Chapter 5
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#5.
Within the bedroom sat an elegantly poised woman of striking beauty.
Golden hair and crimson eyes. The platinum blonde distinctive of the Royal Family gleamed with an ethereal luminescence.
Those deep crimson eyes possessed a sharpness that seemed to freeze one's body rigid upon contact, as if struck by lightning.
Though I felt a flicker of apprehension at her commanding presence, I refused to be intimidated, offering a respectful greeting instead.
"You called for me, Mother?"
"How peculiar. You address me as Mother, yet ordinarily you maintain distance by calling me Grand Duchess. Have you not drawn such a line before?"
Oh, did I? I had no idea.
You should have mentioned it sooner.
I blinked rapidly, caught off guard. Now that I thought about it, the Grand Duke had indeed widened his eyes noticeably when he heard me call him "Father."
I had assumed he was simply observing my sudden departure from usual behavior, but perhaps it was the matter of titles all along.
I had only recently become Roena, and my exploration of this role remained incomplete.
I encountered Arkid fairly often in the adjoining chambers of our private bedrooms, but not the Grand Duke and his wife.
I had heard they dined together regularly, though such occasions were infrequent.
The matter of proper titles was something I had not anticipated, and it left me somewhat flustered.
'Hmm. But I've already called them Father and Mother—wouldn't it be stranger to take it back now?'
If I was to make Arkid the beloved son of this household, my role as his wife was crucial.
If I maintained the same formal distance toward the Grand Duke and his wife as Arkid did, there would be no progress.
'They say if you just act shameless and keep a straight face, the other person has nothing to say.'
I smiled brightly and spoke.
"I thought we might as well grow closer from now on, Mother."
"Closer? I have no intention of becoming close with you."
The Grand Duchess drew a firm line, her smile remaining serene and unshakeable. Against such a composed response, I had nothing to say.
'She has an even thicker skin than I do.'
Though unsettled by the Grand Duchess's cold demeanor, I did not let my smile falter.
"So what did you wish to discuss...."
"Still so impatient. Come, sit here and let us talk."
The Grand Duchess gestured toward the chair before her. Chamomile tea, ideal for drinking before sleep, had been prepared.
She seemed to have considered my comfort before rest. As I hesitantly took my seat, a maid poured the tea.
Having already soaked deeply in the bath, I was thoroughly drowsy. Against my will, sleep began to overtake me.
I stifled a yawn as the Grand Duchess opened her mouth.
"I hear you were summoned to the Grand Duke's Study yesterday. What happened?"
"Nothing in particular—he simply asked how I was managing."
"Is that so? Yet I heard that Lady Lorke was dragged out of the Study that day in tears...."
"Hm. Yes."
"...Are you drowsy?"
The Grand Duchess asked sharply, and I quickly shook my head.
"No."
"You seem drowsy. Your speech is slurred."
"Yes... Actually, I am quite sleepy."
I couldn't resist the overwhelming drowsiness and let out a loud yawn. At twelve years old, my body tired easily.
The Grand Duchess clicked her tongue at the sight, tsk, and continued speaking. Even if I died right then, she wouldn't let me simply go to bed.
"What happened inside the Study that day?"
I slapped both my cheeks sharply to shake off the drowsiness before answering.
"Nothing happened, ma'am."
The Grand Duchess showed a moment of surprise at that, but what could I do about the drowsiness?
In truth, the Grand Duke's instruction to tell no one included the Grand Duchess as well.
The relationship between the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess was terribly strained—despite sharing the same Bedroom, they used separate Rooms.
Of course, Arkid and I were no different. Opening the Bedroom door revealed a Lobby, and from there two other doors appeared.
The right was my Room, and the left was Arkid's Room. Between them stood a single door leading out of the Lobby.
Since this Castle had generations of political marriages, the very structure was designed to suit business couples, one might say. Though for me, it was an inconvenient layout.
'Please, just let me see Arkid's face fresh from sleep once.'
The Grand Duchess fixed me with a persistent gaze as I played innocent.
She still seemed unaware of what had transpired inside the Study.
Now that I thought about it, only the Grand Duke's people had been inside the Study that day. Those outside couldn't have heard the conversation within.
'She didn't call me because she knew—she called me to test me. She clearly doesn't know the exact details yet.'
It seemed she'd summoned me because I was looser-tongued than Arkid.
After all, Roena typically had a feather-light mouth that spilled secrets with the gentlest coaxing.
Especially regarding anything related to Arkid, I harbored no hesitation.
I enjoyed finding fault with him. True to form, the Grand Duchess asked me gently, coaxingly.
"Then why did Lady Lorke leave in tears?"
"I'm not sure..."
As I rolled my eyes and dragged out my words, the Grand Duchess pressed me.
"Anything is fine."
Well, there's really nothing I can say about that.
I rolled my eyes, melting her heart with suspense. After a moment, something I could mention came to mind, and I answered.
"Oh! The Grand Duke warned Lady Lorke never to visit again. That's probably why she left crying."
What the Grand Duke had forbidden me to mention was the matter related to the abuse.
There was no instruction against mentioning that Lady Lorke had been cast aside by the Grand Duke.
Elena blinked in surprise. Lady Lorke had been a favored concubine of the Grand Duke for quite some time.
She seemed genuinely astonished, as this woman hardly seemed the type to be discarded so abruptly.
I had deliberately given them a clue to investigate further.
That the Grand Duke wasn't cast aside—he was the one who cast her aside.
"Hmm, now that you mention it, Lady Lorke didn't visit today."
"Perhaps her pride was wounded and she won't come? Usually when they quarrel, Father would go find her."
That was true. My father-in-law's heart was as vast as the Pacific Ocean, as free-spirited as his lower half, and he would soften toward his favored concubines.
Even when an old lover came crying to him, he would first console her before sending her away.
There were no shortage of women who clung to him using that as leverage.
"So what do you think the Grand Duke will do?"
"Hmm."
"Do you think the Grand Duke was sincere?"
The Grand Duchess posed another probing question.
From her expression, it seemed she expected that in three days' time, they would be at each other's throats again.
"Lady Lorke appeared to have lingering attachments. She may very well come calling soon."
"No doubt. Cast aside without proper explanation, a woman of her temperament would hardly sit idle."
Elena scoffed, her fingers tapping rhythmically against the table. I spoke with innocent candor.
"Mother, please do not worry. The Grand Duke will never seek out Lady Lorke again."
"How can you be so certain?"
"Because Father's eyes were slanted like this."
I pulled the corners of my eyes upward with both hands, contorting my face into a fierce expression, and Elena let out a delighted laugh.
"You're the only one who would describe the Grand Duke in such a manner."
"But it's the truth."
"Hmm."
Elena's mood seemed to have improved considerably.
Perhaps she was pleased that Lady Lorke, that thorn in her side, had been cast out? Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief—
"But where is Arkid ill?"
"Pardon?"
"The Grand Duke sent a physician immediately afterward. According to the handmaids, he went to Arkid's room."
"That is..."
It appeared the Grand Duke had summoned the physician to examine Arkid's injuries.
He must have been shocked upon seeing the bruises covering his entire body. After all, Marquis Lorke had done far more than just strike his forehead.
The fact that the Grand Duke dismissed Marquis Lorke the very next day without observing the situation further made it clear he was furious.
'How much should I reveal?'
I glanced sideways at the Grand Duchess. From her expression, she seemed unaware that Arkid had been suffering abuse at Marquis Lorke's hands.
Had she known, she would have gone straight to the Grand Duke rather than questioning me.
Until now, the Marquis had inflicted punishment in places out of sight, so it would have gone unnoticed without careful observation.
Even Roena in the original work, despite sleeping in separate quarters within the same bedchamber wing, had been unaware of Arkid's abuse.
The split forehead was the Marquis's mistake. Had I not intervened, Arkid would have hidden it beneath his bangs, and no one would have ever known.
After that, Marquis Lorke would have grown bolder, and eventually the Grand Duchess would have discovered his transgression.
But the Grand Duchess, who had never spared Arkid even a glance of interest, would not have noticed the change in his hairstyle.
'She still doesn't know. Neither that Arkid was being abused, nor the true reason the Grand Duke cast out the Marquis and his sister.'
"Why are you silent?"
The Grand Duchess fixed me with a cold stare when I did not respond.
Had I been the original Roena, there would have been nothing strange about speaking freely, but I had sealed my lips.
Yet if I spoke carelessly here, I might incur the Grand Duke's displeasure.
The relationship between the Grand Duchess and myself was not close enough to warrant sharing information at such risk.
After a long moment of contemplation, I blinked innocently and replied.
"Well, I was in Arkid's room at the time."
"Hmm?"
"The physician came to see me. He was checking whether there were any aftereffects from my near-drowning."
As I rattled off the lie with complete confidence, her brow furrowed.
"You and your husband have never consummated your marriage since the wedding, have you?"
"That is correct."
I bit back the retort that the same applied to her, after all.
The Grand Duchess and Grand Duke Hadelus had performed only a single first night after their wedding ceremony before maintaining separate chambers, living as strangers under one roof.
I seized the initiative before she could mount a counterattack.
"Actually, ever since I nearly drowned, Arkid has seemed different to me."
"...."
"I heard that Arkid was deeply concerned about me. He was the one who saved me, after all."
"...And what exactly are you trying to say?"
Elena asked reluctantly, as though she wished to discern my hidden intentions.
I smiled brightly at her.
"From now on, I intend to fulfill my role as a proper wife!"
I will not miss this opportunity to play the role of the perfect wife.
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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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