IWDGD 05

Chapter 05

“The Grand Duke is also a member of the imperial family, are you not? We cannot entrust His Majesty’s safety to mere knights.”

Fernan looked at the persistent Crown Prince with contempt. Pressuring him like this—the Emperor and his son were no different. It seemed persistence ran in the blood.

“Then, I hope you will consider it in a positive light, Grand Duke.”

Fernan ignored the Crown Prince’s final words and exited the reception room. The meeting had dragged on longer than expected, leaving him in low spirits.

Returning to his quarters, he took off his uniform jacket and moved toward the dress room.

Then, sensing a strange presence, he stopped and turned his head. A small figure curled up on the sofa immediately came into view.

Fernan narrowed his eyes and approached the sofa. Through her disheveled light brown hair, he could see the face of a woman sleeping soundly, oblivious to the world.

“Ha.”

Upon confirming that the woman was Yulia, Fernan let out a scoff.

What sort of scheme had she been up to in an empty room? Frowning, he quietly looked down at Yulia.

Seeing her peacefully asleep, he felt both irritated and, for a moment, deflated.

Clicking his tongue lightly, Fernan glanced around the room. Nothing seemed to be out of place.

His wandering gaze landed on the teacup placed on the table. The fact that she had even drunk tea in this situation only made him more incredulous.

Fernan crossed his arms and stared at her pale face for a long while.

Then, suddenly, he tilted his head slightly with a questioning air.

He hadn’t noticed because her breathing was shallow, but her breath was somewhat irregular. The cold sweat beaded on her white forehead suddenly caught his eye.

She wasn’t just asleep—it seemed she was ill.

After a moment of thought with an expressionless face, Fernan left the bedchamber.

—

*

—

Yulia slowly opened her eyes, feeling a throbbing headache. Her half-revealed blue eyes were hazy and drowsy.

Tossing and turning, she burrowed into the blanket and blinked blankly.

Then, suddenly widening her eyes, she sat up abruptly. She had realized this was not her quarters.

“You’re awake.”

A low voice settled in her ears. Turning her gaze toward the sound, Yulia’s lips parted slightly.

“…Your Highness?”

She saw Fernan sitting in an armchair by the fireplace, looking at her.

With a flustered face, she checked her condition. She had clearly been sitting on the sofa waiting for him. Then drowsiness had overtaken her…

Had she crawled into bed in her sleep? Yulia fumbled, moving her lips.

“Your Highness, that is—”

“The physician said you’re showing signs of a cold.”

Cutting her off, Fernan set the documents in his hand on the table. His quiet eyes, devoid of any light, slowly scanned her.

“A physician…?”

Only then did Yulia notice the medicine on the nightstand and blinked in bewilderment.

She had felt consistently weak, but she hadn’t considered it might be due to illness.

Yulia carefully opened her mouth.

“Th-Thank you… Did Your Highness summon the physician?”

Fernan gave no answer, merely tapping the armrest of his chair with a tap, tap. Unable to discern the meaning of that silence, Yulia fidgeted with the bedsheet.

Soon, Fernan rose and walked slowly toward the bed. Standing with the moonlight at his back, he gazed intently at Yulia’s face.

“Now tell me. What was your reason for sneaking into my room?”

“…Pardon?”

“You didn’t come here to stage a sickly protest, I assume.”

His shadow loomed large over the bed. He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if trying to see through Yulia’s intentions.

Flustered by his cold demeanor, Yulia hesitated before answering.

“I was waiting because I had something to tell Your Highness, but…”

Trailing off, Yulia steadied her wavering gaze.

She didn’t know why Fernan treated her so coldly, but she didn’t want to keep cowering and fearing him.

“…Is that not allowed?”

At her quiet voice, Fernan raised one eyebrow. Yulia clenched her hands tightly and continued.

“I’m sorry for entering without permission. But… Your Highness and I are married, aren’t we?”

“…….”

“…I don’t think you need to be this wary of me.”

Her steadfast voice trembled slightly. Yulia looked up at Fernan with a nervous face.

His face seemed to gradually twist, and soon a faint sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“Yes, you’re right.”

“…Ah!”

He lightly pushed Yulia’s shoulder, making her fall back onto the bed. Fernan, settling over her frozen form without hesitation, whispered.

“Come to think of it, we haven’t consummated our marriage yet.”

His long fingers traced down through her hair before reaching the disheveled front of her dress.

“If you wish, we could do it right now.”

He slowly loosened the silk ribbon tied at her chest. His gaze remained fixed on hers.

Yulia held her breath and looked up at him, unable to move.

Yet she could find no trace of heat or passion in his face.

He was neither expressing a moment of desire nor fulfilling his marital duty.

His attitude was clearly meant to test her reaction.

Fernan looked at the frozen Yulia for a moment, then twisted one corner of his mouth.

“Why that expression? Wasn’t this what you were after when you went on about being husband and wife?”

His voice, feigning tenderness yet laced with coldness, seeped into Yulia’s ears.

The chill he radiated turned even her mind cold.

“I-I only had something to say. I didn’t come here wanting this…”

Yulia stammered in bewilderment, then suddenly let out a shallow gasp. A sharp, stabbing pain surged through her head.

Her long lashes trembled as she breathed heavily.

Yulia endured the pain and continued haltingly.

“I was wondering… if you had time, if you could… come with me to my family home. My mother wanted to invite Your Highness…”

Suddenly, her vision spun. Fernan in her line of sight swayed violently.

Looking up at him through blurry eyes, Yulia weakly pushed against his firm chest.

Contrary to her expectation that he wouldn’t budge, he obediently pulled back. Soon, the massive shadow enveloping her disappeared.

“I-I’ll be going now…”

Rising and stepping off the bed, Yulia staggered and collapsed onto the carpet. The headache made it difficult to keep her balance.

Pressing her forehead, she let out a deep sigh and braced herself on the floor to stand again.

Fernan, quietly watching her fall several times, irritably swept back his hair.

Then, he lifted the still-collapsed Yulia in one motion.

“Just stay here. I’ll leave.”

He murmured in a low voice, set Yulia down on the bed, and walked toward the door.

Perhaps it was because her mind was hazy, but his face somehow looked subtle.

Just like… someone who had made a mistake.

Yulia stared blankly at his receding back, then closed her eyes with effort.

—

*

—

The following afternoon, a rattling carriage departed from the imperial palace.

Entering the city, the carriage traveled along the square and soon entered the Mare district, where large mansions were clustered.

Basking in the warm sunlight, Yulia looked out the window before abruptly turning her gaze to the opposite seat.

Fernan sat across from her, arms crossed, eyes closed.

Yulia stared at him with a momentarily confused expression.

That morning, when she had woken up in his bed, Yulia had been overcome with mixed feelings as she recalled the previous day’s altercation.

When she had left his bedchamber with a heavy heart, Yulia had been told the message Fernan had left through a servant.

‘Your Highness, His Highness the Grand Duke has said he will accompany you to the Marquis’s estate after finishing his morning work.’

‘H-His Highness did?’

She couldn’t help but be surprised. She had never expected he would actually grant her request.

She had asked only because of the Marchioness’s pressure, but he, unlike her, had a packed schedule.

She had heard that because of the Founding Day preparations, he had so many meetings in the capital that he had no time to rest…

Above all, he was the man who had treated her with utmost coldness just yesterday.

The fact that this same man had made time for her was somewhat bewildering.

Unable to hide her puzzlement, Yulia observed him from across the way.

At that moment, his closed eyes slowly opened.

“…Ah, I’m sorry.”

She apologized reflexively, worried he might think she had been staring, but Fernan said nothing.

After holding her gaze for a long while, he finally spoke in a low voice.

“Is your body feeling better now?”

Yulia’s eyes widened as she nodded blankly.

“…Yes, I’m fine now.”

At her answer, Fernan’s gaze quickly drifted away. Turning his head to look out the window, his profile was as indifferent as ever.

But was it her imagination? It seemed as though he was paying a little attention to her.

Pressing her lips together, Yulia bowed her head with a subtle expression. She felt a little strange.