THHAAWMF

Chapter 87

Left alone, Dana stared blankly at the closed door.

She couldn't believe it; he'd just walked away, not even with a warm word, to apologize to the person who'd crushed her pride.

She was miserable.

'Is the business so important to you, even more than your wife?'

'I don't need love, money is everything. ' She felt a pang of sadness as she realized that she was the one who had abandoned her lover.

Tears welled up in her eyes. If it were Leather, he would have sided with her, not the Little Marquis...

But that Leather was taken by Little Marquis Lavirins, and the thought of it made her hate the Little Marquis even more.

From what she had heard, the two dukes were so enamored of her that they've lost their minds. How many men does she keep around? They say an innocent kitten climbs first, and that's exactly what she was.

Dana wiped her tears with her sleeve. As she stumbled out of her husband's office.

A servant came running up the stairs with urgent news.

"My lady, Little Count Essit is here."

"Little Count Essit?"

Startled, Dana headed to her room first. As she was about to call the maids to wash her face to welcome her guest, a scene flashed through her mind.

The eyes that looked so tenderly at her as they walked together in the garden at Essit.

"What's wrong?"

Dana smiled weakly as if she were holding back the urge to cry.

Then her expression crumbled and she broke down.

"Hmph, Little Count..."

It was half an act, half sincere. The warmth of his concern for her sent a chill down my spine.

'This is the kind of person who wouldn't bow down to Little Marquis Lavirins.'

She told him everything that had happened at the boutique today.

When she was done, Duval scowled.

"Ciella... is getting more controversial by the day. On the subject of becoming a little marquis through dirty tricks."

"What? Dirty tricks?"

"Digging up a trap to drive out a rival, all the while framing the foster mother who raised her."

Dana sucked in a breath, stunned by the incredible story.

She had heard of Marquis Lavirins tragedy by rumor, but to think that it had all been made up, and that Ciella herself had done it!

She had heard that the Emperor himself interrogated her, but how elaborate did she have to be to fool the Emperor himself!

Duval, who had worked so hard to undermine Ciela with his inferiority complex, frowned.

"They say the guilty shall be punished, and Ciella will one day be punished for her lies, perhaps even removed from her position as heir apparent."

"Oh my..."

Indeed, Little Count Essit was different. Not only would he not sulk like her husband, but he would not hesitate to talk about being disinherited.

Dana found herself liking Duval more and more. So she mixed cuteness in her voice and asked in a nasal voice.

"I hope the truth will come out soon. By the way, are you going to the Little Marquis Lavirins' celebration?"

"No, I'm not going. I'm too busy for such a thing."