The Villainess Captured The Grand Duke - Chapter 144

Chapter 144

“Ha, me a ghost? A ghost? ”

Late the next afternoon. Sevi, having heard about last night’s commotion, asked incredulously,

“Have you ever seen a ghost as beautiful as this?”

Koa, standing beside him, calmly replied to his irritated question.

“I have never seen a ghost, Priest Sevi.”

“Koa, I guess I really do look unrealistic. Honestly, being exceptional is hard.”

“Perhaps it’s more because of your outfit being so bright.”

“Then how much more it must have shone! I don’t even have a single blemish; my skin always looks like it’s been moisturized.”

As he lightly rubbed his cheek with pride, Scheuer just smiled and nodded.

“That’s right. But at night, guests might misunderstand, so we move around more during the day! ”

“Too bothersome.”
Sevi cut off the conversation sharply. Koa leaned in slightly and explained softly by his ear,

“The wedding ceremony is in the morning. You need to be up to officiating.”

“I can stay up all night beforehand. Then I’ll be awake in the morning.”

Sevi sat with his legs arrogantly crossed, looking quite confident.

Seeing this, Koa decided to assure Scheuer first.

“Don’t worry. He will be at the officiant’s seat on the morning of the ceremony.”

His response was so trustworthy, it almost seemed grimly determined, prompting her to nod in agreement.

Just then, a knock was heard at the door. The door clicked open, and Reygraine appeared.

“Did you return to your room safely last night?”

The indifferent question was so perfunctory that it almost seemed insincere. As expected, Sevi frowned deeply and turned his head toward Reygraine, greeting him with barely concealed annoyance.

“Hey, thanks to you, I was practically escorted back to my room by knights surrounding me on all sides.”

“I instructed them to guide you comfortably.”

“Well, I wasn’t comfortable. What kind of guidance blocks your view with knights in every direction?”

“That’s how it’s done in the North.”

“Oh, that wasn’t convincing.”

Despite Sevi’s curt reply, Reygraine nonchalantly walked over to where Scheuer was sitting. It was the first time she had seen him come to her while she was with Sevi. She quickly stood up from her seat.

Whether it was with Leilda or Sevi, Reygraine never interrupted when she was with someone. Usually, she would be the one to seek him out first. And even when that wasn’t the case, he was often out and about, and they would meet by chance.

Last night was like that as well. When they met in the garden, he seemed particularly uneasy.

‘Leilda must have said something awful to the Grand Duke.’

She had been unable to defend Reygraine because Leilda had threatened to withhold the recording of the wedding. He had looked troubled ever since, and she suspected he had come to see her because of that.

Scheuer quickly moved further into the sofa she had been sitting on.

With a soft pat, she dusted off even the tiniest speck of dust that might have been on the seat and proudly gestured to it.

“Please sit, Your Grace! ”

Normally, he would have sat down without hesitation, but today he hesitated.

As Scheuer tilted her head and tugged at the hem of his clothes, Raygrain finally sat down as if pulled by her.

Worried that he might not follow the flow of the conversation after joining late, she explained softly from the side,

“Priest Sevi has trouble getting up in the morning, so we were discussing what to do with Koa.”

“I’ve checked the household funds.”

The ‘household funds’ referred to the amount usually given to the lady of the house. It was adjusted according to the state of the household, and Scheuer’s share was quite substantial. She suddenly felt a pang of anxiety.

‘Did I make a mistake in the records? ‘

If he came to see her in person, there must be a significant issue. Most of the time, she managed all expenditures neatly and without any errors, often with the help of Selly and Josephina. Even when she handled the household funds herself, she always reported every use thoroughly. Still, she worried there might have been an overlooked amount, so she cautiously asked,

“Is it because of something I spent in central? I’ve already replenished it! ”

Selling flower tea had brought her more wealth than expected, so she wasn’t in need of the household funds granted to her as the lady of the house. That’s why she had paid for things like clothes for the statue and materials for making dolls, frames, and albums out of her own pocket. When she first came to the North, she had left her family empty-handed, so she had even added more than she owed to repay the debt to him.

With a tentative tone, she asked again, 

“Or was it when I bought the bedding for your chamber? Did I accidentally use the household funds? ”

“…So it was you who changed the bedding.”

It didn’t seem to be the issue. Raygrain looked as though he was hearing about this for the first time. With a more serious tone, he asked,

“What did you use to prepare for the wedding? ”

“I have plenty of money! ”

“It seems you used your own funds for the wedding too.”

“Yes! Of course. You’re the one who’s going to hold my hand and walk me down the aisle.”

Of course, not everything was her responsibility. The parts handled by Peyton were beyond her control, so Blenga likely covered those. The same went for the repairs to the eastern building. Scheuer blinked in confusion, not understanding what the problem was.

Sevi, who had been quietly observing the conversation, sensed that things were taking a serious turn and slowly stood up.

“Koa, does it look like they’re in debt, or like someone’s here to collect? ”

“I’m not sure.”

“All this talk about money and funds is making my head throb. It feels like someone’s forcing my brain to work. I need to go back to my room and lie down.”

With that, Sevi stood up, pressing his hand to his forehead, and staggered out as if he might collapse. Scheuer looked at him with tearful eyes.

‘You’re just going to leave me here?’

But Sevi nodded firmly, his expression resolved.

‘Money matters shouldn’t come between friends.’ Even without saying a word, his steadfast expression conveyed this meaning clearly.

He left the room, guided by Koa, and Scheuer stared at the closed door in disbelief. But she couldn’t keep her focus on the door for long, as Raygrain, who had now composed himself on the sofa, drew her attention back.

In a calm voice, he asked, 

“You know that a wedding is something two people do together, right?”

“Of course! If it were something I did alone, why would I be putting so much effort into it?” 

Scheuer nodded vigorously, as if the answer was obvious.

“Then why are you shouldering all the burden?” he asked.

“Because you’re marrying me,” 

She replied, as if that explained everything. To her, this wasn’t a union formed out of mutual desire but rather something he was graciously offering her.

The moment she finished speaking, Raygrain flinched ever so slightly. It was a barely noticeable movement, but it was enough for the hem of her dress to tremble beside him. His voice turned rigid as he repeated her words.

“Offering you.”

“Yes! You said from the beginning not to expect anything from you except the basics.”

“Basics,” she assumed he meant the essentials—food, shelter, and clothing—all of which Blenga provided for her. But her personal collection of his belongings and her crafting of items related to him were things she did because she wanted to, not because they fell under the category of “basics.” She understood that much. That’s why she believed it was only natural for her to bear the costs related to him. After all, there were few people in Blenga, aside from her, who had any interest in Raygrain’s belongings.

Yet for some reason, his expression hardened, like a statue freezing in place. She noticed his hand, resting lightly on his thigh, suddenly clenched. After a long silence, he muttered quietly, almost as if speaking to himself.

“So this is what Leilda meant.”

“What did Leilda say yesterday?” 

She asked, but he didn’t answer her question. Instead, his face took on a chilling expression she had never seen before. It became clear to her that Leilda must have made some pointed remark about the household funds.

‘Of course. I should have realized when he tried to keep me away. He’s done some internal whistleblowing! ’

If only she had known earlier, she would have corrected the issue herself. She resolved to go directly to him and ask which part of the budget was missing.

But before she could act, Raygrain’s firm voice interrupted her thoughts.

“From now on, I’ll handle everything.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“From that strange collection of yours to the wedding.”

Turning to face her, he locked eyes with her and continued, 

“Everything.”

“Everything meaningful takes time ”