I Refuse This Life, Your Highness! - Chapter 53

I couldn’t understand the Grand Duke’s words. It felt less like he wanted me to comprehend and more like he was reassuring himself.

“Are you afraid?”

I shook my head, but the Grand Duke gently lifted me and laid me down on the bed. Dressed in black as dark as a raven, he climbed onto the white sheets embroidered with olive leaf patterns, covering me with his presence.

The motif, said to bring good fortune to brides could it bring me luck in the trial tomorrow? My fingertips traced the embroidery, as if seeking comfort, but the Grand Duke’s hand covered mine, stilling my movements.

He kissed me again.

His hands moved delicately over my thin nightgown, as if afraid to break me. Each touch pressed the fabric against my skin, revealing glimpses of flesh beneath. He gazed down at me, his eyes calm yet unapologetically intent.

Not sneaking glances—no, his gaze was direct and unashamed.

Of course, why would he feel otherwise? We were… married.

This was simply what was expected of us. We hadn’t even consummated our marriage yet. Perhaps tonight that would change. The thought sent heat rushing to my face. I called his name as soon as his lips left mine.

“Y-Your Majesty.”

“Yuraine.”

“…”

I clamped my lips shut, afraid something nonsensical might slip out. My lips still tingled from the kiss, and my heart raced uncontrollably. The Grand Duke brushed a soft kiss against my cheek and spoke.

“The trial will be held tomorrow. A messenger is waiting at an inn near the estate.”

“Tomorrow? So suddenly…”

“The Emperor has decided to preside over it himself.”

My eyes widened in shock. The Emperor, presiding over my trial? That had never happened in my past life. Back then, after the incident, I’d been sent back to Airdren at my family’s request. The trial had taken place days later, resulting in the execution of me and my family. I was transported to Iserre, where the sentence was carried out immediately.

The Emperor’s involvement had been minimal—a single, cold statement condemning my crime as “unforgivable.” But this time, he intended to oversee the trial himself?

“Why would His Majesty…?”

“Because he intended to from the start.”

“W-What do you mean?”

The Grand Duke soothed me, brushing my hair back and pulling me into a firm embrace. His clothes carried the faint scent of dirt and cold air, hinting at the long journey he must have taken.

“The Emperor likely never intended to have you executed. But he’s realized now that you pose a complication.”

“A complication?”

“Yes. Do you remember what the merchant leader of Rubes said?”

Rubes… That name caught me off guard. It took me a moment to recall his words. Then, they surfaced like a whisper from my memory.

—“The Emperor is no different. Nobles can become royalty, and even emperors were once nobles themselves.”

A revolutionary’s rhetoric, or so I had dismissed it at the time.

“The Emperor sought to use you to remove me.”

“…”

An official assassin…

The blood drained from my face. I clung to the Grand Duke, shaking my head frantically.

“No! I swear, I would never—never harm you. I would never…”

“I know.”

The Grand Duke gently stroked my cheek with his fingertips, his touch calming.

“I didn’t realize it at first, but I know now. I know very well. You would never harm me, and…”

“…”

“And, fortunately, you didn’t fall for the Emperor’s tricks.”

“Fortunate…?”

Tilting my head in confusion, I prompted him to explain further.

“Think about what Lyon Manas said, and connect it with what I’ve told you.”

The Emperor’s origin as a noble, his desire to use me, and now this… A possibility clicked into place in my mind.

“…Can the Emperor use magic?”

“Indeed, you’re sharp.”

The Grand Duke kissed my cheek as if praising me. But I couldn’t feel proud. I should have pieced it together the moment Lyon Manas spoke. His “good information” had been a deliberate warning, one I had been too foolish to heed.

But how had Lyon Manas, a member of Hasaine’s royal family, known? Only nobles within the Empire inherited magic, a power that formed the foundation of the Empire’s dominance over the continent.

“The Emperor possesses magic that can control and manipulate minds.”

“Then…”

Millen Ail’s erratic, almost bewitched behavior flashed through my mind. He’d been used—there was no doubt about it now.

The Grand Duke continued, “The Emperor tried to manipulate your mind. And mine.”

“Even you? But, Your Majesty…”

I had never seen any sign of the Grand Duke being under the Emperor’s influence.

“I’m not immune to mental magic like you are, but I was born with a naturally strong resistance. Even if the Emperor attempts his magic ten times, it might only work once. Still, he tried persistently, knowing there was a chance. Fortunately, we have a skilled mental mage in our territory.”

Countess Kiara.

I remembered the silvery glow that passed through her hands. She had explained her ability to manipulate magic through physical contact. Did the Emperor require eye contact for his spells?

The Emperor’s unsettling red eyes came to mind. His insistence on meeting my gaze had felt suffocating. Was that when he tried to control me? If I had succumbed to his magic…

A shiver raced down my spine. The Grand Duke’s warm hands caressed my arms and neck, grounding me.

“He did manage to leave one suggestion in my mind when I was younger. I only discovered it recently, thanks to you.”

“Me? What kind of suggestion was it?”

“To trust Erma.”

“…”

It all made sense. In both lives, the Grand Duke had trusted Erma implicitly. I had thought it was due to their close bond as childhood companions, but even that was a manipulation by the Emperor.

“I’ve always been cautious of the Emperor’s intentions, but I let my guard down completely when it came to Erma. It was your words that made me realize the truth.”

“Oh…”

My chest felt heavy. In both lives, Erma had been the Emperor’s tool. And in this life, the Grand Duke had almost fallen victim to the same scheme.

It must have been when I told him about Erma’s corruption. I recalled the look of confusion on the Grand Duke’s face.

“Erma has been by my side since we were children, visiting the imperial palace together. I always found it odd how much favor the Emperor showed him, but now I realize—he was the Emperor’s pawn from the very beginning.”

“Then… the reason Erma sometimes resembled the Emperor…”

“It’s the Emperor’s magic. When his influence is at work, it’s not surprising for such resemblances to appear.”

I wrapped my arms tightly around myself. The memories of Erma’s actions in my past life flooded back. Could anyone, no matter how arrogant, act the way he had toward the Grand Duchess without some higher backing?

‘A beauty like that locked behind bars—it makes for a particularly fine taste.’

The Emperor had said those words. It wasn’t just Erma who imprisoned me—it was the Emperor himself.

“Why are you trembling so much?”

The Grand Duke’s low whisper pulled me from my thoughts. He drew me into his arms, his scent—a mixture of earthy dust and his cool, distinctive aroma—calming me. Sharing a bed with him night after night had made me attuned to his unique fragrance.

I couldn’t share the truth of my past life with him. I had tried, three times now, to bring it up indirectly, but each time, it seemed he had no memory of such things. I lacked the courage to press further. Instead, I burrowed deeper into his embrace and asked, “Your Majesty, earlier, when you said you ‘saw’… What did you mean?”

The Grand Duke began to gently pat my back, as if trying to lull me to sleep. But sleep was the furthest thing from my mind.

“I’ll tell you once this is all over. I promise.”

“After this is over… Will I even survive? Will you?”

“We’ll all be fine. Don’t worry about anything.”

How could I not worry? The Grand Duke, my parents, Lebien, Liseon, and myself—what fate awaited us in a trial presided over by the Emperor himself? The evidence against me was damning. No one but me could have accessed the poison in my blood.

The ticking clock felt cruel, each passing second bringing us closer to the trial.

The next day, a royal messenger arrived at the estate with a summons: the trial would begin immediately. The Grand Duke vanished at dawn, as silently as he had come the previous night, leaving me in bed.

Sleep had eluded me completely, and I spent the night wide awake. Fear and tension had rendered exhaustion irrelevant. The two-hour carriage ride to the trial felt like an eternity and yet ended far too quickly.

The courtroom reserved for trials presided over by the Emperor was opened for the first time in years. Despite the sudden notice, a significant number of nobles had gathered, eager to witness the proceedings. The jury seats were packed.

I barely recognized the faces of the jurors. About half of them seemed to be from Iserre. My past life’s memories of them were limited to the sight of their hands raised in a unanimous guilty verdict.

One notable absence was Countess Kiara, likely excluded due to her role as my mentor, which could raise questions about her impartiality. She had been the only one to vote for my acquittal in my past life.

“Order. The trial for the murder of Millen Ail will now commence.”

With those words, the courtroom fell silent. The trial proceeded, and as in my past life, I found myself unable to focus. I couldn’t even lift my head to meet the Emperor’s gaze. What expression would he wear? The man who had orchestrated my suffering… My body trembled uncontrollably, just as it had when I first encountered Erma in this life.

“I would like to submit a testimony.”

The words cut through the fog in my mind, clear and resolute. The voice belonged to the Grand Duke. My head snapped toward him, finding him standing closer to me than I had realized.

“A spouse’s testimony cannot be accepted as evidence,” the judge stated.

“No, this will have to be accepted,” the Grand Duke replied firmly.

I stared at him in bewilderment. A spouse’s words carried no weight as evidence due to familial bias. What was he planning to say?

“There are certain conditions under which Airdren bloodline magic can be nullified.”

“Oh?”

The Emperor, seated in his regal position, leaned forward with apparent interest.

“As far as I know,” the Emperor said, his crimson eyes gleaming ominously, “that happens only under… rather unique circumstances.”

Unique circumstances? I looked at the Grand Duke in confusion, but he maintained his composure as he continued.

“Yes, I just received final confirmation from the physician moments ago. Yuraine is pregnant.”

The courtroom fell silent. My breath caught in my throat as the weight of his words sank in. Pregnant? How could that be?

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