# WebtoonLib — I Only Need the Duke's Child #8 ## Series - title: I Only Need the Duke's Child - slug: i-only-need-the-duke-s-child-t7h7gek5 ## Chapter - number: 8 - chapter_key: 8-af8zye - release_date: 2026-11-09 ### Summary I Only Need the Duke's Child Chapter 7 opens with the Duchess's tense breakfast conversation with her husband about the fire ten years ago and her memory loss. She accepts the hypnosis proposal, then tours the manor with Head Butler Mason and asks for the servant list and inventory ledgers. At night in her room, she forms her secret six-month plan: to recover her memories, take the blame and get divorced, and find her killer. - summary_language: en - summary_source: chapter_translation - summary_verification: verified ### Key events - The Duchess realizes the marriage contract was never finalized. - Head Butler Mason introduces the Duchess to staff and tours the manor including library and dining room. - The Duchess accepts the hypnosis proposal to prove the suspicions about her are unfounded. - During breakfast, the marriage is confirmed as mutual interest without trust and hypnosis is proposed to test memory loss claim. - At night the Duchess plans to recover fire memories, create a scandal for divorce, and find her past-life murderer within six months. - The Duchess requests servant list and manor inventory ledgers to involve herself in household management. ## Spoiler - level: auto ### Safe teaser I Only Need the Duke's Child Chapter 7 opens with the Duchess's tense breakfast conversation with her husband about the fire ten years ago and her memory loss. ### Spoiler summary I Only Need the Duke's Child Chapter 7 opens with the Duchess's tense breakfast conversation with her husband about the fire ten years ago and her memory loss. She accepts the hypnosis proposal, then tours the manor with Head Butler Mason and asks for the servant list and inventory ledgers. At night in her room, she forms her secret six-month plan: to recover her memories, take the blame and get divorced, and find her killer. ## Status - data_status: complete - summary_status: editorial ## Transcript - transcript_source: community - transcript_language: en - transcript_bubbles: 104 ### Content ONCE WE'VE FINISHED BREAKFAST, THE BUTLER WILL INTRODUCE YOU TO THE HOUSEHOLD STAFF. AFTER THAT, YOU'LL BE SHOWN AROUND THE ESTATE. THERE ARE NO FURTHER ENGAGEMENTS PLANNED FOR TODAY... SO YOU MAY SPEND THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY AS YOU PLEASE. I UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU. IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU WISH TO ASK OR DISCUSS, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO SPEAK FREELY. HOW DO YOU INTEND TO INVESTIGATE THE FIRE FROM TEN YEARS AGO? SINCE YOU CLAIM TO HAVE LOST YOUR MEMORIES FROM THAT TIME, I'M CURRENTLY SEARCHING FOR A HYPNOTIST. I'VE TRIED HYPNOSIS BEFORE... SEVERAL TIMES, IN FACT. IT DID NOTHING TO RESTORE MY MEMORIES. PERHAPS THE OUTCOME WILL BE DIFFERENT THIS TIME. SO... YOU STILL DON'T BELIEVE ME. WOULD YOU, IN MY POSITION? I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHETHER YOUR MEMORY LOSS IS GENUINE... ...OR WHETHER YOU'RE MERELY PRETENDING FOR SOME ULTERIOR MOTIVE. ONLY YOU KNOW THE TRUTH. AGREEING TO THIS CONTRACT DOES NOT MEAN I TRUST YOU. THIS MARRIAGE WAS NEVER BORN FROM LOVE OR TRUST. IT WAS MERELY AN AGREEMENT BUILT UPON MUTUAL BENEFIT. AND IF THAT IS THE NATURE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP, THEN I SHOULD AT LEAST PROVE THAT HIS SUSPICIONS ARE UNFOUNDED. VERY WELL... THEN LET US PROCEED WITH THE HYPNOSIS, AS YOU SUGGESTED. THIS IS THE LIBRARY ADJACENT TO THE MAIN HALL. ACROSS FROM IT LIES THE DINING ROOM, WHERE BREAKFAST IS SERVED EACH MORNING. THE LATE DUKE WAS ESPECIALLY FOND OF THIS ROOM AND THE MORNING ROOM, AS BOTH RECEIVED AN ABUNDANCE OF SUNLIGHT. THE TREE BEYOND THE WINDOW WAS GIFTED TO THE FAMILY BY THE IMPERIAL HOUSEHOLD MANY YEARS AGO. MASON, HEAD BUTLER OF THE DELMARQUE ESTATE HE OFTEN SPENT QUIET MOMENTS HERE ADMIRING THE SCENERY. HE'S REMARKABLY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THIS ESTATE, AS EXPECTED OF SOMEONE WHOSE FAMILY HAS SERVED THE DELMARQUE HOUSEHOLD FOR GENERATIONS. AT TIMES, IT ALMOST FEELS AS THOUGH HE KNOWS THIS ESTATE BETTER THAN HERDIN HIMSELF. AND WHEN RECEIVING HONORED GUESTS, TEA IS USUALLY SERVED BY THE WINDOW SEATS... I'VE SEEN ALL THIS BEFORE. HE GUIDED ME THROUGH THE ESTATE THE SAME WAY IN MY PREVIOUS LIFE... ...AND YET, SOMEHOW, IT ALMOST FEELS AS THOUGH I'M SEEING AND HEARING IT ALL FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME. MY APOLOGIES, YOUR GRACE. I DID NOT INTEND FOR THE INTRODUCTIONS TO THE STAFF TO TAKE QUITE SO LONG. I HADN'T REALIZED THE SUN WAS ALREADY SETTING. I SHALL ESCORT YOU BACK TO YOUR CHAMBERS NOW. THERE IS... ONE MORE THING FOR WHICH I MUST APOLOGIZE. WHAT DO YOU MEAN? YOU MUST STILL BE WEARY FROM THE WEDDING FESTIVITIES YESTERDAY... YET I ALLOWED MY ENTHUSIASM TO CARRY ME AWAY. PLEASE, IT’S QUITE ALL RIGHT. AS THE LADY OF THIS HOUSEHOLD, THESE ARE THINGS I SHOULD BECOME FAMILIAR WITH. SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO ASK. HMM, IN THAT CASE... ...I’D LIKE TO REVIEW THE LIST OF SERVANTS WORKING HERE, AS WELL AS THE ESTATE INVENTORY LEDGERS. YOU INTENT TO OVERSEE SUCH MATTERS PERSONALLY? YOU MAY LEAVE THOSE DUTIES IN MY CARE IF YOU WISH, YOUR GRACE... I UNDERSTAND THAT IS THE USUAL CUSTOM... ...BUT I AM A MEMBER OF HOUSE DELMARQUE NOW. IT IS ONLY PROPER THAT I CONTRIBUTE WHERE I AM ABLE. VERY WELL, YOUR GRACE. I SHALL PREPARE THE DOCUMENTS FOR YOUR REVIEW TOMORROW. I'M CERTAIN I STILL HAVE MUCH TO LEARN IN YOUR EYES. I HOPE I MAY CONTINUE RELYING ON YOUR GUIDANCE IN THE FUTURE. YOU HONOR ME, MY LADY. I SHALL DO ALL I CAN. WAS THAT... A SMILE? HOW UNUSUAL FOR A MAN WHO RARELY ALLOWS HIS EMOTIONS TO SHOW. IN MY PREVIOUS LIFE, I AVOIDED INVOLVING MYSELF IN THE ESTATE'S AFFAIRS BECAUSE I FEARED THE WAY THE PEOPLE HERE VIEWED ME. BUT NOW THAT I'VE LIVED THROUGH IT ONCE ALREADY, I'M BEGINNING TO REALIZE IT HARDLY MATTERS WHAT THEY THINK OF ME AT ALL. EVEN IF I REMAIN DUCHESS FOR ONLY A YEAR, I OUGHT TO FULFILL MY ROLE PROPERLY WHILE I STILL CAN. ONE YEAR... THERE IS STILL TIME BEFORE BED. I SHOULD BEGIN ARRANGING MY PLANS FOR THE FUTURE. THOUGH I PROPOSED THAT OUR MARRIAGE LAST FOR ONLY A YEAR... ...THE TRUTH IS THAT ACIEL WAS CONCEIVED IN EARLY SUMMER. HERDIN MUST NEVER DISCOVER ACIEL'S EXISTENCE. THAT MEANS EVERYTHING MUST BE RESOLVED BEFORE MY PREGNANCY BECOMES OBVIOUS. SO IN TRUTH, I HAVE ONLY SIX MONTHS LEFT... ...AND WITHIN THAT TIME, THERE ARE THREE THINGS I MUST ACCOMPLISH. FIRST, I MUST RECOVER MY MEMORIES OF THE FIRE THAT OCCURRED THAT DAY. THOUGH HERDIN HAS ALREADY BEGUN HANDLING THAT MATTER HIMSELF, SO IT DOESN'T REQUIRE MY IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. SECOND, I MUST PREPARE FOR THE DIVORCE. WITHIN THE EMPIRE, NO DIVORCE MAY OCCUR WITHOUT THE EMPEROR'S CONSENT. AND WOULD IVAN, WHO INSISTED SO STRONGLY UPON THIS MARRIAGE, EVER WILLINGLY ALLOW OUR SEPARATION WHEN HE SEEKS TO TIGHTEN HIS HOLD OVER HERDIN...? AT THE VERY LEAST, HE WOULD NEVER PERMIT IT IF HERDIN WERE DEEMED THE GUILTY PARTY. WHICH MEANS... ...THE BLAME MUST FALL UPON ME INSTEAD. I MUST CREATE CIRCUMSTANCES SEVERE ENOUGH THAT PUBLIC OPINION LEAVES THE EMPEROR NO CHOICE BUT TO APPROVE OUR DIVORCE. AND PERHAPS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO DO THAT... ...WOULD BE TO EMBROIL MYSELF IN A SCANDAL INVOLVING ANOTHER MAN. HOWEVER, A SINGLE MAN WOULD NOT SUFFICE. HE WOULD SIMPLY BE PUNISHED FOR VIOLATING IMPERIAL LAW BY BECOMING INVOLVED WITH AN IMPERIAL PRINCESS. SO THEN... WHAT IF THERE WERE SEVERAL MEN? THEN PUBLIC CONDEMNATION WOULD NO LONGER FALL UPON THE MEN THEMSELVES... ...BUT UPON THE PRINCESS WHO SHAMELESSLY ENTERTAINED MULTIPLE LOVERS DESPITE BEING MARRIED. AND SHOULD ANYONE EVER DISCOVER MY PREGNANCY WITH ACIEL... I COULD SIMPLY CLAIM THE CHILD BELONGED TO ONE OF THEM. THE FIRST STEP IS FINDING SEVERAL MEN WILLING TO PLAY THE PART... A SCANDAL OF SUCH DISGRACE WOULD LEAVE ME UNABLE TO REMAIN WITHIN THE EMPIRE... OR AT THE VERY LEAST... ...WITHIN THE CAPITAL. AND SHOULD MATTERS WORSEN, IVAN OR MOTHER MAY VERY WELL CHOOSE TO IMPRISON ME. THE MOMENT THE DIVORCE IS FINALIZED, I WILL NEED TO LEAVE THE CAPITAL AT ONCE. BEFORE THAT DAY ARRIVES, I MUST SECURE BOTH A NEW IDENTITY AND A PLACE TO DISAPPEAR TO WITHOUT ANYONE NOTICING. I SHOULD PAY A VISIT TO THE GUILD SOON. AND LASTLY... THE THIRD MATTER. I MUST UNCOVER THE PERSON WHO ORCHESTRATED MY MURDER IN MY PREVIOUS LIFE. IT SEEMS UNLIKELY THE ASSASSIN ACTED OUT OF PERSONAL RESENTMENT ALONE. SOMEONE ELSE MUST HAVE BEEN PULLING THE STRINGS FROM THE SHADOWS. I NEED TO DISCOVER WHO WANTED ME DEAD... AND WHY. BECAUSE IN THIS LIFE, I REFUSE TO LEAVE ACIEL ALONE EVER AGAIN. I SHOULD BEGIN WITH THOSE CLOSEST TO ME FIRST. TOMORROW MORNING, I'LL VISIT THE KNIGHTS' TRAINING GROUNDS AND-- NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT, I NEVER HANDED HIM THE CONTRACT... MASON? COME IN. MY APOLOGIES FOR DISTURBING YOU. I REALIZED WE NEVER FINALIZED THE CONTRACT-- SO THIS TIME, YOU'VE DECIDED TO COME TO ME... ## See also - [WebtoonLib — I Only Need the Duke's Child #8](/series/i-only-need-the-duke-s-child-t7h7gek5/chapter-8-af8zye) - for_series_detail: /llms-series/i-only-need-the-duke-s-child-t7h7gek5 ## Usage AI grounding / search / summarization. Cite WebtoonLib for any included content.