IBWMD 98

~Chapter 98~

That sounded like…
He was telling me not to even think about finding Karl and running away with him.

‘Not that I could even find him anyway.’

Of course, I couldn’t say that out loud.

“Your Grace! Why are you outside in this weather?!”

While I hesitated, I heard Clark’s shocked voice from a distance.

I quickly let go of the Grand Duke.

‘Clark too…’

He might still be disappointed in me and get mad.

The head maid didn’t seem to care, but even Jeremy was uncomfortable with me earlier.

‘I’m not ready for this.’

The Grand Duke, who should be a sick patient, stood firm.

“Elaine.”

He looked at me steadily.

“Then, please take care of your health.”

I simply bowed and went back to my room.

I called the head maid and told her the Grand Duke wanted a different dress. The servants nodded and started bringing in more dresses.

After that, things got really hectic.

“How about this one? The previous Grand Duchess wore this…”

“You want me to wear something that intimidating?”

“This one is by the most popular designer in Saint Portu. They put all other orders aside…”

“I don’t want to cut in front of other brides.”

“We also thought of inviting a designer from the capital, but that takes too long…”

The head maid kept suggesting and making me try on dresses until I was exhausted.

“Do we… really have to do all this?”

“We need the ceremony to be as perfect and fast as possible.”

“Oh…”

“We can’t tell the Holy Knights sent by the Emperor and Pope that you two aren’t even married yet.”

Wow, that really hit hard.

“We’ll do our best to make something great with the resources we have.”

“I honestly don’t care if it’s simple…”

“This is the Grand Duke’s and my wish, Your Grace.”

“…”

Is it that they won’t hold a shabby wedding for the Emperor’s bride?
Or, like the Grand Duke said, do they really want to give me a perfect wedding for my sake?

Just thinking about his words made me feel too many emotions.

‘I want you to be happy with no bad luck.’

‘I want our wedding to be perfect.’

‘So perfect that you won’t even think about running away.’

All those feelings kept mixing up inside me.

After a few hours—

“I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Yeah…”

“Rest well.”

“See you tomorrow, Miss…”

“Mm, get some rest, Beth…”

Thud.

Finally, after a day of dress trials, the door closed.

Both Beth and I were so tired, she dragged herself to the maid’s room.

Once I was alone, the worries came flooding back.

I was upset that Karl wasn’t looking for me, and confused that the Grand Duke suddenly wanted to marry me.

‘Coward. While you’re gone, I’m really going to end up marrying someone else.’

What are you going to do about that?

‘And earlier, my heart even beat for someone who wasn’t you.’

Sure, I was thinking of Karl’s face, but that doesn’t change what happened.

‘Was I always this weak and flaky?’

I’ve never dated, so I wouldn’t know.

The man I wanted to figure things out with is missing after getting poisoned for me.

‘Why isn’t he coming back…’

The more I thought about it, the more I felt like I was right.

‘Maybe he’s really giving up.’

Because he doesn’t think he can win against the Grand Duke?

Damn it. Stupid jerk.

Forget liking him. I shouldn’t have told the Grand Duke either.

After grumbling to myself, I just felt sad again.

“…Hey. Eyeball.”

Tap, tap.

I sighed and poked the snow globe on my nightstand.

‘Fine, Karl’s a coward. But when will you come back?’

‘I have so much I want to ask.’

Did the temple really mess with you?
Do you know why?
What’s up with the Grand Duke? And also…

“Is it even safe for the Holy Knights to come here?”

No matter how I thought about it, it was risky.

Sure, monster hunting is urgent.

“And what if the ones coming this time are the annoying ones… uh.”

What if it’s the 4th order?
They were the worst.

Especially their vice-captain—he kept acting like my rival and made everything tiring.

‘But even if others come, it probably won’t be much better.’

Most of the other knights weren’t very friendly to me.

Well, I guess I had to fight them a lot.

‘But they provoked me first.’

I got mad for a second but then calmed down.

Maybe I went too far.

Should’ve stopped punching their shins and ribs…

Before I could think more, my eyes grew heavy.

That dress fashion show today really wore me out.

‘I’ll think about it tomorrow.’

While reflecting on my reckless vice-captain days, I drifted off to sleep.

But things ended up going in a direction I didn’t expect.

I couldn’t tell if it was a good thing or bad.

Crash.
Flash.

I woke up to the familiar sound of soldiers’ boots.

Still lying down, I listened.

Crash, crash.

Soon I realized it was coming from the training grounds.

‘What is that?’

Outside, it was still early dawn.

When I looked out the window, I saw the Grand Duke’s soldiers.

Some knights were so frantic, they forgot it was still dark out and shouted.

“To the border…!”

“It’s a monster hunt!”

Did monsters show up at the border of Saint Portu?

‘Even after the Grand Duke came back?’

Well, he’s here, but the monsters came from the border.

Who knows how far his power really reaches.

I carefully got up and put my ear to the door connecting to the couple’s bedroom.

No sign of anyone.

‘He didn’t actually go out in this state, did he?’

He still wasn’t fully recovered. Yesterday, he was wobbling just walking.

Now I started to worry. I was already wide awake.

‘This can’t be good.’

I washed up and put on one of Eliza’s disguises—a servant’s outfit.

I carried the musket bag Karl gave me, pretending it was just luggage.

“Okay.”

I climbed out the window and mixed in with the soldiers. I heard them muttering nervously.

“What’s happening?”

“A carriage is trapped between monsters. It looks like a noble’s carriage from the capital…”

“The Grand Duke went out immediately, but there are way more monsters than we thought…”

‘He actually went out there.’

I almost clicked my tongue.

Should a patient who can barely walk be doing this?

‘And if there are really that many monsters…?’

No way. The Grand Duke has dragon blood. Monsters should run just from being near him.

‘…Could this be related to Eyeball still being asleep?’

If I think about it, it makes sense.

The dragon’s shed skin dissolved, and Eyeball (who I think is the dragon) is asleep and can’t use its power.

‘Maybe that’s why.’

Anyway, from what I heard, a noble’s carriage from the capital is trapped by monsters at the border.

‘Who would come to Saint Portu at this time of year?’

Maybe the knights and some nobles were sent together?

‘They wouldn’t be here just to sightsee.’

Did they come to negotiate with the Grand Duke? Something seemed off.

‘Did the Holy Knights travel separately?’

Otherwise, why would they be trapped by monsters?

No way the knights the Emperor sent would be so weak they can’t handle monsters.

Anyway, if the Emperor’s nobles aren’t rescued, that would be really bad.

And if they fail to save them, even worse.

So I slipped out the back door of the Grand Duke’s mansion.

If they find out I left, I’ll get scolded for sneaking out while grounded.

‘But getting in trouble with the Emperor or Pope is much worse.’

If I fix this, everyone at the mansion will thank me later.

I ran straight for the Saint Portu border.

The same road I’d used when I first came here.

Screech!

Crunch.

Monsters screamed, and snow-covered branches shook, dropping snow.

I could smell monster energy and blood all around.

A Holy Knight who had escorted the carriage swallowed hard.

“Front line! How’s the front?”

“I can’t see it! Looks like we’re scattered!”

“Damn it!”

They might be Holy Knights, but this one had just been promoted and had no real experience. He was panicking.

‘Is Saint Portu always this full of monsters?’

It was hard even for these knights with no experience to handle so many monsters.

But there was a bigger problem.

Most of the Holy Knights here were also new recruits.

Veteran knights almost never volunteered for Saint Portu assignments.
The fact that so many rookies were sent was because of the knight commander’s decision.

‘Why did the commander bring us here?’

Bringing us rookies to a place like this?

The nervous knight looked back at the carriage.

There were already deep claw marks from monsters on the carriage roof.

He shivered at the sight.

Screech!

A monster’s scream sounded right in front of him.