Chapter 54 - The Problem is Edith (8)
Wyatt shouted, furious with Julia for spouting words that were of no help in this situation. He used to think even her foolishness was a cute charm, but now, deprived of sleep, it was just irritating.
At Wyatt’s outburst, Julia looked up, frightened.
"Wyatt..."
"She's my daughter!"
Wyatt yelled loud enough for the servants to hear.
"No matter what, she's my daughter! What nonsense are you talking about right now? If you're going to say things like that, go to your room!"
There wasn't a single person in this estate who didn't know how Wyatt had treated Edith. The nearby servants, and even Julia, stared at Wyatt with expressions that said, 'Has this man lost his mind?', but none dared to voice the thought.
Wyatt knew what they were thinking, but he didn't care. He may have neglected her a little when she was around, but now that Edith was on the brink of life and death, he had to play the part of a deeply worried father.
'She's going to die. Maybe she's already dead.'
Wyatt thought as he climbed into the carriage heading for the ducal estate.
'He's probably hiding the fact because he hates the idea of being called a groom who lost his bride right after the wedding. Yes, Grayson Myers is just the kind of man to do that.'
The moment Edith collapsed after drinking the poison, the moment the maid claimed she did it out of love for him, Grayson must have calculated what Edith's death would do to his reputation. That's why he was hiding her death and buying time. Until he could find a suitable way to handle the situation.
The thought brought him a small measure of comfort.
'There's no way she could survive drinking Plarin.'
The effects were slightly different from what Wyatt had confirmed, but she had still vomited blood. Her internal organs would have completely melted, so there was no way she could be unharmed.
'Yes, there's no way she's alive.'
Wyatt leaned his head against the carriage sofa and closed his eyes.
"Master, we've arrived."
Only upon hearing the coachman's voice did Wyatt realize he had fallen asleep without knowing it. A surge of anger rose against the coachman for interrupting his first sound sleep in a long time, but he suppressed his temper at the sight of the knights of the House of Myers behind him.
He stumbled out of the carriage on purpose. The Myers' knights cast indifferent glances his way.
The coachman approached the knights and spoke.
"Marquis Reynolds wishes to see the Duke."
"The Duke is not present," a knight replied curtly.
When the coachman looked back as if to ask what to do, Wyatt stepped forward himself.
"Then I must see my daughter. The Duke took my daughter, so she must be here."
"The Duke has ordered that no one be allowed inside."
"Am I just anyone? I am the father of Edith, the girl who is now the Duchess! My daughter collapsed at her own wedding, and I don't even know if she's alive or dead. I must see my daughter!"
"The Duke has ordered that no one be allowed inside."
"Open this gate at once! Who on earth turns away a father who has come from so far away! Open the gate now!"
"The Duke has ordered that no one be allowed inside."
Wyatt narrowed his eyes and studied the knight's face. The expressionless knight was so devoid of any agitation, repeating the same words over and over, that Wyatt suspected he might be made of clockwork.
Wyatt accepted that no matter how much of a scene he made, it wouldn't work on the knight.
"Then at least tell me of my daughter's condition. Is my daughter safe?"
"Please ask the Duke about the Duke's personal matters."
"I'm not talking about the Duke right now, I'm talking about my daughter! Does it make sense that I don't even know if my own daughter is dead or alive? You can at least tell me what condition she's in!"
"Please ask the Duke about the Duke's personal matters."
Wyatt ground his teeth and glared at the knight before turning away. Climbing back into the carriage, Wyatt commanded the coachman.
"To the Argo Department Store!"
***
Wyatt was finally able to meet Grayson after visiting the Argo Department Store and several other businesses Grayson owned, one by one, until he arrived at the Luman architectural firm.
Grayson was in the middle of a satisfying tea time after closing a large contract, while Wyatt was a complete wreck from being dragged around in a carriage, exhausted.
"How could you do this to me!"
The moment he entered the office, Wyatt unleashed all his pent-up fury. The sight of Grayson sitting leisurely on the sofa with his legs crossed, looking so impeccably neat and refreshed, made his blood boil even more.
"Duke Myers! How could you do this to me!"
Grayson slowly set down his teacup and gestured for Wyatt to take the sofa opposite him.
"Sit down, Marquis."
He didn't want to sit, as it would feel like obeying Grayson's command, but the accumulated fatigue left Wyatt with no choice but to sink into the opposite sofa. Grayson asked.
"Herb tea? Or coffee?"
"I don't want anything. I need to know if my daughter is alive or dead."
"And once you know?"
"What?"
Grayson leaned back against the sofa, lacing his fingers together over his stomach. A barely perceptible smile touched his lips.
"What will you do once you know of my wife's life or death, Marquis?"
"How can you even say such a thing? Before being your wife, Edith is my daughter."
"And before being your daughter, she was the daughter of Baron Liam Rubinique."
Wyatt's eyes wavered, and Grayson took it in, clear as day.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Edith. But Grayson only truly believed what he saw and confirmed for himself, so he needed certainty that Wyatt had tried to poison her.
That was why he hadn't yet announced Edith's condition to the outside world.
Wyatt was faltering and crumbling even more than Grayson had expected. He looked like he hadn't slept properly, and the insomnia seemed to have robbed him of his reason.
It was exactly what Grayson had wanted.
"Oh, that was a long time ago. She wouldn't even remember her biological father. I was the one who was with her as she grew up, not him, Duke."
"I see. How admirable."
"Let me see my daughter. I need to know if my daughter is dead or alive."
"And what will you do once you know?"
"What do you mean, what will I do? Obviously..."
Wyatt's eyes wavered again. He couldn't very well say, *I'm trying to use it to get a leash around your neck.*
It seemed he hadn't thought about his answer beyond that point.
"Obviously..."
If Wyatt had only gotten a proper night's sleep, he would have been able to come up with a plausible answer. But his prolonged insomnia prevented his brain from functioning as it normally would.
"Obviously, I... I must mourn... I must mourn her. Because she's my daughter."
"I see. So you seem to believe my wife is dead, Marquis."
"Pardon?"
"A long time ago, Marquis, I saw a child get hit by a nobleman's carriage. The crest of the Family of Marquis Reynolds was on that carriage, but well, that's not important."
Wyatt had no idea what Grayson was trying to say.
"The carriage was moving fast, so the child died. His head was crushed. I could tell even from a distance. But do you know what was so tragic?"
"What are you talking about? I'm talking about my daughter. I need to know if my daughter is dead or alive."
"Listen, Marquis. Everyone there knew the child was dead. But only his father didn't seem to know. Or rather, he refused to believe it. Even though his son's head was crushed, the father believed his son would survive. He tried to take him to a hospital."
It seemed Wyatt still didn't understand what Grayson was getting at. So Grayson explained kindly.
"Parents are usually like that. Especially fathers like you, Marquis, who cherish their daughters as if they were their own life. They don't easily accept their child's death. They don't try to believe it, nor do they even want to speak of it. But I wonder why? Why does it seem to my eyes that you believe in and wish for your daughter's death?"
Wyatt stopped breathing. Grayson exhaled. And then he smiled brightly.
"Of course, I'm sure that's not the case with you, Marquis."
The Marquis let out a sharp breath.
"O-of course! Why... why would I ever wish for my own daughter's death?"
"You said you would mourn her, so I just assumed."
"Th-that's... that's not it. It's just... Edith's condition looked so bad then... she was vomiting blood... Edith... My daughter is alive, isn't she? Surely she's not dead?"
Grayson stared into Wyatt's green eyes for a long moment. Only when those eyes wavered, unable to find a focus, did Grayson open his mouth.
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