I Became The Wife Of The Cursed Grand Duke Chapter 76

It’s been three days since then.

 

*Ding*

 

The door opened softly with a now familiar knock, and Mrs. Riktor appeared, bowing lightly.

 

“Jeff has brought you some freshly baked bread; I know you’re full from the meal you’ve just had, but I’m sure you’ll like it.”

 

“That’s right, ma’am, there’s always room for dessert.”

 

While Lucy set the tea and bread on the table, Mrs. Riktor began to go over the details of her day yesterday.

 

She peeked in this way and that, carefully assessing her condition.

 

“The councilor is coming this afternoon.”

 

“Why is the councilor suddenly…”

 

“His Highness has instructed me to do so.”

 

“I’ll take it with pleasure.”

 

Evelyn nodded instead of probing. She knew Kalian would never have given Mrs. Riktor a reason for what he had ordered her to do.

 

‘He’s trying to get himself in shape. He said it’s tricky to break a curse without good vital signs.’

 

He’s more attentive than she vaguely remembered. She couldn’t help but smile at the memory of him.

 

Even in the past, their relationship had been quite cordial, regardless of the tumultuous circumstances around them, but it had grown into something much different.

 

‘I hope Kalian feels the same way.’

 

The more time they spent together, the more memories they shared.

 

Evelyn doesn’t know if she should be happy or sad about that.

 

Unable to decide, Evelyn wiped the smile from her softly curved lips.

 

“By the way, Helen, I was wondering about something…”

 

“Go ahead.”

 

“When does His Highness expect to return?”

 

Mrs. Riktor, who had been watching her expression carefully, replied, averting her gaze.

 

“Well, it’s hard to tell, as he’s there on an inspection, not a business trip; but if it’s a matter of urgency, I’ll send a telegram.”

 

The North is vast, and with no warp gates, it takes a lot of time just to get around.

 

He can’t use teleportation magic for every trip, either.

 

Even knowing that, she waited. Her throat felt strangled with longing for him.

 

“No, no. It’s okay.”

 

Evelyn broke off a small piece of the bread in front of her and shoved it into her mouth with a sigh.

 

The freshly baked bread went down easily, even with her full stomach.

 

“Well, I’ll get going.”

 

As Mrs. Riktor turned to leave, savoring the flavor and making sure the windowsill was cleaned one last time, she interrupted.

 

“I wonder, ma’am, if there’s anything in particular that’s bothering you.”

 

She shook her head as she tore off a bit more bread and popped it into her mouth, and she continued with an uncharacteristic hesitation.

 

“Then… will you be stopping by the godmother’s again today?”

 

“I intend to but is there something wrong?”

 

“Nothing of the sort.”

 

For a moment, she saw several emotions pass over Mrs. Riktor’s face. Swallowing an emotion she didn’t know whether it was emptiness or regret, she added blandly.

 

“I don’t mean to be presumptuous, but you’re not as evil as you think you are.”

 

“Eh?”

 

“Says the godmother.”

 

“…I see. But did it seem to you, by any chance, that I thought ill of the godmother?”

 

“What?”

 

“Because you’re not as evil as you think you are. I never thought of the godmother that way.”

 

Evelyn was a little puzzled.

 

She had only wanted to pay her respects to the oldest member of the family.

 

She didn’t dare to comfort her in her grief, nor did she dare to be presumptuous with her words.

 

“And if you were truly evil, you would have jumped out barefoot and grabbed me by the hair as soon as I arrived at the Grand Duchy, telling me how dare I interfere with your subjects.”

 

Lucy, who had been listening to Evelyn’s words, burst into uncontrollable laughter.

 

Clicking her tongue at the immature maid, Mrs. Riktor bit Lucy briefly before jerking her head toward Evelyn.

 

“I do not say this to impugn your character; I hope you will chalk it up to the senility of an old woman.”

 

“Helen.”

 

Putting down the piece of bread, Evelyn stepped toward Mrs. Riktor.

 

She felt that her behavior had caused a small misunderstanding.

 

She had forgotten that to them she was still a stranger to be wary of and navigated, unlike her past life in the Grand Duchy.

 

As she approached, Mrs. Riktor bowed once more, arching her spine.

 

“…Yes, my lady.”

 

She couldn’t see it from this distance, but the tip of her nose was red, and her lips were pressed together, and she could tell she was very nervous.

 

Evelyn wondered what was making her so anxious.

 

Of course, it can’t be from distrust of her.

 

A deep loyalty to the grand duchess.

 

A deep bond that only those who know their sad past can share.

 

Anxiety that Evelyn, still a stranger, might misunderstand and rush to judgment.

 

Seeing that she was remorseful for her mistake, Evelyn took her hand.

 

“I know I’m not pretty yet, but I haven’t had the smoothest of lives either.”

 

“My lady.”

 

“I do know that the passage of time does not diminish the magnitude of her grief and longing.”

 

“…….”

 

“I just wanted to say hello, and if that doesn’t make you feel comfortable, I’m not going to do anything about it.”

 

Mrs. Riktor’s face flushed with bewilderment.

 

She remembered the grand duchess’s exploits in Parminion.

 

Suddenly it made sense that she’d had such a difficult life.

 

If she had grown up as a plant in a greenhouse, she wouldn’t have gotten her hands dirty with blood and gotten involved in other people’s affairs.

 

“I apologize, my lady. I disturbed the planting with my presumptuous remark. It won’t happen next time.”

 

She bent down to apologize and started walking toward the entrance.

 

“There will be no next time, because I’m going to punish you today.”

 

The grand duchess’s voice, as gravelly as her own, caught Mrs. Riktor by the ankle.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

The Grand Ducal Castle was a fortress of natural beauty, shaped as if sharp rocky mountains embraced it with open arms on all sides.

 

Winding through the maze of walkways behind the main house’s back gate, the temple-like eastern outbuilding loomed large.

 

As Mrs. Riktor gazes at the spires rising in the distance, her gaze turns to the grand duchess walking alongside her.

 

Steam escaped from her red lips as she struggled up the steep hill.

 

Her silver hair fluttered in the wind and sparkled like stars in the snow.

 

Contrary to first impressions, she’s actually a bit cuter than she looks.

 

She had prepared herself to accept the punishment willingly.

 

‘I can’t believe the punishment is to help with the grooming.’

 

She suddenly remembered the first time she saw her in a newspaper portrait.

 

She’d always thought she was stunningly beautiful, but not in a way that could be defined by the word ‘beautiful’.

 

Mrs. Riktor could feel the castle’s servants and knights alike looking at her with envy.

 

‘Was it because of the powerful aura that seemed to emanate from her slender body?’

 

There must be something about her that mesmerizes people, for even the knights who traveled with her spoke in praise of her.

 

‘And this must be what captured his heart…’

 

It was then.

 

“Helen.”

 

Her face darkened somewhat in thought, and a hint of concern flickered in the grand duchess’s eyes.

 

“You must be tired, but you must go back and get some rest. I’m going to explore a bit more before we return.”

 

They were making their way to the outbuildings now.

 

She had finished refurbishing it, and instead of leaving Lucy in the care of the grand duchess, she had offered to show her around the castle.

 

The outbuildings, some distance from the main house, were dark and complicated, and she didn’t feel comfortable leaving Lucy in charge of them.

 

There was no way she could be trusted with such a place alone.

 

Mrs. Riktor tied the grand duchess’s slightly disheveled cloak back into a tight knot and advised her.

 

“Remember. If any of the maids turn around and leave you alone, you must dismiss them immediately. Besides, you’re not even familiar with the castle’s geography yet, and I don’t want you to get lost on your own.”

 

“Hmm, I’m being treated like a child at the water’s edge, am I not?”

 

“Of course you look like a child in this old woman’s eyes, and a very precious one at that, a jewel that must never be lost.”

 

The grand duchess turned to face her and smiled.

 

The sight of her clear, unblemished smile brought back memories of the past.

 

She remembered the day her godfather had married her in the north.

 

She remembered the first time she touched her hair and the feel of her soft flesh.

 

Her shy face as she waited for her first night with the Grand Duke, and the way she smiled like a flower when she finally saw her husband.

 

In her mind, it was like yesterday.

 

‘Who would have thought that the smile would ever be wiped from her face, which was always so vigorous and healthy.’

 

Mrs. Riktor swallowed the sigh that escaped her with familiarity.

 

It was a tragedy of their own that must not be allowed to leak out.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

After a long walk along the promenade, they came to a halt in front of a tall wall of outbuildings.

 

The noon air, stripped of its chill as the sun rose higher, cooled the sweat beading on their foreheads.

 

“Huh.”

 

Evelyn took a deep breath, forcing the cold air deep into her lungs.

 

“I don’t think I’ll ever need to go to the training grounds. I could walk here every day and get in great shape.”

 

She shifted her stiff body from side to side, her tight lungs opening up a little.

 

Meanwhile, Mrs. Riktor had alerted the gatekeeper of the outbuilding that they had arrived.

 

Immediately, the massive gates swung open, revealing an outbuilding that rivaled the main house in size.

 

As they walked in, Mrs. Riktor asked curiously.

 

“Ma’am. If you’ll excuse me, may I ask what business brings you in and out of the ballroom?”