Chapter 10

C10: Strange Husband

But come to think of it, there was no particular need for her to take a different attitude. It was enough for her to remain on good terms with the Duke.

A good duchess. It’s just an external appearance that’s been maintained narrowly well.

She sneered.

The prince, who had no idea what was going on, spoke again.

“It’s dangerous here. I’ll take you home.”

“No. Thank you for today. As you said, it’s dangerous here. I must go back.”

When Psyche refused, the prince made a sad face. His expression was like that of a child.

There was nothing good about provoking him until she ran away, so she thought about going back.

“Hmm. I’m bored.”

He seemed unwilling to leave Psyche so continued to follow her with a languid face.

Psyche, who still felt uncomfortable with the prince while was still on her way to the duchy, suddenly wondered if the prince could be here at this time. It was rather suspicious.

“Your Highness goes around like this, does His Majesty know?”

He pretended to be sick as if he had been stabbed in the stomach.

“So hurry up and go back, Your Highness.”

“Promise me you’ll teach me.”

“…”

“I don’t know why my father removed herbalism from the basic curriculum. It’s so much fun.”

The way he pouted and grumbled was like a child. He clung to her like a child so Psyche quickly answered hastily, thinking that she should stop the Duke’s soldiers from coming all the way here to make a fuss about finding her.

“Is it up to me? Get permission from my husband.”

“No. Did you use the Duke as a shield?”

Thinking that it was a relationship that they would never meet again, she turned her refusal to express it.

“I’ll get permission from the Duke. When can I come?”

“…”

He was such a persistent man. He followed Psyche without getting tired of walking fast.

“Or should I go with you now and ask for permission?”

“…”

Even with a blatantly embarrassed expression, he never backed down.

“Aren’t you bored alone anyway? Let’s go together.”

Psyche was a little annoyed at the tone that sounded like a child begging her to play, but she kept in mind many times that he was the crown prince and did her best to keep a smile on her face.

In no time at all, the two of them had arrived at the end of an alley in the downtown area.

“Then I’ll go.”

“Are you going?”

The prince stood with a really sad expression. Psyche shook her head involuntarily at the expression with her eyes wide open.

“I have to go.”

Before things get serious

“That’s too bad. Really.”

The prince raised Psyche’s hand to say goodbye to her. The moment his lips touch the back of her hand.

“It’s here!”

A crowd of armed men appeared from nowhere and overpowered the prince at once. In front of Psyche’s eyes, the prince fell to his knees.

It was a very fleeting thing. Psyche was so surprised that she made a stunned face. Before long, the Duke appeared at the end of the group.

He was slowly approaching Psyche, looking completely at her.

“Ah…”

Psyche put her head on the commotion that unfolded in front of her.

“This is why…”

I was going to go back quickly. I looked up and saw the Duke walking toward me.

The situation I wanted to avoid the most was unfolding right in front of my eyes. My back hurts. As the armed knights blocked the alley, her eyes were forced to focus on them. Psyche sighed and approached those who subdued the prince.

But the Duke stopped her.

“Madame.”

“Ahhhhhhh! Let go! It hurts!”

The prince, who was overpowered by the knight, screamed. His reaction was so one-dimensional, I could tell just by looking at how much he hurt.

“Let him go, please…”

Psyche swept her face in embarrassment. The Duke, who only stared at her, did not seem to know who was kneeling. He didn’t even look interested.

It wasn’t until Psyche spoke that his eyebrows went up a little when he found the crown prince subdued by the knight. Clint wasn’t even surprised and asked calmly.

“Why is Your Highness here?”

After confirming that he was the crown prince, he ordered him to be released with a chin. However, Clint looked directly at Psyche as if he didn’t want an answer from the prince and said,

“Madam, let’s go home.”

“…”

The Duke seemed unwilling to ask why she had come all the way here.

“No, don’t I get an apology?”

The prince, who stood up grumbling, shook off the dust on his clothes.

“You’re not supposed to be here, are you?”

Even the crown prince made a tired face at the extremely cold tone.

“Be content with what I close my eyes to Your Highness.”

At that, the prince stuck out his lips. A grown adult looked like a child.

“Really, Duke is not fun. That’s why your wife goes out alone. Don’t you think so?”

“That doesn’t do anything for the current situation, Your Highness.”

Rather, Psyche quickly responded to the words of the prince, who made the situation worse. Because the Duke’s face looked angry enough.

She was tired anyway, and just wanted to go back and rest. She didn’t want to argue about what kind of relationship he had with Rachel or why and wasn’t particularly curious about the reason.

For Psyche, the relationship with the Duke is just a contract.

“Your Highness, I had a great time today. Then I’ll go home now.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. Can’t you do that favor earlier?”

“Please make a formal request later. Then I’m leaving.”

She turned away from the prince who was about to cling to her again.

“Then I’ll visit you!”

After bowing politely to the loudly shouting prince, Psyche turned around without hesitation.

“Let’s go.”

“…”

I just passed by the Duke, who looked like he had a lot to say, pretending not to know anything. I heard him sigh.

“Madame.”

Clint called her but Psyche did not stop.

“Madame!”

Eventually, Clint came running and grabbed her arm, and stopped her.

In the end, Psyche raised her voice in annoyance.

“I’m saying I’m going back! Why!”

“…”

In an instant, the wounded eyes turned cold again.

“Let’s go in the carriage. Are you going to walk home?”

“…”

He said awkwardly to Psyche, who was angry. Well, he’s not a great person to start a fight in a crowded place. Thinking that she was angry for no reason, Psyche nodded with an embarrassed face.

After seeing off the prince, they awkwardly climbed into the carriage. As the driver whipped, the wagon began to move slowly. A very awkward silence passed between the two.

Psyche just wanted to get to the Duke’s mansion without saying anything. She didn’t have the energy to have an emotional fight with him.

“Why did you go alone?”

“…”

However, there was no way the Duke would just let it go.

“Strictly speaking, I wasn’t alone.”

When she said it sarcastically, Clint frowned.

“Madam, I’m not trying to play with words like that. Do you know how surprised I was? You’ve never been like that before.….”

Psyche looked as if she didn’t care at all.

“No matter how stable you are, you should be careful.”

“Careful?”

Psyche asked with her eyes wide open.

What do you mean?

Who’s using the word to be careful with whom? He made a completely unconcerned face, but when he saw Psyche’s face change, the Duke changed his words.

Originally, he was not considerate of others’ positions or bent on it, so he did not try to understand others. Psyche’s experience made him feel that way. Born in the Duke family with everything in his hands, did he ever had a hard time?

Since he was little, everything must have been his way. So, the Duke must have thought that Psyche would come in according to the picture he drew.

In the first place, she didn’t want much sympathy from him, but Psyche was full of spirits. The Duke closed his mouth, then opened it with difficulty.

“I’m sorry about Rachel…”

His apology was even considered bizarre. Was he someone who could say sorry? I thought I knew him pretty well, but he was full of unfamiliar things.

Perhaps it’s because he doesn’t want to make it big, so he apologized. After all, he sympathizes with and regrets what Psyche is upset about.

She didn’t think he was sincere, but Psyche didn’t want to argue.

“…”

She just chose to shut up because she didn’t want to fight him or raise her voice before fleeing.

“There was a situation.”

I guess so. Everyone must have a situation.

“From now on, no. If you have someone you love, you should be careful about that with other women.”

Psyche was in a bad mood, and after saying that, she regretted what she had said as if she had been rude.

Hearing that, Clint made a face of thought for a moment, then quietly opened his mouth.

“What do you mean, I’ll have someone I love in the future?”

She shut her mouth tightly.

“My wife seems to be different from usual these days, but I hope she’s okay.”

The Duke sighed.