Strategic Marriage with the Mad Villain - Chapter 117

After my conversation with Teron, I decided to stop avoiding Reus. I thought I shouldn’t make Reus suffer more because of my guilt.

However, approaching him wasn’t as easy as I had hoped. It was difficult to speak first, but Reus would leave before I could say anything, and if our eyes met, he would turn away, making it even harder to approach him.

It was heartbreaking to see him desperately trying to keep his promise to me. Along with that, I remembered what Teron had said about Reus being innocent.

‘I must try to talk to him again today.’

I was thinking about attempting a conversation in the bedroom when there was a knock on the door, followed by Dewin’s voice.

“Your Highness, it’s Dewin. May I come in?”

“Yes, Dewin. Come in.”

Soon the door opened, and Dewin entered the office. Since my relationship with Reus had soured, Milly had been the only one visiting my office lately, so it felt like I hadn’t seen Dewin in a while.

“What brings you here, Dewin?”

“I have something I’d like to say to Your Highness.”

I thought he might have come on official business, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Sensing that this wasn’t a conversation to be had at the desk, I moved to the sofa.

“What’s this about?”

“Well… it might sound presumptuous, but I have a request, Your Highness.”

“A request?”

Dewin, looking as if he had made a momentous decision, spoke with difficulty.

“Would it be possible for you to… spend some time with the Grand Duke, even if just for a moment?”

I hadn’t expected this at all, and the words that flowed from Dewin’s mouth were even more unexpected.

Asking me to spend time with Reus. This was truly an unforeseen request.

“Of course, I might be worrying too much on my own. I know I’m meddling in your relationship, but… Your Highness has been looking a bit precarious lately.”

“…”

“So, if I may be so bold to suggest… perhaps if Your Highness could spare even a brief moment to spend time with the Grand Duke…”

He spoke with great difficulty, then timidly added that even a very short time would be fine.

“Alright, I’ll do that.”

Dewin, who had been watching my reaction, widened his eyes in surprise. It seems he thought I would refuse, even after coming all this way to ask.

‘I was worried about how to approach him again, but this actually works out well.’

I ended up benefiting from Dewin’s intervention. I resolved to use this opportunity to mend my relationship with Reus, even if just a little.

[This is the timeline separator]

Following Dewin’s suggestion, I decided to have tea time with Reus. Despite my offer to visit his office, Dewin insisted against it, so I went out to the garden first.

It was a place I used to visit frequently along with the library while staying at the Grand Duke’s castle, but at some point, I had stopped coming here.

‘It feels nice to come out here after so long.’

Soon, I heard the sound of footsteps on the grass behind me. I naturally turned around and my eyes met directly with Reus’.

We both froze in place as if on cue. Reus’ face, in particular, even turned a bit pale. Knowing that I was the cause of his distress, I couldn’t look at him nonchalantly.

But then Reus managed to speak with difficulty.

“It’s my fault.”

“…Pardon?”

“I’m sorry for forcing this meeting. I’ll be more careful not to let this happen again.”

Judging by the fact that he still couldn’t approach me or make eye contact, it seemed Reus hadn’t come to spend time with me after all.

I hurriedly called out to the man who was trying to leave the garden.

“Reus…!”

Reus stopped in his tracks as if someone had grabbed him.

“I didn’t come here reluctantly. So please don’t go…”

Despite my words, Reus couldn’t bring himself to approach me. He seemed to be constantly struggling with whether he could truly believe what I was saying.

Unable to bear the awkward atmosphere any longer, I spoke first.

“Are you going to keep standing there…?”

I asked very carefully about his intentions. But Reus moved immediately, as if I had given an order, and sat down beside me.

It happened so quickly that I could only stare at the man sitting quietly beside me with slightly widened eyes.

“Should I… leave again?”

It wasn’t very convincing when he said that with such an anxious face. Reus clearly looked like he didn’t want to leave.

When I didn’t answer right away, Reus fidgeted restlessly. Fearing he might leave again with a hurt expression, I quickly replied.

“No.”

“…”

“You can stay, Reus.”

Though I spoke clearly, for some reason Reus’ expression remained dark.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

“No, I’m not.”

It doesn’t seem like that’s true… Judging by his constant glances, it looks like he has something he wants to say.

“If there’s something you want to say, you can say it too.”

Even as I said this, I thought it unlikely he would open up when he had been avoiding even eye contact until now, but we couldn’t keep our mouths shut forever either.

However, Reus kept hesitating, seemingly unsure of what to say.

“Reus?”

“…Blanket.”

“What?”

“May I cover you with a blanket…?”

“…”

After hesitating as if he was about to say something important, all he asked about was a blanket. I couldn’t help but chuckle at such a trivial question.

It wasn’t meant to be mocking, but rather a response to Reus’ unchanging nature that suddenly struck me as endearing. However, Reus seemed to take it differently and his expression hardened.

“I won’t bother you anymore.”

“I’m not angry, Reus.”

“…”

“Really. If you want to cover me, go ahead.”

It hurt a little that even in this situation, his first concern was for me. That’s why I casually gave permission.

“This…”

But I almost blurted out, “What on earth is this?”

No matter how I looked at it, what covered me wasn’t a blanket. It wasn’t quite a comforter either, but it was certainly excessively thick.

Soon Reus became gloomy and said in a small voice.

“The sea breeze is quite cold, so…”

Even considering that, it still seemed excessive, but I decided to keep quiet lest Reus become even more discouraged.

‘Maybe I should just come out wrapped in a blanket whenever I’m going to meet Reus from now on?’

But then I briefly thought that at this rate, he might not let me leave the room at all in the dead of winter.

‘Come on, surely he wouldn’t go that far?’

Even for Reus…

As I tried to push away these thoughts, I felt an obvious gaze on me. It was because of the man who had been staring at me since earlier. Why was he sitting there so quietly and focusing on me like that when no one had asked him to?

I carefully turned my head. As our eyes met, Reus seemed to stiffen slightly like before, but then he asked in a very cautious manner.

“Are you… a little less angry now?”

Unable to look at me for long, Reus lowered his gaze and fidgeted with his hands nervously.

“I’m sorry, Reus.”

I thought I should properly apologize for this incident. But Reus turned pale as soon as he heard my words.

“Roel.”

“I wasn’t angry at you, Reus. It was just… because of an unresolved issue within me. I’m really sorry for being unreasonable and getting angry all this time.”

“No, I—”

“If you’re going to say you’re sorry, don’t. This was my fault. You did nothing wrong, Reus.”

But Reus seemed uncomfortable letting it go like this and kept moving his lips without actually saying anything.

“I won’t act so selfishly anymore.”

“Roel, if there’s anything you want to do, you can do as you please. Really, anything is fine.”

“No. I needed time to think, but… it’s over now.”

Reus didn’t respond. He must have been curious about what I had discussed with the Emperor, or what conversation I had with Teron. Could he have guessed what decision I had made?

But since Reus didn’t say anything in the end, we couldn’t continue the conversation.

[This is the timeline separator]

I stopped avoiding Reus. But for some reason, Reus no longer followed me around to the point of being annoying like before.

The servants seemed to think we had finally reconciled and were relieved of their worries. Dewin also appeared reassured, but I felt a bit uneasy.

Clearly, we were no longer estranged after that day, but strangely, even when we were close, there was a sense of distance. Apart from my own lingering issues, it seemed more due to Reus being lost in deep thought about something.

While his unusual reactions were concerning, it was much better than being on edge.

After all, I was planning to leave the Grand Duke’s castle soon.

Of course, I hadn’t told Reus because he would try to stop me, and he had already struggled when I mentioned leaving before, so I couldn’t bring myself to repeat the same conversation.

So this time, I decided to disappear quietly without a word. It might sound strange, but this was not for my sake, but solely for Reus.

However, as always, life didn’t flow in the direction I wanted.

“It’s gone.”

The luggage bag I had been carefully packing one item at a time was missing from where it should have been. It seemed Reus had noticed my intention to leave.