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Chapter 8
“It’s not even worth mentioning anymore. This marriage has become completely meaningless.”
His reply sounded calm, but beneath it lay resentment he could no longer suppress.
A meaningless marriage. A wife who had lost her value.
All of it irritated him.
And naturally so, after Elaine Whitfield had caused him such enormous losses.
“I told you before. It would be a waste for someone like you to marry.”
Cernia stepped closer with a subtle smile.
“Even now, why not choose me instead? Perhaps I can give you everything you want.”
A mocking laugh slipped from between Kaiden’s lips.
The noble aristocrats were truly skilled at preserving appearances while gaining profit for themselves.
“It’s certainly an interesting proposal. But I think it’s still too early.”
Cernia raised an eyebrow slightly before stepping back again.
“Very well. But don’t make me wait too long.”
Without another response, Kaiden turned away.
It was only when he saw the red sunset sky outside the museum that he suddenly thought of her.
The sunset. The sea. And the lovers.
The painting Elaine created had undoubtedly been beautiful.
So beautiful that it still remained vividly in his memory.
And yet the reason it irritated him was because the man inside the painting—himself—was smiling far too brightly.
As if he had truly fallen in love.
There was no such thing as pure love in his world.
It was a truth carved deeply into him from childhood after witnessing it countless times.
“We’ll escort you back to the Hegwin estate.”
The attendant standing before him opened the car door.
Kaiden entered the carriage.
The dazzling sunset still brightly illuminated the world outside.
“I’ve already instructed them to have Mrs. Devitt waiting by the time you arrive.”
Kaiden nodded once before turning his eyes away from the window, forcing away his distracting thoughts.
The carriage gradually sped up as it headed toward the Hegwin estate.
* * *
“Excuse me… have you seen Mrs. Devitt?”
“Well, how would we know?”
One of the maids answered coldly.
The maid quickly looked away from Elaine and began giggling with the others again.
Elaine stood silently in the hallway watching them.
At first, when it was revealed that she was illegitimate, people had only glanced at her secretly.
But once even the master of the estate treated her with coldness and indifference, the disrespect toward her became obvious.
And that was not all.
The shameful labels attached to Elaine’s name had begun returning again.
The illegitimate child who caused the death of the Duchess of Whitfield.
The cunning woman who even deceived Kaiden Hegwin.
Newspapers and gossip magazines were filled with criticism toward Elaine.
There was no room for excuses.
Because all of it was true.
She had experienced this plenty during childhood as well.
“No matter how I was born, I am still a member of the Whitfield family. We’ll be living together from now on, so I hope you’ll be more careful with your words around me.”
The words she spoke with courage had only been met with ridicule.
“Child, if an illegitimate child isn’t called illegitimate, then what should we call you?”
“Wasn’t your mother just a maid? So how are you any different from us?”
No matter what she said, it changed nothing.
Instead, it only gave them more reason to mock her.
After recalling the past, Elaine quietly walked past the maids.
Arguing with them would only turn her into a laughingstock.
Silence felt easier.
Besides, after marrying, Elaine had never truly been allowed to fulfill her role as the mistress of the Hegwin estate.
Not because she was incapable.
But because she had never been given the opportunity in the first place.
She had tried to create opportunities herself, but Kaiden had firmly stopped her.
He told her he wanted her to focus only on adjusting to the estate during her first year there.
But now she wondered whether he had truly meant those words.
Perhaps he had expected this situation from the very beginning.
Elaine shook her head, trying to push away the sudden negative thought.
There was something more important right now.
Her nanny had disappeared.
For an entire week, Elaine searched for Mrs. Devitt without finding even a single clue.
In the end… did she need to ask Kaiden directly?
Thinking back, Mrs. Devitt had vanished after Kaiden summoned her.
If Elaine had asked him about her nanny’s whereabouts from the start, perhaps she would have gotten her answer immediately.
But her fearful heart kept delaying it.
Divorce.
She was terrified that Kaiden might say the one word she never wanted to hear from him.
At times, even his indifference and cold treatment felt preferable.
As Elaine wandered aimlessly through the halls, she suddenly stopped.
While looking down as she walked, she saw polished men’s shoes before her.
Above them, the perfectly neat hem of trousers without a single wrinkle.
Even before confirming who stood before her, her heartbeat became unstable.
Kaiden’s appearance was always impeccably perfect.
“There you are.”
His lazy voice drifted down from above her.
Tense, Elaine slowly raised her head.
Black hair neatly slicked back with pomade. A flawless suit without the slightest disorder.
It was Kaiden.
His golden eyes curved gently.
“You weren’t in the bedroom, so I’ve been looking for you for quite a while. What were you doing here?”
Elaine blinked blankly.
He looked as though he had actually been worried about her.
Kaiden quietly observed her before tilting his head slightly.
“Elaine?”
“Ah… I was looking for my nanny.”
Suspicion appeared in Kaiden’s eyes.
“Why are you looking for Mrs. Devitt?”
“She hasn’t been around lately. Do you happen to know where she went?”
“Didn’t Mrs. Devitt tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“We received contact from Mrs. Devitt’s daughter. We believed she was dead, but apparently she was alive after all. Though her condition isn’t good. Mrs. Devitt urgently requested leave that day… it seems she never told you.”
A small sigh escaped Elaine.
She felt hurt that her nanny left without saying anything, but at the same time, she understood.
…The situation must have been too urgent for her to explain properly.
Mrs. Devitt was a deeply affectionate and devoted person.
Naturally, she would care even more for her own family.
“Since it’s lunchtime, would you like to eat together for the first time in a while?”
Elaine’s eyes widened at Kaiden’s unexpected suggestion.
A meal with Kaiden.
She could barely even remember the last time it happened.
When she hesitated, Kaiden held out his hand.
“You’ve been walking around all morning. You must be hungry.”
Elaine looked down at the large hand extended toward her.
Complicated emotions filled her heart.
Why are you suddenly treating me kindly again?
The resentful question lingered inside her mouth.
But now she understood she could no longer blame only his coldness.
The wife he believed to be a noble lady had suddenly become nothing more than an illegitimate child.
Even the maids had instantly changed their attitudes toward her.
Perhaps expecting Kaiden not to change at all was simply her own greed.
Yes… love could fade.
He could impulsively consider divorce.
But what mattered now was that Kaiden had reached his hand out to her again.
Even if she resented him, it was enough that he had returned to her side.
That alone proved their three years together had not been meaningless.
Surely, if they spent enough time together again, things could return to how they used to be.
Back to the seasons and moments when they loved each other.
Elaine took Kaiden’s hand.
“Alright. Let’s go now.”
* * *
Something felt strange.
Elaine sensed the discomfort the moment they entered the hallway leading to the dining room.
For some reason, the area felt noisy and chaotic.
And near the dining room stood several trays carrying a large number of dishes.
Looking around, Elaine tilted her head slightly.
“Is something happening?”
“They’re preparing meals for many guests, so naturally it’s busy.”
Meals for many guests?
Before Elaine could properly process the unexpected words, Kaiden opened the dining room door.
The moment Elaine saw the scene before her, her body froze stiffly.
The voices that had sounded like background noise suddenly stopped.
The dining room was filled with countless guests.
Their suffocating gazes turned toward the two of them.
Instinctively, Elaine stepped backward.
But Kaiden quickly supported her waist and stopped her.
“Elaine, what’s wrong?”
The low question settled beside her ear.
Only then did Elaine regain her senses and force an awkward smile.
“…I thought we were having lunch alone together.”
“Oh? Didn’t I mention it?”
His expression remained perfectly calm, as though it had been an honest mistake.
After hesitating, Elaine slowly let go of his hand.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t mentally prepared for this. May I return to my room?”
She desperately wanted to avoid places crowded with people.
Especially if conversations were involved.
The golden eyes that had shown kindness until now darkened heavily.
“Didn’t you once ask me to introduce you to my business associates someday? Have you changed your mind?”
