Chapter 4.9

A sharp sound rang out.  

Breathing heavily, Isabel glared at him.  

Valentine remained silent as he stood up from his seat.  

He stared down at Isabel without a word.  

Isabel flinched.  

Just meeting his gaze felt like her insides were being torn apart.  

Though both were nobles, Isabel and Valentine were not the same.  

Isabel had grown up in Myra, treated like a princess and showered with affection.  

But Valentine had lived a life of relentless self-discipline, even with the Winchester name.  

People only saw his perfect exterior, but in truth, he had clawed his way through life with sheer determination.  

He had lived in a way that allowed him to crush others with just his gaze.  

Cold sweat ran down Isabel’s back.  

After confirming that Isabel had felt enough fear, Valentine finally spoke.  

“Displaying your anger only reveals your weakness.”  

Valentine picked up the wine glass from the table.  

The long-stemmed glass swirled lightly in his hand.  

“So, if you’re going to do it, do it like this.”  

Valentine poured the wine over Isabel’s head.  

Drip—cold wine trickled down Isabel’s short hair.  

It was a humiliation she had never experienced in her life.  

In the shocking situation, Isabel stood frozen, her mouth agape.  

“Isn’t it better not to leave any marks?”  

As he said, Isabel’s red hair didn’t change color even after being soaked in wine.  

Realizing this, Isabel inhaled sharply.  

A chill ran down her spine. This was his warning.  

Winchester could trample Isabel without leaving any trace visible to the outside world.  

“Remember this. The reason you’re in the position of Duchess is because it is the most efficient way to use you. In that sense, you are merely one of my employees.”  

His voice sank even deeper.  

“So don’t you dare speak of the Duchess’s room with that mouth of yours. Staying in the guest room and rolling around with your knight is the greatest mercy you’ll ever be granted.”  

“T-That’s….”  

Isabel stammered.  

Valentine bent down and lightly grabbed a strand of Isabel’s short hair.  

“This is the life you wanted, Duchess of Winchester.”  

Valentine made a motion as if to kiss her hair but didn’t actually touch it.  

Then he straightened up and left the dining hall.  

Isabel, trembling for a long time, finally screamed.  

“Ahhh! Someone! Come here immediately!”  

Isabel threw the wine glass and overturned a chair.  

She screamed until her voice grew hoarse, and the dining hall turned into a mess.  

But no one came running.  

***

After that, Valentine rarely left the attic where Liz stayed.  

“You seemed to enjoy it quite a lot. Are you still going to say no?”  

He whispered sweetly while hugging Liz from behind.  

But Liz shook her head with a cracked voice.  

“No… I didn’t.”  

Valentine frowned. His voice lowered.  

“Say it now. Say you like it. Say you like being by my side.”  

His voice sounded more like a plea than a command.  

But Liz stubbornly kept her mouth shut and turned her head away from him.  

“…D*mn it.”  

He muttered under his breath and stood up.  

“Say it. Say you like it… D-Do it now!”  

He grabbed Liz and shouted desperately.  

Say you like it. Say you like this moment. Answer like that.  

With a distorted face, he whispered endlessly.  

Would it be better to just nod?  

‘Yes, I like it.’ That one sentence might make things easier.  

If she accepted this situation, if she gave up everything, it might all become bearable.  

Liz stared blankly into his eyes.  

Valentine’s eyes, looking at her, were so blue they were almost icy.  

He was clearly engulfed in some kind of madness.  

Liz had seen this light in his eyes before.  

‘…The Play of the Sea.’  

Valentine’s eyes now resembled that painting exactly.  

The moment she realized this, her cloudy mind became sharp again.  

The violent storm that seemed to devour everything.  

Those weren’t the eyes Liz wanted to see. They weren’t the eyes of the man she loved.  

That’s why Liz held onto her fading consciousness.  

This wasn’t right.  

If she cared for him, she couldn’t accept this relationship.  

Liz opened her mouth.  

“…I l-like it.”  

Valentine’s desperate cries stopped abruptly.  

His face slowly filled with joy.  

But Liz firmly continued speaking.  

“I like it. But.”  

Liz stretched out both hands and cupped his cheeks.  

Then, she whispered clearly and deliberately.  

“I don’t like you right now.”  

Valentine stared at Liz for a long time.  

“Right now… you don’t like me.”  

Was she saying she didn’t like the current situation, or that she didn’t like me at this moment?  

He chewed over Liz’s ambiguous words in his mind, repeating them again and again.  

After a long pause, he finally shouted.  

“How dare you!”  

Valentine pushed Liz down onto the sofa.  

“Ah!”  

Valentine pressed down on her shoulders.  

With a distorted face, he cried out.  

“How dare you, how dare you! How dare you…!”  

He shook Liz roughly as he shouted.  

His golden hair, damp with sweat, swayed wildly.  

“You… you shouldn’t be like this….”  

His voice cracked miserably.  

But Liz shut her eyes tightly.  

Something hot dripped onto Liz’s cheek.  

*   *   *  

A precarious balance was maintained.  

During the day, Valentine devoted himself to his duties as the Duke of Winchester.  

At night, he held Liz in his arms.  

Isabel’s residence remained in the guest room.  

Valentine ordered that no one was to serve Isabel.  

As a result, Kay had to discreetly curry favor with the Winchester servants to obtain what Isabel needed.  

Although Valentine knew this, he pretended not to notice, as if granting her a favor.  

It was a life walking on thin ice.  

“Your Grace.”  

Valentine frowned as he stepped into the corridor.  

Isabel was standing in the hallway outside his room.  

“Ah, I seem to have forgotten my handkerchief.”  

Valentine muttered to himself as if for her to hear and turned away.  

Isabel called out.  

“Wait a moment!”  

Isabel grabbed his arm.  

Valentine frowned and looked down at her.  

Isabel’s complexion was dark.  

Her short hair was unkempt, and dark circles shadowed her eyes.  

Though her attire was quite glamorous, she looked less lively than when she had wandered the harbor in shabby clothes.  

“Why didn’t you tell me? About the hunting festival hosted by the Second Prince.”  

Isabel thrust an invitation in front of his face.  

At that moment, any lingering sympathy Valentine might have had disappeared.  

With a bored expression, Valentine shook his head.  

“…Is it Gerald again?”

Valentine wasn’t the only one walking a fine line.  

Everyone in the Winchester Estate was balancing precariously, each pursuing their own goals.  

“That’s not the point, is it? I’ll be attending the hunting festival too.”  

Isabel spoke firmly.  

Valentine furrowed his brow.  

Isabel was clearly trying to announce her return.  

“This is my right. It will benefit you as well.”  

Valentine looked at Isabel with a disdainful expression.  

The rumors of Isabel’s return had already spread throughout the capital.  

Because of Liz’s actions at the art auction, the rumors had been distorted and exaggerated.  

Now, there were even claims that Isabel had been the original bride all along.  

If Valentine attended the hunting festival alone, many would undoubtedly question it.  

Valentine sighed openly and nodded reluctantly.  

“Ah… Fine. Do as you please.”  

Isabel’s face brightened.  

“Good. You promised to treat me as the Duchess of Winchester outside the estate, didn’t you?”  

Valentine nodded with a face full of reluctance.  

“I’ll show you the dignity of a true Duchess of Winchester. You won’t regret it.”  

Isabel spoke haughtily and turned away.  

Valentine watched her retreating figure with a deeply unpleasant expression, lost in thought.  

The invitation had likely come from Gerald.  

Gerald must have handed it to one of the servants, who then passed it to Kay, who eventually gave it to Isabel.  

The situation was clear, but Valentine couldn’t openly confront Gerald right now.  

Gerald, too, had refrained from mentioning Liz in the attic.  

It was, quite literally, a powder keg.  

If anyone made a misstep, the entire structure would crumble.  

So, everyone moved in the direction they desired, regardless of the impending doom.