Can You Save Me Duke? - 37

“Okay, I’m done.”

As if the chronic congestion had subsided, the doctor let out a sigh of relief.

“If you rest for about a week, there won’t be any problems. I’ll prescribe you some medicine. Take it well.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Since the doctor said a week, my arm would probably heal in about three days. It was already annoying to have to wrap it in a bandage and pretend to be sick for a whole week.

“Is your arm okay?”

“Yes. I think it’ll get better soon because you’ve given it good first aid.”

At her slightly flattering words, Belige’s stiff expression slowly relaxed. The doctor, who had been watching the two of them, spoke up.

“It seems like you two are very close.”

“… … Yes?”

At the explosive words the doctor let out, Lina’s movements, which were about to get up from her seat, stopped.

Martin apologized as he saw her frozen as if he had heard something he shouldn’t have heard.

“Oh, no. We’re not a couple?”

“No, no! We’re… … .”

“We’re about to get married.”

Belige naturally placed her hand on Lina’s shoulder and answered.

‘What?!’

“Oh, you’re a couple about to get married.”

Lina looked at the duke, who was naturally saying that he was going to get married soon, with a look of surprise. Then Belige signaled to her as if to say something along the lines of, ‘Let’s go on a trip together.’

[There’s usually one reason why a young man and woman travel alone.]

Suddenly, what Belige had said before they arrived at the village flashed through my mind.

‘You were really trying to act like a couple?!’

I thought he was just joking, but it turned out he was serious. She wondered if she really had to go that far, but what could she do since it was already spilled milk?

In the end, Lina decided to go along with his rhythm.

“Yes, well… … . That’s right. Haha.”

When Lina smiled awkwardly and nodded, Martin continued, as if he had expected it.

“This is a time when many newlyweds and couples come to Denver to see the lantern festival.”

“The lantern festival?”

“You didn’t know? I thought you came here to see the lanterns. If you didn’t know, you’re really lucky. Tonight is the night they fly the lanterns. It’s not too far from here, so you two should go and see it.”

When Lina asked, as if she had never heard of it before, the doctor kindly answered. Then he briefly explained the lantern festival.

It was 8 p.m., the sun had set. She was curious as she watched the doctor praising the sight of all the people gathered in the plains flying lanterns together, saying it was a spectacular sight.

‘Lanterns.’

I had never seen a lantern festival before, so I felt a little curious about going. However, it was like going to a festival when you were stranded.

It was when she was about to decline the festival that the doctor recommended.

“We… … .”

“Then let’s stop by for a bit. Thanks for telling me.”

‘You’re going to the festival?’

She looked at Bellige with wide eyes in surprise.

“We have a lot of time left anyway, so there’s no reason not to go.”

“But… … .”

“You don’t want to go?”

There was no way she wouldn’t want to go. However, she felt a little guilty when she thought of the count desperately searching for the duke.

‘Well, it’ll take a few days for the count to come pick us up.’

“Okay! Let’s go.”

“Then I’ll tell you the way.”

As we walked, kindly seeing off the doctor who had even given us directions, we arrived at the festival site.

People were gathered in the wide open plain, each preparing to release a lantern.

“I guess the festival is quite famous.”

“People from all over the country gather to see Denver’s lantern festival.”

It was such a famous festival. It seemed like his words were right, as the wide field was overflowing with people, leaving no room to step.

‘But they’re all lovers.’

If there was one strange thing, it was that all the lovers of the empire seemed to be in pairs.

I thought I knew why the duke wanted to act like a couple.

“There are too many people, let’s go somewhere else… … Huh?”

I looked around to suggest that we move to a quieter place to avoid the crowds, but the duke who was supposed to be there was nowhere to be seen.

“Where did you go?”

I must have looked around for a long time to find Bellige. When he slowly revealed himself, he was holding a lantern in his hand.

“Will you let the lantern fly?”

“But since we’ve come this far.”

How could he leisurely fly a lantern when he was stranded? Thinking about those who must be looking for the peacock with their eyes wide open, I felt sorry.

However, the peacock seemed not to care about that and unfolded the lantern.

“They say that if you make a wish while floating the lantern, it will come true.”

“A wish?”

“Hold the lantern like this, close your eyes, and make a wish.”

The peacock took Lina’s hand and had her hold the end of the lantern.

A wish? Isn’t that a pretty romantic sound? I don’t know why my heart always races at the word wish, even though I know it won’t come true.

While Lina was thinking about what wish to make, a loud voice was heard from afar.

“Alright! Finally! The Denver lantern festival that you’ve all been waiting for is about to begin! We’ll be floating the lanterns soon, so everyone, make a wish!”

Lina quickly closed her eyes at the host’s words.

‘Please, a man who loves me appears and lifts this damn curse!’

No matter what I would wish for, I would always end up wishing for the curse to be lifted.

Of course, there was never a single time when my hundreds of empty wishes came true.

Lina, who had been mumbling her wish in her mind, opened her eyes slightly and looked ahead.

‘You look like you wouldn’t believe in this at all.’

It was strange to see a man who seemed to have no interest in such childish things making a wish. What was the wish of that man who seemed to have everything in the world?

Just as she was thinking meaningless thoughts like whether that man had also prayed for the curse to be lifted like her, the host’s voice was heard once again.

“Now, everyone, let’s release the lanterns!”

And at the host’s words, she let go of the lanterns she was holding with Bellige. The lanterns that Peacock and Lina were holding slowly began to rise into the sky.

“Wow-!”

Lina let out an exclamation without realizing it.

If stars born from the earth were embroidered in the sky, would this be how it would feel? The sight of countless lights rising one by one was truly beautiful.

Lina let out a small breath as if she was moved by the enchanting sight of a group of small stars floating around.

“It’s so pretty. Right… … right?”

Lina looked to the side to ask for the Duke’s consent and asked. However.

The man who she thought was looking at the lanterns was just staring at Lina. As if he had never taken his eyes off her for even a moment.

“Yes. You’re pretty.”

Her face began to turn red like the lanterns that filled the sky at the man’s words.

The words “pretty” seemed to be spoken to her.

The two of them met eyes. The noisy surrounding noise seemed to be avoiding the two of them, becoming quiet.

All she could hear was the sound of her heart pounding.

“I… … .”

The moment Lina mustered up the courage to speak to the Duke, she heard the voices of the man and woman right next to her.

“If a man and a woman launch lanterns together, they will never break up, right?”

“That’s right. They said they would be eternal lovers! So let’s never break up!”

Lina came to her senses as if she had been hit with cold water by their conversation.

“If you launch lanterns together, you won’t break up, what does that mean… … .”

Now that I think about it, the lantern festival is said to be a good place for couples to come on dates, but families would also come. Most of the people here now looked like couples.

‘Then, could it be that the Duke and I launched lanterns together… … .’

Lina looked at the Duke’s back with confused eyes.

“Duk… … Oh, Bellige. Did you just hear? Lanterns. If a man and a woman launch them together, the two will… … .”

“There’s a legend that says they will be together forever.”

“… … Yes?”

But the Duke answered naturally, as if he already knew.

“So you’re saying that you knew everything and turned your back on me?”

“Yes.”

“… … Why?”

“You probably already know why.”

Again. The same atmosphere as yesterday. And that look in his eyes.

[If your goal is the position of the Duchess, you’d better give up. The Permanence family didn’t even have a government, let alone a Duchess of commoner origin.]

[And you didn’t think the Duke wouldn’t have a fiancée, did you?]

But why, did Lawrence’s words come to mind?

“… … You can’t do that.”

“What?”

Lina lowered her head and clenched her fists. Forgetting to call him Beligera.

“You have a fiancée. The Duke.”

“… … fiancée?”

“Yes. I heard that you have a fiancée since you were young. She’s going to be the Duchess soon… … .”

Then, Belige’s eyebrows furrowed without mercy.

“Where on earth did you hear such nonsense?”

“That’s important now… … .”

“I don’t have a fiancée.”

‘What?’

Belige said to Lina in a calm voice.

“But, since I was very young… … .”

“There was. But that engagement has already been broken off a long time ago.”

‘The engagement was broken? But according to that man… … . Could it be, it was a lie?’

She was confused. Was what the duke said true or was what Lawrence said true?

She looked at the duke with trembling eyes.

“But, even if it’s not now, you’ll get engaged and get married someday. Then I… … .”

Why was her heart pounding so hard?

‘What is this man expecting me to say? Me?’

For some reason, her heart ached as she talked about his future, which was as natural as the course of nature.

“No.”

But Belige cut her off as if she didn’t need to hear any more.

“That can’t be.”

His eyes were calm without a single waver. They were infinitely firm.

And perhaps because she knew his heart, another impulsive question burst out of her mouth.

“You did last night. You gave me everything I wanted.

“I will do it.”

The end of her words seemed to tremble slightly.

“What if I say I want to become a duchess?”

How presumptuous and presumptuous was this question?

“Then I will make you a duchess.”

However, her answer, without even a hint of hesitation, made her heart race.

“Even though I’m a commoner? A commoner can’t become the wife of a noble.”

“Then I guess you’ll just have to become a noble lady first.”

Was the problem of making a commoner into a noble really that easy? He was talking about changing a person’s status as easily as eating a meal.

Seeing the man who seemed like he would really grant her everything she wanted, Lina thought of a hypothesis she had never thought of before.

Could it be that this man standing in front of her.

Wouldn’t he lift the curse she had been unable to lift for a long time?

Such an exciting hypothesis.