TDATD⋆♱✮

LV

☆ ★ ✮ ★𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊☆ ★ ✮ ★
ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 55

When Judith suddenly came to her senses and looked around, she saw a familiar sight. They had already arrived at the duke’s residence. As her thoughts deepened, she didn’t even notice that the carriage had stopped.

Judith opened the door and entered the mansion with the butler who came to meet her.

“Madam.”

Judith, who was answering the butler’s questions about household chores, looked up when she heard a voice above her. When she came in, she saw Derrick looking down at her with his arm draped over the railing on the second floor.

“Did you have a good trip?”

He smiled, curling the corners of his eyes like a caring husband who loved his wife dearly.

It was strange. Her heart, which had been complicated and troubled for various reasons before, seemed to feel a little better when she saw him. Maybe it was because, unlike Judith, who was anxious the whole time, Derrick never lost his composure. If she was like a pebble that was easily swept away by small waves, he was like a huge rock that would not be shaken by a huge tidal wave.

Judith, who was looking up at Derrick, left the book she was holding with the butler and calmly walked up the stairs.

“What’s wrong with your expression?”

The moment he got closer, he easily noticed that Judith’s face was stiffer than usual. She didn’t know how it happened, but even though she tried to calm her expression as much as possible, he still saw it.

“You were right.”

Derrick’s gaze was staring at Judith so intensely that her face felt hot.

“His Majesty the Emperor really… me…”

Just saying the words felt like a stone was being placed on her chest. Judith couldn’t finish the sentence because she was so choked up with the fact that she didn’t want to believe it.

Judith felt Derrick’s presence getting closer.

“Did you meet him?”

His face, which had been full of laughter just a moment ago, became grim as if the tide had washed over him. It felt similar to when he glared at Lucas, who had bullied her in the past.

“Alone?”

As she was inhaling and exhaling, Derrick was coming closer. His sweet scent passed her nose. Judith nodded faintly.

“I had no idea things would turn out like that. He showed up at an unexpected moment.”

“Did he do something?”

Derrick asked sharply, his brows set sternly. Judith, knowing what he had in mind, quickly shook her head.

“No.”

Fortunately, Judith escaped from his clutches before anything could have happened. She doesn’t know whether it’s a good thing or not, because they will meet again at the birthday banquet in a few days.

“I just thought I was glad you told me in advance.”

As soon as Judith encountered Killiton, her guard went up. It was always like that, but because Derrick had warned her in advance, it was especially like this today. The Emperor’s bare face in that state was shocking, and if Judith had not known anything, she would have been so confused that she would not have even thought of leaving her position.