“Ugh, I’m dying here.”
Ione’s face was pale as she struggled to stand, groaning in pain.
Her physical condition was far from good.
She only realized something was wrong after sending Catherine away.
She hadn’t noticed earlier because she was busy soothing an excited Catherine who didn’t know what to do with herself.
Thump, thump, thump.
She thought her own rising heartbeat was just a reaction to Catherine’s excitement and that she might be feeling a little feverish herself—but that was a complete misunderstanding.
Her heart rate was skyrocketing uncontrollably while her energy rapidly drained.
Ione had experienced this before.
When she first arrived at the Grand Duchy’s residence.
That day, when her magic was completely overwhelmed after consecutive uses of warp.
It felt like all the blood was drained from her body. At the time, she had thought the Grand Duke had seen through her intentions.
But looking back now, it was really her body reaching its limits.
“That’s why they say when a person’s brain is bad, the body suffers too. Aaargh…”
What kind of body is this that can teleport twice a day?
‘This is my own fault.’
Worse still, due to the aftereffects of the warp, she was now in the unfortunate position of not even being able to seal a magic crest.
‘I’m sure Benson will give me two doses of medicine tomorrow.’
The pessimistic thoughts continued, and a sigh escaped her lips.
She desperately wanted to just lie down in bed and give up.
But Ione couldn’t afford to do that.
If all went well, Adrian had invited her to dinner.
She couldn’t ruin the Grand Duke’s plan to act like a proper married couple in front of others.
‘I have to erase any impression that I’m trying to run away as soon as possible.’
To ensure a smooth escape, she couldn’t draw any attention at all.
If she gave even the slightest hint of trying to flee and ended up under surveillance, it would truly be the end.
Ione straightened her back and braced herself.
She could do this.
This time, she would survive thinly, long, and stubbornly.
“Oh my, Your Highness.”
At the evening banquet, Penelope greeted Ione with an unexpectedly polite demeanor.
The moment she saw Ione, she gave a perfect imperial-style bow.
She wasn’t even wearing her usual robe but a dress with long, flowing sleeves.
The dress was somewhat flashy and daringly designed, showing a lot of bare skin, which was a bit of a flaw, but it didn’t really matter.
Penelope, dressed properly in her finery, was quite a striking woman.
Her intense purple eyes and well-textured violet hair, combined with the bold design of her dress, made a powerful impression—but it all matched her pretty face perfectly.
“My sincere apologies for my rudeness earlier today.”
Ione was taken aback by Penelope’s different attitude from earlier.
“Please grant me a chance to make amends.”
Her cautious tone was so sincere that Ione almost felt a sudden surge of guilt where none existed before.
She thought to herself in disbelief,
‘Is this even the same person?’
A perfectly reasonable suspicion.
But Ione simply shook her head calmly.
“The events of earlier are over.”
Apologies or not, it was best not to get involved with a madwoman.
She believed she had handled that pretty lunatic well enough.
Then—
“Won’t you accept it?”
Just as if waiting for this, Adrian pulled out a chair for Ione, suddenly scoring a team kill.
Startled, Ione looked at him, but Adrian just smiled softly with a slight bow while holding the chair.
“You have no idea how long the master of the West Tower has awaited your arrival.”
Is this guy seriously speaking as if this isn’t even his problem?
But since he was asking so kindly, she couldn’t just say “
No
” outright.
It seemed Adrian was playing the part of a loving newlywed couple right now.
Ione placed her hand gently over his on the chair and whispered with a smile,
“But Adrian, I’m your wife.”
What?
Adrian was smiling, but somehow it felt like he was glaring at her with his eyes.
Still, Ione resolutely continued.
“Why should I care about anyone else’s feelings but yours?”
Her elegant and somewhat embarrassing way of saying “
No
” stretched out into a long sentence.
Adrian’s face lit up with a sweet expression.
“I wish others would know how kind you truly are.”
Ione barely managed to keep her frown from appearing.
His reasoning was obvious.
A magician involved in public affairs was asking for reconciliation, so it was appropriate to accept it here.
She understood that with her head but didn’t want to with her heart.
“…”
She swallowed the bitter feeling of having just received that slimy look earlier—which wasn’t even directed at her—and spoke again.
“Does it really have to be known by others?”
She even gripped his hand tighter, pleading silently, but Adrian’s expression didn’t change at all.
‘That cold-hearted bastard.’
Maybe it was because he was foreign, but he didn’t seem to have a shred of empathy.
At this point, it was almost pitiful and pathetic… but no mercy was given, so she might as well comply. That was her lot.
Muttering a small curse, Ione turned her gaze to Penelope.
Penelope was still staring intently at Ione.
“If this keeps up, I won’t be able to hold out much longer.”
“Thank you, Your Highnesses. I will not waste the mercy shown this day.”
Ione gave a slight nod and dismissed her.
Yet, even after Penelope left, the hands that had met didn’t part.
If someone saw, it might look like Ione was holding onto the Grand Duke’s hand—but that was not the case.
Her fingertips slipped beneath his palm and held fast, refusing to budge.
If rumors spread that the Duchess was fondling the Duke’s hand, it would be quite the scandal.
“Your Highness…”
She grit her teeth and called him, and Adrian looked at her as if nothing was wrong.
Wow, I can see how even looking up at him you wouldn’t feel humiliated. His handsome face could easily annoy someone.
For the first time, Ione saw Adrian’s face as something rational.
Not just a “
pretty mask.
”
Like admiring a magnificent artwork—without feeling entranced.
“Please, return to your seat. You should eat.”
“Shall I?”
Though she said so, she still didn’t let go of his hand.
What on earth did he do to her fingertips? They felt glued in place, unable to move at all.
Her already poor condition worsened as she strained to pull free, her whole body tingling.
‘At this point, he’s daring me to try.’
That was the somewhat extreme thought running through her mind.
Suddenly, the fingers that wouldn’t budge were released.
“Huh?”
Her hand went limp, and with a sudden electric shock-like sensation coursing through her, her strength drained completely.
For a moment, it felt like gravity vanished, and she almost collapsed forward—but Adrian’s strong grasp on her shoulder prevented her from face-planting into the table.
“My lady, enjoy your meal.”
“And Your Highness as well.”
Thanks to their relaxed greeting, her body returned to normal within moments.
‘Ah, this useless body of mine.’
She blamed her weak body as she fought her way through the meal.
Penelope watched carefully.
At the moment their hands touched, Adrian’s magic surged violently through the Duchess’s hand.
In an instant, the Duchess was swallowed whole by the Duke’s magic.
Like a fish caught in a tight net, she only blinked, unaware.
The golden net was greedy.
It was not satisfied with simply having the Duchess under its control but probed deeply inside her.
Penelope struggled to keep from screaming.
Golden threads gathered from all directions, heading toward the Duchess’s heart.
The radiant light at that spot wrapped her heart tightly before dissipating as if evaporating.
Her face paled, then returned to normal.
‘I will never let go of the Duchess, not even in death.’
He used to glare fiercely whenever it was the Duchess, so what was this?
Penelope’s gaze caught on the pale, frightened Duchess in that violent extraction of magic.
“Pretty one.”
That was how she’d always thought of the Duchess.
But now, in this moment of strange power, the Duchess looked like a tired, struggling human being.
Small, thin shoulders.
Large, round eyes.
Ordinary hair and common eye color.
But her tightly pressed lips held a subtle firmness that almost blurred her delicate features.
Looking at her like that, Penelope realized the Duchess was actually quite beautiful.
It was a very strange feeling.
Penelope was a genius.
She remembered everything she saw and forgot nothing.
Yet just now, the Duchess looked unfamiliar—as if seeing her for the first time.
‘What is this? Was she really like this?’
Penelope blinked.
It felt like something had been peeled away.
The dull veil that had covered her eyes was gone, and only now did she feel like she truly saw the Duchess.
‘What is this?’
Her heart pounded.
It was a feeling she had never experienced before.
But Penelope knew exactly what it was.
“Wow…”
Could it be? I think I’ve fallen.
“If this keeps up, I won’t be able to hold out much longer.”
“Thank you, Your Highnesses. I will not waste the mercy shown this day.”
The apology given to the Duchess was sincere.