Contract Marriage with the Devil Duke - Chapter 22

“When you come to Odor Province, you must visit the ancient amphitheater, perfume museum, and Centmi River.”

Olentia chattered in the carriage. Today was the day she was guiding Dimidius around Odor Province.

She wore a thin dress, thinking she would be walking and moving around more than expected. It was a yellow off-shoulder dress with a fluttering, light hem. With white lace gloves and a bonnet, it was perfect for going out.

Dimidius frankly asked Olentia, who kept checking the window:

“Are you uncomfortable being with me?”

Olentia stared at Dimidius with wide eyes. The red eyes in the eye holes of the mask seemed to shine even brighter today.

‘Uncomfortable? He’s asking the obvious.’

Dimidius wasn’t a comfortable person to be with. For some reason, she found herself sitting up straight and her whole body was tense.

But it didn’t seem right to say that so bluntly. It would be better to brush it off.

Olentia carefully nodded towards him.

“It’s not comfortable. We’ve seen each other often, but we’re not friends.”

“Couldn’t we be friends by now? I don’t think it would be bad to be friends.”

“Are you serious? You want to be friends with me?”

The word ‘friend’ felt unfamiliar to Olentia. Despite attending quite a few social gatherings so far, she hadn’t met anyone close enough to call a friend. Most people just tried to treat her favorably, and she ended up avoiding them, feeling like they were caught in a small power dynamic.

Thinking of Bobby, who was staying at the count’s residence after being told not to follow today, Olentia said:

“My only friend is Bobby, my dedicated maid.”

“Then you must have quite a few friend spots left. I too only have my aide as a friend.”

“Ah…”

“We have a lot in common.”

Olentia didn’t want to admit his words. She had noticed it from the moment he said it was fate since they happened to meet often. It seemed Dimidius often said nonsense to people he felt he had gotten close to.

Despite such words being enough to cause misunderstandings.

‘Why on earth? What if the listener misunderstands and thinks you’re interested?’

Olentia flatly refused.

“By that logic, most young people in the empire would be similar.”

But Dimidius just looked at Olentia with a calm gaze, seemingly unaffected. Olentia felt hot and itchy wherever his gaze touched. She felt like stripping naked and scratching vigorously.

‘Why is it so itchy? This feels strange.’

She disliked the situation of constantly being aware of Dimidius. Olentia just wanted to think of him as a stone.

As if understanding Olentia’s feelings, the carriage stopped shortly after.

Finally, the first destination. They had arrived at the ancient amphitheater.

Dimidius lightly stepped down from the carriage and extended his hand to Olentia.

“Shall we go, my lady?”

It seemed a bit off to refuse such basic escort.

Olentia took his hand and got out of the carriage, pretending to be nonchalant. After landing quite stably on the ground, she looked at the red-tinted amphitheater. It had been a very long time since she’d come here, not since she was young.

The ancient amphitheater had a magnificent charm. Designed to accommodate 50,000 to 70,000 spectators, the stadium was built by stacking bricks and carving stones. And the wide-open sky served as its beautiful roof.

Olentia entered the stadium and basked in the warm sunlight. She could feel her bonnet getting hotter.

“The sun is strong, are you alright?”

Dimidius asked, placing his large hand over her bonnet. He was caring at times like this. Actually, while Dimidius could be rough with his words sometimes, he seemed kind considering how he had saved her on Shine Street and on the train.

Except for occasionally annoying people with his nonsense.

Olentia swallowed hard as she looked at his thick hand.

“I’m fine with my bonnet. But are you alright, Your Highness?”

“It’s a bit dazzling, but I can just close my eyes and walk, can’t I?”

“You might fall like that.”

“I suppose you could catch me, my lady.”

When he stretched out his arm as if asking her to hold it, Olentia moved away in surprise.

“Your Highness seems to often say frivolous things.”

As she chided him while moving, Dimidius walked right next to her. He didn’t seem particularly interested in the amphitheater.

‘Did we come here for nothing?’

Olentia looked around more frequently out of embarrassment. She was trying to take in the sights herself at least.

But then Dimidius said something unexpected.

“There’s an ancient stadium like this in Belial territory too, but the structures are completely different. It’s interesting.”

‘So he was looking after all? I thought he was just waiting for chances to say frivolous things to me.’

It was truly unexpected, and Olentia was relieved that Dimidius wasn’t completely uninterested in the stadium. Still, as a guide, she had hoped the sightseeing person would show some reaction.

Having never been to Belial territory, Olentia imagined the cold northern landscape as she spoke.

“I think it would be really beautiful to see an ancient stadium covered in snow, don’t you?”

Dimidius walked slowly to match Olentia’s pace.

“It might look cozy when it snows. Usually, it’s just desolate.”

“Is that so? It seems Your Highness likes snow too?”

Olentia liked snow. The sight of white, clean snow piling up softly was truly beautiful. Of course, it wasn’t often seen in the capital, Geranium. Maybe that’s why it felt more precious.

But the conversation paused for a moment. Dimidius seemed lost in thought, staring into the distance. Olentia’s heart sank as his mood seemed to have changed.

‘I didn’t do anything wrong, did I? Right?’

As Olentia worried to herself, Dimidius answered.

“Just some small memories that don’t matter much now came to mind. I neither like nor dislike snow.”

His voice was a bit subdued. The small memories that suddenly came to mind seemed to matter to him after all.

‘I have memories like that too. Memories related to elder brother Sokol.’

During a sudden cold wave in Geranium, she had knitted a scarf for Sokol. It was her first time knitting so it was a mess, but Sokol wore that scarf for quite a while.

Just thinking about that time made her feel very strange. Though they were completely estranged now, good memories from the past still remained.

Realizing she neither liked nor disliked those memories made her chest feel tight somehow.

As they finished their tour and left the amphitheater, Olentia said:

“Just either dislike it or like it. I find that’s easier on the mind.”

She didn’t care if it seemed meddlesome. Olentia wanted to help Dimidius even a little.

Dimidius stood still for a moment as if rooted to the spot, then followed after Olentia.

[This is the timeline separator]

They arrived at the Odor Perfume Museum on the hillside.

In front of a distiller used to make oils by adding flower petals, Olentia discreetly sniffed the bitter woody scent that always emanated from Dimidius.

What perfume could this be? It seemed to get better the more she smelled it, alluring and profound.

Olentia asked him with wide, curious eyes:

“What perfume do you use? It seems to suit Your Highness well.”

Dimidius tilted his head as if hearing something unexpected.

“Are you complimenting me now? That’s unexpected. I’d like to hear it again.”

“Did you think I was always prickly or indifferent?”

“I thought that could be the case. Since you dislike me.”

‘Dislike? Do I dislike the Grand Duke?’

Olentia pondered seriously for a moment. She didn’t think she had enough feelings towards him to dislike him. To hate someone, emotions would have to build up to an irreversible degree.

Olentia quickly waved her hands.

“What are you saying? I don’t dislike you. I just feel a bit uncomfortable when Your Highness says mean things! That’s all.”

“Is that so? Then I should refrain from now on. I don’t want to be hated by my lady.”

She couldn’t understand how they ended up having this conversation. Dimidius’ heart seemed sincere when he said he didn’t want to be hated.

Feeling strange, Olentia shuddered and entered the mixing room where perfume samples were made. Dozens of brown bottles were displayed on shelves.

While looking around the room, Dimidius said to Olentia:

“You have a fresh floral scent, my lady. Did you know that?”

Olentia was puzzled since she hadn’t applied any perfume.

“But I don’t wear perfume? Do I smell? What could it be?”

Olentia felt oddly self-conscious, so she lifted her arm and brought it to her nose. She sniffed it, but couldn’t seem to tell herself.

A floral scent is usually considered a pleasant fragrance.

But when Dimidius said she had a floral scent, it made her feel strange somehow.

‘I’ve wondered if it was actually the Grand Duke who disliked me…’

The fact that he perceived it as a floral scent made her toes tingle. It felt like flower vines were sprouting from the floor and wrapping around her legs. She had such a momentary illusion.

‘No. Don’t read into it.’

Olentia quickly came to her senses. She didn’t want to be someone who was swayed this way and that by his words.

Shortly after, Olentia and Dimidius finished touring the space where perfumes could be directly mixed and processed, then went outside.

If they walked straight from here, they could see the Centmi River. The path had many flowers and trees, so it seemed like a pleasant walk.

Olentia intertwined her fingers and walked slowly. Actually, she had many things she wanted to ask Dimidius, but she wasn’t sure if she should.

‘The reason I volunteered to be a guide today was because I was curious about why the Grand Duke needs holy power. I’m also curious if he’s really staying longer at Count Odor’s residence because of me, who possesses holy power.’

Olentia’s mind was very complicated, like a tangled ball of thread.

But she wasn’t the type of person who could hold back her words until the end. Olentia stopped walking in a place full of bushes and looked at him.

“Um, Your Highness?”

But Dimidius’ condition seemed a bit strange. He suddenly gasped for breath and leaned against a tree, shaking. She couldn’t tell his expression, but his chest heaving up and down was no ordinary matter. He must be in pain somewhere.

Olentia approached him and said urgently:

“I’ll call the carriage over here! Please wait a moment!”

But suddenly Dimidius grabbed Olentia’s arm and pulled her close. Olentia was helplessly drawn to him.

“Why, why are you doing this? Huh?”

She couldn’t understand why he was acting like this when she needed to prepare the carriage right away.

But Dimidius, while gasping for breath, spoke to her with precise pronunciation:

“What I need right now is you, my lady. Not the carriage.”

Those words made her heart flutter for a moment. Olentia swallowed hard and looked at him.

“Me, me?”

“You were curious about why I need holy power, right? This is why. Because of this pain that comes suddenly.”

Dimidius took off Olentia’s glove and grasped her bare hand tightly. He looked desperate, as if he would never let go. His large hand completely enveloped Olentia’s small one.

At that moment, Olentia couldn’t help but think of the dream where her husband appeared wearing a mask.

‘In the dream, I definitely gave holy power to my husband like this too…’

So was the dream with her husband a prophetic dream after all?

Olentia looked at their clasped hands with a shocked expression. She couldn’t coldly push away his hand when Dimidius, who seemed to be in pain, desperately wanted it.

“This can’t be. Why would I… with Your Highness…”

‘Get married? And even do this and that!’