Chapter 5

Unfortunately, the flying bullets missed Kaiden, and he returned to the Humber Kingdom with military honors.  

The King was overjoyed and awarded him a medal.

When Kaiden passed the civil service exam and began frequenting the palace, Sophia naturally hovered around him.  

Even though she was his brother’s fiancée, she shamelessly pushed herself into his life. No matter how much he tried to trample her down, she was like a poisonous mushroom that grows thick every spring.

Whether or not Norton Raselles, the Young Duke, knew of his fiancée’s outrageous behavior, he went to visit a friend in the provinces and fell in love at first sight with Brielle Selinger, a governess of fallen noble birth.

Norton abandoned all his rights and duties and left for the countryside with Brielle.  

He vanished from the capital’s social circles and, after some time, made the front page of the newspapers with tragic news.

Norton had secretly married Brielle Selinger, only to die soon after, so both the Young Duke and the Princess had betrayed each other. And all the aftermath fell to Kaiden.

“Master, we have arrived at the hospital.”  

“Thank you for your effort.”

Kaiden had come to the hospital to avoid Sophia, but he had no intention of staying long.  

In any case, as long as he instilled in the public the perception that the Duke of Raselles was not rejecting a shameless but pitiable woman, that was enough.

Stepping out of the carriage, Kaiden stopped tall in front of the white building.  

The hospital, seen through the cold winter rain, felt all the more gloomy. The mixed scent of blood and faint disinfectant made him frown unconsciously.

Damn it.

A schedule as persistent as a splitting headache had begun. With a short sigh, he stepped onto the marble stairs.

Kaiden walked down the corridor with a straight and upright posture.  

Beside him, his secretary Michael reported in detail about the board’s agenda.

As the report ended, Kaiden spoke.

“What did Viscountess Eden report about Brielle Selinger?”  

“She summarized that she’s a naïve young lady.”  

“Not pure, but naïve.”

It was a phrase loaded with meaning. Perhaps it was her complete ignorance of the ways of the world that had drawn his brother to her.

After Norton died, the Duke of Raselles passed away from shock.  

Then, the Dowager Duchess immediately named Kaiden, the second son and royal financial administrator, as the next Duke.

Suddenly becoming Duke, Kaiden busily traveled between the estate and Duddingston to handle urgent family matters.  

Especially this winter, heavy rains and snowstorms across the kingdom had caused his workload to soar.

In fact, if it weren’t for the shocking news that Norton and that woman had a child, Kaiden would never have come to Duddingston.

After Norton’s death, newspapers rushed to publish stories about his love life, but fortunately, the disaster of news spreading that Brielle Selinger was pregnant was avoided.

The Dowager Duchess secretly sent her trusted Viscountess Eden to the countryside where Brielle lived.  

Since the Raselles Duchy’s line of succession could change, every move was taken with caution.

Though Brielle had lost her husband, she now held the hope of becoming the mother of the heir.  

But fate was fickle, and the train she boarded derailed in a snowstorm.

No wonder his mother had fallen ill.

If only that woman had died, the Dowager Duchess’s heart might have been lighter, but it was said she had survived and been rescued.

Already, the passionate members of the Liberal Party were spreading all kinds of scandals to slander the Duke of Raselles, who was virtually the head of the Conservative Party.  

There were even rumors that Kaiden had poisoned Norton to seize the dukedom.  

If Brielle, who was pregnant, also died in this situation, he would inevitably be branded with disgrace.

The Dowager Duchess alternated between furious outbursts and collapsing, so Kaiden had no choice but to meet Brielle first.

At that moment, the hospital director, who had been notified in advance, approached with the doctors.  

They bowed deeply to Kaiden.

“Your Grace the Duke, welcome.”  

“Thank you for your hard work.”

When Kaiden offered praise with a smile that was neither excessive nor lacking, the hospital director was delighted.  

He walked proudly right beside Kaiden.

“The patient’s blood pressure is stable, and her health is improving day by day. However, she has not regained consciousness……”  

He was closer to a businessman than a skilled doctor, so he liked patients who could boost the hospital’s reputation.

The fact that someone important enough for the Duke of Raselles to visit was hospitalized was a source of pride for the director, but this had to be kept strictly secret.  

If word leaked and an eager reporter sneaked into the hospital, it would be even more troublesome.

“When do you think the patient will wake up?”  

“It’s all up to the patient’s will. It was a serious accident, so it seems she needs time.”  

“I’ll leave her in your care.”  

“And…… Your Grace, may I speak with you privately for a moment?”

The hospital director glanced at Michael, seeming to have something difficult to say in front of others, so Kaiden moved to the director’s office.  

It was a quiet place, suitable for confidential conversation.

Even after the teacup was set on the table, the hospital director kept bowing his head.  

Kaiden felt it wasn’t just because he was meeting a high-ranking duke and spoke with suspicion.

“Is there a problem with the patient?”  

“Well, how should I put this…… According to our examination, the patient is neither pregnant nor shows any signs of a recent miscarriage.”

For a moment, a strange light flickered in Kaiden’s golden eyes.  

His fingertips turned cold at this completely unexpected statement.

Kaiden picked up the teacup and took a sip.  

He savored the black tea spreading in his mouth and recalled the contents of the telegram.  

Viscountess Eden had definitely reported that she was coming to Duddingston with the pregnant Brielle.

But if, in fact, Brielle had no child in her belly and no signs of miscarriage, several possibilities could be inferred.

The woman lied, or someone had been switched.

Brielle was clever enough to seduce Norton Raselles, the Young Duke, and even hold a secret wedding, so she could easily bribe a doctor or pretend to be pregnant.

Perhaps she had experience and handled things skillfully.

Another possibility was that someone had been switched—did something happen on the train? Or during the rescue?

It had been such a massive avalanche that there were many casualties, and most of the bodies were said to be badly damaged.  

The bodies found next to Brielle were also so mangled by rocks and earth that they were unrecognizable.

She had been found by chance in a narrow gap beneath a pillar.  

Whatever the case, Brielle Selinger was an extraordinary woman in many ways.

If she thought about what she had done, she shouldn’t be sleeping so peacefully like that.

Lost in thought for a moment, Kaiden spoke.

“Who else knows about this?”  

“Only the doctor who treated her and myself. I thought it was a serious matter, so I was careful.”  

“You were wise to keep it quiet. The Raselles family’s donation to the hospital will have to be increased.”  

“Thank you, Your Grace!”

The hospital director, relieved that his actions had been appropriate, grinned widely as he imagined the donations to come.  

Ignoring the director, Kaiden stood up.

“I need to see the patient’s face first.”  

“I’ll take you right away.”

As Kaiden and the hospital director left the director’s office, Michael and the hospital staff followed right behind.

While walking, Kaiden steadied his ragged breathing.  

Perhaps because he hadn’t slept properly lately, or maybe because he was on his way to see his troublesome brother’s wife, his head throbbed painfully.

Ah, not his brother’s wife—she could be a swindler. Or perhaps someone completely unrelated.

Kaiden gave a wry smile and walked on without hesitation.  

Through his hazy vision, he saw the ward where only VIPs were admitted. When he nodded, the hospital director personally opened the door.

Perhaps because of the rain, even though the curtains were drawn back, the room was gloomy.  

If not for the faint sound of breathing, one might have thought a dead person lay there.

Hoo.  

Kaiden let out a long sigh and pressed his aching temple.

Who on earth was this woman?

In any case, within the hospital, Brielle was a woman hovering between life and death, having lost both her husband and child, so he had to show proper courtesy.  

Kaiden removed his hat and slowly walked forward.

The moment he reached the bedside, after calculating every move, Kaiden froze like ice.

He slowly moved his eyes to look down at the woman’s face.  

His golden eyes widened.

He couldn’t even breathe properly.

The hospital director beside him swallowed dryly.  

Even when he heard that the woman showed no signs of miscarriage, the Duke of Raselles had remained as calm as if he had no emotions, but now he looked as if he could barely stand.

Then Kaiden spoke.

“This woman…… is Brielle Selinger……?”