Chapter 15. Not Knowing What He’s Giving

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After showering, Theo sat at his office desk and took out two jewelry boxes, one large and one small.

One was a family heirloom from a kingdom famous for its intricate jewelry craftsmanship.

Of course, it was now a defeated nation that had faded into history, thanks to Theo.

The kingdom’s tiara, made of pink diamonds, was crafted with an extremely delicate technique. So it was clear and subtle without a single flaw.

It was also famous for the legend that any queen who married wearing this crown would give birth to great children and live happily ever after.

And because of that legend, its value had now doubled.

Because before the kingdom fell to defeat, the queen had married without wearing this crown.

The king and queen had never gotten along from the start. The king didn’t give the tiara to the queen, who was his political marriage partner.

With the queen who married without wearing the tiara as the last, the kingdom disappeared. It was the moment the legend became reality.

Even now, Theo often received inquiries offering money comparable to a kingdom in exchange for the tiara.

The other item in the small box was a pair of earrings.

The ruby earrings, smaller than Theo’s fingernail, had tiny diamonds set around the edges.

The oval-cut rubies, despite being old, hadn’t lost their lustrous shine.

Theo pondered.

What should he gift Yuelina to make her think of him as a kind and gentle person?

He wanted to give her both, but that might be too burdensome.

Wasn’t she the one who refused when he told her to use as many magic stones as she wanted, saying she’d take them later?

He should start by giving her something small, then gradually increase it.

By giving larger and larger gifts, Yuelina’s spending habits might grow as well.

She might have no choice but to stick close to him, unable to handle such luxury on her own.

It was a perfect plan.

If he had given gifts from the start, he would have had a justification to keep Yuelina in the principality right away.

He couldn’t believe he hadn’t known about this great method.

Theo clicked his tongue at his past mistakes, pressing his temples.

If he had just thought a little, there were so many good methods like this.

At that moment, Ulysse knocked on the office door and entered.

Theo silently glared at Ulysse with his arms crossed.

His muscles were so large that rather than crossing his arms, he looked like someone barely managing to hold his arms together.

Ulysse adjusted his glasses and began to speak.

“I’ve given a stern warning to the nobles at the hunting ground. Their qualifications will also be revoked in the parliament.”

“I see. You’re indeed kind and gentle.”

“Yes. Pardon?”

Ulysse tilted his head at the strange compliment attached to him.

Kind and… what? Gentle?

Seeing Ulysse’s expression of incomprehension, Theo muttered softly.

“Unlike other nobles, you even give gifts to the Grand Duchess.”

“Is this about the gloves?”

Ulysse glanced at the desk at Theo’s words.

On the desk lay a kingdom’s heirloom that Ulysse knew well.

It was a tiara whose price skyrocketed even when it was just kept in storage.

Though unlikely, if financial difficulties ever approached the North, that tiara would save the North.

That’s how valuable it was.

Surely he’s not planning to give the tiara to Her Highness the Grand Duchess?

If so, Yuelina could become rich. One of the wealthiest in the principality, no, even in the empire.

And those ruby earrings next to the tiara…

Ulysse’s eyes widened as if they might pop out.

“Your Highness. Aren’t those earrings the keepsake of the previous Grand Duke Karenrose, I mean, Your Highness’s mother?”

Theo nodded.

The red ruby earrings were not just simple earrings.

They were his mother’s keepsake.

Karenrose de Phaenyx.

Theo was the spitting image of his mother.

From his agility in moving relentlessly in war, to his strategic approach of winning with minimal casualties.

Karenrose was that strong of a person.

It was all thanks to her that the North, with its unfavorable climate for agriculture and geographically barren land, grew to a point where no one could ignore it.

After such a woman died, the only keepsake worthy for Theo to keep was this pair of ruby earrings.

Earrings with such meaning, surely he’s not planning to give them to that Yuelina?

That would be no different from a bold confession of love, giving away his everything!

“Seeing your expression, I think I’ll go with this.”

Theo closed the jewelry box containing the earrings.

Judging by Ulysse’s shocked expression, the earrings seemed to be better than the tiara.

Indeed, earrings were more practical than a crown.

“Ah, no, Your Highness the Grand Duke! Please reconsider. Isn’t that the only keepsake from your mother?”

“That’s right.”

“Exactly! And you’re going to give that to Her Highness the Grand Duchess?”

“Yeah.”

Theo found Ulysse’s question quite strange.

“The Grand Duchess will stay in the principality, so why shouldn’t I give it to her?”

“…Ah.”

Ulysse closed his mouth at Theo’s face that seemed to ask what the problem was.

Theo was not aware of how much value and meaning the gift he was giving had.

He was just giving Yuelina earrings, just like how Ulysse had given her gloves.

What kind of XXXX lord is this…

Ulysse couldn’t dare to show the profanities he had deeply buried in front of his lord.

“Yes. If that’s Your Highness the Grand Duke’s wish, you should give it as a gift. Just like how I took out the gloves from the front of the drawer and simply gave them.”

“Right. That’s how it’ll be.”

“Yeees–. Yeees–. Do as you please.”

Theo frowned at Ulysse’s sarcastic voice.

Has this secretary gone mad?

He was already feeling uneasy about not being the first to give Yuelina a gift, and now he’s mocking that specifically?

“I know.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s too late. I should have given it earlier.”

Ulysse almost collapsed on the spot.

To be so dejected for not having given a gift to his wife.

And that, without even knowing what he was trying to give.

Anyway, yes. It was a good sign.

Perhaps Theo’s court physician might be a great doctor after all.

It seemed that Theo was trying to find the faint emotions he was feeling, however slight.

In over ten years of serving his lord, this was the first time he had seen such behavior.

Now, he’s starting to seem a bit human.

“Give it. Those ruby earrings. They’re prettier than the tiara. And it seems like she’ll wear them well.”

At Ulysse’s words, Theo finally smiled with relief.

It wasn’t time to go to bed yet, so he wanted to deliver the gift to Yuelina quickly.

He sent Ulysse out and opened the terrace window.

He just needed to cross one bridge to get to Yuelina’s room.

Theo walked briskly towards the bridge.

But was the bridge always this long?

Theo hurried his steps, sneering that he might die on the bridge while evacuating if a war broke out.

“Are you in there?”

At his question, there was a sound of busy movement from inside the attic room.

Even her footsteps sounded like ‘thump, thump’, as if she had been playing marbles alone in the attic.

“Hello.”

Yuelina opened the door wide.

She must have just bathed, as her hair was wet and dripping water.

Theo grabbed Yuelina’s shoulders and quickly pushed her inside.

The wind was cold. She might catch a cold.

On the other hand, Yuelina held her breath as she watched Theo suddenly push his way in.

From Yuelina’s perspective, Theo’s hair was also wet, as if he had just bathed.

Moreover, he was wearing a thin shirt, so his sturdy body was clearly visible.

And what about her own clothes?

Since the room was warm due to the activated magic stones, she had put on the nightgown she used to wear in her village.

Befitting the season in her village, which was like summer compared to here, the nightgown was a dress that came down to her knees.

“Are you alright?”

“Pardon?”

Yuelina blinked her eyes rapidly.

What does he mean by alright?

A grown man comes into her room after bathing and asks if she’s alright.

Yuelina’s face turned bright red.

Theo quietly observed Yuelina’s face turning red.

Compared to outside, the interior was very warm. Even with the magic stone activating the heater, it was excessive.

So he couldn’t tell if Yuelina’s face was red from the cold or from the heat.

Huh?

Theo had been so focused on Yuelina’s wet hair and face that he hadn’t noticed what she was wearing.

But as he lowered his gaze slightly, her nightgown caught his eye.

It was a thin, flowing nightgown that revealed her silhouette.

Moreover, it was just long enough to barely cover her thighs.

Yuelina’s white, fair legs and slender ankles caught his gaze.

Does this woman wear such clothes to sleep?

And he doesn’t see this because he uses a separate room from Yuelina?

Theo wanted to fling open the door, go out, and fall right off the bridge.

Yuelina also realized that Theo was looking at her nightgown.

The attic room was her private space, so she hadn’t expected anyone to visit at this hour.

She looked around, not knowing what to do.

The only thing that could cover her body, exposed defensively in the short nightgown, was the blanket right in front of her.

She immediately slipped into the blanket.

And Theo froze on the spot.

With him present, this attitude of getting into bed…

What kind of signal is this?