Chapter 17
Mikael Allison.
The eldest son of the Allison family.
Diana’s older brother.
And the current head of House Allison.
Looking genuinely surprised, he stood before me.
“…Mikael.”
Though he shared Diana’s blood, he was very different from her.
Unlike Diana, who had inherited their mother’s warm and gentle appearance, Mikael resembled the late Count. His features were sharp and dignified.
Yet, as befitted Diana’s brother, he possessed the same soft, comforting smile.
“It’s been a long time.”
He walked over and stood beside me.
“I left the garden gate open for a moment and thought a thief might have wandered in.”
“I never imagined I’d find you here.”
“…Have you been well?”
It truly had been a long time.
Meeting him here somehow made the reunion even more welcome.
I greeted him with a gentle smile.
He chuckled softly before answering,
“Oh… more or less.”
“I’m neither particularly happy nor especially miserable.”
“I’ve simply been living.”
It had been years since I’d last seen him.
Yet time had barely diminished his handsome, radiant presence.
After Diana’s death…
My marriage to the Duke had been arranged, and the relationship between House Allison and House Whydrian had quickly become awkward.
The Duke had formally sought the Allison family’s understanding, explaining that our marriage was solely to protect Diana’s children.
Count and Countess Allison had been generous people.
They had understood the necessity of our marriage intellectually…
But emotionally…
It had been impossible for them to accept.
Their daughter’s closest friend…
Marrying their late daughter’s husband.
From that moment onward…
We could never again laugh together at this villa the way we once had.
Perhaps…
The shock of that alone had contributed, at least in part, to the Count and Countess’s untimely deaths.
Afterward…
Communication between our families had nearly ceased.
Because of that…
I had never seen Mikael again.
The last time I had laid eyes on him…
Had been at my wedding.
He had stood far away…
Watching me in silence before quietly turning his back.
“I heard the news.”
He spoke first.
“The entire social circle is talking about how the Duchess left the Duke’s estate.”
“Is that so?”
“The capital’s been in an uproar.”
“But I never expected to run into you here.”
He truly seemed surprised by our unexpected reunion.
I quietly replied,
“The children have all reached adulthood.”
“I decided there was no longer any reason for me to stay there.”
“…I see.”
“I can trust that you won’t tell House Whydrian where I am…”
“Can’t I?”
“What would I possibly gain from that?”
He laughed quietly.
“It’s been years since I cut ties with that family.”
Seeing his smile again after so long strangely warmed my heart.
Smiling back, I asked,
“So…”
“What brings you here?”
He smiled faintly.
“I suppose that’s a rather obvious question.”
“When I left the Duke’s estate…”
“I never got the chance to properly say goodbye to Diana.”
“So…”
“I thought I’d come and greet her this way instead.”
“I understand.”
“…Nothing here has changed.”
“Honestly, I never imagined it would remain exactly the same.”
From the road leading here…
Everything felt perfectly preserved.
As though time itself had stopped.
Aside from the people who were no longer here…
And the villa looking slightly older beneath the weight of passing years…
Everything remained exactly as I remembered.
“I told them to maintain it carefully.”
Mikael answered.
“I come here often myself.”
“Even though nobody really uses the villa anymore…”
“There’s nowhere else that feels as though time has stopped.”
“Whenever I come here…”
“My heart feels strangely at peace.”
“When I need to clear my head…”
“I always end up returning.”
“I see…”
Silence settled between us.
Standing side by side…
We watched the sea.
Neither of us felt uncomfortable.
We were each lost in our own thoughts.
After quite some time…
Mikael finally spoke.
“…Aren’t you angry?”
I turned to look at him.
“You spent seven years at the Duke’s estate…”
“All because of my sister.”
“…”
“I knew how determined you were, so I couldn’t bring myself to stop you.”
“But…”
“I worried about you the entire time.”
His gaze lowered.
“And now…”
“Personally…”
“I’m relieved you’ve finally escaped that place.”
“It’s alright.”
“You don’t need to apologize.”
I smiled.
“Mikael…”
“You know this too.”
“My decision…”
“It wasn’t only for Diana.”
“It was even more for my own sake.”
I looked at him.
For a moment…
I wondered whether I should tell him everything.
That Diana’s death hadn’t truly been an accident.
That she’d sensed her own death approaching…
And secretly entrusted me with one final request.
As her family…
He had every right to know.
But I also worried about how deeply it would wound him.
Seven years had finally passed.
Everything had been settled.
There was no reason to reopen old wounds now.
Come to think of it…
A strange realization struck me.
Those seven years…
Had passed surprisingly peacefully.
Far more peacefully than I’d expected when I first resolved to take Diana’s place.
Perhaps…
That had been thanks to the Duke’s quiet protection.
Still…
Why had Diana died?
Even now…
It remained a mystery.
A mystery I wished I could someday solve.
“House Whydrian was Diana’s family.”
“And they’d always treated me kindly.”
“So…”
“At first I believed everything would work out.”
“But it didn’t.”
“…”
“Even so…”
“I never wanted to run away immediately.”
I continued,
“Even if I was going to leave eventually…”
“I wanted to care for everyone Diana left behind first.”
“Only then…”
“I thought my heart would finally be at peace.”
Mikael simply listened without interrupting.
Shrugging lightly, I smiled.
“And so…”
“Seven years passed.”
“And now…”
“Here I am again.”
“Standing here.”
After bringing those long years to an end…
The first emotion I felt…
Was relief.
Wasn’t that why I had come to see Diana?
To finally tell her everything I’d carried inside me?
One thing was certain.
At last…
I felt I had earned the right…
To remember her freely.
The right that came only after living through those seven years.
“It still feels a little strange.”
“But…”
“Just knowing that I’ve finished everything…”
“Makes my heart feel much lighter.”
Perhaps…
Fulfilling every one of Diana’s wishes…
Had actually been my own way of saving myself.
Perhaps…
It had been the desperate struggle I needed…
To finally accept losing her.
That’s why…
“I don’t regret it, Mikael.”
“I don’t regret those seven years I spent in the Duke’s household…”
“Living in Diana’s place.”
* * *
Mikael looked at me for a long while without saying anything.
His eyes gradually softened.
“…Do you know something?”
He finally spoke.
“You’re an incredibly strong person.”
I looked at him in confusion.
He merely smiled without explaining further.
“In any case…”
“Now that you’ve left the Duke’s household…”
“I suppose this is the beginning of a new life.”
After another brief silence…
He asked,
“So…”
“Are you really planning to divorce the Duke?”
“I heard rumors that you left behind divorce papers before you walked out.”
“You heard correctly.”
“I want a divorce.”
“And then…”
“I want to live on my own.”
Truthfully…
Whether the Duke would willingly sign the papers remained uncertain.
Still…
Why wouldn’t he?
There was no reason for him to refuse.
Although…
It was strange that no one had yet said the divorce had been finalized.
What were they all doing now?
The thought briefly crossed my mind.
“So…”
“Do you have anything you want to do?”
“…For now…”
“I’m taking some time to rest while trying different things.”
“I’ve met some rather interesting people.”
“And…”
“I came here to see Diana.”
I smiled to myself.
The moment I mentioned “interesting people”…
I couldn’t help thinking of the time I’d spent with Arwin.
Watching my expression…
Mikael smiled warmly.
“…Whatever you choose to do…”
“I hope you’re happy.”
“I truly mean that.”
“If you ever need help with anything…”
“Just tell me.”
“Thank you.”
“I hope you and your wife are always happy as well.”
He looked at me.
His expression was oddly blank.
After a moment…
I cautiously added,
“You…”
“You’re married…”
“Aren’t you?”
“I’m not.”
“…What?”
My mouth fell open.
He wasn’t married?
During the past seven years…
I’d never heard any news of his marriage.
I’d simply assumed he’d held a quiet ceremony.
Seeing my surprise…
He laughed.
“I suppose…”
“I’ve missed the right timing by quite a bit.”
“Mikael…”
“Have you lost your mind?”
“The head of a count’s family is still unmarried?”
It wasn’t like me to blurt out words like Have you lost your mind?
That alone showed how shocked I was.
I’d simply taken it for granted that he had married.
After all…
Who in the world became the head of a noble house and remained unmarried?
For someone responsible for producing an heir…
Marriage was practically an obligation.
“My parents passed away rather suddenly after Diana’s death.”
“They became ill…”
“And before I knew it…”
“I’d inherited the family.”
“I became Count before I ever had the chance to marry.”
“Then…”
“Time simply kept passing.”
“…”
“Everyone around me keeps worrying.”
“So I’ve been considering adopting a son or daughter instead.”
“But…”
“You had countless opportunities to marry even after becoming Count.”
“So why haven’t you?”
Once…
Mikael had been one of the most sought-after men in high society.
Every noble young lady had admired him.
Just like Diana…
He possessed a brilliant, radiant presence.
Combined with his tall frame and striking features…
He drew attention wherever he went.
His gentle personality.
His kindness.
His title as Count.
He still had more than enough to marry whenever he wished.
“…Who knows.”
Instead of answering…
He asked a question of his own.
“And what about you?”
“…Me?”
Rather than a reply…
Another question came back instead.
