I’ve Decided to Let You Go - Chapter 74

No, not here… everyone’s watching.

Natasha didn’t want anyone to see her vulnerable side.

No one could find out that the death of her family and Kayeina’s betrayal still haunted her. If they did, they’d treat her the same way they did before.

“Did you hear? The Duchess has gone crazy.”
“Don’t even mention her. She’s totally out of her mind.”

And then, like in her last life…

She looked up in a rush and met Sieghart’s eyes. The moment their red gazes locked, her heart finally began to calm down.

So, it’s the same again. I’m finding peace through him.

“…Sieghart, will you kiss me?”

His composed posture wavered. Just one sentence had shaken his dignity. The impact was stronger than expected.

Sieghart stood up slowly, giving her a moment to take back what she said.

But Natasha didn’t take it back. She held his gaze, firm and steady, silently encouraging him.

Soon, he was standing right in front of her. He leaned in gently so their eyes were level.

His expression asked one last time, did she really mean it?

“Yes, I do.”

“…”

“So, kiss me, Sieghart. Right now.”

Her chest felt like it would burst. Her mind was blank, and she had no idea what she might do next.

But when they kissed, she didn’t have to think about anything. All the anxiety, all the noise in her mind would disappear with just that touch.

Even the voice that echoed in her thoughts, whether it was her own or someone else’s would finally go quiet.

Sieghart knelt down and placed his hand softly on the back of her neck. As their faces came closer, their breath mingled in the cold air.

This kiss was different from the last. It wasn’t greedy or overwhelming. It was calm, steady, and exactly what she needed. He gave her space to breathe, time to think. It was her kiss, on her terms.

Their connection soothed the chaos inside her. From that moment on, she followed only her instincts.

For a second, she nearly wrapped her arms around his neck. But Natasha stopped herself and rested her hands on her dress instead. Her fingers curled into the fabric.

She could feel the crowd behind her. She could hear some of the whispers. She started to pull away, but Sieghart drew her back in.

She may have started it, but he would be the one to end it.

The boat, having circled the lake, began returning to its starting point. Sieghart slowly pulled away, perhaps worried others might see.

He gently brushed her cheek with his fingers. A single tear clung to his fingertip.

The Harvest Festival ended without a single flaw.

Public attention, which had been focused on the Imperial family, gradually shifted to the festival and the Aschart family.

People were thrilled that the Duke of Aschart, silent for months, had finally returned—and in such a spectacular way. Riding this wave of support, the couple began appearing in public more often.

They attended social events and continued their volunteer work and donations, keeping the public mood positive.

Even nobles who hadn’t attended the festival began writing letters to the Aschart family.

Sieghart suggested they ignore the minor nobles, but Natasha replied to each one. If the Aschart family rejected them, their next stop would clearly be the Imperial family.

Among the letters addressed to the Duchess was one from Grand Duke Kshant.

“It’s been a while. I hope you’ve been well.

I’ve noticed that the Aschart family has finally taken a clear stance against the Imperial family. We may have different goals, but sharing a common enemy is a promising start.

I believe it’s time to collect on the promise you made me. Given how strong your position is now, I doubt the Empire will try to attack you.

Our principality is quietly building up its knight order. I won’t go into detail in writing, but I trust you understand what that means.

I hear your divorce is approaching. Are you still not interested in the offer I mentioned in my last letter? Either way, when the time comes, I’ll expect you to honor the terms you agreed to.

Wishing you better days ahead.”

After reading the letter, Natasha held it over a candle. The paper caught fire at the edges and slowly burned. Eventually, it crumbled into ash and scattered into the air.

It really isn’t far off now, is it?

The calendar on the wall was marked with dozens of X’s.

It felt like the Harvest Festival had just started, welcoming the beginning of autumn. But now, winter had already arrived.

She had been so busy pretending to live normally with Sieghart that she hadn’t noticed how fast time had passed.

She had been doing it every night, counting the days left.
Even though she kept track of time like that, every morning Natasha acted like she had forgotten.

“Until our contract ends…”

As if refusing to acknowledge that their marriage had less than a month left.

About a week ago, Meliana and Vanessa had started lingering around Natasha more than usual. They were trying to get her to talk about her upcoming wedding anniversary.

They gently asked if she had any plans this time, trying to sound casual. But Natasha always gave the same vague reply, “I’m not sure yet.”
No matter how they phrased it, her answer didn’t change.

Sieghart wasn’t acting any differently either. Natasha had always been a bit passive about special occasions, so that wasn’t surprising. But Sieghart had always made a point of celebrating their anniversary, hadn’t he?

Maybe, like last year, he was planning a surprise.
But if that were the case, wouldn’t someone in the household have slipped up by now?
No matter who they asked, no one knew anything.

“Do you think something happened between them?”

“No way. They kissed right in front of everyone just a few weeks ago.”

“Well, yeah, but still…”

The situation was confusing. The two women racked their brains, trying to figure it out. But there were no clear answers.

If Natasha had done something wrong, Sieghart would’ve forgiven her and come to her first.

And if Sieghart had done something wrong, he would’ve done everything to make it right.

Even if they had fought, he would’ve been the one to break the silence, so things should have already gone back to normal.

…So what was going on?

They didn’t know.
Neither did the other members of the Aschart household.

Of course they didn’t.

No one could even imagine that the charming Duke and Duchess would be divorcing on their second wedding anniversary.

And so, with unanswered questions still lingering, winter came to the North in full force.

A few days later, the first snow of the season began to fall.

There weren’t many days left on the calendar now. The year was coming to an end—and so was their marriage.

Natasha found herself looking back on this life. It wasn’t like her life was ending, only her time with Sieghart.
But for some reason, it still felt like everything was about to end.

“This life was happier than the last.”

Yes, she had been happy.

“Because I was surrounded by people who loved me.”

She thought of the people who had made this life worth living her dear friends Kayeina and Vanessa, and her clever and loyal aide Jenkins.

She thought of the sweet maids who helped her get ready each morning, and the head chef who made sure every meal was just right, always saying nutrition was essential for the lady of the house.

And in the end, her mind drifted to his face.
The one man she still couldn’t understand.

“Even though I lost the one person I once loved…”

Suddenly, her memories of Kayeina came flooding back.

The friend who had tried to push her off a cliff, only to fall herself. Even as she fell, Kayeina showed no sign of regret.
It was as if Natasha was the only one who mourned the broken friendship. Kayeina had cursed her until the very end.

“Still, I learned so much because of her.”

The one person Natasha had ever truly loved had been the one who orchestrated her downfall in her past life.
She had sacrificed everything to protect Kayeina from Kail Letius.
But even that had been part of her friend’s plan.

The betrayal was beyond belief.
Even when Kail exposed everything, Kayeina turned away from the truth.
Even when her voice echoed in Natasha’s mind, she denied it all.

“But in the end, I realized it had all been a misunderstanding.”

There was one thing she had come to accept.

That Sieghart Aschart, as harsh as he sometimes seemed, had been innocent—at least part of the time.

Behind the hatred she felt for him, there had always been other hands at work: the schemes of Kail Letius and Kayeina Ten.

Kayeina had returned to her homeland and was now said to be living a harsh life, doing menial labor just to survive. With hardly any income, much less than what she once received from the Aschart household, she was struggling with poverty.

Kail Letius, surprisingly, had gone quiet.

The Empire had started to move, perhaps cautious of the Aschart family’s growing power. But Kail Letius himself hadn’t made any public moves.

The truth about Sieghart should have been revealed by now.
But during the royal commendation ceremony that followed the knighting event, the emperor said nothing.

Maybe he had realized the truth was no longer useful.
Now that Natasha knew everything, a confession would only expose the emperor’s false claims of honor.

And so, the truth that Duke Sieghart Aschart had helped bring about the fall of the Imperial family, remained a secret known only to the three of them.

Sieghart hadn’t left the mansion in some time. Everyone in the household was preparing for the harsh winter.

The servants worried endlessly about the Duchess’s health.
They kept the fires burning hot, covered the windows in thick cloth to block out the cold, and made sure there was always hot tea nearby.

Even her sleepwear was replaced with heavier, warmer clothes.

And soon, winter truly came to the North.

Just as the sky was beginning to brighten with morning light, the blizzard that had swept across the North all night finally reached the Aschart estate.

It was a storm no one had expected. Sharp winds whipped through the land like blades, carrying a deep, bone-chilling cold.

The Aschart household quickly issued warnings for everyone to stay indoors. Soon after, the Douglas Forest, located at the edge of the estate was declared off-limits.

And eight days later, the day Natasha had been waiting for finally arrived.

Support