119. The Lovers of Jeu de Paume (4)
While Katya made her ‘second proposal’, the jeu de paume match continued on the court.
Duke Norbert, who had good athletic abilities and faced the weakest team, won easily shortly after the game began.
Lost in thought while swinging his racquet, he only realized his team had won when cheers erupted from the spectator stands.
As soon as the match ended, he looked around searching for someone.
Though many people threw words of support and congratulations his way, Norbert’s interest was in only one person.
Klavdia.
He could only think about whether she had watched his match.
He could spot her instantly even from afar.
The moment their gazes met in the air felt like an eternity to both of them.
As if time had stopped for everyone except the two of them.
They remained staring at each other for a long while, until a nobleman from Charmente who was on Norbert’s team spoke to him.
“Your Highness, we should head back now.”
“Right.”
He turned slowly with regret and left the court.
He didn’t even notice that he had dropped something on the court during his intense movements during the match.
The next match had already begun and another team entered the spot where Norbert had been.
Something touched the foot of the Hersen nobleman as he gripped his racquet and took position.
“What’s this?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Looks like a lost item?”
“We need to start the match, so hand it outside.”
At the player’s gesture, his family’s servant quickly entered the court and received it from his master.
“I don’t know which team it’s from, but it seems to be a lost item from the player who used this spot before, so deliver it to the arena management.”
“Understood.”
As the match began, the servant headed toward the tent where the managers were, as his master ordered.
The palace servants responsible for overseeing the matches were all bustling about.
One servant, upon receiving a lost item from another, promptly placed it into a large box positioned in front of the desk.
The box was full of flowers, handkerchiefs, and accessories that spectators had thrown below the stands to support the players.
They were collecting and keeping them together in case people came looking for them during the matches.
A group of ladies entered the tent, passing by the servant who was returning to the spectator stands.
“My goodness, how could you throw something so expensive?”
“Really, what if you lose it?”
“Well, I just threw whatever was in my hand…”
“If it’s not here either, we should consider it lost.”
“I’m dead now. That powder compact, I took it without Mother knowing.”
The friends joined forces to search through the lost and found box for the noble lady who was about to cry.
Not long after, one of the friends exclaimed.
“Found it! Is this it?”
“Yes! I feel like I’ve gained ten years of life, really!”
“Geez. Be more careful next time. And getting hit by something like this could be really dangerous! It’s practically a weapon!”
“I know, I know. Thank you so much!”
The lady who found her powder compact hugged her friend while repeatedly expressing her gratitude.
Something caught the eyes of the ladies as they were setting the overturned lost and found box upright and picking up fallen items.
“Oh my, isn’t this a letter?”
“My word, some sneaky person must have thrown a love letter.”
At those words, the eyes of the curious ladies sparkled.
“Hey, who is it? Be honest. It was you, wasn’t it?”
“It wasn’t me! These things should be done at the right time and place! We all agreed not to do things like this that burden the players!”
“Exactly. What are they doing at a friendly match? It goes against sportsmanship!”
“Surely it’s not a letter for His Highness the Grand Duke or Lord Luka?”
They put the letter envelope in their sleeve with grave expressions, intending to find the traitor within their social circle.
Not knowing that their decision would lead to an incident.
***
Meanwhile, Nikolai, who had received yet another proposal, realized he could no longer lie to his wife.
No, he didn’t want to.
To her, who came at him with such sincerity.
He no longer wanted to cowardly hide his flaws and run away.
“I have a serious disqualification for becoming your husband and the father of your child.”
“What…… is it?”
Katya remained quiet even though she knew everything.
She wanted to hear it from his lips.
She wished for Nikolai to share everything with her now.
She wanted to become his real wife.
So she kept waiting until he spoke first.
It would have been thoughtless to hastily step forward first, saying she understood everything, to him who had suffered alone thinking it was his flaw.
“After Father confined Mother to the monastery, a prophecy came down. That I would surely kill my child. That I too, having inherited my father’s blood, would stain my hands with my child’s blood.”
Nikolai spoke with difficulty.
“My brother died by father’s hands as the prophecy said. Tia, I am absolutely not a good man.”
His voice, which had been speaking calmly, gradually became soaked with sadness.
“Someday, I too might become consumed by madness like Father and kill our child with my own hands.”
“Grand Duke.”
“Tia, I don’t want to give you such pain of losing a child.”
Her heart ached thinking of her husband.
Just as he had given her infinite love, Katya believed without doubt that he would give that much love to their child as well.
How much must a man as loving as him have suffered?
Because of that absurd prophecy that he would harm his child with his own hands.
She felt like grabbing the collar of whatever god designed such a fate if they appeared before her.
She didn’t care if they called her an ill-mannered Grand Duchess.
She didn’t want to leave anyone who troubled Nikolai.
Just as he had driven away all those who tried to harm her.
Katya too wanted to protect her husband.
Even if it meant going against prophecy and fate.
“Could the gods be that stupid?”
“……What?”
“Who’s the one who did wrong? Why is the arrow hitting the innocent Grand Duke when there are others who should really be punished?”
“Tia……”
Nikolai’s blue eyes were filled with bewilderment.
Katya was sincere.
It was what she thought when she first heard that ridiculous prophecy from Oksana.
If it was a real prophecy that hadn’t been fabricated, then the gods who gave such a prophecy must be the biggest fools in the world.
The anger and curse should have been directed at Yuri and Oksana, the ones who actually committed adultery.
While Oksana lived well, ate well and slept comfortably at night, why did her kind husband have to suffer?
Even bearing the stigma of being a tyrant?
“If the gods are that foolish, I won’t believe in them.”
At those words, Nikolai was overwhelmed with emotion.
How could he not love such a woman who declared she wouldn’t believe in gods who troubled her husband?
Though he had an unfortunate childhood, he was lucky.
Because he could become the husband of this person who would fight even against the gods to protect him.
“Since you’ve told me your secret, I’ll tell you one of mine too.”
“What is it?”
He asked in a low voice.
If he stayed like this, he might end up showing tears in front of his wife.
He wanted to always be strong for Katya.
He wanted to be a man she could always lean on.
So he was barely holding back.
As if knowing his feelings, Katya held his hand tightly.
What was it about that small hand that could barely be seen when covered by his one hand.
He felt the warmth radiating from that hand enveloping his entire body.
He regained the stability of his always precarious mind through her body heat.
Katya was such an existence to him.
“I actually wanted to confess earlier but had a reason for hesitating. You’re not the only one with a disqualification. I’m also not fit to be a good mother.”
Katya said bravely with a small smile.
“I don’t know when my mother’s hereditary disease might manifest in me too. There were several cases in my maternal family where it appeared late. Maybe I won’t be able to have children either. Even if I do have a child, I might pass on the hereditary disease.”
Nikolai had never thought she had such worries all this time.
“As a Grand Duchess, having such an influence on the Grand Duchy’s future generations would be the worst inconsideration.”
“Tia, that’s absolutely not true.”
He conveyed words filled with sincerity.
“You’ve done nothing wrong.”
“The same goes for you, Grand Duke. You’ve done nothing wrong. It’s foolish to suppress your love for me because of that prophecy.”
“I don’t even trust myself. I can’t stake your and our child’s life, that brilliant future, on someone who can’t even trust himself.”
“You have me. It’s alright because I’m by your side. If you can’t trust yourself, then trust me.”
It was more nerve-wracking than any confession.
Katya trusted the Nikolai she knew more than any damn prophecy.
Though she believed without doubt that he wouldn’t do it, she also knew she couldn’t fully understand her husband’s feelings as she wasn’t the subject of the prophecy.
“If you’re okay with it, I’m fine living without children.”
She didn’t care what form their family took.
If only it could quell the anxiety within him.
If only it could make the two of them happy.
