Chapter 86

As soon as Lennox left Harriet’s room, he entered his study, where a mountain of work awaited him. Rubbing his stiff neck, he sat down heavily in his chair. Picking up his pen, he began addressing the pile of documents before him.  

A knock came at the door.  

“It’s me, Your Grace.”  

“Come in.”  

The butler entered as soon as permission was granted.  

“How is my wife?”  

“I just had a maid check on her. It seems she’s asleep.”  

Lennox, relieved, continued reviewing the documents without looking up as he gave further instructions.  

“Prepare soft-boiled eggs, toast, and orange juice for her breakfast tomorrow.”  

“Yes, Your Grace.”  

The butler responded obediently and turned to leave, but hesitated. Lennox noticed the delay and looked up.  

“What is it?”  

“Well, Your Grace…”  

The butler hesitated before placing a small object on the mahogany desk. It was a shackle designed for the ankle.  

Lennox picked it up, inspecting it with a satisfied expression.  

“Well-crafted. Soft on the inside, too.”  

“Your Grace?”  

The butler, pale and trembling, stammered.  

“Surely… Surely, this isn’t… for the Madame, is it?”  

“Ah.”  

Lennox chuckled softly, as if amused by the question.  

“Of course not.”  

The butler visibly relaxed, reassured that he had misunderstood. But his relief was short-lived.  

“It’s not for immediate use. I ordered it just in case—for the future.”  

“…What?”  

The butler’s mouth fell open in disbelief.  

“You never know. She’s already tried to escape once, and she’s not alone anymore.”  

“Your Grace!”  

The butler protested, slamming his hands on the desk.  

“This is too much! It’s… it’s inhumane!”  

“Inhumane…”  

“Yes! No matter the circumstances, it’s wrong to place shackles on a person, especially the Madame!”  

“It couldn’t be helped. As I said, Harriet is currently in an unstable mental state. That’s why she ended up renting a room in such a remote and rundown neighborhood, even while carrying a child.”  

If he hadn’t “cleared out” the area himself, Harriet would have been an easy target for the loitering thugs in the vicinity. Just imagining it made Lennox’s blood boil, his anger rising to the point that his neck began to tense.  

“But… still.”  

The butler, who had roughly heard the details, hesitated, unable to find the words to refute him. Lennox decisively drove the point home.  

“I ordered it just in case. It won’t be used right away.”  

“…”  

“That’s enough. You may leave now.”  

With a dismissive wave of his hand, as though shooing away a bird, the butler hesitated a few more times before reluctantly leaving the study.  

Lennox stroked the shackle, imagining it fastened around Harriet’s ankle. It would be pitiful… and endearing.  

But he wanted to use it only as a last resort. The moment he placed it on her ankle, things would likely become irreversible.  

Letting out a heavy sigh, he placed the shackle deep into a drawer.  

***

“Good morning, Madame.”  

Harriet frowned at the sunlight pouring onto her face as she opened her eyes. A maid, who had entered without a sound, was pulling back the curtains and opening the windows one by one to ventilate the room.  

“How are you feeling today? You barely touched your dinner last night. Aren’t you hungry?”  

Whether Harriet responded or not, the maid kept chattering.  

“The weather is wonderful today. Though, since it’s winter, we’ll need to close the windows soon.”  

“What, are you afraid I’ll jump out? Did the Duke order you to do this?”  

The maid, who had been smiling brightly, immediately fell silent. Harriet let out a cold laugh at her sudden change in expression, throwing off the blanket and getting out of bed.  

The cold winter air seeped through the carpet and into her bare feet. The fireplace had been lit all night, but even so, the chill was unmistakable.  

After a long yawn, Harriet sat down in front of the console by the bed. In the mirror, she saw a disheveled woman in thick winter pajamas. Her slightly swollen belly, which had previously required careful observation to notice, now clearly showed her pregnancy.  

“It’s already been three or four months since I’ve been confined to this room.”  

Ironically, it was a comfortable captivity.  

Lennox treated her like a noble prisoner, providing the best food, clothes, and items every day. When she complained about the boredom driving her insane, he even procured an unpublished manuscript from her favorite author.  

When that didn’t seem to suffice, he went so far as to bring her pending work from the department store to keep her occupied. He knew well enough that she was a workaholic.  

The ridiculous part was that it worked to some extent. Though the fact of her confinement hadn’t changed, and she remained determined to escape at the first opportunity, she found some relief in the tasks.  

“We’ve prepared something you’ll like for breakfast today.”  

While Harriet was lost in thought, the maid, smiling brightly as if nothing had happened earlier, spoke cheerfully. Harriet smirked and replied softly.  

“Let me guess. Soft-boiled eggs, toast, fruit, and juice. Maybe a few extras, but I won’t eat them.”  

She felt sorry for the child in her womb, but her stomach was too unsettled to eat much. Waving her hand dismissively, Harriet was about to send the maid away when the latter smiled mischievously.  

“Oh, it’s not just food today.”  

“What?”  

“The Duke has brought a guest. He said you’d be very happy and pleased to see them.”  

“Who is it?”  

Harriet jumped up from her seat, her face lighting up as she turned to the maid.  

Could it be Yvonne?  

If it was Yvonne, she could begin planning her next steps. Yvonne was the only person who believed her story. They could discuss how to escape this place and proceed with the divorce safely.  

“Bring them in immediately. Oh, wait, I need to change first.”  

“Madame.”  

Harriet’s dull eyes regained their sparkle, and she seemed ready to rush into the attached dressing room to change. But the maid stepped in front of her, blocking her way.  

“There’s a condition, Madame.”  

“A condition?”  

“You can meet the guest only after you finish your entire meal.”  

“What?”  

Harriet, flaring up, was about to snap at the maid but stopped herself. The words “What kind of nonsense is this?” were on the tip of her tongue, but the maid showed no sign of backing down.  

“Fine. Bring the food immediately.”  

“Yes, Madame.”  

As soon as Harriet sighed heavily and spoke, the maid gestured toward the door. The door opened, and trays of breakfast were brought in one after another.  

***

Having overeaten in the morning, Harriet felt even more bloated. The maid had vigilantly watched her from start to finish, ensuring she ate everything on her plate. Knowing that any attempt to discard food would mean she wouldn’t meet Yvonne, Harriet forced herself to eat it all, even finishing the light dessert.  

Finally done with the detested breakfast, she changed out of her pajamas into loose-fitting maternity wear suitable for going out. The change lifted her mood slightly, but one thing still weighed on her mind.  

“Where is he today?”  

“The Duke is out all day on external business. If you have an urgent matter, you can tell me or call for the butler.”  

“No, I wouldn’t want to disturb him.”  

Disturb him? No way!

It was the best news she’d heard. Harriet barely managed to suppress a smile as she stopped in front of the drawing room door.  

Taking a deep breath, she slowly turned the doorknob and opened the door.  

“Sister!”  

The person who greeted her in the drawing room wasn’t who she had hoped for.  

“…Aaron.”  

“No need to look so openly displeased.”  

“I’m not displeased. I’m just surprised.”  

Forcing a smile, Harriet supported her now-heavy belly with one hand and approached the couch. Aaron quickly stood and helped her sit down.  

“So, it’s true. You really are with child.”  

“This will be your first niece—or rather, your second.”  

Aaron’s first niece was Claire Millet’s child. The thought of her brought a face to Harriet’s mind, and she quickly asked, 

“What about her? And the child?”  

“Yes, she gave birth a little earlier than expected. It’s a girl.”  

“I see.”  

Relieved to hear the delivery had gone well, Harriet let out a sigh. She had grown somewhat attached to Claire despite herself. Though their parting had been abrupt, she had always worried about her.  

“What’s with that sigh? Are you relieved the child is a girl? Because it means there won’t be any future fights over inheritance or succession?”  

“Aaron.”  

Harriet frowned at her brother’s offhand remark, unsure whether he was joking or serious.  

“Enough with the nonsense. What did Father say?”  

“Of course, he wants to bring her back. The child looks just like Mother. Not her mother, but our mother, Margaret.”  

“I see. So it really is Theodore’s child…”  

“That’s the problem now.”  

“Why?”  

“Claire Millet is suddenly claiming custody and parental rights. She says that as the biological mother who carried the child for months, she has the right and qualification to raise the child.”