~Chapter 4~
“I expected we might run into each other someday…”
But when I actually faced him, I worried that all those festering emotions from my past life might boil over.
A foolish concern—because instead of tears, all I felt was an overwhelming urge to grab that bastard by the hair and slam his head into the nearest wall.
The Duke met my gaze and smirked.
“How unexpected. I didn’t know my lady missed me this much.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Rejected on your wedding night, and already restless enough to come looking for me?”
So Elicia had been spurned again, huh.
Not that his words were meant to reassure, but they did.
At least I wouldn’t have to endure the “duties” of marriage with a man whose mere face made my blood boil.
I’m not like the real Elicia.
The original had been obsessed with him—so much that she’d begged the Emperor, her uncle, until he forced the Duke into marriage.
She’d spent years humiliating herself, scheming and flailing in vain attempts to win over his frozen heart.
But me? I despised him.
Because I knew the truth—the man before me had thrown my former self into Elicia’s hands, and she had tortured me to death.
I would never crawl to him in desperation.
“If you have no business with me, I’ll take my leave.”
“Wait.”
“Yes?”
I stopped at once—not because of him, but because the knights behind him looked ready to draw their swords if I dared take another step.
Even wearing a duchess’s face, I was still, at heart, a commoner—and my courage wasn’t infinite.
They seemed to mistake my tension for arrogance, though; the knights’ glares grew sharper.
Honestly, I’m still the Duchess. Isn’t this treatment a bit much?
Before I could grumble further, the Duke stepped forward, his presence enough to make his subordinates fall silent.
“Let’s get to the point. You told Bertol you had no interest in Lombard’s affairs.”
“That’s still true.”
“Then what possessed you to storm into the administrative hall?”
His voice, calm a moment ago, now held a cold edge.
I couldn’t read his thoughts—and that unsettled me more than I expected.
Is he mocking me? I thought I understood him once…
I remembered the boy he used to be.
Back when my parents, both officials, sent me on errands to the same hall, I had occasionally crossed paths with young Edwin.
“The future of Lombard looks bleak.”
That had been my private opinion.
He was far too gentle to rule the harsh northern lands.
He couldn’t even scold a commoner like me for teasing him; he’d just smile like an idiot. He pitied stray kittens, adored flowers and art, and preferred philosophical debates to hunting or politics.
In short—Edwin was a man born for thought, not power.
Even after inheriting his father’s title, that hadn’t changed.
Everyone called him a demon risen from hell. I knew better. He was just a softhearted fool wrapped in noble skin.
“I asked why you intruded upon the hall, my lady.”
“Ah.”
His expression was composed as ever, yet his eyes were cold—those of a man facing an unwelcome guest.
That chill alone made me change my mind.
If he could stroll through an office filled with useless reports as if it were some grand secret archive, then he deserved to be mocked.
“And what pressing state matter brought you here, Your Grace? Did you fear I might steal your precious piles of garbage?”
“Garbage, is it…” He actually chuckled. “You’re not wrong.”
“Your Grace!”
The knights gasped in outrage, glaring at me as though I’d insulted a god.
That only made me want to provoke them more.
“You’re curious why I came here, aren’t you?”
“I am.”
“Well then, since you insist… I came because I heard there are handsome officials in Lombard.”
“What?”
“Northern men have a reputation for rugged beauty, but they say some are so striking they outshine the Sun God Leto himself. I thought I might find one and make him my lover.”
The knights’ jaws dropped.
Even the Duke’s expression faltered—barely, but enough for me to notice. After all, I’d known him for years.
Ah, yes. The Duke who worships his family’s honor above all.
Even if he’d rejected Elicia on their wedding night, the notion that his new duchess would chase lovers before the ink on their vows dried must have been intolerable.
I almost laughed.
What did the old Elicia ever see in you?
Still, I decided not to push too far. An innocent clerk might get caught in the fallout.
“Though I haven’t found anyone suitable yet,” I added breezily.
“I see.”
“But don’t worry, Your Grace. I’ll decide soon enough. After all, you’re not really my type.”
The silence that followed was almost painful.
Blissfully unaware, I continued cheerfully, determined to make my stance clear once and for all.
“You’re probably wondering why I begged His Majesty to marry you, right? You have that look.”
“Indeed. I’m curious.”
“Because this place is far from the capital. No one here would dare interfere with how I live. So I pretended to adore you, just to be left alone.”
“…”
“You have nothing to worry about, Your Grace. I have absolutely zero interest in you.”
The line I drew wasn’t just firm—it was a wall.
Then I realized the knights were staring at me with a mix of horror and murderous intent, as if debating whether to “silence” me for the insult.
Go ahead and glare. What can you possibly do? I’m a princess now, not some powerless clerk.
…Right?
“When I say I won’t meddle in Lombard’s internal affairs, I mean it,” I added quickly. “But I expect the same courtesy in return. Please don’t interfere in mine.”
It was my best attempt at diplomacy—something to ease the tension while keeping my pride intact.
“Is that truly what you want?”
“We’ll see, won’t we?”
The knights still eyed me warily, but at least some of the hostility had faded.
The Duke, however, only regarded me in silence, gaze steady, unreadable—like a man waiting for me to contradict myself.
I can’t read him at all.
Well, time would tell. Eventually, he’d see that I meant what I said:
I intended to do absolutely nothing—just eat, rest, and live in peace.
“I look forward to our life together,” I said lightly.
“As do I, my lady,” he replied.
And that was that.
As I left the hall, I could still feel his eyes on my back—sharp, burning, and impossible to shake.
