CH 33

“What… are you going to do for me?”

When he asked what she could do, Elysia didn’t answer.

Something she could do for him…

There was no way such a thing could exist. Damon was a man who lacked nothing. It was strange that there would be something she could do for him. There was nothing that could be given to a person who lacked nothing.

If he had to look for her, then when he didn’t need her, she would just disappear on her own. To be honest, there were only two things she could do for him.

Marriage and divorce.

“There is nothing I can do for you.”

The room she slept in now and the dress she was wearing was all things that changed when she decided to marry him. She even bought dresses and jewels in huge quantities with his money. There was nothing she could do for him, who had everything.

It was impossible. Even if she offered to buy him something, in the end, the money came from Damon.

Ah…! There was one thing she could do for him.

“If it’s a hand-woven scarf… It might be possible.”

The only thing she was good at was knitting. This was something she could do without learning because of her past life memories. The Countess didn’t let her learn to knit either, so she didn’t show that she knew how to do it.

“A scarf handwoven by you…?”

“Yes.”

Come to think of it, Estelle was also amazed that she could not embroider but was good at knitting.

Nevertheless, embroidery and knitting were distinctly different fields. In addition, her knitting became more proficient while making Edward’s gift. It was because knitting was what Elysia, who had nothing, could show her utmost sincerity at.

“But, it won’t really get along with you at all, so please ignore it.”

Just imagining Damon wearing a hand-woven scarf made her laugh. He was far from warm and cozy.

“You seem to be good at knitting.”

“I’m not that good. It’s not enough to give someone a present.”

It was because it was Edward that she was able to give it, though it was not a skill that could be shown to others at all.

In particular, the quality was not good enough to give to Damon. He was a man who wore the highest grade of anything. Even the clothes he is wearing now must have been handcrafted by the best designers one by one. It was clear that selling just one button on his clothes would be enough to cover the cost of living for a commoner family for a year.

It was an inappropriate gift for someone who wore only the finest of anything. Above all, it was clear that the scarf would be shabby for him to wear.

“You mean you haven’t given it to anyone yet?”

“Well… I don’t think so?”

After all, Edward received a gift from her every year, so it wasn’t that she didn’t give it to anyone. Edward, who cared for his sister, would gladly accept even the imperfect thing.

“Who are you talking about? Don’t tell me it’s a man.”

It was questionable whether it was necessary to classify her blood relative Edward as a man, although he was biologically a man.

Eventually, Elysia nodded her head in affirmation because it wasn’t completely wrong.

“You mean you gave it to a man?”

“Yes.”

“How many did you give as a gift?”

When asked how many she gave as a gift, she spread her fingers out and counted them. She remembered she gave it once a year, but she couldn’t remember exactly how many times she gave it.

“I don’t really remember. Maybe… I seem to have given it seven times…?”

“You gave a present seven times?”

“Yes.”

Certainly, she gave fewer gifts compared to what Edward had given her. Still, she did her best, so she thought she gave it about seven times. Regardless, she didn’t understand why she had to make excuses for Damon for such a thing.

“But, what does that have to do with Your Grace?”

It was impossible to understand why Damon was curious about that.

“…Right. It has nothing to do with me.”

Damon seemed tenacious in a strange way. She thought from the beginning that no one could understand him, though the real Damon she met was a really difficult person to understand.

“Please, go back now.”

“….”

She was a little terrified to see him contemplating with his brows narrowed, without asking anything back. She must not forget that he was always a person who could easily kill people if he was wronged.

“Your Grace…?”

“Please, listen to what I want.”

Elysia’s blue eyes widened as if they were about to pop out at the absurd remark to ask her to do what he wanted. She was worried about how to interpret the meaning of these words now. What Damon wanted… What did he want?

Did he really have things he wanted? And, even if he wanted something, Elysia wondered if she could make it happen.

“Listen to what you want…?”

“Yes.”

It was difficult to guess how to act in response to Damon’s sudden request.

Was it right to say that she would listen to him here? Or, should she politely decline? Elysia was in a difficult situation no matter what she chose.

“Why do I have to listen to what the Grand Duke wants?”

Of course, it was right for her to give him anything he wanted. She had received so many things from him that she took it for granted. If Damon had said it as a command rather than a request, she might have followed the command without anything.

“Because I’m going to make a veil for the wife, right?”

Suddenly, the veil that was in her hand slid out, and it was moved to his hand.

Elysia gazed at Damon, wondering if he was joking, though his face was not that of a jokester at all. At first, he would be far from joking. He didn’t even know how to joke.

“Are you joking?”

But, the current situation seemed unacceptable unless it was a joke. Damon’s constant, unexpected remarks left her speechless.

“You want me to be joking?”

“Of course, you’re talking nonsense…”

“Unfortunately, I am not joking. I’m really going to make it.”

How should she have reacted to his words that he would now even make the bride’s veil by himself…?

If the bride lacked skills, was it common for the groom to make it himself? Sadly, Elysia lacked the knowledge of the noble marriages enough to know that much. All she knew was what Estelle had told her.

“Though Estelle said… The veil is what the bride should make.”

“Did Marchioness Blair do that?”

“Yes.”

“Then, how about this? It’s a secret between the two of us.”

Elysia trembled at Damon’s whispering in her ear as if he was telling a serious secret. The sound of his voice echoing through her ear felt somehow dangerous, and she couldn’t stop her trembling.

“Wife, is it a secret?”

“Yes. A secret between the two of us.”

…Was the word “secret between the two of us” so naughty and dangerous?

The sight of Damon smiling with one corner of his mouth raised was irresistibly alluring. His unique, dangerous atmosphere and drowsiness made him even more beautiful.

***

“Ah…”

She initially dismissed it as a joke because she didn’t believe him. She couldn’t have imagined he would embroider, and she thought it was ridiculous for him to have such a large, hard hand holding a tiny needle. Even more, it made no sense to sit and embroider with a body as large as his hand.

But really, he knew how to embroider. It was also quite a work of art. She couldn’t keep her mouth shut because of his splendid skills that couldn’t be compared to her.

“You must have been very surprised.”

“How do you… know how to embroider?”

Damon knew how to embroider that even Edward couldn’t…?

Elysia couldn’t believe the reality, she wanted to deny it. Still, in front of her, he was embroidering calmly.

“I learned it.”

“Did you learn to embroider? When…?”

“From the day the wife pricked her finger with a needle.”

It didn’t make sense. It was only three days before that she was stabbed in Damon’s presence. How did he learn to embroider in those few days…?

This was nonsense. Elysia had studied and worked hard for weeks, but she was still clumsy. Despite that, in a little over two days, he was able to do such meticulous and remarkable embroidery.

At that, she lost her words when she saw Damon’s appearance. No matter how talented the difference was, this was a bit harsh. It was unbelievable that he could do more delicate work than her with such large hands.

“It’s absurd…”

“What? That I know how to do embroidery?”

She just nodded her head without answering. It was right to think that she was stunned by Damon to the point she was unable to speak properly. For what she had to shed so much blood, she even felt resentful.

“In just a few days…”

How could he have such skills?

No matter how good a character he was, it was unfair to her that he was good at embroidering.

“I practiced hard.”

“Why…”

Elysia couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of how hard he must have practiced with the sharp needle in his hand. Even now, in fact, it was funny to see Damon holding a needle that looked infinitely small compared to his hand.

It was even more so because of the way he was constantly struggling to avoid breaking it.

“I don’t want the wife to get hurt anymore.”