My Dear Grand Duke on a Leash - Chapter 34
Chapter 17.2 — How to create a child (4)
“I caught a whiff of gunpowder on the culprit’s body as I walked past him.”
Riette’s eyebrows furrowed strangely. It was a reaction that anyone, not just her, would have shown. It was difficult to understand, but regardless, the fact that he caught the culprit was true, so…
“I… I see. So, the Grand Duke already knew at that time that it wasn’t a lethal bomb?”
“…That’s right.”
A space of one hand’s width before answering… it was a gap significant enough for Riette, who had already had several conversations with him, to notice and comprehend.
‘No way…’
Raising herself up, her round green eyes widened as if they were about to pop out.
“You didn’t know?”
“….”
“Were you going to die on the spot, saving me and my sister?”
Cain finally let out a deep sigh.
“That’s right.”
“…Why? Why would you go so far? What am I—”
“Because it’s the right thing to do.”
“….”
Kaisaros Acheron.
He was a man who had been molded by the weight of numerous duties and responsibilities that intersected in his life. The price of power was the burden of responsibility, and he carried the obligation to lead an honorable and principled existence, driven by his lineage.
The influence of the name Acheron was truly formidable. Despite perpetually humbling himself in the presence of the royal family, he was, in essence, the de facto ruler of the Grand Duchy.
Furthermore, safeguarding women in peril was a moral duty that he, as a man born into nobility, was bound to fulfill. Therefore, whether they were noblewomen, commoners, or even members of the royal family, it fell within the realm of his ethical responsibility as a human being to ensure their protection.
“You’re lying.”
Riette clutched the hem of the blanket tightly.
“If the Grand Duke only cared about duty and honor, when you heard the news of the terrorist attack, you wouldn’t have sought to save anyone but would have immediately rushed out of the Opera House! The Grand Duke is neither a soldier of Chalonné nor someone without an heir, so if you were to lose your life, the venerable Acheron family would falter for decades to come.”
According to his logic, he was right to take care of saving his own life first. Considering how much his death would weaken the family, he should always be mindful of such consequences.
Why did he come up with such an excuse when he risked his life to protect her?
In fact, Riette didn’t know why.
“Perhaps you used the excuse of duty to make it seem plausible because you were afraid I would feel burdened? Of course, partly it might be true considering the Grand Duke’s personality as well.”
He threw himself into the fray for the sake of those who weighed heavy on his heart. She was someone who knew that feeling all too well. So, no matter how much he tried to hide it, it was futile to conceal.
“Although it’s late, thank you for saving my life. Thank you also for opening up your heart like that.”
Riette smiled bashfully at him.
Conceivably, the Grand Duke wasn’t known for his outspokenness but rather possessed a shy and reserved nature, and people who struggle with expressing themselves often face the misfortune of being misunderstood. It reminded her of her mother, who, out of overwhelming love for her daughters, ended up constantly nagging them.
Riette had always held the belief that not all individuals with twisted expressions harbored twisted hearts.
Meanwhile, upon hearing her words, Cain’s pupils fluttered ever so slightly yet persistently. It felt as though a phantom warmth had gathered around the wounds she had unintentionally probed, wounds from which he had distanced himself.
“I’m…”
A low voice came out as if hesitating.
“Did you feel that I opened up my heart to you, Your Highness?”
As if hearing an unexpected bombshell, his pupils darted from side to side. It seemed like he had never heard such words in his entire life, or perhaps it was as if a boy had unintentionally revealed his innermost feelings.
His reaction made Riette tilt her head.
“Otherwise, would a kind-hearted person like the Grand Duke shout at me so fiercely? How surprised and worried must you have been?”
“….”
Cain’s seismic eyes settled down at once. Like someone who had realized a misunderstanding, he averted his eyes uneasily and let out a short, hollow cough.
“The more impressive you become. That’s what I wanted to say…”
…A upright, righteous, and warm-hearted man.
A man who selflessly endangered his own life to rescue not just one, but two princesses, and unintentionally safeguarded the future Chalonné royal heir nestled within Beatrice’s womb, all without displaying the slightest hint of reluctance or seeking personal gain or recognition.
To think that she tried to deceive and take advantage of such a person…
“I… I have something I really need to tell you.”
His ice-blue eyes quietly cast a silent question at her words.
“The mastermind behind this attack is His Highness Prince Narkissis.”
“….”
The revelation that the mastermind behind the acts of terrorism was none other than the Prince of Helios must seem utterly absurd to him. Adding to the complexity, since the terrorist had also been apprehended at the scene, the only tangible evidence available was her own firsthand testimony.
Nevertheless, she had to speak out… for his sake.
“His Highness threatened me, telling me to seduce the Grand Duke to become your wife for a year and ordered me to find out about your weaknesses. If I refused, he’d expose my sister’s premarital pregnancy to the media. When I declared that I couldn’t do it on the lakeside boat the other day, he resorted to terrorism… He was trying to warn me.”
“….”
“I’ve approached the Grand Duke under the orders of His Highness Narkissis. I’m truly sorry…”
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