The Secret Circumstances of the Fake Ducal Couple

Jane already knew about the fact that Cain had a child.

Six months ago, she overheard all those conversations that were taking place amongst the women in a nearby cafe.

“Did you hear that Lord Hastings has a son?”

“Yeah and he’s already six years old.”

“Does that mean he’s getting married to the child’s mother soon?”

“No. I heard that the child’s mother died. She was some foreign heiress or maybe some royalty…”

Rumors about Lord Hastings spread widely.

Lord Hastings son, who appeared out of nowhere, was sometimes a child of royalty, sometimes a child of scandal, and once was even called the son of a woman who saved Cain’s life.

Since parting ways with Cain, Jane had deliberately shut her ears to any news about him for the first time.

So Jane didn’t know much about the child.

“Joseph Hastings. He’s six years old. You’re working as a governess, aren’t you? They say you teach quite well.”

“Oh… So you need a governess?”

Jane learned the background behind Cain’s offer.

Six is an age where one might start considering bringing in a governess. While some wealthy families might rely solely on nannies, affluent nobility often employs both.

“I got to know that the child needs stability. He’s not an easy child.”

“What is he like?”

She should have refused immediately, but questions kept popping up.

She wanted to converse with him, even just a bit, without resentment or hostility, she just wanted to have an ordinary conversation, which seemed like a dream to Jane.

Of course, the subject of conversation was as cutting as a blade against her.

“He was expelled from the academy.”

“You sent a six-year-old to an academy?”

Cain smirked.

He glanced at Jane for a moment. ‘Glared’ would be an accurate description for it.

Jane wanted to avoid his gaze, but whether then or now, his gaze held a power to ensnare people.

Cain’s gaze wandered over Jane’s disheveled hair, thick eyebrows, tear-stained lashes, and sturdy nose.

Then his gaze settled on her lips. Was it Jane’s delusion that his gaze lingered on her lips that was stained with lipstick?

“A child of Hastings can’t be an ordinary child. Even if he’s six.”

“I know, but… academies are usually for eight-year-olds.”

“I don’t think early education is a bad thing. After all, it’s what allows people like you to make a living, isn’t it?”

Jane’s brow furrowed slightly.

“He’s not an easy child. Tame him properly. If you raise him to be worthy of Hastings, I’ll pay a corresponding price.”

“A price…”

Jane trailed off.

“I’m in debt,” she finally confessed.

Cain looked around the room. A faint contempt flashed in his eyes. Jane wished she could disappear into a mouse hole.

“I’ll pay it off,” he said.

“No. This is my debt. You don’t have to pay it off, Lord Hastings.”

“I can’t entertain a debtor coming into the house of Hastings.”

Cain chuckled as if amused by her pathetic situation and shook his head.

“I want to refuse that,” Jane said.

“Oh?”

His tone, as if marveling at some profound realization, was highly exaggerated.

Within that brief exclamation lay an overt mockery, questioning if she understood the subject.

“Are you trying to become the lady of Hastings? Becoming quite greedy in my absence, aren’t you? People tend to forget their place when they get ambitious. How dare you even consider the position of Lady of Hastings?”

Cain’s voice carried anger. His expression twisted slightly.

“Get your facts straight, Jane. What I proposed was for Joseph’s mother.”

Cain cut her off sharply.

“I… ”

“Come back to me this afternoon. It’s better to think carefully and give an answer.”

Cain turned away. His gaze, which had been fixed on the fallen latch of the door, narrowed slightly.

As if he could leave now, Jane’s feet felt glued to the floor as if there were shards of glass under her shoes.

He sighed and suddenly changed his direction, while approaching Jane. He grabbed her hand with a nervous grip.

“Are you protesting or something?”

It was a hand with glass embedded in it, a pool of blood was flowing from it.

“This… let go. I’ll handle it myself.”

“Do you want sympathy or something?”

“Cain… It’s not that…”

Jane didn’t know what to do. Because of her blood, Cain’s hand and the white sleeve of his shirt were getting dirty.

Jane tried to turn her wrist to pull her hand out, but Cain didn’t let her go; instead, he pulled her arm closer and mercilessly removed the glass fragment embedded in Jane’s palm.

“Ow.”

The wound, previously blocked by the glass, opened up further, and the drops of blood became thicker.

Cain took out a handkerchief and covered her wound, while pressing it firmly.

Jane couldn’t tell if he was trying to stop the bleeding or

manipulate her hand; it was hurting her. Both the wound, and her heart.

“Does it hurt, Jane?”

His voice seemed affectionate at first glance. Jane looked up, but there was no warmth in the gaze that was directed at her.

“I asked you whether the wound hurts.”

“Oh, it doesn’t hurt.”

“That’s good. Visible wounds aren’t real wounds. You can treat them, Jane. Real wounds are the ones you can’t see.”

Cain released Jane’s hand as if throwing it away. His handkerchief fell to the ground. Jane’s gaze followed.

The bleeding that was stopped by the handkerchief started again.

“Come back this afternoon.”

Jane didn’t see Cain leave. The places where his hand had touched tingled. It wasn’t pain but a sensation, a sensation of a phantom coming back to life.

Jane still loved him.

—

Jane wrapped her hand with a bandage and worked diligently.

She couldn’t remember what kind of state she was in last night. But she was half out of it.

“Cain came in the early morning, but I thought it was night.”

There was quite a long time between the debt collectors leaving and Cain arriving.

“I should have cleaned the house during that time.”

How surprised Cain must have been.

He’s someone who always keeps his surroundings tidy.

Jane stood up the fallen objects and gathered the broken ones.

She lightly dampened a dry cloth and wiped away the bloodstains remaining on the floor.

Thanks to Jane’s diligence, the house was mostly tidy by the time the sun reached its zenith.

The window covered with a newspaper instead of the broken glass looked awkward, and Jane was concerned about the door that only closed because of the torn latch, but it would be fine for a few days.

Despite her sore body, Jane struggled to find work. Whenever there was a moment’s respite, Cain’s proposal lingered in her mind.

Jane wanted to accept his offer. But….

“It’s truly shameless. What right do I have… to boldly…”

Jane felt like a sinner to Cain. Not only had she abandoned him, but she also failed to comfort him during his parent’s final moments.

While Cain was away after their breakup, the Lord and Lady Hastings suddenly died.

The Hastings family never officially disclosed the cause of death, leading to various speculations. The most plausible was that the strain from the Whitneys’ business dealings caused significant hardships and ultimately affected their health.

There were rumors of someone harming them, but Jane quickly

dismissed such talk.

The previous Lord and Lady Hastings were not people who would easily garner resentment. Nevertheless, Jane couldn’t escape feeling responsible for their deaths, even though strictly speaking, it wasn’t her fault. She had played a part in Cain leaving the Emblem Kingdom, so she couldn’t completely deny her involvement.

It was true that the Hastings family suffered because of their association with the Whitney family.

When Jane left the capital, the servants of the Hastings household gathered and hurled harsh words at her.

“Don’t you dare speak a word about the Hastings family again! Do you have any idea how difficult it is for our master because of the Whitneys? Get out of here now!”

“No need to use formal language. It’s just a superficial facade. A title bestowed upon a woman who can’t even inherit. It’s shameful that I ever bowed down to such a woman. Disgraceful.”

“Don’t even think about appearing in front of Lord Hastings again! Hmph.”

Do they know?

About Cain’s proposal in the early morning.

She had never even considered going to see Cain.

Jane clicked her tongue audibly, almost intentionally.

Unconsciously, her hand reached out, and a fiery pain shot through her left hand. Once again, it seemed that fate wasn’t on Jane’s side.

“Why does it have to be my left hand that’s injured?”

Jane’s eyes welled up with tears. Jane was left-handed. Despite thorough education enabling her to do most things
with her right hand, she found it easier and better to do everything with her left hand.

Why did it hurt so much to injure that left hand? Even after hearing Cain’s harsh words, she hadn’t cried, but now, tears welled up like springing from a fountain.

But Jane wasn’t allowed the luxury of shedding tears.

The carefully propped-up door fell with a loud thud, startling her so much that her tears retreated.

“Well, well, it looks nice and tidy. Our Jane is quite diligent, isn’t she?”

Victor and Hamlin had arrived.

Victor, who had been whistling lowly as he casually swung a branch he picked up along the way, let out a sharp whistle.

“Now it’s time to shake off that diligence. So have you decided to get in to the old man’s bed?”

With an obvious gesture, Jane sharply turned her head.

“We know you rejected the proposal yesterday.”

“Of course, we know.”

Hamlin protruded his lips, mimicking Jane, then grimaced menacingly as he warned her.

“Don’t even think about trying to burn your wrists again. If you don’t want to be tied up, that is. Or maybe that’s your preference? We’ve been too nice to you, haven’t we?”

Jane’s plan, even if it involved biting her tongue, was thwarted.

Victor sighed.

“I misjudged it. Making a proposal to a woman who readily eyes others’ money was a mistake. It was too much. So, we decided to change tactics.”

Before Jane could grasp their meaning, Victor grabbed her wrist.

“Let go!”

“Let’s go. We’ll send you off politely to the old man.”

“Let go!”

They insisted on dragging Jane. She struggled not to comply. The clean floor she had just tidied became dirty again.

“Keep mouthing off. A few punches, and even the old man will understand. Right?”

Jane was dragged like a dog. They didn’t care if she fell to the ground.

As Victor dragged Jane out of the house, he threw her aside. Jane almost hit her head on the dirt ground.

“You knew it was useless to resist, didn’t you? Let’s walk nicely now.”

Victor’s voice was clear. It would be better to lose consciousness.

Why did her mind become so clear at times like this? Jane fiercely slapped away Victor’s hand as he reached out to her again.

“Don’t touch me. My legs are just fine.”

It seemed like pretending to go along quietly while waiting for a chance to escape would be the best course of action.

Jane decided to deal with the situation later. Jane focused intently on gauging the right moment to escape.

While she was focused on thinking about an escape plan, she didn’t even notice someone was approaching.

“Wasn’t I the one who made the appointment?”

“Cain?”

At that very moment, the last person Jane wanted to see has appeared.

Jane gritted her teeth in embarrassment.