Baby Prisoner of the Winter Castle

However, until this day, Brielle had not been able to spend a couple’s night with Maximilian.

It was the same on the day of the wedding.

Brielle was wearing the shameful clothes that Bessie had put on her, but he just said ‘It’s cold here at night’ and went back to his bedroom. 

After that, they just treated each other awkwardly.

If Brielle had to pick a time in this marriage that she was most comfortable with, it was the half year when Maximilian went to war.

Back then, Bessie didn’t even nag at Brielle. 

‘It’s much more comfortable now because Bessie isn’t here, but…’

However, it didn’t mean that she could comfortably enjoy the life of the lady of the house here. 

She didn’t have the regular letters from Bessie, and the thought that the Count Darrington might do something made her always feel uneasy. 

Nevertheless, she didn’t want to ask the Duke to release Bessie, who had harmed the child so much, so Brielle decided to solve this problem herself.

She writes the letter to her father and pretends to be Bessie. 

It seemed that at least this way the Count would continue to take good care of her mother.

However, she couldn’t confidently leave this letter to the postman in charge of the Duchy, so she decided to sneak out of the mansion, put it in the mailbox, and return. 

Although she was caught on the way back.

‘I’m glad I put the letter in the village mailbox… The Duke thinks of me even more strangely, right?’

What will happen if he finds out about her identity?

‘I’m going to go to prison.’

Since a commoner faked being an aristocrat and married him who was royalty, she might face the death penalty.

It was true that she had committed such a crime, so Brielle wasn’t at all afraid of being punished. 

‘But my mother…’

She was an innocent woman.

No, she even picked up Brielle abandoned in the hunting grounds of nobles and raised her like her own daughter, so she must be said to be a very kind person. 

‘I hope I don’t get caught at least until my mother’s illness is cured.’

After that, she thought she would reveal her identity to the Duke and be punished. 

“I’m sorry… Duke.” 

She whispered a sincere apology toward the tightly closed door.

It was because it was so painful to deceive an upright and honest person.

Just then, as if responding to her apology, there was a knocking sound. 

Knock, knock.

Even from the Duke’s room.

“…Y, yes?!” 

She stuttered as she answered, startled. The door opened, and the Duke, who had brought her medicine, came back to her. 

“Sorry. There are knights going in and out through the outer gate.”

He said it as if the couple shouldn’t be seen in the same room. 

“Ah…” 

“I will take a look. Could you please excuse me?”

He lowered the bright lamp near her ankles and carefully lifted the hem of her dress that covered her wound.

“I need to disinfect first. Since it was cut by iron, you should also take the medicine I brought.” 

“I, I….” 

While Brielle hesitated, his hand wrapped around the top of his foot and held it.

He focused only on the treatment, not paying attention to anything other than the wound.

“….” 

Brielle forgot that she had to refuse such kindness and just stared at him.

She knew it as soon as she met him, but he was a very nice person.

He was a waste to be the mate of a lowly woman like her. 

Perhaps even the real Lady Asela is not good enough for a man like this.

Perhaps if he goes to the royal palace in the capital, there will be a nice lady who can match this kind of person. 

‘Someday…’

Even this noble man will find a woman suitable for him and confess his desperate heart. 

Just like now, sitting on one knee.

Imagining that scene made Brielle’s cheeks turn red for some reason.

Even though she wouldn’t be the one to actually hear that.

“You can just tell me.”

Then, suddenly, while quietly continuing the treatment, he spoke slowly.

“If you have someone else to send and receive letters with.”

The low, heavy voice somehow seemed to stifle Brielle’s breath.

“I can send it to you in secret.”

“No, I…” 

“I knew.”

Brielle froze when he raised his head and answered.

What do you know…?

Could it be that he found out that she was fake? Her heart started beating fast with anxiety.

“You always… that you are thinking of someone else.”

“…Yes?” 

“From the beginning, I thought I should let you go someday. I know that no woman… wants a marriage like this.”

Maximilian carefully laid her feet down on the carpet after lightly wrapping the bandage over the treated wound.

“I will definitely set you free on the day the king and queen stop caring about me any more.”

“….” 

“Fortunately, we can annul the marriage, so your reputation will not be damaged.”

He stood up, holding the lamp he had placed beside her.

The basket with the medicine seemed to be left here just in case.

“Then.” 

He lightly bowed his head and turned away from Brielle. 

“….” 

Brielle blankly looked at his back. She wondered what the heck she was hearing.

Thinking of someone else? 

It couldn’t be.

“D, Duke!” 

Brielle rose from her seat and called him.

She felt pain in her ankle, which had just been treated, but she tried to ignore it.

Maximilian stopped walking.

Soon his black eyes turned to her.

“…”

As a result, Brielle was at a loss for words again.

No, come to think of it, she had nothing to say in the first place.

She had to be grateful that now he was thinking of her, not so different from hers.

It means maintaining a marriage for a certain period of time and ending it quietly.

Maybe she can get out of here without being punished.

Isn’t it a real pleasure?

‘…But why?’

Contrary to her thoughts, Brielle felt as if her heart was being crushed by a heavy stone. 

“Are you okay?”

“Ah… yes.” 

Brielle struggled to straighten her posture and bowed deeply.

“Thank you, Duke.”

And she said what she had to say.

When she raised her head again, his gaze seemed to shake strangely for a moment, but Brielle thought it was an illusion given by the dark night. 

Immediately, Maximilian nodded slightly.

“I… just do what I have to do. Now take your medicine and go to sleep.”

“Yes I will.”

“The night is cold.”

At the same story that she heard on the first night, Brielle somehow stared at him. With a faint smile.

Her heart hurt a little while ago, so why can she feel better so quickly?

“Ah, the Duke too…!” 

Realizing that the time spent just looking at him had gotten longer, Brielle quickly tried to say good-bye to him as well. 

But he had already hurriedly turned around and returned to his room.

“…Good night.” 

The small muttered greeting soon faded into silence.

She wasn’t disappointed.

Because the noble man and Brielle were not in a position to be together anyway.

She tried to smile. After today, they probably wouldn’t have met much anyway.

As always.

* * *

Bessie shared a room with other prisoners when she was in the dungeon.

‘Oh my, it’s dirty.’

She was afraid of the prisoners, but she was also afraid of the lowly humans and the fact that she was one of them.

Bessie squatted in a corner of the cell with her lips pressed together.

As she struggled with the worm on the spot, she was sure that this terrible life wouldn’t last very long. 

For the Duchess, no, to the fake Brielle, Bessie was an important existence. 

If she didn’t write up her reports periodically and send them, old Mrs. Woods, Brielle’s mother, wouldn’t be able to receive treatment.

So, if she waited a little bit, she believed that Brielle would do everything she could to get her out of this terrible prison.

However, no matter how much time passed, Brielle never came to the dungeon.

Betty was getting more and more impatient.

‘No way, could it be that she pretended to be me and sent a letter?’

Now that she thinks about it, Brielle seemed like she was just nice, but that wasn’t always the case.

Isn’t she the woman who has been fooling the Duke for three years? 

For such an impudent woman, sending a fake letter to the Count would be nothing.

‘If that’s really the case… You’re saying I’m gonna rot here forever?!’

Bessie comes to her senses. 

Now she couldn’t wait here quietly.

‘I can’t do that. Now that it’s like this, I have to do something!’

Sir Benson happened to pass in front of Bessie’s prison when she was worried.

It was to patrol the dungeon once a day. 

When he passed in front of the prison, all the prisoners in the same prison would stick to the bars and say words of mercy.

That doesn’t mean Benson gives them an answer.

However, Bessie had never done such a miserable thing.

Benson, like her, was of commoner origin. To think that he had to beg someone who had the same status as him. Isn’t it a matter of great pride?

But now wasn’t the time to say what their position was. 

“Sir Benson!”

Bessie ran in front of the bars for the first time.