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Chapter 60
“Edda.”
Edda bit her lip. Astaldo was lying on his side, looking at her.
It was impossible to escape. Only then did Edda realize that she was completely naked—and that she had fallen asleep while taking a bath just a moment ago.
The Arwin and the wolf from her dream had vanished without a trace.
“I—I…!”
“Nothing happened.”
“I know.”
Edda answered as Astaldo spoke.
Edda knew all too well. She had learned with absolute certainty what would happen if she shared intimacy with this man.
“What happened?”
All traces of sleep instantly evaporated. Edda spoke, trying her best not to look at Astaldo’s thick arms and legs, or his beautiful eyes.
“You fell asleep while bathing.”
“I was going to bathe with you.”
Her face flushed crimson at his utterly shameless comment.
Edda knew better than anyone what would follow a bath.
Wasn’t he the very man who, just a few days ago, had struggled with exhaustion, saying he simply wanted to sleep?
Did this man enjoy sharing physical intimacy? Or was he just eager to produce an heir?
Either way, it didn’t matter. If he wanted it, she would yield. Because he desired it…
When Edda tried to get up again, Astaldo reached out once more, forcing her back down.
Sinking deep into the plush feather pillow, Edda looked up at him with a puzzled expression.
“Why?”
“What do you mean, ‘why’? I should be asking…”
“Why are you getting up?”
“Well… um…”
Edda’s face burned even hotter. Perhaps he had genuinely just meant he wanted to take a bath.
What would happen if this man found out what was running through her head? Avoiding Astaldo’s gaze, Edda turned her body away again.
“It seems my wife has no intention of ever speaking her mind to me until the end.”
A cold voice sounded behind her back. Edda flinched. Could it be that he wanted to hear me say I wanted it with my own lips?
To tell the truth, though her primary motivation had been for his sake, she had also wanted to… Edda dropped her head low.
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? For what?”
The cold voice shot back.
“It wasn’t that I intended to keep secrets from you.”
“Then how long were you going to stay quiet?”
“I suppose in your eyes, I look like a useless fool who can’t even handle a thing like that on his own.”
Handle? What does he mean? Does he mean resolving it by himself?
Edda grew curious about what this conversation was actually about. She turned her head back toward him, looking up into his face.
“Ah!”
The eyes looking down at her were as fierce as a wild beast’s.
His naturally furrowed brows made him look all the more menacing. Edda’s eyes trembled nervously. D-did I do something wrong? Or was falling asleep in the bath such a terrible offense?
Or did I look ugly while eating? Does he… does he hate me now?
Edda’s mind spiraled into a tangled mess. Astaldo disliking her was a matter directly linked to her very survival.
“I—I’m, s-s-sorry.”
Without even knowing what she was apologizing for, Edda offered a stammering apology.
“D-did I make another mistake, or rather, a fault…?”
I hate the thought of this man hating me. If he grows to detest me, I feel like I might die.
Just as Edda was about to say something more, Astaldo reached out. Edda instinctively flinched away.
However, he simply grasped her hand and pulled her into his arms.
“Ah!”
Edda was startled by the sudden hug. What was happening? Was he forgiving her now?
“I’m sorry, Edda. That’s not what I meant.”
“…”
Edda’s heart continued to race. Looking at Edda’s pale face, Astaldo let out a heavy sigh.
“What happened to you at the Marchioness’s mansion?”
“Pardon?”
“Don’t try to deceive me. The clothes you were wearing smelled of dried grass and animals. They were filthy.”
“Ah…”
Only then did Edda realize what Astaldo had misunderstood.
Seeing her dress ruined from helping the Marchioness, he had assumed she had been mistreated.
“N-no, that’s not it. I was helping the Marchioness feed the animals.”
“And you expect me to believe that? That they told the Grand Duchess of Wesselwolf to feed those strange animals?”
“She didn’t order me to; I offered to help.”
“Calling that kind of treatment—”
“It really wasn’t harassment. I know what it feels like to be mistreated, and this wasn’t it.”
Edda declared firmly. At her words, Astaldo let out a low sigh.
This time, Edda could tell it was a sigh of relief.
“Then why did you act like that?”
“Act… how?”
“Ever since you came back, you’ve been avoiding my eyes, ignoring me when I speak to you, skipping meals… Look at you even now. You won’t even look me in the face.”
“…”
“Did I make you angry? Was it because I disappeared again?”
Those were the very questions Edda had wanted to ask him. Yet, hearing them filled her with relief.
So this man was walking on eggshells around me, too. He was worried, wondering if I was angry because of his behavior. My feelings actually matter to him.
“No.”
Edda offered a faint, gentle smile and spoke a lie. I’ve fallen for such a tender man.
A person like me crumbles so helplessly before this kindness.
Edda carefully raised her gaze. She felt as though she might burst into tears. She was a fool for unraveling over a kindness that probably meant nothing to him, and yet…
“I just… felt a little unfamiliar with you since it’s been a while.”
“It’s only been two days.”
Astaldo grumbled in response. His voice sounded irritated, but Edda could tell the tension in him had already thawed.
Astaldo reached out and roughly patted Edda’s head.
Though the gesture was clumsy, the warmth behind it was gentle.
“Edda. From now on, don’t apologize first unless you’ve actually done something wrong.”
“…Ah, I’m sorry. I should act more like a Grand Duchess—”
“No, for your own sake. Do it for yourself.”
Feeling on the verge of tears, Edda nodded her head.
“By the way, what were you trying to hide earlier?”
“Pardon?”
“You said, ‘It wasn’t that I intended to keep secrets from you.’”
Ah. Edda’s face flushed bright red again.
Edda looked at Astaldo’s face, then quickly lowered her head. When Astaldo leaned closer to her, she flinched in surprise.
“T-that… I wanted to do it…”
In the end, unable to raise her head, Edda buried her face in his chest. Astaldo raised his arm and gently stroked her hair.
“This time, for sure.”
“Yes?”
“Nothing.”
Astaldo pulled Edda tight against his chest. But Edda couldn’t gather her thoughts due to the distinct sensation pressed against her abdomen.
Wrapped in his embrace, her body felt hot enough to break into a sweat.
“Astaldo?”
“I’m holding back, so stop talking.”
At his words, Edda nodded. But then a thought crossed her mind.
So… what about me saying I wanted to do it?
Does that mean we aren’t doing it?
And why is he holding back?
Her husband remained an utter mystery to her.
“Where is Gihrgit?”
In response to Astaldo’s question, Berg replied.
“He is not in the capital. He occasionally leaves the capital, and it seems now is one of those times.”
Astaldo furrowed his brows. Lately, Gihrgit had been acting strangely.
He seemed to be targeting Edda, yet at times, he acted completely indifferent toward her. When Astaldo nodded, Berg continued.
“Duke Gabor’s side is showing goodwill. They have readily agreed to purchase at the initial price we proposed.”
Astaldo flipped through the documents while listening to Berg’s voice. The corners of his mouth curved upward.
“It is thanks to Her Highness, the Grand Duchess.”
Astaldo whole-heartedly agreed. The foundation of the Duke of Gabor’s house was built on commerce.
Therefore, upon arriving in the Imperial Capital, the Duke was the first person they needed to contact. Thanks to Edda, establishing that connection had been significantly smoother.
What Astaldo had brought with him were nuts. Wesselwolf was rich in nuts, but that wasn’t all.
Along with the nuts, Astaldo had brought something else: the spice known as ‘Anila.’
The fact that the fruit of a plant, previously thought to be a mere orchid, held such immense value was a discovery he had stumbled upon by chance.
Exclusively and secretly cultivated and distributed by a single merchant guild, this spice possessed a uniquely soft and sweet aroma, long used by nobles in their beverages and perfumes.
In particular, the Anila that grew exclusively in Bohgor could command whatever price one demanded in other countries.
Who would have guessed that the forests of Wesselwolf were brimming with ‘Anila,’ a commodity more precious than gold?
When the fruit of the flowers blooming in the forest was fermented, it turned black and emitted a sweet, languid scent.
Splitting open this damp fruit revealed tiny dot-like seeds, which people used to mix into honey or milk to consume.
On the surface, Duke Gabor was purchasing nuts, but he had agreed to distribute ‘Anila’ alongside them.
Naturally, the name Wesselwolf was intentionally excluded. It was still too early to reveal their name to the public.
It wasn’t as though Astaldo had come unprepared.
From the moment he became the Grand Duke—no, even before that—he had meticulously observed what grew and could be utilized in this land packed with trees and mountains, bringing those resources into practical use.
Looking over the mountains and wilderness of Wesselwolf, he had pondered how to develop them.
Ultimately, a mountain dense with trees meant it was undeveloped—and rich in untapped resources.
He intended to do what no other Grand Duke had ever done. Through this, he would make it so that no one could ever dare look down on them. He had no desire to be a noble who merely ruled from a high perch.
The nuts were merely a smokescreen; his true plan was already well underway.
“Once distribution succeeds, raise the price. Even then, it will still be less than half the market price.”
“Understood.”
Astaldo offered a smile. Others might have taken it for a smirk of satisfaction, but those close to him knew better.
In the eyes of a few close aides, Astaldo looked noticeably more excited than usual.
“Will you not transform today?”
“Do you think I transform whenever I feel like it?”
Astaldo replied with annoyance at Shariya’s question. His transformations had been occurring frequently as of late.
“Still, shouldn’t Her Highness the Grand Duchess be informed?”
Bulder asked cautiously. Berg nodded in agreement.
“How long do you intend to hide it from Her Highness? She seems quite fond of your other form as well.”
The knights recalled Edda, who would pat the giant wolf and kiss it without a second thought.
“No.”
Astaldo’s answer was cold. His face, which had seemed as warm as a spring breeze, instantly froze into a chilly expression.
“Keep absolute silence on this matter from my wife.”
At Astaldo’s cold directive, the knights could find no words to counter him.
‘At this rate, something big is going to go wrong later.’
That was the shared thought among all the knights present.
