An Incident
“When did you manage to grab the knife?”
After the commotion in the stables had settled, Duha returned to her room and threw herself onto the bed.
Meanwhile, Leila took the kitchen knife her mistress handed her and gasped.
“Ah-! This is my knife! Come to think of it, you never returned my knife from the kitchen!”
“I’ll give it back now.”
“Why did you take it in the first place? Did you know something was going to happen?”
“Not really. I just thought there might be some resistance when confronting a cheat.”
Duha chuckled, looking down at her stretched collar.
“I didn’t expect him to grab me by the throat.”
“Neither did I! It was so satisfying when the Duke cut off his arm!”
Duha’s eyes narrowed at Leila’s words.
“…Why did he do that?”
“What?”
Lying sideways on the bed, Duha rested her chin in her hand. She looked genuinely perplexed.
“Why did he cut off his arm?”
“Well, because that bastard grabbed your throat! What husband would stand by while someone manhandles his wife?”
“Really?”
“Of course! The head maid said that guy’s going to be expelled from the duchy. The Duke ordered it himself.”
“…That makes it even stranger.”
People always act according to their circumstances.
Vail had mentioned that the Duke’s uncle, Sir Nate, had his back. And Sir Nate was the only elder in the Duke’s household, a person even Leonhardt, the Duke, couldn’t treat lightly.
The credibility of Vail’s words had been proven when the Duke cut off his arm instead of his head.
“It’s strange that he cut off his arm instead of his head and even expelled him from the duchy.”
“Well, maybe the Duke is softer-hearted than he appears.”
Softer-hearted? Duha scoffed at the notion, finding it absurd.
Sometimes, leaving someone alive can be more painful than killing them. A one-armed man, skilled only in flattery, would have no choice but to beg if expelled from the duchy.
“What are you thinking about so deeply, my lady?”
“Nothing, really.”
Ignoring Leila’s concern, Duha was lost in thought.
The Duke neither respected her as his wife nor held any affection for her.
‘If he had cared about my dignity as his wife, he wouldn’t have neglected me on our wedding night.’
From the Duke’s perspective, it was enough to hand over the wealth and authority of the Duchess to Duha and then ignore her. That was the nature of their arrangement.
So why didn’t he just overlook the servant’s rudeness?
Why did the Duke create a situation that could cause a rift with his uncle?
‘Could it be that he really intervened to stop me from drawing my knife?’
But how could he have known she had a knife hidden in her sleeve?
Even if the Duke was an exceptional knight, he couldn’t have known she had a knife until he saw it up close.
Duha hadn’t even drawn the knife from her sleeve when Vail grabbed her by the throat.
She frowned, recalling her husband’s beautiful but cold face.
‘He’s really a mystery.’
She had never met someone so inscrutable.
*** *** *** *** ***
The Duke of Esbaden’s study had a surprisingly modest atmosphere for a high-ranking noble.
The room was filled with old wooden furniture and piles of books instead of decorations.
The untrendy furniture didn’t look crude or outdated.
Perhaps it was the paintings hanging on the otherwise bare walls.
The study exuded an old-fashioned charm, reflecting the years of the family that had guarded the Empire’s borders.
“That’s what happened.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
Late at night, Leonhardt was listening to a detailed report from the head maid about the events of the day.
Starting with Duha personally handling a difficult game that the kitchen staff couldn’t deal with and ending with the incident in the stables.
The lamplight in the study cast shadows on Leonhardt’s face.
“…That’s absurd.”
That was his honest impression.
Treating an injured servant was one thing.
But what kind of Duchess handles game and tames wild horses?
Even if she could, showing such ‘unladylike’ behavior in front of others was unacceptable for an Imperial woman.
Moreover, she even dared to touch his uncle’s favorite pet.
“She only wanted to fulfill her role as the Duchess. Please don’t judge her too harshly, my Lord.”
Watching her master’s expression, the head maid spoke cautiously.
“The Duchess may not be familiar with the customs here because she’s not from the Empire, but she is thoughtful and kind.”
“Thoughtful and kind?”
Leonhardt leaned back deeply in his chair.
“If she were truly thoughtful, she wouldn’t have touched my uncle’s favorite pet.”
He glared at the head maid with sharp eyes.
“And you, who were right beside her and did nothing to stop it, share the blame. Understand?”
“I’m sorry.”
She bowed her head humbly in response to her master’s rebuke.
“But, my Lord, how many people in this world could act as she did?”
Which noble lady would tear her skirt to help an injured servant?
Which noble lady would confront a cheat even knowing he was her uncle’s favorite?
No one else would have done that.
“I was raised as the daughter of a noble family. I know better than anyone how unladylike her actions were.”
But despite this, the head maid couldn’t stop the Duchess.
All she could do was prevent her lowly maid from getting involved.
“Her actions may have been unladylike, but they were principled and compassionate.”
The head maid bowed deeply before the Duke.
“Today, as a ‘person’ rather than a noble, I was moved by the Duchess.”
“It seems you’re quite fond of the Duchess. It’s rare for you to defend someone so vigorously.”
“And didn’t you cut off Vail’s arm because you knew her actions were not wrong? Despite knowing that Sir Nate would be angry about it?”
“I was always planning to get rid of him. I was just too busy to do it before.”
“You had no justification before. You’re not one to create excuses. So, you tolerated his misdeeds.”
“……”
Leonhardt didn’t respond.
He stared at the candle on his desk for a long time before finally speaking.
“Sylvia, I understand. My wife is inexperienced but kind-hearted, and today’s events had no ill intent.”
The head maid silently nodded, acknowledging his words.
Leonhardt looked at her calm face and then stood up.
“You must ensure the servants keep quiet.”
They might appreciate their master’s kindness, but they loved spreading rumors more.
There might be wild stories about the Duchess being no different from a butcher or insinuations about her tearing her skirt for a mere stable hand.
“If there are any strange rumors about the Duchess because of today, you will be held responsible.”
“I understand, my Lord.”
Leonhardt turned to leave the study but paused as if he had more to say.
“And increase the number of physicians in the infirmary.”
“How many more should we hire?”
“About ten more.”
“That’s twice the current number.”
“We must be prepared for any injuries among those working for the duchy.”
Leonhardt’s lips twisted into a sardonic smile.
“We can’t have the Duchess tearing her skirt to help a servant again.”
“I will do as you command.”
My wife really requires a lot of attention, he thought as he sighed lightly and left the study.
However, the emotion on his face was not annoyance or fatigue.
His piercing blue eyes held a hint of unspoken emotion, almost akin to enjoyment.
An emotion he himself had yet to recognize.
*** *** *** *** ***
“I was surprised you asked to have lunch together instead of breakfast today. You don’t look well. Did something happen?”
At noon the next day, Duha flashed an innocent smile at Leonhardt, who seemed even colder than usual.
According to the head maid, the Duke had been summoned to a family council meeting from dawn due to yesterday’s events.
The Duke had cut off the arm of his uncle’s favorite servant and expelled him, and the Duchess had acted like a butcher in front of the servants.
It was no wonder the retainers were upset.
“The family council meeting lasted longer than usual.”
“Oh dear, did someone cause trouble?”
Duha lightly teased, but the reply was unexpected.
“It wasn’t trouble, just something that needed to be done.”
Leonhardt gracefully set down his cutlery and wiped his mouth with a napkin. His gaze fixed on Duha’s slightly bewildered face.
“It would have been better if it had been done with more decorum.”
He was criticizing her for handling the game in front of the servants.
Duha silently stared at her husband.
She had expected him to be angry or annoyed.
‘Just one comment?’
It was really surprising.
Then again, he had cut off the arm of his uncle’s favorite servant yesterday, so he wasn’t in a position to criticize others.
She had thought of him as a proud and stubborn Imperial nobleman, but maybe he wasn’t just that.
‘He really is hard to understand.’
Duha chewed her food slowly, wanting to pry open his mind and see what he was thinking.
At that moment.
“My Lord, an urgent message from the capital!”
A servant rushed in with a pale face.
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