Ch#93
It was a light laugh, like a hollow chuckle.
Her upturned lips revealed pearly white teeth, and her cheeks flushed a soft peach color.
In that instant, if only for a moment.
Color returned to Rudvil’s world.
Everything that had lost its vibrancy was instantly dyed in a rainbow of hues by her single smile.
A clear smile, devoid of any regret or shadow.
Why did it feel so familiar, so longed for?
‘……Ru.’
‘Aren’t you embarrassed, staring like that?’
In that moment, a vision that hadn’t appeared since Odellie arrived at the Grand Duke’s castle flickered before his eyes.
Hazy like a silhouette beyond a faint veil, yet stirring an impulse to rush straight into it.
A landscape that always crumbled just as his hand reached out.
Days of chasing what he knew was an illusion, only groping empty air after it vanished.
“……Highness?”
For a moment, he felt as if the veil obscuring his vision had been lifted.
The curtain he’d wanted to tear apart was drawn back.
Beyond it stood Odellie, calling to him with an utterly serene expression.
Rudvil stared at her silently, without a word.
An indescribable sensation. As if he had seen her long, long ago.
‘Am I going mad again?’
A prickling madness tickled his fingertips. An impulse to seize the woman before him and ensure she could never escape.
He forcibly averted his gaze.
If he kept staring, he might do something irreversible.
At that moment, Odellie took a step closer.
“What’s wrong? Has your mania flared up again? It’s odd that you came all this way just to see me smile……”
She furrowed her brow slightly and reached out her hand.
In an instant, a cool hand touched Rudvil’s forehead.
“No fever…… Do you need purification, perhaps?”
A soft, delicate touch.
Clear blue eyes stared straight at him.
A faint warmth seemed to seep in from where her hand touched.
In that moment, the tangled emotions and hazy visions were all pushed aside.
A strange thought occurred to him.
The veil, whatever it was—it no longer mattered.
* * *
A mere month since their marriage.
Rudvil’s daily routine had already settled into a regular rhythm.
He woke with Odellie in his arms.
He dined with Odellie.
He trained with his sword, worked.
He slept with Odellie in his arms.
This routine, dull enough to make one crave death, had changed simply because ‘Odellie’ was now part of it.
Nights were anticipated because he could hold her as he slept, mornings because he could eat with her.
Work was even tolerable.
He had abandoned everything not out of inability, but because he hadn’t wanted to do anything.
After marriage, things had changed greatly.
Upon returning after a day’s work, Odellie would quietly ask.
How had his day been?
That simple question…… was pleasant to hear.
Her occasional smiles were breathtaking.
For the first time, warmth had entered his monotonous, empty life.
The moment he admitted that to himself, Rudvil smiled faintly where no one could see.
“……?”
Edwin, handing over documents, rubbed his eyes.
He was certain he’d just seen his lord smile.
Not a sneer laced with contempt or mockery.
But the kind of warm smile people make when thinking of something endearing, utterly unfamiliar.
And when Edwin rubbed his eyes and looked at Rudvil again…….
“Gasp!”
He had instantly reverted to a demonic glare.
“What are you looking at?”
His heart nearly stopped.
Edwin clutched his still-pounding chest.
How could a person’s expression change so drastically, like split personality?
“N-No, nothing……”
Edwin barely managed to hand over the documents.
Rudvil read the papers before him indifferently.
But in that moment, his brow furrowed menacingly.
“Reduce the Madam’s luxury expenses? Who dares submit such a proposal?”
“The Grand Duchess Highness herself.”
“…….”
The proposer suggesting to cut her own budget.
Rudvil glared at the report penned by Odellie with displeasure.
The content could be summed up in one sentence.
Don’t waste money on frivolities; spend it on more important things. If there’s truly nowhere to spend it, then spend it on Rudvil himself.
Edwin, peering at the report beside him, remarked.
“Come to think of it, the Grand Duchess Highness is quite frugal. She’s never bought any luxuries. According to the head maid, she only wears the clothes and jewels bought for the wedding or those already in the castle……”
“What?”
At those words, Rudvil cast aside work and all else.
He was flabbergasted.
Who am I working so hard for right now?
Of course, Odellie had never asked for anything, but Rudvil had thrown himself into work wanting to give her something pretty and nice.
But with work piled up so much, he hadn’t even noticed exactly what she was doing with her luxury allowance until now.
He’d thought she could buy anything, but not that she’d buy nothing at all.
Rudvil abandoned his morning duties and headed straight to her. Grabbing Odellie, he asked abruptly.
“That coat of yours.”
Coat?
Odellie looked down at what she was wearing.
It was the navy coat Theodor had gifted her.
An excellent outer garment made of elk fur, sturdy enough for the northern harsh winter.
In fact, except for special occasions like banquets, she always wore this when going out.
As if it were her only coat.
She could have bought others anytime, but…….
‘Why bother?’
With only five years left to wear it, it felt like a waste of money.
“Where did you get it?”
“The head steward gifted it to me.”
“Head steward?”
Rudvil raised an eyebrow.
“I never heard of any such report.”
“Ah, he probably bought it with his own money.”
His expression grew even more incredulous.
“Madam, what happened to the money I gave you to spend freely?”
“In the vault……”
“Luxury funds are for luxuries. Not to rot in a vault.”
“I’ve only been Grand Duchess for a month……”
“That’s more than enough time to buy a new villa.”
