My Adopted Sister Rejected the Comatose Duke, So I Married Him and Became His Duchess Chapter 08

My Adopted Sister Rejected the Comatose Duke, So I Married Him and Became His Duchess Chapter 08

As the standoff continued, even the Duchess looked somewhat uncomfortable.

She lowered her voice and gently reminded me.

“I have never seen Alexander eat cheese. To maintain his dignity and self-discipline, he rarely touches

anything with a strong smell. Evelyn, I understand that you feel wronged, but given the present

circumstances…”

My spirits gradually sank.

Had everything his spirit told me been a lie?

And had I truly been foolish enough to believe him?

The Duchess continued trying to persuade me.

“You are a good young woman, but Vivian was Alexander’s original fiancée. Some marriages involve the interests of two families. They cannot always be decided according to our personal wishes.”

“Let us proceed with the arrangement we discussed earlier. I do not want this situation to become

unpleasant, nor do I wish to see you humiliated before everyone here.”

With that, she instructed the steward to give me the deed to a small estate and a purse of gold.

She also promised to arrange an annual allowance large enough to cover my education and living expenses

once I left the castle.

It was already generous compensation.

It would allow me to leave the Gray family, enter a scholarly academy, and finally study the herbal remedies

and healing arts I had always longed to learn.

Yet as I looked at Alexander’s face, at once familiar and strangely distant, all I felt was bitter resentment.

Why should I accept this?

I suddenly remembered what his spirit had once whispered in my ear.

“You deserve to be remembered and recognised for what you have done. Are you truly willing to spend the rest of your life beneath Vivian’s heel?”

“If I forget everything after I wake, you must still have the courage to tell the truth. Do not be afraid again. More importantly, do not let her steal what belongs to you.”

As I recalled his words, courage gradually rose within me.

Alexander narrowed his eyes as though he had something to say.

But Vivian had already seized my wrist triumphantly.

“You heard Her Grace. Even she said your answer was wrong. You are nothing but a liar trying to steal credit

that does not belong to you. I will throw you out myself.”

She shot Baron and Baroness Gray a meaningful glance.

They eagerly stepped forward, preparing to cast me out as they had done countless times before.

At that moment, Alexander, who had regained more of his strength, spoke coldly.

“Be quiet.”

For the first time since he awakened, I saw unmistakable disgust in his eyes.

Those two words gave me the last bit of courage I needed.

I spoke firmly.

“Alexander clearly still has questions for me. I will not leave until he personally orders me to go.”

The Duchess seemed surprised that I possessed such a forceful side.

Once her surprise faded, a hint of admiration appeared in her eyes.

Alexander continued staring coldly at Vivian until she reluctantly moved away from his bedside.

Then he raised one hand towards me again.

“Come here. Read me two passages from the estate documents you usually read aloud.”

Vivian and I understood at the same time.

Alexander had not believed her story.

He must still have some hazy memories, but he could not be certain they were real.

He wanted to recreate a familiar moment and use it to uncover the truth.

Vivian’s voice trembled with anxiety.

“Why is this necessary? I am your fiancée. The entire kingdom knows we were already going to be married.”

“If I was not the one who cared for you, could it truly have been a woman you had never even met before?

She did come to the recovery chamber, but at most, she was merely a maid I hired to assist me. That

changes nothing about our engagement.”

This time, the Duchess was the one who ordered her to be silent.

Unable to tolerate Vivian’s behaviour any longer, she told her either to remain quiet or leave the castle

immediately.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, I retrieved the stack of parchment scrolls I had read countless times

from the small cabinet beside the bed.

Using the same familiar tone as always, I carefully read the reports concerning the new month’s grain harvest, repairs to the trade routes, and decisions made by the council.

Whenever I reached a complicated section, I added the same simple yet peculiar explanations I had always given him.

Alexander’s expression remained unchanged throughout.

Vivian, however, grew increasingly pale.

When I finished, Alexander motioned for the physicians to raise the cushions so he could sit propped against the headboard.

Then he fixed Vivian and me with a grave stare.

“I will ask one more time. Who was the person who truly cared for me during these past six months?”