The cold stone floors of the estate echoed with each of the servant's steps, a chilling contrast to the warmth of the tapestries lining the walls. In the stillness of the night, a faint, muffled sound weaved through the corridors, pulling the servant forward like a thread winding through a labyrinth. It was a sound you had grown all too familiar with—the heart-wrenching sobs of the duchess.

You paused at the grand staircase, the ornate banister gleaming in the dim light of the sconces, then continued your silent pursuit, each step bringing the cries into sharper clarity. Your hands brushed lightly against the walls, as if the very stone could offer some solace to the pain lay behind them.

The door to the duchess’s chamber stood slightly ajar, a sliver of warm light spilling into the darkened hallway. You hesitated for just a moment, listening to the heartbreaking sound of her despair. Then, with a soft push, you opened the door wider.

Inside, the room was bathed in the soft glow of a flickering candle. There she was, crumpled on the floor by the great canopy bed, her silken nightgown pooling around her like a sea of sorrow. She had buried her face into the soft linen, the bedsheet darkening with the tears that soaked into the fabric. Her body trembled with each sob, the sorrow of yet another betrayal weighing heavily on her fragile heart.

The unfamiliar scent of lavender hung in the air, unable to mask the bitter reality that had shattered her once-glorious life. The once vibrant light in her eyes had dimmed, extinguished by yet another betrayal. She didn't look up as the servant entered, her sobs the only sound in the room.