I Will Disappear Grand Duke

 

 

 

 

 

Prologue *** The Duchess has escaped. It happened while the Grand Duke was on an expedition.

“Your Highness, the servants say that the only thing that disappeared from her residence was her clothes.”  “Precious items or accessories.”  “They seemed to remain untouched.”  At the aide’s words, The large man’s brow wrinkled, one side of his mouth lifted.  She took only a few clothes with her on her escape. His wife ran away, leaving everything he had given her. He knew intuitively what this meant. She was trying to erase the time t ime she lived here as his wife. She dared to hope that he would forget her forever. The Grand Duke opened his mouth in a cool, quiet voice.

“Have you heard anything from the knights yet?”  “We received a message that they are continuing to track Her Highness’ carriage. It looks like they will be able to successfully siege it soon.”  “If she resists, tell them to bring her in, even if it’s by force.”  The Grand Duke’s stern gaze reached the wedding ring on his ring finger.   His wife had been on the run for five days, d ays, completely outrunning the castle servants, but the Grand Duke had managed to locate her within half a day of his return to the castle. She would soon be back in her original position. There was no reason to be nervous. But the impatience coming up from his chest kept bothering him. She should never have run away like this. Now that she was his wife, she had to feel the pain beside him even if she was sick. Even if it was painful, she had to suffer in his eyes.

 

  Julia Caesar, if ever died, had to die in his territory. He closed his bloodshot eyes loosely. The Grand Duke did his best to suppress his raging emotions.

“Your Highness!”  At that moment, one of the knights stomped in the office. The knight, who was out of breath, continued sluggishly.

“Ah, Your Highness…She’s gone!”  “What do you mean?”  The Grand Duke asked in a sharp tone. t one.

“… We clearly confirmed that she was in the carriage many times, but after we surrounded the carriage, the Duchess was not there. We have no idea what was going on…Ah!”  In the blink of an eye, the Grand Duke approached and drew his sword from his waist. A sharp gaze fell on the knight, as if he was about to cut off his head.

“Don’t talk nonsense. Tell me where did she disappear to?”  “Ah, we’ve been searching the neighborhood with the garrison, but there’s no witness, no trace….”  “You b*st*rds.”  Throwing the sword on the floor, the Grand Duke roughly swept his black hair.

“I’ll go myself. Prepare the horses.”  “Yes, sir!”  The Grand Duke gritted his teeth. He shouldn’t have left the job to those incompetent people. He didn’t think it would be easy for them to get Julia back immediately, immediately, if he didn’t act directly. “Your Highness, I believe that Her Highness has a helper. How could she have disappeared by herself with that many knights chasing her?” 

 

The aide who was following the Grand Duke opened o pened his mouth cautiously. Then, at that moment, it suddenly came to the Grand Duke’s mind. 

There was a priest who had come a few months ago to bless the Grand Duke’s castle. His wife seemed to be quite close to him. “Lloyd, you go to the temple of Ilion and find the priest who blessed the castle. She may be hiding there. Search every corner.”  “Yes, sir!”  If that priest was helping Julia escape, he must have used his holy power. If he was using his holy power, it would not be difficult for him to hide her presence or distract the Grand Duke’s attention for a while. 

The blue veins appeared on the back of the Grand Duke’s hand as he held the reins. The mere thought that Julia might be with another man filled him with unspeakable rage. But underneath it all, he felt disgusted with himself for being so heartless towards her all these years.

He knew. He knew that Julia’s departure was ultimately his own fault.   “Search everywhere, everywhere, don’t miss a single thing.”   The Grand Duke searched every building in the city. Some knights were deployed to search even the small private houses. The Grand Duke escaped the city walls with the other knights. As they entered the vicinity of the carriage station, there was a rush of people heading for other areas. When the road was blocked, the Grand Duke’s procession came to a halt.  

“Your Highness, please come around…”  “Wait.”  His gaze stopped near the crowded ticket booth, or more precisely on one of the women in the crowd.

For a brief moment, he could see Julia’s face. Sure enough, it was her. “Your Highness.” 

 

  The Grand Duke, dismounting from his horse, rushed into the crowd. He hurried to his feet, glaring at the back of the woman in a hooded robe.

“Julia!”  Perhaps unaware of his shout, the woman did not turn around and continued walking. He caught up with her at once, grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around. As he flipped her hood back, the woman revealed a panicked face, widened her eyes. It was not Julia.

“Damn it!”  The hesitant woman slowly backed away as he said the abusive language with an angry face. Then, just as the woman was about to t o turn away completely, the pendant that was on her neck caught his eye unexpectedly. Before he had time to remember what it was, his body moved first. The Grand Duke grabbed the woman’s arm and cut off the string of the pendant that was on her neck at once.

“…!”  The string of the metallic pendant broke into pieces. The woman shook off the Grand Duke’s hand with startled eyes.   At the same time, a strong light shone around her. Soon the unfamiliar face gradually changed into the face of the woman he knew so well. Pale face. Light brown hair. Frightened blue eyes. This woman looking at him with a stiff face was his wife Julia.

“Ha.”  He smiled faintly with a complicated expression. The panicked look on his wife’s face made him feel miserable instead of angry. With what kind of eyes should he face his wife who even dared to disguise to escape from him?

 

“Oh, how did you know?”   Julia muttered with a disappointed look on her face. She didn’t have the slightest idea that she would be caught so vainly either. He gripped the pendant in his hand tightly as if he was crushing it, and said,

“This pendant, I could feel its faint power.”  “Oh ….…”  Julia bit her lower lip in dismay. The Grand Duke pulled her by the hand.

“Now go back. That’s enough trouble for me.”   Before Julia knew it, the approaching knights had surrounded the two of them tightly. There was nowhere to run. With her eyes squeezed shut, Julia was gently dragged away by him. There was nothing more she could do when the pendant was taken away. Moving to where he had tied the horse, he picked her up in one fluid motion over the saddle. Naturally, he climbed in behind her and pulled her close into his arms.

“Julia.”  “…”  The Grand Duke watched her for a moment without getting a reply, then quickly tugged on the reins. Her light brown hair fluttered and tickled his neck. They ran for a while without a word of conversation. Julia was already in his arms. There was no need to be anxious anymore. But his anxiety was not going to disappear any time soon. It seemed as if she would dissipate like smoke at any moment. Having escaped safely from the city, they entered the forest path. A procession of knights moved forward, protecting the Grand Duke and his wife.

The Grand Duke stared at Julia’s small back. He wanted to know what expression she had on her face. Whatever it was, he wanted to hear her voice confirm her presence.

 

“Your Highness.”  At that moment she called him in a quiet voice. The end of her voice was cracked. The Grand Duke slowed his hurried pace and listened to her. Julia turned and looked at him.

“….. I don’t feel good. Let’s take a break.”  He could see a hint of tiredness on her face. He was troubled for a while, but soon stopped running. The knights who were riding nearby also stopped. They had to run more for a few more hours in order to reach the castle. It would de definitely finitely be too much for her physical strength. The Grand Duke said something to the approaching knight. knight. With a silent bow, the knight disappeared immediately to the other side.

“I told him to bring the wagon. It won’t take long.”  “Yes.”  Julia dismounted from the horse and passed him numbly, then sat down on the grass far away from him. The Grand Duke shooed away the knights who were following him and approached her. Julia crouched down and patted the hem of her robe meaninglessly. He looked at her delicate hands with prominent joints and murmured.

“You seem to be thinner.”  “…”  “Where have you been staying the whole time?”  Julia made no reply, but lowered her head deeper. The Grand Duke did not give in and continued to throw questions.

“Did you see the priest of Ilion?”  “…And the pendant, I’m sure he gave it to you.”  Julia’s hand flinched at the muttering words. The Grand Duke, who did not miss the sight, continued in a cool tone.

 

  “If you don’t want to answer, then do so. I can just catch him and ask.” 

“Please don’t hurt an innocent person. That man has nothing to do with me.”  When Julia, who had been silent, unexpectedly replied, the Grand Duke wrinkled his brow. She faced her husband squarely with a downward d ownward glance.

“Why are you looking for me?”  She had this look on her face that said she couldn’t understand the situation. She even looked a little angry. The Grand Duke spoke in a cold tone with a sultry feeling in his heart.

“Are there any men who could sit still while their wives are gone?”  “…Was I a wife to Your Highness?”  Julia lifted her lips weakly. The Grand Duke’s lips moved in a complicated expression, expression, but he quickly gulped it down. His heart throbbed as if it was stabbed with something. Julia, who was staring at him, raised herself up. Then she walked along the woodland path.

He understood that Julia meant that she wanted to be alone. But he couldn’t let her be. The Grand Duke followed her at some distance. Julia, who had been walking for a long time without saying a word, stopped. The Grand Duke stopped with her, and his brow furrowed at the open sight.

Beneath a sheer cliff, a strong river was flowing. She didn’t know there was such a place in this forest. “Julia, come here.”  Just as the Grand Duke called out to her with an ominous premonition, she turned around and pulled something out of her pocket.

“You….”  The Grand Duke stared at her with a slightly perplexed look in his eyes. Julia pointed a knife at him. Her hands trembled finely as she grasped the hilt of the knife. The Grand Duke, wh who o paused for a moment as if in shock, immediately killed his expression and approached her. Julia stepped back.

 

“Don’t come any closer. If you get any closer, I’m really going to stab you…”  “Do as you please.”  She would never stab him. Good-natured Julia Caesar could never do anything to hurt others. That was his wife, as he had seen her so far. The Grand Duke took a few large steps forward, and Julia moved back with a jittery movement. If he got stabbed by that knife here, she would be sorry and come back to his side. Then she could hit him as many times as she wanted, with a sword or a gun.

“Wait, Julia.”  His nonchalant face cracked at the moment the blade turned in an aborted direction. The knife that had been aimed at him was now pointed at herself.

“Damn it, put that knife down!”  Julia plunged the knife further into her neck when her husband approached closer. Red fresh blood flowed down from her white neck. In that state, she slowly backed away. The Grand Duke was shaking frantically as he came c ame to a stop. He knew that if he came any closer, Julia was really going to cut her throat.

“Darn it… don’t move anymore! It was my fault, I’m sorry…”  The more she retreated, the more the Grand Duke looked as if he was dying and prayed fervently. The longer he lingered, unable to approach, the closer Julia J ulia got to the edge of the cliff.

“Please, don’t. It’s all my fault. I will do as you wish. Julia….”  The Grand Duke shuddered, unable to hide his reddened eyes. It was hard to believe that he was such a cold and heartless husband.

Julia smiled bitterly. That look in his eyes, his words….at one time he was all she had. Days when she was deflected dozens of times and crumbled in a single glance. These are the times she loved him while she was in loneliness.

 

  Standing on the edge of the cliff, Julia slowly carving the face of the husband who had once been her world into her eyes.

“…… It’s too late.” 

If not now, she would never be able to leave him forever. She would ccome ome to love him again.

“The unhappiness I have experienced is enough for me.”  She wanted to be happy now.

“Julia!”  Staring at her desperate husband, Julia threw herself down the cliff.

 

Chapter 1 *** Julia sat on the opposite side of the table and glanced at the man tilting his glass. Fernan Caesar, the man who at the age of twenty-six had led the imperial wars to victory and inherited the Grand Dukedom. He was a man of splendid beauty and solid outward appearance befitting his dignity, and even his light shirt shone. He was a man that one could not help but had to steal a glance. The fact that this man, who looked so perfect, was her husband, was something unbelievable to Julia.

“Why don’t you stop looking and eat?”  The sudden sound of his low voice startled Julia and she dropped her fork. Fernan looked up and stared at her numbly.

“Yes, yes…”  Julia blushed and picked up a small piece of bread on her plate. She couldn’t look up, embarrassed that she had been caught stealing a glance. While she was squirreling away the bread and stirring the stale soup around, the servant brought our new dishes. Julia, who was quietly cutting the steak, glanced up to check on him. He was only emptying his champagne glass, as if this time was boring him. ‘Should we continue our conversation? What kind of conversations do normal couples have at mealtime?’   While Julia was thinking, Fernan got up from his seat.

“I’ll leave first.”  With a few words he left the dining room. He did not look at her for even a moment. Julia gazed blankly at his empty seat and put down the tableware. She didn’t want to eat more.

 

Julia stood up, unable to eat half of her food, and walked briskly to her room. In spite of the fact that they had been married for several months, she had never been able to carry on any kind of dialogue with Fernan. In fact, with the exception of the occasional mealtime, she rarely even saw him. He had always been away for as short as three days and as long as a month.

So naturally she hadn’t had time to get to know him. Somehow, she felt like they were worse off than others.

“Your Highness, are you here? Did you enjoy your meal?”   As Julia entered the bedroom, the maidservant who was tidying the bedding welcomed her with a smile. It was Melissa, who had been assigned as her full-time servant.

“Yes….”  Julia entered the dressing room and Melissa, who had followed her, helped her get dressed. After putting on a thin slip dress and a gown, Julia came out of the bedroom again.

“Oh, I received a letter at noon, but I forgot to tell you about it.”   Melissa pulled the letter out of her pocket. Julia’s expression darkene darkened d slightly. She felt as if she didn’t need to see the letter to know who it came from.   After Melissa had left, Julia opened the envelope and checked the contents. Naturally, the sender was her father. [Julia, to my daughter.

You haven’t answered the letter I sent you last time. I’m worried, so I wrote a new letter and sent it to you. I hope you are settled in your new home. I am looking forward to hearing good news from you every day. I will try to visit you at the castle soon.] The letter was brief, containing only its purpose. Julia sighed heavily after plunging the letter into the letter storage box. Her father, Marquis Elody, had gained the most through this marriage.

He had used Fernan’s fame as a war hero to expand his business and maintain close ties with the imperial family, thus increasing the prestige of the family line.

 

Still, he couldn’t get enough, and now he was forcing Julia to  have a child with the Grand Duke by sending her letters periodically and putting pressure on her to do so. The reasoning was that with an heir, this marriage would flow in a more stable direction. Julia had a subtle expression on her face as she pondered . She hadn’t even had her wedding night with Fernan yet. Children and heirs or something like that still seemed a long way away, but there was a need to develop a relationship with him. ‘We won’t stay this way forever.’   ‘Don’t be too impatient.’   Now that they were husband and wife, they had many days together. Julia lay d down own on the bed and slowly drew a picture of her husband. From a long time ago until now, he has always been a beautiful and wonderful man. It had been nine years since Julia first saw him. Julia, who was reminiscing about the past, fell asleep at some point. As she slept, a gentle smile was drawn on her lips. *** Nine years ago, it was the summer when she was 13. It was also the day Julia visited the Imperial Palace for the first time in her life.

“How can a lowlife enter a banquet hall?”  But before she could set foot in the banquet hall, Julia was thrown by a rough hand into a small room deep inside the Imperial Palace. It was the habitual abuse of the Marquis, who did not recognize Julia as his daughter.

“You stay here and be quiet. I’ll call you when the banquet is over.”   “Oh, father!”  Boom! Julia quickly withdrew her outstretched hand as she looked at the door, which closed with a loud bang. Looking around with trembling eyes, she saw nothing but a dimly lit interior hanging in the air. As she stood there frightened, she heard a loud playing sound announcing the banquet.

 

Gasp. Crouching down, Julia began to sob aloud. The distant noise of the banquet hall made the young Julia even sadder.

‘Was it wrong for me to be excited for the first time in a pretty dress and riding in a fancy carriage?’    Her vision was blurred by tears that trickled from her eyes. It was then that she saw a long shadow above her. She looked up and saw a tall man looking down at her with a blank expression on his face. The man slowly bent his knees as he stared at Julia, who shook in surprise.

When their eyes were all at the same level, she could finally see the man’s fa ce clearly. “Why are you crying?”   Black hair covered by the darkness. Golden Golde n eyes that shine alone even in a pitch-black room.

For a man, his face was so beautiful that it caught Julia’s gaze.  To the frightened Julia, the man gently held out his hand.

“…”  Julia’s eyes widened.  ‘Why would he offer his hand to a girl like me…?’  

Confused, but Julia couldn’t ignore his hand.  Fidgeting and gently grasping his fingertips, he eventually led her to a small door on one wall. There was a terrace. Unlike the pitch-black room, the light of the sunset was just emerging over the terrace.

“Don’t cry, I’ll stay with you.” 

 

He was gorgeously dressed, and it looked as if he should be in the banquet hall, not in this secluded little room. Strangely enough, however, he seemed quite accustomed to sitting here alone.

He didn’t ask her anything, nor did he say anything to her.   He just held her hand for a while. Strangely enough, her sad and sorrowful heart gradually disappeared while she was with the man.

As such, he didn’t leave his seat until the sunset had completely faded and the moonlight began to leak out. Holding his large, linked hands tightly, Julia realized for the first time how warm someone’s hands were. It was the first time. It was the first time someone had held her hand like this without hesitation. When she finally heard the sound of the music announcing the end of the banquet, Julia hesitated and asked him for the first time.

“Can you tell me your name…?”  At the small question, he silently lowered his eyelids and then slowly lifted them up again. The golden eyes that appeared at that moment were brighter and more beautiful to the young Julia’s eyes than the moon in the sky. 

“Fernan.”  “…”  “If we meet again someday, I’ll tell you my name then.”  That was the last conversation she had with the man. After that day, Julia saw him again at the ceremony two days later. The man was at the very front of the imperial army leaving for the war of conquest. That would be Fernan Seyrev Formene. The emperor’s only nephew and the commander of the imperial army in this war.

 

  The man, whom she met in an a n old small room, was such an incredible man. Julia learned belatedly that the day of the banquet where she met him was actually a ceremony for the safe return of the Imperial troops going to war. Without even having a chance to meet again, the mysterious man left for the battlefield. But even after that, Julia could not easily forget that day. Even after a long time, Fernan returned as a war hero. And for a long time after he returned, Julia would watch him from afar. The man who was no longer the boy in her memories, had become the most famous person in the empire. A year after that. Surprisingly, it was at the meeting where the matchmaking took place that Julia met him face to face. On that day, her father said to her,

“Julia, you will be married to the Grand Duke.”  After the war, that man, Fernan, was given the Northern Caesar’s territory and inherited the Grand Dukedom. That gentleman in her memory, who seemed too noble and distant, was the very man she was to marry. **** Please support us by give our novels good ratings and reviews on NU. Much appreciated.

 

Chapter 2 The next day, Julia woke up earlier ea rlier than usual and hurriedly prepared to go out. Dressed in a frilly white dress, she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

She still wasn’t used to the sight of three maids helping her dress up.   Before this marriage happened, she didn’t have any maids helping  her. Julia was not a Young Lady, but a daughter of the Marquis’s mistress.   Since her mother was a commoner, she could not officially become the second wife of the Marquis. So according to the procedure, Julia wasn’t the Marquis’s daughter either.  However, after giving birth to her first son, the Marquise’s wife was diagnosed as infertile and could not have any more children. That was why the Marquis had Julia formally admitted to his family while concealing the fact that she was his illegitimate daughter.

“Julia, you are the best commodity for valuable work.”  As can be seen from the word ‘commodity’, it means a political marriage, ‘something of value’, which the Marquis was always in the habit of saying.  A father who wanted to make a profit by putting his daughter on the line. To him, Julia was just a tool to sell to a good place and increase his position. Julia was well aware that for aristocrats, marriage was mostly a political tool, but she still wanted to have a marriage that combined love. Having grown up in an environment where there was no family love, she wanted a home filled with love. So when this marriage was arranged, Julia began to believe in the existence of God for the first time. That man who she had never forgot ten…. ten…. He was now her husband. 

“Duchess, are you going to see His Highness off?” 

 

At the sound of the servant’s voice awakening her thoughts, Julia finally snapped out of the long standing memory that had lasted since last night. Looking up, she saw the servants smiling at her as they finished her makeup. Julia felt somewhat embarrassed. Stroking her hair, Julia replied.

“Yes. I don’t get to see him very often, so I just wanted to say hello.”   “I’m sure His Highness will be very pleased.”  Julia smiled awkwardly and stood up from her seat. sea t. I was a little embarrassed that her attempt at a light greeting seemed to be interpreted as a big deal. ‘But if I make a little effort like this, I can get closer to him, right?’   ‘I hope His Highness wishes to be closer to me, too.’   Unlike Julia, who had never forgotten him, Fernan did not seem to remember her. But she kept the promise she made mad e to him that day, to meet him again like this, to let him know her name. Julia came out of her bedroom and immediately went downstairs to the lobby. She saw sa w the servants lined up in front of the entrance. When the servants spotted Julia, they all bowed to her at once. S She he nodded lightly. Shortly after, Fernan entered the central staircase through a long corridor.

“…”  He entered the hall with a leisurely gait, dressed in a black uniform decorated with gold thread. Julia gazed at the figure in a daze. The splendid conquest, masterfully woven over his broad shoulders and a strong body, suited him very well. He was a beautiful man that Julia had always admired since she first saw him a long time ago.

“Grand Duke.”  Fernan walked casually past the servants, spotted Julia, and suddenly stopped. His cold gaze sank still on her.

“What are you doing here?”  Julia flinched as he asked in a tone that was colder than his gaze.

 

  It was because the eyes looking down at her at the tall height felt somehow intimidating. Julia looked up at him, who seemed to be cold, and replied with a puzzled look on her face.

“Uh…I wanted to give Your Highness my morning greetings.”  “Morning greetings?”  Immediately a twisted sneer broke out on his sculpted face.

“I don’t know what you are expecting.”  Julia froze in place, her eyes wide open. Did he think that she was expecting something? Julia hurriedly opened her mouth to clear up the misunderstanding.

“Um, there is no other meaning. I just wanted to see His Highness off…”   “Well, I guess you’re starting to want to be a hostess.”  At the obviously sarcastic remark, Julia fell silent, her ears turning red. ‘I shouldn’t have done this.’   Her heart began to tremble madly in confusion, which was also in her head. She could feel the servants watching her. Julia bowed deeply. Fernan, who was looking down at her, continued to speak in a slightly calmer, but emotionless tone.

“If there’s anything you want, you can have it. Whether it’s remodeling the castle, buying jewels, or throwing a party, I don’t care which.”  “…”  “But I do not want to see you in the morning, so please refrain from doing this.”  His expressionless face told all. ‘Don’t expect anything from me. There will be no affection or warmth between us.’  Fernan thus walked straight past the frozen Julia.

 

The servants who had been watching her scattered to other places, and Julia was left alone in the lobby. ‘Did I do something wrong?’   The number of times she had seen and interacted with Fernan after their marriage was too few to count. He was always busy and not always very talkative.

In the meantime, she couldn’t think of what mi stake she had made. Fernan left the castle on their wedding wedd ing night, leaving the bride behind, saying he had business to attend to. But Julia was content with all that, even that. That was, until he looked down at her with cold eyes earlier.

“…”  She stood there for a moment in a daze, her expression deliberately set. But she just couldn’t hide her sinking heart.  

While she forced herself to walk, Fernan’s cold voice echoed in her ear. It seemed to chill her to the core. *** Marquis Elody slowly looked around the parlor and savored sa vored the tea. It was a desolate and dreary interior. Like Fernan, the lord of the castle. After lightly clicking his tongue, he snapped at his daughter.

“What does your husband do and not show up?”  “……he has a lot of political work.”  Julia replied distantly and grabbed her teacup. Her father, whom she had not seen in a long time, remained only difficult and inconvenient. The Marquis looked disgruntled and berated Fernan, then quickly changed the subject.

“Why are you so thin? There is nothing more ugly than a skinny girl.”  “Well, that’s just because I have no appetite.”  The Marquis then looked her up and down and asked, as ked,

 

“Are you pregnant?”  “What?”  Startled, Julia hastily put down her teacup.

“No, I’m not.”  “Why are you so surprised if you’re not? You should be ashamed.”  Julia’s body shook out of habit at the Marquis’s light rebuke. She didn’t want to talk about the subject anymore, but he didn’t seem to plan on stopping.  “Do you get intimate regularly?”  It wasn’t the best conversation to have with her father, but Julia nodded, not showing any displeasure. She couldn’t tell him the truth. Her father would probably go ballistic if he knew that she didn’t even have her wedding night.  She didn’t even have a chance to get close to Fernan. He was as busy as ever, and the only dinners they had together often ended without a word. “I said it many times. It is only when you have children c hildren that this marriage will be perfect.”  “…”  “…When you have children, your place is secured. He’s an arrogant man. I don’t know what he’s thinking.”  Julia kept her gaze down and grabbed her hand. Every time the Marquis spoke in a critical tone about Fernan, she did not know how to react. react .

“Fortunately you have a face. What would you do if you only looked like wood…tsk.”   “”…”  “So hold on to him tightly now so he doesn’t go out.”   Julia nodded hesitantly and hoped that this tough time would end soon. The Marquis looked at her with a very unreliable look and took something out of his pocket. It was a small medicine bottle filled with liquid.

 

“Take it. Men use it often to improve their drive. Just one sip will do the trick, so you have to use a small amount.”  Julia blinked curiously. She didn’t know why her father gave her a medicine that was good for men. The Marquis furrowed his brow in frustration, and then quickly said in a meaningful tone,

“The Grand Duke has a lot of work with no time to rest. Then he’s likely to lose his stamina.”  “…”  “Before you and him become intimate, give it to him secretly. He won’t notice it if you put it in water or wine.”  Julia inadvertently accepted the medicine bottle. The Marquis realized that she still didn’t understand the meaning of this potion, but he didn’t open his mouth anymore. Julia felt somewhat abhorrent, but since she was in front of the Marquis, she had no choice but to put the medicine away. However, However, she was still concerned about ‘giving it to him secretly’, so she planned to call the pharmacist later to make sure that the medicine was safe. After a while, the Marquis left the castle, saying that he would go see Fernan in person.

Sigh….  Returning to her bedroom, Julia put the medicine bottle in her drawer and closed it tightly with a sigh. After dealing with her difficult and dour father, all her energy left her body. *** Fernan was conducting his political affairs in his other mansion in the northern part of Caesar. The mansion was relatively small in size and was private, with only a few servants and lieutenants having access to it. With the main castle comparable to the Imperial Palace, the reason for having a separate residence was simple. He needed a private space that no one could invade. And now, Fernan was facing an uninvited guest who had invaded his space without permission.

 

“Hahahaha, no matter how long I waited at the castle, you didn’t show up, so I came here directly. I hope it wasn’t too rude.”  Marquis Elody entered the office with a nice smile. Then he saw Fernan staring at him coldly and he was flabbergasted. After Fernan down smile the document he was read he gestured withwas his chin. It meant sit down. Theput Marquis’ was distorted byreading, his ing, attitude as if Fernan treating his to subordinates.

“I’m busy, so just keep it simple.”  Fernan stared at the Marquis, his legs arrogantly crossed. The Marquis put on his goodnatured face again and pulled out a letter from his pocket.

“I understand that you have work to handle, but you should not treat the person who came with a message from His Majesty like this.”   The Marquis put the letter on the table and smiled triumphantly. Fernan twisted up one side of his lips.

“His Majesty is so casual about it. How could he send the decrepit from far away to deliver a mere letter? That’s right. Now that I look at you, the job suits you well.”  The Marquis’s face instantly turned red and blue. Perhaps his self -esteem -esteem got hurt, the Marquis, who was silent for a while, forced his lips l ips to bend. “Hahaha…what shall I do? His Majesty’s only nephew is not loyal to the imperial family, so “Hahaha…what he wants to correct the discipline even if he has to use this old man.”  “Loyalty…”  Fernan chuckled as he lowered his eyes halfway. The more powerful Fernan became, the more the Emperor tried to oppress him in this way.

Tilting his head slowly in disgust, Fernan stared at the Marquis’s face.  Dark brown hair and blue eyes. He naturally reminded him of his wife, Julia.

“Just marrying the Marquis’s daughter was too much loyalty for me.”   Because of that loyalty, according to the emperor, Fernan became a commander at the age of seventeen and fought in the imperial war.

 

After several years of fighting for the empire relentlessly, the result was an unwanted marriage.

To the Emperor’s dog, Marquis Elody’s d aughter.

 

Chapter 3 *** “What more do I have to do to satisfy His Majesty…. Do you know the way Marquis?” 

The Marquis replied in a gentle tone at Fernan’s Fernan’s sarcastic question.   “Yes, I do. If you have a child with my daughter as soon as possible and produce  an heir, His Majesty may recognize the Grand Duke’s loyalty.”  Fernand’s handsome forehead wrinkled.  That meant that he had to produce an heir and put down his ttitle itle as soon as possible. Once he retired himself, he would take the opportunity to dismantle the Grand Duke’s private army and try to make his successor do as he wished.

The Marquis took the opportunity of Fernan’s bad mood to begin to wrap things up nicely.  er. “After giving birth to the heir, the Grand Duke can take a distant rest with my daught er. Wouldn’t it be nice to no longer be tormented by His Majesty?” 

“…”  “Think about it. I’m not asking you to make a stranger your successor. Is it so unfair to hand down the title to the Grand Duke’s biological child?”  Fernan raised his deep somber eyes and glared at the Marquis. The Marquis’ face, full of greed and ambition, was more sickening than filth. Fernan, who had been silent for a while with his brows furrowed, spoke slowly.

“If His Majesty’s intentions are true, I can’t disobey him, can I?”  ‘I finally got through to him.’   It was when the Marquis was about to say something more, Fernan spoke in an arseniclaced tone.

“I’m sure he won’t mind any child as long as it came from my blood.”  The Marquis was startled out of his wits by these words. He raised his trembling hand and pointed at Fernan.

“What do you mean by that? Are you saying you’re gonna have an illegitimate child?” 

 

  It was very entertaining to see the Marquis shouting angrily and sluggishly. Fernan leaned back against the sofa and smiled.

“No matter how I try, I don’t think I can have children with the Marquis’s daughter. Every time I look at her, I see the image of her father, and my body won’t cooperate. So, what can I do?”  “You…!”  The Marquis’s anger soared and he felt like he was about to collapse. The Marquis grabbed the back of his neck and clung to it as if he was about to fall. Fernan watched the scene satisfactorily for a moment, then got up from his seat.

“It seems that you have finished everything you wanted to say, so I’ll go now.”   Leaving the shivering Marquis behind, Fernan stepped out of the office.

“Ugh, that cheeky…!”  After being left alone, he slammed on the table roughly. He knew Fernan was difficult, but he didn’t expect he would go this far. He was right, the emperor would be satisfied with anything as long as Fernan dropped his title as soon as possible. It didn’t matter if the heir was his wife’s child or not.   If Fernan had indeed an illegitimate child, it would be a disaster for him (the Marquis). All the hopes he had for this marriage would be in vain. The Marquis gritted his teeth, unable to control his anger for a moment. It seemed that he would have to find some other ways that would ensure that Fernan would be tamed. ***

“Grand Duchess.”  The chamberlain bowed deeply and opened the door. Julia entered the dining room with a feeling of nervousness in her heart. An uncharacteristically quiet atmosphere greeted her. Fernan did not look at her as she entered, but fixed his gaze on the document in his hand.

 

  “Good evening, Your Highness.” 

Julia greeted him in a low voice, but as usual, Fernan didn’t reply.  Maybe her voice was too low to be heard. Comforting herself like that, Julia sat quietly in her seat. Soon hot soup, fresh salad and well-done lamb steaks were placed on the table in turn.

“Grand Duchess, would you like me to pour you a glass of wine?”  “I’m fine.”  Shaking her head with a small smile, Julia immediately began to eat. Only the occasional clatter of dishes filled the dining room. It was Fernan who first broke the awkward silence.

“I will be going to the capital to see His Majesty soon.”  Julia, who was about to eat ea t her salad, looked at Fernan with her fork in the void. He continued to talk without taking his eyes off the document.

“You come too.”  Julia blinked in disbelief for a moment.

“Oh, can I come with you?”  “Yes.”  Her heart pounded. It was the first time Fernan had suggested doing something first.

“Yes, yes…I will.”  Fernan didn’t continue the conversation as if that was his only purpose. Julia couldn’t believe she was going to the capital ca pital with him and have an audience with the Emperor. Julia was so excited that she didn’t notice Fernan’s mood was more subdued than usual.   Still, Julia couldn’t  help  help the twitch on her lips. Now she felt like she was really married to him, and her heart began to flutter.

 

The carriage carrying the Grand Duke and his wife left early e arly in the morning, just as the sun began to rise. Julia, who was so nervous last night that she didn’t sleep at all, intended intended to get some sleep in the carriage. However, when she saw Fernan sitting in front of her, a certain sleepiness seemed to vanish.

“…”  He was still examining the document as they traveled in the carriage. It was a little disappointing to see his eyes covered by his downcast eyelids. Fernan has beautiful golden eyes that seem to melt in the sunlight. It was a warm color that eased the sharpness of his eyes. In contrast, his dark ebony-black hair gave off a somewhat cold feeling. Today, his hair was neatly swept to reveal a clean forehead, but thanks to it, his sculpted face was clearly visible. It seemed that she could look at just his face all day and never get tired of it.

“Why don’t you stop looking and go to sleep if you have nothing better to do?”  Fernan murmured in a low voice, not taking his eyes off the document. Julia was startled and replied quickly.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think…”  Fernan stared at her reddened cheeks, holding her gaze, and wrinkled his brow. Whenever they were face to face, Julia showed such an innocent expression again. He had no idea if she was shy or pretending to be. She was unpleasant in a different way from the Marquis.

If it hadn’t been for the emperor’s message, he wouldn’t have gone to the capital with her in the first place. The Emperor’s letter that the Marquis brought him said,    [I will be gathering the the members of the imperial family for for a dinner banquet banquet in the near future, and you must attend. Please be sure to come with Julia.]

 

  Normally, he would not attend, but it was clear that if he refused the emperor’s order any longer, he would try to pressure him again, expressing e xpressing his deep sorrow. The whole thing was annoying and troublesome. Even that woman who was still flirting with him. Fernan, who had once again glued his gaze on the document, completely blocked her vision with it. It was already dark when they arrived at the Imperial Palace. While the attendants carried their luggage inside, the two were led to their assigned places. As soon as Julia stepped out of the carriage, she felt a sudden surge of fatigue. As much as she wanted to jump into bed, her first priority was to meet and greet His Majesty the Emperor.

“I’m here to see you, Your Majesty. How have you been?”  “All right, come on in. I’m sure you’ve had a lot of trouble coming a long way.”  The Emperor’s warm reception continued. After exchanging a few formal reassurances with Fernan, the emperor quickly cast a glance at Julia. “I haven’t seen you since the wedding. I’m glad to see you looking healthy.”  Julia replied politely, hiding the tension that was surging through her.

“Yes, thanks to Your Majesty’s concern, I’ve been fine.”  “I’m glad to hear that. Grand Duke is such a blunt man that I had an uncommon fear that the Grand Duchess would be neglected.”  The emperor was joking, and Julia took the place of an answer by softly facing him. The emperor was quite a friendly and impressionable person, but he was someone with whom she somehow felt uncomfortable. It was somehow similar to how she felt when she saw her father.

“Now, don’t just stand there, sit down.”   The dining table prepared inside the banquet hall was spacious enough for fifteen people to sit comfortably.

 

  Seated at the table t able were the Empress, the Crown Prince and his wife, and several princes and princesses.

Julia listened to the emperor’s words as she tried to adjust to the unfamiliar atmosphere.  “My heart feels so full to see you all here after such a long time.”  “Yes, Your Majesty. It’s thanks to the newcomer to the imperial family.”  The Empress looked at Julia with a compassionate smile. With her red hair elegantly cropped, the Empress was a gentle woman.

Yes, the Empress is right…It’s very fortunate that the Grand Duke has such a virtuous wife.”   That Emperor smiled and continued.

“Marquis Elody raised her well. She grew up with a loyal father, and she must also be loyal to the imperial family. I believe that the Grand Duchess will bring great blessings to the   imperial family.”

The emperor’s words drew everyone’s everyone’s attention to Julia. She felt the pressure for a moment, but then calmed down and spoke. “I will do my best to meet Your Majesty’s expectations.”  “Thank you.”  Julia thought that the emperor seemed to overly flatter her. She should be grateful for the compliment, but somehow she felt more awkward. She gulped a sigh, then glanced at Fernan, who sat across from her. His expression was oddly twisted. Just as she was about to question his appearance, he opened his mouth.

“I didn’t know Your Majesty was so fond of my wife.” 

 

Chapter 4 **** Fernan’s eyes were cold, and only the edges of his mouth were softly curved. It was an eerie feeling.

“Why did you give me the woman you liked so much? Your Majesty could have her.”  The tone was light as he passed by, but a thin ice silence flowed inside the banquet hall. Everyone was looking at Fernan with bewilderment.

He continued his words, as if he didn’t care a bit.  “If Your Majesty wishes, I will step down from this marriage.”  His golden eyes reached Julia on the other side.

“What do you think?”  Julia looked at him with a pale face. Her mind froze blank. ‘What is he saying now?’   Her hands, which had quickly lost their warmth, began to tremble. She couldn’t make sense of this situation.

She couldn’t understand a word he was saying.  “…… Grand Duke, you joke too much.”   It was the Empress who broke the stifling silence. She kept a calm expression among the hardened ones. The emperor, who had a dumbfounded look on his face, finally spoke.

Yeah, that kind of joke doesn’t fit the situation. You didn’t mean to humiliate me, did you?”  The emperor’s lips quivered. He didn’t know whether to be angry or just laugh it off.  Fernan smiled, keeping a single, coquettish look on his face. He didn’t look like the man who had thrown the bomb into the middle of a friendly dinner party.

“There’s no way I have such impure intentions toward His Majesty. You are mistaken.” 

 

  Julia stared at him blankly. Her heart was beating as if it was about to jump out of her chest, but her mind was still and quiet.

“Your Majesty. In a moment. I would like to speak with you about an international matter…”  Thanks to the Crown Prince’s hasty change of subject, the dinner continued in a strange atmosphere. Occasionally, the Empress managed to talk to Julia, who was stunned throughout, and Julia gave suitable answers. However, when the dinner was over and she left the banquet hall, she could not remember what she had said at all. While moving to return to her designated place, Julia touched her cold hands.

Fernan, who was walking ahead, was talking to the Crown Prince about something. Her legs faltered and she paused for a moment, her lips clenched and she had a tight grip on the hem of her dress. All the while, he moved further and further away, never once looking back. Julia held onto the wall and lowered her head. The air was so cold that it stung her lungs. She looked for a moment at the end of the corridor where Fernan had disappeared. She was the only one left in the empty hallway. *** The next day, Julia slept through the whole morning. Occasionally, a maid came to wake her up and offered her food, but she never felt like eating anything. However, she had to force herself to wake up because the Empress had a tea party in the afternoon.

“Duchess, you’re looking very pale. Are you sure you don’t want me to call the doctor?”  To the maid’s concerned question, Julia nodded, meaning that she was fine. 

 

Her face, bloodless and pale, looked exactly like the patient. It was no wonder that her maid was constantly worried about her.

During the three days stay in the capital, Julia’s official itinerary was only the tea parties and dinners hosted by the Empress. After dressing up, she dragged her tired body to the Central Palace. It was there that she encountered a completely unexpected person.

“Julia! Why didn’t you call me when you came to the capital!”  Marchioness Elody Was happy and embraced Julia as soon a s she got close. Julia’s face gradually hardened.

There was no way that the Marchioness would miss the tea party where the capital’s noble ladies gathered, but she was too preoccupied to overlook it.

Julia sighed quietly and forced her lips to part.

“How have you been, mother?”  “That mansion got lonely without you. I don’t know how much your father misses you too.”   “Yes…”  “How have you been? Are you feeling well?”   The Marchioness took Julia’s hand in hers and caressed her affectionately. She seemed to be a kind mother who was concerned about her daughter’s well-being. The sight of the Marchioness, whom Julia hadn’t seen in a long time, made her feel horrified. Julia finally answered with a smile that did d id not come out. “Yes, please don’t worry.”  She felt the same way about herself as she replied to the Marchioness’s performance. Julia sat down in front of the tea table, mocking herself helplessly. The gazes of the noble ladies lad ies poured in like a burden. She was the wife of Grand Duke Caesar, the most powerful man in the empire e mpire today. She was enough to be the focus of many people’s attention. 

“Um, how long is the Grand Duchess planning to stay in the capital?” 

 

“I will be here for about three days, including today.”  “It’s a pity, I was expecting her to stay all the way until National Day. The Grand Duke has always been a very busy man, so I suppose it can’t be helped.”  The noblewomen were blatantly kind in order to curry Julia’s favor.  She felt a bit bitter even though she felt Fernan’s presence was great.  ‘It won’t do any good to look good to me.’   Julia listened and half-listened to the formal conversation. When the tea party was over, Julia stood up to hurry back. But the Marchioness’s gentle voice caught her feet. 

“Julia, how would you like to t o stop by the house before you leave the capital?”  As Julia faltered and did d id not answer easily, a meaningful smile appeared on the Marchioness’s face. 

“I heard from the Empress that you are free for the entire four days, with the exception of the evening party the day after tomorrow?”   “…… Yes.”  Julia could not help but agree, and the Marchioness smiled and raised herself up. She took Julia gently by the arm and said.

“Come with the Grand Duke. All right?”  “I’ll go alone. He has a lot of work…”  “Julia.”  The marchioness held Julia’s wrists with great effort. There was a familiar rejection in her tight touch. “Be sure to take the Duke with you. You can do that much, can’t you?”  Julia remained silent and avoided replying, and soon gave a weary sigh. She was no match for the marchioness anyway. The Marchioness was a great woman who would not give in until Julia gave her the answer she wanted.

“I’ll ask him.” 

 

“Yes, I’ll make arrangements, expecting you’ll come with him.”  The Marchioness smiled brightly as if nothing had happened and patted the back of Julia’s hand. Julia walked out of the parlor, stroking her forehead. A deep sigh escaped from her naturally.

“His Highness will be out for a while. Why don’t you come inside and wait for him?”  As she was loitering in front of Fernan’s bedroom door for a while, one of the servants approached and spoke to Julia. “Do you know when he will be back?”   “I don’t know that much. But he went out early this morning, so he will probably be back soon.”  Julia nodded. It seemed to be a good thing that she had come to visit him in the late afternoon on purpose. Still, it seemed impolite to enter a room where the master was not present, so she stood still, and the servant, who understood what she meant, opened the door with a polite gesture. Julia stood at the door, inadvertently stepping inside. She was worried that Fernan would be angry that she had come in without permission. Julia thought sadly, but the servant se rvant who had just opened the d door oor came into the room with tea and refreshments.

“It’s chamomile tea. It has the effect of stabilizing the mind and body. I know it’s rude, but… Your Highness looks a little tired.”  The servant put the teacup down on the table. With her little consideration, the feeling of being stuck in the mud seemed to be getting a little better.

“Thank you. I’ll take it.”  The servant blushed when Julia showed her a small smile, and after a quick greeting, she disappeared. Julia drank the offered tea and looked at the display cabinet on the wall. Fernan did not appear even after the teacup was empty.

 

Julia looked out the window. It was early evening and quite dark outside. She wondered when he would come back. She thought she was used to sitting still, but today she felt more tired than usual.

In the meantime, Fernan was having a meeting in the Crown Prince’s audience room.  He wanted Fernand to take charge of the defense of the entire capital for this National Day festival. In other words, he wanted him to guard that area while the Emperor E mperor made his way around the square for the parade.

“I don’t know why you would ask me to do this for the Imperial Guard.”  Fernan stared at the Crown Prince with an expressionless face. The deception that was in full view in front of him was not a simple matter. Their intention was for the war hero, Grand Duke Caesar, to take the initiative to protect the Emperor. In this way, they could build a solid image of the imperial family.

 

Chapter 5 **** Sponsored chapter by h. Thank you   ***

“Isn’t the Grand Duke also a member of the Imperial Family? We can’t leave the protection of His Majesty’s safety to a single knightly order.”  Fernan looked pityingly at the Crown Prince who was insistently persuading him. It was the same for both the emperor e mperor and his son to try to put pressure on him in this way. Being annoying seemed to be hereditary, too.

“Well, then, please consider it positively, Grand Duke.”  Fernan left the reception room, ignoring the Crown Prince’s last words. He felt bad because the meeting had gone longer than expected. Returning home, he immediately took off his uniform and strode to the dressing room. Then he suddenly felt a strange presence and a nd stopped and turned his head. A small person lying on the couch came straight into his field of vision. Fernan squinted and approached the sofa. Through her disheveled light brown hair, he could see the face of a woman who was asleep.

“Ha.”  Fernan, who confirmed that the woman was Julia, let out a small laugh. What on earth was she up to in a room without the master? He stared down at Julia, his brow furrowed. Seeing her sleeping peacefully, he felt annoyed for a moment, but also distracted. Clicking his tongue lightly, Fernan took a quick look around the room. He didn’t see anything particularly disruptive. As he was prowling around, his gaze fell on the teacup on the table. He was getting even more speechless seeing that she even drank d rank tea in that situation. Fernan crossed his arms and stared at Julia’s pale face for a while. 

 

  Then, suddenly, he tilted his head lightly with a questionable look.

He didn’t notice at first because of her shallow breathing, but her breathing was rather irregular. A cold sweat on her white forehead caught his eyes. She was not just asleep. She was sick. Fernan, who was pondering with an expressionless face, quickly slipped out of the bedroom. **** Julia woke up slowly with a throbbing headache. Her blue eyes, half open, were dazed and wet. She rolled over and crawled under the covers, her dazed eyes fluttering. Then suddenly her eyes opened wide and she sat up quickly. It was because she realized that this was not her place.

“Are you up?”  A low voice sounded in her ears. ea rs. Julia looked in the direction of the sound and opened her mouth slightly.

“… Your Highness?”  She caught sight of Fernan sitting in the recliner in front of the fireplace, looking at her. She tried to remember what happened with a puzzled look on her face. Obviously, she was sitting on the couch, waiting for him to return. Then, she got a little sleepy and….  ‘Did I just crawl into his bed in my sleep?’ Julia’s lips quivered in panic. 

“Your Highness, it’s…”  “The physician said you’re sick.”  Intercepting her words, Fernan placed the papers in his hand on the table. His silent eyes, not a speck of light, slowly swept through her.

“Physician…?”  It was then that Julia was taken aback when she discovered the medicine on the small table.

 

  She had been feeling sluggish for a long time, but she didn’t think she was sick. Julia parted her lips cautiously.

“Um, thank you… His Highness called for the physician, didn’t he?”  Fernan didn’t reply, just thumped the handle on the side of his chair. Unsure of the meaning of the silence, Julia fidgeted awkwardly with the bed sheets. Soon Fernan got up and walked to the bed. Standing with his back to the moonlight, he stared at Julia’s face. 

“Now tell me. What was your reason for sneaking into my room?”  “……what?”  “I’m sure you didn’t come here to demonstrate that you’re sick.”  His shadow hung heavily over the bed. He frowned as if he was trying to see through Julia’s intentions. Julia flinched briefly at the chill and replied hesitatingly.

“Your Highness, I’ve been waiting to tell you something…”  Slurring her words, Julia immediately held her gaze which was being shaken.

She didn’t know why Fernan was being so cold to her, but she didn’t want to shrink and become afraid of him. Fernan lifted one eyebrow at the quiet voice. Julia clasped cla sped her hands tightly and continued speaking.

“I’m sorry I came in here without permission. But… Your Highness and I are married.”  “…”  “…I don’t think you need to be so wary of me.”  Her voice trembled slightly. Julia looked up at Fernan with a nervous face. His face seemed to be slowly distorting, and soon a light sneer ran across his lips.

“Yes, you’re right” 

 

“…… Ah!”  He lightly pushed Julia’s shoulders and laid her down on the bed. Leaning over the bed, Fernan whispered as he stared at her frozen body beneath him. “Come to think of it, we haven’t had our wedding night yet, have we?”  His long fingers grazed her hair and soon touched the front of her messy dress.

“If you wish, I can do it now.”  He slowly untied the silk ribbon at Julia’s chest. His gaze remained fixed on her. Julia held her breath and stared up at him as he got closer. But she could not see any heat or desire in his face.

He wasn’t showing any momentary lust now, nor was he trying to do his duty as a husband.  It was just the obvious attitude of trying to find out her reaction. Fernan, who was staring at the stiffened Julia, twisted one side of his mouth.

“I don’t understand why you have that look. Isn’t this what you wanted when you talked to me about being married?”   His cool voice, feigning kindness, seeped into Julia’s ears.  His coldness chilled her all the way to the inside of her head.

“I just wanted to say something, that’s all. I didn’t come here hoping for something like this…..”  Julia, who was murmuring embarrassingly, breathed out. Suddenly, a stabbing pain came in her head. Her long eyelashes trembled as she gasped for breath. Julia continued to speak through the pain.

“If you have time….. I want to ask if His Highness would like to visit my parents’ house with me. From my mother, please….”  Her vision was blurry for a moment. The Fernan in her gaze was greatly perturbed.

 

Julia, who was looking up at him with blurry eyes, immediately pushed his solid chest out weakly. Contrary to her expectation that he would not move slightly, he simply stood up. Soon the huge shadow that had surrounded her disappeared. d isappeared.

“I’ll be on my way…”  After lifting herself up and getting out of bed, Julia stumbled and fell on the carpet. It was difficult to keep her balance because of the headache. She sighed heavily as she held her head up, and then she pushed with her hands on th floor to stand up. Fernan, who had been staring at her up and down several times, frustratedly swept his hair. Then he picked up Julia, who was sitting on the floor, at once.

“You stay here. I’ll leave.”  In a somber voice, Fernan put Julia down d own on the bed, then stepped toward the door. Perhaps it was because her mind was wandering. Fernan’s face seemed somehow more subtle. It was as if… he had made a mistake.  Julia gazed blankly at his back as he moved away, and soon closed her eyes. *** The next afternoon, a rattling carriage pulled out of the palace. Entering the city center, the carriage traveled along the square and soon entered the Mare district where the mansions were clustered. Julia looked out the window, basking in the warmth of the sun, and then turned her gaze to the other side. In the seat in front of her, Fernan was sitting with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. Julia looked at him for a moment with a confused expression.

In the morning, when she woke up in his bed, Julia remembered the previous day’s troubles and was in a mixed mood.

 

When she came out of his h is bedroom in such a depressed mood, she heard Ferna n’s words through his servant.

“Grand Duchess, His Highness said he would accompany you to see the Marquis after he  finished his his morning work.”  work.”   “His Highness said that?”   Julia couldn’t help but be surprised. She didn’t expect him to do what she asked. She was forced to ask under pressure from the Marchioness, but unlike herself, Fernan had a tightly packed schedule. She was told that he had no time to rest during his stay in the capital due to the many meetings for the approaching Founding Day ce lebration Festival… but most importantly, he was so cold towards her yesterday. She was even a little confused why such a man made his time for her. Julia looked at him as if she were observing him, unable to hide her wonder. At that moment, his eyes, which had been closed, slowly opened.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”  Thinking that she had snooped, she apologized reflexively, but Fernan didn’t say anything. After already making eye contact with her, he opened his mouth in a low voice. “Is your body okay now?”  Julia, whose eyes widened, nodded blankly.

“…… Yes, I’m fine.”  Fernan’s gaze immediately dropped dropped at her reply. The figure beside him, turning his head to look out the window, was as insensitive as usual. But was it an illusion? Fernan seemed to care a little about her. Julia lowered her head with a subtle expression and bit her lips slightly. She felt a little strange.

 

Chapter 6 *** Sponsored chapter by h. Thank you   ***

“Your Highness, I’m so touched to see you here when you’re so busy.”  

Marquis Elody greeted the Grand Duke and his wife with a bright smile. The servants also formed a long line and bowed to them.

“We cannot stay long, as we have an itinerary. Please understand.”  Fernan replied in a superior but polite manner and then entered the mansion. The Marchioness came out into the main hall late and greeted Fernan.

“Welcome, Grand Duke. I’m afraid I’ve bothered the busy man.”   “And yet, you still asked me to come, knowing that I am busy.”   When Fernan replied without sincerity, th e Marchioness’s face distorted slightly. However, she immediately regained her unconcerned smile, and continued to speak smoothly.

“It’s a shame that we can’t provide you with a meal when you’re here. How would you like to enjoy a tea party under our patronage instead?”  Due to the itinerary, they had to be back at the Imperial Palace before the evening was over. The Marquis stroked his goatee as he continued to speak.

“My knights are in the middle of field training, it would be an honor for them if the Grand Duke could attend.”  After he finished speaking, he turned his gaze to Julia, who stood beside Fernan.

“Julia, show the Grand Duke around the mansion. We’ll call for you when the tea party is ready.”  At her father’s suggestion, Julia glanced at Fernan. He was standing there uninterested, but nodded as if to tell her to take the lead.

 

  As she walked up the stairs with him, Julia felt a little strange. This mansion was the place of her childhood, riddled with pain and scars. It was a place she never wanted to return to again, but being with Fernan made her feel secure somehow. Perhaps it was because she was a little excited that he gave up his time for her.

“This is a collection of portraits.”  Julia led him into the gallery and looked around at the paintings on the walls in turn. This was where the portraits of the Marquis and his family hang. It was the most elaborately decorated gallery in the mansion by the Marquis. It was also a place where Julia had never been allowed to set foot in as a child. She turned her head away, as it seemed to bring back bad memories, and found Fernan stopped in front of one of the paintings.

“Ah, that’s…”  The painting he was looking at was a portrait of the young Julia. She was sitting expressionlessly. Despite the Marchioness’s objection, Julia’s portrait had been hanging here for a long time. It was for the purpose of staging it to show to the guests visiting the mansion. Fernan stared at Julia’s portrait for a long time, not even looking at the other painti ngs. Julia looked at his profile suspiciously, and before she knew it, she was in a delicate mood. The Julia depicted in the portrait was around thirteen years old. It was around that time that she had first met Fernan. ‘Could it be that he remembers me?’  

A faint feeling of anticipation swelled in Julia’s heart. But Fernan didn’t say anything, he just stared at the picture. Julia kept her mouth tightly shut and remained silent. “Very well. Let’s leave now.”  “I heard that there are some wor ks by famous artists in the other rooms. Would you like to see them?” 

 

  At her words, Fernan finally took off his gaze from the painting and stared at Julia. He immediately exited the gallery, as if he had no more business there. Hastily following him, Julia touched her cheek, which for some reason had become hot. When they returned to the main hall, the servant told them that the tea party was ready. On their way to the patronage together, Julia opened her mouth cautiously.

“Your Highness, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to come with me today.”  Fernan nodded without replying. There was an unusual soft glow in his eyes as they caught the sunlight. Julia gave a small lift to both ends of her mouth and moved her floating feet lightly.

“There you are. Please have a seat.”  When they arrived at the patronage, the Marquis, who had arrived earlier, led them to their seats. In a corner of the vast garden, a dozen knights were training. After talking about the training methods of the knights for a while, the Marquis quickly changed the subject by talking about his own business.

“So, I’ve expanded my business for a while now. If the Grand Duke is interested…” 

Fernan kept his face rudely uninterested the whole time. The Marquis was always an overbearing and scary father to Julia, but this was the only moment he seemed insignificant. insignificant. It was frustrating for the Marquis to not be able a ble to talk to Fernan when there was hardly any response coming back. Surprised at herself for thinking so, Julia fell silent. After a while, the Marquis suddenly turned to her and asked,

“Oh, Julia. Will you follow me for a moment? mo ment? I bought some accessories and dresses for you. I don’t know if you’ll like them.” 

 

The Marquis made a gentle smile and glanced at Fernan’s direction. 

Fernan didn’t show any reaction and just watched the knights training.  With his approval, the Marquis stepped out of his patronage and led Julia in a small, secluded room. He looked around and immediately got to the point.

“How has the Grand Duke been lately? Have you noticed any signs of suspicious behavior?”  “… Suspicious?”  When Julia did not understand the meaning mea ning of the question, the Marquis added, frowning in frustration.

“In particular, does he seem to be wandering around outside or meeting with women from the outside?”  Julia’s eyes gradually widened. She had never thought about it that way before. But when she heard the Marquis’s words, she thought it wasn’t impossible.  Even though they had been married for many moons, he still seemed unwilling to spend their wedding night. Julia fell silent with a complicated look on her face and continued to speak as the Marquis urged her on.

“Why haven’t you answered?”  Julia finally shook her head.

“I don’t know much about that. I only know that he’s busy. ….”  “Ha, what the hell are you doing at the mansion? You should know where your husband is and what he’s doing.”  The Marquis frowned and shouted. Julia flinched and fell silent. The Marquis, who clicked his ton gue as if he didn’t even like the sight of her, continued to speak.

“Did you use the medicine I gave you last time?”  “…” 

 

  Julia thought of the medicine the Marquis had given her the day he visited the Grand Duke’s castle. It was somehow suspicious, so she put it on the shelf and forgot all about it since then.

“Not yet…”  “Why in the world are you waiting so long? Do I have to shove it directly into the Grand Duke’s mouth? You don’t know what you can do by yourself, do you?”  The Marquis’s loud voice continued for a while. Julia endured her father’s words silently.  The Marquis, who had finally managed to calm down, sighed for a long time and then opened his mouth.

“Julia, listen to me carefully.”  He was at a loss as to where to begin teaching and telling this innocent and dim-witted girl. The Marquis decided it would work better to threaten her as he always did.

“You have not forgotten what I had told you many times, have you? If your marriage to the Grand Duke does not work out, you will no longer be my daughter.”  The Marquis continued to speak with a tone of sneer.

“If you don’t want to rot for the rest of your life, abandoned like your own mother, you will have a child by any means necessary!”  Julia’s hands flinched. Not because she was frightened by the Marquis’ threatening words, but because of the discomfort that filled her heart. Every time she was told to have children somehow, she felt like she was a livestock, and she was distressed. She wanted to cover her ears right away, but there was nothing she could do but lower her head.

“I know very well that the Grand Duke is not a kind man to you. Even in front of His Majesty.”  The Marquis clicked his tongue in annoyance. He had already experienced a few times what a terrible man Fernan was. Long before the wedding with Julia was decided, by order of the Emperor, a woman was secretly sent to Fernan’s bed. 

 

The woman was a countess. She was a well-known woman who remained a widow after losing her husband. If it was revealed that he had slept with such a woman, no matter how tough he might have been, his impeccable reputation was bound to be damaged.

 

Chapter 7 *** Of course, rumors were just rumors. The Marquis was well aware of how messy the beautiful Countess was living. That was why she accepted the crazy proposal. Moreover, Fernan had just returned from the war, and the Marquis was sure that he would not be able to control his desire. But how did he react? That night was the day of the victory party, and Fernan had drunk a lot of alcohol to match the mood of the party. At midnight, he returned to his bedroom and saw the Countess lying naked on the bed and immediately grabbed the servants in charge of his room. They were all fired for letting an outsider into the residence of the Grand Duke, and when it became known, the Countess put an end to her social life altogether. Well, in the end, it was a good thing for the Marquis, because the job was never done and he was able to get Julia married to the Grand Duke. However, the Marquis was terribly worried because that disproportionately solid man seemed to be putting up walls even to his wife Julia.

“I don’t think I’ll ever have a baby with the Marquis’sdaughter. Every time I look at her, I see her father’s image and I can’t function. So what can I do?”   The Marquis frowned darkly as he thought of the words Fernan had said to him that day.

If Fernan threw Julia out and got a second wife….  The Marquis gritted his teeth and recited, as if he was dizzy just thinking about it.

“If he can’t move his body, I can use drugs to force him to perform his duty like a man.”  At such a murmur from the Marquis, Julia quietly raised her downward gaze. Her face grew paler and paler.

 

“No matter how stone-like a man he is, if he drinks that potion, he’ll turn into a beast.”  “What….?”  Only then did Julia’s mouth slowly open as she realized what the medicine was.  She couldn’t believe that her father had given such a horrible thing to her without a second thought. Julia’s hands began to tremble faintly. It made her extremely anxious to think that such a drug was in her room. Noticing her uneasy feelings, the Marquis whispered quietly.

“Don’t think about it and follow my words. That’s how you, me, and our family will live.”   The Marquis’s unpleasant voice continued. 

“I’ll get you all the medicine you need. All you have to do is use it to coax the Grand Duke. Do you understand?”  The Marquis put his hands to Julia’s shoulders and squeezed her as if to force her to respond. Facing her father’s vicious face straight on, she closed her eyes tightly and bowed her head.  The Marquis satisfied with her inaudible answer and took his hand away sufficiently.

“Yes, now that is my daughter.” 

urned around and added. After lightly tapping Julia’s shoulder, the Marquis t urned

“You should return to the patronage. If you’re away for too long, he might think it’s strange.”  After the Marquis disappeared, Julia stood still, holding her trembling hands. The shock just wouldn’t go away. 

She couldn’t believe she had to give her husband drugs to make him a beast….   Julia forced her trembling steps to return to the patronage. When she appeared, Fernan, who had been sitting at the tea table watching the knights train, averted his gaze. Her nervousness only grew as her eyes met his. Julia let out a long sigh inwardly.

 

  She was raised to be a dutiful daughter. The person who had the most direct influence on her life was the Marquis; he was the one who controlled her life with a single word. But this time, for once , she couldn’t follow her father’s words. She didn’t want to hurt Fernan. She wanted to have a relationship with him where they cared for each other, not one where she had to force to have it.

“Shall we leave now?”  Fernan asked in a low voice. Her heart ached greatly at the sight of his insensitive appearance as always. *** Their last day at the Imperial Palace went smoothly. It took them half a day to reach the Grand Ducal Palace in the evening, when the sun was beginning to set. Julia refused the steward who offered her dinner and immediately went to her room. The maid, Melissa, who was waiting near the room, welcomed her with a bright smile.

“Grand Duchess, how was your trip? Are you tired?”  “Yes, have you been well?” 

“Of course. Would you like to change your dress first?”   “Please.”  After changing into her indoor dress with Melissa’s help, Julia came out to the bedroom and checked the shelf. She looked for a storage box that she put at the bottom of the shelf. The box contained the medicine bottle and the letters from the Marquis. “What?”  Julia’s face turned pale for a moment as she hurriedly took out the storage box. It was because the storage box, which was locked tightly with a key, was open. She urgently checked inside, but it was empty. There was nothing inside.

 

“Um, Melissa… Did you sort out the stuff in here?”   Julia asked in a shaky voice, and Melissa, who was making her bed, tilted her head.

“No, I didn’t touch that locker. What’s going on? Did something go missing?”  If Melissa didn’t touch it, one of the other maids might have.   After calmly closing her locker, Julia turned to Melissa and asked.

“Melissa, could you please go get the maids who cleaned this room?”  “Oh, yes! I’ll be right back.”   When Melissa left, Julia paced back and forth in the same place anxiously.

The Marquis’s letters were mostly just about her well -being, so there was no particular problem if anyone read it. The medicine, however, was. She sighed loudly and tried to calm herself down. Soon after, Melisa came back into the room with some maids.

“Your Highness, I have brought the maids who have been cleaning your bedchamber for the past few days.”  The maids looked at Julia and bowed their heads. They looked puzzled as if they didn’t   know why they were called. “Have any of you organized the locker under the shelf while cleaning my room?”   Julia said in a calm tone. She didn’t want to be unnecessarily unnecessarily suspicious in a situation where she wasn’t sure.  The servants shook their heads and quickly answered one by one.

“There’s no way servants like us dare to touch your things…”  “I’ve seen the locker when I cleaned the shelf, but I didn’t organize the contents.”  The faces of the servants looked uniformly innocent. After pondering for a while, Julia nodded and dismissed them. There were jewels and gold that they could steal, so there was no way they would steal an unidentified medicine bottle, or just some letters.

 

  So who would have done it?

“Your Highness.”  The maids who had just slipped out of Julia’s room bowed in surprise. Turning her head,

Julia’s eyes widened when she saw Fernan standing at the door.  “Your Highness…”  Fernan walked past the maids and entered the room. The servants closed the door with some concern and then disappeared elsewhere. As he approached Julia, he asked her with an expressionless face.

“What were you doing?”  “Oh, I asked the maids about something…”  A hint of bewilderment flashed across Julia’s face. She had no idea why he suddenly came to visit her. Fernan looked around the room slowly, then turned his gaze to Julia again.

“I think you were looking for something.”   “……what?”  “Are you, by any chance, looking for this?”   Julia’s mouth for slowly opened. What was in Fernan’s hand was that medicine bottle she had been looking all along. “Why…”  Julia’s eyes wavered aimlessly as she stared at the medicine bottle. Fernan stared at her and frowned coldly. “That’s what you wanted to ask them.”   He moved closer to Julia.

“Why did you have this?” 

 

Julia’s lips quivered. She had to tell him. She didn’t know what kind of medicine it was and she was going to throw it away. a way. But the words didn’t come out. They just lingered in her mouth.  She couldn’t say anything easily because everything she said now would sound like an excuse.

Most of all, the look in Fernan’s eyes was frightening.  “You always act so innocently as if you don’t know anything.”  A calm, yet cold, angry voice descended.

“I didn’t realize that you had access to an aphrodisiac for your husband.”  A cold smile passed over Fernan’s lips.  It was only for a brief moment, but his mood was terribly tainted by being swept away by this woman.

 

Chapter 8 On the day of his visit to t o the Imperial Palace, Fernan felt some strange emotion when he saw Julia sleeping in his bedroom without permission.

So he called the doctor and had her treated. He didn’t care one bit if she lay there sick or died that way, no, it would have been better if she had died. So, in the end, his feelings at that moment must have been closer to momentary pity.

Pity. It was a word that didn’t quite fit with him.   “It’s cold.”   She didn’t wake up after hours, and rambled on, buoyed by the medicinal feeling. feeling. Then, after a while, she woke up and called him with dazed and wet eyes. “…Your Highness?”   He felt strange for a moment at the sight of her. A woman with unpleasantly beautiful eyes. She was a woman who looked like the Marquis, but not like him. Unlike the Marquis, who was easy to understand, she s he was a woman whose heart was difficult to grasp. So, when he tried to interrogate her in a bit of a vulgar way, she dismissed him with a tearful look on her face.

“I just…I just wanted to say something. I didn’t come here hoping for this….”  

She slipped out of bed in a hurry and collapsed in a heap.

He didn’t know why her small body looked so weak for a moment as she shivered and curled up. He didn’t know why he felt so guilty as she tried to sit up.  Guilt. Fernan was appalled. He was shaken by this woman for a while by her appearance. Even if he had plenty of time, he scattered the time in the air that he would not have given to Marquis Elody’s daughter.  Yes, it was obvious that something was written on it. (On the medicine bottle)

“Um, Your Highness… that’s not what I was looking for…”  

 

Julia stared at him with an earnest expression. Her eyes were clear and watery, as usual.

“Ha…”  How many people had she fooled with this innocent face so far? He was sure it was not a small number. He was almost possessed for a moment. The thought that he drank the potion and turned into a beast made him chuckle.

It wasn’t very difficult for Fernan to find out about this.  It was just that the last time the Marquis was here visiting Julia, Sezak* overheard the conversation between the Marquis Marquis and Julia. (*I’m not sure if the servant or who that is.)  

“Your Highness, Marquis Elody has secretly made contact with the Grand Duchess. Here, I wrote down part of the conversation.”   Just before the Marquis left Fernan’s office, Sezak quietly handed the note to Fernan.  Speaking of the contents, the Marquis told Julia to use the medicine on Fernan and Julia replied that she would use the medicine in the near future. After reading the letter, Fernan immediately sent people to the castle and ordered them to search every nook and cranny in Julia’s room.  

And as soon as they came back from the Grand Duke’s castle, they found a bottle and letters in Julia’s room.  This medicine was normally used by those who lacked so-called sexual functions, but it was mixed with ingredients like hallucinogens and was secretly distributed even among some nobles.

It was not just a drug that simply ended at the level of raising one’s desire.  “I, I never meant to use the drug. I was going to throw it away right away..”  Julia shrank back in fright, stuttering and insisting on her innocence.

“It doesn’t matter to me.”  Intercepting her words, Fernan uncorked the medicine bottle. He slowly tilted his hand and poured the contents down her feet, wetting Julia’s dress. The bottom of her white dress was now completely wet.

 

“The important thing is that I have no reason to respect you any more.”   Julia’s eyes gradually turned red as she looked down at her dress.   Looking at her coldly, Fernan threw away the empty medicine bottle on the floor. Flinching at the sharp sound, Julia’s lips quivered as she looked up at Fernan.  “Your Highness…”  Fernan ignored her words and walked away. With a violent crash of the door, his figure disappeared completely. ***

“Look, here she is again.”  “Why does she keep coming when she’s going to be ignored anyway?”  Julia ignored the whispering servants and entered the main hall. For days now, she had been waiting for Fernan to make his appearance. Fernan had thoroughly ignored her and refused to listen, yet Julia had made a great effort to attempt to talk. He had every right to misunderstand, and every right to be angry.

But she didn’t want to let herself be misunderstood like this.  “Your Highness.”  Entering the lobby, Fernan walked mindlessly past the servants as he always did. d id. He then walked past Julia, who was standing at the far end. Julia hurried to follow him as he stepped out of the doorway.

“Your Highness, please wait a moment.”  Suddenly Julia grabbed his hand, Fernan finally stopped and looked at her with a cold stare. Holding one of his hands firmly in both of hers, Julia looked up at him with a limp face.

“Just for a moment, please. Talk to me…..”  “Why don’t you just stop?” 

 

  A tremendous voice intercepted her words.

“Didn’t I tell you? You should refrain from visiting me like this in the morning.”   “I have something to say to Your Highness….”  As Julia firmly spoke, Fernan’s gaze became even colder.  “Why can’t you understand?”  “…”  “I don’t have any respect for you, so don’t play tricks and just stay in your bedroom.”  He coldly spoke without mercy.

Julia looked at him nonchalantly, but she couldn’t hide her trembling hands.  All the servants were watching the scene with great interest. It was already well known among the servants that Fernan was not very fond of his wife. But, they didn’t think he disliked her to this extent. The look in Fernand’s eyes towards my wife was not just cold but brutal.

“If you wanted to make me feel bad in the morning, you succeeded.”  Somewhat dazed, Fernan lightly shook off Julia’s hand.  Julia watched him as he walked out the doorway, her hand still remained flinching. The small murmur of the servants stuck in her ears.They glanced at Julia, then quickly scattered in all directions. Standing alone in the instantly silent lobby, Julia turned away with an indifferent look on her face. There was no time to be hurt and shrivel up. She looked back at the vow she had made so many times in her mind. The vow that she would fulfill her duty and try to be as useful to Fernan as possible. She didn’t know when Fernan would forgive her, but she was willing to try anything. ‘First, I can read the ledgers, then I can look around the castle  castle  to see if there’s anything that needs to be repaired, and if there is still too much time, I’ll go to ….’  

“Duchess.. Are you okay?” 

 

  As Julia walked up the stairs, s tairs, lost in thought, Melissa came running from a distance with a surprised look on her face. J ulia looked calm, however, she didn’t even know her face was soaking wet.

“Duchess, please go back to your room first. Yes?”  A frazzled Melissa took out a handkerchief and held it to Julia’s J ulia’s eyes.  After Melissa wiped her eyes, Julia blinked slowly. The situation seemed unreal as if the world had somehow floated away.

Melissa was soothing her, but Julia’s tears kept streaming down.  “Thank you, Melissa. I’m fine. You can go and do your thing.”  This much was worth enduring. She didn’t even know why she was suddenly crying. “I’ll have a proper dialogue with him and everything will be better after some time.”   She believed in the goodwill he had shown her, even if it was only for a short time. She believed that he still had the heart that cared about her and made time for her.

She might have finally gotten her senses back, but she couldn’t move her feet easily.  Julia persisted in climbing the remaining steps. At that moment, the cruel words that the Marchioness had been telling her habitually flashed past her ears.

“I want you to have no illusions that your life will change just because you became a Grand Duchess. No matter how much you hide the fact that you’re an illegitimate child,  you can’t hide hide your lowly lowly roots.”   ‘You can’t dream of happiness when you’re a lowly person, can you?’   Julia shook her head, trying to muffle the tears that constantly covered her eyes and the evil mixture of voices that entered her ears.

”It’s okay,” she said. “Everything will get better.”  She repeated as if brainwashing herself and bit her lip so hard that blood oozed from it.

 

Chapter 9 *** Fernan did not return to the castle much any more. He was away often but always came back. However, this time, he stayed out longer. The servants began to whisper that Julia was the reason he had not returned.

Julia’s heart fell endlessly amidst all the negativity surrounding her.  She felt like everything was going awry with her. But she had no idea id ea how to untangle the intricate knot between Fernan and her.

“Grand Duchess, you said you were going out today?”  Melissa looked around at the clothes in the dressing room while all Julia could do was sigh.

“Yes, I’m going to look around the garden in the backyard.”  Julia replied cheerfully, and Melissa continued in a lively voice.

“Then it’d be better to wear a dress that is a little shorter in length. There’s always the possibility of getting dirt on your dress!”  “Yes. I’ll do that.”  Julia looked at Melissa and struggled to lift her lips. Melissa was the only person in this castle who was kind to her. Whenever she was feeling down, Melissa would act lively and relieve her mood.

If it hadn’t been for Melissa, there would have been no one to force her to laugh or interact with in this big castle. “Well, have a nice day!”  Julia nodded and headed for the backyard of the main castle. Lately she had been trying to work up to a busy routine of her own. Sitting still was causing her to feel endlessly depressed, so she was desperately trying to find something to do. Eventually, Julia arrived at the garden and looked around.

 

The land was barren in this garden, which had no fixed manager, and it was hard to see with weeds growing everywhere. Winter was approaching soon, so it was somewhat impossible to plant new plants and trees. Preoccupied, Julia returned to the castle and called her butler, Bennett.

“What do you think about repairing the land and building a greenhouse?”  Until now, Bennett had been in charge of all the internal and external affairs of the Grand Duke’s castle. This was because they didn’t have a Grand Duchess then.  

Fernan was not very interested in the management of the castle, cas tle, so he left all the authority to Bennett. But now that he had a wife, that authority naturally had to revert to Julia.

But for some reason, Bennett hadn’t given her the power of internal affairs.  However, Julia was going to fulfill her duty as a hostess. She wanted to do her part in whatever way she could.

“Well, the cost of the repair that’s going to go in right now, and it’ll cost a lot of money to hire people.”  However, a disapproving voice flowed from Bennett.

He, who had been managing the castle with his own iron rules, seemed unhappy with Julia’s words. Julia continued speaking in a calm voice.

“I checked the books just in case. The cost of maintainin maintaining g the castle is very high every year.”  “The garden is sometimes used as a training ground for knights. You can’t just repair it, Your Highness.”  Julia couldn’t hide her panicked eyes as he cut  her  her off at once. However, she quickly gave a sharp look and nodded nodd ed her head. However, her expression quickly changed and she nodded honestly.

“I didn’t know that.Then the ground is too barren to look at, we can work on flattening and organizing it to make it easier for training…..” 

 

  “Huh…did you get permission from His Highness the Grand Duke?”  Bennett interrupted her, lifting his glasses without hesitation. It was somewhat disrespectful for a superior. In the end, Julia blinked, and was speechless for a while. Even if she was not in favor, Julia was still the master of this castle.

Just because Fernan had been cold to her, it didn’t mean that her position would disappear.  “I’ve heard that you’ve been in charge of the entire integrity of the castle. That’s why I thought I’d discuss it with you, but do I need to mention it separately to Your Highness as well?”  If she was another noblewoman, she would punch him in the face right now, but Julia tried to placate Bennett in a calm tone. He was the one who had managed this castle for a long time. So it was right to respect him. However, Bennett seemed to have no intention of respecting her.

“As you said, the management of the castle is under my jurisdiction, but His Highness said you’re stubborn so you’ll need his permission.”  Julia couldn’t even blink her eyes at his harsh reply and mumbled in a daze.   “Stubborn? What do you mean….”  “I’m sorry, Your Grace. to discuss this separately with His Highness at a later date. I’ll leave youI’m to itafraid then,I’ll as have I’m behind on other tasks.”   Bennett greeted her politely and then disappeared elsewhere. Julia watched Bennett’s back with a puzzled expression. She wasn’t hurt by Bennett’s attitude, but she was certain he was rude. In fact, it wasn’t just Bennett. The attitudes of the other servants also began to change significantly from one moment to the next. To be precise, it was when Fernan began to blatantly ignore her.

 

Julia left the garden and entered the main hall. The servants who were looking down at her from the parapet on the second floor began to whisper quietly.

“She’s been pretty busy lately. I hope His Highness will notice.”  “She’s desperate to do anything, I guess.”  “What’s the use? It’s already been half a month since His Highness’ return. I don’t know if it’s her fault but she walks around so shamelessly ….”  The whispering continued endlessly, endlessly, as if they thought Julia couldn’t hear them.  “But why does His Highness hate her so much?”  “Well, maybe he has a mistress that he’s hiding from her.”  The word ‘mistress’ penetrated her ears. The giggling and every word spewed out maliciously continued to stab at her heart. At this moment, the chaotic atmosphere surrounding her reminded her of her past. It was a lonely place where not a single person was on her side. It was a place full of people who condemned her no matter what she did. Julia kept her mouth shut and walked in silence. She was used to being treated like this. But still, she couldn’t help but  feel  feel choked up. ***

“Your Highness, it’s been a while. Why don’t you go back to the castle now?”  Lloyd carefullytoo opened his mouth, reading Fernan’ s countenance. to Fernan, who has been working hard recently, the eyes ofFernan’s his subordinates who Due suffered from overwork were also dark. “Don’t talk to me. I’ve got a lot of work to do.”   Fernan was annoyed as he spoke, keeping his eyes on the documents. Along with the preparations for the National festival, the demon invasion at the border had taken up much time. Recently, even the security in the territory had become hideous, so there were many things to pay attention to.

 

Turning away with an embarrassed look on his face, Lloyd returned to his seat. Another long night was waiting.

“What happened to the traffickers we talked about last time?”  Fernan looked up suddenly and asked Lloyd.

“Oh, yes. We are still investigating. investigating. It’s going to take some time, but we should be able to work out a list and breakdown of the transactions soon.”  “Marquis Elody and the others involved will be traced, and we will find everything behind them.”  “Yes.”  The drug found in Julia’s room recently was distributed through illegal trade.   An organization that traffic in strong aphrodisiacs that circulate in the Red Lantern District, along with hallucinogenic drugs. Many aristocrats secretly used the organization, including, of course, Marquis Elody.

Fernan intended intended to root out the traffickers altogether. So the Marquis wouldn’t be able to get away with it. “The Marquis seemed to be in quite a hurry. How in the world could he be so confident that he won’t be caught?”  “He knows very well for himself that he’s a card that can be discarded at any time.”  Fernand an insignificant answer. As he said, the Marquis was just one of the many cards thegave Emperor had. It was a card that the emperor had attached to Fernan in order to pressure him. However, if the Marquis was not careful, the Emperor would discard him and bring in another one. So the Marquis will have no choice but to do such crazy things without any hesitation. If this marriage goes wrong, it would be a great dismay to his family.

“It seems that His Majesty is also cooperating with the Marquis, so it would be better to keep a close eye on her.”  When Lloyd mentioned Julia, Fernan’s numb face turned cold in a flash.  

 

So far she had tried desperately to engage Fernan in a conversation to soothe the situation. His nerves only grew worse every time he saw her constantly hovering near him, whether she was there or not. Distracted from his thoughts, Fernan lowered his eyes to the documents again. But the woman’s face, once it flooded his mind, did not disappear as quickly as he would have liked. 

As Julia’s watery blue eyes came to mind, Fernan eventually put down the document aloud. He did not deny that he was momentarily shaken by the woman. He was clearly swept away by the pity, sympathy, and maybe even more trivial emotions he felt when he looked at her. This made him even angrier. He felt such ridiculous emotions for a woman who had nothing to fear since she had the Marquis and Emperor on her back. And the funny thing was that those subtle feelings were still stuck in a corner of his nerves. The delicate hand that held him wistfully as he left the castle the other day. The look in her

eyes as she looked at him as if to say, “Please understand me.”  It was always hard for him to accept it whenever he thought of it. Fernan ruffled his neatly trimmed hair. Then his expression hardened even more coldly, as if he had been forced to block out all thoughts.

 

Chapter 10 “Melissa, tell me… when will he be back?”   Julia asked Melissa nonchalantly as she was working on her hair. Melissa was silent with a troubled look on her face.

“I guess he has a lot of work to do. He always returns late when he’s busy.”  “…Is that so?”  Julia let out a small sigh. It’s been almost two months since he left. No matter how much she thought about it, Julia couldn’t get rid of the idea that the reason he hadn’t come back for such a long time was because of her. “Um…Your Grace, what’s the schedule for today?”  “I think I’ll read some books in the study.”  Julia replied grimly. After Bennett’s quick rejection of the garden repair, she was unable to find anything more to do. And there was no one to invite to tea parties and social gatherings. This was because Julia never went to social gatherings before her marriage, and none of them were close to her. Most of all, she felt that Fernan might not like it if she spent money to organize a social party without permission. So all she could do was to read a book in the study or take a walk around the castle.

“Instead of doing that, why don’t you go out with me to the city? You’ve never been around the territory before.”  Melissa suggested carefully, and a small light appeared in Julia’s eyes.  True to Melissa’s word, Julia had never properly walked around the estate since they were married. “I like it, but… Melissa, don’t you have a lot of work to do?”  “Eh, serving the Grand Duchess is more important than anything else.” 

 

Melissa finished grooming Julia’s hair with a bright smile. Her hair, loosely braided on both sides and gathered into a single bun, looked good on Julia. “Then I’ll call the carriage, I’ll assume you’re coming.”   Julia gave a small smile as she watched Melissa leave the room. She was grateful to Melissa for trying to make her feel better. It was the first time Julia had ever left the castle. The carriage was headed for the biggest shopping district in the territory. Eventually, the carriage came to a stop. As she slowly stepped outside, the first thing she saw was the clock tower in the center. A large fountain was placed around it, and the city was crowded with people sitting on benches and waves of moving people. Julia took a deep breath. Just going out like this made her feel lighter.

“Your Grace, where do you want to go first?”  Julia pondered for a while, then pointed to a street lined with markets.

“Shall we go over there?”  “Okay!”  Melissa grabbed her hand. Julia’s eyes filled with warmth as she stared at her linked hands. She had never gone out with a friend before, but this way she felt like sshe he was hanging out with a friend. After walking around for a while, Julia Juli a saw a small flower shop. She paused for a moment. Then she stared at the neatly arranged flowers in front of the store. She smiled a little as she kept looking at the lilies on one side. Her biological mother was the daughter of a merchant who owned a flower shop. Perhaps that was why she was particularly fond of flowers f lowers from an early age. She lived with her mother until she was about seven years old, but she could hardly remember anything from that time anymore. The one thing she did remember clearly was this lily flower.

“Someday, when you get married, I will make you a bouquet of lilies.”   All the other memories were dim, but the words whispered to her in a gentle voice remained clear even after a long time.

 

  Melissa, who had been watching the pensive Julia, asked her carefully.

“Since we’re here, should we buy a bunch of flowers?”  “No, that’s not necessary…” necessary…”  “But I want to buy them. Come on, let’s go in!”  Melissa’s momentum pushed Julia into the flower shop, and Julia eventually came out with an armful of flowers. It was a beautiful bouquet of white lilies mixed with pink roses.

“Wow! Let’s go there too!”  Not stopping there, Melissa quickly led Julia to the other places. When she saw Melissa enjoying herself like a child, she naturally burst into laughter. Every time she walked past a street vendor, the words of the merchants touting their goods were difficult to pass. After purchasing this and that under the influence of words, there were no hands left. Melissa, with her hands hand s full of bags, sighed and complained.

“Huh…I should have brought one of the porters with me.”  “Here. I’ll carry more.”  “Oh, no, no!”  While she was struggling with Melissa, a wagon approached from the front. They hastily ducked inside, but the merchant standing next to t o the wagon blatantly bumped Melissa, who was standing outside.

“Ah!”  Dropping all of her bags, Melissa hugged her shoulder. She frowned as if she got hit hard.

“Melissa! Are you okay?”  “Yes, but the goods are …..”  Melissa whimpered a

  s she saw the items on the floor. Julia carefully raised Melissa’s arm.

“Don’t worry about it. Are you hurt anywhere?” anywhere?” 

 

  She looked all over Melissa’s body, and before she knew it, the merchant approached.  

“Oh, what should I do? Everything is broken.”  The merchant laughed as he patted the back of his neck. A terrible te rrible smell of alcohol wafted from him. The approaching merchant gave Julia and Melissa a creepy look. While Julia, sensing resistance, retreated to the side, the merchant popped the wall that was placed behind her. The merchant, who had forcibly blocked the way, continued deftly.

“I’ll make it up to you, will you follow me? Just walk through this alley and you’ll find our store.”  “No, there is no need.”  Just as Julia was about to run the other way, the merchant grabbed her wrist firmly with force.

“Don’t say that, follow me. I think they’re quite expensive.”  The merchant, who scanned Julia up and down, d own, laughed.

“Hey, let go of this.”  Julia’s face turned pale from the smell of alcohol, and she shook off the merchant’s arm with all her strength, but to no avail. Melissa, who had been scared even from a short distance away, gritted her teeth and grabbed the merchant’s arm. 

“Somebody help me here!”  A loud noise caused the people who finally noticed the coercive atmosphere and turned their attention to them with a buzz. The merchant, conscious of their gaze, carelessly threw out Julia’s hand. As a result, Julia fell to the floor.  

“Is it wrong to ignore people when they are trying to show their sincerity with a good heart?”  The merchant clicked his tongue and staggered away, approaching the wagon.

 

  And at that moment, a person of the security forces, who rushed to the scene after finding the commotion, stood in front of the merchant.

“What is it! What’s going on!”   After confirming it was a knight, Julia’s nerves were released and she gasped for breath, holding her shaking hands. As she did so, someone kicked the merchant and made him kneel down. The merchant’s head hit the floor as he moaned. “Kuh-hah!”  Julia’s eyes gradually grew bigger as she saw an intimidating man with a sword pointed at the merchant’s neck.  “Your Highness…?”  Fernan stared at Julia, his eyes narrowed. He threw down the messed up merchant and strode towards Julia.

“What are you doing here?”  His second-in-command, Lloyd, hurried closer while Fernan looked down at Julia with narrowed eyes. Lloyd, who was about to report something, opened his eyes wide when he saw the fallen Julia.

“Uh… Your Highness, I’ll send him to the security.”  Fernan didn’t respond to Lloyd’s words, but kept his eyes on Julia.   “I asked you what you were doing here…?”   “It was…I went out for a while…”  Julia answered honestly as she tried to sit up. Her ankle was sprained and she couldn’t stand up.

Fernan glared dryly at her.

“I thought I told you to stay in the bedroom quietly.” 

 

  His gaze swept through the objects that had fallen on the floor.

“Seeing you enjoyed shopping, I guess my words didn’t matter.” 

 

Chapter 11 Julia looked up at him with languid eyes. She was still hurt from the fall, but seeing his face she felt relieved. Julia opened her mouth in a quiet voice.

“Your Highness, why do you not return to the castle?”  Fernan’s eyes narrowed at her w ords. Julia slumped her shoulders, but continued her words to the end. “I know it’s presumptuous of me, but… I’m worried about you.”  Fernan, who looked down at her without answering, eventually gave out a small laugh. Not only she said she was worried, she also had a painful look in her eyes in this whirlwind. Fernan, his forehead crumbled clearly, tried to say something more, but he closed his mouth softly. Then he looked at Julia for a moment, and then coldly turned away. Returning to the k nights’ nights’ place, Lloyd, who was quietly watching at his side, held out his hand to Julia.

“Are you all right, Grand Duchess?”  “Oh, thank you.”  Julia limped as she barely stood up after Lloyd’s help.   What is it that makes him leave a fallen person behind like this? Lloyd clicked his tongue at the cruelty of his master. Julia, who was hesitating at the sight of Lloyd, asked cautiously.

“Um, How’s His Highness?”  “Oh, that’s the thing…” 

Lloyd, who pondered for a while, replied in a roundabout way.

 

“Don’t worry, he’s in good health. He’s been busy with his duties, so his return has been delayed.”  “I see…”  Seeing her sullen, Lloyd somehow felt guilty. He gave an awkward nod, scratching his cheek.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me.”  With those words, Lloyd hurried after Fernan. Once the commotion died down, the town became quiet again. a gain.

“Your Grace, are you alright? Let me see.”  Melissa, who had been looking at Julia from afar, finally approached her in a hurry. She hurriedly rolled up Julia’s sleeves, revealing her red, swollen wrist.

“Oh, what should I do? You will surely get bruised… Is your ankle okay? Can you walk?”  “I’m sorry. I don’t think I can walk by myself.”  With Melissa’s support, Julia suddenly turned around.  All of the items she bought in her excitement a while ago were llying ying on the floor. Melissa hurriedly picked up the fallen items. Julia limped over to pick up a bouquet of flowers, but at that moment, people walked past her, stepping on the flowers in vain. Staring at the crumpled petals, Julia retreated her outstretched hand. Then she averted her gaze, unable to hide her sad face. *** Julia sighed as she looked at the bandages wrapped around her ankle. Not only her ankle, but her wrist was bruised with blue color. It had been a few days since they went downtown, and these wounds had gotten deeper and deeper.

There was no decent place for both hands and feet, so it was impossible to move. Julia sat in her chair and looked out the window in a daze. Her mind felt empty.

 

  How long did she sit like that? Suddenly someone opened the door and hurried inside. It was Melissa.

“Your Grace, His Highness has returned!”  With her eyes wide opened, Julia rose from her seat. Slightly relieved that Fernan had returned, she stepped out into the t he hallway, assisted by Melissa. As she stood on the railing and looked down at the hall, she saw Fernan entering the entrance. He walked quickly past the hall and climbed the stairs in a single bound. Julia stood at the end of the stairs and greeted him.

“Your Highness.”  Fernan’s gaze rested on her for a moment, then dropped quickly.   He walked past Julia without a second thought. It was as if she was invisible. Julia bit her lips and limped along. However, her injured leg could hardly keep up with his stride. In the meantime, he went into his room. After a while, Julia finally arrived at his room and hesitantly knocked on the door.

“Your Highness, I have something to say.”   She knocked several times, but after a while, she did not hear any re response sponse from inside. Eventually, Julia let out a small sigh as she slowly backed away.

“Ha…”  The pain came rushing in all at once, probably because she had forced herself to use her ankle. She leaned against the wall and crouched down, gently patting her ankle.

 

She didn’t have the strength to stand up. Julia J ulia sat like that for a while, with her head resting against the wall. After some time like that, she finally heard the sound of the d door oor opening.

Julia leaned her head back and her eyes met Fernan’s , who was staring at her. “Um, Your Highness.”  Julia hurriedly stood up. She grabbed Fernan’s hand, afraid that he would leave again.  “…don’t go. I’d like to talk to you for a moment.”  Fernan’s eyes looking at her were unfathomably deep and dark.   The momentum was a little frightening, but Julia couldn’t let go of his hand.  Eventually, Fernan shook off her wrist. At that moment, the pain that penetrated her wrist made Julia scream involuntarily.

“Ah!”  Frowning, Fernan reflexively averted his gaze. Then he stared at the bright blue bruise on her wrist.

His eyes flinched subtly for a moment, but they didn’t last long.  Immediately he relentlessly turned away again and walked down d own the hallway.

“Er, wait a minute.”  Julia tried to keep up with him as he moved away, but soon fell down. A sobbing sound escaped her as she forced herself to walk and her ankle sseemed eemed to break.

“Hic…hic….”  She couldn’t move any further because of the pain. She was so sad that she had to follow him but things weren’t going the way she wanted them to.  Her tears were about to burst out, but Julia put pressure on her brow and tried to hold back her tears. At that moment, the sound of distant footsteps approached again.

 

  “…you’re doing all sorts of things.”   She heard a muffled whisper. Lifting her head, Fernan was back before she knew it, standing there biting his lip. He bent toward her, who was slumped over. He stiffly picked her up. The position of his embrace brought his face closer to hers. Julia looked at him, her eyes moistening. Fernan began to walk silently without looking at her.

“A, thank you …..”  Muttering softly, Julia looked up at him blankly, wondering.

She thought he left her mercilessly, so she couldn’t help but wonder why he came back again. As usual, his expression was cold without a trace of warmth. But his touch was warmer than she expected, and the hands that held her were careful. The close gap between them was unfamiliar but pleasing without speed.

“Your Highness, I’m…I’m…”  Julia opened her mouth again as her heart raced and she caught her breath.

“…I have never once thought of harming Your Highness. I’m sure I never will.”   “…”  “That aphrodisiac back then…It’s my mistake. Your Highness was right to misunderstand…” misunderstand…”  “You seem to be mistaken.”  A voice that sank indifferently interrupted her words.

“I’m not misunderstanding misunderstanding you.”   “…”  “If you want to know the reason for my attitude, I’ll tell you.” 

 

Fernand looked at her with emotionless eyes.

“…I did not want to have you as my wife from the t he beginning. That’s my reason.”  Fernan’s words pierced her heart. Julia, who was staring at him endlessly, eventually dropped her eyes. His words were painful, and nothing could hurt more. The pain was worse than when she was beaten bea ten and cursed. Julia said in a trembling voice, her reddened eyes shook.

“Still, I think that His Highness is …….”  “…”  “I liked you from the beginning.”  Fernan looked down at her as he stopped walking. Julia raised her eyes again and made eye contact with him. Her tearful tea rful voice continued.

“I love you and I don’t want to be far away. I don’t want to get hurt.”  A trickle of tears fell from her blue eyes. Julia raised a trembling hand and brought it to his face. However, the hand that failed to reach him hovered vaguely in the air. She always wanted to touch him. She wanted to look him in the eye at such a close distance and talk softly to him. She liked this man from the beginning. He was the kind man who held out his hand to her like a light in a dark room long ago. The gentle voice that told her not to cry because he would be with her. For Julia, this man remained such a warm memory. From the moment she met him again, she fell in love with him all over again, vainly. She loved strongfrom manhers. who seemed to fear nothing. She liked that he see seemed med to be from a world sothis different

 

And even though he hurt her so much, Julia couldn’t hate him very much. Even if it was stupid and pathetic, she couldn’t help but fell for him.  Fernan looked down at her for a moment with an unknown expression. Then he quickly shifted his gaze and trudged on. Fernan walked past the hallway and into her room, where he set her down on the bed and quickly turned away. A tremendous voice came from him.

“Your heart is of no use to me, not even an inch.”  Again he moved away. Her heart ached again at the sight of his back, which she had seen enough of.

 

Chapter 12 Julia sat alone in the large carriage and looked out the window. The celebration of the Nation Establishment would be held in three days, and Julia was on her way to the capital early at the call of the Empress. Lately, the Grand Duchy has been cumbersome due to the demons that have invaded its borders.

Fernan’s journey to the capital was somewhat delayed, and Julia could not go with him. Julia’s eyes gleamed sadly as she stared at the empty seat in front of her.   After such a long time, Julia arrived at the Imperial Palace and was led inside by a servant. When she entered the reception room of the Central Palace, the Empress, who was sitting there beforehand, greeted her with a bright smile.

“Welcome, you must be tired from the long travel.”  “Empress. Don’t worry, I had a comfortable journey.”  Julia sat down at the tea table and faced the Empress. Unlike the emperor, who seemed somewhat uncomfortable, the Empress was a person who made others feel at ease. The Crown Princess, who was also present, was a honest and compassionate person, so Julia quickly adapted to the occasion.

“By the way, I am concerned that the Grand Duchess seems to be thinner than the last time I saw her.”  Veronica, the Crown Princess, opened her mouth cautiously. Julia tried her best to smile.

“My health hasn’t been good lately. But It’s nothing to worry about.”  “I see. I hope this is not too much for you.”  Veronica smiled softly. She was wearing a loose maternity dress with her dazzling blonde hair hanging to one side. She was in her fifth month of pregnancy, and her face was bright and full of happy spirit.

 

“How about you and Veronica join me for evening mass? At present, there are priests staying at the Imperial Palace to pray for pregnant women.”   The Empress spoke softly, and Veronica nodded, clapping her hands.

“Do so! I will ask the priest to bless the Grand Duchess’ health.”  “No, I can’t bother the priests who came for the Crown Princess.”  “Don’t even think about it. You are also a member of our imperial family.”  The Empress smiled benevolently and recommended it again. Eventually, Julia nodded and thanked her. The small tea party continued in a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere.

This was the only time that t hat Julia, who had fallen into a serious depression at the Duke’s mansion, was able to put her mind at ease. In the evening, Julia went with Veronica to the temple for mass. Once they were inside, the priests were seen kneeling on the podium. They were glowing from the sunlight permeated through the stained glass windows .

“Priest Matheus.”  Veronica quietly called the priest. The man sitting in the middle of the priests slowly turned his head. He had silver hair, almost white.

“Welcome, Princess Veronica!”  He looked at Veronica for a moment, then quickly turned his gaze toward Julia. His quiet eyes wavered calmly.

“This is Grand Duchess Caesar. I brought her here to t o attend Mass with me.”  “I see.”  He looked at Julia with a deep gaze and quickly changed his words lightly.

“Mass will be starting soon, so please take a comfortable seat.”  Sitting in a long row of seats, Julia watched the priests draw the cross sign. Soon the priests stood in front of the altar and proceeded with the beginning ritual.

 

Julia stared quietly at Matheus as he delivered the lecture. His voice was gentle and serious, soothing. When Matheus recited a prayer for the rite, a priest brought a silverware containing holy water.

“May peace and stability be with the mother and unborn child.”  Matheus raised his hand over Veronica’s head and sprinkled the holy water.  He recited the congratulatory text in a quiet tone, and slowly opened his eyes. He then nodded to Julia to tell her to come forward. Julia stood in front of the altar and closed her eyes.

“May the blessings of God be with you always.”  The holy water flowed down along Julia’s hair. Apparently, his voice s eemed to seep slowly into her heart.

“Have we meet before?”  He asked in a quiet tone. Julia blinked her round eyes absentmindedly.

“Oh, no… this is the first time I’ve seen you…”  “I see. I made a slip of the tongue.”  Smiling softly, Matheus wrapped up the blessing ceremony. Somehow Matheus seemed to know her. But no matter how much Julia thought about it, her encounter with him did not exist in her memory. Julia felt strange and looked back at him. *** Fernan arrived in the capital in time for the day of the festival.

The Emperor’s parade in the morning was eventually escorted by the Imperial Knights.   After the parade was safely over, the attendants hurriedly prepared for the banquet in the Central Palace. hall on the firstHearing floor. the news that Fernan had arrived, Julia hurried down to the main

 

She was dressed in a dark green dress, and the people kept glancing at her. The elegant dress with dark gold lace decorating the neckline made her look even more stunning than usual.

“Your Grace, you’re here.”  While Julia was loitering in the hall for a while, someone called out to her. She met him downtown the other day.

It was Fernan’s aide.  “I’ve come to deliver His Highness’ message. He said you can go to the banquet hall first as he’s running late.”  “Oh… I see.”  It was customary for a couple to enter the banquet hall together. Julia, who had naturally expected to enter with Fernan, felt a little lost. She thought about waiting, but he certainly would not want her to wait.

“Thank you for telling me. Hmmm ….”   Julia hesitated for a moment . This was because she did not know the name of the aide. Noticing this, Lloyd belatedly made a formal greeting and politely introduced himself.

“My name is Lloyd Allen. Please feel free to call me Lloyd.”  “Thank you, Lloyd.”  Smiling softly, Julia quickly made her way to the palace where the banquet hall was located located..

Following an attendant’s directions, Julia entered the banquet hall alone and stood in front of an empty table. Some of the ladies who found her approached with a friendly smile.

“Grand Duchess, how are you? I haven’t seen you since the last tea party.” 

“Yes, how are you?” 

 

Formal greetings were exchanged and after a short pause, the Crown Prince and his wife entered the banquet hall. Veronica gently held her swollen belly as she was escorted by the Crown Prince.

“Those two are always so close.”   “I heard the Crown Prince is very sweet. They were like that since the beginning of thier marriage.”  “Oh, what are you talking about? You husband is as sweet as honey.”   As the ladies began to t o joke about their husbands, Julia had nothing to say. She S he wondered how they could be so close to each other when they had all met in political marriages. Far from being intimate with Fernan, they had never had a friendly conversation.

“What about the Grand Duchess?”  “Eh?”  Julia’s complexion stiffened a bit when question was directed at her.  “Everyone is very curious to know what Grand Duke Caesar is like.”   “Both of you don’t come the capital often, so I’m really curious to know how you’re doing.”  The noblewomen looked at her with curiosity. Smiling awkwardly, Julia spoke carefully.

“His Highness is very busy. And I’m a little lonely because there aren’t any ladies in the estate to hang out with. But I’m doing well in my own way.”   She replied in a roundabout way, and fortunately the noblewomen nodded and chimed in.

“That’s right. It must be hard to invite all the people you know in the capital.”  “But you’ll invite us at least once, right? I’d be very happy if the Grand Dcuhess would call me.”  “Yes, I will.”  The conversation quickly returned to a different direction. Only then did Julia, who was taking part in the conversation at ease, turned her head at the buzzing voices. From a distance, she could see Fernan entering the banquet hall. All the people’s gazes focused on him at once.

 

  Apparently, his appearance attracted more attention than the Crown Prince. Julia, who was wondering what to do, approached him cautiously after greeting the ladies.

“Your Highness.”  Fernan turned at the sound of a small voice. Julia looked up at him, gently tugging at the hem of her dress. When she finally called out to him, Julia felt very frightened. She was afraid that he would ignore her and go elsewhere. But perhaps because all the people were looking at him, he did not show his usual cruelty.

“Let’s go to our seats.”  Fernan opened his mouth dryly and reached out his arm a rm to her. Staring at him with surprised eyes for a moment, Julia folded her arm around him. Looking at his reluctant face, she felt that he had no choice but to act.

It was a bit bitter, but she didn’t feel so bad about being escorted by him. As she headed to the empty table with him, the Crown Prince, who found them, approached app roached with a bright smile.

 

Chapter 13 “I’m sure you’re very busy, but fortunately you had time to attend the banquet.”  Fernan’s brows narrowed faintly, but he quickly smiled.  “Of course. How could I not participate in such a glorious occasion?”   “Good. I was worried since you didn’t participate in the parade.”  Fernan, who looked at the Crown Prince quietly, soon gave a blatant blata nt smile. It was funny to see the Crown Prince so uncomfortable now because he had refused to escort the emperor in the parade.

The Crown Prince, noticing Fernan’s smile, raised his eyebrows and immediately turned his attention to Julia. “Ah, the Grand Duchess is here as well, I see.”  The Crown Prince once again displayed his good natured smile.

“I was told by Veronica that the Grand Duchess was not in good health. I heard you were blessed by a priest, are you okay now?”   Julia nodded with a smile on her face.

“Yes, thanks to your concern, Your Majesty, I’m fine now.”   While Julia was having a more formal conversation w ith the Crown Prince, Fernan’s secretly gazed at her ankle. Then he looked at her slender wrist, and soon looked away as if nothing had happened.

“Ah, it looks like the dance will be starting soon.”  The orchestra, which had been playing fancy tunes, soon began to play a light waltz. The Crown Prince asked for said goodbye and disappeared to the side of the Crown Princess. Soon the banquet hall was divided into two groups: those who went out on stage to dance and those who sat quietly at tables to listen to the music.

 

Julia glanced at Fernan. He was not interested in dancing, and was accepting a glass of wine from his attendant. While Julia was struggling to think of something to say to him, several socialites approached Fernan.

“…”  Julia gently touched the glass on the table, keeping her mouth tightly closed a ass she watched Fernan respond to the people with a casual explain. After dealing with the constant stream of nobles, Fernan entered the terrace. There was less barking and his head finally felt a little more comfortable. After a few moments of being exposed to the cold breeze while holding onto the railing, he suddenly turned his head at the sound of the door opening. A woman in a dark green dress appeared. It was Julia, who came to see him.

“Your Highness, are you alright?”  Julia approached him with a worried look on her face. Fernan did not reply but looked forward. There were many eyes watching him in the banquet hall, but now, out here, things were different. He didn’t want to pretend to be close to her.

“I got a nice tea for a hangover from the chamberlain.”  Julia held out the cup in her hand. She watched him continue to d drink rink the wine and wondered if he had a hangover.

When Fernan didn’t pick up the glass, Julia bowed her he ad a little sullen. “You don’t have to drink it… but I’ll leave it here just in case.”  Setting the teacup down on the parapet, Julia hesitated for a moment, not turning away immediately. The faint expression of her desire to be with him showed itself. Fernan blinked his eyes slowly, as if suppressing something, and quickly turned his gaze toward her.

“Is it your hobby to be intrusive?”  His somber voice dropped to the terrace. Julia’s eyes fluttered with a panicked look.  

 

At the sight of her, Fernan found it hard to bear this emotion that was somehow welling up in him. But he ignored it.

It would be better if he didn’t have to deal with it, but at this moment, this woman was bothering him badly. He felt dizzy again when Julia appeared in his mind that he had been trying to empty.

“I’m just worried about Your Highness …..”  Julia opened her mouth hesitantly, and Fernan scoffed lightly.

“I don’t see why you should be worried about me.”  “…”  Julia raised her clear eyes and looked at him pitifully. He unknowingly gritted his teeth. Her eyes were always the problem. The more he acted badly, the more she would get hurt, but those eyes, always shining, scratched his nerves. She had just that look in her eyes when she haunted him again with the words ‘I love you’. Julia’s face went blank at his sharp words.  

“Why don’t you worry more about your future than mine? Do you think this marriage will last forever?”  Her lips trembled as she dropped her gaze with a hurt look on her face, as she was greatly shocked by his words. Her eyes reddened slightly as she laid them down. For some reason, Fernan felt his heart tingle at the sight of her. He knew his words were harsh. There was no need for him to go to such lengths. But Fernan looked even colder, as if he was trying to hide his upset heart tightly. Meanwhile, a quiet voice came from Julia, who had her mouth clenched shut.

“…I’m sorry. I won’t bother you any more.”  Julia turned around without even looking at him. The way she was walking with her eyes down was unstable as if she would collapse at any moment. Fernan, who flinched unknowingly, tapped his forehead as Julia completely disappeared.

“… d*mn it.” 

 

The commotion that he thought would end when she disappeared was still racking his brain.

He couldn’t get her out of his mind as she looked down with teary eyes.  He didn’t even think about the throbbing heart that continued to pound.  He gripped the railing tightly and sighed heavily. It was not good to act so emotionally. He had never been one to show his emotions. After so many years of war, and so many deaths, he was getting better at hiding his true feelings. It was not difficult for him to hide his true intentions and smiled in front of the Emperor and Crown Prince, or the nobles who were vigilantly trying to attack him. But at some point it became difficult.

When did it start? …….  Fernan was in distress when someone suddenly showed signs of being there.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop on purpose.”  The woman who had been hiding behind a pillar emerged with an embarrassed e mbarrassed smile on her face. Fernan looked at the woman for a moment, and a nd then averted his gaze again, uninterested.

He knew someone was in there since he first came out the terrace. It wasn’t worth paying attention to, so he just ignored it. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”  The woman smiled brightly and approached him. Fernan’s brows furrowed.  “Do you know me?”  “Um… I guess you don’t remember me.”  Fernan took a quick look at the woman’s appearance. He had  never met her before, and even if he did, he wouldn’t want to remember her.   “Oh, you may not remember because you were young. Well, we haven’t met very often.” 

 

  “So what is it you want to tell me?”   Fernan asked back without sincerity, and the slightly faltering woman soon smiled brightly.

“I’m Cornelia of the House of Blair. Do you not remember? Before His Highness went off to war, there was talk of an engagement.”  It was only when he heard the name of the family that Fernan remembered. The Blair was one of the families that had once made a match with him. Originally, the engagement ceremony would have been held after his coming-of-age ceremony, but since he had to leave lea ve for war suddenly by order of the emperor, the marriage was naturally canceled. It was just that. The woman, however, had a sentimental look in her eyes, as if it was some kind of fate.

“I’m really glad to see you after all these years. In fact, I’ve been thinking about Your Highness from time to time lately.”  There was no reply, but Cornelia continued to speak earnestly.

“By the way, you must hate h ate your wife very much.”  Fernan passed Cornelia by without answering her probing question.

He didn’t know why he had to engage in this conversation. It was all a waste of time.  At that moment, Cornelia stopped him imminently.

“My father wants to help His Highness.”  Stopping, Fernan looked back at her, his eyes narrowed.

“From what I heard, it sounds like you and the Grand Duchess will be divorced someday.”  Cornelia brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her serpentine eyes glinting. A greedy look. It was a gaze he was very familiar with.

“What do you think? After your divorce, you should sh ould make a connection with my family.”   It was only then that Fernan finally frowned indifferently and gave a small sneer, as if he had heard a dog barking.

“Are you out of your mind?” 

 

“Huh…?”  “Otherwise, I’m afraid I’m missing something.”  Cornelia’s eyes wavered. She seemed to doubt what she heard.  Fernan stared at her for a moment, as if he was looking at something worthless, then he left the terrace. It must be a big deal dea l for the woman to sell out even her father for saying something like that. There had been many women who had approached him like that. All of them did not care ca re whether he was married or not. They seemed to take it for granted, since it was a common occurrence among the nobility of the capital. However, Fernan was the one who despised such people terribly. It was not because he was moral or faithful. It was just that such people instinctively made him want to vomit. As he stepped out into the banquet hall again, the sound of boisterous music playing scratched his nerves. At the same time, he could see Julia leaving the banquet hall in the far distance.

“Ha….”  Fernan was dumbfounded for a while by the fact that she was the first person he saw out of all these people.

 

Chapter 14 Julia came out of the banquet hall and walked along the long hallway. Her body and mind were all exhausted. Walking weakly, she paused at the sudden pain. Perhaps because of the high shoes, her ankle, which she thought was fully recovered, suddenly throbbed. She was standing still sighing, then she heard footsteps in the hallway that followed,

“Uh….”  Julia raised her head and opened her eyes wide. A priest was walking slowly across the corridor. He was a priest named Matheus whom she met when she went to Mass with Veronica not long ago.

“Your Highness.”  Matheus, who stopped and talked to Julia, soon stared at her swollen ankle.

“You must have been hurt.”  “Oh, yes….”  Julia stared at him with curious eyes. Seeing him in a priest’s uniform at the central palace, where the banquet was in full swing, somehow felt a little strange. Matheus smiled faintly, as if he had noticed the gaze.

“I got lost while I was walking. The palace is so spacious and complicated.”  “Oh, I see.”  The priest gets lost too…As she blinked her eyes curiously, Matheus gently knelt down on one knee. “May I take a look for a moment?”  “Oh, no, no, I’m fine..”  Julia was perplexed when he suddenly knelt down. Matheus spoke calmly to reassure her.

 

“I can use my power to heal your injured ankle. I’m confident I can heal you, so you don’t have to worry.”  Matheus’ gentle tone somehow aroused trust. Julia nodded slightly. “Then… please.”  Matheus held her ankle lightly in one hand. Soon a blue light leaked out and hovered around his hand. It felt as if she had dipped her foot in cold water. She could vividly feel the power stinging her ankle.

“Can you try moving it once?”   Julia moved her ankle a little, and to her surprise, she felt no pain. Julia let out an exclamation with her eyes wide open. How could it heal all at once when he just gently squeezed it? After all this time, Matheus in front of her looked like an amazing man.

“Thank you very much. It doesn’t hurt anymore”.   “I’m glad I could help.”   Matheus, who was slowly raising his body, gave a small smile and then bowed his hea head. d.

“I’ll be going now.”  Julia suddenly caught him as he was about to turn around as if he had finished his work.

“Um, may I ask you something, priest?”  “Yes, go ahead.”  Stopping, Matheus leisurely waited for her to speak. Hesitantly, Julia opened her mouth cautiously.

“…Is it possible that we’ve met before?”  “Ah…”  It had been bothering her that he asked a sked her if she knew him during the mass last time. If she had met such an amazing person in the past, there was no way she wouldn’t remember him. Matheus paused for a moment and then nodded.

 

  “Yes, but it’s no surprise that you don’t know me.” 

“…Why is that?”  He smiled meaningfully as he looked at Julia’s curious eyes. When Julia remained silent and waited for a reply, Matheus continued in a soft tone. “Because at that time, you are a newborn baby.”   “…Huh?”  Julia froze in place. Her eyes hovered vaguely around a round his face. By all appearances, he looked to be of a similar age to herself, or even younger. How could he remember her baby self? Looking at her stiffly, Matheus let out a small laugh. His gentle voice soon followed.

“Some priests, when their divine powers are overloaded, may cease to age in appearance.”   “…..”  Julia’s eyes were filled with doubt.  “I was fifteen when I first saw you. I hope that was the answer.”  Julia nodded with a puzzle puzzled d face. He wasn’t as old as she thought, but he didn’t look his age.   Julia, who was watching his face absentmindedly, soon came to t o her senses.

“Where did you see me, by the way? And how on earth did you notice me….?”   Her curiosity grew and grew. Julia’s hands fidgeted impatiently.  Matheus smiled lazily. And at that moment, there was a commotion from the end of the corridor. Several people could be seen exiting the banquet hall.

“I’m sure you’re wondering what’s going on, but I have to go.”  “Ah, yes…” 

 

Julia nodded with lingering eyes. Looking at her gently, Matheus whispered quietly.

“I will tell you one thing. You are a very special person to me. I will always wish you the best of luck.”  His voice was so warm that it made her chest heave. The sincerity oozed from his words that he wished her happiness.

“I’m sure we’ll meet again soon.”  Her heart felt empty, as if a bright light had briefly wrapped around her and disappeared. Finally, smiling lightly, Matheus disappeared across the hallway. *** The chaotic festival was over, and there was only silence on the road back to the estate.

Julia looked out the window in a pensive mood. She couldn’t get the encounter with Matheus out of her mind. She couldn’t believe he met her when she was just a baby. ‘Then perhaps the priest knows my mother?’  

Julia hadn’t seen her mother since she left her when she was seven. She had no idea where her mother lived or even what she did for a living. The Marquis would occasionally mention her mother and threaten her to “listen very carefully,” but he didn’t seem to know exactly where she was living either.  It was very confusing in her head.

Matheus said he would see her again soon, but she had no idea when that would be…   ‘I should have asked which temple he belongs to.’   Julia gave a small, belated sigh. Julia took her gaze off the window and stared at her ankle in a daze. As she lifted her head, moving her foot for no apparent reason, reason, her eyes met Fernan’s.   He quickly averted his gaze. His senseless profile was quiet.

 

Julia moved her lips, trying to say something. But she quickly closed her lips. If she tried to speak to him, she would hear that she was annoying again. Except for the intermittent rumbling, the carriage was silent. It took half a day to reach the castle that way. Julia got out of the carriage in the dim darkness and immediately went to her bedroom. There she found a vase of flowers on the table that she had never seen before. The clear glass vase was filled with white lily flowers. While wondering, Julia approached the table and put her face close to the vase. The pleasant scent completely penetrated her mind.

“Oh, Your Grace? Are you here?”  She turned her head to the side and Melissa, who had just come out of cleaning the dressing room, approached her.

“Melissa, you brought these flowers, didn’t you?”  Julia asked, and Melissa nodded with a shy smile.

“You seem to like the flowers, but you couldn’t bring them home that day. It bothers me so much…” 

Julia’s eyes widened as she looked at Melissa. She couldn’t believe that she bought flowers again because she cared about that. The feeling was gratifying and her heart filled with joy at the moment, but on the other hand, she felt a little complicated.

“Ummm…don’t you like it?”  Melissa asked, and Julia quickly shook her head.

“No, I appreciated it. But… I have nothing to give back to you.”   “Oh, I didn’t wish for anything! Please don’t mind me.” 

 

From the beginning until now, Melissa had been uniformly warm. Julia didn’t know how to respond to such a favor.

“…Thank you for treating me so well, Melissa.”   It bothered her that she could only say thank you at best. Melissa patted her on the shoulder. She patted her gently.

Melissa didn’t say anything, b ut she seemed to be comforting her with her warm hand. The hand seemed to make Julia feel a little better, even though she was exhausted. *** Time passed quickly after the period of the National Day celebration was over. The territory, where summer had ended, was chillier than before. On a morning that was no different from any other, a gilded letter brought by a servant was placed on the table in front of Julia. J ulia. The origin of the letter was, of course, Marquis Elody.

“Hmm.”  Julia, who sighed heavily, opened the envelope with an unwilling face. The content was obvious even without reading it. It contained words asking if there was any news of her pregnancy, and words pressuring her to have a child as soon as possible. The aphrodisiac he gave her the other day had completely disrupted her relationship with Fernan. How could she have a child in this situation?

And aside from all that, Julia didn’t feel like having a baby yet.  ‘If he hates me so much, how can he possibly like me with a child?’  

 

Chapter 15 *** The situation might be different if she had a child because it was a matter of succession, but she still had to be afraid. It would be unbearable if those cold and heartless eyes of Fernan directed at the child. ‘His Highness doesn’t even want to share a room with me let alone have a baby…’   Julia, who was stroking the stiff paper absentmindedly, immediately rose from her seat. Trying to call Melissa out of habit, Julia quickly remembered that Melissa had left for vacation today. She felt very lonely without Melissa, who was the only person she could ta talk lk to by her side. As it was, Julia came out of the bedroom and walked slowly to the end of the hallway. She was going to spend some time in the study today. There were a total of five study rooms here in the Grand Ducal Palace of Caesar. Julia’s favorite study was located on the fourth floor. It was a quiet place where no one came and went except when the servants were cleaning.

“Good morning, Your Highness.”  The two servants who had just come out from cleaning the study bowed to her. As Julia nodded and turned to go inside, she heard the servants talking quietly behind her. She already knew that the servants have been mocking her and laughing at her behind her back. Being treated poorly by the master and even ignored by the servants was something she had experienced many times during her time at the Marquis’ mansion.   They were well aware of the fact that their master would not take any action even though they bullied her. Julia also didn’t want to cause any unnecessary noise, so she put up with their whispers as usual. With a deep sigh, she chose any book from the bookshelf and sat down at the table. Immersing herself in the book allowed her to forget all about the reality surrounding her. Today, Julia was desperately absorbed in the book to calm her emotions.

 

  Time passed quickly. It was around morning when she came to the study, and before she knew it, the study was dimly lit. Julia got up from her seat, le left ft her books in their original positions, and approached the door. Click.

Julia, who turned the doorknob, froze for a moment. mo ment. It was because the door didn’t open. … Could it be that the door was locked from the outside? For some reason, Julia had a bad premonition, and she quickly turned the handle and shouted. “Is there anyone there? The door is locked!”  She shouted loudly as she pounded the door harder and harder, but it was quiet outside.

“No one?”  After screaming for a long time, she soon sank into place. Her heart began to beat like crazy. In the morning, the servants had clearly seen her enter the study. Moreover, it was still far from lights out, so there was no need to lock the door at this hour. So the maid deliberately locked the door knowing she was inside. Julia bit down on her trembling lip and looked out the window, which was completely dark before she knew it.

If no one came after all the screaming and pounding, they either didn’t really hear her or they heard her but pretended not knowing. Melissa wasn’t here, so there was no one to look for her, knowing that she was gone.  

“Ha…”  A wry smile escaped her lips. ‘Why on earth would they do this to me?’   Julia, who curled up with her knees up, held her trembling hands together. The inside of the study without a fireplace quickly became chilly as the sun set. After looking at the floor in a daze for a while, a faint expectation suddenly arose from her. ‘Perhaps His Highness will notice that I’m gone. …….’  

 

  “…No, of course not.”  Julia quickly mumbled to herself. Fernan couldn’t care less about her. 

He wouldn’t care if she disappeared or escaped, and even if he knew… he was a man who wouldn’t do anything about it.  For a moment, her heart went cold. Julia nuzzled her face into her lap and let out shaky breaths. Her mind was spinning with countless thoughts. After crouching for a long time, Julia raised herself up again. Then she approached the door and pounded on it until her hand crushed. But no matter how hard she pounded, no one came. Julia lowered her red and swollen hand weakly. It was hard to accept the fact that out of all the people in the castle, no one would listen to her cries. ‘What have I done so wrong to deserve this?’  

Her eyes started to get wet. She S he didn’t want to cry, but she couldn’t help it.   After a long time she was locked in and scared, Julia suddenly felt comfortable and cozy. Then her breathing became more and more labored. When she finally opened her heavy eyelids, the first thing Julia saw was a tall man. Even in her blurred vision she could recognize him immediately. The man was Fernan.

“She needs to get plenty of rest. Her body has been injured a lot, but I think it’s the mental stress that’s the underlying underlying cause.”  There was a mixture of a doctor speaking in a serious tone and Fernan’s voice answering in between. Julia closed her eyes again. She did not want to get up.

“When will she regain consciousness?” 

 

Fernan’s somber voice burned in her ears.   It was casual, but that voice, which she had always thought was good to hear, did not sound so pleasant now. Julia closed her eyes and let sleep ta take ke over. Her body felt heavy as if it was being sucked into the bed. Sleep came quickly.

When she woke up again, Julia couldn’t help but be surprised. Fernan was still by her side. He was sitting on the chair next to her bed, staring at her.

“Are you awake?”  His voice sounded heavy. After watching him for a while, Julia turned away to the other side without answering. Despite her clear intention to turn her back on him, he continued to speak without faltering.

“The servants in charge of the study are locked in the basement.”  “…”  “They insisted that the door was locked by mistake.”  Julia lifted her lips helplessly. She didn’t have the strength t o resent the blatant lie of a mistake. She had less and less energy to pursue and question him. “I’ll do whatever you want.” (Fernan)  “…”  “I hope it doesn’t end up just kicking them out.”( Fernan)  “I’m not going to do anything about it….”  “What?”  Fernand lifted one eyebrow. Julia turned away, but murmured blithely,

“As a matter of fact, it seems that Your Highness wishes it to be so.”  “…What do you mean by that?”   “‘That I may disappear…You want it more than anyone else, don’t you? Then you must be grateful to those servants.” 

 

  Was it because of the medicine? The words began to flow by themselves.

Julia wasn’t trying to say this, but it sounded as if she was questioning him.  “…Don’t you know why the servants did this to t o me?”  If it was a normal day, she would have said thank you for your concern first, but she couldn’t quite get those words out.  

Because she didn’t feel grateful, not even a little bit.   Fernan just kept staring at her in silence. Julia couldn’t tell if he was silent because he understood her words or because he couldn’t.  Julia didn’t speak anymore either.  After a long silence, Fernan lifted the bowl on the small table.

“Why don’t you eat something first?”  He presented a soup made of oatmeal. It was freshly made and warm to the touch. Julia opened her eyes slowly as she accepted the bowl. Suddenly, the situation seemed unfamiliar to her. She turned her gaze and faced Fernan straight on. He was expressionless, as usual, but there was no sign of the coldness that he always had. He suddenly seemed strange to her.

Call a doctor, treated her, and stayed by her side until she woke up. She didn’t know why he did all this. “…I don’t understand Your Highness’ behavior.”  Julia gripped the bowl tightly and murmured softly.

“You said that this marriage will not last forever, and that my heart would not be of the slightest use to you.”  “…”  “You don’t like me, but what are you doing now? Why are you so generous?” 

 

  Fernan was heartless and cruel every moment, but the next moment he was strangely not cold to her. He kept changing.

Like when she was in his room, or when she chased him down the hall, and now…   Fernan’s expression tightened at her words, and he said slowly, as if suppressing something. “I’m still thinking about the end of this marriage. Still, your heart is of no use to me.”  His brows narrowed gently, and he continued somewhat hesitantly.

“And I don’t know why, either. I don’t know why I’m becoming more vulnerable to you every moment.”  His face saying so was unfamiliar. He looked confused as if he didn’t understand his own feelings.

Julia felt mixed feelings too, but she didn’t speak to him any further. Without saying a word, she drank the soup and even took the medicine. Afterwards, Julia finally fell asleep again. Fernan watched her face for a while as a s she slept soundly. The emotions and discomfort that had flared up like a flame whenever he saw her were gone. For this moment, his mind was strangely quiet. A while later, he came out of the room and called Lloyd, who was standing at the door.

“Lloyd.”  “Yes, Your Highness.”  His face turned cold as usual as he walked along the corridor.

“‘Those servants in the basement, deal with them.”  “Yes.”  Understanding his words immediately, Lloyd bowed silently and disappeared. Julia had told him that no action would be taken against the servants, but he had no intention of listening to her from the start.

 

A furry who mocked his master had to pay for it. Locked in her study all night, Julia was found the next morning. It was Melissa, her exclusive maid who returned from her vacation that found Julia.

No one would have looked for Julia if it weren’t for Melissa.  Fernan pursued Melissa and arrested all of the servants, not only the maids who had caused the incident, but also some of the servants who usually bullied and belittled Julia. In spite of this, he still felt inexplicable.

”Don’t you know why the servants did this to me?”   Julia’s small voice rang in his ears. Then, as if something was h olding him down, his chest became heavy. Fernan frowned nervously. nervously. He didn’t know what he wanted to do with himself.  

 

Chapter 16 The atmosphere of the castle was clearly different from before.

Julia’s eyes fluttered when she saw the servants bowing politely to her. They were all new faces. “His Highness has ordered all the servants to be replaced.”  Melissa whispered quietly beside her. Julia looked at Melissa with a slightly puzzled look on her face. ‘Don’t tell me it’s because of this time?’   Pensive, Julia quickly shook her head.

Fernan was probably just trying to wrap up the hectic atmosphere. It wasn’t for her.  “But aren’t you cold, Your Grace? I’m not sure if you’re wearing too thin.”   “It’s alright. It’s cool and perfect.”   Melissa didn’t want to leave Julia’s side for a long time, blaming herself for what happened because of her absence.

Thanks to Melissa’s sincerity, Julia was able to recover quickly.   While walking in the backyard, Julia glanced at the workers gathered in the garden. Bennett, the butler, who was standing near them, spotted her and bowed his head.

It was strange. The butler told her that she had to get Fernan’s permission to repair the garden, but now he was working on it. Julia looked at him for a moment and then averted her gaze, unimpressed.

“I can’t wait to see the garden filled with flowers when spring comes.”  Melissa added with a bright smile.

“When spring comes, we can garden together! You can plant lots of lily flowers, your favorite.”  “Yes, let’s do that.” 

 

Julia’s face, which was smiling quietly, gradually darkened.  She wasn’t sure. She wondered if she could stay here until next spring.  She had no idea when Fernan would end this marriage.

“Do you think this marriage will last forever?”   Thinking of his indifferent eyes when Fernan said that, Julia was once again immersed in depression.

She had long known that he hated her, but she didn’t know he was setting an end. Julia quietly lowered her gaze. This marriage, which may end at any time, felt like a life with a time limit. Suddenly, the words that her father used to say came to mind.

“If your marriage with the Grand Duke is broken, you will no longer be my daughter.”   The Marquis thought that Yulia would be frightened by those words, but it was Julia who rather didn’t want to live as his daughter.  However, she had nothing at all if she lived on her own without the support of the Marquis family. Of course, there was no way the Marquis would send her off nicely before that. Sighing heavily, Julia quickly turned.

“Eh? It seems that His Highness has returned.”  As Julia raised her head at Melissa’s words, she heard the sound of bells announcing the return of the Lord. She felt a twinge of reluctance, for he had never returned so early in the day. Fernan would not be pleased, but she could not be ignorant of his return, so Julia turned around and went back to the castle. Entering the lobby at a slow pace, Julia stood still and waited for Fernan. Shortly after, a servant opened the large door. Fernan, who was staring at the front when he walked in, suddenly felt a presence and turned his gaze to Julia, who was standing stand ing to one side.

 

  “Your Highness, you’re here early.” 

At Julia’s quiet greeting, Fernan paused.  He stared at her without reply, then glanced at her clothes.

“Where were you going?”  “Oh… I’m sorry. It’s a little stuffy to stay in the room.”   Fernan looked at Julia with an odd expression. He was about to ask her what on e earth arth she was sorry for, when he stopped for a moment. For suddenly the words he had said to her came to mind.

“I told you to stay in the bedroom. Seeing as how you’re walking around happily happily,, it  seems that that my words words didn’t matter.”  matter.”   Fernan’s expression tightened for a moment, and then he stopped talking. He was silent for a moment, and then quickly walked past Julia. Julia watched his back with a wry smile. Fernan, who was climbing the main staircase, stopped at the stairs and frowned.

It was because he didn’t understand why he avoided her as if he was running away a while ago. He looked down at the lobby at the bottom of the stairs. Julia, who had been standing still, walked out the doorway again with her servant.

Fernan couldn’t help but catch the last of her back in his eyes.   Then he soon flinched between his eyebrows.

He couldn’t figure out what on earth he was feeling now.  Why did it make him anxious and his heart throb? Fernan turned around with a confused mind and climbed the remaining stairs. ***

 

  The strange atmosphere continued. Not only the servants, but also the attitude of Bennett, the butler, had completely changed.

“Um, Your Highness.”  It was around afternoon when Julia, who was heading head ing for the dining room, stopped. Looking back, she saw Bennett bowing to her politely.

Lately, Bennett had been talking to her and asking her permission, even though it wasn’t a big deal. “The garden renovation you mentioned mentioned the other day. I think it’ll be done in a month.”  “I see.”  Her response was vague, so Bennett did not hide his impatience.

“The greenhouse will be built soon. You have to choose what to plant, and I think it would be better for you to choose..”  “Well, go ahead and take care of it yourself.”  Julia replied expressionlessly, and took another step forward. Sh e wasn’t interested in managing the castle anymore. Perhaps it was the fact that she was locked in the study, the castle itself seemed to have caused an instinctive repulsion. A restless Bennett hurried to follow Julia.

“Your Highness, I’m sorry for being so rude to you.”  Julia stopped again and looked back at Bennett with a curious face.

“I will accept any punishment for my past rudeness. Please forgive me.”  Bennett lowered his head deeply as if he was about to hit the floor. Julia blinked in panic. She felt like he would just fall over if she left him alone, so Julia answered simply.

“I see. I forgive you. Get up.”  Bennett finally raised his head. His face was tinged with relief and fear.

 

  Actually, on the day Julia was locked in the study, Bennett was out for a while. He was told of the situation belatedly and felt very guilty.

Bennett had ignored his Master’s wife without a second thought in the past, but he didn’t expect the other servants to do the same. Of course, that didn’t mean his  fault would go away, so there was no excuse. Besides, Fernan seemed to be terribly angry. He was a master who was not interested in domestic affairs, especially about his wife. However, with an expressionless face as usual, Fernan ordered a punishment that Bennett thought was a bit excessive. All the servants involved in the incident were purged, and even the other servants who had so blatantly bullied Julia so far disappeared d isappeared without any words.

“May I ask why the sudden change in attitude?”  Julia asked quietly as Bennett stood there apologetically. Bennett then bowed his head again with a puzzled look on his face.

“The incident that happened to you a few days ago was entirely my fault for failing to properly educate my servants. The attitude I’ve displayed, I’m sure I encouraged them…”   “…”  “I’m sorry, Your Grace. If you wish to punish me, you can do it.”  Julia looked at Bennett with surprised eyes at his unexpectedly frank answer. She did not feel so badly about Bennett. Of course, his tone was sometimes rude, but basically he never deliberately tried to bully her. Besides, Bennett was the first person who confessed his mistakes and asked for forgiveness, so she didn’t want to punish him now. 

No, she just didn’t want to care about anything now.

 

“That’s enough. Let’s get going.”  “Yes, yes. Have a nice meal.”  Leaving Bennett with his head bowed behind, Julia retraced her steps. As she entered the dining d ining room slowly, Julia unexpectedly saw Fernan was already sitting there. Holding the document in his hand, he raised his head and looked at Julia.

“Good evening, Your Highness.”  Julia, who greeted him like a habit, sat down across from him. It had been quite a while since she had dined with Fernan. Immediately the servant placed an appetizer on the table. Holding the tableware, Julia glanced at Fernan on the other side. He was always working, whether he was eating or moving. Come to think of it, she had never seen him rest.

“Aren’t you tired?”  Turning away from the document at her quiet question, Fernan asked back.

“Why do you ask that?”  “It’s just…I thought you’d be tired.”  Actually, she asked out of concern, but she knew the man would not like it if she answered that way.

He didn’t like her talking to him in  the first place. Fernan didn’t reply, so Julia gave up and silently absorbed herself in her meal. The silence lasted a long time. Fernan, who was reading a part of the document, clicked his tongue. It was hard to concentrate when there were so many things to consider.

It wasn’t until Julia appeared in the dining room that he wasn’t able to concentrate.  Fernan had to admit that she cared so much about him.

 

Rather than feeling unpleasant about the fact, his confusion was even greater.

 

Chapter 17 “Your Highness.”  At that moment, Julia suddenly opened her mouth again.

“I’m sorry to keep bothering you, but I really want to ask you ssomething.” omething.”  Julia hesitated for a moment. It was something she had to ask at some point, but it didn’t just feel good to let it out. “When are you going to divorce me?”  Fernan’s expression hardened hardened for a moment at her words, but slowly returned to normal.  “Why, do you intend to inform the Marquis?”  “No, I didn’t ask you with that intention. ….”  “Well, I don’t trust you, after all, you’re your father’s obedient daughter.”  Julia’s face turned pale as Fernan recited in a low voice.   She had always been soft and reluctant, but when the Marquis was mentioned, she would freeze.

Fernan couldn’t understand why. Because the Marquis he had seen was a father who truly cared only for his daughter. From the very beginning, when the marriage was first arranged, the Marquis used to praise Julia to the point where he was repulsed. Not only the Marquis, but also the Emperor and Empress were extremely fond of Julia.

She would have grown up to be quite arrogant, but she didn’t seem to have that side.  So at first he thought she was pretending to be quiet.

Then again, who knows if she’ll get some drugs and try to make him drink. Fernan gave a small mocking smile. The reminder that she was the daughter of Marquis Elody seemed to soften his increasingly confused feelings.

 

Weak or timid, she was the daughter of the Marquis after all. That fact alone has not changed.

“…”  Julia bowed her head in silence. She didn’t look as hurt as she usually did. It was just a face that showed signs of being tired of everything.

“I’m sorry. I won’t bother you any more.”  She didn’t get the answer she wanted from Fernan, but she could tell that he hadn’t changed his mind about divorcing her with his usual cold words. Her heart swelled for a moment. Not wanting to continue eating anymore, Julia slowly got up from her seat. With her head low, Julia crossed the spacious dining room. When the servant opened the door, Julia left without hesitation. She didn’t look back to see the last of Fernan’s expression.  ******* It was in the afternoon when early autumn arrived. When Julia was sitting on the sofa in front of the fireplace, reading a book, she raised her head at the sound of a knock on the door. Melissa, who was arranging her bedding, hurriedly opened the door and found Bennett standing in front of it.

“Your Grace, you have a visitor from the palace.”  “A visitor?”  Julia tilted her head. She followed Bennett curiously to the reception room, where the attendant standing inside greeted her politely.

“Grand Duchess. I am the immediate attendant to Her Imperial Highness the Crown Princess.”  The servant held out something. It was an envelope with an imperial pattern on it. Bennett held out the letter opener he had prepared in advance. Julia opened the envelope,

took out the contents, and immediately read the letter.

 

  The sender was Veronica, the Crown Princess. The letter contained a question about her safety.

And the words that an important guest would be arriving at the Grand Duke’s Duke’s castle shortly were added. It did not say who the precious guest was, perhaps as a deliberate attempt to arouse curiosity. Julia thought of Veronica’s kin d face for a while. Veronica was in the last trimester of her pregnancy and was concentrating on her prenatal care. She looked very happy as she held her swollen belly by the Crown Prince’s side.  Julia gave a small smile, but the end of it transformed into a somewhat sad one. It was because her current circumstances were completely opposite from Veronica’s.  Julia tried her best to shake off her thoughts. Then she concentrated on worrying about who was the guest Veronica was referring to. But her worries faded, and the guest came to visit the very next day. *** It was a little late afternoon and Julia was staring blankly at the man in the main hall.

“How have you been?”  A tall man in a white priest’s uniform greeted her with a friendly smile.  It was Matheus, the priest she had met at the National Celebration Day.

“The guest the Crown Princess mentioned in the letter is you, priest?”  Murmuring, Julia slowly approached Matheus.

She never thought she’d see Matheus again like this.   Matheus smiled as she looked at him with a mixture of surprise and happiness.

“After the prayer for Princess Veronica, I stopped by on my way back to t o the temple.”  Matheus took a leisurely look around. Some of the servants who were standing in the lobby glanced at him, for his holy appearance seemed somewhat alien to the dark and hea heavy vy airiness of the temple.

“May I see His Highness first and say hello?” 

 

“Ah, His Highness is currently not at the castle. He’s out for some political affairs, but I am not sure when he will be back…..”  Fernan’s return times were different different lately, so Julia couldn’t be sure when he would arrive.   Julia first led Matheus to the parlor. The servant who opened the door disappeared to go prepare some refreshments, and then Julia opened her mouth.

“There were many words I wanted to hear from you, priest. I did not expect to see you like this.”  “The Crown Princess is very worried about you. She was concerned about your pale complexion the other day. So she asked me to stop by the castle and pray for Lady Julia.”   “…I see.”  Veronica’s warmth was fully felt, and Julia had a faint smile appear on her lips.  “You said you had many questions for me. I will answer everything sincerely.”  Matheus’ relaxed voice descended. Julia asked one question a t a time, feeling his relaxed demeanor calm her down as well. “To which temple do you belong, priest?”  “‘The Temple of Ilion. It’s not too far from Caesar’s territory.”  The Temple of Ilion was not a temple belonging to the Empire. Matheus traveled throughout the empire and was asked by the imperial family to stay at the imperial palace for a while. He was a capable and trusted priest.

Julia calmly organized her thoughts. She wasn’t sure what to ask first.   Matheus, who had been staring at her, spoke up first.

“You are very much like your mother.”   Julia stared blankly at him. Her clear eyes began to shake.

“Do you know my mother?” 

Yes, because I was there when you were born.  

 

  Julia’s hands began to tremble slightly. Her heart began to beat fast. Matheus reached out his hand to her. Julia looked at his hand absentmindedly and held it as if possessed. She could instinctively feel his divine power flowing through her hand.

“I’ve told you before that I’m confident in my healing.”  Julia took a deep breath as she felt the power flowing along her entire body. My wild heart slowly began to return to its normal speed.

“You were the first life I saved with this holy power.”  Once upon a time, Matheus, a novice priest in a small temple, saw a young woman who came alone to pray every night. She was always crying, and sometimes she would laugh with her hand wrapped around her stomach. Young Matheus watched her every day, and from a certain moment he would wait for her to come. Day by day her belly grew fuller and fuller.

“One day, a midwife and a doctor rushed to visit the temple. They said the pregnant woman had fainted and there was nothing they could do to help her.”  They visited the priest as a last resort, but of all people, only a young novice priest was in the monastery that day. Matheus rushed to her house, but was unable to give any help.

“All I could do was pray, so I prayed with all my heart. Please help the woman in labor and the child.”  After Matheus took a moment to catch his breath, he continued his story.

“And that day, God made me realize the holy power that was latent in me.”  Matheus transferred some of the enlightened power into the woman’s belly, and she woke up safely and gave birth to a child. The heart of the newborn child was filled with the holy power of Matheus.

 

“The first blessing I gave as a priest was that the child would grow up happier than anyone else.”  Matheus stared at Julia and asked,  

“Are you happy now?” Julia stared at him blankly, but quickly turned away. She raised her hand and brought it to her chest, feeling her heart pounding as she answered,

“I…”  She wasn’t happy. So she couldn’t continue to answer.  Gazing at Julia’s complicated face, Matheus whispered quietly quietly,,  “If you’re not happy, it’s my fault.  He averted his gaze and looked at the window. Then he slowly opened his mouth again. a gain.

“You are still as special to me as ever.”  “…”  “So, whenever you need help, you can come to me.”  Julia raised her head and looked at Matheus. His story was so so amazing that it was hard to believe, but unlike the complexity of her mind, her heart was calm. She could instinctively know. That thanks to the holy power that resides in her heart, she could regain stability if he was by her side. side .

“I…”  Just as Julia was about to open her mouth, someone opened the door without knocking. When she turned to look, she saw Fernan was standing there, having just returned to the castle.

 

Chapter 18 Fernan looked at Julia with an expressionless face and a nd then quickly turned his attention to Matheus. Matheus rose from his seat and greeted him.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, My Lord. I am Matheus, priest of the Temple of Ilion.”  “I was told that the Crown Princess sent you. What is it for?”  Approaching them without hesitation, Fernan took a seat and tilted his head. head . Matheus smiled lightly and replied.

“The Crown Princess, concerned for the safety of Lady Julia, asked me to visit the Duke’s castle.”  Fernan’s gaze turned to Julia. She was staring into space like s omeone lost in thought. “And with your permission, I would like to bless the castle.”  Fernan, who had been staring at Julia, opened his mouth without hesitation.

“Do so.”  As Fernan’s reply fell, Julia suddenly looked at him. Their eyes met, but she did not react much and spoke to Matheus. “I will show you the room where you will stay after dinner.”  “Thank you.”  Matheus smiled softly. Julia also looked at him, her lips raised faintly.

A faint ripple occurred in Fernan’s eyes as he watched the scen e. *** After Matheus had left the castle, castle , Julia was often absent-minded. Sitting at the table, she stared at the pendant in her hand. The pendant, engraved with a blue gemstone, was given to her by Matheus before he left. The pendant contained part of Matheus’ power. Julia put the pendant in a drawer.  

 

She checked her pocket watch and quickly left the bedroom. Then she stood in front of the railing and looked down at the main hall on the first floor. Fernan was always passing by, walking towards the doorway.

Julia always gets up at the time of Fernan’s departure. departure.  Otherwise, there was no chance to see him to her heart’s content.  She had long ago stopped standing by the servants to see him off in person. She didn’t want to get a scornful look from him again. So she was content to look at him, even if it was just for a moment. ‘I’m a fool.’   The end between them was already decided. For a time she thought they would have many days together and she tried to change his mind, but it was useless now. ‘I love him, but I know that I can’t keep this heart for long.’   However, Julia was not ready to give up on even seeing him from afar.

“Oh, Your Grace.”  Walking down the corridor with a weak gait, Julia turned around at the sound of a voice calling her. Melissa, who had brought one of the letters with her, stopped in front of her.

“A letter was sent from Marquis Elody.”  Julia stared at the letter Melissa held out to her, and immediately accepted it. Returning to her bedroom, she sat down in front of the table and left the letter unopened.

Even if she didn’t open it and read it, the contents were already known. For the Marquis sent her letters with the same content every day. ‘··· What am I supposed to do?’   Julia sighed deeply as she clutched her eyes with her slender hands.

 

Fernan said he didn’t want her heart. He never wanted her as a wife. He thought about ending this marriage and kept pushing her away. However, her father told her to keep Fernan around somehow. He urged her to make babies and make this marriage more solid….   Julia bit her soft lip and bowed her head. She felt like her head was going to crack. ***

In the end, Julia didn’t answer the Marquis’s letter as she always did.  Since then, all the letters lette rs that arrived every day piled up on one side, and she pretended not to see them. If no reply from her, the Marquis might come to the castle and get mad at her.

But Julia didn’t want to bother with these letters any longer.  She turned off her thoughts and tried to read a book, then she suddenly looked out the window. Autumn was almost over already.

As time went on, she had no idea when she would be driven out of this castle. Fernan didn’t say anything. He was just busy as usual, and it was hard to even see him. So Julia decided to make the best of the situation and take it easy. It was just after noon when she took a walk around the castle. After looking up at the sky for a while in the faint sunlight, she suddenly heard a loud noise.

“We have to leave right now. Hurry up.”   As she turned, Julia saw Bennett fumbling around near the stable. Julia was just passing by the road, so without thinking she spoke to Bennett.

“What’s going on?”  “Oh, Grand Duchess.”  Bennett replied hesitantly as he bowed his head. hea d.

“I received a letter addressed to His Highness the Grand Duke, and it seems to be urgent.”  Julia’s eyes grew wide as she stared at the letter in Bennett’s hands. 

 

It was because the front of the envelope was sealed with the pattern of the Marquis of Elody.

“Do you know what it is, by any chance?”  “I don’t know, but the servant to His Highness immediately.” immediatel y.” who brought the letter said it was urgent and said to give it Julia had a bad feeling. She looked serious and averted her gaze, then quickly held out her hand.

“I’ll give it to him.”  “You want to give it to His Highness personally?”  Bennett seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then gave her the letter. Soon the horseman, whom Bennett had called, was pulling the carriage over. Since she was already dressed in her outdoor clothes, Julia made no special preparations and got into the carriage immediately.

“Have a safe trip, Your Grace.”  Bennett saw her off, and the carriage began to drive away. Julia stared at the window with anxious eyes. She couldn’t sit still seeing the letter was sent to Fernan from her father.

Julia hadn’t replied to any of the Marquis’ letters, and now he sent it to Fernan instead…  Julia clasped her hands together. She didn’t know what exactly, but she had a feeling that it definitely wasn’t a good thing.   It may be a groundless fear, but Julia couldn’t trust her father.  She worried that her father might try to give Fernan the drug like he gave her last time. She thought she would feel better if she went directly to Fernan and asked him about the letter. She didn’t want to create any more misunderstandings with him.  

“Your Grace, we have arrived at the mansion.”  Before she knew it, she reached the destination and the horseman opened the door.

 

Julia got out of the carriage and briefly scanned the exterior of the large mansion. It was only today that she learned that Fernan had a separate mansion. She was dubious about it, but she needed to speak to him first.

The moment she reached the gate, Julia bumped into someone who was walking out of the mansion.

“Ah!”  “Oh, I’m sorry…”  Julia was about to apologize, apologize, but paused. The person who came out of Fernan’s private mansion was someone she knew. A woman with her red hair down gracefully. It was Cornelia, Duke Blair’s daughter.  Julia remembered her from the day of the banquet, when she talked to the noble ladies and they greeted each other briefly.

“Eh, Grand Duchess?”  Cornelia looked at Julia with her big eyes. Julia froze in place and stared at the gate of the mansion Cornelia just walked out. Why would Lady Blair come out of Fernan’s mansion? When Julia herself only found out today that Fernan had a separate residence… 

Julia’s mind froze blank for a moment.  “Um, Your Grace, you can’t go in now.”  Cornelia smiled beautifully as she looked at the frozen Julia.

“It’s probably best if you don’t go in.”  “… What do you mean?”  Julia asked back in a hard tone, and Cornelia leaned her back against the large gate. She stared at Julia, her gaze filled with interest and mockery.

“On the day of the Founding Festival banquet, banquet, I heard the conversation between His Highness and the Grand Duchess.” 

 

At the leisurely reply, Julia’s face darkened as she remembered that day.   Cornelia, who was looking at Julia closely, continued with amusement.

“It seems that His Highness is thinking of divorcing you…”  Cornelia’s eyes narrowed as if she felt sorry.  “Poor thing.”  Cornelia smiled with satisfaction as she watched Julia’s expression change from time to time. “Why don’t you find someone to soothe your loneliness too?  “…”  “After the divorce, you’ll have someone to reconsider.”  Was this what the sudden ominous premonition was about? Cornelia didn’t speak any of it directly, but Julia could see the meaning of her words at once. It was about the possibility that Fernan might have another woman in his life. And at the same time, rumors around her suddenly danced in her head. Julia stared with shaky eyes at the mansion where Cornelia was blocking the entrance. She wanted to ask Fernan the truth, t ruth, but she was immediately afraid. Because Fernan had already told her about the end of this marriage, and most of all, he hated her.

What difference would it make if he told her the truth when he didn’t even think of her as his wife from the beginning? Julia pictured him in her mind, looking down at her with his usual cold eyes and hurting her with even colder words.

 

Chapter 19 The Duke of Blair visited Fernan’s private mansion about an hour before Julia arrived.   His daughter, Cornelia, was standing beside him.

“I didn’t expect your daughter to come with you.”   Despite the numbness in his voice, Fernan’s eyes showed signs of annoyance.  Duke Blair has been requesting a face-to-face meeting since the founding festival. Since he expressed his willingness to visit the Grand Duchy in person, Fernan had no reason to refuse and accepted the request without hesitation, but he didn’t know Duke Blair would come with his daughter.

“I have come to see Your Highness once more. It seems that you misunderstood me on the day of the banquet.”  Cornelia smiled lightly. After seeing that serpentine smile, the memory of running into that woman on the terrace on the day of the banquet came vaguely to Fernan’s mind.  This made him feel uncomfortable, but at the same time, he understood why the father and daughter visited him.

“Let’s sit down first.”  Fernan, who had been staring at them, nodded and led them to their seats. As soon as they were seated, the Duke of Blair opened his mouth with a respectful smile.

“Marquis Elody must be on fire by now. I don’t know how he knew I was coming here, but he went on a mad rampage.”  Marquis Elody was a savvy man, pacing from place to place and gathering information. So he was well informed about the Duke of Blair’s business.  

“It’s easier to deal with it if you know it in advance.”  Fernan narrowed his brows dourly. He pictured the Marquis rushing to the Emperor to report the situation. It was supposed to offend the Emperor if the Grand Duke was in contact with another family with an evil heart.

 

“Well, by the way. I heard from my daughter the other day that Your Highness is already thinking about divorce.”  Duke Blair’s condescending condescending words brought back another memory of the day of the banquet to Fernan’s mind, when he was annoyed by Julia’s constant approach.  “Do you think this marriage will last forever?”   Remembering that moment, Fernan, who was somehow in a depressed mood, looked at Duke Blair and answered in a cold voice.

“Your daughter seems to have a light mouth. I didn’t expect she would pass on the dialogue she overheard.”  Cornelia visibly flinched at the cold words. Without even looking at her, Fernan went on without feeling guilty.

“So, the reason you came this far was not because you were curious about whether I was getting divorced or not, was it?”  “Of course not.”  Duke Blair, perplexed for a moment by the tense atmosphere, quickly cleared his throat and began to get to the point. The reason Duke Blair approached Fernan was to ensure that he would be drawn into the aristocracy. Currently, Fernan was in a neutral position, but his shell belonged to the imperialist faction. Along with the fact that he was the emperor’s nephew, the main reason was that he married Marquis Elody’s daughter. 

“Although you’re currently in a relationship with the Grand Duchess… Well, divorce is something you can do any time.”  “…”  “Of course, moving rashly will arouse His Majesty’s suspicion. But that is when there is no reason to do so.”  Duke Blair added in a meaningful mea ningful tone.

“It would be a different story if the Grand Duchess had a major flaw that made divorce unavoidable.”  Duke Blair continued to speak smoothly.

 

“Even if she doesn’t have any flaws, you can make it up. Yes , you can spread a few fatal ugly stories about a young and beautiful noblewoman.”  The Duke’s words followed, and Fernan clenched his fists unknowingly. unknowingly. Blood ran down the back of his hand. Fernan, who had been staring at the Duke with a seething gaze, quickly returned to his expressionless face again.

“I’m flattered that you even made your own plans for my divorce.”  Even though Fernan was being sarcastic to the fullest, Duke Blair skillfully passed on his words.

“The Grand Duke’s divorce is an essential element of the plan I’m proposing.”  The Duke’s lips lifted straight up as Fernan tilted his head as if to say, “Tell me your great plan once.”  “After the divorce, let’s make a connection with my family.”  “…”  “…Do you not know. If you carry my family on your back, His Majesty will not be angry a ngry with you for very long.”  Fernan, who was silently listening to the Duke’s words, let out a small sneer.  That was the reason Duke Blair came to see him. He wanted to force his daughter on Fernan. Duke Blair wasn’t any different from the Marquis Elody.

“This is your chance to get out from under the shadows of the royal family. Wasn’t this a marriage that the Grand Duke never wanted from the beginning, and was unreasonable in many ways?”  The Duke’s words were not wrong. Fernan never wanted this marriage and could have ended it whenever he had the chance. But, why does the question Julia asked a sked come to his mind at this moment?

“When are you going to divorce me?”   He thought of her face as a s he listened to her he r quiet voice, and for a moment his feelings fell completely to the bottom.

 

For some reason, he felt his heart sink heavily. In fact, whenever he thought of her lately, he was always surrounded by this feeling. ‘Why on earth….’  

Fernan’s brows narrowed as he pondered in front of the Duke. The rootless afterimage of Julia completely eroded his mind. She was a woman who was constantly bothering him even when he tried to ignore her.

A strange woman who wouldn’t care about his rude words and cold treatment. She didn’t even show anger when she was being bullied by the servants. He had been desperately pushing her away because he was bothered by the way she looked at him with clear eyes, but she was always the same. She got on his mind like that. He didn’t know when or why.   He could never quite acknowledge that fact and a nd ignored it, but her face always came up suddenly and stirred his mind endlessly. ‘Have I finally gone mad?’   ‘Yes, I must have gone crazy.’  

“Your Highness?”  Fernan finally raised his head at the voice calling him. He stared at the Duke and Cornelia, who were looking at him. He knew that joining forces with the Duke of Blair would be convenient in many ways. But he didn’t have the slightest desire to do so.  Rather, he was with Julia….  Fernan, who flinched with confusion, raised his eyes and opened his mouth.

“Duke Blair.”  His expression tightening as he left his tangled mind behind him, Fernan continued to speak with a stern voice.

“I don’t intend to divorce. So, don’t look for me for this anymore.” 

 

The Duke, who sent Cornelia out, tried to persuade Fernan for a long time. However, when Fernan refused to the end, the Duke returned to the capital and promised to come back in the near future. Fernan knew the Duke wouldn’t give easily, but that didn’t matter. Because he (Fernan) was that not going to change what heup decided.

He still didn’t know what this anxious feeling was every time he thought of Julia.   If he could see her face and hear her voice, would he be able to understand what this unsettling feeling was? Fernan, who returned to his castle earlier than usual, headed for Julia’s room, passing all the servants who greeted him.  Stopping in front of the door of the large room, he knocked on it without hesitation. Soon the door opened and Julia appeared. Julia looked up at him without saying a word. Her pale face was expressionless, and he did not hear the usual greeting asking if he was back. Fernan stared at her warily, and then opened his mouth.

“What have you been up to?”  Julia, who had dropped her gaze, made a small movement of her lips.

“I was just sitting.”  Her voice was subtle and faint. Fernan examined e xamined her secretly, wondering if she was hurting, but at that moment, she pulled out something.

“This letter was sent to Your Highness. I was going to deliver it to you in person, but something came up…..”  Receiving the letter, Fernan glanced at the sender and shoved it roughly into his pocket. He didn’t even need to read it, seeing that it was a lett er er from the Marquis. Fernan hesitated for a moment, then spoke casually.

“Have you eaten yet?”  “No.” 

“Then let’s go down together now.” 

 

  Julia looked up at him quietly and immediately dropped her gaze on his outdoor clothes. When she saw that he was still dressed in his morning clothes, Julia spoke calmly.

“I think it’d better if you change your clothes c lothes first. I’ll go down first and wait.”  With those words, Julia walked past him. For some reason, the back of her as she carried her feet felt different from her normal appearance. Fernan watched the distant Julia for a while before turning away.

 

Chapter 20 When Fernan, dressed in casual clothes, arrived in the dining room, Julia did not look at him as she usually did.  was mansion. now filled This was Julia’s mind across in because front of Fernan’s private mansion .  with the voice of Cornelia, whom she came Until he sat down and the attendants at tendants served him food, Julia only looked at the table in a daze.

“Are you not feeling well again?”  The sudden sound of Fernan’ Fernan’ss voice brought her out of her reverie.  Turning her gaze to him, Julia shook her head as she looked at him sitting across from her.

“Then why don’t you try some?”  At this moment, Julia bit her lips with Fernan’s unusually soft voice.   She wanted to remove her heart, which pounded like a habit even in this situation. She already knew very well that he would divorce her one day. But she was trying to accept it in her own way. Still, she felt lonely and sad at the same time that he was already planning to leave me. Even though she knew that she didn’t deserve that.  After making an effort to change her expression, Julia started sta rted eating like it was nothing. Meanwhile, her wounded heart was endlessly quieted. *** Before she knew it, early winter was approaching. In the meantime, the garden was repaired and a greenhouse was built in the vacant lot. Julia walked into the greenhouse and stared at the snowflakes dancing through the transparent glass.

“Are you sure you just want to order these?”  Bennett, standing next to her, checked the order list and asked with a questionable face.

Julia nodded silently.

 

  She was going to fill this greenhouse with nothing but lilies. There was no deep meaning to it. She just wanted to leave at least one trace of her in this castle.

“Ah, Grand Duke.”  As Julia turned at Bennett’s words, she saw Fernan entering the greenhouse.  He took a quick step forward and sat down casually on the other side of Julia. Julia watched him in silence, but then quietly opened her mouth.

“Are you here to see the greenhouse?” greenhouse?”  “No.”  “Then…”  Fernan looked through the window pane without replying. Julia carved such a profile into her eyes. Recently, Fernan started to be quite gentle with her. He would casually visit her and sit in silence, or even suggest that they have dinner together once in a while. Julia attributed the reason for his attitude to one last act of kindness on his part.

He was not a man who fit the word kind….but it felt good to think that way.  Julia decided to just enjoy the moment.

She didn’t want to waste her last moment with him, crying, hurting, and resenting.  “I’m going to plant a lot of lilies in this greenhouse.”  “….”  “It’s my… my favorite flower.”  Fernan wouldn’t be interested in this nonsense, but there was nothing Julia could do because it was her last time.

 

Julia continued to talk in an unfittingly cheerful tone.

“It’s nice to have a lot of snow here. When I lived in the capital, I had to wear thin dresses in the winter because of the high temperatures.”  Fernan stared at her. She blinked her long eyelashes slowly, a small smile on her face.

“I don’t think it’s been long since I’ve been here, but time has already passed so quickly.”  So much had happened in that time. So many things had changed, but the only thing that remained the same was her heart. There had been times she resented him, but she had always loved him. It was still as true now as ever. Julia smiled quietly, making eye contact with him. The corners of the eyes curved gently, and the sea-blue eyes shone softly.

Fernan’s eyes widened for a moment as he gazed at her. He quickly averted his gaze.   “… You talk a lot today.”  “I guess it’s because it’s snowing, and I’m excited.”  Fernan’s mouth lifted in a small smile at her gentle voice. “….like a child.”  They looked at different places. Each with a smile that meant something different.

Loneliness oozed from Julia’s lips. She felt as if they were an ordinary couple, sitting together like this, having a conversation. Julia knew it was a meaningless time for Fernan, but this time was so precious to her, even just for a moment. ****

“Your Highness, why did you do that? It could have been a good opportunity.”  When Lloyd learned that Fernan had t urned urned down Duke Blair’s proposal, he couldn’t understand his decision. Unable to hide the questionable expression on his face, Lloyd continued to speak.

 

“Even if you don’t want to do it now, you should take your time to decide.”  Duke Blair was also the head of the aristocratic faction. But he came in with his pride bent, so did Fernan have to refuse so bluntly?

“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have an insurance policy beforehan beforehand, d, just in case things go wrong.”   “Shut your mouth.”  Fernan answered as if he was annoyed. Lloyd kept his mouth shut, but still couldn’t understand his Lord. Fernan had said long ago that he would end this marriage with the Grand Duchess when the time was right. It was only natural. The marriage was forced without a single word of Fernan’s will.   But, what kind of a change of heart would cause him to suddenly decide not to divorce her?

“…but I don’t think the Duke of Blair will give up easily.”   Lloyd gave a small mumble. He was going to ask Fernan if he should consider it again, but Fernan turned over one document and intercepted the words.

“I just refuse, that’s it.”  “…”  Lloyd looked at Fernan, and shook his head in disbelief.

For what it’s worth, Fernan was very strange right now. How could he not divorce the daughter of the Marquis he despised so much when the chance was handed to him? His lord was not a man who changed his mind so quickly. He was a man who always made accurate judgments, who planned with certainty, and who never changed his mind, no matter what. ‘Don’t tell me he’s got a crush on her or something.’  

“Your Highness, could it be that ………?”  Lloyd, who opened his mouth carefully, soon stared at Fernan with a puzzled face.

 

It was because Fernan was looking out the window and smiling. Just a slight one, but not a sneer or a cynical smile, but one that came from the heart ….   Lloyd blinked in dismay as he followed his gaze and looked out the window.

“…Why are you smiling so much while watching the snow fall?”  “…Huh?”  Lloyd’s complexion changed terribly. His lord was now like a man half obsessed with something. Be very firm about that too. Fernan continued to stare out the window until Lloyd shook his head with a shocked look on his face, and eventually dropped his gaze at a t the documents on the ttable. able. A report on the demon invasion that occurred at the border was intensified.

He didn’t know for sure, but it seemed strange. It seemed like someone was releasing a large amount of demons. Fernan signed the document saying that he would be visiting the border in the near future, and handed it to Lloyd. At the same time, Julia was welcoming the Marquis, who made a sudden visit to the Grand Duke’s castle.  She was flustered when she saw her father, who came to visit her without saying a word, but hurriedly showed him to the reception room. The Marquis, who acted no differently than usual, suddenly slapped Julia J ulia when the surroundings became quiet. Julia, who stumbled greatly, grabbed her hot cheek and looked up at the Marquis in a daze. The frowning Marquis, who had lost his good looks, shouted in an angry voice. Julia’s lips trembled.

“What on earth have you been doing? What did you do that made the Grand Duke do such a crazy thing!”  “What do you mean…”  Unable to finish her words, she stopped speaking. speaking. She hadn’t seen the Marquis this angry in a long time. Her hands began to tremble.

 

After struggling for a long time, the Marquis soon cleared his breath and spat out word by word.

“The Grand Duke met with another family. Do you know what that means?”  “…”  “It means that he is looking for a new marriage partner to break up this marriage.”  When Julia didn’t seem surprised, the Marquis shouted again with his eyes wide open.  “You knew about this? Yes, there’s no way you didn’t know. This is all because of your misbehavior!”  The loud voice hurt her ears. She could taste the fishy taste of blood as if her mouth was ripped open, but Julia kept her gaze down and remained silent. The Marquis glared at her as if he was about to devour her and continued to speak.

“I told you many times…”  “…”  “If this marriage is ruined, you will no longer be my daughter!”  “…It’s up to you.”  Julia muttered quietly. The Marquis couldn’t believe his ears and asked back.   “What?”  “You can throw me out, or you can kill me. Do as you please.”  Julia’s blue eyes lost their light and became dimmed.  She really didn’t want to think about anything right now.  

 

Chapter 21 The Marquis, who was staring threateningly at Julia, opened his mouth in a hideous tone.

“You’re… you’re really out of your mind, aren’t you?”   It was the first time Julia had tried to defy him in such a way. The Marquis’s eyes angrily distorted. The more he thought about it, the more he was disgusted. “You dare to make such threats against me without knowing the benefits I have given you.”  Julia stared at her father with unfocused eyes.

It all didn’t matter anymore. Whether her father was going to beat her to death or kick her out of the family. She couldn’t think of anything, her head was as empty as a blanket. “Julia, listen carefully to what I say.”   The Marquis, who managed to contain the anger that was building up to the top of his head, calmly opened his mouth.

“It’s not like you don’t have a chance to make up for it. You can have an heir before the Grand Duke declares a divorce. Then you can keep him in your grasp. ….”  “I don’t want to.”  Julia muttered quietly, and the Marquis immediately frowned. Unable to contain his rising anger, the Marquis lifted his sturdy hand once more, but someone knocked on the door at that moment.

“Excuse me.”  Bennett, who came in with refreshments, sensed an unusual atmosphere and paused for a moment.

“Um, I’ve brought tea…”  Frowning, Bennett glanced at Julia, who remained motionless.

Meanwhile, the Marquis, who had finally managed to hold back his anger, sat down as if nothing had happened and said to Bennett.

 

  “Leave the tea.” 

“Oh, yes…”  Bennett placed the tea on the table and carefully observed Julia, who was standing still. When the Marquis noticed Bennett’s look, he opened his mouth in a caring tone.  

“Julia, father is wrong. Don’t just stand there, sit down. There are people under you, so you have to set an example.”  There was no trace of the fiery anger he had shown earlier.

Seeing the Marquis’s attitude, which seemed to be simply placating his sulking daughter, Bennett tilted his head and walked out of the parlor.

As soon as said, Bennett left, his expression tightened tightened again, and he looked at Julia’s swollen, red cheek and “You have to take care of the matter no matter what. Stop being rebellious.” rebellious.” 

“…”  “Tsk, how can you face the t he Duke with a face like that?”   The Marquis glared at Julia for a moment and a nd continued speaking.

“‘No matter how much the Grand Duke says he’s like a wooden stone, in the end he’s just a man. If you make up your mind and jump at him, he won’t be able to refuse.”  “…”  “So, do whatever you have to do, you must have a child with him.”  Julia looked at the Marquis with a subdued gaze. His father ’s eyes, filled with greed as always, were the same color as her own.

It was so humiliating that she couldn’t bear the fact now.   “This is your last chance. It won’t happen again. Don’t think that I can’t do anything about a girl like you.” 

Julia didn’t even blink at the Marquis’ continued threats. 

 

  Her dimly locked face showed no signs of life. ***

“Oh my god, what is this…?”  Melissa was astonished when she saw Julia’s swollen cheek.  After some time, her face, with its broken capillaries, became so red and hot that it hurt just to look at it. Julia just passed by Melissa without any reaction and sat sa t on the bed.

“Your Grace… are you alright?”   Julia nodded lightly. Melissa, who was watching her with concern, went outside to bring her a cold cloth. Left alone, Julia stared into the air. After sitting for a while without moving slightly, she suddenly stood up and approached the drawer. There was a pendant in it and a nd Julia quickly took it out. It was the pendant that Matheus had given her. Light shone on the blue jewel, which was filled with his holy power. When she put it to her heart, she could feel the power of the pendant resonating with the power of her heart. It calmed her mind gently.

“Are you happy now?”   Suddenly Matheus’ voice came to mind, asking me if she was happy. Julia went back in her memory. Has there ever been a time when she was happy, e even ven just once? She was pensive and dropped her gaze helplessly. She had never been happy in the past, and she wasn’t happy now. 

She didn’t even know what to do to make her situation better. Closing her heavy eyelids, Julia put the pendant back in. She walked to the bed without strength and laid her tired body down, and her eyes closed by themselves. At that moment, Melissa, who had gone to get the cloth, knocked on the door and went inside.

But Julia was so exhausted that she didn’t even notice. 

 

  Melissa rushed to her side, and gently placed the cool cloth on Julia’s swollen cheek. But Julia couldn’t feel any sensation.  She could only stare and think.

Even if she couldn’t be happy, she already knew how to avoid this misery.  **** During his visit to the border, Fernan deployed more private troops to strengthen the defenses. As a result of his investigation, it became clear that the numerous demons that had invaded the border were the work of the Kingdom of Renev, Re nev, one of the defeated nations in the last Imperial War.

There were no major problems in defeating the was demons themselves, but the evacuation of the permanent residents living near the border complicated. They set up temporary shelters for the people, and then spent several days just raiding the areas. It was early in the morning when Fernan returned to the castle after four days. Fernan, who had stopped his horse and was heading for the rear gate of the castle, paused for a moment. He saw someone walking slowly around the garden, which was covered with a thin layer of snow. Gazing at the figure with squinted eyes, Fernan approached without hesitation. The figure was hidden from a dark view, but he could recognize her at a glance. That woman walking alone was Julia. She was wearing a thin slip dress and a shawl, even though the dawn breeze was cold. Fernan called her gently.

“Julia.”  It was the first time he had called her name aloud. While she was still feeling unfamiliar

with this fact, Julia slowly turned around.

 

“Why are you out here….?”  Fernan’s face hardened hardened for a moment as he spoke. It was because he saw the white gauze covering one of Julia’s cheeks. His brows contracted, and Fernan reached out to her face without hesitation.

“Are you hurt?”  He asked quietly as he lightly swept her cheek.

“Why, why did you get injured?”  Julia looked sullenly at his serious face, then changed the subject.

“You’re late.” 

Fernan wasn’t usually one to pass on the lore of being late for any reason separately.  This time, as usual, he left without saying a word to her. Therefore, Julia did not know why he had not come back to the castle for four days, and she just waited endlessly for him to return. Because there was something she wanted to say to him.

“Please tell me. What has happened?”  Fernan asked in a somber tone. He wanted to remove this gauze now and check the wound, but he had to listen to her first. But Julia just stood still without replying.

“Why aren’t you talking? Don’t tell me again….”  Fernan stopped speaking. Because Julia gently took his large hand in hers. Julia removed his hand from her cheek and let go without hesitation. Fernan stared down at his hand. His teeth were chattering somehow.

“Tell me who did this?” 

“Your Highness.” 

 

  “Is it a servant? Or…”  

You said you’d end this marriage one day.”  Fernan’s face crumbled slowly. He didn’t know why Julia suddenly brought it up in this situation. Her calm voice followed as he carefully examined Julia’s expression.  “Let’s end it now.”  “What?”  Fernan’s eyes wavered slightly. Julia said, looking into his eyes.  “We’re getting divorce.”  For the four days that Fernan was out, she agonized countless times. A husband who hated her. A father who forced her to have children with such a husband. So, to end this misery, she had to end this marriage.

Her love for him was still the same. However, she couldn’t endure this hell with her heart alone. Love alone can overcome all trials and tribulations, and that is the story of a fairy tale hero. Such a beautiful fairy tale where the story proceeds on the premise that the two protagonists love each other deeply. But Julia was in a situation where she couldn’t even qualify as a protagonist.  Her love was always one-sided. She was even more unhappy because she loved Fernan. Surprisingly, that fact hardened her heart.

 

Chapter 22 Fernan’s clear face slowly became distorted. A hunch that something was very wrong flashed through him. Julia now had a look on her face that he had never seen before, and she was spewing out unexpected words. Fernan was immediately perturbed, as he was trying to figure out what was going on. He slowly depressed his brain as he revealed a numb face.

“I will be the one to decide whether or not to end this marriage.”  His quiet eyes stared at Julia.

“Unfortunately,, you do not have a choice.”  “Unfortunately “…”  In a response different from what was expected, Julia’s c alm face gradually cracked. She didn’t have the slightest idea why he was suddenly doing this. Her mind was completely covered with questions. “You’re going to divorce me someday. Then it doesn’t matter when, does it?”   Facing Fernan’s eyes, Julia tried her best to grasp what was going through his mind. But there was nothing to see in the cold face.

Fernan quickly took off his own jacket and slowly wrapped around Julia’ Julia’ss shoulders.  While she was flinching, a low voice descended her ear.

“What’s the reason for this?”  “That’s… That’s what I want to ask you.”  Touching the large jacket on her shoulders without familiarity, Julia tried her best to keep her voice as calm as possible.

You always said I bother you.  

 

No matter how she tried to get close to him and how hard she tried to resolve the misunderstanding, misunderstand ing, he didn’t give her a single piece of his heart.  She no longer had the strength to handle his cold gaze. Being hurt has been enough so far. Julia, who had lowered her deep-set d eep-set gaze, continued to speak.

“So I will do as Your Highness wishes. I will divorce you and leave this castle…”  At that moment, Fernan reached out to her face. Julia, who swallowed the rest of her words as his hand lightly peeled off the gauze on her cheek, hurriedly covered her face. Fernan grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him.

“…Ah!”  The distance between them narrowed in an instant, Fernan’s eyes shook slightly as he stared at her face. The red wound on her cheek showed the marks of someone’s hand.  Sweeping her face still with a sad glare, Fernan muttered low.

“Tell me, who did this to you?”  Julia averted her gaze with a bewildered expression.

“…that’s not what’s important now, is it?”  “If you don’t want to tell me, I’ll look into it myself.”  Fernan quickly got to his feet. He was going to find out what kind of bloody b*st*rd had done this, even if he had to interrogate every single person in the castle. Julia stared blankly at him for a moment as he moved away, and then followed. Fernan finally stopped when a delicate hand grabbed his arm.

Don t do it. The servants didn t do it.  

 

“Then tell me who did.”  Fernan had no expression on his face, but a vein popped up on his powerful chib.

Julia didn’t notice it, and just asked him back with a complicated look in her eyes. “What are you going to do if I say it?”  Julia mumbled quietly, biting her lip.

“What’s so important to Your Highness that I’m hurt?”  Julia couldn’t possibly understand this situation. She S he couldn’t understand why Fernan avoided talking about the divorce, or why he was acting so sensitive. It was strange that he was so concerned about such a mere thing. He hated her. He said he would give her what she wanted, but now she was ready to break up with him completely. Julia was a little angry at the situation, not being able to do what she wanted even in a moment like this.

“You…”  Fernan stopped speaking for a moment, as if holding something back, and opened his mouth again.

“I’m angry that you’re hurt.”  “Why?”  Julia’s eyes were as clear as ever as she asked this question. The dawn sun began to rise behind her. Fernan’s eyes were filled with the faint light she was bathed in.   At this moment, he was angry with her, but at the same time he wanted to hold her.

Fernan lowered his gaze, narrowing his brows as he couldn’t control the emotions that were building up.

“What the hell?” 

 

  In a small recitation, he took off his steps as if he was running away. Julia looked confused at his distant back. She stood still for a moment, stroking his jacket that was left on her shoulders. ***

“Fortunately, the wound is healed now.”   Melissa sighed in relief. The scar on Julia’s cheek now remained faint.  Julia tried to pass it off as a scratch from bumping into somewhere, but Melissa didn’t seem to believe her.

“Your Grace, do you have anything more to take with you?”  “No, this is all I need.”  Julia lifted the pendant around her neck. She was going to visit the temple of Ilion where Matheus stayed today. She was worried that she would bother him, but Matheus was the only person she could ask for help at the moment. She trusted that Matheus would be able to help her through this confusing and complicated situation. It was an instinctive trust. Julia visited Fernan several more times after that day. But she only received a firm answer from him.

“I’m not going to divorce you, so you’d better give up.”   He was the one who wanted to divorce her from the beginning, but why did he change his mind now? He already has another woman. He even met with her to talk about their marriage. ‘How much are you trying to fool me?’   Julia came out of the room with a somber expression, and for some reason she glanced at the knight who was guarding the door.

“What’s going on?” 

 

  Her question was answered by the knight with a polite silent bow.

“His Highness has ordered me to stand by the Grand Duchess’s door.”  Julia, who was looking at the knight in a daze, asked suspiciously.

“Why such an order all of a sudden…”  “The order was that if anyone tried to harm the Grand Duchess, they were to be dealt with immediately.”  Julia stood there with a suspicious look on her face and quickly walked past the knight silently. As she stepped outside, the carriage was already there waiting for her. Julia, who was about to get into the carriage, turned around with a sigh. s igh. It was because of the inconvenience and discomfort of the knight behind her.

“Do you intend to keep following me?”  “Yes, Your Grace.”  Julia’s expression tightened at the decisive reply, and she climbed into the carriage without a word. When the carriage departed in such a manner and some time had passed, Julia gently opened the window. She could immediately see the knight running near the carriage with his horse. It was hard to breathe, feeling like she was being watched, but she couldn’t ask him, because he was just following orders. Julia slid down the cover on one side of the window. She had never had an escort before. So she had no idea how exhausting it felt to have someone following her around. *** In the office of the mansion, Fernan stood still behind his desk, his papers in disarray.

“Marquis Elody was the only visitor to the Grand Ducal Castle that day.”   Remembering Bennett’s words, Fernan broke the pen he was holding.

Under the circumstances, the wound on Julia’s face was likely caused by the Marquis. 

 

  It didn’t take much to find out, but it didn’t solve the question of why the Marquis had done that to his daughter. Surely the Marquis was a father who truly cared care d for Julia. At least that was how he always

acted in front of Fernan’s eyes.  As Fernan covered his forehead and sank into his thoughts, Julia’s voice naturally came to mind. “We’re getting divorced.”   At the same time, Julia’s re d, swollen cheek came to his vision vividly, and he felt an uncontrollable anger rising in him. “D*mn it… d*mn it…”  Filled with anger, Fernan raised his head at the sound of the door opening. Entering the office, Lloyd bowed silently and then reported.

“Your Highness, as you ordered, I have found several employers who used to work at the Marquis’ residence…” residence…”  Lloyd slurred his words somewhat hesitantly.

“I met the daughter of the attending physician who worke worked d at the Marquis’s residence long ago, and according to her… Apparently, the Grand Duchess is the Marquis’s illegitimate daughter.” 

 

Chapter 23 Fernan asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Illegitimate?”  “Apparently so. The physician’s daughter said the Marchioness never had a second child.”  Lloyd also added that the physician had died a long time ago, and it appeared that he was murdered. Fernan, who had been silent for a while, suddenly sud denly clenched his fists. Lloyd glanced at him with a pale face.

“Your Highness, if you will allow me, I will secure witnesses and written testimony.”  “…”  “Please send a formal complaint to Marquis Elody to hold him accountable.”  It wasn’t very uncommon for nobles to have illegitimate children children.. There were even times when the mistress and the child would be given separate places to sta stay. y. But it was in other cases that the illegitimate child was taken directly into the family. Among the aristocracy of the empire, where bloodline was important, it was a deception and fraud against the other party to proceed with the marriage with the illegitimate child.

“This is a fraudulent marriage, marriage, Your Highness.”  Lloyd spoke with force. Fernan was a member of the royal family, a Grand Duke of the empire at the center of the political world. The Marquis dared him to deceive him into this marriage with his illegitimate daughter; with this fact, the Emperor would not be able to say a word about this if Fernan wanted a divorce.

However, despite Lloyd’s ensuing words, Fernan remained silent for a long time.  His face remained so quiet that it was hard to tell what on earth he was thinking. In his mind all the words and behaviors that Julia had shown him, one after another passed by.

 

The aphrodisiac was found in her room earlier and the words that had insisted on her innocence. Even the look of contemplation and the soft, reluctant attitude when the Marquis was mentioned.

Of course, due to the nature of “he” the Marquis, there was no way he would care for an illegitimate child. Fernan now could guess how the Marquis usually treated Julia, J ulia, just by seeing how he blatantly slapped Julia in the Grand Duke’s castle.  That must be why Julia reacted the way she did whenever the Marquis was mentioned. Everything added up. Fernan was as quiet as ever, and for a moment there was an indescribable anger in the depths of his eyes. Lloyd opened his mouth again.

“Your Highness, of course, this was done by the Marquis, but it is a self -evident -evident fact that the Grand Duchess also remained silent and watched from the sidelines.”  The words caused Fernan’s brows to twitch, and then slowly return to normal.  Lloyd was right. Regardless of the situation before and after, the fact that Fernan had been deceived by her was self-evident. And Fernan felt an obvious shiver of rage at the situation. But it wasn’t because of the fact that Julia was an illegitimate child, nor the fact that he was deceived by her. It was directed at the Marquis who had treated Julia so badly. Fernan, who had been silent for so long, finally opened his mouth.

“Lloyd.”  “Yes, Your Highness.”  His face quickly turned cold.

“Nothing of what was said today can come out.” 

 

  “…Eh?” 

“Burn all the documents that can be considered as evidence.”  Fernan stood up from his seat, leaving Lloyd with a surprised look on his face. There was a sense of nervousness as Fernan left the office. *** Getting down from the carriage, Julia looked around the area for a while. Surrounded by a large wall, the Temple of Ilion had an open entrance for anyone to enter and exit freely. Julia, who was walking up the stairs, suddenly s uddenly turned around.

She saw Fernan’s knight following a few steps behind her.   “I’ll go on my own from here.”  When she hinted, the knight looked at her with an expression of difficulty. Sighing soundlessly, Julia opened her mouth again.

“This is a safe place, I don’t need an escort.”  The knight was troubled for a while, and then he quickly bowed.

“Yes, then, I will wait outside.”   Nodding with relief, Julia retraced her steps. When she finally climbed the high stairs and passed through the doorway, she found the garden straight ahead. In the garden, the temple visitors were spending their time. In the peaceful and relaxed atmosphere, her frustrated heart gradually began to fade away. Shortly after, Julia entered the main building and walked along the corridor. It must have been a long walk. From the other side, a child was seen running.

The child stopped in front of Julia and greeted her in a crisp voice.

 

  “Hello.” 

“Eh…Hello.”  Julia replied and smiled faintly. The child, who wore a priest uniform that was larger than his body, looked like a young priest. The child suddenly grabbed her hand without saying a word, and walked confidently forward.

“Where are you going?”  Julia asked with a panicked look on her face, and the child in front of her smiled as he turned his head around.

“Master Matheus asked me to take you. I heard a very precious guest has h as come.”  Julia’s eyes grew wide and round. How did Matheus know that she was going to visit him when she had never told him? She followed the child cautiously and saw a large arched door at the end of the corridor. The child opened the door with a bang and jumped inside.

“Master Matheus!”  Once inside, a vast space was revealed. Matheus, who was standing on the platform, turned around. He spotted Julia and smiled softly, just like in the past.

“Welcome.”  Julia, who was staring at Matheus as he approached, hesitantly opened her mouth.

“Did you know that I was coming?”  “Yes, I knew.”  Matheus’s calm gaze landed on the pendant around her neck “Thanks to the fact that the pendant has my power, I can feel your presence even from a far

distance.” 

 

“Ah…”  Julia gently stroked the pendant. Matheus, who was staring at her, asked.

“Do you need help?”  Julia nodded without reply. Matheus seemed to have the ability to see into her mind.

Although she hadn’t known him very long, Julia felt an unexplainable trust in him.  She had a feeling that he would be able to teach her how to be happy.

“Let’s move to a quiet place first.”   Nodding, Julia followed Matheus’ lead into the next room. The small room, which appeared to be a prayer room, was peaceful and serene. After taking a seat, Julia opened her mouth after a few moments of pondering.

“I…”  Julia was overwhelmed. After catching her breath, she continued slowly.

“I want to get out of this situation.”  Matheus listened to her silently. In his warm and careful gaze, Julia’s thoughts and feelings naturally came out. “I want to be happy, but I can’t, so I hope I can avoid this misery.”  “…”  “I don’t want to…love my husband. It seems like I can really do that, but it has to be now… but that person keeps me from moving forward.”  As she confided this, the faint resentment towards Fernan began to build up again. Julia gathered her gaze with a deep dee p sigh.

“What should I do?”  Her voice began to tremble. Matheus was lost in thoughts with his head down. After a while, Matheus slowly raised his head and opened his mouth in a cautious voice.

“I don’t dare to understand what you’ve been through.” 

 

  “…” 

A sad light came into Matheus’ eyes.  “With my lack of power, I will never be able to fully resolve the situation you are facing.”  Julia gave a small smile. She felt a little lighter when she confided her heart to Matheus. Matheus stared at her and quietly spoke again.

“But I can provide you the last resort.”  Matheus’ face was a little dark as he said this.   That was when Julia realized that this last resort wasn’t a good thing for her.   Julia stared at him and nodded, meaning that it was okay. She felt like nothing was matter. As long as she could get a away way from this misery. And so it was early evening when she returned to the castle after her long meeting with Matheus. Entering the bedroom, Julia found an uninvited guest in her room. Fernan was standing in the middle of the room waiting for her.

It was the first time he came to Julia’s room like this since the aphrodisiac aphrodisiac was found in her room a while ago. “Why are you here…?”  Julia mumbled in a perplexed voice. However, Fernan, who had entered her room at will, only asked with a blank face.

“You…. Are you the Marquis’s illegitimate daughter?” daughter?”  There was no explanation as Julia’s eyes gradually grew wide. Her face turned pale.   Julia, who couldn’t answer immediately and only trembled with her gaze, murmured in bewilderment.

“I…” 

 

  “I guess it’s true.”  Fernan swept his hair roughly. His face was slightly distorted. Julia, who was silent, approached him. Until now, the Marquis had thoroughly concealed the fact that Julia was his illegitimate daughter. However, no matter how hard he tried to hide it, it was impossible for the Marchioness, who had never been pregnant with her second child, to completely deceive everyone pretending to have given birth.

The Marchioness’ physician, the young errand boy….. Many people were sacrificed in the hands of the Marquis only to cover up the secret. The that Julia’schild. value as a commodity would be diminished if it was revealed that reason she wasbeing an illegitimate

 

Chapter 24 “Now you have one more reason to divorce me.”  The past which she wanted to forget came back to her at Fernan’s question, and Julia said with a tired voice.

Fernan’s forehead wrinkled wrinkled gently as he stared at Julia, who was mumbling in resignation. Julia did not give in and continued.

“My origin will be a legitimate reason for divorce. Your Highness deserves huge compensation from my family.”  A deep sense of emptiness washed over her face.

She didn’t want him to find out that she was illegitimate. Because she was afraid that he would reject her even more. But it was meaningless to worry now. No, it might be a good thing. A woman who secured the position of the Grand Princess while hiding her status. That noble man would never accept that. It was natural that he had h ad never wanted her as his wife from the beginning.

“So, if you decide to divorce me again, I will accept it without complaint.”  Fernan’s face was stained with twisted emotions as he watched Julia continue talking about divorce. Julia lowered her gaze, not noticing Fernan’s expression.  Seeing no response from Fernan, Julia looked up and met his gaze. Her shoulders shook slightly. The way he looked at her was a little different than usual. His eyes were always calm and cold, but now there was something boiling in them.

“If you get a divorce.”   “…” 

“Where would you go?” 

 

Unlike his intense gaze, Julia had a hard time answering the question, which he asked with a calm voice.

Because she hadn’t yet planned where she would go, how she would live, or anything like that. “That…”  When Julia slurred her words, Fernan approached her.

“Your identity is discovered and if you return to your family, is there any guarantee that you will be better than you ar e now?”  Fernan suddenly reached out and brushed Julia’s cheek.   Startled by the suddenness suddenness of the encounter, Julia’s eyes fluttered.   Meanwhile, his passing hand gently touched a strand of her disheveled d isheveled silver hair. The touch was light. But the voice that flowed out was increasingly hot and obsessive.

“Even if it’s the same hell, you might start to wish you were by my side.”   At that, Julia’s gaze began to shake aimlessly.  Hell… while she chewed on his words, the hand that had been circling her hair ca me down to her frail jawline. “You’re not getting a divorce.”  Gazing at her trembling lips, Fernan put more pressure on the hand that was holding her chin.

“So stay here and pay the price for daring to deceive me.”  With her chin slightly lifted, Julia stared at him. Veins on her neck started pulsating. The sound seemed to be heard in her ears.

His eyes, flickering like fire, held a strange emotion that Julia couldn’t quite measure.  Julia bit her lip and moved her chin.

He told her to stay here quietly, even in hell.

 

To pay the price for deceiving him….  Looking back at his words, Julia murmured in a faint voice.

“Why on earth are you doing this?”   She was finally ready to move on, but this man blocked her way so easily like this. Julia put a little more force into her gentle voice.

“You said you didn’t like me and I bother you.”  Even with her clear voice, there was no reply from Fernan. He just looked at her for a long time in silence. Eventually, Fernan stroked her cheek once more with his hand.

“Didn’t you tell me you liked me?”  The words sank her heart, which was barely holding on.

“Then don’t ask me why and stay quietly by my side.”   His low voice kept entering her ears as the distance grew closer and closer.

“If it’s love you want, there’s nothing I can’t give you.”   His long fingers slowly stroked her lower lip. Julia held her breath involuntarily as the hot touch made her body jittery. Lifting her disordered gaze, she saw a faint heat in his eyes that she had never seen before.

It was the kind of heat that didn’t quite fit this situation.   Eventually, he lowered his head deeply and stared at her, their distance was now too close. Julia, who came to her senses belatedly, regained consciousness, faltered and tried to turn her face, but the hand grasping her cheek forced her to fix her face on his. Then their eyes met again.

“Let me go…” 

 

  Julia tried to push him away with a faint voice, but he just lowered his lips. Her body froze as it was. The rest of her words were swallowed completely by the colliding lips. Julia felt the unfamiliar touch of his lips, unable to grasp the situation. ‘What is this…’   The feeling of his hard tongue parting her lips without time to push it out continued. Julia flinched and tried to turn her head away, but was quickly stopped by a firm hand grabbing her chin. Julia froze, unable to even close her eyes, as the hot se sensation nsation raked through her mouth. The sound of saliva sloshing in her mouth was accompanied by the sound of her breathing getting heavier and heavier.

Julia’s neck began to tremble. Fernan’s lips peeled back slightly, as if he was giving her time to breathe. It was only then that she finally gasped for air. But the lips that eventually collided with hers made her choke again. She pushed his chest away with all her might, but his hard body did not budge. Her legs lost their strength. The arms around her waist supported her wobbling body firmly.

Through increasingly fuzzy and wetflinched vision, she seehis Fernan’s face, whi ch was a different her temperature than usual. Julia andcould grabbed neck tightly. As she did so, she felt her body flutter upwards. Their lips didn’t even part at that moment.   Before she knew it, her back was touching a soft spot. She didn’t need t o check to know that she was on a bed. The kissing, which had been going on for a while, finally stopped. They were closer than ever, and she could feel their hot breaths. S Suddenly, uddenly, the ribbons tied behind her back were untied at once by his hands. The cold air touched her exposed shoulders. Julia gasped for breath and pushed on his shoulders when her dress was halfway down.

“…That’s enough.” 

 

This man, who had refused to do so even on their wedding night, was now revealing a fervor she could not understand. She didn’t know what to make of this sudden act.  

The love that he said he would give her… Is it just an act of mixing their bodies like tthis? his?  Julia covered her mouth with one hand, and pushed his chest away with the other. At this moment, she was sure s ure of one thing. Her feelings and opinions were of no value to him. He was never going to respect her. Biting her lips tightly, Julia held back the tears that were threatening to drop. Even so, the water that gradually came out began to moisten her eyes. Fernan stared down at Julia. Like a person who came to his senses late. Having Ha ving said nothing for a long time, he soon lowered his hand and touched her eyelids.

It couldn’t be, but his touch was gentle as if he was touching something precious. The hand that was wiping away all of her endless tears eventually fell away. At the same time, the shadow surrounding her gradually lifted. A bulky blanket was placed on her body.

“…”  Fernan got up from the bed silently, turned away and crossed the room. Julia closed her eyes with the sound of the door closing.

Only theto vibration seemed collapse.of her heart beating violently echoed through the room. Her heart *** After that day, Fernan increased the number of knights he had stationed around Julia. It was obvious that it was not only for the apparent reason of guarding her, but also for the purpose of surveillance. It was as if he expected Julia to run away.

“Your Grace, it’s Melissa. May I come in?”  

Julia, who was sitting on the bed, did not respond to the voice calling her outside.

 

She just buried her head more deeply d eeply into her knees. She stared only at her feet through the far distance of her vision.

Her disheveled hair blocked her view, but she didn’t feel like she needed to fix it.   Fernan no longer visited her. He just seemed to be getting reports on how she was doing.

Julia didn’t bother to leave the bedroom either.  She used to lock herself in the bedroom all day and sat still like this.

“If I divorce you, where will you go?”   As she buried her head in her knees, Fernan’s voice suddenly appeared in her vacant mind.  

“Even if it’s the same hell, you might start to wish that you’re better by my side.”   The voice that had led to the dryness of just laying out certain facts cut into Julia’s heart with ease. He was right. If she divorced him when her identity was discovered, she would never be safe. Perhaps she would really prefer to stay here as the apparent Grand Duchess. Julia gingerly touched her lips, which were still swollen. The damp air seemed to choke her again, as it had that day.

She still had no idea what Fernan’s reason was for not divorcing her.  He certainly didn’t like her. He even said she bothered him.  ‘There must be a reason for him to want to keep this  this marriage…’   Julia concluded after being lost in her thoughts for a while. For the sake of something to be gained by maintaining this marriage, he kissed her, whom he hated with all his heart. There was no need to get hurt now. The man had always been cruel to her, and had never

shown her any respect.

 

But no matter how hard she tried to be calm, there was no way to soothe this miserable heart that had hit rock bottom.

 

Chapter 25 As the surveillance in the vicinity increased, Julia remained quietly in her place for a while. The more time she spent alone, the more her mind sank endlessly. At dawn, after what might have been days, Julia paced by the door, unable to sleep. After a short hesitation, she opened the door and saw a dark and desolate hallway. Fortunately, the hallway appeared to be empty. While she was stepping out in such a cautious manner, someone suddenly stood in front of her.

“Your Grace.”  Surprised, Julia looked up and saw a knight bowing to her.

“It’s dawn. May I ask where you are going?”   “I’m just going for a walk.”  When Julia calmly replied, the knight bowed and continued.

“I will accompany you.”  “No, I want to go alone. You don’t have to follow me.”   She tried to sound as nonchalant as possible. Fortunately, the knight stepped out of her way.

“Yes, Your Grace.”  Feeling relieved by the unexpected obedient answer, Julia immediately walked past the knight. She left the castle and headed for the garden. She walked down the long garden path and soon stopped in front of a large fountain. In her hand was a pendant.

As she held the pendant close to her heart, Julia remembered Matheus quiet voice.  “The reason I gave you this pendant is because I hoped it would give you peace.”  

 

  On a recent visit to the temple, Matheus said, infusing the pendant with a stronger and denser holy power.

“But now, you have a situation, I will help you to use my power contained in this.”   That day, Matheus said something incredible. Julia could use the power herself. He said it was because of the holy power that was in her heart since birth.

“If you put the pendant close to her heart and make it resonate, you will be able to exert your power for a short time.”   This meant that the power of the heart could be used for a short time using the pendant as a medium. He added that the act of using the power in such a way always comes with a price. He said that her body was not in a stable state to use power and if she were to use it randomly, her body would not be able to handle it.

“Please consider this power as a last resort.”   Julia finished her recollection of Matheus’ words and put the pendant back in its place. Then she took a long look around. It was dawn and no one was passing around. She tightened her robe and hurried away. She continued walking in a rash manner.

The gate the of the castle would guarded by knights, so Julia deliberately headed towards direction wherecertainly no knightbe patrolled. Looking up at the high wall, Julia showed a determined face.

“If you use your power to hide your presence, you might be able to escape safely.”   There was no way to escape unless it was dawn like now. Just as she was about to take the pendant out of her pocket, someone grabbed her wrist. Her spinning body slammed hard into so meone’s chest. 

…!   She raised her head, and to her surprise, Fernan was standing there.

 

  Below his messy black hair, glistening golden eyes turned to her. While Julia froze for a moment, Fernan spoke with a frighteningly cold voice.

“What are you doing here?”  Julia didn’t answer, biting her trembling lip, so he asked again.  “Where do you intend to go at this dawn?”  “…”  “Tell me. Were you trying to run away?”  Julia’s expression tightened and she tried to shake him off, but the firm hand that grabbed her wrist was too strong. She was afraid of his gaze that seemed to swallow her all up. Julia lowered her shaky eyes. Obviously, the knight earlier let her go. But did he secretly follow her? Or there were eyes watching her from elsewhere. While Julia was silent with a gloomy face, her body was suddenly lifted up.

“…Ah!”  Fernan embraced her in his arms and began to walk leisurely. Julia could not hide her confusion when she looked closely at his face. When she lowered her gaze, she saw the collar of his shirt was loose. It looked as if he had jumped out of bed as soon as he heard Julia went out. His hands held below her knees and around her waist with persistent force. Julia was submissively held by him without rebellion. However, her mind was wa s tangled with many thoughts and they stirred wildly. Without even taking a glance at Julia, he stepped relentlessly. As he did so, he reached the castle in the blink of an eye. There was a commotion while Julia

left the castle to escape, and servants were gathering in the lobby left and right. Once inside, the servants who spotted him huffed and bowed.

 

  “…please let me down.”  Julia mumbled quietly, not wanting people to see her being held like this.

But Fernan didn’t even pretend to hear her, he just walked up the stairs. He wasn’t headed for the hallway where Julia’s bedroom was located. It was the other side, the hallway where his bedroom was. He opened the door a little urgently and placed Julia immediately on the bed. As Julia tried to get up, Fernan’s feeble efforts quickly put her back on the bed.  

“Stay here from now on.”  “What do you mean…?”  “You will stay here, in my bedroom only. Don’t go anywhere.”  Julia shrank at the cold words. She thought he was going to kiss her again like last time. But Fernan turned away, leaving her untouched. Then he sat down on the sofa a little further away and just stared at her. Julia, who was staring at him blankly, slowly straightened up. Holding the blanket tightly, she asked in a small voice.

“… Why are you doing this?”  “…”  “Tell me what it is that you want from me.”  She thought after he discovered her fake identity he would divorce her in a heartbeat, but…  Fernan’s brows furrowed. His lips moved as if he were about to say something, and then closed them again.

In the end, there was no answer that came back. Thus, only silence lingered between them for a long time. Julia felt a distant feeling and clenched her hands.

 

Her head felt dizzy. Julia, who had been sitting firmly, eventually buried her head in her knees. Fernan was still watching her. He never took his eyes off her, not even for a moment. Time passed without delay as she sat like that with a complicated mind. It was around morning when the sun rose that Julia opened her eyes. When she raised her body, a thick blanket fell down. ‘When did I sleep?’   She remembered she was sitting up, but before she knew it, she was lying in bed asleep. Julia hurriedly checked the surroundings and did not see Fernan. With a small sigh of relief, Julia got out of bed. While doing so, she crossed the room and suddenly the door to the dressing room on one wall flashed open. Standing in front of the door, Fernan stared at her quietly.

“Where do you think you are going?”   A voice with no highs or lows addressed add ressed Julia. Hesitantly, but not averting his gaze, Julia replied,

“I’m going back to my bedroom.”  “What for?”  Julia bit her lip at the cold voice that immediately struck back. She thought that in the morning he would change his mind about her staying only in his bedroom.

But it didn’t seem to be the case. Julia tightened her grip on the skirt of her dress.   “Are you going to keep me locked up?”   “If you keep trying to run away, you will be.”  Hearing the reply without hesitation, Julia remained speechless for a while and looked up

at him as he approached.

 

As usual, his face was expressionless. He was a man who just gave orders without any explanation. Julia relaxed her grip on her dress and bowed her head. Her pale eyes e yes grew redder. Fernand flinched without realizing it, but it was just that. All that flowed out was an indifferent voice that swallowed all emotions.

“Tell me you will stay with me and don’t bring up the divorce or anything else.”  “…”  “Then I won’t lock you up or monitor you anymore.”  Julia gave a small faint laugh, looking like she was about to cry. It was obvious what he wanted from her. He wanted her to live as the obedient Grand Duchess like she had been. me to live on the apparent great public expense as before. Even if she was hated and treated coldly, even if this was hell, just be quiet and stay by his side.

Julia’s deep voice flowed from between her dry lips.  “Until when…”  “…”  “Are you going to be harsh to me, to the very end?”  The faint glimmer of light in Julia’s eyes disappeared completely.  This man, who had said with all his might that he hated her, was now suddenly telling her to stay by his side. He didn’t even tell her a convincing reason.  He just ordered her to do so, as if her heart was nothing to him. Julia became more and more frustrated. The bank of emotions that she had barely been able to contain completely collapsed.

She didn’t want to understand this man any more.  

 

Chapter 26 It’s been weeks since Julia took a s tep out of the bedroom. There was more surveillance around the castle, and Fernan guarded her every move on a daily basis. He would not give her even the slightest chance to escape.

It didn’t take long for Julia’s will to be broken by this. There was no way she could find a way out of this situation. The days passed in such a stifling manner. Late in the afternoon, Julia sat huddled in her bed. The look in her eyes was one of resignation. A while later, she heard the sound of someone opening the do door. or. Julia closed her eyes from the start and put her head down. Because there was only one person who could come in this room.

“Julia.”  With a muffled voice, steps approached. While Julia was silent with her head buried in her knees, one side of the bed caved in. Fernan, sitting beside her, reached out and touched her shoulder. Still Julia did not look up. Fernan kept her still and looked around the bedroom. The meal he had brought her a few hours ago was left untouched. Some books and neatly folded clothes on the table were also untouched. Fernan, his brow narrowed gently, opened his mouth.

“I don’t know about everything else, but eat.”  “…”  “Will you listen to me if I force you then?” 

Fernan continued to speak to Julia, who gave no answer.

 

Hiding his frustration, he eventually grabbed Julia’s cheek and made her look at him.   It was only then that Julia’s pale face finally turned to him, but she did not meet his gaze.   Fernan stared at her long lashes, then reached out to her and forcibly lifted her up. He stepped over to the table and sat Julia down. He then took the tray, which was completely cold, and ordered the attendant to bring him a new one. While Fernan was at the door, Julia immediately got up and went back to bed.

“Julia.”  When Fernan grabbed her hand, Julia shook him off with a feeble effort. The eyes looking back at him were empty. While Fernan looked far away for a moment at the sight, the attendant brought a new meal in.

“Eat.”  Fernan, who had finally regained his senses, once again led le d Julia to sit in front of the table. Julia quickly turned her head to the side, and he gently grabbed her frail chin and turned her to him.

He picked up a spoonful of food and held it out to her mouth. When Julia didn’t open her mouth, Fernan recited in a quiet voice. “If you want to do this long all day, do so.”   “…”  It was only then that Julia, who had finally turned her gaze to look at him, moved her lips for the first time.

“I’ll eat on my own.”  Fernan’s expression softened faintly. He gave Julia the silverware and held hand directly over the dishes before finally sitting down on the other side of her.

Julia stared down at the warm, freshly prepared food and then glanced at Fernan on the other side.

 

She was sure that Fernan would sit there until she was finished with it. In the end, Julia slowly moved the fork around and scooped up some of the food. However, with no appetite and no feelings, Julia put down the fork before she could even eat half of it. As she got up and walked back to bed, Fernan gently cleaned up the meal tray without saying anything else. Julia slowly lay down on the t he bed. The fact that this was Fernan’s bedroom didn’t give her any more cause for concern.  She just wanted to sleep like this. But soon she had to force her eyes open by a hand supporting her body.

“Didn’t you sleep enough already?”  Julia tried to lie down again without reply, but was prevented again. Gently grabbing her shoulders, Fernan made eye contact with her . But Julia turned her gaze without looking at him.

“Stop being so stubborn.”  “…”  “It’ll be over if you say you’ll stay by my side.”  Julia’s quiet gaze finally turned to Fernan. But time passed, and nothing came out of her mouth. Her lips were still closed, and her stare at him was filled with the will not to say what he wanted.

Fernan’s face gradually hardened.   Staring at her closed lips, he reached out and raised her soft chin. He lowered his head as if he was going to kiss her, but stopped just before their lips touched. Julia didn’t comply, didn’t rebel, just averted her gaze.  

“…” 

Fernan watched her for a moment, then slowly raised his head and let go of her face. Julia stared at him as he turned away and let go of the hem of the dress she was holding. She lied down and closed her eyes again, but Fernan didn’t say anything this time.  

 

  Julia erased all kinds of thoughts that shook her mind. *** Since that day, Julia has been suffering from a fever. Her doctor visited again and again, but she showed no sign of improvement, even after taking her medicine. Julia gasped for air as she lay buried in bed. She heard someone talking in the background.

“Her Highness is weaker than before.”   “…”  “She needs to move her body, even if it’s just a light walk. She must also increase her food intake. Most of all…no more mental pressure.”  When Julia opened her eyes gently, she saw Fernan silently listening to the doctor’s firm words. Then, Julia closed her eyes again and immediately fell asleep. While Julia slept, the sky quickly darkened. After a while, a faint moonlight leaked into the room, which had turned into a dense night. Fernan stood still beside Julia, who was deeply asleep. His large hand touched her forehead. The cool, comfortable touch gently relaxed Julia’s eyes. The hand that had stayed for a while as if measuring her temperature quickly fell from her forehead to her cheek. The cold touch gradually cooled her heated cheeks. A quiet voice descended.

“Julia.”  Fernan continued to mumble, even though there was no way she could hear him.

“Don’t think about leaving.”  “…”  “Even if it hurts, hurt by my side.”  “…”  Fernan gently grabbed her hand. He knew it was his fault that she was this sick.

He kept her locked up and prevented her from going anywhere, so her weak body must have been under a lot of pressure.

 

  But he didn’t know what else he could do to keep her here.   He felt more and more unsure of everything. The surge of emotion he always felt whenever he looked at Julia crumbled while she was constantly trying to get away from him.

He didn’t want to hurt her, but he wanted to keep her by his side, even if it hurt.   He could give her anything she wanted if she would just stay by his side. But why does she keep trying to escape? Why doesn’t she look at him the way she used to?  Julia, who always expressed her love for him with her eyes, was no longer there. That fact

twisted and stimulated his mind. The more she tried to escape, the more he couldn’t let go.   An uneasy look that even he couldn’t help himself gave way to her sleeping eyes.  Then suddenly, as she was moving her hands in her sleep, she gently grasped his hand.

The faint touch of her skin s kin shook his heart. He swept Julia’s forehead, which broke out in a cold sweat. He hoped that she would never let go of his hand for the rest of her life. He sincerely hoped that she would remain only within his realm forever. *** Julia came out of her long fever on a day when the snow began to fall slowly after a long absence. The dawn was as dark as ever. Julia sat up, feeling light-headed. When she blinked her eyes in a daze, d aze, she saw Fernan sitting on the sofa with the moonlight shining at him through the window. Julia stared at him with a quiet gaze. Perhaps fell asleep while sitting, because he did not move a muscle.

Come to think of it, she had never seen Fernan sleep before. It was only natural since they barely even saw sa w each other, let alone seeing him sleep.

 

  Julia quietly moved away from the bed, feeling incomprehensible. Fernan did not open his eyes, even as she stepped and moved on the floor. She approached him with the utmost breathlessness. His closed eyelids did not move at a t all slightly. Watching his face carefully, Julia glanced at the door. Suddenly, the thought occurred to her that she might be able to get out of here now.

 

Chapter 27 Of course, there would be knights around the castle, but she had a feeling she could make it somehow as long as she avoided Fernan’s Fernan’s eyes.  Julia, who was about to take off her steps, reached out to him just in case. She waved her hand cautiously towards his eyes, but Fernan didn’t open his eyes.  But even before she could straighten her body, a firm hand grabbed her and pulled her back.

“…Ah!”  In a flash, Julia was held in his arms. Before she knew it, his half-open golden eyes were staring at her. His hand wrapped around her waist pulled her closer to him. She had to look at him helplessly as she sat on the hard thighs.

“Where are you going?”  A somewhat faint voice sounded in her ear. Julia tried to sit up, but his firm hands did not budge. Fernan murmured, lowered his head slightly.

“Let’s go together tomorrow.”  With those words, he gently held Julia’s and leaned her against his chest. Julia could feel his heartbeat through their colliding bodies.

Fernan just slumped down and gently put his forehead on Julia’s shoulder.   He didn’t say anything else.   Julia tried to push him out, but the big hands wrapped around her waist did not easily fall off. ‘…Did he fall sleep?’   Staring at him with a perplexed expression, Julia eventually let go.

It was an uncomfortable position, but it was useless to try to move. Giving up and letting out a small sigh, Julia relaxed her rigid body.

 

  After gazing over his shoulder for a while with a dazed expression, Julia lowered her eyelids lightly. Perhaps it was because of warmth coming from him. Her eyes grew heavier. At some point, Julia, who was leaning lea ning on his chest, closed her eyes completely. *** The next day, Julia was able to go outside the castle for the first time in a very long time. It was thanks to the many times her doctor had told her to move her body as much as possible. As if it were natural, Fernan held her hand, but Julia was unusually obedient. The path he led was to the rear garden of the castle. As soon as she took t ook a step outside, Julia felt dizzy d izzy for a while in the subtle sunlight. After all this time, Julia realized how long she had been trapped. With a buzzing sound, she turned her gaze and arrived in front of the glass greenhouse. As she entered, the first thing she saw was a flower bed full of lilies. For a while, Julia was transfixed by the white expanse of the flower bed.

“As you said, this whole place is filled with white flowers.”  At Fernan’s quiet words, Julia blinked slowly.  Only then did she remember saying that she would fill this greenhouse with only lilies. It had been a long time since she visited the greenhouse, so tod today ay was the first time she saw so many flowers planted like this.

“If there’s anything else you want to do, feel free to do it.”   Fernan looked at her. He was calm as usual, but there was a hint of nervousness in his voice.

“You can do everything as you please.”  ‘So, don’t try to run away anymore.’  

 

  Julia could fully anticipate that he had not spoken. Perhap Fernan thought that she would be satisfied if he give her material things.

But that wasn’t what Julia wanted.  She wished for a life of loving and being loved in peace, without hurting and without worrying. But now she was too tired to wish for such love from Fernan.

“If it’s love you want from me, then there’s nothing nothing I can’t give you.”   He had said that but Julia knew better. The love he said he could give and the love she wanted were completely different concepts. At one time, just one glance from him was enough. There was a time when she selfishly se lfishly thought that Fernan was her only hope. She thought that this man was the only one who could protect her in this hellish life. Because he was her first love, and at the same time, he was the first family she had ever had after escaping the shadows of the Marquis family.

Family…yes, funny enough, she thought they could be a family.  Julia took a step forward, then she bent down and looked at the beautifully planted white flowers around the small fountain. With a snap, she tore off a petal. It was something she would never have done in her normal life. As she looked at the petals in her hand, Julia opened her mouth for the first time.

“I’ll stay by Your Highness’ side.”  She stood up and turned around. When she raised her head, her eyes met Fernan’s immediately.

He seemed and his wavered slightly. But the look inout hisifeyes, which sooninwardly narrowedsurprised again, seemed toeyes indicate that he was trying to figure she was sincere.

 

It still didn’t look like she meant it. So she was going to make him believe it from now on.   All Fernan wanted was for her to remain here. Then she would do as he wished and he would loosen his security.

“I won’t think of divorce any more.”  She would not upset him with any more useless pride. After he believed her words and removed all surveillance, when he wouldn’t give her his full attention anymore. She could escape then.

….  At first glance everything seemed to have returned to its original position. Julia no longer spent her time just buried in bed. She ate at appropriate times, exercised, and regained her health. From then on, Fernan no longer locked her in his bedroom. She escaped the confinement with a single phrase: I won’t think of divorce anymore. 

As such, Julia was once again free to roam the castle, but that didn’t mean the watchful eyes disappeared. There were still knights staying around her, and she had to be followed wherever she went, even inside the castle. ‘…I already expected this, so it’s okay.’  

Julia did nothing. She didn’t even try to get out of the castle.  Yes, the day continued to look glancingly peaceful. When evening came, Julia slowly made her way to the dining room. When she was confined, she always ate by force in the bedroom, but now she naturally ate in the dining room, facing Fernan.

“Good evening, Your Highness.”  Julia greeted, sounding as friendly as she once had. Fernan stared at her.

“Good evening.”  The man, who had always failed to respond to her greetings, now gave a short reply.

 

  Fernan stared at Julia until she sat down and only after he saw her take the fork and put the food in her mouth did he begin to eat. Julia continued to eat quietly and glanced at him.

Fernan still didn’t seem to believe her sincerity. However, he didn’t particularly question or confirm it. Feeling her gaze on him, Fernan suddenly looked at her. Julia opened her mouth slightly avoiding the gaze.

“Your Highness.”  Then she turned to him again, her eyes serene.

“After dinner, let’s go for a walk together.”  “…”  “I want to walk with you.”  A cautious color appeared on her face. It was because she was nervous that it might have sounded contrived. But instead, it peeled back Fernan’s caution, and she heard a more soothing voice than usual from him.

“Yes, let’s go together.”  Julia felt an unfamiliar emotion for a while, but just nodded. After finishing the meal, they left the dining room side by side and headed straight toward the back gate. The snow-covered path was clean and tidy, having been diligently cleared by the servants for several days.

When Julia first arrived here, the landscaping of the Grand Duke’s castle garden wasn’t pleasing to the eye.

However, ever since Julia showed her will and to repair thelandscape garden one day, finally the ground was changed and a greenhouse was built, now the was especially beautiful. In the spring, it became even more beautiful with flowers.

 

  ‘Maybe I won’t  be here then,’ Julia mumbled with a subtle look on her face fa ce as she walked silently. No words were exchanged between them, except for the sound of footsteps. She glanced at Fernan, but his face was obscured by the dimness of the sky. ‘How long would it take to fool that man perfectly and escape?’   She wanted to leave here before this winter was over, at least. Before the will to escape was completely gone. After being lost in her thoughts for a while, Julia impulsively grabbed his fingers. The feel of his hand wrapped around hers made Fernan stop.

 

Chapter 28 “…Ah..”  Surprised by her unexpected action, Julia’s eyes widened.  She took a step back and tried to pull her hand away, but Fernan grabbed her hand again. He clasped her hand and looked down at Julia. Then, silently, they sta started rted walking again. Julia looked at him as he walked a little ahead of her, and dropped her gaze with their linked hands. Even in the cold air, his hand was warm all by itself. As she felt the warmth from him, Julia suddenly remembered what he said to her.

‘Didn’t you tell me that you liked me?’   “Then don’t ask me why and just stay by my side.’   Perhaps this man had been taken for granted. She had always been a blind and passive wife to him. She was a foolish woman who loved him desperately, no matter how much it hurts. She must have been such a woman to him.

Maybe this marriage didn’t become necessary necessary for him, but he was stubborn after she told him she wanted to divorce. That was probably why he tried to lock her up in an obsessive way that she had never seen before.

Julia’s face became determined. determined. If that was the case, she could pretend to love him blindly like she used to. It wouldn’t be difficult to act like that, since the thought of him still shone faintly in a corner of her mind. ‘Even at this point…’  

Julia’s lips tightened in self -mockery, -mockery, and she approached him with her expression tightly

held. As they walked side by side, Fernan looked at Julia again.

 

In that state, Julia grasped his hand tightly.

Fernan’s eyes shimmered faintly in the moonlight. Julia looked up at him like that and lifted her lips faintly. As if she wished this time would last forever, like that. *** Since then, Julia remained faithful and never left Fernan’s side.  As before, she spoke to him meaninglessly and made an effort to spend time with him. Still, Fernan still seemed unwilling to remove the knights around her. The knights were ostensibly there to protect her, and she had no reason to ask him to remove them.

As a result, she couldn’t help but feel impatient.  After a few vague days of this, Julia suddenly received an invitation from the Imperial Palace. The event was to gather the noblewomen together as the due date of the Crown Princess was approaching. Since Julia was also a member of the imperial family, it became inevitable that she would have to go to the capital. ‘I don’t want to go.’   Julia let out a small sigh as she was tended by the maids.

If she goes to the capital, she’ll have to meet someone she doesn’t want to see.  Marchioness Elody. Because she had never fallen into such a position. However, since she had told Fernan that she would not divorce him, she had to fulfill her duty as the Grand Duchess first. And so, as she finished her preparations and descended the central staircase, the knights who were assigned to escort her bowed their heads. The number of knights increased by two. She was going to the capital, so Fernan increased the surveillance. Julia stepped out of the doorway d oorway with a faint sigh.

As she got into the carriage, the knights followed, escorting her around the carriage as it was natural.

 

Sitting alone in such a huge carriage, Julia suddenly remembered the past. The memory of going to the capital with Fernan. He was that heartless man who only paid attention to his papers without ever looking at her. She remembered peeking at him secretly every chance she could. Julia closed her eyes as she leaned her head against the window to get rid of her thoughts. Meanwhile, the rattling carriage ran constantly. It took half a day to arrive at the Imperial Palace, which, as usual, boasted a gorgeous and magnificent landscape.

“Welcome Grand Duchess. Let me show you where you will be staying.”  Julia entered the villa according to the guidance of her servant. The schedule was quite long this time and she had to stay alone in the capital for four days. She made her way to her assigned bedroom and after putting on her banquet dress, she headed to the reception room just in time. The first person to greet Julia was, unfortunately, the Marchioness.

“Julia, it’s been a long time!”  The Marchioness rushed over with her arms wide open and hugged her daughter. In the eyes of others, Julia was the lovely daughter of the Marchioness, who was a gentle mother as always. Julia greeted her with a somber face.

“It’s been a long time, Mother.”  But her voice was as stiff as it had always been. It was because the fear of the Marchioness that she had accumulated since she was a child still lingered in her mind like a scar.

“Now, all the ladies are here. Let’s go to our seats.”  The Marchioness, holding Julia’s hand gently, headed for their reserved seats. 

 

The Crown Princess, the main character of this place, had not yet come.

Julia’s reserved seat was the one closest to the upper seat. As she say down, the noble ladies who were already seated glanced at her. Some of them were familiar faces, but unlike before, the way they looked at Julia was somewhat subtle.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, Grand Duchess. How have you been?”  “Yes, have you been well?”  Even as they exchanged passing greetings, they were silently exchanging glances with each other. Julia noticed a mixture of curiosity and mockery in the way they stared at her. Just as she felt her heart sink looking at them, an attendant informed her that the Crown Princess had arrived.

“Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess is entering.”  All the ladies rose from their seats to greet her. Veronica nodded benevolently and took her seat at the top. Veronica was distinctly fuller than she had been when they met at the Founding Festival. Thus the small banquet began with tea time. When the atmosphere was ripe with ritualistic conversation, Julia had a short conversation with Veronica.

“I’m sorry you had to travel so far to be here. But I’m so glad that you’re here.”  “I’m grateful.”  Veronica, who was somewhat hesitant, quietly opened her mouth when Julia showed her a small smile.

“Did you know that there’s a rumor in the capital, by any chance?”  “A rumor?” 

Julia tilted her head with her eyes e yes wide open. Realizing that she knew nothing about it, Veronica quickly shook her head.

 

“I shouldn’t have brought it up. It’s a small rumor, so don’t worry about it. Now, the priests of the Temple of Ilion will be arriving a rriving at the Imperial Palace soon. Priest Matheus will come too.”  Julia was still concerned about the rumor, but she answered as Veronica changed the subject.

“I see. I’ll visit him at Mass.”  “Let’s do that. We’ll go together later.”  Veronica smiled and continued her conversation. Meanwhile, the eyes of the ladies seated at the other tables were fixed on Julia. It was in the afternoon when the small party ended. It was only after dinner that Julia could get out of the banquet hall. Just as she was about to head back to her designated room with a servant, someone gently grabbed her wrist. It was the Marchioness.

“Julia, in which palace are you staying?”  Before Julia could answer, the Marchioness quickly continued.

“It’s a pity we have to part ways like this. Let’s talk some more. Come on, show the way.”  Julia sighed silently as she looked at the Marchioness standing by her side as if it was natural. So as they walked together t o Julia’s place, the stares around them disappeared. It was then that the Marchioness finally took off her compassionate mask.

“Do you know what rumors have been circulating in the capital?”  As soon as they arrived at the assigned residence, the Marchioness asked in a harsh voice. It sounded like the rumor Veronica mentioned earlier.

“…Is it about me?” 

Julia tried to guess what kind of rumor it might be, but nothing came to mind. She was not a frequent visitor to the capital, nor did she have a close relationship with the ladies.

 

  “You don’t know?” 

“…”  “I knew that the Grand Duke was not very pleased with you, but I did not know that he got a private mansion. From what I’ve heard, he’s even tthinking hinking about divorcing you.”  The Marchioness glared at Julia, pouting and clicking her tongue. It was only then that Julia realized what the rumor was and how it started.

It was probably because of Cornelia, the Duke of Blair’s daughter Julia had run into at Fernan’s private residence a few months ago.  

 

Chapter 29 Cornelia said that she heard the conversation between Julia and Fernan on the day of the national banquet.

“Why don’t you find someone in advance? Whether it’s someone to soothe loneliness or  someone to go to after divorce.”   Julia remembered the elegant voice that said this while staring at her in front of Fernan’s private residence.

Julia’s face gradually darkened.  If Fernan was close to Cornelia, and a nd if the matchmaking was exchanged, it would not be surprising if she deliberately spread such rumors.

“It’s already been a year and there’s been no news from you, so I had a rough idea… but you are, and always have been a fool.”  The Marchioness murmured with an expression that made it hard to tell whether she was angry or mocking. It was a dual emotion. She was angry at Julia for bringing disgrace to the Elody family, but at the same time she felt slight satisfaction at seeing her treated as befitting her lowly birth.

Julia didn’t panic, she just closed her eyes slowly as if she was numb.  Even if such rumors were circulating, it didn’t matter now. There was no more reason to be hurt. Anyway, she intended to somehow get out of the t he position of the Grand Duchess before winter ended. When Julia didn’t show any reaction, the Marchioness frowned heavily.

“How I have lost face in front of the noble ladies because of you…”  “Mother.”  Julia raised her quiet eyes and stared at the Marchioness.

The Marchioness’ eyes narrowed for a moment as her gaze was devoid of any emotion.  

Julia spoke in an uninterested voice.

“Why don’t you go home now?”  

 

  “What?” 

“It’s getting quite late. I’m a little tired too.”  The Marchioness stood up and raised her voice.

“How dare you kick me out.”   Shedding her gentle mask, the Marchioness could not contain her anger. Julia just avoided looking at her as she raised her hand in the same way the Marquis did the other day.

But the difference between the Marquis and his wife was that the Marchioness’ sense was a little more sensitive. Seeing the expression that everything was annoying and exhausting of Julia, the Marchioness lowered her hand and glared at Julia.

“You have an ulterior motive, don’t you?”  The Marchioness had never seen Julia look like this before. She had only seen her shrugging, shaking, and just meekly doing as she was told.

At the Marchioness’ words, Julia squeezed her soft palms, but her expression was as calm as she could be. The Marchioness stared at her for a long time and spoke in a relaxed tone. “When you step out of the shadow of our family, a woman like you is just a lowborn on the street.”  Julia will never be free from her oppressive life, that was what the Marchioness meant.

“So don’t dare to climb up blindly, and just do what you’re told to do for the rest of your usefulness.””  Julia gradually unfolded her hand, which had been tightened. She felt the pain of hitting her heart violently, but her expression hardened.

“It doesn’t matter what you say.” 

“What?”  “You need to leave now.” 

 

Julia was ready to do anything to avoid this misfortune. Therefore, those accursed words could no longer bind her to this hell. Julia walked to the door, opened it, and looked back at the Marchioness. As the Marchioness paused with a look of dismay on her face, Julia quickly called out to a chambermaid who was passing by over the corridor.

“The Marchioness Elody is leaving, can you show her the way?”  “Yes, Your Grace. I’ll do so.”  Julia looked at the Marchioness again. When the gaze of the servant reached her, the Marchioness had no choice but to move her feet.

However, even as she walked out of the room in a bad mood, the Marchioness didn’t forget to glare at Julia. And so the Marchioness disappeared across the corridor, and Julia closed the door without hesitation. *** The first thing on the agenda for the next day was a meeting of the women of the imperial family. It was a meeting regarding the banquet and charity events that would be held after the Crown Princess’s birth. The Empress asked Julia to travel to the capital often in the futur e. She was of the opinion that since the t he Grand Duke was not deeply involved in the affairs of the capital, it would be preferable for her to maintain a close relationship with the Imperial Palace even with the Grand Duke. To her words, Julia answered honestly that she would do that. But it was a promise she wouldn’t be able to keep.  After that, with some time to spare before the next schedule, Julia went alone to the side garden of the Palace. In the center of the vast garden was a maze garden of ash trees. Julia emptied her head as she slowly walked through the maze. There were three days left on the schedule.

“…ha…”  Julia sighed deeply. Even though it had only been one day, she already felt exhausted.

Returning to the Grand Duchy wouldn’t change that, but it was better than this unfamiliar Imperial Palace.

 

When she turned at the corner with a gloomy face, Julia unexpectedly met someone walking from the opposite side of the path. It was a boy of about ten years old old,, wearing a white priest’s uniform.  The boy who spotted Julia smiled at her. The boy had a familiar face. Julia then remembered she had met him in the temple of Ilion. It was the young priest who took her to see Matheus that day.

“How are you?”  The child greeted her in the same sa me cute voice as then. It seemed that this young priest was included among the priests who were supposed to come from the temple of Ilion. Julia smiled and bent her knees.

“We meet again, priest.”  Seeing that the child was here, Matheus must have arrived at the Imperial Palace as well. Before Julia could ask anything, the child spoke as if he could read her mind.

“Master Matheus has gone to the Central Palace. He has some things to prepare for the Mass that will be held in the afternoon.”  “I see. So the priest  is alone?”  Julia asked gently, meeting the child’s gaze, and gave him a little tap on the head.  “Yes, Master Matheus said I could look around the garden.”  The child replied with a soft look in his eyes. Julia smiled gently at how cute he looked and suddenly held out her hand.

“This garden is complicated and you might get lost. Would you like to walk with me?”   Looking at the offered hand, the boy’s eyes widened for a moment. Then, he smiled and took Julia’s hand.  “Yes.”  With the little hand in hers, they walked through the maze garden together.

The boy talked about many things. The reason Julia was here was for the Crown Princess’ birth mass, and she would only stay for a week, but Matheus had to stay for over a month.

 

He then said that he was Matheus’ only disciple and said something cute about being older than he looked.

“May I ask how old you are?”  Julia asked curiously, and the child seemed hesitant and shook his head.

“It’s not a good time t ime to ask, but I’ll definitely tell you later.”  The child who spoke like an adult was cute, and Julia stroked his hair without realizing it. The wavy brown hair curled in her hand. The boy with his eyes e yes widened blushed a little in embarrassment. Then, when they reached the fountain, the entrance of the maze garden, the boy suddenly raised his head and looked at Julia.

“My name is Cedric.”  Then, he asked cautiously, his green eyes shining.

“If I ask your name, would it be impolite?”  Julia ummmed for a moment, then answered slowly.

“I’m fine, but it might be rude to others.”  She spoke politely, worried that the child might ask the other nobles their names, then bent her knees again and made eye contact.

“My name is Julia.”  “…Julia.”  The child mumbled her name as if imprinting it in his head. Then, immediately, he smiled brightly.

“Julia, can we take another walk together tomorrow?”  “Of course.” 

Since she hadthe to stay in the imperial forfree the next days anyway, she had a lot of time to meet boy and take a walkpalace with the time three in between schedules.

“Priest, then I will see you here again tomorrow at this time.” 

 

  “Yes.”  Cedric was a lively child, reminiscent of grass and a nd trees. The tight, stuffy feeling seemed to have eased a bit while Julia was with the boy. Julia grabbed his hand again and left the maze garden. The garden, bathed in winter sunshine, had a peaceful atmosphere.

 

Chapter 30 It was the next day that Julia met Matheus at the mass. Knowing in advance the fact that all the women of the imperial family had ga gathered, thered, Matheus was not surprised to see Julia. After the mass was over, Matheus quietly approached her.

“Julia, how have you been?”  Facing her for the first time since her visit to the temple, Matheus had a uniformly compassionate look on his face. There were many implications to his question. Do you still have the same sa me desire to escape, or is there any problem with your future plans?

Julia couldn’t answer easily.  “That….”  There were many eyes around to explain everything. Julia eventually gave a normal answer.

“Yes, thanks to you. And you, Matheus, have you been well?”  “Of course.”  But Matheus, who had already noticed Julia’s dark expression, seemed to have grasped the situation to some extent. The fact that she was here at the Imperial Palace was proof that her plans were not going well. Matheus spoke quietly.

“Julia, I will be staying at the palace for a month.”   “Yes, Priest Cedric told me.”  Matheus nodded, looking slightly surprised at her reply.

“I see you’ve already met Cedric.”  Lifting his lips gently, Matheus said in a hushed voice.

 

“He’s going to help Julia while I’m away.”  “Oh…the boy?”  While Julia was nodding her head, a tall man came near them. He was a young priest with auburn hair and light green eyes. He sat down as he looked at Julia. For some reason, the smile on the man’s face was familiar for some reason.

“Master Matheus, may I explain the rest?”  The man asked Matheus for permission. Matheus nodded without hesitation. Julia looked puzzled, alternating between the man and Matheus, while the man smiled, just as he had earlier.

“Your Grace, it is now the appointed time, shall we go together to the garden?”  “If it is the appointed time….” time….”  Indeed Julia had an appointment with priest Cedric in the afternoon after mass. Perhaps that was what the man meant. Julia nodded gently, thinking that the boy had told the man about his meeting with her.

“Yes, that’s right. Priest Cedric is waiting for you.”   “…”  Matheus, who was listening to their conversation, had a strange look on his face, but said nothing. After the mass, it was time to perform the blessing ceremony for Veronica, so Matheus greeted Julia first.

“Well then, Julia, I will see you again at the next Mass.”   Nodding, Julia walked out of the mass room with the man. Julia glanced at him delicately as they walked to the garden.

It was because the man looked an awful lot like that boy yesterday.

“Are you Priest Cedric’s brother?” 

 

  And for some reason the man started st arted laughing with a pleasant face. Staring back at her, the man shrugged .

“We’re not siblings, but we’re related in a similar way.”  “Ah…so maybe you have power?”  The man looked very young, but the question contained a reasonable guess that he, like Matheus, could change their age and appearance. Immediately the man began to laugh aloud, covering his mouth. She could see the round curve of his eyes.

While Julia looked at him with a slightly puzzled face, they soon reached yesterday’s maze garden. “Your Grace is very observant.” obs ervant.”  As they rounded a corner in the middle of the maze, a man suddenly stopped. Julia stopped and stared at him. He smiled and gently touched the ring on his finger.

“I remember you asked about my age. I’m 22 this year.”  “…..what?”  Julia blinked at the unexpected words. At that moment, a green light began to glimmer momentarily from his ring. While Julia opened her eyes wide and a nd stared at the figure, the bright light blocked her vision. When she closed her eyes reflexively and raised her eyelids slowly, the man standing in front of her disappeared without a trace. Instead, standing in front of her was the boy she had met yesterday, Cedric.

“…Huh?”  Julia’s mouth opened as she finally began to grasp the situation a little more.  

The child’s delicate features were a perfect match the man’s from earlier. Their eyes and the color of their hair were the same.

 

Even the smile was the same.

“So, the priest is now, um…”  As Julia stammered and opened her mouth, Cedric, who had a smile, nodded his head.

“Yes, I can change my appearance. What I looked like a while ago is my true form.”   Julia’s eyes went wide as she covered her mouth with her hand.  So, it meant that this child was the same person as the man from earlier. That was why the child said he was older than he looked. That was also why he had a mature manner…  While Julia could not hide her surprise, Cedric walked up to her.

“Did I startle you? I wasn’t trying t rying to deceive you, so take it with a grain of salt.”   The child who resembled a plant chuckled like it was yesterday. Julia nodded with a possessed look on her face. It was a moment when she realized once again the mystery of divine power. How is this possible? It was difficult to calm down d own the pounding heart.

“I am not as great a priest as Matheus, but I will be enough to help Julia.”  “…Oh, yes. I heard you’re going to help me. ….”   Julia finally came to her senses and opened her mouth. Matheus was sure that this child would help her.

“Master Matheus is the leader of the temple, so it’s difficult for him to leave his seat except for official business. So…”  Stopping speaking, Cedric suddenly held out his hand. The child flicked his hand lightly as if spreading something, and a bright light spread over his small hand. The green divine power spread in his hand, mixing with the wind.

A small bead appeared on the palm of the hand where the light had completely dissipated. The child held it out to Julia, who was standing there in a daze.

 

“This is my property. Please place the bead with the pendant.”  Julia listened to Cedric while receiving the transparent bead.

“I’ve placed the detailed message inside the bead. bead. Because there are a lot of ears in here.”  Cedric’s voice trailed off and he flicked his hand lightly again. This time, a white daffodil formed from the light. It was a magical sight. While Julia watched the gesture with an possessed look on her face, Cedric held out the flower to her. “Do you know what it is? Holy power is not a power that can be  given to just anyone.”  “…”  “Those who have holy power are also those who are loved by God.”  A faint, gentle voice drifted into Julia’s ear.  “So you are also loved by God, Julia.”  She wondered if Cedric could see the weariness in her eyes. Julia realized that this boy was comforting her. As she held the daffodil still, Cedric continued to speak slowly.

“Everything will be fine.”  Julia nodded, remaining silent. The words somehow soothed her tired heart. Cedric’s warm gaze made her feel like everything was going to be alright at this moment. *** It was the last day at the Imperial Palace. On the carriage ride back to the estate, Julia took out the bead that Cedric had given her. As soon as she returned home, she would try to find out what message he had for her right away.

The other day, Matheus had told her how to use the holy power, but Julia wasn’t sure if she could handle it properly. But if Cedric, a skilled priest, could help her, things shall be better now.

“Everything will be fine.”   Julia closed her eyes as she recalled Cedric’s words as they quietly descended. descended. 

 

  As she leaned back against a gainst the rattling carriage and emptied her mind, she gradually began to feel sleepy. After a long time in this way, it was midnight when they arrived at the castle. The horseman hurriedly opened the door and waited for Julia to come out. However, after a long time, there was no movement inside. The horseman straightened his bent back and glanced inside. Then he saw Julia who was sleeping deeply leaning against the window.

“Um, Your Grace…….”  While he was cautiously trying to wake her, someone s omeone blocked him. Fernan, who had an expressionless face, sent the horseman away with his chin gesture. After the horseman disappeared, Fernan bent down and stepped into the carriage. He then looked for a moment at Julia, who was sleeping soundly. Perhaps she was tired, she was breathing ever so softly.

Even when Fernan picked her up and stepped out of the carriage, Julia didn’t even open her eyes. His arms were completely covered with her warmth. Fernan quietly strode into the castle with a brighter face. The anxiety that filled his mind gradually disappeared when he saw Julia safely back home.

 

Chapter 31 When Fernan returned to his office, the knight who was waiting at the door gave a silent bow. While he was inside and seated, the knight immediately reported on the surveillance so far.

“Your Highness, the Grand Duchess did not make any special movements, except for the four-day banquet schedule.”  Even in the palace, the knights secretly followed Julia’s every movement.  Fernan, who unfolded the documents he was viewing again, nodded as if to say continue.

“It doesn’t seem to be something to worry about again, but she accompanied a priest twice on her walks.”  “A priest?”  Fernan covered the document and stared at the knight. Nodding, the knight continued.

“Yes, they were the priests who came for the Crown Princess’s birth mass. One was a young priest and the other was an older old er priest. The terrain was difficult to get close to, so I couldn’t eavesdrop on their conversation.”  Fernan nodded casually and made a chin gesture to tell the knight to leave. lea ve. So far, there was nothing special about the report. The knight, with a modest silent bow, quickly left the office.

After the knight disappeared, Fernan’s gaze once again cast his eyes on his papers, reviewing the delayed report for some time. After a while, he raised his head just after he had examined all the documents. His eyes closed slowly. Fernan leaned back and pondered for a moment.

“I’ll stay by your side, Your Highness.”   “I won’t think about divorce again.”   As he remembered what Julia had said to him the other day, a subtle expression appeared

on his face.

 

Her words shook him for a m oment, but he didn’t think that was what she really meant. Because she might be determined to escape the situation and try to deceive him. Fernan lightly brushed his face with his large hand.

Not yet. He still wasn’t sure that she was completely by his side. So he had no choice but to keep an eye on her from an invisible place until he was sure. Fernan closed his heavy eyelids slowly. He hadn’t slept well for days, and his eyes were blurry.   **** Julia finally woke up the next morning. She heard that Fernan had carried her in from the carriage last night, but she did not show any reaction. After letting Melissa out for a while and being left alone, Julia brought out a pendant that she had kept in a drawer. She then placed the pendant on top of the bead she had hidden in her chest. It was to confirm Cedric’s message.  Just as Cedric had said, as the two holy objects met each other, the light gradually began to spread from the bead. There was a cracking sound and the bead cracked into pieces. At the same time, small pieces of glass scattered in the air. A small piece of paper remained in the remaining place. Julia opened the note nervously.

[Monastery in the Ladel district, near the western part of the Grand Duchy’s central square.] The letter said that after his stay at the Imperial Palace, Cedric would be staying at that monastery for a long time. So she could see him whenever she went there.

It was added that if she succeeded getting out of the Duke’s castle, then Cedric would accompany her directly from then on. [I will gladly wait for you no matter how long it takes, so please don’t be in a hurry.] 

 

  Julia revealed her warm eyes. It was as if she was at the Imperial Palace, and she could hear the gentle, young voice. After folding the letter neatly for safekeeping, Julia organized her future plans for a while. She still had knights attached to her as her bodyguards. Far from running away, even if she leaves the castle in the name of going out, they will surely follow her. ‘…What should I do?’  

She had been trying her best so far, but Fernan still didn’t seem to trust her.   She had no idea what more should do here. Cedric said he would come to the Ladel monastery in a week. Julia stared into the air with a stiff face. All she could do now was to give Fernan trust.

She had to create a situation where he wouldn’t suspect her even without the knights.  Julia stroked the pendant on the table.

But if that didn’t work, she was willing to risk her reason this time.  It was early in the evening when the snow began to fall heavily on the estate. Julia, who had finished her meal and was walking up the stairs, was distracted for a while by the snow falling outside the window.

Eventually, she heard the sound of someone’s footsteps.  “Your Grace, how have you been?”  Julia turned her head and saw a white-haired man. It was the Grand Duke’s long -time doctor, Lockman.

“What brings you here at this hour?” 

Julia asked with a nod, and Lockman replied politely.

“I was summoned by His Highness to t o his chambers.” 

 

Julia opened her eyes wide. No wonder he didn’t show up in the dining room earlier.   ‘Is he sick?’  

“I’ll be leaving now. Please take care.”  When she was no longer talking, Lockman said goodbye politely and then disappeared. Julia walked up the stairs and was about to enter the hallway where h her er bedroom was located, then she stopped.

Somewhat hesitantly, she unexpectedly changed direction to where Fernan’s bedroom was. Julia stood still in front of his bedroom, which she had arrived at with an incomprehensible feeling. ‘What am I doing now?’   She mumbled and turned her body again, shaking her head. It was none of her business whether he was sick or not. Just as she calmly walked away like that, I heard a sound like something breaking from inside. Startled to a halt, Julia turned around.

“Your Highness?”  She hurried to the door and called for Fernan, but there was no answer from inside. Hesitantly, Julia slowly opened the door. Cautiously stepping inside, she was greeted by a dimly lit room.

Because of her suddenly darkened vision, she couldn’t distinguish things well.  Julia groped her way closer to the bed. Then she touched something under the small table next to the bed. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to be a broken water cup. This was probably the source of the noise she had heard earlier. Turning her gaze again, Julia looked at Fernan, who was lying on the bed. He was lying on

his side with his eyes closed.

“Your Highness, are you all right?” 

 

She did not hear a reply from him. Julia hesitated and reached out. His hair, which had not been long since he washed up, was slightly wet. She touched his forehead, but there didn’t seem to be any fever. But looking at his closed eyes, there was a hint of fatigue on his face.

“…… What should I do?”   Just as she was wondering if she should call his doctor again, just in case, Fernan tossed and turned in his sleep. Julia lowered her head slightly to check his breathing. Hearing the sound of breathing evenly, he was probably sleeping deeply. seemed he Julia nodded and checked his breathing. Looking at his easily flowing sleep, it seemed that he had slept soundly. Then Julia looked at the shards of glass scattered on the floor and thought it needed to be cleaned up. Julia, who was about to call a maid, stopped abruptly. Then she turned again and looked at Fernan. He was lying wearing only a gown and looked a little disheveled, unlike usual. At the sa same me time, he looked somewhat helpless. After looking at him for a while, Julia touched his eyebrows. The hand that had been gently pressing his brows naturally descended to his cheek and quickly fell off. Julia sighed soundlessly. Then, at that moment, a large hand pulled her towards him.

“Ah!”  Julia froze for a moment as she was held against his chest. She looked up carefully at his face, wondering if perhaps he had woken up, but he still had his eyes closed. Julia made a small struggle to get up. But the firm arm that wrapped around

her waist did not falter.

“Your Highness?” 

 

She called him carefully, but there was no slightest movement in his closed eyelids.

Something similar happened happened last time. Could this be this man’s sleeping habit? Julia tried to move her body again with a troubled face. As expected, she couldn’t get up easily.  “Ha….”  With a small sigh, Julia eventually relaxed her body. When she naturally leaned her head against his chest, she could feel his heartbeat through their attached bodies. For some reason, it seemed to be shaking erratically. Looking up at him intently, she quickly opened her mouth in a quiet voice.

“Your Highness.”  He still did not reply. Julia caught her breath and opened her mouth again.

“Fernan….”   The first time she said the name out loud, it sounded very unfamiliar. It suddenly brought back many memories. From the first day she met him as a child to the day of their wedding. He would never know what that first meeting meant to Julia, which would not fade with age. Or how happy she was to see that warm man in her memory again. The moment she walked down the marriage road with him, she was happy.

So, although this man’s cruelty was more painful than anything else, she could not easily forget, even if it was stupid. Her feelings for him were a treasure that she cherished since childhood. So she had to leave this man even more. She wanted to completely get rid of these feelings that were nailing her down, and just live comfortably, even if it was just for a day. d ay. It was a futile hope, but dreaming of such a life made the present bearable.

Closing her eyes, Julia said over and over again that everything would be fine.

 

Chapter 32 Fernan, who fell asleep after taking some sleeping pills, woke up when Julia touched his eyebrows. All the while, he couldn’t open his eyes for some reason, even when Julia’s soft hand roamed his face. The sun was rising at dawn, and Julia was asleep, leaning against his chest. He had thought about it before, but Julia seemed to fall asleep as soon as she leaned her head against him. Fernan suddenly patted the back of her head. Her soft hair frayed in his large hand. Looking down at her, who was completely leaning against him, gave him a sense of satisfaction as if something was being filled at this moment. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but it wasn’t bad.  

“Fernan…”   The gentle voice that called his name kept ringing in his ears. With only that soft voice, he felt like all the boundaries were breaking down. The fact was funny, Fernan thought to himself, and then he stared at the ceiling. The time Julia had spent trying so hard to escape again became a little empty. e mpty. Fernan closed his eyes slowly, his lips lifting slightly without him even knowing it. At least for that night, they both slept peacefully. *** The seemingly peaceful days continued for some time. It was during this time that Fernan removed all the knights around Julia. They were following her around everywhere she went, and it annoyed her.

Of course, the knights weren’t removed from the start. They were secretly watching Julia in plain sight. This short-lived peace was broken by the arrival of his aide at the Grand Duke’s castle. 

An urgent telegram was delivered from the border.

“Your Highness!” 

 

  Lloyd, who had rushed into the office, reported breathlessly.

“The demons have appeared on the border.”  Fernan, who was reviewing the documents, immediately left his seat upon hearing Lloyd’s words. The demons that had caused the border guards so much trouble over the past few months had reappeared. To add to the headache, even the enemy soldiers have joined in.

“How large is the scale?”  Lloyd’s serious voice followed as Fernan took his steps.   “It is difficult to ascertain the size of the force. It seems that the knights are not moving   easily because they cannot accurately grasp the base.”  Fernan clicked his tongue lightly. It was troublesome for the demons to appear as a swarm, but if even the enemy army joined in, the situation would become much more complicated. Apparently, the remnants of the enemy army, the Renev Kingdom, had moved on a larger scale than expected.

“Perhaps there was someone in the enemy army who could control demons.”  Fernan mounted his horse without delay. He pulled on the reins and the horse started to run at a fast speed. And at that moment, Fernan looked around the castle. ca stle. Eventually, after a while, Fernan stopped speaking and changed direction again.

“Your Highness, what’s wrong?”  This caused Lloyd, who had stopped, to look up at him curiously, and after Fernan nodded as if to tell him to go ahead, he headed back to the castle. After dismounting from his horse, Fernan quickly entered the lobby.

Julia, who was just descending the stairs, st airs, spotted him and tilted her head.

“Your Highness?” 

 

  Stopping in front of Julia, Fernan hesitated, which was unlike him. Eventually, he spoke with nervous voice.

“I’m going to be away for a while. It might take a long time.”  Since Fernan had never once given an explanation for his absence, Julia looked at him with a little surprise.

“What’s going on?”  “Something happened happened on the border. It’s urgent.”   Julia blinked without saying anything, but soon answered with a worried look on her face.

“Have a safe trip.”  Even at the honest reply, Fernan stood still, as if he was stuck. He had a busy day ahead of him, but when he saw her, it was hard to keep his feet moving.

If he left the castle today, he wasn’t sure when he would be back.  He would try his best to handle it as soon as possible, but the date and time could change depending on the size of the enemy army.

He couldn’t be sure that Julia would stay put in the castle while he was gone.   Of course, several knights would be secretly guarding her, he couldn’t relax easily. Then Julia smiled softly and spoke at his silence.

“I’ll be waiting.”  In the clear eyes that looked at him, his appearance was captured. Was it true? Fernan wish it was true. There was no way that the transparent eyes that looked at him were not sincere. He suddenly remembered her from last night. The way she called his name in her quiet, gentle voice. Fernan, who was standing still in a dazed d azed mood, stared at her face.

“…Okay.”  There was so much he wanted to say, but he didn’t have time or room to get it all out.  

 

Fernan then turned away with a heavy step. And he gradually let go of the anxiety that had been weighing on him the whole time.

He decided to believe her. Julia’s clear eyes and quiet voice were all sincere.   But that was his mistake. *** Fernan has left for an expedition. Kingdom Renev, one of the defeated countries in the last Imperial War. Their remnants collaborated with other nations and invaded their borders. As Fernan left with his knights to the border, the castle became somewhat deserted. After he left, Julia, who had not come out of her bedroom for half a day, emerged in the afternoon. Passing through the hallway, she headed for a large door with delicately crafted patterns. This was a bedroom designed for the use of the Grand Duke and his wife together. Opening the door and stepping inside, Julia stared around the bedroom. It was a gorgeous and dignified bedroom. However, the interior, which had never been used, had a quiet and cold atmosphere. Julia looked at the bed blankly and retraced her steps. As she crossed the bedroom, she stopped in front of the door that led to the next room. It was where the wedding gifts and other bridal items were kept. Fernan and Julia were the only ones who had keys to this door, so no one could enter without permission. When the door opened, the inside was revealed. Julia approached one of the display cabinets and opened a dusty jewelry box. Inside, there were two rings. They were their wedding rings. Julia took out her ring and put it on her ring finger.

The ring didn’t fit her hand perfectly, but it wasn’t so loose that it would fall out.   “Your Grace, you are here.” 

 

When she came out again with the ring on, Melissa was standing outside. Julia looked at Melissa with a complicated expression. She gave Melissa a few days off, as she had told the head maid the other day. It was because she was worried about the trouble Melisa would be in if she ran away.

“This is the first time t ime I’ve taken such a long vacation. It’s nice to have this kind of privilege to work for the Grand Duchess.”  Melissa giggled. Julia tried to lift her lips slightly. Thinking that today was the last day with Melissa, even though she tried to endure it, her heart hurt.

“Have a nice trip, Melissa.”  Julia squeezed Melissa’s hand and didn’t let go for a while, feeling complicated.  Melissa tilted her head and patted the back of her hand gently.

“I’ll be back. Your Grace needs to eat properly and go for walks. Don’t stay in your room too much.”  “Yes, I will.”  With that, she walked Melissa out of the castle and watched the carriage move away until the end. The warmth that remained in her hands made her feel empty. With her numb chest finally in order, Julia returned to her bedroom and began to pack.

She didn’t pack much, just some spare clothes. She decided to leave all the other items behind. Everything else in the castle belonged to Fernan. Finally, Julia gently touched the ring on her finger.

But she was going to take ta ke this ring with her.

It wasn’t because of her unrequited love for Fernan. Rather, Julia wanted to get rid of everything, even the very small ones, before she left.

 

  That was why she was going to sell the ring that symbolized her marriage with Fernan. After all, this ring was a kind of consolation prize for her. It was now or never.

She didn’t know why, but Fernan had removed all the knights around her for the past few days. So the only chance to escape was now, when Fernan was not around. Julia approached the window and stared at the sky as it slowly began tto o darken. She was going to leave tomorrow morning.

 

Chapter 33 Julia chose the morning when everyone was awake so that it would look like a normal day out. So she left the castle and headed for the square, the center of the city. There she changed to her private carriage. It was her intention not to leave any clues. Then she headed for the monastery where Cedric was.

“You’re here. I’ve been expecting you.”  Once inside the small monastery, a tall man greeted her as if he had been waiting for her. It was Cedric, not in child form, but in his true form. Julia nodded and stepped towards him. The green eyes looked at her gently.

“Julia, the people who were with you are not your companions, are they?”  “What?”  Julia’s eyes widened at the sudden question. Cedric then nodded as if he understood the situation. “There are people who have followed you here. I think they’re armed knights.”  Still widened eyes, Julia looked back at Cedric. Could it be that the knights whom she thought disappeared was still there? Innocently, she thought Fernan really removed his surveillance. How could she not have realized that there was a possibility of surveillance behind her back? Julia touched her lips in annoyance, and Cedric gave her a small smile, as if it was okay.

“Don’t worry too much. Master Matheus sent me here just in case something like this happens.” 

Eventually, Cedric gestured for her to follow him. Julia J ulia nervously followed. It was late in the evening when the knights noticed strange signs.

 

After some time, Julia did not come out of the monastery. As the evening deepened, the knights eventually entered the monastery. A priest, who was tidying one side of the chapel, approached a knight who was looking around with a serious face.

“Excuse me, sir. How may I help you?”  The knight answered the priest’s question quickly.   “I understand the Grand Duchess of Caesar visited here, where is she now?”  “What is your relationship with her?”  “I am the knight who’s in charge of guarding the Grand Duchess. The time is very late and she has to go back. Where is she?”  The priest stared at the knight with suspicious eyes, then spoke.

“The Grand Duchess left the monastery before the evening came, sir.”  “What?”  The knight, who was blinking dumbly for a moment, gradually turned pale.

Eventually, the knights asked for the priest’s approval, and then looked around the monastery for Julia. They even checked the every single priest’s face just to be sure, but Julia was nowhere to be seen. In the end, the knights left the monastery without any success, and they scattered and began to search the area. *** Two days have passed since Julia disappeared.

The servants at the Grand Duke’s castle were in a panic due to the hostess not returning.  Bennett hurriedly contacted the border regions, but as they were in a battle, no information could reach Fernan. Two more days passed without any progress. It was around a round that time that communication

reached Fernan. After several all-out wars, the soldiers under Fernan succeeded in

invading the enemy’s base.  As they returned to their base and were finishing up border maintenance, Lloyd rushed into Fernan’s barracks. 

 

  “Your Highness!”  Fernan, who was wiping his bloody sword, casually turned around. Lloyd, who was catching his breath, struggled to open his mouth.

“We received a message from the castle, the Grand Duchess….”  Before Lloyd could continue, Fernan snatched the letter in his hand. His eyes gradually hardened as he read the contents. The letter stated that Julia had gone out two days ago and had not been seen since.

“…the letter arrived two days ago, so the Grand Duchess has been missing for four days.”  Fernan fixed his gaze only on the letter, as if he couldn’t figure out the situation. He couldn’t believe Julia disappeared. After standing motionless for a while, Fernan handed the letter le tter Lloyd. His dim eyes revealed, Fernan strode out, speechless.

“Your Highness?”  Lloyd, who was urgently trying to catch Fernan, paused. It was because he realized that his lord was unusual.

‘’Lloyd, I’ll leave the rest to you.”   With those last words, Fernan left the barracks and headed for the place where his horse was kept. With a lean gesture, he mounted the horse and took off. Fernan had a calm face, as if he didn’t realize the situation. Suddenly, the last time he saw Julia’s face came to his mind. 

“I’ll be waiting.”   The blue eyes that smiled and looked at him clearly contained no lies. ‘She said she would wait. I’m sure she’ll be waiting….’   Fernan had no choice but to think like that and tighten his grip on the reins. The road from

the border to the estate took at least half a day. He made his way through the unlit wasteland at an unusual speed. The anxiety that came at once filled his heart. His heart began to beat like crazy.

 

  *** Fernan finally arrived at the estate in the morning. As soon as he returned, he began to search the estate. He summoned the knights who had lost Julia at the monastery and interrogated them.

“Tell me the details of the situation, where and how you lost her.”   The knights opened their stammering mouths under Fernand’s Fernand’s momentum.  “I’m sorry, Your Highness, but we didn’t take our eyes off the Grand Duchess for a moment. So i don’t know when Her Grace disappeared…”  “I asked you how and where you lost her! You dare to make excuses!”  Fernan shouted with a look as if he was about to pull out his sword. The knights, who shrank, urgently answered.

“It’s….it’s a monastery in the Ladel district.”  “Ladel district?”  “Yes, I saw definitely Her Grace enter the monastery, but strangely enough, she didn’t come out when the evening passed. I went in directly d irectly to check, but the priest said she left the monastery long ago….”  Fernan replied slowly, glaring at the mumbling knights with murderous eyes.

“The priests of the monastery may be involved, so find traces even if you have to arrest them.”  “Yes, yes!”  The knights left for the monastery again and Fernan headed to Julia’s room.   The undisturbed and tidy room had a slight chill chil l in it, probably because it had been empty for several days.

Fernan went through everything, from the bedroom to the dressing room to the bathroom. However, there was no way to know what disappeared.

Because he didn’t know anything about Julia. J ulia. 

 

He thought that Julia could not have escaped on her own, but that was just another unsure judgment.

Biting his lip in complication, Fernan suddenly remembered remembered Julia’s personal maid.   He immediately went outside and called Bennett to inquire about the whereabouts of the maid, to which Bennett replied with a somewhat troubled look.

“That’s the thing… the maid is currently on vacation at her parents’ house.”  Fernan’s brow furrowed. She took a leave of absence at this point, of all times.   Fernan, who was hold the railing with the momentum of breaking it, tried to calmly order.

“Find the maid. Right now.”   “Yes, yes.”  Bennett, who hurriedly bowed, disappeared downstairs, and Fernan began to quietly sort out the situation. Everything was dubious. The servant who went on vacation as if to accommodate Julia’s disappearance. The knights who foolishly lost Julia, who was in front of their eyes. However, it was Julia herself who disappeared during his absence that was the most difficult to explain. As such, Melissa’s return came not more than a few hours later.  Melissa shivered and bowed her head before Fernan.

“Did you know your master disappeared?”   “Oh, no… I just heard.”  Melissa’s face went pale, as if in shock. She returned to the castle as soon as she got the news from Bennett, throwing away what she was doing. Fernan opened his mouth in a gruff tone.

“Tell me all you know. Did you notice any strange signs in Julia?”  

That, that…   Melissa forced her white, annihilated head to remember. She was afraid of Fernan in front of her, and she was very worried about Julia, who disappeared.

 

Melissa’s lips quivered in thought, but she soon answered with a stammer.  “Actually, I was a little curious when she suddenly gave me a vacation…”  “And.”  “And…”  Melissa, who closed her eyes, suddenly s uddenly remembered something and slowly continued.

“The day I left… I saw her come out of the bedroom on the second floor. I have never seen her go in there before….”  Fernan’s eyes narrowed. The bedroom on the second floor was built for them to share. It was also a place he had never used before. After passing Melissa, Fernan headed straight for the second floor. Then he saw that the door was locked and swore wildly. Breaking the locked with a single kick, he quickly entered. e ntered. His cold gaze roamed every corner of the room. He quickly entered the next room, searching madly for storage boxes and shelves. Inside a gorgeously decorated jewelry box, one of the grooves was empty. Fernan took out a ring that was inlaid in the remaining groove. It was his wedding ring, with a gem in the middle.

 

Chapter 34 It was only half a day after Fernan’s return that Julia’s trail was found.   It was near the border to another land. It was there that tthe he knights, who were confirming the identities of the territory people, recognized her face. Due to the crowds of people, Julia escaped, but some knights soon caught up with her and succeeded in tracking down the carriage in which she was riding. The news was immediately conveyed to Fernan.

“Yes, she ran away on her own.”   Fernan murmured with a strange expression. Now it was certain that Julia had escaped on her own. ‘You said you’ll stay by my side, smiling and talking, said you’ll be waiting for me, but you ran away.’   With her eyes clear and transparent as always, and her face innocent as if she knew nothing. Like that, she deceived him and left. Fernan stared into space with an unfocused gaze and soon clenched his fists. He felt a burning sensation in his chest. His mind began to teeter between betrayal and rage. He stood silently for a long time, then turned at the sound of the door opening. Lloyd, who entered, opened his mouth with a slightly complicated look on his face.

“Your Highness, according to the servant’s words…. the only thing that disappeared disappeared in the Grand Duchess’s room was a few pieces of clothing.”  Fernan’s quiet gaze turned to Lloyd. 

“The valuables and accessories…”  “They seem to have been left untouched.” 

 

Fernan gave a small twist of one side of his mouth.

He ordered the servants to check Julia’s room, but he had no idea that she only took a few clothes with her when she fled…   Julia left him in his castle, leaving behind all that he had offered her. He intuitively knew what this meant. She was trying to erase the time she had lived here as his wife. She dared to hope that she would be forgotten by him forever.

Fernan’s sharp gaze reached the wedding ring in his hand.  With a turbulent gaze, Fernan stared out the window. Before he knew it, it was snowing outside. He looked out the window for a while and thought. Julia would be back to her place soon. The knights would continue to track her, and as long as she could not lea leave ve the territory, she had no choice but to be caught. But the impatience that kept rising continued to scratch his nerves.

Even though he tried her best to stay calm, he just couldn’t calm this feeling down.  Julia should never have run away like this. As his wife, she had to be by his side and a nd feel his pain even when she was sick. Even if it was painful, she had to suffer in front of his eyes. Julia Caesar, even if she died, had to die in his territory.

“Your Highness!”  At that moment, a knight stormed in the office.

“Her…Her Highness….she’s gone!”  “What kind of nonsense is this?” 

Fernan asked back in a sharp tone, and the knight, who had been panting for a long time, continued to speak gibberish.

 

“We have confirmed that Her Highness was indeed in the carriage, but after we surrounded the carriage, we checked again and she wasn’t there. We had no idea what was going on…ah!”  In the blink of an eye, Fernan pulled out his sword as he approached the knight. A sharp look fell on his face, as if he was about to cut off his head.

“Don’t say nonsense and say it right. Where did she disappear disappear?” ?”  “We are continuing to search nearby, but there are no witnesses and no whereabouts…”  “You b*st*rds.”  Throwing the sword randomly, Fernan swept his hair roughly.

“I’ll go there myself. Prepare the horse.”  “Yes, sir!”  He clenched his teeth. He should never have entrusted the job to those incompetents in the first place.

“Your Highness, I’m sure Her Highness has helpers. It doesn’t make sense how she was able to escape in the presence of that many knights.”   Lloyd, who was following Fernan, spoke cautiously. At that moment, a scene unexpectedly flashed through Fernan’s mind.   A few months ago, the priest of Ilion, who came to bless the castle, seemed quite close with Julia.

He didn’t know why the priest suddenly came to mind at  this  this moment, but before Fernan could think deeply about anything else, he immediately gave an order. “Lloyd, go to the Temple of Ilion and find the priest, who blessed the castle. She might be hiding there, so search carefully.”  “Yes, sir!”  If the priest had helped Julia escape, esca pe, he surely would have used his holy power.

If he used his power, Julia would be able to her presence and distract his (Fernan) eyes for a while.

 

A blue vein appeared on the back of his hand as he held the reins. The mere thought that Julia might be with someone filled him with an indescribable anger. But underneath was a hatred for himself, because he had been so cruel to her all this time.

“Why are you doing all this…? Are you just being cruel to me to the end?”   Julia’s tearful voice grazed his ears. Fernan bit his lip. He knew. He knew that Julia’s leaving was ultimately something he brought on himself.   *** Wearing a robe, Julia moved quickly with her head down. d own. She managed to get rid of the knights, but it was still too early to be relieved.

“Ha…”  Entering a deserted alley, Julia grabbed her chest and breathed heavily. Her appearance, inside the hood, had now changed into a completely different person. With Cedric’s help, he temporarily changed her appearance, but she probably wouldn’t be able to maintain this state for long.

“You’ve already used your power quite a bit, so if you use more strength, your body won’t be able to handle it.”   In the carriage, surrounded by knights, Cedric quietly tried to convince Julia.

“Perhaps we should cooperate with them honestly and then try again for a later date.”   “..No, if not now, I won’t be able to escape forever.”   Despite Cedric’s dissuasion, Julia replied in a calm tone.  “I can do anything. I’ve been prepared from the start that things could get dangerous.”   Seeing the earnest look on her face, Cedric was silent for a while. After a long silence, he eventually nodded.

“Julia, if you cross the southern border here, you will find a place there called Helios   Monastery.”  

 

Cedric held Julia’s hand tightly and infused her with his power, transforming her appearance. “If you can escape them, go there. I’ll be waiting for you.”   That was the last time she was with Cedric. After catching her breath, Julia began move her feet again. The pendant on her neck made a small rustling sound. Perhaps it was because she had used so much energy, her heart has been throbbing and hurting since earlier. Using holy power comes with its own price, so her body may have already begun to go wrong. She could guess her condition by her face, which was rapidly becoming paler than before. Jukia went out into the street again, looked around, and froze in place.

“I can’t believe it…”  In the distance, Fernan was seen like an a n illusion. He had been riding fast on his horse and stopped for a moment at the surging crowd. Julia hurriedly walked with her head down. Her heart began to beat faster. How could he be back so soon after he went on the expedition? Julia walked along the crowd, her hood pulled up tightly over her head. He wouldn’t be able to notice her, but still her anxious steps accelerated as if being chased. The first thing she had to do was get on the carriage and leave the area.

“Julia!”  At that moment, unbelievably, Fernan’s voice could be heard.  Surprised, Julia hesitated and hurried to her feet.

There was no way he could recognize her. She looked like a completely different person… How on earth… Julia was unconcerned and at the same time quickly headed for the carriage station. But soon after, he grabbed her by the shoulders.

 

Fernan, who turned her around, pulled back her hood.

“…!”  She had to face him still, unable to avoid his gaze. Goosebumps broke out all over her body. Fernan, who was staring at her as if he was devouring her, quietly recited.

“What the…”  He frowned as he realized he was mistaken, and let go of her shoulders. Taking advantage of the gap, Julia faltered and stepped back. She felt like her mind had gone blank. For a moment, Fernan certainly recognized her. How on earth…  It was the moment when she was about to turn away completely, the shocked expression e xpression was still on her face, Fernan suddenly grabbeb her arm. Staring at the pendant necklace on her neck with a fluttering gaze, he cut the string without mercy.

 

Chapter 35 “Ah….”  The pendant string fell into pieces, leaving only the jewel in his hand. Soon, a light filled with holy power spread around Julia. At the same time, her appearance gradually returned to its original state.

Fernan’s face gradually became distorted as he gazed at her.  “Ha..”  He gave a faint laugh with a complicated expression. He looked somewhat miserable. He kept staring at her, unable to speak so easily.

“How did you know?”   Julia murmured with a puzzled look on her face. How in the world he was able to recognize her? Now she was even more frightened of this man. She felt like no matter what she did, she could not escape him. Fernan gripped the pendant in his hand tightly as if to break it, and opened his mouth gently.

“This pendant, I could feel a faint power.”  The pendant had lost its light. Matheus didn’t tell her about this when the pendant was cut off, but she knew instinctively. That the remaining power in the pendant was absorbed into her heart. Maybe that was why her heart felt hot and tingling as if it was burning. The over-absorbed power began to rampage as if it wanted to escape from this narrow space.

“Let’s go home now. You’ve put me in enough trouble.” 

Fernan pulled Julia’s hand roughly. She bit her lip as she stared at the knights surrounding her.

There was nothing more she could do. Without saying anything, she was led by Fernan’s hand.

 

  He picked her up in one fluid motion on the saddle, then naturally climbed in behind her.

“Julia.”  His low voice sank. The hand pulled her waist closer was somewhat persistent. Julia stared at his large hands for a moment, then quickly averted her gaze. Fernan pulled the reins as he watched her stiffen back. Soon the horse began to run at a fast pace. They left the city center and entered e ntered the forest leading to the city walls. Julia looked around, clearing her complicated mind. The trees were thick around the snow covered path. Through the trees, she could see different paths. Julia glanced at Fernan’s locked arms around her. 

“Your Highness.”  Quickly opening her mouth in a quiet voice, Julia turned her face sideways and looked at him.

“I’m tired. Let’s take a break.”  The words were meant to catch him off guard, but her face was pale at first glance. It was because the pain in her heart had suddenly become much worse after the pendant was cut off. Fernan watched her without saying a word, but gradually slowed down. d own. Then, having stopped completely, he said something to the approaching knight.

“I ordered them to bring the carriage. It won’t take long.”   Julia gave a small nod. As she turned to get off the horse, Fernan, who had gotten off first,

gave her a light hug. It was a careful touch.

 

Stepping onto the ground, Julia staggered for a moment. Her He r otherwise tired body was even less strong after the long ride on the horse. She moved her eyes and looked around. It was to find a way to escape.

“Where did you stay all this time?””  At that moment, a low voice fell. Julia remained silent.

“Were you with the priest of the Temple of Ilion?”  Her hands flinched. How on earth could he know that much? Julia dropped her gaze and hid her puzzled face.

“He must have given you the pendant.”  “…”  “If you don’t want to answer, do so. Because I can arrest all of them and ask.”  As his harsh voice descended, Julia could no longer remain silent.

“Don’t hurt an innocent person. He has nothing to do with me.”  This time, it was Cedric, not Matheus, who had helped her, but if Fernan dug de deeper, eper, Matheus would be harmed.

She couldn’t do harm to those who helped her out of pure goodwill.  Fernan looked down at her with narrowed brows. Julia faced him straight on and began to speak.

“Why did you look for me?”   Until now, she still did not understand why he would go to such lengths to get her back. Fernan was silent for a while, and then spoke coldly.

“Are there men who would sit still when their wives disappear disappeared?” ed?”  Julia lost her words. It was because the word “wife” he uttered felt stranger than any other

word at this moment.

“…Were I a wife to Your Highness?”  Fernan closed his lips in a complicated expression at the question.

 

He couldn’t answer easily because he had never considered her his wife.  Julia struggled to get up. Then she walked along the road, ignoring Fernan who followed behind her.

She didn’t want to delay the time any longer.   After a while, she came to a stop on a cliff with an open view. There was a fierce river flowing beneath it. Her eyes became determined as she looked over the cliff. Perhaps this was the most certain way out.

“Julia, come here.”  As she continued walking, Fernan called out to her in a faint voice. Julia didn’t answer and searched her pocket. A small blade blad e appeared in her hand. She had hidden it in her robe all this time just in case, but she didn’t expect to use it like this. Julia turned around and pulled out a knife with a firm face.

She wouldn’t scare him with a mere thing like this, but she could stall him for a while.  “You…”  Fernan couldn’t help but stare at her with slightly puzzled expressi expression.. on.. 

“Don’t come any closer. If you get any closer, I’m really going to stab you…”  Fernan’s face was cold even with her threat.  “Do whatever you want.”   As if he was sure that she wouldn’t stab him, Fernan took a few large steps forward, and Julia flinched and stepped back. Biting her lip, Julia glared at him as he approached and changed the direction of her blade blade.. The knife that had been aimed at him was now aimed at herself.

“What are you doing now ….?” 

Fernan paused, glaring at her with a cold face. Julia stepped backwards nonchalantly. As expected, it seemed to be more effective this way.

“D*mn it, put down that knife!” 

 

  His face cracked at once. With his immediate impetus to pounce, Julia pressed the knife further into her neck.

Red blood flowed from heratneck enough, she didn’tdown feel any pain all.   because she didn’t adjust her strength. But strangely Fernan’s face distorted as Julia slowly backed away in that state.  “No… don’t  move any further! I’m sorry…”  While he was unable to approach hastily, Julia’s steps gradually approached the end of the cliff. Fernan slowly stepped back, as if he was not going to get any closer. Still, Julia did not stop. Fernan stared at her with a pale face and immediately opened his mouth in a cracked voice.

“Please don’t do this. It’s my fault. I’ll do whatever you want….”  He was trembling. It was hard to believe that he was such a cold and heartless husband. As Julia stared at him, she felt her sense of reality fading.

The blade on her neck, the footsteps on the edge of the cliff, and Fernan’s pleading pleading cries were all unfamiliar. But one thing was clear: she had to end it here. At that moment, the scattered snow began to intensify. Julia heard footsteps. Behind Fernan, knights were seen running. Julia, who were watching them absentmindedly, slowly engraved his face in her eyes for the last time. She knew that if it was not now, she would never be able to escape from him forever. Maybe she would start to love him again.

“… What I’ve experienced so far is enough.” 

She didn’t want to be tied to him any longer.  Julia stepped back a little. Her body, which was already halfway to the ed edge ge of the cliff, lost its balance and slowly collapsed.

 

“Julia!”  Looking at Fernan rushing in desperately, Julia jumped off the cliff. At the last minute, she could see the knights holding on to Fernan as he jumped after her. Julia slowly closed her eyes. Her body, which was falling at a fast speed, sank deep into the cold river. At the same time, the divine power that flowed out of her heart began to envelop her body slowly.

 

Chapter 36 “Your Highness! What are you doing! Hurry up and grab him!”   About grabbed Fernan, who had lost his reason, and pulled him over from the edge offour the knights cliff. Even then, he was unruly, so it was only when several more people pulled him that they were finally able to bring him to a safe sa fe zone.

“…Let me go! Ah!”  As Fernan, who had thrown the knights violently, tried to jump off the cliff again, the knights shouted as they blocked him with their whole bodies.

“Your Highness, please calm down!”  Fernan, who was caught by the knights, stared down the cliff with a mad gaze. Water current, roughened by the winter wind, in a dark river with no visible bottom. There was no sign of Julia anywhere. It was difficult for anyone to survive a crash from such a height. Even if they had barely survived, they would not be able to swim in this strong current, and there was a high probability that they would die of hypothermia after a while. But Fernan was in no condition to make such a calm decision. Unable to control his soaring emotions, he hurried past the knights and mounted his horse. The knights rushed after him, who was riding without hesitation.

“…Julia, please.”  From the moment Julia pointed the knife at her neck, Fernan could not keep his composure. He had to stop her. He was too scared to make a decision.

He didn’t think for a minute that she would throw herself off the cliff.

No, he was scared. He saw the blood flowing from her neck, and he was afraid that if he got too close, she would pierce that thin neck… 

So he stopped. He thought it’d be okay if he didn’t get closer. She would stop then… 

 

  But Julia defied his expectations and threw herself down without hesitation. The figure was painted before his eyes one after the other like afterimages. Fernan stared ahead like someone who had lost half of his mind. His lips began to tremble. He lost all sense of reality. He couldn’t turn his head as if it was frozen in place.  It all seemed like a dream. The sight of Julia falling in front of him, and the faint smile on her face at the end. * From then on, the search continued, day and night. They searched all over the forests and towns leading downstream from the river, and even in the nearby areas. However, Julia was nowhere to be found. The severe cold weather continued, and even e ven a blizzard began to blow over the territory. Julia would freeze painfully even if she was in it for only a short while in that river. And so half a month, a long time, passed. At that time, a robe presumably belonging to Julia was found on land. *** Fernan looked down at the damp robe for a long time. There was no light in his eyes. He stood tall as if he was left alone in a world far away.

“Your Highness, we will search the remaining areas. So please take a break even if it’s just a little bit….”  Fernan did not respond to the repeated requests of the knights. He had a look on his face that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

The hem of Julia’s robe as he looked at it was torn in places and was in a bad condition.

Perhaps Julia’s condition was even more terrible, but no one could bring it up. 

“Your highness, if you’re going to continue your search, you have to take care of yourself first. Don’t you know?” 

 

  Eventually, Lloyd, Fernan’s aide, approached and spoke as calmly as he could.   Everyone was tired from the day and night of continuous searching, but Fernan’s condition was the most serious of all. He had been searching for Julia for half a month without taking any rest. Fernan took off his steps without answering. Lloyd sighed as he watched him return to where the horse was tied. Lloyd was also concerned about this situation.

Because it was Lloyd who had realized the most that t hat his lord’s feelings for Julia had changed. Fernan who had never once been shaken by anything, so the small changes were much more visible. The fact that he had taken his wife into his heart one step later was clear to Lloyd. Despite the fact that she was the daughter of the Marquis of Elody, whom he despised so much.

It was probably Fernan’s first surge of emotion.   He had lost her before he was even aware of those confused emotions, so it wasn’t as if he couldn’t understand how his lord felt. But…   Lloyd sighed deeply in melancholy.

The look of Fernan’s back was firm and unshakable. However, in Lloyd’s eyes, it only looked dangerous. *** A month had passed, and there was no trace of Julia anywhere. They searched the entire territory. It was time to find at least a body. However, Julia disappeared without leaving any trace, as if she had evaporated on the spot.

Fernan, who had been searching like a madman for almost a month without a pause, was in a critical condition just by looking at him.

The knights continued to worry, but he didn’t budge an inch. 

 

“Master Lloyd, do we have to force His Highness to come with us?”   As if he had completely blocked out the assumption that Julia was dea dead, d, Fernan roamed the whole area like a madman. A knight approached Lloyd and asked. Lloyd, who was agonizing over it, shook his head.

“Let’s wait and see first. His Highness is also a human being, so he will not be able to overcome the fatigue of his body at this point.”  But even as he said this, days passed and Fernan’s persiste persistence nce was as firm as ever. Lloyd let out a heavy sigh that made mad e the ground cave in as he watched Fernan ride his horse in a dangerous manner. Lloyd eventually called out to Fernan, who had gotten off his horse and was checking the search area. “Your Highness.”  Lloyd spoke stoutly to Fernan, who did not even turn around.

“It’s been a month since we searched for Her Highness. We have searched all the forests around the city walls and even the nearby villages.”  “…”  “We must now prepare to accept. The Grand Duchess’ chances of survival are.. ….”  “Unless you want to die in silence…”  Then, Fernan, who had finally turned his head, pulled out his sword.

Lloyd squeezed his eyes shut when he saw the sword pointed at his neck, but he didn’t stop speaking. “The knights are exhausted. If we are going to continue the search, please give them enough rest first.”  In any case, the knights were taking turns in the search, so it wasn’t actually too much for them.

But the problem was Fernan’s condition. 

So to make him rest, Lloyd had to mention the knights because it was useless to convince him at this moment. Fernan was silent with dark eyes and soon opened his mouth.

 

“Take everyone back with you. I’ll do the search alone.”   “‘What? No, Your Highness!”  Fernan, having put away sword, stepped forward again. Lloyd, looking dazed, put his hand to his forehead and his quickly followed.

Fernan looked fine at first glance, but Lloyd’s eyes could clearly see that he was walking dangerously differently than before. It was at that moment that Lloyd, who was following him, stopped in an instant. Fernan, who was moving forward without hesitation, suddenly stumbled.

“Your Highness!”  While the startled Lloyd was running quickly, Fernan’s body collapsed.  It was less than half a day later when Fernan woke up. He woke up slowly and looked around in a daze. His blurry gaze stared at the ceiling and then quickly went to the small fragrant incense that was placed beside him. It was an incense used to induce sleep. As he raised his body at once, he realized that this was his bedroom.

“Your Highness, are you awake?”  The attending physician, Lockman, approached and examined Fernan’s complexion. Even in the midst of being drowsy on sleeping incense and dazed, Fernan muttered calmly.

“Why am I here?”  “…Your Highness was exhausted during the search. You haven’t been eating properly for a long time, and lack sleep, so you’re not feeling well.”  “Julia….” 

Fernan recited Julia s name in a half  crazed manner. Lockman, who was looking at him in a complicated way, opened his mouth calmly. “Your Highness, you must first get some rest. Leave the res t of the search to the knights, even if it’s only for a few days……” 

 

Ignoring Lockman’s words, Fernan got out of the bed and staggered across the room.   Lockman couldn’t stop him, and all he could do was sigh.   It was amazing that he could walk so normally when was drowsy med medicinal icinal sleeping incense. Perhaps it was only his obsession to find his he wife that made on him endure.

Despite Lockman’s concerns, Fernan entered the hallway.  Bennett, the butler, and the servants bowed their heads head s as he descended th the e stairs without wavering and entered the lobby. He did not look at anyone, and opened the door without hesitation.

 

Chapter 37 “Your Highness, where are you going?”  Lloyd, who was waiting outside the castle, stood in front of Fernan. As Fernan silently walked past him, Lloyd stopped him again.

“Didn’t you hear what the doctor said? Rest first. Knights are continuing to search the land, so don’t be too anxious….”  “Have you tried to find the priest of the Temple of Ilion?”  Fernan suddenly opened his mouth. He had forgotten about it for a while, as he had been so absorbed in his search that he became distracted.

There was a good chance that that priest in the temple was involved in Julia’s escape.  Lloyd gave a quick answer as if he had remembered it only then.

“Yes, but priest Matheus stayed in the imperial palace at the time of the Grand Duchess’s disappearance. Perhaps he was not directly involved in her escape.”   “…Julia was carrying a pendant. It’s filled with holy power.”  Fernan muttered in a fading voice.

“I’m sure she had helpers. It’s possible that they have Julia with them.”  “Yes, I’ll look into that matter again. So Your Highness, go back in and….”  “No, I’ll go there myself.”   Fernan moved quickly to his feet. If he pursued the priest, he might be able to get a clue to Julia’s whereabouts. At once Fernan jumped on his horse. His vision blurred for a while due to the residual effects of the sleeping potion, but he just pulled the reins. He couldn’t waste a second. He had to go find Julia right now to make up for the time he lied down in a daze. He had to look for her.

“What I’ve experienced so far is enough.”   Fernan suddenly stopped the running horse.

 

He couldn’t breathe for a while as he thought of Julia’s face as she told him about her misery. He lowered his head for a long time and exhaled. *** Inside the Temple of Ilion. Matheus was kneeling on a small platform with his eyes closed. In the absence of Mass, he generally performed blessing ceremonies at the request of outsiders. But for the past few weeks, Matheus had been spending his time praying for others. ‘What happened to Julia…?’   Julia had left everything behind and fled, and Matheus had no idea where she was now or what she was doing. Cedric, who directly d irectly assisted Julia in her escape, reported that he sent her alone because the situation was not favorable on the way. What happened to her after that, Cedric said, he did not know. She may have returned to the castle, or she may have succeeded in escaping safely. He could only hope that she was safe wherever she was.

“Master Matheus, you have a visitor.”  At that moment, he heard a quiet voice along with a pounding on the door. By the time Matheus, half awake, turned around, someone opened the door and revealed himself.

“Your Highness.”  Matheus slowly stood up and slightly bowed at the unexpected visitor. Inside, Fernan strode up to Matheus.

In contrast to his unstoppable steps, Fernan’s face looked like he was about to collapse.  “Why did you come all the way here?”  Seeing his appearance, Matheus could guess that Julia had succeeded in escaping.

 

  Because there was no reason for him to come this far.

“Tell me everything you know about Julia’s whereabouts.”  Matheus looked at him strangely as Fernan spat out his purpose of coming here without further explanation.

“May I ask why you are asking me where she is?”  “I came here knowing that you were the one who gave Julia the pendant, it would be best if you didn’t make any excuses.”  Fernan frowned.

“Or any idea of where Julia is.”   “…”  “If you know anything, please tell me.”  “I’m sorry, Your Highness.”  Matheus replied in a quiet, somber voice.

“It is true that I gave Lady Julia the pendant filled with holy power, but I do not know where  she is either.”  “You don’t know?”  Fernan looked at him sharply, as if trying to grasp his true intentions. But Matheus was really innocent, so he just faced Fernan with serenity. Soon Fernan continued in a fierce tone.

“…Julia jumped off the cliff.”  “…” 

There must have been some part of her that believed. A belief that she could somehow survive.”  “…”  “Otherwise, she wouldn’t have jumped without hesitation…” 

 

  Fernan bowed his distorted face slowly. Yes, Julia wouldn’t have tried to kill herself. She must have been sure that she would survive, whether it was holy power or not.

However, unlike his thoughts, an emotion appeared on Matheus’ face.  Matheus, who had been thinking about something while looking at the sky for a while, opened his mouth with a serious expression.

“Did Lady Julia have the pendant?”  Fernan’s brow wrinkled. He took the pendant from Julia at the time he first found her.   Matheus’s face grew darker as he read the reply from Fernan’s expression.   “If she had kept it close to her heart, she might have somehow survived by using the power…”  “…”  “Otherwise, I can’t be sure.”  Julia was able to use holy power thanks to the holy power of Matheus, which resided in her heart from birth. The pendant was a medium of sorts, and it was only when it was placed near her heart and resonated with the power of her voice that she was able to use it. Since Matheus could not be with her every moment, he gave her a medium to help her use her own holy power.

Still, he couldn’t relax, so he sent Cedric to help her, and after leaving Cedric, she must have acted on her own judgment about the situation. “Of course, but Julia is …..”  Fernan murmured in a fading voice.

Matheus turned away from him and answered in a heavy voice.

“Maybe… maybe she was willing to give up her life.”   “…” 

 

“Whatever it was, Julia only wanted one thing.”  “…”  “To avoid misery and to be happier.”  When he finished speaking, Matheus looked at Fernan, who froze. There was actually one thing Math eus didn’t tell him.  If Julia had really lost her h er life, the holy power that resided reside d in her heart would have returned to its original owner, Matheus himself.

He hadn’t seen any sign of that until now, so Julia was probably still alive.  However he didn’t know how she survived without the pendant. “I’ll wait until I have a better idea.”  Looking at Fernan, who was standing there without a single movement, Matheus quietly examined him. He had no intention of letting him know this fact. It would be more useful for Julia, who was still alive somewhere. Immediately after Fernan left the temple, Matheus was lost in thought with a dark expression. He tried to think of a place where Julia might be, but he couldn’t come up with a clear answer. Looking at the sunset through a small window gap, he soon opened his eyes wide. A white messenger bird flew in from the distance and landed at the window.

“Cedric must have sent you.”  Matheus, who looked brighter, slowly untied the cloth from the bird’s leg.  When he unfolded the cloth, he saw the short sentence “I have found Julia” written in an urgent handwriting.

*** It felt like she had a long dream after being submerged in the river. It was a hopeless dream, drowning d rowning in a sea of darkness all around, struggling helplessly.

 

  She felt like she couldn’t get out of it, sinking deep into the endless deep sea.  At that moment, a ray of light fell on her. At the same time, a strange sensation enveloped her body, and her choked breath quickly subsided. This was how the dream ended. Julia’s eyelids began to slowly open. 

“Julia, are you awake?”  At the faint voice, Julia struggled to turn her gaze. Through her blurry vision, she saw green eyes.

“Priest Cedric.”  When she murmured quietly, Cedric finally breathed a sigh s igh of relief and nodded. Julia slowly blinked and looked around. It was an a n unfamiliar place, an unfamiliar bed. She was in a daze for a while, but soon asked in a faint voice.

“Where am I?” 

 

Chapter 38 Cedric’s face darkened for a moment as he watched Julia mumble. “This is Helios Monastery. Julia came all the way here.”  “…”  “You don’t remember?” remember?”  ‘I came all the way here…’ Julia, tracing her memories vaguely, slowly raised herself up. At the same time, a shattering pain came over her entire body.

“Ah….!”  Julia curled her body up and started shaking heavily. Starting from her heart and spreading throughout her body, the pain made it hard for her to even breathe. It was as if something hot was spreading in her chest. Julia barely breathed as she grabbed her chest, which was shaking violently as if it was boiling. Cedric took her hand and hurriedly using his healing power. But her pain did not subside. Seeing her shivering, Cedric murmured in frustration.

“What the hell happened happened during that time…?”  Cedric’s gaze touched her body. So far, there were no visible injuries. If there were internal injuries, his healing power should be able to treat them, but even that was useless….  Something terrible must have happened to her on the way here. Cedric recalled the memory just before they parted.

After he told her how to get to Helios Monastery, they parted and Cedric spent the day trying to distract the knights. After that, he arrived safely at the monastery and waited for Julia, but she did not show up even after a long time.

 

So a long time passed, a month. Cedric guessed that she might have been caught by them and returned to her original position. However, contrary to his speculation, Julia was found collapsed in the front yard of the monastery the very next day.

“Ha…”  Cedric, who had erased his recollections, bit his lip as he stared at Julia moaning. There was nothing he could do, so he just held her trembling hands.

“Ah….ah….”  Julia, who was in agony, slowly lifted her tear-stained gaze. The pain began to lessen little by little, and her eyes, which had been dim, gradually lit up. Cedric waited until Julia’s breathing calmed down, and then he asked with concern.  

“Julia, what happened?” happened?”  At his question, Julia struggled to recall her past memories. The last thing she remembered was a deep immersion in the cold river after throwing herself down the cliff. The cold water current hit her body, and she fainted right after. There was no memory left after that.

“I tried to escape and jumped off the cliff. I don’t even know how I got here…”  Julia, who was explaining in a faltering voice, put her hand on her forehead.

That was a territory that bordered the Grand Duke’s domain. However, it was a long way from the cliff to the river, near the castle walls. Cedric listened intently to her interminable speech and dropped his gaze as if he had an idea of what she was talking about.

Then, suddenly, he asked,

“Did you lose the pendant?”  “…Yes.” 

 

  Technically, she didn’t lose it, Fernan had taken it from her, but Julia didn’t add that.  Only after hearing her answer did Cedric open his mouth with a hint of hesitation.

“My opinion is that… I think that Julia instinctively used your power-saving ability when you fell off the cliff.”  “…”  “You used the power directly without the pendant.”  That was, if she used her healing power to protect herself and then used her movement ability to move from place to place at once. Assuming that, it could explain this whole situation. The question was how she was able to use her holy power without a medium, but now was not the time to think about that. She had used enough holy power to save sa ve her life, so her body must be severely damaged now.

“Yulia, did you do this because you thought you could live?”  “…”  “It has to be that…”  Julia’s pale lips quivered as Cedric, who had asked with a worried look, was unable to continue. “That….”  Julia’s eyes fluttered in the middle of her reply.   In fact, she thought she might die. She thought it didn’t matter if she died like this.  It would be a hell of a lot worse for her to be taken back to Fernan and live as an abandoned

Grand Duchess.

She didn’t want to go back to being the daughter of the Marquis, which she hated more than death. Reading the reply out of the silence, Cedric hastily opened his mouth.

 

  “Get some more rest first, Julia. When you have recovered sufficiently, you must leave the Empire.” 

According to Matheus’ messenger bird that arrived yesterday, yesterday, the Grand Duke was currently searching for Julia in all directions. This place was not too far from the Grand Duke’s territory, so for now, the first priority was to leave the Empire as soon as possible. ***

Even after visiting the temple, Fernan didn’t stop searching for Julia.   Matheus said that he could not be sure if she was alive a live or dead. His words included the assumption that Julia might be dead. Fernan, however, blocked out all negative thoughts and immersed himself only in the search for traces of Julia. Meanwhile, spring soon arrived.

It was then that the news of Julia’s disappearance was brought to the capital.  The first person who heard the news was her father, the Marquis of Elody.

“What nonsense is this? My daughter… Why did she suddenly disappear?!”  After coming to the grand duke’s castle, the Marquis shouted loudly with a startled look on his face. So far, no details were known, and Julia was simply missing. Exhausted, Lloyd calmly dealt with the Marquis.

“I know you’re surprised, but please calm down first. Currently, the Grand Duchy’s knights are searching all the territories for Her Highness.”  “Grand Duke! Did the Grand Duke deliberately hide my daughter? Otherwise, that quiet girl

wouldn’t just disappear.” disappear.”  The Marquis was shouting so loudly that his neck turned bright red. Then he immediately caught Lloyd by the chest and shouted threateningly.

“Go get the Grand Duke right now! Now!” 

 

  “His Highness is looking for the Grand Duchess every day. Please calm down and wait a little longer.” 

“My daughter is gone and you tell me to calm down!”  The Marquis gasped, unable to hold back his anger. His red face, which seemed to burst, soon returned to its original state. After nervously shoving Lloyd away, he began to search the castle ca stle like a madman. In the Marquis’ head now, there was an assumption that Fernan had hidden Julia on purpose.

No, she wasn’t hidden, but she might have been removed without anyone knowin knowing. g. 

Fernan start! himself was the one who had complained so much about this marriage from the

“No!”  After a few moments of searching, he angrily began to throw at random the artifacts that decorated one side of the lobby. The startled servants fled in terror, and Lloyd hastily stopped the Marquis. Finally, he led the Marquis to the parlor and locked the door. The servants hurriedly cleaning up the lobby, which was in disarray after a rough storm. It was the next day when Fernan returned from receiving a communication.

“Your Highness, let’s go to the parlor.”  Lloyd, who seemed to have aged in a day, reported without energy. Fernan opened the parlor door immediately without reply.

“Did you just show up now? My daughter is…..!”  The Marquis, who jumped up and tried to shout, paused for a moment.

It was because Fernan’s condition seemed unusu al to the extent that he forgot his anger at the moment. Fernan, who had taken a seat, looked at the Marquis with an empty gaze. The Marquis narrowed his eyes and slowly sat down.

 

  “So, did you find Julia? She’s been missing for 2 months now. Don’t you think you should at least pretend to be looking for her?” 

Fernan only stared at the Marquis as if he couldn’t hear anything. At the empty gaze, the Marquis frowned and shouted loudly. “Answer me! Did you deliberately drive my daughter away? Are you trying to destroy this marriage and confront His Majesty?”  “…”  “I will inform His Majesty of the details! You seem to be under the impression that His Majesty might abandon me if this marriage is broken…!”  Fernan raised his dark eyes and stared sta red at the Marquis.

The Marquis didn’t show the slightest bit of concern for Julia. He was just angry at the situation and afraid that his position would be narrowed. A murderous intent slowly began to seep into Fernan’s blank face.  ‘Why didn’t I kill him earlier?’  

When he found out that Julia was an illegitimate child of the Marquis… No, when he found out that the Marquis dared to hit Julia, he should have killed him immediately. Even though he had fully guessed how much Julia had suffered from her father, he was distracted by the divorce and forgot the order. ‘That’s right, I have to kill him first.’  

 

Chapter 39 Fernan kicked his seat and stood up, approaching the other side.

“What are you going to do now…!”  The Marquis, sensing the danger, stepped back. Fernan grabbed the Marquis by the collar and threw him to the stone floor.

“Ah!”  Blood began to pool around the Marquis’ head.  He couldn’t even get up, and only painful grunts spread through the parlor. 

Fernan looked down at the Marquis with eyes full of murderous intent. He had to kill this man and make sure he would never ta talk lk with that dirty mouth again.

“Your Highness!”  Lloyd, who came inside after hearing a scream, shouted in shock. He hurriedly grabbed Fernan to stop him, but it was useless.

“Now, please calm down!”  Lloyd blocked Fernan with his whole body, but Fernan pulled out his sword after removing Lloyd roughly.

As such, it was the moment when he was about to cut the Marquis’ head with a single strike. Suddenly, his mind recalled the last image of Julia. The image of her standing on the edge e dge of the cliff, holding the knife to her thin neck, filled his eyes for a moment.

Blood flowed from her white neck, but her face was so nonchalant, as if she didn’t feel the

pain. The image of her smiling faintly and throwing herself down the cliff without hesitation was so vivid that it was painful to watch.

Fernan’s lips began to tremble faintly. At this moment, he had no choice but to realize. 

 

  He realized that he too was no different from the Marquis. He had hurt Julia, he drove her to the edge of a cliff when she tried to escape. Even though he was like that, he was disgusted to the point of losing his mind at this moment, himself trying to kill the Marquis for her. ‘I guess I’m just the same bug to Julia.’  

“Ugh! Your Highness!”  Taking advantage of the opportunity when Fernan’s movements stopped, Lloyd managed to push his body away. The Marquis, who was writhing in pain, was finally able to get out of his grasp, but his face on the floor was horribly bloody. After crouching down trembling, he crawled on the floor and left the parlor bloodily. He held onto the railing with his trembling hands. The waiting servants were surprised to see the Marquis, whose face had turned pale and bloody, and their mouths dropped open. The Marquis walked down the stairs in a dazed manner, as if he didn’t even have the energy to feel shame.

“Your Highness…”  Lloyd called Fernan in a distracted voice. Then he checked his expression and fell silent. Fernan was trembling with his lips clenched. Lloyd turned his head like a man who had never seen anything, in the weak appearance of the lord he had never seen. Clink.

The sword in Fernan’s hand eventually fell randomly to the floor.   As such, the Marquis left as if to flee, and for a while there was a gloomy silence in the Grand Ducal Castle. It was not until some time after the Marquis had left that Fernan came

out of the parlor. Heading off somewhere with precarious steps, Fernan stopped at the end of the corridor. The place where he stopped was in front of Julia’s bedroom. Creak, Fernan opened the door and stared into the cold, empty room.

 

Even though the room had been empty for quite a while, it was not much different from before Julia disappeared. On the table there were some books that Julia had read and an empty vase. Fernan just stood there, not touching anything, not taking any action. For such a long time, he stared dimly at one wall. Only the memories wrapped around his empty head.

“Your Highness…..”  Highness…..”   The trembling voice, the watery blue eyes that looked up at him. It was the day that he thought Julia tried to give him an aphrodisiac. He stared at Julia, who was frightened and saying she was innocent, while he poured the potion on her dress in a threatening manner.

He did not listen to her that day, even though he could see the reddening of her eyes as she cried. There was no expression on his face, and a moment of vexation appeared on his face. Whenever he tried to remember Julia in this way, he only remembered her hurt face.

He couldn’t remember a single good memory during this short marriage.  He only gave her raw impression that he wanted to get rid of her and how to get away from her. He could already see why she was trying to get away from him, Fernan was already alread y losing his mind.

“..Was I a wife to Your Highness?”   Until the end Julia asked as if she expected nothing.

She must have asked knowing that he couldn’t answer. Because he had never once treated Julia as his wife. Every time her beautiful shining blue eyes turned to him, he pushed her away and said

harsh words. He desperately rejected her, for she kept trying to get close to him. Despite pushing him so hard, Julia calmly entered his heart without his knowledge.

 

At some point he began to chase her, whom he treated so coldly. The realization came too late. When he thought that he wanted to keep Julia by his side, it was because she did not want him any more. There was no Julia to tell him she loved him. He didn’t know what to do, he didn’t know how to get her to stay with him, so he chose to keep her under surveillance and force her to stay in the castle. ‘Actually, I should have said I was sorry and asked for her forgiveness. I should have been  gentle and kind kind to her for the pain she was was in. I shouldn’t have held on to her but let her go freely…’   Fernan buried his face in his trembling hands. He realized everything, but there was no Julia now.

No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn’t even find a trace of Julia. **** After a long time, Julia finally stepped on the soil of another country. Normally, the process of crossing the border was tough, but thanks to the relatively loose inspection, she was able to escape the Empire without difficulty. It was also thanks to the fact that Cedric had secured her new identity in advance. Their final destination was the Holy Land, located in the southern part of the continent. It was also the home country of Matheus and Cedric. It was a rather closed country with little interaction with other countries. Julia was going to prepare to ride alone a lone and stay at a monastery there.

“Get some sleep, Julia.”  Cedric approached Julia, who was sitting in the lobby, absentmindedly looking out the

window. It was going to take them a long time to get to the Holy Land and they were currently staying at an inn. Julia replied with a faint smile.

 

  “I can’t sleep. So many things on my mind…” 

“There has been too much going on. I understand.” Cedric said.  Nodding, Julia murmured.

“…I can’t really feel it. I don’t know if I’m really free, if I’m really done with all this…”   She was more confused than thrilled or happy. She was also a little anxious.

She didn’t think there were any unresolved feelings left, but the painful memories probably wouldn’t disappear with time.  The faces of the people she didn’t want to remember anymore wouldn’t disapp disappear ear for a while either. Suddenly, she remembered the last time she saw Fernan. The desperate figure that tried desperately to catch her was unexpected. Instead of feeling relieved when she thought of that figure, her heart sank. Shaking her head to erase her thoughts, Julia stared at the window again. Cedric, who followed her gaze, suddenly opened his mouth.

“Why don’t you think about what you are going to do in the future?”  Julia averted her gaze and looked at Cedric. He continued with a light shrug.

“Isn’t there something you’ve always wanted to do? Even a small thing would be fine.”  Julia’s eyes lit up as she remembered something that had been bothering her for a while. “I want to grow a garden. I want to make this and that with flowers….”  “That’s a good idea.”  “I’d like to make some friends, if I can. I would like to go to private festivals. I’ve never

enjoyed a festival before.”  She thought about it and new things came to her mind incessantly. There were many things she wanted to do, even if it wasn’t something grand.  Cedric smiled at Julia, who was seriously contemplating.

 

  “If there is anything you need, just let me know. That’s why I’ve been following you, Julia.”  

“No, I’m just grateful that you came with me this far.”   “No…”  She could no longer cause trouble to Cedric, who helped her only with Matheus’ request.  She felt sorry for taking up too much of his time, because he must have his own life to live.

 

Chapter 40 “Are you uncomfortable with me?”  When Cedric asked, Julia shook her head in surprise.

“Not at all. I just feel like Cedric is having a hard time because of me…”  “If it’s just for that reason, I’d be happy to stay with you forever.”  “But…”  Julia looked at him a little puzzled. She had no idea why he would go this far for her.

“Let me watch over Julia until you adjust to your new life.”   “…”  “I know it might sound ridiculous, but Julia reminds me of my old self.”  He has helped Julia so far not only because of Matheus’ request. Julia, who tried to escape the past and live somehow, kept overlapping with himself in the past. Cedric was a slave from a small country. A slave, born with a rare and mysterious holy power, exploited from an early age by his master. It was Matheus, his current master, who helped him escape from the pitch-black agony of seeing no way forward. He felt a deep solidarity with Julia from the very beginning, though he could not see her situation and his as completely the same. Just as he had been saved by Matheus and found a life as a priest, so he hoped that Julia would be happy with his meager help. Cedric looked at her with a gentle smile.

“So I hope you will not be uncomfortable by my helping Julia.”  

Tapping his chin, Cedric huffed and continued to speak.

“You said you wanted to make friends. Will you make me your first friend?”  “…” 

 

  Julia stared at him with wide open eyes, then smiled softly.

“…Yes.”  From the beginning, Julia also felt an unfamiliar familiarity with Cedric. Perhaps it was because she first met him in his child form. He was as fresh as a blade of grass. She had always thought that talking with him made her feel at peace. Cedric smiled gently as he gazed at Julia . And finally, she too lifted her lips comfortably. *** The Holy Land they arrived at after a long time was an archaic yet contributed country. The history of the country serving God was felt in the styles of buildings everywhere. Gazing blankly at the monotonous streets, Julia felt her heart tingle for a moment. In fact, her body hadn’t been feeling very well throughout the entire trip. 

She had rested for quite a long time at the monastery, but it didn’t seem to be getting much better. As she exhaled slowly and pulled her mind together, the carriage passed through the forest and entered the castle grounds. Its arrival point was a village that had a rural feel to it. Here and there, they could see farms raising flocks of sheep and shallow flowing streams.

Most of all, what caught Julia’s gaze at once was the endless grasslands far away.  Julia’s eyes, which had been gazing blankly at the window, forgetting her pain, began to shine before she knew it. She had never seen such a peaceful and beautiful landscape in her life. The carriage drove for a while along the grassy field, and soon stopped in front of a large stone building.

stone building. It was the Helios Monastery, their destination. The first thing she saw was a group of children playing in the small front yard.

“Julia, you can get out now.” 

 

Cedric opened the door and gave her a small smile. Julia got out of the carriage with a trembling heart. As soon as they were out o ut of the carriage, a middle-aged woman standing in the yard greeted them warmly.

“Oh, you must have had a hard time coming here”  “Long time no see, Gabrielle. How have you been?”  Cedric shook her hand with a look of happiness on his face. Gabrielle was an ad administrator ministrator who had worked at the monastery for a long time. Basically, a monastery was a place for priests to gather and spend time together, but this place also served as an orphanage. Gabrielle wasacting the one in the children who had nowhere else to go and took care of them, aswho theirbrought guardian. From what she heard when she came, she was like a parent to Cedric as well.

“Um, hello.”  Hesitantly, Julia greeted her cautiously, and Gabrielle said, “Oh dear!” as she belatedly grabbed Julia’s hand.  “You’re Julia, right? I heard about you from Master Matheus.”  “Yes, I will be indebted to you for the time being.”  “What are you talking about? It’s your home, you should feel at ease. You’ve worked hard.”  Warm eyes, warm voice. Julia couldn’t help but bow her head at Gabrielle’s gentle gaze. It was because she felt like she was about to cry. “Yes, I know everything. You don’t have to say it.”  Gabriel patted her lightly on the back of Julia’s small hand. 

Most of the children in this monastery were abandoned or abused.

Gabrielle, who had taken care of such children, could clearly see someone’s scars.   Julia was another child who was too young and scarred in her eyes.

 

“There will only be good days now. Huh? Just think about being happy.”  Julia nodded with her red eyes. Gabrielle’s words spread through her mind like magic.  There would be only good days from now on. She thought she would be a able ble to be happy. It was the first time she could be sure of something in her heart that had been unstable for so long.

“Who is it?”  At that time, a child pulled Gabrielle’s sleeve and asked asked.. A curious but wary expression came to Julia’s face.  “This is the sister who will be staying with Theo. Come on, let’s say hello to your sister.”   “…”  The child named Theo winced and hid behind Gabrielle.

“The children here are still having trouble with strangers.”  Gabrielle whispered. Julia bent her knees as she looked at Theo, who was peeking.

“Hello. Theo. I’m Julia.”  “….”  “Let’s be good friends from now on.”   When Julia smiled, Theo, who was blinking his big eyes, clapped his small lips and completely hid behind Gabrielle. Julia slowly got up. She knew that she and the children needed time to get used to each other. Moving to a different location, Julia asked Gabrielle for more information about life in the monastery. The monastery was divided into two buildings, one with a chapel and the other for for accommodation and lodging. Julia was shown to an empty room, unpacked, and sat down on the bed.

It was a cozy room, small but large enough for one person to use. From the window, she could see a small rear garden behind the building. A flower bed placed in the corner was beautifully blooming with spring flowers.

 

Julia approached the window and looked at the flower bed with a slightly excited expression on her face. The center of the flower bed was full of white lilies, her favorite flower. The flowers swayed in the breeze, as if welcoming her to a new beginning. Life at the monastery was going smoothly. The village where Julia stayed was one of the most secluded and quiet territories in the Holy Land. It was a small territory covered with wide grasslands to the south and surrounded by mountains bordering other countries to the north. It was a place where there th ere was very little interaction with the rest of the world, and a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere prevailed. It was an unfamiliar peace that she had never felt while living in the Empire, but it came every day.

It didn’t take long for Julia to fall in love with the village. She decided to help Gabrielle and take care of the children of the monastery. At first, the children were unfamiliar with her, but they gradually began to open up to her kind attitude.

“Wow!”  Julia let out a small laugh as she watched the children running around among the swaying grass. It was the greenest, most peaceful day of the year, the end of spring.

“Julia!”  At that moment, a child with her hair tied up in a pretty bun ran over to Julia. It was a little girl named Rosemary. Rosemary was a lively girl who was particularly easygoing with Julia since their first meeting.

I m giving this to Julia!   Rosemary squeezed Julia’s hand and tugged.  She put a flower ring on Julia’s finger, which she had woven with her little hands. The ring was a mess in her tiny hands, but Julia patted Rosemary’s head happily. 

 

“Thank you, Rose. It’s beautiful.”  “Hehe!”  Rosemary’s eyes lit up as she looked at Julia, who was pleasantly looking at the pretty flower ring. “You know, Rose is going to marry a prince later, right? I want a big palace, a pretty dress, an entrance, and a sparkly jewelry ring!”   “Yes, I do. Rose can be a princess.”  Julia responded by sweeping over the disorganized child’s hair. Rosemary stared at Julia and asked. “Who is Julia going to marry?”  Julia’s eyes opened wide at the sudden question, and she couldn’t reply for a while.   Julia esitated for a moment then replied casually.

“Hmm…I don’t know. Who should I marry?”   “Julia should marry a prince, too! Be  a princess like Rose!”  Julia just gave a small laugh when she saw Rosemary smiling brightly. Rosemary stayed next to her, chatting for a while, and then quickly ran off to join the other children. Julia stared at her and lowered her gaze with a subtle expression. Sometimes she didn’t know how she should feel when a moment like this came to remind her of the past. Even though only one season had passed, it somehow felt like too old a memory. Was it because she was satisfied with her life here? Or was it because of the desperate desire to forget the past? However, after inevitably recalling the memories of that time, it opened the door and brought out other memories.

The first thing that came to her mind was Fernan. ‘I’ll probably think of him for a while.’  

She loved him with all her heart and she wouldn’t be able to forget him for a long time.  

 

After spacing out for a while, Julia averted her gaze and looked over the meadow. This was her home now, this was her life. One day, she hoped, she would not have to worry about remembering the past like this.

 

Chapter 41 He felt like the back of his neck was going to be torn off. Fernan, who opened his eyes, picked up a glass of water on the side table. But his dangerously shaking hand quickly dropped the glass. The sound of a sharp crack filled the room. Fernan, fully awake, clapped his forehead with a hand full of raised blood vessels.

Looking around, I saw for the first time the unfamiliar bedroom. He couldn’t remember when he had been in this place. Perhaps the knights brought his fallen self here again. Fernan had no idea how many days he hadn’t slept.  It had been months since he had been looking for Julia, just like an insane person. He could only faintly feel that spring was already over. It had been half a year since Julia disappeared. Summer has now arrived on the continent.

But Fernan’s time was still stuck in that winter when Julia disappeared. He stood up, biting his pale lips. It was just dark, and as if he didn’t feel pain, he stepped on the  shards of broken glass at random. Opening the door, he could see a small lobby through the railing across the corridor. It appeared to be the village inn where they were conducting their search.

“Your Highness, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”  The knight standing in front of the door suddenly approached him. Then his eyes widened in surprise when he saw the blood marks where Fernan stepped. ste pped.

“Um, Your Highness, the wound on your foot…”  “How many days did I sleep?” 

Fernan asked, interrupting the knight. The hesitant knight quickly answered with his head down.

“Three days. But, Your Highness, even that is not enough. You need to get some more rest.”   Fernan closed his eyes softly and put his hands on the wall. He felt hurt, as if someone had thrown a stone at his head. With a deep sigh, he issued a an n order in a rough voice.

 

  “Bring me my clothes. We’ll be leaving soon.”  

“But sir…”  The knight tried to speak but Fernan turned around and closed the door. Eventually, with a soundless sigh, the knight disappeared across the corridor. It was less than two hours later that Fernan left the inn. He swept past the knights who tried to stop him and headed for the stable. He went straight out, galloping his horse as fast as he could. Despite his skinny jawline and darkened eyes, his still intimidating body could barely support his spirit. He left first, and the knights were quick to catch up with him. Soon the procession turned onto a mountain road. It was a ridge leading to another country. Fernan drove on for a while, keeping his eyes only on the front. There was nothing contained in his empty vision.

“Your Highness…”   Then suddenly, someone’s voice appeared appeared in his empty brain. As if to hasten him to a standstill, a faint voice continued to whisper in his ear. “My name is Julia.”   For the first time, Fernan’s dark gaze came back into focus.   It was Julia’s voice. He tried to remember when he heard that voice.  Yes, it was the banquet room of the Imperial Palace where he had first met her. A luncheon where he first met his marriage partner.

“Do you remember me? We met a long time ago… “   Julia asked me as they were leaving after lunch, and Fernan just stared at her, as if looking at something worthless, and quietly brushed her off.

He didn’t remember. It had been a long time since he erased all trivial memories before the war. It had been eight years of standing on a hill strewn with dead, dying, bloody graves. Because during those years, he had abandoned all humanity.

 

And at that moment, Julia, who had dropped her gaze bitterly, lifted her lips slightly as if to say, “Still, it’s okay.” He thought that little smile was annoying.  He knew that it would bother him to see s ee that smile as he lived with that woman for the rest of his life. Fernan tightened his grip on the reins again.

He hurt Julia so much. He didn’t want to see her smile. He wanted to get away from her. As if to declare that she was nothing to him and that she shouldn’t want anything from him as a husband. “…Ha.”  Fernan was silent at once . All the mistakes of the past that filled his head made it impossible for him to move forward. His lips began to quiver. Finally, he looked up and grasped the reins, but something white suddenly came into his gaze. Wildflowers bloomed under the shade of a tree in a corner. It was white and faint and fragile. It was lily flowers that Julia said she liked.

“D*mn it.”  Fernan swore. There was no time for this. He had to move quickly.

But as Julia’s voice and face filled his mind, he couldn’t move his body very fast. Every moment that passed, every single one of them held h eld him in a vexing grip. He began to choke up with overflowing emotions. It was as if someone was mercilessly strangling him. *** Around that time. For what could be described as a long time and a short time, Julia adapted perfectly to her new life.

Unlike in the past when she had to hold on to each day, now she had peace and quiet every day. At the monastery, Julia’s daily routine was monotonous.   In the mornings, she would spend time with the children. Then she would help Cedric give afternoon mass and after mass she would help Gabrielle prepare the meal. But only by lending a hand from the side. s ide.

 

  “You don’t have to help me every time.”  Gabrielle said as she looked at Julia, who was diligently chopping onions. Julia replied with a narrowed frown in her spicy eyes.

“I’m fine. I don’t have anything to do in the afternoon anyway.”  It was largely with Gabrielle’s help that Julia was able to adjust so easily to monastic life. Gabrielle treated Julia like her daughter and showed her generous affection. Julia melted into that warmth surprisingly quickly. When she was with her, she felt comfortable for no particular reason.

“I heard that you made the flower decoration of the chapel”.  Gabrielle asked as she boiled down the stew, suddenly remembering. Julia nodded without stopping the knife.

“Yes, I made it once before, and Cedric said it would be a good decoration for the chapel.”   Recently, Julia developed a hobby. It was to make ornaments out of flowers from the garden. Originally, she only helped the gardener with the flower beds, but the flowers were left behind and it was a waste. The branches were broken, but the flowers were in good shape, shap e, so she thought she could make use of them.

So, with their permission, brought the discarded flowers and tried to make this and that. They were things likeshe wreaths, corsages, and bouquets. She made various things as her hands wandered, but the finished products were better than she expected.

“The dark chapel became very bright. I didn’t know you had that talent.”  “Thank you. I’ll try to make it often in the future.” 

Julia spoke in embarrassment, but she felt proud nonetheless. It was fun to find out what she wanted to do little by little. Sometimes her hand got injured, but it was all a ll good. After helping Gabrielle with dinner, she always went for a walk around the monastery.

 

This was because the meadow at sunset was very beautiful. Knowing that she enjoyed walking as a habit, Cedric would always follow her at the same time. As if they had promised, the two spent every evening together.

“I think I’ll have to be away for a long time soon.”  In the middle of their trivial conversation, Cedric suddenly changed the subject. Julia asked,

“Why?”  “The High Priest is visiting the Temple of Ilion soon. It’s an important event that all the priests of the Temple must attend, so it’s unavoidable.” unavoidable.”  Cedric, who said he would stay sta y with Julia until she adapted to this place, had been staying at the monastery for months as if to keep his word. However, he was still a priest of the Temple of Ilion, and thus could not be absent for such a long time.

“Yes, I see. Have a good trip. Will you give my regards to Master Matheus?”  Julia asked, staring at him. The Temple of Ilion was located in close proximity to the Empire, so it had been quite some time since she had seen Matheus.

He didn’t want anyone to recognize his face if he went to vis it Julia unnecessarily. “Yes, I will.”  Cedric nodded meekly. So they walked in silence for a while. The front yard, bright with the setting sun, was dark and sleepy before they knew it. So, after their short walk, they returned to their rooms. They had just entered the front door when Cedric unexpectedly opened his mouth again.

“Julia, and if you don’t mind…”  Cedric paused for a moment as he was about to ask something.

Turning around, he saw Julia standing a few steps behind him, her brow creased and her chest heaving.

“Julia?”  At the same time as Cedric called, Julia sat down as if she was collapsing.

 

  “What, what is it? Are you hurting somewhere?”  Startled, Cedric approached and helped Julia to her feet. But Julia, frowning, could not answer and was shaking uncontrollably. Suddenly, her heart began to ache as if it were being torn apart.

“Ah…”  Julia crouched down as if she could not breathe. The holy power was beating her heart violently. Her mind went blank for a moment and Cedric caught her by the shoulders. He tried to heal her with his power but it was no good.

It didn’t seep into Julia’s body, and the light that bounced straight out disappeared into the air. In the meantime, Julia’s pain grew worse.  She involuntarily grabbed Ce dric’s collar tightly. She couldn’t bear the feeling of something hot welling up in her chest.

“Ah….”  Julia hung her head, covering her mouth from the feeling of something suddenly surging from her throat. Red blood flowed through the gap of her fingers.

 

Chapter 42 After throwing up blood, Julia immediately lost consciousness. Several months had passed since staying here, but Julia J ulia had never collapsed like this. She sometimes said that she felt a throbbing pain in her heart, but this was the first time she coughed up blood with such intense pain.

After fainted, Julia didn’t wake up until the next day.  “…Julia, are you okay?”  Julia turned to Cedric, who sat next to t o her with a worried look in his eyes. Cedric, who had been watching her all night, had a look of guilt on his face. Julia closed her eyes and gently nodded her head in reply.

“I’m sorry. I should have paid more attention. I didn’t realize how serious your condition was getting…”  Cedric dropped his gaze with an embarrassed expression. Julia struggled st ruggled to open her mouth at his remorseful words.

“Please don’t say that. I’m fine.”  But as soon as she spoke, her heart began to palpitate again. Julia bit her lip as trying to catch her breath, her hands trembling.

“I could endure this before, but why all of a sudden…”  Suddenly, the words that Matheus had said a long time ago came to Julia’s mind as she endured the pain. He said if she used the holy power randomly, her body would not be able to hold on. Of course she knew it well, but she didn’t have any serious problems during that time, so she thought it was okay.

As soon as she was relieved, her body started to break down little by little.

“I’ll try to find a cure somehow …….”  “…” 

 

“If we go to the temple and search through all the old documents, I’m sure we can find out more about Julia’s condition.”  Cedric opened his mouth decisively, as if to reassure her. But he couldn’t be sure, and his expression was gloomy. Julia nodded lightly, lacking the energy to reply. Cedric looked at her worriedly as she struggled.

“Julia, sleep some more. I’ll be by your side.”  Julia slowly closed her eyes at the quiet voice. Her whole body was hea heavy vy as if she was drowning in the water. *** Cedric left the monastery as planned. In the meantime, Julia’s body had made some improvement, improvement, but she was still not ready to return to her daily routine. So her routine at the monastery became lighter than before. She moved at a comfortable pace for her body and then had longer rest periods. One fine morning, Julia opened the window and sat down in front of the woodworking table. On the table were branches of colorful flowers and a nd a half-finished flower crown. She was making a crown and a bouquet for the bride, as there was going to be a wedding at the monastery in a few days.

“Julia, have a snack and take a rest.”   Gabrielle, who visited her in her room, said as she placed the tray on the table.

“Oh, thank you.” 

Julia looked up after letting her flower crown down for a while. With her hair tied loosely, Julia smiled brightly. She looked the most comfortable she had lately, but she was a little thinner than before. Gabrielle pushed the plate with the madeleines mad eleines towards Julia with a worried look on her face.

 

  “If it’s too much work, you don’t have to do it. I’m always worried tha thatt you’ll collapse again.” 

“Don’t worry. I’m just sitting.”  After answering bravely, Julia stopped working and began to eat madeleines. Gabrielle looked at her pitifully. But Julia was calm, and the others seemed rather anxious about her condition.

Despite Gabrielle’s concern, Julia’s appetite had returned after a long time, and she ate more than half of the madeleines. The sweet and soft texture spread in her mouth, making her feel even better.

“But I’m relieved that you’re eating well.”  Gabrielle gave a small sigh. Julia chuckled as she watched Gabrielle.

“It’s thanks to Gabrielle’s cooking skills.”  “I’ll bring you more, so eat slowly.”  Gabrielle eventually smiled and talked in a better mood. All of a sudden she heard a cute voice interrupting the conversation.

“Julia.”  Julia turned her head with her eyes wide open. Through the gap in the door, she could see a small child standing there.

“Oh, it’s Rose.”  Rosemary, her hair tied up in pigtails, was standing s tanding there, her big eyes fluttering.

Julia hurried over and opened the door. d oor. She could also see Theo hiding behind Rosemary.

“Hey, Theo wanted to see Julia. And so do I.”  Rosemary spoke loudly, and Theo, who was standing sta nding behind her, shook his head wildly.

“No, no, no! I was just following Rosemary…” 

 

  Theo, who was mumbling with his red face, bowed his head.

Julia smiled at the cute sight and bent her knees to meet the children’s eye level.  She had purposely not seen the children for the past few days. She was worried that she might suddenly collapse again and shock the children.

Julia couldn’t hide the smile that naturally appeared on her face when she saw the children running around like this, saying that they hadn’t been able to play with her for a few days. While Julia held the children’s hands and sat them down in front of the wooden table, Gabrielle said she would bring more snacks and left the room. “Julia, does it hurt anymore?”  Theo watched Julia as she hesitated. Julia gently stroked the child’s hair. 

“It doesn’t hurt anymore. I’m better now.”  Anytime she was with the children, she felt at peace. In a way, it was because of the children that she was able to love this small town so quickly. They were the ones who sought affection and gave her so much love. It was here, exchanging unconditional love, that Julia was able a ble to heal the wounds she had suffered.

“Come on, guys. Hurry up and eat.”  A few moments later, Gabrielle came in with a tray piled high with snacks. The worries that filled a corner of Julia’s mind gradually faded away while she spent time with the people she cared about.

*** Fernan was still madly frantic searching for Julia. He searched the entire continent without a break, but there was still no trace of Julia. He looked like a corpse, acting as if all his feelings and thoughts were gone. In his blank stare, only the recurring despair was submerged.

 

  Time was flying by when, to his surprise, he was able to find a clue about Julia.  [I have learned of a sighting in the Elemion territory of a woman of similar similar appearance to Her Highness] The message was sent by a knight who was searching in other regions. Elemion was a small territory in the south bordering the Grand Duke’s domain.  Strangely enough, he only searched around other countries even with clues right near him.  [About six months months ago, a young w woman oman they had never seen before was lying on the outskirts of the village. She was unconscious.  A villager took care of the woman for for about a month month at a nearby clinic.] clinic.] And it was reported that as soon as the woman woke up, she asked the villager to take her to a certain monastery. Fernan immediately sought out the monastery in question. He pursued all the priests there and a nd found out that they had a woman, presumed to be Julia, with them for some time. The description, the clothes, and the time of the disappearance were exactly the same as when Julia disappeared. The priests would not open their mouths further, but it was not difficult to force them to speak out. As a result, Fernan learned that someone had taken her with him to another country. Matheus, who had given Julia the pendant, did not fall under this category. This was because of the circumstances that Matheus had remained in the imperial palace a att the time she disappeared. In the end, it meant that there was a third person.

When he had made that assumption, a thought occurred to Fernan. It was the report of the knight who had returned from watching Julia at the Imperial Palace a while ago.

“It doesn’t seem to be any to pay much attention to, but Her Highness was accompanied by 2 priests on her walks. One was a young priest and the other was an older priest.”  

 

  All of the priests who visited the Imperial Palace that day belonged to the Temple of Ilion. Fernan quickly checked the entire list of priests from the temple. There were not one or two young priests. However, there were no priests who could be considered very young. After questioning and digging deeper, it was found that there was a priest who could take the shape of a “young child.”  It was not a private list that could be confirmed externally, but information obtained from military documents. The military documents contained the numerical value and utilization of holy power of priests that could be deployed in times of war.

From the documents, he found a priest who could change his “appearance “appearance”” with holy power. In other words, he could also change his age at will. And there was only one priest in the Temple of Ilion with such ability. It was a priest named Cedric Lapheod. It was said that he had been away from the temple since last winter. All the circumstances were in place.

“Your Highness, in a week’s time, on the day of the High Priest’s tour, that young priest will surely appear.” 

 

Chapter 43 Lloyd, who had been following Fernan, spoke quietly.

They were now lurking near the temple, as the temple was the only clue to finding Julia’s whereabouts. However, they were not putting any direct pressure on the temple. te mple.

It was to make them not notice that they were under Fernan’s surveillance.  If the missing priest was truly related to Julia, J ulia, the more reliable way was to find out who was behind it secretly.

“So, please, be patient a little longer.”  Lloyd continued to talk, looking at the back of Fernan’s hand with blood vessels popping up. Fernan was now struggling to suppress the urge to turn the temple te mple upside down. It was the first time in six months that he had a clue about Julia. It was natural that he wanted to find her right away. But there was no way the priests would be honest enough to tell him about her if he tried to visit the temple recklessly.

“…Yes, I know.”  Fernand’s empty eyes lit up with a faint glow as he recited in a low voice.  He had been out of his mind all this time, and now he was showing his human face. He held his trembling hands harder.

Julia’s trail was approaching. Julia must be alive… 

*** In the meantime, Cedric arrived safely at the Temple of Ilion. This was the first time he had been away from his position for such a long period of time during his time at the Temple.

 

“It’s also been a very long time since I’ve seen myself like this.”  Before stepping out of the carriage, Cedric used his power and changed his appearance. As the green light faintly spread, he quickly transformed into a ten years old boy. Prior to his stay in the Holy Land, Cedric had always lived in his child form unless there was something special. This was because it was only by reducing his outward age and minimizing his bodily functions that he would be able to maintain his power in the most stable manner.

“Cedric, are you not changing into a child anymore?”   As he dismounted from the carriage and walked up the stairs, Cedric remembered what Julia had asked him sometime ago. It seemed that the memory of the first time they had met was very strong in her mind. Julia was alone a lone in her conviction before he could make any reply. Look again at the children attached to her, and look at him again.

“Hmmm, sure… it would be a bit troubling if you turned into a child here.”   A gentle smile spread across his face as he thought of Julia’s face as she laughed while muttering. It wasn’t actually because he was embarrassed or troubled as she thought.   He just didn’t want to spend the rest of his time in front of her as a child. Smiling subtly, Cedric crossed the yard and entered the hall. It was two days later when the High Priest decided to come. Before that, intended to visit the study on thetimes top floor ofpresent. the temple first. In the library wereCedric numerous history books from ancient to the Starting from the origins of the holy power, many information and examples of the existing holy power were recorded. If he searched through them one by one, he might be able to find a way to alleviate Julia’s condition. Cedric walked along the corridor that led to the central staircase. Along the way, he briefly exchanged greetings with a few priests who noticed him and greeted him.

“Priest Cedric, you’ve come just in time for the day.”  “Yes, it’s an important day so I can’t be absent.” 

 

After a short conversation with the priests he hadn’t seen in a while, Cedric took his steps again. Perhaps it was because of the news of the High Priest’s visit, but the temple hall was especially crowded with more people than usual. After weaving his way through the crowds and up the t he stairs, Cedric eventually made his way to the study. And a man who had been blending in with the crowd was watching Cedric carefully.

It was Fernan’s second-in-command, who had infiltrated the interior of the temple in place of the known face of Fernan. Pretending to be a visitor, the knight followed Cedric and observed him for a while. He was a young priest from outside. The way he tal talked ked with the existing priests without hesitation. Above all, his name was Cedric. Surely, this priest was the one his lord was looking for. ***

“Julia, when will Cedric return?”  A small voice echoed in the front yard of the monastery. Julia, who was inserting flowers into the wooden arch, lowered her head to Rosemary, who stood next to her.

“Well, he’ll be back soon. Do you miss Cedric?”  Julia asked affectionately, and Rosemary made a sulky face.

“Other priests are scary. Cedric is nice to us….”  The priests here were older and all a ll very stern. It was just a little difficult for the children. Cedric was the only one among them who would help her and play well with the children. Rosemary seemed to miss him very much, because he was not there to play with her. It had been exactly three weeks since he left the monastery. She knew that the day of the

High Priest’s visit had already passed.  But it took a long time to t o come and go and she did not know exactly when he would return. Julia smiled and ruffled Rosemary’s hair.  

“Rose, isn’t it boring to play with me?” 

 

  At her mischievous question, Rosemary shook her head.

“No! It’s good to play with Julia. It’s fun.”  Rosemary lagged behind, clinging to her arm and rubbing her cheek. Smiling brightly, Julia gently tugged at the child’s cheek.  The wedding was scheduled to take place at the monastery in the afternoon. So Julia worked with the children to decorate d ecorate the wedding arch with flowers. The wedding arch, after finishing with care, was finely decorated with white flowers, making the garden glow. When the noon sun went down in the afternoon, a wedding ceremony was held in the monastery. Julia handed the bride the light pink rose bouquet that she had made with all her sincerity.

“Wow, what a surprise! I love it. Thank you very much!”  Seeing the bride smiling brightly with happiness filled Julia’s heart with a little happiness as well. The ceremony was officiated by the head priest of the monastery. It was a simply decorated wedding, but the sight of the young couple smiling at e each ach other was as beautiful as any gorgeous wedding.

Julia’s lips lifted faintly as she watched the bride and groom exchange rings.  Then, suddenly, she remembered her own wedding day. That day was in early spring. The ceremony, held at the Imperial Palace, was as glamorous as any royal family. The memories of exchanging vows and rings in front of the priest came to mind one after

another. Blinking her eyes with an expressionless face, Julia suddenly looked down at her hand. Then she remembered her own wedding ring, which she had long forgotten. It was the only thing she had selfishly brought with her as a consolation prize.

“I’ve never seen a ring crafted with such precious gems before. Where did you get this?”  

 

  When she just arrived at the monastery, Julia went to a jeweler to sell the ring. The merchant said the ring was worth a lot of money, but she returned without selling it.

She didn’t need the money right away, but somehow she still didn’t have the courage to sell it. She didn’t know if maybe it was because it was the only thing that reminded her of her past. It was a past she wanted to forget, but perhaps she wasn’t ready to let it go completely.  Deliberately brushing her thoughts away, Julia turned her gaze again. As she smiled again, gazing at the bride and groom as they kissed ea each ch other, someone placed a light hand on her shoulder.

“Julia.”  Julia looked back at the familiar voice. Cedric was standing behind her with a small smile on his face. Julia looked up at him with a happy expression on her face.

“Cedric, when did you get here?”  She talked about him with Rosemary this morning, but she didn’t expect him to be back so soon. “I just arrived.”  Cedric continued to speak as she came up beside her quietly.

“How have you been feeling?”  Julia’s complexion was better than before. Smiling, Julia replied.  “I’m feeling much better.” 

She hadn’t coughed up any more blood since that time. The pain that had been intermittently hitting her heart had also subsided. Julia shrugged her shoulders faintly. Cedric finally smiled. The end of that smile, however, was somewhat complicated and soaring.

 

So far, Cedric had searched all the ancient books that were outdated in the temple. But still he found nothing. What upset him more than anything were the words Matheus had told him.

“I can feel that Julia’s power is slowly returning to me.”   “You mean….”   “Yes… if this continues, Julia’s health will be at risk.”   Julia’s holy power originally belon ged to Matheus. Once the holy power that resided within her was gone, it was supposed to return to its original owner, Matheus.

It was presumed that Julia’s throwing up blood was also because her power was disappearing. However, even Matheus said he could not guess why such symptoms happened.

 

Chapter 44 “Cedric, what’s wrong?”  Julia stared in wonder at the silent Cedric for a moment. Then, finally, Cedric looked up and answered.

“No, it’s nothing.”  Cedric smiled faintly again. It would be better not to inform Julia about this yet. However, Julia had a vague idea why he was doing so.

Probably because he couldn’t find a cure at the temple.   “Thank you for trying so hard. And I’m really okay now.”  Looking at Julia as if she was trying to comfort him, Cedric bit his lip. Nodding with a complicated and apologetic expression, Cedric was silent for a moment. After his expression changed again, he turned his gaze to the bride standing in the wedding archway.

“Did Julia make that bouquet for the bride?”  Nodding, Julia smiled brightly again.

“I also decorated that wedding arch with the children.”  The wedding arch was placed in the direction d irection she pointed, its white flowers and greenery glowing beautifully in the sun.

“You must have had a hard time. Please don’t overwork yourself.”  “Don’t worry. It was rather fun.” 

Looking at her peaceful face, Cedric finally relaxed his lips. At this moment, he could only hope earnestly. He hoped that this would be uneventful. May she be as peaceful as she was now, without further pain.

“They look really happy together, don’t they?”  Julia’s blue eyes were shining as she asked. Even though it was a simple wedding, she seemed to be very happy to see it.

 

  Cedric was sure her wedding was much more glamorous g lamorous and extravagant than this. When he had first brought Julia here, Cedric was inwardly worried that she would not be able to adapt to the simplicity of life. However, contrary to his fears, Julia blended into the life here in her own way.

However, he couldn’t be sure that she was really satisfied with her current life. Cedric knew very well that she sometimes looked lonely.

“I heard that tomorrow is the festival.”  Julia unexpectedly opened her mouth again. She had just heard the news from Gabrielle earlier this morning. Cedric, with a small tilt of his head, answered quickly,

“Yes. The birthday of Hecate, the god who rules the continent, is this summer.”  This was also the reason why the High Priest traveled all over the continent. Every year around this time, there were long-lasting celebrations in the Holy Land. Julia looked somewhat expectant at his words.

“This is the first time in my life that I’ll go to a festival.”   Among Julia’s modest dreams was to go out into the city and enjoy the festivals.  For even the mundane things of blending in the crowd and watching the festivals in the streets were not allowed in her old days. Seeing her, Cedric spoke in an even brighter voice.

“It’s going to be fun. During the festival, foreigners are also allowed to enter freely.” 

I see.   “There will be street plays and night markets. There will also be a lot of merchants.”  Hearing this, a sense of anticipation welled up in Julia’s heart even more. Gazing into her sparkling eyes, Cedric made a suggestion. “Shall we go out together tomorrow? We’ll bring the children too.”  

 

  “Yes, of course.”  Julia lowered her eyes softly, hiding her childish exuberance. Her hair fluttered lightly in the breeze. *** It was afternoon, the first day of the festival. The streets of the downtown area were gorgeously decorated with colorful lanterns and decorations. The white lights illuminating the slowly fading dusk. The scene, which created a deep and mysterious atmosphere, attracted Julia.

“Wow!”  The children held her hands and swam through the crowds. As Cedric said, there were numerous shops on the street. The children took her on an enthusiastic tour of the streets, and before she knew it, they were in the middle of a square. There, a street play was actively a ctively in progress. They sat on the stairs in one corner of the square to watch the play. After seating the children in the empty seats, Julia sat down next to Cedric. The noisy children quickly became quiet as the play proceeded with great interest. And Julia, who had finally sighed, immediately began to immerse herself in the play.

“How’s the festival? Is it as fun as you think?”   After some time, Cedric unexpectedly spoke to her. Julia J ulia nodded without taking her eyes off

the play.

“Yes, if only for the noisy atmosphere… I feel really good.”  Cedric, who was silent for a moment at her reply, asked again.

“…Can I assume that Julia is a little happier now?” 

 

Finally, Julia turned her head. Cedric looked nervous. She blinked slowly and looked at him, and Julia soon smiled gorgeously.

“Of course.”  The clear smile, without a trace of selfishness, spoke volumes. She was already happy. Cedric looked at Julia as if he was obsessed and grabbed her hand for no apparent reason. The tips of his ears were slightly red. Julia’s eyes were tinged with peace as she turned her attention to the play again.  It was a night when everything unfolded perfectly. And at the same time, Fernan had just entered the festival street. The Holy Land strictly controlled the comings and goings of people from other countries. Coincidentally, however, from the day after his arrival, the Holy Land entered the festival period. Thanks to this, permission was obtained earlier than expected.

“Your Highness, we’ve already lost the priest. What should we do?”   Within a day, the priest quickly disappeared. But it no longer mattered.

If Julia was in this country, it wouldn’t be hard to find her no matter where she was.   “Divide the area and conduct a secret search. I need to look at this street.”  Fernan led only two or three knights into the downtown area. The lights that lined throughout the square brightened their dark vision. The white banners connecting the pillars were painted with the patterns of the gods in

gorgeous colors. Fernan, however, did not look at any of them. He just glanced at the crowd with his crazy eyes. He thought a lot the whole time he was here. At the same time, he was surrounded by endless emotions.

 

The emotion that filled his heart the most was hope. It was the thought that Julia J ulia might be dead that suddenly rose up and drove him crazy.

He couldn’t quite contain the emotions that were welling up in him at the current situation that proved that idea to be wrong. His gaze, which had been wandering the streets like a madman, soon landed on a corner of the square. People were gathered in a circle, looking at the central open space, perhaps it was a sightseeing spot. Fernan, who was watching the crowd carefully, quickly averted his gaze. Then, he suddenly threw his gaze to pierce the t he middle of the crowd. His shimmering golden eyes caught sight of a woman. In the midst of all the people, only one person came into his eyes.

“Julia.”  Fernan murmured as if he was strangled. She was a petite woman sitting on the step. Her light silver hair in a bun, her face delicate and hollow. Even her lake-like eyes, which still shine as brightly as ever e ver even after such a long time. The image of Julia, which he had drawn thousands of times in his mind, was clearly in front of his eyes.

“Your Highness?”  His second-in-command spoke to Fernan, who stood still. It was because Fernand was the only one who recognized Julia among the people.

He soon beckoned the knights silently. Immediately, all the knights who followed him scattered to other places.

A light gradually began to shine in his eyes, which had been quiet, as if he didn’t know this situation was reality or a dream.

 

Julia, the woman he had been searching endlessly for, was now in his field of vision. With his lips quivering slightly, Fernan stepped forward. His golden gaze remained fixed on Julia, staring at her relentlessly. Instantly, the sound of all the strings of reason being cut at once could be heard. ‘Julia would be surprised. Wouldn’t she be angry and wonder wonde r why I had come? Then how could I soothe and calm her?’   There was no room for such normal thoughts. The next strides that followed were fast approaching Julia. At that moment, a wave of people parading in front of him passed by. He stopped when he began to see Julia again, who had been hidden by the crowd. His crazy eyes suddenly hardened. Fernan froze, looking down at his feet in a daze, slowly raising his gaze.

Then he looked again. He looked at Julia’s face, which was smiling like sunlight.  Then Julia was laughing. He had never seen a face like that before.

“…Why?”  The first thought that popped into his head was such a silly question.

 

Chapter 45 Julia’s smile appeared one after another in his vision as he began to sway slightly. For some reason, at this moment, he couldn’t move, as if his feet were tied to the ground.  Fernan didn’t even think of approaching approaching her, he just kept staring at her. Eventually, Julia got up from her seat and started taking care of the children next to her. Then a man was seen helping her and holding the children. It was the priest whom Fernan lost while following. She wandered around the crowded streets, looking happy and content. Fernan, like a somewhat insane person, just followed her like that. Every now and then she bent her knees and looked at the children, whispering something to them with her gentle gaze. A few times she looked up at the priest next to her and laughed at the words that came and went. The whole scene made Fernan feel as if someone was squeezing his heart again a and nd again. He had never seen her like this before. It was the kind of face Julia had never shown him before. Even if he drew Julia thousands of times, all he could picture was a face that was always hurt and tearful, immersed in misery, but now Julia was not the woman he remembered. She was just an ordinary, happy woman.

“Lady Julia wanted one thing: to get out of her misery and be happy.”   Just then, someone’s voice tapped him on the ear. Fernan’s steps came to a halt. Followi ng the voice, the last image of Julia in his memory appeared in front of him. “I’ve had enough misery in my life.”   Standing on the edge of the cliff, muttering those quiet words. He had thought of it

thousands of times before, and it began to hold him down again at this moment. Fernan, who bowed his head as if breaking down, held his trembling hand tightly. Blood oozed from the palm of his hand as a strong force entered it. Fernan, who slowly raised his head in that state, caught sight of Julia again. She was looking up at the night sky.

 

  A flurry of fireworks embroidered the night sky. Julia gazed at the scene, her eyes shining like a child’s. She was a woman who laughed with joy at such a small thing.  Now he finally knew that fact. An invisible wall was erected in front of Julia, perfectly assimilated into the peaceful scene.

It was a solid wall that he could not possibly break down or destroy. “It was a solid wall that he would never be able to break down or break down, and a sense of reality gradually came over Fernan, who was half out of his mind. ‘At first… what did you try to do?   That’s right. I was going to ask Julia for forgiveness first thing when I saw her.  her.   I would never hurt her again. I will try to promise. And I am going to put into her hands every  precious and good good thing I had ever failed to give. I want to untie the intricate knot and rekindle r ekindle my relationship with her. That’s how I’m going to start all over again….’   Fernan lowered the hand that had been covering his mouth. His lips quivered. The funny thing was that while he was having such apparent thoughts, only one thing that came to mind. That Julia would live happily ever after, after she forgot everything. That all the elements of unhappiness, including him, might be buried and she might be with new people. Before he knew it, the night of the festival was drawing to a close. Fernan just stood there quietly even until people started to leave. When Julia was out of sight in the t he crowd, a small, almost vanishing voice fell into the street.

“How can I….” 

‘How do I grab hold of you? How can I bring her to my side again?’   For Julia, he was the end of her misery. He was the one who drove her to the edge of the cliff until the very end.

 

He didn’t give her anything. He had never made her laugh. He couldn’t even make her feel at least a little comfortable at home. All he had given Julia was wounds and pain. But how could he break her peace now? Fernan closed his eyes, which had grown dim with the loss of light. Soon the knights approached him. The knights could not easily open their mouths as they looked at their lord, who bowed his head with a dangerous look on his face. Fernand slowly opened his mouth in a voice with unknown emotions.

“Stop searching….”  This short order was the end of a long time of madly sea searching rching for Julia so far. *** It was half a month after Fernan returned to the castle. It was his first return in half a year, but the Grand Duke went to his office without looking at anyone. He did not speak to anyone. Not even the butler who recommended meals to him, or the adjutant who gave him papers, or the servant who came to deliver the letters that had been piling up….  He just went about his business one by one. He forced himself to cram only the political matters into his head and handed over the documents like a machine with only a pen. He did that for a month.

“Your Highness, it’s Lloyd. I’ll be in in a moment.” 

Lloyd walked through the door and looked a little darker.

Fernan was in the same position Lloyd had seen him in yesterday, examining the documents.

He couldn’t tell if his lord had eaten or slept. 

 

His eyes were dazed and his face was paler than before. His body was as intimidating as ever, but his jawline was noticeably thinner. Lloyd carefully held out the letter in his hand.

“As ordered, the knight you sent out found some information about Her Highness.”  Fernan’s hand holding the pen stopped for a m oment. His face, which had been expressionless, gradually began to show emotion. He took the letter without looking at Lloyd. His eyes shook slightly as he read the contents.

The letter contained detailed information about Julia’s life.   It said that she was staying at a monastery in a small village. There she took care of the children and became a fully established member of the monastery.

“What is the size of the monastery?”  “It’s not a big one. It’s a monastery in a very small village, so there aren’t many people.”  Fernan lowered his gaze. His golden eyes were quiet, as if he was thinking about something. It was not long before he opened his mouth again.

“We’ll have to wait and see.”  “…”  “…, yes. A little more.”  If it was unkempt, it was unkempt. And it was a terrible, ugly regret.

He knew now that Julia won’t need him. 

But maybe, just maybe, something will happen in her life that she would need him for, even if it’s just a small part.  Such a sneaky desire to be a part of her life, even a small part, filled a corner of his mind.

“‘I will do so, Your Highness. Oh, yes, Your Highness. ….” 

 

Lloyd, who was about to say, “Please, rest,” as was his custom, immediately fell silent.  He knew very well that his lord was not a person who listened even when he spoke a few thousand times. It might be better to cling to political affairs all the time, like this, to somehow kill the emotions.

“Well, I’ll be going now.”   With a small sigh, Lloyd bowed silently and a nd turned away. The door slammed shut, and silence fell over the office once more. *** Winter was soon upon the Holy Land. Along with the seasons that have passed passe d so quickly, several changes have occurred in the monastery. Last fall, an unidentified anonymous sponsor donated a huge sum of money to the monastery. This caused the monastery to go through many busy days for three months. The interior facilities have been renovated and the old exterior has been beautified.

The monastery’s finances, which were not rich, now have an unten able margin, which made it possible to live a more convenient life. “The donor didn’t reveal his identity. It’s so frustrating that I can’t even say thank you.”  Julia crouched in front of the fireplace and remembered what Gabrielle had said. The place where millionaires and nobles donated their money was the Great Temple with a high reputation.

Also, they normally wouldn’t hide their identities when they donated. 

She knew this because when she was a child she saw Marquis Elody donate to the Great Temple with all kinds of fuss.

How did the donor come to know this little monastery and donate? Julia’s faint curiosity was aroused. Crackling, the sound of wood burning filled the bedroom.

 

  Julia put the book she had just brought from the study on her lap. During internal repairs, a study had been installed at the end of the first floor. So these days, she would sit in front of the fireplace and read books before going to sleep. The gentle warmth of the fire melted her body. Julia flipped through her book with a slight tilt of her head.

 

Chapter 46 Such a peaceful day continued for a while. It was a winter when everything was in perfect order. Likewise, Julia thought that her body was gradually getting better. However, one morning, which was no different from usual, Julia woke up coughing up blood. Her lips quivered as she looked at the blood that had moistened her palms. A trickle of blood stained the bedding red.

Julia couldn’t hide her confusion at the sudden hemoptysis hemoptysis that hadn’t come for a while.  After hurriedly bringing a cloth and wiping off her mouth and hands, Julia touched t ouched her chest. Thump, thump, a faintly running beat, she could faintly feel the power inside her shaking. At the same time, she could feel that her power was fading more than before. No one told her, but Julia J ulia could predict it to some extent. The more her power faded, the more and more the life inside her was disappearing, Julia immediately sat up with a pale face.

“Should I tell Cedric? But….”  Cedric was still traveling to and fro, searching for a cure. However, he had yet to find any results. If he found out that her condition had gotten worse, he might feel overwhelmed.

“…… It’s okay.” 

Julia mumbled to herself. Then she went straight to the closet and changed her clothes. She tucked the bloodstained bedding to one side first. While she was doing that, someone knocked on the door. Julia walked up to the door and opened it, and Gabrielle looked at her in surprise.

 

  “Hey, you look really pale, are you okay?”  Her cheeks had turned white, and by all accounts she definitely looked like a patient. Julia just shook her head, not wanting to cause any unnecessary worry.

“I’m fine. I guess I didn’t sleep well.”  She smiled faintly, but Gabrielle was already worried.

Gabrielle, who reached out her wrinkled hand and touched Julia’s forehead, yelled in surprise. “What do you mean you’re fine? Your forehead is on fire!”  Gabrielle grabbed her hand and hurriedly sat Julia down on the bed.

“Please wait. I’ll bring a doctor soon.”  Before Julia could respond, Gabrielle rushed out of the room. The door closed and Julia, who had been blinking her eyes loosely, but her lip.

Even if she met with the doctor, it wouldn’t change much, because her condition was not something that could be made better by the normal medical techniques. After sitting like that for a while in a daze, Gabrielle entered the room with a town d doctor. octor. He was the only doctor in this village. He had met Julia a few times. The doctor examined her condition and diagnosed her as sickly with fever. They gave her a fever reducer and a restorative. Knowing that it was useless, Julia took the medicine without fail for several weeks. It was Gabrielle’s way of being stubborn. 

However, taking the pills did not make Julia feel any better. After all that time without success, suddenly a certain doctor, who said he was from another land, visited the monastery. He was a well known and prominent doctor. In short, it meant that he was an expensive doctor in the noble family.

 

Julia couldn’t help but be suspicious, even as she received the medical treatment.  “Um…”  The doctor, who had been carefully monitoring Julia’s pulse, slowly withdrew his hand.   Then he began to speak in a very polite manner.

“There seems to be a problem with your heart. The flow of the acupuncture points touching your heart is not smooth, so your body is cold, but your head is hot and you may feel chest pains occasionally.”  Julia couldn’t help but open her eyes wide at the su rprisingly accurate diagnosis. The doctor in town who visited a few weeks ago had dismissed her condition as a simple fever.

“I’ll prescribe you some medicine for your heart condition. I will give you a stabilizer that will temporarily help your circulation. If you take it when you feel chest ches t pain, you will feel better.”  Julia nodded vaguely as the words continued smoothly. In addition, the doctor provided her with a basket of herbs that were good for restoring her energy. The tea made from the roots was said to be good for improving physical strength and stabilizing nerves.

“I’ll come back when you finish all the medicines I prescribed. If your body gets sick again before then, you can always contact me.”  “Ah… yes, thank you.”  With those last words, the doctor d octor stepped out of the bedroom, bowing in a polite gesture. After he was gone, Julia spoke to Gabrielle.

“Um, Gabrielle, how was that doctor here?”  Such a famous doctor rarely visited private homes, no matter how much money was paid. Gabrielle answered quickly with a small smile.

“One of the followers introduced us to him. He said he’s a very famous and capable doctor.” 

 

  “…Did the doctor just agree easily and come here like that?” 

“Well, yes. Actually, I was going to take you to visit him there, but he told me that he would visit in person. In any case, we are fortunate. Now, let’s start eating quickly so you can take your medicine.”  Still wondering, Julia nodded obediently. The doctor had pinpointed her symptoms specifically. That alone was enough to convince her that he was an excellent doctor. However, it was not known whether the prescription drug would work. So after finishing her meal, Julia took the medicine the doctor gave her. After that, she even drank the tea which was brought by Gabrielle. It made her feel like a child to be taken care of like this.

Julia hadn’t been able to get enough sleep in the past few days. Because her body was constantly feeling uncomfortable and tingling. Today, however, she felt much better. She thought it might be because of the medicine she took. Julia gradually closed her eyes, feeling more at ease than she had in a very long time. That night, for the first time in a long time, Julia was able to sleep soundly. After taking the medicine for a few days, d ays, she found that the prescribed medicine had a definite effect on the symptoms that appeared on the surface. Most of the physical discomforts such as increased fever and fast beating heart have disappeared. The quality of her sleep has also become better than before.

Looking at it that way, her condition seemed to be getting better little by little. That’s what the doctor who came to visit her periodically said.

Ironically, however, the power within her remained unsteady.

“Cedric.”  As the evening wore on, Julia looked over at Cedric, who was walking alongside her, and called his name.

 

They were on their evening walk, as usual.

“Yes?”  Cedric looked at her gently. Julia quietly lowered her gaze.

“I wonder how much power I have left in me.”  At the quiet statement, Cedric paused, his face frozen for a moment. He looked bewildered. It was because Julia had never asked specifically about her condition before. But she already seemed to know that the power in her was slowly disappearing.

“Actually, I’ve been feeling it for a while. The power in my heart fading little by little.”   Julia explained calmly as she looked up at him. Finally, the bewildered Cedric nodded.

“…… Yes, that’s right. It’s Julia’s body, so there was no way you couldn’t feel it yourself…”  He muttered a sigh, and continued with his next words.

“I can’t feel Julia’s power. But I’m sure Matheus knows. He’s the original owner of the holy power.”  Since his visit to the temple of Ilion a few months ago, Matheus hadn’t had much communication. So, Cedric still didn’t know exactly what Julia’s current situation was.   “For now, Julia’s best treatment is to not use your holy power.”   Even so, the power would faintly fade, but as long as she didn’t use an enormous amount of power all at once, there would be no sudden abnormalities in her body. Cedric spoke to her in his usual gentle voice.

“Don’t worry. You will be fine. Julia is loved by God.”   Julia managed to raise the edge of her lips.

“Yes, I’m sure I’ll get better too.”  

 

It’d be lying if she said she wasn’t anxious. But she didn’t want to ruin her current peace of mind with such anxiety. She was finally able to find some happiness now. One day at a time was very important to her. ‘When will I faint again? What if I don’t wake up?’ She didn’t want to waste precious moments with such meaningless thoughts. There would be no change in the pain if she did. So she just had to go about her daily life as usual and be at peace.

“Yes…..”  Julia took a deep breath. She then turned to Cedric and gave him a small smile as if to say that she was really okay now.

 

Chapter 47 “Your Highness, I apologize for the early hour. The Kingdom of Caria has sent a proposal for a trade merger. It seems that you need to consider it as soon as possible.”  Inside the Grand Duke’s castle. Lloyd, who had hurried into the office, approached the desk and held out a letter. Without looking at Lloyd, Fernan took the letter.

“Your Highness, on a different note, what are your plans for the Empress’ birthday banquet this time?”  Lloyd looked at him and asked cautiously. So far, Fernan had not participated in any of the major events held in the capital.

However, since this banquet was only for the royal family’s birthday celebration, celebration, it was necessary for him to attend. As Lloyd swallowed his spit, Fernan replied by writing his signature on the letter.

“Tell them I will be there.” t here.”  “Yes, yes!”  It was a surprisingly straightforward reply. Lloyd breathed a sigh of relief.

After finding out about Julia’s whereabouts, Fernan began to dabble in political affairs outside the estate. That was a relief, but…   Six months had passed since he had found Julia and left her there. However, Fernan was still spending his time as if he was missing something.

So far, the castle has been piled high with marriage proposals from all over the world.

If he didn’t bring Julia back with him, he would have rather considered a new marriage partner. But Fernan simply ordered all the marriage proposals to be burned without touching a single one.

 

He even went so far as to officially declare that he would not a accept ccept any more marriage proposals. Lloyd looked at Fernan, whose eyes were fixed on the papers, and posed a question to him.

“Your Highness, are you really not planning to see Her Highness?”  Fernan, who had been madly searching for Julia, did not even try to go to her now. If he had abandoned his feelings for her, he would not have said anything. However, his nerves were still entirely focused on her. For half a year, he had been distributing donations to the small monastery where Julia lived. He even went so far as to impersonate his second-in-command as a member of the congregation there to receive regular updates on her condition. The other day, he just received the news that she was sick, and he sent a doctor directly to her there.

“….. Your Highness, we can’t leave the position of Grand Duchess vacant forever. forever. Wouldn’t it be better to bring back Her Highness now?”  To be honest, there were enough good reasons for him to bring Julia back. The Grand Duchess ran away and abandoned her duties, that fact alone was enough to force her back to where she belonged. It was certainly the right thing to do to meet and talk to her first before doing so. However, it was just frustrating for the aide as he was just watching out of sight. As Lloyd sighed faintly, Fernan handed him one of the documents with an unknown expression.

“Leave.” 

Lloyd stood hesitatingly even when Fernan ordered him to leave coldly. But as soon as the cold gaze touched him, he had no choice but to bow silently and leave. And so, when Lloyd was gone, Fernan just looked at the papers for a long time.

It wasn’t until dawn, when the moon was shining, that he suddenly loo ked up. The snow that had not fallen for a while was scattering.

 

He stared at the snow, which only made him feel depressed. Then he got up from his seat and slowly approached the window. It reminded him of Julia, a natural thing to do after a crazy day o off work.

“I’m continuing my visit to the monastery as you said. She’s been better since taking the  prescription  prescripti on medicine, so so don’t worry too much.”   Not long ago, he communicated with the doctor whom he sent to Julia at the Holy Land. He was glad Julia was getting better, but he was still concerned. The doctor said her heart was not good.

He wondered how long it had been that way. Maybe…maybe it started when she was living in this castle? Fernan lowered his gaze and let out a heavy breath. Then he threw his gaze to the window again.

“It’s nice to have a lot of snow here.”   Julia’s voice sank like a phantom. Winter, snow, and Julia disappeared.  Still, he had no intention of breaking her routine.

But he couldn’t help but feel the urge to go see her sometimes. Just not executing it was a task he couldn’t handle.  That was because he didn’t want to be Julia’s misery again.  The only thing he could do was just pretend not to see her and hold his breath. Fernan held his hand still as it began to shake out of habit.

The tremors in his hands that had formed after the loss of JJulia ulia still hadn’t gone away.  His life was still like thin ice. Without Julia, there was only a chill in the air every day here.

Now he deeply realized the true nature of his feelings for Julia.

And that heart grew helplessly even in this time when he couldn’t see her.  ***

“Gabrielle, I’m going to the Lord’s residence tomorrow.” 

 

  Julia opened her mouth in a crisp voice. Not long ago, Julia had just gotten a small job at the Lord’s residence in the village.  It was because the wife of the lord, who visited the monastery to see the people of the estate, saw the flowers that decorated the chapel and asked Julia to decorate the reception room of the mansion. Although she was not an expert, her unique and quaint decorations seemed to be very much to the liking of the lord’s wife.  Gabrielle looked worried that Julia was overworked, but eventually nodded.

“Yes, the Lord’s wife is a nice person, so spending time with her will be go good.” od.”  The distance between the lord and the people of the land here was not far. It was a small land, and the lord was not too concerned about high and low status.

“I’m looking forward to it. I’ve heard the mansion is very nice.”  Julia smiled. She had been making an effort to keep things the same lately.

So she didn’t avoid taking on new jobs and meeting new people.   The children had been spending time with her every day, and she hadn’t missed her evening walks with Cedric. Not long ago, Cedric had been bee n away. So in the evening, Julia walked by herself. As the chillier weather permeated her skin, she realized that winter had come again. ‘Winter. Another year has passed since I came here.’   As she walked along, lost in thought, Julia suddenly looked up and stopped.

“It’s snowing…..” 

Julia stared at the snow falling like petals on her head. It was the first snowfall that greeted her here. She reached out and the snowflakes fell coldly into her palm. She stood there for a long time, like a child looking at the snow. Suddenly, someone’s voice went faintly to her ear.

 

“There is a legend that if you see the first snowfall with someone you love, your love will come true. Have you ever heard of it?”   It was someone’s voice, familiar and gentle. Then, just like the reply, a young voice also came to her mind. “Mother, how do you know what love is?”   “Hmmm.”   The little girl’s words were long and troubled, her gentle gaze looking at her mother…. The warm chest that hugged the child whose ear tips were red from the cold. “I want to protect you, I want to be with you, that’s what love is.”   “Then, does mother love me?”   It was a memory of a childhood day under the falling snow, being held in her mother’s arms. “Of course I do. Mother will always love you, Julia.”   Without warning, Julia’s mouth lifted faintly as she remembered that day.  Why did she forget about it all a ll this time? Those precious days she spent with her mother, that loving voice she used to tell her she loved her. Julia stayed with her mother until she was seven years old. Until the age of seven, when her biological father suddenly appeared and took her away. Perhaps it was because she thought her mother had abandoned her at a very young age. Maybe that was why she forgot all the good memories that she had. Julia looked quietly at the snow piled shallow on the floor.

After recalling her mother after a long time, even the faces she didn’t want to remember came to her as an extension of her memory.

The Marquis and his wife, steeped in greed and evil. She wondered how they were doing now. It was certain that they had suffered no small amount of damage since she disappeared.

Julia’s eyes fluttered expressionlessly. 

 

She didn’t want to curse them, but at least she hoped they wouldn’ t live as luxuriously as they had before. ***

“This is different. This is not what it looks like. Your Majesty, you can’t do this to me. ….”   Marquis Elody threw the bottle of liquor in his hand on the floor. At the sound, the servants who were standing by the door, looking at each ea ch other, bowed their heads, shaking.

A year has passed since Julia’s disappearance. The Emperor had withdrawn the Marquis from his hand and foot position and had never called him in. Up until six months ago, he was called in several times to investigate Fernan’s Fernan’s current situation, but since he couldn’t get any useful information, the Emperor considered the Marquis useless. The Marquis, who had enjoyed the wealth and honor of having Julia as the Grand Duchess, could not fully enjoy everything without her. In the meantime, the power that the Marquis had built up was quickly crumbling.

“Julia, that ungrateful girl must have run away. Yes, definitely….” definitely….”  “Didn’t you say earlier that she’s dead?”  Grayson, sitting across from the Marquis, replied in a calm tone. Grayson Elody, the eldest son of Marquis Elodie, who had recently moved to the capital.

“No, she’s not dead. She ran away and made me suffer. How dare she repay me for the grace and nurturing I had shown her so far wi th this….!” 

 

Chapter 48 Instantly, the angry Marquis swept all the decorations off the table. This caused a commotion once, but Grayson just stared at his father like he was deaf. de af.

“What should I do? Well…Grayson, you can beg His Majesty. No, no. The Emperor is setting distance, so you’d better hold on to the Crown Prince!”  Watching the Marquis babbling nonsense, Grayson got up from his seat as if he was sick of it. It had been a full two days since he had to deal with her father like this. Grayson took a step, leaving behind the Marquis, who was muttering like a maniac.

“I’ll be leaving now. Please give my regards to mother.”   As soon as the Marquis saw his son leave, he got drunk on his misfortune and grabbed the wine bottle again. Grayson walked out of the parlor without looking back.

“Young Master, the Marquis is in a very bad mood. Why don’t you stay a little longer with him before going home?”  As he walked away, the butler hurried to follow. It was a plea for help. The anger of the Marquis at the loss of his honor was directed at the servants of the mansion. Every day the Marquis got drunk and rampaged through the mansion, destroying it. Many of the servants were unexpectedly badly hurt by him. The Marchioness also released all her sensitive nerves to those under her command. The other day, after all the invitations to tea parties were refused, she threw a vase of flowers at them, causing serious injuries to the maid who was near her. As these days were repeated day after day, the number of servants resigning increased. In this desperate situation, the only person who could reestablish the family was the eldest son, Grayson.

However, Grayson just kept walking without ever looking at the butler.

“Young Master!”  Grayson’s eyes didn’t even change when he called out in an urgent tone. From the beginning, he had no love or respect for his parents, much less for the butler and servants of this rotten house.

 

  One day, he should succeed his father and take over the title of Marquis, but he didn’t have the slightest sense of mission to start a family.

“Let’s go”  Soon, the carriage carrying Grayson began to rattle off. He glanced at the mansion over the window. Then, naturally, he remembered his half-sister, Julia, who disappeared a year ago.

He wasn’t close to his sister, and he thought she was living well since she became Grand Duchess. But it seemed that was not the case. He guessed it was not easy for her to live a prosperous life because his parents were like trash. Leaning his back against the seat, Grayson smiled. He didn’t have to guess how much fortune they got from Julia, who became Grand Duchess Even for Grayson, his parents were not decent people. His father pretended to be a soldier, but in reality he was a bellicose and violent man, and his mother unleashed her resentment of such a father on her young son. The daily torment was transferred to Julia when she appeared. A suitable and appropriate target appeared to take it all out on her.

Maybe she didn’t go missing, maybe she escaped on her own. That was what Grayson thought about Julia. She escaped on her own. It was also amazing how the young girl had endured so far.

Unlike him, who left home to live and ran away in the name of studying abroad around th the e age of twelve.

That was why he and Julia weren’t close as they spent only a couple of years together when they were young. Grayson kept his eyes closed and swept his hair in a plaintive manner.

 

At best, the daughter they had built to be the Grand Duchess was gone, and their heir son had grown up to be a ruffian with not a shred of heart to make the house prosperous. So in the end, the Marquis and his wife were doing as well as they had sown. ***

Julia had been spending time at the lord’s mansion twice a week these days. This was because the lady of the mansion, who was satisfied with the reception room Julia decorated last time, continued to entrust Julia with other chores. It took about an hour by carriage from the monastery to the mansion. She dozed off during the ride, and before she knew it, the carriage was at the entrance of the mansion. While Julia opened her eyes and checked the window, the coachman opened the door of the carriage.

“Julia, welcome back!”  The wife of the lord, Marianne, who was just out in the front yard, rushed over to greet Julia.

“Good morning, madam…”  “Oh my god, your face is frozen red! Come in quickly. I’ll tell the servant to make some hot tea.”  Marianne chatted amicably and led Julia into the mansion. Marianne was three years older than Julia, but her two children were boys who were already five years old. Marianne, who had married at a very young age and had been lonely while living in an

unconnected estate, had been very fond of Julia from the beginning. Thanks to Marianne, who did not care about status, Julia J ulia soon became comfortable with her. As soon as they entered the reception room and sat down in front of the tea table, a servant brought them refreshments. Marianne grabbed her teacup and opened her mouth.

 

  “The children have gone hunting with my husband for a while. I’m sure they’ll be back later this evening, so you can chat with me today.” 

“I see. So you have a hunting ground in your domain?”  “Yes. There is one forest. Sometimes small animals come down there. Rabbits, foxes, and deer. I don’t understand why he brings the children to hunt when it’s so cold.”   Marianne complained in a grumbling voice. Her tone was closer to that of a simple country woman than a noblewoman. Because of that, the present time was more comfortable and enjoyable for Julia. While actively engaged in all kinds of conversation, Marianne suddenly looked at her servant. Then she began to whisper softly to Julia.

“Julia, don’t get married. No, if you do, let’s have all the fun you can before you do it. I wish I had married him a little later. When I was a little girl, I thought I couldn’t live without that man, and now I want to squeak and punch him, just him breathing next to me!”   Julia couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at the lively voice. Oh, that said, the lord and his wife were a close couple. According to the rumors, they were a rare case of a love marriage.

“Hmm, but when I think about it, it’s kind of strange. Why Julia isn’t married yet?”  Marianne abruptly changed the subject to her, Julia opened her eyes wide and soon smiled awkwardly.

“Um, I’m actually married. We’re in a state of separation right now…..” 

Sometimes, like Marianne, people would ask why she wasn t married, and Julia would give them a straightforward answer. She didn’t feel the need to hide it too much, since no one here knew her background anyway.

“Oh my goodness, oh my goodness! Is it true? Why did you break up? Oh, it’s not polite to ask these t hings, hings, is it?” 

 

Marianne, who had been listening excitedly, suddenly stopped talking. Julia kept her eyes downcast and replied quietly.

“Just… We didn’t get along. My husband didn’t love me.”  Thinking that spitting out the words would make the atmosphere somewhat heavy, Julia smiled, meaning that it was nothing to worry about anymore. Marianne, who had been listening with a serious face, nodded and replied.

“I’m sorry to hear that. It must have been hard for you. I don’t know who it was, but I’d like to see his face to see what kind of an idiot he is.”   At Marianne’s crisp words, Julia eventually laughed out loud.  She had been trying so hard to be fine, and now it didn’t hurt that much when she thought of Fernan. At first, whenever her feelings for him grew, she had to frantically remind myself of the bad moments with him. For example, his cold words and stares, or the painful things she experienced at the castle. As she did so, her mind gradually calmed down.

“Yes, Julia. I’m planning to have a garden party in the greenhouse soon, will you come then?”  Marianne, who had been fiddling with the cookies, changed the subject again. a gain.

“You know. I don’t have anyone close to me, and I don’t have many people to invite. So Julia must come. Yes?”  Marianne looked at Julia with sparkling eyes, and Julia nodded pleasantly.

“I’ll be grateful if you invite me. I’ll definitely be there.”  “Thank you! I was just getting angry because my husband was scolding me to throw a party that no one was coming to anymo re.” 

As she listened to Marianne’s continuous chatter, the evening was quickly approaching.   Marianne kept asking her to stay for dinner, and Julia ended up sitting at the table with her. Meanwhile, the lord and his children, who had left on a hunting trip, returned. The lord, who put the children down from his arms, spoke to Marianne in a serious tone and left the mansion again.

 

When Marianne returned to the dining room after seeing her husband off, she looked a little pale.

“Ma’am, is something wrong?”  Julia asked with concern, and Marianne nodded and sighed.

“It seems that some of the knights who went out on border patrol have gone missing. We couldn’t reach them at all. I guess my husband needs to go investigate it himself.”   “I see. I hope everything is fine….”  The mountains surrounding the territory also bordered the border, and the thought that something terrible might have happened suddenly worried her. Marianne suggested that Julia should stay overnight since it was late. However, Julia politely declined as she didn’t want to feel indebted. indebted.  Julia went out of the mansion and looked up at the sky for a while, then hurriedly got into the carriage. The sky was all dark due to the shortening of the day.

 

Chapter 49 A week later, the garden party that Marianne had invited her to was just a around round the corner. Julia had spent the evening arranging the flowers to make a bouquet to take to the party tomorrow.

While she was working with cloth and ribbon, she heard someone’s voice through the door. “That’s strange. I’m sure he said he’d be back by this morning. Or maybe there was something wrong.”  It was Gabrielle’s voice. Julia listened to the voice without stopping her hands.  “Don’t worry. It just takes a little longer to patrol than usual . Jeremy, who catches wild boars with his bare hands, what could happen?” happen?”  The voice that followed was that of Paul, the gardener. The conversation between the two continued in Julia’s ear. 

“If it really bothers you, I’ll go to the entrance of the mountain early tomorrow morning.”  “Yes, yes, that would be better.”  The converter, which was going on for some time, disappeared d isappeared from the corridor while they were on their way. Julia tied the ribbon tightly and thought of a man m an named Jeremy in their conversation. Jeremy was one of the knights who guarded the monastery. He had just left a few days ago when he was put in charge of guarding the entrance to the mountain on the border.

‘’… Come to think of it, I heard that some knights went missing in the mountains.”   Julia suddenly remembered what Marianne had said at the lord’s mansion. 

She wondered if Jeremy s not coming back had anything to do with that, which made her worry even more. Holy Land was a country that had almost no conflicts with other countries. In the name of being a country blessed by God, she heard that even common looting was almost nonexistent. However, Gabrielle said long ago that there were demons that often came up the mountain. Many people were injured by them, and ever since then, they have been devoting more and more to guarding the border.

 

  It was hard to believe that such a thing had happened in such a peaceful and tranquil place. Julia managed to suppress the faint worry that was rising in her heart, and finally finished the bouquet. The next morning, Julia headed to the kitchen. She remembered that Marianne loved cookies, and she was going to bake a few. As she slowly walked into the kitchen, Julia spotted Gabrielle at the stove.

“Gabrielle, you’re up early.”   “Oh, Julia. You’re here just in time.”  Gabrielle placed freshly baked madeleines and various cookies on the table. The fragrant and sweet smell filled the kitchen.

“I baked them for you to take to the party. It’s the first party you’ve been invited to so you have t o bring something in return.”  Julia looked down at the freshly baked cookies with her eyes wide open. Apparently, she and Gabrielle had the same idea.

“I was going to make it, but you must have had a hard time because of me since dawn.”  “Go ahead and ask this old woman to do this sort of thing for you. It’s not like I don’t know that you’re not talented in cooking.”  Gabrielle smiled mischievously, folding the edges of her wrinkled eyes. Julia followed her and replied with a smile.

“Thank you. I’m sure madam will be very pleased.” 

Go and have a good time. Don t worry about this place, you can stay there for as long as you want.”  Julia nodded. She was grateful to Gabrielle for always taking care of her like a daughter. Gabrielle wrapped the cookies and bread in a clean, dry white cloth and placed them in the basket.

 

After the basket was handed to her, Julia went back to her room and put on a bright colored winter dress that would look good for the party. Finally, after putting on a long coat, she left the monastery with her hands full of luggage. Julia, who was soon in the carriage, smiled brightly.

“I’ll be back.”  She waved at Gabrielle, who came out to see her off. Soon the carriage slipped out of the gate and rattled on. There was a quieter than usual atmosphere in the monastery after Julia left. The priests had just left for the central temple for their annual event, and all that was left in the monastery were a few workers, Gabrielle, and the children. After lunch, Gabrielle headed to her room to put the children to bed. Naps were essential for growing children. Time was of the essence. After a hearty meal, the children soon fell asleep. Gabrielle, who had been watching over the children for a while, sat up immediately. She checked her pocket watch and before she knew it, it was past two o’clock.   Wanting to do some embroidery, Gabrielle went back to her room and rummaged through the basket that was placed in the corner.

At that moment, someone’s high-pitched scream rang out outside. “Oh my God!” 

Startled by the high-pitched voice, Gabrielle turned her head quickly. She hurried over to the door and a nd grabbed the railing, but someone else slammed the door open before her. Standing at the gate was Paul, who had left the monastery earlier in the morning at Gabrielle’s request. 

“We have to run away! The demons, the demons are attacking us!” 

 

  Paul shouted with a pale face. Riding his horse to the foot of the mountain early in the morning, Paul found that the knights that stayed at the entrance of the mountain had been completely wiped out. There were huge demons that were brutally tearing the soldiers to pieces and killing them. Paul saw the scene and immediately returned to the monastery, but only after the demons that had already crossed the mountain swept out the entire village.

“Uh, come on! Take the kids and run away-!”  Paul, who had been speaking in a hurry, suddenly fell over. Behind Paul, who had already collapsed, a man dressed in black was laughing with his mouth wide open. Red and black blood splattered Paul’s body as he fell.   *** The carriage carrying Julia turned into a wide, well-traveled road. It was then that the snow suddenly started to fall. The snow, which had been fluttering thinly like snowflakes, intensified in the middle of the ride. From a small space in front of her, she could hear the mumbling voice of the horseman.

“Now, now, it’s not good if the road freezes over.”  Julia looked out the window with the same sa me worried look on her face. They still had quite a while of driving to do to get to the mansion. The carriage was driving slowly along the slippery road, and soon enough it entered e ntered the entrance of a certain street.

The carriage, which was running in full swing, stopped at some point, shaking dangerously. Julia, who hit her head on the window, raised her head, groaning faintly.

“Ugh, what’s going on…”  Julia looked forward and was about to ask about the situation, when she suddenly covered her mouth with her hand.

 

“Oh, ah…..”  It was because a strange beast bea st appeared out of nowhere and immediately rushed towards the horseman. Boom! The windowpanes of the carriage that had been vibrating so loudly from the rushing beast broke at once. Julia looked at the broken pieces of glass for a moment, then turned her gaze back to the horseman.

“Please help me!”  The old man let out a desperate scream and collapsed.

The sight that met Julia’s eyes was that of a monstrous beast that grabbed the old man by the neck and drove its teeth into him. No, it was not a beast, but a demon. It was a huge monster that she had never seen before in her life, and it was roaring with blood-red eyes.

“Oh, oh…”  Julia checked outside with her trembling body down. She could see another demon running around in a similar shape, roaming the streets. And in the meantime, a white-haired man in pitch-black robes was carrying on his steps with ease. Julia bent down more deeply, unable to make a sound of breath. The fear that took over her entire body seemed to have completely stopped her thought process.

Then, in a flash, she heard a man’s voice coming from very close by.  

“I can smell what you bought. It smells so sweet and delicious.”  A creepy voice stuck on Julia’s ears.  And then, with a clatter and a turn of the handle, the carriage door was instantly torn open. A strange looking man stared at Julia with shiny eyes.

“You’ve been hiding in here?” 

 

  Seeing the man with a terrifying smile with his mouth wide open, Julia couldn’t even scream. She trembled like a tree leaf lea f as she slowly stepped back, a shard of broken glass clutched in Julia’s hand.  Without time to think of anything, her body moved first.

“Kiyaaaaah!”   Soon, the man’s loud scream filled the entire town.  Julia jumped out of the carriage, desperately, still holding the piece of glass that had cut the man’s face. 

A shard of glass that was swung haphazardly seemed to cut deep into the man’s eyes.  “Ah!”  However, unable to go far, Julia stopped. The demon that had brutally killed the horseman earlier surrounded her. Julia stared at the demon with a gaze filled with fear. The demon, which bared its huge fangs, looked as if it was about to spring at her. A shard of glass dug completely co mpletely into her palm. Blood was oozing out, but Julia had no time to feel pain. The demon circled around her as if in alarm. It was a somewhat hesitant gesture, unlike the one that had just at attacked tacked the horseman all at once.

Julia didn’t move a finger and faced the red eyes that were glaring at her.   The demon, which had been slowly circling around her, immediately opened its mouth and leaped quickly at her.

“Ah!”  Julia screamed with her face buried in her arms as the fear reached its limit. With that, she instinctively drew her holy power up to my fingertips. Gah! Along with the sound of

 

vibration, something loud and revolting could be heard. Julia slowly lowered her arm, panting for a moment.

“How…?”  In her shaking vision, the demon engulfed in flames came into view.

 

Chapter 50 Although Julia was trembling, she captured the scene clearly in her eyes. The demonic creatures engulfed in blue flames were burning. The fire that spread in an instant to the ground and spread to the beasts that were rampaging on both sides. Julia looked at the scene with her dazed eyes for a moment, then suddenly came to her senses. Now it was time to run away. Julia, who had fallen down several times with her shaky legs, struggling to get up. She forcibly pulled her hardened footsteps, and, not knowing where she was going, she just ran recklessly.

But she couldn’t run away for long as someone grabbed her by the hair.   “Ah!”  Jukia looked up with terrified eyes as she fell down. The white-haired man, whose eyes were stained with bright red blood, was staring at her with her angry expression.

“Where are you running away to, huh?”  “… Let go of me!”  The man easily dragged the struggling Julia away. Despite her trembling, Julia revived her previous feelings and raised her power once more. But this time there was no spark.

“Ah!” 

At that moment, the grip on her hair grew stronger. As Julia yelled painfully, the man laughed and continued to talk like a crazy person.

“You dared to rip my eyes apart, so I would have to tear your limbs apart.”  “Ahh…” 

 

“But you have quite a strange power, so I’ll take you without killing you in particular. Well, whether you die now or die later, the sacrifice is the same.”  The man continued to mumble in a creepy voice.

Julia couldn’t even listen to the man properly, and she struggled desperately. Julia, who was trying to raise her power again several times, felt something gushing out of her body at that moment. At the same time, she vomited blood. After being dragged for a while in that state, she was thrown hard into a carriage. Bang, Julia groaned softly as she bumped into the window. She endured the pain and tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids kept getting heavy. She bowed her head and exhaled. At the same time, the carriage shook slightly. Perhaps he was trying to drag the carriage, the man in the seat in front of her threw the limp coachman at random. Then there was the sound of a strange incantation. Hearing the sound of the spell, hordes of creatures from all directions ran and surrounded the carriage. And with a rattle, the carriage began to move slowly.

At this moment, the first thought that came to Julia’s J ulia’s mind was her concern for the people of the monastery. Will Gabrielle and the children be safe? Now, of all the times, the priests were absent and there was no one to protect the children. ‘Is this the reason the knights disappeared?’  

Julia, who began to grasp the situation at that moment in her blinking mind, exhaled heavily. The strength of her whole body drained out in a hurry. With her droopy body leaning against the seat, Julia struggled to lift her eyes and looked out the open space in the carriage. A while ago, the man completely ripped off the door, leaving a large hole in one side of the carriage.

 

  She could see monsters with hideous appearances running frantically following the carriage. What would happen if she was dragged by them like this? Earlier, she seemed to have heard the word ‘sacrifice’ from the man. 

“no……”  Julia muttered in a dying voice. As her mind wandered, the thought arose t hat hat she didn’t want to die helplessly like this. She was once very tired of living, but now she s he was not. She wanted to live longer, happier, and safer than anyone else. That was the moment. Along with the hilt of a sword that flew from so somewhere, mewhere, the monsters that were close to the carriage turned around.

“What is that!”  She heard the man shouting in astonishment. Soon, someone rode on a horse and started slashing nearby monsters.

“Aaaah! Ahhhhh!”  Looking at the monsters that fell easily, the man began to scream. The angry man shook the carriage precariously to and fro.

With that recoil, Julia’s body fell helplessly out of the carriage.  Suddenly, the cold air permeated her skin. But what touched her body was not the hard frozen ground, but some one’s arms. 

His large arms gently embraced her. In that state, her body slowly began to rise. Julia looked at her own two legs floating helplessly in the air, and then she raised her head to the person holding her. Her gaze, which had been collapsing without focus, shook greatly for a moment. ‘Am I seeing nonsense? Am I dreaming?’  

 

  There was a man in front of her who shouldn’t have been there. Distorted eyebrows visible through dark black hair. Beneath them, his golden eyes gleaming under the dim sunlight. The man she had been trying to forget for a year was right in front of he her. r.

“… Julia.”  Julia stared blankly at Fernan’s face through the blurred vision.   He was saying something to her, but Julia couldn’t understand it properly.  In her ears, the sound around her was humming heavily, and her vision was getting darker.

Looking at Fernan’s moving lips for the last time, Julia slowly lowered her eyelids. Her body immediately shriveled up. As if all senses were cut off for a moment, she fell into a deep sleep. *** It was quite an impulsive step towards the Holy Land.

Deep in the dawn, Fernan couldn’t stand sane and swallowed his medicine. It was because he hadn’t slept for a week.   The doctor said he would fall asleep quickly if he took the med medicine icine because it had a strong effect, but there was no effect e ffect on Fernan. Far from being able to sleep, the drugs only stimulated the urge that was hard to suppress. Despite the time he had endured for half a year, Fernan led the castle with a hazy mind. He wanted to meet Julia. He wanted to capture Julia in his eyes once more.

Even if he couldn’t bring her back, he wanted to meet her. He wanted to hear her voice. He wanted her eyes to reach him.

A dark, snowy morning. So Fernan left for the Holy Land. However, after taking a long time to arrive, the land was suddenly in a state of chaos.

“Your Majesty, we annihilated all the demons that attacked the monastery. However, the Grand Duchess……”  His lieutenant, who had been planted in the Holy H oly Kingdom under the pretext of checking Julia’s current situation, was belatedly escorting the monastery. 

 

  However, many had already died, and Julia was not even there.

After that, Fernan couldn’t even remember what kind of spirit he went to find Julia with.  Frantically slashing the demons that had taken over the entire village, Fernan searched for Julia’s whereabouts like a person who lost his reason. 

It didn’t take long to find Julia. She had not gone very far from the monastery.  After holding Julia, who had fallen from her carriage without strength, Fernan’s head flickered for an instant. Julia, whose lips were all wet with blood, was exhaling as if she would break at any moment. Her blue eyes, which were always clear, lost their light and quickly closed. Holding her tightly in his arms, Fernan regretted his decision that day. The day he let Julia go like that.

Had he known it was going to be like this, he wouldn’t have put her in a place like this.  Fernan, who looked down at her, who had lost her consciousness, vainly stared at the man who had made her to this point. He cut the man who was using magic to summon the demons in two with a single strike of his sword. It was so cruel that even the screams of the man could not be uttered.

“Do not allow anything to enter.”  Fernan, who gave the command in a hoarse voice, drove his horse while holding Julia deeply in his arms. A horde of monsters that appeared again from somewhere collapsed one after another by

the hands of only three knights. The whole street was stained with blood. ***

Julia couldn’t open her eyes for a long time. 

 

Since they could not afford to cross the empire with the wounded Julia, they were temporarily staying in the Principality adjacent to the Holy Kingdom. Several doctors came and went to treat Julia. They said the injuries were not serious. However, the problem was the traces of bleeding and the consciousness that did not return.

“Um, so, this is…”  The doctor, who had been holding Julia’s wrist for a long time t o find out the cause of the bleeding, could not easily speak. After a while, the doctor, who shook his head, looked at Fernan.

“I can’t feel the pulse. Something blocked the flow of blood….”  All the doctors said the same thing. Because her pulse wasn’t working, it was impossible to pinpoint her condition.

 

Chapter 52 “I’ll call someone first. When Your Grace wakes up, I should call the doctor right away…”  “Wait, wait.”  Julia hurriedly caught Melissa who was about to leave. Then, after arranging her thoughts for a while, she opened her mouth in confusion.

“Melissa…. Where am I?”  “Yes? Ah, this is the Grand Duke’s villa in the southern part of the Grand Duchy.”  As soon as she heard hea rd her answer, Julia, whose complexion became white, squeezed Melissa’s sleeve tightly and let out a trembling voice. 

“Why? Why did I …..His Highness….”  Julia, who stuttered and muttered, covered her mouth with her hand. ‘Did Fernan find me and bring me all the way here?’   ‘I can’t believe it. How…’   Julia lowered her trembling hands and glanced around.

She couldn’t remember anything.  How did she encounter Fernan and how did she get to this place? This situation was just too sudden for her. As Julia began to tremble anxiously, Melissa, surprised, grabbed her hand tightly.

“Your Grace, are you okay? I need to call the doctor first….” 

After hearing Melissa’s flustered words, Julia lowered her gaze to her body.  Her outfit wasn’t the dress she had in her last memory. And for some reason, her palms  were bandaged. Stuttering and hugging her arm, Julia opened her mouth again.

“Melissa, I… Why am I here?” 

 

  “… ” 

“I really…. I can’t remember anything…”  To the desperate question, Melissa could not easily e asily come up with an answer. It was because Melissa did not know the details of the situation either. She was just doing her chores at the castle as always.

Then one of the knights came and took her somewhere saying it was His Highness’ orders.  It was at this villa that she followed the knight with her bewildered heart. And unbelievably, Julia was here. Julia, whom Melissa had missed so much, was lying on her deathbed.

“I only heard orders from the Grand Duke to take care of the Grand Duchess. How did you come to this place, I don’t know…”  “… ”  “Your Grace, your complexion is too pale. Once again, lie down and I’ll get the doctor….”   Even before Melissa’s words were over, Julia rose up urgently.  At this moment, all she had in her mind was to get out of this place immediately.

“Huh, Your Grace, where are you going!”  Julia stepped on the floor, leaving Melissa behind, who was trying to stop her. Julia stumbled across the room in a thin chemise. Not even conscious of her bare feet, there was no hesitation in her steps through the

hallway.

“Your Grace, wait….”  As Melissa, who had followed her helplessly, tried to grab her by force, someone appeared from beyond her hallway. It was Fernan who came back after talking ta lking with the doctor for a while.

 

“… Julia?”  At the soft voice calling her, Julia raised her head in an instant. And she found Fernan standing a little further away. Fernan strode closer to her with his unusual startled sta rtled face.

Julia, as if she couldn’t believe what she saw, slowly backed away from him.   “How …..”  While Julia was muttering in the distance, Fernan, who approached, looked carefully at her complexion.

“When did you wake up? Is your body okay?”   “… ”  “Wait. I’ll call the doctor… .”  He said so and grabbed her trembling hand. Julia, who flinched, reflexively shook off his hand. Fernan, who looked at his fallen hand for a moment, turned to look at Julia again.

It was only after seeing the frightened appearance that he noticed that Julia’s condition was unusual. “Now, why… .”  Julia murmured continuously with a cracked voice. Her legs were shaking and she couldn’t even stand properly. She felt nauseous and her head was about to break. Her nerves were breaking off one by one.

“Julia, calm down.” 

Fernan stared at her with a calm face. But Julia stepped ste pped back again when his words sounded like he was trying to lock her up. Julia has been living peacefully so far, thinking she was completely freed from the past. She never thought for any reason that she would ever see Fernan again.

“No. I’ll go, I’ll go…” 

 

  Unable to control her trembling lips, Julia passed him with a precarious step. But soon after, she had to turn around after being held by a firm hand.

“Where are you going?”  “Are you planning to go to the ruined monastery?”  Fernan, who held her wrist lightly, asked calmly, and Julia looked up at him with an exasperated face.

“No way… Did you do any harm to the monastery?”   “… ”  “Hey, let me go! I…I…”   Julia twisted her shaky hands, but Fernan’s big hand didn’t budge. And at this moment, Fernan was feeling that there was something oddly wrong with her words. “Julia.”  Looking at Julia, who could hardly regain her reason, Fernan spoke with a clear voice.

“Can’t you remember what happened?”  “… ”  At his question, Julia stopped her struggling movements and lifted her gaze. Fernan, who read her reply from her silence, gradually released the strength from his hand that had held her. After a while, Fernan looked at her with a slightly more subtle face and lightly touched her forehead.

“Bring the doctor right away.”  “Yes. Yes!”  Melissa, who had stood at a distance and fidgeted, gave a quick reply, and then disappeared. Julia looked up at Fernan with her unwavering gaze, and then she took her steps again.

 

Fernan, who had let her walk staggeringly for some time, sighed heavily and caught up with her at once. Then he gently grabbed her slender waist and picked her up.

“Let me down!”  Ignoring Julia, who was hanging like a load of luggage, Fernan hurriedly walked back to the bedroom. Bang! Unlike the tightly closed door, the hand that put Julia down on her bed was careful.

Julia didn’t even have the strength to make any sound, she just looked at him as she squirmed. Her eyes filled with tears. The hem of her dress was pushed up from the struggle. Below that, the ankles with only bones left. Fernan, who was staring at her ankles, soon bent one knee slowly to meet her eye level.

“Julia, how far do you remember? remember?””  He calmly waited for Julia, who could not answer right away. After a while, Julia opened her mouth with a slightly awakened face.

“… I was in a carriage.”  “… ”  “I was going to the Lord’s house.”  Julia sporadically continued her words and tried to bring back her memories, but still couldn’t think of anything after that.

Did she fall asleep in the carriage? But she didn t even remember falling asleep.  Julia nervously grabbed the blanket and she couldn’t continue her words anymore.  “okay… Is that so?”  Fernan, who understood the situation to some extent, lowered his gaze and narrowed his brow. Perhaps Julia only remembered the situation before she encountered the monsters.

 

  Fernan contemplated for a long time in silence. Even if he told the truth, he was not sure if Julia would be able to handle it.

Perhaps Julia didn’t know she had lost her memory for a moment because of the horror she had experienced for the first time in her life. “Your Highness, it’s Lockman.”  Meanwhile, someone’s voice was heard.  The doctor, Lockman, who hurriedly opened the door and came in, looked surprised as he saw Julia awake.

“Your Grace, you are conscious! I am very happy.”  Lockman was also very familiar to Julia. She was treated by him a few times a att the Grand Duke’s mansion. 

But now she couldn’t afford to face him. Her head felt like it was going to explode. “Ah….”  She tried to bring back her memories somehow, but the more she did it, the more her breathing became urgent. Even though she had no memory of it, her body had not forgotten the horror of that time. Julia looked down at her hands, which did not stop trembling.

She had to know what happened, but she had a strange feeling that she shouldn’t know.  For a moment, it seemed as if a loud roar was heard from somewhere.

Julia closed her eyes tightly and covered her ears. She crouched down and started sobbing involuntarily.

“Ah …”  As she was closing her eyes for a while, someone gently wrapped her shoulders. Julia, who felt the touch, raised her eyes at that moment. Her face, wet with tears, turned to Fernan.

 

“Julia, why….”  In her tearful eyes, Fernan had an expression that seemed to be somewhat bewildered and helpless.

Reaching out, he gently caressed Julia’s wet eyes.  As he wiped her tears with his bewildered face, he then pulled her into his arms tightly. Julia felt his hand stroking her back with a dazed face. Her head, which had been engulfed by her fear, was gradually turned white by the sudd sudden en great warmth. It was strange. She had to push this man away, but somewhere a clumsy hand seeme seemed d to loosen her tension.

“… ”  Julia slowly lowered her hand, as her trembling gradually subsided. She blinked a few times, then slowly lowered her h er eyelids. Her stiff body gradually loosened up.

 

Chapter 53 “No, I don’t want to.”  “Let me go! Let me go!”  Julia suffered from nightmares all night long. Looking at her cold sweaty forehead and trembling lips, 50,000 thoughts went through his mind that night. At first, he had a strong desire to revive the monsters that had already been brutally killed and chopped them off painfully again. Next, he agonized over how to explain the current situation to Julia, who was so traumatized. He thought that some of her memories have been lost due to the severe shock. In this case, if he forcefully injected memories, she might go crazy. ‘Then what should I do?’   ‘It would be better to wait until the memory is automatically recalled. Until then, it’s best not to touch her memory as much as possible.’  

Fernan, who remembered the doctor’s words, tapped the table anxiously. In the meantime, he couldn’t fathom Julia’s fear.  It must have been a great shock because she had never seen such a monster in her life, a and nd she almost got kidnapped. It was not at all unreasonable to lose memory.

….D mn it.   He murmured lowly. According to the knight who went out to the Monastery, the place had already become a wasteland. The Paladins of the temple rushed out, but the wartime situation with the monsters would continue for a very long time. Naturally, Julia couldn’t go back there anymore.

 

No, after all that happened, Fernan could no longer let her go. Most of those who remained in the monastery died. His lieutenant rescued only a woman and a dozen children. So it might be better to just let her misunderstand the situation like this. That the man, who had been looking for her like crazy, caught her and forced her to this place. That way, it would be better than recalling the painful memories that came upon her. Fernan lowered his subdued gaze. Meanwhile, the sky, which had been dark, gradually began to shine with the dawn of the morning. Julia, who opened her eyes only late in the morning, had a more organized face. Sitting alone in her empty bedroom, she gathered her thoughts for a while. Vaguely, she remembered what happened yesterday.

So, she was now at Fernan’s villa in the Grand Duchy. She didn’t remember how she got here. Raising her body, she approached the window with the curtains and opened the door. The cold winter wind blew hard on her face. An unfamiliar landscape could be seen through the window. A wide open plain and a lake. Her mind was all confused, but one thing was clear. ‘All this time…he’s been looking for me.’   Julia bit the inside of her tender mouth. She couldn ’t even fathom how Fernan had found her. But if she stayed like this, she would be dragged back to his castle. When she had finished her thoughts, Julia turned and walked towards the door.

When she opened the door, the hallway was empty. Thinking that she had no chance but now, Julia J ulia rushed to her steps. She went down the stairs and when she reached her landing, she encountered Fernan, who was going up the stairs. As she looked at him with her eyes wide open, Julia immediately revealed her hardened face. Fernan also stared at her quietly without saying a word.

 

“Please let me go. I’m going back.”   With a voice that was clearer than yesterday, Julia opened her mouth. Fernan, who heard her voice and realized that her condition had calmed down to some extent, answered.

“Where are you going in that outfit?”  Fernan blocked her front and briefly glanced at her, who was not even wearing a shawl. Julia did not lose, and she immediately responded.

“I’m going back to where I used to live.”  “You can’t go there.”  “I’m going.”  Julia, who passed him silently, quickly went down the stairs. Fernan just slowly followed behind, not holding her back. After she entered the lobby on the first floor, Julia looked around for a moment and then opened the door. As the winter wind blew hard through the door and squinted her eyes for a moment, something heavy rested on her shoulders. Looking back, Fernan was putting his coat over her shoulders.

Julia took off the coat with a firm expression on her face. She then staggered out of the door as she threw it at him.

As she was about to go down the stairs in front of the entrance, Fernan suddenly grabbed her wrist. Fernan turned her around and firmly put the coat on her again. He gave her a tight grip to keep his big clothes that didn’t fit her from falling.  

“It’s fine wherever you go.”  A low voice fell over her head.

 

  “But, you can’t go to the Holy Land.” 

Julia narrowed her brow. And then she brought up her questions that filled her head.

“How did you know that I was in the Holy Land?”  A year has passed since Julia left him. Julia didn’t just run away, she even threw herself off a cliff. But how he found her, she could not understand at all. Fernan, who looked down at her calmly, gave her answer meekly. “The priest who lived with you in the Holy Kingdom.”  “… ”  “We followed him.”  Julia’s eyes began to flutter. The priest he was talking about was definitely Cedric.  How the hell does this man know of Cedric’s existence? Did he know Cedric helped her to escape….?  Julia’s lips twitched slightly in confusion. After painstakingly capturing her expression, she opened her mouth again. “… Even if that were the case, there would be no reason for you to bring me back.”  “… ”  “Am I still useful?”  There was no way he could find me if she was useless, Julia had a face that was very sure. Fernan, who slightly wiggled her eyes at her question, answered in a calm tone.

You are still my wife   Julia let out a small laugh. To anyone who heard it, they would have thought that she and this man were a normal couple. Suddenly, the cold wind gave her a chill, her body crumpled slightly as she looked up at him.

“Your Highness, did you forget?” 

 

“….”  “You didn’t treat me as your wife.”  Fernan was a man who never had any respect for her. No, he always said harsh words, far from being respectful. Does he remember what he said? And does he even know how much scars those words left her?

“… I didn’t forget. Not even a minute.”  Fernan looked at Julia with his darkened eyes. And he continued to speak in a voice somewhere unrefined.

“I know. I’m not even qualified to be a husband.”  “… ”  “Because I regretted all the many mistakes I’ve made to you and I’ve regretted it again and again.”  He muttered softly, not avoiding her eyes.

“I was all wrong.”  At those words, Julia’s eyes flickered once.  ‘Does he regret it?’   After bowing her head for a moment and then lifting it up again, Julia showed her firm face.

“..I don’t believe you.” 

What he is saying now is just a lie to cover up this situation.   For her, the man named Fernan was always a lways hardened like a propositional word. A man who hated her. A cold-hearted husband who couldn’t be nice to her for no reason. 

He didn’t mind hurting her…  Julia raised her lips coldly for an instant and stared straight at him.

 

“Now that you say that, nothing will change.”  Julia opened her intertwined lips and let out a quiet voice.

“I don’t need any regrets or apologies.”  “… .”  “I am no longer your wife.”   Yes, she once loved this man. Her heart trembled at the sight of his gaze on her, and her heart melted helplessly at the generous attitude he showed her from time to time. But not now. The heart that loved him left behind when she left the castle a year ago. After she abandoned the love that had always tormented her, she became happier than ever before.

“If you’re really sorry for me, just let me go.”  “… ”  “I hope you don’t even remember that there was a person like me. I will also forget Your Highness and live.”  Julia lifted her calmer face. She could see his eyes shaking aimlessly.

Fernan didn’t say anything for a long time.  She avoided his gaze and looked down at her feet, then turned around. I was when she took only a few steps. As she was about to move away, Fernan grabbed her and pulled her closer to him.

…!   In the narrow distance, Julia opened her eyes wide and looked at him. His eyes, which had shimmered slightly until a moment ago, had lost their light. With an empty face that had completely killed his expression, he muttered as if he was engraving word by word.

“I know you don’t even want to see me.” 

 

“… ”  “But, Julia… I can’t let you go anymore.”  Fernan desperately pressed her hand, which had been grabbed unilaterally. Like never to let go again. He could no longer see Julia moving away again. Wishing her happiness, he respected her new life, which he himself could not possibly intervene. He no longer had the option of letting go for such a good reason. Even if Julia became unhappy again by his side…he couldn’t help it.  Her misfortune, pain, and resentment were all his. Every emotion and every thought of her had to be his own.

“Why…”  Julia, who blinked her eyes at his unusual momentum, suddenly pushed his chest away with her other hand. But even that hand was soon seized by him. Fernan stared at her with her darkened gaze.

“Don’t leave”  “… ”  “Stay here, please.”  At this moment, in her vision, Fernan looked like a broken person. Julia looked up at him, not thinking that she would shake her hand any longer.

As she stared into his deep, distant eyes, as if he was about to swallow her.

“I….”  Before she could finish her words, Fernan leaned down. For a moment, surprised by his approaching face, her body suddenly lifted upwards. Fernan, holding her in his arms, began to walk silently.

 

Chapter 54 Julia only looked up at him as he entered the doorway. He hated it and had to struggle to let it go, but strangely, his body did not have any strength. As they went up the stairs and passed the hallway, Melissa, who was just standing in front of the bedroom, was startled and bowed her head. Without looking at Melissa for a moment, Fernan entered the bedroom. bed room. At that moment, Yulia, who suddenly came to her senses, struggled in his arms. Despite the hand that pushed him forcefully, Fernan steadfastly crossed the room and approached the bed. As she was placed on the bed, Julia opened her mouth unsteadily again.

“Are you going to lock me up like this again? Again, take me to this hell….”  At the word hell, Fernan’s dark eyes fell deeply.  For Julia, he was hell. It was just a prison where she couldn’t live comfortably.  “…even if it’s hell…”  Fernan, who muttered dangerously, then bowed his head.

“But please stay here.”  He took a step back and turned around slowly. Julia looked at his overbearing back as he walked away and touched her forehead. Click, as the door closed, her head began to ache.

Thump-thump, feeling her precariously beating heart, she lowered her gaze. Her vision was gradually blurring. *** A day passed like that. In the morning after not being able to sleep all night, the attending physician, Lockman, came to visit Julia.

 

It was only then that Julia learned that she had been unconscious for 10 d days ays since she was taken to Fernan.

It was the first time she had been unconscious for so long, since she fell off a cliff a year a ago. go. Lockman grabbed her wrist and felt her pulse for a while. He was gauging something with his gaze down, and soon raised his head.

“Fortunately, I can feel your blood vessels beating a little now. But….”  Lockman spoke to Fernan, who was standing next to him. As if hesitating, he urged him as he watched Lockman dragging his words.

“Are there any other problems?”  “…that, the blood flow is still not smooth. The blood flow to her heart is blocked.”  Lockman glanced at Julia, who was sitting there with her expressionless face.

“Your Grace, do you not feel any pain?”  Julia had a pale complexion and a quiet face as if she had no pain.

She lowered her gaze without answering Lockman’s question.  It wasn’t that she didn’t feel the pain.  However, she was mentally concentrated and only trying to forget her pain. Julia was noticing that at this moment, her power had faded a lot more than before. Previously, it had felt like a mist in my heart, but now it was barely felt. So, that meant that her vitality was greatly reduced.

Looking at Julia, who had an empty e mpty expression, Fernan wrappe wrapped d his chin with nervousness. He already knew that she had heart disease. He heard reports from the doctor whom he had sent to Holy Land the other day that she was gradually getting better. But contrary to reports, she recently lost her consciousness for a long time.

 

In the end, it was self-evident se lf-evident that her current condition must have been worse than it had been.

“First of all, it   is better to take pain reliever along with the drug that helps blood circulation.” Lockman replied, bowing his head. Her condition was somewhat subtle for a common heart disease, but for now it was for the t he best.

“After taking the prescribed medicine, we will monitor the progress. Then, I’ll get going now.”  As Fernan nodded his head, Lockman bowed deeply, then turned around. Click, the door closed and only the two of them were left in the bedroom. Fernan opened his mouth in an unsuitably cautious voice.

“Julia, if you feel any pain, tell me immediately.”  “…”  “Are there any other uncomfortable places? The heat…..”  As he reached out and touched her forehead, Julia quickly turned her head to avoid his touch. Her cold, dry eyes completely turned away from him. Fernan lower his outstretched hand and looked at her quietly.

“Rest. I’ll sent your maid.”  Fernan stared at her, who never looked at him for a moment, then turned away.

Perhaps he thought that putting Melissa by her side would make her more stable. However, Julia has not yet finished her understanding of this situation. It was the same with Melissa. Soon after, a cold voice fell from her.

“Even if you keep me, I won’t get anything from you.” 

 

Fernan, who stood tall, turned his head again. Julia looked at him for the first time with her sullen face.

“Whatever you want, I have nothing more to offer.”   Fernan caught her in his eyes. An expression e xpression that didn’t want to stay with him for a moment. She looked like she was embarrassed to even face him. Julia, who looked at him like that, approached her like a dagger, but Fernan was just silently muttering.

“I know, something like that.”  His eyes dimmed like darkness. He knew that no word could change her mind. For Julia, he would be an object of disgust just to face him. Julia looked straight at the man standing in front of her with her eyes narrowed. All kinds of desperate emotions were on his face, which was always handsome. Just as she was suddenly puzzled by the sight, she heard a still voice from him that killed all his emotions.

“As much as I hurt you, you can give it all back.”   “… ”  “Even if it hurts worse than that, I will gladly accept it.”  While Julia looked at him with an expression that was difficult to understand, the low voice continued.

“…but stay by my side. Do not leave.” 

As always, a one-sided coercion. But the voice sounded like a beg. Julia held the bedsheet tightly and lowered her head. Begging or coercion, in the end this man was going to lock her up again. He means that he will lock her in his cage and let him enjoy everything only in it. As before.

“You haven’t changed a bit.” 

 

  “… ” 

“Really, not even a little…”  There was hatred towards him in her scornful voice. Julia lowered her gaze. Even if she had no choice but to be imprisoned like this, she would never behave the way he wanted. Not a single glance, not a single heart, not a single word. Julia swallowed her heavy breath and bit her lip. Fernan was willing to see her even that way. He wanted to accept all her hate, resentment, and anger. *** 15 days has passed like that.

Meanwhile, Julia didn’t even have the energy to run away, so she had to stay in her bedroom all day. She wasn’t feeling well. As the days passed, she lost her strength.  What’s more, she found out later that this place was lying on the side of a mountain.  It meant that trying to run away from the frozen mountains in winter was tantamount to suicide. She was lost in thought for a while, and after a while she heard a knock on the door. Julia neither looked back nor approached and opened the door. d oor. It was because she knew who it was without checking.

Suddenly, the door opened and someone stepped inside.

“Julia.”  A familiar voice could be heard, but Julia did not turn her head. She then heard the sound s ound of him laying down the tray on the table.

“You can’t take medicine on an empty stomach.” 

 

  When she didn’t answer, the sound of footsteps got closer behind her.

“Julia.”  Julia reflexively pushed him away as he gently touched t ouched her shoulder. Then she slowly turned her head. Fernan, standing close to her, was quietly looking down at her.

“I’m not going to eat it.”  “Eat.”  It was a firm, but not coercive voice. Julia looked at him while biting her lower lip.

Whatever it was, she didn’t want to do what he asked.  Fernando look over her skinny body silently. A thinner body than a week ago. He could only see Julia standing in his eyes. Fernan, whose expression hardened, opened his mouth.

“Hold your anger only on me. Don’t abuse yourself in this way…”  Julia flinched. He was right. This was an act of gnawing at herself.

However, she couldn’t break her weak pride. If she did even the s mallest thing as he wanted, it would make her feel like she s he complied to this situation. Looking at her clenching her hand tightly, Fernan whispered to her softly.

“I’ll send your maid, so eat.”   “… ” 

“If you want, I won’t show up for a while.”  Then he stared at her as if he was carving her in his eyes for a moment, then turned around. Julia turned back without even looking at him as he was moving away. Through the window, she could see the sky with the sun rising. But her heart was d dim im without a single ray of light.

 

Chapter 55 That night, an old memory appeared in a dream.

“I didn’t want you to be my wife from the beginning. That’s my reason.”   It was a memory of the day when she confessed her heart to Fernan. That day, Fernan had said so in a voice without a single hint of warmth. His cold expression, which made her heart ache, was vividly portrayed as if it had happened yesterday. After waking up from her sleep, Julia slowly opened her eyes and slowly got up. When she looked out the window, it was dawn. However, her long-standing memories, which were brought out unconsciously, made her mind shattered and she could not fall asleep again. Julia got up from the bed with an empty face. After she put on a thick shawl that was hung to one side, she walked towards the door. She opened the door and saw sa w an empty hallway. Julia, who had been walking along the hallway like that, finally stood in front of the stairs. At dawn like this, whether she thought there was no way she could escape, or whether she was being watched from behind, no one was seen in the hall. She went down the stairs slowly, and soon passed through the door. She just walked down the street slowly. As if it was snowing, she could feel her feet sinking with every step she took.

When she lifted her head, at first glance, the tall trees were visible under the moonlight. After walking for a while through the trees, Julia soon stopped on a long bridge across the lake. The winter lake she had been looking through the window the whole time. But it was the first time she came out and saw it in person like this. The lake shimmering in the moonlight was covered with thin ice.

 

  Julia leaned against the railing, keeping the shining lake in her sight for a long time. Then, someone grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back.

“…Ah.”  With a firm touch, her back touched someone’s arms.  At that moment, focus returned to Julia’s J ulia’s eyes, which had been empty the whole time. When she raised her head to check behind her, Fernan, with a surprised look on his face as if he had been running in a hurry, immediately came into view. “What are you doing here at this hour?”  Fernan tightened his grip around her waist. He looked like he was very confused. Locked in his big arms, Julia blinked blankly.

She didn’t not know why she came out here.   Was she trying to run away from him? Or was she s he unconsciously wanting to get some wind?

Julia couldn’t answer her own questions and tried to take his hand off. However, Fernan wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her with a more tenacious strength. It was only then that Julia realized that his breathing was trembling.

“Don’t surprise me. I, you again….”  He thought she was going to throw herself into such deep water. He took her co completely mpletely into his arms with a desperate touch.

Julia could feel his stiff body rising and falling slowly behind her back. She gently lowered her hand which was pushing him away. He was shaking so badly that she couldn’t shake it any longer.    What is it that makes him tremble like this? His appearance was strange and unfamiliar.

・・・

 

With her mouth shut, Julia tried not to be conscious of the warmth she felt behind her back.

After a while, Fernan’s breathing gradually calmed down. His hands that were hold ing her in his grip loosened. Taking advantage of the gap, Julia escaped from his arms and slowly turned around. As he raised his gaze from a distance, he was met with twinkling golden eyes. His eyes now were not the cold ones she saw in her dreams. His temperature was completely different from that time.

“… Julia.”  After staring at her for a long time, Fernan reached out. His large hands wrapped around her cheeks and began to gently caress her. As if he still couldn’t trust his vision of her standing in front of him like this. Despite the cold winter wind, his hands were very warm. Julia, who looked into his eyes under the moonlight, quickly regained consciousness and turned her head. His hand, which had stayed in the air for a moment, was then removed.

“You must have been frustrated because you’ve been in the bedroom all this time.”   A low, calm voice descended.

“I’ll take you anywhere, so don’t disappear alone.”  Julia then lifted her head up and looked up at him, who looked friendly.

“… Weren’t you trying to lock me up?” 

“I had no intention of doing that from the beginning. As long as you stay in my sight, you can go anywhere.”  Julia looked back slowly at his words. At first glance it sounds like he was going to set her free, but in the end it meant that she had to be accompanied by him wherever she went.

She didn’t even have the energy to sigh, Julia just lowered her gaze. And she soon let out a quiet voice that contained her questions.

 

“I don’t know what benefit you are getting for me to be here.”  An expression of incomprehension appeared on Julia’s calm face.   She had lost consciousness for a long time and from the moment she opened her eyes, she had not been able to accept this situation. Fernan swallowed the distant emotions and calmly answered.

“I don’t need any kind of benefits. As long as you stay by my side, that’s enough.”  “… ”  Julia lowered her eyelids halfway and then she lifted them up again. She still couldn’t understand his words. But the way he looked at her was so unfamiliar that she had no choice but to keep her lips shut. The warmth this man was showing now was temporary. It would never last long. Maybe Fernan was mistaken for a moment for wanting her now. The wife who ran away from his watch and hid for a year. He was a man who has never lost anything in his life, so it may have hurt his pride. Julia repeated this to herself for a long time. She would never be fooled by this man. And she slowly tightened her shawl as if to protect herself. Only then did she turn away from him.

Fernan followed her quietly from a distance of one step away as she moved hurriedly. ***

Cedric arrived at the monastery when access to the outside of the temple was granted. It had been a month since the Holy Kingdom was invaded by monsters without notice. Monster. To be more precise, the day the demon magicians appeared was the time of the annual event at the Great Temple.

They didn’t even know that the monsters were aiming for that day. As a result, m any unprotected people suffered meaningless sacrifices.

 

And still, they were pouring out demons all over the place without end. In the end, in the Great Temple, it was declared that the war with the demons would continue for a long time. The village where Cedric stayed was also a lso difficult to access due to ongoing battles, and he could not visit the monastery for a long time. About a month later, he was told that the situation in the village had calmed down to some extent. After that, Cedric was able to go straight to the village with the paladins. He already knew that there was a sea of blood everywhere. But until he saw it with his own eyes, he could hardly believe it. After personally checking the ruined monastery, Cedric lowered his head as if he was breaking apart.

“A total of eight bodies were found here, and we had no choice but to burn them all for fear of an infectious disease.”  A knight approached and spoke quietly. The bodies found inside the monastery were quickly retrieved by knights who had arrived in advance.

“Ah..l..”  Cedric trembled as he buried his face in his hands. Those who would have been killed in vain were all people who lived with him. ‘Why such a tragedy, why such a tragedy….’  

For this moment, he couldn’t help but resent the God who was his life. Cedric longed for all this to be his dream.

“It appears that there are no survivors. Or, is it true that the number of those who remain in this monastery is eight?”  The knight spoke in a subdued voice. Cedric took a deep d eep breath and then slowly lifted his head.

“…no.”  Cedric, who gently twisted his eyes, murmured.

 

Except for the priests, those who remained in the monastery were well over eight.

“Have you recorded the age and gender of the corpse?”   Cedric hurriedly grabbed the knight’s arm. 

“Oh, yes. Of course.”  The knight, who nodded his head, gave an answer quickly. The bodies were so decomposed that it was difficult to identify the faces, but it was possible to determine the genders and age. The knight took out a note stating the identity of the bodies and handed it to Cedric.

“Eight bodies have all been identified as adult males.”  His eyes began to tremble like crazy when he hurriedly checked the contents of the note. In fact, it was all just adult male records. There were no children or women. This meant that Gabrielle, Julia and the children were not found here. Cedric put his hand on his forehead, thinking of several possibilities. The reason the Holy Kingdom was invaded by demons this time was because the enemy had a clear purpose. The purpose of offering eternal life to their king by sacrificing those with divine powers. As a result, the priests who stayed in the Great Temple were also in danger. In other words, there was a possibility that Gabrielle and the children did not know, but Julia was taken away by them. Because her heart had holy power.

“Priest, the demons haven’t been completely wiped out yet. You never know when they will appear again in this town, so you must forget your sorrow for a moment.”  The knight said to Cedric, who was standing frozen, with a sad and determined face at the same time.

War was cruel. Because it didn’t even give people time to mourn someone’s death. 

 

Cedric didn’t know that before. And he couldn’t get his mind out of this horrendous situation. At that time, them. another paladin who came to check the vicinity of the monastery quickly approached

“Priest, look at this.”  The knight pounded something heavy on the floor. It was the corpse of a monster with several fragments.

“I looked around and found these corpses all over the outside of the monastery.”  “This….”  “Yes, this is not the swordsmanship of the Paladins. Maybe someone else fought a battle here.”  When attacking demons with power, it would create a dense flame. The demons that were completely burned like that were supposed to disappear like blowing ashes. Not leaving corpses in this way. This meant that someone other than the paladins fought a battle here. It was the work of those who were accustomed to confrontation with demons, and who knew how to kill monsters without divine power. Cedric, who was speechless, approached the corpse that the knight had laid down. Holding onto his flashing head, he thought of the possibilities again. Soon, his eyes slowly returned to focus. He didn’t know why, but a man suddenly came to

his mind.

 

Chapter 56 Grand Duke Caesar. The man who was Julia’s husband.  It was a really random and unlikely idea. But at this moment, Cedric thought that that man might have been here… He was caught up in such a vain intuition.  Was this intuition? Or was it a revelation? Either way, if this lie-like premonition was correct, the missing people might be safe.

“Priest, what are you going to do now?”  Looking at the silent Cedric, the paladin asked carefully. Cedric pushed the despair that filled his heart to a corner for a moment. And he turned his head with a barely calm face.

“I am going to the Formene Empire. There is something I need to check there.”  For now, he had to focus on that possibility. At the slightest possibility that the Grand Duke might have taken Julia safely. Even if it was an absurd assumption, he had to hold onto the string of hope.

Otherwise, he couldn’t stand this situation.  *** And at the same time, Julia was sitting in front of her window, looking into space. It has been two months since she came here.

The eyelids, which had no strength, soon fell slowly. She tried her best to recall her own absent memories so far, but she still hadn’t figured out anything. On the contrary, her head felt like it was going to break. As if in her subconscious, she herself denied her memory. The point where her memory was cut off was probably just before she met Fernan.

 

However, Fernan didn’t say anything about that time. It was as if he didn’t care what she thought.   Julia suddenly spread her palms. A slight scar remained in the center.

It seemed like it was caused by a sharp edge, but she couldn’t remember when this also happened. While looking down at her hand for a while, she felt her head throbbing again.

“…. Ah.”  She lowered her head as she was, and took a small breath.

She kept getting headaches like this over and over again, and she couldn’t keep up with her thoughts for a long time. Her hand on her window sill was trembling. She stumbled her way to the bed and laid her exhausted body down. ‘It’s hurt… ‘   She had headaches like this before. But after coming here, the same pain seemed to come more painfully. Her forehead was covered in cold sweat. The sound of shallow breathing echoed through the bedroom. After moaning like that for a while, she suddenly lost her mind. Then again, faintly, someone touched her forehead. The hand, which was neither hot nor cold, with moderate warmth, stayed on her for a long time. Her head was still confused, but Julia left the hand to stay as it was. Then the back of the

firm hand gently pressed against her cheek. It was a delicate touch that seemed to measure heat. As she gently lifted her hazy eyelids, a figure of someone entered her vision.

“… Cedric?”  The hand that had been roaming her cheek stopped sto pped for a moment.

“I am fine….” 

 

There was warmth in her faint muttering words. What was now in her mind was a memory of one day. She remembered Cedric, who was by her side and nursed her all night the da day y she collapsed after the first bleeding.

When no answer came back, Julia’s eyes closed again. As she quickly fell asleep again, the stiff hand slowly retreated. ‘… Cedric.’   Even though her voice was not clear, Fernan clearly understood her words.

Suddenly, in the corner of his memory, a gloomy gloom y man’s face was drawn. 

A young priest with green eyes. The helped Julia escape and took Land to stay with him. Fernan’s face man grewwho an unprecedented sullenness.   her to the Holy

There was warmth in Julia’s voice, who called the person’s name in her sleep.  It was a voice that he had never heard of since she came here. Fernan briefly recalled the day he headed to the Holy Land. That day, the priest named Cedric was not in the monastery.

If he’s alive, he’d be looking for Julia by now.  Fernan’s gaze with a faint murderous intent stared out the window for a moment.   And in the eyes that looked down again and looked at Julia, there was a strong focus instead. He reached out and touched her disheveled, light hair again, stroking her cheeks with his fingers. Anyway, Julia was by his side. He would never let her go again.

However… Julia wouldn’t want that.   She would want to go back to them. Again, back to that priest.. .

Fernan’s gaze faded like darkness. Contrary to the gentle touch that caressed her, cruel thoughts ran through his mind. ‘Should I kill him?’  

 

Does he have to kill each and every one of them one by one so that there was no more place for Julia to go back to, will Julia look at him again, even just once? Will she shine her warm eyes on him just once like before? ‘…no. No way.’   Fernan wildly self-helped, leaving the thoughts that flowed haphazardly. He already knew that no matter what he did, Julia’s heart would not come to him. Rather, if he killed Cedric, Julia would hate and resent him even more than she does now. He wiped his face with his big hand. It felt like something hot was welling up in his chest. Killing the many emotions that came to mind, he stayed by the sleeping Julia’s side for a long time. By the time he got out of her bedroom, it was dawn without a single light. *** It took a long time to cross from the Holy Land to the Empire. Before heading to the Formene Empire, Cedric went through the Temple of Ilion. It was because of the thought that if Julia had really come here, she would have sent communication to the temple. So when he entered the temple, Matheus, who was just out of the garden, greeted him. Having sent a telegram ahead of time on his way, Matheus took Cedric to the priest’s office without any other regards.

“I haven’t received any other communication from Julia.”  Cedric clasped his hands tightly as he looked at Matheus who was talking straight away.

“But as you guessed, it seems that Julia is in the realm of the Grand Duke.” 

“Really?”   Cedric’s gaze suddenly lit up.   Matheus held out a letter from inside his pocket. Cedric checked the source of the letter and covered his mouth with a trembling hand.

“…Gabrielle.” 

 

Surprisingly, it was a letter from Gabrielle. Cedric, who hurriedly took out the content, carefully scanned the letter. To summarize, it was said that Gabrielle was currently staying with the children in the southern part of the Empire, the Richel estate. e state. She said the man who protected them from the Holy Land and brought them there, so that they could stay there for the time being.

“Richel is a territory located in the southern part of the Empire. Its owner is Grand Duke Caesar.”  “… ”  “It seems that he found Julia.”   Cedric gently crumpled the letter. The battle in the monastery. It was now clear that it was

the Grand Duke’s work.  Cedric slowly removed his gaze from the letter and answered.

“…Yes, Julia is definitely with the Grand Duke.”  Then there was nothing they could do now. Breaking into the realm of the Grand Duke and coming to rescue Julia was close to impossible right now. Seeing Cedric with his face distorted anxiously, Matheus reassured him in a calm tone.

“Don’t worry. Given that Gabrielle and the children were protected separately, the Grand Duke will not harm Julia.”  “…but Julia doesn’t want to be there.”  It was Julia who risked her life to escape him.

Just being by his side would be a great deal of trouble for her.

“… Julia was getting happier little by little.”  Evening of the festival, Cedric never forgot her face that smiled brightly at him. That day, she said she was definitely happy.

“Cedric.” 

 

Matheus called for Cedric as if urging him. He felt that Cedric’s feelings for Julia were unusual. A priest who worshipped and served the gods should never be caught up in personal emotions. As he knew, Cedric had been patient. For a priest, the feeling of love was like a shackle. But Julia broke his shackles too easily. All the ordinary moments with her were always new to him. Julia was a person whom he could not help but be drawn to her. Matheus sighed faintly as he looked at Cedric, who lowered his head without answering. If emotions were something people could control themselves, no one would make a mistake. But some emotions came unexpectedly and made everything useless.

“Does Julia feel the same way as you?”  “…no. She is not.”  That much was known for sure. Julia was kind to everyone and she shared the same heart with everyone. It was always Cedric alone who followed her with such a young gaze.

 

Chapter 57 “Don’t worry. This mind will be cleared up soon.”   Cedric raised his labored face and looked at his master.

He wasn’t  expecting  expecting anything from her in the first place. It was good enough that he could just be by her side. “I am concerned about the anguish she’s going through.”   Matheus’s heavy voice descended. descended. Cedric just kept his lips shut.  “For now, just think that Julia J ulia is safe. If she needs our help, she will definitely contact here.”  As if Matheus evoked, he changed the direction of the conversation. There was a depth that could not be hidden in the words that followed.

“The only thing I am worried about is…her health.”   Currently, Julia’s condition was very precarious.   For some reason, a significant amount of her power returned to him. He could feel it. Because the holy power in her heart was originally his. It seemed like she used her power for some reason. Or it was just time for the lights to go out. Since she survived under that cliff, her vitality was like a burning embers. It was weak enough to be easily extinguished by even the slightest rain and wind… Now he wasn’t quite sure when and how the rain and wind would blow her out completely.

Matheus, I will go to the estate where Gabrielle and the children are.   While Matteus was worried, Cedric calmly asked for permission. He was planning to go there and check their safety in person. And if possible, he also wanted to find out where Julia was.

Matheus held Cedric’s shoulder lightly with his hand.  “Yes, be careful.” 

 

At that moment, Cedric, who slightly curved his lips, nodded helplessly. *** Winter was long over. The full spring has arrived. Julia, who had not been outside her for a while, went for her first daytime walk after coming here. She walked for a while along the promenade in front of the villa. With each step she took, the pleasant sound of the rustling grass was pleasantly heard. As the day dawned, the wide fields that had been buried in the snow were also filled with green.

It was the warmth thattwo melted Julia’s frozen heart, even for a brief moment. Julia briefly looked backofonspring her past months. During those long days, Fernan didn’t ask her for anything.  

He didn’t even try to take her to his castle, and he didn’t force anything, not even the slightest. Indeed, as if to prove his words that being by her side was a all ll he wanted. He was also reluctant to see her, and he never came to visit her as meaningless as before. Instead, at night, he would disappear after watching her sleep for a long time. When Julia woke up from time to time with a hand caressing her cheek, she would hear him murmured in a quiet voice.

She was asleep, so she didn’t understand understand what he was saying.   It was a series of unfamiliar behavior that she couldn’t understand and didn’t didn’t want to understand.

Julia shook her head slightly, clearing the thoughts from her head. At that time, Melissa, who had been following her, suddenly spoke to her.

“Your Grace, aren’t you cold?”   Then Julia looked back at Melissa and shook her head lightly.

“No, I’m fine.”  Now she didn’t have to wear thick winter shawls.  

 

  As she continued to walk, Julia looked at the wild flowers that filled both sides of the promenade. Then, with a sudden thought, she opened her mouth again.

“Melissa.”  “Yes?”  Melissa came closer. Melissa has been by her side for the past two months. As before, Melissa was the only reliable person for Julia. Although they parted one year, her thoughts were still there. So she thought that maybe Melissa could help her send a letter to the monastery.

“Has your Highness ever commanded the servants not to leave the villa?”   “No, he didn’t give me such an order. But we will probably need permission to go out.”   Melissa gave a quick reply. After contemplating for a while, Julia spoke again.

“Actually, I want to send a letter to the place where I used to live… If you leave the villa, can you send it?”  She couldn’t get out of here. Of course, the other day Fernan said she could go anywhere, but that didn’t mean she could interact with the Holy Land.  If she sent the letter herself, it was clear that it would fall into his hands before the letter even left.

“Yes, yes. It’s easy.” 

“Thank you, Melissa.”  It was only then that Julia slowly opened her mouth as if she was relieved. Even if she was safe, she wanted to tell the monastery. Everyone must be very worried about her by now. She had no intention of asking them for help. Because it might hurt them too.

“By the way, do you plan on going back there again someday?” 

 

  Melissa looked into her eyes and asked cautiously.

Julia, who was seen through Melissa’s eyes, was still coldly cl osing her heart to Fernan. She didn’t even look at him when he came, and when he spoke to her, she barely responded. Watching her hardened expression as if it was uncomfortable for Julia even being with him. Having only seen her like that for two months, Melissa had no choice but to worry about whether Julia was okay to be here.

“Yes…..I can’t stay here.”  Julia meekly answered. She had a place she had to go back to. Now, although she was being obedient because she didn’t have a chance, her thoughts had not changed. Julia looked at Melissa, who looked at her worriedly, and remembered other faces. Gabrielle and the children, Cedric, and everyone who lived with her in the monastery. Strangely, when she thought about whether they were doing well, her heart would pound and beat dangerously. As if somewhere in her heart hea rt was uneasy. ‘…why?’   Julia, who had been walking with a confused face, turned around.

When she returned to the villa, Julia’s expression gradually hardened. hardened.  Because Fernan, standing near the doorway, was watching her from afar. afa r.

While avoiding his gaze, Julia moved her steps firmly. She tried to walk past him, but Fernan followed her straight inside.

“I heard you sent the doctor back this morning.”  A calm voice came from behind her. Julia climbed the stairs without stopping her steps.

“You are still not feeling well. The heat is the same.”  “… ” 

 

  “I called another doctor, I think it would be better to check again and get a new medication.”  Julia, who was walking quickly down the hallway, stopped for a moment. Suddenly, Fernan was close to a distance away. She did not look back at him, but replied sternly.

“I don’t want to receive treatment anymore. Just keep giving me the medicine I’m taking now.”  She continued to take the medicine because it prevented the apparent symptoms to some extent. But seeing doctors was no longer meaningful. After reciting as if to notify, Julia moved her feet again. Normally if she cut him off like this, he wouldn’t follow her anymore. But today, for some reason, his footsteps did not stop. His big hand grabbed the doorknob before Julia. His arms touched slightly behind her back.

“Julia.”  Fernan, who narrowed their distance as if imprisoning her in his arms, opened his mouth mou th slightly.

“I will do as you wish.”  It was a voice that descended nervously. Julia stiffened her body for a moment.

His low voice continued to flow over her head while she couldn’t even look behind her because of the close distance.

“So, please look at me just once.”  His hand, holding the doorknob as if suppressing something, gained strength. Julia avoided him every day and pushed him away. She never gave him a long glance.

She did not know that it crushed Fernan’s heart every day. Julia, who was s ilently looking at the back of his hand, did not look back, but slowly moved her lips. “Let me go.” 

 

  At the same time, she gently touched the back of his hand as she grabbed the d doorknob. oorknob. She felt the back of his firm hand twitch.

At Julia’s touch, Fernan gently removed his hand. At that moment, Julia, who grabbed the doorknob and turned it, slowly entered the bedroom. Without looking back at him even once, she closed the door behind her.

 

Chapter 58 Standing in front of the tightly closed door, Fernan dropped his gaze. Julia was still so far away. If she could just look at him with her gentle glowing eyes, that would be e enough, nough, but her warmth didn’t turn toward him no matter what.  After staring at the door where Julia had disappeared for a long ti time, me, Fernan turned around. His heavy footsteps headed for his office on the first floor.

“Oh, Your Highness.”  Lloyd, who was standing in front of him, bowed in silence and then suddenly approached. Then he held out the letter and reported.

“This is a letter from the Imperial Palace. It is said that the emperor’s servants visited the castle twice.”  Currently, Fernan has been away from the castle for a long time without revealing where he was. As a result, the imperial servant often went back in vain. As a result, the Emperor seemed to be angry. Fernan, who received the letter with an expressionless face, ripped open the envelope.

“It seems that the emperor was even more angry because you did not attend the Empress’s birthday celebration.”  Lloyd sighed and continued. That day, Fernan found Julia and brought her back from the Holy Land, so there was no time for banquets or anything like that.

Even so, the Emperor has been suffering from severe anxiety since the disappearance of Julia. Probably because he was afraid of not being able to keep Fernan on his side any longer.

In the meantime, Fernan didn’t even attend the big ceremony of the imperial family, so an uncomfortable feeling must have risen to the top of his head by now. “… ”  Fernan read the letter contents with a cold gaze.

 

  The letter said that he no longer wanted to doubt the Grand Duke’s true intentions, so he had to visit the Imperial Palace as soon as possible.

He twisted one of his lips with a smirk. This kind of crude threat doesn’t seem to change over the years. From a very young age, Fernan rolled like a chess piece on the Emperor’s political board. Even then, the Emperor’s pattern was always the same.  The Emperor told his young nephew, who had not come of age, to show evidence of allegiance every day.

Otherwise, he had no choice but to doubt Fernan’s sincerity.  “Even if it isindustry cumbersome, cumbersome , I think it would good toestates.” visit this  time. After you leave, finish the mining and take a look aroundbethe local Lloyd suggested implicitly. It was true that he hadn’t been to the capital for a long time, so he needed to visit at least once. The Emperor was an old man who was good at scheming. As his dissatisfaction grew more than this, he didn’t know what other schemes the  Emperor would use to frame Fernan.

“Are you concerned about Grand Duchess?”  Lloyd asked cautiously, looking at Fernan, who was lost in thought for a moment. She was the only subject that had been occupied with his nerves recently.

It’s been almost two months since he left the castle and moved to this villa to stay with Julia. “Don’t worry too much. Adrian isn’t left. We’ve placed enough knights around.” 

Despite Lloyd’s words, Fernan didn’t answer, he just tapped and tapped the desk.   Fernan knew that the quiet Julia, who was full of thoughts of leaving him at any time. So he was still anxious. Fernan, who had been silent for a while, opened his mouth with his eyes organized.

“Tell them we’ll visit the capital soon.” 

 

*** While Fernan was away from the villa for the first time, Julia spent time alone. She told Melissa, who went to mail the letter, to take a few days off. When she returned to the villa after her walk, she saw someone standing in front of the entrance. It was Adrian, Fernan’s lieutenant. 

“Grand Duchess.”  Adrian bowed his head towards her. At that moment, Julia’s eyes began to widen as she glanced at his face. For some reason, it was an unfamiliar face.

“Your Grace, is there anything you want me to do?”  Adrian opened his mouth, straightening his posture. However, Julia just stared at him in silence. It was only when Adrian showed an embarrassed expression on his face that Julia took a step back.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”  She was sure she had seen him before, but she couldn’t remember exactly. 

How many times did she see him by Fernan’s side at the Grand Duke’s castle?   Julia, who was tilting her head as she felt something, took her steps. Adrian let out a sigh of relief as he saw Julia passing him. For a moment, he thought she recognized him.

Adrian was a knight Fernan had planted in the Holy Kingdom a while back. He pretended to be a follower and stopped by the monastery several times to check on Julia’s current situation.  She might remember him passing by, although they never really met each ea ch other.

“No, I think it’s better for her not to remember…. ?”   Now Julia only knew that Fernan had brought her here by force.

 

  As Julia lost her memory, she had no choice but to misunderstand it like that, but Fernan just left her misunderstanding intact.

Contrary to her misunderstanding, Fernan would have brought her if the Holy Kingdom had not been invaded by demons. As it was the case for half a year, he would want her to continue to live pea peacefully cefully by protecting her from afar and helping her to live without any lack. So he must have been broken and withered day by day. Even now, he has been hiding her survival without letting anyone know. It meant that he would not force Julia back to her place.

“… Phew.”  Adrian sighed briefly. As Fernan’s long-time subordinate, this situation was only hopeless. *** Central palace. As he walked down the long hallway, the attendants bowed their heads in unison towards Fernan. Eventually, when he arrived in front of the Emperor’s reception room, the servant opened the door politely. Fernan, who entered the room slowly, bowed to the emperor with an expressionless face.

“Have you been well, Your Majesty?” 

As always, he seemed polite, yet somehow arrogant. The emperor opened his mouth without hiding his displeasure.

“Have you finally come? Seeing that you made me wait so long, the Grand Duke must have been very busy.”  Despite the sarcastic remarks, Fernan responded without changing his expression.

“Yeah, many important things have happened.”  “… ” 

 

  The Emperor frowned and shook his head in disapproval. Fernan was then seated in the seat se at opposite the emperor. Taking a deep breath, the emperor returned to his normal expression. The voice that t hat came out was as kind as possible.

“Yes, I won’t call you anymore. I am well aware of the many territories ruled by the Grand Duke, but I can’t help but feel disappointed about about this.”   “It’s a relief to hear that you understand.”  The emperor, who was slowly stroking his beard as if examining Fernan’s Fernan’s expression, looked away only after someone knocked on the door.

“Your Majesty, I have brought the Young Lady.”   “Yes, come in.”  The emperor, who immediately gave permission, looked at Fernan and smiled generously.

“I’d like to introduce a precious guest to the Grand Duke today.”  As soon as the emperor finished speaking, the servant opened the door and went inside. Behind the servant, a woman cautiously appeared. When the emperor nodded happily, the woman quietly walked up to him and gracefully greeted the emperor.

“Were you tired of waiting?”  “No, Your Majesty. I lost track of time talking to the maids.” 

The woman with a gentle expression smiled at the emperor and then turned to Fernan. Fernan wrinkled his eyebrows softly as he looked at the woman who blinked her eyes shyly towards him. Because he knew at once what this sudden situation meant. The emperor smiled softly at Fernan and opened his mouth again.

“She is the famous daughter of Viscount Cerevis. Not long ago she went studying abroad, she recently moved to the Capital.”  The emperor looked at Fernan and the woman with a happy face and spoke.

 

  “I heard you declared that you would not accept courtship, but you can’t leave the position of the Grand Duchess vacant forever. The age when the Grand Duke was just too

prosperous has passed.”  In the following words, Fernan made a harsh sneer.

This must be the Emperor’s real purpose for sending people and annoy annoying ing him so many times. “ I thought hard and agonized as it is my only nephew’s new marriage. Viscount Cerevis is one of my long-time vassals, and he will be a good partner with the Grand Duke.”   Seeing the emperor talking about his marriage as if it was natural, Fernan’s face changed cold. It was as if he (emperor) was convinced that he (Fernan) could not disobey his order. The emperor feared and restrained his powers, but at the same time treated him as nothing but his young nephew.

He (emperor) still couldn’t admit it. His nephew, who was thrown into the battlefield with no one by his side (Fernan), returned with power that threatened him.(emperor)

 

Chapter 59 Fernan tilted his head and stared at the emperor. And he glanced at the daughter of Viscount Cerevis. At this moment, a memory flashed through his mind. Cerevis. A family that had been pushed out of the capital for a long time due to misconnection two generations ago. However, they did not stand out only externally, and they were a family that was more active underground than anyone else. A drug dealer secretly favored by some filthy nobles. And a brothel operating illegally on the night streets outside the capital. Behind them was Viscount Cerevis. This was a fact that Fernan learned during the process of identifying the source of the potion that Marquis Elody once tried to give him through Julia. Fernan, who finished his thoughts in a brief moment, quickly made up a bright smile.

“I do not know what to do, Your Majesty, because you have spared no heart for this nephew.”  The emperor, whose eyes widened for a moment in response to the gentle reaction, nodded with satisfaction.

“You are like my son, so it’s only natural for me to use my heart.”  At those words, a smirk passed from Fernan’s sullen smile. Soon he let out a meaningful voice.

“However, I didn’t know that the Viscount Cerevis was a family to Your Majesty.”  Saying so, he glanced at the woman sitting quietly for a moment, and she replied shyly with a smile of hope. Fernan, who had a slight frown at the sight, turned his gaze to the emperor again. It was in an instant that the happy face of the emperor was broken.

 

“Is it safe to assume that Your Majesty is behind the black market managed by Viscount Cerevis?”  As expected, the emperor began to falter with his mouth slightly open. He immediately tried to hide his shaking face. Fernan, who had been watching the funny thing for a while, continued to speak slowly.

“I’m very curious. How can Viscount Cerevis, who was pushed out of the court, manage such a large-scale organization? Now that question is resolved.”  Unless there was someone behind him, the Viscount, who had no power, could not so secretly spread his powers underground. As long as the emperor supported and tolerated it, anything could happen.

“…I have absolutely no idea what the Grand Duke is talking about.”  The emperor opened his mouth as if to swear with a solemn voice. After Fernand straightened his tilted head, he responded as if he was sorry.

“Is that so? If not, I will make this matter public right now and reveal the real culprit behind it.”  The emperor’s face hardened at that moment. Viscount Cerevis’s daughter was also trembling anxiously with a frozen face. Staring at them in turn, Fernan stood up.

“If Your Majesty is still not convinced, I will send someone to the territory immediately and hand over the list of illegal transactions I found out to the Inspection Departmen Departmentt directly.”  “Come on, wait.” 

The emperor grabbed the armrest of the throne anxiously and nodded his head toward the servant. At the unspoken command to take the woman out, the attendant approached the woman who was sitting like a stone statue. The woman, who forcibly got up from her seat, looked back and walked out of the audience room as if being dragged away.

Snap, as the door closed, the emperor cried out with a face that couldn’t contain his anger. 

 

  “Grand Duke, how can you be so arrogant? How dare you try to stigmatize me with such groundless words!” 

“stigma…”  Fernand stared coldly at the emperor with a completely cleared face.

“Your Majesty, I am one of those who wish for peace in the Empire.”  “Now, what do you mean by that?”   The Emperor glared at Fernan with blazing eyes. As if he had found the seeds of rebellion. Fernan did not avoid that blatant gaze and continued to speak.

“Do you think that the stigma of Your Majesty that I have been silent about will end with this?”  Until now, the emperor’s misconduct had been unilaterally met without any countermeasures. Even if he acted like a solid saint, the emperor was an old man with a very bad background. Fernan had so many of the emperor’s flaws in his hand.  Exactly, for a day like this.

“So it would be beneficial beneficial to each other if you no longer get involved in my marriage.”  “You, you… !”  “Please, I ask for your cooperation so that I can remain loyal to the Empire until the end.”  As the words continued as if he was engraving each word, the emperor began to tremble.

Although Fernan had not been compliant with the imperial family until now, at least he did not do anything against the emperor’s will.  For this reason, the emperor doubted his true intentions, but he knew implicitly that in the end everything would go his way. But now it was different. Fernan looked like he had nowhere to turn. After all, he was a madman with eyes that looked like he was willing to die for treason. The emperor’s lips quivered, unable to maintain his expression. When Fernan began to act like a madman, there was nothing good for the Emperor.

 

  Fernan, who escaped f rom rom the Emperor’s reception room, stepped forward without stopping. Even after the storm had passed, he was as expressionless as he did at first. He just wanted to get out of this imperial palace as soon as possible. The Imperial Palace was the place where his childhood was contained. He stayed here until about fifteen. But he had no reason to get drunk on nostalgia because he had no good memories here. Ever since his father passed away by accident, Fernan has been a thorn in the eyes of everyone in this imperial palace.

His uncle (the emperor is Fernan’s uncle), who suddenly ascended the throne after the death of his eldest brother (Fernan’s father), has been anxious since then to somehow take down his nephew. The emperor, who was terrified that his young nephew, who could not even make sense of it, might lose his place.

Every time there was a big event in the imperial family, Fernan’s position became more and more ambiguous. Much less the emperor was extremely reluctant to have his nephew in his entourage. He (emperor) sometimes put the young man (Fernan) in the middle of a banquet hall, venting his pressure in a clever way. His mother (Fernan’s mother), who could not see it, always took her son to a small closet before a banquet.

“No one’s going  going to hurt you if you stay stay here.”  here.”   Was that why? From some point on, it became a natural habit to enter the closet on the day

of the banquet. Around the age of ten, even after his mother died. That shabby closet, where no one came, was the most comfortable place for him as a child. Even the day before he was going to war, he went in the closet closet,, predicting the future. In the distant banquet hall, a banquet was held to pray for the safe return of the Imperial Army was in full swing. Even though the war that th at sent them to death was clear, there was no lack of pretentiousness.

Recalling that day, Fernan’s steps paused for a moment. It was because something, a small memory stuck in a corner of his mind suddenly hit his brain and popped out.

 

  In that closet that day, he met someone.

It was a child….. His golden eyes gradually narrowed as if measuring his memory. A shabby closet where no one enters except for him. It was the first time someone had appeared there. The door closed with a sharp broken voice, and the quiet cries filled the room, and the memories became clearer.

At the sound of crying sadly, Fernan’s agony, which was estimated the day of his death, shattered in an instant. So he went to the little girl. She looked only about thirteen years old. Perhaps her appearance of crying alone overlapped with his childhood. So he reached out his hand unbecomingly and stayed with her until she stopped crying. In the end, e nd, he gave her his name. Fernan, who had completely stopped his steps, his eyes began to tremble. The old memory that he had never recalled in his life, the child to be exact, gradually took shape in his head. Two big eyes filled with tears. Wavy light hair. She glanced at him, holding his hand tightly.

“Can you tell me your name… ?”   “Fernan.”   “… ”   “If we meet again someday, I will tell you my name then.”  

The girl he met again after so many years… definitely kept that promise.  “My name is Julia.”   “Do you remember me? We met a long time ago…”   On the day of the wedding, Julia asked if he remembered her, a and nd she was talking about that day.

 

Fernan touched his forehead as if he was far away, like someone who didn’t know what expression to make. Julia had remembered him from the beginning. Even though it was only a small memory that he had buried somewhere in his head and never brought it out. With his forehead distorted, Fernan looked down with an empty gaze. Was the memory so precious to her, that she couldn’t say anything to the man who only hurt her so much? 

Like a fool, he closed his heart from the beginning…  At this moment, he felt like his heart plummeted hard somewhere. From the moment he found out that she was the illegitimate child, he could understand to some extent the reason for Julia’s fragile nature.  But more than he alone could have guessed, Julia had more wounds.

He also didn’t know that she had to hold her breath and cried because she was born as an illegitimate child and had to be trapped in the small room without even attending the banquet. His distant and deep emotions boiled in his stomach. His heart beat violently. Fernan narrowed his forehead painfully and grabbed his collar tightly.

 

Chapter 60 It was a very sunny day. The surface of the lake, which she saw everyday, was more shiny today. Julia quietly walked around it as usual. Her hair fluttered lightly in the cool breeze from the forest. Crossing the bridge, stopping in a grassy field, she bent her knees slightly. She reached out and lightly touched the purple lavender flowers, and a fragrance drifted from the tip of her nose. Just as she was distracted by the flowers for a while, the sound of footsteps approached from afar. The moment Julia felt a presence and turned around, someone hugged her tightly.

“… !”  Surprised by the sudden approach, Julia opened her eyes wide. A body large enough to cover all of her. They were solid a arms. rms. Fernan.

Julia couldn’t open her mouth for a while due to the sudden situation. The man holding her tightly didn’t say anything either.  Julia, who had been in his arms for a while, suddenly came to her se senses. nses. As she raised her hand and gently pushed his chest away, his familiar voice landed lande d in her ear.

… just a little longer.   Her arms that held her grew even stronger.

“Just for a moment….don’t push me away.”  At the sound of his trembling voice, Julia stopped her movements. She could hear his irregular heartbeat from his chest.

“…. Why are you doing this?”  

 

Julia, who had been quiet for a while, opened her mouth. She intended to speak coldly, but it was a voice full of embarrassment that came out. Fernan left for the capital three days ago, so she thought maybe he would be away for a week. So she couldn’t help but be embarrassed by this man who came back so quickly and hugged her so suddenly.

As Julia tried to raise her head, Fernan’s firm hand wrappe wrapped d the back of her head slightly, and she stopped her movement. Julia, who had her face still in his arms, closed her eyes as she let it be. Fernan looked at Julia, who was completely in his arms. A soft body with the heartbeat transmitted from the body to which they were facing each other. A shallow but clear breath. Suddenly, Julia in his arms felt like a fantasy. Her light hair shimmered in the sunlight. He lowered his head and buried his face in her hair. She had the scent of spring.

“Your Highness.”  Julia pushed his body again. Fernan, who had not yet moved, relaxed his arms. However, the hands wrapped around her back, preventing her from moving further away, loosen. Thanks to the gap, Julia raised her head, and there was a look of wonder in her eyes.

Because Fernan’s appearance was unusual.  

As she was wondering, Fernan reached out to t o her face. Her pale cheeks were completely wrapped in his large hands. His eyes contained many words. Awkward words lingered in his mouth, but only a single word came out.

“… Sorry.”  At the apology that he quietly spat out, Julia had a confused look on her face. Fernan looked up at her as he bowed his head slightly.

 

A young girl who held his hand a long time ago was painted over Julia. At the same time, a warm and beautiful season, warmer than ever, hung behind her.

He was suddenly blinded. He couldn’t see her properly, and he lowered his gaze again. He had so many things he wanted to say, but he couldn’t utter a single word. Even though he couldn’t express all these feelings with just a single word ‘sorry’.  In the end, Fernan swallowed all the words that filled his heart and bowed his head. Julia looked up at him with her dazed eyes.

Even though she couldn’t make eye contact with him, she didn’t pull her hand away from his weak embrace. *** In the afternoon, Melissa, who was making the bed, stared intently at Julia, who was sitting at her table. Her book, which she opened, stayed on the same page for an hour. Melissa tried to talk to her, but she seemed to be deep in thought. ‘What should I do?’  

Melissa bit her her lip with her nervous look. Just today, at Julia’s request, Melissa was on her way to deliver letter. But in the process, she heard a shocking story.

“You can’t send letters to the Holy Kingdom. Don’t you know? There’s been a war there

 for months.   That was, the Holy Land that Julia had been living in was at war.

But Julia didn’t seem to know this. Perhaps that was why she wanted to send her letter there. While Melissa was busy cleaning the bedding, she agonized over and over whether she should let Julia know. No one had informed her of this; perhaps there was a good reason.

 

While Melissa was anxious, Julia was looking dazed as if she was far away. In her head, the face of Fernan which she saw during the day continued to be drawn. She

didn’t want to think about it, but she remembered. It was unfamiliar. It was strange to see se e him with a face she had never seen before. Julia, who muttered quietly, turned to the next page. Meanwhile, Melissa, who finished organizing the bedding, spoke to her.

“Your Grace, I changed to light bedding in time for spring.”  “Yes, thank you.”  “And…”  Julia glanced at Melissa, whose words were blurred as if she wanted to say something.

“What’s wrong?”  Melissa bit her lips, looking at Julia’s gentle gaze.   “Oh, no. It’s nothing.”  Melissa, who tried hard to lift her, shook her head.

These days, Julia’s heart was not at ease. But if she found out that there was a war in the place where she used to live, she might be hurting even more from worrying. Melissa, who had come to the conclusion, nodded her head.

“Your Grace, then have a good night. Call me anytime if you need anything.” 

Yes, good night.   Melissa nodded and slowly left the bedroom. The door closed, and then Julia looked down to focus on her book a again. gain. But again, the words did not catch her eye. Eventually, she closed her book, got up, and approached the window. The door swung open and the night breeze blew in. Julia knew well that this feeling she felt was never right for this situation.

 

She thought about Fernan’s behavior and somehow her heart seemed to shake. Then she needed to remind herself again. She knew she didn’t come here because she wanted to. That Fernan was preventing her from going back to where she was.

Other than that, of course, he didn’t force her. He was also showing an unusual attitude unlike before. But that didn’t mean she could justify the situation.  She had already crossed a long way to accept him, who said sorry and regret.

“Yes.”  After organizing her confusion, Julia closed the window. Her expression instantly became determined. ***

Around morning, there was someone who visited Fernan’s bedroom.  While buttoning his cuff, Fernan approached the door and opened it, thinking it was one of his lieutenants who came to deliver a report. But, surprisingly, Julia was standing in front of the door. It was the first time she had come to see him since she came here. Fernan, whose eye widened for a moment in surprise, looked at Julia in front of him.

“Your Highness.” 

Julia, who faced him with an expressionless face, quietly opened her mouth.

“I want to go out.”  It sounded like she was asking for his permission. When he lowered his gaze a little further, Julia was already dressed in her outdoor clothes. While Fernan was speechless for a moment, Julia spoke again.

“You said I could go anywhere anywhere.” .” 

 

At those words, Fernan captured the belated gaze. Then came a late reply.

“Okay.”  It was also the first time that Julia said she wanted to do something, so at this moment, he felt an indescribable joy. Of course, she could go anywhere.

“…Will you not allow me to go out alone?”  The blue eyes turned towards him. Fernan looked away from her for a moment, and then he made eye contact with her again. He wanted to give her everything she wanted, but it was still difficult for him to let her go alone.

“It is dangerous to be alone. Your identity is not yet known to the Empire.”  “… ”  “Come with me.”  When Julia lowered her head without answering, Fernan hurriedly added.

“It doesn’t matter if you think of me as an escort, I won’t disturb you.”  With those words, Julia looked up at him with her puzzled face. Thinking of him as an escort seems a bit strange. But then, without saying anything else, she gently nodded.

Yes, then I ll wait until you re ready.   Julia took a step back from the door and turned around.

Seeing her slowly disappearing beyond the hallway, Fernan’s eyes began to shake again. 

 

Chapter 61 The carriage, which had left the villa, rattled down the mountain road. They were heading to a small town near the border. It was a city where squares and downtown areas were properly arranged and there were not many people. Julia carefully looked out of her window through the slightly tilted curtains. It was to find out exactly where this villa was and what road to take to get out of the mountain. While Julia was staring outside like that for a while, Fernan suddenly spoke to her.

“If you feel uncomfortable, tell me right away.”  At that moment, Julia, who turned her gaze to the other side, nodded his head without answering. Then, suddenly, she realized that it was the first time she and Fernan went out like this. They left a few times together to go to the Imperial Palace, but that was only for official events. It felt a little funny, and at the same time, it felt futile. She had never been alone in her marriage, and it was strange that it had come to this point. If she was the Julia of the past, she would be beyond happy that she could accompany Fernan on an outing. Because she was simple and foolish.

But she just doesn’t like being with him right now.  Julia lowered her gaze and silently waited to arrive in the downtown area. After such a long time, the carriage entered the city. The first thing that caught her eyes was the river that ran across the street. A small boat floated on the surface of the water, and people were sitting huddled together. After watching the boatman rowing for a moment, the carriage stopped nearby.

 

Fernan got out first and held out his hand to her. Julia hesitated for a moment, but soon held his hand. As she stepped on her feet, the bright sunlight poured over her head. Looking around, she saw a plaza with a relaxed atmosphere. ‘I did come, but…’   The reason she wanted to go out was just to find an e escape scape route and to figure out the exact location of the villa. So there were no other plans. She glanced at Fernan, and as soon as their eyes met, she averted her gaze. At first, she thought it would be better to walk as far as her feet could reach. So, as she entered e ntered the street, various shops were lined up. From clothing stores to jewelers to stalls selling miscellaneous goods. Julia looked at the crowded street without much meaning. As she tried not to be conscious of Fernan who was following her from behind. After wandering the streets for a long time, her gaze was suddenly fixed somewhere. It was a jewelry shop. Brilliant accessories were piled up in a glass showcase. Among them, what caught Julia’s attention was the blue diamond earrings.  Without realizing it, she stopped and looked at the display case.

She wasn t very interested in jewelry, but the bright colors automatically caught her eyes.   The gaze did not linger for long. Julia quickly turned and made her way back into the street. From one moment on, she became unconscious of Fernan who was following her.

He didn’t say anything as if he was really an escort, and he was following Julia at a reasonable distance. So she walked the streets with a relaxed mind without much thinking.

 

After that, time flew by, and as she reached the end of the street, a nearby flower shop caught her eyes. When she saw the flowers, she naturally thought of the monastery. She wondered if they were doin g okay. Gabrielle, the kids, and Cedric…  Julia looked at the flowers for a moment and thought of them, but then she turned around. As soon as she entered the street, Julia took a small breath. In the first place, the purpose of going out had already been accomplished, so it was meaningless to spend more time here.

“Let’s go back.”  Julia, who looked back at Fernan for the first time, spoke to him. He was still following her at a reasonable distance. After she saw Fernan nod and was about to turn around again, a man suddenly ran out of the street next door. Before the man ran into Julia, Fernan pulled her towards him.

“Hey, be careful… ”  The man, who jumped out suddenly lost his temper, found Fernan standing behind her and withdrew in surprise. Looking at Fernan with a ferocious expression like he was about to pull out his sword, the man apologized incessantly.

I m sorry! I m sorry!   Then he ran away in a flash. Julia, who had been staring blankly at the running man, looked up at Fernan, who wrapped his arms around her. As if when her life had come to an end, he looked at her with refined eyes.

“…thank you.”  After a belated murmur, Julia escaped from his arms.

 

  With her mouth shut, she turned around a round and hurried her steps. To return to the square, the two t wo walked slowly across the bridge over the river. A slight breeze blew through her hair. Fernan stood still at that moment, without even looking elsewhere, he engraved each figure of her into his eyes. As he wandered around this downtown d owntown area, of course, Julia was the only place he focused his attention on. After a while, Julia looked quietly somewhere over the bridge. Her gaze turned to the stable. Unwittingly stopped, she stared intently at the white horse tied to the end of the stable.

“Do you like that horse?”   Fernan asked quietly. Then, looking back at him, Julia shook her head. head . Rather than liking it, its appearance looked mysterious, so it caught her attention right away. It was the first time she had ever seen such a white and shiny horse.

Julia didn’t know how to ride horses. One of the qualities of a noblewoman, however, was because she was not given an opportunity to learn. Julia turned her head away from the horse. Meanwhile, a large and colorful carriage arrived in front of them. The carriage arrived at the villa at sunset.

She went straight to her bedroom, and Julia’s eyes went wide as soon as she stepped inside.  Above and below the table, there were a few boxes that she hadn’t seen before.  “Your Grace, did you have a good trip?”  Melissa rushed to the news that Julia had returned and bowed her head. Nodding her head, Julia asked, pointing to her table.

“Melissa, but where did this come from?” 

 

“Didn’t you buy them? It came from the carriage that arrived before you.”  At those words, Julia felt puzzled as she opened one of jewelry boxes. Inside was a pair of earrings studded with blue jewels.

Julia’s eyes gradually widened. Obviously, it was the earrings she saw in the glass case at the market. Melissa spoke quietly to her.

“I guess His Highness bought it for you.”  But Julia didn’t see him buying anything.  … To be precise, she didn’t know because she never looked back at Fernan, who was following her the whole time. While Julia, who had an unknown expression on her face, closed the jewelry box, someone knocked on the door. Melissa opened it, and there was a servant in front of the d door. oor. And in his arms was a large bouquet of flowers.

“Grand Duchess, His Highness told me to deliver this flower.”  “… ”  Julia took the bouquet from the servant with both hands, and unexpectedly accepted it. It was a beautiful bouquet of blue forget-me-nots and white daffodils. The fragrance of flowers approached the tip of her nose. Julia looked down at the bouquet blankly.

“Why are you like this…”  Those earrings and this flower. They were all the things she had her eye on while wandering around downtown. ‘… Has he been watching?’   Fernan followed her silently, keeping his promise not to disturb her. However, it seemed that he was watching everything that Julia looked at.

 

  At this moment, for the first time, Julia wondered about Fernan’s true intentions. 

‘What in the world is this beneficial to him?’  

Of course, he said he didn’t need any profit, but Julia didn’t believe it.  “What does His Highness want?”  Julia muttered quietly as if she was talking to herself, and Melissa, who looked at her with a strange expression, answered.

“I think he just wants to t o give something to Your Grace.”  “… ”  “Because His Highness……”  Melissa stopped at mid sentence and hit her lip.

She thought it was presumptuous for a maid like her to talk about the owner’s heart.  But, at least in Melissa’s eyes, it was clear that Fernan had come to love JJulia. ulia.  Fernan has been anxious about Julia, who was colder, and she was the only one who filled his gaze and nerves. Their situation completely reversed from before.

“He wants to give me everythi everything… ng… ”  Julia muttered. Even so, she had never wanted anything like this.

She didn’t want anything from him. However….  Julia felt confused and she looked at the flower bouquet again. The fresh scent of the beautiful flowers gently shook her heart. Without realizing it, Julia embraced the bouquet in her arms.

 

Chapter 62 Cedric, who left for Richel’s estate, was reunited with Gabrie Gabrielle lle in a mansion there.   After confirming that both the children and Gabrielle were unharmed, he was able to relax. They were living comfortably. The mansion was spacious, and there were helpers. He thought they would have simply found a place to live, but the Grand Duke seemed to be more attentive to their convenience than expected.

“Cedric. Is it true that the person who helped us was Julia’s husband… ?”   Gabrielle whispered in a low voice. She was very quick-witted as she got older. Cedric nodded his head with a complicated expression.

“… Yes, I think so.”  “Yes.”  Gabrielle spoke with a worried look on her face.

“Since he’s treating us so generously, you must believe that he’s also taking good care of Julia.”  “… “  “However, her health is what I’m most worried about.”  Cedric nodded his head with a grim expression. If her mind was uncomfortable, her body would also be uncomfortable. So, he hoped she

was at ease there. ‘… It might be difficult.’   Cedric sighed and lifted his lips.

“Gabrielle, if you happen to know Yulia’s location, please send me a message.”   “Okay, don’t worry and go back. I’ll write you a letter.”  There was nothing Cedric could do for now. He just has to wait for Julia to contact him first.

 

At this time, Cedric was so miserable because he felt incompetent. At the same time, He felt a sense of shame that filled a part of his heart. Feelings that should have been enough just to worry about Julia were mixed with something that was not at all pleasant. He was jealous lest she be shaken by the Grand Duke. He was afraid and anxious that she would never come back. Of course, Julia could not have wanted to stay with the Grand Duke now. It must be so, but he couldn’t figure out why he had such a vague feeling.  Cedric, who came out of the mansion, briefly captured the world in spring. Even on such a beautiful day, his heart was just hopeless. He missed the days walking with Julia. The times when they laughed and talked about little things in the evening breeze at the monastery. His heart throbbed greatly. Cedric took a deep dee p breath and lowered his gaze. *** For a while, Julia had been living with chaotic emotions. Shesome madereason. up her mind to leave lea ve this place somehow, but her firmness kept crumbling down for Julia, who was walking on the plain, looked at the distant forest. If running for a long time along that forest, she would see a ste steep ep mountain foot. If she went

down there, she would find a road leading to the village. The way to escape has already a lready been memorized. If she went down the mountain entrance with the excuse of going out, maybe she could run away.

However….  When Julia lowered her gaze with a somewhat complicated face, she suddenly felt a strange presence.

“… ?” 

 

  Julia, who flinched at the rustling sound, looked back. Her eyes gradually grew bigger. Because a white horse was walking slowly towards her.

“… Ah.”  At this moment, there was a scene that passed Julia’s head. A few days ago, she was a white horse downtown. Then, a soft voice fell over her head.

“He’s a gentle guy, he’ll listen to you.”  When she turned around in surprise, Fernan was standing there. He spoke calmly.

“It’s a horse for riding, so it should be suitable for you.”  Julia turned her gaze to the white horse again with a bewildered expression. The horse with its head down was quietly grazing.

“Is that the horse I saw in the downtown area that day?”  As she murmured in the distance, Fernan, who came a little closer to her, swept the horse.

“At that time, the white horse was not of good breed, so I got it from another place.”  Then, when she looked closely at the horse, the color of its eyes was indeed different. Contrary to that horse back then, this white horse had pale green eyes.

The horse with its soft, white hair made a pleasant rustling sound. Julia, who was briefly distracted by the mysterious figure, soon came to her senses and looked at Fernan.

“… I can’t ride horses. So you’d better bring it back.”  Then she quietly turned her gaze away from the horse.

Julia has already received a lot from him. Excessive E xcessive luxury that she didn’t even want. 

 

It wouldn’t be hers if she sh e left anyway. Moreover, she didn’t want to receive anything from him anymore. Just as she was about to turn around like that, a low voice ca came me from Fernan again.

“I’ve have already given it to you, so there is no need to return it.”  “… ”  “If you don’t know how to ride, you can learn.”  Julia, who stopped his feet, looked back at him. Fernan was approaching with the reins of the white horse.

“If you don’t use it, this horse will be useless and will be kept in the stable.”   Julia looked up at him. She couldn’t tell if he was threatening her or just saying it.  Meanwhile, the white horse, who came close to her, looked at her clearly. It then gently pushed its snout as if it wanted to be stroked.

Julia’s shoulders flinched and she closed his eyes slowly, then she reached out without realizing it. Carefully sweeping the white hair, the horse neighed again. It was as if it was saying sa ying that it felt good. As Fernan said, it seemed to be a gentle and friendly horse.

Julia’s blue eyes began to twinkle slightly.  “Let’s try it once.” 

Fernan, who was watching her closely, suggested.

“That…”  Julia hesitated and blurred the end of her words. Fernan, who took one step closer to her, looked down at her as if inviting her again. When she bit her lip as if she was agonizing without letting go of her hand from the horse, Fernan leaned down.

 

She looked at his approaching face, and before she could panic, her body suddenly lifted up. As Julia looked down at him from afar, she already sat on the saddle in an instant. Fernan took her arm and helped her straighten her tilted posture. Julia suddenly grabbed the reins in her hands. It was her first time riding the horse alone. She was just frozen, holding the reins tightly. Fernan, who was looking at her frightened figure, climbed on the back lightly. His tight arms supported her unstable body in an instant.

“It’s okay, kick the horse on the waist a bit.”  Said Fernan, with the reins over her hand. Julia, who flinched her hand for no reason, hesitated and kicked her foot gently as he said. Soon after, the horse began to walk slowly.

Julia straightened her bent posture and looked in front of her. Fernan’s large body supporting her back gave her more stability. Perhaps because of her increased visibility, the familiar scenery looked different. Her tension was gradually released from her stiffened body in the open air. Fernan felt her body more softly, spoke gently.

“Horseback riding is not difficult, you will learn it quickly.”  “… ” 

“If you want, I’ll teach you often.”  Unsurprisingly,, Julia thought that the voice coming from behind her was unfamiliar. Unsurprisingly

It was soft and warm. She couldn’t deny that it wasn’t.   Biting her lip, Julia looked down at Fernan’s large hand that completely wrapped around hers. His hands were long and gracefully outstretched, seemingly see mingly rough with calluses. It was the first time she had looked so closely.

 

  As she looked at his hand for a while, she remembered her old memories a long time ago. The day she and him first met. She remembered holding his hand for a long time. Julia suddenly wondered if he still didn’t remember that day.   So without realizing it, she opened her mouth.

“Your Highness.”  At her little call, Fernan lowered his head slightly towards her.

“Do you remember? In the past, Your Highness held my hand like this…”  But in the end, her blurred speech did not continue any longer. It was because when she opened her mouth, I thought it was pointless to ask. There was no need for her to recall the memory of that day, and it was far less necessary for her to mention the day to Fernan. As she closed her mouth as she thought so, Fernan wrapped her hands more tightly.

“I remember. Everything.” E verything.”  “… ”  Julia blinked her eyes with her slightly startled face. Meanwhile, Meanwhile, Fernan’s voice continued.   “You were going to tell me your name when we meet again.”  At the sound of his low voice whispering into her ear, Julia’s shoulders flinched slightly. 

“If we meet again someday, I will say my name then.”   Julia lowered her head slightly with a subtle expression. But when they met again, he said he didn’t remember her. 

So, there were times when she wasn’t sure if the boy she met was really Fernan.  Because when they reunited, he was not the man she had imagined and painted, but a heartless person with a layer of ice around him. For sure now, it was this man she met at that time.

 

  She had no intention of attaching any meaning to the events e vents of now and then. But she felt a little strange.

While Julia bowed her head lower, Fernan didn’t speak any more, but only held her hands tightly. And Julia did not shook him off like usual. Instead, she whispered in a quiet voice.

“I want to run a little faster.”  She didn’t want to be engulfed in this feeling that started tickling her heart. If she ran a little faster, perhaps she would be able to forget this feeling. An answer came straight from Fernan.

“Okay.”  Fernan swung the reins lightly. The horse that changed direction d irection soon began to speed up. Julia felt the wind blowing on her face while his arms supported her body stably. The wind was cool, and the body temperature of the man behind her was warm. They ran for a long time like that. However, the trembling feeling never seemed to subside.

 

Chapter 63 The next day, Julia asked Melissa to run an errand. She was going to se send nd her letter once again. This time, it was not a letter to the Holy Land, but to the Temple of Ilion, where Matheus was located. It was also a response to t o firmly grasp her shaking heart.

Julia knew that she was being swayed by Fernan. Seeing Fernan’s changed appearance, without realizing it, she was getting used to it. So now she was really going to make a plan to get out of here. Before the will to escape would completely disappear. Originally, she was going to try to escape by herself somehow by using her remaining power. However, she instinctively felt that her body would not be able to withstand it if she used more of her power. Julia had no intention of harming herself any longer. Because she wanted to live happily for a long time. But it wouldn’t be with Fernan.  Julia leaned against the window sill and looked at the now familiar scenery. Fernan was different from before. It was also true that t hat his warmth shook her heart easily.

But it was only a fleeting warmth.

She couldn’t rely on such things and set foot into the hellish past again. In order to erase the face that had filled up in her mind, Julia stared at the distant plain again. That evening, Melissa, who had sent the letter, lett er, arrived at the villa. Melissa told her that she sent the letter safely to the temple.

“Thank you, Melissa.” 

 

  “Oh, no. If there is anything else you want me to do, please tell me.”  Melissa, who replied in a good manner, avoided her gaze for some reason. She looked a bit worried.

“What happened?”  When Julia tilted her head and asked, Melissa, startled, hurriedly shook her head.

“Oh, nothing is wrong. Don’t worry.”   “You don’t look good.… ”  Melissa tried to raise her lips as if she was okay. However, seeing Julia worrying about her, her face seemed to have become more and more uncomfortable. In fact, when she went to send s end the letter this time, Melissa had come to ask the postman again about what happened to the Holy Land. And of course, the reply came that the place was still in full swing with the demons. ‘Grand Duchess is probably trying to go back there…’   Melissa was belatedly worried that something would happen to Julia if she left without

knowing the truth. Besides, she felt as if she was fooling Julia, so she didn’t feel comfortable all this time. “Your Grace…. Actually, I have something to tell you.”  Melissa also felt that she could not continue to deceive Julia on her own will. Julia had a

right to know, good or bad.

“… Last time, I actually couldn’t send the letter to the Holy Land.”  Julia’s eyes widened at Melissa’s confession. 

“…Why?”  Melissa bit her lip while looking at Julia who asked as ked her blankly and continued her words.

“Actually, Your Grace…In the Holy Land… I heard there’s a war.” 

 

Julia’s face, who had been dazed as if she could not understand the situation, gradually turned pale. “What does that mean ‘war’?”  “I heard from the postman that there’s a war that started last winter. The demons have invaded….”   Melissa, who answered carefully, looked at her complexion, and Julia stiffened for a moment, as if she had received a lot of shock.

“Last winter… … ”  Julia, who muttered in a daze, touched her lips. If it was last winter, it intertwined with the time she came here. At this moment, the things that were on her mind in the past began to come to mind one by one. Her memory of the process that led her here in the first place has completely disappeared.

Even Fernan’s words, which he said she could go anywhere but the Holy Land.  Julia, who had not spoken for a long time while holding her lips, twitched her brows.

She might remember something more, but she couldn’t keep up with her thoughts as her head was pounding. “Your Grace, are you okay?”  Seeing her pale face, Melissa clasped Julia’s arms.  However, Julia did not answer, she only looked into the air blankly. At this moment, Julia could only be sure of one thing. The reason she ca came me here must have

something to do with the war. After removing her hand from her lips, Julia moved her feet. The place she headed was Fernan’s office.  Her mind was jumbled all the way down d own the stairs. ‘Why on earth did he hide from me the fact that the Holy Land was at war? And how did I lose my memory?’   Julia knocked on the office door with her trembling hand. But no words came from the inside.

 

  Turning away, Julia wandered around the villa looking for Fernan. Then at the end, she headed to his bedroom.

With her face turned white, Julia, who was in front of Fernan’s door, raised her hand.   The moment she was about to knock, the door suddenly opened from inside. And Fernan appeared through the wide open door.

“… Julia?”  He looked at her Julia with a slightly surprised face. He never thought she would be standing in front of him like this. His hair was damp, perhaps he just had a bath. Julia hesitated for a moment, then parted her lips.

“Your Highness, I came to ask you something.”  “…What do you want to ask?”   Fernan, who was muttering in the distance, moved aside belatedly. At his gaze as if to ask her to come inside, Julia slowly took a step forward. Click, as the door closed, a familiar scent permeated. It was the smell of winter.

The cool, cold scent that she always felt when she was next to Fernan…  Inconsistent with the situation, the scent calmed her head.

While Julia hesitated, Fernan pulled her a chair. Julia, who sat down, immediately opened her mouth.

“Why… haven’t you told me anything?”  Fernan, who sat across from her, stared at her silently. As if to gauge what she was saying, there was a slight twitch in his golden eyes. Julia spoke in a confused voice.

 

“I heard that the Holy Land is at war.”  “… ”  “Why didn’t you tell me anything?”  At that moment, Fernan’s gaze began to waver slightly. After that, he asked quietly, who had not said anything for a long time. “Did your memories come back?”  “…no.”  Julia still had no memory of it. Because every time she vaguely thought of something, her head felt like it was going to crack.

“However, I can predict that the memories I forgot were war -related.”  “… ”  “So, please tell me what happened.”  Fernan averted his gaze slightly as if struggling with Julia staring straight at him.

In the meantime, he didn’t explain anything to Julia because he did not want to forcibly revive her memory. His luscious lips closed, then slowly opened.

“I hope you don’t remember anything.”  “… why?” 

Fernan often recalled the sight of Julia crying with her ears covered. She also screamed and trembled all night long.

He didn’t want to reveal the traumatic memories. He didn’t know which truth would be more painful for her, but he thought it would be better to let Julia think that she was forced by him to come here.

Now that he was not letting her go anywhere like this, it wasn’t really false to let her thi nk like that. Looking at the silent Fernan, Julia immediately opened her lips and asked another question.

 

  “What about the others? The people in the monastery … ”   Her heart, which had been trying so hard to calm down, began to pound again. Looking at Julia biting her lip anxiously, Fernan gave her an answer belatedly.

“Not everything is safe.”  Julia’s eyes shook.  “… You mean they’re dead?”   Fernan nodded her head slightly at the question. Julia clenched her hands and bit her lips. The people who had been living with her for a year peacefully but she was completely clueless all this time. While enjoying the things that Fernan gave her here, as if it was unavoidable. Looking at Julia, unable to say anything due to shock, Fernan spoke up.

“At least all the children and the lady are safe.”   A light gradually began to permeate her eyes, which were wet by the news.

“Are you serious?”  Fernan looked at her wet eyelashes. As soon as a teardrop fell, he couldn’t hold back and reached out.

“… don’t cry.”  His hard fingers gently wiped the corners of her eyes. At some point, it became difficult for him to see Julia cry. Perhaps it was because he remembered the woman who cried because of him a long time ago.

“…I’ll let you meet them.”  So innocent words came out without him knowing. The truth was he actually didn’t want Julia to meet them.

 

He was afraid that Julia J ulia would meet them and leave him again, but now he was more afraid of her crying than that.

 

Chapter 64 Gabrielle and the children were staying in Richel, one of Fernan’s estates.  In the wagon going there, Julia felt nervous and clasped her hands together. ‘Is everyone staying healthy without any injuries? Maybe the children suffered from the aftermath of the war…’   Many worries filled her mind. The carriage, which had been running for a long time, soon passed the checkpoint. After entering the outskirts of the village, moving a little further, the entrance to the mansion began to be seen from afar. Fernan, who got off first, reached out to her. When she took his hand and stepped outside, a man rushed to them and bowed his head, seemingly the caretaker of the place.

Even before entering the mansion following the caretaker’s guidance guidance,, someone from the inside popped out. “Julia!”  Small children rushed out and clinged to Julia. Excited, Julia bent her knees and made eye level with her children.

“Guys…… ”  For some reason, she felt like she was about to cry, so Julia, who was trying her best to hold back the tears, hugged her children tightly.

“Julia, why are you so late? Are you sick again?”  “No, Julia, I hate it when you get sick.”  The faces of the children, who looked up at her with whimper, were fortunately very healthy. Julia sighed in relief and stroked the hair of the child standing next tto o her.

“No, I’m not hurt. Sorry for coming so late.”  “Julia, are you crying? Your eyes are red.” 

 

  Rosemary, hanging from her arm, reached out and touched her eyes. Julia smiled faintly and hugged Rosemary again. In the midst of unraveling the affair with the children, ch ildren, Gabrielle, who ran out late, said excitedly.

“Oh, I heard that you were coming, but I didn’t expect to be this soon!”  “Gabrielle.”  Julia stood up and took Gabrielle’s hand as she approached. approached. Gabrielle’s eyes were teary as if she was worried a lot. “Are you hurt? Are you all right, huh?”  Gabrielle looked over her body urgently and asked. Julia nodded.

“I’m okay. There are no injuries.”  “Yes, yes. I’m so glad to see you again safely…”  Gabrielle, who wiped the tears with her wrinkled hands, looked behind Julia.

“By the way, the one who came with you a while ago….”   With those words, Julia looked behind her and her eyes widened. Because Fernan was nowhere to be seen. ‘… Did he leave?’  

Julia looked at the empty yard with complicated eyes. Soon after turning her head again, she entered the mansion after a long reunion greeting.

The mansion was bigger than she expected and the inside was very neat, Julia couldn’t help but be a little surprised. “We’ve been treated so well, I don’t know what to do.”  Gabrielle, who was following Julia’s gaze looking around inside, hurriedly added her words.   “The gentleman who came with you was the one who helped us, right?” 

 

  “… Yes, that’s right.”  Julia answered with a complicated face as she finished climbing the stairs. As soon as she entered e ntered the parlor, a servant brought refreshments. Julia, who had been hesitating, slowly opened her mouth.

“Gabrielle, the others… ”  Gabrielle nodded her head slightly as she understood what Julia was asking.

“… Yes, we are the only survivors.”  Gabrielle sighed in silence. Wrinkles were growing on her forehead, perhaps because she had a hard time.

“It turns out that not only our monastery, but the entire village suffered a lot of damage. If it weren’t for the knights who saved us…”   Julia, who had been quietly listening to her words, lowered her gaze slightly.

The knights Gabrielle was talking about were probably referring to Fernan’s knights.  “Julia, are you okay?”  As Gabrielle asked carefully, Julia rubbed her lips with a complicated face.

“Actually, I can’t remember at all what happened after I left the monastery… .”   “Oh my gosh, it seems like you’ve been in a lot of shock.” 

Gabrielle, who patted the back of her hand ha nd with pity, took another deep breath and sighed.

“Yeah, it’s a disaster that it would be better to forget about it. How did such a thing happen to a country blessed by God…?”  Gabrielle , who shook her head as if to shake off the misery, spoke again.

“Oh, I should tell Cedric about you too. He must be very worried right now.”   “Is Cedric safe and sound?”  “Yes, the priests were fortunately protected by the paladins in the central temple.” 

 

  At that moment, Julia, who was relieved, swept her chest. For a long time, they talked about many things. Gabrielle told Julia one by one how she had been doing here. She said that food, clothing, and food were provided abundantly, and members of the clinic visited regularly to take care of the children and Gabrielle’s health.  In particular, the children played with excitement every day, because it was their first time staying at such a large mansion. Julia, who silently listened to Gabrielle, showed a subtle expression as if she did not know what expression to make. Gabrielle noticed her glance at the door and hinted.

“Well, would you like to thank him? He’s my savior, but I haven’t had a chance to see him.”  “Ah… Yes. Okay.”  Julia meekly nodded. Gabrielle said she had to go check on the children and get up first. Julia, who had been contemplating after Gabrielle was gone, belatedly stepped out of the parlor.

“Um, His Highness, where is he?”  Julia carefully asked the servant who was standing at the door. And the servant answered in a polite manner.

His Highness went to the study on the third floor. I will guide you.   Following the leading servant, Julia slowly moved her steps.

Her mind was in disarray the whole time she climbed cl imbed the stairs. Because she didn’t know that Fernan cared for them this much. Since he saved Gabrielle and the children, he must have also saved her and brought her to the villa. All this time, she thought she was forced to go back by him and acted harshly, but when he saw her like that, why didn’t he say a word… 

 

“This is the library.”  In the meantime, the servant who guided Julia to the study bowed and turned around. Standing in front of the door, Julia hesitated for a moment, then turned the doorknob. As she entered, she saw the interior full of bookshelves. Julia looked around and found Fernan standing in front of the window and looking outside.

“Your Highness.”  Fernan turned his head at the quiet call. With his back to the sunlight, he looked at Julia with a gentle gaze. Julia approached him a little closer.

“I….”  Julia, who opened her mouth, could not easily connect the words. She should say thank you, but for some reason it was hard to look at him. Fernan, who was staring at her, opened his mouth first.

“You can stay a few more days if you want.”  With a soft voice, he reached out and caressed Julia’s eyelids as she looked down. As if wiping away the tears like the last time. As soon as he touched her, Julia, who raised her head, made eye contact with him.

For the first time, Julia, who always showed s howed a lot of thorns when looking at him, had her eyes shining like before.

“… thank you.”  Fernan’s lips drew a faint arc at the brief gratitude she barely uttered.   Julia felt her heart pounding. *** After that, Julia stayed in the mansion for three more days.

 

She spent a lot of time playing with the kids, and chatted a lot over refreshments with Gabrielle. It was a peaceful time, as if she had returned to her time at the monastery. On the last day, Gabrielle, who was seeing her off, quietly asked.

“Julia, what do you plan to do in the future?”  Gabrielle said she intended to leave this place as soon as she found a different place to live, saying she couldn’t be indebted too long without paying. 

“I probably won’t be there long either.”  Julia answered in her calm voice. The idea id ea of leaving someday remained unchanged. However, her mind was more confused than before.

“Whatever decision you make, think about your heart first.”  Looking at the complicated-looking woman, Gabrielle said insinuatingly.

For some reason, Gabrielle’s words seemed to be stuck in her ears.   “Yes I will… ”  With a small smile and a nod, Julia soothed the sniffling children. After she hugged each one of them and promised to come back soon, Julia turned around.

“Gabrielle, I’ll write to you as often as I can.” 

Yes, stay healthy. If anything happens, be sure to call me, okay?   Gabrielle hugged Julia tightly as if she couldn’t help it. And Julia hugged her back for a long time.

 

Chapter 65 So after returning to the villa, Julia quietly reviewed her future plans. Originally, she had planned to return to the Holy Land, but it was still at war with demons there. After all, she had nowhere else to go right now.

“What should I do now? Where should I go?”  At the back of the villa, where the stable was, Julia looked at the white horse and thought. As she stared at the horse endlessly with complicated eyes, the horse held out its snout, as if it understood her. Finally, Julia slowly reached out. She patted the white hair, and the horse looked pleasantly pleased. The big horse, which seemed to be three times her size, behaved as if it were a small dog.

Julia suddenly realized that she hadn’t let the horse loose in the stable since the last time she rode with Fernan. Distressed, she undid the ring on the small wooden door and opened it. As if the horse had been waiting, it walked out with ease. With the reins in her hands, Julia walked the horse toward the plains. She thought that the horse would be happier in the open plains than confined in a stable.

“Should I give it a name?”   Julia thought absentmindedly as she looked at the horse that was standing still and grazing.

She didn’t know if it was right to give the horse a name… but she thought it would be nice if

it had a name.

“Laura.”  Julia mumbled, and before she knew it, a long shadow formed behind her. Startled by the shadowy vision, Julia turned around. How long has he been watching her? Fernan approached with a calm manner. With a serious look on her face, she quickly turned her gaze to the horse.

“That’s a nice name.” 

 

  Julia’s ears turned slightly red with the embarrassment of being caught talking to herself.  

But he didn’t even show a hint of a smile, whether he really thought the name was good.   “You didn’t look for it for a while, so I thought you didn’t like it.”   “…Oh, no. I like it.”  To his murmur, Julia quietly replied. In fact, she liked this white horse from the beginning. It was a a mysterious and gentle horse.

She just didn’t look for it because she didn’t want anything from Fernan.  ‘I’ve already received a lot just by spending time here…’   It was Fernan who conclusively helped her and provided her with food, clothing and shelter when she had nowhere else to go. So she was too ashamed to reject h is things now that she didn’t want it. 

“I’ll teach you how to ride.”  Fernan interjected. Then he looked up at her and continued.

“I said I’d teach you often.”   “Yes.”  Julia’s eyes fluttered. Yeah, he definitely said he’d teach her horseback riding.

Actually, she wasn’t entirely without a desire to learn. When she was very young, she had seen her half brother, whose face was now a blur, learning to ride. It brought back memories of her childhood, when she gazed at him through the window and envied him inwardly. Julia bit her lip as she struggled. Eventually, she gave a positive answer.

“Yes, then… Please teach me.”   A quiet light finally drifted into Fernan’s eyes. 

 

He gently held out his hand. Hesitating a little, Julia gently placed her hand in his. Since that day, Julia has learned to horseback riding from him almost every day. She was not accustomed to using her body, so it was difficult for her to improve her skills. Still, Fernan never once rushed her to do so. He supported Julia’s body as soon as she felt fear. When she began to concentrate, he waited for her silently. In the meantime, before long, Julia began to ride the horse slowly.

“Oh, …….”  Julia, who had stopped as she’d been taught, hesitantly grabbed the reins. She was very skilled at straddling a horse and driving it slowly, but she was always blocked by being dismounted. As Julia blinked, staring down the blur, Fernan approached her. Julia hesitated a little and slowly grabbed his shoulders. His large hands wrapped around her waist as he eased her off the horse.

“Thank you.”  Muttering softly, Julia released her grip on his arm. Standing close to him, she was quite used to him by now. Spending time with him like this has become a part of her daily life.

And before she knew it, Julia began to t o think that this time was peaceful and tranquil.

The original plan to get away from here was still in the back of her mind, but Julia couldn’t quite get it out of her mind anymore. Fernan had been teaching her to ride all morning, and she returned to the villa around afternoon. As she entered the bedroom, Melissa held out a letter as if she had been waiting for her return.

“Your Grace, here is a letter from Richel.”  

 

The other day, Julia began exchanging letters with Gabrielle, who was staying in Richel. When Melisa saw Julia receiving the letter, she smiled softly.

“Do you know? Your complexion has been better than before.”  Julia’s face has been sporting a brighter complexion lately. It was different from the first time when she was anxious as if she was going to run away somewhere right away. Turning to look at Melissa, Julia tilted her head.

“…Do I look like that?”   “Yes, you’ve had very little fever lately and you’ve been sleeping very well.”  Melissa added, and Julia lowered her eyelids.

True to Melissa’s words, she hadn’t been feeling sick lately, though she didn’t know why.  Julia, who closed her lips tightly with a trembling heart, soon opened the envelope. While she was reading the letter, Melissa placed the flowers in a vase on the table. Julia read the letter smoothly, and stopped her gaze at the last line of the postscript. [If you have any trouble, contact the temple. Cedric is waiting to hear from you.] Julia looked into the void for a moment with a serious look on her face. She had already sent a letter to the temple as well. At that time, she wrote in the letter that she would contact them again in the near future.

She had hoped to get their help on her way to the Holy Land after she had taken the opportunity to flee.

But now her plans had gone awry and she couldn’t continue any further.  “Look,Your Grace. Spring is really coming to an end already.”  At that moment, Melissa, who was standing by the window, looked back at Julia with an excited expression. Melissa pointed through the window. Julia got up from her seat and walked up to her. The greener forest appeared in her field of vision.

 

  Where the splendor of spring had passed, the signs of summer were gradually approaching.

“…The seasons have already changed three times, haven’t they?”  Julia murmured absentmindedly. She didn’t think that time had passed so quickly.   The first time she came here was in winter, then spring passed, and now summer is here. Julia tried to guess how long she would be able to stay here, a definite answer still eluded her. **** So while facing the end of spring, there was much happening in the Empire. First, there was a conflict with the Geranian Kingdom, with whom they had an alliance agreement. This was due to the fact that the distribution of responsibility between the two countries was not smooth in dealing with the demons who periodically invaded the frontier. The confrontation between the two countries was antagonistic due to the fact that armed force was once used in that process. The other reason was that there was a debate about national marriage in order to overhaul the agreement for the reasons mentioned above. National marriage was usually done on the basis of each country’s royal family or founding merit. Fernan was also at the center ce nter of the discussion. He was also superficially unmarried unmarried because the Grand Duchess was absent.

“Your Highness, can you bring Grand Duchess to the castle now?”  Lloyd cautiously asked Fernan, who was reading the letter. Lloyd was likewise in favor of the national marriage, but as of now there was no chance that Fernan would accept it at all.

He was the one who acted like a lunatic and finally brought Julia here, saying he was looking for his wife who had run away from him. And before they knew it, three months had passed since Julia had stayed here.

So now it was best to inform people of Julia’s return and show them that the Grand Duchess was alive and well. “Only the presence of Grand Duchess would give you a good reason to refuse the national marriage.”  In fact, this national marriage was not a very bad option for Fernan.

 

The Grand Duchy was the northern territory of the Empire. And the Kingdom of Geranian, which bordered the western part of the Empire. If he allied with Geranian kingdom, he could easily check on the capital, the heart of the Empire. The emperor would no longer be able to do anything about Fernan.

Therefore, Fernan’s aides were actively in favor of this national marriage. As a result, his desk is now full of letters from them. Fernan was in the middle of reading each letter in turn when he put it down. He didn’t need to read more because they all contained the same information. Lloyd opened his mouth again.

“It’s been a long time… I’m sure Grand Duchess will accept Your Highness now.”  Fernan made a subtle expression at the words.

Julia certainly didn’t reject him like the first time. She still didn’t smile at him as usual, but it was still different from when she was just gloomy. But Fernan didn’t think Julia accepted him that much. There was still a distance between them. There was no way that solid gap could be crossed no matter how close he got to her. She would feel forced to do her duty and try to run away again.

“I can refuse the national marriage. I don’t need a reason to do so.”  Fernan wasn’t going to bring Julia into his political life just because he needed a reason for his refusal. Right now, he was just content to have her in his sight.

 

Chapter 66 Lloyd, who was paying close attention to Fernan’s calm expression, continued with a sigh.   “… Yes, even if you say you will refuse national marriage. Do you intend to keep the position of Grand Duchess empty? You must also consider the successor issue, Your Highness.”  Of course, Fernan was still young and strong. However, considering his status as a Grand Duke, it was not the time to be complacent. Fernan loosened the collar of his shirt without answering.

Heir. He hadn’t even thought about it. When an unavoidable situation came, it was not bad to bring one of the two from the

outlying side. In the first place, he didn’t put much importance on succession. Lloyd, who was rather impatient as he looked at the peaceful Fernan, spoke again. “At least let the capital know the Grand Duchess is alive…”  “Stop.”  At Lloyd’s endlessly lengthening words, as always, a cold order was issued.   At that moment, Lloyd shut his mouth, but the sadness he couldn’t swallow was reflected on his face. ‘Is this how it is …..Is he really thinking about just hanging around by Grand Duchess’ side without any promises?’  

It wouldn’t be a surprise considering the attitude he’s shown so far…  

Lloyd let out a long, silent sigh with a face half worried and half resigned. ***

At the same time, the Emperor’s anger shook the Imperial Palace.  “So, you still haven’t found the Grand Duke’s residence?” residence?”  “… I’m sorry, Your Majesty. He’s such a thorough person…”  The Emperor clicked his tongue at the k night, night, who couldn’t find where Fernan was living for months.

 

  Unusually, the emperor, who took off his benevolent face, had a face full of anxiety. He had to plant a spy to check Fernan’s castle, because he couldn’t figure out where Fernan was staying. Currently, the Empire was in a state of exchange with the Geranian Kingdom about national marriage. And the national marriage opponent they wanted the most was Fernan.

From the Emperor’s point of view, there was nothing more embarrassing than Fernan’s joining hands with them. Still, Fernan’s prestige was going to break through the sky, but it was self -evident -evident that if he made a connection with another country, a huge blow would come to the imperial forces. “Find him. Is the Grand Duke not in contact with Geranian kingdom, or are there any other clues from his army? You must go through every detail.”  “Yes, Your Majesty.”  The knight commander bowed politely and then turned around. The emperor with his fiery anger ordered the servant to bring water. Since Fernan visited the Imperial Palace a few months ago, the Emperor has been feeling more anxious than before.

No, to be precise, the first period when the emperor’s unrest started was after Fernan came back alive from the war. If he (emperor) had known that Fernan would come back and develop his own power from

the war which he (emperor) sent him to die, d ie, he (emperor) would have dried up the se seeds eds before that.

“Tsk!”  While the emperor wrinkled his brows in annoyance, the servant knocked on the office door.

“Your Majesty, Marquis Elody asks for an audience.”  The Emperor looked at the door, narrowing his eyes. Marquis Elody. It was a name he hadn’t heard in a long time.  

 

It was because it had been half a year since he threw the Marquis away.

He was displeased with the rudeness that came even when he had not been summoned, but the emperor beckoned to let him in first.

“Your Majesty! How have you been?”  When the door opened, the Marquis jumped in and greeted him with courtesy. The emperor, who frowned slightly, soon made a gentle voice.

“Yes, Marquis Elody. Long time no see. How did you come here without communication?”  “Haha, as a loyal subject of Your Majesty, isn’t it natural for me to visit you often?”  The Marquis had a very casual attitude attitud e for a subject that had been abandoned and neglected. The emperor nodded, wondering if his attitude wasn’t too bad. 

The Marquis glanced at the Emperor’s complexion and hurriedly spoke his words.   “Actually, I heard that Your Majesty is monitoring the mo vements of the Grand Duke these days.”  The Marquis, who had been drunk for a while due to the shock of being abandoned by the emperor, only recently came to his senses and began to t o look for new opportunities. Since he was an expert in collecting informat ion, ion, the emperor’s actions were also quickly noticed.

“Your Majesty, please entrust me with this task. The Grand Duke was once my son-in-law. I had already been in and out of his house many times, so I’m used to it now.”  

“Are you talking about yourself?”  The emperor looked at the marquis as if he was not at all certain. Now, to talk about his son-in-law, it was because more than a year had passed since the Grand Duchess disappeared.

From the emperor’s point of view, the Marquis Elody was a handicapped handicapped h and. Even skilled knights struggle to find the Grand Duke’s whereabouts, so what can the marquis do? “Yes, this time I will serve Your Majesty’s deepest wishes.” 

 

  The Marquis quickly spoke to the emperor’s disapproving look on his face.  

“I will find out everything about the Grand Duke and give you a plan to bring him down.”   In the eyes of the Marquis, greed, which had been hidden for a while, was boiling again.

After Julia disappeared, everything everything went awry, but he couldn’t just lose everything like this. So, the Marquis was determined not to shy away from rolling the mud and doing all sorts of dirty things. He has been such a human ever since. The emperor looked carefully at the marquis, then touched his chin.

Well, if it was a discarded card…there was no reason to refuse. Certainly, the Marquis will not hesitate to do anything to return to his position. After a short deliberation, the Emperor granted his permission.

“Yes, I’ll leave it up to you.”  For now, the more power he (emperor) had to destroy d estroy Fernan, the better. *** From the time spring ended and summer began to approach, Fernan helped Julia to freely

enter and exit Richel’s estate.   Richel was his estate anyway, and it was a decision made under the judgment that there would be no danger if only escorting the way to and from it.

So Julia stayed in Richel for three days. The children, who grew up day by day, overflowed with energy even after playing all day. So on the last day in the carriage returning to the villa, Julia fell asleep right away as soon as she put her head on the window. How much time had passed in that state? It was around the ttime ime when Julia woke up while being held in someone’s arms up the stairs.   Julia, who had her head buried in his broad shoulders, raised her gaze slightly. A sharp jawline that appeared above the thick neckline. Familiar and elegant features.

 

Fernan, who was looking straight ahead, was silently climbing the stairs. Julia was quietly hugging him without fussing. Perhaps it was because she got used to holding him whenever she learned how to horseback riding, his arms were familiar to her. Soon they arrived in the bedroom. The door opened and he gently laid her down on her bed. In the meantime, Julia closed her eyes again and buried her fac face e in the soft bedding. She was so tired that she thought she would go back to sleep soon.

Fernan’s shadow, which had fallen on the bed, did not disappear for a long time after that.  With only one layer of mental cord remaining, Julia slowly opened her eyes. And she met those soft golden eyes that looked down at her.

She still wasn’t used to those eyes. A warm and calm gaze, as if looking at something precious. So at this moment, Julia suddenly asked him.

“…Your Highness.”  Fernan blinked slowly as if waiting.

Julia looked at him like that for a moment, Fernan’s cold face suddenly overlapped.  “A long time ago…Why did you hate me?”   A soft voice caused a stir in his calm face in an instant.

Then, staring at him hazyly, she continued.

“Why were you so harsh on me… ?”  Fernan’s hand trembled. trembled. He remained silent for such a long time, his eyelids half lowered and he fell into a brief thought. The cold treatment and contempt for Julia, of course, remained as regrets for him. But as he heard it from her lips, a feeling more than regret came to him. Fernan clenched his hands and slowly raised his eyes.

 

“I did it because I was stupid.”  He took his anger out on her, who did not know anything. Because she was the daughter of the Marquis, because the emperor was behind her. With that thought, he misunderstood her and treated her coldly. But even in the midst of a time when he acted so meanly, he implicitly knew that in fact Julia’s eyes were sincere towards him.   When her clear and transparent eyes touched him, his heart unexpectedly shook. So he had to push further. However, no matter how much he pushed and pushed, Julia continued to squeeze closer to him. It was the first time he had ever felt swayed by someone helplessly. He couldn’t admit that he was being shaken by everything about her. 

So he kept hurting Julia, and eventually made her run away because she couldn’t stand it any longer. “… I know I hurt you, and you won’t forgive me.”  Seeing him muttering in a hoarse voice, Julia slowly lowered her eyelids. At this moment, for the first time, she had that thought. Maybe he had other reasons.

Julia didn’t know much about Fernan during that time either.  His childhood, his family, his life… Nothing. 

So, maybe, he had some circumstances that she didn’t know about. 

“Of course…..”  Julia opened her mouth, but at the same time, her stamina was completely e exhausted xhausted and she fell asleep. Standing alone in the quiet bedroom, Fernan bent one knee to meet her eye level. Unlike Julia, who was sleeping peacefully, deep thoughts lingered on his face for a long time.

 

Chapter 67 Shortly thereafter, the summer sun came up. The smell of fresh grass lingered in the green villa.

“Your Grace, this is Lockman. May I come in?”  In the morning, the attending physician, Lockman, came for a routine check-up. When Julia nodded her head as a sign of permission, Melissa rushed to open the door.

“Good morning. Did you have a good night?”  Lockman’s face as he said hello was warm, as always.  Julia nodded and held out her hand in a familiar way. Soon, Lockman began to check her pulse. Julia stared at Lockman who was concentrating.

Lockman had been her doctor since she was at the Grand Duke’s castle.  Perhaps even before she married Fernan, Lockman had been with him.

“Your pulse is normal. The temperature is also appropriate. appropriate. Your physical strength seems to have improved more than before.”   Lockman closed his wrinkled eyes and smiled. After a moment’s hesitation, Julia quietly opened her mouth. “Lockman, since when did you work as His Highness’ doctor?”  

Lockman’s eyes widened slightly at an unexpected question. question. It was because Julia had never asked him anything. “It has been over twenty years. I’ve been serving His Highness since he was stay ing in the Imperial Palace.”  “I see … ”  Lockman continued, noticing that Julia had something to ask.

“Do you have any questions about His Highness?” 

 

Julia, who was hesitating, meekly nodded.

In fact, she wanted to know about Fernan’s past some time ago. Because she wondered if there was another reason he hated her, unknown to her.

“I want to know what kind of life he has lived.”  All she knew was that Fernan was the emperor’s nephew. nephew.  Even at a young age, he was an excellent knight who managed the battlefield and made a big contribution. Lockman was silent for a moment, as if contemplating how far he could talk.

“It’s hard to say that I know everything, but His Highness….He has lived a lonely life.”   The young Fernan, whom Lockman first saw twenty years ago, was a child who could not cry even if he was hurt and sick. He still vividly remembered what Fernan said before going to war.

“Is there anyone who will be happy if I come back alive?”   He was not pessimistic or sad, he just had a calm face. Lockman continued quietly, erasing the flashbacks.

“He’s not just as impeccable and strong as the world sees him.”  “… ”  “He didn’t even have everything in the first place.” 

That was all Lockman could say. When he stopped speaking, Julia looked at him with a puzzled expression. A lonely person, not completely impeccable, nor just strong.

He doesn’t have everything…  All in all, it was the exact opposite of what Julia thought. Up until now, Julia had thought that Fernan was a man with nothing to fear. He was so noble, it made her look so humble… he was such a man. 

 

  Lockman slowly rose from his seat, staring at her in contemplation for a moment.

“Then, Your Grace. I’ll leave now. If you have any problems with your body, please call me anytime.”  “Oh… Yes, thank you.”  After Lockman politely greeted her, he left the bedroom. Julia, who was left alone, was immersed in thought for a long time. *** The moonlight permeated through the cracks in the window. Early that morning, Julia felt pain and got up. Obviously, Lockman said her condition had improved the previous morning. In fact, her body was fine for a while.

However…she felt strange now. Julia gently touched her forehead with a cold sweat.   The sensation of something boiling in her chest began again. After taking a deep breath for a while, Julia got out of bed. She felt stuffy and wanted to get some cold air, even for a moment. After coming out of the bedroom, she walked along the hallway. When she passed through the middle door leading to the annex, a small terrace appeared.

As she entered the arched entrance without a separate door, she saw an open backyard. Julia sat on the bench there and cooled her body for a while. As she slowly closed her eyes, she could hear someone talking below her.

“… The emperor is strange these days.”  Julia’s eyes opened slightly at the sound of small voices.  “It looks like he sent another person to the border. Not long ago, the defense knights caught those who looked like the emperor’s henchmen… ” 

 

Since the terrace was quite high, their voices could be heard sporadically sporadically.. But it wasn’t to the point where she couldn’t understand.  Julia fully opened her eyes. The people who were talking seemed to be Fernan’s lieutenants.  Perhaps they did not feel her presence, the sound of their conversation continued.

“Besides, it seems that Marquis Elody is again serving as the Emperor’s confidant….”  At the words of her father that came out of their mouths, Julia’s eyes widened.  “Not long ago, he sent someone to the castle to find out His Highness’ whereabouts.”  “It’s not surprising. Just because the Grand Duchess is gone, doesn’t mean the Marquis will stay quiet.”  Emperor. Marquis Elody. Julia didn’t know the circumstances before and after, but she could tell that the nuance of the words was negative. In an instant, her hazy mind was awakened. Julia listened a little more carefully to their conversation.

“It’s obvious. The Emperor must have sent surveillance to prevent the national marriage of His Highness.”  They chatted for a while longer and then entered the doorway. Until the sound of their conversation completely disappeared, Julia sat still, not even breathing. ‘… National marriage.’  

Julia looked back on the conversations the lieutenants had. h ad.

She didn’t know exactly what was going on, but she could predict to some extent.   A national marriage came to Fernan, and to prevent it… It was said that the emperor sent the Marquis to spy on Fernan. Julia’s face hardened as she blankly looked down. In fact, it was not surprising that Fernan was offered a national marriage. It was known throughout the empire that the Grand Duchess was missing, so it was only natural for Fernan to welcome a new wife…  

 

  Julia bit her lips involuntarily, and then she fell into deep thoughts again.

Even if so, why is the emperor trying to stop Fernan’s national marriage? marriage?  Julia realized once again that there was a story about Fernan that she didn’t know.  According to his lieutenants, the emperor seemed hostile to Fernan. Why? He’s the Emperor’s only nephew…  Julia, who was worried with a serious face, narrowed her eyebrows.

“…Ah.”  It was because her heart began to beat violently. Julia, who curled up and endured e ndured the pain, held onto the armrest of the bench tightly. The body, which was hot with heat, soon cooled down. Her body began to tremble, and after a while, Julia, who barely managed to straighten her body, stood up calmly. Her mind was chaotic as many thoughts were pouring out at once.

“Your Grace, what are you thinking?”  Julia did nothing, she was just looking down at the t he table for hours.

Melissa, who didn’t know anything, asked carefully, but Julia didn’t hear anything.  Now, various thoughts were tangled in her head. She thought and pondered for a long time, but there was a limit to what she could infer.

But at least one thing was certain. The relationship between the Emperor and Fernan was not good. Even the fact that her father was caught in the middle.

If she thought about it… It was something she could easily notice. The Marquis used to force her to have Fernan’s child, to the point of obsessiveness. Only then could this marriage be strong. And Fernan was blatantly wary of her from the beginning. ‘… It was because of my family.’  

 

  After all, the reason he didn’t want her to be his wife in the first place was probably because he was literally in an unwanted marriage. In the past, she was in such a hurry to control his heart that she had never thought deeply about his circumstances. In fact, the answer was so easy to come by.

Julia’s hand on the table stiffened. The sudden sense of reality was rushing through her head. Just because she knew the reason didn’t mean she could understand Fernan’s harsh behavior towards her.

However… She knew that because of her disappearance, her father was even more hostile to Fernan. And at this moment, she had no choice but to question it. Still, why was Fernan looking for her? Why did he want her to stay with him now? Was it because he felt sorry and regretted it? ‘Even so…’  

Anyway, she couldn’t return to the Grand Duke’s castle anymore.  Fernan didn’t even tell her to return to the position of Grand Duchess.  Alright, so…. 

Without realizing it, Julia clenched her hands tightly, then slowly released releas ed it. So, in this situation, she was determined what she could do. Leaving here as originally planned. That was the only answer to this situation.

 

Chapter 68 The emperor’s actions were in Fernan’s hands from the beginning.  “Your Highness, we have captured all the spies.”  A border zone knight from the northern part of the Grand Duchy came and a nd reported. Fernan, who was scanning the border defense, put down the documents. Then, he grabbed his sword across the bookshelf and left the barracks. The outskirts of the wilderness where the sunset light sets. Behind the barracks where the garrison was located, a dozen knights were kneeling bound. They were all knights under the Emperor. As Fernan passed, he casually ordered while looking at the faces of the knights.

“Kill them all.”  They were all just dwarfs. If held on to them, they wouldn’t be of any use.  “Ah!”  Those who were cut by the sharp blade fell one by one with a flurry. Eventually, the sword was raised towards the trembling knight at the very end. At that moment, Fernan raised his hand and stopped the execution.

“Gasp.”  The surviving knight gasped and looked up at him. Fernan leaned towards the knight who was shaking like an aspen and met his eyes.

“Go and tell your master. I’m going to refuse the national marriage, so he doesn’t have to mess around anymore.”  It was necessary to keep at least one alive as a warning to the emperor. The knight relentlessly nodded his head at the cold words.

 

When Fernan, who straightened up, nodded, his knights began to clean up the bloodstained ground. A lot of time was delayed. It was late at night when Fernan returned to the villa after completing all border affairs.

As usual, he was going in the direction of Julia’s bedroom, bu t he stopped. It was because he remembered that he was wearing clothes that smelled of blood. Fernan then turned and headed to his bedroom, taking off his clothes one by one. Suddenly, the jacket fell to the floor and someone knocked on the door as he began to unbutton his shirt.

“Come in.”  Even with permission, the door did not open immediately. Meanwhile, Fernan, who took off his shirt completely after undoing the cuff buttons, opened the window. Then the door opened. The sound of footsteps entering the room was somewhat cautious.

Realizing that it wasn’t his lieutenant, Fernan slowly turned his head.   A slender figure entered his gaze.

“Julia?” 

Ah….   Surprised to see Fernan’s naked body, Julia quickly lowered her head.  Fernan strode towards her, who had stopped.

“Why aren’t you sleeping at this hour, what happened?” happened?”  At this time, she was always asleep. He was thinking of going to watch her for a while after changing his clothes and washing his body clean. Julia answered quietly while still keeping her gaze on the ground.

“I have something to tell you… I was waiting for you to come back.” 

 

  She lowered her head, so her face was hard to see. Fernan opened his mouth slowly, keeping his gaze on her forehead.

“I’ll wash up soon, so sit back and relax.”  He was concerned that the smell of fishy blood would offend Julia. After confirming that Julia nodded calmly, Fernan headed to the bathroom. Then, raising her eyes, Julia looked at the back of the overbearing man who entered the bathroom. There was a long wound that ran across the back, which was covered with muscles, under the wide-open shoulders. When she entered the room a little while ago, traces of cruelty were engraved all over his body in the moonlight. She had no idea that he had so many scars on him. It was the first time she had seen his body. When did those wounds occur? Was it during war? For some reason, her heart started to pound. The image of him, whom she had only considered perfect and strong, gradually shifted from within her. Julia stood far away, unable to sit down, and looked down at the floor. After some time passed, Fernan reappeared.

Julia.   A low voice descended. At that t hat moment, Julia raised her head and looked at his body covered by a thin shirt.

Looking at her still standing, Fernan came closer and lightly held her hand. Julia, who was gently led by him, sat down at a table, and he sat down opposite her. Fernan stared intently at her face with a calm gaze as if waiting for her to open her mouth. Hiding the complicated emotions floating in her head, Julia opened her lips.

 

“… Your Highness, do you still want me to be with you?”  She wanted to ask Fernan one last time. Was he willing to let her go? At this moment, Julia hoped that he would say no. Then, they would be able to go their separate ways comfortably. But tearing her wish, Fernan answered without hesitation.

“Yes.”  “… ”  “It’s okay to do nothing. Just, stay by my side.”  Julia held her hand tightly placed on her lap. Now hearing his answer, she couldn’t figure out what he was feeling. It was troublesome and heavy. Julia took a small deep breath and then she looked straight at him.

“What if I said I wanted to leave?”   Her blue eyes shone brightly. Fernan did not avert her gaze, and softly touched his lips.

“… I will send you anywhere.”  After a moment’s hesitation, he said,  “If you want to leave just because you don’t like being by my side, I can’t listen to it.”  

Julia lowered her eyelids with a distant expression for a moment.

As expected, he didn’t seem willing to let her go.   She slightly moistened her dry lips and changed the subject in a brief moment.

“Then send me somewhere else. I feel stuffy here.”  That seemed good. It may be a challenge wherever she went, but at least if it wasn’t this place, it would be easier to leave. The reason why Julia wanted to leave Fernan was very different from the beginning.

 

When she first came here, she thought he dragged her by force, so she tried to run away. After that, when she found out that there was a misunderstanding in her opinion, the truth was a little shaken. He was different from before, and he treated her so well that it was unfamiliar to her. But now, the shaking has completely disappeared. When she saw the deep scar across his back a while ago, Julia felt the weight of the war he had gone through for the first time. Such a distinct pain was engraved on the back of this man who had led the many years of war to great victories. And maybe the painful wounds were only part of what he had been through. Now, Julia was able to fully understand beyond understanding. The reason why he treated her harshly in the past. He could never have seen her as good among those who had tortured and oppressed him. He must have felt repulsed and pushed out. Perhaps it was still the case today.

She wasn’t sure that if she stayed by his side like this, such a situation would not be repeated again. As long as the Marquis was still holding out, her existence would still be a factor that suppressed Fernan. So, breaking up like this was best for both of them. After thinking about it, Julia asked him again.

“Will you listen?” 

Fernan’s eyes gleamed as if examining her sincerity, and then calmly returned.  “Where do you want to go?”   Julia lowered her eyelids and pondered for a moment. Then she soon recalled that one of his estates was a coastal city. It was a long way from this Grand Duchy. There were plenty of ports there, so it might be easier to go somewhere else.

“….the sea.”  “Sea?” 

 

  “Yes, I want to go to a place with a view of the ocean.”   In response to her answer, Fernan, who nodded, spoke without a single thought.

“There is an estate in the west called Seyref. I’ll set up a mansion where you can see the sea.”  It was a gentle permission. Julia tried hard to maintain a calm face a and nd expressed her gratitude.

“Thank you.”  There was nothing more to say, so Julia, who was about to get up, suddenly stopped. And as she pondered for a moment, she lowered her gaze, and then opened her mouth again.

“If I go there… Would you like to go see the ocean together?”  It was meant to reassure him, but it wasn’t just a lie.  She really wanted to walk on the beach with him before she left. Perhaps it would be the last time with him.

At her quiet request, Fernan’s eyes engraved with moonlight flickered slightly.  He looked at Julia’s face as if he was carving it into his eyes, and replied one step later.   “Yes, as much as you want.” 

At that moment, Julia got up from her seat. In the meantime, the night deepened and the room got a little darker. Fernan also got up and accompanied her on the short way back to her bedroom. The sound of footsteps echoing through the quiet hallway continued slowly.

 

Chapter 69 It took several days to prepare for the move. Meanwhile, Julia headed for Richel. In the midst of early summer, Richel estate was full of green e energy. nergy. When the carriage stopped, the children rushed out to the front yard to wait for Julia to come down.

“Julia!”  Soon after she got off, five or six children clung together and hugged her.

Smiling brightly, Julia took her children’s hands and entered her gate.   “Welcome, Julia.”  Gabrielle greeted her with a warm smile as always. Seeing that, Julia quickly felt comfortable as usual.

“Gabrielle, I think I’ll be leaving a little farther away soon.”   When only the two of them were left in the parlor, Julia opened her mouth.

“How far away is it?”  “It’s a long way from here, so I don’t think I’ll stop by here anymore.” 

The territory of Seyref, where Julia decided to stay, was located on the opposite side of the Grand Duchy. Gabrielle opened her eyes wide in surprise, soon asked calmly.

“Did you decide to stay with him?”  “… no.”  As Julia lifted her mouth with a sullen expression, Gabrielle looked at her anxiously.

“After you go there, you plan to go to another place again.”  “Anywhere else… .” 

 

  “It’s a foreign country. I’m going to a place that’s very, very far from the Empire, where he can’t find me no matter how much he searches.” 

This time, she will have to live alone without anyone’s help.  It was a time when she had to stand alone without people who accepted and cared for her unconditionally like when she was living in the Holy Land. Gabrielle asked with a worried face.

“Julia, when the Holy Land is stable, can’t we just go back to the old days? Can you hang in there, then leave with me and the kids, huh?”   “… no. If I go to the Holy Land, I will be captured by that person aga again.” in.”  Fernan already knew she was in Holy Land, so now she couldn’t go there again. 

“Julia, then… Why don’t you go with Cedric? He will definitely go with you.”   At Gabrielle’s suggestion, Julia lowered her gaze as if contemplating, and answered.  “No. Cedric will have to  continue his priesthood… I can’t cause him any more trouble.” t rouble.”  Then Gabrielle immediately shook her head. Cedric was still waiting eagerly for a call from Julia. How much he cared and wished for Julia, Gabrielle was actually aware of.

“If you don’t like it, I can’t help it, but he’ll be happy to follow you.”  

“… ”  “So think about it. It’s because I’m so worried that you’re leaving alone.”  Julia nodded slightly.

“Yes I will.”  She had to meet Cedric once before leaving. At the very least, she should exchange letters. If he offered to help, Julia had no reason to refuse. To escape from Fernan, her strength alone was not enough.

 

If Cedric could use his powers to hide her presence or help her change her appearance for a moment, she couldn’t be m ore grateful.

“Gabrielle….I “Gabrielle… .I really wanted to tell you this.”  Then, with a faint smile on her face, Julia spoke.

“Thank you for caring for f or me like a daughter and treating me with kindness. Gabrielle… you’re like a mother to me.”   Her one year at the small monastery in the Holy Land was the happiest time of Julia’s 20 years of life. At the center of it all was Gabrielle. Even though they were not blood related, she was always a person who gave her infinite affection without a price. Julia hoped that her relationship with Gabrielle would not end like this. She would be able to see her again when she left safely and settled somewhere.

Gabrielle held Julia’s hand with a warm smile as always.  “Julia, you will always be my daughter.”  “… ”  “I want to see you again after you leave. Then we can spend more time together.”  Julia held Gabrielle’s wrinkled hand.  She tried to keep a smile on her face, but somehow she felt like she was about to cry.

*** It was her last day at Richel when she got in touch with Cedric. When Gabrielle sent a letter to the temple, she received a reply within just one day.

[I’m leaving for Seyref. There is a port there, so it will be easy to escape, as Julia said. Come with me.] As Gabrielle said, Cedric did not refuse to follow her..

Even when she fled the Grand Duke’s castle a long time ago, even in the Holy Land, Cedric was always happy to be with her.

 

She decided to contact Cedric again as soon as a departure date was set. So Julia returned to the villa again.

“Your Grace, are you here?”  Melissa approached and spoke to her. Julia lightly nodded her head. The current villa was busy with workers carrying luggage.

“His Highness has been away for a while. He said when he returned, he was going to leave for Seyref in three days.”  “Yes, thank you.”  Three days later, the schedule was faster than expected. Julia went st straight raight to the bedroom and prepared her stationery and her quill. She was ready to deliver the news to Cedric.

“Your Grace, do you have anything to bring with you?”  Julia, who was trying to answer Melissa’s question while writing her letter, paused for a moment. All of a sudden, a feeling of something hot inside rose up.

“Ha….”  Julia, who covered her mouth, then lowered her head. At the same time, red blood flowed out of her hand.

“Your Grace!”  Melissa was startled and ran to her, missing the vase she was holding. The sound of the vase breaking on the floor echoed through the bedroom.

“Your Grace…..Oh no, I need to call the doctor right away… ”  Melissa, who was worried and flustered, took out her handkerchief first.

Meanwhile, the blood dripped down to the hem of Julia’s dress.   Julia hurriedly grabbed Melissa’s hand as she was about to leave the bedroom.  

 

  “No, don’t call…. .”  Julia, who was barely able to open her mouth, shook her head. Melissa’s eyes trembled as she looked at her red lips.

“What are you talking about! You need treatment right now… ”  “It’s okay, don’t call anyone. Please.”  A painful pressure felt as if someone was strangling her throat, but Julia continued to stutter her words.

“Melissa, listen to me. I’m really fine….”  Melissa couldn’t even blink her eyes, as if she didn’t understan understand, d, but soon approached Julia.  “Your Grace, why are you like this? You vomited blood like that, why…”  Julia looked at Melissa, who was about to cry, slowly lowered her trembling hand. She lightly pressed her lips to the back of her hand, struggling to smile.

“It’s incurable. This…it’s not just a sickness.”  “Isn’t it just a heart disease? What the hell is this… ”  As she felt her heart beating like crazy, Julia took a deep breath in. At this point, she felt a vibration that resonated throughout her body to the extent that her heart was about to burst.

“I can’t explain it exactly, but it’s a symptom s ymptom that neither a doctor nor a priest can cure.”  “What… .”  “Melissa, don’t tell anyone what you saw today. Especially…His Highness.”  She barely lifted her eyelids. She had to leave soon, and she didn’t want to get caught up in her condition. Melissa barely blinked her eyes with her dazed face and then bit her lips.

“If you tell him, I’m sure he’ll find a way to cure Your Grace.” 

 

Julia grabbed Melissa again and muttered in a more determined d etermined voice.

“I won’t stay with His Highness for long, Melissa, you know that. So listen to me. Please.”  Melissa noticed that Julia was strangely calm. It seemed like it wasn’t the first time this kind of bleeding was happening. Eventually Melissa turned her body completely towards her, sniffling her nose and bowing her head. After confirming that Melissa had understood what she was saying, Julia took her handkerchief and slowly wiped her lips, soaked in blood. Melissa, who belatedly pulled out her spare handkerchief and wiped both her hands and the hem of Julia’s dress, a crying voice came out at the same time.  

“Are you really, really going to leave? When? You said you were going to Seyref, so you could run away from there… ”   “…Yes.”  Julia, who answered meekly, touched Melissa’s hand.   Stopping, Melissa looked at her with a sniffle. Julia smiled faintly as if to reassure her. It was as if she was saying thank you. Seeing that, Melissa bowed her head deeply with her eyes full of tears.

Thanks to Melissa’s silence, the disturbance that occurred once was organized like that. That evening, Fernan, who had been away, returned and three smooth days passed after that.

The morning scheduled to leave for Seyref, Julia chose the dress that Fernan had bought for her the other day. It was a white frill dress with sapphire in the middle of the neckline. When she came out after dressing d ressing up, the bright sunlight of summer melted her body. Fernan, who was instructing a lieutenant in the front yard, felt a presence and looked back.

“Your Highness.”  In a quiet call, Fernan came straight to her.

 

His eyes touched Julia’s face and looked delicately at her tied hair and dress.   Finally, looking into her eyes again, he opened his mouth quietly.

“We’re going to leave soon.”  Julia, who nodded, made eye contact with him. She was still feeling throbbing all over, but she smiled quietly as if nothing had happened. Thinking that there was not much time left to spend with him, she felt comfortable and uncomfortable. She wanted to treat him well for the rest of the time she had left.

She didn’t want to run away because she didn’t like him like she used to.   After she left, she hoped that he would live a better life than before. May he meet a new person and no longer suffer from someone hostile to him. ‘Like that, both of us. May you live a life that is no longer difficult.’  

For the first time, Julia J ulia looked at him with a sweet smile on her face, Fernan’s eyes also contained a soft light.

Reaching out, Fernan wrapped her soft hand in his. The hand was strong and gentle just the same.

 

Chapter 70 The refreshing coastal city in summer boasted cool scenery just by looking at it. The mansion that Fernan had prepared was located on a high ground that could be se seen en beyond the sea to the horizon. In the distance, several ships were seen going to and from the port. Seyref, which took five days to arrive, was a beautiful land.

“The interior is decorated arbitrarily.” arbitrarily.”  Passing through the colorful entrance door, Fernan spoke. With those words, Julia looked around the interior decorated in bright colors. Decorated statues everywhere and large picture frames hanging in the hallway. Even the elegant tapestry of the dark series was made with attention to detail.

“If you don’t like it, we can redecorate it.”  Julia shook her head and answered.

“I like everything.”  She felt like her heart would be cleared up if she stayed in such an open place.But she shouldn’t be too affectionate. affectionate.  Julia quickly climbed the stairs and looked at the large window hanging on the landing wall. It felt as if the vast sea spread out through t hrough the window opened up to the depths of the

blockage.

“Shall we go to the beach together in the evening?”   Fernan, who came closer to her, asked.

“I’d like that.”  Fernan nodded as if he was satisfied sa tisfied with the gentle answer. Julia stared at him for a moment. His handsome face, which was no different from his usual, was not stained with tiredness, even though she had never seen him sleeping during the entire ride in the wagon.

 

  “Your Highness, aren’t you tired?”  In response to the quiet question, Fernan looked at her clear eyes softly as if it contained the blue sea. Unexpectedly, at this moment, he thought that Julia and this coastal city go together very well. When there was no answer from him, Julia gently grabbed his hand.

“Go to the bedroom.”  Julia, who smiled slightly, led him up the stairs one step at a time. Fernan, who had taken his steps suddenly, was gently led by her. As they entered the long hallway on the third floor, the waiting attendant led them to the assigned bedroom. Julia, who opened his bedroom instead, released her hand.

“I’ll come and call you in i n the evening. Please rest well.”  Seeing how friendly Julia was today, Fernan’s eyes became subtle. As if conflicting whether to rejoice or have doubts. While he hesitated, Julia nodded her head as if she was telling him to go in. Seeing the small smile on the corner of her lips, Fernan eventually moved his feet.

“See you later.”  “…okay.”  Only after Fernan, who answered softly, went inside, Julia turned away. Walking slowly in the wide hallway, Julia took a deep breath.

Her bedroom was a little farther from Fernan’s bedroom. When the large door opened wide, a bedroom decorated with bright colors just like the lobby was revealed. Julia looked around the room for a moment. Each piece of furniture and decorations were placed with great care.

 

She removed the silk canopy and sat down on the bed, her body quickly got tired.

In fact, before she came here, she had already made an appointment with Cedric. The deadline was one week later. She S he agreed to meet him at Lian, the largest port in Seyref.

She didn’t know what would happen, so she didn’t set the exact time.   [I’ll wait forever, forever, so so don’t overdo overdo it and come to me when when you’re sure]  sure]   Cedric said he would stay at an inn near the port and wait for her. When she met him safely, she would take a ferry and leave the empire first. Cedric has said that her ticket and ID would be secured in advance. So, until then, she wanted to do whatever her heart wanted. Julia looked out the window. It was still a hot afternoon. She wanted to walk on the windy sea in the evening. It was around sunset when Julia, who had fallen asleep without realizing it, woke up. Not long after, her temporary assigned maid came to attend to her.

“What kind of evening dress would you like to wear?”  As she followed the maid into the dressing room, a space as large as her bedroom was revealed. Julia looked at the clothes hanging on the hangers with a bewildered face. All of the summer clothes that had been mended to fit her body shape were brand new.

‘When did he prepare all these?’   Having entrusted her body to the hands of her maid, Julia fell into a slightly complicated mood. Because she didn’t know she would be so meticulously equipped equipped..  She wore a dress made of light material, and low-heeled shoes. After that, she left the bedroom to find Fernan as promised, and to her surprise, Fernan was standing in front of the door.

“Your Highness, when did you come?”  “A while ago.” 

 

  Fernan raised his lips slightly as he looked at her. He looked a little different than usual, not in his usual uniform, but in a matching white poet shirt. He was not the overwhelming and cold northern ruler, but a noble young master of a noble family. For the first time he looked like a young man his age. If he had been the heir of an ordinary aristocratic family, he would have looked like this. A handsome, calm, and somewhere cool but daring man.

“Let’s go. Let’s eat first.”  At his calm voice, Julia J ulia erased her brief thoughts and nodded. She didn’t know why, but her heart was pounding. Standing side by side, they slowly made their way through the hallway to the stairs. Eventually, when they arrived at the dining room, the smell of spices unique to the city hit the tip of her nose. Being a coastal city, the meal was mainly seafood.

“Then, have a good meal.”  The waitress, who was carrying the food to the table, politely bowed and turned around.

So the meal time began with a gentle silence. It was the silver spoon that dropped to the floor with a clunking sound that broke the silence that had been going on for a while. Fernan raised his head and asked.

“Are you okay?”  As he looked to see if there were any other problems with Julia’s meal, an innocent voice came out.

“I’m okay. I just accidentally missed it.” 

 

With a small smile, Julia lowered her trembling hand under the table. A cold sweat broke out on her back. The pain that seemed to twist her body started again. Meanwhile, the servant brought out new tableware. As if nothing had happened, Julia started eating again. Fernan, who had been watching her for a while longer, withdrew his attention a ttention as there seemed to be nothing wrong with her. As they left the dining room after finishing their meal, Julia spoke first.

“Your Highness, let’s go see the sea tomorrow.”  Fernan looked down at her quietly. Her complexion was slightly paler than before. Before he could ask anything, Julia hurriedly added.

“I don’t feel well, so I think I should go and rest.”  “Is it very bad?”  Julia shook her head.

“It’s not enough to worry about, I’ll be fine with a little rest.”  There was a hint of concern in Fernan’s gaze, but she pretended not to know and spoke in a calm voice. “Then, I’ll go up first.” 

Julia tried to climb the stairs slowly so as not to look urgent. She felt Fernan’s gaze was watching her, but she did not look back. She went straight to her bedroom, and as soon as she opened the door, she collapsed on the bed.

“ha…”  Grasping her trembling hand tightly, she let out shallow breaths. For some time now, the cycle of pain has been increasing. Her hair was long and messy.

 

  Still, as long as she doesn’t bleed in front of Fernan, it would be fine. Julia put her knees up and buried her head.

She just hoped it wouldn’t get any worse than this.  *** The next day, Julia could not spend time with Fernan as planned. The maid came to wake her up several times, but Julia couldn’t get up.  After sending the maid away using an excuse of tiredness, she continued to sleep.

“How’s Julia….”  Around the afternoon, Fernan, standing in front of her bedroom, asked the maid. The maid bowed her head and reported.

“She’s still sleeping. I tried to wake her up several times, but she seemed very tired….”  Fernan looked silently at the closed door, d oor, and then he turned the d doorknob. oorknob. As he opened the door, a small figure, lying on her back, buried in the bed, caught his eye.

“Julia.”  He had visited her in the morning as well. Julia was sleeping then so he turned around. It was strange that she slept through the afternoon.

Fernan walked closer to her bed and gently stroked her disheveled light hair. Julia, who had not moved, finally flinched her shoulders.

“Are you sick?”  As his quiet voice descended, Julia rustled and slowly rose up. The eyes looking back at him were wet. Her face was even more emaciated than yesterday. Fernan reached out and touched her forehead.

“You have a fever.” 

 

“… it’s okay.”  “Call the doctor.”  Ignoring her answer, Fernan ordered the maid. The maid bowed her head and walked out of the room, and Fernan lowered his hand from her forehead to her cheek. Her face was hot, completely covered by his large hand.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?”   “It doesn’t hurt. It’s just that I’m tired from riding the carriage for too lo long ng yesterday.”  Her voice was shaky as it came out. Fernan looked at her with a piercing gaze, and then slowly removed his hand.

“Julia, even if it’s a small problem, see a doctor first from now on.”   “Okay.”  Julia’s eyes curved faintly as she answered softly. Still, Fernan’s face was stained with concern.