Peon wiped Kaela’s hands, which were tightly holding the wet rose bouquet, with a damp towel.
Kaela, who had always suffered from a sense of responsibility, or rather an obsessive sense of duty to work properly, was uncharacteristically leaving her work aside. She looked like a carefree noblewoman who enjoyed being loved while sitting on her husband’s lap.
She showed no intention of letting go of the roses Peon had given her. She really did love flowers, simply holding them and gazing at them happily for a long time.
And watching her like this was Peon’s greatest joy. The single red rose—carefully chosen as a special gift, rejecting the cliché of a large bouquet—had long since turned to ash in his hand. Just one flower? How unoriginal.
“Thank you.”
Kaela, who had been staring at the flowers he gave her for a long time, putting aside her work, looked up and said softly.
“They’re so pretty.”
Because she loved flowers so indiscriminately, Peon would present her with various bouquets whenever he thought of it. Half out of guilt for his wife who hadn’t properly received a single flower in Lusenford, and half out of satisfaction because she would always look at them delightedly, jumping for joy when given them.
When quietly seated on his lap, the small Kaela would never forget to shyly kiss his chin or cheek wherever she could reach. The expressions of affection that had always been one-sided were gradually becoming mutual.
“The flowers must be heavy. Put them down. Give them here.”
“Just a little longer.”
Did I make it too big? When he tried to gently take the bouquet away, she shook her head in refusal. Kaela, who had always tried to maintain her dignity and decorum as Grand Duchess in front of Peon, was slowly regaining her pre-marriage self.
“Oh, are you busy? Then I’ll get down.”
But she still prioritized Peon’s work and maintained an attitude of withdrawing so as not to disturb him. He firmly stopped his wife as she tried to wiggle down.
“I’m not busy. How could I be, Kaela?”
What could be more important than you? At his intense gaze, Kaela quickly leaned against his shoulder and snuggled back in.
His eyes, which had been about to split sharply vertically, regained their peace. Peon finished wiping her hands. Then he pressed his lips to her fair hands.
She’s so pretty that those bastards just won’t give up. Though he maintained a calm facade in front of his wife, he was internally grinding his teeth over the name of the man who dared to send a love letter disguised as various official proposals along with roses.
Not just Marquis Heihar, now other bastards were starting to cling to her too.
He understood. Compared to Peon, his wife was very young, and she was a noble lady who loved reading books and enjoying music.
There must be countless men who would be amazed after just exchanging a few words with her. He needed to kill all those bastards before they could catch his wife’s eye.
“I’m sorry I entered the palace ahead of you today, Kaela. I put you in an awkward position because of me.”
Peon, who had entered the palace first after letting Kaela sleep a bit longer and discussed various matters with his father-in-law, said it was his fault that she had encountered Prince Elkanan.
“No. I was fine.”
As Kaela shook her head in response, she suddenly froze. Peon observed her as she became lost in thought.
“Really, I was…I was fine.”
Kaela, who had been muttering, finally put down the bouquet and clasped her hands in front of her mouth. Her eyes widened, and her lips parted slightly. She was surprising herself right now.
“It really didn’t bother me at all.”
Peon, who had carefully moved the rose bouquet aside, didn’t take his eyes off her. In front of her husband, who would stop whatever he was doing and listen attentively whenever Kaela spoke, she haltingly expressed what she had just realized.
“There were… there were so many people in front of me.”
“Yes.”
“They all talked to me too much, and even greeted me though I didn’t know who they were.”
“Were you scared?”
“No.”
Kaela shook her head and looked at him before breaking into a bright smile. Peon swallowed a sigh. Why did she have to be so pretty – who was she trying to torment?
“I know you’re always with me. I’m not scared at all.”
“That’s good.”
But she would surely still be intimidated by people’s gazes.
Because what she experienced in Lusenford was so harsh, Peon clearly remembered how Kaela had worn a defeated expression whenever faced with Lusenford’s noble ladies or the former head maid. He never wanted to see that lifeless expression again.
“But?”
“But… still.”
She wasn’t completely free from those gazes.
“The people in Lusenford would laugh at whatever I said. This time too, I could hear laughter and thought maybe they were mocking me… and I think someone was glaring at me. Though it might have been my imagination.”
Her hasty addition was heartbreaking.
“You’re very sensitive to malice. If you felt that way, you’re probably right.”
“…I think they were saying I was being arrogant for not returning greetings.”
“That must have been unpleasant.”
Out of respect for his wife’s privacy, he never read her thoughts and deliberately avoided listening to her conversations or the rumors circulating around her.
At the end of each day, the couple would eat together and talk about various things while bathing.
During those times, Kaela would honestly tell him about what had happened that day. That was enough. He only wanted to know as much as Kaela was willing to share, nothing more.
“What you felt was right, Kaela. Don’t doubt yourself.”
Kaela nodded with her head slightly bowed. How disheartening.
There’s always noise where there are many people, and the more attention someone receives, the more criticism they get along with praise. If it was too hard for the scarred Kaela to bear, Peon was ready to give up everything.
“Was it difficult? What would you like me to do?”
But unexpectedly, Kaela thought for a moment and shook her head again.
“Don’t do anything?”
“Yes. I, I’m okay.”
Since the first day she could say she was okay on her own, Kaela found more and more things becoming okay.
Even when Peon slightly furrowed his brow and looked at her skeptically, she could say it clearly once more.
“I was fine. Maybe because I was too busy, but I forgot about it right away. Isn’t that amazing?”
“You forgot?”
“Yes. I completely forgot about it. All I could think about was how we needed to finish the coronation quickly. In the past, I would have spent so much time wondering what I did wrong, how I could avoid getting those kinds of looks.”
And then she wouldn’t have been able to focus on work, which would have earned her even more contemptuous looks. She would have spent the whole day feeling like a fool. But really, even now, it didn’t bother her at all.
“I’m not even curious about who looked at me that way.”
Kaela said this with wide eyes and then smiled like a star.
“That’s why I was okay.”
“So that’s why you were okay.”
Peon embraced her.
“I’m glad.”
Being rather taciturn, that was all he said. It might sound too simple or even insincere, but Kaela knew he spoke with sincerity. She could feel both relief and concern in his words.
“What about people laughing? Was that okay too?”
There were many things he didn’t know because Kaela never spoke about them. There would probably be many more things he would learn about in the future.
As Kaela became more and more okay, she would sometimes suddenly open up about things she had hidden and concealed. Of course, there would be some wounds he would never know about.
“Well, yes. There were far more people who listened seriously than those who laughed at what I said.”
After saying that and thinking a bit more, Kaela added.
“You always listen to what I say seriously, honey.”
Peon finally sighed and briefly looked away from Kaela. It was torture to hold back at times like this.
He needed to listen seriously, but he had almost just nodded absently saying “Yes, that’s right” and showered her with kisses, enchanted by that pretty face and way of speaking. Get it together. Kaela was talking about something very serious now, so he needed to listen attentively.
“I’m trying to.”
He answered through gritted teeth. His wife seemed like a being created specifically to enchant him. That’s why he had even followed her with his eyes in situations where that should have been impossible, and came to hate himself for being so captivated.
Just the fact that his distorted anger had been directed at this fragile and lovable wife meant he deserved to have his head buried in the ground. Yet Kaela still, truly still smiled at such a worthless person as him. That made Peon try even harder.
“Once I say something, you never forget it.”
“Of course I shouldn’t forget something I’ve heard once.”
Kaela counted the people who listened to her words seriously. Her father was like that, and so was Peon.
Needless to say, there were Cecile, Denise, Maria, Sir Renard, Sir Wilberk, and even Butler Regen Nerkel from Lusenford who sent tearful letters to the Grand Duchess from afar, and Head Maid Fabiola Silenster always listened to her words seriously.
Including Doctor Darinka who, though nagging, always paid attention to Kaela’s emotional state, didn’t she have quite a good number of people on her side?
Not to mention the nobles in Ostein and those who cared for her. Moreover, now that she was on the Regency Council, all the high officials at least paid attention to what she said.
‘Come to think of it, even Beatrice…’
When they last met, even though her eyes dripped with hostility, Beatrice tried not to miss a single word Kaela said.
Even Beatrice Ravalley, who was the biggest cause and main culprit in making Kaela be ignored, was like that – wouldn’t it be fair to say she had gotten quite good revenge by now?
“And, I think I don’t mind even if there are people laughing at what I say now.”
“Really? Why?”
“Because you won’t stay quiet if I get upset.”
She spoke quietly with slightly increased confidence and strengthened faith.
“This time, you’ll definitely step in.”
Rather, she was more worried about having to stop him from intervening. The man who would never again ignore her as he had before the regression held her hand, kissed it, and swore with all his heart.
“Of course I will. I swear.”
Peon shook his head as he gazed into her eyes that held the sky.
“Never again, absolutely, such a thing, I’d rather die…”
His rambling sincerity, rather than smooth words, pieced together shattered trust, and his desperate gaze gradually added to thin and fragile confidence.
Kaela gently touched the corner of his eye. His severely trembling eyes finally closed. Peon leaned his face against her small hand. The afternoon was quietly stretching on.
****
When darkness came after the long summer day passed, Kaela was running away.
She reached out with trembling hands and ran as far as she could. But just when she thought this should be far enough and started to feel slightly relieved, her pursuer simply wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in.
“Why, whyyyy…!”
Kaela protested. How could this be!
“You said not to kill him.”
The pursuer spoke calmly. No, though his tone was calm, his eyes were already gone. He was a mad dragon, and it was normal for him to be mad.
“You can’t kill someone just because they sent a rose…! Ah…!”
Kaela shuddered at the feeling of skin being scratched. Though tears and pleas fell drop by drop, Peon didn’t bat an eye.
“Just a rose, you say. They sent a love letter too. Would you like it if I received roses and love letters, honey?”
“Still, killing is, killing would be too much. Ah, you can’t kill Prince Elkanan either!”
Thrashing about frantically, Kaela finally cried.
“I said I wouldn’t kill him.”
“Then why, again…”
“I’m just a bit annoyed at hearing that bastard’s name in bed.”
“That’s totally unreasonable…!”
“It’s not allowed in bed, honey. It feels like adultery.”
Peon kissed her while whispering sweetly and pulled at her slender ankle, briefly gauging its thickness. Had she gained enough flesh to hold onto forever? No, he needed to feed her more.
“Ah, that’s kind of thrilling?”
Kaela, who had been shaking her head in denial, finally fell asleep as if fainting after thoroughly scratching his shoulders, back, and sides. Though Peon knew she would feel suffocated if he held her too tightly, he pulled her close with his thick arms.
Since he became unable to sleep, nights had been torturously long and boring times for him. Peon traced Kaela’s tear-stained eyes with his lips and closed his eyes.
It was time to return to the Northern Tower again. Time to see the woman who died clinging to a door that would never open, suffering from cold and hunger, and feel that pain.
“No, stop…”
A faint voice whispered to Peon.
“Stop, sleep…”
His consciousness was swallowed by darkness.
🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷