So the Duchess Disappeared

14. Then Come with Me

Considering the circumstances, Psyche wasn’t as angry as she would have expected for something so incomprehensible. So she just sat there quietly.

Marie glanced at Psyche’s face, which seemed oddly calm.

“…”

Anyone with some level of insight could have realized that the situation unfolding between the Duke and his wife was quite peculiar. Therefore, even though Marie felt like she should be scolded, she cowered a bit, but Psyche appeared unexpectedly indifferent.

In the world of noblewomen, the servants often bore the brunt of their husbands’ infidelity or other external matters they didn’t know about, and it was not uncommon.

If a viscount was rumored to have had an affair without his viscountess knowing, or an earl met with another woman secretly, such incidents sometimes became public.

So, Marie couldn’t help but feel tense.

To the servants’ eyes, the Duke and Duchess seemed to have a reasonably respectable relationship. They might have seemed lacking in some aspects of human warmth, but they appeared to have a relationship where they didn’t cause harm to each other and kept their promises. Therefore, she had never expected such an issue to arise.

Marie kept swallowing dry saliva due to her chapped lips.

Finally, Psyche spoke.

“All right. I’ll have breakfast in the bedroom.”

“…?”

Marie was surprised, her eyes widening. She had many questions to ask, like where the Duke had gone or why Rachel had come, but Psyche seemed not to have any thoughts regarding the Duke. Instead, she looked at Marie with a puzzled expression and asked.

“Why are you just standing there?” 

Psyche’s question left Marie flustered, and she quickly nodded. 

“Oh, no, not at all. I’ll bring the breakfast right away.”

Worried about receiving another awkward question, Marie hurriedly left the bedroom.

After some time, she returned with a small silver tray containing breakfast. Psyche sat on the bed and ate with gusto. As time passed, she suggested going for a walk with Marie, who followed her with a somewhat uncertain expression.

The previous night, the rumor that the Duke and Duchess had fought over Rachel had spread like wildfire throughout the Duke’s estate. Psyche had never raised her voice since coming to the Duke’s estate, so among the servants, the events of the previous day had more impact.

Everyone collectively blamed Rachel, but because the Duke had always been diligent and shown a reliable demeanor, they believed that there must be some reason for his actions.

However, Psyche, the actual person involved, remained calm and composed, leaving Marie and the other servants unsure of what to do.

Surprisingly, Psyche seemed very composed. She acted as if nothing had happened, even going for a walk, and returned to her bedroom. She then sat at the table and started arranging something suddenly, placing various herbs on the table.

“When will his Grace return?” 

Marie finally succumbed to her curiosity and asked.

“Oh,” 

Psyche said, looking up from her task. She was even humming a tune, and she seemed unusually cheerful. 

“He said it would take three days.”

“I see.”

Marie was startled and quickly averted her gaze. “Is this…?” she started, not sure how to phrase her question.

Psyche smiled mischievously. It was a face that seemed genuinely happy.

 “Oh, this?” 

She chuckled. 

“Marie, I guess you’re not familiar with this. We don’t have many mountains or forests around here, you see. All we have are these artificial gardens.”

The imperial city located in the center of the country was a vast flat plain in all directions. They had even pushed away the few existing forests, claiming it was to create good roads for carriages. As a result, the only places one could see plants in imperial city were artificially constructed areas.

Psyche had a particular fondness for trees and flowers, a preference formed by the nature of the place she grew up in.

“Where I lived, it was essential to study herbs and plants… You had to know them to survive. The surroundings were so rugged, and sometimes there were things that could threaten your life just by eating an unknown herb or touching it with your skin.”

“I see. So, all of this…”

“Yes. Some of these I brought with me when I came here. I also bought some recently when I went out. I just enjoy organizing these things. Don’t you like the scent of grass?”

Marie couldn’t agree more, so she just smiled awkwardly.

She considered Psyche’s well-being as a stroke of luck. Dealing with the Duke was an inherently difficult task, so she thought that bringing out the things she loved from her hometown to refresh her spirits was a good idea.

In reality, Marie had no idea what Psyche was thinking.

She thought that now was her chance to leave this place. After all, once the Duke returned, she would likely be subjected to a life akin to imprisonment once again, and she wouldn’t be able to do anything as she pleased until she gave birth to the child.

In that case, it would be obvious that she wouldn’t be able to step out of the Duke’s estate.

The social event was already off-limits for him. This opportunity seemed to be the only one she had.

However.

The problem was how to escape from the Duke’s estate. Since it would take the Duke several days to return, she believed that she could buy quite a bit of time.

Furthermore, she had already made it clear that she would leave, so there was no need to hold back.

Until yesterday…

Still, she wondered if she could discuss Rachel’s issue through conversation. However, he showed no intention of listening.

Another problem was…

‘That woman must be killed once the child is born.’

It was an issue that couldn’t be resolved through conversation.

Who would ask if he planned to kill her after the child was born? Even if he had planned to kill himself, who would truthfully admit to being the target?

Even if he did intend to kill Psyche, he could easily lie and say, ‘No, I never intended to kill you.’

Indeed, people cannot be trusted.

You shouldn’t trust them. It was the moment my belief became even firmer.

Just looking at what happened with Rachel…

His image, which had been so trustworthy until now, was…

‘It was strange, indeed.’

But he had already lost my trust. There was no need to think any further.

“Hmm.”

She heaved a sigh after finishing the herb arrangements.

In her mind, she constantly imagined escaping from the Duke’s estate and calculated the most suitable escape route.

But no matter how much she thought about it, it seemed a bit difficult to do it alone.

It would have been better if she were on her own.

After all, she had a body that wasn’t particularly fast or agile.

‘Hmm. What should I do?’

While deep in thought, she heard a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

Upon her approval, the butler revealed himself.

“I… Madam, it’s sudden, but…”

The butler had been working with the Duke for a long time, so it wasn’t easy to fluster him. But today, the butler who had come to see Psyche had a different look on his face.

He quickly conveyed the matter.

“His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived for a visit.”

“What?”

Psyche was surprised and stood up.

She wasn’t the only one surprised. Everyone in the room was taken aback.

That’s when she suddenly had a very good idea.

She hurried to the drawing room to welcome the Crown Prince.

❖ ❖ ❖

In the drawing room, when the Crown Prince saw Psyche, he smiled broadly.

But when he heard that the Duke was currently absent, his face immediately turned gloomy.

“What’s going on? I came all the way here to seek the Duke’s permission…”

The Crown Prince, who was dressed neatly for a change, appeared quite different from the rumors. He behaved as if he had known Psyche for a long time, being overly friendly.

Because of his informal demeanor, Psyche felt the need to set boundaries.

He had apparently been serious when he mentioned wanting to receive lessons about plants earlier, and had even brought official documents.

Everything he said appeared to be a joke and just casual conversation, but it turned out he was sincere. It was strange and out of character, but oddly endearing.

Moreover, he came with an unexpectedly genuine dedication to this matter. This sincerity made Psyche smile.

“No. Can’t you just do it for me? Seriously, where did the Duke go?”

He whined like a child, repeating his question.

“When is he coming back?”

“It will take about three days.”

To Psyche’s calm response, the Crown Prince heaved a deep sigh. He had the face of a whining child.

“Oh my goodness, do I look that patient?”

The Crown Prince sighed loudly and looked agitated.

In response, Psyche lifted the teacup in front of her and smiled.

“If you can do what you want without the Duke’s permission, what would you like to do?”

“What? Get a divorce or something?”

The Crown Prince suddenly brought up a more extreme idea than what Psyche had in mind and then immediately retracted.

“What about making me your husband? How about that? I think I’m a very suitable candidate for the position, better than a duchess, probably. I’m quite excellent, you know.”

Psyche couldn’t help but smile at his absurdity.