🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 21
To decorate the greenhouse, Diana needed a budget.
Buying flower seeds or seedlings came later—first, she had to fix the broken glass, restore the fountain, and replace the rotten soil with rich, healthy dirt.
But Diana didn’t have any money—not even a single silver coin she could confidently use.
She was sure she must’ve received some sort of property or allowance after becoming the duchess, but she’d never seen the paperwork herself. So she didn’t know how much it was or if she was even allowed to use it.
Most of all, even if she did have money, she had no idea how much it would cost to repair the greenhouse.
If it were bargaining for some leftover vegetables in the market, maybe she’d stand a chance—but this kind of thing? This was way out of her area of expertise.
“I wish I had someone I could ask…”
Who could she even ask?
Diana tried to recall the few people she was familiar with.
“Hmm…”
And then she gave up quickly.
Better not risk getting rejected or embarrassed. I’ll just think about it slowly later.
Feeling a little disappointed, Diana headed back toward the castle. For some reason, staying alone in the ruined greenhouse gave her a cold chill on the back of her neck.
Back at the castle, things felt tense—unlike how peaceful it had been in the morning.
As she looked around to figure out what was going on, Diana soon spotted Erno at the center of the commotion.
“Erno?”
He didn’t seem to notice her. Dressed in armor, he was deep in conversation with a knight. His massive black horse was pawing at the ground restlessly, but Erno didn’t move a muscle from the saddle.
That’s when she heard a voice behind her—Akila.
“His Highness Erno will be away from the castle for a while.”
Turning around, she saw Akila standing there—not in armor like the others, but in simple clothes.
“His Highness is giving me a chance to make up for my earlier mistake,” he said with a sheepish smile.
But in truth, being excluded from battle wasn’t really a second chance—it was almost like being stripped of a knight’s honor.
“This time, I’ll give everything I have to protect you, Your Grace.”
Just as Diana was about to say it wasn’t his fault, Akila spoke first—his expression solemn like a knight from a legend.
She nodded shyly and apologized.
“Sorry… I don’t really know how I’m supposed to respond in moments like this. I feel like a noble lady in one of those stories.”
“There’s no need to apologize. You’ll get used to it eventually.”
Despite her awkward reaction, Akila wasn’t disappointed. Instead, he comforted her like the perfect example of a gentleman knight. Diana couldn’t deny it—she gave him a vague smile.
Will that day ever really come?
After all, what kind of noble lady gets ignored by her husband and never acknowledged by anyone?
Diana shook off the dark thoughts and changed the subject.
“By the way… what happened so suddenly? Monster subjugation? Is there one nearby?”
“It’s just to confirm some rumors. There’s no need to worry.”
Still, the knights looked way too heavily armed for a simple rumor check.
But soon, Diana nodded as if it made sense.
“Well… if armor like that can save your life, then I guess the heavier the better.”
Akila looked genuinely surprised that she’d say something like that.
Guess he’s glad I prayed at the tower after all, she thought, glancing at the knights. Her gaze eventually met Erno’s.
He raised his hand and paused the knight’s report, then gently pulled the reins to bring his horse closer to Diana.
That made every knight around turn to look at her—and she froze up in shock.
Diana felt a wave of eyes filled with curiosity, suspicion, interest… and even a bit of hostility. Her heart sank. She forced herself to stay calm and took a deep breath, closing her eyes tightly.
She felt bad for Akila, who had just encouraged her—but clearly, she wasn’t cut out to be a duchess.
“…What is it?”
His calm, indifferent voice had never sounded so comforting—not since the day he saved her from the lake.
When she opened her eyes again, Erno was looking down at her.
With the sun behind him, his golden eyes looked darker than usual—sharp enough to cut if she reached out to touch them.
“I…”
She wanted to say, Come back safe. That one line kept swirling in her mouth, but she just couldn’t get it out.
Like trying to pick up a jelly with chopsticks—it kept slipping away before reaching her tongue.
And just when she was about to push it out with all her courage, Veronica’s voice echoed in her head:
He already carries a heavy burden. Don’t add to it.
So Diana lowered her head.
“It’s nothing.”
How pathetic she must’ve looked—stopping the Duke for “nothing.” Her gaze dropped from his eyes to the reins in his hand, then to the stirrup, then to the ground.
And then something unbelievable happened.
“If you have something to say, say it. Bi.”
His hand gently, but firmly, lifted her chin.
Golden eyes like summer sunlight stared straight into hers, and Diana instinctively clutched her skirt tightly, swallowing hard.
“Well… um…”
Her black eyes darted everywhere, unable to focus. Every time she looked somewhere, she felt his eyes following hers—relentless like a beast on the hunt.
In the end, she had no choice but to look back at him.
Last time, she’d easily blurted out “Come back safe” like it was nothing, but now her lips were shut like a clam.
Erno didn’t like it. He stared directly at her lips with clear irritation.
“If there’s nothing, can I leave now?”
“W-wait!”
Just as Erno began to turn away, Diana instinctively grabbed his sleeve.
“Please… come back safe.”
She had to use all her courage to say it.
Honestly, even standing up to Baron Lapin wouldn’t have made her this nervous.
Her hands were shaking as she pressed them over her chest, trying to calm her pounding heart.
The words were already out. All she could do now was brace herself for his reaction.
Even if he got angry—she wouldn’t regret it.
If armor protected their bodies, then her prayer—no matter how weak—might protect their spirits. Even if it was just her own way of easing her fear, the feeling behind it was real.
Erno looked at her with his usual relaxed gaze.
The same way he had at the tower.
Even after he’d warned her not to do it again—she was still hoping for his safe return.
He didn’t understand it at all.
Why?
If he died, everything in Fenril would automatically become hers. Wouldn’t that be better for her?
A ruler protecting his people and land—that was natural. It was his duty and his honor.
But she looked at him like a sister seeing her brother off to war—worried, anxious, and full of care.
And yet… her concern didn’t feel burdensome or unpleasant.
Why? he asked himself again.
But he had no answer.
“Promise me. You’ll come back safe.”
“…That’s not something I can promise.”
Erno chuckled under his breath, muttering something he didn’t really mean. What was she so worried about over a simple patrol?
“I’ll make a promise too. When you come back safe, I’ll show you the revived greenhouse.”
“…Maybe I’m the one who should worry about keeping that promise.”
Smirking lightly, Erno suddenly grabbed her hand and placed something cold, solid, and heavy in her palm.
It was a plain, ordinary key—no decorations, nothing fancy.
When she looked up in surprise, Erno had already turned his horse and was heading back to the knights.
“Oh—so that’s the greenhouse key! No wonder he was looking for it this morning,” said one of the knights nearby, who had come up to her side.
“This is the greenhouse key?” Diana asked.
“To be exact, it’s the key to the inner door,” the knight explained. “The duchess’s greenhouse can be opened from both sides, but if it’s locked from the inside, it can’t be opened from outside. In other words, it’s a space made just for the Duchess.”
Even with the knight’s kind explanation, Diana wasn’t really listening anymore.
“…Akila. Can you help me?”
“Just give the order, Your Grace.”
“Gather everyone who lives and works in this castle. All of them.”
This key was proof.
Proof that Erno had accepted her—and trusted her words.
No matter what, Diana was determined to bring the greenhouse back to life.
She would show everyone.
That this was where she truly belonged.
