Received the Obsession of a Chaste Dark Lord (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 9
The dinner was surprisingly pleasant.
I had expected nothing worth mentioning from such a small village, yet the table was filled with all manner of dishes, all delicious.
Perhaps my appetite simply improved from the fatigue of travel.
I tasted most of the food without any strong aversion and left almost nothing behind.
The amount consumed by Leopric, the serving Betty, and even myself was astonishing.
“We should reward the chef.”
“Indeed, Miss—no, Your Highness Vi—I’ve never seen you eat so much!”
Leopric gazed at the empty plates with a satisfied expression.
Beside him, Betty nodded encouragingly.
It was simply that my appetite had been stronger than usual.
I smiled awkwardly and shook my head.
“I suppose I was just hungry from the long journey.”
“It seems your schedule has been grueling. I was shortsighted. Tomorrow, we shall move more leisurely.”
Leopric offered an earnest apology in response to my flimsy excuse.
But… was this really something he needed to apologize for?
“No, Your Highness, it’s not that serious.”
“But you’ve never ventured beyond the capital, have you?”
“It doesn’t seem related to my appetite at all.”
“Perhaps, as you slowly take in your surroundings, you’ll find enjoyment beyond just food.”
“It’s fine, Your Highness. I cannot let my needs delay our schedule.”
I firmly shook my head at his suggestion to seek other delights of the journey, smiling lightly.
The journey had already fallen behind schedule simply because our destination had changed.
If we proceed this slowly from here—even to the carriage?
The delays would only push future events further beyond what I anticipated.
Most of what I did right after my marriage in my previous life was to solidify Lloyd’s position.
Considering that, Lloyd likely assumes I will act on his behalf.
The ball hosted by Marquess Ferje, the hearing to secure royal-backed projects, the tea party led by Duchess Alois, the central figure of the anti-imperial faction…
All of these events, beginning precisely one month from now, required my attendance.
I do not know how long he has planned this journey, but before the Marquess Ferje’s ball begins—the very start of this entire journey—I must return to the capital.
Is there not a better place to request support from the imperial nobility, who will gather en masse?
As I stood to reorganize my thoughts on the events ahead, I said:
“I’ll retire first, Your Highness. Please take your time.”
“Hmm? No, I’ve finished too. Are you going to your room?”
“No. I thought I’d stroll around a bit.”
“Then let’s go together. It’s too dark to walk alone.”
“Yes, all right.”
I had set out merely to clear my head with a light walk around the vicinity.
Having him accompany me wouldn’t be a major issue.
When I nodded easily, he blinked again.
Did he truly not expect me to agree?
“That’s strange, Your Highness. Why do you keep assuming I’ll refuse…?”
“Perhaps, as you said, our relationship is not ordinary.”
He offered a faintly bitter smile.
Then, as if standing there in a daze, he extended his hand to escort me.
“Let’s go, Amelia.”
Leopric, bowing slightly with a smile, looked exactly like a prince from a children’s fairy tale.
…Well, he truly is a prince, after all.
While silently muttering foolish thoughts to myself, I took his hand.
His grip and the step ahead of him somehow felt eager, brimming with anticipation.
It was amusing—and even endearing.
…Endearing?
At this sudden thought, I paused mid-step while chasing after him.
No matter what, Leopric is a full head taller than I am.
How could such a person be endearing?
With this sudden realization, I hurried forward as if fleeing something.
I repeatedly reminded myself inwardly not to grow so lax, forcing myself to hide my confusion.
I feigned calm as I smiled toward him, waiting a few paces ahead, ensuring he wouldn’t notice.
[This is the timeline separator]The area around the lodging was ordinary, nothing special.
As darkness deepened, people on the streets gradually returned to their homes.
Only the light spilling from buildings illuminated the pathways, bolstered by the dim moonlight.
An endless silence filled the space between us as we walked without speaking.
It was the same prolonged silence that had begun in the carriage.
Yet strangely, I didn’t feel uncomfortable. Was I the odd one?
When I was with Lloyd, my voice never stopped, filling the space as I endlessly sought his agreement or approval.
Lloyd merely offered appropriate nods.
Even though the conversation was almost one-sided, I had thought it fortunate there was no silence.
But with Leopric, even this long silence felt not unpleasant.
Perhaps because our temperaments are so different.
Lloyd was sociable, casually familiar with everyone.
Leopric, by contrast, was serious and heavy.
Perhaps his quietness felt natural to me.
Curious, I turned my head to look at Leopric—and found him still watching me.
“…Ah.”
At the moment our eyes met, the gaze fixed on me flickered slightly.
And from that flicker, Leopric’s face slowly flushed, as if ink had spread across his skin.
I was not the only one startled by this sudden change.
I, too, blushed and turned away abruptly when I saw his reddened face.
What on earth was he thinking as he looked at me that his face turned so red?
In the heavy silence that followed, I couldn’t turn my gaze or speak.
“…I’m sorry.”
After a long pause, an unexplained apology slipped out.
His deep voice still carried a faint blush, and my heart fluttered inexplicably.
I pressed my throbbing chest and slowly exhaled.
“You have no reason to apologize.”
“…I just didn’t think you’d be so startled.”
It wasn’t surprise—it was embarrassment.
But I didn’t cut off his awkward follow-up.
“If I made you feel bad, I apologize.”
Leopric paused, as if about to say more, but surprisingly fell silent.
I, too, said nothing more than a brief “It’s fine,” and closed my mouth.
A different, heavier silence settled between us.
Feeling strangely distant, I shifted my eyes, while he quietly kept walking ahead.
“…I…”
“…I…”
Just as I opened my mouth to say something—
We simultaneously met each other’s gaze, then stepped back a pace.
“You go first, Your Highness.”
“No, you.”
“I really didn’t mean to say anything…”
“But I still want to hear it.”
He urged me gently with a light smile.
I hadn’t opened my mouth with any special purpose.
I simply wanted to ease the awkwardness of the moment.
Desperately, I wracked my brain under Leopric’s gaze.
“Well… I was just curious about what you want from me.”
“What I want from you?”
“Yes. The two Sovereigns have instructed us to align our words. It would be better if we understood each other well.”
“Align our words?”
“You said you hoped we would grow closer, didn’t you? We can’t become close overnight, so we must harmonize appropriately before them.”
I thought this was a decent topic.
After all, moments like this—just the two of us—will be rare.
And if I could learn more concretely how to assist him in securing greater imperial power, that would be better.
I know everything about Lloyd Alois—but I don’t know nearly as much about Leopric Reinhardt.
But Leopric remained silent for a long time after my question.
As I turned my gaze back to him, disturbed by the unusually long silence:
“You seem certain we can never grow close.”
His voice fell heavily, like a weight dropping.
I could not respond as he stared directly at me, his eyes holding a hint of resentment.
Was it because his gaze somehow felt wounded?
Why?
Why would he resent me?
In that instant, I thought he might be resenting me.
Though I could find no reason—he was simply the same man I had known before.
“I…”
A sharp scraping sound echoed as my shoe scraped the ground.
Unable to meet his eyes, I looked away.
I had taken a step backward without realizing it.
“I—I’ll return to the lodging. Please stay out a bit longer, Your Highness.”
“Amelia.”
I turned my back on him as he reached out and ran straight to the lodging.
I needed time to think.
Time to reflect on this husband who keeps acting like someone else.
[This is the timeline separator]“No matter how I think about it, this isn’t right…”
Hadn’t I reincarnated?
Didn’t the gods give me another chance to save him?
Then shouldn’t everything unfold exactly as I remembered?
Why is he so different? Why do I keep being thrown off balance?
I had fled from Leopric in a panic and now stood pacing behind the lodging, unable to enter my room.
I feared encountering him again.
A persistent sense of wrongness wrapped around me.
The now-dark scenery should have been frightening, yet I couldn’t even bring myself to look around.
I merely kept pacing, desperately trying to shake off this unease.
That was why I hadn’t noticed the gaze watching me, nor how he was looking at me, as I muttered to myself for so long.
Had he simply stood silently at a distance without calling out, I likely would have fainted.
But I wasn’t surprised when he spoke my name.
“Mel.”
Hearing my name spoken in that unusually low voice—
I was startled in every possible way, staggering in place.
The person who shouldn’t be here.
The voice I had never imagined hearing again.
Slowly, very slowly, I turned toward him, my face filled with disbelief.
“…Lloyd?”
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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