The Cold-Hearted Grand Duke Obsesses Over Me After My Death - Chapter 111

Chapter 111. Night of the Charity Event (3)

Lina looked toward the door. Her gaze was filled with a kind of fear.

“Lina, get me a cup of tea as well,” Emilia said.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Only then did Lina come back to her senses and blink as she answered.

“You must be tired. Forget the tea, just sit down and rest,” Emilia said after observing her pale face.

“Next time Helen will come along, so just work hard today and you don’t have to come to the palace tomorrow.”

“N-No, it’s fine. I’m not tired. I’ll come to the palace tomorrow as well,” Lina replied with a startled expression. The reason she became Emilia’s lady-in-waiting was to stay close to Louid, and she needed to show her face to him as often as possible. She didn’t want to follow Emilia around, but she had to stay by her side to see Louid.

“Then once the charity night event begins, go back. I can go with the knights.”

“Yes, understood.”

Emilia looked at Lina, who answered like a parrot, with a puzzled gaze. She wasn’t the obedient type, and especially now, she clearly looked exhausted, yet she insisted otherwise, which made it even stranger. Lina pretended not to notice Emilia’s gaze and picked up the teapot.

“Oh my, the tea has gone cold. I’ll bring a fresh one.”

“Alright.”

Emilia went to the sofa and sat across from Ian. In the meantime, Lina placed the teapot on the tray and hurried out of the guest room. It felt like Ian’s mocking gaze was following her the whole time.

“Ha….”

Once she stepped into the hallway, she leaned against the wall with one hand and let out a deep sigh.

What should I do? The use of Serot poison was a top secret that no one could ever find out. Now that the Prince of Billiot knew, it could reach someone else’s ears someday.

The prince might not know the full details yet, but if something went wrong, he could spread it, so she had no choice but to follow his orders.

She kept sighing. After a moment, with a frown on her face, she went to the monastery kitchen to get hot water.

Ian, as promised, said nothing. He simply sat across from her and occasionally drank tea.

“Please have some cookies, Your Highness.”

Emilia offered him some snacks with an awkward expression.

“No, you have them, Your Highness.”

Ian replied indifferently and looked out the window. Outside, dusk was already beginning to fall.

Why isn’t Lina coming back?

If Lina were there, the three of them could have tea and snacks together, but she brought the tea and then disappeared somewhere without returning.

I can’t even go look for her….

Being alone with Prince Ian was so uncomfortable she felt like she could die.

‘It wasn’t like this when I was with Louid….’

If the person in front of her were Louid, she would be telling him everything that happened today in detail. Then he would listen well, occasionally responding. But she had no desire at all to talk with the prince in front of her.

That’s strange. Since when did I become comfortable around Louid?

At first, she was so scared of him that she even fainted when she ran into him in the castle lobby, but at some point, she had become comfortable around him.

Is this what it means to be husband and wife?

“Don’t worry. She probably went to the restroom.”

“…Pardon?”

Just as she was thinking about Louid, Ian spoke.

“I mean your lady-in-waiting. She said earlier that her stomach hurt.”

“I see.”

So that’s why she looked pale. Emilia nodded as if she understood.

Ian knew very well that Lina couldn’t come back into the guest room because of him.

‘Foolish.’

Isn’t she basically revealing that she’s the culprit herself? She knew how to scheme, but she was far too careless.

“Your Highness, it’s time to go to the charity night event hall.”

A moment later, Lina came in and spoke. Dark shadows had formed under her eyes, and for some reason, her face looked subdued.

“Alright. But you seem to be in quite a lot of pain.”

At Emilia’s words, Lina’s shoulders flinched stiffly.

“I’ll handle things myself, so go back to the marquess’s residence now. You have a carriage, right?”

“Yes.”

Lina’s escort knight, Jack, and the marquess’s carriage were waiting at the entrance of the monastery’s main gate.

“Then I’ll take my leave. I’ll see you tomorrow, Your Highness.”

Lina gave Emilia a polite bow and turned away.

“Farewell, young lady.”

As she turned, Ian’s voice came from behind. Lina clenched her teeth once, then turned back again.

“Your Highness the Prince, please return safely.”

“Of course. We’ll meet again next time, young lady.”

Once outside the guest room, Lina left the monastery as if fleeing.

***

The charity night event hall had been set up in a hall within a separate building of the monastery. When Emilia arrived at the annex, she entered together with Ian. She wanted to go in alone, but Ian stayed close to her like an escort knight and didn’t leave her side.

“Her Highness the Crown Princess and His Highness Prince Ian of Billiot have arrived.”

As the announcer’s voice rang out, all the nobles in the hall turned to look at the two at once.

“It seems Her Highness the Crown Princess came with Prince Ian.”

“Are the two of them close?”

“There’s no way.”

Most of the nobles gathered at the charity night event were older noblewomen. They clearly remembered the war between the Richert Empire and the Kingdom of Billiot that had taken place eighteen years ago. Because of that, they also knew well that Emilia and Ian were not people who could become close.

“It seems they happened to come together.”

“That must be it.”

“We greet Your Highness the Crown Princess.”

“It’s good to see you.”

Emilia exchanged greetings one by one with the noblewomen. As everyone rushed to greet her, the space in front of her quickly became crowded.

“Your Highness, may we ask you to give a congratulatory speech?”

After the greetings with the noblewomen ended, the abbess approached her and made the request.

A congratulatory speech?

Emilia was momentarily flustered, as she hadn’t expected to be asked to give one. Her blue eyes trembled slightly.

“There’s nothing difficult about it. Just ask them to donate generously.”

Ian leaned close and whispered softly in her ear. It was meant to win her favor, but to Emilia, who was flustered, it sounded very helpful. She quietly thanked him.

After giving a small nod, Emilia decided to give the speech and walked up to the stage with the abbess.

Ian watched her with a satisfied expression.

“Her Highness the Crown Princess will now give a congratulatory speech.”

Following the abbess’s introduction, Emilia stepped up onto the platform alone. The nobles who had been gathered in small groups chatting all turned their attention toward the stage.

“Ahem. Everyone gathered here today at this meaningful event. You are doing a very noble deed. The donations you have given will be used in precious places, and Herr, the goddess of all creation, is aware of it all. The goddess will be pleased with your actions, and wherever you may be, she will always bless and watch over you.”

After clearing her throat once, Emilia began her speech. Once she started speaking, the next words naturally came to mind, and by the end of the speech, her tension eased and a faint smile appeared on her face.

“Wow…!”

When her short yet meaningful speech ended, the people gathered in the hall erupted into enthusiastic cheers and applause. Emilia responded to their cheers with a bright smile. It was her first official duty, and her heart swelled with pride at having completed it without trembling.

Ian also cheered loudly and applauded her. He had spent quite a long time with Emilia today, so he was in an extremely good mood. At least here, she belonged entirely to him. He wanted to hold on to this feeling for a long time.

‘It’s nice not having to see the Crown Prince’s face. Every time I see him, it puts me in a bad mood.’

He didn’t like Louid’s unrealistically handsome face, his tall stature, the overwhelming presence he exuded, and above all, his swordsmanship that had reached the level of a Sword Master.

And what he envied the most was that a woman like Emilia was his wife.

Emilia… if only I could call her by name just once, I’d have no regrets. She was truly a beautiful woman.

He clapped enthusiastically as he looked at Emilia. Under the chandelier light, her face shone pale as she exchanged greetings with the nobles. It was to the point that he couldn’t tell whether she was an angel or a goddess.

Ian unconsciously stepped closer to Emilia as she came down from the platform. He wanted to pretend it was a mistake and try calling her name just once.

“Em—”

“Emilia!”

At that moment, a low, gentle voice called out to her from behind him.