-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Leisurely Afternoon
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A leisurely afternoon. I kept grinning from ear to ear inside the carriage. It was because I'd dragged Akid out on an excursion under the pretext of preparing for the flower festival.
Feeling my heated gaze, Akid asked,
"Why do you keep looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
Yes. Handsomeness.
I desperately wanted to say it just like that, but knowing it would startle him, I came up with something else.
"I'm just relieved to have your help, Akid."
Akid blinked at my response.
He probably never imagined those words—"relieved," "help"—coming from my mouth. A moment later, he said,
"......I never thought you'd ask for my help."
"Is that so?"
"You've always refused it before."
Akid's face looked so wistful as he said it.
It was only natural after enduring a year of harsh words from his wife. Even after I'd dealt with Baron Lork the other day, to him, I was still just an uncomfortable wife—nothing more, nothing less.
He fulfilled his duties as a husband, but he still didn't treat me warmly. I smiled brightly and replied,
"From now on, I think I'll rely on you a bit."
Akid still looked utterly baffled.
The day I'd made plans with Akid, I'd heard from three maids about the atrocity Roena had committed during last year's flower festival.
'So what am I supposed to do that day?'
'Whatever you do, just don't repeat last year, miss.'
'What? What the hell did I do?'
'You don't remember......?'
I tilted my head at Hanna's deep sigh.
For some reason, it hit me hard that last year's Roena had royally screwed things up.
And sure enough, Vivian standing beside me frowned and said,
'Well, you ignored the Grand Duchess's instructions and prepared the seeds all wrong.'
'That's not all. You picked only the ones with the worst germination rates, so the flower harvest that year was just 80% of the previous year's.'
Shuri shuddered, as if it was dizzying just to recall. Hanna chimed in from the side.
'At least Akid stepped in late and swapped them for proper seeds to fix the germination rates. Otherwise, we might've ended up with half the usual harvest.'
'Akid helped?'
'Yes. Though you threw a fit, saying it was all pointless meddling.'
'Even we thought it was a bit much back then...... Um, no. Never mind. Hoho.'
Hanna trailed off with a sheepish look. I shook my head at the story of Akid helping Roena only to get chewed out for it.
What a mess.
If it had been me, I'd have showered him with thank-you kisses as an excuse! What a shame!
While lost in such silly thoughts and pondering how to spend more time with Akid, this date idea popped up.
'This time, I can just ask him to help me from the start, right?'
That way, we'd pick good seeds, avoid getting scolded by the Grand Duchess,
and as a bonus, enjoy a sweet little date with Akid.
And so, this outing was born. I tried my best to suppress my rising smile.
But apparently, my expression looked downright strange. Akid, who had been watching me intently, asked,
"Are you nervous because you got scolded by Mother for last year's fiasco?"
"Pardon?"
"Ah, your lips keep twitching, so I asked."
Akid tapped his own mouth. I stared blankly before blurting out,
"Oh? Ah, yeah, sure. Right. Mother's pretty scary when she's mad."
"You seemed awfully chummy with her last time, though. On the cheek......"
Akid hesitated, so I finished for him.
"Goodnight kiss?"
"Yes...... that."
Akid rubbed his cheek with an awkward expression. I played it cool and said,
"If you're just scared all the time, you can't get close to her."
"Get close......?"
Akid's eyes widened. His clear grayish-blue eyes sparkled like silver orbs.
The faint turmoil in them calmed, and he spoke.
"I don't know what to make of you, my lady. You were so sharp-tongued just a little while ago."
"Just see me as I am."
I said calmly.
"As you are?"
Akid's voice trembled ever so slightly. I grinned and pointed to myself energetically.
"Yes. The me right in front of you. Not the old me."
Akid's lips parted at my unfiltered words.
He seemed flustered that something sensible had come out of my mouth. Of course, it was sensible only for Akid.
'To anyone who torments my Akid, I'll gladly revert to the merciless hellhound anytime.'
With that resolve in mind, he touched his lips and murmured softly,
"I see. So I've misunderstood you all this time."
"No, not misunderstood—just saw only part of me. Like how I mistook you for using your background against me."
"Ah."
"Sorry. I was late realizing what a good person you are."
"No, I......"
Akid reflexively denied it but trailed off.
He was choosing his words carefully, his voice heavy with tension.
"I've caused you a lot of trouble, coming from out of town and stressing you out."
"......"
"I'll do better from now on. For real."
I cast my eyes down with a deliberately wistful look, and his lips twitched.
Come to think of it, even in the novel, he was always thoughtful, speaking so cautiously.
He'd been more or less dragged into the unfamiliar Hadellus Castle.
An indifferent birth father, a cold stepmother, and a young wife who despised him.
Of course he'd live in constant tension around them.
'Akid must have been lonely.'
Having grown up eating side-eye glances under my adoptive parents, I empathized with his shadow.
Kids craving love but denied it always stiffened up like that.
Maybe that's why. Without thinking, I leaned forward and gently took his hand near his mouth. Startled, Akid called out,
"My lady?"
"Don't bottle it all up. You can speak freely, Akid."
"......"
"Turns out I'm not the tense one—you are."
I gave him a soft smile to reassure him, and his eyes shook even harder than before.
A stranger's face reflected in those grayish-blue eyes. Abundant, curly red hair, upturned cat-like eyes, and blue irises.
'Still not used to my beauty, huh.'
I was having such a silly thought when
"We've arrived."
The carriage stopped, and the coachman announced it. I naturally pulled my hand back and said,
"Shall we?"
"......Yes, my lady."
Akid looked dazed for a moment before slowly replying and stepping out of the carriage.
Meanwhile, Lady Lork, who had been holed up in her family home after being rejected by the Grand Duke of Hadellus, finally received a visitor after a long while.
It was Lady Marnie, whom she was usually close with. Lady Marnie said,
"The Grand Duke is so heartless. How could he just chop her off like splitting firewood?"
On the surface, she blamed the Grand Duke, but it was really a jab at Lady Lork, who had been cast out of his favor.
It was only natural after she'd been flaunting herself in high society using his name. Lady Lork pretended nonchalance and replied,
"It's fine now. There's more than one man in the world besides the Grand Duke."
But Lady Marnie's next words shattered her composure.
"I hear he's already got a new lover."
"A new lover?"
"Mm. Not certain, but I saw a Hadellus carriage heading to the seed farms today."
Lady Marnie glanced at her after speaking. Sure enough, Lady Lork's face darkened considerably.
It was delicious seeing Lady Lork—who used to subtly look down on her thanks to the Grand Duke's favor—brought low like this.
'Hmph, too bad to watch her deflate all alone.'
Lady Marnie thought that as she forced down her rising smirk.
It was true she'd seen the Hadellus carriage.
She'd spotted the ornate carriage emblazoned with the family crest on her way here.
Of course, she had no idea who was inside.
She'd just mentioned it because it was the Grand Duke's favorite two-seater.
Incensed by the talk of a new lover, Lady Lork demanded,
"Is that true?"
"Yes, I swear. With the flower festival coming up, he's probably using seed shopping as an excuse for a flower-viewing date with her. ......Hm?"
Lady Marnie trailed off with a small gasp.
Lady Lork had slammed her teacup down with unladylike force.
But her expression was so ferocious that Lady Marnie could only clear her throat awkwardly.
She didn't want the sparks flying her way. Cautiously gauging the mood, Lady Marnie ventured,
"Men are all like that. No matter how pretty you are, like a flower, they get used to you eventually, and their eyes wander to new blooms. It's instinct."
"What are you trying to say, Lady Marnie?"
"Oh, I just want you to get over your heartbreak soon."
"......"
"Sorry if I upset you."
Lady Lork let out a hollow laugh at Lady Marnie's elegant head tilt.
'A new lover already?'
