Chapter 18
“Why are you having the Duke of Edmond’s child?”
“Since we’re married, having a child is the natural next step.”
“But you haven’t even spent the first night together… Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for the Duke at first sight?”
“I’m not going to crave affection from my husband.”
“That’s nonsense. A woman’s happiness comes from her husband’s love… Think about our mother.”
“…I only need a child.”
“What’s the point of having a child?”
“So that my position as the Duchess of Edmond will be secure.”
This time, his face turned pale. He looked at me as if I were a stranger, not his sister.
“Are you really my sister, Rachel Burke?”
“No, from yesterday, I am Rachel Edmond.”
I smiled slyly and locked eyes with Leopold. It seemed this was the most effective way to explain how foolish and dangerous his plan was.
“When faced with an overwhelming truth, people can change overnight.”
“What… What do you mean by that?”
“Leo, don’t think you’re the only one who can protect the House of Burke. If you’ve decided to protect it, then do it properly. Leave my place there, so I can return as Rachel Burke someday.”
Leopold’s eyes wavered violently. It seemed he finally grasped the significance of my cryptic words.
“W-where did you… No, who told you?”
“…The night before the wedding, I heard it from Stefan.”
“That bastard…”
Leopold bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. Rita must have assured him that she had coordinated with Stefan, so his revelation must have felt like a breach of contract.
‘I’m sorry, Stefan.’
I felt bad for Stefan, who had nothing to do with this, but I had no one else to pin it on.
Not many people knew about the promissory note Leopold had received, and I couldn’t say it was Rita who had told me.
“Why the hell would he tell you something like that?”
“…He asked me to continue the Edmond bloodline.”
“How shameless of him.”
“He’s not shameless… He said that if I gave him a child, he would void the promissory note and the wedding altogether.”
“The fact that he said that before the wedding is proof enough!”
Leopold shouted in agitation, and Remington, who had run out in his pajamas, startled and clung to me.
“Brother, Sister, are you fighting?”
“…It’s not like that, Remy.”
“Then why are you yelling at Sister…”
I hugged Remington tightly as he began to sob, on the verge of tears. Even though the crisis of the House of Burke had been brought up, I wanted to keep this child unaware of it forever.
“It’s because Sister misspoke.”
“…What did you say?”
Remington looked up at me, his eyes brimming with tears. His bright blue eyes were fully focused on me.
“Sister said she was going to leave you here…”
“Can I live with you, Sister?”
The hopeful spark in the child’s eyes glistened without stopping. I felt the same reluctance to part from him.
“Remington, listen to me carefully. It’s difficult to live together starting today. But I’ll call you to the Duke’s residence soon.”
“Really?”
“Have you ever seen Sister lie?”
“No.”
“When everything’s ready, I’ll send you a letter, so keep studying hard as you usually do. Okay?”
“Yes, Sister.”
Remington, whom I had practically raised in place of our busy parents, was as dear to me as my own child. So, this time, I absolutely didn’t want to lose him.
“Don’t give Remington false hope,” Leopold said coldly, making me squeeze my eyes shut.
In my past life, when I learned of Leopold’s death and sent people to find Remington, it was far too late. The barony had already been sold to another noble, and the child had been driven out.
I tried contacting people everywhere, but no one could find him. The only rumors I heard were unbelievable—that Remington, entangled with the imperial family’s illegitimate child, had been exiled or killed in a foreign land.
“It’s not false hope. I’m going to send Remington to the Imperial Academy.”
“How do you plan to do that?”
“I’m the Duchess of Edmond. I have the qualifications, so I’m going to exercise my rights to the fullest.”
As Leopold’s expression grew darker, Remington’s bright eyes were getting bigger and bigger.
“Sister, will you really send me to the Imperial Academy?”
“Of course. So, prepare yourself well.”
“Yes, Sister.”
Remington, who had a particular fondness for books, would easily pass the entrance exams. The academy taught a wide range of disciplines, so I thought it would be beneficial if he learned some swordsmanship or exercised beforehand.
“Leo, when you return to Courtney, arrange for Remington to have a swordsmanship or fitness instructor. Since he’s a boy, he’ll need to build his strength.”
“I’ll take care of that, so you just focus on the Duke’s affairs.”
Leopold wasn’t wrong. I needed to establish my position in the duke’s household first if I wanted to send Remington to the academy.
After casting a sideways glance at my brother, I gently reassured Remington and stood up.
“Remington, go wash up and change your clothes. Let’s have a nice breakfast together.”
“Yes, Sister.”
After sending Remington off to the bathroom, brimming with excitement like a puppy on a snowy day, I didn’t forget to make a sincere request to Leopold as well.
“Leo, from now on, don’t even mention the word ‘sodomite’ in connection with him. And don’t act like you know anything about divorce plan. Got it?”
“…Understood.”
I smiled calmly and was about to open the door, but then I turned back to add one last thing.
“And you’re not planning to go to the dining room looking like that, are you?”
“What’s wrong with my appearance?”
“I mean that expression of yours, full of discontent. Come down with a fresh and decent face, so everyone can enjoy breakfast in peace.”
“Yes, Duchess. I’ll obey your orders.”
I chuckled softly at Leopold’s grumbling and left the room with a much lighter heart.
‘Just one last hurdle, and the morning routine will be over.’
***
When I entered the dining room, Stefan was already there having breakfast.
Dressed in a white shirt and a blue satin vest, he looked composed and, unnecessarily, quite handsome.
He was holding a cup of coffee while leisurely enjoying his simple breakfast, with a newspaper spread wide open on the table—just as he always had in our past life.
“I apologize for being late, Your Grace.”
I showed a hint of remorse, but there was no reply. So, I confidently took the seat beside him, and only then did I feel his eyes flicker towards me.
Even when I deliberately met his gaze, he said nothing.
‘Why aren’t you saying anything? This is your mother’s seat—you should be telling me that.’
This seat had been Rita’s regular spot, which meant, in other words, that it was the official seat of the Duchess. Therefore, it would now be my seat from now on.
The butler, who had been quietly attending to Stefan’s breakfast, approached me with a deeply puzzled look. Just as he hesitated and opened his mouth to speak, I beat him to it.
“Please prepare my meal the same as His Grace’s.”
“Ah… Yes, my lady. But that… seat is…”
“Isn’t this the Duchess’s seat?”
“Yes, it is, but…”
“Then it’s rightfully mine.”
As I reached for the empty cup on the table, the butler instinctively poured water into it. I hadn’t had a chance to drink anything while bustling around, so I eagerly gulped down the water.
“Has the Dowager Duchess not risen yet?”
“The… the Dowager Duchess?”
“I mean, Mother.”
“Oh… yes… she hasn’t…”
“Let her sleep in. She must be exhausted from all the wedding preparations…”
“…Yes, my Lady.”
As the butler awkwardly withdrew, Stefan’s lips twitched into a slight smirk before returning to normal. It seemed he found my idea of referring to Rita as the Dowager Duchess rather clever.
Stefan then feigned concern and asked how I was feeling.
“Are you feeling well?”
“……”
When I didn’t respond, perhaps thinking I hadn’t heard him, he moved his lips again, although his gaze remained fixed on the newspaper.
“I’m asking if the Duchess slept well.”
“Oh… I apologize, Your Grace. I thought you were talking to yourself while reading the paper.”
“……”
Now finding the situation intriguing, Stefan finally looked at me. He then noticed that my outfit subtly mirrored his and let out a faint chuckle.
I was wearing a blue dress with a white bertha collar (a wide decorative collar that slightly covers the shoulders). I vividly remembered Stefan’s outfit from the morning after our wedding, and I had chosen my attire accordingly.
The intention was to show that there was no tension between the Duke and Duchess, even though we hadn’t consummated the marriage.
Not knowing this, Stefan showed a hint of displeasure.
“Have you already planted spies around me?”
“Spies? The loyal servants of the duke’s estate are all your people—how could they possibly be bought by me?”
Knowing well that the servants of the duke’s estate were all under Rita’s control, Stefan let out a small scoff. He asked again, as if trying to confirm the meaning behind my words.
“The servants of the duke’s estate belong to the Duchess. So, aren’t they all your people?”
