Betrayal of Dignity

Episode 28

Chloe looked at him silently. Damien continued, looking happily at the resentment and anxiety that filled her eyes.

“You don’t seem to understand the meaning of those words, so let me tell you. It means that in my absence, you have the same duties and rights as me. It is an insult to me to chew and swallow this kind of food. Since we decided to dictate Tisse’s surname, it seems that even most nobles should know that with common sense.”

At Damien’s sharp words, Priscilla and the servants’ faces all had similar expressions. The Duchess, who had done nothing wrong, was able to bear his arrows, but everyone’s head might go flying instead, so no one opened their mouths.

“… Duke.”

Finally, as Chloe swallowed dry saliva and looked straight at him, Damien gestured arrogantly and nodded.

“Tell me.”

“As the Duke’s companion and the hostess of Tisse Castle, I would like to ask you sincerely.”

Priscilla’s eyebrows gathered silently between her forehead. It was true, but she couldn’t say anything. Since the previous duke died, the owner of this castle was Damien, who had inherited the title.

This means that Chloe, who is married to him, is the de facto hostess of the castle and has more decision-making power than Priscilla. Contrary to Priscilla’s crumpled expression, an interesting light flashed through Damien’s eyes.

“As the hostess, the first request you make to me is to rescue the impudent servant.”

“Yes, Duke.”

Chloe was using the shield for the first time.

“Will you please release your anger and give them one more chance? A chance to make sure you show me what a great Tisse dinner is.”

There was silence for a moment in the dining room filled with tension. Damien, who had been silently looking at her, finally turned around and hung the shotgun on the wall, and breathless sighs of relief flowed from here and there. But no one could fully relax, neither could Chloe.

“Wife.”

At the end of the spacious mahogany table, Damien stretched out his arms to her.

What are you doing now?

Damien smiled beautifully as Chloe narrowed her eyes.

“Come here.”

Her anxious foreboding was correct.

“…yes?”

“Instead of granting your request, wouldn’t it be okay to receive an award like this?”

Chloe’s tiny lips trembled. The duke was just waiting for her with his arms outstretched. Chloe reached for the cane that was on the table, and then walked towards him one step at a time.

The duke’s table was very long, and Chloe could not walk quickly. Everyone in the room clearly saw Chloe limping and walking towards Damien, and he looked at her as if she was  the world’s most adorable prey.

“If that’s what you want, I can’t help it.”

Damien finally embraced the Duchess, who had finally come to him, and whispered as he hugged her in his arms. Everyone blushed at the sight of the Duke kissing Chloe’s soft hair affectionately, and leaning his head down and whispering sweetly as he put his lips on her cheek.

“But now that we have more urgent matters than waiting for a new dinner, let us defer your request to tomorrow morning, my love.”

No one could see Chloe’s astonished face, as Damien put his large hand in Chloe’s soft hair and pulled her closer.

“Can I tell you a secret?”

“…….”

“None of the shotguns on the wall are loaded, Chloe.”

Chloe was the only one who heard Damien whispering to her like a devil whose voice was mixed with laughter.

“I really enjoy the moment when you are forced to come to me with a crazy expression that shows hatred.”

Chloe sincerely wanted to learn how to put gunpowder in a shotgun no matter what. If it was now, she really thought she could shoot someone.

***

The duke’s wish, who wanted to take his bride to the bedroom immediately, did not come true. Because Chloe, whose face was red to the neck, insisted that the meal should be over no matter what.

Mrs. Dutton rolled up her sleeves as if she had been waiting, and showed off her skills by constantly serving food that Damien was satisfied with.

Chloe had to savor every bite during an embarrassing evening to put what she had said into practice.

After eating dessert, she wondered if she would be free now, but the Duke suggested socializing time with the family that hadn’t been gathered for a long time.

Sweet champagne was delivered to the living room decorated as a personal space, and Priscilla talked with Damien with a relieved expression as if everything was well.

Chloe played the piano during that time. To be precise, it was an order disguised as the Duke’s suggestion that she should play the piano. Chloe didn’t refuse, she agreed.

She didn’t even know that it was probably for this moment that she had worked hard to learn the piano for her sick mother. Chloe started playing with deep gratitude that she did not have to talk to these two people of the Tisse family.

“It’s a song of light on a moonlit night.”

Next to Priscilla, who bit the biscuit and said it, Damien smiled silently.

“Isn’t that a great performance?”

“It is, but…”

Enthusiasm was instilled in the performance that began to speed up. The piano sound, which defied Priscilla’s expectations for a sweet and gentle nocturne, resounded powerfully.

“You’ve brought someone so wild to be your bride, Damien.”

“Yes. Mother.”

Damien put the glass to his lips as he watched Chloe play while pedaling with her strong legs. The melody ran quickly. Damien wiped his lips with his tongue as he watched Chloe continue to play unstoppably as if she had no intention of overhearing their conversation.

Running Chloe.

The figure of Chloe running to death to escape from him naturally came to mind. Damien thought for a moment what it would have been like if she had strong legs. Would she have been here now?

Damien was very curious about her running away face. But even if Chloe’s running miracle happened, it seemed that what he could see was not her face, but her back. It didn’t matter.

“…She would have run away.”

“Yes? What?”

Damien opened his mouth slowly to Priscilla, who sat next to him and blinked innocently.

“I haven’t seen the handmaiden since before, what’s going on?”

“That is….”

Priscilla hesitated to speak, but finally opened her mouth, pretending to be calm.

“Anyway, I was going to tell you when you came. In fact, Eliza made a small mistake.”

“Why? Did my wife catch her stealing the castle’s expenses?”

Priscilla looked at Damien in shock, but he tilted his head at an angle and just fixed his gaze on Chloe, who was playing.

“How did you know that? If… Have you heard anything from your wife already?”

“My wife and I haven’t had time to be alone yet, Mother.”

Damien smiled and gave her a sneaky glance.

“Then how….”

“When I asked you about how my wife was doing at the table, didn’t mother say that the Duchess had been buried in the ledger all this time? The reason I turned a blind eye to Eliza knowing that she wasn’t very good was because she was pretty good at pleasing you, mother.”

Damien finally looked at Priscilla and clicked his tongue as if it were a pity.

“It seems difficult to pretend not to know unless someone reveals it.”

“Damien, but Eliza and Robinson have been in this house before you were born.”

“Was there another unclean person? Haha. It seems that Birch Castle has become a den of thieves while I was away.”

Priscilla was left speechless as she watched him raise his eyebrows as if it was absurd. As soon as the performance was over, Damien slowly clapped his hands. Chloe put her hands down on the keys, breathing heavily like a fast-runner.

“It was a wonderful performance. Duchess.”

“Thank you.”

Chloe was not at all pleased with Damien’s praise who was whispering something secretly with his mother throughout the performance. The night was getting deeper, and Damien opened his mouth to Chloe, who was hesitant about how to show her intention to leave.

“It seems my mother is heartbroken that she has fired some of her old servants herself. I guess we’ll have to go to bed early today.”

It was one of the most pleasant words she had ever heard.

“Have a good rest.”

Chloe greeted Priscilla quietly and Priscilla politely greeted her back, while Damien also greeted his mother in a friendly way.

“It will be a long trip to the southern villa tomorrow. Good night.”

“Villa… ?”

When Priscilla asked a question in bewilderment at the situation in which she did not agree at all, Damien gently took her hand.

“I’m back from a long absence, so Birch Castle will be crowded for a while, but my mother doesn’t like to have guests come and go. The troublesome work that is left for the Duchess now is to rest. You’ve been through a lot.”

“Damien…”

Priscilla and Chloe’s eyes widened at the same time. Damien spoke naturally.

“If you wish, I will attach the two servants who have been fired. But I don’t want to recommend it. They are too cunning to understand the nature of my beautiful mother.”