Trapped in the Mad Duke's Snare - Chapter 41

Adeline sat on the windowsill, staring at the scenery outside.

The heavy rain that had been pouring relentlessly seemed to have subsided a little, now falling as a drizzle.

Due to the untimely autumn monsoon, groans erupted from all over the Soltarius Empire, including the Torpeo domain.

The situation was quite serious, to the extent that ominous rumors spread about receiving punishment from an angry god.

However, for Adeline, this downpour was an opportunity.

It was because Casius said he would be going to inspect the flooded villages in the Torpeo duchy.

She thought it would be a good time to escape when the duke was away from the castle.

Moreover, the rain seemed to have subsided a bit.

Now that the continuous monsoon rain had eased slightly, Adeline decided to go into town.

She looked down at the letter in her hand.

A letter written on stationery obtained through Becky. It was to be sent to Hailo.

Now all she had to do was get the duke’s permission to go into town and mail the letter.

She stood up resolutely. Then she headed towards the duke’s office.

After a brief knock, Adeline opened the door to a voice telling her to come in.

He briefly took off the glasses he had been wearing and set them down.

“It’s nothing else, I just feel a bit stuffy being inside the mansion due to the constant rain.”

“…”

“I’d like to go into town with Becky for a while. Please allow me.”

He stood up from his seat. Then, reaching for his jacket, he replied.

“I’ll go with you.”

“No need. It’s right in front of the castle.”

In front of the duke were stacks of documents he hadn’t finished reading.

Adeline pointed to those documents and said,

“There are so many people who need your attention. The atmosphere in the domain isn’t good as it is, so I want to go quietly. I don’t want to take knights with me if possible.”

Publicly, Adeline was not the duke’s wife, but his mistress.

When such natural disasters occur repeatedly, the resentment of the domain’s people naturally turns towards the mistress. Unable to resent the lord they serve, they direct their resentment towards her instead of the duke.

The duke seemed to understand Adeline’s desire not to cause a commotion and readily agreed.

“Go ahead then. If you’re not back before sunset, I’ll send knights.”

“I’ll be back before then, so knights won’t be necessary.”

Adeline smiled at his typical words.

However, she didn’t know. That Casius had secretly assigned escort knights to her.

Adeline and Becky, who had come out to town, walked through the square. Perhaps because the rain had stopped for the first time in a while, there was a market.

Adeline, who had been walking through the streets bustling with quite a crowd, stopped in front of the fountain.

“Becky. It’s a bit tiring with so many people. Would you go buy some desserts?”

“It must be tiring since you’ve come out after a long time, right? Then stay here, and I’ll go get them!”

Making an appropriate excuse, Adeline sent her alone to the dessert shop.

Judging by the line stretching outside the store, it would take quite a while for Becky to buy the desserts.

Adeline, who had said she would wait by the fountain, hurriedly moved her steps as soon as Becky disappeared.

She immediately mailed the letter to Hailo.

She needed to run away, but when she actually tried to leave the Torpeo castle, she had nowhere to go.

So, she chose the Levrance barony where Hailo was.

Everything was going according to plan, so she should feel relieved. But a corner of her heart felt tight and stuffy as she sent the letter.

She returned to the fountain where she had been sitting with a gloomy expression.

And not long after, Becky returned with loads of desserts.

“Did you wait long? The dessert shop was so crowded.”

Walking with Becky, Adeline’s stern expression wouldn’t ease.

She had come out wanting fresh air. Becky glanced at her with worried eyes and said,

“Lady Del, I think we should go back now. Looking at the sky, it seems like it will rain again.”

Adeline looked up at the sky at her words.

Dark, gloomy clouds had gathered, though it was unclear when they had formed.

“Yes, you’re right. Let’s go back.”

Adeline turned her steps back towards the duke’s residence once again.

After Adeline had gone out to town and returned, it started raining again.

The rain that had been soaking the earth for days on end finally began to subside a bit.

Adeline looked at the clear sky beyond the wide-open terrace doors.

After days, the gloomy sky cleared and sunlight slanted in.

“It’s amazing that the rain stopped on the day the duke is departing, isn’t it?”

Adeline turned to Becky, who had approached without notice.

Today was the day the duke was set to leave to inspect the flood-damaged villages.

“Indeed. But I’m not sure when it might rain again.”

“That’s true. We’ve had sunshine like this before, only for storms to hit.”

Adeline nodded in agreement with Becky.

The weather over the past few days had been swinging between extremes, as if the gods were being capricious.

Neigh, the two of them lowered their gaze at the sound of a horse whinnying from below the terrace.

It seemed the carriage the duke would ride had arrived.

“Oh my, it looks like the carriage has arrived. Lady Del, shall we go down?”

Adeline gave a small nod towards Becky.

And then there was Becky, busily preparing to see the duke off.

After watching her for a while, Adeline lowered her gaze again.

One luxurious carriage with the Torpeo ducal flag mounted on it.

Numerous servants were loading relief supplies onto carts to send to the flood-stricken villages.

Only upon seeing the carriage did Adeline realize.

‘It’s today.’

The day Casius leaves the castle. And also the day Adeline had planned to escape.

Adeline, having finished her preparations, went down to where the carriage was.

Casius was talking with Eric, seemingly coordinating something, when he turned around sensing her presence.

“Are the preparations going well?”

Eric, seeing Adeline, excused himself to let them talk comfortably.

With his departure, only Casius and Adeline remained.

Even the servants who had been busily preparing for departure stepped back to a distance upon seeing Adeline.

The servants, being well-versed in serving the duke, were quick to read the situation.

“The carriage came earlier than expected. We’ll likely depart before the anticipated time.”

“It would be better to leave quickly while the rain has stopped. The road you’re taking is an unpaved mountain path.”

He nodded while skimming through the documents he was holding.

Adeline took in the sight of Casius as she said this.

Somehow reincarnated as a supporting character in a tragedy novel.

A story she had never even read the ending of. Adeline thinks this man probably isn’t the male protagonist of this novel.

She had seen too many comments saying that Trashi, the crown prince, was the male lead.

‘But…’

Adeline hoped Casius was the male lead of the original novel.

If that crazed crown prince is the protagonist, it means the duke before her eyes will die someday.

At the villa, she had saved Casius from dying, but she still hadn’t figured out who was targeting the duke. Or why. Nothing at all.

She had tried to find out who was behind the attempts on the duke’s life while staying by his side.

And while helping him, she tried to escape from the crown prince’s eyes and the fate given to Adeline.

But now she couldn’t do that anymore.

That grand plan had come to nothing, and today she would leave Casius’s side.

Adeline gently bit her lower lip.

Now that she was actually trying to run away, her steps felt heavy. Had she grown attached to this man in the meantime? Or had an even deeper emotion taken root?

She wasn’t sure of the reason, but one thing was certain.

She wished this man wouldn’t die.

Even though Casius had been obsessed with tormenting her, she still wanted him to continue living in this world.

After a long silence, Adeline opened her lips that had been quivering.

“Always be careful. Don’t get hurt.”

Casius, who had been looking at the document folder, raised his head.

“You already have many scars on your body. Don’t add any more. You may be the Iron Duke, but you’re not made of steel. Be wary and careful. As the empire’s only duke, there will be those targeting you. Listen well to what Eric says too.”

The duke’s brow twitched slightly.

“You sound like you’re saying a final farewell. My inspection will take a week at most.”

The corner of his mouth curved crookedly. The duke closed the document folder he had been looking at.

“When I return, let’s go on a short trip on a nice day. Together.”

The word ‘together’ lingered especially long in Adeline’s ears.

Adeline looked at Casius and unknowingly stood on her tiptoes.

Then her lips approached him, landed on him, and parted.

“There’s a harvest festival towards the end of autumn. It’s quite worth seeing…”

Adeline smiled as she left a brief kiss on Casius, who was staring with wide eyes.

“I look forward to it.”

Though she smiled in response, a hint of sadness flickered in Adeline’s eyes.

But Casius didn’t seem to notice it.

“Your Grace, it seems it would be good for you to depart now.”

Eric, who had approached unnoticed, spoke up.

It was time for Casius to leave. And simultaneously, it was time for Adeline to depart as well.

He got into the carriage. And through the closing carriage window, their eyes met.

“Travel safely.”

Adeline waved her hand towards the duke.

It was her final farewell.