HBL 2

Chapter 2

It all began two months ago.

While her husband, Duke Lois, was away on an extended business trip, Saronne called the family doctor as she had not been feeling well for some time.

Leaning weakly against the bed, she asked in a feeble voice.

“How is my condition?”

The seasoned physician had been checking her pulse with a serious expression on his face, but he soon broke into a wide smile.

“Congratulations, my lady. It seems you are pregnant.”

“Is that… really true?”

The news was unexpected. Saronne’s eyes widened in surprise as she asked again, overwhelmed with joy.

The seasoned physician nodded with a smile. The warmth returned to Saronne’s pale face.

“Ah… at last…”

Tears welled up in her eyes as she tenderly placed a hand over her flat belly.

‘A child who has come to me after all these years.’

It had been several years since she became Duchess, but conceiving a child had never been easy.

Because of that, she had endured many disapproving glances from the elders of the ducal family.

Despite her kind reputation, rumors and whispers began to circulate due to her inability to conceive.

‘Each time I wavered, it was my husband who comforted me…’

Day by day, gratitude and guilt had quietly accumulated.

And finally, today, a new life had found her, like a blessing.

Saronne’s expression brightened as she turned to the maid standing nearby.

“Has there still been no word from him?”

“No, my lady. The last letter came four days ago, saying he’d be a little delayed.”

“Is that so…?”

Saronne looked at the maid and her expression turned noticeably downcast.

‘If Diego had heard the news about the baby, he would’ve been so happy.’

She couldn’t help but feel disappointed that he was away at such a time.

‘It’s already been over two weeks.’

Her thoughts drifted to her husband, who had suddenly left on a business trip, saying it was urgent.

‘What could’ve been so pressing?’

Diego had never been away for this long before, which made Saronne all the more worried. It also saddened her that she couldn’t share the news of the child with him right away.

Despite the lonely ache in her heart, she gently caressed the place where the baby now resided, holding on to her joy in her own quiet way—

—when suddenly—

“My lady! A message just arrived from the master!”

One of the servants came running in, bringing the news.

Startled, Saronne lifted her head, her face lighting up with anticipation.

“From my husband? What did he say?”

“He said he’ll be arriving in time to attend the banquet the day after tomorrow without delay.”

It was the annual social banquet hosted at the Duke of Lois’s estate — an event that had been held without fail every year since Saronne married into the family. Regardless of the circumstances, her husband had always insisted on maintaining that particular tradition.

Relieved at the prospect of seeing her husband in just four days, Saronne relaxed her expression.

‘If I tell Diego the news that day, he’ll be so surprised!’

A smile crept onto her lips as she quietly planned how to surprise him. Soon, the day of the banquet arrived.

Saronne, lost in thought as she checked the time, slowly rose from her seat.

‘Diego’s late…’

The banquet was about to begin, and yet he still hadn’t returned.

‘Could something have happened on the way back?’

A fleeting, uneasy thought crossed her mind. But if there had been an accident, word would’ve surely reached them by now.

‘He’ll make it before the banquet ends.’

She let out a soft sigh and gave her reflection in the mirror one last look. Her gently cascading brown hair and green eyes, which seemed to reflect summer, were the first things to catch the eye.

Her features were flawlessly arranged — striking yet elegant.

After adjusting her attire one last time, she stepped out to greet the guests, alone or not.

“Oh my, Duchess Lois! How long has it been?”

“My Lady Emile, thank you for taking the time to attend,”

Setting aside her worries, Saronne greeted the guests who had come from afar with a warm smile. The lavishly decorated banquet hall looked breathtaking.

‘If only he arrived, everything would be perfect…’

Come to think of it, how should she tell him about the baby?

As she mingled with the guests, considering the best way to break the news—

Saronne suddenly felt a gaze settle on her.

Lifting her head in curiosity, she easily spotted the source of the stare.

Their eyes met—striking blue against green—and she froze.

‘That man is…’

A tall figure stood out from the crowd, holding a long champagne flute. His bright blonde hair shimmered like sunlight beneath the chandelier.

Although the person beside him was speaking animatedly — presumably his companion — the man had turned his head slightly, his eyes fixed solely on Saronne.

‘…One of my husband’s guests, perhaps?’

Momentarily forgetting her unease, Saronne found herself staring back until she came to her senses.

He was so handsome, it nearly broke her grip on reality.

Even the ladies nearby had gone still, mesmerized by his appearance.

Though he wasn’t particularly close to Duke Lois or herself, he never missed the annual banquet held at the ducal estate.

He was Prince Leobint—the man said to be the most handsome in the entire kingdom.

Many guests came to these banquets solely in hopes of catching a glimpse of him.

‘Seeing all the attention he draws… I finally understood just how extraordinary he is.’

Shifting uncomfortably, Saronne looked away first.

‘Why is he staring at me like that?’

Come to think of it, when she greeted him earlier, his gaze had felt strangely persistent even then. Polite, but with an odd intensity…

“Over there—isn’t that Lord Lois?”

Suddenly, murmurs spread across the banquet hall.

Saronne snapped back to attention.

‘Is Diego finally here?’

Relieved to think her husband hadn’t arrived too late after all, a smile lit up her face—

—until she noticed the odd reaction among the guests.

“Oh my goodness, look over there…!”

Several people raised their fans in shock to cover their gaping mouths.

‘What’s going on?’

Following the rising commotion, Saronne quickly turned her head—

—and instantly froze in disbelief.

‘What… in the world…’

Right at the height of the evening, when all eyes were naturally drawn to the center of attention…

Her husband appeared.

And he wasn’t alone—he arrived with a woman Saronne had never seen before.

“Who is that woman? How can she be standing so close to Lord Lois?”

“But doesn’t she kind of resemble the Duchess?”

Someone’s whispered remark sent a chill racing up Saronne’s spine. An eerie sensation brushed across her chest.

Soft brown hair and clear forest-green eyes. The woman standing beside Diego—her appearance…

Bore an unsettling resemblance to Saronne herself.

At that moment, the source of all this chaos, Diego Lois, finally opened his mouth.

“Apologies for the delay. There was someone I absolutely had to bring to this banquet.”

He slipped one arm around the woman’s waist. She was smaller than Saronne in build, delicate in appearance, and, after glancing around the room, quietly stood close to the Duke.

“When you think about it, she’s always been the true star of these gatherings. Though this is the first time I’m formally introducing her to everyone…”

Saronne had never seen her husband’s normally composed eyes so alight with joy.

After pausing for a moment, he continued.

“This is Vivian, someone I once held very dear.”

A collective gasp swept through the room at the name that left his lips.

Vivian—the fallen noblewoman who once lit up gossip columns with scandal. Better known by another title… Duke Lois’s first love.

“No…”

His wife resembled his first love.

And now, he was claiming that the true centerpiece of these years-long banquets—was that woman.

An ominous thought surged through Saronne’s mind, and before she realized it, she instinctively stepped back.

The murmurs among the guests grew louder. And in the midst of the commotion, Diego and Saronne’s eyes met.

But unlike his usual warmth, his gaze was cool, even cold. Then, as if nothing was wrong, he calmly turned his head away.

And spoke.