When My Contract with the Misanthropic Duke Ended, I Filed For Divorce, But My Husband's Obsession and Doting Became Unbearable - Chapter 7
Chapter 7
“Sharon… I—”
When I looked away from Duke Jean, it was because I wanted to escape from myself—the part of me that kept wanting to hope for something. But just as the duke was about to say something, the sound of knocking on the door interrupted him.
Knock, knock.
“I apologize for disturbing you while you rest, Madam. Is Duke Jean here?”
The voice was unfamiliar.
“Zon? I’m here, but right now—”
When I heard the name, I realized who it was—the head butler I’d hardly ever interacted with over the past three years. To be honest, I almost felt thankful that he interrupted this strange, awkward moment between the duke and me.
“It’s an urgent matter that must be reported immediately.”
Perhaps sensing that the duke was about to turn him away, Zon quickly explained the urgency.
The duke sighed, then looked at me apologetically before walking toward the door.
“I understand. I’ll hear it—but in my room. Sharon still needs to rest. We’ll continue this talk later, Sharon…”
“I’m sorry, Your Grace, but this matter also concerns Madam.”
The door opened with the duke’s gentle words still hanging in the air. Zon’s expression was apologetic as he explained that I was also involved, which made me tilt my head in confusion. I’d never had any business related to the ducal house that involved me directly, so it was only natural to wonder.
The duke also looked puzzled.
“In fact, letters have arrived from the royal castle addressed to both of you. One is from His Majesty the King, to you both. The other, addressed personally to Madam, is from the Second Prince.”
“His Majesty is one thing—but the Second Prince?”
“Reed… His Highness sent me a letter!?”
I couldn’t help but raise my voice, almost forgetting to use his title. After all, for the past three years since my marriage, no matter how many letters I sent, I never received a single reply. I thought maybe it was because of our different social ranks, and that my letters had simply never reached him. So, I gave up.
“…You’re close to him? Close enough to call him by name?”
“He’s my only friend. I don’t know what he thinks of me now, though, since I haven’t heard from him in so long.”
“I see. A close friend.”
The duke looked strangely relieved. I didn’t really understand why, but his expression somehow eased my heart.
When I stepped forward to receive the letter, Zon suddenly bowed deeply.
“My deepest apologies, Madam. It seems that the letters were actually being destroyed by some of the noble servants who are now awaiting punishment. I only discovered it recently. I am terribly sorry for not noticing sooner.”
“What…”
I froze.
I couldn’t believe it—how could they do something so cruel? No wonder I never got a reply. But then… would Reed think that I had stopped writing to him? That I’d abandoned our friendship? If this letter turned out to be one saying he wanted to end our friendship, I might actually cry.
“I wasn’t told about any of this yesterday,” the duke muttered, clearly hearing this for the first time as well.
Zon nodded gravely. “It seems His Highness the Second Prince suspected as much. He even sent me a separate letter personally. The royal messenger instructed me to read it before delivering yours. In it, His Highness asked whether his letters had ever reached Madam, given the recent circumstances. I checked before coming here, and that’s how I found out what happened.”
Wait—did that mean…?
“Do you mean… it wasn’t just my letters that were destroyed? And does that mean His Highness already knows about this?”
“That is correct. We never imagined anyone would dare destroy even royal correspondence. Because so many of the noble servants are now being dismissed, the surrounding nobles are expected to cause a stir. To prepare for that, I already reported the full situation to His Majesty the King. That’s likely how the royal family learned of it.”
“So, they cared so much about social rank, yet they dared to do something that outrageous,” the duke said coldly. “No wonder His Majesty is furious. According to this, he’s ordered us to bring everyone involved—the ones who attacked Sharon, those who destroyed the letters—before him immediately. Both of us are to appear as well.”
At some point, the duke had already taken his own letter and was reading it. I never thought things would get this serious because of me. But if Reed already knew what happened, then things might get even worse. When Reed gets angry, no one can stop him…
“Are the servants prepared to be brought at once?” I asked carefully.
“They haven’t been formally sentenced yet,” Zon replied. “They’re currently being held in the ducal estate’s underground cells, separated by gender. There were so many that the cells weren’t enough—we had to group some together. We’ve prepared the documentation for their punishment, but since there are many, we were still confirming details before making final decisions.”
So that’s why Zon could check the letters so quickly—those servants were still here. But that also meant… we might have to leave soon. If Reed’s anger was already burning, there was no chance to calm him down first.
“I’ll handle the arrangements for the prisoners,” Zon continued. “For now, Madam, would you like to read His Highness’s letter? If there are any instructions or requests, please tell me at once.”
“Ah… yes.”
I took the letter with a strange mix of emotions—joy, fear, and unease. But as soon as I opened it and saw the neat, elegant handwriting… I froze.
Because written in those delicate, beautiful letters were some truly terrifying words.
“Ah… he’s really mad.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them. Yes—Reed was absolutely furious.