I walked quickly toward the Grand Duke’s tent.
Although the Grand Duke had said he would handle it if I were discovered, there were too many eyes watching right now. Everyone was pretending not to, but they were all observing what kind of relationship I had with Calix.
“Where are you going?”
Despite walking as fast as I could, he caught up with me quickly. He grabbed my shoulder with a firm hand and turned me around.
I stopped Sion and Demian, who were flinching and preparing to jump out from behind, with a nod of my head and faced Calix. He ran his hand through his hair with an uncharacteristically hostile expression.
“I’m asking you. Are you the maid of Lord Kalschmitz?”
It was a fierce face I had never seen, even in Lora’s dreams. It didn’t seem like he had discovered I was Lora, but I couldn’t understand what was happening. For now, I nodded my head instead of answering. Then Calix provoked me again in a manner unlike himself.
“How impudent. Answering a noble with just a nod. Do you think you’re a noble yourself?”
“Hah.”
As if to prove they were brothers, I could see Lindel in him. Ignoring my sigh, he continued with what he wanted to say.
“Wheat-colored hair. Are you sure you’re His Highness’s maid? Take off your robe.”
What is wrong with him, seriously?
Shocked by his unreasonableness, I stepped back and tightened my robe. Calix frowned and approached me.
For each step he took forward, I took one step back.
“What are you trying to do? Take off the robe.”
Finally, Calix, unable to hold back any longer, raised his hand over my head.
I shrank my neck like a turtle, but it was useless. His hand reached the edge of my robe.
That’s when it happened.
Slap-
“What are you doing to my maid?”
Someone roughly knocked his hand away.
The Grand Duke, who had appeared out of nowhere, sent me behind him.
Standing behind his back, which was like a solid wall, I let out a sigh of relief. As I was more earnestly tightening my robe behind the Grand Duke, I heard Calix’s voice. It was completely different from the way he had addressed me—respectfully polite.
“I apologize, Your Highness. But there was something I needed to confirm.”
The Grand Duke seemed to understand the situation without having to listen, and turned his body toward me without even looking at Calix. It was complete disregard.
“Are you alright?”
“……”
“I see.”
When I nodded silently, the Grand Duke led me toward the tent. So it was going to be the tent after all.
“Your Highness!”
As I was walking with small steps behind him, Calix urgently called out to stop the Grand Duke.
The Grand Duke, no longer hiding his annoyance, gave him a look that said, “speak.” Calix gulped and opened his mouth.
“Is that person really the maid of Kalschmitz? According to rumors…”
“I.”
The Grand Duke cut off his words and declared with a cold expression.
“My tolerance for disrespect ends here.”
“……”
“Go.”
In the chilly air, the Grand Duke gestured to me. As I followed him into the tent, I looked back to see Calix glaring at us with his fists clenched tightly. It was a look that could cut through.
“How… could…”
I vaguely heard his subdued voice. Since it was heavily suppressed, I couldn’t make out the exact words.
The Grand Duke must have heard it, so I thought I should ask him, but his expression was peculiar.
“What is it, Your Highness?”
“No, nothing.”
When I looked back again, Calix was gone. Only Sion and Demian were looking at me with worried faces.
I awkwardly waved to them and entered the tent. The Grand Duke, still with that strange expression, asked me.
“Is it true that you have a bad relationship with your brother?”
“Of course.”
“How bad?”
“As bad as it could possibly be?”
It seemed Calix had some feelings of regret toward me, but that wasn’t my concern.
After I spoke firmly, the Grand Duke opened his mouth with a troubled face.
“How could he… a mere maid instead of Lora.”
“Pardon?”
My head tilted to one side, unable to grasp the meaning of his words. The Grand Duke let out a laugh that sounded like a sigh.
“That’s what he said at the end.”
“He said ‘a mere maid instead of me’?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, so that’s why…”
Many thoughts flashed through my mind. There was one thing that seemed to make sense. The more I thought about it in context, the more my expression soured.
“Don’t tell me he heard that awful rumor that while you were courting me, you fell for a wheat-haired woman you met during that human sacrifice incident and abandoned me?”
When I summarized and asked, he nodded with a mysterious expression.
“It seems he thinks more highly of you than expected.”
“Sigh.”
“Are you alright?”
The Grand Duke cautiously asked in response to my deep sigh. Well, it was half his fault.
“No. Those fools, really.”
I couldn’t understand why they were getting angry on my behalf.
I had told them so many times that my connection with Epine ended that day.
As I shuddered and expressed my irritation, the Grand Duke poured water from the table and handed it to me.
“I’m sorry. I’ll try to smooth over that part somehow.”
“How?”
“Somehow.”
His resolute answer made it seem like he was about to send an official marriage proposal right away, which felt ominous.
I shook my head gently to tell him not to do that and sighed.
“He only heard half the rumor, it seems.”
He must have only heard that I was rejected, not the news that the Grand Duke had started courting me again. That’s why he came here and vented his anger like this.
Anyway, once I knew the reason for their hostility toward me, I felt empty. Feeling drained, I lay down on the bed, and the Grand Duke naturally covered me with a blanket.
“Rest, Lora.”
“Yes. Should I sleep on the bed?”
He nodded, indicating that I should, and then took out a sleeping bag and spread it. It looked too small for him to fit in, but he didn’t seem to mind.
I pulled up the blanket as I watched the Grand Duke preparing to sleep. It was as cozy as if we weren’t in a forest flowing with demonic energy. As my eyes were gradually closing, the Grand Duke asked.
“Will you be alright?”
“With what?”
“Didn’t you say I had eyes that looked like they would devour you?”
When I narrowed my eyes and looked at him, the corners of the Grand Duke’s eyes curved playfully.
“The Grand Duke in front, Calix behind. I’m caught between a rock and a hard place.”
“So who will you choose?”
“It’s hard to rank them…”
When I showed genuine difficulty, a hint of disappointment crossed the Grand Duke’s face. At that, I smiled and gave the predetermined answer.
“A few months ago, I couldn’t have ranked them, but now, of course, it’s Your Highness.”
The Grand Duke was genuinely surprised that he had only been at that level a few months ago. Feeling the need to change the subject after seeing his shocked face, I asked.
“By the way, how did you know to come out earlier?”
“I thought it might be difficult for you to sleep outside.”
“I see. Thank you, Your Highness. Thanks to you, I avoided a crisis.”
A warm atmosphere filled the tent. Now that I had expressed my gratitude, it was really time to sleep. Finally, the Grand Duke called my name.
“Lora.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t worry about how my eyes look.”
“Pardon?”
“If you don’t want it, I will never touch you inappropriately.”
“Yes.”
“So don’t worry and sleep well.”
He spoke seriously and pushed his body into the sleeping bag. The sleeping bag containing the large Grand Duke wriggled like a caterpillar. I closed my eyes with a faint smile at the sight.
“I’m not worried.”