Iris averted his gaze slightly, as if embarrassed.
Cornelia carefully considered his words before asking hesitantly,
“Aren’t you a little too young to be thinking about your final days, Lord Iris? Or… have you been told you don’t have much time left due to illness?”
After all, the only men who had ever proposed to her were those seeking a caretaker for their last days.
“No, as you can see, I’m perfectly healthy. I intend to live a long life. That’s not what I meant…”
Iris hesitated for a moment, then, as if steeling himself, he spoke decisively.
“I want to marry you, Cornelia. Over the past year, I’ve watched you care for my father with unwavering devotion. Seeing your sincerity, your strength… I realized that I want to spend my life with someone like you.”
“What?!”
Cornelia was completely caught off guard.
“Am I troubling you, Cornelia?”
“Th-That’s ridiculous…! Don’t you know what they call me in high society? ‘The Widow Who Sends Husbands to Their Graves.’ And I’ve already been widowed three times. Someone like me is not a suitable match for you, Lord Iris. You’re simply overwhelmed by the duke’s passing. Please, think it through and come to your senses.”
She spoke hastily, flustered by his unexpected proposal.
“I have thought it through. I even discussed it with my father before his passing. It was I who asked for you. Though you were only an unofficial wife, you were still my father’s spouse, so I wanted his blessing. He readily gave it and told me that if you became my wife, he could rest in peace.”
“This… This can’t be…”
Tears welled up in Cornelia’s eyes.
She had long believed that marriage for anything other than a deathbed vigil was no longer an option for her.
“Please, Cornelia… Accept my father’s final wish.”
Iris knelt on one knee, looking up at her, as if pleading.
“Someone like me… Are you sure? I have been widowed three times.”
“I know everything. My father told me. And I am proud of you for it.”
“In high society, they call me ‘The Widow Who Sends Husbands to Their Graves.’ Are you truly fine with that?”
“I will be your last husband. I’m sure everyone will be jealous of me.”
“You speak as if… as if my having to ‘send you off’ is something that will happen soon…”
Tears streamed down her face.
“That’s far, far in the future. But first, let me repay you for the kindness you showed my father. I want to grant you all the things you’ve never had the chance to do, everything you’ve wished for. Let’s take a honeymoon. I will accompany you to social gatherings.”
“If I appear in high society with you, Lord Iris, your reputation will surely suffer…”
“Anyone who dares speak ill of my wife will be dealt with accordingly.”
No matter how much Cornelia put herself down, Iris remained unmoved. He simply smiled and refuted her words without hesitation.
“Are you truly certain… that you want me?”
“I have never been more certain. I want you, Cornelia.”
“…Iris…”
Cornelia slowly reached out and took his hand.
Iris stood and pulled her into a firm embrace.
For the first time, after three marriages, Cornelia finally experienced what it meant to be held by a man she truly loved.
The warmth she had long thought was never meant for her—now, she felt it enveloping her completely.
“Let’s create countless memories together. And one day, when I grow old, surrounded by our children and grandchildren, if you are the one to watch over me in my final moments, I will be the happiest man in the world.”
Decades later, those words of his would come true—exactly as he had said.
[The End]
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