Chapter 69

Chapter 69. Heart-Pounding Summer Vacation!

“What?! It’s not the same main building, but an annex? Annex~? Are you kidding me? What about the princess?”

“Isn’t it mutual aid? You said you would personally monitor her, so it is in accordance with that.”

Dietrich’s mouth fell shut.

He had no idea that what he said would come back to him like this. Having said that, he was planning on enjoying a leisurely vacation…

But that wasn’t the only reason why he couldn’t understand this situation.

“Hmm… Do you…is it okay for the princess to use the room next to mine?”

“Yes?”

“Keum. No… you have nothing to do with the princess, I mean.”

Heinz’s brow furrowed at the strange words. He doesn’t know what he was even saying. What kind of relationship could there be between him and the princess?

However, Dietrich’s face looked quite serious when he asked this, and Heinz’s eyebrows rose awkwardly.

“…Are you dreaming? What nonsense…”

“No, last night…! Wait, wait a minute… Is she by any chance that lady?”

Dietrich, who had been muttering gibberish with a confused look on his face, suddenly stopped talking and gently rubbed his chin. Because it reminded him of another carriage that had entered the mansion together.

Miss Milena Pallenberg and Lady Henelone Pallenberg. One is a married woman, so she is excluded. Then…

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“Uhm….. I guess not.”

There was a reason why his face became bright recently.

Dietrich looked down at the dazzling blue sea with his empty eyes for a moment, then turned around, rubbing the goosebumps on the back of his neck.

“…Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

***

‘Why is the interior…?’

Marie-Jose entered the third floor following the chamberlain’s guidance. She looked around the room assigned to her with a puzzled look on her face.

There was no decoration to speak of, perhaps because the room had been empty for a long time. But there was a large fireplace under a gorgeous chandelier and a long couch and sofa where she could lie down lightly. Through the terrace window that filled one wall, she could see a panoramic view of a fairytale-like village and the blue sea. Also, on the wall opposite the fireplace was a light blue double door embossed with an elegant jasmine pattern. When she opened the door and entered the room, she saw a bed large enough for three men to lie down under a bright canopy.

After looking around, the gorgeous bathroom right next to it, and the study where she could work, Marie-Jose sat down on the bedroom couch and stared at the small door on the wall.

‘This door is probably…’ 

This would be the door leading to the duke’s bedroom.

What kind of situation is this? What signal did he give me? After doing something like that with another woman last night? Marie-Jose’s mind was busy. But if she thinks about it alone, will she end up only guessing?

‘Let’s go find the duke.’

Marie-Jose got up and left the bedroom. It took a bigger decision to open that small door and enter.

When she opened the door to the inner room and came out, she saw the door to the duke’s room right across from her. The third floor seemed to be a space exclusively for couples, and there were only two doors in the hallway.

Marie-Jose stood in front of the heavy mahogany door with a nervous face and hesitated, unable to knock easily.

‘What do I ask? Oh, let’s start by saying thank you. No, isn’t that a bit strange too…. Just ask him straight? Why did you give me that room?’

Whatever it was, it was all strange. She was about to turn around to pretend she didn’t notice and stay in the inner room, when suddenly the large door burst open.

“Heuk!”

“Hmm? Princess?”

“…Your Majesty…?”

Embarrassed gazes met each other.

“What happened to the princess….”

“Why is Your Majesty in this room…?”

“Mhm.”

Dietrich’s eyes narrowed as he saw Marie-Jose panicking and panicking.

He roughly understood what the situation was. She was probably here to see the duke. Either she came to ask why he gave her the inner room, or she tried to be more proactive.

He remembered the image of her wandering by Heinz’s side, both in the carriage and on the boat. He was curious when he saw that the woman who had been rushing around trying to meet him suddenly made an effort to approach the duke.

“Do you have any business for the duke?”

“Ah, yes. He’s the owner of the mansion, so I would like to say thank you…”

“Ah, no need for that.”

“What……”

“The duke’s house is my house, and my house… Hmm, my house is my house.”

I guess it’s like the imperial palace.

Dietrich blinked one eye mischievously and strode out the door with a sly smile.

Marie-Jose hesitated and retreated due to the powerful force, but the emperor continued to approach without stopping his steps.

“Why why? What? Uh?”

Tuk.

As she took a step back to avoid the emperor who was striding towards her, her back bumped into the door of the inner room that she had just left. There was no longer any place to retreat, so she looked ahead with dumbfounded eyes. Fortunately, Dietrich was standing tall two steps in front of Marie-Jose.

“Princess, do you know how to ride a horse?”

“A-a little…?”

“That’s good. I’m feeling a little queasy, but let’s go to beach together.”

“…Yes?”