Married To A Savage Duke - Chapter 83.1

“Are you alright?” Cherryl asked urgently.

“No, I’m fine.” Cade turned his attention to Viper as if trying to gauge his sincerity. “Return with my wife straight to the castle. Protect him with your life until you arrive safely.”

“I understand.” Despite the order to risk his life given to an unfamiliar woman, Viper nodded without changing his expression.

“You will take full responsibility, so if you sense any suspicious individuals approaching, don’t hesitate to strike. Keep your eyes open until you are certain it’s safe.”

“As you command.”

Thinking that Cade was trying to send Cherryl away alone, she held onto Cade’s hand tightly as impatience filled her.

“Don’t go!”

However, it was difficult to continue speaking after she held his hand and their eyes met. Was there an urgent matter that required him to face that brutish crown prince? Though she wanted to suggest going back to the castle since she felt uneasy, she couldn’t easily find the words, fearing it might sound like a childish tantrum. She knew she couldn’t say the wrong things in front of the curious onlookers who might have noticed their identities. As if reading her mind, Cade gently tightened his grip on Cherryl’s shoulder, trying to comfort her.

“You’ll be back home soon, so return to the castle first.”

“Please take care of yourself.”

Cherryl glanced up at him with a sorrowful expression. Cade grabbed the edge of her hood and pulled it over her head. “Don’t worry. There’s nothing to be cautious about.”

“I’ll be waiting until you return.”

“You won’t have to wait long.”

After giving Viper a final look as if entrusting her to him, Cade turned and led his subordinates toward Philip’s direction. Meanwhile, Cherryl could only watch anxiously as Cade’s figure moved further away. With nothing else to do, she absentmindedly tapped her foot, and Viper, with an indifferent expression that seemed even bored, approached her from the opposite direction.

“Shall we go? I will escort you by carriage.”

Though Viper didn’t even touch her fingertips, Cherryl felt a force pushing her in the opposite direction. Watching Cade recede into the crowd, she eventually took a step forward. The air inside the carriage on the way back to the Grand Castle felt heavy, weighed down by Cherryl’s worries and self-blame, accompanied by a whirlwind of various thoughts.

‘Why did I buy Cade’s gift for no reason? If only I hadn’t gone to the busy streets, I wouldn’t have encountered that unbearable snake. At the very least, if I had concealed my identity with a hood, the prince and princess wouldn’t have noticed me.”

Feeling foolish, Cherryl had been so fixated on buying the gift within that twenty minutes that she had withdrawn her hood, completely forgetting about it for the rest of the afternoon. Wanting to hit herself on the head in frustration, Cherryl soon shook her head.

‘No. My intention to give a gift to Cade wasn’t wrong.’

The recent incident was all because the Crown Prince had provoked it. He not only held onto Cherryl, who was minding her own business but also took the joke too far and insulted her.

Cade’s furious reaction had been a first for her. From his seemingly flawless face, one could feel the intensity of his anger, and if it wasn’t for her fear, it would be a lie. If he had resisted at all, he would have mercilessly cut off Philip’s wrist.

Considering Cade’s position, it could have been a dangerous situation where he might have harmed the royal family. Recalling the seriousness of the situation made her dizzy.

Although it was said that Cade didn’t recognize the Crown Prince as he wore a hood, she was now worried that Philip, who was filled with venom, might seek revenge.

No.

Even before that, what if Cade had killed Philip in the heat of the moment? Wasn’t that a more worrisome situation than Philip’s threats? At the end of her restless contemplation, there was self-reproach. She should have listened when he said to take a guard with her. Instead, she insisted on going alone for no reason.

If Philip, who looked deceitful and treacherous at a glance, had seen Cherryl accompanied by guards, he might not have approached her. The thought that the whole incident originated from her own mistake stuck in her mind like a thorn.

Cherryl, who was tangled in her thoughts, noticed Viper sitting next to her in the carriage. Even when the carriage jolted, Viper remained motionless, resembling a stone statue. If he had been a more affable person, reassuring her that everything would be fine and not to worry, she might have felt at ease.

However, he was gazing ahead with an indifferent countenance, displaying a world-weary countenance. Viper was Cade’s most trusted confidant and, in the original novel, the commander who led the forefront troops with him.

One could tell that he was a person of few words without even looking at his demeanor.

As Cherryl fumbled with the gift box crumpled in the commotion, she cautiously spoke up,

“Um… Is Cade alright?”

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