Chapter 4 (Part 3)

As Therese hesitated, unable to say anything, Roshan slid off the sofa, knelt, and reached out his hand. Heat radiated from his palm as it came closer.  

“…Master. Please.”  

“Why, why are you in pain again? Should I bring you some painkillers?”  

Therese’s eyes filled with fear as she looked down at Roshan, who was trembling all over.  

“Please don’t die.”  

His large, scarred hand lightly grasped the hem of Therese’s dress. The desperation in that gesture was so raw that she couldn’t bear to push him away.  

“I’ll take care of everything, so please, Master…”  

Watching Roshan sobbing with his shoulders shaking, hot tears streamed down Therese’s cheeks.  

Roshan, who had moved recklessly, began staining the white shirt he wore with red. Staring down at the sight, Therese’s eyes filled with complicated emotions.  

“Roshan, you don’t have to bear anything.”  

“My life already belongs to you, Master.”  

Therese removed the shawl she was wearing and draped it over Roshan’s shoulders.  

“Roshan, your life is yours. You can’t give it to anyone. And as for me…”  

Therese’s hands, trembling as she wrapped the shawl around him, began to shake even more. She had to stay strong for the people who loved and believed in her.  

“…Master.”  

When Roshan raised his head, his face was soaked with tears. Forcing a smile, Therese wiped away his tears with the back of her hand.  

“I won’t die. I’ll make sure to detoxify the poison. So stop crying like a fool.”  

“M-Master. H-heuk, ugh.”  

Roshan, resting his cheek lightly on Therese’s hand, began crying even more sorrowfully.  

Much time had passed.  

Looking at Roshan, who had fainted from crying, she reached out and brushed his sweat-soaked bangs aside.  

“No matter how I look at you, you’re just like a big retriever.”  

Roshan’s black hair reminded her of the glossy black-coated dog she had raised as a child.  

After treating Roshan and taking him to the guild-owned house in the capital, some time had passed by the time she returned.  

“We’re almost there.”  

The Richard ducal residence, visible in the distance, was truly grand. But that was all—it gave no sense of warmth or comfort.  

“Madame, what’s wrong?”  

“It just doesn’t feel like I’m coming home.”  

Sophia was indignant at Therese’s sorrowful tone.  

“Whose house would it be if not yours, Madam? It’s so frustrating that the guest doesn’t even think of leaving.”  

Sophia, who usually acted so composed, pounded her chest and spoke harshly, making Therese smile faintly.  

“Sophia, are you about to lose your mind?”  

“Oh my goodness. I-I apologize.”  

Sophia had originally been a maid serving Therese’s mother. Being a maid from a merchant family, she was quite different from the typical servants of noble households. When she got angry, she would curse like a sailor. She said she had learned it from her father, who had been a sailor.  

“Sophia, when it’s just the two of us, act normally. I prefer that.”  

Although Sophia’s words might sound rough, they always carried a warm heart underneath.  

On the other hand, the polished words of nobles always felt like a cold winter breeze. They appeared respectful on the surface, but inside, they were hollow.  

“I feel a little nauseous. I think I’ll walk.”  

Her head had been throbbing for a while, and she couldn’t endure the vibrations caused by the carriage wheels any longer. Hearing Therese’s words, Sophia looked worried.  

“Again?”  

“Sophia, please.”  

“…Then I will wait near the entrance, Madam.”  

As always, Sophia gave in to her, and soon the carriage that had dropped off Therese rolled away slowly, kicking up dust.  

“…Phew.”  

Scanning her surroundings, Therese slipped into the forest path next to the main road, worried she might run into the Duke again like last time.  

‘It’s unbecoming for the Duchess Richard to walk on a dirt road.’  

The cold words the Duke had once said to her were still vivid in her memory.  

The vast forest Therese entered was connected to the Richard ducal residence.  

“They said if I keep walking this way, I’ll reach the front gate.”  

The forest path, dense with fir trees, was filled with a refreshing atmosphere. Finally able to breathe comfortably, Therese stretched her arms upward.  

“Sitting all day has made me a little stiff.”  

After a long stretch, Therese lowered her arms and looked up, catching sight of sunlight filtering through the lush trees.  

“It’s so beautiful.”  

She had been walking for a long time like that.

Therese began to feel a little uneasy. She thought she had been walking straight, but at some point, it seemed she had strayed far from the main road.  

“Could I be lost?”  

The forest within the Richard estate was so vast that it even contained a large lake, and there were rumors of wolves and bears living there.  

The sun had started to set, and as the surroundings grew darker, the scenery no longer looked beautiful. Gripped by fear, Therese focused on the sounds around her.  

But all she could hear were the sounds of flowing water, rustling insects, and chirping birds—no sounds of people or horses.  

Heading toward the sound of water, Therese walked diligently until she spotted a faint beam of light.  

“Thank goodness. There’s a house.”  

She muttered to herself, guessing it might be a shelter used by hunters or herbalists.  

“If I ask them, they’ll take me back to the manor in no time.”  

Hope is such a powerful force for humans. Therese’s steps quickened, and soon she was almost running.  

Panting heavily, she arrived in front of a small log cabin. The light seeping through the window was so faint that it was a wonder she had even noticed it.  

In front of the house were an axe and a pile of half-split logs, and to one side stood a small shed, where large potatoes peeked out from open sacks. Signs of habitation were evident.  

After straightening her disheveled appearance, Therese cautiously knocked on the door.  

“Is anyone there?”  

At her voice, there was a loud clattering sound from behind the door, followed by hurried footsteps.  

“…?”  

It seemed she had startled whoever was inside.  

“Well, who would expect a visitor at this hour?”  

Just as Therese made an apologetic expression, the door opened.  

Creak~!  

Having grown accustomed to the darkness of the forest, Therese couldn’t immediately make out the face of the person standing in the faint light.  

“…What brings you here?”  

Hearing a familiar voice, Therese blinked her wide eyes a few times before realizing who was standing before her with a frown.  

“Your Grace?”  

“Come in for now.”  

With another creak, the door closed, and the two stood side by side under the small log cabin’s roof.  

Though she had entered, Therese’s heart was pounding so hard that she couldn’t remove her hand from her chest.  

‘That really surprised me.’  

The fact that there was a house in such a forest was already surprising, but the fact that the Duke had come out of it was even harder to believe.  

‘But in a way, I’m a little relieved.’  

It felt a bit strange to feel this way about Jeremy Richard, but after wandering through the dark forest and seeing him, she felt reassured. She had been terrified that a bear or a wolf might appear.  

As her pounding heart calmed, the interior of the house came into view. The inside was more spacious than it appeared and was quite well-organized, likely thanks to the care of its owner.  

Several hand-carved wooden figurines were displayed above the small fireplace, and a tapestry hung on one wall. The tapestry featured the Richard family’s emblem, a unicorn, embroidered in white thread, though it was somewhat faded, suggesting it was quite old.  

“This place is a resting spot I use whenever I go hunting.”  

The Duke, who had offered Therese a seat on the soft fur rug by the fireplace, moved busily. Therese watched his familiar movements with curious eyes.  

‘Could this place belong to His Grace?’  

But the humble log cabin didn’t seem to suit someone who always wore and consumed only the finest things.  

“Now, why don’t you tell me how you ended up wandering in this forest?”  

Handing her a warm drink, he naturally sat beside her.  

‘Hot cocoa with marshmallows?’  

Holding the mug, Therese’s face flushed with embarrassment. From Oxford Street to the macarons he had given her at the dining table, and now this—it felt as if he saw her as a child who only liked sweet things.  

“I get motion sickness, so I got off the carriage to walk for a bit, and this happened.”  

She couldn’t admit that she had lost her way due to her poor sense of direction. Hearing her explanation, the Duke’s eyes turned cold.  

“I’ll make sure to punish everyone who failed to escort you properly.”  

“It’s my fault. I asked for it.”  

It wasn’t right for Sophia or the coachman to be reprimanded because of her mistake.  

“You are the Duchess of Richard. Never forget that.”  

“…”

A Duke of noble lineage would never tolerate a lady wandering around without servants or engaging in business through a guild to earn money.  

‘But I am not one of those damned Richard family people.’  

Anger surged within her, but she managed to calm herself with the warmth radiating from the hot mug in her hands.