The Cold-Hearted Grand Duke Obsesses Over Me After My Death - Chapter 84

Chapter 84. Waiting (2)

After reviewing the documents piled high on his desk and giving the administrators instructions on what needed to be handled, Louid glanced at the wall clock. He did not know when time had passed, but it was already past the time to leave the palace.

He hurriedly wrapped up his work and headed to where the carriage was waiting so he could return to the manor. But the carriage he was supposed to ride was nowhere to be seen. After waiting a moment, a coachman with a dark expression appeared.

“Your Highness, the carriage door broke, so it’s being repaired. I tried to bring an imperial palace carriage instead, but they said all the carriages have gone outside the palace, so we’ll need to wait a bit.”

The coachman reported with a troubled expression. Nobles or officials who had entered the imperial palace could use palace carriages if their own carriage broke down or if there was a legitimate reason. Since it was time for everyone to return home, it seemed there was a shortage of carriages.

“How long do I have to wait?”

“It should be about an hour.”

“I’ll ride a horse. Prepare one.”

“Yes, understood.”

In the past, working another hour wouldn’t have been a big deal, and if it got late, he sometimes slept at the Crown Prince’s palace. But today, for some reason, he wanted to return to the manor quickly. Mounting the horse the coachman brought, Louid spurred it on at high speed toward the manor.

From the moment he left the imperial palace, the sky had been heavy with dark clouds. By the time he reached the hill from which the manor could be seen, raindrops began to fall from the sky. Water dripped steadily from his soaked hair, but Louid didn’t stop and kept riding.

Getting off the horse around sunset, Louid stood there and glanced up at the third floor where Emilia’s bedroom was. Heavy rain pattered down relentlessly over his already soaked face.

As he rode, he’d been wondering what Emilia might be doing right now. Perhaps because he had been together with her constantly during the provincial inspection, he kept finding himself curious about her.

‘She’s probably drawing.’

Straightening his head, Louid strode into the lobby of the manor. When he reached the second-floor office, the attendant in charge of the office was not there, perhaps already off duty. Without hesitation, he grabbed the doorknob and flung the door open.

“Louid!”

Emilia was right in front of him.

Standing tall in the doorway, Louid looked at Emilia as if he were facing an apparition. He couldn’t tell whether the person in front of him was truly Emilia or whether he was seeing things.

“Did you return safely?”

Emilia spoke to him with a startled expression. It seemed she was flustered because the door had suddenly opened.

‘Emilia was waiting for me!’

Seeing Emilia waiting for him, Louid felt a strange emotion rise from deep within his chest. The corners of his lips threatened to curl upward. But he quickly composed himself and spoke in a serious tone.

“Were you waiting for me?”

“Yes. Why are you so late?”

Emilia spoke with a dissatisfied expression. She’d waited for him in the office for a long time, and she was tired and hungry.

“I had to report the inspection to His Majesty and there was a lot to take care of, so things were hectic.”

Louid spoke as if he were making excuses even though he’d done nothing wrong. He hadn’t taken Emilia with him because he expected to be at the imperial palace for a long time. While he worked, Emilia would have nothing to do and would be bored.

The emperor did want to see Emilia, but since he was a busy man, he couldn’t spend the entire day with her.

“I see. But did you get rained on?”

Emilia asked as she looked at him with wide eyes. Rainwater was dripping from his hair.

“Ah… just briefly in front of the main building….”

In truth, he’d been getting rained on since before arriving at the manor, but he didn’t say that.

“Why did you let yourself get rained on? Come inside quickly.”

Emilia grabbed his wet hand and pulled him inside.

“Ah.”

Louid was dragged into the office like a lifeless doll.

“Where’s a dry cloth….”

After seating him on the sofa, Emilia searched for a dry cloth. Finding one on the side table next to the bookshelf, she returned to Louid and wiped his hair.

“Th… I could wipe it myself….”

Louid stammered, unlike his usual self.

“I’ll wipe you quickly.”

Holding two dry cloths, Emilia wiped his hair and neck briskly, then brushed off the rainwater clinging to his clothes. Louid’s hair, touched by her hands, became tousled like a bird’s nest.

“All done.”

Emilia said with a satisfied face. It wasn’t perfect, but she’d wiped off most of the moisture. Smiling, she combed through Louid’s messy hair with her fingers. Seeing someone usually so dignified with hair disheveled like a magpie’s nest made him look cute.

“Thank you.”

Louid, who had stayed completely still while she wiped him, let out a breath of relief as he spoke.

“You should change your clothes. Shall we go to the bedroom?” Emilia said as she looked at his wet clothes.

“No, it’s fine. There are spare clothes here too.”

Louid hurriedly waved his hand, worried she might try to change his clothes in the bedroom. Rising from the sofa, he took out a shirt from the cabinet and changed. While he was changing, Emilia looked out the window. The rain had already stopped.

“How was His Majesty?”

When Louid finished changing, Emilia turned to him and asked.

“He’s doing well. He was asking about you.”

“Really? Next time, let’s go together.”

Her face filled with guilt.

“Alright,” Louid answered quietly as he gazed at Emilia’s face. He found it unexpected, but not unpleasant, that she had waited for him and wiped the rainwater off him. Being taken care of by someone was unfamiliar to him, but it didn’t feel uncomfortable. Instead, it felt comfortable and reassuring.

Is this what family is?

Between him and Emilia, a sense of closeness formed, as if they had truly become a family.

“You’re hungry, right? Let’s eat. Together.”

Emilia’s voice reached his ears as he was lost in thought. In truth, since a long time had passed since she ate her late breakfast-lunch, she was extremely hungry.

“Alright.”

“Let’s hurry.”

“Huh?”

When Emilia grabbed his hand and pulled him along, Louid stood up with a dazed expression and followed her. Because he was only looking at Emilia, he didn’t see the drawing on the window.

“Please prepare the meal.”

“Yes, Your Highness the Grand Duchess.”

After bringing Louid to the dining room, Emilia waited for the meal to be served and spoke to him.

“When I went to the greenhouse today, there was the cutest frog. I played with that little guy for a long time,” Emilia said in a bright voice.

A frog…. So now she’s even befriended frogs.

It seemed Emilia had a knack for becoming close with everyone. Even frogs. Louid listened quietly to her story and occasionally nodded.

That night. In the Grand Duchess’s bedroom, the sound of the bed shaking continued until late dawn.

“Ahh, Louid. You even got rained on. Aren’t you tired?”

Emilia, pinned beneath Louid’s solid body, moaned as she spoke. Her face was completely soaked with sweat.

“His Majesty told me to make an heir quickly.”

Louid lied smoothly without changing his expression. It wasn’t completely wrong either.

“R-really?”

He was actively taking advantage of the fact that Emilia was weak when it came to the emperor.

“That’s right.”

The lips that curled upward roughly covered Emilia’s lips.

***

When Emilia woke up the next morning, she felt that something was strange. Someone was lying beside her.

‘Who is it?’

Her eyes shook left and right as if there were an earthquake. Frozen in fear, she gathered her courage after a moment and slowly turned her head.

“Louid!”

Every morning when she woke up, she’d always been alone in the bed. Louid would get up in the early dawn while she was still in a deep sleep and start his day. But now Louid was lying beside her. With his eyes closed.

‘He’s not someone who sleeps in like this. What’s going on?’

He hadn’t even gone to the training grounds he went to every day. A strange thought suddenly crossed her mind.

“Louid?”

She sat up and carefully called out to him.

There was no response from Louid no matter how many times she called.

“Louid?”

She called him again, but there was still no answer.

With a serious expression, Emilia placed her finger under his nose. An unknown fear swept over her.

“Gasp.”

Emilia’s face was dyed with terror. Louid was breathing, but his breaths were slow. When she placed her ear against his chest, his heartbeat was also slow.

“My goodness. Louid?”

For some reason, Louid couldn’t regain consciousness. Emilia grabbed his shoulders, shaking him and calling out loudly. Even at her loud voice, his eyes did not open. With trembling hands, she pulled the emergency cord installed beside the bed.