BXBX NOVEL Chapter 175 175. Kidnapping, Part XI
Editor: Aelryinth
At the mention of Marquis Anais, Julietta stopped pacing around. Maribel shook her head as she looked back at Julietta. "I didn’t. What good is it to say so? The Dudley family is the only one that can deal with the Duke of Kiellini, but they won’t help you. Rather, it would be better to report you to the family of Kiellini and the people involved in this, and get rid of everyone."
Julietta, her expression stiff, went to the table by the window and sat down.
Maribel’s eyes curled coquettishly as she watched Julietta agonizing. ’Honey, come up with someone. You have to think about who can help you...’
"There’s no other way. It’s the charge of impersonating a noble, and it’s hard to say anything rash, let alone ask anyone to help. Besides, there are very few people who have the power to help."
There was a heavy silence in Phoebe’s bedroom. Julietta was lost in thought, wrapping herself in her arms as her emotions boiled. After a long time, she raised her head.
"Maribel, you are weird. Normally, you would have asked me to ask Prince Killian for help right away. Don’t tell me you don’t know I’m in a partnership with His Highness."
Maribel looked cautiously at Julietta, hoping her plan was not discovered. "It’s a huge matter to impersonate a noble. You’re in a partnership with His Highness Killian, but that’s it. Are you asking him for help, counting on that shallow relationship? You could die the moment you open your mouth." Maribel let her shoulders down as she touched her forehead.
Julietta looked suspiciously at her acting and nodded, "That’s right. I could die." But it was already decided that it would not happen. Julietta recalled what had happened in the Prince’s lounge earlier. She was lucky since she had been caught earlier. She rose from her seat, recalling Killian sending her away while knowing of the immense sin of impersonating nobility.
"I’m going to make a deal with His Highness Killian with the status as Princess Kiellini."
"Deal?" Maribel was taken aback. In fear, she thought that Julietta would lean on the strongest force she knew, Prince Killian, but she said that she would daringly make a deal.
"Yes. If things come to this stage, I’m going to be the real Princess Kiellini." Julietta decided to stand up to the Duke of Kiellini, who was trying to get rid of her and those around her.
The Duke would not be able to identify her as a fake princess. He would not want to die for what he had done to protect his precious daughter and family.
"I will ask His Highness Killian to press the Duke, and instead I will tell him to be engaged to me until he rises to the Crown Prince."
At Julietta’s words, Maribel’s expression became strange. "Why do you want to make a contract engagement as part of the terms for a deal? If you are engaged with His Highness at this occasion, it would be better for you and His Highness."
Julietta looked back at Maribel with her eyes wide, as if she could not. "I’m a bastard. No matter how much I look like Princess Kiellini, my natural status won’t change. Of course, I’m not obsessed with the identity, but I have a conscience. His Highness thinks that he is the noblest man in the world. I don’t have conscience enough to ask for a queen’s seat, because he regards such status as an important criterion."
Maribel tried to say that His Highness would not care at all. Trying to figure out how, she squinted her eyes and smiled coquettishly. "Yes, baby. Flowers that come into your hands easily are usually less fragrant. So I don’t think what you’re trying to do is bad."
She got up and shook Julietta’s hair out looser, which Amelie had braided beautifully. "But if the outer covering you will put on for a lifetime is taken off for a while, it’ll eat you as you are. It may be safer to disappear and run away now so that the Duke of Kiellini can’t find you. Of course, if you get caught, you’ll die. Both are the same."
Julietta looked at Maribel stroking her head affectionately. "Wouldn’t it be better for the process to be happy with the same results? I’m going to choose one that will make the people around me safer."
"Yes, baby. But the results are not the same. You can make a very strong fence to block the wind from peeling off the paint and avoid the blizzard." Maribel nodded to Julietta, who looked back at her. "Yes, you know how to build the strongest and highest fence ever."
Julietta was lost in thought as Maribel stroked her hair. If she did not covet the post, she was lying to herself. If it happened, she would never go through the same thing again, nor would the Duke of Kiellini threaten her. She would like to have a position where she would not have to live in hiding for the rest of her life, and where she could protect those who had worked hard for her.
After a long time, Julietta finally spoke, "In fact, other people know me as Princess Kiellini, so what’s important about my born identity? But if His Highness refuses, it’s all useless."
"Do you think he’s going to refuse?"
Julietta smiled at Maribel’s question. "No, I’m sure His Highness won’t refuse it, because it’s not a bad condition for him. I need to change the terms of the deal, from contract engagement to contract marriage."
"It will be a very fragrant and beautiful flower." Maribel was expecting a fight between Julietta and Killian, who were tough opponents.
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"Your Highness, Princess Kiellini left the Imperial Castle in the carriage of Prince Francis about an hour ago." Killian’s servant Ian returned with the information he had inquired from the knights guarding the outer castle.
"Francis?" Just as he came back from the party hall, Marquis Rhodius looked at Killian in surprise. "This is a serious matter! Shouldn’t we go see Francis right now, and find out where he took the princess?"
Once Francis’ name came out, Killian, his face stiff, shook his head. "It’s no use asking. Either he will try to get out of it or he will say something expected, as if that he took her to the Kiellini mansion. Ian, get the wagon ready. I’ll go right away. Sends people to the Harrods’ mansion that Francis used to come in and out of these days. I’ll go to the dress shop after I go to the Kiellini mansion. If anything happens, send someone to the dress shop.
Oswald followed Killian and said in disbelief, "Even though Prince Francis is crazy, did he dare kidnap Princess Kiellini? If this becomes known, it’s going to be a big mess."
"I’m sure he did something to keep it from being known."
"What is something?" As soon as Marquis Rhodius asked that, he shut his mouth. There was only one thing left that a noble woman could never speak of.
"He’s a man who can make her shut her mouth even if he breaks her." Killian grit his teeth with a scary look.
Vera now understood the meaning of the conversations of her superiors, and breathed out beside them, but no one cared.
"There’s nothing to do while following me. Oswald, you go back to the party hall and listen for anything new."
At Killian’s words, Oswald made an exclamation as if he recalled something. "Oh, by the way, I heard a strange story earlier. Lady Anais came out of Prince Francis’s palace in a mess a week ago, and the rumor was all over the party hall. The rumor originated from Princess Haint, and she was talking about something new today. She saw Lady Anais coming out of Prince Francis’s palace again today. Lady Anais came all the way here, but she only went to Prince Francis’s palace without attending the party."
Killian, about to get on the wagon, turned back at Oswald’s words. "Do you mean Lady Anais came out of Francis’s palace?"
"Yes, but she didn’t show up at the party. Princess Haint said she was not feeling well and went to her family lounge."
"Find out if she’s still in the lounge and find the servant who called out Mrs. Raban. Ask Princess Haint more about the situation at that time, but be careful not to let her notice why."
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Killian then took the carriage and set off to the mansion of Duke Kiellini. Soon after it left the Imperial Castle, the carriage came into Eldira Street and stopped on its way to the Kiellini mansion. "What’s going on?"