I Became The Wife Of The Cursed Grand Duke Chapter 75

‘Louise.’

 

Benjamin was the only one besides Kalian who knew she was the illegitimate daughter of the Earl of Lawrence.

 

So, Evelyn’s words about her mother’s death seemed very sad to Lucy.

 

‘My mother’s dead, so there’s no reason for her to tell the old truth…’

 

It was times like these that the North was off-limits to outsiders.

 

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it, it’s in the past.”

 

Soon enough, Evelyn, groomed with her help, left the bedroom to meet her godmother.

 

As soon as she stepped out into the hallway, she was greeted by the rustic stone walls and the insignia of the House of Orpheus.

 

“Your Highness, the Grand Duchess.”

 

Each step she took was greeted with a cheerful greeting.

 

She couldn’t see their expressions through their bent backs, but she could tell that the castle was excited to welcome its newest grand duchess.

 

Evelyn did as Lucy had advised and returned their greetings with a nod and a smile.

 

Of course, not everyone was happy to see her.

 

“I’m afraid the great lady isn’t here.”

 

The bodyguard guarding the hallway in front of the godmother’s bedroom stopped her.

 

It would not be a lie to say that the Godmother had vacated her bedroom.

 

In the past, she had spent most of her time in the prayer room and catacombs in the outbuildings.

 

‘You didn’t come here thinking you’d get to see her once and for all.’

 

Soothing herself, Evelyn caught a glimpse of her godmother’s quarters.

 

The stone door, as solid as a tombstone, was as gloomy as a black veil.

 

The lack of sunlight made the entire place look like one giant cemetery.

 

“I see. I’ll be back tomorrow at this time, so please post a message that I hope to see her.”

 

“Yes, ma’am.”

 

Satisfied that she had made her point, she turned to leave.

 

But despite her light step, her heart was heavy.

 

People believed that her godmother’s divorce from the emperor meant that she reluctantly chose the Grand Duke because she didn’t want to go to the monastery, but she felt differently.

 

‘Who in the world would spend twenty years mourning for someone they never loved?’

 

A black dress to the neck, black gloves, and a black veil.

 

She sighed inwardly as she remembered how she had looked without showing any flesh.

 

“It’s a shame you can’t go back to your quarters, isn’t it? You’re so beautifully dressed, and the grand duke is so busy.”

 

At that moment, Lucy, who interpreted Evelyn’s sigh differently, spoke up.

 

It was obvious that she was trying to make her feel better.

 

Evelyn squared her sagging shoulders, not wanting to see the disappointment on her face.

 

“Why don’t we go see the castle, then?”

 

 

* * *

 

 

‘Was the castle this big?’

 

She was offering to show her the castle to help her digest and to give her a walk.

 

It wasn’t until the sun was well into the evening that Evelyn was able to take a break from Lucy’s manic guidance.

 

Their last stop was the busiest place in the castle, the common dining hall, which was always bustling with knights.

 

The dining hall was large and deafeningly loud, as it was responsible for feeding hundreds of knights.

 

Lucy covered her ears and shouted.

 

“It’s always crowded here, isn’t it? If you’ll just go to your bedroom now, I’ll prepare your meal and bring it to you!”

 

“No! I’m…”

 

That was it.

 

Woo-zig-zag, bang-!

 

With a dull thud, a table full of plates flew through the air, flipped over, and landed on the floor.

 

Evelyn could only stare in horror at the scene.

 

“Oh, no! Your Highness, are you all right?”

 

Dwayne and Max were the ones causing the commotion.

 

They rushed over, hurriedly picked up the plates that had fallen at Evelyn’s feet, flung them back, and scratched their heads.

 

“Sorry, ma’am. I was in the middle of an arm-wrestling match and lost control of my strength, so I had to stop…”

 

Evelyn’s jaw dropped. The table was big enough to seat ten men comfortably, even if they couldn’t throw.

 

“That thing just snapped in half because you couldn’t control your power?”

 

“Yeah, you know how serious we are about arm wrestling.”

 

Of course, she had witnessed it on the way home.

 

They would get together at night and get very, very serious about who had the strongest arm.

 

What was so important about that, Evelyn could never understand.

 

“You only broke an oak barrel back then, I didn’t think you could break a table this big.”

 

It was only the Ölir who tilted their heads in disbelief at her answer.

 

“Hmm? You haven’t seen your lord break something yet?”

 

“Uh… I’m supposed to see?”

 

Dwayne’s eyes narrowed, as if he hadn’t expected this reaction at all.

 

“Well, I’m just saying, sometimes when you’re using your powers at night…, they can get out of control, and it’s possible that’s what happens. I’m just saying.”

 

“I don’t know what you mean…”

 

Once again, Dwayne was speechless. Max, who had just subdued a man twice his size with his strength, ducked his head as if to pretend he hadn’t heard.

 

“Enjoy your meal, then, and if you want to warm up anytime, you can always come to the rehearsal hall.”

 

“Yes, thank you. By the way, Sir Max.”

 

Evelyn was about to turn away when she suddenly stopped them.

 

“The grand duke says he will not return to the castle for some time, and you have not gone with him?”

 

“We were told to rest up until his next journey. His Highness will be joining the captain who is exploring the canyon after he finishes tinkering with the tabernacle.”

 

“Oh…”

 

“Don’t worry, my lord actually prefers to travel alone. After all, strong animals don’t herd.”

 

It’s no secret that he’s strong. But when he leaves to tend to the estate before he’s had a chance to rest, she feels sorry for him.

 

‘If I’d known, I would have hugged him a little tighter.’

 

Evelyn swallowed her bitterness and let them go, then scanned the bustling dining room.

 

Arm wrestling was still going on at one table where the meal had ended, and there was a rowdy drinking game going on at another.

 

The arrival of the grand duchess hadn’t been met with a rush to greet her or a shunning of her table.

 

Of course, this was nothing new to Evelyn, who had been in the company of knights for a short time.

 

That’s why she felt so comfortable in this atmosphere.

 

“My lady, you should eat, too.”

 

Evelyn shifted her gaze to Lucy, who tugged at her cuff.

 

“Yes, let’s go over there and sit down. I’ve been walking around all afternoon and my belly is sticking to my back.”

 

“Ugh! You’re going to get in trouble!”

 

Just then, a burly man with bulging biceps stepped between Evelyn and Lucy.

 

“Come, follow me,” he said, “I’m not going to starve a skeleton of a woman to death!”

 

He led the two stunned women to the farthest corner of the room.

 

On the way, Lucy slapped the forearm of a man the width of her waist.

 

“Chef! You startled her! Will you take responsibility if she falls?”

 

“Eek! Did you have an accident, what kind of asshole is your dad to drop a pregnant child…”

 

“No, no, not me!”

 

The gazes of the two walking ahead of them snapped to Evelyn.

 

Of course she was never going to have a child, but she didn’t want to interrupt their little gossip.

 

Smiling awkwardly and lifting her shoulders, she scratched the back of her head as the chef stopped in front of the innermost table.

 

“From now on, this is your seat. Come by anytime and I’ll do my best to fatten you up!”

 

“Okay, thank you.”

 

She replied as she sat down in the chair, and the chef bent down to greet her.

 

“I’m late in greeting you. I’m Jeff, the general manager of the Grand Duchy Restaurant.”

 

“Pleased to meet you, Jeff.”

 

Evelyn stared at the chef who had ushered them in.

 

He was an unfamiliar face. No wonder, she’d never been in a communal kitchen before.

 

First impressions were mixed.

 

He was clearly wearing an apron, but he looked more like a skilled hunter than a chef.

 

“If there’s anything you’d like to try, please let me know. I’ll be happy to make you anything!”

 

“Mmm, prepare the dish you’re most confident in. I’ll know your skill when I taste it.”

 

The chef’s eyes lit up as she replied with a gesture of trust.

 

“Then wait just a moment, and I’ll show you a heavenly flavor that the Imperials won’t even be able to duplicate, and I won’t be responsible if you pass out from eating it, hahaha!”

 

‘What was that look in his eyes and laugh, like he was going to knock her out if she didn’t pass out from eating?’

 

As if to laugh off her concerns, the food was dazzlingly fresh and delicious.

 

A crowd gathered around her in the dirt.

 

Evelyn continued to eat in the midst of the hustle and bustle.

 

She laughed so hard that her mouth tingled and tears stung her eyes.

 

Even though it was her first day, she had a feeling that she would miss this atmosphere a lot in the future.