Chapter 2

The man said only one thing before leaving the room.

Lea felt dizzy and overwhelmed, but she jumped up and ran to the vanity. What she saw in the mirror left her in shock.

That woman is me?

The face staring back, pale and confused, belonged to the woman she had seen in her dream, Grace.

She had shining blonde hair, a small frame, and a stunningly beautiful face.

Lea tried to remember what she used to look like. She had been taller than Grace, with chocolate brown hair. Her features were stronger, her presence bolder than Grace’s soft and delicate appearance.

So, it wasn’t a dream after all.

Lea dropped to the floor, completely drained.

Pauline rushed in as soon as she saw her collapse.

“You really need to rest. Come on, lie back down.”

Pauline helped her back into bed, but Lea sat up again and stared at her, dazed.

She had so many questions, but didn’t know where to begin or how to ask them.

“Pauline, can you help me?”

“Help you? I am your maid, miss.”

To someone who made a living by serving, that question seemed strange. Pauline could tell something was very different about Grace.

“My memory is not right. Ever since I got sick, everything feels mixed up in my head.”

“Of course, you were suffering from a terrible fever.”

“My name is Grace?”

“You are Lady Grace Vizak, daughter of Baron Vizak.”

“And this place is the duke’s estate?”

Lea wanted to know exactly which duke.

Pauline answered gently, explaining what she knew.

Grace was from the Lubeck Empire and had an older brother who was twenty-five. Grace herself was twenty years old.

Her brother was close friends with Duke Terran Courtois. They had fought together in war.

And, most importantly, Pauline added, Grace was engaged to Duke Terran Courtois.

“I see. Thanks, Pauline. Things are starting to come back to me. What day is it today?”

“Today is April 28.”

Lea’s heart dropped.

She had married Allen on April 21.

That meant an entire week had already passed.

Now, more than anything, she needed to confirm the truth.

“Pauline, can you bring me a newspaper?”

“A newspaper? But miss, you never read the paper. You don’t even like books.”

Pauline nearly laughed in disbelief.

Grace always started her day by checking her reflection, wondering what makeup to wear, what dress to choose, and which perfume might impress the duke.

“Maybe so, but there must be newspapers in the estate, right?”

“The duke usually reads them. He’s probably in his study right now with one.”

Lea jumped out of bed and ran toward the door.

Pauline followed in shock, unsure where her lady was going with messy hair, bare feet, and only a nightgown on.

“Pauline, where’s the study?”

“It’s on the first floor, down the left hallway, next to the library.”

Lea ran down the stairs, hurrying through the corridor, searching for the room Pauline had described.

The servants she passed looked at her as if they had seen a ghost. They had heard she was sick, but now she seemed like a completely different person.

Grace had always appeared delicate and calm, like a newly bloomed freesia. But now she was running around, disheveled and wild.

Ignoring their stares, Lea reached the door of the study and stopped to catch her breath.

Even in a rush, she reminded herself to be polite. She knocked twice and waited for a reply.

“Come in.”

As soon as she heard the voice, she opened the door.

Inside were Duke Courtois, his secretary, and the butler.

All three turned to look at her, visibly shocked.

“Grace, what is the matter?”

Terran could hardly believe his eyes. The woman in front of him looked like Grace Vizak, but she was completely unlike the Grace he knew.

She never came to him unless she was perfectly dressed and composed. But now, she stood before him, messy and barefoot.

“Duke Courtois, I know this is unexpected, but I need to read the newspaper. Actually, I need the newspapers from the past week.”

The butler blinked in disbelief.

Duke Courtois? Grace had never called him that before.

Unlike Terran, who was too shocked to speak, the secretary and butler exchanged uncomfortable glances, clearing their throats awkwardly.

Grace had walked into the room wearing only a thin shift, without proper undergarments, her shoulders and chest almost completely exposed.

To make matters worse, she was barefoot. She didn’t look like a noble lady at all, more like a madwoman.

“James, bring her the newspaper,” Terran said flatly, glancing at the butler.

At first, he seemed surprised, but then assumed Grace had simply come up with a new way to get his attention.

James brought over the papers and handed them to her.

“Thank you, James.”

“Excuse me?”

James looked stunned, as if she had just spoken something completely out of character. Since when did Grace say thank you?

Lea took the newspapers and returned to the second floor. Pauline followed behind her like a shadow, but Lea knew she had to read alone.

“Pauline, can you wait outside for a moment?”

Lea sat down, her hands trembling, and began unfolding the newspapers in order by date.

Even if she was in the Lubeck Empire now, she expected that news from neighboring Galdensia would be covered. Every country reported on major foreign events, and she was sure this one would be no different.

But just as she was about to read, fear settled over her.

She was afraid everything she dreaded might be true.

That she had died falling from a cliff. That her father’s merchant guild had been destroyed. It would be the worst-case scenario. Still, a part of her clung to hope.

It’s okay. Allen is still out there.

Lea took a deep breath and began to read.

The incident involving the Hamilton Guild had clearly been a major event. The front page was entirely devoted to it.

Lea held her breath and read through the article.

“Richard Hamilton, head of Galdensia’s Hamilton Guild, is scheduled to be executed for smuggling dried poppy flowers.
However, in order to preserve the guild’s economic influence and protect employee jobs, Emperor Teresa has granted management rights to Allen McDowell.
Meanwhile, Viscount Kevin McDowell has filed a lawsuit against Richard Hamilton, accusing him of orchestrating a fraudulent marriage.”

“What? How could this be?”

Lea’s whole body trembled, as if she had been struck by lightning.

She tried to stay calm, but the next article was even more painful to read.

“Lea Hamilton, the sole heir of the Hamilton Guild, went missing on the day of her wedding.
She was reportedly last seen fleeing alone into a forest near the Lubeck border.
Wreckage from a carriage was found nearby, though her body has not yet been recovered. Authorities presume she is dead.
Her former fiancé, Allen McDowell, stated that he had urged her to surrender, but she coldly refused.
He further testified that Richard Hamilton often enjoyed dried poppy flowers in pipe form.”

The article included courtroom illustrations. One showed Allen giving testimony. Another showed him presenting a pipe as evidence.

“Allen… why?”

Lea collapsed to the floor, heartbroken. Her thoughts filled with memories of him.

They had grown up together as close friends. Over time, their bond had deepened into love. That love had led them to marriage.

But what if it had all been a carefully planned lie?

That’s why the carriage…

Suddenly, all the missing pieces snapped into place.

Her quick thinking and ability to face harsh reality had never felt so painful. It hadn’t taken her long to see the truth.

Allen McDowell was worse than a beast.

He had lured her in with a handsome face, a soft voice, and an air of noble charm. Behind it all, he had been hiding something vile.

“Mm!”

Lea clamped her hand over her mouth to keep herself from screaming.

She couldn’t bear it anymore. Her mind was spiraling. She jumped to her feet and ran from the room without thinking.

“Miss!”

Pauline’s voice echoed behind her, but Lea didn’t stop.

She ran through the first-floor lobby and out of the mansion.

Rain poured down, soaking her clothes. She didn’t care. Sharp stones dug into her bare feet, but she didn’t notice.

She felt nothing.

Lea was already numb from the horrific truth that had crashed down on her. It felt like she was dying.

“Aaah!”

Somewhere deep in the garden, Lea screamed as if she had lost her mind.

What have I done?

She shook her head wildly and sobbed uncontrollably.

Because of her love, she had destroyed the man she loved most in the world. Her father.

And not just him. Lea Hamilton was gone too.

It’s my fault. I’m the reason the Hamilton Guild, passed down for generations, was shattered. It’s all because of me.

She couldn’t forgive herself. The image of her father’s sorrowful face on her wedding day flashed through her mind.

Are you happy?

Yes, Father. It’s rare in our time for a woman to marry someone she truly loves.

That’s true.

Richard had wiped away the tears in his eyes, then gently let go of her hand.

Well, if you’re happy, that’s all that matters. Your happiness is everything to me. I don’t care what others say. I have nothing to regret.

Crushed by the weight of his love, Lea dropped to the ground and wept, her face pressed to the wet earth.

Terran walked through the garden with his secretary, Luke, both of them holding black umbrellas.

They were searching for Grace, who had run off into the garden. It had only been a day since she had recovered from her illness, and now this.

Despite the vast size of the estate’s garden, Terran headed straight for the grove of fir trees. He had a feeling that’s where she would be.

“There, sir.”

Luke spotted her first. Grace was on the ground, halfway collapsed, sobbing.

“Grace, what are you doing now?”

Terran approached her quietly, his tone sharp with concern. He knew this could make her sick all over again.

But the woman who had been weeping suddenly stood up, her face composed, and turned to face the two men.

Terran gently wrapped his cloak around her and held the umbrella over her head.

“Miss, you’re not a child. This is too much. What if you fall ill again just trying to get the Duke’s attention?”

Luke scolded her sharply. Love doesn’t come through tantrums, and illness wasn’t something to risk.

Hearing Luke’s voice triggered a memory in Lea’s mind. She didn’t know if it was a dream or something real.

Grace had once clung to Terran and cried, begging for love. But he had remained cold and unmoved. That memory, or whatever it was, stirred a fire in her.

“This isn’t a tantrum. It’s effort.”

Lea looked directly at both men, her eyes fierce.

“I was doing my best to win the heart of the man I love. If I did nothing, how would he ever know how I felt?”

“But people’s hearts don’t work that way…”

“Yes, they don’t. And that’s exactly why things ended up like this. Desperately trying to be loved by someone who never cared in the first place, that’s what caused all this.”

Her voice was calm but bitter, her gaze shifting coldly between the two of them.

Then she looked directly at Terran.

That bastard’s desperate efforts actually worked. All of this, it’s because of that damned love.

She muttered the words in a foreign language.

Terran’s expression changed.

“Grace, when did you learn the Langdesian language?”

As far as he knew, Grace only spoke the common tongue.

She didn’t even like reading books, let alone foreign newspapers.

Lea stared at him with an icy look.

Don’t ever think you know everything about someone. That kind of confidence is just arrogance.

With that, she threw off the cloak Terran had wrapped around her, turned, and walked back toward the mansion through the pouring rain.