I Stole the Heroine's Holy Grail

I frowned looking at the sudden appearance of the Grand Duke.

Why is that man here…

When the Grand Duke found me, he came running with a face full of urgency.

“Are you okay?”

I took a step back from the approaching Grand Duke and nodded my head.

“Oh… Yes… I’m okay.”

“You must have been startled. I Apologize.”

The coachman was stunned as the horse can’t seem to calm down the excitement.

I sighed as I felt my heart pounding.

“Hold my hand for a moment.”

At the words of the Grand Duke, I unconsciously placed my hand on his large palm.

Then the Grand Duke gently turned my hand over and looked at my shriveled palm.

It seems that my hand has been scratched roughly on the ground when I was pushed aside earlier.

Fortunately, I fell on the well-groomed ground, and if not, I would have been more injured.

“Your palms are quite chapped.”

The Grand Duke frowned and spoke with a displeased tone.

“Is there any other place that hurts more?”

“Yes? Ah… No, except for the palm of my hand, anywhere else is fine.”

Actually, when I fell on the floor, my knees were also swept along with my palm. It hurts, but I didn’t have to tell him that.

Come to think of it… What was that just now?

Obviously, time had stopped. It wasn’t an illusion.

If time had not stopped, I would be dead now, whether on a carriage wheel or a horse’s heel.

Remembering that gave me goosebumps all over my body.

“Are you really, okay?” The Grand Duke asked, looking at my pale face.

“Yes, of course.”

“Are you okay, lady!?” The coachman, who calmed down the horse, approached me and asked in a very startled voice.

I gently raised the corner of my lips towards the coachman and nodded my head.

“Of course. Don’t worry.”

“I’m really sorry! Hey! Why did you push the lady so roughly?”

The Grand Duke’s coachman shouted as if blaming the coachman of the marquis standing far away.

At this, the coachman who pushed me was startled and bowed his head in a hurry.

“I… I’m sorry”

“What are you doing apologizing to me? Here, apologize to the lady who almost got in trouble.”

“…I’m sorry, my lady.”

Looking down at the back of the obnoxious coachman’s head, I swallowed a sigh inwardly.

For some reason, things haven’t been good since I set foot in this mansion.

“It’s fine, just bring your horse.”

“That’s… difficult.”

“What’s going on?”

The Grand Duke, who had taken a step back and watched the situation, asked in a puzzled voice.

‘Ah. The Grand duke.’

Perhaps they won’t be able to refuse if it’s the Grand Duke.

If so, should I try using the Grand duke a little bit?

I whispered to the Grand Duke in a small voice.

“Could you lend me a carriage?”

“Carriage?”

“I have to go to the hotel, but the coachmen here don’t want to lend me a carriage. So can you lend me yours for a moment?”

The Grand Duke frowned at my words then put on a serious expression on his face.

“…Good. use it.”

The Grand Duke’s voice seemed to mix with a sigh at first.

Now all that’s left is to get the coachman to bring a horse.

“Bring a horse.”

“But…”

The coachman hesitated at my command and did not respond easily.

I knew this would happen, But I have a good reason to borrow it since the Grand Duke is here.

“I’m not saying I’m going to use it. I don’t think the Grand Duke’s horse can move anymore. Right, Grand Duke?

“…Yes. Let me borrow some horses. I came here for business, but I think today is not a good day.”

I gave a signal to the Grand Duke with a wink, he, who had been silent, responded with a sigh.

“Ah! Then I’ll give it to you. Please wait a moment.”

At the word of the Grand Duke, the horseman changed his attitude at once and disappeared. Soon after, he brought two healthy horses back.

I burst out laughing looking at the conditions of the very healthy horses.

As expected, what the coaches said was a blatant lie.

“Here, I brought it!”

“…Thank you. Hand it over to me. It has to be connected to a carriage.” The Coachman of the Grand Duke spoke with a look of displeasure.

Soon, the carriage I’ll be using to get out of this mansion was completed.

Without hesitation, I got into the carriage.

Then I saw the marquis’ coachmen panicking.

“Let’s go!”

“Let’s go!”

“Yes.”

When I and the Grand Duke spoke at the same time, the coachman turned the carriage without hesitation and left the Marquis’ mansion.

I sighed as I watched Marquis’ mansion slowly fade away through the window.

I hope I will never have to step into this mansion again.

Feeling so relieved, I opened up a question I had been holding back for a while.

Come to think of it, the Grand Duke said he had something to do with the marquis.

Why did he come out with me?

Even if the Grand Duke did not have his own carriage, he could borrow the marquis’ carriage at any time.

Like borrowing a horse from a marquis. He just needs to ask the Marquis.

“Didn’t you say you went there because you had something to do with the marquis?”

The Grand Duke’s gaze, who had been looking out the window turned to me at my question, turned to me.

He remained silent for a while and soon opened his mouth.

“It wasn’t that important, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

He was always kind but now he draws boundaries.

‘Why is it so unpleasant?’

I frowned when I suddenly found myself feeling unpleasant for no reason.

I tried to make excuses that it was all because my head hurt because of the Marquis, but the discomfort did not go away easily.

“By the way, can you explain what happened?”

I could not readily answer the Grand Duke’s request.

Although I had a broken relationship with my family, it was still difficult to tell others about the conflicts in that family.

It bothered me that I didn’t give any explanation to him who helped me get out of there.

“…I can’t tell you the details, but the marquis wanted me to stay in the mansion even though I didn’t want to.”

“That’s why the coachman didn’t lend you a carriage.”

I affirmed with silence.

The Grand Duke nodded his head and did not ask any more questions about me. I was grateful for the consideration of the Grand Duke.

We moved quietly for a while without saying a word.

Then, all of a sudden, the Grand Duke spit out his unexpected words.

“If you don’t mind, why don’t you stay in my mansion?”

At the sudden suggestion, I blinked and looked at the Grand Duke.

“I’m sorry, but I refuse. I don’t want to bother you anymore, your highness.”

In fact, this was a superficial reason, and the fundamental reason for rejecting the Grand Duke’s proposal was distrust.

He and I had only met two days ago.

That’s why I couldn’t help but doubt his kindness towards me.

Hearing my refusal, the Grand Duke raised the corners of his lips gently and said:

“I heard that the butler and knights of the Marquis Sorne came to the hotel to find you.”

“How did you…”

The Grand Duke tilted his head slightly and smiled.

“There are more eyes and ears in the capital than you think.”

He laughed at his own remark.

“Even if you go to the hotel like this now, there is no guarantee that the marquis’ people will not come again.”

“…”

I couldn’t refute anything because it was true.

“I will give you privacy. Wouldn’t I get in trouble if the saint I brought in the Capital is having a hard time?”

I ended up agreeing to it because of the continuous problem.

“For the time being… please take care of me.”

When I accepted, a faint smile bloomed on the Grand Duke’s face.

“Welcome.”

***

The Grand Duke’s mansion was a place I’ve heard about many times.

It is commonly known as Blue Flame’s Mansion.

Legend has it that when it was built, a heart of dragon with blue flames was used.

In fact, the exterior of the mansion kept the color of blue flames as legend suggests.

It’s a mansion that can only be seen in fairy tales.

To be honest, calling it a mansion instead of a castle was not enough.

I never imagined this place belonged to the Grand Duke.

The nobles thought this beautiful mansion would be the emperor’s villa.

Even the emperor did not specifically correct the misunderstandings of the nobles.

So naturally, the misunderstanding of the nobles is bound to harden into a self-evident fact.

Well, if you think about it, it wasn’t strange for the emperor’s younger brother, the Grand Duke, to own this mansion.

“Let’s go in.”

“Yes.”

I followed the Grand Duke into the mansion.

Then I saw the servants waiting to welcome their master in front of the main gate.

“You’re here, your highness. But the person next to you…?”

“She’s a guest who will be staying here for the time being. Serve her without any shortage.”

“My name is Adelia. I look forward to your kind cooperation.”

When I stepped forward and said my name, the eyes of the man who appeared to be the butler grew bigger.

“Oh, my. Nice to meet you.”

“She’s, my guest. Please treat her without any inconvenience”.

“Of course. I’ll show you the room first.”

When I turned to the Grand Duke, he nodded as if giving me permission to follow the butler.

I immediately followed the butler.

“You can stay here.”

The place where the butler guided me was a large room located on the second floor.

The size of the room was enormous in proportion to the size of the mansion.

“I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Darren, the butler in charge of this mansion.”

“Nice to meet you, Darren.”

“If you need anything or feel uncomfortable, please feel free to tell me.”

Darren, the butler, left a polite greeting and disappeared.

I looked around the room quietly and admired it once again.

This should be bigger than most of the rooms in the Marquis of Sorne.

As I was looking around the room, I suddenly felt tired.

Before I knew it, the night was getting deep.

I roughly put my luggage on the sofa and lay down on the bed.

When I quietly closed my eyes, what happened in two days quickly passed in my mind.

‘How did I get caught up in the original story again…’

I had to be wary of the suspicious goodwill of the Grand Duke.

Since when has he been so kind to me?

Come to think of it, he acted kind from the beginning.

Ordinary people would have frowned at my notoriety.

However, he looked at me with a favorable eye.

Didn’t he even ask me for tea and a room because it’s late at night?

When I think about that time, I can only laugh.

Could it be that he invited me to his mansion in return for the favor that day?

That can’t be it.

Rather, it would be right to say that he did me a favor because I might be a saint.

I had a lot of thoughts.

I got up again and took out the Pepe doll I had in my luggage bag.

It’s gotten dirty.

It brought a smile to my face at the thought that Emily must have worked so hard with her tiny little hands to make it.

“Lucky…”

Yes. If this little doll brought good luck, I was willing to carry it with me.

I carefully brushed off the dusty Pepe doll with my hands and placed it at the bedside.

I hope this little doll will give me a miracle.

Thank you Amber for the Ko-fi. <3

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