Romantic Psycho - Chapter 6

Julian formed a suitable smile and bowed his head to her. “Lady Clemence. It has been a while.”

Julian Harbour was the illegitimate child born because the Marquess of Clemence had laid hands on a maid.

His hazel eyes came from the marquess, while his striking looks and dark blond hair were entirely from his mother. Naturally, he bore no resemblance to the marchioness.

His life was disgraceful from the beginning.

The existence of an illegitimate child severely damaged the Clemence family’s reputation.

He was an object of contempt both inside and outside the house.

Julian knew better than anyone that he was a living disgrace and humiliation to her.

“I never thought we would meet again.”

That was why the summons after ten years was all the more puzzling.

“Nor did I.”

“…I’m surprised that I could still have any connection to the matter of succession in the Clemence family.”

“So am I.”

A series of unenthusiastic, dry replies left Julian momentarily speechless.

The discomfort and unpleasantness of this meeting were mutual. Julian decided it was best to get straight to the point.

“I don’t know why the matter of succession is still being discussed, but I am not a Clemence. I accepted your invitation to make that clear.”

“Yes. You are not a Clemence.”

“No. You sent me away ten years ago.”

The marquess never took responsibility for Julian.

But when the marchioness failed to bear a son, Julian was adopted into the Clemence family when he turned twelve.

The problem began five years later, when the marchioness gave birth to a son.

Overnight, Julian became a useless presence in the Clemence family and was soon forced into the Royal Naval Academy. When public interest waned, he was disowned and took back his mother’s name, becoming Julian Harbour once more.

He had been abandoned by his father twice.

“Lady Clemence, you personally arranged for me to be sent to the academy. Perhaps you don’t remember?”

The family had hoped he would fail in his commission. But the result was the exact opposite of what they wanted.

Unexpected fortune had come to Julian.

He became a naval commander, earned a large following as the most handsome man in Rosen, and constantly found himself at the center of scandals.

Each time, the Clemence family was summoned back into public scrutiny.

Public adoration, constant controversy, disgrace for the Clemence name.

Julian eventually learned to enjoy it all. But the Clemence family did not.

A subtle crack appeared on the marchioness’s calm face, though her voice remained remarkably composed.

“Don’t you dare mock me. I was only ever delivering our cowardly marquess’s wishes then, and I still am now.”

Julian let out a silent scoff. As he did, the marchioness sighed briefly, then flipped over a small piece of paper lying beside her teacup and held it out.

“Miss Vanessa Hartnett.”

It was a photograph of a young lady. There was no need to think long about what this meant.

“The marquess considers her your future bride. A healthy young lady from good blood. You’ll remember, you once did her grandfather a favor.”

A stroke of luck that had come to him during his cadet days.

Julian had saved Sir Hartnett, the Midros ambassador. How could he forget the incident that had changed his life? But he couldn’t understand the marchioness’s words.

“Lady Clemence, I don’t see why the Clemence family should be concerned with Julian Harbour’s marriage.”

“It’s simple. You’ll become Julian Clemence again.”

The marchioness spoke as if it were a matter of no consequence.

Just like when she had informed him of his adoption, conscription, and disownment.

Julian, momentarily at a loss for words, remained silent as she continued.

“It seems you’re fond of military life. If you become a Clemence again, it will help with your promotion. A bride like Miss Hartnett would normally be…”

Julian realized. “The Clemence family needs the Hartnett family.  Miss Hartnett doesn’t meet your standards for the real son of the Clemence family.”

“……”

The marchioness, her words cut off, looked at Julian for a moment. But she continued speaking as though it didn’t matter what he had said.

“She’s a lady far too good for you. But she says she wants you.”

“I see.”

“If you become Julian Clemence and marry her, you’ll receive a share of the inheritance.”

“I don’t need it.”

A fleeting expression of weariness passed across the marchioness’s face. This time, she held out the envelope that had been lying next to the photograph.

“Your birth mother wishes for you to become a Clemence again. Here, you can read the letter I received from her. It must be the first letter you’ve gotten from her.”

While Julian was at sea, the marriage discussion had progressed quite specifically. He could no longer bear it and rose from his seat.

“My goodness, Lady Clemence. This is not ten years ago.”

“Exactly, so choose. Will you cling to your pride, or will you bend once and choose advancement?”

Though neither of them had raised their voice, the silence between them was sharp.

The marchioness murmured, “…I didn’t want you then, and I don’t want you now.”

“……”

“So direct your anger and resentment at the marquess. As I said before, I merely deliver our cowardly marquess’s wishes.”

Julian barely restrained his emotions and replied, “Pardon me, Lady Clemence.”

“You should leave for today.”

Julian bowed his head, as if he had been waiting for those words.

“Yes. I shall take my leave. I hope we never see each other again.”

Just as he turned his back, she spoke, “Clinging to pride is not a wise choice. Not if you want to remain in the military.”

Julian let out a dry laugh. She called it a choice, but it was clearly a threat.

“Captain, the carriage is still…”

Julian did not take the carriage the mansion had prepared. Instead, he returned to the hotel on foot. It wasn’t bravado. He felt as though his chest would burst from a suffocating heaviness he couldn’t put into words.

It had been ten years.

Julian had done everything he could in that time.

Enduring ridicule as a bastard, he graduated at the top of the academy and seized every opportunity to rise through the ranks faster than anyone.

He had worked hard. He thought he had nothing to be ashamed of now, that he was clearly different from who he had been ten years ago. The reason he had accepted the unwelcome invitation from the Clemence family was that, deep down, he wanted to be recognized for that.

But it seemed he had been mistaken all along.

Ten years of effort had been dismissed in an instant.

At some point, he lost his sense of destination and wandered aimlessly. As the surroundings grew increasingly noisy, the scenery of the streets finally came into view.

All across the city, spring celebrations were in full swing. Despite the serial murders, the social season in Britt had officially begun.

The weather, as if in welcome, was perfectly clear.

***

Since the death of her father, William Lockwood, Diane had been plagued by the same nightmare.

In the dream, she spent lonely, miserable days.

Then, just before her twenty-first birthday, she married Louis Boten.

Their honeymoon was held at Winderbury. Louis, who had a romantic obsession with the historic grand estates of the Rosen Kingdom, had wanted it that way.

So their wedding night took place on the day of the ceremony.

After the reception ended, Diane waited for her husband in the candlelit bridal chamber, feeling despondent.

Some time later, Louis entered the room, appearing somewhat drunk. She didn’t remember it clearly, but it seemed there had been an argument. A struggle followed, and from that point, her vision became disjointed. She might have lost consciousness for a moment.

Then, suddenly, something began to choke her. Darkness swallowed all her senses.

And astonishingly, Diane opened her eyes again.

She had returned to the moment in front of her father’s corpse.

Diane’s eyes snapped open.

For a while, she couldn’t look away from the ceiling.

Only after confirming several times that the ceiling was unfamiliar could she breathe again, just barely. Her body, still tense, remained stiff.

The nightmares persisted. Staying at Lady Sheldon’s mansion was only a temporary measure, after all.

Lady Sheldon had turned out to be far kinder than she remembered. Even so, Diane couldn’t bring herself to tell her what she had experienced.

She was extremely cautious.

If she heard once more that she was mad, if she ended up back in the mental hospital, she feared she would truly lose herself this time.

“What should I do…”

The words escaped her lips in a faint murmur before she realized it.

“Did you call for me?”