The Wicked Wife's Dark History Keeps Coming Back To Haunt Her - Chapter 243

A place far enough away that the voices of the guests visiting the gallery could only be heard faintly—

Ian stopped walking in a deserted spot.

“Brother, do you really want to reconcile with me?”

When Ian spoke as he let go of his shoulder, Richard nodded.

“Of course. Otherwise, why would I have come all the way here with my parents?”

Even if he came to an exhibition, he wouldn’t be able to talk freely because he’d be busy watching the adults’ reactions.

“I guess so. You wouldn’t have come to a place like this without a purpose.”

Ian muttered as if exasperated.

House Ulverni.

Despite having an impressive backing compared to other students, Richard had barely managed to maintain a middle ranking.

If performance evaluations where a professor’s personal judgment mattered had been reflected in grades, he probably wouldn’t even have managed that.

This was a person who had no interest in anything besides having mindless fun, so it was unlikely that he’d suddenly take a deep interest in painting, something that could be called an essential part of one’s cultural education.

Wouldn’t it be strange not to notice that he had an ulterior motive from the moment he suddenly showed up here and acted familiar?

And yet that purpose was reconciliation.

Judging by Brother Richard’s personality, there was no way he’d come to reconcile because he’d realized something on his own.

There had to be a reason why reconciliation was absolutely necessary.

Being pushed by his parents, perhaps.

“Anyway, you’re going to reconcile with me, right?”

Did he think Ian would obviously forgive him?

Ian, who rarely got irritated over trivial matters, frowned at Richard’s brazen voice.

“I’d like it if you didn’t misunderstand.”

“What…?”

“The only reason I brought you all the way here is because I don’t want to ruin an exhibition hosted by my family.”

“…Are you messing with me again?”

Ian spoke while staring at Richard’s slowly contorting face.

“Messing with you? You weren’t sincere to begin with.”

Talking about reconciliation when he didn’t even have the basic posture of an apology.

“Damn it, you’re really frustrating. How do you know whether I’m sincere or not? Aren’t you just nitpicking because you don’t want to accept my apology?”

Ian’s gaze sank low.

At the academy, they’d at least been in the same class, so he’d dealt with him appropriately, but now there was no reason to listen to this kind of nonsense.

“I don’t have anything more to say to you, so I’m going to leave now.”

“Hey, you’re really going this far over one stupid punch? Don’t be so narrow-minded…”

Ian, who had been about to pass Richard with a cold gaze, stopped abruptly.

One stupid punch.

To think he still believed Ian was angry just because he’d been hit.

Huu.

Letting out a short sigh, Ian looked down at Richard and said,

“You know, the things you said to me. I still haven’t told my uncle about them.”

“Huh…?”

“But if you keep bothering me, I might actually tell him.”

That he’d be discarded once a legitimate child was born, or that he’d die like his father.

Those kinds of slanderous remarks.

The fistfight that happened at the academy had ended with ‘expulsion’, but if his uncle were to learn even that fact, what would happen to House Ulverni itself?

“Hey…”

At Ian’s cold expression, so unlike his usual easygoing smile, Richard shrank back as he dimly grasped the seriousness of the matter.

“And your parents told you to try to drive a wedge between me and my uncle, didn’t they?”

“That’s…!”

“Did your parents properly apologize to my uncle? Don’t tell me they believe that as long as you and I reconcile, it’ll be like none of that ever happened.”

“……”

Richard’s face crumpled, and he couldn’t continue speaking as if he’d been hit right on the mark.

“If you have nothing to say, I’ll be going.”

Ian turned away with a scoff.

Judging by how the Marquis and Marchioness of Ulverni had acted in the faculty office, it was obvious that this time as well they had stayed behind and dumped everything on their son.

They probably hadn’t even shown their faces in front of his uncle.

Thinking that there wouldn’t be any major disturbance as long as Richard was dealt with, Ian was just about to return to the exhibition hall when—

Unable to restrain his temper in the end, Richard spoke in a trembling voice.

“Hey, aren’t you stopping right there?”

Malice glittered in Richard’s reddish-brown eyes.

His parents’ admonitions flashed through his mind, but reconciliation was already off the table.

Since it had come to this, he might as well leave at least a scratch on Ian, who was acting so lofty and self-righteous all by himself.

As Ian started walking away, Richard held nothing back and used his words as daggers that were now aimed at Ian’s back.

“Is it because you’re jealous that I have parents and you don’t?”

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