Chapter 49

After confirming the amount, Harriet signed and sealed the check, but not before writing something on the thick paper with the quill pen.

[By accepting this money, you agree to never speak or write about any trivial matters of the Vanetti family. If you violate this clause, you will pay a penalty three times the amount received.]

“Sign and seal this, and the check is yours.”

The reporter nodded and completed the procedure as Harriet wanted.

After confirming the agreement was properly executed, Harriet signed and sealed the blank check and handed it over.

“Then I hope we never meet again.”

“Of course, Duchess.”

The reporter, seemingly unfazed by the earlier tension, left the mansion with a dream of sudden wealth.

Even after the reporter left as abruptly as he had come, Harriet sat in the same spot, feeling unsettled.

The butler, unable to stand it any longer, approached quietly.

“Shall we prepare your bed? It’s late.”

“I’ll sit for a bit longer.”

Harriet, who had refused, quietly stared at the grandfather clock. It was now close to midnight.

“Are you waiting for His Grace?”

“…Perhaps.”

The appearance of the reporter had sent her mood plummeting underground. At the same time, she realized one thing.

She couldn’t hide her birth secret forever. She had planned to part ways before this fact was revealed to others in half a year, but she had changed her mind. It was no longer the same situation.

“I should confess honestly.”

If the truth, which would eventually be revealed by someone else’s mouth, was to come out, it was better to confess it herself. At least in front of her husband, Lennox.

Having made up her mind, Harriet sent the butler away and resolutely sat on the couch in the drawing-room, waiting for Lennox.

However, no matter how much time passed, he did not return.

Harriet, who had unknowingly dozed off, opened her eyes again when she felt a cold breeze on the back of her neck.

“Coco.”

“Lennox.”

“Why are you still up?”

“I was waiting. I have something to say.”

Half-asleep, her eyes wouldn’t open properly. Lennox, smiling as if finding her adorable, carefully lifted her body.

“I have something to say too.”

“Something to say?”

Being carried in his broad arms to the bedroom, Harriet yawned widely.

“Should I go first?”

“Yes.”

As soon as she nodded, he whispered.

“Tonight, Mikhail Chasselot is returning.”

“…Mikhail Chasselot is coming back?”

Harriet’s eyes, which had been about to close, trembled aimlessly. It was something she hadn’t anticipated. Watching her wavering eyes intently, Lennox suddenly asked.

“You didn’t know at all?”

“I had no idea.”

Harriet murmured, shaking her head.

“It’s not strange. Maybe he’s coming because his wife is here.”

Come to think of it, it was strange that Marianne returned alone, leaving her husband behind. After eloping with Marianne, Mikhail had reportedly settled down in the country they fled to. It wasn’t just a temporary stay; he had practically made it his home.

“Marianne Chasselot has been back for a while, so he might be coming to find his wife.”

“That makes sense.”

It was a somewhat convincing story, but there was an inexplicable unease in her heart. Moreover, her father’s words lingered in Harriet’s mind.

“Father said Marianne would leave soon.”

“Could it be that your father called him?”

“That’s not impossible.”

Harriet muttered, lost in thought. Meanwhile, Lennox went upstairs to the bedroom.

Harriet naturally wrapped her arms around his neck and let herself be carried.

Lennox opened the bedroom door and laid her body on the bed. After loosening his tie, he looked down at her as she lay quietly.

Her lush black hair spread widely over the white sheets. Since confessing her feelings, Harriet had become more honest and even more lovable. Even now, as she blinked sleepily, she was so adorable that Lennox wanted to devour her whole. If he could, he really wanted to chew her up, bones and all, so they would never be apart.

Suppressing his desire, Lennox smiled. It wasn’t strange to feel anxious. Despite having taken precautions, Mikhail Chasselot setting foot in this country again was annoying.

“Promise me you won’t meet him again.”

At his low words, Harriet yawned.

“Regardless, Mikhail is Marianne’s husband. Now that he’s back, I can’t avoid seeing him completely.”

Lennox climbed on top of Harriet like a predator pouncing on its prey and asked warningly.

“Are you saying you’ll meet your former fiancé in front of your husband?”

The chill in his lowered voice was brief, and Harriet laughed softly at his slightly sulky expression.

A man who reigns over many. Born with the destiny of a ruler, a noble bloodline. Yet even such a high and mighty Duke occasionally showed this boyish side. The thought that he only showed this side to her made her smile.

Harriet reached out and gently pulled his cheeks.

“I’ll make sure we’re not alone.”

“Promise?”

“Yes, promise.”

Harriet nodded and let her hands fall.

Is she going to sleep like this?

Lennox, looking at her drooping eyelids as if it were absurd, held her slender shoulders.

“By the way, what was it you wanted to say earlier?”

“Hmm?”

“You said you had something to say.”

“Oh.”

As soon as her tension released, sleepiness overwhelmed her. The appearance of the reporter had made her tense, but now her muscles relaxed, and fatigue washed over Harriet.

“Um… I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

Yawning again, Harriet turned her body and quickly fell into slumber.

* * *

The man who had just disembarked from the ship looked around with somewhat wistful eyes.

It was the moment he set foot on his homeland after three years. Thinking of the day he fled, avoiding the public eye, made his chest feel heavy. Just like the day he left, the night was pitch black. At the same time, a face buried in his heart surfaced, filling him with guilt and longing.

“Sir.”

The porter who had moved all his luggage from the ship to the carriage’s cargo compartment spoke with a cheeky smile.

“It seems you left a beloved behind.”

A beloved, indeed. 

The face he had just been thinking of lingered before his eyes as the man smiled softly.

“Does it look that way?”

“Yes. Your eyes are filled with longing.”

The man chuckled and tossed a silver coin, which he had held between his index and thumb, to the porter. The porter, like an animal receiving food from a human, quickly caught it and put it away with a grin.

“Have a pleasant journey.”

The man nodded and boarded the carriage.

“It’s been a while.”

A friend who had been informed in advance was already sitting inside.

“…Mikhail, brother-in-law.”

“Aaron.”

“What were you thinking, setting foot here again? You and my younger sister are inseparable, aren’t you?”

Unlike the relaxed Mikhail, Aaron’s expression was stiff.

“Marianne…? Marianne is here?”

“Weren’t you here to find my younger sister?”

“Oh dear, not at all.”

Shaking his head, he was about to say more but stopped. It wasn’t a topic to discuss lightly. It was something to be addressed directly with the person involved.

After hesitating for a moment, Mikhail turned his gaze to the window.

“…Have you been well?”

“I’ve been fine.”

There was a sharp undertone hidden in the calm reply. Mikhail, with a bitter smile, rested his arm on the window frame.

Aaron, who had been watching his profile intently, suddenly spoke.

“As you probably know, my big sister got married recently.”

“Yes… I saw it in the newspaper. She looked happy. Though her partner was unexpected.”

Lennox Diorne, whom Harriet occasionally mentioned, was described as rude, inscrutable, and detestable. He had imagined that if she were to marry, it would be to someone older, so he was surprised to learn her partner was not only younger but also him. He remembered crumpling the newspaper in shock.

“Does she look happy?”

“Yes. They are in a very happy marriage. It’s so sweet it gives me goosebumps just watching them.”

“…That’s good.”

Mikhail replied soullessly, frowning slightly at the throbbing pain in his chest. Aaron’s following question shook him further.

“Didn’t you elope with my younger sister because you loved her so much?”

“…”

“You caused so much pain to my big sister for that marriage. You were prepared to sever ties with both families.”

Mikhail nodded instead of answering. His parents were quite fond of Harriet, their son’s fiancée. Especially his father, who had said he wouldn’t consider anyone else for marriage. Yet he shattered those expectations, not only ruining the wedding unilaterally but also eloping with Harriet’s younger sister.

When he settled abroad and sent them a letter, he received a cold reply suggesting they sever ties. It wasn’t unreasonable. While he accepted the results calmly, Marianne was the complete opposite.

“What? Does this mean you’re going to be penniless from now on?”

“…We can start again here. From scratch.”

“Oh my! When, how long will that take! If I had known…!”

At the time, he didn’t understand what she meant by those unfinished words, but now he seemed to know. He had come to know the true nature of the woman named Marianne all too painfully.