Chapter 159
Meia sat on the large bed, her face filled with worry for Theodore.
Knock, knock.
“It’s me, Mei.”
Theodore’s voice came from outside the door. Soon after, the door opened, and Theodore stepped inside, striding directly to the bed where Meia was sitting.
Kneeling on one knee, Theodore looked up at Meia and spoke.
“Are you alright?”
His large hand gently rested on Meia’s tense shoulder. Feeling the warmth of his touch, Meia finally relaxed her shoulders slightly and lifted the corners of her lips into a faint smile.
“Thanks to you.”
The warmth of Theodore’s smile melted away the anger and tension that had been frozen deep within her.
It was an extraordinary feeling to have her mood entirely dictated by his smiling face.
“It’s all over now.”
“And Prince Demian…?”
“That man fell into the abyss alone.”
At the same time, the desperate face of Demian, filled with madness and obsession, flashed through Meia’s mind. Her shoulders tensed, and her expression hardened.
The truth was, she had been terrified. The moment he had frantically begged her, trying to drag her into the dark space, was horrifying.
If Theodore hadn’t saved her… she would have been dragged in with him.
The memory of Prince Demian felt so surreal that it was hard to believe it had actually happened. And yet, it deeply wounded her pride. Even as she faced the despair of being sucked into an unfamiliar dimension of dark sorcery, she had tried her best to maintain her composure and say everything she needed to say, refusing to show her fear.
Theodore pulled Meia’s trembling body into his arms and gently patted her back.
“It’s all over now. Everything.”
Meia buried her face in Theodore’s shoulder.
“It’s alright.”
Theodore continued to stroke and pat Meia’s back.
“I’m sorry for putting you through such a terrible experience.”
“Hic…”
Theodore’s shoulder grew wet with Meia’s tears, and eventually, she collapsed weakly.
***
When Meia opened her eyes, she saw a dark figure slumped beside her bed, holding her hand tightly. As her vision cleared, she realized the figure was Theodore.
Theodore had saved her from Prince Demian. She had cried in relief upon seeing him, but after that… her memory was blank.
‘What happened after that?’
She tried to recall. Theodore had saved her, she had cried in his arms, and then her vision had gone dark. But judging by the current situation, it seemed that Demian had been dealt with.
Meia let out a sigh of relief as she carefully sat up, trying not to wake Theodore. She felt reassured, knowing she no longer had to endure Demian’s obsessive madness.
But what about the dark mage who had made the contract with him? Had he disappeared?
Rationally, she knew the war against dark mages was far from over. However, with Theodore by her side, she felt a strong sense of confidence that they could overcome anything.
“Mm, Mei…”
Theodore murmured in his sleep. Meia couldn’t help but smile as she watched him.
When Theodore woke up and saw Meia sitting upright, he immediately wrapped his arms around her neck and pulled her into a tight embrace.
Meia stiffened at the sudden contact, her face turning red. She had so many questions to ask, but the unexpected hug left her no room to refuse. In truth, she didn’t want to push him away.
The sweet, comforting scent of him lingered at the tip of her nose, bringing her a sense of peace.
Meia raised her arms and hugged him back tightly.
Demian had wanted her. He had been desperate to drag her into that dark space, saying they would live together forever.
“He wanted me.”
Even now, the thought sent chills down her spine, making goosebumps rise on her arms.
“After Prince Demian entered, the dark space closed. It turned into a small black orb.”
“A black orb?”
“Yes. Then the dark mage Teverin appeared and said that the magic stone essential to dark sorcery had been completed.”
“The dark mage… a magic stone?”
“Yes. According to Grand Mage Puring, when someone makes a contract with a dark mage, they get what they want, but they also turn into an orb.”
Theodore recalled the moment Teverin had appeared, grinning grotesquely.
<Grand Duke Florence, originally, both Lady Meia and Prince Demian were supposed to be inside this orb. However, if Lady Meia were to die for any reason, the contract couldn’t be fulfilled. That’s why I allowed a part of her body, like her hair, to be used as a substitute.>
The thought of Meia being trapped in that place made Theodore’s heart race with fear.
“Tell me, Theo.”
Theodore, his expression bitter, recounted his conversation with Teverin to Meia.
“It feels like he was tricked. He wanted to be with me forever, but… it turns out that meant being trapped in an orb and living in an illusion.”
“That’s correct.”
So Prince Demian had been deceived by the dark mage Teverin.
“The thought of him believing he has you all to himself inside that orb doesn’t sit well with me. I regret not killing him before he was sucked into the black abyss…”
Theodore’s voice was filled with regret.
Meia stroked his head, trying to comfort him. They gazed at each other in silence.
In each other’s eyes, they saw their reflections. Neither could look away.
Their warm breaths mingled as they drew closer. Just as their lips were about to meet—
Bang!
“Mei!”
Theodore froze at the sight of the intruder who had burst into the room. The intruder was equally stunned.
“Ha. Ha. Ha. Grand Duke, what exactly are you doing on top of my daughter? Ha. Ha. Ha.”
Theodore’s heart sank at the sight of David’s sudden entrance.
But no one was more shocked than Meia.
“Theo, am I seeing this correctly?”
“You’re not mistaken.”
Theodore helped Meia sit up properly and tidied their hair and clothes.
David, glaring at Theodore with fiery eyes, watched as the intimate moment was abruptly interrupted.
“Step away from my daughter immediately!”
“Theo, don’t move.”
Meia grabbed Theodore’s sleeve, pulling him to sit beside her. Her expression grew cold as she faced her father.
***
David, staying at the Grand Duke’s estate, was filled with worry and anxiety. Day and night, his thoughts were consumed by concern for Meia.
Of course, he trusted Theodore’s promise to protect her, but he couldn’t help feeling uneasy. This wasn’t a matter of trust; it was simply his fatherly instinct. Still, he knew he had to overcome this anxiety and place his faith in Theodore.
Now, however, he had a new concern.
“Violet, is there anything you’d like to eat? Are you alright?”
“I can’t eat anything because of the morning sickness… Ugh.”
“Then just lie down for now.”
“Okay.”
Violet had experienced severe morning sickness when she was pregnant with Meia as well.
“You need to eat well…”
“David, I’ll eat plenty once the morning sickness passes, so don’t worry too much.”
David lightly kissed Violet’s forehead as she lay on the soft bed, staying by her side and watching her lovingly until she fell asleep.
Having been with Violet since childhood, David could easily notice changes in her body. He could tell what she liked or disliked just by looking at her eyes.
At first, he thought her fatigue was due to the exhaustion of their travels. But when she missed her monthly cycle… he began to suspect. Sure enough, the physician at the Grand Duke’s estate confirmed it—she was pregnant.
Though he had longed for more children, he had given up hope. He thought having his beloved wife and their adorable daughter was enough. He had even planned to pass on the ducal title to Meia and travel the world with Violet. But those plans were now on hold.
Meia would soon become the Grand Duchess of Florence.
This meant he would have to find a successor from a collateral branch, adopt them, and raise them as the heir. However, with Violet’s pregnancy, that was no longer necessary.
Although his travel plans with Violet would be delayed, the joy of the pregnancy outweighed everything else.
“I need to trust that my son-in-law will protect our daughter well.”
“Don’t worry too much. Mei is a strong child, David.”
“Can’t sleep, Violet?”
“Yeah. I felt sleepy, so I tried to sleep, but my eyes just won’t close.”
“Is there anything you want to eat?”
“Not yet…”
“Shall I have some warm strawberry tea brought in?”
“That sounds nice.”
David, seated across from Violet at the terrace table, twitched his eyebrows at the strong, fragrant scent of strawberries carried by the wind. Behind the Grand Ducal Residence was a fresh strawberry field. Here, the Florence Grand Duke’s estate grew the raw ingredients for foods that Meia seemed to enjoy or wanted, ensuring they could be consumed fresh.
“The scent is lovely.”
“Isn’t it too strong?”
“No, on the contrary, it reminds me of Mei, so it feels pleasant.”
Seeing Violet’s relaxed expression, David thought he should first establish a strawberry field when they returned to the Hatzbellua Duke’s estate, while, as always, unfolding the newspaper. His eyes quickly caught an article—its large headline on the front page made it impossible to miss.
The article was about Theodore and Meia’s engagement.
“This is…”
“My goodness.”
Violet, who was also reading the newspaper, burst into laughter, finding it amusing.
“Fiancée? Hero? It says here she is being called a saint.”
“Butler Venable.”
David called for Venable, who had brought the newspaper and snacks.
“Yes, Lord David.”
“Why is our daughter being referred to as the ‘Saintly Grand Duchess’?”
“That term was decided by the retainers. Lady Violet, would you like more tea?”
“Yes, the Grand Duke’s strawberry tea is simply delightful.”
“With the morning sickness making things difficult, it’s such a relief that you can at least enjoy this, Lady Violet.”
“But why is this kind of article suddenly being published?”
“The retainers, wishing to prevent any pesky insects from hovering around the lady’s beauty, have unanimously spread this news across the empire.”
“Pesky insects?”
“Having heard stories of your younger days, Lord David, the retainers feared potential stalkers and thus decided on this article. Additionally, they wanted to boast.”
“Boast? What do you mean?”
“They are proud to serve such a wonderful Grand Duchess.”
Smiling gently, Venable added more dried strawberries and water to Violet’s teacup.
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bluemoon238
If her father goes back there will be a ton of clean up and debt to pay (figuratively and literally)
Also, I find all the earlier chapters emphasizing how she was such a talented and powerful mage ridiculous. Constant nerfing and refusal to use her abilities for one excuse to another, let alone failure to act with any caution or protect oneself… what’s the point in talent and power you will never utilize appropriately and refuse to? Was the event all her ability and everything else her master and connections. It’s almost as if her talent exists only for future generations since she obviously won’t make use of it even at the pain of death except for that one time.