Lady to Queen - Chapter 94 - Didn’t You Come Onto Me Last Night

Chapter 94 – Didn’t You Come Onto Me Last Night?

“Nngh…”

“Are you awake?”

Upon hearing the voice coming from next to her, Izu Ephreney jolted in surprise. It was James.

“Sir? What’s going on…” she asked with a dumbfounded expression.

“Oh dear.” His expression turned forlorn. “Could it be that you don’t remember anything from last night?”

“Huh? What do you—”

“Last night, you…” He hesitated before continuing. “Didn’t you come onto me last night?”

“I… I did?”

Izu was speechless upon hearing that for the first time in her entire life. Come onto him? I did? My goodness! She felt so embarrassed that she thought she could die.

However, it didn’t stop there. In the midst of her embarrassment, she noticed that the two of them were naked, and she came to a conclusion. Izu closed her eyes. Seeing themselves in this debauched state gave her a clue as to what happened last night.

“Then last night, you and I…”

“You whispered to me last night not to leave you. To please embrace you.”

“I…”

Izu wore a helpless expression. She was doomed. She had completely thrown away the womanly virtue that Madam Anderson so emphasized last night!

“I really did that?” she said, looking as if she were about to cry.

“My Lady, if you keep asking me that…” James said, upset, “It seems like you’re accusing me of raping you.”

“N-No. I didn’t think that of you. It’s just that I…”

“It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have given you that cocktail last night…”

When he said those words in a self-loathing tone and drooping face, Izu hurriedly refuted him.

“Oh no, sir. It’s not your fault.”

“But if I knew that you would have this type of reaction… then I would never…” He hesitated before finishing his sentence. “…I would never have slept with you.”

“…”

In other words, they both had already done something that only married couples did. Upon realizing that, Izu looked at him with a futile expression. It is what it is, so how were they to deal with the situation now?

“Is there anything that you want me to do?” she asked.

“Of course not. How could I ask for anything after having done that last night with the daughter of a Marquis? I am not a male prostitute,” he said somewhat coldly, and Izu inadvertently shrank back. Not long after, however, he consoled her in a kind voice.

“Please don’t worry so much, My Lady. I will keep the events of last night a secret.”

“But…!”

“I can’t let you ruin your future over a person like me. Last night was just something done in the heat of the moment.”

“…”

“Please forget it, My Lady. About last night, and about me,” James said in firm finality, and Izu couldn’t find the words in reply. He simply stared at her before smiling softly and planting a soft kiss on her forehead.

“I shall take my leave so as to not embarrass you any further.”

With that, he hurriedly put on his clothes. Izu covered herself with the white blanket and simply looked at him. When he finally finished putting on all of his clothes, he turned towards her.

“You don’t need to take responsibility for this, nor do you have to concern yourself over it.”

“Sir…”

“Only I will keep these memories. Memories of your kiss, your touch, and your breath… all of them.”

“…”

A wave of embarrassment washed over Izu, rendering her speechless. James briefly looked at her before getting up without a second glance. Izu, who was now alone, sat in place with a vacant expression for a long time.

*

‘And then I got pregnant.’

Duchess Ephreney’s expression was grave as she finished recollecting her memories. Unbelievably, she became pregnant, and she had no choice but to arrange a wedding with the man whom she slept with. The nobility was in a complete gossiping frenzy upon hearing about the abrupt wedding, even talking about how she got pregnant before she was married. And because it was true, Duchess Ephreney wasn’t able to attend any social gatherings for quite a while due to her embarrassment.

In any case, she wanted him, she chose him, and that’s why she believed that she slept with him. Since he wanted her as well, she fell into the temptation. The baby that was inside of her was the fruit of their love, of course. With those thoughts, all of her distress vanished.

The baby was a boy, and he was destined to take over the Ephreney household. When Izu’s father passed away, Izu Ephreney, as his only child, took over the estate with her husband, James Hedwig. James threw away his family name in favor of the Ephreney title. And up until now, she lived a good life. Of course, there was a time when her husband took up a mistress, but she lived a good life because she was Duchess Ephreney and stayed quiet.

However, with just a single letter whose sender was unknown, all the self-respect and legitimacy that she maintained over the past twenty years crumbled in an instant. She didn’t sleep with James because she wanted to—she was simply used by him. It was rape, not love. It was a fabricated incident, not destiny. Duchess Ephreney let out a brittle laugh upon realizing all of this. The last words of the letter said this:

She was quite foolish. Back then, she was incomparably more pure, beautiful, and young. But now, she isn’t any of those things. So of course, the Duke would choose someone else.

Enraged, Duchess Ephreney crumpled the letter. However, she neither burned the letter nor did she rip it to shreds. Rather, she put on a frightening smile as she placed all the letters into her secret safe. They could be useful in the future.

No, she would use them to divorce her husband immediately. A marriage brought upon by rape was invalid. Duchess Ephreney put on a strange smile. After realizing that everything she believed in was a fantasy, she could no longer smile genuinely.

When she opened the door, she was greeted with the fresh air. Without hesitating, she headed towards her husband’s room and entered it. Duke Ephreney was startled with her unannounced entrance.

This will be the last time that I see that expression in this household, Duchess Ephreney thought as she smiled coldly.

“Let’s get a divorce, My Lord.”

“Duchess…?”

“Since the funeral is over, please leave this house immediately.”

“Duchess, what are you ta—”

“You’ve deceived me for twenty years, yet you have the audacity to use that tone of voice with me? As if I’m betraying you?”

“Izu, at least let me know what—”

“Twenty years ago, when we first met,” she said coldly, “you raped me, didn’t you? After you fed me that cocktail with the aphrodisiac.”

“Duchess, what are you saying? Where did you hear that nonsen—”

“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”

The Duchess dropped all polite pretenses towards the Duke. The man that was standing in front of her was the father of her dead child, and he was not her husband, but her rapist.

“As soon as the mourning period ends, leave! A pregnancy from rape can never validate the transferal of family rights. Once I submit the evidence, our marriage will be nullified, so get out!” she shouted, boiling with fury.

“What on earth are you talking about?!” Duke Ephreney shouted back.

“You shameless bastard! When I divorce you, you will no longer be able to stay on the Ephreney estate. It’s not like you’re even related by blood!”

Duchess Ephreney’s eyes were mad with rage. In a loud voice, she called the butler and gave a command.

“Cast out that woman and her child living on the second floor from this house immediately. And submit the divorce papers at the crack of dawn. James Newton Le Hedwig is no longer the head of the Ephreney household.”

“Yes, My Lady,” the butler said obediently.

“Duchess, what are you—!”

“Bring that woman and child here right now!”

Duchess Ephreney did not listen to a word of Duke Ephreney’s. Just in case he tried anything, she ordered the servants to keep him under tight surveillance, before looking coldly upon January, who had just been dragged into the room by the other house servants.

“What is the meaning of this? Sister!” January screeched in the arms of the servants.

“Who are you calling ‘sister,’ you bitch? I am the only child of Marquis Ephreney. I’ve never had a sister in the likes of you.” Duchess Ephreney scoffed as she looked at January incredulously. “The head of this household is no longer James. I will become the new head, so get out of this house with that man.”

“What?”

“And your child doesn’t have a drop of the Ephreney blood either, right? It’s one thing if I gave birth to him, but since I did not, the story changes.”

“Duchess, where do you expect us to go in the middle of the night?!”

“That’s none of my concern. Throw them out right now.”

“Please, Duchess, have mercy…” January pleaded.

“Isn’t 4 years of mercy already enough?” With a scoff, the Duchess headed back to her room.

January was in trouble. Just what was this sudden rage that seemed to come out of nowhere?! The young child that she had in her arms was bawling loudly. However, the house servants had no sympathy for the enraged January. Perhaps the only person who held a shred of pity was Jacob’s nanny, but that was simply for the young child, not for the mother.

In any case, the house servants loyally carried out the Duchess’s orders. January and her son were kicked out. Empty-handed.

*

“Madame January was kicked out?”

The news reached Petronilla’s ears quickly. The servant girl who informed her nodded her head.

“I saw them while I was on my way to the butchery. Judging from their ragged clothes and appearance, it seems that they have been thrown out of the household.”

“Goodness.” Petronilla clicked her tongue.

The servant girl continued. “They looked so pitiful that I gave them a few coins. Though the woman was initially offended at the gesture, she picked them up. She probably realized that she needed to eat to survive.”

“That aside, it seems that something happened at the Ephreney estate. Duke Ephreney isn’t one to just let something like that happen,” Petronilla observed.

“Indeed, something seemed to have happened. But that is something I do not know.”

“I’ll ask tomorrow. It’s too late to visit her now.” With those words, Petronilla suddenly started, as if she remembered something. “Come to think of it, tomorrow’s the trial.”

“For Marchioness Ethylaire?”

“Yes. It’s tomorrow afternoon.”

“She will receive punishment, right?”

“Most likely.” Petronilla’s voice lowered to a mutter. “Would she try to do something at this stage…?”

“Even if that were the case, it is probably most difficult for her to escape. After all, she has committed a crime.”

“That’s true.”

But a sly woman like her wouldn’t give up until the very end. Petronilla hoped that the trial would go smoothly tomorrow.