Chapter 6 – Changes in Relationship (Part 7)

“Something has come up.”

“What is it?”

“I have to go to the frontier tomorrow.”

Just when she thought peaceful days would continue, Killian dropped a bombshell: he had to personally deal with a dispute in the border area.

“Suddenly?”

“Yes, it might take about a month, maybe longer.”

“Can’t you not go?”

Now that their relationship had improved, the thought of Killian leaving was both surprising and disappointing.

“I don’t want to either, but it’s an order from His Majesty, so I have no choice.”

“Is Brother Liam going with you?”

Sophia asked, hoping that perhaps Liam could go instead, since Killian’s priority should be guarding the king.

“He’s going with me this time too.”

Liam’s involvement indicated that the situation might be dangerous.

“Then who will protect the royal family?”

“The 2nd Royal Knights and the knights from the Loden family and Duke Dveshi’s family will guard the royal family instead.”

The more they talked, the more it seemed like Killian really had to go. The fact that two families, which didn’t cooperate easily, were stepping up meant the situation could be quite serious.

Sophia wanted to hold Killian back, but she couldn’t. It would be selfish of her.

When did my feelings change like this?

Although she went to bed early to prepare for Killian’s departure to the battlefield, Sophia couldn’t sleep. She sat up, watching him sleep, trying to memorize his features.

Having stayed up all night, Sophia hurriedly presented what she had prepared for him the next day.

“Take this.”

It was a handkerchief she had embroidered during her free time at home. Since the ones she had embroidered before were taken by the Duchess Loden, this was the first time she gave Killian a handkerchief she had personally embroidered.

Embroidered with gold thread, the handkerchief, featuring a golden lion motif, looked luxurious and elegant.

“Did you embroider this yourself?”

“Yes. I hope you return safely.”

As Sophia nodded slightly, the corner of Killian’s mouth lifted.

“I’ll return unscathed. But before I go, may I ask one favor?”

“A favor?”

“Yes. I would like you to call me by my name, ‘Killian’.”

Being asked to call him by his name suddenly felt awkward. She hesitated, thinking that calling the name she hadn’t used might change something.

But knowing he would be leaving the estate for a while, she wanted to grant his request.

“Ki….”

“I won’t force you. If you don’t want to, call me as you usually do.”

Seeing her hesitate, Killian withdrew his request, not wanting to burden her.

“K-Killian.”

Summoning her courage, Sophia called him Killian. Her voice was filled with awkwardness, as it was her first time.

Strangely, just calling his name made the atmosphere between them feel different. The awkwardness seemed to ease.

It even felt like the emotional wall between them was fading.

Who knew calling a name could do this?

“Sophie….”

Then Killian softly embraced her, calling her name.

“Please take care of the estate while I’m gone.”

In Killian’s warm embrace, Sophia savored his fresh scent. She had to enjoy it to the fullest while he was there, knowing she’d miss it when he was gone.

* * *

After Killian left, Sophia, alone in the estate, looked at the traces he left in the bedroom.

Before, she thought the bedroom they shared was uncomfortable, but now she found it lonely without him.

He hadn’t been gone long, yet his absence felt enormous.

Even though she had stayed in the mansion all this time, she never felt empty or hollow, but with Killian gone, it felt so vast and empty.

“Killian….”

When he asked her to call his name, she felt awkward, but now, in the place where Killian wasn’t, Sophia could naturally call his name. So now she was confident she could call his name as much as she wanted when she met him again.

“When you return, I’ll call your name as much as you want, so please come back safely.”

Sophia murmured to herself, unable to take her eyes off the spot where Killian’s presence lingered. Yet, it did nothing to soothe her troubled heart.

She embroidered on the handkerchief Emily had prepared, praying for Killian’s safe return.

“Sir Loden will return safely. Don’t worry.”

Seeing the clouded look on Sophia’s face, Emily offered words of comfort.

Emily understood that Sophia’s feelings had changed and supported her wholeheartedly.

* * *

Five days after Killian’s departure, Duke and Duchess Dveshi visited the estate, as if they had been waiting for this moment.

“Sophia! How have you been?”

Duke Dveshi greeted his daughter with a bright smile and embraced her. The Duchess followed suit.

“Yes. I’ve been well.”

“Are you feeling alright?”

The Duchess examined Sophia’s body from head to toe.

“No, nothing’s wrong.”

“Really? I was worried something might have happened since you suddenly moved here, and you look so thin! It seems to me like you’re not eating well.”

After Killian left, Sophia lost her appetite and had become quite thin. So, no matter how much she insisted she was fine, the Duchess’s anxious gaze didn’t disappear.

“I felt a bit on edge while at the Loden estate, but I’ve actually been more comfortable since moving.”

Not wanting to worry her parents, Sophia forced a smile.

“Really? Annette told me you were having a hard time, so I sent over various necessities, but I was worried because I didn’t receive a letter saying you had received them.”

Ah…

Only then did Sophia remember the letter she had intended to send to her parents but never did. She hadn’t wanted to lie about being well, so she had set it aside and then forgotten about it.

“I’m really doing well.”

Though it was late, Sophia turned around in place to show she was doing well.

Seeing that there was nothing wrong with her, the Duchess’s tense expression finally softened. Sophia seized the opportunity to quickly change the subject.

“Since it’s your first visit, would you like a tour of the estate?”

Sophia took the Duchess’s hand and led her towards the drawing room. Duke Dveshi followed them.

“Oh my, it’s all decorated to your taste.”

The Duchess looked around the estate, surprised.

“Yes, Killian prepared it for me.”

“For you?”

“Yes.”

As Duke Dveshi toured the estate, his expression gradually hardened. Sophia only wanted to show she was doing well, so she couldn’t understand why his expression was worsening.

Did I make some mistake?

Just as she was about to ask if something was wrong, he spoke first.

“This won’t do. You must divorce quickly.”

“Divorce?”

Sophia was bewildered by the sudden mention of divorce while touring the estate.

Did I say something strange?

She had never spoken ill of Killian, so she couldn’t understand why Duke Dveshi suddenly brought up divorce.

“Yes. Since you want a divorce, we should proceed with it as soon as possible.”

Hearing that she wanted a divorce made her heart sink.

“I want a divorce?”

“I heard from Annette that you desperately want a divorce. Have you found Sir Loden’s weakness as I instructed?”

Ah, I did say I wanted a divorce before.

Sophia recalled her previous words. At that time, she indeed wanted a divorce. She wanted to leave the Loden family quickly and live freely.

But not anymore. Living with Killian had changed her heart.

“I haven’t found it yet.”

Sophia calmly answered, not revealing her changed feelings. However, perhaps her expression showed some unease, as Duke Dveshi’s eyes narrowed.

“Why is that? Has your heart changed?”

“Well…”

Knowing he would be disappointed if she told the truth, Sophia was unsure how to respond. But before she could answer, Duke Dveshi spoke firmly.

“He’s no different from his brother.”

“What do you mean?”

“He has a lady he’s secretly seeing. We’ll use that as leverage to demand a divorce from His Majesty, so you just need to find more evidence.”

“A lady he’s secretly seeing?”

A lady he was seeing… 

Even without hearing, she could guess who it was.

“Is it Lady Aeri by any chance?”

“You already knew?”

“No, it’s not that. She came to see me once.”

Sophia thought her father was referring to the time Lady Aeri visited Killian after their marriage. She was about to explain the misunderstanding when Duke Dveshi, his face full of anger, shouted.

“Both brothers are doing terrible things to you! Those despicable men! Do you know why Clive didn’t show up at the wedding?”

“Did you find Lord Loden?”

She intended to clarify about Lady Aeri, but upon hearing Clive’s name, that thought vanished. She had been so curious about why he hadn’t appeared at the wedding.

“Yes. He was caught having an illegitimate child. That’s why he ran away.”

“A child? He really had a child? So, the Loden family was trying to deceive us into marriage?”

“Afraid we’d use the child as leverage, Duke Loden hid him away.”

No matter how much they dislike the Dveshi family, how could they hide the fact that he had a child and proceed with the marriage?

Though it seemed like something Clive would do, a sense of betrayal washed over her.

Lately, Sophia had been trying to see the Loden family in a better light. But Duke Dveshi’s words shattered her efforts.

“So, how did you handle it?”

She feared her father might have lost his temper and killed Clive. It wasn’t concern for Clive’s life but fear that killing him would break the alliance with the Loden family.