I Will Disappear, Grand Duke

Shortly thereafter, the summer sun came up.

 The smell of fresh grass lingered in the green villa.

 “Your Grace, this is Lockman. May I come in?"

 In the morning, the attending physician, Lockman, came for a routine check-up.

 When Julia nodded her head as a sign of permission, Melissa rushed to open the door.

 "Good morning. Did you have a good night?"

 Lockman's face as he said hello was warm, as always.

 Julia nodded and held out her hand in a familiar way.  Soon, Lockman began to check her pulse.

 Julia stared at Lockman who was concentrating.

 Lockman had been her doctor since she was at the Grand Duke’s castle.

 Perhaps even before she married Fernan, Lockman had been with him.

 “Your pulse is normal. The temperature is also appropriate. Your physical strength seems to have improved more than before.”

 Lockman closed his wrinkled eyes and smiled.  After a moment's hesitation, Julia quietly opened her mouth.

 “Lockman, since when did you work as His Highness’ doctor?”

 Lockman's eyes widened slightly at an unexpected question. It was because Julia had never asked him anything.

 “It has been over twenty years. I’ve been serving His Highness since he was staying in the Imperial Palace.”

 "I see … ”

Lockman continued, noticing that Julia had something to ask. 

 “Do you have any questions about His Highness?”

 Julia, who was hesitating, meekly nodded.

 In fact, she wanted to know about Fernan’s past some time ago.

 Because she wondered if there was another reason he hated her, unknown to her.

 “I want to know what kind of life he has lived.”

 All she knew was that Fernan was the emperor's nephew.

 Even at a young age, he was an excellent knight who managed the battlefield and made a big contribution.

 Lockman was silent for a moment, as if contemplating how far he could talk.

 “It’s hard to say that I know everything, but His Highness….He has lived a lonely life.”

  The young Fernan, whom Lockman first saw twenty years ago, was a child who could not cry even if he was hurt and sick.

 He still vividly remembered what Fernan said before going to war.

“Is there anyone who will be happy if I come back alive?”

 He was not pessimistic or sad, he just had a calm face. Lockman continued quietly, erasing the flashbacks.

 “He’s not just as impeccable and strong as the world sees him.”

 “…  ”

 “He didn’t even have everything in the first place.”

 That was all Lockman could say.

 When he stopped speaking, Julia looked at him with a puzzled expression.

A lonely person, not completely impeccable, nor just strong.

 He doesn't have everything…

 All in all, it was the exact opposite of what Julia thought.

 Up until now, Julia had thought that Fernan was a man with nothing to fear. He was so noble, it made her look so humble… he was such a man.

 Lockman slowly rose from his seat, staring at her in contemplation for a moment.

 “Then, Your Grace.  I'll leave now. If you have any problems with your body, please call me anytime."

"Oh… Yes, thank you."

 After Lockman politely greeted her, he left the bedroom.

 Julia, who was left alone, was immersed in thought for a long time.

 ***

 The moonlight permeated through the cracks in the window.

 Early that morning, Julia felt pain and got up.

 Obviously, Lockman said her condition had improved the previous morning. In fact, her body was fine for a while.

 However…she felt strange now.  Julia gently touched her forehead with a cold sweat.

 The sensation of something boiling in her chest began again.

 After taking a deep breath for a while, Julia got out of bed. She felt stuffy and wanted to get some cold air, even for a moment.

 After coming out of the bedroom, she walked along the hallway.

 When she passed through the middle door leading to the annex, a small terrace appeared.

 As she entered the arched entrance without a separate door, she saw an open backyard.

 Julia sat on the bench there and cooled her body for a while.

 As she slowly closed her eyes, she could hear someone talking below her.

 “…  The emperor is strange these days.”

 Julia's eyes opened slightly at the sound of small voices.

 “It looks like he sent another person to the border.  Not long ago, the defense knights caught those who looked like the emperor's henchmen… ”

 Since the terrace was quite high, their voices could be heard sporadically.  But it wasn't to the point where she couldn't understand.

 Julia fully opened her eyes. The people who were talking seemed to be Fernan's lieutenants.

 Perhaps they did not feel her presence, the sound of their conversation continued.

 “Besides, it seems that Marquis Elody is again serving as the Emperor’s confidant….”

 At the words of her father that came out of their mouths, Julia's eyes widened.

 “Not long ago, he sent someone to the castle to find out His Highness’ whereabouts.”

 “It's not surprising.  Just because the Grand Duchess is gone, doesn’t mean the Marquis will stay quiet.”

 Emperor. Marquis Elody.  Julia didn't know the circumstances before and after, but she could tell that the nuance of the words was negative.

 In an instant, her hazy mind was awakened. Julia listened a little more carefully to their conversation.

 “It’s obvious. The Emperor must have sent surveillance to prevent the national marriage of His Highness.”

 They chatted for a while longer and then entered the doorway.

 Until the sound of their conversation completely disappeared, Julia sat still, not even breathing.

 ‘…  National marriage.’

 Julia looked back on the conversations the lieutenants had.

 She didn't know exactly what was going on, but she could predict to some extent.

 A national marriage came to Fernan, and to prevent it…  It was said that the emperor sent the Marquis to spy on Fernan.

 Julia's face hardened as she blankly looked down.

 In fact, it was not surprising that Fernan was offered a national marriage. 

 It was known throughout the empire that the Grand Duchess was missing, so it was only natural for Fernan to welcome a new wife…

 Julia bit her lips involuntarily, and then she fell into deep thoughts again.

 Even if so, why is the emperor trying to stop Fernan’s national marriage?

 Julia realized once again that there was a story about Fernan that she didn’t know.

 According to his lieutenants, the emperor seemed hostile to Fernan.  Why?  He’s the Emperor's only nephew…

 Julia, who was worried with a serious face, narrowed her eyebrows.

 "…Ah."

 It was because her heart began to beat violently.

Julia, who curled up and endured the pain, held onto the armrest of the bench tightly. The body, which was hot with heat, soon cooled down. 

 Her body began to tremble, and after a while, Julia, who barely managed to straighten her body, stood up calmly.  Her mind was chaotic as many thoughts were pouring out at once.

 “Your Grace, what are you thinking?”

 Julia did nothing, she was just looking down at the table for hours.

  Melissa, who didn’t know anything, asked carefully, but Julia didn't hear anything.

 Now, various thoughts were tangled in her head.

 She thought and pondered for a long time, but there was a limit to what she could infer.

 But at least one thing was certain.

 The relationship between the Emperor and Fernan was not good.  Even the fact that her father was caught in the middle.

 If she thought about it…  It was something she could easily notice.

The Marquis used to force her to have Fernan’s child, to the point of obsessiveness. Only then could this marriage be strong.

 And Fernan was blatantly wary of her from the beginning.

 ‘…  It was because of my family.’

 After all, the reason he didn't want her to be his wife in the first place was probably because he was literally in an unwanted marriage.

 In the past, she was in such a hurry to control his heart that she had never thought deeply about his circumstances.

 In fact, the answer was so easy to come by.

 Julia's hand on the table stiffened. The sudden sense of reality was rushing through her head.

 Just because she knew the reason didn't mean she could understand Fernan's harsh behavior towards her.

However… She knew that because of her disappearance, her father was even more hostile to Fernan.

 And at this moment, she had no choice but to question it.  Still, why was Fernan looking for her?  Why did he want her to stay with him now?

Was it because he felt sorry and regretted it?

 ‘Even so…’

 Anyway, she couldn't return to the Grand Duke’s castle anymore.

 Fernan didn't even tell her to return to the position of Grand Duchess.

 Alright, so….

 Without realizing it, Julia clenched her hands tightly, then slowly released it.

 So, in this situation, she was determined what she could do.

 Leaving here as originally planned. That was the only answer to this situation.