Chapter 10

The moment the smell of chemicals stung her nose, she already had a bad feeling, but the sight before her was enough to make her want to bite her tongue.

“Butler, this place…”

The room, which seemed to have once been a study, now looked like a kind of exhibition hall. The problem wasn’t that it displayed jewels or art, but something far more dreadful…

The room was filled with stuffed beasts, hides, and all sorts of weapons. When she met the wide-open eyes of a bear, she recoiled in shock and looked at the butler. To her horror, the butler was standing tall, looking proud.

“What… what is all this?”

“Ah, do you mean the bear on the left? His Grace the Grand Duke caught that one when he was only eleven, a vicious beast that attacked a child…”

“No, do you really think that’s what I was asking about?!”

“Ah, you must mean the wolf in the center. His Grace hunted that one at seventeen. It was the leader—kept invading human settlements…”

The dead, black eyes of the animals stared right at her. Aside from the bear and wolf the butler mentioned, it seemed every beast in the world was gathered here. And the taxidermy was so lifelike, they looked ready to move at any moment. It was a place that belonged in nightmares.

She couldn’t understand the situation at all. Why was she being shown something like this? He had said he’d prepared it for her for a long time…

Maybe the talk of a future wife was just a pretext, and this was a warning that if she wasn’t careful, she’d end up just like them?

“Butler, don’t tell me you brought me here just to show me animal corpses?”

At her sharp voice, the butler looked puzzled. He narrowed his eyes and looked around the room.

“Aren’t you… surprised?”

“Surprised? Of course I’m surprised!”

“As expected… I’m relieved, Your Grace.”

“That’s not a compliment, so don’t look so pleased!”

“What do you mean…?”

“You said these were things collected for your future wife! What kind of man shows such bizarre things to his wife…”

The butler’s eyes went wide, as if he’d never even imagined such a thing. She was so taken aback by his reaction, her mouth dropped open.

‘What, did he really think I would be moved by this? Seriously?’

“Your Grace, bizarre…? Please, take a closer look. This is a tradition in the North. The lady of the house must see the display room that proves her husband’s strength…”

“This is a tradition? Really? Wouldn’t it be normal for a new bride to faint at the sight of this?”

The butler looked around, lost for words, as if he’d just heard something completely unexpected. At last, he looked at her with pleading eyes.

“Your Grace, look here. The wolf’s strong teeth! The sharpness of this bear’s claws! These are not ordinary taxidermies…!”

“Why—why do I have to look at that?”

The butler, looking aggrieved, thrust something like a bear’s hide toward her. The claws were still attached—it was enough to make her faint. As she covered her mouth with both hands, on the verge of gagging, the butler jumped back in alarm. But there was still determination in his eyes.

“His Grace the Grand Duke conquered the North even as a youth. Everything in this display room demonstrates His Grace’s might!”

“Wouldn’t anyone expect family heirlooms, childhood keepsakes, or a mother’s memento? Even if it’s silly, filling the room with flowers would be better than this!”

“But… the eyes of all these beasts prove a value beyond that. They show what a great man His Grace is…!”

“To win a wife’s heart, what’s needed isn’t a husband’s strength, but his kindness!”

The butler stared at her, expression frozen in disbelief. It was like he’d just heard the most absurd thing for the first time in his life—a look of someone who’d lost his country.

“…What?”

The butler dumbly echoed her. 

‘Was he really serious? Was this truly the best he had?’

“Butler… I…”

When she couldn’t continue, a sudden resolve appeared in the butler’s eyes. He began searching the room desperately, his eyes burning with determination.

“Butler, what are you doing?”

Whatever he was looking for, he soon approached her, something cradled in his hands. The expectation sparkling in his eyes made her heart pound with unease.

The butler carefully held out his hands to her. On his gloved palm was a stuffed white squirrel. It looked quite cute, and under other circumstances, she might have admired it.

“Your Grace, then at least this one… no, this little fellow is cute, isn’t it?”

But the taxidermied squirrel, instead of looking like a herbivore, was baring its sharp teeth, as if ready to tear apart whoever stood before it.

“Aaah! Get that thing away from me!”

She stumbled backward in panic, crashing hard into the wall. With a clang, something fell behind her. It was a sword, sharpened enough to cut off a finger at a touch.

“Your Grace! Are you alright?”

Wasn’t she almost killed just now? She’d practically had one foot in the afterlife.

“…….”

She stared blankly at the fallen sword. This all felt like some cruel prank. It wouldn’t be strange if the Grand Duke decided to stuff her and display her here too.

“Your Grace?”

Seeing her frozen in place, the butler approached, sensing something was wrong. But he still had that white squirrel in his hand. With every step he took, the squirrel’s white tail fluttered. The moment she saw it, she couldn’t take it anymore.

“Uuugh!”

“Your Grace!”

Nausea hit her so hard she had to cover her mouth. She really thought she might vomit, but she had to hold it in. If she threw up here, the Grand Duke might really find her troublesome and kill her.

“My stomach is upset, so don’t follow me!”

Leaving that scream behind, she bolted in the opposite direction. She didn’t care if the Grand Duke, supposedly asleep, woke up at the sound of her footsteps. She just wanted to get out of there as fast as possible.

A headache throbbed at her temples. No matter how she tried to think positively, it was impossible.

Everyone in the North was insane! And their leader, the Grand Duke, was the worst of all—even without meeting him, that much was obvious.

* * *

She buried herself in bed after returning from that horrific room, and when she opened her eyes, it was morning. Apparently her demand not to let anyone in had worked, as the room was quiet.

“…….”

‘But when had the window been opened?’

‘Could it be…?’ 

An almost certain premonition drew her to the window.

“Demian…!”

At her call, the man leaning against the wall lifted his head. Even from quite a distance, it seemed he’d heard her whisper.

Sunlight fractured against his jet-black hair. His face was still so perfect, it took her breath away.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Your Grace.”

“How long have you been there?”

“Well. I thought you might feel burdened, so I planned to keep that to myself.”

As always, his sly reply made her bite her lip.

“Then just don’t say it. It’s burdensome.”

“As you command. By the way, you slept very soundly. Was it because you were excited for today’s festival and couldn’t sleep last night?”

“Do you think I’m a child? And I haven’t agreed yet.”

Demian looked up at her and gave a small laugh. That smile made her heart flutter. Pretending to be dazzled by the sun, she shielded her eyes with her hand.

“…….”

She tried to hide her agitation, but it was useless. She’d just noticed the flower bracelet Demian had woven, still dangling from her wrist.

In that moment, the words slipped out on impulse.

“…If I say I’ll go now, is it too late? To the festival, I mean.”

“Ah, not late at all.”

His response was quick but relaxed, a smile forming at the corners of his eyes.

“In fact, I’ve already made all the preparations so we can go whenever you wish.”

“So you were sure I’d change my mind?”

“If I said I was certain from the start, would you be angry?”

Demian’s lips curved in a leisurely, victorious smile. She was a bit annoyed, but couldn’t deny her heart was pounding.

* * *

Demian managed to sneak her out of the bedroom, avoiding the eyes of the servants.

He found a hidden passage so expertly, it was as if he were the master of the ducal residence. He led her to a room she’d never seen before, which seemed to be a storeroom; inside, plain clothes, shoes, and even a cloak were prepared.

“You really are thorough, aren’t you?”

“I’ll take it as a compliment, Your Grace.”

Demian grinned, unable to take his eyes off her for a long moment. After a brief hesitation, he slowly left the room.

As she picked up the clothes, she became aware that he was standing just behind the door. She let out a sigh to calm her nerves.

After changing, she stood in front of the mirror. With her distinctive hair color hidden under the cloak, she looked quite plain. Just then, there was a soft cough and a knock from outside.

“Are you ready?”

“Come in.”

In Demian’s hand was a mask—an ivory mask that covered half the face. As she stared at it, he approached her carefully.

“May I put it on you?”

“…Alright.”

With her permission, the distance between them vanished in an instant. His gray eyes, seen up close, were filled with nothing but her.

Demian lifted the mask and placed it on her. Perhaps because she was so tense, all his movements seemed slow. His fingers, cool against her cheek, made her face flush with heat.

“…….”

He stopped, eyes meeting hers in silence. They were so close, she could feel his breath. The strange tension in the air made her lips tense without her realizing it.