Chapter 130 – Gratitude
“That’s a relief.”
Inside the carriage, Loic crossed his arms and, with his other hand, slowly rubbed the palm of my hand that he was holding.
“You’ve been worried about this, haven’t you?”
“Yes, it worked out so well! And Cariso is the most famous troupe!”
I was so happy that the issue had been resolved that I couldn’t stop chattering.
“The fact that the prince of Rondoris is the head of the troupe was a shock though. By the way, how did you know about this, Loic?”
“I thought you might be worried about the troupe, so I did a little investigation.”
“I see.”
Despite holding my hand tightly, Loic’s face was deeply troubled.
I leaned in slightly to ask him,
“Loic, is something wrong?”
“Why do you ask?”
“You just look upset.”
“I’m fine.”
“Your face looks like a puppy caught in the rain, but you’re saying you’re fine? That doesn’t convince me.”
“A puppy… caught in the rain?” Loic repeated, his forehead furrowing.
“You were full of energy in front of Prince Lucion.”
“That’s because…”
Loic frowned deeply.
“He was trying to do something shameless to you, Annette, so I couldn’t just stand by.”
“Well, it was just a greeting?” I said, trying to brush it off.
“It was a greeting with ulterior motives,” Loic said, his voice darkening.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“You didn’t see the look in his eyes, Annette. If you had, you wouldn’t be so dismissive about it.”
“So, that’s why you’re upset?”
“No! It’s not that…”
Loic paused, then quietly murmured,
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let you leave the theater alone.”
“Huh? I left the theater alone?”
I was sure I was surrounded by knights, receiving the usual excessive protection as I left the theater.
Had Loic not seen how guarded I was?
Not noticing my confusion, Loic spoke again in a low voice.
“If I had been a proper man, I wouldn’t have let you be alone today…”
“Who says I was lonely?”
I was taken aback by his dejected tone.
I quickly explained to Loic how many people had spoken to me at the theater, including the loud Marchioness who kept bothering me.
“I really didn’t feel lonely at all!”
“Is that so?” Loic asked softly, a faint smile crossing his face.
He clearly didn’t believe me.
“And Loic, you came to pick me up.”
I met his gaze.
“Just when I needed my husband.”
Loic gently swept my bangs aside, his fingers lingering on my forehead.
“You always say exactly what I want to hear,” he said, kissing my forehead softly.
“This might make me spoiled,” he added, chuckling lightly.
“Really…” I muttered, feeling a bit silly.
‘He looked like this when he showed up at the lake too…’
Why did my Duke suddenly start acting like this?
I had an idea, but nothing seemed to make sense.
Should I take him for a walk by the lake again, like last time?
Unfortunately, today was the day the shops by the lake were closed.
Once a month, they had a forced closure for maintenance.
I looked out the window and saw the darkened lakeside, beyond Goldrain’s lights.
Wait.
Just because the shops are closed doesn’t mean we can’t go, right?
I turned to Loic, my eyes lighting up.
“Loic, should we go now?”
“Where do you mean?”
His black eyes blinked in confusion.
Seeing the Duke and Duchess appear suddenly, the guards hurried to open the lakeside gate.
“Turn on the lights.”
At Loic’s command, a guard rushed toward the shop manager’s office.
Soon, the entire lakeside was illuminated by bright lights.
“Wow!”
I couldn’t help but exclaim, and Loic smiled warmly at me.
‘It really feels like we’ve rented the whole lakeside.’
The lakeside, which had looked like a beautiful forest when I first saw it, now had a charming atmosphere with little shops glowing under the lights.
“Tonight, it’s just the two of us, so we can take our time and explore, right?”
Just as Loic nodded, someone suddenly came running from the shop manager’s office.
“Jerome!”
“…Jerome?” Loic squinted at the name.
“Is it the Jerome who made the maid fall for him?”
“You’re still remembering that?” I asked, surprised.
Jerome, who had hurried over, stood a few steps away, slightly out of breath.
“It’s an honor to see you, Your Grace, Duke and Duchess.”
It looked like he had rushed to change clothes; his shirt collar was sticking up awkwardly.
“Jerome, it’s been a while.”
I smiled warmly at him, and for once, Jerome seemed unusually tense as he said,
“I’m really glad to see you’re healthy, Your Grace.”
He must have seen me collapse at the lakeside before.
“It’s thanks to you, Jerome,” I said gratefully.
At that moment, Loic tightened his grip on my hand.
“You… Why are you here?”
Loic’s voice was cold.
Jerome, still looking tense in the yellow light, hesitated before answering in a slightly trembling voice.
“When I heard you two were here, I thought you might need a staff member, so I came.”
“Do you live here?” Loic asked, his suspicion growing.
“Yes. I live in the staff quarters behind,” Jerome answered.
“I’m sorry,” I said, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
I thought asking him to turn on the lights would be a simple request, but I didn’t consider how suddenly we had shown up.
“No, it’s no trouble at all,” Jerome quickly waved his hand.
“It’s a pleasure to help you, Your Grace.”
Loic cleared his throat, and I recalled the strange jealousy he’d shown toward Jerome before.
— “Jealousy… could you pay some attention to me too?”
I hoped Loic wasn’t thinking anything strange again.
‘Duke, he’s just a young man of seventeen.’
As I tried to give Loic a subtle hint, Jerome suddenly approached me.
“I didn’t think I’d see you two again,” he said, firmly clasping his hands together.
“If I ever had the chance, I wanted to thank you both.”
Loic’s eyes widened.
“Thank?” Loic repeated.
Jerome, with a shaky voice, began speaking carefully.
“A few years ago, when I lost my parents to a beast attack, I thought I was going to die. But His Grace saved my life.”
Jerome spoke without hesitation, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
“You brought me to Blenheim, and built an orphanage for children like me. Thanks to that, those of us who nearly died in the mountains have grown up to live decent lives.”
I was taken aback by this unexpected, heartfelt speech and turned to Loic.
He remained still, simply listening to Jerome’s words.
“The children in the orphanage made a promise. Whoever meets His Grace would thank him on behalf of all of us. Of course, I don’t want to take too much of your precious time…” Jerome’s voice trailed off, nervous.
His earlier confidence seemed to falter when Loic remained silent.
“No, His Grace will surely be pleased,” I said, trying to reassure him.
“Right, Loic?”
I subtly squeezed Loic’s arm, and he finally responded with a quiet, reluctant, “…yeah.”
‘Is that really all he’s going to say?’
I raised an eyebrow, and after a slight pause, Loic spoke in a hushed tone.
“I’ve heard from the Duchess that you’re doing well.”
At those words, Jerome looked at me with a tearful smile.
“…I’ll do my best!”
Although the praise felt awkward, Jerome bowed deeply.
“I’ll do my best! I’ll make sure to repay your kindness, however I can!”
I just wanted to ease Loic’s mood, but this sudden confession was unexpected.
However, Jerome’s words seemed to bring some comfort to Loic.
Loic’s lips lifted into a small, approving smile.
‘Well, at least the goal has been achieved.’
“Do your best from tomorrow, but for tonight, go rest.”
I looked at Jerome, a little proud of him, and added, “Loic and I will take a walk before we leave.”
“Ah…!”
Jerome quickly backed away, then turned to approach me.
“Your Grace, just in case, take this…”
“Huh? What’s this?” I asked, as Jerome handed me something.
He quickly stepped back, saying, “Enjoy your time!”
As Jerome walked away, Loic leaned in, curious.
“What’s this?”
I opened my hand, and in it was a bundle of colorful paper tickets.
It was a pass for the play area.
