Chapter 17

⟨I don’t want to go. I think he’s…… I’m scared. Do I have to go?⟩

Nicole once again recalled memories from a long time ago.

Her husband in her previous life, Raul, was always busy.

He had to manage numerous properties of the family and was also serving in the Knights Templar. It also said he operates a secret organization.

At the time, Nicole didn’t even know exactly what her husband was doing.

Taking care of Nicole, the Grand Duchess, was one of many tasks for such a busy Raul.

He called Nicole out on the second and fourth Friday of every month.

Nicole had to be dressed up by the maids and felt like dying each time.

⟨Don’t say silly things. Do you know how many people envy you to have half an hour to have a cup of tea with him? If you can’t do your job as a Grand Duchess, at least obey.⟩

Nicole complained every time, but the lady, who was Nicole’s chaperone at the time, spoke coldly.

Nicole went to the drawing room as ordered.

‘At that time, I didn’t talk back to him. Because at least my brother, Jay, was still alive at that time…….’

At the time……. Far from being a good couple, they were close to each other yet ignoring each other.

Still, it wasn’t the worst relationship.

Once every two weeks. Exactly an hour long.

Even then, Raul didn’t say much to Nicole.

He just put Nicole in the drawing room for formality and proceeded to read his documents or did his work.

Even so, he was so busy that he couldn’t fill an hour.

⟨Y, You’re busy.⟩

Nicole finally plucked up the courage and spoke one day.

⟨I know I don’t have time to waste on me. And I…… I, it’s uncomfortable. So in two weeks, we don’t need to have a meeting like this. I’m good as it is.… The conversation…….⟩

She had barely plucked up her courage thinking that she might be beaten. Then Raul stared at Nicole properly.

He had sharp eyes. Nicole was frozen stiff.

⟨It’s uncomfortable⟩

⟨…….⟩

⟨I do this to show others that we get along well, yet it seems like whenever I meet my wife, I become insignificant. Who told you to say that?⟩

He rose slowly from his seat. Nicole looked away.

In fact, she still hated him then. Of course, how can she love a man who may have been the cause of her father’s suicide?

⟨No one asked me to say it.⟩

Raul was silent. An uncomfortable silence hung between the two. Nicole rose from her seat restlessly.

Turning her back, she tried to calm her chest.

Raul followed and got up. As it happens, Nicole was standing in front of the fireplace. Raul’s eyes stared at something on the fireplace.

Nicole followed his gaze.

⟨Is this a music box?⟩

Nicole suddenly asked a question.

After becoming the Grand Duchess, she received new dresses, jewelry, and cosmetics. She was given the things she wanted since she was young.

However, if a grown-up Grand Duchess wants to have curtain decorations with silk dolls, music box, or small doll decorations, she will be treated as a psychopath.

‘When I was young, my dream was to have a doll or a music box.’

She was a little curious about the music box that she only saw in a book.

It may be because there is nothing else to do except die of exhaustion in this situation.

⟨Take it.⟩

He beckoned his gloved hand. Nicole reluctantly did as she was told.

He leaned down. He was so tall that his shadow fell over Nicole’s eyelashes.

⟨Open it.⟩

Nicole did as she was told. There were only a few small ceramic switches in the music box.

Do you want to hear the sound?⟩

⟨……Yes.⟩

Nicole spoke quietly.

He leaned down. Slowly moved the switch in some order.

The switch looked like a flower. It was the order of red, blue, and purple flowers.

There was a slow click, and a small ceramic doll rose from the music box.

Soon, the doll slowly spun and danced. A sound came from the music box.

It sounded as clear and pretty as she read in the book. Nicole closed her eyes for a moment and savored the sound.

⟨It smells like jasmine.⟩

Nicole said.

⟨No, is it a sandalwood?⟩

Nicole smelled it. And she was surprised. Before she knew it, he was close.

⟨Both are wrong. There’s no scent.⟩

At that moment, Nicole felt ashamed. The smell she smelled was from his body.

Embarrassed, she got goosebumps.

Nicole turned her back and ran away. It wasn’t until later that she realized that the music box was someone’s relic.

‘Is it Raul’s precious belongings? There’s someone like that with that cold-blooded person? Is it his dead mother’s?’

When was that day? Yes, it was around this time.

Perhaps, it was around July. It was a particularly cool summer.

Nicole hated Raul throughout their marriage. But sometimes there was a scene that came to mind like a cool summer.

His sculptural profile focused on the music box.

꧁꧂

It was a flash of memory. It was close to an accident. Nicole almost dropped the music box.

‘Is this the same thing?’

She opened the music box. Obviously, as she saw in her last life, there were switches of red, blue, and purple flowers.

‘Was it in this order?’

Nicole pressed the switch in order.

The music box snapped open. And a clear tone came out. It was definitely the same melody as then.

“How do you know that?”

Nicole wanted to ask. What Grace has to do with Raul.

‘The fact that this music box is in Grace’s hands right now…….’

Obviously, this music box was a relic to Raul. If so…

It was then. Cringg criiing.

From a distance, she could hear the sound of carriages and people’s footsteps.

“Oh, my God. I’m in trouble. It’s not even an inspection day.”

“What?”

But Grace quickly walked into the house, clutching Nicole’s wrist. Nicole was almost taken away by accident.

“Who are those people?”

But Grace began to walk faster instead of answering.

Bang bang.

There was a knock on the door. The sound sounded ominous to Nicole.

“Isabel says you run away in debt and live in hiding, right?”

Nicole nodded quickly. That was also what their parents taught them.

In case of an emergency, they told her to say that they went bankrupt due to debt and lived in the mountains.

“I had a high position in the capital. I know a lot of secrets from the royal family and the state, so I am regularly monitored wherever I go. So the people out there…….”

It is highly likely that they are members of the Imperial family. Nicole’s back hair stood up.

“Don’t worry, they’ll leave in no time. If something goes wrong…….”

Grace looked back at the stuffed animal in the living room. And then she opened the warehouse space under the stairs.

“There are hidden stairs inside this warehouse. So hide yourself here and run away through the back door through the stairs when I signal you.”

Grace’s gray eyes looked cold, as if she had been through all the hardships of life.

The door closed before Nicole’s eyes.

Soon a group of people came into the house.

Nicole hurried into the warehouse under the stairs.

Bang, Grace closed the door.

‘It’s dark…’

Fortunately, there was a gap in the door. A faint light came in beyond.

Grace seemed to have piled up a lot of tea in the space under the stairs. Nicole’s head went numb with various scents.

‘There’s a staircase inside?’

Houses that made hidden secret stairs were common because nobles hated to see employees go up and down.

It was just a style of architecture that was popular a long time ago.

When she lived in the Grand Duke’s mansion in her last life, she found out about it because she saw something like it close to the corridor for employees for security.

‘There’s a lot of stuff piled up, so if I move it wrong, it’ll make a sound.’

Nicole held her breath.

Soon there was a loud sound of footsteps. It was all the sound of the knights’ boots.

The stairs were attached to the wall at the end of the living room, so the side of the stairs faced the porch.

The space under the old wooden stairs was punctuated in the middle.

Nicole put her face there and peeped slowly at the situation.

The first thing that caught her eye was the men in black. All were dressed in uniforms with a high collar and gold collar decoration.

‘That clothing, it’s familiar to me.’

Nicole’s eyes got bigger. Soon, through the open front door, there was a knock.

Someone walked in slowly. There was a medal on his chest. Some of them were familiar to Nicole.

‘No way…….’

Nicole’s heart began to beat wildly.

The tip of her nose was exposed as if she was jumping through a crack in the door.

The atmosphere seemed to change for a moment when he entered the room. The tense atmosphere even chilled Nicole, who was watching.

‘That can’t be—’

It was a person whom she thought of several times after going back on time.

“Long time no see, Grace. No, shall I call you Master, as before?”

He spoke in a low voice. It was a familiar voice.

“Raul.”

Nicole closed her eyes. Her hands were trembling.

‘Why is he here?’

♥♥♥

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