“I just…” Her throat tightened, and Daphne pondered for a mont before continuing. “I just wanted to get away from here.”
“Hah.”
Edmund couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh. The sound of his dry laughter made Daphne flinch as she lifted her head.
“Daphne.” Edmund’s cold fingers gripped her chin. “Do you think I’ll let you go when you’re carrying my child?”
My child. Daphne silently mouthed the words.
She knew. She knew Edmund hadn’t co here just to keep her tied down. She was scared. What would Edmund’s reaction be if she told him the truth?
He’d probably cast her aside. Just like he always did, with that cold expression, turning away without a second glance, leaving her to be forgotten in the shadows.
She was terrified. So she kept her mouth shut, not daring to speak.
“Our contract hasn’t been terminated.”
“…What are you talking about? I even signed the divorce papers…”
“Are you referring to these?”
Edmund pulled out the divorce papers from his desk drawer. A dark, smoky aura began to rise from his hand.
Aura.
Around this dangerous ti of year, Edmund never used his aura. Yet, he was willing to take the risk just to destroy a piece of paper.
The black smoke swirled around the docunt and vanished before it could even reach Daphne. The ashes falling between Edmund’s fingers reminded her that she wasn't imagining the whole thing.
“What are you…”
“We’re not getting a divorce.”
Daphne stared blankly at the ashes that had fallen onto the carpet.
“You thought you could end things the sa way you started them? All on your own?”
“…But you wanted it.” Daphne’s eyes remained fixed on the ashes.
“You wanted the divorce. I was just giving you what you wanted.”
Edmund had asked for the divorce, and she had simply granted his wish. That was all there was to it.
“I’ve changed my mind.”
Daphne’s eyelids fluttered as she inhaled sharply.
“I no longer want a divorce.”
“…Why?”
She wouldn’t lie – she had a faint glimr of hope. She was already scraping the bottom of that hope, without even realizing it.
“That’s because…” Edmund’s lips moved, and Daphne held her breath, listening intently. “…The Emperor’s surveillance is growing stricter by the day. Divorcing now wouldn’t benefit us.”
It was as if soone had popped a balloon filled with air. Her last sliver of hope went away just like that.
Daphne suddenly realized who was standing in front of her – a man so cold-blooded, no w ords could truly capture it.
What had she been expecting? Did she really think a man like this would confess his love?
“…I understand.”
Daphne replied obediently, and Edmund felt an unexpected sense of relief. But Daphne rose from her seat, grabbed a sheet of paper and a quill from the table, and began writing sothing down.
“Let’s add another clause to our contract.”
She placed the quill down.
“Since our entire relationship is based on a contract, one more clause won’t change anything between us, right?”
Edmund took the paper she handed him.
“When Damian’s position as heir is secure, we will divorce. No matter what.”
* * *
The Madam has returned.
“What…?”
“Madam appeared out of nowhere this morning.”
Vent wore a bewildered expression, as if he couldn’t believe it himself.
“A maid was the first to find her in her room… Young Master?”
As Vent was speaking, a gust of wind rushed past him. He squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened his eyes, Damian, who had been standing before him just seconds ago, was nowhere to be seen. Vent belatedly chased after him, but his master was already gone.
Damian ran, and ran so more. In the blink of an eye, he reached Daphne’s door and pressed himself against it. He could hear faint sounds from inside.
After hesitating for a mont, Damian turned and walked outside. He arrived at a secluded area overgrown with trees. Raising his head, he could see the closed window to Daphne’s room. Through the small slits in the window, he could faintly make out Daphne’s silhouette, and only then did he let out a sigh of relief.
But then he froze.
Why hadn’t he gone inside to check on her? Why had he co all the way out here instead?
‘This is just…’
He stared at the tightly closed window.
‘Because…’
“!”
The window suddenly opened.
Damian instinctively hid, without even realizing why. There was no real reason to do so, but his body moved of its own accord.
“Madam, the weather’s cold. Don’t leave the window open for too long.”
“Alright.”
That was all. Damian felt the tension leave his body.
Thud.
Even after the window closed again, Damian stayed hidden behind the tree for quite so ti, holding his breath.
— — —
“Huh…”
Vent scratched his head as he lost track of Damian’s quickly retreating figure.
“Vent.”
“Oh, Steward.”
Benjamin glanced around the study. Realizing who he was looking for, Vent quickly made sothing up.
“Young Master had sothing urgent to attend to, but he’ll be back soon. Should I relay a ssage for you?”
“No, it’s fine. I just had a question. Does the Young Master have the authority of the Lady of the House as well?”
Vent shook his head.
“No, he’s been handling so duties for a while, but he doesn’t have that authority.”
“So… does that an no one has been handling the responsibilities of the Lady of the House since the Grand Mistress left for the south five years ago?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
It dawned on Vent that this had been the case. It seed even Edmund had forgotten about it.
After the previous Duchess Winter had passed away and Edmund left for war, Sophia naturally took over the Lady of the House’s duties. But five years ago, when Sophia left for the south, those duties were left unattended. And today, Benjamin had ca to check on that.
“Let’s go.”
Vent led Benjamin to the records room. Unlocking the door with a rusty key, they were greeted by the sll of old paper and dust flying around.
“Here it is.”
He found the ledger and handed it to Benjamin. As Benjamin dusted it off, Vent hesitated.
‘Should I say sothing or not…’
It didn’t take him long to decide.
“Steward, I may be mistaken, but it seems the Madam has been secretly managing the records.”
“The Madam?” Benjamin’s gaze turned toward Vent.
Scratching his head, Vent continued, “I can’t be sure, though. Could you double-check?”
“Understood.” Benjamin soon murmured sothing and gave a small nod.
“Thank you.”
“It’s nothing, really.”
“One more thing, if I may?”
“Of course.”
With the ledger in hand, Benjamin hesitated for a mont.
“As a steward, I’m ashad to admit I know so little about the Lady of the house. The only ti I t her was briefly at the Young Master’s coming-of-age banquet in the capital.”
Vent could guess what Benjamin was about to ask.
“Judging by the atmosphere of the estate… it seems the Madam hasn’t adjusted well to the North. Is there a reason?”
Vent suddenly realized why Benjamin hadn’t learned of it until now. Of course, it wasn’t sothing easily spoken of in front of soone like Benjamin. And after that incident, Edmund had forbidden anyone from speaking about it, so no one dared to open their mouths.
“Steward, that’s…”
Just as he was about to explain the difficulty of the situation, a shadow fell over them from behind.
“Benjamin.”
“Your Excellency.”
Vent flinched at Edmund’s sudden appearance. He had been trying to avoid telling Benjamin about that incident, but the timing made it look as if he’d been caught trying to share a secret. Now, any excuse would seem suspicious.
As Vent stamred, Edmund walked past him.
“There’s sothing I need to discuss. Join in the study.”
“Yes, of course.”
Benjamin gave a brief nod to Vent and followed Edmund out. From a step behind, Benjamin studied Edmund.
“Your Excellency.”
“You didn’t get the answer you were looking for, did you?”
“…So you heard everything.”
“Of course. I ordered everyone to keep quiet about that matter, so it’s only natural you wouldn’t know.”
Edmund ca to a sudden stop.
“Where should I start?”
He turned a little and gazed out the window. The frost-covered window. Beyond it, the snow is falling silently. Everything was blanketed in white.
“Should I begin with Daphne’s cri? Or perhaps…”
He cast his gaze downward for a mont before turning back to Benjamin.
“Should I tell you about how Daphne dug up the previous Duke’s grave?”
* * *
“If we’d been just a little later back then, we would have seen the body of the late Duke. It was quite the scandal, even in hindsight. But what on earth possessed the Madam to do such a thing? I’m very curious.”
“And so?”
“Pardon?”
“Why bring it up now?”
“Oh.” Vent straightened his posture.
“The steward asked about it, and it just ca to mind.”
Damian, looking exasperated, turned his attention back to the docunts in his hands.
“By the way, have you spoken to the Madam? Did you ask her?”
At Vent’s question, Damian’s hand paused mid-turning of the page. Oblivious, Vent kept talking.
“I heard she wasn’t injured at all. So what’s with the robe? And how exactly did she get back?”
“Vent.”
“Yes? Did you want to say sothing—ouch!”
Vent didn’t manage to dodge the docunts that were thrown at his face and got hit square on. Since the docunts were thick, Vent grabbed his now stinging nose.
“Young Master! You know my nose is the best part of my face...!”
“I figured you had enough free ti to gossip about useless rumors. Now, bring the docunts I asked you to handle last ti.”
“Young Master, you gave those docunts just last evening…”
“And I told you to finish them by today.”
“It’s still morning...”
“Then finish them before the afternoon and bring them back.”
“…Yes, sir.”
Vent, now used to it, simply assud he must have done sothing wrong and went back to his desk.
Damian ignored Vent as he grumbled his way back and turned his attention back to the docunts. But unable to focus, he let out a sigh.
T/N: Why is Daphne suddenly digging the previous Duke’s grave? Where is all of this coming from?
E/N: That's such a weird plot point lol
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