Chapter 73
In a moment of hesitation, I gave my consent, and at that point, there was no turning back. Although we would be sharing the same room, considering my relationship with Richard up to this point, I didn’t expect anything to happen. Since we had already experienced the Starlight Hotel together, I didn’t think anything would change even after returning to Tristan Duke’s estate. Maybe I should consider myself fortunate for that.
Reluctantly, I stepped into the room. Unlike me, who was still conscious of Richard, he seemed unaffected, as if he hadn’t given it much thought.
It was then that I realized for sure who had nurtured the budding feelings of longing for Richard. He treated me with kindness and warmth, which could be interpreted as a sign of affection. But as I spent more time with him, I began to understand. Richard didn’t seem to have romantic feelings for me.
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t disappointed, but hoping that he would love me as well was an act of selfishness. I had already received so much from him, and even in this situation, wishing for his love was purely my own desire. The person he would fall in love with wasn’t someone like me, who relied on him, but someone he could rely on mentally.
Someone like Aileen—someone who grew up with plenty of love, without any lack, and could shine light on Richard’s dark side.
In that sense, I knew I could never take her place.
Every time I looked at Richard, I thought about wanting to take Aileen’s place, but deep down, I wasn’t sure if I could truly replace her. Could I really be Aileen’s substitute by simply stealing a few lines that she would say to him?
I quietly walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed, trying not to disturb him. Richard, however, was still reading the book he had been holding when I entered. The sight of him was almost like a painting, and I couldn’t help but stare at him, sitting on the edge of the bed.
Then, as if he noticed my gaze, Richard suddenly looked up and met my eyes. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t realize we had made eye contact, and when I finally noticed, I quickly looked away, startled.
“If you’re tired, you should sleep first.”
I could feel Richard’s gaze on me. I hesitated, and then nodded obediently. It seemed better to fall asleep rather than stay in an awkward silence.
“Well then, I’ll go to sleep first.”
Trying not to be aware of his gaze, I buried myself under the blanket. At least the blanket provided some relief, as it helped reduce the pressure I felt.
I was worried that Richard might speak up again, but my concerns turned out to be unnecessary, as he continued reading his book quietly. Every time he turned a page, the rustling sound of the paper filled the quiet room. I closed my eyes and let the sound lull me to sleep, letting it become my lullaby.
* * *
I woke up early in the morning. Slowly, I opened my heavy eyelids to check where I was. Then, I suddenly stiffened and drew my body in.
Richard was lying next to me.
I suddenly wanted to see the blue eyes that were hidden behind his long, dark lashes. But I couldn’t bring myself to wake him up. He must have been tired after reading until late last night.
From what I could tell, Richard didn’t seem to have any urgent matters to attend to, and since that was the case, I wanted to let him rest.
I quietly lay there and observed his sleeping face. His sculpted features, dark eyes, sharp nose, and lips. Even though I saw his face every day, seeing him up close like this made him seem different. Despite the relaxed and strong aura he usually exuded, seeing him so vulnerable and defenseless now made me feel even more so.
I had the fleeting thought of wanting to touch his face, but I quickly dismissed it. I remembered how trying to touch Richard’s face in such a vulnerable state last time almost caused a big problem.
Instead, I carefully got out of bed, trying not to wake him. As the blanket slid off and made a rustling sound, I froze for a moment. But thankfully, there was no sign that Richard was about to wake up.
Relieved, I quietly got up and left the bedroom. The hallway of Tristan Duke’s estate, where the sun had just begun to rise, was quiet. But it seemed not everyone was asleep. I heard some movement coming from the end of the hallway.
“Your Grace!”
As I walked in the direction of the sound, I soon noticed Julia and a few other maids approaching me at a brisk pace.
“Have you woken up, Your Grace?”
I smiled at them as they bowed their heads in greeting.
“I woke up early. I’d like to wash up first—could you prepare that for me? In the meantime, I’ll take a look around my old room.”
“Yes, of course, Your Grace.”
I watched as the maids hurried off, then turned around. I could feel Julia and the other maids following behind me.
I immediately headed downstairs to find the room I had used when Baron Hazel was my stepfather. It looked entirely different from the bedroom I had just woken up in. This was a room filled with memories of my foolish life.
As I silently stared at the room, Julia came up beside me.
“Shall I tidy up the room?”
It seemed she had guessed that I might find looking at this room uncomfortable, and she was right. I certainly didn’t have any good memories of this place, since it was where I had hidden from Baron Hazel’s abuse. Looking back, I never wanted to experience those memories again.
Taking a deep breath, I slowly exhaled, trying to calm myself, and nodded.
“Please tidy everything up. There’s no point in keeping any of it.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
I thought that if I could erase all the remnants of those unhappy times by cleaning up this room, it would be a relief…
I smiled bitterly as I tried to push the thoughts from my mind.
Now, the abused Diarna Tristan no longer existed in this room. Thanks to Richard’s help, I had regained my rightful place. Therefore, I couldn’t let myself be shackled by bad memories.
“By the way, what about what I mentioned yesterday?”
“I’ve placed it on the desk in your office.”
“Thank you, Julia.”
After finishing breakfast, I had to get back to the work I had started yesterday. I needed to finish everything here quickly so I could return to Count Theodore’s estate with Richard. I felt guilty for having kept Richard in the capital for so long, so I was eager to resolve everything here as soon as possible and return.
“Your Grace, the bath water is ready.”
Not long after, one of the maids came into the room to inform me. Since I had already finished my business in this small room, I turned without hesitation.
Following the maid’s guidance, I entered the bathroom, washed myself in the warm water, and, feeling completely refreshed, headed to the dining room. After a light breakfast with Richard, I went straight to my office.
On the desk, alongside the materials I had left yesterday, there were neatly arranged new documents. As I approached to check, I saw that the materials I had asked to be prepared yesterday were included.
I sat down and began reviewing the documents.
The first thing I looked at was the luxury items that Baron Hazel and Cecilia had bought impulsively.
Most of the items they purchased were paintings, sculptures, and things brought from across the sea. The list also included information on the current market value of these items. I silently expressed my gratitude to those who had worked through the night to gather this information.
Thanks to their efforts, I could easily check the condition and value of the items. Of course, the prices they had listed were not fixed prices. There was a possibility they would be sold for less than the expected value, but for now, it was still very useful in gauging the worth of the items.
Surprisingly, the items Baron Hazel and Cecilia had bought were still selling at decent prices.
Although most were valued lower than their original purchase prices, some of them were actually worth much more than when they had been bought.
Whether or not they had bought these items with an understanding of their value was irrelevant to me; the important thing was that they had purchased items that were still valuable today.
I carefully reviewed each document and made notes of the expected profits.
Baron Hazel, who had amassed gambling debts, had still clung to these valuable items, refusing to sell them, but instead, he was willing to sell his stepdaughter. This revelation made him even more repulsive.
“Find the fastest auction house in the capital and sell off everything on this list.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
After confirming the list I had prepared, Julia bowed her head. The plan was to sell all the items, with the exception of a few. Those items that were unlikely to fetch a good price or were being kept for some other reason would be retained.
Once the items were sold, I would have some funds to proceed with the next steps. It wasn’t a bad option to have money in hand before making the next move.
And next…
While waiting for the items to be sold at auction, there was one more thing I needed to do—contacting people who had been close to my mother.
I already knew who I needed to reach out to. Fortunately, I had met a few of them while receiving heir education, so I was familiar with them.
I slowly began recalling the names and, with sincerity, started to write the letters. Since it had been a while since I last contacted them, I decided to start with a polite greeting and mentioned that I had regained the title of Duke of Tristan.
Hey dear readers, the advance chapters of this novel are now available on Patreon. Also I’ll be posting chapters of my other novels there more frequently than here for some time due to some technical issues. Make sure to not miss your favourite novels. Thank you, have a nice day.✨❤️
