Bremlin simply watched its mistress.

Ethan Erentis did the same.

He rested his chin on his hand and gazed down from the castle wall. His wife, who had been perpetually downcast since her nanny left, only smiled brightly when letters arrived from Tyche.

As if the awaited spring had come.

No. Was it really the letters Hyacinth was waiting for?

Ethan stared blankly at the red-haired beauty with small feet and long legs moving briskly. The woman had already left, but the young mail carrier still lingered, staring at the Duchess. His undisguised emotions were evident.

“Goodness, that boy is overstepping his bounds.”

At the old man’s lament, Ethan merely smirked.

He has eyes, after all. Even he acknowledged the truth that his wife was very beautiful. From the beginning, Hyacinth was the beloved flower of Tyche.

No matter how noble her bloodline, the court society wouldn’t have accepted her if she weren’t pretty and smart… With such looks and abilities, Hyacinth earned that nickname.

“Really? With such a popular wife, why are you sitting here like this?”

“Be quiet.”

Ethan silently followed his wife’s footsteps with his eyes. He retraced the excited, light steps that she used to show only in front of him.

But now…

It’s annoying.

Ethan frowned, recalling the recent behavior his wife showed in the bedroom. Hyacinth would sleep quietly, turning her back to him.

He wasn’t dissatisfied with her attitude. He didn’t care what she did, honestly. If she continued to act indifferently, it was more favorable for him, it’s not an unwelcome development.

But at the same time… it felt off.

He didn’t particularly like this subtle feeling.

“Looks like it’s going to snow soon~”

“…Indeed. Maybe a blizzard.”

The heavier the snow, the more significant secrets get buried.

For no particular reason, he felt uneasy. Ethan hoped that this time, there wouldn’t be any secrets that needed to be buried.

* * *

On a cloudy day at the beginning of winter.

Hyacinth gagged at the breakfast table. The eggs that had been fine until yesterday suddenly tasted too fishy.

The head maid, who was attending to her, immediately recognized the symptoms and ran off to fetch the family physician. In the cold and barren North, where death was familiar, the arrival of new life was a blessed event. Especially if it was the child of the Duke and Duchess.

The physician, dragged in by the head maid, confirmed and announced the Duchess’s pregnancy.

The Duke of Trisel, Ethan Erentis, was present.

* * *

Congratulations and congratulations and congratulations.

The words of congratulations seemed endless. Ethan quietly raised his hand.

With his concise gesture to dismiss the guests, people finally stopped talking and hurried out of the drawing room. Having left their blessings for the Duke and Duchess and the soon-to-be-born baby, it was time to leave the couple alone.

The sound of the door closing was followed by a heavy silence. Ethan diligently searched for the right words to say to a pregnant woman. His jaw ached from clenching his teeth.

Had he ever held that woman?

No.

Had another man held that woman?

There shouldn’t be.

Yet she was pregnant. Considering the timing, Hyacinth Erentis, no, Hyacinth Hener, had committed infidelity after coming to Bremlin. Right under his nose. In his own domain.

…Damn Hener.

To be honest, Hyacinth Hener meant nothing to him. He had never felt any emotion similar to affection for her. He didn’t love her. He didn’t even have a possessive desire. It was only natural.

Ethan pondered the source of the betrayal he currently felt.

She insisted she loved him and forced the marriage, yet she had an affair with another man? And now she’s pregnant with another man’s child before even producing an heir?

If they had already had more than one heir, ensuring the succession, he wouldn’t have minded if she had taken more than one lover. But that wasn’t the case.

Hyacinth Hener neglected her responsibilities and crossed the line.

I recognized you as the mistress of the North. As my only spouse. Even if I didn’t love you, I believed I respected you.

That was my best. But you. You.

His jaw wouldn’t relax. Ethan clenched his teeth harder, watching her place her hands on her belly with a bewildered expression.

Despite committing infidelity, her calm face showed no concern about the aftermath. It was unbearably irritating.

She’s a woman of the royal family.

Ethan tried his best to refine his words. Hyacinth Hener was a direct descendant of the royal family, and her uncle was the king. He couldn’t just cast aside a woman with such a background. To avoid further trouble, he had to suppress all his emotions.

An annoying woman. I shouldn’t have let her in.

“Whose child is it?”

Ethan bluntly asked.

At that unbelievable question, Hyacinth’s eyes widened. Her already large eyes grew even bigger, making her look almost grotesque.

Regardless, the man remained indifferent, making him seem even more cruel.

“Oh. I forgot to offer my congratulations.”

His gray eyes glanced at her abdomen. Only his eyebrows moved slightly; his expression remained unchanged. Hyacinth stared blankly at her husband. Not knowing what to say, all thoughts were driven from her mind.

“Congratulations on your pregnancy.”

“……”

“So, who is the father of the child in your womb?”

The world spun for a moment. The dizziness was unbearable. Hyacinth tried to suppress the feeling of her heart rattling inside her as she fumbled to find words.

“Why, why on earth would you ask such a question?”

“……”

“It’s your child…”

The indifference that had covered his gray eyes peeled away. For the first time, the man showed a proper reaction. A hint of bitterness, more than that, contempt, and most notably,

Annoyance.

He was annoyed by the woman carrying his child.

The gaze she once loved was now wearisome, and it was killing her. Hyacinth’s lips trembled as she stared blankly. Her emotions swelled so much that it felt like her entire body was about to burst. Resentment. Outrage. Misery. She learned that when such emotions mix, tears don’t come.

“Ethan!”

The man exhaled a long sigh. The exasperated breath made Hyacinth clench her fists tightly. She couldn’t even blink. No. I…

No matter how hard she tried to form a sentence, no words came out. She coughed. Her voice had disappeared.

“Logically speaking, Hyacinth, it can’t be our child.”

“What?”

“You must know by now what it takes to conceive a child.”

“……”

“I have never held you.”

Resentment turned into anger. Hyacinth glared at her husband with bloodshot eyes.

This awful person who deceived her to the end.

You should have just told me you didn’t want to hold me. If you had said that, I would have felt less, less miserable…

“So you admit now that the first night was a lie.”

“Under normal circumstances, I would apologize. Deceiving you was certainly wrong. But Hyacinth, I don’t feel like apologizing right now.”

“……”

“Between deceit and infidelity, isn’t the latter a greater sin?”

“I have never committed infidelity. I was faithful to you.”

“Insisting doesn’t make delusions reality.”

Hyacinth suppressed the urge to scream.

Her whole body trembled with anger, and she clenched her fists tightly. She wanted to pound the sofa with her rounded fists. Or at least a pillow. That cushion.

If only she could throw the cushion at his handsome face.

“……I have been with you.”

Ethan sighed again.

His attitude was as if he was dealing with a severe mental patient, a hopeless liar. He had a knack for breaking down the other person’s pride. Tears welled up.

Hyacinth bit her teeth, trying not to cry.

“Hyacinth.”

“……”

“I could never have held you.”

“You did. Who else would I have been with?”

“How would I know? There must be plenty of men who would jump at the snap of your fingers. Shouldn’t I be asking that question?”

“When I had a cold!”

His gray eyes rolled as if he was trying to recall.

Unable to contain herself, Hyacinth pounded the sofa with her fist and screamed.

“Right before I got sick. That night. You held me, you, you don’t even remember?”

“……Before Seina Ir left?”

“……Yes, it was before the nanny left.”

“I was asleep then. What kind of idiot would open a woman’s body and put himself inside while unconscious?”

“……”

“It’s a shame you’re the Duchess. With such a vivid imagination, you would have made a name for yourself writing pulp novels.”

How could he mock her like that? How could he…

It was a misunderstanding that didn’t even crack. He believed her infidelity without a shred of doubt. Had I not given him enough trust? Hyacinth panted, her nape tingling with anger.

Her heart hurt. Her belly ached as if it were burning.

Her clenched fists dug her nails into her palms. She had to calm down somehow. For the child’s sake, she had to calm down.

Hyacinth suddenly exploded, grabbing a cushion and throwing it. She wished it would hit his face or anywhere, but her arm strength was weak. The cushion fell short of his feet, and the man caught it with a sigh.

Then he approached her slowly.

“Let’s just think logically. I’m not so heartless as to pretend I don’t know a woman I’ve held. Especially since you’re my wife. If your claim were true, why would I accuse you when you’re carrying my child?”

“……”

“You say I did it while asleep. Then it wasn’t me. If it wasn’t me but someone wearing my skin who touched you, what? Is it a nightmare’s child?”

“……”

“You’ve conceived a cursed child. My condolences.”

“Why don’t you believe it’s yours?”