The Secret Affairs of the Fake Duke Couple (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 14
The Rose Faction was tenacious. They were weeds. No matter how often they were trampled, they always found a way to scatter their seeds and unfailingly sprouted anew each spring.
As society grew impoverished due to war, the voices of the Rose Faction gradually faded.
Then the war ended, and the world changed rapidly. Technological advancements enriched life but also brought numerous problems.
Thus, the Rose Faction began speaking out once again.
At first, the Queen ignored them. She feared that drawing her sword might shatter the fragile peace she had barely secured.
Moreover, she lacked justification.
She couldn’t execute people merely for gathering among themselves and printing and circulating pamphlets like “The Charter of Liberty and Equality.” At most, she could imprison them—but doing so would burst the prisons at the seams.
So she chose coexistence. As long as they didn’t directly challenge the regime, the Queen intended to leave them alone.
But that precarious coexistence produced a false peace that shattered quickly.
“The Rose Faction attacked Denver’s constabulary. Several firearms are missing.”
“Are you certain it was their doing?”
“The Queen believes so. She’s concluded they’re plotting an uprising.”
Since it was information gathered by the Queen’s hounds, it was likely true.
“But why Miss Jane?”
Cain pulled out a cigar. Nathan lit the end, and Cain drew deeply from it.
Cain always smoked cigars when displeased with a situation.
“We need a compelling story to captivate the masses. Jane is perfect.”
The daughter of the Whitney family—a noble house that had supported the Rose Faction despite its rank—and whose family met a tragic end seven years ago after providing funds to the faction.
If that daughter now stood before the people and cried out with them, “A rose in the right hand, bread in the left!”—
“She’ll become the rallying point. The people will go wild, and Jane will become a star. That’s what the Queen fears.”
Even if their forces remained unorganized, the Queen couldn’t afford to let their ideology surface and spread widely.
“Are you marrying her for surveillance purposes? And assigning Sor, the Black Hawk, as her footman for the same reason?”
The Black Hawk referred to Cain’s secret operatives who worked beneath the surface.
At Cain’s slightest command, they undertook any dangerous task without hesitation.
Cain nodded coolly, but Nathan believed there was another motive.
Because Cain’s attitude toward Jane differed from his usual demeanor.
The Cain Nathan knew was courteous to women. He was the epitome of a gentleman—regardless of whether he held genuine feelings, and irrespective of whether the woman was commoner or noble.
Yet how was he toward Jane? Even from fleeting glimpses, his coldness surpassed winter icicles.
“Copy this letter into an identical envelope and send it to the Kayden residence.”
The letter suddenly flew through the air, and Nathan barely caught it just before it hit the floor.
Cain chuckled softly at Nathan’s flustered expression.
“Daydreaming again? Serves you right.”
What an elegantly delivered warning not to let his thoughts wander in Cain’s presence.
Nathan grumbled inwardly but obediently replied,
“I’ll deliver it and return at once.”
Faithful to his role, he promptly carried out the order.
Left alone, Cain lowered his head toward his desk to resume work.
The jade-green envelope still lay there. To leave no trace, it needed to be burned.
“What a nuisance.”
Before lighting the envelope, Cain stared at it for quite a while.
At Jane’s name, at that neat handwriting.
Though she’d become an entirely different person, her handwriting remained exactly as it had been back then—when it whispered love to him.
Infuriatingly so.
[This is the timeline separator]That evening, Jane received a reply from Merche.
I’m sorry we had to part ways. I assume it’s a good thing that you’ve moved into Hastings House? Please share any good news you have. May I still write to you from time to time? Wolfgang is writing you a letter too.
Despite Jane’s sudden resignation, Lady Merche remained kind. The warmth permeating every corner of the letter brought a sting to Jane’s nose.
Though she planned to leave the capital as soon as her contract with Cain ended, she wished to maintain her bond with Lady Merche.
Jane took out stationery to write a reply—but decided to postpone sending it to Merche.
“Someone has arrived to take charge of your education, Miss.”
Michelle spoke politely enough, yet her whole demeanor still bristled with hostility.
It seemed she’d have to educate her servants right after the wedding.
“Please bring her in.”
“You must go yourself, Miss. Lady Themis is waiting for you in the Fleur Room.”
“Lady Themis?”
Michelle nodded.
Jane swallowed hard.
Cain must have decided to give her a hard time.
If Lady Themis truly became her instructor, there was no time to hesitate.
The woman had zero patience—she couldn’t endure even the slightest delay.
Jane and Lady Themis had a history. A bad one.
Jane clenched her fists and stood up.
“Lead me to the Fleur Room.”
Though she never wished to see that woman again, there was no avoiding it now.
[This is the timeline separator]Anna, Viscountess Themis.
She had once been renowned as an etiquette instructor.
In particular, she was unmatched in teaching young ladies proper posture and gait.
Noble families lined up for their daughters to receive lessons from her.
Thanks to Viscountess Themis, the Viscount of Themis—who lacked any notable talents—could finally hold his head high.
Naturally, the Themis household revered the Viscountess. Given such circumstances, her pride soared to the heavens.
But her fame didn’t last forever. Lady Whitney was to blame.
Trusting solely in Lady Themis’s reputation, Lady Whitney entrusted young Jane’s education to her.
Lady Themis’s teaching style was extremely domineering and frequently involved corporal punishment.
To Lady Whitney, this was utterly unacceptable.
The day Jane sprained her ankle after tripping in her shoes and was beaten with a switch, Lady Whitney expelled Lady Themis.
She didn’t stop there—she publicly condemned every harsh word and action Lady Themis had inflicted upon Jane.
Once Lady Whitney set her mind to ruin Lady Themis, no one sought her services anymore.
Jane had assumed the woman was forgotten by society—but a year before Jane moved to the capital, Lady Themis returned as an etiquette instructor.
She appeared with a letter of recommendation from a prestigious family. Several nobles, eager to connect with the recommending house, entrusted their children to her.
From then on, she carefully rewrote her past.
Suddenly, Lady Whitney became an irrational parent blinded by her child’s affairs, while Lady Themis transformed into an innocent victim unfairly dismissed due to overbearing parents.
Still, only a very few young ladies studied under Lady Themis.
Jane never imagined she’d be among them.
She sighed.
“Your posture has grown dreadful.”
A paddle—birch wood tipped with a pentagonal leather piece—flew without warning and struck Jane’s waist.
It had been so long that Jane nearly buckled forward.
Corporal punishment the moment she entered the room—time hadn’t changed Lady Themis one bit.
“May the goddess’s glory be with you. It’s been a long time, Lady Themis.”
Thwack.
This time it hit Jane’s thigh.
“Lower yourself further, Jane. Push your back foot farther back. You must master this properly if you’re to make your debutante ball. Was your name Michelle?”
“Yes, my lady.”
“You may leave. I’ll report the lesson details directly to His Grace.”
Without hesitation, Michelle turned and left.
The phrase “report directly to His Grace” lodged firmly in Jane’s mind.
She could easily imagine what Lady Themis would say about her to Cain:
“She lacks grace,” “She has no dignity,” “It’s impossible to debut properly with merely two months of preparation,” “She’s vulgar,” and so on.
Picturing Cain nodding along with Lady Themis filled Jane with defiance.
Gritting her teeth, Jane lowered her posture further, exactly as instructed.
She wondered how long Lady Themis would make her hold this position.
As a child, she’d once held it for a full hour before collapsing.
Now her body was heavier, and her heels were higher. Honestly, she doubted she could last even thirty more minutes.
But she refused to lose. She’d endure as long as she possibly could.
She didn’t want Cain thinking her spineless.
“Jane, from now on, only two phrases are permitted in my presence: ‘Understood,’ and ‘I’m sorry.’ Your legs are trembling.”
Whack—the paddle struck again. The burning pain was intense, yet not a single eyebrow of Jane’s twitched.
“As stubborn as ever, I see.”
Lady Themis had taught Jane life’s bitterness. Yet now she scolded her for being tough? Jane was speechless.
“Let’s see how long you can hold out.”
Lady Themis dragged a chair and placed it directly in front of Jane.
It was the perfect distance to sit and swing the paddle.
Jane sensed she wouldn’t receive an easy command to relax her stance.
All it would take was one “I’m sorry,” but Jane refused.
Patience was her strength—and after seven years clawing her way up from the bottom, she now had stubborn pride, too.
Even in a fight with a predetermined outcome, she wouldn’t be the first to yield.
Sweat began beading on Jane’s forehead.
[This is the timeline separator]“Where are you taking that meal?”
Another maid called out to Michelle as she carried a tray.
“Aren’t we hosting a very ‘distinguished’ guest? She didn’t lift a finger like the rest of us—yet after just a few hours of lessons, she’s declared herself too exhausted to move and demanded her meal be brought to her room.”
“Distinguished guest? Who? Oh… that Miss from the Whitney household!”
“Miss, my foot! I saw her unpacking—she’s far shabbier than us. Her dresses are dingy, and she hasn’t a proper piece of jewelry. If she stood beside us, no one could tell who the ‘Miss’ is.”
“Be careful what you say. Mr. Norbert instructed us to treat her with utmost respect—he says she’ll be our Duchess.”
Michelle shrugged dismissively, clearly conveying, “That’ll never happen.”
The maid who’d spoken, worried Michelle’s loose tongue might bring trouble upon them, quickly waved her off.
Michelle swayed her ample hips as she climbed the stairs.
‘She’ll spill all the food at this rate.’
The maid watched Michelle’s retreating figure with concern.
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
_____
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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