# 12
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Kenneth looked at the small safe in the bedroom.
The crown he had bought in the days when he was more stupid than he was now, must be gathering dust inside.
Although it is a wonderful piece of jewelry, it is made of a thin gold frame twisted with elegant curves, studded with small transparent stones.
Kenneth silently lit a cigar and looked at the scene outside the window. The fragrance of the grass mixed with the spring rain was refreshing, but his mind was cluttered with memories of the past.
At twenty-one years old, he was forced to go into hiding for fear of his life, and at twenty-four, he was able to restore the ancient glory of the Duke's Palace.
Thanks to the companies his family established through shell accounts and agents outside the empire, it was easy to subjugate those who tried to plunder the duchy's wealth.
Because of him being Clifford, he was injured like this, but thanks to also being Clifford, he was able to recover like this.
However, he amazed everyone with his full recovery.
Especially since the entire empire knew that he almost died once.
Sometimes, there were those who, despite knowing their impudence, dared to ask under the influence of wine: “Sir, does the blood of the immortals flow in your veins?”
Kenneth laughed sarcastically, but deep down he admired the questioner's courage.
If he had been completely honest, he might have answered:
If you hate someone and plan to throw them into the mud, even if you are thrown into the bottom of hell, you will crawl out with all your might...
He had a lot of targets to hate, most of all being the Aberdeen family.
Despite his parents' subtle warnings, the relationship with them continued for years, causing this disaster.
Therefore, when the Aberdeen family recklessly ended their lives, he felt sorry instead of relief. Why didn't they endure their hell for a few days before escaping?
They left only one woman behind.
'In fact, you were destined to die in prison, Ariana.'
Ariana Aberdeen was destined to live alone all her life, awaiting an untimely death.
But when Ariana ed to be spared, he felt ecstatic.
At the same time, he became coldly angry.
Even if you were put in a facility, if you looked at the guard with that look…
Won't even the cruelest of men run away with her?
'If you cry and beg, one of them might fall.'
Even if she is forced to be a despicable mistress or a servant, someone will step forward to be her savior...
He wanted to hate this woman forever, but he couldn't bear the idea of someone volunteering to be Ariana Aberdeen's savior.
Therefore, when the royal family mocked him and asked him to punish her, he decided to marry her.
The title of 'Duchess' was a great imprisonment.
'No one will pity you.'
Rather, they will point the finger at her, thanking the duke who kept her alive and took her as a real wife.
'And so you will be by my side, miserable forever.'
Guard and prisoner.
Complete control over Ariana's life.
He was satisfied with this relationship he had built over the past year.
Therefore, he could not ignore Ariana's attempt today to seize advantage.
“…You should be the one ing.”
He took the cigar out of his mouth and muttered to himf:
Beg to live, beg not to abandon you.
Even if it's with a man you hate.
***
Ariana remembers the night she was pregnant with Bebe.
It was an unbearably quiet night, rainy and dreary.
Cremisa was always rainy, but the weather at that time seemed to reflect the atmosphere exactly.
It seems that talking about the cruel war from all sides makes me feel this way.
Thanks to Cremisa's active sea trade, the empire flourished, but there were increasing voices calling for supremacy between the great powers to support future growth.
'I heard that the royal family suggested this...but aren't there those in the House of Lords who support it as well?'
No one wanted to tell Ariana more details, so her frustration built up.
But when the door opened, Ariana got out of bed sheepishly.
“…Kenneth?”
Once again, he will embrace her silently, and leave without a warm word.
But no matter how much time passed, the man did not come close.
As Ariana approached slowly, she noticed that Kenneth was more agitated than usual.
He was a man wearing his perfect suit as an armor that allowed no loophole.
But he came without a tie, and his shirt was unbuttoned to the neck.
“Kenneth.”
"Are you okay? Shall I call Dr. Piyali...?"
The whole time they spent together, he was a difficult and awkward person.
Whenever she saw the effects of the opera house incident on his body, she almost couldn't breathe.
But she gathered her courage and touched his cheek with one hand.
For her, who had never dared to touch him before, it was great courage.
“Where exactly were you?”
He was cold as ice.
He held her hand that touched his cheek quietly and did not speak.
‘Is he in good health? Does he suffer from sleepwalking?'
When she started to have such ridiculous doubts, she called him again.
“Kenneth, are you really that stingy…or!”
She wasn't sure if he was sleepwalking, but she felt like he wasn't conscious.
Because that night, he kissed her for the first time.
“Oh, or..”
Although they did more than that, the strange sensation of the touch of his lips raised goosebumps.
“Wait, a minute.”
When she tried to break the kiss due to the severity of the shock, he grabbed her head forcefully and fiercely. Perhaps he took her flopping as a rejection, so he hugged her waist as well.
Since he was already a big man, there was no way to escape when he kissed her seriously…
Then, without having time to think, he swallowed it all night as if she was being drawn to him.
The next day,
Ariana hid her body full of his effects under the blanket, and looked at him calmly.
She was still a mess, while he looked like nothing had happened, perfectly dressed.
I felt strangely saddened by this contrast.
As if Kenneth wanted to get rid of everything that happened last night.
“Kenneth, we were yesterday...”
“You remember everything that happened yesterday, don't you? Will anything change in our relationship now?”
But Kenneth looked at her coldly.
He hated her so much that his jaw stiffened.
“Last night was a mistake.”
"What? What do you mean by mistake...?"
Ariana fell back as she tried to get up.
The blanket covering her body fell, revealing all the marks he had left on her.
“How can you say it's wrong after you made me like this?”
“Huh...”
“Didn't you start... flirting with me a little? That's why, like this-”
“Me?”
Then, Kenneth's face contorted in disgust.
“Recover, Ariana.”
“Who would love a woman like you, ing for her life?”
Her heart was stabbed by an invisible dagger.
The man who stabbed her cruelly turned around.
“If you get pregnant with this child, I will take responsibility.”
“That's not what I wanted to ask-”
“That's it.”
“Kenneth!”
Ariana tried to quickly chase after him, but collapsed.
Her body, which had been cradled for so long, was in great pain. And her heart was hurting even more.
“This is so unfair...”
It would have been cool from start to finish.
Why would he give her hope and then take it away?
Why would he embrace her with burning love, then abandon her as a toy for one night?
Alone, Ariana dropped her head and cried loudly.
But in the end, in her twenty-second year, Baby was born as compensation for her misery.
In its twenty-third year, the clouds of war began to loom over the domination of the sea.
In the same year, Nimah Ariana died.
***
Although the Duchess's forehead and ankle were injured, the Clifford family's servants did not show any concern.
But one change occurred.
“Ma’am! Good morning!”
Emily Pance came again to serve Ariana.
Since nine o'clock in the morning, Ariana exchanged glances between the lively maid and the view outside the window, and closed her eyes slightly.
"Is it a really good morning? Doesn't it look like it's raining?"
"Ah, this? This is bright by Cremisa's standards! Usually it's much gloomier!"