IDMH - Chapter 37
I Decided My Husband
The morning of the third day after the engagement ceremony.
I reported to the Emperor that I would return to Leopold's estate after a while. Naturally, the Emperor was upset and wanted to stay a little longer, but I euphemistically refused.
"Not only was I unable to hold my father's memorial service in full, but I also needed to sort out the estate that was in disarray due to the sudden absence of the Lord. So please allow me to leave now, Your Majesty."
When I said that I would return to my territory with a flawless reason, the Emperor had no choice but to allow it.
As soon as I received the Emperor's permission, I bought a ticket for the earliest train. This evening, the train left the capital and headed to the Matina estate.
I told Perdes that I would leave the imperial palace in the evening and go to Leopold's estate, so I told him to pack his bags with Jack.
Then he said something unexpected.
"I'm not taking Jack with me."
"Are you saying you are going to leave that man behind in the imperial palace?"
"That's not it, I'll go out to the imperial palace with him, but I won't take him to Leopold's territory. I want to give freedom to the person who worked so hard to take care of me."
"Okay."
Of course, I thought he would take him, but I was a little surprised that he didn't. But at the same time, I completely understood his feelings.
The feeling of not wanting to take a precious person to a place where they might die.
I was also thinking of sending Sir Aldor for similar reasons.
"Then I guess I should give that man a gift as a reward for taking good care of you."
Perdes' eyes widened.
"Are you really going to give Jack a gift?"
"Can't we do that?"
"No way!"
Perdes waved his hands violently and denied it. The corners of his lips rose to the sky, drawing a bright smile.
"It's because I'm really grateful. It's also something I never thought of."
"If you are so grateful, please help me work harder in the future."
I felt burdened by him being so serious about something that was in significant, so I joked about it. But Perdes shook his head loudly.
"I will. Just ask me to do anything from now on."
Hmm, the reaction is more intense than I expected. That probably means that Jack is an important person to Perdes.
In that case, I couldn't let Jack go like this. I had to keep Jack with me just to prevent Perdes from making a fool of himself.
Although I reached out to Perdes for help, I did not fully trust him. So, I needed a safety device to prevent him from misbehaving, and I chose Jack as that safety device.
As soon as I sent Perdes away, I called Jack.
"Please receive it."
If I said out loud, 'Don't leave,' my secret feelings would be revealed, so I gave him a gift first.
"This is my reward for helping so well."
Jack's eyes widened when he saw the brooch in the box. He closed the box again and held it out towards me.
"I am grateful, but I cannot accept something this expensive."
"It's okay, take it."
"I am fine. The reason I served His Highness the Prince was not to receive a reward. It was purely my will, so please take it away."
Well, usually when I say something like this, I get treated like I can't win, but Jack refuses to the end. It meant that there was no greed.
So, for the past 16 years, Jack, who had nothing, must have stayed by the Prince's side.
"Then is there anything else you need?"
"No. It's not."
"Tell me anything. If I were to leave Your Highness's side and settle down on your own, you would need something, whether it be money or a house."
"Yes?"
Jack's reaction was a little strange.
No way...?
"Is this your first time hearing this?"
Jack nodded. The confused shaking eyes showed that his answer was true.
I thought Perdes discussed it with Jack first and then told me, but it seems he didn't.
"Sorry. I thought Your Highness had already told you, but I guess not."
"No. But what does it mean that I have to leave Your Highness's side?"
"Literally. His Royal Highness asked me to take care of you as he will be leaving you in the capital."
“Ah.”
Jack sighed and stuck his neck out.
Judging from his expression, it seemed like he had no intention of leaving Perdes. That meant it would be easier to catch him.
I smiled on the inside, but on the outside, I clicked my tongue as if I was very sad.
"Your Highness, since he is my fiancé and the next Duke, he will be treated well even if he go to the Duchy of Leopold, but since this is his first time going to a strange land, I would like someone familiar to assist him... What do you think?"
"I am...."
Jack hesitated for a moment, then clenched his fist and answered.
"My thoughts are the same as yours."
"Oh my, is that so?"
"Yes. So you don't have to repay me anymore. I have no intention of leaving his side."
"But His Highness said he was leaving you behind."
So, when I added that I only bought three train tickets, he jumped up.
"I will tell His Highness right now that I will not leave. Please wait a moment, Lady."
"Okay. I'll wait."
As soon as he finished answering. Jack quickly left, his eyebrows fluttering.
Despite his gentle appearance, he has an impatient personality. Thanks to that, I saved an hour and asked Sir Aldor to reserve one more train ticket.
***
If he told Jack to just leave, he would definitely say no, so what should he say?
Since he said he only reserved three train tickets, he had to make the excuse that he didn't have any train tickets and ask Jack to stay.
And what kind of excuse should he make?
"I'm not leaving!"
In his head, Perdes was thinking of an excuse to get Jack away.
Perdes looked at Jack, who came running towards him with his eyebrows furrowed, confused by what he said.
Jack held Perdes' arm tightly and spoke again.
"I will never leave! I plan to go to Duke Leopold's house with you, so don't even think about separating me!"
"Where did you hear that story?"
Perdes was confused and asked Jack, but found the answer himself. Adele Leopold. That woman must have told him.
Because he and herself were the only ones who knew this story.
"The Lady told me!"
As expected, the woman said it all.
"Your Highness decided to leave me here, so she gave me an expensive-looking brooch as a reward for taking care of you!"
She didn't just say it, she meant to repay him.
His anger toward Adele subsided.
It was his fault in the first place for not telling Adele to keep it a secret until he brought it up first.
"Of course, I didn't get it!"
"You should have taken it. It's the reward for all your hard work."
"There is no need for such payment! I will be by your side!"
Jack's hand holding Perdes' arm was full of strength.
"Don't abandon me, Your Highness!"
Perdes not saying he's throwing it away, but he's saying he's leaving Jack behind because it might be dangerous.
Perdes rolled the words he couldn't bear to say into his mouth and then swallowed them. To say that, he had to say that he signed a contract with Adele, so he couldn't say it.
It's not that he doesn't trust Jack, but because he promised never to tell Adele and the others. But he couldn't think of a way to persuade Jack without telling him the reason.
"Okay. Come with me."
Perdes is selfish in wanting Jack to go with him, so he pretends not to win and accepts Jack's choice.
***
When I entered the imperial palace, the air of winter and spring coexisted in the streets.
This meant that a lot of time was spent in the imperial palace, and it also meant that there was a lot less time to seek revenge.
When I return to the duchy, I will send a letter there right away. While the reply came, we had to distribute work appropriately to the heads of the household and adapt Perdes to the work of the dukedom.
Will he be able to adapt well? I suddenly felt worried and looked at him sitting across from me.
Perdes' gaze was fixed outside the window from the moment he left the imperial palace. Having lived in the imperial palace all his life, the outside world is a wonder.
When I saw my favorite Perdes, his eyes sparkling like a child, my worries melted away.
I smiled slightly and asked Perdes
"Do you like it that much, Your Highness?"
"Good."
Perdes answered, expressing his emotions honestly and without embellishment.
"I've always wondered what the world was like outside the imperial palace. I dreamed of living in that world."
Perdes looked back at me with sparkling eyes.
"But thank you for bringing me out like this, Young Lady."
I did not take him out of the palace with good intentions. It was to use me for my insidious revenge, but I was embarrassed and ashamed to hear such words.
I was so embarrassed to see his face that I turned my head away. It might seem strange to see me like that, but luckily Perdes, who was immersed in the outside world he was seeing for the first time in his life, didn't mind.
The carriage ran diligently and arrived at the train station.
"Wow."
After seeing the magnificent train station, Perdes repeatedly burst out in exclamation. His eyes, which constantly twinkled like stars, reached their peak when he got on the train.
Perdes muttered as he swept the wall of the train with an ecstatic look on his face.
"This is the mana-powered train I've only heard about."
"Are you interested in trains?"
"I'm more interested in mana than trains."
Perdes answered while looking around the train.
"I once dreamed of becoming a wizard. Unfortunately, I gave up because my body couldn't feel mana."
It's hard to become a wizard if you can't feel mana. There were wizards who could draw magic circles or create magic formulas by calculating formulas even if they could not feel mana.
However, this could also be done only if one had outstanding talent in that field.
"Then what is your dream now?"
"Freedom."
Perdes said as he swept down the window showing the dark street scene.
"My dream is to live freely like a bird flying in the sky."
"You want the hardest thing."
"So it's a dream. So, what is your dream, Young Lady?"
It's a dream.
Without much thought, I only had one dream right now.
"Revenge."
"I asked something pointless."
Perdes shook his head as if he didn't like it and stood up.
"Can I come and watch the train some more?"
"It doesn't matter, but please don't go outside the first-class compartment. Because the other compartments are dangerous."
"Okay."
When Perdes left, there was a quiet silence in the room. I tend to prefer quiet over loud. But I didn't like the silence in the room right now.
It was really strange to miss the hustle and bustle of Perdes's presence.
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