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Chapter 69




As I was held in his arms and received a warm kiss, the tears of relief that had been welling up in the corners of my eyes finally spilled over my cheeks.
“……!”
The moment he saw my tears, Terdeo hastily broke away from the kiss. The warmth of his body that had just left me made my lips tremble as if I had just emerged from a frozen lake in the middle of winter. A tear rolled down my jawline and onto the floor. My face was drenched with tears before I knew it.
“Teo, Teo.”
“Damn.”
Terdeo clenched his teeth and frowned as if he were in pain. Despite his rough words, he gently wiped away my tears.
“Don’t cry. I’m sorry.”
He reached out and held me softly, as if to comfort me. My small body fit perfectly in his large embrace. Despite his apology, I shook my head, tears streaming down uncontrollably. It wasn’t because of Terdeo; I was scared of what I had just experienced, and I felt reassured that Terdeo was by my side, which made the tears flow naturally.
‘Look, you have to live.’
“……Fereshati, I…….”
His voice was bewitching, like a devil’s temptation. However, he couldn’t finish his sentence.
“Your Highness, the Duchess. You have returned. The coachman had already received a letter and was waiting for your return.”
A butler, an unwelcome guest, appeared from behind. Terdeo frowned and gestured with his chin as if to dismiss the butler.
“Come back later.”
The butler, who would usually leave the scene tactfully, didn’t move today.
“Your Highness, I have something to report.”
“Not now, later.”
“It will only take a moment.”
“Later, I said.”
“Really, just a moment.”
“Tsk.”
Terdeo clicked his tongue at the butler’s persistence and resumed his steps. The butler followed us.
“If it’s important, do it now.”
As Terdeo walked through the garden, he gave a short command. The butler glanced at me awkwardly and hesitated.
“……In the absence of the Duchess……”
“If it’s something that can only be reported in the absence of the Duchess, it’s not urgent.”
“That’s not the case, but……”
“Call a doctor instead.”
“……What? At this hour?”
“Yes, the Duchess had a bit of a shock today.”
The butler looked at me with surprise, carefully examining if I was hurt. I shook my head hastily to indicate that I was fine.
“And send a letter to the Viscount’s family to postpone our appointment.”
“That’s already been taken care of.”
“Good. Then call the doctor. Even if a war breaks out now, the Duchess comes first.”
“……Understood. I will report and then leave.”
Why is he so fixated on reporting? He usually works tactfully and flexibly. While I was pondering, the butler spoke.
“Your Highness.”
And as he spoke, Terdeo stepped into the house, gesturing for the door to be opened.
“Lady Ackerman is here.”
The moment we entered the house, the figure of an unfamiliar woman caught my eye. She seemed momentarily taken aback by our entrance but quickly regained her composure and greeted us.
“You finally arrived.”
Terdeo’s face visibly contorted at the unfamiliar woman’s voice.
“I was about to leave since you didn’t show up for a long time…… but here we are.”
The woman spoke to Terdeo in a dry, emotionless tone.
‘Who is she?’
She must be Lady Ackerman, whom the butler mentioned earlier. I craned my neck to get a better look at the unfamiliar woman, and Terdeo pulled me closer to his chest, as if he didn’t want me to see her. Or, perhaps, he didn’t want her to see me.
“I heard you got married.”
I struggled to peek out from his embrace. The woman’s sharp gaze, like a blade, pierced me, making my blood run cold.
“Indeed.”
Her tone was filled with mockery. Her sharp eyes seemed familiar, and I had heard the name Lady Ackerman before……
“You said you wouldn’t create another victim, but it seems that was a lie.”
The woman, who had been scrutinizing me, turned her cold gaze to Terdeo, speaking with disdain. It seemed she and Terdeo knew each other. Although I was his wife by contract, I wasn’t sure if I should be part of this conversation.
“Soon.”
Thinking I was jealous, he spoke in a gentle voice and carefully set me down, then gave the butler an order.
“Escort the Duchess to her bedroom. And call a doctor to check on her condition.”
“Yes, understood. ……Duchess, please follow me.”
I had no choice. I followed the butler, passing by the woman. As I moved, her gaze followed me.
“There’s no reason the Duchess shouldn’t hear this. In fact, I’d rather have a conversation with the Duchess.”
“I don’t want my wife to be exhausted by such a conversation.”
She sneered arrogantly.
“Pretense. You’re just afraid she’ll run away once she knows the truth.”
As I moved, their conversation grew more distant. But the woman was deliberately speaking loudly so I could hear.
“You were so confident that you wouldn’t return here, yet here you are.”
“I never wanted to come back here either. I didn’t want to see any of your faces.”
“Sister-in-law, no, now you’re just a stranger, so I’ll call you Lady Harari Ackerman.”
Sister-in-law? Lady Ackerman? I took a deep breath and stopped on the stairs, pondering the words I had heard.
“Yes, that’s why I’m calling you Your Highness, not Master.”
Harari Ackerman was the former wife of Terdeo’s deceased older brother, who had left young Selphius behind……
‘Selphius’s mother!’
I lifted my head sharply, and my eyes met the butler’s. He smiled calmly and nodded, as if answering my unspoken question. Terdeo’s voice, filled with murderous intent, came from behind.
“Let’s continue this conversation in the parlor.”
Terdeo ordered a nearby servant to ensure no one approached the parlor and then walked away. The sound of their footsteps grew distant.
“Is that really……?”
“Yes, your assumption is correct.”
It was confirmed that she was Selphius’s mother. No wonder her eyes reminded me of someone; they subtly resembled Selphius’s! I had heard that the Ackerman family had once been married into the Laphireon family. But……
“Then why didn’t you let me join the conversation? Why did you send me to my bedroom first?”
“Lady Ackerman is an indirect victim of the curse. He probably didn’t want to instill unnecessary fear in you by showing you that precedent.”
Harari Ackerman was Terdeo’s brother’s wife. After his brother died, she left Selphius behind and ran away. Was he afraid I might do the same? I was lost in thought when a conversation I had overheard earlier came to mind. I lifted my pale face.
“……Earlier.”
“Yes?”
“Earlier, you said Selphius brought her here, didn’t you?”
The butler smiled faintly in affirmation.
‘……Selphius!’
I was worried about Selphius, who had suddenly met his mother who had abandoned him. Forgetting my dignity, I ran past the butler up the stairs.