Wearing a sheet over his head, Juliet observed the topless man with bated breath[1]. When the man took off his gown, with his back to the bed, his broad shoulders and solid back muscles were revealed by the dawn’s light.

An impeccable, well balanced knightley physique. A waist reminiscent of the sleek body of a carnivore, and an attractive, angular face. Wounds both large and small were scattered across his body, but even those were a work of art. Juliet seemed to lose her mind for a moment as she gazed at the man.

After taking off his robe, the man donned a white and clean cut shirt.

Although it was a habit unbecoming of a noble Duke of high status, the man who’d spent half his life on the battlefield hated the look of his body and chose to dress himself.

So, there were only two types of women he would bring to his bedroom. A woman who was an overnight lover, or a woman worth using.

Juliet was the latter.

‘…Maybe both.’

Pondering that thought, Juliet laughed at herself.

In that moment, Juliet’s gaze met the man’s red eyes as she rested her head upon the pillow. The Duke’s eyes narrowed as he attached his cufflinks.

“Did I wake you?”

It was only natural for him to wonder.

The day after, Juliet was normally so tired that she couldn’t even lift so much as a finger. Instead of opening her eyes at dawn, she used to sleep until it was broad daylight.

“…….No, Your Highness.”

Juliet replied with a sigh.

She peeled back the sheet and stood up. Now that he’d noticed, pretending to be asleep wasn’t very wise.

Juliet couldn’t sleep at all last night. She’d stayed awake all night with her eyes open, but was so nervous and tense that she didn’t even feel tired.

“I have something to tell you.”

Juliet, who spoke carefully, came down from the bed barefoot.

Her long hair, which she could tell was clearly matted, was roughly draped to one side. But Juliet no longer cared what she looked like.

No matter how hard she tried to dress elaborately, Juliet always looked shabby standing in front of her lover who radiated like the sun. Colourful summer dresses were nothing more than modest pyjamas in comparison to him.

“Say it later.”

“Lennox,” Juliet hurriedly reached out to catch the arm of the man as he tried to turn away with indifference.

There was no future, not for her. It had to be now.

Lennox Carlisle.

The youngest ruler in the Empire, the Northern Duke of Carlisle, was Juliet’s lover. And her lover was a very busy man.

They were always surrounded by people, so this was the only opportunity for them to be alone.

“It’ll only be a minute. It won’t take up your time.”

The Duke glanced down at the woman hanging from his arm.

Cold and heartless red eyes. Juliet jumped at his indifferent and chilly gaze, but neither let go nor avoided his eyes.

Eventually, after a short silence, permission was given.

“Go ahead.”

As Juliet breathed a sigh of relief, the Duke perched on the table. His hand picked up the silver cigar box on the table, and his long finger picked up a cigarette from its case.

“Speak.”

“That…….”

Juliet strained her lips with difficulty. She was at a loss for how to approach the subject.

How should I start?

“So….”

“A gift?”

“Yes?”

“This is about a birthday present, is it not?”

“…….Ah.”

Birthday present?

Juliet, who was briefly embarrassed by his unexpected interjection, only just realised it. There were only a few days left until her 25th birthday.

The Duke of Carlisle was never a friendly lover, but he was an infinitely financially generous one. Having a rich, busy lover meant getting used to his indifferent attitude.

But her birthday was the only anniversary of theirs he remembered.

Only 1 day a year. The one day Juliet Montagu could ask him for something.

In the next moment, Juliet smiled broadly and nodded.

“Yes, that’s right. It was about my birthday present.”

Instead of paying attention to her sudden change in expression, the Duke swept his hair lightly. He was gradually becoming disinterested in the conversation.

It was a simple gesture of annoyance, but even that gave off a strangely dangerous atmosphere.

“Tell me what you want.”

Instead of answering straightaway, Juliet laughed a little in spite of herself. Seven years ago, when they first met, this man said the same thing.

“Tell me what you want, except for marriage.”

At that time, disgusted with his arrogant attitude, she’d made unreasonable demands. But Juliet’s lover was a man completely out of her reach.

To him, she was nothing but annoying and troublesome, along with her demands. Juliet was clever, so it didn’t take her that long to realise it.

Yes.

She knew he wouldn’t so much as bat an eye. Juliet knew that fact better than anyone.

“I’d like you to do me a favour this year, not get me a gift.”

“A favour?”

“Yes.”

After hesitating a little, Juliet continued.

“…Will you promise that you’ll listen to me?”

Juliet’s attitude was so serious that laughter came from the lips of the Duke of Carlisle for the first time. His typically stern mouth twisted into an attractive smirk.

It was a blatant sneer. But no one would dare to point out the arrogance of the young Duke of Carlisle. He was reluctant to even fear the Emperor. Lennox Carlisle’s position could have even provided him with a throne, should he have wished so.

But this was just a lover’s birthday wish.

“Alright. I swear,” Lennox nodded dryly.

It seemed like he was just playing along to mock her, but that was enough for Juliet.

“Thank you, Your Highness. Then……….”

Juliet smiled quietly and deliberately blinked a little slowly. All to keep up a lover’s facade for a little longer.

But in the next moment, the demand that left her lips was far beyond his imagination.

“Please break up with me.”

“……What?”

“Your Highness.”

Juliet simply smiled brightly with an angelic face.

“Let’s end it, this thing between us.”

[1] bated breath\=holding one’s breath with tension/fear.

New novel! I hope you enjoy it....

At first, it’ll seem similar to To Help You Understand, but I assure you, the stories are very different :>

: )

With love

- Author ♡

Lennox Carlisle was born as the successor to a historic family.

The Duke of Carlisle, who ruled the North, boasted enormous wealth and power, but the family was stained with blood.

And the boy, who was born as the heir, was no exception.

He was nine years old when he first killed a man.

When his father, the former Duke, died, his gluttonous relatives drove the young successor to the battlefield on horseback.

The opposing army quickly fled, and the 9 year old boy disappeared from the battlefield, never to be seen again.

Or at least, that’s what everyone thought.

10 years later, the red-eyed man returned, this time with an undefeated army. The boy who left the Dukedom came back as a war hero.

It was his first time back in 10 years.

His army, unfamiliar with the term ‘mercy’, quickly recaptured the Northern Dukedom. However, no one doubted the legitimacy or qualifications of Lennox Carlisle.

It wasn’t just because of the Duke’s distinctive black hair and red eyes. It was because all of the relatives who dared to question his authority had their hands cut off.

Since that day, no one had dared to offend the young duke of Carlisle. So, it’d been a long time since Lennox Carlisle had felt so annoyed.

“What did you say?”

“I asked you to break up with me.”

Lennox stared at the woman in front of him.

With her long, wavy brown hair, brilliant sparkling blue eyes, and a thin, unadorned negligee[1], her posture was as straight as a queen.

After a brief silence, Carlisle smiled softly at her.

“Juliet Montagu.”

She was the official lover of the Duke of Carlisle.

“Are you kidding me?”

Even though she was intimidated, Juliet smiled and tilted her head rather than giving in to fear. She even blinked innocently as if she knew nothing.

“There’s no way, Your Highness.”

“Then start again. Ask something a little more plausible this time.”

“But I’ve already told you. That’s all I want.”

Juliet’s expression was as calm and nonchalant as usual as she responded casually. Her words flowed like a gentle stream.

Conversely, Lennox’s eyes turned fierce. It was only three days before they were due to leave the Duke’s castle in the Northern Territory and arrive at the mansion in the Capital.

As was the case every year, they were due to attend the New Year’s banquet held at the palace.

On the journey, there were two major gates to travel through, but it was a considerable amount of work for the trailing servants and knights in tow.

Juliet, known as the lover of the Duke of Carlisle, also visited the Capital with him on these occasions.

“I will not bother Your Highness.”

Keeping to her promise 7 years ago, Juliet had never bothered him. She didn’t beg for his affection nor attention, and neither did she hang on to him, shedding tears.

That was the Juliet Montagu he knew.

Not once did Juliet demand what he could not give.

Until today.

However, it was dangerous to leave the Northern Territory at the current time.

“Please break up with me.”

You’d dare to leave?

Lennox couldn’t figure out the exact cause, but felt an immense feeling of displeasure. As a man indifferent to his own feelings just as much as the emotions of others, he wasn’t interested in the reason why he was angry.

However, he felt the need to know why Juliet had changed so suddenly, so he was forced to voice his question aloud.

“For what reason?”

“Must I tell you why?”

“Juliet.”

“You promised. You said that you’d listen to everything.”

“That’s what I’m doing now-“

Lennox couldn’t stand it any longer and held Juliet’s arm. It was then.

Knock knock.

“Your Grace, it’s Elliot.”

A light knock interrupted the two.

“I’m sorry, but we have a visitor downstairs.”

It was Elliot, the Duke’s secretary, who knocked on the bedroom door. Juliet quickly stepped away from his grasp, not missing a beat.

When Lennox turned his head again, she was standing far away from him.

Like a mischievous child, Juliet stepped back and smiled at him with her hands clasped behind her.

“You-“

“Go ahead. They’re waiting for you.”

Lennox stared at her coldly, but only for a moment.

The journey to the Capital from the Northern Territory would be long and laborious, so there was a lot of work to be done. He was to be busy all day.

In the end, Lennox spoke reluctantly,

“…… In the afternoon, let’s talk again.”

“Yes, later.”

Juliet saw the Duke off with an unfailing smile until the end.

Rattle.

But the very moment the Duke left the bedroom, closing the door with a clatter, her smile disappeared without a trace. Juliet sank to the ground as if she’d collapsed.

“……..It’s all right, it’s all right. Well done.”

Juliet, who was left alone, buried her pale face in her hands. Heartbroken.

She was so nervous that even her fingertips were shaking. Tears formed at the base of her eyelashes, glittering dangerously in the light. But for now, even being sentimental was a luxury she couldn’t afford.

After taking a deep breath, Juliet ran straight to the dressing room without waiting for a maid.

The Duke’s secretary, Elliot, returned after seeing off the guest and happened to encounter Juliet leaving the main building of the mansion.

Dressed in a neat outdoor dress, Juliet was about to step into the Duke’s carriage.

‘At this early hour?’

“Are you going out, miss?”

“Yes, I’m visiting the Temple. I’ll pray for Elliot’s luck in the new year.”

TN: Left ‘Elliot’ in rather than ‘your’ since she’s speaking extremely politely to him.

“Thank you. Have a safe trip.”

He’d never told anyone, but Elliot respected this calm lady considerably. Juliet Montagu was clever and quick-witted, but also reserved and cautious.

Truthfully, the mere fact that she’d dedicated so many years to being the Duke’s lover was admirable in itself.

She was the only exception to the Duke who would normally change his partner daily.

But instead of stepping into the carriage, Juliet pointed at the flower pot that Elliot held, and asked,

“What’s that?”

“Oh, this? It’s a gift that was brought by the visitor.”

Marquis Roman, who had visited the mansion at dawn, gave the pot as a gift, stating that it was rude of him to intrude so early in the morning.

It was simple for a gift, but Marquis Roman was famous as a horticulture[2] lover.

Somehow, Juliet found herself staring at the purple flowers that Elliot was holding.

Suddenly wondering why she was staring, Elliot looked down at the pot and realised his mistake..

‘……Oops.’

Juliet Montagu was not a fussy character. Rather, she was on the quiet side.

There was just one thing.

For some reason, she hated the purple Dahlia flowers.

The dahlia, known for its vitality, was a common flower in the North. However, the purple dahlia flowers were a taboo within the Northern castle because of Juliet’s detest of the breed.

Elliot immediately apologised.

“I’m sorry, miss. I’ll dispose of it right away.”

“No, just leave it be.”

“Yes?”

“It would look good in your office.”

“Yes……?”

Elliot doubted his ears.

But, after speaking, Juliet simply laughed and left the estate in the carriage. Elliot stared blankly at the carriage as it travelled into the distance, but suddenly came to his senses.

‘Miss Montagu is a little strange today.’

But there was something Elliot wasn’t yet aware of. Juliet wasn’t the only one acting strangely today.

Knock, knock.

“Your Grace, it’s Elliot.”

“Come in.”

In addition to the Duke, there were two more knights in the office. The two knights had serious expressions carved into their faces, and greeted Elliot with nothing more than a glance.

‘What’s going on?’

Furthermore, documents were scattered messily across the table, and on one side, some papers were held down by something that resembled a jewellery box.

Elliot, sensing the unusual atmosphere, quietly placed the potted plant on the table. Sure enough, the Duke of Carlisle didn’t so much as spare a glance towards the pot Elliot had brought.

Sinking into the armchair, the Duke’s gaze was deeply focused on staring at something outside the window of his office.

As Elliot glanced sideways towards the window, he caught sight of the Duke’s carriage leaving the grounds.

It was the same carriage Juliet left in.

“Elliot.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Elliot answered politely and quickly arranged today’s schedule in his mind. Because, naturally, he expected to be questioned on it.

Thanks to the visit to the capital, there were a pile of things to deal with. But the Duke asked a completely unexpected question.

“Who is Juliet’s escort now?”

“Uh…… it’s Kane.”

“Then call for Kane.”

“Yes.”

Although he answered reflexively, Elliot was still a little surprised.

Why is he suddenly asking for her escort? Is there something wrong?

“And investigate Juliet’s whereabouts for the past 3 months. Report it to me by lunch.”

“…….Yes?”

“Where she’s been, who she’s met. All correspondence sent and received. Do you understand?”

“But, Your Highness, that’s…….”

Elliot raised his head.

It was a really strange order this time.

You want me to investigate Miss Montagu’s whereabouts? Why not ask her yourself?

But when those red eyes turned cold towards him, Elliot shook his head quickly.

“Do I have to repeat myself?”

“Oh, no.”

“You have three hours. Get out.”

Bang.

In an instant, Elliot was thrown out of the office.

Elliot gradually came to his senses and looked at the tightly closed door in dismay.

A Duke who hates wasting time would never give meaningless orders. But Elliot couldn’t believe the Duke was asking him to investigate her past. Maybe Miss Montagu did something terribly wrong?

‘If I knew this was going to happen, I would’ve steered clear of Miss Montagu when I saw her earlier.’

Internally clicking his tongue, Elliot hastened his step.

It seemed like the joyful New Year’s celebrations had vanished without a trace.

[1]negligee: a form of see-through clothing for women consisting of a sheer, usually long dressing gown. A form of nightgown intended for wear at night and in the bedroom.

[2]horticulture: act/practice of garden cultivation and management. AKA likes flowers.

Forgotten Juliet: released whenever the chapter/s is/are complete 🤫 (I also don’t split chapters into parts, so if the release is delayed, it’s probably because the chapter was extremely long).

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

💘Author....

The Duke’s carriage, with Juliet inside, soon arrived at the Capital’s Great Temple.

It was early in the morning, but there were already rows of colourful carriages lining up outside the temple. Today was the last day of the year. In addition, it was also the day the temple made the most money.

Juliet deliberately stepped down from the carriage at a distance.

“I’ll return soon.”

Few people recognised Juliet walking alone without a maid. Thanks to that, Juliet was able to visit the temple without interruption.

If a family donated to the temple, they could write a wish on a piece of paper, and the temple would light a candle in their name. Moreover, the larger the donation, the larger and more splendid the candle was.

It was a shallow trick, but aristocrats who needed the luck would open their wallets generously.

Already, there were quite a few candles lit around the altar as if many had already made wishes for the New Year. Because of this, the white marble statue that stood directly below the domed ceiling looked as if it was wearing a halo.

It was only after Juliet took out her purse and gold coins that she realised she didn’t have any particular wish in mind.

‘What wish should I make?’

As Juliet stared blankly at the statue of the Goddess, she heard whispers from behind.

“Right?”

“That woman?”

“That’s the Duke of Carlisle’s …….?”

She didn’t even have to look back to feel their penetrating stares.

Lennox Carlisle was completely indifferent to social gatherings and the like, but the nobles of the Empire were extremely interested in him.

An unmarried young Duke.

A rich and powerful ruler.

Only once a year did the Duke of the North appear in the capital. It was only for the Royal Palace’s New Year banquet.

He always showed up at the banquet with beautiful partners, and every year it would be a new woman. Even though they never lasted over 3 months, the women were known as ‘the lovers of Carlisle’.

His short-term lovers received a great amount of attention from people.

Truthfully, the taste and indifference of the Duke of Carlisle also played a part. The Duke’s lovers were all beautiful, but of surprisingly low status.

The dazzling beauties, low in status and somewhat lacking in culture, were perfect prey for the society’s aristocrats to sink their teeth into.

People were busy laughing at the appearance of the Duke’s new lover, how shallow his taste was, and how naive the women were.

However, the most popular topic of gossip was something else. What happened to them after their relationship with the Duke ended?

“No, isn’t that Miss Montagu?”

Sure enough.

As soon as Juliet asked the young Priest to light a candle after handing over her gold coins, people came over to greet her.

“Miss Montagu, when did you arrive in the Capital?”

“Are you doing well?”

“I sent you an invitation to a tea party the other day, but I’m not sure if you received it.”

“I’ll be terribly upset if you keep refusing.”

After taking a deep breath, Juliet smiled and responded moderately.

“I’m a little busy. Thank you for the invitation, but I’ll have to decline.”

She offered them a smiling face, but drew a clear line. Their words were meaningless anyway. Juliet knew very well what they said about her behind her back.

“Pitiful.”

“Do you really believe that you’re going to be the Duchess?”

A few years ago, people were shocked when Juliet Montagu first appeared as the partner of the Duke of Carlisle.

It was because she was completely different to the Duke’s past lovers before her.

Once, Juliet Montagu was the only daughter of a historic Count family. Although the Montagu family had nothing to boast about beyond their past contributions to society, it was a status considerably higher than the Duke’s past lovers.

Moreover, until her, the lovers of the Duke of Carlisle were all of a certain type of gorgeous beauty, with wide, open eyes. On the other hand, Juliet was of a more elegant and refined beauty, with delicate eyes as if painted by a brush.

Those who remembered the Duke of Carlisle’s tastes were left puzzled.

The deceased Count and Countess Montagu, and their only daughter, Juliet, were rarely the topic of gossip. Lennox Carlisle on the other hand…

He was the Duke of the North, the centre of all sorts of rumours and gossip.

However, for a woman from a fallen family to appear at the dance, holding the hand of the Duke of Carlisle was… And a dazzlingly beautiful woman at that.

“Maybe the Duke’s tastes have changed.”

“How long will it last this time?”

The embarrassment was only brief, and soon people chattered with interest.

The subject had changed, but nothing had truly changed. The moment she foolishly took the hand of the Duke of Carlisle, Juliet Montagu’s ending was decided.

The higher the status, the harder the fall. Juliet had become the perfect prey for the socialites to sink their teeth into.

“Such a pity to be filled with such dreams.”

“The death of the count and countess became quite amusing.”

Mockery under the guise of sympathy.

People placed bets over how many months it would take for Juliet Montagu to be abandoned by the Duke. Everyone laughed at the foolish Countess, expecting her downfall.

But a month passed, and then 2 months. However, even after the season and the year changed, no news was heard.

Juliet Montagu still resided in the North, and she was still the Duke’s lover.

People were disappointed.

Of course, no one mistakenly believed that the Duke had really fallen in love.

The only Duke of the Empire not belonging to the Royal Family… The fallen Countess Montagu wasn’t nearly good enough to become his Duchess.

Not only that, but the Duke of Carlisle’s attitude to her was no different to his previous lovers.

If the Duke of Carlisle really thought of her as a serious partner, or cared for her at all, he would have sanctified that love with marriage since they were both of the perfect age.

However, those that were dissatisfied now began to blatantly criticise Juliet with jabs of sarcasm.

“Have you heard? The miss has quite the affinity for magic.”

“Dear god, how vulgar.”

“Pretending to be well-mannered, maybe that’s how she weaselled her way into the Duke’s favour.”

People didn’t think she would be the Northern Duchess. And Juliet also agreed with this idea.

Contrary to many peoples’ misconceptions, Juliet never thought she would marry him. After all, she was the person who knew Lennox Carlisle best.

Whenever she wasn’t needed, she was easily cast aside.

“Oh, who is this?”

Suddenly, the entrance to the temple became bustling with noise, shortly followed by the appearance of a woman with a group of people in tow.

She greeted Juliet cheerfully.

“It’s been a long time, Miss Juliet.”

“…….Princess Priscilla.”

Although she could feel the blatant hostility, Juliet bowed politely, pretending not to notice.

It was Princess Priscilla, the Emperor’s niece.

In an imperial family without a daughter, she monopolised the Emperor’s affections. As a result, Priscilla enjoyed the status of a Princess in society.

She was also famous in a different sense, as she was the first person to dance with Lennox Carlisle when he first attended the banquet 10 years ago.

‘So precocious.’

Princess Priscilla was only 15 years old at the time.