I Became The Wife Of The Cursed Grand Duke Chapter 82

Evelyn reached out toward the babies without realizing it.

 

They were just as adorable, their skin blue as if they’d been frozen in ice, but they would have been fair if they’d been alive.

 

‘Why are these babies so beautiful…’

 

Just as she was beginning to doubt what she was seeing, a figure was superimposed over their faces.

 

Black hair as mysterious as the night sky, rounded features.

 

‘Could it be Kalian’s siblings? Charlotte lost her husband and children in some mysterious event?’

 

Evelyn was so shocked that she felt like bursting into tears. But she tried to control her emotions by shifting her gaze. She didn’t want to do anything that would be rude.

 

Moreover, Charlotte’s anger was clearly directed at Kalian. If she hated her son, it was only logical that she would hate her as well.

 

As if to confirm Evelyn’s suspicions, Charlotte finally spoke.

 

“Eighteen years ago, two supreme mutant beasts invaded the Grand Duchy and trampled on our precious sanctuary.”

 

With that, Charlotte knelt down and placed her hands on the glass near the children’s faces.

 

Her body heat fogged it.

 

Evelyn could tell she was crying, though it was hidden by the black veil. At the same time, a hot lump gurgled in her chest.

 

Unable to hold back the tears, Evelyn hurriedly wiped them from her eyes.

 

“Then, then, then…”

 

Charlotte, who had been stroking the glass for a while, delicately and carefully, as if she were handling a rare treasure, nodded.

 

“The Inferno of Flame and the Frost Giant… those monsters stole my treasures that I wouldn’t trade for the world.”

 

Evelyn felt her heart sink as soon as she heard Charlotte’s words.

 

But she remained silent, realizing that nothing she could say would make up for the devastation she must have experienced.

 

How much time had passed.

 

It was Charlotte who broke the silence.

 

She stared into space for a moment, then slowly opened her mouth, as if pulling a cherished memory from a drawer of memories.

 

“Contrary to popular belief, it was my husband who first gave me his heart. I met him at an imperial banquet when I was a very young girl, and I have never forgotten his magnificent figure.”

 

She removed her hand from the coffin and slowly rose to her feet. She stared straight ahead, then slowly turned her head to look at Evelyn.

 

Their eyes leveled for an instant.

 

The eyes behind the black veil turned to hers, and she felt her stomach drop, even though they weren’t meeting.

 

Evelyn couldn’t help but stare at Charlotte as she slowly removed the veil, unable to avoid it.

 

“Kalian, he is your cursed husband.”

 

Evelyn’s eyes finally caught sight of Charlotte’s face, burned and disfigured.

 

Skin oozing with ooze.

 

Bones caved in, eyeballs and gums half protruding.

 

‘Ah…’

 

Evelyn felt her pain and misery deep in her heart, but she felt guilty for even feeling it. Evelyn fought hard not to reveal her true feelings.

 

‘How could I possibly understand the grief of losing a beloved husband and late-born children, one day at a time?’

 

But contrary to her mindset, tears streamed from both of her eyes.

 

“Hmm.”

 

Evelyn could see Charlotte frowning at the sight of her tears.

 

“The arrival of a supreme variant of the beast in the north was a warning from Babel, whose activities began with the birth of the Guardian.”

 

“…….”

 

“When the unexpected summoning of the creature caused the Great Siege to be overrun, the Elders decided to cover it up completely, for the Guardian must never be feared.”

 

“…….”

 

“As a result, my husband, who was stronger than most, was counted as killed in battle with a lowly fiend, and our two lovely daughters, Emily and Deanna, were left without a name in the world.”

 

And Charlotte seems to have decided to place the blame for all of this on her son, Kalian, who was born a Guardian.

 

As if her guess was correct, Charlotte nodded slowly.

 

“I know it didn’t look good for you to go against my wishes, but from what I’ve heard of your situation, I don’t think you had any ulterior motives.”

 

The honesty of the past seemed to have touched Charlotte in some way.

 

But Evelyn could say nothing. Charlotte looked at her as if she could read her mind.

 

“I will consider your deal with the Parminions favorably. However, in the future, I ask that you do not take matters into your own hands.”

 

It sounded like a reprimand, but it was the godmother’s first piece of advice anyway. Taking this as a positive sign, Evelyn nodded and replied seriously.

 

“Yes, I will keep that in mind, thank you very much.”

 

Then her eyes locked with Charlotte’s. Evelyn immediately lowered her head, worried that she was being looked at with pity.

 

Then Charlotte snorted lightly.

 

“Why, now that you see the situation before you, do you regret your folly in choosing this horrible family?”

 

Regret? Impossible. Evelyn felt as sorry for Kalian as she did for Charlotte.

 

It was not his choice to be born with the fate of the Guardian on his shoulders, and it was not his choice to lose everything.

 

On the other hand, his heart throbbed at the intent behind Charlotte’s words.

 

She wondered if she was worried about passing on the pain she had suffered, even though she was putting on a strong front.

 

With her thoughts behind her, Charlotte pulled the lever again.

 

The bodies that had been briefly visible slid back down the coffin.

 

Evelyn’s head was a little muddled, and instead of answering Charlotte’s question, she asked as carefully as she could.

 

“Your Highness, the Ancestral Grand Duchess. I fully understand your intentions in showing me all of this, but why did you hide the cemetery from your son?”

 

Charlotte didn’t answer Evelyn’s question, which only deepened her suspicions.

 

“What didn’t she want him to see, and why did godmother prevent him from entering the catacombs?”

 

With that thought in mind, Evelyn was suddenly curious about the story of the Grand Duchess.

 

It wasn’t just curiosity.

 

It wasn’t a hat that didn’t get along, and it wasn’t a desire to clear up the misunderstanding between them.

 

Instead, it was a conviction that there was a reason the Godmother had gone to such lengths to isolate herself and hide the cemetery.

 

“Perhaps there is something here that must be protected…”

 

Charlotte paused, then interrupted her, her wariness evident.

 

“I see. I can see how much you love the grand duke, and if you choose to stay in the North after knowing the truth, I have nothing more to say.”

 

Her blue-gray eyes, cold and deeply wistful, disappeared behind a black veil.

 

“However, whatever happens, it is your choice, so do not resent anyone.”

 

Evelyn nodded meekly in understanding, and the woman gave her a strange look before disappearing into the darkness.

 

 

* * *

 

 

A fierce blizzard raged on the border.

 

For the fourth day in a row, the mages of the Matriarchy had been toiling away under the Grand Duke’s command, reinforcing the cracked shield.

 

“Everyone, be alert! The high ground is at hand! If the balance of power is disturbed, we will start all over again!”

 

Everyone shuddered.

 

They don’t know if it was the breeze that chilled their skin or the warning that sent chills down their spine, but they could feel themselves breaking out in a cold sweat.

 

Wizards, by nature, are arrogant and selfish. They never bothered to meddle in the affairs of men.

 

It’s no wonder they have such a high opinion of themselves, having the power to decide the outcome of wars with so little power.

 

But now, not a single one of them would say a word.

 

There was an air of intimidation about Grand duke Orpheus that was hard to ignore.

 

‘No wonder.’

 

Lanfidel, the wizard who guarded the tower in place of the Archmage, and presumably the next Archmage, channeled magic toward the curtain and glanced at Kalian out of the corner of his eye.

 

What kind of man he is.

 

He’d founded the Tabernacle shortly after his father’s death, and he’d steadfastly defended the North against the various factions that sought to claim his lost territory.

 

Furthermore, he used his powers as a guardian to minimize the damage by implementing a boundary between the demon and the adjacent lands.

 

He was ten years old at the time.

 

A normal child would have been inclined to weep over the loss of his father, or to avoid reality.

 

But as soon as he took over as Grand Duke, he was revered and feared.

 

It’s no wonder that humans who like to talk about other humans called him creepy, unchildlike, and full.

 

Especially those who had seen his eyes change color and scales and black wings sprout from his right arm as he became addicted to magick.

 

‘But today is different, different, different.’

 

His right arm and abdomen were tightly wrapped in pure white bandages, and his eyes were bloodshot, as if to prove that he had been consumed by the dark power.

 

But he hadn’t shown any signs of runaway power, even though he’d been using his powers like they were exploding for four days.

 

Taking advantage of the grand duke’s distraction, Lanfidel began to surreptitiously read the magic in his body.

 

“You must have gotten along quite well with the holy woman.”

 

As if to prove it, a mysterious opal-colored glow mingled with the usual golden aura of courtesy.