Chapter 1

It was the day after the youngest of the Dukes, Nick’s, coming-of-age banquet.

The Duke’s family woke up unusually late, as they fell soon fell asleep after attending the lavish banquet. As Nick woke up to the pouring sunlight, he looked for this stepmother for the first time, whom he had never paid much attention to before.

“Where did stepmother go?”

“I do not know. We have not seen her since early morning.”

Nick skimmed the whole mansion, feeling puzzled at the sudden disappearance of his stepmother, who was nowhere to be found no matter how much he looked and asked for. He stopped the working servants of the mansion, but no one knew where his mother was.

Nick, who was climbing down the stairs, feeling a bit uneasy from within, found his father through the open door of the Duke’s office and approached him.

“Father, where did stepmother go?”

The Duke didn’t answer, as he was looking at something of his with an unreadable expression on his face.

“Where is the stepmother…?”

Nick, who opened the door and stood next to his father, glanced at the paper he was looking at, stopped.

Her stepmother’s handwriting, as neat as her personality, caught his eye.

[It’s been a while since I came here as a new wife, a stepmother and Diana’s dear friend. I am writing this letter as Cassia. 

As Nick had his coming-of-age banquet yesterday, I have fulfilled all of my contracts with Your Excellency to be the stepmother for 7 years. Even so, I’m glad that I’ve been able to keep this family safe on Diana’s behalf. 

When I finally made up my mind to leave, I felt a strange feeling from within, both sad and happy…

Having done my part, I am now ready to leave the Duke and live my own life.

Diana was a beautiful friend of mine and your one and only family. Thank you for accepting me, who was never enough to replace Diana, and will never be. 

I will take my leave now. Thank you for the 7 years we have spent together. 

May the door of the Whidrian family be constantly filled with divine blessings.]

“…What does all this mean, Father? Has stepmother left the mansion?”

Nick muttered blankly as he looked at his letter with shocked eyes, without speaking any further.

How long has it been?

The Duke finally opened his mouth and spoke softly.

“…Contact your brother. Tell him that mother is gone.”

At the Duke’s words, Nick bit his lip and looked at the letter once, gave a small reply and ran out of the office.

Being the only one left in the room, the Duke looked at the divorce papers laid out as they had been saved for a long period, along with the letter.

A heavy silence fell.

Episode 1

Seven years ago, the Duke’s mansion was filled with great grief. Two young aristocrats, who don’t seem to have even made their debut, a gentleman in a black tuxedo, and numerous people dressed in black.

Each of them held a letter with the Duke’s emblem on it.

It was the same for him and Cassia. What they had in their hands was a barrel of sorrow. The letter proved how fleeting happiness can be. Because of that, many people had been flocking to the Duke’s mansion since morning. People’s reactions varied. Some were shocked by the sudden news, and some had their faces covered with sleeves and handkerchiefs that couldn’t stop the tears from pouring out.

Some moved quickly with an expression different from usual, while hiding their gloomy feelings.

And she, perhaps, has the most expressionless face at the moment.

***

“Who are you?”

She remembered the voice that seemed to come from the rustle, on the day she first met Diana.

On the day when she first entered the academy the nobles attended, someone stood next to her while she was standing alone on the terrace.

Diana Allison, the daughter of Count Allison, received the most attention among the aristocrats.

“Why are you out here? You must have entered the school this time, too.”

“It bothers me that there are so many people.”

Seeing her different from her peers, Diana seemed curious.

She talked for a long time until the entrance dinner party that day passed.

Diana started to keep her close, and they started hanging out together.

It didn’t take long for the little girls to overturn the class distinction and grow the seeds of friendship. People said she was nothing like Diana’s maid, but she didn’t have any problems.

Because ‘Diana is the daughter of a prosperous countess and Cassia is just a young girl from a poor family’ was correct.

Wouldn’t being a friend be better than a maid? And she really liked Diana.

As they entered puberty, Diana fell in love and got married, and they couldn’t get along like immature girls anymore. But their relationship continued. Cassia stood always by Diana’s side, right from watching her give birth to her children, attending every birthday party, and watching them grow and enter the academy. She was invited to every party, and she used to regularly visit the Duke’s mansion.

They were both friends and family like sisters – not blood-related.

***

“Dear nobles, here is the obituary of Duchess Diana Whidrian.”

Looking at the obituary written in the treasure, she couldn’t believe how cold her body felt. The sudden loss of the woman who was healthier and brighter than anyone else, she thought it was natural for Diana to live happily ever after, and everyone would have thought the same.

“How did this happen… Wasn’t Madam so healthy?”

“She died in a wagon accident.”

She could hear the voices of several nobles whispering in from her side.

Wagon accident…

Stopped footsteps.

She remembered what Diana said a few days ago.

***

“Cassia, if I die suddenly… I will entrust my family to you.”

“What do you mean all of a sudden?”

“Well, you don’t know people. Even if you live well, accidents can happen suddenly.”

“I’m just going to let it go. I shouldn’t say anything unpleasant.” Diana said.

“Come on, Cassia, just answer me. If I disappear, you will definitely protect my family, right?”

“…Of course. How can you say that?”

Cassia thought it was strange because Diana spoke in a solemn voice, and she answered so lightly at the spur of the moment.

She was lost in her thoughts for a moment, but soon moved on.

***

Upon entering the Duke’s house, the maidservant welcomed the incoming guests with a sad face.

The Duke’s family had a chaotic atmosphere, but more solemn than ever.

People with various expressions were standing in every corner of the living room of the Duke’s mansion.

As they approached the hour, the room door, presumably where Diana was, opened, and the butler slowly walked out.

People, including Cassia, walked into Diana’s room one after the other, following the guidance of the butler. A large coffin was placed in the middle of the room. In the middle of the overall darkness, there were candles all around.

“It seems that the body will not be disclosed. She died in an accident, so the condition is…”

Cassia quietly listened to the voices of people around her.

The funeral started soon.

“Diana Whidrian was the most kind and loving Duchess…”

Words reminiscent of Diana, prepared by the butler, echoed through the room. The funeral procession ended finally.

Cassia stood expressionless the whole time inside the room, and the nobles around her stumbled and wiped their tears. Soon after, everyone took turns carrying flowers and began to say their final goodbyes in front of Diana’s coffin.

Starting with Diana’s husband and her two sons, Diana’s parents walked out. The Duke’s maids, servants, and other nobles came to the funeral, and Diana’s casket was piled up with flowers all around.

The person in front of her moved away from Diana’s coffin, and she slowly approached the casket following the butler’s guidance.

Diana was in it.

Her dear friend, who had been with her all over the world since childhood.

“…I want to see her for one last time.”

Cassia, who was standing still in front of the coffin, turned her head to the butler.

“Please let me see Diana.”

“But that is…”

The butler hesitated at the command of wanting to open the coffin lid.

Then a man’s voice was heard.

“Open it.”

“…Your Grace.”

It was Diana’s husband, Duke Whidrian.

She glanced back at him, and saw his face immersed in devastating grief.

“Lady Bennett had a special relationship with my wife. Do whatever she wants.”

“…Yes, Your Grace.”

As soon as the butler answered, the knights standing nearby came and opened the coffin lid.

The figure of Diana in the coffin caught her eye. Cassia looked closely at the body. Diana with pure white skin and long, beautiful brown hair. Dressed in a pristine white shroud, she slept peacefully with her eyes closed.

The body was not so terribly injured that it could not be seen as someone killed in an accident. She might have hurt her head, as a part of her skull was broken. She was still a beautiful and lovely friend, at least in Cassia’s opinion.

She slowly reached out her trembling hand to the coffin. As she gathered courage, she held her dead friend’s hand.

“Goodbye, Diana.”

She smiled while stroking the cold hand that no longer had any warmth.

“Thank you for the time we spent together.”

A painful cry erupted.

‘And that was the last time Diana and I had been together for more than 20 years…’