Chapter 57

Alice stared at him as if entranced, then cleared her throat.

“Ah, yes. I’m fine. You… you look alright, Duke.”

The blood on his cheek wasn’t his own after all.

“…Thank goodness.”

It would be a shame if that rare, sculpture-like face got scarred.

“Pardon?”

Kylus asked, not quite catching Alice’s quiet mumble.

Alice waved her hand and changed the subject.

“Oh, it’s nothing. More importantly, thank you for saving me. If it weren’t for you… I would have died right there.”

“I promised, didn’t I? That I would protect you as long as you’re in the Duchy.”

“Still. Gratitude is gratitude, after all.”

“You’re the one who saved my life. So you don’t need to thank me every time. I will always protect you from now on.”

Kylus said seriously.

Alice let out an awkward laugh at his sincerity, and his lips moved again.

“By the way, those thieves earlier, no, they weren’t thieves but assassins.”

Kylus corrected himself.

He had clearly recognized earlier that they weren’t mere thieves.

Kylus continued, looking at her.

“Those assassins weren’t the type to carry out missions for a few coins. They were thoroughly trained. As far as I know, Alice, you married me without even having a social debut, isn’t that right?”

“…That’s correct.”

Kylus seemed to be trying to figure out who sent the assassins.

Of course, Alice already knew who sent them, but she couldn’t say it outright.

It wouldn’t make sense to Kylus that the Empress had sent assassins.

Besides, the Empress who had tea with her in the afternoon sent assassins at dawn?

Even she found it absurd, how could Kylus possibly believe it?

“Trained assassins came to kill you, who has no connections in the capital… Do you have any idea who it might be? Someone you’ve offended, or perhaps you learned a secret you shouldn’t have?”

Kylus’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Alice swallowed hard at his gaze that seemed to be probing her thoughts.

Now is not the time.

Accusing the Empress without evidence would only make Alice look strange.

So Alice decided to take a step back for now.

Alice slowly moved her pale lips.

“I’m not sure. I really… have no idea who would want to kill me…”

“…I see. If you don’t know, there’s nothing we can do. I’ll investigate the survivor.”

Fortunately, Kylus didn’t press further.

Alice adjusted her posture and called out to Kylus.

“Duke. I have something to tell you.”

“…Go ahead.”

She hadn’t originally planned to say it like this.

But with assassins barging in right away, Alice needed to quickly find a strong shield to protect her.

“Is your offer still valid? The offer to stay in the Duchy.”

“It is.”

“Then I’ll accept that offer. But I have a condition.”

Kylus’s eyes, which had widened in surprise, sharpened.

“A condition?”

“One year, I’ll stay by your side for just one year. I’ll use my holy power to the best of my ability until your body is completely healed, so please divorce me cleanly after a year.”

“…”

“I don’t want money or power. What I want is just one thing…”

“You want me to protect you for the next year, is that it?”

“…Yes. It’s… clear that someone wants to kill me, even if I don’t know who.”

Although she had decided to join hands with Kylus, Alice didn’t intend to stay by his side forever, even after the Empress was dealt with.

After all, they weren’t in a real marital relationship to begin with.

It was right to step down from the position of Duchess.

That’s why she set the condition of one year, which was when all the events of the original story would end.

Kylus silently stared at Alice for a moment.

Could he be planning to refuse?

One year was more than enough time for his body to heal.

The reason Kylus had kept her was because of the holy power that could heal his body, so it didn’t seem like a bad condition.

Even as she thought this, Alice grew anxious as Kylus’s silence lengthened.

Should I have said two years…?

Unlike before, now Alice desperately needed Kylus’s strength.

There was no guarantee that a situation like earlier wouldn’t happen again.

Although some scenes were too gruesome to take in, Alice properly realized how strong Kylus was while watching him deal with the assassins.

Just as Alice was about to open her mouth again, Kylus finally broke the silence.

“I accept your condition. For the next year, I look forward to working with you, Alice.”

Kylus extended his hand to her. Despite his hesitant silence earlier, his expression was now composed.

“…Yes. I look forward to working with you too, Duke.”

Alice hesitated for a moment before grasping his hand.

A light handshake.

After shaking hands as if sealing a negotiation, Kylus immediately released Alice’s hand.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

The person who entered the bedroom was Davit, the gray-haired knight commander of the Duchy.

Alice hadn’t gotten a proper look at him on the day they first met because she was too overwhelmed, but she had quite liked Davit’s character in the original story.

He was a true knight who thought only of his lord until the moment of his death.

Ah, right. Davit had died.

In the original story, Davit died while saving the Baroness of Meltain. In his last moments, he smiled, saying he could finally go to see his lord.

As she looked at him properly, his last moments naturally came to mind.

Just as Kylus had survived, couldn’t Davit be saved too?

The original story had already diverged quite a bit, hadn’t it?

Perhaps because she had decided to be with Kylus, Alice’s gaze towards Davit changed.

“Alice.”

At that moment, Kylus called her.

“Yes?”

As she turned her head, Kylus’s face was strangely stiff for some reason.

“Do you have something to say to Davit?”

“Ah, no! It’s nothing. Haha.”

It seemed she had been staring intently at Davit without realizing it, as Davit’s final moments had come to mind.

Alice gave an awkward smile, but Kylus turned to Davit with a still hardened face.

“What is it?”

“…The cleaning of Madam’s room is complete. And… the one thief who was alive has been moved to the underground prison, but he committed suicide as soon as he regained consciousness. It seems he had a poison pouch in his mouth.”

“Was anything stolen from the underground treasure vault?”

“Well, it seems they attempted to rob the vault, but no items were actually stolen.”

“As expected, they weren’t just ordinary thieves.”

“I apologize for not managing the survivor properly.”

Davit bowed his head to Kylus.

With the only survivor dead, they could no longer obtain any information.

Although Davit apologized with a heavy face for his mistake, Kylus showed no particular reaction.

“It’s alright.”

Rather, he seemed to have expected it.

“The corpses are…”

Kylus started to speak to Davit but stopped abruptly.

Corpses…

Although Alice didn’t hear the rest, she could easily imagine what he was going to say.

I think I’m starting to feel sick again.

Glancing at Alice’s crumpled expression, he changed his words.

“We’ll discuss the details when day breaks. You may leave now.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

After Davit left the bedroom, Kylus spoke to Alice.

“It would be best if we get some sleep before dawn breaks.”

“Ah…”

He had said that her bedroom was all cleaned up.

So it was right that she should return now.

That was right, but…

Alice just couldn’t bring herself to say she would return to her own room.

After all, how many people had died there today?

Even if all traces had been completely removed, Alice’s eyes and mind remembered that catastrophe vividly.

How could she sleep there?

Moreover, she was still scared to be alone.

Although she was trying her best to appear calm, she wasn’t really unaffected.

It was the first time death had come so close.

The terror of facing the assassins would vividly come to mind just by closing her eyes.

…Can’t I sleep here?

She would feel safe if she was with Kylus.

Alice thought she must be crazy, but she sincerely wanted to do so.

That’s how scary tonight had been.

Can’t I sleep here? I can even sleep on the sofa.

Such words circled in her mouth, but just as she couldn’t bring herself to say them out loud, Kylus spoke.

“It might be difficult for you to sleep in your bedroom tonight. Should I have another room prepared?”

“No! I don’t want to wake up the servants and make them work at this hour.”

“Then, in that room… would you be alright?”

“That’s a bit…”

Alice trailed off, looking around.

Should I say it?

As Alice rolled her eyes, Kylus spoke like a savior.

“Or, just for tonight, why don’t you sleep here? When day breaks, I’ll have the butler prepare a new room.”

“That sounds good!”

Alice answered as if she had been waiting for this, causing Kylus’s eyebrows to rise slightly.

“Ah, I mean… I think it would be best to do as you say, that’s what I meant.”

Alice awkwardly added, but Kylus didn’t seem to pay much attention as he stood up.

“You should sleep on the bed.”

“Oh, no. It’s not even my room, I’ll sleep on the sofa. I sleep well on sofas.”

“If you sleep on the sofa, I won’t be able to sleep.”

“But…”

“If you don’t want to make me out to be a ruffian who doesn’t consider a lady, then just get on the bed.”

“Alright.”

Alice couldn’t argue anymore in the face of Kylus’s firmness.

Still, I feel a bit sorry.

Alice kept glancing at Kylus as she went to the bed, but he didn’t move.

Only when Alice settled on the bed did Kylus move to lower the light of the magic lamp.

Just enough for a soft glow perfect for sleeping.

“If you’re not planning to burn a hole in my back with your gaze, you should stop staring.”

Kylus said.

“…I wasn’t looking at you, Duke.”

Alice said in surprise, but all she heard was Kylus’s light laughter, as if he knew better.