Chapter 2 (Part 4)

As Therese picked at her food, the butler entered and announced someone’s arrival.

“His Grace the Duke has arrived.”

“……Ah.”

Therese, flustered, clutched her dress tightly.

‘I heard he would come late.’

As Duke Richard strode in, Katrina jumped up and ran to him.

“Your Grace, I’m here! How long has it been since we last met?”

She extended her arms to the Duke with all the charm she could muster, but he merely frowned and walked past her.

“Mother, I apologize for being late to dinner.”

He then sat directly next to Therese. In this slightly awkward situation, Katrina hurried back to her seat.

“I was so glad to see you that I forgot my manners.”

“Lady Volez, it’s been a while.”

When he greeted her after wetting his lips with water, Katrina’s face finally blossomed with a smile.

“Oh my, what’s this? You can just call me Katrina like before.”

“It seems improper according to etiquette.”

“Oh dear.”

Unable to respond further, Katrina sulkily cut her meat. Jeremy Richard was never particularly friendly.

Since childhood, he only enjoyed playing with swords or reading books, never giving her any attention.

‘Jeremy-oppa! Oppa!’

Even after calling him dozens of times, he would barely look at her.

‘If only His Grace liked me as much as that foolish Gabriel does.’

But Katrina believed she would soon become Duchess Richard. Maria Richard was on her side, and only a family as traditional as the Volez could match the Richard family.

‘If it weren’t for the imperial decree, His Grace would have been mine long ago.’

Katrina, trembling with anger, glared at the skinny woman sitting across from her. A lady from a baron family never once mentioned in society. 

Therese Demori had taken what was hers. 

Katrina Volez, who had never had anything taken from her in her life, had been robbed.

Just then, Maria asked.

“Duke, how was your visit to the academy?”

“Yes, I met Gabriel while I was there.”

“Oh, I see.”

Maria showed little interest in the matter. She wasn’t particularly interested in Gabriel, who wasn’t the heir, unlike her eldest son, Jeremy.

“And….”

When Duke Richard trailed off, Therese, sitting next to him, stiffened.

‘What unnecessary thing is he going to say?’

Surely he wouldn’t mention seeing me earlier, right? 

No lady would dress as a man, so if her mother-in-law found out, there would be an uproar. Not wanting to waste emotional energy before the divorce, she clenched her fist.

“I stopped by the knight order and met Georges. He asked about your well-being, Mother.”

“Oh, I should send word to Knight Commander Dupont to have tea sometime.”

Therese also knew Baron Georges Dupont well. He was the knight commander and one of Duke Richard’s few friends. Unlike the Duke, he was a friendly person with a warm smile.

‘Anyway, that’s a relief.’

As she let out a sigh of relief, the Duke picked up a macaron from the dessert spread on the table and placed it on her plate.

“……?”

Therese wasn’t the only one surprised by the Duke’s action. Her mother-in-law and Katrina were also watching. It was something the Duke would never usually do.

“I thought you liked them, or am I wrong?”

He spoke slowly while looking at Therese. 

It felt as if the scene from Oxford Street earlier was replaying. 

The Duke’s dark eyes sparkled at her like the setting sun scattering on the street.

‘What’s this? Is he testing me, knowing everything?’

She thought it didn’t matter if she was found out, but she didn’t know why she felt so anxious.

“……Well.”

As she hesitated, the Duke casually answered while lifting his teacup.

“Most ladies like this sort of thing, or so I’ve heard.”

Ah, so it’s just generally speaking?

Therese, who had been biting her lip, responded quietly.

“Thank you for your kindness.”

Therese didn’t end up eating the raspberry macaron he had given her. It would be more accurate to say she couldn’t eat it. 

Dinner with Katrina, her mother-in-law, and the Duke was truly the worst. 

A difficult day was coming to an end.

❖ ❖ ❖

The next afternoon, Therese visited the Bazaar’s office.

“Roshan, bring me the request forms we’ve received.”

“May I ask what this is about?”

Although she was the head of the information guild, Roshan handled the actual work. That’s why she could leave it to him without worry after her wedding five years ago. Roshan looked at her with a rather concerned gaze, but Therese ignored it and spoke.

“Bring them.”

“Understood.”

Just a month ago, she would have been sifting through request forms here, but to Therese, it felt like a distant memory. Especially since it was the first time she’d done so after her marriage.

‘……Finding lost pets, tracking down unfaithful lovers.’

Most requests were trivial, and occasionally, there were inappropriate ones.

“Surely you didn’t accept something like this?”

Therese frowned upon finding a request to kill someone’s father. There were certainly people who deserved to die, but she didn’t want Roshan’s sword stained with such blood.

“We accept anything that makes money, but we don’t take on tasks that go against your beliefs.”

Roshan replied as he set a chocolate soufflé on the table.

“Why do you keep bringing me food?”

“You enjoy sweet treats, don’t you?”

“……Hmm.”

It was something Therese had already forgotten. Her gaze held a peculiar emotion as she looked at the soufflé, which was crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

After she finished it, Roshan brought her tea brewed with leaves from the East. After blowing on it and taking a sip, her previously dry mouth felt refreshed.

“By the way, there seem to be many missing person reports these days.”

Requests to find people had more than doubled compared to last year, and on the way here, there were portraits with descriptions posted everywhere.

“Because of that, everyone has been busy.”

Therese, frowning, tilted her head and extended her hand.

“What about the owls?”

“These just came in today.”

The information guild had branches all over the country, and if something unusual happened, they would use owls to send messages to the headquarters. Therese, who was sipping the remaining tea, scanned all the notes Roshan handed her.

‘Something seems suspicious.’

Missing person reports had increased not only in the capital but also in other regions. Moreover, it was mostly young women of marriageable age who were disappearing. Her head started to throb.

There were many issues surrounding Therese at the moment, and none of them were easy to resolve.

‘Extravagance won’t lead to a divorce.’

She couldn’t predict the Duke’s thoughts, but from what she saw now, no matter what Therese bought, he wouldn’t budge.

“Roshan, it’s been a while since I visited the gambling den.”

“……Pardon?”

Roshan’s eyes widened, unable to believe what his master had just said while reviewing documents.

“You don’t usually enjoy gambling.”

Gambling dens were noisy places with constant incidents and accidents. Because of this, Therese usually avoided going near them.

‘If I tell him the truth, Roshan will oppose it again.’

She hadn’t been able to gather proper rumors from the gambling den lately. Therese planned to go there herself to find a lead amidst the crime haven.

“You’re quite curious these days, aren’t you?”

“……I apologize.”

Roshan bowed his head deeply, and Therese smiled faintly.

A little later, standing in front of the mirror, Therese wore a black dress and a red jewel brooch. As she secured the bonnet with a veil covering her face, she brushed her exposed shoulders with her fingertips. 

She was used to wearing dresses resembling mourning clothes at the ducal residence, so this felt quite awkward.

‘Are you trying to show off your vulgar origins?’

If Therese showed any sign of dressing up, her mother-in-law would hurl abusive words. Not that she ever praised her for dressing neatly.

‘Are you protesting because I scolded you a little? Where did you learn such manners!’

The Duke had left for the frontier and hadn’t returned for a year. Having given up everything she used to do upon becoming Duchess, she couldn’t meet friends. 

Trapped in the castle, she was fully exposed to her mother-in-law’s abuse. Given the circumstances, Therese gave up on grooming her appearance. Her hair grew long and unruly, and she avoided looking in the mirror.

“Would you like to wear a shawl?”

“If I cover up, there’s no point in wearing this dress, is there?”

Though Therese was adventurous by nature, she didn’t usually enjoy dressing like this.

“I’m worried you might catch a cold.”

Hearing Roshan’s trembling voice, Therese snorted as she checked him in the mirror.

“I thought Sophia had come here.”

“Still, this is a bit much.”

Roshan, who had fetched a shawl, stubbornly covered her shoulders. Unable to resist his strength, she ended up wearing the luxurious-looking fur shawl. As Roshan, standing behind her, fastened the shawl with a ruby brooch, he whispered softly.

“Master, the gambling den is more dangerous than you think.”

“Roshan, is there anywhere that isn’t dangerous by your standards?”

Roshan’s overprotective behavior was amusing to her. It felt like just yesterday he had appeared before her, crying because he had nowhere to go, and now he seemed to be pretending to be an adult.

When she spun around, Roshan didn’t move back at all, making it seem as if she was in his arms.

“If you stay by my side, I’ll protect you with my life.”

Roshan, who was calmly gazing into Therese’s surprised eyes, spoke seriously.

“Roshan. Don’t say things like that. Step back. You’re too big, it’s suffocating.”

Therese, who pushed Roshan away with one finger, stood in front of the mirror to finish her preparations.

“This is taking quite a while.”

If she had brought Sophia, it would have been done already, but she couldn’t.

‘She’d cause a fuss from the entrance.’

Sophia, who believed in not seeing or going down the wrong path, didn’t suit the gambling den at all.

Still hovering around Therese, Roshan asked.

“Master, have you taken your medicine?”

“Yes. I took it before coming.”

“We’re still searching for the antidote. It’s complex to make, and there are only a few artisans in the empire who can do it.”

“……I see.”

It wasn’t easy to find an antidote. It was a poison she had taken with the intent to die. Suddenly, worrying about this seemed ridiculous.

‘What do I really want?’

But there was nothing harder than such a question. Over the past five years, Therese had been dying little by little, and in the end, only gray ashes remained.

Therese, whose mind went blank, clenched her fist tightly. She didn’t have time to waste pondering with a mind that wouldn’t work. The poison was eating away at her precious time.

“Let’s go for now.”

Therese led the way energetically, and Roshan, following behind, had a face full of dark clouds.