CHAPTER 49: DANGEROUS SECRETS

Eva’s POV

​The winter air bit through my heavy fur coat as we slipped out of the estate while the morning sky was still a pale, icy gray.

​We couldn't risk consulting a physician anywhere within Valenridge. A single whisper in our kingdom would spread like wildfire, exposing Lady Eleanor to immediate ruin. Instead, we travelled incognito in a plain, unmarked carriage to a quiet, secluded town miles past our borders.

​Lady Eleanor pulled her thick hooded cloak tight around her face, her hands trembling under her leather gloves as we sat in the dim, cramped office of a physician who knew neither of our names.

​The old doctor finished his examination, stepping back with a solemn expression.

​"Removing a child at your age is extremely dangerous, my lady," the physician warned gravely, wiping his hands on a cloth. "The risk of severe bleeding... or death... is far too high. I cannot advise it."

​Lady Eleanor’s face went pale as snow, but her voice remained sharp with panic. "It does not matter! Do it regardless!"

​"No," I interjected firmly, stepping between her and the physician. "No. It is not safe at all, My Lady. If anything happens to you, it is over. There is no point in taking such a fatal risk."

​"Am I supposed to just keep the child, Eva?!" Lady Eleanor gasped, her voice breaking into a desperate whisper.

​I turned back to the physician, offering a brief, polite nod. "We will get back to you, sir. Thank you for your time."

​I guided Lady Eleanor out of the cottage and back into the safety of our closed carriage. The moment the driver set the horses into a trot, the Duchess collapsed back against the velvet cushions, pressing her face into her gloved hands as tears spilled over her eyelashes.

​"I shouldn't have let this happen," she sobbed softly, panic suffocating her words. "This is terrible... this is so dangerously foolish. The sheer embarrassment and ruin this will bring onto our household if Arthur finds out... Oh God, they could kill James. They will execute him without a second thought!"

​I sat beside her, rubbing her cold back soothingly. "Have you told James about the child yet?"

​Lady Eleanor shook her head frantically. "No... no, I haven't. I was praying that after I quietly took care of it with a physician, I would tell him it was all handled. He doesn't know."

​"Do you not think James has a right to know?" I asked gently. "It is his child as much as it is yours."

​"And what good would telling him do?" she wept, staring at me with wide, terrified eyes. "How am I supposed to hide a pregnancy in that estate, Eva? Do you have any idea how terribly nauseous I get when I am with child? I cannot do this... it is all too much."

​"You could carry the child in secret," I suggested softly, holding her trembling hands. "And once born, we could find a safe way to take care of it far from the Duke's sight."

​"And the belly? The sickness?" Lady Eleanor asked, shaking her head in despair. "Arthur will notice."

​"Whatever you decide to do, I will stand by your side," I said, looking straight into her tear-filled eyes with absolute conviction. "I just want you to think about this carefully, My Lady. Your life is at stake here. I will not let you throw your life away out of fear."

​Lady Eleanor stared at me, a soft breath escaping her lips as her trembling began to subside. She reached up, placing a tender hand against my cheek, her eyes shining with deep, maternal affection.

​"Thank you so much, Eva," she whispered softly, her voice filled with quiet gratitude. "You are a truly wonderful girl. I am so blessed to have you in this family."

Lucian’s POV

​The sharp click of the heavy front doors echoing down the corridor woke me just past dawn.

​I sat up, turning to the other side of the canopy bed. Eva was already gone. I pulled back the curtain, glancing out the tall glass window into the pale morning light, but the courtyard below was entirely deserted.

​Where on earth is she sneaking off to at this hour?

​I shook my head, deciding it wasn't worth the effort to care. As I stood up from the mattress, a sudden, sharp wave of dizziness hit me. The room tilted violently, my vision darkening around the edges as my heart hammered frantically against my ribs. I stumbled, gripping the heavy bedpost until the sudden spell passed.

​A cold sweat broke across my neck. I hadn't been taking those white tablets consistently, and whatever was lingering in my system was clearly taking its toll. The unsettling, uncomfortable sensation in my chest was worsening by the day.

​Needing something to clear the fog in my head, I buttoned a loose shirt and made my way downstairs toward the quiet kitchen for a glass of water.

​Halfway down the east corridor, the faint, lingering sound of a violin cut through the silent morning.

​I stopped. I knew that rhythm anywhere. Leo.

​I leaned against the doorframe, glass in hand, watching my brother draw the bow across the strings. We hadn't spoken a single word to each other since the night of our mother's birthday gala. Over the years, Leo and I had pulled off dozens of dangerous, unspeakable schemes together. He had always backed me up, no matter how murky the waters got.

​It intrigued me—and deeply irritated me—that he was suddenly acting so righteous, drawing the line at a random girl like Eva.

​"Is that a new set of notes?" I asked smoothly, taking a slow sip of water.

​Leo stopped playing instantly. He lowered the violin, refusing to turn around and face me. "I have told you before, Lucian. Do not speak to me. You cannot use small talk to smooth things over and get back on my good side."

​"I was unaware I ever left your good side," I replied with a faint, cynical smirk. "Have I truly done something so terrible, brother? All because of Eva?"

​Leo turned, his eyes burning with a dark, intense fury. "What you are doing to her is wrong. Would you feel comfortable if someone forced you into a trap like that?"

​"I am not hurting her, Leo," I countered calmly, setting my glass down on a nearby side table. "I am giving her a chance at a far better life. From a mere servant to a future Duchess. Even if the contract is a sham, it hardly matters when there are no real feelings involved."

​"You do not know that!" Leo snapped, stepping closer, his knuckles white against the neck of his violin. "You do not know if she had feelings for someone else before she lost her memory. You don't know if her heart belonged to someone else, or if someone else was in love with her! No—you just waltzed in, stole her life, and took the shine like you always do!"

​I stared at him, my eyes narrowing as his words hung heavy in the air. The fierce, irrational heat in his voice suddenly made every piece of the puzzle fall into place.

​"Leo..." I murmured, tilting my head as a quiet, dangerous realization washed over me. "Are you in love with Eva?"

​Leo stiffened. "What?"

​"Why else would you say all of that?" I asked, stepping into his space, my voice dropping into a low, sharp whisper. "What other explanation is there for this sudden moral compass? You are in love with my wife."

​"It doesn't matter anymore, does it?" Leo spat, his jaw clenching tight as he turned his back on me. "She is yours now."

​He raised his bow and pulled it across the strings, filling the room with a harsh, deafening melody to drown out my voice.

​I stood in the doorway, watching him play with a slow, wicked smile creeping onto my face.

​Well, well, I thought, turning to walk back down the corridor. Who would have guessed my noble brother would go and fall in love with a maid?