So the Duchess Disappeared - Chapter 1

1. The Truth I Learned

Duchess Psyche Valentine was now making plans to run away from the Duke mansion with a very serious face.

It was because of the truth she had only learned a few days ago.

*

“Psyche……”

She had something to say to the Duke, so Psyche, who was about to stop by the office and knock on the door, froze on the spot because of a familiar voice that called out her name. The next words were muffled and could not be heard, but then she could hear them clearly.

“That woman must be killed when the baby is born.”

She couldn’t believe that the voice belonged to her husband. Her heart was pounding, wondering if she heard wrong. She looked down subconsciously.

The belly, which began to rise convexly, is now quite noticeable. It had been more than half a year since she was pregnant.

‘Ah……’

She barely held back her screams.

‘Who are you going to kill?’

Psyche recalled what she heard.

‘He must have said he would kill a woman when the baby was born.’

Psyche trembled with anxiety and thought back to the meaning of her husband’s words. Psyche’s heart was racing and she couldn’t calm herself down. But looking back, it didn’t feel too strange that he would try to kill her.

The Duke and herself were in a ‘contractual marriage in exchange for giving birth to a baby.’

Even though there might be no love or affection, he promised that if she gave birth to a baby, he would at least free her from the fear of death and give her a comfortable life. And she firmly believed in that promise. But there is only one contract condition.

She will give him a child who will be his heir.

‘You mean I won’t be needed anymore after the baby is born?’

Thinking about that, Psyche was confused, and her eyes felt like they were spinning.

Until yesterday, no, even this morning, weren’t we talking about a happy future when the baby is born?

Were all those words and actions a lie?

Psyche got goosebumps in an instant.

She stroked her belly. Without realizing it, her legs lost strength and she staggered.

creak.

“Huh? Ma’am!”

It was Alexandro, the duke’s henchman, who came out of the office and found Psyche about to fall. Having managed to support Psyche, he was surprised to see her pale face.

“Madam, what’s wrong?”

Pushing him away, Psyche stepped back and bit her lip. She felt sick to her stomach to think that all of his kind demeanor was a pretense.

No. He is just a subordinate of his master.

“The Duke is inside. Would you like to come in?”

Psyche hesitated for a moment and then shook her head. She might make a mistake if she met her husband now.

“No. He must be busy, so I won’t disturb him.”

She wrapped her arms around her belly and turned around quickly. It was because she thought she was going to cry.

When she got to her room, she flopped on the bed and stared blankly into the air for a moment. Then she patted her cheeks with both hands.

“I don’t have time to be sad.”

After this, she would not be willing to do the Duke’s wishes. So that he could feel what it was like to lose what he wanted so badly before his eyes.

To lose what he values ​​the most; the life in her belly.

Psyche gently stroked her belly. She spoke inwardly to her baby, ‘Let’s go. Let’s get out of this terrible place.’

She immediately got up and began to look for a way out of the Duke’s mansion.

*

Psyche sat still in the room and remembered the first day she first came to the mansion.

To leave this place, she naturally remembered the day she came here.

‘How did I end up marrying him?’

She laughed as she recalled her ridiculous situation.

‘I didn’t mean to get married.’

Psyche felt a strange feeling as she glanced around the bedroom, which she was now accustomed to.

‘He’s a persistent man. He also had a face that seemed like he would never ask for a favor.’

That was her first impression of meeting the Duke for the first time.

Psyche was the eldest daughter of a wealthy Viscount family. However, when she was young, she lost her parents in an unfortunate accident, and her relatives’ interference caused her family to falter.

When Psyche is old enough, all she had left was a large, unmanaged castle.

Despite her noble status, she became more and more concerned about food, because she might starve to death.

Then one day, a man suddenly appeared to her and offered a marriage contract.

“Are you Miss Psyche Alistair?”

A shabby castle and a neatly dressed man were not very compatible. So it was a more impressive meeting. The marble on the ground he stepped on had worn out and made his shoes look more stand out.

Naturally, she didn’t believe him at first.

That he is a Duke.

Even offering her a contract.

However, he continued to visit her every day, persuade her, and even return her property that had been stolen by her relatives. Psyche, who seemed like she would starve to death even if she just stayed still, eventually accepted his offer.

At that time, she thought of him as a truly gentlemanly man.

“My name is Clint Valentine.”

In the first place, she even had no money to take as a dowry, but from such small things to weddings, she didn’t have to touch anything. It was because the Duke took care of everything.

At the time, she thought it was really good.

“It’s funny.”

Psyche laughed. The joy of the past can be the tragedy of the present.

The man who said her name while holding up a dazzling brilliant ring was a very handsome man.

A luxurious outfit that was hard to find in the neighborhood where Psyche lived stood out. But his appearance was more impressive than that. Black hair that contrasted well with his white skin accentuated his cold face.

And, blue eyes as clear as ice. All in all, he was a very handsome man. His long legs, a straight waist, and broad shoulders were in perfect proportions.

Maybe it was because of the tight shirt, but even Psyche, who didn’t know much about men, could tell that he had a solid body.

He had made an unromantic proposal with an indifferent face. Psyche immediately refused. At first, she couldn’t believe it. But, he didn’t give up.

He came every day. He was a very strange man, who did not show any haste or obedience at all. Naturally, Psyche refused his proposals consistently.

“I have no intention of marrying you, Duke.”

One day, he asked Psyche, who was constantly rejecting him.

“May I ask why?”

“Then may I ask why you want to marry me?”

He made a serious face again.

“It is for an heir.”

I was a little surprised by the calm and concise answer.

“I…… do I just have to give birth to an heir?”

Psyche liked that he didn’t talk about love or emotions. The Duke nodded in affirmation. Then Psyche answered the previous question.

“I don’t trust people, so I don’t want to get involved with other people through a bond like marriage.”

At those words, the Duke made a bright face. As she thought ‘Can he smile like that?’, he approached her.

“Then let’s make a contract relationship.”

“A contract relationship?”

In the first place, Clint was in a position where anything could be done with just his orders, so she thought it odd that such a person would suddenly propose to her. From the beginning, Clint approached her because he had a purpose.

With a confident face, he continued, “I promise you a comfortable life. All you have to do is give me an heir.”

It seemed like a reasonable deal, Psyche thought. An emotional marriage was inconvenient and cumbersome, but if it was a deal…… You don’t have to trust anyone. Instead, if the marriage is conditional on a deal that pays off for each other……

Rather, it was considered a good choice.

“……not bad.”

After that, the contract between the two went smoothly. The night before Psyche left her hometown, Clint came to pick her up.

“Now that we are going to live as a couple, I want to ask you one thing.”

As Psyche looked at him still, he continued, “What do you hate the most?”

“Why are you suddenly asking that?”

On a quiet moonlit night, Psyche was confused by the sudden question.

“Even if I can’t do what you like the most, I won’t do what you hate the most.”

Psyche was very fond of those words. Not ‘I’ll only do what you like’ but he said ‘I won’t do what you don’t like’.

She turned her gaze and looked up at the sky. It was a night full of stars in the sky as black as his hair. The soft moonlight shone on the two of them.

“I…… I hate seeing someone I know die. On the other hand, I don’t like someone I know killing people.”

She suddenly recalled the miserable death of her parents. She shook her head, not wanting to remember the end of her parents, which ended tragically and the betrayal of the people she trusted the most.

“And…… I hate it even more when someone close to me dies.”

“Then I must not die.”

Psyche laughed at his response without realizing it. It was a short conversation, but she could tell he was a man who could really treat people sincerely.

Even if it won’t be a happy and loving marriage, she can expect a peaceful marriage.

But it wasn’t.

She had good memories of the past. But soon, the memory was buried in the tragedy of reality.

The memories of the day she first met him are gone, and only the terrible words she heard a while ago remain in her mind.

“That woman must be killed when the baby is born.”

His voice rang in her ears and tormented her.

Now that she thinks about it, it was a strange contract in the first place. He was giving away too much.

He only needed an heir. He just needed a woman who wouldn’t say anything after giving birth to a baby. Psyche was horrified to think that she was the only woman who met those criteria.

Psyche quickly escaped from the thoughts of the past.

Now, it was time to leave him.