WYDM 04

From a woman’s perspective, the new Duke of Croft was truly infuriating. He locked away a woman who could bloom even more beautifully in the estate while he went off somewhere doing who knows what.

If he was going to do that, he should at least let her worry—but no, he told her not to see him off or greet him, and even when he returned injured, he forbade her from nursing him or worrying about him with those strange words, leaving her deeply shocked.

Then what could that woman do in this estate?

In her life… what meaning could she find?

It was a serious matter, yet Leri was too caught up in her own work to look after her properly.

No matter how much she scolded or worried, in the end it was their business, and it was difficult for her to interfere.

“I’ll eat. Go do your work. Leri, you’re always busy.”

But Sehera’s atmosphere, which had always seemed vacant, like something was missing, had changed considerably. The blurry lines that had felt like they might disappear had become clear.

Not quite understanding what this feeling was, Leri stared intently at Sehera.

Something had changed. She wasn’t just breathing and living with her hands off everything…

Ah, yes! Her face looked like she had found a purpose.

With an ominous premonition, Leri watched Sehera begin eating.

“We’ll probably need to cut down a few trees in the back yard, so we’re working on that. Several workers came in, so the back yard is quite noisy.”

She brought up a completely useless topic. It wasn’t information Sehera would be curious about or find useful, but having said it, Leri observed her reaction.

She wanted to tell her that the people she’d just seen weren’t from the estate. That no one among the estate’s people thought of her that way.

While eating, Sehera heard Leri’s words and lifted the corners of her lips slightly. If her mood was bad, Leri had planned to drag those men over and give them a piece of her mind, but instead she stood by Sehera’s side, watching her eat intently.

“Leri, I’m fine. So please go.”

Sehera tried to send her away while slowly chewing her food. Enough to make one wonder if she was the same person who’d heard that conversation earlier.

Leri showed signs of confusion but quickly hid it and just stood by her side. Keeping her mouth shut was helping Sehera.

She wished… for a quiet mealtime. Just quietly, spending time like she was alone—that would be so nice.

That was her usual way. Quietly listening to her words and moving silently. If it weren’t for Leri, she acted like being alone was natural.

But Leri kept feeling a subtle sensation, like being poked repeatedly. It wasn’t the usual comfortable feeling. The feeling that something kept becoming uncomfortable… was very disconcerting.

And she looked at her.

Strangely, she seemed no different from usual. A woman without vitality but very beautiful.

“We’ll probably be doing construction in the back yard all week. I think we’re going to plant lots of flowers there.”

Leri was trying to pique her interest. Thinking no woman would dislike pretty flowers, Leri looked at her, hoping she’d react to the word “flowers.”

But she didn’t move at all. She only left a sound like “Mm” that might have been an answer.

In the meantime, Sehera finished all her food. Seeing the cleanly emptied plate, Leri felt some relief and left the room with the tray.

And Sehera was left alone in the room again.

The decision had taken a long time. It was a resolution made only a month ago. For that, she’d written letters and secretly met with lawyers to obtain divorce papers…

Actually, what she’d heard in the kitchen earlier wasn’t the first time. That’s why that decision was all that filled her mind.

When she first heard that word, she thought: this is it.

There were two things Sehera could choose in this estate. Live with the Croft name attached until death, or until she saw something from the Duke with no promise of when—just living quietly. Or leave this estate.

The deliberation was long. Two whole years had been spent on such deliberation.

Honestly, Planer wasn’t much different from here either. That place was collapsing just the same. The couple who’d sent their daughter here and couldn’t live comfortably died in an accident. In short, Planer now had nothing left, just like this place.

As an only child, Sehera was very concerned about that place. That’s why life here, where she felt useless, became even harder to endure. Sehera’s distant eyes wandered somewhere in the air.

Not giving her work as a duchess didn’t feel like consideration for her—it felt like all her strength had been taken away.

Her gaze turned to the neat envelope placed on the desk. And then to the suspicious luggage placed beside the wardrobe inside. It was a large suitcase divided into two pieces.

Sehera was drinking the tea Leri had left behind when she took away the food. She took a sip and looked at the luggage, took another sip and looked at the envelope on the desk.

Even if he returned, would he be able to receive those documents? How many days would it take for him to notice and open them?

Would he even come into this room?

Such things were of no use to her anymore. She felt it was time to leave everything behind and go.

Goodbye. She bid farewell to things that were never hers.

* * *

That morning began very early. Sehera felt that her heart, which she resolved and re-resolved every night before sleeping but always wavered by the next morning, had finally become firm.

Sehera slowly blinked her two eyes, which were comfortably open unlike someone who’d just woken up, and slowly looked around the room.

Strangely, thinking it was the end brought back memories of the first day she lay here.

When she left alone for an arranged marriage, alongside complicated feelings, she also felt like she could do anything.

Because she wasn’t just a Count’s daughter anymore—she was preparing to become the lady of a ducal house.

Back then, when she met the still-living Duchess Croft and entered this room, she’d felt somewhat pleased.

Because the room was very neat and nice. Thinking simply like that, she lay comfortably on the bed.

When she was relaxing slightly like that, a knock suddenly sounded, and before Sehera could properly respond to it, the door burst open and someone entered.

Sehera sprawled messily on the bed, and the radiantly handsome man who opened the door and entered…

‘Ah… I apologize. I heard you’d arrived…’

When she learned that person was Ethan Croft, who would become her husband, she’d actually been happy. She’d rarely seen such a handsome person in her life. Even at the banquets she’d attended with her parents, there was no man like him.

Of course, Ethan had been famous among the young ladies. Though she’d somehow never seen his face, he was a man well-known even by rumor.

She remembered her heart pounding when she saw him in person.

Sehera raised her right hand and gently placed it on her chest. Just placing it there didn’t tell her much, so when she pressed down, she finally felt the beating of her heart from below.

So you were there. Still… beating well.

She couldn’t quite remember when she’d last felt her heart flutter looking at him. The time when it trembled with excitement quickly disappeared, and the heart that ached soon calmed down too.

She’d even thought about living while gradually losing more and more things in this continuous quietness. Without any thoughts, just becoming part of what filled this house.

But that wasn’t it. The thought grew stronger that rather than live like this, she should go somewhere that needed her.

No one told her news of House Planer. So day by day she made her resolution. That she would become ‘Planer.’

And to do that… she couldn’t stay in this house anymore. A doll just filling one room would be useless to Croft too.

She couldn’t even assist the Duke as a duchess—what use was there in being here?

From Ethan’s perspective too, it might be better for the household finances if she weren’t here.

The reason he went around so diligently, getting injured like that, must be to earn money to maintain the ducal estate.

Sehera got up. She washed early today and opened the wardrobe.

The clothes had absorbed the wardrobe smell slightly from not being taken out for so long, but they were still wearable enough. She took out an ivory dress that had been kept clean, put it on, and left the room.

Leri, who wouldn’t have expected her to come out at this hour, wasn’t even visible. Wondering if she could have breakfast, she went to the dining room. Fortunately, the cook Usla was there, and since food for the employees was already prepared, she finished breakfast with that.

“By any chance, do you know where Leri is? I have something to ask…”

“Well… I don’t think she said she was going anywhere.”

Usla said that awkwardly, bowed her head, and disappeared into the kitchen. At her awkward answer, Sehera let out a shallow breath.

“Oh my, my lady! Are you up already?”

But that concern didn’t last long. While eating the food Usla had awkwardly prepared and left, Leri came in.

Entering the dining room, she made a bewildered sound seeing Sehera sitting there earlier than breakfast time.

She’d thought she might leave without seeing her today—what a relief.

If there was one reason she couldn’t just leave, it wasn’t the Duke but Leri. She was the only person who didn’t ignore her and looked after her consistently.

Leri briefly went to the kitchen and then stood before her as always.

She must have come because she had work to do. It always pained her that Leri was tied up and couldn’t move freely because of her. Ah, today would be the last time for that too.

“Leri, could you prepare a carriage for me?”