Chapter 9

When I dropped the bath bomb in, the purple color spread through the water like a swirling vortex. I watched it curiously, then remembered what had happened earlier. Maybe I had just been too greedy from the start.
Maybe Cedric really had done his best for me.
Even if Cedric had a mistress, divorce might not be an option for someone in my position. My father had borrowed 6 million crocks, and there was no way he would repay it. In the end, it was all left to me.
Cedric had always done whatever I asked, so I foolishly thought even divorce would be easy.
But maybe Cedric never even tried his best for me. He was the one who had sent the marriage proposal in the first place. Just for that, I should have been thankful.
But even knowing all that, I still cried with my face in my hands. All I ever wanted was his love.

Then something touched my hand. When I pulled it away, I saw a purple morning glory flower floating in the water. I looked at it weakly, tears still in my eyes.
‘So even nobles use different kinds of bath bombs.’
Even this couldn’t cheer me up. I pushed the flower away. It drifted far off in a wide circle.

I lay in bed all day. My mind was a mess with so many thoughts.
Cedric had said he wouldn’t divorce me. But he had a mistress. If she ever had his child, I really would be nothing but a puppet.

“If you have any sense, you need to start thinking clearly from now on. That mistress is a noble of higher status than us. She’s also younger than you and seems to have a better personality.”

My father’s words bothered me.
If Cedric’s mistress really was of higher status, younger, and had a better personality than me, then I had no place left. But Cedric was still refusing to divorce me.
Why did he insist on staying married to me? Was it because of family law?
But that alone didn’t make sense. Cedric already had more wealth than he could ever need. He owned a gold mine, and besides the royal properties, most of the buildings in the capital belonged to him.

‘Why does it have to be me?’
I was just a puppet without love, after all.

Knock knock. A knock sounded on the door.
“My lady, Madam Jenkins is here to see you.”
My shoulders slumped. She was the one who hosted the social gatherings I was required to attend and often spread rumors when something important happened.
It seemed the news about Cedric’s mistress had already reached society.

I didn’t want to see her right now. I never really got along with those people, and they subtly excluded me, so I had been avoiding them.
But I had been skipping Madam Jenkins’ gatherings for a while, and now that she came herself, I had no choice. If I sent her away without seeing her, people would talk.
Reluctantly, I got up from bed and left the room.

When I went down to the drawing room, Madam Jenkins was calmly sipping tea. She wore a peach-colored dress with fancy frills, but maybe because of the color, it didn’t stand out much.
As I approached, she smiled and stood up.
“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”
“I’ve been fine.”
A lot had happened, but I didn’t want to be honest about it. I sat down calmly, and Madam Jenkins looked at me with sparkling eyes, like she had a lot to say. When I just looked back quietly, she adjusted her posture and spoke.
“Thank you so much for welcoming me this early.”
“Not at all. It must’ve been a hassle to come all the way here.”

Actually, this place was a bit far from the capital. Cedric had a mansion in the capital, but it wasn’t suitable for both of us to live in, so we settled here instead. I found it strange how big that mansion was when I first saw it.
“Not at all. It was actually nice to get out of the city for a bit.”

She smiled brightly and sipped her tea, then carefully placed her teacup down and looked at me.
“You’ve been missing a lot of gatherings lately. Is something wrong?”
“No. Not exactly. I just haven’t been feeling well.”
I made up an excuse, and she looked at me with concern.
“Are you feeling better now?”
“Yes, I’m doing okay today.”
“Come to think of it, there’s a flu going around lately. You should be careful.”
I smiled a little and thanked her. Madam Jenkins paused for a moment, then spoke softly.
“If you’re feeling better now, how about joining the next gathering?”
I would have to go eventually, so I nodded. Madam Jenkins beamed.
“I’m glad. Everyone’s been worried about you, you know.”

That surprised me. They worried about me? I wasn’t thrilled, but I just smiled and said nothing.
She looked around the drawing room and her eyes lit up.
“As expected from the famous Bestine estate. Every time I come here, it looks even more elegant. You must have decorated everything with your excellent taste.”
“Cedric’s staff worked hard on it.”
She blinked in surprise, then smiled again.
“Oh, the Duke must be very involved, too.”
I just nodded. She looked at me intently, like every move I made intrigued her.

Her excessive curiosity made me look at her, and she glanced at her teacup before speaking cautiously.
“My lady, you should ignore the rumors going around. I’ve also heard people say my husband has a mistress, but those are just stories made up by others.”

I hadn’t asked, but she brought it up like it was the real reason she came. I didn’t respond, just stared quietly, and she continued gently.
“People must be jealous that you, who don’t come from a great family, married Duke Jedburgh from a noble lineage. That’s where all these rumors come from.”

My heart ached like it was burning inside.
It had been three years since I married Cedric, and society still didn’t accept me—just because I came from a far lesser family.
“Of course, I know it must be upsetting with all the talk about Miss Selaine.”
“Selaine?”
“Oh, she’s the niece of Duke Ludrid.”
The Ludrid family was just as prestigious as the Jedburgh.
“I think she’s the only daughter of that family, right?”
“Yes, which is why Duke Ludrid dotes on her. I heard she’ll inherit his fortune one day.”

My hand tensed without thinking. Why would someone from a family like that want to be a mistress? I couldn’t believe it and had to ask.
“Is she really Cedric’s mistress?”
“They say so. A lot of people say they’ve seen the two of them entering the duke’s mansion together.”

As soon as I heard that, my heart went cold.
I spoke without thinking.
“Then it must be true.”
“Pardon?”
“If that many people are saying it, doesn’t that mean Cedric really does have a mistress?”
“But my lady, still…”
“No matter how many wild rumors float around in society, if most people saw it with their own eyes, it would be stranger not to believe it.”

Madam Jenkins couldn’t answer and just looked at me. Oddly, knowing the truth made me feel calm.
“My lady, are you alright?”
I wasn’t, but I nodded. I had to pretend I was fine. I knew she’d gossip about my reaction anyway.

Madam Jenkins looked at me for a moment, then spoke gently.
“My lady, for someone like the Duke, it would be strange not to have a mistress. Even Count Lerendi has one. Most nobles with power or large estates probably all have at least one.”

But to me, those words were no comfort.
“I’m fine, so you don’t need to say that. Cedric and I don’t have a good relationship anyway.”

Saying it out loud felt refreshing. I had tried so hard to make it seem like we were doing well, but in the end, all I heard were rumors of his mistress. Since Cedric refused to divorce me, I decided to just accept the truth.

Madam Jenkins looked at me with wide, surprised eyes.