Chapter 28
Edward’s previously upright head tilted slightly. His blue eyes scanned me as if licking me down to my core.
It was a feeling I had never experienced before—somewhat damp, cold, and sticky.
It was not the same as a chilling gaze; it sent an ominous sensation down my spine. I reflexively shivered my shoulders.
“…You’re quite good at spouting nonsense.”
Unable to withstand his gaze, I turned my head away.
“Of course, I was joking. It was just that surprising to me.”
Was it really that shocking that Johannes married me?
From the noble ladies to Edward, everyone spoke as if Johannes had made some terrible mistake.
But if they thought about it for even a moment, they’d know why he chose me—to turn public opinion around…
Yet, these people seemed utterly convinced that Johannes would never make such a choice. Because of that, it felt like my entire existence was being questioned, and I didn’t like it.
I spoke as if denying his assumptions.
“Please don’t talk like you know everything about my husband. He’s kinder and more considerate than you think.”
“How long have you known him?”
“…Pardon?”
“You sound very sure of yourself.”
Edward gestured with his fingers, counting aloud.
“He was in the military until just before the previous Duke Schultz was executed. Considering the time he was in hiding, you’ve only known him for two or three months at most.”
“…”
“You look like I struck a nerve. Look, Duchess—I’ve known Johannes for over twenty years.”
“I don’t see what that has to do with me.”
Edward muttered in frustration, then glanced around. Soon, his large hand reached for the thick velvet curtain beside us.
“Saying he suddenly fell for your looks is an amusing story, I’ll admit. But it’s not like noble ladies are lacking in beauty.”
“What exactly are you trying to say?”
“Ah. Your reaction is more interesting than I thought, which makes me keep beating around the bush. I apologize.”
Edward offered a habitual apology, then untied the curtain tied to the wall, completely isolating the space between us from the rest of the hall. In a hushed voice, he whispered to me:
“I don’t believe Johannes proposed to you because he fell in love at first sight.”
His smooth tone carried an undercurrent of sharpness.
But I couldn’t deny it.
As Edward said, there was clearly no incident between us that would make anyone fall in love at first sight.
Besides…
‘Edward Windsor knows Johannes better than I do. That much is certain.’
I had acted like I knew Johannes better than him, but anyone could see that was a lie.
“Have you ever felt something was off?”
At his straightforward question, I bit my lower lip.
“I feel strange about it all the time. If you don’t, then there’s nothing I can do.”
As I fell silent, lost in faint suspicion, Edward added:
“Oh dear, I was found out quicker than expected.”
“What was?”
“According to you, the Duke, who supposedly loves you so dearly, is walking this way.”
He gestured with his chin.
“I never said that…!”
Startled, I raised my voice, but Edward lifted a long index finger to his lips.
He then leaned forward slightly and whispered more seriously in my ear:
“If Johannes shows even the slightest hint of suspicious behavior, I mean it when I say you can come to me for help. And…”
He fixed his gaze on the approaching Johannes and delivered a warning.
That your husband is dangerous.
“I don’t know how deep your great love runs, but don’t get too close. Don’t get attached.”
So even now, you should run. Far, far away.
** * * * **
An endlessly boring series of events.
No matter how often he heard the polite chatter of the surrounding nobles, Johannes could never get used to it.
He briefly maintained a polite smile as he dealt with them, but the mounting boredom and tedium soon made him close and open his eyes slowly.
All around him were people wearing masks.
The same people who gossiped about the fall of House Schultz behind his back now flattered him as if they were willing to give up everything for him. It was never an amusing sight.
“I thought the Duke wasn’t interested in women at all,” said Baron Verdo, dressed in a garish outfit, nodding eagerly. His expression clearly showed regret at not offering his own daughter sooner.
“The Duchess is remarkably beautiful. A woman should be like a lovely flower, after all.”
The unnecessary comment revealed his true intentions—to devalue the marriage however he could.
In other words, she was only pretty and nothing else.
He couldn’t dare criticize her background in front of the Duke, so he opted for subtle contempt.
“She’s not just about looks.”
Johannes responded with a pleasant smile.
“She’s bright and perceptive. Not a decorative flower.”
A statement that Edith couldn’t even be compared to the wild, useless daughter of Baron Verdo who was infamous in high society.
“…Indeed. Surely the Duke wouldn’t be taken in by mere looks.”
Baron Verdo forced a smile and stepped back as Johannes remained unbothered.
Then, like a man without pride, he continued spouting hollow stories as if they were profound. Even though Johannes didn’t show the slightest interest.
The man truly had no spine.
Johannes sighed quietly.
Edith had disappeared a while ago, and the other nobles insisted on continuing pointless conversations.
He was just about fed up.
“I hear the royal family seems to view the Duchess favorably. Regardless of all the gossip, they even sent Prince Windsor to this event.”
“You’re not saying I should be grateful, are you?”
At Baron Verdo’s words, Johannes, who had been loosening his tie, frowned.
Everything the man had said so far went in one ear and out the other, but surprisingly, that one line lingered.
Seeing Johannes finally react, Baron Verdo raised his voice excitedly.
“Ah yes, the Duchess seemed to be heading somewhere with Prince Windsor just a moment ago.”
“She did?”
“Yes! Of course, I’m sure they didn’t leave the building alone at this late hour…”
She’d already been on his mind after disappearing. Every time he tried to look for her, someone else popped up to distract him.
“Where did they go?”
Johannes asked curtly.
“Well… I don’t think they left the banquet hall. But…”
Too caught up in the Duke’s attention, Baron Verdo didn’t notice he was being ignored until Johannes walked past him without hesitation.
“D-Duke!”
As Verdo’s face turned red and blue, the surrounding nobles all muttered in unison:
“I guess this wasn’t an act after all. Just look at that reaction.”
“I told you. Even if the royal family is powerful, this is House Schultz. They’re regaining their footing. Best to get on the Duchess’s good side.”
“She’s a commoner though…”
“So what? Times are changing. Besides, frankly… the so-called evidence of the former Duke embezzling royal funds always looked too easy to forge, didn’t it?”
It was clear that the nobles around had completely bought into the relationship between Edith and Johannes.
As they watched Johannes’s retreating figure, they began forming their own positions.
Meanwhile, Johannes finally realized what had been irritating him for a while now.
Walking toward the area partially blocked by a large man, he saw, behind the curtain, a glimpse of Edith’s back and Edward’s face.
“…Annoying.”
Edward Windsor showing interest in Edith Prim was inevitable. From a young age, he had obsessively involved himself in anything related to Johannes Schultz.
Because he resented that Johannes—a mere cadet branch—possessed the blonde hair and blue eyes that the royal bloodline lacked.
For that reason, Edward always coveted what belonged to Johannes. And perhaps…
Johannes’s blue eyes settled on Edith’s shoulder through the curtain.
“That’s my role, isn’t it?”
Role. Even now, the absurdity of that word made Johannes let out a quiet laugh.
Sure, they married out of necessity, but he hadn’t expected her to think of it in such a way.
When he asked if she could kiss another man, she boldly gave an unexpected answer.
“I’ve never imagined such a thing, so I wouldn’t know.”
The kiss that followed was almost impulsive.
To Johannes, her reply sounded like a subtle provocation, as if she would kiss another man.
Just when he decided to make sure she’d never try something like that again—his body moved before his thoughts.
Edith had seemed momentarily flustered, but then turned the tables and flustered him instead.
“Wouldn’t it be better to make sure no other man even thinks of kissing me?”
The gentle tug on his nape, the bold kiss she gave, and her stiff body that betrayed her inexperience—all of it lingered in his mind.
Johannes absentmindedly brushed his lips.
The soft, warm sensation still felt vivid. But then…
Behind the curtain, Edward Windsor approached Edith openly. He whispered something to her, then turned and smiled straight at Johannes.
“…Ha.”
After all that, she’s brazenly flirting with another man on their wedding day?