Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Did I Ever Say Not to Have It?
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*
"You look like you want to die a holy death."
Lennox watched leisurely as Juliet fussily adjusted her clothes, opening his mouth at ease.
"......"
Juliet made no reply.
But Lennox didn't look hurt in the slightest. If anything, he shrugged his shoulders languidly.
Juliet couldn't for the life of her figure out why he was acting this way now.
She thought.
The man who hated being bothered more than anything in the world.
'He definitely found me annoying......'
Then, she suddenly remembered one fact he was still misunderstanding.
"Ah, I get it."
Juliet let out a deep sigh.
"Yes. I lied and said I got pregnant because I hated Your Highness."
"See? There's no baby."
He had no comeback to that.
Instead, he straightened up from his half-reclining position and pulled her from behind, turning her around to face him in a half-embrace.
"Juliet."
"....…Why."
Juliet was a little scared inside. She had lied to him and run away, even if out of anger.
And he had crossed the continent in outrage over that lie.
She thought she couldn't blame him if he got mad. But unexpectedly, Lennox was calm.
Instead of yelling, he bent down slightly to meet her eyes and asked seriously.
"Let me ask you one thing. Did I ever tell you not to have a child?"
"......."
For a moment, Juliet was at a loss for words.
"'If there is one,'
'I won't let you give birth to it.'
'Juliet?'"
To be precise, he hadn't said it yet.
Juliet recalled his voice from before her regression, clutching the hem of her dress in her hand.
She remembered everything clearly.
Especially the words and actions he spat out that year when she died, when she had briefly swelled with hope that she was pregnant.
"Did you think you could hide it from me?"
"Juliet Monad, don't get the wrong idea."
"Juliet!"
She snapped back to reality, and Lennox was gazing at her from so close their noses nearly touched.
"I……."
Juliet fumbled a bit as she straightened her clothes.
"I-I should go now."
Clutching her crumpled skirt, she practically bolted out of the rose maze garden.
"Let me ask you one thing. Did I ever tell you not to have a child?"
'Why ask something like that?' You'll just reject it anyway.
Juliet bit her lip. She didn't want some grudging 'permission' to have the child.
All children deserved to be loved. Juliet had no intention of giving her unborn child a life like that.
'I've had enough of that myself.'
Suddenly, she remembered the man kneeling by Lake Alger.
Maybe. What he said then might have held some truth. Maybe his promise to marry her was sincere.
But Juliet was too exhausted now to believe that and hold onto hope.
Dahlia would show up anyway, and she'd be cast aside again.
Juliet no longer cared why Dahlia hadn't appeared before him yet.
It was the first time she realized how selfish and wicked she could be.
Just knowing there was a woman somewhere in the world whom he loved—or would love—more than her was enough to make Juliet utterly miserable.
Her heart pounded even though she hadn't run.
*
The carnival in the holy city of Lucerne, city of the goddess, was a festival where everyone reveled wildly.
At this time, everything from sword tournaments to bullfighting, hunting, and even gambling was permitted.
Tourists flocked from across the continent to watch.
Theo explained that since a long week of fasting followed to purify body and soul, everyone partied hard beforehand.
But Juliet's mind was elsewhere, fixated on Lennox from the night before.
What had he been thinking, saying that?
'……Maybe I'm overreacting too much.'
Juliet glanced across at the VIP seats where the 48 nobles sat, thinking.
They were in the tournament arena for the sword contest.
The Carlyle ducal house's assigned seats were directly opposite the Levatan family's. Thanks to that, Juliet could openly steal glances at his face.
Since the carnival began, Lennox hadn't spoken to her or acted like he knew her in front of others.
Right now, too, he sat far away, deep in serious talk with his vice-captain, showing no interest in the sword tournament unfolding below.
"Let the tournament begin!"
"Participants, enter in the order called!"
In the meantime, the sword contest started.
'If you're not going to watch, why even come to the arena?'
Juliet made a displeased face, deciding to ignore Lennox and focus on the show.
*
The sword tournament during the carnival was a time-honored event in the eastern region.
"The winner will receive a golden laurel wreath!"
Theo and Juliet sat side by side in the front row, watching the contest.
It was Juliet's first time seeing a sword tournament. Out of curiosity, she closely observed the participants.
Seeing this, Theo asked in surprise.
"What? Do you want some of that?"
"Huh? No."
He had mistaken her for eyeing a snack someone in the stands was eating.
"Then why do you keep staring over there?"
*
When Lennox said he would handle it 'his way,' the first thing Juliet thought of was her family's safety.
'I didn't think I had anything precious.'
Juliet knew the man named Lennox Carlyle well. If he wanted something, he would obtain it by any means necessary.
He had no qualms using what his opponent cherished against them.
He didn't know about her new family yet, but he would soon.
The thought that they might suffer because of her made her uneasy.
"Theo."
"What. Why. What."
Theo sipped his wine, answering carelessly.
"Live a long life."
Hearing that, he spilled his wine in shock.
Splatter.
"Aaack! What the hell are you doing, you filthy—!"
Ethelrid next to him threw a fit.
"You….… Did you eat something bad?"
Juliet said the same to Ethel beside her.
"You too, Ethel."
"I'll live a long time. Don't worry."
Ethel smiled brightly in reply.
* * *
The sword tournament was a bracket-style event where knights from each house competed in duels.
No fancy techniques, no entry restrictions. The rules were dead simple.
Just win by any means.
Unlike the capital, where the emphasis was more on sparring than victory.
To that end, the organizers deployed a horde of priests with divine power. No matter how badly you were hurt, a healer was always waiting behind, so fight without fear.
There were even records of limbs being cleanly reattached.
Then, Juliet spotted someone among the knights.
'That kid…….'
A boy a full head shorter than the other participants. His small stature actually made him stand out more.
Come to think of it, it was around this time. She remembered hearing rumors of a poor boy from a fallen knightly house winning.
What was his name again?
"Fabian Bordo!"
Just then, the herald calling the participant list kindly announced the boy's name.
Right, that was it.
'The youngest winner ever.'
Word was participation skyrocketed during the festival since gambling was allowed only then. Which meant insane odds.
Who would bet on that little kid winning?
'There might be variables, but causality exists too. Maybe I'll give it a shot.'
Juliet thought it was worth a gamble.
'Huh?'
Then she spotted a familiar head.
Unmistakably bright orange hair that stood out even from afar. Slender build and flashy mask...
'Jude?'
Juliet's eyes widened.
It was definitely Jude Hayon, knight of the Carlyle ducal house.
'I see.'
With the duke in attendance, of course they had entry rights too.
As the youngest in the ducal knights, Jude always got stuck with these annoying events.
Just then, Jude turned toward their side, and Juliet locked eyes with him directly.
Pleased, she beamed widely.
'Uh……?'
But before she could even wave, Jude's face hardened, and he abruptly turned his head away.
'That's not like he missed me…….'
He had clearly seen her and deliberately looked away.
They had gotten along decently, but she'd left without a word, so he must feel slighted.
Juliet lowered her hand with a bitter smile.