Chapter 52 — Prioritise Yourself

         “How can I choose a liar to be my wife?”

“…”

         Riel held her breath when she heard Noel’s blunt statement. She was rendered speechless. Noel then turned his gaze to Irene. When Irene felt his gaze, she looked back at him and softly smiled.

         “Irene, if you don’t have anywhere to go, would you like to come with me to the Grand Duke’s mansion?”

         Riel and Irene reacted to Noel’s question at the same time. As Riel raised her head, Irene answered in a slightly flustered tone. Her face was flushed red.

         “Bu…But I would be too much of a nuisance. Especially for the Great Kristen.”

         “I’ll tell my grandfather about this. Perhaps, he’ll even be more than happy to know that you’re coming. But the choice is yours. You can still stay here if you want it.”

         “Don’t go, sister.” Riel pleaded. As if she wanted to physically stop Irene, Riel hurriedly grabbed onto her.

         Irene looked at Riel with a puzzled look. She had been pushing Irene away so hard all this time, but now she had reversed her actions and was telling her not to go. It was even stranger that Riel appeared to be sincere.

         “If you’re really going this time, it will be over. Can you break your relationship with mom and dad? The people who raised you?” Riel questioned.

         “That’s why I’m leaving.”

         Irene answered Riel’s question whilst looking straight at her. Riel shook her head as if she refused to understand the point Irene was trying to make.

         “If I keep staying in this house, I won’t be able to cut it off until the end.” Irene rephrased her point once again.

         “You’re betraying both of them in the end! The parents who raised you up until now!”

         “This was Irene’s business, so before, I only stood and looked on from the sidelines.”

Noel calmly slid himself into the situation. He looked at Irene apologetically as if asking her to excuse him from meddling.

Seeing the man before her unrelenting, Riel’s face crumpled even more. The expression that Noel had, was so cold. Riel could not bear his overwhelming energy.

         “It’s not a favour, but their duty and responsibility to raise Irene. Besides, Irene is an adult. There’s nothing wrong with her leaving the house.”

         “Please step aside Duke.”

         “I’m sorry. But I cannot just stand by and watch Irene listening to nonsense like this.”

         “…”

         Riel clenched her lips at Noel’s words. Then she glared at Irene and quickly went inside the mansion.

Bang.

 Riel closed the door right in front of Irene’s eyes. Irene suddenly felt an onslaught of mixed emotions. As Riel had said, it really felt like she had betrayed her parents.

         “Don’t worry about it. Because your life belongs to you. No one can intervene in your life.”

         Then as Irene was lost in her thoughts, Noel’s soft voice could be heard. His calm and gentle baritone tingled Irene’s ears and surprisingly, Irene felt a little relieved because of that. Then, Irene smiled at him.

         “Thank you for that.”

Noel nodded acknowledging her words.

         “You don’t have to pack your things?”

         Irene shook her head at Noel’s question. The only things she cherished, which were her paintings, had already been torn to shreds by her father. So, there was nothing else to pack. Irene only now, realised that she had nothing she could call her belongings in this house.

         “I have nothing.”

         “…I see. Let’s get back before it’s too late then.”

         Noel turned his back first. Then headed out. As they neared the gate, Irene looked up for a moment at the darkened mansion. Then she inhaled deeply and followed in his footsteps.

         The carriage was still parked at the back door. When Irene returned, the horsemen stared puzzled at Irene and then turned his head to Noel. Noel gave a slight nod before helping Irene onto the carriage.

         “You must be tired, so you’d better rest as soon as you arrive.”

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         Once inside, Noel spoke up first. As the carriage began to leave the Chase mansion, Irene nodded. Actually, she wanted to greet the Great Kristen when she arrived, but as Noel had said, she was exhausted. Not only was Irene’s body tired, but also her mind was blank. The day’s events had depleted her of her energy, and she could no longer think clearly. It was good though, because she did not want to tire herself by dwelling on useless thoughts she could not control.

As the carriage rumbled, the disappointed faces of Irene’s family kept replaying through her mind, despite her effort to erase them. She wanted to relax – she was so tired already.

         Noel, who saw how quiet Irene was, turned his eyes to the window and whispered gently, loud enough for her to hear.

         “I’m sure your heart is anxious, but I just want you to think about yourself for once. I want you to prioritise yourself even if it’s selfish.”