Chapter 16 – Part 3

Kristin then briefly gazed out at the mansion grounds.

Selena Scarlet’s words suddenly came to Kristin’s mind.The idea of noble charity organizations was something she had wanted to be a part of for a long time.

When she became the Duchess after marrying Raphael, she received several invitations to join various organizations.

However, they only wanted Kristin for her status, not for who she was as a person.

Moreover, Raphael didn’t like the idea of her becoming a member of such organizations and preferred her to stay quietly at the mansion.

He was aware from the beginning that the nobles intended to use Kristin, and he feared that if she were taken advantage of, the consequences would ultimately fall on him.

“These organizations are pointless. As a Duchess, you should conduct yourself properly. Don’t think about meeting with other ladies and getting caught up in gossip.”

Having always spoken harshly, Kristin had no choice but to remain in the Duke’s mansion, just as she had in the Edith estate, except for very important events.

She thought that marrying Raphael would mean she wouldn’t feel lonely anymore, but in reality, even after rising to a high position as a duchess, she felt just as lonely.

However, Kristin now believed that the current situation was for the best.

If she wanted, she could now help the less fortunate with the wealth her mother left behind.

With the newfound freedom in her life, Kristin decided to consider joining the organization that Selena had mentioned.

She had decided that she could no longer remain alone, embroidering in solitude at the mansion.

Still, the thought of sending a letter to Marquis Winston weighed on her mind, so she decided to write to Selena Scarlet instead.

As she searched for stationery to write the letter, Lenci and Cindy rushed in, calling out to Kristin.

“Lady Kristin!”

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

When Kristin asked them, Cindy and Lenci, with startled expressions, pointed at the glass window and continued speaking.

“Duke Raphael is here. He’s walking towards the front gate right now.”

“What? The Duke?”

Startled by the sudden visit, Kristin looked out the window at the garden and saw Raphael walking toward the mansion, holding a bouquet.

It was quite a strange sight, as Raphael, who had often scolded her about the need for flowers, was now walking with a bouquet full of flowers in his arms.

At a loss for words, Kristin slowly rose from her seat and spoke to Cindy and Lenci.

“Please prepare the tea. Duke Raphael Rodney has come.”

—

Raphael sat on the living room sofa, continuously looking at Kristin.

Eventually, he handed her the bouquet he had brought and began to speak.

“You don’t need to worry about the recent events anymore. I’ve taken care of everything. I hope you’ll accept this bouquet as a gesture of comfort.”

“Your Grace, I appreciate what you did last time.”

“Have you been well? I was just waiting for you to feel better before coming today. When I entered, the butler mentioned that there had been a visitor at the mansion that morning. I heard that Lady Selena Scarlet came by. What did she come here for?”

In truth, Duke Raphael didn’t like Selena Scarlet either.

Selena Scarlet had encountered Raphael a few times at the palace, but she didn’t think highly of him, as she was aligned with Winston. Likewise, Selena didn’t have a favorable opinion of Raphael. He was always independent, stubborn, and not kind to others, which led Selena to be cautious with her words around him.

When Kristin was caught between the two, Raphael found it puzzling and asked her again.

“I believe the first time you two met was the debutante ball, wasn’t it?”

When Raphael asked out of curiosity, Kristin replied to him.

“Yes, that was the first time we met, but it seems that Lady Selena Scarlet has taken a very favorable view of me. She even asked me to join a charity organization for nobles.”

“A charity organization for nobles?”

Raphael had several organizations himself. Being a Duke of the Empire, he attended many, but he did not participate in any organizations that included Selena or Winston.

He disliked Winston intensely and did not want to face him even in such organizations.

“You may already be part of many organizations, Your Grace, but I have never been part of any. I don’t even enjoy tea parties with other noble ladies.”

“Is that so? But didn’t you have a tea party in the garden recently?”

“What?”

Kristin tilted her head in confusion, prompting Raphael to continue in a nonchalant tone.

“I heard a rumor that you had a tea party in the garden.”

“Oh, yes.”

Finally understanding, Kristin looked at him and then at the teacup that Cindy and Lenci had given her. She lifted the cup, took a sip of tea, and then spoke again.

“At that time, I had a slight change of heart. I met some of the ladies I had encountered at the debutante ball, but as expected, they were not friendly toward me. That experience made me realize once again that wherever I go, nobles do not like me.”

At these words, Raphael looked up at Kristin, remaining silent for a moment before speaking in a much more cautious tone than usual.

“My thoughts about you have changed a lot over the past few months. And your reputation has improved enough that you are now being invited to charity organizations. You no longer need to shrink back.”

His words were so kind that Kristin slowly lifted her gaze from the teacup and met Raphael’s dark eyes. Then, as if she had made a decision, she responded to him in a calm tone.

“That’s why I’ve decided to join Lady Selena’s organization. If I can be of help, I’d gladly do so.”

However, that statement also implied that Kristin would frequently meet with Winston, which unintentionally touched a nerve with Raphael.

Kristin didn’t notice the frown forming on Raphael’s face as he sat in front of her. She was used to seeing him more often angry or expressionless than kind, so his irritated expression did not seem out of place to her.

Moreover, since there was nothing significant between herself and Winston, Kristin never considered that Raphael would feel jealous.

However, Raphael’s feelings were different from Kristin’s thoughts.

In the past, he hadn’t cared much when Winston sent Kristin a bouquet.

Just the fact that Winston continued to show interest in Kristin made her valuable enough to be used.

His goal was to make Kristin his own, to stand by his side, hoping it would shock Winston. But now, imagining Winston and Kristin growing closer at the organization, possibly engaging in personal conversations, made him inexplicably angry.

The anger was accompanied by an overwhelming sense of frustration, and as he watched Kristin, who seemed completely oblivious to his feelings, a wave of irritation began to rise within him.

However, as he considered expressing these feelings, a sudden realization struck him: he had never properly conveyed his emotions to Kristin. This led him to question himself.

‘Have I changed this much after dying once? If I had lived my life as I originally did, would I have felt this same excitement and affection for Kristin?’

Lost in thought, Raphael pondered this question.

At that moment, Kristin’s voice called out to him.

“Your Grace.”

“Yes.”

“My heart is troubled by my father and stepmother’s situation, but I don’t think I can continue living like this. I want to spend my time and money helping those who are less fortunate than I am.”

“Time and money?”

Kristin hesitated for a moment.

She contemplated whether to tell Raphael about the inheritance her mother left her, but she thought that since he already had significantly more wealth than she did, he wouldn’t covet or seize it.

After all, what Raphael desired from Kristin was her empty shell.

So Kristin decided to share only a part of the truth about her inheritance.

“My mother left me a small inheritance before she passed away. Instead of using it for myself, I plan to use it for the common people of the Empire.”

“Why? Do you have some sort of mission, Kristin?”

Raphael was surprised. The Kristin he remembered from the past was not someone who would be inclined to help others. On the contrary, Kristin herself had been someone in need of help. In his eyes, she had been nothing more than a frustrating young lady who couldn’t even express herself properly.

But the Kristin standing before him now was willing to share everything she had, even as she endured the most unfortunate circumstances herself, all for the sake of those less fortunate.

If Raphael had gone through what Kristin had, he wouldn’t have spared his stepmother. He would have made sure she suffered, extracting every penny she earned from her work in prison and making her go through every imaginable hardship. And if his father had wronged him in the way Kristin’s father had, he would have hated him until the day he died.

Raphael couldn’t comprehend Kristin. What could motivate her to care for others? Why couldn’t she harbor any hatred?

As he looked at Kristin, who was so foolishly kind, his gaze unknowingly softened with tenderness.

Remembering how he had once used and spoken harshly to Kristin, who was so selflessly concerned for others, Raphael felt the desire to apologize to her for the first time.

Just as he opened his mouth to say what he had never said before, the butler rushed in, interrupting.

“Pardon the interruption, but I must inform you that Marquis Winston has arrived. It seems today has brought many visitors to Edith’s mansion.”

Marquis Winston?