fiance chapter 3

Awakening as if by a miracle, Sophia’s improved condition prompted the Count, who had been murmuring prayers of thanks, to finally inquire about the night of the incident. Until now, with Sophia asleep, he’d been forced to rely solely on the Duke’s account. Sophia, however, shook her head, claiming no memory, then fell silent, clutching her water glass. The Count could only sadly stroke his daughter’s small, trembling shoulders. He supposed the Duke’s story must be true.

“I’m sorry, Sophie.”

The Count’s apology stemmed from the fact that he and his wife had finalized Sophia’s engagement to the Duke while she was unconscious. Such an engagement, arranged without prior notice, was undeniably unusual. Yet, the Count and Countess had their reasons.

That night, after Sophia’s sudden disappearance from the ball, the Countess, panicked and distraught, had rushed to the Count.

‘Sophia’s gone! Husband!’

The Countess, her face ashen, relayed how none of the servants or Sophia’s friends had seen her. Concerned for the unmarried Sophia’s reputation, the Count discreetly mobilized all his resources to find her. Her return, however, wasn’t due to his efforts.

Late that night, the Duke of Silbetao himself knocked on the door of the still-wakeful Count and Countess. His face, unusually rigid and etched with distress, he sought the Countess, carrying Sophia, pale and limp, in his arms. The Count was shocked to see his always-healthy daughter unconscious. They immediately agreed she needed to be laid down. As the Duke placed her on the bed, the Count noticed his rumpled coat and subtly disheveled shirt.

‘Have you been with my daughter this whole time?’

The Duke, sensing the Count’s scrutiny, offered an unreadable, bleak smile. Though never particularly jovial, he now seemed withdrawn and weary. The Count felt a flicker of unexpected sympathy. He hoped he hadn’t sounded too accusatory. The Duke of Silbetao sat on a nearby small sofa.

‘Could I have some water?’ he asked, his voice soft with exhaustion. The Count instructed a maid to bring tea. The Duke watched the maid leave, then spoke only after the door closed.

‘It’s true that Lady Hilden and I were together. But nothing untoward happened, as you might think. Although, something similar did occur…Lady Hilden confessed her feelings for me.’

The Duke paused, his face contorting with what seemed like anguish. Despite hearing their daughter had confessed her love to a man, the Count and Countess found themselves strangely moved by the Duke’s apparent distress. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, which jutted awkwardly from the small sofa.

‘I never expected such a thing. I never imagined her feelings were so strong. Of course, it was my carelessness that led to what followed. But, her noble heart…’

‘What happened?’ the Countess cried, fearing the worst. The Duke met her gaze.

‘Lady Hilden drank poison meant for me. She collapsed instantly. I administered an antidote, but I couldn’t revive her immediately. However, she will awaken eventually. By spring.’

The Count and Countess sank down in despair.

Following that night, the Duke visited the Count’s estate daily, tending to the still-unconscious Sophia. He was greeted only by the Count and Countess’s strained faces and the peacefully sleeping Sophia, yet he continued his devoted care without fail. He brewed mysterious potions for her, held her hand, and gazed at her face for hours. The maids, observing the picture-perfect Duke cradling their sleeping mistress’s hand and resting his cheek against it, whispered that he must be deeply in love.

A month later, the Duke declared he would accept Sophia’s confession.

‘This isn’t out of guilt or pity. I, too, had developed feelings for her. Though I couldn’t respond to her confession before this tragedy, I now desire to protect Lady Hilden.’