Chapter 6
“How many people do you think have acted like you until now? You’d better just say what you want. Isn’t that easier for both of us? Let’s be reasonable.”
“……”
‘My breath, I can’t breathe…’
The woman, who had been sobbing endlessly, suddenly looked as if her throat were being strangled at the man’s final words. The eyes of the man looking down at her were colder than ice.
Was I truly nothing to you in the end? Was even that night nothing more than a fleeting amusement?
So common, so trivial, that you can’t even remember who I was.
Thud.
Her body crumpled with a light sound. Her back, which should have been fuller with the child in her belly, was gaunt and thin. Reality had been merciless to her.
What did I give up, what did I endure to choose you… how could you do this to me?
An unmarried young lady of a noble family being with child—it was only natural her family would be thrown into chaos. Cast out from her home, she had come seeking the father of her child.
She had consoled herself with the thought that she was meant to go to him anyway, that her schedule had merely been moved forward a little. But instead of comfort for her suffering, she was cast aside without a word.
Clink.
The man tugged at the bell cord with a frown, as though her condition were of no concern. To him, she was a cumbersome burden, no more than garbage that needed to be thrown out immediately. His brow furrowed in displeasure.
“You called, Your Grace.”
The faithful servants entered. They looked far too accustomed to the scene. At the man’s gesture, the woman was dragged away.
“We’ll take our leave now.”
No one cared for the woman lying sprawled on the floor. No one noticed the final tear sliding down her face.
Click.
The door shut, and silence and peace returned to the man’s chamber. The moonlight quietly spilled across his face.
“No!”
The bed rattled as the man jolted upright. Drenched in sweat, his complexion was pale.
—Is something the matter, Your Grace?
Sensing the commotion inside, the knight cautiously inquired after his well-being. Duke fiar drew a steadying breath and said he was fine. Reading his master’s will, the knight retreated.
“The same dream again…”
At some point, his dreams had grown restless. That woman, who appeared only in fragments of his sleep, kept him from resting. It was as though she were warning him not to forget his sins.
“Luen…”
The man whispered the name of the girl who so resembled the woman in his dreams. He rose, knowing full well that no amount of water could quench the thirst clawing at him.
A strange dream indeed. Duke fiar let a crooked smile curl on his lips.
“Looks like I won’t be getting any sleep tonight either.”
The duke sank into silence, lost in thought.
It was the night before Luen came to seek out Vihan.
When I woke, the morning sunlight stung my eyes—and the duke was holding me close. I tried wriggling out of his arms, but his grip was too strong.
If he wakes up like this, that’ll be trouble…
Unsure what to do, I shut my eyes again, pretending to be asleep. Then, above my head, I heard the sound of quiet laughter.
“How can you be so adorable this early in the morning? It makes it impossible to leave for work.”
Why did I pretend to sleep, only to be embarrassed like this? Covering my face, I grumbled.
“You were awake? You should’ve said so.”
“I couldn’t sleep with you next to me.”
I, who slept soundly even with him at my side, had nothing to say. I scolded him a few more times, but the duke brushed it off with shameless ease.
Once again, I realized I could never win against him with words, and pressed my lips shut.
“This won’t do.”
He insisted that he couldn’t bear to leave me, that his feet simply wouldn’t carry him away, whining as though he were on the verge of death. His leisurely attitude made me wonder if he truly had so much time to spare. In the end, I simply answered back here and there as we lazed around together.
—Oh my, should we tell them right away?
—But he did say not to disturb them.
—Still, it’s from the Imperial Palace…
I don’t know how much time had passed when the maids began fussing outside. Normally, well-trained to handle matters quietly, their behavior was unusual. Noticing my puzzlement, the duke gave me the answer.
“It must be the Imperial invitation to the annual summer ball. The timing fits.”
“The annual ball?”
I yelped, and he stroked my hair as though I were being cute.
No, this is no time to act like that!
The annual ball?
“The timing couldn’t be better. We’ve already married, so it’s the perfect occasion for your debutante and for us to attend officially as husband and wife.”
I was doomed. If we declared our marriage to high society like this, divorce would be nearly impossible.
What if he falls for Sophia while I’m still trapped in the duke’s household?
I’d become like a stale loaf of bread—hard and inedible. Or like a sprouted potato, left to be rolled around and scorned.
I’ll earn nothing but pity at best, ridicule at worst.
There was a world of difference between leaving by my own choice and being cast out in disgrace. Even if I could continue living in wealth, my pride would be shattered.
I was too careless. I need to act immediately.
The conclusion was clear: I had to prevent us from attending the ball together as husband and wife. I needed to play matchmaker between the duke and Sophia as quickly as possible.
But wait… how does he know I haven’t had my debutante yet?
I had deliberately avoided a social debut, trying to keep a low profile. After all, I was planning to run off to the provinces—why draw attention? Unlike the capital, where balls were constant, such events meant little in the countryside.
I never put much importance in a debutante either…
But for the wife of Duke fiar not to greet society would cause a scandal. And this year was the perfect age for me to make my debut. Unless something dire happened, I couldn’t see a way out of it.
“What wonderful news,” he said.
Unlike me, cornered and panicked, the duke looked thoroughly pleased.
“Once I make it clear that you’re my wife, no one will dare covet you.”
But his satisfaction was short-lived. His eyes sharpened like a predator’s, turning suddenly dangerous.
My breath quickened in response.
Why do you have to lose your mind at this timing of all times?
Things I couldn’t handle kept happening one after another.
Time flew by like a dragon soaring through the skies. Two weeks vanished in the blink of an eye. The day I would be introduced before the court as Duke fiar’s wife drew near.
“My poor life. What am I going to do?”
I sat in the latest fashionable dress, a royal diamond necklace glittering at my throat. In my hands was a fan worth a commoner’s several months’ wages. On my feet were shoes so rare the artisan made only five pairs a year. I sipped warm milk tea in a sunlit seat with the finest view.
And still, I sighed in earnest.
“Madam, not again,” my maid said with a cheerful smile, accustomed to my complaints. For someone in her position, my words could have sounded offensive, but Julia always treated me sincerely.
Silently sipping my tea, I looked down into the garden. Butterflies and birds flitted among the flowers. The peaceful sight calmed me.
Crash.
“Luen, I’m here! I missed you so much.”
The man who heavily influenced Julia’s consistent kindness burst in. He knocked, yes, but had no patience to wait.
To claim he missed me so much—when we’d only just seen each other—was ridiculous. I saw him so often his face was nearly worn out.
“We just had breakfast together,” I snapped at the source of my unrest. But his voice was as gentle as ever.
“That’s true. I was apart from my Luen for over two whole hours. My patience is remarkable, don’t you think?”
He replied glibly and pulled a chair beside me. Julia, well accustomed to this, poured him tea into a cup she had already prepared.
It was as if they were receiving a guest who came by appointment: two chairs, two cups, always ready.
“Luen, I had a meeting with the vassals today.”
As I ate raspberry pie, Duke fiar chattered away about his duties. Meetings with vassals, collecting taxes, summer policies. He spoke of hoping for less drought this year, of how the villagers welcomed me. His stories went on and on.
Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon, so don’t be lonely.
Every time he left for work, he did so reluctantly, rushing back as quickly as possible. And every time, he shared everything he’d done.
Luen, I’m back. You must have waited long.
His eccentricity after marriage had shocked everyone in the household, but by now it was routine. The maids prepared for him no matter where I went or what I did, always expecting him to show up.
“Luen, what are you thinking about?”
The duke beamed another radiant smile. Beneath the bright sunlight, it was like a marshmallow floating on cocoa.
“Just… the weather’s nice,” I answered with a bland smile. My chest gave a pang.
At this point in the original story, Duke Piar’s heart was already rotting. His broken home, his memories of being pushed to the battlefield too young, the betrayals and schemes that scarred him—those wounds festered, eating him alive.
He could never smile so brightly in the novel… and then…
I scraped together my hazy memory and found the piece I needed. Duke piar had fallen for Sophia at the Imperial annual ball.
That’s right. It was at the annual ball.
Wanting a moment alone, he had escaped the crowd to the fountain, where he found Sophia secretly wiping away tears.
—Ah, you’re…
—Do you know me?
Sophia recognized him at once, but he didn’t know her.
—Who in this world wouldn’t know Duke fiar?
Seeking her revenge one day, Sophia tried to win his favor. For the first time in his life, he felt comforted.
—We meet again.
—And tonight you’re not crying.
From then on, he kept encountering her, and the walls around his heart opened only for Sophia.
So how should I move?
For me, it was a dilemma. Attending the ball as his wife, declaring my presence in society—it was awkward.
But if I wanted to connect the duke and Sophia effectively, I needed to step in. I could create a situation where they were alone and observe from afar.
“What are you thinking so deeply about? With me right here? Is that even possible?”
The duke tilted his head. How could such arrogance suit him so perfectly?
“Your dress for the ball will arrive today.”
That was news to me. My wardrobe was already packed with dresses I hadn’t even worn, yet more kept appearing. I hadn’t even seen the seamstress, but the number of gowns grew.
“How do they fit so perfectly without ever taking my measurements?”
“Do you think there’s anything about my wife I wouldn’t know?”
But you don’t know I lied. You don’t know I’m not actually pregnant, and that’s the reason you’re being so good to me right now.
A surge of inexplicable emotion turned my insides cold in an instant.
