Chapter 10
It wasn’t because Venrucia’s actions were romantic or justified that she stayed still.
Having her wrist dragged forcefully like that—she found it deeply unpleasant.
Even so, she needed Venrucia.
Because that was the only way to survive.
So she endured it.
But when Venrucia hurt her as he pleased and then treated her as he pleased, his behavior eventually stirred up the resentment she had been holding back.
Thwack.
Senelia resolutely slapped away Venrucia’s hand from her wrist.
It was a reflex—an action she hadn’t consciously decided to take.
Realizing what she’d done, Senelia clamped her mouth shut. Then, belatedly, she opened it to speak.
“…If Your Grace has nothing more to say, I’ll take my leave.”
Senelia turned her back to Venrucia.
To her, he was now nothing more than a Grand Duke. And if she was going to draw a line, she knew all too well that she had to uphold her dignity to the very end.
But after seeing Clifford yesterday and now grappling with Venrucia today, she was too exhausted to care anymore.
“Wait, Seli.”
Venrucia called out and reached for her.
This time, his touch was more cautious.
Thinking back, Senelia had never known how to take care of herself. That’s why he always had to be the one careful.
“Do you… need someone to marry?”
Senelia’s expression hardened at the sudden, out-of-the-blue question.
Her emotions twisted inside her, beyond her control.
Venrucia Aphron—speaking of marriage?
…He hadn’t said a single word about engagement or marriage until now.
How could she not feel furious?
Senelia had already passed the prime age for marriage. Yennelov was now of age.
So it wasn’t unreasonable for Venrucia to think such thoughts.
But the very man who had contributed to her missing her prime had no right to bring it up now.
“…Did the viscount and his wife start pressuring you again?”
When Senelia didn’t respond, Venrucia continued.
Her body flinched.
She hadn’t expected him to know about that.
Ever since Senelia began passing the midpoint of her marriageable years, the Viscount and his wife had repeatedly brought up the subject of marriage.
At first, they’d held a sliver of hope that the Grand Duke might eventually take their daughter as his own.
But when no outcome came of it, they gave up.
Still, as time passed and Senelia remained in the Grand Duke’s estate without even getting engaged, they became angry. And eventually, they resigned themselves to it.
And like any child, Senelia didn’t want to teach her parents despair instead of hope.
“…You knew?”
Senelia’s voice trembled slightly, charged with emotion.
Even if she had memories of a past life, the people who had raised and loved her until now were the viscount and his wife.
To her, family now meant House Daphnen.
Watching them go through the process of disappointment, Senelia had never once spoken to Venrucia about engagement or marriage.
Because she couldn’t let him think she wanted anything from him.
It wasn’t just her who had endured the years by Venrucia’s side.
And now—he had known it all along?
Her heart couldn’t stay unaffected.
“…Yes.”
Venrucia realized he’d made a mistake at her reaction and shut his mouth for a moment.
But in the end, he had no choice but to slowly nod.
In that moment, Senelia’s mood plummeted to the depths.
“Since when?”
She was now questioning him, not even realizing it herself.
“…Any parent would worry if their child reached marriageable age and still hadn’t even gotten engaged.”
Venrucia couldn’t meet Senelia’s eyes.
Which meant—it had been a long time.
She was stunned.
She had no idea what to say.
Then he continued, as if to explain himself.
“So I waited for you to say something, Seli. But you never did.”
To Senelia, his words sounded like he was blaming her silence.
He had ignored everything until now, and now he was blaming her?
She couldn’t hold back anymore.
“If I had said something, would Your Grace have done anything about it?”
How absurd.
If she had brought it up, she would have been cut off by Venrucia.
She was sure of it.
“Of course I—”
For the first time, Senelia cut him off and spoke her own truth.
“Of course not. Nothing would’ve changed.”
And then, for the first time, she mocked him, repeating his words in a sarcastic tone.
“There’s no way…!”
Venrucia tried to object, but Senelia didn’t listen.
“There is a way. Your Grace is still in love with only one person, isn’t that right?”
As soon as she said it, Venrucia’s face changed completely.
It was a change anyone could see.
Senelia let out a small, mocking laugh.
With that kind of person, what help could I possibly hope for?
“Shut your mouth, Seli.”
Venrucia warned her.
But Senelia ignored the warning.
She didn’t care that her actions might ruin everything.
She hated him—hated that he ignored not only her but her parents’ pain too.
The hatred was so overwhelming it felt like it would tear her apart from within.
So she couldn’t stop herself.
“Lukalina Elian. She still holds all of Your Grace’s heart. How could I possibly dare hope for marriage with you?”
She finally spoke her name aloud.
“I know my place, Your Grace.”
Her tone was twisted and bitter.
Grit.
The sound of teeth grinding could be heard.
For a long time, Venrucia had treated Lukalina’s name as forbidden.
When the emperor had tried to send the young Venrucia to the battlefield, she was the only one who stood in his way.
And as a result, Lukalina herself had been sent to war at a young age.
At the time, Clifford had just claimed the throne in a bloodbath—no one could oppose his decisions.
Venrucia had carried a lifetime of guilt toward her ever since.
And now, Senelia had brought up that name.
“If I’d known you were so eager to get married that you’d jump ship to Pendragon’s heir so quickly, I wouldn’t have cared if you left earlier.”
Venrucia lashed out, deliberately choosing words that would hurt.
“Yes, I know. I foolishly clung to you.”
But Senelia didn’t back down.
Of course she didn’t.
Another blade stabbing into a body already shredded wouldn’t make a difference.
“I’m not blaming Your Grace. I never once expected anything from you.”
Senelia said quietly, hiding her expression as usual.
Because she knew—it was easier to shake someone when you didn’t show your emotions.
The emperor had taught her that through painful repetition.
“…Ha. Right, you never wanted anything from me. Not ever.”
Venrucia’s biting words rebounded painfully onto himself.
Senelia’s intention had worked perfectly.
He looked utterly miserable.
He had no idea how much Senelia knew about Lukalina.
In fact, he had only just learned today that Senelia even cared about her.
For eight years, Senelia had never spoken of herself.
So how could he have known?
Now that Senelia was making him recognize that fact, Venrucia’s mood grew even fouler.
While she had been away from the Grand Duke’s estate, he’d come to a realization—
That she knew far more about him than he ever imagined.
And he, in comparison, didn’t even know half of who she was.
At some point, she had become someone who only smiled quietly by his side, nodded along, and answered when asked.
“Right. So don’t worry. Even if I desperately wanted to get married, I wouldn’t beg you for it.”
Her sharp, cutting words stabbed through him.
Senelia couldn’t hurt him for not loving her, but at the very least, she wanted him to feel just as miserable as she did now.
“…What if it’s not me?”
He had been the one to mention Pendragon’s heir, and yet hearing it wasn’t him made Venrucia feel even worse.
“As Your Grace said, I might switch to Pendragon’s heir.”
Senelia deliberately echoed his own words as if to provoke him—and it worked flawlessly.
“Seli!”
Just imagining someone else standing beside Senelia made Venrucia raise his voice without realizing it.
“Your Grace, I’m sorry, but I can no longer call you by that pet name. I have no intention to—and no right to do so anymore.”
‘We are nothing. So don’t call me affectionately again.’
That was what she meant.
At that moment, Venrucia forgot why he was angry to begin with and blurted out,
“…That damned marriage. If that’s all it takes, then I’ll do it.”
Those words—meant to placate her—only left Senelia’s already stormy heart in complete chaos.
Her throat tightened. She swallowed something down and finally managed to speak.
“…That damned marriage?”
It was a short, weak reply—
but it struck like a death blow.
