I Only Need the Duke's Child — Chapter 11

WE SHALL DEPART NOW, YOUR GRACE.

THANK YOU.

YOU NEED NOT THANK ME. I DIDN'T DO IT FOR YOUR BENEFIT.

AS YOU ALREADY KNOW, I DO NOT HOLD THE IMPERIAL FAMILY IN PARTICULARLY HIGH REGARD.

EVEN SO... I AM GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU SAID EARLIER.

AND... I OWE YOU AN APOLOGY AS WELL...

FOR ALLOWING MY MOTHER AND BROTHER TO USE YOU FOR THEIR AMBITIONS...

I WASN'T ONLY APOLOGIZING FOR TODAY.

EVEN BACK THEN, WHEN MY RESENTMENT TOWARD HIM HAD ALREADY STARTED TO GROW... THERE WAS STILL A PART OF ME THAT FELT GUILTY.

PERHAPS I'VE LET MY GUARD DOWN... I SUDDENLY FEEL DROWSY.

THAT'S NOT WHAT I TRULY MEANT...

THE MORE RESENTMENT I HARBORED TOWARD YOU...

...THE MORE I WISHED TO SEE THAT COMPOSED EXPRESSION FINALLY SHATTER.

NO MATTER HOW HARSH MY WORDS BECAME, YOUR EXPRESSION NEVER ONCE FALTERED.

IT IRRITATED ME SEEING YOU JUST STAND THERE LIKE SOME LIFELESS DOLL.

SO I KEPT MY DISTANCE ON PURPOSE AND SPOKE TO YOU HARSHLY, MAKING SURE YOU UNDERSTOOD MY HOSTILITY.

BUT WHEN I SAW THE LIGHT LEAVE YOUR EYES AFTER YOUR MOTHER AND BROTHER TREATED YOU LIKE YOU WERE INSIGNIFICANT...

...IT MADE MY BLOOD BOIL.

NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO MAKE YOU CRY, TORMENT YOU, OR RUIN YOU...

...EXCEPT ME.

MMM...

WHY IS IT SO DARK?

HERDIN...?

YOU'RE FINALLY AWAKE.

WHEN DID I... FALL ASLEEP?

MORE IMPORTANTLY...

P-PLEASE PUT ME DOWN...

IT WOULD BE MORE TROUBLESOME TO DO SO NOW.

BUT... I MUST BE HEAVY...

HARDLY.

YOUR GRACE...

...THE HYPNOTIST ARRIVED NOT LONG AGO.

THE FOLLOWING DAY, I FINALLY MET THE HYPNOTIST HERDIN HAD CALLED FOR.

I AM MARCEL, A HYPNOTIST BY PROFESSION.

IT IS A PLEASURE TO MAKE YOUR ACQUAINTANCE, YOUR GRACE.

WHICH MEANT IT WAS FINALLY TIME TO CARRY OUT THE TRUE PURPOSE OF THIS CONTRACT MARRIAGE.

HERDIN, IF YOU HAVE WORK THAT REQUIRES YOUR ATTENTION, YOU NEED NOT REMAIN HERE WITH ME.

I HAVE HEARD THAT THE PROCESS OF RECOVERING LOST MEMORIES CAN SOMETIMES BE TAXING ON BOTH THE BODY AND MIND.

AS YOUR HUSBAND, IT IS ONLY PROPER THAT I STAY BY YOUR SIDE.

AS IF THAT WERE TRULY HIS REASON FOR REMAINING...

WOULD YOU, IN MY POSITION?

THAT SHOULD SUFFICE... YOU MAY BEGIN, MARCEL.

THINK BACK TO THE DAY OF THE FIRE AT THE EMPRESS'S PALACE TEN YEARS AGO. PLACE YOURSELF THERE NOW.

YOU WERE APPROXIMATELY TEN YEARS OLD THEN, WERE YOU NOT?

YES... THAT'S RIGHT.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING RIGHT NOW?

I'M SECRETLY HEADING TO THE EMPRESS'S PALACE WITHOUT MY MOTHER FINDING OUT.

MY MOTHER ALWAYS DISLIKED ME VISITING HER MAJESTY.

THEN YOU SHOULD HURRY. HAVE YOU ARRIVED?

YES... HER MAJESTY HAS JUST WELCOMED ME INSIDE.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW THAT YOU'RE WITH HER MAJESTY?

WE'RE DRINKING HOT CHOCOLATE AND TALKING TOGETHER.

WE EVEN PLAYED CARD GAMES WITH THE MAIDS.

AND AFTER THAT?

I THINK... I FELL ASLEEP.

OPEN YOUR EYES SLOWLY. WHAT DO YOU SEE?

IT’S DARK...

CAN YOU SEE ANYTHING AROUND YOU?

NO... NOTHING EXCEPT GOWNS...

GOWNS? WHERE ARE YOU NOW?

I BELIEVE I’M INSIDE A WARDROBE...

A WARDROBE...?

BUT THE PRINCESS WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED UNCONSCIOUS IN ONE OF THE PALACE CORRIDORS THAT DAY...

...SO THIS IS WHERE THE MISSING PORTION OF HER MEMORIES BEGINS.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING INSIDE THERE?

I DON'T KNOW... I SIMPLY WOKE UP AND FOUND MYSELF INSIDE THIS WARDROBE...

THEN TRY STEPPING OUTSIDE NOW.

GASP

I-I CAN'T GO OUT.

WHY NOT? ARE THE DOORS LOCKED?

OR IS SOMETHING ELSE PREVENTING YOU FROM LEAVING?

I-I DON'T KNOW... I CANNOT LEAVE... I MUST NOT GO OUTSIDE...

NO MATTER WHAT IS HAPPENING, NOTHING BEYOND THOSE DOORS CAN HURT YOU. YOU ARE SAFE.

NOW, TAKE A DEEP BREATH.

I-I SEE FLAMES... SMOKE IS SEEPING THROUGH THE DOORS...

TRY OPENING THE DOORS ONCE MORE AND STEP OUTSIDE.

THE DOORS... THEY WON'T OPEN...

YOU CAN OPEN THEM. ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS PUSH.

NO... I DON'T WANT TO...

P-PLEASE... SOMEONE HELP ME...

I CAN’T... BREATHE!

THAT’S ENOUGH.

YOU MUST OPEN THE DOORS! YOU CANNOT STAY TRAPPED IN THERE!

WAKE HER UP NOW.

BUT...

WE'RE SO CLOSE, YOUR GRACE!

SHE MUST OVERCOME THIS BARRIER BEFORE THE MEMORIES BURIED DEEP WITHIN HER SUBCONSCIOUS CAN SURFACE.

NOW, OPEN THE DOORS! YOU MUST LEAVE THE CLOSET IF YOU WISH TO SURVIVE.

QUICKLY!

I SAID ENOUGH. WAKE HER UP!