The Ugly Wife of the Shady Duke - Chapter 62.2
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‘How silly.’
No voices echoed in her head at the moment, but that didn’t mean her sense of melancholy or fear had faded.
His affection made her heart flutter uncontrollably, and that fluttering made her uneasy.
Thankfully, holding hands didn’t convey the rhythm of one’s heartbeat. Grace felt a sense of relief at that.
As Benjamin began to walk slowly, he said, “I have met a lot of people in my life.”
“Meeting many is part of Your Highness’s duties, after all.”
“Yes, indeed. But I mean I’ve met a lot. More than you can possibly imagine.”
“Have you met every citizen in the empire?”
“No, not all. But if you wish for it, I’d certainly try.”
There was a hint of amusement in Benjamin’s voice as if he found the conversation somewhat amusing.
“Despite meeting so many, I came to a realization.”
“……?”
“That there is no one else like My Lady.”
At Benjamin’s confession-like words, Grace’s heart raced even faster.
It was a quiet night in the forest, yet she wondered how could it be so deafeningly loud?
‘Have I gone mad?’
How could a mere statement make her cheeks burn so? Even pondering on it didn’t yield an answer.
Just as one can’t easily fold a heart set on something, emotions are incomprehensible, and answers to questions sparked by such emotions seemed elusive.
His hand was warm.
Every time she looked at Benjamin, her heart raced.
If only Grace hadn’t seen that damned original story. If only she wasn’t Grace, having taken over the body of the Duchess of Felton, inheriting her memories and emotions.
‘If only I were as beautiful as Aria.’
Would I have been a bit more proud of this racing heartbeat?
When she first inhabited this body, she was content with the ability to move at her own will.
However, whenever her heart swayed seeing him, and whenever she wondered if perhaps Benjamin also had feelings for her, such thoughts abruptly came to her mind.
As if the voices in her head egged her on.
People in the world love beautiful things, wouldn’t they ignore the ugly?
In the dark, Benjamin illuminated by the lantern, looked infinitely beautiful.
‘No… even more than that…’
He was endearing.
Unlike Grace.
⋆★⋆
“After sending people to investigate, it was confirmed that these were indeed mined from that mine.”
Benjamin, looking at the few rocks submitted for inspection, struck one hard.
Perhaps it was a soft mineral, the mere impact easily cracked it open, revealing its inner surface.
“……!”
Hidden inside was a sparkling gem, just like the one she had seen yesterday. Benjamin, having already received and reviewed the report, calmly explained without displaying any surprise.
“It’s broad daylight now, so it doesn’t show the radiant colors as vividly as yesterday, but we’ve confirmed that its color changes based on the amount of light.”
“I see.”
As Grace cast a shadow over the surface with her hand, the gem indeed shifted in its luminescence, just as he had described.
She found this rather amusing and chuckled softly.
“How much do you think it’s worth? It would be good if it’s assigned an appropriate price.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve already checked. There’s a valid reason for the purchase, and we’ll ensure they are compensated fairly.”
Benjamin’s response seemed to confidently address Grace’s concerns.
‘Should I just be at ease?’
Since Grace didn’t possess the power to purify contaminated areas like Aria, all she could do was tasks like this.
“First, we need to take these and determine if they are magic stones or not. After that, we’ll have to devise how to use them.”
“I’ve actually thought of something already.”
“Already?”
Benjamin looked at Grace with a surprised expression, unable to hide his curiosity about what she had in mind.
“Of course, I’ll only suggest it if the stones are confirmed to be magic stones and if no other applications arise.”
“…Interesting. I was curious.”
“Perhaps, Your Highness, our thoughts might align on this?”
“If it’s the same idea, I’d still love to hear it from your lips.”
With a slightly grumpy tone, Benjamin muttered and then shifted the mineral ore aside. The main task of the advance team, until the main party arrived, was to ensure that the condition of the victims didn’t worsen.
‘Having sent the search party means Aria’s arrival might be delayed.’
Next, the knight sent to the neighboring territory should bring back good news.
‘Though I can’t shake off the ominous feeling that he might bring some bad news…’
Isn’t it often so in novels?
When you have a good premonition, unexpected misfortunes occur. And when you get a bad feeling, it tends to come true.
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