The Stepmother Has Left - Chapter 2

Only the Duke and Diana’s family participated in the ceremony held at the cemetery.

It was the last rite to think of Diana, who usually lived a simple life. Seven people, dressed in black, stood in front of the Duchess’ tombstone.

Diana’s husband, Duke Whidrian.

Diana’s two sons.

Diana’s father, Count Allison.

Diana’s mother, Countess Allison.

Diana’s older brother.

And Cassia.

Yes, she was the only ‘other’ person who could attend the ceremony.

When the two families, in-laws to each other, gathered, the solemn atmosphere was lifted.

“Our Cassia. How should we deal with this?”

Diana’s mother, Countess Allison, hugged her and shed tears as if she were going to faint anytime.

“How can Diana leave us like this…? Aren’t you close to Diana, too?”

“I’m just a friend, but she is your daughter.”

Cassia hugged back the Countess, who was crying while hugging her.

Cassia comforted the old mother with all her heart by patting her on the back. She was worried because the Countess was already weak. She has always been grateful to the people who allowed her to get along with Diana.

None of Diana’s family members was against their deep friendship. They loved Cassia.

All of them were high-ranking aristocrats, such as Counts and Dukes, so it was hard for Cassia to get along with Diana, keeping in mind that she was a young woman belonging to a lowly family. They did the best they could for Cassia because she was a dear friend to Diana.

It was the same even now when Diana was no more. So, it wasn’t just because of her friendship with Diana that she cared about them.

“I can’t be a daughter to you, but I will always stop by Count Alison regularly. When you think of Diana, please feel free to visit me.”

“Thank you as always, Cassia. Thank you so much for being with Diana as a close friend.”

The Count patted Cassia on the back with a sad look on his face.

Diana’s brother, Michael, stood in the corner and was silent throughout the ceremony. He kept staring blankly at his younger sister’s coffin, which lay beneath the ground, with sunken eyes.

After completing the ceremony, he took his grieving parents and looked at Cassia.

“… I’ll see you later. Take care of yourself.”

“I will. Please take good care of your parents, Michael.”

His face was drenched with sorrow. He answered by barely raising the corners of his mouth, which barely raised.

They all left like that.

Soon, the late Duchess’ maid came out to take her two children. Diana’s two children did not even cry despite being so young, and they steadfastly observed their mother’s funeral until the end.

The children returned to the mansion holding the maid’s hands on both sides, with a clear sign of exhaustion on their faces.

It was her turn to return now.

Cassia looked at Diana’s tomb, which was now covered with soil.

It was really time to go back to reality. Even for Diana, whose life ended early, Cassia has to live well. That’s all Diana had left for her. She didn’t want to collapse, which would be a courtesy to the one who left first.

As Cassia was about to turn around and step out of the cemetery, someone called her from behind.

“Lady Benette.”

“Yes? Ah.”

Axion Whidrian.

The head of the Whidrian family and Diana’s widow.

As she turned back, she found him looking at her, and it was the first time she saw his face properly throughout the funeral.

To be honest, he was a man with an appearance that suited the word ‘handsome’, and it seemed like he could not hide the sadness of losing his loved one.

His face was emaciated and shrunk in half, and his complexion revealed his heart as he lost his beloved wife, Diana.

The only thing that didn’t change was his voice. He spoke in a soft, polite tone.

“It’s nothing much, but I have something to say.”

“…”

Cassia seldom talked to Axion, but she had known him for quite a long time. From the moment he started dating Diana, she unintentionally watched everything from the sidelines. One day at the academy, Diana was walking with her arms crossed. As he approached, he poked out a piece of paper to Diana and disappeared. Diana, who took his letter, stood with a puzzled face, and she looked at his back as he walked away.

Cassia could see both of them blushing up close. At the time, many men showed interest in Diana, but he was the first to approach Diana openly.

Approaching with a shy face, he naturally took the seat next to Diana.

Some of his rivals, who had been greedy for her, looked at him with resentment, but none of them was his opponents. Who could be rivals with the next successor to the Duke of Whidrian, one of the most famous families on the continent?

As the exchange of letters happened often, love naturally bloomed between the two.

The marriage happened quickly, and Diana gladly became his wife.

Even after their marriage, his love for Diana showed no sign of stopping. When Diana became pregnant, he bought a strawberry farm to the north for her, who said she wanted to eat strawberries in midsummer.

He would then take her there himself, allowing her to be indulged until the berries were no longer a sight to behold.

When their first child was born, he hired a representative for a while, and took care of the child by himself. To others, he may appear to be a dignified and blunt Duke, but as Diana’s best friend, she knew who he was.

He was Diana’s everything. Her life. If it was for her, he could be the person who would ruin the whole country.

Diana would have been happier because she had been with him all this time.

Cassia knew his heart was festering. Not even once she could see a solitary tear pour out of his eye, but she knew he was crying the most at his wife’s funeral. From within.

“Yes, go ahead.”

As she nodded with a short answer, he opened his mouth with a deep sigh.

“I’m going to burn all the things related to my wife soon. I… I don’t think I’ll be able to see what she has left behind.”

“…”

“Lady Benette also spent a lot of time in our mansion, so I’d like to ask you to organize it. It could be that it might have Lady’s belongings.”

“…Oh, yeah. Come to think of it, I still have work to organize.”

She used to visit Diana’s mansion often as a friend.

The Duke’s family even prepared a separate room for Cassia to stay in. The two children of the Duke called her ‘Aunt Cassia’ and followed her well, and the Duke also treated her with courtesy.

At the time, Cassia was running a small cafe in the corner of the Duke’s decree, and the two children really liked the cakes she made.

“I’ll go organize Diana’s belongings. In addition, I have to remove my belongings from the room you gave me.”

Now that Diana is dead, it will be hard for the Duke to see them as before. Seeing that he was not willing to deny it, she thought he agreed to some extent.

“The children… they follow Lady Benette well. Even if you don’t see them as often as before, I hope it wouldn’t make you feel uncomfortable.” The Duke cautiously spoke.

“… Thank you. Actually, I also wanted to keep seeing the children, and I’m looking forward to how the two children will grow up.”

She was grateful that he said so. Even if she couldn’t see Diana anymore, it was true that she wanted to keep seeing the children who looked just like her, even if it was rare. She was a person who had been watching Diana’s children grow since birth.

‘Diana will no longer see her children growing up, though.’

Her heart sank at the sudden thought and pounded vigorously. She bit her lip.

Axion, who was looking at her, frowned, “Are you okay, Lady Benette?”

“Oh, yes… I’m sorry. I thought of something else for a second.”

There was a tint of bitterness in the Duke’s eyes that were looking at her.

“Lady Benette, you should go back and rest soon, too. Thank you for keeping your seat throughout the funeral.”

“You should rest too, Your Excellency. And today, thank you for letting me Diana for the last time.”

It was such a sudden, tragic death.

She had never imagined that her last meeting with Diana would be like this.

It was fortunate that she was able to see her last appearance.

Thanks to the Duke’s consideration.

“I just did what I could. Lady Benette… is one of the closest people to my wife.”

“Thank you. I’ll rest at home today and come to the Duke’s mansion tomorrow.”

Dry greetings were exchanged.

Axion nodded once and turned around.

“Oh, Sir. I have a question, too.” Cassia hurriedly spoke.

“…?”

The Duke turned to look back at Cassia.

“It’s about Diana. Has she ever talked to Your Excellency about this situation before?”

It was a question that she had been asking herself continuously throughout the funeral.

Diana said she might die in an accident.

[Cassia, if I die suddenly… I will entrust my family to you.]

A few days before the accident, Diana told her that, and she continued thinking about it.

“So, like about… what would happen when she suddenly dies.”

“…Well.”

The Duke looked at her with a confused look, as he listened to her and fell into deep thought. Soon he shook his head.

“There was nothing she told me.”

Cassia looked at him. The look in his eyes, as if he couldn’t remember anything.

“…I see.”

When she answered, he nodded once and walked away from her.

‘Am I being too sensitive?’ She thought she was overthinking because she was tired.

Looking at the Duke’s distancing figure, Cassia turned around and walked out of the cemetery.

‘I should go home and rest for today.’

It was by far the toughest day of her life.