Maybe this was an opportunity? Kaela thought as she looked down at her colorful body. It was full of traces of pleasure, desire, and some kind of obsession. It was the same whether it was Peon she experienced before she died or Peon she experienced this time.
But unlike the man who acted like nothing had happened when morning came, and was even very displeased at the fact that the Grand Duchess was in his bedroom, the current Peon was a completely different person.
As he seemed to be in a good mood, as he seemed to be okay now, Kaela thought that while watching his mood, she might be able to send the youngest maid Marie back to Ostein on the excuse that this child was a little sick.
Kaela laughed in disbelief as she thought about it.
‘This is pillow talk.’
She never thought there would come a day when she would do this. It seems that people shouldn’t live long to see things, but should die once to see. Well, even if you die and wake up in the past again, it’s the same that her husband holds her leash.
Kaela wrapped her body, which was complaining of muscle pain, in clothes, looked at the documents for a moment, and called Darinka, who was the busiest these days, to hear her story.
Of course, rather than complaining about how difficult the situation was, Darinka was busy applying ointment to erase the marks the Grand Duke had left on the Grand Duchess’s skin.
“You need to rest today. You shouldn’t have intercourse.”
Of course, hearing such words from Darinka inevitably made her face turn red.
“The Grand Duke is busy too. Not today.”
While Darinka only made sure Kaela ate her meals, Peon was also too busy to even open his eyes today. That’s what cleaning up after a war is like.
He had to visit houses filled with wailing, check on the wounded, repair the greasy fortress and the half-burnt fortress gates.
He had to replenish the used military supplies and maintain the weapons. Moreover, he had to dig up more information about Volga, Bainland, and Delgard, so even ten bodies wouldn’t be enough.
Kaela knew well how he would handle what kind of work now, having learned well over the past 4 years, but she knew it was safest not to show any sign of knowing.
If she showed even a little bit of knowledge, she was likely to be accused of being the Emperor’s spy. So she just said he was ‘busy’. But Darinka, who hadn’t known at all for the past 4 years and only found out this time, had an expression that said it couldn’t be.
“You mean the person who rushed into his wife’s room as soon as the war ended and did this to you won’t come by today? You must tell the Grand Duke, Your Highness.”
Well, that can’t be. Kaela leaned back comfortably, preparing for the night she would spend alone, her body feeling refreshingly good despite the soreness. She would be able to meet Peon tomorrow night. Then, let’s casually bring up the story about Marie.
The day at Lusenford Castle, which was busy for the Grand Duchess who woke up late, passed faster than usual.
Beatrice was quiet, probably wandering around somewhere, and Isidore Dakiten was probably busy with his own work. So Kaela rested really well, unfittingly in Lusenford, which was in the aftermath of war. She would rest well, have dinner quietly, and then go to bed.
“How are you feeling, Your Highness?”
However, all expectations were overturned the moment Peon appeared at the dinner table where she was supposed to eat alone.
Lusenford Castle already has many guests. If the lord of the castle doesn’t show up in the wide and chilly dining room where the table is set for every meal, even Kaela had to fill the seat. That’s why she came out, but Peon, who would surely be busy going back and forth to Fueten, entered the dining room.
“Your Highness.”
“Why did you come out here where it’s cold? You should eat warmly in your room.”
His eyes, which first examined her body as he walked briskly over, were full of concern.
“I thought I should come out since there are many guests.”
When she gave the model answer, Peon sighed and lowered his voice.
“They’re unwelcome guests you don’t need to worry about, Kaela. You should take care of yourself first.”
Kaela momentarily forgot what to say at the suddenly familiar tone.
“Are you okay? I heard the doctor came by. What did she say?”
Experiencing this kind of Peon for the first time, she had no idea how to act safely. So she became even more cautious.
“She said I’m fine.”
“There’s no way she just said you’re fine.”
His violet eyes looked red in the firelight. When Kaela hesitated a little, those eyes narrowed.
“She, today, said not to do it.”
“Do what?”
Kaela couldn’t answer and just tried to convey it with her eyes. It was too embarrassing for a proper lady to say.
“Ah.”
Peon looked down at her and smiled slightly.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re fine? You’re fine, but you don’t want to speak comfortably to your oppa like before?”
Why did he suddenly say that? Kaela looked up at Peon, surprised. She thought reflexively.
How should she answer at times like this to be safe? The habit of always hiding her true thoughts and looking for safe answers whenever unexpected questions came up felt very old.
It felt so old that she probably couldn’t shake it off until she died. Kaela was destined to die young, so of course, it would be like that.
“Are you doing this because you’re upset and angry about something?”
“No, it’s not that…”
“Then do you just not want to do it?”
He was still smiling, asking kindly as he once did to his young sister. But that made it more dangerous. Kaela chose to ‘blame herself’, which was a somewhat better answer in these situations.
“I’m afraid I might make a mistake.”
She had to humble herself, admitting that she was stupid as everyone pointed out. That was a bit better.
“Because I’m not smart, I forget easily…I often forget, so I’m afraid I might make a mistake.”
“You’re not stupid.”
Peon made an indecipherable expression.
“It’s true. My memory is bad too.”
“Really? How bad?”
But if even this doesn’t work, there’s nothing she can do. She just had to take all the incoming attacks, contempt, and insults as they were.
“You forget easily?”
Kaela kept her mouth shut. Answering carelessly would be a mistake. It was better to be sparing with words.
“I wish that were true.”
The words that came out like a sigh sounded like some kind of wish. Not understanding what he meant, Kaela watched Peon’s mood. Does he mean to forget everything? She was confident in that. She was born to cover her eyes, cover her ears, shut her mouth, and pretend not to know.
“Kaela. Just in case…I’m asking just in case.”
“Yes.”
“By any chance…do you have anything you want from me…or anything you want to say, something like that?”
She had many wishes. If anything went wrong, she wanted to ask him not to kill her painfully, as she would take care of dying herself. That was asking for a lot.
“Anything you want to say, …something like that.”
Peon, who was speaking with difficulty, met Kaela’s eyes.
“…Nothing?”
It wasn’t something that could come out easily. Kaela wasn’t someone who would say everything just because he told her to. They weren’t that kind of relationship to begin with.
“There’s nothing.”
Peon smiled bitterly at Kaela’s cautious expression that showed she had no idea what he was talking about.
“I see. I said something strange. I’m sorry. Don’t worry about it.”
It really was strange. Peon knew it very well.
“Speak however you like. Just…, I was thinking about the past.”
He looked down at her quietly and then gently kissed her white, smooth forehead.
“I wanted to get closer.”
Now they were too far apart. Perhaps they would be forever. Peon sat at the table, sensing some kind of end. Today, coincidentally, only the Grand Duke and Duchess were in the dining room.
The war had just ended, so ladies unrelated to the battle stayed at home, and only knights rushing around for cleanup were in the castle, so no one was paying attention to Beatrice Ravalley.
Isidore Dakiten seemed busy preparing to leave after finishing his investigation.
Thanks to this, the dining atmosphere was a bit more comfortable. At least it meant Kaela wouldn’t get severely indigested. Peon was exceptionally kind to Kaela after spending last night together, and the food was delicious.
“I didn’t get to say this yesterday, but I’m really glad you came back victorious.”
A safe topic and safe words that always came after much consideration of ‘Is this okay?’ were placed on the table. Peon focused on Kaela, who was speaking slowly and carefully in a small voice.
“Were you worried about me?”
He leaned towards Kaela and grinned. It was a smile that conveyed a much more secretive and intimate meaning than the Grand Duchess simply worrying about the Grand Duke. Even though they weren’t that kind of relationship.
“No, that’s…”
As soon as the words reflexively came out due to the desperate obsession to not cross the line under any circumstances, Peon’s expression noticeably became disappointed.
“You weren’t worried?”
“No, no, that’s not it…”
Kaela even waved her hands.
“You were?”
She couldn’t say no again to his brightened face.
“Of course I was worried.”
Isn’t that the virtue of a Grand Duchess? But Peon smiled like a boy even at the formal, polite answer.
“I see. You were worried about me.”
“…Of course.”
“It might not be so obvious.”
Peon answered comfortably, as if they were just brother and sister like a very long time ago.
“Why?”
“Because I’m the ‘Victor of the North’?”
He said that nickname as if it were a joke. But even the Victor of the North could get injured, and sometimes be defeated. Kaela recalled the harsh four years in the North she experienced before she died.
“No one is undefeated.”
“No one is without mistakes either.”
“War is dangerous, isn’t it?”
Peon nodded, put down his fork, and picked up a glass of red wine to drink.
“…It is dangerous.”
His gaze turned to the wine glass. The wine he had just taken one sip of looked dark red.
He must have been quite in a hurry. He was playing with tea in the afternoon, and now he’s drinking wine at dinner.
“Is the wine not to your liking?”
When Peon looked up at Kaela’s cautious voice, he saw her watching him with a tense expression. What should he answer? After thinking quietly for a moment, Peon finally opened his mouth.
“It’s unique.”
“It’s Blanue wine I brought as part of my dowry. I thought it might be good to serve it since you must be tired, but does it not suit your taste?”
The Grand Duchess, who should be much more familiar and accustomed to calling him “Peon Oppa” and speaking informally for a much longer time than using honorifics, found honorifics much more comfortable.
And the wine she brought as part of her dowry, and even specially selected for today, contained poison.
When Peon remained silent, Kaela picked up her untouched wine glass with an anxious expression.
“No, don’t drink it. Don’t drink it. It must have been stored improperly. It’s spoiled.”
“What? That can’t be.”
“No, it’s spoiled. Don’t drink it.”
Peon said firmly, taking away Kaela’s glass to prevent her from even touching the wine, and called for a servant.
“The wine has spoiled, so remove it all and dispose of it properly.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The servant moved quickly and immediately.
“…I’m sorry, I should have managed…”
“No.”
As Kaela, who had frozen in surprise, reflexively apologized first, Peon cut her off sharply.
“It’s not your fault, Kaela.”
He said firmly.
“You just ordered it, the mismanagement isn’t your fault. It’s okay. We can just have another bottle brought.”
The new bottle of Blanue wine and new glasses that the servant immediately brought had no problems at all.
“See? It’s fine. It seems only that one bottle was the problem. Sometimes just one bottle can go bad, right?”
Peon drank the fragrant southern wine very bitterly as he watched Kaela finally relax at his reassurance. Lusenford was full of traps aimed at Kaela, and Kaela was already frightened.
What had frightened her so much? And who was leaking poison? The circumstantial evidence was obvious, but should he search for physical evidence first? No, they would have cleanly removed any physical evidence anyway, so it’s unnecessary. He just needed to handle it quietly and decisively.
But even if he dealt with it, as long as Kaela didn’t leave this place, such incidents would continue to happen.
No matter how much effort is made, what doesn’t work, doesn’t work. Once ruined, there’s no second chance, and since there’s never been a price paid for what’s already happened, there probably won’t be a future either.
Peon swirled his glass and looked into it.
“I’m planning to expand.”
Kaela looked up.
“Since we’re already renovating the kitchen, I want to expand the entire castle and reinforce the fortress further.”
The man who had flatly refused any room for expansion before dying now brought up expansion first after waking up from death. Even though Fueten hadn’t been completely breached and battles hadn’t occurred in Lusenford like before he died.
“…It will cost a lot.”
Peon finally raised his head and looked at Kaela. His gaze, always straight and clear, was now wavering.
“Even if it costs a lot.”
His throat tightened. His breath caught, and he had to force out his voice.
“If we think about the distant future, it’s an absolutely necessary investment, isn’t it?”
That’s what you said, Kaela.
