Chapter 6. Rather Good

“…Pardon?”

“If I wasn’t under a spell, this wouldn’t be happening.”

Theo quietly looked at the notes he had written.

This mind that had been thinking about warm meals for Yuelina since dawn.

Yuelina was said to be the mysterious saintess in the prophecy.

Saintess.

Then, wouldn’t she be able to use spells at will?

It was clear that he had fallen deeply under her spell.

* * *

Delkan entered the office upon Theo’s summons.

Theo was standing with his hands behind his back, looking out the window.

His build was so large that he covered the entire large window.

Delkan swallowed hard as he approached him.

Just then, Theo turned his head to stare at Delkan.

Even though Delkan was tall, he had to crane his neck to look up at Theo.

He carefully observed Theo’s expression.

Last night, when Theo grabbed Yuelina’s hand covered in blood, Delkan almost fainted.

Afterwards, Ulysse quickly took Yuelina away, so he didn’t know what happened next.

Anyway, Yuelina and Theo had safely married. Although there was no wedding ceremony or any celebration…

They had taken a difficult first step.

“Good morning, Your Highness the Grand Duke. Was last night alright?”

Delkan cautiously asked Theo.

Did he spend the night with Yuelina?

If they had spent the night together, it would be easier to imprint.

A soul’s vow pledging love.

Even without love, they could imprint after being married for a year.

That’s why the imperial family always visited the temple with their wives after exactly one year.

If they visited the temple before that and the imprint didn’t work, it would be a disaster.

However, if love definitely developed, they could imprint immediately regardless of the one-year time limit.

The same applied to Theo, who had imperial blood flowing through him.

If they could shorten the time even a little…

Delkan’s family could escape this cursed north with the solid backing of the Bios Empire.

That fact alone made him endure in this barren north.

He traveled all over to find the ‘saintess’, and his persistence led to the discovery of Luhae Island.

All this credit belonged to Delkan, to himself.

Delkan had endured until now, imagining his luxurious future life a year from now.

He could pride himself on having thoroughly hidden that greedy face.

Delkan, having thoroughly hidden that mask, grinned at Theo.

“What’s different? The sun rises and sets the same.”

“Haha. But you have a wife now, don’t you?”

“It’s not like she’s my first wife.”

Theo replied nonchalantly. The more he did so, the more anxious Delkan became.

Yuelina.

Delkan thought Yuelina was beautiful.

Even if she wasn’t a saintess, the nobles of the Bios Empire would have found a match for Yuelina.

Of course, they would have made her a mistress for entertainment, not a legal wife.

So Delkan felt no guilt towards Yuelina.

He intended to keep his promise.

He would supply magic stones to the tiny island until she was sacrificed.

Once Yuelina burns to death as a sacrifice, their connection with the island ends there.

The condition he promised to Yuelina’s father was only for the duration she remained as the Grand Duchess.

If anything, what made him feel sorry for Yuelina was that the person she had to get attached to while alive was Theo, a cold-blooded man.

Even just standing still, Theo gave the illusion that the smell of blood was wafting from somewhere.

The countries he had wiped out were too many to count on one’s fingers.

Rumors said that during wars, he would hang enemy heads on his horse.

Could Theo, who had led only merciless wars all his life, properly embrace a woman?

He might use Yuelina merely as a means to satisfy his burning carnal desires.

Tsk.

Poor thing.

If Yuelina had been sold to a normal nobleman, she might have received at least some affection.

“Delkan.”

At that moment, Theo handed Delkan some documents. Delkan’s expression hardened slightly as he checked them.

The contents of the documents were reports about refugees camping and protesting at the northern wall.

“Go and resolve this.”

“Pardon? M-me?”

Theo nodded briefly. Delkan broke into a cold sweat.

“B-but wouldn’t it be better for me to stay here and help Yuelina adjust?”

“Is that so?”

“She doesn’t know anyone here except me, right? I think Yuelina would feel more at ease if I’m here.”

“No.”

Theo spoke firmly.

“What the Grand Duchess wants is the stability of the principality.”

“……”

“You’re a noble belonging to the council that should work for the principality.”

“……”

“So you should go. I can’t go there leaving the Grand Duchess behind, can I?”

Delkan closed his mouth. This was not a request or suggestion, but an order.

Does Theo know something?

Feeling uneasy, Delkan briefly tried to guess Theo’s intentions.

But he soon shook his head.

If Theo had known his bride was a sacrifice, he wouldn’t have left Delkan’s neck intact.

“I think you would do a good job, Delkan.”

Delkan fell into deep thought.

He had only opposed letting in the refugees at the wall until now, never having gone there himself.

It was clear that other nobles in the council had complained, harboring resentment.

The nobles of the north.

Since they don’t belong to the empire, those trash barely scrape by on magic stones Theo brings in the outskirts of the principality.

Delkan was different from them from the start.

And he would be even more different in the future.

“I understand, Your Highness the Grand Duke. I’ll see Yuelina before I leave.”

“See her in the reception room.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Please take good care of Yuelina while I’m gone.”

Theo stared at Delkan.

“I hope you two become really close and have a marriage life that others envy.”

“Really?”

“Yes! Yuelina and Your Highness the Grand Duke suit each other very well.”

Delkan went on to explain how lovely and kind Yuelina was.

Theo didn’t mind hearing Delkan’s voice describing aspects of Yuelina he didn’t know.

Moreover, when he occasionally praised them as a well-matched couple, the corners of Theo’s mouth twitched involuntarily.

Of course, he knew that Delkan was saying such things because he was the one who had to imprint on Yuelina, who would become a sacrifice.

“Then, I shall take my leave now.”

“And one more thing.”

It was when Delkan bowed and turned to leave.

Theo called out to Delkan in a low voice.

“It’s not right to call the Grand Duchess ‘Yuelina’, is it?”

“…Ah, I apologize. It’s become a habit.”

“Address her as ‘Her Highness the Grand Duchess’ respectfully in the reception room too. That way, you won’t make mistakes outside.”

Theo said coldly.

Delkan nodded dazedly.

Call her Her Highness the Grand Duchess?

Could it be that he’s taken a liking to Yuelina?

No matter how he thought about it, those words sounded like he was acknowledging Yuelina as the Grand Duchess.

If so, it was an excellent signal for him.

Now was the time to encourage Yuelina’s heart, to urge her to quickly win Theo’s love.

* * *

Yuelina headed to the reception room, guided by Ulysse.

The reception room was at the end of the first-floor corridor in the Black Mansion.

As she opened the door and entered, Delkan rose from his seat.

She looked around the interior of the reception room.

The reception room, with a table for four, had yellow wallpaper creating a cozy atmosphere.

However, the wallpaper, curtains, and other furnishings seemed old, faded in places.

To Yuelina, the Black Mansion gave the impression of being neat and tidy, yet somehow worn and weathered.

Particularly, the thin wooden boards on the corridor floor often made creaking sounds.

She was inwardly puzzled that despite being full of such large and fine things, it seemed only minimal maintenance was barely being done.

“Your Highness the Grand Duchess.”

Delkan called Yuelina Her Highness the Grand Duchess.

Yuelina felt awkward hearing that unfamiliar title from Delkan’s familiar mouth.

Still, it made her realize that she had indeed become Theo’s wife.

It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling.

“Uncle.”

Delkan took Yuelina’s hand with a gentle smile.

“Thank you for adapting well, even though it must be unfamiliar.”

“Not at all. Everyone has been kind, so I’ve been comfortable.”

“How was last night? Did His Highness the Grand Duke make you uncomfortable? Did you… talk much?”

Yuelina nodded awkwardly.

Delkan didn’t know that Yuelina and Theo were using separate rooms.

Ulysse, who had guided her here, had strictly instructed that the fact they were using separate rooms should be kept secret from others, including Delkan.

“Does His Highness… like you?”

“Well, I’m not sure about that, but he seems kind and gentle.”

The words kind and gentle didn’t suit Theo at all.

But if Yuelina thought so, Delkan considered that fortunate as well.

For a quick imprint, the most urgent thing was for the two to become close.

Delkan couldn’t hold back and spoke to Yuelina.

“Forgive my impertinence, but did you consummate the marriage?”

“What? Con-consummate?”

“I’m asking if you spent the night with His Highness the Grand Duke.”

Yuelina’s eyes widened at Delkan’s question.

At that moment, there was a loud creaking sound of someone stepping heavily on the floor outside the reception room.

Yuelina turned her head to look towards the door.