“But…”
Sophia bit her trembling lips hard before speaking.
“Then what can I do? Solid is in pain even now, and I can’t just lose her like this. She’s one of the most valuable people in my life.”
She spoke with desperation. The duke looked at her cheek, which still had the mark of her own hand, with pity in his eyes and said,
“Tsk, that must hurt.”
“Please help me, Duke.”
She clung to him. The duke was still staring at her cheek.
“I’ll give you some ointment. Apply it often. If it bruises, it’ll hurt every time your expression changes.”
“Not the cheek—I meant help me go to the capital.”
At that, the duke’s hand froze.
“What are you talking about?”
“Any way is fine. Should we get married?”
The duke let out a short laugh, as if her words were ridiculous.
“That’s a strange proposal.”
“I mean it.”
“You didn’t even like being engaged to me. But now, you’d marry me for your friend? I don’t enjoy being treated like that.”
The duke replied with a vague tone, unclear whether he was joking or serious. Sophia wasn’t sure if she should apologize, but realized that if she did, it would make it all true, so she kept her mouth shut.
“You must have some way, right? Please, help me.”
The duke fell silent. He looked down at her with a short expression of hesitation, like he was thinking, “What should I do with this girl?” Then after a moment, he said,
“Even if you go to the capital, Solid will most likely reject you.”
“I know. But I still want to try. It’s better than doing nothing and losing her.”
“And people in the capital will talk about you. They might even bully you.”
“I know.”
“You know?”
The duke looked at her determined face as she nodded no matter what he said.
“Such easy answers. I wonder if you’re really that brave or just pretending.”
“My mind is set.”
“Well then. I have no choice but to help you.”
The duke said simply as he picked up his coat. Sophia was surprised at how easily he accepted her request and stared blankly at his back.
‘Then how is he going to help me?’
She was curious, but the duke acted like his promise alone was enough and turned to leave. Just before stepping out, he asked,
“But, Sophia. Will there ever be a day when I’m like that too?”
“Huh?”
“When you try so hard… because you don’t want to lose me.”
The sudden question left Sophia speechless.
It felt strange. Did he really want that? Did he even care? It sounded almost like he was asking her to love him. She fumbled for words but couldn’t say anything. Without waiting long, the duke left.
For several days, there was no news from the duke. He had promised to help, but Sophia couldn’t imagine what kind of help it would be.
“Surely we don’t have to actually get married, right?”
Sophia imagined herself getting married to the duke at the temple. A dark night, a few lit candles, a solemn priest, and in front of him, her and the duke.
“That’s ridiculous.”
She shook her head. She knew they were engaged and that she didn’t want to break it off, so they would get married someday. But even so, she couldn’t picture it.
Even when the duke was kind, he always felt like… the duke.
It felt like he was simply helping her because she had fallen and couldn’t get up—like it was the polite thing to do.
‘But, Sophia. Will there ever be a day when I’m like that too?’
Even to her, those words sounded different. There was loneliness in them. Sophia reflected on whether she had used the duke and never truly treated him with sincerity. Looking back, he had always tried to help her. He might have been secretive, but he never did anything to harm her.
Sophia sighed as she applied the ointment he gave her.
“But even so, I still don’t know how to treat him.”
She murmured to herself when Erica appeared at the door, breathing hard.
“My lady, my lady!”
“What is it now? Why are you so loud?”
“A letter came for you from the palace!”
“For me?”
“Yes. It’s a handwritten letter from Princess Yulicias herself.”
Sophia was surprised and quickly opened the letter. Erica, dying of curiosity, couldn’t take her eyes off Sophia’s face the whole time she read it.
“Well? What does it say?”
Sophia lifted her head, her eyes sparkling.
“She wants me to be her maid!”
“Oh my goodness!”
Overjoyed, Sophia hugged Erica. Being a maid to a royal woman was a great honor, but more than anything, she was happy because it meant she could go to the capital.
As the princess’s maid, the palace would prepare a place for her to stay, so she could leave even if the Count and Countess opposed it.
“Huh? But wasn’t Princess Yulicias’s maid position already filled?”
“Miss Greddy apparently fell down the stairs and broke her leg. A terrible accident. The princess and empress were looking for someone to replace her, and they thought of me.”
Erica congratulated her sincerely.
“It’s bad luck for Miss Greddy, but great news for you, my lady! As soon as you said you wanted to go to the capital, this happened. It’s like the gods are watching over you!”
“Don’t say that. We should pity Miss Greddy.”
She said that, but the joy on her face couldn’t be hidden. She kissed Erica on the cheek and quickly went to deliver the letter to the Count and Countess.
But on the way, she suddenly thought of the duke.
‘Well then. I have no choice but to help you.’
‘As soon as you said you wanted to go to the capital, this happened. It’s like the gods are watching over you!’
Even Erica’s words echoed in her head.
‘Could it be… did the duke do something?’
As soon as that thought crossed her mind, Sophia shook her head.
This was all just a coincidence. Miss Greddy’s accident happening right after she said she wanted to go to the capital… it had to be a coincidence.
“This can’t all be coincidence!”
But the Count didn’t seem to think so. He shouted in frustration after reading the letter.
“I can’t believe the duke made this choice!”
Sophia flinched at his loud voice. Did her father think the duke caused Miss Greddy’s accident?
But soon, when the Count continued speaking, it was clear that wasn’t what he meant. Sophia shook her head, trying to extinguish the suspicion linking the duke and the accident.
“The duke must’ve influenced the empress. He’s insane. He wants to throw her into a pit like that.”
“But becoming the princess’s maid would bring great honor to our family.”
Sophia spoke earnestly. It was the first time the Count looked directly at her since entering the room.
She stiffened. Ever since he hit her, he no longer felt like her father.
The Count said,
“You think that kind of honor matters now? They’ll tear you apart and torment you, hiding their cruelty behind fake morals.”
“What if I said I’m willing to endure it?”
“Nonsense. Anyone can say they’ll endure it. Is that what you said to the duke to get him to help you?”
The Count interrogated her sharply. Sophia bit her lip and said nothing. The Countess finally stepped in.
“Calm down, dear. The duke might not have been involved. Sophia is his fiancée. Maybe the empress just wants to see what kind of person she is. If the duke’s fiancée serves the princess, it would raise the princess’s value too.”
“She’s right, Father. Either way, we can’t refuse.”
Felix spoke up. The Count shook his head stubbornly.
“There’s always a way to refuse.”
“Then the royal family will see us as uncooperative. And if we go out of our way to avoid it, the rumor that Solid lost the baby because of us will only grow.”
Felix’s tone turned persuasive. Sophia felt like grabbing his hand in thanks.
She couldn’t understand why her father was resisting this much.
Didn’t he hate her? She was going to the capital to receive her punishment. Why stop her?
Sophia bit her lip. Then the Count stood up and said,
“I need to speak to the duke.”
His face was full of fury, as if he had never cared for the duke in the first place.
