Chapter 3 (Part 10)

At the Duke’s words, Therese stood up and turned to walk toward the building, but Jeremy remained seated on the ground.

“……Hmm.”

Raising a large hand to his face, he sighed deeply. Therese’s scent lingered subtly around his eyes, where her scarf had been tied.

His lower abdomen, where she had sat, was warm. The feeling of excitement was similar to the night he first experienced a wet dream during adolescence. Had Therese not hurried away, she would have noticed his arousal.

“……Damn.”

As his aroused member released sticky pre-ej*culate beneath his trousers, Jeremy was at a loss for words. It was pathetic to see himself acting like a dog in heat, despite being praised as the Empire’s hero.

“Hard to say I won.”

In the empty training ground, Jeremy covered his face with both hands for no reason.

❖ ❖ ❖

The next day, the Duke kept his promise and taught her swordsmanship. He carefully observed Therese, who wore a white shirt and black pants.

“……What are you staring at?”

Annoyed by his gaze, Therese commented. Jeremy suppressed a smile that threatened to escape.

Right now, Therese looked like the little girl he had tea with on Oxford Street.

‘But I should pretend not to know until the end.’

Wearing a black shirt and form-fitting pants, he handed Therese a wooden sword.

“First, let’s check your stance. Try stabbing that scarecrow over there. I’ll watch and correct any bad habits.”

Following his instructions, Therese swung the wooden sword. But Jeremy seemed dissatisfied, criticizing her from start to finish.

“Showing such an opening, can you block an enemy?”

“With a guard, why would I need to step in?”

Therese replied indifferently, stabbing the scarecrow half-heartedly. She had come because of the bet, but she wasn’t really interested.

‘He’s a different kind of schemer from my mother-in-law.’

Maria hadn’t shown her face for days, likely due to severe neuralgia. Despite their mutual dislike, she was slightly concerned about her health.

‘How ridiculous.’

People might expect her to dream grandly after surviving death, but Therese’s current situation was far from that.

“Are you thinking of someone else while I’m right in front of you?”

Due to the Duke’s relentless pushing, Therese stopped what she was doing.

If my extravagance and visits to the gambling den weren’t enough, how about claiming I had someone I liked?

If it were someone whose identity wouldn’t be disgraceful even if revealed.

“I’m afraid so.”

“…….”

The Duke, who had been nagging with his arms crossed, frowned deeply at Therese’s words.

“Who is it? Don’t tell me it’s that Pasa bastard?”

The Duke’s face was worth seeing, as if she was committing adultery right then and there.

“Your Grace, please mind your words. Roshan is my friend.”

Duke Richard was infuriated by Therese’s shameless defense of the Pasa man.

‘Why am I even doing this?’

Having witnessed Therese in danger at the gambling den, he felt an indescribable sensation.

He wanted nothing more than to deal with the man with her.

‘This situation is really unpleasant.’

Though he had experienced countless brutal wars, he had never been as shocked as he was then.

If he hadn’t been there.

The mere thought that a pervert, unable to control his lust, might have assaulted his wife made the Duke’s forehead vein bulge.

‘I absolutely cannot allow that.’

Jeremy Richard had no intention of losing his family ever again.

❖ ❖ ❖

Leaning on the rocking chair in the bedroom, Therese didn’t look well. Having just vomited blood, the metallic smell still lingered around her mouth.

“Suddenly saying he’d teach me swordsmanship.”

After the morning’s uproar with Duke Richard, she was utterly drained. This was what happened if she moved too much due to the poisoning.

Therese looked at the blood-stained handkerchief and let out a hollow laugh.

“In the past, it was really hard just to see him.”

She had sent countless letters to the Duke, longing to see him.

Though she never received a reply.

The portrait of Duke Richard hanging on the castle wall was her only solace.

Whenever her mother-in-law’s harsh words made her want to cry, she would secretly converse with the portrait. Though merely her husband on paper, the Duke was her only family.

‘Once married, once I have a new family.’

She thought she would be less lonely, but it was a naive and pathetic delusion.

“Why is everything going wrong?”

‘The Duke is too obsessed with me.’

Even uttering such words was embarrassing, and knowing the Duke had heard it all was maddening.

None of her plans made after returning were coming to fruition. Everything was going wrong, and it might even be worse than before.

The poison she had swallowed intending to die was still eating away at her life.

‘I think I’m obsessed with you. I am.’

‘So it would be better if you’re where I can see you.’

Did he mean he was following me to prevent me from disgracing the Richard family’s esteemed reputation?

But surely, the great Duke had other things to do, so he wouldn’t keep interfering with her work.

“Right. He’s a trusted servant of His Majesty the Emperor.”

Felipe Morciani was famous for not trusting people. So suspicious that he even killed the nanny who had raised him since childhood with his own hands.

‘She deserved to die for trying to poison me!’

Though it was later revealed that it was not poison but a miracle drug from Pasa, the Emperor didn’t restore the honor of the nanny, who was buried with the stigma of attempting to assassinate the Emperor.

“Indeed, considering he chose me as a match.”

It was clear the Emperor trusted no one. Yet, her thoughts drifted back to the Duke.

‘Who is it? Don’t tell me it’s that Pasa bastard?’

His obsidian-like eyes, wary of Roshan, only reflected Therese.

“Enough, stop thinking.”

Duke Richard was like a tangled skein of thread.

The more you tried to unravel it, the more tangled it became.

Leaning deeply into the chair, Therese picked up a very thick book.

Nothing dispelled distracting thoughts like reading.

But before she could read even a few pages, thoughts of Roshan occupied her mind. His wounds were so horrific that they were enough to give Therese nightmares.

“He said he’d give his life for me.”

She thought it was just a statement of loyalty, but seeing Roshan’s body, she realized how sincere his words had been.

“Roshan, why are we like this?”

She was suffering from poisoning, and Roshan was in pain from his torn body.

Setting the book aside, Therese glanced out the window. She wanted to rush to Roshan and at least help him take his medicine.

“But going like this would only be a burden.”

Touching her gaunt cheek, Therese took out the medicine from her pocket and swallowed it in one go.

“Yes. Let’s muster the strength for just one more day.”

She didn’t want to leave any regrets in the life given to her once more.

But despite her brave words, only a gloomy wind blew over her dry lips and darkened eyes.

❖ ❖ ❖

It was evening by the time Therese could finally go downstairs. The Richard ducal residence was unusually lively after a long time. Glancing around, she saw that the staff from the dress shop were busily carrying new dresses.

“Mother, how are you feeling?”

Just because the other was a devil in human guise didn’t mean she intended to become one herself. So Therese first greeted Maria, who was older.

“How absurd. You haven’t visited me once, yet you talk as if you care.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve been a bit busy.”

She had sent Sophia with flowers and medicine as a gift, but it seemed that wasn’t enough.

“Don’t just stand there, come over here.”

“…….”

She didn’t know why she was being summoned, but she didn’t want to provoke Maria, who was just recovering.

As Therese took a seat in the drawing room, Maria began critiquing the dresses as if she had never been ill.

“Do they expect me to wear such an unrefined thing!”

All the dresses were elegant and beautiful, but they didn’t seem to satisfy Maria.

“His Majesty the Emperor is holding a ball soon. It’s to celebrate our Duke Richard’s achievements.”

Maria clasped her hands together, looking as if she might faint from joy.

“Truly, His Grace is a blessing to the empire.”

Katrina, sitting beside her, agreed tearfully with Maria’s words.

‘Ah, the ball.’

Therese recalled the time she stepped on the Duke’s feet countless times while dancing in the street.

“By the way, since you’re not well, there’s no need for you to prepare for the ball.”

“…….”

Only then did Therese understand why Maria had called her there. It was to announce that Katrina, her mother-in-law, and Duke Richard would attend the ball.

‘She’s telling me to stay out of it.’

In truth, Therese detested balls.

Even if she went, all she would hear were whispers and receive pointed fingers.

So, she actually thought it was a relief.

‘But this way is a bit unpleasant.’

She wanted to choose whether to go to the ball or not.

Not to be driven away like this.

When Therese made a sullen face, Maria frowned.

“You’re acting as if we’re deliberately excluding you.”

“…….”

“That’s absolutely not the case. We even ordered your dress, see?” 

At Maria’s gesture, a servant brought out a dress they had set aside and displayed it. The moment she saw it, Katrina couldn’t hold back her laughter, and Therese’s cheeks flushed red.

The red dress was made of a sheer fabric that exposed everything, with a deeply cut back, making it dizzying just to look at.

“I specially ordered this for you. It’s said to be the most popular dress in Pasa.”

What did Pasa’s fashion have to do with the Caspian Empire?

No noblewoman would wear such a dress. Even the Empire’s courtesans would refuse such a revealing dress, and the intention behind presenting it was too disgusting.

“But I suppose you can’t wear this, can you?”

“The Duchess might catch a cold if she wore something like that, given her weak state.”

Katrina added, as if she were genuinely concerned for Therese.

‘Since you care so much for me, I’ll gladly oblige.’

With an unseen smile, Therese spoke.

“Bring the dress here.”

At Therese’s command, Maria and Katrina’s eyes widened. Therese, who had quickly changed into the dress in the next room, confidently appeared in the drawing room.

“Since Mother personally ordered it, the dress feels quite wonderful.”

“Oh my, how indecent.”

Though it wasn’t a dress Therese had chosen, Maria fussed, covering her face with a fan.

“Goodness, Duchess! What about your dignity, dressing like that?”

Katrina, equally shocked, repeated the same words like a parrot.

“Wasn’t this the ball attire made for me?”

As Therese shrugged, the delicate, petal-like dress fluttered in all directions.

“What is going on here?”

Duke Richard’s sharp gaze, leaning against the pillar at the drawing-room entrance, swept over Therese from head to toe.

Though she hadn’t been embarrassed in front of her mother-in-law, Therese’s face flushed at his appearance. Though she wore a chemise underneath, the fabric of the dress was so thin that it might be see-through.

“Duke, we were preparing for the ball. But the Duchess insists on wearing such a dress…….”

Maria lied without a change in expression.

Surveying the drawing room, the Duke strode forward, roughly undoing the gold buttons of the jacket he was wearing.

He immediately wrapped it around Therese.

“…….”

The Duke stood so close he almost embraced her, and his hands, gripping the jacket’s front, were very large. Startled by his actions, Therese repeatedly swallowed dryly.

Looking down at Therese’s flushed cheeks, the Duke spoke softly.

“It seems to suit you well, but I’d prefer if you wore this dress only in front of me.”

“……Ha.”

Even after making a statement that could easily be misunderstood, the Duke’s serious expression didn’t waver.

“Your Grace! Please take a look at my dress too. I’ve had it tailored to match yours.”

Trying to catch the Duke’s attention, Katrina stood and spun around a few times. Without taking his eyes off Therese, Jeremy spoke.

“Why are you concerned about matching with me, Lady Volez?”

“Oh my, oppa! Why do you speak so harshly? We went to the ball together long ago, didn’t we?”

It was a distant past when the previous Duke was still alive. At that time, Jeremy was still a young boy who hadn’t shed his youthful innocence.

“Lady Volez, I am not your ‘oppa’. You should be mindful of how you address me.”

Drawing a clear line in their relationship, the Duke’s words left Katrina unable to lift her head in shame.

“Madame, would you step outside and take a look at my suit?”

“No, Duke……!”

Wrapping his arm around Therese’s back, the Duke walked out of the drawing room, leaving Maria speechless, her finger raised in shock.

<To be continued in Volume 2>