You Think I Won't Talk?-Chapter 463

Night itself ceased to be as she told the beginning of her hazards. Not missing details nor names... Everything, that night was confessed to the Duke of Sylfinnier, whose arms would wrap around Marianne’s trembling shoulders as she expressed the end Elizabeth and herself met before the daughter’s eyes opened tonight.

"She...! Eli has sacrificed her existence, Father...! For myself... every day... this voice I have... the movement of my limbs and the fact I was able to learn what Paul had misled me with was false... the fact I was able to come closer to you...! Elizabeth... my dearest friend... She allowed all of it!"

"... Shush... It is alright... It is alright sweetie..."

"no... Father...!"

"It is alright... truly, my dear... Yet do breathe in... your cries harm your spirit further..."

"... D-dad... she-... she liked and cared for you so much..." — Recalling the warmth of her friend, she also told what the foreign thought Marianne did not know. Doing as his gentleness tried to comfort her even if troubled himself. — "She feared such care... having a father like you... Elizabeth feared it..... for a father, she did not have... and feared to lose once gained..... Elizabeth probably knew... that maybe this day would come..."

"....."

"And yet... she still found refuge in you, dad... like I do... Eli used to say that it’s best that you learned of everything from myself..."

Marianne was able to feel the tremble from her father’s embrace... yet could not see the tears it brought down his weary face, for he acknowledged the truth... For in his child... he could feel how now truly her self was incomplete.

"... Elizabeth..." — Orland said, thinking of the many changes he now learned were a source of someone else in his child... not wanting his reason to cloud what could be unbelievable for within the man... the actions he never thought of her daughter came to mind. — "You say... that she’s no longer here?"

A sad shake of her head, weak and helpless, was given while shrinking in her father’s embrace... and he held her stronger, infected by the sadness.

"I see..... T-then..... I... I did lose a child, huh..."

"!... dad...!!"

"You say she was within you... that makes her my daughter too..." — Meeting the eye of a surprised Marianne, Orland smiled pained to know he never knew of Elizabeth’s presence while before her, stroking the cheeks of the daughter... downcast as he felt unfair towards a selfless girl, that now was gone and he was able to miss. — "Is there nothing we can do...? Can Izeneya... be this cruel towards Elizabeth, sweetie? I... I refuse to believe it..."

"Dad... about this... I believe that Izeneya will bring her back." — Marianne then said. — "As to how, I am ignorant... yet such was my agreement..."

"... what agreement?"

"... That if I told everything I had been keeping, they would return her to live within myself." — With a hopeful gaze, the child said coming to look at the tear decorating her hand. — "You are who I deem as proper to tell it. I trust you and you are who deserved to learn this the most."

"..."

"I am no longer myself without her... Eli... she is too important to my soul, father... That is the reason I refused to let her existence fade and made this agreement with the divine..."

"I am convinced such is the case... and given what you conveyed, she also had an agreement with Izeneya unaware of yours. Elizabeth’s has been granted as you have woken up... this healthy as well... I am certain even if not immediate your petition will also be granted, my loved child."

"I pray for it to be true..." — Calmer as her soul had expressed many truths, Marianne, leaned in the cuddle her father gave, smiling to it... glad that he did not go against her agreement with the gods and now there was no secret being hidden from the parent. Nonetheless, severe she became once again, for well aware Marianne was that there were matters she needed to learn. — "Dad... now that this has reached your ears... Do tell me... what will happen with Paul and Theressa after this?"

"..."

"I well know... that you avoided any intrusion in my story because of the scene in which you found us..." — Holding the grieved hands of the father, Marianne purely inquired, concerned for nothing had she learned of what happened after being rescued.

Silence was held by Orland, sitting next to her as tiredness came over while thinking of it... and he sighed, frowning at the matters he was not to keep from the daughter who talked with honesty.

"... Paul has been imprisoned in the jail known as the traitor’s, no eye will leave him until a sentence is given, this is more than certain so do rest assured... And as to Theressa... I also requested for her to be imprisoned. She did not fight or say anything on her behalf just as Paul... although I was told by her guards that she cries day and night..."

"... Even though I experienced their evil doings... I cannot understand what it was that turned both into this, Father..."

"..."

"Father and Mother... even if Mother was bitter to myself, I recall your raise was not one without care even if busy... Paul and Theressa... I wonder when did their hearts suffer this change..."

"... Marianne."

"When Theressa came to me that night... because of rage I did not want to listen to her excuses for I recalled how she would continuously try to make myself think death was the path I needed... Nonetheless..."

"Marianne."

"?"

"Do not try to find excuses that do not exist, dear." — Sorry to say it as he once also wished to do so, Orland caressed the hand of the daughter. — "The past has happened and cannot be changed... Your Mother and I... we did not accomplish our children’s safety even though we love you... even if Paul or Theressa regret and are apologetic... their actions cannot be dismissed. Much less Paul’s."