“He said the report for the king is more important.”

“What?”

“He also said you should go back to Her Grace and stay by her side as she isn’t eating… Ann!”

Stephen’s arms shook because of Ann’s massive strength, and he was left surprised since he had never been beaten when it came to strength. Moreover, it wasn’t as if he was caught off-guard.

Ann immediately lunged at the door like a bull, but she couldn’t open it. The thorough butler never forgot what he was supposed to do.

“I’m not the one who should be by her side, you are!”

You bastard!

Ann kicked the door instead of letting out the cry she couldn’t say aloud.

“How could you treat the woman who will give birth to your child like this?”

She was kind of giving him a hint as she thought Rubica was pregnant with Edgar’s child. She had kept the secret to herself till now because of the duke’s reputation and the duchess’ honor, but this was just too much.

‘Your Grace! I know you have made a chaste noble lady pregnant before marrying her!’

However, the door remained closed even after that while Carl also stood still. Ann felt even angrier.

She knew Rubica was pregnant, and Edgar didn’t even fear the rumor might get out and his wife being dishonored? He was the mightiest bastard in the world!

In the end, the maid had to stop her.

“Mrs. Taylor, please calm down.”

However, Ann was still mad. She puffed and steamed in front of the door for a long time. Now Eddie wasn’t her cute Eddie anymore. Everyone ceased to be cute when they grew up. In a way, that was nature’s law. But why would men also become bastards as if it were only natural? Was it also part of nature’s law?

‘Bastard.’

Now Edgar was neither her cute Eddie nor the great duke. He wasn’t even a dog-like idiot. He was just a bastard, nothing more and nothing less.

***

Rubica just sat on the bed for a long time. She could finally see the reality. She should have realized it sooner, but she had been excited as if she were walking on clouds.

The past few days had been pleasant, even if there had been a piece of anxiety stuck in her heart.

Everyone sided with her and was impressed by the smallest thing she did. She did as she wanted, but they all praised her as the wise mistress. It felt good. It would have felt good even if it had been all lies, but it felt even better as they all meant it.

That was why she hadn’t known. No, she had tried hard not to know. She was a stranger coming from the outside. The mansion was huge and nice, but there was no place where she could relax and rest. She just didn’t belong here. She belonged at her small and shabby room at the abbey.

‘… I was presumptuous.’

She was only a stranger, and she tried to break the tradition of a prestigious family that was united together? Had she been arrogant? It was just, the people’s eyes had been so kind when they looked at her, and they all acted as if they would do anything she wanted…

‘There is no such thing as kindness without reason.’

If there were, it had to be kindness with hidden intentions. Rubica smiled bitterly.

Why did she feel like this place was her home, and she had a role to fulfill there, and the budget for the duchess was hers?

Those were Duke Claymore’s, not hers. She was just going to stay here for a while and then leave.

She was a wanderer and an outsider, and she had tried to change the way an old family lived. Did arrogance bigger than that even exist?

‘I must know my place.’

She stroked her face. It wasn’t swollen anymore thanks to Elise and the hot towels. However, she couldn’t understand how she enjoyed such great hospitality so naturally as if she deserved it.

‘I would never get such great hospitality if I were not the duchess.’

She didn’t achieve that rank. Moreover, Edgar hadn’t asked her hand in marriage because he was in love with her.

She still didn’t know what he wanted, but he certainly hadn’t loved her when he proposed to her. He was just worried about the consequences of canceling the marriage that had already gotten the special permission when he offered the marriage of a limited time.

‘It’s not mine. I don’t deserve it.’

Then, what was she? She thought her looks weren’t even close enough to be a good-looking doll.

‘An actress hired to act the role of the duchess.’

She laughed. That was right. Now she could understand. Edgar needed someone to fill that role, and she had been perfect as she was a lowly orphan who had had nothing and no one.

‘Wait, then…’

A man who needed a woman to act as his wife. She felt like she was now looking at an important lead, but her thoughts couldn’t be continued because someone knocked on the door.

For a second, Rubica wondered if she should answer or not.

“Your Grace, it’s Ann. I heard you haven’t eaten anything.”

“I’m okay, Ann.”

“I’ve brought some soup and bread. Please, eat at least a little.”

Ann sounded desperate, but Rubica still didn’t have any appetite. However, she was supposed to meet Khanna in the afternoon, and she felt like she wouldn’t be able to do that if she didn’t eat anything. Besides, it looked like Ann wouldn’t leave her alone if she refused to eat again.

“… fine.”

Soon Ann came with a creaking sound of the door. She was carrying a small tray with good-smelling stew and tasty white bread.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. I’m sorry that I made everyone worried.”

Rubica smiled. If her smile had been like the fresh dew of spring, now it was like the evening sunset.

It could have been a chance for Edgar if she carried her pain until the evening, but Rubica wasn’t the type of person who held grief in her heart for long.

She had been like that a long time ago, but now she had gotten used to making herself feel better when in grief.

“I brought some stew from the kitchen. Please eat.”

“Thank you.”

Rubica dipped a piece of bread in the stew and tasted it. It was delicious. Now that food was in front of her, she suddenly felt hungry. She continued to eat the stew without caring about Ann who was watching. She felt much better when her belly was full.

“I have an appointment with Khanna in the afternoon.”

Ann was relieved to see Rubica was about to leave the bed and do something.

“Yes. How about taking a walk before that? It might make you feel better.”

“… a walk.”

Rubica looked out the window and shook her head. She knew that Edgar was always watching when she walked in the garden.

She didn’t want to meet him or think of him now, even though she knew he had done nothing wrong.

No, she didn’t want to meet him even more because he had done nothing wrong. She didn’t want to show him how hurt she was as he had done nothing wrong.

“… I see. Then what do you want to wear for the meeting with Khanna?”

“Just get me anything comfortable.”

Ann replied as lively as possible, but Rubica didn’t smile nor her eyes sparkled like usual. She was certainly different from the usual.

Ann was smart and called the minimum number of maids. They were all the kind of girls who calmly did their jobs without saying anything.

“It would be better to wear one of Khanna’s dresses, right?”

That was all Rubica said when deciding on a dress. She didn’t chat about colors and the matching accessories like she would usually do. She got dressed and then looked for Elise.

“Why are you not wearing the dress I gave you?”

The girl smiled embarrassingly. She did like the dress Rubica had given her very much. It matched her well as if it had been made for her. But still, it was way too luxurious and expensive for her to wear.

And, there were many jewels decorating the chest part. She found it too much. Even her mother had shown worries about it through a letter.

‘I’m very glad to hear the duchess likes you that much. But you must be careful, Elise. You must know your place. I and your father destroyed the Solana family by excessively expanding the business and spending more than we had. You shouldn’t make the same mistake.

‘No matter what you wear, do not wear anything more expensive than what your mistress is wearing. And, no matter how much she cares about you, do not accept any expensive gift. Extravagance is poison. Once you get addicted to it, you won’t be able to get out easily.

‘Think of your income, dowry, future, and your brother who is working hard.’

Wearing the expensive and pretty dress made the other dresses she owned feel like rugs. Elise was worried about that feeling. Such a dress costs more than her monthly wage, and she really wanted to take out the ruby on the chest part and sell it. However, she couldn’t do it as it was a gift from the duchess.

“I cherish it a lot… it’s pretty, but I want to save it for balls.”