“For that matter, I'm thinking of going to the party with you.”
She dropped the knife and looked at him without realizing it.
Her reaction surprised the Duke as well. This was the first time he had seen Saeki, who was always polite, so uncomfortable.
The Duke called her in a friendly tone as if he had no complaints.
"wife."
“I'm sorry.”
Saiki quickly apologized and held her breath. She didn't like the tense atmosphere.
When she reached for the knife she had dropped, the Duke raised his hand to dissuade her, and bowed down himself.
“Let me get you a new one.”
Yes...thank you.
Moving her gaze, the Duke looked very anxious, as if she was trying her best to resist the fake smile that was about to appear.
Do you feel unwell anywhere?
She chose to act like a sick woman today because she didn't know what to do in this embarrassing atmosphere. The due month was approaching anyway, and this was the most likely excuse.
“I feel like I'm in bad shape these days.”
"I was careless. I'm sorry. My wife."
The man who cut people with one sword was always like a gentle sheep in front of her. However, it was all thanks to the child. When she learned the reason, his kindness seemed to her to be a mere pretense and observation.
There were times when I thought his kindness was too sweet. And if you think about it, it was the same when he first proposed to her.
But now that she thought about it, she wondered if he had ever made room for her in the first place. However, he did not make any mistakes in marital relations and was a gentleman even in his official relationship with the intention of having children.
It was like everything was planned in advance. He was an inhuman person.
All the kindness he was having now must have been feigned.
Saiki responded to his apology with a smile.
“No, Your Highness has always given me the best.”
It's all because of the baby. She swallowed the last words and smiled bitterly.
If you think about it, when I married him, there were riots in the capital.
The Duke was the most desired groom of all the girls of the noble family, and the Viscount's young daughter, whom they did not know, appeared out of nowhere and took the Duchess's place. The story of “Psyche Alistair” caused a stir in the social world.
Some were jealous of her and spread rumors about her.
But one day, those rumors disappeared, and according to a circulating story, it was revenge on the Duke for abusing their mouth.
Psyche couldn't believe it.
No one would do anything like that for her. Now I knew he was just a man who only cared about his heir.
Saiki accidentally grabbed the hem of her dress. It wouldn't be good for him to follow her there. The plan may fail.
Saeki said softly, wiping her lips with a handkerchief.
“But, Your Highness, men are not allowed in there.”
I waited for an answer, that fleeting moment seemed so long.
“I know. I will accompany you there and back home.”
Saiki's eyes widened as she looked at him. Even when she came home. It was too much. She wasn't even a child.
“I can go alone.”
“No, your due months are also approaching, and I can’t let you go alone because I’m worried.”
Oh, as expected. It was again because of the baby. She should have realized that his attention was only focused on the child.
But there was no need for you to be misunderstood by being rejected without any reason. “Because I will be leaving soon.” After a while, Saiki, who was still smiling, calmly changed her posture.
“I said that because I was afraid it would upset you. Thank you for accompanying me.”
“I don’t care about my wife and child. Your words make me sad.”
There was nothing strange about the way his calm expression changed every day. Psyche looked at her husband's face piece by piece. In terms of appearance, he was undoubtedly the best looking man in the country.
He was a man with black hair, blacker than darkness, and he fit perfectly against the cold wall. He gave the impression of being a cold person, but he smiled a lot in front of Saiki.
As she stared, Duke Clint spoke again.
“Now that it's time for the baby to be born, I think I need to do more to protect my wife.”
"Yes?"
The Duke is acting strange today.
She knew Clint cared about the baby.
Saiki couldn't shake the feeling that he was strangely clinging to her. She must be mistaken... He moved his knife and added some words.
“I would like to add a knight companion to your side.”
Psyche unconsciously grabbed the knife upon hearing those words.
Knight of the guard. How could anyone be watching her? She didn't like that. This had to be stopped somehow.
Even if Duke Clint wasn't there, if the guard had stayed by her side, she wouldn't have been free, let alone escape.
He wasn't asking if he could send a knight escort, but he was saying it in the tone he had already decided.
That's right, this guy has always been like this. As if his wife's desires did not matter to him at all.
After that, he pretended to be nice and smiled as if he was doing her a favor, so she couldn't say anything.
Because refusing service will make her look like a bad person. If she thought about it, she didn't think she'd ever told him she didn't like anything.
Saiki bit her hard lip and then let go. She has always been an obedient and submissive wife. He seemed to think he could wave her all he wanted. She met his gaze again. She gradually opened her mouth.
“Knight Escort… I don’t like it. Your Highness.”
Hearing these words, she saw Duke Clint's face wrinkle very slowly and in a subtle manner. It was a strange feeling to see the Duke's facial expression like that.
And there was silence.
Psyche couldn't have been more comfortable with the Duke's appearance, who looked secretly upset. She added hastily to get out of the situation.
“Without your highness... people call me a woman who can’t do anything.”
Her face was sad, and the Duke was also amazed by her expression.
She was a woman who never expressed her opinion properly. A woman was saying with a smile that she could do whatever the Duke wanted, whatever he wanted.
Even when choosing a wedding dress, Saeki saw no point in going against his wishes since he was responsible for paying all expenses, taking care of the house, and living in general.
Moreover, the Duke is a person who does not take things harshly, so he only prepared the best and most expensive things, so it was right that she had nothing to do but accept his opinions. Of course, that was when she didn't know he was trying to kill her.
“Who said that?”
It also looked like someone wanted to kill someone. He seemed to speak in a much lower voice than usual. Saiki asked in surprise.
"Yes?"
The color of the Duke's face gradually changed. Saiki didn't say any words at the moment. Malicious rumors were spreading in the shadows, claiming that she was only taking advantage of the Duke.
She said this because he looked like he had no idea. On the contrary, it was always Saiki's side that was forced to do what the Duke said
But it is natural that she was unable to respond when asked who said such things.
“No, I'm not saying that anyone specifically says that...”
“Then it doesn't matter.”
“…”
The Duke had a strong mind.
"This is for your safety, so please take it as a good thing. I've appointed someone from headquarters because you wouldn't feel comfortable if it was a man."
"actually…?"
"Yes."
Saiki sighed heavily upon hearing those words. The Duke noticed the huge sigh, so he opened his eyes wide and looked at her. It was because Saiki wasn't herself today.
“Your Highness.”
"Yes."
The Duke seemed to have lost his appetite, so he pushed the food away and wiped his mouth with a napkin.
“I don't mind if I don't have an accompanying knight.”
“…”
Saiki's eyes were worried, because she knew that she had to prevent the escort knight from protecting her no matter what.
“Can't you do what I want this time?”
He put down his handkerchief on hearing this remark. Not a single expression on his face changed, but Saiki could also notice that the atmosphere around Clint had changed. He was very upset now. Saiki doesn't move the way he wants.
“No, I'm not sure why my wife hates the idea of an escort and insists on it so much.”
“I'm stubborn”
Psyche was confused. The way he treated her like a child bothered her. But he didn't give her a chance to respond.
“All this for my wife.”
The Duke dismissed the matter with a wave of his hand, as if he did not want to argue further. Then he lowered his gaze and closed his lips. Saiki initially stopped looking at him because he had a solemn expression on his face as if it was really for her. How could he act so pretentiously?
It's always been this way. He never did anything I asked of him. Just insert it into its frame.
“Oh, it's already time. I'll leave first. Eat slowly.”
Finally, he reached the conclusion he wanted and left. He did not forget to plant a friendly kiss on Saiki's cheek, who was sitting quietly.
She sat up, rubbing her cheek