The Virtually Exiled Duke’s Daughter Is Troubled When Her Fiancé in a Neighboring Country Says, "I Will Never Love You" - Episode 43

Ashley stepped out of Deborah’s room and gently closed the door behind him. He took a deep breath in front of the door, then slipped his right hand into his coat. When his hand reemerged from the inner pocket, he was holding a key with a decorative cord attached to it.

He inserted the key into the lock from the outside and turned it. With a small click, the door was securely locked.

It was a routine action for him, done entirely out of habit.

Yes, that was the problem—it was done unconsciously. If he had been his usual composed self, he would have sensed his surroundings and made sure the coast was clear before acting.

However, Deborah had accurately pointed out his feelings, and the awkwardness of having taken his frustrations out on her still clung to his heart, refusing to fade. Because of that, he had not been paying attention to his surroundings when he performed his usual actions.

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

A harsh voice echoed through the halls of the marquis’s mansion, snapping Ashley back to reality. He didn’t need to turn around to recognize the owner of the voice. The rough, slurred tone made it obvious—it was Cornell.

(Damn it!!)

Suppressing the panic in his mind, Ashley swiftly returned the key to his inner pocket and turned to face Cornell.

He hid his loathing for the man and forced a polite smile.

“Lord Cornell, I was just checking on Lady Deborah’s condition.”

Before Ashley could finish speaking, Cornell stomped over to him. As Ashley lifted his slightly bowed head, he saw Cornell swing his right fist back.

A dull thud—a sound that was neither a smack nor a crack, yet both at the same time—resounded through the hall as Ashley took a heavy blow to his left cheek. The force made him stumble, unable to stay upright.

His body leaned against the wall as a burning, pulsating pain spread through his cheek. Before he even processed that he had been punched, Cornell’s hoarse voice overlapped with Swallow’s shout.

“You bastard!!”

“Lord Cornell! Stop this!”

“Don’t mess with me! You’re in on this too, aren’t you?!”

This time, the impact was clear. A solid thud echoed as Ashley, despite his spinning head and narrowing vision, managed to glance in that direction. Cornell, his face flushed red, had lifted his foot. Swallow, clutching his stomach, was collapsing to the ground. He must have tried to stop Cornell and been kicked square in the abdomen.

Drunk and unable to control his strength, Cornell had struck with full force.

Even before catching his breath, Cornell turned toward Ashley with a menacing glare.

“Hand it over.”

“?”

“The master key!! If you have it, that means you’re the head butler, right?! You dare deceive me?!”

“!!”

He was right. While Cornell had been kept away from the mansion, the position of head butler had been transferred from Swallow to Ashley. However, Ashley harbored deep-seated resentment toward Cornell. Swallow, worried that Ashley’s hatred would be too evident, had taken on the role of pretending to be the head butler whenever dealing with Cornell.

But that plan had backfired. Ashley felt a chill run down his spine, momentarily forgetting even the pain in his cheek. The thought of what would happen if he handed the key to Cornell was terrifying. Instinctively, he pressed down on his inner pocket.

“No, I cannot give you the key. Only the master and I are permitted to have it!”

“You dare defy me, a mere servant?!”

Cornell’s already red face turned an even deeper shade as he raised his right hand again. This time, Ashley was prepared. He shielded his vital areas with his arms, so the blow landed only on his forearm. Swallow, having recovered somewhat, sprang up and grabbed Cornell from behind, locking his arms.

“Please stop this!”

“Damn you both…!”

Cornell continued to struggle violently. Ashley moved in from the front, grabbing Cornell’s arms with all his strength.

“I will never let you hurt the lady again!!”

Ashley still hadn’t fully accepted Deborah as Gary’s wife—the mistress of the house. However, he felt ashamed for taking out his frustrations on her. She had acted as if it didn’t bother her, but even so, he could not allow her to be harmed any further under his watch.

The scuffle and shouting in the hallway were loud enough to be heard throughout the mansion. That was why, before long, a number of servants came running. And they weren’t the only ones.

“My, my. This is quite the spectacle.”

The moment that voice rang out, Ashley felt the weight on his arms lighten. Cornell had stopped struggling.

(…He made it in time!)

Ashley felt deep relief at hearing that voice. The moment it reached his ears, all the pain and exhaustion caught up with him, and his strength drained from his body. Swallow, on the other side of Cornell, seemed to experience the same thing. Meanwhile, Cornell, sobering up instantly, turned pale as he stood frozen, staring at the man before him—Marquis Gary Sisley.

“Why… Why are you… here?”

At almost the same time, the sound of a door unlocking came from behind Ashley—Deborah’s room. When he turned, he saw the most beautiful woman in the neighboring kingdom staring at the scene in wide-eyed surprise.

“…Welcome home, my lord…?”

“Ah, Deborah, I’m home.”

It was an odd time for it, but Ashley silently thanked Deborah for her quick thinking. Even though no one had told her what was happening, she had immediately realized there were outsiders in the mansion. That was why she had chosen to call the marquis “my lord” instead of her usual “Marquis Sisley.”