CH 34

It wasn’t Benelucia’s fault that Cliff de Helios came to the funeral. Atleast, Senelia was aware of that. 

On the contrary, Senelia had to thank the Grand Duke, Benelucia had saved her father’s funeral that Cliff almost ruined. 

Even so, it was a situation that ended with Benelucia asking for forgiveness. 

Which gave Senelia to recall the image of the Grand Duke, who stood at the forefront and blocked the emperor at the gate. 

In the original, Benelucia had endured his brother’s tyranny until he eventually reunited with Lucalina and became lovers. 

He never intervened in the affairs of the emperor, nor did he antagonize him.

But today, Benelucia did something he hadn’t done before and even volunteered to be punished in Senelia’s place.

Even asking

Even asking for punishment must have been to placate Cliff’s anger. Otherwise, if he had continued to stand up to the emperor, saying his will was right, Cliff would never have backed down so easily.

It was all for Senelia.

Finally, his actions showed the extent of Benelucia’s love for Senelia.

“—No. Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Her tired heart suddenly craved to lean on that love.

At this rate, she wondered if she should perform her act as Cliff had requested.

She felt the urge to accept Benelucia. 

What would Lucalina do if she married Benelucia? After all, if she became the Grand Duchess, the emperor would not be able to touch her or her family like before.

Unfortunately for the Grand Duke, Senelia was about to open her mouth and admit her thoughts when they were interrupted. 

Piruru.

A bird’s cry came from Senelia’s room and it was a sound she knew all too well. 

It was the emperor’s bird that, without fail, delivered news to Senelia.

Senelia swallowed the words that rose to her throat. 

Her mind flashed as if she had woken up from a spell.

The result Cliff wanted was not for Benelucia to love Senelia ‘in moderation’. He wished his brother to love her so severely that she would become  Benelucia’s leash.

In order to do that, she could not give herself to Benelucia right now. 

Senelia bit her lower lip hard.

Even if Senelia could escape, Cliff would reach his hands out to her mother.

Senelia could not abandon her mother. 

However, she did not have the ability to safely escape with her mother.

Just as Senelia was about to reject the Grand Duke again, he suddenly covered her mouth with one hand.

“Shh.”

Benelucia had silently mouthed for Senelia to be quiet and continued. 

“I think someone is in your room.”

Goosebumps rose up on Senelia’s back. 

Come to think of it, Benelucia is also a sword master. 

It was perhaps natural for him to notice Cliff’s presence at such a close distance.

Benelucia’s sudden visit to Senelia’s room must have been unexpected to Cliff de Helios.

“Here it is.”

He hid Senelia behind his back and gripped the handle of the sword at his side. 

The moment he opened the door and entered, a black shadow jumped through the window.

“Where to run—!”

As the Grand Duke stepped into the room to chase the shadow, Senelia grabbed his arm.

“Wait! Please stay by my side.”

Senelia’s hands trembled as if she were afraid.

Seeing that, her ex-lover held her in his arms with a pitying expression on his face.

“It’s okay, Sally, I’m with you.”

The Grand Duke’s hand caressed Senelia’s back. Perhaps he assumed she was taken aback by the stranger’s intrusion.

Senelia was relieved by Benelucia’s misunderstanding. 

You don’t know how scared I was when I thought you would find out about my unwillingly subservient relationship with Cliff.

“First, let’s see what’s in the room.”

Benelucia spoke softly, soothing Senelia. He seemed to be wary of the assailant doing something strange to her room.

Senelia quickly scanned the room while holding onto him.

There is nothing in the room. 

Senelia knew that the thorough Cliff wouldn’t have left a loophole.

Only then, once she was convinced, did she release male lead. 

“Fortunately there is nothing.”

Benelucia checked Senelia’s room carefully, and spoke as if to reassure her. Even so, he couldn’t hide his curiosity.

No matter how fast the opponent tried to run away first, they would have been caught by Benelucia immediately if they hadn’t excelled in their skills.

But they escaped from his hand. 

That means that the intruder who entered Senelia’s room is not normal.

Senelia knew that the Grand Duke would doubt that. 

So, she distracted him once more.

I had to make it so that Benelucia couldn’t get lost in his thoughts again. 

“Sally?”

After the two broke up, Senelia was extremely wary of even getting close to each other. When she grabbed his arm first, Benelucia looked at Senelia in surprise.

“…Ah, sorry.”

Senelia removed her hand as if she had realized her actions belatedly.

Benelucia frowned.

“Why are you only apologizing for such a small thing?”

Benelucia grabbed Senelia’s hand and put it back on his arm.

He even took it a step further and held her empty hand with his own.

“Whatever you do to me, don’t say you’re sorry.”

Benelucia spoke firmly.

His demeanor was not at all intimidating, even though the male lead had been rejected by Senelia, he was still proud in front of her.

Senelia laughed bitterly inwardly. 

That’s the difference between him and myself.

Benelucia told her not to say she was sorry, but Senelia could not help but want to apologize. 

“I’ll be by your side today, so sleep comfortably.”

The Grand Duke seemed to have judged that Senelia was still afraid.

Senelia muttered with a slightly puzzled face.

“Your Majesty must be uncomfortable— And again, I have to prepare for…”

Senelia glanced toward the bathroom. Benelucia paused for a moment and interrupted playfully.

“I can help.”

“Your majesty!”

Benelucia and Senelia were no longer lovers, so it was impossible for the Grand Duke to attend to the baths with her.

When she screamed in fright, he replied with an embarrassed expression.

“Sorry, you were so nervous— I keep acting stupid in front of you.”

Benelucia’s mood quickly turned sullen. 

As if he didn’t know what to say to lighten the mood in case he frightened Senelia.

Senelia felt strange again. It was as if they had become normal friends.

What would it be like if I met you as an ordinary person…?

It wasn’t that Senelia hadn’t thought of it.

However, the conclusion of that thought was always from the beginning that that handsome man could not be ordinary, and that if it were not for the emperor, they would never have met.

“Your Majesty, don’t be nice to me.”

Senelia tried to erase the emperor’s existence from her mind, but she couldn’t.

As soon as she thought of the emperor, she thought that this would have bought the emperor enough time so that his brother wouldn’t find him out even if he tried.

Senelia pushed Benelucia’s hand away, as if she was a person who was splashed with a cold bucket of reality.

The Grand Duke’s face hardened. He seemed to have forgotten for a while that she had rejected his marriage proposal not too long ago.

“Sally, I’ll be fine.”

Holding Senelia’s hand again, the Grand Duke knelt down in front of her as she sat on the bed.

Senelia freaked out again and tried to get him up.

“Don’t do this, Your Majesty.”

“Please give me one more chance.”

Benelucia’s body was immovable, he begged her with her hands clasped in his own.

“I’ll do really well, therefore… Don’t leave with Young Lord Pendragon, please.”

Senelia paused. 

I spoke with Yenelov in the hallway, it seemed that Benelucia had overheard everything.

In fact, it was strange that Benelucia, whose five senses were far more developed than others, could not hear everything that happened in this small mansion.

Her stomach churned. Senelia closed her eyes tightly.

Why on earth did the emperor plan to play me in his grasp?

It occurred to her that perhaps even allowing Benelucia to listen to the conversation between herself and Yenelov might have been the emperor’s plan.

It was terribly dirty of him.

However, the Grand Duke seemed to misunderstand Senelia’s reaction.

“Really! Could you please accept me?”

The male lead’s voice trembled.

Seeing him weaken in front of her surprised Senelia every time.

As a result, she was speechless, and the male lead suddenly tightened his grip on her clasped hands.

“Sally, are you going to leave with Pendragon?”

His tone became a little ferocious at the end as he raised his upper body and approached Senelia.

“Do you think I will let you do that?”

Benelucia’s hand, cupped Senelia’s cheek, and touched her cheek very carefully.

“If you’re going to leave me by trying to go to Spania or the kingdom, then even that Pendragon is really stupid.”

His tone was infinitely cynical.

“Do you really think I didn’t know about the love letters that came to you secretly?”

Benelucia’s fingers gently ran over Senelia’s lips. He smiled kindly and spoke softly.

“If it weren’t found out, it wouldn’t have gradually decreased.”