“I think she’s gone now?”

Viscount Summerson carefully checked outside the door and spoke after returning.

Eida nodded her head and picked up her teacup.

“It seems so.”

“But do you really believe this method will work, sister-in-law?”

“Well, we’ll see when the time comes.”

Eida leisurely sipped her tea. A twisted smile rose from the corner of her mouth holding the teacup.

It was a completely different attitude from just a moment ago when she spoke of cherishing her daughter-in-law.

“You are quite cruel too, sister-in-law. If you disliked your daughter-in-law that much, how did you endure it for five years?”

“Everybody is cruel by nature. They just pretend not to be.”

“Well, that’s true indeed.”

He leaned back on the sofa and looked around leisurely as if it was his own home.

“Anyway, you must keep your promise.”

“……”

“The promise to hand over the Costello estate’s mansion to me.”

“Only if you handle things well until the very end, young sir.”

“Don’t worry.”

Viscount Summerson spoke with a confident attitude. Then, as if suddenly curious, he asked.

“By the way, are you certain your real daughter-in-law is not pregnant?”

“Yes.”

Eida answered curtly. She didn’t bother to explain the details. But her eyes firmly denying the pregnancy were unwavering.

“Anyway, if that child has any sense, she’ll know well how she should behave. If she keeps playing dumb, we’ll keep teaching her until she understands. I’m confident I won’t lose.”

“……”

Eida’s eyes gleamed ominously.

As if scared of such a sister-in-law, Viscount Summerson shook his head from side to side.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Madam, please take your medicine.”

The medicine was delivered to Melly’s room without fail today as well.

Melly’s eyes looking down at the teacup, densely condensed with Eida’s efforts to get her pregnant, seemed somewhat hollow.

Oz said,

“She said she changed the medicine a bit this time. To a slightly more potent one without causing stomach problems.”

A potent medicine.

It seemed the lady of the house had truly made up her mind to see a grandchild from her.

She still seemed to think that this daughter-in-law’s body could hold a child.

The unspeakably appreciated consideration now made Melly feel small. What could be more cruel than trying to find hope in a hopeless person?

“Then please take it and rest, madam.”

Oz politely withdrew. Melly absentmindedly reached out to the cup.

The moment her fingers caught the handle of the smooth porcelain cup, hope suddenly welled up in Melly’s heart.

‘I’m not done yet. I can have a child.’

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have felt that strange desire the moment her fertile period arrived once a month.

That was clear proof that her body was still functioning as a woman. Melly lifted the cup.

From today, she would swallow every last drop of the precious medicine Eida brewed for her. And she would definitely have a child.

Melly brought the cup to her lips.

But each time the teacup tilted a little, Melly’s conviction wavered again.

‘Will I get pregnant by doing this?’

It didn’t work a year ago, and it didn’t work two years ago either.

Even on days when she had a dream resembling a pregnancy dream and thought it was certain this time, it wasn’t pregnancy.

Even on days when her lower abdomen ached as if a seed was digging into her body and a slight fever spread hazily, her belly was empty.

Would a child enter her womb next month with such a body?

‘No, no.’

The teacup stopped tilting.

If it were someone else, they would have already had two or even three children and given birth. It was because it was her that she wasn’t getting pregnant.

Because I was infertile…

“……”

The punishment for losing the child who luckily came to her once was so cruel.

Melly put the cup down.

A sob burst out and she couldn’t swallow the medicine at all.

She cried while covering her mouth so that no sound would leak out. The sound of her sobs vibrating inside her palm sounded as mournful as the cry of a dying beast.

Tears flowed down her knuckles one by one and fell onto her skirt. It hurt as if a hole had been pierced in her chest with an awl.

All she could hope for was that it would hurt a little less after she finished crying.

[This is the timeline separator]

After acknowledging her infertility, she could quickly decide what to do from now on.

‘I can’t let the heir pass on to a collateral bloodline.’

That was the foremost duty she had to prioritize as the Duchess of Pelton.

Melly left her quarters to match Edric’s return time.

On the way down to the front door, she encountered Eida coming up the stairs towards her. She said she was on her way back after watching a short play with her old friend, the former Countess of Wilfred.

She looked at Melly with puzzled eyes and asked,

“But where are you going? Are you going out to greet Edric?”

Melly nodded. Then Eida smiled kindly and said,

“You’re always so devoted, Melissa. Too good a wife for Edric.”

“……”

Melly lowered her gaze. She couldn’t meet her eyes with a guilty conscience.

“Go on then. I should go up and rest a bit too.”

Eida’s words gave Melly an excuse to escape the shameful situation.

She paid her respects and hurriedly went down the stairs.

Eida’s lips curved to one side as she watched her daughter-in-law’s figure beyond the railing. It was completely different from the benevolent mother-in-law she showed a moment ago.

Melly could have discovered this just by raising her gaze, but Eida was out of her concern as her mind was entirely filled with other thoughts.

At this moment, all that mattered to Melly were the words she had to say and the answer Edric would give her.

Shortly after arriving at the front door, the carriage arrived.

As the butler opened the carriage door, Edric got out.

He was as upright and beautiful as when he left for work. But he was wearing glasses. Recently, the frequency of him wearing glasses had increased significantly.

He didn’t used to wear them except when working.

It must be because his eyesight had worsened from overworking. Indeed, it would be stranger if his vision remained intact after looking at tiny letters from morning to night, disassembling, reassembling, subtracting, and adding them.

‘I should take care of him.’

Melly was upset that the chances of seeing his eyes without the transparent lenses were gradually decreasing.

With glasses on, he looked much colder than without them. And putting aside her own feelings, worsening eyesight was very inconvenient for Edric as well.

I should make sure he eats a lot of foods good for the eyes. But first… let’s solve this matter.

Melly reaffirmed her determination as she followed behind him.

‘Darling. Before it’s too late, take a concubine.’

It was a resolution she had exchanged for hours of tears. Even the thought of him caressing another woman’s skin made her feel like a blade was stabbing her heart, but she had to overcome it.

There was nothing else a duchess who couldn’t have a child could do now.

[This is the timeline separator]

“How long are you going to follow me?”

Edric stopped in front of his study and turned to look at her.

He, who strictly separated work and rest, only allowed people related to work into his study. Melly was not one of those permitted people.

“If there’s still work left to do, say what you have to say, and if not, please go back.”

Usually, Melly would have retreated discouraged. No, she would have already turned back at the landing between the second and third floors.

But now she couldn’t back down. She felt like if she missed this chance, she would never be able to say it.

She opened her mouth with a determined look.

“I, darling…”

“Your Grace!”

Then, as if on purpose, Wilson appeared and interrupted Melly’s words.

“Duke Rossman sent the approval document. With this, the patent issue regarding the exhibits for the expo seems to be resolved.”

“I see.”

Edric signaled Wilson with his eyes to follow him in and entered the study.

Wilson followed and closed the door. Melly was left alone.

She wasn’t bitter towards Edric. She was just worried.

The few minutes or hours she had to wait until facing him again, her resolve mustn’t waver.

‘Edric.’

She turned back, repeating her resolution so as not to lose heart.

‘Take a concubine. Have an heir with her. I’ll be fine.’

Her painful vow continued until three hours later when she heard from Oz that Edric was resting in his quarters.

[This is the timeline separator]

Knock knock-.

When she knocked, a calm voice was heard from inside.

“Come in.”

Melly turned the doorknob.

He was sitting in an armchair, reading an evening edition newspaper.

“What is it?”

“Have tea with me.”

Melly said. In her hand was a tray with two golden marigold teacups.

Edric alternately looked at Melly and the teacups indifferently, then turned his gaze to the newspaper and said,

“I’d prefer to do it later if possible.”

“……”

A bleak look passed over Melly’s face.

She had waited a whole three hours, and he said later again.

This time, she couldn’t follow his words.

“It’ll only take a moment.”

At the stubbornness unlike usual, Edric’s gaze rose back to Melly.

Even under his sharp gaze that seemed to pierce through the glasses, Melly didn’t back down. She felt like if not now, she really wouldn’t be able to say it.

Edric sighed and pointed to the sofa with his chin.

“Sit there.”

Relieved that she wasn’t turned away, Melly sat where he indicated. But even after sitting down, he didn’t come right away.

He finished reading the newspaper. After that, he wrote something on stationery, carefully sealed it, and called the butler to deliver it.

Melly waited patiently until he finished all those things. Repeating the painful vow.

‘Take a concubine. A concubine.’

Finally, when there was nothing left to do, he got up from his seat.

Taking off his glasses and pressing between his eyes with his index finger and thumb, he looked really tired.

Melly intended to get straight to the point so as not to take up too much of his time.

“I’ve been thinking, you…”

“I’m tired, so get to the point.”

But he demanded before her.

He listened so well to other people’s words, but he told his wife to keep it short and simple.

He had declared that he would use his rest time only for himself.

The marigold tea she brewed for him, good for the eyes, had long gone cold and no longer emitted steam.

Melly waited for him until the freshly brewed tea had cooled, but he didn’t even want to spare five minutes for her…

“Alright. I’ll get to the point.”

Melly raised her eyes from the teacup.

Her eyes looking at him were resolute. Edric’s utterly indifferent attitude rather gave her the courage to face the truth.

She finally spat out the question that had been lingering only in her mouth for the past few years.

“Why did you marry me?”

“……”

“If you were going to be so stingy with your time that you can’t even spare a moment to have tea with me, why on earth did you marry me?”