Chapter 77
After I Died, My Little Groom
After finishing her dressing, Nadia was immediately guided to the room where Heinrich and Baron Hess were waiting.
It was a spacious room with a wide balcony, giving off a cool and open feeling; it was so close to the garden that you could even hear the sound of falling leaves.
When Nadia had still been Rivenia, this had been her favorite place in the Baldwin townhouse.
And now—Heinrich, Baron Hess, and even Vivian were there. The room was filled with people she liked; it felt like looking at the most beautiful scenery imaginable.
Heinrich was the first to sense her presence and turned to look at her. Remembering what had happened the night before, his face flushed red.
Then Baron Hess noticed Nadia and abruptly stood up from his seat.
The chair made a loud clang! sound as it scraped the floor, and the baron coughed awkwardly, flustered.
If this had been the Hess estate—or even his townhouse—he would have immediately rushed over to hug his daughter. He might even have shed a few tears.
But with Heinrich—his daughter’s claimed lover—standing right there, he couldn’t possibly do that.
As a father, he had to think of his daughter’s dignity.
So Baron Hess stood stiff and formal, though the emotion written all over his face betrayed how deeply moved he was.
Nadia found that unexpectedly adorable and couldn’t help but laugh.
“Ahaha! Father, please don’t be like that—give me a hug! I missed you so much I thought I’d die.”
When Nadia opened her arms, Baron Hess hesitated and glanced toward Heinrich.
Heinrich, still holding his teacup, gave a faint smile.
“We are in private, so please feel comfortable. Lady Nadia was greatly worried for you, Baron.”
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
Only then did Baron Hess embrace his daughter tightly.
A small sniff could be heard—he must have shed a tear or two after all.
Having made two people cry already that morning, Nadia was reminded how blessed she was to have such good people by her side.
‘I need to be even better to them,’
she resolved, patting her father’s back gently.
After exchanging heartfelt greetings, Nadia turned to Heinrich and offered a polite bow.
“Duke Baldwin, I sincerely thank you for helping my father and me.”
Heinrich’s eyebrow arched slightly. Even Baron Hess looked uncomfortable, and Nadia blinked nervously.
Then Heinrich rose and extended his hand to her.
Only then did Nadia realize she wasn’t acting very much like a lover.
How should lovers greet each other? She’d never had one before, so she awkwardly recalled scenes from the romance novels she’d read.
In the morning, lovers usually… kissed, right? But that was in novels. In reality, surely a more modest greeting would do.
With that in mind, she extended her hand toward Heinrich. He leaned down and gently pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.
Looking up at her through slightly raised brows, he said softly:
“From now on, you should offer your hand first.”
Nadia flushed and nodded nervously.
He meant that whenever they met, she should naturally offer her hand for him to kiss—a privilege reserved only for true lovers.
By status alone, the only people who could offer their hands to Duke Baldwin so freely would be his parents or the emperor himself.
Straightening his back, Heinrich drew her a little closer.
“Baron, may I have a word in private with Lady Nadia?”
His tone was polite, but Baron Hess immediately turned pale.
“Your Grace, I don’t oppose your relationship, but my daughter isn’t married yet. Meeting alone in a private room… perhaps in a garden or café during the day would be more—”
“Father,”
Nadia interrupted softly, her ears turning red. Heinrich, seeing that, smiled faintly.
“Her Highness Princess Charlotte asked me to deliver a message meant only for Lady Nadia. It’s something only she may hear. I will send her to you shortly.”
Baron Hess looked at Nadia, eyes firm and protective—ready to intervene if she showed even the slightest discomfort.
But Nadia only smiled gently and shook her head.
“It’s fine, Father. I owe Her Highness a favor.”
“A favor… from Her Highness?”
“Yes. It’s nothing bad—so don’t worry.”
Seeing no trace of anxiety on Nadia’s face, Baron Hess finally relaxed and left the room, Vivian following behind.
Now only Nadia and Heinrich remained on the broad balcony.
Heinrich guided her to a chair and took the seat right beside her.
Nadia, who had expected him to sit across from her, was a little startled but tried to act natural.
“Did the girl meet with Her Highness safely?”
“Yes. Though they’re different in age, they seemed to be quite close friends.”
“Age doesn’t matter when it comes to friendship. Since Father returned safely, Her Highness must have kept her promise.”
Nadia spoke brightly.
She had thought seeking out the princess was the best chance to save her father, but there had been no guarantees—it had been nerve-racking until the end.
She hadn’t simply received help, either; she had done something useful for the princess in return. That made her feel at ease.
Heinrich gazed at her smiling face, then slowly closed and reopened his eyes.
Perhaps it only looked slow because Nadia was staring at his face.
Then he took an envelope from the inner pocket of his jacket and placed it on the tea table.
“What’s this?”
“The message from the princess I mentioned.”
“Ah!”
Nadia picked it up in surprise. The royal seal was stamped neatly in the center.
On the front, in precise handwriting, it said:
To the Uninvited Guest.
The words were curt to the point of rudeness—so like Princess Charlotte, who always seemed bored and indifferent no matter what she said.
Using the silver paper knife on the tray, Nadia opened the envelope and unfolded the letter. Inside was an even blunter message:
‘It seems the young baron doesn’t know it’s best to settle one’s debts quickly.’
Was that indifference—or irritation?
Nadia tilted her head, deep in thought.
Since the sender was a royal, perhaps there was some hidden meaning.
“Hmm…”
And “young baron”?
Her father had naturally called her his successor, but Nadia hadn’t officially taken the title of heir—just in case anything went wrong.
So what did the princess mean by settle debts quickly?
Nadia had done what the princess asked, with Heinrich’s help no less. Surely Her Highness should be satisfied?
Just then, a large hand entered her vision.
Startled, Nadia leaned back, but Heinrich’s firm hand gently cupped the back of her head while his other hand pressed lightly against her furrowed brow.
“Ah—”
“You’re frowning again.”
Embarrassed, Nadia touched her forehead where his thumb had been. Even as she did, his thumb lingered against her skin.
She carefully pushed his hand away.
“I’m fine now. I was only wondering why Her Highness seemed upset.”
“Charlotte has a very strong sense of pride.”
He withdrew his hand and leaned casually against the armrest.
“So you mean… I offended her somehow?”
“To be precise, she’s not angry at you—she’s angry at me.”
“At you? But why would—”
Nadia paused, suddenly realizing.
“Was it you who freed my father from prison, not Her Highness?”
Her voice rose with surprise. Heinrich smiled faintly, reclining in his chair with unhurried grace.
Nadia pressed a hand to her forehead, thinking, then let out a soft laugh.
“So the ‘debt’ the princess mentioned isn’t mine—it’s hers. I was the one who ended up helping her instead. Of course she’d be upset about that.”
She looked at Heinrich, her eyes filled with questions.
Why would he do something that might offend a royal princess?
Heinrich took the letter from her hand, glanced over it indifferently, and said,
“Charlotte is more royal than anyone in this empire. Her pride is such that even the emperor cannot make her bow. As long as she owes you a debt, she will never attempt a new negotiation with you.”
