Chapter 2

The burial ceremony that followed at the cemetery was attended only by the two families.

It was the final farewell, conducted in accordance with Diana’s simple nature.

Seven people dressed in black stood before the Whitdrian family mausoleum.

The Duke of Whitdrian, Diana’s husband.

Their two sons.

Count Allison, Countess Allison, and Diana’s older brother from her birth family.

And me.

Yes.

I was the only outsider permitted to attend the burial.

Once only the two families remained, the solemn atmosphere that had filled the funeral eased somewhat.

“Kasia… what are we supposed to do now?”

Countess Allison threw her arms around me, sobbing so hard she looked as though she might collapse.

“How could this happen to Diana…? Weren’t you as close to her as anyone?”

“I’m only her friend.”

I gently embraced the grieving Countess.

“But to you… she was your daughter.”

I rubbed her back with all my sincerity, trying to comfort her.

She had never been particularly healthy, and I couldn’t help worrying about her.

Truthfully…

I had always been grateful to everyone who had allowed Diana and me to remain such close friends.

Not a single member of Diana’s family had ever treated me poorly.

They were all powerful nobles—counts and dukes.

Someone like me, the daughter of a modest noble family, should have been considered beneath Diana’s station.

Yet none of them had ever looked down on me.

Simply because I was Diana’s closest friend, they had always treated me with kindness.

Even now, after Diana’s death.

That was why my affection for them wasn’t born solely from my friendship with Diana.

“I can’t replace your daughter,” I said softly, “but I’ll visit House Allison often. Whenever you miss Diana… please don’t hesitate to call for me.”

“Thank you, Kasia.”

Count Allison gently patted my back, his face weighed down by sorrow.

“Thank you for always being such a wonderful friend to our Diana.”

Diana’s older brother, Michael, remained standing off to one side without saying a word.

His sunken eyes never left his sister’s coffin as it was lowered into the earth.

Once the burial ceremony concluded, he escorted his grief-stricken parents toward their carriage.

Before leaving, he looked at me.

“…I’ll see you another time.”

“You should take care of yourself too.”

“Yes.”

I forced the corners of my lips into a faint smile that refused to rise.

“Please take good care of your parents, Michael.”

His voice was hoarse with grief.

Without another word, the Allison family departed.

Soon afterward, the head maid of the ducal household appeared to escort the children away.

Despite their young age, neither of Diana’s sons had cried.

They had endured their mother’s funeral with remarkable strength.

Their exhaustion was obvious as they each held one of the head maid’s hands while she led them back toward the mansion.

…

I should leave as well.

I looked one last time at Diana’s grave, now nearly covered with earth.

It was finally time to return to reality.

For Diana’s sake—for the friend whose life had ended so early—I had to keep living.

Diana had simply…

Left before us.

I didn’t want to fall apart.

Surely that was the least I owed someone who had departed first.

I turned to leave the cemetery.

Just then, someone called out to me.

“Lady Bennet.”

“Yes? Ah…”

It was Axion Whitdrian.

The head of House Whitdrian.

Diana’s husband.

When I turned around, he was looking at me.

It was the first time during the entire funeral that I had truly looked at his face.

Ordinarily, he was a man whose appearance could only be described as strikingly handsome.

But no amount of natural elegance could conceal the grief of losing the person he loved most.

His face had grown gaunt.

His complexion reflected the emptiness left behind by Diana’s death.

Only his voice remained unchanged as he spoke with perfect courtesy.

“It’s nothing important.”

“I simply wished to speak with you for a moment.”

…

Although we had rarely spoken at length, we had known each other for many years.

Ever since he had begun courting Diana.

I had unintentionally witnessed their entire love story unfold.

One day at the academy, Diana and I had been walking arm in arm across the grounds while chatting endlessly.

Without warning, he approached us.

He silently handed Diana a single letter…

…and then immediately walked away.

Diana stood there frozen, staring at the letter before watching his retreating figure.

I had been close enough to see both of them blush.

Many young noblemen had shown interest in Diana at the time.

But he had been the first to approach her openly.

With a shy expression, he gradually found a place at her side.

Several rivals looked at him with obvious frustration.

None of them ever stood a chance.

Who could possibly compete with the future heir of House Whitdrian, one of the greatest ducal families on the continent?

Letters became daily exchanges.

One day became two.

Two became countless more.

Before either of them realized it, love had quietly taken root.

Their marriage proceeded with astonishing speed.

Diana happily became his wife.

Even after their wedding, his devotion to her never diminished.

When Diana became pregnant and suddenly craved strawberries in the middle of summer…

He purchased an entire strawberry farm in the northern territories.

Then he personally took her there and let her eat strawberries until she never wanted to see another one again.

When their first child was born…

He even appointed someone to temporarily oversee his official duties so he could care for the baby himself.

To everyone else, he was the dignified, stoic Duke of Whitdrian.

But I—

As Diana’s closest friend—

Knew exactly what kind of man he truly was.

Diana was his entire world.

For her sake, he would have gladly reduced even a peaceful kingdom to ruins.

She must have been incredibly happy…

Because she had spent her life with someone who loved her that much.

I could tell his heart was already rotten with grief.

He had not shed a single tear during the funeral.

Yet no one there had cried more than he had.

He was still crying now.

“Yes,” I said quietly.

“What did you wish to discuss?”

He let out a long, weary sigh.

“I intend to burn all of my wife’s belongings before long.”

“I…”

“I don’t think I can bear to keep looking at the things she left behind.”

…

“You spent a great deal of time in this estate as well.”

“I wanted to ask if you could help sort through her belongings.”

“Some of your possessions may still be mixed in with hers.”

“Ah…”

I nodded.

“You’re right. I had forgotten there were still things left to organize.”

When Diana was alive, I visited the ducal estate so frequently that they had prepared a permanent guest room just for me.

The two boys always called me ‘Aunt Kasia.’

The Duke himself had always treated me with respect.

At the time, I ran a small café in a quiet corner of the duchy.

The boys had adored the cakes I baked.

“I’ll come and help organize Diana’s belongings.”

“I should also collect the things I left in the room you prepared for me.”

Now that Diana was gone…

It would be difficult to continue visiting the ducal estate as I always had.

The Duke did not deny it.

His silence suggested he understood exactly what I meant.

Still…

He spoke cautiously.

“…The children are very attached to you.”

“Even if you can’t visit as often as before…”

“I hope things won’t become awkward between us.”

…

“Thank you.”

I smiled faintly.

“To be honest… I want to keep seeing the boys too.”

“I’m looking forward to watching them grow.”

I was grateful he had said those words.

Even if I could never see Diana again…

I still wanted, however rarely, to see the children who looked so much like her.

I had watched them grow ever since they were born.

But Diana…

She would never see her children grow up.

A sharp pain pierced my chest.

I bit my lip.

When I frowned, the Duke looked at me with concern.

“Are you alright?”

“Ah… yes.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I was just thinking about something.”

Bitterness flickered across his eyes.

“Then you should return home and rest.”

“You stayed until the very end of the funeral.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“You should rest as well, Your Grace.”

“And…”

“Thank you for allowing me to see Diana one last time today.”

Her death had come far too suddenly.

I had never imagined our final farewell would happen like this.

Thanks to his consideration…

I had been able to see her face one last time.

For that alone, I was deeply grateful.

“I merely did what I could.”

“You…”

“…were one of the people closest to my wife.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll rest at home today.”

“And tomorrow, I’ll come to the estate.”

Our dry, restrained farewells came to an end.

The Duke gave a single nod before turning away.

Just then, I called after him.

“Your Grace.”

“I have one question as well.”

“…?”

He turned back.

I hesitated for a moment before asking the question that had lingered in the back of my mind throughout the entire funeral.

“It’s about Diana.”

“Did she ever…”

“…say anything to you about a situation like this while she was alive?”

He looked puzzled.

I continued.

“I mean…”

“Did she ever talk about what should happen if she were to die suddenly?”

A few days before the accident…

Diana had said to me—

“Kasia… if, just by chance, I were to die suddenly… please take care of my family.”

The memory still haunted me.

The Duke fell silent, thinking carefully.

“…No.”

He slowly shook his head.

“Nothing comes to mind.”

I studied his expression.

His eyes held only genuine confusion.

He truly didn’t remember anything like that.

“…I see.”

I answered quietly.

He gave one final nod before walking away.

Perhaps…

I was simply being overly sensitive.

Maybe it was nothing more than exhaustion making me overthink things.

I watched his retreating figure for a long moment.

Then I turned and began walking away from the cemetery.

Today…

I simply needed to go home and rest.

Without question…

It had been the hardest day of my life.