I’ve Decided to Let You Go - Chapter 63

Outside the room, Kayeina was waiting. She had been reading a book to find out what might be good for the expectant mother and was eagerly sharing the information she had gathered. Her proud expression suggested that she was hoping for praise.

It made me feel nauseous.

“Kayeina, do you know how badly I wanted this child?”

Kayeina’s face brightened even more, and she nodded confidently.

“Of course! Your child will become the root of Charlier’s legacy! I know it must have been a huge burden to carry the weight of continuing the royal bloodline, so it’s such a relief that the good news came so soon.”

Her voice was bright and cheerful, like a lark’s. Her fresh, green eyes sparkled with joy, and her hands, held tightly against her chest, curled into little fists, expressing her excitement.

Kayeina continued chatting nonstop even during the carriage ride back to the Duke’s residence. As they walked through the garden after getting off the carriage, she never stopped talking.

“We should have a celebration when we get back to the Duke’s residence. This is such a big deal, we need to celebrate with everyone! How adorable will your child be?”

Kayeina plucked a flower from the garden and handed it to Natasha as a gift, insisting that it wouldn’t be right not to have a present on such an important day. Despite Natasha hesitating, Kayeina forced it into her hand.

“By the way, do you think it’ll be a son or a daughter? If it’s a daughter, I’ll make yellow gloves, and if it’s a son, green ones. No, maybe I should just knit red gloves in advance.”

“Why red?”

“Because the child’s eyes will shine just like both of yours—red, like the most beautiful ruby! Ah, how lovely it will be! I’ll want to hold them all day long.”

Kayeina crossed her arms and hugged herself tightly. She begged that when the child was born, she be allowed to care for them as their nurse.

Listening to her deception, Natasha gave a brief laugh.

The woman in front of her was exactly like Kayeina, the one she had once loved. Her lovely friend, who was sharing in her joy as if it were her own, the one who promised to be her eternal companion, always looking forward to the future together.

So, Natasha hoped Kayeina was not the culprit. She even wished that it were Sieghart’s neglect, praying for Kayeina’s innocence.

Tears welled up in her eyes. Realizing the unstable signs, Natasha looked up.

“Madam, are you… crying?”

But it was impossible to stop the tears once they had started. Without any way to hold them back, they began to flow.

“I’m just… happy…”

The sun was bright, and the smile of the person before her was so beautiful. The hand that had brushed hers while handing her the flower was so wonderfully warm, and the embrace, as though they were crying together on this happy day, was as affectionate as always.

But only her heart felt frozen. With a hollow chest, as if her heart had been pierced, she slowly fell deeper into the abyss.

The wind grew slightly cooler, and Kayeina quickly ushered Natasha inside. She had prepared tea, known to be good for expectant mothers, along with soft biscuits. Everything was meticulously arranged, treating Natasha as if she were the perfect mother-to-be.

“By the way, when do you plan to announce it? Perhaps tonight?”

“I’m not sure. I think I’ll wait a little longer before announcing it.”

At the firm response, Kayeina’s face stiffened noticeably. She then pouted in disappointment, asking why it couldn’t be now.

“They say it’s risky in the early stages. Everyone’s probably expecting it, but what if something bad happens? I want to wait until the baby settles a little more before saying anything.”

“But precisely because it’s risky, you should announce it early! That way, everyone will be cautious, right?”

Kayeina continued to press, suggesting that announcing it today would be more convenient. Had it been before, Natasha might have been swayed by such a reasonable-sounding argument, but not now.

“I’ll handle this myself, Kayeina. Thank you for your concern.”

“Yes…”

With a smile, Natasha declined and continued to reject her suggestions. Finally, when she firmly drew the line, Kayeina realized that her opinion would not be taken into consideration and fell silent.

After that, Kayeina still kept worrying about Natasha’s condition. She brought small shoes and clothes, claiming that they would be good for the baby’s health. Her attention was so overbearing, it was almost pitiful.

A week passed. Kayeina, thinking it was about time, tried once more to persuade Natasha to announce the pregnancy widely. She even suggested that if Natasha was embarrassed to speak about it, she could give the Duke the certificate from the doctor as a gift.

Was Kayeina worried that the miscarriage might happen? Her restless, repeated whining revealed an unexpected weakness.

As expected, Natasha responded that she would handle the situation herself and asked for more time before reaching the dining room.

The gloomy weather kept most of the servants inside. The knights, eager to greet the couple, gathered in the dining room to show their respect.

After sitting at the table and receiving their usual greetings, they began to eat as the food was served.

“By the way, sir, madam has some good news!”

Kayeina, who had been accompanying Natasha, suddenly interrupted the conversation.

“Madam is expecting a child!”

It was truly a sudden announcement. And in such a blunt manner, no less.

At Kayeina’s declaration, the dining room erupted into excitement. Everyone, except for the Duke and Natasha, couldn’t contain their joy at the blessing that had befallen the Duchess.

The only two people unaffected by the celebration were Natasha and Sieghart.

The delicate sound of a fork suspended in midair filled the room. Natasha’s trembling eyelashes fluttered as they followed the direction of her head. Beneath her long lashes, her red eyes were fixed on Kayeina.

Kayeina’s expression seemed to ask, “Did I do well?” It was a question meant to cover up her thoughtless actions, though there was a strange sense of triumph behind it.

When Natasha turned to look at Sieghart, his stiff expression caught her attention.

It made sense. He had no idea about Natasha’s plans, nor did he understand the situation. He must have thought that Natasha had become pregnant through an affair, just as he had before.

She bit her lip in frustration and slammed her fork down onto the table. Then, to ensure everyone in the room could hear, she loudly declared:

“It’s a misdiagnosis.”

Kayeina deliberately refrained from confirming it.

The warm atmosphere in the dining room suddenly grew cold. An eerie silence followed, as if everyone were asking, “What did she just say?” The servants exchanged uncertain glances, trying to understand what was going on.

“The timing and the doctor’s calculations didn’t match for pregnancy. So, when I checked again, they corrected it and said it was not pregnancy,” Natasha explained, trying to be as diplomatic as possible, knowing she couldn’t directly declare the couple’s purity in front of everyone.

Sieghart remained silent, still processing the situation. He must have been trying to figure out which story was the truth.

Yet, for some reason, Natasha had expected him to trust her word unconditionally. She found herself growing anxious, even though she hadn’t wanted to.

“Madam, what do you mean? You went to the physician with me and confirmed that I was pregnant!” Kayeina interrupted before Natasha could respond.

“Yes, I told you. I found it suspicious, so I had another checkup, and the doctor corrected it. It was a misdiagnosis.”

“But…”

“There’s no ‘but,’ Kayeina. I didn’t tell you this back then because I was flustered, but I haven’t been intimate with the Duke recently. It was physically impossible for me to be pregnant at that time,” Natasha said with a slight smile.

The moment she said, “I haven’t been intimate,” Kayeina was struck with shock. She realized that her perfectly laid-out plan had crumbled.

Originally, Natasha was supposed to believe they had had relations. She was supposed to cry, desperate that the Duke had denied the child as his, thinking she was carrying his child out of wedlock.

The passionate night that never happened was supposed to have been the root of their troubled relationship. The nonexistent child was meant to grow as a seed of betrayal.

Kayeina’s plan had been flawless, unlike the Emperor’s foolish scheme. She had sworn it was perfect—a masterpiece with no room for error.

So why…

“Then what about the flowerpot? The flower bloomed in the pot! Are you saying that the pot was a mistake too?” Kayeina asked, pulling the flowerpot toward her, still unwilling to give up.

She had to push in a different direction now, given the circumstances.

Staring at Sieghart, who remained silent and confused, Kayeina shouted, stressing the point that the Duchess was lying.

Natasha, with a faint smile, responded to the desperate words.

It was the first time she had ever received such a sneer from the woman she loved.

“Well then,” Natasha said coolly.

“…”

“I also want to ask, Kayeina. Why was it only the flower in the pot you gave me that bloomed to indicate pregnancy? Why was it only the doctor you introduced who made the misdiagnosis?”

A bombshell of a question dropped. Natasha was clearly aware of everything. No, she had pieced everything together.

Kayeina, shocked by the unexpected turn of events, slowly began to retreat. When her back hit the wall, she took a deep breath. She should have remained calm, but by panicking, she had only aroused suspicion.

“Tell me, Kayeina. Why did you pay that doctor?” Natasha asked again, picking up her fork.

She stabbed her fork into the center of the ham, then used her knife to slice through it. The sound of the knife cutting through the meat was chilling.

“Was it a service? I heard the doctor’s child was very sick. You should have donated if that was the case. Why, then, did you order a misdiagnosis while repeatedly using the title of an expectant mother?” Natasha continued, not even touching the ham, instead moving on to cut the garnish beside it.

“What was Abraxas bought for? Why did you buy a freshly killed animal carcass? Why did it have to be a blood type close to that of a human?”

“…”

“That carcass… was it found at the Duke’s incinerator?”

“…”

“And why was all the blood drained from it?”

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