Chapter 5
Becoming the new Duchess was never going to be easy.
From the very beginning, everyone around us was horrified.
The Whitdrian family’s retainers.
The entire noble society.
Every one of them stared at me in disbelief after hearing that I would become the new mistress of the Duchy in Diana’s place.
Their expressions all seemed to ask the same question.
How could someone like you possibly do such a thing?
To those who knew nothing about the circumstances behind our marriage…
Their outrage was perfectly understandable.
Once news of the marriage spread, my already modest reputation plunged to rock bottom.
“The woman who betrayed her best friend.”
“The shameless woman who married her friend’s husband.”
That wasn’t all.
More rumors soon began to follow me.
Some claimed I had only remained close to Diana because I had coveted the position of Duchess from the very beginning.
Others insisted I had stayed by Diana’s side because I had secretly been in love with her husband.
Some even claimed that Diana’s fatal carriage accident had been caused by a curse that I had cast upon her.
Absurd rumors spread as though they were unquestionable facts.
And people believed every single one of them.
I had expected gossip…
But when it became excessive, even the Duke grew concerned.
“I think…”
“It may be better to tell people that this marriage is contractual, Kasia.”
“We don’t have to reveal every detail, but…”
“It’s fine.”
“Please don’t.”
I stopped him.
“The people who already believe those rumors won’t change their minds.”
“If we suddenly explain why we married…”
“They’ll only think we’re inventing excuses to justify it.”
“But, Lady Bennet…”
“I expected this from the beginning.”
“I’m fine.”
“So please don’t worry about it either, Your Grace.”
At my firm refusal…
The Duke said nothing more.
My wedding was surrounded by curses.
It became the greatest scandal noble society had seen in generations.
Even so…
Because it was none other than the Duke of Whitdrian’s wedding…
No one dared openly jeer at us.
Instead…
Whenever the Duke stepped away…
They whispered loudly enough for me to hear.
“Has she lost her mind?”
“How can anyone marry her best friend’s husband?”
“I knew she’d do something like this.”
“She only clung to the late Duchess because she’d been after her position all along.”
“Don’t tell me…”
“The rumor that she murdered the Duchess is actually true?”
“It has to be.”
To them…
I was the worst woman alive.
The greatest homewrecker in noble society.
A woman who had stolen her dead friend’s place…
Throwing away even the smallest shred of morality.
Those gazes didn’t particularly bother me.
Still…
I felt sorry for my parents.
Though by then…
They had already passed away.
After becoming the Duchess…
I officially moved into the Whitdrian estate as its mistress.
The time had come to remain seated in this position…
Surrounded by the overwhelming security the Duke insisted on providing.
Whatever else happened…
I was determined to fulfill the reason Diana had entrusted me with this role.
I would protect House Whitdrian.
That meant there were people I would have to confront.
Or persuade.
The maids openly looked down on me.
They needed to learn exactly who I was now.
So…
I dismissed the head maid—the longest-serving maid in the entire estate—in front of everyone.
“Pack your belongings.”
“You’ll be leaving today.”
“…Pardon?”
The head maid looked utterly dumbfounded.
Her expression practically screamed,
You think you have the authority to dismiss me?
I smiled faintly.
“It seems you still haven’t grasped the situation.”
“…Your Grace.”
“Steward.”
“Escort her out of the estate.”
The steward looked at me in confusion.
He hesitated, unable to answer immediately.
Only then did the head maid realize something was truly wrong.
Her face paled.
“M-My Lady…”
“Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”
“What’s going on here?”
At the unfamiliar voice…
Everyone turned.
The Duke had just returned from an outing.
He stopped upon seeing the commotion.
“I asked what is happening.”
“This maid has continued showing me open disrespect.”
“I was just dismissing her.”
“N-No, Your Grace!”
As I pointed at the head maid…
She immediately threw herself before the Duke and bowed deeply.
“I have never once disrespected the Duchess!”
“You haven’t?”
My voice turned icy.
“You spat into my coffee.”
“You deliberately served me cracked dishes.”
“And you even prepared ice-cold water for me to wash with.”
“If you call that respect…”
“Then you’re utterly unqualified to serve as head maid of this estate.”
As every one of her actions spilled from my lips…
The color drained completely from her face.
The Duke silently observed everything with narrowed eyes.
Then he spoke to the steward.
“Steward.”
“Remove the head maid from the estate.”
“Your Grace!”
The woman turned deathly pale.
She had never imagined the master she had served for so many years would dismiss her.
“Your Grace!”
“I’ve served House Whitdrian longer than any other maid!”
“You’re going to throw me out…”
“Just because of something the new Duchess said?”
“Your years of service…”
“Do not excuse your wrongdoing.”
“B-But…”
“And all of you…”
The Duke’s voice rang throughout the hall.
“Listen carefully.”
“Treat the Duchess as the Duchess.”
“If I hear of anything like today’s incident again…”
“I’ll hold every one of you responsible.”
The atmosphere inside the mansion instantly froze.
Every servant lowered their head.
Without another word…
The Duke walked away toward his office.
Only the head maid’s desperate sobbing echoed through the estate.
House Whitdrian had been one of the founding families of the Empire.
Its crest bore the image of a mighty dragon.
As one of the Empire’s oldest and most prestigious houses…
Its servants possessed pride unlike that of any other noble family.
Which was precisely why…
The dismissal of the head maid shocked every servant in the mansion.
Even after being expelled…
She returned several times to plead with the Duke.
She even knelt before his carriage as he prepared to leave the estate…
Begging him to reconsider.
But he never accepted her back.
Eventually…
She stopped coming.
After that incident…
People at least remained polite in front of me.
Even if only on the surface…
They finally acknowledged me as the Duchess.
“I’m sorry.”
“You asked me not to interfere…”
“But in the end…”
“I sided with you.”
Even after defending me…
He looked worried that doing so might only bring even more criticism upon me.
I shook my head.
“No.”
“…I’m grateful.”
“It was reassuring to know you stood by my side.”
When I smiled and thanked him…
He simply shook his head with a bitter smile.
“…No.”
“It was the least I could do.”
Axion Whitdrian.
Despite his sharp appearance…
He was a courteous and remarkably considerate man.
Just as I had always seen while Diana was alive…
He truly was a good person.
Throughout our marriage…
He looked after me with great care.
He became a dependable companion.
But…
That was all.
There was no love between us.
Naturally.
It was an incredibly dry marriage.
Throughout our married life…
We always addressed one another with perfect courtesy.
As though we were strangers.
Even when we were alone…
Our forms of address never changed.
“Your Grace.”
“Lady Bennet.”
Nothing more.
Outside of fulfilling our respective duties…
We never pried into one another’s private lives.
We were good partners.
Yet an invisible wall always stood between us.
He knew nothing about what I liked.
What I disliked.
Or what I wanted to do with my life.
Likewise…
I never asked where he went.
Or whom he met.
Our marriage…
Was nothing more than a performance staged before the world after Diana’s death.
And I…
Was simply Kasia.
Diana’s friend…
Playing the role of Duchess.
“Have you been uncomfortable lately?”
The Duke always asked after my well-being with impeccable manners.
Almost as though I were an honored guest…
Rather than the woman officially living in the mansion beside him.
“No.”
“I’m doing well.”
Whenever he asked…
I always gave the same simple answer.
And thanked him for his concern.
If there was one thing about our marriage that wasn’t entirely cold…
It was the consideration he always showed Kasia.
Not long after we married…
He made an astonishing proposal.
“If you wish…”
“You may quietly see another man.”
“…Are you serious?”
“I think…”
“It would ease my conscience.”
He seemed deeply burdened by the fact that I had effectively sacrificed my own life simply to fulfill my friend’s last request.
His concern alone was enough to make me smile.
“Thank you for thinking of me.”
“If I ever find someone…”
“I’ll introduce him to you first, Your Grace.”
Of course…
I never met another man.
The reason was simple.
Living as the Duchess required far more work than I had ever imagined.
I simply had no time to think about romance.
Besides…
I didn’t want my personal affairs to become a burden upon House Whitdrian.
In any case…
We were nothing like what people usually imagined when they spoke of a husband and wife.
Throughout our marriage…
Both of us consciously avoided growing any closer.
It was inevitable.
After all…
Our marriage had only existed because of Diana.
There was only one day each year when we truly stood together.
The anniversary of Diana’s death.
Especially during the first three years after she passed…
A large memorial service was held in accordance with tradition.
Together…
We dressed in black.
Sat side by side in the front row.
And honored Diana’s memory.
Whenever I glanced at him during those ceremonies…
His face was always filled with indescribably deep emotions.
Though…
As the years passed…
Those emotions gradually became fainter.
And so…
The two of us remained a married couple only in name.
Always polite.
Always distant.
Separated by an invisible wall that neither of us ever crossed.
I had never expected anything more from him.
So that part didn’t particularly bother me.
It was a shame that my first marriage contained no love…
But nothing more than that.
The truly difficult part…
Was something else entirely.
It was dealing with Ken and Nick.
