CH 58.1

…For now, it was better to block out the possibility so that the duchess could not really run away.

Because… he had a hunch that sooner or later, Theodore would admit his feelings and bow down to the duchess.

But if the duchess were to run away before that… It would be truly catastrophic.

Calvin did not want to imagine how Theodore would react at that time.

His worries didn’t last long.

In the end, Calvin made up his mind and opened his mouth.

“Theo, I’m just saying this, but…”

And Calvin’s advice later led to results beyond what he had originally imagined.

* * *

‘No, you madman! I said to have a conversation, not to monitor her as if she’s being subjected to confinement!’

As night fell, the Valentino residence turned upside down in a different way from daytime.

The duke attached knights to spy on the lady of the house.

Besides that, the duchess could no longer leave the premises without the duke’s permission.

Wherever she went, even if she went out of the garden for a moment, she had to ask permission from the duke and be accompanied by the knights assigned to her.

Calvin, who did not give advice hoping for this exact result, was going crazy.

‘You said it was protection, isn’t this the same as oppression… Ha, seriously. Even if I give him advice, he doesn’t understand it and only messes things up.’

Even so, he couldn’t go to the duchess and say, ‘It seems like His Grace is having a small misunderstanding, but please bear with it for a few days even if it’s uncomfortable.’

He’s not… He wasn’t in a position where he could talk about personal matters with the duchess, and he wasn’t close to her.

‘Should I just wait for Theo to come to his senses…’

When Calvin had told Theodore about his suspicion that the duchess was perhaps about to run away, Theodore’s eyes had gone wide the moment he heard it.

Calvin had no idea Theodore would react that way.

He didn’t even know Theodore would do this.

…The abyss within his childhood friend seemed to be beyond imagination, Calvin thought with his weary heart.

* * *

“Are they still there?”

“Yes… It looks like everyone is not sleeping. It’s already been nine hours. Are they taking turns?”

Charlotte looked outside and sighed. She sat in an armchair by the window and gazed at the garden view.

The sky was very clear today, and the autumn flowers in the flower beds started to bloom, making the garden very beautiful.

I thought it would be the last time since I would be leaving this place in a short while, and I wanted to enjoy the autumn garden… I lost my motivation when I remembered the fact that knights I wasn’t even familiar with would follow me.

‘I wanted to take a stroll.’

Rather than lying down because my body was weak, moving even a little helped me to build up my stamina.

So I would often go for a walk in the garden with Charlotte…

‘I never thought he would imprison me.’

In addition, there was an added surveillance. Although the outward justification was protection, of course, it was nothing but strict surveillance.

I didn’t know the details, but it was clear that Theodore was suspicious of me… What was he suspecting? Was he still thinking I was Everett’s spy?

After seeing and hearing all of my hate for Everett?

‘Or is it because he saw the divorce papers before…’

If it were Theodore, the divorce papers would be enough to make him assume that I might be preparing to run away.

…If so, it is understandable why he was locking me up and monitoring me. After all, if the lady of the house were to run away at night, the family would be the center of gossip. From the family head’s point of view, he probably wanted to avoid such dishonor.

But, still… There were so many things I couldn’t understand.

Didn’t he want to divorce me?

I had prepared all of this in advance, thinking that once he regained his memory, he would of course divorce me.

If I were to divorce Theodore, I’d have no choice but to return to House Everett. Since Lennon Chester had already been dealt with, that meant I wouldn’t have to go into a second marriage with that bastard. But still, Father and Owen would quickly find other uses for me.

Before my body would deteriorate with age, and while I was still young and beautiful.

While I still had value as a commodity.

Such was the life of Lily Everett.

In my family, I was not a human being, but a tool. And I don’t want to live like that anymore. I’d rather die than become a commodity labeled Lily Everett.

Death frightened me, just as it always had. But my health was already at its worst, and I didn’t have long to live. If I was going to die anyway, it’s better to end this life myself. Rather than living a life that’s valued and sold by someone else.

If I take my own life, then my death would be completely mine.