<I’d like you to give me a light kiss when you leave and return home.>

Like that, he was such a good and kind man that you’d be hard-pressed to find a husband like him anywhere. His polite manner of speaking showed just how much he respected his wife.

More than being affectionately attentive. In return, she was a pathetic wife who couldn’t even accomplish the most basic task of producing an heir.

As her eyes swept around the room, they grew increasingly red, and something dripped down her cheek. Belatedly feeling the moisture on her fingertips, realization came.

‘I like my husband… I like Elkas.’

For a while, Evelyn just stared blankly at the carpet, newly aware of her own feelings.

When did her heart grow this big? The feelings that had risen at some point heated her throat.

Once she recognized it, her insides churned even more, and Evelyn, startled, vigorously rubbed her tear-filled eyes with the back of her hand to wipe away the tears.

“What am I doing, being so pathetic? I imagined it all.”

Starting with naively thinking he loved her because of the kindness he showed.

After wallowing in gloom for a while like digging a tunnel, Evelyn lifted her chin at the sound of rain tapping the window.

She suddenly hated the Duke who had given her this miserable feeling. In her resentment, Evelyn jumped up at a thought that suddenly occurred to her.

“Hmph… let’s see you try living without me.”

The decision was made quickly. As soon as Penny, who had prepared her bed, left, Evelyn packed a small bag.

What greatly influenced her quick decision was that she didn’t want to hear Elkas directly tell her to leave. She’d heard that nobles infatuated with mistresses would bully their wives, telling them to get out if they didn’t want to see ugly things with the mistress.

Of course, though she knew Elkas was absolutely not that kind of person, she felt like her insides would crumble into even more of a mess if he said those words with a gentle smile.

So the conclusion that it was better to run away first while he was gone was why Evelyn was now packing her things in the darkness, relying on the light from a silver candlestick.

“It’s raining hard. Should I sleep and leave tomorrow morning?”

Evelyn glanced out the window and briefly considered. Outside was so pitch black that even the rain soaking the darkness was hard to gauge.

‘I won’t get lost going out in this weather, will I?’

Evelyn, who had briefly stopped her busy hands at the weak thought, soon shook her head. 

If Elkas came home early tomorrow, she’d lose her chance to leave, and distracting the maids’ attention wouldn’t work if done repeatedly.

With her mind firmly made up, Evelyn grabbed her packed bag and went to find the coachman who had gone to the palace with her that afternoon. He came out quickly, though bewildered after being woken from sleep.

“My lady, at this hour, what’s the matter…?”

“Something urgent came up—can you take me to the Yorik Club?”

To the coachman still drowsy with sleep, Evelyn handed over a few more gold coins. Fortunately, the coachman nodded without any suspicion.

“So the master is at Yorik. It’s raining heavily, so I’ll drive carefully.”

Hurrying into the carriage, Evelyn quietly caught her breath. 

Though she didn’t know specifically where that was, Evelyn had nowhere else she could go right now. Yorik was bait—she planned to turn onto a different road midway.

Well, even if she got scolded later, she planned to buy time. Finishing this very characteristic thought of being avoidant when it came to getting scolded, Evelyn steadied her trembling heart once more.

More than that, she first wanted to thoroughly torment her resentful husband with her hurt feelings.

* * *

Due to the carriage slowing down in the harsh weather, quite some time had passed when they arrived at the downtown area.

Though it was close to midnight, there were many waiting carriages and people in front of Yorik, which was unexpectedly open for business with bright lights flashing. 

Thanks to that, Evelyn easily caught a ride on a passing freight wagon and headed to an inn not far from the downtown area.

Perhaps because of the rain, Evelyn clutched tightly at the collar of the robe wrapped around her body against the rather chilly feeling and opened the shop door.

“One room, please. The best one.”

Knowing she shouldn’t act like a noble when walking around outside without guards, Evelyn used polite speech. 

Then she fumbled around inside her clothes, searched through coins, paid for the room, and slipped an extra gold coin, at which the owner’s attitude immediately became respectful.

“Oh my, welcome! We happen to have the very best room in our inn. What about meals? We have a restaurant operating on the first floor, but if you’d like, we can bring it up to your room.”

“Then please bring it to my room.”

When Evelyn, who had been briefly considering, pulled out another gold coin from her jingling purse, the innkeeper’s palms, which had been pressed together respectfully, spread wide and quickly snatched it up.

The innkeeper, who glanced once at the money pouch that had disappeared after paying, grinned from ear to ear.

“I’ll guide you myself. You’ll be very satisfied during your stay.”

Who knew the experience of secretly going in and out as a child would shine in this moment?

A smile appeared on Evelyn’s lips, having learned through experience that anyone becomes kind if you give them money. Good thing she’d packed plenty of money and jewels knowing this.

The room the innkeeper personally led her to, instead of a young servant, was modest compared to his confident, loud voice. Evelyn, who had been looking around the interior that was at least cleanly swept, sat on the bed, bounced her bottom a few times, then frowned.

The blanket she lifted slightly with her fingertips was also far from soft. It was so hard compared to the cushioning at the ducal estate that she felt like she’d get muscle pain.

“Why is the mattress so hard?”

Evelyn, who had been complaining briefly, sighed upon recognizing her situation. She was about to reluctantly get into bed when there was a knock-knock at the door.

“Who is it?”

“Hello, I’m the innkeeper’s wife.”

When she opened the door, a middle-aged woman with a warm impression was smiling broadly. 

She was the woman who had briefly greeted her with a glance when passing through the corridor earlier.

“Yes. So?”

“This is welcome tea and cookies we only give to first-time guests at our inn.”

Looking down, she could see a tray with a steaming teacup and a small, bite-sized pie. Though she’d skipped dinner, she had no appetite.

When she hesitated without readily accepting, the woman squeezed close through the slightly open door gap and thr*st the tray forward.

“Please do try it. I baked it with walnuts I grew myself, so it’s delicious enough to melt in your mouth. Many people have become regulars at our place because of these cookies.”

When they welcome travelers this much, it wouldn’t be polite to keep refusing.

“Then I won’t decline.”

After the woman left, Evelyn, about to place the tray she’d received on the table, brought her nose to the fragrant tea aroma. 

Taking a sip as her body still trembled from exposure to the night wind, it tasted better than expected.

After finishing about half, she blew out the candle on the table and quickly burrowed into the blankets.

Meanwhile, the sound of thick raindrops—patter-patter—hitting the old window grew increasingly clear. Pulling the blanket up to her neck and staring blankly at the old wooden ceiling, sadness washed over the heart she’d been trying to keep strong.

She suddenly wondered what expression Elkas would have tomorrow when he discovered the letter she’d left behind.

“He won’t look for me.”

Before leaving home, she’d left a letter for the maids who would get in trouble over the Duchess disappearing without a trace. Though he probably wouldn’t worry much.

She hadn’t written much anyway. She’d written that she was leaving so he should be happy.

‘Since when was I this sentimental?’

Soon wiping away the tears flowing down her cheeks with the back of her hand, Evelyn muttered resolutely.

“May everyone live well without me.”

The bed she’d thought would surely be uncomfortable was more bearable than expected. The fabric was rough, but still not so bad she couldn’t sleep. Perhaps because she’d been so tense sneaking out, her body was weary. 

With drowsiness gently washing over her, Evelyn closed her eyes. Not long after her eyelids settled, the quiet room door opened silently.

* * *

About seven hours after Evelyn secretly left the estate, twenty knights on horseback entered through the ducal estate’s main gate.

Elkas, who practically jumped off his horse and landed with a thud, loosened his cravat tied around his neck in frustration.

“Was the retainer matter resolved well?”

“Hah… I sent a stern warning, so it’ll be quiet for a while, but I told them to keep watching, so we’ll see.”

Elkas’s voice answering the butler who’d come out to greet him was full of fatigue. Having ridden for a solid five hours or more, it was understandable. 

He’d departed as soon as the rain stopped past midnight, and looking up, the eastern sky was already brightening with dawn.

Yesterday afternoon, Elkas had headed to a territory where he’d once suppressed a rebellion. 

Though all the leaders at the time had been beheaded, recently their followers who hadn’t been found were causing trouble.

Though he’d sent word early that it would be hard to return today, overnight stays didn’t appeal to him at all, so he’d grabbed a horse and ridden through the dawn to arrive at the estate.

“You must be weary from the long journey, so I’ll prepare a bath right away.”

“Before that, I’ll see Evelyn first.”

Passing the butler and striding up the stairs, Elkas went straight to the bedroom where his wife would be sleeping soundly. Though he was a bit disappointed he wouldn’t receive a welcome-home kiss today since she’d be asleep, a smile lingered on his lips.

Evelyn, who slept so deeply you could carry her away without her knowing, didn’t know that he watched her sleeping face peacefully for a long while before leaving each morning. 

Though he couldn’t do it anymore recently since she’d been waking up to match his rising time, he wasn’t disappointed.

<Have a good day.>

The fresh smile waving her hand after kissing him for her husband held his departing steps, yet made him incredibly happy.

It was then that Elkas’s feet, approaching the bed, stopped abruptly. His blue eyes shook roughly.

“This… can’t be.”

Elkas shook his head in denial at the unbelievable sight on the bed.

The blanket was spread neatly on Evelyn’s bed, who usually slept rolled up in it. Unless his wife’s sleeping habit of rolling around had been completely fixed in one day, this was impossible.

The bed he hastily checked was indeed empty.

Did she already wake up?

“Evelyn…?”

The sitting room connected to the bedroom he hurriedly opened was empty. The bathroom was the same. Searching the entire house like that, Evelyn’s figure was nowhere to be found.

Kidnapping.

Reaching the conclusion that the subordinates following Baron Bade, whom he’d personally beheaded, must have kidnapped her, Elkas was about to call the knights when he soon discovered a single sheet of paper on the table. 

On the letter he guessed Evelyn had left without even looking, a single, very concise line was written.

[Eat well and live well.]

The paper held in Elkas’s weakened grip, who had read the phrase over and over like engraving it in his eyes, fluttered and fell to the floor.