# 71
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Ariana was gasping for air, then suddenly raised her head.
She realized that she faced Kenneth in the worst possible situation.
The moment he got this message, she was caught trying to escape...
“No, it's not true”
Ariana stood on her trembling knees, facing him. The hand holding the dirty letter was shaking as if she had caught a fever.
“I never wrote this letter, I never missed this man.”
“Ah, so you're saying that the princess never waited for the prince even once.”
Kenneth sneered, looking at her with a look filled with disgust.
“After you revealed to the world how you had fun with your original husband in these details-”
“I didn't do anything like that!”
Ariana screamed, squirming in disgust.
During her courtship with the prince, when everyone was pointing fingers at her, she was struggling in hell, clenching her teeth, because she had not yet heard that Kenneth was dead.
She needed naive hope, as if he would come to her rescue like a prince from a fairytale.
There were moments when her mother and brother tried to gently push her into the prince's arms. Saying that she would get married anyway, and since her reputation as a promiscuous woman was tarnished, what did she have to lose?
Her first love, which she tried to protect, was an object of ridicule.
“I was waiting for you. I resisted because I didn't want to do anything like that to that man!”
“But you never wanted to hear my words. I always said, I asked for time to speak clearly, why would I...”
She had wanted to say this for a long time. Even before she pulled the trigger, she tried hard to tell this story.
But now, after everything was in vain and she had given up, she was vomiting these dirty words…
But the man who heard her screams was not a warm savior, but a heartless ghost.
“Then, prove it.”
As soon as the ghost spoke calmly, the letter fell from his hand mercilessly. Suddenly, Ariana, who was half in his embrace, was lying on the bed.
“Kenneth-”
“If, as you said, you were waiting for me.”
When he grabbed her waist with his large hand, Ariana gasped.
His eyes were ice cold, but the palm that touched them through the thin robe was hot as if it would leave burns under the skin.
But when he tightened his fist until the veins in his hand showed, Ariana pushed him away, shaking her head desperately.
“No, it can't be. Now, I...”
He was always a difficult person, but in this unbalanced state, it was clear that she was going to get hurt.
How could a kid just come back? It wasn't even in the stabilization phase...
'Should I say I'm pregnant?'
But she couldn't predict his next reaction.
He didn't seem to be happy with the news of the child, and his words about making her his heir's governess were still clear in her mind.
“Kenneth, please...!”
Ariana was writhing and panting hard.
Kenneth looked at her silently in despair, then slowly relaxed his grip. After that, he rubbed his face with his hand.
Exhaustion and exhaustion suddenly washed over him.
Even during his frantic return by train, he hid his agitation from his companions, but now it had reached the limit and then calmed down.
“Ha...”
There were more important issues related to his family, but seeing this woman's face made his vision narrow.
Because of such a uess woman.
He looked at Ariana, who was crying in fear, and said in an emotionless tone.
“...Quentin, your brother, did the same thing to me.”
“Kenneth...”
“He said that since I neglected him, he had the right to betray me.”
Quentin was bragging to others that Kenneth had taken advantage of him, so he had every right to destroy the joint venture.
When he found out the details, it was really ridiculous.
The company was set up to favor Quentin more profitably.
Why did Kenneth agree to this? He could never tell this woman.
He smiled bitterly as he watched her eyes fall.
He had once wanted to have that look, but now he wanted to crush it mercilessly under his feet.
“Even if you feel insulted by something that didn't happen, destroying a friend's family won't leave even the slightest feeling of guilt.”
“Kenneth...”
“But you are just like him.”
He got out of bed completely, picked up the damned letter from the floor with his jacket hanging on the chair.
“...You were good at ling your husband to survive. That's why you cried under me without pride.”
Kenneth looked at her with a cold look and she was speechless.
Ariana stared at him in shock, as if he had slapped her.
It was funny that she seemed innocent in this situation even though he was just telling the truth.
“You're dirty, Ariana Aberdeen.”
“It would have been better if I had died, it would have been easier for many.”
No matter how much he mocked, Ariana kept staring at him with a stunned face.
Kenneth left Ariana in the dark room and left.
* * *
“The Duchess fled and was caught by the Duke.”
In and around the Place Hotel the little disturbance of the night was thus wrapped up.
There was a little quarrel between the spouses, but the duke's lady could not bear it and ran away without gratitude.
But the people inside knew very well that this was not just an escape.
While the letter missing Andrew stirred up the capital, Ariana Clifford tried to escape. Connecting the two events, it seemed as if she had gone looking for her ex-husband.
“Is she really crazy?”
People who were jealous of Emily Vance for being Ariana's favorite and waiting their turn chatted even more enthusiastically.
Externally, they were keeping their mouths shut, but internally, they were completely united.
“Lately, the Duke has been treating her well, and yet...”
"Her slutty nature doesn't change. She still has the energy to look at another man."
“Poor Emily, isn't she? She aspired to be the Duke's lady's maid, and now she's being held as a witness.”
It was certain that Emily was heavily involved in Ariana's escape.
Indeed, that maid may have been the intermediary who conveyed the dirty emotional message. Now, she pretends she doesn't know anything, but a little investigation will expose the truth.
Everyone said it was shameful, and the final conclusion was that “that filthy woman was never fit to be the duke’s mistress.”
“Oh, if only the Duke had married Lady Byrne in the first place!”
They whispered that a truly noble lady from Cremisa was the one worthy of service.
Normally, Theodora would have been ecstatic at this news.
She was always happy when those close to the Clifford family praised and supported her.
But at this moment, she had no time to enjoy the misfortune of the woman she called a parasite.
'What happened?' 'Kenneth came back so fast!'
Originally, everyone at the Duke's Palace in the capital was supposed to be busy trying to hide Ariana's scandal.
Kenneth was supposed to be stuck in Parliament, but what happened?
In order to see Ariana Aberdeen, he gave up an important position and returned to the south himf...!
'Because of that damned parasite, inspections at the stations have been enhanced!'
As soon as the Duke's family was ordered to search for the Duke's missing lady, the inspection staff at the trains and ports, who had been comfortable with a quiet life, were thrown into disarray.
As long as Kenneth was here sharply, Theodora and Andrew were like rats in a trap.
But Andrew, unaware of her anxiety, continued to complain.
“Listen, Mrs. Byrne.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“When exactly are you going to take me from here? You were so confident, what can you do?”
Theodora tried not to twist her lips.
This trash, who was torturing Ariana Aberdeen-like maids while he was locked underground...
“I apologize, Your Highness. Due to Duke Clifford’s reinforcement of inspection in the area, I was searching for a safe path...”
“Ha!”
“But don't worry. There's still a place I can use my last name.”