05. The Hunting Duke
The morning of the hunt dawned. Chloe took a few deep breaths in front of the mirror, then picked up her cane. Unlike Alice, who was skilled at horseback riding due to her exceptional athletic ability, Chloe had only been on a horse a handful of times.
All Gray did was take her bridle and walk through the forest as if she were taking a stroll, but he called it hunting.
Viscount Verdier, who had initially looked worried, seemed relieved after seeing the Duke waiting for Chloe on the two-person saddle. This was also because he knew that the Duke had won the horse races he had participated in while he was in the royal guard.
Chloe walked slowly towards the Duke who was looking down at her. The Duke on horseback looked even bigger and more arrogant today. The Duke stared intently at Chloe as she slowly walked towards him, dragging her legs, and finally reached out his hand to her.
Chloe left her cane to Gray, who was following her and stepped on the stirrup with her strong leg, using the Duke’s hand as a support. It was already an unstable situation to climb up on an animal that was much higher than a carriage, but the Duke’s grip on her hand was too strong. It was a moment when Chloe, surprised, almost lost her footing.
"Ah...!"
The Duke, still sitting on the saddle, tilted his upper body completely to the side, lifted Chloe up, and sat her down in front of him. Chloe felt as if she had been turned into a rag doll. The Duke, who held his balance with only the strength of his lower body, lifted her up easily without a single sound of breathing.
“Let’s go.”
That was the end of it. Before Chloe could calm down, having almost stumbled, the horse that had been kicked in the stomach charged forward.
“Ugh...!”
Chloe instinctively grabbed the mane and felt the Duke's solid upper body behind her back. He rode the horse, leaning forward as if embracing Chloe from behind. She entered the forest at a tremendous speed and didn't even have time to appreciate the scenery passing by. Her heart was pounding hard. This was too fast.
“...Duke.”
“Should I go right or left?”
The Duke's voice was right next to her ear. Chloe realized that the Duke's face was right next to hers, but she couldn't move. Aside from the fear of falling, she was completely trapped in his strong arms.
“Your Excellency the Duke...”
“Should I go right or left?”
The hounds were running excitedly in a line beside her. Chloe squinted against the wind and gasped for breath. If there was an easier path, she should have gone left. If she went right, she would have to cross a shallow but wide stream. Just before Chloe swallowed dryly and opened her mouth, the Duke turned the reins to the right at the fork in the road.
"Ah...!"
When the Duke's horse leaped powerfully across the stream, Chloe couldn't help but close her eyes tightly. Her buttocks hurt from the shock from the saddle, but she was more scared.
“Oh, Mom...!”
The unspoken words slapped her vocal cords. The barking hounds followed her, ploughing through the shallow stream. In the wind that slapped her face, she thought she heard the Duke laughing. Chloe’s heart pounded so hard that it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest, along with the sound of the horse’s hooves hitting the ground. The Duke didn’t give her time to feel ashamed for calling out for her mother in front of him. It was a crossroads again.
“Which side is it this time?”
“Left...! It’s left!”
Chloe shouted without thinking. Then the Duke's horse galloped towards the left path at a fast pace. The speed of those who followed him in line was also considerable, but the Duke was incomparably faster than them. Only the hunting dogs he led were barely keeping up with his tail.
The Duke, who had discovered a fairly large deer, whistled softly and lowered his body even further. As he held the reins tightly in pursuit of the wild beast, Chloe was now completely pressed between the horse and his body. Burying her face in the horse's soft mane, Chloe was overcome with the illusion that she was the animal he was riding.
“Haa... haa...”
His hand holding the reins was right in front of her eyes. He usually wore gloves that fit his hands perfectly, but today, he was bare-handed. On the back of his beautiful hand, which was holding the leash as if to control a running animal, blue veins were bulging out. Chloe couldn’t take her eyes off his hand for some reason. She just felt that if she got caught in that hand, whether human or animal, everyone would die.
At that moment, as if he knew where her gaze was directed, the Duke's thumb brushed Chloe's cheek, which was raised by the wind. It was a soft touch like a feather that did not match his hand. Chloe's eyes narrowed. Her heart pounded as if it was going to burst out of her mouth, and heat spread throughout her body.
What is it? Is it mercy shown just before killing? The gentle touch that tickled her was like a dream, and soon the Duke's hand fell from her face. As the Duke pulled the reins hard, the horse neighed loudly and raised its forelegs high.
“Haa... Haa...”
Chloe lost her balance due to the wind, and the Duke held her tightly in his arms. As soon as the horse stopped, the hounds rushed at her as if they had been waiting. Just before he could cut off the beast’s windpipe, the Duke’s large hands covered her frozen eyes. Her breathing was ragged as if she was running wild. The Duke buried Chloe’s head, who was unable to breathe properly due to hyperventilation, in his shoulder.
“Easy... Chloe. Easy. It’s over now.”
Listening to the barking of the dogs and the ragged breathing of the Duke, Chloe felt as if she were the object of the hunt rather than the subject.
His words that it was over were a complete lie. That day, the Duke gave his hunting desires to her to his heart's content. When he returned to the castle, Chloe's body was completely exhausted.
***
The Duke, who had hunted seven foxes and two deer, finally took up arms and attacked a wild boar himself, but the angry beast tore off his arm. The Duke acted as if it were nothing serious, but Chloe, who had been worried about his blood-stained shirt while riding with him, made a mistake when she couldn't help but bring it up at the table.
“I will call a doctor as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.”
“Doctor? What’s going on, Chloe?”
“The Duke is injured, Father.”
"What!"
When the Duke nonchalantly replied to the wide-eyed Viscount Verdier that his arm was only slightly torn, Alice, who was nearby, coldly interjected.
“If it’s not a big wound, you can probably sew it up yourself. However, since there’s no anesthesia at home, I’ll assume you can bear the pain.”
It was not that Chloe did not understand Alice's desire to cause pain to the Duke, but it was nonsense.
“Alice, what do you mean?”
“It’s summer, so food poisoning patients occur every day, and my sister always said that we shouldn’t keep the only doctor in the estate busy for personal reasons. That’s why she learned nursing from Professor Wharton to help out.”
There was nothing wrong with what Alice added in a sharp voice, but the Duke's injury could not be taken so lightly.
“Then, would you like to look at my wounds, Lady Chloe? After dinner.”
Before Chloe could open her mouth, the Duke spat out. Chloe shook her head in confusion.
“Your Excellency, it is safer in many ways to call in an expert.”
“Because it is not right to harm the people of the territory to satisfy personal greed.”
Damn it. Chloe realized that Alice had completely upset the Duke.
“Harm? That is not the case, Your Excellency. I will call Professor Wharton right now...”
“When my soldiers were staying at the castle the other day, I was impressed by the sight of Lady Chloe treating a soldier who had lost an arm in the barracks. I think I can safely leave my wounds to her.”
The Viscount Verdier's face, which had previously been filled with concern, was now filled with pride.
“Do you remember that?”
“Yes. I remember everything that happened in this castle.”
Looking at the Duke's smiling face as he spoke meaningfully, Chloe thought that she should prepare the biggest needle she had.
Chloe walked slowly and reluctantly, holding a well-polished tray in her hand. Is this how a condemned person feels as he walks to the execution ground? The old wooden floor creaked, creaked as if to speak for her. She had used all her strength not to fall off the horse, but the place between her legs still ached.
“Excuse me.”
The door to the best guest room where the Duke stayed was slightly open.
“You look like a prisoner being put on death row.”
Chloe tried to remain calm and approached him, pretending not to hear him instead of denying what he said.
“Please show me your wound, Your Excellency.”
“See for yourself.”
“You’ll have to take your shirt off for that.”
“You don’t have hands?”
Chloe's eyes flinched. She sat half-reclined on the bed, calmly answering the Duke who was testing her patience yet again.
“I know it’s presumptuous of me, but I’m not married so I can’t touch a man’s body.”
“Yeah. That’s how it should be.”
The Duke snickered, then stood up and took off his shirt. She said she wanted to lift it up a little so she could see the torn wound, but she didn’t tell him to take it off completely. She tried to stop him, but the Duke was faster. Chloe’s face, illuminated by the candlelight, instantly grew hot.
“I think it would be better to stop appreciating it there.”
Chloe averted her gaze and lowered her hand to the silver plate. The wound on his forearm, where the sharp fangs of the beast had torn open, was unexpectedly deep. It was understandable that he had lost enough blood to soak his dress. However, it was hard to understand that he had continued hunting and eating without any problems despite such an injury. Come to think of it, was she a little dull in his senses?
“It might be painful.”
As Chloe tried to speak calmly, pouring disinfectant into the wound, the Duke answered back.
“Just make me hurt as much as you can.”
Chloe was encouraged by the tone of voice that said that the pain of stitching up flesh was nothing. Trying to forget the slightest bit of sympathy she had for the sick patient, she began to carefully sew up the viciously torn flesh.
“The tutor was a doctor.”
The Duke spoke to her. When Chloe gave a curt 'Yes,' he continued the conversation.
“That's where things help.”
“I indeed gained knowledge from Professor Wharton, but I think something else would have been more helpful in this situation.”
“What is it?”
Chloe answered shortly, sticking the needle into the gaping wound without hesitation.
“Embroidery.”
Pfft, the Duke laughed, causing his body to shake. Chloe frowned as she watched the blood oozing out, and applied a muslin cloth to the wound to stop the bleeding.
“It’s the first time in my life that embroidery has seemed like a useful hobby.”
“My late mother once said that nothing in this world is useless. Even a blade of grass or a stone can be a wonderful piece of art if viewed through someone’s eyes.”
“Your mother was an idealist.”
“...Then it won’t work?”
“I never said no.”
Chloe cleared her throat slightly, realizing she had overreacted. Resting his head on his free hand, the Duke looked at her and continued speaking.
“I just thought you didn’t look like your mother.”
“Why?”
“Chloe Verdier is a realist to the core. I can tell by the way you're acting in my room right now.”
Chloe tried not to look him in the eye. The reason her heart started beating again was because the Duke's words seemed to read her mind. That means, the Duke knew very well that Chloe was in a situation where she didn't want to, but was forced to please him.
“Does your little sister still enjoy having secret rendezvous at night?”
Chloe's hand flinched and pierced deep into her skin. She looked at him in surprise, but the Duke's eyes were as calm as if he were drinking tea. She gathered her courage and opened her mouth quietly.
“Don’t talk. You might bleed a lot.”
“Answer the question.”
Chloe tried to keep her trembling voice from speaking.
“Since then, she has reflected a lot. It was thanks to the grace you bestowed on me that she was able to have marriage talks with Count Cromwell. Thank you.”
“If I had known that the price I paid for keeping my mouth shut would be three months of no contact, I would not have done you any favors.”
Chloe's hands became sweaty as the Duke blurted out. She wiped the sweat on her handkerchief, feeling that the needle would slip, but the problem came after that. The needle that had slipped fell on his chest. Chloe was trying to pick up the needle, being careful not to touch his bare skin as much as possible, when he grabbed her hand.
“Let go, Your Excellency.”
"Answer."
Chloe bit her lip so hard it hurt. Then she opened her mouth, trying hard not to tremble. Her pulse pounded in the hand she was holding.
“I have written letters to Your Excellency several times.”
“I’ve never received a single one?”
“Because I couldn’t send it.”
“The level of lying is disappointing.”
Her pulse was beating faster and faster. She tried to pull her hand away, but the Duke clasped his hand instead.
“Let go, Your Excellency.”
“Tell the truth.”
The sweat dripped down her palms as they rubbed against each other more and more roughly. Chloe ended up raising her voice with a red face.
“I felt that Your Excellency would never be satisfied with any of the letters I sent you, so I wrote several letters and then tore them up!”
The Duke's eyes glowed blue. After he let out a loud noise, he looked straight at her, who was gasping for breath in surprise, and asked her again.
“Why did you think I wouldn’t be satisfied?”
“...Because the Duke hates me.”
The Duke finally let out a small laugh.
“Is that the conclusion?”
“You don’t like me, do you? You find me unbearably unpleasant?”
Chloe's face turned white and then red repeatedly as she blurted out words that didn't even cross her mind.
“Keep going.”
“I know that someone can just dislike us for no reason. I might have felt even more arrogant because you helped my little sister and I haven’t contacted you since. But really, I just hesitated because I didn’t know how to repay you, Duke. I wondered how I could express my true feelings...”
The Duke raised his eyebrows as if he was waiting for her to speak further. In fact, it wasn't just the letter that Chloe had prepared.
Chloe thought of the men's gloves in her bedroom. She had tailored them herself, embroidered the Duke's initials and the family crest, a birch tree, but she didn't dare to send them. She didn't even want to mention the gift. What could she expect from a man who said embroidery was the most useless hobby in the world?
“I’m sorry. Please let me finish treating the wound.”
Before she could finish speaking, Chloe was suddenly laid down on the bed. Chloe gasped for breath at the sudden change in position. The only thing she could hear was the sad sound of birds chirping through the open window. The problem was that Chloe's body was lying on a needle connected to a thread, so just looking at the wound made it painful to pull.
“Your Excellency, if you do this, it will hurt...”
“If you don’t keep your mouth shut, you’ll regret it.”
If she were to talk about regrets, she would have to go back a long way. To the grassy field behind the mountain where the morning dew was hanging. No, it was that night when she opened the window as if I was possessed by the Duke's voice.
Chloe couldn't bear it any longer and lifted her face, biting the thread that was dripping blood. She pushed the needle with her elbow and dropped it under the bed, and Chloe gave him a voice that was half pleading and half sighing.
“Why on earth, Your Excellency... are you being so rude to me?”
The tiny lips from which drops of blood had fallen trembled faintly.
“If a woman comes to a man’s bedroom in the middle of the night without a maid, isn’t that allowing him to be rude?”
Chloe was now blushing bright red all the way to the nape of her neck and the exposed chest above her dress.
“I came here to treat the Duke, as ordered by my father.”
“Was that really all the Viscount wanted?”
The conversation was once again taking a similar turn to the old days. The Duke was certain that Chloe's father was trying to somehow link him with her.
“I understand your distrust of humans. No, I try to understand. You can’t trust anyone on the battlefield.”
Chloe managed to speak, panting for breath.
“But, Your Excellency.”
"Say it."
Thump. Thump. Chloe thought her heart was beating so fast at that moment that it might stop. She squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them and opened her mouth to him.
“Isn’t it too narcissistic to think that every woman in this kingdom wants to marry the Duke?”
There was silence between him and her for a moment. The Duke, who had been looking at her with a strange expression that seemed neither angry nor happy, finally burst into loud laughter. Chloe couldn't say anything. She couldn't move because he buried his face in her shoulder.
“Your Excellency.”
The Duke, who had been laughing with his whole body shaking, raised his head with a face that couldn't contain his laughter. Is he crazy? Chloe swallowed dryly as she watched the Duke laughing as if he was about to suffocate even after hearing the insulting words. It was hard enough to breathe without him pressing down on her, but the Duke was getting closer and closer.
“Let me check if what you said is true or not.”
There was no need to confirm it. The evidence was right before his eyes. The Duke, who had a pleasant expression on his face, whether he knew or not that Chloe was thinking that, got up.
“The treatment is over. You can go back now.”
It was the most welcome thing to come out of his mouth today.
***
Chloe limped back to her room, picked up the gloves that were neatly placed on the table, and was about to throw them at the unused fireplace, but stopped herself, thinking it would be more foolish to take it out on something so innocent.
Even after changing into her pajamas and lying down on the bed, her startled heart showed no signs of calming down. It felt like she had been drenched by a sudden rain shower in the forest. No, it wasn't just a rain shower, it felt like she had been unlucky enough to encounter a typhoon.
She briefly wished that war would break out again and that the Duke would join in again, but then she shook her head, said a prayer of reflection, and lay down again. She consoled herself with the thought that once Alice was safely married and the estate was stable, everything would return to normal.
What awaited her as she finally fell asleep after a long night of tossing and turning was news that would shake not only the Verdier Estate but the entire Swanton Kingdom.
***
On the last day of the hunt, a heavy silence fell over the drawing room where the Verdier family had gathered to see the Duke off. The cause of this was the bombshell statement the Duke had made.
“...Sister. Did His Excellency the Duke hurt his head while hunting?”
Viscount Verdier broke the silence and pulled Alice in as she spoke seriously, then stammered with a puzzled look on his face.
“Your Excellency, I am very sorry to say this.”
The Duke suddenly wants to marry Alice. What does that mean?
“My daughter is already in serious marriage talks with Count Cromwell.”
Chloe looked at the Duke, who was calmly picking up his teacup after blurting out such a shocking story in the clear sky, with eyes that were seeing something strange.
“I see.”
“Yes, that’s right. Hehe.”
“My desire to marry Alice Verdier has not changed.”
The voice of the Viscount of Verdier, who had been laughing awkwardly, suddenly stopped. The Duke’s voice, which did not change in pitch, could only be heard as meaning that Count Cromwell’s proposal was not a problem. In fact, it was clear that this was true. At least in this country, there was no woman that the Duke, who had royal blood, could not marry.
“It seems like you don’t like me, Sir. You keep adding useless things.”
The Viscount raised his voice and waved his hand as he watched the Duke raise his eyebrows.
“How could that be? However, even if I say yes, I cannot ignore my daughter’s wishes.”
“I guess so?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The Viscount nodded with a determined face. The Duke left for his villa in the neighboring estate, with the order to receive an answer within three days. Before the dust from the Duke’s wagon had even cleared, the Verdier Castle was suddenly plunged into a state of emergency reminiscent of wartime.
“I never imagined that I would become in-laws with the Duke...”
A complex expression crossed the face of the Viscount, who was muttering and quickly walking around the study. It was an honorable, if not a miracle, thing to marry the Duke, the most powerful man in the kingdom, but the problem was that Alice was still seen as a fool in his eyes.
“I can’t marry the person I want anyway, so a Duke would be better than a Count.”
Alice, whose mood swings have been severe lately, shed large tears. The Viscount, not to mention her being unable to fulfill her role as a Duchess, has been worried lately that something has happened to his daughter. It seemed like a long time ago that he had seen the always cheerful Alice smiling brightly.
“My daughter.”
“I know what I have to do, Father. And even if the Duke of Tisse really did get mad and proposed to me, I can’t afford to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But...”
Alice suddenly stopped talking, covering her mouth as if she was feeling uncomfortable. Chloe thought she had to calm Alice down as she became more and more emotional.
“Alice, go to your room and rest for now. You said you weren’t feeling well.”
Looking at Alice's face, which was getting more and more haggard because she hadn't eaten anything recently, Chloe also felt complicated. When Alice stepped back weakly, Viscount Verdier asked Chloe carefully.
“Chloe, did anything special happen between the Duke and Alice at Swanton?”
Her father seemed to suspect that something had happened between Alice and him at the party the Duke had invited her to. She couldn't bring herself to tell her father that the Duke had caught Alice with a man of low status.
“Alice is a child who is loved by everyone.”
“Yes. But a marriage proposal with a Duke... Of course, it would be an honorable thing...”
Chloe fully understood her father's feelings as he trailed off with a confused expression. It was clear that he was feeling a greater sense of pressure than he had under Count Cromwell.
“Alice is my daughter, but she has been very eccentric and strange since she was little. To be honest with you, I am worried whether that foolish girl can properly fulfill her role as a Duchess. Of course, if the Duke truly cares for Alice and cherishes her, then it wouldn’t be a problem, but if that’s not the case... I am afraid that she might get hurt.”
Perhaps it was his intuition as a father. Chloe smiled, trying to reassure the concerned Viscount.
“First, let me talk to Alice.”
“Would you mind? That kid doesn’t even want to make eye contact with me these days.”
As Chloe left the study, leaving her father behind, who was spitting out bitter words, she saw the ground spiders descending on the dark castle outside the window. It was the time when people would end their hard days. Normally, Chloe would sit by the bedroom window and raise her head to admire the sunset, but for the past few days, she had not been feeling at ease.
What on earth is the Duke thinking when he proposes to Alice?
Chloe looked at the sunset that dyed the sky crimson and wondered what on earth was going on in the man's mind, but she couldn't find a clear answer.
***
Alice, who had been sitting blankly on the long sofa, raised her head at the sound of the door. Her sleepless eyes were full of anxiety and worry. Chloe tried to suppress her throbbing heart and sat down across from her.
“Alice. Are you okay?”
"No."
A quick shake of the head came back. Chloe's words that not all women in the world would want to marry a Duke were true. No, it didn't matter whether the other person was a Duke or a Count. This was especially true for Alice, who had dreamed of a fateful love since she was young.
It was clear that she felt miserable about having to marry someone she had no connection with for the sake of her family. Chloe wanted to ease her sister's burden if she could, but she felt resentful that she couldn't do so.
“I will write a letter to Count Cromwell and speak to him properly. If he knows who it is, he won’t be able to say anything either, so don’t worry.”
It makes Chloe even more sorry that this is all she can do.
“Sister.”
Chloe bit her lips and forced a smile as she looked at Alice, who was looking at her with tears in her eyes.
“Our pretty sister, now you will be a Duchess.”
“You know I never wanted anything like that.”
Long tears eventually flowed down from Alice's eyes as she whispered softly.
“I’m not unprepared for the future where I’ll be sold off to marry for the sake of my family. I also know that my father, who is a kind person, ruined the family and my family name is on the verge of bankruptcy. But is that my fault?”
Chloe felt a stabbing pain in her chest at the sharp words.
“I’m so sorry, Alice.”
“It’s not your fault, so why are you sorry? Why! Why are you acting so upset!”
Alice finally burst into tears, her pretty face grimacing. Chloe hugged her sobbing sister and took a deep breath. Her nose turned red and her eyes stung.
“Yes. If you don’t want to do it, don’t do it, Alice. I’ll explain it to our father.”
Alice didn't know that her father's hidden debt was so great that selling this castle would not be enough. Chloe had also recently learned of the situation. But there must be a way to overcome it. Chloe tried to suppress her feelings of bewilderment and gently patted her sister's back as she sobbed.
“It’ll be okay, Alice. So don’t cry. Yes?”
“I want to live with Eddie, sis.”
Chloe squeezed her eyes shut as her heart sank, then opened them again. It occurred to her that it had finally come.
“That won’t do, Alice.”
It wasn't a problem that could be solved by getting angry. Alice whispered pleadingly, looking straight at Chloe, who had a truly pitiful expression on her face.
“I love him.”
Chloe was momentarily speechless as she watched Alice confess her love for a gypsy man who had nothing. Alice mocked herself bitterly.
“I know. He’s a stranger whose bloodline and origins I don’t know. He’s a gypsy with nothing but a flashy face and a way with words, and he’s so reckless that he’s prepared to die and invade the Duke’s private residence. But, Sister.”
Alice grabbed her hand tightly. Tears flowed, drip, drip, and fell onto Chloe's slender hand.
“I love that kind of man. He’s a man with many shortcomings, but I ended up loving him.”
And Alice's man must love her very much too.
Chloe could fully understand the feelings of the gypsy who came to see Alice, prepared to die. No one in this world would not love Alice, who was pure and lovely and did not care about differences in social status.
“Alice, listen to me. I’m not just saying this for the sake of my family.”
Chloe felt bad, but she had no choice but to continue speaking. She didn't want to play the villain, but there was no way around it.
“If you marry Eddie, your life might become miserable. Even if you don’t see anything now... you might regret it later on.”
“Even if that’s true, it’s still my choice, sis.”
Chloe was speechless. She couldn't find the words to respond. What would it feel like to love someone so much? Alice might be experiencing the fateful love she had always wanted since she was a child. Deep inside, she felt that Alice was amazing for being able to throw herself away for love. Chloe had never met anyone like that before, and she couldn't, so she felt like cheering for Alice's love. However, that was only if Alice wasn't her sister.
“Alice.”
“It’s not like I didn’t worry. I decided to marry the Count and said some harsh things to Eddie.”
Alice continued with puffy eyes.
“I can’t raise my child as an illegitimate child.”
Chloe's eyes froze and her lips parted silently. What did I just hear? What did Alice just say?
“Alice...”
“I’m pregnant with Eddie’s child.”
Oh my God.
Chloe was silent for a moment.
“Sister, I’m scared... sob.”
The moment she saw the fear-filled Alice's face as she sobbed, Chloe hugged her tightly. The hot heat was transmitted directly to her chest. Only then did Alice's trembling fear fully reach her. There was a child inside Alice's body. A small life was with her.
“Sister, what do I do now?”
“I’ll take care of it. It’s okay, Alice. Everything will be okay.”
Chloe repeated the words as she stroked her back as if reciting a spell. It was the first time Alice's body, which was much taller than hers, felt so weak.
“I’m sorry, sob. I’m really sorry, sis...”
“It’s okay, Alice. My sister. I’ll protect you. I’ll make sure that neither you nor your child gets hurt...”
Even Chloe, who was trying to comfort Alice, had no idea how to handle this situation. The important thing was that no one could hurt the people they cared about.
***
By the time Chloe had gathered her thoughts, the dawn was bluish. Hearing the roosters crowing and Gray pulling the horse's trough, Chloe made up her mind. She was going to meet her father before breakfast and try to convince him.
Whether a Count or a Duke, she would have suggested that the marriage be forgotten and that Alice should recuperate in a quiet country place. It was true that Alice's body had become noticeably weaker recently (though she had never dreamed that it was because of the pregnancy), so her father would certainly be convinced.
Perhaps the problem was that Alice was burdened too heavily from the beginning. That was why God had told her. This was the price of misguided selfishness.
Financial ruin was the most serious problem, but that too would be solved one by one. After bowing to her aunt, who was very strict about money, and borrowing money, she could focus on reclaiming the land and building waterways, so that even if a natural disaster struck, crop production would not fall to the bottom.
First of all, the biggest task would be to convince her aunt rationally, but it was something she wouldn't have known until she actually tried it.
“You’re up early, Chloe.”
The Viscount Verdier, who was reading a newspaper, raised his head to greet her. Chloe approached him with a tray and sat down. If she walked without a cane, her limp would be even more noticeable. No matter how much time passed, she could not shake off the worry in her father's eyes. There was a time when she tried not to show her limping, but it was no use.
“I feel worried but also relieved when I think about Alice becoming a member of the Tisse family.”
“...Why?”
“Isn’t the Tisse a family that values honor? At least they wouldn’t send Alice home because of her personality or behavior. I’m sure the Duke knows how cruel it is to label someone a divorcee in the kingdom.”
Her father, whose eyes had sunken in overnight, seemed to have stayed up all night worrying about another thing. Which would be less shocking to her father, being labeled a divorcee or being labeled an unmarried mother? Chloe had no answer, but she made up her mind to think only of Alice, not herself. Chloe held the hem of her skirt tightly, then released it, and carefully opened her mouth.
“Father, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me.”
“About Alice..."
The Viscount blinked slowly. It was heartbreaking to see the worry cross his face, but it was no longer a problem that could be avoided.
Knock knock.
“Master. Miss.”
The Viscount and Chloe's faces turned simultaneously at the sound of a hasty knock on the reception room door.
“Gray. What’s going on?”
“Miss Alice is not at the castle.”
“What? What on earth do you mean?”
The Viscount Verdier frowned and got up. Gray approached and handed him a letter folded in half.
“I’m sorry, Master. This is in Miss Alice’s room...”
“Come here.”
Watching the eyes of the Viscount of Verdier tremble in confusion, Chloe hoped that her anxious premonition was wrong. No, Alice. No. She got up and read the letter her father was holding.
To my beloved father and sister.
Father. I grew up watching my father, who loved my mother deeply throughout his life. Watching you, I learned about true love that can overcome illness and death. Thanks to my parents who taught me the value of practicing it yourselves, I will no longer turn away from my heart.
I want to prove to myself that there is no one in this world that I shouldn't love. And I want to be honest with the child in my womb.
I will now abandon Verdier's name and live simply as Alice.
Father, I'm sorry. Please never forgive me for being selfish.
Sister, I'm sorry. I hope that someday I can repay this debt.
I'm a bad daughter who doesn't dare to say it directly, but I want to tell you that I love you and that my feelings are sincere.
With deepest regret, Alice.
The eyes of the Viscount of Verdier closed slowly and he fell down helplessly.
“Master!”
"Father!!!"
Chloe's voice echoed throughout the old castle.
***
Professor Wharton, who had come to the hospital in a hurry, had to assure Chloe several times that the Viscount must rest completely as he was very tired from the time he had been there, before leaving the castle.
“Chloe. Hey.”
“Yes, I am here, Father.”
Chloe quickly approached him and grabbed his hand. Her father, lying helplessly on the bed, looked so small that it made her wonder when he had become so small. Chloe nodded to the Viscount Verdier, who opened his eyes with difficulty, trying to act as if nothing had happened.
“Don’t worry about Alice, Dad. She’s not a stupid girl. She won’t do anything dangerous.”
“It’s just an arbitrary decision.”
The Viscount sighed deeply and looked at Chloe.
“Did you know?”
Chloe hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth.
“...I vaguely have a feeling that Alice has someone she has given her heart to.”
“If you didn’t tell me, that means you were against it too.”
The father continued speaking, reading his daughter's mind.
“If you, who are deep down, are against it and Alice is leaving the house, then that means she are a worthless person.”
“No, father.”
Chloe added in a small but clear voice.
“If Alice leaves home despite my objections, then she must be a great person.”
The Count frowned and sighed again for a moment, remaining silent.
“I trust her.”
The Viscount of Verdier closed his watery eyes tightly for a moment, then opened them again, and tightened his grip on the hand he was holding. It was the first time that his daughter’s hand, which was so delicate that it seemed like it would break if he held it too tightly, had become so dependable. No. Maybe he had been relying on her at some point without realizing it. It seemed like this had happened because he had left Alice’s marriage to Chloe and had just stood back and watched.
“I don’t have the face to see your mother in heaven.”
“Don’t say that again, Father. Didn’t Mother tell you to come back as late as possible?”
Chloe kissed the back of the Viscount's hand and smiled faintly. The Viscount was proud of his eldest daughter who never shed tears in front of others but also felt sorry for her. After his wife died, the only thing left for him to do was to see his daughters happy. It was the first time he had felt so resentful of his inability to do anything properly.
“Everything will be okay. So just focus on my father’s recovery.”
As if things weren't bad enough, today, a precious letter from the royal family arrived at the Viscount's house. The box that arrived along with the telegram congratulating the precious relationship with the Duke of Tisse even contained a heavy golden key. If the marriage had gone as planned, it would have been an indescribably glorious event, but not in the current situation.
“What good could a gift from the royal family be?”
The Viscount of Verdier looked several years older in half a day. Chloe swallowed dryly as she watched her father's sorrow deepen.
“I will talk to the Duke of Tisse. If Alice politely declines the marriage proposal because she is sick, he will agree. He must have common sense enough to insist on marrying a sick young lady who has to continue the family line.”
“I guess I just have to hope he’s a reasonable person.”
After seeing that the Viscount Verdier had taken the medicine and fallen asleep, Chloe quietly slipped out of his bedroom. Instead of going to her own room, she turned her steps toward the backyard, passing through the dark hallway. Her chest was heavy and she wanted to get some air.
Chloe walked slowly through the tall grass where there was no one to take care of it. She saw the swing she had ridden with Alice before. Before Chloe got sick with a fever, she and Alice had been rolling their feet vigorously and laughing.
“Sister! If I climb higher and jump, will I be able to fly like a bird?”
“No, Alice. You’ll get hurt, so you absolutely can’t...! Mom!”
“Ouch. Ugh. Humans can’t fly.”
After a long time, she sat on the swing and quietly listened to the cicadas chirping. Only then did she realize that Alice was no longer in this castle. Ever since she was little, Alice had the personality to do whatever she wanted to do. Even if it ended up being a mess. Alice eventually ran away to love. Chloe smiled bitterly at the thought that it was a very typical ending for her.
“Ha,” she said, letting out a long sigh as she looked at the stars in the night sky when she heard a noise behind her.
“Gray?”
“Even on summer nights, you can catch a cold.”
He approached her carefully, covered her with a thin blanket, and sat down on the swing next to her. Chloe opened her mouth without taking her eyes off the stars that decorated the dark night.
“Alice running away, you turned a blind eye to it, didn’t you?”
She continued speaking with a smile next to Gray, who was startled and speechless.
“I knew it when you brought Alice’s letter. There’s no way you could have entered her room without her permission, and Alice has been so sensitive lately that she doesn’t let anyone enter her room.”
“...I feel like I can’t really hide anything from you, young lady.”
Chloe smiled slightly as she looked at his reddened nose. Gray must have felt so bad because he couldn't even make eye contact with her all day because of his guilt.
“Thanks for helping Alice, Gray.”
“...I thought you would be angry, Miss.”
Gray looked at her with eyes that seemed to be studded with stars in the night sky.
“I don’t think you would have done that with ease. Alice must have cried and appealed to you. And you are especially weak to people who cry.”
“If you punish me, I will gladly accept it.”
“No. I won’t tell my father.”
Gray blinked quietly. The sound of the insects chirping on a summer night was peaceful. As if nothing had happened.
“When Alice confessed the truth to me yesterday, I tried to appease her by saying I would take care of everything myself, but in fact... I couldn’t think of a good solution. I also couldn’t make a clear judgment about what was right.”
Alice must have felt the same confusion. In the end, it was clear that Alice chose to run away in the middle of the night, keeping everything a secret from Chloe.
“So, rather, I feel grateful to you for helping that kid run away.”
"... Miss."
“The milk has already been spilled, so it’s time to clean it up.”
There was no more reason to worry. There was indeed a mountain of work to be done in the future. Gray opened his mouth cautiously next to Chloe, who was letting out a long sigh.
“You’re not having any strange thoughts, are you?”
"What?"
“Please, young lady, don’t take all the responsibility on your own. If you do, I will look like such a fool for helping Miss Alice. If you run away, I will help you. I will risk my life to help you.”
Gray certainly wasn't dull. Even if he didn't know exactly what Chloe was planning, he clearly had an inkling that she was prepared to sacrifice herself. Chloe smiled brightly at him.
“No. I’m not like Alice. I can’t live like her. So don’t worry, Gray. I’ll find a way for us all to live. I’m the only one who can take responsibility for the Verdiers now.”
Chloe's face glowed in the moonlight.
“You are like our family to me. Just wait and see. I will definitely see you marry a pretty and kind person.”
“I’m not going to get married.”
Gray sniffled and shook his head. Judging from the blush on his face, he seemed embarrassed. Chloe glanced at him and smiled as she continued to speak.
“Why? How cute and angelic would babies be if they resembled your curly hair.”
“I won’t do it.”
Chloe laughed as she shook her head in denial. Gray wished he could be a servant in this house forever. So he could live forever helping his master and his lady. That was the secret happiness he dreamed of.
“Still, don’t make any risky choices, Miss.”
Gray whispered belatedly, but Chloe said nothing. She turned her eyes back to the night sky, lost in deep thought. A meteor fell, leaving a long trail in the purple sky of dawn.
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