บท 75: Not Alone

Dark shadows cast across the duchess's large room as a single candle remained burning. 

Before she went on a walk with Duke Desmond, she thought she was exhausted. When she returned to her room, she expected to find sleep easily. Unfortunately, her thoughts seemed to compound the more she was by herself. 

At the forefront of her brain was guilt from two different sources. 

The first was Desmond and how unfairly she had judged him because of the words of others including her father. Count Mikael truly believed he was sending her to hell by giving in to the duke's request and allowing them to marry. She believed she wouldn't make it more than a few days before he would show his true colors.

Where was the cold man who was unable to keep a lid on the natural volatility inside of him? He was quiet and misunderstood. There was something so unbelievably gentle about the man. 

The second source of her guilt was Valerio. It would always be Valerio.