Chapter: 1
Theo—she met him at a banquet she had attended at her younger sister’s side.
Aware that the gazes directed at her were anything but kind, she deliberately ignored them and took a seat near her sister. Watching Leta smile brightly as she chatted with others, Reilly’s lips curved into a faint smile.
The discarded young lady of the Trila family.
The useless Reilly.
The duke’s daughter in name only.
Those were the labels that followed Reilly wherever she went.
Her father had dressed her in a gown, hoping that perhaps some man at the banquet might fall for her appearance and propose marriage.
It had been a very long time since she had worn a proper dress.
She took a sip of her drink and quietly scanned her surroundings. The suffocating weight of the stares made it hard to breathe. Reilly rose from her seat, intending to move somewhere secluded.
“I’ve heard much about you. I regret not having had the chance to greet you outside.”
At the courteous greeting delivered in a gentle voice, Reilly’s eyes widened. This was the first time anyone had ever spoken to her first.
“Ah—hello.”
“I am Theo Albert of the Prince family.”
To her surprise, he was from a ducal house just like hers. Though Reilly was largely unaware of social rumors, she often heard stories through Leta.
Leta had said he was warm and kind. Duke Theo treated everyone with courtesy, was upright in character, and possessed a strong drive for his work—someone who constantly strove to better himself.
That such a man would speak to her first was astonishing.
“I am Reilly, a young lady of the Trila family.”
“I recognized you at once, even without being told. I never imagined you would be so beautiful.”
“Ah… thank you.”
At the compliment she had never heard before, her cheeks flushed red. He truly was a kind man. That day, Reilly spent the banquet seated beside him, talking as time passed.
She believed that would be the end of their connection.
Yet Theo continued to visit the ducal residence to see her, and eventually proposed marriage to the Trila family.
For someone whom no one had ever wished to marry, being proposed to still felt like a dream.
Duke Veriter seized the opportunity and sent her off to the Prince family without hesitation. As though disposing of a long-standing nuisance, her marriage was settled swiftly and effortlessly.
Freed from the suffocating house she had lived in, Reilly regained her smile by Theo’s side. He loved her and treated her with constant tenderness. Every night, he never failed to whisper his love to her.
“I love you, Reilly.”
“I—I do too.”
“Then please give birth to a child who resembles me.”
“I’ll… try.”
Aside from his unusually strong obsession with having a child, there was nothing strange about him. Though he came home late every day due to work, he never stayed out overnight nor did anything that caused her worry.
Only then did Reilly come to understand what happiness truly was, and the smile never left her face.
About a year into her marriage, she heard news that no mark had appeared on Leta’s body even after coming of age—and that she was getting married.
Their father was furious, and Leta, like Reilly once had, tried desperately to escape that place. In the letters they exchanged, her sister’s anxiety was painfully evident. Reilly grew restless with worry.
‘I have to see Leta.’
But she couldn’t.
The duke did not permit her to stay out overnight. As if keeping her locked in a cage for himself alone, he wrapped her up tightly. Citing her poor health, she had not stepped outside the ducal residence even once since her marriage.
“Have you heard any news of my sister?”
“Yes, I have. I will inform you as soon as I hear anything, so please don’t trouble yourself too much.”
Theo spoke as he gently stroked Reilly’s shoulder. Telling her not to concern herself with anything else and that he would take care of it all, she simply nodded.
At the Prince ducal residence, Reilly spent her days tending flowers or reading books. Occasionally, she would look at herself in the mirror, but she did little else.
As even she began to grow weary of the monotonous days, a change came to her as well.
Her body felt heavier than usual, and she tired easily. She was constantly drowsy, and her appetite increased. At first, she failed to notice anything amiss. Only later did Reilly realize something was wrong. Rising from her seat, she counted the days on her fingers.
‘Could it be…?’
She checked the dates just in case. Her expected time had already passed by two weeks. Afraid of being mistaken, she couldn’t bring herself to tell Theo right away. She wanted to be more certain first.
‘A child… my goodness! I’m so happy.’
Imagining a child who looked like both him and herself brought an uncontrollable smile to her face. For the first time, it felt as though she truly had a family. Reilly vowed to build a happier household than anyone else.
After two more weeks passed, she finally wrote to the duke with confidence and joy.
“Reilly!”
She heard Theo’s voice. Checking the clock, she realized it was earlier than usual. Upon hearing the words pregnancy, Theo—who normally returned home late—came back with a physician.
As she watched the doctor examine her, anticipation and anxiety mingled, causing her heart to pound.
“You are pregnant.”
“R-really?”
“It’s still early to be absolutely certain, but it does appear that you are. For now, you must take great care of yourself.”
“Thank you. Please come by often to examine my wife.”
Seeing the bright smile bloom on the duke’s face, Reilly smiled as well. She was truly happy. She could hardly believe that she had a child, a husband, and a family of her own.
“Madam, you’ve truly been through a lot.”
“No, I just can’t believe I’m pregnant.”
“It’s fortunate that it happened so early.”
Theo embraced Reilly and gently patted her back. She smiled in his arms as well. Though his voice was tender and his embrace warm, something felt strange that day.
He looked… relieved, as though everything he needed to do had already been completed.
Her intuition proved correct.
The next day, Theo brought a woman home.
The young woman was beautiful by anyone’s standards, smiling shyly, while one of Theo’s hands rested around her shoulder.
“Reilly, allow me to introduce her. This is Anna.”
Anna.
She was Theo’s mistress
