The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

August drew a deep breath as he stepped down from the carriage outside the Duke’s estate. After the journey, he was relieved to be back.

He entered the estate and made his way into the drawing room, only to find it empty. Assuming everyone was elsewhere, he walked over and sat down on one of the sofas.

He had barely settled when a familiar voice came from behind him.

”August, you have returned!”

August looked over his shoulder and found Sylvian standing at the entrance. His expression showed genuine surprise, followed by what appeared to be relief at seeing his brother back.

”Yes, I have,” August replied. He raised an eyebrow at him. ”Were you hoping I wouldn’t?”

”What? Of course not!” Sylvian immediately shook his head, looking almost offended by the suggestion.

Samir, who had been standing nearby, stepped forward and bowed respectfully to August.

Sylvian then walked farther into the room.

”I heard from Louis about the work you have been doing lately,” he said, a faint smirk appearing on his face. ”Apparently, you have been keeping yourself busy solving one matter after another.”

August gave him a suspicious look.

”You have been keeping tabs on me, Sylvian.”

”I have not,” Sylvian replied. ”When I returned and didn’t find you here, I simply asked Louis where you had gone. He was the one who told me about your recent activities.”

A maid approached with a tray and offered August a glass of water. He accepted it and took a slow drink before looking back at Sylvian.

”And what else did Louis tell you?”

Sylvian’s expression became more thoughtful.

”He said some of the nobles are not pleased with what you have been doing. Apparently, they believe you are involving yourself in matters that should be left to the authorities.”

August lowered the glass onto the table beside him.

”Are they ever happy when someone does the right thing?”

The maid stepped forward and quietly took the empty glass from the table. She bowed before leaving the room, closing the door behind her. With the servants gone, only the two princes remained in the drawing room.

August leaned back against the sofa and glanced at Sylvian, a teasing smile appearing on his face.

”Aren’t you becoming the Duke of West?” he asked, his tone carrying a clear taunt. ”I was jealous a few days ago, but not anymore. Congratulations on your remarkable journey to becoming a duke without actually doing anything.”

Sylvian stared at him for a moment before letting out a quiet laugh. He did not take the remark personally. He understood perfectly well what was behind August’s words, especially after hearing about everything that had happened recently.

”You sound particularly bitter about it,” Sylvian remarked, amused.

”I am merely stating the truth,” August replied, maintaining a straight face.

Samir, who had remained nearby, watched the exchange for a moment. It was clear that the two princes had matters to discuss that did not concern him. He bowed respectfully to them.

”If you will excuse me, Your Highnesses.”

August gave him a brief nod, and Samir left.

”You will become a duke someday as well,” Sylvian said, trying to reassure him.

”What if I want something bigger?” August murmured with a quiet chuckle.

Sylvian did not hear him clearly because of the distance between them. He only caught the end of August’s words and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

”August, I honestly didn’t expect that such a position would ever be given to me,” Sylvian said.

August looked at him for a moment before waving the matter away.

”It’s alright. I don’t wish to know what you’re thinking,” he replied casually.

He glanced toward the doorway, searching for a servant, but the room remained empty. After travelling for so long, his hunger had finally begun to bother him.

”I am hungry after such a long journey.”

With that, August pushed himself to his feet and looked around for someone he could call to arrange a meal.

”Sylvian, I take my leave.” He went ahead, leaving his half-brother in his thoughts.

~~~~~

Roman watched a boy around his age walk out of the theatre with his parents. The child was happily eating a sweet candy while his father and mother walked on either side of him, speaking to him as they made their way toward the street.

Roman’s gaze remained fixed on them. For a moment, the noise around him seemed to fade as he was reminded of his own parents. He wondered where they were now and what they might be doing. He had tried not to think about them, but seeing the family together brought those thoughts back before he could stop them.

”Roman, shall we go home?” Louis called.

The boy did not respond.

Louis followed his gaze and noticed the couple with their son. He immediately understood why Roman had gone quiet. The sight of the family must have reminded him of his own parents.

Louis approached him and spoke gently.

”Do you want a candy?”

Roman finally looked at him and shook his head.

”No.”

Before Louis could say anything else, Roman turned away and hurried toward the waiting motorcar. He climbed inside without looking back.

Louis watched him for a moment before following after him, understanding that the boy did not want to speak about what was troubling him.

Throughout the journey home, Roman remained unusually quiet. He sat in the back of the motorcar, looking out through the window without saying a word.

The driver glanced at him through the rear-view mirror and noticed his silence.

”Young Master seems rather quiet,” he remarked. ”Did he not enjoy the play? He was quite excited before we left for the theatre.”

Louis looked toward Roman but did not answer immediately. He knew the boy had enjoyed the play. It was everything that had happened afterward that had left him withdrawn.

”I miss Father and Mother,” Roman whispered at last.

His small voice was barely audible over the sound of the motorcar moving along the road.

”I want them to come back soon.”

His eyes filled with tears as he spoke. Louis’s expression softened. He reached over and placed his warm hand gently on the boy’s head.

”They will be back soon,” he assured him.

Roman quickly rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, trying hard not to cry. He lowered his head, but a few tears still escaped from the corners of his eyes and rolled down his cheeks.

Louis drew Roman into a warm hug and gently rubbed his back.

”Don’t cry, boy. If you keep crying, I might end up crying too.”

He suddenly put on an exaggeratedly sorrowful expression and began pretending to weep, rubbing at his eyes with both hands while letting out loud, dramatic sobs.

The driver glanced at them through the mirror and smiled at the sight.

Roman stopped crying and looked up at Louis in confusion. His tiny nose was red, and his eyes were still misty from the tears. However, the sight before him quickly distracted him.

Louis continued rubbing his eyes as though he were heartbroken.

”I miss you, Damian,” he wailed dramatically. ”Please come back soon.”

Roman stared at him for several seconds, trying to understand whether his uncle was actually crying.

”Uncle, aren’t you a big man?” he asked innocently. ”Why are you crying?”

The driver struggled to hide his smile as Louis continued with his performance.

”Ah, I may be a grown man, but whenever I see someone crying, especially a child, I become a child myself, Young Lord,” Louis replied, putting on an exaggeratedly sorrowful expression.

Roman stared at him for a moment before a small laugh escaped him. The heaviness that had settled over him earlier began to fade.

”Big men don’t cry,” he declared with the confidence of a child who had just discovered an important rule.

Louis smiled at him. ”Is that so?”

Roman nodded firmly before suddenly beginning to sing a song that Eilika had taught him. His clear little voice filled the motorcar, replacing the earlier silence with a much lighter atmosphere. Even the driver smiled as he listened from the front.

When Roman finished the song, Louis immediately applauded him.

”You sing very well, Roman.”

”Indeed,” the driver agreed from the front. ”The Young Master has a very melodious voice.”

”Thank you.” Roman beamed with pride before continuing, ”Mama taught me. She is a wonderful singer too.”

His expression brightened further as another thought occurred to him.

”I will write a letter to Mama and Father. They will be happy when they see it.”

”Yes, they will.”

Roman leaned back against his seat and spent the rest of the journey waiting for the estate to come into view. The moment the motorcar finally arrived, he climbed down in a hurry, eager to find his grandmother.

He had barely taken a few steps when he collided with someone standing in his path.

Roman immediately stepped back and looked up at the tall man before him.

”Forgive me,” he said at once, remembering the manners he had been taught.

Then his expression changed.

”Uncle August!”

His eyes widened with delight when he recognized his uncle. Without another thought, Roman wrapped his arms around August.

August looked slightly flustered by the sudden embrace. He hesitated for a moment, seemingly unsure of how to respond, before placing a hand gently on Roman’s shoulder.