If I was Going to Regret It Anyway

The day after the wedding, Cecilia visited the Duke’s mansion early in the morning. As she got off the carriage, the servants nearby bowed their heads as if they were scared.

 

As she entered the mansion with her cane, she saw the butler, Herbert, rushing towards her.

 

“Welcome, Countess Crawford. The Master has not yet woken up. It may be inconvenient, but if you could wait a little…”

 

“That’s fine. I’m not here to see him.”

 

“Excuse me? Then…”

 

“I came to see my niece-in-law.”

 

Chatsworth House had as many reception rooms as its size. Starting from the official reception room for entertaining guests, each family member’s room also had a small reception room attached.

 

Cecilia was guided to the main reception room by Herbert. She had visited the Duke’s mansion countless times, but this was the first time she had been treated like this. She considered herself a member of the Duke’s family, not a guest, so this treatment was very annoying.

 

“Has my niece-in-law not woken up yet? The sun is already high.”

 

It was just past 8 o’clock, so the expression ‘the sun is high’ was a bit of a stretch. Of course, Herbert did not point out this fact.

 

“That’s not the case. The Madam woke up more than an hour ago and had already finished breakfast. If you could wait just a moment…”

 

“Then you should have guided me to her room’s reception room. Is this how the niece-in-law treats her family?”

 

Herbert changed his complexion at the angry voice.

 

“No, it’s not. Actually, there is no space in the Madam’s room that can be called a reception room, so we were worried that it would be inadequate to serve the Countess, so we reluctantly brought you here.”

 

“…There’s no reception room? Where is she staying?”

 

She thought that now that Daryl and Eleanor were officially married, they would have taken over the room that the former Duke and Duchess used. The rooms that Frederick used, the Lilac Room, and the room that Edith used, the Hibiscus Room, were located facing each other in the center of the second floor, and they were the most splendid and spacious rooms in Chatsworth House.

 

“She’s in a room on the eastern outskirts. It’s the accommodation she’s been using since she first came to Chatsworth House a month ago, because the Hibiscus Room is not yet ready due to interior construction…”

 

“……”

 

It was an impossible excuse. There was a month of preparation time, but the room for the hostess was not ready yet? As Cecilia stared at him, Herbert dropped his gaze.

 

‘It seems like I know how that woman is treated in this house.’

 

Cecilia chuckled softly.

 

“So, did niece-in-law sleep in that room last night?”

 

“…Yes, she did.”

 

That means she didn’t even have a proper wedding night. It was only one night after the wedding, and there were already more than one or two things to point out.

 

“So, when is niece-in-law coming?”

 

“If you wait a little, she will be here soon. If it’s okay with you, I’ll prepare tea in advance…”

 

Then the reception room door opened. It was Eleanor.

 

“You’ve arrived, Aunt?”

 

Eleanor approached Cecilia and bowed. Even though it was early in the morning, her hair and makeup were neatly dressed. She didn’t overdo it because she was drunk with the name of the Duchess she got overnight, nor was she dressed modestly enough to lose her dignity, as when she first saw her in Loud.

 

‘At least, it seems she hasn’t learned anything.’

 

Cecilia pointed to the chair across from her with a slight chin gesture.

 

“Sit down.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Did you take good care of your husband last night?”

 

It was the main point that she brought up before her buttocks even touched the chair, but Eleanor seemed calm as if she had expected it from the beginning.

 

“I was not feeling well last night and rested separately.”

 

“You rested separately? You mean you didn’t have a wedding night?”

 

Cecilia raised her eyebrows as if she was surprised.

 

“Yes, that’s correct.”

 

“You were not feeling well? What exactly was wrong?”

 

Eleanor seemed to open her mouth to answer, but Cecilia didn’t wait and continued.

 

“Don’t tell me you don’t know that serving your husband at night and producing an heir is a woman’s primary duty. In my time, even if I had a fever, I never refused my husband’s request. Especially not on the wedding night.”

 

“……”

 

“That’s only in cases where it was absolutely unavoidable. The wedding date was set a long time ago, do you think it makes sense that you couldn’t take care of your body properly to match that? What were you so busy with? You should be setting up a household, supporting your husband through social activities. You didn’t do anything at home and only prepared for the wedding, but you couldn’t even do that properly?”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Eleanor’s expression hardly changed as she slightly lowered her eyes. Cecilia smirked at the corners of her lips.

 

“Do you really think you’re sorry? Your expression doesn’t show it.”

 

“…..”

 

“You have no education, you didn’t even have a debutante ball that everyone else has. The only advantage you have is a pretty face, but if you can’t even serve your husband properly at night, what are you going to do?”

 

Cecilia got up from her seat and approached Eleanor across the table. Then she grabbed her chin and lifted it up.

 

“Your cheeks are sunken. How poorly did you take care of yourself? Don’t tell me you’re being picky about food because you’re pregnant?”

 

“…No.”

 

“Then? Why are you so thin when you eat well at home every day? Do you have a chronic illness?”

 

Eleanor didn’t answer anything. Cecilia clicked her tongue and let go of Eleanor’s chin.

 

“That’s why low blood…”

 

“…..”

 

“I’m worried if the baby will settle in properly during pregnancy.”

 

Even though she said that, Cecilia knew very well that there was no chance Eleanor would bear Daryl’s child. This marriage was nothing more than a means to continue the dukedom according to Frederick’s will, and she knew from Daryl that they would divorce immediately after a year.

 

If it wasn’t a temporary marriage, Cecilia wouldn’t have allowed it. No matter how much it was Frederick’s will, she couldn’t stand to see the dirty blood without roots mixed into the Duke’s family.

 

Of course, Cecilia didn’t have the authority to allow or disallow Daryl’s marriage. From the beginning, Daryl didn’t consult or ask Cecilia’s opinion, he just unilaterally informed her of his decision. But Cecilia didn’t have that reality in her mind. She believed without a doubt that she was the elder of the Duke’s family and an existence that Daryl couldn’t ignore.

 

So, the fact that they didn’t have a wedding night was likely agreed upon. Knowing that the child would be illegitimate, Daryl wouldn’t leave his seed in Eleanor. The excuse that she was not feeling well was definitely a lie.

 

Even knowing this, she said these things purely to correct Eleanor’s habits. Cecilia remembered every moment when Eleanor had been insolent to her. Even now, she was keeping her mouth shut and pretending to be obedient, but she was a woman who could change her face and crawl up at any time.

 

‘Of course, such shameful inside stories will be kept secret outside, so she has nothing to say about what I say. Even if she can’t stand it and spills the truth, all she has to do is say she didn’t know.’

 

In the end, no matter how one looks at it, Cecilia had nothing to lose. Therefore, this situation was nothing but a pleasure for her without any burden.

 

“I knew this would happen from the beginning. That’s why I tried to check if there was anything wrong with your body in advance. But what? It’s against the law? You insolent woman. You don’t even know that there’s a reason for what adults say, and you dare to defy it.”

 

As she recalled the incident, she was suddenly furious. Cecilia clenched the head of her cane with trembling fingers.

 

“Why aren’t you saying anything now? Why aren’t you insolently wagging your tongue like you did then?”

 

“…..”

 

“Can’t you hear me? Are you ignoring me?”

 

“…No.”

 

“Then why aren’t you answering?”

 

She was gradually raising her voice and scolding Eleanor when a low and heavy voice came from behind her.

 

“What are you doing now, Aunt?”

 

When she turned around, Daryl was there. Cecilia was inwardly flustered, but she asked without showing it as much as possible.

 

“When did you come? I heard you were still sleeping.”

 

Daryl was staring at Cecilia with dark eyes. It was a look mixed with deep fatigue, irritation, and contempt. He spat out his words.

 

“I asked what you are doing now.”