The Reason Why She Can’t Get Married - Chapter 79

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Chapter 79

“…Sob.”

Isabella finally burst into tears, covering her face with her hands. The three of them decided to go inside and talk. Selena quickly surveyed the room as she led Isabella to a chair, wondering if creditors had come by and caused a scene as they had before. But the house was perfectly fine. Nothing was broken or damaged; in fact, it was neatly organized.

Lucy went to the kitchen, rummaged through the cupboards, and brought out some warm tea. Selena watched Isabella slowly calm down as she sipped her tea, then asked with a sigh, “So, what happened?”

“….”

“How did you know why we came, and why did you refuse to see us while crying?”

“….”

“Come on, Isabella.”

Fresh tears welled up in Isabella’s eyes, just as the previous ones had begun to dry. Fidgeting with her cup, she slowly began, “It’s just that…”

An unexpected visitor had come to Isabella that morning. She was preparing breakfast as usual when she heard a knock at the door, tilting her head in confusion. No one usually visited at this hour. Creditors never knocked politely; they always banged on the door.

“Who is it?”

“….”

She opened the door, bewildered, to find the tall man she had seen recently, the one cloaked in a robe who had visited her with Selena. His vivid red eyes peered out from beneath the robe, unsettling Isabella despite the lack of any overt threat. She timidly asked, “What is it…?”

“I have something to say.”

Maximilian strode into the house without waiting for permission. Intimidated by his imposing presence, Isabella nervously guided him to the dining table.

“Would you like something to drink…?”

“Let’s get straight to the point.” Maximilian said, standing stiffly instead of sitting at the table Isabella had offered.

“The boy, Jacob, you met ten years ago is the crown prince of the Tifae Kingdom, Rio.”

“….”

Isabella’s shoulders trembled at his sudden words. She froze, speechless. Maximilian watched her, a sardonic twist to his lips. “I see you already knew.”

“Well… yes, I saw him in the newspaper once…”

“Then there’s no need for a long explanation. Understand your place.” Maximilian’s cold voice lashed at Isabella, making her shrink.

“The crown prince is not someone you can aspire to. If you don’t want trouble, be aware of your position.” The color drained from Isabella’s face. Even as she paled before his eyes, Maximilian continued relentlessly, “Even if the crown prince wants to meet you through Serenade, you should know better than to accept. He already has a marriage arranged with a woman from a far more prestigious family.”

“….”

“I suppose you might be greedy enough to become his mistress, hoping to improve your life. But even if you did, your life wouldn’t change all that much.”

“….”

“And the crown prince, once he learns that the girl he met years ago is nothing but a gambler’s daughter, will be disappointed.”

More than anything else, Maximilian’s last words tore at Isabella’s heart. She had endured worse insults because of her father’s gambling debts, but none had hurt so deeply. Her vision blurred as tears welled up and began to fall. Maximilian watched her cry, his expression impassive, before delivering his final blow.

“Remember, greed without merit only makes you look pathetic.”

With that, Maximilian left, and Isabella, unable to eat, cried until Selena arrived, at which point she refused to see her.

That b*stard.

That was Selena’s first thought after hearing Isabella’s story. Although Isabella didn’t seem to realize the man was Maximilian, Selena understood immediately. After all, Maximilian was the only one who had followed her that day!

Seething with anger, Selena trembled. Lucy, seeing Selena on the verge of exploding with curses directed at the crown prince, placed a restraining hand on her shoulder.

“Sniffle, anyway, I don’t want to see him. I really don’t want to be a mistress, and I know my place…” Isabella said with a sad smile. Seeing her swollen, tear-filled eyes attempting a smile made Selena’s heart ache even more. Selena knew reality wasn’t a fairytale. She hadn’t expected Isabella and Rio to have a happy ending.