Chapter 4
“Here are three things to report, Duke.”
As Finn answered, Stefan leaned back on the sofa, crossing his arms, and, as always, slowly closed his eyes.
“First, a month ago, the Duchess of Edmond acquired ownership of some of the shops belonging to the Bayton Guild, as well as a few ships.”
Rita had always demanded that Stefan distribute the ownership of shops, saying it was necessary for maintaining the honor of the Edmond family, not just for herself but also for her sisters.
She convinced Stefan by claiming it was essential for the family’s honor, but the real motive was something else entirely.
Since Stefan had often been away from the homeland, he had not been able to manage all of his mother’s activities, and thus, had not transferred ownership.
However, since he planned to stay in the homeland for a while, he had given a hint that it would be acceptable to transfer some of the shop ownership.
“Next!”
“This morning, the Duchess asked for a large amount of promissory notes and took them with her.”
At this, Stefan furrowed his brow but still kept his eyes closed.
He wondered if his mother’s indulgence had resurfaced, but he wasn’t curious about what she intended to buy.
“Continue.”
Finn took a deep breath and cautiously began to speak.
“Lastly, the Duchess has left for Courtney to prepare for the wedding.”
Noticing Stefan’s eyes open slightly, as if he hadn’t expected the last item, Finn continued.
“Lady Susan’s wedding, perhaps?”
“Lady Susan? The wedding in question is yours, Your Grace.”
“Mine?”
Stefan’s red eyes stared intently at Finn. Even after seven years of facing such stares, Finn still wasn’t accustomed to it.
“The head of the Edmond family must marry before turning twenty-five. As you are already past twenty-four, you are aware of this tradition.”
At his words, Stefan’s brow twitched slightly but remained fixed on Finn’s eyes.
“So, who is the bride-to-be?”
Finn hesitated slightly, intimidated by Stefan’s detached inquiry about his own wedding.
“She is the daughter of the Burk family from the Courtney region.”
Only then did Stefan’s intense gaze leave Finn.
“Understood. You may leave and attend to your duties.”
“…Yes, Your Grace.”
As Finn nervously exited the office, Stefan rose from the sofa. A rarely seen smile appeared and quickly vanished from his lips. It was a beautiful smile, yet had a somewhat eerie quality.
‘Is this bride-to-be something I should look forward to? I’ll be waiting, Rita Edmond.’
***
“Rachel, how surprised are you?”
The second meeting was just as rude. Seeing Rita, a stranger to me, embrace me abruptly, I thought:
The gods are really going too far. Without giving me a chance to adjust to the situation of my return, and before I could even console my relatives, they make me reunite with my enemy.
Unaware of my thoughts, Rita was already lost in her performance.
“Rachel, you really take after your mother. I’m Sophia’s friend, Rita Edmond, the Duchess of Edmond. From now on, consider me as your mother, dear.”
A chill ran down my spine. It reminded me of the days when she always belittled and despised me by calling me ‘dear.’
Rita tightly gripped my hand and smiled with her green eyes shining. While most people with green eyes seemed warm, hers looked steep and precarious like a meadow in front of a cliff.
As I stared blankly into Rita’s eyes, I heard a growling voice from her.
“Sophia, watch closely. See how I bring your daughter to ruin.”
Though her lips didn’t move at all, it was definitely her voice. I couldn’t mistake it for anything other than Rita’s ventriloquism, as she used to snarl at me while avoiding others’ eyes.
When I abruptly pulled my hand away from Rita, she looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“Dear, why the sudden reaction?”
“I-I’m sorry, Your Grace.”
“You must be disoriented from suddenly losing your parents. I understand, dear.”
Rita gave me an even softer smile than before and patted my shoulder. It was clear her actions were meant to be seen by someone else, not to genuinely comfort me.
While I mulled over Rita’s behavior, Leopold stepped forward.
“Thank you, Duchess Edmond, for attending our parents’ funeral.”
“Leopold? Oh, I should now call you Lord Burk.”
Rita warmly grasped Leopold’s hand, her eyes moist as if meeting a dear friend.
Leopold, feeling uncomfortable with her gaze, politely withdrew his hand. Yet Rita’s words clung to him.
“Lord Burk, could you spare a moment? I have something urgent to discuss…”
“I’m sorry, Duchess, but I must greet the mourners as the head of the family…”
“It will only take a moment. I believe I can offer assistance to the Burk family and yourself.”
“…”
For some reason, Leopold seemed unable to refuse Rita’s offer.
As he instructed the butler to escort the Duchess to the study, Rita approached me and delivered a meaningful greeting.
“I’ll see you again soon, Lady Burk.”
It was clear Rita intended to propose my marriage to Stefan Edmond. But what did she mean by offering assistance to the Burk family?
“Ray, I’ll be back shortly. Please welcome the guests in my place.”
I grabbed Leopold’s coat as he hurriedly turned away and said, “Leo, be careful of Rita Edmond.”
“Did you know Duchess Edmond?”
“Not really, but… she gives off an ominous vibe.”
“Don’t worry.”
Leopold lightly patted my shoulder and headed towards the study. My gaze remained fixed on his retreating figure.
Having been manipulated by Rita’s words for the past five years, I knew well how she could deceive others. But Leopold, who had never encountered such people, would struggle to escape her influence. My brother and I, raised with excessive love, had an overly positive outlook.
Even I, five years ago, had only dreamed of the rosy future of becoming the Duchess of Edmond after receiving Rita’s proposal.
‘Yes, I should have been suspicious from the start. Of Rita and Leopold both.’
Leopold was not the type to sell off his beloved sister immediately after our parents’ funeral. No matter how powerful the Edmond family was, or even if the Emperor himself coveted Stefan as a prime match.
Moreover, the idea that responsible Leopold could drive the Burk family to bankruptcy with extravagance and then take his own life was unimaginable. Even if he forgot about his married sister, he still had another sibling, Remington, to care for.
‘I need to find out everything. What kind of deal was behind my marriage? What happened to Leo and the Burk family after I left?’
***
As Stefan checked the time on his pocket watch and quietly left the office, he passed through the dark, shuttered shop and went outside where the carriage awaited. Bell, who had been dozing off while waiting for his master, was startled awake by Stefan’s knock on the carriage door.
“Y-Your Grace, I’m so sorry. I must have dozed off.”
“You should have caught some sleep in Finn’s room, even if just a bit.”
“I’m fine. Since Your Grace hasn’t gone to bed, I didn’t dare…”
“How can we be so different? Even though our faces are identical and we’re obviously twins, we’re nothing alike.”
“That’s precisely our brothers’ fatal charm, isn’t it?”
Stefan, who did not smile at Bell’s trivial joke, brushed him aside and got into the carriage.
“Go straight home after stopping by the Duke’s residence. Don’t look back, understand?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
As Bell closed the carriage door, he quickly moved to the driver’s seat to replace the coachman who had already been sent home.
As the carriage left Bayton Street and began to pick up speed, Stefan opened the tightly closed window. The salty dawn breeze was refreshing, a familiar smell from his travels over the past year.
As they moved farther from the port, the breeze carried the scent of lush greenery, a result of the artificial forest his father had created for his mother, who disliked sea breezes.
‘By now, it should be time.’
Stefan checked the time again, and the light seemed to fade from his red eyes as he grew increasingly weary at the thought of meeting his troublesome mother.
“Son, never trust a woman. You shouldn’t believe a word she says, not even her breath.”
Recalling his father’s last words, Stefan pressed his temples. But the headache only grew worse.
‘Father, you’ve left me with too great a burden.’
At seven years old, Stefan had been too young to understand his father’s parting advice.
As the Duke’s residence came into view from the carriage window, Stefan closed the window and let out a long sigh.
“Ha…”
For him, the Duke’s residence was a place of mixed emotions—filled with longing for his father and a source of excruciating loneliness.
As the carriage slowed, the gatekeepers,
recognizing Bell, showed the proper respect and opened the gate. The loud noise of the large carriage disrupted the quiet of the dawn.
‘I will end this curse in my generation, Father.’
