Chapter 1 (Part 8)

As Sellakia blankly stared at Tenus, he sternly instructed.

“Give up. I’m not leaving, no matter how you look at me.”

“It’s not that.”

“Then?”

“I was just thinking how beneficial it is to be a useful person. After all, how many people in this Empire can have the Duke of Seidon as their guard?”

Even the Emperor would find it difficult.

Though his intentions weren’t pure, it was the first time she’d received such treatment since her parents passed away, even including the nearly month-long stay as a Duchess at the Ducal residence.

With Tenus guarding her like this, she felt like a truly noble Duchess.

“If you’re going to talk nonsense, just close your eyes. Weren’t you going to sleep?”

“I was about to.”

Contrary to her bold words, sleep didn’t come easily. Her body was so tired it could collapse, but her nerves were on edge.

Even though Tenus didn’t make a sound, Sellakia felt his presence like a mountain.

Tossing and turning, Sellakia eventually opened her eyes wide. She met Tenus’s gaze immediately.

“…Hey.”

Shifting her eyes around, Sellakia couldn’t endure the awkwardness and spoke up.

“What about the academy? How did you manage it?”

It was a topic she brought up randomly, but once she said it, she genuinely became curious.

As far as she knew, Tenus was on the verge of completing his academy graduation. He had to attend all the remaining classes until then, which was why he had hurriedly left for the academy right after their wedding. 

She resented his disregard for the situation of his new bride, but she understood the circumstances. He must have been anxious to complete his academy graduation and immediately succeed to the Dukedom.

“If you miss classes, won’t you have to repeat the year? Do you have a way to make up for it?”

“Well, I haven’t really looked into that, so I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know? Are you saying you have no plan?”

Sellakia, aghast, sat up abruptly. Tenus gently pushed her forehead to lay her back down and spoke nonchalantly.

“What does it matter? It’s not like I have any use for an academy diploma.”

“But then, wouldn’t the years spent at the academy be wasted?”

“Do you think I’d find such a thing regrettable?”

His indifferent reply lacked even a hint of arrogance. It was simply a statement of fact, and Sellakia fell silent.

Indeed. Tenus was about to become the Duke of Seidon.

The Empire’s academies were mainly attended by noble children without inheritance rights, who sought connections, social opportunities, or benefits like entering politics or business. For Tenus, it was a place with nothing to lose.

But if he was going to be so indifferent about it, why did he even attend the academy?

Sellakia felt a faint unease within her unanswered question. Regardless of his reasons for attending, the fact that Tenus couldn’t complete the academy was because she had suddenly disappeared.

On the other hand, she was dissatisfied with herself for feeling guilty. She couldn’t tell him, but Sellakia was also a victim. Her complicated emotions, which she couldn’t express to anyone, eventually led her to harbor resentment towards Tenus.

“Why didn’t you just take another noble lady as your wife?”

Then you wouldn’t have had to leave the academy. 

She mumbled softly, and suddenly felt a sharp pain on her forehead.

“Ah!”

Sellakia’s eyes widened in surprise. Tenus’s large hand, which she hadn’t noticed approaching, moved from her forehead to cover her eyes.

“I told you to sleep if you’re going to talk nonsense.”

His hand, warm and covering her eyes, was unexpectedly reassuring, with its broad and strong frame.

Aside from that, she felt vaguely uncomfortable, as if she could see Tenus’s disdainful gaze on the inside of her eyelids.

“Alright. I’ll really sleep.”

She meant for him to remove his hand, but Tenus didn’t budge. It seemed he intended to keep it there until she fell completely asleep.

Accepting a bit of discomfort, Sellakia laid her hands quietly on the blanket and prepared to sleep.

“What is it?”

Suddenly, Tenus’s hand left her face. Light seeped through her closed eyelids, and Sellakia furrowed her brow involuntarily.

“Your hand, what happened to it?”

Tenus’s hand, which had moved down, now grabbed her hand.

The white hand he held was red and blistered in places, with skin peeling off.

“It’s because I worked for the first time.”

Sellakia looked at her injured hand with a proud expression.

“I was repaying the kindness of the elderly couple who saved me by doing housework. I had nothing else to offer.”

“You worked so hard that your hand ended up like this?”

Tenus frowned as if he had seen something unpleasant.

Sellakia proudly stretched her hand out in front of his eyes.

“They say everyone’s like this at first. They said it would get better if I kept at it.”

It was what the old woman had muttered while looking at her inexperienced hands.

Even though she had been the unwanted child of a Viscount family, Sellakia was still a noble lady. Though she may have been ignored by the servants, she had never prepared meals, cleaned, or done laundry herself.

Labor was indeed unfamiliar and arduous. Yet it was also rewarding. Even when the old woman scolded her for her repeated mistakes, she found herself smiling.

“If I had stayed a little longer, I would have gotten used to it. I might have even learned how to braid fishing lines and maintain tackle.”

The furrow in Tenus’s brow deepened as he silently stared at her hand.

“What’s the point of you getting used to housework?”

“Housework is not just anything. It’s about taking care of the basics. Even if it seems trivial, it’s so…”

“That’s not the point. Why are you doing such work?”

Tenus paused for a moment, then continued in a calmer voice.

“Sellakia Seidon. You don’t need to do that.”

“….”

“Don’t forget that you are part of Seidon.”

His words, which sounded like both a warning and a declaration, pierced her ears.

How nice it would have been if he had said such things on their wedding night. If he had shown acknowledgment and respect towards her on their wedding day, maybe everything could have been different.

Perhaps because her exhaustion had reached its limit or because she no longer had any expectations left, Tenus’s words didn’t stir even the slightest ripple in her heart.

“But I liked doing it. There’s nothing wrong with doing something you enjoy, right?”

“Your hand ended up like that, and you say you enjoyed it?”

“Really. It was so good that you, who disturbed my peace, seemed like an uninvited guest.”

“An uninvited guest?”

Tenus snorted as if he found it absurd. Sellakia placed her hand on her chest and spoke with sincerity.

“I refrained from calling you a villain.”

“Why refrain? If you have something to say, say it. Just like you’ve been doing all day.”

Did you think I wouldn’t?

Sellakia forgot to breathe and opened her mouth.

“A scoundrel with nothing but a pretty face.”

“….”

“That elderly couple cherished me so much. To them, you must seem like a robber.”

“….”

“How could you do something that would cause you to fail your academy graduation just before the ceremony? Delinquent student.”

“….”

“Do you even plan to inherit the title? Not working at all. You, you idle Duke.”

Tenus occasionally chuckled and nodded as he listened quietly to Sellakia’s petty insults.

His relaxed demeanor made him look as if he were in the middle of a serene poetry reading.

Was it a clever ploy to sap the energy of the person hurling insults? If so, it was highly effective. Sellakia, who had been venting her pent-up grievances, quickly lost her momentum.

“I was living well. I wanted to continue living like that.”

The weariness that had been hidden by tension suddenly washed over her like a tide.

“Why did you have to find me…”

Her unclear words gradually slowed, and soon Sellakia’s eyelids softly closed.

And then there was peaceful darkness.