Episode 78
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Castia paused for a moment, then nodded.
"That judgment alone is worthy of praise."
But before Odelia could bask in the afterglow of the compliment, her voice became firm again.
"That doesn't mean a person as weak as you should recklessly rush to the front lines."
"...I'm more intact than you think, Castia."
Castia slowly scanned Odelia.
Outwardly, there were no injuries, and her breathing was steady.
But Castia could clearly see that she was struggling to suppress any signs of strain.
Castia stared at Odelia for a long time without saying a word.
It was because she was suddenly reminded of someone who used to wear the same expression.
"I'm fine, Castia. I didn't overdo it."
For a moment, Castia's eyes clouded over.
Her expression still seemed stubborn, but the look in her eyes towards Odelia was somehow deep.
As if she was seeing something else beyond her.
A face that had gone out to subjugate the Monsters in a fierce blizzard, never to return.
All that remained of him was a blood-soaked sword and a crimson cloak.
After that day, Castia learned bitterly.
That love alone could not endure the North.
That nothing could be protected with the naive determination that a strong me would protect them.
Memories that she believed she had buried were suddenly revived on the cold wind.
What followed was a very small hand.
A hand that seemed fragile enough to break if held, as clear as snow... a hand so wondrous that she couldn't believe she had given birth to it.
Snow always fell in the North. Day and night.
It was the same on the day that hand gradually grew cold in the blanket.
Calling priests and doctors was of no use.
In the end, the child could not withstand the winter of the North and closed her eyes.
"...Your Highness?"
After a long silence, Odelia cautiously opened her mouth.
Her eyes were filled with hesitation and worry.
Only then did Castia slowly lift her head from her long thoughts.
'Why do they both have to be so similar?'
A man who was physically weak but had eyes that pierced through the world.
And a small, soft, white child.
That's why she didn't like it.
When Ludville said he would take Odelia as his wife, it was because a feeling close to anger surged within her.
Because it reminded her of those she never wanted to think about again.
Castia couldn't speak for a long time.
But now, what more could she say?
What was the point of dredging up the dead?
For a moment, those she thought she had blown away with the blizzard of the North flickered before her eyes...
"Nonsense."
She scoffed and brushed them away.
She quickly regained her composure.
The face of the strict former Grand Duke.
"This time, you had no choice but to step in, but if there's anything that can be done by hiring people, do that next time. Enduring until you're about to collapse isn't a good thing."
The words sounded like common advice, but...
'What should I say?'
It was like the remnants of words she hadn't been able to say to someone.
Odelia sensed a hint of regret in Castia's tone.
'Perhaps someone close to her was sick?'
Suddenly, she remembered what she had said when they first met.
"You have eyes that are ready to die."
"You have a face that looks like you could close your eyes without regret even if you die tomorrow, Princess Cardel. Do you think I've only seen someone like that for a day or two?"
She had definitely said that.
At the time, she thought it was just something she said from her experience as the Monarch of the North, watching over the battlefield.
She thought it was something only someone who had watched the eyes of countless knights and soldiers who had faced death could say.
But now, looking back on it.
Those words might have been directed at someone closer.
Someone she had already lost before her eyes, someone she couldn't protect...
Someone who remembered the look in their eyes just before death all too well.
Odelia looked up at Castia with questioning eyes.
"So, you're more intact than you look? If the Grand Duchess says so, I guess that's the case."
It was then.
"Your brother always exaggerates, saying you were spitting up blood or something... He needs to know his limits."
Unexpectedly, Castia nodded in agreement with Odelia's excuse.
But she didn't stop there.
She suddenly bent down to meet Odelia's gaze and whispered in her ear in a very low voice.
"But don't drag out lies to the people you truly care about... You'll regret it later."
"..."
Odelia didn't answer, but looked at her with a strange expression.
Then, Castia muttered to herself.
"Even though he's adopted, how did he only inherit my tastes? He didn't inherit anything I wanted him to."
"...Excuse me?"
Odelia was bewildered by the words, but Castia didn't leave any further explanation.
With a firm and unwavering gait, she quietly left the banquet hall.
* * *
After Castia left, the tension that had enveloped the banquet hall gradually dissipated.
As if breaking the silence, someone sighed, and others left one by one with faces mixed with relief and confusion.
Everyone left, and the incident seemed to be settled for the time being.
Except for the fact that Ludville was still holding Odelia tightly from behind.
'How long do I have to stay like this?'
The distance was so close that they could feel each other's breath.
If Odelia turned her head even slightly, their lips might touch.
"..."
Odelia recalled the moment at the wedding altar when their breaths had intertwined.
It was inevitable.
'Who kisses like that on their wedding day...'
It was absurd, but her heart was racing like crazy.
The pain in her heart felt similar to when she experienced the side effects of Purification ability.
It was as if someone was squeezing her heart.
She was so out of breath that she felt like she had to say something, anything, to survive.
"Everyone... has left."
She barely managed to open her mouth, desperately trying to escape from his arms.
But Ludville didn't let go.
He wasn't using excessive force, but she couldn't escape simply because of the difference in their physiques.
She was just struggling helplessly, held tightly in his arms...
"This is..."
In the end, she slumped and muttered as if resigned.
"Don't you have anything else to say to me?"
Ludville asked.
"You should have something to say..."
It was as if he was giving her a chance to explain herself.
He seemed determined not to let go until he heard the words he wanted to hear.
'...What is it?'
Couldn't he at least give her a hint if there was something he wanted to hear?
Odelia groaned and pondered.
'Isn't there too much?'
There were mountains of hidden truths.
But it was difficult to bring up any of them.
If she rashly said something wrong, it would be a bigger problem if he reacted as if he had never heard of it before.
Hmm...
'I don't know.'
Since she was being held like this anyway, Odelia decided to say what she had wanted to say from the beginning.
"Now that I think about it, I don't think we necessarily have to spend the first night together."
"..."
"Anyway, all the outsiders have left, and we just need to keep the servants quiet. Just like when I first came to this castle. Just like how you hid me from Cardel back then, this time too..."
Before she could finish speaking, Ludville's finger covered her lips.
"......!"
The tip of his thick, rough finger rubbed against her pale coral lips as if crushing them.
"These beautiful lips... unlike their appearance, they only know how to say useless things."
"Ugh..."
Her lips were pressed down by the persistent pressure, and her words were strangely muffled.
Odelia glared at him and tilted her head back to try to remove his finger from her lips.
Then Ludville chuckled softly.
"I only hid you for about fifteen days. Do you think we can hide the fact that the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess are using separate rooms for five years?"
"..."
"Let's go to the room quietly, wife."
