Chapter 46
Meanwhile, in the indoor garden, Regalis stomped on the flowers in the flowerbed with agitation. The flowers were completely crushed under his feet. He was frustrated that Ollentia wasn’t responding the way he wanted.
“Why on earth does she trust Dimidius so much?”
Ollentia, with a very firm expression, insisted that Dimidius would not betray her. Back when they first met at the foundation festival ball, she hadn’t denied his claim that their hurried marriage had no real feelings behind it.
Had some trust developed in that short time?
Still, Daphne’s prophetic dreams had never been wrong, and anyone would fear them. Ollentia didn’t seem particularly concerned, though.
Why?
Thinking something was off, Regalis returned to his room. How could Ollentia remain so calm when she had used Daphne’s prophetic dreams and gone through such bothersome efforts? Even on the way back, his anger continued to boil.
If he wanted to approach Ollentia again, it would take considerable effort. For one, the brown-haired knight from the Belial Order standing near her caught his attention. If that bodyguard noticed him meeting Ollentia privately and reported it to Dimidius, Regalis was certain he would not be left alone.
He had even seen Dimidius at the banquet showing concern for Ollentia as she drank cold water. Of course, it might have just been him pretending to act like a caring husband, but the tone of his voice seemed completely sincere. Having observed Dimidius since childhood, Regalis could tell the difference.
“This place is full of the Grand Duke’s people. I must be extra cautious.”
Even normally confident Regalis felt drained in the Grand Duke’s castle. For some reason, an unpleasant atmosphere lingered, and the cool air even felt chilling.
Yet still, Regalis resolved not to leave the Grand Duke’s castle until he could change her mind. The real problem was that she trusted Dimidius more than expected, but he thought an opportunity would come eventually.
That night, Killen was startled by what a servant reported.
“I saw Their Highness the Crown Prince and Madam meeting in the indoor garden on the second floor.”
The servant nervously darted his eyes around and trembled. It was clear he hoped he hadn’t actually seen it.
Killen quietly sent him away and fell into deep thought. Why had Ollentia secretly met Crown Prince Regalis? What had they discussed? And why hadn’t she told Dimidius?
A swirl of questions ran through his mind.
“Surely it wasn’t… anything inappropriate?”
That was his biggest concern. Killen knew about Dimidius and Ollentia’s contractual relationship, but even so, it seemed wise to avoid situations that might spark rumors during the contract period.
As he prepared to report the matter to Dimidius, Killen also watched the prince’s reaction. Dimidius, reclining in his leather chair, suddenly straightened his back and crumpled the documents in his hands.
Hearing the rustling of the papers, Killen squeezed his eyes shut.
For a while, only the sound of heavy breathing filled the room. The tension was palpable. Killen had endured Dimidius’s intimidating presence before, but this was difficult even for him.
Clutching his chest, Killen asked Dimidius,
“What will you do, Your Highness?”
Dimidius exhaled deeply.
“Ha… I’ll wait until the lady speaks to me. It’s late at night now.”
“Do you think she will?”
“Well… I don’t know. We’re only bound by contract; she might think there’s no need to reveal her private life.”
Though Dimidius tried to act calm, Killen could see he was anything but. He couldn’t focus on the documents, repeatedly stood up and sat down, and Killen could almost feel his urge to rush into Ollentia’s room.
“I hope nothing serious happened…”
Killen feared trouble would sweep through the Grand Duke’s castle. Whenever the empress and crown prince were involved, problems like this always seemed to arise.
Three days had passed since the crown prince and his friends arrived. They had apparently gone on a hunting trip, and Ollentia had rarely encountered them. She lived cautiously while guests were present, careful not to reveal that her relationship with Dimidius was contractual.
Ollentia was walking near the fountain with Podion. The fountain’s cascading water felt refreshing, invigorating her, and her chest felt unblocked.
At that moment, a maid with her hair braided on both sides appeared before Podion. She looked at him with bright eyes, handed him a pretty box, and then greeted Ollentia.
“Good day, Madam! Pardon my intrusion.”
The maid, seemingly embarrassed, covered her face with one hand before leaving. She probably wanted to give the gift to Podion but greeted Ollentia since she was nearby.
“I must have seemed like a nuisance to her! Sorry about that…”
Ollentia watched the box in Podion’s hands, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
“Not opening it? You used to get letters before, so what’s this?”
Sensing something odd in Ollentia’s words, he tilted his head.
“How do you know I received letters before?”
“Oh, right!”
Ollentia realized her slip and burst into laughter. The situation seemed funny somehow.
“I was in the greenhouse garden at the time. I didn’t sneakily watch you on purpose.”
“Why are you telling me this now?”
Podion’s face turned bright red like a ripe apple. Embarrassed, he fanned his face and swallowed nervously.
Ollentia pressed him to open the box.
“You should open it right away. That’s the polite thing to do.”
She figured the maid would be happy if Podion opened the gift immediately, and she suspected the maid was watching nearby.
“It seems you’re happier than I am, Madam.”
Podion carefully opened the ribboned box. Inside were various cookies, which seemed homemade, judging by their slightly rough appearance.
Ollentia clapped her hands.
“Wow! They look delicious. Don’t they?”
Podion gave her an awkward look.
“I honestly don’t know what to do when I receive gifts like this.”
“Do? Just eat them.”
Ollentia slid the cookie box toward him. She began to understand why Podion was popular. He was always thoughtful—helping maids carry heavy loads or asking others for help if he couldn’t. His attentiveness naturally made him well-liked. Even his serious demeanor and the way his eyes curved when he smiled were charming.
Podion ate all the cookies, seeming to appreciate the maid’s effort. Seeing him devour them in one go, Ollentia playfully tapped his shoulder.
“You didn’t save any for me.”
Podion jumped.
“Oh… sorry. I considered it as receiving her intentions, so I ate it all.”
Ollentia smiled, thinking the maid would be moved to tears if she heard that. She probably couldn’t stop liking Podion.
Ollentia wandered toward the greenhouse garden, drawn there for some reason.
Suddenly, Podion, sweating profusely, said,
“Wait… p-please wait a moment. I need to go to the restroom.”
He clutched his stomach, his face pale. Clearly, he had an upset stomach.
“Go quickly!” Ollentia urged.
“Should I call another knight?”
“No need. This place is safe. Just go comfortably and come back.”
Podion kept glancing back at her, concerned.
“Who’s supposed to worry right now?”
Ollentia debated whether to summon a physician as she entered the greenhouse garden. The warm, earthy scent of the plants surrounded her.
“It’s still the same here.”
While Ollentia was strolling, she heard steady footsteps. Thinking it might be Podion returning, she hid behind a tree, then startled someone with a loud WAK! as she entered the garden.
Before her stood Regalis, eyes wide.
His blue eyes showed brief surprise before he burst into laughter.
“Haha! Grand Duchess. You know how to play tricks, too?”
Embarrassed, Ollentia scratched the back of her head. Had she known it was Regalis, she wouldn’t have tried it at all. Her face felt hot with embarrassment.
“I thought you were my bodyguard.”
“You seem close to your bodyguard. I envy him—spending time freely with someone like you.”
‘Why does that sound so odd…?’
Clearing her throat, Ollentia glanced at the surrounding flowers and plants.
“Sir Podion is simply kind and honest.”
“Do you like such a person?”
“I think anyone would like him, not just me.”
Ollentia felt uncomfortable being alone with Regalis, but she couldn’t complain about a chance encounter.
‘Let’s leave the greenhouse and wait for Podion.’
As soon as the thought came, Ollentia began walking briskly, as if being chased. Regalis blocked her path and said,
“Why the hurry? Why not stay a little longer and look around with me?”
“No, I feel a bit stifled and need to step out.”
As Ollentia lied and started to walk, a sharp voice rang from behind:
“Am I bothering you?”
