I Accidentally Tamed the Duke

Chapter 10

Anyone who stayed there for even a day would end up with lice sticking all over their body and had to shave their head once they came back out. It was that much of a foul, dirty place. And I was trapped at the top of that tower. It saddened Yurania to think of her time there. The pain of loneliness and betrayal remained with her like an open wound.

“Bring those others with her.”

Casius’ eyes were on the two servants who’d come inside the bathhouse. They’d undoubtedly known that Yurania had been inside but had submitted to Talia’s authority. Yurania didn’t stop Casius since he punished them for not recognizing who their true master was. However, she was overcome by a slight dizziness once the tension left her body. Lina, who was standing near Yurania, swiftly reached her arm out to support her as she swayed on her feet.

“Your Grace, are you all right?” Lina asked.

“Move aside.”

Casius’ eyes were cold as he swiftly moved to intercept Lina. Then he carried Yurania in his arms as easily as if it were routine. Likewise, Yurania stayed still in his arms because she knew she could trust him.

“You’re trembling a lot. Hold on just a little longer.”

Casius carried her as smoothly as he’d done until now and started to walk.

“Why aren’t you asking me any questions?” she asked.

Casius had only been surprised that Yurania could talk and speak—he’d yet to ask her how it was possible.

“How did you get your sight back?”

A lock of Yurania’s hair stuck to Casius’ cheek as he asked in a completely uncurious tone. Her damp hair clung to his skin like octopus tentacles. She tried to remove it, but it wasn’t as easy as she thought. Yurania was obsessively rubbing on his collarbone without realizing it when she belatedly noticed his gaze and slowly pulled away her hand.

“You have a good physique.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“Yes.”

Silence filled the air.

Feeling awkward, Yurania buried her face against Casius and said, “I think the medicine I took after drowning in the Pallack Herb Lake had some effect.”

“Do you mean the yahn herb?”

“Falling into the lake that day might not have been all bad.”

Casius’ arms around Yurania tightened for a brief moment.

“I’ve been thinking of you much since that day.”

Was he telling her to stop hassling him from now on? Even if that were the case, it was a much more subdued reaction than she’d expected. Whatever the case, it was a relief.

Yurania hesitated a little, then asked, “Did you see everything by any chance?”

“What do you mean?”

“My body in the bath—”

“Do I seem like that kind of person to you? You—”

Casius stopped mid-sentence and quickened his pace. The neck Yurania had her arms wrapped around oddly felt warm. That was when her vision suddenly blurred.

“Your Grace—”

Her body went limp before she could finish calling him.

***

Casius was lost in his thoughts as he gazed into the fireplace, burning wildly.

Not long ago, Yurania had jumped into the lake, trying to save him. She must’ve naively thought that he’d drowned in the water in his maddened state. The image of her in the black water, stretching her hand out in search of him, haunted his memories.

Casius was savagely brutal when he was overcome by madness. It was hard for him to reign in his murderous urges, and that was why he tried not to keep others around him if he could help it. Heading to the lake with her had been an impulsive act on his part too. They’d been conversing, but he jumped into the lake when it became too hard to bear. However, Yurania dove into the lake in search of him not long after. He’d been taken aback at first, but he’d soon concluded that she’d jumped in to save him.

Why? Why on earth would she? When the madness manifested itself, the first thing Casius had learned was to withstand it. He’d never asked for help, and when madness took over him, no one dared step forward to help him. Even his mother had looked at him like he was some evil thing and hadn’t been able to approach him. But why had she tried to save him?

The questions continued to dig uncomfortably into Casius. He’d lived an insular life as the War Demon and had never once imagined anyone genuinely offering him a helping hand for the sake of it. Wasn’t she afraid even after knowing what it meant to be overcome by madness? Why had she jumped in to save him when she was usually busy running away from him in fear? It was like he was meeting the young girl who’d jumped into the fire to save his mother, the former Duchess Euclid, once again.

Yurania’s breathing was already weak when he pulled her up from the lake with perplexing emotions within him. The back of his head stung like he’d been struck by a blunt weapon.

He’d run to save her. He called her name to wake her and strengthened his hold on her. Only after reflecting on that day countless times was he able to conclude that the hand Yurania had offered him had, perhaps, been salvation to him. The impact from that small, reckless hand brought a tornado into his desolate life. However, it wasn’t long after his revelation that she brought up the topic of divorce. She asked for one out of nowhere and started to change unpredictably. Serenely, as if she’d been preparing for it.

Casius had used the duties of a duchess as an excuse to refuse her request. To be honest, he’d been quite shocked when she demanded a divorce. Is it because of that bastard, Sade Kalisto?

The first time Yurania had left the house after their marriage, she’d gone to meet Sade Kalisto. His traitorous speculations branched out to all sorts of thoughts. He wanted to rip apart their preposterous connection as childhood friends if he could.

Casius had known Yurania even before their marriage—the young girl who’d come to visit his mother when she was sick. She had a bright smile even after she foolishly lost her sight and speech while saving someone else. Her radiant face was deeply embedded in his mind, making it impossible to erase.

Casius, who’d often been haunted by visions of Yurania, came to marry her at Count Vincent’s solicit. He’d gone against everyone’s expectations and became a married couple with Yurania. If things had gone as originally planned, I would’ve been engaged to the second princess or the first daughter of Grand Duke Harold. However, despite his shocking choice, Yurania had always looked either terrified or depressed. Not only that, but she’d avoided Casius. As if she’d been sold off against her will.

On his part, he’d tried to keep his distance from her because she trembled in fear every time she saw him. But despite his efforts, it seemed like they were growing further apart. If Yurania asked for a divorce because of Sade Kalisto, Casius planned to change his attitude toward her. He was sure that there was more he could do for Yurania than Sade Kalisto could. Though his dignity might fall to the ground if anyone heard, he didn’t want to hold back. He was going to face his feelings just like Yurania had thrown herself into the cold lake because, though still imperfect, these feelings had been growing for some time now.

Three hours ago, Casius had headed toward the bathhouse after hearing where Yurania had gone. He was slightly surprised by her sudden visit, but he liked this kind of change in her. He thought he might wait for her and then invite her to have tea with him. He wanted to turn her heart around, even if just a little. He was also slightly hopeful because it seemed like she was less afraid of him.

The two maids standing in front of the bathhouse door nervously bowed when Casius arrived. He immediately knew that something bad was happening.

“What is it? Speak.”

“Well, Her Grace is inside, but—”

Casius went inside the bathhouse before the maid finished speaking, then tracked down Yurania’s aura like he was a beast. He saw the shocked servants as well as Talia bowing and worked out what was happening. He pushed his way through the foggy steam and into the water to see the faint silhouette of Yurania completely submerged and holding her breath. He covered her so no one could see her and made the fools who dared to insult her crawl like dogs.

And then he had heard Yurania’s voice for the first time. It was like a song. He felt remorseful. Casius wasn’t unaware that the servants had been ignoring her. However, he’d never gone out of his way to organize the hierarchy for her because the duchess’s position was a power Yurania had to claim for herself.

Submission wasn’t something that was entrusted to someone. Instead, it was something that followed once respect was gained. That was what he’d thought until yesterday, but witnessing Yurania drenched and clutching onto the cape changed his mind. His heart ached so much that he wanted to claw at his chest for not giving her a place to rest peacefully until now. As her entire body trembled, he regretted his past for not being of any help to her. From now on, he would write a letter of apology in the blood of anyone who dared to hurt her even the slightest.

Casius withdrew his locked gaze from the fireplace as he shook himself from his thoughts. He was a mess inside, so he didn’t notice the chill, though he’d been sitting in wet clothes.

Yurania had lost consciousness on their way to the room, and he’d laid her down in his room on the bed they should’ve shared as a married couple. His agony deepened at the sight of her lying pale on the bed with cold sweat running down her face. All at once, he felt frustration, regret, and a burning in his entire being like he’d swallowed fire. Only she could unsettle him like this.

At his predatory stare, the maids and doctor standing by crumbled under pressure and backed up a step.

“When will the fever come down?” Casius asked.

“I beg your pardon, Your Grace. I will have to see her progress to know. The duchess’s body is in a fragile state,” the doctor said.

“And you call yourself a doctor when you were ignorant of the duchess’s state until now?”

“Please forgive me, Your Grace.”

Casius knew venting his anger at the doctor would not help Yurania get better, but he couldn’t help it because reaffirming his incompetence like this once more was like hell.

“Make the fever go down before the day breaks.”

He gave an impossible command and clutched his stinging insides that felt like he’d swallowed thorns. Then, he stayed by her side until the day brightened.

***

Maybe it was because Casius promised to give her money, but Yurania’s eyes opened earlier than usual. She rubbed her prickling eyelids and saw that the sunlight of the breaking dawn was seeping dimly through the windows.

Lina came running to Yurania as soon as she sat up in bed.

“Oh my goodness, have you woken, Your Grace?”

“Good morning.”

She didn’t know that her morning could feel this refreshing with the absence of Talia alone. She sat wrapped in the exceptionally velvety blanket and swallowed the water and medicine Lina handed her in order.

“Your Grace, are you really all right?”

“What do you mean?”

“You slept for two whole days. You don’t know what a mess it was around here.”

“Two days…?”

She abruptly remembered her promise to meet Sade. Yurania pulled the blanket away and tried to stand up at once but immediately slumped down as dizziness overcame her.

Lina looked teary as she supported Yurania.

“Your Grace, why are you so fragile?” she lamented.

Yurania couldn’t tell her that it was withdrawal symptoms, so she gave her a light smile and sat back down on the bed. It was all right. She could make another appointment.

“You stayed in the duke’s room all the while, Your Grace, and was transferred here just this morning.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. His Grace carried you here himself. Gosh…”

Yurania brushed her hair as Lina fell into her own world again.

“And something big is happening outside, Your Grace.”

“What do you mean, something big?”

“His Grace has sent you funds for your dresses and accessories, Your Grace.”

Yurania felt energized by the word “funds.” Her eyes glittered as she said, “I want to see it for myself. Bring me my clothes.”

“Yes, Your Grace. But you mustn’t overexert yourself and take your time getting ready.”

Lina worriedly nagged at her as she helped Yurania wash and dress. She went on about her body, like how her arms were so thin that they might break and that tree branches would want to be friends with her.

Yurania’s jaw dropped when she came out of her bedroom.

“They’re still bringing more in. It seems like His Grace never does things halfway. ‘I will dress my woman!’ Do you think that’s what this is, Your Grace? My goodness!”

Yurania silently admired the crates of money piled in front of her eyes. There were so many crates of gold coins that she wondered how the floor of her room didn’t give way.

“Lina.”

“Yes. Your Grace.”

“I have a private safe, right? Move them there.”

Gold coins tumbled round and round in both Yurania’s eyes and mind.