CH 44

As Elysia assured him, Edward’s eyes widened.

“Elysia, if… Tonight…”

She knew what he was trying to say as she looked at him, who hesitated, unable to speak. He was trying to tell her not to spend the night with Damon.

“You don’t have to worry about that. I have no intention of spending the night with him.”

“I’m glad…”

Damon Raphael had no interest in consummation. He was a murderous psychopath whose mind was all about slaughter. So, why would he be excited to see her?

“Go ahead. If you can’t contact me for a while, don’t worry.”

Well, that couldn’t have happened unless she was bleeding and dying.

“Haa…”

After she had barely let Edward, who would not leave her alone, go, Elysia pressed her forehead at the dizziness. She didn’t expect him to know that she was going to marry a man that fearsome.

“I feel tired…”

Even though the wedding hadn’t even started yet, her body was already screaming from exhaustion. After all, she got up early in the morning and got ready so it was a given.

“You are here.”

“Ah…”

A cold, sharp voice she was used to now.

“Grand Duke.”

Damon found out that Elysia had disappeared and came to find her. His expression didn’t tell if he was angry or not. As usual, he was expressionless. Was he upset that she ran away from the waiting room…? Though technically, she didn’t run away.

“The Marchioness is desperately looking for you.”

For some reason, if it was him, he must have noticed that there was an odd conversation going on between her and Edward. Nevertheless, she was afraid of Damon, who casually said Estelle was looking for her.

If he had asked if he was angry at her for trying to run away, she would have said no, although he didn’t ask anything.

“Grand Duke, I…”

“I think we will be able to solve the problem only when you go back.”

“What is the problem…?”

…Was there a problem because she was away?

“I think you have to go see it.”

As Elysia followed Damon’s silent walk without asking any questions, she couldn’t stop her anxious thoughts.

‘Why was he not saying anything?’

“Well…”

“Yes, do you have anything to say to me?”

“Why don’t you ask?”

His attitude of not asking any questions was even more terrifying. He didn’t even give her time to say no.

“You mean the wife tried to run away?”

“Yes…”

Elysia nodded her head slightly and gazed into Damon’s eyes. However, his face didn’t change at all.

“Why don’t you ask me anything…?”

“Then, should I ask why you tried to run away?”

“I didn’t mean to run away… I was just seeing off my brother who had to rush back to the Logan Empire.”

“Yeah, if the wife says so, then so be it.”

Despite her excuses, Damon didn’t seem to believe it at all. No… he was right to not believe it in the first place.

“Elysia, I am not curious about that. Anyway, now the wife is right in front of me, right?”

His sky-blue eyes shone sharply as he said that.

“The important thing is that the wife didn’t run away.”

“I said I don’t want to run away.”

She wanted a perfect and clean divorce from him, a finish with no consequences. She hated the life where she had to run away because she was terrified of getting discovered by him.

“The wife seems to care a lot about your family.”

“…Yes?”

“My sister-in-law has come. If you go to the waiting room, you will know.”

Elysia’s eyes widened when she heard that Rowena had come to the bride’s waiting room. Edward said that they would substitute, though she was grounded from going out, so she couldn’t get out on her own.

“The Countess…”

She realized now that it would have been an impossible plan if it had not been for the Countess’ permission.

In the end, Edward was taken advantage of. If the plan worked, Rowena would benefit from becoming the Grand Duchess, who was more convenient to use. Even if he failed, she didn’t care that only Rowena and Edward would be blamed.

She was a scary woman…

Edward may not be, but Rowena was still her own niece. And yet, without any hesitation, she abandoned her. Either way, Rowena or Elysia would be the Grand Duchess, and it was a business without a loss for the Countess.

“I have only one brother in the family.”

The other humans could not be called family because they weren’t the kind that could be called a family.

“I don’t care what happens, whatever punishment you will take.”

“Do you know what I’m going to do? Is that why you say that?”

Even if she didn’t have to go, Elysia had a rough idea of ​​what Rowena would have done. She must have made a riot, like when she made a fuss asking for the dress.

“It doesn’t matter whatever you do.”

“The wife sounds like you want me to punish her?”

Damon wouldn’t be able to kill the County in public anyway. Nonetheless, he would punish them equivalently. In addition, she never intended to let it go like this. After all, both Edward and her were in danger.

It was terrifying to be able to take advantage of Edward’s desire to save her. It was funny as they actually drove him to his death.

“If they cause trouble, they should be punished.”

* * *

Even though she said that they should be punished if they caused trouble, Elysia didn’t know the problem would be this big.

“What kind of situation is this now?”

As soon as she entered the waiting room, she saw Rowena shivering, sitting on the floor, unable to raise her head. She looked very terrified. The image of Rowena, who was always confident and shameless, was nowhere to be found.

“Your Grace…! Where have you been?”

“I saw off my brother who was leaving for a while.”

Seeing the veil in Estelle’s hand, Elysia couldn’t contain her surprise. A third of the veil was torn. Looking at the situation in the waiting room, it was immediately clear who had torn this.

“I’m sorry, I dismissed the maids…”

“No… I should have paid more attention…”

Rowena, who had invaded through the middle of nowhere, had torn the veil. Then, it was discovered by the people.

“My sister-in-law was toying with the veil.”

It must have been Damon who witnessed it so it was understandable that she was trembling like that. He couldn’t just leave it alone. Rowena probably tasted the greatest horror of her life.

“I’m, I’m sorry… sister…!”

“There is not much time left until the wedding, isn’t it, Estelle?”

“Yes.”

“Should we have the ceremony without veils?”

The badly torn veil looked beyond repair. Rowena bore a grudge because she was grounded. It wasn’t much of a surprise as it was an accident that Rowena would have done enough.

“If I fix it before the meal, it is possible. But…”

“But?”

For the first time, she asked Estelle, who blurted out her words without any confidence. No matter how Elysia looked at it, she looked unsure. With less than an hour left of the wedding, the veil was torn… This was an unexpected variable even for the expert Estelle.

“I think the length of the veil will be short enough to cover only the face.”

It had already been cut in half, so it would definitely not be good if only the face was covered. Still, it was impossible for her to proceed with the wedding without a veil.

“For now, please proceed without delay.”

“Understood.”

Estelle left with the torn veil, leaving her and Damon alone with Rowena in the waiting room. Meanwhile, while she hadn’t been caught by anyone, Rowena didn’t even think to get up and run away.

“Sis, sister… I was wrong.”

“Surely you didn’t intend to come to the wedding?”

“That… that is…”

If Rowena was acting as she pleased, she couldn’t have mentioned Edward and the Countess here. Even Angelina wouldn’t have ordered her to tear the veil. From what Elysia could see, it was her impulsive action.

“I know that you have been banned from going out, but appearing at the wedding isn’t enough — to tear the veil…”

It was something she would never have imagined. She couldn’t understand how Angelina had raised Rowena to be such an ignorant person.

“Your disposition will be entrusted to the Grand Duke.”

“Sis, sister… Please, please.”

Elysia didn’t feel any pity at all, even when Rowena was begging with tears dripping down.

“It wasn’t enough to go out secretly, so you even tore the veil. I don’t think I have any reason to forgive you?”

Elysia’s eyebrows narrowed at the simple and weak attitude, asking her to let it go when Rowena had been harassing her. How ridiculous it was to tamper with the veil…? She couldn’t contain her anger.

“Wife, the sister-in-law’s problem is to be disposed of later. So, stop worrying about it.”

“Ah…”

“The disposition will be given after the wedding is over, so it would be better to go back to the County.”

“Yes, yes…”

Elysia answered in a crawling voice, yet she did not move at all. After he had finished speaking, a man came in and dragged her out.

“Elysia, relax your face.”

Even when Damon’s said to relax her expression, her brows could hardly be opened. Even if it was about half the length, the veil that barely covered her face would surely make no sense. Moreover, she could not hide her disappointment because she had barely completed it even with his help.

“The Marchioness will surely fix it.”

“I have to trust Estelle.”

“Don’t worry about anything.”

“…I’m sorry I went away.”

She left so easily because she didn’t expect Rowena to come… No, the excuse wouldn’t work.

“Stop it.”

Elysia bit her lip in nervousness without realizing it. Seeing that, Damon’s fingers gently pressed her lips, pulling them out. In the process, her bright red tongue touched his fingertips for a brief moment.

“Uh…”