WDHMTU | CHAPTER 23

Chapter 23

“This may have been ordered by Marquis Hemes because the west side is quiet.”

Urian clenched his teeth.

He had said it was a personal ill will, but it wasn’t easy for an ordinary man with no skills to secretly track Claudio’s movements. 

Commoners wouldn’t even know what Claudio looked like.

“So someone must be using his ill will.”
But the mastermind behind this is Marquis Hemes?

“That man can’t even hide his feelings and isn’t very smart.”

Judging by that, now that he had succeeded in making his daughter the king’s fiancée, it seemed unlikely he’d make such a foolish choice.

But maybe because he had experienced his family’s ruin once, he was always cautious in business. 

Such a careful man wouldn’t handle such a serious matter so carelessly, risking his family and life.

“Well, people sometimes do things you can’t understand.”

Claudio lowered his eyes and muttered,
“It won’t hurt to find out.”

“I will look into it.”

Claudio nodded at the satisfactory answer.

“Duke, can you walk?”

“No. I can’t walk any more today.”

“Then I will come to take you tomorrow.”

“I’m not going.”

Claudio answered lightly.

“Excuse me?”

“I keep making you say the same thing today…”

Claudio slightly frowned.

“I said I’m not going.”

“Wha—?!”

Urian shouted without realising it.

Claudio’s frown deepened.

“Since when do you speak to me in that tone?”

“Ah, sorry, I just got surprised.”

“There’s nothing to be surprised about. Am I someone who finds it difficult to choose where to stay?

“That’s not what I meant…”

Why does he insist on staying here?!

He could get better treatment at the villa, which is far better than this place.

“Is it because of Marsha?”

Urian thought again.

Claudio’s attitude toward Marsha was strange.

Claudio rarely smiled at anyone easily. 

Visd might say, “What? You smile often.” 

But Urian knew that most of his smiles were cold sneers. 

Even though it appeared to be a lovely, flawless smile.

But with Marsha, he had smiled for real—even if it was a joke.

In addition, he came out anxiously to find her despite his illness. 

Even if there might be a stranger in the forest, Marsha had just disappeared for a moment.

“There was no scream or anything.”

He was worried, so he just searched for her.

Claudio was a great ruler and a leader worth following, but he was not a person who “personally” worried about others…

Urian swallowed hard and asked,
“How long do you plan to stay here?”

“Well…”

Claudio slowly moved his eyes.

“I’ll stay…”

His gaze moved back to the front door.

“Until I get bored.”

Claudio’s lips curved smoothly.

***

“You’re staying?”

Marsha said with a shocked expression.

“Yes.”

“Why? You should go back. The others must be worried about you, too.”

“I’ve already proven I’m safe, so it doesn’t matter.”

Claudio looked at Urian for agreement.

“That’s right. The important thing is Dio’s safety.”

“But still, is it okay to change your place of stay like this without permission? The Duke might be on leave, but you came here to attend to him.”

“The Duke is too busy to care about this kind of thing.”

“But…”

Marsha couldn’t seem to accept it and opened her mouth again. 

Claudio raised one eyebrow. 

He had expected some opposition, but didn’t think she’d try this hard to drive him away.

Then Marsha finally spoke up.

“…If you go back, you can get treatment from a doctor.”

Claudio’s eyes widened. 

Marsha glanced at Claudio’s face, then quickly turned her head away.

“This small house will also feel bigger.”

“…Well, I feel sorry about that too, but because of the Duke, I can’t go back.”

Marsha turned her head as if to say, “What do you mean?”

‘Her face looks like a curious cat who’s also scared.’

Claudio almost burst out laughing but held it back and said,
“He hates subordinates who get beaten up. If I show up like this, he’ll be annoyed. It’s better to return after I’ve fully recovered.”

“The Duke doesn’t like seeing his men show up beaten like this. If I went back in this state, he’d be annoyed. It’s better to return once I’m fully healed.”

“So he doesn’t mind if his men disappear from duty but gets upset if they return injured?”

That makes no sense. 

Marsha narrowed her eyes in suspicion, and just then, Urian carefully stepped in.

“The Duke can be… like that sometimes.”

“I don’t know much about him, but didn’t he even send knights to search for you? Would someone like that be so cold?”

Urian clenched his fist. 

How could he say something to ease the suspicion in those big eyes?

‘Ah.’

A good idea came to Urian, and his eyes lit up.

“The Duke didn’t order us to search. We found him on our own.”

Claudio stared at Urian with a look of disbelief.

Marsha asked in disbelief,
“So the Duke doesn’t even know this person went missing?”

Over a hundred people are serving the Duke now. Unless it’s someone close, he wouldn’t notice if one or two go missing.”

Marsha showed a disappointed expression.

“Then the reason you secretly searched for him was…”

“Yes. We were worried the Duke might hear about it.”

Urian felt proud of how smoothly his lie came out.

‘I didn’t know I could lie this well.’

But it wasn’t entirely a lie, was it? After all, the Duke didn’t order them to find Claudio.

“So it’s better for him to return after some recovery.”

Urian answered proudly. 

Marsha grew more troubled.

“Duke Gloria…”

He was known for his strict rule and ruthless nature. 

But after seeing him throw a grand festival for the people, she’d wondered if he might be kinder than the rumours suggested.

“He really must have a bad personality… How could he treat his men like this?’ The doubt in her eyes toward Claudio shifted into disapproval toward the Duke.”

Urian, thinking he had successfully convinced her, proudly looked at Claudio.

‘Uh-oh.’

Noticing Claudio looking displeased, Yurian quickly turned his head.

‘What? Did I mess up somewhere?’

At that moment, Marsha sighed heavily and said,
“…Anyway, I understand. Then how about staying somewhere other than my place? I don’t know how to serve nobles well, so I’m sure I’d make mistakes.”

“Serve you? What do you mean by that?”

Claudio asked with a bitter smile.

“You’re a noble anyway, right?”

“Me?”

Claudio pointed at himself and asked.

“…No?”

“Well, who knows?”

He shrugged his shoulders.

‘He’s joking again.’

She closed her eyes tightly and controlled her anger, then said,
“So I guess it’s okay to treat you like I usually do.”

“I don’t mind how you treat me, but there’s one thing I want you to fix.”

“What is it?”

Marsha’s beautiful, clear eyes twisted slightly. 

Her expression clearly said, “Then what should I call you?”

Claudio leaned his chin on his hand and smiled.

“You should call me Dio. You said it just fine earlier—why not now? Oh… are you feeling shy?”

“Should I just go stay somewhere else?”

Marsha’s face flushed as she snapped.

It wasn’t much of a threat—barely enough to scare a fly—but this time Claudio decided to back down.

“Come on, don’t blame me. I enjoy being here.

“The inn in Sedem is much better than this place.”

“That place is noisy.”

True enough, it was already crowded, and with the festival, even more people filled the inn and its surroundings.

Then Urian cautiously stepped in.

“I’ll repay you later. Could you please let us stay a little longer?”

‘…Repay.’

She wasn’t saving Claudio for money. 

And having ties with nobles or high people might reveal her status and put her at risk, so she didn’t even dream of compensation.

‘But somehow, these people seem willing to ignore my situation.’

And now they’re even offering repayment? 

Nothing wrong with that. 

It was good.

“Just for a little while then.”

Marsha answered Urian embarrassedly but shot a sharp look at Claudio.

“Like I said earlier, don’t expect me to be nice or treat you properly like a noble.”

“That’s fine. This is more than enough.”

Claudio smiled gently, narrowing his eyes.

‘He sure smiles a lot.’

Her cheeks slightly flushed, she turned away completely. 

Claudio asked suddenly as she turned around.

Claudio narrowed his eyes and gave a gentle smile.

“He sure knows how to smile.”

Her cheeks flushed softly as she abruptly turned her back on him. 

Claudio called out as she spun around suddenly.

“What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?”

“No.”

“Then why did you turn away?”

“Just because.”

“There’s no such thing as ‘just because.”

“Well, there is now. So stop asking.”

“Ha.”

Watching their bickering, Urian swallowed hard.

“Am I dreaming right now…?”

An ordinary woman and the Duke of Gloria arguing?

“No, this is something you wouldn’t even see in a dream…”