I Became the Affair Partner of a Trash Duke — Chapter 13

IS THAT THE DUKE'S CARRIAGE?

WHAT IS IT DOING HERE AT THIS HOUR?..

WELL, HELLO AGAIN.

HELLO AGAIN?..

WAIT, HIS "SEE YOU AROUND" FROM YESTERDAY...

DID IT ACTUALLY MEAN THIS?

THAT CRAZY DUKE!

HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?! WHY DID YOU COME HERE?

IS THERE SOME REASON WHY I SHOULDN'T COME?

YESTERDAY AT THE FACTORY, EVERYONE CONVINCED THEMSELVES THAT THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON BETWEEN US!

AND JUST WHAT EXACTLY DID THEY IMAGINE?

T-THAT!

IN AN... INAPPROPRIATE... WAY! AS IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW...

i'm terrified someone might overhear...

ALL DONE, HERE ARE YOUR SHOES...

EXCELLENT WORK.

oh! there's a courier and a shoe-shiner right here!

AH, YOU MEAN A LOVE AFFAIR?

KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN... AFFAIRS ARE THE ONLY THING ON YOUR MIND!

IF YOU KEEP ACTING LIKE THIS, I'M GOING TO BE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE.

I ALREADY PROMISED TO PAY YOU BACK. JUST LEAVE ME ALONE, ALRIGHT?

I'M WARNING YOU. I WILL NOT STEP FOOT INSIDE YOUR CARRIAGE.

AND I WON'T PRETEND WE KNOW EACH OTHER EITHER, YOUR GRACE.

SO PLEASE, BE SO KIND AS TO TREAT ME STRICTLY AS YOUR EMPLOYEE.

IN ANY CASE, THE MOMENT I RETURN THE DEBT, NOTHING WILL CONNECT US ANYMORE.

AND WHAT IF YOU DON'T PAY IT BACK? WILL SOMETHING BEGIN TO CONNECT US THEN?

THAT'S OUT OF THE QUESTION. I WILL PAY BACK THE ENTIRE AMOUNT.

YOU GAVE ME THIS OPPORTUNITY YOURSELF, AND I AM GOING TO DO MY ABSOLUTE BEST!

HOW AMUSING.

YOU HAVE QUITE A FUNNY LOOK ON YOUR FACE.

I'M SORRY TO DISAPPOINT YOU, BUT I'M NOT HERE BECAUSE OF YOU.

TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, I CAME HERE ON BUSINESS.

O-ON WHAT BUSINESS?..

KEEPING AN EYE ON MY DEBTORS,

RIGHT AT THE FACTORY GATES.

O-OH!..

WELL, YOUR HAIR LOOKS PRETTY GOOD TIED UP LIKE THAT TOO.

AND IT MAKES IT MUCH EASIER TO SEE YOUR FACE FLUSHING RED WITH EMBARRASSMENT.

THE MORE I LOOK AT HER, THE MORE ENTERTAINING SHE GETS.

MOVE OUT.

YES, SIR.

HOW AWFUL! THAT WAS SO EMBARRASSING!

I SHOULD HAVE JUST WALKED RIGHT PAST! I SHOULD'VE PRETENDED I DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE HIM!

WAIT, IT'S THAT SHOE-SHINER BOY!

EXCUSE ME... YOUR SHOES GOT DIRTY.

MAY I... SHINE THEM FOR YOU?

MY LEGS WERE SHAKING SO MUCH FROM BEING NERVOUS THAT I JUST COLLAPSED TO THE GROUND...

I DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE THAT I GOT DUST ALL OVER MY SHOES.

UM... IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE SMELL OF SHOE WAX, I HAVE SOME LAVENDER-SCENTED OIL. NOBLE LADIES REALLY LIKE IT.

I-I HAVE ROSE SCENT TOO!

I'LL PASS, BUT THANK YOU.

HERE, TAKE THIS. GO BUY YOURSELF A BITE TO EAT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MY LADY.

OH, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?..

I REALLY DON'T WANT TO GO BACK INTO THE FACTORY...

LET'S ALL GO GRAB SOME LUNCH.

YEAH.

THERE'S A MOUNTAIN OF WORK, SO I NEED TO EAT QUICKLY AND GET BACK.

MISS VIOLETA!

SOPHIA.

I BROUGHT THE RECEIPTS.

I WENT OVER AT DAWN RIGHT AFTER HE LEFT FOR WORK.

PERFECT, LET'S TAKE A LOOK.

LOOKS LIKE I'LL BE SKIPPING LUNCH TODAY...

WHAT DID YOU SAY YOUR FIANCÉ DOES FOR A LIVING AGAIN?

HE WORKS AT A PRINTING SHOP.

HIS FATHER OWNS A SMALL PRINTING PRESS, AND HE'S LEARNING THE TRADE THERE.

AH, THAT EXPLAINS IT THEN.

FOR THE MOST PART, THESE ARE JUST RECEIPTS FROM INK SUPPLIERS,

AND THEN A BAKERY AND SOME RESTAURANTS...

NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY...

HUH? A FLOWER SHOP?

EXACTLY, THAT'S WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE RIGHT AWAY TOO.

WHY ON EARTH DID HE NEED TO GO TO A FLOWER SHOP?

HE HASN'T GIVEN ME ANY BOUQUETS LATELY.

LILAC, LAVENDER, HYACINTH... HE MOSTLY BOUGHT FLOWERS WITH A STRONG FRAGRANCE?

THAT MEANS HE FOUND SOMEONE ELSE... DOESN'T IT?

HE DEFINITELY BOUGHT THEM FOR HER!

IT'S TOO EARLY TO JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS, SOPHIA.

BUT IF HE'S THE SON OF A PRINTING PRESS OWNER, HIS FINANCES... SHOULD BE COMPLETELY FINE, RIGHT?

HIS FATHER WAS COMPLETELY AGAINST OUR MARRIAGE. HE SAID HE WOULDN'T ACCEPT ME WITHOUT A DOWRY...

THE PRINTING SHOP IS DROWNING IN DEBT, AND HIS FATHER CUT OFF HIS FUNDS UNTIL HE BREAKS UP WITH ME.

BECAUSE OF THAT, HE EVEN WALKED OUT ON HIS FAMILY.

THAT MEANS HE TREASURES YOU SO MUCH THAT HE'S WILLING TO MAKE SACRIFICES.

YES.

THAT'S WHY I'M SAVING UP SO HARD FOR A DOWRY. I JUST FEEL SO INCREDIBLY GUILTY TOWARD HIM...

BUT THEN HE STARTED GROWING DISTANT.

I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST MY OWN INSECURITIES, BUT NOW THAT THIS EVIDENCE HAS SURFACED...

AND YOUR SUSPICIONS ONLY GREW STRONGER.

IT'S DEFINITELY TOO EARLY TO JUDGE.

HE GAVE UP HIS FAMILY FOR HER, COULD HIS LOVE REALLY HAVE FADED SO QUICKLY?

THERE'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING ELSE GOING ON HERE...

SHOE POLISH... A GIANT TUB OF IT? HE'S NOT A COBBLER...

"MAY I... SHINE THEM FOR YOU?"

SOPHIA, DID YOU SEE THOSE SHOES TODAY?

NO, I DIDN'T.

HE LEFT HIS HOME JUST TO STAY WITH YOU,

BOUGHT SHOE POLISH ON AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE,

AND NOW THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF THOSE EXPENSIVE SHOES...

SOPHIA, IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR FIANCÉ IS SECRETLY WORKING AS A SHOE-SHINER.

WORKING A SECOND JOB? BUT WHY?

HE WORKS AT THE PRINTING PRESS. EVEN IF HIS FATHER CUT OFF HIS ALLOWANCE, HE STILL GETS PAID A SALARY.

YES, BUT THAT MONEY ISN'T ENOUGH FOR A DOWRY.

T-THEN... WHAT WERE THE FLOWERS FOR?

LATELY, SHOE-SHINERS HAVE STARTED USING FLORAL OILS FOR CLIENTS WHO CAN'T STAND THE SMELL OF SHOE POLISH.

I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY WHY HE WAS BUYING THEM.

"I HAVE SOME LAVENDER-SCENTED OIL. NOBLE LADIES REALLY LIKE IT."

AND THOSE EXPENSIVE SHOES MUST BELONG TO ONE OF HIS CLIENTS.

IT SEEMS YOUR FIANCÉ IS SECRETLY WORKING A SECOND JOB JUST TO HELP SAVE UP FOR YOUR DOWRY.

OH MY GOD...

SNIFF!

SOPHIA MUST BE OVERWHELMED WITH RELIEF RIGHT NOW, REALIZING THERE WAS NO AFFAIR.

MIXED WITH A BURNING SENSE OF GUILT FOR EVER DOUBTING HIM.

I SEE THIS EXACT REACTION ALL THE TIME WITH MY CLIENTS.

BUT WHAT IF...

WHAT IF IT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT... WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO THEN?

END THE RELATIONSHIP, IF HE TRULY IS CHEATING ON YOU.

WHEN THE BETRAYAL OF A LOVED ONE LEAVES A WOUND,

IT'S YOUR OWN REFUSAL TO LET GO THAT CAUSES IT TO ROT.