Until our Hatred Turns into Love - Chapter 5

“Grand…”

Adelheid, who had rushed out immediately upon hearing that the Grand Duke had returned, froze with a stunned expression.

“…Greetings to His Grace, the Grand Duke.”

“You’re awake. I see you’ve decided to use formal speech with me now.”

Klaus wore a composed smile—even while drenched in dark, obsidian blood.

“I…”

“The dress suits you.”

“Your Grace, the blood…”

“Ah.”

The man looked down at his chest and gave his broad shoulders a light shrug.

“What on earth happened?”

“It was nothing. Just some monsters on the way back.”

“…”

“Wait in the drawing room for a moment.”

Adelheid stared blankly at his massive back as he handed his sword and cloak to a servant and vanished with an air of total nonchalance.

Are monsters things you just casually bump into on your way home? To the point where you can speak of them in such a trivial voice?

Though months had passed since she arrived in the North, she had never seen a monster. Since she had been in a state of constant distress after Luke’s passing, she might not have noticed one or two passing by. But no, that was impossible. If this land was truly crawling with monsters, she had simply been lucky.

Or perhaps it is thanks to the Grand Duke’s daily inspections.

Realizing once again that she was indeed in the northern lands, Adelheid quietly shook her head and followed the servant waiting politely for her.

Klaus returned wearing a light shirt, his hair still damp with water. A refreshing scent drifted from him, clearly indicating he had just bathed. As if the sight of him looking like a blood-soaked demon had been a mere hallucination, he had returned to being a dazzling young man with platinum blonde hair and transparent grey eyes.

Adelheid, who had been sipping the hot tea provided by the maid, turned her head in surprise as he sat down across from her. She nearly choked and coughed in an unrefined manner. She had been mentally rehearsing what to say while waiting for him, but the moment she saw him again, heat rushed to her face, causing her great embarrassment. To make matters worse, her heart began to throb willfully. She did not want to become a laughingstock.

Why am I like this?

As if waiting for her to speak first, he watched her with his arms crossed, his gaze as deep as an abyss. His attitude was strangely that of an observer. Facing him made her lips feel dry. After taking an awkward sip of tea, Adelheid finally managed to open her mouth.

“First, I would like to express my gratitude.”

The man gave a short laugh.

“Gratitude?”

“Because you saved me.”

“Did I? I didn’t think someone like me would dare be able to save you.”

“…”

Adelheid couldn’t help but flush red. He was clearly teasing her about what she had said at the entrance of the alley where they first met. She had even spat in his face. She felt she had to offer a proper apology.

“At that time, I was too exhausted and incapable of rational thought. My nerves were on edge. As you know, I am the daughter of a traitor who fled from the capital, so I couldn’t trust anyone.”

“…”

“I’ll stop making excuses. I acted rudely because I didn’t recognize you as the Grand Duke. I sincerely apologize.”

As the woman dropped her gaze to her teacup, her pitch-black lashes lowered in an orderly fashion. Klaus, who had been listening with a languid expression, laughed softly. His light grey eyes sparkled with interest, as if her attitude amused him.

“So, you can trust me now?”

“This castle proves your identity. The room you gave me, the food, the maid, and the servants were all wonderful. Thank you.”

Klaus did not say it was nothing; instead, he wore a satisfied smile. He liked the sound of Adelheid’s polite voice and thought he wanted to keep hearing it.

“However, I have much to ask.”

“Speak.”

With his permission, Adelheid lifted her bowed head. Her violet eyes sparkled with a sharp light.

“Did you inherit the title of Grand Duke recently? I’m not doubting you, but I understood the Grand Duke of Reichardt to be a veteran of a hundred battles.”

“…”

“And there seem to be no one but servants in this castle besides me. Is that correct?”

“Are you serious?”

Klaus’s handsome brow furrowed slightly. He looked more annoyed than angry.

“With all those servants around, you chose to ask me?”

Adelheid worried that she had offended him, but she answered according to her usual principles.

“I’m sorry if that was an uncomfortable question. But I felt I had to ask this of you directly.”

She had already guessed that the circumstances behind him ascending to the position of Grand Duke at such a young age likely weren’t pleasant. The fact that none of his family members were in the castle also pointed toward unfortunate events. Thus, she wanted to hear it from his voice rather than through others. She felt that if he did not wish to answer, it was her place to simply accept that. If it was his will not to reveal the truth, so be it.

“That’s a not-so-bad stubbornness,” Klaus said in a calm voice. “I took over as Grand Duke last year. My father passed away.”

“Ah…”

“I have one sibling. The reason they aren’t here is because they went to the Imperial Palace.”

The Imperial Palace?

As Adelheid looked on in surprise, the Grand Duke’s broad shoulders rose and fell slowly.

“Well, I’m saying there’s no need to feel pity.”

“…”

There was no mention of his mother, but Adelheid could easily tell that the sibling he mentioned was the Grand Duke’s only remaining family.

No parents, and his sibling is far away in the capital. The Grand Duchy and the Imperial family shouldn’t be on good terms. Is that no longer the case after he inherited the title?

She couldn’t know the details, but it seemed certain that the current Grand Duke was completely alone. Adelheid couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of kinship. At the same time, she felt that now might be a good time to ask what she truly wanted to know. Setting down her teacup, her violet eyes met his cold grey ones.

“What is the real reason you brought me here?”

“Are you always this full of questions?” the Grand Duke asked back leisurely.

However, his pressure was not something that could be hidden. He was merely a gentleman in a shirt holding a teacup with a bored expression, but Adelheid felt like she was thrown before a predator she could never hope to resist. Her hands trembled slightly, but she gripped the fabric of her dress over her knees and spoke.

“Please answer me.”

Klaus answered immediately and casually.

“You caught my eye. I couldn’t heartlessly leave you be. This is my territory.”

His voice was seemingly indifferent, but a light smile played on his lips.

Is he teasing me? Clearly, that day…

Adelheid’s thin eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“That sounds as if you would have done the same for anyone else.”

“Of course.”

“Weren’t you and I… acquainted?”

At those words, Klaus’s eyes widened, but they returned to their usual light upon her next sentence.

“I heard that you often spoke of me when you were young. That day, you clearly said you couldn’t stand to watch me go mad. Those words sounded as if…”

“I recognized that you were the Lady of Raines. Wasn’t that a truly great family?”

It was indeed a great family, but now it was a name that had vanished into the shadows of history. The pitiful woman dropped her head helplessly.

“It just bothered me that you, once a proud noble lady, were crying as if you were about to die.”

“…”

The Grand Duke’s voice was low and heavy, but his lips were curved in an amused smile. That beautiful smile irritated Adelheid. she couldn’t shake the feeling that Klaus was strangely evading her questions.

“Is it possible that I am the only one who doesn’t remember?”

“Well. I wonder.”

“I saw you for the first time two days ago. Even if we truly had met before, I am telling you that it has already been forgotten from my memory.”

“…”

“Even if this is something that offends you, I can’t help it…”

Adelheid suddenly covered her mouth. She was no longer a noble lady; she had no right to address a Grand Duke so casually. The fact that her family name was dragged through the dirt was still something she couldn’t believe and didn’t want to believe, but it was a clear fact that she had just made a mistake.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace. That was a slip of the tongue…”

“Forget it. Actually, I like that better than a stiff title.”

“…”

“It’s more like you.”

In the vast North of the Empire, he was a man no different from a king. He was more than capable of punishing the daughter of a fallen house as he pleased. Yet, Klaus did not look the least bit angry.

“If I told you to keep calling me that…”

“I couldn’t possibly…”

“What if it’s an order?”

He actually seemed pleased.

I don’t know what he’s thinking.

He was a man whose inner thoughts were hard to read. A lazy and somewhat arrogant smile that perfectly suited the master of the North, who could shrug his shoulders so nonchalantly even while wearing a sharp greatsword and covered in dark blood.

Suddenly, Adelheid wondered if he was consciously being considerate of her, as she had been visibly tense throughout their meeting. Given that he had not only saved her from her predicament but was also giving her treatment far beyond her station, it wouldn’t be surprising if this truly was consideration.

“I like your face right now.”

“…”

“I’m curious to know what you’re thinking.”

But still… it was difficult to understand his attitude toward her as simply “the mercy of a Lord.” Moreover, the subtle tension flowing between them was now too thick to ignore. If that was the case, there was no point in dragging this out any longer. With that heart, Adelheid threw the question she had been holding back.

“Why did you kiss me?”

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