Chapter 4.3

Shortly after, the two stopped in front of the guest room where Isabel was staying.

“Master…?”

Martha cautiously glanced up at Valentine.  

But Valentine stood there, arms crossed with an expressionless face.  

Martha understood what this meant. This was a guest he didn’t even want to knock for.

‘What am I supposed to do….’

Martha sighed inwardly and knocked on the door.

“Miss. I will be entering. His Grace has arrived.”

Valentine opened the door before Martha could even finish her sentence.  

It was a rudeness worse than not knocking. But Martha didn’t dare point it out.  

Fortunately or unfortunately, Isabel seemed to have expected such discourtesy.  

She wasn’t surprised and was sitting in the reception area.

“It’s been a while, Honey.”

Isabel turned to Valentine and smiled sweetly.  

Valentine’s expression twisted.

“…I expected this, but you’re quite shameless.”

“What do you mean?”

Isabel tilted her head and continued.

“Ah, if you’re referring to my rudeness in not standing to greet you due to my fatigue… please forgive me graciously. It seems the guest room is rather uncomfortable.”

It was a veiled aristocratic criticism. In essence, Isabel’s words meant, “Escort me to the Duchess’s room immediately.”  

However, Valentine responded with a distorted smile.

“Aren’t you already used to it? Lying down in places that aren’t your own room.”

At his blunt words, Isabel’s face stiffened.  

She hadn’t expected Valentine to openly criticize her to this extent.

“If you wish, return to the Myra estate. Your bed should be there.”

Valentine raised an eyebrow and asked.

“Ah, is that knight already lying in it?”

Isabel inhaled sharply.

“You….”

Isabel bit her lip tightly and glared at him.  

But Valentine shrugged.

“Did you think I didn’t know? Before all of Holt’s social circles find out, I suggest you leave the Winchester estate. This is my final mercy.”

Isabel hadn’t expected him to attack her so directly.  

Trembling, Isabel slowly began to speak.

“I already knew. I knew that you had found out why I left.”

Isabel turned her gaze slowly toward the window.  

Valentine pressed her aggressively.

“Then why have you returned? Isn’t living with that man your happiness?”

Isabel didn’t answer.  

Valentine continued.

“Do you need money? How much will it take? I’ll provide enough for you to live comfortably for a lifetime. If you wish, I can even create a suitable status for you. Living under a new name wouldn’t be so bad. Of course, I’ll do the same for that knight’s status.”

Isabel remained silent.  

At that moment, a baby’s cry echoed from inside the room.  

Valentine’s expression hardened.

“Ah.”

Isabel stood up and entered the adjoining room.

“There, there… come here.”

From inside the room came the sound of her soothing and comforting the child.  

A moment later, Isabel came out holding the baby.  

Valentine’s face twisted.

“You….”

Isabel spoke with a hurt expression.

“Don’t look at me like that. This is your child, Honey.”

“Ha! What nonsense.”

Valentine scoffed, pressing his forehead.

“Remove it from my sight immediately. I won’t take my anger out on a child.”

“Didn’t you say you were curious about why I returned?”

Isabel ignored his words and began to speak.

“I… yes. Kay and I left for Florang. We were happy. Until the bloody revolution broke out in Florang.”

“Revolution?”

Valentine furrowed his brow. He hadn’t heard of this before.

“Yes. It hasn’t reached Holt yet, but… Florang is currently in a state of extreme chaos. Anyone with even a drop of noble blood is being dragged to the guillotine.”

Isabel sighed.

“They immediately recognized me as Myra. Both my child and I barely escaped with our lives.”

Isabel looked down at the baby with a bitter expression.

“Yes. I was always Myra.”

Isabel gently rocked the baby. The child, sleepy, began to doze off.

“After barely returning to Holt, I heard news of Winchester. It was such delightful news. They said our marriage was still ongoing.”

“You should’ve stayed hidden. Then you wouldn’t have had to endure such humiliation from me.”

“Why would I do that?”

Isabel shamelessly retorted.

“This feels like divine providence. A chance to correct my mistakes. To throw away a failed life and live once again as the Duchess of Winchester….”

Isabel smiled faintly, her eyes narrowing.  

It was a beautiful yet chilling smile.

“At first, I thought you had left a place for me because you couldn’t let go of Myra. That’s why I returned to the Myra estate without hesitation.”

Valentine’s expression twisted.

“That wasn’t for you.”

“Yes. I know. I heard there were some issues… but I think it’s all the better.”

“What? Have you truly gone mad?”

Valentine looked at Isabel in disbelief.  

But Isabel calmly responded, unfazed by his harsh words.

“I propose a deal. Keep the maid. And I’ll keep my knight.”

“What nonsense is this? Are you suggesting we each keep lovers?”

“It’s the most rational proposal, isn’t it?”

Isabel shrugged.

“Marriage is essentially about sharing assets. That maid is part of the assets I brought, so I’ll gladly give her to you.”

“Don’t speak of her like that!”

Valentine raised his voice.  

But Isabel tilted her head and asked.

“Or, what will you do? Will you divorce me and marry the maid? You, the Duke of Winchester?”

“There’s nothing I can’t do.”

Valentine gritted his teeth as he answered. Isabel let out a mocking laugh.

“No. Never.”

Isabel shook her head.

“A noble’s divorce must be declared before the King. Valentine Winchester. There’s no way you could stand before the King and declare your divorce from Myra and your intent to marry a maid. You’re not that kind of person.”

Isabel raised her chin and smiled arrogantly.

“You hate me, but the same blue blood runs in our veins. That’s why I know. You can’t do it.”

Isabel looked directly at him and spoke.

“You know it too, which is why you’ve been borrowing my name all this time, haven’t you?”

Valentine closed his mouth.  

It was true. That’s why Valentine had forced Liz to become Isabel.  

But not anymore.  

Now, he had decided to acknowledge Liz as Liz.  

And yet.  

The anxiety still lingering inside him, the calculation disguised as reason, moved his lips.

“…What do you intend to do with that child?”

Isabel smiled, as if she had been waiting for that question.

“This child will become a Winchester.”

At her words, Valentine let out a hollow laugh.

“Stop it. That’s a story not worth listening to.”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

Isabel brushed the child’s hair aside.  

The bright red hair fluttered softly.

“How fortunate. Duke. If the child had purple eyes and black hair, it would’ve been quite troublesome, wouldn’t it? Fortunately, this child was born with blue eyes and red hair, making this child suitable to play the role of a Winchester heir.”

“What a horrifying thing to say. You want me to raise a cuckoo’s child?”

“Yes. You have no choice.”

Valentine’s expression twisted. Isabel smiled as she spoke.

“You erased everything—my absence at the wedding, my escape to Florang. You made it all as if it never happened. So how do you intend to cast me out now?”

Feigning gratitude, Isabel gave a small nod.  

“It’s all thanks to you, Valentine Winchester.”

Valentine clenched his teeth and glared at Isabel.

“…So, you want to fight this out.”

Isabel continued speaking, undeterred.

“It’s almost time to offer New Year’s greetings to His Majesty. No matter how much you’ve polished her up, surely you don’t intend to take a maid before the King?”

At those words, Valentine flinched.  

She wasn’t wrong.  

No matter how confidently Liz walked through society, appearing before the King was another matter entirely.  

Of course, Valentine already had a plan.  

First, he would make an excuse about health to skip the New Year’s greetings.  

Then, once the rumors had subsided, he would begin lobbying those around him.  

The simplest solution would be to arrange for Liz to be adopted as a foster daughter by a suitable family.  

If Liz vehemently opposed that, he had a backup plan.  

Though more difficult, he could arrange for Liz’s father to be granted a knightly title.  

Meeting the King would come after that.  

Isabel had pointed this out precisely.

“That is none of your concern.”

Valentine spoke coldly. But Isabel, noticing the wavering in his eyes, smirked.

“Come with me to the New Year’s greetings. Let us present ourselves to His Majesty and receive his blessings for our child. As perfect Winchesters, we can coexist once again.”

Isabel whispered softly.  

Valentine ground his teeth.  

A perfect Winchester. The sickly sweet irony of it tormented him.  

He pressed his trembling left hand firmly with his right.  

Seeing this, Isabel smiled faintly.

“I promise. No matter what you do with that maid, I won’t complain. You can give her all your wealth and openly keep her by your side. Just return the name of Winchester to me.”

Isabel placed her right hand over Valentine’s.  

Valentine’s lips twisted.  

He tried to pull his hand away immediately, but Isabel pressed down on it firmly.

“Please make the wise choice, Honey.”

At those words, Valentine, unable to hold back any longer, coldly pushed Isabel’s hand away.

“If you stop using such terms of endearment, perhaps I might be able to make a wiser decision.”

He finished speaking and immediately stood up, leaving the room.  

Bang. The sound of the door slamming shut startled the baby into crying.

“Oh dear. Sweetheart, it’s okay….”

The baby squirmed.  

Isabel gently rocked the child and whispered softly.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. You will definitely become a Winchester.”

The baby didn’t stop crying.  

But Isabel kept murmuring the word “Winchester,” as if it were a lullaby.  

As if she were brainwashing the child.