I Became the Wife of the Hero Who Killed Me - Chapter 34

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

#Episode 34

“Fortunately, you don’t seem to have a fever.”

“Wh-what are you doing? Why are you taking off your clothes?!”

Just when I thought I might develop a fever from irritation that hadn’t existed moments before, the Duke began removing his garments one by one.

Even in my confusion, my gaze unconsciously drifted in his direction.

The dim light from the brazier cast deep, distinct shadows across the Duke’s body.

All that remained was a thin tunic that revealed his solid contours and a pair of trousers.

‘Oh.’

My eyes met with the Duke’s as he approached me, holding his clothes.

Strangely, I couldn’t tear my gaze away from those piercing eyes.

Flustered, I tried to stand up but lost my balance due to the blanket wrapped tightly around my body and tumbled forward.

“Ahh!”

“Eli…!”

The hard wooden floor rushed toward my face in an instant.

Just when I thought something would surely break, the Duke urgently grabbed my shoulders.

“Are you alright?!”

The relief of being saved was brief, as his desperate gaze fixed on me and the hot warmth of his hands on my shoulders felt strangely unfamiliar.

I couldn’t even respond and just stared up at him blankly.

I didn’t even have time to realize that he had almost called my name just now.

It felt like the slightest movement would shatter this precarious balance.

“I was trying to give you my clothes…”

Then, the Duke murmured softly.

The blanket prepared by the monastery was too thin and worn for the depths of winter.

From the Duke’s perspective, it was perfectly reasonable to offer his cotton-padded cloak and doublet.

But my brain had interpreted it in a strange way!

My face flushed hot in an instant.

“Oh, I see. Thank you. Yes.”

I quickly escaped from the Duke’s embrace.

The blanket that had been tightly binding my body had already slipped down during the earlier commotion.

As I pulled away, the Duke straightened his upper body half a beat too late. It was a somehow absent-minded movement, uncharacteristic of the Empire’s strongest knight.

“Why, why is it so hot in here?”

But I couldn’t think about such things and just kept fanning myself with my hands.

In truth, only my cheeks and ears were hot while my hands and feet remained ice-cold. The cold wave of Northern Lombard was that severe.

Contrary to my words about being hot, my body craved survival and reached for the fallen blanket.

But our fingers touched as the Duke reached for it at the same time.

The moment the Duke’s hot warmth touched my cold fingers, my fingertips burned as if set on fire.

I panicked and suddenly exclaimed.

“Sh-shall we go to sleep now?!”

“…That would be best.”

The Duke, who had been silent for a moment, murmured.

By this point, I was wailing inwardly.

I might be getting ahead of myself. But there was only one bed in this room, and the atmosphere between the Duke and me just moments ago had been quite subtle.

‘In the books I’ve read, this is how things happen!’

Though I had absolutely no romantic experience and had never liked anyone!

Still, I read books of all genres, so I was fairly well-versed in popular novels.

I was already familiar with those terrifying developments where people who looked at each other like strangers would get carried away by the mood and do the deed, then face each other awkwardly the next morning!

‘I need to cut off this subtle flow.’

I lay down on the bed for now.

Naturally, not straight but diagonally.

I was aware it was petty, but this was the only way to prevent the Duke from getting on the bed.

‘I’m a patient. I don’t have a fever, but I’m a patient anyway.’

Still, if the Duke forced his way in or asked me to move aside, it would be difficult for me to refuse.

The greatest duty of a great noble was to eternally glorify the family name—in simple terms, producing heirs.

But fortunately, the Duke seemed to have no intention of bothering the patient(?) and sat on the floor, leaning his upper body against the bed.

There was a writing desk and an old chair, but given the Duke’s robust build, it was obvious they would break just from him sitting, so he seemed to have given up.

‘Well, in my previous life too…’

The Duke and Elisia never consummated their marriage.

This fact, which became publicly known despite the castle keep’s efforts to hide it, made Elisia’s already precarious position in Lombard even more dangerous.

Then, the Duke spoke.

“I wanted to have a conversation with you, but there seemed to be few opportunities to meet.”

“Oh my, really? I had no idea.”

Actually, I knew. I had just been avoiding him.

“It’s about Lady Olden.”

“Please tell me.”

Only then did I open my tightly closed eyes.

I immediately met eyes with the Duke, who had been looking at me.

Where had the man who would crane his neck at a 50-degree angle just from seeing a slightly open negligee gone? The Duke showed not a hint of wavering even while locking gazes with me in my nightwear.

It was the same deep, calm gaze as always.

I felt like only I, who had been unnecessarily conscious, had become a fool.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I quietly straightened my diagonally positioned body.

Now half the bed was empty, but the Duke didn’t move.

Instead, he carefully began.

“Since it was a matter related to Lombard’s security, I punished the servants without your permission. I apologize for this first.”

“No, don’t worry about it. I would have done the same.”

I recalled past memories.

The bid that Lombard had valued highly fell through by a hair’s breadth, and the castle keep’s secrets leaked out to circulate in the distant Imperial Capital’s media.

Even the policies being pursued in secret were somehow discovered and repeatedly hindered by political enemies’ interference.

People dismissed it as coincidence, but I instinctively felt something was wrong.

It wasn’t just my imagination—I kept thinking there was someone leaking internal information.

So I secretly began investigating and was able to discover that Elisia, or the maids around her, were the culprits.

‘I died before I could uncover the exact mastermind…’

But I had some suspicions.

I suspected the Imperial Capital’s great nobles as Elisia’s backers.

Because the faction that benefited most from Lombard’s secrets leaking was precisely the Imperial Capital’s great nobles.

“Regardless of the process, I am now a person of Lombard. So if it’s a decision by Your Grace, the master of this land, I’m willing to follow it gladly.”

“Are you truly alright with this?”

“I’m sincere.”

It wouldn’t be strange if the Duke suspected me of being in league with the fled Lady Olden.

That’s why I needed to draw a clear line even more.

Also, to be honest, thanks to the Duke dealing with Lady Olden and her lackeys, my position became much freer.

As someone from the Imperial Capital, it wouldn’t have been easy for me to directly remove them.

Unreasonable as it was, that’s how a great noble’s reputation worked.

If I cruelly eliminated my own people who had followed me from the distant Imperial Capital overnight, regardless of the reason, who would trust and follow me in the future, even if it was the right choice?

Taking the stance of gladly following the Duke’s disposition gave me the best justification.

I could avoid giving the impression that I had directly eliminated my close retainers while clearly showing my intention to side with Lombard rather than the Imperial Capital going forward.

‘The Duke probably didn’t act for my sake, but…’

In any case, he had helped me this time.

As I emerged from my thoughts, I suddenly felt thirsty. It was the aftermath of the wine I had drunk repeatedly during the meal.

I fumbled around the nightstand by my bedside where water would likely be.

But instead of the rough wooden cup, I felt a silver cup and silver teapot that were only occasionally used during ceremonies.

I muttered without realizing it.

“Why is this here….”

“I ordered it. I commanded them to prepare the silver tableware used for ceremonies.”

Duke Lombard continued speaking after receiving my questioning gaze.

“Because I hope my wife will never swallow poison again.”

Startled, I quickly sat up.

‘Gilbert must have told him after all.’

Though he was always difficult to read, this time I was certain.

About the fact that I had been poisoned… no, since he wouldn’t worry about me, he seemed angry that I, his duchess, had nearly become infertile.

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