Episode 11
At first, the two maids didn’t believe Roxana when she said there wouldn’t be much work.
But as time went on, they realized she was telling the truth.
Compared to what they used to do at their former households, their work here was barely one-third as much.
Roxana didn’t involve herself in the duchy’s internal affairs and rarely attended social gatherings.
She wasn’t interested in fancy dressing or makeup either, so they barely had to attend to her.
Thanks to that, Marina had plenty of free time to go shopping, while Christine often lingered around the Duke’s office — though she didn’t gain much from it.
Asterion stepped out of the underground prison.
He had been interrogating a man captured by one of his secret informants.
By the time he was done, the sun was already high in the sky.
The crisp scent of autumn filled the air — but the smell of blood clinging to his clothes stung his nose.
He walked along the path lined with trees, their leaves blazing with autumn colors.
When he reached the front of the mansion, Roxana was just coming out.
Asterion’s steps froze on the spot.
She spotted him and smiled warmly as she walked up to him.
“Asterion.”
Her face lit up with genuine happiness.
But when there were about ten steps left between them, Asterion quietly took a step back.
Roxana stopped right where she was.
The smile faded from her face, her eyes drooped slightly, and her expression turned confused and hurt.
Trying to shake off her disappointment, she took a small step forward — only for Asterion to retreat again.
It happened several times: every time she moved closer, he stepped back.
“I won’t come any closer,” she said softly.
Her voice sounded weak, almost trembling.
Asterion didn’t say a word.
Roxana’s chest ached. His cold attitude cut into her heart.
But at night… he talks to me just fine. So why…?’
Almost every night, he came to her — yet during the day, whenever they met outside the bedroom, he kept his distance, as if there was an invisible wall between them.
Since their marriage, this same scene had repeated over and over again.
At night, he was passionate, but in the daytime, he turned cold, almost distant — and it burned her up inside.
Even though she kept getting hurt, Roxana couldn’t stop trying to reach him.
She didn’t expect much from him, and their marriage was just a contract anyway, but she still wanted to have a good relationship.
Yet it just wasn’t that easy. It really wasn’t fair.
“At least you could say hello. Do you hate me that much?” she blurted out.
“…It’s not that I hate you,” he answered after a pause, sounding reluctant.
“Right. Of course not.”
But his words didn’t make her feel any better.
Roxana shut her mouth tightly, clearly upset.
Asterion, after a brief silence, was the one to speak next.
“Were you going for a walk?”
“Yeah. I was.”
She hesitated, glancing at him carefully.
“Do you… want to join me?”
“No.”
The rejection came sharp and fast.
Roxana’s emerald-green eyes glistened with moisture.
“Fine. I didn’t want you to, anyway.”
She spun around quickly and started walking away, her lips trembling as she bit them hard.
Tears were threatening to spill any second.
Watching her walk away, Asterion felt a stabbing pain deep in his chest.
He pressed his right hand against his heart, but it didn’t ease.
Seeing Roxana’s smile fade into sadness every time they met never got any easier for him.
And somehow, whenever he faced her, his body always carried the scent of blood.
He couldn’t tell her the truth — that was impossible.
Even he hated that metallic smell of blood. He couldn’t bear the thought of her smelling it on him.
Ignoring the heavy ache in his chest, Asterion forced himself to move.
He just wanted to get back and wash off the stench that clung to him.
When Roxana finally felt she was far enough from Asterion, she dropped down on a small path in the garden.
As soon as her face was buried in her skirt, the tears she’d been holding back burst out.
“Mm-hh…”
A soft, broken sound escaped her lips as she cried.
Loving someone alone — it hurts so much.
She almost wished for the days before they got married.
Back then, she had loved him in silence too, but the pain wasn’t like this.
It used to be like a prick from a rose thorn — now it was like someone cutting straight through her heart with a knife.
He’s so cruel. Why does he have to be like this?’
She knew Asterion didn’t love her — that wasn’t the problem.
It was that he didn’t seem to care about her at all.
‘And yet he still comes to me every night…!’
She felt a flash of anger, but it faded quickly.
After all, she didn’t hate it when he came to her.
She didn’t know how long she had cried, but when her sobs finally quieted, she wiped her tears away and stood up.
Her head spun suddenly — maybe because she’d cried too much.
She steadied herself against a nearby tree until her vision cleared, then started walking toward the back garden again.
Four years passed.
“Hey, why do you think the Duke visits the Duchess so often, but there’s still no heir after four years?”
“Good question. Maybe… she can’t have kids?”
“Who? The Duke or the Duchess?”
“Obviously, the Duchess. The Duke’s a Sword Master, remember?”
Julie and Paula whispered to each other.
“Girls!” Daisy gasped, looking around nervously.
Luckily, no one else was nearby.
“Oh, come on, Daisy. Did we say anything wrong?”
“Yeah, it’s not like we’re lying.”
Rumors about the Duchess being barren had spread everywhere.
Coming from a low-ranking family and still without an heir, Roxana’s position had become unstable.
Inside and outside the Kailani Duchy, people gossiped more and more.
Even some of the Duke’s retainers had started questioning things.
And among the noble ladies, many secretly wished for the Duke and Duchess to divorce soon.
If the couple separated, the Duke could remarry without any issue — after all, there was no child to complicate inheritance matters.
To them, Asterion Kailani was the perfect man: powerful, rich, and handsome.
But the Duke himself seemed completely unconcerned.
No matter how often people brought up the issue of an heir, he wouldn’t budge.
He always said he wanted to “enjoy his newlywed life a little longer.”
That excuse had lasted for four whole years.
If it weren’t for his protection, the Duchess probably would’ve been thrown out long ago.
Roxana’s life wasn’t particularly busy.
She spent most of her time reading, drinking tea, and quietly saving money.
Counting her growing savings was, surprisingly, quite fun.
She had saved enough to buy a house in the most expensive district — even open a small business if she wanted to.
“Let’s see what’s in the paper today.”
She flipped through the newspaper, scanning for news about the world and real estate prices.
For someone like her, the newspaper was the best way to keep up with the world.
After skimming through, Roxana set it down and thought quietly.
She was… content, in her own way.
She knew their marriage wouldn’t last forever.
But for now, she wanted to stay by Asterion’s side a little longer.
Even if he never looks at me the way I want… at least he doesn’t hate my touch. Maybe… someday he’ll see me differently.’
It was a sad and humble wish, but it was enough to keep her going.
As long as she could stand next to him as his wife — attend a few social gatherings together — she could bear the cold stares from others.
But life rarely goes the way we want.
‘If I have to leave him someday… maybe I should start preparing myself now.’
The thought alone made her chest tighten painfully.
Roxana had been saving every single coin, never wasting a penny.
She already had plans for her future.
Maybe she’d start a trading business — or travel for a while, and settle down wherever she liked best.
She didn’t get the chance to prove her abilities in managing the duchy, but she was confident she could handle anything.
In fact, she’d secretly made successful investments through a trading company called Moonlight.
I know another world… and the power of a spirit. I’ll be fine.’
She glanced around her room, making sure no one was nearby, then raised her hand and focused.
A faint energy gathered in her palm — slowly forming into a small glowing orb, the size of a child’s head.
A bright smile spread across her face.
‘Finally, I’ve recovered most of my spirit power!’
Her efforts had paid off.
It still wasn’t even a fifth of what she used to have, but it was enough to protect herself.
Just then.
Knock knock.
Roxana jumped in surprise and quickly dispelled the magic.
At the same time, a young maid’s voice came from beyond the door.
“Madam.”
“Oh— come in.”
Roxana wiped the sweat from her forehead before answering.
Irene, the little maid, stepped in, bowed politely, and handed her an envelope.
“Here, Madam. The butler said to deliver this to you.”
Roxana took the letter.
On the envelope, the golden seal of the Imperial Family gleamed.
Oh! Right, it’s almost Harvest Festival season.’
Every year around this time, the Imperial Palace sends out invitations for the festival.
It was held in mid to late October, lasting three days.
This year, the harvest had been early, so it was scheduled for the third week of October.
During those three days, the commoners would celebrate with festivals in the streets, and the nobles invited by the Imperial Family would attend the grand ball held in the palace.
