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Chapter 21
Surprisingly, from the Duke’s softly smiling lips came words even more astonishing.
“Shall we turn a blind eye to the newlyweds’ little mischief? Anyone in my domain should have enough sense to understand.”
“Oh my!”
The crowd erupted in cheers. Whistles pierced the air—someone even brought a finger to their lips and whistled.
‘What is this? Some utterly ineffective attempt at forced romance?’
I gaped at the Duke’s shameless attitude, and in an instant, he—suddenly transformed into the “awkward but rather gentle husband”—took it upon himself to close my mouth.
Then, naturally, he held my hand. Unlike the face that had just turned red, his hand was icy cold.
With a faint smile, he tucked his hair behind his ear and whispered just loud enough for me to hear:
“Shall we just go along with it for now?”
If this was acting, I wasn’t about to lose either.
I looked at him affectionately and spoke through ventriloquism:
“Why should I? Is it because the Duke finds me pretty?”
“What do you want?”
“Well… I’ll think about it. Does this mean you owe me one?”
“Ha… alright.”
Yay! Honestly, I didn’t really need anything, but I was thrilled at the feeling of having delivered a playful jab.
Turning toward the people, I smiled brightly for the Duke to see. Then, in a lively tone, I announced:
“Everyone! Please witness our official first date!”
A playful wink followed, and cheers erupted among the crowd.
The Duke seemed unprepared for this, freezing briefly as he looked at me.
I smiled triumphantly. A little service, my dear. If we’re going to go along with this, we might as well go all out.
“Of course, of course!”
“Hahaha! The new Duchess is truly charming.”
“I didn’t realize the Duke could be so kind.”
The citizens, laughing heartily, finally turned their attention away and began moving toward the lantern festival.
Still holding hands, the Duke and I joined the crowd heading back to the riverside. His hand was enormous—I felt like he could hold both my hands in one.
‘Came here just to see the festival, and now all this…’
Finally catching my breath, I trudged along, recalling what had just happened. Honestly, all I’d done was eat skewers, yet I felt utterly exhausted.
Even though I’d been looking forward to this festival, all I wanted now was to go home.
But glances poured in from all directions, making that impossible.
‘I’ve dug my own grave…’
I braced myself for the disaster I’d brought upon myself.
Glancing sideways at him, I noticed he seemed to feel the same way.
We walked in silence for a while and soon reached the riverside. People who had arrived earlier were launching lanterns into the river, each making a wish.
“Wow…”
I stared, mesmerized, at the colorful lanterns flickering across the dark water. It was a breathtaking sight unlike anything I’d ever seen, even in my past life.
The cluster of lanterns drifting across the black sky and water was truly spectacular. Some lanterns had already become tiny dots in the distance.
The way they dotted the river and slowly drifted away reminded me of…
‘Stars in the Milky Way.’
Lost in this romantic reverie, I sneezed.
Though the day had warmed, it was still chilly by the river.
The Duke, noticing, quickly let go of my hand and draped his cloak around my shoulders.
Because of our height difference, it looked less like a cloak and more like it had been rolled around me like a sushi roll.
‘Ugh.’
My pride stung slightly, but… recognizing the physical difference, I whispered to the Duke:
“Is this… another performance?”
Unexpected, but beneficial for me—the cloak was incredibly warm.
Feeling the comforting heat, I smiled at him. The Duke, however, remained expressionless, saying nothing.
“The lanterns are ready here!”
“…I’ll get them.”
At someone’s shout, the Duke finally responded, muttering his part and quickly disappearing.
‘Huh?’
Were his ears still red? Or was I imagining it?
“It’s too dark to see well.”
Sigh. I readjusted my expression and waited for the Duke. Soon, he returned, holding one red and one blue lantern.
“Shall we release them too?”
After all, we came here for this; better to do it together.
Sensing my meaning, the Duke nodded lightly.
We approached the river, lit the candles, and let our lanterns drift into the current. The red lantern he gave me shimmered like a crimson flame and slowly drifted away.
Finally, the highlight of the festival.
“It’s beautiful.”
I muttered, staring blankly at the spectacle. Yes, this was exactly what I wanted to see.
Though the process hadn’t been smooth… I’d achieved the first goal. A smile naturally spread across my face.
Unexpectedly, the Duke responded:
“I see.”
Looking to the side, I realized his gaze was on me.
“…Right?”
Unable to handle the awkwardness, I repeated stiffly like a robot.
The Duke remained silent for a moment, then chuckled softly and turned back to the river.
“….”
For a moment, a strange feeling washed over me.
“This is impossible!”
There was someone who was shocked upon hearing the news of the two at the festival. Katarina, who had never cared for commoners’ festivals, was that person.
She had never heard of Genos attending a festival, yet rumors spread that he secretly enjoyed a date with Rene Blanche. Among the estate citizens, this caused even greater commotion.
Katarina’s delicate hand trembled in anger.
“If I had known, I would’ve been the first to invite the Duke to the festival! That cunning woman…!”
Unable to contain herself, she sat at her desk, gritting her teeth, and quickly scribbled a letter.
[To the honorable Diana…]
I leaned back on my bed, gazing out the window. The harsh winter winds had finally softened; the chill that had lingered since the spring festival had melted away, leaving a warm, gentle atmosphere.
The snow had melted, giving life to the soil, and pale green shoots began to sprout—the awakening of spring.
Basking in the gentle sunlight that brushed my cheeks, I savored a leisurely morning.
“Spring has really come.”
“Soon, the flowers will bloom. Did you know most of the trees on the hill behind are flowering trees, my lady?”
“Wow! Really?”
“Yes, and there are many varieties, so the hill turns into a colorful spectacle in spring. It’s quite the sight.”
Betty, cleaning the window next to me, spoke cheerfully. Hearing her, I eagerly anticipated the full bloom of spring.
I smiled back at Betty, silently promising:
‘Yes. I’ve been running around too much these past few days. I’ll stay out of sight as much as possible and just live quietly.’
Unintentionally entangled with dragons and the Duke, I’d been mentally and physically drained. Why drag myself into town when I had my beautiful, private forest cabin? I had only gone once, and that was enough. I had already lost too much from just one outing.
“Ah-choo!”
“Lady, are you still unwell?”
“No, just a sneeze…”
Though the weather had warmed, I didn’t expect my health to fall apart with it.
On the festival day, from the unexpected encounter with the Duke to Ternox’s pranks, I hadn’t been able to relax for a moment.
Most of all, I had underestimated the cold by the riverside—and the limits of my own stamina. A single day out had left me bedridden with a severe cold for days.
‘What’s wrong with this body…?’
No matter what, without basic stamina, anything I do would be too much.
‘Time to restart my morning exercises today.’
As I resolved this, Betty noticed my fidgeting and shook her head gently, then said something that made me leap up.
