The Virtually Exiled Duke’s Daughter Is Troubled When Her Fiancé in a Neighboring Country Says, "I Will Never Love You" - Episode 41

Magdala took the marquis family’s carriage to a nearby town. She got off in front of a relatively high-class restaurant catering to the wealthy. “I’m meeting a friend here. I want to talk with her at ease, so come pick me up in the evening,” she told the coachman before sending him away.

She had escaped from the marquis’s house wearing only what she had on, so her simple dress did not match the luxurious restaurant. However, Magdala was known as an unusual marquise who often dressed simply and acted casually, so the coachman did not find it strange. He returned to the mansion, learned what had happened, and panicked. He rushed back to the restaurant, but, of course, Magdala had not entered.

Daniel had been right—Magdala had lost her place to return to. She did not go back to the Olly count’s house or even try to contact them.

Daniel wanted to tear Cornell apart, but finding Magdala was his first priority. He held back his rage and instead divided his energy into two.

One half, he devoted to searching for Magdala by every means possible.

The other half, he used to kill himself—figuratively.

That night, Magdala returned safely to the marquis’s house.

Ironically, her usual interactions with the people of the land led to her discovery. While working in the fields, a farmer greeted her with a cheerful, “Good day, madam!” However, her response lacked its usual energy, and she was walking alone along a country road without any attendants. Sensing that something was wrong, the villagers invited her into their home, saying, “This is a rare chance. Please, allow us to host you.” While serving her tea, a young man rode a horse to the mansion and informed the gatekeepers.

Swallow went to pick her up by carriage. Meanwhile, Lady Lauren and Daniel treated Cornell with extra care, keeping him entertained with fine drinks. By the time he was completely drunk, Swallow and Magdala had returned. Even for an experienced head butler, persuading her had taken considerable time.

Daniel welcomed Magdala as a steward apprentice, addressing her formally.

“Welcome home, madam.”

Magdala, who had been avoiding his gaze, suddenly looked up. He put on the same bright smile and polite tone he had carefully crafted—one that was entirely fake.

“I must apologize for my past behavior, madam. Even though we are relatives, it was improper for a servant like me to call you ‘sister.’ I am deeply ashamed. Please punish me however you see fit.”

“…No, I called you ‘Dan’ as well. We’re even.”

“That name… It reminds me of the past when I truly admired you like a sister…”

“…!”

A hint of emotion flickered in Magdala’s eyes, and her pale cheeks flushed slightly. Until recently, she had never realized Daniel’s feelings. Now, she was beginning to doubt herself. But soon, she decided that assuming he had feelings for her was just arrogance, and she felt embarrassed.

“However, given our current positions, I understand that it was unacceptable.”

“It’s fine. Just let it go.”

Daniel smiled. But it was nothing more than a forced, polite smile.

“Thank you for your generosity, madam. I, Ashley, will serve you with all my sincerity for the rest of my life.”

Of course, when Daniel said he had “killed himself,” it was just a figure of speech. When he was alone in his room after work, he would allow himself to feel his true emotions, sometimes even crying in pain. But if it meant Magdala would not lose her place, this suffering was nothing.

Lately, she no longer avoided him. Instead, it was Daniel who maintained distance, making sure to uphold the boundary between a mistress and a servant.

The plan to work in another household, which he had discussed with Swallow before Magdala’s disappearance, was now abandoned. Daniel didn’t care either way, but if he left now, Magdala might notice his feelings again. He didn’t want to add more instability to her heart, especially when Cornell’s words had already shaken her.

Yes, her heart had wavered. She seemed cheerful on the surface, but after observing her for years, Daniel could tell that she was forcing herself.

“She probably feels guilty. Even though none of us think she should.”

During a break, he shared this thought with Lady Lauren. She lowered her gaze and replied softly.

“I understand. I felt the same. My husband told me he wanted to marry me even if I couldn’t bear children… but I still feel guilty. And madam’s pain is far greater than mine.”

Magdala, unable to have children, had been trying to fulfill her duties as a marquise in other ways. She had become even more involved with the people of the land—working in the fields, listening to their concerns, and acting as a bridge between them and the marquis. She also started projects to build orphanages and relief centers in town, supporting the poor. The love she could not give to a child, she poured into the entire land.

Then, after years of such efforts, tragedy struck.

After war broke out with the Mammut Kingdom, reports of widespread illness came from a northern village near the battlefield. Magdala immediately rushed there.

The marquis, Daniel, and everyone in the mansion opposed her decision, warning of the dangers. But she refused to listen.

“There’s no danger! The royal army’s defenses are solid. But the villagers must be terrified—of both disease and the approaching war. If the marquise herself stays in the village, it will reassure them that the enemy hasn’t come yet. Besides, after these years, I can at least help with treatment. I’ll be useful!”

With a smile, she departed for the north. That was the last time Daniel ever saw Magdala.

The war never reached the village. But later, it was discovered that the disease was caused by the war.

The border between the Volks Kingdom and the Mammut Kingdom was a river. The conflict was over control of that river, with battles fought along its banks and bridges. The bodies of fallen soldiers tumbled into the water, decomposing and becoming breeding grounds for disease, contaminating the river.

The northern village, located far downstream, used the river as its water source. Suddenly, many villagers fell ill with high fevers and diarrhea, some even dying. When Magdala arrived, the cause was still unknown, and the disease spread further through secondary infections.

When she realized she had contracted the illness, the villagers begged her to return to the marquis’s estate. But she refused. Burning with fever, she made her decision clear.

“No! I can’t bring this disease to other places. Isolate me. Even if someone from the marquis’s house comes—no, even if it’s the marquis himself—do not let them see me. And if I die, burn my body along with the others.”

She locked herself in a room and spent her last moments alone.

Magdala Sisley—who loved everyone and was loved by all—left only a letter to her husband and the people of the mansion. Then, she departed this world, all alone.