So I Was the Persecuted Grand Duchess Destined to Die? Chapter 28

Chapter 28

“Living in a place that’s basically a storage shed.
Throwing yourself into manual labor all the time.
Eating such meager meals, over and over again…
All of it.”

“…That’s just foolish.”

At the Grand Duke’s blunt words, the eyes I had just barely managed to close flew wide open.

“…Excuse me?”

What did he just say?

A storage shed?
My gorgeous forest cabin that looked like it belonged on a postcard?

Manual labor?
I was just cleaning because I was bored!

Meager meals?
That was called eating healthy, thank you very much!

“….”

Did he seriously mean that?

Or was this just another one of his usual verbal attacks?

As I stood there dumbfounded, still trying to process the blow, Xavier Celeste drove the final nail in.

“Do you not even realize you’re being mistreated?
Why are you always smiling like that?”

There was a faint edge of irritation—almost spite—in his voice.

I couldn’t even bring myself to respond.

“….”

All of that was… mistreatment?

Wait. I’ve been getting mistreated this whole time?!

That was news to me.

If this was mistreatment, then I’d been living an absurdly happy life.

Well—
as long as I didn’t get tangled up with him, anyway.

“…Are you serious?”

I asked, unable to hide my unease.

But the only person who could answer me didn’t.

Instead, the small cabin filled with the steady sound of his breathing.

I carefully lifted my head and looked at him.

Bathed in soft moonlight, his face was calmer than I’d ever seen it.

He was asleep.

“…He’s really asleep?”

After dropping that bomb on me?

No—after becoming a walking bomb himself and diving straight into my personal space?!

“Are you asleep?”

“….”

“Seriously?”

“….”

“Hey. You jerk…”

“….”

“You think just because you’re a Grand Duke you can—”

Just as I was about to unload everything I’d been holding back—

“Mm…”

Xavier shifted onto his side and, without opening his eyes, wrapped one arm around the back of my head.

As a result, the body that had slid slightly off him was pulled right back in, completely immobilized.

What is this? Is he actually asleep?

To anyone watching, it looked like a very clear message:

Stop yapping and go to sleep.

You totally heard me cursing at you, didn’t you?

You’re just pretending to sleep, aren’t you?

Then how am I supposed to sleep like this…?

My already tangled thoughts grew even messier.

Tonight, sleep felt utterly impossible.

“Khrrr…”

The next morning.

Woken by the sound of someone snoring softly, Xavier Celeste slowly opened his eyes.

At first, he thought he might still be half-asleep.

Something warm, small, and soft was nestled comfortably in his arms, and—
strangely enough—it felt rather nice.

Then—

I fell asleep…?

As consciousness returned, the absurdity of the situation hit him all at once.

Xavier had no memory of falling asleep.

More importantly—
he had never slept while holding someone.

“!”

His eyes snapped open.

What he saw was—

“Mmmh…”

Renée Blanche, sleeping soundly in his arms, mouth slightly open.

Using his arm as a pillow, she looked as though she were having the sweetest dream—
a faint smile even tugging at her lips.

As reality settled in, Xavier’s face drained of color.

He carefully turned his head, taking in his surroundings.

This appeared to be Renée’s detached residence.

The cabin, filled with traces of everyday life, carried a bright, welcoming atmosphere—much like its owner.

At the same time, it was undeniably far too humble for a woman born into nobility.

Renée, however, seemed genuinely fond of this place.

To Xavier, it was just another example of her inexplicable behavior.

Renée Blanche was nothing like any noblewoman he had ever known.

No—
scratch that.

He had never met anyone, noble or commoner, as strange as her.

His mind raced.

Has the madness worsened? I don’t remember coming here. I don’t remember any of this.

And yet—

He closed his eyes once, then opened them again.

His body felt incredibly light.

His mind was clear. Refreshingly so.

It was the best condition he had felt in years.

…Just like back then.

A man with long green hair flashed through his thoughts.

The one Renée claimed was a dragon.

After encountering that mysterious being, Xavier had slept deeply for days.

As his condition worsened, that sensation had only grown more vivid.

No one forgets the taste of water found after wandering through a desert.

No—
this felt even better than that.

“….”

An unsettling thought crossed his mind.

Putting the dragon aside—

Could someone’s warmth itself be the key to suppressing this madness?

Xavier did not trust people easily.

He had always lived on guard.

His bedroom, especially, was where he was most vulnerable.

He could barely sleep alone—how could he with someone beside him?

And yet—

This was the first time he had ever slept with another person present.

“Sleeping together” felt like too dramatic a phrase, but still—

The small woman holding the possible answer to his torment remained asleep in his arms.

“…What is this?”

Magic long thought extinct.
Dragons from legends.
Monsters that vanished without a trace.
The red-eyed bastard child said to bring ruin.

“….”

Xavier didn’t know how these things were connected.

But—

This woman might be able to cure my condition.

Perhaps the answer he had been desperately seeking had been right beside him all along.

A faint smile rose to his lips.

It wasn’t certainty—but even a thread of hope was enough.

He had endured far too much pain alone.

Would it work with anyone?

That, too, required confirmation.

But the thought was quickly discarded.

I’m already married. Am I to sleep with someone else?

He scolded himself, though in noble society such matters were hardly scandalous.

As long as no illegitimate heirs appeared, spouses keeping lovers was common.

Still, Xavier viewed allowing someone into his bed as a risk in itself.

This woman alone is more than enough trouble. I won’t invite chaos.

The political consequences were obvious.

Even within the Grand Ducal Castle, spies lurked.

Every word, every action—
even a shift in expression—could be interpreted as political intent.

That was the fate of House Celeste.

And above all—

He simply had no desire to spend the night with anyone but Renée Blanche.

A hollow marriage or not, they had already shared a bed.

Having crossed that line, he felt responsible.

Renée would scoff if she heard his thoughts—but Xavier believed them firmly.

“Mm…”

At that moment, unaware of his internal turmoil, Renée stirred.

“!”

Startled, Xavier pulled his upper body back.

Freed instantly, Renée rolled away as if she’d been waiting for the chance—
swift as a small bird taking flight.

“….”

Is she really asleep?

For some reason, Xavier felt oddly put off.

Staying here is making me lose my mind.

Rising quietly, he slipped out of the cabin.

Only then did he notice his bare feet and the open collar of his shirt.

He pressed his fingers to his forehead, sighing.

Did I wander again… and end up here?

And judging by the sun now high in the sky—

He had slept far longer than expected.

As he hesitated, uncertain—

Xavier’s gaze met someone standing at the front gate, as though waiting for him.