Chapter 72…..
Rosinante, smiling innocently, idly twirled a white flower stuck in a vase with his fingertips.
“Is this because of Duke Grimroar’s illness? You’re a capable magician, but you can’t cure him. Just staying by his bedside won’t do anything to speed his recovery.”
“Stop pretending you know everything and mind your own family’s affairs. The succession hierarchy is settled; next is deciding the imperial heir and finding a suitable empress for you.”
I clenched my fists. He was close enough that I could reach him if I extended my hand, but I couldn’t take responsibility for the fate of the world that rested on him, so my hands stayed firmly on my lap.
“I’ve already found her.”
The one who had been teasing the flower suddenly came over and grabbed my hand. I could have pulled away if I wanted, but I silently watched his large, strong hand entwine with mine.
“What you found is the wrong answer.”
“Why are you pushing me away like this? I don’t think I did anything wrong. If it’s not out of anger… could it be…?”
Rosinante squatted in front of me and moved my hand to trace his face. The skin under my palm was soft, almost ticklish.
He looked at me with the pitiful expression of a cat abandoned on a rainy day.
“Are you tired of me?”
Eyes full of longing. A sculpted face that leaves no doubt about his title as the most beautiful man in the world. A special man whose brilliance is matched by the darkness that follows him.
A thousand thoughts scrambled in my mind. As if to persuade me, Rosinante moved my hand to trace every feature of his face—the high bridge of his nose, the sharp jawline. He was undeniably a natural-born fox.
‘And behind my back, he must be causing incredible mischief.’
Seeing him strike Diego’s jaw without hesitation and now wearing such a sorrowful expression made it almost unbelievable that it was the same person.
If I hadn’t been spying with magic, I would have fallen for his tricks completely.
I was about to pull my hand away when his next words froze me.
“Answer me, Levieta. Don’t you love me anymore?”
“…Yes.”
Swallowing made my throat feel like it was on fire. I wished my frayed mind could hold together a little longer.
I deliberately laughed at him, exaggerating to hide my true feelings.
“Love? Get real. I’m the woman who suspected you were a spy and tried to report you.”
“You didn’t approach me with that purpose at first.”
“That’s true. But my intentions changed halfway through. I don’t want to talk about it messily, so will you let me go now?”
I didn’t understand why my heart ached even while saying words that would hurt him.
I pressed my throbbing temple and continued.
“Shadow and I—or rather, the entire world—want you to unite with the Saintess. You may be treated as half a person, but you are still royalty, so to rise high, you must fulfill your duties. You are the hero who can overthrow the war-crazed emperor blinded by greed and end the long war with the Holy Empire. Only you, the savior of the oracle, can accomplish this.”
“Do you want me to achieve that with someone else?”
“Everyone wants it!”
“I don’t intend to listen to everyone, nor do I have the ability to. I’m asking Levieta for her opinion.”
“Right… well, what kind of answer do you want me to give?”
“An honest one.”
A cowardly tactic deserves a cowardly response. I ignored his question and turned my head to the side.
Outside the window, there was nothing but clouds, yet I rose as if I had spotted a carriage outside the palace and headed toward the door.
“Enough. I’m really leaving now.”
I excused myself with a story about a carriage I hadn’t even prepared, and as I left, I heard his voice from behind.
“When everything’s over, I’ll come fetch you.”
I didn’t answer.
The next few days passed without me realizing it.
I could have used teleportation magic to go to the Grimroar Ducal House, but I chose to take a carriage, even if it took more time. Partly because I had a lot of luggage, but also because, as Rosinante said, arriving early wouldn’t have helped much anyway.
After all, Duke Wilhelm’s death was already inevitable. In the original timeline, he would have died long ago, so the fact that he lived until I became an adult was already beyond his natural lifespan.
But that didn’t make it any less sad.
Even though I had calmed myself several times during the journey, the moment I opened the door and saw Wilhelm sitting on his bed, my heart crumbled.
“Master… I’ve come.”
“Oh, Levieta, have you come? Come in.”
A firm yet welcoming voice.
Wilhelm, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, was still vigorous, but seeing the former great general in bed was a shock that offered no comfort.
“We’ll leave you to some private time.”
“Enjoy your quiet visit.”
Once the attendants who had arrived earlier left in a hurry, it was just Wilhelm and me in the room.
‘How long has it been since we last met? I’ve been too caught up learning magic and keeping an eye on my husband to pay attention to the family.’
I hadn’t even run errands for the flowers properly…
The worst granddaughter.
A belated wave of guilt weighed heavily on me.
My eyebrows slumped, while Wilhelm looked at me with a gentle smile, softening his usually stern expression.
“You’ve grown into a young lady. We exchanged letters while you were away, but seeing you in person after so long brings a new feeling.”
“I should have visited more often. I’m sorry.”
“No. Just coming to visit me like this is enough. Have you been comfortable living in the imperial household? I worried someone so unyielding would have a hard time reigning as the lady of the palace, but it seems my concerns were unnecessary.”
“That’s thanks to Rosinante’s efforts.”
I wasn’t trying to be modest; I just found it difficult to bring up that I had suddenly parted ways with him. We had only exchanged words, and the formal divorce process hadn’t started yet. For now, I kept the change in our relationship to myself.
Wilhelm gently shook his head, expressing mild objection to my words.
“It’s because of your efforts. No matter who it is, I know you’ve always done well wherever you go.”
“Master… you really can read people.”
“Haha. Did you learn that kind of sly flattery from Gilbert?”
They say blood doesn’t lie. I had never learned it, but I must have mimicked Gilbert. Ultimately, it made Wilhelm smile, so it wasn’t a bad thing.
“Hmm. Nothing much, but I heard that the adopted daughter Caulen brought in has caused some trouble recently, so I was worried and wanted to ask.”
Eve Maria probably claimed Amaryllis was the culprit and quietly stayed out of it.
Her sly tactics were exactly the same as in my previous life.
Since I had predicted it long ago, I wasn’t surprised or flustered to hear about her from Wilhelm out of the blue.
“You almost got caught up in it, didn’t you?”
“I’m fine. But Master, how is your health? Are you uncomfortable or in a lot of pain anywhere?”
They say there’s no remedy for lovesickness. He had generalized his health deterioration, so he might be suffering from multiple illnesses.
“As you can see, I’m fine.”
He flexed his muscles to show off, but that didn’t make me forget the news I had heard on my way to the Ducal House.
‘Coughing up blood, unable to train daily as he had for years, and recently bedridden entirely.’
Wilhelm’s letters from his aide Sevek mentioned all this. There was no need to wonder which was telling the truth—Wilhelm pretending to be strong or the letter’s contents.
I asked with a worried expression.
“Really?”
“Of course. Old people often call their families under the pretext of health issues more than you’d think.”
As soon as he said that, angry footsteps approached the door. It seemed family members who hadn’t been summoned were coming here.
