WWDNND Chapter 4

Veronica stared blankly at the man standing before her.

The man she had believed to be the one true love of her life, the one she thought she would never regret dedicating her entire life to.

A marquis of the empire, her husband, and the biological father of her beloved daughter.

Yet, the eyes that looked at her now were as cold as the ice wall frozen at the northernmost edge of the empire.

Veronica barely managed to part her unmoving lips and ask,
“You’re back?”

“…Yes, my lady.”

“…….”

Cedric gave a reluctant nod, his expression blatantly indifferent.

That halfhearted gesture used to make her anxious, but strangely, she now felt an unexpected calm.

She had believed that one day, this man would love her.

No, even if not love, she thought at the very least, he would respect her as his wife and depend on her.

‘Why did I ever hold onto such a foolish hope?’

Veronica chuckled bitterly at the thought.

She had simply liked him from the start.

At that imperial ball, where the attempt to match them together had been blatantly obvious.

With no reason to refuse, she attended as she always did—dressed in dazzling splendor—to see with her own eyes what the infamous bastard-born marquis was really like.

“I am Cedric Lionel.”

“…!”

She had prided herself on having seen many beautiful men and women before, but the man standing in front of her was beyond anything she had imagined.

Silvery hair so mystical it could be mistaken for that of an elf, and amethyst eyes that gleamed like gemstones.

He was, in every way, a flawless man.

“May I see you again?”

“Hmm… we’ll see.”

“Pardon?”

“If fate allows, we’ll meet again.”

“……!”

And his demeanor—so different from others—intrigued her.

As a duke’s daughter, she had never encountered anyone who was not kind to her.

Everyone adored her, sought her favor.

She had been greatly disappointed when she realized that kindness was nothing more than a mask.

But Cedric was different. He was the only man who didn’t treat her with pretense.

And so, she had fallen for him.

Even though he was always cold, even though he treated her unkindly, she had helplessly been drawn to him.

At first, she had found his lack of politeness fascinating, his aloofness captivating.

And she had wondered—how happy would she be if such a man were to one day look at her with love?

The fleeting dream had been as sweet as chocolate.

“I have something to tell you, my lady.”

“…Go on.”

“…….”

Cedric hesitated slightly as he met Veronica’s clear, crimson gaze.

But soon, he spoke slowly.

“The person I mentioned before will be arriving at the mansion soon. With the child.”

“…….”

“I hope you will welcome them.”

“…….”

Welcome them? Who was he asking her to welcome?

The woman he had loved before he lost his memories? And the child he had with her?

Why should she be the one to welcome them?

Veronica tilted her head slightly, puzzled.

“Their arrival has nothing to do with me.”

“What do you mean? You are the lady of this house.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

At Cedric’s words, Veronica smiled faintly.

The lady of the house. She was his wife, the mistress of this marquisate.

Yet hearing those words from him felt laughable.

He had always treated her with indifference, yet now he chose to acknowledge her position only when it suited him.

At that moment, her daughter’s words came back to her.

“Divorce him, Mother.”

That little girl, struggling to hold back her pain, had mustered up all her courage to say those words.

Veronica had tried desperately to hide it from Claudia, but of course, she had seen through everything.

Thinking about how much her daughter must have suffered watching this unhappy marriage, Veronica’s heart ached.

No more.

With her mind made up, Veronica lifted her head and met Cedric’s gaze directly.

“Then let’s get a divorce.”

“…What?”

“Let’s get a divorce. Let’s just become strangers, cleanly and completely.”

“…….”

Cedric’s reaction was unexpected. His face turned pale as he stared at her in disbelief.

“What… what are you saying?”

“Did you suddenly develop a hearing problem? I said, let’s get a divorce.”

“…….”

Only after hearing it for the third time did Cedric finally come to his senses.

Even then, he still seemed unable to believe it.

Veronica smirked as she watched him.

Of course, no matter how terrible things had become, he had never expected her to be the one to suggest divorce first.

She had loved him with all her heart.

And he knew that very well.

‘Why did I ever love a man like this?’

A love that was never returned should never have been given in the first place.

With a newfound sense of relief, Veronica turned away.

“From now on, do as you please. Bring your first love into the mansion, remarry her if you want.”

“W-Wait…!”

“My daughter and I will be leaving this house first.”

“Wait, my lady!”

Cedric hastily blocked her path.

Veronica looked at him with annoyance, while Cedric seemed flustered by her sudden change in attitude.

“A divorce is out of the question, my lady.”

“Why not?”

“…….”

Yes, he had married her under the imperial decree.

Cedric had always justified his actions with reasons.

Because it was an imperial command, he had married her even though he didn’t want to.

And because of that, he had felt justified in neglecting their marriage.

Now, he wanted to bring his first love and their child to live here?

Veronica scoffed at the shameless man before her.

“Have you forgotten, Marquis Cedric Lionel? The empire follows monogamy.”

“And so—”

“The cause of this marriage’s breakdown is clear. Do you think I’m afraid of the imperial decree?”

“……!”

Though the empire upheld monogamy by law, nobles of both genders frequently kept mistresses or lovers.

Even the late emperor, who had supposedly been devoted to the empress, had taken concubines.

The only institution that truly enforced monogamy was the temple.

But still, Veronica stood her ground.

Because she was Winston.

Even though marriage had changed her surname, she was still the cherished only daughter of the Duke of Winston.

‘The imperial family arranged this marriage because of me.’

The imperial family had always wanted the Winston Dukedom’s support.

After the late emperor and empress passed away in an accident, the empire had fallen into chaos.

The empress dowager, using the young crown prince as an excuse, had seized power and wanted the support of the noble assembly led by House Winston.

Thus, she had orchestrated Veronica’s marriage to Cedric.

Although her father had been greatly disappointed by her decision, refusing to check on her for the past five years, he would certainly give her another chance if she returned after divorcing Cedric.

“I trust you won’t be pathetic about this, Marquis Cedric Lionel.”

“…….”

Not long ago, she had almost lost the most precious person in her life.

When her small, fragile daughter had hovered between life and death, all she could do was pray, watching over her as she struggled to breathe.

‘I will never make another mistake I’ll regret.’

From now on, she would live only for her child’s happiness.

Nothing else mattered.

Not even the man she had once loved more than life itself.

“Wait…!”

“……!”

“Do you think I’ll just let you go?”

Cedric grabbed her wrist as she tried to leave, his amethyst eyes burning fiercely.

Veronica looked at him in astonishment.

“What are you doing?”

“As long as I don’t allow it, you will remain the Marchioness of Lionel. You’re not going anywhere!”

“……!”

Veronica was speechless.

The same man who had insisted on bringing his first love into their home now refused to let her go?

Could there be anyone more selfish than this?

Veronica’s lips curled into a cold smile.

“Let go.”

“What if I refuse?”

“Then I’ll make you.”

“……?”

At that moment, an invisible force surged from Veronica’s body.