Chapter 56
The Male Lead Is Obsessed with Proposing
Illusion
Veneruccia immediately took Senelia to the Apron Duke’s mansion.
He had even taken the liberty of moving all her belongings back to Senelia’s original room.
“Miss Senelia!”
Even the servants who had been at Senelia’s townhouse were all moved as well.
“What on earth are you doing?”
Unsurprisingly, Senelia and Veneruccia argued as soon as they arrived at the Apron mansion.
“I have many enemies. I don’t want anyone to harm the Duchess, so I’ll keep you close.”
But Veneruccia, once he decided to act on his whims, didn’t budge at Senelia’s protests.
“I’m selling Daphne’s townhouse today.”
Actually, Veneruccia went one step further.
It seemed he intended to completely remove any place Senelia could call her own.
“Your Grace!”
Senelia called out to Veneruccia in surprise.
But he boldly gave orders to the butler.
“Butler, immediately send someone to—”
“Ben!”
Senelia snapped, blurting out Veneruccia’s nickname.
Only then did he turn to her.
Truly, he was an infuriating man.
“The townhouse is off-limits.”
Senelia had to stop Veneruccia, no matter what.
“Are you planning to sneak off there again without telling me if something happens?”
But Veneruccia seemed like a man who had been waiting for this moment.
Whenever Senelia secluded herself in the townhouse, he always wanted to completely take over that place.
“I won’t leave you a single place to hide.”
Senelia frowned at Veneruccia’s words.
She realized that rational persuasion wouldn’t work on him.
Thinking that he couldn’t just take over her house was naive.
Power rendered such notions useless.
“…This mansion was given to me by my father. Even Your Grace wouldn’t be forgiven if you touched it.”
Finally, Senelia expressed her honest feelings.
She knew how much attention Duke Daphne had paid when giving her the townhouse.
She didn’t want to hand over a place with her father’s traces to anyone else.
“…When you go to the townhouse, tell me before you go.”
Then, as expected, Veneruccia relented slightly.
He had already felt a debt over Duke Daphne’s death.
And now, Senelia mentioned her father directly.
Even Veneruccia could no longer push his will.
“Just make sure Your Grace has no reason to go there.”
As soon as Veneruccia and Senelia returned to the mansion, the head maid’s voice cut through the bustling servants.
Head Maid Mejia had been Veneruccia’s nanny and was one of the few people who could scold him.
“Head Maid, it’s been a while.”
“Welcome, Your Grace.”
Senelia greeted her, and Mejia returned the greeting with proper decorum.
Though her manner seemed stiff, Senelia, having known her for six years, could tell that Mejia was genuinely glad to see her.
“I’m very pleased to finally call Miss Daphne the Duchess.”
Mejia added a rare, sincere comment.
She called Senelia “Your Grace” as if she had already married Veneruccia.
Now that Senelia was able to live comfortably at the Apron mansion, much of it was thanks to Mejia.
Senelia looked around the mansion with a sense of novelty.
She had left Venice intending to stay here permanently, but she had never been sure she would actually return.
Now, being part of this place, she felt strangely emotional.
“Shall I show you? His Grace hastily prepared a new room for Your Grace, though I hope it meets your satisfaction.”
Mejia asked Senelia.
Previously, Senelia had been using a guest room. Now that her position had changed, she couldn’t use her old room.
Their marriage was only confirmed today.
Yet he suddenly brought her back to the mansion, so there hadn’t been enough time to properly prepare the Duchess’s room.
Knowing this, Senelia was about to nod and say it was fine when Veneruccia stepped in first.
“No, I’ll guide you.”
Veneruccia extended his hand to Senelia.
It almost felt as if it were her first time here.
It was amusing and not unpleasant.
So Senelia willingly took his hand.
“If anything is lacking, don’t hesitate to blame His Grace. I repeatedly told him more time was needed to make it perfect, yet he insisted…”
As Senelia and Veneruccia climbed the stairs, the head maid followed.
For some reason, all the Duke’s servants and attendants came bustling after them.
Mejia seemed extremely concerned that the Duchess’s room hadn’t been prepared properly.
“Mejia, surely you’re not too old to handle something this small? If that’s the case, I’d understand…”
“Do you take this Mejia for such a person?”
Senelia thought the mansion seemed unusually chaotic today.
Everyone appeared excited.
Her pace quickened unconsciously, as if their excitement had transferred to her.
When she opened the door, it was filled with things she liked.
Even though she had never expressed preferences to Veneruccia, it surprised her.
“This is…?”
“…Selly, I tried to prepare items as close as possible to what you often used. I hope you like them.”
Veneruccia said, appearing somewhat nervous.
Though Senelia had never said what she liked directly, there were items she frequently used during her stay at the Apron mansion.
To know someone who doesn’t speak up, one must observe carefully.
The fact that Veneruccia had gone through this effort for her… it felt strange.
Senelia had always been the one who had to understand him first.
Just like the weak watch the strong, even in love there are roles of the weaker and the stronger.
Ah, I see.
You really do love me.
Since the day Veneruccia confessed his love, Senelia always felt this anew.
Eight years alone had made her accustomed to thinking he didn’t love her.
“…Don’t like it?”
When Senelia couldn’t put her sudden emotion into words, Veneruccia seemed to misunderstand.
He looked at her anxiously.
If she said she didn’t like it, he would probably replace everything in the room immediately.
The seriousness of the Duke made the head maid and servants tense as well.
“…I like it.”
Senelia answered a beat later.
Veneruccia couldn’t believe it immediately.
“Really? Be honest if you don’t like it.”
“I really like it.”
Senelia said firmly once again.
“Meow.”
As Senelia turned back to the room, a soft golden-furred creature approached her feet.
It was the Countess’s green-eyed cat.
“Oh my, it’s been hiding ever since you brought it…”
From behind, a maid muttered in surprise.
Contrary to the maid’s comment that it avoided people, the cat rubbed against Senelia’s feet, seeking attention.
“Meow~”
When she picked up the cat, it finally relaxed in her arms.
“…What, a cat?”
Senelia couldn’t take her eyes off it.
It was small, perhaps two or three months old, and she handled it with great care.
“You used to have three cats in the Daphne estate, right?”
Veneruccia’s words made Senelia pause.
Currently, there were no cats at the Daphne mansion.
After she left the Daphne estate, the cats she had kept there had all passed away naturally.
They had been neutered magically, so no kittens were born.
After that, her parents had been too preoccupied with society rumors and marriage matters to think of new cats.
Senelia couldn’t keep cats at the townhouse either, as she often went back and forth between the mansion and the townhouse.
The Apron mansion wasn’t her home, so she never thought to ask permission.
This adorable life in her arms was one of the things she had given up after meeting Clifd.
“…I’m sorry. I didn’t ask first or notice.”
Veneruccia apologized unconsciously.
Seeing Senelia hold the cat so delicately, he could tell how much she had missed the small warmth.
Of course, raising a life wasn’t easy, but at the Apron mansion, everything was abundant—space, time, money, and people to care for it.
“I’ll do my best from now on, to make you happy.”
Veneruccia held Senelia’s hand.
If this were a fairy tale, it would be a rather satisfying happy ending.
But unfortunately, this wasn’t a fairy tale.
Caw—
A crow cried outside the window.
Her gaze slowly fixed on the bird.
