ITDHC 03

Chapter 3

A familiar leg was sticking out from the sofa where Richard had slept the night before.

Elissa remembered the conversation she had accidentally overheard between Albert and Richard earlier that day.

“You are the only heir of our family. It is your duty to take a partner and continue the family line.”

“……”

“Your position, everything you enjoy right now—all of it was given to you because you are my heir. If you refuse to fulfill your duties as the heir, then you have no right to remain in that position.”

That was not a normal conversation between a grandfather and grandson. Even to Elissa, it was obvious that Albert saw Richard merely as a stud whose only purpose was to continue the family line.

And Richard was resisting him.

Which meant he thought the same way Elissa did.

They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Elissa decided to gather her courage one more time.

If things went well, she might gain a reliable ally in the ducal family, where she had no one on her side.

Of course, it would only be a temporary alliance until the divorce.

“Young Duke.”

Elissa slowly approached the sofa where Richard was lying, intending to greet him one more time.

When she woke up that morning, he had already left the room. She had not seen him at all during the day, and he had been absent at dinner as well.

“You were probably a little flustered last night, right? Let me introduce myself again. I’m…”

“…Wo.”

“Pardon?”

“You’re noisy.”

His voice came from over the sofa, thick with irritation.

Looks like our little dark dragon is in a particularly bad mood.

Elissa pouted and glared at the sofa.

It seemed like having a conversation today was impossible too.

“Then… good night.”

Elissa went to the bed and lay down. Richard seemed intent on sleeping on the sofa again tonight.

As Elissa stared at the sofa where Richard lay and thought about various things, she eventually fell asleep.

Several days passed like that.

Just as Albert had said, Elissa began receiving lessons on being a wife starting the following day.

The lessons were boring and tedious, but Elissa liked the fact that once they were over, she had the entire rest of the day to herself.

After her morning lesson, Elissa had lunch and then went to the library inside the castle as usual.

The library of Rubellin Castle was enormous, befitting the property of the greatest family in the empire, and it contained an enormous variety of books.

It was a place that could be a great help to Elissa, who was still unfamiliar with this world.

“Hm. Maybe I’ll read a history book today.”

The history books were on the very top shelf, just barely out of Elissa’s reach.

She stood on tiptoe and struggled to pull out a book, but eventually gave up and looked around for a ladder.

She could have easily asked the librarian who was in charge of the library to get it for her, but he seemed to have gone to eat a late lunch. He had already been gone when Elissa entered the library.

Besides, calling one of the maids or servants from outside the library would have been more trouble than it was worth.

“Found it!”

Elissa found a ladder on the bookshelf directly behind her and dragged it over.

She climbed up the ladder and pulled out the book she wanted.

Just then—

Creak—

The sound of the library entrance opening echoed from somewhere in the distance.

Who is that?

There were two libraries inside Rubellin Castle.

One was a public library that everyone in the castle could use, while the other was reserved for the lord and his family.

The library Elissa was currently in could only be used by those who carried the Rubellin name.

In other words, only the two librarians, Albert, Richard, and Elissa herself were currently permitted to enter.

Since Elissa wanted to avoid encountering either Albert or Richard if possible, she quietly climbed down the ladder.

She hugged the book to her chest and cautiously approached the entrance.

If whoever had entered had come here to use the library, they would probably head straight for the bookshelves. Elissa could slip out while they were distracted.

But as she approached the entrance, she spotted a figure sprawled over a desk nearby and stopped.

Richard?

Richard was lying face-down on the desk. His eyes were gently closed, so he appeared to be asleep.

Could it be that he hasn’t been sleeping properly because the sofa is uncomfortable?

Come to think of it, no matter how soft the sofa was, there was no way he could sleep comfortably on such a narrow couch.

Now that she thought about it, Elissa felt a little guilty for having confidently taken the bed for herself.

He must be cold. Should I at least cover him with a blanket?

After a moment’s hesitation, Elissa picked up a nearby blanket and approached Richard.

She walked on tiptoe, worried that she might wake him.

As she got closer, she saw Richard’s face, completely defenseless in sleep.

Long eyelashes resting beneath his smooth black hair, a straight nose, and lips that were red for a boy’s.

His face still had a distinctly youthful quality, making him look completely harmless.

It was hard to believe he was the same person as the demon-like face she had seen on their first night.

He’s pretty.

She was admiring a face that made the word pretty come to mind before handsome when the eyelids that had been peacefully closed slowly opened, revealing blood-red eyes.

Gasp…

Elissa froze with the blanket spread open when she met those chilling eyes.

At that moment, Richard’s hand roughly grabbed her arm.

“What are you doing?”

“I-I was going to cover you with the blanket… Because you might be cold… and I thought you might catch a cold…”

Flustered, Elissa stammered out her answer a moment late.

Richard gave her a cold once-over before letting go of her arm as if throwing it aside.

“I don’t get sick. Only weak, feeble people like you catch colds.”

“……”

“Stop getting in my way and go.”

Richard waved dismissively for her to leave before lying back down on the desk.

He even turned his head away from Elissa.

Good grief, this little dark dragon. He’s all tough talk. I’m trying to be friendly, and he’s not cooperating at all.

Elissa made a ridiculous face and silently mouthed Richard’s exact words while pretending to punch him.

Just then, as if perfectly timed, Richard shifted in his sleep.

Elissa quickly lowered her hand.

Fortunately, Richard did not turn around.

Well, still… he’s just a kid.

And one who was at the age when his heart was probably full of storms.

Elissa gently placed the blanket over Richard’s shoulders.

Whether he had already fallen asleep again or had simply given up, Richard did not move at all.

Elissa picked up the book she had taken from the shelf and quietly left the library.

In the silent library, the sound of the door closing echoed softly.

At the sound, Richard’s eyes opened.

Then they slowly closed again.

That night, Richard returned to the bedroom and headed straight for the sofa.

By now, the spot almost felt like his own place.

It was still uncomfortable, though.

As soon as he lay down on the sofa, he heard rustling from the direction of the bed.

Soon, small footsteps approached him.

In the library, Elissa had tried her best to hide her presence—though he could still sense her perfectly—but this time, she was not even trying to conceal herself.

Richard immediately realized from her movements that Elissa had something to say to him.

Without opening his eyes, he spoke to the approaching presence from beyond the sofa.

“…Just go to sleep.”

But Elissa seemed to have no intention of listening.

She came right up to him.

Richard irritably opened his eyes and spoke.

“I told you to just go to sl—”

“I won’t eat you, so let’s sleep together in the bed.”

“…What?”

As if to reassure him that he had nothing to fear, Elissa held out her hand.

“I’ll just hold your hand while we sleep.”

Richard stared at the hand, which was much smaller than his own, and let out a hollow laugh.

Who exactly is supposed to eat whom?

Elissa tensed at his laughter.

It was not a laugh of amusement. It sounded as though he found the idea utterly ridiculous.

Richard’s expression immediately hardened, and he asked coldly,

“Did the duke tell you to do this?”

“Huh?”

“To seduce me like this?”

Elissa was stunned.

She had thought Richard was being prickly because he was simply going through his dark, brooding phase.

She had never imagined he thought she was acting this way because of that.

Come to think of it, he calls his grandfather “the duke”… They must have a really bad relationship.

Either way, there was no benefit to letting a misunderstanding grow.

Elissa hurriedly explained.

“I think you’re misunderstanding, Young Duke. This has nothing to do with His Grace.”

“How am I supposed to believe that?”

“You may already know this, but my parents passed away recently. I had nowhere to go, so His Grace brought me here.”

But even after hearing her explanation, Richard’s expression remained indifferent.

“You may not know this, but the first thing people who have been caught doing something wrong bring up is their family history.”

…Has he been deceived so many times that he doesn’t trust anyone anymore?

Elissa explained her situation in more detail.

“I thought it would be better for a twelve-year-old girl with nothing to live here than to live alone on the streets. That’s why I agreed to this marriage.”

“What if the duke ordered you to say that so you could seduce me?”

“Even if your guess were true, would anything change?”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t overpower you by force. So even if I tried to seduce you, wouldn’t it be enough for you simply not to fall for me?”

Elissa’s words were a kind of provocation.

All you have to do is resist. Are you really that unsure of your own feelings?

This time, Richard did not argue.

She was not wrong.

With Richard’s power, he could easily push Elissa away even if she deliberately threw herself at him.

Elissa seized the opportunity and brought up something she had read about in the original novel.

“I heard the imperial family wants to marry the princess to the Young Duke because they’re after the power of the Rubellin family. That’s why His Grace brought me here.”

The Arencia Empire had four families that had contributed to its founding.

The four heads of those families had joined forces to overthrow a tyrant and build a better country. Once the empire had been established, they discussed who should become emperor.

Among them, the Cairot family and the Rubellin family both stepped forward as candidates for the throne.

They were close friends, and after agreeing that the Cairot family would take the throne, they made an eternal vow.

The Cairot imperial family would rule without forgetting the people of the empire, while the Rubellin ducal family would always stand against the emperor and keep him from becoming a tyrant.

The two friends who had once shared their lives became eternal enemies for the sake of a greater cause.

History books praised their friendship and loyalty, but after many years had passed, all that remained of their relationship was their mutual distrust and constant restraint of one another.

The imperial family coveted the Rubellin power in order to grow stronger, while the Rubellins continued to strengthen their own power so that they would not be swallowed up by the imperial family.

That relationship continued throughout the original story as well, so Elissa knew the history between the two families quite well.

“If you have no intention of marrying Her Imperial Highness, then someone has to occupy the position beside you anyway.”

At the surprisingly sharp remark, a flicker of interest appeared in Richard’s eyes, which had remained indifferent as he stared at Elissa.

I thought she was naive, but she’s quite something.

Elissa noticed the change in his expression and finally got to the point.

“What I want from you isn’t a child or the position of duchess.”

“……”

“Please maintain this marriage only until I become an adult. Once I’m an adult, I’ll leave the ducal family of my own accord.”

By then, the princess would have found a partner of her own.

Richard stared intently into Elissa’s light-green eyes as she calmly made her proposal.

Then he sat up.

“I’ll accept your proposal. However…”

He spoke in a firm voice.

“You must keep the promise you just made to leave.”