I Ended Up Saving the Duke Who Was Meant to Die - Chapter 1.7

***

I really couldn’t understand what was going on.

I returned to my original room. The Duke seen in the bright light felt different from when I saw him under the dim sky.

“To think he’d threaten to completely destroy the temple.”

He was more brazen than I expected. I recalled the Duke’s face.

He asked them to hand me over. It seemed he was trying to help me escape from here.

“To say I’m precious because I’m his benefactor…”

I never expected him to try to repay the favor to this extent just because I saved him once. It seemed he was more persistent than I thought.

I felt somewhat warm inside. It was the first time someone had searched so hard for me and the first time someone stepped forward to repay a favor.

‘Will Michaelo let me go?’

I didn’t expect that. But since he barged in so forcefully, could he have other thoughts?

Well, whatever.

Although he seemed to have some misunderstandings, it didn’t matter.

“Lady Irene, you may come out.”

The doorkeeper guarding the room opened the door. Among those wearing pure white priest robes, a mismatched presence stared at me intently from outside the door.

Black hair and red eyes. A man with tall height, broad shoulders, and a large build.

Moreover, wearing a pitch-black uniform that really didn’t match this place, he reached out his hand to me with the brightest smile of all.

“Irene, will you come with me?”

What a strange man.

“I have red hair.”

I wouldn’t be able to stand proudly anywhere. He must know this fact.

Still, I was curious if he would take my hand.

“If anyone points fingers, I will break those fingers.”

He paid no attention to what I said.

“Is it because of my ability?”

That would be troublesome. Using the ability too often weakens the body.

I couldn’t keep drawing out sacred power.

“Though that process was nice, I’m not after your ability.”

“…Hmm.”

Is he a pervert?

I pondered for a moment. Despite his clean appearance, though he sometimes seemed clueless, he didn’t seem like a strange person.

I had heard stories about Severus Blake, after all.

“Are you going to use me like a slave? Even though I’m strong, I don’t want that.”

“Puhah.”

He laughed refreshingly. That smile was like a blue summer sky. It even felt like a cool breeze blowing under the hot sun.

I stared at him blankly before getting up from the bed.

“I don’t need slaves. Especially not strong ones.”

“Then, what will I be going as? The High Priest surely won’t just let me leave.”

“If you permit, I’d like to propose a different position.”

“…A different position?”

Severus nodded. I stared at him intently without crossing the threshold.

“Will you imprison me?”

“You’re not someone who could be imprisoned even if I tried. At least, that’s what I’ve seen of you.”

…Not bad at all.

He seemed to have figured me out to some extent already.

I stood at the threshold. Just one step away from being able to take his hand.

“Let’s marry.”

Marriage?

Marriage meant becoming husband and wife.

“Be honest. You were disappointed earlier, right?”

“….”

“You said only married couples can do that.”

“…That’s not the reason.”

Whatever it was, this situation was an unexpected turn of events.

“I’m repaying my debt to my benefactor.”

“…Debt.”

That word didn’t sit well with me. After all, I was here because of a debt too.

An emotional debt weighs heavier than a material one.

“If that’s the case, it’s fine. Consider the debt cleared.”

“…No, that’s not what I meant.”

He wore quite a bewildered expression. I was really fine with it. If he wanted to marry me out of a sense of obligation to repay a debt, I wanted to refuse.

“Then what?”

“Don’t you want to escape from here? That man is dangerous.”

“You want to get me out of the temple?”

“For now, yes.”

He was serious. It didn’t seem like he would give up even if I refused.

I save a Duke who nearly died, and he proposes to me.

I narrowed my eyes at his words.

“If you don’t like that position…”

“I’ll do it.”

I jumped across the threshold and took his hand.

“…I was going to suggest another position if…”

“If that were the case, I wouldn’t have taken your hand.”

If we marry, I’ll gain a status. Then I’ll be freer than now.

If he’s a Duke that even the Imperial family can’t touch, my safety would be assured, and moreover, if Michaelo would willingly hand me over, that was trustworthy.

He has power.

Duke Blake firmly grasped my hand and closed the distance. As he tightly held my waist, his smile grew even brighter than before.

“Michaelo will be our wedding witness.”

“…The High Priest will be our witness?”

That’s unexpected.

The Duke nodded at my question. Not only is Michaelo letting me go, but he’s also becoming our wedding witness. There might have been some deal I don’t know about. Or perhaps he’s more capable than I thought.

“Is there anything I should know?”

“Just ensure that talk of your ability doesn’t reach the Imperial family’s ears.”

That wouldn’t be difficult. I won’t be healing others outside anyway.

“So we’ll become husband and wife here?”

“Yes. So this is your only chance to turn back.”

“I have no intention of backing out. Rather, I should be asking you. There’s no use regretting it later.”

I was happy about this marriage. A handsome husband and a strong safety net to protect me.

There was no reason to refuse.

I looked up at him with a bright smile.

“You’re not allowed to run away.”

“…Understood.”

“And you can’t look at other women. That’s what being married means, right?”

I couldn’t accept being abandoned later for marriage to another woman.

There probably isn’t anyone else who could stand against both the Imperial family and the temple like Duke Blake.

“…This is rather different.”

He covered his reddened face with his hand. He looked somewhat flustered.

“Is that a problem?”

“Not at all.”

“Then let’s be married for life.”

I held his hand tightly.

My safety line, my shield, my guarantor of free movement!

“May I ask one thing?”

Severus, still red-faced, carefully spoke to me.

When I nodded slightly, he whispered in my ear.

“If I get sick, will you treat me like that again?”

“It’s the most efficient treatment method.”

“…What about if others get sick?”

“Then too…”

I was about to say I’d do the same but stopped.

Ah.

So that’s what he doesn’t like.

“Then, I just hold hands like this to heal.”

“…Hands, I see. Understood.”

Though he made a disgruntled expression, he nodded.

“Your Grace. The High Priest says preparations are complete.”

“Let’s go then.”

I headed to the blessing room prepared in the temple with him.

Michaelo, wearing pure white priest robes, looked back and forth between me and Duke Blake. His usual gentle expression was nowhere to be seen.

He just spread his hands with an expressionless face.

“I, Michaelo, stand here as a witness to these two people’s marriage.”

Light descended upon Michaelo. It seemed as if sacred power was overflowing.

I looked at Michaelo with an indifferent expression.

“Do you both swear to love each other and remain as lifelong companions until death?”

“I swear.”

“I swear.”

Until death.

I liked those words. With the High Priest as a witness, the marriage vows couldn’t be easily broken.

We answered without hesitation. Some might call it a crazy marriage, but for me, it was a marriage with nothing to lose.

The Duke seemed to feel the same way. Of course, since he was the one who proposed first.

Michaelo’s brow slightly creased.

“…I declare the marriage between Severus von Blake and Irene von Clementine valid from this day forward.”

He hesitated briefly before uttering the final words.

And so, I left the temple.

***

Severus sat in the carriage, staring at Irene who sat across from him.

Since leaving the temple, her gaze hadn’t left the window.

Her curious eyes scanned everything outside.

“…I apologize for the late introduction. I am Severus von Blake.”

“I already knew that. You’ve heard my name, but I’m Irene von Clementine.”

She spoke without taking her eyes off the window.

It was cute how she held the window frame with both hands while looking out. She didn’t seem to care how she appeared to others.

“I apologize for calling your name without permission earlier. May I continue to call you by name?”

“Of course, feel free. I heard married couples should be close.”

Only then did she turn to look at Severus.

“Severus. It has a nice ring to it.”

“….”

He closed his lips tightly at her smile. Why did his heart react so much to words spoken without any ulterior motive?

The carriage felt unnecessarily hot. He loosened the cravat that was choking his neck.

“By the way, where are we going?”

“Are you worried we might go to that mansion you first saw?”

“That mansion didn’t look habitable.”

The state of the Duke’s residence was miserable. The furniture was all broken, and nothing was intact. Moreover, there were bloodstains and many dead people.

Severus choked at her forthright answer that came as soon as he asked.

“We’re not going there. It’s being renovated, so we’ll go to the villa.”

“…You have a villa too?”

Her eyes grew even rounder. Severus barely suppressed his rising smile as he spoke.

“Yes, I have a villa, land, and territory.”

“No wonder you receive the Imperial family’s hatred and checks.”

“That life isn’t particularly pleasant.”

“Having a home is good, isn’t it?”

Irene turned her head again. Her eyes suddenly grew wider as she pressed closer to the window.

“Are you curious about the outside?”

“Yes. That day was my first time going out. Since I was always in the temple.”

“…Hah.”

What exactly was happening in that temple?

The unusually large number of children was also disturbing.

“You’ll see many things from now on. More importantly, aren’t you worried?”

“Is there something I should be worried about?”

She really seemed clueless. Now that they were married, they would have their wedding night when they reached the mansion.

He wondered if she knew about that.

His throat felt parched. Somehow feeling stifled, he loosened his cravat even more.