Chapter 41

“Ugh! S-Save… Aah! Aah! Ugh!”

Everyone fell to their knees, some sobbing and pleading.

“Please spare me!”

“I was wrong! Please have mercy..!”

The people who had laughed and mocked Asella earlier disappeared, leaving only people lying down and begging for their lives. It was a pathetic and boring change.

Calix clasped his hands together and looked down at his wife without showing any emotions, then turned away.

Anthony’s body stiffened as he met his gaze. His body trembled with instinctive fear as he thought of the merciless beating he had taken earlier.

The alcohol had long since worn off, and he was sober.

As Anthony was unable to say anything, Philip quickly made an excuse.

“Your Highness! My son was just-”

“Drunk? Is that the best excuse you can come up with?”

“That’s…”

Intercepting what he was saying, Philip stuttered after he heard the Grand Duke.

He could hear the aristocrats talking behind his back. Before he knew it, both ends of the hallway were surrounded by the Benvito knights; behind them, numerous aristocrats gathered.

“What’s going on there?”

“It seems that the young Chartus lord had insulted Her Highness, the Grand Duchess.”

“What do you mean by ‘insult’…?”

“I don’t know. It seems that His Highness the Grand Duke is furious….”

Philip clenched his fist and bit his lip.

‘That stupid son! I told him to be careful, but he had to get drunk and cause a scene!’

It wasn’t an accident that could be masked by random lines.

“Your adopted son’s name is…”

Philip came to his senses at the sound of the Grand Duke. Calix’s voice sounded low and deep as if it would bury him into the ground.

Now was not the time to blame his son; he had to get out of this situation somehow!

With a swift turn of his head, he found a suitable excuse, but Calix’s words were faster.

“Anthony, I think you said.”

Quick-witted people had noticed that Calix had left out Anthony’s last name.

But whether that was intentional or not, they couldn’t tell…

“Your Excellency…”

Philip stuttered. His mind, which had always been agile, was not working properly now, as if it had stopped functioning.

“I think you know better… what your adopted son has done to my wife.”

Calix’s red lips curved in a beautiful arc. A dangerous smile appeared on his ravishingly exquisite face.

On the other hand, his red eyes, which gleamed in vivid colors, were not smiling at all.

The contrast was so terrifying that Philip’s mind went blank, as he almost lost his balance and stumbled.

“I’ll discipline him. This will never happen again…”

“Stop.”

Calix cut off Philip’s words coldly and lowered his gaze to meet with the woman in a veil who was docile in his arms; she remained silent throughout the situation.

‘What shall we do now?’

Pfff, a small laugh came out from the Grand Duke’s lips, causing those in the surrounding area to panic.

Moreover, even his subjects, Ryzen and the Benvito knights, were surprised.

It was rare for the Grand Duke to laugh like this. And from their past experience, it was never a good thing.

“Asella.”

Asella flinched in his chest as she hadn’t expected him to call her. After a moment, however, a calm voice came from within the veil.

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“Your brother… I’ll give you the authority to punish him as you see fit.”

Although her face was hidden within the veil, Calix could notice her shifting around.

Her small hand clutched and released the hem of her skirt several times.

“…”

Meanwhile, Asella was trying to determine Calix’s intentions but gave up, realizing that it was a pointless attempt.

Now that she was able to measure his intentions, she wondered what she could do and what she could refuse.

Knowing that this was a test that she was being put to, Asella decided to take Calix at his word.

She decided to simply assume that he had entrusted her with the disposal of Anthony.

‘The extent is what matters.’

He should not be punished too harshly.

After all, Anthony was a nobleman, who would inherit the Marquis title, and above all, Mariel was in the hands of Philip and his son.. If they harbored a grudge over this and wanted to harm Mariel, she had no way to stop them.

On the other hand, she couldn’t punish him lightly either.

The crime of insulting the Grand Duchess wasn’t trivial; it could be interpreted in the same context as insulting the Grand Duke.

As proof of this, the Grand Duke’s knights had their swords drawn and were ready to take down anyone involved at any moment.

Many thoughts flashed through her mind in the short time she had, but none of them were easy to settle on.

Struggling to decide, Asella eventually chose the right approach.

“How… How far can I go?”

She decided to ask the Grand Duke directly.

At that moment, a strange feeling crossed Calix’s face. His hostile eyes flashed with interest.

He stared into her calm eyes. Although she was wearing a veil, her blue-colored eyes were vivid, showing through the veil.

‘How far could she go? She’s bolder than expected. After all, you’re not just obedient, are you? Then, for you, gladly.’

“As far as you want.”

Calix tightened his grip on Asella’s waist.

Her eyes widened at the small vibration transmitted through their arms. It was fun to see her pretending to be calm on the outside while being very nervous.

When he brought his mouth to her ear, her tense body flinched.

He smiled softly at her honest reaction and opened his mouth.