How to Survive as the Wife of the Monster Duke - Chapter 218

“Ah!”

What if Lady Danette sees us like this?

Ilyin lightly tapped his shoulder. Aden said, “The Countess went into the mansion.”

Surprised, Ilyin craned her neck over his shoulder. It was true. The Countess, who had been watching her from the front of the mansion as she approached the carriage, had disappeared without a trace.

“Did you suspect her enough to check?”

Aden gently placed Ilyin on the soft seat. She lowered her head.

“I didn’t think so.”

Aden carefully scrutinized her face and gave her a brief kiss on the forehead.

“As promised, I’ve come to escort you.”

I never expected you to come. The touch of Aden’s lips on her forehead tickled, and Ilyin let out a soft laugh.

“Thank you.”

A kind and warm person. Ilyin nodded slightly.

Then, a small envelope caught her attention at the corner of her vision. The wax seal on the envelope, adorned with a splendid gold frame, was unmistakably from the imperial palace.

“…Is it a letter from the palace?”

As Ilyin pointed at the letter, Aden nodded.

“Yes. Would you like to see it?”

“Is it okay for me to see it?”

Ilyin accepted the letter. Aden smiled.

“If it makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to read it.”

He paused for a moment before adding, “If the content bothers you, you can ignore it.”

It’s not a letter meant for me to read anyway. The thought crossed Ilyin’s mind as she unfolded the letter. However, she couldn’t help but be slightly surprised by its contents, which were an extension of the conversation they had just a few hours ago.

No, even before that.

“It’s a marriage proposal from the imperial palace.”

Ilyin folded the letter back and smiled faintly.

“But I can’t just ignore it.”

“If you don’t want to go to the palace, you don’t have to.”

Everything is up to her. Aden received the letter from her and placed it beside him.

“I don’t dislike it.”

There was no reason for Ilyin to dislike the imperial palace. After all, every noble in the empire had to visit the palace to obtain marriage permission. Besides, Mrs. Moena had mentioned it, and it wouldn’t be wise to avoid such things.

When Ilyin’s expression briefly clouded, Aden asked, “Should we not go?”

He pondered for a moment before speaking again.

“There are many ways to stay away from the sun without going to the palace.”

I thought you might suggest returning to the winter region. Could there be another reason for staying under the sun? After blinking her eyes a few times, Aden spoke as if he could read her mind.

“Delrose doesn’t forget grudges.”

“Ah… Acid Summit.”

How could she forget that? Ilyin clenched her fist. They said the carriages from Acid Summit were heavily damaged. They were under pressure in a tense atmosphere.

Not seeking revenge against those who harmed Delrose was not the Delrose way.

“Then it’s better to visit the palace.”

If she had to stay under the sun for a while, she didn’t want to create further inconveniences. Aden tilted his head slightly at her words.

“The letter seems to have weighed on your mind.”

It’s not because of the letter. Ilyin smiled awkwardly.

“It’s not because of the palace.”

“Then someone at the gathering is making you uncomfortable,” Aden stated. His voice had turned slightly chilly, and it echoed inside the carriage. If it were winter, Mrs. Moena might have turned into a statue. In response to his sharp tone, Ilyin let out a small laugh.

“That’s right.”

“May I ask who it is?”

Who is the person who stole your precious laughter? Aden gently held the back of Ilyin’s hand.

“Well…”

Ilyin recalled the face of the maidservant once again.

That hostile expression. And the disdainful gaze she had given her at the mansion. As Ilyin was momentarily lost in her memories, Aden whispered softly.

“What is troubling you?”

It feels like I’m being urged to spill it all out. Ilyin tightly held her hand. Although she was taken aback when she encountered Mrs. Moena, she didn’t want Aden to intervene.

“If you continue like this, you’ll be discarded even in Biflten.”

“Causing trouble everywhere, unable to speak up for yourself, and still waiting for others to do things for you?”

The words she had heard in her premonition came to mind, and Ilyin tightly closed her mouth.

She didn’t want to show any weakness.

Of course, Aden and Delrose would remain unchanged no matter what she showed them. However, she didn’t plan to just stand still in her current state.

“…”

Even in her premonition, she could have thrown those words back at Mrs. Moena if she hadn’t woken up. She’s not the same person she knew anymore.

But she wasn’t regretful that the opportunity had passed. After all, the future beyond that moment was still hers. She had only heard them up until the moment when those words would be said. The future beyond that was hers to create.

And the words she would pour out on the maidservant were already organized in her mind. Firmly determined, Ilyin kissed Aden’s cheek instead of giving him an answer.

“It’s a secret.”

Unaware of the disaster that the small excuse would bring upon them.