My Dear Grand Duke on a Leash - Chapter 97

Chapter 49.1 — Chalonné’s Man (13)

His gaze shifted to Ceres.

“If Her Majesty the Queen assists His Highness the Prince, I’ll take that as your refusal of the dowry.”

“….!”

Ceres, who was about to help Narkissis up, froze like a machine that had lost power. She turned to look at him, her body stiff in an awkward position. She glanced back and forth between the dowry document in her hand and Narkissis’s face, clearly torn and uncertain, her judgment clouded by confusion.

Cain met her gaze with cold, emotionless eyes.

“I clearly told you before that if you ever crossed the line in how you treated my wife, I’d respond with equal courtesy.”

‘…As a mother, you should be the first to love your daughter.’

He wasn’t the kind of man who could say such things. When it came to love between parents and children, he was even more ignorant than Riette. However, when it came to principles and responsibility, no one understood them better than him. After all, that was what defined him.

The primary duty to support and protect the family lay with the father. If Queen Chalonné chose to leave the role of a father to a nation’s king and two daughters vacant, then she should bear the responsibility that came with it.

If Riette had heard this, she would’ve stuck out her tongue and said it was an outdated notion from two hundred years ago, but this was what he believed.

In his view, the Queen of Chalonné had neglected her most fundamental duty as a caregiver and head of the family—to protect her children. Moreover, instead of feeling any guilt for her irresponsibility, she shifted that very responsibility onto those who deserved her care.

Worse still, she had abandoned her role, placing the burden on those who should have been the ones receiving care.

Queen Chalonné wasn’t fit to call herself the head of the family. At least, when it came to Riette, she didn’t deserve to be called a mother.

He had tolerated this family situation as much as he could. But now, he was part of this family, too.

“….”

“From this moment forward, I’ll treat you exactly as you treat my wife. I hope you keep that in mind, deep to your bones. Your Majesty the Queen of Chalonné.”

Then, he withdrew his indifferent gaze from her and turned toward Riette.

He lowered himself to one knee and met Riette’s eyes.

“I’m here to take you, Princess.”

̊ · : * ✧ * : · ̊

It was a dark and quiet night.

Once the chaos had settled, Ceres, along with the royal physician, helped Narcis out of the room. After all, since a guest had been injured, it was her basic responsibility to attend to him. Besides, Cain had no interest in witnessing her feigned concern for Riette right now.

Cain and Bea had just brought Riette from the wrecked room up to the third floor of the Princess’s Palace, to Bea’s old bedroom that was no longer in use.

Riette sat on the edge of Bea’s bed, still wrapped in his oversized jacket, which felt more like a blanket draped over her shoulders.

A white cup suddenly appeared in her blurred vision.

“It’s warm chocolate, Princess.”

Cain handed her a steaming cup of hot chocolate. The sweet, comforting aroma filled the room, softly illuminated by the gentle light of the chandelier, pushing away the darkness.

Riette, her eyes still unfocused, accepted the cup from him mechanically.

“Ung, thank you…”

His blue eyes were constantly darting as he checked her complexion, his concern evident. He repeatedly brushed her disheveled blonde hair back, though it remained slightly messy. Although he had rebuttoned her blouse, he couldn’t smooth out the wrinkles that creased it.

“Please take at least a sip. Drinking something sweet will help you regain your strength quickly.”

“Ung.”

Like a wind-up doll, Riette sipped the hot chocolate rhythmically.

After a few minutes passed, the focus returned to her large eyes as she looked up at him. It seemed that her stalled thoughts had slowly started creaking back to life, thanks to the sugar.

“Grand Duke, are you okay?”

Cain slightly furrowed his dark eyebrows at the question, which seemed ill-suited given the situation and who was asking it.

“The two of us, we just… cracked His Highness the Prince’s head…”

The gravity of the situation came crashing down like a wave. She might be able to argue it was self-defense, but Cain? He had no excuse for what he did. He had hit Narkissis hard enough to break a vase…

The image of Narkissis’s handsome face, blood streaming down from his forehead, flickered before her eyes.

“That truly isn’t a big deal, so please don’t worry too much.”

A moment ago…

Just recalling how she had looked made his blood boil all over again.

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