I Was Marked as the Grand Duke Male Lead’s Stepmother - Chapter 61

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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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Chapter 61

Despite traveling on a well-maintained road, the carriage swayed, and with each small movement, Marisselle’s head drooped helplessly in all directions—forward, backward, left, and right.

Each time, Morgan supported Marisselle’s head, and she never woke up even once.

‘She must be very tired.’

Unable to watch Marisselle swaying any longer, Morgan moved seats and placed her head on his shoulder.

Only then did his uncomfortable heart feel a little at ease.

But then…

When the carriage turned a corner, Marisselle’s head tilted sharply once again.

Morgan quickly caught Marisselle’s head and judged that simply leaning on his shoulder wasn’t enough.

It meant he would have to repeat this every time the carriage turned a corner.

“This won’t do…”

He muttered to himself and sat a little distance away from Marisselle. Then he carefully laid her sideways on his lap.

Marisselle was still oblivious to the world, deeply asleep.

“…It’s troublesome to sleep so defenseless in front of a man…”

He muttered while brushing the hair from Marisselle’s face behind her ear.

While thinking she must be sleeping soundly because she trusted him, he also worried whether she might just sleep anywhere when tired, regardless of who was around.

But at this moment, he didn’t want to think such negative thoughts.

He just wanted to focus on Marisselle, who was sleeping with her head on his lap.

“What kind of dream could she be having… to make me jealous…”

He gazed at Marisselle, who was smiling in her sleep, and wished he could be the one making her smile so happily.

“Sigh…”

Morgan leaned back and recalled the events at today’s banquet.

Despite all his warnings, Marisselle was like an untethered colt.

Why did she have so many questions? Wolves followed her wherever she went.

Even with him present, there were those who persistently tried to attach themselves like hyenas, watching for their chance.

Removing them one by one without Marisselle noticing was quite bothersome and exhausting.

The most irritating was Kazuri.

‘Not knowing his place.’

Kazuri, who insisted on dancing with Marisselle, making a spectacle with all sorts of excuses.

And that snake-like Renegade.

The final climax was the Emperor.

“I hear you take such good care of children? How about this? My great-grandchild will be born soon… Would you consider becoming a royal nanny?”

He couldn’t forget the moment when Marisselle, who was particularly sensitive to recognition, had her eyes light up with interest at the Emperor’s words. His heart had truly sunk.

“…That won’t do. You can’t go anywhere. I won’t let anyone take you. So even if you receive recognition, receive it from me, and stay by my side. Don’t let your attention wander… Lady Marisselle.”

Morgan looked down at Marisselle, who couldn’t hear him, and smiled slyly as he made his threat.

Time passed and the carriage steadily reached the Duke’s mansion. The sweet dream-like time was coming to an end.

“What a pity…”

Morgan wanted to stay in the carriage with Marisselle for hours without getting out.

But since that would make Marisselle uncomfortable, he decided to put aside his selfish desires.

Without waking Marisselle, who was still in deep sleep, he carefully lifted her by placing his arms under her back and legs.

The carriage door opened.

“…!”

Morgan was getting out while carrying Marisselle in his arms.

The mansion’s servants, who had lined up to greet their master, were all shocked by the sight.

Porel hurried toward Morgan.

“Your Grace. What happened?”

While asking, Porel gestured to a sturdy young servant to take Marisselle from their master’s arms.

“I’ll do it.”

Morgan, understanding the intention, blocked him.

“And make sure Marisselle can sleep well without waking up. Ensure she doesn’t wake up from any discomfort.”

“Understood, Your Grace.”

Porel gave instructions to the servants and ordered them to disperse as Morgan carried the deeply sleeping Marisselle away into the distance.

Morgan, who had come up to Marisselle’s room on the second floor, laid Marisselle on the bed and knelt on one knee, gazing at her with longing.

“…You worked hard. Sleep well… and if possible, call for me in your dreams too…”

He spoke in a low murmur, then burst into laughter with a “pfft,” finding his own thoughts amusing.

‘This is serious.’

As Morgan left, he gestured to the two waiting maids to go in and exited the room.

* * *

I opened my eyes to the dazzling morning sunlight streaming through the window.

I had no memory of entering my room on my own, yet I was wearing pajamas and my hair was loose and disheveled.

And though I seemed to have slept well, strangely my entire body felt heavy and stiff as if I’d been beaten up.

I sat dazedly on the bed for a while before getting up.

Ugh!

Taking even one step was agony. Every joint felt like it was creaking.

Ack!

When I took another step, this time I felt sharp pain in my heels.

It was different from muscle pain – the skin must have been scraped raw.

Sure enough, traces of burst blisters remained intact on my heels.

“No wonder it hurts. But wait, I slept without even noticing this?”

My entire body was telling me just how much of a continuous strain and how difficult yesterday’s schedule had been.

“This is all Morgan’s fault! Making me dance four whole songs. Huung. My legs. My whole body! At this rate, I can’t even dream of attending today’s banquet.”

I hobbled over to where the bell cord was and pulled it.

Then I sat back down on the bed. With the muscle pain and stiff joints, standing was quite an ordeal.

“Oh my. Miss! Are you alright?”

As soon as Emma opened the door and entered, she saw my haggard appearance and rushed over to examine me anxiously.

“Oh dear, Miss. You need to wash up first.”

Without needing to look long, Emma could see I was clearly a mess and recommended bathing first.

“Yes. Emma. I think that would be good. I need to relax my muscles in hot water.”

“No, Miss! Are you hurt somewhere?”

“Hm? Yes. My whole body aches. My heels are scraped too, so I need treatment.”

As soon as I finished speaking, Emma looked at me with surprised eyes and spoke in a worried tone.

“Miss, please show me your heels!”

When I extended my feet, Emma crouched down at my feet.

“Oh no. How could this happen to our Miss. Your heels are really all scraped up! It must hurt so much.”

Emma frowned as if she herself had been injured.

“Yes. Emma. The scraped parts sting and hurt. But, you know what, Emma. How did I get into my room yesterday? I don’t remember at all. The only alcohol I drank yesterday was one glass of wine…”

“Oh my. Of course you don’t remember. You were sleeping so deeply that His Grace the Grand Duke carried you in a princess carry and personally laid you on your bed. He was so tender and caring. Oh my…”

‘Princess carry…?’

A shy blush appeared on Emma’s face.

‘Why are you… blushing? Even I, who should be embarrassed, am staying calm…?’

“Wait! Don’t tell me… His Grace didn’t undress me, did he?”

I asked, thinking it couldn’t be but just in case.

“Oh my. Miss, really! Of course the other maids and I changed your clothes. He even asked us to do it simply so as not to wake you up before he left!”

Shy smile, twisting arms and legs. Emma was unusually giddy today.

I wasn’t sure what she was imagining, but I could roughly picture it.

“…I see. I understand for now. Can you hurry and help me wash up and get treatment?”

“Yes. Miss. I’ll prepare everything quickly. Please wait just a moment.”

Watching Emma’s retreating figure as she left the room, another thought occurred to me.

‘Everyone in the manor must have seen Morgan carrying me in while I was asleep.’

Sigh.

Embarrassment washed over me like a tidal wave, albeit belatedly.

How am I supposed to face the manor staff…

Now I’ll have to live with a thick skin on my face.

But who could I blame…?

Ah! No, wait. This is all Morgan’s fault.

If I hadn’t danced four songs in a row, I wouldn’t have been that exhausted.

Then I wouldn’t have fallen asleep and been carried!

I found myself resenting Morgan again.

Sticking to my side like gum, and whenever someone tried to approach and talk, he’d give off such a menacing aura that he’d scare them all away.

Does it make sense that at a debutante ball, the only people I properly spoke to were the Emperor and the Crown Prince!

And even then, the Emperor was just official conversation during the audience. The rest was just greetings when entering. And that can’t even be called conversation.

The only person I actually had a conversation with was the Crown Prince.

“That’s right! The Crown Prince said he’d invite me to the Imperial Palace Library… Will he really invite me?”

He said there were many historical records related to epidemics.

The painting I saw in the Imperial Palace Long Gallery was still so horrific and terrible that, as someone who had experienced the terror of a pandemic, I couldn’t forget it.

An epidemic would occur in the Helman Empire in the near future, and of course the original female lead would appear and solve it together with Morgan.

When the saintess female lead ends the epidemic and marries Morgan, ending the original story, that’s when the problem begins.

From then on, a world I don’t know unfolds. It means a real reality where I can’t know the future at all will arrive.

And I have to survive in it.

Who knows if the female lead will live long, or if she’ll be able to continue saving the country from epidemics and diseases in the future?

What if the female lead’s holy power disappears? What if she’s destined to die early from using too much holy power?

“No way! I want to live a long, healthy life this time!”

Just thinking about it was horrifying. It’s foolish to rely on just one person and twiddle my thumbs. I can’t just sit back and watch like this.

The fire had fallen on my feet, threatening my family’s destruction, so I only thought about escaping that fate. Now that I’ll receive Morgan’s protection, I need to find work I can do and prepare for my future survival.

“What’s the point of having my past life experience if I don’t use it at times like this?”

To build a system, I need someone with considerable power, and conveniently, a great authority figure is my boss, right? And the royal family are Morgan’s cousins.

The key is how I can get involved in state affairs…

“…Hmm. In the end, I have no choice but to work through Morgan, right?”

Moving without Morgan’s protection would be too risky.

“I need to find a way to naturally access internal information of the Duke’s Household…”

For now, it seems attending the remaining balls is out of the question, so I should go to the Duke’s Household library first to see if there’s anything useful.

And this cursed stamina!

I need to find a way to build up my physical strength as soon as possible. Sigh.

I remember getting in the carriage yesterday and exchanging a few words with Morgan, but I don’t remember anything after that.

I probably started dozing in the carriage and fell into a deep sleep…

“Should I thank Morgan? No, wait. When you think about it, Morgan is the root cause, isn’t he?”

‘Am I getting too comfortable with Morgan?’

No matter how tired I was, how could I doze off in front of someone who’s a Duke?

“Sigh… I need to tell Morgan that I can’t attend the remaining balls. …He wasn’t really planning to go together for the remaining two days, was he?”

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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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