I Didn’t Know I Had Two Husbands - Chapter 22

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After they had dinner together, Lucian became even busier. She wandered around under the pretext of inspecting the ducal manor and deliberately passed by the study, but each time she saw the red ribbon hanging from the handle, she swallowed her disappointment.

However, she herself was gradually becoming busy as well. She was receiving the duties of the Duchess one by one. The butler, who had been instructing her at her side, spoke carefully.

“Normally, the former Madam would have helped you, but unfortunately something came up in the territory, so she is busy attending to matters there.”

“That’s alright. I was able to see her at the wedding.”

Elaria recalled the former Duchess who had come to see her before she changed into her reception dress after the ceremony. Despite the difference in their status, the former Duchess had treated her very kindly.

That alone made her grateful. Although they had crossed paths occasionally since childhood, she had never felt close to her before. But on the day of the wedding, she had felt a sense of warmth from her for the first time.

“Then would you like to take a short rest? I can have tea prepared.”

“Hmm… today I think I’ll spend some time alone.”

“Very well. Please call me anytime if you need anything, Madam.”

“Thank you, Benjamin.”

Elaria wanted to visit the secret hideout for the first time in a long while. Thinking of the estate she had recently toured, it felt almost dizzying to realize how remote that place was. She must have wandered quite a bit as a child to chance upon such a secluded spot.

Even after going around many places, she hadn’t yet visited the hideout. Even the butler seemed unfamiliar with it.

She headed there alone. The place, which lay deep within the rear gardens, required going further inward at a fork that led toward the mountain range connected to the Imperial Palace.

When she arrived, the clematis that bloomed in full during spring now showed only green stems and leaves, still brimming with life. The vines wrapped around the iron gate like a curtain.

She hadn’t come since her separation from Lucian, so it felt a little unfamiliar, but as soon as she stepped into the spot between the vines where she always used to sit, her heart settled.

As she sat quietly and looked around, she noticed something she had never seen before.

“…There’s an annex over there?”

It was mostly hidden behind the vines, but it was clearly a building. Since it stood on ducal land, it must be an annex.

“Why didn’t I notice it before?”

She had often spent time here with Lucian, so the thought puzzled her, but then something came to mind. Lucian had always sat facing that direction.

It must have been hidden.

Accepting the explanation easily, she slipped out from between the vines and grasped the iron gate handle. The gate had always been tangled with vines, so she assumed it wouldn’t open. But unexpectedly, it opened very smoothly.

“……?”

At the same time as her puzzlement, curiosity rose. She first peeked her head through the opening, then cautiously stepped inside. In the past, she would have considered herself an outsider and never entered, but now that she was the Duchess, she thought it might be alright.

Recently, as she learned the duties of the Duchess, she had gained a little confidence. She still didn’t know why he had proposed to her, but judging from his attitude and the servants’ behavior, she felt welcomed.

Even the former Duke and Duchess had treated her gently. Elaria, who had braced herself for criticism because she came from a baron’s family, found it strange but also quietly relieving.

“It’s being maintained?”

From outside the iron gate, the area had looked overgrown and messy because of the clematis and other plants. But once inside, everything was neat, from the small garden to the outer walls of the annex.

Wondering if someone was using it, she hesitated but pulled on the annex door. Like the iron gate, it opened smoothly, and a familiar scent drifted out.

“…This is Lucian’s scent.”

There was no way she would fail to recognize the fragrance that she had noticed on him ever since they were kids. She was so accustomed to it that sometimes she didn’t even notice the scent on him anymore.

She had even wondered if her sense of smell had simply grown dull to it.

Especially recently, since they had been close so often, the scent had become even more familiar. Drawn by it as if entranced, she stepped inside.

The annex was fully furnished, with a sitting room and a staircase leading to the second floor.

If she went further in, there would likely be a study or a bedroom. The interior, larger than it appeared, was filled with a cool yet heavy fragrance.

It felt so much like a place Lucian used that she knew she should not go any further.

And yet, she couldn’t stop walking.