The Cold-Hearted Grand Duke Obsesses Over Me After My Death - Chapter 93

Chapter 93. An Uneasy Feeling

“You don’t need to worry about that. He said he can’t feel pain even when he’s injured.”

“What? Does that even make sense?”

Emilia looked at Louid as if she’d just heard the most absurd thing in the world. How could someone not feel pain? She couldn’t understand it at all. Even she made a fuss saying it hurt terribly when she pricked herself slightly on a thorn while picking flowers in the greenhouse.

“He said it himself.”

Louid replied with a displeased expression. The more he thought about it, the more unpleasant that man seemed.

“Really?”

But in front of me, he was limping and acting like it hurt….

The image of Prince Ian grimacing and limping was still vivid in her mind. He was limping on one leg right up until the moment he got on his horse and left.

Emilia tilted her head slightly, then straightened it again. She didn’t want to talk about Prince Ian anymore.

“Ah, I enjoyed the cake. It was really delicious.”

She changed the subject to the cake.

“That’s good.”

Louid’s sharp expression relaxed in an instant.

“Yes, thank you. But why did you buy the cake?” Emilia asked, her eyes shining.

“…You took care of me when I was sick, so I bought it as thanks. I was grateful for your care.”

Louid paused briefly at her question, then answered as if it were nothing.

“Ah… so that’s why. That’s only what I should do.”

Emilia’s expression turned a little hollow.

She hadn’t expected anything, but as she thought, Louid didn’t like her. He didn’t even want to leave something like a small debt between them.

After that, the two drank tea in silence without exchanging any meaningful conversation.

“What happens during the founding festival?”

“Have you never attended it?”

Louid looked at her in surprise.

“Probably not.”

Emilia shrugged as if she were talking about someone else.

“You must not remember because you were young. There’s a banquet, street festivals, various performances, a hunting competition, a swordsmanship tournament, and horseback events.”

Louid recalled the report that Emilia had never left the Duke’s estate, but he still thought she must have seen the founding festival at least once when she was younger.

“Oh, really? Are you going to participate in the competitions?” Emilia asked, her eyes sparkling. She seemed interested at the mention of competitions.

“I’ll probably participate in a few.”

“I see. Then what should I do?”

“You have to attend the imperial palace banquet. If there’s a performance you want to see, tell me. There are performances we have to attend officially and others we don’t have to, so if there’s something you want to see, I’ll take you. Eddie will tell you the performance schedule later. Just pick from that.”

“Okay,” Emilia said with a satisfied smile.

‘It seems she likes performances. Ah, she liked the play and the music performance last time too.’

Louid recalled how she had cried while watching the music performance. He didn’t feel much even when watching performances, but since Emilia liked them, he wanted to take her.

I should definitely take her to a music performance.

There was supposed to be a performance by a famous opera singer at this year’s founding festival. Emilia would like it if she saw it.

“Then I’ll be going now.”

“Alright.”

Emilia placed the empty teacup on the tray and stood up. As she turned her body, Louid said something unexpected.

“Ah, Emilia, I invited Lady Carrion. She’ll be coming to the manor soon.”

At the mention of Lina, her heart dropped.

“Lady Carrion… why?”

He invited Lady Carrion? Why is Lina coming here?

Emilia looked at Louid with a startled expression.

“I invited her. She saved you, so I thought we should at least have a meal together as thanks.”

“…I see.”

Her voice grew quieter. It made sense to treat a benefactor to a meal, so she couldn’t object. And since the invitation had already been sent, there was nothing she could do.

“She’ll probably stay a few days.”

Louid’s next words surprised her even more.

“A few days?”

“Well. That’s what the young lady roughly said, so I don’t know the exact duration.”

Louid shrugged. That day, the Marquess of Carrion had only said Lina would stay at the manor for a few days and hadn’t specified exactly how long.

‘Why stay for several days? She could just come for a day and leave.’

Emilia’s face tightened.

She wasn’t a welcome guest at all. But it was true that she had saved Emilia’s life, so there was no justification to oppose the visit.

“Alright.”

Hiding her true feelings, Emilia answered calmly and left the office.

‘She gets sensitive whenever Lady Carrion is mentioned.’

Louid vaguely sensed that Emilia didn’t particularly like Lady Carrion. He didn’t know why, but since Lady Carrion had saved her life, he couldn’t refuse the marquess’s request this time.

I shouldn’t invite her again.

He didn’t want to create situations Emilia disliked.

‘Why did I buy the cake?’

Louid recalled Emilia’s words and fell into thought.

Well….

Even he didn’t know why he bought the cake. He just wanted to buy it for her because she ate well.

With a small shrug, he rose from the sofa, went to his desk, and immersed himself in work.

***

Three days later, a luxurious carriage bearing the crest of the Marquess of Carrion passed through the arched gates of the grand ducal manor.

‘So this is the grand ducal manor?’

Lina looked out the window with a curious expression. She’d passed by the manor before, but this was her first time entering it.

The garden filled with flowers and trees was beautiful, and the fountains rising among white marble statues and trimmed shrubs were elegant.

Soon, the carriage stopped in front of the main building, and Lina, dressed lavishly, took the hand of her escort knight Jack and stepped down.

At the manor, the head butler Kevin, who had been informed in advance of the young lady’s visit, stood in the lobby waiting for Lina.

“My lady, welcome. I am Kevin, the head butler of the grand ducal manor.”

Kevin greeted Lina politely as she entered the lobby.

“Nice to meet you, Kevin.”

“His Highness is waiting. I’ll guide you.”

With a light nod and a faint smile, Lina followed Kevin.

“Please wait here for a moment. His Highness will be here shortly,” Kevin said after guiding her to the reception room on the second floor of the main building.

“Alright.”

After Kevin left, Lina slowly looked around the reception room.

‘It’s very spacious.’

The reception room of the grand ducal manor was as large as three or four reception rooms of a marquess’s estate combined. The white walls were adorned with neat gold patterns and beautiful flowers that gave off a pleasant fragrance, and vases filled with colorful flowers were placed throughout the room.

She must like flowers. Or does the Grand Duke?

There wasn’t much known about either the Grand Duke or the Grand Duchess, so she couldn’t tell whose taste it was.

On one wall of the reception room hung an expensive painting. Lina stepped closer to the wall and looked at it.

“Her Highness the Grand Duchess has arrived.”

A servant’s voice sounded, and Emilia entered the reception room. Annoyingly, the Grand Duchess looked even more beautiful and healthy than when Lina had seen her at the grand ducal castle.

“It’s been a while, Your Highness.”

Lina lifted the hem of her dress with both hands and bowed her head in greeting to Emilia.

“Welcome. Young lady. Have a seat.”

The two sat facing each other on the sofa. A servant who came in carrying a tray set tea and refreshments on the table.

“Have you been well in the meantime, Your Highness?” Lina said with a feigned smile.

“Thanks to you, I’ve been well.”

Emilia also wasn’t pleased to see her, but she replied with a formal smile.

“By the way, it seems His Highness the Grand Duke isn’t here.”

If the Grand Duke were inside the manor, the head butler would have guided her to his office first to greet him.

“He’s out, but he’ll be back soon. When His Highness returns, we’ll have dinner together,” Emilia answered with an expression no different from usual.

“Yes, understood, Your Highness.”

“Have some tea. And this is cake made by the head chef.”

“Yes, thank you.”

As Lina began to drink her tea, Emilia took a bite of the cake first. At the taste melting in her mouth, she let out a small exclamation.

Lina watched Emilia eating the cake closely.

‘It seems she likes cake.’

She already knew that Louid had gone to the imperial palace early that morning. She’d hurried to the grand ducal manor to meet the Grand Duchess and figure out her weaknesses before he returned.

Lina also took a bite of the cake. She didn’t particularly like sweets, but the cake from the grand ducal manor was better than she expected.

“It’s really delicious, Your Highness.”

“Mhm, it is. By the way, you must’ve been in danger in Plumond as well, yet you saved me. Thank you. Thanks to you, I lived.”

Emilia expressed her gratitude to Lina.

“It was nothing. I happened to go to watch the divine fire that day, and then a fire suddenly broke out, and there you were, collapsed right in front of me, Your Highness.”

“I see. In any case, thank you.”

For some reason, Emilia found Lina’s words suspicious. That day, even though she tried to put out the fire, it kept growing, and the flames didn’t feel like they were growing by natural force but by something artificial.

And while she hadn’t evacuated because she was trying to put out the fire, it was also suspicious that Lina, who had no special ability, hadn’t evacuated and remained until the end. But she found Lina uncomfortable, so she didn’t press further.

“Your Highness. Is that ring a wedding ring?”

Lina said as she looked at her right hand. On Emilia’s right hand was a worn ring.