Katrina Bernhard's life was not smooth. Born as the eldest daughter of a Count, she entered into a political marriage like other nobles, but her husband died suddenly at an early age.
Ludwig was growing in her womb at that time, so you have no idea how great the shock was.
'Do you think I'm going to just give up like this?'
A very decent man appeared before her eyes, as she had had extraordinary ambition since childhood.
Duke Bernhard, who could not forget his wife who had passed away, was a very romantic man. Thus, Katrina often encountered him by sending young Ludwig to face him.
A strange affection blossomed between the Duke, who was raising his youngest son Edwin without a mother, and her, who was raising Ludwig without a father. Of course, her beautiful appearance also caught the Duke's eye. Katrina, who had easily secured the position of Duchess Bernhard, harbored other ambitions.
'What is the reason I cannot have this family?'
She stroked her young son's head with an ambitious look in her eyes. The plan had to be very secretive.
Since no one should suspect her, she first faithfully played the role of a benevolent stepmother.
The Duke's grown sons were distant from her, but the youngest son, Edwin, was more affectionate than Ludwig. And this greatly helped to lower the guard of the Duke and those around him.
At first, she faked the deaths of the eldest son, and soon her husband and second son, as accidental deaths.
'Don't stop me! Without Your Excellency, I have no reason to live either!'
'Mother! Mother! You mustn't do this! Don't leave Edwin alone!'
Edwin hugged her as she sobbed while clutching the Duke's coffin and cried profusely. She also easily got through a situation that could have raised some suspicion thanks to the Duke's son.
Now, only Edwin and Etienne remained, and Ludwig was in tears the whole time, perhaps sensing something was wrong.
'Why is my only son so weak...'
Almost everything went her way, but her children were not.
Ludwig was soft-hearted and soft-hearted, resembling her deceased ex-husband rather than her. Ludwig regarded Edwin as a true brother and constantly comforted him as he grieved the loss of the Duke.
'How I wish I had just one son with the Duke.'
But unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't have any more children.
A crack appeared on Katrina's beautiful face as she recalled the past.
"It's not a cockroach, so why won't it disappear from my sight?"
At her muttered words, the man crouching in the darkness bowed his head. He was a man she had long used like a subordinate.
The nameless man had truly extraordinary talent.
Because through his hands, he could cover up murders with things like carriage accidents or falls from horses.
"The Duke has stepped forward again?"
She had someone cause a fuss in Zone 8, but the annoying woman was safe.
On the contrary, because of that incident, the Duke brought the girl to the Bernhard household, and they ended up sharing a bedroom.
"A disobedient hunting dog won't be needed anymore once the hunt is over, right?"
Her red lips curved attractively.
***
As Shioana was about to get into the carriage after work, someone suddenly appeared in front of her.
"Let's talk for a moment."
Diana Vale brought Shioana into her carriage and remained silent for a long time.
Judging by her flushed face and trembling hands, she was undoubtedly holding back her anger.
"Miss, please speak."
"Are you putting on airs just because you're His Excellency's lover?"
"It's not that; it's just that you said you had something to say."
There was no particular reason to avoid Diana, but there was no need to spend a lot of time on it either.
At Shioana's urging, the other person coldly scanned her from head to toe. Diana clicked her tongue after noticing the worn dress, ink-stained sleeves, and shoes with frayed toes.
"I can't help but doubt His Excellency's aesthetic sense. What is so great about a woman who is merely pretty-faced that he is making such a fuss?"
"If that is the case, wouldn't it be better to discuss it directly with His Excellency?"
No matter how much Diana hurled insults at Shioana or physically abused her, it was useless if she could not change the Duke's mind.
'Besides, the two of them looked really affectionate.'
She didn't think it was necessary to go this far.
As Shioana made a bitter expression, Diana threw the fan she was holding onto the floor.
"Who do you think you are, telling me what to do!"
“S-sorry.”
As Shioana immediately apologized, thinking she had been presumptuous, Diana's face turned red and then pale.
"His Excellency is ill right now, so his mind is clouded."
"..."
"Yeah, that's how it is. I just can't accept it."
Thick tears flowed from Diana's bloodshot eyes, which were filled with such anger.
Shioana, having returned by carriage after parting ways with Diana, was nothing but troubled. She needed some time to think alone, but the Duke held onto her again today and would not let her go.
He asked to have the bandage changed and pestered her to give him medicine.
When night fell, he hugged Shioana around the waist.
"Without you, I cannot accomplish even a sigh."
As the situation turned out this way, she was simply flustered.
"You heard what I said, right?"
“...What are you saying?”
Etienne's voice, half-asleep, rose low from behind her back.
Shioana continued speaking, suppressing her trembling heart. Three weeks had passed since she began nursing. Now, only one week remained.
"I will be leaving here in a week. So please sign quickly."
He had put the divorce papers in the bedside table drawer, but he didn't even think about taking them out to look.
Siona could not understand why she had to beg for something like this.
'I'm not the one who really needs a divorce.'
If you want to marry Diana Vale, you will have to get a divorce quickly.
Shioana's face darkened as she ruminated on Diana Vale's words and actions from earlier. Just as she had said, she was in a position where she could not claim any rights to the Duke.
'It's nothing but a document on paper.'
It is a past connection that cannot be revealed to anyone.
"Shioana, it looks like you have a big problem with your memory."
Etienne turned her body over, his eyes blazing. For a long time, Shioana had been particularly weak to his red eyes.
"There is nothing I cannot remember."
Shioana clenched her lips tightly after speaking firmly.
"I told you that I am the only man in your life."
His fingers were hot as he reached out and slowly stroked Shioana's forehead.
"I'm telling you not to even think about getting away from me."
A warm breath brushed against her cheek, and Shioana's jaw trembled slightly with tension. Then, suddenly, Etienne's face came too close.
"For a moment...!"
Before Shioana could stop him, his lips swallowed hers. His breath, having parted their lips, soon mingled with Shioana's breath.
A large hand grabbed her chin and waist, and a rough kiss followed.
Shioana felt like crying at Etienne's kiss.
She didn't know why he kept driving her to the edge of a cliff like this.
"...Ha."
The tongue, which had been persistently indulging inside her, stimulated the tender flesh inside her throat.
Shioana kept groaning like someone with a fever. Even though she thought she should break up with him, she felt helpless when he held her like this.
It felt as if a small spark had turned into a huge fireball and was engulfing her body.
Shioana, whose eyelids were trembling, reached out her arm and grabbed his shoulder.
As she closed her eyes, for a moment it felt like she was in Regbell's barn.
As their wet lips rubbed against each other, they made a continuous squelching sound. Etienne pressed his lips against hers as if to swallow every last breath remaining in her body.
Shioana, who was struggling not to lose consciousness while holding onto his body, suddenly could not breathe properly.
'No, no!'
It was only after patting his chest that Etienne's lips parted.
"...Ha."
As she let out a gasp, he lightly kissed her lips again.
At first, it was just a light touch on the lips, but Etienne's kiss grew deeper and deeper.
“Stop it..."
When Shioana refused, he tightened his grip on her jaw. While she groaned in pain, his erect flesh dug into Shioana's insides again.
As the kiss she thought was over continued, she was seized with despair. The desire that had been tickling her heart grew stronger, and Shioana's body heated up.
Just as her eyes were seized with longing, he stopped the kiss.
"...Ha."
She saw Etienne's red lips glistening through her blurry vision. Let's just assume that it's all because of the two of them kissing. Her cheeks flushed bright red.
“Why are you like this?”
"I’m the one who wants to know why you’re asking why I’m doing this."
Shioana glared fiercely at him while covering her heavily swollen lips with her hand.
"It was me then, and it is me now."
"...!"
Etienne was instantly angry when he felt that Shioana was recalling the past through her gestures.
Both Duke Bernhard now and Regbell's slave of the past were him. However, Shioana kept treating the current him as a different person.
"Why are you acting like this when you believe I betrayed you?"
It would have been easier to understand if he had said he wanted revenge because he hated her.
She didn't know how to accept him, who hugged jer all night, kissed her, and wouldn't let her go anywhere.
“Stay with me forever.”
"Your Excellency, I cannot do that. No. We shouldn't do that."
Shioana sometimes seemed to forget that he was a high-ranking noble of Urcheka.
"Why me, Duke Bernhard?"
"It goes without saying. I am not right for you. Besides, the Grand Madam—"
"Shioana, why don't you just be honest and say it's because of another guy? Instead of making excuses about someone else who isn't even here."
"I told you it wasn't like that."
"In that case, there is no need to worry. I am not the beaten slave of the past..."
Etienne, with a reddish tint around his eyes, slowly curled his lips with his tongue.
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