Don’t Ask For Mercy From The Villainess

Chapter 12. His Name Is Darten Ert

“You can’t call me like that? What do you mean?”

Darten’s expression changed. He had a displeased look as if he was just rejected by the toy he used to play with, meanwhile a soft smile flashed on Jessica’s face.

“I’m going to attend the debutante soon, so I can’t call Your Highness so casually like before.”

“What? Was it because of that?”

“Isn’t it already obvious? Because we’re no longer ‘kids’.”

Looking at Darten who finally nodded in agreement, Jessica smiled bitterly inside her mind. Before coming back to the past, she called Darten who came to her debutante using his nickname, and then she ended up blushing in embarrassment. I remembered what Darten said when she gave her a serious look.

“I’ve never allowed Lady Jessica to call me by my nickname.”

From his keen expression, she wondered if he was really Darten, who had been caring for her so affectionately while he gave a frequent visit to the marquisate. There were voices whispering behind her about her embarrassing action.

The contempt and disgrace she got at that time were beyond words. After the banquet was over, Darten paid her a personal visit and explained why he had no choice but to do so.

“We’re no longer ‘kids’. You have to be polite. You can call me that when we’re alone, but just not publicly.”

At that time, she just listened quietly to his ridiculous rebuke about the manners on how to act in society. But now, Jessica was reciting the words that came out of Darten’s mouth at that time. As if he also agreed with what she said, Darten also brought up the same words from that time.

“But it doesn’t matter since there’s just the two of us now.”

“You must have forgotten the maid behind me, Your Highness.”

Darten’s face hardened when he said the words of refusal. Jessica thought to herself that she didn’t expect him to refuse.

‘Should I be angry about this?’

The wounds and pain she received weren’t much better than this. He had to see the end of that person to get compensation for her broken heart. Jessica decided once again to see him until the end of his ruin by watching him walking through the thorny path she made.

Darten’s sharp eyes headed toward Daisy who was standing behind him. Jessica finally had a hunch when she noticed that his eyebrows moved slightly.

‘Daisy, he isn’t supposed to make her feel comfortable either.’

Darten’s narrow eyes couldn’t leave Daisy for a while. Darten’s expression turned cold, thinking that he was rejected simply because of a maid. He didn’t treat those who were lower than him as human beings.

“Maid?”

“Your Highness, don’t blame Daisy.”

“…….”

She deliberately emphasized it to Darten, who asked back as if he couldn’t believe what he just heard. Darten’s eyes turned even colder when Jessica told him not to blame her and that his request was rejected because of a maid. Daisy wavered a bit when she received the gaze from the person right in front of her while wondering how she was supposed to act in this situation.

“Go and get the tea ready to be served in the garden.”

“I will.”

Darten did not take his eyes off Daisy, who stepped away from the room after accepting Jessica’s order. Jessica’s eyes perked up when she saw someone walking through the hallway while listening to Darten with a boring look.

“Knight Alter.”

“I’m back after finishing what you ordered me to do.” 

“Welcome back.”

Darten opened his mouth when a small smile flashed on her face.

“Who is this?”

“Ah, Your Highness. He’s my knight escort. Please greet him, Knight Alter. He is the Third Prince of the empire.”

Alter, who looked a little surprised by Jessica’s words, put one hand on his chest and showed the knight’s regard toward Darten.

“It’s a pleasure to meet the Third Prince of the Empire.”

“… Nice to meet you.”

He said to Alther with a displeased voice. Darten immediately turned to Jessica.

“A knight escort?”

“My father decided to send one for me.”

“You didn’t tell me.”

“I didn’t have time to tell Your Highness because it was decided after the funeral.”

“………I see.”

If she was Jessica from the past, she would’ve apologized to him at all cost, even said that she would do whatever he wanted her to do, but now she was not the silly Jessica from back then.

She could see Darten staring at her with a sour expression when the answer he really wanted didn’t come out of her mouth, but Jessica didn’t pay attention to that.

“Do you have any urgent matters to be done today?”

He usually left pretty early because he was busy, but today Darten was staying at the marquisate longer than usual, so she asked in a soft voice. At her question, a strange idea suddenly passed through Darten’s mind.

‘She’s not kicking me out, is she?’

That wasn’t impossible at all, but then Darten decided not to think that far. Because he couldn’t find any sign of Jessica being uncomfortable by his visit on the woman’s smiling face. However, Alter could feel a questionable atmosphere at Jessica’s small smile.

She had a smile on her face, but why was there a cold tendency occured deeply in that smile? Alter shook his head furiously to shake off the thought which lingered in his head for a moment.

“I have some time to spend today, are you concerned about me?”

“I’m glad to hear that Your Highness finally gets some free time after being busy every single time.”

After finishing her words, Jessica walked along with Darten without dragging on the topic furthermore. After that, Darten stayed at the marquisate for quite a while as he had a cup of tea, and finally left at sunset.

The news about the Marquis returning home stopped him from having dinner there. Darten left after giving a glare to the butler who informed Jessica that The Marquis were going to arrive at any moment.

“Daisy.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Go upstairs and get the bath ready.”

She watched Daisy go to the second floor to do what Jessica had ordered her to do for a while before turning around. The butler widened his eyes as he waited behind her.

“Butler.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“I think we should investigate the entire household.”

“Pardon me?”

“I think there’s someone who leaked out the Marquis’ information, so I have to find whoever it is.”

Otherwise, Darten couldn’t have just come ‘accidentally’ today. The fact that Marquis Viterne left the marquisate was a secret among many secrets.

She didn’t even know that he worked along with the First Prince and led the knights. She wondered how Darten found out the fact about the Marquis when Alter gave secret clues by acting surprised at his sudden visit?

‘There is only one answer. Putting someone to work for him here.’

She couldn’t move freely before she could get rid of Darten’s people. Her plan hasn’t even started yet. When Anna returned and gradually increased the wealth of the Marquis, it would be the day when the base for her revenge which she wanted was finally settled.

Even before laying the foundation, she didn’t want to get an excuse from Darten. The butler bowed to her with solemn eyes, greeted her, and left the drawing room.

“Sir Alter.”

“Did you call for me, miss?”

“There might be someone among the Knights, so please check on them.”

“Did you say…….. The Knights?”

Serving the Lady with utmost respect and always being faithful to their master. That was the first rule in becoming a knight. If they failed to abide by this rule, they couldn’t be called a knight.

Although Alter thought there could be no such person around him, he had to suspect anyone after hearing the words of the lady he served.

“I know this favor is difficult for you.”

“No, it isn’t. You don’t have to ask me for a favor, you just have to give an order to me.”

Jessica’s eyes automatically trembled at his faithful words. She desperately tried to hold back the tears on the tip of her red eyes. When he looked at her trembling eyes quietly, Alter soon witnessed a clear drop of tears falling down from Jessica’s eyes.

Alter stood with a bewildered face in front of her while being confused by the sudden tears falling from Jessica’s eyes at that moment.

“What are you doing?”

Marquis Viterne’s voice was heard with the figure of Salipe, the First Prince that appeared simultaneously. Fortunately, they couldn’t see her tears because their backs were facing Jessica. Jessica said to Alter as she took control of her expression in a hurry.

“So please find out, Knight.”

“Okay.”

Jessica turned around after Alter gave a knight’s regard to them. The traces of tears disappeared nowhere, and the face with a subtle smile was only maritime.

“What made Alter stand in front of you like that?”

[t/n: I think if a knight stands in front of the lady he served, it’s considered impolite so the Marquis ask them like that.]

“You’re back, Father.”

“Why did you call me ‘father’ again……….”

“You left in the morning without saying a word. You said you’d stay by my side.”

“J-Jessica, I can explain………….”

“Father wasn’t there, so I questioned Sir Alter.”

The rigid atmosphere quickly eased up after she said so. The incisive momentum of the Knights, who had been eyeing Alter in wary so openly, immediately dissipated.

Alter pretended to be calm even though he couldn’t breathe properly because he was suffocating. He breathed a sigh of relief inwardly after thinking that he would’ve looked disrespectful in that position if Jessica didn’t say that.

“Jessica, let me explain……”

“I don’t care!”

Alter just greeted them awkwardly before following Jessica, who immediately went up to the second floor. Marquis Viterne had no choice but to watch both of them from a distance.

“My good-hearted daughter……..”

“Marquis, I think there are some hidden meanings behind her words.”

“No, what are you talking about, Your Highness? What’s wrong with my Jessica? She’s still good-hearted and innocent like young Jessica…….”

Salipe’s eyes lit up when Marquis Viterne’s words reached his ear.

‘He’s good at changing the topic.’

After making sure that Jessica’s eyes were slightly red, he decided to add more judgment about her. That she was a type of person who could control her mind skillfully in various situations.