The Wicked Wife's Dark History Keeps Coming Back To Haunt Her - Chapter 160

But… ‘sowing discord’? What does he mean by that?

Cecilia knew her daughter’s personality better than anyone.

“Are you saying you’d rather see me divorced? I’d rather die than face that kind of disgrace!”

“Are you really willing to cut ties with us? Your actions have brought not only you but the whole family to suffering!”

“Then consider me a daughter no longer. It’s better than having parents who would make me a divorced woman.”

Hadn’t her daughter been cold enough to drive a nail into her parents’ hearts, even severing blood ties entirely?

If this was all because of ‘sowing discord’, then the rumors must have gotten something wrong.

But even if they were wrong…

“I heard your daughter unfortunately suffered a miscarriage early in her marriage, but now there’s good news, so I’m very glad to hear it.”

“What do you me—”

Squeeze.

Cecilia instinctively grabbed her husband’s wrist, just as he was about to reflexively question Count Bain’s words.

‘Just stay quiet for now.’

With a sharp look, she warned Kayden to keep silent.

It was better to let there be at least some grounds for sympathy, rather than have her daughter simply labeled a jealous lunatic.

Cecilia then asked Count Bain in a low, subdued voice.

“…Where did you hear such a thing? It’s not the sort of thing you would know, Count.”

“Well… My wife heard it directly from His Grace, Duke Bayern.”

Cecilia’s eyes narrowed.

‘Just what is going on here…?’

Her daughter was probably still in the palace.

She hadn’t been able to believe the sudden change in her daughter’s attitude and had pretended not to notice until now, but after hearing this, she couldn’t continue to ignore it.

She was her mother, after all.

‘Is she still in the private chamber…?’

She knew exactly which private chamber her daughter would be in.

From long ago, the Peridot Room had always been reserved for the Bayern family.

* * *

Meanwhile.

Peridot Room, sitting room.

Up until the kiss with Ash, Nina had felt as if she were floating in a dreamy haze, but with the unexpected arrival of a visitor, she crashed back to earth as if doused with cold rain.

The one who knocked on the door was none other than her grandfather, Marquis Carlisle M. Killian, the Chief Justice.

The palace was the Chief Justice’s place of work.

Normally, on the day of such a large event as the hunting festival, the Chief Justice would have the day off.

So there was a fifty-fifty chance of either running into him or not.

To think he’d come to see her directly like this.

“Have you been well?”

“……”

At her grandfather’s question, Nina folded her hands politely and nodded with a somber expression.

Was this the sorrow of a family separated by a division, or the joy of reunion?

The last time she’d seen her grandfather had been decades ago.

Seeing him still healthy before her, she felt overwhelmed by a tangled mix of sadness, joy, and other complicated emotions. She almost burst into tears.

But Nina held herself back.

She didn’t know how she looked to others, but she imagined people might think she was overreacting after just a year or two apart.

“…I should have visited you first. I’m sorry, Grandfather.”

Because of his granddaughter’s wrongdoing, he had been forced to resign from the position of Chief Justice he had always been so proud of, and on top of that, had even been imprisoned.

Even though she was the one who had used the signet ring for personal reasons, he had taken all the blame upon himself, unwilling to send his granddaughter to prison.

What kind of unfilial granddaughter had she been in her previous life, to such a grandfather?

And to her parents as well…

Her original plan had been to find evidence to ruin Marquis Crewe, then beg for forgiveness, but with nothing to show for herself now, she felt infinitely small.

“……”

She held her breath, waiting for her grandfather to continue after his heavy sigh, when—

“I came to see you today because now…”

Knock, knock, knock.

At that moment, yet another visitor knocked on the door of the Peridot Room.

It was the time when everyone should be enjoying the banquet. Who could it be?

As Nina started to get up, Ash gently pressed her shoulder, rising to answer the door himself.

When he opened the door, it was her mother and father who appeared.

Had they arranged to meet her grandfather, or was this just a coincidence?

Now, with not just her grandfather but her parents appearing as well, Nina clutched her skirts tightly, her eyes trembling.

“Come in.”

“Excuse us, then.”

As Ash stepped aside from the door, her mother nodded and entered the room.

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