“Create a letter within the day and send it in Margaret’s name. I want to see my wife’s smiling face this evening.”

He’d like to spend more intimate time with her, using this as an excuse.

It had been quite some time since they had spent the night together, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try it again today.

In the end, Bake couldn’t hold back his laughter anymore and shook his head.

He had come home early on purpose, but the mansion was eerily quiet.

Bake, while feeling the strangely heavy air of the mansion, took off the hat he had been wearing and handed it to a servant.

The young duke had some expectations, having come straight here upon hearing the news that Riviana had received Margaret’s letter.

“Where’s Riviana?”

“The madam is in the annexe.”

“The annexe? All of a sudden?”

Bake almost tilted his head but then stopped.

It wasn’t surprising. His emotional and tenderhearted wife had been distraught since her friend had left due to an unfortunate circumstance.

It wasn’t strange that she was longing for Margaret and looking for the room where her friend used to stay.

“She’s been there since she received Lady Fisher’s letter.”

“Really?”

Bake quickly handed over the coat he had been wearing to the servant and turned around. He wanted to see Riviana’s reaction as soon as possible.

The servant, surprised by Bake’s action, hastily followed his master. It might have been obvious to say this to an excited Bake, but he felt he had to.

“Your Grace!”

“What? What’s the matter?”

“The madam’s expression didn’t look good.”

“Her expression?”

“Yes. It seemed like she had received a great shock. I’m sorry to say this, but she looked like she might burst into tears at any moment.”

“That’s a problem then.”

Contrary to his words, a smile appeared on Bake’s lips.

He didn’t dislike his wife’s tears. A person who is crying becomes vulnerable and it’s easier to win their heart. It wouldn’t be bad to soothe and win her over while she’s upset.

Especially since the reason for Riviana’s sorrow was the absence of her friend. If he could fill her loneliness, it would be more than perfect.

With these thoughts, Bake hastened his steps.

He tried hard to hide his buoyant mood, but he couldn’t help laughing until the moment he stood in front of the room where Riviana was.

Knock knock.

“Riviana, are you here?”

“……”

“…Riviana?”

The reaction was quite different from what he had expected.

Bake, perplexed by the lack of response, knocked on the door again.

But again, only silence answered him. Or so he thought.

“Come in.”

Just as Bake was about to knock once more, a voice came from the other side of the door.

Bake squinted.

Was he mistaken? Somehow, the voice that came from behind the door sounded different than he had imagined, even though it was tinged with a sob.

Still, it was Riviana’s voice.

Swallowing hard, Bake cautiously grasped the doorknob. The cold sensation of the metal he usually didn’t think much of felt strangely piercing today.

So did the back of his wife, who had turned away.

Bake closed the door slowly, with more care than before.

No words were exchanged, but he instinctively knew.

Somehow, the atmosphere was not normal.

Was Margaret’s letter of wellbeing that shocking? At most, it would have just been a formal declaration of her being fine, right?

With these and other thoughts in his mind, Bake maintained his composure on the outside and approached Riviana.

Despite his closeness, Riviana only stared at the piece of paper in her hand.

“…Riviana?”

“……”

It was only when Bake wrapped his arms around her shoulders that Riviana finally raised her head.

Bake instinctively tried to put on a friendly smile as he usually did, but upon encountering the gaze he faced, he swallowed his dry saliva.

His wife’s gaze that looked at him was not the usual.

As if a thief had come in, like a messedup room inside.

“…Why are you like this?”

“Why are you asking?”

The voice of Riviana, who barely opened her mouth, was cracked.

Bake made a face. There had been such a day in the past.

The day when Riviana herself tried to take her life by falling from the railing. That day, she had that kind of look in her eyes too.

The thought only got to that point and a chill ran down his spine.

The same thing could happen over and over again.

Bake, without time to think more, tightly grasped Riviana’s both shoulders.

“Calm down, Riviana! It’s not like that!”

“Calm down?”

“I don’t know what you remembered, but I’m just…!”

What should he say? Would an excuse do any good? How should he handle Riviana who could regain her memory?

It seemed like he should say something, but his mouth was completely blocked. Bake made an uncomfortable face with a voice that didn’t come out.

That’s when it happened. Something fluttered down to the floor.

It was a paper that Riviana had been holding.

Bake crumpled his face, which seemed to be no more crumpled, looking at the paper written in a familiar handwriting.

It was a letter.

A letter written in Margaret’s handwriting.

Bake stood there blankly and hastily picked up the letter.

He had not seen it wrong.

No matter how many times he read, the letter contained stories that should not be there.

“…What is this?”

Why is this content written in the letter? This is not the content I asked to be written. No, before that, if Riviana read this?

It felt as if time had stopped. Bake slowly closed his eyes and opened them. And slowly, very slowly, he lifted his head with a devastated expression.

The corners of Riviana’s eyes, looking at him, were reddish.