IRMDH 49

Chapter 49

While Blake was taking off my shoes, I couldn’t tear my gaze away from him.

Those slightly lowered blue eyes, the beautifully sculpted bridge of his nose, and the inexplicably red lips beneath it.

His face looked no different from usual, yet somehow I felt tense and embarrassed.

I swallowed nervously and, in an attempt to break the strange, heated atmosphere, I forced a laugh and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“Um, come to think of it, Your Highness, you’ve done quite a lot of things because of me, haven’t you? The ball, dancing… Ahaha… You’ve worked hard. It must’ve been tiring, right?”

“You think I did those because of you, my lady? Well…”

Blake’s low voice trailed off languidly.

He carefully put my low-heeled shoes back on.

I thought that was the end of it, but then he clasped my ankle in his large hand and slowly lifted his head to meet my eyes.

The blue of his gaze was so deep it made my breath hitch.

And then, in that calm, soft tone, he said something strange.

“I did it all because I wanted to.”

“Because you wanted to, Your Highness?”

“After dying without doing it… I regretted it too much.”

“You mean you regretted not doing those things during the one year we were married?”

After all, Blake had died just one year into our marriage.

I couldn’t imagine how dancing with me or attending one ball could have been something worth regretting so deeply.

But if I thought of it as him becoming more affectionate and faithful in his role as a husband than in the original story, it made a bit more sense.

Still, Blake noticed my puzzled expression and gave a small smile, shaking his head.

Then he said something even more incomprehensible.

“No. I’m talking about something from much, much earlier—something you couldn’t even begin to imagine.”

“…What could he have meant by that?”

“Pardon?”

“Oh, nothing.”

Thankfully, the ball ended without incident.

Blake and I had only attended on the first night, danced once, and then quietly left.

But according to the maids who attended the rest of the event, the look on the Empress’s face when she saw the fresh flowers I’d arranged was quite a sight to behold.

Apparently, she was even overheard snapping at one of her ladies-in-waiting, asking if the Crown Prince had really held hands with the Crown Princess of Temia.

It seemed my reputation had finally improved a little.

After all, I had attended the ball arm-in-arm with my husband, the Crown Prince himself, in a gown that matched his eye color.

The rumors that I’d been pining for my ex-fiancé despite having a husband seemed to have died down.

And since no one had any criticisms about my dancing, I guessed I hadn’t embarrassed myself either.

(If I’d really danced like an untrained commoner, I’m sure people would have talked about it.)

Relieved, I let out a deep sigh.

Oh, and I’d also asked Scarlet to pass along my thanks to the Countess and tell her that I’d love to treat her to a meal sometime.

Anyway, the whole ball ordeal had gone more smoothly than expected.

But just as one problem was resolved, another appeared.

“Of all times, he has to go on an expedition now…? It’s already early winter.”

“I’m sure His Highness will return safely and soon. Please don’t worry too much, Your Highness.”

Yes—Blake was leaving for an expedition to the border.

There had been various disturbances and strange incidents recently, but this one was different.

Just as early winter began—almost as if to confirm the prophecy that the world would end—signs of destruction had been discovered near the Empire’s border.

As the Crown Prince and the prophesied hero, Blake couldn’t ignore it.

The only reason I hadn’t remembered this event earlier was simple:

Blake had returned safely.

In less than a week, in fact.

It had only been a warning of what was to come later, so of course it hadn’t left much of an impression.

I mean, compared to all the shocking events that happened afterward—Blake dying once, the heroine betraying him and disappearing, a doppelgänger showing up, and a mere extra dying far earlier than in the original—this was practically nothing!

Anyway, the night of the ball, Blake had said that mysterious thing that made me so curious.

But when I asked him about it later, he refused to answer.

“Someday, when the time comes, you might find out, my lady. But right now… isn’t the time.”

That’s what he said before quickly changing the subject!

And ever since then, his increasingly gentle behavior and quick intuition had been driving my heart crazy.

Even on the morning of his departure, he’d looked reluctant to leave and kept reminding me not to go out until he came back.

“It’ll take about a week. I’m just worried that the guy pretending to be me might show up while I’m gone…”

“And?”

“Well, it’s your choice. Option one: take a knight who’s loyal but useless in a fight.”

“And option two?”

“Take a knight who’s skilled but a total scoundrel.”

“…”

There weren’t any better options?

I barely managed to keep from saying that aloud.

Blake caught my expression and burst into laughter.

Ah, it had been nice having the world’s strongest swordsman as my guard…

After some thought, I chose the first option.

My reasoning was simple.

Since things were already deviating from the original novel, who knew what might happen during the expedition?

If there was any chance of danger, it was better to keep as many of Blake’s personal knights nearby as possible.

And “Vi” didn’t seem to have any intention of hurting me.

Sure, he acted like he was living in his own romance movie, but that was a separate issue.

Honestly, the knights constantly hovering around to “protect” me felt more dangerous sometimes.

Anyway, if there was one problem with this seemingly simple situation… it was that Blake’s body was still unstable.

And I’d have to be apart from him for a whole week while he was in that condition.

Even when I voiced my worries, Blake only smiled lazily, pretending not to hear me—and then said something that turned my face bright red.

“We’ll be apart for a week, right? Better recharge me before I go, my lady.”

And with that teasing line, he pulled me close and kissed me right before leaving.

It had been so sudden—and after so long—that my heart had gone wild.

That damn man probably had no idea how much I’d been trembling.

I knew it was nothing more than a form of “treatment,” but still—

Who could possibly stay calm through that?

If we kept kissing like this, I’d end up developing feelings whether I wanted to or not.

Actually… to be honest, I think I already have.

At least halfway, anyway.

Of course, I still couldn’t tell what Blake truly felt, and that confusion made things worse.

After finishing that train of thought, I shut the window I’d opened for some fresh air and turned to my maids.

“…There’s something I plan to do while His Highness is away this week.”

“What is it, Your Highness? Should we help?”

“It’d be nice if you did.”

The maids exchanged puzzled looks—except for Lily, whose face had already soured.

Ah, she caught on, didn’t she?

“I’m going to stay in the Crown Princess’s palace all week and do absolutely nothing but eat and rest.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Your Highness!”

“I’m serious! His Highness did tell me not to go out while he’s gone! And besides, I haven’t eaten properly or slept well for days because of the ball.”

This is recovery time, okay? Essential rest!

Honestly, after living like this for a year, I realized that going out drained all my energy.

Guess I’m a homebody after all.

I’d worked hard for two straight weeks preparing for the ball—surely I deserved one week of rest.

“So you all can take it easy too. How about this—only one of you comes in each day, and the rest of you can take turns resting?”

The maids hesitated, but their faces lit up almost immediately.

See? They wanted a break too.

They’d been tense and overworked these past days.

“If that’s what Your Highness wishes…”

When they finally agreed, I grinned brightly.

Soon after, we put the plan into action: only Lily would stay and leave on time each day, while the others went off to enjoy their unexpected vacation.

The palace quickly fell silent.

It was strange—

Lily and I had lived like this, just the two of us, for a whole year, and yet the quiet felt unfamiliar.

And for some reason, after Blake left, my body felt oddly sluggish.

Oh well. I’d just sleep when I felt sleepy and eat when I was hungry.

That was the plan.

But despite my firm resolve to relax, I ended up falling asleep early that very evening—the first night after Blake’s departure.