[The Duke of Fraser’s Hidden Woman. Was the Jack Hunter Court Battle the Cause?]

[Spotted Attempting to Leave the Hotel in Secret…]

[Duke Logan Fraser, Scandal After Scandal Following the Bellington Fire—What about the Fraser Group’s Future?]

The Duke of Fraser’s affair scandal spread across the Empire in the blink of an eye. Competing newspapers rushed to publish their stories, each pushing an even more provocative headline than the last.

“What is this?”

Amelia saw the article, too, and screamed.

Her eyes scanned past the familiar face printed in grainy black and white as she read to the halfway point. Then, with a sharp motion, she tore the paper to shreds.

“The duke’s kept woman? He’s been hiding her in a hotel this whole time?”

Her hands shook with rage.

She had only just arrived in the capital after receiving the duke’s unilateral notice ending their engagement.

Amelia had been sure that the wedding date would be set soon. After all, on her birthday, he had travelled all the way to Rosedale. His gentle manner and tender words had led her to believe that everything was moving forward.

So the duke’s declaration of annulment came as a shock.

“Where is she? Bring her to me at once and—!”

Recognizing the woman in the paper as that maid, Amelia clenched her fists and surged to her feet.

“Calm down, my dear.”

At that moment, the countess entered the room and soothed Amelia. She, too, had seen the morning’s paper and had come at once, worried for her daughter.

“I’ll be meeting Mrs. Fraser shortly. We can hear the full story then. It may be a false report.”

The countess spoke evenly. She happened to be staying at a relative’s home in the capital in preparation for their visit to the ducal residence.

“I told you we should have dealt with her sooner!”

However, Amelia could not bear to wait even a few hours.

The thought of the maid standing beside the duke at that very moment made her blood boil. She could not steady herself; an unbearable fear that she might lose him at any moment gripped her.

She had long suspected that the duke’s interest in the maid was more than casual.

This was why she had tried to keep them apart and ensure that the girl stayed as far away from him as possible. When she heard that the maid had returned to Netherwell, Amelia even felt a fleeting sense of relief.

And yet, despite everything she had done, the article had still surfaced.

Fury rose hot and bitter in her throat.

She had no idea how the two of them had found their way back to each other.

“In a way, this is perfect. Now we have something to say when we go.”

The Countess gently helped the breathless Amelia back into her seat.

From the outset, the Duke had shown little enthusiasm for the engagement. A broken engagement had always been a possibility, perhaps even an inevitability.

Amelia had managed to keep the engagement alive by clinging to the fact that she had once saved his life. However, an engagement alone was a fragile thing.

“This time, we will speak to Mrs Fraser about marriage.”

The fact that this was happening before the engagement was formally dissolved felt like an unexpected opportunity to them.

Although the article had mentioned Amelia by name as the duke’s fiancée, public opinion largely favored her. She was seen as the wronged party — someone to be pitied.

It might sting for a moment to be viewed as the unloved fiancée. But if they could turn this situation to their advantage, that humiliation would be a small price to pay.

Amelia was not weak.

She had endured years of being overlooked, and of hearing whispers that she might never become a bride.

“Now that we know, let’s freshen you up first. Change into something more subdued. We must show Mrs. Fraser how much distress we’ve endured.”

The countess spoke gently, coaxing her daughter.

“All right.”

Urged on by her mother, Amelia calmed down. She removed her heavy eye make-up and took off the extravagant jewelry adorning her neck and ears.

Dressed far more modestly than usual, she prepared to leave. Just before stepping outside, she pressed a damp cloth to her eyes and rubbed them deliberately until the rims turned red.

Then she got into the carriage with her mother.

No matter what happened, she would not let the duke go.

***

“You must be tired after your journey. I should have invited you here first instead of making you come to me. Things have been rather hectic lately.”

Scarlett warmly welcomed the Everett family to the estate.

After showing them into the drawing room, she took her seat on the sofa.

“We should apologize for requesting such a sudden visit. Thank you for receiving us so readily.”

Seated opposite her, the Countess of Everett spoke with proper decorum. She removed her gloves and placed them neatly on her lap before getting straight to the point.

“As you may have seen in today’s paper, we would like to apologize for the rumors involving the maid from our household and His Grace.”

As the countess bowed deeply, Amelia lowered her head as well.

“We are truly ashamed. While His Grace was staying in Rosedale, we assigned that girl to be his personal attendant for his convenience. We never imagined that she would continue to meet him behind our backs…”

“I’m so sorry, madam. I should have disciplined the servants more strictly. This is entirely my fault.”

Both women took responsibility for the maid’s actions, apologizing as though they were their own wrongdoing.

Scarlett watched them with a softened gaze.

They had come all this way to apologize for something caused by a mere maid – their sincerity was clear. And yet, the more she witnessed their fragility, the more disappointed she became in Logan.

“Countess Everett, Amelia—please don’t reproach yourselves so harshly.”

Her gentle voice offered them comfort.

“How could the two of you have known when he was set on keeping it hidden? This is entirely Logan’s responsibility. It was his mistake to blur the boundaries when he was already engaged.”

Upon hearing this, both the Countess and Amelia visibly relaxed. It was precisely the response they had hoped for.

“We’re deeply grateful that Your Grace would say so.”

“I told her it was fine, but Amelia was deeply hurt by the letter of annulment. She pretends otherwise, but she hasn’t been able to sleep at night. Nevertheless, because she loves the Duke, she travelled all the way to the capital. And then to see such an article…”

“Mother…”

The Countess gently pressed a handkerchief to the corners of her eyes, wiping away her tears. She moved delicately and calmly. Amelia reached for her mother’s arm, offering her quiet comfort.

To any onlooker, they appeared to be the very image of a devoted, harmonious family.

“It is true that my daughter’s honor has been wounded. But if the engagement can be preserved, we are prepared to endure this controversy.”

After dabbing at her tears, she chose her words carefully. The message was unmistakable.

They had no intention of accepting a broken engagement.

“When Logan first suggested dissolving it, I opposed him too. But he convinced me, saying that forcing a marriage in his current state would not be fair to your daughter. Had I known another woman was involved, I would never have agreed.”

Her tone suggested shared disappointment and ignorance, as though she, too, had only just learned of Logan’s misconduct. It was a calculated step back — she spoke carefully, as if she stood on the Everetts’ side.

“You are so understanding, Your Grace. Truly warm-hearted.”

The corners of the Countess’s eyes crinkled as she displayed an expression of heartfelt gratitude. Scarlett’s words had given them an opportunity. In this room, at least, they were not alone.

“But if Logan refuses, would that truly be all right?”

Scarlett let out a sigh.

Logan had been stubborn since childhood. No one knew that better than the woman who had raised him. Once he set his mind on something, he never changed it.

This meant that she herself lacked the confidence to change his mind.

The Countess did not miss that opportunity.

“That is precisely why we must step forward. If this continues unchecked, we fear that His Grace’s reputation may suffer further.”

Although she expressed genuine concern for the duke, her implication was clear: if things remained as they were, the Fraser family would bear the greater burden.

“What should we do?”

Scarlett tilted her head as though troubled.

At that moment, Amelia — who had been sitting quietly until now — leaned forward.

“I have an idea.”