Chapter 101
At last, the approaching footsteps stopped right behind her. In place of the steps, she heard breathing.
Quiet breathing.
The scent of a rain-soaked forest.
She could feel with all five senses that he was standing behind her.
Elaina slowly turned around. The pain in her palm from clenching her fist tightly helped her keep her expression under control.
“It’s been a while.”
Unlike before, tears didn’t fall. But neither did a smile appear. She wanted to seem more at ease, but this was the best Elaina could manage.
“…Let’s talk for a moment.”
Lyle’s voice was hoarse. His face looked even worse than his voice. His cheeks were sunken, dark shadows lay beneath his eyes, and his complexion was poor. He had lost so much weight that the shirt which once fit him perfectly now hung loosely.
Lyle had always been blessed with exceptional stamina. Even while enduring a brutal schedule in the North, his complexion had never changed. To see him so worn down made it obvious how hard he had been pushing himself.
However.
It was no longer her concern.
And the same was true for him.
“I have nothing to say to you.”
Fortunately, unlike her worries, Elaina’s voice came out smoothly.
“We said everything that needed to be said that day. You thought so too, didn’t you?”
“Elaina.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to see you again like this. Things were hectic, and it’s my fault I didn’t tell Diane in advance.”
Elaina lifted the hem of her skirt and gave Lyle a formal greeting. At the sight, the servants of the Grand Duke’s residence gasped, covering their mouths. They were shocked by how Elaina treated him as if he were a complete stranger.
“Since we’ve met again, I have a favor to ask. I’d like you to proceed with the divorce as quickly as possible. It’s been quite some time since the paperwork was prepared—why hasn’t it been finalized yet? I don’t want to nag about something like this, but I’m not in a position where I can afford delays either. It’s not exactly proper to keep refusing social invitations indefinitely.”
At Elaina’s words, Lyle looked at her in silence. After a moment, he spoke.
“I’ve been busy. I’ll take care of it soon.”
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the answer Elaina wanted. At his calm reply, her heart jolted. She thought there was nothing left to be hurt by, yet just one sentence from Lyle made her emotions surge again.
“If that’s the case, just give the documents to me. I’ll handle it myself.”
“…There’s no need for that. More importantly—”
He was about to ask her to spare a moment because there was something he needed to say, when the butler, clearly shaken, interrupted them.
“W-wait just a moment. What are the two of you talking about? A d-divorce? What does that even mean…? That’s not true, is it? It can’t be. This is—”
So shocked was he that his lips trembled. His legs gave out, and he slumped to the floor. Several maids hurriedly supported him.
Only then did Elaina realize the butler had been standing beside her all along. She closed her mouth. She didn’t want to shock the elderly butler any further.
“Diane, let’s go.”
Elaina spoke to Diane with her eyes lowered. She didn’t want to see Lyle anymore.
“It’ll only take a moment. I have something to say.”
As Elaina turned away, Lyle’s hand landed on her shoulder. She roughly slapped it away.
“I’m warning you—don’t touch me without permission.”
Elaina glared at him, enunciating each word as if chewing them out one by one.
“You no longer have the right to do that.”
The Winchester family’s carriage departed. Diane, who had glared at Lyle for a long while; Nathan, caught in the middle and at a loss; and… Elaina. The carriage carrying them gradually grew smaller in Lyle’s field of vision.
After ordering the collapsed butler to rest in his room, Lyle headed to his study.
“Are they really getting divorced…?”
“How could something like this happen? I’ve never seen madam that angry before…”
“I’m more shocked by the master’s reaction. How can he look so unaffected after hearing something like that?”
One maid shook her head as if appalled by Lyle’s cold reaction, which seemed utterly devoid of emotion, as though the recent chaos had been a dream.
“Come to think of it, since madam left, he’s been sleeping in the study too.”
They had once been a loving couple who shared a bedroom.
“There must’ve been a reason he completely stopped going into that room after madam left.”
At those words, another servant gaped.
“He’s incredible. After everything they shared, how can he sort out his feelings so quickly?”
Lyle’s apparent coldness made even those who felt a vague sense of sadness well up with tears. Though no one responded out loud, all the servants of the Grand Duke’s residence silently agreed.
However, once back in his study, Lyle was far from normal—despite what it looked like on the surface.
You no longer have the right to do that.
He knew it. What he had done was unforgivable. Even if it was to prevent Elaina from becoming a target of the Marquis, he had severed their bond unilaterally without any explanation.
Still, seeing with his own eyes that she hated him was a different matter entirely, regardless of how prepared he thought he was.
Lyle sat down in his chair and stared blankly at the ceiling. It felt as though he were back on the battlefield, surrounded by enemies, searching for a way out through the fog. The same suffocating feeling of being unable to advance or retreat came rushing back.
Should he have been honest with her?
No. Lyle knew her well. If he had told her everything honestly, she wouldn’t have hated him—but she would have been put in danger.
If only she had been the kind of woman who naturally accepted a man’s protection like other ladies. Then things might have been easier.
But Elaina was the bravest woman he knew. Rather than being protected, she never hesitated to risk herself for the sake of those she cherished.
She was the woman who had proposed marriage to him to protect Diane. Considering his infamous reputation at the time, it wasn’t something a high-ranking noble lady would even joke about.
And now, he couldn’t be sure what dangers she might be willing to endure for his sake.
If he failed to protect Elaina properly then—
Lyle closed his eyes. When only the lesser evil and the worst option remained, it was obvious which one he had to choose.
So it was fine. Being hated and resented by Elaina was far better than losing her forever.
Remembering how she had brushed his hand from her shoulder as if swatting away a loathsome insect, Lyle ultimately couldn’t bring himself to call her back.
“I’ll explain everything properly. Please don’t worry too much.”
Just as Nathan had said while leaving the Grand Duke’s residence, Lyle hoped he would persuade Elaina well. Letting out a deep sigh, Lyle stared as the evening sky behind him was dyed a blood-red by the sunset.
When Nathan arrived at the Winchester ducal residence, he relayed the conversation he’d had with Lyle to Elaina and Diane.
“So what you’re saying is that His Grace is currently interfering with my father’s business?” Diane asked.
“Based on my judgment, yes.”
“But… why on earth?”
Diane looked at Nathan, utterly unable to understand. The two families weren’t particularly close, but there hadn’t been any incident serious enough to warrant such open hostility.
However, Nathan himself didn’t know the exact reason. He could only share his conjectures based on his conversation with Lyle.
“His Grace wants Elaina to give up the drug usage rights. And I agree with His Grace’s opinion.”
If Elaina patented the drug and monopolized it now, Marquis Redwood would be driven into a corner.
The Redwood marquisate was in an extremely precarious situation. Since the marquis had paid no attention to managing his territory, most of the family’s income came from the businesses he invested in. But one after another, those businesses were collapsing, dealing him a blow that couldn’t be ignored.
“The fact that Marquis Redwood invited you and Diane in the first place tells us everything. It means he’s been pushed into a truly dangerous corner. So, Elaina, it would be better to give it up as His Grace wishes.”
Once things settled down, they could always go through the procedures to claim ownership of the usage rights again later. Forcing the issue now could provoke Marquis Redwood into doing something to Elaina.
But even after listening to Nathan’s rational explanation, Elaina stubbornly shook her head.
“No.”
“…What?”
“That was a deal between you and me, Nathan. Whatever Lyle said, this is my decision to make. You know we’ve decided to divorce, right? Lyle Grant no longer has any right to interfere in my affairs.”
“Elaina. His Grace seems to have some circumstances he can’t speak about. As I said earlier, it’s probably to protect you—”
He couldn’t even finish saying that’s probably the case. Elaina slammed her hand hard on the table.
“That’s exactly what I hate the most!”
Her voice rose slightly.
“He’s worried I might be endangered because of Marquis Redwood? Why? For what reason?”
“Well, that’s—”
“See, Nathan? You don’t know anything either. That’s what makes me angriest. That arrogant attitude—expecting me to follow his decisions without explaining anything.”
She sprang to her feet.
“Thank you for explaining, Nathan. It helped clear my head a little. But I’ll handle this matter myself. I won’t give up the patent.”
A chill crept into Elaina’s voice, as if to say the matter was no longer open for discussion.
Nathan looked to Diane in confusion, but Diane too found herself unable to speak. She thought she understood Elaina well—but this was the first time she had seen her so genuinely furious.
