Chapter 73

“Duke, are you all right?”  

Lia looked at Johann, who had stopped walking, with a puzzled expression.  

“Your face is really red. Do you have a fever or something?”  

“…A fever…”  

He barely managed to get the words out, when Lia placed the back of her hand on his forehead.  

‘…Crazy.’  

His already hot face grew even hotter.  

“…You’re burning up.”  

He could feel the back of her hand so clearly.  

His mouth was getting drier and drier.  

‘She has no idea how crazy she’s making me feel right now.’  

“Why do you suddenly have a fever?”  

Lia stepped even closer.  

“……”  

Just because her soft hand was touching him, Johann couldn’t move his body or mouth at all.  

It was as if he were paralyzed.  

He clenched his fist.  

Every joint in his hand tingled.  

“It would be best to take the carriage now.”  

Lia removed her hand and waved to the coachman.  

“…I’m fine.”  

He barely managed to grab her hand.  

“Yes?”  

“…It’s just for a moment.”  

His voice was so hoarse that anyone could tell.  

Lia frowned in concern, her eyebrows forming a triangle.  

“Isn’t this ‘just for a moment’ a bit too long? And your hand is really hot.”  

D*mn it, how could it not be hot?  

‘…I just realized.’  

That he, that he loved her.  

“I’ll be fine soon.”  

He brushed his face with his rough hand.  

“The carriage is here, so please get in and rest for a bit.”  

Lia, looking worried, led him to the carriage.  

“…All right.”  

Even in that moment, he liked her worried gaze.  

Once Johann and Lia boarded the carriage, the coachman urged the horses to go faster.  

“When we arrive at the mansion, please at least have the healing magician check you.”  

“It’s not that serious.”  

“Still…”  

“All right, I’ll get checked.”  

He said it just to ease her concern, even if he really liked that worried look, it couldn’t compare to how much he liked her smile.  

“Please rest until we arrive.”  

Lia said so and turned her head to look out the window.  

The fresh breeze made her hair flutter softly.  

That sight warmed and calmed his heart at the same time.  

He didn’t know when he’d fallen in love, but he knew for sure now that he’d fallen for her, hopelessly.  

‘…Lia.’  

Her name hovered on his lips but never came out.  

He’d always felt awkward and never called her by her name, but now he wanted to say it so badly.  

If he called her ‘Lia’, what kind of expression would she make?  

‘Would it be the same as usual, or would she be surprised?’  

…Or maybe she would dislike it.  

After all, he was the man who had forgotten and left her.  

Even if she didn’t show it, maybe she’d be displeased.  

Thinking that, the heat in his face seemed to cool down all at once.  

On top of that, when she’d come to find him, he’d treated her coldly, so it was even more likely.  

He sighed inwardly.  

‘…Why was I so cold?’  

Even if he couldn’t be warm, he shouldn’t have been mean.  

But there was no point in regretting it now.  

“Are you feeling better now?”  

Lia turned her head and asked, seeing that Johann’s face had regained its color.  

“…It seems so.”  

“That’s a relief.”  

She let out a sigh of relief and slightly raised the corners of her mouth.  

‘If she’s worried about me, maybe it’s not so bad.’  

No, maybe she was only worried because of Rafaella.  

If he got sick, it wouldn’t be good for Rafaella.  

While he was lost in all sorts of thoughts, the carriage arrived at the ducal estate.  

Johann reached out his hand to escort Lia out first, but Lia hesitated, her hand stopping halfway.  

“Why aren’t you…”  

Johann looked at her.  

She was looking somewhere else, unable to hide her embarrassment.  

“Duke Blumhart! What is going on here? How could you do this to me!”  

It was Patrizia, her voice shrill enough to tear the air.  

“…Haa.”  

Johann let out a sigh.  

She came out from the main entrance and approached them.  

In the meantime, Johann helped Lia down from the carriage.  

“I’m your fiancée, and yet, how could you go around together like this?”  

Patrizia, now close, looked Lia up and down as if she were something filthy.  

At that look, Johann frowned and moved Lia behind him.  

“…I greet you, Your Highness, the noble light of the heavens. I don’t recall hearing you’d be visiting. What brings you here?”  

“Is that important right now? I just caught you cheating on your fiancée!”  

She raised her eyebrows and shouted.  

“Whatever misunderstanding you may have, we just happened to meet on the way and came together.”  

Johann sighed and replied.  

“You expect me to believe that?”  

“Whether you believe it or not is up to you, Princess, but it’s unpleasant to be misunderstood at will.”  

“And who do you think is actually upset here!”  

Patrizia’s clenched fist trembled.  

“You should go inside now.”  

Johann ignored Patrizia and whispered to Lia.  

“Pardon?”  

“Quickly.”  

At his urging, Lia had no choice but to move.  

“How dare you try to leave as you please?”  

Before the angry Patrizia could grab Lia’s wrist, Johann stopped her.  

“Don’t take it out on innocent people. If you have something to say, say it to me.”  

“…Florian was right.”  

Patrizia muttered with reddened eyes.  

“Duke Blumhart, don’t tell me you actually have feelings for that commoner woman?”  

“Do I have to report that to you, Your Highness?”  

Johann replied without any change in expression.  

He might lose his composure in front of Lia, but wearing a mask in front of the Princess was easy.  

“If you’re dodging the question, it must be true. The great Duke of Blumhart falling for some country bumpkin…”  

“Princess Patrizia, as a member of the Imperial Family, it would be best to speak with dignity.”  

Johann frowned.  

“After seeing you riding in a carriage together, do you expect me to speak nicely?”  

“I don’t see why you’re so upset when we’re not even married yet.”  

“…What did you say?”  

Patrizia bit her lip.  

“An engagement can be broken at any time.”  

“Duke, don’t tell me you’re deluding yourself into thinking you’ll break off your engagement with me and marry that insignificant commoner?”  

Her voice came out through clenched teeth.  

Marriage? He hadn’t even thought about it, having only just realized his feelings.  

But if Lia would take him back…  

“……”  

He shamelessly wanted to keep living with her like this.  

“Ha, I guess you don’t know that marriages across classes are forbidden.”  

She interpreted his silence just right.  

“That law is just for show.”  

“Maybe for those petty minor nobles, but do you think it applies to the great House of Blumhart?”  

Patrizia sneered.  

“And to think, the fiancée of a Princess…”  

She crossed her arms and raised her chin.  

“Maybe marriage across classes could be managed somehow, but breaking off an engagement with me, an imperial princess, is impossible even if you die, so don’t dream such foolish dreams. Wouldn’t it be too sad to get your hopes up and be disappointed?”  

She brought her face close to Johann’s with an arrogant smile.  

“Dream of something possible, Duke.”  

“……”  

He didn’t reply, suppressing the urge to shove her face away.  

“Soon, His Majesty the Emperor will invite you to a dinner banquet. I hope you won’t act as you did when you rejected my invitation.”  

Patrizia raised one corner of her mouth.  

“Well then, I’ll be going.”  

She got into her carriage and left the estate.  

‘I have to break off this engagement no matter what.’  

Johann ran a hand through his hair in frustration and entered the mansion.

* * *

As soon as Patrizia arrived at the Imperial Palace, she headed straight for Florian’s quarters.  

Bang.  

Without waiting for permission, she strode into the Prince’s bedroom.  

“It’s not even evening yet, and you’re up to all sorts of things.”  

On the wide bed, two completely n*ked women and Florian were sleeping.  

“…Sister, ever heard of privacy?”  

Woken by Patrizia, Florian snapped irritably.  

“You two, get out.”  

Patrizia chased out the women with a terrifying voice.  

“That medicine you brought last time, give it to me now.”  

“Medicine? What medicine?”  

Florian leaned against the headboard and grinned slyly.  

“The one you brought, saying you’d help with the Duke!”  

“And you called it vulgar at the time.”  

“How could I care about that when Duke Blumhart is flirting with that commoner girl!”  

“Flirting?”  

Florian’s eyes lit up as he sat up halfway.  

“Yes, and he looked at her with such longing eyes!”  

Patrizia couldn’t hold back her resentment.  

“He treats me, a Princess, like a fly!”  

“No matter how high and mighty the Duke is, he shouldn’t treat his fiancée like that.”  

Florian got up and picked up his clothes.  

“I’ll have that man, no matter what it takes.”  

There was a glint of madness in Patrizia’s eyes.  

“…Even if I have to use lowly methods.”  

“Here. This is the one shot that will topple the noble Duke of Blumhart.”  

Florian pressed a vial of medicine into her hand.  

A satisfied smile appeared on her lips.