel looked at Mrs. Raban and said, "You know that Stella and Julietta came to the theater twelve years ago after being kicked out by the Marquise."

"That’s right. I’m truly grateful for that."

"I told Your Excellency that when Stella died, Julietta died too, but it was a lie. Julietta is alive."

"What?"

"It was the order of the Marquise. She told me to put the illegitimate child of Your Excellency out of sight."

Robert clenched his fists at Maribel’s words. Perhaps he didn’t know what he would do if the Prince wasn’t here.

"You should have told me!"

Maribel once again bowed at the rising voice of the Marquis.

"The Marquise wanted to drive them out of the Empire, but she was only five years old. She even said she wanted to send them to a specific location."

It was the first time Maribel had heard about the brothel called "Under The Wings of Angels." It was still questionable where the noble Duchess and Princess Dudley came to learn such information.

Even if she said this, it would be hard to stop him from going to kill his wife, so Robert said,

"It must not have been a good place."

The green eyes of the Marquis were closed for a while, and covered with creepy red bloodlines, showing his feelings.

"Yes, Your Excellency. First of all, I needed to comfort the Marquise. I had to prove that I was completely on her side."

Killian listened to this news for the first time, frowning at the hard-heartedness of Marquise Anais. How dirty the family of Dudley was!

"What did you do with Julietta?"

"Who could I trust in that situation? I thought she’d have to be within my sight so I could respond no matter what happened."

Killian shook his head as if he understood now. "That’s why she was dressed up like that."

At Killian’s words, Robert vented a great lament in embarrassment. "A disguise? What the hell has happened to the child?"

The wailing of the Marquis seemed to rise from the depths of his heart, and made everyone there solemn.

"I made sure that Your Excellency never knew about it. I made a promise to Mrs. Anais. She said she’d forget about Julietta as long as that promise was kept."

"Where is Julietta? I have to meet her right away."

"You’ve already met."

At the words of Mrs. Raban who had only been listening until then quietly, Robert stared at Marquise Raban for a while and realized something. "Don’t tell me..."

As if to confirm Robert’s doubt, Mrs. Raban once again gave him a definite answer. "That’s right. It’s Julietta, who you thought was your niece."

Robert grabbed his chest unwittingly when he forgot to breathe.

"Your Excellency, are you all right?" Maribel started to stand up in surprise, but Robert raised his hand and refused to let her approach.

"It’s all right, so go ahead again. Why the hell did Julietta show up in Dublin in the form of Iris?"

Maribel was worried about the wild breathing of the Marquis, but began the rest of the story with the thought of ending it. "She grew up in the hands of theater moms disguised as an ugly girl, but as she grew older, I kept getting worried. I couldn’t help but think that one day the Marquise might change her mind."

"Why didn’t you let me know? If I had known, I would never have let Julietta be that way."

Robert exclaimed, feeling as if he were vomiting blood.

Maribel only answered calmly, "You didn’t notice anything until one day when Stella and Julietta were kicked out of the house empty-handed. How could I believe you, who had not prepared for such a thing, even if you were in Vicern? In fact, I thought you might have succumbed to the family of Duke Dudley."

At her reasonable doubt, Robert had nothing to say. The reason he married Ivana was that he couldn’t overcome the pressure from the family of Duke Dudley.

Maribel went on, "I didn’t know when Mrs. Ivana would be offended by Julietta again, so I wanted to make a strong fence. Sometimes if it is a boy, and they have no heir, he may be registered as a biological child with the permission of the first wife, but it’s very rare for a girl who is born an illegitimate child. With the Marquise was the first wife, she was the greatest threat, so it was safe for her to become the concubine of a powerful high-ranking aristocrat."

Robert was forced to accept the cold words of Maribel.

Stella, who fell in love with him, was also worried about the birth of a baby with him. The marriage of a commoner and actress to a high-ranking aristocrat like Marquis Anais was impossible. It was a time when the hierarchy between statuses was stricter than ever, as it was a peaceful time, without war or famine.

Stella had initially refused Robert’s courtship coldly because she did not want her child to be despised as an aristocrat’s illegitimate child.

Robert had promised Stella, that although he couldn’t marry her, he would never make a child born between them a bastard.

After all, he had decided that he would marry and choose a family that was weak enough to accept the condition that he and Stella’s child would be adopted if it was born. Even if the other party’s family was poor, as long as she could accept the condition, he would have to endure it. However, the plan was broken because of Ivana, who had fallen in love with Robert.

Maribel felt sorry for him for a while when she saw his painfully distorted face. She wanted to stop, but she had to finish the rest of the story before he went back. "It’s painful, but we still have something to talk about. Isn’t the present more important than the past?"