Your Grace, It Was a Mistake! - Chapter 12

I couldn’t find a single word to refute him. I just sat there, my lips trembling. As much as I liked the Grand Duke—deeply, crazily—I, too, was well aware of his notorious reputation.

‘The youngest Sword Master, a genius, a madman, a battle maniac, cold-blooded.’

Those were the titles that followed him. Because he had been so strangely kind to me, I had momentarily forgotten that he was originally a ruthless man. He possessed an unapproachable aura, a boundary no one dared to cross.

Ahem. Father cleared his throat and spoke cautiously.

“It is possible, Vivian, that the Grand Duke is only acting as if he likes you to find out if our family has conspired with the Crown Prince…”

“…”

I bit my lip hard, clutching the fabric of my skirt. Father’s words were logical, but… I didn’t want to believe them.

‘But the Grand Duke was so sweet yesterday… and he even sent a letter and gifts this morning…’

Was all of that just an act? It couldn’t be. I didn’t want to believe it.

‘…But if I think about it from his perspective…’

The easiest way to find out if Count Lewis was a pawn of the Crown Prince would be…

‘To seduce me.’

Realizing this, a wave of sorrow washed over me. It felt as though I had been suddenly cast out into the cold reality.

“…Sniff.”

“Vivian?”

I hung my head low, and tears began to drop. Marina panicked, unsure of what to do, and Father stood halfway up from his seat, looking shocked.

“Sob… I don’t want to. Not like this, so suddenly…”

“Vivian…”

Father called my name with a sigh. I wiped away the flowing tears and spoke through my sobs.

“I don’t like this. You’re telling me to leave without even saying goodbye to the Grand Duke. That… I hate that.”

“Vivian, you’ve become involved in something too dangerous. Leaving the capital before it’s too late is the safest.”

I cut Father off and pleaded. “Please, just let me say goodbye to him. Please, Father… I beg of you.”

I implored him with a desperate face, but Father only shook his head firmly. However, I did manage to get permission for one thing: to send him a letter.

I hurriedly wrote a letter right then and there and handed it to Father. He looked at me with pity as I sniffled.

“Just be patient and wait. Until the Grand Duke is convinced that our family has no involvement. Understand?”

I buried my face in my handkerchief and nodded. In my heart, I wanted to bolt out of the house and run to the Grand Duke immediately. But…

‘I know. Father is right…’

There was no reason for the Grand Duke to protect me at his own risk. It was a painful truth. I wasn’t his fiancée, nor were we in a serious relationship.

‘We are just in a contractual relationship anyway.’

I didn’t even know if that contract itself was a trap set by him.

‘Stupid Vivian.’

I felt so embarrassed for being the only one excited. How foolish must I have looked in the Grand Duke’s eyes? I felt ashamed, miserable, and my heart ached with a dull throb.

“Be careful, Vivian. Write to us when you arrive.”

With Mother’s farewell, I boarded the carriage. I was heading to the estate accompanied by Baron Harris and Emma. Emma kept her head bowed, looking guilty for not being able to tell me sooner. I was about to tell her it was okay, when I heard the sound of hurried footsteps running toward us.

“Sister!”

“Cassian?”

The owner of the footsteps was, unexpectedly, Cassian. I blinked blankly. Cassian’s face was full of worry, and his eyes were brimming with tears.

“Sister… Ah, damn it!”

Cassian suddenly kicked a pebble on the ground, making me flinch in surprise. What… what’s wrong with this kid? Has he lost his mind?

“Cassian, have you gone crazy?”

“…Seriously, Sister.”

Cassian glared at me as if he were exasperated, then sighed and pulled something out from his robe. He held it out to me, and I took it hesitantly. It was a silver pendant necklace engraved with our family crest.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

My eyes widened in genuine surprise. This necklace was a precious heirloom left to Cassian by our late grandfather.

“It’s just, a lucky charm. Keep it.”

“Oh, thank you!”

I blinked, dazed. Cassian must have gone mad or eaten something wrong. He stood there with his head down and fists clenched, then spoke with a look of firm resolve.

“All of this is because our family’s influence has declined.”

“Um…”

I glanced past Cassian at Father, who seemed to have heard him and was drooping his shoulders dejectedly. I turned back to Cassian and clicked my tongue inwardly.

‘What an unfilial brat…’

“I… I will rebuild our family. I’ll make it so no one can mess with us.”

“Sure, good luck.”

“I’m not joking, Sister.”

Cassian suddenly snapped his eyes up. His green eyes were burning as if they were on fire. Since his hair was a vivid red, he truly looked like he was ablaze.

‘He seems… kind of angry.’

“I’m going to make sure those bastards can’t touch you.”

“…?”

I swayed slightly in my seat. Even Emma was startled and dropped the bag she was holding.

“Cassian, have you really lost your mind…?”

“Ah, seriously! I don’t care! Think whatever you want, Sister!”

Cassian shouted and stomped back into the house. I stared blankly at the spot where my brother had disappeared and said tentatively into the awkward silence:

“Uh… shall we head out then?”

‘What is wrong with him? Is he having a late puberty?’

I should write him a letter when I get to the estate. They say if you spend your puberty years the wrong way, you end up turning to the dark side…

The door clicked shut, and with the coachman’s shout of “Hyah!”, the carriage began to move. Watching the scenery fly by the window, I thought gloomily.

‘By the way, what about the oath?’

“Then I shall swear. I, Vivian Lewis, swear to engage in a contract relationship with Grand Duke Glenn for one year.”

In reality, the oath had no power. It was just a formality. I just felt a bit uneasy because it was an oath made to God. I clasped my hands and prayed.

‘Dear God, please forgive me for breaking my oath.’

And also…

‘Please let the Grand Duke stay safe, healthy, and well.’

Inside the moving carriage, I strained my eyes, trying not to cry like a child.

At the same time, the Grand Duke’s residence in the capital.

“A letter has arrived for you, My Lord. The sender is the young lady of Count Lewis.”

Lennox, who had been processing documents with a face full of irritation, widened his eyes and stood up abruptly. As he received the letter from the butler, a smile spread across his face. It was a transformation as sudden as snow melting into spring. The officials performing their duties beside him either nearly fell over in shock or wore idiotic expressions.

“Sending a letter, how cute. We’re supposed to meet this evening, and she couldn’t even wait that long…”

The man chuckling as he tore open the envelope did not seem to be ‘the’ Lennox Glenn that everyone in the residence knew. Lennox’s loyal aide looked at the butler for an explanation, but the butler simply avoided his gaze, feigning ignorance.

As Lennox began to read the letter, he flashed a smile so bright it was blinding. It was, quite literally, a killer smile. The aide scrambled to take care of the subordinates who were fainting and foaming at the mouth.

“My dear Grand Duke… L… Love?”

Lennox muttered with an overwhelmed face and covered his mouth with his hand. His eyes remained fixed on the letter as he walked toward the wall. Then, he suddenly threw a punch and smashed the wall.

Crush. Dust and debris from the wall fell to the floor.

“Ha, seriously, she’s so cute I’m going crazy…”

Lennox read through the letter excitedly, like a boy who had received a Christmas present. However, as time passed, his expression grew darker and darker. By the time he finished the letter, a literal Demon King seemed to have descended upon the Grand Duke’s office.

“…Your Grace?” the aide called out in an ominous voice.

Lennox remained frozen for a moment, then folded the letter neatly and tucked it into his pocket. He put on his coat, strapped his sword to his waist, and strode out of the office.

“Your Grace? Your Grace!”

“My Lord?!”

The butler and the aide followed him, calling out, but Lennox only slowly turned around. Looking into Lennox’s face, the aide felt immensely lucky that he had a strong heart. Otherwise, he might have had an ‘accident’ right then and there.

“Your Grace, where are you going so suddenly?”

When the aide asked while wiping away a cold sweat, Lennox had a chilling smile on his lips. The aide flinched at the sight of that smile.

Ah, I know that smile. It’s the one he wears when he’s going to crush someone, he dislikes that kind of smile…

‘But something is different… what is it?’

With a smile that felt even more dangerous and terrifying, Lennox Glenn spoke.

“I’m going to catch my runaway lover.”

It usually takes about two days from the capital to the Count Lewis estate. But that is only ‘usually.’ Because…

“It’s raining too hard! We must take shelter in a safe place immediately!”

If the weather doesn’t cooperate, the roads become a mess. I had felt the carriage sinking into the mud for a while now, and as expected, we were stuck.

“My Lady, take my hand and step down.”

“Okay, you be careful too, Emma.”

I took Emma’s hand and stepped out of the carriage. Heavy rain poured down mercilessly over my hooded raincoat.

“Everyone, come this way! Here, under this tree!” the coachman shouted from a distance. The group each took a suitcase and took shelter under a large tree.

Tap, pat, tap.

I could hear the rain hitting the branches and leaves. The air was freezing, and the rainwater that the tree couldn’t block soaked into my clothes, constantly dropping my body temperature.

‘It’s cold…’

I shivered. The three horses standing nearby also sneezed and shook.

“This won’t do… the ladies will catch a bad flu at this rate,” the knight muttered, looking at Emma and me with concern. After discussing something with the coachman, he began to set up a tent.

The tent erected a moment later was very cramped, only large enough for two people.

“The ladies should stay inside the tent.”

The escort knight, Baron Harris, and the coachman, the three men yielded the tent to Emma and me. They acted as if it were only natural, but I felt sorry.

‘Please don’t let these three catch a cold.’

As I closed my eyes and prayed silently, the sound of the rain began to subside. Fortunately, it seemed the rain was stopping. After about twenty minutes:

“Emma, I think the rain has stopped.”

“It seems so, My Lady.”

When the sound of rain vanished completely, we stepped outside. The sky was still filled with dark clouds, but it was no longer raining.

“Ladies, please come this way,” the coachman said, poking at a newly lit campfire with a branch. Emma and I went over to warm ourselves by the fire.

‘It’s warm.’

My frozen hands and feet began to thaw, and a warm sensation spread through my body.

‘There shouldn’t be any dry wood around here; how did they start a fire?’

When I looked at him with a puzzled face, the coachman smiled politely and pulled something out of his pocket to show me.

“Oh, this is…!”

“You recognize it. Count Lewis provided it for us.”

It was a magic tool designed to easily start a fire while traveling. Being a magic tool, it was expensive and even a one-time-use item.

‘Our family isn’t that wealthy, so the budget must be tight…’

Somehow, I felt I could understand my father’s heart, and my chest felt tight. My eyes welled up with tears, and I hung my head. Emma patted my back from beside me.

‘Father, Mother, Cassian. I hope everyone stays safe.’

By now, the Grand Duke would have realized that I had been whisked away to the estate under the pretext of recuperation. My family might be in trouble.

‘That’s why I wrote as honestly as possible in the letter.’

Was my letter delivered safely? I hope the Grand Duke believes my words and understands. Please…

“Shall we have some warm food? To warm you ladies up.”

“Let’s do that. We’ll brew some tea as well.”

The knight and the coachman began to move busily, and Emma stood up to help. Even Baron Harris, a noble, lent a hand in the cooking.

“…”

‘I… I should too.’

Feeling uncomfortable just sitting there like a burden, I sprang up from my seat. But everything was already finished.

“My Lady? Do you need something?”

“Ah, no!”

I answered the coachman’s question timidly and sat back down. Only Emma, the only person who noticed the reason for my behavior, let out a small laugh.

Crackle, crackle.

The sound of sparks flying from the campfire.

Sizzle—.

The sound of meat on skewers cooking. The delicious smell of meat began to waft through the air, making my mouth water. As I was staring at the cooking skewers, someone handed me a warm cup of tea. It was the escort knight. I took the roughly shaped, ugly cup with both hands.

“Thank you.”

“It’s hot, so be careful.”

The blonde knight, who smiled broadly, looked somewhat familiar. As I blew on the hot tea and thought about it, I suddenly remembered who he was and smiled brightly.

“You’re the knight from the hunting competition!”

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