Night of the Abandoned Duchess

Chapter 42

Rosalind paused for a moment at Albert’s question. However, she soon grinned and responded calmly.

“Oh, no. It’s not like that… By the way, the last time the Baron agreed to say that he was Leo’s father, the Duke knew it all. So, I show Leo to his father twice a week, and they spend time together. It’s a little more difficult than I thought, and sometimes I don’t know… Like that.”

“That’s what happened. You must have been troubled in many ways.”

“Though fortunately, the Duke seems to be a good father to Leo. That’s enough… That’s enough for me.”

As if to change the mood, she again took the bouquet to the tip of her nose. Even though she was grateful for the flowers Albert had bought for her, her mood did not fully improve.

“And, another reason I came… If it’s okay with you, I want to help.”

“Yes?”

“Things about your father have not been finalized yet. The culprit wasn’t caught, and you said that he was stabbed several times and suffered a lot? I would like to help investigate the case.”

“…That’s true, but I don’t know why you’re trying to help me so much. To be honest, I think it’s a bit too much of a favor.”

“I think of you when I see flowers, I want to help with something. I want to have dinner with you… Why do I always want to be overly friendly to Rosalind?”

At the end of Albert’s gaze, there were Rosalind’s purple eyes. She had eyes as beautiful as the flowers she was holding.

“Actually, I often remember the expression on your face I saw at the funeral. I’ve lost my parents, too. I guess that’s what I remember. That’s why I want to show myself to you.”

As she was speechless, he continued in a calm voice.

“I was wondering if it might be of some help as my close friend works at the Imperial Palace. Of course, I’ll ask for help when you say yes. I am adding this in case you misunderstand that I am being one-sided and self-righteous.”

“No. I’m not misunderstanding.”

Rosalind shook her head slightly and continued.

“Still, I never thought of you that way, so… I sincerely appreciate the favor, but I’m a little confused… To me, the Baron is like a friend, and I am grateful to you for helping me.”

Even she guessed that his favor was more than an ordinary friend. She thought she shouldn’t confuse him, as long as he was certain of it today.

“I know. Rosalind thinks of me that way. Can’t you still accept it? I know this is a bit cowardly, though… you always thanked me.”

“Of course. You’re the one who helped me when I moved there and was unfamiliar and had a difficult time.”

“So, how do you feel about repaying that gratitude?”

Was he being such a coward? He smiled shyly.

Rosalind glanced at him quietly before spitting her words out in a small voice.

“…I’ll be grateful for your help.”

At that, she nodded her head towards the gentleman in front of her.

* * *
A soft light shone softly over Leo’s face. Beside him, Rosalind was patting the child and telling him old tales.

The child was yawning, rubbing his eyes with the little hand, as he was drowsy as he listened.

“The prince was unable to approach because the giant dragon was breathing fire. So, in the end, the prince couldn’t save the princess. The princess, who felt so sorry for the prince, made a plan to stab the dragon and run away secretly while the dragon was asleep as the night went on.”

“Huh, really?”

“The dragon lives forever, so he cannot be killed. She thought she would have to run away after hurting him so that he wouldn’t follow her.”

“So, what happened?”

Leo asked with a sleepy face.

He always took a nap at this time, though seeing that he was forcing his sleep back, he must be curious about the next story.

“But, the moment she was about to leave, the princess realized that if she left, the dragon would be left alone. In fact, it was the dragon who first showed the world to the princess who was confined to the castle.”

“It’s strange, the story. It’s different.”

“The original story is all strange. It’s not fun when you’re expecting it. isn’t it?”

Rosalind whispered playfully, and the sound of a child’s laughter erupted.

Kyle was watching the two of them from a distance. As she took Leo to his castle to keep her promise of letting him see Leo twice a week, she didn’t even make eye contact with him. However, the fact that she was there, anyway, gave him a little relief.

‘It was what the Marchioness said in the letter. Leo is my child.’

He thought he did a good job keeping Leo and her next to him, even with shallow lies. Though soon, he felt mean and ridiculous. Even looking back, it was a strangely blind emotion.

…Why was he so desperate for her?

“The princess with the lamp was worried as she looked at the dragon under the light. She would either stab the dragon or leave the dragon… The dagger was shining like a call for blood, although before it, the princess stood still for a very long time.”

Leo’s eyelids blinked and moved slowly.

After coming to the castle today, filling his stomach, and walking around the garden for a long time, he looked tired.

Rosalind gradually lowered her voice, noticed that Leo’s eyes were completely closed, and eventually covered him with the blanket. After pulling it to his chest, she gently stroked the child’s soft cheeks and curly golden hair.

“…So, what happened?”

It was then that Kyle’s voice came from behind Rosalind.

“What happened after she found out that the dragon will be left alone? Did she stab him? Did she run away?”

Rosalind turned her head slightly.

But, for a moment, she shifted her gaze to Leo again. She then replied, in a dry voice, in which she felt no emotion.

“In the end, the princess stabbed the dragon and ran away, and the dragon was left alone for the rest of his life. Despite the fact that the dragon regretted everything, it was already too late.”

“I see.”

His voice in response was firm, yet somewhat bitter. He added the words as if he had just remembered.

“Oh, I bought some clothes for you, would you like to try them on? You said that before. If you wear nice clothes, it will make the day fun.”

“It’s okay. I don’t want to talk to the Duke anymore. When Leo wakes up from his nap, I’ll take him with me.”

After her firm answer, R0salind got up from her seat and brushed past him. His voice came out a bit hastily as if holding on to her.

“Rosalind.”

“Your voice is loud. The child will wake up. I’ll leave for now.”

Saying so, she opened the door and left without any regrets, leaving him behind. Kyle followed behind her and opened his mouth with a heavy voice towards her.

“I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?”

Her eyes turned sharply towards him. She wondered what he was sorry about? There was curiosity in her eyes.

“Is it Olivia…? Of course, pushing Leo is unforgivable, but it’s not the Duke’s fault. You didn’t know that Olivia was going to mess with Leo, and you knew it was my misunderstanding when I found out about what happened in the past. I misunderstood like a fool.”

“Rosalind…”

While Kyle’s voice was full of emotions, her voice was clear and uncluttered. It was so clean that it sounded a little cold.

“Though I mean… That’s what I thought. If I had asked about it back then, it wouldn’t have been this difficult for so long. Still, four years ago, I couldn’t ask. I was scared. It’s scary to hear the truth, so I can’t ask you? That was the most difficult and scary.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry…”

“Because I have hurt you so much.”

Rosalind’s quiet breath trembled.

It wasn’t just because of Olivia that she left him. It wasn’t just because she was found to be infertile.

If they had been in a normal marital relationship, even if Olivia was there, even if she was diagnosed with infertility, they were misunderstandings and feelings that would eventually be resolved. It took too long for her to realize that the problem was ‘them,’ not Olivia or infertility

“But, even knowing that… I can’t let you go until the end.”

He continued to stare at Rosalind and speak to her.

“I can’t live without you now. Looking back, it was from the beginning. Just looking at you makes me angry, nervous, frustrated, annoyed… It wasn’t until you left that I knew it was called love.”

It was too late…

“…Rosalind, I realized it too late.”

She didn’t answer anything.

Love, was it because of the weight that those words gave…?

Kyle slowly walked over to her. He reached out and tucked her little wavy hair behind her ear. She was confused. The way he treated her was so different from before. She knew he was clinging to her, though she didn’t know the word ‘love’ would come out of his mouth.

“Can’t you hate me next to me as much as I was mean?”

His characteristic low voice sounded earnest and affectionate.

“It’s okay if you don’t love me. I do not care.”

‘…I couldn’t dare ask for that from her.’

His fingertips gently brushed his cheeks.

“You don’t have to treat me like you used to. Just stay by my side… Can’t the three of us live with Leo like this? I, I….will live with a heart of atonement for the rest of my life.”

…Yes? He spoke impatiently as if pleading.

It was a little while later that Rosalind, who had just stared at him without moving, finally moved her lips.

“…I always felt abandoned. Even on those nights we held each other, I always felt abandoned. All that was left of me was the façade of the Duchess.”

Because her voice was calm, it felt much more sincere than temporary emotions like anger or hate.

“So, I don’t know if that’s a good thing. Just like when I was on land and then suddenly boarded a boat, so many things have changed, and the gap makes me tremble. I need time to get used to it.”

“Can’t you adapt by my side…?”

He responded quickly enough.

“As a family… If you don’t like living as a couple, you might think that you are living as a family. The three of us with Leo.”

He gazed at Rosalind as though pleading.

Still, she only kept her silence. The moment she opened her mouth again, Kyle quickly stopped.

“You don’t have to answer me now. You have plenty of time to think, so don’t rush to answer. Think about it for a long time, and answer in a positive way as much as possible.”

‘…Please.’

Rosalind stared at him at the desperate voice. His eyes sank even deeper. He, who had never shown any hesitation, was hesitating.

“I won’t ask you to forgive me. me Just once…”

“I don’t know if thinking about it will make a difference. I’ll go see Leo.”

She couldn’t watch him any longer, so in the end, she turned away from him. That was all she could do now.

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────