The Grand Duke’s Little Lady - Episode 113
“Wait… you were really thinking of killing her?”
“Of course.”
“She just forgot to greet me. You can’t kill someone for that.”
Lucian frowned irritably.
It was clear from his expression that he was entirely serious about wanting to kill Princess Clarisse.
Really, he has absolutely no regard for the value of life.
“Lucian, next time…”
“You.”
He cut her off abruptly, leaning in closer.
His deep blue eyes intensely locked onto hers.
“Come to think of it, you don’t seem to care at all.”
“What?”
Lucian’s white, marble-like forehead furrowed in displeasure.
He realized why he felt so rotten. The woman earlier had asked him to dance, and yet his wife, Ariel, didn’t seem to care at all?
Today, he had been annoyed a hundred times by Dietrich’s occasional glances at Ariel from a distance, feeling an overwhelming urge to kill him.
Not just Dietrich, but every male that looked at Ariel made him feel this murderous rage.
For Lucian, a dragon indifferent to all life on earth, these emotions were a first.
He, who felt nothing for humans or anything else, could only feel through Ariel.
The intensity of these new emotions was deeply engraved in his mind every moment.
Lucian didn’t know if what he felt was obsession, possessiveness, or something else, but he knew one thing.
When it came to Ariel, he wanted to kill humans a thousand times more.
But Ariel seemed completely indifferent to the women approaching him.
Realizing this twisted his insides.
Ariel always saw him as a contract partner, an employer, a violent being to be wary of.
Since he was a villain, her perception wasn’t exactly wrong.
Knowing this, his heart still couldn’t accept it.
Impulsively, Lucian brought his lips to Ariel’s round forehead.
He felt more like biting than kissing, but he thought he might calm down a bit if he marked her in some way.
Meanwhile, Ariel was lost in her own thoughts.
‘At least I saved a life…’
After averting the potential bloodbath, another scene kept replaying in her mind.
The sight of Clarisse and Lucian standing together.
Seeing Clarisse up close, she realized she was even more beautiful.
The dress that showed off her mature figure, the plump, enticing lips.
Her plump arms and flowing platinum blonde hair.
Of course, Lucian’s beauty was so superior that Clarisse seemed like a faint candle next to the sun.
‘Still, they looked like a perfect match.’
Ariel looked gloomily at her pale, thin wrist and small hand.
For some reason, she felt depressed.
At that moment, Lucian’s hand gently cupped the back of her head.
‘Ah?’
Ariel’s body tensed up in surprise at his sudden action.
He slowly lowered his head as if to kiss her forehead.
‘Oh…’
Lucian had kissed her forehead before, like a mark of possession.
It was just a simple touch, nothing more.
Something one could do to a pet rabbit or squirrel.
Yet her body reflexively flinched back.
Her heart pounded wildly like a ship caught in a storm.
Her ears burned with embarrassment and nervousness.
Even if Lucian didn’t notice, she no longer felt comfortable with it.
When Ariel pulled away, Lucian’s movement abruptly stopped.
“….”
A strange silence hung between them.
A dance song ended.
Sensing the odd atmosphere between them, Diana quickly approached.
“Your Grace, may I borrow the Duchess for a moment?”
Ariel was pulled away by Diana like a ghost.
She couldn’t forget the fleeting expression on Lucian’s face when she pulled back.
‘Why did he look like that…?’
A look of profound hurt.
A face that made Ariel’s heart ache as well.
She felt dazed.
He always treated her like a child, always kissed her like a pet.
Why did Lucian make such a face?
Even as Diana led Ariel away, he stood motionless like a statue, not stopping them.
* * *
Princess Clarisse was now full of venom.
It was good that the man she fell for at first sight turned out to be the Duke of Lacartiel.
The fame and power of Lacartiel were well-known, even to Clarisse.
She had planned to plead with the Imperial family to arrange a marriage with the Duke.
Given the power of the Kingdom of Siena, the Emperor wouldn’t disregard her wishes.
But then she heard something unexpected.
“What?! The Duke is already married?”
She felt as if she had been slapped.
This can’t be.
The Duke and I are destined. We’re meant to be!
“Who is this wife of his?”
Her maid, who brought her the news, pointed to a red-haired girl standing next to the Duke.
The maid whispered,
“She’s a Marquess’s daughter. Her family isn’t much to speak of.”
“How old is she? Twelve? Thirteen?”
“She’s fourteen.”
“Hmph.”
Clarisse squinted her eyes and scrutinized Ariel.
Though she seemed petite and young at first, upon closer inspection, she had the air of a woman.
“She might be presentable once she matures, but right now she’s just a naive little girl.”
Observing them, it didn’t seem like the Grand Duke and Ariel were particularly close.
There were hardly any affectionate gestures or sweet smiles between them.
“It’s clearly a political marriage. My Lucian is definitely forced to live with that girl.”
In that case, I have to save him!
Clarisse grew more confident.
She had a track record of seducing men and causing broken engagements.
If she seduced the Grand Duke, it was certain that the little girl would be quickly pushed aside and divorced.
On the second day, she made her move.
Dressed in her most expensive gown and jewelry, she approached the Grand Duke.
“Hello, Lucian.”
She deliberately ignored Ariel and greeted only the Grand Duke, a clear sign of seduction.
But unbelievably, she was humiliated and chased away right in front of everyone.
Her maids fussed around her, trying to comfort her.
When Clarisse started to lose her temper, no one could stop her.
“The Grand Duke must care a lot about appearances. Once you become the Grand Duchess, he will treat you the same way.”
“That’s right. He didn’t even kiss the current Grand Duchess. He must be sexually frustrated, which makes him more irritable.”
Clarisse, whose face had turned bright red with anger, began to calm down.
“You make a good point. Then, I should target that red-haired girl first.”
“How will you do that?”
“You fools. What do you think I’ll do? I’ll get rid of her.”
Clarisse focused all her attention on finding a moment when Ariel was alone.
And finally, the opportunity came.
In the powder room.
* * *
Ariel was sitting quietly in the chair in the powder room.
Diana, who had taken her out, asked if she had fought with the Grand Duke, but she said no, though she felt confused.
What was that expression on Lucian’s face?
And why did he say those things?
‘Come to think of it, you don’t seem to care at all.’
What did he mean by saying I don’t care?
Diana, who had been staying with Ariel, was called away by the Empress and left for a moment. Diana insisted she couldn’t leave Ariel alone and said she would bring Cecil.
While Ariel was still sitting and pondering alone before Cecil arrived, someone spoke to her.
“Well, well, who do we have here? Isn’t it the Duchess?”
Ariel quickly looked up.
Princess Clarisse stood there with several women trailing behind her, likely noblewomen from her kingdom who had accompanied her.
“Oh, hello, Princess Clarisse.”
Ariel greeted her.
But Clarisse strutted over, linked arms with her, and looked down at her.
“Quite unimpressive.”
“Excuse me?”
“I hear you’ve been married for four years already? Have you even consummated the marriage?”
Clarisse’s plump lips curled up in a smirk.
“You look like a child who hasn’t even started menstruating, so probably not.”
As Clarisse spoke, the women behind her burst into laughter.
Ariel’s expression hardened.
She wasn’t so naive as to not realize she was being insulted.
‘But why?’
She couldn’t understand why Clarisse was trying to insult her.
The only reason Ariel could think of was that Clarisse wanted to take out her anger for being humiliated by Lucian on her, the easier target.
However, Ariel had no intention of quietly accepting such unwarranted insults.
She spoke calmly and confidently.
“If this is about what happened earlier, Lucian was harsh. But it doesn’t justify you insulting me. You should consider the dignity of the Kingdom of Siena as well.”
“W-what?”
Clarisse’s face, which had been full of mockery, turned red with anger.
The fact that young Ariel didn’t flinch at her attack infuriated her.
Clarisse prided herself on knowing how to hit people where it hurt the most.
Until now, no one had ever remained calm when she attacked them verbally. They would cry, get angry, or blush with embarrassment.
But Ariel remained composed and responded to Clarisse’s sharp words.
“Can’t you understand? Do you think someone like you suits the Grand Duke? It’s because of a child like you that he is suffering!”
In Clarisse’s deluded mind, Lucian was already begging her to save him from his dreadful wife.
Ariel, still unfazed, replied to Clarisse clearly and deliberately.
“You’re dismissing me just because I’m young. But age is something that cannot be changed by effort. It’s something you naturally gain over time. Judging people based on that is foolish.”
Ariel’s calm demeanor made Clarisse tremble with rage. She was the one who ended up feeling humiliated.
“What? Did you just call me foolish? Who do you think you are to say that?”
Ariel quietly observed Clarisse, who continued to be rude.
Her mind quickly came to a decision.
‘I can’t let such rudeness pass.’
She was a Lacartiel too.
Treating her this way was disrespectful to the standing of the Grand Ducal family.
Ariel called over a palace maid stationed at the entrance of the powder room.
Seeing this, Clarisse’s face turned red with indignation.
“What are you doing? Are you going to tattle to your husband?”
Ignoring her, Ariel spoke calmly to the maid.
“It seems the princess finds the powder room unpleasant. Help her get some fresh air outside.”
It was a clear order to escort her out.
The palace maid promptly obeyed Ariel’s command and said to Clarisse,
“This way, please, Your Grace.”
It was a polite but firm way of showing her out, as if she were an unwelcome guest.
In the powder room, the higher-ranking person had the authority to expel the lower-ranking one.
Having never been treated this way, Clarisse’s anger reached its peak.
Moreover, Ariel wasn’t even looking at her.
Feeling utterly disregarded by Ariel, Clarisse became even more furious.
“Do you really think you can throw me out of here?! How dare you!”
Ariel turned her gaze to Clarisse.
Her voice was young, and she was shorter, but she looked directly at Clarisse.
“I’m just following your own logic, Princess Clarisse. To truly grow up means to take responsibility for your actions.”
“You… you…!”
Clarisse’s entourage made a show of trying to restrain her, but she couldn’t hold back her fury.
“You think I’ll let this go?”
Clarisse lunged forward and pushed Ariel’s shoulder.
It wasn’t a strong push, but the sudden impact caused Ariel to lose her balance and fall.
“Oh my!”
Seeing Ariel fall, Clarisse and her group laughed loudly again.
“Look at her! She’s like a paper doll. Oh ho ho!”
Ariel’s delicate frame was vulnerable to physical attacks, which was why Lucian always had Hector and Ralph watch over her.
The palace maid, alarmed, hurried to help Ariel up.