CH 9

A leisurely afternoon. I kept smiling in the carriage. I went out on an outing with Akid as an excuse to prepare for a flower festival.

At that time, Akid, who felt my hot gaze, asked.

“Why do you keep looking at me like that? Is there anything on my face?”

Yes. There is something on your face. Handsomeness.

I wanted to say it right away, but I thought Akid would be surprised, so I thought of something else.

“Since it’s reassuring to know that Akid is helping me.”

Akid blinked at my answer.

I guess he didn’t know that such a word would come out of my mouth. After a while he said.

“…I didn’t expect you to ask me for help.”

“Is that so?”

“Because you didn’t want my help before.” Akid, who said so, looked devastated.

Since he lived while listening to his wife’s harsh words for a year, it’s only natural that my actions were stupid. Even if I had removed Baron Locke the other day, I would still be an uncomfortable wife for him, nothing more, nothing less.

It was even more so when I saw that he was doing my duty as a husband but still didn’t get treated kindly. I replied with a bashful smile.

“I thought I would get some help from now on.”

Akid still had an expression as if he didn’t understand the situation..

On the day I made an appointment with Akid. I heard from the three maids about Loena’s atrocities during the flower festival last year.

[So what should I do that day?]

[Whatever you do, you can’t do it like last year, Miss.]

[What? What the hell did I do?]

[Don’t you remember…?]

I tilted my head as Hannah sighed and exhaled.

For some reason, I had a strong feeling that last year’s Loena did something firmly wrong.

Sure enough, Vivian, standing next to her, frowned and said.

[Last year, you ignored the words of the Grand Duchess and prepared just any seeds haphazardly.]

[That’s all? After all, only the seeds with the worst germination rate were selected, so the flower harvest that year was only 80% lower than the previous year.]

Shuli trembled as if it was dizzy just thinking about it. Hannah, who was by her side, added her words.

[It was fortunate that Sir Akid ​​changed the germination rate to a proper seed later and set the germination rest. Otherwise, the harvest might have been less than half of the previous year.]

[Akid ​​helped me?]

[Yes. Of course, Miss ran around and said he did something useless]

[At that time, we thought it was a bit too much… Um. It’s nothing. Hohoho.]

Hannah made an excuse with a stern expression. I shook my head at the anecdote that Akid had helped Loena, yet she only cursed for nothing.

There was no other truth like this.

If it were me, I would have kissed him as an excuse to thank him! What a waste!

While I was thinking about how to be with Akid with such nonsensical thoughts, this date came to my mind.

‘Is it okay if I ask Akid for help this time?’

Thanks to that, I will choose good seeds, and I won’t be scolded by the Grand Duchess.

As a bonus, it was a great opportunity to go on a date with Akid.

The outing thus obtained was now. I struggled to hide the corners of my lips that kept rising.

As a result, I think my expression was very strange. Akid, who was watching me closely, asked.

“Are you nervous because Mother was upset about it last year?”

“Yes?”

“Ah, the corners of your lips keep trembling, so I asked.”

Akid tapped the corner of my lips and said. I stared blankly at him and answered casually.

“Yes? Ah, yes, well, like that. That’s right. It’s a little scary when Mother is angry.”

“Besides, you were very kind to my mother last time. At the cheek… ”

When Akid paused and hesitated, I spoke instead.

“Good night kiss?”

“Yes… That.” He patted the cheek with a bewildered face. I spoke skillfully.

“I can’t make friends if I’m afraid just because it’s scary.”

“You’re making friends…?”

His eyes widened. Those clear blue-gray eyes gleamed like silver beads. His eyes calmed and he opened his mouth.

“I don’t know how to understand Wife. Not long ago, you were very edgy.”

“Just, look at me the way I am,” I spoke calmly.

“You mean by the way you are?” Akid answered in a slightly trembling voice. I said with a bashful smile, pointing at myself with my fingers.

“Yes  The me in front of Akid right now. Not the past me.”

His lips twitched at the words that were spat out without a break.

It was as if he was a little embarrassed by the words that came out of my mouth. Of course, it was a pretty word limited to Akid.

‘I will always return to the merciless snout of hell at any time for the bullies who torment my Akid.’

I was determined to do so when he patted his lips and muttered a little.

“Is that so. It seems that I have misunderstood Wife.”

“No, you only saw a part of me rather than misunderstanding. It’s like how I misunderstood Akid’s background.”

“Ah.”

“I’m sorry. I found out later that Akid was a good person.”

“No. I’m…” Akid reflexively denied and blurred the end of his speech.

He seemed to be choosing what to say. His voice was heavy and he looked nervous.

“In the meantime, I have been under a lot of stress since I came to another place, and I caused you trouble for nothing.”

“…”

“I’m going to do really well now. Sincerely.”

As I lowered my gaze with a sad expression on purpose, he licked his lips.

Come to think of it, even in the novel, he was very thoughtful and used to be very careful with his words.

He was suddenly brought to the unfamiliar Hadellus Castle. An indifferent biological father and a cold-hearted stepmother. And even his young wife who hated him.

There must have been nothing but the tension between them.

‘Akid must have been lonely.’

I also had a past when I lived under my adoptive parents, and I sympathized with Akid’s shadow.

He wanted to be loved, but a child who didn’t get it often became rigid like that.

Perhaps that’s why. Without realizing it, I raised my upper body and gently grabbed his hand by the corner of his lips still. Akid called me in surprise.

“Wife?”

“Don’t try too hard and say it comfortably, Akid.”

“…”

“Now that I see, it’s Akid who is nervous, not me.”

As I reassured him with a soft smile, Akid’s eyes shook stronger than before. An unfamiliar face was reflected in the blue-gray eyes. Curly red hair, raised eyebrows like a cat, and blue eyes.

‘I still can’t get used to my beauty.’

It was about time to think about such nonsense.

“We’re here.”

The carriage stopped and the driver announced the arrival. I said, naturally biting his hand.

“Shall we go?”

“…Yes, Wife.”

I wondered if Akid had a blank expression on his face, but he responded slowly and got out of the carriage.

***

Meanwhile, after being kicked by Grand Duke Hadellus, Lady Locke, who had been living in her home, took in a guest after a long time.

It was because Lady Marnier, whom she had been close with, came to visit her. Lady Marnier said.

“The Grand Duke is very indifferent. How could he cut you down like a piece of firewood?”

She blamed the Grand Duke on the outside, but in reality, she was referring to Lady Locke, who fell out of his arms.

It was only natural that she had been campaigning in the social world with the Grand Duke on her back. Lady Locke answered as if nothing was wrong.

“It’s done now. Is he the only man in the world?”

However, her composure was cut short by the words of the Lady Marnier that followed.

“I heard that he already has a new lover.”

“A new lover?”

“Hmm. I’m not sure, but I saw Hadellus’ wagon going towards the seed farm today.”

After finishing her words, Lady Marnier glanced at her. As expected, her face was very dark.

At the unpleasant circumstances of Lady Locke, who usually, was supported by Grand Duke Hadellus’ favor to her, and had always treated Lady Marnier disrespectfully, it was a very fun matter.

‘Hmph, isn’t it too pathetic to see you look down alone?’

Lady Marnier thought so and broke the corner of her lips as they were about to rise.

It was true that she had seen Hadellus’s carriage.

On the way here, she saw a colorful carriage with the pattern of the Hadellus family. Of course, she didn’t even know who was in her carriage. She only recalled that it was the two-seater wagon that the Grand Duke loved, so she brought out her words.

Lady Locke asked, furiously, when she heard that the Grand Duke had a new lover.

“Is that true?”

“Yeah. I told you so. Since it’s the flower festival soon, it seems like he’s going to see flowers with his lover using seeds as an excuse… Hm?” Lady Marnier let out a shallow exclamation, not speaking.

It was because Lady Locke had set down the teacup noisily without any culture.

But her expression was so gentle, she just coughed in vain.

She was careful because she was afraid that fire would fall on her for nothing. Lady Marnier glanced at her and read the air.

“That’s what a man is originally like. No matter how pretty Lady Locke is, like a flower, if he keeps looking at you, he’ll get used to it. It’s instinctive for him to have an eye for new flowers.”

“What do you want to say, Lady Marnier?”

“Oh my, I just want Lady to overcome the pain of broken heart as soon as possible.”

“…”

“I apologize if I offended you.”

At Lady Marnier’s elegant nodding head, Lady Locke laughed in vain.

‘He just found a new lover?’