15 - How to Survive as the Wife of a Monster Duke
How to Survive as the Monster Duke's Wife
Episode 15
As soon as Illyin woke up, she stared blankly ahead before quickly rising from her seat.
The avalanche rushing towards the knights was vivid.
An avalanche occurred, but no one died.
She didn't see anyone being buried either.
Illyin exhaled the breath she had taken in with tension.
The Precognitive dream only predicted the avalanche.
"Etra."
Illyin woke up in the morning.
The Maid Etra, who had been waiting by her side, responded to her words immediately.
"Yes, Madam."
"Do you know if the Red Deloz have any plans for an expedition in the near future?"
The people she saw in her dream were all knights of the Red Deloz.
They would face an avalanche.
But their deaths were not foreseen.
It could be avoided if they tried.
Etra bowed deeply at Illyin's words.
"Shall I inquire?"
Illyin hesitated for a moment.
The people of the Red Deloz served her with loyalty.
They were different from the people of other families.
She could tell just by looking at their eyes and actions.
But ultimately, the head of the Red Deloz was Duke Aden de Bifelten.
What would he think if I asked about their expedition plans?
'As the mistress, is there anything I shouldn't do?'
'No.'
His words seemed almost resolute.
Illyin finished her thoughts.
"Yes. Please."
"Understood. And I have arranged for a lady who is well-versed in Biften culture to come, but..."
That was incredibly fast? Illyin blinked.
"...it seems you will have to postpone the appointment until the evening."
She didn't mind, but she was curious about the reason.
Etra bowed deeply as Illyin tilted her head.
"There was a summons from the Knights' Quarters. It seems to be for the Madam's safety, so I would be grateful if you could understand with an open mind."
Well, if you're going to call someone, you need to call a verified person.
She didn't expect them to come this quickly anyway.
"Tell them to come at their convenience."
"Thank you."
Etra bowed again, looking apologetic.
"I will instruct them to inquire about the expedition schedule."
She relayed the message to the Red Deloz Maid standing outside.
Meanwhile, Illyin got out of bed and sat at the table.
Then, another Deloz Maid draped a soft, short cloak over her shoulders.
"Thank you."
The Maid, who wasn't in a position to reply, "You're welcome," blushed.
Illyin stopped her as she tried to step back.
"Just a moment."
"Ah, please command me."
The Maid seemed very nervous.
Illyin smiled to reassure her.
"There's something I'd like to know. The locations where each family stays in the mansion are different, is that because each family has a different location assigned by unwritten rule?"
"Yes."
Perhaps because it was something she knew, the Maid's nervous expression eased a little.
Illyin smiled slightly.
"I'm curious about where the Red Deloz are assigned."
"Ah! That is..."
The Maid began to explain to the Madam with a happy face.
In front of Illyin was a rough map of the mansion.
She marked the Red Deloz territory as the Maid had told her.
She also marked the territories of the other families.
The affairs within the mansion were the mistress's responsibility.
So, shouldn't she know how things were going? That was her initial thought.
But she began to feel something was off when she heard about the succession ceremony.
The succession ceremony was said to be held in the underground Red Deloz territory.
It was only natural since the Biften Duke was about to become the head of the Deloz.
But there was something else strange.
While the territories of the other families were scattered, the Red Deloz territory was quite consistent.
It was easy to see at a glance when drawn on a map.
It wasn't just that the shape was consistent, but it was possible to move around all floors of the mansion without stepping into the territories of other families.
That structure was absolutely impossible for other families.
'This isn't a place for the Blue Nose to wander around.'
When she traced the route that Lizzie of the Blue Nose had guided her through before, she had trespassed on the territories of other families quite a bit. That was probably possible because she was in the role of guiding a guest through the mansion.
And even then, she took very frequent breaks.
Come to think of it, all the places she rested were in Blue Nose spaces.
Illyin recalled the irregular break times and came to a conclusion.
Lizzie probably chose times when people didn't wander around much.
As proof, the only person she met that day was Den of the Red Deloz.
"Up to here..."
Yes, it was possible because the owner of the mansion was practically the head of the Red Deloz.
Rather, the structure itself, which guaranteed the territories of other families, was unfamiliar.
The problem was the Duke's schedule.
Illyin thought about the upcoming succession ceremony.
His Grace would definitely be there.
Of course, since the event was being held underground, there would be no need to look anyone in the face.
The elders were said to be coming too, but they were a minority.
If you didn't want to be petrified by eye contact, you could just keep your head down.
But the problem was the Duke on the battlefield.
'Your Grace!'
The knight's voice calling out urgently.
Illyin thought back to when she first met Den.
Somewhere nearby, there was definitely the Biften Duke.
And the knight had directly sought him out...
At that time, she was so afraid of making eye contact that she didn't have time to look around.
Even if she went back to that moment now, she probably wouldn't be able to bring herself to look around.
What if she made eye contact?
But that was strange.
She wouldn't have known if she hadn't accidentally gone to that battlefield herself.
Illyin had assumed that the Biften Duke was at least in the rear, or perhaps moving alone.
Since he had the Lord's Authority, he was different from other knights.
More than anything, how could you fight with swords alongside someone you couldn't make eye contact with?
So, she didn't expect him to be in the middle of the battlefield.
'Your Grace!'
The knight had sought him out in the middle of the battlefield.
Taking the risk of making eye contact?
Or perhaps, the rumors were exaggerated.
The idea that you would be petrified if you made eye contact.
It might be true that the Duke had such an Authority, but maybe it wasn't a guaranteed effect.
"Madam, I have inquired about the Red Deloz's expedition schedule, but..."
Etra spoke cautiously as she seemed lost in thought.
Illyin nodded slightly.
"How was it? Are there any plans to leave in the near future?"
"Yes."
Etra glanced at the map in front of her and said,
"I cannot reveal the exact schedule, but there is an expedition planned."
She thought that the exact date would be kept secret, as it would be a big deal if it leaked out.
But it wasn't as if she couldn't find clues related to her Precognitive dream.
Illyin unfolded a map of Biften.
Knights who looked at tactical maps would have quickly identified the location, but it took her some time to match the scenery she saw in her dream with the terrain on the map.
Etra waited for her silently, like she wasn't even there, so as not to burden her master.
"Are they perhaps heading west?"
The place Illyin pointed to on the map after a long time was the Crimson Molly Tribe's camp, which stretched west from Bifalten Castle.
"Yes."
Etra looked a little surprised.
Illyin's mind became complicated at her answer.
Should she tell them?
Even if she did, they wouldn't believe her.
Even so... no matter how familiar the knights were, how could they avoid an avalanche without foreknowledge?
"I heard that the Duke will also be joining the expedition.Etra's whispered words ended Illyin's worries.
It was that evening that Illyin moved her room to the 7th floor.
The Deloz physician, who visited as soon as she moved her room, confirmed that her condition had improved significantly and wore a satisfied expression.
"Medicine to nourish the body? That's good."
This old physician always had a kind smile on his face.
"But Nenede may not suit everyone, so it's best to try the Sun Elixir first. Even if there is an adverse reaction, the body must be strong enough to overcome it."
His long explanations felt less tedious and more like a gentle pat on the back.
Illyin wondered if this was the same person who had scolded the Blue Nose Maids.
"Ah, I will be sure to inform His Grace that the Madam has recovered."
The physician didn't forget to say this as he was leaving.
Illyin wondered why he was adding that when the report would be sent up anyway, but her face turned as red as a tomato at the words that followed.
"If His Grace treats you without consideration, please be sure to tell me. Okay?"
Half of it sounded like a joke, but that meant the other half was serious.
According to Etra, Physician Bess was one of the few people within the Red Deloz who could speak frankly to the Duke.
The atmosphere on the 7th floor was definitely different.
Illyin was sitting in the bedroom.
Fortunately, Biften alcohol didn't seem to disagree with her, as she didn't have any adverse reactions.
The Deloz Maids, knowing this, lined up various types of alcohol in front of her.
"This one has a strong peach flavor. It has a high alcohol content, but you can drink it like a beverage."
It had a high alcohol content but you could drink it like a beverage, it was a drink whose aftermath was frightening.
Still, it was the perfect drink to have when sitting alone in bed at night.
Because you never knew when the lights would go out.
Illyin swirled the small glass of alcohol around and then tilted it.
The burning sensation in her throat was the same, but a refreshing sensation, as if she had drunk a non-alcoholic beverage, spread in her mouth.
What enveloped her tongue next was a very sweet peach flavor.
"Oh my."
Delicious! Illyin uncharacteristically tilted the glass a few more times.
Click.
That was when the lights went out.
Illyin stopped the hand that was tilting the bottle.
"Are you fond of drinking?"
Something warm touched her hand.
The owner of the hand gently took the bottle from her hand and placed it on the table, as if they could see in the dark.
Illyin tried to look up in the direction of the voice, but then lowered her gaze.
If you make eye contact, you'll be petrified... Even if that might not be true, she didn't want to find out for herself.
Even if it was just a rumor, it might be difficult to make eye contact.
More than anything, there was no way the Duke himself wouldn't know about the rumors about himself.
But the fact that he was leaving those rumors as they were meant that they were useful.
There was no point in refuting them head-on.
"No."
"Then you liked this."
She heard the sound of a bottle being tilted.
Plop, plop, plop, the sound of liquid being poured into a glass.
Illyin felt a touch tapping the hand holding the glass.
When she released the glass, the glass filled with alcohol disappeared somewhere.
Was it because sounds were heard better in the dark?
Illyin was quietly listening to the Duke drinking the alcohol.
Then, suddenly, it occurred to her that sitting still was impolite, so she got up from her seat.
Click, she heard the sound of a glass being placed down.
"It smells like peaches."
The place where the scent was coming from was close.
Illyin stood up and froze in place.
The Duke, who had leaned down to her, gently kissed her cheek.
"Your cheeks are flushed."
"...Can you see?"
Illyin opened her mouth slightly and asked.
In her eyes, she could only see a deep darkness, so much so that she was confused as to whether her eyes were open or closed.
