My Dear Grand Duke on a Leash - Chapter 41

Chapter 21.1 — How to create a child (11)

He gently nudged Riette’s shoulder with a soft but urgent push. Though rushed, the motion carried no force, and it was a delicate gesture.

“Are you—”

The voice that slipped past his handsome lips sounded slightly strained. He cleared his throat softly with a light cough and repeated his question.

“Are… you alright, Princess?”

“Yes. Thank you. I, um, must have been nervous. I can’t believe my legs suddenly gave out like that…”

“Th-that’s a relief.”

Even as he answered, his gaze remained fixed on the empty air.

Seeing his peculiar behavior, she tilted her head before Cain eventually turned his back entirely and headed toward the garden as if trying to avoid conversation. In addition, his gait seemed strangely awkward.

Could it be due to his mood?

Riette nervously rubbed the back of her neck as though she was embarrassed. Was he uncomfortable? Well, the Grand Duke was known not to enjoy physical contact much. Considering how he practically leaped into the embrace to catch her, he must have felt rather uneasy…

‘…He must need some time to calm down.’

She straightened her blouse, which had fluttered back and forth because of the swirling wind. Ah, it seemed like buttons had come undone.

Even the slightest noises, like the adjustment of the reins and the rustling of her blouse fabric moving within her hand, seemed to tickle her senses as her ears became exceptionally attuned to every sound. Riette then glanced back at Cain, who showed no intention of coming back anytime soon after tethering his horse at a significant distance.

“….?”

‘…What’s with that posture?’

She caught sight of his broad back as he remained still, hands resting on the saddle – perhaps lost in thought or even praying Riette awkwardly scratched her cheek.

‘Should I apologize first?’

“Well… I was hoping to at least get off the horse on my own, but it seems I keep being indebted to the Grand Duke.”

“No.”

His voice was notably louder than usual.

After his brief response, he cleared his throat a few times. Still steadfastly turned away from her, he continued.

“The Princess tends to regard even the most obvious things as debts. Those in higher positions shouldn’t hesitate to guide those beneath them, so you don’t have to casually throw out apologies or gratitude.”

“But the Grand Duke isn’t beneath me? You’re a friend.”

“….”

Cain paused. Then, finally, he turned to her.

His gaze held a blatant sense of bewilderment. Riette, who had been dusting off her clothes, widened her eyes and met his gaze.

“Friends… We weren’t friends, were we?”

Was the intimacy she felt all by herself? Struck by a lightning-like realization, she was caught in immense shock. However, Cain, in response to her shock, seemed more puzzled than anything.

“As I mentioned, I came to Chalonné to find a prospective spouse. Since I have no plans to marry the Princess, I didn’t intend to build any close relationships, which meant that we shouldn’t harbor excessive expectations for a relationship deeper than the present.”

“Even if we’re not marrying, we can still be friends, can’t we?”

“Would the Princess continue to build close relationships with other men even after marriage?”

“Well, I don’t have any opposite-sex friends… but still, if you must put it that way, we’re just friends. There’s no reason to grow distant just because we’re married, right?”

“Huh.”

“….?”

“It’s not very proper. It’s a view on marriage I can never agree with.”

While Cain seemed stunned, as though she had just declared that she could take a paramour, Riette found his reaction even more perplexing. It was because…

“Isn’t Helios the only country that legally allows mistress? I thought it was more open-minded than Chalonné.”

“It’s a shallow and unjust law. It’s also a law that would cease to exist once Princess Penthesileia succeeds the title of crown princess.”

As though the words were too distasteful to even voice, Cain clenched his teeth and abruptly fell silent as a look of disgust crossed his features.

Absorbing his words, Riette came to realize that, irrespective of political rivalries, there could be no amicable relationship between the Grand Duke and Narkissis. Even in a scenario stripped of their statuses and titles, Cain was a person who would be ignited by Narkissis’s sense of moral inferiority just by his mere presence.

One might argue that their fundamental natures were inherently disparate…

Therefore, even after thwarting the conspiracy against Chalonné, he would have to return to Helios and spend each day avoiding Narkissis’s sharp blade. It would pose a problem as long as Narkissis ascended to the role of the crown prince, but if not, Cain would grapple to avoid his relentless vengeance instead.

One side would have to unequivocally concede for it to end, or someone would have to die…

“If you’re going to marry me, then we could get even closer than now. Have you thought about our marriage? It would be advantageous to both of us if I played the role of a double agent. It would benefit the Grand Duke as well since His Highness Narkissis would completely ignore me!”

“I haven’t thought about it for even a second because we’re not getting married anyway.”
[ T/N: Never say never ‷ ( ｀ ∀ ´ ) ‴ ↑ ]

He cut the conversation short with a cold tone. At his resolute declaration that didn’t leave any room for hesitation, Riette’s mouth fell open. Then, without delay, she gave strength to her eyes and narrowed the distance between them.

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