Trapped in a Secret Room With the Magnificent Duke - Chapter 25
Kadrion rested his elbows on the desk in his office, nervously touching his face with trembling hands.
The journey from the palace to the Duchy was supposed to take at least two months. However, not wanting to be away from Reyna for that long, Kadrion had shortened the schedule as much as possible.
The strain of the rushed trip had left him physically and mentally exhausted, but the fact that he had mistaken another woman for Reyna was unbelievable.
The bedroom might be pitch-black in the darkness, but it was inconceivable that he couldn’t distinguish between Reyna and another woman. It was a mistake so enormous it defied reason.
“This… should never have happened.”
Kadrion shut his eyes tightly and tried to recall the situation from earlier. The sound of Reyna’s moans, which he had heard countless times, echoed in his ears.
‘Ah…’
There was no way he could confuse another woman’s moans with Reyna’s. Moreover, the soft and warm sensation enveloping his member was unmistakably Reyna’s.
But then…
Who was the woman in the bedroom?
‘A new maid?’
With no answers coming from his own thoughts, Kadrion decided to go to steward Bennet’s bedroom.
* * *
Bennet, still half-asleep and with a disheveled appearance, looked at Kadrion with surprise.
“…Duke?”
Bennet’s eyes widened as he rubbed them.
“Duke, when did you return?”
Kadrion answered in misery.
“….now.”
Seeing Kadrion’s distressed expression, Bennet spoke in a concerned tone.
“You don’t look well.”
“Let’s discuss this inside.”
“Yes, please come in.”
Kadrion checked the corridor to ensure no one was around before entering the steward’s bedroom. He informed Bennet that he had arrived at the duchy a month earlier than planned and that Reyna was unaware of this.
“Bennet.”
“Yes, Duke?”
“Is Reyna staying anywhere other than the Duke and Duchess’s bedroom?”
“…Pardon?”
Bennet looked puzzled, but seeing Kadrion’s serious expression, he quickly continued.
“No, there has been no such change…”
“Then who was the woman in the bedroom?”
“Pardon? …Are you saying that there was someone else in the Duke and Duchess’s bedroom besides the Madam?”
Bennet looked incredulous as he questioned Kadrion.
“Yes.”
“That can’t be right… I’ll check on this immediately!”
Bennet, seemingly preparing to leave, was about to head out when Kadrion stopped him.
“Wait, Bennet.”
“Yes, Duke?”
“I intend to return to the inn.”
“What? But you just arrived!”
“And so, make sure Reyna and anyone else at the Duke’s estate do not learn that I’ve returned.”
Bennet looked puzzled but nodded, understanding that the Duke’s words were akin to imperial law for him.
“Yes, understood.”
As Kadrion turned to leave the room, Bennet cautiously spoke up.
“By the way, my lord…”
“…?”
“Didn’t you spend the night with Madam?”
Bennet was questioning why Kadrion would now be returning to the inn after such an event.
“…”
Kadrion sighed lightly but offered no response while turning away.
“I will ensure that no issues arise that concern you, my lord.”
Bennet’s voice followed Kadrion as he quickly exited the room.
‘Yes, it must have been a mistake due to my exhaustion.’
Before leaving the estate, Kadrion visited the Duke and Duchess’s bedroom one last time.
Seeing the unfamiliar woman lying naked on the bed, he was once again filled with despair.
Kadrion’s handsome face twisted in anguish as he saw the white fluid flowing from between the legs of the stranger that was not Reyna.
* * *
Kadrion fled the estate and returned to the inn, spending several days trying to calm his mind. Despite telling himself it was a misunderstanding or mistake, the reality was that an unforgivable event had occurred.
‘In the body of a woman who wasn’t Reyna…’
Kadrion clenched his teeth and shut his eyes tightly. He could not forgive himself. Yet, he could not simply avoid returning to the estate forever.
He was torn between confessing the truth to Reyna and seeking forgiveness or burying the matter and risking being discovered by Reyna later.
In the former case, a single mistake might cost him Reyna, while in the latter, if Reyna ever found out, the betrayal would be even greater.
No matter how much Kadrion pondered, he couldn’t find a clear answer.
“If… if someone were to do it with you to save your life despite not being wanted, what would you do?”
“I would die.”
On top of that, the conversation he’d had with Reyna in the past kept replaying in his mind. He didn’t want to retract what he had said once. Yet, he couldn’t bear the thought of dying when he had both the beloved Reyna and the precious Diego in his life.
No, he didn’t want to die. He wanted to spend as many happy years as possible with Reyna.
So, he had no choice but to resolve this situation quickly….
