Betrayal of Dignity - Chapter 19

Episode 19

The duke was acting abominable by showing the pattern of gloves on purpose. Viscount Verdier recognized at a glance that it was Chloe’s embroidery.  This is because she once gave the same gift to her father.

“Ah… Chloe. Oh my god. This father didn’t even know that…”

Chloe was embarrassed and didn’t know what to do when she realised that Viscount Verdier was looking at her with a mixture of sadness and complex emotions.

Father, no!

It was clear that her father had a ridiculous misunderstanding that she had the Duke in mind from the beginning.

“I think she’ll become a great duchess.”

“I will guarantee that!”

Viscount Verdier jumped up from his seat and opened his mouth with a serious look as if he were taking an oath.

“My daughter is a wise and virtuous child, and she will be a duchess respected by everyone. I can bet everything I have on it.”

“It’s a statement where I can feel the sincerity regardless of how much or how little you have.”

Seeing the duke nodding his head half-heartedly, Viscount hesitated for a moment. It was clear that the Duke took his words as insignificant sugar coated words The wrinkled face became more serious and the voice became more solemn.

“It’s true that I don’t have much, but if I can make my daughter happy, I’ll give the Duke everything I have. I can even give my life.”

Caw, she felt like she could hear the bird crying ominously. Chloe already felt the jewel of Tisse on her body getting heavier.

“Father.”

“The bad taste of taking people’s lives is probably something that can barely be used in war.”

The Duke tilted his head with his legs crossed and looked at him over the teacup. Chloe thought that if the devil denied himself, he would have exactly that kind of face.

“Can I have the forest that is Verdier’s private property and the mountain that leads to it?”

When he asked for a land that was not useful enough, Viscount looked puzzled.

“But the soil is barren and the trees are useless there…”

“Because it’s a place that Chloe loves.”

The Duke looked at Chloe with a face like the romanticist of the century.

“It’s where everything started.”

He narrowed his eyes and smiled. Chloe vowed not to go to the forest again if she turned back time, but it was only a belated regret.

***

“You’re beautiful, Chloe. You are so beautiful that people can’t take their eyes off you, my daughter.”

Viscount Verdier shed tears as he looked at Chloe who had finished dressing up. Ever since he got older, he couldn’t control the tears that flowed from time to time. However, he was convinced that no one would blame him even if he shed tears today.

“How happy would your mother have been if she were alive?”

“It was for Alice, but I think it’s awkward because I wore it.”

“What are you talking about, Chloe?”

Viscount approached her and held her hand.

“Claire prepared this dress for you. I prepared something else for Alice, who was a fool.”

(T/N: Claire is the mother)

“What is that?”

“It’s the piano. She almost fainted when she saw her(Alice) play the keyboard with her toes.”

As Chloe smiled softly, the Viscount shrugged his shoulders a little and smiled.  What was her mother thinking as she prepared the wedding dress for her daughter, who had a sick body? In the end, today was the day when her wish came true.

“Anyway, as of today, you’re the Duchess of Tisse. You’ll do great, my daughter.”

Chloe took a deep breath and smiled more brightly at her father.

“Chloe. You should be happy…..”

In the end, Chloe tried her best to hold back her tears in the arms of her father, who was crying like a child. She could not cause any more worries to the Viscount, who was heartbroken over Alice’s affair.

“You have to go out now.”

It was only after Gray urged her with a low voice that Chloe struggled to come to her senses.

“You look great today, Gray.”

As it was an important day, the servants dressed up in the best clothes. She smiled at Gray, who had his hair neatly trimmed, but his expression was not very bright. Gray, who has a similar personality to Chloe and has a meticulous aspect, may have noticed her disturbed mind.

“Prepare two more handkerchiefs. Because I’m afraid my father will burst into tears.”

In front of the servant, her father, who was trying to protect his dignity, came to his senses with a hmm, hmm, and a dry cough. Chloe grabbed her father’s arm and slowly began to walk toward the garden (T/N: backgarden).

The wedding was held in such a small manner that it was considered humble considering the status of the Duke of Tisse. It seemed like father was the only one who believed in the Duke’s words that he wanted to get married as soon as possible. However, because Chloe also don’t want to invite all the nobles of the kingdom to hold a grand wedding, he comforted her that it wasn’t a bad thing

In front of the old fountain, where young Chloe sat on a bench and watched the stars, they promised their marriage before the gods.  When the priest asked if he would do his duty by his side forever even in the face of adversity and hardship, the duke replied that he would do it without hesitation.

After Chloe answered, the bride and groom faced each other. It was a sunny summer day with dazzling sunlight. Until the spring of this year, when she was invited by the duke and headed to the ball, Chloe could not have imagined that such a situation would come to her.

“Now the bride and groom make a promise to each other with a kiss before God.”

Chloe lost her chance to avoid his gaze as Damien, who slowly lowered her head, looked at her with a piercing gaze. Her heart beat fast because she thought she would be sucked into his blue eyes.

The tension intensified the moment she remembered the last scene in the bedroom when she kissed him. For a moment, she was afraid that she couldn’t predict his behavior even though she thought he wouldn’t act like a beast unless he intended to humiliate her in front of others.

Chloe’s eyelashes fluttered and slowly opened with the feather-like kiss. The duke’s perfect lips drew an arc and moved upwards mischievously. While avoiding his gaze, as if asking what he was expecting, someone started scattering flowers.

As soon as the groom and bride had to walk together along the altar, Chloe’s body moved. A small cheer was heard all around.

“Congratulations.”

“Congratulations, Duke, Duchess!”

Chloe was the only one who was going crazy as young children dressed like angels walked with her on the altar where they were sprinkling flowers.

“Please put me down.”

“You don’t want to finish it quickly, do you?”

As he buried his face in the bride and whispered softly, Chloe’s face turned red. After a moment’s hesitation, she put her neck on the duke’s arm, and the duke kissed her forehead again with a satisfied expression on his face.

“Good job, Chloe.”

The applause and whistling of guests who were ignorant of the truth grew louder and louder. It was beyond imagination, but they were like a pretty good match.

***

After the wedding, it was a moment when the small countryside was excited with joy. As soon as the wedding was over, it became known that the Duke left for Swan, the capital city, alone, and each person he met became headlines.

“I knew it. I don’t know what the Duke’s weakness was when he got married, but wouldn’t it be natural that it wasn’t a marriage because he liked it? Well, he hasn’t spent the first night and just left.”

“A duke who fell in love with the poor noble family lady who has an injured leg. The novels that my wife reads would make more sense than that.”

“Hey. If you’re at a bar, drink up and leave.”

The young man sitting at the table next to him banged his fist on the table, and the drunkards shut their mouths. This was because he belatedly noticed that he was a servant working in Verdier’s castle. Gray, who could not pretend not to be ignorant of the rumors that were being heard, became increasingly uncomfortable.

“Take a break, miss. It’s dinner time soon.”

“Huh? Has it already been that long? I think there are more than one or two areas that need to be managed.”

Chloe, who had her head stuck on the desk, stretched out as she watched Gray put oil into the lamp. It was only natural for her eyes to get dim as she stared at papers full of numbers all day.

“How’s the village? You went today.”

“It’s a bar, it’s an inn, it’s crowded with humans, and there’s no place to sit.”

Chloe smiled at Gray’s words that sounded somewhat complaining.

“People are relaxed because they expect a bountiful harvest.”

The ruthlessly hot summer increased the harvest of sugarcane, a specialty of the Verdier estate. It was natural that the more noisily the people gathered in the village after the hard work, the more lively it was. It was such a grateful thing that jobless people for over the years slowly left the village and and it became quiet

“Why do you look so down?”

“No, I’m not.”

As Gray shook his head in a hurry, Chloe blinked at him. No matter how she looked at him, she didn’t think he was fine.

“If you have any concerns, tell me, Gray.”

“Miss…Are you fine?”

Chloe blinked innocently as she saw Gray, who had difficulty talking about it.

“Huh? What?”

“How about sending a telegram to Swan?”

Chloe realized what Gray was worried about and smiled lightly.

“I’ve been writing letters to the duke.”

In fact, it was more of a report on what happened in the castle than a letter, but Chloe was sending letters to the Duke once a week without any exceptions.

“But…”

Chloe also knew why Gray was blurring his words. While she has sent more than ten letters so far, no reply has been received from the Duke.

***

Comments from Korean readers:

I think there is something in that land.

To be honest, I still think Alice’s actions were far worse than the duke’s. The duke’s attitude is just arrogant but Alice’s accident….And there’s a limit to letting your dad and sister clean up the elopement because they are family. There are limits.

Be afraid of karma, it will come back to you

No, he left immediately after the marriage and there was no letter!?

Don’t regret it later, Duke.