Chapter 171
Read ahead of public and coin chapters ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊ GoM kofi ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊
She had been found out. He knew that she knew his true identity and it seemed the Duke had no intention of continuing this flimsy charade any longer.
Don’t shake. Stay calm. Vanessa forced her gaze steady as she looked up at him.
The man staring down at her looked utterly composed. There was no trace of the guilt she had imagined, no pain, no sorrow—nothing at all.
If anything, he simply looked… a little more tired than usual. His eyes, deeper and colder than before, softened into a smooth smile.
“I assumed that coming all this way meant you already knew, Vanessa. I regret that I couldn’t tell you the truth sooner.”
Regret. The word pierced her heart.
For her, this wasn’t something that could be brushed aside so easily. The memory of the moment she had decided to love him felt impossibly distant now.
The warmth they had shared, their breath mingling, the feelings they had exchanged—she couldn’t believe it had all been an illusion.
Did he even begin to understand what she was feeling?
Even when she felt like she might collapse, she had endured by thinking of River Ross. Instead of breaking down, she had chosen to keep moving forward for a better tomorrow.
Because she believed there was someone who would stand beside her, share the rain with her, and fall into the mud with her.
Yes… sometimes, something as small as that was enough to hold a world together. That was why even a single word like this could hurt so much.
Because I loved you.
“I was planning to finish my work next week and tell you then. At a more comfortable time, under better circumstances.”
It truly sounded like that was the only part he regretted.
As if their relationship had merely twisted slightly in some trivial way. As if it were something that could have been easily corrected with a simple conversation.
Even though nothing could be undone anymore.
‘Maybe… to him, it really was something trivial.’
If only he had told her first—before she found out on her own. If he had confessed honestly and asked for forgiveness. Then perhaps… things might have been different. At the very least, she wouldn’t feel this utterly miserable.
To think she had fallen in love with a man whose very name was a lie. A hollow laugh slipped from her lips. It felt like she had been dragged into a cruel story.
A heavy sense of helplessness and loss washed over her, making her tremble. She could barely breathe.
Everything about the situation, the man standing before her, felt unbearably unfamiliar.
“Sit down. Let’s talk.”
Seeing how pale she had gone, as though she might collapse at any moment, he spoke calmly.
Vanessa started toward the couch he indicated, then stopped and shook her head. She straightened her back and shoulders with effort, forcing herself upright.
“I don’t intend to stay long, Ri—… no. I just came to talk. I want a clear answer about our contract.”
“Did you find the answer you were looking for?”
“At the very least, I learned that the man I made that deal with… wasn’t you.”
Her eyes, sharp like a cat’s, glinted coldly. Her lips trembled as she bit down hard, trying to suppress the emotions rising within her.
After a brief silence, she spoke again.
“I don’t even know what to call you. Or how I’m supposed to speak to you.”
“……”
“That contract, what was it? The one in my uncle’s study…”
“It has nothing to do with this.”
“…I thought… maybe you were being threatened.”
She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, then let out a bitter, self-mocking smile.
Whether that investment contract had been a payment or something else… It didn’t matter anymore. The trust between them had already been completely shattered. No matter what he said now, she couldn’t believe him.
“Vanessa.”
The Duke, who had been watching her closely, swallowed slowly. He tugged at the tie that seemed to tighten around his throat, loosening it carelessly.
For a fleeting moment, the calm composure in his expression cracked into impatience.
“Don’t cry.”
“I’m not crying. Why would I…?”
Vanessa bit her trembling lip again. If only she could turn her emotions on and off at will.
She didn’t want to show weakness in front of him ever again. She didn’t want to mistake the hand wiping away her tears for kindness.
