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Chapter 11
“I’m sorry, but I haven’t heard anything about an appointment with Countess Frey.”
My suspicion was correct.
The visitor was Melissa, and the one dealing with her in a curt tone was clearly the butler, Ronan.
‘What’s she doing at the Grand Ducal Palace? Since Ronan doesn’t know, it’s probably not an appointment with Killian. Did she come looking for me?’
Is she really going to kneel and beg?
But Melissa hadn’t even shown any intention of apologizing on the day of the party; she had only looked resentful.
I tilted my head in puzzlement. Meanwhile, Melissa’s voice grew closer as Killian continued walking forward.
If we turned the corner ahead, we’d enter the main hall, and I’d have to face both Melissa and Ronan.
Ah, but I’m still in pajamas. And I’m still in Killian’s arms. I can’t receive a guest like this—it would ruin my dignity as Grand Duchess. I parted my lips to ask Killian to set me down.
At that moment, Melissa shouted sharply:
“Do you know who I am and still treat me like this at the door? Take me to the reception room immediately and inform Their Excellencies that I’ve arrived!”
“As I’ve already said, it is inconvenient for Their Excellencies to receive guests at this time.”
Ronan sighed heavily after finishing his words.
Coincidentally, Killian rounded the corner at that moment. He held me tightly and added to Ronan’s words:
“As you can see, the Grand Duchess isn’t feeling well.”
Melissa’s eyes widened at the sight of Killian and me.
“L-Lady Ramirez?”
She had reflexively shouted my name, then gasped and quickly covered her mouth. Since the title “Lady Ramirez” came naturally to her, it was clear they had been addressing me that way repeatedly among themselves.
Because of that title, she still couldn’t correct herself even after getting wine spilled on her.
“Hah.”
I let out a hollow laugh, and Melissa quickly bowed her head.
“I apologize, Your Excellency! I’ve also not been feeling well lately and made a mistake!”
At the last party, she had kept her head stiffly raised, but her attitude now was completely different. Probably because Killian was present.
Melissa’s blue eyes darted anxiously. Everyone in passing knew the Grand Duke and Duchess didn’t get along, so seeing Killian and me clinging together must have shocked her quite a bit.
I tapped Killian’s shoulder. Understanding my signal, he gently set me down on the floor.
“Melissa Frey, what brings you here?”
“W-Well…”
Hesitant at first, she soon spoke her purpose:
“I know it might be rude, but I came to speak to you about something that happened at a party hosted by my family some time ago.”
A flash of humiliation crossed Melissa’s face as she bit her lip.
Though the Frey family wasn’t among the most influential on the continent, they were an old and noble line. I had heard they had connections with several nobles, including the Marquis Ramirez.
It was obvious she felt her pride was wounded at the thought of having to bow before someone of humble origins like me.
‘Hmm, it seems she came to ask for forgiveness.’
She had warned me that she would make me kneel and beg after mentioning the Ramirez name, but I never expected it to actually happen.
After I had returned from the north a month after our wedding, most of the servants sent by the Ramirez family had gone back to the continent, and rumors had spread that I had been abandoned by the Marquis.
So even if she was briefly intimidated by my threat, I only expected a letter of apology at most.
I stroked my chin thoughtfully, then smiled.
“Alright. If you have something to say, let’s have some tea while you tell me.”
“Eh, tea?”
Melissa asked, bewildered.
Normally, she would have scolded me again for addressing her as “Lady” and probably tugged at my hair, but she didn’t understand why I was being so calm.
‘Even if I really want to scold her, I have to restrain myself.’
I spoke in an unusually gentle voice.
“I was just about to have some cake anyway, so it works out. Since the weather is nice, we can enjoy it in the open air together.”
I hadn’t brought the poison detector, so I needed another way to prevent being poisoned. Surely she wouldn’t try to kill me in front of the youngest daughter of the Frey family.
‘What is even happening right now?’
I sat at a table set in a corner of the palace garden, staring blankly.
Something moist touched my lips and fell.
I turned my head to see Killian holding a fork with strawberry cake, squinting his eyes and smiling.
“You need to go bigger, say ‘ah’ louder.”
“W-What do you mean, do what?”
“You didn’t open your mouth, so it got on you here.”
Even though I hadn’t eaten the cake yet, his words made my mouth feel sweet.
I shuddered at his audacious tone.
Killian ignored my horrified expression and fed the cake directly into my mouth. Then he wiped the whipped cream from my lips.
Unable to chew or spit it out, I just mumbled, so he pushed a teacup toward me.
“Take your time.”
The cake from Lupin was truly worthy of its reputation:
Moist sponge topped with fresh, tangy strawberries and cream that was neither too soft nor too firm. The sweetness lingered perfectly on the tongue.
But I couldn’t fully savor it because I was too distracted by Killian’s antics.
‘What’s gotten into him?’
My facial muscles twitched uncontrollably in confusion.
Melissa also seemed unable to believe what was happening.
I didn’t know if it was because Killian didn’t offer her a chair or because he was feeding me cake himself.
Anyway, I took a sip of the tea Killian had poured.
Then Killian prepared another piece of cake for me while urging Melissa:
“You said you had something to say—how long are you going to just stand there?”
Without looking at her, he asked, and Melissa cleared her throat awkwardly.
“C-Cough. The incident at the party a few days ago… was a mistake.”
“A mistake?”
I raised my eyebrow. Melissa nodded.
“Yes. I wasn’t feeling well, and I mindlessly agreed with what my friends said without even understanding the conversation.”
So she claimed she came to apologize, but started with an excuse.
It had been Melissa who brought up Killian’s affair and steered the conversation at the party. I had heard it firsthand, yet now she was making absurd excuses. She had some nerve.
I opened my mouth to press her to tell the truth herself:
“Is that what you call an excuse? If you didn’t even understand the conversation, how could you—”
I couldn’t say, “mention my miscarriage,” of course.
Killian immediately fed me another bite of cake. While I chewed, Melissa continued her nonsensical speech.
“When you’re sick and not in your right mind, mistakes happen, right?”
“You were drinking despite being unwell… ugh!”
“And calling you ‘Lady Ramirez’ was because I’ve felt friendly toward Your Excellency for a long time.”
“Friendly? You’ve seen me only three times… ugh!”
It was a flawless, albeit irritating, rhythm.
With Killian’s help, Melissa boldly straightened her shoulders. She had been cautious of Killian’s gaze, but now she probably assumed he was on her side.
“I believe the Grand Duchess could have overlooked such a minor mistake. Though, of course, you did not.”
After saying that, Melissa swallowed nervously and glanced at Killian.
Killian just tapped the table with his index finger, showing no reaction.
He wasn’t even looking at Melissa. He seemed lost in thought, gazing somewhere in the blossoming garden, as if silently condoning her rudeness toward me.
Melissa relaxed slightly and gave a small smile, pretending to dab a tear from her dry eyes:
“That day, I was so embarrassed from spilling wine in front of so many people that I couldn’t lift my head. I had to discard my dress. So I hope we can consider it a mutual mistake and move on.”
Gritting my teeth, I tightened my grip on the teacup.
“Honestly, I wasn’t feeling well and drank too, so I don’t even remember what I said that day. My words were probably nonsense. If there’s a misunderstanding, please forgive me, Your Excellency, Grand Duke.”
From her shameless behavior, it was obvious:
Her true target had been Killian all along.
At the party, she had exposed Killian’s affair and tarnished his honor. She must have come fearing retribution.
‘I was a fool to think she came to apologize.’
My head throbbed with anger.
Pressing my temples, I suddenly felt a sense of unease.
Startled, I looked to the side. Killian’s fingers, which had been tapping the table, had stopped.
And his expression…
‘Why does he look so angry?’
His handsome face was cold, as if encased in ice.
I realized the source of the unease: the chill emanating from Killian. He spoke in a sharp, cutting voice:
“The one misunderstanding here is you, Lady Frey.”
“Eh?”
“Did you really think that in the Grand Ducal Palace, you weren’t given a seat simply because there weren’t enough chairs?”
“W-What do you mean…?”
Melissa forced a smile, but her trembling lips betrayed her fear at his sharp tone. Killian stared at her expressionlessly, tapping the table with his finger.
Tap, tap.
It was a signal.
From somewhere, the knights appeared in perfect formation. They quickly grabbed Melissa by the arms and shoulders, forcing her to kneel.
“W-What are you doing, Your Excellency?! Kyaa!”
Startled, Melissa screamed, and I leapt up to look at Killian.
Even as Grand Duke, he shouldn’t treat the daughter of a count’s family so recklessly.
“What is this?”
“You had the chance to kneel and beg for forgiveness, but you refused. Thus, I must punish the offender.”
“Offender?”
Killian gently pulled me to my seat and spoke in a leisurely tone, despite the situation:
“We took our marriage vows before His Majesty the Emperor. From that day, you officially became a member of the Imperial family and Grand Duchess. Is there anyone who doesn’t know this?”
“…No, I suppose not.”
Unless someone was hiding in a remote mountain village, everyone had to know. Notices had been sent from the imperial palace even to the smallest towns.
After hearing my response, Killian turned his head toward Melissa.
I flinched again.
‘Has Killian’s face always been like that?’
He naturally had a cold expression, but when he was serious, it felt like the temperature dropped.
I thought I was used to his cold expression and gaze because of our past difficulties.
Now I realize I had been gravely mistaken.
His chill made my hair stand on end and left me gasping.
Compared to the face he now showed Melissa, the expression he had shown me felt like warm spring sunlight.
Melissa was trembling violently.
Killian’s voice was as cold as his expression:
“To dare address the Grand Duchess as ‘Lady’ and deny her status is tantamount to ignoring the vows before His Majesty and challenging the authority of the Imperial family.”
“N-Your Excellency! No! That was not my intention!”
Hearing the Emperor mentioned, Melissa’s voice became desperate. But Killian coldly continued:
“There were also testimonies that you have not hesitated to insult the Grand Duchess in the past.”
At those words, Melissa’s face went pale.
