Chapter 52…………………………….
“Raoulet, why is your expression so stiff?”
“Ah, Duke Betias.”
Raoulet slowly murmured as she overlapped her hands with Duke Betias’s, who was embracing her from behind.
“It seems that Princess Ariana keeps weighing on my mind.”
“If you mean Ariana… you’re talking about the missing daughter of Duke Adrian, who was rescued from the slums—the Berkshire princess, right?”
“Yes.”
Raoulet lightly furrowed her brows.
Duke Betias showed a spark of interest.
“There seem to be countless rumors surrounding Princess Ariana… Opinions are so divided that it’s hard to get a clear sense. I remember only that she is a direct descendant of Berkshire. As her aunt, you’ve watched her closely, haven’t you? What is she really like, that even after seeing me after so long, your thoughts keep returning to her?”
“…Well, I’ve never spoken to her directly.”
“Hasn’t it been quite some time since the princess was rescued?”
“Princess Ariana seems to be very shy. She doesn’t show herself much to the outside world. Other than His Highness the Grand Duke, very few direct relatives have spoken with her… The Grand Ducal Palace is vast, so there’s no particular chance of running into her. But it’s also awkward for me, being her elder by rank, to propose a meeting first…”
Raoulet had an affair with Duke Betias.
Of course, being a Berkshire daughter-in-law, if Grand Duke Schwaben discovered it, she would be immediately expelled from the family.
Despite the risk, Raoulet had maintained this secret, dangerous relationship for several years.
As Raoulet turned, she saw Betias’s appearance, which resembled Duke Adrian.
‘Gray hair instead of black, green eyes instead of black. Acceptable, but compared to the handsome Adrian, his appearance and build fall short. Only Adrian’s aura is vaguely imitated…’
They did resemble each other.
Objectively, Betias’s appearance was decent. Raoulet was only comparing him to the exceptionally outstanding Adrian, making Betias seem lacking in contrast.
Raoulet reached out and caressed Duke Betias’s cheek.
How wonderful it would be if this man were Adrian instead.
She spoke softly.
“My son mentions that child almost once a week. Even if I try to ignore it, I can’t. This morning, he spoke of her again.”
“It is utterly shameful that such a foolish girl is my cousin, Mother. She is tarnishing the Berkshire name.”
“What did Princess Ariana do today to provoke this?”
“She has a habit of going to the tulip garden every day to count each flower. This morning, she went again. Luckily, tulip prices have reached an all-time high, so selling them would be easy, but she seems to have no intention of selling…”
“How much is a tulip now?”
“Two gold per bloom.”
Dandolo added, trembling with irritation.
“She would have inherited Duke Adrian’s swordsmanship talent, yet she has no interest in learning swordplay. She spends nothing on maintaining dignity, yet instead of learning to wield a sword like her brothers, she wants to deal with numbers… Truly absurd, isn’t it?”
‘Indeed, Ariana weighs on my mind. She’s always a nuisance. I shouldn’t have just let her disappear—should have killed her then. Pitying her as a baby was my mistake… Still, she’s Moltke’s bloodline. We are fated enemies…’
Raoulet still secretly adored Duke Adrian, Berkshire’s eldest son.
Though she had to call him “Brother-in-law,” she still thought of him as Adrian in her heart.
Having married Berkshire’s third son, Hamilax, and bearing a son, Dandolo, Raoulet was often praised by other noblewomen for her apparent success.
Merely marrying into the Berkshire family was enough to make other women envious.
Yet Raoulet was always melancholy.
After all, she had failed in loving her husband.
‘Hamilax was always an incompetent husband. Had he been even as capable as me, I could have tolerated him. But living with such a foolish man is sheer torment…’
Raoulet rationalized that she had no choice but to look elsewhere.
‘I thought that once Moltke died, Adrian might glance my way at least once. Five years have passed, and he hasn’t.’
Raoulet had succeeded in orchestrating the perfect disappearance of Ariana, who resembled Moltke in blood, ensuring no trace of the crime remained.
It was a meticulously planned act: abandoning the princess and what she did to the Duchess had been executed with perfection.
All evidence was destroyed, and potential witnesses among subordinates were dealt with.
Raoulet had never aroused suspicion.
Frankly, she considered herself the most capable person within Berkshire. Objectively, this was true.
Looking in the mirror, her beauty remained undiminished by age, and her noble birth far surpassed even Moltke of royal lineage.
‘Why can’t it be me for Adrian?’
Raoulet’s deep thoughts were interrupted by Betias.
“…It seems Dandolo is quite interested in Princess Ariana.”
“Well, Ariana also bears the Berkshire name, so Dandolo probably worries that any foolish mistake she makes might harm their family’s honor. More importantly, Duke Betias, have you arranged everything properly with the judges for our son’s fencing tournament?”
Noble participants in the tournament were required to keep their identities secret, wearing masks to ensure fair judgment.
Raoulet had already given Duke Betias the design for the mask Dandolo would wear, since Betias, as the family head, was the largest sponsor of the tournament.
“I quietly spoke to the judges and handled it.”
“Thank you for doing that personally, Duke Betias.”
“What could I not do for you, Raoulet?”
Raoulet smiled shyly, swallowing an inexplicable unease.
Suddenly, a wave of nausea rose.
She had felt like vomiting since earlier. This queasiness had persisted for two weeks, so it wasn’t surprising.
“Ugh…”
“Raoulet, are you alright?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I’ve just had an upset stomach recently.”
“I see.”
‘Could it be… am I pregnant?’
Raoulet had suffered severe morning sickness with Dandolo from the early stages of pregnancy.
She denied it to herself. She wasn’t certain who the father would be if she were pregnant.
‘Silly thought.’
Raoulet blamed her sensitivity, closed her eyes, and wrapped her arms around Duke Betias’s neck.
The duke hesitated briefly, but then led naturally.
‘Much better than my trivial husband.’
Soon, Raoulet lost all reason.
Meanwhile, Ariana was also thinking about Raoulet.
‘According to the original story, the moment Raoulet gives birth to a daughter with Duke Betias is approaching.’
