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Chapter 7
By this point, one would expect Kaiden to finally drop that unpleasant smile and calm composure. Yet aside from a brief flicker of emotion, he still looked completely relaxed.
Did he still have another hidden card?
The Duke narrowed his wrinkled eyes.
Kaiden Hegwin was a businessman who never cared about methods as long as he achieved his goal. But no matter what tricks he might be planning now, the victory had already been decided.
Kaiden had lost sixty million Verne under the excuse of marriage dowry funds. And that was not all. Once it became known that Elaine was born out of wedlock, Kaiden’s business—which had targeted the upper class—was shaken badly. No matter what he tried, it would be difficult for him to step into high society again.
The Duke brushed away the ash from his cigarette and revealed the card he had prepared.
“Divorce Elaine.”
“It will be difficult to divorce her.”
Kaiden’s reply was short and clear.
The Duke let out a hollow laugh.
“So you intend to continue living with a wife who has already lost her value?”
“Well. Wouldn’t my wife’s opinion matter more than mine?”
Kaiden shrugged lightly and looked toward the mansion.
He did not seem willing to reconsider.
“If you continue acting coldly, she’ll leave on her own. She’s the type to become deeply hurt as easily as she becomes attached.”
“Is that so? This very morning she was clinging to me desperately. Or perhaps… she finally noticed what kind of father she has.”
Kaiden’s gaze returned to the Duke.
“Her first husband was a suitable nobleman for the family. Her second was a rising capitalist from common birth… so next will probably be some wealthy old man looking for a young woman.”
The Duke’s expression slowly hardened.
Watching him, Kaiden smiled softly.
“Now that she has lost even her bloodline along with her reputation, am I wrong?”
The Duke stubbornly kept his mouth shut.
That silence was practically an admission.
Crossing his long legs, Kaiden tilted his head slightly.
“You’re trying to gain everything without paying any price in return. Don’t you think your greed is becoming excessive? I’m worried it may eventually cause you trouble.”
The mocking tone hidden beneath false concern sharpened the Duke’s eyes.
Bringing down that rude man had been planned from the beginning. He had never intended to let someone of low blood enter high society in the first place.
He had already achieved his goal, so he originally intended to settle things moderately. But if Kaiden insisted on climbing back up again, then he would simply crush him once more.
“Do you truly believe keeping Elaine by your side will help you?”
“At the very least, the sympathy Your Grace created won’t become accepted as truth.”
The Duke burst into laughter.
“It seems you are the greedy one here. Do you even know what else that girl is hiding?”
A subtle change crossed Kaiden’s face.
It was quite satisfying to see.
Having regained his composure, the Duke decided to end the conversation.
“What if that secret becomes the chain that drags you down? Are you confident you can handle it?”
The goddess of victory had always stood on his side.
Smiling in satisfaction, the Duke rose from his seat.
“I suppose I should go see my daughter now.”
The Duke turned away lightly.
Revealing that Elaine was illegitimate had certainly betrayed her trust, but he did not care much about that.
To the Duke, Elaine was no different from a well-trained horse.
As long as he gave her enough affection and held the whip in his hand, he could always tame her again.
A child who was vulnerable to affection was easy to control.
All it took was a little warmth and a few kind words for her to open her heart again.
Just as she always had.
“Please travel safely, Father.”
After seeing the Duke off, Elaine clasped her hands tightly together.
Her wildly beating heart refused to calm down.
What had they talked about again?
Kaiden used marriage as a tool.
Everything had been an act.
He was worried she would be hurt even more.
That was why he had no choice but to reveal that she was illegitimate.
Her father’s words scattered through her mind like broken fragments.
Logically, she understood him.
But emotionally, she could not accept it.
“Kaiden seems to be considering divorce.”
The moment she heard the word divorce, her mind went completely blank.
“Wouldn’t it hurt less if you ended this marriage first?”
End it before you are abandoned.
Elaine knew her father’s advice was probably correct.
“Elaine. Everything I say is for your sake.”
Was it really for her sake?
Elaine suddenly remembered that Count Fredman had once said something similar.
That the divorce had been the best choice for both Enzo and her.
Why did everyone say divorce was something necessary for someone’s sake?
Divorce left behind nothing but loss.
Elaine had lost her precious childhood friend.
And now she was about to lose the man she loved.
But what if—
What if her father was mistaken?
What if Kaiden was only acting this cold because he felt betrayed?
The lingering attachment she could not let go of continued circling inside her heart.
“…Lady Elaine.”
The quiet voice pulled Elaine out of her thoughts.
It was her nanny, who had stayed beside her the entire time she spoke with her father.
A few years ago, Mrs. Devitt’s hair had only begun turning gray.
Now it had become completely white.
At her age, she should have been peacefully enjoying retirement.
And yet she still remained by Elaine’s side.
Because of Elaine’s hearing.
Mrs. Devitt met Elaine’s eyes and smiled warmly, wrinkles gathering gently around them.
“Would it be alright if this old nanny brushed your hair again after so long?”
After hesitating briefly, Elaine nodded.
Once she sat before the dressing table, Mrs. Devitt stepped behind her.
The brush made soft sounds as it passed through her hair.
“When you were little, I used to brush your hair like this all the time. Do you remember?”
“…Yes. You did.”
“And every single time, you insisted on doing it yourself. You were such a mature little girl for your age. And now you’ve grown enough to become someone’s wife.”
Her gentle voice settled softly in the quiet room.
Mrs. Devitt continued brushing her hair as she spoke slowly.
“Lady Elaine, life sometimes demands far too much from us. But the most important thing is not losing yourself. No matter what others say, whether they are right or wrong, what matters most is your own heart.”
Mrs. Devitt placed a hand on Elaine’s shoulder after setting the brush down.
“No matter what choice you make, I will always stand by your side.”
Elaine quietly looked at her nanny’s wrinkled hand.
As her chaotic thoughts slowly settled, a knock sounded at the door.
Mrs. Devitt opened it to check the visitor.
Standing outside was Jetman, the butler of the Hegwin estate.
“Oh my. Mr. Jetman. What brings you here?”
“Lord Kaiden has summoned you.”
Hearing their conversation, Elaine rose from the dressing table.
But the person Kaiden had called for was unexpected.
“Mrs. Devitt, please come with me.”
* * *
“The Marquis of Carrington has withdrawn the artwork from sale. It’s unfortunate that this happened right before the deal was finalized.”
Cernia spoke with a disappointed expression.
Kaiden straightened from where he had been leaning against the wall.
Twenty minutes had already passed since he began waiting in front of the museum’s private salon.
“There was no need to waste time trying to persuade him.”
The Marquis had suddenly canceled the deal before the transaction was completed.
Trying to convince someone like that would change nothing.
“Kaiden. This matter is connected to you.”
Smiling softly with her eyes, Cernia stepped beside him.
Kaiden lowered his gaze toward her.
Cernia Taylor.
She was the director of a large art museum located in the city center.
Because of that, she was known as the first successful female businesswoman in the Kingdom of Freis.
She and Kaiden had known each other since childhood, making her one of the more useful connections in his network.
“Are you returning straight to Hegwins? Would you like to have dinner together first?”
She had started becoming troublesome three years ago, but he could not deny she was valuable to use.
Still, there was something he needed to deal with first today.
Wearing his usual smooth smile, Kaiden politely declined.
“I don’t really have an appetite.”
“That’s understandable. You lost the artwork you wanted right before your eyes because of that woman.”
Kaiden understood immediately who she meant.
Elaine.
Time, assets, even power.
That woman had taken everything from him.
Whenever he looked at Elaine, there had always been something about her that bothered him slightly, like a torn nail catching against fabric.
But he had never thought deeply about it.
More precisely, he believed there was no need to care.
Elaine was a woman who became happy over even the smallest kindness.
She was different from the people who constantly hid their true intentions behind careful calculations.
Elaine openly showed her emotions without filtering them.
Out of everyone Kaiden had ever dealt with, she had been the easiest.
But in the end, his carelessness returned as a sharp blade.
“Oh right. How is married life?”
For the first time since hearing the news about the canceled artwork sale, Kaiden’s expression stiffened slightly.
