Chapter 3
“You’re going too far. That’s something I absolutely—!”
“That’s enough. It would only be more pathetic if you said it yourself.”
“Do you really think the Duke loves you? Someone even her own family threw away.”
Anna sneered. Everyone knew that Railly was practically abandoned by her family.
At first, Railly had believed that he loved her too. But now she knew that wasn’t true.
“At least I’m not like you, spending a night and getting paid for it. Anna, do you really think that relationship of yours will last forever?”
That so-called love you believe in—your shallow trust in the Duke—won’t hold you forever.
Railly set down her teacup and stood up. The tension made her stomach tighten painfully.
‘There’s no point in talking to a woman like this…’
All it did was hurt both of them. In the end, the one truly at fault was Theo—him.
If he hadn’t loved her, he never should have married her. And if he had no intention of building a proper family, he never should have taken Anna as his mistress.
There was no happiness here. Railly worried about the child growing inside her.
How many days would the child be able to smile during the time they would have to live together? How long would she have to keep smiling behind a mask in front of that child?
“…A child, a child! Theo only married you to have a child!”
“You’re quite a pitiful person.”
She meant it sincerely. Unlike before, Anna’s complexion was growing worse by the day, and Railly instinctively sensed that Anna’s end was not far off either.
“Do you really think you can be happy here? What about the happiness of the child you’ll give birth to?”
Anna thought Railly was unable to face reality. Giving birth to the Duke’s desired heir would not change anything.
‘Theo brought me here because he loves me.’
Railly was merely the woman meant to carry on the bloodline. Anna believed Railly would be the one discarded.
She thought that would never change—now or in the future.
“I’ll take care of my child’s happiness and my own, so why don’t you face reality instead?”
“Hah! Do you think Theo even sees you as a woman? He loves me. I’m the only one he looks at!”
Anna’s face, twisted with anger, looked more pitiful than lovely.
“If you want him that badly, take him. I’ll be discarded soon enough if you just wait a little.”
There wasn’t much time left. Neither for enduring this dreadful life, nor for hiding the truth.
“You think I’d believe that?!”
“Whether you believe it or not doesn’t matter to me. I’ll leave him—and whether you pick him up or throw him away is your choice.”
Anna narrowed her eyes at Railly’s completely changed attitude. She couldn’t read her intentions.
‘Yes, keep doubting. Even if I tell the truth, you won’t believe it anyway.’
Anxiety breeds suspicion. And before one knows it, anxiety devours reason, making it impossible to see the world clearly.
The pretty girl who had once arrived here with Theo no longer existed. Burdened by anxiety and reality, Anna’s face grew more haggard with each passing day.
“What is going on here?”
Perhaps because Anna’s voice had grown loud, Theo came out from where he’d been working.
“I was just wondering what you gave this woman in return for last night.”
“…My lady, Anna is not a woman who sells her body.”
“I know. She’s just your mistress. I don’t know whether she came here fooled by you or of her own will.”
“I don’t understand why you’re being so sharp. It’s not good for the child.”
Theo frowned slightly as he looked at Railly. His gaze lingered on her noticeably swollen belly before he let out a short sigh.
“Is this situation itself good for the child?”
“My lady.”
“So I am your lady? You call me ‘my lady’ so faithfully—it’s the only time I’m reminded that I’m the Duke’s wife.”
“……”
After being a Duke’s daughter in name only, she had now become a Duke’s wife in name only as well.
“Since we’re talking, let me ask—what happened with news about my younger sister?”
It had already been a month since he said he would look into it. Yet Theo still hadn’t told her anything.
“I need to meet her.”
“No.”
“Then if I can’t go, bring my sister here.”
Railly’s voice was firm. Theo looked away and glanced at Anna.
He shook his head awkwardly. Even if Railly had been abandoned, she was still a member of the Traila family.
This would bring disgrace upon the Traila name. That was why Theo had quietly brought Anna here.
A mistress hidden away in the Duke’s residence—never brought into society. Everyone knew, yet no one dared say it aloud.
“You must be ashamed of how this looks. So people elsewhere don’t know about Anna? Or is it that you still care about my family, even though I was abandoned?”
“…I’ll let you know once a reply to the letter arrives.”
It was always like this. He avoided the issue and never gave a clear answer.
Railly and Theo were like broken gears that couldn’t mesh. He stopped her from doing anything she wanted.
Stopped her—no, forced her not to act.
“How long do I have to keep waiting?”
Her stomach tightened again with pain, and she bit her lip. When Railly bent forward slightly to steady her breathing, Theo rushed over to support her.
Perhaps due to stress, her stomach had been hurting frequently lately. For the child’s sake, Railly tried to remain calm. But as long as Anna remained in her sight, it was impossible.
“It’s not good for the child. So try not to worry about other things—”
Theo examined her carefully, anxious that something might happen to the baby. The sight made Railly let out a hollow laugh.
“My lady, please calm down and return to your room.”
Theo’s hand gripping her arm felt horrifying. It made her skin crawl, like insects crawling over her, and she wanted to shake it off immediately.
‘Disgusting. I feel sick. I’m going to throw up.’
Railly barely managed to suppress her gagging.
“If you don’t bring news of my sister by the end of this week, I’ll go see her myself. Keep that in mind.”
She shook off Theo’s hand and steadied her breathing.
Anna silently observed the situation she had caused. Apparently satisfied by their argument, she leaned against the wall and watched instead of leaving.
“This time I sent a letter, but there’s been no reply. As you know, the Traila family has been returning my letters.”
“I didn’t tell you to write to my father. I told you to contact Leta directly.”
Her father was not an option. If he kept being bothered, who knew what he might do? Contacting Leta directly was safer.
If enough letters were sent, a reply would come eventually. Though the letter she received would likely be filled with lies written by her father.
Growing bored of their conversation, Anna walked over with an innocent expression and tilted her head at Railly.
“Hm, but hasn’t she already gotten married?”
It had only been a month since Railly received news that her sister Leta was going to marry.
Already married?
Railly doubted her ears.
Theo had said he hadn’t heard anything. Then how did Anna know Leta had married?
If Anna knew, there was no way Theo didn’t. He was clearly lying to her.
Theo had too much to lose now. In other words, he would do anything to avoid losing what he had.
“Are you saying she’s already married?”
No matter how abandoned she was, Railly was still Leta’s older sister.
How could Leta have married without her knowing? Even if her father hadn’t invited her, Leta would have sent an invitation.
More than anything, it wasn’t a marriage Leta wanted. If it happened hastily, there was only one reason—her father. Unless…
“Did an invitation come?”
Theo slowly shook his head. He didn’t look like he was lying, but she couldn’t trust him. He might have hidden the truth to keep her from leaving.
He needed a child who carried Railly’s Traila blood.
“If you’re lying to me, you’ll have to pay the price.”
If something bad had happened to Leta, she might have asked for help and given up after receiving no reply. Leta had always depended on Railly and felt anxious being left alone in that house.
Worst of all, her father turning his attention to Leta was because of Railly.
She didn’t need to see it to know.
After she left, she could vividly imagine what her father might have done to her sister.
‘Nothing happened to Leta… right?’
She needed to see her as soon as possible. Even if it meant bribing a maid to secretly send a letter. Railly blamed herself for trusting Theo and headed to her room.
“Railly!”
Theo followed after her, but Anna didn’t stop him. This was exactly the situation she wanted.
She waited for them to lose trust, to hate and resent each other until they fell apart.
Even without her interference, they were already hopelessly entangled—like an unsolvable knot.
“I don’t even need to step in. I can already see the end.”
Anna called for a maid and had tea brought in. Sitting at the table, she took a sip, then quietly called another maid and handed her a letter.
“Burn it. Looks like it was sent to the wrong place again.
