Living a Scheming Marriage with a Mad Villain - Chapter 112

After the salon ended, on the way back to the Grand Duke’s castle, I gently brought up Iris to Reus.

“I heard the princess invited you a few times.”

“It’s nothing. I refused all of them.”

Reus answered without hesitation and didn’t seem to care much. His very indifferent expression made my anxious heart calm down a little.

“I thought you were still worried about the birthday banquet. She asked me to tell you she was really thankful that day.”

“Is that so?”

Reus answered casually and suddenly wrapped a blanket around my shoulders, though I didn’t know where he got it from.

“Reus, you usually ignore whatever I say, don’t you?”

“How dare I listen to you.”

Reus gave a small bitter laugh as if he was a little annoyed.

“You’re the one who doesn’t really care about me. If anyone should be upset, it should be me, not you with that expression.”

“Me…?”

Have I ever acted shameless like Reus?

‘Even though I was the one who lied more, and always pretended to listen while tricking him…’

But Reus raised his eyebrows slightly as if he really didn’t remember. His betrayed look made me wonder if I really had been like that. Before I could think more, Reus continued as if pleased.

“Lately, even when you haven’t done anything wrong, you keep avoiding talking to me.”

That’s because after realizing Reus’s feelings, I got embarrassed whenever I saw him and couldn’t help it.

‘Anyway, he knows he’s also at fault. That’s a relief.’

“It’s also that you often go to another bedroom and fall asleep.”

That too… made me unable to sleep because I remembered how Reus said he could only sleep well when I was there. And since I always woke up in the couple’s bedroom no matter which room I fell asleep in, I just let it go.

“You’re not even looking at me now, Loelle.”

“That’s because the view is so pretty…”

“Didn’t you just enjoy it enough earlier?”

“Night views are different…”

“Can’t you give me a little attention now?”

His tone was the same as usual, but somehow it sounded like a childish whine to my ears, so I closed my eyes tightly. Then I quietly turned my body and fixed my gaze outside the window. Reus, seeming a bit sulky, wriggled my hand that he was holding.

“There’s not much to see. What’s so pretty about it?”

“I won’t get to come often. I want to enjoy it a lot now—”

Suddenly, the curtains closed, startling me and making my shoulders jump automatically.

“Reus, you scared me…!”

I turned around to scold him but was shocked again by how close Reus was. For some reason, he didn’t seem to want to move away at all. Because of that, as I kept leaning back, my back bumped the carriage wall with a soft thud.

“You’re too close, Reus…”

I said since I couldn’t move back further, but Reus just raised his eyebrows as if saying ‘so what?’ Feeling shy about facing him like that, I slowly turned my head. His displeased eyes poked at the side of my face.

After a moment of silence, Reus looked down at me, then pulled the blanket that had slipped off my shoulder back up. Before I could calm down thinking this was the end of the tension, he suddenly asked:

“If I bring you here every day, will you pay attention to me then?”

“No.”

“Why?”

When I stubbornly kept my mouth shut, Reus tightened the blanket with a scolding look. Then he gently tugged on the tied part. I couldn’t move, so I lost balance and accidentally pressed my forehead against Reus’s shoulder.

“If you keep avoiding me, I’ll really follow you everywhere.”

“Reus, you’re the Grand Duke. You can’t do that.”

“You’re the Grand Duchess, too. Isn’t it wrong for you to avoid me?”

I was at a loss for words again but finally answered.

“You’re real, and I’m… fake.”

At my words, Reus stiffened for a moment. He seemed to want to say something but then closed his mouth completely. Then, with a sulky gesture, he helped me stand.

He didn’t mean to push me away, but maybe he was a little upset because he didn’t bother me anymore.

After returning to the Grand Duke’s castle, peaceful days followed for a while.

I was working and stepped out of the office for some fresh air. The hallway was very quiet. Not just quiet, but so silent it felt like I was alone in the whole castle, which was creepy. With an uneasy feeling, I walked toward the stairs.

My office is on the third floor, so normally I should hear servants passing below. But the lower floors were strangely silent too.

I decided I should find someone and when I reached the first floor, Millie suddenly appeared and ran to me looking surprised.

“Your Highness!”

“Oh, Millie.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be working right now?”

“I was, but I got restless and came out… thought I’d take a walk.”

“Uh… dessert! Should I bring dessert to your office?”

“Huh? Suddenly?”

“Yes! I was actually about to go to your office!”

“No need for dessert. By the way, do you know where Loteo is?”

As I tried to move, Millie looked troubled. I hadn’t sensed anything strange until the dessert talk, but her trying to hold me back made me sure something was wrong in the castle.

“Millie, where is the Grand Duke now?”

Reus hadn’t mentioned going out, so he should have been working like me. But surely not in his office.

“I’m not sure…”

“Maybe he’s in the lobby?”

As I tried to go, Millie stopped me suddenly.

“Or should I bring you something to drink?”

“Is the Grand Duke in the lobby?”

“No? No.”

Without asking more, I walked quickly. Millie nervously followed.

“Your Highness, why are you going to the lobby suddenly? If you need anything, please tell me.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Or should I quickly tell the butler that you called?”

Feeling uneasy, I hurried on. When I reached the lobby, I saw all the servants gathered who I hadn’t seen before. When they noticed me, they looked as surprised as Millie but then all avoided eye contact awkwardly. I passed them quickly and headed for the wide-open door.

Then I heard a strange man’s voice.

“You cannot leave until you meet Her Highness.”

At the top of the stairs, a knight and Reus were standing face to face. The knight’s sturdy silver armor bore the emblem of the Ashelit royal family’s eagle.

‘The royal family sent someone…’

Then Reus drew his sword and murmured coldly in a low voice.

“There’s no need to leave. I never planned to send her back in the first place…”

“Reus!”

I hurried down the stairs as if about to cut down whoever stood in front of him. When Reus saw me, he dropped the sword and wiped the threatening look from his face, climbing the stairs quickly.

But the defeated look under his startled face couldn’t be hidden.

“What is going on?”

“Loelle, it’s nothing. If you stay inside, I’ll handle it and explain everything…”

“I heard what the knight said. He seems to be looking for me.”

Reus looked like he wanted to pull me away by force but didn’t dare. The royal knight approached us and bowed formally.

“I am Eisen, commander of the Second Knights of the Ashelit royal family. I come to see the Grand Duchess Rochester.”

“You may raise your head.”

Eisen, who had been bowing, looked very rigid and inflexible. Probably that’s why the Emperor sent him to the Grand Duke’s castle—to deliver an order that cannot be refused.

“I come by the Emperor’s command to deliver a royal decree to the Grand Duchess Rochester.”

The decree was simple: the Grand Duchess Rochester must enter the palace immediately. Our peace was broken at that moment.

After delivering the Emperor’s order, Sir Eisen left the castle immediately. Reus and I returned to the office. Somehow I felt this was not the first time the Emperor tried to summon me.

‘Theron said before that I should know by now…’

Maybe Reus has been refusing for much longer than I thought.

“When did it start?”

As expected, Reus gave no clear answer.

“Reus…”

“I will make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

“Like you said before?”

“You know better than anyone that hiding things from me won’t solve anything. And if this continues, your plans will definitely suffer—”

“You have no reason to bear that.”

Both his words and mine were right. But I couldn’t just stand by. I couldn’t leave right now, and if I stayed, Reus would only get hurt and act caught between both sides.

“I will meet the Emperor.”

“No.”

“You know if you keep avoiding, the pressure will only get worse.”

“But still, no.”

Reus was firm. His tense face seemed to say this is something he could never give up. But since the matter involved not just our safety but perhaps more, I could not back down either.

“I understand your wishes, Reus.”

“Then…”

“If that’s your decision, I’ll go alone.”

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