Chapter 72
“So, you’ve finally come.”
Stefan growled as he flung open the door.
He had been waiting for Thomas to come to him of his own accord, but now that they were face-to-face, he found it impossible to contain his emotions. He wanted to grab him by the collar and shake him, but instead, he clenched his fists and turned away.
Seeing this, Thomas hurriedly shut the door behind him and fell to his knees.
“Your Grace, please kill me. But Susan… she knows nothing. Please, I beg you, spare her.”
“Do you really think Rita intends to abandon my daughter?”
“…I can no longer trust a single word that woman says.”
At Thomas’s absurd confession, Stefan turned back toward him, his face twisted in a cold, mocking smile.
“You’ve only just realized that?”
“…….”
“It’s been twenty-one years. I was too young to understand, but you were already an adult. And yet, you believed her all this time?”
For the first time, Thomas lifted his head. His face was streaked with tears—whether from fear or sorrow, Stefan could not tell.
But what caught Stefan’s attention was not the tears. It was Thomas’s features, which overlapped with Susan’s.
So much time wasted—twenty-one years—just to confirm this truth. Now that his worst suspicions had been proven right, he wasn’t even angry anymore. All he could do was let out a hollow laugh.
“They say you can’t hide where the seed comes from…”
Despite Stefan’s scornful remark, Thomas, now weeping openly, began to confess his sins.
“It… it all started with a misunderstanding. It was a rainy night in late summer…”
At the mention of ‘that cursed night’ in the Edmond household, Stefan sank onto the sofa and closed his eyes.
After a moment of hesitation, Thomas finally began to recount the events of the night he first met Rita—the night he made his greatest mistake.
—
They had entrusted the helm to an inexperienced navigator, which led them off course, delaying their disembarkation. To make matters worse, a heavy storm had set in, and the Duke’s red eyes were beginning to show ominous signs.
Realizing that traveling all the way to the duke’s manor was impossible under these conditions, Thomas—who was then the Duke’s aide—discreetly suggested an alternative.
“Your Grace, I believe it would be best to stay at an inn near the port for the night.”
“…Fine. Do as you must.”
Though barely holding on to his sanity, the Duke managed to respond.
Thomas quickly drove the carriage to the inn. He had already arranged for two rooms to be kept available at all times, anticipating nights like this.
Perhaps it was the sudden downpour that night, but the inn’s atmosphere was particularly rowdy and chaotic.
But Thomas was unconcerned. His only priority was ensuring the Duke was safely settled. He didn’t even check who was staying in the adjacent room—a mistake he would come to regret for the rest of his life.
The moment they entered the room, the Duke downed his liquor in one go and collapsed onto the bed.
It was the only method he had found to survive the cursed nights.
And for Thomas, it meant a brief moment of respite.
“Phew…”
With a deep sigh, he watched the unconscious Duke for a while. The man would remain asleep for the night, so Thomas was confident he could lock the door and retreat to his own room.
After all, he needed to rest too if he was to assist the Duke at dawn, when he would wake up in a fit of convulsions.
How long had he slept?
A strange sound woke Thomas—someone was sobbing.
At first, he thought it was just the sound of the rain. But the eerie, hair-raising wails clung to his ears, refusing to be ignored.
Driven by unease, he quickly dressed and stepped outside—only to find that the Duke’s door was open.
His heart leaped in alarm, and he rushed inside.
A woman, barely covered in a torn dress, sat crying on the Duke’s bed.
“W-Who are you? What are you doing here?”
The woman flinched at his presence, as if startled into silence. Then, suddenly, she clung to him and pleaded in desperation.
“H-He… he assaulted me. P-Please, save me.”
“Assaulted…?”
There was no way. No matter how out of his mind the Duke was, he would never do such a thing.
But the woman, showing her bruised arms, her split lip, and her torn dress, continued to beg him to believe her.
“He dragged me in here from the next room. He forced himself on me.”
“…….”
“I’ve lost my purity because of him. Do you still refuse to believe me?”
When she held up her bloodstained undergarments as proof, Thomas was seized by terror.
The locked door. The key still in his pocket. The Duke lying naked and unconscious on the bed.
Everything pointed to one conclusion—this wretched woman had been assaulted by the Duke.
“This time, I’ll be dismissed for sure.”
‘I made the same mistake again…’
In truth, this wasn’t the first time. Three years ago, the Duke’s wife had also been a woman brought back from the Hua Continent.
The only difference was that his impulsive night with the Duchess had been consensual—whereas with this woman, it had not.
‘I took His Grace to the inn for the sake of the Duchess and the young heir… but I never imagined things would go so wrong.’
Thomas racked his brain, desperately searching for a way out of this crisis. Then, without thinking, he scooped up the half-naked woman in his arms.
“W-What are you doing?!”
“We need to get you back to your room.”
“Why? Why are you doing this?”
Dawn was fast approaching. The Duke would wake soon, and inevitably, he would learn of what had happened. Out of a misplaced sense of responsibility, he would try to take the woman back to the ducal estate. The Duke of Edmond was a man who carried unnecessary burdens with unwavering resolve.
If that happened, the household—finally at peace—would be plunged into turmoil once more. And Thomas, having failed his duty as an aide, would surely face the sharp edge of a blade himself.
After settling the woman onto her bed, Thomas knelt before her and asked seriously,
“What do you want?”
“…….”
“Is it money? Or is it status?”
If she asked for money, he was prepared to give her his entire fortune. If it was status she sought, he would ensure her silence and send her to a distant land under a new identity.
But her answer was entirely unexpected.
“…You should take responsibility for me.”
“What?”
“That man is your master, isn’t he? You’re trying to cover up his crime. You probably want to get rid of me.”
“N-No! That’s not it!”
Thomas waved his hands frantically, but the woman didn’t seem convinced. Her face was a mix of fear and steely determination, and her words carried a terrifying weight.
“If not, then you’re planning to keep an eye on me forever, aren’t you? You’re afraid of what I might say and where I might say it. Instead of lurking in the shadows, just take responsibility for me yourself.”
“…….”
At that moment, Thomas caught a glimmer of something unusual in her green eyes. They shimmered like gemstones, and for a fleeting second, he felt as though defying her would be impossible.
Then, as if she had seized control of the situation, the fear in her face faded, replaced by a quiet confidence.
“Come back tonight. I’ll be waiting at the inn.”
As if spellbound, Thomas found himself nodding. The woman smiled slightly.
“What’s your name?”
“T-Thomas.”
“I’m Rita. Rita Edwin.”
“Rita Edwin…”
Thomas echoed her name like a fool. Rita let out a small chuckle and gave him a gentle push toward the door.
“Go on now. I’ll be waiting here.”
Only then did Thomas snap out of his daze and rush back to the Duke’s room.
After confirming that the Duke had entered the bath, Thomas erased all traces of the previous night’s events. Then, as if nothing had happened, he escorted his master back to the ducal estate.
Later, he returned to the inn to settle matters once and for all.
As promised, Rita was waiting in the room. Unlike the night before, she now looked composed—elegant, even.
“Rita, if I am to take responsibility for you, what must I do?”
“Will you truly stay by my side forever?”
There was something wistful in her voice. Slowly, Thomas nodded.
“I may be unworthy, having lost my purity, but… I want to be your woman.”
“You are not unworthy at all.”
“Do you really think so, Thomas?”
“Of course.”
“Then… hold me.”
Their dangerous affair lasted for a month.
During that time, Thomas, blinded by dreams of a rosy future with Rita, even bought a house for them.
He had no idea what she was planning.
—
“I’ve come to see the Duchess of Edmond.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
“No, but she will want to meet me.”
The elderly butler, who exuded strict discipline, scowled at Rita’s impudence.
“And what, may I ask, is the reason for this visit?”
Rita smiled—a knowing, almost triumphant smile.
“Because I’m carrying the Duke’s child.”
