My Dream is to Get My Own House - Chapter 89

Episode 89

The impact of those words was truly tremendous.

My body stiffened in an instant.

“…What did you say?”

In this world, there are five stages of acceptance.

And I started to step firmly on the first stage, denial.

“It can’t be true. Don’t joke around! Haha! It’s not funny.”

“It’s not a joke,” Dylan’s expression was serious.

“No, seriously, it’s not a joke?”

My mental state crumbled like dust scattered in the wind. The man I had called “Dylan” so affectionately until this morning is the feared Grand Duke Castilla!

This doesn’t make any sense!

Of course, I had some speculations about our relationship. 

Maybe he was a descendant of the Grand Duke Castilla, or he lived in the Grand Duke’s residence when he was young, or he was a close aide!

But I never imagined that he was the person himself!

“So, you mean to say… you are the Grand Duke?”

“That’s… Yes.”

Looking at Dylan, I realized that it was not just denial that I needed. 

I ran my fingers through my hair and entered the second stage, anger.

“Isn’t this a fraudulent marriage?!”

I clearly said that I married “Dylan,” not “Grand Duke Castilla.”

“There were circumstances. I will properly compensate you.”

“Circumstances…?”

“Yes, I had a mission to catch a terrorist organization in secret, so I had to hide it.”

I needed to dig deeper into these “circumstances.”

But what he said next weighed heavily on me.

“Compensation… what does that mean…”

For a moment, the word “compensation” felt odd. 

Then he roughly grabbed my hand and pressed it against my chest.

It was an expression I had never seen before, an intensely sincere expression.

“I swear to God, I will treat you well from now on, even at night.”

I could feel his strong chest and hear the sound of his rapidly beating heart through my fingertips.

As he stared deeply into my bewildered eyes, he suddenly whispered, “Please accept my body as compensation.”

As soon as he finished speaking, I entered the third stage of acceptance, compromise.

I was flustered and had many questions to ask.

“No, seriously, how can you use your body as compensation?!”

I had to find out.

Dylan quietly murmured, “First of all…”

“Yes, yes.”

“I have strength. I can handle a King-size bedding on my own.”

“…I see.”

I was the one having inappropriate thoughts.

“I’m such a trash.”

As I tried to hide my flushed cheeks, Dylan whispered softly.

“And…”

“Yes?”

Without much expectation, I asked in return.

Dylan, no, Your Highness, leaned in closer to my face.

His hair was so close to my forehead that it tickled.

“Everything else as well.”

A low and youthful voice.

I couldn’t bring myself to speak and my lips trembled slightly.

“…What?”

Then he whispered softly to me, “Everything you desire.”

“Everything I desire…”

“Like this.”

Dylan’s hand held mine, then he slowly brushed my neck with his fingertips.

“So, you can use this compensation however you like, whenever you like.”

As our eyes met, it felt as if a whirlpool of desires formed in my mind.

“…Well, I mean…”

It seemed too easy for him to forgive me for deceiving me.

I firmly held my chest as the pain in my heart intensified.

My heart started to throb incessantly, which was quite unusual.

“Maybe I have a headache!”

I quickly took a step back and said, “Yes. I’ll decide how to use it later. So, for now, you shouldn’t follow me!”

Dylan made a puppy-like expression.

“Why… can’t I?”

“Don’t make that expression!”

I needed to distance myself from him, or I might fall for his temptation in no time.

I swiftly moved away from him.

While doing so, I gave him a hint, “The room with the fireplace where we were together earlier!”

“…Yes?”

“I’ll be there!”

Maybe it was because I told him not to come near me.

Dylan stared at me from a distance, standing tall and firm.

He raised his voice a little, “That room is small and humble. You should go to a better place…”

“It’s the warmest place. I need time to sort things out!”

“You need… so much time…”

Dylan’s foot twitched, but I firmly stated, “I don’t know yet. Anyway, for now, you can’t follow me, promise!”

I needed to keep as far away from Dylan as possible for now.

I had to organize my emotions in order!

* * *

In the small room where the wood in the fireplace crackled.

Despite the situation, I placed the carefully brought bouquet on the floor, lay down, and spread out the <Travel Journal>. I was deeply lost in thought.

Dylan deceived me.

He pretended to be an ordinary knight while being none other than the Grand Duke Castilla.

However!

He did apologize honestly.

But!

Couldn’t he have given me a warning in advance?

But!

The situation was full of rumors about the Grand Duke Castilla.

Moreover!

He said there were circumstances.

Perhaps he was on a secret mission for the Empire?

Still!

Shouldn’t he have been honest with me?

But!

…Dylan Kyeong was sincere to me. That’s not a lie.

Yes!

It’s a relief that he told me now!

No!

Isn’t it too late?

Then!

Should I listen to his circumstances and decide?

Various thoughts tangled up in my mind.

I opened the <Travel Journal> and quietly started writing.

“Dylan is the Grand Duke Castilla.”

Various thoughts swirled in my head.

“Why did I agree to marry him in the first place?”

Unorganized sentences were scattered everywhere.

“I know he was hiding something. No, I mean… No… But…”

But he was really handsome.

No, what am I saying…

…

…My emotions are too tumultuous.

Should I run away, really?

It was a fierce ambivalence.

“Discovering this emotion is both happy and frightening.”

I held the pen I was scribbling with and let out a deep sigh.

But now I know.

“I also… to Dylan…”

For over five minutes, I blankly stared at the memo placed in the journal.

“Divorce Agreement.”

“Oh, this was here too?”

It was the divorce agreement made and notarized by a lawyer when I married Dylan. I had already signed it in advance.

“It’s so small, I didn’t even notice it.”

I had completely forgotten about it.

With a bitter smile, I used the divorce agreement as a bookmark in the <Travel Journal>.

“Divorce? What nonsense.”

Even now, after finding out about Dylan’s true identity, I couldn’t even consider divorce as an option.

I rubbed my throbbing head and put the pen down.

At that moment, what Jun had said suddenly came to mind.

“It looks like you’re dating…”

“You got married?”

“Ah, haha! Love is visible, so even I unconsciously blurted that out. E-even though you’re a married couple, the fresh love is still…”

Love, he said.

‘Love…’

Just thinking about Dylan now was enough to make my head explode.

No, not really?

My heart seemed to throb to an abnormal degree.

Was it because of my neurosis?

Was it because I was worried about Dylan?

But there was a strange feeling about it.

“Why does my head hurt like this?”

As I muttered to myself, something was definitely off.

Since a while ago, I had been feeling as if someone was squeezing my heart.

Moreover, I was starting to feel lightheaded.

I took a deep breath and exhaled softly to collect myself.

As I did so, something strange was happening beyond the window.

“What… what is that? What’s going on there?”

Claude, Duke Saboia, and Mung Mungi.

They were breaking down the castle gate.

Criminals.