Duke's wife

Chapter 8

".....Oh my gosh!"

Grace screamed and turned her head to the direction from which the voice was heard. She saw Arthur leaning against a pillar, a few steps away from her.

The black mask, cape, and uniform that he always wears. No matter how many times she looked at it, it was him. Grace's brows frowned at his appearance, which still seemed to be a mystery.

".....Have you been watching me?"

"You are mistaken. I just came out because I heard footsteps while I was working."

When Grace doubtfully asked about his appearance, as if he had been waiting for her question Arthur denied it.

'Heavens, I meant to be quiet.'

Grace said to him, embarrassed as a child caught playing practical jokes,

"......I'm sorry if I bothered you."

When she handed him the apology, Arthur returned a blunt answer.

"No, absolutely not."

"I'll keep quiet from now on. Take a rest, then."

Grace greeted with an awkward smile and turned to open the door. Perhaps because it was suffocating, she wanted to escape from this situation.

But Arthur was glad to see Grace like that and spoke to her again.

"You didn't answer my question earlier?"

"Pardon?"

"I'm sure I just asked you where you were going at this hour."

".....Ah, I couldn't sleep, so I was just gonna take a walk."

Grace answered, gripping the doorknob. Arthur, who was leaning against the pillar, approached Grace.

Grace exclaimed in surprise at the sight.

"Wh, why? What's the matter?"

"I'll accompany you."

"Huh? No, I can go alone."

Grace waved her hands at Arthur's suggestion, immediately. Arthur snorted, looked at Grace and said.

"Unlike the capital, Felix Castle is home to all kinds of predators and animals at night."

"What?"

"Especially in this snowy winter, when they run out of food, they wait for night. They often attack private properties. Of course, my mansion is no exception. You may have seen broken headstones and broken bushes in my garden."

"....Are those all the beasts and demons' doing, then?"

While Grace asked out of fear, Arthur shrugged lightly. It was a silent affirmation. Grace suddenly felt goosebumps all over her body.

'No, he's magical enough to wield great power in a castle. Are the Guards and the knights meaninglessly strong?'

Somehow she couldn't see knights and soldiers guarding the mansion at night. She thought, maybe that's why; Grace frowned as if it were a fiasco.

"....Then I won't go out."

"Didn't you just say you wanted to take a walk?"

"I did, but I changed my mind..."