The Secret Affairs of the Fake Duke Couple (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 12
“Try it.”
Cain answered irritably.
“If you have nothing more to say, get out.”
Having been with Jane for so long, his head was throbbing. Even the cigar scent lingering in the office had become unpleasant.
“I’m sorry for taking your time. Just one more question. About the contract period.”
“…….”
“You want me to get Joseph into the academy within a year and make him the top student?”
“Is it difficult?”
Jane was sparing with her words. Teaching studies wasn’t difficult.
But the fact that Cain had come to her was what bothered her.
He could have found any number of tutors to teach the child.
Coming to someone he didn’t even like, going so far as to enter a contract marriage and entrusting the child to her, meant there was something to hide. A secret that must not leak out.
What could there be to hide regarding the child.
‘Could he be sick or something.’
If the child was physically ill, treatment would take a lot of time.
However, physical illness was not a big problem. The Hastings family physician was skilled, and with material abundance, any disease could be treated.
The problem was when the child had emotional defects.
‘The child was expelled from school, wasn’t he.’
It was unlikely he caused a big enough problem to be expelled just out of whim.
There was a high possibility the child had emotional deficiencies. In that case, one year might not be enough time.
That increased the chance that Jane would fail to fulfill the promise.
Even so, she didn’t want to ask Cain for more time.
Staying by his side for one year was enough. That much would allow her to shake off her lingering attachment to Cain.
‘I’ll figure it out somehow.’
Jane steeled her resolve.
“No. There’s no problem. I’ll take my leave now.”
“Wait.”
Cain stopped Jane. Since he had been sending glances telling her to get out quickly the whole time, Jane turned back in confusion.
“Bed duties are twice a week. In case you missed it.”
Jane’s trembling pupils dropped in panic.
She flipped through the documents again. And discovered a clause she hadn’t seen before.
It was a clause he had added. The end of the contract Jane was holding crumpled.
“Since you said you want to do it properly as the duchess, I’ll leave the upcoming social season in your hands as well.”
It was a punishment Cain was imposing on Jane.
Jane was already a person expelled from high society. Yet asking her to handle the social season meant telling her to go out and get thoroughly humiliated.
She was starting to get a sense of what Cain wanted from her.
He wanted her to despair.
She had already despaired more than enough, but doing it in front of his eyes must be meaningless otherwise.
Jane willingly accepted his condemnation to sever her feelings for Cain.
“Of course.”
If she built relationships with the ladies, it would help Joseph’s social connections.
But where was Joseph’s birth mother. What story was there that she sent only the child here. Was she really dead, as the rumors said.
Knock knock.
Jane suddenly snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of Cain tapping the table.
“I’m sorry. I was… thinking about something else for a moment.”
“Then you didn’t hear a word I said. I don’t like repeating myself, Jane.”
“I’ll be careful from now on.”
Though a strange defiance was felt in her obedient attitude, Cain let it pass. There was no need to assign meaning to every one of her reactions. He was tired too.
“I said we have to hold the debutante in two months.”
“The debutante?”
“Yes, Jane. Were you planning to marry me without even holding a debutante?”
The debutante was a noble young lady’s coming-of-age ceremony. Without holding one, even if of age, one was not recognized as an adult in high society.
Because the Whitney family had fallen just before Jane’s debutante, she was no different from a minor in high society.
“You’re not planning to make me a social criminal, are you.”
“No.”
Recalling the time with Lady Whitney, who had been excited ahead of the debutante, Jane’s throat tightened. She cleared her throat and asked.
“Why two months later? The social season starts in one month.”
“Jane.”
Cain clicked his tongue as if it were truly regrettable.
“Jane, look at yourself. Your current appearance.”
Cain raised one corner of his mouth.
“It’s hard to overlook.”
“…….”
“Two months is the time for you to shed your rusticity. You’ll have more to learn than you think.”
There were trends in high society too. From dresses to conversation methods, and even dances.
But one couldn’t just follow this year’s trends. To converse, one needed to know about past trends as well.
Because the current trend could be a variation of a past one or a rebellion against the immediate previous style.
Therefore, Jane had to learn about the past seven years of high society in two months.
That wasn’t all. She also had to study how power was distributed in high society and which families to watch out for.
‘That much I know from reading the newspapers…’
But since she needed to know the secret stories not in the newspapers, separate study was essential.
“Is time short? Is two months too much?”
“No. It’s enough.”
“If you understand, get out. Someone waiting to help with preparations will be there. Review the contract more.”
It was a contract with only Jane’s signature space blank. Jane considered signing it on the spot but stopped.
As he said, she needed to review the contract carefully. Even though she had no right to change a single jot in the contract.
Cain returned to his desk without seeing her off. Jane remained standing motionless until he sat down and picked up his pen.
“You’re not leaving?”
“There’s something I want to ask.”
Cain gestured with his chin for her to go ahead.
Jane hesitated, then as if resolved, clutched the contract tightly to her chest and said.
“Does the bed duty clause also start after two months?”
Jane’s gaze as she asked was quite provocative. Cain was not one to let that provocation pass.
“If you want, even starting today.”
He smiled languidly.
[This is the timeline separator]Click, the sound of the door closing rang out.
〈Do you want it?〉
At the gaze that seemed like it would crush her at any moment, Jane fled his office as if escaping.
They said he goes out at night often, so for him, sharing affection between men and women must be very easy.
For Jane, it was something that required great courage.
‘He must have a lot of experience.’
Jane suddenly felt scared. Was it really the right decision to say she would monopolize him.
It was Cain who must have spent nights unimaginable to Jane with many women.
She felt embarrassed for confidently telling him to allocate one year to her. And the nights she would spend with Cain approached as a tremendous burden.
Jane slowly swallowed her breath.
“Miss.”
At the call, she looked up to see a maid with impressive wheat-colored skin standing in front of Jane.
Thanks to her updo hairstyle, the exposed nape was quite elegant. Jane’s gaze landed on and then fell from the sapphire earrings hanging from her white earlobes.
Seeing her have earrings that even Jane didn’t possess, she must be a capable and resourceful girl.
She likely received gifts by pleasing her masters well or earned money through other errands.
“From today, I am Michelle, who will serve you, miss. Shall we go to your room?”
The maid who met Jane’s eyes bowed politely.
She seemed barely over 20, young and cute.
Watching Michelle lead the way, Jane had the useless thought, ‘So much has changed in seven years.’
It was a rule for the Hastings family maids to walk without making footstep sounds, but Michelle’s steps were endlessly light.
‘Or maybe she’s less trained.’
It seemed she needed to retract her earlier assessment that she was resourceful or capable.
Fortunately, the carpet was laid; otherwise, it would have been quite noisy footsteps.
“I almost made a mistake.”
Michelle suddenly stopped.
“The miss’s room is on the 4th floor, the guest room! I almost guided you to the duchess’s room. You’re not the duchess yet.”
‘Well, look at this?’
At the exaggerated gestures and tone, Jane burst into laughter.
Michelle’s brow narrowed.
Jane understood what her behavior meant. She had seen many maids like her in the past.
Those who mistook their master’s authority as their own and acted territorial.
Or it could be jealousy. There were occasionally maids who loved their master. In such cases, they saw the young woman brought by the master as a rival.
Seeing her young and full of spirit, the latter was more likely the reason.
Maids who loved their master often ignored guests in the master’s absence, and like Michelle now, acted arrogantly.
It must be displeasing that someone whose status didn’t seem much different was receiving treatment.
It was something she occasionally experienced even during her time as a tutor.
But she hadn’t expected to meet a maid living in delusion in the Hastings family, which was quite strict in educating subordinates.
Jane newly felt the weight of seven years. Too much had changed.
The only thing unchanged was her foolish heart toward Cain.
“Michelle, I don’t need guidance to the room. I can go by myself.”
“Of course you would. You’re not a child. But since it’s what the master ordered, what can I do. I have to do it. The master trusts me quite a bit, you see.”
Michelle lifted her chin high. She boasted that being assigned to assist Jane stemmed from Cain’s great trust.
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
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Sure later Cain wil regret everything he’s done to jane..he only looked the bad side from opposite but never looked inside