17 - The Bride of the Great Lord is a Warrior from Hell
Grand Duchess's Bride is a Warrior of Hell 17
It was that dream again.
He didn't know how many times he'd had it.
"What is this?"
Ever since he saw Alisha in the Marquis's garden, Roderick often dreamed of her as she was then.
He didn't know why, but Alisha in his dreams seemed far more beautiful and mysteriously distorted than he remembered.
Memories were imperfect, so perhaps the real Alisha was better than the one in his dreams.
But the face that looked up at the sky in his dreams had a power that made it impossible to look away.
In truth, dreaming hadn't ever harmed him.
It wasn't as if dreaming of someone caused harm, or harmed the characters in the dream.
But it was a dream that left him dwelling on an unknown sense of foreboding.
Every time he woke up from this dream, he felt a strange pang of conscience.
He felt unpleasant, as if he harbored very dangerous thoughts.
Roderick tossed and turned in bed a few times before getting up not too late and sitting on the sofa chair at the tea table.
He drank the water that had been prepared and ate a cookie with chocolate and nuts.
Even after finishing the palm-sized cookie and a second glass of water, his crumpled face didn't relax.
The hand propping up his forehead didn't seem to want to come down either.
Crackling, sparks flew from the wood in the fireplace.
Drawn by the sound, Roderick approached the fire.
Only after finishing his water while listening to the sparks could he compose himself.
The dawn light slowly rose.
As he was shaking off his complicated thoughts, the bedroom door opened and Henrik entered.
"Good morning, Your Highness."
Beside Henrik was a taciturn and quick-handed page.
The page silently bowed and opened the door to the dressing room.
"Henrik."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Roderick said, looking at the unextinguished fireplace.
"Did she come by last night?"
"No, Your Highness. It's not that cold yet. Is something the matter?"
Henrik approached Roderick with a worried expression.
The page, who had brought the Grand Duke's clothes for the day from the dressing room, returned to the bedroom and opened the door.
In the connected space beyond the open door, younger pages moved quickly.
The children diligently prepared a silver basin filled with hot water, a sea sponge, barber's scissors, a silver hairbrush, and shaving tools.
A neatly folded linen towel was placed on a wide, square silver dish.
Pre-prepared toners and perfumes were lined up on a small table.
Henrik watched the children's movements, examining Roderick's pajamas.
"I feel like I had a restless sleep."
"Could it be because the bedroom was rearranged? Shall I have Connie redo it?"
"No, leave it as it is."
Roderick shook his head, approaching the table where the basin was placed.
While he washed, the pages moved busily.
Henrik, watching the children, went to the window, drew back the heavy curtains, and opened the shutters.
Returning to Roderick's side, he took out a card from his pocket and placed it on the empty table.
The stiff card had the Grand Duke's schedule written in an elegant script.
While Roderick sat in a chair and checked the schedule card, the pages brought shoes and asked for permission.
Indoor shoes for the inner chambers and study, and outdoor shoes and boots to replace the leather slippers he wore comfortably in the evening and at night, were placed next to the footstool.
Whether he had an outdoor schedule or not, Roderick always chose outdoor shoes and boots.
At his gesture, some shoes were placed at the front of the preparation room, and others were returned to the depths of the closet.
Once the Grand Duke's instructions were finished, the pages tidied up and left the bedroom.
Roderick handed the schedule card to Henrik and headed to the dressing room.
Henrik, who was attending to him as he changed his clothes, cleared his throat.
"Ahem, Your Highness."
Roderick's attitude as he changed from his pajamas to indoor clothes was perfunctory.
"Speak."
"Lady Alisha has requested an audience."
The hand fastening his shirt cuff stopped abruptly.
But only for a moment.
Roderick indifferently ignored Henrik's moist eyes and said, "Decline it."
Henrik followed him, his cheeks flushed red.
"Your Highness, it's been five days already!"
"Tell her not to come."
Roderick left the room and headed to where breakfast was prepared.
"It wasn't a scheduled visit, but she is the future mistress of Tessen. You must show courtesy and allow her audience."
"I'm busy these days."
"How long is the journey from Liliese Palace to Tessen Estate? You mustn't ignore the Countess's efforts to come and request an audience in perfect attire every time."
Henrik raised his voice, his face resolute.
Roderick, who was standing next to the door, nodded, his eyes politely lowered.
It was a subtle movement, but it was clear enough.
Jamie, standing next to Roderick, only blinked, but his expression showed complete agreement.
"Just give her breakfast and send her away."
As Roderick sat at the table, hot oatmeal porridge was served.
A teapot, teacup, and water glass were placed on one side.
Sweet rolls and warm breads with almost no seasoning were also served on plates.
Jamie, who had been watching the breakfast being set, approached Henrik and said, "I have ordered breakfast to be served to the Lady as well."
Roderick, who was eating oatmeal porridge with a silver spoon, looked back at Henrik and Jamie, who were standing near the table.
The faces of Baron Langs and his son clearly showed concern for their master.
They even seemed a little pathetic.
The two men didn't resemble each other at all, but their expressions were so similar that it was clear they were father and son.
"Well done."
Roderick received the egg dish in a silver egg cup, looking at the two faces with dissatisfaction.
He praised them with his mouth while cutting the egg in the egg cup in half with a silver spoon.
"Since Your Highness has a fiancée, wouldn't it be nice to have a meal with her? It pains me to see Your Highness eating alone and working alone in the study."
Jamie held a blue leather dispatch box containing official documents in his arms.
"Put it in the study."
Roderick lightly ordered, drinking the tea that Henrik poured.
Jamie couldn't say anything more, bowed his head, and turned to leave the dining room.
Roderick expected Jamie to leave the dispatch box on the Grand Duke's desk in the study and go straight to the personal secretary's office.
Jamie Langse was the son of Baron Henrik Langse and the Grand Duke's personal secretary at Tessen Estate.
The Grand Duke's personal secretary recorded all reports related to Tessen, disagreements with the Grand Duke, and opinions on agenda items, and submitted them to the Grand Duke.
Jamie would write down the conversation they just had in a report format.
And Roderick would tear it up and throw it away for including unnecessary small talk in the report.
"Your Highness."
Roderick called out to Roderick, who was finishing his meal.
"Speak."
Roderick's eyebrows were slightly furrowed as he ate a salty and sweet brown biscuit with his tea.
His voice in response felt ominous, as if saying, 'What is it now?'
"The Lady asked if she could tour Tessen Estate even before meeting with Your Highness."
At Roderick's words, Henrik exaggeratedly chimed in.
"The Lady alone!"
Roderick completely ignored their conversation and said only what he wanted to say.
"Roderick. You will escort the Lady with the guards. It will be difficult to look around, so limit the Lady's companion to one person."
"I can't do that. What will Your Highness do if I leave your side?"
Roderick hurriedly protested.
"I'm fine. I'll go to the study."
"Your Highness, are you going to start working right after breakfast? Why don't you take a light walk?"
Henrik quickly poured out words as he cleared the table.
Roderick didn't respond and left the dining room.
Roderick and Henrik, left in the dining room, exchanged words.
"No outing today?"
"None."
Roderick was disappointed that Roderick had no outing today.
The fact that Roderick, who liked outdoor activities, had gone to the study without even taking a walk after breakfast meant that he intended to shut himself in and work.
"Where will he have lunch?"
"I suppose he'll have it in the Oak Dining Room."
Henrik replied with an insecure attitude.
"Leave the windows wide open."
Roderick said firmly, organizing his route in his head.
"I'm worried because the wind seems strong today."
"I'm more worried that Your Highness will have lunch late."
Roderick grumbled about what would happen if the Lady got hungry while touring the estate and returned to Liliese Palace early.
"I'm worried that Your Highness will skip lunch. The way he went to the study is unusual."
Henrik chose a new tea to send to the study.
He also decided on the simplest possible dessert to accompany it.
Even after the tea and dessert were all prepared, Henrik's practice continued for a while.
Meanwhile, Roderick, sitting at his desk in the study, was holding his forehead with his hand, even though he felt no pain.
It seemed that Alisha was trying to fulfill her duty because of her title as his fiancée.
She came every morning to request an audience, even though he kept refusing.
"Is she too young to know anything?"
Alisha wasn't usually so clueless.
She was quite perceptive, considering she had borrowed the Emperor's authority to follow him when she wanted to see the gold lying around in Tessen.
"Didn't she want to see the Golden Chamber? I gave her all the keys."
Roderick's entourage seemed to want him to get close to his young fiancée and make some progress, but that was impossible.
He was a sensible and conscientious adult.
Even if a child was clinging to the position of fiancée and kept hanging around without knowing anything, he would coldly cut her off.
"Shall I go hunting?"
Perhaps because of last night's dream, he couldn't concentrate well even though he was sitting at his desk.
Even with his eyes open, the face smiling as it looked up at the sunlight he had seen last night flickered before him.
Roderick opened the documents and focused on the writing.
He strained his eyes every time a bright purple eye threatened to appear above the dense writing.
It was a much more ominous and uncomfortable dream than he had expected.
