Those words with a strange nuance contained obvious ridicule for him. Seeing Owen smile, Arthur asked him while glaring at him with a cold gaze.
“Now, are you saying that Your Highness had an affair with my wife last night?”
“Well, how would it be?”
At Arthur’s direct interrogation, Owen simply turned his words around with a strange smile.
As Arthur’s expression hardened at the appearance, Owen laughed inside as if it were fun. So far, things have been going well as he planned.
Wasn’t it Arthur Felix who pretended not to see or hear his wives’ infidelity rather than verifying it the moment he knew it?
Although there were statements from people around him that his affection for his current wife Grace seemed special. Owen predicted that the love would easily crumble in the face of Arthur’s inferiority complex, who has been called a monster so far.
It is said that only one single doubt is enough to break solid love.
Owen hoped that Arthur would be engulfed in inferiority with this word, so that little by little, he would have doubts about Grace in his mind.
So, in the end, a crack develops and the moment Arthur abandons Grace, he takes Grace and gives that monster another wife. That was his calculation.
‘It will eventually work out the way I intended it to.’
[T/N: This evil….. Poor Arthur. ಥ_ಥ]
Owen continued to speak without a doubt that it wouldn’t happen.
“Every time I meet Lady Grace, I only think that Lady Grace is a waste to you.”
“……”
“It’s so sad. Had she been born with magical powers, the future Crown Prince would have been her, not Marianne. Really, it’s such a waste.”
Owen looked at Arthur’s masked face, who only lived a sad life with a stiff expression, while keeping a sarcastic smirk.
Indeed, how nice would it have been if Grace had become the Crown Prince then she had looked at his reality before this monster, so that the heart that had said, “It doesn’t matter if it’s a monster,” had turned towards him?
Owen felt sorry for it, but he thought it was not too late. Yes, if he only encourages the inferiority complex of this seemingly hard but soft inside monster a little bit more.
“…..haha.”
However, Arthur, who had been listening to Owen’s sarcasm without a word with a firm look, suddenly burst into laughter. Then he picked up the little Odd Eye, stared straight at Owen and said.
“I already knew that Your Highness had my wife in mind, but I didn’t know that you were desperate enough to play tricks on me.”
“……Ha, will I let you see what’s going on inside? Do you really think so?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Do you really believe that much in Lady Grace? But what about this, last night Lady Grace and I met in the secret garden of this Alberton mansion alone.”
“If that was the case, there must have been a good reason.”
“……Ha.”
Arthur replied without wavering at Owen’s words.
[T/N: I’m proud of you, Arthur! (～￣▽￣)～]
As if he didn’t care at all about what he said, Owen was impressed by Arthur’s firm faith in Grace.
In just a couple of months or so, what in the world happened to make this monster full of inferiority and low self-esteem have such a strong face?
The monster, which seemed to have never been hurt by them, disappeared, who witnessed the infidelity of his wives with an empty face as if he was familiar with betrayal and being betrayed, and mourned over their misfortune even when they died or went crazy.
Owen was furious at the sight of Arthur, who had been strengthened by solid trust. To be precise, he felt like he was going crazy with jealousy. It was clear that Grace Alberton was the reason, she must be the foundation of that solid trust.
Not long ago, Arthur Felix, who had the same monster-like appearance as him, had a more human-like face, and Owen was jealous and couldn’t stand it.
So Owen abandoned his relaxed attitude that he had a while ago and growled at Arthur in a slightly furious voice.
“You must have strong trust in your wife, Duke Arthur Felix.”
“You’re right.”
“That’s funny. Why does such a person still wear that devilish mask? Tell me honestly, isn’t it because you’re afraid to show her your real face hidden under the mask? Like the princess who was possessed and became weirder and weirder by that strange Odd-Eye and the face beneath it?”
“…..!”
“I’m sure you know, too. As you said yourself, that people call you a monster duke, it’s not just because of the misfortunes that befell your family, but you are the cause of misfortune for your very existence. Why do you think women rushed at you fearlessly even when the princess got an evil reputation and died for being cursed by you? It’s because of your reputation and money, and your demonic face.”
“……”
“You know very well that your appearance evoked dark emotions such as obsession and possessiveness before evoking love to someone, right? That’s why you haven’t been able to show your face even though you have given your heart to Lady Grace. I wonder if the Lady will, too.”
Owen blatantly sneered as he looked at Arthur’s Odd-Eye, which gradually grew darker as his words continued.
It was impossible to seek salvation before her while being the same monster. Also when Grace, the woman he wanted to have for the first time.
Owen’s eyes glowed low with greed for Grace and inferiority towards Arthur. And he headed for Arthur in front of him.
“There is no woman in the world who will truly love a monster like you. Maybe Grace Alberton will be like other women if she sees the hidden face under your mask.”
Owen grinned like a victor, brutally declaring to Arthur as if by pouring a curse on him.
Now that the monster’s low self-esteem has been shattered as it is, Owen thought it will only be a matter of time before low-quality doubts settle in his heart. So, he stopped the one-sided conversation without any regrets and turned around.
All that was left now was the end of the strong relationship between the two of them, and Grace eventually reached out to him.
“……..Damn it.”
And Arthur clenched his teeth as he stared at the back of Prince Owen, who was getting farther away.
On the outside, he pretended to be calm, but in fact, he was resentful that he could not confidently refute the dagger-like words that stabbed his weak side without hesitation.
It wasn’t because he didn’t trust Grace. It was because of his inferiority complex and low self-esteem.
And he was afraid.
As Owen said, he is afraid Grace will be further distant after seeing his true monstrous nature than his publicly known evil reputation. When that thought occurred to Arthur, he was terrified.
‘…Dear Grace. I’m scared.’
How far can she love him? Will she not run away even after seeing the real “him”, which is even more monstrous than she knows?
If he can, he hopes she doesn’t know his true monster-like self until the end, but those who try to separate her from him will eventually divulge all his secrets to her.
‘……Even when you get to know everything, will you look at me with warm eyes like now?’
Arthur barely suppressed his frustration because he was afraid to imagine Grace looking at him with a cold gaze as if she despised him.
‘If possible, just a little bit more.’
[T/N: Please stay together…. Arthur, Grace… (┬┬﹏┬┬)]
Oh, God. If possible, let them enjoy this precarious happiness a little more.
Arthur once again recalled his monstrous plight, and at the same time, he sighed deeply, feeling ashamed by his greed that he did not want to let Grace go.
Really, it was such a miserable feeling that it is hard to put into words.
───※ ·❆· ※───
Meanwhile, Grace, who was watching the two chat anxiously in the carriage, cheered inside when Owen, who seemed to have finally finished what he had to say, turned around.
Finally, the time when she was nervous alone was over. Grace stood there for a while after Owen left and then sneaked a peek at Arthur as he slowly walked towards the carriage.
Then as Arthur came close to the carriage, Grace hurriedly removed herself from the window of the carriage as if she had not seen anything.
Soon after, the door to the carriage opened, and Arthur entered the carriage with a slightly tired face.
Grace asked, trying to make eye contact with Arthur sitting across from her.
“Did you finish the conversation well?”
“…Yes, My Lady.”
“You don’t look so good. Did Your Highness say something bad?”
“No. It was just some stories that will sound dirty to my wife’s ears.”
Grace frowned at Arthur’s answer with a weak smile. Seeing Arthur’s appearance as if it wasn’t the case, Grace was sceptical and called him again.
“……Duke.”
“Yes, My Lady.”
“Be honest with me. What did Your Highness say?”
When Grace asked with a determined look as if she would not step down until she heard the answer, a bitter smile formed on Arthur’s face, who was drooping helplessly. Then Arthur stared at Grace silently with eyes full of indescribable emotions.
It was difficult to get the words out of my mouth, and Grace felt a little weak at the appearance of her appeal, but she soon made up her mind. Somehow, it was because she had a foreboding that if she quietly covers up and steps down here, it would not be smooth in the future.
It was at that time when the gazes with such complex inner feelings went back and forth between Arthur and Grace, and heavy silence followed.
“Duke, madam! Can we slowly get going now?”
Just in time, there was a voice announcing their departure from the horseman’s seat outside the carriage. Perhaps they had finished preparing for their return to Felix Castle.