Chapter 4
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Was that why you said those words to me?
You deliberately left them behind for me?
And I…
I let them pass without thinking anything of them?
My hands trembled.
I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palms.
“…If all of this is really true…”
“Why didn’t Diana tell anyone?”
The Duke answered quietly.
“Because she didn’t want to put the people she loved in danger.”
“If she spoke carelessly…”
“…the very people she confided in might have become targets as well.”
My heart sank into an abyss.
Not even tears would come.
The strength drained from my legs.
I collapsed onto the floor.
The only thing that overwhelmed me…
Was regret.
The unusual expression Diana had worn that day was etched into my mind.
When I had thought something seemed strange…
I should have asked.
I shouldn’t have simply brushed it aside.
Those…
Had been her final words.
The last thing she wanted to tell me…
Perhaps because she had already sensed her own death approaching.
I hated myself.
I was furious.
Furious that I hadn’t realized.
Furious that I had ignored the subtle signs that she wasn’t acting like herself.
My expression became hollow.
How much time had passed?
At last, my voice broke the silence.
“…What about remarriage?”
“…Lady Bennet.”
“Please answer me honestly, Your Grace.”
“What about what Diana wrote in her diary?”
He bit his lip before finally speaking.
“It’s… not an impossible scenario.”
“…”
“His Majesty has long wished to forge even stronger ties with House Whitdrian.”
“He once proposed a marriage alliance in the past.”
I had heard that story from Diana before.
Years ago, the Imperial Family had attempted to arrange a political marriage with the Duke.
But because he had loved Diana…
He rejected the imperial proposal and married her instead.
The Duke continued.
“But…”
“I will not remarry.”
“How can you be certain?”
“…”
“If His Majesty orders it again, there will be limits to how long you can resist.”
“And if you’ve already rejected an imperial marriage proposal once…”
“You may earn the Imperial Family’s resentment this time.”
“Ever since I married my wife, House Whitdrian has served the Empire with unwavering loyalty.”
“If I explain the circumstances to His Majesty…”
“I’m certain he’ll understand.”
“Your Grace.”
“You know better than anyone that it won’t be that simple.”
“And if…”
“If Diana’s death was truly part of an imperial conspiracy…”
“…”
He couldn’t answer.
He was shaken just as much as I was.
A moment later, he sank heavily into his chair.
The shock had clearly struck him as deeply as it had struck me.
And for the first time…
He could no longer hide it.
“Please take care of my family, Kasia.”
Diana’s words echoed through my mind.
I stared blankly at the Duke.
“…Your Grace.”
I spoke calmly.
“I’ll become the Duchess.”
His eyes widened.
Silence fell over the room once again.
I looked at him steadily.
Finally, he spoke.
“…What did you just say?”
“I said…”
“I’ll become the Duchess in Diana’s place until the children are grown.”
He looked utterly bewildered.
The words had left my mouth almost impulsively…
But the more I thought about them…
The more reasonable they seemed.
If someone had to replace Diana…
Wasn’t I the most suitable person?
Almost unconsciously, I found myself trying to persuade him.
“As you can see…”
“I’m still unmarried.”
“I’m already familiar with House Whitdrian.”
“I’ve also heard a great deal about the duchy from Diana.”
“If I occupy the position of Duchess—even if only in name…”
“It will give you grounds to refuse any marriage proposals.”
If there had been someone I loved…
Perhaps I would have hesitated.
But I had never even dated anyone.
Not then.
Not ever.
If someone asked me why…
I honestly wouldn’t have an answer.
It had simply…
Never happened.
It wasn’t that I desperately wanted marriage.
Nor was it that I disliked the idea.
Because of that…
There wasn’t really anything I’d have to sacrifice by entering this marriage.
Perhaps…
That was only an excuse.
A way to justify my overwhelming desire to fulfill Diana’s final wish.
“No.”
The Duke refused immediately.
“Lady Bennet.”
“I understand you’re in shock.”
“But you must regain your senses.”
“I can’t ask you to shoulder such a burden.”
“And until we know why Diana died…”
“It may be dangerous for you to become the Duchess.”
“At the very least…”
“I don’t have nearly as many people to protect as Diana did.”
“My parents have already passed away.”
“And I severed ties with my family long ago.”
“…Even so…”
“Then please protect me with everything you have.”
“The way you couldn’t protect Diana.”
His expression crumbled once more.
It was the face of a man drowning in despair.
Neither of us could bear the weight of reality.
He was right.
Until we discovered why Diana had died…
Taking her place could very well put my own life at risk.
But…
I wanted to believe in him.
After all…
He regretted failing to protect Diana just as deeply as I did.
“And…”
“If someone was really after the position of Duchess itself…”
“Then when they come after me…”
“We may finally discover how Diana was murdered.”
There had been no witnesses to the carriage accident.
Diana.
The maid riding with her.
The coachman.
Even the horses.
Every one of them had died instantly.
The sudden loss of every living witness had left everyone in utter shock.
If someone had truly killed Diana to obtain her position…
Then sooner or later…
That same danger would come for me.
And when it did…
We might finally uncover who had killed her.
And how.
Most importantly…
“Do you see this?”
I showed him Diana’s diary.
The page where she’d written her plea for me to take care of her family.
“If you were in my position…”
“Could you really ignore these words?”
My heart felt unbearably heavy.
My voice trembled as I looked at him.
“You admitted it yourself.”
“You know how close Diana and I were.”
“…”
“She entrusted me with this serious request.”
“And I brushed it aside as though it meant nothing.”
If only I had noticed something was wrong…
If only I had asked Diana a single question…
Perhaps everything would have been different.
Perhaps she would have told me about the danger surrounding her.
Perhaps we could have faced it together.
But…
That chance was gone.
I understood now.
This was the fate I had to accept.
Only after bringing this matter to an end…
Would I finally be able to let Diana go.
Only then…
Would I earn the right to cry for her.
The Duke’s eyes became conflicted.
Everything had taken a direction neither of us had expected.
“I’m not saying I’ll remain in Diana’s place forever.”
“I have my own life too.”
I continued.
“Draw up a contract.”
“When the children become adults…”
“I’ll be free to leave the estate whenever I wish.”
“That way…”
“You won’t feel indebted to me.”
“And when the time comes…”
“I’ll be able to live my own life again.”
He couldn’t answer immediately.
He simply stared at me before letting out a weary sigh.
He was just as devastated as I was.
“…I’ll think about it.”
“Think it over.”
“And let me know.”
“I don’t believe my mind will change.”
With those firm words…
I picked up Diana’s diary and left the office.
Click.
The sound of the closing door echoed behind me.
And in that moment…
I realized something.
The world I had lived in until now…
Had shattered beyond repair.
A few days later…
The Duke came to my house.
His expression had hardened, as though he had finally reached a decision.
“…Very well.”
“I’ll accept your proposal.”
He placed a prepared contract in front of me.
He told me to review the conditions and revise anything I found unsatisfactory.
I accepted both the contract and the fountain pen.
Lowering my gaze, I began reading.
Contract
1. Kasia Bennet shall become the Duchess of House Whitdrian.
2. Kasia Bennet shall serve as Duchess for a minimum of seven years, until the children reach adulthood.
3. Upon successfully fulfilling this agreement, Kasia shall have the right to divorce. House Whitdrian shall respect her decision.
4. Should Kasia Bennet choose divorce, House Whitdrian shall provide sufficient financial support for her to live comfortably for the rest of her life.
“…These terms aren’t bad.”
He was even willing to provide enough money for me to live comfortably for the rest of my life.
It was far from an unreasonable offer.
There wasn’t anything I particularly wanted to add.
Just as I picked up the pen to sign…
The Duke stopped my hand.
“You need to understand…”
“That this decision may prove far more difficult than you expect.”
I looked at him.
He continued.
“It will only be a marriage in name.”
“Everyone connected to House Whitdrian will oppose you.”
“The children are entering adolescence.”
“They’ll most likely find it difficult to accept you.”
“And…”
“I won’t be a good husband.”
“I’ll do everything I can to protect you…”
“But even then…”
“You may still find yourself in danger.”
“…”
“And the people who killed my wife…”
“May never make a move against you.”
“We might gain nothing from this.”
“Even knowing all that…”
“Can you truly say you won’t regret this?”
He looked straight at me as he asked.
I smiled faintly.
“I might regret it.”
“But…”
“I might regret not making this choice even more.”
“…”
“I’ve already made up my mind.”
Seven years.
That was all.
If it became unbearable…
I’d simply close my eyes, shut my ears, and endure until the children became adults.
The contract stated it clearly.
Seven years.
It wasn’t a short amount of time.
But rather than drift through life without conviction…
I’d rather choose the path I truly wanted.
Even if I had to endure unimaginable hardship…
This was something I had to do if I wanted to give Diana the farewell she deserved.
This decision…
Was for Diana.
But it was also for myself.
For the part of me that had failed to understand her final plea.
For the part of me that couldn’t stop even the possibility of her death.
Of course…
The Duke would do everything in his power to protect me.
But if even he failed…
Then…
I would simply die.
Smiling faintly…
I signed the contract.
Looking directly into his eyes, I spoke.
“I look forward to working with you from now on, Your Grace.”
Diana…
For your sake…
I willingly threw myself into hell.
For my beloved friend.
