202 Chapter 202. Engagement Ceremony, Part I

Chapter 202. Engagement Ceremony, Part I
Translator: Khan
Editor: Aelryinth
Killian breathed a sigh when he saw her cold appearance, so different from the previous one when she had leaned against his soft arms. Oswald sighed at the sight of his lord chasing after Julietta to see her off. "Oh, it's even more sad that His Highness's future is clearly drawn in my eyes."
"That's right," Valerian sighed quietly as if he agreed too.
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15. Engagement Ceremony
The engagement ceremony of Princess Iris Kiellini, the only daughter and heir to the Duke of Kiellini, and Prince Killian, one of Austern's candidates for the throne, was held on a sunny September day.
Before the engagement ceremony began, Marquis Robert entered the waiting room of the Kiellini family to meet Julietta. Looking at Julietta, dressed in a white dress and receiving the sunlight coming through the window, his heart was filled with sadness. He couldn't say anything other than that she was beautiful.
The figure of Stella smiling at him in a white dress one day a long time ago, when the two had their own covenant at the Harrods' mansion, appeared on top of her daughter. He thought she resembled him with her blond hair and green eyes, but he was happy and sad to be able to find the appearance of Stella everywhere on her.
He wish he could have seen this with Stella. However, he had lost Stella and had to stand facing his daughter on the day of their daughter's engagement, wearing the mask of being an uncle, not a father. Moreover, he would be called uncle for life from now on. Even when Julietta's child was born, he would not be called the maternal grandfather.
'How did this happen?' Thinking that his incompetence, complacency and cowardice made this happen, he felt so pathetic that he wanted to die. But to die was not a solution.
Robert recalled a story he heard while visiting Prince Killian in a separate house in the dressing shop.
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"What does that mean? Christine did that?" He could not believe it.
The prince said coldly to him, "If you don't believe it, I can call a witness. One of the ladies close to Lady Christine, Baroness Themes Raviel, will testify."
Marquis Robert realized that Killian's words were real. The family of Baron Raviel was the right-hand of the family of Duke Dudley, Christine's maternal grandfather. On top of that, Lady Raviel was someone Robert knew, as she had been in and out of the mansion as a companion to hsi daughter since she was a child.
"I'm glad I ordered you to take a vow of silence, as I am worried about the affection of a father that has to be divided."
Killian looked at the trembling teacup with an expressionless face, as if it represented the tragic heart of the Marquis.
"You can't get away with it now. Our situation does not allow the fatherly affection of the Marquis to continue to be divided. Julietta is starting to be wary of you about this."
Robert raised his head in surprise at Killian's words. "Wary? You mean Julietta suspects me?"
"The Marquis, do you think Julietta can trust a father who hasn't had any contact with her since she was five? Even if you know all the facts and help her out, Julietta can't help but think that you love Christine, who was born with the last name of Marquis Anais and was given all kinds of favors. From Julietta's point of view, she can't feel confident, and I think so, too."
Robert had to say something, but he couldn't say anything. Christine had committed an unforgivable sin, but she was also his daughter.
He raised his head and looked at Killian. The cold-blooded Prince's eyes urged him to choose. He was not worried about that, because he knew he could not reveal the truth after he had sworn a vow of silence. What the Prince wanted was to determine his position.
'Would I choose Christine, and get her to stay away from Julietta and live away from her? Or would I choose Julietta and watch them retaliate against Christine without a word?'
"The Marquis, Julietta is worried about the current situation of your choice. She's still grieving over your current situation, even though she's never been loved properly."
Killian frowned disagreeably. "Why should Julietta suffer this kind of pain? Your wife kicked her out of the cozy house. Is it not enough that after that, she lost her mother and worked as a maid to escape the troupe leader trying to sell her off while growing up in the theater like a despised person? Why should she worry and feel sorry for a father who has done nothing for her?" The Prince drove the Marquis, and seemed genuinely angry.
The Marquis felt that he was genuinely worried and cared for Julietta, so he was sad and heartbroken. He felt sorry that Christine, who loved this man, did what she shouldn't have done as a human being.
'Who should I choose between Julietta, who would be happy with the love of the Prince, though she had a miserable past, and Christine, who would be unhappy with the contempt and retribution of the man she loved, though she had a rich past?'
Robert, who had been agonizing, suddenly came to his senses. 'How dare I think about who I'm going to choose?'
He was an eternal sinner to Julietta. It was sinful that he had thought of this nonsense even though the Prince had just revealed his crime in detail.
'Didn't I make up my mind not long ago when I took a vow of silence in this annex? I'm going to live the rest of my life for Julietta.'
Christine's love for Prince Killian was a pity, but what his child did to Julietta was not forgivable. It was not a matter of being blinded by the idea of a child that made his mind weak.
'How foolish being of a parent is!'
Knowing that he would disappoint Julietta, he had no choice but to beg the Prince to forgive Anais for her sin.
'How can parents give up their children?'
Knowing that he was committing another sin, he knelt down. Then he bowed to Prince Killian and begged. "Your Highness, when I found Julietta again, I decided to live the rest of my life for her. I know I don't have the authority to make any choice. But please forgive my foolish fatherly love that make me feel torn and hesitant. Please forgive this foolish father whose reason is not able to overcome his feelings."
Robert fell on his face to the ground. "I'll do my best so that you don't have to worry. Give me and Christine one more chance."
At the begging of the Marquis, Killian's face grew colder. "You're disappointing me. I don't care about your fatherly love. All I care about is Julietta's feelings. How would Julietta feel when she hears that even though her half-sister has done such a terrible thing, her father pleaded with the irresistible fatherly love and begged me to forgive her daughter?"
In spite of the Prince's anger, Robert just bowed.
Looking down at him, Killian asked, "Can I think of you as giving up Julietta?"
Killian gnashed his teeth as he looked at the Marquis who raised his head. "I think that's better. I'll make up a story for Julietta. The Marquis, forget everything about this and go back to your family. How can I cut such a heartrending fatherly love? You'd better think that you have only one daughter and one niece in the future."
"Your Highness, please give me another chance. I'll keep Christine indoors so that she can never think of anything else or do anything bad from now on."
Looking down at the Marquis who banged his head, Killian tried to calm his anger.
'I should not have given him a chance from the beginning.'
Even though he could take care of Marquis Anais now, it would hurt Julietta. But he couldn't come forward and kill the vicious woman. Anyways, she was Julietta's sister. As the Marquis said, it was rational to give him one more chance and let him take good care of his daughter. Even though he knew it, it was hard for Killian to endure his anger.
"One more time..."