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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Ice Water Memory
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Around the time Akid had slipped out of the suffocating ballroom to catch his breath.
Crash!
Along with the sound of something pouring, ice-cold water cascaded down onto Akid from above.
"Oh dear, sorry about that! I was watering the flowers. Why'd you have to walk right under there?"
A voice rang out, ambiguous as to whether it was an apology or mockery.
Akid looked up to see Roena and her friend, Diana Rike, giggling away. Diana spoke up.
"Are you alright, Young Grand Duke? Oh no, what a mess. Your clothes are ruined—you'll have to head back to the castle."
"Exactly, Young Grand Duke. If you go back in looking like that, you'll be the laughingstock. We can't have you disappointing His Grace, can we?"
Roena chimed in with a snicker, and Akid clenched his fist, swallowing his anger before replying.
"I suppose you're right. I'll take my leave first."
With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, as if he'd never cared about the party to begin with.
Roena bit her lip, displeased by his indifferent demeanor, and turned to follow suit.
"Gasp!"
I swallowed hard as a vivid memory slammed into my mind.
Unthinkingly, I gripped Akid's forearm tightly, startling him.
"My lady?"
What was this? A novel scene?
Or Roena's memory?
My lips trembled as the memory flooded my head so vividly.
This wasn't my memory. Since possessing Roena, I'd never once tormented Akid.
If anything, I'd dealt with the malicious group that bullied him, but I'd never personally put him in a tough spot.
'So this must be Roena's memory?'
I glanced at Diana, who until moments ago had been a complete stranger.
The instant the memory embedded itself, episodes involving Diana naturally settled into my mind.
Diana was Roena's friend—the first one she'd made upon arriving in Hadellus territory, and the one who'd gleefully joined her in tormenting Akid.
I had no idea why this past memory had surfaced now, but she wasn't someone I welcomed.
"Roena, you okay?"
Diana's eyes widened, and she smoothly inserted herself between me and Akid, linking arms with me.
From the way she glared at him, she seemed to think I'd been forcibly escorted.
Akid awkwardly stepped back without protest.
His complexion looked off somehow. Spotting it, I shoved Diana aside and seized Akid's hand.
I was afraid that if I didn't hold on, he'd turn and leave without hesitation, just like in that memory.
"My lady?"
Akid's eyes widened as his hand was suddenly grabbed. His pale blue-gray irises quivered faintly.
"Roena?"
Diana stared at me in bewilderment, her expression screaming, How could you?—making me look like the one in the wrong.
The memory swirling in my head left me somewhat disoriented. Roena had clearly enjoyed bullying Akid.
Yet when he retreated without retort, she'd gotten angry instead.
Why?
Was it because his reaction was so tepid that it felt boring after all that effort?
"What's gotten into you? Did he get something on you?"
Diana alternated harsh glares between Akid and me. Shaking off my tangled thoughts, I met her gaze.
"Get something on me?"
"Well, you being with the Young Grand Duke like this..."
"Is a husband and wife attending together 'getting something on me'?"
"Huh? No, that's not..."
Diana chewed her lower lip, fumbling her words.
My response was so unlike the Roena she knew that it seemed to give her pause.
I brushed her aside and addressed Akid, still gripping his hand tightly lest he bolt.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Pardon?"
"You said you'd stay by my side today. Who backs off that easily?"
Akid glanced between our clasped hands and my face before replying lightly.
"I'm not going anywhere. I was just going to step back while you talked with your friend."
He squeezed my hand in return. The gentle pressure eased my tension a bit.
But it wasn't enough, so I intertwined our fingers.
"You've talked enough. Diana, go on."
At my icy tone, Diana hesitated, then scurried off. But I didn't follow.
I had no intention of staying close to the friend who'd tormented Akid.
Besides, most of the resurfaced memories involved Diana egging Roena on to bully him.
She'd played a huge role in turning Roena against Akid.
'That's why they say to choose your friends wisely.'
I shook my head to dispel Roena's immature past.
From now on, things would be fine. If I showered him with unwavering love for the next seven years, his wounds would heal some.
That was when Akid tugged my hand toward him and whispered in my ear.
"Are you really alright?"
"Hm? With what?"
"Sending Lady Rike off like that."
Akid glanced toward Diana. She was huddled with her group, sniffling dramatically.
No doubt gossiping about me and playing the victim.
Among kids, friends were everything, after all.
They'd pull crazy stunts just to stay in the group—that's what made them kids. Akid seemed worried about that.
Roena hadn't had many friends. As an outsider with a less-than-gentle personality, she didn't have a big circle.
Among them, Diana's clique had been the friendliest, and Roena had blended in seamlessly.
Their method? Gossip. I shrugged nonchalantly and shot them a cold sneer.
"I wasn't planning to stay friends with them anyway."
Several ringleaders were already glaring daggers, their eyes bulging.
What could they possibly do to me, the Duchess Consort?
If they tried anything, I'd be grateful. I'd uproot it all and pay them back tenfold.
'Heh heh heh. No one messes with my baby and gets away with it.'
As I met their stares with resolve—
"You've really changed, my lady."
Akid's low whisper tickled my ear, melting the tension from my body like a signal.
How could even his voice be this captivating?
Shifting my head slightly to meet his gaze at the itchy sensation, I froze.
"...!"
Pale blue-gray eyes stared straight at me, closer than I'd expected.
Well, he had been whispering, so of course.
Akid hadn't anticipated my sudden turn and just stared, stiff.
He looked just like a startled rabbit, and I barely mustered my willpower to suppress the snort bubbling up.
"S-sorry."
Akid belatedly stepped back. His earlobes flushed pink—he seemed pretty flustered too.
'So cuuute!'
I barely held back a fist-pump squeal. After that, we chatted animatedly with approaching guests.
I breezily ignored the stares from Diana's group watching us oddly.
While the party was in full swing and Roena had stepped away briefly, Diana's group approached Akid.
Diana crossed her arms with a pouty expression, cornering him.
"What did you do to Roena?"
It was clear they'd been waiting for her to leave. Akid regarded Diana impassively.
"You make it sound like I've done something to my wife."
"Well, she's acting so out of character, of course we'd think...!"
As Diana geared up to rattle off her usual barrage, Akid cut her off.
"You want to say I've got some leverage over her, naturally?"
"Th-that's..."
Diana gaped foolishly at Akid for voicing exactly what she'd meant to say.
Then she bit her lip at his icy expression.
It was a far cry from the meek Young Grand Duke she'd known.
His eyes held no warmth, like a predator who'd hidden its fangs among herbivores all this time.
Today, the blue glint in his gray irises felt as sharp as a blade's edge.
As Diana recoiled under the pressure, Akid stepped closer.
Taller than his peers, he loomed over her, forcing her to crane her neck. He spoke coolly.
"I've overlooked Lady Rike until now because you were Roena's friend."
"I-I still am her friend!"
"My wife says otherwise."
"Wh-what?"
Diana stammered, face reddening, as a clear smirk tugged at Akid's lips.
It unnerved her so much her fingertips trembled.
'Wh-what? Is this really the Young Grand Duke I know?'
He seemed like a different person entirely, robbing her of the ease to bully him as before.
"Did you think no one noticed how you ignored me while basking in your subtle superiority?"
"I-I never...!"
"Never, you say."
Akid clipped her words sharply, muttering condescendingly.
"So now you're blaming the Young Grand Duke?"
Dare you?
Diana shuddered at his low growl and backed away.
Her foot caught on her dress, and she tumbled down.
Though close enough to catch her, Akid merely stepped back.
Thud!
Diana hit the floor hard with a loud crash, ass-first.
Akid smirked faintly at her terrified face, then leaned in to whisper just for her ears.
"I'll tolerate your rudeness this once. So get lost before my wife returns..."
That was when.
"What's going on?"
Roena's voice sounded from behind like a savior.
Diana whipped around, eyes brimming with pitiful tears.
"Roena. Hic-sob."
