Chapter 69

“No matter who Theodore’s wife is, it doesn’t matter. This is my child, whom I’m going to give birth to. Whether I sew for a living or knit, I’ll make sure the child doesn’t go hungry.”

“Claire Millet.”

Harriet’s voice lowered. Despite the quiet warning, Claire firmly stated her opinion.

“I have no face to show you. I know it’s a one-sided breach of contract. So I’ll leave the villa tomorrow. And… it may take some time, but I’ll pay back the money.”

“…”

Harriet unknowingly rubbed her forehead. It was an unexpected obstacle. Her head was already about to burst with her own issues, and now this.

“Ha…”

Harriet let out a heavy sigh. After repeatedly wiping her face with her hands, she finally calmed her rising anger.

“Stop saying foolish things, Claire. Once the child is born safely, the child will be the legitimate heir of the Vanetti family. That child will inherit a lot. Just because you’re the mother doesn’t mean you can take that away.”

“I thought you’d understand me…”

“Because I’m an illegitimate child? Because I was born to a mother like you?”

Harriet let out a disbelieving laugh. She retorted bitterly.

“I’ve never been ashamed or regretted being a member of the Vanetti family. I’m even grateful to my birth mother for it.”

Of course, until recently, she had lived with shame and inferiority about being an illegitimate child, but now she realized it was the best choice her mother could make for her. That’s why she could forgive her.

A silent standoff ensued between the two women. As their fierce gazes clashed in the air, Claire wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

“You don’t know because you’ve never been a mother. You don’t know what it’s like to carry a child inside you.”

Her face showed she wouldn’t back down. Harriet closed her eyes and stood up.

“…Calm down for now. We’ll talk later. You don’t have to leave.”

Harriet hurriedly left the room and descended the stairs, but someone called out to her.

“Duchess?”

It was the villa’s caretaker couple. Seeing Harriet’s pale face, they approached with concern.

“Are you okay? You look unwell.”

“I’m fine… Ugh!”

As Harriet shook her head and continued down the stairs, a heavy pain struck her abdomen. Startled, she collapsed, and the couple rushed up to her.

* * *

When Harriet regained consciousness, she was on a soft bed. As she lifted her heavy eyelids, she saw faces looking down at her with concern.

“Where am I…”

First, she recognized Claire and the villa’s caretaker couple, and then a man in a white coat with a long beard. She realized the unfamiliar person was a doctor from the stethoscope around his neck.

“You’re awake, Duchess!”

The caretaker’s wife was the first to notice Harriet opening her eyes.

“You have no idea how worried we were when you fainted and didn’t wake up. And…”

“And?”

Harriet looked at her with a slightly subdued voice. Waiting for her to continue, the caretaker cleared his throat, signaling his wife to remain silent.

Sensing something was amiss, Harriet tried to sit up, but the four people almost simultaneously stopped her.

“It’s not good to get up right now.”

“The doctor is right, Madame.”

“You’re not alone, so you need to be careful. You must have been shocked earlier.”

“No, I’m not really…”

Frowning at their cautious behavior, as if she were a fragile glass ornament, Harriet suddenly snapped her head up at the words that pierced her eardrums.

“What do you mean I’m not alone?”

“Well…”

Claire, who had spoken without realizing it, widened her eyes and closed her mouth. As Harriet’s gaze demanded the truth, the caretaker intervened.

“It would be best for the doctor to explain.”

Nodding, the elderly doctor smiled brightly and diagnosed her.

“Congratulations. Duchess of Diorne, you are pregnant.”

Harriet’s eyes widened as if she had heard an unbelievable joke. She heard the sound of her heart sinking with a thud.

“Preg… pregnant?”

“Yes. You’ve just entered the first month. At this stage, it’s usually hard for even the person themselves to notice.”

Instead of answering, Harriet covered her mouth with both hands.

Pregnant? Me?

Of course, it was something that could happen when a man and woman shared a bed. However, she had long thought it would be difficult to conceive due to her irregular cycles. She never expected to have a child this soon, especially in this situation, at this time.

“Have you noticed any changes in your body recently?”

While Harriet was speechless with shock, the elderly doctor gently asked, perhaps thinking she was in disbelief.

“Recently… I’ve been feeling a bit nauseous, and my head has been dizzy at times. I’ve also strangely craved sour things…”

“That’s typical in early pregnancy.”

“Goodness! Congratulations, Madame!”

Before the doctor finished his affirmation, the caretaker’s wife, with a beaming smile, clasped Harriet’s hands tightly.

“You must tell the Duke, your husband, this wonderful news! And your parents too! Shall I send a messenger right away? Or my husband can ride a horse and…”

“No.”

The woman, who was excitedly imagining the possibilities as if she were the one pregnant, stopped at Harriet’s calm voice.

“I’ll tell him myself. I think it’s better to do it personally. And I have a favor to ask all of you.”

“A favor?”

“What is it?”

Surprised by the unexpected request, the four exchanged glances. Then they looked back at Harriet. Swallowing, Harriet added,

“If you promise to keep it, I’ll tell you.”

No one would refuse a request from a newly pregnant woman. As the four nodded, Harriet finally relaxed and called the doctor.

“Before that, Doctor.”

“Yes.”

“I was born with a cold body, and my cycles aren’t regular. So it’s actually difficult for me to conceive. You must have noticed during the examination.”

“Yes… That is true, but…”

“I’m not well-versed in medical knowledge, but I’ve heard that someone like me has a higher risk of early miscarriage. Is that true?”

Her voice was calm, but it sounded faintly desperate. The jubilant atmosphere in the room quickly subsided at Harriet’s question.

The doctor adjusted his glasses with his wrinkled hand and confirmed Harriet’s words.

“…That is true.”

“Then…”

Pretending to be downcast, Harriet quietly pleaded.

“Please, I hope everyone here keeps this a secret until the stable period passes. The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.”

“Of course…”

Following the doctor’s heavy response, others quickly agreed.

“Oh… I’ll gladly do that. I was thoughtless. Please forgive me, Madame.”

“I will keep the secret no matter the circumstances.”

“I swear. I won’t tell anyone.”

Even Claire, who had been in a tense atmosphere moments before, nodded resolutely, and Harriet finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank you all.”

“It’s nothing. But… shouldn’t the Duke, the father of the child, at least know?”

The caretaker’s wife, clasping her hands as if in prayer, spoke gently. Just when Harriet thought she had managed to handle the situation, the word she heard made her grip the blanket tightly.

“To him…”

He should know? The person who should never know this news was that man.

The one who had tormented and made her unhappy for the past three years. The disgusting hypocrite who acted like a savior after weaving an invisible web to trap her. When she realized the betrayal, she was overwhelmed with breath-stopping rage, her whole body trembling with anger.

But the reason she didn’t bring it to a head then was that if this were the end, it would be too easy a conclusion for Lennox Diorne.

She intended to make him fall deeper into her, reaching the peak of happiness. Then she planned to part ways, flaunting the contract.

But if he found out I was pregnant? 

She couldn’t imagine how thoroughly he’d cling to her, already obsessed with her. Just thinking about it made her shiver with fear.

“Madame?”

As Harriet remained silent, biting her lip, the caretaker’s wife cautiously checked her expression. Just before she noticed Harriet’s twisted face, Harriet smiled brightly.

“I want to tell him in a special way. Just telling him isn’t fun. I want to do it in a way that will move him, so please keep it a secret.”

“Oh my!”

The woman, applauding the ingenious idea, nodded.

“I will! Gladly!”

* * *

On the way back to the Ducal Mansion, Harriet sat in the carriage, lost in thought. She felt overwhelmed by how to navigate this unexpected situation. Lately, her mind had been occupied solely with seeking revenge on Lennox Diorne. But now, the circumstances had changed.

“This inside…….”

Unable to believe she was carrying a child, Harriet repeatedly touched her lower abdomen. The thought of a life growing inside her felt strange and surreal.

Somewhere inside, her heart felt ticklish, and her body felt foreign, as if it wasn’t her own. Most surprising was that the sensation and feeling weren’t as bad as she thought they would be. Despite being the child of a man she once loved but now hated, it was half her own child.

Aside from her father, Franz, it was the only family member with her blood.