Chapter 108

Instead of looking at Catherine’s hand, the Duke turned his gaze out the window. His sudden turn, as if he had seen something he shouldn’t, strangely tugged at her heart. Was it odd that his hand, barely resting on the edge of the table, seemed so lonely today? She didn’t feel pity for him just because she heard a few words about his past. Everyone has their stories, and even the wicked have their reasons.

The long years of pain couldn’t be understood with a few words of confession. If the Duke expected Catherine to do so, he truly had no conscience.

Emotions tangled within her. Not knowing how to react or what to say, Catherine silently awaited the Duke’s next words.

Thinking back to her childhood, when her grandfather pushed her relentlessly, it seemed likely that this was all an act because she was soon to become the Queen. Bertram would do anything to achieve his goals, so perhaps that was the more rational thought.

But what is family, really?

Though she couldn’t forget the harsh words from her grandfather, his lonely face strangely tugged at her heart.

When did he become so old? Were his wrinkles always so many? His back seemed slightly bent, too.

Unconsciously, she searched for signs of time on the Duke. Catherine, looking at Bertram as he gazed out the window, felt the air around them grow calm and heavy.

“…Now.”

She moved her lips with difficulty. Her voice came out cracked, as if to show how hard it was to speak. After moistening her dry lips with her tongue, Catherine continued slowly.

“Why are you saying this now? Listening to your tragic past seems too late.”

If she were to pick one of her childhood wishes, it would be not to resemble the Duke. She prayed countless nights not to grow cold and stern like her grandfather. Yet now, hiding her complex feelings and speaking coldly, Catherine resembled the Duke she had once despised. She realized again that family ties weren’t something she could shake off at will.

“If you had explained your past before I became Queen, it would have been better.”

After speaking, she felt even more resentful of the Duke. Would he have shown such pitiful behavior if she weren’t becoming Queen? Catherine thought not. No matter how sincere his old stories sounded now, she would never have heard them if she weren’t about to become Queen. Hiding her complicated feelings, Catherine stood up.

She decided to call back the servants she had sent out and see off the unwelcome guest.

“Please leave now. It’s very late. I have much to prepare for the coronation and I’m tired.”

“It’s not an excuse.”

The Duke still didn’t look at Catherine, who had risen. His lips trembled slightly as he insisted it wasn’t an excuse, with his head turned away.

She must have seen it wrong. The Duke wasn’t one to show emotions on his face. Even so, Catherine’s gaze lingered on the Duke’s mouth.

Though she denied it, maybe she was hoping to find some hope in her grandfather. That perhaps he wasn’t entirely a bad person.

Despite repeatedly being disappointed, she found herself swayed by her grandfather’s unguarded expression. Catherine let out a self-deprecating laugh and then hardened her face again.

“If it’s not an excuse, what is it? Honestly, none of your stories touch my heart. It seems like you want something from your granddaughter who is becoming Queen.”

“It’s not an excuse, it’s an apology.”

“…An apology?”

“It’s a reflection on my foolish past and the first and last apology to my precious granddaughter who was hurt by it.”

My precious granddaughter.

The words made her feel both resistant and touched. How hard she had struggled to hear those words as a child.

She had gotten what she wanted, but it wasn’t joyful. Young Catherine, whose life’s greatest goal was her grandfather’s recognition and love, would have been pleased to hear those words. Thinking so, Catherine took a deep breath. If she didn’t breathe deeply, she felt she might cry.

“Please leave.”

“I will say one last thing to you before I go, Your Majesty.”

The Duke slowly rose. Catherine, watching his profile, quickly averted her gaze so as not to be caught. The Duke carefully stepped aside from the table and bowed slowly.

“What are you doing? Grandfather!”

He knelt down and bowed right in front of Catherine. Seeing the Duke’s head almost at her feet, Catherine called out in surprise.

The Duke’s forehead touched the floor.

Had he ever been so humble to anyone? Catherine’s face turned red with confusion.

“To my only granddaughter, I want to convey this. Please forgive my rudeness, Your Majesty.”

“What on earth are you…”

What could he want to say now, bowing with his face to the ground? Feeling uneasy with his greeting, Catherine bit her lip.

“I’m sorry, Cathy.”

When the Duke said he was sorry, Catherine felt as if time had stopped. Everything happening before her seemed like a dream.

How she had longed to hear those words from her grandfather. Perhaps someone had secretly conveyed her feelings to him. While Catherine was bewildered, the Duke added one last word.

“I love you.”

Thump.

Her heart sank.

She had never imagined hearing such words from her grandfather, not even in her dreams.

Could he be a demon in her grandfather’s guise? 

Catherine couldn’t believe any of the Duke’s words.

“My little treasure, Cathy. I love you.”

The Duke could only convey his long-hidden feelings in this way. Facing her directly and expressing his heart was the only way he knew.

He didn’t dare hope that his sincerity would fully reach Catherine. He only felt an urgent need to confess his feelings to avoid future regrets. Even if Catherine misunderstood it as a ploy because she was becoming Queen, he couldn’t help it.

He knew no other way than to heal the wounds caused by words with words.

Catherine stood silently, and the Duke, occasionally shaking, lay prostrate. Their irregular breaths echoed in the quiet room, reaching someone standing far in the corner.

Having rushed over with a desire to see Catherine, Henry and Alto, who had hidden upon seeing an unexpected person, stood pressed against the wall.

Alto looked quite awkward. Trying to comfort his lonely majesty, he found himself in an uncomfortable situation, his chest tightening with unease.

In contrast, Henry’s face was calm. No one could have imagined the Duke in such a state. A man who would do anything to get what he wanted, bowing to apologize and confessing love to his only granddaughter.

It was both amusing and sad.

Knowing little about Catherine’s childhood, Henry’s heart ached, realizing it was filled with more pain than he had imagined. He felt both sorry for and proud of Catherine, who finally received recognition from the person she wanted it from. Perhaps Henry saw a reflection of his own stoic father in the Duke.

Though the Duke’s confession was meant for Catherine, Henry felt his own heart warming.

Despite thinking he didn’t get along with the Duke, they shared one thing in common.

They both sincerely loved and cherished Catherine.

Henry quietly bowed his head.