CH 88

Chapter 88

“What?”

“I asked how you could be comfortable.”

To be comfortable, did he mean to be comfortable with him?

That was impossible… how could she feel comfortable with Damon? She was even watching her breathing in front of him, so there was no way she could do that.

“Did I make you uncomfortable?”

Damon seemed to hate being noticed that she had a hard time figuring out where she was supposed to fit. It was a problem because he didn’t like her anyway. The psychology of the powerful was unknown.

“That makes me sad.”

“Yes…?”

“Why are you having a hard time with me?”

If she decided to pick out the reasons why she was having a hard time with him, it wouldn’t be enough to talk about it all night from now on. Still, it was all things that could not be said in front of Damon. She had only one life, so Elysia endured a laugh that was likely to come out at his impudence.

Damon, who said he was sad with a face that didn’t look sad at all, was absurd. He made no effort to lie. She didn’t know what kind of reaction he wanted her to have.

“We are a couple.”

What did being a couple has to do with being uncomfortable with him?

In addition, they were not a couple who got married because they loved each other, but it was done by mere political strategy. So, of course, they couldn’t help but find each other difficult. It was even more strange for a married couple through an arranged marriage to treat each other innocently.

“Couples that don’t even call each other by name… I’m sad.”

“…By name?”

“Yes.”

She didn’t know why that topic suddenly popped up here. Besides, he didn’t look sad at all this time. Well, Damon Raphael couldn’t have made that face. Just imagining it made her shiver with a strange feeling.

Damon with a sad face…

“The wife always calls me Grand Duke.”

If she was not supposed to say His Grace Grand Duke, then what should she say? She was not supposed to call him by name, was she? She just wanted to avoid that. If she called him by name, she’d be really stuck.

Obviously, people would mistakenly think that they are good friends.

Originally, there were not many couples who affectionately called each other by their first names. Especially at official events.

“Of course, I respect Your Grace…”

“Respect is good between a couple, but I want intimacy.”

…Intimacy? Who would discuss intimacy with him?

It was nonsense. In fact, Elysia was still not familiar with how he affectionately called her wife. She would rather he not care, and feel comfortable receiving cold glances.

“Intimacy…”

He was forcing her to call him by his first name. Her head pounded at the nonsense. Wives did not call their husbands by their first name, unless they were usually a good couple, especially when Damon was the head of a family.

“Yes.”

“…Your Grace wants me to call you by your first name?”

There was no problem if she could work up her courage and call him by his name. The problem was the gaze around them. The moment Elysia called him by name, eyes would pour out on her. She couldn’t handle it because it was burdensome. She wanted to avoid being misunderstood.

“That’s right.”

Come to think of it, she thought that Damon had told her to call him by his name the other day. Didn’t he give up then? While Elysia couldn’t understand why he was obsessed with titles, it would be better this way than being misunderstood by others.

Oh, or maybe that misunderstanding was just what was needed?

“It seems difficult to call right away, but I will try.”

“….”

“You don’t like it?”

In the end, she came up with the best answer that satisfied both parties. But, again, even with this, Damon didn’t seem to be satisfied. He didn’t respond to her reply.

Rather, he seemed kind of sullen…

“Because I can make a mistake in public.”

While it wouldn’t have happened, she could have made a mistake if she got used to calling him by his first name.

“You can do it.”

“…Yes?”

“The wife wants to call me by my first name. What’s wrong with that?”

It wasn’t that simple. Even though the common people did not know it, the noble society was a thoroughly class society. Even if they were married, it was rude to call the other casually in public. She barely learned manners, so Elysia didn’t know why Damon seemed to be having a tantrum.

“I will try…”

She blurted out her words and avoided his gaze as if telling her to call him by name right now. Damon’s obsession with strange things was unfamiliar.

“If I say more here, the wife might soon cry.”

“….”

“Anyway, please call me soon. I’m not very patient.”

She knew better than anyone that he was impatient.

“Yes… I understand.”

Perhaps he was pleased with Elysia’s answer, he grinned. Her heart skipped a beat. Apart from being afraid of him, her body was steadily drawn to him.

* * *

“What do you want to read?”

“Aren’t you busy?”

She knew he was busy, so Elysia couldn’t understand why he didn’t go back and kept lingering around. Investigations were difficult if he was always around.

“I’m busy.”

“Then…”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t have time to be with the wife.”

If he was busy, go to work. Just by looking at Hubert, she knew he was tired. She didn’t know why the man in front of her was so lively, probably because he handed over all the work to his aide, Hubert.

“I also want to read a book with you today.”

Apparently, Julia said no one comes to the library. She said that Damon hadn’t come either, but he acted like he was a frequent visitor.

“I’m fine… Your Grace can go and do some work?”

“I am not very busy now.”

Although he probably wouldn’t know that she wanted him to go back, Damon’s attitude of pretending not to notice it made her sigh. He didn’t seem to want to go back at all.

“I want to know the history… of the Empire.”

It was better to use the one next to her. If she had been alone anyway, she wouldn’t have been able to find the book properly. How does she go through so many books?

“The history of the Empire?”

“Yes. And is there a book about the Grand Duchy?”

“Are you talking about the records of the Grand Duchy?”

She didn’t think it looked that strange, but she wondered if it aroused suspicion. Elysia’s heart skipped a beat at Damon’s question.

“Yes, because I have no education at all… It’s also the founding party soon. I want to do some studies.”

She acted as nonchalantly as possible. It was a natural answer because she really didn’t know. All she knew was what the maids were talking about, and she wouldn’t have known a thing if it hadn’t been for Estelle’s short-term training.

“I was educated by Estelle, but it was too short a time.”

“Ah, the Marchioness.”

Her body trembled slightly.

As Estelle reported to him that Elysia noticed her spying, so if he brought it up, she was at a loss as to what to reply.

“There is no record of the Grand Duchy here.”

“Ah, is that so?”

However, even if it was the Grand Duchy’s library, there was no way that the family’s secrets would be placed in such an easy place.

“The records of the Grand Duchy are being kept separately.”

“A separate place to keep family records?”

“Yes.”

So, she had no choice but to find and read the history of the Empire. If she read the history page, she’d find stories related to the Grand Duchy anyway because there would be no history of the Caesar Empire that could be discussed except for the Grand Duchy.

“The history of the empire… I don’t know if there is such a thing in this library.”

…With so many books, not even one imperial history book?

“If not, I will order to bring something the wife can read.”

“To buy a new book?”

He acted as if there was no founding date and there was no history book about the Empire. The Grand Duchy felt like denying everything about the Empire.

“There must be one somewhere.”

That was right. The Grand Duchy wanted to erase the empire itself. That was the case with Damon’s attitude now.

“The wife doesn’t have to study.”

“But… To join the party, you need to know the basics.”

Certainly, to melt into the noble society, she had to get to know them first. All she knew was that there was a grand duchy and four duchy contributors. So since she had no time, she was educated simply.

“…Maybe.”

He still looked disapproving, but Damon said no more.

“Fortunately, there are several.”

For someone who had never been to a library, he did a good job finding a book. How many times did he come without Julia knowing?

“Thank you.”

Originally, she had intended to take the book and go to her room to read it, but for some reason, Elysia felt that she should read it right here. Contrary to the expectation that they would not have one, there was quite a number of books.

There was no place for her to sit down, so Elysia tried to sit down if it hadn’t been for the arms holding her.

“Your Grace.

“‘Your Grace’ again.”

How could she call him by name right away?

“Are you trying to sit on the floor?”

“Yes… Can’t I?”

“The floor is cold.”

The Grand Duke’s money was rotting, so all the rooms were heated. Of course, so did this library.

“Your Grace…? Why, why are you doing that?”

Startled by the sight of him as he suddenly began to undress, Elysia hurriedly turned around. While she didn’t know why he was undressing, it seemed like she shouldn’t be watching.

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