What time is it? 5am? 6am?
I stifled a yawn, my eyes not opening completely. It wasn't time for me to wake, yet I forced myself to get up and make my way to the common area.
But since the person sitting across from me didn't seem to be aware of my situation, I kindly explained to them,
"I'm sleepy."
Waking up before nine made me act like a strange person. This was the case even before I was born as Judith Heart. It didn't matter how long I'd slept; the rule was always to only wake up after nine. Whenever I woke up early, I ended up feeling blank and irritated for the whole day.
Because of this, my body creaked like an uncharged machine, similar to how I was during my school days.
Even though I looked at him with a sour expression, Noah still smiled in a pleased manner.
"Your nightgown is cute."
What nightgown was I wearing again?
I think I just grabbed whatever I saw first because my feet ached and I felt tired yesterday.
It was too annoying to look down and check. Instead, I just opted to watch Noah stack the round cherries Emily had brought for me like a tower.
It would've been an amazing sight if I had seen it while I was in my right mind.
"I didn't expect your excellency to be such a simple person."
"Drop the formalities."
"Go home, I'm gonna sleep."
Noah laughed, his eyes bending beautifully.
I'm not a funny person.
Noticing my expression, he knocked over his cherry tower with his finger.
He was dressed in a dark suit that matched his hair. Even though the material was light, intended to be used during summer, his shirt was unbuttoned, revealing his strong collarbone.
I wonder if it's because he's from the north. No scars, immaculate muscles… I'm getting drowsy.
He reasoned with me,
"We need to discuss the details, Judi."
He was even using my nickname now. He had an obvious merry look on his face.
He must've known I liked to sleep a lot in the morning and was trying to mess up my sleep schedule.
I pushed away the documents Noah had brought out. Instead, I gave the worn-out contract that had been through many hands to him. With a bored look in his eyes, he picked up the crisp paper.
I hadn't even signed it yet but the marriage contract already had the Emperor's seal on it.
"Did you go to the Imperial Palace yesterday for this?"
"Yeah."
"I'm comfortable with speaking formally."
"Why?"
"Usually I have a foul mouth, but now I have to speak gently."
It was the complete truth. If you weren't my husband, I'd be thinking you were speaking bullshit.
Noah laughed languidly before getting to the point.
"Then, I'm willing to marry you. Though, I'd rather not get married just to get divorced."
Huuuh. The words that followed right after surprised me. Though, he didn't speak in a formal and stiff tone so I assume he meant it in a friendly way.
Was he always such a considerate person?
"I'm not thinking of getting divorced either."
What's good is good. Slowly, I closed my eyes once again.
I want to sleep. There was nothing I wished for more than to lie down in a cozy bed with a soft aroma and have a nice, sweet sleep; a sleep so sweet that honey couldn't even compare.
"Would you be willing to live the rest of your life with a man you only met yesterday?"
"If it doesn't bother you."
My drowsy murmurs were well understood by Noah .
"Sounds fun."
I rubbed my eyes, thinking how I'd rather be sleeping during a night with a white moon than stay awake during a wild morning like today. A deep, bored tone followed,
"It'll be difficult to have a child. There's a small problem when it comes to my constitution."
"I'll remember that."
Silence ensued for a moment.
"...I'll try to follow those conditions to the best of my abilities. Are there any other questions?"
I wasn't in my right mind because of how sleepy I was. I forced my heavy eyelids open and asked him a simple and adequate question.
"How old are you?"
"Much older than my beloved wife."
"I already know that."
Even the ignorant people of the capital and the north knew that Noah had lived too long.
Since they didn't know his exact age, everyone just assumed he was an old man.
The knowledge I gathered from the novel was of no use to me. All I knew was that Derrick died and Noah was the most secretive out of all the characters.
Hearing my complaint, he added to his answer,
"I've met the first head of the Winter family. Though he wasn't a Grand Duke at the time, just some brainless guy wandering around exploring dangerous areas."
"You have a baby face. It wouldn't be strange if your child had a child, who had a child, who had a child, also had a child."
"I don't have any biological children."
"Any lovers?"
"None."
"I think you're just a lonely wolf."
Noah laughed again. This time, he had an incredible smile.
"Judi, aren't you curious about why I've lived for so long?"
"I'm more interested in your relationships with other people."
"I'm sorry I didn't meet your expectations. I have none."
His eyes shone a deep Golden just like flame as he rested his chin on his hand. His ebony hair swayed along with his movements. My fingers impulsively twitched, feeling the need to tidy up his messy hair.
Hey, don't do anything unnecessary, Judith. Just make him leave right away and go back to sleep.
"I have one condition. Due to the fact that I'll be settling down in unfamiliar territory with my trusty maid, I'll need appropriate compensation if I were to ever get hurt", I said with a low sigh.
Noah nodded, it seemed like he was willing to hear me out until the end.
"Continue."
I recited my thoughts one after another in a bored tone.
"One bruise equals a million coin. A stab wound equals ten millioncoin. A burn equals fifty million coin. Fractures and amputations cost more than a hundred million coin but less than two hundred million, and my life doesn't have a cost in particular."
Obviously it was a ridiculous condition. What kind of grand duchess would get hurt in the grand duke's territory? I bet I'd have a tight-security escort.
However, there were two problems.
First of all, Derrick Winter was also scheduled to travel up to the North. Second of all, Noah was taking him way too lightly.
No, it'd be strange if he didn't look down on him. He wasn't even as strong as Noah fist, but Derrick had his own strength, and he wanted to beat me up.
Regrettably, there was no guarantee that I'd have a sweeping victory over Derrick even if I used tricks, so it'd be less depressing if I were to get paid even if I landed one hundred hits on him and only received one in return.
"What the hell do you know about my territory?"
He didn't sound angry, it seemed more like he thought my statement was ridiculous.
For the first time today, I smiled brightly.
"Please think of it as a measure of safety. No one would welcome a stranger – whose face they don't even know – as your wife."
"Do you think I'll just act as a bystander?"
His tone sounded dark.
"If you don't wish to get robbed then you'll protect me, is that correct?"
I imitated Livie and tilted my head.
"If you're that scared, bring an escort with you. Even if you bring all of the marquis' men with you, I won't say a thing", he spoke without a smile.
"Why waste so much manpower when I have a husband who's second to none?"
"I don't believe I have the vibe of a 'husband who's second to none'."
The smile on his face had subsided and a bored look replaced it instead. Knowing that, I spoke of banal things,
"This is already the second time we've met."
Huh?
Suddenly, even if it was just for a short moment, I woke up from my daze with a bam. That was because when I indiscreetly stared into Noah eyes, I realized something unexpected. I couldn't avert my attention from the strange colour in his eyes.
In the novel, Noah Winter was described to have black hair as dark as the sea and deep Golden eyes the colour of flame .
But something has been bothering me ever since yesterday's dance. This man.
"What old-fashioned words for someone who proposed to me previously. I thought you were overflowing with confidence, but it turns out you have none?"
I impulsively stood up. My usual noble-like manners weren't present and I heard the chair being pushed back.
Before I knew it, my face pushed closer to his.
My orange hair brushed past his cheek and our breaths dispersed.
"Noah."
"..."
"You, you have some Red in your eyes?"
In those deep eyes of his, I found fragments of red. It was never referenced in the novel, like a valuable secret no one but me knew.
"...What's with your sudden unnecessary words."
Though he clenched his jaw, I laughed proudly at my anticipated harvest.
I've already made a new discovery. It's only a matter of time before I unrail all of Noah secrets.
Noah , who was quick when it came to gathering information, already knew a lot about Judith Heart. But inside, it discouraged me knowing I didn't know all about him.
It was an equal relationship between husband and wife.
As expected, he was amazing. I had a sharp eye when it came to people.
"Did you know? At times, it's a pale colour but it does change every once in a while."
With how things were going, I bit my lip before I ended up laughing too much. Noah raised his hand.
Poke.
His long, pale fingers poked my cheek gently, so that it wouldn't hurt.
"What?"
He didn't even pinch me; it was just a poke.
He mumbled with a pensive look on his face,
"Amazing."
What's amazing?
"Is my skin that good?"
He took a soft breath in.
"What a unique scent. It's sweet, yet seems peculiarly familiar."
He pointed that out.
I thought about the liquid I'd brought out of my jewelry box to deal with Derrick .
I bit back my answer with a smile, but I couldn't help but wonder intently.
One drink from the smallest of bottles was all I'd had. That was because of Emily 's woes, and I figured that there was no need to endure such side effects because of some guy like Derrick .
In fact, the drink's effects had almost worn off.
My husband had very good intuition.
When I chose to answer him with silence, he ceased asking me any more questions. Though, he did look at me with those Golden eyes of his that resembled sunset and asked me a bold question.
"Are you not afraid of me?"
"I'm not afraid of handsome people."
Noah looked dumbfounded. I straightened my posture and stretched.
Livie had already seen all kinds of erratic behaviour from me, so it wouldn't even be strange if Livie were to see me glowing when I woke up one day.
However, Noah reaction was surprising.
"Do you want me to leave? Did you want to sleep more?"
His voice sounded considerably gentle.
First of all, you didn't leave earlier… and now you're acting nice all of a sudden?
I checked my watch. Umm, even if I fall asleep right now, I won't be able to wake up at the right time. Everything is going wrong today.
Shaking my head, I sighed,
"I would love to but thanks to a certain person being my partner yesterday, I have the feeling many guests will come over."
I swallowed down my yawn and opened the window. I was hoping that I would be able to get rid of the unique scent on me if I ventilated the room, but Livie come in instead.
The small cat cawed as if asking me why I didn't let it in earlier.
"All right all right, good morning."
I calmed Livie down whilst feeding it cat food . Noah replied in a laid back manner,
"If you don't wish to see those guests, I can always provide you with shelter."
What's up with you? Noah winter can't be this kind and thoughtful.
"If it's the grand duke's residence, I'd rather not for today. I don't want to accidentally bump into my husband's eldest son."
"Do you want me to kill him?"
…..Just now, did I hear him right?
I looked at him with a blank stare. My hearing mustn't have gone bad, since even Livie dropped the food it was holding because its mouth was opened wide.
The weather must be quite bad if he's talking about killing his son like this; it honestly didn't even feel real.
So I answered, my tone insinuating that today's weather was indeed crappy.
"I don't need you to commit such sins."
"..."
"Not yet… sir."
Since a while ago, he continuously stared at me without blinking or moving.
His eyes persistently traced over every detail of my face. I felt like he even saw behind the back of my eyes.
Well, being kind, considerate and hospitable is a good thing. It doesn't matter if you're cruel to Derrick .
Being lost in my thoughts for a while was tiresome so I directed my attention over to the documents.
"It seems like our conversation has sidetracked for a bit, but if you accept my conditions, I'll sign the contract."
"Do it. Sign it."
Noah nodded softly.
I picked up my quill pen.
My husband was a person whose age and birth details were unknown. Adding to that, it was impossible to figure out his identity before he became the head of the Winter family.
Nevertheless, thanks to the novel, I was aware that the reason why he wasn't not old or dead right now was related to magic.
And he was the only one who tried to help Judith Heart , even if he was too late.
"What are you thinking about?"
"I don't think Mr. Noah is really lacking in any departments when it comes to being my husband."
The potion I used to further improve my physical abilities was obtained from that beast.
First, I signed the ancient contract written by my ancestors.
Every time the tip of my quill pen grazed the paper with its ink, sparks flew.
Small sparks akin to a grain of sand bounced off the contract and strutted as they wished before fading away, indicating my signature was completed.
The impulsive feeling of wanting to crush and throw away the magic contract surged in me as I said,
"How did that bas..., no, were they even a person? The one who created this contract."
Feeling like I'd commit a grave sin in front of Noah , I couldn't bring myself to spit out the word 'ancestor'.
"There's no need to be scared."
"It's a shame the culture of ancestral rites has died out. I'm sure you'll treat me in a very devoted manner, though."
Understanding my sarcasm, the corners of his mouth raised.
"Give me the location of the tomb and I'll sprinkle poison over it."
Can you really obtain poison? There's also the fact I've already signed a formal marriage contract with the emperor's seal on it.
Judith Winter . The new name I'd be carrying from now on.
But no matter how much work I'd be doing as the Grand Duchess, it seemed like I'd gained this position a bit too easily... not. Noah expression looked quite villainous.
"...When will we be travelling back to your territory?"
"Whenever my wife wants."
"You'll even go if I say I want to right now?"
"It's not like I can go against you. However, I believe there are still a few people who don't wish to see you depart yet."
It was oddly different from his usual personality. As I wondered if he had been replaced by someone else while on his way to the capital, Emily knocked on the door.
"Miss, the Elaine family's lady has sent you a letter. She hurried me to present it to you."
There seemed to be someone else who also awakened at the crack of dawn. Or, possibly, Nina might've just not slept well.
Noah willingly advised me with a smile.
"Read it."
I called Emily in and opened the letter.
I wonder if there was really a need to open it 'ASAP'.
〈Dear Judith ,
I was a bit rude last night. However, I believe that I,Nina Elaine, who risked my life to defend you, deserve an explanation concerning what happened. I'm delivering you this letter by hand, so I wish to know when would be a good time to visit? Of course, Judith will attend my birthday party no matter what kind of disaster occurs, am I right?〉
"Do you have the ability to see through things?"
"I wish I did."
Even though she had her eyes obviously closed, Nina seemed to be curious about what went down.
I'm far more interested in the Grand Duke than Derrick . I actually dislike Derrick . to the point where I refer to him as 'that bastard.'
When I put down the letter, Livie climbed onto me, leaving marks with his footprints.
Less than thirty minutes later, Emily brought in yet even more letters. I had expected this situation and had prepared myself to endure it, but all the letters were about yesterday.
Unable to endure the stress and lack of sleep, I declared a strike.
"I have to leave before a certain impatient person comes."
I expected Nina Elaine to be the first to barge over.
Ugh, I need to wake up. I'm going to run away. But rubbing my eyes and stretching wasn't enough to make me leave.
"Emily , bring water into the bedroom. Very cold water. Coupled with ice."
"Yes, my lady."
Even after Emily left, the man who was to be my husband seemed to have no intention of leaving.
I walked to the door before turning back to him.
The light was cast from behind him for a short moment. The man sitting with his back to the window had the sunlight shining down on him and looked like an honourable deity that belonged in a painting.
…Right, it wouldn't be hard to take one step at a time with my husband.
"Mr. Noah , do you like coffee?"
"I don't like nor dislike it."
"I like coffee...."
The discontinued conversation didn't bother me.
The sharp light subsided and I saw myself by the window and it was quite... quite weird.
Whilst Noah ascended the stairs, 'Emily brushed my light orange hair at an insane speed, although she was still able to do it gently. However, my clothes were the actual problem.
Somehow, it felt like my dress fluttered way too much when I walked and there were also little ribbons dangling at the bottom.
There was also a large pink ribbon placed on my chest and white flower-like frills surrounding the round buttons and swaying around.
But I couldn't throw it away because my mother – of all people – bought it for me...
My victory might've been a problem. Maybe this disaster happened because I kept flaming the fires without stopping her.
It was too late to regret it anyway.
"I'll get ready to go out."
Inside the sealed room, two people were surveilling Derrick winter.
The man with silver hair took a sip of his tea and settled the mood. He told the story of last night to the boy looking at him with enthusiastic eyes.
"Never have I seen such a beautiful woman in my whole life. She looked like a flower that was born under an angel's hand. She was an awe-inspiring lady who was able to change the mood around her, even when the young master charged right at her."
Derrick's expression immediately distorted, but neither did the guard man and boy care.
"Hoo. Is that so?"
"That's all."
Because of his high expectations, David complained when Jacob finished his telling of the story.
"Uwek, don't end it in the middle! That's supposed to be the most exciting part!"
"Some things come and some things go. This will be the limit of what I'll tell you about that shameless man."
"Ah, really."
David scrunched his nose and rummaged through his pockets.
He brought out a mere six silvers and dusted them off.
David sourly forced himself to place those six coins into Jacob's hand.
"So what happened to her excellency? There's no way she revoked her proposal because she hated the young master as well as the grand duke, right? And did the lord run out this morning to hold onto her excellency?"
"You should write a novel."
Jacob's eyes looked cloudy.
The way they already called Judith Heart 'her excellency' shocked Derrick .
"Then what happened?! Tell me, quickly!"
"Wait, the tea's getting cold."
David waited with a sullen expression. He felt like his mouth was becoming dry because of how much he worried for her excellency.
Sooner or later, Derrick knew that he'd end up in trouble. The capital might've been rather restless, but its vicious nature would not change so easily.
Derrick was also violent towards his little brother.
Eight years ago, while they were dying in the middle of a desert, the lord picked them up and adopted them as his final good deed. Even his adoptive father was a snobbish man who only ever thought of restraining him.
Even if the lord didn't seem human, and his eyes looked as if they were going to drag you down to hell, Divide had not one desire to look like Derrick 's subordinate.
Instead, he'd rather sass Derrick .
David glared at him with fierce eyes. Because of you, our grand duchess, who's the most beautiful in the world and probably the nicest too and probably also an advocate of peace, had her feelings deeply hurt. How can I not be filled with resentment towards you?
Jacob eventually put his teacup down and calmed David .
"I was the one who took the young master away whilst the lord danced with her excellency."
"Huh?"
"I wasn't able to enter the banquet but I heard it was a complete catastrophe."
"Huh?!"
To be continued…