Chapter 94

“Whispering love falsely by your side?”

“……”

“That’s deceit toward you.”

Eleanor shook her head, trying to reason with him. This was only because he was overwhelmed by anger and betrayal right now.

“So now, it’s not that you hate everything I do?”

“Of course not…!”

Her feelings had changed with time, but she only felt guilty and sorry—never that she hated Usher. She didn’t want him to destroy himself with such absurd delusions.

“It doesn’t matter what you say. Since I chose to leave the Claven estate, I have no intention of going back.”

Eleanor had already, foolishly, been blinded by the remnants of a past first love and lost the present. She had crushed his goodwill and trampled on his heart.

“I can’t go. I can’t go back to His Grace anyway, Usher.”

Logan, the very person in question, likely never intended to take her back from the beginning.

“Liar.”

But Usher didn’t believe her. His face twisted as he both smiled and looked on the verge of tears.

“You say that, and then you’ll…”

Betray me again. 

She could guess the rest of the sentence that didn’t come out.

Usher wiped his tear-stained eyes absentmindedly and turned his body away.

Then, leaving Eleanor behind, he exited the guestroom.

Even with that ominous energy, she couldn’t bring herself to ask where he was going. He wouldn’t answer anyway.

“Hic…”

Her legs gave out, and she collapsed. Sitting on the floor, Eleanor blinked against the growing blur in her vision.

Sadness, anger, betrayal, despair, guilt, pain—an onslaught of dark emotions broke down and sank heavily.

Everything was a mess.

***

Usher, after being rejected by Eleanor, wandered aimlessly through the streets. He couldn’t return to Eleanor carrying that anger. Eleanor, that brutally honest woman, would not change her mind.  

The strange unease he had felt ever since taking Eleanor out of the Claven estate had finally revealed its grotesque form. Then, what shape would his current despair and agony take? The thought blinded Usher.  

“I can’t go home.”  

He couldn’t return to the Fitzman Earldom. His rapidly turning mind reached this conclusion. His mother, Jane, who had initially found Eleanor unsatisfactory, had at some point started defending her, urging him to respect Eleanor’s choices. If he explained Eleanor’s decision, she would advise him to accept it like a gentleman.  

“How could I do that?”  

But he couldn’t. How could he? How could he calmly accept the change of heart of the woman he loved and the betrayal of his friend?  

Even when he stayed still, his hands trembled, and his fists clenched. It wasn’t the same as wanting to drown himself in alcohol and forget everything. What Usher wanted was something else. A lowly, violent desire to destroy and ruin everything swept over him.  

“…Logan Claven.”  

He wanted to completely shatter Logan’s calm and elegant façade, along with his social standing. He wanted to expose him as the scoundrel who had seduced his friend’s lover and stolen her, humiliating him in the process. All as payment for the despair Logan had caused him.  

“Do you have a ticket to the capital?”  

And so, impulsively, Usher headed to Southern Station.  

“The last train leaves in five minutes. But it’s third class…”  

The ticket clerk muttered as he eyed Usher’s luxurious clothing. It didn’t seem likely that such a distinguished gentleman would casually ask for a third-class ticket.  

“Give it to me. Now.”  

“Pardon?”  

The clerk, taken aback, asked again. But he quickly returned to his duty, handing over the third-class ticket to Usher, who had paid the appropriate price.  

“Have a pleasant journey.”  

He might have heard the clerk mutter something like, “Though you don’t look like you’ll enjoy it,” but Usher didn’t care. He was too busy rushing to catch the train that would leave in five minutes.  

“The train bound for the capital is departing!”  

It was just as Usher set foot on the platform. Hearing the announcement, he ran with all his might and boarded the train.  

The train sped through the darkness, cutting through the heavy night.  

* * *

Eleanor hadn’t been able to sleep for two days after Usher left. How could she not feel troubled when her poor decision had caused so many people to suffer at once? Her mind was so tangled with worries that even when she lay in bed, she could only toss and turn.  

For two nights, she stayed awake, watching as the dark sky above turned red with the dawning light.  

Three days later, someone knocked on her room door. Eleanor, thinking it might be Usher returning after calming down, hurried to open the door, but the person standing there was unexpected.  

“…Mr. Anderson?”  

It was Jeffrey, Logan’s secretary. As Eleanor blinked in confusion, Jeffrey straightened his posture with an entirely displeased expression.  

“His Grace requests your presence, Miss Hudson.”  

His tone was stiff, and the title he used had reverted to the one from her days as a mere employee. Of course, she had no intention of expressing dissatisfaction with that. It wasn’t a matter of foolishness.  

“Do I need to leave immediately?”  

At Eleanor’s question, Jeffrey raised an eyebrow slightly. His expression suggested he had a lot he wanted to say. Perhaps he wanted to tell her that, as a guilty party, she should come when summoned without asking about the timing.  

But Jeffrey had his sense of gentlemanly conduct. Moreover, if his wife, Sophia, saw him acting rudely, she would immediately kick his shin.  

“Will thirty minutes be enough for you to get ready?”  

Jeffrey sighed lightly, checked his pocket watch, and asked. Eleanor nodded.  

“I’ll prepare quickly.”  

Jeffrey gave a curt nod and began descending the central staircase. Once Eleanor saw him leave, she returned to her room to prepare for her outing.  

She chose the cleanest and most proper outfit among the clothes she had brought and dressed herself. Her hair, which reached her waist, was half-tied to give it a natural appearance. Although she couldn’t do anything about the dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep, she thought applying a bit of color to her lips might help…  

Eleanor froze when her reflection in the mirror caught her eye. Staring back at her was a foolish woman desperate to look good for the man she liked.  

“Get a grip, Eleanor Hudson.”  

As if she didn’t know she had no right to do so. Eleanor raised her hands and slapped her cheeks with her palms. The position of Logan’s fiancée, which had been hers in name only, was no longer hers. Logan’s reason for summoning her certainly wasn’t to have a leisurely teatime.  

“I’m ready.”  

After taking a deep breath and lightly coloring her lips, Eleanor left the hotel. Jeffrey, who had been pacing in front of the hotel instead of waiting inside the car, personally opened the door for her.  

“Please, get in.”  

“Thank you.”  

His actions were unrelated to whether or not he liked Eleanor. She was simply the guest his employer had ordered him to bring.  

“Do you know why His Grace wants to see me…?”  

“That’s not something I would know.”  

But Eleanor’s attempt to strike up a conversation with him was an exception. They were no longer in a relationship where they could chat and laugh together.  

“He merely ordered me to bring you. I’m sure he has his reasons.”  

Eleanor nodded and turned her gaze to the window. The car seat, which she hadn’t used since leaving the Claven Duchy after relinquishing her position as Logan’s fiancée, was exceedingly comfortable. Nearly three years had passed since then—a period that was by no means short.  

Time enough to grow accustomed to the comfort of cars and their seats. Time enough to accept Logan’s kindness and affection. And time enough to gradually sort out her feelings for Usher.  

“We’ve arrived.”  

The driver approached first and opened the door for her. Eleanor thanked him as she stepped out of the car and followed Jeffrey.  

“Sir Jeffrey, I’ll guide her from here.”  

“Did His Grace request that?”  

“Yes. He instructed that no one else be allowed inside except the guest.”  

Hearing this, Jeffrey stepped back without protest. George, the butler, maintained a very polite demeanor as he led Eleanor, walking ahead of her.  

“…”  

His behavior as a butler of the Claven Duchy was flawless, leaving no room for criticism. Perhaps because of this, Eleanor found it difficult to speak to him. The entire estate felt cold and distant. From George’s attitude toward her to the servants who avoided her gaze as they passed—it was all the same.  

Since Logan had said he hadn’t revealed the truth to anyone yet, it was clear that no one knew about their broken engagement. It was just her own guilty conscience. Eleanor convinced herself of this.  

“Your Grace, Miss Eleanor Hudson has arrived.”  

“Let her in.”  

George opened the door and ushered Eleanor into Logan’s office. Despite having opened the windows to ventilate the room in anticipation of a guest, the office still carried the faint smell of cigars. It was as if his worries had piled up layer by layer.  

“Duke Claven…”  

Eleanor bowed her head toward the man who owned the office. Logan, who had once casually rolled up his sleeves in front of her, now stood impeccably dressed with not a single detail out of place.  

“No need for formalities. Have a seat.”  

Logan gestured toward the sofa with his eyes. Eleanor cautiously sat down. Having spent years in the Claven Duchy, she was familiar with Logan’s office. But now, it felt desolate. Eleanor carefully placed her sweaty palms on her thighs.  

“I didn’t expect you to summon me.”  

Eleanor cautiously broke the silence. Logan, who was sitting in the main seat, let out a short laugh.  

“Neither did I.”  

It wasn’t meant in a good way.  

“You don’t look well. Have you been getting any rest…”  

“That’s…”  

His rough skin, sunken eyes, and dark shadows made him look unwell. Eleanor was about to ask out of concern, but Logan cut her off with a firm tone.  

“That’s not something you need to concern yourself with, Miss Hudson.”