The main door to their house opened, and Rowena saw Katherine sitting on the living room sofa rise and look at herself expectantly. Rowena noticed that look in those eyes—the first love and ambition that had started to grow in Katherine, whom she had cared for since childhood. Rowena took off her coat and hung it beside the door. She walked over to Katherine with the sound of the storm outside as if it were the background of their scene.

"Kath," Rowena gripped Katherine's shoulder, and her eyes began to light up. Katherine was silent in confusion, even though she knew that her mother had gone to meet the Doweger Duchess Rosella to talk about her matchmaking with Ashton, but Katherine was still confused by her stepmother's expression, which was unsure of good news. or bad. 

"Mother went to Edinburgh?" and Rowena nodded her head.

"Mom came to bring certainty to your relationship with Ashton." This time Katherine's eyes filled with tears, her heart pounding out of control and anxious with both hands sweating coldly in this cold weather.

"Doweger Duchess Rosella will continue your matchmaking; she can't possibly disappoint Mother. Your engagement will be held in two weeks. Rowena's words finally made the tears that Katherine had been holding back grow. She covered her mouth in disbelief when she felt that Ashton had even rejected her openly by saying that the man had a lover, not to mention the conflict between Viscountess Eleana Russell and his girlfriend made him hate the family even more Aldora, and that made Katherine's chances dwindle.

“What happened to the Duke's relationship with Lady Darrellyn? Why was our relationship suddenly clarified so quickly when the duke had a girlfriend?” Katherine wondered.

“Doweger Duchess Rosella has asked Ashton to end his relationship with Lady Darrellyn and continue his arranged marriage with you. However, Lady Darrellyn's tarnished image will make any mother think again about marrying off her son so as not to infect their family's bad image either.” And Lady Darrellyn's ugly image was spread by her own daughter, Viscountess Eleana Russell. The funny thing was that everything Eleana had been telling about Lady Darrellyn was a lie, and this was unfair to the Baron's daughter—sadly, could Katherine be a little selfish now? Before realizing this has broken the relationship between lovers, can Katherine be a little happy that she will be engaged to the Duke of Edinburgh who has stolen her heart? With love and parental blessing, allow Katherine this time to be happy with her own business.

"I hope you don't waste this opportunity. You have the support of the Doweger Duchess Rosella; you must not let her down, even though her son may still love another woman. I hope you can make a move to make him fall in love with you. It's not impossible, isn't it? Mr. Aldora's two daughters are famous for their beauty." Rowena said while stroking Katherine's head that she was proud of her daughters who managed to get a nobleman.

Apart from that, Rowena will never tell about the arrival of the Marquess of Bellshill, who came looking for Katherine by offering a marriage for his sense of responsibility. The Duke of Edinburgh was better in every way, and given the fact that the Duke had never played a lady—perfect image, handsome looks, capable finances, royal connections—Rowena was sure Katherine would be happy with a man like Ashton.

The roar of a blizzard filled the workroom of a man who was now staring at a swaying candle with a bleary gaze; from his handsome face, he looked so burdened with many things. After staring at the candle without making a sound, finally his mouth opened to call his confidant, who was always on standby at the door of his office.

“Ben!” a man named Ben entered. He looked down, and when he realized the room was dark, he immediately made some lighting so that the master's room looked comfortable again with light everywhere.

"Please keep my engagement to Lady Katherine a secret for now." Ben stopped his steps; he immediately faced the man sitting at the main table there after turning on some lights.

"Why, Your Grace?"

“Nobody doesn't know how much I loved Darrellyn since I was little. I don't want her to be disappointed in me." Ashton looked up from the candles on the table; now his gaze fell on Ben.

"But it's been a long time since you fought for your feelings for her, and Lady Darrellyn still doesn't respond well to welcoming your feelings," Ben said softly.

"She just needs to heal from the betrayal that Viscount Thomas did before by marrying Lady Eleana Russell because of the scandal with that woman. Even though the wedding invitations between Darrellyn and the man had already been sent out, they had prepared many things before finally the news came back that Thomas had married Lady Eleana Russell. It hurt how the people also gossiped about Darrellyn Orva's family to the point where Darrellyn Orva's younger siblings were also traumatized by marriage. Darrelyn still needs to be processed; I'm sure she will come to me.” Ashton said that with hope and prayer, even though he wasn't really sure that Darrellyn would approach him, but he hoped God would move Darrellyn's heart for him.

“Even if so, is it appropriate to hide your engagement from the one you love? Meanwhile, she has the trauma of betrayal. And the woman who will become your fiancé is the daughter of Mr. Aldora and Madam Rowena, who are famous for their scandals and hobby of showing off everything they have. I'm not sure the engagement will be safe from Lady Darrellyn or her family. I'm afraid Lady Darrellyn will think of you the same as the man before, and she will really distrust any man anymore." Ashton thought hard; Ben's words have a point.

He couldn't put a horn in Darrelyn's heart that was filled with blood again, but the situation also didn't allow him to go against her mother. Ashton rubbed his face roughly, which was already crumpled because the problem never went away. He thought Lady Katherine would cancel this match if he said that he had a lover who actually Darrelyn had not even received his love. But Rowena came to his mansion, and according to what people said, Rowena was the ultimate sycophant.

It turned out to be true until her mother couldn't say no and forced Ashton to get engaged to Lady Katherine, whom he had only met once. "Do you have another solution?" Ben seemed to think for a moment; he also found no other solution besides Ashton, who had to oppose his mother if he really only wanted Lady Darrellyn to be his life partner. even though his mother was against it, and the people of Edinburgh urged him to start a family soon, even so if Ashton was really only going to be happy with one woman, then he had to fight for it.

“There is no other solution other than rejection from you.”

"Okay, I'll talk to mom again. Get the carriage ready; we're going to my mother's mansion right now."

"But...but it's still a snowstorm outside, Your Grace." Ben tried to warn that even though the distance to the Doweger Duchess Rosella's mansion was not that far, the duke's safety must also remain number one.

"Then prepare my horse; I will go alone."

"No! That's worse, Your Grace! Alright, I'll get the carriage ready right away." Ben immediately ran outside, while Ashton just let out a long sigh. After a few moments, Ben returned and said that the carriage was ready. Ben even offered to go to Doweger Duchess Rosella's mansion for the Duke's safety.

Ashton himself didn't talk much, and he allowed Ben to come with him to his mother's mansion, which was not far from his mansion. During the trip, Ashton was silent even though the carriage was running unsteadily and their horses were moving slowly due to the storm that never let up.

Ben was always worried whenever their horse slowed down a hill, worried that the slippery road would make the carriage lose control and the horses would tire so much that they would all fall out of the carriage. Seeing Ashton, who had only been silent with his flat expression all this time, made Ben even more anxious.

Ashton didn't even care about his life in order to protect Darrellyn's feelings when the news of his engagement reached the woman's ears. Ashton was really crazy about that woman; Ben couldn't stop thinking. When he was young, Ashton had been very close to Darrellyn before his father died, and he decided to go on a trip outside of Scotland to cheer himself up. When he came home, he was confused because Darrelyn was about to get married, and now he is traumatized by the failure of her marriage. Ashton blamed himself for leaving and always wished if only he had not left Darrellyn.

Maybe Darrellyn would never have felt such pain, and maybe Ashton had asked for her hand, and they were living happily today with the Edinburgh heirs running around in his mansion. It can't be explained anymore; there are many beautiful and good women out there, and with all kinds of things that Ashton has, Ben can't stop thinking that this man only wants one woman in this world.

Maybe what Ashton doesn't have is the title of prince or king, but his title, which is under the king, with wealth and handsome looks, is very possible even if he has many lovers. If it were Ben, maybe he would use everything he has in this world to have many beautiful girlfriends and not be fixed on just one woman.

Arriving in front of the mother's mansion, Ashton was still cold as snow. Ben followed behind while continuously stroking his chest because he felt grateful that they arrived safely. Maybe he would suggest staying at Doweger Duchess Rosella's mansion if the storm persisted. When the bodyguards opened the door, the Doweger Duchess Rosella was unexpectedly seen before Ashton's eyes.

Her gaze was just as firm and wise there. Doweger Duchess Rosella did have a very strong aura; if I heard correctly, Ben knew that Doweger Duchess Rosella had been a candidate for queen since she was young and made many women her age jealous of her.

"What brings my son here in the middle of a blizzard like this?" asked the Doweger Duchess Rosella to her son; after saying so, she turned to give way for her son to enter and did not leave the door open any longer and made her son cold.

"I beg you to annul my engagement to Lady Katherine."

"You just agreed last night,"

"I can't marry a woman I don't love."