I Became The Wife Of The Cursed Grand Duke Chapter 58

He wasn’t wrong.

 

All that stood between them was the approval of the Senate, so in effect, she was no different from the Grand duchess.

 

If word got out that she was flirting with a stranger, it would bring disgrace to the family that had protected the empire.

 

But…

 

“So, what was I supposed to do, all alone?”

 

The treatment of knights had changed, but she was still a lady, and it was a saint who stood by his side at the daily banquets.

 

“You have not the slightest idea… of how anxious and troubled I must have been in a strange place.”

 

“You seem to get around pretty well for such a thing.”

 

She bit down hard on her lower lip and swallowed hard, exhausted by the never-ending conversation.

 

There was so much more she wanted to say, but she no longer felt the need to correct herself.

 

“Yes, I blurted it out. There is no reason for the Grand duke to understand me, we have no relationhip.”

 

The body with her back to him whirled abruptly. The shadowy figure above her turned to her, his expression suspicious, as if he were listening.

 

“No relationship?”

 

His voice was cold enough to make her heart freeze.

 

It brought back all the feelings she’d had the day she’d lent him a helping hand.

 

A relationship of mutual need.

 

She realized she was a mere substitute for the saint.

 

“The truth is, the only thing I have to fall back on is a flimsy contract, and I haven’t even been officially crowned Grand Duchess yet, and the ring I was given is crushed, and I haven’t even had a vigil…”

 

She choked up again. Evelyn took a moment to compose herself, staring into the gold eyes that shook like a pebble had been dropped.

 

She was about to speak again.

 

His hand gently squeezed her wrist, and after another long sigh, he interrupted her.

 

“There must be some misunderstanding, but the reason I removed the ring was because it contained a spell to disable the tracking enchantment.”

 

“What do you mean…”

 

“I told you. I didn’t sense any sign of you at the camp.”

 

He paused, then sighed, as if he didn’t want to, but couldn’t help it, and added meekly.

 

“That made me terribly uneasy, because I wasn’t sure it wouldn’t happen again.”

 

She wondered what she was hearing.

 

Evelyn blinked slowly.

 

“That’s why you made the ring disappear?”

 

“It was a piece of jewelry, so I figured it wouldn’t matter anyway, and being prepared for foreseeable dangers was my priority.”

 

The honesty of the answer stunned her for a moment.

 

Evelyn’s brow furrowed.

 

“So, you deliberately kept the power that destroyed Mors of the Plague from us as well?”

 

At the most important question, Kalian held still, locking eyes with her.

 

Then he turned to Evelyn, who was waiting impatiently for an answer.

 

“Do you have any recollection of having your divine powers measured in the past, or of meeting people from the Temple?”

 

“No. The only time I’ve seen temple people was the day my mother was taken to the temple and when I visited the temple. So why do you suddenly want to know my divine history…”

 

It wasn’t that he didn’t understand why she was asking this question.

 

He seemed curious about the source of her intrinsic power.

 

“Are you suggesting that the power I’m dealing with might not be mere magic?”

 

He raised an eyebrow.

 

“Children born into clerical families are supposed to be measured periodically to make sure they are not developing divine powers.”

 

Evelyn’s eyes narrowed as she remembered the past. As far back as she could remember, she had never been tested.

 

Only.

 

“Once a year, I saw Erze wearing a necklace with a blue gemstone, a holy object that measured her holy power.”

 

“It’s Helene’s necklace.”

 

“If it’s Helene…”

 

“That’s the name of the first saint. She was part of the raiding party that sealed Babel, and of the necklace, ring, and earrings she wore, the necklace is the only holy item left.”

 

A blend of black magic and holy power.

 

“It’s as suspicious a combination as the idea that magical and holy power might exist in the same body.”

 

She’d never measured holy power, anyway, and even if she had, it wouldn’t be possible for a magical body to contain such power.

 

“I hope that clears up the misunderstanding.”

 

Of course not.

 

Instead of answering, Evelyn lifted her eyes and pursed her lips.

 

He cupped her chin and met her gaze, then smoothed her hair and kissed her flushed cheeks, her expression still set.

 

“I can’t answer all your questions right now, but I want you to know one thing: You’re the one who’s going to be my wife, not a saint.”

 

He wasn’t wrong, but that didn’t change anything. Evelyn shook her head.

 

“You’re the one who’s going to take care of me, and I’m just a duchess with a deadline.”

 

“I don’t recall a deadline in the contract.”

 

“I’m pretty sure the contract ends when we both get what we want…”

 

“Do you know what I want, and what you want?”

 

One corner of his mouth curled up sardonically at Evelyn’s reply.

 

“And don’t bother with the saint, she’s sworn chastity to the gods, she’s just fulfilling her trust, she can’t have anything to do with me.”

 

Suddenly, she remembered the crown prince’s words when he overheard their conversation about her future.

 

If she can’t stay in the north, that means the child will grow up without a mother.

 

Which means she’ll need someone to be its mother.

 

With her saint-like appearance, it was obvious that she was the right person.

 

“Don’t try to woo me with puns like that.”

 

Evelyn shook her head and wriggled out of his embrace.

 

But it was only for a moment. For a moment, Kalian’s hard body pressed against hers.

 

“Ugh!”

 

A sudden pain shot up her back where it met his chest.

 

It had happened before, when she’d ridden with him through the canyon on horseback.

 

Fortunately, the pain passed quickly, and he gently brushed the hair from her forehead as she broke into a cold sweat.

 

Evelyn stiffened like a statue at Kalian’s next words.

 

“I told you days ago, even if the oracle comes down, nothing will change between us.”

 

A few days ago.

 

“You can’t possibly…”

 

Their lower bodies met in a lazy grind.

 

“Mmm.”

 

He leaned in and slid his tongue deep into her mouth, scared to realize that the moment he’d thought was a dream was real.

 

Evelyn gasped and returned his kiss. She hated him for wanting only her body, and hated herself for giving in to his desire.

 

‘Force majeure, I can’t help it.’

 

She resented him for forcing her to say the words she hated the most, and a dull ache rose somewhere in her chest as she felt the emotion of hating him.

 

His lips sucked in a hot breath. The tip of his tongue flicked across the inner skin of her cheek, then scraped sharply across the roof of her mouth.

 

“Hmph…”

 

Feeling out of breath, she pushed off his broad shoulders.

 

His thumb snapped the thin thread of saliva and he stared at Evelyn, finally coming to a conclusion.

 

“Since the crowning of a Grand duchess must be approved by the Elders, and the ring will take time to be reworked, there is only one way to ease your anxiety for now.”

 

Her half-naked nightgown slides off easily. Kalian slipped his hand through the curl and gently wrapped it around Evelyn’s bare waist.

 

“What, what are you going to do?”

 

“I don’t think our relationship is pure enough to ask such a thing.”

 

Panicked, Evelyn grabbed his thick wrist.

 

“But I can’t do it here.”

 

“What’s the problem? You need the reassurance of this relationship, and I need your healing powers after a night’s sleep.”

 

Sounds like a good enough argument.

 

He lowered his head, cutting her off short.

 

“Of course, mixing bodies won’t dramatically change things between us.”

 

Her chest felt as if it were melting away, and her heart raced uncontrollably.

 

Even as the coldness of his voice pierced her heart, she was overwhelmed with emotion as he buried his face in her arms and gently teased her lips.

 

“You can’t lie to me and tell me you’re going to be a loving husband who only knows you.”

 

Her toes tingled and her nervous stomach clenched as his lips pressed against hers.

 

“But at least if you’re under my spell…”

 

With the sound of rustling fabric, the bits of clothing wrapped around each of their bodies fell to the floor one by one. Finally, they stood facing each other, perfectly naked, without a single thread of clothing.

 

“…I’ll never let you get hurt, I promise you this.”

 

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

 

The disheveled flesh made a slurping noise as it slithered against his fingertips.

 

He whispered softly, straining his fingertips as if to restrain the urge to dig deeper.

 

“One word. You need me, too.”

 

The arrogant consideration, as if he were giving her a choice, made Evelyn take a moment to reevaluate her feelings.

 

‘Did I need him now?’

 

No, she wanted him.

 

She was jealous of the sight of him with the saint, and she wanted him so badly, even as she felt her heart breaking into a million pieces every moment.

 

What she had been waiting for him all this time, Kalian would never know, dead or alive.

 

From the moment she’d decided to cling to him again, there had been no turning back; she hadn’t yet learned how to not love him.

 

And if there was ever going to be a turning point in their relationship, she realized, it was now.