Cain was in no position to be angry about the Jessie issue. However, he was angry. Not because of Jane, but because of the situation that made her care about Jessie.

“I’ll handle the Jessie issue. If that’s all you had to say, you can go now.”

“What are you planning to do?”

“It’s none of your concern. If you were concerned, don’t be from now on.”

Cain tried not to get angry. And in his mind, he was figuring out how to catch Jessie and send her abroad.

“I got contacted too.”

Cain’s brow furrowed.

“You?”

Jane nodded, and Cain ruffled his hair. He approached Jane. Soon his shadow covered her.

“When? What did they say? How did you receive the contact?”

Cain acted as if he was about to go out and find the person who contacted Jane right away.

Jane patted Cain’s excited arm.

“I’ve already found out who contacted me, so you don’t need to be hasty.”

“You found out? How?”

Jane told him about the contents of the note and what happened at night.

The fact that Jessie was involved and what she was plotting.

“Jane! Have you lost your mind?”

Cain slammed the table. He stood up, leaning on the table with a very excited face.

Then he walked to the window and faced the cold wind. When that didn’t cool his heat, he put his hands on his waist and paced around the room, panting.

Jane was dumbfounded by his sudden change in attitude.

“Cain, why are you angry? Shouldn’t you be praising me for doing well?”

“Praise?”

He turned around sharply. His chest heaved up and down.

“Yes. I confirmed that Jessie is safe. And that it was her plot.”

“Who told you to find out such things?”

Jane blinked. Her expression of resentment further fueled Cain’s anger.

“Jane, stay quietly at home. Don’t do dangerous things!”

“Why? Are you afraid I might get kidnapped and hold you back?”

“That’s not what I meant!”

“Are you saying you’re worried about me?”

“Of course!”

Cain shouted loudly. Overwhelmed by the voice that echoed through the room, Jane was momentarily at a loss for words.

Jane’s breath quickened slightly. When Cain shouted, she was reminded of Victor and Hamlin.

Cain shouted at her with the same expression as them.

Jane’s face gradually hardened.

Cain rubbed his face with his dry hand.

“I’m sorry, Jane.”

He apologized immediately.

“It’s good that you found out about Jessie’s plan. But there are many people who could do such things besides you. What you did yesterday was dangerous. It was too reckless. So please, stay still.”

To Jane, those words sounded like an assessment that she was incapable and weak. It seemed as if Cain didn’t trust her.

She didn’t know why she felt so hurt.

Originally, she should have been the one to get angry.

Cain had hidden the matter about Jessie and…

‘But do I have the right to know about Jessie?’

The contract she had forgotten about wrapped tightly around Jane. She bowed her head deeply.

But she didn’t want to just sit in a corner and watch as Cain wished, knowing that Joseph might be in danger.

If she had stayed still, would she have been able to find out about Jessie’s plan to kidnap Joseph?

It’s an unlikely assumption. Jane would have made the same choice as last night even if she could turn back time.

“How can I just stay still?”

Cain, who hadn’t heard Jane’s murmur, let out a sigh.

“What did you say, Jane?”

Jane raised her head. Cain flinched when he met her eyes. Her eyes were full of tears.

“How can I stay still when I’m Joseph’s mother? When my child might be in danger. I would do the same thing even if I went back.”

Cain’s mouth opened.

“Have you been listening halfheartedly to everything I’ve said so far?”

Just the thought of Jane wandering alone on the streets at night made his blood run cold.

And not only that, she had secretly followed a man as big as a bear.

What if that man had discovered Jane?

He was the one who threatened the Hastings. Such a person wouldn’t treat her well just because she was a duchess.

Jane could have been in serious danger.

Just imagining it made him feel like the ground was collapsing beneath his feet.

“I heard you properly.”

“And yet you say you’ll go out again? Should I lock you up? Or should I assign Sor to watch over you again?”

“Cain!”

Jane trembled.

“Is it so hard to say that one word, that you’ll stay still? You need to stay still so I can work with peace of mind. You said you’d do your best as a duchess. Making your husband’s mind at ease is also your job.”

Jane’s eyes became blurry. Seeing her with drooping shoulders as if tired, Cain frowned.

And then he said something he shouldn’t have.

“Jane, you’re not even Joseph’s real mother.”

It took quite a long time for Jane, who had opened her mouth at his words, to bite her lips tightly.

A tear rolled down from her moist eyes. Cain reached out to wipe her tears, but Jane moved first.

“Why, why am I crying…”

Jane was also bewildered. Why was she crying when she was angry?

She kept wiping her tears with both hands. However, once the tears started, they didn’t stop easily.

She rubbed her eyes vigorously with the back of her hand. Soon her eyes became red and swollen.

Cain tried to find a handkerchief, but realizing he was in his shirt, he turned towards where the drawers were.

“I know.”

At that moment, a quiet and powerless voice held Cain’s feet in place.

“I know that I’m not his real mother, that I’m incompetent compared to you, that if something had gone wrong yesterday, I could have caused you great harm.”

There was nothing wrong with her words. Jane had accurately grasped the situation as Cain wanted.

However, it was subtly different from his wish.

The words she uttered were nothing more than a repetition of what he had said. But hearing them in her voice made his heart ache.

That’s because Jane’s words were wrong. They were right but wrong.

What Cain was worried about was not the damage he and the Hastings would suffer.

He could lose any amount of money. But he couldn’t bear Jane getting hurt or going wrong.

“Jane, I…”

Cain, who had turned around to explain his true feelings, closed his mouth. Or rather, he had to close it.

Jane, who had been standing straight, had collapsed. She rested her elbows on the table and buried her face in her palms. Her hunched back trembled incessantly.

When she came in, she was as beautiful and confident as usual.

But after just a few minutes of conversation with him, she had become small and shabby.

Who had made her like that?

The answer came too easily.

‘It was me.’

I always eat away at you.

Just as my parents ruined your family, perhaps I will ruin your life.

Jane, I…

Cain recalled what Scarlet had said before leaving Hess Company.

Cain had dismissed it as a useless worry. It was probably just a warning from Scarlet who had a weapon.

‘I…’

No matter how much he tried to attach good words after that, he couldn’t think of any fitting words.

“I’ll stay still as you wish. Still.”

Jane dropped her last tear.

* * *

For several days, Jane did nothing except educate Joseph.

Of course, when Cain visited her bedroom, she ignored his attempts at conversation and only had physical relations with him.

She acted as if expecting anything else was a luxury to begin with.

When with Cain, Jane seemed like a person without emotions.

Jane really stayed ‘still’. As Cain wanted.

Eventually, the tired Cain raised a white flag.

Jane didn’t respond. How many times had Cain changed his words? He was the one who told her to stay still at home not long after giving her freedom.

She understood his worrying heart. Although the feelings behind his worry were unclear.

Cain said he would catch Jessie, and Joseph just needed to be taken care of at home. Cain had assigned several knights separately for Joseph.

For a while, the duke’s mansion didn’t receive guests, and even the delivery of necessary items was stopped.

‘Joseph will be safe.’

Although she had fought with Cain and was hurt, it was fine as long as Joseph was safe.

Jane focused only on her duties as a duchess, trying to think positively.

There were documents about villages that had suffered from flood damage last year. The opinion was that disaster relief funds needed to be prepared in advance as flood damage was expected this year as well.

‘It would be better to use this money for flood prevention instead.’

It was when Jane was contemplating flood prevention measures.

“My lady.”

Haley quietly approached and whispered. Jane, who had been so focused that she didn’t notice Haley coming close, was startled.

“I’m sorry, my lady.”

“No, it’s fine. What’s the matter?”

“Well, about last time…”

Haley carefully handed over a note. And explained.

The coachman of the chartered carriage Jane had taken when she secretly went to meet Cedric had brought a note.

“Could you lock the door?”

Jane held the note in her hand. After confirming that Haley had locked the door, Jane read the note.

The letter contained a place and time.

Jane memorized the place and time and tore the note into small pieces. Then she pushed the paper scraps into the trash can.

“We need to empty the trash can, Haley. Take it straight to the incinerator. And could we use a chartered carriage again this afternoon?”

“Through the back gate like last time?”

Although Cain had told Jane to move freely, he had previously assigned surveillance to her. She couldn’t blindly trust his words. Jane shook her head.

“No, this time tell them to meet halfway. I’ll change carriages on Hausten Street.”