Your Grace, It Was a Mistake! - Chapter 5

“I am your girlfriend, right? Right?”

I looked at the Grand Duke desperately. He stared back at me with a faint smile, and I had absolutely no idea what he was thinking. I pleaded once more.

“Your Graaaaace…”

“…”

He remained silent. Since it had come to this, I had no choice but to use my last resort. I put on the exact expression I used whenever I needed to ask my parents or Cassian for a favor—the face that made my family reluctantly give in to whatever I wanted.

At the same time, I timidly grabbed the edge of his sleeve and gave it a small tug.

“Your Grace, please tell them I’m your girlfriend… please?”

“…”

His lips twitched, and suddenly, he covered his face with his hand and looked away. What was going on? As I blinked in confusion, I heard the sound of low, muffled laughter.

‘Why is he laughing?’

My heart was pounding so hard I thought I might die. It felt exactly as it did after a frantic sprint—heavy and loud. The cause of it all, the Grand Duke, just kept laughing without a word. Watching him, a sudden suspicion crept into my mind.

‘Is he making fun of me?’

No, surely not. Would the mature and dignified Grand Duke really play such a prank? Hahaha. Impossible!

‘He’s probably just laughing because I’m being funny.’

Cassian laughed at me all the time too, though his was usually more of a sneer.

“Vivian.”

“Gasp! Yes!”

At his call, I snapped to attention like a soldier. This man held my life in his hands. Only by following his lead could I avoid a trip to the dungeon.

“What am I to you, Vivian?”

“Pardon? Oh, um… my lover?”

Why was he asking such a strange question? When I answered with a shaky, uncertain voice, the Grand Duke gave a broad smile.

“Let’s go with ‘lover’ for now.”

“For now?”

“Yes. For now.”

Did that mean whether he treated me as a kidnapper or a lover depended on my future behavior? If so…!

‘I must defend my position as his girlfriend at all costs!’

I balled my hands into fists. I didn’t forget to add a quick “Thank you!” to the Grand Duke. But upon hearing my gratitude, he burst into laughter again.

Why does he keep laughing? I felt a blush creep up my face.

‘I really do feel like I’m being teased.’

Wait, come to think of it, what was the butler doing? I stole a glance at him. He was wearing an incredibly bizarre expression.

‘To a butler who doesn’t know the circumstances, this conversation must sound very strange.’

However, since the butler didn’t ask any questions, I kept my mouth shut. Let’s just pretend I didn’t notice!

“We should head out before it gets any noisier outside. Shall we go, Vivian?”

“Ah, yes!”

Now that he mentioned it, the garden was much louder than before. While we were occupied in here, the atmosphere among the knights outside must have turned sour.

‘The Grand Duke’s knights are terrifying, but our family’s knights are no pushovers either!’

I had to get out there before something terrible happened. I grabbed the Grand Duke’s hand.

“Let’s go, Your Grace!”

“…”

He flinched for some reason, but he didn’t pull his hand away. I took the lead and marched down the stairs. When we reached the foyer, my father, mother, and Cassian were waiting. They were all staring out toward the garden, so they hadn’t noticed me yet.

I opened my mouth to call out to them.

“Fath—”

But in that moment, the Grand Duke pulled me into an embrace and pressed his lips close to my ear. As his warm breath brushed against me, I jumped in surprise. Holding me tight, he whispered.

“There’s something else I didn’t finish saying, Vivian.”

“…?”

“You are more than just a lover to me. Just… keep that in mind.”

I stared at him vacantly as he pulled back with a smirk.

‘More than… a lover?’

My head began to spin. What on earth did that mean?

‘Gasp. I knew it!’

He still thinks of me as a kidnapper! Yes, that was it! The merciful Grand Duke had pitied me enough to play along with this contract relationship, but in the end, I was nothing more than a criminal to him!

‘Sniff, how devastating!’

To be remembered as a kidnapper by the man I’ve loved for seven years… I truly am the unluckiest person in the world!

“Vivian?”

“Gasp! Yes!”

His voice snapped me back to reality. Now was not the time for this! But wait, had the Imperial investigators not arrived yet?

‘It makes things less complicated for me, but…’

If we dawdled and the investigators actually showed up, I’d be in real trouble. I had to go out and explain everything immediately.

“Phew. Okay. I’m ready.”

As I took a deep breath and muttered to myself, the Grand Duke laughed at me again. Why was he still laughing? I almost glared at him, but then I remembered:

‘No! He is the one holding my life in his hands!’

I quickly abandoned that thought.

“L-let’s go then!”

“By all means.”

I held his hand and walked forward bravely. As we reached my parents and Cassian, they turned around, having felt our presence. Shock instantly flooded their faces. I gave an awkward laugh.

“Vivian? That person beside you… is he…?”

“That’s the Grand Duke.”

Cassian finished my mother’s sentence for her. I nodded and opened my mouth to speak.

“That’s right. Actually, the Grand Duke and I—”

Just then:

“Your Grace?” “The Grand Duke? He’s over there?” “Those bastards! They were tricking us after all!” “The Grand Duke is of noble Imperial blood! To think you dared to threaten him! This is treason!”

‘Oh no, it’s a riot!’

Our voices must have carried outside. The Grand Duke’s knights began making a scene, demanding his release.

‘I have to stop them!’

I grabbed the Grand Duke’s arm and pleaded. “Your Grace, we have to go outside! Right now! Hurry!”

He gave a smirk and replied, “As you wish, my Vivian.”

Adding a possessive pronoun to my name, he suddenly scooped me up into his arms. I shrieked reflexively.

“Kyaak?!”

“Who would think I was kidnapped seeing us like this, right?”

Well, that was true, but what was this feeling? Why did I feel like I was the one being kidnapped?

‘No, no. Why would the Grand Duke want to kidnap me? Stop thinking weird things and stay calm, Vivian!’

Right. Resolving this crisis was the priority.

I clenched my hands. I was so nervous my body was trembling. If I stood on the grass like this, I felt like I might collapse. The knights’ bloodlust was terrifying!

‘Wait, is that why?’

The reason he picked me up… because he was worried I’d collapse? Was he being thoughtful?

‘If that’s the case, I’m so moved.’

As expected, my merciful Grand Duke! Showing such kindness even to a kidnapper!

‘I’ll do my absolute best as your contract girlfriend!’

“Gasp, look over there!” “His Grace Lennox?” “That woman is…”

As we appeared in the garden, the knights of the House of Glenn stared with wide eyes.

“My Lady?”

Our family’s knights also stared at me, muttering in disbelief. I gave them an awkward smile and a wave. Sorry for the trouble, everyone.

“His Grace Lennox, what on earth happened—” “Who is that lady in your arms? Is she the one from this house who kidnapped you?” “I heard she used black magic—”

“Excuse me? Black magic? Me?”

I interjected immediately, stunned. I knew it wasn’t ladylike to interrupt, but I couldn’t help it. Black magic?

‘What kind of nonsense is that?’

In the Empire, only a very few mages authorized by the Emperor could use black magic. If I, an unauthorized person, were accused of using it, my entire family would be executed for treason.

‘I must clear up this misunderstanding!’

I put on a stern face. “How do I look like a black mage? I don’t have a single ounce of magical talent!”

It was sad to say out loud, but it was true. To think I was broadcasting my incompetence to the whole world!

“I can’t do regular magic, let alone black magic! I’m not a swordswoman either! I’m actually quite weak!”

I worked hard to argue that it was physically impossible for someone as incompetent as me to kidnap the Grand Duke. To my surprise, our family’s knights all began to nod in agreement. Hey! You guys!

“It’s true. Our Lady gave up on magic early on because it was too hard. She wouldn’t even look at a sword because it might give her callouses.”

“It’s not like she’s talented in other areas, either.”

“Our Lady is very cute, but she doesn’t exactly have any great skills…”

Argh! You knights! Could you not have sugarcoated that? There was no need to be so direct about my lack of talent!

“Then what about the witness who said your lady kidnapped our Lord?”

“Are you saying a vassal of the House of Glenn lied?”

“I will explain that.”

As the Grand Duke’s knights began to pressure our guards again, the Grand Duke finally stepped in. At his word, the surroundings fell silent instantly, and every eye turned toward us.

‘My heart is racing!’

Faced with the collective gaze of so many knights, my tiny heart felt like it might fail. I buried my face in the Grand Duke’s chest and squeezed my eyes shut. He responded by holding me a little tighter.

“Vivian Lewis is my lover.”

“Pardon?” “What did he just—” “Wait, Your Grace Lennox?”

The Grand Duke’s bombshell announcement didn’t just shock his knights. Our family’s knights, the servants who had come out to watch, and my parents and Cassian all looked as if they were about to faint.

“Your Grace… what did you just say? My daughter is…”

My father walked over unsteadily and asked in a trembling voice. The Grand Duke gave a broad smile and answered without hesitation.

“I said that your daughter is the person I love.”

Gasps erupted from all sides, followed immediately by the sound of someone drawing a sword. I felt the Grand Duke’s body stiffen. He pulled me close and stepped back. One of his own knights was pointing the tip of a blade at me.

‘What?’

As I trembled in fear, the Grand Duke held me even tighter and ground his teeth.

“Sir Lloyd, do you wish to die?”

“Your Grace! You are clearly not in your right mind. You must be under the wicked spell of this witch!”

Look here, Sir Knight! How many times do I have to say I’m not a black mage? I stammered in indignation.

‘He even called me a witch! He used a derogatory term for a female mage!’

What a jerk!

“Sir Lloyd. Are you prepared to take responsibility for calling my lover a witch?”

When the Grand Duke asked in a voice so cold it sent a shiver down my spine, the knight named Lloyd hesitated. To a knight, “taking responsibility” meant staking one’s life. It made sense that he would waver.

‘That’s what you get for framing an innocent person!’

“You even suggested I am not in my right mind? Sir Lloyd, do you truly wish for death?”

“Y-Your Grace…”

Turning pale, Sir Lloyd dropped his sword and fell to his knees. The Grand Duke’s icy words continued.

“I will decide your punishment for this insolence once we return. Pick up your sword and withdraw.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

After Sir Lloyd withdrew, the remaining knights began to whisper among themselves.

“So that lady really is the Grand Duke’s lover?” “Wait, our Lord Lennox is in a relationship?” “So that’s his type?” “Then what about Princess Eunice?” “That was just a one-sided proposal from her side…” “But weren’t the terms quite good?” “That is for His Grace to decide.”

I listened intently to the chatter between the knights. The name that caught my attention was “Princess Eunice.”

‘Princess Eunice… surely she’s…’

The Princess of the southern kingdom of Hebron, the first in line for the throne. It had to be her.

‘Gasp, so the future Queen asked the Grand Duke to marry her?’

That was a huge deal! It would surely be of immense benefit to both his territory and the Empire!

‘Besides, rumor has it Princess Eunice is incredibly beautiful.’

Glossy blue hair, deep sea-blue eyes, tall, and striking features. A legendary beauty with a commanding presence!

‘The Grand Duke and Princess Eunice… compared to her, I’m just…’

I knew it. I knew that for the Grand Duke, a contract relationship with me was nothing more than a temporary amusement. I felt a sudden pang of sorrow. I really was someone who could never hope to stand by his side.

‘Stop it, Vivian Lewis! What are you thinking? Be grateful you weren’t arrested for kidnapping!’

Right. He could have handed me over to the Imperial investigators, but he showed me mercy instead. So, let’s stop these useless thoughts!

‘Besides, we’re in a contract.’

It was never a serious relationship! We’ll break up in a year! Even if I really, really like him.

‘Let’s keep it light. This contract relationship is like a stroke of luck that fell into my lap.’

Yes, let’s think of it as winning the lottery. How often does a fan get a chance like this? I shook my head to clear my thoughts. The Grand Duke was watching me with a curious gaze. I gave him a smile, pretending everything was fine.

He furrowed his brow slightly and asked in a voice that was both tender and chilly.

“What are you thinking so deeply about, Vivian?”

“Well…”

I avoided his piercing gaze and answered. “I’ll tell you once we’re alone.”

“We can be alone right now if you wish.”

“Pardon? That’s a bit—”

“I know. I have to explain things to your family and my knights. The position of Grand Duke is truly a nuisance.”

I couldn’t believe my ears as he continued.

“What I really want is to take you straight to bed, Vivian.”

“…?”

Your… Your Grace? To bed?

Support Your Grace, It Was a Mistake!