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Chapter 26
“Hmm. Not a sword?”
A faint interest glimmered in the elderly lady’s blue eyes.
But Diana, pretending otherwise, opened her mouth in a calm, indifferent voice.
“I only collapsed clutching the back of my neck because I didn’t want to see that grandson of mine. And now you’re sending letters because he’s ‘pretty’?”
Though her tone was cold, Diana had been mindlessly scooping sugar into her teaspoon without pause since earlier.
Noticing his mistress’s agitation, the butler let out a quiet laugh.
“Yet you’ve always been curious about His Highness the Grand Duke’s news, haven’t you?”
“That’s true…”
Even if her grandson was mischievous enough to remain unfazed by her strictest measures, it was only natural that a grandmother’s heart would still find herself peeking in and watching over him.
The butler, who knew all of Diana’s feelings, delivered some relatively hopeful news.
“It seems that the daughter of the Blanche family isn’t as wicked as you feared. Above all, Lord Karl has given her a rather favorable evaluation.”
“Karl?”
Diana’s eyes widened at that.
Karl was someone just as devoted to the future of the Celeste Grand Ducal House as Diana herself.
‘Then… who chose her?’
The Grand Duke, sensing Karl’s extraordinary potential when he was still quite young, had appointed him as head butler—a choice that turned out successful.
Karl’s ability to read people was exceptional.
At this moment, Diana was the one who knew this fact best.
Maintaining a smile, the butler continued.
“Perhaps because of that, His Highness Genos seems to have quite a good rapport with the Grand Duchess. There are widespread rumors that they attended the spring festival together.”
Diana suddenly recalled the face of the Grand Duke, her husband.
A political marriage that was closer to a contract than a union.
Yet a man who had genuinely loved and cherished her.
Their first date had coincidentally been at the spring festival, too.
“….”
Diana’s emotions became complicated.
Yet outwardly, the refined lady’s cold face only delivered a sarcastic quip.
“This is maddening. He’s completely enchanted her.”
Her words were sharp, but the concern for her grandson was unmistakable.
“I’ll leave the letter here for now. Please finish your tea time first. I’ll handle it later if it remains untouched.”
With that, the butler left the letter behind and excused himself again.
A warm southern breeze drifted in, rustling Diana’s hair.
Yet nothing improved.
“….”
Squinting her eyes, Diana stared at the envelope before suddenly turning her head.
“Hmph. Who would care anyway?”
After all, she had no intention of keeping her grandson permanently in her arms.
Genos had been independent since childhood, never particularly affectionate, and after losing his parents, he had focused solely on strengthening himself, appearing almost emotionless.
Thus, it was right that they each live their own lives now.
But why…?
“Ugh!”
Diana sipped her tea absentmindedly and quickly wiped her mouth.
Having added far too much sugar without realizing it, the tea had become overwhelmingly sweet, losing its original flavor.
“…Damn.”
Staring at the overly sugared tea, Diana sank into thought.
Her grandson’s face flickered across the dark brown surface.
A few days ago, her secret library visit with Betty had ended in disaster.
The sudden confrontation between the Grand Duke and the maid alone had been stressful enough, yet…
“Ma-a-dam!”
She had been caught red-handed by Betty, arms crossed in front of the cabin door, ruining her plan to sneak away unnoticed.
“How could you be so troublesome! Even a seven-year-old boy would behave better than you, ma’am!”
“Ehee.”
Was that all?
Betty, standing guard at the cabin like a Cerberus, exuded such a terrifying aura that Diana shrank completely and begged never to go out alone again.
‘I don’t even want to go now!’
From that day on, she hadn’t even approached the main building.
She had her wits, after all!
Instead, the sympathetic maids brought her books, keeping her occupied.
Now that spring had truly arrived, it was perfect timing to tend the long-awaited garden.
There was no reason to feel bored anymore.
Tomorrow, she planned to plant several seedlings with the maids.
Yet…
‘Why is everything so boring lately?’
For some reason, books no longer interested her, she had no appetite, and sleep eluded her.
Why? Could my body be falling ill again?
She thought she had recovered, yet tossing in bed, she glanced out the window.
Through the slightly parted curtains, the sky was still pitch black.
Normally, she would have gone straight to bed after sunset and slept through the night, but recently, she often woke in the middle of sleep.
Tonight was no different.
She had finally fallen asleep after waiting for sleep to come, only to wake in the early dawn instead of morning.
‘Waking up halfway… now it’ll be hard to fall asleep again.’
She lay staring at the ceiling beams, counting the rings.
But even that only lasted briefly.
Intrusive thoughts slipped in between repeated actions.
“You think I wouldn’t notice your secret affair? I’m the one who suits the Grand Duchess! You vulgar woman!”
The blazing blue eyes filled with rage were still vivid in her memory.
Had the Grand Duke not intervened, who knew what disaster might have occurred?
For someone to direct such intense hostility at her…
In her previous life, and in this one, she had never nearly been grabbed by the hair before.
So, it was… somewhat shocking.
Even in her past life, she had been called insensitive.
Could it be that she still lacked perception now?
‘That peacock maid… ugh… what’s her name again? Does she just dislike me?’
Thinking that made her feel bitter.
She liked the peacock… she had wanted to become friends with her because she was cute and pretty.
The more she thought, the more it seemed all of this was because of the Grand Duke.
The peacock maid had called the Grand Duke “Genos” by name, so they must have been relatively close.
Though even with her, the Grand Duke was still cold…
So perhaps the peacock’s feelings were one-sided?!
‘Why! Peacock! What could you possibly lack that made him so?’
If they were friends, she would have packed lunch and stopped her.
What was most frustrating was that she herself ended up marrying the very man.
She carefully examined the Grand Duke as if she were a mother-in-law evaluating a prospective son-in-law.
First: outward appearance—intact.
“Hmm.”
Actually… excellent.
“Well, calling that ‘intact’ might be an understatement.”
She insisted she was fair-minded!
Second: personality.
Aloof, utterly self-centered, dismissive of others, quick to hurt feelings, and blunt in speech.
“Is it a problem if I take my wife’s side?”
“….”
Wait, maybe not? He did speak eloquently.
Suddenly her face flushed.
No! No! What am I thinking? Next!
But once a thought took root, it grew uncontrollably.
‘Ah, I need to exercise to tire myself out. Then sleep will come again.’
Kicking off the blankets, she jumped up, roughly draped a cloak, and went out into the yard.
The weather was mild, only slightly chilly.
Perhaps her body had unconsciously adapted to the north.
The clouds had parted, revealing a brilliantly bright full moon.
The front yard, carefully tended by the maids, was peaceful, filled only with distant, mysterious bird calls.
She exhaled deeply, as if steeling herself.
Alright, 100 jumping jacks without rest.
“Go!”
As she spread her arms wide…
Thump, thump, thump.
“!”
Suddenly, there were footsteps crunching in the bushes behind her.
At this hour, there shouldn’t be anyone around.
Startled, she turned around.
“Ahhh!”
It was none other than the Grand Duke.
With a grim, grim reaper-like expression!
“W-what are you doing?!”
Panicked, she shouted at him, but no answer came.
Only then did she realize something was off.
Despite the mild weather, the early morning chill still lingered…
He looked completely different from how she had ever seen him.
‘What the… why is his chest completely exposed…?’
