Grand Duke, Please Stop Obsessing Over Your Wife! - Chapter 16

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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16.

‘I thought the surprise events ended at the ballroom, but there’s another event here.’

This was quite interesting too.

“What’s with that ridiculous look in your eyes? I don’t know what it is, but get rid of it right now.”

Isaiah paid no attention.

Isaiah’s gaze turned to Annelize, who had been quietly holding her breath.

“Ah. Miss Annelize was here with you too.”

“Nice to see you, Sir Isaiah.”

Hehe. Isaiah chuckled softly.

“Seeing you two come together like this, my guess was right after all. Then I should offer congratulations.”

A cake was thrust toward the Duke.

Isaiah looked at the Duke as if he were proud and opened his mouth.

“Congratulations on your marriage.”

The candle flame stuck in the cake flickered before the Duke’s eyes.

On top of the delicious-looking whipped cream, chocolate decorations shaped like ‘Congratulations on Marriage’ were placed.

“A true step as a human being. This is my gift to you, in the sense that you’ve gone through one of humanity’s important rites of passage.”

The Duke moved his arm without changing his expression, as if accustomed to this.

“Get rid of it.”

A merciless hand touched the cake.

Crash. The cake flew through the air.

“Ah.”

The cake that had been flying gently fortunately landed back on Isaiah’s hand instead of the dirt ground.

‘He caught that.’

Amazing. Annelize almost clapped without realizing it.

Isaiah, who had stably caught the cake plate, made a regretful face.

“If you carelessly throw away food, you’ll be punished in hell, my lord.”

“Hah.”

The Duke snorted.

Placing the plate on the carriage, Isaiah asked.

“So, when is the wedding date?”

The Duke frowned at the word wedding.

“Wedding? We already finished the marriage contract. I don’t think it’s necessary.”

His expression showed that even imagining it was bothersome.

Annelize quickly answered.

“I agree with that part too.”

She was relieved to share the same feelings as the Duke.

‘What’s so special about a wedding anyway.’

Annelize also didn’t particularly like weddings.

Any fantasies about weddings had long since disappeared.

Although the partner was completely different now, did she really need to experience it again?

‘Unless someone I truly love appears later on.’

Someone she would want to sincerely answer the marriage vows that promise a lifetime.

Of course, that possibility was close to zero.

“Since His Majesty the Emperor has already blessed our marriage, we’re officially a married couple even without a wedding ceremony.”

“You two certainly look like a married couple right now.”

Isaiah smiled, looking at Annelize in the Duke’s arms.

“It was unavoidable.”

Annelize’s face reddened with embarrassment.

“Isn’t the ride quality far superior to a carriage?”

“Of course. There’s no comparison.”

The Duke snorted and replied instead of Annelize.

She pretended not to hear their conversation and escaped from the Duke’s embrace.

She wanted to quickly return home and rest, but there was still something left to do.

“Your Grace. Just a moment before we part.”

“Hm?”

“There was something I needed to give you.”

Annelize took out a box from the pocket inside her skirt.

“It’s the Sacred Object of Aldeon.”

An old box smaller than a palm appeared.

Just by looking at its appearance, no one would expect it to be an object called a sacred relic.

“Ah. That’s right.”

The Duke quietly stared at the box on her palm.

His face was unreadable, impossible to guess what he was thinking.

“How shabby.”

The Duke’s tone was indifferent.

A dry voice without any emotion.

It was hard to believe this was the attitude of someone who had even made deals with the Imperial Family over this one object, in an uncertain situation.

He wasn’t suspecting it was fake, was he?

“I guarantee it as a descendant of Annelarion. It’s real.”

It was a box that remained completely unscathed while the warehouse burned down. It couldn’t be an ordinary object.

“You worry about everything. I can tell that much myself.”

The Duke took off his gloves and reached toward the Sacred Object of Aldeon.

The moment his long fingers with prominent knuckles touched the old wooden box.

A light so bright it hurt the eyes flashed.

Annelize was shocked.

The Sacred Object of Aldeon was blazing on the Duke’s hand.

What?

“Hah.”

Looking down at his burning hand, the Duke clicked his tongue softly.

Whether he couldn’t feel pain or not, his expression didn’t change much. Rather, it was a look of annoyance.

Annelize, who had frozen at the sight of the flames, came to her senses.

She hurriedly took out her handkerchief and approached the Duke.

“Are, are you alright, Your Grace? There should be a pond nearby. I’ll call a healer.”

“No. I’m fine.”

The Duke took a step closer to her.

Suddenly, the image of her father collapsed in the burning warehouse flashed through her mind.

Annelize flinched and trembled.

“You…”

The Duke hardened his expression seeing her pale complexion.

Then Isaiah stepped between the two.

“The young lady was startled. Go take care of it and come back, my lord.”

When Isaiah pushed the Duke’s back, the Duke reluctantly moved away. His gaze remained fixed on Annelize’s face.

“Isaiah. You take care of this.”

“Yes sir.”

Isaiah caught the sacred object the Duke threw.

As if it had never been on fire, the sacred object became quiet again.

After the Duke disappeared with an attitude like he was just going to throw away some trash and come back.

Annelize took deep breaths to calm her startled heart.

“Don’t worry, Miss Annelize. It seems the protective magic on the sacred object reacted to my lord.”

“Does this happen often?”

“That’s right. He has a hobby of getting obsessed with strange objects and collecting them. In the past, he even brought home a gray wolf.”

Isaiah winked nonchalantly.

“He’ll return perfectly fine soon. He’s been unharmed even after experiencing worse things. Our lord isn’t that weak.”

She felt embarrassed for making such a fuss over nothing.

‘This must be one of the Duke’s powers too.’

If he said it was fine, then it really must be fine. ‘Still, burns would be very painful.’

She wrapped her arms around herself at the stinging feeling. It felt like her burn scars were throbbing.

“I had no idea there was protective magic on it. It was fine when I or others touched it… If I had known, I would have put it in a security vault.”

“No one will blame you, Miss Annelize. Those ancient artifacts are quite temperamental. Even the first saint herself probably wouldn’t know how they work.”

Isaiah snorted.

“It’s our lord’s fault for grabbing it with his bare hands.”

Annelize rolled her eyes at his blunt assessment. Honestly, he was right. Her guilt lessened a bit.

She decided to wait quietly until the Duke returned, as Isaiah suggested.

“Miss Annelize. Here.”

Annelize stared at what Isaiah handed her with a puzzled expression.

So that’s what he was rustling around with behind her—he was holding a wrapped cake box.

“Please enjoy it with your brother.”

“Oh, yes. Thank you.”

Since he offered it, she accepted it for now.

“Now then. Shall we have some secret talk while our lord is away?”

“What kind of secret talk?”

“Well, this and that. I’m curious about how you decided to get married.”

He smiled broadly with an amused expression.

“First, I’m curious if my warning was helpful. You didn’t run away in fear.”

“Surprisingly, it was helpful.”

“Is that so? I was secretly worried, now that I think about it.”

“He was more generous than I expected. He also agreed to the contract conditions I wanted.”

“Conditions? What did our lord swear to?”

“Oh, well.”

Before telling Isaiah, Annelize stared at him for a moment.

‘That person will definitely laugh if I tell him.’

She opened her mouth with resigned eyes.

“I asked him to promise he would never love me. He was confident he could keep it. I even received an oath. Here, on my left ring finger.”

Annelize raised her left hand to show him the mark.

“Hah…”

Instead of answering, Isaiah lowered his head. He covered his mouth with his hand and trembled.

She knew this would happen. Annelize gazed at the distant mountains.

“If you want to laugh, don’t hold back and laugh comfortably.”

As if he had been waiting for those words, Isaiah quickly removed the hand covering his mouth.

“Hahaha!”

After laughing to his satisfaction, he wiped the tears from his eyes.

“Is it that funny?”

“No, it just doesn’t suit you. You and that, Miss Annelize.”

“It doesn’t suit me? Why do you think that?”

Saying it doesn’t suit her when he’s only seen her a few times.

Isaiah trailed off.

“Hmm. How should I put it, you seem like someone who would risk death for love and stake your entire life on it?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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