Mikhail didn’t intend for things to turn out this way from the beginning.
After his parents’ divorce, he placed great hopes on the idea of “family.”
Even if it was an arranged marriage, even if she was a commoner-born noblewoman, he was prepared to give everything to love her.
But…
– “Lady, if you have time this evening…”
– “No.”
Those cold eyes that looked at him. The moment Mikhail met that gaze, he instinctively knew.
– “You don’t have to try so hard. After all… it’s just an arranged marriage, right?”
He knew then that he would walk the same path as his parents.
No, it was worse. His parents had been driven apart by a cunning lawyer, but his wife had been cold and distant from the very start.
He couldn’t describe how deeply that reality made him despair.
He longed for a complete home, a cozy place where he could rest peacefully. That was all he wanted.
But neither the shattered Petrov duchy nor his newly formed family could offer him such a refuge.
Around that time, a woman appeared in his life.
– “You can’t do that. If you raise taxes any further, the people of the estate won’t be able to bear it!”
– “But the poorest are struggling to survive this winter. Predictions suggest that at least 3,000 will starve to death. Are you saying we should do nothing?”.
– “We must find another way. The roads in the Petrov Duchy are well-maintained, so we can easily trade with neighboring estates. From what I’ve gathered, the seeds recently developed by the Xenia barony grow well even in harsh conditions and have high yields…”
At first, he merely found it curious.
She didn’t flinch even in front of a duke. He was puzzled when they introduced her as a professional manager, but Mikhail quickly recognized her competence.
– “There’s something on your hair…”
– “Ah!”
– “How clumsy of you.”
– “That’s from when I was playing with the children in the flower garden… Don’t laugh!”
It wasn’t just that. As a person, he started to feel more and more affection for her.
He tried to suppress those feelings, knowing it was wrong…
– “…Yelena?”
– “…My lord.”
– “Aren’t you soaking wet? Did you come all this way in the rain? What if you catch a cold…”
– “Why are you being so kind to me?”
– “…”
– “You shouldn’t be. You already have a family…”
– “…”
– “If you keep being so kind, I’ll start to misunderstand.”
When he realized Yelena’s feelings mirrored his own, Mikhail could no longer turn a blind eye.
They became lovers, a relationship they could never be proud of.
Yelena never asked him for a divorce. Neither of them voiced it, but they both knew that this fragile connection could only survive as long as it remained hidden.
Yelena was a fallen noble, now a commoner with no title or connections.
It was nearly impossible to raise someone like her to the position of a duchess.
***
“Fifty-four minutes.”
Natasha’s eyes flicked to the clock’s second hand.
“Then we’ll make the final remarks from our side.”
“Please go ahead.”
“Due to the recent ‘Kartoffel Blight,’ the production of Kartoffel has sharply declined. Kartoffel is a staple food in many areas of the extreme west, where the land is barren. The young duke previously mentioned a tax relief policy for Kartoffel, but we haven’t heard any concrete plans yet.”
“You should ask the young duke about that.”
“Aren’t you here representing the young duke?”
“That’s true, but how can I tell you something I don’t know?”
‘Fifty-six minutes.’
That talkative merchant had already wasted two minutes. Natasha wanted to end this quickly so she could rush out of there.
“The young duke is still reviewing the matter.”
“How long will he keep reviewing it? If you can guarantee the tax relief, our Kart Company is willing to assist with the distribution of Kartoffel at any time!”
Noel tried to soften the tone, but it didn’t matter.
They clearly wanted a definitive answer, but neither Natasha nor Noel could provide one.
‘This is all because that damn Mikhail went off to have fun, leaving his work behind.’
Just thinking about it made her angry. Being a young duke? Damn it.
“We really don’t know anything.”
“You must have heard something while working with him. If you give us a hint, we can prepare accordingly.”
“I’m telling you, we don’t know.”
‘Fifty-eight minutes.’
Now she really had to go. She needed to retrieve the tiny recorder that had captured the sweet words exchanged between him and his mistress.
“Don’t get any ideas about making a fortune with Kartoffel. There won’t be anything like that after next year.”
“What? Have they found a cure for the Kartoffel Blight?”
“Preventing it is actually very simple. You wouldn’t know because you’re not a farmer, but the blight only affects certain types of Kartoffel.”
In the west, where most Kartoffel is grown, they mostly plant the same variety, but in the east, an agricultural region, they had long since developed a solution.
“If you rotate the types of Kartoffel you plant, the blight won’t spread as much. They’ve already been doing this in the east.”
The unnamed merchant’s eyes widened at this.
“They’ll start doing that in the west next year, too. Because I’m going to tell the young duke. So, you understand? Don’t bet everything on Kartoffel trading. I’ve given you some useful information, so I’m leaving now, okay?”
“W-Wait a moment! Can you explain in more detail…?”
“If you want details, look them up yourself!”
Natasha nearly ran out of the room.
Bang!
The meeting room door closed forcefully. Ignoring the startled maid, Natasha ran toward the parlor.
‘Fifty-nine minutes.’
She counted the seconds in her head.
Finally, the parlor came into view!
‘Fifty-nine minutes and thirty seconds.’
She grabbed the handle and quickly knocked with her other hand. She couldn’t just burst in and risk catching them in the act of infidelity.
Mikhail had to remain unaware of the affair until he received the divorce papers.
There was a small commotion inside. Natasha pretended not to notice.
“Ahem, ahem. I told you we don’t need tea service.”
Mikhail responded from the other side of the door.
“It’s me, my lord.”
She used formal language, conscious of the guest inside.
“…Natasha? Isn’t the meeting still going on…?”
“Just finished.”
To be precise, it would be more accurate to say she cut it short and ran out.
“I have something to report. Are you very busy?”
“Is it urgent?”
“It concerns the estate, and I’d prefer if the person inside could hear it too.”
At these words, Mikhail had no choice but to open the door.
With a natural stride, Natasha walked in, smoothly heading towards the hidden miniature recorder.
A fireplace stood in the center of the room, and she could just make out the recorder tucked between the bricks.
Pretending to lean casually against the fireplace, she transferred the contents of the recorder into the storage device hidden behind her back.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Natasha, the lawyer temporarily working with you.”
“Oh, nice to meet you. I’m Yelena, the professional manager in charge of running the Petrov estate.”
Natasha quickly assessed her. She seemed too upright to be someone involved in an affair with a married man.
But appearances can be deceiving.
“I’m here to discuss the potato blight spreading in the West. I hope it’s not too inconvenient for you to spare a moment.”
‘…Three minutes late.’
Glancing at the clock, Natasha thought that a margin of error like this wasn’t too bad.
The first ten minutes of a meeting with someone new often held the most crucial conversation. It was the phase where they’d check on each other’s well-being and express their affections.
As time passed, the earlier parts of the conversation would start to fade, and if she wasn’t careful, they might miss all the important content and end up only recording a mundane discussion about the estate.
Three minutes was cutting it close, but she was still safe.
***
The room was filled with the sound of a woman’s laughter.
– Ha, truly. When I’m with you, I feel like I forget everything. My love, Mishka. When can I see you again after today?
– In two weeks. I’ll secretly arrange a carriage. This time, I’ll make sure there’s no mishap like before, so don’t worry.
– I don’t care about that. Two weeks is too long. How cruel the sun and moon are. Time flies like an arrow when we’re together, but when waiting, it crawls slower than a tortoise.
Two people listened to the lovers’ tender conversation with expressionless faces.
Those two were Chloe and Natasha.
Chloe remained calm, even as she heard her husband whispering sweet nothings to another woman.
“Let me know if you want to stop at any point. This recording isn’t official evidence for court; I can listen to it alone.”
“No, it’s fine.”
Despite Natasha’s offer, Chloe insisted on listening to the recording herself.
“I wasn’t expecting anything anyway…”
The recorded conversation between the man and woman gradually approached its climax.
They were talking as if they were characters in a grand love story, practically writing a novel together.
– Haah, Lena, Lenushka.
– Can’t we do something? Next week marks one year since we first met. I want to celebrate our beginning… Is that too much to ask?
There was the sound of intermittent kissing.
– Next week is a bit difficult.
– Why? You can just say you’re going on an estate inspection, like last time.
– It’s just…
Mikhail trailed off, clearly troubled.
“Is there something special happening next week?”
“It’s our wedding anniversary.”
Natasha let out a low, involuntary sound. A little voice escaped her without her realizing it.
– Even if our meeting isn’t one that everyone blesses, can’t we at least celebrate it ourselves? Or is that too selfish?
Yelena’s plea was met with a conflicted sigh from Mikhail.
– Please. I don’t ask for wealth or power from you. Just let me feel loved…
– Of course, I love you. How could I not?
– Then prove it.
Yelena’s request was an unavoidable challenge.
– Next week, on the day we first met… Let’s celebrate our relationship. Then I think I’ll feel less anxious.
– Lena…
Mikhail was silent for a moment before he finally gave in.
– Alright.
Chloe’s eyelashes fluttered.
– If that’s what you want, I’ll say something urgent came up and pretend to go down to the estate.
– Really?! I’m so happy…!
Yelena’s tearful voice, coupled with the sound of them embracing, their clothes rustling, filled the room.
And then they kissed again. Natasha decided to turn off the recorder.
It would be better to listen to the rest later.
“The stage is all set.”
Natasha, being a sharp lawyer, wouldn’t miss a significant clue like this.
“Now, all that’s left is to raise the curtain.”
N/ Why do I feel like I’m being betrayed?
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
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