While he was pleased that his long-unmarried second son had finally decided to marry, he was clearly displeased with me—a bride from a lower-ranked family who had missed her prime for marriage. Yet, because this was his son’s first marriage attempt, he grudgingly approved. It was actually Frank and Diana who took charge of arranging the wedding.
As haughty as he was, my father-in-law was apparently a son-in-law himself. Since my mother-in-law was the only daughter of the Earl of Palermore, he—originally the third son of a viscount—had been adopted into her family to become the new head of the Palermore household. (He wasn’t born an earl either!)
Both sons resembled their mother, thank goodness, and not their father with his rugged features.
My mother-in-law, on the other hand, was a quiet woman who always deferred to her husband. She never contradicted him, which made me feel sympathetic for her. Having to spend her entire life with such a domineering man…
I was grateful not to live under the same roof as him, though I suspected my sister-in-law had her share of stress dealing with him.
Still, this marriage offered me more advantages than disadvantages. So, I put on a smile and played the part of the happy bride.
“Mother…” Utrecht whispered shyly, tugging at Diana’s sleeve. Ah, he needed to use the restroom.
“Excuse us for a moment,” Diana said, lifting Utrecht in her arms as she stepped away.
“I’ll go get some fresh air as well,” I said. After all the introductions and greetings, I was feeling a bit fatigued.
I informed Lord Kernes briefly before stepping out into the corridor.
The garden before me was stunning, with flowers blooming in a vibrant array of colors.
As I sat on a bench, gazing absentmindedly at the garden, I saw my sister-in-law, Diana, walking along the corridor while carrying little Utrecht in her arms.
Wanting to see Utrecht’s adorable face up close, I approached them, only to realize that Lord Kernes was with them as well.
I instinctively stopped in my tracks, holding my breath as I watched the two of them interact.
I wasn’t sure why, but I felt that interrupting them would be wrong.
“You’ve found yourself a wonderful wife,” Diana said with a warm smile, her words filled with kindness.
“Ah… well…” Lord Kernes replied with a troubled smile.
Why look troubled? Couldn’t he just accept the compliment graciously? Well, whatever.
After exchanging a few more words, Diana returned to the hall. On her way, she accidentally dropped her handkerchief but didn’t notice.
Left alone, Lord Kernes picked up the fallen handkerchief and pressed it to his chest with an expression of tender affection.
“!!”
In that moment, his earlier words came rushing back to me:
“There is someone I love dearly. I will never be able to be with her, but I also cannot forget her.”
Noticing my gaze, Lord Kernes called out my name in surprise.
“Kratis!”
Panicking, he hastily tried to hide the handkerchief, but it was already too late.
So, it was clear now. The woman Lord Kernes couldn’t forget… his beloved… was none other than his sister-in-law, Diana.
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