How to Run Away from Obsessed Men

Episode 63

Silence filled the dining hall after Heis spoke. Kalia swallowed nervously.

The results of the paternity test had already come in. She just hadn’t had the courage to look at them yet.

Kalia glanced at Lindsey.

She sat there calmly, cutting her steak, her expression unreadable.

There was no point in delaying any further.

“Bring them to me,” Kalia ordered.

Immediately, the butler entered with the letter from the temple, his face tense.

He had served as the butler for over thirty years in the Riken Duchy and knew how much Kalia had suffered after losing her daughter.

‘She’s been so happy these last few days.’

The butler had never seen Kalia this lively before. She had been shopping for Lindsey, buying her everything she thought her daughter might need, her face glowing with joy.

But if Lindsey wasn’t truly her daughter, the butler couldn’t imagine how devastated Kalia would be.

Kalia had likely delayed opening the letter to brace herself for the worst possible outcome.

Seeing the butler hesitate, Heis snatched the letter from his hands.

“I’ll tell you this now, Cleric Roana, I’m not someone who easily trusts others. Too much has happened for me to be that naive.”

“I see.”

Lindsey’s response was calm.

Even that made Heis suspicious. If someone had found their long-lost family, shouldn’t they be more emotional?

But Lindsey remained cold, her eyes only occasionally showing a flicker of something. She seemed distant, detached.

Her behavior was strange for someone who had supposedly found her family.

‘Mother’s the complete opposite.’

Normally composed, Kalia had lost all her calm since Lindsey appeared.

She was constantly on edge, watching Lindsey closely, ready to grant any wish Lindsey might have.

‘It’s not like we haven’t seen scammers before.’

Over the years, many had claimed to be Kalia’s lost daughter, hoping to use the Riken family’s wealth and power.

Some had even come from faraway empires, only to be proven impostors.

Each time, Kalia had been hurt deeply.

‘It was supposed to stop affecting her.’

Heis couldn’t trust the cleric sitting before them. Yet, Lindsey’s confidence made him pause.

Most frauds were caught by the paternity test.

However, Crain had occasionally sent impostors who had managed to pass the test by switching the blood samples with those of the real daughter.

But after several attempts, they had closed that loophole.

Lindsey’s blood had been drawn in front of them all and sent directly to the temple by Heis himself.

Without hesitation, Heis opened the letter.

His eyes scanned the results, and his expression grew conflicted as he looked at Lindsey.

“Well?” Lindsey asked calmly, meeting his gaze.

Heis raised the letter without saying a word. The result was clear—Lindsey was indeed Kalia’s daughter.

Kalia’s face lit up with joy.

She quickly grabbed a handkerchief and wiped away the tears streaming down her cheeks.

Gerard, too, looked overwhelmed, holding himself back from rushing to Lindsey.

His sister, who had been presumed dead, had returned.

Heis, however, stared at Lindsey with an unreadable expression.

But before anyone could react further, Lindsey spoke, freezing everyone in place.

“I understand if you were skeptical. I couldn’t believe it myself at first. I never imagined my family was still alive.”

“…”

“My father, Crain Kesion, told me—”

“Lindsey, oh, Lindsey…” Kalia cried, unable to hold back any longer, pulling Lindsey into a tight embrace.

⋆★⋆

Kenyan watched from a distance as the Riken household gathered. With his heightened senses as a transcendent, he could see the warm, affectionate scene unfolding.

Kalia was crying, though Kenyan didn’t know why.

Then, he saw Gerard rush toward the woman who looked so much like Lindsey.

He pulled her into a tight embrace.

Watching the scene, Kenyan felt a surge of intense discomfort.

Just seeing someone else embrace the woman who resembled Lindsey filled him with a deep sense of unease.

‘How pathetic.’

Jealous of someone who looked like family? And the woman wasn’t even Lindsey.

But.

‘She looks so much like her.’

The woman who smiled so brightly was an uncanny replica of Lindsey. The warmth, the familial scene—it was all so familiar to him that Kenyan couldn’t take his eyes off them.

“This doesn’t make sense…”

How could someone look this identical to another person? Ever since he had seen her, he hadn’t been able to think straight.

Every time he closed his eyes, Lindsey’s face appeared.

Logically, it made no sense. Lindsey, a noblewoman living in the Riken Duchy? There was no connection between her and the duchy.

So, this woman couldn’t be Lindsey. That was the rational conclusion.

“No… No, it can’t be.”

Kenyan’s head felt like it was going to explode. His mind told him this wasn’t Lindsey, but his heart screamed otherwise.

The brief scent she had left behind.

The eyes that had looked at him.

They were just like Lindsey’s.

Especially her hands… rough, not the hands of a typical noblewoman.

‘I need to confirm this.’

Kenyan had never once forgotten Lindsey’s face. There was no way he could be mistaken.

With determined steps, he began walking.

The mission assigned to him by the imperial palace was simple: observe the Riken Duchy for any suspicious movements.

‘I’ll ask her directly.’

It was reckless to infiltrate the Riken estate without solid proof. If it were before Lindsey’s death, he would never have made such a foolish choice.

But even though he knew it was foolish, Kenyan couldn’t stop his steps toward the Riken estate.

⋆★⋆

Raysis stood before Crain, observing the complicated expression on his face.

“It’s strange,” Crain muttered, his eyes fixed on the paper in his hands.

“Mikhail has been unusually quiet.”

“Perhaps it’s because of Rosalyn. Could it be that their compatibility is better than we expected?”

Crain clicked his tongue, disdain creeping into his expression.

“Pathetic. If *that* hadn’t died, things wouldn’t have turned out like this…”

Raysis’s eyes flashed sharply at those words, his body suddenly burning with rage.

For a brief moment, his mind went blank, and the blood rushed to his head.

But.

“Yes, it’s truly unfortunate,” Raysis responded with a smile, hiding his true emotions.

Crain had no idea what Raysis was planning.

Raysis suppressed his anger.

The time wasn’t right yet.

He still needed to appear useful to Crain.

He had to play the role of the obedient son who followed his father’s commands without question.

With a smile still on his face, Raysis addressed Crain.

“Father, I believe we should reduce Rosalyn’s allowance for maintaining her status.”

“I’ve already cut it down quite a bit.”

Rosalyn’s allowance had been significantly reduced compared to the past. Every time she caused trouble, Raysis had managed to get her expenses cut, knowing it would be the most effective punishment for someone who loved luxury like Rosalyn.

“These days, it might be necessary for her to show a more modest image at the palace.”

Crain looked curious but didn’t object. He never paid much attention to his children in the first place.

Raysis added, “I’ll take my leave now. I have several tasks to attend to.”

He turned away, still wearing his picturesque smile, but as he left, his expression hardened.

‘It’s a valid question.’

Crain’s suspicion about Mikhail’s unusual calmness resonated with Raysis as well. He knew that Rosalyn’s divine power wasn’t strong enough to fully heal Mikhail.

Every time Mikhail received healing from Rosalyn, he suffered.

No matter how resilient Mikhail was, it would have made sense for him to lose control already. Raysis had expected him to go berserk within weeks.

But Mikhail seemed unaffected. In fact, when Raysis last saw him, he appeared more stable than before.

Only Raysis, Mikhail, and Rosalyn knew the truth—that Rosalyn couldn’t properly heal him.

No one else questioned Mikhail’s condition.

Raysis covered his mouth with his hand, deep in thought. He recalled the special connection between Mikhail and Lindsey.

Of all the family members, Mikhail was the only one Lindsey had opened her heart to.

‘What if… just what if…’

What if Lindsey was still alive?

And if Mikhail knew, had found her, and had been receiving her healing—could that explain why he hadn’t lost control?