Stella could understand Kendrick. He was the man who had once tried to comfort her wounds, even kissing her own scars. Though known for his coldness, he possessed a warm heart. Given such a man, she could only imagine how worried he must have been about his wife's suicide attempt. She knew she had to first instill trust in Kendrick.
'The belief that I won't do the same foolish things as before.'
Kendrick remained silent the entire way back to the bedroom. He seemed to be in a state of confusion, judging by the way he bit his lower lip. The bedroom door closed, and she grabbed Kendrick's sleeve as he tried to change. His rigid gaze suddenly flickered with joy.
"Please keep my position as Duchess."
Stella's voice was dry. She met Kendrick's gaze with a blank expression. He didn't seem to understand what she was saying.
"If you don't respect my words, what servant will treat me right?"
"This time, I broke down the door for your safety."
Stella chuckled. She thought she was so foolish.
'Well, that was to be expected.'
She made up her mind to show a changed appearance as soon as possible.
"Why would you go to the study without telling me in advance?"
Kendrick grabbed Stella's arms with a devouring gaze.
"Didn't you ever think I'd be worried?"
Stella's eyes narrowed at his tone, which seemed to be a warning.
"I am your wife."
And she shook his arm to escape Kendrick's grasp.
"Not a puppy."
Puppy? Stella stared at Kendrick, who burst into laughter.
"If only you had knocked properly, I would have walked over and opened the door."
Kendrick had no intention of fighting Stella. He was just glad she was alive. On the way back to the bedroom, his legs gave out, and he was in a daze.
"I'm sorry I couldn't keep my word."
He definitely heard that Stella told him not to let anyone in.
"But, it's difficult to give you personal time for the time being."
However, it was difficult to think rationally when Stella was out of sight.
“Do you know that such restraint and obsession are grounds for divorce?”
Divorce. Kendrick's heart sank at the thought of divorce, a word he truly hated hearing again. She continued to fight.
"Are you that worried that I might die?"
Stella walked past Kendrick and took off her coat.
"Why do you have to go to the study? Why can't you just read books in the bedroom?"
Does this man know?
"It's always been like that."
She knew he was secretly isolating Stella. He even told her she wasn't his dog, but he still wanted to control her. She shook her head.
"I need my own space, too. When you told me not to come to your office, I did."
"Are you going to be late like today again?"
"If I read a book, that might happen."
"No."
"If you're worried about me dying, you can send someone to check on me three times a day."
Kendrick couldn't break Stella's stubbornness. When she woke up in the morning, she'd head straight to her study. Meals were often hashed out in the study. There was a reason she was so absorbed in reading.
'A good book heals the inner self.'
The only thing that soothed the wounds she suffered from parental neglect, constant comparison, lack of affection, and one-sided relationships was books.
"I heard you skipped lunch."
Kendrick occasionally came into the study with something to eat.
"I'm not that hungry."
"You should eat it for the sake of your health."
Stella refused, insisting it was okay, but he insisted on putting a sandwich in her mouth. He watched her, motionless, until she gulped down the last bite. As she munched on the sandwich, he felt the urge to poke Stella's cheek. But her gaze never lingered on Kendrick. It was only books. Books.
"Then I'll go into the book."
“How great would that be?”
He spoke sarcastically, without realizing it, but instead of being hurt like before, Stella took it in stride. This pattern repeated itself for about a week. Whenever it was time to eat, Kendrick would always make sure Stella had her meal first. It would have been nice if she'd come over and eat with him once in a while. She never visited Kendrick or accompanied him to the restaurant.
"Do you like books that much?"
Despite the barbed question, Stella nodded without a trace of expression. It was absurd to be upset about something like this. It was impossible for a Duke leading a family to be jealous of a mere book. Today, too, she stared at the book, stuffing the canapé Kendrick had brought into her mouth. Kendrick, feeling dizzy for no reason, left the study.
"You seem to be on the verge of becoming an author."
So he didn't notice that Stella's hand had stopped moving at his last words. Not only had her hand stopped, but her pupils had also fluttered, and her heart had pounded.
"Author."
She felt like her true feelings had been exposed. She put the book down for a moment. In fact, a desire had been brewing for some time. At first, she thought she needed a job. Since she loved reading, she even considered opening a small publishing house. But then she shook her head.
'Even if I start a business with the Duke's money, it won't help me.'
Stella needed a decent track record. She needed to stand tall in court with Kendrick. To do so, she needed to prove that her self-harm and psychiatric visits were temporary. Therefore, she was aiming for a decent career, and even if she succeeded in business with the Duke's money, it wouldn't add to her achievements.
'I have to get better, so I can't do anything too difficult.'
The answer was simple. The only thing she wanted and could do to make herself happy was writing.
'I want to be an author.'
If Stella could produce a work good enough to cover up her mental illness, she might be one step closer to divorce.
'Rather than jumping into a business that is already booming...'
She had been doing quite a bit before the day she was abandoned by the Duke. She was trying hard to catch up with Skyle.
'It would be better to jump into a new field and build a market.'
It would be better to insist that one's mind is sane.
Above all, Stella was well-versed in literature.
'I guess Kendrick doesn't know.'
Kendrick, who hadn't known Stella's former self since returning from studying abroad, probably thought of her as a gentle, wounded woman. Stella smiled. She knew the future. Children's literature wasn't popular yet, but in a few years, fairy tales would become a boom.
'A fairy tale that can touch children's hearts.'
She, too, had been burdened by layers of childhood pain. In a corner of her heart, there was a Stella who hadn't yet grown up.
'I want to write something like that.'
Good.
She set a primary goal: to write a fairy tale.
Stella stepped outside for the first time in a while. She'd read every book in the library at least once, so she decided to stop by the bookstore to browse the new releases. Kendrick's permission was required for her to leave, so his entourage followed her closely behind.
"Stella, the new bookstore is over here. The one over there has been gone for a long time."
Among them was Sia. She watched Sia walk ahead, presumably to help Stella, who rarely ventured into the city.
'What should I do with this kid?'
Stella agonized over how to deal with Sia. Mentioning her orphanhood might provoke her, but she had no desire to do so. If she simply wanted to expel her, revealing her royal heritage was another option.
'For now, let's just leave her alone.'
However, she didn't want to get involved in Sia's affairs to the point of revealing the secret of her birth. Stella dismissed the servants, worried they'd be a nuisance, and browsed the bookstore. Among the bestsellers was a familiar name.
'Roy Andra.'
He was the author of "The Tin Girl." This was before "The Tin Girl" had even been published. Stella felt delighted just hearing his name.
"Roy Andra? He's famous."
Unlike Stella, who always stayed in her room, Sia, who was actively interacting with the outside world, was well aware of what was going on in the world.
"He's beautiful, and he excels as both a writer and a doctor. He's incredibly popular with the noble ladies."
Was Roy Andra also a doctor? Indeed, many of his novels feature doctors.
"Why didn't I know this before?"
"It's been a while since the translation arrived. I heard that he'll be visiting our Carthian Empire soon."
Stella thought she'd like to have a chat with him when he came in. And then she opened his new book.
"It's fun. The narrative progression is excellent."
It was a novel that fit the times perfectly. The protagonist, a woman with a troubled family history, engages in bizarre behavior, betraying and harassing those around her. It's then revealed that she's a heroine who secretly appears in the village every night, healing the wounded.
<I miss myself so much.>
Her monologue pierced Stella's heart. She closed the book for a moment and blinked. A feeling of ecstasy filled her. As her reading dragged on, she felt sorry for the knights who had to wait without even eating. She told Sia to have a quick bite to eat, as she wouldn't run away.
'I have to buy this!'
Stella smiled brightly. After paying, she left the bookstore. She'd entered around noon, but the sun had already set, and it was already dark.
'I have to go home and finish reading it.'
Her steps quickened. It had been a while since she had been out, so she was excited and wore high heels, but that was the problem. The heels caught on the curb and twisted.
"Be careful, lady."
Someone grabbed her arm. Stella, who knew only Kendrick as a man, shoved him away, startled by the sound of a stranger's voice tickling her ears. He let go, and Stella tilted back, her body tilting back, trying to regain her balance by flailing her arms.
"Ugh."
When Stella opened her eyes, she was slumped over the man. He seemed to have caught her as she tried to fall to the other side, ending up in this strange position. Fortunately, it was a quiet, deserted alley.
"I'm sorry. I'll move out of the way."
Stella frantically reached out, trying to get up. She thought she was touching the ground, but it felt strange.
"Wait a minute. Where are you touching?"
Huh? She quickly turned around to check the position of her hand. Her eyes fell on his inner thigh.
"Oh my."
Stella's face turned red like a tomato.
"I'm sorry, really."
Stella abruptly sat up and straightened her skirt. His attendants and what appeared to be knights were staring at her with rabbit eyes, as if in shock. Stella's cheeks flushed at the thought of her embarrassment. Then Sia and her knights came running.
"Excuse me, lady."
The man who had been pinned beneath her secretly hoped Stella would reach out. After all, he'd fallen while trying to hold her back. But she didn't seem to have any intention of helping him. He was so shocked that he was stunned, constantly touching his cheek with the back of his hand.
"Shall I help you up?"
As he sat on the floor watching Stella, a servant came up to him and asked.
"It's okay."
He stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes. Stella bowed her head slightly in embarrassment and apologized. Her profile was truly beautiful.
"Lady, where are you hurt?"
He approached Stella with a friendly smile.
"It's okay. I was rude."
She held out her handkerchief. She was still concerned about the dirt she'd left on the man's hands. She bowed again, then quickly ran off to a distant location.
'Because you have purple hair.'
The sight of her running with her hair fluttering was quite impressive. The man watched Stella's back quietly. A servant approached and urged him on. He adjusted his crooked mask and raised a corner of his mouth. Strangely, he didn't want to miss the woman's back.
"That woman, judging by her clothes, looks like a noble young lady. Do you know who she is?"
"Hmm. Yes. I'll look into it."
'The belief that I won't do the same foolish things as before.'
Kendrick remained silent the entire way back to the bedroom. He seemed to be in a state of confusion, judging by the way he bit his lower lip. The bedroom door closed, and she grabbed Kendrick's sleeve as he tried to change. His rigid gaze suddenly flickered with joy.
"Please keep my position as Duchess."
Stella's voice was dry. She met Kendrick's gaze with a blank expression. He didn't seem to understand what she was saying.
"If you don't respect my words, what servant will treat me right?"
"This time, I broke down the door for your safety."
Stella chuckled. She thought she was so foolish.
'Well, that was to be expected.'
She made up her mind to show a changed appearance as soon as possible.
"Why would you go to the study without telling me in advance?"
Kendrick grabbed Stella's arms with a devouring gaze.
"Didn't you ever think I'd be worried?"
Stella's eyes narrowed at his tone, which seemed to be a warning.
"I am your wife."
And she shook his arm to escape Kendrick's grasp.
"Not a puppy."
Puppy? Stella stared at Kendrick, who burst into laughter.
"If only you had knocked properly, I would have walked over and opened the door."
Kendrick had no intention of fighting Stella. He was just glad she was alive. On the way back to the bedroom, his legs gave out, and he was in a daze.
"I'm sorry I couldn't keep my word."
He definitely heard that Stella told him not to let anyone in.
"But, it's difficult to give you personal time for the time being."
However, it was difficult to think rationally when Stella was out of sight.
“Do you know that such restraint and obsession are grounds for divorce?”
Divorce. Kendrick's heart sank at the thought of divorce, a word he truly hated hearing again. She continued to fight.
"Are you that worried that I might die?"
Stella walked past Kendrick and took off her coat.
"Why do you have to go to the study? Why can't you just read books in the bedroom?"
Does this man know?
"It's always been like that."
She knew he was secretly isolating Stella. He even told her she wasn't his dog, but he still wanted to control her. She shook her head.
"I need my own space, too. When you told me not to come to your office, I did."
"Are you going to be late like today again?"
"If I read a book, that might happen."
"No."
"If you're worried about me dying, you can send someone to check on me three times a day."
Kendrick couldn't break Stella's stubbornness. When she woke up in the morning, she'd head straight to her study. Meals were often hashed out in the study. There was a reason she was so absorbed in reading.
'A good book heals the inner self.'
The only thing that soothed the wounds she suffered from parental neglect, constant comparison, lack of affection, and one-sided relationships was books.
"I heard you skipped lunch."
Kendrick occasionally came into the study with something to eat.
"I'm not that hungry."
"You should eat it for the sake of your health."
Stella refused, insisting it was okay, but he insisted on putting a sandwich in her mouth. He watched her, motionless, until she gulped down the last bite. As she munched on the sandwich, he felt the urge to poke Stella's cheek. But her gaze never lingered on Kendrick. It was only books. Books.
"Then I'll go into the book."
“How great would that be?”
He spoke sarcastically, without realizing it, but instead of being hurt like before, Stella took it in stride. This pattern repeated itself for about a week. Whenever it was time to eat, Kendrick would always make sure Stella had her meal first. It would have been nice if she'd come over and eat with him once in a while. She never visited Kendrick or accompanied him to the restaurant.
"Do you like books that much?"
Despite the barbed question, Stella nodded without a trace of expression. It was absurd to be upset about something like this. It was impossible for a Duke leading a family to be jealous of a mere book. Today, too, she stared at the book, stuffing the canapé Kendrick had brought into her mouth. Kendrick, feeling dizzy for no reason, left the study.
"You seem to be on the verge of becoming an author."
So he didn't notice that Stella's hand had stopped moving at his last words. Not only had her hand stopped, but her pupils had also fluttered, and her heart had pounded.
"Author."
She felt like her true feelings had been exposed. She put the book down for a moment. In fact, a desire had been brewing for some time. At first, she thought she needed a job. Since she loved reading, she even considered opening a small publishing house. But then she shook her head.
'Even if I start a business with the Duke's money, it won't help me.'
Stella needed a decent track record. She needed to stand tall in court with Kendrick. To do so, she needed to prove that her self-harm and psychiatric visits were temporary. Therefore, she was aiming for a decent career, and even if she succeeded in business with the Duke's money, it wouldn't add to her achievements.
'I have to get better, so I can't do anything too difficult.'
The answer was simple. The only thing she wanted and could do to make herself happy was writing.
'I want to be an author.'
If Stella could produce a work good enough to cover up her mental illness, she might be one step closer to divorce.
'Rather than jumping into a business that is already booming...'
She had been doing quite a bit before the day she was abandoned by the Duke. She was trying hard to catch up with Skyle.
'It would be better to jump into a new field and build a market.'
It would be better to insist that one's mind is sane.
Above all, Stella was well-versed in literature.
'I guess Kendrick doesn't know.'
Kendrick, who hadn't known Stella's former self since returning from studying abroad, probably thought of her as a gentle, wounded woman. Stella smiled. She knew the future. Children's literature wasn't popular yet, but in a few years, fairy tales would become a boom.
'A fairy tale that can touch children's hearts.'
She, too, had been burdened by layers of childhood pain. In a corner of her heart, there was a Stella who hadn't yet grown up.
'I want to write something like that.'
Good.
She set a primary goal: to write a fairy tale.
***
Stella stepped outside for the first time in a while. She'd read every book in the library at least once, so she decided to stop by the bookstore to browse the new releases. Kendrick's permission was required for her to leave, so his entourage followed her closely behind.
"Stella, the new bookstore is over here. The one over there has been gone for a long time."
Among them was Sia. She watched Sia walk ahead, presumably to help Stella, who rarely ventured into the city.
'What should I do with this kid?'
Stella agonized over how to deal with Sia. Mentioning her orphanhood might provoke her, but she had no desire to do so. If she simply wanted to expel her, revealing her royal heritage was another option.
'For now, let's just leave her alone.'
However, she didn't want to get involved in Sia's affairs to the point of revealing the secret of her birth. Stella dismissed the servants, worried they'd be a nuisance, and browsed the bookstore. Among the bestsellers was a familiar name.
'Roy Andra.'
He was the author of "The Tin Girl." This was before "The Tin Girl" had even been published. Stella felt delighted just hearing his name.
"Roy Andra? He's famous."
Unlike Stella, who always stayed in her room, Sia, who was actively interacting with the outside world, was well aware of what was going on in the world.
"He's beautiful, and he excels as both a writer and a doctor. He's incredibly popular with the noble ladies."
Was Roy Andra also a doctor? Indeed, many of his novels feature doctors.
"Why didn't I know this before?"
"It's been a while since the translation arrived. I heard that he'll be visiting our Carthian Empire soon."
Stella thought she'd like to have a chat with him when he came in. And then she opened his new book.
"It's fun. The narrative progression is excellent."
It was a novel that fit the times perfectly. The protagonist, a woman with a troubled family history, engages in bizarre behavior, betraying and harassing those around her. It's then revealed that she's a heroine who secretly appears in the village every night, healing the wounded.
<I miss myself so much.>
Her monologue pierced Stella's heart. She closed the book for a moment and blinked. A feeling of ecstasy filled her. As her reading dragged on, she felt sorry for the knights who had to wait without even eating. She told Sia to have a quick bite to eat, as she wouldn't run away.
'I have to buy this!'
Stella smiled brightly. After paying, she left the bookstore. She'd entered around noon, but the sun had already set, and it was already dark.
'I have to go home and finish reading it.'
Her steps quickened. It had been a while since she had been out, so she was excited and wore high heels, but that was the problem. The heels caught on the curb and twisted.
"Be careful, lady."
Someone grabbed her arm. Stella, who knew only Kendrick as a man, shoved him away, startled by the sound of a stranger's voice tickling her ears. He let go, and Stella tilted back, her body tilting back, trying to regain her balance by flailing her arms.
"Ugh."
When Stella opened her eyes, she was slumped over the man. He seemed to have caught her as she tried to fall to the other side, ending up in this strange position. Fortunately, it was a quiet, deserted alley.
"I'm sorry. I'll move out of the way."
Stella frantically reached out, trying to get up. She thought she was touching the ground, but it felt strange.
"Wait a minute. Where are you touching?"
Huh? She quickly turned around to check the position of her hand. Her eyes fell on his inner thigh.
"Oh my."
Stella's face turned red like a tomato.
"I'm sorry, really."
Stella abruptly sat up and straightened her skirt. His attendants and what appeared to be knights were staring at her with rabbit eyes, as if in shock. Stella's cheeks flushed at the thought of her embarrassment. Then Sia and her knights came running.
"Excuse me, lady."
The man who had been pinned beneath her secretly hoped Stella would reach out. After all, he'd fallen while trying to hold her back. But she didn't seem to have any intention of helping him. He was so shocked that he was stunned, constantly touching his cheek with the back of his hand.
"Shall I help you up?"
As he sat on the floor watching Stella, a servant came up to him and asked.
"It's okay."
He stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes. Stella bowed her head slightly in embarrassment and apologized. Her profile was truly beautiful.
"Lady, where are you hurt?"
He approached Stella with a friendly smile.
"It's okay. I was rude."
She held out her handkerchief. She was still concerned about the dirt she'd left on the man's hands. She bowed again, then quickly ran off to a distant location.
'Because you have purple hair.'
The sight of her running with her hair fluttering was quite impressive. The man watched Stella's back quietly. A servant approached and urged him on. He adjusted his crooked mask and raised a corner of his mouth. Strangely, he didn't want to miss the woman's back.
"That woman, judging by her clothes, looks like a noble young lady. Do you know who she is?"
"Hmm. Yes. I'll look into it."
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