Chapter 29
Johannes Schultz is a dangerous man.
His father, the guardian of Musen, is dead, and the Johannes hidden behind the veil is nothing like what you imagined.
Edward Windsor kept planting seeds of doubt in me.
Was he simply trying to drive a wedge between me and Johannes? But for what reason?
Having not spent much time with Johannes, I lacked the discernment to tell truth from lies.
After all, I only knew fragments of him.
The son of the former Duke Schultz, who was killed under false charges. A man who honestly proposed to me, saying he needed me for his own goals.
‘What else do I really know about Johannes…?’
Nothing. He was never one to reveal himself easily.
Through the narrow gap in the curtains, Johannes approached in long strides. At last, he stood just before me and forcefully pushed the curtain aside.
The rings hanging from the curtain rod clinked together noisily. The chatter from the noisy banquet hall hit my ears.
Johannes looked down at me with a stern expression.
Tightly drawn lips, sharp eyes, cold gaze—he was clearly angry.
I flinched instinctively.
“If you were trying to hide, you did a poor job.”
“That’s not—”
I reflexively began to make excuses but fell silent. He had stepped in front of me rather than berating me.
“Oh, you saw me? I should’ve tried harder to hide.”
“Next time, try putting in a little effort.”
“Then you might not find me.”
Edward lightly patted Johannes on the shoulder.
“Chill out, cousin. I didn’t say anything crazy. If you keep scowling like that, you’ll scare people.”
“If it’s something you can’t say in front of me, better not say it at all. Trouble learning, are we?”
Edward’s brow furrowed.
“Unfortunately, that might be true. The older I get, the more stubborn I become.”
“Still running your mouth, I see.”
He continued to stand between me and Edward, completely blocking the view. I found myself staring silently at his broad back.
Just moments ago, my heart was churning with anxiety. Now, it had settled completely.
Edward Windsor, a royal aiming to keep the Schultz family in check. There was no reason for me to doubt Johannes just because of his hollow words.
No matter what anyone said, Johannes had promised to fulfill his duties as a husband. I had to do the same.
Thinking that way made me scoff.
How could someone so shamelessly try to come between a newlywed couple?
“I didn’t say anything crazy. Just pointed out how cold you are and gave her some advice. Told her to run while she still could.”
Edward raised his hands in surrender. Johannes replied with a bored tone.
“You’ve given your useless advice, made your appearance at the wedding. Seems your business here is done. You don’t have the luxury of enjoying Musen’s pleasures, do you?”
“Of course not. So much is going on in Baden. Compared to that, Musen is so peaceful it’s almost enviable.”
Edward looked around dreamily.
“Might even transfer here,” he muttered, eyes rolling upward as if he meant it.
And honestly, I wouldn’t blame him. Major and minor incidents constantly filled Baden’s daily newspapers.
Occasionally, crimes too gruesome to mention were reported even in Musen’s press.
As Baden’s Chief of Police, he must long for this peace. Even if Musen wasn’t what it used to be—it was still better than Baden.
“It’d be ideal, if someone didn’t shatter that peace.”
At Johannes’ words, Edward tilted his head.
In the tense silence, I looked between the two men. A chilling tension prickled at my instincts.
There seemed to be many things between them beyond what Sir Pratt had mentioned.
After a pause, Edward gave a deflated chuckle.
“That one had bite.”
“Pity. I explained myself earlier, but I guess your comprehension has worsened since we last met.”
“Oh, I get it. You’re telling me to get lost from your perfect territory. But you know, I’ve never been the obedient type.”
Johannes said something I couldn’t catch, and Edward’s playful expression instantly hardened.
Then he muttered, “Just a joke, just a joke,” and winked slyly at me.
What on earth is he thinking?
As I frowned, Edward gave me one last look and walked away.
Only then did the tension leave me. I dropped my stiff shoulders and looked up at Johannes.
His cold face softened when our eyes met.
“I know we didn’t marry for love, but I didn’t expect you to cheat on me on our wedding day.”
“If someone hears that…!”
I quickly looked around. No one was within earshot, and only then did I sigh and reply.
“He didn’t say anything serious.”
Johannes looked unconvinced.
“Really?”
“Yes, really. He just asked how we met. Seemed genuinely curious.”
I considered telling Johannes about Edward’s outrageous comments but hesitated. I didn’t trust Edward’s words, but…
Considering how strained their relationship seemed, would it really help to stir things up?
Especially on a day like this.
I turned to look out the window.
It was a good day. One I hadn’t felt in a long time—not since Father passed away.
‘Marriage is a blessing, Edith.’
Trying to forget Father’s words, I looked up at the stars scattered across the sky and forced a smile through the lump in my throat.
“It really wasn’t a big deal.”
After the brief commotion, the reception continued without incident.
The noblewomen who had picked on me earlier didn’t so much as glance in my direction. I greeted the other nobles as they came.
Some were rude, but most were friendly. Just as Sir Pratt had said, I didn’t seem to be lacking in etiquette.
“The Duchess is quite different from other common-born ladies.”
Whether they were sincere or just being polite, I responded with a pleasant smile.
Once the greetings were mostly done, I had a few glasses of champagne.
As the alcohol settled in, my nerves relaxed. Only then did I find the courage to ask Johannes a question.
While we stood on the balcony enjoying the breeze, I asked as he leaned on the railing and pulled out a cigarette.
“Am I really that good with noble etiquette?”
“You are.”
He paused before lighting it to answer.
“Really…? I thought Sir Pratt was just complimenting me. I assumed the nobles were just flattering you.”
He didn’t respond this time. He simply lit his cigarette with a flick of his lighter.
As I stared at the tiny flame flickering in the dark, I continued murmuring.
“That’s kind of strange. Neither I nor Father had any ties to nobility. So how did I learn their etiquette…? No matter how I think about it, we had no connections to high society.”
I looked up while gripping the railing. Stars were like jewels in the black sky.
Breathing out the stale air from the reception and taking in the crisp night air, a quiet question reached me.
“Why are you so certain?”
I turned my head to face Johannes. His blue eyes, calm and shadowed by the dark, looked at me with an unreadable gaze.
Just as I sensed some unknown irony in his look, he turned away and exhaled a deep breath of smoke.
“Well, maybe Father taught me hoping I’d marry into a powerful noble family and live comfortably.”
I laughed at the ridiculousness of my own words.
That wasn’t like him at all.
He would’ve told me to marry a man with passion and love, even if he wasn’t rich.
Isaac Prim was that kind of man. So I didn’t know why he taught me noble etiquette…
“I guess I’ll never know.”
“……”
“But in the end, it worked out. I was terrified of messing up noble etiquette, and that’s one fear crossed off the list.”
I smiled at Johannes, suppressing all the unanswerable thoughts in my head.
Through the crystal wine glass, the night sky shimmered. I sipped the wine that seemed to hold the scattered starlight.
It wasn’t strong, nor overly sweet. As I stood beside Johannes on the balcony, savoring the wine he brought, the alcohol warmed me further.
Looking at his wine glass—perched precariously on the railing, barely touched—I asked,
“What kind of person was my father in the military?”
A half-impulsive question.
Maybe it was because marriage marked a big turning point in my life, but I had been thinking of Father more than usual today.
It was the day I finally stopped running, ever since I heard of his passing.
Johannes frowned like he had encountered a difficult question.
“Is that something that needs such deep thought? I thought you said you were close.”
