Forgotten Juliet

Chapter 135:

Juliet became nervous.

If the Marquiss mansion falls into the hands of the imperial family, it will be difficult to reclaim the treasure.

They said it was kept in the Marquiss private room.

Marquis Guinnesss private room, where he hides his treasure. The Dulton couple said the jewel box was in there.

Only the Marquis himself knows how to enter that secret room

However, there was one more person who knew how to enter that secret space besides Marquis Guinness.

Juliet knew exactly how to enter that secret space.

The leftmost bookshelf in the library, the third rows green book.

Moving that exact book reveals the entrance to the secret space. The Marquis had gathered various precious collections in it.

Juliet had been frequently confined in that room, almost as much as in the punishment room. Suspicious Marquis Guinness had hidden various secret objects there.

Lennox where is His Highness?

Juliet became anxious. She needed to hurry before the imperial family took over the Marquiss mansion.

He left at midnight yesterday and hasnt returned.

Where did he go?

I dont know.

Juliet tried to find Lennox, but the people of the Dukes house stopped her.

Soon, Juliet was led to the bathroom by the maids.

Submerged in the warm bathtub, Juliet came to a conclusion.

First, get yourself together and wait for Lennox to return, then discuss the secret room in the Marquiss mansion.

But Lennox didnt return all day.

Eventually, Juliet dozed off, whether it was because she took a hot bath or got lost in various thoughts.

It was dark outside the window when she opened her eyes.

Lennox?

In the dark bedroom, a man was leaning against the window. Juliet asked quizzically.

Your Highness, why are you there?

Approaching him cautiously, Juliet noticed something odd.

Inappropriate for the chilly season, his hair was wet, as if he had hastily poured water on himself.

The smell of blood.

Juliet unconsciously frowned. A faint smell of blood emanated from Lennox.

Are you hurt?

No.

After asking, Juliet bitterly smiled. It was more natural to ask whose blood it was.

Noticing that Lennox seemed off, Juliet asked.

Your Highness.

What?

Did I say anything yesterday?

Juliet had been worried all day that she might have spilled her guts to him while drunk.

Instead of answering, Lennox asked:

Can I hug you?

No.

Juliet dodged, narrowing her eyebrows, then asked again.

What did I say?

Juliet.

Lennox might have glimpsed some of her past memories as he did before at the abandoned temple ruins.

Especially the part about Marquis Guinness. Juliet didnt want that to hear that.

Thats

Juliet neither wanted Lennox to pity her nor to show her faults to him.

Nothing.

I said nothing?

Yes.

Juliets eyes narrowed. She knew Lennox was lying.

Lennox.

She had a hunch where Lennox had been.

Could it be, youve already killed Marquis Guinness?

I havent killed him.

Lennox replied softly, staring at her with red eyes.

Not yet.

Juliet sighed softly.

Thats good.

Is there a reason why he shouldnt be killed?

Juliet hesitated before answering.

The Marquis must not die yet.

Whether hes killed outright or not, at least until they reclaim the Duke familys treasure, or until they question how the Marquis got it, he had value alive. Juliet glanced nervously at Lennox, worried about how hed take her words. What if he misinterprets it as siding with the Marquiss wrongdoings?

So, what Im saying is

Lennox, surprisingly, didnt question and obediently replied.

Yes.

Juliet felt uneasy at Lennoxs unexpectedly compliant attitude.

Your Highness, are you really okay?

Juliet took a step closer to him, slightly worried.

Then she realized that he was completely drenched. She wondered where he had been and why he was still in his wet clothes. Was it raining outside?

My goodness, arent you cold?

You hate blood.

So he doused himself with water?

Such a leap in logic was absurd.

Juliet furrowed her brows.

At least get a blanket

Juliet.

But before Juliet could wrap a blanket around his shoulders, Lennox reached out and gently held the tips of her fingers.

Can I kiss you?

It was really strange.

The Lennox Carlyle she knew wasnt the kind of man to ask for such things. He treated her incredibly well, sometimes to the point of infatuation, but he seemed like someone who would carelessly toss her aside when bored. He never asked for her opinion or sought her permission before.

Juliet, feeling the intensity in the mans eyes, nodded.

Yes.

But what was truly strange was Lennoxs next move.

!

Instead of a full-on kiss as she expected, Lennox gently pressed his lips to the tips of her fingers, as if handling delicate glasswork.

Then he leaned his forehead on Juliets shoulder while she was standing by the window frame.

For some reason, Juliet felt odd and patted his shoulder for a moment.

Your Highness, whats wrong?

Nothing.

With shaking hands, Lennox whispered as he placed his hand on her lower back.

Nothing happened.

He would never be able to tell Juliet what he had seen.

* * *

Inside the prison, the momentarily unconscious Marquis Guinness awoke suddenly from the cold stone floor.

Duke Carlyle, that brat

A choking sound came from his throat. He couldnt remember how many times he had passed out and woken up.

In his life as an aristocrat, he had never been treated this way.

Furthermore, Marquis Guinness belonged to those who derived pleasure from torturing others. He enjoyed causing pain to fulfill his despicable desires but had no resistance when someone inflicted pain on him.

How dare someone wearing a human mask do this to me!

The Marquis shuddered, failing to recall his past misdeeds.

Just keep him alive.

Duke Carlyle had ordered so. That was the cruelest part.

It seemed Lennox Carlyle had no intention of killing him.

Those following the Dukes orders whipped Guinness periodically. The astonishing thing was theyd set his broken bones and even treated him kindly.

Of course, the whipping resumed after. After experiencing this cycle several times, Marquis Guinness wished someone would just end his life.

Plus, the fear that spiritual entity might attack him at any moment.

Marquis Guinness, in his terrifying fear, couldnt even sleep properly.

Marquis Guinness had heard about the state of Archbishop Solon. He heard Solon was alive, unable to die due to the side effects of a curse.

Because the curse failed

The Marquis knew nothing about the curse. He didnt know what the spiritual entity could do. All he knew about the curse was that those consumed by the entity lost their sense of self.

Damn it! Look at the state Im in!

Marquis Guinness was furious.

Yet, he hadnt given up hope. He was a major aristocrat and magnate from the south. He couldnt be subdued like this.

Duke Carlyle kept him alive.

It seemed he planned to bring him to court.

That naive young man probably knows a little but not much.

Marquis Guinness anticipated his release from prison.

There were few among the Empires elite to whom he hadnt given bribes. He believed he could exact revenge once he overcame this situation.

Just wait. Once I get out of here

The moment he opens his mouth, the Empire would be plunged into chaos.

Clank.

However, the sudden sound of footsteps startled Marquis Guinness.

Tap, tap, tap.

By now, just hearing footsteps terrified Marquis Guinness.

The Marquis pressed himself against the prison wall, trembling.

W-Who are you?