I Married the Mad Duke Who Killed My Husband - Chapter 68
“I’m a bit late, aren’t I?”
In the end, I insisted on Pia applying light makeup. Then, I changed my hair parting and let it fall to conceal the bruised side of my face before entering the dining room.
What I didn’t expect was that not only was Cassion sitting there silently, but Lorang was also there with a sullen face.
“I thought I was going to die of hunger, My Lady……”
“Oh my, you should have started without me. I could have eaten alone, I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for. I just wanted to eat together.”
As Lorang whines after having to wait with food in front of him like some kind of dog training, Cassion glares at him.
Lorang might not care, but I felt sorry for Cassion who had waited, letting the food the chef had prepared to welcome our return get cold. I met his eyes… and quickly looked away. Why am I avoiding his gaze when I have nothing to feel guilty about? I should act confidently and naturally!
“Let’s eat quickly. Our chef put a lot of effort into this.”
I just hope my actions don’t appear awkward. As I spoke, both of them picked up their utensils, and for a moment I felt like an elder, which was a bit embarrassing. But as soon as the warm soup entered my mouth, all thoughts melted away.
“Mmm~!”
Ah, what a surprise! I thought it was me who made that sound so shamelessly. Fortunately, it was Lorang. But the soup with finely chopped meat and vegetables deserved such exclamation.
Even among the inns we stayed at during our journey, some served soup for breakfast, but none tasted like this. What kind of magic did they use?
“Asil. Wouldn’t it be better to tie your hair back?”
As I was hurriedly eating the soup, savoring the Duke’s chef’s skills after so long, Cassion, who had been staring at me for who knows how long, casually spoke up. I felt somewhat embarrassed and desperately held back from biting my lip.
“…I’m comfortable like this.”
“My Lady, your hair looks like it’s about to fall into the soup!”
Shut up, Lorang. Even if I end up eating soup with hair in it, I can’t pull my hair back.
“If it’s because of your face, don’t worry about it. Eat comfortably, Asil.”
“…Is it that noticeable?”
“It’s a method you’ve used before. You even wore a small hat back then.”
“Ah.”
Come to think of it, this isn’t the first time I’ve tried to hide facial injuries. I did the same shortly after marrying Cassion when I was kidnapped by my family.
…Strange. Although I’m more severely injured this time, I don’t think I cared much back then. We even went on a cafe date, sitting close together.
“…Ahem.”
Hearing this, I realized I might be too self-conscious, so I gently pushed back my hair that kept falling forward and interfering with my meal every time I lowered my head.
“Whoa, My Lady, your bruise has become even more colorful!”
“…Shut up and eat your food, Lorang.”
I shouldn’t have pushed it back. As soon as I did, both men’s gazes poured on me. I put down the bread slathered with butter and gave them a serious look, hearing a chuckle from across the table.
“My wife is beautiful even with half her face green.”
“…!”
“I’m glad it seems to be getting better, Asil. I was really worried.”
“R-really?”
“Yes. Judging by its condition, if you keep applying the medicine, it should completely fade within a week.”
What, I have to show this sorry state for a whole week? …Well, Cassion did say I was beautiful. I guess my true beauty can’t be hidden.
“Then what about the trial schedule? Since My Lady’s face needs to heal, it should be at least a week from now, right?”
Lorang’s question, muffled by the food stuffed in his mouth, brings a sharp sense of reality. I put down the bread I had just bitten into and fell into serious thought.
“Hmm… Cassion, did you talk everything over with Lorang yesterday?”
“Of course.”
“And you understood everything?”
“Yes, yes, My Lady.”
“We’ll need to have a couple more meetings to hear the Crown Prince’s thoughts, but it won’t be possible within a week, even at the earliest. It’s not about my face, but we need time to educate you.”
“Can’t I just tell the truth?”
“Do you think the person who chased and attacked you so relentlessly will be any different in the courtroom? This time, they’ll try to manipulate you with verbal attacks. No matter how urgent it is, we too need thorough preparation.”
If there’s a problem, it’s not just Lorang’s education, but the incoming attacks. I glanced at Cassion, only to meet his eyes again, wondering when he ever takes his gaze off me.
I mouthed the word ‘attack’ one syllable at a time, and Cassion nodded.
Judging by how carefree Lorang seemed, I guessed he didn’t know about the attack that happened last night.
If the attacks continue for more than ten days, the knights will get tired. What should we do? Although we’re far superior in skill, the problem is that we’re outnumbered.
But this can’t be discussed in front of Lorang, so I’ll have to talk to Cassion when we’re alone. Though I have a feeling we might get a bit flustered when we’re alone, it can’t be helped.
“The Second Prince will come after the meal, so we’ll resume the meeting then. For now, let’s eat.”
“The, the Prince is coming again?”
“Asil, you haven’t even finished one piece of bread yet.”
“This time I’ll get to meet him too, right? Right?”
“Try this duck meat. Even though it’s meat, it’s not too heavy for breakfast. You’ve lost too much weight.”
When Cassion mentioned the Prince, Lorang asked with a voice full of shock. Whether Lorang was surprised or not, Cassion kept his gaze fixed on me, pushing a plate towards me and gesturing that Lorang was correct. At this, Lorang’s face turned pale blue.
…If placed side by side with my subtly flushed face, it would make for an interesting red and blue sight.
“…I’m eating well on my own. You should eat more. Who’s the one who’s lost weight?”
I shouldn’t have pushed my hair back.
***
“So you’re Lorang.”
“Ye-yes, yes.”
“Hmm…”
In the late morning, close to noon.
As Cassion said, the Second Prince visited again. Wondering if he had notified the Imperial Palace of his outing, I was reminded of Jenin’s horse, Leonina, resting in the stable, as I saw him arrive modestly on a single horse instead of the imperial carriage.
I should go see her later. Jenin must be worried, so it would be best to send someone to return her with a letter.
“Indeed, you look exactly like your brother. Or rather, your brother must look like you?”
“Yes, yes…”
“It would be troublesome if you only answer ‘yes’ like this during the trial.”
“Yes, ye… Huh?”
“We have a long way to go, Cassion.”
The Prince, who had slowly circled around the frozen Lorang, smiled at us.
Lorang, who had been relaxed compared to during our journey until breakfast, stiffened as soon as he met the Second Prince, which signified the difficulty of the upcoming trial.
“Lorang. Naturally, given the nature of the case, not only the Princes but also His Majesty the Emperor, Her Majesty the Empress, and all high-ranking nobles will be present in the courtroom.”
“Huuh…”
“It’s problematic if you freeze up like that. As the accuser, you need to maintain a confident and even slightly overconfident attitude.”
“M-me? How could I dare…”
“…That’s the kind of attitude that’s problematic.”
Cassion covered his face with his hand as he watched me talking to Lorang, and the Prince looked at us with an artificial smile as if he had drawn it on.
Everyone sensed that educating Lorang would not be easy.
“…Well then, let’s set aside working on the attitude for now and start by organizing the evidence.”
“That sounds good.”
Not wanting to feel despair from the start, I chose the easier path, and no one blamed me for it.
“I didn’t think of it today, but next time, we should change the room arrangement. If Your Highness could inform us about the layout of the Imperial Court, I’d appreciate it.”
“I already know. I’ll draw a rough layout before we go.”
“Thank you.”
We’re not prepared, and it’s the first day, so it’s better not to put too much pressure. After greeting the Prince, I seated Lorang at the tea table chair.
The three of us, including the Second Prince, didn’t sit down but stood with our arms crossed, looking at Lorang. Even just this made Lorang’s expression grow paler.
He’ll face even more gazes in the actual court, so he needs to endure at least this much.
“Well then, let’s begin.”
“You don’t need to be too fixated on ‘evidence’. Just start by telling us everything from the day you first met the Empress.”
“I’ll write it down.”
I’m acting as a kind of secretary. I sat facing Lorang and pulled forward the pen and paper I had prepared. This should be good for him to open up without feeling too much pressure.
“W-well, you see. So, when I was about eighteen…”
“Wasn’t it at least seventeen? I told you to start from the first meeting.”
“Ah!!! It, it was winter when I was sixteen! The weather was very cold, that’s right! …Or was it autumn?”
“……”
“……”
Ink dripped onto the paper, but I couldn’t record anything. The Second Prince, still wearing that mask-like smile, dismissed our situation in a tone unfitting his status.
“We’re screwed.”
