Chapter 264

Chapter 264

Though Deatrice had never once considered her father’s estate to be her own, the things Lucius was handling weren’t unfamiliar to her. The fertile lands and orchards of Bram Estate where she spent her summers, the fine wines of Leta served at the duke’s banquets…

Even the towering stack of papers on the Ahelab mine in Lucius’s study—Deatrice knew it well as the source of the jewels in her mother’s collection.

So, it would be difficult for Lucius to share these things with her, despite her familiarity. In the end, Deatrice handed the tray to a passing maid and returned to her room.

Lucius had been consumed with matters involving an island across the strait for days, so she assumed he’d be late again tonight. But the maid informed her that Lucius was already seated, waiting for her.

Pushing aside her uneasy thoughts, Deatrice descended the stairs to find Lucius rising with a bright smile. He approached her, gently kissed both her cheeks, then guided her to her seat, even helping her push in her chair. Sitting across from her, he reached out and took her hand.

“I was worried. I heard you spent the whole day in your room again… Are you feeling unwell?”

His kind, composed face clashed with the dark images that had haunted her mind moments before. Forcing a smile, Deatrice shook her head. But since Lucius had already heard of her recent reclusive behavior, her denial couldn’t quite ease his concern.

“This won’t do. You should go to the temple for a blessing or see a doctor for some medicine.”

“There’s no need. I’m not exerting myself at all—I’ve just been staying in.”

“You look pale, that’s why I’m saying it. Or is it because of what happened today? I heard you went to see Ethan Vander.”

“Yes.”

“…Did he say anything strange to you?”

Deatrice’s hand stilled, her spoon hovering over the soup. But aware of his watchful gaze, she casually lifted the spoon and sipped, washing it down with a sip of wine. Finally, she shook her head.

“It was nothing. Just his usual nonsense—claiming he’s innocent, that he didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

“Are you alright?”

“Yes.”

“It must have been hard seeing him imprisoned, even if he is your cousin.”

A cautious sympathy crossed Lucius’s face. Deatrice forced a smile, unsure how to respond. But in that moment, Ethan’s desperate voice echoed in her memory.

“Please, Deatrice. I did nothing wrong. All of this… it was your husband’s scheme!”

Deatrice had turned away from his pleas, coldly advising him to accept his fate. But what if Ethan’s words were true? If Lucius had really let him escape, only to return to her, claiming he had “no choice”…

If all of this had been a ruse to delay and station guards around her…

Deatrice closed her eyes tightly.

‘But it wouldn’t change anything.’

She told herself this.

She couldn’t blame him nor accuse him of wrongdoing. From the start, Lucius held the authority over Ethan’s fate. Even if he had orchestrated Ethan’s escape only to capture him again, it was his prerogative. Besides, she still remembered the moment Lucius, weary and lonely, had finally crumbled.

“Love me,” he had once pleaded.

Deatrice loved him, yet she had left him lonely. Wrapped in the pretense that it was all for his sake, she had caused him pain. So, even if he had staged an elaborate act just to keep her by his side, she felt she had no right to question him.

Now, it was her turn to endure for him.

She had no right to ask if he had truly done such things, nor to demand why he couldn’t trust her.

Enduring—Deatrice felt the meaning of that word take on a new form. She had always seen it as a surrender, a relinquishment of choice, as a burden to bear.

But now, enduring felt like the most noble thing she could do for him. For his sake, she thought, she could endure anything.

“Lucius, do you have time tomorrow?”

Her question came suddenly.

Surprised but willing, Lucius nodded. A hint of liveliness appeared on her face as she spoke, cutting into her meal.

“If you’re free, let’s go out together. I’ve been in the room so much, it doesn’t even feel like summer.”

Feeling a pang of guilt, Lucius responded with one of those far-fetched promises he had been making lately.

“I’ll finish it all soon. When this is over, I promise things will go back to how they were.”

Because of his work, Deatrice’s social life had completely halted. It was summer, yet she was spending her days in solitude—a rarity for a lady of her position, without friends or family, possibly facing this isolation until winter. Lucius felt an ache in his chest for her.

What if this isolation breaks her?

Hearing once again that she’d been locked away in her room all day filled him with a gnawing dread. The realization that he was the one keeping her confined made his unease only deepen. Even amidst the flood of work, he couldn’t help but imagine her, sitting alone in the dark, unmoving, surrounded by silence.

How long could he keep her bound like this?

Such thoughts left him feeling dazed. But deep within him, an unwavering certainty answered back.

As long as he had to—he could keep her bound forever.

“All I need is just one day with you,” Deatrice said, blissfully unaware of the darkness in his heart.

“Of course,” Lucius replied curtly, though his mind drifted elsewhere.

“What about inviting Charlie More over?” he asked.

The abrupt shift surprised Deatrice. She looked at him with startled eyes, as if to ask why he would bring up that name. Lucius quickly explained.

“I thought it might be nice to invite her over, spend some time together. You used to visit her home frequently, didn’t you?”

It was the first time Lucius had ever mentioned More. Deatrice lowered her gaze uncomfortably. Her cousin, Elwood More, had been among those who had turned their backs on Lucius the moment his illegitimacy was revealed, as if they’d never been close.

This, despite the fact that Elwood had once even invited Lucius into his home.