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chapter 91
Lydia was desperate.
She didn’t want to become King Herio’s fourth queen, and she didn’t want to go down to Emrat. Marrying a pathetic man like Robbie Bronk was horrifying.
None of the three choices appealed to her, so she couldn’t pick any. It was obvious that whichever she chose, she would end up miserable. That’s why Lydia decided to make her own option—a choice called Yuhan Prektuster.
“Take me as your mistress.”
Lydia looked Yuhan straight in the eyes as she spoke.
Becoming a mistress was a huge blow to her pride, but she had no other choice. If she became Yuhan’s mistress, she could stay by his side and wouldn’t have to leave the capital. She could continue enjoying the life she had been accustomed to.
Once Serret gave birth to a child, she could remove Serret from Yuhan’s side and reclaim her place as the duchess. If she just stayed quietly by Yuhan’s side for a few years, she could eventually be happy again.
“That’s nonsense.”
Yuhan frowned and let out a deep sigh.
He was suddenly exhausted by Lydia’s words, which he hadn’t expected at all. He understood that her situation wasn’t favorable, but her proposal was simply absurd.
“I’m fine with it. Even as a mistress, it doesn’t matter if it’s you, Yuhan. Protect me, Yuhan.”
Lydia demanded boldly.
She believed it was only natural for Yuhan to comply. Because she loved him, he was obliged to return her feelings. To Lydia, this was perfectly reasonable.
But for Yuhan, it was absolutely impossible.
“No.”
Yuhan flatly rejected Lydia’s request.
A man utterly devoted to his wife could never have a mistress. Even if he weren’t completely infatuated with Serret, having a mistress was out of the question.
The Prektuster family had no history of taking mistresses. Having a mistress was dishonorable, and the previous dukes, proud as they were of their family, would never have tarnished its honor. Yuhan had no intention of doing so either.
“I know you’re worried about me. Becoming the mistress of the emperor’s daughter is humiliating. But there’s no one else who can save me right now except you, Yuhan.”
Tears welled up in Lydia’s eyes as she tried to persuade Yuhan.
If she were by Yuhan’s side, Henderson couldn’t do anything to her. So Yuhan absolutely had to accept her.
“Miss Elliott.”
Yuhan let out a quiet sigh. He knew how Lydia could obsess over something once it caught her attention, and he found it genuinely troubling.
“Help me, Yuhan.”
“I’ve already said no.”
“Yuhan.”
“Let’s pretend this conversation never happened.”
Yuhan rose from his seat, clearly unwilling to continue the discussion. Lydia looked up at him, her anxiety barely hidden as she straightened her posture. You can’t act like this, Yuhan.
“Sit, Yuhan. I’m not finished talking.”
“I don’t think I need to hear more.”
Seeing Yuhan’s cold eyes, Lydia gripped her skirt tightly. He could be endlessly cold when he wanted to be, so she needed to play another card.
“How will you take responsibility for tarnishing my honor?”
“……”
Yuhan frowned as if to ask what she meant.
Not averting her eyes from him, Lydia continued.
“We kissed that night. And we spent the night together at a hotel. You tainted my honor, Yuhan. So you have to take responsibility.”
“What are you saying?”
Yuhan sat down again, looking serious. The mention of kissing sent a chill through his chest.
He didn’t remember that night clearly. He recalled Lydia being there, but the details were vague.
“Everyone knows. It even appeared as a gossip article in a magazine. My honor has been sufficiently sullied, and the only person who can restore it is you, Yuhan.”
“……”
“You’re a gentleman, Yuhan. You should take responsibility.”
Yuhan’s face stiffened at Lydia’s words. A gentleman should indeed take responsibility for what he’s done…
“Miss Elliott, are all the things you just said true?”
“Yes.”
Lydia nodded with certainty.
“Well… I don’t think that’s entirely true.”
“Not true?”
Lydia reacted sharply to Yuhan’s relaxed expression. He was probably too drunk to remember that night clearly. She bit her lip.
“Miss Elliott safely returned to the palace that night in the Prektuster carriage.”
“No. That night, we…”
“Nothing happened. Miss Elliott returned to the palace in my carriage.”
Yuhan leaned back on the sofa, staring at Lydia.
The coachman had confirmed it. He had dropped Lydia off safely at the palace after taking her to the hotel.
“That’s not true.”
“I’ve already confirmed it with the coachman.”
Lydia’s face twitched as Yuhan remained unconvinced.
I thought he wouldn’t remember. If I had known, I would have just fallen asleep next to him that night. Lydia regretted her decision at that moment.
“I’ll correct the rumors. I’ll take responsibility and restore your honor, Miss Elliott, so don’t worry about that part.”
“So you’re telling me to become someone else’s wife?”
At Yuhan’s cold response, tears immediately filled Lydia’s eyes.
She hated that Yuhan was drawing a line. She hated him, and the more she hated him, the more she despised Serret.
It was all Serret’s fault. If not for her, Yuhan wouldn’t be this cold.
“I understand your feelings, Miss Elliott. I’ll speak to Crown Prince Henderson and make sure you don’t have a marriage you don’t want.”
Yuhan tried to calm her politely.
But Lydia was hurt even more by his polite tone. She felt so saddened by Yuhan pushing her away as if it were someone else’s problem.
How could my Yuhan do this? Not to anyone else, but to me. He’s changed. Completely changed. Lydia bit her lip and clenched her fists.
“Because Yuhan didn’t hold my hand, my life was ruined. When he sees this day, he will surely regret it.”
Lydia stood up, crying, and left the study, trembling as she looked down at Yuhan.
Even as she ran out crying, Yuhan didn’t stop her. He was more concerned about Serret than Lydia.
Leaning back on the sofa, Yuhan thought about the rumors regarding Lydia. Serret must have heard them too. She must be upset. Or maybe she doesn’t care because there’s another man in her heart.
Yuhan gave a bitter smile and ran his hand through his hair.
“I’ve confirmed the facts with the bartender. The rumors are completely false.”
Advisor Derek reported to Yuhan.
Yuhan had instructed Derek to verify whether Lydia’s claim of a kiss was true. Derek confirmed with the bartender that it wasn’t.
The bartender said with certainty that the duke, drunk, had only rested his head on Miss Elliott’s shoulder. He didn’t know why such a rumor started, shaking his head.
“Clear up these rumors as soon as possible.”
Yuhan spoke with a tired expression.
He usually didn’t care about social gossip. The social world always babbled nonsense.
Soon enough, new stories would emerge, so he didn’t feel the need to correct false rumors. The Prektuster family wouldn’t be tarnished by such rumors.
But concerning Serret, it was necessary to correct it immediately. He didn’t want Serret to misunderstand or have her name dragged into scandal.
His husband was already a scoundrel. If he believed Yuhan had done that with another woman, their relationship would never improve. Even now, his love for his husband was at rock bottom.
He explained to Serret why Lydia came, but she responded very coldly. She didn’t believe him, which worried Yuhan over the past few days.
“Yes, understood. And this is the report about Nunuki from last time.”
Derek handed Yuhan the report.
Yuhan skimmed it and nodded to Derek.
“Good work.”
Derek bowed politely and left Yuhan’s study.
Alone, Yuhan examined the report Derek had left.
He stopped at one part, furrowing his brow, and muttered,
“Lydia Elliott?”
Nunuki’s report mentioned Lydia frequently. It detailed Lydia’s close relationship with her mother and that she still often visited the herbalist.
Learning that Lydia knew Nunuki, who was related to Sophia’s death, left Yuhan uneasy. It was probably just a coincidence, but it bothered him.
Yuhan sighed, checked the time, and got up. It was time to meet Crown Prince Henderson.
Arriving at the palace, Yuhan was guided by the steward to the reception room, where Henderson was already waiting.
Henderson, seemingly in a good mood, raised his hand and smiled brightly as Yuhan entered.
“Welcome.”
“Your Highness, Crown Prince.”
Yuhan greeted respectfully.
“I know you’re a stickler for protocol, but that address feels a bit cold. Sit.”
Henderson, slightly offended that Yuhan still called him “Crown Prince,” gestured for him to sit.
Once seated, Henderson personally poured Yuhan a drink.
“Thank you.”
The attendant refilled Henderson’s glass as he sipped, chatting endlessly about the coronation and the situation in surrounding countries.
Yuhan found the gathering extremely dull. What was my wife, who doesn’t love her husband, doing right now? Throughout Henderson’s chatter, Yuhan’s mind was on Serret.
Had she eaten dinner? Had she run up the stairs? Was she searching the study and bedroom for the estate documents in my absence?
Though his body was at the palace, Yuhan’s heart was with Duchess Serret at the manor.
“But tell me, Yuhan.”
Henderson, slightly drunk, leaned on the couch and looked at Yuhan.
Seeing him call Yuhan by name so casually, Yuhan assumed he was quite intoxicated and put down his drink.
“Why did you kiss Lydia? That filthy bloodline.”
Henderson giggled as he spoke.
