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Chapter: 10
Leaving the Duke’s Mansion:
Having made up her mind, she took the sealed envelope and headed to the study.
Whether the master was present or not, the firmly closed door seemed to reflect the equally closed distance between him and her.
Goodbye, Lu. Goodbye, my first love. I could never overcome your dead first love.
With a farewell in her heart, Eil spoke to a nearby servant.
“Open it.”
“Madam, I’m sorry, but His Grace the Duke is absent.”
“I know—open it.”
The servant was flustered by the usually restrained Duchess’s unusual words.
It was almost unheard of for this fragile lady to come seeking the Duke herself, so why today, of all days?
It wasn’t entirely surprising. Recently, after the lady’s maid was summoned by the Duke, no one really knew what had happened. A few of the Duke’s closest knights seemed to understand the situation, but this servant was not one of them.
Therefore, the powerless servant had no choice but to be at a loss.
“But—”
“Why so many words? I just wanted to leave this on His Grace’s desk. Go in, put it there, and come out.”
She held out the envelope. The servant quickly glanced at the surface, but couldn’t see through the contents of the envelope, which appeared securely sealed.
Resigned, the servant took it, opened the study door, placed it on the desk, and came out.
Click.
The Duke’s study door opened and closed in front of her. The nameless servant could enter, yet not a single step was allowed for the wife herself.
‘…Even the servants openly ignore me now.’
No matter that their master was Luplion, it wasn’t normal for them to block the Duchess while letting the servants in. Perhaps knights could, but not servants!
Still, she didn’t want to point it out. After all, she was leaving soon; what did it matter?
She turned irritably, and the servant finally realized a major mistake and began to apologize.
“Madam…! Please forgive me. His Grace is—”
“Enough. I don’t want to hear it.”
It was time to leave.
The not-so-heavy suitcase seemed to mirror her situation.
Let’s go.
She returned to her room, packed her things, and started down the hallway.
The suitcase was conspicuously large. A Duchess might normally carry a handkerchief, fan, or small trinkets, but not something like this.
Servants she passed along the way looked startled, their eyes dropping to the suitcase.
Eil’s own heart pricked slightly.
‘…Why do I keep running into people?’
She needed to get outside quickly.
Just as she reached the main door of the Duke’s residence, a maid came running from the other side, barely catching her breath as she called out.
“M-Madam?! Ma-am!”
“……”
Had someone run ahead to inform her? It could happen, as this was the maid who had been caring for her lately. Eil tried to remain calm.
“Madam, what are you doing? H-Hold on, please—”
“Move.”
“You mustn’t leave while His Grace is away from the mansion!”
So what’s the reason? She demanded, but the maid had no concrete explanation, just a strict prohibition.
It felt like a subtle blow, proof that she couldn’t trust him.
I never strayed, even though you treated me coldly. Yet you—took my maid without a word and lived your days! When I returned from my trip, you wouldn’t even look at me.
Did I really need to tell you in person what that meant?
We’re finished.
Eil said coldly, her voice frosted with emotion.
“…It’s none of my business anymore.”
With those words, she moved forward, leaving footprints that would never return—a small but satisfying gesture. It wasn’t winter yet, but snow would have made it even better!
The maid was flustered.
“M-Madam? Madam…!”
“Stepmother!”
Ah.
It was Serena.
Since returning from Salmon Province, Serena had been visiting Eil’s room every day. Though she never showed her own nervous feelings, Eil had forgotten the most important thing.
I was supposed to return the book… Always, when we were together, you made me feel happy. Funny, isn’t it? In this vast Duke’s residence, the only ones who comforted me were you and Gerd.
Now that it was over, she no longer needed to hide the truth.
She briefly set down the suitcase, bent slightly, and spoke kindly.
“Serena, you must take care of yourself from now on.”
“Yes?”
Eil smiled gently.
“…I won’t be living here anymore. Serena, your eighth birthday party is very important, so congratulations in advance. I’ll be cheering for you from afar. Make sure you take your lessons seriously and become a wonderful Duke who brings happiness to both the island and Salmon Province.”
Serena whispered softly into her ear.
“Are you going to Salmon Province?!”
Yes. Things turned out exactly as you said, Serena. It’s not your fault. I was just too slow and stubborn to realize it… I was the one who lived foolishly with my eyes closed.
“……”
Eil didn’t answer. She didn’t want to reveal her destination prematurely, even if it was eventually discovered.
The maid, who had been anxiously listening from behind, stepped forward.
“Madam, please calm down. If you plan to stay at Rubon House for a few days, I’ll tell you after the Duke returns. For now, please come inside and compose yourself. I’ll serve lavender tea.”
Did they think I was just fleeing to Rubon House?
Plana Island was vast, with regional differences even in dialects between the eastern Duke’s residence and the southern tip.
She didn’t want to give them any hints.
“I said I’m leaving here, no matter what.”
“M-Madam!”
“I’ve already taken care of everything to report this to the Duke. That’s all.”
She didn’t lie; she just cleverly concealed the truth.
“M-Madam!”
Since the Duke had left with many knights, there was no one to stop her. The lower-ranked soldiers and servants were powerless.
Had they been knights, they might have tried to block her physically.
She gave Serena a final glance. The innocent child winked and mouthed something.
Na…do…ga…yo…?
Salmon Province is big, and Luplion will be angry at me for escaping, so you won’t be allowed to leave. We’ll never see each other again.
She said goodbye to Serena in her heart.
Goodbye, Serena. You sweet, lovely child. Even if I wasn’t your mother, I wish you could truly become my stepdaughter. You deserve all the love in the world.
I also wanted to give you overflowing love. Not me, but the future Lady of Delruis, your new stepmother, will care for you. She has both family and social experience; you’ll be fine.
She picked up her suitcase and walked briskly.
“M-Madam, Madam!”
The shocked maid followed, but she didn’t even bother noticing.
Walking along the back wall of the mansion, a mix of emotions surged.
In a season when white flowers bloomed, she had once dreamed of a fated love that would never be realized, never imagining this place would be a prison that tore her heart apart.
And today, she left with tears on her cheeks.
“…Why are you crying, Eil? Pull yourself together. Go back to your place.”
I should have bought a hat. Even a dark, gloomy one would do to cover this ruined face.
The unused hats in the dress room were thrown away season by season, and she hadn’t even seen them properly.
There was even the idea of bringing them all out to scare the Duke, but she didn’t care about consequences.
Maybe I should have just dared it for one day, one half-day, to leave an unforgettable mark on his heart and mind—so everyone would remember that Eil Milton was here.
I might regret leaving behind luxury and comfort when I start work in Salmon Province, but it’s better than staying and suffocating in this place.
Walking along the wall, she finally saw the promised carriage and the coachman waiting beside it.
The coachman, old and hard of hearing, didn’t understand instructions easily, so he happily accepted the day’s reservation.
She shouted so they could hear her.
“Let’s go!”
“……”
As expected, he couldn’t hear. Fine—then she’d use a little trick to deceive them.
“To Rubon House! I’m here!”
She lied about her destination and grabbed the coachman’s coat. Only then did he look up, his sunken eyes nodding.
“Oh, you’re the guest who was to ride before?”
“Yes. To the place I mentioned before.”
“Please board.”
Without the coachman’s help, she stepped into the shabby carriage. Unlike the grand carriage her husband had prepared, this felt refreshingly liberating.
I’m free now! I didn’t plan it this way from the start, but…
The carriage carrying Eil left without a trace of hesitation.
The maid was left behind, stunned and helpless.
“M-Madam! What do we do? What should we do?!”
The carriage she had borrowed to leave the mansion was terribly run-down. Even the youngest maid in the household would be too scared to ride it!
The wheels were unstable, and the coachman’s trembling hands only added to the anxiety.
And she rode off in that… monstrosity. Even touching it for a moment would be risky! And the coachman looked like he shouldn’t even be doing this job!
