The Cold-Hearted Grand Duke Obsesses Over Me After My Death - Chapter 141

Chapter 141. Revenge (1)

“Damian!”

“Emilia!”

After hardships, the two who finally met clasped both hands and smiled brightly.

Emilia was doing better than he had expected. Her complexion, which used to look sickly, had improved, and there was flesh on her cheeks. Damian let out a sigh of relief inwardly. He thought Emilia wouldn’t be too concerned about the situation in the capital. So he didn’t bring up the imperial palace first.

That evening, the two shared a modest dinner together. It was the first time they sat comfortably facing each other and had a meal.

“I’m not very good at cooking, but I tried my best.”

Emilia placed the meat stew and bread she made herself on the table.

“Thank you, let’s eat.”

“Okay, eat a lot.”

Despite her words, she barely ate the stew and instead watched him eat.

“Mm, this is excellent. It’s my first time having such a delicious meal.”

Damian exclaimed repeatedly, waving one hand with exaggerated gestures. He had eaten with Martin and at Count Dalton’s estate, but this was the first time he had a meal this warm and homely.

More than the taste of the food, the joy of being with family made his appetite grow. When he scraped his stew plate clean, Emilia refilled his bowl. Even though she thought he was doing it on purpose to make her happy, she felt pleased seeing him eat well.

“Was it hard while you were alone?” Damian asked, patting his full stomach.

“No, thanks to Evan, I lived comfortably. The vineyard is beautiful, there’s the sea nearby, and the scenery is nice, so I like everything. It’s all thanks to you,” Emilia answered with a happy expression.

“I didn’t do anything. It was all bought with your money.”

“You’re the one who worked hard. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve died in prison,” Emilia said bitterly.

Damian looked at her quietly for a while. She was stronger than she looked. She came here alone, and even after going from Crown Princess to a commoner overnight, she didn’t seem to mind at all.

“Now forget the past and focus on recovering your health. There’ll be a lot to do when spring comes,” he said with a smile.

“Okay, I will.”

To manage the wide vineyard, they needed more workers, but it was unfortunate they couldn’t hire servants due to security reasons. It would be nice to find someone tight-lipped like Evan, but it wasn’t easy to hire workers in a rural farm unlike a noble estate.

“Since we can’t hire people, the two of us will have to farm together,” Damian said again in a warning tone.

“Don’t worry. When have we ever lived comfortably?”

Emilia shrugged. Except for the time she spent with Louid, it could be said she had never lived comfortably. The same went for Damian.

“That’s true.”

The two looked at each other and smiled with their eyes at the same time. Their expressions looked so alike, as if looking into a mirror, that it made them laugh even more. They continued talking, reminiscing about the time they spent in the tower.

“Where do you think Simon is?”

“I’m not sure…. After helping me escape, it seems Simon took leave as well. They said his health wasn’t good. But that was probably an excuse, and I don’t know where he went.”

Damian’s face darkened. He had been trying to find Simon in his own way, but there were no results yet.

“It would be nice if we could find him and live together.”

“Yeah.

“But… how is His Majesty the Emperor doing?” Emilia asked, watching his expression. It was the question she wanted to ask the moment she saw Damian.

“He’s doing well.”

Damian did not go into detail about Louid. He himself only knew that Louid had gone to Peric, and did not know what the Emperor was thinking. And he did not want Emilia to get entangled in political strife again.

He thought that if Duke Berthe had left Emilia in the tower, then someday, after learning of his sister’s existence, he might have been able to take her and escape the ducal estate.

If he had persuaded Simon and staged both of their deaths, then lived in the countryside under false identities like now, in a place the duke could not find, Emilia would not have been imprisoned and put in danger of losing her life.

‘His Majesty will be alright.’

He thought that even if Louid was shocked by Emilia’s death, he would eventually regain stability.

The village of Domer, where the vineyard was located, had the advantage of not knowing outside rumors, but that was also its drawback. As time passed, Emilia would stop taking interest in the imperial palace. No, she would feel free, as if she had grown wings.

“…Are you alright?”

But for some reason, her expression was not bright. He thought it was because Emilia resented Louid, who had imprisoned her. That would be understandable. Only time could dilute such resentment. In the end, time would resolve everything.

“Right. Let’s have a drink. It’s a happy day.”

Damian changed the subject and reached to pour wine into her glass.

“I won’t drink.”

“Why? You liked wine.”

He looked at Emilia in surprise.

He could still vividly remember her asking to be taught how to make wine at Count Dalton’s estate. She really liked wine back then, so he found it strange that she refused. In fact, today she had only watched him eat with a pleased expression and had not eaten much herself.

“I have a reason I shouldn’t drink.”

A smile spread across Emilia’s previously dim face.

“You… could it be?”

Damian’s eyes widened.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I’m going to have a niece or nephew?”

“Yes. You saved both me and the child.”

“That’s a relief. I’m glad it worked. If it hadn’t… ha….”

Damian covered his face with one hand as his nose stung. Thinking about what would have happened if the escape had failed made him dizzy.

“It worked.”

Emilia reached out to him and gently held his hand, comforting him.

“Thank you for enduring.”

Even the few days he spent in Peric prison had been difficult to endure as a man. He was grateful and proud that Emilia, who was physically weak, had endured it.

“Right, when the baby is born, you’ll be the godfather, right?”

“Of course. For now, just focus on delivering the baby safely. I’ll take care of everything else.”

“Okay.”

The two looked at each other with moist eyes and talked late into the night, planning their future life.

After finishing the cleanup, Emilia went up to the second-floor embankment and stood by the window, looking at the star-filled night sky.

“Beautiful.”

Those same stars she once looked at with Louid would still be in the sky.

‘It seems he’s doing alright. That’s a relief.’

Even though she had gained complete freedom, her expression was dark.

***

Meanwhile, the next day at the imperial palace, the priests summoned by Louid wore troubled expressions at the Emperor’s command.

“Even for a god, bringing back the dead is a difficult thing, Your Majesty.”

“Emilia is not dead. Haven’t you always preached that Goddess Herr can do anything?”

The enraged Emperor did not accept their words.

“Th-that may be true, but….”

“From now on, continue the prayer vigil. Then the former Crown Princess will come back to life. If the former Crown Princess returns alive, I will donate a large sum to the temple.”

“Yes, understood, Your Majesty.”

After the priests left, Louid headed to the Crown Prince’s palace. Meetings with ministers were held every morning in the main palace, but it had been a long time since he attended.

“I will bring Emilia back to life no matter what.”

His mind was filled only with Emilia.

“Why are you trying to run away?”

“Because I have to marry someone I don’t know.”

“Ha….”

A deep sigh escaped his lips as he recalled his first meeting with Emilia. The image of her smiling brightly at him came to mind, and it felt like he would go mad. Or perhaps he was already mad and didn’t even realize it.

Just as she said when they first met, Emilia had run away. And she had gone somewhere he could never find.

“She really left. She went far away. Now I can’t even go save her.”

He muttered with a face full of grief as he walked through the garden behind the Crown Prince’s palace.

***

At that time, Asher was presiding over a meeting of ministers. The seat where the Emperor should have been sitting was empty.

“How is His Majesty?”

The ministers gathered in the meeting room asked him.

“His Majesty will soon return to state affairs.”

He repeated the usual excuse with an expressionless face. But now it was time to advise the Emperor to return to his duties.

After finishing the meeting with the ministers, Asher headed not to the Emperor’s office but to the Crown Prince’s palace. It was because the Emperor, who should receive the report of the meeting results, was not in his office.

When he arrived at the garden behind the Crown Prince’s palace, he approached Louid, who was standing in front of the wall. Then he gently patted the shoulder of his friend, who did not even turn around.

“Let her go now. Her Highness would want that too.”

“….”

But the Emperor gave no reply. Louid remained silent until Asher turned and left the Crown Prince’s palace.

***

That evening. After returning to the main palace, Louid gave an order to Adam.

“Prepare the funeral for the former Crown Princess. Keep the number of attendees to a minimum.”

“Yes, understood, Your Majesty.”

Adam, who had been worried day and night that something might go wrong, felt relieved, thinking the Emperor had finally come back to his senses.