The Villainess Captured The Grand Duke - Chapter 157

Chapter 157

As Scheuer closed her eyes tightly and turned her head away, she felt Raygrain’s breath on her neck. Under the hand resting on her shoulder, she could distinctly feel the movement of his shoulder muscles. Despite her own efforts, she couldn’t match his strength or physique, honed through years of harsh training in the North. Her dizzying mind made it hard for her to speak.

“D-Duke,” she stammered.

“I told you to call me by my name.”

It was impossible for her to readily use a name she had never called him before. The mere thought of using his name brought waves of embarrassment. She barely managed to part her lips, but no sound came out. Noticing her struggle, Raygrain chuckled softly.

His breath was palpable against her face. 

“I didn’t expect you to be so stubborn about this.”

He gently placed small kisses on her face, his eyes softer than before. Looking down at her, he said, 

“But at least now you’re looking only at me.”

It was a new expression for her, one filled with a fleeting sense of satisfaction that made Scheuer’s cheeks flush even more.

“No, this is wrong. How could I be so impudent? ”

Despite her thoughts, she felt an odd flutter of emotion.

As Raygrain’s face descended toward hers once again, Scheuer shut her eyes tightly. However, he stopped his movement first. The brief silence allowed her overexcited mind to gradually calm down. Only then did she begin to hear the noises from outside her door.

Soft, distinct sounds of footsteps echoed outside the door. Considering the noise was loud enough for Scheuer to hear, Raygrain must have heard it even more clearly.

Raygrain’s eyelids twitched slightly with irritation. Before he could finish, Scheuer recognized the source of the unfamiliar noise—an unmistakable scurrying sound, followed by hushed footsteps that seemed to be trying to be as quiet as possible.

Then someone shouted, “Ah, ouch! Catch it quickly! ”

“Shh! Lower your voice! ”

“There! It’s running away! Catch the chicken! ”

The sudden flapping of wings startled her. Scheuer turned towards the door, realization dawning on her. 

“The dowry? ”

After finding Sevi in the corridor, she entrusted the chicken to Koa. With Sevi captured, he had cheerfully offered to take it back to where it belonged, thinking they had plenty of time.

‘How did it end up here?’

As Scheuer began to rise, Raygrain leaned in to kiss her again, saying,

“Don’t worry about it.”

But the persistent knocking forced him to sit up as well.

But with another knock, Raygrain had no choice but to get up. The hurried yet polite knock accompanied Jess’s voice from outside the door.

“Your Grace, I apologise.”

No one didn’t know today was their wedding night. Moreover, Jess was someone who unconditionally obeyed Raygrain’s orders.

When Jess knocked on the door, it was clear that there was a significant reason for the disturbance. Understanding this, Raygrain casually brushed his disheveled hair back and replied,

“What is it? ”

“There is an urgent matter to discuss. May I come in? ”

Raygrain covered Scheuer with the blanket, even though she was already dressed in her nightwear. Not wanting even that to be visible, he carefully wrapped her up and then got out of bed. Taking advantage of his absence, Scheuer lay down neatly on the bed. She felt too embarrassed to deal with what had just happened.

As soon as Raygrain opened the door, Jess, who usually would have entered and spoken, quietly conveyed the message through the gap in the door.

“There is an urgent letter from the Central. It seems I cannot handle it alone.”

“Speak.”

“It has been reported that the Third Tablet has been discovered.”

Scheuer, who had been determined to fall asleep before him, was startled and sat up at this news.

‘The Third Tablet? ’

Aside from the forgery Scheuer had made in the Central, the only tablet ever revealed was the one Sevi had shown earlier. At least in the original story, no additional tablets were ever found.

‘Why is there suddenly a tablet? Where did it come from? ’

The original story had changed significantly, and variables could arise, but she had believed that the larger framework would remain unchanged. She had to believe it. If unexpected variables appeared, it would become impossible to predict Raygrain’s fate.

Unaware of her turmoil, Raygrain calmly said, 

“We will verify it at dawn.”

“The temple has requested that you return quickly to verify it.”

It was only natural that Sevi would be needed to confirm the tablet. Of course, it was uncertain whether Leilda would let him go.

Jess, who alone knew that they were searching for the black stone mine in Blenga, had apparently taken the liberty of coming at this late hour because of this matter.

Raygrain fell silent for a moment, contemplating.

“What did the priest Koa say? ”

“He said we should move as soon as the sun rises.”

The temple prioritized matters regarding the tablet. The inscriptions on the tablet were their purpose for existence and everything they stood for. How could those who served the god Lapel refuse to record the divine command given by the god?

“Understood. For now, wait. Leilda is holding Sevi, so we can only hope to resolve it by dawn.”

“Understood.”

Jess bowed at the unusually cold response. With that, the door closed.

Raygrain walked over to the bed as if nothing was wrong. Scheuer looked at him and asked, 

“They say it’s a tablet? Did they mention what it looked like or anything?”

“No.”

There was nothing she had let slip or left behind at the center. She had made sure everything was handled perfectly. Not even a grain of powder was left. Besides, she had used plaster to disguise her fingerprints, so there was no room for suspicion. Moreover, the fact that someone had voluntarily forged it only added to her security.

Thinking that Raygrain might be worried about her previous act of forgery, he gently tidied her disheveled hair and said, 

“You’ll know when morning comes, so don’t worry.”

He lightly kissed her forehead. His heart, which had been pounding fiercely just moments ago, now trembled with anxiety. Perhaps he sensed her subtle trembling. Unlike before, Raygrain calmly continued the conversation until she fell asleep beside him. It is said that being near a calm person can make one feel at ease.

Soon, Scheuer fell into a deep sleep, exhausted from the wedding. Raygrain watched her quietly and then exhaled deeply. The timing was far from ideal.

As he lay there, Scheuer’s small hand touched his shoulder. Seeing her only focus on him while exhaling warmly made his chest heavy. He hadn’t intended to push this hard, but Scheuer was always the exception in his life.

“Seems like god Lapelcdoesn’t favor me today,” he murmured to himself.

With Scheuer sleeping peacefully beside him, he couldn’t focus on anything else. He lifted her limp hand, wondering if emotions were what made people feel so unfamiliar. After pressing his lips deeply to the back of her hand, he lay down on the wide bed.

Taking a deep breath, Raygrain muttered irritably,

“Has the night always been this long? ”

Even without seeing it, all his heightened senses were attuned to the darkness. He would return to his usual self once he left this room and time passed. Yet he didn’t want that. He didn’t want to miss the faint rose scent or the occasional rustle of her movements seeking warmth in the cold.

“Mmm… Duke…”

“Yes, Scheuer.”

As he opened his arms comfortably, Scheuer naturally snuggled into his warm embrace. The fact that she sought him even in her dreams weighed heavily on his chest.

“Since you’re asking, you might as well call me by my name.”

He whispered softly to her sleeping form. Her drowsy voice slowly responded, 

“Raig…”

“Good.”

Unfortunately, the words spoken in her sleep did not continue until the end. But it didn’t matter. Raygrain gently kissed her crown, feeling he could not endure the long night without doing so. He kept his gaze on her until the sun rose.

“Ataraxia”