Chapter 43 - Divine Power
“You were having cold sweats all of sudden and were not doing well. A priest treated you instead of the doctor, but until you get thoroughly examined by the doctor, you shouldn’t overdo anything.”
“…”
Laila almost blurted out without realizing that being careful wouldn’t help in any way, but it was hard to understand why she couldn’t say it out loud.
‘That means I was fine in the morning because of the divine power.’
She looked at him without saying a word, then said, “I think I need to thank the priest for praying for me to gain strength. Venio, I really want to thank you as well.”
“I did what I had to. If you are really thankful, why don’t you let me hold you like this for just a more few days?”
Laila glanced at him briefly and saw him smiling like a teenage boy. Then, she nodded as there was no other option.
At that, Venio smiled with satisfaction. She was used to seeing Venio grinning, but to Theodore, who was watching from the side, it was such a shocking scene that it made his hiccups stop.
Laila’s life at the Grand Duke’s began like this.
* * *
“Venio,” Laila said after glancing at his silent face while being gently carried in his arms.
“Yes?”
“The Grand Duke’s residence is very quiet.”
She seemed to be speaking with a lot of hesitation. As they made their way to the dining room, she could feel the mysterious vibe of the Grand Duke’s residence. There was no one in the hallway except Laila and Venio, but it didn’t feel particularly empty or cold due to emptiness. It was strange.
She was starting to get conscious of the never-ending silence, so she broke it with a question. Venio had a soft smile on his face as he listened to Laila’s words. Laila, who was feeling like she had to be careful with everything, felt relieved when she saw him smiling.
“Oh, you must mean this,” Venio thought for a bit, then continued, “The people in the residence don’t really make any sound when they walk around. Rather, it is actually noisier now than usual. You should probably get used to this, Laila.
“I see.” Laila nodded, looking serious. With a gentle nod, Venio observed her for a while, then worried about something, and went on to speak.
“Of course, you can walk around freely. No, I want to ask you to be completely comfortable.” He said that last line to ensure that she didn’t misunderstand that he was telling her how she should behave like a noblewoman. He continued to add, “Because you are my fiancée.”
Laila tilted her head slightly, blinking as she listened to his words. Then, she nodded, looking so pure and innocent.
“Yes. I will do that. Live… comfortably.”
“Okay. Thank you,” Venio answered with a satisfied smile.
Theodore, who was following from far behind them, was giving them a strange look. ‘What’s with that conversation?’
It was too strange a conversation for Theodore to understand, hearing Laila say she would listen to Venio about walking around freely and making as much noise as she wanted, and Venio responding to her with gratitude for doing that.
‘Anyway, the atmosphere is a little bit odd now. Should I report that to him or not?’
Before Venio and Laila left the room, Theodore had received Venio’s signal and had gone to inform the kitchen staff to prepare a meal.
Theodore could not make any mistakes, especially since Thomas and Gideon had disappeared on him and he was the only one to receive Venio’s glares. So, Theodore ran so hard till he couldn’t feel his feet.
‘So… I’ll be getting between the two of them if I interrupt their conversation, huh? This situation is so damn hard!”
Theodore’s timid face soon turned into a sad one. But regardless of whether his world was falling apart or not, he had to make the decision as soon as possible in order to survive in this mansion.
‘I shouldn’t tell him.’ Theodore turned away slightly.
‘He’s going to find out when he arrives anyway!’
The things Venio had signaled to prepare were almost impossible requests. He couldn’t believe Venio was expecting all of that to be prepared during the short time it would take for them to get to the dining room.
