The Cold-Hearted Grand Duke Obsesses Over Me After My Death - Chapter 62

Episode 62. Returning to the Imperial Capital

‘What in the world is going on…. ‘

She felt like she was faced with a riddle she couldn’t solve.

Emilia almost told Louid that Lina had pointed out the stairs leading underground to her, but then closed her mouth. She felt it wouldn’t be good to mention Lina carelessly in front of him.

When she’d fallen down the stairs, she’d felt as if someone had pushed her back. But at that moment, there had been no one behind her.

Lina had been standing a short distance away from her, so she couldn’t even say it was Lina’s doing. It was truly strange.

Maybe she’d simply missed a step on the steep stairs while lost in thought.

On top of the kidnapping, she had no idea how she was supposed to consult the grand duke yet again after causing him so much trouble. Emilia decided to keep quiet about Lina for now. And so the incident on the underground stairs was handled as an accident where the grand duchess missed a step and fell.

***

Emilia stayed in the bedroom for a while, just as the physician had instructed.

A few days later, when she was told it was fine to move around lightly, she sat at her desk and drew dress designs. A square white bandage still covered her forehead.

After a while, Emilia, who’d been drawing, lifted her head and quietly glanced around. Once she confirmed there was no one else in the bedroom, she opened the desk drawer and took something out.

It was a deposit certificate holding the money from her allowance for maintaining appearances and her dress design fees. Helen had helped her set it up, and it was under an alias. Several times a day, Emilia would look at the certificate with a happy smile.

“I’ve saved up a lot.”

So this must be how a farmer feels watching grain pile up neatly in the granary. Every time she looked at the growing amount, her heart swelled at the thought that she might really be able to get away from Duke Berthe.

In the Richert Empire, there were banks in every city, and as long as you had the certificate, you could withdraw your funds from any of them. The thought of being able to start over anywhere later with this certificate made her proud.

“What are you doing?”

“Gasp….”

She heard Louid’s voice behind her. Emilia hurriedly folded the deposit certificate she’d been looking at and shoved it into the desk drawer.

“Louid, w-what brings you here at this hour?”

Still seated in her chair, she looked up at him and stammered. She’d made sure no one was around, so she had no idea when he’d come in.

“Nothing. I left something here.”

“Without sending a servant?”

“It came to mind as I was passing by.”

“I see.”

Louid picked up the documents he’d left on the sofa table, gave the desk where she was sitting a brief glance, then walked out. As he strolled slowly down the corridor, he sank into thought.

Just a moment ago, before making his presence known, he’d looked over her shoulder at what she was holding. It had been a deposit certificate.

‘She must have been saving all this time.’

He recalled the amount written on the certificate from that quick glance and let out a small, crooked smile.

The amount listed on it was truly modest. It might be a large sum for an ordinary person, but to him, it was as small as a grain of sand.

‘If she can be that happy over that much, why is she trying to give up her position as grand duchess?’

If she kept her position as grand duchess, the grand duchy and his fortune could practically be considered Emilia’s. On top of that, if she became empress in the future, she would have the entire empire.

Louid tilted his head. Lately, questions about her just kept piling up.

The next morning, Louid was busy handling affairs of state as usual.

“Your Highness, a messenger sent by the administrator of the Ramon region has arrived,” Eddie reported.

Ramon was a region in the southern part of the grand duchy.

“Let him in.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

A short while later, the messenger from Ramon entered the office and greeted him politely.

In each region of the grand duchy, there were administrators whom Louid had dispatched. They managed the well-being of the people and also oversaw the development and operations of the mines.

“Your Highness, a new mine has been discovered on Mount Ramon. Here is a letter from the administrator and some of the rough stones found there.”

The messenger presented a letter from the administrator of Ramon along with a velvet pouch about the size of an adult’s palm.

“Is that so?”

When he opened the pouch, there were two rough stones about the size of small marbles. Louid picked up the rough stones and examined them carefully.

“They’re diamonds. You’ve done well coming all this way. Go and rest.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Once the messenger withdrew, Louid gave Eddie an order.

“Eddie, send a mining expert and a gem expert to Ramon.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

There were several gem-producing mines in the grand duchy. Over the past ten years, Louid had been able to truly develop the once-barren grand duchy thanks to the mines.

Once the mines were developed, jobs increased, and people seeking work flocked there from all over the empire, raising the population. When they began to cut and polish the gems from the mines and sell them, the jewelry industry and commerce flourished as well.

One good idea came to mind.

‘If she likes her allowance for maintaining appearances that much, she’ll like jewels even more, won’t she?’

She clearly had no idea what a grand duchess could have. A woman who threw away the position of grand duchess like an old rag needed to be shown reality.

Clutching the pouch of rough stones tightly in his hand, he headed straight for Emilia’s bedroom. The maids were busily tidying the dressing room.

“Where is the Grand Duchess?”

“Her Highness has gone to the first-floor dining hall.”

At the maid’s answer, the corners of Louid’s mouth lifted slightly.

‘Off to chat with Mark again, I suppose.’

Emilia was as active and busy as a squirrel. Even though it hadn’t been long since she’d been injured, she scurried diligently around the castle with her slender body.

Approaching Emilia’s desk, he placed the velvet pouch in a spot where it would be easily seen.

A few hours later, Emilia went up to her bedroom with a small basket in her hands, filled with cookies she’d baked that day. Mark had taught her how.

Setting the basket of cookies down on the desk, she noticed an unfamiliar pouch.

‘What’s this?’

When she opened the pouch, she found two clear stones the size of round candies.

‘They look like diamonds, don’t they?’

At a glance, they reminded her of diamonds, but the diamonds she knew were much smaller and delicately cut.

She didn’t know what kind of stones they were, but they sparkled, and that alone made them look mysterious and pretty.

“Helen, did someone come into the bedroom?”

Just then, Helen came in carrying tea.

“His Highness the Grand Duke came by.”

“Oh….”

It seemed Louid had left them. Emilia decided to ask him what kind of stones they were when he came in the evening.

As a layperson, she never even imagined the sparkling stones could really be diamonds.

That evening, Emilia waited for Louid to come and asked about the sparkling stones the moment he arrived.

“Louid, did you leave these on the desk by any chance?” Emilia held the small stones in her hand and asked him.

“Yes, I did.”

“What are they?”

“They’re rough diamonds produced in the grand duchy’s mines.”

“Really? Then they’re valuable, aren’t they?”

Even when he said they were diamonds, Emilia’s expression didn’t change. The stones were worth far more than her allowance for maintaining appearances, yet she didn’t seem surprised at all. It almost made him feel frustrated.

“They’re common in the grand duchy. You can have them,” Louid said it generously.

“…Why?”

Why would he give them to her?

But Emilia couldn’t understand his intention and only looked puzzled, the stones still in her hand.

“Because you’re the Grand Duchess. Everything that comes from the grand duchy is yours.”

“Yes… thank you.”

Emilia quietly placed the velvet pouch into the desk drawer. Even though she was the grand duchess now, she would be divorced before long, so she couldn’t understand why he was giving her jewels. She decided that when they divorced later, she would return everything not specified in the contract to Louid.

‘Why isn’t she happy? She likes money.’

This time, Louid tilted his head. With a thoughtful expression, he studied Emilia. Maybe she would’ve been happier if he’d gifted her a chest full of gold coins.

‘But giving her gold coins would be strange….’

He’d wanted to show her what she could have as the grand duchess, but the situation had gone in an odd direction. That night, the image of Emilia smiling as she looked at her deposit certificate kept coming to his mind.

***

“Your Highness, His Majesty has sent a letter.”

A few days later, Eddie brought a letter from the emperor. This time, it wasn’t delivered by carrier bird but by a messenger.

“My brother?”

They’d been making an effort to produce an heir. Why was he sending another letter? Had a spy sent the emperor an incorrect report?

For example, the spy might have sent a distorted report saying he and the grand duchess didn’t often engage in marital relations.

‘If I ever discover who the spy is, I won’t let them live peacefully.’

Grinding his teeth, Louid broke the seal of the letter.

[You’re producing an heir properly, aren’t you?]

After reading the first line, he let out a deep sigh. But as he continued reading the next lines, his expression gradually grew serious.

[My health is failing, so pack up your life at the grand duchy and come to the imperial capital with Emilia.]

There were many imperial faction nobles at the emperor’s side, including Duke Berthe. If the emperor wanted him despite that, it meant he intended to declare Louid the crown prince.

Folding the letter, Louid solemnly issued an order, “His Majesty has summoned us to the imperial capital. Prepare to depart.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

There were many imperial faction nobles at the emperor’s side, including Duke Berthe. If the emperor wanted him despite that, it meant he intended to declare Louid the crown prince.

Folding the letter, Louid solemnly issued an order, “His Majesty has summoned us to the imperial capital. Prepare to depart.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”