So I Was the Persecuted Grand Duchess Destined to Die? Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Clunk!

“!”

The floor jolted, and I snapped awake.

“You’re up.”

“Ahem… yes.”

I reflexively wiped at my mouth with my sleeve.

Wait—was I sleeping? I didn’t even realize I’d fallen asleep.

“Ahem…”

Thankfully I hadn’t drooled, but when I saw the archduke across from me smirk, I instantly felt mortified.

Inside this carriage, it was just me and him—no one else.

It was a fairly large carriage, but he was so big that if we shifted the wrong way, our knees could practically touch.

From Xavier’s angle, he’d probably seen my entire sleeping face.

“Don’t worry. You didn’t drool.”

“Yeeah… wow. Thanks so much for letting me know.”

Of course. He never missed a chance to tease.

I puffed my cheeks and stretched dramatically in place.

In a carriage, there wasn’t much to do besides read or sleep, so time crawled by even slower.

And of course, this was the archducal couple’s carriage—so Katharina, Ternox, the maids, and everyone else were all riding in other carriages.

If Nox had been here, would it have been less awkward?

I mean… it was way more comfortable than before.

But still.

I stole a glance at the man’s profile as he stared out the window.

Unlike the beginning, the sharpness had faded from his violet-blue eyes; sunlight pooled in them, sparkling softly.

It really hammered home just how important sleep was to a person.

Still… I just can’t tell what he’s thinking.

We’d gotten closer, but he still felt awkward to me in certain ways.

Those random, antisocial comments he let slip sometimes—I still wasn’t used to them.

More than anything, he was naturally taciturn.

The trip from the North to the capital took a little over a week.

And because he only spoke when absolutely necessary…

I’d ended up making an unintentional vow of silence right along with him.

Unless it was a stop to rest or an evening at an inn, I spent whole days feeling like my mouth was collecting cobwebs.

“Mm.”

Maybe my face was screaming How are we not there yet?! because the archduke turned and tossed out, casually—

“We’ve arrived in Albern. We crossed the city wall right before you woke up.”

“Whoa—finally!”

At the best news I’d heard all week, I flung the curtain open.

The capital—after a week on the road—felt completely different from the North.

“Flowers for sale! I’ve got flower crowns too!”

“Fresh bass! Caught in the Renne River this morning!”

Even at the outskirts, the streets were packed.

Families shopping, merchants selling ingredients, street vendors—

voices overlapped everywhere.

The lively noise slipped in through the crack of the carriage window, and my heart started beating faster for no reason.

Compared to the quiet northern towns, this felt like a real—

city.

“There are so many people.”

“First time in the capital?”

“Yes, I guess…”

In the novel, we’d only ever been in the North, so… it probably was my first time.

Before I could figure out how to cover my words—

the archduke, having apparently “understood” on his own, began explaining what we were seeing outside, point by point.

“Do you see that river?”

“There’s a river here too?”

“Yes. That’s the Renne River.”

Xavier’s explanation flowed smoothly.

The capital, Albern—

was split into north and south by a shallow river cutting through the city’s heart.

It was way smaller than the Han River. More like a big stream.

And of course—because this was peak K-romance-fantasy logic—

the south side held the imperial palace, nobles’ townhouses, high-end boutiques, and the like.

I watched the scenery with wide eyes, greedily absorbing every new sight.

Then, as we continued—

something yanked my attention hard.

“Gasp! What is that?”

Even though we hadn’t fully crossed into the south yet, I could see two towering spires rising far in the distance.

“That’s the Grand Temple. In the capital—no, possibly in the entire empire—it’s the tallest structure.”

“Wow… so that’s it. It’s really amazing!”

“It would be. That building is practically a monument to the temple’s current power.”

The archduke looked oddly displeased.

These days he’d gotten noticeably better at showing emotions, so even someone as oblivious as me could tell his mood had soured.

I tilted my head and asked again.

“Is it… new?”

“Yes. They expanded it recently. And the construction in the back is still ongoing.”

He spoke more coolly now.

“If we could claim ownership based on how much money went into it, then at minimum… one of those spires would basically belong to Celeste.”

“Oh.”

I remembered what he’d said before—about the “special obligation” for nobles, the donations, all of it.

And suddenly, the temple looked different.

That High Priest bastard. Backed by the Empress and living the good life, huh?

To build something that flashy, the cost had to be astronomical.

So the temple really had squeezed them dry.

“Mm… I should go see it later. If only because it’d be a waste not to, after donating all that money.”

“It’s not exactly ‘a waste’… but it’s definitely unpleasant.”

He sighed, then added, pragmatic as ever—

“Still, those donations give us a reason to enter the Grand Temple without resistance. We can think of it as paying the price in advance.”

“We should go over and over! We need to get our money’s worth!”

“Ha. Yeah.”

And then—

the archduke actually laughed. Out loud.

“…Right.”

At the same time, I froze on the spot.

The corners of his eyes softened, folding gently. A warm smile spread across his face.

It was strangely hard to smile back.

What is wrong with me?

Maybe because he still wasn’t inside my comfort zone.

Or maybe because he was just… too intimidating to treat casually.

His unreal face didn’t help either—but lately, the way my heart started fluttering like crazy whenever he smiled had become a new hazard in my mind.

This has to be arrhythmia.

They said I was terminal with some unknown illness—so maybe my heart was weak too!

Yeah.

Honestly, that’s a cliché too.

Anyway, Xavier had been smiling more often these days.

And every time, I was the one suffering, trying to figure out how to react.

Why was it so awkward to smile back at something so small?

When that cold face softened into a gentle curve, it felt like my heart dropped straight down.

Arrhythmia… it’s definitely arrhythmia.

So for my health, stop acting friendly!

If my heart stops, are you going to take responsibility?!

His “madness” was improving, so he was glowing like life was easy now—but for me, his upgraded looks weren’t exactly welcome.

“Ahem.”

I fumbled again and quickly changed the subject to cover my embarrassment.

“S-so… when do we arrive at our townhouse?”

“We just crossed the river. Soon. Hm… sitting so long has made my whole body stiff.”

He rubbed the base of his neck, complaining in a way that felt oddly uncharacteristic.

But it made sense—after leaving the inn outside the capital at dawn, we’d ridden nonstop.

We’d been stuck sitting for nearly half a day.

“I’m worse off, thanks to someone. My arms and legs are still aching.”

“I’d say my foot still throbs too.”

He lifted one corner of his mouth in a crooked, mischievous smirk.

He meant the “special training” before we left—

the ballroom dance practice.

Surprisingly, he was good. He led smoothly.

But that time taught me one thing with absolute certainty:

I was horrifically talentless at social dancing.

“Two, two, three—ah! I-I’m sorry!”

“…Do you realize you’ve stepped on my foot more times than you’ve stepped on the floor? At this point, why don’t you just climb onto my foot? That seems easier.”

“I don’t want to be like this either!”

“Haa…”

He really never lets anything go.

Still, this version of him felt more like the archduke I knew, which made him easier to deal with.

We bickered over nothing for a moment, and then—

“Your Graces, the Archduke and Archduchess—we’ve arrived at the townhouse!”

The coachman’s strong voice rang out, and the carriage door swung open.

For someone who’d just complained about stiffness, the archduke hopped down with ridiculous ease—

then held out his hand for me.

Maybe Lady Diana had scolded him or something, because now he escorted me naturally whenever we got in or out of a carriage.

I took his hand—still only half used to it—and stepped down.

And then—

“Uh…?!”

Someone I never expected was standing right in front of us.