I Decline the Ex-Boyfriend of the Regretful Male Lead - Chapter 44

Left alone, I diligently cleared the desserts.

They say you’ll be punished if you leave food behind.

I glanced at Hertian’s seat and saw the untouched fruit dessert still there.

“Should I eat that too?”

For some reason, I was craving sweets today.

Even though I had eaten a full lunch, my stomach felt strangely empty. Why? Is it almost that time?

Unable to find a clear reason, I silently followed the desserts with my eyes.

I thought about asking for more, but gave up as it seemed pitiful to eat dessert alone.

Then I turned my gaze to the dessert Hertian had left behind.

‘Is there any need to ask for a new one? I might as well eat this one that’s going to be thrown away anyway.’

I made sure no one was around and stood up to go to his seat. I picked up his dessert plate. On the way back to my seat, I noticed something on Eleanor’s table.

It was a long, rough-looking bracelet. It seemed she had taken it off and left it there neatly, probably finding it uncomfortable while eating.

“Should I return it or not?”

Usually, I would have rushed over immediately, but this time I hesitated whether to go directly or not.

Hertian had said he had something to talk about with Eleanor, and I recalled the situation from earlier. Hertian abruptly stopping the academy talk. After that, it felt like a wall had formed.

Is there something I’m not supposed to hear?

Seeing them go out separately to talk, it seemed I shouldn’t interfere with their time together.

“Hmm. But I don’t want to shrink back.”

Whatever their relationship was, I didn’t need to hold myself back. I was just returning a bracelet Eleanor had left behind, what’s wrong with that?

I picked up the bracelet and headed straight out of the dining room.

“Do you know where the knight who came with the Grand Duke went?”

When I asked a butler I encountered, he kindly pointed outside.

“He went to the training grounds, saying he would greet the knights.”

“Thank you.”

Without hesitation, I went after them. I hadn’t been to the training grounds before, so I got lost for a moment, but just before arriving, I saw the two of them stopped, talking. Hertian suddenly showed her his pinky finger. Were they making some kind of promise?

Seeing the two of them spending time alone right before my eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to move.

I quickly hid behind a tree to watch them.

‘Why am I hiding?’

Even though it’s a contract marriage, was I uncomfortable seeing my husband with another woman?

At that moment, seeing a knight pass by, I crouched behind the tree to avoid being seen.

Suddenly, an old memory came to mind. I had done this before.

When I was young, on a snowy winter day. After watching Rian playing outside for a while, our eyes met, and I hid behind the curtain conspicuously. Back then, I thought it was because I couldn’t stand the sight of Rian, but that wasn’t it.

‘I was envious.’

I was envious because Hertian, whom I thought was the same as me, looked happy. Here I am, suffering in this cold place, while someone else is giggling with their crush!

It must have been envy that made me feel empty inside.

“I don’t want to confuse you.”

Then I heard Hertian’s voice.

I didn’t understand what he meant. I hadn’t heard the preceding conversation.

‘Surely he’s not confessing now, is he?’

But that suspicion was short-lived. After hearing Eleanor’s next words, my thoughts came to a halt.

“You’ve been ordered to participate in the war.”

I wanted to think I had misheard due to the distance, but I couldn’t even do that.

The white envelope she pulled out from her bosom was proof.

I had wondered why the Deputy Captain of the Imperial Second Knight Order had come all this way, and it was to announce participation in the war. It felt like my heart had dropped.

This was the one thing I had worried about when marrying Hertian.

The check from the Empress’s faction.

Other nobles could secretly keep mistresses, but the Emperor couldn’t be so free. The Empress, whose maternal family wielded great power, didn’t want to see her beloved son suffer from factional struggles. But the Emperor was different.

Rather than having an incompetent person like himself ascend to the throne and be a puppet, he wanted to choose a wise son among his many children to hand over the throne. That’s why Hertian was born.

However, for Hertian, who had no power base, being the Emperor’s son was only a poison. He was destined to be a fugitive in a never-ending game until death.

And even now that he was married, the game continued.

“What do you mean?”

Forgetting that I had been hiding until just now, I approached them in one breath. The two of them turned to look at me simultaneously and exchanged glances.

“Your Highness. Since when… no, from what point did you hear our conversation?”

Eleanor spoke first. She seemed anxious that I might have overheard the promise she made with Hertian.

She seemed more worried about me overhearing their promise than about the war participation.

“Just from the part about participating in the war.”

She exhaled through her nose, seeming relieved. Seeing Eleanor’s reaction, Hertian continued speaking instead.

“Although it’s an order to participate, I don’t intend to go.”

“Are you planning to defy the order?”

“No. Before the marriage, I had already submitted a message saying it would be difficult to comply with the participation order.”

He told me about his conversation with the Emperor. He had said he wouldn’t participate in the war until he settled in the Grand Duchy and found stability. But seeing that the participation order had been issued so blatantly, it seemed this edict wasn’t issued by the Emperor.

Then suddenly, I recalled that Serdis had come to the Grand Duchy recently. My eyes met with Hertian’s. He seemed to be thinking the same thing.

“Which region were you ordered to participate in?”

“Turan, they say.”

“If it’s Turan, it won’t be a large-scale operation.”

“How do you know that, Your Highness?”

Eleanor asked with an intrigued expression. Well, that’s because it was a battle that was only briefly mentioned in the novel. Most of the major wars were dealt with as episodes of the protagonists, Serdis or Violet.

“It’s on the outskirts of a small kingdom, and their demands from the Empire are clear. I thought they wouldn’t start a reckless war.”

“That’s correct.”

“Rather, this might be good. Since it’s not a large-scale operation, we should be able to avoid participation without much fuss.”

It’s strange in itself to deploy someone as high-ranking as a Grand Duke for such a small battle.

“Your Highness doesn’t need to worry. I will step forward and speak about this.”

“Why you, Eleanor?”

“Pardon? I just wish for my friend’s safe newlywed life…”

“How could the Deputy Captain of the Imperial Second Knight Order have the leisure to worry about a friend? I’ll handle this.”

I cut off her words midway. There was no need to entrust this to others when I, the Grand Duchess, was right here. Besides, one of the conditions of my contract with Hertian was to use my abilities.

“But it would be easier if I helped.”

“No. This is our problem.”

At my firm answer, Eleanor’s mouth closed involuntarily. And Hertian, who had been watching this, stood beside me and added,

“As my wife says, this is my problem too, so we’ll solve it.”

At those words, Eleanor seemed to glare at him slightly before narrowing her eyes. She smiled, looking somewhat pleased.

“Hertian must feel reassured with Your Highness by his side.”

It was a cool response befitting the Deputy Captain of the Knight Order.

“I refused your offer because I didn’t want to cause you trouble, so please understand.”

I handed the bracelet to Eleanor and gently grasped his wrist. It was time for us to discuss the plan privately.

“Let’s go quickly.”

Just as I was about to turn around and take him past Eleanor, Hertian stopped me. He had a bewildered look on his face.

“My wife. Are you perhaps angry?”

“Me? Why?”

“Your face looks angry.”

It seems I had been frowning without realizing it. Is this also because I’m envious of how well Eleanor and Hertian get along? Looking back, I did act quite intensely, unlike my usual self.

“I was worried about the Grand Duke. Eleanor, if I was rude, I apologize.”

I cleared my throat and spoke in a much softer voice. Eleanor smiled brightly and joked that she understood the newlyweds’ reluctance to part.

After showing Eleanor and the knight to their rooms, I followed Hertian into his office.

As soon as the door closed, he turned around.

“My wife.”

I knew what he was going to say.

“Just a moment. Let me speak first.”

So I intercepted his words. It was obvious he was going to prevent me from stepping forward, just like with the previous business matter.

“Hertian and I are in a contractual relationship, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“Then I have the right to be involved in order to safely maintain my contract.”

My demand was this:

I would also be involved in matters related to this war participation.

Because Hertian would end up participating in this war.

That’s how it was in the original story. There were very few battles Hertian didn’t participate in, and Turan wasn’t one of them. In other words, Hertian would end up participating this time too. And this matter seems to be related to Serdis as well.

“But it’s dangerous.”

He wasn’t worried, he was uncomfortable. As I felt during the Kursia issue, he didn’t seem entirely comfortable with someone else solving his problems.

But taking on everything alone isn’t always the best solution. If Serdis is involved in this matter, it’s all the more reason for me to step forward and resolve it.

“I know. That Hertian is the type of person who doesn’t like others entering his domain freely. But while we’re living together, please don’t draw the line too strictly with me.”

“What? What do you mean? Have you been thinking all this time that I dislike you entering my domain?”

“Is that not the case?”

He made a dumbfounded face and loosened his tie once.

“No. Absolutely not.”

“Then can I cross the line?”

Given Serdis’s involvement, I intended to strongly cross the invisible line between him and me. To prevent any further disruption to our married life. Especially if there was a plan to find fault and force a divorce between Hertian and me.

Hertian had no answer. He stared at me blankly with his mouth slightly open. But his ears were bright red.

“Hertian. Your ears are red. Are you very cold?”

“Ah, no, I’m not.”

“No way. Even if you run hot, you’ll get sick if you dress so thinly.”

I wonder if he’s taking the medicine I give him properly.

I moved embers into the cooled fireplace and then approached him again. Now that I looked closely, I noticed he was wearing a thin cloak over an outfit similar to what he wore in the capital.

“It seems I’ll have to cross the line in various ways.”

I felt guilty for not paying attention to Hertian’s clothing while having maid uniforms made. It’s natural for even a strong man to fall ill wandering around in such cold weather.

That’s when he took my hand.

Despite his red ears, his hand was very warm. If anything, I was the one receiving warmth.

“May I cross the line as well?”