Chapter 9

Chapter 9 (9/177)

#9.

A leisurely afternoon. I couldn't stop smiling inside the carriage. It was because Akid and I had gone out for a drive under the pretext of preparing for the flower festival.

At that moment, Akid, feeling my intense gaze, asked,

"Why do you keep looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"

Yes, there is. Handsomeness.

I wanted to say that right away, but Akid would be surprised, so I thought of something else to say.

"It's reassuring to have Lord Akid helping me."

Akid blinked his eyes at my response.

He must not have expected such a word as "reassuring" to come out of my mouth. After a moment, he said,

"…I didn't think you would ask for my help."

"Is that so?"

"You've always refused my help before."

Akid's face looked dejected as he said this.

After a year of enduring harsh words from his wife, it was natural for my behavior to be awkward.

Even though he had helped me get rid of Lord Rourke, I was still an uncomfortable wife, nothing more, nothing less.

The fact that he still didn't treat me warmly despite fulfilling his duties as a husband made it even more evident. I smiled and replied,

"I thought I might start accepting some help from now on."

Akid still looked puzzled.

On the day I made plans with Akid, I heard from the three maids about the mischief Roena had caused during last year's flower festival.

"So, what did I have to do that day?"

"Whatever you do, you can't act like last year, Miss."

"What? What did I do to deserve that?"

"Don't you remember…?"

I tilted my head at Hannah's deep sigh.

I had a strong feeling that last year's Roena had done something seriously wrong.

Sure enough, Vivian, standing beside me, frowned and said,

"Well, last year, you ignored the instructions of the duchess and prepared the seeds carelessly."

"Is that all? You even picked the seeds with the worst germination rate, which resulted in the flower harvest being only 80% of the previous year's."

Shuri shuddered at the memory. Hannah added,

"Fortunately, Lord Akid replaced them with proper seeds at the last minute to match the germination rate. Otherwise, the harvest would have been less than half of the usual."

"Lord Akid helped?"

"Yes. Of course, you threw a tantrum, saying it was a useless act."

"At that time, even we thought it was a bit too much… Um. No, sorry. Hehehe."

Hannah tried to cover up her slip of the tongue. I shook my head at the story of Akid being scolded for helping Roena.

There was no worse situation than this.

If it were me, I would have given him a kiss as a thank you! What a waste!

While thinking such silly thoughts and pondering how to spend more time with Akid, the idea of this date came to mind.

"Why not ask Akid for help this time?"

That way, I could choose good seeds and avoid getting scolded by the duchess.

It was also a perfect opportunity to have a cozy date with Akid.

Thus, this outing came about. I tried to hide my rising smile.

My expression must have looked very strange. Akid, who had been observing me closely, asked,

"Are you nervous because you got scolded by your mother last year?"

"Huh?"

"I asked because your lips keep trembling."

Akid tapped his lips and said. I stared at him blankly and replied,

"Huh? Oh, yes, well, yeah. That's right. Your mother can be a bit scary when she's angry."

"But you were very close to her last time. On her cheek…"

Akid stopped and stumbled, so I finished for him,

"Goodnight kiss?"

"Yes… that."

Akid rubbed his cheek, looking embarrassed. I said with a casual smile,

"Well, if you're scared, you can't just be scared all the time. You have to get closer."

"Get closer…?"

Akid's eyes widened. His clear gray eyes sparkled like silver beads.

The faint blue in his eyes calmed, and he spoke,

"I don't know how to understand my wife. You were very sharp until recently."

"Just see me as I am."

When I said this calmly,

"See you as you are?"

Akid's voice trembled slightly. I smiled and pointed at myself, speaking firmly,

"Yes. The me right in front of you, Lord Akid. Not the past me."

Akid's lips moved at the words that came out without hesitation.

He seemed a bit surprised that I was speaking normally. Of course, it was only pretty words to Akid.

'I'll be a merciless hell's mouth to those who torment my Akid.'

While making this resolution, he rubbed his cheek and muttered,

"Is that so? I must have misunderstood you all this time."

"No, it's not a misunderstanding. It's just that you only saw a part of me, like I only saw a part of you."

"Ah."

"I'm sorry. I only realized you were a good person recently."

"No, I…"

Akid instinctively denied and trailed off.

He seemed to be choosing his words carefully, and his voice was heavy, indicating he was tense.

"I've caused a lot of stress since coming to this place."

"…"

"I'll really do better from now on. I mean it."

I deliberately lowered my gaze with a dejected expression, and he moved his lips.

I remembered that in the novel, he was very thoughtful and spoke very cautiously.

He had been dragged to the unfamiliar Hadelus Castle.

An indifferent biological father, a cold stepmother, and a young wife who despised him.

He must have lived in constant tension among them.

'Akid must have been lonely.'

I could empathize with Akid's shadow, having lived with step-parents in the past.

A child who wanted to be loved but couldn't receive it often became stiff like that.

That's why, without realizing it, I leaned forward and gently held his hand on his lips. Akid called out in surprise,

"Madam?"

"You don't have to hold it all in. You can speak freely, Lord Akid."

"…"

"Looking back, it seems I was the one who was tense."

I smiled gently to reassure him, and Akid's eyes trembled even more than before.

My unfamiliar face reflected in his clear gray eyes. My lush, curly red hair, cat-like upturned eyes, and blue eyes.

'You still can't get used to my beauty, huh?'

Just as I was thinking such a silly thought,

"We've arrived."

The carriage stopped, and the driver announced our arrival. I naturally let go of his hand and said,

"Shall we go?"

"…Yes, Madam."

Akid, who seemed to be in a daze, slowly replied and got out of the carriage.

* * *

Meanwhile, after being dismissed by the Duke of Hadelus, Lady Rourke, who had been in seclusion at the main house, finally received a guest.

It was Lady Marnie, who she usually got along with. Lady Marnie said,

"The Duke is really heartless. How could he cut ties so abruptly?"

On the surface, she was blaming the Duke, but in reality, she was mocking Lady Rourke for being cast aside by the Duke.

Having relied on the Duke's influence in society, it was natural for her to do so. Lady Rourke pretended to be indifferent and replied,

"It's fine now. Men aren't just the Duke, you know?"

However, her composure was shattered by Lady Marnie's next words.

"I heard he already has a new lover."

"A new lover?"

"Hmm. I'm not sure, but I saw the Hadelus family's carriage heading to the seed farm today."

Lady Marnie finished speaking and glanced at Lady Rourke. As expected, her face was very dark.

It was amusing to see Lady Rourke, who had always subtly looked down on her due to the Duke's favor, in such a miserable state.

'Hmph, it's too bad to see you so down.'

Lady Marnie thought this and forced down the corners of her mouth that wanted to rise.

It was true that she had seen the Hadelus family's carriage.

She had seen the ornate carriage with the Hadelus family crest on her way here.

Of course, Lady Marnie didn't know who was in the carriage.

She just remembered that it was a two-seater carriage the Duke often used and mentioned it.

Lady Rourke, hearing that the Duke had a new lover, asked angrily,

"Is that true?"

"Yes, it is. With the flower festival coming up soon, he might be using the seeds as an excuse to go flower viewing with his lover. …Hmm?"

Lady Marnie let out a shallow exclamation.

Lady Rourke had rudely slammed her teacup down.

However, Lady Rourke's expression was so fierce that Lady Marnie could only clear her throat.

She was cautious, fearing that the fire might spread to her. Lady Marnie cautiously began,

"Men are like that. No matter how beautiful Lady Rourke is, they get used to it and are drawn to new flowers. It's instinct."

"What are you trying to say, Lady Marnie?"

"Oh, I just hope you overcome the pain of heartbreak quickly."

"…"

"If it upset you, I apologize."

Lady Marnie's elegant nod made Lady Rourke let out a hollow laugh.

'He already has a new lover?'