WHPR 21

Chapter : 21

Jenaida bit her lip in surprise at the warmth she felt from behind.

She had only been hugged from behind, yet it felt as if he were trying to comfort her.

“Did I just forget what I did?”

Jenaida muttered with a short sigh.

“Step back. What do you think you’re doing—trying to kill me?”

It was meant as a threat, but Kaiden replied casually.

“I don’t think you could beat me. And if I intended to kill you…”

His voice trembled slightly as he spoke.

“…I would have done it already.”

Jenaida was struck speechless by the bluntness of his words.

Yet she could not bring herself to kill Kaiden.

Every action she had taken so far had been to save him; there was no way she could kill him.

She didn’t want to use her energy to relieve the pain. She was hurt, but she felt it was a punishment she deserved.

Time passed sluggishly while she hesitated and did nothing, and dawn eventually arrived.

Kaiden finally released her.

He got off the bed, willingly knelt, and inspected her arm.

The untreated wounds were gruesome.

Jenaida instinctively tried to pull her arm back, unwilling to show it, but Kaiden forcibly grabbed her wrist.

“Let me treat it.”
“….”
“You said it yourself.”

Jenaida’s face flushed at his words, spoken as if he expected her to hear them.

It was the first thing she had said to Kaiden after her return.

The more she clashed with him, the more she felt like she was losing out.

In the end, Jenaida let him do as he pleased.

Like he had at the estate, Kaiden brought medical supplies from somewhere, disinfected her wounds, and applied basic first aid.

Just like before, he neatly tied everything up and finished the treatment, then pulled the cord of the bell.

Laura, who had been waiting nearby, swiftly entered the room.

She was surprised by the state of the bed and the room but quickly masked her expression.

Kaiden calmly ordered:

“Take the Grand Duchess to her room. Stay by her side at all times.”
“Yes, understood.”

Laura hurriedly escorted Jenaida out.

Only after she left did Kaiden exhale.

Sitting on the edge of the bed alone, he fell into thought.

‘As expected.’

It was good he had placed a watcher on the Pope.

If he hadn’t, he might have believed that Jenaida had colluded with the Pope to plot an assassination.

Today’s events confirmed to him that she had no intention of killing him.

If she truly wanted to kill him, she would not have shown such behavior.

She would not have foolishly hurt herself or cried.

If it were just an act, she would have been disqualified as an assassin.

Opportunities to kill a target like this would not come often.

‘Should I kill the Pope?’

If she were being threatened, it might be better to kill him.

But no matter how much of a Grand Duke he was, killing the Pope was dangerous.

If this led to the banishment of all imperial nobles in Bedes, it would repeat the disgrace of their ancestors.

Kaiden lifted his head in thought.

By now, dawn had passed, and the sun was rising.

‘One week until the Pope leaves.’

He understood exactly what the Pope was aiming for.

And he also knew how to act.

Kaiden summoned his butler, Fern.

“Are you all right?”

That morning, the Pope visited Kaiden’s office early.

Kaiden, who had skipped breakfast and was working, looked up at the Pope with a faintly puzzled expression and set aside his work.

Unlike his kind demeanor yesterday, the Pope now looked surprised.

“What brings you here, Your Holiness?”
“I heard there was an unfortunate incident last night.”

Kaiden had spread the rumor through Fern that the Grand Duchess had attacked the Grand Duke inside the castle.

Thanks to that, the Pope was able to appear before him first thing in the morning.

“Maurice, step outside for a moment.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”

Maurice, obeying the order, quickly left the office.

Kaiden faced the Pope across the small table. He intentionally delayed and then began.

“Yes, there was an unfortunate incident. My wife… seems mentally unstable. It’s probably due to severe homesickness… I plan to wait. We are married, whether we like it or not.”

“I see.”

“This marriage was arranged by Your Majesty. I do not wish to end it casually.”

When Kaiden expressed that he did not wish to divorce, the Pope bowed his head in gratitude.

“Thank you. It is my fault that I married my insufficient child to the Grand Duke.”
“No, no one is perfect.”
“Then I will take my leave.”

Kaiden watched the Pope leave and then summoned Maurice.

As soon as the aide entered, Kaiden said just one thing:

“Remove all guards around the Pope.”
“All of them?”
“Yes, I’ll go myself.”

The Pope visited Jenaida that afternoon. Laura was diligently following the Grand Duke’s orders inside.

With a kind smile, the Pope commanded Laura politely.

“I need to speak with your daughter alone. Step aside for a moment.”
“Eh? But I…”
“Just for a moment.”

Jenaida quickly sent Laura out, worried things might escalate.

Once Laura left, leaving the two of them alone, the Pope’s smile vanished.

“I heard the news. Judging by the Grand Duke’s reaction, it seems you tried.”

Jenaida answered calmly.

“Yes, Your Holiness. How could I disobey? But I lacked the skill to achieve the desired result.”

The Pope’s face was full of displeasure, but he replied differently.

“…I see, it cannot be helped.”

It seemed the conversation was ending. But Jenaida misjudged.

Slap.

Caught off guard, she couldn’t avoid the Pope’s slap.

“Does it hurt?”
“…No.”
“Don’t even think of resisting. No one here will trust you.”

She knew.

“You set up that barrier in vain. No one will care if I hit you or not.”

No one in the Grand Duke’s castle would protect someone trying to kill the head of the family.

“Don’t worry about the facial wound. My energy can erase such scratches without a trace.”

The Pope, half-sitting on the bed, ordered her:

“Stand up. Harder to hit you otherwise.”

Jenaida silently rose, making it easier for him to strike.

The one-sided beating continued. The more he hit, the more her cheeks swelled.

“Yes, your loyalty is proven, but…”

A murderous gleam appeared in the Pope’s eyes.

“You didn’t complete your task, so you must be punished.”

Jenaida swallowed bitterly.

Yes, he would hit her no matter what—threatening her under the guise of testing her loyalty, punishing her for failing to kill the target.

“You useless thing. I shouldn’t have made someone like you my daughter.”

Jenaida knew this whole ordeal was to make her his puppet.

She silently endured, stifling even a groan.

After a while, the Pope muttered a spell.

“I should cast a binding spell.”
“….”
“I do not doubt your loyalty. But I worry the Grand Duke won’t forgive you, having attempted assassination.”

A nightmare from the past was about to begin again.

But unlike with Felix, there was no escape this time.

‘It’s okay.’

Even if Kaiden doesn’t kill me, he will no longer come close. He has no reason to keep me by his side in Niveus.

‘Then no matter what binding spell he casts, it won’t be an issue.’

Later, if the Pope and Emperor order Kaiden’s death… I can reveal everything and die.

Once dead, any binding spell is useless.

But contrary to her thoughts, her fear-stricken body trembled.

The days of being controlled and hit replayed like a slideshow.

Jenaida unconsciously gripped her trembling left arm with her other arm, but hiding the reaction completely was impossible.

“You’re trembling.”

She swallowed hard.

“See, you shouldn’t have failed.”

The Pope continued to blame her, raising his hand.

Jenaida reflexively closed her eyes.

Then a low voice stopped the Pope.

“Stop.”