TGDHC Chapter 103

Chapter 103 — The Grand Duke’s Drive

Leon tried hard not to wrinkle his nose as he spoke.

“Her Highness likes spicy food very much, so if you want it to suit her taste, you’ll need to add at least one heaping ladle of hot peppers.”

The Grand Duke nodded slightly in understanding.

“Shall I… write the recipe down for you?”

At that, Loic cleared his throat awkwardly and muttered, “Do that.”

Leon didn’t know why the commander wanted the recipe, but he smiled politely and said nothing more.

Their lord had never once shown interest in camp food before.

Determined, Leon stirred the pot with extra care, vowing to make a stew so delicious it would outshine even his mother, Madame Marie, famous for her stews.

“Hey, Leon! This stew is amazing today!”
“Let me have just one more bowl! Or better yet, can’t you make another pot?”

The knights raved about it.

But the Grand Duke, though he emptied his bowl of tomato stew, gave no reaction at all.

‘Maybe he didn’t like it as much as I thought…’ Leon swallowed his disappointment as he went back to serving the others.

Loic lay back on his cot, swallowing emptiness.

He had thought that eating Annette’s favorite tomato stew would make him feel closer to her, but it only made her absence hit harder.

‘I want to tell her that I like tomato stew now too.’

Earlier, he’d seen the knights washing their hands at the stream and drying them with the precious handkerchiefs Annette had gifted. The sight had made him angry.

They used them so carelessly, without shame.

He hadn’t even dared to use his once—it was too precious.

‘What is Annette doing right now?’

She had a hundred things to worry about: the delegation, the shopping district, even managing the household chores that Whitley quietly passed to her. And she also had her stepmother and stepsibling from the capital to look after. She was probably too busy to think of him.

‘Still, just once before bed… I wish she would think of me.’

He shut his eyes, trying to force sleep, but all that came to mind were her lips—soft, moist, trembling under his kiss.

The sweet scent of her hair still clung to him.

His chest ached with emptiness as he remembered the way her shoulders shivered every time their lips touched.

‘If I hadn’t known what happiness was with her, I could have endured being alone. But now… being without her is unbearable.’

Outside, knights were laughing and joking around the campfire.

Loic thought calmly, almost coldly:

‘If Annette ever leaves me, I won’t be able to survive.’

The others would be sad too, of course. They would mourn her absence, miss her warmth, but in time they would return to their lives.

But not him.

For him, Annette was everything.

If she left, there would be nothing left at all.

This handkerchief he held—the only trace of her—was not enough to keep him alive for the rest of his life.

‘I must break the dragon’s curse.’

If he could only find a way to dissolve the contract with the dragon, there would be hope.

Then he could finally hold onto Annette, forget about their one-year marriage contract, and simply live with her as husband and wife.

And if she tried to leave…

‘I’ll never agree to divorce her.’

He would beg, cry, cling every night if he had to.

And it wouldn’t just be him—everyone in the Grand Duke’s castle would plead with her to stay. With her kind heart, she would never be able to leave them all.

Once she stayed, he would make her so happy that she’d never even think of looking elsewhere.

And if they became a true married couple, there’d be no more excuses needed to hold her in his arms.

‘Maybe… we could even have a child who looks like her…’

Even in the darkness, Loic felt his ears burn.

He imagined a little girl with Annette’s features, running happily through the garden of the greenhouse. The thought made his heart pound.

He tried to stop himself from having such foolish hopes, but his imagination kept running away with him.

Covering his forehead with one hand, he clenched his other into a fist.

‘If I can just find the dragon’s lair…’

If he could confirm its existence, maybe that would lead to a clue.

But the dragon had always been obsessive about erasing every trace of itself.

Even after his father, the previous Grand Duke, had passed, Loic and the knights had searched every mountain range in Blenheim for nearly ten years without finding a single hint.

The only lead was—

‘That priest.’

In the Foghen Mountains, there had been a small temple, where a priest returned from the capital once lived.

That priest had studied the sacred texts and histories for years and knew much about dragons.

Loic had visited him several times, but the priest had been reluctant to share the forbidden knowledge of the Great Temple.

‘He must have known more, but he never spoke of it.’

Years ago, the old priest had died, and since then, Loic had almost lost hope.

But perhaps…

‘There was still a young subordinate priest who cared for the elder.’

Loic remembered that priest was still alive. And the temple was not far from their camp.

“….”

He suddenly rose from bed and walked outside.

“Commander?”

The knights by the fire fell silent.

“Forgive us, were we too loud?”

“No, Norton.”

Loic called to the knight polishing his sword.

Norton quickly came over.

“The young priest who served at the Foghen Temple—he’s still there, isn’t he?”

“The apprentice priest?” Norton thought for a moment.

“We stopped surveillance some time ago, but we still have eyes in the region. If he had moved, we would’ve heard.”

“I’ll bring him back.”

“…Where to, my lord?”

“To the Grand Duke’s castle.”

Loic’s tone was flat.

“How far from here?”

“Two hours if we ride fast.”

“Close, then. We leave now.”

“How many men shall I bring?”

“Just you and me. We’ll be back by morning.”

“…Understood.”

Norton strapped on his sword without another word.

A dozen questions pressed in his head—taking a temple priest to the castle is unthinkable, two hours through mountains at night is hardly close, and returning by morning is madness. But he wisely kept them to himself.

“Wow, what nice weather!”

Summer in the North was surprisingly pleasant.

The sun was warm, but the breeze under the trees was cool, flowing from the snowcapped mountains.

‘Loic must be somewhere beyond those mountains now.’

Was he eating properly?

Annette touched the spot on her forehead where he had kissed her before leaving.

“Today feels unusually relaxed,” Cecilia said, sipping apple juice.

Preparations for the delegation visit were nearly done. The month’s recipe booklet was already sent to print, and the shopping district was running smoothly.

I pressed a finger to my lips.

“Shh. Don’t say things like that.”

“Why not?”

“Because as soon as you do, something busy always happens.”

Cecilia quickly mimed sealing her lips.

‘Even the Marchioness has been quiet, thanks to her “travel sickness.” Though she still insists on keeping her dressmaker appointments… half an act, I’m sure.’

But one thing bothered me:

‘Why is she here again?’

Janet had joined our tea time, claiming she was here to look after Raphael. Never mind that Raphael was more than old enough to drink tea without anyone’s help.

“Your Highness, may I ask something?”

Janet twisted in her seat as if her body itched.

“Sir Perel… what sort of man is he?”

“Why do you ask about Sir Perel?” Cecilia snapped immediately.

“Well, I got lost in the castle once, and he kindly escorted me all the way to the annex,” Janet said with a blush.

“We talked a bit, and it felt like we had a lot in common. He’s such a kind man.”

“Sir Perel has always been gentle,” I answered casually.

“Really? He even asked me to have tea with him soon.”

“What? Sir Perel asked you to tea?” Cecilia’s eyes narrowed.

“Yes,” Janet said shyly, biting her lip.

“By the way… is Sir Perel married?”

Wait a second!

‘Don’t tell me she’s planning to seduce Perel just to dig out secrets of the North!’