The Villainess Captured The Grand Duke - Chapter 140

Chapter 140

Scheuer couldn’t stop herself from grinning ear to ear. She had merely hoped to receive a portrait as a keepsake, but this was an unexpected bonus. She persistently asked, 

“Could you say it one more time?”

Raygrain, who had slightly nodded, was just about to open his mouth to repeat himself when Scheuer raised her hand to stop him. 

“Wait a moment. My recording stone…” 

She began to search her clothes, only to realize that she wasn’t wearing her usual dress. She always kept the recording stone close to her heart, but unfortunately, she couldn’t use it when she needed it most.

In a rush, she said, 

“Later. Later! Not now. Save it for later! We still have one more chance!”

“Understood,” he replied.

Opportunities must be seized when they arise. Worried that he might change his mind, Scheuer made him promise again. She grabbed his hand and hooked their pinkies together, even sealing the promise with a mock stamp. 

“There, see? We’ve sealed it, so if you don’t keep your word, your family will be bald for three generations.”

“Wouldn’t that be too harsh on you as well?”

True, being bald might be a bit extreme, she thought. She quickly added, 

“As long as you don’t forget your promise.”

In any case, she was determined to hear him say it again someday. Scheuer cheerfully called the tailor over with a wave of her hand. Since Raygrain liked the wedding dress, there was no need to try on any more. 

“I’ll go with this dress.”

With her confirmation, the tailor visibly relaxed and bowed respectfully. In fact, it was Scheuer who should be thanking him for making such a lovely outfit. For a moment, she wondered about his overly polite gratitude but dismissed it as mere formalities and explained to Raygrain, 

“Since this morning, I’ve tried a lot with Priest Sevi and Lord Leilda. I thought I wouldn’t be able to decide today.”

Raygrain’s eyelids twitched ever so slightly, a fleeting moment that could have easily been mistaken for a blink. He asked in his usual stoic manner, 

“If possible, you should politely decline their help. You’re quite adept at handling people.”

“It was kind of fun. Cali and Josephina said everything looked beautiful, so they lost their objectivity.” 

Scheuer replied. Ultimately, it was her decision to make, and she only sought their opinions. Scheuer began to chatter, explaining the dresses she had considered, knowing he had only seen the last one. If she had more energy, she would have tried on more, but Cali, who had been helping her all day, was already showing signs of fatigue from assisting with all the dress changes.

“I usually wear dresses like this, but this is the first time I’ve tried something so calm. It was a new experience.” 

Scheuer said, struggling a bit as she tried to rise from the sofa. 

“How do other people manage to walk in these? I felt like I was going to trip.”

“You do have the habit of running around,” Raygrain remarked.

When she couldn’t lift herself up due to the layers of lace in the dress, he easily grasped her waist and helped her sit up straight again.

Scheuer, now sitting upright, smoothed out the voluminous hem of her dress and replied sulkily, 

“That’s because you’ve only seen me like this. When others come, I walk calmly to greet them.”

“But I wasn’t the one who looked at your dress with you.”

His casual complaint made Scheuer blink in surprise. She narrowed her eyes, scanning his face, and then, with a slightly uncertain voice, she asked, 

“Did you… want to see the other dresses?”

He gently held Scheuer’s bare shoulder, pushing aside the loose strands of hair that had fallen there, and gazed into her face with an unusually intense expression. His deep blue eyes felt oddly unfamiliar to her. Then he lifted her hand and briefly kissed the back of it.

“In the end, I’m the one who will be by your side.”

taken at face value, his words were not strange, but his tone was unexpectedly stiff. 

‘He doesn’t seem angry… But what’s this about? Was Lord Sevi too loud while looking at the dresses? ‘ 

Scheuer wondered. To break the tension, she suddenly stood up. 

“I’ll go change, then. If you’re on your way to the office, let’s go together.”

“My schedule is clear. Thanks to you, the western matters were resolved rather quickly,” he said.

Although she had tried to stand, he didn’t let go of her hand. So, Scheuer sat back down, playfully moving her fingers in his grip. Whenever he kissed her hand like this, she felt an involuntary tickle at the back of her neck. Trying to hide her flustered feelings, she asked nonchalantly,

“There won’t be any issues with the guests arriving, right? ”

There were several routes to the north, and many guests would be coming through the western region. Lady Betty was one of those traveling that way. Scheuer couldn’t help but worry a bit, especially since there had been a recent monster outbreak in the west. Though the monsters had been dealt with swiftly, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t return. Families unfamiliar with the northern region’s dangers might understandably express concerns.

“We’ve received quite a few requests for safety, so the Blenga family has decided to send some knights to escort the guests.”

“Jess will have a tough time.” 

Scheuer remarked, nodding as she thought of the knights who had seemed particularly busy lately.

***

The imperial garden of the Wake Empire’s Crown Prince’s palace was filled with high-pitched laughter, a rare sound these days.

“Haha, I thought everyone had already left for the North, leaving me without anyone to chat with.” 

Lady Annabelle said, elegantly spreading her ornate fan. A large silk ribbon, tied in a familiar style seen at a previous royal banquet, adorned her neck. It seemed to be a decoration she was particularly fond of.

Sitting opposite her, Erina didn’t respond, while Silcaro responded with his usual warm smile. 

“Indeed, they must have departed early to arrive on time. The North is quite treacherous.”

Erina, listening to the conversation beside him, didn’t look pleased. Although she wore a smile, it seemed forced, as if someone had sat her down against her will.

Without looking at Lady Annabelle, Erina took a sip of tea and asked, 

“Is the Duchess of Lytton not attending?”

“Something must have gone wrong, as it seems she’s cut off all contact with her friends from the Central region, including me,” Lady Annabelle replied.

Silcaro, appearing surprised, set down his teacup. 

“That’s surprising. Weren’t you quite close?”

“People’s hearts are fickle, aren’t they? That’s just how it is.”

“It couldn’t be because of what happened at the training ground, could it? At the time, there was so much pressure due to the Northern matters.” 

Silcaro trailed off, seemingly lost in thought. The mention of the training ground caused Erina to momentarily purse her lips. She still cringed at the memory of her hasty decision to assemble the imperial subjugation force, based solely on the reports of dead knights. It was a mistake that haunted her, making her kick her blankets at night.

Lady Annabelle quickly waved her hands dismissively. 

“Oh, no. Not at all. If that had upset her, she would have distanced herself right after the stone tablet incident.”

“Ah, the stone tablet. That was another incident.” 

Silcaro nodded, then turned to Erina, who had been maintaining her silence. 

“The mention of the stone tablet must have been quite uncomfortable for you, Erina. After all, there were some unpleasant rumors about the Netri family.”

“I’m fine. I’m only disappointed that we couldn’t catch the person who forged the tablet.” 

Erina responded, giving a proper, though somewhat hollow, answer. However, Lady Annabelle seemed displeased with this response. She preferred lighthearted and gossipy conversations, as heavy topics only dampened the atmosphere.

‘She doesn’t seem particularly fond of me,’ Erina thought as Lady Annabelle cleared her throat, clearly intending to steer the conversation. Ignoring the previous topic, she continued, 

“But at least I got to see something similar to the stone tablet for the first time, even from a distance. The temple keeps it hidden so well.”

Under the table, Silcaro gently held Erina’s hand, signaling her to be patient. Erina couldn’t understand why he had arranged this meeting. Was it to distinguish between those invited to Scheuer’s wedding in the North and those who weren’t? Or perhaps to gather news about the North? But wasn’t Lady Annabelle one of those who had lost contact as well? Although she likely had more information than most, the reliability of that information was questionable. Yet Silcaro casually and kindly continued, 

“So it was your first time seeing the stone tablet, Lady Annabelle?”

“Ah, yes. I suppose you two must be well-acquainted with it, given your families’ histories,” she responded with a knowing smile.

“Indeed. But no one else knows anything about it?” Silcaro inquired.

“No, if they grew up in an ordinary household without encountering this incident, they wouldn’t have the slightest idea what the stone tablet looks like,” Lady Annabelle replied with a smile.

“—unless I am myself, I am no body” – Virginia Wolf