Chapter 3.3

The two men of the Trovill Ducal Household strolled leisurely through the estate’s back garden. It was early May, and the slightly humid breeze ruffled their hair.  

“You seem weaker by the day. Even Riven could push this wheelchair better than you.”  

“If you consider your own build, Father, you wouldn’t say I lack strength.”  

“You insolent brat.”  

Luette chuckled softly at his father’s words. It had been a while since he last pushed his father’s wheelchair like this.  

The father and son exchanged lighthearted jokes as they made their way through the garden.  

“Are things really fine?” 

The Duke asked.  

“What are you referring to?”  

“I’m asking about you and Sonia. Is everything alright between you two?”  

“You heard her earlier.”  

“She had no choice but to answer that way. She’s always been a thoughtful child.”  

Luette scoffed.  

“You seem to have a soft spot for Sonia, Father.”  

“How could I not? I’ve cherished her as if she were my own daughter.”  

The Duke’s words were sincere.  

At the age of twelve, during his time at the Royal School, he had met Liam Heston, a friend who had been by his side through every moment of his life. Sonia was Liam’s daughter.  

The Duke vividly remembered the first time he met Sonia.  

A frightened child clinging to her mother rather than her nanny, her large eyes staring up at him. She had been a beautiful child, with her father’s sharp features and her mother Adeline’s gray eyes.  

Even back then, the Duke had a sense that she would grow into a stunning woman.  

What he hadn’t anticipated was that she would marry his second son—the one who couldn’t meet her gaze without glaring.  

While he was relieved to hear that they were getting along, his worries hadn’t entirely subsided.  

“Are you sure everything is fine?” 

The Duke asked again.  

Luette sighed in exasperation and shook his head.  

“Everything is fine. The way you keep asking makes it seem like you’re hoping for a problem.”  

“That’s not it.”  

For the first time, Luette took a proper look at his father’s face. In the short span of a year, the Duke had aged noticeably. His face, etched with the marks of time, bore an inexplicable worry.  

“Is something wrong?” 

Luette’s tone shifted slightly.  

The Duke let out a deep sigh. After glancing around to ensure no one else was listening, he dismissed the servants trailing behind them and spoke in a low voice.  

“That illness…”  

“….”  

“Is that illness… under control now?”  

The Duke hesitated to name it directly, referring instead to the “illness” that Sonia was rumored to have.  

It was said that Sonia had been at the scene of a fire as a child, leading to severe trauma. She reportedly suffered from frequent seizures and violent outbursts, often injuring both herself and the servants around her.  

The Dowager’s overprotectiveness, confining Sonia to the estate, was said to stem from this.  

The Duke had always been concerned about this. While Sonia was a cherished daughter of his dear friend, she was not someone he could wholeheartedly welcome as his son’s wife.  

That was the Duke’s honest and unvarnished opinion, and anyone in his position would likely feel the same.  

“It’s fine. There haven’t been any issues since the marriage.”  

“You can speak honestly.”  

“….”  

Luette briefly reflected on their life in Melfir. Although they had lived separately for certain reasons, he had continued to receive reports from the attendants at the annex villa.  

‘Master, it’s too frightening to live here…’

It had been about a week since they headed to Melfir right after their wedding. The news brought by the maids serving at the villa, crying as if in mourning, was that every night, Madam would scream for some unknown reason, and on certain nights, she would wander through the dark, empty corridors without even a lamp.  

The maids who witnessed this claimed they were plagued by nightmares every night, saying the atmosphere in the villa was beyond words.  

However, after some time, such rumors died down. What was reported afterward was not cries about Madam being strange but rather that she was treating the maids as if they were mice to be caught.  

Whatever it was, Luette thought that was enough. Even if she went mad and rampaged at night, there was nothing happening now. She was fine.  

“There really hasn’t been anything. Don’t worry.”  

The suspicious medicine she had been taking lately did bother him a little, but he thought it wouldn’t be a big deal.  

“Did you look into it?”  

“Into what, Your Grace?”  

“Whether that illness is hereditary… or something of the sort.”  

The Duke seemed uncomfortable even saying such things or harboring such suspicions, unable to finish his sentence.  

Luette didn’t fail to understand his father’s unease. After all, the most important factor in noble marriages was none other than producing a healthy heir.  

“It’ll be fine.”  

Luette could say this with certainty.  

“There won’t be any problems. Please don’t worry, Father.”  

“……”  

There really wouldn’t be any issues between the two of us.  

***

When the two men were chatting in the mansion’s backyard, a calm and serene atmosphere filled the drawing room.  

“It’s been such a long time.”  

The Duchess of Trovill finally spoke after finishing her cup of tea.  

“I was worried you might insist on staying in Melfir forever.”  

“I’m sorry for visiting so late, Madame.”  

“It’s fine. It’s already a relief that we get to meet like this.”  

The Duchess smiled as she spoke, but it didn’t seem to mean she was genuinely okay with it.  

“How are the preparations for the Dowager’s party? This year marks her seventieth birthday, so it will surely be grander than ever.”  

“Yes, the Earl has prepared a beautiful gift for her.”  

Hearing that her son had prepared a splendid gift for the Dowager, the Duchess’s face lit up with a satisfied smile.  

But that moment didn’t last long.  

“Are you planning to return to Melfir right after the party?”  

“……”  

Solnia hesitated for a moment. Though she had anticipated the question, hearing it directly made it difficult to respond.  

She knew well that the Duchess wished to accompany her son and daughter-in-law to social gatherings. The Duchess had often sent letters to Luette expressing such desires, and Luette, upon reading them, would frown. This mother-and-son situation had been relayed to Solnia through the maids.  

“I’d like to hear how things have been in Melfir.”  

While Solnia hesitated to answer, the Duchess asked, her face carrying a slight smile as though trying to lighten the mood.  

“I’ve always been curious about how the two of you, who fought so much as children, are living now that you’re married. I also worry about whether Luette is treating you well.”  

“The Earl treats me better than I could ever wish for.”  

Solnia said, her eyes curving into crescent moons.  

“Even though he’s so busy, he always pays attention to me.”  

A lie.  

“Every morning, he shares stories of what he sees and hears outside.”  

Another lie.  

“He’s very attentive to how I’m feeling and to my condition.”  

It was all lies. Of course, it was. Luette Trovill had no reason to do such things, and Solnia had no expectations for such care or affection.  

What Solnia spoke of was the married life she had once dreamed of. But it was enough of a lie to placate the Duchess. To her, the fact that her son was so devoted to his wife would undoubtedly be a source of joy.  

“I see. That’s wonderful.”  

As expected, the Duchess’s face lit up with a satisfied smile as she lifted her teacup.  

Soon, a maid approached to refill the empty cups. The Duchess, still smiling, took a sip of the tea. Solnia followed suit, lifting her own cup.  

“But Solnia,”  

“Yes, Madame?”  

“Are you hiding something from me?”  

The teacup paused briefly on its way to her lips. Though she knew she shouldn’t show it, her body’s reaction was too honest.  

The fragrant aroma of the tea suddenly felt as dry as sand in her mouth.  

At that moment, the Duchess set her cup down and spoke.  

“I hear more about you two than you might think. Not just from gatherings but from all sorts of magazines, gossip columns, and even newspapers. Even without actively seeking them out, there’s no shortage of people chattering about the two of you.”  

Here it comes. Solnia forced a smile onto her lips.  

“That’s simply how the social world works. If you were entirely unknown, it’d be different, but since both of you were quite prominent figures in society, it’s only natural that speculation would arise when you never make an appearance.”  

“……”  

“That’s why I’m asking.”  

“……”  

“Is there a secret about your marriage that I don’t know?”  

Now, Solnia was certain. By the time the letter had arrived, her grandmother had already set the stage.  

Most of the gossip the Duchess had seen and heard was undoubtedly her grandmother’s doing.  

“No, there isn’t.”  

Solnia replied calmly but firmly.  

Her grandmother’s harsh lessons proved their worth in moments like this. Even if her heart was pounding as though it might burst, her face could maintain a serene smile.  

“I understand that our union may seem odd to some. Even our absence from social events after the wedding could seem rude. But Madame, we are exactly as you see us.”  

“……”  

The Duchess slowly nodded. Perhaps she, too, had thought that someone spiteful might have spread such vile rumors about the couple.  

“You know us better than anyone, don’t you, Madame?”  

The unhesitant use of titles and the suggestion that she, of all people, should know her son and daughter-in-law best, would have struck the Duchess with an inexplicable sense of responsibility.  

It was as if Solnia were saying, ‘Even if others think that way, you shouldn’t.’  

As expected, the Duchess sighed and said,  

“I’m sorry. I’ve been overly sensitive. Without hearing directly from you, I let myself become too…”  

“No, Madame. It’s understandable.”  

“No, I was foolish. If those rumors were true, you wouldn’t have come to the capital at all.”  

The Duchess finally seemed relieved, her expression softening as she looked at Solnia with a gentler smile.  

“At least that’s a relief. Once the Dowager’s party is over, all those baseless rumors will disappear.”  

“……”  

“That’s truly fortunate.”  

Standing beside the relieved Duchess, Solnia barely managed to nod.  

“I can’t wait for tomorrow to come.”  

“……Me too.”  

This confirmed one thing for sure.  

The birthday party for her grandmother, which was now just a day away, was a trap to determine the authenticity of the Earl and Countess of Melfir.  

“It’s going to be a delightful event.”  

Solnia smiled, her eyes curving, ignoring the pulse that had been pounding irritably since earlier.