Chapter 10: CH 10

Juliana stared blankly at Louis. Louis parted his lips, gripping her hand fiercely.

“I can’t be away from my wife even for a second.”

Juliana’s mouth opened wide at the bomb that was thrown towards her. Her hand tensed.

“Lou-Louis……“

What just happened?

Juliana tugged at Louis’ sleeve, asking for an explanation with her eyes. When she came back to her senses, she had suddenly become a married woman, not even a lover nor fiancée.

Louis stared at Juliana with a calm expression. Meanwhile, the lunatic’s butler, who had been stiff for some time, proceeded to bow his head.

“I understand.”

The butler took out his handkerchief and then began to rub his eyes. The butler left the room with a complicated face that was filled with deep emotions of surprise, and sadness after uttering those words.

Slam-!

The door is closed again.

“What? That butler just walked away…”

Juliana groaned with a look of bewilderment. Was it urgent to resolve the misunderstanding first or should she solve the resentment bubbling in her first?

“Ahhh, he can’t just leave like this!”

Juliana ran her hand through her hair while desperately trying to find the butler who had already left.

‘Haah, who am I to blame?’

When such a thought came to mind, she had to shake it off right away, but it was her fault because she had thought about crazy people for too long. Juliana pouted her lower lips with a slightly depressed look.

‘…. She’s unique.’

Louis watched the sight of the woman’s expressions that had changed diversely. He had never seen such an expressive creature in his life. A smirk was imprinted on his mouth.

“There’s only two of us here.”

Louis approached Juliana’s back and lowered his head before whispering in her ear.

“I said we are a couple.”

He slowly grabbed Juliana’s hand and interlocked their fingers. Juliana held her breath when he spoke out, as if he was about to confess in a low voice. Louis’ eyes were wet when she looked up at him.

“……!”

Juliana was startled by his wet eyes. Why, why was he crying?

Louis calmly lowered his eyelids with a serene expression.

“Are you offended, by any chance?”

Juliana hesitated at his remorseful tone.

“Just because I said you’re married to me…….“

Louis clenched his fist while lowering his chin. Juliana’s eyes widened at his wet eyes that seemed to shed tears at any moment.

“Or if you already have a lover…..”

“Ah, no, it’s not like that!”

Juliana suddenly denied Louis’ words, pulling up an awkward smile, just when he was just about to raise a corner of his mouth.

Louis tried his best holding back and not letting his tears drip down……. Juliana hurriedly lifted up her sleeves and rubbed it against Louis’ eyes.

“Actually, I was thinking about something else earlier……. So I’m sure there must be a reason why Louis had to say it earlier.”

“Really?” Louis mumbled in a low voice.

“Then what were you thinking about?” Juliana’s lips became dry at the low, silky voice that came from his mouth.

Wow, a voice that deep…

“What? That, th-the Empire’s lunatic…….“

Juliana, whose mind was wandering away somewhere else again, replied a moment later. Louis slowly opened his lips as he asked for her opinion.

“I’m curious about what Juliana thinks of him.”

“…… ”

“What do you think about him?”

Juliana hesitated at the low-pitched tone of Louis’ voice that came into her hearing. Her hands were starting to sweat. It seemed like a more difficult problem than the test given by the lunatic’s butler. Of course, in Louis’ case, he didn’t mean to test her.

Juliana blinked her eyes quickly and swallowed down her saliva.

The former emperor was a despicable human being who expelled his 12-year-old nephew as he was the threat for his position.

The current Emmivelden Empire had stabilized a lot after Felix de Rubanian, the current emperor took over, but up until then, the people had been killed by numerous wars. The economy collapsed a lot and raised the voice of the people.

“The Empire’s Lunatic…….”

No matter how crazy he was, she couldn’t help but to feel sorry for the poor circumstances of his childhood.

“I feel sorry for what he had been going through at such a young age.”

Juliana opened her mouth to reveal her thoughts. Of course, she felt pity and all, but what he had done had changed her mind.

Who could think well of the Empire’s lunatic…!

Juliana gritted her teeth inwardly.

“…… ”

There was no answer from Louis.

Juliana’s arm was still covering Louis’ eyes, so she couldn’t read his expression. Instead, Louis’ crimson lips was clearly visible at a single glance.

‘Haa, how can a man’s lips be so red like that…‘

Anyway, this was the lunatic’s mansion. Juliana didn’t want to let them know that she had changed her mind from before, thinking that it would be beneficial in lots of ways to keep her words because there might be ears behind the wall.

‘Grand Duke Teflano is not normal!’

If the Empire’s lunatic acts normal, it’s just him pretending to be normal…!!

“…Is that so?”

Louis said after a long pause.

“Yes.”

Juliana nodded her head.

“My Lady is a very warm-hearted person.”

Juliana looked perplexed at Louis’ words. Louis slowly raised both of his arms to lower her arms. Louis’ pretty blue eyes, which had been covered by her forearm, were revealed.

“I’ve changed my mind.”

“……”

“You are interesting indeed.”

Louis’ low tone was terrifying. She got goosebumps all over her body because of the strange feeling that ascended and burned her skin.

Juliana blinked slowly. What should I say? I took a step forward and thought it was a shallow stream… but seemed like it turned out to be a case where I fell in a sticky swamp. Anyway, that was how she felt.

“So please, continue to flatter me.”

Louis spoke slowly while lifting up the corner of his mouth.

His voice was ringing in her ears. Louis’ shadow with his head down came upon her. Juliana’s body became still in that situation and she forgot to breathe.

***

It has been about ten days since she came to the Grand Duke’s residence.

The morning weather was chilly perhaps because it was winter. Juliana hunched her body.

“……”

Juliana had tried out her planned escapes more than 42 times so far, but all of them had failed.

After the same repeated failures, her mind became sensitive and edgy.

The Empire’s lunatic didn’t demand for money, but he didn’t show his face either. Over ten days had gone by, she had been neglected completely.

When she first came here, she thought the investigators would quickly track her down. However, there was no one who rescued the empire for 10 days, whether the empire’s power was lacking or the lunatic hid her well.

“Juliana.”

Louis suddenly jumped out of the chair toward Juliana whose body was shuddering.

“Please sit over here.”

Louis gave up the seat he had been sitting on to her after putting the blanket over Juliana’s shoulder. Juliana’s eyes widened slightly as she took a seat softly on the chair.

“…….”

The chair was warm.

“I’ve warmed it up.”

A smile spread around Louis’ mouth, rubbing his nose with a satisfied look.

The chair that had been warmed up by Louis’ butt made hers feel warm, but she felt an indescribable feeling.

What am I supposed to say….

She was thankful to him for giving up his seat, but how could she explain this uncomfortable feeling?

“Oh, thank you, but… I think I’ll be fine next time.”

Juliana had a strange look on her face.

She was grateful for Louis, who had been considerate and did nice things to her, and she was comforted because she had someone to rely on.

Yes, it would be more powerful to be together than alone!!

Knock, knock.

If there was a new change…..

The lunatic’s butler had begun to visit.

When the door opened, the lunatic’s butler came in.

“…….”

Juliana glanced at the only butler that entered the room.

There were two, to be exact. One was a scarlet-haired maid who took care of their meals and served luxurious food, well-baked brown bread, and all kinds of desserts everyday….And the other one was the butler. The maid’s visit was okay, however the butler’s visit was not acceptable.

“Only Louis again?”

The lunatic of the Empire was named Grand Duke Teflano. But what was the use of calling him Grand Duke Teflano? So, Juliana just decided to call him the lunatic.

Anyway, the lunatic left her behind and only looked for Louis. Juliana couldn’t even step out of the room.

The man never showed his face to Juliana even just for once, meanwhile strangely enough, he was always looking for Louis.

“Why is the lunatic only looking for Louis?”

There was no one who gave the answer to this question.

The butler and Louis remained silent and shut their mouths.

Yes, it’s about the Empire’s lunatic, so there must have been some sort of secret……. She understood it in her head, however she couldn’t help but to feel frustrated at Louis’ silence.

Why was he only looking for Louis?

Until now, Juliana thought the lunatic had done this for her. But it wasn’t her, it was Louis who the lunatic was interested in.

“……”

She didn’t know what to do with interest from the Empire’s lunatic, but if the case went like this, she questioned why he was keeping her.

“I’ll be right back, Juliana.”

Louis followed the butler after he spoke to her with a calm expression. Juliana was absent-minded and only watched Louis leave the room.

Juliana, who was left alone, felt her magic returning faintly as time went by.

“This is great!”

This should have been enough for her in order to use low-level magic.

Juliana was delighted when she remembered someone who was befitting to solve the problem with magic protocols.

“Haah……”

Juliana’s best friend, Rosa, had become her ex-friend, and her trusted fiancée, Robert, had also become her ex…..

She couldn’t believe there was no one to ask for help, and suddenly felt skeptical about her life.

It might be best to contact Duke Hariens and his people, but the lunatic might have already done something to the communication network.

She thought it would be beneficial in many ways to write toward someone who seemed to have no contact with her, just in case…….

“Oh, that reminds me…….”

There was someone that came to her mind.

‘Ar…‘

Her fellow classmate who competed for the top position at the Magic Academy with her. What she needed the most was to escape at this moment.

[The lunatic. He brought me here.]

“We’ll see if I can leave this place…”

Juliana muttered as she folded the small note and blew it away with her magic.

I wish you manage to arrive safely, Ar….