The Cold-Hearted Grand Duke Obsesses Over Me After My Death - Chapter 105

Chapter 105. The Reason I Have to Leave (2)

As the carriage came to a stop, Louid opened the door himself. Jamie and Deo saluted him, but his gaze was fixed only on the inside of the carriage.

“Louid?”

When he held out his hand toward her, Emilia looked at him in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to come out to meet her.

“You’re late.”

“Yes, it was raining, so I told them to go slowly.”

She had stopped the carriage along the way and had the coachman and the knights put on thick robes. Then she instructed them to proceed slowly to avoid any accidents.

“Good. You did well.”

Holding his hand, Emilia stepped down from the carriage, thanked the coachman and the knights for their effort, and went into the lobby. Louid didn’t let go of her hand the entire time.

“Let’s go eat together.”

“Yes. But you haven’t eaten yet?” Emilia asked with a surprised expression.

She wasn’t hungry since she had eaten various foods at the tea party, but Louid should’ve been hungry, so she found it strange that he hadn’t eaten yet.

“I’m not that hungry.”

When she stared at him, Louid shrugged as if making an excuse.

“…Alright.”

After washing up briefly and changing clothes in the bedroom, Emilia went to the dining room. But her expression wasn’t bright.

It was an ordinary meal like any other day, but Louid suddenly realized how much he had been waiting for this time.

“How was the tea party?”

“It was fun.”

“…?”

Louid, who had been cutting his steak, glanced at Emilia.

Normally, she would chatter on about what happened at the tea party, but for some reason she was quiet. Throughout the meal, Louid occasionally checked her expression, but he couldn’t understand why he felt such a sense of unease today.

“I’ll go to the bedroom early today.”

Even after leaving the palace, he usually worked late in his office at the manor, so saying he would come early meant he intended to share a night together.

“I’m tired today,” Emilia said, avoiding his gaze.

“Alright, then go to bed first.”

“Yes.”

So she’s tired. Louid felt a bit uneasy, but he assumed that was why Emilia seemed down.

***

The next day, a noble council was held at the imperial palace. It was an important meeting attended by both the Emperor and Louid.

“Today’s main agenda concerns the appointment of His Highness the Grand Duke of Richert as Crown Prince. Many nobles expect the ceremony to be held after the founding festival.”

Malren, the aide following behind Duke Berthe as he walked toward the conference hall, reported.

“I see.”

Even at the news of Louid’s appointment as Crown Prince, the duke’s expression didn’t ease.

Ever since the Emperor had mentioned adoption at the last imperial banquet, the duke had been seething with frustration over Damian, who had nearly become the Emperor’s adopted son. He was also regretting having married Emilia to Louid.

‘Should I have them divorce?’

At the sudden thought, the duke quickly shook his head.

Even if Emilia and the Grand Duke divorced, the Emperor wouldn’t take a woman who had been his brother’s wife as an adopted daughter. He had even considered passing off a fake as Damian and presenting him as the Emperor’s adopted son, but as someone who valued bloodlines, he found that option distasteful.

“…?”

Just before entering the conference hall, the duke suddenly stopped in his tracks. It felt like he had just seen a man who resembled Emilia.

The duke sharply turned his head to the right. A handsome man who looked almost androgynous stood a short distance away from the entrance of the hall.

“Who is that?”

“He’s Count Asher Dalton’s aide.” Malren answered.

“What’s his name?”

“I heard it’s Lucian.”

“Hmm….”

After looking at Damian once more, the duke stopped asking further questions and entered the conference hall.

“Who is that gentleman?”

Damian was also asking Leon, another of Asher’s aides, about the duke. The elderly man entering the conference hall didn’t feel unfamiliar to him.

“That’s Duke Berthe. He’s His Majesty’s maternal uncle.”

Duke Berthe? Then that’s my grandfather?

Damian’s eyes wavered.

“Ah, and he’s also Her Highness the Grand Duchess’s grandfather.”

“…What? What did you just say?”

He couldn’t believe what he had just heard and asked again.

“You didn’t know? Her Highness the Grand Duchess’s maiden name was Berthe. She’s Duke Berthe’s only granddaughter.”

“I don’t really know much about the nobles.”

Damian answered absentmindedly. But his eyes weren’t smiling at all. More than the fact that the elderly man who had just passed in front of him was Duke Berthe, he was far more shocked by the fact that Emilia was the duke’s granddaughter.

Then does that make the Grand Duchess and me siblings?

We have the same age and birthday, so how could we be siblings?

Around his neck hung a small pendant necklace that Simon had put into his bag when he escaped. He couldn’t open it here, but he had memorized the image inside it.

A child with a face resembling his own, with light blue eyes and platinum blond hair.

Emilia. This child is Emilia.

“Lucian.”

As Damian staggered with a pale face, Leon supported him.

“I-I’m fine.”

“You don’t look well. I’ll inform the count, so go rest at the annex.”

“…Yes, understood.”

In truth, it wouldn’t be good to catch Duke Berthe’s attention. It would be dangerous instead.

In the end, Damian decided to rest in the aide’s room next to Count Asher’s office in the annex.

***

As the meeting was nearing its end, the Emperor spoke, “I appoint Grand Duke Louid Richert as Crown Prince. The investiture ceremony will be held before the founding festival begins.”

At the Emperor’s command, the nobles looked at one another in shock. They all knew Louid would become Crown Prince, but they had expected the ceremony to take place after the founding festival.

“Congratulations, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

After the meeting ended, Louid received congratulations from the nobles who had attended. Asher also approached him and offered his congratulations.

“Thank you.”

Louid’s heart was beating rapidly. He now had a reason to ask Emilia to delay the divorce. Once she became Crown Princess, she would receive far more attention than now, and she wouldn’t want to divorce while under such scrutiny.

That afternoon, Emilia sat by the window where warm sunlight streamed in, making clothes. It was a gift for Louid’s upcoming birthday, a formal outfit he could wear at a banquet. She had designed it herself and was sewing it by hand. Since she worked on it in between drawing, it had taken quite a while, but it was nearly complete.

Ever since the day she returned from the tea party, she had been in deep thought.

Duke Berthe committed such a terrible act against Louid. Is it right for a child born from me to become the heir?

Louid would hate anything with Berthe’s bloodline.

‘I don’t deserve to stay by his side. I should just leave.’

The divorce can happen later.

No matter how much she thought about it, it seemed right to leave him before she became pregnant. A child with Berthe’s blood must not become the heir. Even if she did have a child, could Louid truly love that child from the bottom of his heart? It felt like something that would only hurt both of them.

If I step aside, things will work out between him and Lina.

‘Him and Lina….’

And in that moment, an image flashed through her mind of Louid smiling as he looked at Lina. A sudden pain struck one side of her chest, and she pressed a hand against it.

Why does my chest hurt?

Just imagining him smiling at another woman made her chest ache and throb.

But it couldn’t be helped. Leaving, stepping away, was the way for her to atone to Louid.

‘I should prepare to leave.’

I’ll hide where he can’t find me.

At that time, Louid stepped out of the carriage and strode up the stairs.

Climbing to the third floor at a fast pace, he opened the door to Emilia’s bedroom and entered forcefully. His footsteps echoed loudly.

“You’re back?”

Emilia, who had been lost in thought until then, quickly hid the clothes she had been making. Then she pretended she had been drawing.

“Emilia, you’re going to become Crown Princess soon,” Louid said with a bright expression. For someone who was usually expressionless, such a bright look meant he was truly happy.

“…What?”

Emilia’s eyes trembled. If she became Crown Princess, it meant Louid would become Crown Prince.

So soon?

She’s expected he would become Crown Prince, but thought the investiture would happen after the founding festival.

Then I can’t leave.

“When will the investiture ceremony be held?” Emilia swallowed once and asked.

“In fifteen days.”

“Ah.”

Her mouth fell open.

If someone about to become Crown Princess disappeared, it would become the talk of the town.

What if His Majesty became angry and Louid’s appointment as Crown Prince was canceled?

No.

That must never happen. As Grand Duchess, she had said she would cooperate with him as much as possible, and she had planned to leave because of what Duke Berthe had done, but she couldn’t become an obstacle to his appointment as Crown Prince.

“I understand.”

In the end, Emilia had no choice but to delay her departure.

“Congratulations, Louid.”

With a forced smile, Emilia offered her congratulations.

“Thank you. Let’s have dinner together tonight,” Louid said as he stepped right up in front of her. His ruby-like red eyes were shining brightly.

“Yes.”