So the Duchess Disappeared

19. Blaming Others

When the prince gestured for Psyche to leave the bedroom, she thought it was to bring Rachel. In a hurry, Psyche left the room, and the prince, with a compassionate look in his eyes, spoke to her, carefully choosing his words, starting to say the things he had wanted to say all along.

“The Duke… has been requesting your return ever since you disappeared. But it didn’t seem right to meet him before you woke up. I’ve been rejecting his requests until today.”

In the part where he said, ‘I have to meet the Duke,’ he glanced at Psyche’s reaction once more.

“…”

When Psyche didn’t say anything, the prince, feeling embarrassed, scratched his nose with a perplexed expression.

“I’m not the King, so I can’t keep ignoring the Duke’s requests indefinitely. I’m sorry. Even if I’m the prince, I can’t just pretend to be unaware of the Duke… in situations like these.”

The prince really disliked this situation. He was angry at himself for the choices he had made regarding Psyche, as he couldn’t be proud of his actions in front of the Duke. But he couldn’t get angry with Psyche. Everything had been a result of his own wrong choices, and he couldn’t blame anyone else.

Psyche looked at his face silently and slowly opened her mouth.

“I understand. It’s fine. Go ahead and meet him. I will leave before he arrives.”

With an emotionless look in her eyes, Psyche spoke without any intonation in her voice. She didn’t care about the prince’s attitude or tone; she wasn’t her concern to begin with. The prince, who knew how Psyche saw herself, felt downcast and kept his mouth shut.

“…”

“When do you think he will arrive at the palace?”

Psyche asked.

“It seems he’s staying in the capital. It appears he’s heard something. It seems like he knows that you’re here.”

“…I will leave before he comes.”

Psyche was firm and cold. However, she would have reacted the same way no matter who she was talking to. She had no reason to stay here any longer, and she didn’t want to meet Clint either. But the prince, who hesitated, finally opened his mouth with a troubled expression.

“…Must you go?”

The prince suddenly had a pitiful look in his eyes. Psyche was not particularly moved by his attitude.

Of course, the prince himself knew that this request was forced.

Their arrangement had never been properly agreed upon in the first place.

The prince had to have met her safely.

If that had happened, Psyche might not have lost her child, and she might have stayed by his side and fulfilled the promises they had made.

But now, the prince’s words had no power over Psyche.

And she…

No longer wanted to see the prince.

For losing her child…

She didn’t blame him.

She wished she could have asked him why he hadn’t come on time, why he hadn’t kept the promise. She felt she could do anything if she could find her child. But even so, her child wouldn’t come back. She just wanted to leave this place. Her sense of loss was so overwhelming that she couldn’t do anything.

“…”

Psyche didn’t respond to his words. Or there was no need to consider his offer.

“I will find a place for you to stay in the palace. I will protect you from the Duke.”

The prince seemed to be begging, but to Psyche, it all felt insincere. She had already lost her child, and no matter how sweet words he said, would she be able to hear them?

“…”

“Psyche…”

There was no response to the prince’s call. So, he added a few more desperate words, useless words.

“Or let’s try talking to the Duke. He’s not a person with a bad personality.”

Psyche, who had enough trouble grieving for the loss of her child, had one more problem to consider.

Her problem with the Duke.

Psyche barely opened her lips. Her lips, that had cracked open, looked pitiful.

“He… He won’t accept me for losing our child.”

Saying that, she fell deeper into despair.

She had no strength to think properly now.

“Psyche…”

He called her name with an earnest look in his eyes. When she met his gaze, there was a strange feeling in her eyes. A mixture of anger and sadness. Such…

“Your Highness.”

“Yes.”

He hesitated, but she responded to him for the first time, and he showed a faint smile.

“I can’t blame you for losing my child.”

“…”

Psyche, with a sad look in her eyes, spoke while spilling her words.

“I would blame Your Highness if you were by my side. Why didn’t you come a little earlier to our meeting place? I’m still regretting that situation thousands of times.”

Perhaps she didn’t know that she might already be considering it as his fault. Psyche hated both the prince and Psyche. She tried hard to hide her true feelings and said:

“…”

“Why couldn’t I be a little wiser? Why did you act like that? Even now, that time is stuck in my head and it won’t go away… It’s as if I lost my child because of you… Sigh, I’m sorry.”

Psyche burst into tears again.

Perhaps, if the prince had been even later, maybe Psyche would have died. But she couldn’t just be grateful to him.

She lost her child. That’s why she couldn’t trust anyone anymore.

Not just the Duke. Not even the prince.

So, the palace wasn’t a safe place. Most of all, if the Duke made up his mind, he could freely enter the palace and find Psyche.

So…

She had to leave.

Her escape from the Duke wasn’t perfectly complete yet.

“I’m sorry.”

The prince couldn’t say anything other than an apology. Watching Psyche fall apart in front of him again, he couldn’t say anything else to her.

It seemed like everything was his fault, the result of his wrong choices.

That night, when Psyche appeared all battered and bruised, he hesitated for a long time.

And he didn’t know it would be such a big regret.

An irreversible… That kind of choice. He might regret it for the rest of his life.

“…”

Eventually, seeing her cry, he opened his mouth again.

“Then, I’ll make sure you get to leave safely. I’ll ensure you’re safely sent to your hometown.”

“Ugh…”

Psyche, who barely stopped her tears, wiped them away and looked at him.

“Your Highness. I can’t trust you anymore.”

In the end, she had to do everything on her own.

Now that she had no child left to protect. She had decided not to rely on anyone.

“…”

“Please let me go on my own.”

“…”

Her words made the prince feel cold inside.

Click.

At that moment, a knocking sound came from outside, and the chamberlain announced, “Miss Rachel Haleston has arrived. Shall I let her in?”

The prince looked at Psyche, silently asking what to do. Psyche finished wiping her tears and composed herself. She then made a determined expression.

“Please let her in.”

The prince nodded in response.

“Should I stay with you?”

“Yes, please do.”

Psyche got up from the bed, wrapped a shawl around herself, and stood firmly by the door.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Rachel Haleston entered the room. She first greeted the prince with a respectful nod.

“Your Highness, have you been well? I am Rachel Haleston, and I am honored to meet Your Highness.”

She gracefully lifted her skirt and curtsied, bowing down respectfully. It was quite an unexpected appearance. The prince, with a slightly uncomfortable expression, acknowledged the greeting with a mere nod before moving a bit farther away and observing the two of them.

Without any greetings or formalities, Psyche approached the spot where Rachel was standing.

Her steps seemed threatening, causing Rachel to involuntarily take a step back.

Suddenly, Psyche clenched her fist and made a gesture as if she was about to hit Rachel’s abdomen.

Rachel was surprised but didn’t move away.

Psyche didn’t stop and struck Rachel’s belly forcefully.

“Ugh! What is this? How rude!”

“Psyche!”

The prince was shocked and hurriedly approached them.

Psyche embraced the crumpling Rachel, whispering in her ear.

“Don’t try to deceive me now. You. I know you’re not pregnant.”

Rachel’s face turned pale in response to those words.