Chapter 44
“Such insolent brats! Now you’ve decided to make a laughingstock out of your grandfather!”
It wasn’t exactly the kind of request you’d make to an old man past sixty.
I, too, turned pale and tried to stop Kaiden. But his words were too convincing.
“Marion radiates killing intent just seeing the Crown Prince’s face, and the only one in the Grand Duke’s estate who can handle it is you, Grandfather. Plus, the fewer people who know about this, the better.”
Though he had stepped down, Former Grand Duke Leopold had carried the Baltstein family for nearly forty years.
Moreover, he was a seasoned warrior who had wielded a sword for close to sixty years. His spirit was such that he could stand toe-to-toe with any twenty-year-old man.
“What about your aide?!”
As the Former Grand Duke raised his voice, Vito muttered with a dark expression.
“I’m sorry, Former Grand Duke. I specialize in administration.”
He looked frail, like a weak scholar.
“At my age, performing tricks in front of my grandchildren… And with a great-grandchild on the way…”
The Grand Duke’s muttering filled me with guilt.
“I’m sorry, Grand Duke.”
I mumbled with a guilty face, and the Grand Duke bellowed.
“What?! Why are you sorry?! It’s the fault of that filthy bastard who sent the brainwashing gem!”
At that, Lady March, who had been quietly listening nearby, cried out with a pale face.
“ Grand Duke! Please refrain from such coarse language when the baby can hear!”
Only then did the Grand Duke clear his throat with a startled expression.
“Ahem. My apologies. I got a bit carried away.”
Kaiden, unperturbed, pressed on.
“Will you help?”
“You rotten little…!”
The Grand Duke rubbed his temples as if he had a headache and let out a deep sigh.
“Haa. Bring me the Crown Prince’s portrait.”
It was essentially a declaration of surrender. Kaiden’s and my faces lit up.
“Thank you!”
A little while later.
Lady March muttered in a sympathetic tone.
“The Grand Duke is sixty-eight this year…”
Her words filled me with guilt, and I looked at Kaiden.
“Do we really have to go this far…?”
Kaiden stood in front of me, watching the Grand Duke and Lady March, who was assisting him.
He murmured.
“…I’m sorry.”
At the blatant scene of filial impiety, Kaiden averted his gaze slightly. His reaction made me feel even more apologetic.
“You insolent brats! I’m ready!”
The Grand Duke’s shout brought a wave of tension.
Even now, just thinking about the Crown Prince made my head throb, and I couldn’t imagine how furious I’d be seeing his face.
“Lady March. Vito. Leave the room.”
At Kaiden’s words, the sound of the two leaving the room could be heard. I still hadn’t made contact with Kaiden.
“Grandfather. When Marion turns around, she’ll see the Crown Prince’s portrait and radiate killing intent.”
“I know, you brat.”
“I’ll make contact with Marion step by step. I’ll finish this as quickly as possible, so please do your best.”
There was worry in Kaiden’s voice. No matter how battle-hardened, the Grand Duke was nearly seventy. It was impossible not to be concerned.
“Hmph. I’m not as weak as you think. Marion, are you ready?”
“Yes!”
“Good. Turn around.”
Following the Grand Duke’s command, I slowly turned.
The Crown Prince’s portrait was attached to the Grand Duke’s face. It looked like a paper mask a child might wear, but the quality of the portrait was exceptional.
The detailed features of the Crown Prince were right before my eyes.
Rage surged within me. My eyes grew bloodshot, and a dark whisper in my mind urged, “Kill the Crown Prince.” My fists began to glow with aura.
“Marion.”
Kaiden called me softly, taking my hand. The contact snapped me back to my senses slightly.
I looked down at our joined hands. The dark haze hesitated.
“I’m the Crown Prince!”
The Grand Duke drew my attention. When I looked up at him, the killing intent surged again. I had to kill him. Tearing that face apart was the only thing that would satisfy me.
“Hold it back, Marion.”
At that moment, Kaiden hugged me from behind. The dark veil over my vision cleared, and I felt his warmth spreading through my body, my heart pounding.
“Hoh. It’s definitely effective.”
The Grand Duke said this and came closer. To me, it felt like the Crown Prince approaching.
My pulse quickened, and my body tensed, but as Kaiden held me tighter from behind, I calmed down again.
Noticing my state, Kaiden said to the Grand Duke,
“You can take it off now.”
The Grand Duke clicked his tongue and tossed the portrait aside. As the Crown Prince’s face disappeared from my sight, my mind finally relaxed.
Kaiden asked,
“Are you okay, Marion?”
“Yes.”
I sighed and tried to pull away from him. But Kaiden held me tightly and didn’t let go.
“Your Grace?”
“Hm?”
“Let go.”
“…”
Why wasn’t he responding? I tried to turn my head, confused, but in his back hug, I couldn’t see his face. Seeing this, the Grand Duke snorted.
“Let her go, even if you don’t want to. We need to talk.”
I didn’t know why he said Kaiden didn’t want to, but he finally loosened his grip.
Exhausted from radiating killing intent multiple times today, I slipped out of his arms.
As the Grand Duke sat on the sofa, Kaiden and I took the remaining seats.
“If Marion is alone with the Crown Prince, it’ll be a disaster.”
It was a serious problem. Being alone with the Crown Prince was an issue, and even meeting him in front of others could be problematic if no one was there to stop me.
Kaiden responded,
“I won’t leave Marion alone.”
“You fool, have you forgotten you’ll be away for three days on a mission to the east before the wedding? Don’t make promises you can’t keep!”
At the Grand Duke’s outburst, Kaiden clamped his mouth shut. The Grand Duke clicked his tongue in frustration and asked,
“Does the killing intent subside if someone else makes contact with Marion?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then shouldn’t we test that too?”
“I’m not sure if there’s anyone who can withstand Marion’s killing intent. And…”
“And what?”
“…”
Kaiden fell silent. I couldn’t tell what he was deliberating. But the Grand Duke let out an exasperated sigh.
“Hah! Even if you don’t like Marion touching others, if you want to keep her alive, you’ll need to find an ally. You know that, right?”
“…I understand.”
What? He doesn’t like me touching others? Why? Oh, is he worried I’d be uncomfortable?
I looked at Kaiden with a reassuring expression.
“I’m fine with it. It’s better than killing the Crown Prince.”
I gave him a thumbs-up to show my gratitude for his consideration.
“…”
But Kaiden only looked at me with a complicated expression. What’s wrong?
“Marion, you’ll need a guard too.”
I tilted my head at the Former Grand Duke’s words.
“I’m a swordmaster, though?”
“You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”
I shut my mouth like a clam. Kaiden started to say something, but the Grand Duke cut him off.
“Kaiden can’t always be by your side.”
That was true.
Despite how he acted, Kaiden was a Grand Duke. Lately, he’d been playing the part of a lovesick fool, but in truth, he was the second busiest person after the Emperor.
“Since you’ll likely only see the Crown Prince in the palace, we can’t let you two end up alone by chance…”
It seemed the Crown Prince was now considered an unlucky figure among the Baltstein family.
As I relished this irreverence, the Grand Duke, having finished his thoughts, continued,
“I’ll recommend one of the kids I’ve been sponsoring.”
“A kid?”
I was puzzled. He said a guard, but a *kid*?
☆▪︎▪︎▪︎☆▪︎▪︎▪︎☆
