Isabel did not respond. She placed down the basket she had been carrying, put her hood back on, and left the hut.
"Chase her!" Liv ordered Tony. Without hesitation, Tony sprinted forward. Liv followed from behind with light but purposeful steps, keeping a careful distance while staying ready to react at any moment.
Slowly, they reached a wide garden. The trees provided shade, and tall grass swayed beneath their feet. Tony managed to grab Isabel, holding her firmly, and glared at her.
"What are you doing to me?!" Isabel shouted, her voice trembling from a mix of fear and anger.
"I actually wanted to ignore it," Liv said calmly, her tone cold yet strangely soft, "but luck seems to be on my side today."
"You're accusing me of spreading those rumors?!" Isabel screamed, thrashing in Tony's grip.
Tony held her down firmly, his hand heavy on her shoulder.
Liv tilted her head slightly, eyes glinting. "You're either too honest," she said, voice smooth as glass, "or far too foolish."
"I can report you!" Isabel shouted again, panic and pride clashing in her trembling voice.
Liv crouched down slowly until her eyes were level with Isabel's. Her words came out low, deliberate—each one a quiet strike. "Then tell me," she whispered, "do you want to report me... or work with me?"
For a moment, Isabel froze. Her lips quivered, and tears began to gather in her eyes. She looked away, biting her trembling lip before finally breaking down.
Liv sighed softly and straightened, motioning with her hand. Tony released his hold, stepping back. Isabel fell to the ground, knees hitting the dirt as she covered her face and cried—first in silence, then in sharp, broken sobs.
Minutes passed. The sound of the wind filled the empty garden until finally, Isabel's voice broke through it.
"I didn't want any of this," she whispered, shaking her head. "At first… I thought I could keep quiet. Pretend it didn't happen. But he—he wouldn't let me."
Liv didn't move. She stood still, listening.
Isabel took a shaky breath. "Andrey… he promised me everything. He said he'd take care of me, that I was special. I believed him—like a fool. Then, when I told him I was pregnant, his mother found out. She called me filth. She said I'd shamed their family." Her shoulders trembled violently. "They locked me inside a small room. I wasn't allowed to see anyone for weeks. They beat me when I tried to leave. They said the baby wasn't fit to live under their name."
Annie's hand tightened on the fabric of her skirt. Even she couldn't hide the shock in her eyes.
Isabel wiped her tears with the back of her hand, breath catching with every word. "Then one night, the Count came. He said there was a way for me to live—if I obeyed. I was to spread the rumor, make people talk about you, Lady Liv. Make you seem unworthy, so the Duke's family would turn their backs on you. They said if I didn't, I'd lose everything. My child, my home… my life."
She let out a bitter laugh that dissolved into another sob. "I told myself I'd only do it once. That maybe they'd leave me alone afterward. But then they sent me to that old woman—to take orders, to keep my mouth shut. Every step I took, they were watching. Every word, a threat."
Liv's eyes remained unreadable, but her silence carried weight.
When Isabel finally dared to look up, she found no pity—only the quiet, sharp steadiness in Liv's gaze.
"So," Liv said softly, "you were both victim and weapon."
Isabel nodded weakly. "I didn't want to be either," she whispered.
Liv took a slow breath, then turned to Tony. "Go to the Duke's castle," she ordered, her voice regaining its authority. "Tell him I wish to see him."
Tony bowed his head and left at once.
Liv then turned back to Isabel. "Get up."
With Annie's help, Isabel climbed into the carriage, her body still shaking. Liv followed, settling gracefully beside her. The car door closed with a quiet click, and the carriage began to move.
Annie glanced at her mistress, uncertain, her hands twisting nervously in her lap. Liv didn't speak a word. She simply looked out the window, her reflection calm and composed—though her eyes burned with the glint of something far colder than anger.
The carriage stopped by a quiet lake near the Duke's castle in the capital.The water was still, mirroring the fading light of the evening sky.
Liv stood beneath an old oak, her back resting against the trunk.Behind the tree, Isabel lowered her head, trembling, while Annie stood beside her. Annie didn't like any of this, but Liv's orders were not something she could disobey.
Time passed before the sound of footsteps approached—slow, heavy, and deliberate.
The Duke had arrived.
Annie and Isabel immediately bowed low, heads nearly touching the ground. Neither dared to lift their gaze as the tall figure stopped a few steps before Liv, who remained calmly leaning against the tree.
"We're not supposed to meet before the wedding," Jay said, his deep voice cutting through the cool air.
"I never said where we would meet," Liv replied softly.
Jay's eyes flicked to the ring on her finger. "As long as you wear that ring," he murmured, stepping closer, "I'll always know where you are."
Liv gave a small nod. She knew that already—but there was no need to say it aloud.
"So," Jay asked, his tone even, "what is it you want from me?"
From behind, Isabel dared to lift her eyes a little, watching the two of them—the future Duchess and her soon-to-be husband—standing face to face. There was tension in the air, something between power and unspoken desire.
"She's the one spreading the rumors," Liv said, glancing toward Isabel. "The Count's family used her."
Jay fell silent. His gaze lingered on Liv's face—the fall of her red hair glowing in the sunset, the sharp, serene poise of her features, and those blue eyes… eyes that seemed to pull him into the depths of an ocean.
"And?" he finally asked.
"There will be a banquet next week," Liv said. "The Crown Prince's birthday celebration. I want you to act then."
Jay's brows arched slightly. "Look at me when you speak," he said in a low voice.
Liv lifted her chin and met his gaze.
"She's pregnant," Liv continued evenly. "The father of the child is the Count's second son."
Jay didn't react for a moment. "You wish to defend her honor?"
"Perhaps," Liv replied, "but that's not the point."