The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

Before Eilika could say anything further, she suddenly felt a pair of small arms wrap tightly around her legs.

”Mama!”

Roman clung to her, pressing his cheek against her skirt as if he had been searching for her for a long time. The other boys quickly gathered around her as well, surrounding her in a lively circle.

Eilika looked down in surprise, but the warmth of the moment softened her expression. She gently placed her hands on their heads, affectionately ruffling each of their hair one by one. Their eager faces and bright eyes made her smile despite the heaviness she had been carrying moments earlier.

For a brief moment, the tension inside her chest eased.

”Mama, Father wants to say something to you,” Roman said after pulling slightly away from her embrace.

At once, the boys turned their heads toward Damian, who was standing a short distance away.

Their collective gaze made Damian suddenly aware of himself. For a man who commanded authority over soldiers and nobles alike, standing under the curious stare of a group of children made him unexpectedly uneasy.

Eilika slowly lifted her eyes to look at him. Was he truly going to apologize?

She knew how difficult it was for Damian to admit fault. Even the thought of hearing that word from him seemed almost impossible.

Sensing the awkwardness, Eilika decided to break the moment before it grew more uncomfortable.

”Why don’t we all play together instead?” she suggested gently, turning her attention back to the boys.

Her voice brightened slightly as she continued, ”Roman, where is the ball? We can play catch with it.”

”It’s in the cottage, Mama,” Roman answered promptly.

But instead of running off to get it, he remained standing where he was. His small face became unusually serious as he looked between his parents.

”We can play later,” he said firmly.

Then he turned toward Damian again. ”Father has to apologize to you first for hurting you,” Roman declared.

The other boys exchanged wide, curious glances before looking back at Damian, clearly waiting to see what he would do next.

”Forgive me for hurting you, Eilika.”

Damian’s voice was steady, though there was a weight behind the words that had not been there before. He did not avert his gaze as he said it, and for once the apology did not sound forced.

Roman immediately lifted his head to look at Eilika, his eyes shining with anxious hope.

”Mama, do you forgive my father?” he asked eagerly.

Eilika looked down at the boy, her expression softening. For a brief moment, she remained silent, as though considering the question carefully.

”Hmm,” she responded.

That small response was enough for Roman.

”Yayy!” he exclaimed, bursting into excitement. He clapped his hands enthusiastically before turning toward the other boys. ”Now we can play!”

Without waiting another second, he grabbed Toby’s hand.

”Let’s go back!” Roman shouted, already running toward the cottage.

The other boys quickly followed him, laughing and racing after him across the grassy path.

Maurice watched them disappear ahead before glancing briefly at the Duke and Duchess.

”I should go after them,” he said politely.

Without waiting for a reply, he hurried off, leaving the two of them alone beside the quiet pond.

The sudden silence felt different now.

Eilika slowly turned away, her fingers unconsciously fiddling with each other as she stared toward the water. She was unsure whether Damian had anything more to say or whether that brief apology had been the end of it.

A gentle breeze moved across the pond, lifting strands of her hair and brushing them lightly across her face. She reached up instinctively, tucking the loose strands behind her ear.

Just then, she sensed him move closer.

Damian stepped beside her.

Without turning, Eilika noticed their reflections forming together in the still surface of the pond. For a moment,t neither of them spoke.

”Did you forgive me?” Damian asked.

”Roman began crying after you ran away,” he continued, his gaze fixed on the water. ”I have never seen him cry like that before.”

He paused briefly before speaking again.

”Last night... I was not in my right state of mind,” he admitted. ”And I know that you have always tried to do what is best for us.”

Eilika listened without interrupting. After a moment, she turned slightly toward him.

”Did you apologize because Roman asked you to?” she asked calmly.

”Partially,” he admitted honestly. ”But I also knew that I had hurt you.”

”And you found it difficult to apologize to me,” Eilika said quietly, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

”Yes,” Damian admitted without hesitation.

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke. The air between them carried an unusual calm, as if both were trying to understand this unfamiliar honesty.

Then Damian looked at her more directly.

”Won’t you apologize?” he asked.

Eilika blinked in confusion and turned toward him.

”Huh? Why would I apologize to you?” she asked, genuinely puzzled.

”You said you wanted to kill me,” he reminded her. ”If anyone else had heard those words, they would have demanded that I punish you.”

Eilika frowned slightly at that.

”That is something said between a husband and a wife during an argument,” she muttered under her breath. ”Why would others ask for punishment over such a thing?”

Her tone softened after a moment.

”But... thank you for standing up for me.”

She lowered her gaze slightly as she spoke.

”No one has ever bothered about the insults I have endured because of this scar on my cheek,” she added quietly. ”Most people only stare at it... or whisper behind my back.”

There was no bitterness in her voice, only a quiet acceptance that had grown over the years.

Damian’s lips curved into a faint, amused smile. ”Did Maurice already tell you?” he asked.

Eilika looked back at him. ”Why?” she replied calmly. ”Did you intend to keep that a secret as well?”

”I prefer to do such things quietly,” Damian said with a light shrug.

For a moment, he studied her more closely. His gaze drifted toward the faint scar on her cheek.

Tilting his head slightly, he looked at her side profile.

”How did you get this scar?” he asked.

Then he added in a gentler tone, ”You only need to tell me if you are comfortable sharing the story.”

Eilika raised her hand slowly and touched her right cheek, her fingers tracing the faint mark that had been with her for most of her life.

”I got it while saving my father,” she began. ”I must have been seven or eight at the time,” she continued. ”We were outside near the road when it happened.” She paused briefly, recalling the scene.

”A horse carriage suddenly lost control,” she explained. ”It was rushing straight toward my father. He was busy speaking with someone and didn’t notice the danger approaching.”

Her hand remained resting against her cheek.

”I pushed him aside before the carriage reached him,” she said. ”But when it crashed, the glass shattered everywhere. One of the broken shards struck my face,” she added. ”The wound healed... but it left this permanent mark behind.”

Her fingers gently brushed over the scar again as she finished speaking, the memory lingering faintly in her mind.