Episode 38
Loving and cherishing people was simply the right thing to do.
It was a belief deeply instilled in Yurikian since childhood, thanks to his father’s teachings.
That’s why taking responsibility for the lives of his domain’s residents came naturally to him.
And perhaps that’s why he kept receiving praise and gaining more supporters.
Yurikian sighed deeply as he reviewed the budget and reports.
There was no hope of sleeping properly tonight either.
Butler Philip brought him coffee, concern evident in his voice.
“Your Grace, wouldn’t it be best to rest now?”
“I have work to do. I’m far behind.”
“…It doesn’t seem like you’re that far behind, though.”
Yurikian raised his head at Philip’s muttering.
He gave him a look meant to be intimidating, but Philip remained completely unfazed.
“The reports you’re reviewing now aren’t urgent. You were up all night yesterday too… There must be another reason you can’t sleep at this late hour.”
Yurikian gulped down the coffee Philip had brought him as if it were cold water.
He didn’t even feel the heat.
“You didn’t notice the coffee was hot. Must be because something’s burning you up inside.”
“…Philip. By any chance—”
“Yes, Your Grace. Maddy hasn’t returned yet.”
Truthfully, it wasn’t work that was keeping him awake.
Tonight again, Maddy was late getting back.
Ever since evening passed, Yurikian had been repeatedly asking Philip:
“Has Maddy come back?”
“Did Maddy return?”
“Go check her room. Maybe she came in through the window.”
“She’s probably back by now, right?”
“Maddy’s still not back?”
“…Has it really been two nights in a row?”
“Maddy’s not here yet?”
“That was the forty-ninth time you’ve asked, Your Grace. One more and you’ll hit fifty.”
“…Philip. Honestly, I don’t get why Maddy would stay out overnight without saying a word. Is it so hard to just say something? Like, ‘I’ll be late,’ or ‘I’ll be back around this time’? Is that so difficult?”
“Well, she is quite the free spirit, after all.”
“Hah! Two more nights of that kind of freedom and I’ll be breaking off the engagement.”
Philip just smiled silently.
No matter how much he thought about it, it was irritating. She was infuriating beyond words.
What was all that about never leaving his side, about always staying close?
“Your Grace. My wife also liked to socialize with others, so she often came home late. I asked her to let me know in advance, but it never worked.”
“…So what did you do?”
“Pardon?”
“I mean, you must’ve done something. Fought about it, made a deal… maybe added a penalty clause if she broke it.”
Philip looked surprised for a moment, then burst into laughter.
“Marriage isn’t a contract. It doesn’t work like that.”
At the word “contract,” Yurikian’s chest tightened.
“R-Right. Of course, I know that. It’s not a contract… So what did you do?”
“I just accepted it.”
“What?”
“I accepted that she’s someone who loves to go out and have fun. Still, I worried when she was out late, so I’d send someone to check on her—just to make sure she was safe. The night can be dangerous, after all.”
Yurikian looked even more troubled.
He asked with a serious expression:
“…What if the night wasn’t dangerous at all?”
“Sorry?”
“What if nothing could hurt Maddy?”
“Haha! That would be nice, but she’s still young. And she’s someone Your Grace loves, so you must be extra careful.”
“But what if Maddy is the most dangerous thing out there?”
“Well, in that case… you should trust her and sleep peacefully. My wife used to get mad if I stayed up waiting for her.”
Even so, Yurikian didn’t get up from his office chair.
Philip had to grunt and pull him to his feet with some effort.
“Maddy would want you to sleep well too. Seeing someone you love look tired hurts the heart, you know.”
“Love, huh…”
“Pardon?”
“I love her too much. That’s the problem—I feel like I love her more, and it bothers me.”
Yurikian casually changed the subject and headed toward his bedroom.
Philip’s words weighed heavily on his mind.
Philip and his wife had truly loved each other, so of course he worried.
She’d probably notice if he stayed up all night, with how observant she was—but she’d never realize it was because he was waiting for her.
Even if she did, she’d probably just pretend to care.
That wasn’t what he wanted.
He wanted her to know—truly—that someone out there was worrying because she hadn’t come back.
Not Maddy the professional con artist. Not the fake fiancée.
But someone real. Someone who missed her.
He might’ve even said it, if it were just the two of them.
Lately, Maddy was rarely in the estate except during breakfast or their short walks afterward.
‘What on earth is keeping you so busy?’
Yurikian pouted as he entered the bathroom and showered.
Wearing a thin nightgown, he sat on the bed and sighed again.
Nothing ever went the way he wanted.
He flopped onto the bed—and suddenly felt a hand sliding under his waist.
“What the—?!”
He flung off the blanket to reveal Maddy’s smiling face.
“Ta-da~ Maddy’s back~!”
“Do you think it’s okay to sneak into someone else’s bed like this? A-And take your hand off me!”
“My goodness. You sleep in this kind of nightwear? Honey, should we add a clause to our contract like: ‘Do everything a real couple does’?”
“Quit spouting nonsense and go sleep in your own room.”
Yurikian snapped and covered his chest with the blanket.
For some reason, his nightwear felt extra thin today, and it was embarrassing.
He should’ve done some pushups in the bathroom before bed or something…
No, wait. Am I losing my mind?
Yurikian quickly shook his head.
“Why sneak into someone else’s bed without saying anything? …You came home late without a word.”
“Haha. You’re saying that like you’d have made a move if I’d come home earlier.”
Even as she said that, Maddy’s eyes sparkled mischievously.
Meanwhile, his heart was pounding so hard he feared it might be audible under the covers.
…Why was his heart racing so much?
Yurikian’s expression suddenly went cold.
“…Maddy. This is bad.”
“What is?”
“I think I have arrhythmia.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Just now…”
He couldn’t bring himself to say that his heart was beating too fast.
Instead, something completely different came out of his mouth.
“Never mind. I do have arrhythmia.”
“What? Are you Hercules now? Diagnosing yourself with an illness?”
“Not Hercules. Hippocrates.”
“Tetris?”
“…Forget it.”
“Hehe.”
Maddy laughed aloud as she lay beside him.
She was lying right where Yurikian usually fell asleep.
She had rolled around on his bed before—but somehow, this felt different.
Yurikian decided he had to call a doctor tomorrow and get some heart medication.
His eyes slowly drifted to her tousled hair, her sharp brows, and those upturned emerald eyes that blinked lazily.
His heart pounded harder.
Why did his heart always go wild whenever he looked at her?
There was only one conclusion.
He’d read about this in a book.
This was PTSD.
Post-traumatic stress disorder.
It made sense. After seeing people die in front of him so many times, PTSD seemed inevitable.
Feeling satisfied with this explanation, Yurikian pitied himself.
He had known since his parents’ death that he’d developed a fear of death itself.
But to feel this kind of fear even around someone meant to protect him?
He probably needed therapy soon.
Yurikian began organizing a list of famous therapists in his mind.
“Forget Hippo-whatever. I have something to say—”
“Why are you so sensitive? It’s not even about you. …Ah, come to think of it. No wonder the bed was shaking four times last time. Empty barrels make the loudest noise, huh?”
“What the—! Empty barrel? You little—ugh, I can’t even prove you wrong!”
“Empty barrel coming through~! Clatter clatter clatter clatter CLANK!”
“Stop! I said I’m not!”
Never in his life had he bickered so immaturely with someone.
He’d always acted dignified and proper.
Even when he drowned himself in liquor to avoid the Emperor’s eyes, he maintained composure, never letting himself be looked down on.
But somehow, around Maddy, nonsense just came out of him.
“Maddy! Be quiet. Shut your mouth!”
“Huh? Don’t you hear that sound? Clank clank clank! The empty barrel’s rolling by!”
“…If people knew what you were really like, they’d be shocked. You’re going to have to run.”
“Hahaha!”
Maddy burst out laughing, kicking her feet under the blanket.
Yurikian laughed too.
Something warm and fuzzy bubbled up deep inside his heart.
Then, as she wiped tears from laughing so hard, Maddy said:
“Oh, by the way. I met your niece. She’s adorable. Astrid.”
“…What?”
Only then did he notice what she was wearing.
Suddenly, the metallic scent of blood filled his lungs.
Yurikian grabbed the lamp on the nightstand and brought it close to her.
Her clothes were stained with blood.
His laughter died instantly.
Cold, sharp intensity flooded his eyes.
“Say that again. Who did you say you met?”
Maddy’s green eyes were still chillingly clear.
“Your weakness.”
Before Maddy mentioned Astrid to Yurikian, Philip and Armadine were standing outside his door.
They had brought warm tea in case the Archduke was still awake, but it was clearly no longer needed.
Head maid Armadine slowly lowered her hand, about to knock.
“Goodness… So sweet, aren’t they…”
“Haha. Well, I’m glad Maddy came back.”
“Right? You never know when she’s coming or going—what a wild girl.”
Yet despite their words, both were smiling brightly.
Early in the morning, in the kitchen where staff gathered for breakfast, the mood was odd.
Word had spread that laughter had been heard from the Archduke’s room after Maddy returned in the night.
Amid the awkward atmosphere, the head chef Ivan was the first to speak.
“You know… I think His Grace really has feelings for her.”
“Um… yeah, well… I guess so.”
A maid peeling potatoes responded hesitantly.
A servant warming his hands near the fire grumbled.
“Feelings, my foot! His Grace got swindled by a fox, that’s what! She went off for three days just because he told her to cut ties with other men! Do you know how incredible it is that His Grace proposed to her? She doesn’t even know her place!”
“Right. She’s way too eccentric for His Grace to handle.”
“She’s clearly trying to cash in on one big score!”
“Totally.”
But not everyone agreed.
“You’re wrong. I think Maddy really loves him.”
“What nonsense is that?”
A young maid clasped her hands together and spoke dreamily.
“She gave up her life in the slums and all those other men because she loves him! No matter where she goes, she always comes back to him!”
“Who cares about that! The fact remains she had other men!”
“What does that matter! The future is what matters! She said she cut ties!”
“How do you even know she really did? I say she’s nothing but a liar!”
An older maid shouted in frustration.
Even the carriage drivers joined the debate.
“Maddy’s not the kind of person to deceive people. I bet she ended things properly.”
“Yeah. Maddy’s a good girl. She just didn’t get much schooling.”
Even the gardener Ralph took her side.
“She doesn’t seem like a con artist. The more I see her, the more genuine she feels.”
Well, if she were truly genuine, she wouldn’t be bone broth that had been simmering for eight hours.
If anything, Maddy was more like bone broth made with MSG.
