Chapter 2
“The heir to the Duke of Berrington who lost his wife twice in suspicious circumstances? The eldest son of the Marquess of Thorlin, who is said to have low intelligence and be unable to communicate well? Or the famous second child known for flirting with women? There is not a single man who could be proposed to in marriage in the Marquess of Winbler family.”
"My mom …."
“Your father will do whatever it takes to marry you off to one of the ‘Four Great Families’. You know that, don’t you?”
Of course she knew. She was fed up with her father repeating the subject of marrying into one of the four most powerful families in the empire, something she had been hearing nonstop since she was little.
“I would say that the Duke of Lancaster’s circumstances are the best. He has had a mistress for a long time and his children are grown, so he will not try to get close to you. And when he dies, you will inherit a great deal of money, and then you can live as you please.”
"Do you even know when the Duke will die? I'll probably be over thirty by then!"
“Waiting ten years to have a comfortable life for forty years isn’t so bad, is it?”
Then she muttered as if she were talking to herself.
"Once you become a duchess, even your father will have to bow his head. What's not to like? Tsk."
At these words, Idel's eyes blazed with a look of determination.
She was already suffocating under her father’s autocratic rule and oppression, and clung to the hope of escaping him, barely managing to keep herself alive through a glimmer of optimism.
'Yes, once this marriage is over, I can leave Canyan County. If I can endure a few more years, I will have my freedom. I will endure this. I will be patient.'
Since then, she has been preparing for marriage as her father wished.
Despite knowing about the rumors surrounding this marriage, whenever she attended parties or gatherings she would smile as if she were happy.
However, from the moment she entered the duchy, Idil realized that it, too, could not be “her home”.
“Your father taught you well, didn’t he? You act like the perfect duchess. Don’t cause trouble, just stay in your place. That’s your role.”
On the wedding night, the Duke of Lancaster entered her room for only a few moments, and issued this “order” before going to his mistress’s room.
Idil felt humiliated, but at the same time she felt a strange sense of relief.
Not only did the duke not touch her, but the training she had received to become a lady seemed to make living in the duchy not the challenge she had feared.
However, this was a major misconception.
The duke's lack of interest in her was not just in not approaching or touching her, but she was treated as if she were invisible in the duchy.
Furthermore, his sons viewed her with hostility. Well, perhaps they didn't want to share their wealth and power with a sudden intruder.
"Why did our father remarry? And with such a worthless woman from a small family!"
“Someone has to sit in the duchess’s position. My father hates being called a widower.”
“A widower? It’s been over 15 years since he had a mistress.”
“However, he cannot elevate that ordinary woman to the position of Duchess. Although this woman is not our favorite, she is still the best.”
“Most importantly, Count Canyan made a tremendous effort, didn’t he? We’re trying to get involved with our family in one way or another.”
The Duke's children exchanged such words in front of Edel, laughing and mocking her inability to say a single word.
'It's best to stay calm. Don't get involved in anything, so you don't find yourself in difficult situations.'
Despite hearing such words, Idil gritted her teeth and endured every day.
She managed the Duke's large and small receptions flawlessly, dealt with dozens of books and more than a hundred servants, and welcomed guests every day without making a single mistake.
In social circles, she acted as if everything was fine, and she did not want to tarnish the name of the Duke of Lancaster or damage her own honor.
'Just bear with it for a few more years, and when the Duke dies, I will live freely!'
I clung to this idea and endured it patiently.
However, it was all in vain.
The Duke’s “plan for independence,” of which she was unaware, was revealed earlier than expected, and the enraged Emperor mercilessly crushed the duchy.
"Run, my lady! The emperor's army is approaching! Quickly!"
The day the disheveled servant ran screaming, demanding to escape, as if he were vomiting blood, remained alive in Idel's memory, just as it had been yesterday.
She thought that the duke was planning for independence because he had enough power to confront the emperor, but his army did not achieve any victory against the emperor's forces and was completely crushed.
During that chaos, the maids in the duke's palace were hurrying to pack their belongings and return to their homes, and the more resourceful servants were stealing the duke's possessions and running away.
As for her, she remained in the palace.
“I am the mistress of this castle; I have nowhere else to go!”
Although she had little or no power and was neglected, she intended to do her duty as a duchess to the best of her ability.
But the servant pushed her away from the duke's desk, shouting.
“This is all wrong! The duchy is over! The young lord has already run away with the ladies!”
As he pushed her away, he heard the sound of the palace gate breaking and fled in terror, but he was the only one who showed her any concern until the very last moment. No one else had told her she needed to escape.
Standing in the third-floor corridor overlooking the chaos unfolding below, Edel realized she had been abandoned. There was no way to save her life.
The road leading out was closed, and the Duke's family did not reveal to her the secret passage inside the castle.
Unable to stand still, Edel ran quickly to the attic used as a storage room, where she decided to hide.
"Why did heaven forsake me? What path did I go astray on?"
In the dark corner, leaning against the wall, she pondered the questions without answers.
She has endured her father's harsh upbringing since childhood, striving to become a flawless lady, recognized even in high society.
But praising the facade created by her father's plans was painful and futile. She lives this way, and it seems that one day she will disappear completely.
'Could all this suffering be a warning from God, urging me to escape from behind these walls?'
Outside, the horrific screams and the relentless clash of blades continued.
'I have lived the life of a mere instrument, an instrument to bring more wealth and power to my father and family, and an instrument for the reputation of the duchy…'
He was still the same person at that moment.
While the imperial troops searched the castle for Idyll, the duke's children must have fled far away.
'I'm the bait. They probably deliberately announced my presence here.'
Realizing once again that death was inevitable, hiding in the corner seemed utterly pointless.
'Yes, if I was born and raised only to become a duchess, then even in the end, I should be a duchess.'
Idil, determined not to make her final moments mean, stretched her tight body.
She carefully arranged the worn chair she found in the corner of the warehouse, sat down quietly, and smoothed her messy hair. Using the tissue in her pocket, she gently wiped her face, removing the cold sweat.
At the same time, the sound of horsemen rushing up the stairs drew closer.
'O great and merciful God, I beg you to take me without much pain.'
At that moment when death approached her, she turned to God for the last time, the God who never responded to her wishes.
Squeak, squeak.
The door shook.
“This is the only door that's locked!”
"Commander! I think he's here!"
After searching every room in the castle, the repressive force gathered in front of the last storage room at the top of the castle.
Edel, who had been praying, clenched her fists tightly as her clasped hands trembled.
'Face the pain bravely. Trust in God's plan and be patient. The pain is momentary, but the fruit of patience is sweet.'
She murmured the Bible passage she always recited over her dry lips. Even if enduring and profiting from the impending pain would only lead to death.
"Break down the door."
And with the man's voice, something slammed against the door. The worn door hinges shattered from the impact, and behind the collapsed door stood an indifferent man.
There were other knights beside him, but the presence of that man was so overwhelming that the others seemed pale in comparison.
'László Krzesiš… the Emperor's Hound?'
Since he had never experienced defeat, he once again carried out his master’s order without failure.
“The Duchess of Lancaster?”
Unwashed bloodstains adorned his cheek and hands as he inquired. Not because he didn't know, of course.
“Impressive, as rumored, is such beauty.”
“Even if she is a second wife, is that because the Duchess is still a Duchess? Magnificent amidst all this chaos…”
Despite the vile remarks from the surrounding knights, his expression remained unchanged. With sharp eyes visible through shaggy black hair and a prominent nose extending over a sparse beard, he was an impressive figure.
“I am Edel Lancaster. Will I be executed here?”
Idel asked, hoping that things would end here.
Despite the astonished reactions and whistles of the other knights, Laszlo looked at her with impassive eyes and answered briefly.