Chapter 49

“Good day, Mother.”

Despite the sudden visit, Hugo was dressed neatly and greeted her.

He knew that the relationship between Catherine and the Earl Bedwig couple was very strained, but Hugo maintained his manners.

Attacking first was something only an amateur would do.

Hugo was not inclined to strike first. He had learned from experience that striking first could lead to bloodshed.

‘Blood is thicker than water, and the arm bends inward.’

Perhaps it was when he punished his brother-in-law who had sold the nation’s key military secrets.

When Hugo criticized that foolish prince, Regencia had been very displeased.

Even with a clear reason, relationships could become uncomfortable, so he did not want to create unnecessary conflict by attacking Countess Bedwig first.

If she did not first act rudely, Hugo intended to keep his manners as well.

“Calling me Mother is premature, Duke. It’s like asking a newborn foal to run.”

“It won’t be long now. It’s good to get used to it in advance. Even foals need to practice running, don’t they?”

Countess Bedwig’s insides churned at Hugo’s sly reply.

“Let’s go to the drawing room, Mother. It’s warm and cozy there.”

Since she didn’t come to fight today, Countess Bedwig obediently headed to the drawing room.

As Hugo mentioned, the drawing room was quite decent.

Countess Bedwig’s expression brightened considerably in the drawing room, which was adorned with what was clearly the highest quality items.

‘Better than something shabby.’

Even if they were to fight, Countess Bedwig preferred to do so on the finest furs rather than on dirt floors.

Soon, the butler brought out the tea. The butler’s movements were precise and without excess.

‘Even the servants are well-trained.’

She had come to separate Hugo and Catherine, but she was only growing fonder of the Edward family’s wealth and traditions.

If she had a daughter other than Catherine, she would gladly have married her off to Hugo. Objectively, Hugo was an attractive son-in-law.

However, Countess Bedwig had no daughter other than Catherine, and since Catherine was not even related by blood, Hugo was a card to be discarded.

“Would you prefer milk or sugar? Or do you need both?”

“Just sugar, please.”

Hugo offered the sugar bowl to Countess Bedwig. She took two sugar cubes and stirred them into her tea with a spoon.

“Leave us.”

Hugo said to Roek. Roek made eye contact with Countess Bedwig, bowed, and left the drawing room.

Countess Bedwig focused on the taste of the tea for a moment. It was a time for both to maintain their manners, and once that time passed, Countess Bedwig spoke.

“Why do you think I’ve come, Your Grace?”

Though she politely called him Your Grace, to Hugo’s ears it sounded like mockery.

“Please feel free to call me Hugo as you used to, Mother.”

He wasn’t fond of the formal title that didn’t come from the heart. And if he married Catherine, it would eventually become a familiar title.

Just as he practiced calling her Mother, it would be good for Countess Bedwig to get used to speaking comfortably.

“If that’s what Your Grace wishes, I should comply, Hugo.”

Countess Bedwig was already irritated by having to address Hugo with respect.

To think that Hugo, who had once begged her to let him marry Catherine, was now sitting arrogantly as a Duke!

Countess Bedwig quickly accepted his invitation to speak comfortably.

“It’s much more comfortable.”

Hugo drank tea to suppress the anger rising inside him.

“Now that I think about it, we used to have tea like this, just the two of us.”

The veins in Hugo’s temples throbbed. Memories he had buried slowly resurfaced.

“Hugo, what did you say to me back then?”

Countess Bedwig’s sly pretense of ignorance had one purpose.

She wanted Hugo to speak of the past memories himself.

Hugo put down his teacup. He forced a smile to hide his irritation.

“I said I would live for Catherine.”

“No, no. That’s wrong, Hugo.”

Countess Bedwig swung her folded fan. A feather fell from the fan onto the table.

Hugo picked up the feather and hid it in his fist.

If the feather had bones, Hugo clenched his fist hard enough to shatter it into a hundred pieces.

“To my memory, that’s what I said.”

“Memories are prone to distortion, Hugo. But I remember clearly, because I recorded our conversation.”

“Recorded our conversation?”

“Wasn’t our conversation more than just a conversation? It was a deal. You bought Catherine from the Bedwig family.”

The smile that had been plastered on Hugo’s face like a mask slowly disappeared.

His expressionless face looked very fierce.

In contrast, Countess Bedwig’s smile deepened.

She had just confirmed that the card she had carefully chosen could indeed control Hugo.

“Countess Bedwig.”

Every time he called her Mother, it made him feel sick.

Nevertheless, he had called Countess Bedwig Mother because he believed they would eventually become family.

But upon hearing her recent words, Hugo made up his mind.

Even if he married Catherine, he would not become family with Countess Bedwig.

So there was no need to continue calling her Mother and trying to please her.

“Speak, Hugo.”

“You’re mistaken, Countess Bedwig. If my address has changed, so should yours. After all, I am a Duke.”

When Hugo received the title of Duke, he thought he wouldn’t use his status to suppress others.

He believed there was no difference between a Viscount and a Duke.

But there was nothing like a title to suppress Countess Bedwig.

Hugo willingly broke his own principles to suppress her.

Countess Bedwig’s face turned red, but she bit her lip. She was indignant but couldn’t argue.

“Catherine is not a possession.”

Hugo took a deep breath. His chest expanded, making his already large body appear even larger.

“Regardless of what conversation we had in the past, I never thought I bought Catherine from the Bedwig family.”

“That might be your opinion, Your Grace, but people won’t believe it.”

Countess Bedwig was formidable. She easily called him Duke, whom she had once ignored as a son-in-law.

“There is clear evidence that you and I made a deal regarding Catherine, Your Grace. There’s a contract, isn’t there? Did you throw it away? That’s fine, Your Grace. I have a copy.”

Hugo’s jaw tightened.

The contract he had signed with Countess Bedwig before marrying Catherine was unfair.

It bore the marks of exploitation that one would not expect from a contract between marrying families.

Nevertheless, Hugo had gladly accepted the terms of that contract at the time.

Because he loved Catherine and wanted to marry her.

But after hearing Catherine’s declaration of divorce, Hugo realized.

He couldn’t hold onto Catherine with a contract. If he wanted Catherine, he should have won her heart.

Once he realized this, he felt infinitely ashamed of having signed that contract.

He regretted ignoring Catherine’s will and bringing her to the Viscount family like a piece of merchandise.

So the contract was evidence of Hugo’s foolishness.

Naturally, Hugo tore the contract into tiny pieces as soon as he divorced Catherine.

He wanted to erase it, forget it, and never let Catherine find out.

But Countess Bedwig was digging up his disgraceful past and saying that past still existed.

“What do you want?”

Countess Bedwig smiled brightly. Things were going as she wanted.

“Break up with Catherine, Your Grace.”

“What is the problem? My title should no longer be an issue. Or is it about money? You don’t need to worry about that either. If you wish, I can send you my financial statement.”

Countess Bedwig raised one corner of her mouth.

Hugo didn’t know.

No matter how much wealth he had, no matter how great his title, he was unacceptable.

Because the probability of it not being his title or his money was high.

And it was hard to fully trust Hugo’s words.

Even if he had become a Duke and received a new territory, the income wouldn’t have started coming in yet, and the Viscount territory was still poor.

“Don’t make me say it twice, Duke. I’ll take it as you’re breaking up with Catherine.”

“That won’t work…”

“Unless you want to see the contract published in the newspaper.”

It would be a fatal blow to the Bedwig family as well.

Nevertheless, Countess Bedwig intended to submit the contract to the newspaper if Hugo continued his engagement with Catherine.

The Bedwig family had many ways to escape.

They could frame it as conditions set out of great concern for their beloved daughter, as they were too worried to send her to a Viscount family with nothing.

And criticism is fleeting. New issues always arise in society. Catherine’s story wouldn’t be talked about forever.

A brief embarrassment followed by long-lasting happiness was acceptable.

“Break up, Your Grace.”

Hugo only glared at Countess Bedwig without responding.