It would have been much rougher on a child’s skin.

‘And yet, in order to be alone, he had no choice but to find such a place…’

Yelena’s steps suddenly stopped.

Duke Mayhard stopped a step in front of her, looked back at her, and said, “I am truly cursed, but I don’t believe the curse affects others.”

“…”

“However, whether it’s a curse or not… my child could be born with the same curse as me.”

Duke Mayhard turned around and faced Yelena before continuing on, “I have no intention of having an heir.”

“…… “

“If you wanted to become my wife for that reason… I’m really sorry about that.”

Only then did Yelena understand what his key purpose was for moving to this location.

‘That’s it.’

That was why he offered to take a walk with her.

“…let me ask you a question.”

Yelena stood still and then spoke.

“You don’t want a child because your childhood was unhappy?”

The answer did not return.

Though she did not hear a response, Yelena felt like she received an answer.

It was windy.

The wind in the eastern garden that wrapped around Yelena’s exposed ankle felt strangely cold.

***

In a daze, Yelena returned to her place and called for Abbie.

“Madam, what can I help you with?”

“Have you heard anything about the former Duke and Duchess?”

Former Duchess and Duchess of Mayhard.

The former owners of the duchy and the parents of the current Duke of Mayhard were already deceased.

They had died quite a while ago.

It was just before Duke Mayhard succeeded the duchy.

More precisely, it was after their death that the current Duke of Mayhard succeeded the title.

“Well, I’ve never served them myself…”

The current Duke of Mayhard took over the title a few days before he turned sixteen.

By considering his age, she calculated that the previous Duke and his wife died nine years ago.

Abbie still looked in her early twenties.

Yelena nodded as if she expected the answer.

Abbie continued, “I heard they were good people.”

“For example?”

“They were both gracious and generous. And they often overlooked the mistakes of young employees…”

Abbie, who pondered over her thoughts, soon spoke again.

“And I also heard that they loved the Duke very much.”

“Love…”

Yes, as a matter of fact, that’s what Yelena heard, too.

Yelena had heard rumors about the Duke and Duchess of Mayhard.

She had never actually met them, but their rumors were so famous that they could be heard from anywhere.

In the rumors, the former Duke and Duchess of Mayhad were always bright and gentle, equally kind to all…

They loved their child.

That was the most representative story surrounding the pair.

The topic of the couple’s love for their child became popular because their child was no ordinary child.

Everyone pointed their fingers and whispered about the child being cursed by the devil.

Even if it were a child of their own, it would not have been easy to embrace the child with love.

That was what people thought.

So apart from the whispers about the child being cursed, they praised the couple’s difficult choice.

Yelena didn’t think much of it when she first heard the rumor.

Rumors were everywhere.

It could be false, or it could be true.

At that time, she thought it didn’t really matter whether the rumor was false or true.

But, now, it was different.

When she thought the rumor might have been a lie, a corner of her heart became stiff, and her heart throbbed.

The sensation wasn’t pleasant.

Yelena put her hand on her chest and turned her gaze to Abbie before speaking, “Who has worked in this castle for the longest?”

“That’ll be the butler.”

“Please call for him.”

A moment later, Ben came to Yelena.

Yelena stared at Ben’s wrinkled face with her troubled eyes and brought it up.

“Ben, how long have you been working in this castle?”

“It’ll be a little over thirty years this year.”

“You’ve been working here for a long time. You must have been watching the Duke since he was born.”

Ben did not answer.

Yelena immediately asked as if it didn’t matter.

“What was the Duke’s childhood like?”

“That…”

“Tell me honestly. Did he grow up loved by his parents?”

“I’m sorry, madam. I can’t tell you about His Excellency.”