Chapter 12: The New Duke and the Hidden Mistress (Part 6)

“You’re sitting there like a doll again.”

At the sudden voice, Elizabeth’s shoulders flinched. Kiern had entered her bedroom without knocking. Elizabeth, who had been looking out the window, turned her back to it.

He had disappeared with Abigail, only to return to her. His behavior now felt pathological. It was as if he always returned to check that she hadn’t run away. No matter where he went, Kiern’s final destination was always Elizabeth.

“Kiern.”

“I told you not to call me that.”

“…Your Grace.”

When they were alone, he always drew a line like this. Outside, he pretended to be a close friend, but inside, he enjoyed keeping her under his feet. As if her fall was his rise. It was as though Kiern wanted to tear Elizabeth apart. Not that she had any more heart left to break.

“Maybe I wasn’t thorough enough. Seeing as how you became Abigail’s maid without saying a word.”

“You never gave me a chance to speak.”

At her small protest, Kiern chuckled faintly. She was right—he had never left her alone long enough to speak. The distance between them, which had been far, gradually closed. Elizabeth tried to step back, but all she caught was the window frame.

Cornered like a trapped mouse, Elizabeth looked utterly pitiful, curling in on herself. Seeing her fear, Kiern felt a strange sense of sadism.

If someone were to ask when things had gone so wrong, he could confidently say it had been from the very beginning. The day Elizabeth came to Agaphel Castle was also the day Stella had arrived. Her very existence had disrupted his peace.

“If you keep trying to avoid me like that, it just makes me want to torment you more. Do you know that?”

“I…”

“You always talk back, but your gaze is stuck on the floor. It doesn’t make me want to listen to you.”

Due to the forcefully lifted chin, their eyes met. She would be held like this again today. Elizabeth was disgusted by how her body, already accustomed to him, reacted. The fact that she had become so conditioned to him that she responded to even the slightest touch brought her shame. 

His breath, now more pungent with the sharp scent of cigars than the refreshing smell of cypress, drew nearer. His breath, which made her nose sting, was enough to suffocate her. As she made a pained expression, Kiern stopped and asked.

“Are you in pain?”

“…….”

“For all the fake peace you smiled through, I haven’t even begun to do anything yet. Are you already in pain, Ellie?”

At his growling interrogation, Elizabeth shook her head. It seemed she had even been stripped of the right to be in pain. Kiern let out a hollow laugh at her submissive attitude. What followed was always the same.

Hot lips met hers. It was a rougher kiss than usual, as if something had displeased him. The pain of him biting her lips made her let out a muffled groan through her teeth. His relentless, sticky pursuit felt as though it would steal every last bit of air from her lungs.

His hands, which caressed her cheeks, and his impatient movements pulling at her clothes—none of it had a hint of tenderness. This one-sided relationship had long since become a familiar routine for the two of them.

Before she knew it, they had moved to the bed. Kiern ground his teeth as he looked at Elizabeth, whose flushed face and tear-streaked eyes betrayed her attempts to endure silently. He found himself pathetic for watching her reactions so closely.

Elizabeth, who usually sat like a lifeless doll with empty eyes, was always honest in bed. And that was why he kept pushing her. He was the one who had made her unhappy, but seeing her unhappiness didn’t bring him any comfort. It only left him feeling trapped in a contradiction.

He had wanted to make her cry and destroy her. But now that he had, it didn’t make him happy—it only irritated him. And yet, the fact that she was still by his side gave him a sense of satisfaction, which made him feel like a fool.

‘Crazy bastard.’

Kiern cursed himself inwardly. If he wasn’t insane, he couldn’t understand why he was acting this way. He was no different from a beast, constantly holding and rolling with her at any time.

Perhaps it was because he didn’t find her crying in bed unpleasant. Or maybe because he couldn’t bear seeing her empty eyes outside of it.

Kiern frowned as he watched Elizabeth trying to hold back her tears. The closer their bodies became, the further their hearts felt. It was horrible to think she considered their intimacy an insult. Kiern grabbed her chin and said.

“I told you it’s no use showing with your whole body how much you hate it.”

“Ugh.”

“Do you need to pretend to love me like before to stop those damn tears?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Then smile. Don’t just say you’re sorry.”

Kiern commanded as he wiped the tears streaming down Elizabeth’s face. He couldn’t accept that she was wilting. It was more like a tantrum, demanding she not wither, even if by force. Elizabeth forced the corners of her mouth up. Even that seemed difficult, as her lips quivered.

“Yes. I’ll smile.”

Kiern pushed her relentlessly, making her promise meaningless. As always, Elizabeth had to endure until he was satisfied.

***

It was the trivial things that finally broke Elizabeth, who had been struggling not to collapse. The things she had overlooked created a massive cause-and-effect that pressed down on her as if to split her apart.

After Kiern and Abigail got engaged, the Ingrid gatherings were mostly held at Agaphel Castle. It was because Agaphel Castle was much more splendid than Prairie Castle or Parker Castle.

“Hello, Lady Lua.”

James, who had arrived early, approached Elizabeth with a blatant smile. Elizabeth, who was tidying up the table, greeted him in return.

“Hello, Sir James.”

After exchanging unremarkable greetings, she was about to continue her work when James began speaking strangely.

“I didn’t expect you to keep attending these gatherings. You’re bolder than I thought, Miss Ellie.”

“When did I ever permit you to use my nickname?”

Elizabeth shifted her gaze to him at his familiar manner of address. He had come quite close, grinning.

“It seems you’re no longer someone who deserves such respect.”

“What do you mean?”

“Tell me the secret. How did you manage to make that emotionless man act like a madman? How did you end up in this crazy farce?”

For some reason, he seemed angry. Elizabeth had no intention of indulging his whims, not knowing what had upset him.

“I don’t know what you mean. You’re being rude.”

“Rude? Ha, hahaha!”

James burst into laughter at the word ‘rude.’ As the atmosphere grew tense, Elizabeth tried to distance herself from him. But James had come too close for it to be effective.

“What are you trying to hide? I saw it clearly with my own two eyes. It was so passionate. Since when have the two of you been like that? You didn’t look like amateurs. Don’t tell me it’s been going on since the beginning?”

“W-What?”

As Elizabeth trembled, James chuckled. When he mouthed ‘garden’ silently, she felt as if all the blood had drained from her body.

At the same time, she understood why Abigail had turned hostile toward her. Remembering Abigail’s chilling expression at the word ‘walk’ made her head throb. James must have discovered her relationship with Kiern and told Abigail.

‘Of all people.’

James was like a ping-pong ball, unpredictable in where he might bounce. If he carelessly spread rumors, Abigail would no longer tolerate her.

“Please keep it a secret.”

“Of course. Abigail is too pitiful to be caught up in such a dirty scandal.”

James leaned in and whispered in her ear with a sly smile.

“But you’ll have to pay a price. Unlike Abigail, I’m not so soft.”

Elizabeth stared blankly at James. His intense anger was directed solely at her, Elizabeth. She couldn’t understand why he was acting this way when the person involved was doing nothing.

“What do you mean by pay a price? I’ve never harmed you, Sir James.”

Just enduring at Agaphel Castle was overwhelming. Now that James was trying to torment her, Elizabeth was confused. She couldn’t understand the direction of his hostility. At least James Parker was irrelevant to this relationship. Then James spoke.

“You’re shameless. Pretending to be kind, pretending to be innocent, and yet, in the end, you’re just a hidden mistress.”

“…….”

“And yet, you went on matchmaking meetings and tried to prepare for marriage. What a pity for the poor man.”

“Why are you bringing him up here?”

Elizabeth frowned, realizing that James was referring to Theo Kabil. The late Duke and Stella had forced her to go on the matchmaking meetings. Moreover, after her wings were clipped, she had long since ended things with Theo.

She couldn’t run away from Kiern, nor could she rely on Theo. She knew better than anyone that she shouldn’t.

“There’s no need to pretend otherwise. I heard he’s still courting you.”

“That’s—”

“Is he some kind of insurance? Like a backup plan if Duke Agaphel discards you?”

“It’s not like that. I ended things with Sir Theo a long time ago.”

She had known for a long time about Theo Kabil’s feelings and had rejected him. She had cut ties so decisively that she wouldn’t even allow his visits, but it seemed James had heard some rumors.

In reality, Elizabeth was avoiding meeting Theo Kabil. She was no longer in a position to enjoy such ordinary life. It would only bring suffering to the other party as well. Kiern had no intention of letting her go, and she had lost the will to escape this hell.

“You shouldn’t give up so easily. It sounds like fun.”

“……Why are you doing this to me?”

Elizabeth couldn’t understand James’s anger. If anyone should be angry, it was Abigail. A third party should have just chewed on it as gossip and spat it out. But James was acting as if he were the one wronged. And she could infer the reason from his next words.

“I don’t like that bastard who so easily got the noble woman I couldn’t have and then looked elsewhere.”

“…….”

“But that guy is too strong, isn’t he? Don’t I need somewhere to vent my frustration?”

“When did you… with Lady Prairie…?”

“At the very least, I was first. Before him, I was first.”

James cut off Elizabeth’s words and growled. It seemed the reason he had arrived so early was to say this.

His gaze was sharp. The fierce hatred and anger in his eyes made Elizabeth shrink back. Once again, Elizabeth became a sinner. She didn’t know how many people she had wronged. The thought that there were still more people to be dragged into this hell burned her insides.

“I’m sorry.”

“Are you not sorry to Abigail? You’re personally giving that noble lady such insult.”

“I…”

“Both you and Abigail are strange. What is it about him that makes you linger around him?”

Elizabeth stared blankly at James. For some reason, his sarcastic words carried a different emotion. James continued speaking.

“Of all people, I can’t understand Abigail the most. Is the position of Duchess so desirable that it’s worth enduring all that insult? I still don’t get it.”

A bitter look crossed James’s face before it quickly disappeared. It wasn’t strange for Elizabeth to see traces of her old self in him. 

When had it started? 

Just as she had hidden her feelings and pretended to be friends, it seemed James had done the same with Abigail.

It was only natural for someone like him to be angry after being treated coldly. Of course, Elizabeth felt devastated that his anger was directed at her and not Kiern. In this twisted relationship, Elizabeth was both the weakest and the most wicked. She had become the scapegoat herself. When Elizabeth remained silent, James spoke again.

“A new club member is joining today. You can look forward to it.”

“What… Surely not…”

Elizabeth was horrified as she thought of someone. Her thoughts immediately returned to Theo Kabil, whom they had just been discussing. And at that very moment, a knock was heard, and someone who should not have been there opened the door and entered.

“Sir Theo…”

Elizabeth looked at Theo with a vacant expression, while James chuckled and whispered in her ear.

“Look forward to it. It’s going to get even more fun.”