Chapter 25
Lincia rubbed her wrist and spoke bluntly.
Normally, she might have rushed to explain before Harvich even asked, but right now, she wasn’t in the mood.
She already knew that no matter what she told the man in front of her, he wouldn’t believe it or listen.
“Strange, you’re not curious this time about what kind of conversation I had?”
Lincia mocked Harvich as she slipped off her shoes.
Her heels were raw and blistered from keeping up with his quick pace.
As she gently touched the wounds with her fingers, she lifted her head to look at Harvich.
“Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter to you. You wouldn’t believe anything anyway.”
“Is it true…?”
“What is?”
“That the knight is the father of the child.”
After all that thought, the only thing he asked was that…
Lincia felt heat rise to her head.
He never believed a single word she had said, but he was ready to take this impulsive lie seriously. That made her furious.
“…Do you think it’s true?”
“Why did you say such a thing?”
Lincia couldn’t control her emotions.
Even though she knew yelling at Harvich wouldn’t change anything, irritation kept surging up.
“Why?
Isn’t that the answer you wanted?
Last time, you wished I’d said that, didn’t you?
Did what you wanted suddenly change?”
“…”
“Say it. I’ll listen.”
Harvich’s lips parted.
Then, with a sigh, he finally spoke.
“…I’m sorry.”
At Harvich’s quiet apology, something inside Lincia snapped.
“Why do you keep apologizing to me?
You’re not sorry.
You’ve never cared about me even once.”
Lincia couldn’t stop her eyes from reddening and burst into tears.
Her chest felt heavy.
She wanted to ask why he was doing this to her.
Was there anything he wanted to gain by acting so gentle?
When he was troubled even by the fact that she loved him?
When he never believed a thing about her?
In the end, he would only ask that kind of question—whether the knight was the father of her child.
Why was he doing this to her?
It was confusing.
And the closeness they had now would vanish once the banquet ended.
They only saw each other often because they were living in the same space for now.
At the Grand Duke’s estate, Harvich was always indifferent to Lincia.
Was it not cruel that this was the punishment for desiring just one night with the man she loved?
Harvich’s warm hand touched her face.
His hand trembled, as if unsure what to do with her tears.
His calloused fingers brushed gently against her eyes.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
Harvich slowly stroked her cheek.
Then he bent one knee, leveling his gaze with hers.
“The reason I apologized to you is…”
His red eyes, the ones she had loved, quietly held her.
“If the knight is not the father of your child, then I realized too late that my earlier words must have wounded you.”
What on earth was he saying?
“I was wrong.”
Lincia’s lips parted soundlessly.
“No matter how angry you are with me, you shouldn’t say things like that. Others might overhear your voice.”
At his low words, Lincia’s tears stopped.
She didn’t fully understand his actions.
But the tone of someone who seemed to genuinely care for her calmed her down.
He was always like this.
Even without loving her, he would offer sweet kindness that kept her from letting him go.
So cruel.
And she, stupid and foolish, was deceived every time.
Her love was always like this.
Wanting to be deceived, wanting to forgive his wrongs.
Even if people called her pathetic, she couldn’t help it.
“Can you be alone for a while?”
Lincia answered with a nod.
Leaving her on the terrace, Harvich turned away.
He hadn’t meant to interrogate her.
But he grasped again the hand Lincia had first reached for.
Her clenched fist still held warmth.
He planned to find Oberok.
He couldn’t let anyone see her in tears.
Harvich quietly left the banquet hall.
The feast was in full swing, so the outer corridors were empty.
As he walked toward Oberok’s quarters, Tereo stopped him.
“Your Grace.”
The man was breathing heavily, as if he’d been searching for someone.
And Harvich had a bad feeling who that someone was.
“Where have you left the Grand Duchess, walking around alone like this?”
Harvich gave the man a cold look, as if he had no right to ask.
“My wife’s whereabouts are none of your concern.”
He deliberately emphasized the word wife.
“If you have something to say to my wife, say it to me. I’ll deliver it myself.”
Tereo’s brows furrowed tightly.
“I cannot say it to Your Grace.”
“Why not?”
“Because you are not of the North. One day you’ll abandon our poor Princess.”
“You spout nonsense. If I truly meant to abandon my wife, I would have ended this marriage long ago.”
“Is that so?”
“Then what’s your intention with this talk?”
“Then you’re admitting that the wife you never abandoned, you let her live like a barren woman for two years?”
At the word barren, Harvich’s mouth hardened.
“The Emperor values even a sister who cannot bear children. A man like you should know that much, yet…”
“…”
“Yet you didn’t care whether your wife lived or died.”
“…Ha.”
Harvich understood what kind of eyes Tereo used to look at Lincia.
Even if he hadn’t wanted to know, the man’s emotions were obvious.
“You can’t trust the physicians of the North! You’re all just waiting for the Grand Duchess to miscarry!”
Harvich had heard what the man had said during the luncheon.
His retainers had raged, saying it insulted the North’s honor, but Harvich’s first feeling upon hearing it was, ironically, relief.
At least one of his suspicions had proven to be groundless.
Tereo had nothing to do with Lincia.
“At the luncheon, you said something very interesting.”
“…”
“But strangely, I can’t shake the thought that you are the one wishing for my wife’s miscarriage.”
“That’s impossible. I would never…”
Harvich didn’t let him finish.
It wasn’t worth hearing.
“It seems you’ve forgotten since you haven’t attended to her for so long, so I’ll remind you.
My wife’s body is frail.
Even after two years, she still hasn’t adjusted to the North’s climate.”
Harvich sneered.
“Pregnancy may not be difficult. After all, Lincia and I are husband and wife.”
“…”
“But you seem to ignore the fact that pregnancy puts a heavy strain on a woman’s body.”
A woman received in place of compensation.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t wanted to take her.
After all, she had fallen into his hands.
He had never said it aloud, but Harvich thought Lincia was beautiful.
Even if he had taken her under the excuse of compensation, she wouldn’t have refused him.
But despite those thoughts, he hadn’t wanted to become a monster.
Harvich had checked the entry records of the main castle from the chief steward.
For the past year, he hadn’t spent a single night in the main residence.
Lincia’s chambers were there.
Even after confirming that her words were an obvious lie, Harvich ordered Philip to falsify the records.
He didn’t know why.
In the moment, it simply felt like he had to.
“So, do you now believe pregnancy wouldn’t be a burden on the Princess’s body?”
