# 30 -
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"Your feet must be hurting. Let's go back now."
“Hmm…okay.”
Syrette turned around at Jeremy's words. The two brothers walked and exchanged pleasant conversations as they headed toward the banquet hall.
When they arrived at the hall, Seret spotted two familiar faces on the second floor balcony.
They were Yuan and Lidya. The two were standing facing each other and talking.
“Oh?”
Jeremy looked confused too, as if he had seen the scene.
At that very moment.
Lidya hugged Yuan deeply, wrapping her arms around his neck. Under the moonlight, the scene looked exactly like two beautiful and longing lovers.
'They must have been on a secret date.'
Seret sighed at the scene unfolding before her.
I should have seen this after marriage. It would have been a very precious moment, a scene of a husband committing adultery with another woman.
“Heeeeh.”
Syrett wasn't too surprised, but Jeremy let out a loud gasp, clearly shocked.
Then he quickly covered Seret's eyes with his hand.
“Jeremy.”
Syrette tried to remove Jeremy's hand from her eyes. But Jeremy grabbed her shoulder and turned her away from the banquet hall.
“Don't look, Seret. Don't look at anything.”
Jeremy's hand covering Seret's eyes was shaking lightly. His voice was also shaky, so Seret quickly removed his hand and looked at him.
“Jeremy, are you crying?”
Jeremy's face distorted, and he gasped.
“Seret, this is wrong. Just break off the engagement.”
Jeremy wiped his face to wipe away his tears and looked at Syrett.
"What?"
“Your older brother will handle the matter, so break off the engagement. I will bear the responsibility.”
Jeremy gasped and lowered his head.
"Jeremy, look at me. Look at my face."
Syrette grabbed Jeremy's cheeks and lifted his head. Syrett was saddened to see Jeremy's tear-stained face.
Even though the situation started because of him, seeing him so sad made her emotional.
“As the eldest son of the Enohater family, I will go and speak to the Duke. I will say that we will break off the engagement.”
“I won’t break off the engagement. I won’t.”
“No matter what I think, this is not right. I can get a job right away and pay the money back. I will work for dozens of years and pay back the debt.”
“...Jeremy, listen to me carefully.”
Syrett hesitated for a moment at Jeremy's talk about leaving school and working, then spoke.
“I also don’t intend to keep this marriage long.”
Seret continued, looking into Jeremy's eyes.
"What?"
Jeremy blinked, wondering what she meant.
“One year. I will live with His Highness the Duke for only one year and then I will divorce.”
"What?"
Jeremy's eyes widened in surprise.
“If I keep the marriage for one year, I can get the deed back to the house.”
“Did you contract with the Duke?”
Jeremy's eyes widened even more.
“Oh? Yes. This is a contractual marriage.”
Even though it was only a contract in her mind, Syrette lied a little to calm Jeremy down.
If she had told the truth, Jeremy's heart would have been broken.
“Ah, so then. That's why...”
Jeremy completely misunderstood Syrett. He concluded on his own that there was a contractual marriage, and that his condition was to get back the title to the house.
Therefore, it was assumed that Yuan had not returned the house deed yet, even though he had returned the title document.
“So, I don’t care. Whatever His Highness the Duke does with other women.”
On the contrary, I would be grateful. If he keeps doing things like this. Seret smiled weakly.
“…But are you sure you’re okay? You were in love with His Highness.”
Jeremy asked cautiously.
“In the past. I liked him very much in the past, but not anymore.”
She really loved him a lot in the past, but now he's just a hateful person.
She had no feelings left for the man who killed her. A bitter smile spread across Seret's face.
"truly?"
Jeremy examined Syrett's face.
"I'm serious. I want to get married quickly so I can get a divorce quickly, go back to Mosheli and continue to live happily with my parents and older brother."
“Let's do this. You, a child, deserve to be completely happy.”
“Yes. I would be happy.”
It would be different from that horrific past life. Seret promised herself.
She will definitely be happy in this life.
***
“I'm sorry, Yuan.”
Lydia removed her arms from Yuan's neck, turning away from him.
Yuan just sighed and didn't say anything.
“I'm really sorry. You're suffering because of me. Hehe.”
Lydia wiped her tear-stained eyes with the back of her hand and hurried out of the balcony as if to escape.
“Haa.”
Yuan sighed and furrowed his eyebrows. Things he had never cared about before began to worry him.
He was just intending to put things right, but he made Lydya cry. Yuan felt annoyed every time Lidya cried, as if it proved his incompetence.
He had made Lydia cry once in his childhood. He doesn't remember why she cried, but his father's words from that time are still fresh in his mind.
'Yuan, you are not a gentleman.'
His father spoke with a smile, but to Yuan, a perfectionist, the words didn't seem like a joke at all.
I'm not a gentleman? Little Yuan couldn't bear the thought that he wasn't like that.
The child of the Freaktwister family must be perfect in every way.
Yuan, with a sullen face, left the balcony and went down the stairs.
Because of the tears that Lidya shed, Yuan felt like he had become a bad person again. His hardened expression did not ease easily.
While going down the stairs, Yuan ran into Seret and Jeremy. Yuan felt relieved to be together and approached them.
“Your Highness the Duke.”
Jeremy's gaze towards Yuan was somewhat hostile. While he was wondering about that look, he heard Seret's voice.
“I saw Miss Elliot coming down the stairs. It appears, Your Highness, that I was on the second floor as well.”
“We had something to discuss.”
Yuan replied, casting a furtive glance at Seret.
"Alone? What could you have discussed alone?"
Jeremy's tone was sharp.
"I'm a little tired. Jeremy and I will go back first."
Seret spoke before Yuan could respond. At the mention of returning, Yuan grabbed Seret's hand and placed it on his arm.
"No. Let's go together. I'm a little tired too."
"Good."
Siririth nodded as if she understood. Yuan felt strangely relieved to have Seret by his side.
Seret Enohater, what is so special about this woman? Yuan felt confused by himself, and one corner of his mouth curled up sharply.
***
After returning to the Duke's Palace, Seret finished bathing and sat down in front of the table. She opened her diary on the table and held the pen tightly.
Writing a diary was one of Seret's old habits. She had not been able to write since she went back in time due to the chaos, but she planned to write continuously starting today.
Lawyer Delabane told her that constantly written diaries could also be important evidence. Therefore, she had to definitely record what she saw between Yuan and Lidya today.
Seret began writing her diary.
March 23
I attended His Majesty the Emperor's 30th Enthronement Anniversary Ceremony and Ball.
It is a meaningful day. I received a personal letter and a medal from His Majesty the Emperor...
I saw Yuan and Miss Elliot together on the balcony. The two were talking on the balcony.
I thought they were just talking, but soon the two hugged each other.
Jeremy saw it, and I saw it too.
Seret paused as she was about to write that the scene was unpleasant.
This is a diary that will be presented as evidence. It would be more natural to record feelings of sadness rather than hatred. Although Seret's heart was filled with hatred towards the two of them.
The sight of the two of them hugging each other was very heart-wrenching.
Could the rumors that they love each other be true? What if it's not just rumours?
My heart hurts so much.
Does Yuan really not love me?
Seret put down the pen and whispered, raising the corner of her lips.
“I look forward to your continued assistance, Lydia. So that I can divorce safely.”
***
Lydia sat on the floor, buried her face in the bed, and cried loudly.
“Yuan, why are you doing this to me? How could you do this?”
Lydia choked on sobs and hit the bed several times with her fist. Then, unable to control her emotions, she gasped for breath.
Her heart hurt so much that she felt suffocated. Yuan's way of dealing with Seret in front of Jack made Lydia anxious and nervous.
Lidya knew Yuan well. The behavior Yuan showed was unusual for him.
'It bothers me.'
Yuan's words on the balcony scratched Lidya's nerves. Why does he care? He didn't care about any rumors before.
Is he worried that Seret Enohater, that insignificant woman, might get hurt? Is he worried about her instead of me?
Why, Yuan? Why would Yuan Freaktwister do this, when he should be thinking and worrying about me alone!
Is he really marrying her out of obligation to repay his father's life debt?
He said it clearly. He said that he should marry Seret Enohater because of her father's favor.
“Surely he is not in love with that woman instead of me? How could Yuan love another woman instead of me?”
Lydia couldn't believe it. In Lidya's mind, Yuan was completely hers. Lydia's fist trembled as she held the bed sheet.
Yuan's face, smiling faintly when he talked about his fiancée, kept echoing in her mind. And also warn him about Jack.
Lydia shook her head. This is ridiculous. No, impossible. It can't be love.
There are a lot of observers, and since they both have His Majesty the Emperor's blessing, he must be careful to avoid discrediting the Freaktwister family if there is any dispute in the marriage.
“Yes, that's why. Yuan can't love that woman instead of me. Yuan has always been kind to me.”
In their childhood, Yuan always put her first. Yuan was accepting of all her whims.
Even if she snatched away the book he was reading, or complained to ask for a snack, Yuan would condescend to her every time.
His considerate behavior made her feel like a princess from a fairy tale when she was next to Yuan.
Lidya believed in the feelings Yuan had shown since childhood. Lydia wiped her tears.
At that moment, the maid Anita entered after knocking on the door.
“Miss?”
Anita quickly approached Lydia, surprised to see her sitting on the floor.
Lydia rose stiffly as Anita approached.
“What did you say? ‘Miss’?”
Lydia looked at Anita with cold eyes.
"I apologize."
Anita was horrified and immediately apologized.
But Lydia had no intention of accepting the apology. Lydia's anger turned on poor Anita.
Lydia slapped Anita hard on the cheek.