Chapter 6: 6

Ken and Nick.

Diana’s two sons, who will lead the future of Whidrian.

Ken, who resembled Diana’s face perfectly, was the first, and Nick, who looked like the softer version of the Duke’s face, was the second.

Ken and Nick were only 13 and 11 when Diana died. The children did not cry at the funeral. Being the Duke’s sons, they endured everything at their mother’s funeral at that age without weeping.

The Duke was a grown man, but how could those little children be so calm even when they didn’t cry at the funeral?

People wept many times as they watched the two Confucius endure the whole funeral process.

They would all say in unison, saying they felt so sorry for the children left behind. Cassia also felt very sorry for the children who had to suffer their mother’s death at the age when they needed a mother’s affection and warmth.

Cassia wanted to be a psychologically reliable existence for these children, unlike the Duke, with whom she had to pretend to be a couple.

The reason Diana asked Cassia to take care of her family in the first place was also for the children. On the day they first met their stepmother, Cassia tried to shake hands with them.

“Ken, Nick, please take good care of me from now on.”

The two children did not hold her hand. Nick seemed to be paying attention to Ken, who glared at Cassia obliquely.

After some time passed, Ken led Nick and slammed the room’s door.

A hand left alone in the air. 

The Duke standing next to Cassia, said, “…I apologise for that.”

“No. I expected not to be well-received anyway.”

Cassia raised her hand and smiled at Axion.

“I will try to talk with the children.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard. They just need time.”

Until then, Cassia had thought that she could get closer to the children if she tried.

Actually, she tried various ways to get closer to the children, just like the moment when she was ‘Aunt Cassia’ and the moment when she maintained a good relationship without any problems.

If she did her best in the relationship, it wouldn’t be difficult for them to open their hearts, because after all, they are just children who need a mother’s affection. 

But it was her mistake. 

In the early days of her marriage, there were many times where she stayed up for days at a time with a lot of work to adjust to living as the Duchess.

It was the same that day.

She was going for a walk in the garden to take a break from working until late at night. As she walked down the hallway, she heard a loud noise coming from Ken’s room.

“How could Father do that?!”

It was Ken’s voice filled with anger. 

Cassia stopped walking and turned her head in the direction where the noise came.

She knew it was better not to look. But when she came to her senses, she found herself already sneaking into the room through the gap in the slightly opened door.

Her eyes caught the Duke sitting on the bed and Ken, who was standing and raging, facing each other.

Nick hid in a corner and tears were streaming down his face. 

In a serious mood, Ken continued.

“I’m really disappointed in my father. How can you bring another woman into your house so easily?”

“Ken, didn’t I tell you before? It was for you.”

“For us? Don’t try to be funny. Do you know what people say about our family?”

“Ken.”

The Duke sighed. 

Cassia knew what that sigh was about.

The Duke and Cassia had decided to keep the story of the contract marriage a secret from the children.

Both the Duke and Cassia knew it would be of no use to talk about contract marriage with the children, who were emotionally unstable. If they can’t accept it anyway, they’d better be angry.

The Duke told the children if he still wanted to protect them.

“Your stepmother was brought in by me. If you want to curse, curse me. I think you need a mother.”

“No?. Who told you that? I just hate it when someone other than my real mother sits in my mother’s chair!”

A trembling voice came from Ken, full of anger. The Duke sternly shouted.

“Ken, what are you talking-”

“Get that woman out right now. If it’s for us, send her back for us! That’s where my mother sits.”

Ken cried. 

He said in a voice filled with mourning, with tears in his eyes. As Ken cried, Nick’s cry also began to grow louder. The Duke let out a deep sigh. It was only there that Cassia heard the words that flowed out of the room. She couldn’t be there any longer.

‘Run away.’

‘Run away…’

Cassia ran towards the garden. As if cut by a sword, she was barely holding onto her heart. Even after arriving in the garden, it was hard to breathe, so she sat down in a corner and took long, irregular deep breaths. 

She realised it for the first time that day.

That the lovely Ken and Nick, who used to follow their Aunt Cassia, no longer existed. Cassia didn’t cry when Diana died, but the truth brought tears to her eyes. 

Only the Duke and Cassia knew about Diana’s death and this marriage.

From the children’s point of view, she was just a villain who had secured the place of her late friend like the rumours of the world.

Cassia sat alone in the corner of the garden for a long time, wiping away the flowing tears.

***

From that day on, Cassia changed my mind. 

She decided not to approach the children anymore.

She realised that the children now treated her more like their nemesis than an aunt.

The children needed an object of wrath, which the Duke and Cassia should have received fairly.

Of course, there were a lot of bumps. 

From that day on, Ken did everything he could to get Cassia out, and when the Duke didn’t listen to him, he tried to run away. In the end, the Duke sent Ken to the Imperial Knights Templar, but the case ended. After Ken’s departure, the Duke’s family quickly found stability.

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The maids now treated Cassia as a Duchess, the rumours against her in the social circles gradually subsided, and the voices of the vassals, who were protesting against the marriage, gradually lost their strength.

Cassia went to be the perfect Duchess in Diana’s place, at least superficially. The second son, Nick, didn’t show as much rebellion or opposition as Ken, and quickly settled down.

The child was very, very timid.

Because of his soft heart, he often filled his hazy eyes with tears – it was amazing how he did not cry at Diana’s funeral – and he couldn’t express his feelings properly in front of people.

He liked to read books and enjoyed immersion in contemplation. That was the Nick Cassia knew, and he was still unknown to her.

But for that child, Cassia was always a stepmother. 

The child also did not get close to her easily either.

He always treated her with manners and respect, but the child’s nickname for Cassia was ‘stepmother’.

Rather than disliking it, Cassia felt like he was having a hard time. In the past, Nick used to call her ‘Aunt Cassia’ and smile brightly.

But… it didn’t seem like he could easily adapt. 

It seemed that treating Cassia as a mother was not easy to adapt.

In addition, Nick was a growing teenager. When you enter puberty, even your biological parents become worried, thinking about dealing with the kid. 

When Nick went to the academy, he would bow to her and quietly go to his room. It would have been better if he could be a little comfortable with her, but it was a pity.

But Cassia understood the child. 

She didn’t approach him.

Because she wasn’t Diana, she was Cassia.

Because she will never be able to be a mother to that child for the rest of her life. It was natural. 

Cassia always paid attention and kept a certain distance from Nick. 

She had made this choice in consideration of the child.

Oh, but after Ken left, if she sometimes made a cake that she often made when was ‘Aunt Cassia’, the child would eat it all. 

Cassia was grateful for that.

Time passed quickly.

Seven years passed in an instant.

***

Seven years later. 

The annexe of the Duke’s mansion was opened after a long time. The users with cleaning tools lined up and entered the annexe.

It was mainly used for banquets, but it has not been used in recent years.

The Duke and Duchess weren’t fond of holding banquets, and the first Confucius, whose coming-of-age banquet should have been held two years ago, was not held as planned.

The users united.

“Since the first Confucius didn’t have the coming-of-age party when he became an adult, let’s pour everything into the second Confucius’ party!”

They dusted off the dust from all surfaces, opened the curtains, splashed water on the windows, and wiped the floor with mops. 

They cleaned the windows, opened and organised the warehouse of the annexe, and checked whether the space for cooking food was running without any problems. 

A few days later, the banquet hall was shining without a single speck of dust.

The Duchess, Cassia, was preparing for Nick’s coming-of-age banquet in the middle while looking around the banquet hall. 

As she walked, holding the hem of the high-end dress that she was now accustomed to, the sounds of her steps echoed in the empty banquet hall.

“Tomorrow is the banquet, and I believe the preparations are going well on time. Right?”

“Yes, I remembered everything you said before and ordered to prepare it.”

The butler responded to the Duchess, holding a piece of paper containing the list of things to be prepared for Nick’s banquet.

“People from all walks of life will come, so we prepared a variety of food as you said. As an appetiser, we plan to prepare caviar canapes and salads at each seat, and we have decided to prepare dishes such as stews in a buffet style. The gourmet cuisine is staffed to always take orders and prepare them. It will be a more bountiful banquet than ever.”

“Good. Most of all, a lot of people of Nick’s age will attend, so please prepare a lot of desserts and snacks that are popular with his peers.”

Cassia added some instructions. Now that she had quite a few years of experience, preparing for this kind of banquet was not difficult. The missing items were quickly recognised.

“Oh, and make sure to prepare a variety of flavours for coffee and tea. They are picky people who have different tastes.”

“Okay, Madam.”

“Then do your best.”

After waving to the butler who bowed his head, Cassia led the hem of the dress and left the annexe.

As she stepped outside, the sun was shining down on her. 

She raised her hand and covered her eyes.

“… It’s already been 7 years.”

It’s been 7 years since Diana left. 

It has been 7 years since she became a member of the Duke’s mansion. 

She couldn’t believe it. 

Nick was already of age, and the Duke was preparing for Nick’s coming-of-age banquet.

It felt very strange. 

The years went by quickly, but she never thought 7 years would pass by so fast.

‘…Have I ever been a good Duchess?’

Cassia thought about it again, but quickly brushed it off. She did her best so far, so she decided to be satisfied. 

Anyway, the time promised to Diana was coming to an end.

There were sad times and painful moments, but what was clear was that she endured those times well.

The dazzling sunlight shone through the gaps of her fingers. 

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The sky between them looked fair.

…Now it was time to leave.

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