Chapter 2 (Part 1)

Elina, who had returned to the Baron’s manor, sent an official letter of protest to the Duke. However, since Theodore had already ordered the doors locked and barred any outsiders from entering, he decided not to concern himself with the contents of such a trivial letter. The bigger issue was Reinis.

Judging by Elina’s behavior, it was obvious how Reinis had been treated all this time. He didn’t need to see it to know. It was clear that she had endured worse than he could imagine—certainly not better.

“I don’t want to send her back.”

Theodore muttered to himself, then instinctively turned his head toward the source of a sly gaze he could feel from somewhere. Hel, sitting in the aide’s seat, was staring at him with a suspiciously mischievous look.

“I don’t like that look.”

Theodore frowned deeply in irritation as he spoke. Despite his words, Hel continued to maintain his sly gaze, undeterred.

“Before I gouge out those unpleasant eyes of yours, get rid of them.”

At Theodore’s words, Hel took a deep breath and tightly shut his eyes.

“My eyes are gone. But, more importantly, should we set a date?”

The sudden remark made Theodore’s brow furrow instinctively.

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“Isn’t it clear you don’t want to send the lady back?”

Sensing something strange, Theodore tried to cut Hel off before he could continue, but Hel spoke just a bit faster.

“If the lady were to live at the Duke’s manor, she wouldn’t need to return to the Baron’s manor. So wouldn’t it be better to just marry her outright?”

A brief silence followed. When no response came, a wave of unease washed over Hel, and he cautiously opened his eyes.

Seeing Theodore sitting in his chair, quietly holding his forehead, Hel let out a sigh of relief. Just as he seemed about to continue speaking—

“It seems I should tear out your tongue instead of your eyes.”

A chilling voice rang out.

Hel froze in place, then suddenly jumped to his feet.

“Ah! I just remembered I need to check on the training grounds! I promised to oversee the knights’ training today… ha… hahaha…!”

Ending his words in a clumsy tone, Hel, driven by the singular thought of “I’ll die if I get caught,” quickly fled the office.

As Theodore quietly watched the spot where Hel had left, an image of Reinis’s smiling face suddenly surfaced in his mind. At that moment, he thought, ‘If it’s a woman like Reinis, marrying her wouldn’t be so bad.’

Perhaps because everyone was so attentive to her recovery, she was healing quite quickly.

Her daily routine began with disinfecting her wounds early in the morning, applying fresh ointment, and wrapping them with new bandages.

“Fortunately, the wounds have improved significantly. Although you still shouldn’t overexert yourself, compared to when you first arrived, you’ve gotten much better.” 

The physician, who had come to treat her again today, spoke with a satisfied smile.

“It’s all thanks to you, Doctor. I’m grateful.” 

She replied, expressing her thanks with a much brighter demeanor than when she first arrived.

Reinis, who had once seemed like a soulless person, gradually began to show a brighter side as she spent time at the Duke’s manor.  

Perhaps it was because there was no one to torment her anymore, or maybe it was due to the kindness of Theodore and the Duke’s staff. It seemed as though her original personality, suppressed by abuse and neglect, was finally beginning to emerge.

“I should be the one thanking you. Among all the patients I’ve treated, you’re the only one who has followed my instructions so well.” 

Although she hadn’t done anything particularly praiseworthy, being praised made her feel oddly embarrassed, and she couldn’t help but smile awkwardly.

Watching her, the physician spoke with a gentle smile.  

“You must have been bored, lying in bed all the time. How about going for a little sightseeing?”

“Is that… really okay?!” 

Reinis’s head shot up, her eyes sparkling as she asked.  

She looked so adorable at that moment, like a little rabbit gazing up at him with its bright, shining eyes.

“Of course. As the Duke’s guest, you’re free to do whatever you wish. Just make sure not to strain your injuries.”

A wide smile gradually spread across her face until she beamed with joy.  

“Then, can I visit the garden?!”

And so, having been granted some free time, Reinis headed straight to explore the garden.

While lying in bed, watching the garden through the window was an immense joy for Reinis. Seeing new flowers added every day even made her think about meeting the gardener at least once.  

Though it was her first time leaving her room since arriving at the Duke’s manor, she felt no worry at all. Behind her were not only Yuria and Emma but also two knights assigned by Theodore, along with several other maids following in a line.  

It was a bit overwhelming, but as soon as she stepped into the garden, those thoughts vanished in an instant.  

The garden had a completely different charm compared to when she had only seen it from the window.  

“Wow… it’s so beautiful!”  

Reinis, her eyes sparkling as she looked around, couldn’t help but feel excited.  

Even when Emma and Yuria suggested taking a break, she insisted she was fine and continued walking.  

Lost in the beauty of the garden, she wandered aimlessly until her steps brought her to the tightly closed main gates of the Duke’s manor.  

“Once you’re fully recovered, how about going out to explore beyond the manor with the master?”  

“Would… he go with me?”  

At Emma’s suggestion, Reinis blushed as she spoke, looking like a shy girl in love.  

Seeing her looking a bit more her age compared to when she first arrived at the Duke’s manor, Emma smiled warmly and replied,  

“Of course. If you wishes for it, he’ll gladly accompany you, Miss.”  

Just imagining going out with Theodore lifted Reinis’s spirits, and she smiled brightly as she turned to head back inside.  

At that moment—  

“Let go of me!! My wife is in there!!”  

A voice she never wanted to hear echoed loudly.  

“The Duke kidnapped my wife!!”  

At the sound of a voice that shouldn’t have been there, Reinis froze in place, her face turning pale.  

“Wife…?”  

With a trembling voice, Reinis turned her head, and ‘he’ came into view.  

‘Earl George Plarad.’  

“Ah…”  

Letting out a faint gasp, Reinis collapsed weakly to the ground as if her soul had left her body.  

Her pupils trembled violently as she looked at Earl Plarad, and she gasped for air as though she had forgotten how to breathe.  

“Miss?!”  

The servants nearby cried out in alarm, but all Reinis could hear was George Plarad’s voice.  

“I know she’s in there!! Duke Grace!! I’ve come to take my wife back!!”

The rampaging Earl George Plarad was driven away by the knights of the Duke’s manor.  

Emma and Yuria, regaining their composure, guided the terrified Reinis back to her room.  

Reinis sat on the edge of her bed, looking like a person whose soul had left her body.  

Hearing about her condition, Theodore came to her room.  

Looking at her with worried eyes, he spoke.  

“Are you all right?”  

“Yes… I’m sorry.”  

A silence fell between the two.  

The sudden appearance of George Plarad, whom she hadn’t seen since returning to the past, and his shouting about her being his ‘wife,’ had clearly shaken her.

It was a considerable shock to her, erasing the bright demeanor she had recently regained.  

She trembled, as if consumed by fear.  

After a long pause, Theodore carefully took her hand.  

“Young lady, I have a request.”  

“Yes?”  

At his sudden words, Reinis tilted her head and looked at him.  

Seeing the focus return to her eyes, he let out a faint smile and spoke.  

“If you have any worries, please tell me about them. I want to be of help to you.”  

She could tell his words were sincere.  

But how could she tell him everything?  

“Thank you.”  

She forced a smile as she replied.  

In the awkward atmosphere, Theodore assured her that he would support her until the moment he left her room.  

After leaving, he immediately began investigating Earl George Plarad.  

“Earl George Plarad owns an earldom located at the far edge of the empire. Recently, he came up to the capital and started participating in social activities. Rumor has it that he fell in love with Lady Reinis at first sight and proposed a marriage alliance to the Martin family. However, there doesn’t seem to have been much interaction between the two. It appears that Earl Plarad only admired her from afar.”  

“Then why is he calling her his wife?”  

“Ah, that’s because the Baroness accepted his proposal the day after visiting the Duke’s manor. Although there was no wedding, nor was a marriage permit submitted to the Emperor, he seems to have mistakenly assumed she is already his wife since the marriage arrangement between the families was agreed upon.”  

The sound of grinding teeth was clearly audible even to Heldor’s ears.  

Hel, swallowing dryly, carefully spoke while watching Theodore’s expression.  

“And… among the nobles, he has quite a good reputation.”  

“That bastard?”  

“I know you don’t like him, but people say he’s well-mannered, handsome, and responsible, making him a great match for marriage.”  

Before Hel could finish his sentence, the pen in Theodore’s hand snapped in half.  

Thinking that continuing to praise him would only lead to his own neck being broken, Heldor cleared his throat a few times and quickly changed the subject.  

“It seems like he’s putting on a show to tarnish your reputation,Your Grace. If he comes back, shall we scare him off and chase him out?”  

“He’s not even worth that effort… but the lady seems to be uneasy. I’ll handle it myself.”  

“…Are… are you planning to kill him?! Commander, no matter how much you’re the commander, this is the capital! It’s not a battlefield!”  

Theodore, who had been staring silently at the pale-faced Heldor, shook his head.  

“I won’t kill him, so don’t worry.”