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Chapter 1
“Why are you suddenly giving me money?”
Her empty question lingered in the air.
The people inside the bedroom only looked at Elaine with pity and sympathy in their eyes.
“And what is this divorce agreement supposed to mean? It’s not like I’m going to stay deaf forever.”
Elaine forced herself to smile. Unlike her calm expression, the hand holding the envelope trembled slightly.
Her wandering blue eyes soon stopped on one person.
Bright golden hair and warm green eyes filled with kindness.
It was Enzo Fredman, her childhood friend and once her partner in a political marriage.
“Enzo. Do you really think I’ll never be able to hear again?”
Elaine tightened her grip on the envelope. Her knuckles turned pale white, but she desperately maintained her smile.
“Say something. No… at least write something for me. Why is no one telling me anything? I’ll get better soon, right? Right?”
In the end, Enzo avoided her gaze.
Instead, someone else stepped forward. It was Count Fredman, Enzo’s father.
“My child. We planned to handle the divorce after you had rested, but the situation did not allow it.”
“I don’t understand what you mean. Here… paper and a pen. Please tell me what’s going on. Please… I’m begging you.”
The piece of paper she handed over was so crumpled it had nearly worn apart, as if she had been carrying it for a very long time.
Count Fredman accepted it, wrote a short sentence, and handed it back.
[They say there is no possibility your hearing will recover. This is the best choice for both you and Enzo, so please understand.]
At last, the truth entered her eyes, and they filled with shock.
“…No.”
Elaine’s voice cracked miserably.
“No. That can’t be true. No… no!”
Elaine kept shaking her head, denying reality.
Enzo, who had been watching her, shut his eyes tightly and turned away.
“Father, let’s go.”
Left alone in the bedroom, Elaine finally burst into tears.
Her cries, like the desperate howl of a wounded beast, echoed through the empty hallway for a long time.
“You two were always so close. It’s wonderful that your love finally bore fruit.”
“I always knew you two would get married. Congratulations, Lady Whitfield. No, I should call you Mrs. Fredman now.”
It was a wedding everyone had expected.
A flawless marriage that seemed only natural to everyone around them.
Elaine also never regretted accepting Enzo’s proposal. Whenever she was with him, she was always happy and smiling.
If this marriage could let her keep those happy moments with Enzo forever, then that alone was enough.
“Elaine. I’ll make you happy for the rest of your life. I love you.”
On the day of the wedding, Enzo vowed his love with unwavering eyes.
Looking into those eyes, Elaine changed her thoughts.
Maybe… maybe I can love you not just as a childhood friend, but as a man, Enzo.
For the first time, she imagined a future with him.
The future she pictured filled her with a strange warmth.
Sadly, it was nothing more than a foolish dream.
It happened right after she finished preparing herself as a bride for her wedding night.
Sudden dizziness and ringing in her ears tormented her terribly.
When she barely regained her senses, something felt wrong.
The small everyday sounds around her had disappeared.
Enzo, who she did not even realize had entered, grabbed her shoulders and said something, but she could not hear a single sound.
She wished it were a dream.
She hoped it was some kind of joke.
But reality was colder and crueler than any dream.
In the end, she lost her hearing.
Only two days later, she was sent back to the Whitfield estate as if she had been thrown away.
Not as a bride, but as a patient.
And with the title of a divorced woman attached to her name.
She did not even want to remember what came afterward.
Those days were horrible beyond words.
Sometimes she thought it might be better to lose her mind completely.
With the help of her nanny, Mrs. Devitt, Elaine refused to give up and continued treatment.
Miraculously, the hearing in her left ear returned.
But that was the end of it.
There was no further improvement.
“Lady Elaine. So this is where you were.”
A familiar voice came from the distance.
Elaine instinctively turned to the left, then froze.
There was no one there.
Even after three months, she still could not tell where sounds were coming from.
The realization scratched painfully at her chest once more.
It was proof that the hearing in her right ear still had not returned.
After observing Elaine’s expression, Mrs. Devitt spoke carefully.
“I’m sure your right ear will recover soon as well. Even the doctor said we should continue observing your condition.”
“Thank you for worrying about me, but it’s already been over three months.”
“But you recovered the hearing in your left ear, Lady Elaine. So the other side will surely—”
“Nanny.”
Elaine firmly interrupted her.
“I don’t want to hold onto false hope anymore.”
The marriage she chose for happiness had become misery.
And what about Enzo, who had been with her for ten years?
Their relationship had become worse than before.
The childhood friend who had always stayed beside her in difficult times never contacted her even once.
All of it had happened in a single day.
Even so, she did not give up hope.
One day my hearing will fully return.
Enzo will contact me.
I’ll be happy again.
But none of those things happened.
The hope that endlessly circled in her mind only slowly ate away at her heart.
Expectations only brought disappointment.
Now, the only things she could rely on were her father, her nanny, and her work.
Elaine gathered the documents on the table and stood up.
They were the quarterly hotel income reports she had spent several days organizing to erase her feelings of helplessness.
“Nanny. Do you know if Father went out?”
“As a matter of fact, the Duke asked to see you.”
“Really?”
For once, Elaine’s face brightened.
It was the first time in two months that her father had called for her first.
She had felt hurt, but she understood his situation.
After all, once she stopped helping with the Whitfield family’s hotel business, all the work must have suddenly piled onto him.
“Yes, really. He asked you to come to the Cyprine Hotel. I think he was worried because you’ve been staying inside the estate all day.”
“I should hurry back to my room and get ready.”
Elaine quickly walked away.
Her golden hair, braided neatly behind her, swayed gently with each step.
Watching her lively 모습 for the first time in a while, Mrs. Devitt smiled faintly.
The Cyprine Hotel, embracing the beauty of a spring garden, looked more beautiful than in any other season.
As Elaine walked through the garden, strange emotions filled her heart.
Spring had returned.
The garden she personally designed while thinking of the southern region she loved so much welcomed the season warmly.
Around this time every year, Elaine spent nearly every day in the gardens of the Cyprine Hotel.
This year, unavoidable circumstances had made her forget for a while, but it was still a place filled with precious memories.
“I’ve heard endless praise about how beautiful spring is at the Cyprine Hotel.”
A satisfied smile appeared on the Duke of Whitfield’s lips.
Blue eyes, the same color as Elaine’s, curved gently.
Elaine looked at her father with unfamiliar feelings.
It had been a long time since she had seen him smile.
“They say it feels like visiting a southern resort. Reservations have been fully booked for half a year already. Elaine, it’s all thanks to you.”
Even his quiet praise felt unfamiliar.
Elaine suddenly remembered the last time she had seen her father.
It was two months ago, when the hearing in her left ear finally returned.
Her father, who had not visited her even once before then, finally appeared.
She still vividly remembered the expression on his face that day.
His stiff lips, cold eyes, and the faint annoyance mixed within them.
It was completely different from his usual self.
He had not said much.
Recover quickly.
That was all.
Even after miraculously regaining hearing in one ear, she could not feel happy.
She was afraid her father might abandon her like this.
But perhaps all those fears had been unnecessary after all.
Elaine relaxed and smiled softly.
“It’s because Father helped me. I could never create a garden like this on my own.”
“You child. Haven’t I told you there’s no need to be humble when receiving praise?”
“I remember. You said humility can become something others use against you, didn’t you?”
“As expected, you never forget what I teach you. It seems you inherited your brains from me.”
The Duke of Whitfield burst into hearty laughter.
As always, it was a pleasant and powerful laugh.
Everything felt peaceful and comfortable.
So much that the sudden tragedy almost felt like a dream.
Just like every year, she came to the spring garden and shared a warm conversation with her father.
Life seemed unchanged.
Maybe… just maybe…
Perhaps she really could continue living like this.
“How has your condition been lately? I heard your right ear still cannot hear. Are there any signs of improvement? You can’t continue living like this forever.”
The casual question dragged Elaine back to reality.
It felt like cold water had been poured over her.
There was no way she could live the same life as before.
Too many things had changed.
It was a truth easily seen in newspapers and magazines.
An adulteress.
A divorced woman.
A shameless woman.
Countless stains had been attached to the name Elaine Whitfield.
Elaine lowered her head before lifting it again.
It was enough time to calm her shaken emotions.
“I’m continuing treatment steadily. But there hasn’t been much progress.”
“I see. It’s good to focus on treatment, but… I worry you’ll be deeply disappointed if you never recover. Before it’s too late, why not try changing something in your daily life?”
“I’ve been spending my time doing paperwork lately.”
“That alone is not enough. Elaine, you used to face everything actively. But now it feels as though you’re avoiding everything.”
The Duke’s words pierced deep into her heart.
Elaine bit her lip, unable to answer.
Her father was right.
To escape unhappiness, to forget the pain, she buried herself in work.
If she truly wanted to move beyond her misery, then something had to change.
But she had no idea how to move forward or what could bring change.
Her mind was completely blank.
“Elaine. If you are willing, this father wants to help you.”
The Duke gently took Elaine’s hand.
Warmth spread through the back of her hand.
“There is someone who wishes to meet you. Would you like to speak with him?”
