The Cold-Hearted Grand Duke Obsesses Over Me After My Death - Chapter 32

Episode 32. His Bedroom

“Emilia, I told them to prepare a new bedroom. You’ll be able to move soon.”

She thought he was going to say something serious, but Louid said nothing of the sort.

“Yes, thank you for saving me, Louid.”

Emilia carefully expressed her gratitude. Even if he’d come through a secret passage, he could have been caught in the flames himself.

Louid shrugged as he spoke, “There’s nothing to thank me for. The reason I saved you… is because while you are my wife, you must not die. You are the Emperor’s niece.”

‘He saved me because I’m the Emperor’s niece? That’s the only reason?’

The strength drained from Emilia’s body.

“Yes, I understand. I’ll try not to die.”

With moist eyes, she looked at him and made her resolve.

“Good. Until you bear an heir, you must never die. Keep that in mind.”

“Yes…”

In truth, Louid was very angry with himself. To rebuild the bridge that had collapsed in the avalanche, he had mobilized a large number of knights and soldiers inside the castle. It was to finish the repairs quickly. But because of that, there had been too few trained men to put out the fire. Emilia might have lost her life because of it.

‘Damn it!’

He cursed himself a thousand times over in his heart. Whatever the cause of the fire, such a mistake should never have happened.

“Sleep first.”

He spoke curtly, avoiding Emilia’s eyes.

“Yes.”

The night was deep. Soon the sun would rise.

Louid went to the bathroom to wash. A short while later, as usual, he came out wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist. Then he headed straight for the sofa. It was so that Emilia, who was still shaken, could sleep comfortably.

“Louid?”

He thought she was asleep, but Emilia’s voice came from behind. Louid froze in place like a statue.

“Um… the sofa must be uncomfortable. Please sleep on the bed. I won’t cross over.”

Out of conscience, Emilia urged him to sleep on the bed. He was her lifesaver; it felt wrong to make him sleep on the sofa. Besides, this was his bedroom.

Since he hadn’t visited the annex recently, it felt a little awkward, and she didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. The bed was wide, so as long as she didn’t cross over to where he slept, it would be fine.

“All right.”

With only a towel around his waist, Louid approached the bed. He hesitated for a moment, then lay down on one end. He didn’t want to touch her, who was still in shock. Emilia stayed quietly in one corner and soon fell asleep curled up.

“Simon.”

Again, Emilia talked in her sleep. Louid, who had dozed off lightly, automatically got up and went to the fireplace, putting in plenty of firewood. Normally, he never felt the cold and paid no attention to the fireplace. So he fumbled a bit, but with this much, it wouldn’t be cold until morning.

“Mmm.”

A little later, Emilia rolled over and rested her head on his chest.

‘She’s wearing my clothes.’

Seeing her in clothes that didn’t fit her made the corner of his lips twitch upward.

‘She said she wouldn’t cross over. Ha…’

Louid froze like ice, unable to move.

Emilia’s hand naturally touched his neck and chest. His breath grew rough.

‘Stop.’

When her hand started moving toward his lower body, Louid shouted inwardly. But Emilia’s touch didn’t stop. That night, he stayed awake until dawn, fighting against his desire and recalling what had happened just hours earlier.

Late at night, as he was returning to the castle after supervising the reconstruction of the collapsed bridge, he saw fierce flames rising from the Grand Duke’s castle.

“Your Highness, a fire has broken out in the east annex…”

Before the gate guard could even finish his report, Louid spurred his horse at full speed.

Since the knights and soldiers were all outside the castle, the servants had been unable to put out the fire and were in disarray. After ordering the knights who had returned with him to extinguish the fire, Louid entered the secret passage that only he knew.

He ran through the passage at full speed like a madman. The moment he opened the fireplace wall and saw Emilia, his heart nearly burst. It was a relief that he hadn’t been too late. He was simply grateful she was alive. Never in his life had he felt anything like it before.

***

“Mmm.”

The next morning, Emilia opened her eyes to the sunlight filtering in through the black curtains.

‘How many hours did I sleep?’

She looked around the unfamiliar room. Her bedroom in the annex was large, but this place was even larger.

The difference was that unlike the annex bedroom, which was filled with splendid and pretty furniture, this room was furnished only with dark-colored, practical pieces.

Even the curtains are black!

Louid’s tastes seemed truly unique.

Getting out of bed, she slowly looked around the bedroom. Then she stopped short in front of the fireplace.

Louid had come out beside the fireplace…

She recalled the memory of last night.

‘Where exactly did he come out from?’

She groped along the wall with her hand. There were no marks, no boundary lines visible.

It was just a wall…

Perhaps it was a passage only members of the imperial family knew. Would Louid tell her how to open it if she asked?

‘There’s no way he would.’

Emilia lightly shook her head. She wasn’t of the imperial family, so there was no way Louid would reveal a secret passage to her. She should simply be grateful he had saved her.

On the opposite wall, she saw a large door. Emilia opened it. Inside was another room, the same in size and structure as Louid’s bedroom.

So the two rooms are connected. Whose room could it be?

Since she didn’t know whose room it was, she quietly closed the door.

***

Knock, knock!

“Come in.”

“Your Highness the Grand Duchess, are you all right?”

It was Helen, bringing tea.

“I’m fine, but you must have been very startled.”

The person most startled must have been Helen. Louid surely was surprised too, but he had never been one to pay much attention to her.

“Your Highness was the one in true danger. Are you hurt anywhere?”

Helen’s eyes welled with tears as she spoke.

“I’m fine, don’t worry.”

Emilia reassured her by gently taking her hand.

“Yes, it’s truly fortunate His Highness the Grand Duke arrived in time. Without him, Your Highness wouldn’t have been unharmed.”

“Mm, that’s true.”

Helen was right. She had thought he wouldn’t care if she lived or died, but he had come to save her. Running into a burning room was not something just anyone could do.

“Shall I bring your meal?”

“Yes, but how long will I need to stay in this room?”

“The annex will take several months to repair. As for the new bedroom, it will take a few days to clean and furnish.”

“I see.”

It seemed she would have to stay in Louid’s room for a few more days.

A little later, Helen brought her the drawings she had been working on and the box from her wardrobe. Fortunately, her workroom had been at the far end of the third floor, so it had not caught fire. She was told the dressing room had also been unharmed.

“The clothes didn’t burn, but they reek of smoke and you won’t be able to wear them. I’ve contacted the boutique to come urgently today, so they’ll be here soon.”

“All right, thank you.”

After Helen left, Emilia opened the jewelry box. Inside were the divorce contract, the ruby ring, necklace, and bracelet she had received from Louid, and the doll her father had given her. All were safe. Relieved, she closed the lid. Then she noticed a small box beside it.

‘What box is this? I haven’t seen it before.’

Inside the small box was a pendant necklace she had never seen before. She hadn’t had it in the tower.

‘Did Simon put it here?’

Emilia picked up the necklace and opened the pendant. Inside was the face of a child, about two years old. The child had blond hair tinged with pink and light blue eyes.

‘Who is this child?’

Looking closely, the child’s face resembled her own.

‘It must be me as a baby… That’s why Simon put it here. Thank you, Simon.’

Since it was precious, she decided to keep it safe. Emilia put the pendant back in the small box and placed it together with the jewelry box in Louid’s wardrobe drawer.

***

“Young Master, did you sleep well?”

Simon, the butler of House Berthe, climbed the stairs to the west tower carrying a single meal. Now that he was older, his steps up the stairs were very slow.

“Welcome, Simon.”

From the small bed in the corner of the top room of the west tower, a beautiful young man with blond hair tinged pink answered softly.

“Today I’ve brought several dishes. Please enjoy.”

Simon set the meal on the small table in front of the bed.

“Yes, thank you. The book?”

The young man asked for the book first.

“I’ve brought it as well.”

Simon pulled the book the young man had requested from his coat. The young man’s blue eyes lit with joy.

“Eat plenty, Young Master Damian. You must become healthy.”

“Yes, I know.”

After Simon left the room, the young man called Damian slowly ate the soup with his thin, white hand.

***

That morning, Louid went down to the dungeon beneath the Grand Duke’s castle. Since the assassins had stopped coming after the Crown Prince’s death, it had been several months since he had come here.

“Your Highness, a troubling matter has arisen.”

Alex approached him and bowed his head.