Chapter 139

Chapter 139

After being brought into the room and left ignored for a good while, the servant spoke unsurely. “Excuse me, m’lord?”

Only then did Lucius notice the servant’s existence and return to reality.

“What do you have to say?”

“I have found out where the lady’s finances were spent,” the servant bowed and said.

As soon as Lucius heard that, he put on an expression as if he was already tired of the report that hadn’t even started. “Ah, that.”

“Yes, m’lord. It turns out that she donated it to the temple, which can be expected from the lady’s personality so there is absolutely nothing to worry about. However, the location of the temple is a bit odd—”

“Enough.”

“Yes?”

“You can stop there. You may go.”

He didn’t have the time to care about that right now as all he could think about was him needing to be away from her for a month. Lucius pushed the servant to the back of his mind and focused on the Rondini case. Before he realized it, his hand had already begun sorting through the different types and numbers of monsters that had been reported. He made a mental note to check the dungeons on the way from Rondini to the duke’s residence as well.

At the same time that day, Deatrice received a letter from Rosalynn. Naturally, she thought it was a letter related to the manor’s affairs or the duke’s marriage and tried to deal with it out of habit.

But when saw the unexpected envelope, she looked up at Rosalynn without realizing it. Rosalynn immediately apologized as if she had found something reproachful in that gaze.

“Apologies, m’lady. I should’ve sorted it out. But I still think we need to give an answer…”

“Right. You should give it to me.”

However, Deatrice could not easily open the envelope.

It was decorated with a distinctive silver pattern on a green background and was meant to represent Alhen’s temple motif. She had received multiple letters from them, so there was no way she wouldn’t be able to recognize them.

Perhaps inside the envelope is the answer to the question she asked last time. The kind of job she will take on in the future and the kind of life she’d lead afterward.

It was too early to ask such a question, but when Deatrice sent the letter, she had assumed that the future of living in the temple was not too far off. Furthermore, she had the rebellious thought that even if Lucius found her in the temple, he would have no choice but to let go of her.

But during the brief period of waiting time between sending the letter and receiving this reply, everything changed.

Their relationship, Lucius’ attitude, and even Deatrice’s heart.

Lucius regained the form of a sweet and mischievous lover, expressing all his affection without hiding anything, and he could do all these things just by simply meeting her eyes.

The idea of annulment has all but remained a thought of the past. She would have to abandon her plans to go to Alhen.

Looking at the envelope again, Deatrice knew she had to respond by writing a letter of apology. Naturally, a few phrases and excuses came to mind, but while more than half of the letter was completed in her head, her hand did not move.

“Can you leave me for a while?”

Rosalynn bowed her head as she was accustomed to and left.

Deatrice couldn’t understand. Everything is already going well for her. Wasn’t she living the fairytale life she was hoping for? Lucius loves her and she loves Lucius too. Everything feels like they’ve returned to the past when she felt the happiest.

But why is her heart like this?

It was like living over a mistake, like dancing in a room with a rug with a hidden and gaping hole underneath. Waiting for her to make a single misstep and devour her.

“Everything will be different. You think you can bear it, but it’s a human thing to not know what the future will soon be like.”

These were the words of Sophie, a priestess whom she met not too long ago. She was one of those who had looked after Deatrice since she was a child at a temple near the duke’s family, but she is currently in Alhen for her research.

She hadn’t been in contact with her that much recently, but Sophie sent her a letter saying that they should talk and she would personally visit as soon as she returned to her home country.

Deatrice felt unusual energy from this letter.

As expected, upon seeing her face, Priestess Sophie questioned why she was going to Alhen’s temple. Deatrice told everything without hesitation—from the fact that her marriage to Lucius was the emperor’s order, to how Lucius had no intention of continuing the marriage with her.

Sophie, who remained silent until the end without replying, said shortly after her words were finished.

“It must have been difficult.”

It wasn’t meant to be comforting, but it comforted her anyway. Moreover, it reminded her of the first time they met. Because these were the exact words that Sophie used when she realized that the young Deatrice was healing the ailing Duchess.

Sophie had been silent for a moment, but she began to persuade her.

“Your marriage is unfortunate, but choosing the lonesome life of a priest is a different matter altogether.”

They say that a holy servant’s job is not easy. One might think they have what it takes to be one, but even if they can’t, the scariest thing is that they can’t quit even if they want to. In her mind, Deatrice would never be able to endure that kind of life.

But Deatrice was stubborn, and so she answered.

“I have thought about it for a long time. I believe I can do it.”

She didn’t know why she had said those words so decisively. In fact, even then, she had guessed to some extent what Lucius was thinking.

It was after he had kissed her, and after he had called her ‘there was only her’ at the dinner table. Even when she’d had enough of his torment as he uttered how their marriage would be null and void. Still, she firmly said to herself that she would brave the temple life as if she had received some sort of revelation.

And that was still the case today.

Despite being in this harmonious situation with Lucius, she didn’t want to write a letter of rejection to the temple.

It felt strange. Like candy being pushed into your mouth when you’re not ready and she has swallowed it whole. Now, it was stuck in her throat, which is why she couldn’t savor the sweetness of it comfortably.

In the end, Deatrice put the letter deep inside the desk drawer without even opening it. But at that moment, the door immediately opened, and her fingers got caught when she hastily closed the drawer.

“Ah!”

Her pained moan startled Lucius who had hurriedly rushed to her side to inspect her hand. Looking at the red area of her fingers, he grimaced as if he had been the one hurt.