There were only two things Lily knew about the ancient weapon that penetrated the target’s mind. She knew that because it attacked Damian and caused him permanent damage that cracked his soul shield.
‘I thought that a piece of his soul being taken away was a metaphor for this situation.’
Could it be that a literal piece of Damian’s soul remains in Zagreb?
‘Am I overimagining things…’
Damian’s reluctance to go to the Western Palace and what kind of childhood he had.
And even when Damian admitted to discovering microscopic damage to his core.
It may have been such fragmentary things that aroused Lilian’s anxiety and only appeared as a disturbing dream mixed with the current situation.
In the first place, the fragment of the soul appeared in Lily’s dream, not Damian’s.
When Lilian was immersed in such thoughts…
“…aren’t you awake too early?”
“Your Highness, are you awake?”
Instead of answering, Damian yawned and rubbed his eyes. In fact, he had been in a half awake half asleep state, and as soon as Lilian tossed or turned, he’d wake up.
Right now, he was complaining as if he was half asleep to look cute.
“Ung…”
As if avoiding the thinning sunlight, Damian bent his thick shoulders and burrowed into Lilian’s arms. Lilian, half surprised that Damian was doing this on purpose, but as always, she allowed it.
‘He’s too cute to reject…’
In particular, her mind became more toxic this morning.
‘If what I saw in my dream is really this person’s soul…’
Damian was born as a prince and should have had a childhood that was at least not lacking materially. But why is he alone in the attic of the palace, looking uncared for?
It could be just a dream. But for some reason, Lilian found it difficult to shake off the thought that the dream might have something to do with why Damian treated himself like an object.
‘It’s just having the same dream twice, like a premonition, but it’s not unusual.’
It didn’t seem like she was just dreaming.
She kept thinking about it.
Damian hugged Lilian tightly around the waist as she speculated about this and that.
“Your Highness.”
Damian’s purple gaze was stern.
“You don’t pay attention to the medicine you need to take. What are you thinking?”
“Oh.”
Damian nudged Lilian on the shoulder to not hurt her.
It was the same morning as usual for the Grand Duchess, but Lilian had remembered the dream so well that she didn’t forget it.
***
The Grand Duchess went to her study a little later than usual and took a stamp. It’s because it took quite a while to separate from her husband who didn’t want to let go.
“Your Highness, I heard that there’ll be a fairly large meeting regarding a national project today.”
“I don’t want to go.”
Even when told the schedule, Damian clung to her without hesitation.
“You asked me to think carefully about every wound. So, like a good husband, I went to see my doctor.”
Yesterday, the doctor diagnosed that Damian’s wound was not healing, but it also wasn’t getting worse.
“But why does it keep bleeding?”
“Ah, that’s true, but the original blood production is vigorous. You won’t even get a shock with this much bleeding.”
When the doctor asked if he felt dizzy or wanted to faint, Damian shrugged his shoulders instead of answering. With that little gloss on his face…even to Lilian, who was the only one worried, Damian looked healthy.
As expected, Damian got the official diagnosis result that ‘there will be no problems for a while’.
“I did my best to alleviate my wife’s worries, but…”
Indeed.
“…but why did you neglect to take me, your only medicine?”
Damian’s purple eyes shone intensely. Lilian gulped down her saliva, feeling like a prey meeting a hunter while caught in a trap. Damian whispered.
“It doesn’t hurt.”
And…
Recalling what happened after that, Lilian felt rather embarrassed and rubbed her face.
If she hadn’t been involved, she would have guessed that a child would soon be born. The appearance of the two was just that much honey dripping and the smell in the air was like a honeymoon itself.
As one undeniable piece of evidence, Damian slept with Lily in her bedroom every day.
According to imperial common sense, where couples share separate bedrooms, this alone was already a strong expression of affection.
“Oho, His Highness seems to like Her Highness so much. To use one room every day without knowing any shame…”
“I haven’t seen them use separate bedrooms even for a day.”
Recalling the chatter of her ladies in waiting she heard in her sleep, Lilian couldn’t wash her face dry enough, so she buried her reddened face in her hands.
She knew they didn’t mean anything bad.
They didn’t mean to disrespect, she knew that everyone was just happy to see the newlyweds having a good time, but…Lilian was still embarrassed.
At least it was this much because Mrs. Maureen strictly controlled them not to mention anything about pregnancy or having a baby.
As the person in charge of tidying up the bedroom, she naturally learned that there’s still wasn’t a decisive factor between the ducal couple.
However, she had already fallen in love with the Grand Duchess, who was weak in body.
“It will happen naturally when the time comes!”
The Missus’ point was that she shouldn’t put a burden on Her Highness who was doing well enough.
“If you really want the baby to be born, stop making noise and go to your room to pray one more time!”
“You’re right.”
Here and there, Rita took on the bizarre role of actively arguing with an expressionless face.
In any case, Lilian was deeply grateful for their thoughtful action.
“…ahh. I need to stop thinking about it.”
She was just about to get Damian off her mind and get back to work. But those thoughts won’t leave her head.
This.
Lilian first put on her glasses to come to her senses. And she was just about to concentrate on her work when a knock rang.
“Your Highness, this is Maureen.”
This. She was disappointed but she couldn’t do anything about it.
“Come in. What happened?”
Mrs. Maureen snorted through her nose with a determined expression.
“Your Highness, I am a servant of the late Emperor and a member of the Grand Duke’s vassals, a person who believes that dignity must be maintained.”
“…?”
Lilian was puzzled. Of course, she agreed that Mrs. Maureen was doing her job without failing, but…
“But I have to confess, I’ve been taken aback by some pretty sloppy writing lately…”
“Are you talking about Page Six?”
Lilian rummaged through the stack of newspapers on her desk. She skillfully pulled out one of them.
“If that’s the case, I’m looking at it too.”
“…?”
“I saw an article about my affair in the past and it was very interesting because of their good writing skills.”
Mrs. Maureen looked bewildered and somehow relieved.
“That, so Her Highness did the same…”
“I know it’s not polite, so I stopped.”
Lily laughed shyly, and Mrs. Maureen suddenly changed her attitude and made a strong argument.
“If you’re a woman in the social world, information shouldn’t be taken lightly. Sometimes this Page Six tells a story that makes sense, but it often doesn’t.”
“Yes? Mrs. Maureen…?”
“I am also very ignorant of rumors, so it’s easy for others to look down on me. In that respect, Her Highness is acting thoroughly.”
“Um…”
It’s not an act that should be packaged that far. Lilian, who was really interested in these things, was very embarrassed.
From some time ago, a burdensome trend of admiring Lilian’s actions as if they had some deep meaning was formed in the Grand Duke’s manor. Lilian knew from her previous experience that even if she refuted it here, it would only prolong the conversation.
At times like this, it’s best to just pretend not to know.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t read this today. Shall we have a cup of tea and see it together?”
“I’ve already checked and that’s why I came to see you.”
“Is that so?”
Did something about her came out again? However, the scandal with Ethan had long since disappeared without a trace by showing a friendly appearance with Damian.
“…oh my?”
Opening the newspaper, more unexpected news awaited her.
“Madam Rachel became a Count. Really?”
“The Count of Rockwell is one of the titles returned to the imperial family after hereditary succession was discontinued about 50 years ago.”
Lilian realized that a lot had changed. Because her records didn’t say that Rachel would become a Count.
“Besides, credible sources say that the Countess-to-be is preparing a very grand celebration ball. According to her, she is preparing for a grandiose masquerade that lasts from daytime to evening…”
Then a knock was heard. A servant appeared with two letters.
“This is a letter for Her Highness.”
It seemed like an invitation.
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