I Became The Wife Of The Cursed Grand Duke Chapter 143

Glancing at the window, Kalian felt a chill run down his spine. His voice turned fierce.

“Speak properly.”

 

Benjamin replied cautiously, watching his reaction.

“It’s… three days ago, the Grand Duchess wasn’t feeling well and stayed in her bedroom all day.”

 

“And such a person suddenly disappeared?”

 

Kalian’s voice dropped sharply as his fingertips tapped the armrest of his chair.

 

“The butler and handmaiden only just reported her absence.”

Benjamin couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

 

‘The delay was because it took time for the kun to fly from the north to the capital. He’s lost his composure entirely.’

 

Despite his outward calm, fear consumed Kalian—the terror of losing his wife.

 

“The maidservant said they left food for breakfast, but the Grand Duchess claimed she felt unwell and refused to eat.”

Benjamin spoke carefully, knowing he needed to stay rational.

 

“And it just so happened to be the day the Top wagon arrived. They were so busy that no one checked the bedroom until long after lunch…”

 

“…”

 

“By then, the bedroom was empty. Only a letter addressed to you remained on the bedside table.”

 

“The contents?”

 

“The letter was sealed, so the contents are unknown…”

 

Suddenly, a black shadow swirled before Benjamin like a violent storm. He blinked up, startled.

“Your Majesty?”

 

But there was no answer—only silence where the shadow had been.

 

.
.

 

Soon, that same shadow loomed in the hallway leading to the Grand Duchess’s bedroom.

 

‘Huh. Was it a long journey?’

 

For a moment, Kalian felt dizzy.

Breathing harshly, he scanned the area, wondering if Benjamin’s report had been mistaken.

 

The castle felt different—unnaturally quiet, devoid of warmth. An oppressive silence hung in the air.

 

“Evelyn.”

He threw open the bedroom door, but no answer came.

 

“…Lyn.”

The same silence greeted him in the third-floor indoor garden, their private sanctuary.

 

The stillness, deep as the ocean, gnawed at his sanity.

 

“Evelyn!”

 

Calming his pounding heart, he yanked open the attic balcony door.

‘Maybe she’s asleep here, exhausted. The staff wouldn’t know to look for her in this hidden spot.’

 

He scanned the attic slowly, imagining his wife curled up in the corner.

But only a thin layer of dust and chilly air greeted him.

 

“Ha.”

 

Sighing, Kalian noticed a piece of paper on the table—one he hadn’t seen before.

A foreboding tingled at the back of his throat.

 

“No. That can’t be.”

 

He snatched up the paper violently.

His eyes hardened as he read the opening words: “Dearly beloved…”

 

“What the…?”

 

He stared at the letter in disbelief.

 

<Do you remember? You promised to grant me whatever I wished, no strings attached.
I think it’s time for me to claim that wish—to end our relationship here, as I originally planned.
The truth is, I didn’t marry you for revenge or to save my own miserable life.
Foolishly, I loved you so deeply I could think of nothing but holding onto you.
Thank you for taking charge of me, for not letting me go. Please forgive me for leaving like this.
And don’t look for me. That’s my first and last wish as your wife.>

 

His vision blurred as his eyes darted over the neat script.

‘What does this mean?’

‘To end our relationship here?’

‘I’m reading the words, but they make no sense.’

 

He felt like a ship adrift, lost without coordinates.

 

“Ha…”

 

His legs gave out.

Clutching the letter to his chest, he sat in the lightless attic for a long time.

 

Reality slowly returned.

‘My wife has left me. No—she’s abandoned me.’

Evelyn, who was supposed to wait for him, was gone.

 

“I told you to trust me. That I’d fix everything.”

 

With that, he stormed from the attic and turned the castle upside down.

He unleashed his knights like a madman, casting tracking spells, scouring every inch of the grounds.

But there was no trace of her.

 

‘She was thorough. She broke the tracking magic.’

 

Trembling, he ran a hand through his hair as he stared down at the estate from the highest peak. His breath came in ragged bursts.

 

“Damn it.”

 

‘Was I that terrible?’

 

He closed his eyes, and Evelyn’s face floated into his mind—her gentle touch, her whispered warnings to be careful.

 

“It doesn’t make sense. You looked at me with more love than I’ve ever known. Why?”

 

Kalian’s face twisted with disappointment, anger, and sorrow.

‘Why would she leave so suddenly?’

His chest tightened with frustration.

 

‘Why choose thorns when she could have leaned on me?’

 

Regret crashed over him in endless waves.

‘If I’d known, I would’ve taken her to the palace.’

 

‘No—I should’ve shackled her to my side.’

 

The arrogance he’d worn like armor—the belief that his love alone would shield her from pain—shattered.

But self-blame was useless now.

 

Only longing remained, dark and suffocating, wrapping around him like a shadow.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“I want every detail of what Evelyn wore, said, and did on the day she disappeared.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

 

Back at the castle, Kalian interrogated the butler and handmaiden.

‘How could no one have noticed the Grand Duchess slipping away? Unless she grew wings or sank into the earth, someone must have seen her.’

 

Convinced, he snarled: “Post notices offering a generous reward for information about her whereabouts. In every newspaper, every public square.”

 

Benedict hesitated.

“You mean to announce publicly that the Grand Duchess is missing?”

 

Kalian knew the risks.

‘Those who’ve seen her might try to kidnap her for a higher price.’

 

“I don’t care. Use bounty hunters, dark guilds—whatever it takes to find her.”

 

He was desperate.

‘If they harm her, they’ll suffer.’

 

Gritting his teeth, he remembered Evelyn’s voice—angry, sobbing.

“I got a telegram saying you’re tangled in the saint’s skirts, too distracted to think straight.”

 

‘Was it complacency?’

He’d assumed his love would be enough. That she’d always stay his Evelyn.

 

‘But no.’

 

He dragged a hand down his exhausted face.

“One more thing. She received a letter recently. Do you recall anything about it?”

‘I need to find who poisoned her mind.’

 

Mrs. Riktor nodded. “Yes, I kept the envelope.”

 

“Bring it to me.”

“At once.”

 

As they hurried off, Kalian racked his brain for where Evelyn might go.

Suspects surfaced:

‘Ines, the mage guildmaster, who’s been feeding her secrets.’

‘Count Bernard, who’s always hovering too close.’

 

‘If they helped her vanish, it’s no wonder no one saw her leave.’

‘Especially with the Count’s time-stopping ability…’

 

‘If he took Evelyn…’

 

‘It won’t matter. I’ll find her. I’ll drag her back.’

 

As fury threatened to overwhelm him, the office door slammed open.