“A brother? Did the late Lord Cavendish have a sibling?”

Someone whispered, but Catherine pretended not to hear.

She recalled Saul with his straight, jet-black hair, then studied the golden curls of the man who had called her sister-in-law. He looked nothing like the typically dark-haired members of the Cavendish family. The only resemblance between the two men was their deep blue eyes, reminiscent of still lakes.

“Butler.”

Though doubtful about this man truly being Saul’s brother, now was not the appropriate time to discuss it. They were in the middle of a funeral. There weren’t many, but there were still eyes watching this scene.

Catherine had a duty as Saul’s wife and mistress of Cavendish to handle this situation with dignity and complete the funeral properly, even though the stranger’s appearance had already disrupted it beyond repair.

“Bring something to cover him.”

Fortunately, Catherine wasn’t the only one who understood this. At her command, the butler quickly instructed a servant following behind him without adding unnecessary comments, then remained by Catherine’s side.

He removed the rain-soaked robe from the man, creating distance between him and Catherine. The butler’s cautious attitude toward the stranger was appropriately loyal and respectful. Catherine left the man in his care and turned away.

“Lady Cavendish, do you need assistance?”

One of the assistant priests had approached without her noticing. Catherine shook her head, trying not to listen to the sounds behind her as a low murmur bubbled like simmering water.

“No, thank you for your concern.”

The priest surely understood what this disruption meant, but instead of questioning or probing further, he chose to remain silent with a devout attitude. Catherine watched as he returned to his place without showing any reaction and spoke briefly to the head priest.

Despite the commotion, the funeral concluded as planned because everyone remembered they were there to honor the deceased.

Those who valued honor and propriety didn’t try to pry into the truth behind the unexpected disturbance by bothering the widow left alone. But Catherine knew this implicit silence would last only for tonight, for what little remained of this day.

Her suspicion became clearer as the procession of mourners departed through the still fierce, though somewhat abated, downpour after the funeral ended. The memorial banquet, which normally would have continued until dawn, ended as soon as the midnight bells rang.

Catherine buried the memory of sharp tongues directed at her, veiled by courtesy, as she watched the departure of those who had looked at her with polite faces but malicious eyes.

Until the clear facts were announced, numerous speculations would surely circulate. Catherine was a flawed bride who had lost her husband after just three months of marriage and now remained alone in a noble house that had lost its master.

She thought that alone wouldn’t pass quietly, but now an unknown member of the Cavendish family had appeared. Catherine sighed.

She knew she stood on precarious ground. Most of those who took issue with her skin color and background would try to invalidate her marriage to Saul and drive her out.

If this man truly was a Cavendish… Catherine suddenly recalled the golden-haired man’s appearance and stopped walking.

Ironically, when confronted with the man claiming to be a Cavendish, Catherine’s first thought wasn’t about her vulnerable position. Looking at him, she remembered Saul’s will—that strange instruction to bear a child of Cavendish blood.

Catherine wondered if Saul might have had this man in mind when he left such an unusual will.

He might truly be a Cavendish. Despite having no resemblance to Saul, Catherine believed Saul wouldn’t have spoken idly.

No, rather than trusting Saul, she trusted the money he had given her. Being the detached man he was, Saul never miscalculated profit and loss. He had given Catherine enough money to completely transform a person’s life. Catherine believed this wasn’t done carelessly, like tossing alms.

If that belief was correct, Catherine intended to fulfill her part as much as possible, even though Saul was now dead—at least to the value of the life he had changed.

Catherine stopped in front of the reception room. In this sense, she hoped the man beyond this door was indeed a Cavendish, and that he would take pity on her.

In truth, Catherine could hardly be called a true Cavendish, having not even spent her wedding night with her husband despite being married. If this man truly was a Cavendish and refused to acknowledge her, Catherine would have to leave the estate without being able to do anything.

If that’s how it must be, so be it. Catherine thought cynically. If her marriage to Saul was nullified and she had to leave the estate, there was nothing she could do about it.

Everything would become clear only after speaking with the man. Catherine put aside her thoughts and nodded lightly. The girl attending her quickly stepped forward and knocked on the door. Knock, knock. Someone stirred inside. After a brief wait, the door opened. The butler, who had been attending to the guest first, greeted Catherine from inside the reception room.

“You’ve arrived, madam.”

Catherine nodded slightly and asked, “The guest?”

“He’s waiting.”

There was no additional explanation, but Catherine deliberately didn’t ask for one. Considering his usual demeanor, she trusted he had handled things properly. The butler didn’t disappoint her.

“Sister-in-law.”

Upon entering the reception room, she saw the uninvited visitor standing with gentlemanly poise. Catherine observed the man who approached her and extended his hand as though greeting a close acquaintance.

Their eyes met. Unlike a few hours ago when his face had been pale and drenched with rain, now dressed in dry clothes, a faint flush colored his face.

When she placed her hand on his outstretched one, she felt warmth through her thin gloves. The room was filled with the pungent aroma of thickly stewed honey, lemon, and cinnamon. Catherine unconsciously wrinkled her nose.

Glancing down, she noticed a teacup placed in front of where the man had been sitting.

With proper etiquette, the man waited for Catherine to sit across from him before returning to his seat. Soon, the cup in front of him was removed and new cups were placed before both of them. 

Watching the steam rise from the teacups, Catherine confirmed that all preparations were complete and gestured to the butler. The butler looked at the man somewhat worriedly but dismissed all the servants from the room when Catherine signaled with her eyes.

For a moment, only the muffled sound of retreating footsteps could be heard. After the butler finally left, only Catherine and the man remained in the room. The first to speak was the man who had been watching her since she entered the reception room.

“My name is David.”

He then introduced himself as Saul’s half-brother.

Catherine’s gaze lingered on the man before her. He was beautiful. When she first encountered him in the chapel, he had drawn gasps of admiration despite his haggard appearance, so his fully composed self now was even more striking.

But that was all. The man’s beauty left no particular impression on Catherine beyond acknowledging the fact itself.

“This is the first I’ve heard that my husband had a brother.”

Catherine thought as she shifted her gaze from his glossy hair and pearl-white, smooth cheeks without a single blemish. She had thought at first glance that he didn’t much resemble Saul, but now seeing him up close, there seemed to be no resemblance at all.

It wasn’t just their appearance. The atmosphere surrounding the two men was completely opposite, like death and life.

“He probably couldn’t mention me.”

David nodded slowly, acknowledging Catherine’s doubt was natural.

“After Saul inherited the family estate, I entered the theological seminary.”

Catherine blinked at his unexpected words. Then she realized why he had introduced himself as “David” rather than “David Cavendish.”

Entering the seminary meant dedicating one’s life to God, requiring one to remove one’s surname and sever family ties regardless of social status, according to doctrine. However, children from titled families were somewhat different—in their case, it was expressed as “entrusting their connections to God.”

Since it was entrusting rather than severing, they had the opportunity to choose whether to return to secular life or dedicate themselves to God before becoming formal priests. Their surname would be returned or permanently removed based on their choice.

This was a custom created to prevent a family line from ending when the only remaining blood relative had entered the seminary. So if David’s words were true, it made sense that Saul hadn’t mentioned his brother. As long as Saul lived, David wasn’t considered a Cavendish.

Catherine stared at David’s clean-cut face across from her. Saul had become the head of the family about six years ago, which explained why most servants with relatively short tenure didn’t recognize David. However, this didn’t prove that David was actually a member of the Cavendish family.