I Became The Wife Of The Cursed Grand Duke Chapter 74

The Grand Duke’s office.

 

 

Three men were discussing papers stacked as high as the rugged mountains beyond the window.

 

After a long puff on his cigar, Kalian turned to Benedict.

 

“When do the Elders assemble?”

 

There were four senators in Johansen, representing the sixteen provinces.

 

They were descendants of vassals who had served House Orpheus since the beginning of time and had been consulted on important matters in the north.

 

Like the Elders of the North, they are all demon hunters of great power and great wisdom.

 

“The North is concerned about the migration of the Frost Giant, and the West is concerned about a storm in the nearby Nora Sea, so they can’t be here right now.”

 

“Tell them they need not come. Their views are unimportant to the sacking of the grand duchess.”

 

“But…”

 

“Besides, now is not the time, and we cannot invite them into our private affairs when we must defend our own estates.”

 

Kalian replied bluntly, taking a deep drag on his lit cigar and flipping through the papers.

 

“By the way, Benedict, do you know of any instances where a grand duchess has been knighted by the Grand Duke?”

 

Benedict rolled his eyes at the sudden question and thought for a moment before answering in a confident voice.

 

“Well, not that I’m aware of, unless she inherited her family’s title.”

 

Benjamin, who had been listening to their conversation as he sorted through some urgent papers, interrupted.

 

“Are you going to confer a knighthood on the Grand Duchess?”

 

“Of course I will. Anyone who does a good deed deserves to be rewarded.”

 

“Then it would be quicker to find an example of a war hero than a grand duchess being knighted.”

 

War heroes.

 

True, many would have been wiped out had it not been for her actions in the town of Litchev.

 

Kalian nodded, seeming to be convinced by Benjamin’s advice.

 

“We’ll see about that, then, Benedict.”

 

Puffing on his half-smoked cigar, Kalian snapped his fingers and summoned the butler.

 

Benedict limped to a halt as he made his way to the bookshelves in his office to retrieve the materials Kalian had mentioned.

 

He looked down at his knee, which was bent uncomfortably.

 

“Your leg is still bothering you a lot.”

 

“No, it’s fine. I’m just old, and sometimes my bones get out of alignment. Don’t let it bother you.”

 

A low sigh escaped Kalian’s lips as he continued with his instructions.

 

“A list of the mines I own, to be organized and shown to the grand duchess in the next few days.”

 

“If you say show her…”

 

Benedict faltered, questioning his intentions, and Kalian explained.

 

“I was going to offer her a knighthood and lands, but I couldn’t think of a suitable place, and I’m willing to transfer the mines she wants into her name, though they’re not inhabited.”

 

The Grand Duke’s estate is rich in gold, silver, copper, magic stones, and even diamonds.

 

It is not a fortune he inherited. From a very young age, Kalian has had an uncanny knack for finding ore veins in the barren northern lands.

 

He has never shared the golden fields with anyone, finding them as casually as if he had known them for ages.

 

Which meant that offering her a title and a fortune was not something to be taken lightly.

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

“Dissolved.”

 

With those words, Kalian began to scrawl his signature across the papers.

 

Benjamin and Benedict, with the grand duke between them, exchanged a quick, amused glance.

 

 

* * *

 

 

After taking care of the most pressing papers, Kalian left the office at a brisk pace.

 

He wanted to check the cracks in the bonding magic circle and reinforce the barrier, but he was nervous that someone might try to target Evelyn.

 

Besides, reports had already begun to come in from several provinces that the demons had awakened from their long slumber.

 

The knights he had left behind in the north, and their leader, Viktor, had been keeping up with the situation, but now it was time for him to act.

 

That’s why he’s ordered the wedding to be pushed back as far as possible. To tie the knot before things got even more hectic inside and out.

 

“Hmm.”

 

Kalian rubbed one hand over the nape of his stiff neck. The image of Evelyn’s face, biting her lip in frustration, came to mind.

 

Evelyn’s flushed face, her red lips exhaling hot breath.

 

Evelyn had chosen to smile as a way to hide what she was feeling, but he could see it in her eyes.

 

She is unsettled, unsure of her place and her future.

 

There’s no denying that spending time with the saint unintentionally amplified her anxiety.

 

If she’s insecure, let her be insecure, and if there’s a misunderstanding, let them work it out. That’s the attitude he’s taken so far.

 

But why?

 

Somewhere along the line, this resolute attitude of someone who could just walk away at a moment’s notice began to bother him.

 

Or, more accurately, it made him uneasy.

 

That’s why he didn’t leave the castle straight away, but turned and headed for the underground fortress.

 

Benjamin, who had been following him like a shadow, quickly followed.

 

When they reached the fortress, Benjamin looked puzzled as he unlocked the heavy stone door.

 

“So, what brings you to the fortress all of a sudden?”

 

It wasn’t planned, and an underground fortress steeped in blood is not his favorite place.

 

Benjamin is understandably puzzled as to why he would head to a place like this sober and not on a rampage.

 

But instead of answering, Kalian strode on, his posture unflappable.

 

*Thump, thump, thump*

 

Down the spiral staircase and to the end of a long corridor, a room filled with restraints and various chains to keep the runaway in check.

 

Clank!

 

He spoke as he pushed open a heavy iron door.

 

“When the binding magic circle was destroyed in the Tabernacle, Aether appeared in Evelyn’s subconscious.”

 

“What? That’s crazy, no, why would it appear in the consciousness of Your Highness?”

 

Instead of answering, Kalian sank back into his specially constructed confinement chair.

 

“Send a message to Matthias, tell him to see to Evelyn’s condition.”

 

“Is something wrong with her?”

 

“Apparently, Evelyn can manipulate light in addition to her healing powers.”

 

“You mean she generates light herself, rather than borrowing the power of the gods?”

 

“She used the light to break free of Aether’s hold, so perhaps. Though I’d need to confirm.”

 

For a moment, Kalian’s mind vividly pictured the woman’s face as she embraced Aether.

 

The way she gently caressed the nape of his neck, letting out a single breath.

 

“Damn.”

 

“Are you uncomfortable?”

 

Uncomfortable, a lot of it.

 

He never thought he’d be jealous of a demonic bastard parasitizing his body.

 

It was a first.

 

It’s the first time he’s ever hated the fact that he’s not a normal human being, that he’s a dirty, ugly, festering thing.

 

For such a trivial reason, he bullied her a little too hard when she cried about what she did wrong.

 

He hugged her tightly, trying to soothe her pain, and weighed her down, desperate to reach as deep as he could when there was nowhere else to go.

 

He guesses that’s why.

 

For the first time ever, a woman who usually doesn’t leave marks left a tiny bruise on the nape of his neck.

 

Kalian thought it was cute and kind of liked it, so he quickly removed it as soon as he saw the reflection in the glass of water.

 

If Evelyn found it, she’d be embarrassed and try to erase it with some sort of healing power.

 

It was a shame that the mark she had left would be erased by her.

 

He didn’t know why it bothered him so much that he’d blurted out that he’d be gone for a few days, like he was running away.

 

He brushed his fingertips lightly across the nape of his neck and frowned once, as if to clear his mind.

 

“I need to get to the bottom of this. There’s no guarantee it won’t happen again.”

 

“What? How are you going to determine that here?”

 

The Dark Curtain had been built when he was ten years old, the year his father died.

 

It was ostensibly to keep demons from traveling south, but in reality, it was a last line of defense to protect the north from the evil forces that coveted Johansen.

 

In the eighteen times it has been raised since, it has never caused any trouble. Whatever the cause, it was cause for concern.

 

Clang!

 

Securing his left hand in the cuffs on the armrest, Kalian called to Benjamin with a gesture. He motioned for Benjamin to follow suit with his right hand.

 

“I have no choice but to ask him in person.”

 

When Benjamin hesitated, unable to move closer, Kalian pulled a dagger from the leather sheath on his thigh and flicked it.

 

“Stab him without hesitation.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Mrs. Riktor had been correct when she said she would assign a maid with nimble hands.

 

Lucy’s bath was a delightful experience, and even though it didn’t last long, her skin and hair glowed with a lustrous sheen.

 

“Wow, I got my wish,” Lucy said, “I’ve always wanted to braid a hair so fine!”

 

“I’m glad you’re happy.”

 

“Oh, I’ve been touching it for so long, haven’t I? It feels so good in my hands, I can’t help myself… Madam, have you ever touched a cat?”

 

“Yes, but why the cat all of a sudden?”

 

“It’s kind of like touching your hair, ma’am, except that it’s not quite the same, but it’s very addictive.”

 

She almost fell asleep as she realized how much she was lovingly brushing her hair.

 

Evelyn shoves a finger food from her dressing table into her mouth and squeezes her sleepy eyes shut.

 

“I like having someone play with my hair too, it reminds me of my mom.”

 

“Oh, my…, I wasn’t thinking, I’m sorry to remind you of the past, ma’am.”

 

Evelyn chewed her cookie absentmindedly and looked up at the mirror.

 

Lucy, picking up her dropped hairbrush, was blushing, unsure of what to do.

 

“What? Why is that something to be sorry about…”

 

Suddenly, a face flashed into her mind.