I Had an Arranged Marriage With My Unrequited Love — Chapter 14

“I AM HOLDING LETTERS THAT PROVE THE DUCHESS’S INFIDELITY. AWAIT FURTHER CONTACT.”

FOR DAYS, I TRIED TO IGNORE THE ANONYMOUS LET- TERS.

BECAUSE I BELIEVED THIS MARRIAGE WASN'T FRAGILE ENOUGH

TO BE SHAKEN BY SUCH CRUDE, CHILDISH SLANDER.

EVEN WHEN ALEXA PILED WORK UPON WORK, I ACTUALLY THOUGHT IT A BLESSING.

BURIED BENEATH PAPERWORK, I COULD AT LEAST FORGET...

BUT WHEN ANOTHER LETTER ARRIVED,

COME ALONE TO ROOM 302 OF THE ROSWELL HOTEL THIS EVENING.

THERE...

I WILL SHOW YOU THE “TRUTH” REGARDING THE DUCHESS’S INFIDELITY.

DAMN IT.

IT WAS A DAY WHEN THE FIERCE SOUND OF RAIN BATTERED EVEN THE DEPTHS OF MY HEART.

A LETTER?

THIS IS UNMISTAKABLY IRENE'S HANDWRITING.

EVEN IF I HAVE TO GO TO THE CAPITAL, THE FUTURE WE ENVISIONED TOGETHER WON'T CHANGE.

DON'T WORRY TOO MUCH. THIS MARRIAGE WILL BE NOTHING MORE THAN A PASSING SHOWER.

WITH LOVE FOR JOSHUA, IRENE.

LETTERS IRENE NEVER MANAGED TO SEND.

THEY WERE FILLED WITH AFFECTION FOR JOSHUA AND HIS FAMILY,

TRIVIAL CHATTER, AND TALK OF THE FUTURE.

AND FEAR OF A FORCED MARRIAGE.

"A PASSING SHOWER..."

AN INESCAPABLE DISASTER THAT CRASHED INTO YOUR LIFE.

SOMEONE WHO TRAMPLED ON YOUR PEACEFUL LIFE AND COWARDLY TRAPPED YOU BEHIND THE FAMILY'S PRIDE.

...IN THE END, THAT WAS ME.

NOT EVEN ONCE DID YOU CHOOSE ME.

YOU WERE MERELY PUSHED FORWARD BY THE INESCAPABLE IMPERIAL DECREE AND A SENSE OF DUTY.

TO SOMEONE LIKE YOU... HOW HORRIFYING MUST IT HAVE BEEN TO SHARE A BED JUST TO SATISFY MY GREED?

WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW...

DUKE!

YOUR GRACE! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?

MARCHIONESS?!

WHAT BRINGS THE LADY HERE?

I-I RECEIVED AN URGENT LETTER FROM A SERVANT...

[THE DUKE OF DELOISTER IS IN GRAVE DANGER AND AWAITING HELP AT ROOM 302 OF THE ROSWELL HOTEL.]

WASN’T THIS A LETTER SENT BY YOUR GRACE?

COULD THAT REPORTER... REALLY GO THIS FAR...?

...MY LADY. I AM SORRY YOU GOT CAUGHT UP IN A MALICIOUS PRANK.

YOU SHOULD LEAVE THIS PLACE IMMEDIATELY.

THERE ARE TOO MANY PRYING EYES AROUND.

AH, YES...

UM, MY LORD... I HEARD YOU HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO RETURN HOME FOR DAYS.

IT MAY BE OVERSTEPPING, BUT AS AN OLD FRIEND, I MUST ASK.

IS THIS... REGARDING THE DUCHESS?

YOUR GRACE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON, BUT...

IF I AM TO GUESS, THIS STEMS FROM THE SAME WORRIES YOU ALWAYS HAVE.

YOU'VE ALWAYS FRETTED OVER WANTING TO KNOW "THE DUCHESS'S HEART",

AND ABOUT HAVING A "GOOD MARRIED LIFE".

YOUR GRACE, IF YOU TRULY DO NOT KNOW THE DUCHESS'S HEART...

JUST LOOK INTO HER EYES.

EYES DO NOT LIE.

LOOK INTO HER EYES?

IN HER EYES, AS SHE WEPT EVEN WHILE HOLDING ONTO ME...

WHAT ON EARTH COULD I POSSIBLY DARE HOPE TO READ ANYMORE?

...I WILL KEEP THAT IN MIND.

I APOLOGIZE REPEATEDLY FOR WASTING YOUR PRECIOUS TIME, THEODORA.

MY LORD DUKE.

DO NOT TAKE MY ADVICE LIGHTLY...

LEAVING THE MANSION EMPTY FOR THIS LONG...

THE NEXT DAY, THE DUKE'S ESTATE

RIGHT, LET'S THINK LIKE A DUCHESS.

I AM HIS LEGAL WIFE AND THE MISTRESS OF THIS HOUSEHOLD.

PETTY EMOTIONS LIKE MINE WILL ONLY GET IN THE WAY OF THIS MARRIAGE.

THEY WOULD MERELY SMEAR MUD ON THE FAMILY NAME, TOO.

AND... TO PROTECT THIS MARRIAGE SOMEHOW, I NEED TO STAY BY HIS SIDE.

IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THAT REPORTER SPREADS NEWS OF THE AFFAIR TO HIGH SOCIETY.

BEFORE THAT BECOMES THE DUKE'S WEAKNESS...

AS HIS LEGAL WIFE, I SHOULD BE THE ONE TO GRANT HIM ABSOLUTION.

COME IN.

YOUR GRACE, EXCUSE THE INTRUSION...

...IRENE?

WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE AT THIS HOUR.

HE LOOKS SO UNWELL.

COULD IT BE... THAT HE'S SICK SOMEWHERE?

AH, UM... I HAVE SOMETHING TO DISCUSS WITH YOU...

MIGHT YOU HAVE A MOMENT TO SPARE?

OF COURSE.

YOU... DON'T NEED TO ASK FOR MY PERMISSION SEPARATELY.

PLEASE TAKE A SEAT.

I APOLOGIZE, I HAVE DOCUMENTS THAT NEED URGENT ATTENTION.

I WILL HAVE A SERVANT BRING TEA.

AH, THAT'S QUITE ALRIGHT...

NOW THEN, WHAT IS IT?

HE'S AVOIDING MY GAZE.

IS THE FACT THAT HE'S IN THE SAME ROOM AS ME... THAT REPULSIVE TO HIM?

I CAN'T GO ON LIKE THIS. I CAN'T LET HIM HATE ME ANY LONGER.

UM...

WHEN I WENT OUT YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, I SAW YOUR GRACE AT THE ROSWELL HOTEL.

YOU WERE WITH THE MARCHIONESS.

...YOU SAW... THAT SIGHT?

YES, AND...

SEEING THE DEEP TRUST BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU, A THOUGHT SUDDENLY CROSSED MY MIND.

IT IS NOT UNCOMMON IN HIGH SOCIETY TO OPENLY KEEP AN OFFICIAL LOVER...

SO I THOUGHT PERHAPS YOUR GRACE MIGHT WISH TO TAKE AN OFFICIAL LOVER AS WELL.

IF I, YOUR LEGAL WIFE, GIVE MY PERMISSION, IT WILL DRAW FEWER SUSPICIOUS EYES FROM OTHERS...

SHOULD YOU BE WORRIED THAT ONLY YOUR GRACE MIGHT BE CRITICIZED FOR HAVING A LOVER...

I, TOO, SHALL TAKE AN OFFICIAL LOVER OF MY OWN.

THEN, NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO SAY A SINGLE WORD AGAINST YOUR GRACE.

WHILE EACH OF US HAS OUR OWN LOVER IN THIS MANNER,

WE WILL FAITHFULLY FULFILL OUR DUTIES AS A MARRIED COUPLE FOR THE SAKE OF AN HEIR...

...IRENE.

WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?