Contract Marriage with the Devil Duke - Chapter 58

Dimidius’s actions of eating the cake and cookies seemed truly awkward for someone who claimed to know how to eat. Of course, it was impossible to tell if he really liked the desserts because his expression was hidden behind the mask.

Olentia pushed the desserts towards Dimidius and said.

“Please eat a lot, Your Majesty. There’s plenty here.”

At that, Dimidius suddenly coughed as if he had choked.

“Cough, cough!”

Startled, Olentia quickly patted his back. Meanwhile, Podion stood frozen, unable to do anything. His superior, Dimidius, seemed to be in trouble.

After his coughing subsided, Dimidius put down his fork and said to Olentia.

“How about tonight? Come to the archery range.”

Olentia nodded and took another sip of tea.

With that, Dimidius got up from his seat and went back into the Grand Duchy. For someone who claimed to know how to eat desserts, he hadn’t actually eaten much.

Olentia said to Podion, who was still frozen.

“Are you very uncomfortable with His Majesty around?”

Podion quickly waved his hands as if asking what she meant. His face had turned pale.

“No, no. It’s true that it’s difficult, but to say it’s uncomfortable. That’s an absurd thing to say.”

‘Usually when something is difficult, isn’t it uncomfortable?’

Olentia had also felt uncomfortable around Dimidius many times. It seemed to be because of his mask that felt like a wall, or because his personality itself seemed sensitive and fussy.

It seemed Podion had said the best he could as Dimidius’s subordinate. She couldn’t torment him like that.

Olentia smiled and ate the plentiful desserts left with Podion.

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The evening sunset fell upon the vast archery range. Olentia thought that the burning red sun was like Dimidius’s eyes as she picked up the bow and arrow. She had learned basic archery as part of her education at the Armeniaca estate, but it was a very old memory.

Olentia stared blankly at Dimidius, who appeared at the archery range with the sunset at his back. A golden light spread out behind him, so beautiful that it felt like a god had descended. The real god was curled up asleep in her bedroom though.

Dimidius came to her side and checked her posture.

“Keep the arm holding the bow and the arm pulling the string even and pull it fully to your chin.”

Olentia gulped and pulled the bowstring. Her body swayed for a moment, but Dimidius, who was next to her, held her steady.

His voice continued.

“The height of the elbow of the arm pulling the string is most appropriate between the mouth and eyes.”

Olentia followed his instructions, continuing to let out rough breaths. She didn’t know why she was so nervous when she hadn’t even shot an arrow yet. Her earlier thought that she could pleasantly accept the tension was all a miscalculation.

Olentia always felt like she was shrinking in front of Dimidius.

When Olentia couldn’t focus at all, Dimidius gripped her shoulders to straighten them. As his touch reached her, Olentia flinched for a moment and lowered the hand pulling the bowstring. The strength had suddenly left her arm.

At that, Dimidius took Olentia’s hand. It wasn’t a spasm, but Dimidius kneaded her hand as if massaging it.

Olentia asked him in a puzzled voice.

“Do you need divine power?”

Dimidius fake coughed.

“It’s not like that. I was just worried you might get a cramp in your hand. You have to practice for a long time, so it would be troublesome.”

Indeed, it seemed Dimidius was going to make her practice hard. Olentia was prepared for it too. She couldn’t become a laughingstock by participating in the imperial hunting competition.

Olentia took her stance again as Dimidius had instructed her.

Then Dimidius slightly raised Olentia’s arm and said.

“Your arm, shoulder, and elbow need to be in a straight line. That way you can accurately hit the target.”

Olentia stared at the target with burning eyes. When she finally got in position and shot the arrow, it flew outside the target. It seemed impossible to hit the bullseye from the beginning. She was slightly disappointed even though she knew.

Olentia practiced repeatedly. With Dimidius by her side pointing out whenever her posture loosened, it seemed to gradually become familiar to her body.

How many arrows had she shot?

Dimidius handed Olentia a water bottle and said.

“It would be good to rest for a bit.”

Only then did Olentia let out a long breath and plop down on a chair set up on one side of the archery range. Her head seemed to ache slightly after concentrating for quite a long time.

When she rubbed her forehead, Dimidius said urgently.

“Was it too much for you?”

Olentia shook her head.

“No. I’m just not used to physical activities.”

She felt like she had lived too much like a flower in a greenhouse. Now that she could create a white sphere with divine power, she thought she should do some more physical activities. Other than the slight headache, she felt refreshed from sweating.

Olentia brought the water bottle Dimidius gave her to her mouth and gulped down the cold water. It was already cool in the evening, but drinking the cold water made her whole body feel refreshed.

The evening glow was now just about to disappear below the ridgeline. The orange-dyed sky was so beautiful that she wanted to bring an easel and canvas right away to capture it in a painting.

Wiping the beads of sweat on her forehead, Olentia said.

“If I practice hard, I should at least not be embarrassed to participate in the hunting competition, right?”

In the past, she had no intention of participating in the hunting competition at all. Being clumsy, she had no interest in it whatsoever.

But it was different now. Since Dimidius had asked her to go together, Olentia wanted to live up to his expectations.

Dimidius nodded.

“You’ve only practiced a little today, but your skills are rapidly improving. So don’t worry too much. It’ll all be fine.”

Dimidius’s voice sounded just like a lullaby. She always thought so, but he really had a nice voice.

Olentia smiled shyly and clasped her hands together. The time she spent with him was so precious and wonderful. She felt like it would be okay even if time stopped like this for a while.

The gently blowing breeze, the orange-dyed sky, her reliable husband Dimidius. Everything seemed perfect.

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Kikozellia, wearing a fancy dress and slightly concealing her face with a hat, arrived at the assassination guild. She had been waiting only for the imperial hunting competition and had worked hard to find a skilled assassin. Today, she had come to meet that assassin.

“It’s cleaner than I thought.”

She had expected the assassination guild to have a very rough atmosphere, but the working staff seemed rather neat, as if they weren’t all killers.

Kikozellia entered the room and met with the assassin who had promised to take care of Olentia.

The man had a sharp and sleek impression, and his body looked solid. Since he was recommended by the head of the assassination guild, his swordsmanship skills were probably excellent too.

Kikozellia sat down and crossed her arms tightly.

“It’ll be quite a dangerous job since you’re entering the imperial palace.”

Instead, she had prepared ample compensation.

At Kikozellia’s words, the man grinned confidently.

“Killing a fragile noblewoman is hardly even a job. She won’t be stuck to the Grand Duke during the hunting competition anyway.”

Of course, that would be the case. Kikozellia’s excitement heightened at the thought that this time she could finally eliminate Olentia.

“You must kill her without fail. If you fail, the hunting competition will be in an uproar.”

The man nodded with a firm face.

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They arrived at the forest where the imperial hunting competition was being held with two horses.

Olentia had already become quite friendly with the white horse, and since she had diligently practiced horseback riding and archery, she wasn’t worried about anything.

Olentia, wearing tight white pants and a brown jacket, glanced at Dimidius riding a black horse. Dimidius rode the horse very naturally, like flowing water. Although Olentia had practiced hard, it seemed it would take a long time to become like Dimidius.

In front of the forest entrance, many nobles on horseback had gathered. Among them was Crown Prince Regalis, as well as Sokol and Kikozellia.

Looking at them, she felt an inexplicable tension and uneasiness. As Olentia gulped, Dimidius beside her said.

“You must never overexert yourself. Be careful and don’t go too deep into the forest.”

She planned to do as Dimidius said. Of course, she had practiced hard for today, but her skills weren’t at the level of freely moving through the forest and hunting.

Soon, the Emperor and Empress appeared riding splendid horses. Although Dimidius hadn’t told her who was behind the recent attack on the Grand Duchy, the Empress seemed highly likely. The Empress approached the nobles, greeting them with a brazen smile.

Why was the Empress, who often volunteered with the church, so heartless only to Dimidius? Was it solely because he was a half-demon? Whether that was the case or not, she was truly a detestable person.

Before the hunting competition began, Regalis, riding a white horse similar to Olentia’s, approached her. Olentia frowned reflexively.

‘Don’t come near me. How can you come with any decency!’

She prayed desperately inwardly, but Regalis excessively raised the corners of his mouth and said to Dimidius and Olentia.

“I didn’t know you two would be participating in the hunting competition. I thought you weren’t very interested in imperial events.”

Of course, normally neither Dimidius nor she would have participated in the hunting competition.

But Dimidius had a clear purpose for coming all the way to the imperial palace. There was no way Regalis could know that.

Dimidius stroked the black horse’s mane and said to Regalis.

“I became interested in the grand prize.”

Regalis snickered.

“You mean the treasure of the deep sea? Are you trying to gift it to the Grand Duchess?”

Dimidius confidently nodded. It seemed Dimidius was aiming to win the hunting competition. She didn’t know much about his hunting skills, but she was worried he might get hurt if he overexerted himself.

As Olentia looked at Dimidius with concerned eyes, Regalis gripped the reins tighter.

“You two are truly a loving couple. I should follow your example and quickly find a good match. I may have already found one though.”

Did Regalis have a separate woman?

She thought it would be really nice if he had given up his feelings for her and met another woman.

Olentia looked at Regalis with indifferent eyes and said.

“I hope you meet a good person.”

That was the best Olentia could say to Regalis.

Regalis stared at Olentia, then returned to the Emperor and Empress’s side. No matter how crazy he was, it seemed he couldn’t do anything outrageous with so many nobles watching.

Olentia whispered to the white horse to take good care of her and watched the fireworks signaling the start of the hunting competition. Now it was truly the beginning of the competition.

Dimidius quickly entered the forest riding the black horse, while Olentia moved as slowly as possible.