The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 475

The Duke took the seat at the head of the table and gestured for her to sit opposite him. Lydia sank into the chair. The cushions were so soft that it only made her more anxious. She kept her hands on her lap, not knowing what to do with them.

A waiter approached and handed them menus. The Duke took his, didn't even open it, and rattled off a few dishes in rapid, flawless French. Lydia only managed to catch a couple of words. The waiter nodded and turned away.

Silence settled over the table. The Duke observed her, and that familiar look returned. He wasn't seeing Lydia; he was looking through her, trying to summon the ghost of another woman.

"She liked sitting by the window," he suddenly murmured. "She always chose that spot every time we came here."

Lydia followed his gaze toward the window table. "She liked this restaurant too?"

"She came here a few times," the Duke replied. "She liked the quiet."

Lydia was at a loss for words. Sitting there, she felt like nothing more than a stand-in, a prop used to reminisce about someone else.

"The way you smile resembles her, too," the Duke noted, his eyes fixed on her. "When she smiled, it was exactly like that. Just a slight curve, never too much."

Lydia's fingers slowly tightened. She had spent a long time wondering who 'she' was, and now she finally knew. It was someone the Duke could never forget, someone who was no longer in this world.

"What about her?" Lydia asked quietly. "Where is she now?"

The Duke fell silent for a long time. He gazed out the window, watching the wind rustle through the ivy in the courtyard. After what felt like an eternity, he brought his attention back to her. "She's gone. She left a very long time ago."