The Cold-Hearted Grand Duke Obsesses Over Me After My Death - Chapter 43

Episode 43. The Secret Passage

He lowered his head toward Emilia but then straightened again. He was holding back the feelings that drew him to her. To keep from losing the throne, he would’ve to have an heir with her, but that was all. She was a dangerous person to him. Not knowing his hidden thoughts, Emilia kept gazing only at the sky.

“Wow….”

The stars were truly pouring down. Stars everywhere. In the dark sky, blue, white, and gold lights filled the heavens.

Stars she hadn’t been able to see well from the tower filled the forest sky here, surrounding the space where they stood. It was as if they were standing in the middle of the universe.

“You might be attacked because you’re the Grand Duchess, or because you’re Duke Berthe’s granddaughter. It could be the work of those aiming for the Empress’s seat, or those who hold grudges against Duke Berthe.”

When Emilia, mesmerized by the stars, turned to look at him, Louid spoke on in a serious voice.

He didn’t say that Duke Berthe was a suspect. There was no confirmed evidence, and if she heard her grandfather was after him, she’d be shocked. And he couldn’t know how far she was involved. He still held some suspicion of her.

“Before the divorce, I’ll definitely catch the culprit. Until then, you have to survive. As long as you’re alive, I’ll come and save you. When it’s dangerous, don’t fight back. Just run.”

Louid looked at her as he spoke calmly.

“Yes, I understand.”

His words sounded like he was promising to protect her only until the divorce, and that stung a little. But at the same time, she was reassured that he didn’t seem likely to back out of the divorce.

It was true that the culprit had to be caught before the divorce. Only then could she live in peace afterward.

‘Just endure a little longer. It won’t be long now.’

Her life now was far more satisfying than it had been in the tower, but if she just endured a little longer, she could completely escape Duke Berthe’s grasp. Looking at the stars, she silently vowed to endure.

The starlight surrounding them shone on Emilia. A mysterious glow wrapped her whole body. Even her eyes shimmered oddly. Louid watched her silently for a while.

But then he shook his head and returned to his usual cold expression, as if nothing had happened.

The two of them stood side by side at the cave entrance, gazing at the stars for a long time.

“Follow me.”

On impulse, he decided to take her to the forest stables. He took her hand and walked down the dark forest path.

After a short walk, a small stable hidden among tall trees appeared. Three sturdy-looking horses were tied there.

“The stable master only comes up to feed the horses. At other times, no one’s here.”

Emilia nodded. “I see.”

“The Grand Duke’s castle secret passage is basically the same as the one in the imperial palace. I built it that way. If there’s danger at the palace too, escape through the secret passage, take a horse, and go to the harbor.”

“Yes.”

When Louid finished speaking, he looked back at Emilia. She listened intently, ears perked like a rabbit. At that sight, he smiled faintly.

The chilly dawn breeze made Emilia’s thin clothes flutter. If they stayed any longer, it wouldn’t be good for her frail body.

“It’s late, so let’s go back. Next time, we’ll try the passage that leads outside the main castle.”

“Yes.”

On the way back to the main castle, Emilia clung tightly to Louid’s arm, walking fearfully.

Then Louid said urgently to her, “Emilia, watch out. There’s a rat, don’t step on it by mistake.”

“A rat? Aaah!”

At the word rat, Emilia let go of his arm without even thinking. With a face gone pale, she ran ahead. She screamed as she sprinted with all the speed she could muster.

“Huff… huff… where’s the rat?”

After running for a long while, Emilia finally slowed down and looked around.

“Hahaha.”

Louid was walking slowly behind her, laughing. Hearing his laughter, Emilia turned and stopped in her tracks.

“…Wh-what? You were lying?” she shouted, hands on her aching sides, panting hard.

“Hahaha.”

Louid just kept laughing.

“When you’re escaping, are you going to stroll along lazily like that? When you run away, you have to run harder. Hahaha.”

He strode quickly up to her. Then he grabbed her hand, still wearing a vexed expression, and walked briskly.

Dragged along by Louid, Emilia suddenly realized this was the first time she’d seen him laugh out loud.

She had only thought of him as a blunt, cold man, but he could laugh like this too.

Even in the portrait, young Louid had worn a stern expression with no smile.

Somehow, a ticklish feeling stirred in her chest.

After that, the two of them walked in silence for a while, then opened the fireplace door and returned to the bedroom.

“You can let go of my hand now….”

Even after entering the bedroom, Louid didn’t release her hand.

“Ah! Right.”

Startled by her words, he quickly let go of her hand, sounding a bit awkward as he spoke.

“It’s quite late, but there’s one more thing I should show you.”

He began taking out weapons hidden all around the bedroom.

Daggers and longswords were concealed under the bed, behind the bed, beside the fireplace, inside the wall clock, and in many other places.

Emilia’s blue eyes grew wide. “Wow, I had no idea so many weapons were hidden in the bedroom.”

“Of course. And if you crawl under the bed here, you can open the floor. Come on in.”

Louid lay flat on the floor beside the bed and nimbly crawled underneath. Emilia, grunting, copied him and crawled beside him.

Louid pushed aside the carpet on the floor. Beneath it appeared wooden boards. He pressed on the boards, and with a soft sound, a square trapdoor slid open.

“Oh my goodness.”

Beneath the opened floor was a small space big enough for two people to hide.

“If you can’t get out through the secret passage, hide here.”

“Yes.”

Louid explained how to work the floor door, then closed it again. Once shut, it was impossible to tell that it had ever opened.

“The secret passage can be entered from my bedroom, your bedroom, the office, and the annex chamber.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Ah! So that’s why he put me in the annex chamber.

He hadn’t wanted me in the main bedroom, and he couldn’t just place the Grand Duchess anywhere, so he had chosen the annex chamber with a secret passage.

Emilia thought the Grand Duke’s castle was designed with incredible precision. The bedroom she was using now was like a small fortress with both a secret passage and hidden weapons. His bedroom was surely the same.

“Emilia, you must be tired. Go to sleep now.”

After telling her everything he needed to, Louid left her with those words and went to his own bedroom.

“Yes….”

Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?

He seemed different tonight, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on how. In any case, it looked like he wasn’t coming to her bedroom again tonight.

After washing up in the bathroom, Emilia lay down comfortably in bed. She must have been exhausted from the day, because she quickly drifted off.

Late at night, the door opened. Louid entered and lay down beside her, watching the sleeping Emilia.

It was his first time lying this close to someone else.

The only one who had ever felt like family to him was the nanny who had cared for him as a child. She had passed away of old age several years ago, leaving him with no one he could call family.

His father had always been strict and difficult to approach.

His older brother had cherished him, but with the age difference and the fact that he had already married before Louid was born, they had rarely met.

Louid’s childhood had been simple.

He received the basic education and martial training expected of a prince until he turned fifteen, and from then on he lived fiercely in the north.

During that time, Duke Berthe had tried in countless ways to harm him.

Louid worried deeply whether Emilia could truly live on her own after the divorce, but he didn’t believe she was his destiny. Spending his life as the husband of Duke Berthe’s granddaughter would feel like submitting to the duke. He intended to fulfill his duty as her husband only by helping her become independent.

As he pondered, a strand of hair fell across Emilia’s forehead. He reached out to brush it aside. Since she never woke once she fell asleep, he wasn’t worried about disturbing her.

Lifting the bright golden strands revealed her pale forehead. One lock clung stubbornly to her skin.

Her white forehead and platinum hair blended together, and Louid brought his face closer. Just as his hand was about to touch her forehead, Emilia suddenly opened her eyes. Their gazes met, and he blinked awkwardly.