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Chapter 10
Märchen for the Villainess
‘Good grief. Where am I?’
Isabel blinked up at an unfamiliar ceiling.
A faint musk lingered in the air.
The room was spacious, yet so simply furnished it felt almost bare.
New furniture and carpets that still smelled of factory varnish.
Claw marks dug deeply into the marble floor between them.
‘No way. Is this…!’
“You’re awake.”
Fresh from a bath, the Grand Duke stepped into the room.
His robe hung carelessly, broad chest plainly visible.
Wet hair slicked back off his forehead; handsome features gleamed from lingering water droplets.
“A–And why did you suddenly… take a bath?”
Flustered, Isabel clutched the blanket tight.
“I bathed because it was necessary.”
“N–Necessary?”
Surely they hadn’t already…?
Isabel glanced down at her body.
Thankfully, she still wore her nightclothes from the evening before.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
“N-Not that I’m in a rush or anything, but… aren’t wedding nights usually after the ceremony?”
“Hm.”
Unlike tense Isabel, the Grand Duke simply let out a flat, emotionless sound, as if skipping several sentences at once.
He frowned and crossed the room—not toward the bed, but to the screen.
Moments later, servants entered with a uniform and boots and helped dress him behind it.
‘Oh great. Now I look like some girl who was totally expecting something.’
Realizing far too late, Isabel dove under the blanket.
Soon the Grand Duke emerged in full military dress.
The uniform hung perfectly across his broad shoulders; though his hair was still damp, his presence was commanding.
He approached Isabel, who only peeked out with her eyes.
“Apologies if I’ve fallen short of Your Highness’s expectations.”
“I wasn’t expecting anything.”
“Truly? Rumor had it you devoured such novels, so I must have misunderstood.”
“Unbelievable!”
She couldn’t deny reading them, and that made it worse.
Then it dawned on her.
‘Wait… is he teasing me?’
That stern man?
No matter how she studied him, his perfect face remained serious, not a trace of mischief.
‘No way he’d joke.’
If anything, her stare made him uncomfortable; he glanced away.
“I do have a question, Princess.”
“W–What is it?”
Why was her voice cracking like that!
Flushing, Isabel retreated beneath the covers like a hermit crab.
“Why were you sleeping beside me?”
“Ah…”
Isabel’s voice died.
‘What am I supposed to say?
That I made him bring me twigs every dawn?!’
Ridiculous.
He was the one wagging his tail at her first—why should she be embarrassed?
And every time she didn’t come down, he circled the tower like a puppy abandoned in the rain, so she had to go out.
But the Grand Duke’s guess came from left field.
“Did the beast I became… threaten you and drag you from your tower?”
He had trauma with heights.
Even as a beast, he’d never climbed anything high.
He pressed his fingers into his temple, pained by whatever he imagined.
Isabel pushed the blanket aside and sat up properly.
“No, nothing like that.”
“Then did I knock you out on my pre-dawn walk?”
“We just played together.”
“…Played?”
He looked as though she’d spoken in a foreign tongue.
Completely illogical—she should have screamed and fled.
Played?
She must be lying.
“How could you possibly ‘play’ with a beast?”
“Easily.”
“Easily?”
“We played well, okay?”
“Ha. Are you claiming you didn’t run from me?”
“Why should I?”
Isabel shrugged, cool and aloof.
“Because I would have been… a monster.”
“What monster? You were just a horned dog.”
He really thought he was terrifying? Please.
She muttered it under her breath with a snort.
The Grand Duke—who looked like he wouldn’t flinch with a cannon to his back—visibly twitched.
He only stared, bewildered.
“You said the curse is painful for you too.”
“…”
“I’ve got similar problems. When you’re already living on borrowed time, what’s left to fear?”
“…”
“And anyway, now people are going to misunderstand. I mean, I did spend the night in your bed.”
Ugh. Another rumor she didn’t need.
Though… they were getting married, so maybe it didn’t matter?
This world was strict about such things.
‘Ah, whatever.’
Isabel flopped back onto his bed and pulled the blanket over herself.
She hadn’t slept a wink all night and was exhausted.
The servants stared at her, then him, then her again.
“Your Highness?”
A prompt to rise.
But Isabel couldn’t care less.
“Close the curtains, would you? It’s too bright to sleep.”
“…What?”
The Grand Duke blinked at her, then at the curtains—so shocked he forgot to use polite speech.
“Stop talking to me. I spent all night entertaining you, I need more sleep.”
She really was about to nod off.
Eyes closed, she went still.
Looking helplessly at her, the Grand Duke jerked his chin.
The servants shut the curtains in a panic.
Never before had a living woman monopolized their lord’s bedroom in broad daylight.
He’d thought the gossip was exaggerated.
But seeing Isabel Desar sprawled in the lord’s chambers, Snow rubbed his eyes again.
No hallucination—she was still there.
“Time to rise, fearless Princess.”
Snow pushed up his spectacles and attempted to wake her.
Twelve people had died in this bed—and she slept like a baby.
Even ghosts must avoid a wicked woman like this one.
“Your Highness, you do at least need dinner.”
Maidservants couldn’t enter the Duke’s rooms, so Snow had to come himself.
She’d fallen asleep while the sun was still up—and even now, at dinner hour, she wouldn’t budge.
At this point, is she actually dead?
Snow held a finger under her nose—
“What do you think you’re doing, Sir Snow?”
Her eyes snapped open like a horror scene.
“Whoa!”
Why were her eyes so unnecessarily wide?
Snow stumbled back.
“I’m the one who should be startled here, Snow.”
“I was checking if you were alive. What sort of royal sleeps this late?”
He nagged as he lazily offered his hand.
“If you’re going to escort me so half-heartedly, don’t bother.”
Isabel slapped his hand away and climbed down herself.
“You’ve gotten awfully casual with your speech to me lately.”
“It’s comfortable.”
“My beautiful face must make you uncomfortable.”
“You’re impossibly positive. Must be nice.”
Having grown used to the Duke’s looks, Isabel had no problem battering Snow’s ego.
She stretched wide.
Ahh. That felt good.
With every twist, her thin nightgown fluttered around her figure.
Snow quickly draped a robe over her shoulders.
When had the thin, pale princess started giving off such a mature aura?
“Are you trying to seduce me dressed like that, Your Highness?”
“What are you talking about? You’re the one waking me.”
“If you’re ever bored, feel free to summon me. Tuesdays are open now.”
“…What?”
“I’ll treat you well.”
He added that “Tuesday” had dumped him, so there was a vacancy, and that he usually preferred petite women but the Princess was cute enough.
“Who’s Tuesday?”
“Oh, a girl I dated on Tuesdays. I couldn’t remember her name.”
“And women actually like you?”
“Of course. I’m dazzling to all ladies.”
Snow tapped his own cheek.
This lunatic.
Isabel swallowed her insult with a crooked grin, twisting her hair.
“Nephew Snow.”
“…What? That sounded like an insult.”
“Don’t forget I’m practically your aunt.”
“!”
“Perhaps I should ask the Grand Duke if he knows what his aide’s been proposing.”
“…Your Highness.”
“Why are you staring at me like that, Nephew Snow?”
Isabel gazed at him innocently.
“…I misspoke. Please forget it.”
“Good. So what’s for dinner?”
Was her menu more important than his proposition?
Seeing her eyes sparkle with anticipation, his reply lagged a beat.
“An assortment of the finest meats.”
“An assortment?”
“Yes, the Duke expressed concern for your health…”
Snow still didn’t get it.
Her waist was slim, but not dangerously so.
Yet the Duke had ordered special meals as though she were starving to death.
“Well, people live on food. The Duke knows what’s up.”
“…Live… on food?”
“It’s a saying. Let’s go, Sir Snow.”
Isabel held out her hand matter-of-factly.
“You slapped my escort away earlier.”
Snow grumbled, but offered his arm.
“That was because you were sloppy. Now do it properly. Properly.”
She narrowed her eyes like a lazy cat and strolled toward the dining hall.
Snow laughed awkwardly and obeyed.
It had been a long time since he’d followed anyone’s orders besides his lord’s.
And…
it wasn’t half bad.
