Contract Marriage with the Devil Duke - Chapter 40

“Why won’t you accept my feelings? This is too much! You’re such a kind knight!”

“No, that’s…”

While the knight was flustered, the maid covered her mouth with one hand and left the spot. She seemed to feel a strong sense of betrayal from the knight.

The maid who bravely confessed her feelings was cool, and the knight who was so flustered and didn’t know what to do was pitiful. Even the Grand Duchy had the scent of people living there.

After a while, Podion read the letter and left the greenhouse garden. Seeing him carefully put the letter in his pants pocket, it seemed he would feel very sorry to the maid later on.

Olentia was not unaware of those feelings.

It was because she had rejected countless men’s proposals who came to the Armeniaca estate.

It was definitely an apologetic and awkward situation.

But being in the greenhouse garden for a long time, it was certainly humid. Although it was well-maintained and pretty, it was not a place to stay for long.

Olentia also came out and went all the way back to where the chestnut oaks were. The huge stone retaining wall looked really sturdy, and the fountain with sculptures of baby angels with wings had a splendid charm.

How long had she been walking aimlessly like that?

Soon, loud cheers from men began to be heard nearby. Olentia was walking with a curious face, then discovered the training grounds and opened her eyes wide.

Sand and dust were flying in the huge training grounds. The knights, dressed in black uniforms, were practicing swordsmanship. It felt like a strong force, as if cutting rocks with a sword. They moved in unison and seemed to be spending a day no different than usual.

That’s when it happened.

A knight spotted Olentia and shouted.

“M-My lady?”

It was amazing that he recognized who she was right away. It had only been a day since she arrived at the Grand Duchy.

Olentia had no intention of disturbing them at all, so she waved her hands in surprise.

“Oh my! Don’t mind me, keep training. No, train.”

In her fluster, she even used honorifics. Then, the other knights also recognized her and opened their eyes wide.

“My lady! My lady has come!”

Thinking that she had probably messed up, Olentia closed her eyes and sighed. She couldn’t stop the spreading sound of “my lady” like wildfire.

Before she knew it, the knights stood in front of her. The knights, wearing insignias with black panther emblems, all looked at Olentia with curious faces. That gaze was too burdensome. It was so embarrassing to stand in front of them when she was just a fake lady for only 5 months.

Then, a man with a good build despite his cute pink hair bowed to Olentia.

“I am Nicholas Raine, the commander of the Belial Knights.”

Olentia accepted the greeting as naturally as possible.

“Yes. Nice to meet you. You know my name, right?”

“Yes. Of course. I dare not speak it.”

“Oh, don’t be like that!”

Olentia was going crazy because she wanted to stay as quiet as possible during her stay at the Grand Duchy.

“If you came to see the training grounds, I will guide you.”

At the words of the knight commander Nicholas, Olentia stepped back.

“No. I just took the wrong path. I’ll get going now.”

Then Nicholas made a regretful expression and saluted Olentia. Next to him was the brown-haired knight she had seen earlier. Podion, was it? She felt like she would definitely remember his name.

Dimidius headed to the training grounds to select Olentia’s escort knight. The inside of the Grand Duchy was relatively safe, but the possibility of an attack could not be ruled out. So, an excellent escort knight was needed.

But the atmosphere at the training grounds seemed a bit chaotic. The knights all seemed distracted, and their movements were all sluggish.

“What are you doing? You’ve lost your minds.”

Dimidius appeared in front of the Belial Knights, emitting an intense energy. Then the knights came to their senses and shouted loudly.

“Greetings to His Grace the Grand Duke!”

Seeing them suddenly filled with spirit, Dimidius firmly crossed his arms.

“What was the reason for the chaos a moment ago? Did something happen?”

Then, Nicholas Raine, the knight commander, bowed deeply and answered.

“I apologize, Your Grace. It seems the kids were a bit distracted and unfocused after my lady came and left a moment ago.”

At the words that Olentia had come and gone, Dimidius laughed.

‘When did she come and go again? She’s roaming around well.’

As he laughed, the knights all looked at Dimidius with surprised faces. It was because they had rarely seen Dimidius laughing.

Especially surprised, Nicholas clapped his hands and opened his mouth.

Clap clap!

“Wow… It’s so good to see you laugh, Your Grace.”

Dimidius shook his head to come to his senses and gestured to Nicholas.

“You, come here. You have no manners.”

Nicholas was dragged to him with an almost guilty face.

Inside the barracks of the training grounds, Dimidius sighed, looking at the knight commander who was rubbing his hands in a cheeky manner. Nicholas Raine had outstanding skills, but his usual behavior was somewhat frivolous. Sometimes it was pleasant, and sometimes it got on his nerves. Today, it seemed to be both.

“Enough of that, lady. No, who do you recommend as the escort knight for the madam?”

At Dimidius’s words, Nicholas rolled his eyes with great relief.

“Hmm. I think Noah was pretty good at the last training. And Dominic, who was active during this train ambush, also seems suitable.”

As Nicholas suggested, Dimidius was also considering those two. But it would be nice if someone better than them could take on the role of dedicated escort knight. The Grand Duchy had been breached once 5 years ago. Also, the empress might go crazy and send assassins.

Just thinking about it made Dimidius feel wide awake.

Dimidius looked at the knights training again and said,

“Those two can be used for night watch. What about Deputy Knight Commander Podion Etheciai?”

Nicholas was surprised and opened his eyes wide.

“Podion is excellent, of course. But if that happens, he’ll have to step down from the position of deputy knight commander. An escort knight has quite a lot of trivial things to do.”

Dimidius watched Podion, who used solid and heavy swordsmanship, and said,

“We can ask him. Bring him here.”

Nicholas quickly ran out of the barracks and brought back the sweating Podion. Podion wiped his face with his arm and stood in front of Dimidius.

Not only were Podion’s swordsmanship skills good, but he also had a serious and reliable personality. He was kind to everyone, so he was very popular in the Grand Duchy.

Dimidius had also seen his honest and diligent appearance many times.

Dimidius said to Podion, who was waiting for orders,

“Are you willing to give up the position of deputy knight commander and become the Grand Duchess’s escort knight?”

He thought the answer was predetermined. He was asking even though he knew that.

As expected, Podion bowed deeply without hesitation and replied,

“If you entrust me, I will protect my lady with my life.”

Dimidius liked those words about dedicating his life. He hoped that Olentia would stay healthy without getting hurt for the 5 months.

Dimidius patted his shoulder several times. He felt a bit relieved now that he had entrusted her to someone he could trust.

Podion bowed several times as if Dimidius’s touch was awkward.

“Miss. The escort knight has come to greet you.”

Olentia, who was resting in the room, nodded obediently upon hearing Bobby’s words. She would need an escort knight from now on. Of course, she didn’t know it would be decided right from the first day, which was surprising.

After a while, the door opened and Podion, with dark skin and maroon eyes, entered. He seemed a bit stiff, with his shoulders tense.

Olentia opened her mouth wide in surprise.

She never dreamed that Podion would be the one to serve as her escort for the 5 months. It hadn’t been long since she first saw him in the greenhouse garden.

Then Podion approached with a rigid posture and said to Olentia, who was sitting in front of the tea table,

“Let me formally introduce myself. I am Podion Etheciai, who has become my lady’s escort knight.”

Olentia smiled brightly and reached out her hand to him.

“It’s great to meet you, Sir Podion.”

“Y-Yes?”

When Olentia called him directly by his name instead of his surname, Podion seemed a bit flustered. He blinked his eyes and quickly held her hand.

“It’s an honor, my lady.”

Podion’s hand was large and firm, though not as much as Dimidius’s. With his dark skin, brown hair, and eye color, Podion had an overall warm-looking impression.

Olentia was quite pleased that he became her escort knight. He was also handsome, so it seemed she would feel good every time she saw him.

Olentia mainly spent time drinking tea. Out of boredom, she even pulled Podion to sit and asked him this and that.

“Sir Podion. What type of woman do you like?”

At the question asked out of concern for the maid who had left in tears, Podion’s face immediately turned bright red.

Podion shook his head several times as if wanting to come to his senses.

“I apologize, but I don’t really know about that. I can answer everything about which sword is comfortable to use and which swordsmanship I like, but…”

Olentia waved her hand as she didn’t want to hear about that.

“Never mind that. You haven’t had much dating experience, right?”

Then Podion said to her with a serious face,

“Not even once.”

There was no reason to be surprised since she was the same. Olentia thought it would be more ridiculous to pretend to be someone who had dated in front of him.

‘Still, I can’t let them find out it’s a contract marriage.’

Olentia smiled slightly and said,

“It’s okay! So what if you haven’t dated? You don’t necessarily have to date.”

Then Podion tilted his head as if puzzled.

“Do you really think so? I’ve only heard people around me telling me to date, so this is unexpected.”

Olentia laughed awkwardly.

‘Well, it’s been 3 years since I became an adult, but instead of dating, I’m in a contract marriage!’

She wondered if Podion would understand her feelings.

Of course, as she thought in the greenhouse garden, she knew well how uncomfortable it was for the person being rejected. Olentia also had the experience of rejecting people who confessed to her every time. She couldn’t start with a light heart when the other person was sincere.

What kind of feeling was it to like someone?

If your heart flutters and you keep wanting to see them, does that mean you like them?

Olentia recalled the past and said to Podion,

“I also had a time when I only rejected people who confessed their feelings. Before I got married, I mean!”

“…I’m really sorry to the other person at times like that.”

Podion’s face darkened as if recalling what had happened a little while ago.