Episode 58

After a bloody struggle, Logan finally managed to lower Marcus to the ground—and Juliet, too. Technically, while Logan was occupied with Marcus, Juliet came down on her own.

Juliet wouldn't stop crying. She wailed like a baby, her face scrunched up with tears. But when she saw Logan tussling with Marcus to get him down, she sniffled… and started to laugh. And when Logan reached his arms out to catch her, rather than accepting his gesture, she swiftly turned away and scrambled down the stone wall herself. She moved so nimbly, like a squirrel gliding about its territory. It became a little more obvious how she'd climbed the wall in the first place.

“Marcus Hanger!”

The moment she landed, Juliet spun around and ran toward Marcus, shouting his name.

Marcus flinched.

The small child who had once barely reached his solar plexus now stood tall—her head nearly level with his shoulder.

“Uh…”

Marcus was, in short, utterly thrown.

What stood before him wasn’t the tiny girl with shy hands and feet who used to shrink away when he looked at her—it was a grown seventeen-year-old young lady. Suddenly, the three years he’d let slip by without much thought slammed into him all at once, leaving him dizzy.

What had he even been doing all this time?

His eyes stung again. Marcus stood there, stunned, jaw tight as he looked at the young woman before him. He had to clench his teeth—not to cry again.

Juliet tilted her head.

“Marcus Hanger?”

“Yes. Marcus Hanger, miss.”

It was Logan who answered Juliet, grumbling under his breath.

He stepped closer to Marcus, ready to scold him, then paused. It was obvious that Marcus was trying not to cry.

He had always been silly and full of laughter—but not someone who cried easily. Logan gave up on the lecture and took off his jacket, wrapping it around Juliet. Marcus was still frozen. Juliet glanced up at Logan and parted her lips.

“Loooh…”

“It’s Logan. Logan.”

Logan felt troubled. Juliet had come down the wall barefoot.

In an attempt to solve the issue at hand, he looked up at Marcus—but Marcus’s face had darkened even more. Logan sighed and snapped at him.

“Sir. Sir!”

“Huh? Oh…”

“What’s got you so lost in thought?”

“It’s nothing. Nothing…”

Finally, Marcus gave a quick swipe under his nose and pulled himself together. Logan clicked his tongue.

“Get a grip. Now’s not the time to be leaking tears.”

“Ah, yeah. That’s right. Jul—Juliet. Your mother?”

Marcus, stumbling over his words, finally came to and asked Juliet.

“Where’s your mother? Your mother, hmm?”

“Mother… she's up there.”

Juliet blinked, then raised her hand and pointed upward. To the sky. Logan, realizing what she meant, went pale, but Marcus smiled faintly as if pulling himself together.

“Right. Your mother is up there. In heaven. Not the one who gave birth to you—your, yes. Your aunt.”

“…Aunt…”

“Elouise. I mean Elouise.”

Only then did Logan remember Juliet was actually Elouise’s niece.

Her birth mother had passed long ago.

As Marcus spoke Elouise’s name, he seemed almost breathless. Clutching the girl’s hands, he was frantic, desperate as he asked about Elouise’s whereabouts.

“Your aunt, your aunt-mother. Elouise, Juliet's aunt. Right?”

“Yes. Aunt Elouise.”

“You know where she is, don’t you? Why on earth are you at the Duchess of Bellona’s estate, Juliet? Is Elouise with you? Is she well? Did you eat? She must be healthy, right? You’ve grown this much, so she must have aged too, but… Juliet, is she—”

“Stop.”

Marcus’s rapid-fire questions made Juliet blink repeatedly. Sensing her confusion, Logan waved his hand in front of Marcus’s face. Marcus shook his head. Logan sighed.

“Sir, calm down.”

“How am I supposed to calm—”

“You’re scaring Miss Juliet.”

Only then did Marcus look down and see Juliet, standing still, lips parted, blinking up at him. Logan scowled.

“Let’s move first.”

“Move? Ah.”

Logan gestured behind him.

Though this was a quieter part of the capital, it was still a townhouse district. A few passersby had started to glance their way, and a carriage in the distance had slowed. One had even stopped. Its curtain was drawn back—someone inside clearly watching them with curiosity. Nobles in the capital loved gossip. No doubt they’d recognized the Hanger family crest on the carriage parked nearby.

A half-dressed blonde woman surrounded by two men, barefoot and standing in the street—there was no doubt people were already making their own assumptions.

Marcus was just glad he hadn’t broken down crying here. He nodded at Logan. Logan, about to guide Juliet to the carriage, let out a breath through his nose as he noticed her bare feet.

“Shall I carry her, or will you?”

“I’ll—”

“No. Just don’t. That’ll only stir the pot further.”

Some people had already identified the Hanger carriage.

If Marcus carried a young girl in public now, that would only fan the flames of gossip.

Logan turned his back to Juliet, crouching slightly so she could climb on. But Juliet surprised them both. She blinked, then grabbed Marcus’s arm.

“Marcus Hanger.”

The meaning behind her words was clear. She wanted to go with Marcus.

He almost teared up again, but smiled broadly and gladly scooped her into his arms.

Sliding an arm beneath her knees and the other under her back, he lifted her. Juliet giggled.

“Whee!”

Logan pinched the bridge of his nose. The curtain in that watching carriage had opened even wider.

Now the goal was to reach their carriage as fast as possible. While Logan was busy clutching his head in distress, Marcus smiled brightly at Juliet and tossed her lightly in the air before catching her again.

Juliet burst out laughing.

And Logan just wanted to cry.

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