83 - The Bride of the Great Lord is a Warrior from Hell
Grand Duke's Bride is a Warrior from Hell 83
After confessing, she was going to ask about the will her father had left behind.
She planned to reach a conclusion.
'Who is the Countess of Lua?'
Her father's will and the circumstances suggested that the Countess of Lua was the late Grand Duchess Tessen who had disappeared.
Learning about her would bring her closer to the secret Reikart was hiding.
One way or another, it was bound to lead to a conclusion.
But her lips wouldn't open.
She couldn't bring herself to say something pressing to a face that smiled as if scattering light everywhere.
She didn't want to.
The complexity in her head faded dimly, and only the captivating face was clear.
She felt pathetic for her lips, which were frozen and unable to utter a single word of confession to the face that was spreading a radiant smile towards her.
Alisha was realizing what it meant to be a mesmerizing presence.
"Your Highness."
She tried to pull herself together, but it wasn't easy.
"Didn't we agree to call each other by our names?"
Reikart was still smiling.
She felt like she had to smile along with his radiant smile and call him by his name in a friendly manner.
Otherwise, she felt like she would be committing a great sin.
"Oh, right..."
A part of Alisha's consciousness thought that she didn't intend to say those words.
But that vanished in an instant.
Reikart's face, which never lost its smile for a moment, beckoned her to sit down, and she sat.
When he spread an even brighter smile, she stared blankly.
She couldn't take her eyes off him.
There was a moment when she doubted if men could smile so well, but the question quickly flew away.
The reason she had rushed here was because Reikart was in pain.
She had come wanting to help him, who was submerged in pain, but even that reason was fading from her mind.
The power of a face that was genuinely smiling was immense.
His golden eyes crinkled every time a smile flowed, reflecting light in a unique way.
"Aren't you going to call my name?"
Reikart asked, spreading a sweet smile.
"...Oh, Your... um. Don't you have a comfortable name for me to call you?"
Alisha managed to complete her sentence after stuttering several times.
She was so confused that she didn't even think it was terrible every time she stammered.
Reikart was lost in thought for a moment.
His brothers had called him 'Reikart' since they were young.
The brothers who weren't the Emperor had called him 'Grand Duke Tessen' more than his name since they had titles.
After becoming Grand Duke Tessen, there was no one close enough to call him by a shortened version of his name.
The Emperor always called his younger brother 'Reikart,' but he was the only one.
Currently, Reikart and his brothers were called Your Highness more than their names.
Reikart erased his smile for a moment, lost in some thought.
He spread a smile on his lips again.
"Ray."
There was someone who had called him that for a very short time.
"Ray... Ray."
Alisha repeated the name.
It wasn't that she disliked Reikart, but Ray felt much more familiar.
"Yes."
Reikart answered with a smile at Alisha's call.
"Ray, are you not in pain?"
"Earlier..."
Alisha almost lost her clear consciousness again.
She belatedly remembered why she had done that the moment she saw the man, earlier.
"Yes, earlier..."
Reikart, who always greeted those who would help him with a composed face and attitude, was pitiful.
She felt sorry and pathetic.
She came to the conclusion that if she liked him and he liked her, it wouldn't be a bad thing to do.
Acting on it immediately was impulsive.
Alisha's heart, which had been gradually calming down, beat fiercely again.
"Are you okay?"
"Of course, I'm fine. So Ray is fine too, right?"
Alisha tried to keep her consciousness and thoughts in order.
"Yes, I'm fine."
Reikart answered, spreading a faint smile.
It was a relief.
Alisha almost jokingly said that she was relieved that the treatment had a good effect, but stopped.
Her heart was pounding so much that she couldn't come to her senses.
The man in front of her was probably hearing everything, but he didn't show it.
She didn't want to make the person she liked feel bad by saying something she didn't mean.
She didn't want to spill out words she would regret and be ashamed of her childishness.
"Then, uh..."
Alisha was about to get up.
Reikart's hand overlapped Alisha's hand, which was confused and disorganized.
His large hand firmly held Alisha's hand.
"Don't go, stay here."
"Yes."
Alisha answered Reikart's words immediately.
The movement she was about to make became meaningless, and she was embarrassed, but she didn't care.
Heartbeats echoed between their clasped hands.
An awkward and uncomfortable sweetness flowed calmly.
It was hard to even breathe.
The time spent holding hands without doing anything was difficult, but it was a difficulty she didn't dislike.
The illusion that her fingertips were throbbing continued.
Marquis Felix Reine's congratulatory banquet was postponed.
Superficially, the reason given was that it was a time to commemorate the late Marquis.
The new Marquis Reine replaced the banquet with a meal with his family.
Although the banquet was not held, Felix sent gifts to the Imperial delegation and the vassals of the Marquisate.
The Imperial family and vassals also sent congratulatory gifts to Felix, expressing their sincerity.
The real reason the banquet was canceled was because Grand Duke Tessen had contacted them to say that it would be difficult for him to attend.
It was Alisha who told Felix about the Grand Duke's absence.
She said that the Grand Duke was not in good condition because he had suffered from traveling a long distance, so it would be difficult for him to attend the banquet.
'Who is in bad condition?'
Felix would have questioned it as if picking a fight if the person who delivered the message wasn't Alisha.
The Grand Duke Tessen, known as Satan with an Axe, was in bad condition just from traveling for a few days.
To Felix's ears, it sounded similar to saying that a rhinoceros's horn was scratched and hurt.
Alisha's face was full of worry as she spoke, which made his stomach twist even more.
'That can't be.'
Felix barely managed to hold back the urge to raise only one side of his lips.
Alisha had been showing amazing sides of herself recently, but she was the only lady born in the Reine Marquisate in 200 years, so she was cherished and loved.
Therefore, it would be difficult for the innocent youngest to grasp the inner thoughts of the sly imperial man.
Alisha said that she would be nursing the Grand Duke by his side with a worried face.
'As expected, that...'
Felix was the type to hold back harsh words even in his heart.
He swallowed the words that were about to come out.
He postponed the banquet and suggested having a meal with the family.
Alisha seemed like she might skip the meal as well, worrying about the Grand Duke, but Felix pretended not to notice and asked, "You'll have the meal with us, right?"
As soon as the meal was over, Alisha left.
"The Grand Duke is sick."
Felix blurted out the words after Alisha left, as it was difficult for him to suppress his suffering alone.
"Even if you're going to lie, put some effort into it."
Harry frowned and laughed.
Marene, watching Harry who looked like he would get up from his chair at any moment and Felix who was quietly butchering his meat, spread a bright smile.
"His Highness was handsome."
The two sons were about to protest at their mother's betrayal.
"Mother."
"He wasn't that handsome..."
Marene put down her wine glass and smiled elegantly.
"He's very handsome. I'm glad I became the Marchioness since my son-in-law has heavenly beauty. If you interfere, both of you will be receiving guests every three days. Don't be too upset, our sons aren't ugly either."
Her face was smiling as she spoke, but it was very eerie.
And her eyes looked at them with a slightly ridiculous gaze.
The next day at dawn, Grand Duke Tessen and the Imperial delegation hurriedly left for Baden.
As the Empress's pregnancy was announced, the Emperor summoned Reikart to strengthen the Imperial Palace's defenses.
They couldn't travel according to the regulations as they did when they came to Reine.
Alisha's face was full of worry as she saw off the Grand Duke.
Reikart comforted Alisha with a smiling face that she had never seen before.
"Alisha, you will never know what state I am in right now."
Reikart's smiling face shone in the dimness of dawn.
Every time he smiled, even the guards who served the Grand Duke closely looked like they had seen a ghost.
"Be careful, Ray."
Alisha held Reikart's hand and urged him.
"I will."
"We'll be able to see each other again soon."
Reikart tried not to expect too much from Alisha's polite words.
But it was difficult to completely let go of his expectations.
"I'll be waiting."
Reikart, who was on his horse, greeted her and headed to the group waiting for him.
Alisha waved to Reikart, who was looking back at her.
Reikart, who was at the head of the Imperial delegation, looked back at Alisha one last time before quickly increasing his speed.
Only the Grand Duke's guards followed him, who was going ahead.
Alisha checked Juan, who was moving with the guards, and looked at Reikart, who was running at the head again.
The Grand Duke and the guards, who had become as small as dots in an instant, soon disappeared.
Only a hazy dust scattered in the morning air.
Felix solidified his position as the Head of the family of the Marquisate.
The Reine Marquisate quickly regained stability.
Harry left for Galla without hesitation.
He suddenly said it as if he was going to play in front of the house while eating breakfast.
"I'm going to Galla today."
The butler and the head maid, Marsha, screamed at Harry's declaration.
The other servants and maids also shouted, "Galla?!" and said it couldn't be done.
They were about to organize a group of about 40 people, saying that it was too far to go alone.
Harry silenced Marsha's cry to pack a lunch box with a hug.
Galla was not close.
Yet, he left the house with only one horse, a few gold coins, and things to prove himself.
"Be careful."
Felix pulled his brother's shoulder strongly and then let go.
"Keep in touch."
Alisha jumped into Harry's unguarded arms and hugged him deeply.
She didn't want it to happen, but she treated every moment she faced as if it were the last, as she didn't know what would happen in the future.
Harry patted her worried back and loudly said that he would send her peaches when they were harvested.
Marene saw Harry off with a regretful face.
Harry left with a cheerful appearance.
"But is it okay to send him off alone like that?"
Marene belatedly wiped her eyes and expressed her concern.
"If it's Harry, he'll probably make about three travel friends to travel with in the next village. He'll make two of them his henchmen by the next village."
Alisha said with conviction.
"He's that kind of kid..."
Marene agreed with a much more relieved face.
"I planted a tail to follow him to the next village."
Felix said calmly from behind Marene and Alisha, who were talking quietly.
Marene and Alisha turned to him at the same time.
"Well done."
"You did well, Head of the family."
Marene and Alisha sent sincere praise to the Marquis Reine.
Alisha was also planning to leave Reine soon.
That's why she had Juan take a letter to Baden.
Only one word was written in the letter in Juan's arms.
'Union.'
If Princess Josefina had not been neglecting her information gathering, she would be able to understand the meaning as soon as she saw the letter.
Alisha had pondered for a long time before sending the letter.
Many things could change with this letter.
Many things had already changed since she returned from hell.
There was no hesitation after she made up her mind.
If she had been watching the situation and making moves accordingly, Alisha would now create the situation.
She was planning to return to Imperial Capital Baden within a month.
"I think I'll be returning to Baden soon."
Felix made a disappointed face when he heard Alisha's plan.
There wasn't much change in his expression, but it was to the extent that he had hardened his entire face according to his standards.