《Dear Duke》 Chapter 1 End Of Romance ¨C 1 *** End of Romance ¨C 1 She¨C the one who fell in love at first sight and won love through constant courtship, was known to everyone in the empire. Their story was the romance of the century, a hot scandal. Seeing the count¡¯s daughter chasing the infamous duke¡¯s second son, some said it was vulgar, laughing at the young girl¡¯s guts and infatuation while sympathizing with her. It didn¡¯t matter what they said. The girl, who had just finished her social debut, was invited to a party hosted by the duke one day, only to fall in love head over heels with him. Could there possibly be something more interesting than this? Moreover, if the man was the best bachelor of the empire, her longing would seem hilarious. But, she was never intimidated. She smiled at the face of the man who pushed her away with a stoic look, confessing her deep love for him. She was hurt constantly by him, who said he was sick and tired of looking at her, forcing a smile on her face. To everyone¡¯s shock, she threw herself in front of her love. Despite her constant courtship, thanks to her father, who was trusted by the emperor, and her capable brother, who rose to a high position at a young age, she was not dragged down by the gossip. Over time, her constant courtship was now taken as a norm, like sunset and sunrise. Some people thought it was cute. He started seeing her a year after she conveyed her love. With his gentlemanly behavior and superior appearance, he, the most popular man in the empire, finally accepted the girl. He smiled and treated her sincerely. ¡®After a year of passionate courtship, I fell to her.¡¯ * * * The girl became a woman. The cheerful, cute, and infinitely energetic girl became a calm, quiet, and rational woman. The woman became the wife of her loved one and gave birth to children who resembled them. Now she wasn¡¯t a girl who only had him in her eyes. Time had made the girl turn into an adult, and now, as his wife, she was obligated to take care of her family. Nevertheless, in front of him, she was always a girl who fell in love. An adorable girl who gave everything to love. However, having become an adult, she could not act rashly. She had pride, and acted cool. She counted the profit and loss, acted like she didn¡¯t care, talked to him with the same smile. Until the day she could say that she became the proud and noble ¡°duchess¡±, she never stopped making efforts. Everything had changed, but only one thing was the same, she still loved him like hell. ¡°¡­¡± Isilia raised her trembling eyelashes, eyes threatening to pool up with tears, staring at her husband. Her lips thinned automatically, even though she tried hard to smile, it was barely visible. Thanks to the title she had been ¡®gifted¡¯ by him, she was able to keep her mind. She was now the ¡®Duchess¡¯ who had fallen in the eyes of the servants¡­ Seeing him introduce ¡®her¡¯ confidently, having known about it all this while, she didn¡¯t think it would be that painful. ¡°¡­¡± But she couldn¡¯t utter a single word. Her body felt incredibly numb. She heard that people become absent-minded when in shock. Maybe it was actually true. Looking at his wife, who didn¡¯t budge, Ruiyan sighed. He grabbed the delicate hand of the woman standing beside him, and pulled her slightly close to him. He held back his laughter as he saw the nervous woman melting onto him. Isilia, aghast, just looked at the woman with dead eyes, almost letting go of the reason she was barely holding onto. Are you serious? Her legs wobbled, no more strength left in them, when Ruiyan opened his mouth. ¡°Let me introduce her officially. This is Lady Marillian van Enderrick, who will be my concubine in the future. Mari, this is my wife, Isilia von Endrians.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Madame. I¡¯m Marilyn van Enderrick. Please call me Mari.¡± Sweeping her soft red hair behind her ears, the woman spoke in a quiet tone. Isilia replied silently to the greeting she gave, her body stiff as a block of wood. ¡®If it¡¯s Enderrick, didn¡¯t she belong to the same bloodline as him?¡¯ They were well-known for producing outstanding knights and contributors to the founding of the country. Red hair and amber eyes; markings of the Enderrick family. ¡­Are you serious? Isilia bit her lip to not let these words tumble out of her mouth. Her heart was beating hard, almost painfully against her chest, having heard his words of taking another woman as his concubine. But no matter how absurd it felt, she had to ¡®understand¡¯ and ¡®bear¡¯. She knew some nobles had secret mistresses other than their wives. So she could ¡®understand¡¯. Within their five years of marriage, Isilia and Ruiyan did not even have any common marital fights. If he had some anger towards her that he couldn¡¯t let go, she could accept him having a mistress by his side to resolve it. But her tender lovestruck heart was undoubtedly broken into tiny pieces. The love-filled gaze he directed at the woman in front of him made her eyes burn, stabbing her in a million ways. The soft way he spoke to her made her ears ring. His confidence in introducing her to a new woman in front of all the servants. Isilia was convinced. She had no right to say anything even if her own husband brought a new woman into the house. Nevertheless, her heart ached. She could understand the reason, but her heart couldn¡¯t. So Isilia greeted the woman and stared blankly at the two who disappeared. Do you know why I was busy? Do you know why the servants were gathered in the quiet hall? Do you know¡­ what day tomorrow is? Do you¡­? ¡°¡­¡± Isilia turned around to see where her husband disappeared. She could feel the gazes of the servants looking at her. Icilia, Duchess Endrians, pulled her lips into a smile. This was the ending of the girl and man who were the talk of the century. Isilia clapped her hands, a mocking smile on her face. What day was it tomorrow? There were so many things to do. Straightening her trembling body, and proudly raising her head, the ¡®Duchess¡¯ gave orders to the servants. The day before their daughter¡¯s birthday¡­ ¡®I was introduced to my husband¡¯s mistress.¡¯ * * * As always, she woke up to see the children, had breakfast with them, and looked around the house. Her husband, who was very busy these days, would return late in the evening. Originally, the season when ice melts and spring arrives had a lot of work. She hoped he could come back soon¡­ Isilia raised her hand and touched her cheeks. Unlike her hot, palpitating heart, her cheeks were warm. The girl who laughed at the little things and blushed intensely, the older she got, the more she learned to hide her feelings. Her heartbeat rang in her ears, but her face was expressionless. In order to survive in the social world, to fit into the position of the duchess, this was one of the results of her hard work and sweat. A noble and elegant duchess. How many hardships did she go through before she was called that? Isilia smiled and she entered the hall. The servants recognized her and bowed their heads. She looked around. Her lovely daughter¡¯s birthday was right before her eyes. The child born on the first day of spring resembled both of them. She spread such positivity and smiled like her mother. Happiness filled her as the little girl came into her mind. A few servants were mesmerized by her genuine laughter. As she looked around the place decorated for her daughter, her eyes met him. With a smile on her lips, she stiffened. The servants¡¯ eyes turned to where her gaze was. The Duke was walking around with someone. * * * ¡°¡­¡± Isilia lifted her cold eyes and looked forward. Her daughter was greeting children of her age. To be exact, Johan, the younger brother who held El¡¯s hand, was introducing her instead. Watching her small mouth munch, Isilia smiled. El, who couldn¡¯t speak, held her brother¡¯s hand and stood with him. Seeing her cute face, Isilia folded her fan to cover her mouth. The women approaching her flinched at her dark eyes. Noticing them, Isilia clicked her tongue and softened her looks. As soon as they saw golden eyes filled with warm light, the ladies approached. Isilia unfolded her fan after responding to the ladies who gave their greetings. Not showing facial expressions was the basis of conversation. There was no longer the same young girl who showed her emotions as they were. The girl who was willing to abandon everything for him. The girl who smiled even when her body was constricted with an uncomfortable corset, jewelry biting into her skin. How much effort did she put into reaching the top from that unmentionable reputation? As her bright gold eyes narrowed, the chattering wives shut their mouths. A subtle signal was exchanged among them. Even after noticing it, Isilia did not say a word. Perhaps encouraged by her soft atmosphere, Lady Han cautiously began. ¡°Where did the Duke¡­¡± Don¡¯t mess around, just spit it out. Isilia raised her eyes and looked at her straight. A dress adorned with jewels bothered her. Dressing more flashy than the main character, isn¡¯t this woman rude? Glancing at her daughter in her light blue dress, Isilia opened her mouth. (E/N: main character of the party, aka her daughter¨C it¡¯s a phrase commonly used in Korean novels.) ¡°He is now in the palace. He was caught off guard by an important letter that arrived suddenly this morning.¡± ¡°Is that so? You must have felt saddened, but it can¡¯t be helped, he must be busy.¡± She received a lot of similar words. Isilia looked at them and folded the fan she was holding. ¡°I hope your daughter won¡¯t be disappointed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried that she won¡¯t show it because she¡¯s very considerate. I¡¯m relieved that she looks happy thanks to you all.¡± ¡°Oh my, we are just grateful for your invitation. My daughter has been so excited since a week ago that she bragged about it¡­¡± She responded appropriately to the wives who flocked around her and gave words of consolation, and Isilia was lost in thought. She remembered him hugging his daughter who couldn¡¯t hide her disappointed eyes. His morning was with the woman. The woman, who had been standing since she saw him off, had stepped back from Isilia. As she turned around, her eyes glowed. After sending back her children who were curious about her appearance, Isilia stared at the woman. Seeing her stand silently, the woman bowed her head. ¡®What did I think when I saw her being polite?¡¯ Isilia turned towards her children. Looking back, the woman was bowing her head until she couldn¡¯t see her. Mari. Marilyn van Enderrick. The one and only woman in the Enderrick family. She is currently 23 years old, and her ex-fiance was a baron from a rural area. Even though she was from the Enderrick family with excellent swordsmanship and martial arts, she was well versed in her studies. Isilia looked up all the information she could find out about her. What interested Isilia was about the woman¡¯s fiance. If it was a small engagement with a rural noble, shouldn¡¯t there be a story behind its annulment? Chapter 2 End Of Romance ¨C 2 *** End of Romance ¨C 2 She looked around as she recalled the red hair of the head that bowed to her. Whether it was that she knew that it wasn¡¯t her place, she didn¡¯t see any red colours. Ruiyan was 26 years old, so she was 3 years younger than him. He said that despite being a woman, she was an aide to the current crown prince. As Ruiyan went to the Imperial Castle everyday for work, given their environment, perhaps him falling in love with that woman was a matter of course. ¡®Let me officially introduce her. This is Lady Marillian van Enderrick, who will be my mistress in the future.¡¯ His plainly-spoken words hurt her. Her husband spoke stiffly towards her and grabbed that woman¡¯s wrist. Isilia stared at the scene of his tender and careful touch without saying a word. ¡®Mari, this is my wife, Isilia von Endrians.¡¯ [Isilia, how many times have I said that it¡¯s not like that?] As she became immersed in her memories, Isilia closed her eyes. It was the fruits of her passionate courtship after about half a year. It was the first time he showed kindness. He didn¡¯t hide his annoyed expression¡­ But he spoke in the most gentle tone imaginable. Ruiyan¡¯s tone towards that woman made her swallow back the smile that was about to leave her. It was clearly different from the kind words that the fruits of her passionate courtship bore after half a year. It was perfectly gentle and he even spoke her nickname in front of her casually. A sense of emptiness overcame her. She found it amazing. It was almost commendable. The sincerity that she had used over a year to obtain, just how did that woman seduce him, such that he opened up that much. What method did that woman use to win his heart, and make him become so cordial¡­? She envied her. She hated her. ¡®Mari, this is my wife, Isilia von Endrians.¡¯ Ruiyan¡¯s eyes, his tone, and atmosphere. It was all unfamiliar to her. She has never experienced them before, so it could only have been unfamiliar. As it was her first time seeing such a side of him. It was the first time Isilia saw Ruiyan frankly showing that he was in love with someone. She was sure that it was love, as he behaved completely differently with her and others. But, he had someone that he was willing to show more emotions towards. ¡®Mari.¡¯ Through that woman¡¯s name, she heard a nickname that she has never heard before. Through that woman, she heard a gentle tone that she has never heard before. Through that woman, she now knew that he could use that kind of face to look at someone. As she looked at that woman, she realized that there was someone that he could show his love for more than her. Did he love me? The sudden doubt caused Isilia¡¯s eyes to shake. Did you ever love me? Seemingly not noticing her mother¡¯s disturbed expression, El approached and laughed. Looking at her lovely smile, Isilia faced her and smiled. ¡­ Did you not love me? [A perfect romance doesn¡¯t exist.] *** Perhaps it was due to her father, who was trusted by the emperor, invitations flooded in. She picked up a discreetly lying invitation she spotted from the pile of invitations that were left in a corner. Although it looked plain and simple, it didn¡¯t look unsophisticated. In the eyes of the young girl, it seemed very unique. Isilia opened the envelope. At the duke¡¯s mansion, where she was invited to, the young girl met him. ¡°Young Lord Endrians.¡± Ruiyan¡¯s expression hardened at the faint voice. As he stopped in his tracks, the child following behind him bumped into his back. Ruiyan let out a sigh as he looked at the way she looked up while gently caressing her nose. It has been seven days since the child started to chase him. A headache formed at the thought of the party that this girl turned upside down a week ago. She had declared her love for him the moment they had met, and it has become a regular occurrence. ¡®I like you, Young Lord¡¯ Then, she was bewildered by the fact that he passed her without a reply, despite the rudeness of that action. As a result of his actions, her golden eyes were filled with wounds. With golden hair and eyes, the visage of a child that has just turned sixteen. If an invitation was sent to such a child, then she must be the daughter of someone very important. ¡­He recalled the men whom the emperor had recently praised to have been hardworking. The emperor was someone that was a sucker for talented people. As long as it¡¯s a capable person, even if they are commoners, the emperor would raise them as noblemen at once. Before such an emperor, the competent count from the Agnes family said that he would return to the countryside, causing the emperor to become alarmed. His officials were also quick to dissuade him. The Imperial Castle was always short of people. Moreover, the Count was in charge of complicated work, and there were not enough talented people in that field. ¡°¡­¡± He felt complicated at the sight of the daughter of the person that turned the Imperial castle abuzz. When their eyes met, she smiled. Ruiyan sighed while looking at the curved eyes that seemed as though it was soaked in honey. Her shining eyes that stared at him like a chick, made him find it cute yet speechless at the same time. As Ruiyan had expected, the girl was just a child who had just stepped into high society. ¡°Young Lord?¡± ¡°Young Lady Agnes.¡± She gave a smile like flowers were blooming when he called her. As he looked at the child, whose expressions were written all over her face, Ruiyan opened his mouth. ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, it hasn¡¯t been long since the Young Lady made her social debut. I¡¯m afraid that because of me, the flower in the starting stages of blossoming would wither without blooming.¡± He chose his words as carefully as he could, but the meaning behind his words was to stop chasing after him. Perhaps this little girl would understand from this. But when she smiled lightly when their eyes met, Ruiyan let out a sigh. ¡®It seems that she didn¡¯t understand.¡¯ The girl¡¯s thoughts were apparent. Unwilling to speak words that were unsuitable with his own mouth, Ruiyan¡¯s forehead narrowed. ¡°I like you, Young Lord.¡± Other than that¡­ Does she even know what that means? Although his thoughts were slightly disrespectful, Ruiyan was at the limit of his patience. She continued to confess to him even though he acted cold and emotionless. Every day, when he made eye contact with her, the little girl would express her feelings. ¡°I don¡¯t like you.¡± He spat coldly and turned around. The red cheeks that hovered around disappeared from his view. As he continued walking with a faster pace, he could hear the footsteps of someone following behind. ¡°I like you, Young Lord.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ruiyan frowned. She was just a count¡¯s daughter¡­ If it wasn¡¯t for the emperor¡¯s excessive interest, he would have long since taken care of the child who kept bothering him. Perhaps the child had noticed his discomfort, so she remained silent. Ruiyan became satisfied with the quiet atmosphere, and began moving his feet. A uniformed man holding a bunch of documents ran towards him. Wondering if it was urgent, Ruiyan clicked his tongue at the fact that he was caught by the child and wasted time dealing with her. ¡°Do you like me?¡± His hands stiffened as he opened the documents handed over by a man from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The man glanced at him and the little girl with a face of surprise. Ruiyan sighed, ignoring the man¡¯s curious gaze. ¡°Do you like me?¡± Ruiyan handed back the documents silently. The child often followed her father in and out of the Imperial Castle. Recently, while looking for a justification to keep the count in the capital, the emperor caught sight of her and made her the playmate of the crown prince, who was of the same age as her. ¡®¡­So she¡¯s that irresponsible?¡¯ After dismissing the man, Ruiyan turned to leave. The cheeks filled with redness entered his eyes. ¡°Young Lady, I¡¯ve told you repeatedly that I don¡¯t like the Young Lady. I don¡¯t even have a favourable impression of you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was annoying that the child made judgements to her own liking. He had only let her be as he found it troublesome, but she just had to make him speak harshly. It was the first time that he spoke rudely towards another in such a short period of time. When he had finished revealing his true feelings and looked at the girl, the child lowered her head with a hurt expression at the sight of his eyes filled with irritation. ¡®She won¡¯t be chasing after me anymore,¡¯ Ruiyan¡¯s face eased. As he turned around with a lighter mood to leave¨C ¡°I like you.¡± The tender voice that resounded behind him angered him. ¡®I should be more stern.¡¯ Ruiyan looked back at the girl with a frown on his face. Golden eyes filled with a strong determination entered his vision. ¡°So, I¡¯m sorry. Sir Ruiyan.¡± ¡°Haa¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t do anything about her calling his name without his permission. He was rendered speechless at how things didn¡¯t go the way he expected. Apparently when people go through something absurd, they can¡¯t come to their senses. The girl confidently declared that she couldn¡¯t give up because she liked him. At the sight of this, Ruiyan was at a loss on what to say.