Chapter 10
“Ho… how….”
I stammered, swallowing dryly.
No matter what, this is the Grand Duchess’s bedroom…
How could someone do this to another person’s room?
“……”
When I unconsciously turned around, the Grand Duke was still standing behind me, not having left yet.
Who on earth did this?
Access to outsiders in this castle was strictly controlled, so it was highly likely that the servants were responsible—but I couldn’t just accuse them without evidence.
If it wasn’t the servants, then it had to be an outsider. And the only outsiders who had come to the castle today were the physician who visited me and the servants sent from the Azanie Count’s family.
They had come to deliver a box of medicine—said to help restore my strength—sent out of concern for my health.
Of course, that medicine had only been brought to my room after an apothecary thoroughly inspected it and confirmed it was genuine.
Suddenly, a thought struck me—what if one of those servants had sneaked in here?
They could easily disguise a swordsman as a servant, couldn’t they?
All to kill both me and the Grand Duke!
“No…!”
I quickly looked at the Grand Duke.
It wasn’t just me—he was in danger too.
Right now, the only person who could protect me from the Azanie Count’s family and the Imperial Investigation Bureau… was this man.
“The one who did this to my room might be hiding somewhere! Please order your guards to secure your chambers! They could be preparing to attack at any moment!”
The Grand Duke, who had been looking at my ruined bedroom, looked down at me as if I had just said something absurd.
“If they failed once and are planning something else, that’s even more dangerous!”
“……”
“No… if my bedroom is like this, it could mean the layout of the rooms has been exposed. You should sleep somewhere else too, Your Highness!”
After carefully scanning my face, the Grand Duke glanced at the vicious curses and insults scrawled at the entrance of the bedroom.
“Then you.”
“Yes?”
“Where are you planning to go?”
When I placed a pillow on the sofa, the Grand Duke looked at me with a contemplative expression.
“……”
Despite my suggestion that he sleep elsewhere, the Grand Duke intended to stay in his own bedroom—and the only change in his plan was that he had brought me along.
“I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
“Why state the obvious?”
Right. A man sharp enough to grind manners into dust.
Of course, the owner takes the bed and the unexpected guest takes the sofa—but I didn’t expect him to say it so bluntly.
“I can go back to that room—the one that looked like a hospital room.”
I had said that while walking down the corridor after leaving my wrecked bedroom, but the Grand Duke had brought me here instead.
‘Isn’t it possible she trashed the room herself to escape suspicion?’
For that reason, he couldn’t leave me in a guest room or anywhere else.
So, according to the Grand Duke—
The injuries on my body? Self-inflicted.
The grotesque state of my room? Also my doing.
“Hmm….”
No matter what I did, that terrifying man would always suspect me.
I should hurry and get him to have an affair, take alimony, and escape overseas.
“Good night.”
“……”
Instead of replying, he silently leaned back against the bed, and I lay down properly on the sofa, resting my head on the pillow.
Starlight seeped through the window, filling the bedroom with a bluish darkness.
Beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass, the Milky Way shimmered as if it were about to pour down.
It strangely reminded me that this world, though unreal, was already my reality.
Lying on the sofa and staring blankly outside, I turned over toward the table.
“……”
What?
A book on the table began to glow.
It was the same light I had seen earlier in the newspaper.
My body jerked upright on its own, and instinctively, I reached out and opened the book.
[Someone wishes to help you. Will you accept?]
“Help…?”
“With what?”
“Eek!”
Startled by the sudden low voice from the air, I whipped my head around.
The Grand Duke, who had been reading in bed, was looking at me.
He was reading?
Now that I thought about it, there were books scattered everywhere—on the bedside table, the desk, the console.
“…Uh, well.”
I glanced at the brilliantly glowing book, then back at the Grand Duke.
Can he not see the light from this book?
Come to think of it, even though it was shining so brightly, it wasn’t casting any light or shadows on the vase or the cushion in front of me.
“I—I was about to read too.”
I hurriedly pretended to flip through the pages.
“You seem to like reading. There are books everywhere. It’s okay if I read one too, right?”
“That doesn’t sound like you’re asking permission.”
“Huh?”
“You’re already reading it.”
“Ah….”
He was right—I had already opened it without asking.
“Hehe… I guess I am.”
I smiled awkwardly, and from afar, he pressed his lips together with a calm expression.
Under the antique lamp’s dim light, his disheveled hair framed his deep eyes, sharp brow, high nose bridge, tightly set lips, and defined jawline.
Below that, his Adam’s apple, broad shoulders, and well-defined muscles were exposed on his bare upper body.
If he had taken off his pants too earlier, I might have fainted on the spot.
“…Is something wrong?”
His gaze lingered on me for a while, so I cautiously asked.
“You don’t look very affected.”
“…?”
“You don’t seem to be thinking much either.”
“……”
I blinked in confusion before recalling the scene in my bedroom earlier.
Did he think I would naturally be in shock after seeing that?
“You mean… my bedroom?”
To him, it must have looked utterly horrific—but I had lived in worse places before, so rather than shock, I was more curious about who did it.
Besides, who was it that said I might have done that to my own room?
I shrugged and chose to smile brightly.
“I was surprised, yes. But even if I stress over it now, nothing will change. I’ll deal with tomorrow’s problems tomorrow.”
“…Were you always like that?”
“What was I like before?”
“How would I know?”
“Hmm….”
“Read your book.”
The Grand Duke turned his gaze away and resumed reading.
Looking at his half-lowered eyes, I understood why newspapers praised his appearance so much.
Snapping back to my senses, I clutched the book.
“This isn’t the time.”
There was no way I’d refuse help.
I quickly selected ‘Accept.’
The message disappeared, then new text spread across the page.
[Congratulations! A helper will soon appear for Lea Azanie.]
A helper?
[An anonymous helper has sent you your first message.
Would you like to read it?]
Of course!
Before selecting, I glanced at the Grand Duke.
If he noticed me just tapping instead of reading, he might find it strange.
Fortunately, he didn’t seem interested in me.
I quickly pressed ‘Yes.’
A message inbox appeared, and a new message—without preview—popped up.
As if possessed, I opened it.
[Do not fall asleep tonight.]
“What?”
Don’t sleep?
The hologram vanished as soon as I frowned.
It was definitely good news that someone willing to help me had appeared—but…
Don’t sleep?
“……”
If there was anyone here who might help me, the only person I could think of was the butler who had been somewhat kind to me.
Though it was more politeness than kindness.
“Yawn…!”
I quickly covered my mouth as a yawn escaped, and I felt the Grand Duke’s gaze slowly lift toward me.
Only the sound of him turning pages echoed in the quiet bedroom.
“You’ve barely been holding that book.”
Without even looking at me, his tone sounded like a strict teacher scolding a drowsy student.
I instinctively straightened my back and raised the book to my face.
“I’m not sleepy. I was really focused just now.”
“Impressive. You can read just by tapping it with your fingers.”
As expected—his sarcasm was world-class. It always made me think twice.
“You saw that…?”
I peeked out from behind the book.
At some point, he had put his book aside and was looking at me.
“Well, uh… the book is kind of…”
I trailed off, then looked at the cover.
“The Unchanging Strategy — History Edition”
Wow. A book like this would make anyone fall asleep just by looking at the cover, no matter the era.
“…It’s not really my area of interest.”
I casually added that as I placed it back on the table.
Something unreadable flickered across his expression before disappearing.
“I see.”
Now what?
My lips felt dry, unsure what to say.
Silence was uncomfortable, and it seemed better to pretend to sleep than to continue talking.
The anonymous helper had told me not to sleep, so even if he fell asleep, I had to stay awake.
“Aren’t you sleeping?”
“……”
“I’m going to sleep now.”
After glancing at the Grand Duke—who ignored everything I said—I lay down on the sofa.
“Have a good dream.”
It felt like I was talking to a wall, but I was getting used to that.
Eventually, the light that had been illuminating the room faded—perhaps the Grand Duke had fallen asleep.
My vision blurred as drowsiness crept in.
In the deep silence of the Grand Duke’s bedroom late at night, footsteps echoed as someone walked closer—
and then stopped right behind me.
“……”
Did the Grand Duke stop behind the sofa?
I kept my eyes shut, pretending to be asleep, breathing steadily.
Soon, I heard footsteps again and assumed he was returning to the bed.
Thud—
“…!”
No.
He had opened the door and left.
