The Murderous Duke's Domestic Affairs - Chapter 26

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 26
“I think the preparations are finally complete.”
Had he come to meet me? Lauren looked up at Aster Veil Lilywood. He pulled one corner of his mouth upward in a smile directed at her. It was his usual smile, but somehow it appeared different—perhaps because of how elaborately he had dressed himself. Even his smile seemed perfectly prepared, as if it too had been carefully arranged.
His smiling face was neither bright nor gentle as it had been long ago, yet it was enough to capture Lauren’s gaze entirely. She forced herself to look away from him, her eyes constantly drawn back in his direction. Whether it was because she had recalled the Aster Veil Lilywood of her childhood, she found herself unable to meet his eyes directly.
Since her makeup was not yet finished, Lauren turned back toward Lise. She felt a quiet sense of relief, gently pressing a hand to her chest. She had nearly continued staring at him without realizing it, constantly comparing him to the boy in her memories—a boy whose image had not faded in the slightest. That would be good for neither herself nor Aster Veil Lilywood.
While Lauren’s mind remained entangled in these endless thoughts, Lise diligently completed her makeup. After applying a soft rosy powder to her cheeks and finishing with a delicate lip tint that gave off a gentle sheen, Lauren was finally able to rise from her seat.
“Is it finished?”
“The jewels remain, madam.”
“Is that so? How convenient.”
At Lise’s response, Aster Veil Lilywood gestured to Letti Torres. Letti Torres, who had been standing behind Aster Veil Lilywood, stepped forward and opened the flat box he held in his hands. Inside lay a glittering set of jewels.
Lise accepted it with both hands and placed it upon the vanity. With gloved hands, she fastened a heavy necklace around Lauren’s neck. As Lauren confirmed it in the mirror, her violet eyes widened considerably.
“These are jewels passed down through generations of the Ducal House.”
“Such things…”
“Who else would wear them if not you?”
Aster Veil Lilywood lowered his gaze and smiled. Lauren’s lips parted slightly before she closed them again. The thought of ‘worthiness’ that had crossed her mind once now filled her head entirely.
Did she, who had proposed to Aster Veil Lilywood merely to survive, have the right to wear this set of jewels? Lauren turned her eyes away from him and directed her gaze toward the mirror. The multiple emerald stones glittering upon her chest seemed to mirror his own eyes.
Taking her silence as consent, Lise finished fastening the earrings to her ears as she gazed into the mirror. Lauren could say nothing. She had already claimed his seat beside him, and now she was receiving jewels passed down through generations of the Ducal House. Was this truly acceptable? Her mind felt overwhelmed with confusion.
All preparations were complete. Aster Veil Lilywood extended his arm toward her. Lauren looked at him briefly before placing her hand upon his arm. It was an action she rarely performed, yet his escort felt entirely natural.
A carriage was already waiting before the mansion. Lauren quietly etched the Ducal House’s crest into her mind—a sheaf of lilies and a sword. She had seen it countless times, dozens upon dozens of times, and it was already familiar, yet the large crest affixed to the carriage seemed entirely new.
An inexplicable sense of pressure bore down upon Lauren. Perhaps it was because this was her first day venturing outside the Duke’s Mansion under the title of Duchess, she who had always remained within those walls. As she took Aster Veil Lilywood’s hand and climbed into the carriage, Lauren released a small sigh.
“Safe travels, madam.”
At Calvin Stewart’s farewell on behalf of the servants, Aster Veil Lilywood nodded, but Lauren could not respond. She merely managed to pull the corners of her lips upward into a faint smile.
The carriage door closed, and the horses began to move. The sound of the wheels rolling across the stone pavement reached even into the interior.
The carriage did not allow outside noise to fill the space entirely, nor did it shake excessively. Lauren recalled the rental carriage she had taken on her first day arriving at the Duke’s Mansion—one that bounced so violently you could see the pattern of the stone pavement, with noise so deafening that you could not hear the person beside you even if you shouted.
It should have been somewhat amusing, yet she could not laugh at all.
“I think I should tell you something beforehand.”
Aster Veil Lilywood’s low voice reached Lauren as she struggled to smile to herself. She lifted her head and looked at him. The smile that had decorated his lips moments before had already vanished.
“It’s an artifact.”
“Pardon?”
“The necklace.”
Without thinking, Lauren raised her hand and touched the jewel at the center of the necklace. One should not touch jewels with bare hands. But by the time she thought of this, it was already too late. Lauren’s eyes narrowed. The corners of Aster Veil Lilywood’s mouth twitched slightly as he watched her.
“It’s fine. It’s not a real jewel.”
It seems her thoughts were written plainly across her face. For some reason, heat rose to her cheeks. She was surely blushing.
Yet she did not wish to avoid his gaze. Lauren clasped her hands tightly together. And she directed her eyes straight toward Aster Veil Lilywood.
“It’s not a real jewel?”
“As I said before, it’s an artifact passed down through generations of the Ducal House.”
“An artifact…?”
Lauren murmured softly. It was a name she had never heard before. As she tilted her head in confusion, Aster Veil Lilywood added an explanation.
“It’s an object from the ‘Age of Magic,’ created by ‘Mages.'”
“…Isn’t that something that only appears in mythology?”
“I thought so too.”
Aster Veil Lilywood let out a soft chuckle and leaned back against the carriage seat. With his arms crossed, he looked no different from his usual self. He appeared merely like the Aster I knew.
His neat appearance kept drawing my mind back to our childhood. He probably didn’t know, and I had no intention of letting him notice.
Rather than entertain these strange thoughts, it was better to focus on what he was saying. I lowered my gaze to the ring on my finger, its large emerald-green stone catching the light. It was one of the jewelry sets he had prepared for me—one of those “artifacts” he mentioned.
The Lilywood family had a deep history. Far deeper than I had imagined. An ancient lineage that had survived the “Age of Magic” spoken of only in old tales. Among them were many skilled “mages,” and apparently, quite a few of these “artifacts” remained.
I tilted my head in confusion. It was a story I couldn’t comprehend. In an era where technology had advanced to the point of commercializing cameras and electricity, “magic” seemed absurd. Yet I couldn’t bring myself to believe that Aster’s low, serious voice was deceiving me.
“Artifacts possess various powers, they say. The one you have is a talisman that protects its owner.”
I had noticed it shone more brilliantly than the other jewels. It wasn’t merely a beautiful stone. But why had he given me something like this? He had purchased quite a few jewels in Aloria, yet he had taken the trouble to bring this one personally.
“I’m rather disliked, after all.”
Aster muttered with a bitter smile. I didn’t know who came to mind when he said that, but he didn’t seem pleased. It made sense—everyone called him a “murderer” and feared him.
“There are people who might target you, Lauren.”
His green eyes fixed directly on me.
“Me?”
“You’re my wife—the one I love enough to have undertaken a secret marriage for.”
My brow furrowed. Because he loves me, I become a target. Because I’m loved by “Aster Veil Lilywood,” who is disliked by someone. Just who could hate him so much?
A sudden thought crossed my mind, and I looked at Aster. He gazed quietly out the carriage window beyond the swaying curtains.
“Aster, you….”
My voice trembled as I spoke his name. Aster Veil Lilywood was a Duke. A “hero” who had achieved great deeds in the war for the Imperial Court. Though I found it hard to believe, he was also a “murderer” known for his coldness and cruelty. I could scarcely think of anyone who would dare to openly hate such a man.
“Who knows.”
My violet eyes fixed on him, but Aster merely twisted one corner of his mouth into a smile and shrugged.
“In any case, be careful.”
He murmured as though it were nothing and turned his gaze back out the window. Our conversation ended there.
* * *
The carriage, which had not stopped running, set us down before the Glass Palace where the ball was being held. Aster descended first and casually offered me his hand, as though he had completely forgotten the silence inside the carriage. I exhaled softly and took his hand, stepping down from the carriage.
The Glass Palace was a building constructed for grand celebrations. True to its name, the structure made entirely of glass reflected the darkening sky, shimmering with dazzling beauty. Yet I lacked the mental fortitude to accept it as it was and marvel at it. Aster’s warning to be careful, as someone might target me, had sunk far too deeply into my mind.
The moment we stepped into the Glass Palace, the clamorous ballroom fell silent. Still, I could feel the turbulent air. The “murderer” Aster Veil Lilywood. And the gazes directed at his wife—the one he loved so much that he had undertaken a secret marriage—were utterly brazen.
Unlike me, who had deliberately avoided showing my face in society, he held the high rank of Duke and should have attended many such events, yet even I, attending for the first time, could sense that the looks directed at us both were far from favorable.
How had Aster endured such places? I bit the inside of my lip.
After our brief conversation in the carriage, he had fallen silent, but I was beginning to understand why. There were people whose hatred he knew of, yet who could silence him. People against whom he could lodge no protest, even if they harmed those around him. Those who viewed him unfavorably were surely those of higher station.
Those who reigned from on high had no interest in me, merely a baron’s daughter governing a small provincial territory. Yet the fact that a “murderer,” despite his infamy, had led the war to victory and gained popularity must have displeased them. Without thinking, I tightened my grip on Aster’s arm.
Was that why they had tried to erase the achievements of Aster Veil Lilywood and his forces? And why they had attempted to marry him to the young Imperial Princess?
Was I thinking too much? I laughed inwardly. Aster had told me nothing. Only to be careful. Perhaps it was a great leap to think this much based on those few words alone.
But I soon realized my thoughts had been correct. When a chamberlain with a pleasant voice announced the arrival of the Imperial family, Aster’s body went completely rigid.
And it remained so as he bent deeply at the waist and then straightened again at the Emperor’s permission, and continued even after.

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