The Duke's Obsession With His Wife — Chapter 22

A ROSE CAN'T BLOOM ON ITS OWN

EVEN YOUR WEDDING GOWN WAS PROOF...

OF YOUR KEEN EYE AND EXCELLENT TASTE, MY LADY.

ESPECIALLY THE ROSE EMBROIDERY ON YOUR SKIRT. IT WAS TRULY A CREATIVE, BEAUTIFUL TOUCH.

I'M FLATTERED, BUT...

THE GOWN WAS CRAFTED BY MY LADY IN WAITING, NOT ME.

MOST LADIES WOULD HAVE JUST PLACED AN ORDER AT A HIGH STREET SHOP.

THAT GOWN WAS THE WORK OF MY EXCEPTIONALLY TALENTED LADY IN WAITING, WHO THE DOWAGER DUCHESS HIRED FOR ME.

I MUST SAY, YOU SEEM VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER MEN, EARL BRAWRENE.

WHO, ME?

MOST GENTLEMEN WOULD NEVER TAKE THAT MUCH INTEREST IN THE FINER DETAILS OF A DRESS.

TO THEM IT'S EITHER PRETTY OR NOT.

OH... HAHAHA.

WHILE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT OF "TALENT"...

...IT'S ALWAYS BEEN MY GOAL TO DISCOVER ALL THE HIDDEN GEMS THIS KINGDOM HAS TO OFFER.

EXCEPTIONALLY TALENTED GEMS WHO NEVER GOT THEIR CHANCE TO SHINE...

...JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE WRAPPED UP IN A SKIRT.

GEMS LIKE YOU, MY LADY, WHO WAS ABLE TO RECOGNIZE A FUTURE MASTERPIECE AT FIRST GLANCE.

OH MY...

WHAT SHOULD I DO...?

I ONLY KNOW WHO THE MASTERS OF THIS ERA ARE BECAUSE I COME FROM THE FUTURE.

I'M NOTHING SPECIAL, REALLY. JUST AN ORDINARY ART-LOVER.

NO!

YOU HAVE THE "QUEEN'S INSIGHT"! THERE'S NO NEED TO BE MODEST!

!!

ANRIETTE...

YOU WERE NAMED AFTER QUEEN MARIA, WHO SURVIVED THE PURITAN REVOLUTION, WERE YOU NOT?

THAT'S TRUE...

MY MOTHER NAMED ME AFTER THE QUEEN...

...BECAUSE SHE WANTED ME TO BE PATIENT AND STRONG, JUST LIKE MY NAMESAKE.

SHE TOLD ME THAT I CAN WITHSTAND ANY TRAGEDY, AS LONG AS I DON'T LOSE HOPE.

YOUR MOTHER SOUNDS LIKE A VERY WISE WOMAN.

AND CONSIDERING HOW QUEEN MARIA WAS ALSO KNOWN FOR HER ARTISTIC TALENTS...

IT SEEMS YOUR MOTHER EVEN HAD THE POWER TO LOOK INTO THE FUTURE!

I MUST SAY, I'M FLATTERED BY ALL THIS PRAISE...

AND SO, I WAS WONDERING—

A GENTLEMAN...

...SHOULD KNOW BETTER THAN TO APPROACH A LADY SO EASILY.

DUKE BRISTON!

I ONLY STOPPED BY TO SAY HELLO!

WHAT'S WITH HIM...?

YOU DID WHAT YOU CAME HERE TO DO, SO I SUGGEST YOU LEAVE NOW.

THE DANCE IS ABOUT TO COME TO AN END.

AH, WAIT... WAIT A MINUTE, DUKE BRISTON!

HOW CAN YOU TREAT YOUR GUESTS LIKE THIS?!

WHAT A SHAME. I WOULD'VE LIKED TO HEAR MORE ABOUT HIS WORK...

OH WELL, I'LL JUST TRY TO REMEMBER HIS NAME...

SINCE I'M SURE I'LL BE GETTING A LETTER FROM HIM SOON ENOUGH.

WELL, I CAN'T JUST KEEP SITTING AROUND.

I SHOULD GO GREET SOME MORE GUESTS...

ANRI.

MY PRECIOUS DAUGHTER...

FATHER...

OH, RIGHT.

I ALMOST FORGOT I HAD A FATHER...

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I SHOULD SAY TO HIM.

WERE YOUR FRIENDS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE WEDDING?

OH, OF COURSE. THEY'RE ALL HERE.

AND THEY'RE ALL GREEN WITH ENVY, HAHA!

I'M SO LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH A WONDERFUL DAUGHTER.

THAT'S NICE.

THERE ARE PLENTY OF FAMOUS POLITICAL FIGURES HERE AS WELL, MAYBE YOU SHOULD GO TALK TO THEM.

WHAT...?!

THAT'S NOT WHAT'S IMPORTANT!

IT'S MY DAUGHTER'S WEDDING DAY.

IF ONLY YOUR MOTHER COULD SEE YOU NOW...

I'M SURE SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN SO PROUD.

I THOUGHT...

...YOU WOULD HAVE FORGOTTEN ALL ABOUT HER BY NOW.

ANRI...

HOW COULD YOU SAY SUCH A THING?

THERE'S NO WAY I COULD EVER FORGET YOUR MOTHER!

BUT...

...YOU NEVER COME HOME FOR THE MEMORIAL OF HER PASSING.

EVERY YEAR, I HAVE TO VISIT HER GRAVE ALL BY MYSELF.

AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT I DO THERE, WHILE I'M ALL ALONE AT HER GRAVE?

I ALWAYS PRAY...

THAT MOTHER NEVER HEARS ABOUT HOW YOU ABANDONED OUR FAMILY.

ANRI, I—

WELL, ENJOY THE REST OF THE PARTY, FATHER.

AND SO, KING CHARLES THE FIRST AND QUEEN MARIA RESOLVED THEIR CONFLICT...

AND CAME TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

HOWEVER!

THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T WANT THEM TO BE HAPPY.

AND DURING THE CIVIL WAR THAT ENSUED...

THE KING WAS EXECUTED...

NO!!

...AND THE QUEEN HAD TO RETURN TO FRANCE WITH THEIR CHILDREN.

FOR TEN YEARS, SHE STRUGGLED TO SURVIVE, WITHOUT EVEN A HOME.

BUT THE QUEEN NEVER GAVE UP.

SHE PROTECTED HER FAMILY UNTIL HER SON WAS OLD ENOUGH TO TAKE THE THRONE.

ISN'T THAT AMAZING?

BUT MAMA, WHY'D THE QUEEN HAVE TO SUFFER SO MUCH...?

OH?

ANRI...

THE MORAL OF THIS STORY IS...

...LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT.

LIFE WON'T ALWAYS BE KIND TO YOU.

YOU'LL HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO DEAL WITH HARDSHIP TO BE A TRUE WINNER!

IS THIS REALLY SOMETHING YOU SHOULD BE TELLING A SIX-YEAR-OLD?!

AND THAT'S WHY...

...YOU MUST NEVER LOSE HOPE, ANRI. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS STRIVE TO SEEK OUT YOUR OWN HAPPINESS.

GOT THAT? HAPPINESS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT JUST FALLS INTO YOUR LAP.

MY MOM... IS SO COOL!

I WILL, MAMA!

THAT'S MY GIRL.

I'M SO HAPPY TO BE REBORN...

...TO SUCH A WONDERFUL MOTHER...!

BUT, MOM...

EVEN THOUGH I'VE BEEN TRYING SO HARD TO STAY POSITIVE...

...I GET TRIPPED UP BY THE SMALLEST THINGS.

I GUESS IT'S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE TO FATHER... AND ANRI WENTWORTH.

I'VE GOT NO REASON TO GO BACK ANYMORE.