The Cold-Hearted Grand Duke Obsesses Over Me After My Death - Chapter 98

Chapter 98. Someone I’ll Divorce, But (3)

“S-save me…!”

Lina waited for Emilia, who had fallen into the river, to sink beneath the water.

Emilia flailed her arms to survive, but the more she struggled, the deeper she sank.

Just a little longer.

Emilia was gradually losing consciousness. Before long, she would sink completely to the riverbed. Lina smiled in satisfaction.

Splash.

At that moment, a sound of water rang out, and a tall man dove into the river. It looked as if a moving sculpture had plunged into the water. In an instant, the man disappeared beneath the surface, then reappeared holding Emilia, who had been sinking.

“Your Highness the Grand Duke…?”

Lina murmured blankly as she watched. Her gaze remained fixed on Louid as he carried Emilia out of the river.

“Emilia?”

Louid kept calling her name as he carefully laid her down on the grass. Emilia’s face was pale, and her eyes were tightly shut. Louid parted her lips and calmly breathed air into her. But his fingertips trembled slightly.

“Your Highness, what happened?”

Not long after, Jamie arrived at the riverbank. Louid continued giving Emilia breaths and pointed toward the river with his finger.

Where he pointed, there was a branch hanging over the water, and the marquess’s daughter was clinging to one of its limbs.

Jamie immediately jumped into the water and rescued Lina.

“Lady Carrion, are you hurt anywhere?”

“Rather than me, I’m worried about Her Highness,” Lina said, shivering. Other than being cold from staying in the water, she was unharmed.

“My lady!”

“Your Highness!”

At that moment, Jack and Deo returned. The two knights, excluding Jack, ran to Emilia. Until then, Louid had continued first aid.

“Hah, I shouldn’t have left my post.”

“No, it’s my fault.”

The two knights were at a loss as they looked at Emilia, who still hadn’t regained consciousness.

“Deo, go call the physician.”

“Alright.”

Jamie ordered Deo to bring the physician. Mounting his horse, Deo rode quickly toward the grand ducal manor.

The sunset that had dyed the sky red faded, and the surroundings grew dim. Louid didn’t stop and continued breathing air into Emilia. At last, her eyelids trembled faintly.

“Emilia, are you awake? Emilia.”

Louid shook her shoulders firmly.

“Cough, cough.”

Emilia tried to say she was fine, but only a cough came out first.

“You’re conscious.”

“Lady Carrion… we have to… save her. Cough, cough.”

Still unable to grasp the situation, Emilia spoke in a strained voice.

“She’s fine.”

With a stiff expression, Louid answered. Wrapping Emilia in the towel Jamie had brought, he lifted her onto his horse. He quickly rode toward the manor to show her to the physician as soon as possible.

He doesn’t even look at me once.

Lina, shivering with the towel Jamie had given her draped over her shoulders, kept watching Louid’s back as he rode away.

‘That’s not how someone who dislikes his wife would act.’

Whether he was aware of it or not, it was clear that the Grand Duke liked his wife.

“My lady, are you alright?” Jack, who had approached her, asked.

“Why were you so late? I really thought I was going to fall into the river,” Lina muttered in a low voice, unable to contain her irritation. She had been clinging to the branch with all her strength as well.

“The horses really did run off. We had a hard time finding them.”

Jack made his excuse. They had let the horses loose in a nearby field, but when they went to retrieve them with the Grand Duchess’s escort knight, the horses had vanished without a trace. Between deceiving the escort knight and searching for the horses, he’d had quite a difficult time.

“If it hadn’t been for that escort knight earlier, I’d still be in the water. Or I would’ve sunk.”

Lina’s complaints continued.

“I’m sorry, my lady. But if we don’t want to be suspected, it’s best to return to the manor quickly.”

“Alright.”

Jack mounted Lina onto the horse and rode toward the grand ducal manor.

***

Carrying Emilia in his arms, Louid went up to the third floor and carefully laid her down on the bed.

“Your Highness, what happened?”

Helen called out to her with a shocked expression.

“I’m fine, Helen,” Emilia answered with difficulty.

The physician soon began his examination. He had been heading to the river with Deo when he encountered Louid and returned to the manor together.

“How are you feeling, Your Highness?” asked the physician.

“I’m alright. I couldn’t breathe before, but at some point I was able to breathe again.”

She couldn’t remember the moment she lost consciousness. She only remembered struggling to breathe when she fell into the water and being able to breathe again when she woke up.

“It’s thanks to His Highness the Grand Duke’s swift first aid. You should rest for a few days and monitor your condition.”

So Louid saved me.

“Thank you, Louid.”

Emilia said softly as she looked at Louid, who was standing beside the physician and looking down at her.

“….”

Louid only flinched his shoulder once with a blank expression. From experience, Emilia realized that he was angry.

She wanted to tell him not to be angry, but she didn’t have the strength, and the words wouldn’t come out.

“Then rest.”

“Yes.”

“Change her clothes and take good care of her.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

After giving orders to Helen, Louid left the room with a stiff expression.

***

“This is it.”

“Thank you.”

“A servant will guide you to the guest bedroom.”

“Yes, understood.”

Holding the documents he received from Eddie, Damian was walking down the corridor following a servant to go to the guest bedroom. Then he heard commotion from the direction of the stairs and saw the Grand Duke carrying the Grand Duchess up the stairs.

‘Your Highness?’

Without realizing it, Damian ran toward the stairs.

“S-sir?”

The startled voice of the servant called from behind, but he rushed after Louid without thinking.

“Your Highness?”

Emilia was hanging limp in Louid’s arms, unconscious.

What is this….

Damian stared at Emilia with a shocked expression. His body froze, and he couldn’t think of what to do.

Damian followed Louid along with several others up to the third-floor bedroom. He didn’t even realize they were escort knights and the physician. Since he was mixed in with the group, the soldiers guarding the third floor didn’t stop him.

However, he couldn’t enter the bedroom and had to stand outside the door.

“Who are you?”

Deo, who was standing in the corridor with Damian, asked him.

“I’m Count Dalton’s aide.”

“Ah, I see.”

Deo nodded in understanding, then looked at the bedroom door with a worried expression. He looked extremely anxious.

“Um… did something happen to Her Highness?” Damian asked him cautiously.

“She fell into the river. Don’t tell anyone.”

Covering his mouth with his hand, Deo whispered quietly.

That Her Highness the Grand Duchess had fallen into the water… it was something he’d never even imagined. He’d been filled with excitement at the thought of seeing her again, yet something like this happened as soon as he arrived at the grand ducal manor. He couldn’t believe it.

“Fortunately, she regained consciousness. Whew….”

Deo puffed out his cheeks and let out a long sigh. If anything had happened to Her Highness, just thinking about it made his head spin.

“I should’ve guarded her properly, but when I heard that Her Highness’s horse had gone missing, I left my post and….”

Damian approached the self-reproaching Deo and patted his back.

“It’s a relief that Her Highness is safe. Please don’t blame yourself too much.”

“Thank you. My name is Deo.”

“I’m Lucian.”

The two exchanged occasional words and continued standing in the corridor with uneasy hearts. Before long, Louid and Jamie came out of the bedroom with stiff expressions.

“Why are you here?”

Louid asked when he noticed Damian.

“I was worried about Her Highness, so I was waiting.”

“She’s fine now. It’s been a difficult day, so see Emilia tomorrow.”

“Yes, understood.”

Damian let out a sigh of relief inside. It was a relief to hear that Her Highness was alright.

“Deo, come with me.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

At Louid’s command, Deo followed him with a grim expression.

“Sir, shall I guide you to the guest bedroom?”

The servant who had been guiding Damian approached carefully, asking.

“I’m sorry about earlier. I lost my composure.”

“It’s alright. Please follow me.”

Damian looked once more at the door to Emilia’s bedroom before following the servant.

***

‘I could’ve succeeded.’

After returning to the annex with Jack, Lina changed her clothes and continued pacing around the bedroom.

‘Why did he have to appear at that exact moment?’

If the Grand Duke hadn’t shown up, it would’ve been a perfect success.

And judging by the icy expression he gave her, he was undoubtedly angry at her.

‘What excuse should I make?’

Just recalling Louid’s cold expression made her body tremble on its own.

“You didn’t leave any evidence, did you?”

Stopping in her tracks, Lina asked Jack, who was standing by the door.

“Do you think I would leave any evidence? Please don’t worry.”

Well, Jack had always carried out everything she ordered. He hadn’t achieved a perfect success even once yet, but if they kept trying, the day would come soon. Having grown up sheltered, Lina didn’t worry too much and remained optimistic.

“Good. Keep doing well.”

“Yes, understood.”

Jack answered in a quiet but firm voice. At that moment, the bedroom door swung open.

“Gasp, Your Highness the Grand Duke.”

Louid, with a hardened expression, strode into the bedroom.