Belita waited for his answer with an expression as emotionless as Rian’s. But his answer was more devastating than expected.

“I needed a wife who wouldn’t expect anything from me. A woman who wouldn’t want unnecessary emotional investment. Someone who would just fulfill her role as the mistress of the Grand Duke’s household.”

“……Was that me?”

“……Yes. I thought you, being alone, wouldn’t make demands of me using your family name. Your relatives had already received what they wanted and left. I’m sorry to say this, but I paid them the dowry you should have brought instead.”

Though he said he was sorry, he stabbed her with a knife while maintaining an indifferent face.

“Therefore, they can no longer use you to demand anything. If they appear again, they’ll pay the price.”

“……”

“Though you’re from a viscount family, being nobility solved the issue of status, and I thought we could be an ideal couple if I maintained appropriate distance with you, who seemed calm. You didn’t appear to have other feelings for me either.”

Ha, she had no words. She could only let out a hollow laugh at his attitude, delivering such miserable words in such a gentle voice so nonchalantly.

Relatives who exchanged wealth for her, a noble title in name only, and the man who made her the Grand Duchess. He prettified their situation with words like ‘ideal couple,’ making it clear she shouldn’t even dream of love, but his words were direct and firm.

To Belita’s ears, it sounded like a warning to know her place and not cross the line anymore.

She felt nauseated before even eating. Her body trembled with humiliation so much she didn’t know how to compose her expression. But he had been honest, so what law said she couldn’t be honest too?

Belita didn’t bother hiding her feelings and openly showed her displeasure.

“So you’re saying I should be grateful for taking me in and not beg for love from you.”

“Wife.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t want to waste unnecessary emotions with Your Grace either.”

Love? Hmph, I don’t need such things either!

She doesn’t love him either. Yes, perhaps she had held hope at first. Dreams of being loved by her husband, respecting him, having children, and living happily.

However, the moment she saw the line he had drawn when she entered the Grand Duke’s residence, she had already given up. And the moment she faced the fierce beast inside, far from love, she only wanted to run away from his side. But why did hearing this man’s true feelings make her so angry and miserable?

“Wife, that was at first. But now,”

Rumble…….

“!!!”

She couldn’t hear the rest of his words. Belita’s face gradually turned pale at the ominous sound from the sky. Even as servants entered to set the food, Belita’s gaze remained fixed outside the window.

That’s when it happened.

“Perdo.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Let everyone rest early today.”

“Pardon?”

“I need to have a drink with my wife. We haven’t talked much lately.”

Belita’s head whipped around at the man’s sudden words. His faint smile while looking at her seemed like a sign that he was transforming into a beast.

“Y-Your Grace, I…”

“Please don’t refuse. I want to have an honest conversation with you today.”

“Th-that’s not it…”

“I’ll prepare good wine. The servants will retire early, so don’t worry and enjoy our time together.”

“Thank you.”

Belita’s mind went blank at the drinking arrangement that proceeded swiftly as if her opinion didn’t matter. Not only was she uncomfortable drinking with the man before her, but she was more terrified that the crazy one might suddenly appear.

The sky that had already started its soft crying seemed certain to paint this night with terror. Belita looked at the butler with pitiful eyes as if begging to be saved, but he simply bowed with a gentle smile and left the dining room. Now all she could hope for was that there would be no thunder.

“Wife.”

“……Yes?”

“Let’s have an honest conversation today. I’d like to hear your true feelings. Feel free to tell me if you have any grievances against me.”

“Well, I’m not feeling well right now……”

“We’re married, yet we barely talk. I think it would be good to start getting to know each other better from now on.”

It seemed she had said the wrong thing. This wasn’t what she meant to bring up, but today he was being unusually insistent, as if he had specifically chosen this day.

Her heart pounded. A subtle smile appeared on his usually expressionless face. The unfamiliar expression on the man looking at her felt ominous. Belita fidgeted restlessly, alternating glances between Rian’s face and the window.

After the butler set down the wine and left, the dining room became dead silent. Earlier, she had been afraid he might transform in front of the servants, but now being alone with him was even more frightening.

“Wife, let’s eat first.”

“Yes……”

True to his status as a Grand Duke trained in imperial etiquette, not even the sound of clinking cutlery could be heard, making the silence feel even more suffocating. Gripping the knife tightly in her hand, she looked out the window again.

Her heart raced faster as the sound of rain hitting the windows grew stronger. At this rate, she couldn’t hide or even run away. Just as her reason was about to be consumed by the fear of what might soon happen, Rian’s concerned voice brought her back to her senses.

“This rain shows no sign of stopping. At this rate, even the newly harvested crops will be ruined……”

She almost burst out laughing at how Rian was worrying about the people of the Grand Duchy even in this situation. Despite his cold personality, he was a ruler who genuinely cared for his people. The people loved and respected their Grand Duke, who possessed the beautiful appearance and charisma befitting a member of the imperial family.

But they didn’t know. His other side. That was a fatal flaw and torment that only Belita had to bear.

Anger suddenly boiled up at his words worrying about his people while being completely oblivious to his wife’s suffering. He seemed blind to how she was trembling because of him even now. Without realizing it, Belita asked him in a sharp voice:

“Do you know that I’m afraid of thunder?”

“……Ah, were you? I’m sorry.”

“But now I have something even scarier.”

“What is that…?”

You…… You, my husband, are now what I fear most.

Unable to speak these words, Belita’s face turned beyond pale to ghostly white.

“Tell me. Whatever it is, I’ll make sure you won’t be afraid anymore.”

“I want to go rest at my hometown for a while. Please allow me.”

“……Is that what you really want?”

“Yes.”

“Am I making you uncomfortable?”

Hah…… It was frustrating how he kept asking questions she couldn’t answer. Trying to have a conversation while omitting the most important topic was making the dialogue go nowhere.

“Then shall I go with you?”

What was he saying now? He was acting very strange today. Why did he keep doing things he never did before? Earlier he had so casually stabbed her with painful words, but now wasn’t the time to question that. She grew more anxious by the moment. With thoughts of leaving the mansion immediately if he would just permit it, Belita spoke firmly:

“No! I want to go alone. That’s what I want.”

“……”

At her resolute words, Rian’s head dropped down. Lost in thought, he just stared at the tableware in front of him for a long while. Thinking she might have refused too harshly, she was about to make up another excuse.

“Your Grace, just a moment—”

Rumble…..

Gasp! No!

Her trembling eyes turned back to the window. The faint flashes of light gave her a bad feeling. And that premonition soon became reality.

CRASH-BOOM!

“Eek!”

As loud thunder struck the quiet dining room, Belita’s heart plummeted. Pale with fear at the thunder, she hunched her shoulders and trembled violently. She was terrified. That deafening thunder was so frightening.

And as expected, the voice she didn’t want to hear gripped her heart. She finally encountered the horrible moment she had so desperately wanted to avoid.

“Belita.”

Ah no…! No!

Unable to find the courage to look at him, she squeezed her eyes shut. And gripped the knife in her hand tightly.

Screech.

The loud sound of a chair being pushed back rang out. The sound made her unconsciously open her eyes to look at Rian. Her mind went blank at the sight of him slowly standing up.

He unfastened a couple of buttons that had been properly done up to his neck, cracking his neck side to side as if loosening up. When their eyes met, the man smirked and roughly messed up his neatly combed hair.

Crazy Rian had appeared.

She felt like she couldn’t breathe. Facing the terror before her eyes again made her feel like her reason was being dyed black once more. Her heart, which had dropped to the floor, seemed unable to find its place as it raced wildly.