The Ugly Wife of the Shady Duke - Chapter 68.2
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‘Wait, shouldn’t security be ramped up at times like this? Isn’t that the norm?’
Considering there had been thefts and false accusations in the past, she thought they might have increased the guards compared to the original story. But such measures hadn’t been taken.
Grace slipped out of her residence, the process was almost disappointingly easy.
The cool night breeze blew, and she could hear the rustling of grass.
“…”
On this night, Aria and Sylvester left the party to venture into the forest alone. It wasn’t for any specific event but to deepen their emotional connection.
‘I’ve been into the forest before. So, I know the way.’
The forest had a different vibe in daylight compared to nighttime. Grace had previously explored the forest’s nocturnal charm under a different pretense.
Back then, she’d used fluorescent ribbons to guide herself, but this time there was no need.
In the sparse forest, sounds carried unusually well.
‘Aria and Sylvester were said to converse by a lake connected to a river.’
Grace pondered this and tilted her head.
‘In this barren land, how can there be a lake?’
Of course, it was nearly dried up, with just a meager stream connecting what could barely be called a lake. Its bed was completely visible, making its designation as a “lake” almost embarrassing.
‘But the presence of flowing water means it isn’t completely dead.’
There were stages to the death of land. As the contamination progressed, the land would ultimately meet its total demise, leaving no water source whatsoever.
Noting this inconsistency, Grace frowned.
‘Doesn’t that mean the current state of the land can still be purified by Aria?’
Though the Saintess was said to purify anything, Aria as of now couldn’t. The temple was aware of this limitation, and Grace, familiar with the original story, knew it even better.
“Hmm…”
But if purification was possible, there was no reason not to attempt it. The power of the saintess is the pride of the temple. Why would they conserve the saint’s power and not use it for this purpose?
‘There’s nothing resolved, yet new problems keep popping up…’
It was frustrating. Just as she’d managed to set aside one nagging concern, another would spring up in its place. Taking a deep sigh, Grace ventured deeper into the forest. As she listened, the sound of flowing water reached her ears.
‘This way.’
Following the only sign of life in the otherwise dead forest, she found herself bathed in moonlight.
“…”
Beneath the moon’s glow, Grace looked upon a man and a woman standing together.
‘Wow…’
At that moment, Grace realized why they were the protagonists.
‘They’re breathtakingly beautiful.’
If an artist had seen this scene, they would have been inspired to create their life’s masterpiece. It was perfect.
No, ‘perfect’ wasn’t enough to describe it.
Their mutual longing for each other was so palpable that it filled their eyes, almost spilling out from their eyes. Yet, their faces showed a deep yearning, unable to voice even a single word.
Even so, their fingers barely touched, unable to look away from each other.
‘Anyone can see they’re smitten with each other.’
Their positions and misunderstandings prevented them from confessing their feelings. That was the relationship between Aria and Sylvester now.
Watching them, Grace thought how heart-wrenching and touching this scene must appear to an outsider. Yet, she couldn’t help but feel a selfish twinge.
‘If they had been honest from the start, Benjamin would’ve been more certain of his feelings and thoughts.’
Aria and Sylvester conversed in hushed tones, making it impossible for Grace to catch their words.
‘What did they discuss in the original story?’
Aria had spoken about the hardships of the people in this territory and her desire to help even more people in the future.
Sylvester offered to help, essentially implying he wanted to be with her, which felt very much like a confession.
‘And then…’
And what followed next.
Just as Grace was about to recall the subsequent scene, she felt someone’s presence behind her.
“I wondered where you went off to. Why are you in such a risky place?”
It was Benjamin’s voice.
“…!”
‘How did he get here?!’
Grace was sure she had arranged it so Benjamin couldn’t come here. The very reason she had so few people around her residence was thanks to a favor she had asked of Roselia beforehand.
She had asked to minimize the security at her quarter since she wasn’t attending the party and planned to sleep, hoping for quiet.
Moreover, she had inquired if the spare personnel could be assigned to Benjamin. After all, if Benjamin was alone, many might approach him for political reasons.
‘Surely Benjamin should have been with the Felton Knights right now?’
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