I’ve Decided to Let You Go - Chapter 26

“A man and woman who aren’t married shouldn’t share a bed. That’s what I’ve heard.”

“That’s just ethics, not the law.”

Natasha was left speechless by how boldly Sieghart expressed his shamelessness.

“There’s no benefit in following the Empire’s outdated customs. Besides, you’re better described as someone of House Aschart now, not the Empire.”

His confident attitude made his absurd claim sound oddly convincing. Even though House Aschart had no such tradition, he spoke as if it were absolute truth.

In reality, the situation was almost laughable. In their past life, Sieghart had been the one who constantly avoided sharing a room with her. Now, she couldn’t understand why he was suddenly stepping into her room and acting like this was normal married life.

Natasha let out a long sigh and looked at him calmly. It wouldn’t help to bring up things from a past he didn’t remember.

Instead, she tried a more reasonable approach.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace. I think this is too soon.”

She gently pushed his chest to stop him. Of course, someone like him wouldn’t budge from such a light touch, but he stopped anyway. Only his silver-blue hair swayed slightly with the movement.

“We’re not in love. This marriage was arranged for mutual benefit. We’re more like allies than a real couple. It doesn’t feel right to act like husband and wife yet.”

She drew the line clearly, then waited to see how he would respond. Surprisingly, his expression remained composed. With his usual pride, she thought he would be upset and storm out. But instead, Sieghart stayed calm and quiet.

After a long pause, he stepped closer. The distance between them slowly disappeared until his chest nearly touched hers.

“You’re right, but I would appreciate it if you didn’t treat me like some animal controlled by lust.”

He repeated the word “love” softly and smiled slightly.

“You and I came together too suddenly. This was my way of trying to make up for the lack of understanding between us.”

“Are you saying this was an attempt to improve our relationship?”

“Exactly. Closeness grows through time and physical connection.”

He gently took her hand, barely applying pressure, as if mindful of her earlier refusal.

Everything about it felt unfamiliar. His large hand wrapped around hers, the warmth of his fingers, the quiet moments in between. It was strange.

While Natasha felt tense and unsure, Sieghart remained calm, even making promises that were hard to believe.

“I’ll be careful not to make you uncomfortable. What I want from you isn’t anything shallow.”

That couldn’t be true.

He held her hand so tightly, yet claimed to want nothing from her. It didn’t make sense. But Natasha had no chance to argue.

The servants of House Aschart had already moved all of Sieghart’s belongings into her room.

If she didn’t want to scold the staff on their first night together, she couldn’t tell them to move everything back after they had just finished. It was obvious Sieghart had planned for that.

What she thought would be a one-time show turned into something more persistent.

The man who once skipped dinners for work was now always around. The cold duke had disappeared, replaced by someone eager to spend every free moment with his fiancée. Sieghart began rearranging his schedule just to be with her.

From the very first night until the evening before the wedding, he stayed close.

Is he trying to make me fall in love with him? Just like before?

Natasha couldn’t ignore how familiar this behavior was. It reminded her too much of the past, when he had worked so hard to win her over.

But back then, it was all part of a plan to make the proposal succeed.

Could this be his way of stopping the divorce?

She remembered how, every time she had brought up divorce in their past life, Sieghart would suddenly change. He would become kind, gentle, and more attentive. Maybe this was no different.

Maybe now, he was trying to change her mind about leaving.

If that’s what he’s doing…

At that moment, a wave of intense dizziness struck. As her vision dimmed and her eyes closed, voices emerged from the darkness.

“My daughter, that man is the one we must take revenge on. You must never love him.”

“You foolish girl. I know you’ll fall in love with him again, even knowing he betrayed us and caused our deaths.”

They were the voices of her family.

She had first heard them during a fever in her previous life. Since returning to the past, those voices had resurfaced.

They circled around her like ghosts, sometimes whispering, sometimes intruding directly into reality when something caught their attention—especially when it came to Sieghart Aschart, the man they saw as their enemy.

Natasha slowly replayed their sorrowful words. By now, their voices had become so familiar that they no longer shook her.

Her feelings toward Sieghart were the same. She should have hated the man who pretended to love her. But even hatred felt like a luxury now. All she had left was a bitter sense of detachment and a quiet scorn for his shamelessness.

The betrayal, the rage, the grief—those emotions had died with the part of her heart that had once cared.

Love? That’s impossible.

Natasha rejected their voices with a calm disbelief. It didn’t even make her laugh.

Then, she noticed her hand. Among her delicate fingers, one stood out—the ring finger, adorned with a vibrant ruby that gleamed beneath the moonlight. The gemstone matched the color of her eyes.

Tomorrow, this ring would be replaced. As the new Duchess, she would wear a larger, more extravagant gem, one more fitting for the title.

Staring at the symbol of her bond, Natasha made a silent vow.

Even if everything played out exactly the way Sieghart wanted, she would not let herself fall back into the same trap.

She had let go of him completely. She would never love him again.

As the sound of trumpets echoed through the grand hall, a bride carrying a bouquet of preserved lily-of-the-valley stepped forward. Natasha entered in her wedding dress, walking slowly down the aisle.

The scene beyond her veil looked like a perfect painting, vibrant and luxurious. But it felt dull, almost like a memory. She had seen it before.

Among the many dazzling sights, only Sieghart stood out. More beautiful than the flowers and jewels around him, he stood poised and serene, yet radiant.

Even through the lace of her veil, she could feel his gaze. His eyes were locked firmly on her, intense and unshaken. It was Natasha who had to look away first.

After the formal officiant’s words, a flower boy entered, carrying the rings. The couple stepped forward for the exchange.

Sieghart gently slid the ring onto her pale finger. It was adorned with a violet diamond that shimmered with a deep mix of red and blue. Just as she had expected, the gem was larger and more lavish than before.

Once the rings were exchanged, the couple met each other’s eyes. With the symbol of their union now in place, only one ritual remained.

The final part of the ceremony. The vow-sealing kiss.

“And now,” said the officiant, “it is time to seal your love.”

Sieghart began to move forward.

Natasha, who had already closed her eyes, quietly began counting her heartbeats. She listened to the sound of his approaching footsteps. As they grew nearer, she took a slow breath and let it out.

She felt the veil shift. He stopped right in front of her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders.

In the close space between them, their breaths mingled, the air turning warmer. The sweet, intoxicating scent that clung to him made her instinctively want to open her eyes.

“You don’t have to kiss me.”

“You wouldn’t want to anyway.”

She whispered the words, maybe more to herself than to him. She hated how easily she had been caught up in the moment. Maybe this was her way of saving face, of protecting herself from the fear that he might have noticed.

Then his hand slowly reached out and cupped her cheek. His fingers brushed along her jaw, then down to her neck, gently tilting her face toward his.

His deepened breath mixed with hers, stirring her thoughts into confusion. Strands of his hair brushed her skin, and the slight touch of his nose told her how close they really were.

So close, even their lips now met.

Her breath caught.

Warm lips pressed softly against hers. Then came the heat, real and undeniable, slipping between her lips and jolting her fully into the present.

This wasn’t a misunderstanding.

They were really kissing. It wasn’t for show. Their faces weren’t just close. This wasn’t a polite gesture for the audience.

She didn’t even have time to sigh. Her breath had already been taken, stolen by the moment.

Natasha’s eyes opened without her meaning to, and her gaze locked with his. In the quiet intensity of Sieghart’s deep red eyes, she could see it—clear and unhidden desire.

Why?

The question echoed in her mind. Nothing about this made sense.

Why would he do this?

Her hand curled into a fist before she realized it. The wedding ring, perfectly fitted to her finger, scraped against her palm, leaving a faint sting behind.

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