Chapter 140

We traveled through the Marquisate of Rowissum and headed towards the Grand Duchy of Rohitham.

For Ludwig’s coronation, His Majesty the King, Princess Idvina, and the people of the Rowissum Marquisate were all scheduled to attend.

I sat in the carriage and looked out the window.

It was my first time crossing a border.

Since we had notified them in advance, the process of passing through the gate was quite simple.

And then…

After passing through the gate and traveling a little further, my eyes widened.

What is that?

“Wow!”

It was a wave of Rohitham citizens welcoming us.

Standing on both sides of the road, they waved both the flag of the Grand Duchy of Rohitham and the flag of the Kingdom of Arlo.

It was a scene that somehow made my heart swell.

Meanwhile, a welcoming delegation from the grand castle had also arrived.

After my father went out as our representative and exchanged brief greetings with them, we all headed to the grand castle together.

The onlookers watched us with eyes filled with curiosity and delight.

I smiled and waved back a few times.

But at some point, my heart started pounding so hard that I couldn’t focus on responding to the greetings.

I would meet Ludwig.

Soon.

My mind was in turmoil.

* * *

I saw Ludwig the day after we arrived at the grand castle.

However, we didn’t have a conversation.

We merely looked at each other from a distance.

Ludwig, who was soon to ascend to the pinnacle of Rohitham, was dressed in a beautiful white uniform.

Mesmerized by his mature appearance, I gazed at him in a daze.

Ludwig noticed me and smiled softly in my direction.

But since he was busy with the pre-coronation schedule, we didn’t even exchange a brief greeting.

We just passed by each other in the hallway.

* * *

And then, at noon on that day, the coronation finally took place.

Since there was no one to “pass on” the title of Duke, Ludwig placed the crown on his head and held the scepter himself on the velvet cushion.

“With this, I, Ludwig, swear to do my utmost for the peace and welfare of the people of Rohitham as Duke.”

The coronation ceremony was brisk and straightforward.

It wasn’t even particularly long.

Right after the coronation, Ludwig toured the capital in a carriage, greeting the citizens of the Grand Duchy.

While he was doing that, I had a conversation with his close aide, Chris, in a separate, private room.

We talked about how Ludwig had been doing and what had happened to Rudolf, the usurper of the grand ducal title.

“Rudolf will spend the rest of his life in a heavily guarded underground prison.”

Chris briefly explained Rudolf’s fate.

I nodded slightly.

Spending the rest of his life in a cold, damp stone prison without any light would be a more dreadful punishment than death. Especially for someone who had lived his life in luxury.

“Have the citizens of the Grand Duchy been informed of the truth?”

“All of it.”

Chris smiled gently.

“They all hold you in great gratitude, Countess for protecting His Highness the Duke for such a long time.”

Hearing those words gave me a strange feeling.

It truly hit me that Ludwig had left my embrace and become part of the Grand Duchy.

Feeling an odd sense of loneliness, I furrowed my brows slightly and smiled.

“That’s good to hear.”

* * *

Naturally, there was a party that evening.

While the coronation was a festival for the citizens of the Grand Duchy, the evening party at the Grand Castle was a celebration for the domestic and international guests.

“Please forget all your worries and fatigue, and enjoy eating, drinking, and having fun.”

Ludwig, dressed in a light formal suit, stood on the podium, holding a wine glass and smiled.

“It’s all on me.”

People chuckled at his light-hearted joke.

The party’s atmosphere was quite relaxed and free.

There was no rigid protocol, and people gathered in small groups to drink, eat, and chat.

As soon as Ludwig finished his opening speech, people flocked to him.

It almost seemed like there was a thick cloud of dust around him.

I watched that scene with narrowed eyes and then moved towards the balcony.

A cool breeze brushed past my shoulders.

I quietly watched Ludwig, surrounded by other people.

If he still liked me…

He would find me.

Ludwig gently smiled and moved through the crowd surrounding him.

His eyes lightly scanned the room.

Soon, his gaze was fixed in one direction.

Toward the balcony where I was standing.

“Excuse me, excuse me…”

He made his way through the people and approached me.

The chandelier lights cast a shimmering glow on his hair.

“Countess Balthus!”

“Your Highness, the Grand Duke.”

His eyes were also shining brightly.

I absentmindedly adjusted the white fur shawl draped over my shoulders.

“It’s been a while.”

Ludwig nodded as if it really had been a long time.

He stared at my face for a while.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

I smiled and brushed my cheek.

“I was wondering if there were any differences from my memories.”

“So, do I look different?”

“Not at all.”

In stark contrast to how he had dispersed the crowd earlier, Ludwig took a step towards me with determination.

“It seems I remembered your face quite accurately.”

Feeling embarrassed, I turned my head away.

I just hoped my neck or cheeks hadn’t turned red. Even if they had, I wished Ludwig would mistake it for an illusion caused by my fiery red hair.

A moment of silence passed between us.

Glancing over my shoulder, Ludwig’s expression was complex.

He was smiling with joy, but there was an unmistakable hint of awkwardness.

What could be causing that?

Just as my curiosity peaked, he dropped his shoulders and smiled.

“I wanted to talk longer before saying this to not sound too abrupt… but I guess I can’t help it.”

“…”

“I’ve been thinking about you during our time apart, continuously.”

My heart began to race.

People might be watching us, but my focus was solely on Ludwig.

When I glanced around briefly, the guests were still eating, drinking, and having fun.

I doubted that Ludwig’s words to me would carry over to the noisy hall.

“To be honest, I felt anxious.”

“About what?”

“…I was worried that someone else might take my place in my absence.”

Ludwig spoke with a calm and straightforward demeanor, as if he had indeed been thinking about this for a long time.

Although, from my perspective, it was anything but calm and straightforward.

“So, I want to make things clear between us, Countess.”

Ludwig stepped even closer.

I felt the balcony railing gently touch my back.

I let him close the distance further.

Ludwig slowly extended his right hand and took my left hand.

His firm fingers lightly brushed my ring finger.

“Would you get engaged to me?”

He asked, looking straight into my eyes.

In his narrowed, smiling eyes, I saw a mix of embarrassment, happiness, and a bit of tension.

“I know you are deeply devoted to your theater company. So, we don’t have to rush into marriage.”

He continued softly.

“But I would like to have a clear promise that neither of us will look elsewhere. Am I being too hasty?”

I thought I could bear it if he grew distant from me.

It might even be natural.

But Ludwig wanted me to promise him our future together.

Once again, I felt embarrassed in front of him.

My bad habit of killing hope to avoid potential future pain kicked in.

But Ludwig faced it head-on.

I couldn’t answer easily, so I awkwardly turned my gaze away and changed the subject.

“Are you feeling well? Since you opened Pandemonium…”

“Most of the aftereffects of opening Pandemonium affect the mind.”

Suddenly, I felt worried.

“So please, get engaged to me. I need to find mental stability.”

…Just as I started to worry, he brought the conversation back to this topic.

“Am I being too persistent?”

When I remained silent, Ludwig asked apologetically.

No, that’s not it…

“I love you, Marlena. I love you. No matter who I am, that won’t change. Even if I lose my memory again or wander on the brink of death… I can be sure of this despite any change in circumstances.”

He whispered sweetly.

“As for the direction of my heart.”

His confession made me feel dizzy, as if I were drunk.

Holding onto the balcony railing, I looked into his eyes.

His cheeks were slightly flushed.

Just as I used to do when he was ‘Roche,’ I reached out to touch his cheek.

Happily, Ludwig tilted his head and rested his cheek in my palm.

“…I love you too.”

I couldn’t help but say, mesmerized by his look.

“Roche.”

When I softly called his name, his previously lowered eyelashes lifted, and he looked straight at me.

He seemed immensely pleased that I called him by the name I had given him, his lips curving into a beautiful smile.

He truly was a very pretty and lovely man.

“I think I’ll be happy if I marry you.”