Chapter 9
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#9.
A leisurely afternoon. Inside the carriage, I found myself breaking into an uncontrollable smile. Arkid and I had ventured out under the pretense of preparing for the flower festival.
It was then that Arkid, sensing my intense gaze upon him, spoke.
"Why do you keep looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
Yes. There is. Handsomeness.
I wanted to say exactly that, but knowing Arkid would be taken aback, I conjured up a different response instead.
"I feel reassured knowing you're helping me."
Arkid's eyes widened at my answer.
It seemed he never expected such words as "reassured" to come from my lips. After a moment, he spoke.
"I never thought you would ask for my help."
"Is that so?"
"You've never wanted my assistance before."
Arkid's expression as he said this was tinged with melancholy.
Having endured a year of harsh words from his wife, my awkward behavior was only natural.
Even if I had disposed of Marquis Lorke before, I remained nothing more than an inconvenient wife to him—nothing less, nothing more.
He fulfilled his duties as a husband, yet still did not treat me with warmth. I smiled wryly and replied.
"I thought I might accept some help from now on."
Arkid still looked utterly bewildered.
On the day I made plans with Arkid, I heard from my three handmaidens about the atrocities the previous Roena had committed during the flower festival last year.
"So what exactly am I supposed to do that day?"
"Whatever you do, it can't be like last year, Miss."
"What? What on earth did I do?"
"You don't remember...?"
I tilted my head in confusion as Hannah let out a deep sigh.
I had a distinct feeling that the previous Roena had thoroughly bungled something.
And indeed, Vivian, standing beside me, frowned as she spoke.
"Last year, you ignored the Grand Duchess's instructions and prepared the seeds carelessly."
"And that's not all. You specifically selected seeds with the worst germination rates, which caused that year's flower harvest to fall to only eighty percent of the previous year."
Shuri trembled at the mere thought of it. Hannah, standing nearby, added her voice.
"Fortunately, Arkid replaced them with proper seeds later and corrected the germination rates. Otherwise, the harvest might have been less than half of what it usually is."
"Arkid helped?"
"Yes. Of course, you threw a tantrum, calling his efforts pointless."
"Even we thought that was a bit much... um. Never mind. Hehe."
Hannah made an awkward excuse. I shook my head at the anecdote of Arkid helping Roena only to receive nothing but abuse in return.
There was no greater ingrate than that.
If it were me, I would have showered him with kisses as thanks! What a waste!
While entertaining such frivolous thoughts and pondering how to spend time with Arkid, this outing came to mind.
"Why not simply ask Arkid for help from the start this time?"
That way, I could select good seeds, avoid being scolded by the Grand Duchess.
As a bonus, it was the perfect opportunity to have a sweet, intimate date with Arkid.
And so I finally had the opportunity I'd been waiting for. I struggled to suppress the smile creeping across my face.
Apparently my expression looked rather strange. Arkid, who had been watching me carefully, asked.
"Are you nervous because of the scolding you received from Mother last year over that incident?"
"Pardon?"
"Ah, your lips kept twitching, so I asked."
Arkid tapped his own lips lightly as he spoke. I stared at him blankly before answering carelessly.
"Yes? Ah, well, yes, I suppose so. That's right. It is rather frightening when Mother gets angry."
"Yet last time you were quite affectionate with her. On your cheek...."
As Arkid trailed off awkwardly, I finished for him.
"A goodnight kiss?"
"Yes... that."
Arkid touched his cheek with an embarrassed expression. I spoke with practiced ease.
"Well, you can't grow close to someone if you only remain afraid of them."
"Grow close, you say...?"
Arkid's eyes widened. His clear blue-grey eyes sparkled like silver beads.
The faint blue that had flickered in his gaze settled, and he opened his mouth.
"I don't know how to understand you, madam. Until recently, you were quite sharp-edged."
"Just... see me as I am now."
I spoke calmly.
"As you are now, you say?"
Arkid's voice trembled slightly as he responded. I smiled broadly and pointed to myself with my finger, speaking with conviction.
"Yes. The me standing before you right now. Not the me from the past."
At my unfiltered words, Arkid's lips parted slightly.
He seemed somewhat taken aback that proper words had come from my mouth. Of course, it was only for Arkid's sake that I spoke so carefully.
'For anyone who troubles my Arkid, I'll always be ready to become the merciless jaws of hell itself.'
Even as I held such resolve, he touched his lips and murmured softly.
"I see. So I've been misunderstanding you all this time."
"No, it's not so much a misunderstanding as seeing only part of the picture. Just as I misunderstood your circumstances, Arkid."
"Ah."
"I'm sorry. For only realizing belatedly that you're a good person."
"No, I...."
Arkid reflexively denied it, then let his words fade.
He seemed to be choosing his words carefully, uncertain what to say. His heavy voice suggested he was tense.
"I've been under a lot of stress since coming to this foreign land, and I've caused you unnecessary trouble."
....
"From now on, I'll truly do better. I mean it sincerely."
As I deliberately lowered my gaze with a pitiful expression, his lips parted.
Now that I thought about it, even in the novel, he was a thoughtful person who chose his words very carefully.
He had been dragged to the unfamiliar Hadelus Castle almost against his will.
An indifferent biological father and a cold stepmother. And on top of that, a young wife who despised him.
Between them, there could be nothing but tension and wariness.
'Arkid must have been lonely.'
I too had a past of eating scraps of affection under my adoptive parents, so I could empathize with the shadow that clouded Arkid.
A child who yearned to be loved but never was always becomes rigid like that.
Perhaps that's why, without thinking, I raised my upper body and gently grasped his hand at my lips. Arkid called out to me in surprise.
"My lady?"
"You don't have to hold everything in so tightly. You can speak freely with me, Arkid."
"...."
"Now that I think about it, it wasn't I who was nervous—it was you, Arkid."
As I offered a gentle smile to reassure him, Arkid's pupils trembled far more violently than before.
An unfamiliar face reflected in his slate-gray eyes. Luxuriant crimson hair that curled richly, feline eyes tilted upward, and blue irises.
'He still hasn't adjusted to my appearance.'
It was around the time such an absurd thought crossed my mind.
"We've arrived."
The carriage came to a halt, and the Coachman announced our arrival. I naturally withdrew my hand and spoke.
"Shall we go?"
"...Yes, my lady."
Arkid seemed momentarily dazed before responding slowly and stepping down from the carriage.
* * *
Meanwhile, after being rejected by Grand Duke Hadelus, Lady Lorke, who had been secluded at her Family Home, received a visitor for the first time in ages.
It was Lady Marnie, with whom she had been close, who came seeking her out. Lady Marnie spoke.
"The Grand Duke is truly callous, isn't he? How could he sever things so cleanly, like chopping wood?"
Though she ostensibly criticized the Grand Duke, her words were actually meant to mock Lady Lorke for falling from his favor.
It was only natural—she had leveraged the Grand Duke's patronage to hold sway in society all this time. Lady Lorke deliberately answered as if unbothered.
"It's fine now. There are other men besides the Grand Duke, aren't there?"
But her composure shattered at Lady Marnie's next words.
"I heard he's already found a new lover."
"A new lover?"
"Well, I'm not entirely certain, but I saw House Hadelus's carriage heading toward the Seed Farm today."
Lady Marnie finished speaking and glanced at Lady Lorke. Her face had indeed darkened considerably.
Lady Lorke, who had subtly looked down on her thanks to the Grand Duke's favor, was now a satisfying sight to behold.
'How unfortunate it would be to see her spirits crushed alone like this.'
Lady Marnie thought this while deliberately suppressing the smile rising to her lips.
What she had said about seeing House Hadelus's carriage was true.
She had seen an ornate carriage bearing the House of Hadelus's crest on her way here.
Of course, Lady Marnie had no way of knowing who was actually riding in the carriage.
She had merely mentioned it, recalling that it was the two-seater carriage the Grand Duke favored.
At the mention of the Grand Duke having a new lover, Lady Lorke bristled and asked.
"Is that true?"
"Yes, so they say? With the Flower Festival coming soon, perhaps he's using seeds as an excuse to view the flowers with his lover. ...Hmm?"
Lady Marnie trailed off mid-sentence, letting out a shallow gasp.
Lady Lorke had set down her teacup with such crude loudness.
But Lady Lorke's expression was so menacing that she could only manage a nervous cough.
She was careful not to let the sparks fly in her direction. Lady Marnie ventured cautiously into the fray.
"Men are simply like that, you see. No matter how beautifully Lady Lorke blooms, familiarity breeds indifference—and the eye naturally wanders to fresh flowers. It's instinct, after all."
"What exactly are you trying to say, Lady Marnie?"
"Oh my, I merely hope that Lady Lorke will overcome the pain of heartbreak as swiftly as possible."
....
"If I've offended you, I do apologize."
At Lady Marnie's graceful inclination of her head, Lady Lorke let out a hollow laugh.
'So he's already found a new lover?'
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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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