The Grand Duke’s Little Lady - Episode 115
Held tightly in his grip, Ariel averted her gaze, lowering her head. She didn’t want Lucian to see the expression she was wearing.
When Ariel didn’t respond, Lucian’s grip on her shoulders tightened.
“…Is there someone else?”
“What?!”
Ariel’s head shot up in surprise.
“It’s not that! I…!”
Lucian seized the moment, locking eyes with her, his gaze predatory and intense. His deep blue eyes had a magnetic pull that took her breath away.
There was nowhere left to hide, nowhere to run.
“Speak.”
It took her a while, but Ariel finally managed to speak.
“…Lucian, you and I… we’re in a contract relationship. So, I thought it wouldn’t be right.”
She hated how her voice trembled at the end of her sentence.
Lucian, who had been staring at her with a predatory gaze, let go of her shoulders and grasped her chin, tilting it upward.
“Did you forget what I told you?”
Lucian brought his face dangerously close to hers.
His breath, warm and threatening, washed over her.
“I told you to fulfill your duties as my wife.”
His voice was low and sinfully seductive.
With an arrogant gaze, he commanded,
“Claim your ownership over me. Say that I’m yours.”
The hand that held her chin moved to her neck, feeling her pulse racing under his touch.
Like a small animal caught by a predator, her heartbeat quickened.
Ariel’s chest heaved silently with quick, shallow breaths.
Lucian’s closeness and his words mixed, confusing her.
‘Is this an order?’
But somehow… it felt different.
Lucian’s authoritative gesture demanded an answer.
“Answer.”
“…I understand.”
Her words came out haltingly, and Lucian withdrew his hand from her.
He leaned against the railing, running his hand through his black hair with frustration.
He looked stunning against the night, breathtakingly beautiful.
His voice, clear in its frustration, cut through the night air.
“I have no interest in being attracted to pests. Don’t you dare doubt me.”
Ariel bit her lower lip.
Why is he saying this?
As if he’s making excuses to me.
The worst part was that she felt a sense of relief from his words.
Barely audible, she replied,
“…Yes.”
Despite feeling reassured by his words, Ariel’s heart wouldn’t stop pounding.
‘What is this? It feels strange.’
To calm herself, Ariel tightly grasped the skirt of her aqua-colored dress.
Lucian, having slowly subdued his sharp aura, spoke in a low voice.
“And… don’t turn your back on me again.”
The intimidating demeanor he had moments ago was replaced by a strange sense of desperation.
“Because I don’t know what I might do.”
Thus, the second evening of the ball was coming to an end.
* * *
The final event of the second night of the ball was a speech by Crown Prince Dietrich.
The primary purpose of the ball was to find a suitable Crown Princess.
Having danced and socialized with the ladies for two days, it was now time for the Crown Prince to hint at his feelings.
As all the princesses and noblewomen watched, Dietrich began to speak.
“I believe everyone is curious. Whether there is someone among you who has captured my heart.”
His words made the women in the ballroom swoon with excitement.
With his golden hair that seemed to be spun from pure gold, and green eyes as vivid as summer foliage, along with his noble and refined features, Dietrich Leon de Stein was the most eligible bachelor in the empire.
In contrast, the Grand Duchy of Lacartiel, due to its long-standing notoriety and unparalleled power even over the royal family, was considered an unattainable aspiration.
The royal family was seen as merciful compared to the imposing Lacartiel.
Dietrich, with a charming smile that could make any maiden’s heart flutter, continued,
“To answer your question, yes. There is someone among you.”
Sighs of longing echoed around the room from the unmarried ladies who had spoken or danced with Dietrich, each hoping to be the chosen one.
Dietrich maintained his poised smile and continued,
“But the position of Crown Princess is that of the future Empress. She must be the mother of the empire… so I must be more cautious in my choice.”
His gaze briefly shifted to where a girl with scarlet red hair stood.
There had been a small commotion earlier, but Ariel seemed alright.
Next to her stood Lucian, exuding an air of impenetrability.
Seeing this, Dietrich felt a sharp pang of pain.
He still couldn’t believe Lucian could love Ariel.
Lucian was an otherworldly being, and Ariel was human.
But it seemed undeniable that, for reasons Dietrich couldn’t fathom, Lucian regarded Ariel as special.
This must be the cause of the pain in his chest.
Dietrich turned his attention back to the eager faces looking at him and smiled brightly.
He was well-practiced in hiding his emotions.
“Then, please enjoy the rest of the ball.”
Meanwhile, Princess Clarisse, who had been humiliated and was now sulking in a corner, ground her teeth and bit her handkerchief in frustration.
She had considered turning her attention to the Crown Prince to save face after her failed attempt with the Grand Duke, only to realize that Dietrich’s gaze was also on Ariel.
“This is so humiliating. I want to tear her apart!”
Her inferiority complex flared even more upon seeing Lucian, who had harshly rejected her, standing close to Ariel with a semblance of affection.
“I won’t let this go…”
But then, someone approached her in the secluded corner.
“Princess?”
“What do you want?!”
Clarisse snapped, her voice sharp and full of thorns.
She turned to see a figure in a black cloak, exuding a dark and sticky aura.
“Who are you?”
“Don’t you want to take revenge on the Grand Duchess?”
“Of course I do. But who are you?”
The cloaked figure made a sound that could be interpreted as a laugh, a chilling noise like metal scraping against metal.
“It doesn’t matter who I am. What matters is… you’re not the only one who hates that red-haired Grand Duchess.”
Clarisse’s ears perked up.
The cloaked figure leaned in and whispered something into her ear.
Clarisse’s eyes grew slightly dazed, and her plump lips curled into a malevolent smile.
“Fine. If I can’t have him, that girl won’t be happy either.”
* * *
On the morning of the third day of the ball, Helen arrived to help Ariel prepare her dress, followed by her friends.
Due to the incident with Clarisse the previous day, her friends were particularly attentive to Ariel.
As they ate lunch together, Ariel cautiously shared the feelings she had experienced the day before.
Seeing Clarisse with Lucian had made her feel upset.
Listening to Ariel, her two friends suddenly patted her head affectionately.
“How adorable, Ariel! You’ve finally discovered the feeling of jealousy!”
Huh?
“Indeed, Ariel. I like your honesty. Jealousy is nothing to be ashamed of.”
What?
‘Jealousy?’
Before Ariel could protest, Diana pulled her into a tight hug.
“Of course, it’s natural, Ariel. He’s your husband, isn’t he? He belongs to you. Anyone would be upset if someone else coveted what’s theirs.”
Wait, wait a minute. Saying Lucian belongs to me, that doesn’t make sense.
In their contract, it was the opposite.
Lucian saved her, and in return, Ariel became his possession.
But her friends, unaware of their contractual marriage, were enthusiastic.
“Oh, how exciting. Our dear Ariel is finally feeling jealousy over another woman.”
“Just hearing your story makes my heart race. I was amazed when the Grand Duke firmly pushed that woman away.”
“…”
Ariel was flustered, but she also found her friends’ flushed faces endearing.
Not wanting to shatter their illusion, she just smiled.
Yet, Lucian’s words from the previous night kept echoing in her mind.
‘Claim your ownership over me. Say that I’m yours.’
The word ‘jealousy’ seemed to prick at her heart.
* * *
On the third day, Ariel wore a pale pink dress reminiscent of peach blossoms.
A transparent veil overlayed the pink skirt, adorned with delicate lace patterns crafted by a skilled artisan.
Lucian had gifted her a tiara decorated with pink diamonds to wear to the party.
When Helen from the dressing room saw the tiara, she nearly fainted from shock.
Pink diamonds were extremely rare, and even a tiny piece could be worth several city houses.
But the main pink diamond in Ariel’s tiara was not only large but also perfect in color and clarity.
Helen gasped and asked,
“Is this by any chance the 70-carat ‘Serendipity,’ the only one in the world?”
“Um, probably not.”
Ariel laughed at the absurdity.
Lucian hadn’t said anything about it being so rare.
He had just handed her the box with a look that said she couldn’t refuse.
Ariel thought that if it were such a valuable diamond, he would have mentioned it.
‘What if I lose it at the party?’
But Helen’s reaction was unsettling.
Ariel’s spine tingled with unease.
She had accepted the tiara reluctantly…
What if it really was ‘Serendipity’?
Of course, she planned to leave all such jewelry behind if they ever divorced, but wearing such a valuable piece out made her hands tremble.
Despite thinking she was getting used to it, most of what the men of Lacartiel did was beyond ordinary people’s imagination.
Moreover, the men of Lacartiel seemed to epitomize the saying “the unexpected always happens.”
“Helen. I’ll be back in a moment.”
Feeling a growing sense of dread, Ariel got up.
She headed straight to Lucian’s room.
Lucian was sitting lazily on the bed, looking like he was about to kick Allen out.
Allen stood there holding over a hundred neck brooches, suggesting which one to choose.
Neck brooches were ornaments worn over shirts instead of ties.
Seeing her, Lucian gave Allen a chilling look, seemingly pleased.
“Get out.”
Allen looked at Ariel with a desperate expression.
Choosing Lucian’s formal accessories seemed to be taking a toll on Allen’s lifespan.
‘Oh dear. It can’t be helped.’
Ariel smiled as she took the bundle of brooches from Allen.
“I’ll handle it, Allen.”
Allen’s face brightened with gratitude. He bowed respectfully and exited the room.
Ariel approached Lucian, who was sitting on the bed, and began to position the neck brooches on his shirt.
The brooches were all beautiful, but none of the gems could stand out more than Lucian’s pale face and red lips.
His face had the potential to make even a street pebble look like the most noble jewel.
“Come closer and do it.”
Lucian pulled Ariel towards him as he spoke.
The sudden closeness made Ariel’s cheeks flush.
She instinctively tried to pull back.
“I-I can do it from a distance.”
“Even the butler didn’t stand that far away.”
To avoid looking at Lucian’s face, Ariel focused solely on the brooch.