The eastern training ground of the Grand Duke's house prepared for the training of knights.
Instead of shouts, the knights' shrill screams erupted from there.
"Huk!"
With a groan, one knight fell down.
"..."
The knights who were standing outside the training ground and watching the situation held their breaths, looking at each other.
During the quiet silence that filled the surroundings.
"Next."
A low and serious voice flowed out.
At that one word, the knights around them flinched.
One knight, who had received the knight commander's glance, climbed onto the training ground with a pale face. The sharp metallic sound of swords clashing rang out.
In the midst of it all, everyone shut their mouths and rolled their eyes like a sledgehammer.
"Keuheuk!"
With another scream, the knight who had climbed onto the training ground rolled down outside the training ground.
"Next."
"...!"
The knights who had gathered to train were sickened by the frosty air flowing through the training ground.
This situation was all Jeremiah’s fault.
Jeremiah, who had been looking very unwell for some time, had recently been visiting the eastern training ground frequently. The knights had been coming to the training ground every day to train and build up their bodies, but even they had a hard time enduring the intense momentum that Jeremiah was radiating.
“Next!”
“..!”
Every time Jeremiah opened his mouth, the knights felt their blood dry.
They felt as if they had become fish on the chopping board.
Ron, the commander of the knights, could not stand it any longer and stepped forward to stop Jeremiah.
“Your Highness. The knights are also very tired. It would be better to end it here for today...”
Jeremiah’s brow furrowed at those words.
“It is still not enough.”
“...”
Ron’s mouth snapped shut at Jeremiah’s one word of inadequacy.
“Is this all the knights have?”
“...I am sorry.”
Ron bowed his head, feeling ashamed at Jeremiah’s blatant discontent.
The knights had already been beaten so badly by Jeremiah that they were reduced to rags.
Ron sighed inwardly as he watched the knights who had lost even the will to lift their swords.
Because Jeremiah kept coming to the training grounds and treated the knights harshly, he couldn’t properly train them.
‘I wish I knew why he was acting like this.’
Ron was even more embarrassed because he couldn’t figure out why Jeremiah was acting so differently than usual.
Ron was at a loss as to what to do.
“Your Highness!”
At that moment, a soldier on guard at the main gate of the Grand Duke’s residence ran over.
“The carriage carrying the Grand Duchess has just arrived.”
Jeremiah heard the soldier’s report and picked up his sword again and put it back in its sheath.
“As you said, the knights seem tired, so let’s call it a day.”
After saying those words, Jeremiah immediately turned around and headed toward the mansion.
“...?”
Ron’s eyes widened in surprise at Jeremiah’s unbelievable behavior.
‘Just leaving like this...?’
It seemed like a lie that the situation was so serious just a moment ago.
It was hard to believe that Jeremiah, who had been pushing the knights to the brink of death, had just left without saying a word.
‘Could it be that the Grand Duchess was the reason you’ve been acting so strangely lately.. ?’
However, unlike Ron, who was shocked, the knights’ expressions brightened with relief that they were alive.
Karina and Mikhail returned to the Grand Duke's mansion late in the evening.
‘Ah, I’m tired.’
Karina carelessly brushed back her hair that had fallen in front of her.
It seemed that she had been very tense the whole time she was out.
As the tension eased, fatigue came rushing in like a tidal wave.
Her body felt heavy like cotton soaked in water.
‘I should go to my room and rest for now.’
While resting, she had to think about what to do next.
She had to look back on the things that were different from the past, and she had to organize the new things she learned.
That way, she could decide on the direction of her future plans.
While thinking about that and climbing the stairs, she suddenly felt dizzy and her eyes spun.
“Ah!”
With a short exclamation, Karina’s body, having lost its balance, fell backward.
“I’m falling!”
Karina tightly shut her eyes.
At that moment, strong arms wrapped around Karina’s waist as she fell.
She felt a strong pulling force and a cool and refreshing scent on my nose.
“Your Highness, are you okay?”
“...”
When she opened her eyes, she saw Mikhail’s surprised face.
“Get closer.”
His face was right in front of her nose as if she could touch it at any moment.
Looking at it this close, she could see his features in more detail.
His round forehead and neat eyebrows, his pure white skin and straight nose, his lips that were plump and vibrant, like a red rose in his mouth. His ruby-like eyes shining clearly under his long eyelashes were beautiful enough to suck you in.
Karina stared blankly at Mikhail’s face.
“Your Highness?”
Karina came to her senses at Mikhail’s call.
“Oh, thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to avoid falling down.”
“That’s all. This is what I have to do.”
Mikhail’s expression was pleasing to the eye as he smiled with the corners of his eyes raised.
Karina smiled at that sight as well.
At that moment, a low, fierce voice was heard from the bottom of the stairs.
“What are you two doing? Get away from me now.”
She turned her head and looked down to see Jeremiah glaring at the two with a fierce expression.
“Jeremiah...?”
Karina asked, startled by his unexpected appearance.
“Why are you here?”
Jeremiah kept his mouth shut and did not answer Karina’s question.
Jeremiah, who had climbed up the stairs in one breath, grabbed her arm and pulled her away from Mikhail.
“Ah!”
Instead of shouts, the knights' shrill screams erupted from there.
"Huk!"
With a groan, one knight fell down.
"..."
The knights who were standing outside the training ground and watching the situation held their breaths, looking at each other.
During the quiet silence that filled the surroundings.
"Next."
A low and serious voice flowed out.
At that one word, the knights around them flinched.
One knight, who had received the knight commander's glance, climbed onto the training ground with a pale face. The sharp metallic sound of swords clashing rang out.
In the midst of it all, everyone shut their mouths and rolled their eyes like a sledgehammer.
"Keuheuk!"
With another scream, the knight who had climbed onto the training ground rolled down outside the training ground.
"Next."
"...!"
The knights who had gathered to train were sickened by the frosty air flowing through the training ground.
This situation was all Jeremiah’s fault.
Jeremiah, who had been looking very unwell for some time, had recently been visiting the eastern training ground frequently. The knights had been coming to the training ground every day to train and build up their bodies, but even they had a hard time enduring the intense momentum that Jeremiah was radiating.
“Next!”
“..!”
Every time Jeremiah opened his mouth, the knights felt their blood dry.
They felt as if they had become fish on the chopping board.
Ron, the commander of the knights, could not stand it any longer and stepped forward to stop Jeremiah.
“Your Highness. The knights are also very tired. It would be better to end it here for today...”
Jeremiah’s brow furrowed at those words.
“It is still not enough.”
“...”
Ron’s mouth snapped shut at Jeremiah’s one word of inadequacy.
“Is this all the knights have?”
“...I am sorry.”
Ron bowed his head, feeling ashamed at Jeremiah’s blatant discontent.
The knights had already been beaten so badly by Jeremiah that they were reduced to rags.
Ron sighed inwardly as he watched the knights who had lost even the will to lift their swords.
Because Jeremiah kept coming to the training grounds and treated the knights harshly, he couldn’t properly train them.
‘I wish I knew why he was acting like this.’
Ron was even more embarrassed because he couldn’t figure out why Jeremiah was acting so differently than usual.
Ron was at a loss as to what to do.
“Your Highness!”
At that moment, a soldier on guard at the main gate of the Grand Duke’s residence ran over.
“The carriage carrying the Grand Duchess has just arrived.”
Jeremiah heard the soldier’s report and picked up his sword again and put it back in its sheath.
“As you said, the knights seem tired, so let’s call it a day.”
After saying those words, Jeremiah immediately turned around and headed toward the mansion.
“...?”
Ron’s eyes widened in surprise at Jeremiah’s unbelievable behavior.
‘Just leaving like this...?’
It seemed like a lie that the situation was so serious just a moment ago.
It was hard to believe that Jeremiah, who had been pushing the knights to the brink of death, had just left without saying a word.
‘Could it be that the Grand Duchess was the reason you’ve been acting so strangely lately.. ?’
However, unlike Ron, who was shocked, the knights’ expressions brightened with relief that they were alive.
***
Karina and Mikhail returned to the Grand Duke's mansion late in the evening.
‘Ah, I’m tired.’
Karina carelessly brushed back her hair that had fallen in front of her.
It seemed that she had been very tense the whole time she was out.
As the tension eased, fatigue came rushing in like a tidal wave.
Her body felt heavy like cotton soaked in water.
‘I should go to my room and rest for now.’
While resting, she had to think about what to do next.
She had to look back on the things that were different from the past, and she had to organize the new things she learned.
That way, she could decide on the direction of her future plans.
While thinking about that and climbing the stairs, she suddenly felt dizzy and her eyes spun.
“Ah!”
With a short exclamation, Karina’s body, having lost its balance, fell backward.
“I’m falling!”
Karina tightly shut her eyes.
At that moment, strong arms wrapped around Karina’s waist as she fell.
She felt a strong pulling force and a cool and refreshing scent on my nose.
“Your Highness, are you okay?”
“...”
When she opened her eyes, she saw Mikhail’s surprised face.
“Get closer.”
His face was right in front of her nose as if she could touch it at any moment.
Looking at it this close, she could see his features in more detail.
His round forehead and neat eyebrows, his pure white skin and straight nose, his lips that were plump and vibrant, like a red rose in his mouth. His ruby-like eyes shining clearly under his long eyelashes were beautiful enough to suck you in.
Karina stared blankly at Mikhail’s face.
“Your Highness?”
Karina came to her senses at Mikhail’s call.
“Oh, thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to avoid falling down.”
“That’s all. This is what I have to do.”
Mikhail’s expression was pleasing to the eye as he smiled with the corners of his eyes raised.
Karina smiled at that sight as well.
At that moment, a low, fierce voice was heard from the bottom of the stairs.
“What are you two doing? Get away from me now.”
She turned her head and looked down to see Jeremiah glaring at the two with a fierce expression.
“Jeremiah...?”
Karina asked, startled by his unexpected appearance.
“Why are you here?”
Jeremiah kept his mouth shut and did not answer Karina’s question.
Jeremiah, who had climbed up the stairs in one breath, grabbed her arm and pulled her away from Mikhail.
“Ah!”
He had grabbed her so tightly that the part where he had been caught hurt so much that tears welled up in his eyes.
“It hurts! Let go!”
Karina struggled and tried to pull her arm away, but it was no use.
As Karina showed signs of pain, Mikhail’s expression hardened and he stepped between her and Jeremiah.
“Let go of that hand. Isn’t the Grand Duchess in pain?”
Despite Mikhail’s urging, Jeremiah did not let go of her hand.
Instead, he glared at him with a fierce gaze like a wild beast.
Soon, a creepy low voice flowed out.
“Why are you holding the Grand Duchess? You have to answer me in a way that I can understand.”
It seemed as if he would strangle Mikhail at any moment.
However, Mikhail also looked straight at Jeremiah and stood up without retreating an inch.
There was a tense atmosphere between the two.
Karina stepped forward in Mikhail’s stead.
“Don’t misunderstand. He just caught me when I fell.”
When Karina answered, Jeremiah’s gaze returned to her.
“He caught you when you fell? That look just now?”
Karina was dumbfounded by Jeremiah’s sharp reaction like a thorn.
Karina frowned and nervously shook off the arm he was holding.
Then she asked back in a cold voice.
“It’s true. Mikhail was just doing his job as a guard, so what’s the problem?”
Jeremiah’s expression hardened at the sight of Karina surrounding Mikhail.
“I told him to escort you, I never told him to talk nonsense.”
“Talk nonsense?”
Karina made a face of bewilderment.
“I just heard you went out alone with your escort. Where did you go? And in that outfit?”
Jeremiah pointed out Karina’s shabby clothes.
Karina ignored him and asked him questioningly.
“Didn’t the guards report that I said I was going to inspect the city?”
“You inspected the city all day?”
Jeremiah snorted, clearly showing his displeasure.
“You’re telling ridiculous lies. Just tell me the truth.”
“It hurts! Let go!”
Karina struggled and tried to pull her arm away, but it was no use.
As Karina showed signs of pain, Mikhail’s expression hardened and he stepped between her and Jeremiah.
“Let go of that hand. Isn’t the Grand Duchess in pain?”
Despite Mikhail’s urging, Jeremiah did not let go of her hand.
Instead, he glared at him with a fierce gaze like a wild beast.
Soon, a creepy low voice flowed out.
“Why are you holding the Grand Duchess? You have to answer me in a way that I can understand.”
It seemed as if he would strangle Mikhail at any moment.
However, Mikhail also looked straight at Jeremiah and stood up without retreating an inch.
There was a tense atmosphere between the two.
Karina stepped forward in Mikhail’s stead.
“Don’t misunderstand. He just caught me when I fell.”
When Karina answered, Jeremiah’s gaze returned to her.
“He caught you when you fell? That look just now?”
Karina was dumbfounded by Jeremiah’s sharp reaction like a thorn.
Karina frowned and nervously shook off the arm he was holding.
Then she asked back in a cold voice.
“It’s true. Mikhail was just doing his job as a guard, so what’s the problem?”
Jeremiah’s expression hardened at the sight of Karina surrounding Mikhail.
“I told him to escort you, I never told him to talk nonsense.”
“Talk nonsense?”
Karina made a face of bewilderment.
“I just heard you went out alone with your escort. Where did you go? And in that outfit?”
Jeremiah pointed out Karina’s shabby clothes.
Karina ignored him and asked him questioningly.
“Didn’t the guards report that I said I was going to inspect the city?”
“You inspected the city all day?”
Jeremiah snorted, clearly showing his displeasure.
“You’re telling ridiculous lies. Just tell me the truth.”
Mikhail’s brow furrowed at Jeremiah’s attitude of disbelieving Karina’s words. Karina raised her hand to stop Mikhail, who was about to step forward.
Karina swallowed her sneer at Jeremiah’s reprimand.
‘Since when have you been so concerned about me?’
She was already tired because she had a lot to think about. Her head started to hurt. Karina, who no longer wanted to engage in a wasteful argument, suppressed her rising irritation.
“Let’s stop. Why are you doing this again?”
Jeremiah’s expression distorted as he thought Karina was avoiding the question.
“If the others had seen it, they would have opened their mouths carelessly. Do you think I would just let that happen?”
It was a statement that she would not tolerate the Grand Duke’s family’s story being talked about by the servants or outsiders.
If the rumor spread that the Grand Duchess was close to another man besides the Grand Duke, the prestige of the Grand Duke's family would fall.
'Of course. He's doing this for the sake of the Grand Duchess's reputation.'
As expected, a sneer escaped Karina's lips.
However, the Grand Duchess' reputation had nothing to do with Karina.
'If we get a divorce anyway, I'll go live somewhere where no one knows me, so what does the Grand Duchess' reputation have to do with me?'
Before returning, she had been through so many scandals and insulting rumors that she would be sick and tired of them.
She was confident that she wouldn't blink an eye at such things during her stay in the Grand Duke's family.
"Do whatever you want. I don't care what other people say."
"You act like it's someone else's business."
Jeremiah made a face of shock at Karina's attitude.
"Whew."
Karina let out a long sigh at his blatant reaction in front of her.
Then she opened her mouth calmly.
"Your Highness. You don’t have to do this to me.”
“What?”
“Because I don’t plan on continuing this life for long.”
“What does that mean?”
Karina continued in a calm voice.
“I’m thinking of getting a divorce.”
“Divorce...?”
Jeremiah had an expression on his face that said he didn’t know what he had just heard.
“Yes. We’re both going to be in a relationship that’s only harmful to us. There’s no need to continue this relationship.”
Karina finished what she wanted to say to him, who was frozen in place blankly.
“I’d love to do it right now, but considering that this marriage was an imperial decree, divorce won’t be easy. But I’ll do it.”
Karina said in a calm yet firm voice.
“I’ll definitely find a way to get you a divorce, so don’t worry about me anymore.”
Jeremiah was speechless as if he had eaten honey in response to Karina’s cold declaration.
“...Are you serious?”
The question barely managed to get out, reaching Karina.
“Of course I’m serious.”
The corners of Karina’s lips naturally rose in a parabolic curve.
Her eyes, as she answered, were firm and unwavering.
Jeremiah was shocked at her appearance as if she were saying that there was not an inch of falsehood.
“Your Highness the Grand Duke will feel the same way as I do, so please do not interrupt.”
Jeremiah, who must have heard Karina, just stood there frozen.
Karina didn’t care if she didn’t hear his answer. He would definitely agree to the divorce even if she didn’t hear his answer now.
“I think you understand, so I will go now.”
With that, Karina passed Jeremiah with Mikhail and leisurely disappeared.
Even after she left, Jeremiah couldn’t move from that spot for a while.
If the rumor spread that the Grand Duchess was close to another man besides the Grand Duke, the prestige of the Grand Duke's family would fall.
'Of course. He's doing this for the sake of the Grand Duchess's reputation.'
As expected, a sneer escaped Karina's lips.
However, the Grand Duchess' reputation had nothing to do with Karina.
'If we get a divorce anyway, I'll go live somewhere where no one knows me, so what does the Grand Duchess' reputation have to do with me?'
Before returning, she had been through so many scandals and insulting rumors that she would be sick and tired of them.
She was confident that she wouldn't blink an eye at such things during her stay in the Grand Duke's family.
"Do whatever you want. I don't care what other people say."
"You act like it's someone else's business."
Jeremiah made a face of shock at Karina's attitude.
"Whew."
Karina let out a long sigh at his blatant reaction in front of her.
Then she opened her mouth calmly.
"Your Highness. You don’t have to do this to me.”
“What?”
“Because I don’t plan on continuing this life for long.”
“What does that mean?”
Karina continued in a calm voice.
“I’m thinking of getting a divorce.”
“Divorce...?”
Jeremiah had an expression on his face that said he didn’t know what he had just heard.
“Yes. We’re both going to be in a relationship that’s only harmful to us. There’s no need to continue this relationship.”
Karina finished what she wanted to say to him, who was frozen in place blankly.
“I’d love to do it right now, but considering that this marriage was an imperial decree, divorce won’t be easy. But I’ll do it.”
Karina said in a calm yet firm voice.
“I’ll definitely find a way to get you a divorce, so don’t worry about me anymore.”
Jeremiah was speechless as if he had eaten honey in response to Karina’s cold declaration.
“...Are you serious?”
The question barely managed to get out, reaching Karina.
“Of course I’m serious.”
The corners of Karina’s lips naturally rose in a parabolic curve.
Her eyes, as she answered, were firm and unwavering.
Jeremiah was shocked at her appearance as if she were saying that there was not an inch of falsehood.
“Your Highness the Grand Duke will feel the same way as I do, so please do not interrupt.”
Jeremiah, who must have heard Karina, just stood there frozen.
Karina didn’t care if she didn’t hear his answer. He would definitely agree to the divorce even if she didn’t hear his answer now.
“I think you understand, so I will go now.”
With that, Karina passed Jeremiah with Mikhail and leisurely disappeared.
Even after she left, Jeremiah couldn’t move from that spot for a while.
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