Shortly after the noblewoman left, a doctor arrived.

He must have received word from the duke, because he arrived carrying a large medical bag and began conducting various examinations straight away. After carrying out a quick check-up, he started asking questions.

“I heard you’ve had difficulty eating. Have you experienced any burning or pain in your stomach?”

“No. I just have trouble digesting. It doesn’t hurt.”

“Do you feel tightness or pressure in your chest?”

“No, none.”

She hadn’t been able to sleep because of the nightmares. That was all. Nothing had hurt her. So Bella kept telling herself that she was fine.

“Hm… Fortunately, it’s nothing serious, despite His Grace’s concerns. It appears to be stress-related. What you need most is peace of mind.”

He scratched his head with his pen, scribbled a few notes in his book, and came to a conclusion. Having learned that she hadn’t been sleeping properly, he prescribed a sedative. Then he pulled his bag along behind him and quietly left the hotel room.

Bella sat on the edge of the bed, holding the small orange pill bottle in her palm.

Since she had been given something to help her sleep, she decided to try resting for a while. But she couldn’t bring herself to take it.

Mrs Fraser’s words kept echoing in her mind.

“If you truly have no intention of taking advantage of Logan’s position, then you already know what the right choice is. I refuse to believe you don’t understand that—especially after I’ve made myself so clear.”

She did not raise her voice. She did not show any open contempt. Instead, she calmly reminded Bella of the differences between their worlds.

Although she spoke as though offering kind advice, the full weight of responsibility was placed squarely on Bella’s shoulders with every word.

This was to be expected.

If she were to continue seeing the duke, it was a conversation she would inevitably have to have. She simply hadn’t imagined it would come so suddenly or directly, from his own mother of all people.

“You don’t want to become a home-wrecker, do you? Even if Logan had no fiancée, you and your child could never officially join a noble family. An illegitimate child would suffer just as much as its mother.”

She was right.

It had always been an impossible dream.

For a moment, Bella had mistaken the duke’s kindness for something she could rely on. She had believed she could accept the hand he offered her.

But she already knew. She had always been aware of how fragile this peace was, and of how precariously it was being sustained.

The time she spent with him could never last forever.

“Do you know why Logan keeps you by his side?”

“…I was told I resemble someone His Grace once knew.”

“I’m relieved you at least know that much. If you hadn’t, I might have pitied you.”

Most of all, it hurt to think that his affection was not entirely reserved for her.

The duke had been honest. He told her that he loved her and that she was neither a replacement nor a shadow of his first love. He admitted that, initially, he had been drawn to her because she resembled his former love so much that he had mistaken her for a lingering memory. However, he later confessed with quiet sincerity that his feelings had grown beyond that resemblance. What he felt for Bella was no longer rooted in the past.

Bella believed him.

There had been no hesitation in his voice when he confessed, nor any trace of deceit.

And yet, there were moments — rare and fleeting — when his gaze seemed to drift somewhere beyond her. In those brief moments, Bella could not help but wonder if he could still see the woman he had lost reflected in her face.

It was a battle she was destined to lose from the outset.

How can anyone hope to triumph over the dead?

Love shaped by regret and longing does not simply disappear. No matter how many years pass, or who stands at your side, there is always a part of the heart that remains untouched.

Bella understood that all too well.

She, too, had not completely escaped her vanished past. Above all, she knew that she could never truly fill the void it left behind.

This was why she could not bring herself to ask. What was he thinking about each time he spent time with her? Had he forgotten her yet? It wasn’t that she didn’t want to hear the answer; she already knew it.

***

When Logan heard that his mother had been to the hotel, he came to see Bella.

He had said he wouldn’t be able to come tonight due to work commitments. She was taken by surprise by his sudden arrival, but she closed the book she had been reading and greeted him as usual.

“I heard my mother came.”

He asked as soon as he stepped into the bedroom.

Bella nodded.

He approached her, closing the distance she had put between them. His gaze naturally fell on her face. Although she had been examined by a doctor, her pale complexion looked no different to how it had been before.

“Did you cry because of that?”

His hand rose to her cheek. Although her tears had long since dried, the skin around her eyes was still red and irritated. He immediately realized that she had cried while he was away.

“…No. I didn’t cry.”

Bella flinched instinctively and turned her face away, avoiding the hand that brushed near her eyes.

“There are tear stains.”

“I was just tired. I yawned, and my eyes watered.”

Bella quickly offered an excuse.

Logan didn’t press her. Although he was curious about what she and his mother had discussed, he could tell that she wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. He had no intention of forcing her.

Instead, he stayed.

They sat side by side on the sofa, leaning gently towards each other. Their bodies were close, sharing warmth, yet between them lingered layers of unsaid words — thick, fragile and heavy.

Time passed in quiet stillness. Their fingers were loosely intertwined, and Bella traced the strong lines of his hand as if memorizing them. His steady warmth both comforted and unsettled her.

After a long moment of hesitation, she finally found her voice and spoke.

“I… I think I should return to Netherwell.”

At her words, Logan’s hand stiffened.

Return?

It was sudden.

“Is this because you met my mother?”

Bella shook her head.

“It’s not just because of that. I read the newspaper. It said that Mr Jack Hunter’s case had concluded. I was only supposed to stay here until the trial was over. Now, I should return to Netherwell.”

She added the last part softly, almost to herself.

She did not resent Mrs Fraser for saying what she had. In truth, Bella had already known it.

It wasn’t as though she had never imagined living in the capital with the duke. The thought had crossed her mind more than once. But from the outset, the only reason she had extended her stay was for the trial. That had been the agreement.

Regardless of what had changed between them, she was still, at least in name, a Netherwell maid.

“I told you. I’ll handle your status.”

Logan stood up and looked down at her. His voice was low. His hardened expression made it clear that he disapproved of her decision.

“Then I’ll just visit for a short while. I heard from Joshua that the madam has been very worried about me.”

In an attempt to reassure him, Bella spoke calmly. He seemed to fear that if she left the capital, she would never return. She eased his unspoken suspicions and reassured him.

“All right. I’ll arrange a train ticket. Go and come back.”

Even then, Logan appeared reluctant. He had been feeling uneasy for a long time about her being confined to the hotel. At last, albeit unwillingly, he gave his permission.

***

Once Bella had decided to leave the capital, Logan began making serious preparations to end his engagement.

Initially, he resented her decision to leave him. However, thanks to her, he could now see with painful clarity what he had to resolve once and for all.

He would not choose a wife for the sake of alliances or profit. He would marry the woman his heart had chosen.

Once he admitted to himself that his feelings were too deep to be undone, he realized that he could not go back to the life he had planned. The moment he acknowledged this truth, his hesitation disappeared.

He arranged the documents needed for the dissolution and carefully drafted the statement to be released to the press. However, before completing the final procedure, he summoned Vincent to appear before him.

“What is it at this hour?”

Vincent arrived at the Fraser estate, grumbling after receiving the late-night call.

“Take a look.”

Logan held out a paper envelope filled with documents.