CH 6

At my delightful reply, the Grand Duchess looked puzzled. After a while she snorted.

“Your role as a wife? You mean it?” She had a face as if she didn’t believe me at all. Well, I had an accident since I got married, but it was a natural reaction because I had never taken care of Akid. Rather, she looked like she wanted me to stay still.

Well, whether it’s real or not, she’ll find out when she sees it in the future.

I shrugged and answered.

“Of course, Mother.”

“…So, what are you going to do? Are you saying you know what the role of a wife is?”

“That…” I was just about to open my mouth. Someone came in without permission with a knock.

It was Akid. I widened my eyes at his sudden appearance.

‘At this hour, what matter does he have?’

Akid glanced at me once and spoke politely to Elena.

“I apologize for coming so suddenly.”

“I never allowed you to come in, though.”

The Grand Duchess gave off a full-blown look of displeasure. Akid resembled the Grand Duke so much that he was called the mini version of the Grand Duke.

Unlike the Grand Duke, he was a pure man, but his image itself was very similar.

The Grand Duchess didn’t really like such Akid.

Akid said, sneaking in front of me.

“I heard that my wife was called.”

“Can’t I even call my daughter-in-law at will?”

“She hasn’t yet fully recovered. She needs to take a rest.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me back. As if he was trying to protect me.

The Grand Duchess looked at our clasped hands.

I, too, was startled by the situation that Akid came to rescue me.

‘Even if he doesn’t do this, I’m fine, though… ’

The corner of my lips kept going up as he came.

The feeling of being protected, it’s the best!

The Grand Duchess wiggled her eyebrows, revealing her displeasure.

“If anyone hears it, they’ll think I’m devouring my daughter-in-law.”

“I don’t mean that.”

“Well. I’ve asked everything I want to ask anyway, so please go away.” She waved her hand. It was a gesture that she had got everything she could get anyway.

“Let’s go.” Akid dragged me. I stood still and suddenly thought of something.

“Wait a moment.”

“…?”

I sprinted towards the Grand Duchess, leaving Akid behind. The Grand Duchess said with a sullen face.

“Aren’t you going to go?”

“Mother, listen for a moment…”

She flinched as I approached her closer. Whether she did that or not, I whispered softly. In a voice that was as sweet as a child’s as possible.

“Mother, have a nice dream. It will be better if you dream of Loena.”

“…” The Grand Duchess looked at me with a puzzled expression. At first, pretending to be friendly seemed ridiculous.

Regardless, I kissed her cheek, whispered more and greeted brightly.

“Then, have a good night, Mother!”

“You, you, what is this…” At the surprise kiss, the Grand Duchess pulled her upper body back, her face blushed.

Behind me, Akid’s eyes also turned round like a surprised rabbit.

I giggled, whether they were surprised or not.

The Grand Duchess actually liked children. She wanted children more than anyone else, but she actually had problems with her health.

Since it is said she could die if she gave birth to a child.

That’s why the Grand Duchess hid it and lived a life drawing a line with the Grand Duke.

It was for this reason that she closed her eyes to the Grand Duke’s affair and accepted her illegitimate son, Akid.

‘If Loena had a more gentle personality in the original story, she might have been loved by the Grand Duchess.’

Unfortunately, since Akid was brought to the Grand Duke’s Castle at the age of 13, he has always lived in a depressed state, unlike a child. It was close to living as if he was dead.

As he was a child brought by the Grand Duke after an accident, he was scared and held his breath back as he was worried about being hated by the Grand Duchess.

Even her daughter-in-law, Loena, had a bad temper, so the Grand Duchess didn’t even care about the Grand Prince and his wife.

‘But now everything will be different.’

I clenched my fists inwardly. I have already gone through everything in my previous life. Ever since I became independent from my adoptive parents, I was always on the run.

‘I don’t go anywhere while eating and growing up.’

For the sake of Akid’s future, I could curry favor even with my eyes closed.

“I will go now, Mother.” I put my bracken-like hands together and bowed my head to greet her.

Then I approached Akid and grabbed his hand. The Grand Duchess unconsciously laughed in vain behind the scenes.

“Come on, Akid.”

“…”

Akid bowed to the Grand Duchess with a blank face and left the room. He looked like he had lost his soul.

After that, I went to the lobby in front of the bedroom. I deliberately walked slowly, wanting to spend a long time with Akid, but unfortunately, there was no magic of increasing the distance.

It was time to go back to each room. I bowed my head to say goodbye, leaving my regrets behind, and went to my room. It was then.

“Wife.” Akid called me as he entered. When I turned around, his expression hardened.

“Why?”

“Uh… Wasn’t there any big deal earlier?” Akid licked his lips and asked cautiously.

“What do you mean a big deal?”

“Didn’t you always get angry when you were called by Mother?”

“Ah.”

A scene from the novel came to mind at Akid’s words, and I let out a shallow sigh. It was the day that Loena came back after being severely scolded by the Grand Duchess.

[Wife, are you okay?]

[Do I look okay?]

[…]

[This is all because of you. I met you and my life was ruined.]

[Did Mother scold you a lot? Instead of me…]

[Clangㅡ!]

[Don’t touch my body, you trash!]

[Wife… ]

[Don’t even call me ‘Wife’. I didn’t do it because I wanted to marry an illegitimate child like you.]

When Akid spoke up, Loena was furious. She turned around only after spewing out a bunch of dagger-like words.

Perhaps it was strange that I was quiet today.

‘Come to think of it, he must’ve taken courage to support me.’

For him, who had a particularly hard time with the Grand Duchess, to go to that place was a tremendous courage.

I liked his consideration and reassured him with a bashful smile.

“Nothing happened.”

“Really?”

“Of course. If anything had happened, I wouldn’t have kissed Mother a goodnight kiss.”

“Ah…”

Akid flinched at the word ‘goodnight kiss’. He seemed to be reminded of the situation earlier.

As if he had just been blown away until recently. He rubbed the back of his head several times and hesitated.

Because Akid would be hesitant about the end, I said goodbye first.

“Thank you for coming. You thought of me, right?”

“…”

“It’s late already. Have a nice dream, Akid.”

“Ah.” As I entered the room, he let out a shallow exclamation. Like someone who has more to say.

“Why?”

As I wondered and tilted my head, he quickly mumbled.

“No. As long as nothing happened. Then I’ll be going.” Akid nodded his head and slipped into the room.

Somehow it was a bland reaction, so I shrugged my shoulders as I was left alone.

***

Late at night. The Grand Duchess came to visit the Prince’s private bedroom.

“What is the Grand Duchess doing here?”

Damian looked at Elena with a wry smile.

She first found two doors between the bedrooms. The difference between the two doors is that one is always locked.

Of course, the locked door was on Elena’s side. And it was very rare for her to open the door and come into his bedroom.

Mostly it was a visit to fight. That’s why Damian was very interested when she opened the door with a smiling face and came

What made her try to scratch my stomach this time? He was very curious.

“Does that mean I’m coming to a place I can’t come?”

“Is that possible?” At Elena’s sharp reaction, Damian smirked in denial.

She clicked her tongue to see if she didn’t like his languid laugh. Then, leaning against the door, she took out the goods.

“I heard you cleaned the guest room. Are you tired of Lady Locke now?”

Damian’s lips twitched at the sarcastic tone.

He had already expected that from the time she came to see him, she would talk about Lady Locke.

It’s because it was this morning that he ordered to clean up the place where Lady Locke often stayed.

But was it something that would upset her enough to even come to her bedroom?

‘I thought you’re not interested in my relationship.’

Damian carefully observed Elena’s face. Her cheeks were a little more red than usual.

But it didn’t seem like she was particularly happy about his lover’s banishment. Because it seemed to belong to a more pleasant side than that.

‘What if? Why are those cheeks so red?’

Damian answered, looking at Elena with his slender eyes as she kept touching her cheek.

“Yes. Bestia will no longer come to Hadelus Castle.”

“Why?”

“…Since when have you been interested in my love affair?”

“You are misunderstanding. I am very interested in the Grand Duke’s every move.”

Of course, only for your unfortunate events. Elena smiled softly, hiding her hidden words. Damian wiggled his eyebrows at her playful face.

“I see. I didn’t know that the Grand Duchess is so interested in my business.”

“Do you know now?” Elena answered with a grin and let out a sly smile.

Damian answered the face more slowly for a while.

“It’s just… I’m tired.”

“Why would you cut her off in front of the Grand Prince couple?”

Damian smirked when she slowly twisted the question. Then he got up and approached her.

Elena boldly looked at him to see if he was willing to avoid, and she gave a hint of, ‘Would you like to make an excuse?’

Suddenly, the two grew closer enough to be blocked by one person.

Damian raised his chin and spat it out at Elena, who was watching him.

“Do you want to know? Why did I do that?”