Chapter 199

Chapter 199

Sometimes, she was reminded of the Duke’s blood running in her veins and feel disgusted.

She would then be distant towards Lucius but he wouldn’t push her away just because of that. He had confessed his love to her once again after going through all those past events.

He loved her. His love was nobler than she thought, so it wouldn’t be destroyed by something like this.

Deatrice held onto that thought with all her might.

***

The palace was adorned with flags and banners for the farewell ceremony. People had gathered near the palace entrance early in the morning to witness the knights’ departure. Deatrice spotted Lucius looking outside from the carriage.

Lucius hadn’t seemed particularly happy lately. At times, she could sense an overwhelming weight on his shoulders.

He likely knew that the Emperor’s and Frederick’s deal was getting closer to fruition, that everything would be decided tonight.

Was his recent busyness related to that? Deatrice had seen it a few times; a group of knights spending a long time in Lucius’s study.

She couldn’t fathom why knights, not lawyers, lingered in his study for so long, but she knew Lucius was doing his best to protect this marriage.

She was also worried that he might do something strange in his desperation. When I thought about such things, I couldn’t help but have pessimistic thoughts, like maybe it would be better to tell him about his birth mother sooner, so he wouldn’t have to go to such lengths to protect their marriage.

As she got out of the carriage, she stumbled.

Deatrice fell into Lucius’s arms, who had been escorting her. He was surprised and wrapped his arms around her waist, and the careful hairpin came undone a bit.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. I was lost in thought for a moment.

She hastily excused herself from his embrace and stepped away. Lucius, wearing a quickly darkening expression, must have wondered if her “distraction” was related to Frederick.

“Don’t worry, Dee,” he comforted her with a tender tone enough to melt her. “I know I’ve been busy so far. But there’s something I needed to prepare for. You might have guessed roughly what it is, but it’s not something you can do anything about, and it wasn’t meant to be hidden.”

“I understand,” she replied. However, she wasn’t entirely sure what he knew or understood. Yet, her response seemed to have reassured Lucius, who kissed her forehead with an improved expression.

“There won’t be any reason for you to worry in the future,” he declared.

But his words only made her feel more uneasy. It sounded as if he were signalling the beginning of something dangerous.

***

The farewell reception was endlessly dull, as such events usually are. The nobles’ activities were limited to watching Frederick receive accolades, Renata walking down the aisle, swearing an oath at Dias’ statue, and then applauding the seemingly genuine blessings.

Frederick waved his hand like a stage actor, and the Emperor kept emphasizing Frederick’s “sacrifice.”

But what exactly was he sacrificing? Deatrice thought bitterly.

If he had the Panimer’s Blade to deal with the creatures, it should be a piece of cake. Moreover, rumors were circulating in town that these monsters started appearing because of the Prince himself.

Her suspicions were not baseless. In any case, it was oddly convenient that while Frederick was cleaning up Galaba, the monsters drew the Empire’s attention, making Frederick’s work easier.

However, there was no way to confirm these suspicions other than through rumors. If it were revealed that the Empire had been thrown into chaos solely because of that little blade, it would be more of a problem than any reward they could obtain.

And the Emperor would not tolerate it.

As the day turned into night, Lucius, who had been guarding her side, also left. As usual, he gave her a quick kiss and stared at her a bit longer than usual.

Looking at him, Deatrice couldn’t shake the feeling that it was Lucius, not Frederick, who seemed like someone heading into war.

Staying in the palace hall for a long time was challenging for Deatrice, and above all, the thought of having to greet the late-arriving Duke was harder to bear than anything. She sneaked out of the ballroom like an inexperienced girl.

There weren’t many people in the dark outer garden. Her breath formed white traces as she sighed. She wouldn’t stay out here long without a coat.

As she sat on a bench, shivering and trying to delay going back inside as much as possible, a coat was draped over her shoulders. Startled, she looked up to find Frederick looking down at her.

“Why the surprised look? Didn’t you know I was following you?”

She hadn’t known. How absent-minded must she have been not to notice a man following her? Deatrice raised her hand to her throbbing temple, then handed the coat back to Frederick.

“Take it. I won’t be out here for long anyway.”

“Well then, keep it on. I won’t be taking it off for long either.”

“Then why did you follow me?”