HM | Chapter 70

Translator: Yonnee



“What, one month?”

“Yes, one month. Exactly thirty days from today.”

“…Don’t you think that’s too fast?”

“Not at all.”

“Shouldn’t you consider the public’s attention, Duke Blacke…?”

“Why should I care about that?”

“Umm… Yes, that’s just like you.”

 

The young king of Zeronium, Ludwig Zenox, chuckled softly while staring into space.

In the meantime, Ludwig seemed to have lost more weight, as the clothes he tailored just a month ago now hung loosely on him.

Even for a king, time was running out.

Lucas gazed at his longtime friend and the king of this country with complicated eyes.

Calm and deep in thought, Ludwig already looked as if he had prepared everything with a serene expression.

How many people could face death with such elegance?

Lucas felt both admiration and a sense that he could never be like him.

The more he realized how little time was left, the more he felt every minute and second slipping away.

Perhaps he would have to struggle to avoid being conscious of it.

To prevent that, he would need to fill every moment to the brim.

 

“Your Majesty.”

“Hmm?”

“I think I’ve fallen in love with my future wife.”

“Pfft—”

 

The king elegantly spat out the tea he was drinking.

It was almost fascinating how even the act of spitting tea could look graceful.

Ludwig stared at Lucas with a bewildered expression.

Lucas smiled leisurely and spoke.

 

“When you have someone you love, how can you possibly be apart from them? Well, to be precise, I’m sure I will fall in love with her sooner or later… In any case, now that I have someone like that in my life, I don’t want to waste a single moment.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t have the luxury of leisurely spending time watching and waiting for her to become my wife. I lack that kind of restraint…”

“Are you being serious right now?”

“I am serious. And you’re well aware of it too— we don’t actually have that much time.”

 

Not having much time left.

That applied to both of them.

No, with Ludwig’s time being much shorter, those words held even more weight for him.

After a soft sigh, Ludwig finally stamped his approval on the document on his desk.

 

“I approve of the wedding being held in a month’s time. However, since this has been decided upon rather hastily, hold just a simple ceremony for the wedding, and then you’ll have to personally visit the families who couldn’t come to the capital to receive their pledges.”

“In the name of the sun, I shall follow the king’s command.”

 

Seeing Ludwig’s troubled expression, Lucas bowed with a smile.

His face was filled with the satisfaction of achieving what he wanted.

He couldn’t wait to tell Grace this news.

He hadn’t seen Grace for a few days because he was busy handling these matters.

She was scheduled to return to her family’s mansion tomorrow, so he wanted to have dinner with her tonight. However, Ludwig had insisted on dining together.

He had also declined Princess Freesia’s offer to have a drink and returned to the mansion.

But it was already late, with the moon high in the sky.

Upon his return to the mansion, he immediately searched for Grace.

He heard she was taking a walk in the west garden, so he hurriedly headed there.

However, no matter how much he searched, he couldn’t find her.

To make matters worse, she was walking alone without even Julie accompanying her.

Of course, nothing significant was likely to happen inside his mansion.

Although it appeared unguarded, invisible guards were stationed everywhere.

And despite his age, Gabriel—who patrolled frequently—was not just an excellent butler but an excellent knight as well.

Reliable attendants also took turns patrolling the garden and the mansion grounds.

‘Still, you never know. She might be somewhere, having tripped and now groaning from the pain…’

At times like this, he wished he could communicate with her as he did when he was transformed into a horse.

Then he could talk to her even while returning in the carriage.

If that were possible, perhaps she would have come out to greet him.

The thought of Grace welcoming him as soon as he arrived at the mansion filled his mind.

He imagined Grace smiling brightly and calling out to him as he stepped out of the carriage.

For a moment, his head spun, and he felt a surge of energy.

“…Crazy. What’s wrong with me these days?”

Was this how every groom-to-be felt?

Lucas tapped his head with his palm and hurried to find her.

Fortunately, he knew the mansion well enough to navigate it with his eyes closed.

Lucas took a shortcut that led him straight to the inner part of the west garden.

The path was somewhat rough, but it cut the time in half compared to the winding garden paths.

He could somehow sense Grace’s scent nearby.

Instinctively, he felt her presence.

‘That way.’

He pushed through the bushes, striding towards the end of the garden path.

A hedge, as tall as his head, blocked his way like a wall.

But this was nothing he couldn’t handle, so he was about to push through when—

“Who’s there…?”

Grace’s startled voice rang out.

Her voice was tense and full of fear.

Lucas immediately heightened his senses, wondering if there were any other presences nearby.

But even as he held his breath and focused all his senses, he detected no other movement.

‘…Could it be?’

Lucas gently touched the hedge.

As the leaves trembled, he heard the sound of hesitant footsteps retreating.

“I don’t know who you are, but show yourself.”

Grace’s voice was slightly trembling.

She was trying hard to hide it, but Lucas could tell.

Ah, what should he do…

Should he give in to the playful urge rising within him, or should he reveal himself as a gentleman?

He felt torn.

His mind said he should be ‘gentlemanly and polite’, but something held him back from giving up on the other option entirely.

After a moment of fierce internal debate, Lucas decided to strike a middle ground.

He would reveal himself immediately but do so in a way that startled her.

‘…I really am Selena Blacke’s son.’

Swallowing a chuckle, he took a deep breath and stepped out with his long legs.

“Ahhh!”

At that moment, a long stick came flying through the air with a whoosh.

‘…A tree branch?’

A quick glance confirmed it was a long tree branch.

Grace had picked it up at some point and was swinging it with all her might at Lucas.

Fortunately, Lucas dodged it easily and even caught the stumbling Grace in one smooth motion.

But the problem was Grace, who had her eyes tightly shut and was struggling fiercely.

“L, Let go of me! You— You wretched intruder! How dare you!”

Grace struggled to free herself from Lucas’s grasp, swinging her small wrist.

Despite trembling, she bravely resisted, not giving in to fear.

Was it due to the commotion in the garden?

Birds that had been asleep suddenly took to the sky in unison.

Swish! Flap, flap, flap!

…Did this many birds really live in the mansion’s garden?

Startled by the sight of the birds soaring into the sky, Lucas glanced up.

Grace, equally surprised by the noise, lifted her head in shock.

Her eyes widened as she recognized the familiar jawline so close to her.

“…Your Excellency?”

“So you recognize me now, Grace.”

Lucas replied smoothly, looking down at Grace with a sly smile.

That smile made Grace’s face scrunch up slightly.

‘Hmm, even this expression is cute.’

As he thought this leisurely, he pulled her closer by the waist he had seized.

“W-Why didn’t you just tell me it was you?”

“I didn’t realize you were talking to me.”

“You didn’t know? But you just jumped out from there…!”

“When I got home, I heard you were walking in the west garden. I wanted to catch up quickly, so I took a shortcut. I apologize. I didn’t intend to startle you by taking that path.”

…Though, midway through, he did feel like scaring her a little.

Lucas hid his true intentions behind a gentle smile.

He was relieved that Grace couldn’t hear his inner thoughts this time.

Oh, how fickle the human heart can be.

Smirking at himself, Lucas subtly twisted the stick Grace was holding.

“And if you ever need to swing something next time, don’t grip it like this… hold it with both hands together like this, Grace. That way, you’ll have more strength.”

“……”

Lucas was now behind her, demonstrating how to hold the stick properly.

Compared to his tall frame, she was so small and delicate, fitting snugly in his embrace.

From behind, she was almost entirely hidden by his body.

Gulp.

He heard the sound of a dry swallow.

It wasn’t his, so it must have been Grace’s.

Lucas glanced down at her.

He couldn’t see her face, but her round earlobe looked tempting.

It seemed so sweet, as if it would melt like candy in his mouth.

‘Ah.’

…But he shouldn’t devour her, should he?

 

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One response to “HM | Chapter 70”

  1. HeathBar Avatar
    HeathBar

    Lucas you beast … Wait…

    Wasn’t he supposed to be an herbivore?

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