So I Was the Persecuted Grand Duchess Destined to Die? Chapter 20

Chapter 20

— — —

The man clearly knew who Xavier was.

That alone was troubling.

And judging by the way his gaze flicked—briefly, knowingly—toward Renée, he likely knew of her existence as well.

Xavier’s brow furrowed deeper.

“I asked who you are.”

“If I told you,” the man replied lazily, “would you even understand?”

“Reveal your identity. You are not from this territory.”

“Hm. You might want to choose a word broader than territory.”

The pointless wordplay grated on Xavier’s nerves.

This was someone who overwhelmed even him—a Swordmaster.

Which meant there were very few beings in this land… no, in the entire empire… who could match him.

If he decides to act recklessly…

Everyone here would be in danger.

Xavier was not merely a Grand Duke.

He was the lord of this land.

Protecting its people was his duty.

In the tense silence, moving faster than most eyes could follow, Xavier’s hand slid toward the sword at his waist.

And then—

[You really do resemble him the most, out of all my children. A strange feeling.]

“—?!”

The man’s yellow pupil narrowed into a vertical slit.

His lips never moved.

Yet the voice boomed directly inside Xavier’s head.

This wasn’t sound.

It was something forced straight into his body.

[And yet… why are you so contaminated? What happened while I slept…?]

The voice reverberated through him like an echo trapped in a cavern.

Xavier’s vision swam.

Then—

[…Sigh. This will make things easier for a while. Only temporarily, though.]

The instant those words ended, the violent tension gripping Xavier’s body vanished.

Something washed over him—something utterly unfamiliar.

The sharp vigilance he had carried for years… simply melted away.

The urge to draw his blade crumbled into nothing.

As if resistance itself had been erased.

As if refusing was no longer an option.

This…

It was surreal.

For someone who lived perpetually braced for disaster, this calm was indescribable.

Like a storm dissolving without warning.

Like drifting on a silent sea beneath a flawless sky.

[I’ll come again soon. Endure until then.]

Warmth spread through Xavier’s chest.

And without meaning to—

his eyes closed.

“……”

While Xavier Celeste, Grand Duke of the North, stood there with his mind completely blank—

Renée Blanche nearly dislocated her jaw.

* * *

I snapped my mouth shut.

Because the Grand Duke—who had been marching toward Ternox like he was about to erase him from existence—had suddenly turned into a peaceful statue.

“Grand Duke! Are you okay?! You crazy dr—! I mean—crazy man! What did you do?!”

“Uuuuh?”

“Aaaah, what is wrong with him?!”

I glared at Ternox, who was standing there with an innocent expression, fist tucked under his chin.

Why is this dragon grandpa acting like this?

Midlife crisis?

Did he decide to revive his Invisible Dragon phase?!

My inner Cerberus activated automatically.

Ternox, of course, didn’t care. He tilted his head.

“Stop trying to act cute! Why is he like this?!”

“You don’t know?” he replied lightly. “He came over demanding to know who I was. I didn’t do anything. And do I even know you? I don’t recall knowing a woman like you~”

“Y-you—!”

“Alright then. Bye.”

Nom nom.

He took an enormous bite out of the bundle of skewers he’d collected—

and vanished just as abruptly as he’d appeared.

“…What the hell was that.”

Now I was stuck with the aftermath.

One very large adult man standing there, completely glazed over.

All I wanted was to eat skewers and enjoy the festival!

I glared at the Grand Duke, who still hadn’t moved an inch.

Is he… sleeping standing up?

No way.

But he was too still.

Like a statue.

Like he wasn’t even breathing—

“…No.”

Wait.

“…NO—right?!”

Panicking, I yanked the hood off his cloak.

Normally, with our height difference, I’d have to jump like an idiot just to reach his head—

but his chin was drooped, so it was easy.

“Grand Duke! Wake up!”

I grabbed his cheeks and lightly slapped them.

Pap. Pap.

…Okay, I won’t pretend there wasn’t even a little personal satisfaction.

But my intentions were pure!

“Mm…”

Was it working?

Slowly, he lifted his head.

His eyes opened bit by bit, revealing that familiar blue-violet gaze.

He blinked sluggishly, like someone waking from deep sleep.

And even now—his lashes were long and dark.

…He really is pretty.

I’d thought it from the start. His face was innocent.

Even if he committed crimes, his face would be acquitted immediately.

So please—just let me live quietly, okay?

You’d be even prettier if you did!

As a final “oops,” I gave his cheek one last tap and pulled my hands away.

Mission complete. No need for extra skinship.

But then—

“Huh?”

Still dazed, the Grand Duke lifted his hand—

and grabbed mine.

His grip was absurdly strong.

I was yanked forward helplessly.

Wait—why is your face so close?!

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Maybe it was shock.

Maybe it was because his stupidly handsome face was suddenly at lethal proximity.

Maybe it was both.

My heart slammed like it was trying to announce its location to the entire festival.

We were close enough that our noses almost brushed.

“!”

That finally snapped him back.

His eyes flew open—pure, unfiltered panic.

I blinked stupidly.

“Uh… um—”

“Ha!”

Before I could even say let go, he flinched like he’d been burned and shoved my hand away.

“Eek!”

Just like before, I was tossed back—flopping like a paper doll.

He hadn’t used full strength, so I didn’t fall, but still—

…Is he embarrassed?

The tips of his ears and the back of his neck were turning red.

That didn’t look intentional.

Ternox definitely did something. There’s no way this is normal.

I studied him.

Aside from the redness, he looked mostly fine again.

Was it just some weird dragon prank?

With Transparent-Dragon Grandpa involved, I couldn’t relax.

I was just about to suggest sending the Grand Duke home—

when—

“Oh! They say the lantern ceremony has started by the river!”

“Really? Let’s go!”

The scattered crowd surged in one direction like a tide.

Unfortunately—

that direction was us.

I panicked.

But worse—

“Wait… isn’t that the Grand Duke?”

“I think it is…! Has he ever come to a commoner festival before?”

“Should we show respect?”

“He actually came here?”

People were recognizing him.

Whispers spread. Eyes lingered.

More people gathered—not to celebrate, but to confirm whether that towering man was truly the Grand Duke.

And then—

“Then who’s the woman beside him?”

“Don’t tell me… the new Grand Duchess?!”

“She’s beautiful! Look at that hair—and those ruby eyes!”

“So the curse rumors were fake?”

“That’s why he came—because of her!”

“They look perfect together!”

“Kyaaa!”

We hadn’t said a single word.

Yet rumors bloomed in real time, spreading like wildfire.

My mind went blank.

I looked up at the Grand Duke.

The panic was gone.

He was smiling faintly at the crowd.

Oh.

He can smile.

Cold to his wife, warm to his people.

What kind of personality is that?

Isn’t romance fantasy usually the opposite?

I was mid-roast in my head—

when he opened his mouth toward the crowd.