Today's Goal is a Safe Divorce!

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Chapter 16

Actually, that was just an excuse.

What kind of father would not see his daughter because he was busy? It was just that the Count didn’t care as much as even a nail on her.

It was understandable. Elysia was not the heir to lead the family, and she was not a legitimate child so the Count gave up his guilt. No matter how harassed or sad she was, he pretended not to see her and turned her away.

“You look a lot more like your mother than I thought. And, the blonde hair… though the blue eyes look just like me.”

She wondered if he had ever seen her.

Elysia was at a loss for words at the Count’s audacity to say that he had seen her and that she had grown up a lot to someone he had not seen casually.

The Count didn’t even care about her when she was dressed like a maid and lived in the attic, treated less than a maid. He just treated her like no one.

“Mother… Do you remember mother?”

As far as Elysia knew, they said that her mother and Edward’s mother were courtesans. It was said that they were born from courtesans so that they could be easily removed since there would be no follow-up later.

She couldn’t forget it because the Countess had been brainwashing her from such a young age.

“Yes, I remember.”

“You really do remember?”

Lies. A man who knew nothing but himself like the Count could not remember the courtesan he had seen only a few times.

This was intentionally to win her favor.

“I heard that my mother was a courtesan.”

“From whom did you hear that?”

“From the Countess. The Countess said that Brother Edward’s and my mother were lowly courtesans. So, the two of us are from lowly origins.”

It was also funny that he didn’t know by now how many times the Countess had said that. After all, the Count was a bystander who knew everything yet stood by. Perhaps, he also knew what Edward had suffered from the Countess.

“….”

“And now, even if you don’t pretend to be kind, I won’t be resentful. Your Excellency, what made you come all the way here?”

She was truly amazed. Elysia had been in the attic not long ago, but everything changed the moment her marriage to Damon was decided… The way she sleeps, the clothes she wears, the way she sleeps, and the way people treat her.

“Can’t a father come to visit her daughter’s room?”

“is that so…?”

The Count had no affection for any of his children.

He did so with Edward, who had inherited his own blood, and her, but also with Rowena, whom the Countess had brought. None of the Count’s people were given attention by him. That also included the Countess.

“All this time, I was indifferent. It must have been very sad.”

She wondered if the Count would have behaved this way to his successor, Edward.

“No, Your Excellency. Your care has always kept me safe.”

“There’s no need to be so rigid between a father and a daughter.”

Father and daughter… Since when have they been father-and-daughter…?

Elysia was sick of seeing the Count acting kindly.

‘It’s disgusting.’

Again, people obeyed power. She hadn’t become a real Grand Duchess yet, although she wondered what would happen after she got married? Elysia also wondered what would happen if it was just a bluff that she became the Grand Duchess.

‘Will this clinginess disappear again?’

Thinking so, she felt her mind calm.

They were those who clung to power. So, when a new power appeared, it was characteristic of them to stick to it again.

“No. Your Excellency is the Head of the Caitlyn family.”

“If that’s the case, you can call me that.”

“Why did you come to my room?”

She was a little curious as to why the Count had come to this place. He hadn’t looked at her for twenty years, so what was the reason for rushing to see her as soon as her marriage to Damon was decided…?

“I was told that you were going to marry Grand Duke Raphael.”

“Yes.”

“You grew up like this and got married.”

At least, the Count seemed to know that it was awkward for him to come and play the role of a father, too.

“Do you have anything to say?”

“No.”

‘Do you still have a conscience…?’

Elysia laughed as he didn’t immediately tell his business and twisted his words around.

“If you become the Grand Duchess, it’s a pity that I won’t be able to see you often.”

“Even in the County, it’s hard to see.”

“I always cared about you.”

“Did you know which room I am using?”

Essentially, he didn’t even know that his daughter, the person he cared about, lived in the attic.

“Your mother… So, it was because of the Countess. I couldn’t save you from how vicious she was.”

The Countess and the Count weren’t on good terms, but the Count was a staunch underdog when it came to the Countess. If he had stopped her, he wouldn’t have let her live in the attic.

“Yes. The Countess has been tormenting me.”

“Yeah, she did. I have always cared for you.”

Even though Elysia knew they weren’t on good terms, she didn’t know they were this much. It was amusing to see each other trying to pull her into their side. The Countess did so, like the Count now. It seemed that the saying that a married couple was of one heart did not come out for nothing.

“Even if you become the Grand Duchess, the relationship between a father and a daughter is not broken. You know that, right?”

Now, it was a threat to leave the reconciliation.

“Yes, it is.”

“I’m glad you think so. I’m worried about you. Maybe, you’ll be deceived by Angelina’s tricks…”

Angelina was the name of the Countess. She forgot because she didn’t have a business to call the Countess by name. Elysia didn’t care that the Countess’ name was Angelina for over twenty years.

After all, to her, the Countess was the Countess.

“The Countess’ trick?”

“Yeah, she said that…”

Just as the Count was about to say something, the closed door swung open.

“You! Do you know what you did?! Ju, Julius…?”

It was the Countess who opened the door and appeared.

Just then, the couple met. Elysia knew that the couple usually shared separate rooms and that they did not meet each other.

“Why did you come into Elysia’s room?”

“So, Julius, why are you…”

“I seemed that you two want something to do with me? Seeing the two of you together like this makes me feel so good.”

Saying so, Elysia handed the bewildered Countess a seat as well. It was just funny to see her own room being a meeting point.

“Mother, I think you came because you have something to tell me… Please sit down.”

“That, yes….”

The Countess seemed to have gone mad with the Count.

Elysia knew well what she wanted…

The Count’s love. The Countess always wanted the Count’s love.

“Angelina, you told her to call you ‘mother’? You’re not even a real mother.”

“I know. She’s not a real mother, but… She wants me to call her that way, so I have no choice. I’m afraid of what you’ll do to me again if I don’t call your mother.”

“When, when did I ever do something to you?”

“Can you really say you didn’t?”

It was very interesting to see the Countess acting with her tail curled in front of the Count as she came to see her in anger. Elysia always wondered when she would see the two of them together, but she was amazed that she could see them so close like this.

“I see you have something to say… At the same time, the Count told me not to be deceived by Mother’s tricks. I wonder what it is, can you tell me?”

“Elysia…! What does that mean now!”

“Why? Your Excellency just told me.”

“You—! Do you choose the stepmother who bullied you over the father who gave you life?”

It was funny to Elysia that she had to choose, even though the Countess and the Count were the same person.

After all, it was the same for her no matter who she chose.

“Where is the choice?”

At Julius’ shout, Elysia simply smiled and drank the tea.

Even though Countess Caitlyn and her husband seemed to want to depend on the blood relationship, Edward was the only real blood relative to her.

“To me, both are the same.”

“Elysia, think carefully.”

Apparently, the Count thought he had an advantage over the Countess.

At this time, if he wanted to be even a little more advantageous, it would have been good if he had been paying attention from before. If Julius had shown even the slightest bit of affection, she would have chosen him.

“Is there anything to think about?”

“You…! Elysia is not your real daughter, so don’t act like a mother.”

“Julius, you didn’t really care about the children!”

“Did I not care? At least, I didn’t bully the kids.”

Elysia’s eyes lit up when she saw the two of them starting to fight, blaming each other now.

To be honest, it was a very interesting sight.

“Did I bully her?”

“Yes.”

“It must have been you who made me that way!”

The sight of the Countess screaming at the Count was pitiful even from a woman’s point of view. The Count did not hide his indifferent glance at the Countess, even for such a moment.

She didn’t know why the Count and Countess had a bad relationship.

County Caitlyn had no money.

In addition, the Count was not very capable, and he was always short of money. In the end, he married Angelina of a slightly lower status. Although Angelina’s family was of low status, she had a lot of cash from her loan business, so she forgave all of Caitlin’s many debts.

However, it seemed that that point had touched Julius’ pride.

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