I Had an Arranged Marriage With My Unrequited Love — Chapter 12

AT THE SAME TIME. THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE IN THE CENTER OF THE CAPITAL.

WHEW...

JOSHUA HASSLER.

AN ANONYMOUS LETTER THAT ARRIVED THIS MORNING.

"THE DUKE OF DELOISTER IS HAVING AN EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR WITH A NOBLEWOMAN"...

I DO NOT WANT TO BELIEVE IT.

NO, WHY ON EARTH WOULD THIS LETTER BE SENT TO ME IN THE FIRST PLACE?

HOWEVER...

THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT DON'T ADD UP TO SIMPLY DISMISS THIS AS MALICIOUS GOSSIP.

THE OTHER DAY, WHEN I ACCIDENTALLY RAN INTO IRENE IN THE CITY...

SAY, THE DUCHESS IS INSIDE THAT SHOP OVER THERE, DID YOU SEE?

THE DUCHESS OF DELOISTER FROM THOSE RUMORS?

YEAH, SHE WAS SITTING ALL BY HERSELF. MUCH YOUNGER THAN I EXPECTED, TOO.

...IRENE?

SAY, HAVE YOU HEARD THAT RUMOR?

THE DUKE...

TREATS HIS WIFE LIKE SHE'S COMPLETELY INVISIBLE.

IS IT BECAUSE OF HER BACKGROUND?

OH, IS THAT REALLY TRUE?

AH, ISN'T SHE THAT PERSON WHOSE ENGAGEMENT WAS BROKEN OFF RIGHT BEFORE THE WEDDING?

THAT'S RIGHT.

WELL, FROM THE DUKE'S PERSPECTIVE, I SUPPOSE IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE IF HE DISLIKES HER.

HOPING AGAINST HOPE, WHEN I RAN INTO IRENE AT THE CAFÉ, SHE SMILED AND PUT ON A BRAVE FACE,

BUT IT WAS A GLOOMY EXPRESSION THAT ONLY I, HER CHILDHOOD FRIEND, COULD RECOGNIZE.

FINDING A FORCED EXCUSE TO PICK OUT CHRISTMAS GIFTS TOGETHER,

AND MEETING UP AGAIN IN THE CITY AFTERWARD, HER EXPRESSION WAS STILL THE EXACT SAME.

THAT'S WHY I KEPT WORRYING... AND NOW A LETTER LIKE THIS ARRIVES.

UNTIL I SEE IT WITH MY OWN EYES...

NO, EVEN IF IT ISN'T TRUE, I CANNOT JUST LEAVE THINGS AS THEY ARE.

I NEED TO ASK SARAH TO GET IN TOUCH.

SHE WON'T SPEAK HONESTLY TO A MAN LIKE ME,

BUT WITH HER, IRENE WILL LET HER GUARD DOWN AND OPEN UP ABOUT WHAT'S REALLY ON HER MIND.

A FEW DAYS LATER, THE CURRENT DUKE'S ESTATE.

MADAM, ARE YOU AWAKE?

THE DUKE HAS PREPARED FLOWERS FOR YOU AGAIN TODAY.

THE FRAGRANCE IS TRULY LOVELY, MADAM.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE PREPARED FOR YOUR MEAL?

IT'S NICE AND SUNNY OUT, SO YOU COULD GO OUT FOR A STROLL IF YOU'D LIKE.

NO, I AM FINE.

THEN HOW ABOUT THAT STEWED DISH YOU HAD LAST TIME?

WE JUST HAPPENED TO GET SOME WONDERFUL MEAT...

TODAY, ONCE AGAIN, YOU VANISHED LEAVING BEHIND ONLY YOUR SCENT.

EVEN WHILE AVOIDING ME FOR DAYS UNDER THE EXCUSE OF BEING BUSY,

WHAT IS THE REASON YOU TOLD THE SERVANTS TO TREAT ME WITH THE UTMOST CARE?

MADAM, OR WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO CALL A MASSEUSE?

HIS GRACE GAVE STRICT INSTRUCTIONS MULTIPLE TIMES, SAYING YOUR BODY IS HEAVILY WORN OUT.

IF YOU TREATED ME COLDLY INSTEAD, I COULD AT LEAST GIVE UP ANY EXPECTATIONS...

MADAM.

COUNTESS SARAH LEDON HAS PROPOSED AN OUTING.

SHE SENT A LETTER SAYING, "LET'S CHAT LIKE OLD TIMES".. SHALL I PREPARE THINGS?

SARAH...

SUCH A NOSTALGIC NAME.

...YES, I'D LOVE TO.

PERHAPS WITH SARAH...

MIGHT I BE ABLE TO PURGE THIS DAMP AND GLOOMY FEELING INSIDE ME?

THE CITY.

IRENE!

OH, LOOK AT ME! DUCHESS!

IT HAS BEEN SO LONG!

COUNTESS SARAH LEDON (FORMER) SARAH HASSLER, JOSHUA'S OLDER SISTER.

GOODNESS, THE DUKE MUST DOTE ON YOU ENDLESSLY. YOUR SKIN IS GLOWING!

IT'S BEEN A WHILE, SARAH.

IS THIS OUR FIRST TIME SINCE THE WEDDING?

PLEASE FORGIVE MY RUDENESS IN CALLING YOU BY NAME JUST NOW, DUCHESS.

A-AH, NO. WHEN IT'S JUST THE TWO OF US, YOU CAN CALL ME LIKE YOU USED TO.

I COULDN'T POSSIBLY DO THAT! YOU'VE ENTERED THE IMPERIAL FAMILY.

JOSHUA AND SARAH HAVE LIVED ALONGSIDE OUR FAMILY LIKE TRUE KIN.

EVER SINCE SARAH MARRIED EARLY INTO THE COUNT'S HOUSEHOLD, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO MEET MUCH, WHICH WAS A PITY, BUT...

WHAT ON EARTH MADE HER CALL FOR ME?

SO HOW HAVE YOU BEEN LATELY, DUCHESS?

IT WAS REALLY TOUGH FOR ME TO ADAPT TO THE COUNT'S HOUSEHOLD AT FIRST, YOU SEE.

REALLY? I SIMPLY ASSUMED YOU WERE DOING WELL...

AH, GOODNESS, LEARNING HOW TO RUN A HOUSEHOLD AND EVERYTHING ELSE WAS JUST SO DIFFICULT AT THE START.

AFTER ALL, TWO FULLY GROWN ADULTS SUDDENLY BECOME A MARRIED COUPLE AND HAVE TO LIVE TOGETHER.

STILL, THE DUCHESS'S COMPLEXION LOOKS WONDERFUL, THOUGH?

...YES, THE DUKE TREATS ME SO WELL IT FEELS ALMOST UNDESERVED.

HE SEES MY MEALS, AND GIVES ME FLOWERS EVERY DAY...

I FEEL LIKE I AM BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE.

I WAS WORRIED I MIGHT BE LOOKED DOWN UPON FOR COMING FROM A LESSER NOBLE FAMILY, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING OF THE SORT...

RATHER THAN ME, LET'S TALK MORE ABOUT SARAH...

DUCHESS.

TO BE ENTIRELY HONEST, I CAME TO HEAR ABOUT HOW YOU ARE DOING TODAY.

JOSHUA HAS BEEN TERRIBLY WORRIED.

PARDON? WHY...

HE DIDN'T SAY MUCH, JUST THAT YOU HAVEN'T LOOKED WELL LATELY.

SEEING YOU IN PERSON, I UNDERSTAND WHY NOW.

WE ARE OLD FRIENDS, AFTER ALL, DUCHESS.

YOU TRUST ME, DON'T YOU?

I...

...I AM DEEPLY ENAMORED WITH THE DUKE...

BUT IT FEELS LIKE THE DUKE... DOESN'T CARE FOR ME NEARLY AS MUCH...

OH...?!

I'M SORRY, I CAUGHT YOU OFF GUARD...

IT'S FINE. BEING NEWLYWED, IT'S ONLY NATURAL YOU'D EXPERIENCE ALL SORTS OF EMOTIONS!

IT'S ALL JUST GREED, REALLY. SOMEONE I ONLY EVER DARED TO LOOK AT FROM AFAR, YET NOW THAT I STAND BY HIS SIDE, LITTLE BY LITTLE...

STILL, DOESN'T THE DUKE RECIPROCATE TO A CERTAIN DEGREE?

IF HE WERE COMPLETELY INDIFFERENT, YOU WOULD HAVE GIVEN UP LONG AGO.

...THAT'S TRUE.

I WISH FELIX HAD AT LEAST SHOWN THAT HE DISLIKED ME.

TREATING ME WELL WHILE SEEING ANOTHER WOMAN BEHIND MY BACK HURTS ALL THE MORE.

IF HE LOATHES ME THAT MUCH, HE COULD SIMPLY TURN A BLIND EYE,

SO I SIMPLY CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY, AFTER CALLING MY NAME AND HOLDING ME, HE AVOIDS ME NOW...

DUCHESS, SPEAKING REALISTICALLY...

AMONG NOBLES OF OUR AGE BOUND BY POLITICAL MARRIAGE, THERE ARE MANY WHO FEEL NO LOVE AT ALL.

THE DUCHESS IS LIVING WITH SOMEONE SHE ADORES, AND HE TREATS YOU WELL BESIDES...

WON'T TIME HEAL THINGS?

JUST THINK ABOUT IT.

BACK THEN, YOU USED TO CRY YOUR HEART OUT OVER SOME NAMELESS BOY AND TALK TO ME ABOUT IT, REMEMBER?

YOU'VE FORGOTTEN ALL ABOUT THAT BOY BY NOW, HAVEN'T YOU?

AH...

I SUPPOSE I HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT THOSE DAYS AT ALL SINCE MEETING THE DUKE...

RIGHT? THE PAST IS SIMPLY THE PAST.

DUCHESS.

THE POSITION OF "THE DUKE'S WIFE" IS INHERENTLY A HEAVY ONE.

YOU HAVE TO WEATHER THAT TO TRULY SECURE YOUR PLACE.

SO DO HANG IN THERE, ALRIGHT?

YES, WHAT SARAH SAYS IS RIGHT.

MADAM, THEY SAY THE CARRIAGE IS RUNNING A LITTLE LATE.

I WILL GO CALL THE MAID.

YES, PLEASE DO.

WHEN HE RETURNS, I WILL CON- FRONT HIM HEAD-ON.

WHEREVER YOUR TRUE FEELINGS MAY LIE,

I WILL AT LEAST ASK YOU NOT TO AVOID YOUR

DUCHESS.

IS SOMETHING DISTRESSING THE MATTER, MADAM?

...YOU.

WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO KEEP YOU COMPANY IN CONVERSATION, PERHAPS?

MOVE ALONG. I HAVE NOTHING TO DISCUSS WITH SOMEONE LIKE YOU.

A SERVANT WILL BE HERE SHORTLY. THEREFORE...

ROSWELL HOTEL, ROOM 302.

HASN'T THE DUKE BEEN RATHER ABSENT FROM HOME LATELY?

YOU SHOULD TRY VISITING THE ROSWELL HOTEL IN THE CITY, DUCHESS.

RIGHT THERE...

YOU WILL FIND HIM HAVING QUITE A PASSIONATE REUNION WITH SOMEONE THE DUCHESS KNOWS VERY WELL-

THE "MARQUESS'S DAUGHTER OF GRANTEA."

...WHAT DID YOU SAY?