I'd managed to get rid of the madman, but I was worried about the future. He might seem like a wealthy rascal, but he was, after all, the Second Prince. Kicking at the heart of such a man would be a recipe for disaster. After a while of worrying, I looked at Shuan and shouted.
“I want to run away!”
"Yes?"
“This is why I married someone so high up.”
"Yes?"
I didn't stop walking, even though I was breathing heavily. Shuan, flustered, tried to grab me, but I ran faster than he could.
No matter how unwell I was, I was the daughter of the Count of Winsley. I was confident I could run as well as most people.
“Please take care of the back, Lete.”
I gently pushed his hand away and whispered. It was quite amusing to see Shuan's handsome face turn red with embarrassment.
Not saying goodbye to the Marchioness would certainly hurt her pride, but my life was more important right now.
I quickly climbed into the carriage and told the coachman to hurry. Fortunately, no one was chasing me yet.
From afar, I saw Shuan grappling with Prince Cain. He seemed flustered, but he seemed determined to help me. I should thank him in a letter.
Meanwhile, Shuan was holding on to Prince Cain, who was about to run away at any moment.
"Young Master Eriant! Can't you get out of here right now? I have to kill that woman right now!"
Prince Cain, clutching his core and shouting, was truly, truly uncool. He was already a flashy guy, but his current appearance was even more so. Because of that, Shuan had to work hard not to laugh.
Only after hearing the sound of the carriage wheels hastily moving away did Shuan release Prince Cain. After even Prince Cain had left him, Shuan chuckled and shook his head.
“She is truly a reckless woman.”
His words lacked the shadow that had always hung over Shuan. His voice was filled with nothing but interest.
Wooof!
As I entered the mansion, a fluffy, pure white dog barked happily at the sight of me. As I had asked Julian, Duke greeted me in Julian's stead.
Duke licked my cheeks indiscriminately until he finally knocked me over. I lay down on the grass and burst out laughing.
“Duke! It tickles! Do something about it! Ahaha!”
When I burst out laughing, the garden attendants, the attendants in the hall, and even Anna all came running out. Feeling embarrassed, I pushed the Duke's chin away and pretended to be polite.
“Now that I’m back, can you prepare a bath for me?”
But no matter how calm I tried, I couldn't stop Duke from getting excited. He licked my hair like a cat, leaving my elegantly updo disheveled.
Eventually, the servants burst into laughter. I smiled shyly and stood up. Every time I shook my skirt, grass fell.
Big.
I cleared my throat and walked over to Anna. She suppressed a smile and led me to the bathroom.
"Madam, the Duke seems to know his master. Even though the garden attendants take him for walks every day, he's so happy whenever he sees you."
“Really? I like Duke, too.”
“It seems that you still love dogs.”
Dogs are loyal, brave, and full of affection. They always welcome me wholeheartedly and love me, so there's no reason not to like them.
To be honest, before my return, I simply found the loyal hunting dog cute and endearing. But after returning, I couldn't help but yearn for true affection. Perhaps it was the wounds of my time being deceived by Kaiser.
I shook my head and pushed the thought away.
“What is Julian doing?”
I didn't expect Julian to come out to meet me, so I wasn't disappointed when he wasn't in the garden.
To begin with, Kaiser never came out to greet me. That was disappointing at first, but later I came to think that was how most couples were.
"Uh?"
So it was no wonder I was surprised to see Julian standing on the hall steps.
“Julian!”
I hurried towards him. Only then did I realize how utterly disfigured I was, and I hastily turned around. I took off my hair ornament, tied it back up, and asked in a panic.
"Julian, what brings you here? Are you feeling less busy today?"
“No, that’s not true.”
“Are you going for a walk?”
Then Julian sighed. That sigh made me worry that I'd made a mistake. But Julian said something completely different.
“I came out to pick up my wife.”
I was stroking my hair when I turned around in surprise. As I lowered my arm, my hair tumbled down onto my shoulder. I didn't even notice it, just widened my eyes.
Julian frowned at the sight, as if he felt a little frustrated.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Shouldn’t I come out to greet you?”
“No. No, no! Not at all.”
I spread my palm wide and waved it vigorously. The word "welcome" coming from Julian's firm lips felt terribly unfamiliar. It wasn't that I disliked it at all. Rather, a tingling sensation in my chest made me feel unsure of where to place my hand.
“I just... I was wondering if you, Julian, remembered what I said. That you wouldn’t come out to greet me...”
Embarrassed, I kept touching the back of my neck and earlobes. I knew it would make them turn red, but I couldn't stop.
Julian reached out and took my hand. It seemed he was quite uncomfortable watching me wandering aimlessly. He placed my hand next to my thigh and nodded.
“I thought Madam’s family came out to greet you.”
“Oh, that’s right. But I didn’t mean to force it on you. You’re always busy.”
“It wasn’t forced. I just had the time.”
"...Thank you."
After I sheepishly answered, silence fell between us. I was a talkative type, but Julian was quite reserved. No matter how much I tried, it was difficult to hold a long conversation with someone as blunt as a stone.
Just as I was about to say I was going to take a bath, I remembered something critical that had happened to me. How could I have forgotten it!
Duke licked me, and when I came face-to-face with Julian's handsome face, I completely forgot about it, like an idiot.
How could I have forgotten that! Suddenly, the memory of me kicking the Second Prince's butt at that party flashed through my mind.
“You, Julian.”
I called out to him, my words faltering. I was so nervous that my hand instinctively reached out to my dry lips. As I hesitantly looked up at him, Julian also looked down at me.
“I had an accident.”
Julian's smooth eyebrows twitched at my words. Even wearing a half-mask, Julian possessed an incredible ability to speak with his face alone. He'd just asked, "What happened?" I was impressed with myself for understanding that.
“Today, I am the Second Prince’s, that...”
I was at a loss for words to describe that place to him. I felt my stomach with my palm, but couldn't bring myself to say anything lower than that, so I squeezed my eyes shut.
“That’s it, I kicked the Second Prince’s dick!”
Only after speaking did I realize that there are more sophisticated expressions like center or nansim.
I covered my face with both hands, panicking. I hadn't thought about it when I kicked, and I even felt a sense of relief. But when I tried to tell Julian, I felt incredibly embarrassed.
Since there was no answer from Julian, I spread my fingers apart to secure my view. Anna, visible on my left, had her eyes, nose, and mouth wide open. And Julian, standing right in front of me...
"Ma'am."
He called me in a heavy voice.
"Yes!"
I nodded my head in response, speaking loudly and without any manners.
How angry would Julian be? How irresponsible would his wife seem, running away after causing such a horrific incident, with no intention of trying to resolve it?
While I was thinking about all sorts of things, a large hand touched my head.
"Good job."
The hand touched me briefly, then wrapped itself around my shoulder. It gripped me tightly enough to make me want to hug it, then quickly pulled away. I felt a pang of longing for that warmth.
“Aren’t you going to scold me?”
I thought he'd be offended, but instead, I heard praise, which left me feeling a bit odd. I hesitated to ask, hoping to get a better answer, but Julian spoke with firmness.
“I think you did something right... Did he behave rudely toward Madam?”
I nodded, feeling a bit dazed. After Julian's scolding, I dared to ask for help, since I was his wife. But Julian acted completely differently. He asked me if the Second Prince had been rude...
"From now on, no carriages may enter or leave Duchzan Territory without permission. No one except His Majesty the Emperor may enter Duchzan Territory without permission."
The guard standing closest to Julian's command answered loudly.
“Yes, Your Highness!”
I opened my eyes wide as I watched the guard retreat with a determined expression. It happened before I could stop him.
Julian looked at me with utter calmness. Those red eyes, which others would fear, brought me immense comfort. Julian protected me fiercely before I could even ask for a favor or offer a deal.
"Madam, take a bath first. I'll tell you the story later."
I nodded like an idiot and followed Anna. Anna supported me and asked cautiously.
“Madam, are you okay?”
What could I say to that? How could it not be okay? I'd never felt so secure. I turned around for a moment, watched Julian's back gradually recede, and then muttered.
“It’s okay, but it’s not okay.”
That was my honest feeling.
While I was bathing, I heard that the Second Prince had indeed come to visit. It seemed he had chased me at full speed, intending to capture me shortly after I left. But Anna, with a look of resentment on her face, said.
“He can’t even set foot on Duchzan’s territory.”
As Anna had said, Cain arrived right before Duchzan's doorstep and was met with a snub. It was clear that this was the first time in his prosperous life that he had been treated this way. He raged and kicked his guards.
“Kill those bastards right now!”
The "bastards" Cain was referring to were the guards blocking the entrance to Duchzan's territory. Despite Cain's constant yelling, their expressions remained unchanged, their eyes glaring at Cain's escort.
“I want to run away!”
"Yes?"
“This is why I married someone so high up.”
"Yes?"
I didn't stop walking, even though I was breathing heavily. Shuan, flustered, tried to grab me, but I ran faster than he could.
No matter how unwell I was, I was the daughter of the Count of Winsley. I was confident I could run as well as most people.
“Please take care of the back, Lete.”
I gently pushed his hand away and whispered. It was quite amusing to see Shuan's handsome face turn red with embarrassment.
Not saying goodbye to the Marchioness would certainly hurt her pride, but my life was more important right now.
I quickly climbed into the carriage and told the coachman to hurry. Fortunately, no one was chasing me yet.
From afar, I saw Shuan grappling with Prince Cain. He seemed flustered, but he seemed determined to help me. I should thank him in a letter.
Meanwhile, Shuan was holding on to Prince Cain, who was about to run away at any moment.
"Young Master Eriant! Can't you get out of here right now? I have to kill that woman right now!"
Prince Cain, clutching his core and shouting, was truly, truly uncool. He was already a flashy guy, but his current appearance was even more so. Because of that, Shuan had to work hard not to laugh.
Only after hearing the sound of the carriage wheels hastily moving away did Shuan release Prince Cain. After even Prince Cain had left him, Shuan chuckled and shook his head.
“She is truly a reckless woman.”
His words lacked the shadow that had always hung over Shuan. His voice was filled with nothing but interest.
***
Wooof!
As I entered the mansion, a fluffy, pure white dog barked happily at the sight of me. As I had asked Julian, Duke greeted me in Julian's stead.
Duke licked my cheeks indiscriminately until he finally knocked me over. I lay down on the grass and burst out laughing.
“Duke! It tickles! Do something about it! Ahaha!”
When I burst out laughing, the garden attendants, the attendants in the hall, and even Anna all came running out. Feeling embarrassed, I pushed the Duke's chin away and pretended to be polite.
“Now that I’m back, can you prepare a bath for me?”
But no matter how calm I tried, I couldn't stop Duke from getting excited. He licked my hair like a cat, leaving my elegantly updo disheveled.
Eventually, the servants burst into laughter. I smiled shyly and stood up. Every time I shook my skirt, grass fell.
Big.
I cleared my throat and walked over to Anna. She suppressed a smile and led me to the bathroom.
"Madam, the Duke seems to know his master. Even though the garden attendants take him for walks every day, he's so happy whenever he sees you."
“Really? I like Duke, too.”
“It seems that you still love dogs.”
Dogs are loyal, brave, and full of affection. They always welcome me wholeheartedly and love me, so there's no reason not to like them.
To be honest, before my return, I simply found the loyal hunting dog cute and endearing. But after returning, I couldn't help but yearn for true affection. Perhaps it was the wounds of my time being deceived by Kaiser.
I shook my head and pushed the thought away.
“What is Julian doing?”
I didn't expect Julian to come out to meet me, so I wasn't disappointed when he wasn't in the garden.
To begin with, Kaiser never came out to greet me. That was disappointing at first, but later I came to think that was how most couples were.
"Uh?"
So it was no wonder I was surprised to see Julian standing on the hall steps.
“Julian!”
I hurried towards him. Only then did I realize how utterly disfigured I was, and I hastily turned around. I took off my hair ornament, tied it back up, and asked in a panic.
"Julian, what brings you here? Are you feeling less busy today?"
“No, that’s not true.”
“Are you going for a walk?”
Then Julian sighed. That sigh made me worry that I'd made a mistake. But Julian said something completely different.
“I came out to pick up my wife.”
I was stroking my hair when I turned around in surprise. As I lowered my arm, my hair tumbled down onto my shoulder. I didn't even notice it, just widened my eyes.
Julian frowned at the sight, as if he felt a little frustrated.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Shouldn’t I come out to greet you?”
“No. No, no! Not at all.”
I spread my palm wide and waved it vigorously. The word "welcome" coming from Julian's firm lips felt terribly unfamiliar. It wasn't that I disliked it at all. Rather, a tingling sensation in my chest made me feel unsure of where to place my hand.
“I just... I was wondering if you, Julian, remembered what I said. That you wouldn’t come out to greet me...”
Embarrassed, I kept touching the back of my neck and earlobes. I knew it would make them turn red, but I couldn't stop.
Julian reached out and took my hand. It seemed he was quite uncomfortable watching me wandering aimlessly. He placed my hand next to my thigh and nodded.
“I thought Madam’s family came out to greet you.”
“Oh, that’s right. But I didn’t mean to force it on you. You’re always busy.”
“It wasn’t forced. I just had the time.”
"...Thank you."
After I sheepishly answered, silence fell between us. I was a talkative type, but Julian was quite reserved. No matter how much I tried, it was difficult to hold a long conversation with someone as blunt as a stone.
Just as I was about to say I was going to take a bath, I remembered something critical that had happened to me. How could I have forgotten it!
Duke licked me, and when I came face-to-face with Julian's handsome face, I completely forgot about it, like an idiot.
How could I have forgotten that! Suddenly, the memory of me kicking the Second Prince's butt at that party flashed through my mind.
“You, Julian.”
I called out to him, my words faltering. I was so nervous that my hand instinctively reached out to my dry lips. As I hesitantly looked up at him, Julian also looked down at me.
“I had an accident.”
Julian's smooth eyebrows twitched at my words. Even wearing a half-mask, Julian possessed an incredible ability to speak with his face alone. He'd just asked, "What happened?" I was impressed with myself for understanding that.
“Today, I am the Second Prince’s, that...”
I was at a loss for words to describe that place to him. I felt my stomach with my palm, but couldn't bring myself to say anything lower than that, so I squeezed my eyes shut.
“That’s it, I kicked the Second Prince’s dick!”
Only after speaking did I realize that there are more sophisticated expressions like center or nansim.
I covered my face with both hands, panicking. I hadn't thought about it when I kicked, and I even felt a sense of relief. But when I tried to tell Julian, I felt incredibly embarrassed.
Since there was no answer from Julian, I spread my fingers apart to secure my view. Anna, visible on my left, had her eyes, nose, and mouth wide open. And Julian, standing right in front of me...
"Ma'am."
He called me in a heavy voice.
"Yes!"
I nodded my head in response, speaking loudly and without any manners.
How angry would Julian be? How irresponsible would his wife seem, running away after causing such a horrific incident, with no intention of trying to resolve it?
While I was thinking about all sorts of things, a large hand touched my head.
"Good job."
The hand touched me briefly, then wrapped itself around my shoulder. It gripped me tightly enough to make me want to hug it, then quickly pulled away. I felt a pang of longing for that warmth.
“Aren’t you going to scold me?”
I thought he'd be offended, but instead, I heard praise, which left me feeling a bit odd. I hesitated to ask, hoping to get a better answer, but Julian spoke with firmness.
“I think you did something right... Did he behave rudely toward Madam?”
I nodded, feeling a bit dazed. After Julian's scolding, I dared to ask for help, since I was his wife. But Julian acted completely differently. He asked me if the Second Prince had been rude...
"From now on, no carriages may enter or leave Duchzan Territory without permission. No one except His Majesty the Emperor may enter Duchzan Territory without permission."
The guard standing closest to Julian's command answered loudly.
“Yes, Your Highness!”
I opened my eyes wide as I watched the guard retreat with a determined expression. It happened before I could stop him.
Julian looked at me with utter calmness. Those red eyes, which others would fear, brought me immense comfort. Julian protected me fiercely before I could even ask for a favor or offer a deal.
"Madam, take a bath first. I'll tell you the story later."
I nodded like an idiot and followed Anna. Anna supported me and asked cautiously.
“Madam, are you okay?”
What could I say to that? How could it not be okay? I'd never felt so secure. I turned around for a moment, watched Julian's back gradually recede, and then muttered.
“It’s okay, but it’s not okay.”
That was my honest feeling.
While I was bathing, I heard that the Second Prince had indeed come to visit. It seemed he had chased me at full speed, intending to capture me shortly after I left. But Anna, with a look of resentment on her face, said.
“He can’t even set foot on Duchzan’s territory.”
***
As Anna had said, Cain arrived right before Duchzan's doorstep and was met with a snub. It was clear that this was the first time in his prosperous life that he had been treated this way. He raged and kicked his guards.
“Kill those bastards right now!”
The "bastards" Cain was referring to were the guards blocking the entrance to Duchzan's territory. Despite Cain's constant yelling, their expressions remained unchanged, their eyes glaring at Cain's escort.
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