Chapter 13: Peace Is the Prelude to Misery (Part 3)

Kiern looked at Elizabeth, who was trying hard to hold back her tears. 

Should I lay all the truth bare to make her shed those loathsome tears? Or should I willingly become the villain and make her miserable?  

The situation felt so surreal to Kiern, as if it were a card game. To Anna, he was a scoundrel who had not only chosen Lady Prairie for his family’s benefit but also tried to take her friend as well.  

Well, it wasn’t entirely wrong. Kiern knew that what he had done was no different from his predecessor, the late Duke.  

To think he was repeating the very behavior that had once made him retch. It seemed he was no better than his despicable father. Just as Elizabeth couldn’t escape being Stella’s daughter, he couldn’t escape being his father’s son.  

Kiern took a wine bottle from the ice bucket, poured himself a glass, and spoke calmly.  

“The reason is simple. I needed them both, so I tried to have them both.”  

Anna Trisha’s lips quivered at Kiern’s shameless answer, but she couldn’t form a proper response.  

“You… you’re truly…!”  

But Kiern no longer had the patience to entertain Anna’s outrage.  

“This is as far as my courtesy to you goes, Madame. Do not attempt to approach the truth any further.”  

With those words, Kiern downed the wine in one gulp and rang the bell. A staff member entered and forcibly escorted Anna Trisha out.  

When Elizabeth tried to follow, Kiern stopped her.  

“Where are you going?”  

His crooked tone made it unclear whether it was a question or not. When Elizabeth stood there dumbfounded, he continued.  

“You’re staying here to fulfill your duty.”  

At the word “duty,” Elizabeth shuddered. The only duty she had to him was to share his bed. She had thought he had grown tired of her, but apparently not. For some reason, that realization brought her both relief and anger.  

“Kiern, let me escort the Madame and return. Please let me go.”  

“What if I say no?”  

“She’s very shaken. If I send her off like this, I’ll be worried…”  

Before she could finish, Kiern suddenly pushed her against the wall and whispered.  

“The person you should be worried about right now isn’t the Madame, but yourself.”  

“Kiern.”  

“Now you’ve gone so far as to drag Lady Anna into this.”  

Elizabeth was stunned by Kiern’s sarcastic remark. As she tried to explain, thinking he had misunderstood something, he drove the knife in further.  

“Being my mistress wasn’t enough for you, huh? Did you think I’d give you the position of Duchess? Once the truth is revealed, even the Madame won’t be able to defend you anymore. Are you so blind you can’t see that far ahead?”  

“That’s not it. It’s really not!”  

Elizabeth shook her head violently, and the tears she had been holding back streamed down her face. Everything was a complete mess. It felt as if what little breath she had left had been stolen away. Now that Anna had discovered the relationship between her and Kiern, it was only a matter of time before she learned the full truth.  

No, perhaps Kiern would use that truth to blackmail her again. Elizabeth was terrified of Kiern. Overwhelmed by grief, she began sobbing uncontrollably, wiping her eyes with her hands.  

“It’s really not true.”  

Her sorrow was so intense that even Kiern, at a loss for words, simply stared at her. Moments later, he noticed something and frowned.  

Her hands, which she was using to wipe her tears, were a mess. Not only were they covered in scratches, but there were also marks on the back of her hand—shoe prints. Clearly, someone had stepped on her.  

It was just a scratch, but for some reason, it made him furious. Feeling a sudden surge of anger, Kiern grabbed Elizabeth’s hand and muttered with a sharp gaze.  

“Who was it?”  

“Hic… It’s really not true. It’s not true, I swear.”  

“I asked who it was.”  

As Kiern pressed her repeatedly, Elizabeth froze and stammered. When he vaguely heard her say she had never desired the position of Duchess, he grew irritated. He wanted to dismiss the pathetic woman before him, yet he couldn’t leave her alone, and that only made him more frustrated.  

Even in this situation, as she sobbed and insisted on her innocence, Kiern felt as if he were being endlessly condemned. Seeing her injured hand made him angry, but her tearful pleading made him feel sorrowful. As a storm of conflicting emotions raged inside him, he found himself unable to breathe.  

“Hah.”  

Kiern tilted his head back and let out a deep sigh. Moments later, he dragged her somewhere. Elizabeth followed him obediently, only to realize belatedly that it was the bathroom. She hesitated.  

Kiern, noticing the fear in her eyes, turned on the faucet and said, 

“I’m not going to devour you right now, so relax.”  

With that, Kiern grabbed Elizabeth’s hand and washed it under the running water. The first thing he needed to do was tend to her injured hand.  

The sudden touch of cold water made Elizabeth’s entire body bristle. At the same time, she became aware of the delayed pain and winced. Her hand, which James had trampled on, was now swollen and discolored.  

As the dark shoe print marks were washed away, they became even more pronounced. Seeing this, Kiern growled sharply, as if he hadn’t expected it to be this bad.  

“Why is it that you always appear before me in this state?”  

“……”  

“Do you think this will make me pity you?”  

Despite his scolding tone, his touch as he dried her hand was gentle. Elizabeth knew she shouldn’t misunderstand, but it pained her to think that he might actually be worried about her.  

And yet, she couldn’t help but misunderstand. She was furious at her own weak and foolish heart for doing so. He was nothing more than the merciless master who had ruined her life. Why was she so desperate to absolve him of his sins?

“That’s not it. I’ll do it myself.”  

Elizabeth, as if drawing a line, snatched the towel from him and finished drying her hand. The sharp pain told her it would take a while to heal. Her firm attitude made Kiern let out a hollow laugh. Moments later, he ran a hand through his hair in frustration and asked,  

“So, who did this?”  

“……I just fell.”  

“You were stepped on. Do you think I didn’t see the shoe print earlier?”  

“……”  

Elizabeth couldn’t bring herself to say that it was James. He was Abigail’s lover and the heir to the Parker family.  

Currently, with the Melkan Tribe’s invasions causing tension at the borders, the kingdom was already on the brink of war. In such a situation, antagonizing a family that dealt in military supplies would be burdensome, even for a ducal household.  

Elizabeth understood that, which was why James acted with such impunity. She knew this all too well.  

When she kept her mouth shut, Kiern, standing crookedly, spoke. 

“If you keep quiet, I’ll act on my own assumptions. Are you still going to stay silent?”  

“It was just an accident.”  

“So, who caused this ‘accident’?”  

Kiern grabbed Elizabeth’s chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. His piercing blue eyes, now inches away, seemed to spark with fire, making it impossible for her to look away.  

Having washed her hands in cold water, Elizabeth had calmed down emotionally. Stripping her feelings away, she realized that Kiern was simply angry at someone touching what he considered his property.  

To him, she was nothing more than a possession. Elizabeth knew this. His feigned concern was just a way to manipulate her. She spoke calmly, as if this injury was nothing compared to the wounds he had inflicted on her.  

“It’s just a scratch on my hand. It’ll heal with time, so don’t waste your concern on something so trivial, Your Grace.”  

Her detached tone made Kiern sneer. She was right. It was just a scratch on her hand. Why was he so angry about something so insignificant?  

Realizing that he had worried about the daughter of his enemy, he felt a pang of self-loathing. That made his response even sharper.  

“You’re still living in a delusion. I’m only curious about who dared to touch what’s mine.”  

“……”  

“Do as you please. I won’t concern myself with a scratch that will disappear soon, just as you said.”  

With that, Kiern turned his back to her. Moments later, as Elizabeth followed him out of the bathroom, he spoke again.  

“Go home.”  

“Really?”  

Elizabeth’s face lit up with surprise at his unexpected words, causing Kiern’s eyebrow to twitch. He had intended to let her go, but seeing her so happy made him change his mind. Still, he didn’t want to force himself on her while she was injured. He wasn’t such a beast that he allowed his instincts to completely control him.  

“No.”  

Kiern’s lips twisted into a crooked smile. Seeing this, Elizabeth quickly wiped the smile from her face, but it was already too late. He changed his mind and pulled her toward the bed.  

He laid her down and held her tightly in his arms.  

Elizabeth thought he would take her right then and there, but that was it. She stared blankly at Kiern’s tightly shut eyes. She couldn’t understand why he suddenly wanted to hold her and sleep.  

When she squirmed, wondering what he was doing, he tightened his arms around her waist and said,  

“Stay still. Be grateful I’m content with just this.”  

Their bodies pressed together, radiating heat. Elizabeth’s face turned red at the feel of his arousal against her. It had been a long time, and he was larger than usual.  

Only then did she realize that even her slightest movements were stimulating him. She instinctively closed her legs and remained still.  

Seeing her stiffen like a doll, Kiern let out a helpless laugh. Annoyingly enough, holding her soft body in his arms seemed to wash away his fatigue.  

The emptiness in his heart felt filled, and for the first time in a long while, Kiern fell into a deep sleep, holding her tightly.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth couldn’t fall asleep easily due to her nerves. Kiern’s even breathing brushed against her cheek, and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat reverberated through her fingertips.  

Kiern’s face, which she hadn’t seen in a long time, was filled with exhaustion. It seemed he had truly been busy these past few days, as his gaunt appearance made her feel pity. With his eyes closed, he looked just as he had in the past—when he didn’t yell at her or force her into anything.  

Elizabeth let out a shallow sigh as she inadvertently recalled his younger self. They say familiarity can be terrifying, and though she had felt relieved that he hadn’t done anything to her, she now found herself oddly disappointed.  

This realization plunged Elizabeth deeper into guilt. As if to hide her feelings, she burrowed deeper into his arms. They were warm, yet endlessly cold at the same time.