CH 16

“What happened? You never came home and we were worried about you.”

Bianca, who had snuck up to the room with Katya unnoticed by the servants, asked as she sat her sister down on the bed.

“It rained so hard during the night that I stayed at an inn along the way.”

“Not afraid to be alone! Weren’t you scared?”

“What could be scarier than Ivan’s house?”

“That’s true.”

It was true what they said, but even for Katya, the streets were dangerous at night.

The city center was still well-policed, but once you got out of the residential neighborhoods, bandits and other criminal groups were on the loose.

That’s why Bianca had initially agreed to sneak out of the room and go only as far as the gate before leaving with the Duke’s knights.

But Katya knew that Ivan would find her on the way at any moment.

If he did, bloodshed would be inevitable, and she didn’t want the knights to see blood for nothing.

The worst that could happen was that Ivan, cornered by the discovery of everything, would call a priest to perform the wedding before Duke Smirnov found out.

A marriage performed in the presence of a priest was effective immediately, even before the marriage was registered.

Katya had therefore chosen to run as far away as she could on her own while Bianca bought her some time, in order to avoid being taken back to Petrozky’s villa.

If she had ridden alone on horseback in the middle of the night, Katya would have been scared as well.

If a woman had stayed alone at an inn, she would not have gotten away with just being overcharged for the room.

She didn’t know when she would be targeted by those around her.

‘But there was Nikki.’

It was with him that made Katya, who had never stayed overnight before, able to sleep peacefully in a strange place.

“Anyway, I’m glad you made it here safely on your own.”

Nikolai had left first, so Bianca didn’t see him.

Katya was about to say that there was a man who had brought her here, but then she closed her mouth.

If she finds out she was shared a room with a stranger, Bianca, who was prone to losing her cool when it came to her sister, would probably freak out and pass out.

And when she woke up, she would hunt him down and hold him accountable.

It’s a natural reaction, since she can’t possibly know what a good man Nikolai is.

Katya didn’t want to give him any more trouble.

“Anyway, my sister was right. I said that my sister was asleep and told them not to wake her up and started off, but after a while I was followed by Ivan.”

The men who had been attacked by Nikolai at the sales office later went to Ivan and reported that they had seen Katya.

In pursuit of Katya, Ivan spotted Bianca’s carriage, stopped it, and searched the interior despite the knights’ protests.

But sure enough, she wasn’t inside.

“It was all in vain. I was asking why he was being so rude and if my sister had disappeared. He got really scared and ran away when he started acting all weird.”

Ivan is probably shaking in his boots right now, afraid that the Duke will take issue with his daughter’s disappearance.

“It was raining, but everyone wanted to get home and rest, so we didn’t stop on the way, and I was relieved to see the ribbon my sister had tied on the way.”

It was a good thing I had several raincoats1suggests that the person was prepared for various challenges or unforeseen circumstances. .

“But do you know how surprised I was when I got home and you weren’t there? I hadn’t gotten any sleep.”

“I’m sorry, you should get some sleep now.”

“You must be tired too. Let’s get some sleep. Father stayed out late with his friends last night, so he’ll be up even later than usual today.”

I didn’t have to ask why my father, who had long since given up drinking, was drinking.

He was excited that his beloved eldest daughter, Katya, was getting married, so he opened a bottle to celebrate.

How would she break the news to her father?

Katya’s heart grew heavy as she imagined the look of disappointment on his face.

***

As she had feared, Duke Smirnov was shocked when she arrived with the news.

But his disappointment was not that the marriage had not been consummated.

“Huk… Did something bad happen to you?”

The Duke’s hands were trembling as he spoke.

With a hopeful plea, he cautiously voiced the question that had crossed his mind.

“Did he put his hands on you…….”

“No, Father, that didn’t happen.”

If he had laid a hand on her, she wouldn’t have been able to keep quiet.

“Then why are you suddenly talking about breaking off the engagement?”

There was mental abuse to match the physical, but she chose to keep it to herself.

If the Duke realized what his precious daughter had been subjected to at the Petrozky estate, he would be on his way to have Ivan sent away.

Ivan remained steadfast nonetheless.

But Katya was worried about her father.

She couldn’t tell him everything for fear that he would be so upset that he would collapse in shock.

Besides, Ivan held a secret that she wanted to keep hidden.

If she pushed him to the brink, he might blow himself up and reveal everything.

Katya secretly wrote a letter to Ivan, telling him to leave the South if he didn’t want to die at her father’s hands.

While the desire to kill burned within like a chimney2the intensity or magnitude of the desire to harm or eliminate someone was overwhelming or towering, much like a tall chimney, it was unthinkable to become a criminal because of such scum.

“It’s a personality difference. When I lived with him, I realized that we were so incompatible.”

“I see, and if that’s the reason, it’s a good thing you split up before marriage…….”

Katya knew what her father was worried about.

Of course a separation was better than a divorce.

For a while, Southern social circles would be buzzing with the story of her separation, but in time it would be forgotten.

More damaging to Katya’s reputation was the fact that she and Ivan had cohabited before the divorce.

Living together before marriage was not a problem, but if you break up without getting married, it is.

Especially for a woman, the fact that she had cohabited with a man would carry with her the rest of her life.

The Duke’s heart sank at the thought of his beloved daughter’s name being spoken of and her suffering.

“When you wrote to me, I did not mean to give you permission to live with him so hastily, this father was short-sighted.”

“No, Father. Father, why.”

Katya squeezed her father’s hand as he blamed himself.

He didn’t realize that even the letter was Ivan’s creation.

“I never had any intention of getting married because I’ve always set high standards for myself. Regardless of what others may gossip about, as long as I remain confident, isn’t that all that matters?”

“If anyone says anything bad about you, this father will find them all and punish them.”

“Father, do you really have the confidence to live your whole life with all your grown-up daughters?”

“I actually find it quite enjoyable and not lonely at all. I was feeling apprehensive about how I would live alone in this spacious house once all our daughters got married and moved away.”

The duke smiled brightly, trying to be cheerful.

“Are you sure you can live all your life in the service of an old man?”

“Of course I could, if my father would give me enough money.”

“This rascal!”

The Smirnovs laughed at the same time.

The Duke, feeling better, was playing chess with his daughter for the first time in a long time.

Outside, someone knocked on the study door.

“It’s me, Your Highness.”

“Come in.”

The duke and his butler stepped inside.

“What is the matter?”

“A guest has arrived.”

“Is he looking for Bianca? Tell him to wait a moment. She’s probably talking to a suitor who came in first.”

“It’s not that… They say they want to meet Lady Katarina.”

Upon hearing those words, the Father and daughter exchanged glances with puzzled expressions.

Perhaps Gregory’s escape from the crossbow had started a rumor, but the suitors had stopped coming.

Besides, Katya was still officially engaged to Ivan, so she couldn’t have a suitor.

“Did they not mention their name?”

The butler chuckled awkwardly in response to her question.

He had insisted that he bring Katya without revealing his identity.

The butler was a man who owed his life’s loyalty to the Duke, but he could not disobey this gentleman.

“Well, we’ll go and see him. Maybe Petrotsky sent him.”

“Do you mind if I go alone? You said you had parted well by agreement, and if he should now come and annoy you with his nagging—”

“It’s all right, father, if he’s come to tell me that, I’ll shoot a crossbow at him and drive him away.”

Having managed to reassure her father, Katya left the study and followed the butler to the parlor where the man was waiting.

When the door opened and she stepped inside, she saw him standing in front of the window with his back to her.

The butler quietly closed the door behind her as she stood there, clueless.

“You said you were looking for me. Excuse me, but who are you?”

At that, the man slowly turned around.

“Nikki?”

He looked much different than when they’d parted ways that morning.

Whereas he was dressed as a commoner, he was now dressed as a well-groomed nobleman.

Also, his hair, which had obviously been dark gray, was now silver.

Katya stepped toward him before she realized the incongruity. Her first instinct was to greet him.

“What brings you to my house?”

“Shouldn’t you be settling your debts?”

“Oh, that’s right, you’re in luck, I’ll give it to you right now.”

She fumbled in her pocket for her wallet and pulled out a few gold coins.

“By the way, the interest has gone up a lot in the meantime.”

“It’s just been hours, already? Do you work as a loan shark for a living?”

Katya grumbled and pulled out more money, but Nikolai didn’t take it.

“I don’t need the money. I’ve come to collect something you can’t afford.”

“What is that?”

“I heard that in the aristocratic world, if you spend one night with someone, you’re responsible for the rest of their life.”

“What, what?”

“Besides, we shared a bed, didn’t we?”

The debtor, who had come to collect without mercy, raised one corner of his mouth and smiled seductively.