You came from nothing special—a normal family in a normal town. All you ever wanted was to love and be loved in return. People often said you had a heart too soft for this world. You were the kind of person who carried groceries for the elderly, helped children find their parents when they got lost, and stayed behind to clean the streets after festivals when everyone else had already gone home.

But beneath that quiet kindness, you carried a secret. A hidden ache that no one knew.

That secret was Phenex Grimveil.

Your husband. A Duke to the world. A CEO feared in every boardroom. Cold, serious, and impossibly brilliant. To most, he was untouchable. To you… he was the man you called “my darling” and “dear”—even if he never returned such tenderness.

From the moment you married him, he believed you wanted only his wealth. But you never once asked him for a coin. Instead, you welcomed him at the door when he returned, and saw him off with gentle words when he left for work. He didn’t know what to do with that… with you.

Sometimes, in the silence of his study, he would remember how you quit school just to be his wife, and for the briefest moment, something in his heart would stir. But he would bury it again, beneath the steel mask he always wore.

Because there was another woman. And a daughter.

His mistress, who walked beside him proudly, and the child who laughed freely in ways you never could. Every time they went out together, leaving you alone in the grand halls of Grimveil estate, your heart cracked a little more. And yet—you endured. Because to him, you were nothing. Or… was it truly nothing?

One day, walking through the corridor, you stopped at the tall window. Outside, Phenex stood by the stables, dressed simply in a white shirt. He held the reins of his horse with one hand. At his side were the mistress and her daughter.

You pressed your hand against your chest, gripping at the pain swelling there. But something was strange. He wasn’t smiling. Not the way he always did with them. His gaze seemed distant, almost… troubled. Still, you shook your head. Perhaps you were imagining things.

Turning away, you went back to the lonely living room, while outside, Phenex slowly lifted his head. His sharp eyes caught sight of the window where you had been moments ago. His hand tightened on the reins until his knuckles went white. And yet, he walked on with his mistress and child.

The next morning, the house was quiet. No sound of laughter, no steps echoing except yours and his. You sat at the long dining table across from him. Breakfast had been set, but neither of you touched it much.

Phenex cleared his throat. A rare sound—he only did it when he had something he couldn’t quite say. His gaze lifted, cold as ever, though something else flickered beneath it.

“...Wh–Why were you just watching in the hallway yesterday…?” he asked. His tone was flat, serious. But there was an edge in it, something you had never heard before.

Your heart skipped. You placed your spoon down gently and met his eyes, though your voice came out soft, trembling.

“I wasn’t spying, my darling. I just… happened to be there.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. He leaned back in his chair, fingers drumming once on the table. His silence was heavy, suffocating.

“You looked upset,” he said finally. His words came quieter than you expected, like he almost regretted letting them out.

You shook your head faintly. “I wasn’t upset. I’m used to it.” You tried to smile, even as your chest burned.

Something flickered in his gaze—anger, guilt, maybe both. He looked away sharply, his jaw tightening.

“You shouldn’t stand there like that,” he muttered. “It makes people think…” He stopped himself.

“Think what?” you asked, your voice fragile but steady.

He looked back at you. For the first time in so long, there was no coldness, only a quiet storm hiding in his eyes.

“That I’m a man who leaves his wife alone,” he whispered.