HST 17

Chapter 17

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

Rojé hadn’t expected the Grand Duke to help her so proactively, so she bowed deeply to him in gratitude.

“Thanks for what? Is that all? You don’t want anything else?”

At his words, Rojé nodded.

It seems His Grace truly thinks of me as a lifesaver. When all I did was tell a plausible lie.

She had already felt shameless enough just asking to borrow money—wanting more than that? She had no such desire. After all, excessive greed could only invite trouble.

“No. I’m already incredibly grateful that you’re granting such an unreasonable request.”

Rojé shook her head, eyes wide.

“Alright then. How much do you need?”

The Grand Duke responded eagerly, as if he were ready to hand her the money on the spot.

That’s quite a large sum…

It was an amount that made it hard for her to speak easily. She even feared that if she said it outright, the Grand Duke might change his mind. As Rojé pondered how best to explain her plan, a familiar man’s voice reached her ears.

“Damn it! What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?!”

It was Eric’s voice, thick with rage. Like a beast hunting its prey, he scanned the area with bloodshot eyes, searching for Rojé. She turned her head toward the sound and frowned instinctively when she spotted him. Something had clearly happened—his appearance was far more disheveled than before. His shirt buttons were fastened crookedly, and his neatly slicked-back hair hung loose and messy.

What happened to him?

Had Eric, like her, been so shocked by something that he’d fallen and rolled around? Rojé studied him with narrowed eyes, then turned back toward the Grand Duke of Arteum.

“I think I should be going now, Your Grace. Could we discuss the money you offered to lend me another time?”

The Grand Duke nodded while watching Eric approach, still glancing around. He didn’t like Eric’s sudden appearance, but he couldn’t very well detain Rojé either.

“Very well. I’ll send someone to the Count of Wens’ estate.”

Startled, Rojé hurriedly shook her head.

“No, that won’t be necessary.”

She didn’t want Eric to see her interacting with the Grand Duke. In the novel, Eric was a man with an extremely strong sense of possessiveness. He wasn’t even interested in Rojé, yet he always treated her as if she were his property. While he freely consorted with many women, he bristled if his wife so much as made eye contact with another man. To someone like Eric, the Grand Duke of Arteum would clearly be an irritating presence meddling with what he considered his.

If he finds out I’m in contact with His Grace… he’ll torment me over some ridiculous pretext.

There was no need to create unnecessary trouble. With a faint smile, Rojé spoke softly to the Grand Duke.

“I’ll contact you first, Your Grace.”

She bowed to him and hurriedly left the area. Watching Rojé swiftly make her escape, the Grand Duke soon turned and departed in the opposite direction.

So… would you lend me some money?

Rojé’s voice from earlier suddenly crossed his mind.

“She really is… an unpredictable woman.”

Her declaration that she wanted a divorce had been shocking enough, but the fact that she’d asked to borrow money rather than simply asking for it struck him as rather shrewd.

“Could it be that she’s trying to maintain some sort of connection with me?”

If he gave her compensation, their ties would end there. But if they were bound by debt, their relationship could last a little longer. The Grand Duke mistakenly believed he had seen through Rojé’s intentions perfectly.

“She could’ve just asked me to be her friend.”

Who, upon seeing him drenched in blood, would ever want to become his friend so easily? The Grand Duke seemed utterly unaware of how terrifying he appeared objectively—how he looked more like someone you’d beg for your life from than someone you’d ask for friendship.

Reaching a corner of the garden, he sat atop a mysterious mound that rose to about knee height. Not long after, someone emerged from the darkness. With murderous intent in his eyes, the man approached the Grand Duke, a bloodstained sword clenched in one hand.

The Grand Duke fixed him with a sharp gaze. The masked man stopped just before him, smoothly sheathing his sword before bowing deeply.

“It’s been taken care of.”

At the man’s low voice, the Grand Duke rose slowly from where he’d been sitting. Then, as if brushing something aside, he kicked the spot he’d just occupied. Whatever had formed the low mound collapsed with a heavy clatter.

Five corpses.

The Grand Duke’s eyes grew cold as he looked down at the limp bodies.

“Were they Duke Pliche’s men?”

“Yes. We dealt with every last one, so you may rest easy.”

The masked man tossed something he’d been dragging to the Grand Duke’s feet. With a dull thud, another corpse hit the ground—the one they hadn’t had time to deal with because of Rojé’s sudden appearance.

The situation unfolding exactly as he’d predicted wasn’t amusing in the slightest. From the banquet hall onward, Duke Pliche had been sending him those sly looks.

“You’ve really made a fool of yourself, Duke Pliche.”

The image of Duke Pliche’s vacant expression the moment Rojé gave her testimony had been almost laughable. He was surely venting his rage on some innocent person by now, unable to contain his humiliation.

The Grand Duke gazed silently at the bodies of Pliche’s subordinates scattered at his feet. Between his long lashes, his blue eyes gleamed with an icy chill. When he slowly lifted his eyelids, his gaze was filled with an indescribable fury.

The former emperor and empress had died. He had been driven from the imperial palace as if fleeing. Then he had settled in the northern lands, with no ties or support. Countless loyal nobles had lost their lives so that he alone could survive… He had been only thirteen years old. Far too weak to oppose the uncle who had seized imperial power.

“To dare point a blade at me…”

In their eyes, he must still seem like a powerless child—a reckless, helpless brute who did nothing but cause trouble.

The Grand Duke’s gaze fell upon the lifeless bodies, now cold and still.

“Take care of the rest.”

At the emotionless command, the masked man nodded silently. Leaving the aftermath to his subordinate, the Grand Duke departed, slowly making his way toward the lake behind the mansion.

The surface of the lake was calm, his shadow wavering gently along the shore. He dipped his blood-soaked hands into the water. A biting chill crept along his skin as the red blood dispersed like smoke, spreading outward. The filth that had obscured his hands vanished, leaving them pale once more.

As he washed his hands, the Grand Duke paused, catching sight of his reflection in the water. The rippling surface slowly stilled.

“…It’s an understandable misunderstanding.”

The blood-stained figure reflected back at him radiated a chilling aura of violence.

I’m really sorry for misunderstanding you at first. I didn’t realize it was because you were trying to save Marquis Bled…

The Grand Duke thought of Rojé, whom he’d been with just moments ago—her flushed, peach-colored cheeks and the helpless expression she’d worn as she looked at him.

He stared at his reflection, lips pressed tightly together. Dark red traces of blood seemed to cling stubbornly, and his hollow eyes resembled those of a starving beast.

He had lied to Rojé, claiming the blood was from examining Marquis Bled’s body. In truth, it belonged to Duke Pliche’s men who had tried to frame him. He hadn’t killed Marquis Bled—but his hands were not free of blood, even if it had been to protect his own life.

I know the rumors say otherwise, but… you seem kinder than I expected.

Kinder… He was far from kind. He was a man steeped in ruthless vengeance. If she knew his true nature, she would never smile at him the way she had today.

He recalled Rojé’s face as she looked at him with a gentle smile, as if bathed in warm sunlight—her softly curved eyes, her deep dimples, so clear and bright. He didn’t like the idea of her gaze filling with fear again, the way it had been at first.

“What should I do? I don’t want to disappoint her.”

His husky voice echoed softly. A faint smile touched his lips as he murmured those cryptic words.

Three days had already passed since the banquet ended. From that day on, the Grand Duke began behaving strangely.

“Nehran, has there been any mail for me?”

At his question, the butler Nehran flinched slightly and looked at him.

What on earth has gotten into him…?

With a baffled expression, Nehran regarded the Grand Duke. Ever since the day after the banquet, he had been asking to check for letters as if he were waiting for someone—every single hour. With so much work to do, this constant questioning was no small inconvenience for a butler.

Still, he had no choice but to answer. Nehran rummaged through the correspondence.

“Yes. There’s a letter from the Imperial Palace—”

“Not that.”

At the word “Imperial,” the Grand Duke frowned and cut him off.

“Then there’s nothing in particular.”

“…What about visitors?”

“Didn’t you order me to drive away anyone who came to see you, no matter who they were?”

The Grand Duke, who had been tapping his fingers anxiously on the desk, froze. He turned a chilling gaze on Nehran.

“When did I ever say that? Don’t tell me you actually drove them away?”

A dangerous blue glint filled his dark eyes, sharp enough to swallow the butler whole.

“No. Not even an ant has come near.”

And what do you mean, ‘when’? You always tell me to drive them away…

The words Nehran desperately wanted to say remained stuck in his throat under the Grand Duke’s piercing stare.

She said she’d contact me first, yet it’s been three days without a word.

The Grand Duke grew increasingly irritable as he waited for Rojé’s message—though he seemed completely unaware of it himself. Had something happened to her? He frowned, recalling how roughly Eric treated her, as if she were nothing more than an object.

Seeing the anxious look on the Grand Duke’s face, Nehran couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

Why is he acting so strangely all of a sudden? It’s like he’s waiting for someone’s message…

For a man who used to order even his friends and cousins to be driven away, his current behavior was deeply unfamiliar.

Then—

“She’s here.”

Looking out the window, the Grand Duke suddenly pushed back his chair and stood up. As if the person he’d been waiting for had finally arrived, his expression seemed inexplicably bright.