Chapter 18: The Strategy
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 18: The Strategy
After finishing my meal, I borrowed a few books from the library with Whitley’s help.
Whitley no longer kept me at arm's length as he had before.
Judging by his recent behavior, it was clear he was one of the few people who knew about the Grand Duke’s curse. It also seemed he’d been tipped off to the fact that the curse didn't work on me.
Did he feel some sort of camaraderie now that we shared a secret?
Thanks to Whitley’s proactive information sharing, I was able to "accidentally" run into the Grand Duke as he was returning from his daily schedule.
"I was just about to go for a walk. What perfect timing!"
Fortunately, though the Grand Duke bit his lip, he didn't pull his hand away from mine.
We walked through the desolate garden. Spring had yet to arrive, leaving only withered leaves behind, and it looked like the kind of bleak place where even the arrival of spring wouldn't bring any particularly vibrant flowers.
"Do you not receive any assistance from the maids at all, Your Grace?"
I asked, recalling the way the maids had habitually cleared the room at the dining hall.
"Because of the curse?"
I intended to whisper that last part into his ear, but because of the height difference—my head didn't even reach his shoulder—I ended up speaking right into his chest.
The Grand Duke flinched and pulled away slightly.
"I have never been fond of being touched by others to begin with."
Well, if touching someone else could kill them, then regardless of gender, any physical contact would be incredibly stressful.
Feeling a pang of sympathy, I looked up at him and noticed that the knot of the cravat I had tied so neatly this morning was now a bit messy.
"Your Grace, your cravat is out of place."
I stopped walking and reached out to adjust it.
Startled by my touch, the Grand Duke tilted his chin up. The thick veins in his neck stood out prominently.
"That’s strange. I tied it quite firmly."
As I murmured, smoothing out the wrinkles to make it look nice again, the Grand Duke looked flustered, like someone who had been caught doing something embarrassing.
"I... changed into my training uniform this morning, so..."
"You changed your clothes?"
"But you tied the knot exactly the same way I did?"
Was he surprisingly observant?
"It’s not that I retied it..."
As the Grand Duke stammered, a soft breeze blew from behind him.
In the moment his bangs, which had been loosely swept back, fell forward, a fleeting glimpse of a boyish, delicate shyness passed over his sharp eyes.
'...No way?'
"Did you take it off while keeping the knot intact, and then just slide it back on?"
As I stepped a little closer to him, a scent as cool as a winter breeze tickled the tip of my nose.
"Why? Did you like my knot that much?"
The thought of the Grand Duke struggling to pull the cravat over his head without undoing the knot made my cheeks ache from suppressed grinning.
"I simply thought it would be rude to undo it immediately, considering the sincerity with which you tied it."
The Grand Duke pulled his head back, looking awkward.
"You can just undo it."
I scrunched my nose at him playfully.
"I can always tie it for you again."
The Grand Duke looked like he was about to say something in refusal, but perhaps fearing he’d hear something even more outrageous, he clamped his mouth shut like a clam and looked away.
His profile, with its sharp bridge of the nose, was once again strikingly elegant, like a sculpture.
"By the way, Your Grace, looking at you like this, you really are handsome."
The words slipped out unconsciously. The Grand Duke flinched, biting his lip as if he’d heard something he shouldn't have.
"Why are you so surprised? Is this your first time hearing that?"
"It is my first time meeting a lady who would say such a thing so boldly."
The Grand Duke mumbled, staring off into the distance without looking at me.
"You certainly say such things to just anyone."
"Just anyone? I’ll have you know I have very high standards. I’m definitely not the type to say things like that easily."
Of course, back when I was working, I used to shower models with "You're pretty" and "You look great" as easily as breathing, but...
'Admiration this sincere is truly rare.'
The Grand Duke glanced at me, then quickly turned his head away with a look that said, "Sure, whatever you say." Even the line of his neck, exposed by the movement, was straight and beautiful.
'How did he end up in the wrong world—no, the wrong book?'
In the world I lived in before my possession, a face like that would have had him walking on a path of flowers.
To think he was born in a place like this, only to be cursed and forced to spend his life fighting monsters.
'I should at least dote on him and shower him with affection.'
I made a silent vow to myself as I looked at the Grand Duke, who held his arm stiffly so as not to make my hand resting on it uncomfortable, even as he grumbled.
*
Night had fallen, and the moonlight was beginning to brighten.
To achieve my goal of "three times a day," I headed to the third floor where the Grand Duke’s room was located.
"Your Grace, are you asleep?"
Clatter!
I wondered if the Grand Duke was physically incapable of opening a door without knocking something over. My knock had caused another commotion inside.
'At this rate, it really would be better for him to have a servant.'
I expected him to fling the door open like he did this morning, but surprisingly, the door opened slowly with a creak.
The Grand Duke, who opened the door just enough to show his face, looked bewildered.
"What is the matter?"
"You weren't asleep yet?"
I asked with a smile in my eyes. The Grand Duke’s gaze flickered toward my nightgown before he hurriedly looked away.
"I—I was just about to sleep. Is it urgent?"
"Not exactly..."
"Then it would be best to see you tomorrow. It is late, so please go back and sleep."
"I just came to say goodnight before bed..."
I said softly, gauging his reaction.
Annette was quite pretty, even if she wasn't on Ladriel’s level.
I had practiced various expressions in the mirror, and Annette’s "pitiful face" was particularly effective at triggering a protective instinct, even in my own eyes.
"Can't I come in for a moment?"
However, seeing me with my eyes downcast, the Grand Duke actually closed the door a little more.
"My attire is not suitable for receiving you."
Creak. As the door began to close, I reflexively stuck my foot in the gap.
"W-what are you doing? That’s dangerous."
The Grand Duke hurriedly grabbed the door, his eyebrows shooting up.
"It’s not like you’re naked, so what does it matter?"
I said with a smirk.
"By that logic, my attire isn't suitable either, is it?"
"Of course your attire is unsuitable as well."
The Grand Duke narrowed his eyes as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Tsk.
"It’s so cold in the hallway. Can't I just stay for a bit before I go?"
When I hugged my arms and shivered, the Grand Duke let out a long sigh and opened the door again. Like a sense of déjà vu from this morning, I flowed naturally into his room.
"I told you. I just came to say goodnight."
"Is that truly the only reason?"
"Hmm, why? Were you worried I came to sleep with you, Your Grace?"
At those words, the Grand Duke bit his lower lip hard.
"That is enough joking. Please go back and sleep."
But having lost all hesitation in dealing with him in just one day, I walked toward the Grand Duke’s bedroom, which I hadn't been able to see yesterday.
The door to the small bedroom was open.
"So this is the bedroom."
"W-where do you think you’re going!"
"Can I take a look?"
Before he could even give his consent, I stepped into the bedroom.
The state of the bedroom wasn't much different from the drawing room.
Even though it was the room where the master of the castle slept, it was sparse—just a bed, a fireplace, a small table, and a single armchair.
The blankets on the bed were rumpled, as if he had already been lying down before getting up.
"Oh my, Your Grace. You were already sleeping?"
"It is late. Please return to your room..."
"I can't do that. I’ll tuck you in."
The Grand Duke knit his brows as if he couldn't believe his ears.
"Do not speak such nonsense."
"I’m actually really good at putting people to sleep."
Back at the company, the executives used to fall into a deep slumber every time I gave a report.
Realizing I was serious, the Grand Duke’s shoulders stiffened.
"Do you take me for some kind of child?"
In the original novel, there was definitely a scene where the Saintess held the Grand Duke’s hand to ease his pain.
「In the moment his consciousness began to fade, a warm heat touched the back of his hand, which was trembling with agony. It was only a light touch, but the pain that had been hacking away at his body vanished in an instant.」
It was something like that.
Most likely, the more contact I had with him, the more his pain would decrease.
In fact, the Grand Duke’s face today looked much more comfortable than when I first saw him in the moonlight.
It didn't require any effort, and there were no side effects.
Now that I knew I was the only one who could ease his pain, there was no reason not to help him.
'If all I have to do is hold his hand, it’s a win-win for me.'
Even if the Grand Duke had been as terrifying as the rumors suggested, I would have helped him. If I have the power to ease someone's pain, it’s only right to step up.
Besides, the Grand Duke was actually a pretty good person.
Even though he knew I was his only "painkiller," he hadn't tried to use me or force me into anything.
'He probably didn't tell me because he didn't want me to feel burdened or scared.'
The way he avoided me in the beginning was ultimately because he didn't want to hurt me.
In any case, since the Grand Duke had shown me the kindness of letting me stay in the castle, I wanted to make him as comfortable as possible without being a burden.
That was why I had come to his room late at night under the pretext of a bedtime greeting, but...
'I didn't really think about how to convince him.'
Instead of wasting time trying to persuade him, I chose a simpler method.
"I’m not leaving this room until you lie down in that bed, Your Grace."