Falling To Paradise

The duke remained silent for a moment before gesturing for the art dealer to approach. Taking this as a signal to come closer, the art dealer moved towards the duke.

 

Splash! Red liquid splashed mercilessly onto the art dealer’s face.

 

“Do you know where you are? How dare you bring a painting by a woman here?”

 

TL/N: MISOGYNISTIC BITCH.

 

Despite having admired the painting just moments ago, the Duke of Glasster snapped as if flipping his palm.

 

The art dealer, dumbfounded, tried to explain further.

 

“Even though she is a female painter and might be undervalued, as you can see, her work is very original—”

 

“Get out. Don’t even think about stepping foot in the duke’s residence again.”

 

Though anger surged within him at the duke’s reaction, the art dealer gathered the paintings without showing his emotions.

 

‘It’s my fault for showing such paintings to the duke.’

 

Most people in the art market were still negative towards female painters. It was common for artists to hide their real names and genders. However, this painter’s exceptional skills were gradually gaining popularity among young nobles and the gentry, and the art dealer expected her fame to grow.

 

He had shown this piece, considering it a prized possession, because the duke seemed dissatisfied with everything else. But it turned out the Duke of Glasster was as arrogant and narrow-minded as ever.

 

‘He acts like he’s the only customer under this vast sky.’

 

Cursing inwardly, the art dealer disappeared with his assistants. He had maintained a relationship with the duke because of their past transactions, but after this, he decided he would do business with the gentry without worrying about the duke’s reactions.

 

“Master, would you like more wine?”

 

The butler showed the duke the bottle with a cautious expression. He had to be careful not to become the target of the duke’s anger, risking being kicked or slapped. The duke, infamous for his bad temper, often vented his anger on his servants. As a result, many came to the duke’s mansion to gain experience but soon left for other places.

 

“No! Get me a cigar. The one from the Vuelta region.”

 

The butler quickly moved, retrieving the requested cigar and lighting it for the duke, who grumbled as he puffed on it.

 

“An art dealer dares to… does he know what kind of place this is?”

 

Remembering the past when his mere word made all the nobles tremble and grovel, the duke felt nothing but regret. Already in a bad mood, he interpreted the art dealer’s offer as an insult to the Glasster family.

 

‘How did things come to this?’

 

The duke sank into his thoughts, exhaling thick smoke.

 

‘If only that girl had behaved properly…’

 

He blamed his only daughter.

 

‘The money I invested in her dresses and perfumes! Yet she couldn’t even seduce that young emperor properly.’

 

Although it was him, not anyone else, who had sided with Philip and then tried to switch to William, like a bat, he blamed his daughter.

 

If his only child had been a son, at least the family lineage would continue. He brooded over this regret, which he had felt many times.

 

“Is there any word from the Count of Rochester?”

 

“None yet.”

 

“Tsk.”

 

Clicking his tongue, he took a deeper drag on the cigar.

 

Recently, he had subtly suggested to the Count of Rochester, whom he met at the club house, the idea of his daughter filling the vacant position of the Count’s wife.

 

‘Ahem, Although your daughter is beautiful, didn’t she marry that illegitimate child…Sir Aiden Fitzroy, whom His Majesty the Emperor recommended? One shouldn’t wish for a holy marriage to be broken.’

 

He had thought the Count, known for his fondness of women, would easily take the bait. But he was cautious, wary of the emperor’s eyes.

 

He had hoped that a marriage with the Count of Rochester, who owned a mine producing high-quality gems, would benefit him when purchasing jewels, but it was a shame that it couldn’t happen.

 

The fact that the Count had repeatedly married women much younger than himself, and that all these brides had died mysteriously young, did not matter.

 

He was only driven by the desire to profit as much as possible while his young and beautiful daughter still held value in the marriage market.

 

He asked the butler, “Did the investigation go well?”

 

“Ah, yes. Here it is.”

 

The butler handed over a document detailing the personal connections and history of ‘Aiden Fitzroy’, as well as some characteristics from his military service.

 

The duke, skimming through the text with a disinterested expression, tossed the document onto the desk.

 

“Nothing useful.”

 

“Apologies. Since he’s living alone in the countryside, there wasn’t much valuable information.”

 

Though still cautious of William, the duke had no intention of leaving Anje and Aiden’s marriage as it was. He planned to use any means necessary to force them into a divorce and marry Anje off to someone ‘beneficial’ to him and the family.

 

“A mere bastard is no big deal.”

 

He stubbed out the end of his cigar on Aiden’s small portrait, leaving a black scorch mark on the face that resembled the former emperor.

 

Despite his resemblance to the late emperor, Aiden was just a bastard with a commoner mother. The duke believed it would be easy to separate him from his daughter with a suitable bribe or by exerting his authority. After all, he was the Duke of Glasster.

 

“But I am thorough. Aren’t I, butler?”

 

Despite having served him for decades, the duke still didn’t know the butler’s name. To him, a butler was just a butler, and a maid was just a maid.

 

The butler, accustomed to the duke’s attitude, responded obsequiously.

 

“Yes, Your Grace. Indeed, few are as meticulous as you.”

 

The duke leaned back deeply into his plush chair.

 

Even though Aiden was of lowly status, the duke needed to thoroughly ensure he wouldn’t become an obstacle in the future. No one, including himself, had anticipated that Philip Cardiner would be exiled to a remote island instead of becoming emperor.

 

“Tell the informant to dig deeper. If there’s no information on this fellow, get something on his family.”

 

“Yes, understood.”

 

The butler felt somewhat relieved at the mention of the word “informant.”

 

Although informants charged high fees, they were far more efficient and effective in gathering information than he could ever be by running around.

 

The duke, known for being stingy with his wealth, was willing to spend money on an informant, indicating how serious he was about annulling his daughter’s marriage.

 

“Another cigar.”

 

The butler, who had picked up the documents on Aiden, swiftly retrieved another cigar. As the sound of lighting filled the room, the cigar’s earthy smell mingled with the air.

 

Neither the butler nor the duke noticed that the name the art dealer had mentioned earlier was written in the documents tucked under the butler’s arm.

 

「Family Relations: Grandfather — Mark Dilton, Mother — Nancy Dilton」

 

Even if they had noticed, they would have dismissed it as a mere coincidence.

 

* * *

 

On the second day the Fitzroy couple went out to town, a misty drizzle fell along the way.

 

However, thanks to the folding roof on top of the carriage and the tent-like cloth tightly wrapped around their entire bodies, they were able to avoid getting wet.

 

As she tried to sneak out a little, she was startled by the rain coming in from the side and quickly moved back to the middle. She didn’t want to ruin her meticulously styled hair.

 

Noticing her fidgeting under the cloth, he asked,

 

“Is it too cramped? I’m sorry, I’m too big. Maybe we should get a new carriage—”

 

“No, it’s fine. It’s perfect,” she hurriedly interrupted him. Just yesterday, she had casually asked him in passing, ‘Don’t you think the cutting board seems a bit worn?’, only to be taken aback when he headed into the forest with an axe.

 

When she asked why he was cutting down new trees when there was plenty of wood near the house, he said he needed to find the best wood to make the perfect cutting board.

 

If they were to get a new carriage, he might spend days wandering the forest again.

 

“I’ll move over a bit. Oops—”

 

“That’s dangerous!”

 

She pulled Aiden back to the middle when he almost tumbled off the side of the carriage. It was a stroke of luck that the carriage was stationary at the time.

 

“Just stick close to me here.”

 

Despite the commanding tone, Aiden looked oddly pleased as he replied, “Yes, I will.”

 

She glanced at him for a moment, then turned her head toward the horses.

 

“Dancer, Wind. Let’s go.”

 

Lately, she occasionally had been feeling a heavy, uncomfortable sensation in her stomach, as if she were suffering from indigestion. However, it lacked the usual unpleasantness she associated with simple indigestion.

 

‘Should I have taken the cod liver oil, as Aiden suggested?’

 

No, no matter how bad she felt, she did not want to drink that nauseating liquid. Just imagining the taste made her feel sick.

 

* * * *

 

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