Episode 29
Though peace had been maintained so far…
Would it continue to hold?
Euclid, with a cynical thought, sank back into the sofa in the same position as before Rick had left. However, he couldn’t entirely mask the unease on his face and raised an arm to shield his eyes.
At that moment, there was a soft click as the bathroom door, connected to the bedroom, opened.
Perhaps the boy had been startled to see Euclid asleep, or maybe he was quickly scanning the room. It was hard to tell during the brief silence that followed.
Finally, the boy cautiously spoke up.
“Duke, are you asleep? The bathwater is ready…”
Hearing this, Euclid slowly lowered his arm.
“I just had my eyes closed for a moment. I’ll take care of the rest myself. You can go now.”
“Ah, yes…”
Rick nodded awkwardly. But instead of leaving immediately, he hesitated and watched Euclid as he rose from the sofa.
Feeling the boy’s expectant gaze as if waiting for something, Euclid paused momentarily before softening his expression into a gentle smile.
“Well done. You should go rest now too, Rick.”
“Yes! Thank you, Duke! Please rest well too!”
At last, Rick’s tentative demeanor brightened, and with a deep bow, he left the room.
The moment the door shut behind him, the warmth in Euclid’s smile vanished.
He let out a long sigh.
He hadn’t wanted to leave any room for familiarity, but Rick’s expectant eyes had reminded him too much of his young nephews, who used to linger nearby, hoping for praise or a gentle pat on the head.
‘…It’s fine. This much is okay.’
At least the boy hadn’t tried to pry into the purpose of his visit to the capital, nor had Euclid given away any information.
Of course, by tomorrow, Delano, once he woke up, would surely spill everything. But that didn’t matter.
“By then, it will already be too late to turn back.”
Resolute, Euclid decided to push forward with what was likely the most selfish decision of his life, dismissing the brief turmoil he had felt earlier in the carriage.
There was nothing else the powerless him could do.
Revenge? He hadn’t dared to imagine such a thing.
Gone was the pure, kind version of himself that couldn’t bear to hate or harbor malice toward anyone.
As he prepared for bed, he clung to one hope: that tonight, whoever learned of the unannounced appearance of the Duke of Rudion in the capital would agonize over the reason for his visit, fortify security around the imperial palace, and yet still be unable to sleep soundly.
Thus passed the final night before the wedding.
***
4. The Villainess’s Wedding
Human greed knows no bounds, and mistakes are repeated endlessly.
Yet, as I approached the monumental event of my marriage to my favorite character, I triumphed over my desires and avoided making foolish mistakes.
What I meant was that I resisted the urge to slather myself with skincare products like the day before, tamped down my excitement at the thought of seeing my beloved in the flesh, and focused on going to bed early.
The result? I woke up feeling refreshed at a commendable hour, ready to start the day in high spirits.
Today was my last morning at the Basilian Duke’s estate before the wedding. Typically, I would have eaten breakfast alone, but Melissa had made a small request yesterday. She mentioned how much she enjoyed dining together as a family and wondered if we could do the same today.
Was it because of the protagonist’s aura, or perhaps because I genuinely liked having a younger sister for the first time?
I couldn’t help but feel lenient toward Melissa, wanting to grant her every wish.
Besides, I was curious to check on the Duke. He had seemed upset last night, and I wondered how he fared after the meal.
‘He was surprisingly kind, though, better than I expected.’
I had been ready to give him a piece of my mind if he acted cold or rude as father-in-law. But instead, he had enthusiastically exclaimed, “My son-in-law!”
How could anyone not like Euclid? It wasn’t just because he was my favorite character. He was truly the epitome of an ideal husband—upright, gentle, and reliable.
‘I’m already looking forward to seeing him again.’
Had he slept well last night? I thought about him as I made my way to the dining room.
But as I pushed the door open, ready to greet everyone, I froze mid-sentence.
“Good morning, did you sleep…”
The sight of the Duke and Sionel stopped me in my tracks.
Their faces were utterly haggard, far from their usual composed selves.
I couldn’t bring myself to ask what had happened—it was impossible not to recall my own ghostly appearance from the previous night. Instead, I gaped in stunned silence.
As if understanding my surprise, the Duke offered an awkward laugh.
“It’s nothing. I just drank a bit too much…”
He quickly added, almost defensively, “I don’t usually drink this much.”
While his excuse was plausible, what was going on with Sionel?
His face looked even worse than the Duke’s—dark circles, a drawn expression, and an overall unkempt appearance.
‘Surely they didn’t stay up drinking all night?’
I narrowed my eyes at him, suspecting the worst. Startled, Sionel hurriedly changed the subject.
“Evgenia, you look well-rested. Did you sleep well?”
“….”
Was it just my imagination, or did I sense a silent ‘for once’ tacked onto the end of that sentence?
I nodded with a hesitant expression.
At that moment, Melissa arrived as well.
Though she seemed quite surprised by the faces of the two people present, she wisely didn’t let it show.
The quiet and peaceful meal continued until:
“I never thought the wedding would be held like this.”
The duke, who was gloomily spooning the soup supposedly good for hangovers, suddenly sighed and muttered.
Seeing Sionel naturally try to stop him with an “Father,” I became increasingly certain that he had spent the entire night venting his sorrows over drinks.
Then, the duke glanced at me cautiously and asked:
“Evgenia, don’t you feel disappointed?”
“Disappointed?”
How could I? This was the happiest day of my life.
“But it’s a once-in-a-lifetime wedding, isn’t it? Didn’t you want something more grand and extravagant?”
When I tilted my head in confusion, the duke, frustrated, explained:
“It’s a wedding of the Basilian family. Everyone must be clamoring to receive an invitation. Nobles in the capital, of course, but even those from kingdoms at the far ends of the continent would come to celebrate if they received one.”
“Ugh.”
Just imagining myself suffering amidst a sea of people made me shudder.
I was about to say that such pretenses were unnecessary, that I even disliked them, but I stopped upon seeing the duke’s face, dripping with regret as if he were the one getting married.
‘Is there perhaps a custom for wedding gifts here?’
Given that they already had overflowing wealth, he didn’t seem like the type to obsess over such things.
Besides, once the news of the wedding spread, it was inevitable that those connected to the Basilian ducal family—or those wanting to curry favor—would line up to send gifts anyway.
It was ultimately about appearances, I supposed.
Not knowing the reason behind the duke’s disappointment, I remained silent before answering honestly:
“I’m really fine. Holding a grand wedding wouldn’t be ideal for the timing anyway, and I actually prefer it to be quieter like this…”
Of course, I left out the truth that the best part was that my partner was my absolute favorite person.
Perhaps anticipating my answer from my already crumpled expression, the duke nodded.
“Right, you’ve always disliked gatherings with lots of people and noisy occasions.”
That was an unexpected remark.
‘A typical villainess in romance-fantasy novels would be the social butterfly, never missing a ball or party, right?’
Of course, they would also be the target of gossip and stares, but still, they always ended up being the center of attention!
Yet Evgenia, with her looks and status, didn’t even manage to adapt to the social scene, let alone shine in it.
As I shook my head internally, the duke, perhaps thinking I was upset, erased his disappointed expression and said:
“But at least it’s a relief that the High Priest personally blessed your union.”
“Cough, cough!”
At that moment, Melissa, who had been quietly eating, suddenly made a loud noise, as if something had gone down the wrong pipe.
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
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