After the young maid finished carefully doing Chloe's hair, she got up from her seat. Chloe stared at her unfamiliar reflection in the mirror with unfocused eyes.
“You are truly beautiful. You are probably the most radiant of all the ladies coming today.”
Chloe smiled faintly through the mirror.
"Thank you."
“It’s winter sun, but it’ll be hot if you stay out for too long, so make sure to bring a hat. The most colorful one.”
Margaret, the stern-faced maid, seemed to be brimming with fighting spirit today. Rumors must have already spread among the servants. If there was sympathy for the wife who had to prepare to welcome the Duke's mistress, would that be a welcome thing for her or a sad thing?
“You should wear jewelry too.”
“I don’t have many trinkets.”
“Oh, my? What are you talking about when you have Tisse’s jewels! The other ladies will be completely blinded?”
The story of Chloe running to Eliza's sick grandchild in the middle of the night and saving the child was widely known among the servants in the castle. It was natural that the reputation of the new Duchess began to change. They began to feel better about Chloe, who did not forgive infidelity but did not lose her humanity.
Moreover, the new servant she had brought from her hometown was rumored to not only be a quiet and good worker, but also to have great manners, so the young maids of Birch Castle often talked secretly about the new stablekeeper.
“Margaret, this is not a ball, this is an outdoor tea party. Is it really necessary to dress up like this?”
“Yes, that should be the case.”
The maid Margaret worked hard to dress up her mistress, wrinkles on the bridge of her nose. According to what she read in 'The Red Veil', Marchioness Isabella had such incredible beauty that men would fall for her just by looking at her.
Margaret was already worried whether the Duchess, who seemed to have been engrossed in her books and housework, would be able to endure the fierce fighting among the women. After all, lowering the fever of a sick child and giving suitable work to the neglected maids were not the same as the social fray.
"Phew..."
Chloe smiled faintly as she watched Margaret hide her sigh. It wasn't that she didn't think she'd rather lie down and say she was sick. However, she didn't want to give anyone the impression that she was avoiding this situation.
“Madam, guests are arriving.”
The new butler, Paul, greeted her politely and guided her in. Chloe stood up as if she had never hesitated before. It was finally time to meet her husband's lover.
“Welcome, Marchioness Isabella.”
"...Thank you."
The Marchioness Isabella looked the exact opposite of what she was portrayed as in the magazines. Unlike the glamorous and arrogant image in the pictures, she was quiet and seemed to be immersed in sorrow. Her plain black dress that covered her neck made her look even more lonely.
“I was worried that I might hurt the Duchess’ feelings by coming.”
Even her small, whispering voice seemed to be filled with sadness beneath the black veil that hung beneath her round-brimmed hat. Chloe tried to calm herself and opened her mouth calmly.
“No way. You are a close friend of the Duke. What could I be upset about?”
Even if the Duke and she were having an affair, Chloe couldn't pretend to know about it. It was the same for everyone there, but on the other hand, it meant that everyone there knew Chloe's position. Chloe felt the eyes focused on her and opened her mouth as naturally as possible.
“I hope you have a comfortable stay.”
"...Thank you."
Isabella lowered her head slightly and looked for her handkerchief. The women who had come with her were surprised and worried about her.
“Madam, are you okay?”
Isabella muttered to herself as she looked at the Duke, who was conversing from a distance.
“I really didn’t want to come to such a miserable place...”
Tears fell down her black dress. She could hear the other women sitting next to her breathing softly. Isabella whispered, looking as if she was struggling.
“I’m sorry. I just... think the world is so cruel.”
In fact, the other guests who attended also misunderstood Isabella. Contrary to the rumor that she had seduced the Duke with her beauty after her husband died, the Marchioness who appeared before their eyes seemed like a weak-willed woman. It was understandable that the Duchess had planned to intimidate her, but at the same time, it felt ridiculous to see her with her hair all swept up in the dazzling jewels.
“Madam Marchioness.”
“...Why are you doing that?”
Chloe opened her mouth to Isabella.
“If you’re not feeling well, why don’t you go back to the castle and rest for a while? If you’re uncomfortable here, I’ll prepare a place for you to stay comfortably.”
All the women present there blinked rapidly, still motionless. Was the Duchess trying to shoo her away now?
“I see, it seems you are uncomfortable with my presence.”
Chloe shook her head as Isabella swallowed dryly and whispered softly.
“No. As the host of the party, I think it would be very rude to make the guests feel miserable.”
Isabella's lips trembled slightly for a moment, but soon she smiled bitterly.
“I expected to be an unwelcome guest.”
“Madam Marchioness, I...”
Just as Chloe was about to say something, Isabella stood up. Then she squinted her eyes as if the sunlight was blinding her, and stumbled over the tent pole. Her personal maid, who had been waiting to see her almost fall, ran over and cast a concerned look.
“Are you all right, Marchioness?”
The gentlemen who were chatting a little further away also turned their attention to her. After handing the drink he was drinking to a servant, Damien walked towards them.
“What's going on?”
Isabella bit her lip and turned away from him. Everyone in the room was fixated on the three of them. Chloe was becoming increasingly unable to bear this situation. And Isabella's pretense was no different.
She had seen several people fall unconscious while helping Mr. Wharton. They didn't calculate where they would fall and stagger safely. People on the verge of fainting would first go dark.
“I asked what was going on.”
Damien's gaze was focused squarely on Chloe. Chloe opened her mouth with difficulty.
“I suggested that you return to the castle as the Marchioness is not feeling well.”
“Oh, I see.”
Isabella lowered her head and began to sob as Damien gave a curt reply in a calm tone.
“...I should never have come to this place in the first place. It was my fault for coming here knowing full well how widows and divorcees are treated in this land.”
The young ladies gathered around were now casting pitiful glances at the trembling Marchioness Isabella. It was not only because Isabella had sent them a present in advance. She was no longer the vulgar and vicious woman they had seen in the gossip papers. She was just a pitiful woman who had loved a man but was eventually abandoned.
“Oh my. No one here thinks like that. It’s not the wife’s fault that her husband died.”
As someone began to speak cautiously, women began to speak here and there, adding strength to the words.
“Yes, Madame Marchioness. I will be by your side.”
“...Would you mind? I’m scared of being alone in an unfamiliar place.”
“Of course. In the middle of winter like this, an outdoor party might be a bit... difficult for someone from Swanton.”
In Tisse, outdoor parties were common even in the snowy winters because of the beautiful scenery.
“Now that I think about it, I feel a little unwell. Is it possible that I ate something wrong?”
“Now that I think about it, I feel a little uneasy. Oh my, why did the tea get so cold again?”
It was natural that Chloe's face was becoming hard. Although it was outdoors, the campfires lit here and there under the tent made it impossible to feel the cold, and Mrs. Dutton's carefully prepared food was perfect. The tea water was warm, not cold at all because Chloe had asked the servants to take special care of it. There was only one reason why the women who had been laughing and chatting at the party were suddenly nodding and talking to each other.
She's taking great pleasure in taking out her frustration at being expected to treat Chloe, who is poor and physically disabled, with the same level of politeness as the Duchess.
“You are truly beautiful. You are probably the most radiant of all the ladies coming today.”
Chloe smiled faintly through the mirror.
"Thank you."
“It’s winter sun, but it’ll be hot if you stay out for too long, so make sure to bring a hat. The most colorful one.”
Margaret, the stern-faced maid, seemed to be brimming with fighting spirit today. Rumors must have already spread among the servants. If there was sympathy for the wife who had to prepare to welcome the Duke's mistress, would that be a welcome thing for her or a sad thing?
“You should wear jewelry too.”
“I don’t have many trinkets.”
“Oh, my? What are you talking about when you have Tisse’s jewels! The other ladies will be completely blinded?”
The story of Chloe running to Eliza's sick grandchild in the middle of the night and saving the child was widely known among the servants in the castle. It was natural that the reputation of the new Duchess began to change. They began to feel better about Chloe, who did not forgive infidelity but did not lose her humanity.
Moreover, the new servant she had brought from her hometown was rumored to not only be a quiet and good worker, but also to have great manners, so the young maids of Birch Castle often talked secretly about the new stablekeeper.
“Margaret, this is not a ball, this is an outdoor tea party. Is it really necessary to dress up like this?”
“Yes, that should be the case.”
The maid Margaret worked hard to dress up her mistress, wrinkles on the bridge of her nose. According to what she read in 'The Red Veil', Marchioness Isabella had such incredible beauty that men would fall for her just by looking at her.
Margaret was already worried whether the Duchess, who seemed to have been engrossed in her books and housework, would be able to endure the fierce fighting among the women. After all, lowering the fever of a sick child and giving suitable work to the neglected maids were not the same as the social fray.
"Phew..."
Chloe smiled faintly as she watched Margaret hide her sigh. It wasn't that she didn't think she'd rather lie down and say she was sick. However, she didn't want to give anyone the impression that she was avoiding this situation.
“Madam, guests are arriving.”
The new butler, Paul, greeted her politely and guided her in. Chloe stood up as if she had never hesitated before. It was finally time to meet her husband's lover.
***
“Welcome, Marchioness Isabella.”
"...Thank you."
The Marchioness Isabella looked the exact opposite of what she was portrayed as in the magazines. Unlike the glamorous and arrogant image in the pictures, she was quiet and seemed to be immersed in sorrow. Her plain black dress that covered her neck made her look even more lonely.
“I was worried that I might hurt the Duchess’ feelings by coming.”
Even her small, whispering voice seemed to be filled with sadness beneath the black veil that hung beneath her round-brimmed hat. Chloe tried to calm herself and opened her mouth calmly.
“No way. You are a close friend of the Duke. What could I be upset about?”
Even if the Duke and she were having an affair, Chloe couldn't pretend to know about it. It was the same for everyone there, but on the other hand, it meant that everyone there knew Chloe's position. Chloe felt the eyes focused on her and opened her mouth as naturally as possible.
“I hope you have a comfortable stay.”
"...Thank you."
Isabella lowered her head slightly and looked for her handkerchief. The women who had come with her were surprised and worried about her.
“Madam, are you okay?”
Isabella muttered to herself as she looked at the Duke, who was conversing from a distance.
“I really didn’t want to come to such a miserable place...”
Tears fell down her black dress. She could hear the other women sitting next to her breathing softly. Isabella whispered, looking as if she was struggling.
“I’m sorry. I just... think the world is so cruel.”
In fact, the other guests who attended also misunderstood Isabella. Contrary to the rumor that she had seduced the Duke with her beauty after her husband died, the Marchioness who appeared before their eyes seemed like a weak-willed woman. It was understandable that the Duchess had planned to intimidate her, but at the same time, it felt ridiculous to see her with her hair all swept up in the dazzling jewels.
“Madam Marchioness.”
“...Why are you doing that?”
Chloe opened her mouth to Isabella.
“If you’re not feeling well, why don’t you go back to the castle and rest for a while? If you’re uncomfortable here, I’ll prepare a place for you to stay comfortably.”
All the women present there blinked rapidly, still motionless. Was the Duchess trying to shoo her away now?
“I see, it seems you are uncomfortable with my presence.”
Chloe shook her head as Isabella swallowed dryly and whispered softly.
“No. As the host of the party, I think it would be very rude to make the guests feel miserable.”
Isabella's lips trembled slightly for a moment, but soon she smiled bitterly.
“I expected to be an unwelcome guest.”
“Madam Marchioness, I...”
Just as Chloe was about to say something, Isabella stood up. Then she squinted her eyes as if the sunlight was blinding her, and stumbled over the tent pole. Her personal maid, who had been waiting to see her almost fall, ran over and cast a concerned look.
“Are you all right, Marchioness?”
The gentlemen who were chatting a little further away also turned their attention to her. After handing the drink he was drinking to a servant, Damien walked towards them.
“What's going on?”
Isabella bit her lip and turned away from him. Everyone in the room was fixated on the three of them. Chloe was becoming increasingly unable to bear this situation. And Isabella's pretense was no different.
She had seen several people fall unconscious while helping Mr. Wharton. They didn't calculate where they would fall and stagger safely. People on the verge of fainting would first go dark.
“I asked what was going on.”
Damien's gaze was focused squarely on Chloe. Chloe opened her mouth with difficulty.
“I suggested that you return to the castle as the Marchioness is not feeling well.”
“Oh, I see.”
Isabella lowered her head and began to sob as Damien gave a curt reply in a calm tone.
“...I should never have come to this place in the first place. It was my fault for coming here knowing full well how widows and divorcees are treated in this land.”
The young ladies gathered around were now casting pitiful glances at the trembling Marchioness Isabella. It was not only because Isabella had sent them a present in advance. She was no longer the vulgar and vicious woman they had seen in the gossip papers. She was just a pitiful woman who had loved a man but was eventually abandoned.
“Oh my. No one here thinks like that. It’s not the wife’s fault that her husband died.”
As someone began to speak cautiously, women began to speak here and there, adding strength to the words.
“Yes, Madame Marchioness. I will be by your side.”
“...Would you mind? I’m scared of being alone in an unfamiliar place.”
“Of course. In the middle of winter like this, an outdoor party might be a bit... difficult for someone from Swanton.”
In Tisse, outdoor parties were common even in the snowy winters because of the beautiful scenery.
“Now that I think about it, I feel a little unwell. Is it possible that I ate something wrong?”
“Now that I think about it, I feel a little uneasy. Oh my, why did the tea get so cold again?”
It was natural that Chloe's face was becoming hard. Although it was outdoors, the campfires lit here and there under the tent made it impossible to feel the cold, and Mrs. Dutton's carefully prepared food was perfect. The tea water was warm, not cold at all because Chloe had asked the servants to take special care of it. There was only one reason why the women who had been laughing and chatting at the party were suddenly nodding and talking to each other.
She's taking great pleasure in taking out her frustration at being expected to treat Chloe, who is poor and physically disabled, with the same level of politeness as the Duchess.
“I will call a carriage for you, Madame Marchioness.”
As Damien bowed to her, Isabella put her hand on her chest, as if out of breath, and slowly opened her mouth.
“No. I can’t ruin the mood just because of me. I’ll just stay here.”
“No. There is no need for you to endure this, Marchioness Isabella Tweedle.”
It was then that Chloe looked straight at Isabella and spat out. The woman's eyes widened simultaneously and looked at her. Chloe's firm voice sounded almost like a command.
Now even men far away began to gossip and show interest. Is this what it means to become a villain in an instant? Chloe's heart pounded and her mouth went dry in a situation she had never experienced before.
“Do you find it so uncomfortable for me to be here?”
Isabella asked her in a whisper, her face on the verge of tears.
“Madam Marchioness.”
Chloe looked at her, a smile on her face. Her hand was shaking slightly as she held her cane, but no one there noticed. Except for one person, her husband.
“If that were the case, I wouldn’t have invited you here in the first place. If you are feeling better, I hope you will grace this occasion, but if not, I’m telling you that you can rest whenever you want.”
Chloe knew full well that the Marchioness had no intention of leaving from the beginning. She also knew that all she wanted was to be the star of this party.
“You said that Madam Spencer and Lady Chelsea were also not feeling well? I will call a carriage for you right away. Your Excellency, would it be all right for Madam Spencer and Lady Chelsea to leave first?”
“Why do you ask me that, Ma’am?”
Damien asked Chloe in a casual tone as if he had not noticed the girls' fight at all. Since he had asked, Chloe had no choice but to answer.
“I was just talking to Your Excellency the Duke, and I was just worried that maybe it was about important business.”
“Ah. That’s true, but if Madam is not feeling well, then of course we should send her.”
When Damien nodded, the ladies whose names were called couldn't hide their embarrassment. The awkward laughter and hasty waving of their hands were awkward.
“No, Your Excellency. There is nothing to worry about. I was just a little nervous after being out for so long.”
“I was nervous because it was my first time at such a big party. I appreciate your consideration, but I had no intention of leaving first, Duchess.”
After confirming the ladies' intentions, Chloe looked at the Marchioness for the last time. Isabella seemed to have decided that it would be beneficial for everyone if she disappeared from this place.
“I feel a lot better now that things have calmed down a bit. I apologize for causing a commotion.”
Isabella whispered softly, clasping her hands together and bowing her head deeply toward Chloe. Chloe looked down at the top of her head and muttered softly.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Marchioness and all of you for your consideration. Dessert will be served soon, so please enjoy it. This pudding has been prepared by our chef, Mrs. Dutton, over the past month, taking into consideration the tastes of all of you.”
Chloe, who was on the verge of collapsing from pain and making people apologize with their heads down, was met with cold eyes as she brought up the topic of dessert. While everyone else was giving the Duchess cold looks as if they were looking at someone without any blood or tears, Damien was the only one who smiled.
“Isabella’s favorite snack. Thank you, Duchess.”
“...Not at all, Your Excellency the Duke.”
Chloe figured that even if a blizzard came right now and swept the whole place away, she wouldn't blame God. No, she might even be grateful.
***
During the two days that the guests stayed at Birch Castle, the Marchioness Isabella succeeded in gaining the favor of everyone, regardless of gender. Contrary to popular belief, she was far from a seductress who stole men. Rather, when gentlemen approached, she took a step back and kept a proper distance, and at the end of her longing gaze, there was always Damien. Those who had not seen her in person and judged her only by rumors reflected on their own hasty misjudgments, saying that gossip is not to be trusted.
“Besides, if you look at the order in which you met the Duke, shouldn’t the Marchioness have come first? Rather, it should be the Marchioness who feels robbed.”
The women who had been chatting while wearing the skates the maid had given them fell silent at Chloe's appearance. Chloe forced herself to smile, trying to erase from her mind the words she had just heard.
“I don’t know if anything was lacking during your stay.”
“It’s a deficiency, how could that be?”
A woman dressed in a red dress and hat raised her eyebrows and spoke with exaggerated language.
“I’ll take care of all the prepared sandwiches and come back, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
“I went to bed last night wearing layers of clothing. I didn’t want to catch a cold and have it affect the schedule the Duchess had planned.”
It was a sarcastic remark to Chloe, who had been talking about dessert even when Isabella was on the verge of collapse from illness. The Marchioness Isabella, sitting quietly in the center, putting on her skates alone, was silent, but it was easy to guess where their hostility came from.
“By the way... does Duchess also skate?”
Before going back, their last activity was ice skating on the ice lake. It was a popular pastime in the long winters of the Tisse region, but it was natural for Chloe, who had a bad leg, to have questions about it. Chloe tried to nod calmly.
“Yes. There are many great tools in this world.”
The ladies' eyes followed Chloe's gesture. At the lakeside, a servant was just setting down a skating chair for Chloe.
“Oh my, that’s a chair similar to the one Her Majesty the Queen used to ride in.”
“Your Excellency the Duke’s wife is truly different from us lowly people who find it difficult to get along with others.”
It would be foolish not to sense the secret laughter in their voices. Chloe finally made up her mind and opened her mouth in a calm voice.
“Madam Chelsea and Madam Spencer. I heard that you live in Tidde, but this is your first time at Birch Castle.”
“I don’t know, but I don’t think my husband would.”
Madam Chelsea, the lawyer's wife, tried to smile, unable to hide her embarrassment, but Chloe firmly shook her head and denied it.
“No. This is also Chelsea’s first party. I could tell that even without checking the invitation list for the parties held at this castle for nearly ten years and deciding on a menu that takes into account each guest’s tastes and likes and dislikes.”
The air between the ladies changed slightly. As each of them avoided eye contact and pretended to be calm, Chloe mentioned another person's name.
“The same goes for Madam Spencer, the factory owner. Madam Spencer was invited because His Excellency the Duke has a new business in the South.”
Chloe continued, watching the women's faces change from moment to moment.
“To avoid any misunderstanding, I have no qualms about hanging out with middle-class people who are not of the highest rank. In my hometown, we often invited farmers to the castle to celebrate.”
Isabella, who had been silent for a while, furrowed her beautiful eyebrows and quietly opened her mouth.
“Even so, comparing these people to the tenant farmers... Duchess, wouldn’t it be better to be a little more generous and tolerant?”
“Miss Isabella Tweedle.”
Chloe called to her, leaning on her cane. Madam Chelsea and Madam Spencer had already come close to Marchioness Isabella, their eyes looking as if they were offering her a helping hand.
“If you don’t want to test the limits of my generosity and magnanimity, you’d better watch your mouth.”
The blood drained from Isabella's face at Chloe's counterattack. A poisonous light flashed across her eyes. Chloe looked away from her, who was biting her lips, and continued speaking quietly.
“I would like to say the same thing to Madam Chelsea and Madam Spencer.”
The servant came and reported that everything was ready, then bowed his head.
“Keep the tea warm so you can warm up after skating, and prepare some biscuits and soup to eat in the carriage so you won’t be hungry on the way back.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Chloe walked with her cane and sat down carefully on the skating chair. Despite her calm demeanor, her heart was beating fast and her stomach was rumbling. Nevertheless, she stopped the Marchioness Isabella from speaking because she wanted them to stop crossing the line. She could do it because she remembered that if she was ignored by others in front of all the servants, not only would the Duchess’ authority fall to the ground, but it would also affect the Duke.
She swallowed a sigh and looked far away, seeing a group of men who were ready to skate and skate across the ice. Damien came closer with a slap and stopped. The sharp blades of his skates broke the ice and scattered white snowflakes before her eyes.
“The weather is quite nice.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Damien glanced at the three women who were looking at Chloe with similar expressions. When their eyes met his, they all turned their heads, but Isabella was the only one who glared at them with eyes that could not hide their emotions.
“Is the fight between the women going well?”
“Thanks to you, everything is going smoothly.”
There was no wavering in Chloe's voice as she sat on the skating chair like a pretty doll. After pulling the chair down to the ice, Damien's lips twisted strangely as he deftly pushed the handlebar forward.
Isabella was a woman who could wear a mask for her own gain, but Chloe had expected that she would not be easily defeated either. His woman had the talent to overcome herself even when she seemed like she would be easily defeated. It was also true that Damien wanted to see that scene with his own eyes. However, Chloe did better than he expected.
He noticed Isabella's tricks to take the lead in the party, strongly blocked them, and used her authority to silence others who tried to challenge the Duchess' authority. While he was satisfied with Chloe's perfect performance as the hostess of Tisse, he also felt a sense of regret somewhere.
Because once in a while, he wanted to see Chloe lose her temper and resent him. Damien admitted that his tastes were terribly twisted.
"Princess."
Chloe squinted her eyes at the ice reflecting the sunlight. In Verdier, the temperature never dropped below freezing, even in winter. Even on a chair, it was her first time gliding across the frozen lake.
“Yes, Your Excellency the Duke.”
“Don’t you resent me?”
“No way.”
Chloe turned her head and looked at Damien. The cold winter air swept across her cheek. It was her first time skating on a frozen lake. There was no ice in Verdier, even in winter.
“Even if that were true, I’m not stupid enough to say it out loud.”
“Why?”
“The Duke is holding my lifeline right now. I don’t want to displease you and end up stranded on the frozen lake.”
Damien let out a sigh as he watched Chloe's expression as she made a face that he thought was going to make him crazy. It would be a fun pastime to just watch this little girl's reactions all day long.
The invited guests were seen climbing onto the ice one by one. Swish. Damien's legs, which were tiring of the ice, gained speed.
***
Factory owner Spencer's face turned bright red as he stumbled twice to catch up with him. Damian slowed down and looked at Spencer.
“So what do you want to say?”
“My wife... If she has done anything rude to the Duchess, please forgive her. She does not know the etiquette of the higher-ups and is at a level where she cannot tell the difference between heaven and earth.”
It was natural that Spencer was at a loss. He had just won the bid for the trade Damien was running, and if he changed his mind, the factory would have to close.
“John Spencer.”
Damien's skate blade stopped at a dizzying angle. He was moving at a speed that made his coat collar flutter, but his technique for keeping his balance was perfect. He looked at Spencer, who was staggering and falling backward, and let out a dry voice.
“Is that why you asked me to come to see you privately?”
His gaze was fixed on Chloe, who was sitting alone in the distance. Unable to move without someone pushing her, she just sat still on the ice lake, looking into the distance. Swish. Swish. She was the only one who didn't move, or rather, couldn't move, among the people passing by, as if she was stuffed in that time.
Damien opened his eyes and looked at Chloe in the scenery. What did you think every time others passed you by? Damien was curious about the world she saw through her eyes. Her world must have been like a small ice lake with a red border. And the psychology of the woman who said she was happy in it, who constantly sought happiness.
The number of people he had relationships with in this kingdom was too many to count on one hand. He was originally a man with an extraordinary talent for using others for his own purposes. Now that his marriage with Chloe Verdier was over, Damien had achieved his goal.
He was able to escape the royal checks and gather with other nobles at a critical time. In addition, the mines of Verdier, which were soon to be discovered, would bring him enormous financial benefits. That was not all. The woman he had chosen overturned everyone's expectations and concerns except for him, and she smoothly managed affairs inside and outside the castle as if she were the mistress of Tisse. To this extent, he had obtained everything he could gain from this marriage.
But why does it still feel like something is missing?
If he could find out everything this woman was thinking, would this thirst be quenched? Every night, he calls her out and tests her, provoking her to see how she reacts, so he thinks his analysis of this woman, Chloe Verdier, will soon be over. Will he be satisfied then?
As Damien quietly watched her, thoughts slowly began to spread through his mind. His attempt to understand her psychology was not a simple curiosity about humans. What he wanted, which was largely goal-oriented, was to completely understand her psychology and completely possess Chloe Verdier.
Damien's sharp eyebrows gathered between his eyebrows as he thought about what kind of desire this was. A laughter broke out of his lips when he finally found the answer.
“Are you crazy?”
Right now, he wanted her to love him. It might be different from what the world thinks, but the emotion that was closest to what he wanted from Chloe right now was 'love'.
Damien stared at Chloe, who still stood firm without even looking in his direction, with narrow eyes. He had always been a man who had a clear idea of what he wanted. He had often done things that would make others like him, but it was all for his own accomplishments.
It was natural that he was late in realizing his emotions. Damien had only ever sought after the side benefits he could get by using other people's hearts and had never once desired the heart itself. Not to mention her weak and insignificant body.
Damien licked his lips with his tongue because he was thirsty. Then it was easy to explain why he felt thirsty. The woman who didn't even give him a glance and was lost in her own world definitely didn't love him right now. No, maybe she hated him.
Then there was only one thing left for him to do. To completely capture the heart of that little woman. Now, what should he do? A spark rose in Damien's heart as he smiled with shining eyes.
“Your Excellency... Your Excellency?”
A cautious voice interrupted his thoughts. Damien turned his gaze to the pitiful, trembling factory owner.
“There are a few things I don’t understand.”
"Sorry."
“First of all, I don’t understand why you are apologizing for your wife’s mistake.”
“All right, I’ll call her here right now.”
“Secondly, I don’t understand why you are apologizing to me and not the person who did wrong.”
As Damien finished speaking coldly, the factory owner's face turned pale. It was wrong of him to have let slip that the Marchioness Isabella from the capital was Damien's mistress. He had never imagined that his wife would make the foolish mistake of sticking up to her and being rude to the Duchess.
“Well then, shall we go now before someone does something even worse to my wife?”
“Oh my god!!!”
Damien turned almost at the same time as someone's shrill scream was heard. His golden eyebrows furrowed menacingly. Chloe, who had been sitting on the skating chair just moments before, was quickly sliding down to the center of the lake.
“Whoa!!!”
“It’s dangerous!”
The center of the lake ice was not completely frozen, which was dangerous. As Damien realized the situation, he ran across the ice, but Chloe's chair got caught on the rope that surrounded the center of the lake and completely flipped over.
Parsac.
The shattered ice surface swallowed her body.
“Chloe!!!!”
Damien's voice calling her name sounded distant to Chloe's ears.
***
When someone approached her from behind, Chloe thought it was Damien. But as the skating chair swept toward the center of the lake instead of the edge, an instinctive feeling flashed through her head that something was wrong.
It's dangerous.
Amidst the sound of someone screaming, there was a long, creaking sound under the long, blade-studded chair. The skating chair was gliding across the ice as if it was flying.
I have to get up.
When Chloe tried to get up, seeing the red rope getting closer and closer, it was already too late. The chair hanging on the thick rope flipped over. Then, with a crack, the ice split and swallowed her and the chair together.
"Ha...!"
The thick fur coat that Chloe was wearing turned into a boulder in the cold water. The water-soaked clothes pulled her deeper into the water. Chloe fell silently into the cold ice lake that enveloped her entire body.
She stretched out her hand over the water where a ray of sunlight was shining, but there was nothing to touch. The bottom of the lake, whose depth could not be guessed, was an abyss. As her eyes grew darker, the noise disappeared, and a cold air swept over her frozen skin and even her head. The black fear of death completely engulfed her.
Am I going to die like this?
As death dawned on her, memories of her childhood began to flash through Chloe's mind. The sobbing voice of her mother praying beside her as a young girl suffering from a fever.
“You will be limping forever, young lady.”
She was quietly fiddling with her doll next to the doctor who was bowing his head in guilt. Memories she had forgotten came rushing back to her mind.
“Look at this, Chloe. This magic wand will take you anywhere.”
The tears in her mother's eyes, which had been smiling brightly, broke her heart. She wish her mother would stop crying because of me.
“So can I go to the forest now?”
“As much as you want.”
“I’ll pick some flowers for Mom.”
Her mother, with her pale complexion, calls her from her bedside. Her father holds her mother's hand tightly at the bedside and tries to hold back his tears. Alice turns away from the doorway, unable to enter the room, covering her mouth with both hands.
“My lovely daughter Chloe. You must be happy.”
“Yes, mother. Don’t worry.”
I'm not afraid of death anymore, because I can meet my mother.
“I will enjoy the small happiness of this world. I will live my life helping people I can, just as my mother told me to.”
“Please take good care of Father and Alice.”
Chloe's steps are slow but light as she secretly takes a walk at dawn. That is until an uninvited guest appears in her little world.
Bam!
Somewhere, a cracking sound of ice breaking could be heard. No, it was the sound of her hazy, happy memories being shattered into pieces.
“Life itself is a war, especially for someone like you.”
'Please get out of my world. Don't mess up my world.'
“I am proposing to you now, Chloe Verdier.”
She didn't want to fight anymore. She was out of breath. She just wanted to stop this hard fight. It was then that her body, which was tightly shutting her eyes, was roughly grabbed. No. Let me go. Her body, which was struggling in the water, was finally violently dragged to the surface and thrown onto the thick ice.
“Wake up, Chloe.”
A devilish voice whispered in her ear. She didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to remember who he was. Chloe tried to sink into her fading consciousness.
“Open your eyes! Chloe Verdier!!!”
Chloe's eyebrows twitched as her maiden name, which she had missed, was called. Her cheek hurt as a large hand struck her. It was also difficult to feel someone's heart being pressed so hard that it seemed as if it would burst. The feeling of cold breath being forced into her lips was painful. She knew the owner of those fierce lips. There was only one savage in the world who could manipulate her as he pleased.
“Cough... Cough...!”
Damien's face was soaked through Chloe's clouded eyes. He muttered to himself in a distorted voice.
“Fuck... You surprised me, Chloe.”
The eyes were as blue as a frozen lake under the winter sunlight. The moment Chloe saw those beautiful, yet cold eyes that made it impossible to imagine the depth beneath the water's surface, she closed her eyes again.
Why should the first face I see when I come back from the dead be you?
She wanted to scream in resentment, but all that came out of her vocal cords was a constant, water-filled cough.
“Open your eyes and come to your senses. Before I kill you.”
She had thought she would never listen to him, but her resolve was shattered. Damien threw off her outer garments and tore off her heavy, hanging coat as well.
“Ugh... Ugh...”
As she trembled and chattered with her teeth, he took off her dress, and she was now wearing only a thin dress that she wore as underwear.
“Everyone get out.”
As Damien gnashed his teeth and spat out, the party behind the rope, who had been at a loss, rushed out of the lake. They watched in silence as the Duke, who had leaped without hesitation into the cracks of the ice, carried his wife across the ice. The jewels of Tisse sparkled beautifully on the slender body of the Duchess. It was a memory that would remain in the minds of everyone present for a long time.
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