~Chapter 125~
“You don’t have to push yourself.”
I spoke inside the old hut.
Hunters used it when they went after monsters outside Saint Portu, but today, it was empty for Karl.
“……”
Clink.
Karl, wearing armor, slowly turned his head to look at me.
Leaning against the fireplace, I shrugged my shoulders.
“You’re still in pain.”
“I’m not so weak that I should be treated like that.”
“I’m not joking. You even staggered this morning.”
“I didn’t stagger. I just frowned.”
“No, you frowned and your body definitely wobbled.”
“Normally you’d call that flinching.”
“Well, in my eyes, it was wobbling.”
I sighed as I spoke.
“And you’re going to do a city parade in that condition…”
So why did this conversation even start?
It was Karl’s idea.
No, actually… since it started from something I said, maybe it was my idea?
‘The monsters were killed because I sent my power, and soon I will return and stabilize the land.’
‘……’
‘That’s what my wife spread around as a temporary measure.’
‘Yes, that’s correct, my lord.’
After that day, Karl had slept for several days straight.
When he finally woke, around the time I was getting worried, he heard the rumors I had spread and looked at me with a strange expression.
As if to say…
‘What? I didn’t know she was capable of such smart, strategic choices?’
That kind of look almost hurt my pride.
What, did he think I was no different from those glasses-wearing gorillas?
‘I never thought of you like that.’
‘I used to be the vice-captain of the Holy Knights, you know. I’ve made battle plans before!’
‘But you always grabbed a gun and rushed in first.’
‘That’s… that’s different.’
I was impulsive, not stupid.
‘Don’t look at me like some reckless fool—’
‘I didn’t mean it like that. I liked it when you were impulsive too. But now… now you’re exciting, new, refreshing in a different way.’
‘Exciting and new, huh? Keep going.’
‘So new that I want to peel back every layer I don’t know about you right now—’
‘Ahem!’
The conversation almost crossed the line, but Clark (who finally revealed himself as the Grand Duke’s butler) stepped in and stopped us.
‘Anyway! The people are calmed down for now with that measure…’
‘Which means I must show myself soon.’
Karl smiled faintly, but there was heaviness in it.
He knew as well as I did—if the Grand Duke didn’t appear soon, people’s unease would only grow.
But then his smile turned mischievous.
‘Then I should show them the classic return of the Grand Duke.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘What the people want right now is a triumphant general riding through the city to reassure them.’
‘…Will you be alright?’
‘Karl.’
Both Clark and I turned to him at the same time.
We had a reason to worry.
He wasn’t fully recovered yet.
The dragon’s power inside him was still unstable.
Sometimes it even lashed out violently, pressing down on him without warning.
Whenever that happened, Karl would break out in cold sweat and stagger.
Even when I shook the “quiet eyeball” trinket at him, it didn’t really help.
‘Maybe it has something to do with the temple’s tricks.’
If they really had managed to get hold of the dragon’s shed skin… though it was only a guess.
Karl sighed quietly, then spoke.
‘If I don’t show that the Grand Duke is alive and well, the people will only tremble in fear even more.’
‘……’
‘There’s no other way.’
‘My lord.’
‘If we’re going to do it, then let’s do it grandly. So no one can possibly miss it.’
And so, the plan for the Grand Duke’s return parade was made.
The Grand Duke who fought monsters at the northern front, and still sent his power to save his land in its crisis—
That was the glorious figure who would return.
That’s why we had snuck out to this hunting hut on the outskirts, helping Karl put on his armor.
“It still feels wrong to make a patient do this.”
“You’re right. Even now I have a bit of a headache.”
“…And now you suddenly admit it?”
Just earlier, he said he wasn’t weak.
When I glanced up, Karl reached his hand toward me.
“Yeah. It hurts. So kiss me.”
“If you’re in pain, that makes you a patient. And does a kiss cure that?”
I grumbled but still stood up and took his hand.
Even though I fussed, I couldn’t stop the corner of my mouth from curling up.
‘Whiny… but cute.’
If Beth heard me, she’d smack me and tell me to get a grip.
But after seeing this big man begging to be held and clinging to me so often, well…
Karl sometimes just looked like a dog to me.
A big black dog wagging its tail.
‘Fine. Then I’ll just be the hamster.’
I felt like I’d already been completely brainwashed.
Even kisses were like that.
At first, they embarrassed me. But now? Not so much.
It even felt like I could let go of my restraint.
‘Still, this time…’
Smooch.
When Karl leaned close for a kiss, I dodged and kissed his cheek instead.
He frowned.
“I think I asked for a kiss.”
“A cheek kiss is still a kiss. Theoretically.”
“Theoretically, we’ve also shared a bed—”
“Not now. Beth and Reina worked hard on this, you know.”
“……”
“If I touch you directly, all their effort will smudge away.”
I gently wiped the lipstick mark from his cheek.
Karl looked down at me strangely.
“……”
Well, I couldn’t blame him for that look.
‘I feel odd myself, looking like this.’
I was dressed in a deep blue silk gown, hair pinned up, my whole appearance elegant and dignified.
Even the makeup made me look older, closer to Karl’s age.
But it didn’t make me look stiff or outdated—that was thanks to Beth and Reina’s skill.
‘No wonder they started fussing over me before dawn.’
It felt like I was being prepared for the final battle of some legendary warrior.
Anyway, the point was: right now, I truly looked like a noble lady of high rank.
‘Which I actually am, since I’m the Grand Duchess.’
Normally, I just looked like the daughter of an average noble house.
“Today, my wife looks—”
“Don’t.”
I cut him off quickly when I saw his lips twitching mischievously.
When I covered his mouth, he shamelessly kissed my palm.
His calm reply came right after.
“I was only going to say you look like a goddess. Is that a problem?”
“Ugh! That’s so cheesy. You’re shameless.”
“Don’t you like it?”
“…I do.”
Compliments are always nice, after all.
Maybe Karl’s shamelessness was rubbing off on me, because even saying this, I didn’t feel that embarrassed.
Though, belatedly, I added:
“A playboy’s goddess is still a goddess.”
Of course, there was a reason I was dressed like this.
‘As the Grand Duchess leading the parade, I should look the part.’
It was my idea not to let Karl walk in the parade alone.
‘Then I’ll stand beside you too.’
‘…Your Grace.’
‘We need to announce our marriage sooner or later anyway.’
‘But the people might react badly…’
Clark’s worry was fair.
Listening to gossip inside the mansion was one thing. Facing the citizens directly was another.
Especially when the people of Saint Portu were already tense and on edge from the monster invasion.
He was probably worried they’d curse me to my face.
I had worried about that too when I stayed briefly in the underground village.
But still…
‘It’s fine.’
‘……’
‘I can handle it.’
‘Elaine.’
‘I won’t let you stand alone.’
In the end, they gave in to my stubbornness.
But I had my reasons.
If Karl faltered, someone had to support him.
If that supporter was a soldier, rumors would spread that the Grand Duke was weak.
But if it was his wife?
‘Then it would look perfectly natural.’
It even had another advantage—
If Karl really leaned on me because of his condition…
‘To others, it would just look like a newlywed Duke embracing his bride affectionately.’
Of course, there was the chance Karl would use his dizziness as an excuse to cling to me as much as he liked…
‘Which he probably will.’
But honestly, I didn’t mind. In fact, that might be better.
‘Better that than watching him actually suffer.’
Karl narrowed his eyes at my words.
“Goddess of a playboy, huh. Don’t worry—you don’t look like the wife of a playboy at all.”
“Funny, because you still look like a playboy to me.”
At that, Karl furrowed his brows slightly.
