Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Bella / If one is forced to do something...

The beautiful moonlight also shines on Mellenvik.

The wedding at the Duke's Mansion does not allow the two protagonists to be lazy.

Heinrich was called to talk by the Queen, and Lady Violet accompanied him.

So the new Duchess of Spencer, Isabelle, had to put on a social mask and stay in the banquet hall to greet guest after guest.

After seeing off Mrs. Cynthia who came to congratulate him, he looked up and saw Louisa standing in front of him.

Isabel raised her eyebrows slightly and handed her a glass of port wine. "If you're here to wish me a happy wedding, I'd be most welcome."

Louisa turned pale and hesitated for a moment before taking the port and drinking it all in one gulp. "I wish you all the best, and may you finally achieve your dream of becoming the mistress of Charvez."

Isabel looked at her calmly, knowing that she hadn't finished speaking yet.

From the time Edmund was arrested until the wedding day, Louisa had not been seen.

She probably wanted to ask the Howard Marquisate if they could help her husband with the situation, but the result is predictable.

From the moment Violet gave up interceding for her grandson, Louisa knew that there was no turning back.

Not to mention that she is now on hostile terms with her sister-in-law, Mrs. Howard, even if she is still the Marquis, she is helpless in the face of the conclusive evidence of murder.

These days, Louisa has been running around, even going to her parents' home to ask her sister-in-law for help, but was turned away.

She finally recognized her current situation and showed up at the wedding banquet.

"I..." Louisa paused and took a deep breath. "I know you won't let Edmund go, but I want to ask you to give him a chance to live. He can spend his whole life in prison and repent for the bad things he has done, but... can you please spare his life? I can't live without him..."

Isabel played with the wine glass for a long time, then smiled and looked up: "Louisa, I thought you were a smart person, but it seems I was wrong."

"Love can really make people lose their minds. Have you ever thought..." She said in a flat tone, "Edmund's life is life, but the lives of the other four young ladies who died in vain are not life? If I hadn't discovered it in time, I'm afraid today would not be my wedding, but my funeral. So what qualifications do you have to plead for him? Does he deserve it?"

Louisa: "But...but you are obviously fine now..."

"Yes, I'm fine, but that doesn't mean Edmund's crime can be forgiven."

Isabel took a step closer, looked at Louisa with a smile, and said word by word, "Now, at this point, do you still want to help him?"

Louisa's face lost all color, and she covered her face with her hands and trembled all over.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, Miss Norman, I said the wrong thing... I know I shouldn't speak for him, but..."

She tried her best to restrain herself, but tears flowed from between her fingers.

"I can't help it..." Louisa shook her head and spoke incoherently, "I'm married to him, I love him... He really wasn't like this before... He was a good man..."

"My dear, don't try to tell me that the executioner once had humanity." Isabel chuckled and swirled the liquid in her glass. "I have no sympathy."

"Or did my previous kindness towards you make you misunderstand how kind I am?" She looked at Louisa with a calm gaze. "I let you go because I thought you could still be saved. Now, I still want to tell you that you still have a chance to turn back."

Louisa's body stiffened, and she smiled sadly: "Turn back? How? If he dies, my life is over."

Isabel stared at her calmly. "I once told you that the interests of a couple are not always aligned. You can get off his boat."

Louisa shook her head blankly and smiled bitterly: "Come down? Where can I go down? Audrey, you think things are too simple. You just got married and don't understand the meaning of marriage to a woman..."

She chuckled bitterly and wiped the tears from her face. "The day I eloped with him, I completely disgraced the Howard family. My father gave me a large dowry, but I knew that meant he had bought out our father-daughter relationship. From now on, I have nothing to do with them anymore."

"Do you think I'm still the daughter of a marquis?" Louisa choked up, covering her face and trying hard to suppress her tears. "No, not anymore... Without my family, I can only rely on my husband. Without my husband, I'm just a widow... I tried to persuade him, but it was no use. He's lost control..."

Nowadays, divorced women, like widows, are regarded as useless by aristocratic social circles.

Isabel looked at her quietly, without any condescending or derogatory care, but rather listened to her story from the perspective of an outsider.

"I know it's wrong... I know..." Louisa murmured, tears falling like beads from a broken string, "But a woman is always just a man's assistant. I can't control his direction. I can only hope he wins. I can only tell myself to believe in him and love him..."

"I can't help but love him! I have to rely on the memory of loving him every day to get by!" She closed her eyes and sneered, "If I don't love him, I will only be more miserable. I can't convince myself to become like this... From the daughter of a marquis to what I am now, and even have to be a widow stained with a stigma!"

"For him, I gave up my family, my reputation, and what should have been a bright future! Apart from that little bit of love, I have nothing!" She could no longer contain herself, covering her face and crying bitterly: "How did I end up like this! Why did I end up like this... I can't turn back! My life is over!"

Isabel lowered her eyes.

Suddenly I remembered the first time I advised Louisa, and the look on her face was reflected in the mirror.

She understands everything.

Of course she knew she was on a sinking ship, but this realization only made her more miserable.

A woman's glory before marriage is given by her father, and her dignity after marriage is given by her husband. She married for love regardless of everything, and she has to swallow the bitter fruit afterwards.

Do you regret it? Of course.

But the most painful emotion in the world is regret. Losing everything you should have because of a wrong choice is more deadly than having nothing in the first place.

So she had to hypnotize herself and still have love.

Maybe she loved Edmund at first, but the passion generated by the secretion of dopamine had long been consumed by the conflicts day after day.

If there is no love left, then she must admit that she is in a vortex of complete failure.

Isabel saw through everything and handed the glass to her: "Are you done crying?"

Louisa stopped sobbing, as if she didn't expect that the other party could be so calm while watching someone else's miserable situation.

"Drink this glass of wine after you're done crying, then stand up and walk away." Isabel said calmly, "You still say you think tears can change everything? Then the criminal only needs to go before the judge and cry his heart out."

Louisa choked, "I didn't think so..."

"I know you didn't. It was just a routine reminder," Isabel interrupted, calmly saying, "In fact, I'm very happy that after my conversation with you that day, you didn't help Edmund anymore and even reminded me."

Louisa hurriedly said: “I don’t know what method he is going to use to harm you, otherwise I would have reminded him in more detail!”

"I know." Isabel raised her eyes calmly, "So the reward I pay you is to spare your life."

Louisa was stunned.

"Just like venture capital, what I give you depends on how much you put in," Isabel said calmly. "You saved your life, so you should be grateful. So, don't ask me to let Edmund go. He's not the interest you should be demanding."

Louisa was silent for a long time, her voice dry: "I understand, thank you."

Isabel drank the wine in her goblet in one gulp: "You're welcome."

Louisa watched her walk away without further ado.

She understood that apart from her life, she could not take anything else with her, and she could not stay in Chalves.

The new hostess will not leave hidden dangers around her, especially those who have harmed her in the past.

It was extremely merciful to spare her life.

Louisa took a deep breath and fought back her tears.

She has to walk the road ahead on her own.

But what else could she do? She was just a woman, her husband was a death row inmate, her parents wouldn't take her in, and she had nothing...

"Louisa." Isabel suddenly turned around.

Louisa, in despair, looked back in shock, a tiny fire burning in her eyes.

Has she changed her mind? Has she softened? Will she take me in?

As if seeing through the hope in her eyes, Isabel's words brought her back to reality. "Tomorrow I'll have Emily pack your things and give you a check for the full amount, enough for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life. I hope you're ready to leave before I return."

Louisa's face darkened: "..."

"And." Her ice-blue eyes looked at Louisa. She paused, as if sighing, "I must correct you. A woman shouldn't worry about a man's direction, let alone be like a dodder and cling to him. Be your own helmsman. Even if it's just a leaky wreck, it's better than drowning with others. Isn't it?"

After saying that, Isabel walked away holding her skirt.

Louisa stayed where she was, stunned.

She thought of something, suddenly raised her eyes and chased after him.

"Wait!" Louisa pulled Isabel back, took a deep breath, and spoke after a long pause, "I have something important to tell you."

Isabel frowned.

Louisa stared into her eyes, lowered her voice, and said solemnly, "Be careful of Sophia! This incident was most likely planned by her and Edmund."

She thought back to the woman with whom Edmund had made the deal.

The fleeting hem of a skirt, the crescent-shaped birthmark on her arm...

She had tentatively asked Edmund about it, and he acquiesced. Louisa then guessed it was Sophia.

Isabel thought for a moment and nodded quickly.

"Thanks."

She thanked him lightly and walked away again.

Louisa heard the last words.

"Go ahead and try it, Louisa. Go out and see. There's always a way to go."

Louisa realized it later and grinned silently.

Yes, as long as you're still alive, what else matters? Even a leaky ship can still be repaired. But if the ship sinks, everything is gone.

Why would she have to die with her husband in a half-sunken luxury cruise ship for something that didn't exist, just because of her ridiculous self-esteem?

Taking a deep breath, Louisa wiped away her tears and prepared to leave.

Just as she walked out of the banquet hall, someone called her in the darkness ahead.

"aunt."

Louisa took two steps forward and took a closer look. "Lilith? What are you doing..."

The second half of the sentence got stuck in my throat.

Next to Lilith was Mrs. Howard, who had a sour face at the moment and turned her head away when she saw her sister-in-law.

What stunned Louisa were the three people behind her sister-in-law - the gray-haired old Marquis Howard and the Marchioness, and her brother who was supporting the two elders.

This was the first time Louisa had seen them since her break with her family.

They stared at each other for a long time, and the Marquise's eyes were red as she waved at her: "Louisa, go home."

Louisa's tears instantly fell.

-

In the banquet hall, Isabel had no time to care about the warm scene in Howard's house, or what kind of struggle her sister-in-law would have with her sister-in-law when she returned home.

Of course, she would not tell Louisa that it was she who informed Marquis Howard about Louisa in advance through Lilith.

She didn't want to leave a kind impression on the other person.

After all, according to the plot of the original book, if Isabel had not appeared, then Louisa, as a vested interest in Edmund's camp, might have enjoyed the benefits naturally without truly repenting.

All regrets are based on failure, and Isabel understands this better than anyone else.

But, as she just said to Louisa.

If a woman who is forced to do something can turn back, she will not hesitate to extend a hand to help the other person.

Whether she can stand up depends entirely on Louisa herself.

As long as people want to live, they can survive no matter what.

Now, she had no time to care about anything else, but to think about the information revealed by Louisa.

Is Sophia the one behind Edmund?

Isabel slowly raised the corners of her lips. That was very interesting.

She raised her eyes and saw the lady she was thinking of appeared in front of her.

"Audrey, happy wedding."

The beautiful Lady Sophia Spencer gently waved her feather fan and approached gracefully. "The protagonist of this evening is busy with social engagements, so I finally have time to let my aunt give her blessings."

Isabel smiled and nodded, "Aunt is looking for me? That's great. I'm looking for you too."

Ice-blue eyes flashed with deep meaning.

Sophia's smile froze, but she quickly covered it up and said in her usual friendly tone, "My pleasure."