Chapter 54

Duke Lexion, having alighted from the carriage, saw that the light was still on in Adelina’s room and put his hand in his jacket pocket. 

‘A wife waiting for her husband… ’

He strode up the stairs with his long legs, moving faster than usual. 

Entering his room, he took a quick shower and roughly dried his hair with a towel.

‘I shouldn’t keep my wife waiting too long.’

Wearing a bathrobe, he took out the items from his jacket pocket and headed to Adelina’s room.

“Lexion!”

Sure enough, Adelina greeted him warmly, confirming she had been waiting for him. 

There was no trace of sleepiness in her voice.

“You worked hard today.”

Lexion, sitting side by side with Adelina on the bed, took out a black box from the bathrobe pocket and handed it to her.

She must have been exhausted dealing with Isabelle and unfamiliar noblewomen alone today.

Inside the box was a flower-shaped black pearl hairpin. He had bought it by pushing the jewelry store owner back inside as he was about to close.

“Is this a reward?”

Seeing Adelina with the hairpin lightly placed in her hair, it suited her quite well.

Adelina gave a bashful smile, subtly hinting at something she wanted. 

Not realizing that such a smile could make any man’s lower half stir.

“Lexion?”

Her voice was so soft that he was dying to hug her and kiss her right away.

“Ah. That’s the reward, and this is the birthday gift.”

Lexion took Adelina’s hand and pulled on the bathrobe.

“Take me. It’s your birthday gift.”

“Lexion!”

Adelina slapped his hand and retied the robe’s knot.

‘This guy is always joking around!’

She gave Lexion a sidelong glance at his chuckling face and, pretending to be annoyed, touched the hairpin.

‘This must be the birthday gift.’

When she craned her neck slightly, she saw her reflection in the full-length mirror on the opposite wall with the hairpin on.

“Hahaha. Here’s the real birthday gift.”

Lexion took a small red box from the bathrobe pocket and placed it in Adelina’s hand.

‘What! There’s actually a separate birthday gift?’

Oh my! What a thoughtful husband!

Adelina carefully opened the box. 

Inside was a pair of long earrings made of linked rubies.

“They’re earrings. They’re beautiful.”

They were so large and long that she wondered if her earlobes might tear if she wore them all day.

But that was okay. 

With rubies this large, shedding a little blood wouldn’t hurt at all.

Adelina immediately put on the earrings and turned her head side to side to show Lexion.

“They’re pretty.”

At Lexion’s husky voice, Adelina stopped moving her head.

+++

“Right… the earrings are.”

Lexion reached out and cupped Adelina’s ear. 

With eyes redder than the rubies, he drew her head closer. 

Lexion’s lips touched the part where the earring hung.

‘If you knew the meaning of these rubies, what expression would you make?’

Would she be moved? Or would she feel burdened and want to run away?

These earrings were made from rubies mined secretly by the nobles of Ernst, hidden from Evans for ten years. 

They were crafted solely for Adelina, with the nobles extracting small quantities without Evans’s knowledge. 

When he received a note saying the earrings were the color most similar to his eyes, he chuckled.

They hadn’t met in ten years, yet they said it was similar to his eye color. 

But seeing Adelina wearing the earrings now, it seemed kind of true.

“You’re beautiful.”

He whispered in Adelina’s ear. 

Her eyelashes fluttered rapidly, tickling Lexion’s cheek.

+++

The next day, Sweeney and the delegation from the Kingdom of Iberis set off on their journey home. 

Prince Evans also headed to Ernst with three dragons, saying he was wrapping up matters there.

“Duke, Duchess, His Majesty the Emperor has commanded an audience tomorrow morning.”

Five days after the wedding, the Emperor’s attendant visited the Duke’s residence to deliver Emperor Grain’s command.

“Duke! You’ve become even more handsome since you became a newlywed!”

That evening, Marquis Stephan, who was invited to dinner at the Ducal residence, couldn’t stop smiling. 

His smile was even brighter than when Lexion and Adelina got married.

“Ahem. Silly, Stephan. You will accompany us to the palace tomorrow.”

Lexion, responding gruffly, moved to the reception room with the party after dinner. 

Once the tea was set and the maids had left, Stephan began speaking in earnest.

“Duke! It seems they’re finally going to send you to Ernst!”

“Indeed. There’s no reason not to now.”

Lexion didn’t rebuke Stephan for his wide grin. 

In fact, he too couldn’t help but twitch his lips, unable to suppress the smile that kept creeping out.

‘Finally. I’m going to my homeland Ernst!’

After ten years, he was going to his Kingdom of Ernst. 

He was going to meet the people who had waited for him and protected that land for ten years!

‘Lexion. Are you that happy?’

Adelina looked at Lexion, unable to hide his joy, and smiled contentedly.

‘If Lexion goes to Ernst, I’ll soon receive the mirror! Now, true freedom and peace are coming!’

She couldn’t wait to enter the mirror and be bombarded with 19+ romance novels.

“Duke and Father, please, talk comfortably. I’ll go up with Hailyn first.”

Adelina left the two men to enjoy their happiness and went up to the second bedroom with Hailyn.

+++

“Hailyn. You’re staying a bit longer in the Tiola Empire?”

As soon as they entered the bedroom, Hailyn said she would stay a bit longer in the Petrus Empire.

“Yes, Duchess. I’ve contacted Sir Jaeyon. I said I wanted to stay until you find a trustworthy maid.”

“Thank you, Hailyn.”

Adelina held Hailyn’s hand and smiled brightly. 

‘But, Hailyn, Emperor Grain won’t let me choose a maid as I wish.’

Hiding her true thoughts, she took out a jewelry box from the dressing table drawer. 

Since Adelina decided to use this second room, which was originally one of Lexion’s private rooms, most of her belongings were organized here.

“Hailyn, take this. It’s a gift from me.”

Adelina gave Hailyn a sapphire set she had purchased while preparing for the wedding.

“What? Suddenly?”

“I’ve been indebted to you all this time. Thanks to you, I’ve avoided many dangers. I received it as a life allowance, so please accept it without burden.”

I should have bought more diamonds. 

After taking out the ones Lexion had personally bought from the jewelry box, the only thing suitable for a gift was the sapphire set.

“Life allowance…”

Hailyn, mulling over Adelina’s words, held the jewelry set and looked at Adelina intently.

“Duchess… do you love the Duke?”

“What?”

Adelina looked incredulous at the serious question.

Love? How long have we known each other to talk about love? 

We had been apart for a month during that time!

“Hahaha. Hailyn, you’re so innocent.”

Adelina slapped Hailyn on the back and laughed loudly, then closed the jewelry box and put it back in the drawer.

‘I’ll take all these into the mirror!’

Indeed, since she received them rightfully as a life allowance, she would take all the dresses and jewelry with her!

“In that case, I’m relieved.”

At the small voice she heard from behind, Adelina turned around.

“What? What did you say? I didn’t hear you.”

“Nothing. Just talking to myself.”

‘Silly. I didn’t think Hailyn was the type to talk to herself.’

Adelina hummed a tune, thinking about the mirror house that would soon be hers. 

+++

The next morning, the weather was truly perfect. 

Cumulus clouds shaped like angel wings cast shadows on the ground as they passed by. 

The carriage departing from the Duke’s residence seemed to match pace with those clouds, heading to the imperial palace briskly and swiftly.

“Have a safe trip. I’ll wait here.”

“I’ll bring back good news.”

As Marquis Stephan and Hailyn entered the waiting room on the first floor of the Emperor’s palace, Lexion, with a rapidly beating heart, headed for the audience chamber.

In front of the audience chamber door, Adelina held Lexion’s hand tightly. 

“There will be good news.”

She had never seen Lexion so nervous. 

Even at the wedding, he showed no excitement or tension, but now his cheeks were flushed as if he were meeting a long-lost sister.

“Let’s go in.”

Finally, as the attendants opened the audience chamber doors, Lexion, holding Adelina’s hand, advanced toward Emperor Grain’s platform.

+++

In front of Emperor Grain’s platform, Isabelle sat elegantly in a chair, fanning herself near her chest. 

Duke Austin also stood next to Isabelle, watching Lexion and Adelina enter.

‘Oh? Why is Princess Isabelle sitting there?’

A mocking smile briefly crossed Isabelle’s prim face as she watched Adelina walk in.

‘Why is she… why on earth?’

Standing alongside Lexion in front of the Emperor, Adelina’s attention was entirely on Isabelle.

“Lexion Ernst. I have come at Your Majesty’s summons.” 

“Yes. Both of you, raise your heads.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Emperor Grain greeted them with the kindest face they had ever seen.

‘Come on! Say it! Tell Lexion he can have Ernst!’

With a face as kind as an uncle seeing his grown nephew, Lexion and Adelina’s expectations soared.

“Duke Lexion Ernst, now that you are married, you should govern the duchy yourself.”

Finally! The words they had longed to hear came from Emperor Grain’s mouth.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Lexion responded in a calm tone. 

To avoid showing how happy he was, he squeezed Adelina’s hand tightly.

“Before the typhoon comes, Evans will return here. You should leave after receiving the handover then.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will prepare thoroughly.”

It was done! 

Lexion would soon return to his long-missed Ernst.

‘Lexion! Let’s find my mirror tomorrow!’

Adelina bowed her head deeply to hide the grin stretching to her ears.

“However.”

But at the Emperor’s next words, Lexion and Adelina’s smiles vanished.

“Shouldn’t someone remain in the palace from the duchy? To maintain fairness.”

Emperor Grain abandoned the gentle expression and tone, looking down at them with a stern and cold face.

“But, Your Majesty.”

Lexion, unable to completely suppress his anger, spoke in a cracked voice. 

Adelina felt a sense of dizziness. 

‘Someone has to stay? Who?’

She felt she finally understood the source of the inexplicable unease she experienced during the previous audience with Emperor Grain. 

“There is no princess in Ernst, so someone suitable must remain. Duchess Adelina, you must stay in the imperial palace.”