“I, I’m telling the truth, My Lord. Please believe me. How dare I lie about this? I merely reported what I saw.”

The clerk managed to speak, suppressed by Jade’s aura.

“Larien came to Rendezvous and asked for train tickets to Trianon, you say…”

Jade gritted his molars and checked the ledger again.

‘It doesn’t seem to be fabricated. There’s no reason to. The handwriting matches Larien’s too.’

The distinctively round handwriting.

The ‘Lari’ who requested two train tickets to Trianon was indeed her.

‘Why is she trying to go to Trianon?’

He tapped the desk with his long, white fingers, lost in thought.

‘Larien didn’t say anything to me about leaving.’

The fact that she planned to leave without a word irritated Jade.

‘Who is she going with that she asked for two train tickets?’

The knowledge that Larien had another man made his heart burn hot.

Turning his head, Jade picked up a frame that caught his eye.

It contained a portrait of Larien he had secretly obtained.

As he applied pressure, the glass slowly began to crack.

Though his flesh was cut by the broken glass and blood flowed, all his senses were focused on Larien, leaving him unaffected.

‘Now that she has a man, is she going to tell me not to see her again?’

An attitude unlike before, trying to draw a line.

What could have changed Larien so much?

But he didn’t want to just ignore it and let her leave for Trianon.

‘I need to hear directly from her why she’s trying to leave for Trianon.’

He could imagine Larien’s reaction if he killed the man fleeing with her.

‘She would hate me, thinking I’m horrible.’

She had always been someone who believed even the most insignificant life, not worth living, was precious.

Since childhood, she had repeatedly said that one should not recklessly take life.

‘The fact that I tolerate the presumptuous interference of Rowe’s collateral line is all because of Larien.’

Thanks to her, the number of collateral family members who had not died by Jade’s hand was already several.

“My Lord. What, what should we do?”

The clerk swallowed hard and cautiously raised his head.

“…A customer.”

Jade pulled out a pouch full of gold coins from the drawer and threw it on the floor.

“What color eyes did you say they had?”

“I, I must have been mistaken. I didn’t see anything.”

The clerk quickly changed his tune, grinning from ear to ear.

“Get the train tickets to Trianon ready right away.”

The corners of Jade’s mouth curled up coldly.

“If you want to tell anyone about this, be prepared to lose your head, not just your tongue.”

“…My, My Lord.”

“It’s best not to think I won’t do it. I think I can.”

“I’ll keep it in mind!”

“You may go now.”

The clerk, pale as a sheet, grabbed the pouch of gold coins and scurried out.

In any case, there shouldn’t be anything that could damage her reputation.

Jade reopened the ledger and rubbed the part where her nickname was written.

The hurt of her trying to run away without him didn’t easily subside.

‘What should I do with you, Lari.’

[This is the timeline separator]

I visited Rendezvous as soon as day broke.

“Cu, cu, customer. You’ve, come.”

The extremely nervous clerk greeted me.

‘Is he sick?’

Sweat was pouring down the clerk’s face and hands.

“The train tickets?”

“Ye, here, they are.”

I took them before they could get soaked with sweat.

“Did something happen?”

“No, nothing.”

The clerk, lips tightly sealed, opened the door himself to see me out.

‘Why do I feel like I’m being chased out, and why does my spine tingle?’

As soon as I came out, a chill came over me, making my body shiver.

Mary, who was waiting outside, looked puzzled.

“My lady. Are you feeling unwell?”

Maybe I’m tired from being out too long.

‘I should go in somewhere and rest a bit.’

“Mary. Now that we’ve safely got the train tickets, shall we go to Lanette?”

Lanette.

It was a dessert shop catering to the upper class.

Rather than simply selling desserts, one had to pay for the time spent there, so it wasn’t cheap.

‘I can afford it with the dignity maintenance fee I receive as a duke’s daughter, but…’

For me, accustomed to living as a commoner, it was mere extravagance.

‘I used to not understand why people went to such places, but…’

Now that I’ve gotten what I wanted, I think I understand a little.

Just before leaving, I wanted to celebrate the hardships I’ve endured until now.

‘Lanette has private rooms, so even if I get morning sickness while eating cake, I won’t be discovered.’

“That sounds wonderful!”

Mary agreed with an excited face.

“But, my lady.”

Mary, who had been smiling, whispered with an anxious look.

“I think someone has been following us since earlier.”

“…Someone following us?”

At Mary’s words, I turned around, but there was no one particularly suspicious.

“Didn’t you see wrong? There’s no reason for anyone to follow us.”

I pointed to my plain attire, dressed to look like a commoner.

“You’re right. I must have been too sensitive.”

“No, wait.”

Feeling as if someone was watching me from somewhere, I carefully turned my head.

I whispered quietly to Mary.

“Mary. Is the person you mentioned on the left?”

Although his face was hidden and I couldn’t see clearly, he was definitely looking this way.

Judging by his tall stature and broad shoulders, it was a man.

“My lady, what should we do?”

Mary stamped her feet anxiously.

‘If we’re really being followed, we should first lure him towards where the security guards are.’

I grabbed Mary’s hand and quickly entered an alley.

‘Just a little further, and there will be security guards patrolling this area!’

Thump thump.

The man’s steps quickened too, now openly chasing us.

We ended up cornered in a dead end before meeting the security guards.

Since becoming pregnant, even a little walking left me out of breath and tired.

“I almost lost you.”

I was startled by the hand grabbing my shoulder, but only for a moment.

“…Jade?”

I slowly turned around. Jade was standing there.

“Why, why are you here?”

“I have something to ask you. But why are you running away?”

“…Of course I’d be surprised if you chase after me so suspiciously!”

“Larien.”

Seeing Jade smiling brightly, I quickly sensed danger.

Smiling when angry was Jade’s long-standing habit.

Then, the contents of the original work flashed through my mind.

『 Jade Rowe was the owner of Rendezvous.

He used Rendezvous to threaten things that interfered with Erna.

Very cruelly. 』

‘The owner of Rendezvous is… Jade?’

My legs went weak and I could barely stand.

“My lady!”

Mary urgently grabbed my arm.

‘That means, he knows I’m going to Trianon…’

Jade slowly closed the distance.

Like a predator just before devouring its prey.

He gestured with his eyes for Mary to leave the alley.

Left alone with Jade, I hiccupped involuntarily from fear.

“Larien. Why are you going to Trianon?”

“…Hic. St, stay away.”

As Jade pressed close, my heart raced so fast it ached.

“Who are you going with that you got two train tickets?”

I felt unbearably nauseous.

“…Larien?”

I covered my mouth as morning sickness hit simultaneously.

“Chirp…!”

My voice sounded strange.

‘Did I just turn into a sparrow…?’

Jade’s pupils narrowed sharply.

“…Larien.”

He placed me, now a sparrow, on his palm.

“They say when pregnant, hormone changes make it impossible to control transformation into a beast person…”

“…”

“Larien. Are you pregnant?”

Poof!

I changed back into human form.

My feet were left dangling in the air.

“…Put me down.”

Jade, who had been holding me up, didn’t budge.

‘Citrus scent…’

Perhaps due to our close proximity, Jade’s unique body scent was especially strong.

“I’m asking. Are you pregnant?”

Jade’s call was short and clear.

He weighed down the atmosphere heavily.

“Larien. You’re not going to tell me?”

Jade’s face, which had been pressuring me, drew even closer. My body was too stiff to avoid it.

The distance became close enough that our lips might touch at any moment.

“Answer me, Larien.”

My heart raced rapidly due to Jade’s persistent questioning.

“Yes! I’m pregnant!”

Dizzy-headed, I shouted angrily and struggled.

“Stay still, you’ll get hurt.”

Jade applied even more force.

“…So this is why you asked.”

“What…?”

“When you asked how I’d feel if you had a child. Now I understand.”

Jade let out a hollow laugh before turning serious.

“Who is it.”

“…What?”

“Whose child is it that you’re trying to run away?”

I couldn’t possibly reveal it was his child. The repercussions if he learned the baby was his own blood would be terrible.

Above all, he seemed completely unaware that he was the baby’s father.

‘Well, it doesn’t make sense that I’d have a baby with Jade in the first place.’

I avoided his gaze.

“I have no reason to tell you.”

“You have no reason? Am I nothing to you?”

“That’s not what I mean−”

“Do you think I’m joking right now? Who did this to you? Tell me.”

Jade looked pointedly at my stomach.

Being interrogated by him felt unfair.

“Fine if you don’t want to say. I don’t care if you have another bastard’s child. I’ll just kill that guy and be done with it.”

He put me down and took the train tickets.

“Jade! Give me the tickets!”

“If I give these back, you’ll leave. Better to get rid of them completely.”

Jade tore up the train tickets with quick hand movements.