When The Count’s Illegitimate Daughter Gets Married

Warning: This chapter contains strong language which may be offensive and/or inappropriate to some readers.

Chapter 11

In order to hold it steady, he stitched the fish to a small branch.

In the meantime, the bucket was overflowing with water.

Laritte caught the bucket before it got drifted away with the current of the lake.

“Wait.”

“Now I will hold it.”

“That is ridiculous!’

Laritte tried to run back the way she came from with the bucket in her hands.

So that it would be impossible for him to catch up to her.

But soon Ian, who was able to catch up to her, grabbed the handle of the bucket.

“I already told you before, so it would be fair if you let me.”

“You surely have the ability to brazen up nonsense. Can’t you see the bucket is full to its brim?”

He was holding the bucket’s handle with one of his hands. Laritte shifted her eyes to look at his other hand, noticing that it was wriggling.

It held the fish stitched on a branch.

‘He is driving me crazy.’

Eventually, Laritte bursted into a huge laughter.

But this caused her to loosen her grip on the handle.

Laritte almost lost her strength, laughing at the sight while the handle broke away from the bucket.

And Ian was still holding it……

Suddenly, the bucket flew towards him, spatting out all the water on his face.

It was the freezing cold water.

Water dripped down his cheeks.

But it was Laritte’s face that changed its color, turning pale instantly.

Shocked, she stopped herself.

It was when Ian sneezed that she came to her senses.

While Ian was wiping away the water that flowed down to his solid chest, Laritte brought some hot tea.

His appearance of putting her coat on his shoulder like a blanket seemed pathetic in the light of the fire.

Larrite handed him the cup, bending her knee to sit down next to him.

“….I really feel very sorry.”

“It’s okay……Achoo!”

Even Laritte, who had to grow up without expressing her feelings, frowned at her own foolishness.

That stammering excuse gave her a frank feeling.

“That…..fish was so funny.”

The fish was still on his hand, with its eyes opened.

Suddenly Ian, who was staring at the fish, started laughing.

“Haha!”

“Don’t laugh….now….”

But Laritte did the same after watching him laugh for a while.

Surprised, lan shut his mouth.

But the joy did not last for long. Soon, both of them went silent and held back their laughter.

Ian handed over the branch to Laritte that was holding the fish.

“I brought this for you.”

“No, you don’t have to make an excuse.’

“….Achoo!”

“Maybe I should have…”

Immediately, Laritte took off her furry coat and covered Ian’s face.

Ian tried to open his mouth to make her be at ease, but his cheeks felt like they were freezing.

The cold breeze poked him harder in the face.

“Let’s go back quickly. If you catch a cold, you will be sick again.

Ian could not see her face because of the coat.

Laritte held Ian’s hand, the one that was holding the bucket before, as she led the way to the villa.

“Hey, I’m….I’m all right…..”

“Your teeth are chattering. I shouldn’t have allowed you to come in the first place. I am so sorry.”

She hurriedly brought him home and made him sit on the chair in front of the fireplace.

Looking up at him, Laritte continued.

“Even if it’s a good source of food….let’s stick to the current menu.”

“I don’t think that’s a very good idea.”

“No, I’m afraid I might do something wrong. It’s my first time cooking fish. I don’t know if it will suit your taste, but….”

Ian was also worried because she only ate the same food for days.

Suddenly, he felt a ticklish feeling in his heart.

He found something offensive in her words. They were still addressing each other as ‘you’ instead of their names.

‘Shouldn’t it be time for her to change the title?’

“Hey.”

Ian called Larrite.

Laritte, who was wiping away her tears that she got from laughing, shook her head and motioned to speak.

“Yes.”

“It has been a while since we met. Why don’t we call ourselves by our real names when we are a couple in the first place?”

Laritte’s face, that was just smiling, suddenly hardened.

This kept Ian from finishing his words.

“What was that, Ro…..”

Rose.

Laritte quickly stopped him from trying to spit out the name.

“No.”

“….Pardon?”

She stumbled backwards.

It was a natural reaction for her.

She had been desperately trying to avoid that name until now.

Laritte unwittingly stepped back and stepped on the old carpet.

Unfortunately, it was time for the carpet to do its job.

The carpet tore away, unable to balance Laritte, making her stumble.

“Ah!”

“Are you all right?!”

“Don’t come near me!”

A shrill cry cut through the air.

Laritte’s hands were trembling.

‘Rose, Rose, Rose!’

Damn you Rose! That’s all you had to do.

How long are you going to haunt Laritte’s poor soul!

“I will make breakfast….so take a rest.”

Laritte stood up but did not make eye contact with him.

He could not understand how the atmosphere changed so momentarily.

“I’m cooking this time…..”

“Just stay there. Why don’t you do it next time!”

‘Please.’

‘Don’t come near me.’

It was written on her distorted expression.

Ian shouted at Laritte, who was now walking towards the kitchen.

“….I will be there when you calm down. We can continue talking again.

But no answer came back.

Ian, who was left alone, pressed his fingers hard on his forehead.

There was no way to know what mistake he had made.

‘Doesn’t she want to be familiar with me, a so-called traitor?’

However, he took Laritte’s expression to make such a conclusion.

Furthermore, she was very calm when they first met each other.

But this was the first time that he saw ‘fear’ in her ocean blue eyes.

‘What is going on?’

Ian’s question troubled his stomach.

Laritte felt the same way.

Leaning against the wall, Larrite wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

“Huhu…..”

Rose’s furious face was still deeply rooted in her brain.

“What the hell is that girl!!”

It was 11 years ago.

When Laritte was eight and Rose was nine.

Rose was sparkling, very different from Laritte.

Laritte was ashamed that she couldn’t even have a meal until she came to the Count’s house.

Rose looked so cute that it seemed like she was raised with love.

That was Laritte’s first appreciation.

“She is your half-sister, Rose.”

Count Brumayer said, wary of her.

He was aware of the fact that it was his mistake.

“Why is that?! I don’t like her! Besides, she doesn’t even look like any of us!”

“It was proved that I’m her biological father. Don’t….”

Larrite understood Rose.

She didn’t think anyone would want to have a shabby maid

life like she did.

So she tried her best to get close to Rose.

It was a long way from being framed for stealing the necklace and being hated by everyone in the house.

“I still remember those days clearly, Rose.”

She murmured blankly.

The feeling towards her that Laritte could find in Rose was always negative.

It was always filled with frustration, contempt and hatred.

Laritte suffered from 11 years of harassment that even made it difficult for her to die.

At that time, Rose used to be truly happy.

It was the Count who committed extramarital affairs, but people used to look at Laritte as if it was her fault.

Laritte, who was reminiscing about her past, moved towards the kitchen sink. Either way, she had to prepare a meal.

But Ian kept getting on her mind.

It was not only Rose but also herself who took the wrong course of action.

Eventually, she turned around after hesitating.

‘Let him call me Rose.’

‘It will be good for us for the time being….’

When she was about to go to the living room, she ran into Ian.

‘He told me he would be coming back after some time, didn’t

he?’

Laritte tried to speak.

“You’re so early….”

“Shh.”

Ian carefully put his hand over her mouth, glancing towards the gate.

“I heard a pair of footsteps.”