Chapter 32: A Bittersweet Feeling
“You’ll find it troublesome.”
Honestly, though, this side of him was kind of cute too…
I blew a puff of air at my bangs, making a show of it, and said,
“Your Grace, it’s not like I’m suggesting we should share a room. Why do you keep blushing like that?”
At the word share a room, the Grand Duke’s neck turned bright red.
“D-don’t say things like that…”
As he mumbled under his breath, I stepped in closer.
“You don’t like me visiting at night, right? So, I thought I’d at least come to greet you in the morning. Is that not okay either?”
“There’s no need to make that a promise.”
“…?”
“Just… come when you feel like it. That’s enough for me.”
“What if I want to come every single day?”
The Grand Duke hesitated for a long time before murmuring in a barely audible voice,
“…I think I’d like that too much.”
“Huh?”
“If we made it a promise… I think I’d end up waiting for you too much.”
Did I hear that right?
“So you mean… you don’t want to promise because you’d be looking forward to seeing me every morning?”
Lowering his gaze, the Grand Duke pressed his lips together tightly instead of answering.
Oh no, is my heart okay?
Because right now, he’s so cute that I feel like it’s about to explode.
Suppressing the grin threatening to take over my face, I said,
“I think that would make me really happy, though?”
He had been staring at the ground, but at those words, he hesitated and slowly lifted his head.
“Just thinking about Your Grace waiting for me every morning makes me happy.”
“…You’ll find it bothersome.”
His whisper was barely loud enough to hear.
“Your Grace, do you know something?”
I met his gaze gently.
“I prefer a husband who needs my help over a perfect one who doesn’t.”
At that, the Grand Duke’s entire face turned red from the tips of his ears to the top of his head.
“Huh?”
I tugged playfully at the end of his sleeve, causing the large, mountain-like man to sway helplessly.
“Hmm? Your Grace?”
After biting his lip repeatedly, the Grand Duke finally gave a small nod.
“Then… please do as you wish.”
“Really?”
“You’ll do whatever you want anyway, won’t you?”
“How did you know?”
Seeing my satisfied smile, the Grand Duke let out a small, defeated chuckle.
His face was still completely red.
Meanwhile…
Ferdinand, the young master of the Marquisate of Frais, noticed a familiar yet unexpected seal among the pile of letters brought by his attendant.
It was the crest of the Grand Duchy of Blenheim.
Ferdinand picked up the gold-trimmed envelope.
Most nobles used plain stationery, as overly ornate designs were considered gaudy.
But as if mocking such trends, this letter was boldly framed with luxurious gold detailing.
And unlike others, he was sure that this was real gold.
The letter came from someone he had never expected to receive one from.
Slowly, Ferdinand opened it.
“To my dear brother Ferdinand,
I heard that you attended my wedding.
I regret not being able to greet you in person, and I hope you can forgive me.
Spring must be in full bloom in the capital by now. Here in Blenheim, it is arriving slowly but surely.
I received your gift with gratitude.
Wishing you peace always.
Sincerely,
Annette Blenheim.”
Ferdinand brushed his thumb over the last sentence.
“Annette Blenheim, huh.”
He finally realized that she had completely left the Frais family.
Ferdinand had known that Annette was planning to leave.
After all, the owner of the information guild where she had tried to sell her jewelry was none other than Ferdinand himself.
“How much are the jewels worth?”
“At most, just a few dozen danirs.”
But still, how could the daughter of a marquis family have nothing more valuable to sell?
In the end, Ferdinand instructed the guild master to give her a reasonable sum without raising suspicion.
He had doubted that the hired carriage she bought could even take her to Blenheim, but since she had sent a letter, it seemed she had arrived safely.
Ferdinand reread the letter carefully.
Its overly calm tone didn’t suit the girl he remembered—someone timid yet emotional.
“It doesn’t suit her? Do I even know her that well?”
They had always been more like strangers than family.
So why did it feel so bitter now that she no longer bore the Frais name?
Shaking off unnecessary thoughts, Ferdinand put the letter back into its envelope.
He had already sent her mother’s keepsake to Annette without his father or Ladriel knowing. He had given her everything she should have received.
“That’s enough. Whatever she does now has nothing to do with me.”
Just as he turned to look out the window, a servant knocked on his door.
His father, Marquis Frais, was calling for him.
“Did the letter from Blenheim go to you?”
The marquis asked, struggling to contain his anger.
It seemed news had already reached him that the letter was delivered directly to Ferdinand.
Ever since Annette had left for Blenheim without a word, the marquis had been on the verge of exploding.
Being outwitted by his insignificant third child was one thing, but realizing her actions had been pre-planned made it even worse.
When it was discovered that Annette had taken all the valuable wedding gifts, jewelry, and dresses from her room before leaving, even the maids and servants who had access to her quarters were punished.
“It was addressed to me.”
“Why would that lowly girl send you a letter?”
“It was just a formal thank-you for attending the wedding.”
“That’s all?”
The marquis’s jaw twitched.
A maid had claimed she saw Ferdinand’s servant at the chapel, so he had no choice but to admit he had been there.
He insisted it was just a passing visit, but the marquis remained suspicious.
“Bring me the letter.”
“I burned it.”
“What?”
The marquis raised an eyebrow as if trying to decipher his son’s intentions.
“You burned an important letter? Even though you knew how much I cared about it?”
“It wasn’t important.”
“Even so, you should have brought it to me first! Do you think you can ignore me, your father and the head of this house?”
Ferdinand met his father’s glare head-on.
“I got rid of it because I knew it would only upset you.”
Their gazes clashed, tense and unyielding.
The marquis, who was glaring at his son with piercing blue eyes, was the first to look away.
Even though Ferdinand was not usually rebellious, his eyes, which mirrored those of his late mother, sometimes unsettled the marquis.
Seeing his father’s temper cool slightly, Ferdinand exhaled a quiet breath.
“Annette has fulfilled her role. In the end, you got what you wanted, didn’t you?”
“What I wanted? Do you have any idea what an opportunity this was?”
The marquis clenched the pile of documents in his hand.
“Do you know how carefully I chose the men to send to the North with her?”
“The Grand Duke of Blenheim is no fool.”
Ferdinand spoke calmly.
“Have you forgotten that the grand duchy is a military region? Even if you sent a few dozen men with Annette, they wouldn’t have gotten past the gates.”
“That’s why we needed a better plan—”
“Father.”
At Ferdinand’s firm tone, the marquis narrowed his eyes.
“Annette is not worth the effort. She’s always been weak, hasn’t she? Whatever she does at the grand duchy, she won’t be of much use to our house.”
The marquis’s voice turned icy.
“Are you trying to lecture me?”
Ferdinand lowered his gaze, his face unreadable.
“I just hope you don’t waste too much energy on something that’s already over.”
“…Leave.”
With a subtle dismissal, the marquis ended the conversation.
Ferdinand gave a polite bow and exited the room.
As the door closed, the marquis clenched his teeth.
“Over?
This was far from over.
Despite his many efforts, he had never once succeeded in planting spies in Blenheim.
Except for Annette.
Though she had betrayed him by running away, the fact that she was now inside the grand duchy meant there was still a way to use her.
“I’ve been patient until now… but things have changed.”
Since Blenheim had sent a letter first, the situation was different.
For the first time in his life, the marquis began drafting a letter to his beloved third daughter.
Knock, knock.
As soon as I knocked, the grand duke’s door opened instantly.
“Did you sleep well?”
The grand duke, with his hair neatly combed back, looked as polished as ever despite the early hour.
“Do you wait by the door every morning?”
“…”
“Never mind.”
I shrugged and walked into the room naturally, pretending not to notice his awkward silence.
Ever since our talk in the greenhouse, I had been coming to his room every morning to help him tie his cravat. If nothing unusual happened, we would go down to breakfast together.
It really felt like the routine of a newlywed couple.
Today, I carefully chose a cravat in a deep teal color to match my dress. The grand duke leaned down slightly, as if it were second nature by now.
A cool, crisp scent surrounded me as I wrapped the fabric around his neck.
His warm breath brushed against my skin, making me feel slightly ticklish.
“He even smells nice.”
As I tied the knot, I noticed him flinch slightly, as if he was sensitive to touch.
But he stayed still, perhaps worried that moving too much would make my job harder.
It was oddly endearing—like a well-trained wild wolf.
As I adjusted the folds of his cravat, the grand duke spoke.
“I won’t be able to join you for breakfast today.”
“Oh? Are you busy?”
“I have to inspect several villages near the border. It’s a long trip, so I must leave early.”
“I see. That sounds tough.”
I answered absentmindedly, focusing on making the knot look just right.
I liked this little morning routine—it gave me a strange sense of accomplishment.
“There, all done!”
As I admired my work, the grand duke hesitated before speaking again.
“If you’d like… we could have dinner together instead.”
“Really? I’d love that!”
He was always so busy that I had never dared to suggest having dinner together.
Delighted by the rare invitation, I beamed.
“I’ll ask Whitley to make something special.”
“I’ll try to return as soon as I can.”
He nodded slightly.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“What’s funny?”
“This really feels like we’re a real married couple.”
Unlike me, who was grinning, the grand duke’s face turned stiff.
