Chapter 34
Sending That Bastard to the Battlefield (1)
The Grand Duke had become strange.
When Dolores entered the dining room that morning and saw someone already there, she stopped in her tracks.
“…? What are you doing?”
“Eating breakfast.”
Resrexion raised one eyebrow at the ridiculous question.
But Dolores had something to say as well.
“I mean, why are you eating at this hour with me?”
Normally, noble ladies of the empire enjoyed banquets late into the night, so they tended to wake up a little later than their husbands.
Especially those whose husbands went to the imperial palace—they usually finished breakfast much earlier.
‘And he barely eats breakfast himself, so why…?’
Seeing her puzzled look, Resrexion replied bluntly.
“Why? Don’t you like my body clock?”
“…Just eat.”
Dolores rubbed her temple.
‘Why can’t he ever say anything nicely?’
Truthfully, she also felt that she herself had been acting strange lately.
‘Maybe it’s because I accepted that pearl necklace… I feel like I owe him.’
Even after returning that night, she had stared at the pearl necklace for a long time, deep in thought.
Why had he touched the back of her neck like that?
Even her husband Adrian had never touched her that way before.
What kind of expression had the Grand Duke been wearing when he put it on her?
‘And why am I only worrying about something like that now?’
Dolores shot him a slightly resentful look.
This was all that man’s fault for suddenly doing something so inexplicable.
‘…More importantly, he should button up his shirt!’
Just because he was in his own residence, he dressed far too casually.
Through the unfastened buttons of his shirt, his collarbones were visible, which bothered her a little.
A little… or a lot?
‘So indecent…’
It was completely improper attire.
She wanted to point it out, but if she did, it would probably just make her look like the strange one.
And when she imagined what kind of chest muscles those bones connected to, her heart throbbed uncomfortably.
Startled, Dolores hurriedly took a sip of her breakfast tea to steady herself.
‘That man is a eunuch.’
A man who does nothing to women.
Even when he shares a bed with her at night, he does nothing… a eunuch.
“Phew.”
Her mind immediately became peaceful.
It was time to resume their mutually beneficial deal.
“I mentioned before that I needed help regarding my brother.”
“Oh. Finally decided to send him to prison?”
“That can wait a little longer. Actually… have you heard of gaming houses?”
Resrexion frowned immediately.
He had recently received reports that some of his brainless subordinates had been wasting time in places like that.
“There are about five of them in the capital now. The imperial palace will start cracking down on them soon.”
“Could you delay that crackdown a bit?”
“What?”
“Yes. What if we deliberately turn one of them into an especially vicious place?”
“…On purpose?”
“Yes. And I want to send my brother there. To the point where he goes bankrupt, even mortgaging the marquis estate.”
Resrexion set down his teacup and admired her.
“Oh. So you’ve really been grinding your teeth over this.”
“Of course. I’ve suffered too.”
“Hmm…”
He began turning the idea over in his mind.
In fact, a troublesome political rival of his would soon be returning to the capital.
‘From the marriage to inheriting Lindinis, things went smoothly partly because that bastard was away.’
But soon that man would draw his sword to grab Resrexion by the ankle.
All for Adrian’s sake.
‘Rather than shutting down all the gaming houses, what if we make the situation bigger from the start and drag him into it too?’
Just then, Dolores smiled as if she had read his thoughts.
“And if you lure the people who annoy you into that place, it would benefit you as well, wouldn’t it?”
“…For example?”
“Hmm. The Durant family—His Highness the Crown Prince’s maternal relatives, perhaps?”
“Haha.”
“W-Why? Isn’t Duke Durant returning soon?”
Seeing her momentary confusion, Resrexion gave a wry smile.
“I wasn’t laughing at you.”
How should he describe the feeling he was experiencing now?
Perhaps the satisfaction of puzzle pieces fitting perfectly together.
‘Hmm. When someone reads my mind, it should feel unpleasant…’
But this sense of perfect timing and coordination wasn’t bad.
Especially with Dolores.
“Come to think of it, that nickname of yours—‘Doll.’”
“…Yes?”
“It never suited you from the start.”
“….”
“What porcelain doll?”
Dolores paused, but quietly finished her tea.
For some reason, her heart was racing again, so she tried to wash it down with the tea.
‘Why is he acting so unlike himself?’
Still, she quickly regained her composure.
‘I’m just repeating things from my previous life at the right time.’
Anyone who had been given a second chance could probably manage this much.
There was no need to get excited just because it felt like she had been acknowledged.
Meanwhile, Resrexion frowned as he looked at Dolores’s plate.
She had finished everything, but…
‘Breakfast is light anyway, so it’s hard to tell.’
Breakfast usually consisted of hot tea, fruit, and maybe some toast.
Still, after Dolores left the room, he called for Bertrand and Nina.
“You two. Has Dolores seemed strange when eating?”
“Pardon?”
“Like leaving too much food or something.”
The old butler couldn’t hide his surprise.
“Well… it’s true that her appetite is somewhat small, but if it’s for maintaining her figure, it’s fairly normal…”
“What more does that woman have to manage?”
“You know how sensitive court ladies are about their appearance.”
“…Yes. I know.”
He knew very well how much pressure they faced since childhood.
Still, the uneasy feeling wouldn’t disappear, so Resrexion turned to Nina, who stood stiffly at attention.
He hadn’t even bothered calling that squawking woman because he didn’t trust her anyway.
“Hey, you.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“If your mistress starts worrying about pointless things like that, report to me immediately.”
“Yes!”
“And if there’s anything strange about her eating habits, tell me as well.”
“….”
But Nina hesitated.
Among the noblewomen who came to the imperial palace, some occasionally had strange eating habits.
For example, eating a lot happily in front of others, then later vomiting it up.
‘Many of them didn’t want their husbands finding out about that.’
If the Grand Duchess were like that…
She knew the Grand Duke was frightening and powerful, but…
Resrexion noticed her hesitation but didn’t get angry.
‘Oh ho, this little brat.’
He actually liked how she was already thinking about her mistress’s dignity.
Still, true to his personality, he mocked her slightly.
“Dolores may have saved you, but I’m the one who gives you a place to live.”
“Ah… Yes, I understand.”
“Honestly. I have plenty to do already.”
Why had “worrying about my contract wife” been added to his schedule?
Still, seeing Dolores come out to see him off to the palace made it seem like the trouble might be worth it.
As they stepped outside, a gentle breeze happened to blow.
“Oh.”
Dolores, who had been about to say goodbye, let out a small exclamation as her hair fluttered.
“The weather suddenly—”
“Hold still.”
Resrexion brushed the hair behind her ear.
No matter how he looked at it, he was certain.
This woman had grown thinner since coming to the mansion, and he didn’t like it one bit.
‘At least this expression isn’t bad.’
She wasn’t wearing a forced smile.
Her eyes were wide in surprise at his touch, and her face was slightly flushed.
‘Yes.’
He liked this.
He lightly kissed each of her cheeks in turn.
Having done this several times now, it didn’t feel so bad anymore.
However, his own voice sounded unfamiliar as it slipped out softly.
As if emotion had briefly caught in his throat.
“I’ll be going now.”
“…Have a safe trip, Rex.”
Dolores also felt momentarily dizzy as she answered.
She had been the one who insisted on greeting each other with cheek kisses.
‘Something feels strange.’
This wasn’t right.
It shouldn’t be like this.
It felt as if an invisible line had been drawn between them, and her foot was about to step across it.
It seemed that even when someone wrapped up their feelings tightly, there were still cracks.
He helped her and even gave her a gift she liked—so perhaps that was why her guard had already begun to slip.
‘Get a hold of yourself before you grow unnecessarily attached.’
What was her real plan, after all?
Why had she been so obsessed with Gilberg territory?
‘Because I planned to sell the emeralds from there and use the money after leaving.’
Dolores’s goal was to live peacefully after her revenge was complete.
In a place where no one would find her.
A place where the nightmares of the past wouldn’t follow her.
Her horrible marriage, Adrian, Angelica, and…
“Mother… please love me… please…”
A place where Alexis’s nightmare would no longer torment her.
A place where no one could hurt her heart anymore.
‘First, I need to return to separate bedrooms as soon as possible.’
Then things could quickly go back to their original businesslike atmosphere.
Dolores glanced at the group following behind her.
‘Lady Rachel… she’s been going out wearing my jewelry even more boldly lately.’
It was about time for Lady Squawk-Squawk to cause her final incident and make her exit.
Meanwhile
From early that morning, the atmosphere in the imperial palace was lively.
Adrian was personally welcoming a visitor with a bright smile for the first time in a long while.
“Alfred! It’s been a while.”
“Your Highness. I trust you’ve been well.”
Alfred Durant, the current head of the Duke of Durant family, had returned sooner than expected.
He was Adrian’s cousin, five years older, with pale blond hair and light blue eyes.
Despite his pale appearance, he had a very firm and stubborn personality.
He was also the only high-ranking official who had been unable to attend the Grand Duke’s wedding because an epidemic had broken out in Durant territory.
“Has the situation in Durant territory improved?”
“Thanks to your concern. The final patient has been treated.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Adrian nodded politely, though he hadn’t truly been worried.
There was another reason he had been waiting so eagerly for this cousin.
“By the way, I have a favor to ask right after your return…”
“Please, go ahead.”
Smiling, Adrian gave his order.
“I want to send Resrexion to the battlefield. Preferably somewhere he’s guaranteed to die.”
