Chapter 463
Night itself ceased to be as she told the beginning of her hazards. Not missing details nor names... Everything, that night was confessed to the Duke of Sylfinnier, whose arms would wrap around Marianne’s trembling shoulders as she expressed the end Elizabeth and herself met before the daughter’s eyes opened tonight.
"She...! Eli has sacrificed her existence, Father...! For myself... every day... this voice I have... the movement of my limbs and the fact I was able to learn what Paul had misled me with was false... the fact I was able to come closer to you...! Elizabeth... my dearest friend... She allowed all of it!"
"... Shush... It is alright... It is alright sweetie..."
"no... Father...!"
"It is alright... truly, my dear... Yet do breathe in... your cries harm your spirit further..."
"... D-dad... she-... she liked and cared for you so much..." — Recalling the warmth of her friend, she also told what the foreign thought Marianne did not know. Doing as his gentleness tried to comfort her even if troubled himself. — "She feared such care... having a father like you... Elizabeth feared it..... for a father, she did not have... and feared to lose once gained..... Elizabeth probably knew... that maybe this day would come..."
"....."
"And yet... she still found refuge in you, dad... like I do... Eli used to say that it’s best that you learned of everything from myself..."
Marianne was able to feel the tremble from her father’s embrace... yet could not see the tears it brought down his weary face, for he acknowledged the truth... For in his child... he could feel how now truly her self was incomplete.
"... Elizabeth..." — Orland said, thinking of the many changes he now learned were a source of someone else in his child... not wanting his reason to cloud what could be unbelievable for within the man... the actions he never thought of her daughter came to mind. — "You say... that she’s no longer here?"