Raising my Fiancè with Money - Chapter 75

Acting Skills

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Lilia turned her gaze. At the end of her gaze was Richard, who had his red hair pulled back. When she saw Richard staring blankly at her, Lilia immediately turned away.

As she took each step, her pink dress spread like petals in full bloom. Those who were scattered all over the place flocked in like swarms of bees.

“It’s been a long time since I saw you, Miss Bloden.”

“Do you remember me? I’ve talked to you before…….”

Everyone wagged their tails to look good in the eyes of Lilia. Lilia, who was greeting them back, smiled. Those who saw her gentle face burst out in laughter.

‘There is a long time left but I’m already tired.’

Lilia, who was smiling, sighed inwardly. Perhaps because it’s been a long time since she attended a banquet, everyone was eyeing to build a little friendship with her. Considering Richard, who was tired but obsessed with society, the place had to be a banquet hall. As expected, Richard, who was standing silently, strode up.

“Lilia.”

When he called her, the people around them paused. Lilia slowly turned her gaze and stared at Richard.

“Let’s talk.”

It meant to go out to the terrace for a while, but Lilia tilted her head slightly.

“Is there anything we should talk about?”

“Don’t be like a stranger, I’m still your fiance.”

Everyone watched with interest. There were only rumors that the two broke up, but no one knew the truth.

Lilia quickly grasped the mood. There were people who would stand by her, but most of them were waiting and watching. It was important for her to attract the people who were neutral.

She knew that it was better for her to be a staunch victim than falling down together in a mud fight.

‘It’s better to have sympathy than to be insulted.’

Lilia lowered her eyelashes. The quivering eyelashes gave off a pitiful feeling. Lilia opened her lips with a face that wanted to say many stories.

“Richard. Actually, I…… It’s hard to face you.”

Sadness poured out of her voice. People around her held their breath and focused on Lilia’s voice.

“I’m sick and tired of seeing you with someone else…… It’s too late.….”

Richard’s face hardened, as if he didn’t expect that Lilia would suddenly bring up this story. Those who were listening looked at Richard as if they were looking at trash.

“So what are you going to say…?”

Lilia raised her head slightly and looked at Richard. Her drooping eyes contributed to her pitiful look.

“That’s a misunderstanding,”

said Richard hastily.

“I’ve explained it to you so many times. Why are you doing this now?”

“I saw with my own eyes that you were lying naked on a bed with another woman, and you are saying it was a misunderstanding.…?”

At Lilia’s helpless murmuring, one of the ladies clenched the fan as if tearing off Richard’s hair. She grabbed it so hard that a fan feather ripped off on her palm. There was a commotion around. As the atmosphere became increasingly unfavorable, Richard quickly denied it.

“Me in an affair? Don’t jinx an innocent person for something dirty.”

There was no evidence that he had cheated on her anyway. Lilia was the only one who saw the scene, though Lilia had seen it. There was no one who would come up as a witness, so it was all right to deny it. He had admitted having an affair, but it’s Lilia and Richard who know the real truth anyways.

After thinking up to that point, Richard quickly became elated.  Rather, he began to drive Lilia as a suspicious person.

“Why don’t you trust me? You were the only one I had from the beginning.”

“…….”

“You’ve been obsessed with me since a long time ago, and now you have strange paranoia?”

When Richard changed his attitude, Lilia smirked to herself.

‘Are you going to come out like that?’

Richard believed that he had an advantage because there was no evidence. He seemed to think that it would be all right if he came out like this. He did so without knowing why Lilia had never opened up the evidence because she was gathering every bit of evidence for the final blow.

From the moment Richard’s wish (of not breaking up the engagement) was made public, the Bloden and Tersian families were at the start of a war. She waited, wondering if he might harm her family, especially Heinley. But Richard first touched Heinley. There was no reason for her to put up with it any longer.

Lilia said to Richard, like the most pitiful fiancee in the world.

“Do you think I’m a fool? I can’t believe you’re still lying.….”

When Lilia began to sob, there was a commotion around her. Everyone looked at Lilia with a pitiful look on their face. However, Richard did not lose either. He put his hand on his chest as if it was unfair.

“You don’t believe me if I explain it, what should I do more than this?”

People began to murmur. They looked as if they didn’t know who to believe. Lilia raised her hand and wiped her eyes. As she wiped her tears, she raised her head and stared straight at Richard.

“Can you swear… that you didn’t cheat on me?”

“Of course.”

“Then, when it is clear that you have cheated on me, break our engagement.”

Richard did not reply. However, everyone around him nodded and added words.

“If you’re honest, of course you should.”

If he says no here, he would be branded as having an affair. Richard, swept away by the atmosphere, nodded. Lilia smiled faintly for a moment but it disappeared quickly, but Richard saw it clearly.

Richard belatedly felt something was wrong. The moment he was going to speak—

“Richard!”

From far away, someone warmly called Richard.  At the sound of a woman’s voice, everyone looked at her. Richard turned his head, and he recognized the woman at once and opened his eyes wide.

“No… Why are you here….”

Richter stuttered, looking as if he were seeing an illusion. Rose, who had just come closer, grabbed one of Richard’s arms and cried while glaring at Lilia,

“Why are you two together? You said you broke up with her!”

The way she looked at him was as if she was looking at her lover. Lilia was deeply impressed by her acting. She only tried it once, and her acting skills were considerable. Later, she could even go down to the countryside and act in a theater company.

“L-Let go of my arm.”

Frustrated, Richter stuttered and tried to separate Rose. But Rose did not budge and kept Lilia in check.

“You still haven’t broken off your engagement? Let him go.”

Lilia immediately immersed herself in her role. Lilia, who was looking alternately at Rose and Richard with a shocked look, bit her lips. People quickly grasped the situation.

“Have you been blatantly lying until now?”

“Bad man!”

“Go ahead and break the marriage, Miss Bloden!”

As the criticism poured out, Richard removed Rose with force and pushed her away.

“What nonsense. You look like a crazy woman!”

When he started to treat her like a stranger, Rose exclaimed,

“Why are you doing this to me? I even know the location of the moles on your body!”

The commotion grew louder, and even those who had been watching from afar approached.  Then, one by one, the women strode towards Richard.

“What’s going on, Richard? Are you cheating on me?”

“I haven’t been able to contact you these days, so I thought…!”

Richard’s face was completely drained of blood. He thought they were familiar, but they were women who played with him in the past. They wouldn’t have been able to come in without an invitation, but the women working in the brothel too showed up here.

“Who are you to call someone else’s lover by his name?”

“What are you talking about? I’m Richard’s real lover.”

The women surrounding Richard began to fight, saying that they were real. In the midst of the quarrel, Richard’s wild private life came to light. He stared blankly at them with a pale face. He didn’t know what to do, he seemed to be broken somewhere.

“I’ve been dating him for over a year!”

“What? You trash!”

The woman who went angry turned her head and slapped Richard on the face. Slap! The vivid sound echoed through the banquet hall. Without giving a moment to be surprised, everyone began to jump at Richard.

“You said I was the only one! How could you do that?”

The woman who was screaming, grabbed Richard by the collar. Other hands popped out from all sides. His buttons were torn off and his hair was caught. The unprecedented love battle became a scuffle.

The nobles who watched it only opened their mouths wide. The love quarrel they had seen so far became so intense that it was difficult to escape from it.

‘Everyone’s so enthusiastic…….’

Lilia, who had taken a step back and watched, was deeply impressed. It seemed like the women had a grudge against Richard.

Richard, who was in the midst of being ripped off, the employees rushed to stop the women. The huffing women threw what they were wearing on the floor.

“I don’t need what you bought me, so take it!”

When Lilia realized that it was her turn to step up, she said,

“You’ve been seeing so many women behind my back……? And with my own money……?”

“Miss Bloden!”

As Lilia staggered, the man standing next to her immediately helped her.

“…I bought them all for you.” (Lilia)

At those words, everyone looked at Richard with disgust. Richard, whose head and clothes were all messed up, looked up and glared at Lilia horribly. He seemed to have noticed that all of this was planned by Lilia.

Yes, it was already too late. Richard didn’t have a chance to turn the tables. Lilia asked while swallowing her laughter, with a pitiful look on her face.

“Will you break the engagement now?”