Chapter 132
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Dear, I believe you may be misunderstanding.
Chapter 132
It had been an exhausting dawn.
Unlike when I had boarded the ship with the feeling of embarking on a leisurely voyage, the journey had become quite turbulent and perilous.
Grace, Lucas, and Wale—the castle's master—all sat at the table without bothering to hide their exhaustion.
Neither host nor guest had slept a wink, yet they forced down cup after cup of tea on empty stomachs.
It was Lucas who broke the prolonged silence and spoke first.
"Please explain what you mentioned earlier in more detail."
A soft exhale.
Wale, who had been moistening his lips with cooled tea, nodded briefly as he steadied his breathing.
"I do not know precisely who he is. However, I do know him as the 'Guardian.' I have heard that he has existed since the time of my father's father, and his father before that... but that was the first time I had ever laid eyes upon him directly."
Wale recounted the events of when he had searched for the Primordial Cave in an increasingly composed voice.
He spoke of the man he had encountered for the first time, and the words that man had conveyed to him.
"At the very least, your curse has made the sea your ally, has it not?"
Grace sensed an odd nuance in those words.
It was as though he were saying that Wale's curse would be of benefit to him.
Though I knew not what affliction had befallen Giselle, if it could be soothed by Deathgrass, it would certainly have been manageable with dragon's blood alone.
Then why had he specifically instructed her to seek out and consume the far more dangerous Deathgrass?
Moreover, Deathgrass causes addiction if consumed beyond a certain threshold.
There was no way he could have been ignorant of that.
'Why? What could possibly be the reason?'
And now he was saying he would provide medicine, only to command her death?
Grace recalled the man she had seen in her dream.
A man with long, calm blonde hair tied to one side, a somewhat gaunt silhouette, and a cold expression devoid of all emotion...
Was it not that man who had spared her life at her mother's desperate plea?
Then why was he now commanding her death?
'Something is amiss.'
House Serviente too sought her death, or so I had been told.
Had not Hiss himself spoken those very words?
'Why do they all wish to... and so suddenly at that?'
Was there some common thread binding them?
Or had I somehow become a threat to them all at once?
Why?
Grace drummed her fingers thoughtfully against the table, her expression troubled.
Tap, tap—her gaze followed the rhythm of her fingertips as they rose to meet the mark of The Curse.
'The Curse... it seems connected to this somehow.'
As though reading her thoughts, the same words emerged from Lucas's lips.
"It does seem as though Grace has become entangled in our curse..."
"That may be the case, or it may not be."
Wale spoke ambiguously, his gaze fixed upon Grace.
He had been born and raised on Witch's Island.
The hallucinations that had tormented his childhood had only sharpened his ability to sense The Curse and those connected to it more intimately.
'...This person is special.'
Simply absorbing a fragment of The Curse could never restore all the cursed back to humanity.
Moreover, over centuries, it was inconceivable that no one had ever read the ancient texts.
Yet why had the curse's markings transferred only to her?
"Do you understand your own identity?"
At Wale's cryptic question, Grace turned to look at Lucas Black.
After a moment's hesitation, she answered.
"I suppose I'm... a witch. Another witch carrying the blood of a mother who was a witch."
At Grace's words, Wale smiled gracefully as if he had already known.
His demeanor was markedly different from last night.
It was filled with boundless trust, reverence, and respect toward Grace.
"No, not that."
"Not that?"
"I suspect you are no mere witch. Had you been merely a witch, he could not have spoken of you so easily."
"Stop dancing around it. If you have something to say, why not just speak plainly?"
An exasperated Lucas Black pressed him.
Wale shrugged as he spoke.
"I cannot say precisely because I do not know exactly. But this strange feeling I have received—you will come to understand it soon enough. Perhaps that is why that man commanded you be driven from this place or put to death."
"So you're saying he wishes me not to remain here."
"That is what I sensed."
"...Then I should stay longer. Besides, Duke Contana must serve as witness to the oath, and he said that would require some time."
"Ah.... A witness to the vow. Hmm. Indeed."
Wale smiled loosely and tapped the white table lightly.
He glanced at Lucas Black, who stood beside Grace, then asked in a rather formal and hushed tone.
"You are truly sincere about this marriage, are you not?"
'What? What does he mean by that?'
At Wale's sudden remark, Grace fixed her gaze intently upon his eyes, trying to discern his intent.
Duke Wale Contana spoke in a voice that was exceedingly gentlemanly, cautious, and even reverent.
"If there is even the slightest hesitation on your part.... I can endure and resist, no matter the cost. So long as I oppose it, this marriage cannot be complete...."
Crack.
The sound of something shattering echoed.
Startled, Grace looked to see it was the handle of the teacup Lucas Black had been holding.
As Grace stared at it with wide eyes, the teacup with its completely shattered handle fell to the floor with a sharp clang.
Lucas Black regarded the shattered fragments on the floor and Wale in turn with eyes of piercing blue.
He was employing one of his specialties—speaking with his eyes.
'Is this how you wish to end up?'...
Wale, who had been staring intently at that display, now looked at Grace with an even more formal and sincere expression.
"...You see, he is such a barbarous husband—are you truly certain about this?"
Wale's face was serious, yet there was something playful about it.
It felt as though he were deliberately needling Lucas, scratching at his composure.
By contrast, the expression and gaze he turned toward Grace were vastly different from last night.
His face held reverence, awe, and boundless trust.
'Is this because I brought back the Dragon Slayer?'
Since it concerned her family's very lives, I understood that his goodwill and affection toward her had surged in an instant—but still.
'Can someone really change this much?'
In any case, the two men clearly did not care for each other at all.
Of course, in such a situation, the person Grace would naturally side with was her own husband.
Moreover, the fact that he had been needling Lucas since yesterday did weigh on my mind.
Lucas was the person I loved most, the one I respected, cherished, and trusted above all.
Beyond being merely husband and wife, he was an irreplaceable companion who nourished every aspect of my life.
"I am grateful for your concern, Duke Wale, but...."
Yet above all, it was the duty of a courageous wife to step forward boldly for her husband in such circumstances.
Since the table was circular, Wale was not far away.
Grace gestured to him, causing him to lower his head slightly.
Then, in a voice too soft for Lucas to hear, she whispered to Wale.
"...It is precisely that rough edge that makes our Duke so charming."
Wale looked up in surprise, meeting Grace's eyes.
Grace, belying the boldness of what she had just said, smiled shyly with her face flushed peach-pink, her nose crinkling with embarrassment.
"So please, let us proceed with the witness oath—quickly, if you would."
* * *
"What did you say to me just now?"
"What do you mean, what did I say?"
"Just now, what you whispered in the Duke of Contana's ear...."
They had both spent an exhausting dawn, so they decided to rest first.
The moment Lucas Black entered the room that Contana's side had prepared for them, he couldn't help but ask.
'Ah....'
Grace hesitated whether to tell him, but ultimately decided to keep her lips sealed.
"That's...."
If she told him that story, she had a feeling this man wouldn't let her sleep properly.
"It's a secret."
"A secret...?"
His face froze in shock at the word secret.
"Yes, it's a secret."
"A, a secret...."
His restless expression was quite a sight to behold.
They hadn't even met separately—she'd merely whispered something in his ear right in front of him—yet he wore an expression as if the world were ending.
As Grace let out a soft laugh, she suddenly wondered what it would be like if their positions were reversed.
Lucas Black whispering in the ear of a strange woman right before her....
'Hmm, I wouldn't like that at all...?'
So should she tell him after all?
In truth, it wasn't anything particularly significant....
Grace observed Lucas Black carefully, as if testing the waters.
He looked completely pale and seemed to be seriously contemplating something.
Having changed into comfortable clothes, he collapsed onto the bed with a rather gloomy gait.
Grace, who had similarly changed into her nightclothes, approached him cautiously, and Lucas Black reached out both arms to embrace her slender waist.
With his forehead resting against her stomach, he looked somehow both pitiable and endearing.
"Why are you like this? Does it bother you that I whispered with the Duke of Contana?"
"No, it's not that.... Well, of course that does bother me too...."
She gently stroked his dark, lustrous hair as if encouraging him to speak.
It felt as soft as when she used to touch him when he was Lucky.
"Just, I didn't know that a word like 'secret' could have such an impact. Just suddenly, all at once.... The weight of that word just hit me so hard...."
He sighed and nuzzled his forehead against her stomach.
His confused state was peculiar, as if he were being petulant.
"...When I think about how much it would hurt if secrets began to form between you and me, my mind becomes confused."
Grace smiled and brushed back Lucas Black's hair.
The sensation of it slipping through her fingers felt pleasant.
"Don't worry. Other than hiding your birthday gift, there's nothing I would ever hide from you."
"...."
"You don't believe me? I'm serious. Actually, what I said just now...."
Grace Oellin, who had been holding Lucas Black close, bent her waist slightly and whispered softly against his ear.
"I said your rougher side is far more captivating."
At her shy murmur, Lucas Black smiled.
Yet somehow his smile seemed tinged with pain, and Grace Oellin felt a strange unease wash over her.
"There's still something lingering in your expression... Is there something else troubling you?"
At Grace Oellin's question, Lucas Black's lips parted as if he meant to speak.
But no words emerged from his silent lips, and he soon closed his mouth slowly.
Shaking his head slightly in denial, he pulled her waist tightly against him and murmured something incoherently.
Grace Oellin bent her waist slightly to listen, and upon hearing his endless murmuring, she laughed.
My Grace, my precious one, my luminous violet eyes.
And following that, an endless torrent of fervent and sweet confessions of love.
She opened her arms and drew his head to her chest, whispering softly.
"I do too."
I love you too, so very much. My precious Lucas Black.
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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