I Became The Wife Of The Cursed Grand Duke Chapter 56

“Now, Miss Evelyn, can you tell me why we should delay the arrival of the trading ship?”

 

At the sound of the voice, Evelyn stopped slicing her steak and turned to face the man sitting across from her.

 

The Duke of Parminion was staring at her with a relaxed smile.

 

Behind him, dresses, shoes, and accessories were piled to the ceiling.

 

It was like an entire upscale boutique store.

 

They were all so beautiful that Evelyn didn’t know what to choose, so the duke gave her a large gift.

 

“Whoa, calm down, calm down.”

 

Tearing her gaze away from the sparkling dress, she replied impatiently.

 

“There’s a storm coming, and if we set sail now, every single ship will be sunk.”

 

The duke’s mouth dropped open at that, and he took a bite of steak, put it down, and raised his wine glass.

 

“This is sudden.”

 

His face was deeply troubled.

 

“You do realize what it means to delay the arrival by a full month, don’t you?”

 

‘I do.’

 

Every second lost in harbor fees, crew salaries, and so on.

 

“But it’s better than losing all of your trading ships, isn’t it? The choice, of course, is yours, Duke.”

 

There were seven trading ships at the top of the Parminion, all but one of which, coincidentally, had set sail.

 

And it was loaded with valuables.

 

“That’s true.”

 

The duke is understandably troubled.

 

The cleansed coast of Litchev was clearer than ever, and despite the torrential downpour last night, the skies were clearer than ever.

 

It was hard to believe that a storm would come out of nowhere.

 

But the Duke, who had experienced Evelyn’s faithfulness, could not dismiss it as nonsense.

 

The duke, who had been pondering the matter with a serious face, suddenly tilted his head in question.

 

“Hmm, let me ask you a question. I clearly told you to tell me what you wanted, so why are you only giving me advice that will benefit me?”

 

The reason was simple.

 

If the trade ships were sunk, the Parminion would suffer losses that would be incomparably greater than their current losses

 

In other words, if her words turned out to be true and she was spared his wrath, the duke would owe her an emotional debt that would be hard to put into monetary terms.

 

What greater fortune could there be than to have the empire’s only duke as a backdrop?

 

“I tell you this, my duke, because I want a greater reward.”

 

Evelyn wiped her hands on a napkin she’d picked up, her eyes softening as she spoke.

 

“If what I say turns out to be true, I would like you to reopen the deal with Johansen.”

 

“Hmm? A deal?”

 

“Yes. Periodically, I’ll buy your demonic byproducts at a high price, and you’ll supply me with the supplies I need at a low price, and that’s all I want in return.”

 

Despite Johansen’s reputation for military might and vast wealth, its harsh weather and rugged terrain limit its supply of food and herbs.

 

It would be nice to be able to monetize the byproducts of the demons that remain.

 

“Hmm, as far as I know, there’s no shortage of supplies even now.”

 

“That’s right. Every time we go out to close the gates and dungeons, the Knights are procuring supplies and supplying the estate.”

 

“Then that’s no problem, why would you want to spend your reward for the Northmen?”

 

“Because transporting supplies for the Templars is a very cumbersome and costly endeavor.”

 

That’s true for this trip alone.

 

If it weren’t for the wagons they’d need to procure for the North, they could have traveled to Litchev through the Warp Gate much more quickly and easily.

 

Evelyn pitied the energy the hardy knights expended on traveling.

 

“I suppose it’s only natural for a prospective Grand Duchess to want to be of service to the realm she will rule.”

 

“Hmm, I wonder if Charlotte will take kindly to this…”

 

In the past, Duke Parminion had broken off trade with the North for his own personal aggrandizement.

 

Perhaps he secretly hoped that his daughter would be the first to extend a conciliatory hand and beg him to continue trade.

 

But Charlotte is his daughter. A descendant of Parminion, second to none on the continent when it comes to stubbornness.

 

“Why, Tristan, did you pick her!”

 

The duke’s move was not unreasonable for a grand duke.

 

A courtesan who stole her daughter’s betrothed.

 

What father in the world would want to give his daughter in marriage to such a man?

 

Moreover, knowing the pain Charlotte had suffered after giving birth to a child with the Protector’s mark, Kalian’s presence was inevitable.

 

Breathing heavily, as if the memory of the past still made him angry, the duke raised a brow.

 

“We’ll decide this after the council. And… if there’s anything you personally want, feel free to ask me for it. Whatever it is, your one wish will be granted.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Evelyn didn’t listen to Kalian’s warning to stay in her room and went straight out.

 

She hadn’t caused any trouble, and she had already arranged to meet with Bernard and his sister.

 

Besides, she felt her head would go crazy if she stayed in a room where no one was looking for her.

 

It would be better for his mental health to be out in public rather than sighing triumphantly over what he had said.

 

So, she spent some time at Mrs. Allen’s and Leon’s, and when she returned, a grayish grub was crashing through the window.

 

“Ah, I’m tired.”

 

Evelyn walked into the room with half-closed eyes and flopped down on the bed, still in her dress.

 

Her eyelids fluttered shut. It was nice to be around people and not think about anything, but now that she was alone, she quickly became depressed.

 

Evelyn closed her eyes, thinking that it would be okay if she stayed asleep until morning.

 

‘I’ll sleep for a while, then get up and wash up…’

 

Her whole body was tired. Just as her consciousness was about to be swept away by a sensation that seemed to snap her to the floor.

 

*Pop!*

 

Startled by the sudden sound, Evelyn opened her eyes like a person waking up from a nightmare.

 

Her entire body was drenched in a cold sweat. She tried to close her eyes for a moment. She must have fallen asleep.

 

Outside the window, which had been as black as the dawn, was now in total darkness.

 

“What was that noise a moment ago, anyway?”

 

Her eyes finally adjusted to the darkness.

 

“Huh!”

 

She gasped as she spotted a chessboard on a round table in front of her bed bench, and Kalian, who seemed to have sucked the darkness out of the world.

 

“…What are you doing there?”

 

The man who had been putting her through the wringer for days was slumped in a chair, playing chess alone.

 

He was shirtless, as he had been the day he’d been with the saint, wearing only a black nightgown.

 

“Why do you always surprise me?”

 

Kalian, his eyes fixed on the chessboard, replied, a little dryly.

 

“It’s not like I wasn’t supposed to be here.”

 

She wanted to ask him if he knew that and had just come to see her.

 

Didn’t he feel the slightest bit guilty, hugging another woman instead of his fiancée, who had been dead for a week?

 

It wasn’t pleasant, but Evelyn managed to control her raging emotions.

 

“It’s not like you couldn’t come, but since you’ve been out of town, I thought I’d ask if you had any business.”

 

Before he could reply, the maid entered.

 

Evelyn turned away from the man’s frosty gaze and asked the maid for a bath.

 

She wanted to wash her tired body, but she wasn’t in the mood to talk to him right now.

 

The maid replied that she had some hot water and left the room. A thick carpet was then laid on the floor and a brass tub was placed on top.

 

The man didn’t move from his spot, even as several maids carried the water.

 

It felt like they were in two different worlds, even though they were in the same room.

 

She gazed far away at the petal-floated tub and muttered to herself, as if she were dejected.

 

“I’m a little tired after being outside all day, I’d like to wash up, could you leave me alone for a while?”

 

“Never mind, wash up, I’m here to sleep with you.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“I didn’t realize it was such a big deal for a married couple to share the same bedroom.”

 

Evelyn looked at him pointedly.

 

There was a foggy weariness in his eyes as he bluntly replied that he had nowhere to go but to change rooms.

 

‘Why do you look so sorry for yourself? You can’t be so mean…’

 

Unable to find the words to reply, she stood with her back to him and, with the help of a maid, removed her dress.

 

The warm water did nothing to ease her fatigue.

 

Every scrape of fabric, every faint sigh, every clatter of chess pieces, must have been perceived as such.

 

She tried to pretend she didn’t notice, but her mind was so focused on him that she didn’t have time to organize her thoughts.

 

‘Why did he come to me out of the blue?’

 

She hasn’t seen any after-effects yet, but her nose started bleeding again yesterday.

 

Kalian is a responsible man, so he could have heard about this and come to honor his contract with her.

 

With magical reflux, she couldn’t just push him away.

 

‘I can’t just say no…’

 

But Evelyn quickly shook her head.

 

‘Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You made your choice, and there’s no need to be cowed by an uncertain future, no need to look back and regret it.’

 

Of course, she was curious about the saint and his relationship, but contact with Kalian was a matter of survival for her.

 

Furthermore, it was not a marriage based on love, and she felt it would be unseemly to bring up the past.

 

And even if he could not forget the saint, there was nothing Evelyn could do about it.

 

She was not foolish enough to dwell on things that could not be resolved by human will.

 

The bath was over quickly. Steam wafted through the bedroom, scented with dried roses.

 

“That’s enough, everyone, please retire.”

 

Kalian, now leaning back on the bed, said to the maid as she unscrewed the lid on the bottle of perfumed oil.

 

Then his gaze fell on Evelyn, who was being dressed.

 

The embers of lust burned darkly in his hazel eyes.