CH 173

[His Grace had not returned after a while so I had guessed the situation.

Still, I am relieved to hear from you that you are all right, my lady. Thank you for thinking of me. Rose, Maslow, and Riesling are all doing well.

Lagrange is leading an unprecedented peace thanks to the Princess, so you don't have to worry too much about us.

With Love, Marilyn]

“.........Is this all?”

“Yes. These are all the letters I’ve brought.”

I folded Marilyn’s letter gently and put it inside my arms at Lancel’s answer while he pouted like a duck.

‘I’m glad to hear they’re all right.’

Marilyn was the biggest reason I wanted to go back to Lagrange in a hurry, but she didn't seem to worry about me as I expected.

‘It’s a bit disappointing.’

Though she must have her hands full with the triplets who were going through puberty, I had expected she would ask me to come back as soon as possible because she missed me. 

‘Perhaps, she’d grown to like the triplets more than me while I was not around.’

Though I was disappointed, I thought maybe I could go back a little slowly since this happened and approached the servants who were working hard to move the luggage into the carriage. 

“Where’s my luggage?”

“Ah, it’s here.” 

At my question, a boy rushed out and gave me my luggage.

“Thank you.”

Holding the shabby luggage of my simple maid life in my arms, I looked around and approached Dietrich and Yuric, who had just left the mansion.

“Why are you bringing your luggage yourself? Leave it to the servants.”

Yuric, who found me before Dietrich, who stood with his back on me, opened his mouth in wonder.

“I want to travel and go back slowly.”

“Travel? Alone?” 

I was facing Yuric, whose blue eyes went round at my words, but I kept sneaking a glance at Dietrich’s countenance as had yet to face me. 

‘He’s definitely going to object.’

In this case, it’s better to take the initiative.

I declared at once, aiming for the moment Dietrich opened his mouth as he turned his head so hard that it made a snapping sound.

“No, with Dietrich.”

Judging from the shape of his mouth, I think he meant to say no, but Dietrich's mouth closed right away at my words.

“What?”

I reached out to Dietrich looking at me with a hardened face next to Yuric, who had become frozen.

“I want to travel.”

“......Are you going to add that we’re all going to go together anyway?”

“No. I want it to be only the two of us.” 

His black eyes, which were always indifferent to whatever I answered, began to shake violently. 

‘Looks like an earthquake is about to take place in his pupils.’

I smiled as I watched his face slowly fill with embarrassment.

“Just the two of us. You and me.”

“…….”

Realizing the fun of breaking his expressionless expression these days, I smiled strangely and added those words.

Then Yuric, who was watching us with a taciturn face, grumpily said, “Why do you want to go on a trip with just the two of you?”

“Huh?”

“It looks like fun so I’ll tag along.”

Bang.

My eyes widened at the loud sound of hitting, not even a whack but a bang-kind of sound. 

‘Yuric’s skull is going to break.’

The moment I worried, the sound of more squeaking and cracking resounded in succession, and eventually, his body fell backward.

Thud.

“Ugh.”

Like it was extremely painful, Yuric curled up with a groaning sound. 

His hands were so fast that my slow eyes did not immediately recognize that Dietrich had hit Yuric.

If Dietrich’s bony fist didn’t stay in the air, I would have thought Yuric had fallen on his own. 

I opened my mouth with a sigh as I watched him crack his fist with fervor.

“......Dietrich, if you keep that up, Yuric will really die.”

“A person doesn’t die with this much.”

“They do, you punk….! I will! You will! Huh?! I will really die, ugh, like this.” 

As if to refute Dietrich's words, Yuric raised his voice in a prone position.

“Then die.”

However, Dietrich dismissed his dissatisfaction with a few words.

────── 〔✿〕──────

“No!”

“Excuse me?”

“You definitely can’t!” 

Hermann raised his voice at my suggestion that I would travel with Dietrich, rather than go straight back to Lagrange or Euclid.

“If you really want to travel with him, then I’ll come with you!”

‘Why is he making a fuss?’

I was a little stunned.

“Is it all right for the Duke to vacate Euclid for that long?”

“Isn’t that the same for the Grand Duke?”

But Lagrange had enough manpower to take over Dietrich's work.

Yuric was in charge of the knights, and Veronica was the one managing the establishment and financial affairs.

‘He quite hates it.’

I was dumbfounded because I thought he wanted to act like a brother now, but I tried to choose my words carefully after confirming that Hermann's aura was dyed with pure worry.

Either way, he didn’t have any bad intentions.

“There's no need for Hermann to worry about Lagrange's situation.”

“But I can't hand over an unmarried young woman into the hands of that warmonger!”

Lagrange and Euclid shared the history of war, so if Dietrich was a warmonger, Hermann was a warmonger too, but he continued to speak like a quacking duck who was ignorant of his own contradictions.

“Do you know what the Grand Duke’s nickname is? A devilish killer, a killer! Because there is not a day when his sword is not stained with blood, even when it’s not in wartime!” 

I had no intentions of being mad at Hermann, but I frowned as the conversation with him was getting longer than I expected. 

“And so?”

“What do you mean?! You don't even have good eyes for men. How can you choose a man like that? If we take out his slick face, isn’t he just ugly?!” 

“I only look at the face.”

Moreover, Dietrich had a good body and plenty of money. 

“Ho!” Hermann gave a loud dry laugh at my answer. He shook his head vigorously and hardened his expression as if trying to convince me again.

‘It’d be better if he stops.’

I clicked inwardly at the black shadow that stretched behind Herman's back.

“Anissa, I will object until the end. Until a knife comes for my throat, the chances of you having the Grand Duke as your husband – hic.” 

Before Herman could finish speaking, a sword that was shining sharply was placed in front of his neck.

I shrugged my shoulders, looking at Hermann, who took a startled breath, and Dietrich, who stood casually with a sword that boasted of anticipation.

“There you go. A knife has come for your throat.” 

“.........Th-Then, not until the dirt comes in—!”

At Hermann's words, Dietrich, holding the sword, bent down and touched the ground.

“D-Duke, what are you doing right now?”

“Didn’t you say it’s not possible until the dirt comes into your eyes?”

Hermann hurriedly closed his eyes, as if foreseeing Dietrich's next move.

“Open your eyes.” 

“……….”

“I said open your eyes.”

At Dietrich’s order, Hermann half-opened his eyes and checked the dirt in his clenched hands then bit his lips.

“Duke, really you! It’s a simple metaphor, a metaphor!” 

────── 〔✿〕──────

“You’re traveling?” 

Dietrich glared at Veronica, who curled her lips while pouting as if finding his stiff expression funny. 

‘Is she going to interfere as well?’

He clenched his hand holding the sword, remembering the people who were trying to interfere with him.

Since he couldn’t just grab anyone and vent his anger out – Anissa wouldn’t like it – he wondered if he could pull the stunt he did earlier when he put Yuric on the ground.

“Hmm.”

Veronica, who was staring at him without answering, slowly moved her red lips.

“Travelling is nice. I want to go, too.”

“Anissa said she wanted to go alone with me.”

“I don’t think Anissa would like Yuric to tag along but it’s different with me.” 

Dietrich frowned at Veronica's declaration but found no words to refute her.

What she said wasn’t wrong after all. Anissa had followed her around ever since they were young.

“But what do I do? I’d have to find someone to entrust the management of the establishment….”

However, Veronica didn’t seem particularly keen on tagging along on her trip.

“What are you up to?”

“Hmmm.” 

Dietrich sighed as he noticed that Veronica was dawdling. 

“Anissa wants a simple trip and you wouldn’t want to go with me.” 

“Oh my. Didn’t I say I’m tired of fancy things?” 

“Stop talking nonsense and tell me what you want.”

Dietrich's voice begins to gradually subside as if he can no longer tolerate Veronica, who lies naturally.

‘Jeez.’

Knowing that the patience that he was struggling to hold in order to hide his dirty temper was reserved solely for Anissa's sake, Veronica hurriedly revealed her purpose.

“I do all the work at the establishment but I think my share is too small. Don’t you have the biggest share?”

Lagrange owned the establishment that Veronica managed, so it was natural that Dietrich, the head of the house, had the largest share.

Dietrich tilted his head at Veronica's argument.

“I’ll double it.”

“Can’t you make it triple?”

She was overly greedy.

If you triple Veronica's share, it will be equal to his share as the head of the household. However, he eventually closed his eyes to Veronica's dark greed.

“Fine.”

His desire to be alone with Anissa was three times greater than Veronica's desire to devour the establishment.