Your Grace, It Was a Mistake! - Chapter 14

“Uuugh…”

A strange sound escaped my lips. My head throbbed with a dull ache. Frowning, I slowly opened my eyes, only to be met by an unfamiliar ceiling.

‘?’

An unfamiliar ceiling?

“Gasp…?”

Wait, what? Where am I?

“Vivian!”

Ah, the Grand Duke’s voice! I looked toward the sound, relieved, but as he rushed over to me…

‘A-a bathrobe…!’

He was wearing a bathrobe as if he had just finished washing up! And to make matters worse, the front was slightly hanging open!

‘Gaaah!’

His firm chest and abdomen were right there in plain view. His body was artistically beautiful so perfect he looked like a statue carved by a god. My heart began to pound frantically. I quickly grabbed a pillow, buried my face in it, and felt my cheeks burning.

‘I-is this the Grand Duke’s bedroom?’

I let my eyes wander around the room, and it certainly seemed so. Come to think of it, the whole room was filled with his scent…

‘This is crazy…!’

I felt so dizzy I almost fainted again, but I barely managed to keep my grip on reality.

“Vivian? Are you alright? You lost consciousness the moment I used the teleportation magic. I was so worried…”

‘Teleportation magic?’

My ears perked up. I remembered a bit of trivia I’d heard from Marina: a person experiencing teleportation magic for the first time usually passes out for about six hours.

‘I see… I really did faint.’

As my memory returned, I realized I had done something monumental. I had been kidnapped by the Grand Duke via teleportation right in front of everyone!

‘Oh no, everyone must be in a panic by now.’

What do I do? My parents and Cassian must know by now.

‘I have to write a letter and let them know I’m okay!’

I threw off the covers and tried to get out of bed, but the Grand Duke lunged and grabbed me. I found myself dangling by the shoulders in his large hands.

“Vivian, are you okay? Does anything hurt?” He asked, his voice laced with concern. I blinked blankly, unable to take my eyes off his face.

‘I’ve never seen him look like this.’

The face of someone truly worried about another person. It was a first for him. Feeling strangely moved, I lowered my gaze.

“Nothing hurts.” “You aren’t dizzy?” “No. Um, could you put me down first?” “I don’t want to.” “Excuse me?”

I mean, really?

He sat down on the edge of the bed while still holding me. Naturally, I ended up with my cheek leaning against his chest. His embrace was so warm, and…

‘…His heartbeat.’

The thumping sound of his heart vibrated against my ear. It felt a bit irregular, beating very powerfully… I peeked up at him. He was looking down at me with a gentle expression. I could see his long, thick silver eyelashes, and the deep blue eyes behind them.

“…”

Memories came rushing back like a tide. The sorrow I had forgotten resurfaced, and my eyes grew hot as if I were about to burst into tears.

“Vivian?” “…”

When I didn’t answer and kept my head down, the Grand Duke, surprisingly, began to fidget. He caressed my cheek, rubbed my back, and kept calling my name.

“Vivian, what’s wrong?” “…” “Vivian.” “Grand Duke…” “Yes, Vivian.”

When I finally spoke, he pulled my hand to his lips and kissed it, gazing at me intently. I watched his reaction and asked in a small voice:

“Did you receive my letter?”

The Grand Duke’s expression froze instantly. I flinched. Thinking he might be angry, I grew anxious.

‘I broke the oath, and I ended the contract on my own.’

As I fidgeted, the Grand Duke pulled me into a tighter embrace. “Where do you think you’re going, running away like that, Vivian?”

“I wasn’t running away…” “You were.”

I was about to argue that I had no choice, but I went silent at his subsequent mutter.

“I suppose you didn’t trust me.” “…” “You were the one who suggested the contract relationship, Vivian.” “That’s because a serious relationship between you and me is impossible—” “That’s just your opinion.” “No, everyone thinks so!”

I used my hands to emphasize the massive status gap between us. Look, Grand Duke. You and I are THIS far apart!

In response, he grabbed both of my wrists and pressed my palms together. Huh? I blinked, my wrists still caught in his grip.

“Didn’t you say you love me?” “…!” “You wrote it in your letter.” “I… I did.”

I looked away, my face flushed. My cheeks were burning, and my heart was thumping. The letter I had sent him, it was a confession of the feelings I had helplessly built up over the last seven years. Even though my family was under suspicion, I hoped that if I told him my true feelings that I never intended to harm him, he might believe me.

[My dear Grand Duke. You are the person I love most in this world.]

Recalling the details made me so embarrassed I wanted to hide.

[When I was fourteen, I fell for you at first sight at the debutante ball.]

‘Aaaaaah—’

[Being caught in the black magic was just an accident. If you investigate, you’ll see the Lewis family was just being used. I just followed you around because I liked you so much…]

‘Oh my god, how embarrassing!’

[I think we should end the contract relationship here.] [I’m sorry for the trouble.] [Grand Duke, I truly like you.] [Please be happy.]

I had written those things thinking I would never see him again, but now, humblingly, I was right in front of him! And held in his arms!

“Aaaah, Grand Duke! Just a moment!”

As I squirmed, he let out a low chuckle and pulled me close. He seemed so amused that his chest shook with laughter.

‘…He’s definitely mocking my stupid confession!’

“Uaaah!” I pushed him away, on the verge of tears. Grand Duke, you’re too much! Do you even know how a person with a one-sided crush feels?!

“Vivian, why do you think I kidnapped you?” “Uh… well…”

The reason I had said ‘yes’ when he asked if I wanted to be kidnapped was entirely because I had fallen for his charms. The moment I looked into his eyes, I was so mesmerized I couldn’t think.

‘The reason he kidnapped me is…’

I thought about it seriously and said, “To collect evidence…?” “…”

Judging by his expression, that wasn’t it. In that case…

“Even if you torture me, I have nothing to tell you. Everything in the letter is the truth. Really.”

He looked at me as if I were being utterly ridiculous. Did he still think I was lying?

“Grand Duke—” “Torture, you say.”

Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. He looked down at me coldly. “True. There’s nothing like torture to make someone honest.”

“G-Grand Duke?”

He pinned me down on the bed, trapping me between his arms. I clasped my hands together, trembling. Seeing me like that, he smirked.

“Shall we begin, then?” “Grand—”

His hands reached out and touched my waist.

‘?’

The next moment, I realized something was very different.

“Grand Duke, eek!”

He began to tickle my sides relentlessly. I squirmed like a caterpillar, bursting into intermittent laughter.

“Hahaha! Stop! Grand Duke, stop—!”

I knew I shouldn’t be laughing, but it kept coming out, and I felt like I was dying of embarrassment. I twisted my body, but no matter how much I struggled, his hands didn’t stop.

“Ah, haha, Grand Duke, I hate this, stop…!” “You’re quite sensitive, Vivian.”

I rolled across the wide bed and managed to escape for a second, but he caught me instantly. He hugged me from behind and kept tickling my sides and stomach.

“Hahaha! Stop it! Aaaaah!” “Vivian, so what did you write in that letter? Hmm?” “L-love?” “You love me?” “Haa, yes, hahahaha.”

I panted for breath. He lifted me up and sat me on his lap. I rested my trembling hands on his shoulders, gasping. My stomach muscles ached from laughing so much.

“Cute Vivian, you love me?” “……Yes.”

Fearing he would torment me again, I had no choice but to answer honestly. I couldn’t lift my head for shame. Grand Duke, you’re mean.

“You’ve loved me for seven years, you mean.” “…”

I nodded silently. For some reason, he went quiet too. When I peeked up, he was smiling, looking genuinely happy.

“For seven years, ha.”

He hugged me tight and began to pepper my face with kisses. I jumped, startled out of my wits.

“Gaaah! What are you doing?!”

As I tried to escape, he pinned me down again and held me close. He hugged me so tightly I couldn’t move an inch.

“Vivian, my cute Vivian…”

I was scared because he seemed like he had gone crazy. “Grand Duke, please get a hold of yourself…”

I balled my hand into a fist and gave his head a timid punch. Even then, worried it might hurt, I just tapped him like I was knocking on a door. At that, he flinched slightly, as if coming to his senses. He slowly raised his head and looked down at me blankly. Reason began to return to his blue eyes, and I saw my own frightened reflection in them.

“…”

After blinking in silence for a moment, he let out a sigh. “I’m sorry, Vivian. Kissing you so suddenly… were you scared?”

“A-ah, no. The kissing wasn’t scary, but I was scared because you seemed like you weren’t in your right mind.”

I answered honestly, even though my voice was trembling. He let out a breathless laugh and gently brushed back my disheveled hair.

“I just lost it for a second because of the fact that you’ve liked me for seven years. I was just so happy.” “…” “If I told you that every time I see you, I feel like I’m going crazy because you’re so cute and lovely, would you believe me?” “Uh, um, no…?”

The Grand Duke going crazy over me? No way! Things like that only happen in the romance novels I write!

“How can I make you believe me?”

He took a lock of my hair, kissed it, and looked at me intently, his voice incredibly sweet. “Vivian.”

“Yes…” “…Can I kiss you?” “Pardon?”

While I was frozen by the sudden question, the door burst open just as he was about to say more.

“…!” “Gasp!”

The Grand Duke flinching and me letting out a gasp happened almost simultaneously.

“……My goodness, Lennox! You shameless brat!”

About three seconds later, a noblewoman rushed in and kicked the Grand Duke.

Isabel Elpidion Glenn.

She had many titles, but the one most frequently used was ‘The Grand Duchess Dowager,’ as she was the biological mother of the current Grand Duke, Lennox. However, the vassals of the Elpidion Imperial Family still called her ‘Her Imperial Highness’ or ‘Princess Isabel.’

The Grand Duchess Dowager and noble princess of the Elpidius Empire that very Isabel shouted at the top of her lungs.

“You wicked boy! What on earth are you doing to such a small and cute child!”

Thump, thump!

Isabel’s kicks landed mercilessly on Lennox’s back. Lennox, curled up on the floor, took the beating without a single excuse.

“Phew… You pervert who deserves to be burned in the fires of hell…”

Isabel brushed back her ebony hair and let out a long breath. After tidying her own appearance, she looked at the small girl who had been trembling for some time. With pretty pinkish-blonde hair and lime-green eyes, she was a young lady as small and cute as a doll made of sugar. She looked to be about twenty, though her impression was even younger than that.

“I’m sorry. Were you very startled?” “Hic!”

The poor thing was so startled she couldn’t even answer properly and just hiccuped. Looking closely, she was incredibly frail compared to her monster of a son—small height, small face, small everything. She looked just like a tiny rabbit.

‘To do this to such a small and cute child…!’

Isabel shuddered once more at her son’s shamelessness. She had given him a good beating, but it didn’t feel like enough. She’d have to hit him more later.

‘Anyway, so this is the woman Lennox likes…’

Isabel could hardly believe that her son had finally found someone he could say he ‘liked.’ Her eyes deepened as she observed Vivian. Vivian was sitting on the bed, hands clasped together, trembling like a leaf. Watching her, a certain feeling began to bloom in Isabel’s heart.

‘So Lennox’s type is…’

…The type that triggers a protective instinct!

A look of understanding flashed across Isabel’s face. Even she felt the urge to treat Vivian with care and protect her.

‘And yet he tried to gobble her up the first chance he got?!’

Isabel glared at Lennox with burning eyes, and he, who had been trying to get up, curled back down. He looked exactly like a young animal submitting to a much stronger predator. Isabel recalled when Lennox had first appeared carrying the unconscious young lady in his arms.

. . . ‘Lennox! What’s going on? You didn’t even call and who is this young lady?’ ‘She is my lover.’ ‘What?’

She had followed him persistently, asking questions as he brushed past her with that incredibly rude answer.

‘Lennox, I’m asking just in case does ‘lover’ mean what I think it means?’ ‘Is there any other meaning?’ ‘You brat, being so rude to your mother….’ . . .

Returning from her memory, Isabel chuckled to herself. It was still unbelievable. Her son, who was like a demon from hell, had a lover? He actually liked someone? It was on par with finding a needle in a desert.

In other words, this small young lady was nothing short of a miracle. To Isabel, who didn’t want to force her son into marriage, this was the most delightful news possible.

‘Did he say her name was Vivian Lewis? I must make sure this girl stays.’

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