Chapter 15
It wasn’t until evening that Kun’s letter arrived. The letters had usually arrived at the same time each week, but this time no reply had come. Was he especially busy? A few days passed without a letter, and Chloe felt gloomy.
She hadn’t expected it today either, but by nightfall, the familiar envelope was in its usual place. The gloom that had clung to her all day vanished. Chloe opened the envelope with a cheerful expression as if nothing had happened.
“Sorry for being late. I didn’t have the chance to send this sooner.”
He had skipped his usual warm greeting, perhaps because he was genuinely busy. The content was so brief it only filled half the page.
“…Well, if he really is that busy, I should at least be glad he sent something.”
Actually, the brevity of the letter wasn’t a real problem. After exchanging letters nearly every day, it was natural that they were running out of things to say.
What really concerned Chloe was the subtle change in his tone.
It was unexpectedly curt and irritable, and Chloe, who had never seen him like this, was bewildered.
“P.S. I read the newspaper, Chloe. I am truly glad to see you living a happy life, my friend. Yes, truly.”
The postscript carried a hint of sarcasm. He wouldn’t act like this just because he was busy. So perhaps Chloe had unknowingly caused it.
‘Did I do something wrong?’
She thought it over, but no clear answer came. Chloe wasn’t stupid or insensitive. Although inexperienced in deep emotional exchanges with the opposite sex, and having never been in a romantic relationship before, she had tried to reason through the situation—but couldn’t arrive at the truth.
“To my somewhat sulky friend. Are you angry about something?”
Chloe did her best: confront him directly. She wrote the letter quickly and went down to have an early dinner. Not because she was hungry, but because she wanted to distract herself from overthinking.
She usually ate a simple meal, but today she specially requested a different menu from the chef. The chef, looking displeased, began preparing it.
When the aroma of the food began to fill the air, the dishes arrived: soup served in a bread bowl, specifically crab cream soup in a hollowed-out loaf. She scooped the soup with the bread inside, letting it soften in the creamy sauce before savoring it.
‘What if he doesn’t reply? Wouldn’t that seem rude?’
Even though she had come to eat, her thoughts still revolved around her friend. Looking back, she worried she may have written her letter too playfully. Perhaps he had expressed anger, and she should have taken the matter more seriously.
The spoon in her hand heated from the soup. Startled, she hurriedly put it down.
“Helena?”
The empty seat beside her was suddenly filled. Helena stood there, disheveled and pale, looking like a ghost. Her eyes were dark, glaring, and wide open. Then she raised her voice.
“Enjoying your meal, Princess?”
Helena sprang toward Chloe’s side.
“What did you do to deserve having food in your mouth?”
Her shrill voice struck Chloe’s ears.
Clang! A glass broke. The plate Chloe had been enjoying moments ago shattered, scattering bread and soup across the floor.
Chloe vaguely understood why Helena was angry—it must have been because she read the newspaper.
Chloe, stunned, sighed.
“Let’s just overlook this this time.”
She didn’t want to quarrel over the matter with Calis, so she was willing to let it slide.
But Helena was not done.
“Shut up! Don’t act so high and mighty! Don’t pretend to be noble while coveting what isn’t yours!”
“Coveting? Speak no lies and do not spread falsehoods.”
“Cal is mine! Someday, your place will be mine too! Don’t interfere with our love—just take what kindness you can and live as a parasite here!”
“Interfere? That would be disappointing. I am merely supporting their love.”
“Words are all fancy! Calis refused your hand and your dance! How dare you lure him? You say you love him and still cannot forget him!”
Love? Cannot forget? Even melodramatic novels don’t have lines this ridiculous.
Chloe’s face twisted with a visible scowl.
“I am curious about the source of those words.”
“Why? Afraid now that the truth is out? Where, of course. My husband told me!”
“Surely you mean… Calis?”
“Exactly!”
The picture became clear. Helena, questioning the two being together, must have concocted a lie and used Chloe as a pawn.
Chloe sighed, which quickly turned into laughter.
“Listen carefully, Helena.”
She realized she had only stated her position to Calis, never to Helena. She decided it was time to speak clearly, expecting this noisy woman to finally shut up.
“I do not love him.”
“…What?”
“If my presence bothers you, then accompany the Duke to all future events. I am not afraid of losing my place in society to a concubine.”
When Calis returned from his outing, exhausted, he was met with a predicament. It was because of Helena’s unilateral decision: she would attend all future events in place of Chloe. Calis, who had secretly disregarded Helena’s lowly class and temperament, could not tolerate this.
He had tried to shield Chloe, but it seemed the two of them had already had a conversation, and the lies had been thoroughly exposed.
As a result, the man he loved was scolded. He could clearly imagine Helena crying, embarrassed by her own actions. Helena, though passionately in love, could not serve as a stepping stone for his success.
‘That wretched woman must have deliberately tried to get back at me.’
Since returning from the royal palace, Chloe’s boldness had irritated him. The previously submissive girl now dared to defy a man like him.
‘Did His Majesty really promise her something?’
Her only support appeared to be her parents. Perhaps they had been angered by the mistreatment their cherished daughter received at the Ducal household.
‘I should have warned Helena!’
Calis had long forgotten all of Chloe’s past deceptions and began blaming Helena for her mischief.
‘…If I stay idle, I might actually get divorced.’
Calis, deep in thought, summoned a servant.
“Yes, Your Excellency?”
He tossed a pouch to the bowed servant. Carefully examining the contents, the servant’s eyes widened.
“Take this money and secretly infiltrate the palace.”
“Yes… yes…”
“Find out what the Duchess discussed with her family when she left. Report everything to me, not leaving out a single detail.”
The servant left and, a few days later, sent a letter to the Duke under an anonymous name.
“Ha ha, Chloe, that wretched woman!”
The letter brought good news: ‘Her request for divorce was firmly rejected by the King and Queen.’
Three days after the letter’s arrival, the servant returned to the mansion, exhausted from running around.
Calis quietly handed him the pouch, which contained ten gold coins.
In a parched voice, the servant reported what he had seen and heard.
“The Duchess confessed the current situation to her family and requested a divorce from the Duke. However, both the King and Queen rejected her plea.”
“So, both the King and Queen know about the Ducal family matter?”
“Yes.”
“But divorce is not permitted?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Receiving a firm answer, Calis burst into laughter.
The woman, pretending to be refined, had in fact lost even her last backing. The annoying woman now seemed pitiful, if only for a moment.
Alone, he leaned back in his chair. When the chair touched the wall, he pulled it forward again. The creaking of the chair became the only sound accompanying his contemplation, which soon concluded.
‘Then it’s time to see that shameless face. The only thing left is to punish the woman who dared bare her claws without understanding her place. I’ll make sure she never defies me again.’
