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Chapter 07
Psyche, who had climbed aboard the shared carriage, finally relaxed the body that had stiffened from tension.
Her neck, which she had held upright to avoid showing weakness, ached.
The marquis had offered to lend her a carriage, but Psyche firmly refused.
Not only did she not want to invite unnecessary rumors, but there was also somewhere she needed to go.
Repeatedly taking in and releasing shallow breaths, she pulled out a small note from inside her clothes.
[Miss Clement, I remain beneath the same sky. If you come to this place and seek out someone named ‘Hermes,’ you will be able to meet me.]
As soon as she saw the elegantly written handwriting, a headache throbbed through her mind.
It seemed this man had already been certain that she would come looking for him. Otherwise, he would not have sent such a note.
The fact that she had to reunite in this way with the man she had desperately hoped never to see again felt miserable.
After searching through her clothes once more, Psyche handed money to the coachman. The cramped shared carriage, narrow enough that strangers’ knees collided, began moving forward with a loud rattle.
Leaning against the wooden backrest of the carriage, notorious for its dreadful ride quality, Psyche closed her eyes.
“I dare ask for the Grand Duke’s help.”
“Miss Clement.”
“Please help my father receive proper treatment. I beg you.”
Their second meeting took place in a secluded teahouse. It was clearly the man’s consideration.
In the Cigar Empire, where unmarried men and women could not casually occupy the same space, he must have arranged this to prevent Psyche from being caught in vulgar rumors.
Psyche lifted her head and met the man’s gaze directly.
Behind him hung beautiful curtains embroidered with golden thread.
But Psyche was in no state to admire anything peacefully.
The Grand Duke’s messenger.
He was a man like winter itself, with icy winds sweeping around him.
In truth, the Higher Grand Duchy was a region where the seasons barely changed.
The land remained barren from endless winter, and farther beyond the sea lay frozen waters and glaciers.
Did living in such a place freeze a person’s emotions too?
Looking into the man’s cold eyes, Psyche entertained the pointless thought.
That was how cold his demeanor was, the complete opposite of Psyche, who always tried to be kind to others.
“You seem troubled.”
Breaking the silence, the man slowly parted his lips.
Psyche looked at his red lips, stark against his pale white skin.
His thin, long lips curved slightly upward. It felt as though the subject of a masterpiece painting had come alive.
Partly because he was undeniably handsome, but also because his expressionless face revealed none of his intentions.
Swallowing dryly, she immediately spoke the true reason she had come.
“If you agree, then I will also accept the Grand Duke’s proposal.”
For her, it was an offer impossible to refuse.
Because the only person capable of helping with matters involving the marquis was the Grand Duke.
“Ah.”
The man let out a quiet sound.
“However, I’d like to know the detailed conditions of the proposal you mentioned before.”
At Psyche’s request, the man smiled gently.
“As I said previously, Miss Clement cannot see His Grace’s face before the marriage.”
“…Yes, I know.”
Then when, and how, would she ever meet the Grand Duke?
As Psyche slowly nodded with a conflicted expression, the messenger continued.
“Therefore, His Grace will seek you only after night has fallen. The condition is simply that you must not reject him.”
The moment she met the man’s blue eyes, realization struck her.
Coming to this man had never been a good choice.
“What does the Grand Duke want from me?”
The explanation filled her with overwhelming humiliation.
To Psyche, his words sounded as though he was asking her to sell her nights.
If she accepted this proposal, not only would her reputation be irreparably damaged, but she would lose her very sense of self.
“I’m not that kind of woman. At least after an engagement ceremony—”
“If you agree, the promised conditions will be fulfilled immediately. The Clement Viscounty, which you cherish, can be preserved safely.”
There was nowhere left for Psyche to retreat.
If she abandoned everything, perhaps she could still manage a modest life. Even without possessions, she could remain with the family she loved.
‘But would I be able to be happy that way?’
Psyche might endure life after giving up her title and estate, but for her father, whose illness worsened day by day, and for her mother who remained by his side, those days would be no different from living hell.
This was the only path left for her.
“I’ll accept. But if anything happens to my father, I want you to help him regardless of the reason.”
“Very well. Since Miss Psyche will become a member of the Grand Duke’s household.”
Listening to the man’s brief response, Psyche thought:
Even if dreams collapse, life itself must not.
Life has to continue. One must survive desperately so there can be a future.
So Psyche vowed she would not lose herself.
Even if she could never set foot in the Empire again, even if she could never see her parents for the rest of her life, she was prepared to accept it all.
“Accepting the proposal may not be a bad choice for Miss Clement either.”
That was what the man said. That it might not be a bad choice.
“Soon, people will be sent to the viscounty. You must not reveal the departure date to the Grand Duchy to anyone.”
But Psyche knew.
It might not be a bad choice, yet it could never be a good one.
By the time the blazing twilight sun covered the sky, Psyche returned to the estate in a state close to collapsing.
“You’ve returned, Miss.”
The head maid bowed respectfully and took Psyche’s outer coat.
The head maid, who always looked exhausted, seemed unusually excited.
She also looked desperate to pry into whatever had happened to Psyche that day.
Watching reddish sunlight filter through the window, Psyche slowly spoke.
“Head maid.”
“Yes, Miss. Please speak.”
“I’d appreciate it if you packed your belongings and left by tomorrow morning. I’ll provide generous severance pay, so you won’t have trouble living.”
“Miss, what exactly do you mean? By telling me to pack and leave… do you mean to dismiss me?”
Her raised voice, matching her flushed face, struck Psyche’s ears sharply.
“Yes. You understood correctly. Thank you for your service all this time.”
“Miss! I have devoted my entire life to the Clement family. I was here even before you were born. When all the servants left one by one, I remained until the end. You cannot drive me away like this!”
Psyche, who had been staring expressionlessly at the setting sun, slowly closed and opened her eyes.
Turning her head, she saw the head maid glaring at her with an indignant expression. It was not a pleasant sight.
“All this time, you’ve taken good care of Mother. I’m grateful.”
“Yes, and my lady would never agree to this. This is not something Miss Psyche should decide on your own—”
“That’s why I gave you the chance to leave quietly. I said I’d overlook all the atrocities you committed while deceiving Mother. Was what I said difficult to understand?”
Psyche enunciated each word clearly and precisely. It was a habit she often displayed when angry.
“Did you think I wouldn’t know that you’ve been embezzling the estate’s finances all this time—and even laid hands on Mother’s jewelry?”
