TSHL 03

Chapter 3

That day, I had a nightmare.
Maybe it was something I had unconsciously imagined.
In my dream, I saw the scene of Diana’s accident.

One peaceful moment—then chaos.
The horses suddenly went wild.
The coachman couldn’t control them.
The carriage toppled.

I ran forward and managed to grab Diana’s hand just as she was about to fall over the cliff.

Her face was faint, her expression dim. She looked up at me and said:

“Please take care of my family, Cassia.”

Then, with a faint smile, Diana fell.

My eyes snapped open.
It was early dawn.
My heart was pounding.
When I sat up, I felt sweat soaking my body.

I sat there for a while, then stood.
The house was wrapped in silence.

I was tired, but I couldn’t go back to sleep.
After a simple breakfast and a quick wash, I prepared to go out.

The café I ran in one corner of the duchy wouldn’t open today—it was the day of the Duke’s request.

Once daylight broke, I headed to the Duke of Hydrian’s mansion.

“I’ve come regarding the matter you requested yesterday, Your Grace.”

“Ah, you’re here. I’ve been waiting for you.”

The Duke personally greeted me and led me inside.
As I walked down the corridor, I looked around.

The mansion felt utterly different from usual.

The servants all had vacant looks on their faces.
One was absently scrubbing the same spot over and over;
others were quietly wiping away tears.

In one corner, several people were carrying piles of things.

“Those are…?”

“My wife’s belongings,” the Duke answered.

The servants were sorting through Diana’s possessions—what was to be burned—and stacking them in the center of the mansion.

Clothes, accessories, hobby tools, everyday items.

All the things Diana had once used were being gathered, ready to be reduced to ash.

Watching the piles grow taller, I felt a chill inside. It was as if her absence was being made visible.

It was only natural that no one could easily escape their grief.

Diana had been more than a wife or mother—she had been the heart of everyone around her.

The steadfast mistress of this household and duchy,
a leading lady in the noble social circles,
the beloved daughter of Count Allison,
a strong wife to the Duke,
a constant mother to her children—
and to me, she was my one and only friend in this world.

So it was only natural that her death had cast everyone into deep sorrow.

“May I ask what Ken and Nick are doing? I’m worried about them.”

“They’re asleep. Both seem… calmer than I expected. Which worries me more.”

“I see…”

It would be better if they showed some grief, at least.

At the funeral, only a few of us didn’t cry—the Duke, his two children, and me.

For the Duke, it made sense. He couldn’t show weakness as the head of the household.

As for me, I simply couldn’t cry.

But for the children not to shed a tear… that broke my heart.
They must have been deeply shocked.
If they bottled that up, it would surely turn into an illness of the heart.

But I stopped myself from saying more—it wasn’t my place to lecture the Duke.

As he guided me through the corridor, he stopped at a familiar door and opened it.

It was the guest room where I had always stayed whenever I visited the duchy.

“Take as much time as you need. There’s no rush.”

“Thank you.”

The door closed softly behind me.
I slowly looked around.

Though technically a guest room, I had used it so often it had practically become mine.

Seeing the familiar space brought back vivid memories of the times Diana and I had shared here.

“The mansion is so big, Cassia. I can give you any room you want.”

I remembered her saying that when she first showed me this room.

“There’s an even bigger one available, should I have it prepared?”

“No, this is fine. It’s not like I live here.”

“Well, you could live here, you know.”

She had laughed when she said that.

Sometimes, late at night after everyone was asleep, Diana would sneak out of her room, pillow in hand, and knock on this door.

There were countless times she’d quietly slip into my bed and startle me awake.

We’d lie side by side, talking in whispers until dawn.

Though she was the Duchess of a great territory, she always carried burdens she couldn’t show anyone.

When she married the Duke, she worried if she could be a good wife.
When she had children, she worried if she could be a good mother.

And as she managed the estate and navigated the aristocratic world, she faced countless other worries.

To others, she may have looked perfect—a capable, intelligent duchess.
But to me, Diana was simply a person full of worries.

Whenever we talked, I encouraged her as best I could.
And she, in turn, confided things even her husband didn’t know.

“I’m glad you’re with me, Cassia,” she once said.

“Thank you for always being by my side. Truly. No matter what anyone says, you’re my one and only friend.”

Her voice seemed to echo in the room now.
Every corner of the space seemed to still hold traces of her presence.

“…It’s ridiculous. You’re gone, yet I can’t even cry. Maybe I really am heartless.”

How strange it was—that Diana was dead, and yet I remained here, alive.

I had never imagined a life without her.
A life where my dearest friend was gone.

And so, I didn’t know how to react to her death.

I bit my lip. I didn’t want to think anymore.
I began packing my things.

There wasn’t much to take—my pajamas, a few toiletries, a hair tie.

And… a diary?

My eyes fell on it, frowning.

I didn’t keep a diary.
I had never brought one here.

Then whose was it?

Feeling uneasy, I reached out and picked it up.

A heavy, ominous feeling clung to me.

When I opened it, I saw the neat handwriting inside.
I recognized it instantly—it was Diana’s.

“Things around me have been strange lately.
It feels like accidents—big and small—keep happening.
Accidents that feel… deliberate.”

My hands trembled.
I turned the page.

“Today, a carriage nearly ran me over.
This isn’t the first time.
I’m certain now—I’ve become someone’s target.”

My breath caught.
Another entry followed.

“If I die… what will become of my position?
His Majesty the Emperor desires close alliances with strong houses—he may try to place one of his own in my stead.
Perhaps Zion will be pressured into remarrying.
And if that happens, our children will become burdens to him.
They’re still so young… What will happen to them if they’re abandoned?”

“I mentioned it casually to Cassia today—that if I die, she should take care of my family.
Just saying it out loud eased my heart a little.”

That was as far as I got before I jumped to my feet.
I bolted from the room and ran toward the Duke’s office.

Servants turned their heads in surprise as I rushed past.

I couldn’t control my expression—my heart was pounding wildly.

I threw open the office door.
The Duke rose from his desk, startled.

“Lady Cassia, what is the matter—”

“Did Diana have any enemies?”

I dropped the diary onto his desk.

His brows furrowed as he looked down at it.

“What is this?”

“I found it while cleaning the room. It’s written in Diana’s hand.”

He slowly picked it up.
As he read, his eyes began to tremble.

I stepped closer and slammed my palm on the desk.

“Your Grace, please answer me. Did Diana have any enemies?”

I met his eyes, desperate.

If the contents of the diary were true,
then Diana hadn’t died by accident—

She had been murdered.

Silence fell.
I didn’t know how long it lasted before the Duke suddenly put down the diary.

He strode to the half-open office door, checked the hallway, then shut it firmly.

The sound of the lock clicked sharply through the air.

He returned to me, rubbing his face with both hands.
Neither of us spoke for a moment.

“…It is indeed her diary. The handwriting is unquestionably hers.”

“Then… she really was killed? It wasn’t an accident?”

I could barely breathe. My mind plunged into darkness. But I forced myself to stay calm.

Who…?

Who could have done such a thing?

I racked my brain. Had Diana mentioned anything like this to me recently?

Nothing came to mind.

Besides, in noble society, everyone was an enemy to someone.
Diana wasn’t from a minor family like mine—she had many who might envy or resent her.

The Duke, too, seemed unable to find direction. He finally spoke.

“Given her position as Duchess, it’s true that enemies lurked everywhere.
But Diana and I kept our personal and political matters quite separate.
We were busy enough just discussing the children’s upbringing.”

“She never told me anything either. The only strange thing she ever said was when she suddenly mentioned what might happen if she died.”

A heavy silence filled the room.

At that moment, I realized—the Duke and I were feeling the same regret.

He, for not knowing what his wife had truly been enduring.
And I, for brushing off the strange words she had said to me that day.

“Please take care of my family, Cassia.”